THE OOLOGIST. 



the Yellow-throated Virieos are silent 

 and are like most of the woodland song 

 birds dillicult to tind. Later in the 

 season and after moulting they tune up 

 like the Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos, 

 but their second period of song does not 

 last long, nor is it ever so loud or con- 

 tinued an effort as the vernal burst. 



MORHIS GiBBS, 



Kalamazoo, Mich. 



The White-rumped Shrike (?). 



It is interesting to note how great a 

 variation in the time of breeding of cer- 

 tain species there sometimes is be- 

 tween two points situated even within 

 a few miles of each other. For in- 

 stance, to compare the facts related by 

 Mr. Short of Chili in the Januaay, "95, 

 OoLoGiST and those related by Mr. 

 Reinecke of Buffalo in the March '96 

 number with my own observations, I 

 lind quite a difference in breeding dates 

 the tendency being towards earlier 

 breeding in nearly all species mention- 

 ed in this locality, than at either of the 

 the points named. 



What Mr. Short saicl concerning the 

 White-rumped Shrike is so at variance 

 with my observations, thit I am tempt- 

 ed to relate my experience with this 

 bird. There are few birds, I think, 

 among all that visit us, that I am so 

 thoroughly familiar with; and certainly 

 there is none that I have taken more 

 nests of. 



Here in Western Orleans, I have nev- 

 er found a nest in June, but have found 

 them times without number in April, 

 the dates being, as a rule, the 2Tth and 

 the full complement being never more 

 or less than six. I did, on one occos- 

 ion, find a nest containing six eggs as 

 late as May 19th. but in this case I 

 knew of this bird's previous set being 

 taknn April ^Oth and this later nest 

 was her second attempt at house-keep- 

 ing. Didn't have the heart to take 

 these. 



In this locality one should have his 

 eyes open for nests in process of con-' 

 Rtruction or possibly completed by the 

 15th of April, in some old apple or- 

 chard or thorny hedge-row, not far re- 

 moved from some dwelling. An old 

 apple orchard is the preferred place, 

 and the nest is very easily found, since 

 the trees are perfectly devoid of any 

 leaves or blossoms or anything t) ob- 

 struct the view until well along into 

 May. 



One peculiar thing has happened in 

 connection with my tioditlg of the nests 

 of this bird. In whatever locality, in 

 March of each year, I have chanced to 

 first note ihe arrival of the Shrike, in 

 that immediate vicinity, during the fol- 

 lowing month, I have found its nest. 

 It seems that upon its arrival, it drops 

 right down upon its future. nesting site. 



The eggs of this species show consid- 

 erable variition, the series in my col- 

 lection varying all the way from n very 

 sparse spotting to a spotting that al- 

 most hides the background color of the 

 shell. 



As regards the distribution of this 

 species and its relative abundance in 

 ihis locality would say that each square 

 mile of territory is the home of about 

 three pairs of birds in a season. 



The dates of ni}' finds are as follows, 

 each set consisting of six eggs and be- 

 ing perfectly fresh, viz: 



April 25, '86. April 26, '86, April 26, 

 '86, April 27, '86, May 17, '86. April 27, 

 87, April 28, '87, April 29, '87. April 

 27, '88, April 27, '88. April 28, 'SS. April 

 26, '89, April 29, '89. April 27, '90, 

 April 28. '90 April 28, '90. April 29, 

 '91. April 26. '92. April 27, '93. 



From this it will be seen, that thtre 

 is virtually no variation in the breed- 

 ing time of this species, either on ac- 

 count of a backward season, or for any 

 other cause. 



There is much that might be written 

 concerning this interesting species, bnt 

 it is so well known and widely distrib- 



