44 Bulletin of the 



from her two eggs, and two newly hatched young. The nest was about 

 thirty feet up and the lowest in the herony. While most of the party were 

 busy with the herons, I spent some hours watching a pair of Yellow-bellied 

 Sapsuckers {Sphyrapicus varius.) They continually went the rounds of all 

 suitable nesting sites, but always within the boundaries of the herony. I 

 finally concluded they would occupy a dead birch or elm stub. My last trip 

 was May 30, and made especially to look up the sapsujkers. They were at 

 home in the elm which was about forty feet high, and between two lar.uc ash 

 trees occupied by heron-* nests. The cavity was seven inches deep and tiiree 

 by five in diameter, and the entrance just one foot below the stub top. It 

 contained six slightly incubated eggs. I saw no sapsuckers elsewhere in the 

 woods, and am positive no crows were breeding except the pair in the colony.* 

 Thus concludes my experience with this much persecuted and very in- 

 teresting community of herons. It is useless to lament the wholesale slaugh- 

 ter as extermination is far in advance of adequate protection. From more 

 than two hundred nests on the first visit it has decreased to forty,* but as the 

 bird> are now thoroughly acquainted with man's wonton cruelty let us hope 

 for a brighter future. 



Detroit. Mich. 



I would not credit to socialistic tendency the presence of the five species found nest- 

 ing. Surroundings most congenial to their tastes might have been the cause, hut I am in- 

 clined to the opinion of protective influence. It is certain no safer site could have been 

 chosen, as among the big herons and nests these lesser people escaped notice except from 

 prying oological eyes. The discovery of these crows caused the most surprise, as hringing 

 into association the two reverses — herons nest in communities, hut are otherwise more or 

 less solitary, while crows do not nest in colonies, but otherwise are more or less gregarious. 



Since writing the above I have visited the three colonies for 10h.°>, with the following 

 results: Huron River. •"> nests: River Rouge, 1 nest; Clarkston, 19 nests, exclusive of 5 

 in the old herony. Some 'ntercstint; data was secured for future use. 



