THE OOLOGIST. 



207 



()th('i-\vise contain their nests, are not 

 in leaf when the first nests are ln;ilt. 



For tlie most part the nests of any 

 one species are all bnilt alike and any 

 variation from the general typfe is 

 M'orth noting. Late last summer the 

 writer found a nest of the IMeadow 

 Lark whicli was completely roofed 

 over — the entrance being on the side, 

 toward the nortli; the nest proper, that 

 is, the part lielow the surface of the 

 ground, was composed entirely of need- 

 les from the white pine; tlie roof was 

 of grass. 



On the liitli of May, 'Ht), a Robins 

 n 'st was fonnil in a rather unusual 

 ]);ace, l)eing built in a hole in a tree; 

 t'le mud wall was especially prominent 

 though it would seem to bo of little 

 u>;e in such a place. 



W. N. C, Binghamton, N. Y. 



Yellow Billed. Cuckoo. 

 Coccyzug Ainericanns, LINN. 



This bird of -which I have seen little 

 niention of in the Oologisx is plentiful 

 in this locality and is known to many 

 under the name of Rain-dove or Rain- 

 crow. It utters its note most frequently 

 before storms, from whence it gets the 

 n ime. They are oftener seen thaJi heard 

 and again Avhen heard they are seldom 

 seen. The times of nidilication of this 

 species, range from M:iy to Septem])er 

 and I have (d)tained fresli eggs in the 

 latter month. Of eight nests whicli I 

 \vA\e had opportunity to examine have 

 foiuid 'the bird on in exn-y instance, 

 admitting of my approach to within a 

 few feet. If you are cautious and stop 

 at a respectful distance, the bird will 

 give you a good opportunity to look at 

 lier. The long curved bill is A^ery con- 

 spicuous as so is the iris. The whole 

 plumage of the 1)ird is gray, darker 

 above, shading to white lieneath, with 

 A'ery beautiful black spots or liars on 

 the under side of the tail. Most of the 

 nests of this species which I have found 



have been Icjcated in apple trees from 

 6 to 20 feet aliove the ground while a 

 few were placed in thickets and hushes 

 on marshy grounds. They are very 

 rudely constructed being but a few 

 twigs, little sticks and a few leaves laid 

 together to form a platfomn barely, hol- 

 lowed sufficiently to prevent the eggs 

 from rolling off, which indeed I once 

 experienc^ed in making to hasty an as- 

 cent of a shaky limb. The eggs are 

 from two to four in number, though 

 si-^ts of six are on record. Fresh and 

 incubated eggs are generally found in 

 the same nest owing to a laspe of sever- 

 al days between the depositing of the 

 eggs. When fresh they have much the 

 cofor of eggs of the Green Heron but as 

 inculjation advances, they become ligh- 

 ter. Average size is 128x88. Elliptical 

 in form. The Black-billed, a closely 

 allied species dift'er, but little in general 

 description. Tlie nest is somewhat 

 more substantiably built, and the eggs a 

 little smaller, 128x.80,of rather a darker 

 green. In many nests of the Yellow- 

 billed species have I seen the eggs from 

 below, which is impossible with the 

 Black-billed. J. P. J. Kelton, Pa. 



A Q,iiery. 



Medina, JN . Y., Sept. 14, '89 

 There is a problem which by its re- 

 peated occurrence has forced itself upon 

 me for a solution, and as I am unal)le 

 to solve it, I bring it to you hoping 

 that (>ither you or some reader of your 

 valuable journal may be able to._ It is 

 this : Every year as soon as the first of 

 September comes and all through the 

 tirst half of that month, at about sun- 

 doAvn every night, large flocks of black- 

 l)irds ai-e seen flying over to the north- 

 east. Now the fact of their congregat- 

 ing in itself would be nothing of unus- 

 ual occurrence, but when we consider 

 that it is always in the same direction, 

 it appears to be not quite so common- 

 place. For several years I have noticed 

 this movement and it is always and in- 

 variably toward the northeast. Now 

 the qiiestion ai'ises, where are they, 

 going? 



Hoping that I may receive some in- 

 formation that will set my curiosity at 

 rest. I am 



Very respectfully, 

 Neil F. Possom, Medina, N. Y. 



