138 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 9-No. 11 



While on a morning ramble June 2, 1 noticed a pair of 

 Kentucky Warblers (Oporornis formosa), making a 'fuss'; 

 and thinking there must be a nest near, I sat down to watch 

 them. I did not have to wait longer than fifteen minutes, 

 before the female retired to her nest ; and I was rewarded 

 by finding the same containing five fresh eggs. 



On returning from a day's journey, June 4, my brother 

 came to me with a set of eggs he thought to be Grass 

 Finches (Pooecetes gramineus) . But examination proved 

 them to be the eggs of the Yellow-Winged Sparrow (Co- 

 turniculus passcrinus). The eggs four in number are a 

 beautiful white back-ground with red spots on the larger 

 end. Incubation was advanced about four days in three, 

 and the fourth was as fresh as though just lain. 



June 5, 1 took a very pretty set of Green-Crested Fly- 

 catchers eggs (Empidonax acadicus), also four other sets 

 a week later. All these nests were placed on the low hori- 

 zontal limbs of the beech ; generally along a stream of wa- 

 ter. 



July 2, I found a nest of the Yellow-Throated Vireo, 

 (Vireo fluvifrons), in a tall ash about fifty feet from the 

 ground. The nest which I have before me is a beautiful 

 structure. It resembles the Bed- Eyed in shape, but not in 

 materials used. It is lined with dead grass, no grapevine 

 bark, which is invaribly present in the lining of the Red- 

 Eyed'R nest. The outside however is composed entirely of 

 lichens from the bark of trees, and a kind of white silky 

 web. The nest contained but two eggs, one Yellow-Throats ' 

 and one Cowbirds'. Incubation advanced about six days. 



July 1. My friend handed me a nest and four eggs, of 

 the Blue-Winged Yellow Warbler, (Helminthophaga pinus). 

 The eggs are somewhat smaller than the Maryland Yellow 

 Throats ; of a pure white background, with a few brown 

 spots and lines around the larger end. The nest resembles 

 that of the above mentioned species, except the lining 

 which is entirely of grapevine bark, the ends of which stick 

 up all around the inner edge of the nest. 



I found a nest of the Maryland Y'ellow Throat this sum- 

 mer, situated about three feet from the ground ; in a very 

 thick bush. It contained one young Maryland Y'ellow 

 Throat, one egg and one Cowbird, the Cowbird was as large 

 as both the old Maryland Y'ellow Throats put together. 

 Have any of the readers of the O. & O. found a nest of this 

 bird in like situation? — W. H. 



Notes from Frogmore, South Carolina. I have 

 often observed the peculiar beak on the upper mandible of 

 the Meadow Lark, think it occurs in very old individuals. 

 Those which are resident here are very dark, almost melan- 

 tic and usually have the hooked bill. 



Fifteen or twenty years ago the Cat bird was very scarce. 

 I only shot two in three years of steady collecting. Last 

 spring they were not uncommon and this fall are very nu- 

 merous, a change no doubt in the route of migration. 



I never detected the Tufted Tit until last spring. This 

 summer I found them breeding and now they are a com- 

 mon bird. The same may be said of the Yellow-breasted 

 Chat. Possibly a change of habitat. 



The Red Start is migrating through the Island this fall for 

 the first time in my memory. 



Among the rare birds which I have taken this year are 

 the Bachman's Finch, Swainson's Warbler, Orange-crowned 

 Warbler. 



The Kildeer seems to have forsaken this as a breeding lo- 

 cality, but one individual was seen from the second week 

 in March until this week. Heretofore they have always 

 bred plentifully in all the old cotton fields. 



I procured an Ibis this summer which I cannot identify. 

 The plumage is that of an immature bird. White beneath 

 and on the rump and chocolate above. When fresh the whole 



upper plumage was suffused with a dull red flush which 

 disappeared very quickly — as soon in fact as the bird was 

 cold ; bill dull flesh color ; legs and feet grey ; length 26% ; 

 wing 12.— Walter Boxie. 



The Cowbird Nuisance. There has been some talk 

 here of exterminating the English sparrow from the coun- 

 try, but I think they might better exterminate the common 

 Cowbird. It is almost impossible for a Chipping bird or 

 a Y'ellow Warbler to build their nest here without having 

 one or more Cowbird's eggs deposited in it. Last spring I 

 took an Oriole's nest that had been deserted by the old ones, 

 I found in it three Oriole's and three Cowbird's eggs, and 

 under these covered up were also three more Cowbird's 

 eggs, making nine eggs in the nest. I did not wonder then 

 that they left the nest. I also found an Eaves swallow's 

 nest with four English sparrow's eggs in it, the first I have 

 found of either of these nests being occupied or molested by 

 other birds.— S. E. Parshall, Cheshire, N. T. 



Screech Owls. There seem to be a great many Screech 

 Owls, in this city this season. The "Herald" reported one 

 caught on the Public Square, and remarked that they 

 seemed plentiful. A young man caught one on my yard 

 fence and a boy shot another with a sling shot, close by here ; 

 the two latter I have mounted. I saw one sitting on the 

 cross bar of a telegraph pole and I was told of another, to- 

 day, which a Bohemain mounted a ladder to catch, but his 

 pluck failed him, and instead of making the fatal grab, he 

 slid down the ladder double quick, leaving the owl alone in 

 his glory. The specimens I have differ in color, one being 

 ruddy and the other grey. Last May a Whippoorwiil was 

 caught in a shoe store, having flown in as soon as the store 

 was opened in the morning. A friend of mine shot a pure 

 white Robin a few weeks since, near Oberlin, O.—Ji. J. 

 Tozer, Cleveland, O. 



A Kingbird's Revenge. Of the courage and deeds of 

 daring of the Kingbird, (Tgrannus earolincnsis), all ob- 

 servers of bird life are aware, and yet but few persons I 

 think realize the power and extent of warfare carried on by 

 this spirited bird. A young collector related to me a little 

 incident a few days ago concerning the Kingbird which I 

 think is worthy of mention in the O. & 0. He said that he 

 was crossing a field one day, when his attention was at- 

 tracted by two Kingbirds that were pursuing a crow, which 

 most likely had robbed their nest. The crow tried to dodge 

 one of the birds, when the other dashed down on him like 

 a flash. With a yell of pain the crow fluttered to the ground 

 into a bunch of bushes as if shot. My friend walked up to 

 the bushes, looked in, and saw the crow staggering around 

 as if blind. He secured the crow, and upon examining saw 

 a small hole in the right eye from which the blood was 

 slowly oozing. The Kingbirds as if elated at their victory 

 were screaming overhead.—/. C. 'Cahoon, Taunton, Mass. 



The Greenfield Natural History Society was presented 

 with another White Grey squirrel shot near here. This 

 making the second that we have, a male and female. I saw 

 a White English sparrow a few days ago, but could not get 

 it. The squirrel which I have just spoken of has been seen 

 three seasons in the same woods.— S. W. Comstock, Vice- 

 President. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



THE DESTRUCTION OF BIRDS FOR MILLINERY PURPOSES. 



Editor of the Ornithologist— Sir : I too, have been 

 much interested, for a longer time however than the past 

 year or two, in reading the statements of the friends of 

 birds and others, regarding the protection of our feathered 

 -friends. I have, however, been differently affected by them 

 than your Boston correspondent seems to have been ; pos- 



