'256 



THE OOLOGIST. 



utes later I found another nest of this 

 species. It was in a sapling some eight 

 feet high, and as there was nothing 

 near by stout enough to hold me I had 

 to cut down the sapling, when I found 

 the nest to contain two eggs of the 

 Warbler and one of the Cowbird. This 

 is the only place near here where I 

 have found this Warbler breeding. In 

 1891 I took a set of three with Cowbird 

 near where I found my second nest on 

 this trip. 



We now moved closer to the edge 

 of the forest where mv friend 

 and I, each found a nest and four eggs 

 of the Am. Redstart within five min- 

 utes. Both nests were built near the 

 ground in saplings, and incubation was 

 just commenced. Soon after we found 

 another nest just ready for the eggs. 



On going into the forest a little way 

 I secured three eggs of the Red-eyed 

 Vireo from a beautiful nest hung on un- 

 der side of a horizontal beech limb. 

 The nests of this bird are common there, 

 but, on account of the Cowbird, many 

 are deserted. I once found a nest con- 

 taining four eggs laid, I should judge, 

 by the coloration, by as many Cowbirds. 

 Am glad to say the bird was not sitting 

 on them. It is safe to assume that she 

 had at least one Cowbird's egg in her 

 other nest. 



After leaving a nest of the Indigu 

 Bunting, which contained no eggs as 

 yet, we went back into the clearing 

 where I found an incomplete set of two 

 eggs of the Oven-bird. Nest a neat, 

 arched structure of grass-stems, rootlets, 

 etc, buried half way in the dead leaves. 

 The eggs were beauties and was sorry I 

 •did not get a full set. Near here I 

 found a space where a number of thorn 

 bushes grew, and Catbirds were nesting 

 in abundance. Nests with four and five 

 eggs, probably much incubated, being 

 found on evei'y hand. Taking one extra 

 fine set of four we concluded that, as 

 we were soaked through by the wet 

 leaves and grass, and it was already 



past noou, we would start for dinner, 

 which I ate at 2 p. m., six hours from 

 the time we started. After dinner I 

 spent a busy afternoon getting my spec- 

 imens in shape for the cabinet, though, 

 fortunately none were badly incubated. 

 This is my first record for the Oven-bird 

 though I have known that it nested 

 here for a long while back 



Two weeks later 1 found my third 

 nest of Hermit Thrush, identification 

 positive. It contained two eggs of the 

 Thrush and one of the Cowbird. The 

 bird was sitting on the nest and staid 

 close by while I packed the eggs. Nest 

 composed almost entirely of dead 

 leaves with a few strips of grape-vine 

 bark and placed in sapling three feet 

 from ground. 



Earnest H. Short, 



Chili, N. Y. 



Fox vs. Crows. 

 Seeing the article of Fox vs. Crows in 

 the July number of the Oologist re- 

 minds me of a similar instance that I 

 witnessed March 25th, 1893. There 

 were a large number of Crows after a 

 Red Fox. The Fox sneaked along and 

 hid under every log it came to. Every 

 time the Fox showed itself the Crows 

 would dive at it, and set up a great 

 hubbub, the Fox soon saw me and ran, 

 and the Crows followed for a little dis- 

 tance. Crows will follow Hawks, Owls 

 or Eagles on every occasion, especially 

 Owls, but this is the only instance I 

 know of their fighting a Fox. 



R. B. Simpson, 

 Warren, Penna. 



Chas.'K. Reed, of Woi-cester, Mass.; 

 has gone to Greenland with an explor- 

 ation party, and is now hovering about 

 the North Pole, securing a fine series 

 of Walrus, Esquimaux and Polar Bear 

 for the holiday trade.— It's needless to 

 add that all will be artistically dis- 

 played finder the Oval Convex Glass 

 Shades, 



