Two Additions to the List of Birds Known to Breed on 

 Staten Island 1 



By Wm. T. Davis and James Chapin 



The hairy woodpecker, Dryobates villosus, though of common 

 occurrence in adjacent parts of New Jersey, is much less abundant 

 on Staten Island, and only occasionally to be seen there even in 

 the autumn and winter. It was not included in Dr. Hollick's 

 " Preliminary List of the Birds known to breed on Staten Island," 

 printed in the Proc. Nat. Sci. Assn. S. I. for December 1885, and 

 not until last year did the writers see it on the island during the 

 breeding season. 



On the 31st of May, 1908, one was observed in a tall tree in 

 the woods at Buck's Hollow, to the north of the village of Rich- 

 mond. It called continuously and flew about excitedly as long 

 as we stayed in the vicinity, and evidently had a nest near, but 

 this was not found. The place was visited on two subsequent 

 occasions, the last date being June 7, and each time the wood- 

 pecker was in evidence and acted as described. It is therefore 

 quite certain that this species is to be added to the list of those 

 breeding on Staten Island. 



Another bird found breeding for the first time on our island 

 last summer is the rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx serri- 

 pennis. Reports of bank swallows' nests at Princes Bay probably 

 refer to the rough-wing, for the bluff there is so stony as to be 

 very unsuitable for excavation by bank swallows. At all events 

 the fact that the rough-winged swallow does breed there was 

 established by our finding a nest in a hole in the bank, on June 

 24, 1908. The two parents were engaged in capturing small flies 

 along the beach and carrying them up at short intervals to the 

 young, six in number. These nestlings were later photographed 

 by Mr. Howard H. Cleaves, and were apparently reared suc- 

 cessfully, for the empty nest was afterward examined. It ap- 

 peared to have been built in an old kingfisher's tunnel, now only 

 about fourteen inches deep, this shortness being probably due to 

 erosion of the bank. 



1 Presented January 16, 1909. 



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