THE OOLOGIST. 



107 



The Bluebird, 



The Biuel)ird i.s iilmiit the second 

 l)inl t(» make its appearance here in the 

 spring, out of the mau}' which annually 

 assemble here at that season, the Robin 

 being its immediate predecessor. The 

 Bluebirds generally make their lirst 

 appearance about the middle of March. 

 They quickly form into pairs and dili- 

 gently go to work at their respective 

 nests. 'J'he nest is usually placed in a 

 hollow post or a hole in a tree, being 

 a neat cup-like depression composed 

 entirely of grass. The eggs are usually 

 live in number of a light ))lue color and 

 entirely devoid of spots. 



The plumage of l)oth male and fe- 

 male is alike and is very pretty. The 

 back, Avings, tail and head are of bright 

 1)1 ue, the feathers covering the breast 

 being of a reddish-ljrown. Albino eggs 

 of this bird are very rare here; I have 

 never heard of but one set being taken. 

 Tlie nest was placed in a hole in a tree 

 and contained four milk-white eggs, no 

 two of Avhich were of the same size. 

 (3ne was nearly one inch long and in 

 shape resembled a Chimney Swift's 

 ^'gg. The others were near the ordin- 

 ary size of the comon Bluebird's egg. 

 If a Bluebird which lays albino eggs be 

 compared witli one which does not, it 

 will ])e found that the plumage of the 

 former is of a uuu'h brighter blue than 

 that of the latter. I know of no reason 

 for this but I have observed it to be a 

 fact. 



Tlie Bluebirds frequently select a cu- 

 rious place in which to construct their 

 nest. Though they use holes in wood 

 in preference to other places, they 

 often build their nest iu a place where 

 no one would ever think of looking. 

 I will record an instance of this kind 

 which came under my notice several 

 years ago. 



I was out collecting one day, and af- 

 ter considera!)le strolling about found 

 myself in a marshy hollow. A creek 



ran through the litth; valley, which 

 abounded with tall grass and weeds. 

 Numerous willows also grew along the 

 margin of the stream. One of these 

 willows forked at about two feet froiv. 

 the ground and in the crotch lay an old 

 rusty tin can. How it came there I 

 have not the least idea. I now ob- 

 served two Bluel)irds sitting on a fence 

 about two rods from the willow. It 

 immeti lately came to my mind that 

 there should be a nest near. I don't 

 know what possessed me to do it, but 

 the first jjlace I looked was in the old 

 tin can, and there sure enough was the 

 nest with four half-grown young ones 

 jn it. I was somewhat disappointed by 

 not finding the eggs, but anyway I 

 learned something about the nesting of 

 Bluebirds. 



E. Call Liiset, 

 Marion Co., Ky. 



The Great Crested Flycatcher. 



One of the strangest and most grotes- 

 que of our American birds is the Great 

 Crested Flycatcher, [Myrim-chus crinitvs 

 Linn. Cab.) 



He is not only grotesque in his ap- 

 pearance but in all of his habits, and in 

 everything connected with him. 



They an-ived in my Aicinity this j^ear 

 May 2d, l)ut as it is their custom to 

 stay in a dense swamp for three or four 

 weeks after their arrival, until the 

 weather gets warm and settled, they 

 have not yet. May 16 1890 begun to 

 charm (?) us with their "music," soon 

 however the woods will ring with their 

 song, for they will soon leave the deiLse 

 swamps for more open woods. 



Mounting the topmost l)ranch of a 

 giant oak they pour forth their "song," 

 and such a song! For loudness, harsh- 

 ness and wierd grotesqueness where 

 can you find its equal? A stranger can 

 well wonder how a bird can produce 

 such a noise, and keep it up for hours 

 at a time. In fact no one would think 



