i8 



THE NIDIOLOGIST 



my only reasons for so thinking are that I 

 have never seen them indulging in that kind of 

 food ; and the past season a pair of Chickadees, 

 whose actions I have watched and whose 

 habits I have studied as closely as possible, have 

 reared their young in a maple tree but a few 

 rods distant from an apple tree in which there 

 were three large nests of the tent caterpillar, all 

 of which flourished undisturbed. 



Its nest is in an excavation in a rotten stub, 

 similar to the excavation which a Woodpecker 

 makes for its own nest. Thompson says that 

 it " frequently takes possession of an aban- 

 doned Woodpecker's hole ; " but my own ob- 

 servations lead me to doubt this. The Wood- 

 pecker excavates a cavity with a comparatively 

 large orifice and very plainly to be seen ; while 

 the opening to a Chickadee's nest is very small, 

 not admitting the insertion of two of my fingers, 

 and is very cunningly hidden by a projecting 

 piece of bark, or in some similar manner. 

 The cavity extends downward six or eight or 

 even ten inches, and at the bottom is placed 

 the nest. This consists of various soft, warm 

 substances, such as feathers, wool, moss, fur, 

 etc., carefully matted together until it is about 

 as thick as heavy woolen cloth. I once found 

 a nest in which there was a piece of a squirrel's 

 tail nearly two inches in length. 



I think this bird more commonly selects a 

 dead and dry fir balsam stub in which to 

 build its nest ; and it usually builds at a height 

 of from twelve to twenty feet from the ground. 

 Frequently it is quite difficult to reach the 

 nest because the stub in which it is built is too 

 rotten to be climbed. I have, however, found 

 its nest in a maple tree, and fully sixty feet 

 from the ground. This nest was in a natural 

 cavity formed by the decay of a dead branch 

 and the growth of living wood around it. I 

 also found one in an osier stub only five inch- 

 es in diameter. This nest was but three 

 feet from the ground. Professor Cook, quoting 

 from Dr. W. C. Brownell, says that it " breeds 

 year after year in the same nest where it may 

 roost in winter." The first part of this state- 

 ment is true in some instances, but in the ma- 

 jority of cases it is not. The last part of the 

 statement may be correct, but I have so often 

 seen it in winter snugly roosting on an apple 

 tree limb that I am inclined to think the state- 

 ment a supposition not based on observation. 



Its eggs are white, with a very delicate, scarcely 

 perceptible greenish tinge, and spotted with 

 reddish-brown dots. They are very thin shelled 

 and fragile, and great care is necessary in blow- 

 ing them, or they will break. Ordinarily the 

 number, is five or six. I have never found 

 more than seven, but have seen reports of as 

 many as ten being found in one nest. One- 



writer has stated that he has found full sets of 

 the eggs of this bird in midwinter. I will say, 

 frankly, in regard to this, that I do not believe 

 it. Generally three broods are reared in a 

 season, and it would seem that a bird as pro- 

 lific would increase rapidly in number. Ap- 

 parently it does not, and from this fact I be- 

 heve that vast numbers perish during the winter. 



C. O. Ormsbee. 

 Montpelier, Vt. 



Random Notes on the Birds of 

 Alameda County, Cal. 



BY DONALD A. COHEN. 



(^Continued.) 



THE Hermit Warbler was reported seen in 

 1885 at Berkeley, this county. 

 MacGillivray's Warbler breeds here, 

 though sparingly. It nests among thick vegeta- 

 tion, sometimes on the ground. 



The Pileolated Warbler is tolerably rare. 

 The golden body of the male with its black 

 cap is very attractive. It breeds here, but the 

 nests are discovered only by chance. It is like 

 looking for "a needle in a haystack" to look 

 for a nest in the thick brush and brambles. 



Audubon's Warbler arrives early in autumn 

 and is very common by midwinter, frequenting 

 woods, orchards, and clearings, usually in 

 flocks actively engaged in catching insects. 

 They are generally found in company with the 

 Kinglets, and I have often picked up dead 

 ones on cold mornings, as I have of the King- 

 lets. 



The American Redstart has no business on 

 this side of the Rocky Mountains, yet one was 

 shot by Mr. W-. Otto Emerson at Haywards, 

 this county, in 1881. 



The Western Yellow-throat breeds among the 

 rank vegetation in damp meadows and swamps, 

 and is also found on the salt marsh. 



The Long-tailed Chat is not common, and 

 nests generally in thickets close to water. 

 Every " Nidiologist " is familar with the song 

 and various notes of this bird, which often 

 sings at all hours of the night. 



Hutton's Vireo is tolerably rare, and breeds 

 sparingly. I found a nest last June containing 

 young birds. The nest was built on the twigs 

 of a horizontal silver poplar limb, eight feet 

 from the ground, and close to a woodpile and 

 a carpet beating frame, both of which were 

 daily in use. The bird saved her eggs by build- 

 ing in this exposed location, as I found the 

 nest only by chance. The wind was high at 

 the time, and the female flew to the nest and 

 carefully tucked the young birds under her 

 wings to keep the wind from pitching them out 



