lS(w. 1889.] 



ATO OOLOGIST. 



109 



bank of the Lac-qui-parle River about ten miles 

 from Madison. Here was quite a growtli of 

 timber along the stream. In the top of a tall 

 elm I saw a large hawk nest: presently a large 

 bird left it, and as it lit on a limb I identified 

 it as Krider's Red-tail, the light colored wes- 

 tern form. 1 tried a shot at it but it was out 

 of range. Upon climbing the tree a set of 

 three eggs were found in the nest, not unlike 

 tliose of our common horealis, but they con- 

 tained live birds and could not be saved. The 

 s une day I took a set of four Marsh Hawks. 



On May .'30th I saw a fine male I^apland 

 Longspur, thus making three species of Long- 

 spurs observed in the county. I was in hopes 

 of finding Baird's Savannah Sparrow, but did 

 not. The western forms of (irass Finch and 

 Night Hawk were noticed. The Horned Larks 

 seemed to have much more of the pink suffus- 

 ion over the plumage than do specimens from 

 Minneapolis. 



During my stay I was surprised at the large 

 number of birds killed by flying against the 

 telegraph wires. Although I was on the tracks 

 very little of the time I found no less than six 

 Ducks, two Field Plover, one Pectoral Sand- 

 piper, and one Marsh Hawk killed by the wires, 

 and on my way home 1 saw a Meadow Lark 

 strike itself and fall as limp as a rag. Tliink 

 of the large number that must have been 

 hidden by the grass that 1 did not see. The 

 section man assured me that in the fall it is 

 no uncommon occurrence to find five or six 

 dead Duck and Prairie Chickens along the 

 track on his section, and that rarely a day 

 passes that he does not find one or more. The 

 Marsh Hawk mentioned I found hanging to 

 the wire by his wing, which was broken and 

 wiapped several times around it. 



A Wood Duck had struck the wire fidl in 

 the breast with such force as to sever the neck 

 and lay the back open from side to side a dis- 

 tance of three inches. Think of the tliousands 

 that are killed in this way in the prairie re- 

 gions, instances of which are too often laid 

 at the collector's door by people who don't 

 know any better. 



Well, on May Mist I got my traps together 

 and started for home, arriving safely, well 

 pleased with my delightful trip. 



George G. CanfweU. 



Miniieapcilia, Minn. 



Now is the time to renew your subscription 

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 intend to renew, and you will not be annoyed 

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Nesting of the Louisiana Water 

 Thrush in 1889 at Raleigh, N. C. 



This year we have found six nests of the 

 Louisiana Water Thrush (Siuriif: motacilla). 

 viz.: Three which gave us sets of five eggs 

 each, one which gave us a set of four, one 

 which was never used, and one which the 

 young had just left. Two of the nests were 

 found by flushing the bird from the nest, and 

 four by careful inspection of suitable localities. 



The nests were placed above running water 

 in the side of a steep bank, being always shel- 

 tered above by overhanging roots or the pro- 

 jecting bank, and their height above the water 

 varied from three to five feet. 



The nests were from three hundred yards to 

 nearly a mile away from their feeding grounds, 

 and were found in just the situations I ex- 

 pected from reading Mr. McLaughlin's article 

 last year. His description of the nests also 

 applies. The dates of sets were as follows: 

 April 29, set of five, fresh; April :30, set of five 

 good-sized embryos; May 2, set of five, fresh; 

 and May 14 set of four, small embryos. This 

 was the second laying of the first set found 

 April 29. a S. lirlmley. 



Raleigh, N. C. 



Nesting of the American Woodcock 

 in North Carolina. 



On March 29, 1889, a young friend of mine 

 was returning home from fishing and had just 

 started up a sloping hillside covered with bush- 

 es, that led down to the creek bottom, when his 

 bird dog came to a dead stand. On investigat- 

 ing the matter he flushed a female woodcock 

 (Phllohela minor) from her complement of four 

 eggs. Overjoyed at his find he brought the 

 eggs home to us, two in each hand, and we 

 were equally glad to receive them, and to re- 

 ward him for his kindness. 



The nest was a mere depression on a hill- 

 side leading from the pine woods to creek 

 lowlands, and close by a lane leading up the 

 hill from the creek meadows. The eggs 

 were about three-quarters incubated, but we 

 saved them with some trouble. 



The Woodcock is a rare resident about here, 

 although sometimes abundant in their migra- 

 tions. I suppose about a dozen pairs may nest 

 in this neighborhood. C. S. Brimley. 



Raleigli, N C. 



