170 



THE OOLOGIST. 



The Black Tern. 



This a Aery f(niim()n species tlirougli- 

 out the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, 

 Illinois, Minnesota and Dakota. This 

 bird is sometimes called tlie Short-tailed 

 Tern, but is more commonly known 

 as the Black Tern. These birds ha^e 

 large wings in proportion to the size of 

 the bird, and wlien it is on tht; wing it 

 looks not unlike a large swallow. 

 These birds nt'st in quite large cohmics, 

 but they do not increase very rapidly 

 each year eecau.sc' t\u-vr ai'c too many 

 oologists collecting their eggs. There 

 is one thing ([uite singular about this 

 bird. This is: If you collect a set of 

 their eggs one day, 3"ou can go to the 

 same nest twij or three days afterward 

 and you will lind just as many eggs in 

 the nest as there Avere the prcAuous day. 

 This bird arrives in AVisconsin about 

 the first of May, and liegins incubation 

 about the first of June. It does not 

 have to ^vork as hard as s()me birds do 

 to build its nest. It ;5imi)ly finds a. suit- 

 able mud fiat, (lioating on the water.) 

 and lays a few reeds and grasses aroTind 

 ou the mud to keep the eggs from roll- 

 ing about. The eggs, which are of a 

 greenish color, thickly blothed with 

 brown and lilac, are then laid in this 

 nest.. After the eggs have been laid 

 incubation sets in, and continues for 

 al)out three \\^e'.jks, Avhen the young ap- 

 pear. These are fed on worms and 

 snails until tlicy are able to take care 

 of themselves. Then anotlier set of 

 eggs is deposited the tlie same nest and 

 another broad is reared in like manner. 

 I collected a. set of three eggs of this 

 species June (>. 1881). Inculjatiou ad- 

 A'ancetl Tlcy measui'cd as follows: 

 ^- 1.46x1.00, ;: i.4f;x.!)8, 3-:^ 1.35x1 .00. 

 This set i-cscml)lc(l ^'i-ry much, both in 

 color and in markings, those of the 

 Spotted S:ind]iiper. In l)lowiiig these 

 eggs one has to be very careful so as 

 not to destroy the bh^om. These birds 

 iis a rule are very fond of low, marshy 



:o farther 



lakes for their haunts. They 

 South wlu^n it begins to show signs of 

 winter. I will close mnv ho]fing this 

 article Avill be of some benefit to the 

 readers of The Oologist. 



F.S.N. 

 Madison, Wis. 



The Yellow-rumped Warbler. 



While rambling through the swamps 

 in the vicinity of Highlaiul Park on 

 June 1, '8U, I came uui'xpeclcdiy ui)on 

 a nest of the Golden-crowned or Yellow- 

 rumped Warbler, situated in the ta-olch 

 of a small hemlock tree about ten feet 

 from the ground. T woidd undoubted- 

 ly have ]iassed it, as it was in a place 

 one would not think of looking fen- a 

 nest, but the old bird, frightened by 

 my approach. Hew oft" and thus attract- 

 ed my attciitiou. 



I had some difficulty in clind)ing, as 

 the tre(^ was veiy slender and easily 

 bent, i)Ut by the aid of a neighborijig 

 tree I finally succeeded in reaching tlu; 

 nest, Avhich I held in my teeth until I 

 reached the groiuid. There in a soft- 

 warm bed of thistle down lay four small 

 eggs. They Avei'e of a creamy-A\']iite 

 color, covered spai'celj^ with spots and 

 Idotches of ditt'erent shades of reddish- 

 brown, thickest at the largest end of 

 the egg. Dimensions of the eggs, .()8x 

 .50 inch, .67x. 50 inch, .6Cx.4y inch, .O^x 

 .49 inch. The nest was a small struc- 

 ture, firm and compact, the (uUer parts 

 formed of silky fibers from difi'erent 

 plants, attacheil t(.) th(^ twigs near it by ■ 

 means of gluetinous matter, mixi'd with 

 Ihc inner liai'k of the wild grapcA ine, 

 within this is a dee]) and w;irm bed of 

 thistle-down arid the inner layer com- 

 lK)sed of feathers and Ihe line hair of 

 small f[uadnine(l.s. 



H. C. A. 

 .Detroit, Mic]i. 



