58 



THE OOLOGIST 



^^C^") 



sary to remove contents through such 

 a small hole was so great as to open 

 the pores of the shell and so weaken 

 the eggs. So I have concluded not 

 to drill any more eggs less than 1-32 

 inch, not because I can't do it, but as 

 this is only five thicknesses of news- 

 paper over 1-64 inch, I have never had 

 any kick concerning my work. A set 

 of eggs to be perfectly prepared must 

 be first drilled with small holes never 

 over 1-16 inch; thoroughly syringe out 

 out; all Staines removed by washing, 

 but this is not always advisable with 

 such eggs as Ospreys, Hawks and 

 other heavily spotted eggs, for if you 

 are not careful the spots will wash 

 off; thoroughly dry by shaking over 

 candle, lamp or gas jet with hole 

 down; mark with A. O. U. set mark 

 and year taken in small and neat 

 figures and near the hole; by having 

 data accurately and neatly made out, 

 by signing data with your name in 

 writing, in other words your signature. 

 T. E. McMullen. 



GROUND NESTING OF RED 

 SHOULDERED HAWK. 



This summer (1916) while out har- 

 vesting in Western Kansas I was 

 much surprised to find a nest of the 

 Red Shouldered Hawk containing four 

 eggs on the ground. The eggs were 

 in the last stages of incubation, in 

 fact as much so that one of them, 

 which we had rescued from the de- 

 struction by the "bull" wheel of the 

 Header and placed in a safe place on 

 the barge hatched. The little, almost 

 naked creature was given to our em- 

 ployer's daughter for safe keeping 

 and feeding. It lived but a short time 

 because perhaps of improper food. 



The nest was composed of old straw 

 taken from a nearby straw stack and 

 placed in a shallow depression in the 

 wheat field. Of course, there being 

 no big trees in that part of the state, 

 these birds have to build somewhere 



else, but I would think the numerous 

 old straw stacks would be a far bet- 

 ter nesting site than on the ground. 



This is the first instance I have 

 ever heard about or seen of this Hawk 

 nesting on the ground. 



Ralph Donahue. 

 Bonner Springs, Kansas. 



TUFTED TITMOUSE FOUND AT 

 NIGHT. 



We were camped on a tributary of 

 the Trinity River in the north 

 western part of Tarrant Co. Texas. 

 In April, 1915. After collecting all 

 day we would return to camps, have 

 lunch, take a rest and then go fishing. 



Leaving camps about eight p. m. 

 and going down the trail to the river. 

 I decided to light my pipe, after strik- 

 ing a match on a small tree, I heard 

 a hissing sound like a snake. Upon 

 investigating we found a hole five 

 feet up; by a match light I could see 

 two black eyes. All at once the black 

 eyes hit the match and out it went and 

 the black eyes fell back into the hole. 

 I decided it was a flying squirrel. Af- 

 ter sticking a limb in the hole, we 

 went on to the river. Next morning 

 found us at the hole. We pulled the 

 limb out expecting to see the flying 

 squirrel, but to our surprise, out came 

 a Tufted Titmouse. There was one 

 egg in the nest, which was eight 

 inches down in the hole. There were 

 parts of snake skin in the hole. We 

 left the egg, but Mrs. Titmouse never 

 returned again. R Graham. 

 « ♦ » 



This is a Good Oologist. 



This issue of THE OOLOGIST we 

 regard as the very best that has ever 

 been published since No. 1 of Volume 

 I of the Young Oologist. The char- 

 acter of contributions being so un- 

 usual and covering such remote por- 

 tions of the earth's surface and being 

 accompanied by the grade of illustra- 

 tions, we are proud of it. 



