Birds, 



6783 



edged with gray. Legs and toes of a dull lead-colour, claws black. 

 Female equals the male in size, but the colours are less bright, and 

 there is no appearance of red about the head, and but one bar of 

 black on the wing ; and the black spots towards the base of the quills 

 are small and irregular, and on some of the feathers there are none 

 w r hatever. There is also more gray about the back, and on the mar- 

 gins of the primaries and lateral tail-feathers. The old birds took 

 shelter in the hollow trunk of a tree. The nest was in a decayed 

 branch, at no great height, the hole comparatively small and perfectly 

 circular. 



Song Sparrow (Fringilla melodia). August 1 6th. Was shown the 

 nest of a little bird, which proved to be that of this species ; it was 

 placed in the forked branch of a willow, at three feet from the ground; 

 it contained three spotted eggs, greatly resembling those of the house 

 sparrow, but not so elongated ; the nest (subsequently examined) is 

 roughly and loosely put together ; externally it is of coarse grass, 

 with a considerable admixture of shavings arranged in alternate 

 layers ; internally it is composed of finer grasses, with a thin and 

 partial lining of horse- hair at the bottom. Though the concavity is 

 perfectly even and circular, externally the nest is somewhat elongated 

 or pear-shaped, in consequence of the straws being for the most part 

 so arranged that, after passing round the nest, all the ends are brought 

 together both from the sides and bottom, forming an acute angle, the 

 whole having the appearance of a racket. Internal diameter Sc- 

 inches, and it measures about 4j inches externally not including the 

 projecting angle ; it is inch in depth internally, and about 3j inches 

 externally. On the 81st examined oneof the young ones, w r hich I found 

 had recently left the nest, though barely twelve days hatched ; it was 

 running swiftly about, but could not rly. Probably in consequence of 

 being disturbed, this bird may, with the rest, have left the nest pre- 

 maturely ; it was, however, strong and active, so that I had some dif- 

 ficulty in capturing, and still more in retaining it in my hand, for un- 

 less tightly pressed it was sure to escape, and run mouse-like through 

 the long grass, and its screeching soon brought both parents to the 

 rescue. The male approached within a few yards of me, running and 

 fluttering about with expanded wings and tail, emitting the while a 

 sharp and angry note. The mouth of the nestling was of a purplish 

 hue, as if stained by berries. This is a most common species. 



American Night Hawk {Caprimulgus americanus). August 26th. 

 Procured a handsome male of this common species. (For description 

 see Zool. 5798). 



