6 



THE COLLECTOR'S MONTHLY. 



of small beech where 3 branches started 

 out to make the top. They are invariably 

 composed of fine fibers from dead weeds, 

 lined with fine dead grasses, and often 

 fastened to the limb with webs. I have 

 never found any hair or feathers in the 

 lining as G. A. M. speaks of. Nests are 

 usually 2 inches by 3 inches, though 

 varying some especially in depth. The 

 eggs are invariably 4 if bird is not molest 

 ed by the Cowbird. but this enemy often 

 reduces the set to two of its own and 2 of 

 Redstarts, and I have found 3 eggs of 

 Cowbird and 1 of Redstart. I never 

 knew the Redstart to set on more than 

 4 eggs of any kind. The eggs look much 

 like the Yellow Warblers at first glance, 

 but are decidedly different when compar- 

 ed closely. The ground color is light 

 cream instead of bluish as in Yellow 

 Warbler and spots are more of a brown 

 than Warblers. Now Gr. A. M. speaks of 

 their nests and eggs disappearing after 

 he had visited them. With me they al- 

 most always leave the nest if they see me 

 investigating it, but have left many and 

 I never knew the nest to be removed ex- 

 cept where directly traceable to small boys 

 and in very few times were eggs molested. 

 They have generally been left to take 

 care of themselves. The bird will often 

 leave if a Cowbird leaves an egg before 

 she commences to lay. I have known of 

 one bird building 3 nests in the near 

 vicinity of each other, but she did not 

 use one nest to make the next. 



Ernest H. Short. 

 Chili, Monroe Co., N. Y. 



A Special Offer. 



(1.) "Our Birds in Their Haunts," is 

 not merely a book about birds, but a 

 complete treatise on the birds properly 

 belonging to Eastern North America; 

 sufficiently full in respect to their life 



history, with environment and habitat, 

 to be consecutively readable, and clear 

 enough in inscription to answer as a 

 hand-book for identification. 



(2.) As it is written from observation 

 which are the results of extensive travel, 

 it contains no small amount of informa- 

 tion not found in any other work cover- 

 ing the same field, especially in reference 

 to the habitats of the land birds and the 

 habits of the water birds on the great 

 bodies of fresh water in the interior. 



(3.) It makes oology a specialty. 

 Nothing in the science of birds has been 

 more charmingly interesting to the au- 

 thor, than the location, material and 

 structure of their nests, and the size, 

 form and color of the eggs. 



(4.) Readableness, that is, a philo- 

 sophical and lucid presentation of the 

 facts of nature, and a poetic coloring of 

 incidents in its relations to season and 

 scenery, has been a special study in mak- 

 ing the book. In other words, while en- 

 deavoring to be true to nature, the 

 pleasure of the reader has been particu- 

 larly consulted. 



The new edition now about to be is- 

 sued, will be in the same style as the 

 former, and will retail at |2.50; but all 

 orders — orders bona, fide simply, — com- 

 ing in before Feb. 15, 1892, will get the 

 book at fl.60, including postage. The 

 work, in 624 pages, is bound in cloth, 

 the paper and typography the very 

 best, 25 illustrations and of convenient 

 size — small octavo. All persons not sat- 

 isfied with the book can return it prompt- 

 ly and get their money back. 



Signed by the author, 



J. H. Langille, 



Kensington, Md., or Box 63, Smith- 

 sonian Institution, Washington, D. C. 

 Rev. J, H. Langille. — Dear Sir: 



The copy of "Our Birds in their Haunts'* you 

 sent me some days since, was duly received and 

 has been examined with pleasure and deep inter- 

 est. Considered as a popular " work its plan 



