4" 



THE BAY STATE OOLOG1ST. 



shy, or manifests much alarm at the approach of human kind, and when incuba- 

 ting the female will remain upon the nest until she may be caught, or almost 

 trodden upon before she flushes. When nesting or incubating, she remains very 

 quiet, so that the nest might be within a few feet, and yet the person not be aware 

 of the bird's existence ; but as soon as the young begin to assume their nesting 

 plumage, the old birds soon betray their nesting place by their noisy notes. 



The nesting sites of this species are much similar to those of the Slate colored 

 junco, and Connecticut Warbler, being either in the root of a fallen tree, or the 

 side of a small bank, or root of a bush, or some other partially covered spot, 

 somewhat like that of the Oven-bird. This is generally formed of some fine mat- 

 eriels, as dry leaves, bits of moss, fibres of bark, fine, dry grass, rootlets, and dif- 

 ferent kinds of hair. The set of eggs numbers four or five: these are of a creamy - 

 white hue, dotted around the larger end with a circle ot pale reddish-brown spots. 

 In size they average .63X. 53 inches. The bird itself is about five inches in length. 

 The plumage on the upper parts is black and white, in alternate specks. The 

 lower parts are white, the tail is spotted, and the wings are barred. 



The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. 



(A series of sets. ) 



HY J. W. JACOBS, WAYNESBURG, PA. 



The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerula), is quite common in this locality, 

 although its nest is hard to find, owing to its close resemblance to mossy knots, 

 which abound on the limbs of trees in which it breeds. I found my first nest of 

 this species for 1887, on May 7th. It was placed in a sort of slanting fork, about 

 twenty feet from the ground, and was composed ot bits of wool, grass, moss, etc., 

 covered on the outside with small bits of lichens, stuck on with cobweb, and 

 was lined with small stems and fine grasses. It contained three eggs of a pale 

 green color, thickly covered with small specks of brownish and blackish red. 

 Average measurement, .56X.37 inche>. 



