12 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 1^-No. 1 



platioii of the scene. With all his experience 

 in the north wilderness, he deemed this un- 

 known swamp worthy of much caution and 

 hesitating procedure. From Errol swamp 

 came the hoot of the Barred Owl, and a 

 Loon in the pond before us answered with 

 his wailing cry. But a more wel(;ome sight 

 met our gaze, as we saw a Bittern slowly 

 flapping his way across the marsh with a 

 fi'Og impaled on his spear-like bill. Lower 

 and lower he came, and at last settled his 

 flight in a bog at the side of the swamp. 

 Leaving my companion as a landmark, that 

 we might remember our entrance point, I 

 started toward tlie bog, bespattering myself 

 with mud and slime in my amphibious exer- 

 tions. Keaching the edge of the grassy spot 

 1 proceeded slowly with attentive gaze upon 

 the surface. Soon I perceived the top of the 

 young swamp grass indicate by its motions the 

 passage of some object hidden in its cover, and 

 again 1 saw it repeated, but in a difterent direc- 

 tion. As I happened at this time to catch the 

 source from whence the wavy line sprang into 

 existence, I was enabled to speedily find the 

 object of my search. Placed upon a heap of 

 dry grass and coarse brakes, I found four 

 light drab eggs which needed no second per- 

 son to assure me were eggs of the Ameiican 

 Bittern, and as I stood in contemplation of the 

 pleasing sight, the telltale grass again gave in- 

 dication of the stealthly approach of the birds, 

 and soon I saw the pointed beak and staring 

 yellow eyes protruding from their hiding place 

 and gazing ruefully at the invader of their 

 home; but when I bestirred myself to secure 

 my new found treasures, they knew the cur- 

 tain was about to ring down on the last act, 

 and the grassy cover informed me that they 

 were gone. 



It is needless to say my exertions were 

 counted as nothing when compared with the 

 experience gained, and when in my Woodcock 

 cover, in Southern New England, I stumble up- 

 on the Bittern, it brings vividly to my mind the 

 scene not far from the wooded shores of Um- 

 bagog ; and my cartridge is witheld for game 

 more unworthy. 



Eggs of the Mississippi Kite. 



[I have been permitted by Capt. Chai-les E. 

 Bendire to publish the following letter from 

 him, concerning the eggs of the Mississippi 

 Kite, (Ictinia subcKrulea). It was not origin- 

 ally written for publication, but its contents 



are of such interest that I asked and obtained 

 his consent to publish it. — J. P. N.] 



United States National Museum, 

 under direction of 

 The Smithsonian Instution. 

 Washinoton, Nov. 24th, ISSfi. 

 My dear Mr. Norris : 



I had not the time to read the Nov. number 

 of the O. and O. before, but have done so now, 

 and find Mr. Singley's article on the Missis- 

 sippi Kite quite interesting. 



The eggs you showed me as obtained fi'ora 

 him, are, as I told you at the time, unquestion- 

 ablj^ those of this bird. We have four of these 

 eggs all out of different nests. I presimie the 

 mates found their way into some other collec- 

 tions. All are as Mr. Slngley states, a dull 

 bluish or greenish white, and absolutely un- 

 spotted. The ground color is paler than in 

 the eggs of the Cooper's or of the Marsh Hawk, 

 but this may be due to the length of time they 

 have been taken. The record books happen to 

 be over in the other building, and I cannot give 

 th(! years ; but three si)ecimens were taken re- 

 spectively on June 2nd, 5th and 12th on Trout 

 Creek, Texas, during the Boundary Survey, in 

 the early "CO's I think, by C. S. McCarthy; and 

 one i^^^ fi-om the Kiowa Agency, taken by Dr. 

 E. Palmer. 



These eggs vary greatly in size, measuring as 

 follows: 1.72x1.40; l.(i8xl.32; l.()0xl.32; and 

 1.52x1.24. The parent in each case is in the 

 collection here. 



Mr. Singley's is by far the best description 

 we have of the nest of this species, and I should 

 like very much to get a nest from him for the 

 Museum collection as a type si)ecimen. 



There is a bare possibility that an occasional 

 egg of this species is more or less spotted, just 

 like in Cooper's and the Marsh Hawk, but as a 

 rule they are unspotted. 



Yours sincerely, 



Chas. E. Bendire. 



Nesting of the Canadian Flycatch- 

 ing ^A^a^ble^. 



BY WM. U. KELLS, ONTARIO, CANADA. 



According to my observations, this species 

 {Myiodioctcs canadcnsix) in its general appear- 

 ence and habits, much resemble the Small- 

 billed Water Thrush (/Stunts lueviits) as does 

 also its nest and eggs, except of course, that 

 they are smaller in size. In this ueigborhood 



