20 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 8-No. 3 



structure was rather frail and deeply 

 rounded. Around its upper edge wei-e ar- 

 ra3^ed bits of skeleton oak leaves whose 

 delicate lace-like tracery of veinlets gave 

 evidence of greater taste than I had before 

 seen in bird architecture. 



The eggs were much rounded in shape. 

 The color was white with a pinkish hue, 

 and dotted with sj^ots of brown and laven- 

 der. At the larger end these spots were 

 so tliick as to become confluent. The eggs 

 were similar in size and markings. 



Two more nests of this bird were re- 

 ported to me on the same date, June 9. 

 Upon visiting them I found in que live 

 young nearly fledged, and in the other two 

 addled eggs. 



A week or more after the discovery of 

 the first nest I found a pair of the birds 

 not far from the same place. I watched 

 them closely and afterward frequently saw 

 the male alone, but failed to find the nest 

 until after the young had left it, when 

 I found it in the deserted nest of a Blue- 

 bird not a hundred feet away from a dwell- 

 ing house. 



I identified the nest by its peculiar ar- 

 chitecture and a few egg shells at the base 

 of the tree. 



These four nests were alike in situation, 

 all being in damp forests near the river, 

 and in deserted nests of other birds, about 

 six or seven feet above the ground. They 

 were all built of like material and were 

 ornamented with skeleton leaves. Two of 

 the nests were in elm trees and two in wil- 

 low stumps. I have read no description of 

 the nest of this warbler and do not know 

 whether the above agrees with the expe- 

 rience of older observers. — D. E. Lantz^ 

 Manhattan, Kan. 



See pages 53 and 65, Volume vi, for other Notes. 



Steal Our Articles. — Oh, yes ! keep on 

 stealing them ; never mind the credit. 

 It's only an article. 



Subscription price, $1 per annum. 



Wanted to Know. 



Why and by whom Maryland was pre- 

 fixed to " Maryland Yellow Throat," which 

 a correspondent thinks should be named 

 Maryland Black Eye. 



Why, and how the " Purple Finch " re 

 ceived its name when it is not purple. 



Wliy the " California Woodpecker " se- 

 lects " sound acorns only to store away " 

 when it lives on an insect diet. William 

 Stembeck suggests that the acoms rather 

 contain the germ of the grub which de- 

 velopes while being in store. 



Wanted to know more about the '' Ash 

 Throated Flycatcher" and Feruginous Buz- 

 zard." If Gentry has yet discovered that 

 his statements of the Bluebird's migration 

 are not true. The Hash diet he gives this 

 bird is beyond the power of mortal man to 

 say whether it is true or not, but the 

 "Blythe and Bonny" Bluebird sings all 

 the same, and is with us all the year, and 

 does often lay six blue eggs and white ones 

 not uncommon. 



Notes from Manhattan, Kan. 



Of five nests of the Ground Kobin found 

 by me last Spring only two were on the 

 ground. One was six feet above ground 

 in a green brier {Hmilax.) 



Last Spring the Harris Sparrow remained 

 with us until the latter part of May. Dur- 

 ing May I found in nests of other birds 

 several parasitic eggs which did not re- 

 semble those of the Cowbird in shape, size 

 or color. They were much smaller, elon- 

 gated in shape, and the markings were 

 lighter. I found many Cowbirds' eggs 

 later but none like these. The query pre- 

 sented itself whether the Harris Sparrow 

 could have laid these. 



Oct. 1, 1882. — Saw a Mourning Dove 

 sitting on« two eggs, apj^arently fresh. 



Dec. 30. — Saw thousands of Bluebirds 

 and Robins in the woods. Saw two Groimd 

 Robins, {Pipilo erythroplithahnus.) — IJ. 

 E. Lantz. 



