Jan., 1884.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



9 



I thought myself lucky in securing such 

 valuable services. We began our expedi- 

 tions the next day, returning to camp each 

 night, when possible, as the weather was 

 quite cold. 



March 23, found nest of Great-horned 

 Owl in a thick fir, with top broken off 

 about twenty feet from the ground. On 

 this stump was placed the nest, which re- 

 minded me of a Heron's in shape and 

 texture. 



It contained two eggs, nearly fresh, 

 which seemed to show these Birds did not 

 breed cpiite so early as in the more south- 

 ern New England States. 



March 27, while passing a large birch, 

 noticed a hole about three feet from the 

 ground. Examination proved it to con- 

 tain a Saw-whet Owl, which we let remain. 



April 4, took provision for a longer trijs 

 from carnp, and after two days hard walk, 

 discovered the Eagle's nest. It proved to 

 be that of a White headed Eagle, resem- 

 bling an Osprey's in size and materials. 

 It was placed in the crotch of a lightning 

 scathed hemlock, about thirty feet high. 

 The nest looked as though it must have 

 been occupied for many years, as the heap 

 of chaff at the foot of the tree would tes- 

 tify. After a great deal of expert climb- 

 ing on the part of my companion, the set 

 of three was secured. Even at that early 

 date, incubation was greatly advanced. 



April 6, I again visited the hole where 

 we had discovered the Saw-whet Owl, and 

 was agreeably surprised to find it tenanted 

 as before with the addition of a set of two 

 eggs ; average dimensions 1.05x90. 



April 10, visited the east side of Mt. 

 Katahdin ; noticed, while pitching camp, a 

 pair of Duck Hawks flying around, evi- 

 dently annoyed at our presence. Thinking 

 they had a nest in the vicinity, we deter- 

 mined to spend a while in searching for it. 

 Jo (my man) came into camp one night 

 and reported that he had found an Owl's 

 nest, and that the Owl was the largest he 

 had ever seen. Comparing it with skin 



of the Great Horned Owl, he said it was 

 lighter plumaged and had not any horns. 

 Thinking it might be a Barred Owl, I in- 

 quired if the eyes were black. " No, they 

 were black and yellow." As the nest con- 

 tained no eggs, only two young, I did not 

 take the time to examine, but it has since 

 been a question with me whether that was 

 not the nest of the Great Grey Owl. 



April 14, found the nest of the Duck 

 Hawks on an easily accessible ledge on a 

 bluff on the east side of the Mt., partly 

 screened by a few low cedars. 



April 25, found the nest of a pair of 

 Goshawks, on top of hemlock with top also 

 broken off. The four eggs it contained 

 averaged 2.30x1.85. 



May 2, found the nest of a Broad-winged 

 Hawk in a large birch tree, twenty feet 

 from ground. It contained four eggs ; 

 nest something like a Crow's in size and 

 structure. — F. H. C. 



Colorado Notes. 



EXTRACTS FROM MY NOTE-ROOK PART I. 



Brewer's Blackbird (S. cyanocephalus.) 

 May 26. found 2 sets, 3 eggs ; 1, 4 eggs ; 1, 2 

 eggs; fresh. The birds had just begun 

 laying. Many new nests were found com 

 pleted. but without eggs. They were in 

 low pines, about five feet from the ground, 

 near a house and corrals. Nests quite 

 large, composed outwardly of small stems 

 of sage, grasswood and pine twigs. In- 

 side of this, a thin coating of mud, most- 

 ly at the bottom, lined with horse hair. 

 rootlets, etc. 



Lcng-crested Jay (C. stelleri macrolo- 

 pha.) May 26, 1 set four eggs; fresh. 

 Nest in same position as Brewer's Black- 

 bird. Composed of fine, soft grasses and 

 without mud. 



Gray-headed Snowbird {.Tunco caniceps.) 

 Jane 8, 1 set 4 eggs, fresh. June 22, 5 

 sets 4 eggs, fresh ; 4 sets 4 eggs, large 

 embryos ; 1 set 2 eggs, 2 young birds. 

 July 4, 3 sets 4 eggs, fresh ; 2 sets 4 eggs. 



