THE OOLOGIST 



T 



147 



Schildmeier is eighty-three years old, 

 and has lived on his present farm 

 seventy-four years. He has secured 

 a competency by his successful 

 farming, but does little else now than 

 spend his time with his trees and his 

 birds. Recently a lumberman offer- 

 ed him $15,000 for the white oak trees 

 in his forest, and was astonished 

 when the old gentleman not only de- 

 clined the offer, but said he would not 

 take fifteen times $lF,flOO for them. 

 He said his father brought him over 

 from Germany and that he had spent 

 seventy-five years with those trees, 

 which had grown ui) with him to ma- 

 turity, and that he loved them like 

 children. He said they made such a 

 beautiful home for his birds that 

 were so dear to his heart. His woods 

 are also filled with squirrels, rabbits, 

 birds of every plumage and melody; 

 Doe Creek, which flows through the 

 forest, is full of fish, and he spends 

 the evening time of his earthly exis- 

 tence amidst the nature life for which 

 he has made such ami)le provision, 

 and with Infinite Love, the author 

 of all. This old German presents a 

 beautiful picture: he does not care 

 how many millions of feet of lumber 

 his trees will produce, nor how much 

 a foot he could get for it; he wishes 

 only to drink in the beauty behind 

 them and his birds, and the Person- 

 ality underneath and around all. The 

 old man had worked hard and laid up 

 enough for his own support and for 

 his family after him, but he toolv time 

 all his life to feed his soul with the 

 things of the Spirit. 



The foregoing shows the pleasure 

 that a real lover of nature may get 

 out of life, even though he be not a 

 scientist or a student in the bools: 

 term of the word. It is to be hoped 

 that Mr. Schildmeier will be spared 

 many years in which to protect his 



oaks and his birds, and that after he 

 is gone, there will be enough public 

 spirited citizens in his vicinity to do 

 tlie same; or better yet, that some of 

 his descendants will adopt the old 

 gentleman's methods and ideas of life. 



Unusual Nesting Sites. 



One of the most unusual nests that 

 I found this season was that of a 

 Brown Thrasher, found June 1st, con- 

 taining four incubated eggs. 



It was in a hollow stub, about tliree 

 feet above the ground, and about two 

 inches below the side entrance. There 

 was also an entrance at the top. 



The nest was exactly like the in- 

 side of a typical thrasher nest, but 

 more shallow. 



I also found a Brown Thrasher nest 

 in a Cottonwood tree, twenty feet 

 above the ground. This is the high- 

 est I have ever found. 



Thrasher nests containing five eggs 

 were quite common this season. 



The Kingbird commonly forsakes its 

 natural nesting grounds to nest in 

 out of the way i)laces. Wind mills 

 are often used when there are no 

 trees near. A nest found June 29, was 

 placed in a slight hollow in the top 

 of a fence post. It was a typical nest 

 and contained four incubated eggs. 

 Another observed July 2d was placed 

 on the fifth wheel or sand board of an 

 old buggy. 



Mourning Doves are very numerous 

 here and ofter use deserted nests. I 

 have found Dove eggs in Crow, 

 Brown Thrasher and Bronzed Grackle 

 nests. Alex Walker, 



Armour, S. D. 



Birds of Walden, IViass. 



I found a Slate-colored Junco nest 

 in the ledge here at Walden, Massa- 

 chusetts with three eggs. 



I have a set of three of the Blaclc- 



