12 



QUARTERLY BULLETIN. 



ping suddenly to the ground, it flew to a bush five or six yards 

 off, uttering a few low chirps, endeavoring apparently to con- 

 ceal itself. Not being able to identify the species I was obliged 

 to shoot, and it proved to be a female Dendrwca ccemlescens. 



The nest was located in deep woods, near the base of a hill, 

 which sloped down to a swampy run. It was built in a small 

 laurel, fA'aZmw latifolia), a fourth of an inch in diameter at the 

 base. About five inches from the ground tlie bush separated into 

 three branches, and in this triple fork the nest was situated. It 

 has a firm and compact appearance. External diameter, about 

 three inches ; internal, one and three-fourths inches ; external 

 depth, two and three-fourths inches ; internal, one and three- 

 fourths inches. Top of nest, seven and one-half inches high 

 from the ground. It is composed outwardly of wliat appears 

 to be the dry bark of the grape vine, with a few twigs and roots. 

 This is covered in many places with a reddish, woolly substance, 

 apparently the outer covering of some species of cocoon. The 

 inside is composed of small black roots and hair. The nest 

 contained four fresh eggs, of which the following is a descrip- 

 tion : — 



No. 1, ashy-white, with a ring of brown and lilac spots and 

 blotches around the larger end, and a few minute spots of the 

 same scattered over the entire surface. Precisely at the centre 

 of the large end is a small spot of deep umber : dimensions, .61 

 by .47. No. 2, white, with a slight tinge of green ; the larger 

 end covered with blotches and spots like No. 1 ; one side, near 

 the small end, shaded with the same, where there are also a 

 few small spots of dark umber: dimensions, .61 by .47. No. 

 3, ground color like No. 2 ; the larger end covered with blotches 

 of light brown and pale lilac ; a spot of dark umber near the 

 small end--dimensions, .64 by .50. No. 4, ashy-white, the lar- 

 ger end surrounded and nearly covered with spots of brown, 

 with minute spots of the same scattered over the entire surface 

 — dimensions, .66 by .60. 



The second nest I discovered on the 13th of the same month. 

 It was about eighty rods distant from the first, on level ground, 

 and near a piece of swampy land. The spot was somewhat shad- 

 ed by hemlocks ; the principal part of the forest trees being 

 oak and chestnut. 



While examining a nest of Virso olivaceus, I heard a faint 

 chirp slowly repeated, and, looking around, soon discovered in 



NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



13 



one of the hemlocks a bird which I felt sure was of the same 

 species taken a few days before. From her manner I felt 

 she had a nest not far distant, and remembering how closely the 

 other allowed me to approach before leaving her eggs, I conclu- 

 ded that I must have passed very near the nest of this bird ; 

 therefore retracing my steps, and looking carefully among the 

 bushes I soon discovered the object of my search. Desiring 

 that there should be no mistake about the species, I at once 

 went home, and, taking my gun, returned to the place. Approach- 

 ing cautiously I discovered her on the nest. She permitted 

 me to approach very near, and then, like the other, dropped 

 suddenly from the nest, and flew into the same hemlock in 

 which I first found her. After securing my bird I took 

 the eggs, but to my regret found that iacubation had proceeded 

 so far that it was impossible to save them. These — four in 

 number — ^were of a darker shade than the first set, but this was 

 evidently the result of incubation. They were also more spot- 

 ted, and the spots spread more generally over the entire surface 

 than in the other set. The nest was not so near the ground as 

 the first, the top being eleven and one half inches from it. It 

 was placed in a laurel, or more strictly speaking, in two laurels. 

 One of these lay horizontally in the fork of the other, and on 

 the horizontal one the nest was sot, held in place by being at- 

 tached on one side to the upright branches of the other. It is 

 constructed of the same materials as the first, excepting the 

 woolly substance on the outside, of which there are only two 

 small pieces. External diameter, three and one half inches ; 

 internal, one and seven-eighths inches ; external depth, two 

 inches ; internal, one and three-eighths inches. 



As will be seen, by comparison, the nest is much more flat 

 than the first, the result, undoubtedly, of its different situation 

 on a horizontal branch, while the other being in a narrow triple 

 fork, was necessarily narrower and deeper. Placed side by side 

 the two nests bear very little resemblance, and would hardly be 

 suspected of belonging to the same species. 



Bull. N.O.O. I, April, 1873. p. //-/3. 



