THE SEMI-ANNUAL. 35 



On my way home I collected a set. of f^ve fresh eggs of the 

 Blue-winged Teal. About half a mile from the scene of my 

 day's work Is a small vineyard, of perhaps, one-fourth of an 

 acre, on quite a steep hillside, sloping to the creek. The owner 

 while plowing the vineyard found the nest and, upon my arrival, 

 had them under a setting hen. " Goin' to hatch 'em jest for the 

 curiosity of it," he said. With the aid of a half dollar I soon 

 convinced him that I would deem them a greater curiosity to 

 have them unhatched. The eggs were laid on the ground, in 

 grass about eight inches high and only twelve rods from the 

 owner's house and barn. Directly across the creek from this 

 nest, another one with nine eggs was found, but I did not know 

 of it in time to get the eggs. 



June 15th, I again visited the meadow and found sets of fresh 

 eggs of the Marsh Wren, Swamp Sparrow, Sora Rail, Least 

 Bittern and a deserted nest of nine eggs of the Coot, nearly fresh. 

 Four of the eggs had been broken, which was pi'obably the 

 cause of the desertation. 



June 23d, I visited Lake Neahtawanta, about twelve miles 

 from here. This lake is a clean sheet of water, containing 

 several hundred acres. Two sides of it are swampy and grown 

 overwith tall grass, cat's-tails, willows and low bushes. Under 

 a scorching sun it was hard work pushing a boat through this ; 

 at least my boatman thought so. 



This trip enriched my collection with several sets of Least 

 Bittei'n, Virginia Rail, Red-winged Blackbird — one egg being a 

 runt .55X.43 — and one set seven Florida Gallinule. 



[Ed. 



— « ^ 



THE BLACK SNOWBIRD. 



i^Jurico ky em a lis.) 



WILLARD N. CI-UTE, BINGHAMTON, N. Y. 



In this part of southern New York, the Black Snowbird does 

 not winter and is therefore seen only for a brief period, while 

 going to their breeding grounds in the Spring and returning in 

 the Fall. 



They arrive from tlie north about the hist week in September 



