216 



THE OOLOGIST 



in diameter and -with no pretence at 

 being round, but looking just as if the 

 fellow had pushed his finger in. I 

 thought I would have a try at one and 

 bought one for 6 (?) (pretty cheap 

 considering that they are supposed to 

 be equal to 24 hens eggs and all ex- 

 cellent for making cake, etc., and also 

 for omelets, producing enough for ten 

 or twelve people). I chose the largest 

 one in the shop and had great diffi- 

 culty in holding the string during the 

 operation. It took 3 minutes to make 

 the first puncture in the outside glossy 

 shell, after that another four and one- 

 half minutes to penetrate right inside 

 and cut the lining and a further eleven 

 minutes to empty the contents and 

 then wash it out several times and it 

 is now absolutely clean and a very 

 perfect specimen. The hole was bored 

 by the smallest of that set of cut-the- 

 lining drills and is 3-32 of an inch. I 

 sent it down to a dealer here who sells 

 feathers and eggs and he said he 

 couldn't have believed it possible. 



I hope to send some descriptions of 

 the nesting habits, etc., of the South 

 African birds if they will be of anj 

 interest. 



O. C. C. Xiccols. Major, R.G.A. 



50 Years 



The mail brings us a request to at- 

 tend the Fiftieth Anniversary of the 

 marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Delos Hatch 

 at Oakfield. Wisconsin. Nothing would 

 give the Editor more pleasure than 

 to assist our friend Hatch and his 

 good wife in celebrating this milestone 

 in their journey through life. But few 

 are vouchsafed the privilege of hav- 

 ing such an anniversary. However, 

 distance and time prevents our ac- 

 cepting this invitation. 



Noise Has No Terrors 



Karl Schwartz of Salt Lake. Utah, 

 reports the nest of a Bluebird 

 (Mountain) in a box within thirteen 



feet of the tracks of the electric rail- 

 road leading from Salt Lake to Ogden, 

 where the cars pass every thirty 

 minutes, and a continual stream of 

 automobiles runs as close to the box 

 as does the railroad. A tame bird 

 for sure. 



Five Kiideer Eggs — Large Set 



May 30th. 1917. Saw a pair of Kill- 

 deer active as if they intended nest- 

 ing among a pile of cinders on a sandy 

 plot of ground. 



June 3d. Was at same place and 

 flushed bird from cinders on a sandy 

 plot of ground. 



June 3d. Was at same place and 

 flushed bird from cinders: after a 

 careful search found nest which con- 

 tained two eggs: decided to return 

 later. 



June 9th. Returned to nest and 

 nest contained .5 eggs; nest measured 

 2 in. X 4 in.: among a large pile of 

 small cinders : lined with few small 

 pieces of short dried grass and small 

 cinders. 



T. E. McMllen. 

 Camden. X. J. 



A Vulture Cardinal 



During the summer of 1913 I took 

 a collecting trip about 80 miles south 

 of Fort Worth, to Aquilla. Texas, a 

 small town, seated in wild, heavily 

 wooded country 



One morning I saw what seemed to 

 be a gray headed cardinal in dens'E' 

 grape vine thicket. X'aturally this 

 was a new thing to me. and I wanted 

 the specimen. After a rather difficult 

 chase I succeeded in getting him. and 

 soon discovered the cause of his gray 

 headed appearance. 



All the head feathers were gone, 

 and it looked as though there had 

 never been any. The skin was a deep 

 ash gray in color, and was very tough 



