()KNITHOL( )GIST 
[Vol 7-No. 21 
H)2 
way np the other one left, and by their 
violent movements we were satisfied it 
contained egfi^s, which proved to be 
the case, for on reacliinf^ the nest, which 
was near the top of a yonn«- hemlock tlnrty 
feet from the "round, close to the main 
trunk, on the east side, we found five pure 
white egg’s, which we placed in a soft felt 
hat, and the hat carefully between our 
teeth, but we fear we was Just a little 
cruel in prolonging the suspense of the 
poor birds, for it was interesting to watch 
their rapid movements, as ^vith ears de¬ 
pressed and head feathers raised, and 
squealing pitifully like young cats in dis¬ 
tress, they flew as close to our head as it 
was prudent for them to do, snapping 
their bills the while. The nest was ev¬ 
idently built on that of a Night Her¬ 
on’s, and was quite shallow but firmly 
built of grass. There were considerable 
feathers, but whether they were placed 
there as a lining to the nest, or came from 
the quary consumed, we could not tell. 
Since the eggs were taken we have not been 
able to find the old birds. They evidently 
at once left that part of the woods. The 
following is the measurements of the five 
eggs taken from this nest; l.-'inx 1.32, 1.59 
Xl.32, 1.(52x1.37, 1.05x1.3.5, 1..58X1.31. 
Within a stone’s throw of this nest we 
took two others, a Cooper’s Hawk and a 
Crow, both with full fresh sets. This her¬ 
onry was fully occupied in 1878, but sev¬ 
eral sportsmen ? went and shot the birds 
for “ fun ” while breeding, one bringing to 
touTi and -jilacing in a row for the curious 
to examine sixteen birds at one time. The 
action of these so-called siiortsmen we 
severely condemned at the time in our lo¬ 
cal ]m])er. and we do not think the act has 
been repeated. The Herons, however, left 
for safer quarters, and not many beside the 
writer know of their whereabouts. 
.Vpril 10, 1881. We visited the same 
locality in hopes that the Long-eared 
Owls had retunied, but instead we found 
a ))air of Hai red Owls. 
Savannah Sparrow. —I think that part of 
the article on this species, in the Sejitem- 
ber number of this magazine, is rather 
misleading, at least my observations in 
New Brunswick would suggest a different 
report, for while it is tnie that these birds 
seem to have a strong liking for the sea 
shoi’e, the inference that they are not found 
elsewhere is not correct. In the vicinity of 
the Bay of Fundy they certainly build their 
nests nowhere else than in a marsh or field 
close by the salt water, and they are found 
in field or marsh along the river bank, 
where the water is brackish, but they are 
also found all along the banks of the St. 
•John river, from Fredericton to Fort Kent, 
the latter place being some 250 miles or 
more away from salt water. They are also 
quite common in the fields bordering Grand 
Lake and Washademoak Lake into which 
no salt water enters.— Jf. Charnherlain. 
Wilson’s Black Cap. ( Wihnnia pusilla.) 
—In “New England Bird Life” it is writ¬ 
ten of this species: “ In female and young 
birds the black cap is obscure or wanting.” 
My friend, Fred. Daniel, shot one at 
Madawaska, on .Tune 13th of this year, 
with a crown of as deep black as is usually 
found on the male, but which, upon exam¬ 
ination, ju'oved to be a female. One egg 
was about ready to be laid, and upon open¬ 
ing it with my knife there was disclosed 
the yolk and white in jierfect condition. — 
M. Chdriiherhtitr, St. Jo/nt, X. B. 
Bank Swallows Drowned. — Query.— 
Haywards, Cal., -June 21, ’82. — Dear Sii': 
In your .July No. you have a note on p. 141 
ns to the drowning of swallows in their 
burrows in May. How does this b(*nr on 
the numerous accounts of their being found 
in the mud in winter and reriving? If 
they were so found was it from sliding 
down of the banks, and temjiorarv' suffoca¬ 
tion ? How long will they live buried in 
loose sand ? I suggest tliese subjeids for 
exjierimenters.. — ./, <i. (^oofn’r. 
