July, 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



101 



to ascertain the different kinds of birds nesting 

 there. I found there nine liinds of Heron, namely : 

 Wurdemann Heron, Snowy Heron, Night Heron, 

 Golden-crowned Heron, Louisiana Heron, Blue 

 Heron, Green Heron, Small White Heron and 

 Egret. Of the Ibis I found but two species, the 

 Large Wood Ibis (sometimes called the Horse 

 Gannett) and the Small Wliite Ibis, which is also 

 called the Wliile Curlew, of which latter species 

 of Ibis mentioned, the rookery is largely com- 

 posed. I also found there the Cormorant, Water 

 Turkey, Rosy Spoonbill and the Great Bittern ; 

 in all fifteen varieties of waterfowl, not including 

 a vast number of Buzzards, Crows, &c. Some 

 idea of the rookery may be obtained by one who 

 is not prepared to visit it in person, by a state- 

 ment of what came under my own observation 

 while there. I counted on one small maple tree 

 lliirty-three nests while standiitg on the ground, 

 l>ut upon climbing the same tree I found over 

 eighty nests, each one containing from three to 

 five eggs about the size of hens' eggs. Upon 

 another tree, a black gum, I counted one hundred 

 and eighteen nests. As Mr. Mott had assured me 

 that there were no less than one million birds in 

 the rookery, I had the curiosity to make an esti- 

 mate for myself Allowing one nest to every two 

 sf|uare feet of surface (which all who have seen it 

 think is a low estimate), the number of nests on 

 the eighty acres would be 1,742,400. Counting 

 two birds to each nest, the number of birds would 

 1)6 3,484,800. Now estimating that each pair of 

 birds only succeed in rearing two young, it would 

 give the enormous amount of 6,909,600 birds at 

 the close of the nesting season — almost seven mil- 

 lion. But perhaps you will say that such a state- 

 ment is incredible. .Very well then. I have only 

 to say, go and see for yourself, as I did ; Mr. Mott 

 will show you around willingly. But I would 

 advise you to take your vinaigrette along with 

 you, for the stench of the rookery is actually 

 abominable. With the wind direct from the 

 rookery, the smell is discernible for nearly a mile. 

 Although shooting in the rookery is strictly pro- 

 hibited, yet through the courtesy of Mr. Mott I 

 was allowed to obtain a few choice specimens. — 

 E. A. Rkhirds in Orange Co., {Fla.) jRcporhr. 



The Nest and Eggs of the Blue Yel- 

 low-backed Warbler. 



{Pitrtila americana.) 



IIY S. AliliEIlT SHAW, HAMPTON, N. IL 



I noted the first arrival of this species on May 

 13th, but on the 21st and 22d they were more nu- 

 merous than I had ever observed them to be be- 

 fore. On the 35 tb, after a tramp over a piece of 



swampy woodland, consisting of Oaks, Maples 

 and Black Birches, I had paused to rest for a few 

 minutes, meanwhile watching various Warblers 

 flitting about among the treetops. After a while 

 my attention was attracted by a small bird which 

 returned several times to the same spot on a limb 

 of a Black Birch three feet from the trunk and 

 thirty-five from the ground. While watching it, 

 the bird flew down to a bush not ten feet from me, 

 then to the foot of a Birch, procured a piece of 

 lichen and returned to the limb, as I had seen it 

 do before. 



I was highly pleased to recognize the bird as 

 the Blue Yellow-backed Warbler. I visited the 

 place on June 6th, and found the nest completed 

 and containing two eggs. Three days later there 

 were five eggs, and I secured them with the nest. 

 The latter was formed beneath a nearly horizon- 

 tal branch, one inch in diameter, by bending 

 down on each side some long sprays from a bunch 

 of lichens growing on the upper side of the limb, 

 and weaving the ends together underneath, filling 

 in with finer pieces of the same material together 

 with a few pieces of dried grass, apparently form- 

 ing a loose and flimsy structure ; but on touching 

 it one is surprised at its strength and firnmess. 

 Its outside dimensions areas follows: Length, 

 3}^ inches; width, 2i^ inches; depth, 2 inches. 

 Each end is left open, the one for entrance being 

 nmch more rounded and finished than the other. 

 Each egg had exactly the same measure, viz : .50x 

 .0.5 of an inch. They are white, thickly sprinkled 

 with dark lilac about the larger end. 



Among the Migrants at Hamilton, 

 Ontario. 



BY K. C. MCILWEAirn. 



Two years ago when looking around for out 

 door exercise mtU an object,! turned my attention 

 to collecting birds and making up the skins. I 

 need scarcely say that this has suited my purpose 

 admirably, besides affording a great deal of en- 

 joyment. As many of your readers may be simi- 

 larly situated to myself I have thought it might 

 interest them to hear the result of one or two 

 short collecting trips which I have recently made 

 with considerable success. 



Being at school, Saturday is my only available 

 day, and the second and third Saturdays in May 

 are looked forward to with more interest than any 

 others of the year. This year there was a slight 

 increase in the number of the early species about 

 the 10th of May, but from that date until the 

 21st, the weather was bright and cool and bird 

 life remarkably still. On the 23d it rained 

 slightly all day and kept on during the night. On 



