26 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 9-No. 3 



Migration Observations in Austro- 

 Hungary. 



By the kind courtesy of Herr V. Bitter 

 von Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen, we have been 

 favored with a copy of the Circular of In- 

 structions issued by the Association having 

 these observations in hand. He also sends 

 us some specimen sheets showing the na- 

 ture of the individual reports. These ob- 

 servations were commenced in 1882, under 

 the auspices of the Austrian Crown Prince, 

 the Archduke Budolph, who has taken 

 deep personal interest in the investiga- 

 tions. The first year's Beport was con- 

 tributed to by 46 observers, scattered over 

 the provinces of Austria and Hungary. 

 No fewer than 376 observers are expected 

 to send in their observations for the next 

 Beport. The Circular of Instructions con- 

 tains sets of questions — 



1st. In regard to the species of birds 

 noticed at each ornithological station; 

 whether each species increases or dimin- 

 ishes, their general habits, etc. 



2d. The migratory habits of the birds 

 are to be noticed. 



3d. Their habits during the breeding 

 season; and, finally, biological observa- 

 tions are asked for, such as remarks on the 

 changes in their feathers, etc. 



As a preliminary, the observations com- 

 ing in are put together into an annual Be- 

 port, while a scientific working up of the 

 whole is to follow in the course of years. 



Herr Tschusi also sends us his pamphlet 

 descriptive of the Birds of the Hallein 

 Valley, Salzburg. 



Black and White Creepers. 



(Mniotilta varia.) 

 This beautiful songster is a common 

 spring and fall visitant, arriving the first 

 week in May. A very few remain through 

 the summer. In the spring they are to be 

 met with among the shade trees about the 

 house, in the hedge by the roadside, and 

 in the depths of the forest, where on the 



ground searching among the decaying 

 leaves, running about the trunks and 

 branches or among the foliage of trees, 

 they may be seen — everywhere industrious, 

 ever and anon lisping their happy song. 

 Once only, has it been my good fortune to 

 find its nest and eggs. June 20th, 1883, 

 accompanied by two companions, I had 

 been searching a large forest for the nest 

 of some corn-pulling Crows, but without 

 success. We were passing by an immense 

 prostrate hemlock — my companions on one 

 side, and I the other— when suddenly the 

 foremost crow-hunter stopped and point- 

 ing just in front exclaimed " What's that ? " 

 It was a Black-and-white-Creeper, flutter- 

 ing, tumbling and chirping— reminding 

 me of the antics of a Buffed Grouse (Bon- 

 asa umbellus), when her young are dis- 

 turbed. Greatly to my amusement my 

 companions gave chase, the Creeper keep- 

 ing just out of their reach. I readily 

 found the nest. A flat moss covered stone, 

 seven inches in length by five in breadth, 

 projected horrizon tally from the steep 

 hillside. Beneath this natural roof — seem- 

 ingly placed there by the Omnipotent 

 hand expressly for this purpose — was the 

 nest and its complement of five fresh 

 eggs, The nest was placed upon a founda- 

 tion of rotten fibrous inner baik, bits of 

 rotten wood, leaves, dry hemlock twigs, 

 fine roots, and a few quills of the hedge- 

 hog. Considering the coarseness of most 

 of the material used, it was neatly inter- 

 woven, and had a lining of hairs, horse- 

 hair and hairlike-roots. The eggs are oval 

 in shape. Their ground color is white 

 with a slight creamy tint. Points, dots 

 and splashes of faint lilac, and different 

 shades of reddish brown, are irregularly 

 scattered over the entire surface, thickest 

 near the larger end where they are conflu- 

 ent, forming a broad ring. On each egg, 

 over the confluent ring are two or three 

 irregular, almost microscopic, points and 

 lines of dark umber. Dimensions of the 

 set are as follows: .71X-55, .70X-45, 



