126 



THE OOLOGIST. 



lined with strips of bark, moss, and horse- 

 hair, placed in main fork of an oak tree 

 fifty feet up. A very common bird. I 

 have noticed that when the crow retires in- 

 to the woods to breed it is not uncommon to 

 find nests in the immediate neighborhood of 

 each other much nearer the ground than in 

 groves and open woods. While the tree; 

 are yet leafless the nest is easily seen, but 

 after the bursting of the buds it can be 

 found only after a very careful 

 search. 



April 17. American Long-eared Owl, set 

 of five slightly incubated eggs. Nest in 

 beech twelve feet from groimd and compos- 

 ed of sticks lined with leaves and feathers. 

 This is the most common variety of owl that 

 inhabits oxir woods, but as it is a very noc- 

 turnal bird is seldom seen. 



April 20. The only find to-day was a set 

 of four fresh eggs of the Song Sparrow 

 l^laced in nest on side of ditch. Who has 

 not_ seen our commonest native sparrow 

 threading its way through a brush lieap, 

 traversing the twigs, stems and branches of 

 trees and bushes with surprising ease, or 

 perched on a fence-rail or tree-top pouring 

 forth its full sweet song. It is a very lively 

 bird and usually flies near the ground. Of- 

 ten has it flown along the fence before me 

 dodging in and out between the rails each 

 motion follows bj' a flirt of the tail and al- 

 ways keeping a certain distance ahead. 



April 23. Visited the Hawk's uest found 

 on the 24th of last month and left for 

 young. The birds were abseu on my .ir- 

 rival, there was no under-brush and as the 

 branches were yet leaf It ss I could not con- 

 ceal myself effectually. The female was the 

 first to put in an appearance, but before ar- 

 riving within gunshot her sharp eyes detect- 

 ed my presence, turning quickly she as- 

 cended to a great height, where she was 

 joined by her mate, and as the two continu- 

 ed to soar above my head without apparent- 

 ly any intention of ai^proaching any nearer 

 I gave up all hope of getting them, climbed 

 the tree and secured the two downy young. 

 One fell and was killed, the other I named 

 Jack. 



April 24. Bluebird nest in hollow of a 

 willow tree and contained five fresh eggs, al- 

 so four fresh American Robin's eggs, from 

 nest in pine three feet above ground. 



April 26. Jack has already become very 

 tame. He has taken up his quarters in a 

 box nailed on the side of the shed and filled 

 with soft hay, here he sits all day for his 

 legs are too weak to bear his weight. When 

 he is hungry he becomes excessively noisy, 

 and being unable to tear to pieces the food 

 given him, I am obliged to feed him by 

 hand. His food is entirely of an animal 

 nature. 



Ax^ril 28. Cooper's Hawk, a strong fork- 

 ed branch near the tox? of a lofty elm was 

 chosen for the nest. It was built of sticks, 

 twigs, grass, weeds etc., lined with bark, 

 moss, wool and other soft materials. There 

 were foiir fresh eggs in it, of a greenish 

 white, spotted with pale brown. This bold 

 and reckless hawk is npt so common as Bu- 

 teo Uneatus. 



April 30. Pewee, nest under bridge and 

 contained five eggs of this species and one 

 of the Cowbird. 



May 5. Jack with rare intelligence has 

 laiirned in this very brief time to distinguish 

 me from the other and shows an excess ive 

 affection for me. The rapid growth of his 

 feathers is surprising. 



May 10. Took two sets of one, one of 

 four and one of five English Sparrow's eggs 

 from ornamental maple trees in the city. 

 This sparrow is not only a tyrant, driving 

 all other songsters from the city, but a gen- 

 eral nuisance also. 



May 14. Chickadee, saw a Chickadee fly 

 from a hole in a decayed stump and by cut- 

 ting away the wood I obtained the nest and 

 six eggs, it was composed of hair, wool, moss 

 and feathers. Although regarded as a com- 

 mon bird in winter few are seen in simimer 

 yet I believe many stay and breed. From a 

 dense thicket, interwoven with briars and 

 thorny creepers I flushed a Ruffed Grouse 

 and a short search revealed nine eggs, two 

 other nests containing eggs was a Towhee's 

 containing one egg which I left for a larger 

 set and a Chipping Sparrow's on the top- 



