THE OOLOGIST. StUC^iW 



27 



was a peculiar site, in a tuft of grass 

 over which a flat disc of dried cow 

 manure had been blown or otherwise 

 lodged, making a flat and complete 

 covering for the nest and thus hiding 

 it from view. In fact, only when the 

 bird fluttered from the covering, as 

 I saw her, did I think of such a place 

 for the nest. In this instance, after 

 all my disturbance of her, the female 

 sat until I was within six feet of her 

 nest. 



The Bobolink in Montana seems to 

 be more prolific than the bird in the 

 east. Our rare mountain air may be 

 more conductive to a larger average 

 in the nest complement. Sets of sev- 

 en are as common in my observation 

 as sets of five. I should be ashamed 

 of a Montana Bobolink that could 

 produce only four eggs; I wouldn't 

 take them. Sets of five, six, and sev- 

 en are the regular thing, if the Cow- 

 bird doesn't impose any others. Five 

 of the owner and two of the parasite 

 are common. 



P. M. SIL/LOWAY, 

 Lewistown, Mont. 



Editorial Comments. 



Mr. Silloway's observations are very 

 welcome at this juncture, but they are 

 widely at variance with my observa- 

 tions during 23 years of more or less 

 association with their haunts since I 

 became Ornithologically interested in 

 1884. 



I have tried his plan of watching 

 the female alight repeatedly, and have 

 just one success to chronicle and in 

 that case she had hatched two young 

 which made her more solicitous and 

 was conducive to close sitting. Have 

 seen my friends fail time and time 

 again. I heartily agree that the male 

 sings for the one purpose of making 

 known his presence to the sitting fe- 

 male, being in this respect no dif- 

 ferent from several other birds who 



differ only in the effusiveness of their 

 entertainment. Take the Baltimore 

 Oriole and all the Vireos as familiar 

 examples. 



The Kildeer, Bartramian Sandpiper, 

 Wilson's Phalarope and Ruffed Grouse 

 are examples of birds who make a 

 demonstration that is clearly an ef- 

 fort to draw the observer away from 

 the sitting female. While the female 

 American Woodcock will always try 

 to decoy you from her eggs, I have 

 never seen the male at all under such 

 circumstances. 



I still think, however, that by some 

 variation in the quantity or quality of 

 his melody the male Bobolink ac- 

 quaints the female of the proximity 

 of unusual trespassers on their do- 

 main, and that she leaves the nest 

 more promptly and carefully under 

 such circumstances. 



Truly the bird lover has much to 

 learn yet. — ED. 



