60 



THE ()CXL(!K3^1St; 



ers, an article on the Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beak (Guiraca ludoviciana) , as an extract 

 from John J. Audubon, illustrated with a 

 beautiful engraving, in the consolidated 

 number. All those Avith whom Audubon 

 was a favorite, should not omit to read this, 

 as it is one of the most beautiful of his des- 

 criptions, and exhibits the imaginative pow- 

 ers of tlie great naturalist as vividly as any 

 pen-picture he ever drew. 



SECOND PUBLICATION YEAR 



S. L. WiLLAUD & Co. 



Editors. 



SUBSCRIPTION 



40 cents a year, in advance, postage prepaid. 



Authors. — Sketches pertaining to our 

 branch of natural history may be sent us with 

 pirices marked thereon. We will give them a 

 ca]-eful perusal, and if satisfactory, will ac- 

 cept them. None but original and authentic 

 sketches noticed. 



Egg-dealers and Collectors. — Persoiis 

 wishing to dispose of eggs, cabinets, skins, 

 etc., will find The Oologist the best means 

 of communicating the fact to collectors of any 

 paper published. 



Specimen copy for stamp. , 



Address all communications to 



THE OOLOGIST, 



Oneida Street, Utica, N. Y. 



We have lately received so many misdi- 

 rected letters, that we would advise our 

 correspondents and readers to write our 

 naine and address as distinct as possible, 

 and carefully note our initials. Some let- 

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S. L, WILLAED & 00., 



Oneida Street, Utica, N. Y. 



^iTLe~rtccLTL (^trds. 



The American Bittern. 



{Botarus minor.) 



OCTOBER, 1876. 



"T^HE next issue of The Oologist will 

 -*- appear as a consolidation of the No- 

 vember and December numbers. This 

 course is adopted, in order that we may be 

 able to present our paper on time. The 

 main cause of our delay in the last issues, 

 was the desire to push forward the Collect- 

 ors' Directory, Avhich is now about ready 

 for delivery. We shall present to our read- 



f7^ HIS bird is not very often seen, even 

 'jt[i I in places where it is plenty, as the 

 ^t character of its haunts is such that the 

 collector is not apt to run across if in his 

 collecting trips very often, and'whenhedoes, 

 it is more by fortune than judgment. As 

 far as my experience goes, I must say that 

 I do not think they ever breed in colonies, 

 as do the Herons, more than one or at most 

 two pair being seldom seen in the same 

 swamp. 



I was out one day last season (spring of 

 '76), and as I was walking along the edge 

 of a slough, a Bittern rose almost from un- 

 der my feet ; on examining the ground, I 

 found in a slight depression, seven eggs, 

 v^ery far advanced in incubation. Though 

 I searched every foot of ground in the slough 

 veiy carefully, I did not find another nest 

 nor see another bird. I succeeded in find- 

 ing but two other nests that season, and 

 they were in different swamps, several miles- 



