so 



THE OOLOGIST. 



fact, that there was a collector around, 

 came in with a set of seven Kingfisher's 

 and four rare Robin's eggs. "Small 

 favors thankfully received' — says I, 

 :and then fell to praising the color of 

 Uhe Robin's eggs. My rule is; 'never to 

 tefuse anything when well meant.' 



At five o'clock I went trolling with 

 my companion, and at half after six we 

 retm-ned with three two-pound bass. 

 six beautiful Blue-backed Swallows and 

 an American Bitte^-n which we shot at 

 the upper end of the lake. 



Supper over, I could not leave the 

 family of my kind host, and so spent 

 the evening in the house, only retiring 

 to my airy quarters at ten o'clock and 

 after being assured that I would be de- 

 voured by the wild beasts. Spent an 

 hour skinning birds and then went to 

 sleep on my canvas stretcher, lulled by 

 the sound of gentle waves washing 

 against the side of my combined sum- 

 mer bed-room and labratory. 



May 19. Breakfast over at 6 a. m. 

 Took fine sets of eggs of Chipping Spar- 

 row, Pewee and Barn Swallow and 

 marked nests of Bobolink, Vireo, King- 

 bird and Spotted Sandpiper, which had 

 not the complements. Skinned birds 

 at seven and all through at nine. Took 

 gun and twelve shells and went across 

 the lake. Secured a pair of Blue-wing- 

 ed Teal, a Woodcock, four Scarlet Tan- 

 agers, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red- 

 bellied Woodpecker and a Blue Jay. 

 Took nests and eggs of Jay, Grosbeak 

 and six sets of eggs of the White-bellied 

 or Blue-backed Swallow. The latter 

 were all built in stumps near water; 

 from eight to twenty feet up. The 

 nests were mainly composed of feathers. 

 It was interesting to drop the feathers 

 from the stubs and see them snapped 

 up on the fly before they reached the 

 water. These Swallows lay from five 

 to seven pure white eggs. They are 

 exceedingly fragile. 



On my way back held the line in my 

 teeth and trolled. Caught a bass of 



three pounds and was so elated that I 

 decided to troll up the lake. Spent an 

 hour uselessly— as there is seldom any 

 sense in trolling anywhere near noon. 

 Shot Pied-bill Grebo, Hell Driver for 

 short, which I sneaked on and shot" be- 

 fore it recognized ray presence, and 

 therefore had no chance to dive at the 

 flash. Spent another foolish hour try- 

 ing to corner a wounded Butter-ball 

 Duck Dinner bell rang and I hustled 

 tr> the house with an appetite like a 

 Hawk. 



Skinned birds till four p. ni. and 

 thereafter sat in the grove and took 

 notes on movements of. several birds. 

 Located several nests in course of con- 

 struction, among which were Orchard 

 and Baltimore Orioles, Red-eyed Vireo 

 and Great-crested Flycatcher Secured 

 full sets of Flicker, Spotted Sandpiper 

 and Cooper's Hawk and shot the birds 

 in each case. Also spent a good hour 

 looking vainly for n2st of the Horned 

 Lark — Prairie variety. When I reached 

 the house found I was far too late for 

 supper. Worked till nine and went to 

 sleep. 



May 20. Set my alarm clock so that 

 I was up at 4 a. m. Skinned all my 

 birds and blew all the eggs but two in- 

 cubated sets, by the time bell rung for 

 breakfast. Then Rob and I went to a 

 famous place in the heavy timber, about 

 two miles away. We carried a lunch 

 and were prepared for the day. On 

 our way we shot three common Snipe, 

 two Hummers and a belated Night- 

 hawk. Reaching the woods we were 

 right in the business and quickly secur- 

 ed six species of late migrating Warb- 

 lers including Bay-breasted, Black-and- 

 yellow and Cape May. 



Took two sets of Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beak, three of Wood Thrush and one of 

 three eggs of Ovenbirdl .^t the edge 

 of a little lake we found two nests of 

 Sora Kail containing seven and eight 

 eggs, which we lest for complements. 

 Shot several Rails of the Sora and Vir- 



