THE OOLOGIST. 



25 



who liowever made hut a short stay and 

 were sooa out of sight. Soou I found a 

 nest and three eggs of Pied-billed Grebe 

 very similar in construction to that of 

 the Canada Goose, just described, but 

 of course much smaller; and tlie eggs 

 were completely hidden by rushes 

 strewn over them 



Doctor had in the meantime taken a 

 set of eleven Mallard's eggs, having 

 Hushed the bird. As we started for the 

 next water I found a Coot's nest, buiit 

 among the rushes being basket shaped 

 woven of rushes and anchored to the 

 standing ones; there were five eggs in it 

 and one at the side, buoyed up by some 

 rushes, but the wavelets made by my 

 wading sent it to the bottom before 1 

 could reach it. 



While we were thus engaged our 

 guide, walking midway between the 

 water and a bluff on higher ground 

 than the. shore had flushed a Spotted 

 Sandpiper off her nest and four eggs, 

 by actually stepping into it; two were 

 broken and the other two fell to me. 

 It. was at the last lake that we saw Blue 

 and Green-winged Teal and Shovellers 

 but were too early for eggs. 



Having finished the lakes with no 

 further finds, we returned to the rig,, 

 each taking on the way a set of Bronz- 

 ed Grackle eggs, arriving we blew the 

 balance of our take and started for 

 home. On the way we called at. a 

 small lake about three miles from In- 

 nisfail where Doctor, showed me the 

 nest where he had taken two eggs of 

 Sandhill [?— Ed.] Crane the previous 

 week; 1 was much interested in the 

 large Hat structure built of rushes and 

 grass and anchored to standing rushes 

 of last year; it was nearly five feet in 

 diameter and had a slightly noticeable 

 depression in the centre, which was 

 smoother in construction than the bal- 

 ance of the nest. 



Finding nothing further here, we 

 soon began the last stage of our home- 

 ward way and (as they say of excur- 



sionists) arrived tired but well satished 

 with our days outing. 



Wm. Geary, 

 Innisfail, Alberta. 



Pine Grosbeak, 



Plnicola enucleator. 



This large and handsome Grosbeak 

 is an irregular winter visitor in New 

 Hampshire. One year scarcely one of 

 these birds are seen here. Perhaps the 

 very next they come down from the 

 north iu large numbers. When they do 

 come down from the snow bound re- 

 gions of the north we first see them the 

 last days of November. They remain 

 with us until the last of March. 



At this time they disappear going 

 farther north to their breeding places. 



One day last winter 1 saw a flock of 

 about twenty of the Grosbeaks getting 

 their food, which consisted of weed 

 seeds, apple seeds and bits of frozen 

 apples. The birds greatly enlivened 

 the winter landscape, I watched them 

 for a long time highly entertained by 

 their graceful actions. They did not 

 show the least fear because of my pres- 

 ence although [ was at times within 

 two rods of some of them. It has al- 

 ways been a mystery to me how Gros- 

 beaks and many other kinds of winter 

 birds can live through our cold and 

 stormy New Hampshire winters. They 

 seem, however, in some way or other 

 to find something to eat and a shelter 

 in the time of storm. I have neveir 

 heai'd the Grosbeaks sing much during 

 the winter months. Sometimes a few 

 clear liquid notes are heard from them 

 which seecQ like music after hearing the 

 harsh discordant notes of the Blue Jay. 



I have never heard of any one finditig 

 the nest of the Pine Grosbeak in Nevf 

 Hampshire. Should like to hear from 

 any one acquainted with the breeding 

 habits of this bird. 



Frank Sanders, 

 Laconia. N. H, 



