August, 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



115 



terials. Farther along my friend's sliarp eye 

 caught siglit of another hole in a low Birch stump 

 near the road, wliich upon being rapped, out 

 flew the Chickadee from her nest, which con- 

 tained eight fresh eggs. Another orchard visited 

 where for years past sets of tlie Blue Yellow-back 

 had been collected, but now all was still, save the 

 Wood Pewce and the Great-crested Flycatcher. 

 Continuing along on our journey, wc pass through 

 beautiful groves, shady and cool, and soon come 

 out near a barn, under which !V nest of the Phcebe 

 Bird containing four eggs, was found built upon 

 the one of the previous season, making the nest 

 nine indies in height. While passing along a 

 swamp road bordered on either side by light open 

 woods, interspersed with a scrub growth, a 

 Cliewink was flushed from her nest, placed on the 

 ground partially concealed from sight by the 

 overhanging grass, which contained four fresh 

 eggs. Baltimore Orioles were found breeding 

 very common, no less than eight nests found dur- 

 ing to-days walk. A nest of the Least Flycatcher 

 found June 3d, contained three eggs, one of which 

 was nearly as small as a Humming Bird's. While 

 walking along the pike which leads out through 

 western Bristol County, another nest of the Black- 

 capped Chickadee was found in a Birch stump, 

 wliich contained seven eggs, incubation com- 

 menced. AVhilc at lunch a set of seven Flickers 

 were taken from an A.sh tree, another set of eight 

 were taken in a grove of mixed growth, from a 

 dead pine stump. These differed in incubation, it 

 being the second set, a first one of the same num- 

 ber having been taken May 18th. Summer Yel- 

 low Bird, Cat Birds and Brown Thrushes were 

 found breeding plentifully. Another nest of the 

 Maryland Yellow-throat was found while walk- 

 ing along the bank of the Palmer River, which 

 contained five eggs. Two nests of the Whits- 

 bellied Swallow were noted, one in an Apple tree 

 and the other in my friend's barn, which con- 

 tained six and five eggs respectively, the latter 

 being a second set of the same number as the first, 

 wliich was taken May 33d. June 3d we arose at 

 3 o'clock, and after partaking of a hearty break- 

 fast prepared for a trip to a colony of Cliff Swal- 

 lows under a distant barn. After packing our 

 knapsacks we donned our hunting coats and 

 started ad inodum "Johnnie" across the fields. 

 After a walk of a few miles we came to the barn, 

 and started the Swallows from their bottle-shaped 

 nests, which were placed in rows, securely 

 fastened along the beams. These were v(!ry brittle 

 and lined with hay and feathers. A bird was ex- 

 amined and the chestnut patch on the forehead 

 found very noticeable. Several sets were taken, 

 as that is the only colony that I have met with in 



Bristol County, and which I had the opportunity 

 of visiting through the kindness of my friend. In 

 an orchard opposite and a short way from the 

 road my friend noticed a natural hole in the trunk 

 of a medium sized Apple tree about sixteen 

 inches deep on the bottom ; noticed feathci-s and 

 castings which led him to believe it was a used 

 nest of the Screech Owl. Here a male and female 

 flreat-crested Flycatcher were conspicuous, and 

 were evidently seeking a nesting site. We left 

 them to perform their labor, and continued on 

 our journey, which now led us through a long 

 wood road bordered f)n either side by groves of 

 Chestnut and Beech, where the chip chur of the 

 Scarlet Tanager was frequently heard above the 

 less noisy birds. We are gradually a.scending 

 rising ground and at last emerge upon the crest of 

 a hill, from which a beautiful view is to be had. 

 Here a Birch stump near t!;e road attracted our 

 attention, which was found to hold a nest of tlie 

 Black-capped Chiclvadee containing seven fresh 

 eggs. Henewing our walk we came to a large 

 mossy orchard in the midst of mixed woods. In 

 this orchard, which was composed of old Apple 

 trees, from which the long Spanish moss (Usnea) 

 hung in profusion, were found a pair of Great- 

 crested Flycatchers, which were heard some time 

 before we reached the place, their peculiar sharp 

 cry, which shows their pugnacious, irritable dis- 

 position, could be plainly heard above all other 

 birds in the neighborhood, and could not fail to 

 draw the attention of one interested in the study 

 of birds. That we were regarded as intruders on 

 their territory was evident from the manner in 

 which they received us, flying from tree to tree 

 or hovering overhead as we ate our lunch, scold- 

 ing with erectile crown and ruftlcd feathei-s. That 

 they had either chosen their nesting place or were 

 about to do so was apparent from their hostile 

 appearance. My friend had the good luck to find 

 the nest June 17th. It was placed in a hole in 

 the trunk of an Apple tree, cavity lined with ral)- 

 bit's hair, feathers, chaff, and a few bits of snake 

 skin, upon which the set of four eggs were laid. 

 The parent bird did not flush until he peered into 

 the hole ; incubation commenced. Here it was in 

 this large mossy orchard that the Blue Yellow- 

 backed Warbler was found and studied to ad- 

 vantage. We calculated that no less than twenty 

 pairs were in the vicinity, as a number of the 

 birds were constantly heard singing in the or- 

 chard and a cedar growth near, from which the 

 Usnca also hung plentifully. Their nests varied 

 in size and shaijc ; some were deep and nearly 

 concealed in the thick hanging moss, while others 

 were shallow and globular and were much smaller 

 in external appearance. They were generally 



