South Fkamingham.— One of your circulars I 

 has the statement that yon would like "par- 

 ticulars in taking rare specimens," 



To-day's egging was rewarded by a "find" 

 of nest and four fresh eggs of the Golden- 

 winged Warbler, {Ilelminthopharja chry-Hoptera), 

 and it seems to mo that the bird is uncommon 

 enougli, as a New England breeder, to make 

 an interesting item. 



The female was flushed from her nest and 

 shot. The nest itself was placed at the base 

 of a few alder shoots (upright between the 

 stems), and at the edge of a low thicket of 

 new growth oaks and maples in a very open 

 spot. Outwardly the cup-shaped nest was 

 loosely built with dead loaves and within of 

 coarse grasses and grape-vine bark, with a 

 lining of fine, dry gras.'^es. The resemblance to 

 the Yellow-throat's nest is complete. 



The eggs are of the size of a Redstart's, 

 white, with small dots of reddish and a few 

 points of Vandyke brown, collected at the 

 larger end, but not forming a, distinct ring. 



I have found two sets of eggs of Guiraca 

 ludovicianux, one of Turdua muatelinns, and a 

 nest of Black and White Creeper (to-rtay), with 

 three young and an egg ready to liatcli, which 

 I saved in halves. 



Have found an uncompleted nest of a Vireo 

 which, from its small size, I think must be the 

 Solitary (or 'blue-beaded'). 



A set of five almost pure white Bluebird's 

 eggs (fi-esh) was a curiosity secured a few days 

 ago. — [F. E. Coombs. 



Nest and Eggs of the Golden-winged Warbler {Helminthophila ckry- 

 soptera). — This bird selects a semi-swampy situation, overgrown with 

 bushes, in which to nest. It commences to build the last of May or first of 

 June. The nest is placed on the ground, and is supported laterally by 

 three or four bushes situated from four to five inches apart. It is com- 

 posed externally of dry leaves placed edgewise, and well lined with fine 

 bark fibres, interspersed with a few coarse hairs. The nest when finished 

 measures, inside, three and one-half to-four inches in depth, and one and 



sides are nearly pai 

 ncealed by the o\ 



llel, only 

 rhanging 



one half to two inches in diameter; the 

 slightly contracted above. It is well c 

 bushes and leaves. 



■ The eggs (four or five in number) mi 

 smallest .46 X .62. The average is within 



white, sparingly sprinkled and blotched with light reddish bi 

 on the greater end. 



I have found but two nests, one, which had young, July 17 

 I'discovered while the birds were building. When secured, June 10, it 

 contained five eggs, one of which was a Cowbird's. 



Mr. B. F. Goss of Pewaukee has, in his magnificent collection, thirteen 

 nests, containing between fifty and sixty eggs — all taken by one collector 



in the town of .Summerfield, Monroe County, Michigan. I doubt if all the 

 nests together of this Warbler previously found equals this number. 

 —P. R. Hoy, M. D., liaciut-. Wise. 



e: the largest, .52 X .70; 

 ;tionof .50 X 68; they are 



other 



Auk, 2, Jan., 1886. p. /02^ /03 . 



0.*0. 15. JuIt.1890. p, ///. 



NESTING OP THE GOLDEN- WINGED W AJUH^En (UELMINTm 

 PBAGA CIIRYSOPTERA), IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

 BY J. WARE EN. 



_ Of all our warblers there are few that surpass the Golden 

 wing in elegance of plumage. Though comparatively commoi 

 with us during the spring migrations but few appear to remai. 

 to breed, and yet our State has been considered about its north, 

 ern l,„.t on this coast. They arrive in eastern Massachusetts 

 Irom the second to the third week in May, when they are verv 

 active fl.tting through the trees and young growth, dili<.ently 

 searching for their food, which consists of hisects and th^ir ll. 

 v«., occasionally giving vent to a rather loud, peculiar and un- 

 m.s akab e song, which, though not so musical as that of most 

 of the other individuals of this family, is very pleasing. The 

 Golden-w.ngs do not seem to confine themselves whollv to 

 swampy situations, as is usually stated, but are sometimes found 

 on iHgl^er ground quite remote from such places. They pair 

 t";rT°^'"^' commence to build from the 'latter 

 pait of May to the first of June. The first authentic nest found 



aqi 0% lueM I •q'^Tjd ^juo pp we jo 9aiii90 gq; ui paiijgii^ 

 Aisg uoos eqg •;Cpsoio qo^UM 05 oui paonpui ^S3U .laq Suipuij jo 

 ^qSnoq'} eqj, -qinora .raq ui ssis.iS jo opi3|q i.Tp ao as.t3.iis ipras b 

 p80i!)on I uaqM 'qooqs o^ !)noqi3 sba i unS aui jo aizznra m\% jo 

 !)89j QA\2m uiqiiAi .leiq.iUjVi paSniA^-fspiof) u avbs 'saqo-uq siiqM, 

 ipnis qgno.iq^ apismq n dn gupucAi stsas. i sb 'gigl '^^M 

 yJtjp qi5g aqi jo guuuooi oq? ai K\x\}9 'gaiiaenoo %\\o aHHAV " 

 : iBuanof s.auMox "-iM raoaj ^013.15x8 uis si guiMojioj 9qx 



■qgg.Tj aipb si3M gpis-jno ono aq:^ auq* 'pa^uqnoui 

 .ifliqSns 1S9U aqi va sSSa aq^ jo \\%o^ -puiqaq ipds siq 



JO japuiBtua.! aqi gujAua^ '^sau aqi pa-^inb 'sp.nq aq^ iq pajpui 

 -^B gupq puB 'sMBio siq q^iM uaqs aq^ Sui^juaojiad 'jaq^ouB ^no 



sparsely spotted on the larger end, aud measured respectively, 

 .69X.53, .68X.51, and .65x.49. One of them was out of the nest, 

 and had three small holes close to each other on the upper side, 

 through whicli a little of the albumen had leaked out and dried. 

 1 cannot with certainty account for this, as I feel quite positive 

 that no other person had ever molested the nest, but think that 

 a squirrel, or oilier rodent, had eaten one of the eggs, pulled 



