THE YOUNG ORNITHOLOGIST. 



get to sleep for some time, but lay 

 awake thinking about their journey. 

 Sleep came to them at last, however. 



' ' I lay awalce a long time last 

 night," said George, when he met his 

 young friend in the morning- 



" So did I," replied Edward, •■' but 

 I took to counting, a favorite scheme 

 of mine, and one that never fails. I 

 can't seem to get over four hundred 

 before I'm asleep." 



The morning was a fine one for 

 their journey, the sky was clear, and 

 a cool breeze was blowing from the 

 northwest. The boys ate their break- 

 fast somewhat hastily, and at seven 

 o'clock had bidden their folks good 

 bye and were starting on their journey. 



( To be continued. ) 



RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 



Of the many species of Wood- 

 pecker inhabiting this State, with the 

 exception of the Yellow Shafted 

 Flicker the Red-bellied is about the 

 mo^t plentiful, though it cannot be 

 identified by its name. Ihc bird is 

 spotted above ashy-gray ; below, turn- 

 ing to a reddish tinge toward the tail ; 

 botli male and female have a red 

 mark on back of the head. They are 

 found quite plentiful along our streams 

 and are to be found almost at all 

 seasons of the year, but are more 

 commonly niet with during the warm 

 i&unuy days of Spring, mostly when 

 the snow is slowly melting away, and 

 showing signi of Spring-. I have just 

 become acquainted with the breeding- 

 habits of this bird and find that in 

 most cases thev select a dead and 



decayed willow, well up, so that a 

 collector of eggs cannot do much 

 with them. Along in June as I was 

 walking along one of our streams I 

 noticed one of these birds sitting at 

 the mouth of a hole in a decayed 

 willow with a worm in her bill. I 

 knew that the hole contained young, 

 but still I was anxious to look in. 

 The tree overhang a pond of water 

 and was very much decayed, so I 

 climbed up as far as I thought it 

 would hold and began shaking with 

 all my might ; it cracked ; another 

 shake, and down comes the top right 

 into the pond of water below, it broke 

 off where the hole had been excavat- 

 ed. Four young, fully fledged, flew 

 out into the world for themselves. 



A set of five, peaiiy white eggs of 

 this bird taken on May •20th, this sea- 

 son, are now in my collection ; these 

 were found in a decayed willow, in a 

 hole excavated about 8 inches deep, 

 where the eggs were deposited on the 

 bare wood. 



G. F. BUEXXINGEli, 



Beattie^ Kas. 



AMERICAN BITTERN. 



( Botaurns leutvjinosns.) 



This bird is seen about ponds and 

 streams, occasionally, in this locality. 

 It goes by various names, the most 

 common, perhaps, being Post Driver. 

 It is also called Pump Thunder, from 

 the peculiar noise they make. I have 

 tried to get a siglit at the birds while 

 they were making this noise, but have 

 never been successful. Have any of 

 your i-eaders ever seen them when 

 making this noise. I have found 



