8 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 8-No. 1 



Notes from Hartford. — February 4, 

 saw a Winter Wren in a dooryard in the 

 suburbs. A Song Sparrow lias visited my 

 dooryard at intervals during the Winter in 

 company with Tree Sparrows and Snow- 

 birds, feeding on crumbs with which they 

 were supplied. Also saw one February 

 22d, on bank of Connecticut River, find- 

 ing shelter among nooks and crevices. 

 One Red-headed Woodpecker has re- 

 mained all Winter in a large oak in an 

 open lot, where I have seen it come out of 

 a hole in a dead limb and make dashes out 

 into the air in manner of Flycatchers, and 

 returning, alight on the slender twigs of 

 the outermost branches, swinging head 

 downwards, uttering its harsh notes. 

 Bluebirds observed on February 22d. 

 March 5, Crow-blackbirds and Red-wings ; 

 also Meadow Larks. March 1st, Golden- 

 winged Woodpeckers were seen. March 

 10th, heard first Robin. — Harry T. Gates. 



Eggs in a Set. — In answer to note in 

 last number of O. and O. by W. W. W., of 

 Shelter Island, as to Catbirds laying five 

 eggs, I have known of several nests with 

 that number in them, one found this year 

 at Peace Dale, R. I., another in vicinity of 

 Saratoga, N. Y., taken by G. C. Rich, and 

 in my collection. This last was found 

 several years ago. I found a Robin's nest 

 built on groimd or edge of rock in this 

 place, and since I reported my nest of 

 seven eggs. A collector found one of six 

 and several of five at Peace Dale, R. I. 

 The nest of six was brought me, but none 

 of the five sets, as my friend was not 

 aware they were uncommon. After taking 

 the six eggs the bird layed two more and 

 then deserted nest. I had a set of 

 Savannah Sparrows brought me, collected 

 by my brother from a hole in an apple 

 tree, the bird caught on the nest. One of 

 my collectors also found a set of Song 

 Sparrows in a similar position. As for 

 House Sparrows, there is no accounting 

 for the places they choose or number of 



eggs laid. A pair took possession this 

 season of a hole where a Downy Wood- 

 pecker had a nest last year and have 

 raised a brood there. — Snowdon Howland. 



Notes from Galesburg, 111. 



March 23.— Nest of the Great Horned 

 Owl in which was a newly fledged young : 

 also parts of two Rabbits, several Field 

 Mice and some Moles. The nest had been 

 occupied pre\dous seasons by Red-tailed 

 Hawks, and Avas in a large white oak. 



April 19. — Saw a Loggerhead Shrike im- 

 pale a young Shore Lark on a thorn. The 

 Shrike was followed by the old Lark. 



May 23 — Ground Robin's nest three 

 feet up in a hedge. Contents, three young 

 and an addled e^g. 



A Loggerhead Shrike came within ten 

 feet of where I was standing, seized a 

 Henslow's Sparrow and bore it off. 



May 25 — Nest of the Yellow-winged 

 Sparrow, Field Plover, Downy and Red- 

 headed Woodpecker, Bank Swallow, Black- 

 throated Bunting, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

 and Meadow Lark, all with ivM comple- 

 ments of eggs. 



June 30. — Nest of Passerina cyanea 

 with three eggs of the CoAv-bird and none 

 of the Indigo bird. A foiu-th e^^^ of the 

 Cow Bunting was lying on the ground 

 nearly underneath the nest, and was iinin- 

 jured. An egg of the Indigo Bird was 

 found on the groimd twelve feet from the 

 nest. The eggs in the nest were partly in- 

 cubated. 



July 1. — Found a nest of Traill's 

 Flycatcher containing seven eggs. It was 

 concealed among the thick foliage of 

 an apple tree, which showed no traces 

 of previous climbing. The eggs have 

 evidently been laid by two birds, as 

 four of them are of a light ground color 

 and quite globular, while the others are 

 darker, more oblong and heavily spotted. 

 Of twenty nests of this bird taken this 

 season, thirteen have contained four eggs. 

 — C.W. Strumherg. 



