THE OOLOGIST. 



is undoubtedly a feeder on small min- 

 nows. 

 I know nothing of the autumual 



movements of this little species, but 

 have seen specimens still here in Sep- 

 tember. 



SCOLOPAX. 



The Winter Visitors of Central Park, N. Y. 



Central Park is situated in the centre 

 of New York City and appears to the 

 birds on their fall migration as an 

 oasis does to thirsty men in the desert. 



Here our little feathered friends stop 

 on their long trip towards the sunny 

 south for a few days recreation and 

 pleasure before they again take up their 

 -ong and tedious journey. 



Many of our birds after stopping with 

 us for a few days rind such an abun- 

 dance of food and so many sunny little 

 nooks in which to make themselves 

 comfortable upon a cold -morning, that 

 they decide to stay with us during the 

 long winter months. 



A person while walking in the Park 

 upon a cold morning is sure to meet 

 with some of these cheerful little visit- 

 ors. 



He caunot certainly go very far with- 

 out seeing our bright little friend, the 

 Chickadee who seems to be ever pres- 

 ent uttering his shrill little call, and if 

 he takes the trouble to look sharply 

 among the branches of the surrounding 

 trees he will probably see the White- 

 breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper or 

 Downy Woodpecker diligently search- 

 ing for his breakfast. 



Here also are found large Hocks of 

 White- throated and Fox Sparrows who 

 seem to take great delight in scratching 

 among the dead leaves. 



Flocks of Cardinal Grosbeak's are of- 

 ten seen flitting .among the leafless 

 branches, iheir scarlet plumage show- 

 ing to great advantage against the lead- 

 en sky. 



If one looks sharply enough along 



some frozen water course, or 

 among some pile of stones he will per- 

 haps see the little Winter Wren silent- 

 ly hunting for his breakfast and looking 

 very contented in spite of the cold. 



A few Robins, Thrushes, Song Spar- 

 rows, English Goldfinches, and one 

 lonely Mockingbird make the Park 

 their winter home. 



One cold winter morning as I was ob- 

 serving my little friends I saw a Thrush 

 pluming himself upon a small bush and 

 stopped to watch him. 



I -had. not been there very long before 

 the little fellow darted off and flew at a 

 branch of a small red berry tree near by 

 knocking the snow off in showers and 

 with it a few of the berries, but before 

 these dainty little morsels had time to 

 bury themselves iu the snow the Thrush 

 caught them in his bill and quickly dis- 

 posed of them. 



Then returning to his perch he went 

 on with his morning toilet seeming sat- 

 isfied with his frugal breakfast. 



Very often of an evening when the 

 thermometer stands at a few degrees 

 above zero I wonder how my little 

 friends can stand the cold, but the next 

 morning as I take my daily walk in the 

 Park I find them as cheerful ami con- 

 tented as ever. 



William Y. Hawij.v, 



New York City. 



Another Day with the Birds of Southern 

 California. 



One evening early in May last my 

 friend ea/ne around to see me concern- 

 ing a trip down the coast about sixteen 

 miles, after Great Blue Herons' eggs, 

 which birds he had been informed had 

 a rookery in that locality. Although I 

 had some misgivings that it was too 

 late to find Herons' eggs, yet it was a 

 favorable spot for various of our small- 

 er birds to breed, it was decided to 

 give it a trial. We concluded also, to 

 drive down the next Saturday evening 



