THE OOLOGIST. 6C\=C>> \««"i 



231 



Now if anyone can inform rac as how 

 to get egg.s out without destroying the 

 iicst, and also how to tell when there 

 are any (^ggs in a Kinglisher's nest, I 

 woi.ld he mueh o])liged if he would do 

 •'^<'- T. 8. B., 



Northlield, Minn. 



The Prairie Home Idark. 



This is a eoinnion spi'rics luM-e and 

 ai-rives before any other of our suniniei- 

 residents. it nests early, befoi-e tlie 

 snow is fairly gone. I found a nest this 

 season, 'Hi), on the 2S)th of Mareh, eou- 

 taining tliree i'Tesli eggs. They rear at 

 least two broods m a season, the ti)'st 

 about time mentioned aboAe and the 

 second about the iniddh' of June. Ear- 

 ly in the spring llu-y ga.ther in large 

 Hocks and feed upon the wheat tliat has 

 just been sown. From f-jiis they get the 

 name of "Wheat Bird" in tiiis locaJity. 

 It also goes by the nanu^ of "Ground 

 Bii-.T'and "Snow Bird," the former 

 from its nesting on tJie gnmnd. A fa- 

 \'orite nesting jdaee is the growingcorn. 

 A slight hoHow, beside a hill of corn or 

 a clod, lined \v!!h grass serves as a, nest, 

 i'liey also nest commonly on the ju-ai- 

 ri<', l)ut the insts are not so often found 

 there as in the cornlield. The eggs are 

 tlwee to i\\r in number, commonly 

 b)ur. In color they are hardly distin- 

 guishable froiu those of the Yellow- 

 headed Blacj<bird. They are smaller, 

 averaging about .88x.(i2 in. The gener- 

 al colors of tbJs inrd are dirty white 

 underneath and grayish al)ove, with 

 a black pat.'h at the throat. Above 

 each eye is a tiny tuft of feathers which 

 th" bird can raise at Avill, and which 

 when i-aised gives the bird the same ap- 

 jx-arance as a Horned Owl. 



I have ne\-er taken note of its dej)art- 

 ure but I sup])ose it stays as late accord- 

 ingly as it arri\es early. 



J. V. Ckoxk, 

 Marathon, Iowa. 



Connecticut Notes. 



May 18th, 188y,whi]e on a c<.l]ecting 

 tri]), I found a newly made nest of the 

 Catbird, but as yet no eggs. 



May 2i5, I again looked at the nest, 

 and was surpi-is(Hl to find instead of a 

 complete set, (Uily a A'ery small runt 

 <'gg measui-ing, .48x.37, of the same 

 shade of green as ordianry eggs of this 

 bird, and on blowing was found to eon- 

 tain no yolk. The bird to m;y knovrb 

 edg(- hiid. no other eggs in that nest, the 

 sa'.iie day. 



May 18, 1 I'ou.nd an incomplete set of 

 fnni- Flicker eggs in a hole in a hollow 

 tree ten feet up. 



May -24., Init six days later, I weit 

 to the tree, and liegan jiouiiding on it 

 with a clr.l), expecting to see tJie old 

 bird lly out, but intead an old Flying 

 >S((uirre! i)opped out and ran up' the 

 tree, closely followed liy her four, half- 

 grown young. The hole was nearly fidl 

 oftlie line bark and leaves comjn-ising 

 the squin-els nest, lait the Flickers eg^-s 

 were gone. I have found the follow- 

 ing Fate n.ests this year: Ye]l.)W-billed 

 Cuckoo, Fresh eggs, July 22, 4; Aug. 

 4th, 2;. Aug. 18, 2; Aug. 26, 2, and 1 

 Black-billed. Cedar Waxwing Aug. 1 , 

 4 fresh eggs, Aug. 29. 4 young. July 2() 

 Cat bird :3 fresh; July 27 Mourning 

 Dove, 2 fi'csh. 'W I {' 



Noi-walk, Conn. 



Death to the English Sparrow. 



^a 

 heav 

 prov 

 .Spai 

 and 

 river 

 yard; 



I'OWS 



were 



turday e\-ening, ,]\\]y isth a very 



y thunder-storm struck this city, 



ing v(>i-y disasti-ous to the English 



row. Hundreds were drowne<l 



carried down the gutters to the 



• while others were cotncyed fi-om 



s and pui)iic grounds in wlieelbar- 



Probal)ly sevei'al thousands 



drowned during the storm. 



Yours Respectfully, 



C. E. C, 

 Davenjjort, !a. 



