THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



n 



'lM'i\ by 1.48. These tAvo last mentioned 

 ai-c moro the shape of a hen's egg, except 

 that they taper to a sharper point at the 

 smaller end than the ^ig^ of a hen. C'olor, 

 white, with a slight shade of cream. 



At this season (A\ig. 16) the young birds 

 are about half grown and still following 

 tlie mother. They are shot in great num- 

 bers and eaten, as their flesh is very white 

 and tender, and at this early age has not 

 1 aken on that strong and disagreeable taste 

 of sage which characterizes the old bird. 

 As their name signiiies, they live almost 

 entirely on the leaves of the sage-bush. In 

 I he crop of several I have shot this summer 

 1 have found wild currants, gooseberries 

 and sage leaves. 



I have observed here this summer King- 

 birds, Black-billed Cuckoos, Robins, Black- 

 birds. Bank Swallows, Cliif Swallows, 

 Night-hawks, Meadow Larks, Shrikes, 

 Plover, Magpies, Crows, Hawks, Eagles, 

 Ducks, Geese, Curlews and several kinds 

 of Sparrows. As far as my observations 

 go, Magpies do not breed in this valley 

 (Sweet Water River). This spring they 

 were very numerous here, but a little be- 

 fore the breeding season they all disap- 

 peared, and I saw none all summer until 

 the other day, when I saw six disporting 

 themselves among the willows on the river 

 bank. The nearest so the river I have seen 

 any nests was 18 miles. Thej^ were built 

 in cotton woods, 15 to 25 feet from tne 

 ground, and were composed of coarse 



sticks 



W. S., Rougis, Wyo. Ter. 



Yellow-headed Blackbird. 



(for young OOLOGIST.) 



I noticed in one of the numbers of The 

 Young Oologist that you would like 

 some notes on the Yellow-headed Black- 

 bird (Xantliocephalus icteroceplialus), and 

 as I have had a little experience among 

 them this season, I send a few words con- 

 cerning their breeding habits. The nest is 

 generally placed fi'om six inches to three 

 feet above the water, fastened to the stems 

 of "cattails" or reeds, and is a little larger 



structure than the Red-wing's (Agelaeus 

 phQ?niceus), though it can generally be 

 distinguished from the latter by the lining, 

 which consists of rather bi-oad yellowish 

 straws. 



The Yellow-head prefers a slough that 

 has a little open water in the centre, but 

 does not seem to notice or care much about 

 its neighbors, as I have found them breed- 

 ing indiscriarinately with Red-wings, Least 

 Bitterns, and Florida Gallinules. 



They commence laying about the last 

 week in Maj'^ in this locality, which is about 

 forty-one degrees north latitude, and we 

 have taken fresh eggs as late as June 12th, 

 but would probably not have got them if 

 the nests had not been disturbed two or 

 three times in the spring. I have found 

 many nests in a single slough. 



(Let me caution the collector about gomg 

 into these sloughs, as they are very decep- 

 tive in presenting an appearance of Arm 

 footing.) 



The measurement of. the eggs of the 

 Yellow -head is 1.00 to 1.15 by .75. 



Eggs, ground color, greyish, spotted all 

 over with brownish, thickest near larger 

 end, where it usually hides the ground 

 color. Uly. S. Grant, 



Des Moines, Iowa. 



Nest of the Black-thr* ated Green 

 Warble.. 



(DendrcEca virens.) 



(FOR THE YOUNG OOLOGIST.) 



On June 23rd, 1884, I took a set of four 

 fresh eggs of the Black- throated Green 

 Warbler. The nest was placed in a small 

 tir bush, 31 feet from the ground. It was 

 composed of small spruce twigs, dry grass, 

 cobwebs and thin, narrow strips of birch 

 bark, and was lined with hair and a single 

 black feather. It measured 3 x 2f height, 

 2i outside measurements and If x 1+ depth. 

 If in. inside meas\irements. ' The eggs, 

 which were creamy white, with brow^n ami 

 purplish markings (principally on the larger 

 end), averaged .67 x .55 of an inch. The 

 bird was veiy tame, almost allowing me to 

 catch her. H. H. M. 



Oak Bay, N.B. 



