Nov., 1882.] 
AND 00L0G18T. 
Fresh Work in an Old Field. 
Akin to the joy a collector feels on find¬ 
ing a bird unknown to science or new to 
his section, is the pleasure of finding the 
nest and eggs of a Summer resident which 
has hitherto escaped his notice. It maj' 
have elnded us for years, but, once found, 
the chances are that we shall not now have 
imich trouble in taking it again and again. 
Each year the circle of oim observation 
grows narrower, but there wull always re¬ 
main some local desiderata to stimulate 
fiu'ther search. 
Six years I collected - before I found a 
Blue Yellow-backed Warbler’s nest. Since 
then, with their range and peculiarities 
known, I can take more of their eggs than 
of the common Summer Warbler. I have 
not foimd Rails breeding here until this 
season when, after special search, I took 
three sets of nine eggs each. Now, with 
their somewhat restricted habitat at my 
command, I can probably take their eggs 
every year if there is any use for them. 
Wilson’s Thrush is by no means the com¬ 
mon bird in Summer in Southern Connect¬ 
icut it is in Massachusetts and northward. 
Jnne 9, I found my first nest in the swamp 
on Groton Long Point. The pure emer¬ 
alds of the Thrush were dw’arfed by the 
presence of two lai'ge Cow-bird’s eggs. 
The nest was peculiar in being well raised 
from the ground by dry leaves stuffed into 
the uprights of a spoonwood cluiu]) which 
snugly supported the structure itself, thus 
corresponding in date and position with a 
Western type found by Dr. Cones near 
Pembina, Dacotah, on the Red River of 
the North. Three years ago I left an unde¬ 
termined set of Ground-building Warbler’s 
eggs because I could not shoot either par¬ 
ent. This year I took a nest and five eggs, 
identical with the others, in the same jilace, 
and secured the female by stealing njy hat 
over the nest. The bird proved to be a 
Nashville Wai’bler. The situation, the 
sunken nest with moss-covered lip flush 
with the surface, the color and markings 
178 
of the eggs, and all siarroundings, exactly 
coincide with the well-known description 
of this species by A. Allen, cojiied into 
“ Birds of the Northwest.” 
Thus the season of ’82 has narrowed my 
circle of local inquiry by three species 
which I had not positively foiuid breeding 
here before.— J. M. W., N'orwich, Conn. 
Rare Books.— John H. Sage, Portland, 
Conn., has added to his library an original 
coj^y of BonajDarte's continuation of Alex¬ 
ander Wilson’s works, in four volumes, 
and now very rare; also a copy of Dr. 
De Kaj^’s Birds of New York, in one large 
qiaarto volume. 
Purple Finch.— A friend of mine living- 
in this place has a vine covered jiiazza where 
the Chi^iping Sparrows build their nests 
every year. Last Summer some birds, 
which from my friend’s description I should 
unhesitatingly pronounce Purjile Finches, 
destroyed several of these Chipping-birds’ 
nests with their entire contents. I wish 
to enquire if any of our scientific observ¬ 
ers have ever known the highly-musical 
Purple Finch to do so disreputable an act ? 
Mr. Editor, why is this 1)ird (so generally 
known as the “ Red Linnet ”) called by or¬ 
nithologists and in ornithological works a 
“ Purple Finch ?”— (,'has. Edw. Prior. 
Jetrett (Jity. (Junn. 
The Bobolink, formerly very abundant 
in this locality, has hardly made an appear¬ 
ance the present season. I have seen but 
two or three pairs during the entire Sum¬ 
mer, where previously from seventy-five 
to one hundred pairs have nested. Their 
non-apiiearance has caused me to keep a 
sharp lookout for them, and in many mead¬ 
ows where they have been very common, 
not a single bird could be seen this season. 
What can have caused them to desert 
their old breeding grounds?— C. O. Tracy. 
Taftsville. Vt. 
[W’e have had an article in tyt)e for two months on this 
8nl>ject, hilt tile figures were given from memory and we 
were not sure of them, sotlie matter lays over until we liave 
time. The reason is patent, however, to those living on 
the New .Jersey marshes and the Delaware river and further 
South.—Ei).l 
