July, 1883.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



55 



Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



Red-headed Woodpecker. 



House Sparrow. 



On May 18th I found a nest of the 

 " Sharp-shinned Hawk." It was built in a 

 hole of a dead tree in an open lot ; and in 

 the same tree, directly below it, a Red- 

 headed "Woodpecker had her nest. One 

 week previous, when I discovered the 

 Woodpecker's nest, I saw a small Hawk 

 alight on the top of the tree for a few mo- 

 ments and then fly away again. Presently 

 she returned and then flew away. This 

 she repeated for several times. I thought 

 of course she was after the Woodj)ecker. I 

 then went away, thinking nothing more 

 about it. The next day I happened to pass 

 by there and I found that somebody had 

 been trying to cut down the tree and had 

 almost accomplished it. (They were proba- 

 bly after the Woodpecker's nest. ) But while 

 I was looking at it the same Hawk perched 

 on the top of the tree. Then I thought 

 she might have a nest there ; I looked 

 for it but could not find it. I did not visit 

 the tree again until the morning of the 

 18th of May, when I went for the Wood- 

 pecker's eggs. This time I found the tree 

 had been set on fire since my last visit, 

 making it quite dirty work ascending. 

 When I had almost reached the Wood- 

 pecker's nest, I saw something fly out of 

 the hole above me. I then climbed up to 

 the hole, which was about the size of a hat. 

 There I saw the nest of the very Hawk 

 which I had seen before, with four fresh 

 eggs in it. The nest was just a few sticks 

 thrown loosely in the hole. Is not this a 

 singular place for a Sharp-shinned Hawk's 

 nest ? Is it not strange she has not de- 

 serted it when two attempts had been made 

 to knock the tree down ? Last year I found 

 a House Sparrow's nest with four eggs, 

 two of w^hich were speckled all over ; the 

 third was almost destitute of spots, and the 

 fourth was pure white. This is the second 

 with white eggs. I have qiaite a number of 



Phoebe birds nests having eggs speckled 

 with red. 



Will somebody be kind enough to tell 

 me something about the eggs and breed- 

 ing habits of the Canada Jay ? — W. B. 

 Fonda^ 3Iorristown, N. J. 



Birds in Confinement. I have added 

 to my aviary since I last wrote a very odd 

 specimen of the Catbird family. It has a 

 broad band of white across the tail, about 

 an inch from its tip. There is also one 

 white feather in the right wing. Other- 

 wise, Minius is no different from others of 

 his race. But you have no idea what a 

 peculiar appearance that white stripe gives 

 him, especially when his tail is fully 

 spread. Have you ever met with a like 

 specimen ? I found him in the store of a 

 Fourth-avenue dealer in New York, who 

 told me he was an unusually fine singer ; 

 but he has not yet favored me with a 

 song. I have also a Myrtle Bird {Dendroe- 

 ca coronata,) a charming little fellow ; 

 and a Che wink (Ftpllo erythrophthalmus) 

 among my native birds. I trust the com- 

 ing Spring will add many more to my list. 

 — Annie Trumbull Slosson, Hartford. 



Rose-breasted Grosbeak. "Jack" is 

 now in his fifth year and begins to show 

 his age. He has sung more or less since 

 January 1st, but not his full notes until 

 into April. He still sings the full notes of 

 the Indigo Bird and also the Canary, 

 which he has not seen or heard for four 

 years. Last Summer a pair of Wrens 

 raised one nest of young in a box near 

 him, and he has their notes complete. In 

 the moult, commenced the middle of last 

 August, he shed every tail and wing feath- 

 er which we preserved. In his December 

 and January moult he did not shed a sin- 

 gle long feather. In January, February, 

 March and April of each year, he will go 

 through the most remarkable capers im- 

 aginable with the lady that cares for him. 



RosE-BKEASTED Grosbeak. T. J. Rigncy 

 saw a male at Pittsfield, Mass., May 19, '83. 



