To-day being the Lord's, and I being a good 



and faithful follower of his (nature' s) works, I 

 started off to secure the Ruby-crowned King- ' > 

 let nest. After cutting down the branch from 

 which the nest was suspended, I let my eagle 

 eyes roam around, when, lo and behold, I 

 spotted a pair of Golden- c rowned Kinglets_, 

 flitting about on a black spruce, about fifteen 

 yards distant. I got down my tree in a lively 

 manner, and was in time to see one of the 

 Kinglets fly into another black spruce, and as 

 she did not come out, I flitted up; consequence 

 was I started her off the nest. It was way 

 out on end of the branch, iinderneath (same as 

 the Ruby-crowned), so I had to crawl out and 

 All the nest up with wool, then I crawled me 

 back, cut oil the branch, and witli careful 

 work landed with the whole business safe on 

 the ground. The old hen still flitting about, 



I thought it best to gather her in, so putting a 

 few shot in my catapult (if you know what that 

 is), I brought her down. When I came to ex- 

 amine the nest, I found that it contained nine 

 eggs, seven of thera white marked with brown, 

 and two pure white. While I write this I 

 have both nests before me, and I wish to re- 

 mark that they are not built on a branch, as 

 described in Coues' key, but they are sus- 

 pended to the small little branches on twigs, 

 that shoot out from the main branch, and are 

 fully three to eight inches underneath the 

 main branch; the bottoms of the nests are not 

 fastened, nor do they touch a branch, but the 

 nests are fastened by the sides with moss to 

 the small branches; both are alike and both 

 were built on black spruce trees, about 18 feet 

 from the ground. The nests, outside, are 

 made with moss, such as grows on the ground, 

 and that hangs to the trees, and the insides 

 are nicely lined with feathers. You will see 

 them when you come on, and that I am cor- 

 rect in statement made. I am sorry now that 

 the Ruby-crowned changed her mind about 

 laying her eggs, after my spending several 

 days, watching her build the nest, as I might 

 have had the two kinds, but I hope to get one 

 yet. Harry Austen. 



XIV.^^. 1889 p. n- fy 



o.&o. 



Golden Crested Kinglet at Grand 

 Manan. 



HV CHA.S. II. AXDUO^. 



I include this species simply to nieiitioii a 

 nest taken by Mr. Cheney a short time before 

 our iirrivMl at his home. Though, undoubtedly, 

 nests have been taken since that found by Dr. 

 Brewer, his is the only authentic instance with 

 the exception of the incomplete set taken 

 by Dr. Northrup at Cai-iboii, Maine, which 

 enters into detail that I have yet seen in 

 any New England work. Mr. Minot's nest 

 found in New Hampshire, contained young. 

 My regret is that I did not more carefully note 

 the measurements and material which enters into 

 the make up of Mr. Cheney's nest. It is a beau- 

 tif nl piece of architecture, shaped much like the 

 home of t.lij3 Blue-gi-ey Gnat-catcher, but is 

 uincli larger and deeper. Internally, it is lined 

 with soft down and wool, and contains about 

 six cubic inches. From edge of nest to bot- 

 tom exteriorly, measures about five inches, and 

 the thickness of nest wall at top must be about 

 one-half inch. Externally, the nest is covered 



with green moss and decorated with a few 

 cobwebs and lichens, and unlike Mr. Carpen- 

 ter's nest was saddled to a spruce limb. It also 

 differs from his, being open at the top. The 

 wool is easily obtainable, sheep ranging at will 

 over the sparsely grown highlands. Though 

 supposed to be domesticated, the rams are 

 tough looking customers, and the whole flock 

 bore signs of cruel neglect, being sadly in need 

 of shearing when we met with them. The 

 wool collects on thorny bushes and shrubberry 

 in considerable quantities, and many birds take 

 advantage of the desirable material for a lining. 

 It is naturally coarse and poor, the sheep be- 

 ing obliged to shifc for themselves the year 

 round, and the many skeletons noticed testify to 

 their inability to withstand the exposure of the 

 rigorous winters. They are practically of no 

 use save tor .iiutton, the wool not attaining 

 fine even texture suitable for the market. But 

 to return to the kinglet's nest. It was taken on 

 or about .Tune 1st, and contained ten eggs of a 

 dingy white ground. The confluently dotted 

 crown presents the appearance of having come 

 in contact with a twirling motion to a finger 

 daubed with red chalk or ochre. The markings 

 being at first a heavy blotch and gradually 

 wearing down to a faint spot not wholly ob- 

 scuring the ground. The mark was invariably 

 confined to the crown, and was usually nearly 

 circular. Lack of tools prevented my taking- 

 measurements, which could not have failed to 

 have been of interest in a so rare and little 

 known variety. ^^r^^ 



0.&O. XII.Dec.l887 P.2i/;-a<?y. 



