Notes from Field and Study 211 A Nest Within a Human Skull Never a year passes, but we read of cu- rious places in which our little feathered friends have built their nests. Of all strange places, probably, no pair of birds ever selected a stranger than did a pair of Cape Wagtails, which built their nest within the recesses of a human skull. Whether the large opening at the base of the skull was caused by shot or shell or by the combined efforts of the two Wagtails, remains an open question in the writer's mind. But this is certain, the nest is very snugly built within, and ample room is left above for the sitting bird, and, furthermore, almost perfect protection from wind and rain is granted by the osseous dome above. The accompanying illustration is from the original nest in the Natural History Museum, in London, Eng. — Robt. B. Macmillan, Buffalo, N. Y. [A similar site was selected by a pair of House Wrens, at Sing Sing, N. Y.; as has been recorded by Dr. A. K. Fisher, by whom the skull containing the nest was presented to the United States National Museum. — Ed.] Black Terns Near New York City In the vicinity of New York City, the months of August and September, just past, were noteworthy for a heavy migration of the Black Tern. The first ones were noticed on the lower Hudson river early in August, and the birds were common until the end of September. Several were seen during the first week in October, two on the 6th being the last noted by me, and I am informed that a few were seen as late as the middle of the month. They were also seen in numbers about Staten Island, and on Newark Bay, N.J. For several weeks the Terns were very common. As many as fifteen or twenty were often in sight at once. At times most of the birds were flying down stream as though migrating southward, but on other occasions as many were seen winging their way in the opposite direction. Dr. L. B. Bishop informs me that none were observed on Long Island Sound in the vicinity of New Haven, Connecticut. This is rather surprising, in view of the abundance of the birds near New York City, and seems to indicate that the migrants did not travel along the coast, but came directly from the north or northwest. — W. DeW. Miller, American Museum of Natural History. Pine Siskins in Ohio We have been greatly interested, this autumn, in the Pine Siskins. They are usually somewhat rare migrants in this sec- tion, but, the present season, have been very numerous. During a most unseasonable and heavy snow in early October, these little birds surrounded our houses and literally skimmed the outer walls of all insect life. From foundation to eaves they hunted in every nook and corner, capturing spiders, flies, cocoons, etc. As they flitted in their hunt, they beautifully displayed the sulphur yellow markings of wings and tails. They seemed very tame, often lighting on the window-sills to devour any large catch. Our bird books record no such habits on the part of the Siskins, which we supposed to be exclusively seed-eaters. Perhaps the emergency of the snow turned them to un- usual food channels. Have such habits been noticed or reported by others ?— Mrs. Jose- phine L. Parsons, Chardon, Ohio.
