58 



THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



Queries Answered. 



H. H.. Shelbyville, Tenn. — The 

 Summer Red-bird, according to to Wilson, 

 usually lays three eggs in May or June. 

 The Bank Swallow lays from 4 to 6 pure 

 white eggs. The Red and Buff-shouldered 

 Black-bird is one of the most common 

 marsh birds east of the Rocky Mountains, 

 and breeds throughout its range. Samuel's 

 in his " Birds of New England " gives the 

 following excellent description of the nest 

 and eggs of this bird. "It commences 

 building about the first week in May. The 

 nest is usually placed in a tussock of grass 

 or a low bush in a meadow and swamp ; it 

 is constructed of coarse grass, which are 

 woven and intervined into a strong fabric, 

 into which are incorporated the grass to 

 which it is suspended, or the twig of the 

 bush in which it is built. It is deeply 

 hallowed, and lined with fine grasses, and 

 sometimes a few hair-like roots. The eggs 

 are four or five in number ; and they vary 

 in color two or three shades of light blue ; 

 they are marked with spots and streaks of 

 Vandyke brown and black, generally dis- 

 tributed thickest at the greater end. 

 Average size about .97 by .70 inches." 

 This bird is also very commonly called 

 Swamp Blackbird, Marsh Blackbird, Red- 

 winged Blackbird, Blackbird, &c. Is not 

 the bird you call the Redbird the Cardinal 

 Grosbeak. 



S. J. O., North Turner Bridge, 

 Maine. — The shallow nest made of coarse 

 twigs roughl}^ put together which you 

 found, placed in a clump of bushes con- 

 taining three light blue eggs about the size 

 of a Robins, rounding and blunt at both 

 ends, belong to one of the Cuckoos. 

 Doubtless the Black-billed. 



G. D. F., Rhinebeck, N. Y.— The 



Cedar Wax-wing breeds during June, July 

 and August, and lays from 4 to 6 eggs of 

 bluish white color, some having a purplish 

 tinge, sharply marked with spots of black, 

 and obscure spots of the same, which seem 

 to be in the shell rather than on the 

 surface. Average dimensions .82 by .61 

 inch. 



T. C, Seaforth, Ont.— Think your 

 nest must have belonged to one of the Vireos. 



H. W. R. Milan, O.— The English 

 Sparrow is the Sparrow that is more than 

 common in our cities and villages. There 

 are dozens of varieties of American Spar- 

 rows. The bird which you call the "Wild 

 Canary " is doubtless the American Gold- 

 finch. Both the Orchard and Baltimore 

 Orioles doubtless breed in your locality, 



V. E. W., Perry, O.— We think the 

 eggs which you found in an old Cliff Swal- 

 lows nest must have been those of the 

 English Sparrow. This vivacious and 

 pugnacious little bird is becoming noted 

 for its utilizing, monopolizing, and gor- 

 mandizing qualities- The Swamp Spar- 

 row's Ggg resembles those of the Song 

 Sparrow, 



F. F. K., East Saginaw, Mich.— From 

 description given, should think your nest 

 was that of the Indigo Bunting. 



J. W. J.. Brooklyn, N. Y. — Can hardly 

 identify eggs from descriptions. Think 

 No. 1 is possibly Chipping Sparrow. 



W. C, Wallingpord, Pa. — The Amer- 

 ican Goldfinch is very often called Yellow- 

 bird or Thistle-bird. The Summer Yellow- 

 bird is more commonly known as the Yel- 

 low Warbler, it is also called Summer 

 Warbler, Golden Warbler, and we have 

 often heard it called in this locality the 

 Yellow Wren (in fact, we called it hj the 

 latter name ourselves until we knew better). 

 The eggs which you sent for identification 

 were as follows : 1. Yellow-breasted Chat. 



3. Cow-bird. 3. American Goldfinch. 



4. Common Tern. 



C. S. B., Hyde Park, III.— The Dwarf 

 Cow-bird is a resident of S. W. United 

 States. The bird and eggs resemble our 

 common Cow-»birds, except in size, eggs 

 measure .80 by .60. The Piping Plover, 

 according to Gottes, generally lays its eggs 

 on the shingle of the beach. The eggs, 

 four in number, are of a light cream buff 

 color are marked with specks and scratches 

 of blackish brown. Eggs measure about 

 1.25 by. 95 inch. 



