114 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 10-No. 8 



Numbers of Inst year's observers (.as given in 

 O. and O., vol. 9, p. .51) who are also observers 

 this year: 



1, 2, 3, 8, 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 29//, 30, 

 32, 33, 34, 38, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 48<(, 4Q,i, 50, 

 53, 53a, .53A, 54, .50, 57, 58, 59, Gl, G2>i, 04, G5, GO, 

 GGrt, G~a, G8, 69, 70. 71, 72, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 84rt, 

 86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 97, 98, 101, 104, 107, 113r(, 

 116, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 128, 129, 130, 133, 

 134, 135. 



Observers who are no longer in the towns from 

 which their addresses were ]iublishcd last year : 



10, 22, 36, 43, 49, 51, 53<-, GO, 73, 70, 87, 95, 102, 

 109, 111, C, 131. 



A Ramble in Bristol County, Mass. 



BY F. Vf. A. 



It was my pleasure to spend a short lime in the 

 collecting field in latter May and early .June with 

 a genial friend, Mr. F. II. C, a keen and accurate 

 observer, and one whose knowledge of Bird Life 

 was seemingly inexhaustible. We confined our 

 trip to Bristol County, which we traversed from 

 east to west, new fields were visited, fresh 

 grounds hunted over, and numerous new phases 

 in Bird Life were brought before us. 



May 30lh a new colony of Bank Swallows 

 were found holding possession of a sand bank 

 which bordered a small creek, over which 

 the Swallows were flying hiOier and thither, 

 now skimming over the meadow, which lay 

 near at hand, or mounting high in the air 

 in pursuit of insects. Their conspicuous lit- 

 tle holes bored two feet from the top of 

 the slightly overhanging bank were not com- 

 pleted, nor were they this season, for on passing 

 that way June 6th, we found tCat ruthless hands 

 had done their work, some boys having torn out 

 their holes, causing the swallows to desert their 



already newly formed settlement and to seek new 

 homes. The Bank Swallow, tbougli formerly 

 common in Bristol County, are fast decreasing in 

 numbers, only one breeding place now known of 

 a few pairs, to three colonies in '81. Fresh sets 

 of four and five eggs were taken .June 5, '83, and 

 .June G, '84; none this year. The Oriole and 

 Least Flycatcher were found nesting in the same 

 old Buttonwood by the rustic bridge as last sea- 

 son, and a nest was found of the Summer Yellow 

 Bird containing two eggs in the same clump of 

 wild Rosebushes that a nest containing five eggs 

 was taken May 30, '85. The rare Summer resi- 

 dent, the Great-crested Flycatcher, w.as first seen 

 May 30th, with its erectile crown and its whistling 

 note of tu-whit, tu-whit, which it uttered at in- 

 terv.als while in plain view. This noisy bird was 

 seen or heard at intervals in several different lo- 

 calities during the first week of June. They 

 were found frequenting either light timbered 

 groves near open land or old orchards, which are 

 occasionally met with in the midst of woods in 

 Massachusetts. We started early on our tramp 

 .June 1st, which led us out through Kaynham and 

 the surrounding suburbs. The Warbling Vireo, 

 which is plentiful here this season, was heard 

 singing in the tops of the Elms which lined both 

 sides of the road. Several nests of the Least Fly- 

 catcher were noted, but with incomplete sets. 

 Hardly had we left the busy haunts of man before 

 the scolding Wood Thrush was heard from a 

 grove of mi.xed growth, while opposite in an or- 

 chard the notes of the Black Poll was heard. 

 We soon left the traveled road and entered the 

 woods, coming after a short walk to a mossy or- 

 chard, where we took a nest containing four eggs 

 of the Blue Yellow-backed Warbl<;r from the 

 same moss covered tree that a set of a similar 

 number was taken last year. While taking notes 

 our attention was drawn by the chattering of a 

 Maryland Yellow-throat near at hand, and think- 

 ing she must have a nest, we hunted through the 

 few low bushes in the vicinity and discovered the 

 nest placed on the tussock of grass, and nearly 

 concealed by the overhanging leaves. A notica- 

 ble feature of this nest was the twining in of the 

 long hanging moss which she had taken from the 

 trees. This nest contained a set of five eggs June 

 0th, which were fresh. Here the White-eyed 

 Vireo was heard singing, and as we came out to 

 the road the Scarlet Tanager was seen, bis bright 

 colored plumage conspicuous against the back- 

 ground of green leaves. A hole in a Birch stump 

 was next inspected, when out flew the inmate, a 

 Black-capped Chickadee. L'pon opening the hole 

 a set of eight eggs were disclosed to view, par- 

 tially incubated ; nest composed of the usual ma 



