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THE OOLOGIST. 



Black and Yellow-billed Cuckoos. 



In the OoLOGisT for 1888 I have noticed 

 but few articles on the Yellow and Black- 

 billed Cuckoos. Are they not worthy of 

 mention ? The past season I have found 

 two sets of each. Although not rare linds, 

 it always gives me pleasure in finding their 

 nests, and studying their ways. 



The first that I found was that of the 

 Black -billed. It was placed on the horizon- 

 tal branch of a thorn apple tree about 15 ft. 

 from the ground. It was very frail, and 

 contained one egg and a young bird about 

 a week old. The mother bird was very 

 anxious as to what would be the outcome 

 of my observations, but I at last left her 

 "■Monarch of all I survey" and she was 

 satisfied 



About a week later we had a severe storm 

 and I heard from a friend that the nest was 

 blown down, and the youug killed. Foolish 

 bird ! I wonder if she took the lesson and 

 built her nest lower another time. 



The next nest was that of the Yellow- 

 billed, and contained only one egg. I left 

 the egg a week, but when I returned there 

 was only that one there. Incubation was 

 well nigh complete . VVas this not a small 

 set? I am positive it was complete; 1st 

 because I had watched the nest from the 

 beginning; 2nd, because it was in a very 

 retired piece of woods, and not near a 

 highway where collectors might abound. 

 Tliis nest was only one foot from the gi'ound 

 and was simply a platform of sticks. 



On July Kith I took a set of two eggs of 

 Black-billed. The nest was made of grass, 

 and was placed in a thorn bush. Incuba- 

 tion was nearly complete. 



The last set taken was that of the Yellow- 

 billed and contained four eggs. Incubation 

 was nearly complete. The nest was the 

 best I have seen, and was placed in a clump 

 of hazel bushes about foi^r feet from the 

 ground , 



The Bla(!k and Yellow-billed Oiickoos 

 are great insect devourers. I think they 

 devour more insects than ani/ insect devour- 

 ing birds. Some writers say they prey 

 on the eggs, and sometimes the vonng of 



other birds. Grant it. Is not the great 

 work they do in devouring those hairy, 

 spiney caterpillars (not so much sought 

 after by other birds) a sufficient reason for 

 their protection? The Imbits of the two 

 birds are very much alike as far as I have 

 observed. Their feeding grounds are grassy 

 swales, willow swamps, tauiarac marshes 

 and damp tracts. I have found the favorite 

 breeding haunts to be the interior of wood- 

 lands, small groves, thorny trees and bushes 

 and wooded banks of strrams. 



Hoping to hear from others on the habits 

 of these two birds, and also the time and 

 range of breeding. I am, 



Oologically E. C, Wauwatosa, Wis. 



Notes from an Alabama Collector. 



Doubtless your renders woiild like to hear 

 from this state, and as I have not seen many 

 articles from this part of the country, I 

 take the liberty of sending you some glean- 

 ings from my note book. 



My first set collected was a Turkey 

 Buzzard's, placed on the ground under a 

 l>ile of oak limbs. 



April '2nd. Set of i] eggs of the Bliick- 

 capiaed Chickadee; situated in an old siuaip 

 about ten ft. high. 



April 6th. BroM'n-headed Nuthaldi 

 with 6 eggs. 



April 20. Brown-headed Nuthatch, two 

 Bluebird's nests and a Mocking-bird's wiih 

 4 fresh eggs. Mocking-birds are veiy com- 

 mon here. This season I fuund about 

 twenty of their nests, but would not t.ske 

 but a very few. 



April 27. Cardinal Grosbeak, 3 fresh 

 eggs. I have found aboiit twelve nests of 

 this bird, and three eggs was the nuinber 

 that each contained. 



May 8th. Blue Jays /.est, in an oak abviut 

 fifteen feet from the ground. 



May 11. Brown-headed Nuthatch, f>..ur 

 eggs slightly incubated, also a Blue Jay's 

 nest containing four eggs. 



May 14. Acadian Flycatcher, 2 fresh 

 eggs; nest situated on the extremity of a 

 limb, also a Summer Red-bird's nest con- 

 taining four fresh eggs. 



