460. Mourning Dove. (C). Breeds May 1st to June 30th (2 broods). Nests
found remote from man, in silent places.
480. Bobwhite. (C). Breeds May 20th to June 30th. Nests on the ground in
field or pasture.
494. Green Heron. (C). Breeds May 10th to June 10th. Nests placed in
large trees, sometimes in orchards near swamps.
516. Killdeer. (C). Breeds June 1st to 15th. Eggs placed on ground (no
nest), on a slope near water.
557. Spotted Sandpiper. (C). Breeds June 1st to 15th. No nest. Eggs
placed on the ground, on a slope near water.
The Rails breed plentifully on New Jersey coast, but sparsely in
Pennsylvania.
613. Summer Duck. (R). Breeds May to June 15th. Nest placed in hollow
tree near water.
In filling out the above data, I have omitted several species which
occasionally breed here.
Harry G. Parker.
Chester, Delaware Co., Pa.
Nesting of the Long-eared Owl.
(ASIO AMERICANUS)
For the Sunny South Oologist:
It was on the bright spring morning of April 25, 1885, that a friend and
myself started for the big woods in search of hawks’, crows’, etc.,
eggs.
We first went to a crows’ nest we found building the Saturday before,
and were most fortunate in securing 3 fresh eggs. This was comparatively
a good find, owing to the scarcity of that bird in this locality.
We next made our way to a tammerac swamp, and on the edge we went a
little out of our way to look at an old crow’s nest that we knew of, for
mere curiosity sake. In the center of the nest two prongs poked out and
we thought they were two sticks sticking up; but, to be sure, my friend
kicked on the tree, and to my great joy the two prongs moved. At this my
friend began to climb the tree, and when about half way up, a large
yellowish-brown bird flew sluggishly off the nest, and I could see it
was an owl, but what kind I was uncertain. When he reached the nest and
shouted down there were 5 eggs in it, I was so excited that I went up
and helped him down with them, although there was no need of it. They
were of a clear white, and almost globular in form, and measured about
1.60 x 1.40 inches. We imagined them to be all kinds of owls, and were
very anxious to find out what they were.
We hunted around now until noon and then sat down by a spring and ate
our dinner, which we had brought with us. After a little “lounge” in the
sun after our meal, we started out again, and by 3 o’clock p. m., had
found nothing but last year’s nests. About 3:30 we came to another
tammerac swamp, and in the center there was an old marsh hawk’s nest I
was acquainted with, and we made for it, thinking there might be an
owl’s nest in it, and you may imagine my delight at seeing the same kind
of horns sticking up in the center. This nest was only about 7 feet from
the ground, and as soon as I kicked the tree the owl flew off and lit on
a limb close by, and I identified her as being a long-eared owl. I
regretted that I did not have my gun with me, or I would have had her
this day all mounted. I climbed the tree, and in the nest found four
more eggs just like those in the first nest, and now our minds were
lightened.
As it was getting time to be going home, we started, and on arriving,
blew our eggs and found them to be fresh; and one of the sets now glow
in the collection of the editor of this paper.
I have found several sets besides this, and know of others being found
around here, and they invariably occupy other birds’ nests.
Geo. G. Cantwell,
Minneapolis, Minn.
The Road-runner; Chaparral Cock.
(GEOCOCCYX CALIFORNIANUS).
For the Sunny South Oologist:
This species (which may be described as a rather long tail with a small
bird on the “for’ard” end of it) occurs rarely in this locality.
Ornithologists generally give the number of eggs in a set as “6 to 9.” I
had previously taken several sets, containing from two to four eggs; and
finding a nest with two eggs on May 8th, 1885, I concluded to give the
bird a chance to fill out the set. The nest was placed in the bushy top
of a small black-jack oak, about twelve feet from the ground. It was a
bulky structure 16 inches in diameter, 5 inches in depth, and nearly
flat on the top—not more than an inch deep, built of large sticks,
twigs, and weeds in the lining. I visited the nest on the 9th and 10th,
and although the bird was “tu hum” every time, the set had not increased
any in number. During the 11th, 12th and 13th, three more eggs were
added to the set, making five in all. I waited until the 19th, when, as
no more eggs were laid, I took the nest, shooting the female. On
dissection I found that within the next two or three days two more eggs
would have been added to the set. Incubation was about one-half advanced
in two of the eggs. The question is, can I call this a full set? The
female when flushed from the nest would fly to the ground, and all to be
seen of her afterwards was a streak. They are famous runners, and it
takes a fast “pony” to overtake them.
J. A. Singley,
Giddings, Texas.
The Chinese pheasants turned loose in Oregon some time since have
interbred with the native grouse, and a new game bird with the head of a
pheasant and wing and tail feathers of a grouse is the result.