80 



the oologlst. 



he gets the local name of "False Mock- 

 ingbird." I have often heard him singing 

 so that one not accustomed to the two 

 birds would mistake it for the song of 

 the Mockingbird, the main difference 

 being that the Loggerhead does not 

 sing as loud as the Mockingbird. In 

 fact his song is very low. I have notic- 

 ed that the favorite perch of this bird as 

 well as that of the Mockingbird is on 

 the top of the highest chimney of so ue 

 house, or the topmost branches of some 

 tree. The Shrike, although it has the 

 bill of the Falconidae has very small and 

 clean cut legs and feet, thus it uses its 

 bill only and not its talons in tearing 

 its foods contrary to most birds of prey. 



The breeding season starts in May, 

 the same bird often raising two broods 

 in one season. The nest is a bulky 

 structure somewhat larger than that of 

 the American Robin, composed of 

 grasses, sticks, rags and paper lined 

 with feathers, (usually small chicken 

 feathers ) I have often found the lining 

 of feathers so thick and loose as to al- 

 most or quite conceal the eggs from 

 view. A favorite material used in the 

 construction of the nest in Volusia Co., 

 Fla., is the small stalks of the Dog-fen- 

 nell. 



I have taken most of my eggs from 

 nests built iu orange trees, the nest be- 

 ing on some branch where the leaves 

 were veiw thick and from six to ten 

 feet from the ground. A thorny tree is 

 preferred as the male gathers food and 

 impales it on thorns near the nest 

 while the female is setting, thus the fe- 

 male is not long off her nest after the 

 full number of eggs have been deposit- 

 ed. I have also found nests in small 

 pine saplings, li/e oak trees aud saw 

 one in the top of a very high pine tree. 

 A full complement of eggs is from four 

 to six'; usually six. From one nest how- 

 ever I took ten eggs by leaving a nest 

 egg. The nest was in a large bushy 

 orange tree and whoa found contained 

 two eggs. I took out one and on 



returning two days later found two. 

 By watching the nest I found that an 

 egg was laid ev ry other day, which I 

 continued to take until the tenth, when 

 the bird refused to lay anj r more but 

 started to set on the one remaining egg, 

 I have tried this on 'other nests but: 

 never succeeded except in the above 

 case. Some of the birds whould leave 

 the uest on the first eggs being taken, 

 others after the taking of the second or 

 third. 



The Loggerhead is very noisy on the 

 approach of persons to its nest and 

 of ten betrays its location by its fear of 

 discovery. When you disturb the uest 

 the bird will dart savagely at you, and 

 afterwards follow you for some distance 

 from the nest scolding all the time. 



The eggs are of a dull white or gray 

 with pale purple Or light brown ir- 

 regular sized spots chiefly around the 

 larger end. The average size of the 

 eggs collected by me aud now in. my 

 cabinet is .S3x.?0. 



F. Adee Hulst, 

 Brooklyn, N. Y, 



Formerly of De Laud, Florida. 



How to Prepare a Birdskiu. 



After the desired specimen is shot, 

 carefully till all shot holes and wounds 

 with batting to prevent the blood 'flow- 

 ing. 



.Then, when ready for operations, 

 place the bird on its back, and by pass- 

 ing a narrowstrip of plain paper around * 

 the body over the wings, take its girth 

 so that the natural sLe may be retain- 

 ed after tininshiug. Pin the paper in 

 this position and slide off over the 

 wings. Make the first incisions about 

 two-thirds the way down the breast- 

 bone, to the tail, oeing careful not to 

 cut any of the abdominal muscles. 

 Then push, not pi II, the skin off the spec- 

 imen to the knee joint, here separate 

 leaving the leg attached to the skin, 

 and in the same manner operate with 



