86 



THE NIDIOLOGIST 



advanced to save so they were placed in the 

 Lark Sparrow's nest with the result men- 

 tioned. Mr. Jndson noted a nest placed 

 within three inches of a nest of the House 

 Finch. The latter strove unsuccessfully to 

 drive away its neighbor. 



In a paper on the Arkan.sas Goldfinch 

 Mr. Gaylord recorded the taking on May 12, 

 1894, of a set of five eggs of this species, 

 two of which were spotted. Mr. Judson 

 stated that in the dissection of stomachs of 

 this bird he oc cashvnr //j iound small insects. 

 Mr. Arnold found near Riverside a nest of 

 this Goldfinch built over the remains of a 

 deserted nest of California Bush Tit con- 

 taining four eggs. 



A paper by W. B. Judson treating of 

 Belding's Marsh Sparrow was read. On 

 May 14, '94 two nests of this bird were 

 found in the salt grass at Port Ballona 

 Harbor. The first contained three eggs 

 and was composed of dry sticks and pieces 

 of salt grass very loosely constructed and 

 lined with white feathers. The eggs re- 

 sembled those of Heermann 's SongSparrow. 

 The second nest contained four incubated 

 eggs, one of which was a pale blue and al- 

 most without markings. The nest was 

 built in the salt grass about one foot from 

 the ground. The Annex meets at the re- 

 sidence of Mr. Jewett at Lamanda Park, 

 February 25. 



The recently printed Constitutions have 

 been mailed to members and those failing 

 to receive one will please address the 

 Secretary. The Club will meet at San Jose, 

 March 2. 



A Half-hour With Wilson's Snipe. 



ON THlv afternoon of April 8, 1894, I 

 took the telescope and walked over to 

 the little brickyard pond. There was 

 a Snipe on the shore, and as he saw 

 me he stood motionless. I retreated behind 

 the fence and watched him. 



Before long he relaxed and began dab- 

 i)ling in the mud and water with his long 

 Ijill. He posed in all sorts of positions; 

 standing knee-deep in water and fishing u]) 

 prey from beneath the surface; standing 

 facing me with his bill straight down, or 

 looking shrewdly with his bill turned rak- 

 ishly to one side. I went home for paper 

 and pencil, but when I returned I found 

 my skill was not up to my subject. I soon 

 gave up the attempt to sketch him, and 



contented myself with watching his man- 

 euvers. 



tmnk, apparently standing on his heels, 

 plantograde fashion ; at any rate, he was on 

 a smooth bank and no shins were visible. 

 After he had tired of this position he flew 

 across the pond and went into some low 

 clumps of sedge, standing at his full height 

 in a recess in the bank, eyeing me sus- 

 piciously. Then he climbed up on a clod, 

 stuck his bill over his back and down in- 

 side his wing, and went to sleep for two 

 minutes. Then he dressed the feathers of 

 his breast with his bill, and again relaped 

 into repose. He then sauntered jauntily 

 down to the edge of the water, waded about 

 and dabbled the tip of his bill in the ooze. 



Then out again, seemingly impressed 

 with something, loosened his wings, oscil- 

 lated for a moment, bent his legs so as to 

 bring his body close to the ground, and 

 walked very carefully, bowing at every 

 step, as though he wished to step lightly 

 and avoid being seen, till suddenly he dart- 

 ed his head forward and began pulling an 

 angle-worm out from a hole. How he did 

 pull! It verily seemed as though he had 

 pulled a yard of worm out of that hole be- 

 for he quit. He would pull and pull till he 

 reached the limit of his height, then take a 

 fresh hold and pull up again. I think that 

 worm must have gone back into his hole 

 each time, else I can hardly see how so 

 much pulling could be exerted on an ordi- 

 nary worm. 



When this worm was disposed of he 

 stepped in the same cautious fashion further 

 on, and extracted and ate another in the 

 same way, then walked up into the grass 

 and disappeared. 



J. C. Galloway. 



Montgomery, Ohio. 



THE YOUNG SPORTSMAN 



A MoiUiily louinal for huiUers, fislieiinan, fanciers ana 

 naluralists. The besl S])Oiling Paper for the price that 

 is ]uil)lishe(l. Subcription only 50c a year; with the 

 NioioLOcisT, $1.25. Subscribe NOW, and if you are 

 a lover of rod or gun you will be anijily repaid. Agents 

 wanted. .Sample co|)ies free. Address The Young 

 Sportsman Co., Albion, N. Y. 



VOL. I. COMPLETE 



50 ILLUSTRATIONS 



'{"he earlier nunilieis ofthe Nl DIOLOCIS'I" arc out of 

 print. I have two complete liles of Vol. I, price, pie- 

 paid, $2.50 each. 11. R. Taylok, 



Alameda, Calif. 



