io8 



THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



a well-traveled path. They have been known 

 to build within an arm's reach of an open 

 window. The noise of passing vehicles appears 

 to disturb them, and they seldom, if ever, 

 build near a public highway. 



The eggs are from three to five in number, 

 and are blue with a wide ring of minute black 

 spots encircling an open space a^ the larger 

 end. Eighteen days are required for incuba- 

 tion, and during this time neither bird is ever 

 out of sight of the nest. Often the parent will 

 allow itself to be lifted from the nest rather 

 than leave it. I think that both birds 

 assist in thi incubation, but as tlie sexes and 

 individuals so closely resemble each other, I 

 cannot he positive. Both birds assist in feed- 

 ing the young. At first worms form the chief 

 article of iliet; but later, several species of 

 insects are added to the bill of fare. They do 

 consideraljle damage by preying upon the 

 honey-bee. About the first of September they 

 abandon this kind of food, and subsist upon 

 the small seeds of various kinds of weeds. 

 Grain, they never touch at this season. In the 

 spring wlien the ground is covered with snow, 

 and they are pressed with hunger, they will 

 pick up a few kernels of wheal, but ihey do not 

 seem to relish tlitm. '1 hty are fond of bread- 

 crumbs, and will hep lo the threshold, and 

 often inside the door-way in staich or them. 



I do not know that they accompany any 

 other birds in their migrations. In fact there 

 is little foundation for the statement that they 

 do so. But they arrive about the same time 

 as the robin, and, for a while they seem to 

 associate intimately together. Also about the 

 middle of September they begin to seek the 

 society of the king-bird, and both s] ecies 

 migrate about the middle of October. They 

 do not associate with robins or migrate with 

 them in the fall. 



A MOCKINGBIRD. 



.ARCHIE A. BELL. 



Not imitator, but original, 



In all the gorgeous carvinal 

 Of birds which come in Sprmg 



And make the woodlands ring 

 With songs; 



Tis yours, the note that sweet prolongs, 

 We love to hear you in the trees 



Your whistle floats upon a breeze 

 Which passing shadbush shrub of white 



With all their fragrance doth unite 

 And pleasure gives our senses all. — 



It comes to us, a magic call. 

 The earth enjoys your happy lay. 



And deep in woodlands far away 

 The other members of your throng, 



Unite the str.iin and swell it long. 

 They each would imitate your voice. 



And make their hearts as ours rejoice; 

 They each w mid know the magic trill 



And each would catch y jur carol shiill. 

 Imitators, all are we, 



We imitate the good we see; 

 The artist's brush, the poet's pen 



Are guided by the lives of men 

 Who lived and died ot noble worth. 



Who lived while here upon the earth 

 Their lives of truth and honesty. — 



Now plain their form in all we see. 



TALLAHASSEE, FLA — [TO THE EDITORJ — In 



my article "An Indian Mound" in June 

 number, the height of the mound should be, 

 'about thirty feet high' not "'sixty feet.' In the 

 same number I note a record of two albino 

 meadowlark's eggs: Two seasons ago I had 

 brought to me four full sets of albino eggs; they 

 were common in this locality, bnt since that 

 time I have not taken any. 



R. W. Williams jr. 



A New Deer. — A new species of deer has 

 been sent with a small collection of mammali 

 from Ecuador Jo the British Museum by H. 

 M'S. consul at Quito. It is proposed to give 

 it the name of Padua MephistopheHs. — The 

 Natwalist''s Chronicle, Cambridge, Eng. 



Mr. Wm. Piedril, of Warsaw, 111., sends 

 photograph of a large white pelican, lately 

 shot on the Mississij^pi .liver, near Warsaw. 

 Height; 37^4^ inches; spread of wings; 8 

 feet 9^ inches. 



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