68 



THE OOLOGIST. 



The nest of the Summer Redbird is 

 composed entirely of dry, yellowish 

 grasses, its lining and outside being of 

 the same material. The nest is a very 

 frail structure, the bottom being so 

 thin that, when the female is off the 

 nest, one lian easily see whether it con- 

 tains eggs or not. I have seen nests so 

 tliin that I could count the number of 

 eggs they held by standing beneath and 

 looking up. 



The eggs are usually four in number, 

 the ground color being of a greenish- 

 blue, thickly spotted by dark brown 

 spots which sometimes coalesce around 

 the larger end, forming a dark ring. 

 I once found a nest which contained 

 live eggs of uniform size making a very 

 pretty set. 



While collecting in a small town 

 about seventeen miles from Lebanon, 

 last June, I found at least twenty old 

 nests of the Summer Redbird which had 

 lain and hatched in May. This bird, 

 though comparatively rare here, was 

 the most plentiful bird in the vicinity of 

 that town. I procured a good many 

 eggs of this bird -while staying there. 



One curious fact I have noticed con- 

 cerning the Summer Redbird, they fre- 

 quently build their nests in the same 

 tree, on the same branch as the preced- 

 ing year, even thoug they may have 

 been robbed the previous year. This 

 some may doubt, but probably persons 

 besides myself have noticed it. 



E. Cakl Litsey, 

 Marion Co., Ky. 



about two years, has been reorganized 

 througli the efforts of Mr. H. K. Coale, 

 the secretary, and intends to go into 

 active operations once more. The Sec- 

 retai'y would like to hear from all old 

 members. 



At the last meeting of the Audubon 

 Ornithological Club, Feb. 14, 1890, the 

 following corresponding members were 

 admitted: Dr. S. A. Forbes, Cham- 

 paign, Ills., and Mr. E. B. Peck, Clifton 

 Springs, N. Y. Several interesting 

 papers were read, among which was 

 one on the Sayoruis sayii by Mr. A. M. 

 Cox, one on the American Herring Gull 

 by Mr. O. B Zimmerman and one by 

 Mr. A. R. Hager on the Yellow-headed 

 Blackbird. 



Tte Audubon Ornithological Club. 



On Dec. 6, 1889, Mr. Frank Woodruff, 

 of Chicago, reported seeing a Pine Sis- 

 kin mingling with a flock of Redpolls in 

 the school yard at Normal, 111. 



Mr. C. A. Jones noted two flocks of 

 Bluebirds at Grand Crossing, Feb. 16, 

 1890. 



The Ridgway Ornithological Club, of 

 Chicago, which has been asleep for 



Early Arrivals. 



Notes by Wilfred A. Bkothekton, 

 Observer for Station, Rochester, 

 Mich., Bureau of Ornithology 

 AND Mammalogy, U. S. Department 

 OF Agriculture. 



The following liirds have appeared in 

 this region remarkably early this year: 



Ceryle alcyon (Linn.), Belted King- 

 fisher. Was first obsei-ved here March 

 1st. Saw two or three flying over a 

 mill pond, my attention being first 

 attracted to them by their peculiar cry. 

 There was then njore ice on the pond 

 than ordinarily for this winter, yet 

 there was some clear water and Paint 

 creek and Clinton river were not frozen 

 except where dammed up. 



Meurla migratoria (Linn.), American 

 Robin. Was first reported to me as 

 having been seen by some neighbors, 

 Feb. 12th and 13th. Feb. 16th, I saw 

 two. Heard their notes a few times 

 since, during warmer days, we having 

 had t)ur coldest weather since March 

 1st. Onlj' two weeks of snow here this 

 winter and farmers plowing nearly 

 evn-f month. Ground not frozen until 

 lately. 



