234 



THE OOLOGIST 



set of five of the Bluebird. These eggs 

 were perfectly white. 



May 27. Went after some very 

 common eggs to-day, namely, the 

 Bronzed Grackle. This hird is more 

 numerous than any we have, except 

 the English Sparrow. Going down 

 the bank of a creek, my first find is in 

 an elm. There where five nests in this 

 tree, out of which I took three fresh 

 sets, two of four, and one of five. This 

 tree was leaning very far over the 

 water, and if the creek had risen three 

 feet, two of the nests would have been 

 ^washed away. In four more elms I find 

 at least two dozen nests, but only take 

 ^ one more set. The nest from which this 

 set was taken, had hardly any more 

 material in it than a Mourning Dove's. 

 May 28. Found two nests with 

 fov.r eggs each of the Bee Martin, 

 or King bird. Both sets were beauti- 

 fully marked, and were fresh. These 

 birds are very common here. Going 

 home through a little mark I find two 

 nests of the Red-winged Blackbird. The 

 nests were about four feet apart. Each 

 contained a set of four eggs, which 

 were fresh. 



May 29. Found a fresh set of seven 

 of the Red-headed Woodpecker. Going 

 a little farther from the tree, out of 

 which I got these eggs, I find a Flick- 

 er's nest with two eggs in it. In a ce- 

 dar tree, I find a set of fonr of the 

 Chipping Sparrow, and not ten feet 

 from this tree, a set of five of the 

 Meadowlark. Both sets were partly in- 

 cubated. In a beech I find a set of 

 the Blue Jay, also slightly incubated. 

 In a high sugar maple, I find a nest of 

 the Red-eyed Vireo containing two 

 eggs. In a little patch of briars I find 

 a nest of the Towhee with one egg in it. 

 May 30. Today I found two sets of 

 the Cardinal each of four 

 eggs. Both sets were fresh. In a 

 Brown Thrush's nest, out of which I 

 have taken a set of four, I find that a 

 Mourning Dove has taken up its head- 



quarters. Her set of eggs are now in my 

 possession. In an old barn, I find a nest 

 of the Barn Swallow with two eggs. In 

 the chimney of an old deserted cabin, 

 I find a set of two of the Chimney Swift. 

 John A. McEwen, Jr., 

 Bell Buckle, Tenu. 



Bell's Vireo. 



Bell's Vireo, though not uncommon 

 in this locality of central Illinois, is 

 quite unkovvn except to the enthusias- 

 tic collector and the trained ornitholo- 

 gist. Its domicile is seldom harried by 

 prying small boys, and even the skill- 

 full collector must bend in humility 

 when he seeks intimate acquaintance 

 with this species by visiting it in its 

 haunts. It is no gadabout and peddler 

 of village gossip, but passes its days 

 contentedly warbling, literally, under 

 its own vine and figtree. 



Like other vireos, it does not display 

 its best manners and warble its sweet- 

 est notes away from home among 

 strangers, but sings the most gayly 

 near the vines and bushes where hangs 

 its gossamer-covered home. Its sing- 

 ing in any particular vicinity is a pret- 

 ty certain index that its nest is con- 

 cealed in the neighboring tangle. 



Pass its haunts daily and the chief 

 evidence of its existence is the short, 

 emphatic, vireo-like notes coming from 

 the bushes, a warble shorter than the 

 song of any of the vireos, uttered ner- 

 vously, with increasing force, pith, and 

 rapidity to the end. The singer him- 

 self is shy and avoids listeners. First 

 he is heard ahead of you, and you see 

 him flirt out from the foliage, quickly 

 turn, and dart among the leaves again, 

 uttering a "quit" or "quit that," as he 

 sports with his spouse and chases her 

 through the shrubbery, both talking 

 earnestly and rapidly as they dart in 

 and out of the bushes. You gently 

 press forward, eager to identify and 

 observe the restless musicians, but now 



