TIIK SUNNY SOUTH OoLOGIST. 



larfje enouo;li to admit the hand. Some- 

 times the nest is placed among the roots of 

 a fallen tree, or under an overhanging 

 bank; sometimes it is built on the side of 

 a projecting rock, but under all circum- 

 stances, it is very near some clear, dash- 

 ing stream. The eggs, generally three, 

 occasionally four or perhaps even five, 

 are of a clear vi^hite color ; their shape is 

 rather elongate and pointed, measuring a 

 fraction over an inch in length, by some- 

 what less than three-fourths of an inch in 

 breadth. Gordon D. Peakce. 



Estes Park, Colorado. 



[For the Sunny South Oologist.] 



THE BLUE GROSBEAK. 

 {Guiraca ccerulea.) 



It don't always pay to be too positive, 

 I have taken many nests of the above 

 species and until the season of It-^o 

 never found one that did not contain the 

 essential (?) cast of snakeskin. From this 

 I reasoned that it would always be found 

 in the nest of this species. My -'positive- 

 ness" was staggered, when on iNIay 11 th, 

 1885, I found a nest without the Snake- 

 skin and again on the 23d, when I took 

 another nesl also minus the Snakeskin. 



The last mentioned nest, by the way 

 has a history; I found il on the morning 

 of the 14t'h when the birds had just 

 commenced buildings; it was placed in 

 a small peach tree about twenty feet 

 from my door, as I was desirous of learn- 

 ing all I could about the nidification, 

 habits, etc. of this bird. I devoted a page 

 of my notebook to this pair. The nest was 

 commenced on the 14tli, the female doing 

 all the work, the male perched in a tree 

 close by uttering his sharp nervous 

 ''chep." The nest was finished eaily on 

 the morning of the 16th nn egg deposited 

 every morning on the 17th, 18th, 19th and 

 2()th. and on the last mentioned day the 

 fomale commenced incubatino-. the mule 

 was never very far off. ''Things went 

 merry as a marriage bell." until the 'iod, 

 when hi-aring a great huobub amongst 

 the chickens I piik^d up my gun and 

 stepped, oat as I thonght there might 

 be a hawk about. A Swallow-tailed 

 Kit3 was snling overhei^cl and as I 



stood watching him he suddenly closed 

 his wings and straight as an arrow from 

 the bow he made for the tree wherein 

 Mr. and Mrs. Grosbeak had home- 

 steaded. I saw the friMitened Grosbeak 

 try to escape, but it had scarcely got clear 

 of the tree before the Kite had her in his 

 talons and was winging his way towards 

 the bottoms. Thus endedeth the tale. 

 The eggs are now in my collection. 



J. A. Sing LEY, Giddings, Tex. 



[For the Sunny South Oologist.] 



NESTING OE WHITE EYE OR FLORIDA 

 TOWHEE. 



• (Pipilo erythroptlialmus, var. alleni.) 



There is a very great contrast between 

 the Red-eye and White-eye Towhee in 

 their nesting, to almost take them to be 

 two different species of birds, instead of 

 only a varieties of same species. The 

 Red-eye I have never found except on 

 the ground in a bunch of briers, grass, or 

 bushes, with the nest covered over on 

 top, while the White-eye cliifley builds 

 on young pine trees from three to ten 

 feet liioh, with nest uncovered, the nest 

 cannot be recoi^nized from the vellow 

 breasted Chat, unless the bird is seen 

 leavins' the nest. The eo^os of the 

 White-eye are also smaller than the Red- 

 e3^e, also much lighter in color, and the 

 mark-ings not so distinct. On May 

 18th, 1885, I found one with three fresh 

 eggs in a pine tree three feet from the 

 gi'ound, found several with incubation 

 too far advanced to lake, also several 

 with young in dillerent stages. We have 

 both Red-eye and White-eye Towhee 

 breed here; they both breed twice in 

 the season ; our season for collecting 

 will soon commence, as Owls, Hawks, 

 Nuthatches, and a few others will com- 

 mence in February to build. 



G. Noble, Savannah, Ga. 



January 2 1st, 1886. 



Exchaimes and Wants. 



l^rief exolmiiL'e or ^vant notices, not exceeding: 

 thirty words, will 1 e in-s^erted free in this column to 

 i<ul)scril)crs only. Voticcs over thirty words will be 

 ch;ir<:ed attheVateof one-half cent per word. To 

 outsiders, 25 c^nts for each insertion, cash with ord^r. 



