60 



THE OOLOGIST 



Wilson Thrush. July 24; with three 

 incubated eggs. 



Scarlet Tanager. July 4; with four 

 fresh eggs. 



Phoebe. August 24; young just left 

 the nest. 



Red-eyed Vireo. July 14; with two 

 incubated eggs and one of the Cow- 

 bird. 



Yellow Warbler. July 2; with two 

 young. 



Canadian Warbler. July 29; nest 

 with one egg and both birds neaf , 

 C. F. Stone, 

 Branchport, N. Y. 



The Trumpeter Swan 



The report of the Hollister, Superin- 

 tendent of the National Zoological 

 Park, maintained as a part of the 

 Smithsonian Institute at Washington, 

 D. C, for the year ending June 30th, 

 1919, issued from the Government 

 Printing Office 1912, at page 72, has 

 the following: 



The most serious loss by death 

 among the birds was a female Trum- 

 peter Swan, died May 14th, 1919, of 

 Septicemia, juts after it had been suc- 

 cessfully mated after two years of 

 effort with the male Trumpeter, lent 

 to the Park by Judge R. M. Barnes, of 

 La'con, 111. The eggs in the ovary 

 were enlarged to the size of cherries 

 and there is every reason to believe 

 that but for the untimely loss of this 

 Septicemia, just after it had been suc- 

 cessfully bred. Thus another effort 

 to save this noble species from com- 

 plete extrication has proved abortive 

 when on the point of success. We 

 appeal to every reader of this publi- 

 cation to assist us in locating another 

 female Trumpeter no matter where. 

 One final effort still remains to be 

 made. Write us of any that you know 

 or may hear of. 



R. M. Barnes, 

 Lacon, 111. 



An Early Nesting Date of Ruby- 

 throated Humming Bird 



Since sending my notes on early 

 nesting of birds, I have continued the 

 job of indexing my bird Journal where- 

 in is recorded not only the goings and 

 comings of birds but their antics and 

 pen pictures of their local frivolities. 



In this mass of notes I have dis- 

 covered a forgotten incident of a very 

 early date of the nesting of the Ruby- 

 throated Humming Bird, on May 18, 

 190'5. The nest was not only finished 

 but contained one egg and the female 

 Ruby-throat was humming very indus- 

 triously on and off the nest a dozen 

 times. I did not obtain the date of ar- 

 rival for this year but they arrive 

 here ordinarily May 10-12. Several 

 pairs I have observed required from 

 nine to ten days to bulid their dainty 

 nest and deposit two eggs. Therefore, 

 it seems logical that this nest of May 

 18th, was first begun very close to 

 May 9th or immediately upon arrival. 



The Male Ruby-throated Humming 

 Bird is said to preceed the female in 

 the journey to their nesting haunts, 

 but I am inclined to believe that this 

 pair made the journey of over 2000 

 miles together. 



When one considers with what fre- 

 quency the Humming Bird must -sip 

 the nectar of life and the vast amount 

 of energy that is consumed to obey 

 the irresistible instinct of migration, 

 it seems marvelous that this pair had 

 the "pep" to begin nesting almost up- 

 on the day of arrival. 



We may well exclaim "Isn't it as- 

 tonishing how such a dimintive bird 

 can contain so much energy." 



Clarence Stone, 

 Branchport, N. Y. 



Making Our Beat 

 On a crisp Saturday in December, 

 1919, we sallied forth for the purpose 

 of looking over our traps, and in ex- 

 pectation of possible adventures to be 



