THE SUNNY SOI TH OOLOGIST. 



29 



one had been cut and thrown against it. 

 The top was broken off about sixty feet above 

 the ground, and a hole two feet deep was 

 left. It was situated in a low, gloomy and 

 unfrequented part of the woods, near a large 

 stagnant pool of water. 



1 at once prepared to climb this smaller 

 tree, and after quite a frightened and laborious 

 task I reached the top. Now as I had not 

 expected to find any eggs, you can imagine 

 my delight to see three large white eggs, 

 which were nearly globular in form. 



The next troubling question was; — How 

 was I to get the eggs safe to "terra firmaV" 

 I thought of several wa} r s, and as I had not 

 brought any box, I at last struck a model 

 idea. I took off my shirt and tied them 

 separately in the final part. (To all collect- 

 ors should they ever be in my "fix," I rec- 

 commend this as a safe and sure way to 

 carry eggs. ) 



After much slipping and sliding I reached 

 ground safe once more. The eggs are now 

 in my collection. 



Frank H. Cooper, Towson, Md. 



— -*♦*. 



[For the Sunny South Oologist.] 



COLORADO BIRDS. 



THE LARK BUNTING. 



(Calomospiza bicolor.) 

 Dreary would the plains be indeed were it 

 not for this happy little bird that, in the breed 

 ing season and summer months, are found 

 here in large quantities. They are scattered 

 over all of Weld county and the farther 

 from a "water hole" you may go the more 

 of them you will find. Among the "ccw 

 boys and sheep herders" this bird is known 

 as the Whitewinged blackbird, while the 

 folks of the village whose memory of the 

 bobolink is still fresh and strong, call it the 

 Colorado Bobolink. Call them what you 

 may, no bird is more happier and no bird's 

 song is as pleasant to me as that of the Lark 

 Bunting. 



The male has the habit of soaring to a 

 height of forty or fifty feet while singing the 

 seven or eight distinct strains that composes 

 its song. During the breeding season its 

 soaring and singing is very energetic, and you 

 may be sure the nest is near by. A careful 

 walk will flush the female, who leaves quietly 



and is not seen again. There are but few 

 species of birds the sexes of which differ as 

 much as the male and female of this species. 

 White-winged black-bird is an appropriate 

 name for the male but the female looks more 

 like some ground sparrow. 



The nest is either under the shelter of some 

 low grass wood or sage bush or yucca 

 plant; and I have found them under the good 

 protection of a large "prickly pear cactus." 

 It is well made of fine grasses and sunken to 

 a general level with the prairie. 



The eggs are either four or five of a pale 

 bluish green .90 x .65 or 70 generally un- 

 marked yet now and then one or two of the 

 eggs in a set will be slightly speckled with 

 black around the larger end. I have never 

 found a set where all the eggs were speckled. 



The bird arrives about the middle of May. 



d fresl 

 of June. 



MOUNTAIN PLOVER 



(Podasocys montanus) 



A bird which is almost as common on our 

 plains as the Lark Bunting but not quite so 

 popular, is the Mountain or Prairie Plover. 

 They seem to be wholly independent of 

 water as I have found their nests in the dry- 

 est parts of the country as well as near some 

 creek. Their whistle is very strong and 

 somewhat resembles that of our Curlew. 

 Sexes are very much alike and before and 

 after the breeding season they move about 

 in small flocks of ten or twelve. 



This bird when flushed from her nest can 

 make the best show of being crippled and in 

 the worst misery of any I ever observed. If 

 you appear more interested in the nest than 

 in her, she will crawl to your very feet, ut- 

 tering her agonizing shrieks. The nest is on 

 the bare ground with no lining'whatever, eggs 

 usually four in numl er averaging 1.45 x 1.10, 

 but not as pointed as most plover's eggs. 



No other writer has described the eggs in 

 better words than Cone. He says: "They 

 are of an olive-drab with a brown shade pro- 

 fusely dotted all over but especially at the 

 larger end, with black, dark brown and neu- 

 tral tints. Markings all mere dots and points, 



largest scarcely exceeding a pin's head." 



Birds arrive' about the 20th of April, Eresh 

 eggs Can be 'taken the last of May. 



Fred M. DiLLB, Greeley, Col. 



