THE OOLOGIST 



began to think the swallows would get 

 discouraged and give up the dispute. 

 But the year of '96 the Swallows came 

 near "holding the fort," the Martina 

 not seeming to have the determination 

 to win which they had previously 

 shown. But in '97 the tables were turn- 

 ed and the swallows carried the day, 

 and the Martins left for parts unknown. 



The year '98 but a few days' struggle 

 took place and the Martins left as in the 

 year before. Last year the Martins ap- 

 peared, but made but little effort to 

 gain their old home. 



Several times during the early years 

 of this bird house the Bluebirds that 

 nested in the orchard made a little fuss 

 with the swallows. But the acts of the 

 Bluebirds seemed more like their usual 

 inquisitiveness, a habit they have of 

 peering into every knot hole or cavity 

 that they spy out. The Bluebirds were 

 determined to peer into the apartments 

 and would sometimes sit on the step 

 outside and warble for a short time, 

 then fly away. The swallows resented 

 this, and sometimes a lively contest took 

 place; but I do not believe the Blue- 

 birds intended to monopolize the swal- 

 lows' nesting site. 



Twice I tried to end the contest be- 

 tween the swallows and Martins by re- 

 moving the nest of the swallows, and 

 thus help the Martins as I wanted the 

 Martins to occupy the house, knowing 

 that the swallows would nest m the 

 orchard. Thus I could keep both birds 

 about the place. But this did not help 

 the Martins, for the swallows stuck to 

 the place as determinedly as before un- 

 til driven out. 



This fall the strong winds blew the 

 house down, but this does not 1 hope 

 end the history, as my younger brother 

 has re-erected it, and I hope to record 

 further history of this house that has 

 brought me so much pleasure and 

 thought., for several years to come, as I 

 spend part of my vaccation on the 

 place. 



J . Merton Swain, 



Portland, Me., Dec. 16, 1899. 



Louisiana Water-Tlirush. 



This shy and interesting bird arrives 

 in this locality on the last days of April 

 or early in May and almost immediate- 

 ly begins to build its nest. 



It was in the early morning of May 

 31, 1899, that I mouated my wheel and 

 took a spin over the hill to the mouth of 

 a large gaily, where I dismounted. 

 Just over a large waterfall a Water- 

 Thrush left the bank and flew up the 

 stream as I came along. Going to the 

 place she flew from I saw, placed in a 

 little hole under the overhanging bank, 

 a pretty ne-^t of dried leaves deeply 

 cupped and lined with dead pine leaves, 

 grass and rootlets. It contained six 

 eggs of a creamy white, thickly spotted 

 with several shades of reddish brown 

 and thev were within a few hours of 

 hatching. The bird kept out of sight 

 in the bashes along the bank, but I 

 could tell where she was for she contin- 

 ually sounded her alarm note, a sharp 

 metallic chink, chink. But fin lly she 

 came out m plain sight. 



On >up the gully in a secluded spot I 

 saw a Water-Thrush, evidently her 

 mate, sitting on a limb which was hang- 

 ing over the water and he was singing 

 such a wild spiritous song as I have 

 heard from no other bird of my ac- 

 quaintance. This song is one of the 

 very best of bird songs and heard in 

 the deep gully with the accompaniment 

 of the running water there is nothing 

 to compare with it. 



Leaving this gully I went across the 

 valley to another gully. Soon I heard 

 the chink of a Water-Thrush and saw 

 him running, teetering along the 

 stream and pecking about nervously. 

 Advancing cautiously I saw the female 

 sitting on her nest in a hole in the bank. 

 What a pretty picture she made as she 

 sat looking timidly at me, until her 

 fear getting the better of her, she flew 

 to her mate, who had been trying his 

 best to draw me away from the nest. 



