184 



THE OOLOGIST. 



of ''Jewel Weed" (Impatiens Fulva) 

 several square rods in extent he walked 

 to it and discovered it to be literally 

 alive with Ruby throats. The plants 

 which grew three to four feet high 

 were literally covered with scores of 

 the little creatures, their green coats 

 glistening in the sun, like polished ar- 

 mor, while the sound of their wings, 

 like the distant hum of machinery. 

 Some seemed to be gathering honey 

 while a great majority were chasing 

 each other about, as if in a frolic, and 

 a few were resting on the leaves. They 

 seemed to be quite tame as he ap- 

 proached very close without their pay- 

 ing any attention. 



We have a description of a collecting 

 trip by H. D. Watts of California. The 

 main finds were a set of Warbling 

 Vireo 5 eggs. The nest was of lichens, 

 strips of grapevine bark, and lined with 

 hair, situated between two runners of 

 a grapevine. A Rock Wrens nest made 

 of small sticks and grasses and placed 

 between two pipes which supply the 

 city below with water. A Louisiana 

 Tanager nest high up in an Alder tree. 

 It was -a frail structure, composed of 

 roots, and the four blue, spotted eggs, 

 were plainly seen from below. Four 

 sets of Black-chinned and one of Cos- 

 ta's Hummingbird. He states in their 

 locality the Costa's may be distinguish- 

 ed from the Black-chinned by being 

 completely covered with lichens, while 

 the Black-chinned looks like a small 

 sponge. A Western Wood Pewee nest, 

 with three eggs. This was saddled on 

 a large Sycamore limb 25 feet up. 



Another collecting trip by H. L. Haa- 

 ton of Kansas, contains some interest- 

 ing linds. The eggs were taken in a 

 large conon, about two miles of which 

 is covered with rocks, clumps of cotton- 

 wood trees, etc. The rocks were three 

 to fifteen feet high, and form excellent 

 places for Rock Wrens, Bara, Bank 

 and Cliff Swallows, Says, Phoebes and 



Vultures. Ho discovered a colony of 

 Cliff Swallows under an overhauging 

 rock, fiotn which several clutches were 

 taken, of from four to six eggs. 2nd 

 a Hawks nest which he could not iden- 

 tify, found in a hole in a rock. 3rd. A 

 nest of the Rock Wren, in a solitary 

 rock, in a hole about four inches from 

 the ground. This contained six eggs, 

 4th. A Says Phoebe, which was con- 

 cealed on the top of a small rock under 

 the edge of a large boulder. He took 

 the set by standing on his pony's back. 

 A number of other common finds, such 

 as Black-throated Bunting, Baltimore 

 Oriole, Night Hawk, etc. 



APRIL CONTEST. 

 Eighty-Six Judges. 

 Prize winners and credits received by 

 each were as follows: — 



1. The Raptores of Michigan. 387 



2. A Criticism. 255. 



3. Another California Trip. 201. 



4. Wilson iu Scotland. !(0, 



5. Band-tailed Pigeon. 83. 



The following articles were awarded 

 one year's subscription to the OoLoGiSTt 



Illinois River Valley. 71. 



ATricolored Blackbird. 68. 



A Collector's Gun. 54. 



The Judges prizes were awarded as- 

 follows: 



1. No. 63 -Fred W. Parkh'ursfc, 

 Bath, N. Y. exact. 



2. No. 42 -O. F. Crooker, Madison, 

 Wis. 1, 2, 3. 5, 4. 



3. No. 26— Lorande G. Woodruff, 

 New York City. 1, 3, 2.4,5. 



4. No. 70— John B. Seymour, Clin- 

 ton, N. Y. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6. 



5. No. 21 —Robert McPhersou, North 

 Adams. Mass. 1, 2, 3, 6, 4.. 



The following voted the same as the 

 winner of the fifth prize, and were re- 

 ceived here iu the following order, but 

 too late for auy thing more substantial 

 than an enrollment in our list of honor. 



No. 25-Dana C. Gillett. N.Y. 



No. 8l>— R. S. Loudon, Michigan. 



No. 43— A. R. Hutchinson, N. Y. 



No. 76— A. D. Baylis, Iowa. 



All prizes were mailed April 15th. 



