114 



THE OOLOGIST. 



neighborhood, they secure many birds, 

 as when frightened at one place they 

 will fly to the next nearest spring, and 

 so on around. 



Just within the bordei's of this place 

 stands a large dead fir, with wide 

 spreading branches. This is a favored 

 roost for the Pigeons during the night 

 and also in the day, when not visiting 

 the springs. 



On alow level flat below this tree is 

 one of the springs and during the past 

 summer a flock of ten pigeons made 

 this their home. They could be seen at 

 all times of the day, perched upon this 

 tree or flying to and from the spring. 



After all the other pigeons seemed to 

 have gone these few remained here un- 

 til late in November. 



Being on open ground this tree was 

 hard to approach without alarming the 

 birds but several hunters succeeded in 

 killing six of the ten before they left. 



Away from these springs the Pigeons 

 are seldom seen during the mid day, 

 but always in the early morning, or 

 just before sunset. 



Other places frequented are the oak 

 groves and small scrub oaks as they 

 are called here, where they feed upon 

 the acorns which grow on these trees. 

 In several birds which I killed their 

 craw .contained one-half teacupful of 

 acorns. 



Berries are also a favorite food and 

 the buds of the hazel bush are used for 

 food in the spring. 



Their flight is easy and swift and it 

 requires a good wing shot to bring them 

 down. 



The time of breeding, according to 

 my observations, is in July. They do 

 not breed in any locality in large num- 

 bers as did the pigeon of the east, else- 

 where referred to in this article, but 

 only a few pairs are found in any given 

 locality, in close proximity. 



Nesting upon dead stumps, rail fences 

 and in oak trees ard often upon the 

 ground. 



In that excellent work, "Life Histor- 

 ies of N. A. Birds," by Bendire, he 

 quotes Mr. Poling as stating that from 

 his observations, they breed at all sea- 

 sons of the year, having seen young in 

 February and also taken eggs late in 

 the season. 



Mr. Poling also brings forth the point 

 that they carry their eggs with them 

 while incubating, from place to place, 

 and from facts which he has presented 

 there is no doubt but what this is the 

 case iu many instances. As yet I have 

 not observed this unique habit, but ex- 

 pect to the coming season. 



The eggs are two in number, white in 

 color and rather large for the bird. 

 A. Gregory Prill, M. D 

 Sodaville, Oregon. 



Caspian or Imperial Tern. 

 Sterna caspia. 



These beautiful birds are found 

 breeding with the Ring-billed and 

 American Herring Gulls, or Gravel 

 Gulls of the Gull Islands, which are 

 situated in the passage from Green Bay 

 to Lake Michigan, and which are about 

 25 miles southeast of Escanaba, in the 

 Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 



The only pretense of a nest is a 

 slight hollow in the coarse gravel upon 

 which the eggs are laid. 



This island is built up of layers and 

 ridges, some ridges being very fine and 

 others of coarse gravel. The birds 

 nest only on one ridge, which they 

 seem to have instinctively chosen for 

 the protection of their eggs, as the stones 

 in this ridge average about the size of 

 the eggs and the color also, the resem- 

 blance was so near that one had to look 

 sharp or he would tread upon the eggs. 



While we were on the island they 

 were circling'ai-ound over our heads, but 

 kept higher than the Gulls, though oc- 

 casionally one would dart down at us 

 and would come nearer than the Gulls 



