44 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 10-No. 3 



Notes on Nests of the Indigo Bird 

 and Towhee Bunting. 



BY W. E. H., KAIRVIKW, \V. VA., (PAMIAXDI.K). 



Oil Ihc 18tli of August, 1883, llie writer found 

 in a mass of Blackberri' briers on the border of a 

 wood, witliin a radius of nine feet, two nests, one 

 tliat of tlie Towhee Bunting and the other of tlie 

 Indigo Bird, each not less than three feet from the 

 ground, and containing .3 and 4 fresh eggs respect- 

 ively. In connection w ith this circumstance the 

 writer deems tliree tilings as noteworthy. First, 

 the close proximity of said nests. Rarely, if ever, 

 has he found nests of ditlerent species within so 

 sliort a distance of each other and occupied siiu- 

 ultaneously, although it may occur I'ftener than 

 his own observations would indicate. Il would, 

 lierhaps, be a matter of interest were correspon- 

 dents of the "O. and O." to note instances of thi.s. 



A second feature of interest was the lateness of 

 the season of the occurrence of said nests. It is 

 generally supposed the Indigo Bird, like the Scar- 

 let Tanagcr, is quite sensitive to llie fiosis of our 

 northern climates, and observaticms in this lati- 

 tude pretty generally agiee, that, as it is among 

 the latest of Spring arrivals, it is among the first 

 to take its departure in the Fall. The finding 

 therefore, of a nest of this bird, with freshly laid 

 eggs, after the middle of August, the writer be- 

 lieves to be, at least, quite extraordinary. 



A third interesting fact in connection with the 

 above was tlie elevation of the Towhee's ui si 

 from the ground. Several years ago, writers 

 noted exceptions to the ground building habit of 

 tliis bird, and quite recently a number of corres- 

 pondents of the "O and O" have reported instances, 

 as coming under their own observation, of its 

 nesting in a bush or low sappling, some feet from 

 the ground. And yet there are reputable wrilers 

 who still persist in saying "the Towhee Bunting 

 iiliriii/x builds its nest on the ground," e. g.. Dr. 

 Abbott in his recently published " Rambles of a 

 Naturalist about Home," page 141. One " O. and 

 O." correspondent called attention to the interest- 

 ing fact that every reported instance of this bird's 

 departure from its usual practice of nestingon the 

 ground, as he believed, uniformly occurred during 

 the latter half of the breeding season, which 

 agrees with the case in question. His theory, 

 ho\7ever, in explanation, vi/.,; the Summer foliage 

 contributed to form a bed for the nest, would 

 hardly hold good in this case, my notes minutely 

 describing the nest as " attached to a bunch of 

 four or five upright (le<ii/ Blackberry stalks, par- 

 tially shaded by taller Elderberry bushes." 



Notes on the Birds of the Sea Islands. 



liV WAI.TKU IIO.XIE, KROGMOUE, SO. (AH. — I'ART 111. 



The AVood Thrush, (1,) an occasional migrant. 



The Hermit Thrush, (.%,) a common migrant 

 and occasional .Winter resident. 



Wilson's Thrush, (2,) occasionally an abundant 

 migrant, usually I think when the next is rare. 



The Olive-backed Thrush, (4«,) generally an 

 abundant migrant and Winter resident, but occa- 

 sionally seems to be supplanted by the Wilson's. 



The Robin, (7,) abundant Winter resident. 



The Mockingbird, (11,) abundant resident. 



The Catbird, (12,) veiy rare until the jiresent 

 year. Tliis Spring not rare, and this Fall very 

 abundant. A few seem inclined to pass the Win- 

 ter here. 



The Bluebird, (22,) common Winter icsidL-nt. 

 A few breed. Tlic eggs are laid lat<' and are very 

 small. 



The Ruliy-cidwned Wren, {'■'».) couinniii in 

 Winter. 



The ({oldcn-cresled Wren, (;B,) rare in Wintii-. 



The Brown Tlirasher, (18,) common lesidciil, 

 and abundant during the migrations. 



The Mocking Wren, ((It),) common Sumuier 

 resident. 



The Long-billed Marsh Wren, (liT.) abundant. 



The Short-billed Marsli Wren, (08,) very rare. 



The House AV'rcn, (d'-i.) very abundant in Win 

 ter. A few Summer residents. 



Tlie Winter Wren, ((i."),). Taken once in 1801). 



Tlie Brown Creeper, (55,) occasional in Winter. 



Tlie Brown-headed Nuthatch, (58.) rare resi- 

 dent. 



The Blue-gray (iualcalclier, (27,) raie migrant, 

 and occasional Suniiner resident. 



The Tufted Tit, (;J(),) rare tiirnieily, but now 

 becoming an abundant resident. 



'I'lie Carolina Tit, (42,) commim resident. 



Tlie Titlark, (71.) abundant all Winter. 



Tlie Black iind While Creeper, (74,) common 

 migrant.' Early in its arrivals in both Spring and 

 Fall. 



Tlie Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, (88,) an 

 abundant migrant and common Summer resident. 



The Protlicmotary Warbler, (75,) very rare mi- 

 grant. 



The Maryland Yellow-throat, (122,) very com- 

 mon migrant, lingering late in the Fall. 



The Mourning Warbler, (120,) probably acci- 

 dental. One specimen taken in Spring. 



The Connecticut Warbler, (118,) occasional, 

 both in Spring and Fall. 



The Kentucky Warbler, (11!),) taken twice in 

 Fall. 



