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THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



THE BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 



( Polioptila caendea. ) 



BY JOHN B. LEWIS, EUBANKS, KY. 



From i^pril fifth to September fifteenth, the 

 tiny flitting form and the shrill monotonous call- 

 note of the gnatcatcher are among the most 

 common sights and sounds of our big woods. 

 Its habit of keeping to the tree -tops and its 

 very small size render it almost unknown to the 

 casual observer. Like its two cousins, the king- 

 lets, it is constantly active, restlessly flitting from 

 twig to twig in search of its insect food. With 

 almost every movement it expands its long tail 

 displaying the white outer feathers, at the same 

 time giving utterance to its incessant call-note of 

 "fphee-fphee." 



This note is uttered in an extremely fine, 

 squeaky voice which sounds more like the 

 squeak of a mouse than the note of a bird. In 

 spring the male occasionally indulges in snatches 

 of a rippling, twittering song which would be 

 quite pretty were it not so weak and so badly 

 mixed with the squeaky call-note. 



The nest of the gnatcatcher closely resembles 

 that of the ruby-throated hummingbird in shape 

 and structure, but' is about one third larger. It 

 is placed on top of a horizontal Umb, usually 

 where a small branch will support one side, or 

 sometimes even in a crotch. The frame work 

 is of fine, dry grass and horse-hair and is beau- 

 tifully weather-boarded with lichens. 



I have often been annoyed by finding nests of 

 this species and the ruby-throated hummingbird, 

 which I have expected to collect as soon as 

 the rightful owners were done with them, in a 

 pitiful state of dilapidation. The cause of this 

 was explained when I learned that the gnat- 

 catcher has a habit of pulling old nests to pieces 

 to be used in the construction of new ones. 

 I made the discovery in the latter part of May, 

 1888. I had provided myself with a hand-saw 

 and rope, and went to a wood to secure a gnat- 

 catcher's nest which the young had just left. On 

 arriving at the tree in which the nest was situa- 

 ted I noticed a gnatcatcher busying herself 

 about it. On watching her a few minutes I 

 found that she was stripping off the lichens. 

 She filled her bill with them and then flew 



straight to an unfinished nest in a post oak sev- 

 enty-five yards distant. The branch chosen for 

 the nest is generally a high one; the lowest one 

 I ever saw was twenty feet from the ground, 

 while many have been sixty or even eighty feet 

 high. 



THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 



BY LETSON BALLIET, DES MOINES, IOWA. 



This is one of our early spring birds. It ar- 

 rives in this locality the first of May, and begins 

 to nest in the latter part of this month or early 

 in June. Every collector east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, I presume, has heard its clear music- 

 al whistle which none can imitate, and we 

 sympathize with our brother collectors west of 

 the mountains who have missed this treat. 



This bird is of a deep black color on the 

 head, back, wings and tail, the under parts being 

 white. Upon the throat is a crescent, about as 

 big as a quarter-dollar, of a deep rose red. The 

 habitat of this bird is east of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, and north into Canada; in winter they 

 migrate to Cuba, Central America and even into 

 South America. 



The eggs of the rose-breasted Habia ludo- 

 viciana are of a greenish color, speckled with 

 madder-brown. The bird's favorite nesting 

 place, in this locality, seems to be in orchards 

 where people are suspected of stealing apples 

 when caught in a tree. I believe that instinct 

 has taught them this fact, for several times when 

 1 have been on forbidden ground, the "old man" 

 has come out to " chase the bies out'n the ap- 

 puls," when I tell people what I am after, and 

 show my collecting-box, they generally let me 

 go and get the eggs, but some don't believe in 

 " robbin' bird's nes'es." To such, I have to ex- 

 plain that somebody has to study about the 

 birds, before they will consent to my taking an 



But unless you are good looking you are going 

 to get into a scrape when the " old woman " 

 and two or three dogs come down and tree you 

 like a coon. While you are talking Mr. and 

 Mrs. Rose-breast are singing with delight, but 

 if you go to the nest, after winning over the 

 " old woman," they change their tune. 



TiSBmii^'smsgweiism 



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