THE OOIOGIST 



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The Mourning Dove. 



At Bloomfield, N. J. 



In going over my notes for the last 

 ten years, I find stray items on the 

 nesting of the Mourning Dove in 

 Northern New Jersey which might be 

 of interest to the readers of THE 

 OOLOGIST. 



During the nesting season of 1903, I 

 found on a heavily wooded hill in Pas- 

 saic County, twenty-two nests of this 

 species in small scrub pines. The 

 Doves were very successful this sea- 

 son and reared twenty of these broods. 

 The other two nests were destroyed 

 by a heavy rain shortly after the eggs 

 Avere laid. The birds, however, dur- 

 ing the early fall were unmercifully 

 slaughtered by pot hunters, who scour- 

 ed this locality. 



In 1904 only five nests were located 

 and all of these broods were success- 

 fully reared. The birds disappeared 

 about August 15th and were not again 

 seen. I did not find a hunter with a 

 dove or hear of any securing one this 

 season. 



In 1905 only one nest was found and 

 the brood was killed by falling from 

 the filmsy structure which served as a 

 nest. 



In 1906 none was found but a num- 

 ber of birds were present throughout 

 the season. 



In 1907 but one nest was located 

 and the brood of this died of starva- 

 tion owing to the parents having been 

 killed by alien hunters shortly after 

 the hatching of the eggs. 



Since the fall of 1907 when a large 

 flight was noted on September 18th 

 until this year, only ten individuals 

 have been seen or heard throughout 

 northern New Jersey, and not a nest 

 found either during the nesting sea- 

 son or afterwards. 



On July 2nd of Ifis year a pair lo- 

 cated a nest in a pine near where the 

 colony of 1903 was found and success- 



fully reared a brood. This family re- 

 mained in the vicinity until August 

 2Sth. This, indeed, was a welcome re- 

 turn of this species to this county and 

 it is sincerely hoped that their reap- 

 pearance in this section will be per- 

 manent. L. S. Kohler. 



Night Herons Are Found. 



For the past few weeks people re- 

 siding near Rowand's Grove near the 

 village of Sidell, have heard the pecu- 

 liar cry of a bird, the shrill notes of 

 which they could not place, it being 

 neither the cry of the boding owl nor 

 the plaintive note of the whippoorwill. 

 Finally Mr. Rowand asked Mr. Hess, 

 the bird man of Philo, to go over and 

 investigate with the result that that 

 gentleman pronounced it to be night 

 herons, or qua-birds as they are some- 

 times called. These birds are very 

 rare to this lattitude, rarely known to 

 breed here. However there are about 

 the same number of them a short dis- 

 tance from Tuscola. These birds are 

 migratory and may never come back 

 again, though every effort is being 

 made to protect them and to induce 

 them to make their home there, 

 though they are very shy and will not 

 take the slightest rebuff without leav- 

 ing at once. Mr. Hess, who is thor- 

 oughly acquainted with their habits, 

 secured some of the heron eggs and 

 has taken them to his home in Philo 

 for careful preservation. Mr. Rowands 

 is much pleased to learn the name of 

 the birds and has posted due warning 

 to would-be poachers. — Bloomington, 

 111 Pantograph, Aug. 10, 1910. 



