102 



THE OOLOGIST 



around inside, whistling could be 

 heard two blocks away. .Every tree in 

 the yards of the neighboring houses 

 were filled with them. 



Milton J. Hofman. 



Thus the ice was broken with the 

 Yellow-throats, and as I look over my 

 series I can recall with a smile the 

 many disappointments of the past. 

 James B. Carter. 



My First Set of Maryland Yellow- 

 throat. 



The Maryland Yellow-throat and a 

 certain swampy hillside are so close- 

 ly associated in my mind that it is 

 impossible for me to think of one 

 without recalling the other. On this 

 particular hillside each season I had 

 harkened to the call of the Yellow- 

 throats and searched diligently for 

 nests. Although several nests were 

 discovered, the unexpected always 

 happened and each season closed with- 

 out the addition of a complete clutch 

 to my collection. 



One afternoon in the latter part of 

 May, 1909, as I was crossing the famil- 

 iar field, a Yellow-throat mounted a 

 thistle and sent forth his clear call, 

 which can well be translated, "tackle 

 me, tackle me, tackle me." Whether 

 it was the nice set of Worm-eating 

 Warbler a Cowbird had just ruined 

 for me, or the additional exasperation 

 produced by the extreme deliberation 

 of the Yellow-throat's manner; all the 

 anxieties and disappointments of past 

 experiences with the bold little senti- 

 nel of the thistle arose in my mind, 

 and I moved stubbornly on, determin- 

 ed for once not to accept his challenge. 



I had proceeded on my intended 

 route only a few feet however, when a 

 bird fluttered from a bunch of tall 

 grass at my feet and exposed a beauti- 

 ful set of Maryland Yellow-throat. To 

 use the slang expression I had at last 

 "put one over" on the gaily attired 

 head of the house, who had by this 

 time deserted his post on the thistle, 

 to join his more sombre-hued mate, 

 who was nervously fitting from weed 

 to weed vainly trying to engage my 

 attention, 



North Texas Bird Notes. 

 By Ramon Graham 



1. Mocking birds can be found nest- 

 ing in town or country. They are the 

 best singers in the South. The habits 

 are about the same as the Catbird of 

 the north. The Mocker is always look- 

 ing for a new bird to mock and he sel- 

 dom fails. The nest can be found in 

 hedges, thorn and fruit trees. Mostly 

 of twigs and sticks lined with fine 

 roots and strings, laying from four to 

 six bluish green, brown blotched eggs. 

 The Winter is spent is South Texas 

 and Mexico, arriving here in March 

 and laying in April. The earliest date 

 found was April 4th. I find about two 

 hundred sets each season, but never 

 take but two or three sets. 



2. Lark Sparrows are known as 

 wheat birds and can be found nesting 

 in town or country. They are indepen- 

 dent and wont have much to do with 

 other sparrows. The nest can be 

 found in fields, pastures and small 

 trees, built of grass and lined with 

 hair, laying from four to five white 

 eggs with black markings. Thousands 

 of these birds lay around here. I only 

 collect about two or three sets a sea- 

 son. They arrive here in March after 

 spending the winter in Mexico and 

 South Texas. They start to laying in 

 April. The earliest date being April 

 14th. 



3. Field Sparrows can be found 

 only in out away places. I have found 

 them plentiful in one locality; North 

 of here in a dry, hilly country. They 

 arrive in March and are laying in full 

 blast by the middle of April, laying 

 from four to six white eggs with red- 

 dish brown markings. The nest is a 



