THE NIDIOLOGIST 



to the rattling importunities the nestling was 

 dinning into its ear. At once that ingrate 

 ceased its racket and began an attack with its 

 beak upon the parental head, and, as that was 

 turned, it thumped away upon its back, reach- 

 ing out far, as the old one dropped a notch down 

 and flew. Then the youngster began its sneez- 

 ing call again. J. N. Baskett. 

 Mexico, Mo. 



An Albino Buteo Borealis. 



THE subject of sketch on first page was 

 procured in Bark River Woods, Jeffer- 

 son County, Wis., in the winter of 1844. 

 The sketch shows him as he looks to-day, after 

 being mounted for half a century. It is a male, 

 but as large as an average female. The feathers 

 are unusually long and thick, and his whole ap- 

 pearance is robust in a marked degree. 



As the sketch shows, he is pure white except 

 sides of head and back of neck and part of tail. 

 The tail is about half white, the rufous being 

 very light and bright. 



The irides, bill, cere, tarsi, toes, and nails* 

 were pale-straw color. The nails are blunt and 

 worn and show age. This Hawk, according to 

 the Indians then living in Bark Woods, had 

 been resident in the same locality for more 

 than twenty-five years when my father procured 

 it in 1844. The Indians seemed to have some 

 superstition regarding it and would not kill it, 

 even when a fair reward was offered. I have 

 often heard my father speak of a very intelligent 

 Indian chief who had known the famous " White 

 Hawk " for more than twenty-five years. He 

 claimed the Hawk had a favorite tree, where he 

 sat for hours at a time. He also said he was 

 alone and allowed no intruders in his territory; 

 hunted in the open in fine weather, but retreated 

 to the deep woods in severe winter weather. 



LUDWIG KUMLIEN, 



Professor Natural Science and Physiology, 

 Milton College, Milton, Wis. 



G. F. DiPPiE writes us : "I expect to leave for Al- 

 berta, N. W. T., about the first of June, and am going 

 with a friend into a part of the country where, to my 

 knowledge, there has never been a collector. I hope 

 to have some interesting notes for the ' NiD ' upon 

 my return." 



" Blue Jays Wanted." 



This is the display head of an advertisement of the 

 Placerville (Cal.) Sportsman's Club. They consider 

 the Jays pests, for they offer a breechloading shot- 

 gun to the boy who delivers to them, prior to July 

 I, the largest number of Jays' heads. 



*r have an albino Barred Owl that also has straw-colored nails. 



[^R^^HE 



January 22, 1895, an immature Murre {Uria 

 troile) was shot in Oswego Harbor. It is now 

 in my possession, and is the first'one ever taken 

 here, so far as I can learn. 



D. D. Stone. 

 Lansing, N. Y. 



* * 



Kansas Bird Notes. 



Have taken fine specimens of Barred Owl 

 and Red-tailed Hawk. On March 5 I found 

 a Red-shafted Flicker dead under a tree, proba- 

 bly frozen to death. The English Sparrows 

 are driving nearly all the birds from town. I 

 saw half a dozen Sparrows pitch upon a pair of 

 Cardinals. Of course the Sparrows were victo- 

 rious. 



I have been out three times in search of 

 Great Horned Owls. Have not seen a bird 

 this year. Kildeer, Bartramian Sandpipers, 

 Mourning Doves, Flickers are here. Robins, 

 Cardinals, Meadow Larks, a few Woodpeckers, 

 and others have been seen this winter. Have 

 had pretty severe winter for this part of the 

 country — 12 degrees below zero four times, and 

 stayed 5 below for weeks. 



A. J. McKay. 



Girard, Kansas, March 16, 1895. 



Nest Building at Night. 



It may be of interest to note that the English 

 Sparrow has been known to work on its nest at 

 night, the fact being established by observa- 

 tions both at Washington and Chicago. One 

 case coming under my observation was a female 

 working as late as 11.30 o'clock p. m. The 

 nest was placed in the covering of a large elec- 

 tric light, which hung about eight feet above 

 the pavement on a very prominent corner in the 

 city of Washington, where hundreds of late 

 strollers were passing at the time. 



The electrician whose duty it is to attend 

 this light would tear the nest out in the morn- 

 ing only to find it replaced on the following 

 day. J- D. Figgins. 



Kensington, Md. 



