114 



THE OOLOGIST 



same months I made a similar obser- 

 vation of another bachelor Oriole 

 here in Milton Junction, Wisconsin. 

 The song was more nearly normal yet 

 was peculiar enough to enable one to 

 follow the wanderings of the bird 

 about the village. I suspect there 

 would be chance for similar observa- 

 tions if there were some peculiarity 

 to enable one to identify individual 

 birds. 



In June 1898, I took a set of three of 

 the Orchard Oriole, Icturls Spurius in 

 southern Dane County, Wis., where 

 the male parent was in the immature 

 plumage. I have the male and the set 

 of eggs in my collection at present. 

 Dr. G. M. Burdick, 

 Milton Jet., Wis. 



American Dipper On Vancouver Isle. 



Goldstream, situated a few miles 

 from Victoria, is one of the beauty 

 spots of Vancouver Isle. A mountain 

 stream flows through the forest, and 

 winds its way through miniature 

 Canons, with many water-falls, the 

 banks of these Canons are clothed 

 with heavy green moss and maiden 

 hair ferns. In many places the sun 

 never penetrates, one pool especially 

 dark and although a foot bridge spans 

 this pool, where many people pass 

 daily, and it being a favorite spot for 

 boys to fish, a pair of Dipper have for 

 many years made this spot their nest- 

 ing place. The pool is small but 

 deep, and has had its tragedies, for 

 two lads have been drowned there. 

 Three pairs of Dipper nest along this 

 stream within a short distance of 

 each other, and many a happy hour I 

 have spent, watching these fascinating 

 birds, building their nests and also 

 feeding their young. The nests, as 

 most of us know, are large domes of 

 green moss taken from the moss 

 grown banks, the entrance being in 

 front, for a lining dead leaves and 



leaf stems are collected from the bed 

 of the stream. The nest illustrated 

 measured 31 inch cir. over nest and 8 

 inch high; the five eggs are a porce- 

 lain white and are covered with a thin 

 slime. These birds are . not easily 

 frightened and if care be taken it is 

 a simple matter to approach within a 

 few yards and watch the nest being 

 completed. I have read, that in order 

 to keep their nests green, the birds 

 plunge into the stream, then fly on to 

 the top of nest and shakes the water 

 off their bodies, but I have never seen 

 this done for when the bird enters the 

 water whether he swims on the sur- 

 face or runs along underneath. When 

 he emerges he is as dry as he was be- 

 fore he went in. Neither have I ever 

 seen a bird on the top of the nest af- 

 ter completion. These birds do not 

 dive gracefully, but either walk or 

 drop in feet foremost and angry 

 waters makes no matter for them. As 

 their homes are nearly always in a 

 very damp spot, sometimes so close 

 to the water fall that they are kept 

 wet by the spray, there is no need for 

 birds to bother, for their nesty will 

 keep green for months without their 

 help. When under water a silvery 

 veil closes over the eye and by care- 

 ful watching, this can be seen the in- 

 stant the bird emerges. If the nest 

 is built on a flat slab it is fastened 

 in no way, and can be lifted off in the 

 same manner as one would take a 

 large dish from a kitchen shelf; the 

 color of the moss always is the same 

 as the surrounding vegetation, and if 

 the nests are carefully placed are 

 hard to locate for the female is a 

 close sitter, and the male seldom 

 visits her, although he is close at 

 hand. The different nesting sites that 

 I have seen are close to, and once be- 

 hind water-fall. In crevice or on slab, 

 not far away, on a big boulder in the 

 bed of stream in upturned root by 



