22 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-iSro. 2 



Nest at foot of black brier, among grass and 

 weeds, on edge of thicket, in damp retired 

 spot. Four eggs, incubation advanced. White, 

 speckled with russet, most heavily at the larger 

 ends: .(Ux .53; .(35 x .51 ; .()4 x .51 ; .(il x .52. 



Set VII. May 22, 18S9. Monroe County, 

 Michigan. Collected by Jerome Trombley. 

 Nest on ground, near the foot of a blackberry 

 bush, in low, wet, and partly cleared woods. 

 Five eggs, fresh. White, speckled with russet: 

 .61 x .50; .(U x .51 ; .02 x .50; .<)2 x .50; .01 x .49. 



Set Vni. June 8, 1887. Monroe County, 

 Michigan. Collected by Jerome Trombly. 

 Nest near foot of snndl elm bush, close to a 

 fence in a partly cleared woodland and sect>nd 

 growth timber. Five eggs, incubation begun. 

 Light creamy- white, speckled and spotted 

 with russet. Two of the eggs have specks of 

 burnt umber and lilai--gray. All of them have 

 the markings much heavier near the larger 

 ends: .():;x.49: .04 x .41); .Olx.48: .04x.4T: 

 .05x.4it. 



Set IX. March 27, 1880. Monroe County, 

 Michigan. Collected by Jerome Trombley. 

 Nest on ground, near foot of alder bush, or 

 edge of thicket of alders on low level ground. 

 In border of partially cleared woods. Five 

 eggs, incubation begun. White, sparingly 

 marked, principally near the larger ends, with 

 small specks of russet and burnt umber: 

 .05X.50: ..")<.)x.4(): .(i4x.51: .()(;x.40; .()()x.50. 



./. /^ .v. 



Nesting of the Blue Grosbeak in i888 

 and 1889 at Raleigh, N. C. 



1888. May 18th. Found :i nest just lin- 

 ished, live feet high in a pine. On May 22d it 

 had two eggs in it, and on May 24th the eggs 

 were gone. This is the oidy instiuice of this 

 bird building in a pine tliat lias come un- 

 der my personal observation. 



June 2d. Found another . nest three feet 

 higli in alders, alongside of a lane, and on 

 June 8th I took a set of three fresh eggs. The 

 bottom and outside of the nest were composed 

 of weed stems, dead leaves, pine straw and 

 paper, inside of line grass :ind lined witli 

 horsehair — tiie nest being placed in an alder 

 fork, the sides of the nest were attached to 

 tlie fork by cobwebs, the whole being (piite a 

 compact structuie. This description will do 

 for the majoiity of nests found here, although 

 the bird often uses cotton as well in building 

 her nest. ' 



1889. June 3. Took a set of three eggs (after 

 leaving them for three days) from a nest simi- 

 lar to above, i^laced in a sweet gum fork five 

 and a half feet high. The nest contained 

 some cotton. 



June IC. Took a slightly incubated set of 

 four from a nest in a mulberry fork four feet 

 high. Bird on nest. 



June 12. jNIy brother took a slightly incu- 

 bated set of foui- frcun a nest five feet high in 

 a sweet gum sapling. This nest was a loose 

 structure much like a Chat's, but was attached 

 to the fork with cobwebs, which a Chat's 

 never is; some snakeskin gave tone to the ar- 

 chitecture of this nest. 



June 2(». T(Jok a set of three from a nest 

 four and a half feet high in a mulberry fork. 

 This nest was of the usual compact type, but 

 had a good deal of snakeskin in the bottom of 

 the nest. 



June 20. A colored man brought us a set of 

 three and nest of this bird, which lie said had 

 been built in a grape vine in a neighboring vine- 

 yard. The young Grosbeaks had alreatly 

 chipped the eggs in their efforts to enjoy the 

 free air of heaven, and this detracted from 

 their usefulness. The nest was rather a small 

 one very largely composeil of roots, but had 

 the unmistakable Blue (irosbeak look about it. 



The Blue Crosbeak usually builds in an iso- 

 lated bush or sapling, aiul the nest seems to be 

 always uiuler six feet in height. The set of 

 eggs is three or four in this lo/ality, and ap- 

 jiarently the smaller lunnbei' is as fie([uent <as 

 the larger. (.'. S. Hriiiili'i/. 



Raleiiili, N. C. 



( 



Nesting of Wilson's Snipe in Minn. 



This familiar bird is well known through- 

 out the greater part of the United States, 

 but perhaps a few notes on its breeding hab- 

 its will not come amiss. They arrive in Minne- 

 sota about the middle of April, the majority 

 leave about the first of May, a few renuiining 

 to bleed. There is one paiticulai' marsh where 

 nests have been found for the last three years; it 

 is in the city limits bordered on each side by 

 railroads. 'I'he vegetation of the land consists 

 of a few scattering willow clumi)s, cat-tails. tall 

 swampgrass in parts, in others a sort of fioat- 

 ing moss, with innumerable stumps scattered 

 around; it is in reality what remains of a tam- 

 arac swamp that has been cleared of tiees. 



The 10th of May, ISS7, tonnd me traini)ing 

 through this swamp foi- the sole piujiosc of 



