THE OOLOGIST. 



169 



and ()iu( st't of nine. Tlic nests were 

 nothing bnt a pile of lloating, decaying 

 ^V(H'ds. The birds do not inenbate the 

 eggs during the day Init eo-ser tlieni 

 with we(;ds, so it is not possible; to see 

 tlie eggs before removing the covering. 

 As it was now getting late I started 

 across h)ts for liome. In going through 

 a wlieat field I found a set of 'Axe field 

 sparrows's eggs. Shortly after tlds I 

 reached the club grounds. In front of 

 tlu; traps is a }>i!e of straw to jn-event 

 any of tlie clay Inrds from brcjaking 

 that are not hit. 1 Avas stooping down 

 to pick up a perfect bird when, lo! 

 there on tliere on the straw was si nest 

 containing three Horned Lark's eggs. 

 Truly a queer place for a bird to build, 

 when twice a week the sportsmen as- 

 seml)lc to shoot. W. d. 1. B., 



Minneapolis, Minn. 



Bell's Vireo. 



I have made a special study this sea- 

 son (>f this interesting memljcr of oiu' 

 nvi-faun<i, l)y mt means an uncommon 

 bird. I ha\e had abundant opportunity 

 for observing its ha1)its. Its usu;il nest- 

 ing place is in a hedge or in a plum 

 thicket. The nest is usually placed 

 within three feet of the ground, but I 

 have seen one nest, built no donl)t, ))y 

 an eccentric pair of Vireos, which was 

 at least six feet from the ground. I 

 have found n(>sts in hedge, on small 

 plum trees, on sumachs, apple trees, in 

 fact tlie nest may ))e looked for in 

 almost any small tree or l)ush Avhere 

 the foliage is dense enougli to conceal 

 it from above. The eggs are always 

 four in mimltcr, except Avhen a cow- 

 bird deposits an egg m the n< st; llien 

 only three eggs are laid. If, liowever 

 the cowbird sliould lay an egg before 

 the second Vireo's egg is laid, the Vii-eo 

 will desert the nest. The eggs are us- 

 ually white, speckled sjxiringly witli 

 l)rown or reddish l)roAvn spots; however 

 I have found nests in Avhich part of the 



eggs were spotted as u.sual, the rest 

 being pure white, unspotted. 



I found one nest coutaining three 

 Vireo's eggs, and returning that way in 

 a few days, Avas sonje\\dia.t surprised t() 

 find the Vireo's eggs gone, and in their 

 place a fresli CoAv'jirtl's egg. 



Query: Did the Vireo i-enioAc the 

 eggs to another nest or Averc Uiey des- 

 troyed V Has tJK Irevcr liecn an authen- 

 ticated report of a bird removing its 

 eggs from one nest to another':' 



There were no shells aljont or oilier 

 es'idence of 'the eggs l)eiiig destroyed, 

 and I am quite sure that no otiun- col- 

 lector had any knoAvledge (/f the nest. 



During the nesting season the famil- 

 iar song of the male is heard, generally 

 Avitl'.in ten feet of tlie nest; but as any 

 person approaches, the bird gradually 

 ilys away from the nest, stopping anon 

 to repeat its scnig, (?) which, by tlie 

 way, Avhen once heard, can nc'.'cr lie 

 forgotten. It somcAvhat rcs<'ml)U>s a 

 Black-throated Bunting's notes, l)ut the 

 harshness in the Bunting's is softcuied 

 in the Vireo's. The notes sligiUly I'e- 

 semlile Checd-n-lccd-a-Ieed-a-lcc-c-c with 

 the last notes very high. 



When the nest is discovered the fe- 

 niah' noislessly steals aAvay, unless Ihe 

 nest is distu'.-bed or contains .yun. iig 

 vt^heu she A\dll beginj-hattering, Aviiich 

 is not unliivc that of a Avi'-en. 



Albukt O. Garkette, 

 Ft. Scott, Ka.nsas. 



Additions to the Ari-Fanna of Orleans 

 County. 



Since the Avi-Fauna of Orleans Coun- 

 ty was ])ul)lished in the May Oologist, 

 the folloAving additions have been re- 

 ported : 



175. N/jrUwrodin^ vwlaccits. White- 

 ci'oAvned Night Heron. 



17(5. PlecjadiH frdriiw/fas. (ilossy 



Bus. A specimen of this biid, sjiot in 



ToAvanda SAA^amp, Avas In-ougiit to Mr. 



Hedley in May, 1880. It is a straggler. 



Respectfully, Nkil F.Posson. 



