1G4 
ORNITHOLOGIST 
[Vol. 7-No. 21 
ORNITHOLOGIST 
—AND— 
OOLOGIST. 
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO 
THE STUDY OF BIHDS, THEIR NESTS AND EGOS. 
JOS. ,W. WAIiE, EIUTOR, 
With the co-operation of able Ornithological 
Writers and Collectors. 
Subscription—$1.00 per annum. Foreign subecrip- 
tion $1.25 —including poetage. Specimen 
Copies Ten Cents. 
JOS. M. WADE, Norwich, Conn. 
Rose Breasted Grosbeak. — “Jack” is 
this month, July, four years old, and is in 
fine plumage, except the tail which has 
again broken oflf without any perceptible 
reason. The rose-colored breast and the 
black head and back are very distinct and 
dense in shade. He commenced his song 
December 23, and has continued with little 
intenuission so far, and is as healthy to¬ 
day as any ^vild bird. 
AVe gave part of the life history of this 
bird in confinement in No. 9, A^ol. vi, to 
which we refer onr new readers. The lady 
who brought “Jack” up made her usual 
annual visit this month, and as a matter of 
curiosity we an-anged to be present at the 
meeting. The cage in which “Jack” is 
confined is a large one, giving him all the 
room required for comfort. As soon as the 
lady came in sight, “ Jack ” sjirang across 
the cage to meet her, and when she called 
him by name he was wld with delight, 
filling the cage as it were and singing the 
sweetest notes imaginable all the while she 
was present. And this has been repeated 
ever}- time the lady goes near the cage, 
and he recognizes her at sight, no matter 
what the dress might be or how it might 
be changed. This has been continued now 
for three Summers in succession and one 
AVinter. No bird receives better care than 
this one, and he is continually petted and 
yet to no one but the lady that raised him 
does he ever make such a display of his 
aft’ections. 
- —= -: ... .g 
RA^^:N’s Nest. —Since the 23d of Feb- 
niaiT, 1880, we have kept an English Ra¬ 
ven which has not been confined but had 
its liberty to go where it pleased, but it 
has never straj-ed far from its home. For 
the past year we have residetl on Laurel 
Hill, near the centre of Norwich City. The 
east side of this lull is a Avooded, rocky 
precipice, about two hundred feet deep 
and one or two hundred yards in extent. 
Nature could not have made a jilace more 
suitable to the habits of this bird, and dur¬ 
ing the present month of July we have dis¬ 
covered that it has built a perfect nest in 
every respect. It is of the same materials 
throughout and a perfect counterjiart of a 
Crow’s nest only it is somewhat larger. 
This nest is near the uiijAer surface of the 
precipice on a large flat ledge of rock and 
covered by another similar rock. The nest 
cannot be seen either from above or below. 
AA’^e ahvays supposed this bird to be jiin- 
ioned, but we have seen it make circling 
flights of fifty to one hundred yards. 
AAliether it is male or female, we know not. 
Jako has led quite an interesting and 
amusing life while in our possession, which 
we would tell had we the room to do so. 
CowBniD. — Charles Ed. Prior, Jewett 
City, Conn., reports a Sparrow’s nest on the 
ground which contained four Sparrow’s 
eggs and three of the Cowbird. 
Dr. H. A. Atkins. Locke, Ingham Of)., 
Alich., writes as follows : 
June 1. — Cowbird laid an egg in the 
nest of a AA’ood Thrush which then con 
tained two eggs. At 3. p. m. the AVooil 
Thrush laid another egg, four in all. I 
have never found the Cowbird’s egg in a 
nest of so large a binl before 
June 2. — .\t 10 a. m. found nest of 
Golden-crowned Thrush with two eggs 
and three of the Cowbird. (five in all.) 
Broke the eggs and found them partially 
incubated. One of the eggs was nearly 
spherical. I think I have once or twice in 
my life found three Cowbird’s eggs in the 
same nest. 
