Jf 



The Yoimg Ornitholo<^ist. 



here, I'm sure," exclaimed George. 



The boys immediately began to search 

 for the nest. Edward was the lucky 

 one this time, for in a few minutes he 

 called to George that he had found it, 

 and George coming up found him en- 

 gaged in examining a nest in a small 

 raspberry bush. The nest contained 

 four eggs, white with a bluish tinge, and 

 about the size of the Red-eyed Vireo's. 

 The nest was made of dead grass, leaves, 

 etc., and lined with fine straws and 

 hair. This was the first set of eggs of 

 this species that Edward had found, so 

 he carefully secured them and the nest 

 and carried them home. 



"By the way, George, did you have 

 any success this morning?" asked Ed- 

 ward, as they were going into the house. 



"Yes," replied George, "I found the 

 Upland Plover's nest I went after." 



"Is that the name of it?" inquired 

 Edward. 



"No it isn't the right name ; it is 

 called Bartram's Sandpiper; but here 

 are the eggs, aren't they handsome ?" 



The eggs they were looking at were 

 pale buff, heavily spotted and blotched 

 with umber and a light yellowish-brown; 

 they averaged about 1.80x1.26, and as 

 they were partially incubated George 

 had to drill a rather large hole and ex- 

 tract the contents with an embryo hook. 

 After they had admired them sufficiently 

 George put them away, and went out to 

 water the horse. In a iQVf minutes Ed- 

 ward (who was preparing to blow the 

 eggs he had secured) heard him calling 

 and on going out met George who said 

 that he had called him to witness the 

 beautiful sunset. The sun had just sunk 

 behind the mountain, and the sky near 

 the horizon appeared like a vast sea of 

 gold; several dark clouds higher uj) were 

 edged with gold, aud others in the south - 



•(■/est were of different shades of orange, 

 salmon and pale rose. One of the up- 

 j.er clouds had separated, forming an 

 opening resembling a Gothic window, 

 through which Venus shown with silvery 

 light — the only visible star. On a hill 

 between them and the west were a row 

 of evergieen, maple and oak trees, 

 whose branches darkly outbned agamst 

 the golden sky resembled fine silhouette 

 work. Only one sound broke the j eacc- 

 ful stillness — the bell-like notes of the 

 Hermit Thrush. 



10 HE CO N 'I' J N LIED. 



ROD AJVD GUJY. 



Of late I have had numerous incjuiries 

 fiom amateur sportsmen in regard to the 

 size of loads, quality and c quantity of 

 amunition used, etc., for various species 

 of game. Now this is a question which 

 can never be definitely answered with 

 regard to any fixed or regular rule, as 

 the shooting depends upon various al- 

 most illimitable conditions, vis., the 

 bore of the gun, the quality of its finish 

 and make-up, the length of its barrels, 

 and the quality of ammunition used. As 

 I am no experienced professional sports- 

 man lean only answer from my own in- 

 dividual experience; with reference only 

 to the conditions upon which I have 

 done my ordinary shooting. My gun 

 is a top-lever action, choke bore, 10 

 guage, Parker Bros, fine twist breech- 

 loader. My favo-rite and most success- 

 ful loads for duck shooting at ordinary 

 distances (say forty to ninety yards) is 



CONTINUED ON NEXT PACE. 



