THE OOLOGLST. 



39 



pilfer as many nests as possible. Not con- 

 tent with a few sets of each kind, these 

 "C,>]lectois"seem to vie with each other iu 

 the number collected. 



So wide, spread has this practice become, 

 that many of our native birds are rapidly 

 nearing extermination. Bird destruction 

 and egg collecting have, within the past few 

 years, reached such alarming proportions 

 that many states have been forced to enact 

 laws to restrict it. But this does not deter 

 some, who go on collecting, and trust to 

 luck to escape the law. 



The Audubon Society for the protection 

 of birds, has done much to discourage this 

 mania for "collecting'' eggs, but there yet 

 remains much to be accomplished. Can 

 not the Oologist an d the Ooiogists of Amer- 

 ica do something as well? 



Far be it from me to cry down any one 

 really interested in the studj r of birds and 

 their eggs, but we cai certainly exercise 

 more mercy in obtaining such specimens as 

 are necessary for the purpose of study. 



William N. CI ate, Bingkarnton N. Y. 



Bird Intelligence. 



The Trial and Execution of an English 

 Sparrow. 



I write this to let you and the readers of 

 the Oologist know of a funny and strange 

 way in which a theiving Sparrow was pun- 

 ished. Last year while the birds were 

 building, a pair of English Sparrows built 

 their nest in the cornice of I he Court House, 

 but they had a good many difficulties to 

 struggle against, and other Sparrows would 

 steal the material which was brought to 

 build with, and as -fast as they would bring 

 straw, the rubbers would steal it. The 

 birds got tired of this, and when the thief 

 came again he was surrounded by a lot of 

 other Sparrows who had gathered to help 

 their companion. Presently the Sparrow 

 was pushed off the ledge, and around his 

 neck was twisted a string; he would fly up 

 on the ledge, but was driven off by the 

 others, and at last wore himself out and 

 ban g there till he was dead. The other 

 pair went on building as though nothing 



hadhappened, though the dead bird hung 

 there several days. This is the fact, and 

 .he trial and execution was witnessed by a 

 number of people. I am of the same 

 opinion as Mr. Surber about the oologistsof 

 this state waking up and letting the oolo- 

 gists of other states know of the birds and 

 their habits. R. W.Patterson, 



Parkersburg, Y\". Ya. 



Nesting of the Cardinal Grosbeak. 



The nesting habits of this beautiful, though 

 simply-clad bird, are known to very few 

 collectors, owing to its occurrence in only 

 a few scattered vicinities of our country. 

 In the state of Kentucky, however, from 

 whence I write, it is quite plentiful, and I 

 have had ample opportunity to observe its 

 habits. 



Davie may be right in stating that the 

 "Red-bird" is not migratory, but I have 

 never seen it in our vicinitj r in winter, nor 

 in very early spring, and it seems quite 

 certain to me that it winters South. 



Cardinalis Virginianus nests at very var- 

 iable times 7 but his domicile is generally 

 constructed about the middle of June. At 

 this time he may be seen late in any sunny 

 afternoon, perched on the topmost branch 

 of the tallest tree in the neighborhood of 

 his nest, and pouring forth his simple and 

 oft-repeated song, which in mellowness and 

 beauty of tone, rivals that of the Mocking- 

 bird. 



The female generally keeps herself out of 

 view, and she alone does the incubating. 



The nest is as a general thing, placed in 

 a small thicket, selected not as much for 

 its density as for its secluded position. 

 Here we may find, in a briar or thorny 

 bush, about 5 to 10 ft. above the ground, 

 a large and loosely-constructed nest of 

 twigs and weedstalks, with occasionally a 

 leaf or two, and lined roughly v/ith finer 

 grass-stems. 



The eggs of this species, usually four in 

 number, present a diversity of sizes, shapes, 

 and markings equal to those of the Bose- 

 breasted species. The typical egg is very 

 much in color like the common Cowbird 



