76 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Hardly Ornithological. 



A Fossil. Snake and a Rock-enclosed 



Toad. 



In 1876, some of our workmen while 

 digging limestone in our quarry, 

 brought to light a large petrified snake, 

 about four feet in length, all coiled up, 

 which had the appearance of being 

 spotted like a rattler; it came loose 

 from the upper stone all except the 

 head which adhered so firmly to the 

 stone that it broke all to pieces when 

 father tried to chisel it out. We after- 

 ward found another more imperfect 

 snake and several petrified fresh water 

 clams only one of Avhich is perfectly 

 shaped. The snakes were given away 

 before I knew the value of such speci- 

 )uens. In vain have I searched for a 

 petrified bird's nest. 



But the queerist of all is this. About 

 13 years ago father and one of his men 

 were quarrying stone in the same quar- 

 ry when they removed a large stone 

 from off another and discovered an 

 extra large toad lying in a slight hollow 

 in the lower stone. They laid it in the 

 sun a short time Avhen, to their aston- 

 ishment, it hopped off quite lively. 

 They examined the stones to see how it 

 had come there but could find no visible 

 crack or opening by which it had enter- 

 cd — nothing but the two hollows Avhere 

 it lay between two layers of solid lime- 

 stone each a foot thick by ten square, 

 which lay closely adhering to each 

 other. The question is hcnv did he 

 come there, had he lain for perhaps 

 Centuries ih a toi'por between two' 

 layers of solid rock? This is a true 

 ^atement although it may seem impos- 

 sible. I will close by asking j)ardon 

 for writing about snakes, clams and 

 toads, instead of birds. 



Geo. W. Vosbukg, 

 Columbia Co., Wis. 



More "White Blackbirds." 

 From W. E. Snyder, Beaver Dam, 

 Wis.— In reply to Mr. A. Drouet's 



query in last Oologist, I will say that 

 an Albino Blackbird stayed with a 

 large flock for an entire summer, in 

 the neighborhood of my former home 

 in Southern Illinois. This flock was of 

 aboiit 300 birds. I would say that Al- 

 binos of the Blackbirds are very rare, 

 here at least. 



From George Vosburg, Columbus, 

 Wis. — I noticed Mr. Drouet's query in 

 the March Oologist "Are White Black- 

 birds Common"? They are not that I 

 know of, but I have heard of one other 

 than the one he spoke of. It was capt- 

 ured, or rather taken from the nest, by 

 one of my cousins, in Minnesota (01m- 

 stead Co.) over 12 years ago. I don't 

 remember -the species, but I think it 

 was the same kind he speaks of. 



Queer Nidification. 



Thinking perhaps it might be of 

 interest to some of the readers of the 

 Oologist, I will give a note which I 

 made on May 17, 1889. While in com- 

 pany with my father on a trip through 

 the woods in South Duxburg, Mass., 

 we flushed two croAvs from a pine tree. 

 On ascending I found a nest of the 

 common size and stracture, containing 

 four young birds just hatched and four 

 eggs. In blowing the eggs, I found one 

 about to hatch, one dead and two poor 

 ones. I also took two sets of robin's 

 eggs which I think may also be of note. 

 The first set contained two eggs. She 

 left them and built a second nest in 

 which was laid four eggs. She then 

 built a third nest in which was laid and 

 raised three young. The nests weva 

 place in the orcliard where I had good 

 opportunities to watch their progress. 



I would like to ask if it is a A'ery com- 

 mon occurrence with the crow; also if 

 the third party to the nest is a female. 

 Hoping to receive an answer through 

 the columns of the Oologist. 



E. S. Glover, 

 Plymouth Co., Mass. 



