THE OOLOGIST. 



in this> locality in a small cedar bush 

 only a few feet away from the stream. 

 This was July 8, '04 when I discov- 

 ered two slightly incubated eggs on a 

 platform of sheddings from the cedar 

 which had lodged in the crotch of 

 several limbs ten inches above the 

 ground, the cedar itself only being 

 about four feet high. There was no 

 nest at all only about a dozen twigs 

 scattered about to keep the eggs from 

 rolling. 



While walking through the woods 

 in Chesterfield county, May 2d, last, I 

 found a nest on a branch of a dog- 

 wood tree 15 feet up, containing two 

 nearly incubated eggs. The nest was 

 the most compact and well built I 

 have ever seen, being made of moss 

 leaves and fine grass and lined with 

 feathers. 



On another occasion, June 5, I was 

 passing along the border of a woods 

 and seeing a small nest on the end of 

 a pine branch about 35 feet up, was 

 induced to climb to it. It was not till 

 I got to the limb itself that a dove 

 flew off leaving two half-grown birds. 



The number of eggs laid is almost 

 invariably two, but upon several oc- 

 casions I have found nests containing 

 ■one nearly incubated egg, but could 

 not tell positively whether there had 

 not been a second egg, which might 

 have been destroyed. On two occa- 

 sions I found nests containing three 

 birds each, but it was not till July 24, 

 '05 that I found a nest of three eggs 

 which I believe were a set, the size 

 and shape being about the same. 

 THOMAS SEMMES, Jr., 



Richmond, Virginia. 



[Sets of three eggs are very rare. 

 We give half-tone in this number of 

 a set of 3 with nest found by J. Riten- 

 bergh in an apple tree in the town- 

 ship of Gaines, N. Y., several years 

 ago While it is customary for most 

 doves to colonize while breeding, the 



Mourning Dove does not usually do 

 so and Mr. Semmes' observations 

 along this line will interest many. — 

 Ed.] 



Notes from Idaho. 



Bird Life here is not much on the 

 boom. Snowy Owl is beginning to 

 drift in from the far north, many 

 specimens having been seen lately. 

 The Great and Western Horned as 

 well as the ever present Rocky Moun- 

 tain Screech Owl is becoming quite 

 common as the winter grows in se- 

 verity, using the valley as a harbor 

 during the intense cold of the higher 

 altitudes. 



The villainous Magpie, Canyon, 

 Rock, and Western House Wren, 

 Long-crested Jay, and "Whiskey 

 Jack," are much in evidence. Snow 

 crowns all the mountains surrounding 

 us, while vegetation continues to grow 

 in our valley. Many ducks and geese 

 and not uncommonly a swan stop to 

 rest on the beautiful Clearwater, the 

 favorite stream of Maj. Bendire's 

 "hunting" ground, which splits the 

 rugged mountains in twain, forming 

 the well-known Clearwater Valley. 



Up the canyons leading to the high- 

 er peaks, may yet be found many in- 

 teresting species of ferns, while moss 

 and fungi of all descriptions seem to 

 attain the most rank growth during 

 winter. While it is snowing in the 

 mountains, a gentle rain is falling 

 here, keeping vegetation growing. 



Both fresh water and land shells 

 are scarce here, the cold spring and 

 snow water seemingly a detriment in 

 some manner. I have not made a spe- 

 cial study of the cause but surmise 

 that the mineral properties peculiar 

 to waters of this section may be the 

 principal reason. I am completing a 

 list of hepidoptera of this valley and 

 will send it when finished. 

 Very respectfully, 



D. B. HOWSLEY. 



