184 
ORNITHOLOGIST 
[Vol. 14-No. 12 
spring both sibkened and died. It was so 
sudden and so apparently from an unnatural 
cause that I was led to make a careful exam- 
ination. I noticed that there seemed to be a 
hard bunch in the lowe/ part of the throat, 
and the knife speedily revealed the secret. 
They had gone t» the /Isli heap and picked up 
small cinders; these /being rough had clogged 
up the passage aim/ they were unable to throw 
them off. It woulS be impossible to relate the 
many interesting things that I observed at the 
time. I never before or since have had my 
mind so mueli occupied by what seemed a 
higher order of life in birds than we usually 
observe than I did in fyie brief company with 
my two i/t't crows. \ XX 
DLOGIST 
Nesting of the White- throated 
Sparrow. 
As I am not aware that the nesting habits 
of this species (Zono trichi a albicollis) have 
been previously described in the pages of the 
O. ife 0. and as the habitat of this bird itself — 
at least in the summer season — appears to be 
rather locally confined, and its manner of 
nesting seems known to comparatively few, I 
assume that some of my observations on this 
matter, during the past season, may be inter- 
esting to many readers. 
Unlike the Song Sparrow (Melospizafasciata) 
the range of this species is confined to tracts 
of low, swampy ground, or the margins of 
brusli-littered woods, where there is an inter- 
mingling of low brushwood, creeping vines, 
tall grasses and fallen timber; but the half 
burnt swamps are its peculiar home, from the 
early days of April until the advent of autumn; 
and here through all the summer-time its clear, 
loud whistling song is among the most con- 
spicuous of all the bird melody that affects the 
otherwise unpleasing scenery. 
In the manner and position of its nest there 
is little difference between it and the Song 
Sparrow, except that the nest is nearly always 
placed upon the ground, generally sunk into 
it. The materials of which the nest is com- 
posed are also much the same, viz.: stalks of 
dry weeds, strips of fine, dry bark, dry grass, 
rootlets, and a small quantity of cattle, or 
horse hair. The set of eggs is usually four, 
although sometimes in the early season five 
are deposited, while later on, sets of three and 
two may be found undergoing incubation. Its 
nidification extends from the middle of May 
to the first week of August, but if not dis- 
turbed, it will probably not lay more than 
twice in the season, while if disturbed it will 
nidifv four or five times. 
[Yol. 14-No. 12 
saw very few' of the birds and found none of 
their eggs in any nest that I came across. 
George G. Cantwell. 
Lake Mills, Wis. 
[Seven of the sets above referred to by Mr. 
Cantwell, together with another set collected 
in a different locality, are now before me, and 
may be thus described: 
Set I. May 22, 1886, Huron, Dakota. Col- 
lected by E. S. Cheney. Nest, a hollow in the 
ground, lined with fine grass, placed beside 
manure on a hillside. Three eggs, incubation 
begun. Pinkish-white, speckled with burnt 
umber, and also veined with a few lines of seal 
brown: .78x.56; ,78x.54; .78 x .57. (This set 
is described in Davie’s Nests and Eggs, 1889, 
page 296.) 
Set II. May 23, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of bleached grass and weed stems, 
sunken flush with the surface of the surround- 
ing prairie. Four eggs, incubation begun. 
Greenish- white, spotted sparingly, but dis- 
tinctly, with clove brown. There are a few 
under shell markings of cinereous. The spots 
are evenly distributed all over the surface: 
.76x.5o; ,76x.55; ,73x.55; ,72x.54. 
Set III. May 23, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of bleached grass and weed stems, 
sunken flush with the surface. Four eggs, 
fresh. Greenish-white, speckled and spotted 
with Vandyke brown and seal brown, with a 
few under shell markings of cinereous. These 
spots are heaviest around the larger ends: .79 
x.55; .70x.55; .67x,54; ,67 x,54. 
Set IV. May 23, 1889, Lac-qui-Parle County, 
Minn. Collected by Geo. G. Cantwell. Nest 
composed of grass and weed stems, sunken 
flush with the surface of the surrounding 
plains. Four eggs, fresh. Light greenish- 
white, speckled and spotted all over the sur- 
face with burnt umber. There are also under 
shell markings of drab-gray, and a few vein, 
ings of seal brown: .77 x .57; .75 x .58; .75 x .58; 
.74 x .59. 
