THE OOLOGIST. * 



x(r/ 



187 



mate with a mouthfull of material 

 that she is carrying to a pine near by. 

 A nest, nearly complete; perhaps a set 

 for some future day. 



The next is the song of a Maryland 

 Yellow-throat coming from a part of 

 the marshy border of the stream. No 

 nest as yet for the season is not far 

 enough advanced for our summer 

 visitors to begin nesting, but then I 

 can enjoy his song as he flits nervous- 

 ly about and utters it at intervals of a 

 few seconds. Here goes a Belted 

 Kingfisher flying as if mad, also 

 another, uttering his discordant notes; 

 as he flies within a few feet of where I 

 am standing, my attention is attract- 

 ed by the always pleasant notes of the 

 Carolina Chickadee, coming from a 

 small cluster of pines to my right. 

 Search as I may there is no nest to be 

 found, although it must be under way 

 of construction somewhere near, even 

 if there are no eggs yet. 



Imagine my delight, when upon 

 rapping on a stump, Mrs. Brown- 

 headed Nuthatch thrusts her head 

 through the neat entrance to her nest- 

 ing shanty, but picture my disapoint- 

 ment when I see but two eggs, fresh 

 and warm, laying in a nest of pine 

 seed leaves and feathers. I leave them 

 for the uneasy pair that are flying 

 around my head and giving vent to 

 their displeasure. 



Many Rough-winged Swallows are 

 flying around over the water and sand, 

 with now and then a specimen of the 

 White-bellied, only a migrant, but 

 very commonly observed at certain 

 times of the season. Now we behold a 

 fine specimen of the Southern Hairy 

 Woodpecker drumming away at lei- 

 sure on the limb of a dead pine some 

 thirty feet distant. Flickers are 

 numerous flying here and there, they 

 appear to be very restless. 



Boat-tailed Crackles and Red-wing- 

 ed Blackbirds are frequently seen and 

 heard to utter their discordant notes. 



Crows are common, both the Com- 

 mon and Fish, one nest found but not 

 examined, it being too high for a 

 climb. 



We note the Field, Chipping and 

 Grasshopper Sparrows all pretty com- 

 mon; the first two remaining with us 

 throughout the summer season, while 

 the Grasshopper leaves us very short- 

 ly for the north. One Red-shouldered 

 Hawk observed soaring away at leisure 

 far above the top of the tallest of the 

 pines, while several Sparrow Hawks 

 are mated in different parts of the 

 tract before us. They may have nests 

 in some of the old Flicker's nests 

 later in the season. 



In addition to the above we observe 

 several Mockingbirds, two Mourning 

 Doves and Turkey Vultures soaring 

 away far above. Towhees are frequent- 

 ly observed, with a few Bluebirds. 

 Several varieties of Gulls are plentiful 

 and a few Ducks are seen. While on 

 returning home by the same route, a 

 nest of the Osprey, placed on the 

 broken end of a pine stump about fifty 

 feet high is located; nest occupied last 

 season and is in repair for the present. 

 A little farther and we find Meadow- 

 larks by the dozen, probably not so 

 common later flying around over the 

 fields. Chimney Swifts are abundant, 

 having been arriving steadly from the 

 south for the last half month. 



R. P. Smithwick, 

 Norfolk, Va. 



From A Worcester, Mass., Newspaper. 



RIGHT OF SEARCH BILL IS BROUGHT 



INTO USE. 

 CLOSE TIME MENTIONED IN CHARGE. 



The right of search law passed at the 

 last session of the legislature was given 

 its first trial in Worcester yesterday, 

 when chief deputy John F. Luman of 

 Palmer and Deputy commissioners D. 

 F. Shea of Ware, and A. D. Putnam 

 of Spencer visited Charles K. Reed's 



