THE OOLOGIST. 



109 



•cliuin R., and myself, started out on a 

 collecting trip, at nine o'clock A. M. 

 We tramped about a mile with no luck 

 ■ but a few nests of the Song Sparrow, 

 until we came to a rotten Cottonwood 

 tree, from which we saw a Downy 

 Woodpecker fly. Upon investigating, 

 We saw a hole about ten feet from the 

 .ground, and upon climbing up, I could 

 not get my hand in, so I used my knife 

 vigorously for a half hour, when I had 

 the hole enlarged enough to get my 

 hand in. I drew out five clear, glossy, 

 white eggs, which were slightly incu- 

 bated. We then started for a group of 

 Cottonwood trees, about a mile away. 

 Upon arriving there, we found a nest 

 of the Baltimore Oriole, which contain- 

 ed five fresh eggs. In a vacant house 

 near, we obtained a nice set of five eggs 

 j!!j'f the Chimney Swift. I let down our 

 eollectiug-box, just below the nest and 

 then fastened my knife to a long stick, 

 and separated the nest from the chim- 

 ney, when the nest fell into the box, 

 which was tilled with cotton. None of 

 the eggs vYere broken. The nest was 

 put on so tightly that part of the briciv 

 ■stuck to the nest. We then went to a 

 •erab-apple orchard, where Ave had 

 •found a number of nests the week be- 

 fore; aud upon arriving there, we found 

 ■a Red-eyed Vireo's nest, suspended 

 •from a small branch, at the top of an 

 apple tree, R. climbed up aud found 

 four fresh eggs. In a tree near by, we 

 ■a nest of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 

 which contained four eggs, slightly in- 

 cubated. Last season the Grosbeak 

 nests were very common; and I could 

 have collected at least thirty sets. On 

 •a limb of an oak tree, fifteen feet up, I 

 ■saw a Scarlet Tanager's . nest, which 

 contained three fresh eggs. The nest 

 was made of small twigs anil lined with 

 ■small rootlets. About a block away, R. 

 saw a nest of the Red-headed Wood- 

 pecker, from which we obtained Ave 

 •fresh eggs. Two years ago I found a 

 Red-headed Woodpecker's nest, con- 



taining two eggs. Taking one, I went 

 back the next day; and found two eggs. 

 I kept this up, taking one aud leaving 

 one until she had laid 23 eggs in 25 days. 

 After leaving our Woodpecker's nest 

 we sat down on the bank of the Miss- 

 issippi Rivei\ and ate our lunch. While 

 we were eating, I saw a Belted King- 

 fisher flying back and forth uneasilly. 

 After lunch we investigated aud found 

 its nest about fifteen feet from where 

 we had been bitting. We dug for over 

 an hour and a half, with the perspira- 

 tion pouring down our faces, until we 

 reached the nest, which contained seven 

 fresh eggs. We then measured the hole 

 and found it to be 7 feet 8 inches long. 

 The nest was a mass of fish-bones, 

 which smelled horribly. As it was 

 then nearly 5 o'clock we wended our 

 way homeward, and arrived there 

 supper time, well pleased with our trip 

 Walton Mitchell, 



St. Paul, Minn. 



The Ruffed Grouse Burrowing in the Snow. 



• We have all heard of the curious hab- 

 it which the Ruffed Grouse indulges in 

 during the winter months; that of bur- 

 rowing in ihe snow for warmth. It was 

 my good fortune to see this habit for 

 myself while out rabbit hunting on Feb. 

 13. While going through a patch of 

 woods I noticed about a dozen holes in 

 the snow and seeing the marks of part- 

 ridge' wings at the entrances came to 

 the conclusion that they were the bur- 

 rows I had read about. Farther on in 

 the woods about fifteen partridge flew 

 from the snow in front of me, while I 

 stood open mouthed, watching them 

 depart, and wishing it was the open 

 season. I supposed, they had all gone, 

 so walked on a little farther and stopped. 

 I heard a great commotion aud looking 

 down saw a partridge endeavoring to 

 get from under my snow-shoe, and had 

 I not been so surprised I could easily 

 have caught him. 



Gilbert B. Furness, 



Ogdensburg N. Y. 



