abundant at some springs, and others 

 not one is to be seen. 



Coliners virginianus (Linn.), Bob- 

 white. — These birds are very numerous 

 about here, in fact two or three coveys 

 may often be flushed in walking over an 

 old field. I found five nests of this 

 species last season, which contained, res- 

 pectively; fifteen, ten, thirteen and six- 

 teen, while the fifth I found not a half 

 an hour after the little and old ones had 

 left their nest. The first nest was 

 situated in the woods close by the side 

 of an old log, the second was placed 

 under the chock of a fence while the 

 third and fifth were made in bunches of 

 grass. The eggs were all nest stained. 



Meleagris gallopavo ( Linn.), Wild Tur- 

 key. — This splendid bird is met with 

 quite often in the thick woods and 

 swamps. I remember of seeing a flock 

 of some eighteen or twenty full grown 

 turkeys, and it was a sight to be long 

 remembered. Several people about here 

 have found Wild Turkey's eggs and put 

 them under a hen, but not with good re- 

 sults, for if. they hatch the little turkeys 

 would nearly always pine and die. 



Zenaidura macroura (Linn.), Mourn- 

 ing Dove. — These birds congregate in 

 flocks during the winter months, (for 

 protection I suppose) and when spring 

 opens they separate in pairs or trios to 

 breed. I have neverseen but two Dove's 

 nests. The first, was placed on a pine 

 limb forty feet high, and the other one 

 was in a deserted Green Heron's nest 

 without any repairing. The eggs were 

 two in number and varied in size. 



Oathartisaura(Linn.), Turkey Vulture. 

 — These birds are not by any means a 

 nuisance about here, and no land-scape 

 seems complete without them sailing 

 magestically about. I have never found 

 a nest, but am told that they breed in a 

 hollow log along Salmon Creek, an estu- 

 ary of Albermarle Sound. 



(To be continued.) 



J. W. P. SltflTHWICK, 



Sans Som-i, N. ('. 



A GROSBEAK TRIO. 



It seems that nature is loth to keep 

 shut deep within the tropics all her gems 

 of color and intricacies of form. She lias, 

 therefore, permitted some of her feath- 

 ered messengers of the seasons to beat 

 away from their winter homes some of 

 its luxuriant wealth of color, and lias 

 impressed upon them some of the 

 anatonical characteristics of denizens of 

 a tropic wood. 



Though the FringillidEe, of the United 

 States, are for the most part common- 

 place looking birds, yet in this family, 

 there are several members having highly 

 colored plumage and large beaks, sug- 

 gestive of a more southern clime, of 

 these birds the Grosbeaks, though well- 

 known, are of especial interest. 



The Cardinal, Rose-breasted, and the 

 Evening Grosbeak, form an interesting- 

 trio, since here, in Central Illinois, for 

 the most of the year we have two of them 

 present. The Cardinal, is a resident ex- 

 cept perhaps during the severest winters. 

 The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, next in 

 numbers, is here during migrations and 

 almost all summer. The Evening (Gros- 

 beak conies down from the North in 

 winter. 



In the northen part of the State, I am 

 told by collectors, the Cardinal, is by no 

 means common while in the southern 

 part the Evening Grosbeak does not 

 occur to my knowledge. I have seen 

 this bird only at a pointabout a hundred 

 and forty miles from the northern line, 

 during a stay of three months, and then 

 only a half dozen individuals. It. how- 

 ever, is a constant winter resident. 



The olive and yellow plumage of this 

 bird, excellently harmonizes with the 

 surrounding foliage of the pine and 

 other evergreen trees which it frequents, 

 though this winter this far has been one 

 of the mildest that has occurred for 

 years; the Evening Grosbeak had arrived 

 by the middle of October. Since, 1 have 

 been unable to be in the held this winter 



