90 



THE OOLOGIST. 



J. P., Kansas City, Mo.— In reply to 

 your query in last nnnil^er we have 

 received light from some of our 

 readers. J. H. Fisher, Jr., Baltimore, 

 Md., writes that he thinks birds give 

 their young, water in some way. He 

 says he has tried to raise some young 

 crows without water and they all died 

 and again he raised some by giving 

 them water. Charles L. Weeks, New 

 York City, thinks that the liirds 

 moisten the food given to tlieir young 

 and thus supply their thirst. Claude 

 Bell, of York, Neb., is of the opmion 

 that the parent birds carry water in 

 their bills and with this idea agrees the 

 testimony of E. K. C, who writes: "1 

 have seen Canary Birds water their 

 young. They Avould go to the water 

 and till their bills, and give it to their 

 young the same way they feed them. 

 I think other Ijirds do the same." 



H. H. R , Middle Granville, N. Y.— 

 The name "Hen HaAvk" is applied to 

 nearly all the larger Hawks. The 

 "Hen Hawk" of your locality is proba- 

 bly either the Red-tailed or Red-should- 

 ered. The "Shitepoke" is doubtless 

 the American Bittern. 



B. S. B., Rochester, N. Y.--There is 

 a stringent State Law restricting the 

 taking of birds and eggs, but as it is 

 rarely enforced we hardly think it will 

 interfere with anyone who is collecting 

 from a purely scientific stand-point. 



J. H. H., Hammondsport, N. Y. — 

 Persecution has made the Passenger 

 Pigeon and Raven rare in almost all 

 parts. As to the other birds you men- 

 tion, think a careful search will reveal 

 them. 



R. S., Kansas City, Mo.— Your yel- 

 lowish eggs spotted Avith chocolate 

 markings and pencilings and found in a 

 hole in an apple tree, are doubtless the 

 eggs of the Crested Flycatcher. 



C. T. D., Raciney, Wis. and many 

 otliers. — It is impossible manj- times to 

 identify Avith certainty, either birds or 

 eggs without having the specimen 

 before us. 



August, 1884 — page 59. Or you can 

 obtain bird lime already prepared, 

 from almost any natural history dealer. 



J. V. C, Marathon, la.— In reply to 

 your query concerning the general 

 colors of the Solitary Sandpiper, Ave 

 quote from Mayuard's Birds of Eastern 

 N. A.: "Adult. Above, dark-broAvn, 

 streaketl on head and neck, spotted on 

 back, and Avidely banded on tail, Avith 

 Avhite. Beneath, Avhite, streaked on 

 neck and breast, and banded on sides, 

 under Aving coverts, abdomen, and 

 under tail coverts, with dark-brown." 



W. I. C., NorAvalk, Conn.- The nests 

 and eggs of the larger haAvks are so 

 similar in description, that it is impos- 

 sible to identify yours from description 

 giA'eu. Isn't it the Red-tailed or Red- 

 Shouldered V 



J. P. J., Kelton, Pa.— The bird, nest 

 and eggs described by you are referable 

 to the Hairy Woodpecker. 



S. E. I)., The eggs of 



the DoAvny Woodpecker are deposited 

 during the second or third Aveek In 

 May, in Ncav York and Ncav England, 

 but much earlier as Ave proceed south- 

 Avard. 



P. E. R., Sewickley, Pa.— As to hoAv 

 to make l)ird lime, we Avould refer you 

 to an article in the Young Oologist of 



P. C. S., Simcoe, Out. — Yoim large 

 haAvk of an ash-blue color, barred Avitli 

 darker on the l)ack, Avell feathered 

 down the leg, and having red iris,' ac- 

 cords more nearly Avith tlie American 

 GoshaAAdv than any other. 



P. H. H., Wenham, Mass.— 1. Would 

 like to knoAV if Woodpeckers, Chicka- 

 dees and others birds nesting in caAities 

 in trees, use their excavations more 

 than one Season. Who Avill tell usV 2. 

 The Cooper's HaAvk nest.s in your vicin- 

 ity about the middle of May. 



Name mislaid. — "If Ave (collected a set 

 of eggs and did not kill the bird, hoAV 

 Avould Ave Avrite the identity' in the 

 data, if Ave were positive Avhat kind of 

 eggs they AvereV" Well, I think Ave 

 Avould be tempted to wi'ite, as Ave have 

 often seen it, "s-h-u-r-e." 



W. H. P., Ashtabula, O.— Have used 

 cotton batting in egg cabinets for 



