,- MAINE ORNrniOLOGlST AND OOT.O^TST. 



IndigD Banti-i?. 



Until the preseut sea-ton (IHl)O) I had 

 supposed tiiis bird to be ratlier rare in 

 this va'initv ndver ha\ iug sof^ii many 

 here, and it was not iinti; July 6th. of 

 this vear that 1 found my first nest of 

 this s]'"cies 1 had ever found here. 



Tiiis sn.inViior they ai)peared to be 

 quite com out! I and I found several ot 

 tiiier n"sts. July 6th. while in a small* 

 .strip of woods near here 1 was att:'act*id 

 bv the ei ies of a male andlookiULTaround 

 soon found the nest, which was huuiri.i 

 the fork of a b.isswootl bush. It was 

 oninpjj^.Ml (if dry «j:ri*.-s, leaves, and fine 

 bark strij)s, lined with snuill veget.ible 

 fibers. If contained two young about 

 one-third i^rown and one bad egg. 



The second nest was found July 11th 

 in a tiiick clump of black-berry buslnv- 

 ill lie;:\ V woods ; this wassimihirin ma- 

 terial to tiie t'rst but was placed in an 



Mjd'ight ibrk. 



Tin- tiiii'd nest was found in one of 

 tlie bu-hes of a berry patch .July liT th. 

 It wa.- within one liundi-eil and rifty feel 

 of alu)i:>c ; tl is is I believe a radur un- 

 usual site, tor as far as my knon iedge 

 goes, the Indigo usually selects dci:.se 

 imder b/ush for nesting sites. 



The sc<-ond jiiid third nests each 

 contaitM'd >ets of 'hree v^ifii^. Lat(r in 

 in t!i*^ season I foimd another not from 

 which .iiie side was gone, but which 

 jstill coiitaiiM'd one bad egg. 



The eggs are of a plain bhieisii 

 grecne Color, some what resenihling 

 t'ae Anurican (loldfinch. bnt as a rule 

 u(*t so ]>ointeil. They average .74x.5ii 



Tin* nests v. ei-c al out the sam" size 

 Hs that of the Goldfincti and \\i;h the 



Tlie birds .nc al>out the size of the 

 chipping sparrow, which in gcnci-al 

 • 'olor the fer.iale some what resenvdes 

 the male asth? name implies .".re brigijt 

 indigo blue. The alarm i!oU' is much 

 like tha!: of the Ficlu Sparrow. 



Their song 1 have ne\ or heard. 



B. S. l>OWDISH. 



With this issue the '^Maink Oknith- 

 OCouiST AND CoLOGIST tak?'S a new 

 teuture, in the shape of a coloud cover, 

 and the price has been advanced to 25c 

 The reason we make this change is be- 

 cause our basitiess is steadilv increasitiir 

 and we feel confident that the ijiipioN e- 

 ment will be a])pre.-iated by oni- iViends. 

 In entering thislai-ger lield we ho|)e to 

 accomplish more and that both sid)scrib- 

 cr and editor may receive a greater ben- 

 i^'it, and by our united efforts he!]) to 

 advance the prrtgi-ess of ornithou>gy and 

 oology. 



Now as we have n. ore space at our 

 disposal we shall oe i.i need of more 

 aiiicles and items of interest and would 

 be pleased to here from any of onr friends 

 in regard to their expei-ieuce in collect- 

 ing or any thing of intercut relatin-rto 

 the scie.ici' tliat may iun e come under 

 yvur obsei\ a'lion. We do not cai-e for 

 ai-ticles on old and woi-n out subjects 

 l)utwewar!t fresli notes and sketches 

 from collectors, something tliat lie has 

 seen^ s(>n»e thing oriLiina!, and it is sure 

 to he of interest to oiju'rs. 



AVe have secured the aid ol several 

 prf)minen. NaturaH>t 's w ho will send 

 us arti(l(\- IVcin time to time 



And we ii(»pe t/' I'urnish our readers 

 a Strictly first class j)aper : to enlarge 

 a. o ppfrtu'>ify(dfers and to furnish in- 



foimation that shall be of value to the 

 Hs uiiu Ol uie uoKiiincn ano \\i;n nie | ,, . »"int i,, mo 



e.xcep,ti..n of the one found Jnlv Gth. r"^'\';'^'^'""-. '^'''\ •'"•'^'"^^ ^'"^ Fu'ends 

 were i)laced in the upright forks (d'l ''''^' <">T.tnw.<' thcr favors as in the 



>»Muvll ir.-es or bu.^hes. J'"'"^ ^'^' ^'''V'' ^^' ^'^'^ "" >'<"» <'ll ^^^^ com- 



mit vear. 



