270 



THE OOLOGIST 



marks the return of the .first bird 

 from which I ever took a set of eggs. 

 It was the Bobolink, and from that 

 early date I have ever grown more 

 fond of him, and more interested in 

 his wellfare. 



This particular set of eggs was 

 found entirely by accident while 

 tramping through the dew-drenched 

 meadows at dawn. It taught me my 

 first lesson in ornithology, one which 



I have never forgotten. It was how 

 to find the Bobolink's nest. 



In the early morning hours, the fe- 

 male sits much closer than during the 

 sunny hours of the day. This I no- 

 ticed after having taken several sets 

 when a beginner, as I never found a 

 nest during the later hours of the 

 morning. I also noticed that in most 

 every case the nest was placed at the 

 foot of some weed or tall clump of 



