no 
()RXITIIOLO(JIST 
lYol 7-No. 14. 
as the egfjs are laid, which, on the average 
amount to one a day, the female commences 
the trying duties of incubation. . . We 
haw never observed the male hi the vicinity 
of the nest during the day-time. . The peri¬ 
od of incubation is about twenty-four days. ’ 
Mr. Corey and I made daily observations 
of several nests of the Bam Owl with the 
view of determining these matters, with 
the following results: (1), Tlie eggs in 
every’ case were laid on alternate days ; (2), 
incubation invariably began soon after the 
first egg was deposited; and (3), in nearly 
every instance, both male and female were 
found occupying the nest-cavity, whether 
in the ground or in a hollow tree. Clods 
or stones thro\m against the bank near the 
nest usually brought out the male first, 
who was soon followed by the female, but 
often not until more clods had been thrown. 
Tlrat incubation begins before the full 
nest-complement has been completed is 
evident to any one who removes the con 
tents from a full set of eggs and notices 
the various stages of development reached 
by the embi’yos. So tme is this that it is 
imffbssible to blow a full set of these eggs 
with ecprallv’ small holes. The same fact is 
also shown by the great difference in the 
sizes of the nestlings. The period of in¬ 
cubation is twenty-two to twenty-four days. 
— /?. W. JUvermann, Bloomington, Ind. 
Least Bittern. 
In the O. and O. for February’, 1882. Mr. 
Guy C. Rich asks the question: “ Does 
the Least Bittern come as far north as forty- 
three degrees ? ” I can answer this in the 
affirmative, for I have before me a male of 
that species taken in September, 1880, 
near the mouth of Black River, a small 
stream which empties into the Bay of 
Fundy, about eight miles east of St. Johji, 
and a little north of forty-five degrees. 
.\nd this is not the only individual that 
has ventured thus far north, for between 
1877 and 1881 some five were captured 
within ten miles of this city.— M. Cham¬ 
berlain, St. Johns, K. It. 
Hints to Collectors. 
Nests made wholly of Usnea or North¬ 
ern Hanging Lichen, if kept in a cellar, 
will mould and disintegrate—falling in 
pieces at a to\xch in two years’ time. 
Remember and never neglect to rinse 
ever}’ specimen thoroughly wdth clean 
w’ater when blowing eggs. It is part of 
the operation. I recently examined a 
box of seventeen cpiails’ eggs, blown in 
1879 in the field, with no water near. 
Eveiy egg held insects, pupae, and excre¬ 
tions, and much labor and trouble was the 
consequence of not using proper precau-i 
tions at the right time. 
Tlie Brairie M'arbler returns yearly to 
its nesting-place in a hazel-bush or in a 
hazel and blackberry patch in dry pastures. 
Tlie Yellow’ 'Warbler uses no feathers, the 
Chestnut-sided 'Warbler not habitually, but 
the -‘Praii-ies” always, if any are to be 
found. I had one nest beautifully trimmed 
w’ith Quail’s feathers, but alas, it is not! 
Another lined w’ith feathers of the Indigo 
Finch, but alas for this also!—both de¬ 
voured by insects. Nests with sticks, 
leaves, grasses or cotton, can be preserved 
easily—and wool with a little care. Mosses 
fade and fall apart. But w’atchfulness does 
not alw’ays avail to keep feathers from the 
ravages of insects. Tlie homes of the 
Hirun dines are beautiful, but lousy. If 
forgotten for a while, they are liable to be 
destroyed. Tlie constant use of camphor 
and almost weekly baths of benzine or 
carbolic acid seem necessary. 
Hawks’ eggs can be blown with care and 
jiatience even if well incubated. But small 
eggs should be left in the nest if incuha 
tion has begun. Two sets of rare spar 
rows, taken hurriedly in ’81, proved to lie 
well incubated, and though there were nine 
eggs in all, I have nothing to show now 
but the nests. Blue-Yellow-Backed ^Nar 
bier’s eggs are esjiecially hard to blow if 
three days incubated. I have blown fifty 
fresh eggs of this M’arbler without a mis 
hap. but never succeeded in cleaning an 
