THE OOLOGIST 



105 



(Fred B. Spauldihg) one of his bird 

 Iriends." 



It is a pleasure to us to know that 

 even in a slight measure the efforts 

 of The Oologist may have in some 

 degree eased the declining hours of 

 this real, true man. Mr. Beers leaves 

 a monumental collection of speci- 

 mens as a reminder of his untiring 

 interest and industry in his chosen 

 study. 



A recent raise in the river here at 

 Lacon, disclosed many King Rails in 

 nests, that had been built at a lower 

 stage of water, and many eggs were 

 floated away and destroyed. 



Chestnut-sided Warbler. 

 "Data of Nest." 



June 22d, nest completed and ready 

 for eggs. 



June 30th, second visit to nest and 

 it contained three partly incubated 

 eggs. 



July 6th, third visit to nest, contain- 

 ed two young (new hatched) and one 

 egg. The photo here was taken on 

 the above date, of parent bird on the 

 nest. 



July 13th, went to the nest again, 

 prepared to get some pictures of the 

 birds, but the nest was hobbed — being 

 empty, and nothing could be seen of 

 our birds. 



The nest was composed of grasses, 

 in outer edge of Red Raspberry bush- 

 es two feet from ground, very much 

 concealed. 

 Marshfield, Wis. J. F. Stierle. 



Some Notes on MacGillivray's 

 Warbler. 

 Macgillivray's Warbler is the most 

 abundant of any of our Warblers in 

 this locality. It is among the latest 

 of any of our summer residents to 

 return to us in the spring. During 

 my five years migrations observations 



in this locality, the earliest date of 

 their arrival was April 28, 1908, and 

 the latest date May 10, 1912. In aver- 

 age seasons they arrive the 1st to 

 the 3rd of May, and by the 20th of 

 September the last ones are all gone 

 for their winter homes. 



It is not a bird of the real thick, 

 and tall timber sections. Its habitat 

 is dry hillsides, slashed over lands, 

 bushy pastures, in fact any real 

 bushy, brambly wildwood, with de- 

 lightful, luxuriant growth of young 

 fir, hazels, dogwood, snowberry, ar- 

 rowhead, and especially sallalberry 

 bush, the whole overgrown and twined 

 with myriads of runners of the briar, 

 making the whole scene a most im- 

 penetratable jungle. 



In these surroundings we find our 

 sombre little friend is at home, lead- 

 ing a quiet secluded life keeping 

 mostly close to the ground where he 

 gleams his subsistance among low 

 bushes and from the ground. 



They are not near as active or ner- 

 vously disposed as most of our war- 

 blers are; the males can frequently 

 be seen sitting on a low dead limb, 

 almost motionless, uttering their song, 

 running somewhat like this: "Visht- 

 visht-visht-vit-view." The closest I 

 can compare it with, is the Junco's 

 song, but it does not sound near as 

 sweet or musical as the latter. The 

 females keep more closely in seclu- 

 sion, treading their way close to the 

 ground in the dense underbrush, very 

 seldom showing above the brush, 

 consequently they are hard to observe. 



To my knowledge the birds are 

 mated when they arrive from their 

 winter's sojourn and will at once 

 choose the place where they decide 

 to make their summer home. They, 

 however, will not start housekeeping 

 immediately, but seem to prefer a 

 week or two in real happy carefree 

 life before taking the tedious task 



