So 



THK NID10LOC;iST. 



Oil a stump packing the ej;gs, the Owl re- 

 turned and perched on a tree near by, but 

 when I started up, she immediately flew 

 away. A short distance from this nest, a 

 (ireat Horned Owl flew from beside what 

 looked like another nest. On climbing up 

 to it I found that it was only a mass of 

 poplar twigs and dead oak lea-, es. 



About two miles farther on, I visited a 

 large oak tree on the north side of the heavy 

 timber, in which I had noticed a large 

 Hawk's or Owl's nest last winter. When 

 I came a few rods from the tree, a Great 

 Horned Owl flew from the nest and lit in a 

 tree quite a ways off". The nest was about 

 thirty-five feet from the ground, and con- 

 tained two eggs, consideraiily incubated. 

 The nest was an almost exact duplicate of 

 the first one, being composed of large sticks 

 and lined with a few feathers from the breast 

 of the Owl. All of the Great Horned Owls 

 seen today were of the dark phase of 

 coloration. 



April 6. — Went by the tree where I took 

 my first set of Great Horned Owl's eggs on 

 March 3rd, and was surprised to see the 

 Owl's two great horns projecting over the 

 edge of the nest. A few raps on the tree 

 with a club scared her off the nest, and she 

 was immediately pounced on by a few crows 

 that chanced to be flying by. Their loud 

 "caws" soon attracted others until there 

 were about fifty crows' mobbing the poor 

 Owl. There were two considerably in- 

 cubated eggs in ttiis second set of the season. 



I also went to the tree where I took the 

 other set of Owl's eggs on March 3rd. The 

 nest had been remodeled and lined with 

 some .soft bark, while a large Red-tailed 

 Hawk was flying around screaming over- 

 head. I visited this nest later on, but for 

 some reason it was deserted before any eggs 

 were deposited. 



Rudolph M. Anderson, 



Forest City, Iowa. 



The YellotD-throated Virco. 



THIS vSPIvCIIiS is considered rare in 

 this locality, and our state Ornitholo- 

 gists let no opportunity ])ass which 

 would enlighten them concerning the 

 breeding and migrating habits of the species. 

 About the third week in May this song- 

 ster begins to appear in Hillsijorough 

 county in moderately large numl^ers but 

 before a fortnight has passed they have all 



vanished to the northern regions of the 

 state. 



Only by the most diligent search is the 

 Oologists rewarded by a glimpse of V. 

 fiavifnvis in his natural haunts. 



June 14 of the present year, while I was 

 crossing Cedar Swamp, I turned a little out 

 of my path to enter a thicket of rhododen- 

 drons which I wished to examine to ascer- 

 tain the probable date of their blossoming. 



Pausing, after I had pushed aside the 

 clinging vines which formed a greenwood 

 portiere between the decayed stumps of 

 several large "hornbeams," I felt my gaze 

 unconsciously attracted upwards, and there, 

 sitting in one of the prettiest nests I ever 

 saw, was a female Yellow-throat. 



Instinctively my light gun swung up but 

 I lowered it immediately — my identification 

 was perfect without her and my cabinet 

 already contained two skins. After a 

 moment, during which we gazed unblink- 

 ingly at each other, the bird left the nest. 



Almost instantly she summoned her mate 

 from a near-by copse by a mournful whistle, 

 and the pair, during the whole time I was 

 packing the eggs and cutting the limb which 

 contained the nest, fluttered quickly back 

 and forth near me, uttering sharp shrill chips 

 followed by a plaintive long drawn note: 

 che-tivit, tzvit-tivit, tiv 0. The eggs, 

 which I found to be nearly fresh and meas- 

 ured 62x90, 63x90, 63x92, were white, 

 strongly spotted, chiefly about the larger 

 end, with brownish purple, the edges of 

 the larger spots shading off" to the merest 

 tinge of color. 



The nest was about 14 feet from the 

 earth and was composed of birch bark and 

 grass neatly interwoven on the outside, 

 W'hile the interior was composed of pine 

 needles and lichens. Concerning the date 

 of the fall departure of this species I am un- 

 able at present to give any information of 

 value. Arthitr M. Farmer. 



Amoskeag, N. H. 



The, Mockingbird. 



IN your valuable journal. The Nidiolo- 

 CtIST, I rarely .see anything from South 

 Carolina, so I feel moved to contribute 

 my quota. 

 Mockingbirds are very plentiful here, 

 especially in the breeding .season. In win- 

 ter they like to stay round vines or in a yard 



