136 



THE OOLOGIST. 



sects, do not form an appreciable article 

 of diet for the Oriole, and it would seem 

 that as both are intent upon a common 

 purpose, the Oriole passes over this 

 beetle without disturbing it. 



Wasps, [Eymenoptera) bugs, [Eemip 

 iera) among the latter being many of 

 the stink bugs, [Pentalomidae) th-^ assas- 

 sin bugs, ( Eeduvinidae) which feed on 

 other insects, the scale lice (Coccidae) 

 and the common p'ant lice [Aphidae); 

 the two latter being among the most de- 

 structive insects known. Yiies (Biptera) 

 are also common food, the larvae of the 

 March fly (Bibio) being greatly in evi- 

 dence. During the months of June, July 

 and August, the grasshoppers and lo- 

 custs were found in the proportions of 

 2, 10 and 12 per cent., respectively. 

 Spiders also constitute a favorite article 

 of diet, and gradually increases to near- 

 ly 10 psr cent, of the animal food in 

 August. 



The vegetable diet of the Oriole con- 

 sists almost entirely of fruit, but seeds 

 and grain are sometimes taken. The 

 favorite fruits are cherries, raspberries, 

 blackberries, mulberries and juneber- 

 ries. 



The examination of these stomachs 

 has shown that this bird is a great in- 

 sect destroyer; that it destroys immense 

 numbers of caterpillars, grasshoppers, 

 bugs and noxious beetles and does not 

 prey upon the predacious or useful in- 

 sects. Let, then, the farmer continue 

 to hold his good opinion of this beauti- 

 ful bird and accord it the protection it 

 deserves. 



C. C. PURDUM, M. D. 



"Some Twice Occupied Nests" 



After reading the article by Mr. Rich- 

 ard F. Miller, Philadelphia, Pa., in the 

 August OoLOGiST, under this heading, I 

 thought, perhaps, my experiences in 

 that line would not come amiss. 



April 16, 1897, collected a set of three 

 Phoebe eggs. Nest placed on a beam 



under a large covered bridge In col- 

 lecting I had to remove the nest, which 

 I replaced on the beam, but there was 

 another beam that crossed beam No. 1 

 and it was on the other side of No. 2 that 

 I placed the nest. This was not in its 

 original position. A beam separated 

 the two positions. 



May 15 1897, I returned to the bridge 

 and found the nest gone from where I 

 had placed it, but there was a nest in the 

 place where I had found the one on 

 April 16. There had not been water 

 high enough to carry the nest &w.o-y. 

 Did the birds tear the old one apart and 

 rebuild it in the old position? I think, 

 undoubtedly, that they did, although 

 they would have to carry the material 

 past an 8-inch beam. Near Arden Sta., 

 W. Co., Pa. 



May 25, 1897, collected one set of 

 seven eggs of the Flicker from a hole in 

 the limb of an apple tree in an orchard . 



June 5, 1897, I returned to the Flick- 

 er hole, from which I c llected the set 

 on May 25, and collected another set of 

 seven eggs. Near Washington, Pa. 



June 18, 1898, col ected a set of three 

 eggs of the Kingbird from a nest fifteen 

 feet high in an apple tree in an orchard 

 nc^r Tarkio, Mo. 



June 23, 1898, I found a pair of Mourn- 

 ing Doves had taken possession of the 

 Kingbird nest, from which I collected 

 the set on the 23d inst. They relined it 

 with a few straws placed in the bottom. 

 1 noticed that although the Doves built 

 a nest for the fir.-t set, for the second 

 and third they always took a deserted 

 Robin, Kingbird or Blue Jay's nest and 

 placed a few sticks or straws (generally 

 the latter) in the bottom and proceeded 

 with incubation. 



June 15, 1900, collected one set of five 

 eggs of the Barn Swallow. I also took 

 the nest, situated on a beam of a small 

 bridge over a run. 



July 10, 1900, I found that the Swal- 

 lows, from which I took the set of five 

 eggs on June 15, had built a new nest 



