148 



THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



here. They were found in the city feeding 

 on the berries of the mountain ash, and 

 were exceedingly tame. 



Tills winter not one has been seen. Pos- 

 sibly there are fewer berries than usual. 

 Should like to hear from others and see if 

 the bird is equally rare elsewhere. There 

 was a decided increase in the number of 

 birds last winter, and there must have been 

 some reason for it. 



The Northern Shrike is found here as a 

 trancient visitos only, when it is quite com- 

 mon. The Bonaparte's Rosy Gull, although 

 considered a trancient visitor here, is often 

 seen in mild winter weather. 



A short time ago I sent you a list of a 

 few rare birds found in this state. Have 

 since learned that Harris Finch has been 

 captured here twice. 



Do you want all subscribers who desire 

 to aid the American Ornithologist's Union 

 on the subject of migration to send their 

 reports to you only or also to the superin- 

 tendent of their section? 



C. K. , Milwaukee, Wis. 



Send your reports in full to the superin- 

 tendent of your section. Send a condensed 

 report of the most interesting observations 

 to the Young Oologist for publication. 

 We find it would require hundreds of pages 

 monthly to print these reports in full, so 

 we must be satisfied with the "meat." 



JOTTINGS FROM MICHIGAN. 



Received Young Ooj.ogist yesterday 

 and Hand Book and Catalogues some days 

 previous. Just the thing wanted. Many 

 thanks. I have noticed a few things that 

 may be of interest to to the readers of The 

 Young Oologist. Some time in October 

 I noticed a sharp conflict between a pair of 

 Sparrow Hawks and Blue Jays, the Hawks 

 watching their opponents (about 5 in num- 

 ber) from a dead tree and when they came 

 to attack they would be driven back to the 

 swamp, always getting the worst of it, but 

 I noticed that they always turned over on 

 their backs to receive the Hawk when he 

 attempted to strike them. This lasted for 

 nearly an hour, when they went to far 

 back in the swamp for me to follow. Last 

 summer evenings we amused ourselves 

 quite often by going into a young orchard 

 close to the house for the purpose of listen- 

 ing to a pair of birds which would fly quite 

 near in the dusk of evening, though never 

 to be seen and we would hear the noise 

 without being able to say whether made by 

 the voice or wings of the birds. I will not 

 attempt to describe it, as it would be vain. 

 It was in August and the birds would be 

 apparently near and again at a distance of 

 perhaps one-fourth of a mile. Never heard 

 It before and do not think it is a common 



bird around here. I am in the habit of 

 making boxes for birds to ])uild in, and one 

 day left an empty bird cage out on the 

 stoop, and when I went to it a few days 

 after, found a pair of English Sparrows 

 had taken possession. It is needless to say 

 they remained and reared one or two broods, 

 though close to the door, through which 

 we were continuallj^ passing in and out. 

 A Chipping Sparrow also built a nest in a 

 hanging-basket filled with moss, within a 

 foot of the same door. My little friends 

 remained unmolested for some time, but 

 finally left for reasons unknown. 

 Respectfully, 

 F. O. H., 

 Grass Lake, Mich. 



The pair of birds you mention were 

 doubtless Night Hawks. In regard to the 

 noise j'ou mention, we take the following 

 from Wilson : 



" As soon as incubation commences, the 

 male keeps a most vigilant watch around, 

 lie is then more frequently seen playing 

 about in the air over the place, even during 

 the day mounting by several quick vibra- 

 tions of the wings, then a few slower, utter- 

 ing all the while a sharp, harsh squeak, till 

 having gained the highest point, he sud- 

 denly precipitates himself headforemost, 

 and with great rapidity, down sixty or 

 eighty feet, wheeling up again as suddenly ; 

 at which instant is heard a loud booming 

 sound, very much resembling that produced 

 by blowing strongly into the bung hole of 

 an emptj^ hogshead." 



HUMMINGBIRDS LAYING IN UNFINISH- 

 ED NESTS. 



In answer to the above I must say that it 

 is my opinion that when the time arrives 

 for the female to deposit her eggs, she must 

 deposit them whether her nest is complete 

 or not. I found the egg of a Catbird on 

 the groiind in a swamp ; the egg was per- 

 fectly fresh mid not broken or cracked, and 

 I think the bird deposited it there either 

 while flying to the nest or because it had 

 no other place to put it. Hens often drop 

 their eggs while on the roost. All this 

 leads me to think I am correct. 

 W. T., 



La Crosse, Wis. 



In answer to E. A. T. about unfinished 

 nests, I would say that in the latter part of 

 July, 1884, 1 noticed a Yellow-billed Cuckoo 

 with a stick in his mouth. I watched it, 

 and found its nest with two eggs, incuba- 

 tion slight, nest about half finished. The 

 female was sitting on the nest when I 

 foundit. A. O. G., 



Lawrence, Kan. 



