About a mile from the village we came to a small grove of high timber. Just before we reached it, a crow flew out to meet us, circled over our heads and returned again, a sure sign of a nest. We had, however, considerable difficulty in finding it, as it was remarkably well concealed for so large a nest, in a beech about thirty-five feet from the ground. It contained five highly incubated eggs of nearly uniform size, but differing considerably in the ground color and markings. The average measurement was 1.60×1.12. Three of the eggs were dark green, marked with darker blotches, and the other two a much lighter green in ground color with the same colored blotches.

After leaving this grove, we passed through several orchards without finding anything until we came to the last one, where my chum spied a nest in a low apple tree. Approaching it carefully, we obtained a good view of the bird, which I at once knew to be a Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccygus erythrophthalmus.) The nest contained three dull green eggs, very peculiar in regard to size, as one was small, the next larger and the last measured nearly twice the size of the first. One was fresh and the other two in different stages of incubation.

We stopped here to blow our eggs and eat our dinner, as it was about noon. After we had accomplished this last most important duty, we continued our search looking here and there, but seeing no desirable nest, until it began to get rather discouraging, when, while hunting for the nests of the White-rumped Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides) in a large field of thorn apple trees, skirted by a swampy woods, I made the great find of the day. I was passing by an old dead stump, when, from between the roots and almost under my feet, a brownish colored bird started up and flew away, making a peculiar whistling noise as it went. Looking down, I saw a fine set of four eggs of the American Woodcock (Philohela minor.) They were of unusual size, the largest measuring 1.85×1.10 in.

This ended our day’s collecting, and we went home well satisfied with the fruits of our labor.

HERE IS YOUR CHANCE

To enlarge your collection without cash. In order to increase the circulation of our magazine, we have decided to give to the persons sending us the 5 greatest number of paid yearly subscribers for the B. S. O. before June 1st, 1888, the following prizes:

ANOTHER CHANCE.

To the first person answering the above offer by sending in their subscription and stating plainly that you wish to try for a prize, we will give a fine set of four eggs of the Prothonotary Warbler, or a set of four of the Black Snow-bird. To the fifth person, we will give a set of four eggs of the Blue Yellow-backed Warbler. To the tenth person, we will give a set of 2 eggs of the Red-tailed Hawk; to the fifteenth, twentieth and twenty-fifth each a copy of Davies’ “Key” 3d edition. We will also send every person wishing to try for a prize, and stating so in their letter, a few extra copies to use as samples.