8o 



THE OOLOGIST. 



H. F. , Hillsboro, Ohio, adds the follow- 

 ing to the recoi'd of late nesting: "Last 

 mouth, between the 25th and 38th inst. , a 

 friend of mine kept telling me that he knew 

 where a new Woodpecker's nest was. I 

 accompanied him there, and in it were 

 three Red-headed Woodpecker's eggs, ready 

 to hatch. It was on the 28th of December. 



Hon. E. M. Goodwin, Hartland, Vt., 

 queries : — Will the exchange notice, and 

 reading The Oologist during the year, get 

 me in the way of a specimen hunter again 

 in my old age ? I commenced collecting 

 "specimens" away back in '50, and have 

 had to ride my hobby betimes ever since, 

 and will so long as I tarry among these 

 beautiful forms in earth, and air, and .sea. 



Great Northern Shrike, etc. 



One pleasant day about the first of March, 

 I was attracted to my window by the cries 

 of a bird evidently in distress'. They were 

 of short duiation and were soon explained. 

 A Great x^orthern Shrike or "Butcher 

 Bird" had seized an English Sparrow, and 

 had borne him to the snow-covered ground. 

 When I first observed them the Shrike was 

 attacking his victim's head with his own 

 beak. The former uttered no sound during 

 the entire time that I watched him. By 

 his savage onslaughts he soon despatched 

 the sparrow, which he then took in his 

 claws and flew to a tree near at hand. He 

 flew low and acted as if the Sparrow was 

 somewhat a burden to him Very soon 

 he again took flight and was lost to view 

 in the woods on the hillside. He has since 

 been seen two or three times. The Great 

 Northern Shrike is very rare, here, and, to 

 my knowledge, does not breed in this vicin- 

 ity. The one I saw was somewhat smaller 

 than a Robin; under parts white, wings 

 and tail black. The bill was sharp, and 

 the upper maudible curved downwards. 



Have henrd Blue Jays sevei-al -times lately 

 and think they must remain here during 

 the winter. Have seen Black-capped Chick- 

 adees quite frequently for the past month. 

 On March 3d 1 heard a Phosbe Bird, the 

 first one of the season. 



H. C. Oberholsek. 



Shelburne Falls, Mass. March 8, 1887. 



Notes from College Hill, Ohio. 



The following taken from my notebook, 

 are the species found breeding here this 

 season (1886). 



The first nest found April 21, was a 

 Bluebirds, containing six fresh eggs. It 

 was situated in an excavation in a dead ap- 

 ple tree; also on same date a Mourning 

 Doves, containing two eggs. 



April 22 — A Purple Grackle's nest, sit- 

 uated in the top of an evergreen tree. The 

 nest contained five fresh eggs; also same 

 date, Robin, four fresh eggs. 



April 23 — Blue Jay, five fresh eggs. 



April 25 — Crow, two nests, one contain- 

 ing five eggs, in which incubation was well 

 advanced, the other four eggs nearly fresh. 

 Both nests were placed in evergreen trees 

 and were quite easy of access. 



April 27 — Chipping Sparrow, four fresh 

 eggs. 



May 1 — English Sparrow, six fresh eggs; 

 Downy Woodpecker, two nests, one con- 

 taining four the other six fresh eggs. These 

 nests are the first containing eggs that have 

 been found. Both were situated in apple 

 trees, in holes but a few feet from the 

 ground; afso same date, Pewee, five eggs, 

 .slightly incubated. The ilest was situated 

 on the tiebeam under a small w^ooden bridge 

 over a ravine, a favorite nesting place of 

 the species. • <, 



May 2 — Flicker, eight fresh eggs. Black 

 Capped Chickadee, two nests situated in 

 apple trees, in holes excavated in dead 

 limbs. The nests were made of moss and 

 cowhair, very smooth and soft, making a 

 fitting nesting place for the clutch of six 

 delicate eggs that each contained. Che- 

 wink, four fresh eggs. Field Sparrow, 

 four fresh eggs. Also one egg of that pest 

 the Cow bird; it was the sole occupant of 

 a Chipping Sparrow's nest that had in all 

 probability been deserted. 



May 3 — Cardinal Grosbeak, three eggs 

 highly iucubated. Two nests of the Song 

 Sparrow, each containing four eggs highly 

 incubated. The nests were situated at the 

 base of a tuft of grass in a clover meadow. 

 May 5 — Brown Thrush, three eggs. 



