THE OOLOGIST 



Near Stamford it is considered as a 

 very rare and irregular breeder, the 

 writer knowing of only one other 

 record. No doubt there are others 

 still in the depths of Oologist's note 

 books. 



Paul G. Howes. 



Birds on the St. John's River. 



On December 5th and 6th, I took a 

 seventy-five mile trip down the St. 

 John's siver. The bird life on this 

 stream is fairly abundant, especially 

 in localities where a spring empties 

 into a lake, as at Lake George. On 

 one of these spots in the west shore 

 of Lake George, the coots were presem 

 in large numbers, but all species of 

 the order Amseres were remarkably 

 scarce; I saw only half a dozen Saaup 

 Ducks and a couple of Mergansers. 



Navigation on the St. John's is sad- 

 ly hindered at times by great jams of 

 Water Hyacinths. These plants drift 

 about in small bunches, and on them, 

 1 saw flocks of Boat tailes Crackles, 

 and Rusty Blackbirds, in company. 



On tli3 beacons set by the govern- 

 ment to mark the channel, and on the 

 limbs of the trees overhanging tlu 

 river, the Anhinga and Florida Comar- 

 ant were frequently seen, the former 

 in his characteristic pose with out- 

 stretched wings. The Black Vultures 

 were gathered here and there in large 

 numbers, choosing for a resting-plaes, 

 a dead tree just as they chose a little 

 later a dead anuman for a feast The 

 Turkey Vulture was seldom seen, and 

 then always alone. This bird seems 

 to hold aloof from his smaller and 

 mere abundant relative. 



The tree Swallows, newly arrived 

 from the North, were frequently seen, 

 and another regular winter visitant, 

 the Phoebe, was both seen and heard 

 as we passed down the river. An oc- 

 casional Marsh Hawk soared above 

 the dismal cypress swamps, which bor- 



der upon the St. Johns and a few 

 flocks of Killdeer flew over therm in 

 search, I suppose, of more original 

 beaches if the Mucky banks of this 

 stream may be called such. King- 

 fisher, Sparrow Hawks, Fish Crows 

 and Ospreys were seen at times. The 

 Great Heron was more common than 

 the* Louisiana ,the< Louisiana more 

 than the Green Heron. A Pileated 

 Woodpecker was no uncommon sight 

 as he flashed across the river, and 

 dived into the woods on the opposite 

 side. On the shores of Lake George 

 I found Carolina Wrens, Cat birds, 

 Mockingbirds, Flickers, Blue Jays, 

 Vireo, and in the marshes a number 

 of gallinules. 



Robert J. Longstreet. 

 LeLand, F'la. 



Nest Notes. 



This year a colony of Barn Swallows 

 placed twenty-four nests on the pearl- 

 line plates and rafters of the barn. 

 The first settings all contained five 

 eggs each, which brought 115 young 

 Swallows to life, one nest being de- 

 stroyed. 



The second clutch run three to four 

 eggs. One nest I examined was lined 

 with feathers of the Quiena Fowl. 

 With none nearer than two miles dist- 

 ant. On May 23d a pair of Barn Swal- 

 lows began to build on a board that 

 had been placed with one end on a 

 grit and the other over the stantion 

 in the cow stable, leaving aboue six 

 inches space between the board and 

 the floor above. Both birds worked 

 at nest building, and each bird built 

 a separate nest close to each other. 

 The nests were finished on June 2d, 

 and on June 3d one egg was deposited 

 about 5:30 a. m, in the nest of the 

 female. The next day at the same 

 time one in the nest built by the male. 

 On the 8th of June the female's nest 

 had three eggs and the male's had 



