254 



THE OOLOGIST. 



male she flits through the bushes and 

 away. 



I have not visited the Peat Swamp 

 since June, 1890, but at that time sever- 

 al pairs of these birds were breeding in 

 close proximity to each other. All the 

 nests I found were uniformly four feet 

 .from the ground in the forks of bushes 

 .and lightly composed of weed-stalks, 

 grasses and hemlock twigs, lined with 

 finer hemlock twigs. However, it did 

 not strike me that the nests were as 

 lightly and loosly composed as the books 

 would lead us to think the nests of this 

 bird are. 



The eggs are invariably four, and the 

 time to go for complete sets in tins lo- 

 cality, is June 5-8. (For a description 

 of the eggs of the Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beak, and how they vary among them- 

 selves, see an article by me in August, 

 1890 Oologist, on "Variation in eggs of 

 Habia ludoviciana.) 



So much for the Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beak at home. He is modest, and gen- 

 teel, and never has much tu say, except- 

 ing before breakfast and after tea, when 

 he may rise to some near-by tree and 

 pour fourth one of the richest sylvan 

 melodies with which God has blessed 

 the world. Oh, the depth and richness 

 of those evening notes. He is a true 

 poet, and what depth of soul must find 

 •expression in those touching chords 

 which arise from these lonely swampy 

 wildernesses, as the evening sun sets 

 ^reluctantly in the west leaving rosy, 

 blushing clouds behind, and twilight 

 -comes slowly on. Oh, sweet memories 

 of summer evenings, gorgeous sunsets, 

 approaching night, and sweet notes 

 arising on the evening air from lonely 

 forest dells, lull me to sleep in deepest 

 revery of God's goodness unto man. 

 Neil F. Posson, 

 Medina, N. Y. 



years, so completely changed its nest- 

 ing habits as the Nighthawk. It has 

 almost entirely disappeai'ed from its 

 original home in the wilds of the coun- 

 try, and rears its young on ihe great 

 roofs in the heart of the city, and here 

 they are more than abundant. 



The eggs are deposited upon the 

 coarse gravel, without even the apology 

 for a nest, whieh they once constructed, 

 and, as they possess a remarkable re- 

 semblence to the pebbles about it is a 

 difficult task to discover them. 



The heat on these roofs — in the day 

 time — is so excessive, that all search has 

 to be conducted in the earley morning, 

 and even then it is a hot job. 



It has long been a debatable question 

 in my mind, whether this heat does not 

 often destroy the eggs and young, as I 

 have several times taken eggs, either 

 addled or containing dead young, from 

 nests that I was certain were occupied. 

 Fred Baker, 

 Stratford, Out. 



The Nighthawk's Nest- 

 I know of no bird, nesting in this 

 vicinity, that has, within the last few 



Leaving Nest Eggs- 



It has been my experience that quite 

 a number of birds may be induced to lay 

 more than their complement of eggs by 

 leaving one or more eggs in the nest. 

 A few years ago, there was a Red-shaft- 

 ed Flicker made its nest in an old gate 

 post near my home from which I re- 

 moved ten eggs, from one to three at a 

 time; the bird laying fifteen and eight 

 being common number, the five left 

 were hatched. From another nest of 

 same last year I took twelve eggs, when 

 they quit laying. From a nest of 

 American Goldfinch I took seven eggs 

 by leaving nest eggs. California Quail 

 and Sooty Grouse will lay about double 

 their number by leaving one or two in 

 the nest. The eggs must be lemoved 

 with a spoon or in some way that the 

 nest will not be touched with the hand. 

 Ellis F . Hadley, 

 Dayton, Ore. 



