66 THE NIDOLOGIST 
them was usually found hovering near the 
young. The food most likely consists of 
the regular line of insects caught by the old 
birds. ‘The manner of feeding Tam unable 
to describe. 
“Still having a little hope the season of 
*95 rolled around and it proved well in the 
ena. On April 21, while out making one 
of my usual searches on the old stamping 
ground I flushed a Poor-will from a set of 
two creamy-white eggs, which proved to 
be fresh. The eggs were placed on sandy 
ground about four inches from a weed and 
near a smajl stone, the whole site being 
placed two feet from a clump of eucalyptus 
sprouts. I retreated a few paces and hid, 
leaving the eggs undisturbed and after a 
few moments the parent bird came back, 
flying close to the ground and lighting 
squarely on the eggs. I flushed the bird 
again, packed the eggs, and went on my 
way. 
“June 4, 1896, found me again in the 
field, and I secured a set of Poor-wills’ on 
that date. The eggs were deposited on the 
bare ground, surrounded by oak leaves from 
a large live oak which o’ershadowed the 
whole situation. On blowing the eggs they 
showed a slight progression of incubation. 
In all the cases that I have been concerned 
in, in hunting Poor-wills’ nests I have pre- 
viously flushed a pair of birds in the vicinity 
of the supposed nesting site, and after in- 
cubation commenced I was unable to flush 
but one bird, which was found within a 
few yardsof the sitting mate. This bird 
seemed to be in my path every time I came 
but to find the sitting one was another 
question. 
“T believe that one of the birds is always 
found present on the nest, at least I found 
it invariably so, no matter how warm the 
day was, and the bird being exposed to the 
sun. This I think is so in order that the 
bird may conceal the conspicious white 
eggs from theft. I noticed that the nests 
were always placed on the south or south- 
east of a near-by object; this precaution 
allowing the sun’s rays to warm the earth 
and expedite incubation. I am led to believe 
that incubation takes place after the first 
egg is laid, because I always found a bird 
on the nest. I might be mistaken however 
for I never happened to find a nest contain- 
ing just one egg. The bird seems to sit 
closer as incubation advances, asin the first 
instance, I almost captured a bird by plac- 
ing my hat over her, while in the other two 
cases the birds were more on the alert, 
flying from the nest, when I was several 
steps away. With these meagre notes I 
anxiously await the disclosures of 1897.’’ 
After the business of the meeting had 
been transacted a banquet was enjoyed by 
those present. 
A Hawk’s Raid in a City. 
On the afternoon of December 14, 1896, 
while on a busy part of Kearny street, San 
Francisco, I observed a Sharp-shinned (?) 
Hawk darting under the cornice work of a 
three story building; the cornice being built 
in such a design as to afford elegant nest- 
ing sites for the English Sparrows, which 
had them all occupied. 
The Sparrows objected to the Hawk in- 
truding upon-their property at first, but 
finding him their superior they began to 
leave the place oneby one. Presently one 
of the Sparrows flew over the top of the 
building with the Hawk in close pursuit, 
and both were lost to view. The curious 
sight attracted the attention of a throng on 
the street. The Hawk must have been very 
hungry, or in its determination to catch 
one of the Sparrows it did not realize its 
position, asthis is a very crowded thor- 
oughfare. 
Whatever species of Hawk it may have 
been it ought to receive the indorsement of 
every Ornithologist, as it is about time 
something is done to diminish the numbers 
of this little pest. 
I might also state that a very reliable 
friend of mine who recently returned from a 
trip to Coos Bay,informs me that he caught 
three Hummingbirds (the identity he did 
not know) which fell exhausted on board 
the steamer two hundred miles out at sea. 
He took them down into the engine room, 
thinking the warmth of the place would 
relieve their suffering, but this had no effect 
and they soon expired. 
CLAUDE FYFE. 
San Francisco, Cal. 
oe 
PUBLISHER’S NOTE 
Our ‘“‘renewaJs,” which are numerous at this 
time of the year, are coming in steadily, but we 
would remind those who have neglected to remit 
for 1897 that the terms of subscription are, and 
have always been, in advance. 
Eg gaa 
Mr. Wilfred H. Osgood is now in Washington, 
D. C., where he will probably accept a position 
in the Biological Survey. 
