THE OOLOGIST. 



9 



of all concerned. Christening gifts are 

 now in order, and we want the gift 

 from each one, of their aid and support 

 None are too young to join in this work 

 not one inexperienced. 



At .j birth the association did me the 

 honor to ma :-; me its secretary, and I 

 have since endeavored to. faithfully 

 perform the duties of this office. Other 

 duties have called me away, I have 

 been obliged to resign this position 

 but membership in the associa- 

 tion, and deep interest in its 

 cause, I will ever retain, in leaving you 

 I have one last request to make, will 

 you, each and everyone pledge your 

 support to this association ? Will you join 

 its ranks either as active, or associate 

 member, as your location admits, and 

 then seek out those whose tastes are 

 similar, and induce them to do likewise 

 will you, as far as possible attend the 

 meetings and assist to carry forward 

 the work? If you are willing to do this, 

 communicate with either the President 

 Mr. Ernest H. Short, Chili, N. Y., or 

 with Neil F. Posson, Medina, or the 

 Secretary whose future appointment 

 will be announced through these col- 

 umns, and in so doing please enclose a 

 stamp that the young and poor associa- 

 tion may have as litte expense as pos- 

 sible. 



I think I hear you answer that you 

 grant this request. 



May God watch over and prosper our 

 association and each of its members 

 till I may once more have the pleasure 

 of meeting with you all again. 



Yours in the love of nature 

 B. S. Bowdish. 



The Blue Grosbeak. 



A gentleman in last Oologist wanted 

 to hear from others on the habits of 

 this bird. They are not at all plentiful 

 here, but I see a pair or two every year. 

 Last year I found a nest on June 16 

 containing three young birds, which 



would have left the nest in a few clays. 

 I placed the young birds in a cage and 

 hung it in a tree near the house so I 

 could have a chance to study the habits 

 of the old birds. 



The habits of the Blue Grosbeak are 

 nearer that of the Painted Bunting than 

 that of the Cardinal, but like the Paint- 

 ed Bunting while the female is carrying 

 on the incubaeion the male sits on the 

 top of some tree and sings his little 

 song, which is composed of a few short 

 notes and can hardly be told from the 

 song of the Painted Bunting, except it 

 is a little coarser and lacks a little of 

 the sweetness of the Painted Bunting's 

 song. The alarm notes are nearly the 

 same as those of the Painted Bunting, 

 except they are louder and sharper. 



The female feeds the young, she be- 

 gins as soon as she can see in the morn- 

 ing, but does not seem to be in much 

 hurry until after the sun is up, then 

 comes a rush of business with her until 

 about ten o'clock then she feeds 

 sparingly until about four' p. m., then 

 comes another rush of work until night 

 forces her to withdraw. 



When the female goes for food the 

 male always goes with her, when she 

 stops to catch a grasshopper he mounts 

 the top of a tree or bush and sings his 

 song and he does the same thing when 

 they get back to the nest, he never 

 looses sight of his mate from daylight 

 to dark. 



My young birds grew very fast and 

 looked very much like young Painted 

 Buntings. But about July 18th a snake 

 got in the cage and killed my birds. 



The nest which contained the young 

 birds was in a large patch of tall weeds 

 and was suspended, being tied on three 

 sides to weeds and 18 inches from the 

 ground, composed of weeds known to 

 me as pepper grass lined with fine 

 brown rootlets, the whole outside was 

 plaited with snake skin. 



On July 21 I found another nest built 

 by the same bird which was also in a 



