ISSUED m BMTALF OF THE SCIENCE WHICH IT ADVOCATES. 



Volume III, 



NOVEMBER, 1877. 



Number 9. 



Nest and Eggs of the Olive-sided 

 Flycatcher (Contopus borealis). 



[URlNGlast July, Mr. C. A. Ilawes 

 and myself were following the alter- 

 nate sandy coves and rocky headlands 

 characteristic of the south shore of Massa- 

 chusetts Bay, when, penetrating iuLo the 

 woods crowning these miniature promon- 

 tories, we alarmed a Green Heron, which 

 took flight, and circling around, returned, 

 and alighted in a small oak tree, a few rods 

 distant. On proceeding to the spot and ex- 

 amining the neighboring trees, we saw a 

 Wood Pewee's nest on the branch of a 

 small birch ; but it being so late in the sea- 

 sou, we supposed it to be a deserted one, 

 and continued our walk. However, on re- 

 turning home, we noticed the old bird perch- 

 ed on an adjacent limb. I immediately at- 

 tempted to ascend, but the frailty of the tree 

 compelled me to return. The bird attack- 

 ed us with great bravery, flying close to our 

 faces and even trying to dart at our heads. 

 Mr. Hawes, on the ground, noticed the 

 bird and pronounced it to be the rare bird, 

 the subject of this article. Being of lighter 

 weight than I, he ascended and procured 

 the nest and contents. It contained three 

 eggs, resembling the Wood Pewee's, but 

 the back-ground was more of a pink hue, 

 and the spots on the larger end tended to a 



reddish-brown. The eggs were, however, 

 smaller than a Wood Pewee!s, although 

 tSamuels, in his admirable woi'k, asserts 

 them to be larger. The nest had only white 

 and gray lichens on its surface, was per- 

 fectly circular, was more compactly built, 

 and was larger than a Wood Pewee's difer- 

 ing from it only in these respects. The 

 agg in my collection is about .71 of an inch 

 in length, and .52 of an inch in breadth. I 

 may add, alluding to the bravery of the lit- 

 tle bird, that it is also known as the Tyran- 

 iius horealis of Swainson. 

 Boston, Mass. G. Stuart Smith. 



Moke about Sparrows' Nests. — On 

 reading the article in the October No., on 

 " A Queer Nesting Place," it brought to 

 my mind an occurrence that happened last 

 spring. While out collecting, I found a 

 Robin's nest which contained three eggs. 

 I procured the eggs and on visiting the nest 

 ten days later, I found that the nest had 

 been deserted by the Robins, and that a 

 pair of English Sparrows had taken up their 

 abode there. I did not know that the Eng- 

 lish Sparrow had the habit of using other 

 birds' nests. S. Cunningham. 



[And this bird also has the not very ad- 

 mirable habit of destroying other birds' nests 

 for material wherewith to build its own . EdT 



