'J 



THE OOLOGIST. 



break forth again into the loud voice of the 

 Robin or the harsh notes of the Kingfisher. 



The songs of all the birds of the ■woods 

 seemed lo be "within the range of his vacal 

 powers. Even the subdued accent of the 

 Nuthatch as it climbs about the trunk of a 

 tree was distinctly uttered aud the loud 

 musical song of the Tufted Titmouse came 

 from his throat clear and strong. The sin- 

 gular reverberating song of the Swamp 

 Blackbird seemed to be one of his favorite 

 melodies, often repeating it and interlud- 

 ing it with his sweet ventriloquistic strain 

 that sounded like the trill of rippling waters. 

 All of these, and his flute-like notes of the 

 Meadow Lark which seemed to come a great 

 distance across the meadows ^ill never be 

 effaced from my memory, and as each 

 spring returns I long for the woods where I 

 can hear again his matchless voice. 



The Brown Thrasher usually occupies a 

 lofty position while singing; morning and 

 evening are the chosen hours for this exer- 

 cise. 



It is a shy, active bird and when inhabit- 

 ing woods it generally retires to the most 

 secluded parts. It loves the security of 

 dense thickets and the "solitude of deep 

 swamps; at times several of them may be 

 seen running along on the fences catching 

 insects, now and then darting into bushy 

 hedges or brush heaps to elude observation ; 

 every movement is accompanied by a grace- 

 ful switch of the tail, and when an intruder 

 approaches near its nesting place he is 

 greeted with the familiar alarm note, clinch 

 chuck. In August its food consists largely 

 of wild berries of which the young seem to 

 be particularly fond. 



The bird inhabits Eastern United States 

 and as far west as the Rocky Mountains, 

 north to Maine and Manitoba, and south 

 into Eastern Texas. It breeds nearly wher- 

 ever found; making its nest in low bushes, 

 or stumps, in clusters of wild vines and bri- 

 ers; in heaps of brush -wood and often on 

 the ground. It may be frequently found 

 nesting in the fruit trees of quiet orchards, 

 and in trees situated in unfrequented places, 



When the nest is placed on the ground 

 where the soil is wet and clayey the eggs 



become addled ; three instances of this kind 

 have come under my notice, and the eggs 

 have failed to hatch. The same observa- 

 tions have been made by a mumber of my 

 correspondents. The nests are rather loose- 

 ly constructed of twigs, strips of bark, 

 withered leaves, and black fibrous roots 

 lined with horse hair and a few feathers. 



The egirs are greenish-white in color thick- 

 ly marked with reddish-brown dots, usually 

 more numerous at the larger end. The 

 number laid ranges from four to six and 

 the r.verage size of a large series is 1.08 by 

 .83. Quite a number of these birds confin- 

 ed in cages have come under my observa- 

 tion and strange to say they never uttered 

 a note of song. Even when reared from 

 the nest, and under the most favorable con- 

 ditions they were at all times perfectly 

 mute, except that its alarm note is often 

 sounded. When thus confined the plum- 

 age likewise fades; the featkeis loose the 

 gloss which they have when the bird is in 

 its natural habitation and the eye which 

 was once a bright orange yellow has now 

 lost its fire and has turned a pale, sickly 

 yellow. 

 Written for Tee Oologist, Dec. 10—1887. 



Bald or White-headed Eagle. 



Hiditcetvs leiicocepliahis Savig. 



Although the White-headcel Eagles con- 

 stantly appear in the wilder portions of 

 New England, they are rare in the vicinity 

 of Boston; thus I do not remember of hav- 

 ing seen more than three or four, within 

 the past fifteen years, at Newton, and he 

 last one I observeel was a fine adult which 

 flew slowdy by a few days ago, early in Feb- 

 ruary, 1880. I have little doubt that these 

 fine birds breed even in Massachusetts but 

 such instances are very rare and in order to 

 study this species to perfection, one must 

 visit Florida where there are more nests in 

 a given area than in any other section, and 

 I have several times found three or four 

 eyries, all occupied, within the radius of a 

 mile. 



These birds begin to breed in Florida 

 very early in January, and the nest is usu- 



