86 



THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



ish eggs, speckled with reddish brown, 

 average dimensions about .69 x .50 in. 

 The white gi-ound color of these eggs usu- 

 ally has a slight greenish tinge. This 

 Sparrow is quite common in Eastern U. S. 

 The Marsh Hawk is found throughout 

 North America. Its nest is placed on the 

 ground in some marshy locality. 



H. C. L., Hanpord, CaL.— The bird 

 commonly called "Wild Canary" in your 

 section is, from your description, La^RTen- 

 ce's Goldfinch. 



J, W. G. Jr., Gambier, O. — Nesting 

 season proper will begin in your latitude 

 during the early part of April. Nests of 

 our early breeders, such as the Shore 

 Lark, Woodcock, and some of the larger 

 Owls can be found in March, while the 

 nest of the Great Horned Owl should be 

 sought after in February. 



L. D., LiTCHFiED, Minn. — The Boat- 

 tailed Grakle bii'ds in the South Atlantic 

 and Gulf States, its eggs average larger 

 than those oi either the Bronzed or Purple 

 Grakle. In the two last named species 

 and variety the ground color of the 

 eggs is a sort of a greenish or blue- 

 ish color, while that of the Boat-tailed is 

 either a greenish or purplish white. The 

 large, long-legged bird, so commonly 

 called "crane" or "blue crane," is the 

 Great Blue Heron. 



A. H. G., Utica, N. Y., and Others. — 

 American Goldfinch is the correct name of 

 the bird which breeds so frequently in 

 many localities during the months of July 

 and August. Its nest is composed of 

 some soft, downy material, usually thistle- 

 down. Eggs are from four to six in num- 

 ber, of a bluish white color. This bird is 

 commonly called the "Thistle Bird, "Yel- 

 low-bird," "Wild Canary," »&c. 



J. H. B., Dayton, O.— The term "set- 

 mark," as used in the data blank signifies 

 the number, letter or character you have 

 placed on each egg of one clutch to dis- 

 tinguish them from the eggs of another 

 clutch of the same species. 



E. C. P., Springfield, Mass. — Eggs 

 sent for identification were : 1. Shore 



Lark. 2. Western Lark l^'inch. 3. Field 

 Sparrow. 



"P. D. Q.," Mobile. Ala. — From the 

 specimens which we receive we think the 

 Orchard Oriole must be much more plenti- 

 ful in the South than the Baltimore. The 

 eggs of the Baltimore Oriole are larger, 

 ground color whiter, and markings more 

 of a scrawling nature than those of the 

 Orchard. 



A. B. H., ScoTTSviLLE, N. Y. — The 

 American Coot is the "Mudhen of our 

 inland Lakes and rivers. "White-billed 

 Mud-hen" is also a common name for the 

 above bird. The bird known as the "Salt- 

 water Mud-hen" is the Clapper Rail. 



L. L. C, Union City, Conn.^ — Grass 

 Finch is the name of the bird known in 

 your vicinity, as the "Potatoe Bird." 



[Mr. C. states that the nest of Grass 

 Finch is so frequently found in his neigh- 

 borhood in a potatoe hill that the above 

 name is given it.] 



G. D. P., EstesPark, Col.— The breed- 

 ing range of the Black-billed Magpie in the 

 United Stat-es is from the Plains to the Pacific 

 with the exception of California. In this 

 state it is replaced by the Yellow-billed, Pica 

 nutkdi. In regard to the Western Yellow- 

 bellied Flycatcher I would say that, as a rule 

 the nest is not far from the ground. I now 

 have a nest of this variety before me which 

 was taken from a little ledge five feet from 

 the ground on the inside of a hollow Pla- 

 tamus tree, at Haywood, Cal. The nest is 

 a loose structure composed of small root- 

 tets, small shreds of bark, from grass and 

 weed stalks, and is lined with fine grass. 

 The outer portion of the side of the nest 

 which was placed next to the ledge w^ 

 composed of rotten reed stalks, leaves in- 

 termingled with spider webs or a worm's 

 nest, doubtless to hold the nest more secure- 

 ly to the rotten wood to which it was 

 attached. This nest is perhaps more care- 

 lessly constructed than that of our com- 

 mon King bird, and is decidedly below par 

 as a thing of beauty. The eggs, five in 

 number, are white, having a slight tinge of 

 cream, sparsely speckled with reddish 



