Oct. 1890.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



153 



opportunity to observe tliem during the 

 nesting season, and although I have often 

 cautiously api)roached to where I could obtain 

 a good view of the nest I have never yet been 

 able to see a bird sitting. 



The first nest found this summer was May 

 8th, and it contained two fresh eggs. Later in 

 the day another nest was observed containing 

 one egg. The eggs of both nests were only 

 partially covered, and no old birds were in 

 sight. 



Eeturning to the same locality on the 18th 

 of the month one nest was found to contain 

 five, the other four eggs. Incubation was 

 begun in both sets. This time the eggs wei-e 

 completely coveretl and were warm when 

 taken from the nest. 



Of fifteen nests examined this year six eggs 

 were the most found in any one nest, and that 

 only in one instance, the number being usually 

 five, but occasionally only four were found. I 

 have never yet found a complete set of eggs 

 that was not entirely covered with decaying 

 vegetation and the eggs always warm. 



I have for some time been of the opinion 

 that the Grebe in this locality does not sit on 

 her eggs in the daytime for the purpose of 

 incubating, 1 having never seen or heard tell 

 of one being seen so engaged. 



And although further observations may 

 lead me to change my views, fiu- the present I 

 must believe that the Grebe does not sit on 

 her eggs in the daytime for the purpose of 

 incubating; but that the incubation is carried 

 on largely by heat generated from the decay- 

 ing vegetation of which the nest is composed. 



I should like to hear from others, on this 

 subject, who have observed them breeding, for 

 if I am not riglit 1 wish to know it. 



F. G. Pearfton. 



feathered friends, and like a flood of tears to 

 a grief-stricken or i^erplexed woman, the un- 

 bending a little to the sentiment that is, to say 

 the least, stirring in me, gives me great relief. 

 Wishing you all prosperity, 



I am faithfully yours, 



W. C. Brownell, M. I). 



In the Haunts of the Water Thrush. 



Qentleinen: If my little article will help 

 you any you are welcome to it. My friend, 

 Mr. J. B. Purdy of Plymouth, will send it to 

 you as I do not lemember your address. I am 

 what you would call a "defunct oologist." 

 Since assuming professional responsibilities I 

 have been compelled to abandon my old pet 

 hobby, l)ut once in a while — perhaps under 

 the inspiring inllueiice of a good cigar, 

 alone in my office after hours, I get to think- 

 ing of the many, many happy days that were 

 spent in following unbeaten paths through 

 gloomy woodlands studying the ways of our 



Always with the approach of spring there 

 are associated in my mind many pleasant recol- 

 lections of past collecting trips made when 

 the first flush of coming summer is in its 

 infancy, from the time when the puss willows 

 first show white till later, when tall rank 

 weeds and grass and full leaved trees attest 

 that the prime of the season is past. 



Before me as I write is a beautiful setting of 

 the eggs of that strange, shy bird, the Long- 

 billed Water Thrush, collected under date of 

 May 2"), 1889, and presented to me by my friend 

 and companion in many a long ramble, Mr. 

 E. W. Durfee. Valued on account of the ex- 

 ceptional beauty of the set and more especially 

 on account of the great friendship that exists 

 between the collector and myself. 



This calls to my mind a visit made to the 

 haunts of this bird deep in the recesses of a 

 wild, dark wood in company with Mr. Dur- 

 fee' s father toward the close of the collecting 

 season in the summer of 1888. For a season 

 or two back we had noted that these birds 

 miglit be found in certain low, wet woodlands 

 several miles back, in a sparsely inhabited sec- 

 tion off to the north and east of Mr. Durfee' s 

 residence. 



Knowing nothing at that time of the nest- 

 ing habits of the bird, we had searched dili- 

 gently but in vain for the nest and eggs of this 

 clear-voiced Warbler. That they bred with 

 us was only conjecture, but from close obser- 

 vation we were pretty positive they did. 



This particular day, after a long and tire- 

 some tramp, we entered a large swampy wood 

 abounding in wind-fallen trees, water holes, 

 and tangled underbrush. We soon became 

 separated, searching for most anything that 

 would add interest to our cabinets, when I 

 came out upon a small inland pond made by 

 recent rains, occupied here and there by 

 mounds, brush, logs, etc., and the fallen trunk 

 of a large elm or bassvvood tree, the roots of 

 which on cleaving up left a base or wall of 

 roots and earth rising some ten or twelve feet 

 high. At once my attention was attracted 

 by a Water Thrush which was exhibiting every 

 sign of anxiety, flitting from log to log utter- 

 ing repeatedly a peculiar, quick, sharp note, 



