30 



THE OOLOGIST. 



were robbed several times by rascally 

 ] )oys . 



On July 4tli, I heard the bird had 

 made a third nest, and had laid four 

 eggs. I visited it the next day and 

 found it to contain two eggs and one 

 young l)ird. The nest in this case ex- 

 actly resembled the first. 



During all this time neither the boys 

 nor mj^self saw any bird near the nest, 

 so I am not positiA^e as to the identifica- 

 tion being correct, Imt I think they 

 could be nothing els(! except white eggs 

 of the Blue Bird, which I think is not 

 likely, as the eggs are smaller, and 

 Blue Birds usually stay near their nest 

 when it contains eggs. 



J. C. Galloway, 

 Hamilton Co., Ohio. 



Evening Grosbeak. 



I found a flock of about fifty in along 

 bushy swale, throiigh which a small 

 creek flowed. When first discovered 

 many were on the ground; although the 

 greater number were engaged in de- 

 vouring the red berries that grew plen- 

 tifully on the bushes. On my approach 

 those on the ground flew into the trees 

 uttering an alarm like an exagerated' 

 note of the cherry bird. I was very 

 much surprised to find none but femal- 

 es; not a male in sight, although I hunt- 

 ed the valley through. 



Next day on returning to the same 

 place I found another flock, slightly less 

 in numbers than the one seen on the 

 previous day, but consisting entirely of 

 males old and young. Determined to 

 sift the matter to the bottom I hunted 

 the whole country over and at last in a 

 patch of woods J discovered the rec- 

 reant troop of females. I heard one 

 bird sing; he started (jut with a thin 

 quavering warljle, suddenly increasing 

 in power and as suddenly bringing up 

 as though out of In-eath. These are not 

 such cold weatlier birds as has gener- 

 allj' ]>een supposed. 



I have seen small bands in this coun- 

 ty as late as May 13th. 



This bird seems to be the height of 

 stupidity, the indifl'erence it manifests 

 when its companicms are shot down, its 

 slow movements and meditative posture 

 give the false idea of its intellectual 

 powers. Take them when they are. 

 imaware of your presence and they 

 form a lively, pleasant party, busily 

 searching for food. 



SxEw^AKT E. White' 

 Kent Co., Mich. 



Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Tufted 

 Tit in Belmont County, Ohio. 



May 17th. Found seven nests of 

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Took two sets 

 of four. Visited the remaining nest in 

 ten days and found two contained sets 

 of four and the others four young each. 



This is the first time I have taken 

 eggs of this species and I believe the 

 first time they have been taken in this 

 county. 



The nest of these birds is a beautiful 

 structure, composed of the red catkins 

 of the willow and covered with star 

 shaped lichens, fastened to the next bj" 

 means of spiders web. The cavity, 

 in which the eggs were placed, was 

 lined with thistle down and vegetable 

 fibre. These birds are not particular 

 about the site of there nests. I found 

 them in beech and maple trees and as 

 high up as fifty feet and found one nest 

 in an apple tree ten feet from the 

 ground. The nests were always placed 

 on small dead branches near the tops 

 of the trees; I believe four is the usual 

 number of eggs in a set in this locality. 



May 2nd. Took a set of six Tufted 

 Tit. Nest placed in a natural cavity of 

 an apple tree one foot from the ground 

 composed of a mass of grass and leaves, 

 lined with hair and snake skin. On 

 ISlay 1st of '88, I took the first egg.s of 

 this species ever collected in this local- 

 ity. I took three sets of five, six and 

 seven eggs. Is not seven an unusual 

 number? Nests of this species always 

 contain pieces of snake skins. 



Fked Jones. 



