Sept. 1884.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



113 



commonly nested in the briar thickets and 

 no set over two in number was found 

 which contained eggs in some stage of in- 

 cubation. Black-capped Chickadees are 

 common breeders, but especially plentiful 

 this season. One nest found May 30 was 

 placed in a birch stub and composed en- 

 tirely of Woodcock feathers. It held eight 

 eggs. Downy Woodpeckers plentiful, no 

 set found larger than five eggs, while the 

 " Flickers" found May 24, contained nine 

 fresh eggs. The Red-eyed Vireo, usually 

 plentiful, seemed to have retired to other 

 localities, or else I did not have my usual 

 luck in finding them, as only two nests 

 were found to offset thirteen for '83. On 

 the other hand the White-eyed and War- 

 bling Vireo were much more common than 

 usual. The Brown Thrush and Chewink 

 were also "off" this year, though plentiful 

 in early May. A pair of Wood Thrushes 

 forsook their usual retirement and built 

 their nest in a clump of lilac bushes near 

 the house. This structure met with an 

 untimely end. Passing the nest one day 

 I noticed a cat in close proximity to it, 

 greatly to the consternation of the parent 

 birds. Picking up a stone I hurled it at 

 the intruder. By a mischance it struck 

 the nest, completely demolishing it. The 

 feline, more scared than hurt, fled for the 

 nearest wood with my setter at her heels. 

 But it is the number of sets obtained from 

 species new to this locality that is the 

 most worthy of mention. A friend found 

 and gave me a set of Yellow-billed Cuck- 

 oos, taken June 3, three eggs, with the 

 bird shot for identification. Another gave 

 me a set of Blue Golden-winged Warbler, 

 four eggs, also with the female. The nest 

 was bulky for the size of the bird, and 

 composed of grape-vine bark lined with 

 black horse hairs and placed on the ground 

 in small, low bushes at the edge of an 

 open pasture. I found a nest of the 

 Black-throated Green Warbler June 17. 

 It was placed in the crotch of a white 



birch in a cedar pasture and contained four 

 fresh eggs. The bird never left the tree 

 when I despoiled her of her treasures, 

 simply flying to the topi branches and re- 

 maining silent. These warblers are com- 

 monly heard in summer in our pineries, 

 but this is the first local nest I have found. 

 July 4, found the nest of the Nashville 

 Warbler with three young at the base of a 

 tree in a grove of oaks, and noticed that 

 the female would often dart in the air after 

 the manner of Flycatchers and carry the 

 result to her young, showing she was suc- 

 cessful in her efforts. 



Chestnut-sided Warblers common ; nest 

 found June 17, with four eggs, slightly in- 

 cubated. This nest was placed in a clump 

 of wild rose bushes. Two nests of the 

 Blue Yellow-back Warbler were found 

 July 4, each with four fresh eggs, and both 

 nests in the same moss covered juniper. 

 B. and W. Creeping Warblers were no- 

 ticed as common, yet no nests have been 

 found. Redstarts are not observed com- 

 monly, but their nests are frequently found, 

 no less than seven having been taken this 

 year. A pair of Yellow-breasted Chats 

 resort to the same " briar corner" in a 

 small pasture for the past few seasons. 

 This year a Cowbird's egg was found with 

 three of the Chat's in an old nest repaired 

 with strips of cloth. 



Another new find was made by a friend 

 of a Great-crested Flycatcher in a hollow 

 apple tree limb. The nest contained, June 

 27, a set of four fresh eggs ; the bird was 

 taken, so no mistake was possible, yet the 

 nest did not contain the traditional snake 

 skin. In a not far distant meadow a colo- 

 ny of L. B. Marsh Wrens are growing 

 beautifully less each year. Half a dozen 

 pairs remain in jjlace of fully a hundred 

 ten years ago. Have found sets of eight 

 eggs as a common rule, but have not dis- 

 turbed them this year. • The hand of fate 

 seems to be against them, or else they 

 have betaken themselves to fairer fields 

 and greener pastures. — F. H. C. 



