THE OOLOGIST. 



17 



second, Carpodacus purpureus. Purple 

 Finch, May 20, 1891; and third, Ardea 

 viresccns, Green Heron, May 22, 1890. 



Between May 22 and June 10, 1890, 

 I found seven nesis of the Green Heron. 

 Since then they have been fewer each 

 year until last year when I only saw 

 one nest and would not be sui'prised if 

 thei'e were none here next summer as 

 some boys robbed the last nest. 



Next comes Chelidon erythrog aster, 

 Barn Swallow, on May 22,1890 andl893. 

 Most of my sets of this species were 

 taken in the first ten days of June. 



On May 25, 1890, I found a set i of 

 Pipilo erythropthalmus, Towhee; but 

 this bird is too rare here to be consid- 

 ered in this connection. 



I also find a record for Tui'dus J'uccs- 

 cens, Wilson's Thursh, on May 25, 1890, 

 and 28, 1892. First set in '93 on June 

 3d. This is the best time for their eggs. 



My next is an even rarer species than 

 the Towhee, Icieria virens, Yel-k)w- 

 bi'easted Chat. I took mj' oniy set of 

 this bird on May 26, 1890. 



Oaleoscop)tes carolinensis, Catbird, 

 comes next on May 27, 1891 and '92. 

 Also my only set of Melospiza georgi- 

 ana, Swamp Sparrow, on the same 

 date. 



Habia ludovicians, Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak, comes in here on May 28, 

 29 in '91 and '92 respectively. Most of 

 these birds lay their eggs about this 

 time. 



Then come Turdus mustelimis, Wood 

 Thrush, on the 28th, 29th of May, '91, 

 '92. 



My first set of Dendroica cestiva. Yel- 

 low Warbler, was also taken on May 

 28, 1891. 



Closely following comes Seiop/iaga 

 ruticilla, American Redstart. First 

 records on May 29, 1891 and May 30. 

 1890. Very few sets of this species will 

 be taken here in May as most of their 

 eggs are laid about June 12th. 



Bringing up the rear comes the fol- 

 lowing on the 31st of May, Spizella 



socialis, Chipping Sparrow; Passcrina 

 cyanea. Indigo Bunting; Colaptes au- 

 ratus. Flicker; and Bonasa umbellus^ 

 Ruflfed Grouse. 



The last, however,with the Bob-white 

 lays its eggs about the 20th of May. 

 This set was far advanced in incubation. 



You will notice also that I have left 

 out one of our earliest breeders, the 

 American Woodcock. The reason for 

 this is my inexperience in this line. 

 All the early broods I have found have 

 been young birds from one to six or 

 seven days old. You don't get your 

 eyes on the young Woodcock from this- 

 time until \1\qj grow large enough to 

 fly. From the date of tinding siich 

 broods, I think they must lay their eggSr 

 about April 5th in this vicinity. I 

 found one set of three eggs the first 

 week in June, but this was either the 

 result of an accident to the first set, or 

 more likely a second brood. 



Notice the comparatively early dates 

 of '91 against those of '93. Did the 

 heavy rains of the spring of 1892 delay 

 the birds'? If not what else was it? 

 I notice a like condition among the 

 summer breeders. 



Ernest H. Short, 

 Chili, N. T. 



The Washinton correspondent of the 

 Chicago Record is responsible for the 

 following: — 



" The department of agriculture is ad- 

 vertising for an ornithologist who is ex- 

 pected to pass an examination in French, 

 German, camera lucida, drawing, mi- 

 croscopic work, geographv and practical 

 ornithology, and for the use of all these 

 accomplishments for eight hours a day 

 the government of the United States will 

 pay him a salary of $660 per annum. 

 At the same time ordinary messengers, 

 colored and white, are paid $720 and 

 $840 a year, typewriters and copyists 

 $1,000, stenographers $1,200 and so on. 

 This position has been open for some 

 time, and there is no immediate proba- 

 bility of its being filled at that salaiw." 



