NESTS AND EGGS OF

BY OLIVER, DAVIE

WITH 274 ILLUSTRATION

NESTS AND EGGS

OF

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS

pc.urp i,;ln,wn from the actual I specim,n whi, I, w:1, ,,k(,, fl(1II1 th(
church in fmnklm Co., Ohio, by I -re Jaaper, ttaftrti*.

NESTS AND EGGS OF NORTH AMERICAN

BIRDS,

BY OLIVER pAVIE,

AUTHOR OF "METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY."

WITH A CHAPTER ON ORNITHOLOGICAL
AND OOLOGICAL COLLECTING (THE
PREPARATION OF SKINS, NESTS AND
EGGS FOR THE CABINET).

THE FIFTH EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED, WITH
TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS.

TORONTO
THE MUSSON BOOK CO.

LIMITED

1 nt.-i' ;.. \. i ol > ongnM, ni tlir year 1898, by

ol.lVI K I i \\ IK.
In the office of the Librarian of Congress. :tt \N 'u-lim

j l» \\ ll> \|. k \V

572301
\\.5i

"Oh! why has worth so short a date,
While villains ripen gray with time."

— Burns.

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY

OF

LUCIUS S. WILLSON

One of nature's noblemen: My companion in many a woodland stroll, whose keen
eye observed and gloried in the charms of varied pastoral scenes, whose listening
ear heard and delighted in the caroling of feathered songsters and the cadence of
murmuring streams. His ear caught the music of breezes as they wandered through
the boughs of forest trees, and, while striking the tenderest chords on their ^Eolian
harps of russet-brown leaves, in the Autumn of 1882, they muttered to him their last
farewell, and whispered something like — Eternity.

THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE TO FIFTH EDITION.

The text of the present edition consists of the characteristic habits of North
American birds, with particular reference to their nesting habits and eggs. Many
of these will be found to be almost complete life histories of the species.

The geographical limits of the North American avifauna at the present time
includes all the territory north of the Southern United States boundary, including
Greenland and the peninsula of Lower California, with the islands naturally be-
longing thereto. The second edition of the A. O. U. Check-List, 1895, is the classifi-
cation which I have followed, including the new species and subspecies enumerated
in the Eighth Supplement.

All stragglers or accidental visitors have their respective numbers to the left in
brackets. For an explanation of the authority of names, Canon L. (page 56) of the
A. O. U. Code may be quoted: "The authority for a specific or subspecific name is
the first describer of the species or subspecies. When the first describer of the
species or subspecies is not also the authority, it is to be enclosed in parenthesis;
e. g., T urdus migratorius L., or Ncrula inlfiratoria (L)."

The species and subspecies which have been interpolated in this edition are in-
dicated by the double asterisk (* *).

No attempt has been made to describe the birds. For an analytical description
of these the reader is referred to such works as "Key to North American Birds,"* by
Dr. Elliott Coues, or "Manual of North American Blrds,"t by Robert Ridgway.

While I am indebted to books and periodical literature for a considerable amount
of information gleaned from them, my acknowledgments are especially due a large
number of active field ornithologists and oologists who have kindly placed at my
disposal their notes containing original observations in the field on the nesting and
eggs of various birds, many of these being the latest discoveries. Others have
furnished descriptions of nests and eggs from specimens in their private collections
which, in many cases, were otherwise scarcely obtainable, thus bringing the work
down to date as nearly as possible.

The illustrations are introduced simply to give the beginner an idea of the
characteristic forms, etc., of the birds, together, often, with their environments.

OLIVER DA VIE.

Columbus, Ohio, January //, 1898.

* Published by Estes & Lauriat, Boston.

f Published by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia.

NESTS AND EGGS

OP

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS

NOTE.—The nomenclature followed in the present edition of this work is that of the
American Ornithologists' Union Check-List.* The measurements of the eggs are given in
inches and hundredths, except in cases where correspondents have furnished the
measurements in millimeters. These will be found reduced to inches and hundredths in
foot notes, as appears in the text of the Western Grebe.

1. WESTERN GREBE. /Eclimopliorus occidentalis (Lawr.) Geographic Dis-
tribution.— Western North America, chiefly the interior, from Mexico and Lowe:
California to Manitoba.

This is the largest of the Grebes in North America. Its distribution extend;
from Mexico and Lower California on the south, to the State of Washington anc
the Red River Region on the north, breeding nearly throughout this entire range
A common summer resident at Utah Lake and also at Lake Malheur, in Easterr
Oregon, thence eastward to the extensive marshes of Shoal Lake, in Manitoba
where it breeds abundantly. Mr. Edward Stebbins found it breeding in an arm o:
Devils Lake, North Dakota, in the first part of June, at which time all the eggs wen
more or less incubated. He estimates the number of nests observed to be about tw<
hundred in an area of an acre and a half. They were built in water three or four fee
deep, and were made of reeds and sedges matted together and fastened to the tall
rank grass, so as to float on the surface. It is a remarkable fact that the Grebe:
cover their nests with weeds and other vegetable matter before leaving them, cc
that incubation may continue during their absence. The Rev. P. B. Peabody ob
served the Western Grebe nesting among the flags of Heron Lake, Minnesota, on Jun<
2d. Only a few of the nests observed by Mr. Stebbins were covered; the tail grass
obstructed the view of the birds, so that when approached they would hurriedly slii
off the nests, and leave the eggs exposed. The only birds seen were those in th<

* Check-list of TT'-th American Birds, prepared by a Committee of the America]
Ornithologists' Union; second revised edition, 1895. Kew York, L. S. Foster, Publisher
35 Pine street.

vicinity of the nests', and they
swam away with their heads and
necks above water, making a
kind of cackling noise. In their
nabits they resemble the Loon,
ug or swimming under water
with the greatest ease; and, when
on the wing, they fly with won-
derful rapidity for birds of their
nature. The eggs of this species
are from 2 to 5 in number, ellip-
tical oval in shape, very pale
bluish green in color; and, like all
Grebes' eggs, the surface is
stained a light brown, or very
much soiled by contact with the
decomposed vegetable matter of
the nests. Mr. Walter E. Bryant,
of Oakland, Cala., has a set of 5
eggs in his collection, which were
taken at Washoe Lake, Nevada,
In the latter part of May. These
measure as follows: 59x39, 63x39,
68.5x38, 60x38, 59x39.5 'mm.*
Three sets in my collection, two
of five eggs and one of four, taken
Dy Mr. Stebbins, me:asure: 2.32x
1.5 ^ 2.46x1.58,

2.48x1.60; 2.14x1. -18, 2.27x1.54, 2.30

8, &29XL68, 2.28x1.53; 2.44x1.52, 2.37x1.47, 2.52x1.44, 2.45x1.47. The oird known as
rk*s Grebet I* probably the female of /?;. with-ntulix.t Its ha);:tat is given as
•tern North America, chiefly along the Pacific coast. The bird and its eggs are
orded as averaging smaller than types of occidentalis.

fi. IlOLBCELL'S GREBE. Cnlymbus hottxcllU (Reinh.) Geog. Dist— North
erica at large, InrlmlhiK Greenland. Also Eastern Siberia, and southward to
>an. Breeds in high migrating south in winter.

In the large bodies of water, tin little bayous and sloughs, rivers and grassy

la from Northern Maine to Greenland; from the swamps of the Red River Valley

rth, and again, westerly and northward to the margins of the placid lakes

• great Yukon i. laska, and beyond, this Grebe makes its sum-

r homo. 5 In the Pur Countries It breeds in lonely and retired places, such as in flu.-

isocks of wiry grass that border the Waterhen River and Long Lake in Manitoba.

Is said to breed abundantly at these places, and often where it is quite common

ring the breeding season, its presence may not be detected after many weeks' stay

>ut Its haunts. The nest i.; built similar to that of the common Dabchick, and like

•2.32x1.64. 2.48XJ.50, 2.36x1.60. 2.32x1.56 Inches.

. O. U. Check-List.

haw, Bull. 1881, pp. 214-218; B. B. and R., Wator Birds

Am.. U, p. 423; Bryant. Auk.. II. pp. 313-314. -
| The Rummer homo of a bird la generally under 'ood to be its breeding place.

I

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 3

other Grebes this species covers its eggs before leaving them with grass and vege-
table matter gathered from around the bottom of the nest. A set of three eggs, col-
lected by H. A. Wallace, in the marshes bordering Long Lake, in Manitoba, exhibit
the following dimensions: 2.15x1.20, 2.15x1.32, 2.17x1.14. Their color is a dull white,
with the usual soiled surface. Eggs in a large series vary from a whitish to a green-
ish white, and there is also a great variation in size, as they measure from 2.05 to 2.55
long by 1.20 to 1.50 broad. Mr. Wallace informs me that the number of eggs laid by
this species ranges from two to five, and sometimes seven.

3. HORNED GREBE. Colymbus auritus (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Northern
Hemisphere. Breeds from the Northern United States northward.

The Horned Grebe is a generally diffused and an abundant species throughout
North America. It is not uncommon in all suitable places, during the summer
months, along the margins
of the crystal lakes and
rivers of Michigan, Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota, and it
Is recorded as breeding
sparingly in Northwestern
Illinois. Mr. Frank W.
Langdon makes note of its
supposed nesting in Otta-
wa county, Ohio.* It breeds
commonly in the grass-
bordered lakes of the Fur
Countries. Dr. Coues says:
"I found it breeding at vari-
ous points in Northern Da-
kota, as along the Red River, in the prairie sloughs, with Coots, Phalaropes, and
various Ducks, and in pools about the base of Turtle Mountain in company with P.
californicus and the Dabchick.f Mr. Thomas Mcllwraith records it breeding in all
suitable places throughout Ontario, notably at St. Clair Flats/'t Mr. Mcllwraith
says: "The nest is so completely isolated that the young when hatched may be said
to tumble out of the shell into the water." A curious habit of this and other Grebes
is that of quietly sinking beneath the surface of the water, or, as it were, like a snow-
flake, melt away with scarcely a ripple. The nest of the Horned Grebe, like all
others of the family, is simply a floating mass of decayed vegetation fastened to the
rushes and reeds in shallow water. The eggs are from two to seven in number, four
being the usual nest complement; their shape is more of an oval form than is gen-
erally noticeable in the eggs of the Grebes; they are bluish-white in color, with the
usual discolorations on the surface. They vary from 1.60 to 1.85 in length, and from
1.10 to 1.20 in breadth.

4. AMERICAN EARED GREBE. Colymbns nigricollis calif ornicns (Heerm.)
Geog. Dist. — Northern and Western North America, from the Mississippi Valley
westward.

GREBE.

* Summer Birds of a Northern Ohio Marsh: Journal of the Cincinnati Society of
Natural History. Vol. Ill, pp. 220-232.

t Birds of the Northwest, p. 732.

$ The Birds of Ontario, being- a list of Birds observed in the Province of Ontario, with
an Account of their Habits, Distribution, Nests, Eggs, etc. By Thomas Mcllwraith, Super-
intendent of the Ontario District for the Migration Committee of the American Orni-
thologists' Union. Published by the Hamilton Assocation. Hamilton: A. Lawson & Co.,
Printers. 18S6. See also new revised edition, 1894. William Briggs. Toronto, publisher.

NESTS AND EOG>

In most of the States and Territories \v«-st of the Mississippi River, this species

*eds more or less abundantly in suitable localities, and its l>n •< -ding range is al-

ost as extensive as its habitat. It has been found nesting in th< igoons of

exas, in the fresh water ponds of California, the pools and sloughs of Eastern

regon. the alkali lakes of Colorado, Kansas, and the Territory of Wyoming, in the

nlets of the larger bodies of water in the Dakotas and in Minnesota, thence

>rthwnni to the inland waters of British America. This Grebe, in common with the

noted for its expertness in diving and swimming, and, IIKC all t nu-

rd on land. From the posterior position of the legs these birds stand

most upright, so that they have more the air of a small kangaroo than of a bird.

s general breeding habits are like others of the family, nesting, however, in

ituations, in flags and rushes, or upon a floating foundation in shallow

In the absence of the bird the eggs are covered with debris. The habit of

ng the eggs among the Grebes is either for the purpose of concealing them

t>m • :-'h as Hawks and (lulls, or that upon the artificial heat, produced

• •gelation, they are more or less dependent for the hatching of their

5gs. When tin. !, the birds are known to remain away from their nests

uring the entire daytime. The eggs of this species arc four to eight in number,

nd in Minnesota, the Dakotas and Wyoming, they arc deposited in the first part of

y are elongated in shape, bluish white in color, but soon become soiled

y the wet material of the nest. The measurement of eight eggs, collected in the

.Minnesota, on the 7th of June, are as follows: 1.79x1.21, 1

aid 1.73x1.18. A set of four

ggs from North Dakota has a decidedly buff ground color instead of the usual bluish
'bite.

5. ST. DOMINGO GREBE, riihnnlmtt «/omj;/iV»/x Linn. Geog. Dist.-

• n California, southward through Tropical America to Paraguay, includ-
ig the West Indies.

is the smallest of our Grebes. It has a breeding range extending from

<>f the Rio Grande southward into the tropical regions, nesting in the wild

erbage of and ponds Oi nd Ci ntial America, in many of the

and the sloughs of the immense level, tropical plains and

amp; h America. Its entire life is spent in the water. and it possesses the

to all the (Jrebes. Dr. .Tames C. Merrill was the first

D establish the claim of this species as belonging to our North American fauna. II*
ound it n | in Southwestern Texas. O:

ound several nests, ily belonging to tin in a salt mar

: plants and pieees of [H

!y fastened to one or two tule stalks, and forming a wet, floating mass. No
ggs were obtained."* The eggs are des ale, "balky, greenish win

*ith U ions. They vary in size from 1.25 to 1.60 long by .85 to 1.00

PIED-BILLED GREBE. / (Linn.) Geog. 1

British Provinces southward to Brazil, Huenos Ayres, and Chili, including the West
:ndies and • ly throughout its range.

holosy of SoutJi in tin-

rrill.
•n U. 8. Army. Proceedings of the United States National Museum.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

PIE-BILLED GKEBES AND NEST.

„

Thick-billed and Carolina Grebe, Pied-bill Dabchick, Dipper, Water-witch,
"Devil-diver," and ; ;" are some of the names applied to this Grebe. Most

of these refer to its wonderful powers of disappearance under water, and by one or
more of these names it is known to every boy who has wandered with a gun along
any of our creeks and rivers. It is a common bird throughout its range. The nest
of the Dabchick is a little floating island of decaying rushes, reeds or grass, mixed
with mud and debris brought up from the bottom of the slough or reedy pool in
whfbh It is built. The structure is fastened to the flags and aquatic plants; these are
pulled down and piled upon each other till the nest rises two or three inches above
the water. Mr. A. M. Shields informs me that in the neighborhood of Los Angeles,
Gala,, this species is very abundant — any lake or pond without the presence of two
or tbree little Grebes seems very barren indeed. It nests about the middle of May.
number of eggs laid by this species ranges from six to nine; the complement,
however, is usually seven, and their average size is 1.72x1.17. Five specimens se-
lected from five sets exhibit the following dimensions: 1.68x1.19, 1.70x1.18, 1.73x1.18,
:.1T. 1.70x1.17. In Kansas, in the latter part of May, a number of nests were
found containing from five to ten eggs each.* This species, like other Grebes, during
the process of incubation, conceals its eggs with a covering of weeds and other
vegetable material during the day, "and they are uncovered at dusk by the bird,
who incubates them until the morning sun relieves her of her task."

7. LOON. Urinator imhcr (Gunn.) Geog. Dist. — Northern part of Northerm
Hemisphere. In North America breeds from the Northern States northward; ranges
Jn winter south to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Loons are large, heavy birds, with flattened bodies and rather long necks;

the legs are placed far back in the body, giving them great propelling power in the

water. They are the most expert of all divers, disappearing beneath the water at

the flash of a gun. The present species is known as the Great Northern Diver. In

North America it is found from the Atlantic to the Pacific, breeding from about

<le 42° northward to within the Arctic circle. Mr. Nelson states that this Loon

Is less common on the shores of Bering Sea than either the Pved or the Black-throated

;«-3, but is far from rare at most places.f Mr. W. A. Davidson found the Loon

nesting In the marshes of the Detroit River. Mr. Edson A. McMillan informs me that

i ommon in the lakes of the Adirondack mountain region during the

pawn, which is about the first part of June. H« i< th. \ breed on the

islands occupied as breeding grounds by the American Hrrrinj,' Cull. /.«/;•//* <inj<-n-

tatv* of nine different Loons' i nxd,

sned material of any Kin.]; :';ry were sirr.ply hollows i:i the sand

re the eggs were d'! man and ' ami oihi-r lo-

'• birds are known to build a rouKhly-furmcMl hollow o It, sod

: .irds of Crr< nland." : ayi that

he obtained from tl n eggs of this sped The

Loon's eggs arc very dark-colored, of an olivaceous brown, sometimes olivaceous

E«g». Vr

t Report i

II. nrv V- . .1 mull r tin- ili-

rectton of the ct ad in •••>"-

nectl Signal 8* \ B P tus. Washington: Government

;ng Office.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

7. LOON.

drab, spotted and blotched with a very dark brown. In shape they are narrowly oval.
occasionally very much lengthened. The number laid is two, sometimes three; in
size they vary from 3.40 to 3.90 long by 2.10 to 2.38 broad. Two eggs in my possession
collected by Mr. McMillan measure 3.63x2.26, 3.44x2.25.

8. YELLOW-BILLED LOON. Urinator adamsii (Gray.) Geog. Dist.— West-
ern Arctic America and Northeastern Asia.

This species is also known as the White-billed Loon. The bill is of a light yel-
lowish color, and the general dimensions of the bird are greater than those of the
last species. Less is known concerning the life history of this species than any of
the Loons. The type specimen was secured on the Alaskan side of Bering Strait by
Dr. Adams, of the British Navy, during the search for Sir John Franklin, and since
that time, beyond the fact that the bird ranges over most of the circumpolar main-
lands, little has been added to its history. It was first described in the Proceedings
of the Zoological Society of London for 1859. Mr. John Murdoch (1885) records this
Loon as a regular summer visitor at Point Barrow, and it probably breeds, though the
<eggs were never found. L. 'M. Turner (1886) says that it occurs sparingly at Saint
Michael's. Mr. Nelson (1887) states that it is not a rare summer resident in certain
localities about the head of Kotzebue Sound. The nesting habits and the eggs of this
species are, in all probability, similar to those of the common Loon.

Urinator articus (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — North-
In North America migrating south in winter

9. BLACK-THBOATED LOON.

«rn part of the Northern Hemisphere,
to the Northern States.

The Black-throated Diver is a bird which is more or less common in the northern
regions of the globe. It breeds commonly throughout the interior of Norway and
Sweden, and far up into Lapland. In most parts of the British Islands this Loon is

8 \ , BT8 i \/> 9G&8 OF

considered of rare occurrence. On the little islands of the fresh water loch-, from
:•• portion of Scotland northward to the islands beyond John O'Groat's

• — the Or; Shetland— this species is known to breed as well as on the

Hebrides on the west coast. In North America it occurs as far south as the I'nited

s. On the Pacific cc , tin1 next species, / . //(/<•///<•/<. x. Accord-

ing to Nelson this Loon is very common all along the American shore of th
about Kotzebue Sound, and they are also numerous on the large streams and ma
of tho interior, and the eggs have been taken at Fort Yukon. Like all the Loon
home is on the water; it is awkward and almost helpless on land. Its progress
undi : s been estimated to be not less than eight miles an hour. Mr. Nelson

says that the eggs are usually placed on some small islet in a secluded pond. There
is no attempt t« and frequently the eggs lie in a spot washed by water

when the wind blows from the right quarter. In spite of this the young are duly
hatched. Two eggs are deposited, of a dark olive, blotched with black spots which
are generally confluent about the larger end, very frequently they are crowded into
a black patch at th' \ of the larger end, elongated in shape, but occasion-

omowhnt oval. Extremes in size are 3.08x1.95 and I'.T^xl.TtJ. Twelve sets,
selected from forty-six sets of this species' eggs are in Mr. Crandall's collection. They
were collected in various parts of Lapland and Finland. These show an

ge measurement of 3.32x2.06.

10. PACIFIC LOON. I rinntnr imrifirus (Lawr.) Geog. Dist.— Pacific Coast

outh in winter to Cape St. Lucas and Guadalupe Island.

•s name implie , tin- Pacific Divn- is confined to the West, and the above
habitat clearly indicates its range. Mr. Murdoch mentions it as ver\ common at
Point Harrow. It breeds in the Arctic regions — on the islands in the lakes and bays
iska— in the marshes of the Yukon River, and it has been round breeding in
consi umbers at Fort Anderson. It breeds commonly in the innumerable

lakes and ponds of the Near Islands, Alaska,* accoruing to Turner. The nest of this
Loon is made In a'decayed mass of vegetation similar to a Grebe's nest, ami often it
is a mere hole in the turf in which the eggs are deposited. Sometimes the depn
is found to be scantily lined with feathers. One hundred and five nests observed by
'he vicinity of Fort Anderson, contained no more than two eggs
each.t The eggs are described as having a ground color, varying from a deep
amber to a pale greenish-gray and in size measuring from 2.95 to ::.:::> N>M- by '

11 RED-THROATED LOON. I'rinntnr lummr (Gunn.) Geoc. Dist.— North-
art of Nor misphere, migrating southward in winter nearly acros

n hi^li latitudes. It is also a bird of ('
is about the same as that of tin- Illark-throated

is not an uncommon gu: lirunswick. and it breeds

ny with the common Loon in tl, Quebec, Canada, on the

Is of the St. Lawrence Hiver and Gulf. In the Lai and ponds Ot Mani-

toba it is a tolerably common summer resident, and particularly in iiiver

valley. From these places northward to and in the Arctic regions it breeds

•This group forms n chain; they are so

1 oast,
it; way's Water Birds, Vol. II, p. 4".7.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD*. 9

more or less abundantly in all suitable places. It is common during the summer
months in Greenland. In Labrador it breeds in the first part of June; in Hudson
Strait, eggs maybe collected from the middle of June to the middle of July. Through-
out Alaska, Mr. Nelson says, the present bird is by far the most abundant species of
Loon. From the first of June until the first of July fresh eggs may be found. The
nesting sites chosen are identical with those of the Black-throated species. Mr.
M. Abbott Frazar says that on the islands and along the coast of Labrador this
species nests on the edge of the smaller ponds, these often being mere pools of sur-
face water. The birds make no nest, but deposit their eggs in a bare hollow space
on the ground, usually not over a foot from the water's edge* Two eggs are laid,
and the color varies from deep reddish-brown to grayish-green, sparsely spotted with
brownish-black. In size they vary from 2.65 to 3.00 long by 1.70 to 1.85 broad. A set
of two eggs collected by J. N. McFadden, on Resolution Island, Hudson Strait, June
18, measure 2.74x1.78, 2.72x1.81. Two sets of eggs collected by Mr. Pope near Anti-
costa Island, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence, measure as follows: 2.90x1.81, 2.88x
1.75; 2.98x1.76, 2.90x1.70, respectively. These are in the writer's collection.

12. . TUFTED PUFFIN. Ltimla cirrliata (Pall.) Geog. Dist.— Coasts and
islands of the North Pacific, from California to Alaska, and from Japan to Bering
Strait. Accidental on the coast of Maine.

A curious bird with a parrot-like bill, hence the name of Sea Parrot which is
applied to all the Puffin. This species breeds on the islands along the Pacific coast,
from the Farallons northward to the islands of Bering Sea. Its general color is
black, with a conspicuous white face mask, long, floating yellow ear-tufts, bent like
the horns of a ram; the legs are red, the beak is red and green, making altogether
a grotesque looking creature. The birds deposit their single egg in crevices of rocks;
a burrow is often dug in the guano, which has for ages accumulated on these islands;
sometimes a few pieces of weeds are found in the bottom of the cavity, but often no
material is used as a nest lining. Mr. C. Barlow, who has made a careful study of
the birds on the Farallons, says that the nest of this species is usually at the end
of natural burrows in the granite cliffs; the cavities vary in length from two fo five
feet. At one place they are found depositing their eggs in little depressions behind
the rocks; the eggs being generally out of sight of the passer by f Mr. W. 0. Emer-
son, who has collected extensively on the Farallon Islands, says that one of the birds
may always be seen at the entrance of their nesting places on guard duty; they are
among the most noisy of the sea birds, always screaming while out on the rocks,
and constantly "growling" while in their burrows. Fresh eggs may be collected in
the middle of June. Mr. Emerson informs me that he has taken fresh eggs and young
birds in the latter part of July. One pair will rear two or three birds in a season.
The eggs have a ground color varying from a pure white to a yellowish buff. Some
have a circle of lilac markings about one or both ends. Eggs will be found in a large
series having tan colored spots over the entire surface; others have lines and zigzag
markings, while some seem to be immaculate, but upon close examination deep-lying
shell markings are noticeable. Four eggs measure 2.87x1.88, 2.83x1.86, 2.84x1.86,
2.82x1.89. In a paper entitled "Birds and Eggs from the Farallon Islands,''^ based
principally upon Mr. Emerson's "matchless collection of birds and eggs, and his

* Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XII, p. 2.

t A few Notes on the Tufted Puffin in The Oologist, Vol. XI, p. 353.

t Read before the California Academy of Sciences, December 19, 1887.

NB8T8 AND BOGS OF

12. TUFT»D PUFFINS AND NESTING BURROW.

-NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. H

notes regarding them," the author, Mr. Walter E. Bryant, says: "I have carefully
measured fifty Puffin's eggs, which average 70.2x48.4 mm.* The individual propor-
tions of eight eggs, showing the greatest and smallest extremes of both diameters,
are 81x50, 77x48, 74x50, 71.5x51, 71x46, 65.5x45, 64x50, 63.5x50 inm."f

13. PUFFIN". Fratercula arctica (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Coasts and islands of
the North Atlantic. Breeding on the North American coast from the Bay of Pundy
northward, south in winter to Long Island, and casually farther.

The Common Puffin is found exclusively in the waters of the Atlantic, breeding
on the eastern coast of North America from Maine to Greenland. In Europe it
breeds from Great Britain to the northern coast of Norway. The nest is made in a
burrow in the earth, dug by the birds. Far north thousands breed in the fissures of
rocky cliffs and in the sides of bluffs; tr/o birds are often found sitting, each on its
egg, in the same burrow. The eg^s are deposited late in June and in July. Mr.
Frazar found these birds abundant on the coast of Labrador. An island of two or
three hundred acres in extent was covered wir.i Puffin burrows; about a thousand
nests examined contained one egg each, while in a dozen others there were but two
eggs to a nest. The greater part of these were plain, dull white; others were more
or less thickly spotted with obscure chocolate and reddish brown markings; a num-
ber had distinct brown spots, blotches and tracings, such as are seen in the Murre
eggs. \ The sizes range from 2.25 to 2.85 in length by 1.45 to 1.85 in breadth.

13«. LARGE-BILLED PUFFIN. Fratercula arctica glacialis (Temm.) Geog.
Dist. — Coasts and islands of the Arctic Ocean, from Spitzbergen to Baffin's Bay.

This bird, a subspecies, is like the last, but greater in size, the bill larger and
differently shaped. It breeds in the far north, on the islands of Baffin's Bay and
along the coast of Greenland — nesting in the same manner as arctica. The eggs are
not distinguishable. According to Mr. Ridgway they average larger than F. arctica.^

14. HORNED PUFFIN. Fratercula corniculata (Naum.) Geog. Dist.— Coasts
and islands of the North Pacific, from Kurile Islands to Sitka.

The Horned Puffin breeds on the bleak rocky islands of the polar seas. It is
found along the coast of Alaska, is common in the Northern Pacific Ocean and on
nearly all the islands of Bering Sea. Mr. Nelson states that this bird breeds
abundantly on the Near Islands, but is not resident there. They are resident from
the Aleutian chain south, but are summer residents thence north. They are equally
abundant along both shores of Bering Sea, and south they are found on the coast
of California and that of Japan. They also occur on the Commander Islands.
Thousands of them breed on every rocky island, and whenever a vessel nears land
in that region the clumsy form of the Puffin soon becomes a familiar sight. It takes
its name from the slender, upright horns on the upper eye-lids. The term "horns,"
however, is regarded by some as misleading. » In the living bird the horns are said to
be only soft, flexible caruncles or wattles. The nest-holes of this species are in the
deep, narrow interstices of rocks, seldom within the reach of a man's arm, and, except
in the absence of the bird, it is hazardous to attempt to rob the nest. Like eke Tufted
Puffin, Lunda cirrJiata, it often inflicts a severe wound with its powerful bilL The

* 2.76x1.90 inches.

1 3.19x1.97, 3.03x1.89, 2.91x1.97, 2.81x2.01, 2.79x1.81, 2.58x1.77, 2.56x1.97, 2.50x1.97

$ Ornithologist and Oologlst. Vol. XII, pp. 2-3.

§ Manual North American Birds, p. 11.

14. HOK

14. H..KN-I ;, I'l-i 1 IN. ADflT. WlNTI K I'l.lMAiiK.

14 HORNED PHPFIN, YOUNO MALE, WINTER.

NORTH AMERICAN B1RD8. 13

nest cavities are linea with grass, moss, etc. A single egg is laid, which is oblong-
oval in shape, pure white in color and the shell is rough, measuring 2.74x1.84.

15. RHINOCEROS AUKLET. Cerrohinca monoccrata (Pall.) Geog. Dist.—
Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from Lower California (resident) to Japan.

On the islands of the Pacific coast, from Washington northward, the Horned-
billed Auk is said to breed, and was thought to breed on islands farther south. It
is nocturnal in its habits, remaining throughout the daytime in crevices among the
rocks and burrows in the ground, where it deposits its single egg. This is similar
to the egg of the Horned Puffin — dull, chalky white, with discolorations and faint
shell markings of obscure purplish-gray. Sizes range from 2.65 to 2.90 long and by
1.80 to 1.90 broad. Mr. Ridgway gives the size as 2.70x1.82.

16. CASSIN'S AUKLET. PtycJioramphus aleuticus (Pall.) Geog. Dist. — Pa-
cific coast of North America, from the Aleutian Islands to San Diego, breeding south-
ward to the Farallons.

Mr. Emerson found this species abundant on the Farallons. It is nocturnal in
its habits, flying and roving about during foggy, stormy or moonlight nights, but
never at dusk. After dusk, however, they come out of their holes in the rocks all
over the island, and can be heard calling to one another their peculiar notes, chec-
ric-kcc, cJice-ric-kcc. Mr. Taylor says: "Some observer has stated that Cassin's
Auklet on the islands does not burrow. This is a mistake. Many of the Anklets lay
their eggs in holes in soft earth in places where it can be found."* Mr. C. Barlow
remarks that the Tufted Puffin and Cassin's Auklet are somewhat similar in their
manner of nesting, and both species are usually found in the same locality, although
the Auklet nests in all situations about the island.j- Any convenient crevice or
hole in a pile of rocks which affords a hiding place suits this species for the purpose
of depositing its single egg. Mr. Bryant, in his paper, "Birds and Eggs from the
Farallon Islands," says that this Auk arrives early in the year, coming in great
numbers in the night of January 14, 1887. Two and three young are supposed to be
reared in a season. Young birds in the down have been taken in September. Con-
sidering the size of this species, it lays a very large egg. The bird measures eight
to nine and a half inches in length, or about the size of a full-grown Woodcock, while
its egg averages 2.25x1.47. At first appearance the egg seems to be white, but upon
holding it to the light it is a delicate shade of emerald green. The shell is finely
granulated, and the general shape of the egg is ovate, some more pointed than
others. Two extreme examples measure as follows: 1.97x1.42, 1.65x1.22. There is a
series of ninety-four eggs in the ob'logical collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall, all taken
on South Farallon Island. The smallest of these measures 1.63x1.27, the largest
1.98x1.32, average size 1.81x1.33.

17. PAROQUET AUKLET. Cyclorrliynclms psittaculus (Pall.) Geog. Dist.—
Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from the Aleutian and Kurile Islands north-
ward.

* "A Trip to the Farallons," by H. R. Taylor, Vol. I, pp. 17-19, of The Nidologist, an
Illustrated Monthly Magazine devoted to the study of Ornithology with special reference
to the Nidification of North American Birds. H. R. Taylor editor and publisher. As-
sociated with Dr. R. W. Shufeldt. Office: Alameda, Cal.

t An Ornithological Paradise. Some observations gleaned from a sojourn in the
famous Farallon Islands. By C. Barlow, Santa Clara, Cal.; In The Museum, a journal de-
voted exclusively to research in Natural Science. Published by Walter F. Webb, Albion,
N. Y.. Vol. I, pp. 38-44.

NESTS AND EGGS OF

17. PAROQUET AUKLET, FEMALE ADULT, SUMMER.

Like a number of other species, the Paroquet Anklet has a strong preference for
deep water and the islands situated in it. "It feeds at sea, flying out every morning,
returning in the afternoon to its nest and mate." The bird is known also by the
name of Pug-nosed Auk. It is distributed irregularly throughout the Northern
Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, being quite common on the Prybilof and Aleutian
Islands in the breeding season, which begins about the middle of May. During the

e of the Corwin in 1881 Mr. Nelson found the Paroquet Anklet breeding in ex-

abundance on the islands in Bering Strait, and great bunches of them were

brought on board by the Eskimo. Large numbers of eggs were easily secured. For

sting place this Auk selects a deep crevice in the face of some cliff; the cavity
is often winding, and it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to obtain the eggs. Even

lands where hundreds of these birds are found breeding some of the cavities

cannot be opened, except by the means of dynamite or blasting powder, which, if

would destroy the eggs. A single egg is deposited on the bare surface of the

ies; it is generally an oblong-oval shape with rounded ends, chalk-white or
bluish in color, and the shell rough. The average size is 2.12x1.46. Eggs taken on
the Seal Islands by Elliott measured from 2.25x1.50 to 2.35x1.45.

18. CRESTED AUKLET. X//Hjor/////»r//M.v rrixlnMliix (Pall.) Geog. Dist.—
Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from Kadiak and Japan northward.

ted or Snub-nosed Auk, like the last, inhabits the coasts and islands
of the north Pacific. On the islands of Bering Sea its breeding season extends from

May to August. This little bird has
a beautiful crest on the foreli
twelve to twenty feathers; it is about
two inches long, and curls gracefully
forward upon the lull. Its nesting
habits are li! of the r.

jisittfi'-tilii "This

strangely ornamented bird has a
almost identical with that of
the ; :id I do not

in which
,: was seen

In any numbers where the present VMS not found. A few \\. <d in

the passes near Unalaska in May. and the 1.°>th of June
off the Seal Islands. This bird breeds plentifully on i!

also breed on the Commander Islands." He furth- that

in Bering Strait and about Saint Lawrence and Saint Matthew's Islands this
species and c. iisittm-nlus are found in equal abundance. They choose the same

NORTH AMERICAN

IS

nesting sites, and each lays a single white egg upon the bare rock or ground in
crevices. On the Fur Seal Islands they also breed in great numbers, occupying the
cliffs with the other auks. They arrive in May and deposit their eggs deep down
in the crevices. The eggs taken on these islands are chalky white, and measure
2.31x1. 61 largest, and 2.06x1.50 smallest.

19, WHISKERED AUKLET. Symorhynchus Pyyn&us (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. —
Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from Unalaska through the Aleutian chain
to Kamtschatka.

From what is known of this species it appears that its general habits are simi-
lar to those of the Least Auklet, but it is far from being as common. Another name
by which it is known is Red-nosed Auk, the bill in adult birds being of a deep ver-
milion, tipped with bluish. A tuft of filamentous feathers on the head curves for-
ward so that it hangs directly over the bill. According to Nelson the species is un-
known from the Fur Seal Islands and we have no knowledge of its numbers and dis-
tribution in the Aleutian chain. It breeds abundantly on Near Islands, but it does
not winter there. It also breeds on the Commander Islands.

19. WHISKERED AUKLEX.

19. WHISKERED AUKLET, ADULT,
MALE, WINTER.

19. WHISKERED AUKLET,
ADULT, FEMALE, SUMMER.

16 NESTS AM> 1 :<;<!$ OF

20. LEAST AUKLET. xinnnrhiiiu-him inmillux (Pall.) Geog. Dist.— Coasts and
Islands of "in Sitka and Japan northward to Bering Strait.

Of all the water fowl of Bering Sea this trim little bird is the
most abundant." Like the Paroquet and Crested Auklets, this species has a great

preference for the deep western half of Bering Sea, ex-
cept along the Aleutian chain. Mr. Nelson does not
think they breed north of the strait, except on some of
the cliffs on the Siberian shore. By the 1st to the 6th
of June they arrive in great numbers on these islands,
•ind begin to lay. It is said to be comically in-
different to the proximity of man, and can be ap-

10. LEAST ACKLET, Ai>-

. MALE, SUMMER. proached almost within an arm's length before

taking flight, sitting upright and eyeing one with great wisdom and profound as-
tonishment. Dr. Coues says: "This curious little bird, the smallest of all the Auks,
and one of the least of all water birds, inhabits the coasts and islands of the North
Pacific, resorting to favorite breeding places by millions, with X. itxitttiruliix and X.
tfllnit. The nesting is similar, the single egg being laid in the recesses of
rocky shingle-over the water; size 1.55x1.12."* The bird is not known to come south
BO far as the United States.

21. ANCIENT MUBBELET. .s'i/////i/i&o/-«/;/</,//Mx unti'iinix (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist.— Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from Sitka and Japan northward.
Accidental in Wisconsin.

; Guillemot, or Murrelet, is found in the North Pacific Ocean,

breeding on the islands and along the coasts from Sitka northward. It breeds in
abundance on Near Islands, where a few are resident. On the Commander
Islands they also breed. Nests that have been found of this species were
in holes in banks, or in burrows in the ground, similar to those used
by the Fork-tailed Petrel. On some of the islands of Bering Sea, however, the birds
are known to deposit their eggs in the crevices of cliffs. A single egg is laid, pale
buff in color, with small longitudinal markings, somewhat subdued, of lavender*
gray and light brown. Sizes range from 2.15 to 2.50 long by 1.40 to 1.55 broad.

22. TEMMICK'S MUBBELET. N//>i/////Wr/m/*////x vuwizxxumv (Temm.)
Geog. Dist.— Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from Japan and (Washington t)
northward.

The Japanese Murrelet, according to the best evidence at hand, is not entitled
to a place In the avifauna of North America. Mr. Hidgway remarks that it is "v< -ry
doubtfully Am* n in his "Birds of Alaska" says: 'Tin present

species has be- the northwestern coast of America, and I mention it

here merely to call attention to the fact that no explorer has found it in the r-
covered by this paper." It has since been eliminated from the A. O. U. Check 1

MABBLED MURRELET. 1lru<-liiirainiihnx ntarin'mitiis (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist.— Coast and islands of th- i he American coast from San Diego

northward, and Vancouver Island.

This is another of the diminutive Murres confined to the Pacific Ocean. Tin r«:
seems to be little known concerning its nidification, but its nesting habits and eggs

•Is, p. 809.
Stejneger. Proc. U. 8. Nat. Mus. IX, 1888, p. 524.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 17

are said to resemble those of the Ancient Murrelet, S. antiquus. They are ovate in
shape, ground color buffy, marked with various shades of brown. Size, 2.14 x 1.42.

24. KITTLITZ'S MUBBELET. Brachyramplnts kittlitzii (Brandt.) Geog.
Dist. — Kamtschatka and Aleutian Islands, east to Unalaska.

Mr. Nelson took the first specimen of this bird in Unalaska Harbor the last of
May, 1877. The birds were in company with 8. antiquus and B. marmoratus. Their
habits appeared to be the same. In "Contributions to the Natural History of Alas-
ka" page 121, Turner says: "A single specimen of Kittlitz's Guillemot was obtained
April 24, 1879, at Iliuliuk village on Unalaska Island. It was the only one seen in
that locality. The native who brought it to me asserted that this species is abund-
ant throughout the year at Sannakh Island. They breed there, laying a single, pure
white egg. The nest is placed among the roots of the large tussocks of grass on the
edges of bluffs and cliff ledges. I observed several of these birds to the westward
of Unalaska Island. They are not rare on Amchitka Island and in the neighbor-
hood of the Old Harbor, on Atkha Island."

25. XANTUS'S MUBBELET. Brarltyramphus hypolevcus Xantus. Geog.
Dist. — Coasts of Southern California to Cape Saint Lucas.

There appears to be no literature describing the nesting habits and eggs of this
Murrelet. The bird is stated to breed on the coast of Southern California, from San
Diego southward.

26. CBAVEBFS MUBBELET. Bracltyramplius cravcri (Salvad.) Geog. Disk—
Island of Natividad, Gulf of California.

Craveri's Murrelet, of plain dark, slaty plumage above, and entirely pure white
beneath, breeds on the islands at the southern portion of Lower California, in the
vicinity of Cape St. Lucas. It nests in burrows in the ground, and its general hab-
its in all respects are said to be the same as those of /?. antiquus. It deposits a single
egg, which is ovate in shape, of a yellowish or buff ground color, thickly dotted,
sprinkled and marked with blackish-brown. Average size 2.03 x 1.40.

27. BLACK GUILLEMOT. CcppJms grylle (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Coasts of
Northern Europe, south to Denmark and British Islands; coast of Maine, south in
winter to Philadelphia; Newfoundland. (?)

In Europe this species breeds from the northern coasts of the British Islands
to the Arctic Ocean. In Greenland, according to Hagerup,it breeds in colonies of from
two to thirty pairs, among the precipitous cliffs along the sea shore.* It is resident
on the north coast of Ireland. Breeds commonly on the Hebrides, Orkneys and
other islands on the coast of Scotland. A very common species along the entire
coast of Norway. In North America it breeds on the islands off the coast of Maine;
on Grand Manan and other smaller islands it is found in countless numbers about the
middle of June, depositing its eggs in the nooks and crevices of rocks, and in all
sorts of places which offer shelter above high water mark. The eggs are laid on the
bare surface of the rock, with no attempt at nest building. So skillful is the
bird in hiding away its eggs that they are sometimes found hidden away in subter-
ranean caves. f Two, and rarely three eggs are laid, and they are indistinguishable
from those of the following species, but average larger.

* The Birds of Greenland. By Andreas T. Hagertip. Translated from the Danish by
Frimann B. Arngrimson. Edited by Montague Chamberlain. Boston: Little, Brown &
Co., 1891.

fSee "Notes on Some of the Birds of Grand Manan," by C. H. Andros, Ornithologist
and Oologist, Vol. XII, pp. 179-180.

18 NE8T8 AND EGOS OF

28. MANDT'S GUILLEMOT. fV/j/*/»Mx ma ml Hi (Licht.) Geog. Dist.-

ns of both continents: south on the Atlantic coast of North America in winter
to N» breeding to Hudson's Bay and Labrador; Alaskan coast, south in win-

ter to Norton Sound.

The Sea Pigeon, as it Is called, breeds abundantly on the coast and islands of

undnnt from Labrador and Hudson's Bay norih-

:. nesting in the holes and crevices of rocks, often in the most inaccessible
s. The eggs are laid in June and July. The usual complement is two, often
from white to a pale greenish-white, light drab, yellow or buff,
.uly with spots and blotches of different shades of brown and :
• st at the great end, where they are usually almost a confluent ring; tbey are
oval or elliptical in form; size about 2.30x1.55, but, like nearly all eggs in a large
series, there is a great variation in the size, shape, and also in the style of mark-
Ings,

29. PIGEON GUILLEMOT. <> />/>// n* coin in ha (Pall.) Geog. Dist.— Coasts
and islands of the North Pacific, southward from Bering Strait to Northern Japan

outhern California.

On the Pacific coast of North America this species is found breeding from San
'las Island northward to the islands of Bering Sea. Dr. Leonhard Stejneger
says that it is ;i .unon bird on Bering and Copper Islands; its eggs \vere col-

lected at th«- latter place June 16th.» Mr. Taylor says: "The Pigeon Guillemot (so
Ilemot and so like a Pigeon) is found in rather limited numbers [on the
1 Most interesting are these pretty, graceful birds looking so petite and
^t among an army of clamoring Gulls. I believe the questioned statement that
.all stones for a nest is true, in most instances. I noted the Hat siones
and pebbles about their eggs often and they did not appear to be accidental."! Mr.
son says egg-laying on tin- Kara lions begins about the first of May, or shortly

'•ontinues into July. Two eggs is the number laid, and they an- dejn
in the crevices of rocks or in dark nooks under boulders, often near the water's
If the eggs a; the foolish bird will lay a^ain in the same place. The

favorite resting place of these birds is on the rock just above the foaming surf, where

1 with one another in low whistling notes. In a large

aeries Of eggs the ground color varies from li^ht pearl uray to i:Teenish-blue: their
gem i • rounded oval at the larm- end and point-

ed at the small- two shades of lilac; in some they arc thickly

"fin a circle about tin- laru<T end.

iio average measurment of twenty-five sets of two c^s each In
Mr. Emer rlnn as, 61.6 by 41.4 mm.f Extremes in size, 66.5 by 41.5, 58.5 by

41 millimeters. §

30. MURRE. og. Dist.— Coast and islands of th.

Atlat • ' < th America in winter to Southern New Eng-

land: breeding from

m;ui'1' r Islands nnd K:imts« b nh:u<l St«.i

•

| 2.62x1.63. 2.30x

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

19

Like all of the Auks, Murres and Puffins, this species is eminently gregarious,
particularly in the breeding season. It is found in great numbers throughout the
Arctic Ocean and on nearly all the islands north of Asia, Europe and America. On
this side of the Atlantic it breeds from Nova Scotia northward. Tens of thousands
of these birds congregate to breed on the rocky islands, depositing and incubating
their single egg close to one another on the shelves of the cliffs. The birds sit side
by side, and although crowded together, never make the least attempt to quarrel.
Clouds of birds may be seen circling in the air over some huge, rugged bastion, form-
ing a picture which would seem to belong to the imagination rather than the realis-
tic. They utter a syllable which sounds exactly like murre. The eggs are so numer-
ous as to have commercial value, and they are noted for their variation in ground
color and markings. They vary from white to bluish or dark emerald-green in
ground color; occasionally unmarked specimens are found, but they are usually
handsomely spotted, blotched, lined in various patterns of lilac, brown and black
over the surface. In some the markings are confused zigzag lines that look like
hieroglyphics. The eggs are large for the size of the bird, measuring from 3. to 3.50
long by 1.95 to 2.10 broad; pyri-form in shape.

30«. CALIFORNIA MURRE. LJria troile californica (Bryant.) Geog. Dist.—
Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, breeding from California north to the Pry-
bilof Islands.

Mr. Emerson says that the California Murre is the most common sea fowl on the
Farallon Islands, and they do not seem to diminish in number, notwithstanding

30«. CALIFORNIA MURRES ON THE FARALLONS, (From The Nidologist,)

the wholesale destruction of their eggs for commercial purposes. The birds begin
to lay by the middle or latter part of May. . Fresh eggs can be found as late as Au-
gust. This is due, more or less to the many robberies to which the birds are sub-
jected, and they are compelled to lay several times before they are left undisturbed
by the eggers. So telling is the effect due to constant laying that the eggs deposited

in the latter part of the season a; hly smaller. Mi*. C. Barlow also states

that • ;i numbers any of the birds inhabiting tin- Faral-

lon; they nest on the cliffs in rookeries, usually near tho summits of the pi
For years their eggs have been collected for the San Francisco markets where tm-y
are used by bakeries in the manufacture of all kinds of pastry.* According to Mr.
Bryant the number of eggs marketed for the last few years has averaged from one
hundred and eighty thousand to two hundred and twenty-eight thousand. In 1886
two men who were left on Sugar Loaf, collected one hundred and eight thoi.
eggs. The Western Gull, l.<iru* on-'uhntali*, is another enemy of this Murre; it
carries off and devours both eggs and young. So it would seem that the chances
for the Mum' to rear its young and launch them into the deep, blue sea, where they
can take care of themselves, are not very favorable, yet these birds are found in
countless numbers on the islands of the Pacific coast. Mr. Bryant, in his excellent
paper.f says: "The gulls pick a Murre's egg up bodily and carry it away in their ca-
pacious mouth, but do not stick their bill into it to get hold, as is stated by some
rs, whose observations must have referred to the eggs already broken by the
gulls or eggers." This species lays a single pear-shaped egg on the bare rock, often
on the narrow shelves of cliffs, where the bird has just room enough to sit, and if un-
molested will rear two or three young in a season. Like the eggs of the last
species, they show a wonderful diversity of color and markings; the ground color is
white, buff, greenish of several shades, yellowish, and cinnamon. They are either
or- blotched or streaked with zigzag markings of brown and black. They
rom 3.50 to 354 long by 1.90 to 2.05 broad; occasionally as small as 2.05 in
length by 1.4.". in breadth. Mr. II. A. Taylor says: "The California Murre, the repre-
sentative birds of the islands, lay their colored, pear-shaped eggs on bare rock on the
;>est crags, in caves and almost everywhere, save on the few low flats near the
shore, where many Western Culls choose to build their nests of coarse Farallon
1 in the hollow spaces under certain boulders the Pigeon Guillemot lays her
two eggs."*

31. BBUNNICH'S MURRE. Vrto hmina (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Coasts and

la of i lie Xortli Atlantic and Eastern Arctic Ocean, south on the Atlantic coast
of North \v Jersey. Breeding from the (lull of St. Lawrence north-

ward.

:>] habits and characteristics as the common

Murre, t'rin /;••,//,. Its distribution in the breeding season is about the same, and
MKnishable. It is an abundant bird on the islands of the North
Atla: Mil now. for Hi" fit id this bird to the avifauna of Oh-

allTC by Mr. H. T. Stewart in a field near

Dber r.uh. ISJu;. Th«- bird was kindly id.-uti-

nit Curator of I'.irds in the National

..ve of these birds was scattered, by a storm which oc-

out the a I-;. L. MOS- •!••> report! two •pecimena IMMHK

shot at I'ut-i! two at Saudusky on December Huh.

PALLAS'S MURRE. 1'rin Immin n»;t (Pall.) Geog. Dist.— Coast and
h Pacific ami \rctic Ocean.

bird" of the North Pacific, swarming at its breeding places on the
ids. Its habits and nesting are the same as those

of the for- ",K larger. 3.21\

• T I. p. 38.

<>m the PnrnlloT,
Trip to the Farallona" In Thr NldoloRlst. Vol. I, pp. 17-19.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 21

32. RAZOR-BILLED AUK. Alca torda Linn. Geog. Dist. — Coasts and
islands of the North Atlantic, south in winter on the North American coast to
Southern New England.

The Razor-billed Auk is abundant on the coasts and islands of the North At-
lantic and some parts of the Polar seas. The Razor-billed Auk is about eighteen
inches long, with a pointed tail and flatly compressed bill; the plumage is brownish-
black above and white beneath, the black bill having a white curved line and the back
part of the wing is edged with white. It breeds from the northeastern coast of
Maine northward. Mr. Frazar found it common everywhere in Labrador, more so
even than the Murre, Uria troile, owing to its habit of breeding in less r'requented
places — concealing its eggs in the cracks and crevices among the rocks, where it was
not apt to be disturbed. It frequents the rock shores, and deposits its eggs in June
and July, often in deep fissures of the rocks and in caverns. It very frequently lays
its eggs at the entrance of inhabited puffin's burrows. Generally one egg is laid,
but in about twenty instances Mr. Frazar found two. These are white with a creamy
or bluish tint, spotted and blotched with dark brown or black, the spots often be-
coming confluent and generally forming a circle toward the large end; pyriform to
oval in shape; size about 3.00x2.00. The eggs exhibit a great variety in the distribu-
tion and style of markings. In shape they are not distinguishable from some types
of the common Guillemot, but are generally more or less ovate or elongated pear-
shape. The Razor-billed Auk breeds sparingly on the outlying rocky islands of
Nova Scotia, as on Devil's Limb and Gannet rock. The bird is about eighteen
inches long. In life it is said to have a particularly trim and elegant form, and its
feathers are always kept perfectly clean, smooth and glossy. This Auk is said to be
of quarrelsome disposition, seldom allowing a puffin or murre to alight near it with-
out opening its bill at the intruder and disclosing a bright orange mouth. The
Razor-bill rides lightly on the water and dives well.

33. GREAT AUK. Plautus impennis (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Formerly the coasts
and islands of the North Atlantic, from Massachusetts and Ireland northward nearly
to the Arctic Circle. Now extinct.

Ornithologists generally agree that the Great Auk has disappeared from the
face of the earth. Within the present generation it is one of the birds that has be-
come extinct doubtless through the agency of man. Like the penguin, which it much
resembles in general form, it did not possess wings suitable for flight, those mem-
bers being of very small size and only useful as fins in the water. The specific name,
impennis, or wingless, is not really a correct term. An excellent and thorough paper*
on this bird has been written by Frederick A. Lucas, of the United States National
Museum. I quote the article entire: "The Great Auk, or Garefowl (Alca impennis),
was the largest member of the Auk family, distinguished not only by its size, but
by its Sightlessness, enjoying the proud distinction of being the sole bird in the
northern hemisphere incapable of flight. The name by which the Great Auk was
originally and commonly known in America was Penguin, and like southern birds,
now known by that title, did not receive this appellation until many years after.
Garefowl is of Scandinavian origin, and comes to us by way of western Scotland.
In color nie Great Auk much resembled its lesser relative, the Razorbill, the head,
neck, and bacK being black, and the under parts white. A peculiar mark of the bird
was a large white spot in front of the eye, one old writer with a greater love of the

* Animals recently extinct or threatened with extermination, as represented in the
collections of the U. S. National Museum. Smithsonian Report, 1889, pp. 638-641.

22 NESTS AND BOOS OF

marvelous than of truthfulness stating that this spot was found on tlie right cide
only. The wings, although far too small to sustain the bird in the air, formed an
admirable pair of oars, the Great Auk being a most expert swimmer and diver, and
performing oven longer migrations than many of its relatives that were endowed
with of flight. (Plate CIII.) Many, possibly all, of the Auk family use

s much as their feet for propulsion under water, and they may

My be said to i.y beneath the sea as well as over it. It has been noted that the

'. ity of the Great Auk to fly was due to lack of development of the bones of the

foream and hand, the hnmorus being proportionately as long as in other Auks. This

on of structure was directly correlated with the aquatic habits of the

owl. for the resistance of water being vastly greater than that of air, a wing

ially adapted for subaquatic flight would demand less surface and more power
than a wing formed for aerial locomotion. In the case of the Great Auk this demand
was met by shortening the outer portion of the wing, while other birds that use
their wings in diving obtain as far as possible the same result by only partially

::g their wings. The Great Auk was confined to the North Atlantic, ranging
on the European side from Iceland to the Bay of Biscay, and on tin- American from
Greenland to Virginia, these localities marking the extreme limits of the bird's
migrations. Greenland was the habitat of the Garefowl to a very limited extent,
and the same may be said of the coast of Norway, while the southern limits given
above were reached only during the winter migrations of the bird. The positively

:i breeding-places were few in number, those where the bird bred abundantly,
being the Garefowl Series off the coast of Iceland and Funk Island on the New-
foundland coast. These islands, or more properly islets, were very similar in their
general character, being isolated rocks, lying at some distance from shore and diffi-
cult of access. Of course the reason for this similarity is apparent. The Great
Auk and its ergs formed desirable articles of food, and since the bird was helpless
on land. 11 My captured, whence it came to pass at an early dale that the

bird was exterminated at all localities easy of access. Another and more important
factor in the extermination of the Auk, especially in America, is to be found in the
greg:: its of the bird and its predilection for certain breeding-places. This

habit of the Garefowl is shown by other birds which are restricted in their breeding

at without any apparent, reason, although there may be some unknown cause

in the m.ture of food supply that might account for it. A good example of this is

\\hich. although a bird of powerful flight, breeds at only three

t of America, and in Km ope , e North .

nest i 'C.-ilities seemingly quite as favora! long the Si

of Norway. Then- wei- -|y plenty of suitable bl • -oiinds for the

Great i Labrador, but had the bird bred in small colonies at lo-

caliti- :ed along this wide expanse of territory, it would have been in ex-

istence to Ql Kuropeaii brer din- place ,,f tli. 1 was

an islet 25 mil- land, where, for many years, it led a somewhat

times seeming to have been so reduced in nut

that expedition !. of birds and eggs were not worth the risk. Still the bird

would have existed in this locality many years longer than it did, but for volcanic
disturbances in March. isrv>. during which the fleirfuglasker sank beneath the sea
compelling the existing Garefowl to seek new breeding places. Most of (!:•
to have moved to an islet by the name of Eldey, and this being near the coast and
norc accessible, the few remaining Great Auks were in the course of fourteen years

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 23

all killed, the last pair Ijcing taken about the 3d of June, 1844, this being the last
authentic record of the Great Auk in 3urope. It was from this locality that most
of the skins now extant were obtained, only one mounted specimen being recorded
from American localities, although nearly all skeletons have come from Newfound-
land. The history of the Great Ar.I: in America may be said to date from 1334, when,
on May 21, two boat's crews from Cartier's vessels landed on Funk Island, ard, as we
are told, "In lesse than halfe an hour we filled two boats full of them, as if they had
bene stones. So that besides them which we did eat fresh, every ship did powder
and salt five or sixe barrels of them." The Great Auk having thus been apprised
of the advent of civilization in the regular manner, cont.imipr! to be utilized by all
subsequent visitors. The French fishermen depended very largely on the Great
Auks to supply them with provisions; passing ships touched at Funk Island for
supplies; the early colonists barreled them up for winter use, and the great abundance
of the birds was set forth among the other inducements to encourage emigration to
Newfoundland. The immense numbers of the Auks maybe inferred from the fact that
they withstood these drains for more than two centuries, although laying but a single
egg, and consequently increasing but slowly under the most favorable circumstances.
Finally some one conceived the idea of killing the Garefowl for its feathers, and
this sealed its fate. When and where the scheme originated, and how long the
slaughter lasted, we know not, for the matter is rather one of general report than of
recorded fact, although in this instance circumstantial evidence bears witness to the
truth of Cartwright's statement that it was customary for several crews of men
to pass the summer on Funk Island solely to slay the Great Auks for their feathers.
That the birds were slain by millions; that their bodies were left to molder where
they were killed; that stone pens were erected; and that for some purpose frequent
and long continued fires were built on Funk Island, is indisputable. This locality
has been but thrice visited by naturalists, the last time in the summer of 1887, by a
party from the U. S. National Museum, who, by the aid of the U. S. Fish Com-
mission, were enabled to obtain much information in regard to this interesting spot,
and to make very extensive collections of remains of the Great Auk. Just when
the Great Auk ceased to exist in America is unknown, for there were few naturalists
on this side of the water wher. the Garefowl was being done to the death; but the
extinction took place not far from 1840, almost coincidently with the extermination
of the bird in Europe. Few birds have received more attention than has the Great
Auk since it became extinct, and it has been the subject of numerous papers, both
popular and scientific, while its remains bring extravagant prices whenever chance
brings them into the market. The last skeleton sold brought $600, the last skin
$650, while an egg brought $1,250, and then was resold for the round sum of $1,500."
The following is from the Naturalists' Journal, of London, for June, 1895, p. 129: "A
specimen of this extinct bird was recently offered for sale at Steven's Great Sale
Rooms, Convent Garden. The specimen belonged to Sir F. Milner, M. P., to whose
father— Sir W. Milner — it was sold by Graham, of York, who stated it had been ob-
tained in the Orkneys. For some years it has been in the Leeds Museum, but since
its removal has been re-stuffed. The bidding went up to 350 guineas, and the bird
was then bought in, but has since been sold to the Edinburgh Museum for £350.
Of the 24 skins of the Great Auk now in Britain, 11 are safely lodged in public
museums. An egg of this bird was offered for sale at the same time, and knocked
down for 180 guineas to an hotel keeper." The egg is like that of the Razor-billed
Auk, but of course much larger, measuring 4,69x2.92 inches.

24

rs

33. GREAT AUK • I nun r, r.-iim .

34. DOVEKIE. A Hi <i!l< (Linn.> 'ist. — Coasts and islands of the

inj in North America, south in winter In
in high northern latitudes.

f\ e (if ornitholn '•!)( iro

itinK land « xccpt during the 1
•ice by severe Kiorms. It Li-reds in the Arctic regions ol

..ml in thr nortlnvestrrn portion of
•snd bill of this bin' :ly like that of a ejiiail. It is

far north, and la one of the n.

Of bi' if the sea. de|"

Bingl .-bliio PRK in th- "f rocky cliffs. Tl,- from

•'. !.::«> in breadth.

35. SKUA. i d'.runn.) Geog. Dist.— Coasts and inlands of the
:i Atlantic. South to Spain and Massachusetts. Rare on the coast of North

America.

NORTH AMERICAN 2IRD8. 25

The Skua Gull may well be called the feathered pirate of the seas. It does not
congregate in flocks; two or more pairs are seldom seen together. It is noted for its
courage and daring, attacking and harassing gulls, forcing them to disgorge the fish
which they have swallowed. In the Island of Unst, and also Foula, the most north-
ern ones of the Shetland group, it is found breeding. The bird was given a place in
the fauna of North America on the ground of its occasional occurrence along the
southern coast of Greenland, where its eggs are said to have been taken. In Iceland
this species builds its nest on the hillsides in the latter part of June. The nest is
simply a shallow cavity in the long grass, lined with grass stems and moss. The
eggs are two in number, with an olive-green or drab ground-color, marked by irregu-
lar dark olive-brown and chocolate-colored blotches; they measure from 2.75 to 3.00
in length, by 1.50 to 2.00 in breadth.

36. POMARINE JAEGER. Stercorarius pomarinus (Temm.) Geog. Dist. —
Seas and inland waters of northern portions of Northern Hemisphere, south to
Africa and Australia, and probably South America. Not known to occur in winter
on the Atlantic coast of North America north of Long Island.

Another of the falcon-like sea fowls, commonly called Gull Hunter by the fisher-
men. Resident throughout the summer in high northern regions, chiefly within the
Arctic Circle. Mr. Nelson states that they are abundant off the Yukon mouth in
spring, but at all seasons they
are rare near Saint Michael's.
During the cruise of the Cor-
win he found them abundant
about Saint Lawrence Island
and everywhere in Bering
Strait. In winter it is a great
wanderer, and is known to oc-?
cur on the Great Lakes, and as
far as the above habitat indi-
cates. The bird is said to live
chiefly by plundering the Kit-
tiwake Gull; but will attack 36 POMAI<INE JAEGER

other species, even the largest.

Nelson says the birds are clumsy and cowardly as compared with their smaller rela-
tives. When one of this species chances to cross the path of the smaller species, the
latter almost invariably gives chase and beats its clumsy antagonist off the field by
repeatedly darting down from above. Comparatively little is known of its nesting
habits. It breeds in remote places, and is said to form a rude nest of grass and
moss, situated on dry elevated spots in marshes. The eggs of all the Skuas are very
similar in appearance — pale olive-green or yellowish-gray in ground color — irregu-
larly blotched and spotted with two shades of brown; those of the present species are
said to be thinner in form and more pointed than those of the others. Dr. Brewer
describes an egg procured in Greenland as rounded-ovoid; its ground-color, deep
olive-drab, sparingly spotted with slate-color and two shades of umber, chiefly at the
larger end, where they become confluent. There are also a very few scattered dots
of black. Size, 2.25 by 1.70.

37. PARASITIC JAEGER. Stercorarius parasiticus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Northern part of Northern Hemisphere, southward in winter to South Africa and

26 NESTS AND BOGS OF

South America. Brteds in high northern districts, and winters from the Middle
States and California southward to Brazil and Chili.

The Parasitic Jaeger, like the others of this family, is eminently rapacious,
and it is known as the "Man-of-War," from its habits of pursuing and robbing the
terns and smaller gulls. It breeds in the interior of Arctic America, and is espe-
cially abundant in the Anderson River region. Mr. Nelson records the following:
"This tyrannical bird occurs about the entire coast line of Bering Sea, but is most
numerous along the low, marshy coast of Norton Sound, and thence south to the
Kuskoquin River. Its breeding range covers the entire region from the Aleutian
Islands north to the extreme northern part of the mainland. Upon the Aleutian
Islands Dall found them in summer and winter. They were taken during the breed-
ing season on Kyska and Amchitka, near the western end of the chain. They have
been taken at Kadiak and are plentiful from the Yukon mouth up to Nulato and
probably above. Elliott found them occurring as stray visitors on the Fur Seal
group, and the writer noted them in Bering Strait vicinity during the summer of
1881." A common bird in the more northern portion of Asia and Europe. So far
as known, its general habits do not differ from those of the Pomarine. It is given
as the most common of the Skuas off the coast of Norway, but does not go far inland
to breed. The nest of this species is made on islands or on the margins of lakes; it
is a mere depression in the ground, lined with a few grasses and withered leaves.
In Greenland it is said to be a resident species, and it breeds in Iceland on the moors
far inland. In the Shetland Islands this bird breeds in communities, fifty or more
pairs congregating at the same place. The eggs are usually two in number, some-
times three, and are as variable in ground color and markings as those of the
Eskimo Curlew. They vary from olive drab to green, gray and brown, marked with
several shades of chocolate, brown and an obscure stone gray, distributed over the
entire egg. Size from 2.00 to 2.40 long, and from 1.50 to 1.70 broad. Nelson says that
the eggs are laid upon the mossy knolls or uplands in their haunts about the 5th
of June. The nest is merely a depression in the moss containing two eggs, in-
distinguishable from those of the next species, and measuring from 2.40x1.70 to
2.00xl.:,i i.

38. LONG-TAILED JAEGER. Stcrcorarin* lun<rir<iu<lmt Vieill. Geog.
Dist. — Northern part of Northern Hemisphere, south in winter to the Gulf of Mexico.

The same plundering habits mark the character of this bird as are peculiar to
any of the Jaegers or Skuas. It is distributed in the breeding season throughout all
parts of the region near the Arctic Circle, in Siberia, North* TH Asia. Kurnp
America, ami on the islands of the Arctic Ocean. It breeds in OIn •< nland an
land, is abundant throughout the barren grounds of th<' Arctic mast, and <s said
numerous in the vicinity of Fort Anderson, also on i he shores of Frank-
lin Hay It is also found breeding on several of the Orkney and Shetland Islands.
MliiiK to Nelson this graceful and handsome bird is HIP most common of the
the Alaskan coast and vicinity, and especially about Saint Michael's.
They arrive there about May 12 or 1.". but an- not numerous until ten days or more
later. He states that all the .laegnrs arc very destructive to the eggs of other birds,
and in spring nests of various water fowl are often destroyed by them. Nests found
in the Arctic regions are mere depressions in the soil, scantily lined with dry grass
and leaves. Some are placed far inland near small lakes, and often then- is really
no nest, the eggs being laid on the bare ground. The eggs are said to be not always
distinguishable from those of the Parasitic Jaeger, but average smaller; exception-
ally large specimens of & /o^/iV,; ;/,/»/.* are sometimes as large as exceptionally small

NORTH AMERICAN BFRDK. 27

38. LONG-TAILKD JAEGER.

ones of S. parasiticus. They range from 1.95 to 2.18 long, and from 1.45 to 1.55 broad.
Mr. Nelson describes a nest of this species which was in a cup-shaped depression in
a mossy knoll where lay two* dark greenish eggs with an abundance of spots.

39. IVORY GULL. Gavia alba (Gunn.) Geog. Dist.— Arctic Seas, south in
winter on the Atlantic coast of North America to Labrador and New Foundland,
casually to New Brunswick, and on the Pacific side to Bering Sea.

A bird that is resident in the Arctic regions of both hemispheres, only occasion-
ally visiting the more temperate zones. It is r.aid to breed the farthest north of all
the gulls. Specimens of this species were seen on several occasions by the natural-
ist of the Jeannette, Mr. R. L. Newcomb, during his long imprisonment in the icy
sea to the west of our northern coast. It was noted as a rare visitor at Point Barrow
by Murdoch, and also by various expeditions among the network of channels north
of Dritish America. Noted for its ravenous appetite, gorging itself with the flesh of
the seal and the blubber of the whale. They have the habit of watching about seal-
holes in tho ice, waiting for the seal, whose excrement the gull devours. On the
islands and along the coasts of Spitzbergen it breeds sparingly; in like places on the
coast of Northern Siberia it is abundant. The bird is a resident of Greenland, and
the breeding season there begins about the middle of June. The nest is built on
some inaccessible rock or cliff; it is made of dry grass and lined with moss and a
few feathers, forming quite a hollow. An egg is described as oblong-oval in shape,
with a ground color of light yellowish-olive with small blotches of dark brown
scattered over the surface. These are intermingled with more obscure brown and
cloudings of lilac. Size 2.45 long by 1.70 broad.

40. KITTIWAKE. Rlssa tridactyla (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Arctic region, south
in Eastern North America in winter to the Great Lakes and Middle States.

The Kittiwake Gull is a northern species, found in the Atlantic waters of
Europe and America. On the Pacific coast it is represented by the next form,
pollicaris. It is one of the commonest resident species of Greenland, and according
to observers it inhabits nearly all parts of the Arctic regions. Breeds on the islands
of the Atlantic coast of North America, from New England northward: an abundant
species, nesting not always on the ground like most gulls, but on rocky cliffs over-
hanging water. On Gannet Rocks of the St. Lawrence this noisy Gull is especially
numerous, where its nests are found on narrow ledges; they are composed of grass

28 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

eaweed. Some of the nests are quite flat, while others are several inches in
::e?r, and deeply hollowed, new material beinrr added each year, and they are
some; •imc-rous that the- breeding [laces become very filthy and emit an In-

,:ble odor. The eggs are two and sometime.-. iliree in number, and h.

i»wish buff, brownish-gi. le greenish-gray, marked with

Irregular spots of varying shades of brown and lilac. The a • • is L'.L

40«. PACIFIC KITTIWAKE. IHsfta tritlnrliiln itnllirtirix Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Coasts of North Pacific and Bering Sea.

This form of tin- Kittiwake is abundant on the islands of the North Pacific. It

is abundant along the entire coast line of Alaska and on all the numerous islands.

The bird is resident upon the Aleutian Islands and breeds in great abundance upon

all the islands rf Bering Sea, the Straits, and along the Arctic coast to Tape Lis-

burne. Dr. Leonhanl Stejneger records it as a common breeding bird, both on the

is and along the Kamtschatkan coast, and in all places suitable for rookeries

are found in astonishing numbers. For the purpose of nesting they select the

shelves and projections of cliffs, the tops of walls that rise perpendicularly out of the

.-a, and especially on the high pinnacles standing lonely amidst the foaming

breakers. The nest is composed of matted fragments of moss and grass, and fre-

quently the eggs are deposited in mere hollows in the loose dirt. The nesting is

precisely the same as that of /.'. Iritlactyla, and the eggs are indistinguishable, ex-

hat in a large series they are said to be more uniform in their markings.

41. RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKE. /»'/.«.-«/ hrrriniKtrix (Bruch.) Geog. Dist. —
Coasts and islands of Bering Sea.

The living bird of this species has coral-red legs and feet, which contrast richly
with the snowy white plumage of the head, neck and under parts. An abundant
species on the islands of Bering Sea. On the Prybilof group it swarms by tens of
thousands to breed in the first part of May. It is especially abundant on St.
George's and St. Paul's Islands. The nests, like those of the Pacific Kittiwak<
placed on almost inaccessible shelves and projections, so that seldom is a nest
nless a person is lowered down to it on a rope passed over the cliff. Dry
grass and moss cemented with mud are the materials which constitute the i
The Red-legged Kittiwake is common on the islands along the Kamtscliatkan coast.

•>ly on Cor it breeds in company with />o//iVf/r/x. The

have a ground-Color Of brownish white, varying to light drab and buff, marked with
brown and umber; ' ;nderlain by subdued shade;; and cloud-

ings of lila verage size of the egg is :

42. GLAUCTJS GULL, l.arnx i/lutim* P-rnnn. Gh

south in North • real Lakes and ! nd. North Pacific-.

•ial. in fact, to the Great IMack-backed Gull,
bird of high northern range during the b-

nd the mop- northern portin
North . \mericri. In . i in iiuni'-ns" numbers, plaein

: ruc-

Th«- l?ir ds on

1 ll'-r birds and • hein of t lr 'id young.

It attends fishing boats for the purpose of devouring the offal which may bo thrown
overboard. The bin: 'dent of C.reenland. In Hudson Hay

region It builds its nests on the isbr ! rivers, and the young are hatched

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 20

in June. The nests are built of sea ferns and dry grass, placed among the grassy
tussccks in the center of the island. The eggs are two, sometimes three in number;
their general shape is spherically oval, and the ground color dark grayish-brown,
pale ash, pale clay or a pearly white. The markings are small patches of light
brown and brownish black. The sizes range from 2.95 to 3.15 long by 2.18 to 2.25
broad.

42. 1. POINT B ARROW GULL. Larus barrovianus Ridgw. Geog. Disk—
Bering Sea and adjacent waters, northeastward to Point Barrow, southwest in winter
to Japan.

This new species of Gull, whose plumage is described as resembling that of the
Glaucous and Iceland Gulls, and whose size is intermediate between these two
species, is found on the islands of Bering Sea, and its range extends as indicated in
the geographical distribution. It has proved to be distinct from the Atlantic coast
species. Specimens that served for description were from the Island of St. Michaels
and Point Barrow.* Nelson says: "The solitary islands of Bering Sea and all its
dreary coast line are familiar to this great gull." On June 4 their first nest was
found. It was placed on a small islet, a fev/ feet across, in the center of a broad,
shallow pond. The structure was formed of a mass of moss and grass piled up a foot
or more high, with a base three feet across, and with a deep central depression lined
with dry grass. There was a single egg. The female as she sat on the nest was
visible a mile away and not the slightest opportunity was afforded for concealment
on the broad surrounding flat. An equally conspicuous structure was found near St.
Michaels on June 15. The majority of the nests found were situated on a small islet
In a pond. The nest found on June 15 was a bulky structure made up of tufts of
moss and grass rooted up by the birds' beaks. The ground near the nest looked as
though it had been rooted up by pigs. Mr. Ridgway gives the measurement of the
eggs as 3.05x2.03. One of the eggs taken by Mr. Nelson was white, without a trace
of the usual color marks.

43. ICELAND GULL. Lams leucopterus (Faber.) Geog. Dist— Arctic
Regions, south in winter in North America to Massachusetts, and farther.

This Gull is precisely like the last, but smaller, and it is difficult to distinguish
the two at a distance. Another common name for it is White-winged Gull. It is
an Arctic species, and its distribution during the breeding season is nearly identical
with that of the Burgomaster, being found in the northern parts of Europe, Asia and
North America. Mr. Hagerup states that on Arsuk fjord in South Greenland about
a thousand pairs nest on what is known as "bird cliff," above the Kittiwake Gulls.
The lowest nests are built at a height of about two hundred feet; the highest about
five hundred feet above the sea level. The two species are often found nesting in the
same places, and the nests are of the same construction. The eggs, however, are
smaller, measuring 2.79x1.85. The Iceland Gull is, according to Mr. Nelson, the most
abundant species along the coasts and about the islands of Bering Sea, thence along
the adjoining Arctic coasts. It was found abundant on the Yukon, from Anvik to
the sea by Mr. Ball, who secured its eggs there from the 5th to 10th of June. The
eggs were laid in small depressions in the sandy beaches of the islands in the river.

44. GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. Larus olaucescens Naum. Geog. Disk—
Pacific coast of North America, from Alaska south to California on the Asiatic side
south to Japan.

* For details see Auk, III, p. 330, or Ridgway 's Manual N. Aw. Birds, p. 26.

30 XE8T8 AND EOO8 OF

Almost as large a species as the Glaucous Gull or Burgomaster. It breeds on the

Pacific coast from Washington Territory northward. The nests are

built on the shelving rocks of high cliffs. On the Aleutian Islands they

are found among the tall grass on the highest parts of the islands, while others are

built on projections of rocks. Sometimes there is little or no attempt at nest-

making, the eggs being laid in a slight depression of (he ground. On Bering Sen and

ands. on the Kaintschat kan coast, this species breeds all around the

shores. Eggs have been found as early as the middle of .May. These are said to be

of a more greenish tinge and the spots more numerous and better defined than in

those of iiln nni.\. Size 2.88x2.03. According to Mr. Ball this is a very abundant

species throughout the Aleutian chain, but more numerous in the eastern halt of

the group. Young birds nearly fledged were secured at Kyska in July. He states

•bit of this and other species breeding on isolated rocks and small islands,

is accounted for by the immunity thus gained from the ravages of foxes on the eggs

OUDg. Uarely more than three eggs were found together, and were laid on al-

any little depression of the ground, with little or no attempt at a lining.

45 KUMLIEN'S GULL. /,(//•//* kmnlivni Brewst. Geog. Dist.— North At-
lantic coast of North America; south in winter to the coast of the Middle States.

This new species of Gull, first described by Mr. William Brewster,* is like
iiliiiii-rxiTiitt, but somewhat smaller. It is recorded as being quite common in the
upper Cumberland water, where it breeds, placing the nests on shelving roeks of
high cliffs. The eggs are said to be the same as those of ii

46. NELSON'S GULL. l.«rn* m-lxmii Hensh. Geog. Dist.— Coast of Norton

series of gulls collected by Mr. E. W. Nelson in Alaska Mr. H. \V. Ilen-
;nen which differed decidedly, not only from any other taken by

M. but from any in the National Museum. In recognition of Nelson's valu-

> Alaskan ornithology the bird has been dedicated to his honor by the

tea that its re:-.e::;b!ance ID several of the

larger pulls is likely to keep us in ignorance until it i:; m::dc an object of special
.turalists visiting AlasK.-i la no reason to believe that its gen-

and eggs differ from those of the C.laueous-winged Cull.

47. GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. I.,tni* unirin,,.* I Lin; Mist.- -
t.s of the North Atlantic ; routli in wint.r in Long Island and Italy.

The large and powerful !: lull, OF Sad inhabits the Atlantic

-; of F.urope and North America. Brtiedfl in ureai numbers nn 1!
as North

• •eially on the i Miind the < Scotland,

\uierican coast it 1 : of Fundy

:.land. Year- ., :.nown to breed f;::ife commonly on th"

Islan '..-ibrador it is comm* here. Mr.

M. Abbott Frazar found it. bp :,<ls, placin • rall.\

on FM-

ilky ;:nd 'i

holle found no • lining more than three eggs. During th

season the bir< upon the eggs of other birds, especially upon th<

VIII. i.. L'lfi.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 31

the Murre and upon young Eider ducks.* The eggs of this Gull vary from a bluish-
white or olive-gray to a deep yellowish brown, and are irregularly spotted and
blotched with reddish-brown and lilac of different shades. The sizes vary from
2.70 fo 3.02 long by 2.05 to 2.25 broad.

48. SLATY-BACKED GULL. Lams scMstAsayus (Stejn.) Geog. Dist.— North
Pacific, chiefly on the Asiatic side; Herald Island, Arctic Ocean, and Alaskan coast
of Bering Sea.

Dr. Stejneger says: "Among the specimens of gull collected by me on the
Commander Islands is a very dark-mantled large species, somewhat intermediate
between L. marlnus and L. cachinnans, although in general aspect much nearer to the
former, and when on the wing indistinguishable from it. The occurence of this
new species in the Kamtschatkan waters easily explains the abnormality in the
alleged distribution of Lams marinvs, as it is almost certain that all North Pacific
references to the latter species really belong to the present form,"t

49. WESTERN GULL. Lams occidentalis And. Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast
of North America, breeds from Southern California northward.

The most abundant species of gull on the California coast, breeding on all suit-
able islands. It is the only guli which breeds on the Farallons. Mr. Emerson
states that on these islands the nest is built either on high ridges or low places near
the shore. The material used is a dry, rank weed; with this they construct their
rather bulky nest and repair or re-build it each year. Mr. Barlow remarks that this
gull nests chiefly in colonies on the Farallons, on level portions, although a few
pairs may be found almost anywhere. Tne nests are loose affairs of Farallon weed
and measure a foot across. Usually they are very shallow and are given shape by
the hollows in which they are constructed. t Of their general habits Mr. Bryant
says: "The gulls are indiscriminate feeders; in addition to their usual articles of
diet, they subsist largely upon eggs during the ummer. They do not eat the eggs
of their own species, nor do th?y trouble the cormorants after the murres have com-
menced laying. Sea urchins, crabs, young murres and rabbits, and fish stolen from
the cormorants' nests are eaten. Not being quick enough to swoop upon the rabbits,
they catch them by patient watching at their burrows, and will persevere for fifteen
minutes to swallow a squealing young rabbit, and finally fly away with the hind feet
protruding. The dead bodies of murres are also eaten; they detach pieces of flesh
by backing away and dragging the body, meanwhile shaking their head, till a piece
breaks off." The eggs are deposited as early as the first part of May on the Faral-
lons, and laying is sometimes continued into July. The usual complement is three;
but from constant robberies by the eggers, who collect eggs for the San Francisco
market, often only two are laid. The same variation of ground-color and markings
are to be found in these eggs as is common to all those of the gulls: light grayish
olive, clay color, bluish-white and deep yellowish-brown, spotted and blotched with
umber-brown, blackish and lilac of varying shades. The average size of fifty speci-
mens is, 2.76x1.94; the largest 2.99x2.01; the smallest 2.56x1.89.

50. SIBERIAN" GULL. Lams afflnis Reinh. Geog. Dist.— Greenland; Asia;
Europe, southward in winter to North Africa.

* Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XTT.. p. 1"

t The Auk., T., 231.

t The Museum, T.. p. 39.

NE8T8 AND EGGX OF

The Siberian Gull is a rare or occasional visitor in Greenland, whereupon it

claims a place Tin America, it breeds in the extreme north of

Europe, notably on ; ;md in the lagoons of the Petchora River in the north-

,tn liussia. The eggs are said not to differ from those of the

nig Gull.

51. HEKBINO GULL. I.arux nrtit-ntutux (Br.unn.) Geog. Dist. — Old World,
south to the Azores; Cumberland Sound; occasional on the eastern coast of the
ites.

The European Herring Gull is known as an occasional visitor to the coast of
East. Azores, a cluster of nine islands in the Atlantic,

eight hundred miles due west of Portugal, this Gull is very common, breeding on

51. HERRING GULLS (From Brehm).

some of the islands in immense numb* TS. in Creat Britain it is a familiar bird

everywhere. Mr. Ii. /;//-,/.•< ,,f Lmnlnn* states that it is <>t not nn-

in winter on the eastern side, ami frequently straying up the

"••Is in the islands on the coast of Scoil.-m.i. especially th,- Hebrides,

••y and the Faroe Islands; thence northward to Ii-Hand. One of the

rnon gulls along the coast of Norway, as far as North ('ape, \\ti- n they

•inn habits and its eggs are the same as those of the

:• lxl.98.

51a. AMERICAN HERRING GULL. L«ri/.« »//•/// iitatii* KtHitlixfini'inu* Coues.

Pally, Hrr-rds on the Atlanti- :<>m Mainn

north-

i'
nost« : 11'..

H. K. Swnnn. London: Swan, Sonnenscheln & Co., Pater-

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 3t

In North America this gull is a common bird throughout its riinge, particularly
coast-wise. It is also more or less abundant on the inland lakes and rivers during
its periods of migration, and in many of these places it is found breeding. At
Moosehead Lake, Me., where a few pairs breed, the eggs are laid in the latter part of
May, or in the first week of June. In the interior it is found breeding on the lakes
and larger bodies of water, as far north as the Mackenzie and Anderson River
regions. On many of the large prairie lakes of Manitoba it breeds in great numbers.
Mr. Frazar mentions this species as the most common of all the gulls inhabiting
Labrador, breeding in colonies and placing their nests on the ground.* Mr Walter
Raine found this gull breeding abundantly at Shoal Lake, Manitoba, June 18, 1895.
In many places where the Herring Gull has suffered persecution, it has been known
to depart from its usual habit of nesting on the open seashore, and place its nest on
trees sixty and seventy-five feet from the ground. At Grand Manan and in Labrador,
in some of the old breeding grounds, its human foes have brought about this change
in its habits. Some of the nests built on the ground are merely a shallow depres-
sion with a slight lining. Others are large and elaborately made of grass and moss.
Those built in trees are said to be strongly interwoven and very compact. Mr. Ball
records this gull as abundant on the Upper Yukon, Alaska. It was found breeding
on the islands in the river, laying its eggs in small depressions on the bare ground.
The complement of eggs is normally three; they vary from bluish-white to deep
yellowish-brown, irregularly spotted and blotched with brown of different shades;
in a large series a great diversity of ground-color and markings exists. Mr. Elwin
A. Capen in his superb workf figures three prevailing types of coloration. The
sizes range from 2.73 to 2.91 long by 1.64 to 1.94 broad.

52. VEG-A GULL. Lams vegae (Palmen.) Geog. Dist. — Bering Sea and ad-
jacent waters, south in winter to California and Japan.

This form of the Herring Gull is "characterized by a particularly dark gull-gray
mantle and flesh-colored legs" and is found in the countries bordering Bering Sea
and adjacent waters. It is said to breed on the islands of the Upper Yukon River, in
the first part of May, depositing its eggs in slight depressions of the bare ground.
The eggs are not likely to be distinguishable from those of the Herring Gull, L.
argentatus.

53. CALIFOBNIA GULL. Lams californicus Lawr. Geog. Dist.— Western
North America.

The California Gull is found along the Pacific coast in winter, but retires to its
breeding places in the summer months. Its breeding grounds seem to be inland, on
the lakes and large bodies of water. It breeds abundantly on "Great Salt Lake and
Pyramid Lake, Utah, and on Lake Malheur, in Eastern Oregon. It has been found
nesting as far north as Great Slave Lake, Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson and the
Lower Anderson River. The nests of this species are made on the ground, or built
on rocks and, sometimes where the birds are breeding in vast colonies, the nests are
placed on stunted sage or greasewood bushes. They are built of sticks, grass and a
few feathers. The eggs are usually three or four in number, occasionally five. Prof.
Marcus E. Jones informs me that at Great Salt Lake this gull generally lays five
eggs. These are deposited in a little bare spot surrounded by a few twigs, the hollow

* Ornithologist and Oologlst, Vol. XII, p. 18.

t Oology of New England: a description of the eggs, nests and breeding habits of the
birds known to breed in New England, with colored Illustrations of their eggs. 67
Elwin A. Capen. Boston, 1886.

34 NE8T8 AND BOOS OF

just deep enough to keep the eggs from rolling out. The nests are made on the
•and or any other bare spot on islands far out in the lake. The eggs are laid about
the middle of May. They vary from a bluish-white to a deep brownish-clay color,
•potted and blotched with dark brown, slate and blackish zigzag markings. Sizes
range from 2.50 to 2.70 long by 1.G5 to 1.95 broad.

54. RING-BILLED GULL. Lanis dclaicarcnsis Ord. Geog. Dist. — North
America at large; south in winter to Cuba and Mexico.

This Gull inhabits the entire Continent of North America, and is on the whole,
ommonest species ooth coastwise and in the interior. It breeds in the United
States and far north, placing its nests on the ground or on cliffs. Mr. Walter Raine
found this gull breeding abundantly on the islands of Shoal Lake, Manitoba, in the
latter part of Juno. Mr. Stebbins found this species and the Common Tern occupying
an island of about an acre in extent in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, in the first week
of June. The entire island was covered with eggs of the gulls and terns. Mr.
Stebbins says: "I don't suppose you could lay down a two-foot rule anywhere with-
out each end of it striking a nest. It was common to find the terns and gulls breed-
ing side by side. Most of the gulls' nests were in the grass, while those of the terns
were in the sand. I did not find a gull's nest with more than three eggs, and a very
few with two; whereas, several hollows were found with as many as eighteen terns'
eggs in them, which had rolled together." Mr. Frazar observed a few colonies of
this species breeding in Labrador, nesting like other gulls, and the nests never con-
tained more than three eggs. These have the usual variations in color to be found
in eggs of the terns— bluish-white to dark brown, spotted and blotched with brown
and lilac of various shades. Sizes from 2.75 to 2.80 long by 1.60 to 1.75 broad.

55. SHORT-BILLED GULL. Larus Itrarhjirhynchus Rich. Geog. Dist—
Arctic America and Pacific coast to Southern California.

In the breeding season the Short-billed Gull occurs in the northern regions of

:i America. It has been found nesting on the ground in the small lakes in the

ity of Fort Anderson, and in the Mackenzie River Valley. Breeds in great

abundance at the mouth of the Yukon, where Mr. Dall obtained large numbers of

its eggs. It has also been observed nesting along the streams in the Barren Grounds

of the Arctic regions. Its nest is made of hay or wiry grass, and is sometimes placed

on stumps and in trees. The eggs are usually three in number; greenish or olive

brown, with various markings, but chiefly small spots of reddish-umber. Sizes vary

froto 2.00 to 2.35 long by 1.45 to 1.70 broad.

56. MEW GULL, i.nrux mint* Linn. Geog. Dist. — Europe and Asia; acci-
dental in Labrador.

This is the Sea-mew or Sea-mall of Europe. In r.r< -at Britain it breeds more or
ten abundantly along the entire coast, and is especially common on some of the
lands in the Hebrides; on the north coast of Scotland it is found on the
Orkney and Shetland Islands. It breeds on inland lakes as well as on the sea-coast,
building its nest on the grassy summits of jin-ripitous rocks neai the sea or on
moorland locks far inland, and even on high mountain ranges. It is abundant on
the coast and on the fresh-water lakes of Norwn mon species and breeds

•f Central and Northern Russia. Abundant on the Prussian coast
and on tho northern coast of France. The nests are made of grass and vegetable
substances. The usual number of eggs is three; yellowish-brown, olive-brown, and
whitish to -gray, irregularly marked with dark brown and purplish gray.

Thp size varios from 2.08 to 2.25 long by 1.40 to 1.58 broad.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 35

57. HEERMAN'S GULL. Larus liccrmanni Cass. Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast
of North America, from British Columbia to Panama.

This is said to be one of the handsomest birds of the family to which it belongs,
and is commonly called the White-headed Gull. It is a common species along the
California coast and is most abundant in winter. At the Farallon Islands it is oc-
casionally seen, but does not breed there. It probably breeds on the Santa Cruz and
Santa Rosa Islands, as it does on others farther south. The general habits of this
species are the same as those of other gulls. One particular trait, however, marks
this species — that of following flocks of pelicans and robbing them of a portion of
the fish which these birds carry in their pouches, seizing upon the fishes which
fall out or hang outside. The food of this gull is almost exclusively fish, which it
also procures by diving. It also feeds on small Crustacea and mollusca. The eggs
of this species are described as having a yellowish-drab ground-color, over which is
scattered spots and markings of lilac and different shades of brown. The average
size is 2.45 by 1.50.

58. LAUGHING GULL. Larus atricalla Linn. Geog. Dist.— Eastern trop-
ical and warm temperate America, chiefly along the sea coast, from Maine to Brazil;
Pacific coast and Middle America.

The Laughing or Black-headed Gull is more of a southern species, particularly
one of the Gulf and South Atlantic States, but is found breeding as far north as the
coasts of New England. It is an abundant and a resident species on the coast of
Florida, along the whole extent of the Gulf of Mexico; and also on the Pacific an
Atlantic coasts of Central America. Mr. Maynard says: "The notes of gulls a.
loud and startling, but those of the Laughing are the most singular of them all, for
their cries, especially when the bird is excited, sound like loud peals of prolonged
and derisive laughter."* Mr. Theodore W. Richards states that this gull is abundant
on all the marshes along the Virginia coast. For a nest they collect an immense
amount of Cubbish and build in the wettest portion of a marsh; many nests were
found actually afloat.f Mr. R. C. Stuart, of Tampa, Fla., writes me that this species
nests in large communities, on grassy islands along the Gulf coast in May and June,
placing the nests in tussocks of grass; the cavity is nicely lined with fine, dry
grasses. The eggs are from three to five in number. In color they vary from
bluish-white to greenish-ash, spotted and blotched with brown, umber and lilac of
varying shades; the usual variations in size, ground color and markings are to be
found in a large series of these eggs; sizes from 2.00 to 2.28 long by 1.50 to 1.65 broad.

59. FRANKLIN'S GULL. Larus frankUnii Sw. & Rich. Geog. Dist.— In-
terior of North America, breeding from the northern border of the United States
northward; south in winter to Central and South America.

In North America this gull is confined to the interior, chiefly west of the Missis-
sippi, breeding from the northern border of the United States northward. Mr. J. W.
Preston found it nesting in the marshes of western Minnesota, about the middle of
Mayi I am informed by Mr. H. J. Wallace that it breeds abundantly in the marshes '
of the Red River Valley of Western Manitoba. He found this beautiful gull breeding
in large communities, in marshes and wooded swamps, making its nest of wet grasses
and sedges on the tops of broken down stalks. The eggs are described as closely
resembling those of the Eskimo Curlew in size, shape and color, though the dark

* Birds of Eastern North America.
t The Ooloeist, IX, 79.
•Ornithologist and Colonist, Vol. XI, pp. 54-55.

36 <T8 AND BOOS OF

splashes are more cvcul; distributed over the surface. The ground-color varies
from dirty white to olive-drab and light brown, with all the shades of the lighter
tints of green and ashy. They are usually marked with numerous and bold splashes
and zigzag lines of umber-brown and different depths of chocolate, particularly at
the larger end. The eggs average about 2.12x1.40; they are three in number. Three
eggs in my possession, collected at Heron Lake, Minnesota, on the 9th of May,
measure as follows: 2.06x1.41, 1.98x1.45, 2.03x1.47. These are olive-drab with bold
spots and blotches of light and dark brown; there are no zigzag lines.

GO. BONAPABTE'S GULL. Law* Philadelphia (Ord.) Gcog. Dist.— Entire
North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States; south in vinter to
Mexico and Central America.

This handsome little gull is a common species throughout North America, from
tjjc Atlantic to the Pacific coasts. It is especially abundant along the Atlantic coast
during its period of migration. Breeds northward nearly to the Arctic Ocean, its
flight is described as being light, airy and very graceful, resembling that of the
Terns. Its principal food is small fish. On many of the large lakes and marshes in

;<rairie regions of Manitoba it breeds in great numbers, from thence northward
and throughout all parts of the Fur Countries it is found breeding in suitable places.
In the marshes of the wooded regions bordering the Mackenzie River it breeds in the
latter part of June. The usual number of eggs laid is three, rarely four. The nests
are always placed in elevated situations, in bushes, trees, or on high stumps; the
materials used are sticks and grasses, with a lining of vegetable substances. The
eggs vary from greenish to brown, spotted and blotched with brown, umber and lilac
of various shades; these markings are chiefly clustered around the larger end.
Size. 1.96x1.^1.

60. 1. LITTLE GULL. Laru* winutiis Pall. Geog. Dist. — Europe and parts of
Asia and Africa: accidental in the Bermudas and on Long Island.

We can now positively include this bird in the North American avifauna. It
has long been more or less doubtfully recognized by ornithologists as accidently
A.'rarrJcau upon the strength of a specimen said to have been taken on tin- first
i.lin expedition. Its place in our fauna has always been questionable. Mr.
William Dutcher records the capture of an immature specimen of this gull which was
shot at Fire Island, Suffolk county, New York (Long Island), about Srjm nil

It was mounted by the lain John Wallace, lazldem Vork City, who

• nted it to the American Museum of Natural History. Ontral Park. Mr. 11. K.
Swann in his "Birds of London" mentions this gull as of rare occurrence in ti
cinity of Jthough it occurs from time to time, during the winter, on the

: Finland. It is stated by Prof. Nillson that this gull is known to breed
in the- marshrs in tl.e vicinity of the Baltic, placing the nests on the grassy knolls
en. Three eggs constitute the complement, and their color varies from
wish-brown, olive-brown to greenish-gray marked with spots of dark brown
' and purplish -cray. Sizr 1 80x1.32.

61. BOSS'S GULL. ItJtntlwltMiin rn.tra Maggil. Geog. Dist.— Arctic regions;
Point Barrow, Alaska; Melville Peninsula; Englanu, Faroes, Heligoland, etc.

This species was first discovered north of British America. A specimen was
taken by M n near St. Michaels, Norton Sound, on October 10, 1879. Three

specimens were brought home by the naturalist of the ill-fated Jeannette. During

y's adventurous journey over the ice north of Spitzbergen, it was seen several

NORTH AM ERIC AX BIRDS.

37

61. Ross's GULL (From Brehm).

times. A large series of this rare and beautiful gull was obtained by Mr. John Mur-
doch at Point Barrow in the latter part of September and in October, 1881, and a
larger series might have been secured had the weather and other conditions been
favorable. In a letter published in the London Daily Chronicle last November, Dr.
Nansen, the most recent Arctic explorer, states that he found flocks of the Rosy or
Ross's Wedged-tailed Gull on August 6th in lattitude 81° 38' and longitude 63° east.
The birds were seen near four small islands called "Hirtenland" by Nansen, a little
northeast of Franz Josef Land. He did not actually find the nests, but the birds were
so abundant that he concluded that their nests were near by. There seems to be no
reason to question the correctness of Nansen's determination or his surmise that the
birds were breeding not far away, as the presence of the gulls in such numbers in
that high latitude renders it very probable that they were breeding.*

62. SABINE'S GULL. Xema sabinii Sab. Geog. Dist. — Arctic regions; in
North America south to New York, the Great Lakes and Great Salt Lake.

The Forked-tailed Gull breeds in the extreme northern portion of North America
and Asia, especially on the islands of the Arctic Ocean, depositing its eggs in a de-
pression of the sand, which is generally lined with bits of fine, dry grass; the nest
is also often made in beds of moss, with similar lining. This gull is recorded as
abundant in the marshes in the neighborhood of St. Michael's, Alaska, where it
breeds. Its food consists of worms and insects, which it obtains in mud lakes. On
the northwestern coast of Greenland, above Alison Bay, this species has been found

* From T. S. Palmer's article: "Nansen's Discovery of the Breeding Grounds of the
Rosy Gull." Science, January 29, 1897.

38 NE8T8 AND BOOS OF

breeding, but not in Tin- I-SKS aie two to three in number. Tin

of a deep greenish-brown, obs* >;ted and blotched with darker

same; the} sely resemble those of the Willet or Curlew. The average size

63. GULL-BILLED TERN, tii-lnrhi-lhlnii nilntira Hasselq. Geog. Dist.—
Nearly cosmopolitan. In North America chiefly along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of

.tcs.

larsh Tern, as it is commonly called, breeds from New

Jersey soutlnvard. On Cobb's Island, Va., it nests sparingly in the latter part of
June. Dr. James C. Merrill and George B. Sennett found a colony of this species in
company with xttnm fnrxltri, breeding on a grassy island, among lagoons and
marches, near Fort Brown, Texas, May 16, 1877. The nests were slight depressions
among the short grass, and the eggs were frequently wet.* This Tern breeds abun-
dantly on Pelican Island, in the Gulf of Mexico, in the latter part of May, laying its
eggs on the bare sand. Farther south, on the islands along the coast of Mexico and
in the Bahamas, it is known to nest in great numbers. The eggs are usually three
in number, sometimes four. They vary from yellowish-buff to greenish, spotted and
blotched with yellowish-brown and lilac, especially about the larger end, but, like
the eggs of all terns, are extremely variable. The average size is 1.75x1.30. This is
the only species of tern having the bill shaped in noticeable degree like that of a
gull — hence its common name. Marsh Tern is another name by which it is known,
but this is not regarded as exactly correct. According to the best authorities the
Gull-billed Tern is a species of wide distribution and is characteristic of no par-
ticular region, breeding alike in the *slands of the Indian Ocean and in those of the
Gulf of Mexico, the islands and the coasts of Jutland in Denmark and along the coast
and the interior in the marshes ind lagoons of southern South America. A few
specimens have been taken on the coasts of France and Germany, and it is recorded
as being common in Hungary, Greece and Asia Minor, where it breeds. It is known
to breed in various other portions of Southern Europe, and also in the northern
parts of Africa. Its flight is spoken of as easy and graceful, partaking of the ele-
gance which is characteristic of these birds when on the wing.

64. CASPIAN TERN. «tinm txi-Jn-ijrnrn Lepech. Geog. Dist — Nearly cos-
mopolitan; in North America breeding southward to Virginia, Lake Michigan, Texas,
Nevada and California.

This is the largest of these elegant and graceful birds, the Terns; it measures
from twenty to twenty-three inches in length. Tin- bill of this bird in life is of dark

red, growing lighter towards the tip; (he piletim and orripital crest is
glos: xtending to the lower line of the eyes. The back and upper

parts of wings are pearl-blue, the whole underparts are white. The legs and feet are
black. The ex" Ogl in the adult bird is tioin fifty to fifty-five inches. It is

rnopolitan in its distribution, being found in greater or less nbundai
various portions of tli«- i;lobe. At a distance it is often mistaken for the Royal Tern,
but may be distinguished from the latter by its more robust form and less deeply
forked tail. The bird is also known as the Imperial Tern; irregularly distributed
throughout North America, but chiefly in the Arctic regions, where it breeds, and
along the entire Atlantic coast. Eggs and young have been taken on Cobb's Island,

ily. Dr. Merrill observed it breeding on Padre Island, near Fort Brown,

• Notes on the Ornithology of Southern Texas.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

39

64. CASPIAN TERN (Frtom Brehm).

Texas, in May. The late Mr. B. F. Goss found it nesting on the islands of Lake
Michigan. Large numbers of this species are said to breed on Pelican Island in the
Gulf of Mexico. The nests are mere hollows scooped in the dry sand, in which the
birds deposit two or three eggs. These vary from white to greenish-buff, spotted
and blotched with brown and lilac of different shades; broader and more elliptical
than those of the next species; size 2.66x1.77.

65. ROYAL TERN. Sterna maxima Bodd. Geog. Dist. — Tropical America
and warmer parts of North America, northward to Massachusetts, the Great Lakes
and California. West coast of Africa north to Tangiers.

This handsome tern, next in size to the Caspian, breeds in large colonies along
the Atlantic coast, from New Jersey southward, depositing from one to three or four
eggs on the bare sand. It breeds abundantly along the coasts and on the marshes of
Florida. On some of the islands in the Gulf of Mexico it nests in immense numbers.
Very abundant on many of the lagoons and marshes of Southern Texas. Prof. Robert
Ridgway records the Royal Tern breeding on Cobb's Island, Va., in the first part of
July. In an area of about an eighth of an acre the eggs were so numerous that it
was almost impossible to walk through the nesting site without crushing a greater

40 VE8T8 AND EGGS OF

or less number; many of the eggs were covered by the drifting sand.* The eggs
are d- :ig narrower, and especially more pointed and rougher, than those

of tli. fern. They are yellowish-drab, irregularly blotched with dark umber

and lilac of various shad- ange from 2.67 to 2.75 long by 1.70 to 1.75 broad.

66. ELEGANT TEKN. sti-nia <U •//</// .« Gamb. Geog. Dist.— Pacific coast of

rom California to Chili.

Dr. Coues describes this tern as a "truly elegant species, resembling tho Royal
Tern, but easily distinguished." It is a Mexican and Central American species,
rarely occurring on the California coast. An egg is described as having a ground-
color of pinkish-whito. with bold and distinct markings of deep black and burnt
and subdued shell-markings of lavender-gray: size 2.20 by 1.45.

CABOT'S TERN. st> run .\ainlrirftiNix nnifln ridu (Cabot.) Geog. Dist. —
Tropical America northward along the Atlantic coast, irregularly, to Southern New
rid.

i fill Sandwich Tern has an extensive distribution, iii North A :
it has been observed as far north as Southern New England, and is known by the
name of Ducal Tern. Breeds in large colonies, like most of the terns, depositing tho
eggs in Hi- i. It nests on the small sandy islands off the coast of Cape Sable

in the latter part of June. Breeds commonly on the coasts of Central America, and
on some of the larger West India islands. The eggs vary from white to buff, ir-
:arly spotted and blotched with brown, umber, bluish and reddish: rather
poiii' number; size about 2.10 by 1.40.

68. TRUDEAU'S TERN. Ktrnin tnulenin And. Geog. Dist.— Southern

• icntal on the Atlantic coast of the United States (New
land).

bird has been accidentally found in New Jersey and Long Island. It
nit li America, but I believe its eggs have not yet been described.

69. FORSTER'S TERN, xtt nia fnrxti ri Nutt. Geog. Dist.— North America
generally, breeding from Manitoba southward to Virginia. Illinois. Texas and Cali-

ithward to Brazil.

'his one is iioiid for its graceful Might and, with them, it

Swallow a name which uelongs more particularly to the

••rn was once thought to breed ,m]y in the interior of North

The above habitat, however, indicates dearly the range throughout which

•! breeding in all suitable p laces. It nests on tin- .ands

among the lagoons and marshes of Southern Texas, thence northward irregularly to
Briti L In Manitoba, on the islands and marshes of ihe lakes and rivers.

;Mtly. Heir on the islands of Shoal I,.i l<e Mr. Arnold ;::i! Mr. ,

ands. I'.ne.is in colonies, often in roinpiiny with the
'lull-hillf! Q€ Laughing and Konaparfe's Gulls. When its

ng places v. uttering a grating, monot-

onous not' me time aiia< Kiri!-: the intruder on all Mting

'o his hr-ad. I n a turf of dry

grass, upon thn sand, or among ston< s. it In- 'ding

its nest of flags, water-plants. lining them with lim i

M average size of 1.85x1.35. In color they vary fiom nearly

• Bull. NUT- .:••;. un the L-B^

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 41

pure white and pale green to warm brownish-draB, irregularly spotted and blotched
with brown, umber and lilac.

70. COMMON TERN. Sterna hirundo Linn. Geog. Dist. — Greater part of
the Northern Hemisphere and Africa. In North America chiefly confined to the
Eastern Province, breeding variously throughout its range.

Sea Swallow, Wilson's Tern, Red-shank. "Mackerel Gull" and "Summer Gull"
are the names by which this beautiful species is known in various localities. It is
an abundant bird throughout its North American range, breeding on many of the
Inland lakes and marshes as well as along the coasts. In various places on the
Atlantic coast it breeds in company with other species, such as Forster's, Arctic,
and Roseate Terns, the Laughing Gull and others. Mr. W. W. Worthington, of
Shelter Island, New York, writes me the following: "Although a few Wilson's
Terns breed on nearly every sandy, point near here, Gull Island, situated a mile or
so east of Plum Island, is their chief breeding ground in this section. Here they
breed by thousands, fairly filling the air when you land and disturb them. Their
nests are always placed on the ground or rocks, and are usually composed of a few
pieces of grass and seaweed. They place their nests all over the island above high
water line, on the beach, on the sides of the bluffs, all around, anJL in the garden
cultivated by the light-uouse keeper. Fresh eggs can be obtained there from the
10th of June to the middle of July, as egging parties keep them cleaned off about as
fast as they are laid. I collected a set of four eggs of this species on Gull Island
last spring (1881), which is the only set I ever saw containing more than three eggs,
which is the usual number laid." Mr. Worthington and Mr. M. C. Howe found two
sets each containing five eggs on Gull Island in the season of 1894. This is an
unusual number to a set. The eggs vary from greenish to deep brown, spotted and
blotched with brown, blackish and lilac; they vary in length from 1.49 to 1.75 by 1.18
to 1.30 broad.

71. ARCTIC TERN. Sterna paradisaea Brunn. Geog. Dist. — Northern Hem-
isphere; in North America breeding from Massachusetts to the Arctic regions and
wintering southward to Virginia and California.

Throughout all Northern Alaska, both on the coast and in the interior, the
Arctic Tern is an abundant summer resident, breeding wherever found. In its
general appearance and habits, its mode of nesting, flight, and other characteristics,
this species closely resembles the Common Tern. Its distribution is, however, more
northern, breedinr in the most northern latitude, where tf. Itirundo is found only
in limited numbers. The eggs of both are indistinguishable.

72. ROSEATE TERN. Sterna dougalli Montag. Geog. Dist. — Temperate and
tropical regions; north on the Atlantic coast of North America to Massachusetts, and
casually to Maine.

On the Atlantic coast of North America this beautiful species is found breeding
from Maine southward to Florida. It is known also by the name of Paradise Tern.
On some of the islands of the New England coast this species breeds in abundance,
notably on Muskegat, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Elizabeth Islands. In
many places it breeds in colonies with the Common and Arctic Terns and the
Laughing Gull. On a small island, called Goose Island, about three-quarters of an
acre in extent, situated in Long Island Sound, and a short distance from Faulkner's
Island, Mr. M. B. Griffing found this species nesting in abundance. The high land
IB from two to six feet above the beach, and is covered with a thick growth of weeds

4: NE8T8 AND EGOS OF

and grass; in this some of the nests were concealed; others were in plain sight; they
nnerous as to fairly cover the ground. They were nothing more than
slight hollows lined with dry grass, and contained usually two eggs. Mr. drifting
says he is satisfied that this is the usual number laid by this species, as then1 wen-
but ti -ntnining three eggs in the hundreds of nests observed; incubation

had begun in nearly every set, and many were almost hatched! Some of the eggs
were laid ire just above high water mark. Mr. Grifflng says that the eggs

differ from those of the Common Tern, being less pointed at the small end; the
markings are usually much finer and more numerous. By placing a tray of the eggs
of each species side by side the difference is very marked. They vary in size from
" in length by 1.10 to 1.25 in breadth. Mr. Griffing states the birds are very
noisy when their nests are being disturbed; hovering overhead they utter a harsh
gutteral cry. peculiar to the species. They also have a note which sounds like the
syllable tip, tip, HI>.

73. ALEUTIAN TERN. Xtrnia alnitica Baird. Geog. Dist.— Coast of Africa,
from the Island of Kadiak to Norton Sound.

This tern has been found nesting in various parts of Alaska; on the Island of
Kadiak, and on some of the Eastern Aleutian Islands. On several islands in the
vicinity of St. Michael's, Alaska, this tern, according to Nelson, breeds, laying its
eggs directly upon the moss, with no attempt at nest lining, which would be entirely

< essary there. Its habits do not differ essentially from those of other terns.
The eggs measure from 1.65 to 1.85 long by 1.10 to 1.15 broad. They have a ground
color, varying from brownish-white to greenish-olive, with bold markings of light

sh and chestnut brown.

74. LEAST TERN. N/mw nnliUnnnn (Less.) Geog. Dist.— Northern Soutk
America, north to California and New England, and casually to Labrador, breeding
nearly throughout its range.

This pretty little Sea Swallow breeds on the Island of Cuba, and other islands
of the West Indies, along the coasts of Central America and Mexico. Mr. Stuart
says it breeds abundantly on the white sand beaches of the Gulf coast, and on the
.Alands of the Atlantic coast of Florida. Mr. Theodore W. Richards in the seasons of
1888-'90 found this torn comparatively rare on the Virginia coast. A few pairs were
observed breeding on the shelly beaches where once they swarmed by hundreds.*
The eggs are laid on the bare sand in May and June. The "Little striker." as it is

'omul nesting on the Atlantic coast as far north as Massm -bus. •
how* ' ;i little farther north. The eggs are difficult to observe on the breed-

Ing grounds, their color being very similar to the sand and broken shells in which
they are laid. They are two or three, and seldom four in number They vary from
pale greenish to drab or buff, spotted and blotched pretty evenly with brown, umber
and lilac of various shades, with an occasional tinge of yellowish; in some tbe mark-
ings tend to form a wreath about the larger half. The average

75. SOOTY TERN. M< > -nn fiilhiiunan Gmel. Geog. Dist.— Tropical and sub-
tropical coasts of the Globe. In America from Chili to Western Mexico and the.
Carolines; casually to New England.

The Sooty Tern is found both in temperate and tropical regions almost every-
where throughout the world. It breeds abundantly on the rocky islets off the coast

• The OoloRtst. IX. p. 79.

NORTH' AMERICAN BIRDlS. 43

of the Island of St. Helena, and on Ascension Island, which is farther north and west;
in favorite sf 3ts at the latter place it is said to breed in countless numbers. The
eggs are regarded by some as a great delicacy, and are so numerous that they are
an important article of commerce. This species is said to be semi-nocturnal in its
habits, being able to fly by night as well as by day, going out to sea to feed long be-
fore daylight. It is "the egg bird" of Jamaica. Breeds on the islands in the Gulf
of Mexico, about the middle of May, and on the small islands south of Key West,
Fla., early in May. In some places the eggs are deposited on the bare ground or on
rocks; in others a nest is made in the long grass under bushes. This species lays but
a single egg. Audubon states that the Sooty Tern always lays three eggs, but more
recent observers say that in thousands of nests examined there were only two
instances of two eggs being found together. It is a handsome egg, pinkish or creamy
white, spotted and blotched with a rich reddish-brown, tinged with lilac. Sizes vary
from 1.95 to 2.12 long by 1.45 to 1,50 broad.

76. BRIDLED TERN. Sterna ancetlietus Scop. Geog. D'st. — Tropical
regions; casual in Florida.

The Bridled Tern is especially abundant in the West India Islands, where it is
the "egg-bird" par excellence, and is often confounded with the Sooty Tern. The
bird occurs casually in Florida, but does not breed there. It is noted for its social
peculiarities, always nesting in company with the Roseate, Sooty and Noddy Terns.
The single egg of this species is deposited on ledges of rocks or in the cavities among
loose boulders along the sea shore. The egg has a ground-color of a rich cream,
with large blotches and smaller spots of reddish-brown, with confluent shell-mark-
ings of dull lilac. The blotches are usually confluent at the large end, while others
are scattered over the entire surface. Five selected specimens in Mr. Crandall's col-
lection offer the following measurements: 1.83x1.30, 1.84x1.26, 1.85x1.27, 1.86x1.29,
1.87x1.31, the average being about 1.84x1.31.

77. BLACK TERN. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (Gmel.) Geog. Dtst. —
Temperate and tropical America, from Alaska and fur countries into South America;
oreeding from the Middle United States northward.

The Black or Short-tailed Tern is distributed throughout North America at
large, both along the coast and in the interior; breeding anywhere in colonies, in
marshes and reedy sloughs, where it deposits the eggs on dead reeds, whiofa are
often floating. It is known to
"breed abundantly in various
marshes of Michigan, Wiscon-
sin, Minnesota, Dakota, Ore-
gon and California. It has ex-
ceedingly long wings, and in
Its pursuit of insects in the air
Its flight and evolutions re-
semble those of a swallow.
Mr. Frank W. Langdon ob-
served this species to be a
very common summer resi-
dent of a marsh in Northern "• BLACK TERN'

44 • OP

Ohio.* He found it "nesting, or rather laying its eggs, on the little islands of de-
caying vegetation and mud formed by sunken muskrat houses. Three eggs consti-
tute a full set, and they are apparently rolled about in the mud purposely until well
coated, so as to hide the markings, and thereby make them less conspicuous." Mr.
Langdon says that in two or three instances an attempt at nest building was notice-
able, consisting merely of a few fragments of grasses, so disposed as to prevent
the eggs from rolling. Two broods are reared in a season, as eggs were taken in
May, and Mr. Langdon collected fresh eggs in July. They vary from brown to
greenish; thickly spotted and blotched with brown and lilac of various sizes, but
mostly bold, large and of light and blackish brown, thickest around the larger end.
They resemble some of the sandpipers' eggs in size, shape and color. Average size
,.98.

78. WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN. E ydrochclidon leucoptera (Meisn &
Schinz.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern Hemisphere; accidental in North America.

A single example of this European species was taken on Lake Koshkonong, Wis-
consin, in the first week of July, 1873. The ovaries of this specimen contained small
eggs. It occurs occasionally in Great Britain, and is accidental in Sweden. On the
lakes, rivers and marshes of the countries of the Alps it is said to be very common,
and also in the bays and inlets of the Mediterranean Sea. Its nesting and general
habits are said to be like those of H. niiini snriiinincnsis. The eggs, however, as a
general rule, have a lighter ground color, and average slightly larger than those of
the American bird.

79. NODDY. Anos stolidus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Tropical and sub-tropical
regions; In America, from Brazil and Chili north to the Gulf and South Atlantic
States.

Dr. Brewer says: "The common Noddy Tern appears to be an inter-tropical
species, and to be found round the entire surface of the globe, both north and south
of the equator, at a distance from it of rarely exceeding thirty degrees north or
south." On the Island of St. Helena it is a common species, and it also breeds on
Ascension Island. It breeds in profusion on several of the West Indies. On the
Bahamas the nests are built of sticks, l-.iv. s and grass, and they are placed in the
branches of trees. In some of the islands of the tropics this species places its nest
on the top branches of cocoanut trees and the outer branches of mangroves. It
lays but a single egg; this will vary from ashy-yellow to buff or cream color. The
•pots are small and scattered dark chestnut, with subdued shell-markings of laven-
der gray; average size 2.00x1.35.

80. BLACK SKIMMER. Rjinrh'.p* nigra Linn. Geog. Dist.— Warmer parts
of America, north on the Atlantic- coast to New Jersey, and casually to the Bay of
Pundy.

In summer the Black Skimmer is abundantly distributed from New Jersey
southward, and is strictly maritime. It may be known by its singularly shaped bill,

• Summer Birds of a Northern Ohio Marsh.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 45

the under mandible of which is much longer than the
upper, and compressed like a knife blade, the end being
obtuse. The bird seems to feed as it skims low over the
water, the under mandible grazing the surface. Like
the terns, the Skimmers breed in communities. On the
coast of Virginia Mr. T. W. Richards found them breed-
ing in immense colonies in the month of June. The eggs

30. BLACK SKIMMER.

were deposited in hollows of the sand bars and, when the

birds are not molested, four eggs are laid, at least as often as three. This species is
known by several names, such as "Razor-bill," "Cut-water," "Shear-water," "Sea
Crow" and "Sea Dog;" the latter name it receives from its cries, which resemble
somewhat the barking of a dog. It breeds on Cobb's Island, Va., in the last of June.
Mr. H. C. Stuart informs me that this species nests along the Gulf coast of Florida
ir. "/lay and June, depositinc in hollows of the sand from three to five eggs. He says
ho har:, frequently taken setc containing five eggs. Mr. C. S. Shick, of Sea Isle City,
X. u., vritcr-i 310 that he has taken eggs as early as May 26, on the New Jersey coast.
Hie, experience iz that four "eggs are oftener laid than three, which is generally stated
to be the usual number. The eggs arc among the most beautiful of all eggs; they are
white and pale buff, rather coarsely spotted and blotched with brown, blackish-
umber and lilac of varying shades, with neutral tint shell blotches; sizes range from
1.65 to 1.98 in length by 1.31 to 1.40 in breadth.

* * WANDERING ALBATROSS. Diomedca exulans Linn. Geog. Dist.—
Southern seas, north very irregularly to Florida (Tampa Bay?) and coast of Wash-
ington. (?)

The Wandering Albatross is now assigned to the Hypothetical List of the A. 0.
U. Check List. It is said to have occurred in Tampa Bay, Florida, and also off the
coast of the State of Washington. Both of these records are unsatisfactory. This
albatross wanders over the vast waters of southern seas ranging as far north on the
Atlantic coast of Africa as the Canary Islands, on that of South America to Trinidad
Island and beyond. The bird has been taken in Europe and was admitted to the
North American fauna on the grounds of its occurrence as above stated. It has been
found breeding on various islands of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, on Prince
Edward's, Crozete, and Kerguelen Islands lying southeast of Africa, and on the
Island of Tristan d'Acunda to the southwest. At the latter place it breeds in
January, nesting on the highest ledges of the cliffs. Dr. J. H. Kidder met with a
number of these birds nesting on Kerguelen Island on the 2d of January. The nests
were upon tall mounds, built up of grass to the height of two or more feet from the
ground, and, being of different heights, seemed to have been used again and added
to year after year. Dr. Kidder counted twenty-three birds in sight at one time,
each perched upon its nest. Driven from the ijests and compelled to walk, the birds
looked not unlike overgrown geese.* Three eggs of this species are in the collection
of Mr. C. W. Crandall, of Woodside, N. Y. They were taken January 22, 1886, on
South Georgia Island, east of Cape Horn. The birds were captured. The nests wera
built up from the ground of mud and coarse tussock grass. In shape the eggs are al-
most equal-ended and measure respectively as follows: 5.43x3.08, 5.36x3.21, 4.94x3.21.
On the first the coloration is dull white for the surface, beautifully ringed about the

* Bulletin No. 2, United States National Museum, p. 20.

46

NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

«* WANDERING ABATROSS (Prom Brebm).

larger end with reddish specks and spots, th unning together. The second

has the large end sprinkled with minute specks of dull reddish and the small end is
also similarly marked. In the last specimen above measured the large end is
sprinkled with small specks of chestnut brown. An average size of ten specimens
is as follows: Largest, 5.43x3.08; smallest, 4.87x3.00; the broadest specimen being

81. BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS. IHnmnh,, »,</"/" * Aud. Geog. Dist—
North Paeifie. including west coast of North America.

k-footed Albatross is an abundant bird of the North I'arifi. Ocean.

Fl of this family, it is nnterl for its protracted powers of flight, following

vessels for hundreds of miles and subsisting on the refuse thrown overboard, which.

with crabs, etc., is its main food. Very little is known eoneeinir ;ibits

. It is said to breed on the small r;uano islands southwest of the

Sandwich group in the North Pacific, depositing a llngli white egg in a depression of

the soil, surrounded with a little sea-weed. Mr. Da 11 learned from Capt. George

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 47

Holder, who was in search of new guano islands, that these birds nest during the
winter months on the coral island of Caspar Rico near the equator.

82. SHOBT-TAILED ALBATROSS. Diomedca albatrus Pall. Geog. Dist.—
Pacific Ocean, including western coast of Africa, northward to Bering Sea.

This Albatross inhabits the Pacific Ocean at large. It breeds on the lonely
islands west of the Sandwich group. It is also supposed to breed on some of the
islands off the coast of China and Japan and on some of the Aleutian Islands. This
species requires many years before it attains perfect plumage, but the young are
said to be easily distinguished from niffripes. It is a constant attendant of whaling
vessels, feeding on the scraps of blubber or refuse thrown from the ships. It is easily
caught with hook and line, and when taken on board is said to be unable to rise
from the deck, as it requires a long range of surface on which to flap its wings. The
single egg which this species deposits is white, equal-ended, and measures 4.20x2.60.
It is laid on the bare ground.

83. YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS. Tlialassogeron culminatus (Gould.) Geog.
Dist. — Indian and South Pacific Oceans; casual off the coast of Oregon.

Supposed to be a rare visitant on the Pacific coast north of the equator. A dead
specimen answering the description of this species was washed up on the beach near
the Golden Gate, and an example is said to have been taken as far north as the mouth
of the Columbia River, Oregon. It breeds on the islands of the Southern Indian and
South Pacific Oceans. A single egg is laid. A specimen of the egg of this species,
which was collected by Captain Thomas B. Lynch, at Diego Ramirey Islands, near
Cape Horn, February 8, 1886, measures 4.30x2.72, and is dull white, faintly speckled
with lavender and purplish. The specks form an indistinct wreath at the larger
end, in the same manner that the eggs of Leach's Petrel are often marked. In fact,
Mr. Norris says that this specimen looks like an egg of the latter seen through a
powerful magnifying glass. Incubation in this case was slightly advanced. The
nest consisted of mud scraped together in a heap on the ground. Mr. Emerson has
an egg of this albatross which measures 4.68x2.68; it was taken by Captain Lynch at
Diegos Kavnen's rocks, S. by E. fifty-two miles from Cape Horn, January 12, 1880.
The egg was fresh. The nest was composed of grass and mud on the outside, and
lined with fine grass and feathers. The diameter outside at the top 12 inches.and at
the base 18. Inside it was 10 inches broad by 5 deep. It was built on the top of
rocks on a loamy plain. The data accompanying Mr. Emerson's specimen states that
the nests are placed close together, and they are very nicely and solidly built, lasting
two or three seasons even in that hot climate.* Ridgway gives the size of the egg as
4.18x2.63. Mr. Crandall has an egg collected by Capt. Lynch which measures 4.11x
2.73. This was on the same island as recorded above — 52 miles from Cape Horn.

84. SOOTY ALBATROSS. Phcrtetria fuliginosa (Gm.) Geog. Dist.— Oceans of
the Southern Hemisphere, northward to the coast of Oregon.

A great ocean wanderer, more common invthe South than in the North Pacific
regions. A rare visitor to the coasts of North America. This dusky species breeds on
the islands off the coast of China and southward. It nests commonly on the Islands
that lie southeast of Africa, namely: Prince Edwards, Crozete, Kerguelen Islands and
others. Here they breed in October and November, placing the nest in the cavity of
some high, perpendicular rock. The nest is a conical mound, 7 or 8 iuches high,
hollowed at the top and rudely lined with grass. The single egg which this species

* Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XI, pp. 21-22.

48 *T8 AND EGG* or

84. SOOTY ALBATROSS (After Audubon).

lays Is described as white, very long in proportion to its thickness; sometimes it is
marked with spots about the larger end; size 3.95x2.63. The cries of this Albatross
are said to bo very loud, and not unlike the calls of a cat. In November, 1885, Capt.
Thomas B. Lynch collected eggs of this species at Diego, Ramirey Islands, fifty-two
miles off Cape Horn. One of these eggs is in the collection of Mr. Crandall. The
nest was built up from the ground about two feet and was constructed of mud. The
egg is dull white in color, very long and narrow, the large end sprinkled with pur-
plish red. Size, 4.53x2.45.

85. GIANT FULMAR. ()xxifr<i<i<i yiuantni (Gm.) Geog. Dist. — Southern
oceans; casual off the coast of Oregon.

The largest of the Petrels, known as "Mother Tory's GOOSP." "Giant Petrol" and

iker." Tn size it equals many of the Albatrosses, measuring about three

feet in length. with a spread of wings seven feet. The Albatrosses and Petrels are

noted birds, of gull-like form, variegated with hlnrU and white or uniformly sooty

They are birds of the ocean, rarrly landing except to breed. Among the

seamen and whalers this large species is known as "Molly-hawk." "Gong." "Glutton

Bird.' It breeds on the islands of tin- South Seas Houvets. Prime Ed-

-. Crozete and Kerguelen Island, an- sonic of its breeding place-. Said to breed

n December, making the nest on elevated Around some distance from the sea.

Fulmar Petrel also nests on the Falkland Islands, which lio past of the

'»f the Strait of Magellan in Southern South America. 1'r. .1. 11 Kiddor

found this species In considerable numbers in the vicinity of Kergueien Island. feed-

;ss of the sea elephant. Its voracity and filthy habits reminded him

strongly of the vultures. Like vultures. the birds so crammed themselves that they

mable to rise from thp ground.* The egg is described as dirty white in color,

roueh to thp touch, and its shape likp that of a common goose; size

86. FULMAR. Fiilmnru* nJnriaJin (Linn.) Gpog. Dist.— North Atlantic, south
on the Amrrirar: Massarhu

• Bulletin of the National Museum No. 2. p. 24.

XORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

49

86. FULMAR (From Brehm).

This species is commonly called Fulmar Petrel. It is found in light and dark
phases of dress. Abundant in the North Atlantic and in the Arctic Oceans of
America, Europe and Asia. The Fulmars constantly attend whaling ships out at sea
and feed on the blubber of the whale, which they devour with voracity. This species
is exceedingly numerous in the North Atlantic, congregating in thousands at St.
Kilda, the most western of the Hebrides, on the west coast of Scotland. Others of
its favorite breeding places are the Faroes, which are farther north; Iceland, Spitz-
bergen and Greenland. On some of the rocky islands off the coast of Spitzbergen
Ihousands of Fulmars breed in company with Brunnich's Guillemot, Black Guillemot,
and the Kittiwake Gull. The abundance of the Fulmar at some of its breeding places
in Greenland is something astonishing, nesting as they do in myriads on the inac-
cessible cliffs in mountainous places, depositing the single white egg in the crevices
or on the ledges of rocks facing the sea. The young are at first fed by regurgitation,
upon oil which is of a clear, amber color. This the birds, old and young, vomit upon
the slightest provocation, imparting to them, their nests, and even their breeding
grounds a disagreeable odor. The oil is one of the important commercial productions
of St. Kilda. The single egg is pure white; in shape resembling a hen's; shell brittle.
Four eggs from Iceland measure 2.96 by 2.04, 2.74 by 1.91, 2.99 by 2.02, 2.97 by 2.01.

86a. LESSER FULMAR.

Dist— North Atlantic.

5

Fulmarus gladaUs minor Kjaerboelling. Geog.

50

NESTS AND EGGS OF

This subspecies occurs as far north on the American side as the coast of New
:i smaller race than the typical F.

86b. PACIFIC FULMAR. l-'nlin<irnx i/lar'uilix ultiinwliu (Stejn.) Geog. Dist. —
North outh on the American coast to Mexico.

This race is also known in light and dark phases of plumage. Dr. Leon hard
Stejneger found it breeding in enormous numbers in suitable places on the islands
s-:i off the coast of Kamtschatka. Their rookeries were in high and steep
rocky bluffs and promontories, rising out of the sea 300 to 800 feet. Dr. Stejneger
says: "I have spent hours under their rookeries listening to their whining void- and
watching their high and elegant flight in sailing out and in and around the cracked
• bees at an immense bee-hive." The egg is single and pure white. Five
eggs • Island. July 12th and 13th, exhibit the following dimen-

sions: 75 by 4'.- 18.5, 71.5 by 61, 68 by 50, 71.5 by 48.6 inn.. These eggs all

the dark phase of birds.

86c. RODGER'S FULMAR. 1'nliiKinix tiltii-'nilin rmlnn-sii (Cass.) Geog. Dist.—

similar to the preceding, but there is no dark phase known.

.olson says: "All of the Bering Sea islands IT shore and north of the

: by these Fulmars during the br« • Mr.

•f found them breeding upon the Fur Seal Islands and says that they are the

only species of the petrel kind found about this group. They reach these islands

In the season and repair to the cliffs, especially on the south and east

shores of St. George's Island, when selecting some rocky shelf on the faro of the

rliff. safe from all enemies except man, thoy deposit a single egg upon the bare rock

• d at once with the incubation. They a ! to their eggs, and

n be pelted to death with stones before they will

' their rhargo. The eggs are laid by the 1st to the 5th of June, and measure
abou 1 white; the shell is rather rough and tlie egg is

•can- "iut«-d at one end than the other.

**1.95 by ' v 1.90, 2.8o by :.•«>. t«7 by 1.96, 2.85 by 1.90.

\ORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 51

87. SLENDER-BILLED FULMAR. Fulmarus glacialoides (Smith.) Geog.
Dist— Seas of the Southern Hemisphere, and northward along Pacific coast of North
America.

The nesting habits and the eggs of bird are, so far as I can ascertain, unknown.

88. CORY'S SHEARWATER. Puffiini* borcalis Cory. Geog. Dist.— Off the
coast of Massachusetts.

This species was described by the late Charles B. Cory in the Bulletin of the
Nuttal Ornithological Club, Vol. VI, April, 1881, p. 84. A number of specimens of this
bird were taken near Chatham Island, Cape Cod, Mass., on the llth of October. We
have no knowledge of its nesting habits or eggs.

89. GREATER SHEARWATER. Piifflnus major Faber. Geog. Dist. — At-
lantic Ocean.

A wanderer over the entire Atlantic Ocean, and sometimes seen in immense
flocks skimming the billows in its light and graceful manner, similar to the smaller
Petrels. Its flight is described as most beautiful, gliding as it does through the air
without visible motion of its wings. It also swims and dives with ease. Common
Atlantic and Wandering Shearwater are other names by which it is known. There
appears to be very little knowledge in the regard to nesting habits of the Greater
Shearwater. It is known, however, to breed in the islands of the North Atlantic
and is often confounded with other species of Shearwaters. Dr. Brewer describes
an egg of this bird, collected on an island of South Greenland, as being nearly oval
in shape, with a ground color, originally white, but soiled by the peaty black earth
from which it was excavated; size 2.88x2.00. Another from the same locality is of
smaller size, and yellowish-white, which measures 2.75x1.85.

90. MANX SHEARWATER. Pufflnus pufflnus (Brunn.) Geog. Dist.— North
Atlantic, chiefly the eastern side; rare or casual off the North American coast (?).

In many places in the regions of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas and the
Grecian Archipelago this is a common species. It is said to wander to Greenland.
Breeds on the islands of Pantellaria, Gozo, Malta, and other smaller islands of the
Mediterranean, depositing a single pure white egg on the bare ground, in crevices,
or under fragments of rocks. This species also breeds on the islands off the southern
coast of France, where it nests in cavities under rocks, laying upon the ground.
The eggs are described as pure white, sometimes tinted with cray, measuring 2.36x
1.62. The principal food of this bird is fish, mollusks and crustaceans, which it col-
lects from the surface of the water.

91. PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER. Pufflnus creatopus Cones. Geog.
Dist. — Pacific Ocean; on the American coast from Lower California to Juan Fernandez
Islands.

Little is known concerning this Shearwater and nothing whatever concerning
its eggs.

92. AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER. Pufflnus auduboni Finch. Geog. Dist.—
Atlantic Ocean, from New Jersey southward.

Audubon's Dusky Shearwater is found on the Atlantic coast of the United States
from New Jersey to Florida. It wanders to the coast of Africa, where it is said to
breed on the islands lying on the west coast. It breeds in the Bermudas and the
Bahamas, and nests especially in abundance on most of the uninhabited Keys of the

NESTS AND EGG* OF

•• group; Lore they breed in March, depositing the single white egg in holes In

•isistiiiL' of a few dry twigs. Both sexes incubate and when

r on the nest the birds do not offer any resistance. The egg of this species is of

a clear chalky white color, oval in shape and measures from 1.90 to 2.32 long by !.?,<)

to 1.45 broad.

93. BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER. Puflimm • <iaria (Forst.) Geog. Dist—

nth ward,

species Is supposed to occur along the whole Pacific coast as far north at
Little seems to be known regarding its general habits; the eggs are
inble those of other members of this family.

94. SOOTY SHEARWATER. Puffin UN xtrirklandi Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
•i Atlantic, on the American coast south to the Carolinas.

is a Petrel that escaped the observations of the earlier ornithologists, Wil-
son. Audubon and Nuttall. Recent explorers, however, have discovered that it is
a common bird off our Atlantic coast, and that far north it breeds in immense
colonies on the islands of the sea. It burrows in the ground to the extent of several
its a single white egg. The average size of the egg is 2.58x1.78.

95. DARK-BODIED SHEARWATER. Puffin us f/metw (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.—
South Pacific, north to Lower California.

The Dark-bodied Shearwater is known to breed on Cornwallis and Chatham
Islands, east of New Zealand, in the South Pacific Ocean, and also on other islands
lyincr farther south. The bird burrows in the peaty ground a horizontal hole three
or four feet deep and turning slightly to the right or left. At the end of this burrow
a rude nest is formed of twigs and dry leaves, where one white egg is laid; size 2.25
It is stated that the old birds of this species roost along the shores of the
Islands during the night and the noise they make is said to be "something absolutely
frightful."

96. SLENDER-BILLED SHEARWATER. Puffin u* ti-nuiroxtris (Temm.)
Dist.— North Pacific; from Sitka to Kotzebue Sound on the American co,,

rding to Dr. Stejnegcr the Slender-billed Shearwater Is rather scarce on the

lands, but he says: "I feel convinced that a few breed the].
a flock on the 22d of August, 1882, at the entrance of Lissonkovaja Buchta, southern

; •!. leaving the whale carcass, upon which they were sittii

our approach." A specimen was obtained on Copper Island in June, 1883. A sum
ater was serun-d l»y Mr. Dall from an Eskimo. The bird was killed
In K< .iin.l. thus extending the range of the species through iJering Si rait

The eggs are at the present time unknown.

97. BLACK-TAILED SHEARWATER. Puflinii* rinrrni* (Gmel.) Geog
Dist. lentfil off the coast of California.

Thla peculiar M-hing the fulmars in many characters, is a«i-

alifornia. Its home is on the Islands of the South Pacific.
Nothing is known of Its eggs.

• * CINEREOUS SHEARWATER. Puffin H* knfilii (Boie.) Geog. Dist.— East-

• Me.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD IS. 53

This is an Eastern Atlantic species of which no American specimens are known
to exist in collections at the present time. A series of four sets of one egg each are in
Mr. Crandall's collection. The first was taken June 21st, 1890, on Porto Santo
Island, one of the Maderia group. The egg measures 3.02x1.95. The second was
taken in one of the islands of the same group July 5th, 1891; the specimen measures
2.87x2.01; another, collected June 21st, 1893, on Porto Santo Island, measures 2.90x
1.90. The fourth was taken July 18th, 1893, on Desertas Island, of the Maderia
group, and its size is 2.90x1.80. Three of the specimens are quite pointed, but the
fourth is of a well-rounded type like those of the albatrosses. The Cinereous Shear-
water's eggs are of exceedingly brilliant whiteness, and although little pits appear
regularly over the shell, the texture is very fine. They are by far the handsomest
white sea birds' eggs, and for this reason can easily be differentiated from those of
the Fulmars. This species nests in the holes and crannies of cliffs.

98. BLACK-CAPPED PETREL, ffistrelata Jiasitata (Kuhl.) Geog. Dist.—
Warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean; accidental in Florida, Long Island, England
and France.

We know nothing concerning the nesting and eggs of this species, which is of
casual occurrence on the Atlantic coast of the United States.

99. SCALED PETREL, fflstrelata scalaris (Brewst.) Geog. Dist. — Unknown;
accidental in Western New York.

A specimen of this species was caught in New York State, Livingston county,
April, 1880. Its geographical range, habits, eggs and nesting are unknown.

100. FISHER'S PETREL, fflstrelata fislieri (Ridgw.) Geog. Dist.— Coast of
Alaska.

This species was described by Mr. Ridgway from a specimen taken on Kadiak
Island by Mr. Fisher. (See Proc. U. S. National Museum, 1882, pp. 656-658.) Nothing
distinctive is known of its habits.

101. BULWER'S PETREL. Bulweria bulweri (Jard £ Selby.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern Atlantic, including coasts of Europe and Africa.

This petrel is known to breed on the Canary and Madeira Islands and others on the
northwestern coast of Africa. It is said to be an occasional visitor to the Bermudas
and accidental in Greenland. It nests in burrows in the soft earth under overlying
boulder-rocks and in deep crevices in cliffs. The bird is stated to be nocturnal in its
habits, never flying about in the daytime. The single egg which this species lays is
oval in shape, equal-ended, and pure white in color; sizes range from 1.59 to 1.76 long,
by 1.17 to 1.23 broad.

102. PINTADO PETREL. Daption capensis (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Oceans of
the Southern Hemisphere, north to about latitude 25°. Accidental on the coasts of
California and England.

This petrel inhabits the Southern seas generally. It is known as the Cape
Pigeon and Damier. Its eggs are at present unknown. The shape of the bird very
much resembles that of a pigeon, as will be seen by the illustration.

54

NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

102. CAPK PIGEOH (From Brehm.)

103. LEAST PETREL. IJalocyptcna inii-nitmniti Coues. Geog. Dist.— Coast of
Lower California.

t of one egg of this queer little petrel is in Mr. Crandall's collection; it is

pure white in ground color, with a ring of minute black specks around one end and

a few scattered over the other; it is short elliptical oval in form, and measures

it was collected by Mr. A. W. Anthony on San Benito Island. Lower Tali-

forn. th, 1896. The egg was laid on bare rock under a loose slab of stone.

104. STORMY PETREL. I>n,ri-ll<irhi pefctyfett Linn. Geog. Diet—Atlantic
\iiicrican side from the Newfoundland Banks northward. West coast
ml roast of Eu i

1 arey's Chicken" of the sailors. Common in various portions of the

\ Hunt if •: ran -ly found near land except when breeding or during severe

storms. It is not known to breed on the American coast, hut it docs in various por-

coast of Europe. In the Mediterranean it Im-cds in ahum:

rommonly on nearly all the islands on the coast of Scotland — the Hebrides,

and Faroes; laying is begun in (lie latter part of June. Dr.

says: "This is the rarest of the three little black whitp-n Mother

MS' of our Atlantic Coast, easily distinguished by its short lops ami

the most numerous, is also short-lopped, but larger and fo X-

: Wilson's is interniPdiatp, with square tail, but very long, stilt-like legs, flat

on the webs." The single epp is deposited in holes in high

cliffs or in burrows madp by the birds under boulders lying on the ground. The

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

55

'Jfc^gBP??^^ '• "**-•' * *" '.'• .T'j-'M- . . ... * ',-\*Y/^Z~?-' \ - • *- i*

104. STOKMY PETREL (From Br'ehnj;.

cavity is lined witn twigs and leaves. The ogg is white, obscurely dotted with red-
dish brown on the larger end; sizes range from 1.09 to 1.12 long by .78 to .83 broad.

105. FORK-TAILED PETBEL. Oceanodroma furcata (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.—
Pacific Ocean, on the American coast south to Oregon.

On all of the less populated islands of the Aleutian group as far east as Unalaska
this species is found breeding in the month of June. The nests are made in burrows
or holes about a foot deep in steep banks; the termination of the cavity being thinly
lined with fine roots and dry grass. This species, like Leach's Petrel, when caught
has the habit of ejecting a reddish oily fluid which has a strong, disagreeable smell;
the nest, eggs, and even the old dry skins of the birds arc forever infected with it.

56 - "/'

A small colony of these graceful petrels were found breeding on Copper Island, in
Bering Sea, by Dr. Stejneger. The eggs were taken July 12th, a single one in each
nest, were deposited in deep holes in the steep basaltic rocks, three feet or more
deep, and it was only with great difficulty that a few could be secured. Some males
and some females were taken in the nests. The eggs were in different stages of in-
cubation, white without gloss, with minute dark specks evenly dusted over the blunt
end; in one the specks were a little larger, purplish-black, forming a circle around
the blunt end. Three eggs measure 34x26, 32.5x25, 34x26.5 mm.*

106. LEACH'S PETBEL. <>r«i,i<,,!r<,ma h-urorhoa (Vieill.) Geog. Dist.— North
Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.

Leach's Fork-tailed Petrel at various seasons of the year wanders over a large

portion of the watery expanse of the globe. It breeds in the months of March, April,

May, June, July and August, according to locality, in the northern latitudes of Bu-

rn and Western North America. On the Atlantic coast of North America

from Maine northward it nests generally in June and July. Thousands breed on

some of the islands on the northern New England coast, especially those in the

ity of Grand Manan and the small islands of Casco Bay. The offensive reddish,

oily fluid with this species almost invariably ejects when handled or irritated prob-

ably serves as food for the young. The male and female assist in the duties of in-

cubation and often both sexes may be found sitting side by side in their burrow.

Eggs collected on the Atlantic coast are chalky-white, finely dotted on the larger

end, often in a rircle, with purplish-red and lilac. Twenty specimens average in

On approaching the breeding ground of the petrels, not one of th<>m

is to be seen. Many of the birds are far out at sea, and as night comes on those in

burrows come, forth and those out at sea return, and the ;>.ir seems alive with

flitting about like bats and uttering their peculiar clattering notes.

106. 1. GUADALUPE PETREL, nrrnnmlrnmii wn<rn(1n<-1iiln (Bryant.) Geog.
Dlst. — Guadalupe Island, Lower California.

Mr. P.ryant describes tbis species as being similar to O. Irncurli'ia. but larger and

.Vhite of upper tail coverts more restricted, and the ends of coverts broadly

i with black. Pileuni darker than back, lighter anteriorly. Hill broader and

••rat base than that of l<-nr,,rli<nt. He records this petrel as nesting in March

Island, which is situated two hundred and twenty miles southward

and '.f San Diego California. Here he found the birds In-ceding in bur-

'inder boulders and fallen In

in length, at the extremity of which were enlarged chambers where the single egg
waa laid upon a few pine needles. The egg. Mr. P.ryant <! shaped much

like that of a p Mite ju color, one end being wreathed with a fine spattering

of mi of reddish-brown and pale lavender. t The average size of fifty eggs

'.. is 35.7 by 27 mm. or 1.10x1. on in< r

107. BLACK PETBEL. n> •tni<,ilnnn<i melanin (Bonap.) Geog. Dist. — South

id to Lower California.

- of this aperies have been taken at Cape St. Lucas and other islands of
eggs as noted below. Mr. Chauncey W. Crandall has in his

'14x1.04 Inches.

t Additions to the Ornithology of Gundalupo Island. By Walter E. Bryant. Bulletin
f, California Academy of S<

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 57

collection a set of one egg of this rare and little known species. The eeg is pure
white in color with no marks of any kind, elliptical oval in shape and measures
1.44x1.08. It was taken by Mr. Anthony on San Benito Island, Lower California,
July 25th, 1896. The egg was deposited on bare ground at the end of a burrow about
three feet long.

108. ASHY PETREL. Oceanodroma homochroa (Coues.) Geog. Dist. — Coast of
California.

108. NEST AND EGG OF THE ASHY PETREL ON THE FARALLONE ISLANDS. (From

Mr. A. M. Ingersoll first found the egg of this species on South Farallon in June,
1885. He described the egg as dull creamy-white, with a circle of reddish spots
around the large end, so fine as to be almost indistinct. The large end is somewhat
flattened, like the large end of an acorn. It measures 1.18x.94.* This, Mr. Emerson
informs me, is the rarest of the birds that breed on the Farallons; nesting anywhere
in cavities under boulders, laying a single egg. v Two eggs collected June 15, 1885,
and June 8th, 1886, measure respectively 30x23, 31x23.5 mm.f The following on the
Ashy Petrel is by Mr. C. Barlow in The Museum for December, 1894 :\ "They nest
throughout the island preferably beneath stone piles on the ground. They fly about
only at night. One egg is laid which is of a creamy white color both before and after

* Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XI, p. 21.
t 1.18X.91, 1.22x.93 inches.

t Mr. Barlow has also contributed a lengthy article on the nesting of the Ashy Petrel
ID The Nidologist for August, 1894.

58

NBST8 AND EOOB OF

being blown. It is usually but very faintly spotted about the large end and ofte:
wholly unmarked. I have but one egg which is well marked and it has a wreatl
about the large end composed of irregular dots of light reddish-brown. The eggs o
this Petrel average considerably smaller than those of Leache's. The measurement
of seven eggs arc as follows, the extreme sizes being given first: 1.26X.89, 1.22x.8!
1.20X.89, 1.20X.87, 1.19x.86, 1.13x.89 and l.llx.87 inches."

108. 1. SOCOBBO PETBEL. Otrninnlrmnn *wo/vw;ixi.v Townsend. Geoj
Dist. — Coasts and Islands of Lower California.

This is a new species of petrel just added to the avifauna of North America. .
specimen of the egg of this bird is in the extensive collection of Mr. Crandall. ]
was collected by Mr. Anthony, the well-known ornithologist. Mr. Crandall says
t of this species is pure white with a ring of pale lavender or pinkish specfc
around the large end, elliptical ovate in shape, and measures 1.22x.85. It wa
collected by Mr. A. W. Anthony on Coronado Island, Lower California, July lOtl
1896, and was laid on the bare ground at the end of a burrow about three feet long.

109. WILSON'S PETBEL. Oceanites occanijus (Kuhl.) Geog. Dist.— Atlant
and Southern Oceans.

Wilson's Stormy Petrel is one of the best known and commonest of the smalle
petrels. It is to be met with nearly everywhere over the entire watery surface <

the world— far north in il
icy regions of the Arctic set
and south to the sunny isl<
of Southern oceans. Its gei
eral habits are the same 5
those of Leach's Petrel. D
J. H. Kidder found it on Ke
guelen Island, southeast <
Africa. He had previous
seen them at the sea coast o
the Cape of Good Hope, an
on December 14, saw them 01
1)>- day food ing on the oil
matter floating away from (1
carcass of a sea-elephant. Tl
birds, he says, fmiupnt tl
rocky parts of hillsides, an
flitting about liko swallow
minute Insects. Dr. Kidder remarks that ho never sun
I the egg, but learned from Rev. Mr. Eaton, who found one on Thumb Moui
tain ix-rrniber 8, that this species nested under large rocks not far from n
The egg found was white. The species was supposed to nest among and under t)
, habitually, at considerable elevation above the sea.

110. WHITE-BELLIED PETBEL. Cinnntlrumn vrntlnria Well.) Geo
Dist Tropical oceans; accidental on the coast of Florida.

A single instance of this petrel having been taken on the coast of Flori 1 ;« >-i
:t to a place in the North American avifauna. We know nothing regardir
Jta nidification.

109. WILSON'S STORMY PETREL.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 59

111. WHITE-FACED PETREL. Pelapodroma marina (Lath.) Geog. Dist.—
South Atlantic and Southern Seas; casual off the coast of Massachusetts.

This petrel with a remarkably long, slender bill and very long legs, has been
once taken off the coast of Massachusetts. As far as I can learn this species has the
same habits which are common to other petrels. Its nesting habits are the same —
depositing as it does a single egg in burrows in the ground. Mr. Crandall has an
authentic egg of this species which was taken at Otago, on the southeast side of
South Island, New Zealand. The egg, in shape, is the same as that of Leach's Petrel
and measures 1.37x1.02. It is well and rather heavily marked for a petrel's egg, with
brownish and purplish red in a ring about the larger end, and a few specks and
spots over the rest of the egg, except at the small end.

112. YELLOW-BILLED TROPIC BIRD. Phaethon flavirostris Brandt. Geog.
Dist. — Tropical and sub-tropical coast of America north to Florida.

In appearance this bird resembles a large tern; the principal external peculiarity
is its long middle tail-f€athers; the general color of the plumage is white, tinged
with salmon. Its habits are similar to those of the terns. It is inter-tropical in its
distribution, of a wandering disposition, breeding on the islands of iniu-ocean
thousands of miles apart. The bird is noted for its elegant, airy and long-prrt:-acted
flight. On St. Bourdon, Mauritius and other islands east and south of Iladagascar,
this species breeds in the crevices of the rocks of inaccessible cliffs, and i- hollow
trees. In the Bermuda Islands it nests about the first of May in holes in Iiish : ocl;:-
piaces along the shores. Here its favorite resorts are the small islands of Great
Sound, Castle Harbor and Harrington Sound. According to Mr. Buckenham* Trunk
Island, Harrington Sound, seems to be a favorite resort of this species. Ho : ;.ys:
"On the shore of this island are a great many crevices among the rocks, whicli
form the nesting places of this bird. I found two nests not more than a foot apart,
and each nest had its bird sitting on an egg. The eggs are laid on the bare ground
unless anything is handy with which ,to line the nest. The bird never lays more
than one egg at a setting and has several settings each ceason. The eggs are chalky
white, thickly spotted with chocolate-brown becoming more dense at the larger end
and often presenting a smeared appearance. In some specimens the color varies
from a reddish brown to purplish chocolate, but the predominating color is chocolate-
brown. The average measurement is about 2.23x1.53 in. The measurements of
three specimens are as follows: 2.24x1.50, 2.19x1.54, 2.26x1.53 in. respectively. The
first was found at the entrance of Shark's Hole, along the shores of Harrington
Sound, in a hole in the rocks about five feet from the water. The second, on Trunk
Island, Harrington Sound, in a crevice in the rocks. There wae nothing in the nest
for lining except a few feathers of the old birds. The third was also found on
Trunk Island under a pile of large rocks which had fallen down and formed a
place for a nest. This was lined with some weeds and a few feathers." The
Phaeton, as this bird is called, breeds in the Bahamas in holes in the perpendicular
faces of cliffs and also on the flat surfaces of rocks. A single egg 13 laid, which has
a ground-color of purplish brownish white, covered in some specimens almost over
the entire surface with fine reddish chocolate-colored spots; in some specimens this
coloring approaches blackness. The average size of the eggs is 2.21x1.54.

113. RED-BILLED TROPIC BIRD. Phaethon cethereus Linn. Geog. Dist.—
Coast of tropical America,north on the Pacific coast to Lower California.

In The Museum, November, 1894, pp. 15-16.

60

'x AND

113. RED-BILLED TROPIC BIRD (From Brehm).

The Red-billed Tropic Bird occurs along the Pacific coast of South America, in
the West Indies, and as far north as Cape St. Lucas. In one instance it is said to
have straggled to Newfoundland, Hreeds on the various islands off the coast of
Mexico. Its breeding habits arc said to be like tbose of tin- Yellow-billed species.

'•ggs are creamy- white with a purplish tinge, marked with fine dots of chest nut-
brown. The sizes vary from ; in length by !.:,:• to 1.7" in breadth.

BLUE-FACED BOOBY. Huhi ••tuntnjtx Sund. Geog. Dist.— South Pacific,
West Indies and Southern Florida.

i hat resemble very closely the cormorants, and.
be said to look like geese— a name often applied to them. The\
heavy sea-birds, noted for their vigorous protracted flight. They procure their

i height, completely submerging them.-

•al minutes. The I inhabits t! !M |>;i,.jr,,-

n as far southwest as Australia. In some of the islands of the I'aumotu

deposits its eggs on the dry sandy beaches of lagoons. M.nh

sexes incubate. When a colony of these birds is disturbed none of them leave their

•ravely at their stations, and his.; at the intruder like a domestic

goose, on the Bahamas this species nests in the latter part of March, laying always

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 61

two eggs. These are white, covered with a calcareous deposit; sizes range from
2.45 to 2.60 long by 1.67 to 1.75 broad.

114. 1. BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY. Sula gossi Ridgw. Geog. Dist— Islands in
the Gulf of California, south to the Galapagos.

Between the 15th and 28th of March, 1888, the late Col. N. S. Goss found this new
species breeding on the San Pedro Martir Isle, situated in the Gulf of California
about midway between the shores. It is a rock about one and a half miles long,
nearly as broad, and about 1045 feet in height, a little north of latitude 28°. Colonel
Goss states that the birds make no nests and lay but one egg; this they drop upon
the smooth rock, often in exposed situations, preferring the places where the
guano has been removed and, in many cases, close beside the winding paths that
were hourly trodden. No young birds were found, and from the condition of the
many e^gs examined, he was of the opinion that the birds do not commence laying
before the first of March. The average measurement of twenty-one eggs is given
as 2.42x1.60. The ground color is greenish-blue, coated with a dull white chalky
substance, but generally more or less stained with guano that generally gives them
a dirty buff wuite look; m form elliptical ovate.* A specimen of the egg of this
species in the collection of the late Capt. B. F. Goss measures 2.34x1.60.

115. BOOBY. Sula sula (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Tropical and sub-tropical coasts
and islands of America, north to Georgia.

The Booby Gannet is said to breed on some of the islands about the extreme
southern coast of Florida. In the Bermuda Islands, anu in some OL the Bahamas, and
many of those along the coast of Central and South America, this Gannet congre-
gates by thousands at its breeding places, where it deposits its eggs on the sand
of the beaches, or on the bare rock; no nest whatever is made. The food of this
species consists chiefly of flying-fish and small mullets, which they disgorge in a half
macerated state into the open mouths of their young. Audubon found mullets weigh-
ing more than a half a pound in the bodies of the gannets he examined. In various
islands of the southern oceans the Boo*>y constructs its nest of sticks and weeds on
bushes and low trees. Here it is said to lay but one egg. Observations of those who
have collected in the West Indies disclose the fact that the complete nest complement
is two eggs. These are of a uniform dull, chalky white in color, with great variations
in sizes, measuring from 2.16 to 2.64 long by 1.50 to 1.57 broad.

115.1. BREWSTER'S BOOBY. Suld brewsteri Goss. Geog. Dist— Islands of

the Eastern South Pacific Ocean, northward to Lower California.

This is another new species of Booby which was found breeding by Colonel Goss
on San Pedro Martir Isle in the Gulf of California. The birds were not wild, but
their nesting places, as a whole, were not in as 'exposed situations as those of the
Blue-footed, they seemed to prefer the shelves and niches on the sides of the rocks.
They lay two eggs, and in all cases collect a few sticks, sea-weed, and often old wing
and tail feathers; these are generally placed in a circle to fit the body, with a view, it
was thought, to keep the eggs that lie upon the rock from rolling out. There is but •
little material on or aoout the isle out of which a nest can be made. Colonel Goss
says the birds must commence laying as early as the 10th of February, as young were
found in many cases from half to two-thirds grown. The average measurement
of seventeen eggs is given as 2.44x1.60. In color and form, as well as size, they are

* The Auk. V, p. 242.

62

NESTS AJfD EGOS OF

similar to the eggs of the Blue-footed, in fact so nearly alike that when placed to-
gether they cannot be separated with certainty. A set of two is in Captain GOBS'
cabinet. These measure 2.40x1.70, 2.30x1.62 respectively.

116. RED-FOOTED EOOBY. Siihi i>i*ratnr (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Coast and
islands of tropical and sub-tropical seas, north to Western Mexico and Florida.

The Red-footed Booby is characterized by the same general habits as others of
Its family. Its nesting is essentially the same as that of the Blue-faced Gannet.
Two eggs are laid, white in color, elongate-ovate in shape, with a calcareous deposit
on the surface; size, 2.57x1.80.

117. GANNET. Xiila Itnssami (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— North Atlantic; south in
winter to the (lulf of Mexico and Africa. Breeds from Nova Scotia and British
islands northward.

Mgjji^

117. GANNBTI (From Brehm).

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 63

117. GANNETS AND NESTS.

The White Gannet, or Solan Goose, is widely distributed throughout the North-
ern Atlantic Ocean, and is more or less a resident wherever found. Some of the
most noted breeding places of this bird are on the islands about the coasts of Scot-
land, nbtably the great Bass Rock at the mouth of the Firth of Forth. Here it
breeds in tens of thousands, with the Gulls, Cormorants and Puffins that inhabit the
rock. Another of its breeding stations is St. Kilda. The precipitous cliffs at this
place rise to the height of 1400 feet. Here the Gannet breeds in countless numbers.
This bird also nests on the Faroe Islands and upon islands on the coast of Iceland.
Small colonies are to be found breeding in Labrador. One of its well-known breed-
ing places on the coast of North America is "Bird Rocks," in the Gulf of St. Law-
rence. The nests are built on the summits and ledges of the rocks. They are made
of sea-weed, mud and small stones, raised to about ten inches in height and eighteen
in diameter. In some cases the nest is made of straw and other available material.
A single egg is laid. It resembles very much the average Brown Pelican egg,
with, however, these differences: Its general shape is more elongated, and the cal-
careous deposit on it is thicker; the color is chalky-white; sizes range from 3.25 to
3.50 long by 1.65 to 2.05 broad.

118. ANHINGA. Anhinga anliinga (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Tropical and sub-
tropical America, north to the Carolinas and Southern Illinois.

Known as the Water Turkey, Darter and Snake Bird. It often swims with the
body submerged, its head and long neck in sight like some kind of water serpent —
hence the latter name. This singular-looking bird is very common in summer in the
South Atlantic and Gulf States to North Carolina, frequenting the almost impene-
trable swamps. It is a constant resident of Florida. The bird dives with amazing
ease, and when alarmed will drop from its perch with scarcely a ripple on the sur-
face of the water, and will swim beneath the surface to a safe distance before reap-

64 jrfl \\i> waas OF

118. ANHINGA.

pearlng. It has also the curious habit of quietly sinking like a grebe. The nesta
of the Anhinga are variously placed — sometimes in low bushes at an elevation of
only a few feet, or in the upper branches of a high tree, but always over water.
Sometimes this bird breeds in large colonies with various species of Herons. Th<>
eggs are from three to five iu number, bluish or dark greenish-white, with a white
chalky incrustation; they are narrow and elongated in shape; the sizes range from
2.00 to 2.30 long by 1.30 to 1.40 broad. In Florida the Water Turkey deposits its eggs
in April; many eggs are collectel in March, and a writer in TJic Oo/ov//.s/ (May, 1893,
'», states he has seen nests occupied in February. Mr. R. W. Williams, jr., in-
forms me than the Anliin^a will occupy the same nest year after year with little
s. Tn a small swamp near Tallahassee the nests arc frequently found in close
to those of Ward's Herons. He states the Anhlnga may be robbed of its
eggs constantly and yet they will continue to nest in the same swamp.

119. CORMORANT. r)inlni;-',,;,rn.r <„>•//-,< Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Atlantic coasts
south in winter on the coast of the rnited States, casually
Unas.
The rnmmon Cormorant is very generally distributed throughout nearly the

Miisphere. It breeds in the northern parts of Kurope ,-unl
and in North America from the I'.av of Fundy to Greenland. The Cormnran:

'is birds of strange figure; the outer surface of the plumage in m<

normally is of a dark lustrous greenish-black, lint suhject to preat , h.-inpes, making

diflicult. The eyes as a rule are preen, a color rarely seen in birds.

principally upon fish and their voi : ..verbial. This spec ies hn-eds

;rnbers on the rocky shores of Labrador and Newfoundland: making the

•ipon the tops of ledges or on projections and in the crevices of precipitous rocks,

which are covered with the excrement of the birds. It is composed of sticks, kelp

and sea weed. Like all the Cormorants this species is gregarious and breeds in

communities. They are all known under the common name of Shag. Mr. Frazer

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

119. CORMORANT. Phalacrocorax carbo. (From-Brehm.)

met with a colony of this Cormorant in company with the Double-crested species
on the coast of Labrador. Many of the nests contained large young June 19. Nests
of the Double-crested Cormorant were placed wherever the ledges would hold them,
while those of the common species were built clpse to the top. The nests of the
Common Cormorant usually contained four or five eggs, and several sets were
taken of six. The eggs average larger than those of the Double-crested; the sizes
vary from 2.38 to 2.65 long by 1.29 to 1.60 broad. Color, pale greenish; form, ellip-
tical.

120. DOUBLE-CHESTED COBMOBANT. Phalacrocorax dilophus (Sw/ &
Rich.) Geog. Dist. — Atlantic coast of North America; southward in the interior to
the Great Lakes and Wisconsin.

6

66 NE8T8 AND EQO8 OP

In Eastern North America the . oiible-crested Cormorant or "Crow Duck" IB a
common species, breeding on the coast from the Bay of Fundy northward and in
many of the inland lakes, reservoirs and marshes. It is said to have nested years ago
in Ohio, at the Licking County Reservoir, and otner similar places in the northern
part of the State. Mr. Walter Raine found nests of the Double-crested Cormorant,
built on the ground, on a small island of Shoal Lake, Manitoba, in the second week
of June. The ground was dotted all over with tne eggs of White Pelican, Herring
Gull and of this Cormorant. He states that the Cormorants' nests were cade of
twigs and weeds.* On some of the rocky islands of the lakes and large, isolated
bodies of water in Iowa and Wisconsin, this Cormorant breeds in great numbers.
Mr. Frazer met with colonies of it breeding on the islands and cliffs along the
coast of Labrador. The nests were placed on ledges of the rocks; they were com-
posed of sea weed and kelp, freshly pulled from the bottom of the ocean. None of
the nests contained more than four eggs. On the islands of inland waters tnis
Cormorant often constructs its nest on low spreading trees. The eggs in number
range from two to four; bluish-green in color, with the usual chalky substance over
their surface; sizes vary from 2.09 to 2.27 long by 1.35 to 1.50 broad. The eggs are
of a more regular oval than those of P. carbo.

120</. FLORIDA CORMORANT. PJiulacromni.r dilupliux flor'ulanux (Aud.)
Geog. Dist. — Coasts of the South Atlantic and Gulf States, northward in the interior
to Southern Illinois.

A smaller and more southern variety of the Double-crested species; resident in
Florida and along the Gulf coast, where it nests in communities on the mangrove
islands. The nests are always placed in mangrove bushes and are composed of the
twigs and very often lined with the leaves of this plant. Mr. Stuart has often ob-
served nests made entirely of the branches of the mangrove, with the green leaves
still on them. In the vicinity of Tampa and Charlotte Harbor the birds nest in May
a.id June, and below Cape Sable In the months of October and November. The
eggs are three or four in number. Six selected specimens measure 2.30x1.43, 2.28x
1.38, 2.36x1.45, 2.25x1.40, 2.51x1.50, 2.42x1.40.

120&. WHITE-CRESTED CORMORANT. Plinlm-nn-nrtu- </;7o/,7//,.s- <>inr!initint
(Brandt.) Geog. Dist. — West coast of North America, south to California.

The late MaJ. Charles E. Bendire met with this variety of the Double-crested
Cormorant breeding in large numbers on several low, narrow islands of Lake
Malheur, in the southwestern portion of Oregon. The birds began to lay about the
20th of April. The islands were also occupied by White Pelicans and Great HI no
Herons as breeding places. About two-thirds of the Cormorants' nests were made on
the ground, and they were composed of pieces of drift, small sticks, etc. The ba lance
were placed on low greasewood bushes. They were lined with pieces of bark and
/»/»• and coarse grasses, and placed very close to the water's edge, so that when the
lake was rough the water must have splashed into many of them. The eggs, four or
five in number, are described as being of an elongated oval, pale green, covered more
or less with chalky coatings. They average 2.42x1.48. Major Bendire states that
the largest set in a number exhibits the following measurements: 2.86x1.60, 2.70x
1.65. 2.66x1.64, 2.70x1.60. A single egg was found measuring 1.80x1.20. t

• The Oolorfst, XII. pp. 3-6.

t Ornithologist and Oolotfst. VII. p. 188.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

67

120c. FARALLONE CORMORANT. Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatiM
Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Coast of California, south to Cape St. Lucas and islands of the
coast of Mexico.

This bird is as common on the Farallones as Baird's Cormorant, and it nests on
the rough ridges or points of rocks overlooking the islands. About the first of May
they may be seen carrying weeds and dry sea kelp to their nesting sites
where they construct a flat, loose and bulky platform, which is, on the whole,
quite a shallow structure. Their nesting is similar to that of other Cormorants, and
they may be observed sitting on their empty nests for hours at a time, probably, as
Mr. Emerson suggests, for the purpose of working out the hollow of their nests with

120<r. A CORMORANT ROOKERY ON THE F/

(From The Nidologist ]

their large feet, for which purpose they are so well suited. By the middle of the
month they have begun to deposit their lime covered eggs. These compare well
with those of Brandt's Cormorant, and are a little larger than the eggs of Baird's.
A set of five in Mr. Emerson's possession measure as follows: 60x50, 61x39, 62x39,
0.0x40, 62x39 mm.* respectively; these were taken May 20, 1886; their general form
is rather ovate oval, and quite round at the greater end. Their color and general
characteristics are the same as those peculiar to other Cormorants' eggs— light

* 2.36x1.57, 2.40x1.54, 2.44x1.54, 2.36x1.57, 2.44x1.54 inches.

68 NB8T8 AND EGGS OF

greenish In color and coated with a chalky substance. Four eggs seem to be the
number commonly laid; both male and female assist in the process of incubation, one
remaining on the nest or beside it while the other is off on a short fishing excursion.*

121. MEXICAN CORMORANT. PhaJarrocora.r mcj-iranu* (Brandt.) Geog.
Diet. — Southern United States, north to the interior of Kansas and Southern Illinois.

The Mexican Cormorant is a tropical species found on the coasts and inland
marshes of Mexico, Yucatan, and Central and South America, where it breeds. It
is mentioned by Dr. Merrill as being a common summer resident in Southwestern
Texas, in the vicinity of Fort Brown, where it doubtless nests in the dense growth
of trees and bushes that border most of the lagoons. The breeding habits of this
species are similar to those of P. d. floridanus — congregating in large communities
and nesting in trees or bushes. In some places along the South American seacoast
the bird nests on rocks as well as on shrubbery. The eggs are three or four in num-
ber, greenish-white in color, with the usual chalky substance on their surface; sizes
range from 2.10 to 2.35 long by 1.30 to 1.40 broad.

122. BRANDT'S CORMORANT. Plmlarrnmra.r ix-nirillatus (Brandt.) Geog.
Dist. — Pacific coast of North America, from extremity of Lower California to Wash-
ington Territory.

The most common of the Cormorants breeding on the Farallones. Its habits
are the same as those of the other species, but it is of a more sociable disposition,
congregating in large communities to breed on the shelving rocks and ridges. It
does not always choose the most inaccessible places for nesting. Like the others, it
has great difficulty in constructing its nest, for as fast as it gathers the weeds to-
gether, the thieving Western Gulls make away with them. So often are the Cor-
morants molested in this manner that they frequently change their place of nesting.
An interesting article entitled "A Cormorant Rookery," in The Nidoloyist for June-
July, 1894, is by H. R. Taylor. I quote it almost entire: "A Cormorant rookery
furnishes the observer with some queer sights. The great, ungainly birds crane their
necks this way and that, uneasily and helplessly, fearing to scramble away into
flight lest they be robbed of their eggs or young. The latter, however, are not fascin-
ating objects, being entirely naked and black as a kid glove. The parent bird will
allow the intruder to approach sometimes within five feet before flying, at least such
was my experience with the Brants' and the Farallone Cormorant on the Farollone
Islands. It would seem that the innate ugliness of the young Cormorant were
sufficient guarantee against invasion, but to make their peculiar sort of defence
more effective, I have seen Farallon Cormorants, when I came quite near, go into
contortions and disgorge the contents of their gullets. Whether this disgusting
performance were a method of defence, as I have suggested, or the result of pure
fright, I am not prepared to say. Our illustrations, showing both old and young
birds, is taken from a photograph of a rookery on an islet near Monterey, and is
a characteristic picture of the summer home of Brants' and the Farallone Cor-
morant. Bairds' Cormorant does not seem to breed so much in colonies, but fashions
Its compact nest on some slight ledge under a crag, where it is often inaccessible.
The nests become cemented with guano, and do service for more than one year.
This Cormorant, on the Farallones, seems to fear that its claim will be "jumped" by
some other bird, as it is often found in the nest when no eggs are laid; and if its eggs

» From my article on the eggs of this Cormorant In Forest and Stream, Vol. XXVIII,

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 6§

are taken it returns to sit on the nest as if nothing had happened. While one
Cormorant is sitting, its mate brings it small fish to eat. This applies to the three
species. I have seen in a rookery of Brandt's Cormorant many little fish scattered
about the nest, which the Western Gulls were endeavoring, with some success, to
make away with. While watching the Gulls the Cormorants must keep an eye on
each other, for sometimes one bird will steal the nesting material of another. The
nests are coarsely constructed. In the rookery here referred to they were of Faral-
lone weed, alyac and sea moss. Some varieties of the moss were pulled up, I believe,
by the birds from under the water, and it occurred to me at the time that a col-
lector of sea moss could not do better than visit a Cormorant rookery." The eggs
are three, usually four, sometimes five in number, light greenish-blue, with a
chalky deposit on the surface. They measure as small as 56x38 mm., and as large
as 66.5x38 mm.*

123. PELAGIC CORMORANT. Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pall, Geog. Dist. —
Aleutian and Kurile Islands, and Kamtschatka, south to Japan.

This beautiful Cormorant is abundant in the Aleutian and Kurile Islands and
those along the coast of Kamtschatka, where it breeds. Dr. Leonhard Stejneger
says it is a very abundant resident of Copper and Bering Islands, breeding on all
the most rugged and steep promontories which rise immediately from the sea, as
well as on the outlying islets and stones. Eggs, three or four in number. Three
eggs collected at Bering Island, June 8, exhibit the following dimensions: 56 07
37.5, 53 by 37, 5D by 35 mm.f Two from Copper Island, taken July 14, measure 59
by 34.75, 58 by 35, mm.J The color and general characteristics of the eggs do not
differ from those of other cormorants.

123a. VIOLET-GREEN CORMORANT. Plialacrocorax pelagicus robustus
Ridgw. Geog. Dist.— Coast of Alaska.

On the rocky coasts and islands of Alaska the Violet-green Cormorant is very
abundant. Here it nests on the ledges and projections of high cliffs, making the
nests of sea-weed, grasses and aquatic plants, which are cemented together with the
excrement of the bird. In all respects its general habits, nesting and eggs, are
similar to those .of the Pelagic Cormorant. The average size of the eggs is 2.25
by 1.45.

123&. BAIRD'S CORMORANT. Plialacrocorax pelagicus resplendens (Aud.)
Geog. Dist.— Pacific coast of North America, from Cape St. Lucas north to Washing-
ton Territory.

On the Farallones this species is less common than Plialacrocorax dilopJnut
albociliatus or P. penicillatus. The nests are built more frequently on inaccessible
places. The same rookeries are used each season, the birds repairing the nests by
adding a few pieces of weed or sea kelp. Colonies of eight or ten pairs nest on the
shelves of perpendicular or overhanging rocks. v The birds will occupy the same
nest after being robbed, and setting commences after the first egg is laid, in order
to protect it from the gulls. Mr. Emerson says that by June the birds have begun to
deposit their eggs, which are three or four in number, pale greenish-blue in color,
with the usual chalky coating. Mr. Bryant states that the eggs of Baird's Cor-

* 2.20x1.50, 2.62x1.50 inches.

t 2.20x1.48, 2.09x1.45, 2.32x1.46 inches.

t 2.33x1.37, 2.28x1.38 inches.

70 NB8T8 AND EGOS OF

mo rant may usually be known by their small size, the average dimensions of thirty-
six specimens (nine sets of four) are 55.5x36.5 mm.,* the largest 59x36, and the
smallest 52x35 mm.t

124. BED-FACED CORMORANT. Phalairocorax urile (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.—
Islands of Bering Sea and coast of Kamtschatka.

The Red-faced Cormorant is a common species on the islands of Bering Sea,
especially on St. George and St. Paul Islands of the Prybilof Group. Breeds com-
monly on some of the Aleutian Islands. Dr. Stejneger mentions it as being less com-
mon on Bering and Copper Islands than /'. /«7»r///c//.v. He states that the eggs of the
two species cannot be confounded; those of the Red-faced being considerably larger
than those of the pdai/it-nx, and the green color of the eggs when looked at through
the shell is totally different,— much more bluish in the former, against yellow in the
latter. The nests are built on the projections of the narrow shelves or ledges along
the face of a cliff, the material used being seaweed, ferns, grasses, etc., which are
matted together largely with the excrements of the bird itself. The young are fed on
small fish, crabs and shrimps, and in a short time the nesting places become very
filthy, as a large portion of the food brought by the old birds is strewn over and
around the nests. The eggs vary in size from 2.30 to 2.55 long by 1.50 to 1.55 broad.
Three eggs collected by Dr. Stejneger on Copper Island, July 14, measure 61x40,
685x39, 66x37 mm.t

125. AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. Pf-ln-mm* irjitlirnrliinirhnx Gmel.
Geog. Dist. --- Temperate North America, north in the interior to about latitude 61°,
south to Central America; rare or accidental in the Northeastern States; abundant
In the Middle Province and along the Gulf coast; common on the coast of California
and Western Mexico.

The White Pelican is generally common west of the Mississippi, breeding from
Utah northward. It was formerly known to breed in various parts of Florida. The
late Major Charles E. Bendire found it nesting in large numbers on several small
islands of Lake Malheur, in southeastern Oregon. It is common on various lakes in
the Red River Valley, in British America. In Ohio this bird must be considered a
comparatively rare spring and fait migrant, occurring most frequently in the fall.
In 1838 Dr. Kirtland records it as an occasional visitor. A specimen in spring
plumage was taken in the State about fifteen years ago. In the fall of 1861 quite a
large flock made their appearance in the vicinity of Columbus, one specimen of
which is still preserved in the museum of the Starling Medical College. At this
time Dr. Wheaton observed three of these birds on the Scioto river. In 1875 a
specimen was taken at Licking Reservoir and preserved by Dr. Jasper. Dr. Langdon
in "Summer Birds" says: One or two instances of the occurrence of this species in
summer in northern Ohio are noted by Mr. Porter. Mr. H. E. Chubb, a Cleveland
taxidermist, had one alive which was wounded and captured in Sandusky Bay
February 7, 1881. The latest records I have concerning this bird in Ohio are as
follows: One taken by Elliot Gilflllon on Big Walnut Creek September 15, 1892, ten
miles south of Columbus, now in Dr. Jasper's collection; another is reported to me by
G. Sutter, taxidermist, Hamilton, Ohio, taken in September, 1892, at St. Mary's it
voir. Our illustration represents the portion of an island in Shoal Lake, Manitoba,
photographed by Mr. Walter Raine, who found it to be a very popular breeding

• 2.19x1.44 inches.

t 2.32x1.42. 2.06x1.38 Inches.

t 2.40x1.57. 2.60x1.54, 2.60x1.4*5 Inches.

\ORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

71

ground of the White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, American Herring Gull
and other species of water birds. As will be seen in the picture, the ground is dotted
all over with the nests and eggs of these birds. It was about the middle of June, and
the eggs proved to> be fresh. I am informed by Prof. Marcus E. Jones that several
thousand of White Pelicans are permanent residents of Great Salt Lake, Utah,
breeding on the islands twenty miles out in the lake. They begin to lay about the
first of May or two weeks earlier, according to the season, and fresh eggs are fre-
quently found as late as July. The usual number of eggs, he says, is two, rarely
tiiree or four. The birds make their nests on the ground between the clumps of
white sage (Atriplex con fcrtif alia) that grow on the islands. They scrape
the sandy soil into a heap about six inches on the outside of the nests and arrange
dry twigs without system; the nests are about a foot in diameter with a slight de-
pression at the top. Prof. Jones says the birds travel sixty miles to catch fish for

WHITE PELICAN (FromBrehm)

72

XE8TS AND EOO8 OF

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 73

themselves and young, and they often vomit up the contents of their stomach on the
ground, which, with the great heat on the islands at the nesting time, soon decay.
The stench of the rookeries and the noise of the birds are almost intolerable.
Major Bendire found two to be the usual number of eggs laid, although three and four
to a nest was by no means rare, and occasionally as many as five were found. The
eggs are dull, chalky white in color, with a calcareous deposit on them, and always
more or less blood stained. Major Bendire gives the average size to be about 3.45
x2.30, and measurements of a few selected specimens out of several thousand are
as follows: 4.08x2.15, 4.04x2.20, 4.01x2.19, 3.99x2.20, 3.72x2.40, 3.86x2.55, 3.87x2.32,
3.62x2.40, 3.60x2.40, 3.57x2.35, 3.20x2.51, 3.17x2.23, 3.20x2.21; two runt eggs, 2.69x1.88,
2.46x1.73.*

126. BROWN PELICAN. Pelecanus fuscus Linn. Geog. Dist. — Atlantic coast
of tropical and subtropical America, north to North Carolina; accidental in Illinois.

This Pelican is an abundant bird and constant resident of Florida and south-
ward into the tropical regions. It is said, when feeding, to plunge for its prey like a
gannet, and does not scoop them while swimming, like the White Pelican. Like
the white species, however, it selects particular localities for breeding, and will re-
turn to them from year to year. Pelican Island, in the Indian River, Florida, is a
noted breeding ground, where thousands congregate for this purpose. Here they
breed in March and April. I take the following from an excellent article on the
"Nesting Habits of the Brown Pelican in Florida," which appeared in the March
number (1894) of The Oolotyist. It is from pen of Dr. Morris Gibbs, the naturalist
and ornithological writer: A visit was made to Pelican Island. He says that the
Pelicans, which had been studied for some time as they flew back and forth, were
the constant target at which all visitors shot, and it is a surprise that the birds do
not leave the section. The Brown Pelicans, Dr. Gibbs states, have a love for a
nesting spot and they adhere to a chosen site even when persecuted year after year.
This rookery has been known to exist for over twenty years and the birds have been
shot and robbed of their eggs and young annually for over a decade, and
yet they persist in nesting in the same situation each spring. Nearly all the
nests were built on the ground, although a few dozen were in the branches of the
black mangrove trees which grew scantily on the north shore of the island. The
tiests in the trees were more substantial structures than those on the sand, but
were of much the same materials, sticks, coarse grass and rank weed stalks. Mr.
Stuart says they breed in large communities on the islands along the Gulf coast,
most always placing the bulky nests in mangrove trees: often as many as a dozen
nests are built in a single tree. They are made of sticks and weeds, lined with
grasses. Many nests are also placed on the ground. Along the gulf coast fresh
eggs may be found in May and June. From two to five eggs are laid, three being
the most common number. Six selected specimens measure: 2.85x1.95, 3.02x2.04,
3.03x1.87, 3.08x1.89, 3.00x2.01, 3.12x1.87. They are chalky white, and in every respect,
except size, resemble those of the White Pelican.

127. CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICAN. Pelecanus calif ornicus Ridgw.
Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast, from Burrad Islet, British Columbia, to the Galapagos.

The general habits, nesting and eggs of the Brown Pelican found on the Pacific
coast are exactly the same as those of P. fuscus. It is a larger bird and has a red

* Ornithologist and Oologist. Vol. VII, p. 130.

74

NB8T8 AND EOG8 OF

pouch during the pairing season. It is said to breed on islands on the western coast
of Mexico, and inland marshes. Breeds abundantly in Honduras, along the coasts
and in the interior.

128. MAN-O'-WAB BIBD. Frcgata aquila (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Tropical and
subtropical coasts generally; in America, north to Florida, Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin,
Kansas, casually to Nova Scotia and California.

This great bird is known by several names, such as Frigate bird, Frigate Pelican,
Man-o'-War's bird, and "Hurricane bird." The latter name comes from the West
Indies, where its appearance is said to be prognostic of bad weather, always flying
low Just before a gale. It is a maritime bird inhabiting tropical and subtropical
coasts of the globe, but often wanders far from its home in the tropics. A specimen,
which is now in the possession of Dr. Renshaw, of Sugar Grove, Ohio, was taken
by Mr. Emmet Adcock in Fairfleld county, Ohio, in the spring of 1880. The Frigate
bird is occasionally met with on the southern coasts of Europe and on those of
Africa — on Ascension Island and the Island of St. Helena. In the Atlantic it visits
the Bermudas. On the Pacific coast it wanders as far north as San Francisco, and
breeds on islands off the coast of Western Mexico. It is said to breed anywhere on
the Gulf coast except at two points at Key West. This bird is noted for its majestic
flight and graceful aerial motions, often soaring to sublime elevations. It may be

IIS, if AM-O'-WAR BIRD (Prom Brebm).

XORTH AMERICAN B1RDK.

75

128. MAN-O'-WAR BIRD, in downward flight

known by its immense wings and deeply forked tail, and colors of brownish-black,
glossed with green. It is a constant resident of the Bahamas, breeding on some of
the Keys in March. One of the best descriptions ever written concerning the nesting
and general habits of this species is that by Walter E. Bryant, entitled: "Rookery
of Man-o'-War Biras," in The Nidoloyifst, September, 1893. From this article I take
the following interesting facts: Upon the mangroves bordering a small lagoon on
the eastern side of Santa Margarita Island, one of the islands forming the spacious
harbor of Magdalena Bay, Baja, California, he found an extensive nesting colony
of this species in 1888-9. If the imagination can picture twice and three times the
number of birds which appear in the illustration it will form but a partial conception
of the number of individuals congregated about the lagoon— a tidal body of water
a few hundred yards in length and not more than eighty wide. The illustration was
taken from the most populous portion of the rookery. The eggs are laid in January,
only a single one to each nest. Both parents take part in the incubation. The eggs
are dull immaculate white, shaped somewhat like a Gull's egg and averaging 68.7x
46.9 millimetres. Upon the slight platform of dry twigs composing the nest and not
larger in size than a dinner plate, it is surprising that the egg will remain, but
most of the nests have more or less projecting bits of twigs which keep the egg in
place. The nest shown in the illustration had probably been used once or twice, as
k is heavily incrusted with guano of young birds and is of more than average fliick-

1*8. NKST AND EGO OF MAN-O'-WAR BIRD (From The Nidologist).

from nesting material added each time it was used. Smooth as it appears Mr.
Bryant obtained an egg from it on February 13, 1888. The principal feeding ground
was out at sea, but an opportunity was never lost to rob the Cormorants, both of
fish and materials brought for their nests. The Cormorants' rookery was in the
Mime locality. An unmistakable odor of guano pervaded the rookeries and was
noticeable a hundred yards away to leeward.

120. AMERICAN MERGANSER. Merganser nnnrirnni^ (Cass.) Geog.
Dial.— North America generally.

The Sheldrake, Goosander or Merganser, as it is variously called, is a common
bird throughout North America, breeding from the Northern States northward. It
has lately been found breeding in New Mexico; Mr. N. S. Goss having seen a female
with four little ones July 2, on the Pecos River.* Is very abundant on fresh as well
as salt waters in spring and fall. The three species of Mergansers or Sheldrakes
with the "saw-bill" are commonly called "Fish Ducks." Their flesh is rank ami
unpalatable. The male may be recognized by his larc:c sice, white breast and green
gloss on the head and neck, the latter scarcely crested; the female, which is much
smaller than the male, has a deep red head and neck, with the crest better de-
veloped: umlor parts salmon-tinted. The nest is made in hollow trees, after the
manner of the Wood Duck, and is composed of moss, leaves and grasses, warmly
linpfl with down from the bird. In Northern Maine eggs are deposited in the latter
part of May or the first of June. The eggs are 6 or 8 and sometimes 10 in number; of
yellowish or buff color, and measure from 2.50 to 2.80 by 1.70 to 1.80. Mr. A. B. Call
found a nest of this species on West River, a few miles below Newfane, Vt. It was
in a hollow tree about 35 feet above the river and 6 or 8 feet below the top of the en-
trance. This was on May 14, and the nest contained sixteen well incubated cggs.f

• Auk. Vol. IV. p. 344.

tThe tfldolorlPt. March. IBM.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

77

129. MERGANSER (From Brehm).

130. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. Merganser serrator (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Northern portion of Northern Hemisphere; south, in winter, throughout the
United States.

An inhabitant of the more northern portions of the Northern Hemisphere, being
common to Europe, Asia and North America. In the latter continent it is more
abundant than the M. amcrlcanus. Very common in the United States in winter,
where it is found breeding in suitable localities in the months of May and June.
The Red-breasted Merganser breeds abundantly in Newfoundland, Labrador, the fur
countries of British America and Alaska. It is a resident of Greenland and Iceland.
It nests usually on the ground among brushwood, surrounded with tall grasses and
at a short distance from water; most generally it is concealed by a projecting rock
or other object. The nest is made of leaves and mosses, lined with feathers and
down, which are plucked from the breast of the bird. The number of eggs in a set
Taries from six to twelve, usually about nine or ten; oval or elliptical in shape, and
vary in size from 2.48 to 2.65 long by 1.65 to 1.82 broad. The color is a yellowish or
reddish-drab, sometimes a dull buffy-green.

131. HOODED MERGANSER. Lophodytes cucullatus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
North America generally, south to Mexico and Cuba.

This handsome Merganser is an exclusively North American species. In suitable
places throughout its range, in wooded districts near water almost wherever it oc-
curs, it may be found breeding. It nests in hollows of trees or stumps, lining the

78

NB8T8 AND BOOS OF

cavities with fine grasses, leaves,
feathers and down. In some locali-
ties the bird is called "Water Pheas-
ant" and "Hairy-head." Anyone
can recognize the male of this spe-
cies by its striking black and white
colors and its magnificent, erect,
compressed, 'semi-circular black and
white crest. The general color of
the head, neck, sides and upper por-
tions of the female are grayish-
brown; white beneath, and the crest
is not so prominent. As many as 18
eggs have been found in a single
nest; ten or twelve, however, appear
to be the most common numbers,

and often as few as six are laid. They are of a delicate pearly-white, rounded oval

and measure from 2.05 to 2.25 long by 1.70 to 1.75 broad.

131. HOODED MERGANSER, MALE.

[131.1.] SMEW. Mergus albellus Linn. Geog. Dist. — In summer, Northern
Europe and Asia; in winter, south to the Mediteranian, Northern India, China and
Japan. Accidental in Northern North America.

This is the Nun or the White-headed Merganser of British authors. It Is found
during the summer months in Northern Europe and Northeastern Asia. In Great
Britain it is occasionally met with during the winter. It is admitted to our American
fauna upon its accidental occurrence in Greenland.*

132. MALLARD. Anas boschas Linn. Geog. Dist. — Northern parts of North-
ern Hemisphere; in America south to Panama and Cuba, breeding southward to the
Northern United States.

The Green-head, or Mallard, is one of the most highly esteemed ducks, its
habitat being nearly cosmopolitan, and almost everywhere domesticated. It is the
original of our barn-yard duck. A common bird in North America at large, breed-
ing sparingly throughout the United States. In the sloughs and meadow marshes of
the northern tier of the states this duck breeds more or less abundantly in the
month of June. Rare in New England, scarcely found beyond Massachusetts,
and is replaced farther northeast by the Black Mallard, or Dusky Duck.
Mr. C. Barlow states that it is one of the most abundant species in California. He
found it very numerous about the marshes in the neighborhood of San Jose, eggs
being taken May 1. In Greenland, Mr. Hagerup states that the Mallard is common
the whole year round. Nests with eggs were found in May and June. The eggs of
tbe Greenland Mallard, he adds, are considerably larger than those of the Danish
i.ir.l; the former measure 2.36x1.73, the latter 2.20x1.61 inches. Mr. A. M. Shields
writes me that this is, perhaps, the most common of the ducks in the vicinity of Los
Angeles, Cala., breeding from the first of April to the last of June, selecting for its
nesting place the tall grass in fields not far from a lake or river. The eggs are six
to ten in number, pale, yellowish drab, or olivaceous-green, but most generally the
latter color when fresh; elliptical; average size, 2.25x1.25.

•Cf. Allen. Auk XIII. 1886. 164, 243.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 79

133. BLACK DUCK. Anas obscura Gmel. Geog. Dist. — Eastern North Ameri-
ca, west to Utah, Texas, north to Labrador, breeding from the Northern United
States northward.

The Dusky Duck, or Black Mallard, is much less common in the interior than
along the Atlantic coast. The characteristic and one of the commonest ducks of
New England, where it breeds at large, and from thence northeastward, but is most
numerous during the migrations. The eggs are from six to twelve in number, usu-
ally seven or eiglH; are elliptical, or nearly so in shape; measure about 2.30x1.70,
and vary from pale buff to pale greenish-buff. Incubation period is from the last
of April to the early part of June. The nest is placed on the ground, in grass or
rushes in the neighborhood of ponds, pools, and streams, in meadows and sometimes
in swamps. It is a large and neatly arranged structure of weeds and grass, nicely
hollowed and lined with down and feathers from the breast of the bird.* In rare
instances it has been known to nest in the hollow of a tree, or a "stub" projecting
from the water of a swamp. Mr. Frazar found the nest of this Duck in Labrador
usually placed upon the "outreaching branches of stunted spruces," which are
seldom higher than four feet. The bird may be known by its resembling the female
of the Mallard, A. boscJias, but darker in color.

134. FLORIDA DUCK. Anas ftdvigitla Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Florida, Kansas.
This is a local, lighter colored species, which is resident in Florida. They are

smaller than the northern birds. The eggs are deposited during the first and second
weeks in April. They are similar to those of the Black Mallard, but smaller,
averaging 2.15x1.61.

134a. MOTTLED DUCK. Anas fulvigula maculosa (Senn.) Geog. Dist. — East-
ern Texas and north to Kansas.

The types of this subspecies were taken by Mr. J. A. Singley in the latter part of
March and the first part of April, 1889, in the marshes between the Nueces river
and Nueces bay. A male and female were shot and in the oviduct of the female a
fully developed egg was found. Mr. Singley informs me that the egg could not be
differentiated from those in a set of Florida Duck's eggs, A. fulvigula. Mr. C. W.
Crandall has a set of seven eggs of the Mottled duck, taken in a large marsh near
Iberia, La. The nest consisted of a foundation of rushes lined with down, and was
placed on top of an old muskrat nest. The eggs are nearly elliptical in shape, of a
pale greenish buff color and measure as follows: 2.14x1.57, 2.15x1.58, 2.23x1.53,
2.18x1.55, 2.25x1.60, 2.17x1.60, 2.19x1.58 inches.

135. GADWALL. Anas strepera Linn. Geog. Dist. — Nearly cosmopolitan. In
North America breeding chiefly within the United States.

The Gadwall, or Gray Duck, is a widely diffused species in most parts of the
world. In North America, during the breeding season, it may be found nesting
anywhere, especially south of the British Provinces. Common in meadows, and in
grain fields near marshes and lakes in Minnesota, nesting in the middle of June
and depositing from eight to twelve eggs in a cavity of the ground. Mr. A. M.
Shields states that this Duck is a resident in the vicinity of Los Angeles, Cal., but is
not met with in great numbers. He found a nest containing eleven eggs on April
16, these were apparently about two weeks incubated. The nest was a slight
hollow, amongst a thick bunch of weeds, six feet from me water's edge; it was com-

* Oology of New England, p. 96.

M NB8T8 AND BOOS OF

posed of fine grass, and feathers from the breast of the bird. The eggs are clay color
or creamy buff, elliptical in shape, and measure 2.09 by 1,57.

136. WIDGEON. !;/»/* /«•»»;«,/•«• Linn. Geog. Dist.— Northern part of the Old
World. In North America breeds in the Aleutian Islands. Occurs occasionally in
the Eastern United States.

The European Widgeon, in its size and general character, resembles the Ameri-
can Widgeon or Baldpate. In the south of Scotland and throughout England it is an
ibundant winter visitant; a few remain to breed on the islands of the lochs in the
northern portions of Scotland. It breeds in Norway and Sweden, and is the most
abundant of the ducks that breed in Lapland, nesting in the grassy swamps and lakes
midst tall rushes, the material for the nest being reeds and grasses, with a warm lining
of down and feathers from the bird's body. The eggs are five to eight in number,
and their color is pale buff; their average size is 2.23x1.53.

137. BALDPATE. Ana* amcricana Gmel. Geog. Dist.— North America, from
the Arctic Ocean south to Guatemala and Cubp..

The American Widgeon or Baldpate inhabits North America at large, breeding
anywhere in suitable localities. This is one of the neatest of our ducks, and may be
known by the spotted neck and head. The latter is white on top; the speculum
green and black; the lower neck, scapulars, sides and upper breast chestnut-red,
tinged with ashy, finely banded, all but the breast, with dark brown. The greater
upper wing coverts are white, tipped with black, and the under parts are pure white;
the bill and feet are grayish-blue. The female is similar, but lacks the white crown
ana iridescence on the head. There is a great variation in the normal coloration of
the plumage, aside from age or sex, but as Dr. Coues says: "The bird cannot be
mistaken under any condition; the extensive white of the under parts and wings is
recognizable at gun-range." The nest of this species is made on the ground and
In marshes, composed of grass and weeds, neatly arranged and nicely hollowed;
it is usually lined with the down and feathers from the breast of the bird. The eggs
are pale buff, eight to twelve in number, measuring 2.00 by 1.50, with slight varia-
tions.

138. EUROPEAN TEAL. Anas rrccca Linn. Geog. Dist.— Northern part of
the Old World. Casual in Eastern North America and the Aleutian Islands.

This duck, which resembles very closely our American Green-winged Teal, is of
Irregular occurrence in Eastern North America. In the northern portions of Europe
It is vrry common, especially throughout Norway and Sweden. Breeds in abundance
all over Lapland and in Northern Russia. Mr. Mathew Clugston informs me that
this duck is quite common in Scotland, where it nests in the grassy herbage about
the edges of lochs. A few breed in various places in Great Britain— as far south as
Suffolk, England, and also in Wales. It is known to breed on some of the islands
on the west coast of Spain and those on the northwestern coast of Africa. The nest
Is formed of grasses and reeds, warmly lined with feathers. In seme places this
duck's favorite breeding resorts are the bogs and marshes in grassy fields. The eggs
are commonly eight to ten in number; and sometimes as many as fifteen are laid.
They are yellowish-white, oval in shape, and measure 1.75 in length by 1.30 in
breadth.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 81

139. GREEN- WINGED TEAL. Anas carolinensis Gmel. Geog. Dist. — North
America, migrating south to Honduras and Cuba.

This handsome little Duck is exceedingly abundant throughout North America.
It breeds from the northern borders of the United States northward to Greenland arid
Alaska. During the spring and fall migrations it is one of the most abundant of
water fowl, frequenting the small brooks and ponds as well as the larger waters.
It may be recognized by its small size; the primaries of the wing-covets are of
leaden-gray; speculum velvety purplish-black on the outer half, the inner half rich
green; bordered in front with chestnut, fawn or whitish tips of the greater coverts,
behind by white tips of the secondaries, interiorly with purplish-black stripes on
the outer webs of the lengthened secondaries. The head and upper neck of the
male are rich chestnut, blackening on the chin, with a glossy green patch behind each
eye. There is a white crescent in front of the wing. The female differs in the head
markings, but those of the wing are the same. It is a well-known and highly es-
teemed game bird. The nest is placed on the ground, in a thick growth of grass,
and is essentially the same as that of the Blue-winged Teal. The eggs are from
five to eight in number, greenish-buff in color, usually ovoidal in shape, sometimes
nearly oval, and vary in size from 1.73 to 1.90 long by 1.22 to 1.32 broad. t

140. BLUE- WINGED TEAL. A was discors Linn. Geog. Dist.— North Ameri-
ca, but chiefly the Eastern Province; north to Alaska and south to the West Indies
and Northern South America.

A beautiful little duck, inhabiting North America in general, but chiefly the
eastern portions. During the breeding seasons it is found in the same localities
as the Green-wing, but is more abundant in the northern tier of States at that season
than the latter. This duck feeds chiefly upon vegetable matter, and its flesh is tender
and luscious. It may be known by its small size, blue wings and narrow bill. The
feet are yellowish. The male has a white, crescent-shaped spot in front of the eye.
The female is brown throughout, with the feathers edged with whitish which be-
comes prominent below. The nest is made on the ground, in a thick patch or tus-
sock of grass, usually in meadows, the border of ponds or streams and swampy
places. It is composed of soft pieces of grass and weeds, lined with down and feath-
ers from the breast of the bird. The eggs are greenish or buff, lighter in color than
those of the Green-winged Teal; they vary from ovate to ovoidal, and are sometimea
nearly oval in shape; six to ten and twelve in number, and vary in size from 1.30 to
1.35 broad by 1.90 to 1.95 long.

141. CINNAMON TEAL. Anas cyanoptera Vieill. Geog. Dist.— Western
America, from the Columbia River south to Chili, Patagonia and Falkland Islands;
east in North America to the Rocky Mountains; casual in the Mississippi Valley;
accidental in Ohio — Davie.

This pretty South American Teal is abundant in the United States west of the
Rocky Mountains, and breeds anywhere in this range; Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Cali-
fornia, Idaho, Oregon, etc. In the adult male the head, neck and under parts are
rich chestnut, the wing coverts are sky-blue, as in the Blue-winged Teal. The
speculum is green and is set between the white tips of the greater coverts and the
secondaries. Its habits on the whole do not differ from those of its well-known ally,
the Blue-wing. Mr. A. M. Shields regards it as common in the vicinity of Los An-
geles, where it breeds in great numbers; nesting in the first week of May. Its
favorite breeding places are in fields of tall grass or clover, in close proximity to

7

82 NESTS AND EGGS OF

water. He says the complement of eggs ranges from nine to thirteen, and that the
nest is so compactly woven of grass, feathers and down that the entire structure may
be picked up without its coming apart. It gives me pleasure to be able to add this
beautiful duck to the avifauna of Ohio as an accidental visitor. On the 4th of April,
1895, a fine male of this species was killed, together with a number of ducks, at the
Licking County Reservoir, by William Harlow. On the 6th I skinned and mounted
this specimen and it is now one of the rare Ohio birds in my collection. It proved
to be good eating. This, I believe, is the first record of the Cinnamon Teal ever
having been taken in the state. The eggs of this species are creamy-white or pale
buff; six to twelve; one end smaller than the other. In my cabinet there is a set of
ten eggs collected by Dr. James C. Merrill, near Fort Klamath, Oregon, June 14, 1887;
they exhibit the following dimensions: 1.90x1.38, 1.82x1.37, 1.88x1.39, 1.90x1.38, 1.92x
1.39, 1.88x1.38, 1.85x1.40, 1.94x1.38, 1.89x1.36, 1.83x1.34; the average size is 1.88x1.38.
The nest was built at the edge of a marsh; it was made of grass blades and stems,
warmly lined with down.

141. 1. BUDDY SHELDRAKE. Casarca casarca Linn. Geog. Dist. — South-
ern Europe and Southern Asia, south to northern Africa. Accidental in Greenland,
Iceland and the Scandinavian Penisula.

Called also Casarka Sheldrake. It is found in Southern Europe, Asia and Russia;
accidental in Greenland. Mr. C. W. Crandall has a set of eight eggs of this species
in his oological collection which was taken June 2, 1893, in Southern Russia. Their
measurements are 2.60x1.89, 2.55x1.90, 2.48x1.87, 2.42x1.82, 2.48x1.83, 2.55x1.87, 2.51x
1.86, 2.53x1.86, respectively They are of an exact ovate in shape of a pale cream
shade, almost of the same tint as that found in the Wood Duck's eggs

142. SHOVELLER. N/m ////»/ rl,,i>r<,f<i (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern Hemis-
phere. In North America, Breeding from Alaska to Texas. Not abundant on the
Atlantic coast.

' .

142. SHOVELLER (From Brthm).

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 83

The Shoveller, or Spoonbill Duck, is common in the nonnern portions of the
globe. Said to have the most extended distribution of any species of the duck tribe,
being more or less common in every portion of Europe and Asia, except in the
extreme north; is found in Northern and Central Africa, and other portions of the
tropical world. It is not common in England, where it breeds sparingly, but is more
abundant in Scotland. In North America this peculiar-looking duck breeds tnrough-
out its range in all suitable places; it winters chiefly in the south. It may easily be
recognized by its broad bill, blue wing coverts and green speculum. The iris is yellow
and the feet bright orange. The Spoonbill makes his nest on the ground in boggy
places which are difficult of access. It is composed of grass and weeds. The eggs
are greenish-gray, or faintly bluish; elliptical; six to ten in number; averaging in
size about 2.10 by 1.50.

143. PINTAIL. Daftla acuta (Linn.) Geog. Dist— Northern Hemisphere. In
America migrates south to Panama and Cuba.

In North America the Pintail, or Sprig-tail, is a common species everywhere,
being found as far north as Greenland and the Arctic coast, and south to the Isthmus
of PanamS and to Cuba, breeding from the Northern States northward tnroughout

Ki^fe:

NEST AND EGGS OF THE PINTAIL DUCK. (Photo, by W. Raine.)

the Fur Countries to Alaska, and in Greenland. It is abundant in the United States
during the spring and fall migrations. In the vicinity of Los Angeles, California,
Mr. Shields says it is very abundant during the entire winter, and a few remain to
breed. The place usually selected for the nest is in tall buncnes of prairie grass,
seldom far from water. The number of eggs laid is commonly eight or nine; these
are deposited about the middle of May. If the eggs are taken the bird will im-
mediately deposit a second set, which is seldom more than five or six in number.

S4

NESTS AND EGGS OF

The male bird, inclusive of the long central tail-feathers, is about twenty-nine inches
long; the general color of the upper parts is grayish, delicately penciled with white;
either sex may be known by the very long and slender neck, but the female is
shorter, being about twenty-two inches long, the central tail feathers making a
difference of seven inches. In the far north this species deposits as many as twelve
eggs in a single nest. These are of a dull grayish olive; elongate ellipsoidal in shape
and measure from 2.10 to 2.30 long by about 1.52 broad.

144. WOOD DUCK. Aix *i»»i*<i (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Temperate North
America, breeding throughout its range.

An exquisite bird, the most beautiful of all our ducks; in fact, no description
can give a sufficient conception of the variety and lustre of its plumage. It is crested,
the head iridescent green and purple, with parallel curved white superciliary and
post -ocular stripes and a broad white throat patch. The iris and edges of eyelids
are red. In the female the head is mostly gray. A freshly-killed specimen has all
ariegated tints to be seen in the rainbow. It is well-named Bridal Duck. It
inhabits North America at large and is especially abundant in the United States,
breeding almost wherever found. Frequents the wooded portions of the country

144. WOOD DUCK (From Brehm).

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

85

144. WOOD DUCKS AND NESTING PLACE.

86

NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

near water. The nest is mad© in the hollow of decayed trees, often at the depth
of four to six feet It is composed of twigs, weeds or grass, warmly lined with the
down from breast of the bird. What is remarkable about the entrance to the
nest is, that it is often so small that it would seem almost impossible for the bird
to pass in and out. The tree in which the nest is made is frequently situated a
'considerable distance from water in some retired place. The young are carried to
water in the bill of the parent bird. The eggs number from eight to twelve, and I
have seen several sets of fourteen; they are of a pale buff color, averaging in size
about 2.00 by 1.50, but there is a great variation in this respect when a large series
of specimens from different parts of the country are examined. When robbed of its
eggs the bird will often lay a second set

145. RUFOUS-CHESTED DUCK. Xetta Ruflna (Pall.) Geog. Dist— Eastern
Hemisphere; accidental in the United States.

The claim of this species to a place in the North American fauna rests on a
single specimen obtained in Pulton Market, New York City, February 2d, 1872.
It is supposed to have been shot on Long Island Sound. The bird is found in South-
ern and Eastern Europe, and in portions of Africa and Asia. The eggs are described
as being of a pale olive-buff and measure 2.32x1.68; not distinguishable from those
of the next species.

146. REDHEAD. Aythya americana (Eyt.) Geog. Dist.— North America,

breeding from California and Maine northward.

The Redhead or Poachard, so frequently confounded with
the Canvas-back, is a common duck throughout North America,
It breeds in all parts of the Fur Countries and is
very abundant in the marshes of Manitoba throughout
the summer months. It nests in suitable localities of various
northern states, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and
Dakota. The Redhead also breeds in the marshes of California.
Mr. Shields mentions it nesting in a swamp near Los Angeles
about the middle of June.* The nest is built on the ground in
thick grass or weeds and is composed of aquatic plant stems
and grasses, lined with the down and feathers from the breast
of the bird. The nest is often constructed in a mass of reeds
over water after the manner of a Coot's. Mr. Shields found the
nests to contain from seven to fourteen eggs. Eight or ten are
more commonly laid further north. They are creamy-white,

elliptical, and average 2.40 by 1.70, with slight variation.

140. REDHEAD.

147. CANVAS-BACK. Aytl\va rallimeria, (Wils.) Geog. Dist— Nearly all of
North Ann :

Tho celebrated Canvas-back Duck is an exclusively North American species,
found in tho intrrior and on both coasts as far north as the Arctic Ocean and south-
ward to Central America. Breeds on the interior marshes, rivers and lakes frcm

• Young1 Oologist. a magazine devoted to the study of birds, their nests tnd eggs, pub-
Itehfd by Frank TT. Lnttln, Albion. N. V.. Vol. I, p. 90.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 37

the Northwestern States to Alaska. Nests commonly in many
of the lakes and ponds of Manitoba. On the marshes and lakes
in the mountain valleys of Oregon the Canvas-back constructs
its nest at the edge of the water or near it in tall rushes or
grass. The Canvas-back is the highly esteemed table duck.
When feeding on wild celery the flesh is said to acquire a
.peculiarly fine flavor, but under other circumstances not one
person in ten thousand can tell it from any other duck, on the
table. It ig often confounded with the Redhead, but there is no
occasion for this, even when the different sexes come to hand in
any state of plumage. Although both species are similar in
plumage, their heads alone will differentiate them. The Red-
head has a high forehead, while the Canvas-back's head slopes
gradually down to the bill and the bill rises high on the fore- 147. CANVAS-BACK.
head. In the male Redhead the entire head is clear chestnut

red, with a coppery tint, and the bill pale grayish-blue, with a dark tip. In the
Canvas-back nearly the whole head is blackish-brown, and the bill blackish. The
general color of the females of both is brownish throughout. The nest of the
Canvas-back is generally made on the ground in marshy places; tall, rank grass is
usually selected. It is composed of grass and weeds, less thickly lined with feathers
than the nests of other ducks are. The eggs are from six to ten in number, pale
grayish-drab or greenish-buff, elliptical, and measure from 2.25 to 2.50 long by 1.70
to 1.75 broad.

148. AMERICAN SCAUP DUCK. Ay thy a marila nearctica Stejn. Geog.
Dist. — North America, breeding far north.

This and the next species are closely allied, and are variously known as Blue-
bills, Raft Duck, Floating Fowl and Shufflers. This one is called Big Blackhead or
Greater Scaup Duck, on account of its size. It inhabits the whole of North America,
and breeds far north. It is not so abundant in the United States as the next species.
In many of the river valleys and in the lakes of Manitoba it is a common summer
resident, where it nests on the ground in swampy places. The nest material is grass
and weeds, and the lining is down from the breast of the bird. In the male the
head, neck and the front part of the body are black, the former with a green gloss;
the back and sides whitish, finely waved in zig-zag with black; underneath and
speculum of wing is white. The bill is blue, with black nail; iris yellow. In the
female the head and anterior parts brown; face pure white. The eggs of the
American Scaup Duck are of a pale, buffy olive-gray, or ashy-green, elliptical, six to
ten, in number, size 2.54x1.71.

149. LESSER SCAUP DUCK. Aythya afflnis (Eyt.) Geog. Dist.— North
America in general, migrating south to Guatemala and the West Indies.

As its name indicates, this species is smaller than the last, to which it is very
similar. Breeds chiefly north of the United States. It is a common summer resident
in the lakes, marshes, ponds, and rivers of Western Manitoba and throughout
other portions of the fur countries northward. Jts nesting habits and its eggs are
the same as A. marila nearctica. The average size of the eggs is about 2.25x1.58.

150. RING-NECKED DUCK. Aythya collaris (Donov.) Geog. Dist.— North
America, migrates south to Guatemala and the West Indies.

gg VESTS AND EGGS OF

Ring-billed Blackhead, Marsh Blue-bill and Ring-necked Scaup Duck are names
hich this species is commonly known. In the United States it is a common
spring and fall migrant, and breeds from Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other
northern States northward. In some parts of Manitoba it is very abundant, espe-
cially in the Red River Valley, where it breeds in the marshes of the lakes and
ponds, among the reeds and thick grasses. The nest is made of fine grasses, and
slightly lined with feathers. In its general appearance, the bird is similar to the
foregoing, but the adult male has an orange-brown ring around the neck; the female
has no collar, and the head and neck are brown. This bird may be known in all
stages of plumage by the broad bill and gray speculum. The Ring-neck lays from
six to twelve eggs, varying from grayish to buff color; they are elliptical in shape,
and measure from 2.25 to 2.30 by 1.60 to 1.65.

151. AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE. (;i<n«-i<»n-lt<i rlnififnln nmvnmim (Bonap.)
Geog. Dist.— North America, breeding from Maine and the British Provinces north-
ward; migrates south to Cuba.

The American Golden-eye, Whistler, Garrot, or "Great-Head," is very similar to
the next species. It has a large round white spot before the eye, not touching the
base of the bill throughout. It is given the name of Whistler from the peculiar
noise of the wings while flying, and Great Head from its large and beautifully
created head. It is an abundant species throughout the fur countries, where it
frequents the rivers and fresh-water lakes in great numbers. Breeds as far north
as Alaska, where, on the Yukon, it nests about the middle of June. Like the Wood
Duck, it constructs its nests in hollow trees and decayed trunks. It is made of grass,
leaves, and moss, lined with down from the bird's breast. The eggs are from six to
ten in number, ashy green in color, rounded-oval in shape, and measure from 2.30 to
2.55 long by 1.70 to 1.78 broad.

152. BARROW'S GOLDEN-EYE. tilum-tntnttn ixlninlim «',m«>l.) Geog.
Dist.— Northern North America, south in winter to New York, Illinois and Utah.
Greenland; Iceland.

The Rocky Mountain Garrot, or Golden-eye, is almost exclusively a North
American species, breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the east and the
mountains of Colorado in the west to high northern
regions. It is a resident of Greenland and Iceland, it
may be known by the large triangular white spot before
the eye running up to a point, applied against the entire
base of the bill and the division of the white area on the
wing. The head is moderately puffy, with an occipital
crest, and the color of the gloss is chiefly purple .md
violet. The bill is black or greenish-dusky and the iris
golden-yellow. In the female the head is snuff-hrown and
no white patch in front of the eye. This bird, like the

last, makes Its nest in hollow trees, of grass, sticks and weeds, lined with feathers.
Mr. Edwin Carter was tin "st and eggs of this species in the moun-

tains of Colorado in 1876. From six to ten eggs are laid, these are usually elliptical
in shape, and measure from 2.25 to 2.30 long by 1.60 to 1.65 broad.

153. BUFFLE-HEAD. flmrilnnrltn nlho.hi (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— North
America; south to Cuba and Mexico. Breeds from Maine northward, through
ir Countries and Alaska.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 8*

This duck is variously named, as Butter-ball, "Dipper," "Butter-box," "Spirit
Duck" and "Hell-diver." It dives with the greatest of ease, slipping under the
water almost as quickly as a grebe. Its expertness in diving enables it to obtain
food in very deep water. The Buffle-head is peculiarly an American species, but of
accidental occurrence in Europe. In Manitoba and throughout all the fur countries
it is a common summer resident, breeding as far north as Alaska. The nests are
concealed in hollows of trees or stumps, near the banks of streams. They are lined
with down and feathers. The Butter-ball breeds occasionally in Northern Maine.
In the United States it is an abundant spring and fall migrant, and in many places
al winter resident. The male is one of the handsomest of our small ducks. The
head is particularly puffy, of varied rich iridescence, with a large showy white
patch on each side behind the eye. The broad black and white pattern of his upper
coat stands out in strong contrast against a glossy white breast. The female is
smaller and a very insignificant looking duck; the head is scarcely puffy, dark gray,
with traces of the white auricular patch. The eggs of this duck vary from buff to a
creamy-white or grayish-olive; ellipsoidal in form and range from six to fourteen in
number; sizes from 1.95 to 2.05 long by 1.35 to 1.50 broad.

154. OLD-SQUAW. Clan'ffula liyemalis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern hemis-
phere; in North America south to the Potomac and the Ohio. Breeds far northward.

The Long-tailed Duck, Old Wife or South-southerly, as it is variously called, is
distributed throughout the northern portions of the globe, making its summer
home in Arctic regions. A resident in Greenland and breeds in various places in

154. OLD SQUAW OR LONG-TAILED DUCK, MALE.

Iceland. The nests are made on the margins of lakes or ponds, among low bushes
or tall grass; they are constructed of grasses and generally, but not always, warmly
lined with down and feathers. The eggs are from six to twelve in number. The
Long-tailed Duck inhabits the more northern countries of Europe — a winter visitant
to Great Britain, and it is found occasionally in Germany and France. Abundant
on the sea coast of Alaska, is resident on the Prybilof and Aleutian Islands. In the
United States it is found only in winter. The male of the Old-squaw is a handsome
duck, and may be recognized by its long tail and peculiar reddish-brown and
brownish-black and white markings. The female lacks the lengthened tail-feathers.

90 NESTS AND EGGS OF

and is, on the whole, a very inferior looking bird. The eggs of this species average
2.05 by 1.49; they are pale, dull grayish pea-green, varying to dull light olive-buff.

155. HARLEQUIN DUCK. Hixtrioninu histrionicu* (Linn.) Geog. Dist—
Northern North America.

The beautiful and singularly marked Harlequin "is an inhabitant of the south-
ern part of the circumpolar zone." It is not common wherever found. In many
parts of the Old World it is only a rare or an occasional visitor; this is the case in
Great Britain, France and Germany. It breeds in several places in Southern
Greenland, according to Mr. Hagerup. At the commencement of the breeding season
it leaves the sea coast and retires to the lakes and rivers of the interior regions. A
summary of this bird's breeding range is given by C. Hart Merriam, as follows:
"In Siberia it is known to breed about Lake Baikal and in the Bureja Mountains

156. LABRADOR DUCK.

(Radde); in Mantchuria and at various points in the great Stanowi Range (Von
Middendorff); about the Upper Amoor (Von Schrenck), and in Kamtschatka. On
the American continent it has been found breeding along the tributaries of the
Yukon in Alaska (Dall); in the interior of the fur countries and about Hudson Bay
(Richardson); on the fresh water ponds of Labrador (Audubon), and in the Rocky
Mountains within the limits of the United States (in Montana, Coues). It also nests
in Newfoundland, Greenland, and Iceland (Knippi •>."* Dr. Merriam says that all
accounts agree that this duck nests on the ground in close proximity to swiftly
running water, and states that he is also informed th.it in Newfoundland the nests
are built in hollow trees. In some of its breeding grounds it is said to lead a solitary
life, being found alone or in pairs in the most retired places on small streams. The
nest is composed of weeds, grass, etc., warmly lined with down and feathers from
the breast of the bird. When the female leaves the eggs she carefully covers them up

• Hull. Nutt. riub, VII. 220.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 91

with down. In some places the Harlequins are called "Lord and Lady Ducks." The
male is second only to the Wood Duck in beauty, and the female will bear no com-
parison to the same sex of that species. The eggs are six to eight in number, rounded
oval, yellowish-buff or greenish-yellow, and measure 2.30x1.62.

156. LABRADOR DUCK. Camptolaimus labradorius Gmel. Geog. Dht. —
Formerly Northern Atlantic coast, from New Jersey (in winter) northward, breeding
from Labrador northward. Now extinct.

The nest and eggs of this bird are unknown and the bird is extinct. The last
example taken was shot near Elmira, New York, in 1878. There are only thirty-six
specimens known to be preserved in the museums of the world. The specimen rep-
resented in our illustration is one which was collected by no less a person than Daniel
Webster, and is figured by Audubon.* This duck was shy and difficult of approach,
a strong swimmer and of rapid flight. Its extinction seems strange and unac-
countable.

157. STELLER'S DUCK. Eniconetta Stelleri (Pall.) Geog. Dist.— Arctic and
sub- Arctic coasts of Northern Hemisphere.

The summer home of Steller's Duck is in very high Arctic latitudes. It breeds
in Northern Russia, in Europe and in Siberia, nesting in the latter part of June, de-
positing from seven to nine eggs. It is said to breed on the inaccessible rocks of
Kamtschatka, on the islands of Bering Sea, and sparingly on some of the Aleutian
Islands. In its habits it resembles the Common Eider. The nest is placed on the
ground and is made of grass, thickly lined with down and feathers from the breast
of the bird. Dr. Coues says the bird is not yet common in collections, though abound-
ing and sometimes gathering in enormous flocks on the islands and both shores of
Bering Sea and the Arctic coast of Northeastern Siberia. It winters mainly on the
Aleutian Islands, and is usually found in company with the Pacific, Spectacled and
King Eiders. The eggs vary from pale olive-buff to pale olive or pale green and
measure 2.30 by 1.62.

158. SPECTACLED EIDER. Arctonetta flscheri (Brandt.) Geog. Dist.—
Coast of Alaska, north to Point Barrow.

This Eider with a peculiarly dense and puffy
patch of velvet feathers about the eye, suggesting
spectacles, has nesting habits similar to the Ameri-
can Eider, 8. dresseri. The eggs are also similar.
It inhabits the islands and coasts from Norton
Sound northward to Point Barrow. On St. Michael's
Island, Alaska, it breeds in company with the Pa-
cific Eider S. v-nisfra. The eggs measure from
2.35 to 2.57 long by 1.55 to 1.85 broad. 158' SpECTACLED ElDER-

159. NORTHERN EIDER. Somateria mollissima borealis (A. E. Brehm.)
Geog. Dist. — Northern Europe and Northeastern North America, including Green-
land and Northern Labrador, south in winter on tlje Atlantic Coast to Maine.

The Eider, so famous for its down, which has become an article of commerce
and luxury, is common along the Northern Atlantic coasts of Europe and America.
The great demand for its down has caused the inhabitants of Iceland, Norway and

* From U. S. National Museum Report, 1889.

92

NESTS AND EGGS OF

other parts of Europe to protect it during the breeding season. In these places the
Eider becomes very tame. It is a resident of Greenland, where it nests in the latter
part of June or the first week of July. On some of the small islands on the coast of
Iceland it has become almost domesticated, breeding in vast numbers, nesting on
the grassy banks, between large stones, on rocks, and in every available hollow
which will hold the nest. The nest is made of sea weed, lined with the down plucked
from the breast of the bird. This is augmented as incubation proceeds and th>
quantity of down often becomes so great that the eggs are concealed from view.
The eggs range from six to ten in number, greenish drab, and measure 2.97 by 2.01.

ISO. EIDER DUCKS (From Brehm).

160. AMERICAN EIDEB. Sonwh > •/// r/rcs*cri Sharpe. Geog. Dist.— Atlantic
coast of North Arm-rim, from Maine to Labrador; south in winter to the Delaware
and west to the Great Lakes.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 93

The American Eider breeds along the Atlantic coast of North America from
Maine to Northern Labrador. On Grand Manan and some of the smaller islands
In that vicinity this 'duck formerly nested in great numbers, but from constant perse-
cution its numbers have been greatly diminished. A female specimen of this species in
my collection was taken November 11, 1895, at the Licking County Reservoir (Ohio)
by William Harlow. It is one of the most characteristic summer ducks of Labrador
and Newfoundland. Mr. Frazar found this Eider breeding commonly on small
islands on the coast of Labrador, making the nest in the short, soft grass. The
favorite nesting place was at the foot of some large rock, or in the nooks between
rocks, where the birds found shelter from the wind. They were always made of
the slate-colored down from the breasts of the birds. Most of the nests contained
four or five eggs; a large number of six, two seven and one eight.* The eggs are from
four to ten in number, but often fewer; they are plain dull-greenish-dratt; measur-
ing about 3x2.

161. PACIFIC EIDER. Somateria v-nigra Gray. Geog. Dist. — Coasts of the
North Pacific; in the interior to the Great Slave Lake, and Eastern Siberia.

The Pacific Eider is common in suitable places on both coasts and islands of
Bering Sea and the polar coasts of Siberia;
replacing the Common Eider, S. molissima,
Spectacled and Steller's Eiders. Dr. Stejneger
'says it is now rather scarce on the Com-
mander Island. On Copper Island it breeds
only in a few places, and in limited numbers.
It breeds on the Aleutian Islands, the Island
of St. Michael's, and in great numbers on the
Arctic coast, near the mouth of the Anderson
River. Its nesting habits are the same as
those of 8. dresseri, and the eggs measure
from 2.95 to 3.20 long by 1.95 to 2.10 broad.

162. KING EIDER. Somateria spectabllis (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Northern part
of Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the Arctic regions; in North America south
casually in winter to New Jersey and the Great Lakes.

A beautiful Arctic species, very closely resembling the three last. It is a resident
of Greenland, and is found on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and America, and on"
the Pacific coasts of America and Asia. Abundant in various places along the shores
of the Arctic Ocean, thence southward in winter on the Pacific side in great numbers
to the Aleutian Islands and beyond. Rare on the Alaskan coast of Bering Sea. The
nests of this Eider, found in the islands of the Arctic seas, are placed in depressions
of the ground, and composed wholly of down. In Greenland the King Eider breeds
in the latter part of June or in the first part of July, nesting in the vicinity of ponds
and marshes. Six eggs are the usual number laid, but as many as ten are said to be
deposited. They vary from light-olive gray to grayish-green, and measure from
3.10 to 3.15 long by 1.75 to 2.10 broad.

163. AMERICAN SCOTER. Oidemia americana Sw. & Rich. Geog. Dist. —
Coasts and larger lakes of Northern North America; breeds in Labrador and the
northern interior; south in winter to New Jersey, the Great Lakes and California.

*See Mr. Frazar's article: Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XII, pp. 19-20.

94 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

v

A few of this species are said to breed in Labrador as they do in the neighbor-
hood of marshes and ponds In the interior, northward. In the Hudson Bay region
the American Scoter nests in June and July. It has been found on islands along the

coast of Alaska and at the mouth of the Yukon in
June. The Scoter nests similar to the Eider, on the
ground, near water; the material used being coarse
grass, feathers and down. The nests are often well
secreted in the cliffs and hollows about steep banks.
This duck is called Sea Coot, Butter-billed and Hol-
low-billed Coot. The plumage of the adult male is
entirely black, and the top of the bill orange; the
color of the female is sooty-brown, becoming paler
below. It is much smaller than the male. This

duck, like many others in winter, is sometimes found in great numbers along the
entire Atlantic coast. Its food is principally small bivalves, which it secures by
diving. A female of this duck was killed December 3, 1895, on Alum Creek, a small
stream, which is at present the eastern boundary line of Columbus, Ohio. The
specimen is now in my collection. The eggs are said to range from six to ten in
number. They are of a pale dull buff, or pale brownish-buff, and measure 2.55x1.80.

[164.] VELVET SCOTER. OMrmin fusca (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern Old
World; accidental in Alaska and Greenland.

This fine sea duck belongs to the Old World. It is a winter visitant on the coasts
of England; a few specimens have been obtained at different times in the London
markets. It is recorded as having been taken as far south as Italy. On the Orkney
and Shetlafid Islands it is said to be common. Found in Norway, Sweden and
Scandinavia. Said to be abundant everywhere in Lapland, where it nests on hum-
mocks, among the willow swamps, in long grass near water, or by the edges of large
lakes In mountain districts. The eggs are of a pale cream color, and measure 2.87x
1.92.

165. WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. Oitlniiin tin/la ntJt Bonap. Geog. Dist.—
Northern America, breeding in Labrador and the Fur Countries; south to the Middle
States. Southern Illinois and Southern California.

Like the Velvet Scoter, O. fuxni of the Old World, the American bird is eminently
a sea duck, resorting, however, mainly in inland waters during tin- breeding »
Its summer home is in the Arctic regions. Found along thi- Atlantic and Pacific
coasts, and as far south as the Middle States in the spring, fall and winter. It

!H on many of the lakes, rivers and larger bodies of water in Manitoba. The
<r\Vhite-wlnged Sea Coot," "Black Surf Duck." or \vi\rt Duck, as it is

d, has been found breeding quite abundantly on the Lower Anderson
rivf-r. r -onstrncting the nest on the ground near fresh water. The nests contain a
fining of down and feathers. Audubon found it breeding in Labrador from tin 1st
to tho inth of .Tun*-. The nests were built by the side of small lakes, two or tliroo
mt from the sea, and usually placed under low bushes; they won tunned
of twigs, mosses and various plants matted together. The nests were large and
almost flat, several inches thick, lined with some feathers of the female, but without
down. The eggs are usually six In number, measuring 2.68x1.83. They are of a pale
\>uff, varying to green.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 95

166. SURF SCOTEB. Oidemia perspicillata (Linn.) Geog. Dist— Coasts and
larger inland waters of Northern North America; south to the Carolinas, the Ohio
river and Lower California.

The Surf Duck and the three preceding species are called Coots by the gunners;
their habits, appearance and general characteristics being similar. It is peculiarly
an American species, and is only an occasional
or accidental visitor in Europe. The plumage of
the male of this species is glossy black, no white
on the wings, but a triangular white paten"' on
the forehead pointing forward. The female is a
sooty-brown, below silvery-gray; side of the
head much whitish. It breeds in the far north
along the coast and in the interior of the fur
' countries. Audubon found this species to be the
least numerous of the ducks inhabiting Labra-
dor. He discovered a nest in a fresh-water

marsh placed among the tall grass and weeds. It was entirely made of withered,
rotten weeds, lined with the down of the bird. The nest contained five eggs; they
were pale yellowish or cream color, and measured 2.31 by 1.63. The general average
is 2.47x1.70; pale buff to creamy-buff.

167. BUDDY DUCK. Erismatura rubida (Wils.) Geog. Dist. — North America
in general, south to Cuba, Guatemala, and Northern South America.

The Ruddy Duck is an American species, and is found breeding throughout
most of its range, but more especially from the .northern borders of the United
States northward. In spring and fall it is an abundant duck on the large bodies
of water, as well as rivers, small streams and ponds. It is exceedingly difficult to
kill, being very tenacious of life, and, when wounded, dives with the greatest of ease,
remaining under the water for a long time — in fact, no duck excels this one in
diving. Mr. Shields writes that the Ruddy Duck breeds quite commonly in tne
vicinity of Los Angeles, Gala., depositing from five to eleven eggs about the last of
May, and fresh eggs may be taken as late as June 25. He says there is positive proof
that this duck prefers the abandoned nests of Coots for nesting purposes to those
constructed by itself, and cites several instances in which he took eggs of this
species from what appeared to be Coots' nests reconstructed. Seven Ruddy Ducks'
eggsj were found in a Coot's nest, from which, a few weeks previous, a set of the
Coot's eggs were obtained. The locality usually selected for a breeding place is
some deep, sluggish stream, lake or pond, and the nests are always built close to the
water's edge; they are composed of reeds, dry rushes and grass. The structure is
often made so that it v/ill float, similar to a grebe's nest. The male is a hand-
some bird; its general color is glossy chestnut, and the lower parts silvery white;
the chin and sides of the £ead are white, the crown arid nape glossy black. The
female is brown above, finely dotted, and waved with dusky; below paler and duller.
From its peculiar stiff tail feathers, I have often heard hunters call it the "Sprig-
tail," a name, however, applied to the Pin-tail Duck. It is also called Dipper Duck.
The eggs are grayish-white, ovoid or oval in shape, with a finely granulated surface;
sizes range from 2.35 to 2.50 long by 1.70 to l.$0 broad. They appear large for the
size of the bird.

[168.] MASKED DUCK. Nomonyx dominions (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Tropical
America in general, including West Indies, north on the Gulf coast to the Lower

96 NESTS AND EQGS OF

Rio Grande, accidental in Eastern North America (Wisconsin; Lake Champlain;
Massachusetts).

This tropical American species is purely accidental in Eastern North America
as above stated in its geographical range. Nothing is known regarding its nesting
or eggs.

169. LESSER SNOW GOOSE. Cltcn hjiprrbnrca (Pall.) Geog. Dist.— Pacific
coast to the Mississippi Valley, breeding in Alaska; south in winter to Southern
Illinois and Southern California.

There are several forms of the Snow Goose which exist in North America; two
are designated by their respective sizes, namely, Lesser and Greater. The Lesser
species breeds in Alaska, and occurs throughout the northwestern portions of the
continent, and in winter migrates over the whole of the country, from the Pacific
coast to the Mississippi Valley. The Greater Snow Goose, Cln-n Jimx-rlmmi >m<///.v
(Forst.), according to Prof. Ridgway, occurs in Eastern North America; its breeding
grounds are unknown, but they are probably in the Arctic regions east of the
Mackenzie river. In winter it is found in the United States from the Mississippi
Valley to the Atlantic coast.* These birds seek a nesting ground along the course
of the Lower Anderson river, and the neighboring region along the Arctic coast
'Nelson).

169fl. GREATER SNOW GOOSE. Chen Jiyperborea nivalis (Forst.) Geog.
Dist.— North America, breeding far north (east of the Mackenzie basin) and mi-
grating south in winter, chiefly along the Atlantic coast, reaching Cuba.

Mr. Frank M. Chapman in his "Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America"*
says: "The Snow Goose does not appear to be a common bird on any part of the
Atlantic coast. It migrates both by night and day, and when on the wing its white
plumage and black-tipped primaries render it identifiable. It is a noisier bird than
the Canada Goose, and its voice is higher and more cackling."! Mr. Chapman states
that its nest and eggs are unknown.

169.1. BLUE GOOSE. Chen wnilwcnK (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Interior of North
America, breeding on eastern shores of Hudson Bay and migrating south, in winter,
through the Mississippi valley to Gulf coast; occasional on the Atlantic coast.

Apparently it is nowhere common in North America, and it is even less common
on the Atlantic coast than in the interior. At one time it was supposed by many
ornithologists to be the young of the Snow Goose. The Blue Goose was first recorded
as an Ohio bird by the late Dr. J. M. Wheaton in 1875. Two specimens were
identified; one of these, which was captured alive four miles south of Columbus, was
kept in the City Park for a year, where it associated with the swans. Another was
wounded and captured on the Scioto river; it was placed in the park with the other
specimen, but died in a few days. I believe there is nothing authentic known con-
cerning its nest and eggs.

ii;il of N. A. I'.InK p. li:,.

>k of Birds Of East, rn X. America. with keys to the sp« rirs ami <!• s.-riptlons
of their |>1 'I eKi;s. their distribution and nilur.'ition .-mil a hrief ;i. •< -mint of

•I habit*. with 'Introductory chapter <m the Htudy of ornithology, h

Identify birds :iml how to < c.llf t ;ind preserve birds, their tiests and e^K :tik M.

Chap- -or of the I>ep;,rtment of Mammalogy and Ornithology In the

Museum of w York <'ity; member of the American Ornithol-

T*i Second edition. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1895.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

97

170. BOSS'S SNOW GOOSE. Chen rossii (Cassin.) Geog. Dist. — In summer
Arctic America, migrating south in winter to southern California and eastward to
Montana.

There is nothing known of the habits, nests and eggs of this boreal species.

L171.] WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. Anser albifrons (Gm.) Geog. Dist.—
Northern parts of Eastern Hemisphere and Greenland.

The White-fronted Goose of the Old World, which very closely resembles the
American species, is distributed in its migrations throughout various sections of
Europe, but is more abundant in the eastern than in the western portions. Said to
extend its migrations into Central Africa, almost to the equator. It breeds near the
coast line of the Arctic Ocean in Europe and Asia, and also on the lakes, larger
rivers, bays and inlets. There is no difference between the general habits of this
species and those of the American bird. It nests on the ground, in the immediate
vicinity of water, making a large structure of sticks and hay which is lined with
down. The eggs are from four to six in number, yellowish-white in color, and
measure about 3.10x2.05.

[171. 1.] BEAN GOOSE. Anser fabalis (Lath.) Geog. Dist.— Northern Asia,
eastward into Northern Europe and Northern Africa. Accidental in Greenland.

The Bean Goose is an inhabitant of Northern Asia and Northern Europe. It is
the A n*er seyetum of Pennant. A winter visitant to Great Britain, and is said to
breed on some of the Hebrides. It breeds in Northern Europe, and was found nesting
by Hewitson on islands of the Norwegian sea, near the Arctic circle. The nests were
simply hollows in the ground, usually in elevated portions of the islands; they were
lined with rank grasses and sedges. The eggs are from five to eight in number, of a
dull greenish color and their average size is 3.27x2.27 inches. This Goose is suc-
cessfully bred in confinement and the description and size of the eggs here given
are from specimens from that source.

171a. AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. Anser alMfrons gambeli
(Hartl.) Geog. Dist. — North America, breeding far northward; in winter, south to
Mexico and Cuba.

Often called "Laughing Goose." It is of large size and robust form, may be
known by its -hite forehead and spotted breast. A very handsome bird and a
favorite with sportsmen. Large numbers are often killed on the lakes and reservoirs
in spring and fall. The White-
fronted Goose is common throughout
the whole of North America, but is
more abundant on the Pacific coast
than in the interior or along the At-
lantic. It flies in V-shaped flocks,
frequently uttering a loud, harsh
cry, which may be heard at a con-
siderable distance. This species
breeds in high latitudes and is par-
ticularly abundant in Alaska, nest-
ing in large numbers along the
Yukon river, laying its eggs in de-
pressions in the sand. Said to breed
also on Stuart's Island and other
islands along the coast. Its favorite
resorts are in the vicinity of fresh-
water lakes. Along the Lower An-
derson river, on the Arctic coast and
on the islands of the Arctic Sea this
species breeds in abundance in June
and July. The nests are made in a
depression of the ground, and made
of hay, feathers and down. Dr.

17la. AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.

8

98 VESTS AND EOGS OF

Brewer states that nests found by Mr. MacFarlane were generally :ounc! m
districts. Murdoch says that the eggs are always laid in the black, muddy tundra,
often on top of a slight knoll. The nest is lined with tundra moss and down. The
number of eggs in a clutch appears subject to considerable variation, as sets of four,
six and seven were well advanced in incubation. The last laid egg is generally in
the middle of the nest, and may be recognized by its white shell, unless incubation
is far advanced, the other eggs being stained and soiled by the birds coming on and
off the nest. The eggs are six or seven in number, and measure from 2.90 to 3.30
long by 2.05 to 2.10 broad. They are elliptical in shape, dull greenish-yellow with
obscure darker tints. Nelson records the measurements of a very large series of
eggs taken at St. Michael's, Alaska. They are as follows: Maximum 3.45x2.28;
minimum, 2.98x2.10. Within these limits he says there are innumerable gradations.

172. CANADA GOOSE. Jlnmtii ranidctittix (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Temperate
North America, breeding in the Northern United States and British Provinces;
south in winter to Mexico.

The Common Wild Goose of North America, in its various forms and great ex-
tremes of size, is generally distributed throughout the continent at large, B.
raniilnmix proper, breeding, as indicated in the above habitat. It is the most abundant
of our geese. Large numbers may be seen during the spring and fall migrations
flying overhead in wedge-shaped flocks, with an old gander always in the lead at the
apex of the triangle, frequently uttering the sonorous lunik, lunik, which is often
heard at a great height. In many places they breed in captivity with the common
domestic goose, producing a hybrid bird much esteemed for the table. It has been
learned from birds in confinement that none of them lay until three years old; the
first season four eggs are laid, five the second season, and when older six and seven.*
Dr. Coues alludes to the breeding of the Canada Goose in trees in various parts of the
Upper Missouri and Yellowstone regions, t Breeding grounds, inundated along the
banks of streams, have at times caused the birds to resort to trees for the purpose of
nesting, some making use of Herons' and Ravens' nests.J Nests of the Canada
Goose in Dakota are usually situated far away from water on the prairies. The
most interesting information I can offer on the breeding habits, migration, etc., of
this goose in a semi-domestic state, is as follows: In March, 1886, Mr. George Sackett,
of Delaware, Ohio, shot three specimens while they were passing over his farm.
Upon examination they were found to have only been "winged." The wounds were
dressed and the birds allowed their freedom on the farm for two successive sum-
mons, but from the lack of sufficient water and the annoyance of cattle they did not
prosper in their domestic affairs. On two occasions the cattle destroyed thoir nests
and young. The wild, timid creatures were finally transferred to Mr. F. P. Vergon,
iotor of an artificial lake which has a surface of about thirty acres. It is used
as a pleasure resort and is interspersed with many little islands. Here the two that
were mated ma do thHr nrst in the rank grass and rubbish at the most secluded end
of the lake; the young were hatched and from somo unknown cause were again
destroyed. The next season they took up their quart ors on our of the islands, made
a nest of sticks and straw, and commenced laying in the latter part of March, incu-
bating until May. bringing forth eight young. During the ten years on tho lake
only two eggs failed to hatch. The young were not taken into the water until

• Wm. Dutcher. In The Auk. Vol. II. p. 111.

Is of the Northwest, pp. 554-665.
tMn.l iir.-: Bull. Nutt. Club. Vol. I, p. 50.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS,

99

172. NEST AND EGGS OF THE CANADA GOOSE. (Photo, by W. Raine.)

they were six days old, and this was in early morning and evening, at which timea
the old birds would float off from their island with their well-known honk, the
young following single file behind them, feeding at the extreme end of the lake.
This was kept up until August, when the young could fly and take care of themselves.
The eggs were always seven and never more than eight in number. What is most
remarkable about these birds is that they would go south every fall and return
every spring; their number always being diminished by the time they returned;
some probably being killed by sportsmen. Mr. Vergon says the geese often strayed
away from "home" as far as ten and fifteen miles on the Olentangy River and other
waters in the neighborhood. He fed them on a high ridge near the lake and on this
ridge they were always first seen in spring when they returned. Mr. Vernon says he
thinks they always came at night and is very sure they always departed in autumn
at night. While the flocks that departed in the fall and returned in the spring had
often been diminished in numbers, yet as many as twenty-two new ones came with
them and stayed at the lake. Out of thirty that departed the fall of 1886 only three
returned in the spring. The birds were very much afraid of strangers, but with
Mr. Vergon they were very familiar, allowing him to handle and caress them at
pleasure. Dr. Merrill found this species breeding on the Upper Missouri, Yellow-
stone, and Big Horn Rivers, where their favorite nesting sites were on the numerous
low sandy islands in these rivers, covered in the higher parts with a growth of young
willows. Their nests were simply a hollow in the sand, around which was placed a
few sticks and twigs, and the eggs lay on a layer of gray down. Nests were found
on the tops of broken trunks of trees; one on a rocky ledge three hundred yards from
the river; another was made on a pile of brush that had collected in the top of a
fallen tree that had floated down and lodged near the middle of the river; some nests

100 NE8T8 AND EGQS OF

were placed on the high banks among high grass, or on piles of drift wood. By th«
first of May the nests contained the full complement of eggs, generally five ii
number. Dr. Merrill says: "When these geese nest among the branches of a tre«
I do not think they ever construct the nest entirely themselves, but take possessior
of a deserted nest of the Fish Hawk, and repair it witu twigs and a lining of down
They have been seen to carry small sticks tc the nest for this purpose." The coloi
of the eggs is a pale dull greenish, and their size is about 3.50x2.50.

I72<t. HUTCHINS'S GOOSE. Brnnia ( -anu <l< //.v/.s- )uit<-]ii,;xii (Sw. & Rich.) Geog
Dist.— North America, breeding in the Arctic regions, migrating south in winter
chiefly through the Western United States and Mississippi Valley; Eastern Asia,

Tbis bird, which is like caimdciixiN in color, uut of a smaller size, breeds in borea
regions. Its length is about 24 to 34 inches. Its general habits are the same as thos<
of the common Canada Goose. Breeds abundantly along the Yukon River and on th<
Islands on the coast of Alaska. Nests have been found on the Islands of th<
Anderson River and on the Arctic coast. In these regions eggs of this species hav<
been taken from Hawks' and Crows' nests built in trees. It nests usually on sand
beaches, depositing from four to six eggs in hollows in which there are more or les;
leaves, grasses, feathers and down. In his paper on "The Birds of the Westen
Aleutian Islands," Mr. Ball states that it does not breed east of Amchita Island
but some nest on Amchitka, Kyska and other islands there. Its nesting habits
notes, and general mode of life are identical with those of the Cackling Goose. Th<
eggs are white, and measure 3.18x2.10. In the Arctic regions the eggs are laid li
June and July. Eggs of this uird taken at the mouth of the Yukon in June measun
3.02x2.10, 3.08x2.11, 3.04x2.00, 3.00x2.11, 2.90x2.07. There is a great variation in th
size of the eggs of this bird and those of minima.

1721>. WHITE-CHEEKED GOOSE. Ilnnita wimulrnxix in-<-\tlnitnH* (Baird.
Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast region, from Sitka south, in winter to California.

A larger sub-species than Hutchins's Goose, length about 35 inches. Mr. Nelsoi
states that during his residence on the coast of Bering Sea this bird was not seen, a
hundreds of the two other related forms were examined both at St. Michael's am
at the Yukon mouth it appeared evident that either the White-cheeked Goos
proper never reached those localities; if at all, merely as a straggler. Mr. Dall recori.
specimens having been taken at Sitka during the Western Union Telegraph expedi
tion. The nesting habits and the eggs are more than likely like those of tin- ( anad;
Goose.

172r-. CACKLING GOOSE. Itninta cumuli n.«i.« minium Ilidgw. Geop. Dist.
Coast of Alaska, migrating southward into Western United States east to Wisconsin

The length of the Cackling Goose is about 24 inches. Nelson states that this i
the most common and generally distributed goose found breeding along the Alaska:
coast of Bering Sea. From the sea shore its breeding ground extends along th
courses of the great rivers far Into the interior. While descending the Yukon. Dal
found their eggs laid upon the bare sand banks, as were those of the \Vhit«'-fn>ntpi
species. The last week of May finds many of these birds already depositing thei
eggs. Upon the grassy borders of ponds, in the midst of a bunch of grass, or on i
small knoll these birds find a spot where they make a slight depression and line i
with a scanty layer of grasses, after which the eggs are laid, numbering from flv
to eight. These eggs, like the birds, average smaller than those of the other geese

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 101

The following measurements, taken from a large series of eggs, show about the
average sizes: 3.00x1.90, 2.90x1.90, 2.80x2.00, 2.75x2.00, 2.70x1.92. As the eggs are
deposited the female gradually lines the nest with feathers plucked from her breast
until they rest in a bed of down. When first laid the eggs are white, but by the time
incubation begins all are soiled and dingy.

173. BRANT. Branta berntela (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Northern portions of the
Northern Hemisphere; in North America chiefly on the Atlantic coast, rare in the
interior or away from salt water.

The Brant Goose is almost cosmopolitan in its distribution. It is found on the
sea coasts of Europe and eastern North America, breeding only within the Arctic
circle. Hagerup records this bird to be common as a migratory species along the
southern shores of Greenland, and says it breeds possibly in the northern part of
Danish Greenland. While being more maritime than United States geese generally
are, it is also found inland occasionally on lakes and rivers. During the migrations
it is abundant, and seenu to prefer the coast to the interior, seldom passing over
large tracts of land, following the windings of the shore, and nearly always keeping
over water. The Brant is a particular favorite with sportsmen, and many are shot
from points of land which project out into the sea. The common Brant Goose is said
to breed in immense numbers in Spitzbergen and on the islands about the coast.
The nest is constructed on the sandy beaches, of grasses, moss, feathers and down,
the birds depositing from four to six eggs. In some parts of Greenland where this
species is known to breed, some of the birds make their nests on cliffs. The eggs are
grayish or dirty-white, and average in size 2.70 by 1.80, according to Saunders.

174. BLACK BRANT. Branta nigricans (Lawr.) Geog. Dist. — Arctic and
Western North America; rare in the Atlantic States.

The Black Brant is very closely allied to the common Brant Goose; it is found
on the Pacific coast, where the latter does not occur. Its summer home is in high
latitudes, and in Alaska, the mouth of the Yukon, is said probably to form the ex-
treme southern limit of this bird's occurrence in the breeding season. At Point
Barrow, according to Murdoch, a few remain to breed in June. The nest is placed in
rather marshy ground and is a simple depression lined with down, with which the
eggs are completely covered when the birds leave the nest. Breeds in abundance
on islands northeast of the mouth of Anderson River, in Liverpool Bay on the
Arctic coast, on the shores of Franklin Bay, and on various other parts of the coast,
especially in regions west of Anderson River. In these regions, according to Dr.
Brewer, nests were found by Mr. MacFarlane on small islets in fresh water ponds;
others on islands in the Anderson near its mouth; many were made on the shore or
on islands in Franklin Bay, and in various parts of the Arctic Sea. Some of the
nests were nothing but mere depressions lined with down, while in others the
quantity of down was quite large. The number of eggs in a nest was generally five;
but in one case as many as seven were seen, and, in six or seven instances six. The
eggs are grayish-white, and range from 2.75 to 2.90 long by 1.80 to 1.85 broad.

[175.] BARNACLE GOOSE. Branta leucopsis (Bechst.) Geog. Dist.— North-
ern parts of the Old World; casual in Eastern North America.

The Barnacle Goose inhabits the northern portions of Europe and is occasion-
ally found on the Atlantic coast of North America. But many of the specimens taken
on this side of the Atlantic are birds that are supposed to have escaped from con-

102 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

finement. In Great Britain it is a winter visitant. During the migrations it is
said to be found in great numbers along the coast of Norway, and at these seasons
it is stated to be abundant in Holland, France and Germany. It is said to occur
during the breeding season in Northern Siberia. The shores of the White Sea to the
eastward are supposed to be the great breeding places of this bird.* The eggs are
grayish-white and measure 3.71x2.38.

176. EMPEROR GOOSE. PliUm-tt- rainfifh-a (Sevast.) Geog. Dist. — Coast and
islands of Alaska north of the Peninsula; chiefly about Norton Sound and Valley of
the Lower Yukon; Commander Islands, Kamtchatka; casually southward to Hum bolt
Bay, California.

Among the various species of birds more or less peculiar to Alaska, says Mr.
Nelson, this goose is perhaps the most noteworthy. This author and naturalist lay
camped on a lonely islet in the middle of the Yukon delta for the purpose of gaining
some knowledge of the habits of these geese and other water fowl during the last of
May and first of June. The birds arrive about those periods. Early in June the

176. EMPEROR GOOSE.

Emperor Goose begins to deposit eggs on the flat, marshy islands bordering the sea.
On June 5 a female was found setting upon her eggs on a little knoll, near by a
small fragment of bleached drift wood. The nest contained three eggs. They rested
in a depression with no sign of a lining. Other nests were found and the birds each
time betrayed them by flying off with a startled cry. The majority of the nests run-
tained from three to five eggs, the full complement usually ranging from five to ci^ht.
The eggs are absolutely indistinguishable from those of the White-fronted <;•
and in form and measurements present a wide range of variation; some are much
elongated, while others are slightly pyriform. As usually taken from the nests tlioy
are of a dirty brownish-white, but when fresh are nearly pure white. As tin* (-(im-
plement of eggs approaches completion the parent makes a bed of leaves, fin--
and feathers plucked from her own breast. The eggs vary in size from 3.28x2.22 to
3.03x2.00.

* Yarrell, III, p. 74.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

103

177. BLACK-BELLIED TREE-DUCK. Dcndroctf</na autumnalis (Linn.)
)g. Dist. — Southwestern border of the United States and southward (Mexico, West

idies, etc.)

The Autumnal Tree-duck is a species of variegated plumage and long legs. It
ibits the southwestern border of the United States and southward to Mexico,

Test Indies, Central and South America. It is commonly called "Long-legged Tree-
luck." Along the Rio Grande in Mexico and Texas it is abundant from April to
)ctober and later. Dr. Merrill found it common in Southern Texas. He says: "This

irge and handsome bird arrives from the South in April, and is soon found in
ibundance on the river banks and lagoons. Migrating at night it continually utters

peculiar chattering whistle, which at once indicates its presence. Called by the

texicans jxitos maizal, or Corn-field Duck, from its habit of frequenting those lo-

ilities. It is by no means shy, and large numbers are offered for sale in the
Jrownsville market. Easily domesticated, it becomes very tame, roosting at night
irees with chickens and turkeys. When the females begin to lay, the males leave

lem and gather in large flocks on sand-bars in the river. My knowledge of the
ceding habits is derived from Dr. S. M. Finley, U. S. A., who had ample oppor-

mity of observing these birds at Hidalgo. The eggs are deposited in hollow trees
ind branches, often at a considerable distance from water (two miles), and from
?ight to thirty feet or more from the ground. The eggs are placed on the bare wood,

id are from twelve to sixteen in number. Two broods are raised, and the parent

irries the young to the water in her bill. Twelve eggs received from Dr. Finley
iverage 2.11x1.53, with but little variation in size; they are of the usual duck shape,
ind in color are a rather clear yellowish-white. The birds leave in September, but a

jw late broods are seen as late as November. The soft parts in a full plumaged liv-
male were as follows: iris, brown; bill, coral-red, orange above; nail of bill,
bluish; legs and feet, pinkish white."*

178. FULVOUS TREE-DUCK. Dendrocj/ffna fulva (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. —
Southern border of the United

States; Louisiana, Texas, Nevada,
California, southward.

Resembles the last in its gen-
eral appearance, habits, etc. Its
geographical range is chiefly
within the tropics, extending as
far South as the Argentine Re-
public. Dr. Merrell states that
this species is about as common
as the Corn-field Duck in South-
ern Texas, both species frequent-
ing the same places. He learned
nothing definite in regard to its
breeding habits, but they prob-
ably do not differ much from
those of the other bird. The Ful-
vous Tree-duck is said to lay
from ten to fifteen pure white
eggs.

178. FULVOUS TREE-DUCK. (Jasper.)

* Notes on the Ornithology of Southern Texas: Proceedings U. S. National Museum,
Vol. I., page 169.

104

NESTS AND EGGS OF

[179.] WHOOPING SWAN. Olor ctfpnu* (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Europe and
Asia; Greenland.

In Europe this bird is called "Hopper," "Elk," and "Whistling Swan." It is a
winter visitant to the more southern portions of Great Britain, and is found through-
out the year in the Orkneys and other islands north of Scotland. Known to visit
Holland, France, Spain and Italy, and a few are said to penetrate as far south as
Barbary and even Egypt. Hagerup says that it formerly nested in South Greeii-

179. WHOOPING SWAN (From Brehtn).

land, but it is now only a rare visitor. Breeds in the secluded swamps and lakes up
iri Lapland, nesting on the ground in marshy places. It also breeds in Ireland. The
nest is large ana composed of rushes, coarse grass, and almost any man-rial near at
hand. As many as seven eggs are laid by this species; they are of a dull brownish
white, or dark ivory color, and measure 4.28x2.88.

180. WHISTLING SWAN, o/or n.lmnhhiniix (Ord.) Geog. Dist.— Entire of
North America, breeding far north.

The common American Whistling Swan is the smaller of the North Am- -i -i« an
species, measuring nndor five feet in length. There is a small yellow spot on the
bill in front of the eyes, and it is sometimes wanting. The tail feathers are norm-
ally twenty. This bird is found in the United States in winter, and durin
migrations. It is not a common spring and fall migrant in Ohio. The Whist I ing
Swan breeds in the Arctic regions on the small lakes of the coast and islands of the
Arctic Sea, nesting in June and July. A few are said to breed in the interior of the
*ur countries. All along the Yukon River, and especially near its mouth this species

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDti. 105

is said to breed in the large marshes. Here the eggs are usually laid on a tussock
entirely surrounded by water, and so near it that the female sometimes sits with
her feet in the water. On the islands of Franklin Bay and on those of the Arctic
Ocean, the "Whistling Swan constructs a large nest of moss, grass and herbage of
various kinds. According to Nelson this fine bird arrives on the shore of Bering
Sea in the vicinity of St. Michael's early in May, and in some seasons by the 27th
of April. At Nulato, Dall found them laying eggs by May 21, but on the sea coast
the earliest date Nelson records is May 30. The ordinary number to a nest is three
to six. The nest is usually upon a small island in some secluded lakelet, or on a
rounded bank close to the border of a pond. The eggs are deposited in a depression
made in a heap of rubbish gathered by the birds from the immediate vicinity of the
nest, grass, leaves and moss, forming a bulky affair in many cases. There is some
variation in the eggs of this swan; the following measurements show the average,
the specimens being taken near St. Michael's in June: 4.15x2.85, 4.05x2.74, 3.96x2.66.
They are of a dull white with more or less of a brownish or reddish discoloration.
The surface of the shell is usually rough.

181. TRUMPETER SWAN. Olor buccinator (Rich.) Geog. Dist. — Chiefly the
interior of North America, from the Gulf Coast to the Fur Countries, breeding from
Iowa and Dakota northward; west to the Pacific coast, but rare or casual on the
Atlantic.

During the breeding season the Trumpeter Swan is found almost exclusively in
the interior of the northern regions. A few breed in Central and Northern Iowa and
in Dakota; from thence northward. Dr. Brewer states that the nests found by Mr.
MacFarlane on the barrens of the Arctic coast were usually placed on elevated
ground, and they were composed of hay, down, and feathers intermingled. One nest
containing six eggs was found near the beach on rising ground; others were observed
near the banks of the Lower Anderson River. On the islands in the fresh-water
lakes and ponds bordering the north branch of the Saskatchewan River, in British
America, a few pairs of the Trumpeter Swan are to be seen throughout the summer.
This species is also known to breed in Alaska, as a specimen is noted by Mr. Dall as
having been secured, with its eggs, at Fort Yukon by Mr. Lockhart. In Ohio it is a
rare migrant and winter visitor. The full grown bird is five feet or more in length,
and may be distinguished from the Whistling Swan by its entirely black bill and hav-
ing normally twenty-four tail-feathers. The eggs range from two to six in number;
chalky-white with a rough surface; sizes from 4.03 to 4.50 long by 2.50 to 2.76 broad.

182. AMERICAN FLAMINGO. Phanlcopterus ruber Linn. Geog. Dist.— At-
lantic coasts of sub-tropical and tropical America; Florida Keys.

This magnificent bird of scarlet plumage is a constant resident of Cuba, the
Bahamas and southward; rare at Cape Sable and on the Florida Keys. It is a remark-
able bird and of striking appearance, having long legs and neck, the former of a
lake-red color. The bill is unique in shape, being abruptly bent in the middle, so that
when feeding the upper surface faces the ground. The plumage is scarlet through-
out, except the primaries and secondaries, which are black. The stature of the bird
is nearly five feet, and it weighs in flesh six or eight pounds. The nest of the
Flamingo is described as a mass of earth, sticks and other material scooped up from
the immediate vicinity to the height of several feet and hollow at the top. On this
the birds sit with their legs doubled under them. Mr. D. P. Ingraham, who has
collected a large number of these handsome birds in the West Indies and spent
more or less of his time for four seasons among them, has given me the following

NESTS AND EGGS OF

i-j. I I.AMIST.OS AND NESTS.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 107

interesting notes concerning their nesting: He states that the birds inhabit the
shallow lagoons and bays having soft clayey bottoms. On the border of these the
nest is made by working the clay up into a mound which, in the first season is per-
haps not more than a foot high and about eight inches in diameter at the top and
fifteen inches at the base. If the birds are unmolested they will return to the same
nesting place from year to year, each season augmenting the nest by the addition of
mud on the top, leaving a slight depression for the eggs. Mr. Ingraham speaks of
visiting the breeding grounds where the birds had nested the previous year and their
mound-like nests were still standing. The birds nest in June. The number of eggs
to a clutch is usually two, sometimes only one and very rarely three. When three
are found in a nest it is generally believed that the third has been laid by another
female. According to Mr. Ingraham's observations the nests in our illustration must
be considered correct except in height. They are simply small mounds. The old
story of the Flamingo bestriding its nest in an ungainly attitude while incubating
is absurd fiction. The eggs are one or two in number, elongate-ovate in shape, with
a thick shell, roughened, with a white flakey substance, but bluish when this is
scraped off. It requires thirty-two days for the eggs to hatch. Size 3.57x2.20, with
considerable variation.

183. BOSEATE SPOONBILL. Ajaja ajaja (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Southern
United States and southward into Southern America. Formerly north to Southern
Illinois.

The Rosy Spoonbill, of so handsome plumage and singular form, is distributed
throughout South and Central America, Mexico, and in all favorable localities of the
Gulf region of the United States. In Florida it was formerly abundant, but its num-
bers have greatly diminished by the constant persecution of the "plume hunters."
Rare as far north as the Carolinas. Marshy or muddy borders of estuaries, the
mouths of rivers, shrubby islands of tropical seas, or some dense marsh, are the
favorite breeding resorts. Mr. R. E. Rachford visited a small colony of these birds
in Southwestern Louisiana, June 2, 1886. The birds were found nesting in a clump
of cypress trees in a low marshy place fully twenty miles from habitation. Here
also nested the Snow, Louisiana and Little Blue Herons, and the Snaive Bird. The
nests of the Spoonbills were placed from eight to eighteen feet from the ground, and
the usual number of eggs found in the nests was three or four; although from one
nest seven eggs were taken, and five or six from several others. The nests were
platforms of sticks, and for the most part were built close to the trunks of the trees;
they were usually more massive than the Herons' nests. The general shape of the
eggs is ovate; and their color is white, or buffy-white, blotched, spotted and stained
with various shades of brown; sometimes a pure white egg is found in a nest with
spotted or marked examples. They measure from 2.50x1.70 to 2.60x1.77.

184. WHITE IBIS. Guara alba (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— South Atlantic and Gulf
States southward to the West Indies and Northern South America; casually on the
Atlantic coast to Long Island; in the interior to the Lower Ohio Valley and Great
Salt Lake.

The White Ibis or Spanish Curlew is distributed in summer throughout the
' South Atlantic and Gulf States from the Carolinas southward, throughout Mexico,
Central America, and portions of Northern South America. It breeds in communi-
ties by thousands in the tangled marshes of the southern coast; fastening the nest
to broken down or upright living reeds; it is composed of reeds, compactly woven

108

NESTS AX It /.•'/'/> <>l

EUROPEAN SPOONBILL (From Brehm).

together, is deep and much hollowed, which is unlike the frail platform nests of the
herons. Mr. Stuart says the White Ibis breeds abundantly on the- low mangrove
bushes on tlu islanfls of the Gulf coast. There is a large rookery in Charlotte Har-
bor. The nests are usually made of the green twigs of the mangrove. The eggs
are laid in June. At Cape Sable eggs are deposited after the 10th of April; those are
from three to five in number, ashy-blue, spotted and blotched irregularly with yel-
h, reddish and umber-brown of varying shades; two or three in number, ;m<]
measure about 2.25 by 1.50.

[185.] SCARLET IBIS, duuni nihrn (Linn.i Gcog. Dist.— Eastern coasts of
tropical America, north casually to Florida, Louisiana and Texas; southward to the
\\>st Indies.

An exquisite bird of the richest scarlet plumage. There is probably no well
authenticated instance of its having been taken within the United States. Wilson
was not correctly informed concerning its abundance in tin- Southern States, and Au~

\niiTll AMERICAN BLRhH.

109

dubon only saw a flock of three in Louisiana. The bird is said not to be an uncom-
mon visitant to Jamaica and Cuba, and very common on the Island of Trinidad,
where it formerly nested. Mr. Warren observed the Scarlet Ibis breeding in im-
mense colonies on the banks of the Amazon, in dense, impenetrable thickets of
bamboo canes, several kinds of thorny cactus and Spanish bayonets, besides numbers
of small mangroves and palmettos, all interlaced and tangled with huge vines. In
one place every bush and tree had on it from five to twenty nests; tney were about
a foot and a half in diameter and perfectly flat; the materials used in their con-
struction were twigs, fibrous roots and leaves. Mr. Warren states that the Ibises,
being disturbed, rose in immense numbers, and a more striking spectacle than a

185. SCARLET IBIS.

large flock of these splendid birds floating through the air, like a crimson cloud,
cannot possibly be conceived. The rookeries are only tenanted during the dry season.
The eggs are two or three in number, grayish-white in color, marked with spots and
blotches of brown ol varying shades, and
distributed variously over the surface, but
generally more profusely at the larger
end. The average size is 2.15x1.46.

186. GLOSSY IBIS. Plegadis autum-
nalis (Hasselq.) Geog. Dist— Old World,
West Indies, and Eastern United States.

This species occurs irregularly in the
eastern portions of the United States, and
has been known to breed in Florida. It
has also been found breeding in Nevada.
In Europe the course of its migrations for
the summer is said to be chiefly in a line
from Egypt, to Turkey, Hungary and Po-
land, and to the southern parts of Russia.
In its passage from Africa it, is occasion-
ally seen in the Grecian Archipelago, in
Sicily, Sardinia, Genoa, Switzerland, v
France, Holland and Great Britain. The
nesting of the Glossy Ibis is like that of
the next species. The eggs are of a deep
greenish-blue and average 2.01x1.47. 186. GLOSSY IBIS.

110 NESTS AND EGGS OF

187. WHITE-FACED GLOSSY IBIS. /•/«'»/»/'//* ytiunuimi (Linn.) Geog,
Dist. — Western United States (Texas, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, California, etc.), south-
ward to Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America.

This beautiful, lustrous Ibis inhabits southwestern United States and south into
tropical America. It is found as far north as Kansas, west through New Mexico and
Arizona to California. It is especially abundant in southern Texas, and in some
localities along the banks of the Rio Grande swarms by thousands. At this place
Dr. James C. Merrill, in company with Mr. G. B. Sennett, on the 16th of May, 1877,
visited a large patch of tule reeds, growing in a shallow lagoon, about ten miles
from Fort Brown, in which large numbers of this Ibis and several kinds of Herons
were breeding. The reeds covered an area of perhaps seventy-five acres or less. Be-
sides the Ibises, the Great and Little White Egrets, Louisiana and Night Herons,
and several other birds were breeding here. The reeds grew about six feet above
the surface of the water, and were either beaten down to form a support for the
nests, or dead and partly floating stalks of the previous year were used for that pur-
pose. Dr. Merrill states that it was impossible to estimate the number of the Ibises
and different Herons nesting here. "Both nests and eggs of the Ibises were quite un-
like those of any of the Herons, and could be distinguished at a glance. The nests
were made of broken bits of dead tules, supported by and attached to broken and up-
right stalks of living ones. They were rather well and compactly built, and were
usually well cupped, quite unlike the clumsy platforms of the Herons. The eggs
were nearly always three in number, and at this date were far advanced in incuba-
tion; many of the nests contained young of all sizes. Fifty eggs now before me
average 1.95x1.35, the extremes being 2.20x1.49 and 1.73x1.29; they are decidedly
pointed at the smaller end, and are of a deep bluish-green color."

188. WOOD IBIS. Tuntnliix Inculator Linn. Geog. Dist. — Southern United
States from Ohio Valley, Colorado, Utah, California, etc., soutn to Buenos Ayres;
casually northward to Pennsylvania and New "Vork.

The American Wood Stork, as it is called, is distributed over a large portion of
South and Central America, Mexico and Southern North America. It is found in all
the Gulf States, and is most abundant in Florida, where, Mr. Stuart informs me, it
nests in the interioi in dense cypress swamps, on the tallest trees, which are often
more than one hundred feet in height. In these rookeries are also found nesting the
:c;in Egret, A nli a M//T/M; (Ireat Blue Heron, .1. lu'mil'm*: the Anhinga and
others. The nests, like those of the Herons, are platforms of sticks loosely arranged,
with a lining of long moss. The same rookery is occupied each year, and the nests
are repaired and augmented until they often become of immense size. The eggs are
chalky-white, sometimes spotted with pale reddish-brown; somewhat elliptical.
The shell is rough, with a flaky substance. Two or three is the number laid, but
almost invariably three. Size from 2.70 to 2.75 long by 1.70 to 1.75 broad.

[189.] JABIBU. Mj/rtirin <innri«in<i Linn. Geog. Dist. — Tropical America,
north casually to Southern Texas.

This singular bird is known as the American Stork. It is found in portions of
Central America and throughout most of South America, but occurs rarely farther
north. One specimen is said to have been taken within the limits of the United
States, and that near Galveston, Texas. The bird is said to have the same general
habits peculiar to the White Stork of Europe. The nest is a large platform of sticks
built in the highest trees. An egg is described by Dr. Brewer as rounded-oval in
shape, and of an olive-green color; size 3.33x2.20.

NORTH AMKKICAN BIRDS.

Ill

189. JABIRU.

190. AMERICAN BITTERN. Botaurus Icntiginosus (Montag.) Geog. Dist.—
Temperate North America, south to Guatemala and the West Indies.

This noted bird is known by various names, such as Indian Hen, Stake Driver,
Bog-bull, and Thunder Pump. It inhabits the entire temperate North America, north

AMERICAN BITTERN. (From a mounted specimen.)

112

W >•/•>• l.VD EGOS OF

to 58° or 60°, and breeds chiefly from the middle districts northward, wintering
thence southward. The name last mentioned is occasioned by its hoarse, gurgling
cry of alarm. The bird is often spoken of by the poets as the "booming bittern." In
the breeding season it has a "love note" that resembles the stroke of a mallet on a
stake, fhunk-u-hink-< hunk, tjiiank-cliunk-a-liink-cliiink. Few ornithologists have actu-
ally seen a Bittern "pump." One of the best accounts ever written of the Bittern's
"pumping" is that by Frank H. Nutter, a civil engineer who observed the performance
in a marsh in Minnesota. It appears in the "Oblogist's Exchange" for April, 1888
(Vol. I, No. 4), which was among the prize essays on bird life, and the writer was ap-
pointed judge.' NJt has been quoted frequently since its first appearance. So many
new and original observations were advanced by Mr. Nutter that I was compelled to
award him the prize without previously knowing from whom the MS. came. This is
one of the observations: "By the way, did you ever see a Bittern while engaged in
its serenade? It is a ludicrous performance. One favored me with it within easy
range of my telescope. After standing in a meditative position for some time it
would slowly raise its head and stretch up its neck till its bill pointed nearly straight
upwards, when it commenced by several times opening and shutting its big beak
with a snap that was plainly heard, though five or six hundred feet distant; it then
uttered the characteristic notes from which it takes its common name of 'Stake
Driver* or 'Thunder Pumper'; and truly it seems much like pumping, for each syl-
lable seems to originate deep in the interior of the bird and to be ejected only with
the greatest muscular exertion, puffing out its feathers and working its long n.-rk up
and down, as if choking to death. After a short season of meditation to recuperate
Its strength, the performance is again repeated, and doubtless to its mate, engaged
in her maternal duties, is the sweetest of music." The American Bittern never as-
sociates with other species of Heron and is not even fond of the society of its own
kind. It does not breed in colonies and the nest is difficult to discover. It inhabits
almost impenetrable swampy places: the bog, the reedy marsh, and the tangled
brake, where its nest is placed on the ground. The eggs are brownish-drab or
Isabella color, unspotted, elliptical in shape, three to five in number, but generally
only three; size from 1.90 to 2.00 long by about 1.50 broad.

191. LEAST BITTERN, .\nlrttn r./-///.s- (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Temperate
North America, from the British Provinces to the West Indies and South America.

An extremely interesting little bird, of quiet, retiring habits. Breeds through-
out its range. In some places as many as a dozen or twenty pairs breed along the

grassy shores of a small lake
pond. Like the last it inhabits
reedy swamps and. marshes where
the quagmire abounds with a lux-
uriant growth of rushes, which is
also the home of the Rails. Tin nest
is placed on the ground or in the
midst of the rankest mass, or in a
bush. It is often placed on floating
bog, and is simply a platform of
dead rushes. The bird has many
odd habits. When standing on th:»
edge of a stream, with its neck
drawn in, it is often taken for a
•woodcock, the long bill giving it this
nppearanee. it appears so st upid at
times that it may be caught with
the hand. The bird is*mostly seen
just before or after sunset. In
many of the Southern States this
species rears two broods i:
fresh eggs having been obtained in
May and in August. In Texas, Mr.
Rachford says, It nests along the
191. LEAST BITTERN.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 113

edges of the water counees in May bending down the tops of the water grass and
platting it into a snug little nest, about two or three feet above the water. Mr.
Perry informs me that the Least Bittern in Beaufort county, South Carolina, makes
its home in the fresh water ponds and commences to build about the 10th of May,
fixing the nest in the thick rushes. The eggs of the Least Bittern are from three
to five, usually four, in number, pale bluish or greenish-white, elliptical in shape.
Six eggs measure as follows: 1.15x90, 1.16x93, 1.22x.95, 1.23x.92, 1.24x.93, 1.23x.93.
The average size is 1.20x.93.

191. 1. COREY'S LEAST BITTERN. Ardetta neoxena (C^ry.) Geog. Dist.—
Southern Florida (Caloosanatchie river, near Lake Okeechobee); Ontario; Michigan.

This is recorded as being without doubt perfectly distinct from any known
species. It was described from a specimen taken in the Everglades of Florida. In
the same region to which the species was supposed to be confined a half dozen other
specimens have been taken. Examples have been shot in the marshes near Toronto,
Canada, where A. exllis is common. One is recorded from Michigan. It is more
than likely, according to authorities who have examined specimens, that it will prove
a color phase of A, exilis.

192. GREAT WHITE HERON. Ardca ocoidentalis Aud. Geog. Dist.— Flori-
da, Cuba, Jamaica; accidental in Mississippi Valley.

This beautiful, majestic bird, known as the Florida Heron, is an abundant resi-
dent of Florida, the Keys and southward to Cuba and Jamaica. In Florida, however,
it is said not to be so abundant as in former years. Whole rookeries have been de-
stroyed by the "plume hunters," who collect feathers for hats and other decorative
purposes. The birds are killed and the plumes are taken from their back, head and
breast, and the carcasses thrown to the buzzards.* This Heron nests usually in
large colonies, and in company with the Great Blue Heron. Most of the nests are
built low down, not more than five or ten feet from the ground, but where tne birds
are disturbed the nests are placed in the highest mangroves. They are simply
platforms of sticks. The eggs are plain bluish-green, of varying shades; sizes from
2.00 to 2.45 long by 1.80 to 1.85 broad. The bird known as A. wuerdemanni (Baird)t
is believed to be either a colored phase of A. occidentalis, or an abnormal specimen of
A. wardi Ridgw.

193. WARD'S HERON. Ardea wardi Ridgw. Geog. Dist.— Florida.

This large Heron in its white phase is described as indistinguishable from the
Great White Heron; in the colored phase like occidentalis, but with the head colored
as in the Great Blue Heron. It is restricted to Florida; common in the southwestern
portion, and may frequently be found nesting along the coast. It breeds in com-
munities with other herons, egrets and snake birds, constructing the same kind of
nest as does the Great Blue Heron. The eggs are four, often only three, in number.
Prof. Ridgway gives the average measurement as about 2.65x1.85. Their color is
bluish-green. v

* See W. E. D. Scott's article on the Present Condition of the Bird Rookeries of the
Gulf Soast of Florida in The Auk, Vol. IV, pp. 135-144, 213-222, 273-284.
t Placed in the Hypothetical List of the A. O. U. Check List.

114 NSSTa AND BOGS OF

194. GBEAT BLUE HERON. Ardea herodias Linn. Geog. Dist— North
America, from the Arctic regions southward to the West Indies and South America.

. GREAT BLUE HERRON.

The Great Blue Heron is often erroneously called "Sand-hill Crane" or "Blue
Crane" — in fact it is better known by either of these names than it is by its proper
vernacular name. One of the most characteristic birds of North America, breeding
singly and in colonies in suitable places throughout its range. In the warmer parts
of the country it breeds in vast heronies in company with other species of herons, to
which places they resort year after year. In Florida it is very abundant, but its
numbers are rapidly decreasing by the constant persecution of the "plume hunters."
Its rookeries are so frequently broken up, and the remaining birds compelled to re-
tire to other resorts, that the breeding season may be said to extend over a period of
five or six months, and no doubt two broods are reared in a season. The nest is
placed in high trees along rivers, or in the depths of retired swamps; in localities
destitute of trees it is built on rocks. Sycamore trees seem to be favorite resorts of
these birds, the light color of the limbs and the peculiar tint of the foliage harmon-
izing so well with their plumage as to render their presence difficult of detection.
The eggs are plain greenish-blue; varying from elliptical to oval in shape; three to
six in number, commonly three or four; average size 2.50x1.50.

[195.] EUROPEAN BLUE HERON. Ardrn rhnrra Linn. Geog. Dist.—
Europe; accidental In Southern Greenland.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

115

This is a familiar Heron in Europe, and is very abundant in places where it is
protected by law. In England most of
its breeding places are guarded by land
owners. In the middle ages when fal-
conry was a favorite sport the bird was
held as royal game, and penal enact-
ments preserved it for the pleasure of
royalty. Hagerup mentions this Heron
as an occasional visitor in South Green-
land. A skin which was from Gadthaab
is in Benson's collection. It was taken
in 1877. This Heron builds its nest ac-
cording to circumstances, either on the
ground, in trees, or on high rocks. It
breeds in colonies, and its favorite nest-
ing places are on the tops of trees, on
the outer branches. The nest is large
and flat, composed of sticks and lined
with grass. Each year the nests are
repaired and augmented until they be-
come very massive. The eggs are four

or five in number, of a pale green color, 195. EUROPEAN BLUE HERON.

and measure 2.42x1.72. Four eggs from
England in my collection measure 2.48x1.67, 2.49x1.61, 2.52x1.64, 2.40x1.65.

196. AMERICAN EGRET. Ardea egretta Gmel. Geog. Dist. — Temperate and
tropical America, from New Jersey, Minnesota and Oregon, south to Patagonia;
casually on the Atlantic coast to Nova Scotia.

This beautiful species, the Great White Egret of America, has an extended dis-
tribution, breeding as far north on the Atlantic coast as New Jersey, on the Pacific
coast to Oregon, and in the interior as far north as Southern Illinois. It breeds
throughout South America to Patagonia, and is a resident on the Island of Trinidad.
In the enormous rookeries' of Florida this bird was formerly abundant, but of late
years the "plume hunters" have wrought great destruction in their numbers. It is
a bird of purest white, and during the breeding season has a magnificent train of
silky plumes flowing from the back over the wings and drooping far beyond the tail.
Our illustration of the European Great White Egret, 77. alba, will give a fair idea
of the appearance of the American Egret. Our bird measures from 36 to 42 inches in
length, not including the dorsal train, which is sometimes more than 12 inches longer.
The nests of the Great White Egret are built in deep cypress swamps, often on the
tops of the tallest trees; others are found on low bushes or on mangroves, a short
distance above water. The eggs are plain bluish-green, varying from elliptical to
oval, two to four in number and measure from 2.20 to 2.35 long by 1.40 to 1.65 broad.

197. SNOWY HERON. Ardea caiididissima Gmel. Temperate and tropical
America, from Long Island and Oregon, south to Buenos Ayres; casual on the At-
lantic coast of Nova Scotia.

The breeding range of this species is almost the same as that of the last. A few
are supposed to be summer residents as far north as Long Island, from thence south-
ward it is found along the entire Gulf coast and the shores of both oceans. It occurs
in the interior as far north as Oregon. Very abundant throughout a large portion

116

NEBT8 AND BGO8 OF

-

• * EUROPEAN GREAT WHITE EGRET, Herodia* alba. (From Brchm.)

of South America, the West Indies, Mexico and Central America. It is called Little
White Egret, raid is doubtless the handsomest bird of this tribe. Pure white, with
crest composed of numerous elongated, hair-like feathers; similar plume on t In-
lower neck; the same on the back which extends beyond the tail and arc romreed
when perfect. See fig. of the European Little White Egret, a. >iii«i.
In Texas, Mr. Rachford says, this species nests in colonies, usually
prefering willow bushes in the marshes for this purpose. The breeding season is
from the latter part of April to tho middle of June. Mr. Stuart mentions it as
abundant along the Gulf coast of Florida, where it breeds on the mangrove islands,
and in the interior in the willow ponds and swamps generally in company with the
Louisiana and Little Blue Herons. The nest is simply a platform of sticks. The eggs

'NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 117

are from two to five in number, usually four, varying from elliptical to oval in form;
sizes from 1.80 to 1.85 long by 1.20 to 1.25 broad.

•» * EUROPEAN LITTLE WHITE EGRET, Garzetta. nivea. (From Brehm.)

198. REDDISH EGBET. Ardea rufescens Gmel. Geog. Dist. — Gulf States
and Mexico, south to Guatemala, Jamaica and Cuba.

The Reddish Egret is an abundant resident of the Gulf States. It is common in
Florida and in Mexico, southward to the West Indies and Central America. The
bird called Peale's Egret* is supposed to be the white phase of A. rufa. The nesting
habits of the Reddish Egret are essentially the same as those of the Louisiana and
Snowy Herons. Mr. Stuart informs me that he has never found them very plentiful
along the Gulf coast of Florida, where they breed on the islands, placing the nest
on the mangrove bushes. The eggs are light bluish-green, elliptical in form; two to
four in number, and measure from 1.85 to 2.00 long by 1.40 to 1.50 broad.

* Hypothetical List of the A. O.' U. Check List.

118

NESTS AND BOGS OF

199. LOUISIANA HEBON. Ardea tricolor ruflcollis (Gosse.) Geog. Dist.--
Gulf States, Mexico, Central America and West Indies; casually northward to New
Jersey.

In summer the Louisiana Heron is distributed from the Carolinas southward.
It is very abundant all along the Gulf States, into Mexico and Central America, and
is found in the West Indies. Known as "Lady of the Waters." It has an occipital
crest of several long feathers and a splendid train of decomposed, fringe-like feathers
extending beyond the tail. Mr. Stuart states that it is very abundant on the man-
grove islands along the gulf coast of Florida, where it breeds in communities, plac-
ing the nests on the mangrove bushes; in the interior it is found nesting in the wil-
low swamps, and usually in company with the Little Blue and Snowy Herons. Four
or five eggs are deposited. Fresh eggs may be found in May and June. In Texas,
Mr. Rachford says, this species nests similarly to the Snowy Heron, but its breeding
-eason commences a little earlier than that of the latter — about the first of April.
The eggs are from two to four, sometimes five, in number, bluish-green, and measure
from 1.75 to 1.80 long by 1.30 to 1.40 broad.

200. LITTLE BLUE HEBON. Ardea cccrulea Linn. Geog. Dist. — New Jersey,
Illinois and Kansas, southward through Central America, West Indies, Guiana and
New Grenada; casually north on the Atlantic coast to Massachusetts and Maine.

This beautiful little Heron is abundant in the South Atlantic and Gulf States.
It has been found breeding in all favorable localities intermediate between Florida
and New Jersey, on the coast, and specimens have wandered into the interior. It is
found throughout Mexico, Central America and the northern portion of Soutu
America. The breeding habits are like those of the Snowy and Louisiana Herons,
nesting with them in trees and bushes, often in large communities in deep swamps.
The eggs are bluish-green, two to four in number, generally more oval than other
Herons' eggs are. The sizes vary from 1.60 to 1.82 in length by 1.25 to 1.35 in
breadth. The young of this Heron are purr irliitc, and should not be confounded \vith
immature specimens of A. candidissima, Snowy Heron, which is of the same size and
similar form.

201. GBEEN HEBON.

GRKKN HERO*

Ardea n/rm/j.s Linn. Geog. Dist.— Canada and
Oregon, southward to northern South America
and the West Indies.

Throughout the United States in all
favorable localities this is a well-known
and an abundant bird, breeding In suitable
places anywhere in its range. It has a number
of common names, among which "Fly-up-thtv
Creek" is probably the most refined. It is resi-
dent in the West Indies and in Central America,
and is found in the northern regions of South
America. The bird frequents the borders of
ponds and swamps, or it may be found along
running streams whose banks are fringed with
trees or thick shrubbery. While on the wing it
frequently utters its familiar guttural cry or
squawk. Its food consists of insects and aquatic
larvae, Crustacea and small fishes, for which it
usually searches in the twilight. During the
day it is sluggish, and may be found quietly rest-
ing. The nest of this Heron is made of twigs,
very loosely put together; it is placed in the
branches of trees or bushes on the border of a
stream or swamp; sometimes in an orchard tree
at considerable distance from water. The eggs
are light greenish-blue, elliptical in shape and
are from three to six in number, four being
the usual nest complement. Average measure-
ment IB 1.60x1.14.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

119

201a. FRAZAR'S GREEN HERON. Ardea virescens frazari Brewst. Geog.
Dist. — Lower California (vicinity of La Paz).

This subspecies is dedicated to M. Abbott Frazar, the naturalist and taxidermist
who took the first specimens near La Paz, Lower California, in 1887. Mr. Brewster
says: "Although the points of difference between this bird and true A. virescens
are not easily expressed, they are, nevertheless, apparent on the most casual com-
parisons, or, indeed without any comparison whatever. The deeper, more purplish
maroon of the neck, with its decided glaucous tinge, is perhaps the best character of
the new form. None of the specimens in the National Museum from the west coast
of Mexico show any approach to frazari, all being apparently true virescens."* Its
nesting habits and eggs are unknown, but more than likely are identical with A.
virescens.

201c. ANTHONY'S GREEN HERON. Ardea virescens anthonyi Mearns.
Geog. Dist. — Arid region of Southwestern United States, and southward into Mexico.

This subspecies, named in honor of A. W. Anthony, belongs to the arid portions
of Southwestern United States and southward. I have nothing positive regarding
its nesting and eggs, but they will probably not differ from those of A. virescens.

202. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. Nycticorax nycticorax ncevius
(Bodd.) Geog. Dist.— America, from the British Possessions southward to the Falk-
land Islands.

A handsome bird, whose neck and legs are not so long as those of other Herons.
It has a stout body, and its total length is about two feet. It has two or three very
long white, filamentous plumes springing
from the occiput. The Black-crowned
Night Heron, Qua-bird or Squawk, as it
is variously called, is found throughout
the entire continent of America, except
the Arctic regions. It breeds in several of
the West Indies, and is resident through-
out Central America, breeding in all suit-
able localities. It is found through-
out the greater portion of South America,
and has been observed breeding on the
Falkland Islands. Throughout the United
States, in various sections, large colonies
may be found during the breeding season.
Hundreds, and even thousands, colonize
and form extensive heronies. Mr. M. B.
Griffing, of Shelter Island, N. Y., says that
in the herony on Gardiner's Island as
many as four nests were found in a single
tree, all containing eggs. Tall trees are
usually -selected for the nesting sites, and
they are not always easy of access. The
nests are bulky platforms of sticks, con-
siderably hollowed. Mr. Rachford says
that in the vicinity of Beaumont, Texas,
this Heron nests in cypress trees along the
banks of streams, and that the breeding
season begins about the first of April. The
greatest number of eggs found in any nest
is four, which is the usual number. In all
the sets that Mr. Griffing and Mr. Worth-
ington had collected for three years there
were but four sets containing more than

202. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON.

*Auk, V. Jan.,

120 NS8T8 AND BOOS OF

four eggs; these were three of five and one of six. The eggs are pale, bluish-green,
varying from elliptical to oval; size from 1.90 to 2.15 lang, by 1.35 to 1.55 broad. In
some localities the nest of this Heron is built on the ground in marshes.

203. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. Nycticorax violaceus (Linn.)
Geog. Dist. — Warm-temperate Eastern North America, from the Carolinas and the
Lower Ohio Valley south to Brazil; casually north to Massachusetts and west to
Colorado.

The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is a southern species, known to breed on the
Atlantic coast as far north as the Carolinas, and in the interior as far north as
Southern Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. It is found along the entire Gulf coast of
Mexico, throughout the West Indies, Central America and in Northern South Ameri-
ca. The bird is very similar to the Black-crowned Night Heron, but is a little
smaller. The back and head are furnished with long, elegant, lanceolate plumes.
The general color is pale, ashy-blue. Its nest is a slight platform of sticks. In
some parts of the Southern States this Heron is said to be quite abundant, while in
others it is rarely met with. In portions of Florida it breeds in great numbers, gen-
erally in company with other species, forming large heronies, especially in the
Interior in large cypress swamps. In the southern portion of South Carolina it nests
in swamps or in tall trees which are surrounded by water. In various regions of
Texas the nest of this Heron is built on the lower branches of a cypress tree, near
some stream. Mr. Rachford says he never found more than two or three nests in
close proximity to one another, but frequently found the birds breeding in company
•with the Snowy and Louisiana Herons. The nesting season is during April and May.
He has taken as many as six eggs from a nest; the usual number, however, is four.
They vary in shape from elliptical to oval; sizes 1.90 to 2.00 long by 1.40 to 1.50
broad.

204. WHOOPING CRANE. Cms amcricana (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Interior of
North America, from the Fur Countries to Florida, Texas and Mexico, and from
Ohio to Colorado.

The Great White or Whooping Crane is confined to the interior of North
America, and breeds from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas northward,
passing the winter In the swamps of Florida and Texas. Its chief line of migration
seems to be the Mississippi Valley at large. It is said to be common in the fur
countries. In Ohio it is considered a rare spring and fall migrant. Breeds in various
places throughout Manitoba, building its nest on the ground in the midst of rank
grass near marshes, or In wet meadows. Mr. J. W. Preston mentions the finding of
a number of nests in Northern Iowa. One found in the marshes near Eagle Lake,
was about eighteen inches in height, well built of tough, fine marsh grass and placed
on firm sod; it was neatly cupped and contained two heavily marked, drab-colored
eggs.* Mr. R. M. Anderson found a nest containing two eggs in a marsh of Hancock
county, Iowa, May 26. The nest was composed of a mass of grass and reeds and was
about twenty-four inches in diameter and was placed eight or ten inches above the
water. The two eggs measured 4.06x2.38, 4.03x2.50, respectively. The eggs of the
Whooping Crane are large and coarse looking; in color, light brownish-drab,
sparsely marked, with large irregular spots of a pale dull chocolate-brown and ob-
scure shell-markings; elliptical; the shell ia very rough, covered with numerous
elevations like Uttle warts; Dr. Cones says two (or three?) in number: size about

• The Colonist. Vol. TV. p. 43.

NORTH AMERICA*/ BIRDti.

121

3.75 by 2.65. Some eggs are blotched irregularly over the surface, while others are
marked at the smaller or greater end. Two eggs in my collection from Northern
Iowa measure 3.89x2.52, 4.03x2.55, respectively.

204. WHOOPING CRANE.

205. LITTLE BROWN CRANE. Grus canadensis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Arctic
and subarctic America, breeding from the Fur Countries and Alaska to the Arctic
coast, migrating south in winter into the Western United States.

The Little Brown Crane, which is almost exactly like the next species, but
smaller, is abundant in Arctic America. I mounted a specimen of this bird which
was taken in the spring of 1884 from a flock of seven birds near Springfield, Ohio.
It is a rare migrant in the state. Specimens of the bird and its eggs have been taken
In various parts of Alaska. Common on the Island of St. Michael's and at the mouth
of the Yukon. Eggs were obtained by Mr. Ball, on the Yukon river, June 17th. They
were laid in a depression of the sandy beach. This species is common in the
marshes of Norton Sound, where their nests are built on the dry knolls, and the eggs
are laid before the end of May. Throughout most parts of Manitoba, the Little
Brown Crane is a common summer resident. Eggs have been obtained on the Lower
Anderson river, in Franklin Bay, and in Liverpool Bay on the Arctic coast. Nelson
states that the Little Brown Crane is a summer resident upon St. Mathew's and St.
Lawrence Islands, and were found nesting by Nordenskjold in considerable numbers
at Seniavine Strait, south of Bering Strait on the Siberian coast, July 28. Eggs
containing small embryos were secured May 27, but they are generally deposited

122 NE8TB AND EGGS OF

the last few days of May or first of June. The site for the nest which is to contain
the two eggs which this bird always lays is usually on the grassy flats, where the
dryer portions or the slight knolls afford them suitable places. The nest is fre-
quently a mere hallow in the ground, and is commonly lined with more or less
coarse grass stems and straws. In one instance a nest was found on a bare flat, and
was lined with a layer of straws an inch deep, all of which must have been brought
for some yards; this is unusual, however. The eggs vary in ground color from pale
greenish clay to buffy brown or warm brownish, and the entire surface is irregularly
marked with spots and blotches of chocolate-brown, rather sparsely distributed
chiefly at the apex. The size varies from 3.70x2.40, 3.72x2.40, 3.71x2.41, representing
the maximum; 3.26x2.28, 3.40x2.35, 3.33x2.21 representing the minimum in a series of
twenty-five specimens.

206. SANDHILL CRANE, (int* mexicana (Mull.) Geog. Dist. — Southern hall
of North America; now rare near the Atlantic coast, except in Georgia and Florida.

The Southern Sandhill Crane, Common Brown or Sandhill Crane, as it is var-
iously called, is found in the United States chiefly in the Mississippi Valley west to
the Pacific coast and south into Mexico and eastward along the Gulf coast to Florida
and Georgia. It is irregularly distributed and apparently breeds in sufficiently mild
regions throughout its range. It has been found nesting in Michigan, is reported
breeding in Northern Ohio, and is known to breed on the table-lands of Colorado.
Mr. Stuart says that in various regions of Florida, this species nests during the
months of February, March and April. The nests are usually built in shallow,
grassy ponds, which are common in the pine woods and prairies of that State.
They are flat and composed of a mass of grass, weeds, roots, etc., slightly elevated
above the water, oftentimes not more than two or three inches. On this structure
two eggs are deposited. Mr. Stuart remarks that the young birds are able to follow
the parents soon after being hatched. The eggs are ashy-yellow, with a buffy tinge,
spotted and blotched with brown, reddish-brown and various shades
of gray. The average size is 3.98x2.44. Two eggs in my cabinet from Florida
measure 3.85x2.35, 3.82x2.36.

207. LIMPKIN. Aramus gtffanteus (Bonap.) Geog. Dist. — Florida; coast of
Gulf of Mexico; Greater Antilles, south to Costa Rica.

The Courlans are large, Rail-like birds and are in fact very closely allied to the
true Rails, with but a slight difference in their external structure. There is one
genus with two species, inhabiting the warmer parts of America. The Brazilian
Courlan, A. xrolopacciis (Gmel.), occurs in Eastern South America, while the Limp-
kin, which holds a place in the North American fauna, is found in the Greater
Antilles, portions of Central America, with only a restricted distribution in Florida.
It is called Crying Bird from its loud and startling note which is said to be not unlike
the cry of a child in distress. Mr. Thomas H. Jackson met with this species breeding
in the subtropical wilds of the Ocklawaha river in Florida. He states that this bird
chooses for a nesting place a secluded spot on the banks of a river or slough. Sev-
eral pairs often nest close together in the manner of Herons, though isolated nests
are frequently observed. The nest is made of pieces of dead vines, dry leaves and
old vegetation of various kinds loosely constructed and generally bedded on a mass
of vines, from five to eight feet from the ground. The usual complement of eggs
laid is five or six; four and seven are not uncommon numbers. Fourteen sets in Mr.
Jackson's cabinet consist of eight sets of six, one of five, two of seven, two of four
and one of three eggs. In size, shape and texture of shell they resemble those of the

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD*. 123

domestic fowl, while in color and markings they are similar to those of the Sandhill
Crane — varying from almost pure white to creamy, buff, and grayish-white. The
eggs are variously spotted, daubed and stained with brown and gray. A set of six
eggs containing the largest specimens in the series, exhibit the following dimensions:
2.57x1.80, 2.44x1.75, 2.40x1.77, 2.28x1.75, 2.39x1.80, 2.41x1.83; the set showing the small-
est sizes are given as follows: 2.21x1.72, 2.21x1.70, 2.22x1.62 2.23x1.63, 2.45x1.63,
2.23x1.65.*

208. KING BAIL. Rallus cleans Aud. Geog. Dist.— Fresh-water marshes of
Eastern United States from the Middle States, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and
Kansas southward. Casually north to Massachusetts and Maine, and Ontario.

The King Rail, Fresh-water Marsh Hen, or Red-breasted Rail, is distributed in
summer from New York southward, breeding throughout the inland marshes. It is
a summer resident in Ohio. I collected eggs of this species in a marsh a few miles
from Columbus in May, 1887. It is frequently confounded with the Clapper Rail; the
latter, however, is confined to the vicinity of salt water, and is a bird of duller

208. KING RAIL. (After Audubon.)

plumage. The nest of this Rail is placed on the ground in a marsh, often fastened in
a tussock of grass. It is composed of grass and weeds. The eggs vary from a dull
white to cream or pale buff, sparsely dotted and spotted with reddish-brown and lilac;
six to twelve in number; size from 1.55 to 1.72 long by 1.15 to 1.25 broad, averaging
1.67 by 1.12.

209. BELDING'S RAIL. Rallus beldinyi Ridgw. Geog. Dist.— Lower Cali-
fornia (Espiritus Santo Island and vicinity of La Paz).

Under the ruling of the A. O. U. Code to admit the islands pertaining to Lower
California, this species comes within the North American avifauna. It is very much
like R. elcgans, but is darker and richer colored throughout, the white bars of the

* Ornithologist and Oologist, XII, pp. 159-160.

124 NESTS AND EGOS OF

flanks much narrower and the blackish bars very distinct. Length, according to
Mr. Ridgway, about 15.00-16.00; wing 5.70-6.40; depth of bill .29-.3S (.31); tarsus
1.88-2.10 U.93). i can find no information regarding this bird's nidiflcation, but in all
probability it is similar to that of R. eleyans.

210. CALIFORNIA CLAPPER RAIL. Itallus ubsoletutt Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
Salt marshes of the Pacific coast from Lower California to Oregon.

Mr. Bryant regards this Rail as abundant, at all seasons of the year, on the salt
marshes of Oakland, San Mateo, and other marshes that are partially covered by
the high tides, at which times the birds are remarkably tame. They swim well, and
when wounded and closely pursued they dive and hold on to the marsh grass be-
neath the water to keep from rising. They commence breeding in April, selecting a
high piece of marsh ground, usually on the bank of a slough. The nest is composed
wholly of dry marsh grass, loosely laid together. The bird deposits eight or nine
eggs, of a light, creamy buff, spotted, often blotched, with reddish-brown and
lavender markings, the latter color appearing as if beneath the shell. Of some thirty-
six specimens examined, all have markings more numerous at the larger ends; on
some the lavender predominates. A set of eight, taken at San Mateo, April 24th,
contained small embryos. They measure respectively 1.70x1.25, 1.73x1.23, 1.75x1.23,
1.77x1.23, 1.68x1.23, 1.70x1.22, 1.63x1.26, 1.69x1.24. The average size of thirteen eggs
is 1.71x1.24.* In the marshes of San Francisco Bay Mr. Emerson took eggs of this
Rail in April, May and June, one set containing seven eggs.

211. CLAPPER RAIL. Rallun crcpitans (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Salt marshes
of the Atlantic coast of the United States, from New Jersey southward; resident
from the Potomac southward. Coast of Louisiana.

The Clapper Rail, or Salt-water Marsh Hen, is an abundant bird in the salt
marshes of the Atlantic coast from New Jersey southward. Breeds in profusion and
Is the most abundant aquatic bird in the marshes from the Carolinas to Florida. It
has lately been found breeding on the coast of Louisiana, in the Gulf of Mexico, Dr.
A. K. Fisher having taken an old bird and two young at Grand Isle, in 1886. Mr. S.
C. Shick, of Sea Isle City, states that the Clapper Rail arrives on the southeastern
coast of New Jersey about the last of April; their presence is made known by harsh
cries at early dawn and at sunset. Nest building is commenced in the latter part of
May, and by the first of June the full complement of eggs is laid, ranging from six
to nine or ten in number, thirteen being the largest set he ever obtained from any
nest. Farther south this bird is known to lay as many as fifteen, this number,
however, being uncommon. On Cobb's Island, Va., the Clapper Rail breeds in great
numbers, carefully concealing the nest in high grass; the full complement of eggs is
laid by the first of May. Their color is pale buffy-yellow, dotted and spotted with
reddish-brown and pale lilac, with an average size of 1.72x1.20, but there is a g
variation in this respect in a large series.

21 If/. LOUISIANA CLAPPER RAIL. AV/////X wiiifn,,.* sahn-m,,* Ridgw.
Geog. Dist. — Coast of Louisiana.

This subspecies was discovered by Henshaw, who described it in 1880. It is
smaller than the type— length about thirteen inches — is of brighter-colored plumage,
the brown of the upper parts is of a richer tint and more deeply tinged with olive,
•while the breast is of a richer shade of brown. It has been found only on the coasts

• Bull. Nutt. Club, V, p. 124.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 123

of Louisiana. I know nothing reliable concerning its nesting or eggs, but they are
said to be similar to R. crepitans, which in all probability are identical.

211. 1. FLOBIDA CLAPPER RAIL. Rallus scottii (Senn.) Geog. Dist.—
Salt marshes of Western Florida.

The Florida Clapper Rail differs from crepitans proper in being black, fucous, or
olive-brown above, with olive-gray margins to the feathers; in having tne neck and
breast cinnamon-rufus washed with brownish, and in having the belly and flanks
black instead of gray. In fact, the general color of scottii suggests a King Rail, but the
latter may always be known by its rufous wing — coverets and clear cinnamon — rufus
neck and breast. — Chapman.

211.2. CARIBEAN CLAPPER RAIL. Rallus lonffirostris canteens Ridgw.
Geog. Dist. — West Indies and Gulf of Mexico; north to Texas (Corpus Chri?ti and
Galveston).

A subspecies inhabiting the West Indies, its colors being similar to R. crepitans.
Its nidification is more than likely similar or identical to that species.

212. VIRGINIA RAIL. Rallus virffinlanus Linn. Geog. Dist.— North Ameri-
ca, from the British Provinces south to Guatemala and Cuba.

The Virginia Rail is an exact miniature of R. elegans, the coloration being ex-
actly the same; the legs, iris and bill brown — the latter reddish — orange at the base
of the lower mandible. In summer it is distributed from Canada to Florida; fre-
quenting marshes and boggy swamps. The nest is built in a tuft of reeds or grasses
close to the water; it is compact and slightly hollowed. The eggs are cream or buff,
sparsely spotted with reddish-brown and obscure lilac; they are like those of the
King or Clapper Rail, but of course, like the bird, much smaller; sizes range from
1.20 to 1.28 long by .90 to .93 broad. The number in a set varies from six to twelve.
The Virginia Rail and the Sora have habits that are very similar; when on the wing
they will fly in a straight line for a short distance with dangling legs, and suddenly
drop into the grass. The Virginia Rail is almost exclusively a fresh water bird.

[213.] SPOTTED CRAKE. Porzana porzana (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Europe; oc-
casional occurrence in Greenland.

The European Spotted Crake is found in most parts of Europe, Asia and Africa.
Common in Italy, Sicily and in the Southern portions of Russia. Hagerup mentions
this species as a "rare visitor in South Greenland." Breeds abundantly in Southern
France and in various parts of England. It frequents the banks of streams, ponds
and lakes, and the thick grasses and vegetation of marshy grounds. The nest is
usually built in these places, being loosely woven of aquatic plants, and lined with
finer material of the same; it is often placed near the water's edge, and so arranged
as to be capable of floating on the water. Spotted Rail, Spotted Water-hen, Spotted
Gallinule, Water-crake, and Water Rail are names common to it in England. The
eggs of this bird are from seven to twelve in number; pale buff or cream color, or of
a yellowish-gray, spotted and speckled with a dark reddish-brown and tints of
lavender. Six eggs, collected in Southern France-, in my cabinet measure 1.34x.96,
1.36x,94, 1.32x.93, 1.34x.94, 1.33x.96 and 1.32x.95.

214. SORA. Porzana Carolina (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Temperate North America.
South to the West Indies and Northern South America.

126

214. SORA RAILS. (From Bailey.)

The little slate-colored Carolina Rail breeds from the Middle States northward.
In the reedy swamps of the Atlantic States great numbers of this Rail are killed
every year. It is a highly esteemed game bird, and is usually abundant during the
migrations. More common in the Eastern Province of the United States, breeding
chiefly northward. Mr. Shields states that the Sora Rail is quite common in the
swamps about Los Angeles, Gala., where he obtained six sets of its eggs in the season
of 1886; the largest set contained fourteen and smallest seven eggs. In Ohio the
Carolina Crake, Common Rail, Sora or Ortolan, as it is variously called, is a com-
mon summer resident, breeding in the extensive swamps and wet meadows through-
out the State. The Carolina Rails are equally abundant on both salt and fresh
water marshes, but the latter places are preferable to them as breeding grounds.
The nest is a rude affair made of grass and weeds, placed on the ground in a tussock
of grass in a boggy tract of land, where there is a growth of briers, etc. The eggs
of Sora are ovoidal in shape, tapering gradually to the smaller end but not sharply
pointed. They have a ground color of dark cream or drab, darker than those of the
Virginia Rail; the spots are reddish-brown with purple shell spots scattered over
the surface, but more numerous at the large end. Twenty eggs in my collection have
an average size of 1.26x.90.

215. YELLOW BAIL. Porzana novcbnramiKix (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
North America from Nova Scotia and Hudson Bay west to Utah and Nevada.

The small Yellow Crake appears to be quite rare everywhere in Eastern North
America or wherever found. It is known to breed in Northern Illinois, where its eggs
have been taken. Dr. Howard Jones has frequently taken it in the vicinity of Cir< •!'•-
ville, Ohio, and considers it nearly as common as other species, and believes it breeds
there, which is probably the case throughout the State. The Little Yellow Rail has
the same general traits common to others of this family, frequenting marshy pi
skulking and hiding in the wet grass to elude observation. The eggs are said to be
about six in number, rich buffy-brown, marked at the larger end with a cluster of
reddish-brown dots; sizes range from 1.05 to 1.12 long by .80 to .85 broad.

NUUTU AMERICAN B1RD&.

127

216. BLACK RAIL. Porzana jamaiccnsis (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Temperate
North America, north to Massachusetts, Northern Illinois and Oregon; south to "West
Indies "Shd South America.

Smallest of our North American Rails; not often found in the United States and
one of the rarest of our birds. Its small size and secretive habits are doubtless one
of the causes of its apparent scarcity. A nest containing ten eggs was found near
Saybrook, Conn. Ten fresh eggs were taken from a nest in Illinois, June 19, 1875,
near Calumet River. The nest was placed in a deep, cup-shaped depression; in shape
and situation resembled that of the Meadow Lark, but the Rail's nest was much
deeper in proportion to the diameter. It was elaborately made of grass-stems and
blades. The eggs were clear white, thinly sprinkled with reddish-brown dots, more
numerous about the large end.* Mr. Harry Menke found a nest containing nine eggs
in a marsh near Garden City, Kan., June 6, 1889. The nest was placed on a low
ridge near the center of a pond, a neat, compact structure, composed entirely of
blades of a kind of water grass. Dr. Coues says: "Eggs from New Jersey are alto-
gether different from those of the Sora, or Yellow Crake, being creamy-white,
sprinkled all over with fine dots of rich, bright reddish-brown, and with a few spots
of some little size at the great end ; most like the more finely speckled examples of the
egg of the large Ralll; dimensions, 1.05x .80."

216. 1. FABALLONE BAIL. Porzana coturniculus (Ridgw.) Geog. Disk—
Farallone Islands.

This species is like the last, but rather smaller, more uniform in color, without
the white specks on the back. It is known only from the type specimen taken on the
Farallones.

[217.] CORN CRAKE. Crex crex (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Europe and Northern
Asia; casual visitor in Greenland, Bermuda and Eastern North America.

217. CORNCRAKE.

The Land Rail, Corn Crake, or Corn Creak, is an abundant species over the entire
continent of Europe. In England and Scotland it is a familiar bird, where it breeds
in abundance. Very common in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. It frequents the

E. W. Nelson: Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club. Vol. I, p. 43.

128 NBBT8 AND BOGS OF

long grass of wet meadows, near rivers and marshes, and in fields of grain. Its
presence is indicated by the creaking note from which it takes its name. The nest
is placed on the ground, generally in a field of grain, grass or clover; it is made of
dry plants and grasses. In England this bird nests about the first or middle part of
June. The eggs are from seven to ten in number; these, when fresh, are of a pale
reddish-white; when blown, the ground color is light buff, with a reddish cast; they
are spotted and sprinkled with pale reddish-brown, chiefly at the larger end. The
measurements of a set of five eggs in Mr. Crandall's collection taken near Mers-
burg, Germany, July 7, are as follows: 1.40x1.02, 1.43x1.05, 1.40x1.00, 1.42x1.03, 1.45x
1.05, respectively.

218. PURPLE OALLINULE. loiiorniH nnirtiiiim (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— South
Atlantic and Gulf States; casually northward to Maine, New York, Wisconsin, Ohio,
etc.; south through the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and Northern South
America to Brazil.

This beautiful Gallinule inhabits the South Atlantic and Gulf States and strays
occasionally northward as far as Maine, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin and other
Northern States. It has been taken several times in Central u^io in June and July.
The bird is resident in the South. From its bright purplish-blue colors it may quite
readily be distinguished from the Florida Gallinule, even at a long distance. In
Florida it breeds in the latter part of May. Mr. Rachford writes me that in Texas
the Purple Gallinule nests in the tall grass along the edges of water courses, bending
the grass down and weaving it together. Besides its true nest, the bird makes
several "shams," often as many as five or six. The nesting season is in May or
June. Mr. Arthur T. Wayne informs me that in South Carolina the nest is invariably
built in rushes over water. The usual number of eggs laid is eight or nine, but fre-
quently more are deposited. The eggs are cream color, finely und rather sparsely
dotted with chestnut-brown and umber; rather ellinticrl, arcl ireasure from 1.70 to
1.75 long by 1.15 to 1.20 broad.

219. FLORIDA GALLINULE. (lallinuld imh-ntn (Licht.) Geog. Dist.— Tem-
perate and tropical America; north to British Provinces.

Known as the Common Gallinule and Red-billed Mud Hen. Its center of
abundance is in the South Atlantic and Gulf States, and it breeds as far north as
Massachusetts. Not an uncommon summer resident in Ohio, brccclirg in il
tensive swamps and marshes throughout the State. The nest is usually fastened
in the sedges and marsh grass above shallow water, or among the flags. The foun-
dation is often made by breaking down the flags, so as to form a little platform,
which will, to a certain degree, rise and fall with the water. On this the nest proper
is built of the last year's flags. In Florida, where the bird is remarkably abundant.
the nest is placed in the dyer portions of the marshes, among thick reeds and
rushes. A set of eight eggs, collected by Dr. Jones near Circleville, Ohio, im-nsun-
1.70x1.20, 1.81x1.18, 1.81x1.17, 1.78x1.23, 1.84x1.25, 1.84x1.22, 1.77x1.24, and 1.83x1.16.
The number of eggs laid ranges from seven to thirteen. They are creamy or brown-
ish-buff rather thickly spotted and blotched with brown and umber; some of the
spots are as small as pin heads; sizes vary frem 1.75 to 2.A0 ' ' 20 to 1.30

broad; shaped like an average hen's egg.

[220.] EUROPEAN COOT. l-'uliru ntni Linn. Geog. Dist. — Northern parts of
the Eastern Hemisphere in general; accidental in Greenland.

WORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

This bird closely resembles our American Coot, but its average size is slightly
larger. It is a common resident south of middle England, and in the summer is
found breeding in the numerous lochs throughout Scotland. Its habits in all re-
spects are like those of the American bird. The nest is built in close proximity to
water, on islands, borders of lakes, ponds and rivers. It is generally placed among
and attached to flags, reeds or rushes. It is large and roughly made of plants and
vegetable matter. The eggs are from six or seven to ten or even fourteen in number,
pale, dull buff, or stone-color, spotted with rust-colored brownish-black and purp-
lish-gray. The average size of a large series is 2.15x1.50.

220. EUROPEAN COOT.

221. AMERICAN COOT. Fulica americana Gmel. Geog. Dist. — Whole of
North America; south to Mexico, Central and South America and West Indies; north
to Alaska, occasionally to Greenland.

Well known as the Mud Hen, and in some sections the Crow Duck. This is the
water fowl that young sportsmen persist in shooting as a game bird, but at a riper
age he does not "hanker" after its flesh. It is easily known by its slate-colored
plumage, white or flesh-colored bill, marked with reddish-black near the end and at
the base of frontal plate, greenish legs and carmine iris. The Coot is a good swim-
mer and diver, having lobate feet like the phalaropes and grebes. It can also move
swiftly through tangled grass and aquatic plants. On almost any large or small body
of water sufficiently secluded and whose margins are overgrown with reeds and
rushes, or on sluggish streams, swamps, pools or reedy sloughs, there you will find
the Coot during the breeding season. The nest is made of dead reeds and grasses,
placed on the ground, just out of the water or on floating vegetation; the flags on
which it rests being broken down, rises and falls with the water. Some times im-
mense numbers of these birds breed together. Mr. Shields records taking five hun-
dred Coot eggs, together with large numbers of those of ducks and grebes in South-
ern California.* The eggs are clay or creamy- white, uniformly and finely dotted
all over with specks of dark brown and blackish; six to twelve and fifteen eggs are
often found in a single nest; in shape and general style of color and markings re-
semble those of the Florida Gallin-ule; sizes range from 1.77 to 2.00 long by 1.40 to
1.45 broad.

* Egging in a California Swamp. Young Oologist, Vol. I, p. 90.

10

130

NB8T8 AND BGG8 OF

221. AMERICAN COOT AND NEST. (Cheney, d

222. BED PHALAROPE. Crym<tphilu8 fulicarius (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— North-
ern portion Hemisphere, breeding in Arctic regions, migrating south in winter; in
North America south to Middle United States, Ohio Valley and Lower California.

The Coot-footed Tringa, Red or Gray Phalarope, as it is differently railed, is
distributed in summer throughout the Arctic regions, wandering far south in winter.
Breeds in various portions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and up into Lapland; in
Siberia, Spitzbergen, Iceland, Greenland and the Arctic coast of North America.
Hagerup, in his "Birds of Greenland," states that it is common, but not often seen
in the breeding season south of the 68th parallel. Eggs were found from June 3 to
June 28. The Phalaropes are curious birds, partaking of the nature of a wader and a
swimmer. The three species of this family resemble Sandpipers, but are at once dis-
tinguished by the lr!;ate feet like those of the Coot and Grebes. The body is ill-
pressed and the under-plumage thick like that of a duck. They ride the waves
lightly along the coast, and when on the margin of a stream or pool often surprise
their associates, the Sandpipers, by swimming out into deep water. The Red Phala-
rope appears to be more exclusive maritime than other species of the family. The
nest is a slight hollow in the ground, sparsely lined with moss and dry grass. Mr.
Capen quotes a letter from Mr. Boardman in which he says: "Twice I have found
the Red Phalarope breeding In Maine." The eggs, Mr. Capen says, are laid the flrst
part of June.* They are greenish or yellowish-ash, blotched and spotted with brown
of various shades. The eggs of this species cannot, with certainty, bp distinguished
from those of the following species; in fact, the range of coloration is so varied that
they are difficult to describe satisfactorily In a brief manner. They are three or

•Oology of NPW England.

,„,

NORTH AMERICAX Hi/fit^. 131

r in number. Five sets of four eggs each of this species are in Mr. Crandall's
collection. They were taken in Iceland and each set gives the following average
measurement: First, 1.12x.81; second, 1.17x.81; third, 1.18x.84; fourth, 1.20x.82; fifth,
1.21X.83.

223. NORTHERN PHALAROPE. Phalarovu* Jobatutt (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
North parts of North Hemisphere, breeding in Arctic regions; south in winter to
tropical regions.

The general habits, movements and distribution of the Northern Phalarope are
nearly identical with those of the Red Phalarope; common to both continents, and
breeding in the Arctic regions of Asia, Europe and America. The nesting habits are
substantially the same and the eggs are laid in June. Hagerup records it as breeding
quite generally along the coast of South Greenland. The bird is also known as the
Red-necked Phalarope. The eggs are greenish or yellowish-ash, thickly blotched
with varying shades of brown; three or four; sizes range from 1.10 to 1.30 long by .75
to .82 broad, averaging 1.20 by .80; like the last, there is a great variation in size,
shape and color. A set of four eggs from Greenland exhibit the following average
measurements: 1.19x.83; another set of four from the same region shows an average
size of 1.19x.82. These are in Mr. Crandall's collection.

224. WILSON'S PHALAROPE. Phalaropus tricolor (Vieill.) Geog. Dist.—
Chiefly interior of temperate North America; south in winter to Brazil and Pata-
gonia.

Exclusively an American bird, more common in the interior than along the sea
coast. Little information regarding its habits was obtained by the older ornitholo-
gists. Known now to breed in Northern Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Da-
kota, Utah and Oregon. May be found nesting in suitable places from these regions
northward to the Red River of the North and the Saskatchewan country. It is re-
corded as a summer resident in Northern Indiana and very likely breeds in North-
western Ohio. Mr. N. S. Goss states that he is quite confident the bird occasionally
breeds in Western Kansas.* The nesting habits of Wilson's Phalarope have been
carefully observed by Mr. E. W. Nelson in Northern Illinois, and his observations
form a veryc omplete and interesting biography of the species.f Mr. Nelson states
that it is the most common species in Northern Illinois, frequenting grassy marshes
and low prairies, and is not exceeded in numbers even by the ever-present Spotted
Sandpiper. "The nesting site is usually in some thin tuft of grass on a level spot,
but often in an open place concealed by only a few straggling blades of small carices.
The male scratches a shallow depression in the soft earth, which is usually lined
with a thin layer of fragments of old grass blades, upon which the eggs, numbering
from three to four, are deposited about the last of May or first of June. Owing to
the low situations in which the nests are placed, the first set of eggs is often de-
stroyed by a heavy fall of rain, causing the water to rise so as to submerge the nest.
In tiiis case, the second set, numbering two or three, is often deposited in a de-
pression scratched in the ground, as at first, but with no sign of any lining. Acci-
dents of this kind cause the second set of eggs to be sometimes deposited as late as
the last of June." The male alone undertakes the duties of incubation. The eggs
are ashy-yellow, usually coarsely spotted and blotched with brown of varying shades,
with numerous specks and scratches; three or four in number; sizes vary from 1.20
to 1.35 in length by 1.60 in breadth, making them elbngate pyriform in shape.

•t * A Revised Catalogue of the Birds of Kansas, with descriptive notes of the nests and
eggs of the birds known to breed in the State. By N. S. Goss. Published under the direc-
tion of the Executive Council, May, 1886. Topeka: T. D. Thacher, State Printer. P. 14.
tBull. Nutt. Club. Vol. II, pp. 38-43.

132

NE8T8 AND EQGS OF

225 AMERICAN AVOCET. Kct-iin-irnxtni tinn-rimna Gm. Geog. Dist.— Tem-
perate portions of North America, from the Saskatchewan country and Great Slave
Lake southward; in winter to Guatemala and the West Indies.

A bird of striking appearance, of odd coloration, having extraordinarily long
legs; feet webbed" like those of a swimming bird; body flattened underneath, and
duck-like plumage to resist the water. The most striking characteristic of the bird.
however, is its long, decidedly up.urned bill, auu from its blue legs it receives the

225. EUROPEAN AVOCRT. Not distinguishable In cut from our American spec'es (From Brehni).

name of Blue-stocking. It is very abundant in the West, on the plains of tb>
kotas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. In these regions it breeds in JIHH-.
nesting in the tall grass in marshy or wet places. The eggs vary from a dark oliv
to buff, pretty uniformly and profusely spotti-d with chocolate-brown of various
shades; they vary in size, shape and markings like the birds themselves; three or
four in number; sizes from 1.80 to 2.10 in length by 1.25 to 1.45 in breadth.

226. BLACK-NECKED STILT. HlmuuttiitH* nu.rimnnx (Mull.) (Jeog. Dist.—
Temperate North America from Northern United States southward to West Indies,
Brazil, and Peru.

NORTH AMEKH:

133

This exceedingly long-legged bird is distributed throughout the United States,
and like the Avocet, is rare in the eastern
portions. It is abundant in the West, but
its range is rather more southerly than
that of the Avocet. In Ohio it is a rare
summer visitor. Perhaps breeds. The
nest of the Stilt is often only a slight de-
pression in the ground, lined with dry
grasses, situated along some stream or
ditch, or near water; some collectors have
found the nest at the water's edge, or on
a heaped mass of vegetation just above the
surface of shallow water. A. M. Shields
says that the Stilt arrives in the vicinity
of Los Angeles, Gala., about May 1st, and
the eggs may be found fresh until the
middle of June. He states that the birds
usually congregate in large flocks in some
suitable locality, and build their nests
close together, a score or more are often
found within a few yards of each other;
the nests being composed of small sticks
and roots, closely laid together and placed
among the grass on the margin of a lake
or river.* This record refers to the
abundance of the Stilt in the season of 226. BLACK-NKCKED STILT

1883, and those previous; but I am informed by Mr. Shields that the bird is not so»
abundant as formerly, only a few pair breeding in the neighborhood of Los Angeles
each year. The eggs are of a greenish-yellow, thickly spotted, blotched and lined
irregularly with brownish-black of varying shades; pyriform in shape; three or four
in number; sizes from 1.60 to 1.85 long by 1.15 to 1.25 broad.

[227.] EUROPEAN WOODCOCK. Scolopa-a rusticola Linn. Geog. Dist.— Old
World; occasional in Eastern North America.

The European Woodcock is widely distributed over the northern parts of the

Old World. It is of larger size than the
American bird. Many instances are on
record of its breeding in various parts
of Great Britain, but the greater por-
tion of the birds are considered mi-
gratory. Breeds abundantly in Nor-
way, Sweden, Lapland and in Northern
Russia. Nocturnal in its habits, repos-
ing in the daytime in grassy bottoms in
woods, and at twilight it regains
activity, resorting to open glades and
marshy bottoms, where it feeds. These
tracts are known as "cock-shoots," or
"cock-roads." The food of the birds is
the common earth-worm, which they
procure by boring, or thrusting their
bills into the soft mud. The nest con-
sists of a few leaves loosely laid to-
gether, and without lining. The eggs
are usually four in number; of a pale
yellowish-white, blotched and spotted
with various shades, ashy-gray and
reddish or yellowish-brown; most nu-
merous about the larger end. Four eggs
measure 1.75x1.27, 1.74x1.27, 1.73x1.23*
EUKOPEAN WOODCOCK. 1.77x1.28.

*Young Oologist, Vol. I. p.

134 NESTS AND EGOS OF

228. AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 1'liilulHlu minor (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern Province of North America, north to British Province, west to Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, etc. Breeds throughout its range.

This noted game bird frequents the bogs, swampy fields and wet woodlands of
Eastern United States and Canada, and breeds throughout its range. The nests are
mere depressions in some dry spot in swampy land, generally under the cover of a
clump of briers or other wild shrubbery, often in more open places. The eggs of the
Woodcock are laid early in April, and in some localities not until some time in May.
In Ohio, I have found eggs as early as April 3, and young have been seen as early as
April 9, near Cleveland, Ohio. There are records of eggs of this species averaging
in size 1.80x1.25, but I have never seen any so large, although they exhibit consider-
able variations. These sizes doubtless refer to the eggs of the European species.
Although known to the majority of people by its name of Woodcock, it nevertheless
has many aliases in different parts of the country which it visits, and is called Big

228. AMERICAN WOODCOCK

Mud, Big-headed, Blind and Wood and Whistling Snipe; * * * Timber Doodle,
Bog Bird, Night Partridge, Night Peck, Hookum Pake, Pewee, Labrador Twister,
Whistler, and probably many others. Being a migrating species, the length of its
stay in any particular locality depends greatly upon the weather, for though per-
haps very abundant on one day, yet if during the night from sudden cold their feed-
ing ground becomes frozen, by the next morning not a bird would be found, all
having departed to a milder clime. It migrates always at night, when indeed, it is
most active, for it is a nocturnal bird, its sight being much better after the sun has
departed than when the eye is exposed to the full light of day.* As a taxidermist I
have prepared more specimens of this species killed within the last twenty years
by telegraph wires, moving railroad trains, etc., than I have those brought in by

• North American Shore Birds; a history of the Snipes, Sandpipers, Plovers and their
allies inhabiting the beaches and marshes of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the North
nan continent; their popular and scientific names, together with a full description
of their mode of life, nesting, migration and descriptions of the summer and winte-
plumages of adult and young, so that each sp< -H> s m;iy be readily idrntiii. •.!. A i • <
book for the naturalist, sportsman and lover of birds. By Daniel Olraud Elliot, F. R. 8. E.,
etc.; ex-President American Ornithologists' Union, Curator of Zoology in the Field Co-
lumbian Museum, Chicago; author of "Birds of North America"; Illustrated monographs
of Auk. Thrushes Arouse. Pheasants. Birds of Paradise, Hornbllls, Cats, etc.. with seventy-
four p.ates: New York: Francis I*. Harper, Publisher, 1895. pp. 39-40.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 135

sportsmen who depend upon the gun. This is, I believe, principally from the fact
that the bird is of nocturnal habits, but is often forced to fly from the ground in
daytime. The Woodcock is often called Bog-sucker, from its habits of boring in the
mud for worms and animalculse, of which its food consists. The eggs are creamy
or buff, irregularly and thickly spotted with pale, reddish-brown of varying shades;
pyriform, but more rotund than those of most of the small waders, and some are
quite broad, varying from 1.40 to 1.55 long by 1.15 to 1.20 broad. The usual number
of eggs is four. Four selected specimens measure 1.58x1.21,- 1.53x1.14, 1.57x1.17, and
1.53x1.20.

[229.] EUROPEAN SNIPE. Gallinago 'ffallinago (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — North-
ern portions of the Old World; frequent occurrence in Greenland. Accidental in the
Bermudas.

A species of general distribution over Europe. In the breeding season it is found
in the more northern portions and in the winter months it inhabits the southern
regions. A common game bird on the British Islands, breeding in greater or less
abundance in all parts of England and Scotland, especially to the north on the
Orkney and Shetland Islanus. In summer it is found on the Faroes, Iceland and in
Greenland. Breeds in the northern portions of Russia and Siberia aryl as far south
as France, Germany, Holland and Hungary. The nests of this Snipe are placed on
the ground in tall grass by the side of some pond or shallow water, or amidst the
long heather which grows upon the hill side. Isiests have been found at an eleva-
tion of a thousand feet above the plain. The full complement of eggs is four; they
have a ground-color varying from yellowish-white to greenish-yellow. The mark-
ings are of several shades of reddish or chestnut-brown, scattered chiefly about the
larger end. The eggs are pyriform in shape and quite pointed at the smaller end.
Four eggs collected near Lancaster, England, measure 1.54x1.14, 1.53x1.08, 1.59x1.15,
1.51x1.10.

230. WILSON'S SNIPE. Gallinago delicata (Ord.) Geog. Dist.— Whole of
North and Middle America, breeding from Northern United States northward ; south
in winter to West Indies and Northern South America.

The American Snipe is a favorite game bird, well known by the name of Jack
Snipe. It is also known as the English Snipe. Throughout the greater part of the
United States it occurs only during the migrations. Breeds from about latitude 45°
northward to Hudson Bay region on the east and as far west and north as Sitka,
Alaska, and Fort Anderson. The birds frequent low open places, such as wet
meadows and marshes, and muddy banKS of streams. They are found in small com-
panies of from three to twelve, technically called "wisps." Solitary birds are not
unfrequently met with. No other game birds are more erratic and eccentric than
these. They are extremely fickle in the choice of their feeding ground ; one day they
may swarm in a certain locality, and the next none are to be discovered. Their
flight is strong, but, especially at the beginning, erratic. They almost invariably
fly against the wind, and lie closest on still, clear days. Occasionally they alight
on trees or fences. Their note, uttered as they rise, resembles the word "escape."
The nest is only a slight depression in the grass or moss of a bog. The eggs vary
from a grayish-olive to greenish-brown and yellowish-ash, spotted and blotched
with reddish-brown, Briber, and sometimes with lines of black; the markings are
bold and numerous, particularly on the larger end, usually also sharp scratchy lines
of blackish and shell-spots, hardly noticeable. The shape of the eggs is pyriform;
three or four in number; sizes range from 1.50 to 1.60 long by 1.05 to 1.10 broad.

136 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

231. DOWITCHEB. Mwrorlmmphus griseua (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America. Breeding far northward.

Known by several names, such as Red-breasted Snipe, Gray Snipe, Brown-back,
and Gray-back; these are also applied to the Long-billed Dowitcher. This bird,
which greatly resembles the Common Snipe in structure and general appearance,
differs from it in habits. It is described as migrating in flocks, often of large size,
and as being so unsuspicious as to allow a near approach. Breeds in high Arctic
regions, in various places in Alaska, and is spoken of by Dr. Richardson as having
an extensive breeding range throughout the fur country, from the borders of Lake
Superior to the Arctic Ocean. In the Arctic Regions nests have been taken between
the middle of June and the first part of July. They were placed on the marshy
borders of small lakes and ponds, and were made of a few dry leaves and grasses.
The eggs were usually four in number. These cannot, wita certainty, be distin-
guished from those of Wilson's Snipe. They are generally long, narrow, and pointed
In shape; sizes from 1.62 to 1.75 long by 1.10 to 1.15 broad.

232. LONG-BILLED DOWITCHEB. Macrurhamphus scolopaccu* (Say.) Geog.
Dist — Mississippi Valley and Western North America from Mexico to Alaska.

This bird, whose size is larger and bill longer than that of the last, inhabits
North America at large, but is supposed to be rare on the Atlantic coast. It is called
Greater Long-beak, Greater Gray-beak and Re..-bellied Snipe. Breeds in the far
north; is said to be common about the mouth of the Yukon and islands along the
coast of Alaska. In the West the birds gather in dense flocks, and they being of a
gentle and confiding disposition, and so closely huddled together, that great
slaughter may be effected by the gunner if so oisposed. Eggs larger and nesting
same as the last.

233. STILT SANDPIPEB. Micropalama Jiini<int<>i>n* (Bonap.) Geog. Dist. —
Eastern Province of North America, breeding north of the United States; migrating
south in winter to tropical regions.

The Long-legged Sandpiper, of slender form and very long legs, breeds north of
the United States, and visits Southern localities in winter; Bermudas, West Indies,
Central and South America. MacFarlane found this species breeding at Rendezvous
Lake, in the Arctic regions, June 27. The nests were similar to all others of this
family, a mere depression in the ground, with a lining of a few leaves and grasses.
The eggs are three or four in number, pyriform in shape, with a ground color of
light drab or grayish-white, with bold spots and markings of chestnut-brown and
purplish-gray, more numerous about the larger end: in some quite confluent sizes
vary from 1.43 to 1.46 long by 1.40 to 1.1.0 broad.

234. KNOT. Trin;ni <ainittix Linn. Geog. Dist— Nearly cosmopolitan; breed-
Ing in high northern latitudes. Migrates far southward.

This handsome species, so remarkable for its seasonable differences of plumage,
Is the largest of ihe North American Sandpipers. It inhabits most parts of the globe;
in Arm-run chiefly coastwise, and breeds in high latitudes. It is migratory, and is
also found in the interior about large bodies of water and rivers. Red-breasted and
Ash-colorrd Sandpiper and Gray-back are other names for it. Elliot in his "North
American Shore Birds" gives other names by which this bird is known: K< <l Sand-
piper, Gray Back, May Bird, Robin Snipe, White Robin Snipe, White-bellied Snipe,
Silver Back, Red-breast Plover, Buif-breast Plover, Buff-breast, Blue Plover, Beach
Robin, Robin-breast and Horse-foot Snipe. At Point Barrow, Alaska, it was rather

NORTH AMERICAN B1KDX, 137

rare, but Murdoch was of the opinion that it bred there, for a female \vas killed with
full-sized eggs in her ovaries; but he never lound the nest. At the Yukon mouth Dall
found the Knot rare and obtained a young bird at St. Michael's. This species seems
to be more numerous about Hudson Bay and on Melville Peninsula. Hagerup states
that the Knot is a common summer resident of Greenland, in the northern portion
of which it breeds. An authentic egg of the Knot has for many years been the object
of special and diligent search by eminent naturalists and explorers traveling in
Arctic regions where this bird is known to live during the season of production.
Lieut. A. W. Greely, U. S. A., commander of the late expedition to Lady Franklin
Sound, succeeded in obtaining the long-sought-for egg of the Knot. C. H. Merriam
publishes the first account of it, written by Lieut. Greely, as follows: "The specimen
of bird and egg were obtained in the vicinity of Fort Conger, latitude of 81° 44' N.
The egg was 1.10 inch [28 mm.] in the longer axis, and 1 inch [25.40 mm.] in the
shorter. Color, light pea green, closely spotted with brown in small specks about
the size of a pin-head."*

235. PURPLE SANDPIPER. Tringa maritima Brunn. Geog. Dist.— North-
ern portions of Northern Hemisphere; in North America, chiefly the northeastern
portions, migrating south in winter to Eastern and Middle States. Mississippi
Valley.

The Purple Sandpiper is found in the high Arctic regions of America and
Europe. Said to be a resident of the Aleutian Islands. Breeds in the Faroe Islands,.
Iceland, and in Greenland, where some remain in the fiords of the southern portion
all winter. Dr. Richardson states that it breeds abundantly on Melville Peninsula
and on the shores of Hudson Bay. The nest is a mere depression in the soil with a
scant lining of dry grass. The eggs are clay color, shaded with olivaceous, with
large and distinct markings of rich umber-brown of different depths of intensity all
over the shell, but most numerous as well as largest on the greater half; pyriform;
the eggs are usually four in number, and measure about 1.40 by 1.00.

236. ALEUTIAN SANDPIPER. Tringa couesi (Ridgw.) Geog. Dist.— Coasts
and islands of Bering Sea, north to St. Michael's.

Closely allied to the last species, and the birds are hardly distinguishable in
their respective winter plumages. It is common in the Aleutian and other islands,
and also along the coast of Bering Sea as far west as the Commander Islands. Dr.
Stejneger records it as a resident of the latter group, found there during both sum-
taer and winter. The first eggs are laid about the middle of May. These are de-
scribed a pale olive-buff, varying to light brownish-buff, spotted and blotched with
vandyke-brown or deep umber; size 1.46x1.00.

237. PRYBILOF SANDPIPER. Triiiya ptilocncmix Coues. Geog. Dist.—
Prybilof Islands, Bering Sea.

The Black-breasted Sandpiper, as it is called, is confined to the Prybilof group
and several other islands of Bering Sea; but does not visit the Commander Islands.
It is said to be the only wader that breeds on the Prybilof Islands. In May it nests
on the dry uplands and mossy hummocks, placing its nest in bunches of moss, in
which four pyriform eggs are laid. The eggs are described as light brownish-buff,
heavily spotted with rich chestnut-brown, clouded with purpfish-gray. Average size
1.50x1.07.

* Auk, Vol. IT. r. 313.

138 NE8TS AND EGdtf OF

238. SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER. Triinju acuminata (Horsf.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern Asia and coast of Alaska, migrating south to Java and Australia.

The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was first introduced to the North American ava-
fauna by E. W. Nelson, who secured a female at St. Michael's in September, 1877.
Later in the season others were scan and during each of the succeeding autumns
they were found to be one of tie most common species of snipe in that region, fre-
quenting the brackish pools and tide-creeks in company with the Pectorial Sand-
piper, Red-breasted Snipe and several other species. The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
resembles the Pectorial Sandpiper in appearance.

239. PECTORAL SANDPIPER. Trimjn mnt-ulata Vieill. Geog. Dist.— North,
Central and South America; breeding in the Arctic regions. Of frequent occurrence
in Europe.

During the migrations the Pectoral Sandpiper is very abundant, both on the sea
coast and in the interior. It frequents the borders of ponds, the shores of lakes and
rivers, and is found commonly in the vicinity of wet cornfields and meadows. It is
only of recent date that we have obtained any positive information regarding this
bird's breeding places. Hagerup states that it is a rare guest in South Greenland.
Nelson found it to be extremely common at the mouth of the Yukon River, where the
low grassy flats afford it a much frequented breeding ground. Arriving on the

239. PECTORAL SANDPIPER, Adult male, in summer, with crop inflated. (From Nelson.)

shores of Bering Sea, near St. Michael's, from the 15th to the 25th of May, the birds
linger about a short time; they then pair and seek nesting places, which are usually
in tufts of grass. Murdoch records that the Pectorial Sandpiper breeds abundantly
at Point Barrow, Alaska, in June and July, moving south in September. Nelson
states that during the breeding season they have an unique habit, not to be found
among waders, but is common among members of the Grouse family; this is of in-
flating the throat until it becomes as large as the body before the bird utters the
deep, hollow, resonant sounds which may be represented by the syllables.
too-u, too-u, too-u, too-u, it fills its aesophagus with air as above described. The
skin of the throat becomes very flabby and loose at this season, and by dissection
it was found that the inner surface of the sack is covered with small globular masses
of fat. The accompanying engraving, tnken from Nelson's Report, will give an idea
of the character and extent of this inflation. Nelson says that the male at times
rises 20 or 30 yards in the air and inflating its throat glides down to the ground with
Its sac hanging below. Nests found by Mr. Murdoch contained four eggs each, of the

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDX. 139

usual pyriform shape. They vary in size as follows: 1.58x1.06, 1.44x1.11, 1.42x1.08,
1.54x1.02 inches. They have a drab ground color, with a greenish shade in some
cases, and are spotted and blotched with umber-brown, varying in distribution on
different specimens, as is usual among waders' eggs. The average is 1.45x1.04.

240. WHITE-BUMPED SANDPIPER. Tringa fuscicollis Vieill. Geog.
Dist— Eastern North America; breeds far north. In winter migrating through the
United States, the West Indies, Central and South America and Falkland Islands.
Occasional in Europe.

Bonaparte's Sandpiper during the breeding season is found in the Arctic regions.
It is a species of wide distribution in the migrations, wandering into tropical regions.
The bird is said to breed in suitable places on the shores of Cumberland Sound.
MacFarlane met with its nests and eggs on or near the Arctic coast; one taken July
3 contained four eggs with large embryos; another found the day following con-
tained three eggs. A third, obtained June 29 on the Barren Lands, was a mere de-
pression in the ground, lined with a few decayed leaves and contained four eggs
with very large embryos. A fourth found on the banks of a small river, of similar
construction, held 4 eggs. Theggsare pyriform in shape, of lightolive or olive-brown,
spotted with bold and sometimes rather fine markings of deep chestnut-brown,
almost into blackness, chiefly about the larger end in confluent groups. Average
size, 1.37x.94.

241. BAIRD'S SANDPIPER. Tringa bairdii (Coues.) Geog. Dist.— North
America, chiefly the interior. Rare on the Atlantic coast; wintering in Mexico, Cen-
tral and South America.

Baird's Sandpiper is distributed throughout North America generally, but is
said not yet to have been observed west of the Rocky Mountains. It is found chiefly
in the interior. Known to breed in the Arctic regions; winters south of United States.
This bird was entirely unknown to ornithologists until within the last thirty-five
years; when discovered and for sometime after was confounded with other species.
Dr. Coues first gave it rank and name in 1861. It breeds in the Arctic regions — on
the Barren Lands; nests in the latter part of June, usually within the vicinity of
lakes and small ponds. The nest is made of a few dry leaves and grasses in a small
depression, shaded by a tuft of grass. The eggs are usually four in number; buff
or clay colored, spotted and blotched with varying shades of chestnut-brown; in
most instances the markings are fine and innumerable, of definite size, irregular in
shape and thickness at the greater end, where they are occasionally massed in
blotches; size about 1.30x.90.

242. LEAST SANDPIPER. Tringa minutilla Vieill. Geog. Dist.— Whole of
North America; breeding north of the United States.

The smallest of the Sandpipers, measuring five and a half or six inches in length.
It has the same habits as characterize its Semipalmated cousins, frequenting the
same localities, and flocks of birds are often composed of both species. When this
is the case the Semipalmated Sandpipers even if largely in the minority, take the
lead, as they are of somewhat larger size, stronger in flight and they have a louder
note. When not in company with other ^pecies none of our shore birds are
more confiding and unsuspecting than these, large flocks continuing their search
for food almost under the feet of the observer. The Least Sandpiper breeds from
Canada, Newfoundland ard Labrador northward into Arctic regions, and in Alaska.
June 5, 1875, one was found building its nest in the vicinity of Chicago, 111. Nests in

140 NE8T8 AND EOOS OF

the Arctic regions are usually mere depressions, lined with leaves and grasses, on the
ground, in the vicinity of lakes or ponds. The eggs are usually four in number, and
may be found between the latter part of May and June. The eggs are pyriform in
shape, the ground color is light drab, thickly spil~kled with reddish-brown spots
and purplish-gray. The average size is 1.15x.85.

[242. l.J LONG-TOED STINT. Triinja daniatrnxiy (Horsf.) Geog. Dist. —
Asia, breeding toward the Arctic coast; accidental in Alaska (Otter Island, Bering
Sea).

From Daniel Giraud Elliot's "North American Shore Birds" I take the follow-
ing. "This species is a miniature Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, without the lengthened
tail and proportionately much longer toes. It also resembles the Least Sandpiper
on the back, but exhibits very much more chestnut on the margin of the feathers of
the back and head. The breast band is differently colored also. It is taken into
the North American fauna from the fact that a specimen was procured on Otter
Island, Alaska, June 8, 1885, as stated by Mr. Ridgway in The Auk for 1886. It is an
Asiatic species going as far east as Japan, and also found in the Indian Archipelago.
It can only be regarded as an accidental straggler to our shores. On Bering Island,
Stejneger observed it in large flocks in May, when it frequented the beach, and was
very active engaged in picking up small crustaceous from the floating weeds which
the surf had cast ashore. A few remained to breed, but the majority passed farther
north. He was unable to find the nest."

[243.J DUNLIN. Triu<m alpina Linn. Geog. Dist.— Europe; accidental in
North America.

The Purre or Dunlin has a wide distribution in the northern parts of the Old
World. By far the most abundant of the British Sandpipers, being equally dis-
tributed in the marshes, on the borders of inland lakes, and along all the seashores
from the most northern island to the southern coast of England. The birds usually
feed in great numbers after the retiring tide, or on the oozy flats of soft sand or
mud, which cover the low-lying shores of the islands. In the spring they separate
into pairs, retiring to the marshes and shores of inland lakes and muirs to breed.
Their nests are made at the foot of a small bush or tuft of grass, often so concealed
as to be very difficult to find. A few bits of grass or moss form the lining of the
slight cavity, in which usually four eggs are deposited. They vary in ground color
from greenish-white, yellow, gray and often inclining to light blue; they are spotted
and blotched irregularly with reddish-brown; the spots becoming more numerous
toward the larger end. Four specimens measure 1.54x1.14, 1.53x1.08, 1.59x1.15, 1.51

xl.1"

243". RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. Trin<,<i dl^imi imnfn-u (Coues.) Geog.
Dist.— North America in general, breeding in high latitudes. Eastern Asia.

This is the American Dunlin, Black-bellied Sandpiper, or Ox bird; it is larger
and brighter colored than T. nlpinn. Distributed throughout the whole of North
America, and breeds in the Arctic regions, migrating in winter in the United States,
especially coastwise. Breeds in various places on the Alaskan coast— at the mouth
of the Yukon and in the salt marshes of Norton Sound. It has also been found breed-
ing on the Arctic coast of North America, on Melville Peninsula, the shores of Davla
Strait and in Southern Greenland. The nest is built in the vicinity of lakes and
ponds or in marshes; it is a slight hollow with merely a few dry grasses and leaves

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 141

scraped into it. The eggs, four in number, of a dull brownish-buff or clay color,
spotted, blotched and stained with chestnut, principally about the larger end; their
average size is 1.43x1.01.

244. CURLEW SANDPIPER. Trinya fcrruginea Brunn. Geog. Dist. — Old
World in general, occasional in Eastern North America and in Alaska.

A bird with a bill resembling that of the Curlews — long, slender, compressed and
considerably decurved. The length of the bird is about eight and a half inches.
It is said to be one of the rarest of the Sandpipers which visit North America. A
common species in Siberia, where it breeds. Said to breed in Holland, Denmark
and northward into Norway, Sweden, and in Finland. In England it is nowhere
abundant and does not assemble in large flocks like the Dunlin or Purre. A few
pairs are believed to breed in Great Britain. Known to breed in various portions
of Greenland— nesting near the margins of lakes and rivers where the eggs are de-
posited in a slight hollow of the ground, lined with bits of grass. The eggs are four
in number, pyriform in shape, pale grayish or greenish-buff, spotted and blotched
with chestnut-brown. They are hardly distinguishable from those of the Pectoral
or Red-backed Sandpiper's eggs, the average size being 1.50x1.04.

[245.] SPOON-BILL SANDPIPER. Eurynorhynclius pyffmwus (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Asia; in summer along the Arctic coast, in winter Southern and Southeastern
Asia; accidental on the coast of Alaska (Choris Peninsula).

This is a curiously unique representative of the Sandpipers. Its bill is about as
long as its head, straight, spatulate long. Nelson secured a specimen in summer
plumage in 1881 at Plover Bay on Choris Peninsula, and Dr. Bean obtained one in
1880. In summer it is found from Plover Bay to Cape Waukarum, and in this part of
the Siberian coast, according to Elliot, its breeding grounds are situated. Dr. Coues
states that it is one of the rarest birds in collections, only some 25 or 30 specimens
being known, mostly from India. It breeds north of Bering Strait, but the locality
is unknown.

246. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Ereunetes pusillns (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Northern and Eastern North America; west during the migrations to Rocky
Mountains.

This little "Peep" is found everywhere in North America. In the summer it is
distributed from Labrador and western shores of Hudson Bay northward, this being
its breeding grounds. In spring and fall it is an abundant migrant in United States,
thronging the beaches, the gravelly and sandy shores of streams and muddy banks
of ponds, in company with the Spotted Sandpiper and others, with which it is usually
confounded. It winters from the Carolinas southward. It has the same 'tweet, 'tweet
as the Spotted Sandpiper, and utters it frequently, both on the shore and when
flying. The Semipalmated Sandpiper arrives in the Saskatchewan River country
about the middle of May, where it deposits its eggs early in June on a few pieces of
withered grass in a slight hollow in the ground. These are three or four in number,
and measure from 1.20 to 1.25 long by .82 to :85 broad. In a large series the usual
variations in color are noticeable; the ground color varying from clay to grayish or
greenish-drab or positive olive tint; usually boldly spotted and splashed with
umber or chestnut-brown; thickest about the largest end; and again, in some, very
fine dots are distributed over the entire surface.

142

NE8T8 AND EOO8 OF

247. WESTERN SANDPIPER. Errtnirtf-n nrriili // /*///* I,awr. Geog. Dist.—
Western North America; occasionally eastward to the Atlantic coast; breeding far
north. Migrating in winter to Central and South America.

Very much like the last species and there is essentially no difference in its gen-
eral habits, nesting, eggs and other peculiarities. Abundant in Alaska, breed ing;
along the Yukon and the shores and islands of Norton Sound. Nests commonly on
the Island of St. Michael's, depositing four eggs in nests, which are mere hollows
in the ground with a few blades of grass for lining. In June and July it breeds
abundantly on the islands in the bays along the Arctic coast and also in the Barren
Lands. The eggs exhibit as great variation as those of E. ;>H.X /////*. Nelson describes
their ground color as pale clay, shading toward pale brownish-clay. In many in-
stances, usually among the larger eggs, the ground color is nearly or quite con-
cealed by fine, light reddish-brown spots or specks. The other extreme has the spots
gathered mainly about the large end in irregular spots of rich chocolate and umber-
brown in small spots, a little more dense at the larger end. Sizes vary from 1.-".
to l.llx.82.

248. SANDERLING. I'uliilrix urciiuriit (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Nearly cosmo-
politan, breeding in high Arctic regions.

fe.

£Z>::>

^~^-/^^f ..

248. SANDRKI.IM; ( From HrHim...

The Sanderling, Ruddy "Plover" or "Beach Bird," is a species of wide distribu-
tion. During the breeding season it is distributed through the northern regions of
Europe, Asia and North America. It inhabits, hov/ever, the entire continent of
North America, wandering in its migrations through the United States, and in
winter to the West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America. Its nests and eggs

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDK. 143

have been taken in Grinnell Land, and it is said to breed on islands about the coast
of Greenland and on the shores and islands of Hudson Bay. Dr. Brewer states that
Mr. MacFarlane, on June 29, discovered a nest with four eggs on the Barren Lands,
near the Arctic coast. The eggs at this date were quite fresh. The nest is said to
have been made of hay and decayed leaves. The eggs are ashy or greenish-brown,
spotted and blotched with brown of different shades, pyriform in shape; two to four
in number, and measure 1.41 by .91.

249. MARBLED GODW1T. Limosa fcdoa (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — North Ameri-
ca in general. Breeds in the Missouri and Upper Mississippi regions, thence to the
Saskatchewan. Winters in the Southern States and southward.

The 'Great Marbled Godwit, or Marlin, inhabits the entire temperate North
America, and it is a common bird during the migrations and in winter. It breeds
chiefly in the Mississippi and Eastern Missouri regions, in Iowa, Minnesota and the
Dakotas, thence to the Saskatchewan; known to breed in Northern Ohio, in Wisconsin,
Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas and Nebraska. This is the largest of the "Bay birds,"
except the Long-billed Curlew, and can readily be distinguished, its bill being either
straight or bent a little upward, and not decurved, like the Curlew's. It frequents
muddy pools, sandy shores and marshes, usually in flocks of greater or less extent.
The bird is held in high esteem for the table, and they are eagerly hunted by the
gunners when flocks of ten or a dozen birds appear on the marshes. The sportsmen
call them "Dough" or "Doe" birds. The eggs are creamy-buff or light oliveaceous-
drab spotted and blotched, rather sparsely, with yellowish and umber-brown of
varying shades, long oval; size about 2.27 by 1.60; three or four in number, and they
are deposited in a slight depression of the ground, lined with a few bits of grasses.
The nests are placed in the vicinity of a pool or river, but not always near the
water's edge.

250. PACIFIC GODWIT. Limosa lapponica baueri (Naum.) Geog. Dist. —
Coasts of Eastern Asia and across to Alaska, south in winter to New Zealand and
Australia; casual to Lower California.

In the winter months the Pacific Godwit is found in many of the islands of the
Pacific Ocean — the Polynesian Islands and Australia. At this season it is also found
on the Eastern and Southern coasts of Asia and Japan. On the American coast it
is a summer resident in Alaska, and south of this point it is recorded only from
Lower California. An abundant species at the mouth of the Yukon and on the
marshes of Pastolik, which are farther north. The nests are built in tussocks of
grass, lined with the same material. The eggs are said to be only two in number,
of light olive drab, spotted with irregularly formed spots of timber of varying
shades, similar to those of the Godwit; size, 2.25x1.45.

251. HUDSONIAN GODWIT. Limosa hwmastica (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— North-
ern North America. Not recorded west of Rocky Mountains, only in Alaska.

The Hudsonian Godwit, though not common anywhere in the United States, is
distributed throughout North America generally, but has not been observed west of
the Rocky Mountains. It passes the winter south of the United States, and breeds
in the most northern sections of the country. Breeds abundantly on the Barren
Lands of the Arctic Ocean. In the Lower Anderson river region it nests in the first
part of June, depositing its eggs in a slight depression of the ground lined with a
few leaves and grasses. It associates with L. frrda, and has the same habits and
characteristics. Called by the gunners the "Smaller Doe-bird." American Black-

144 NE8T8 AND EGQ8 OF

tailed Godwit and Ring-tailed Marlin are its other names. The eggs of this species
are heavily shaded olive-drab or "hair brown" almost as dark as a Loon's egg, some-
times lighter; obscurely spotted and blotched with dark brown; usually four in
number; size 2.20x1. u.

[252.] BLAC^-TAILED GODWIT. Linwaa limnsa (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Northern portion of the Old World ; accidental in Greenland.

At different seasons of the year the Black-tailed Godwit has been observed in
nearly every portion of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is only an occasional visitant
of Greenland which gives it a place in the fauna of North America. Considered mi-
gratory in Great Britain, and a few are known to breed there in the various marshes.
In the summer months, however, this Godwit is found in various parts of Denmark
and throughout Scandinavia, especially in Finland and up into Lapland. Known to
nest in France, and is supposed to breed sparingly in Switzerland. In Scotland and
other portions of the British Islands this species deposits its eggs yearly in May.
This bird is known as Common Gowit, Godwyn, Yarwhelp, or Yarwhit, Jadreka
Snipe, and Shrieker. The nesting is like that of all the Waders so far as known—
simply a hollow in wet meadows or in dry parts of swamps, midst grass or weeds.
The eggs are usually four in number; they are of a deep grayish-olive or even a deep
green, faintly spotted with olive-brown of different shades. Size 2.17x1.50.

[253.] GREEN-SHANK. Totanus HcfniJanus (Gunn). Geog. Dist.— Old World;
accidental in Florida.

Audubon took three specimens of the Green-shank on Sand Key, Florida, near
Cape Sable, May 28, 1832. This is the only record of its appearance in North
Ameiica. An abundant bird in the British Islands, many remain to breed, especially
in Scotland, and on the islands about the coast. Breeds in Norway and Sweden,
in Finland and in Lapland as far north as the Arctic Circle. The nest is often
placed some distance from water, usually in a tuft of grass with a slight lining.
The eggs are four in number and vary from yellowish to brownish-buff, sprinkled
and spotted all over, with irregular spots of dark brown, varying in intensity of
shade. The eggs are generally pear-shaped. The average size of ten specimens
Is 1.98x1.40.

254. GREATER YELLOW-LEGS. Tntatni* mi'lannlfurux (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist.— Nearly all of North America; breeding in the more northern portions.

The Greater Yellow-legs, or Tell-tale, is found in North America at large. It
is said to breed in the large marshes of Wisconsin, in Iowa, and in Northern Illinois;
doubtless a few breed in suitable places in California. The Greater Tell-tale
winters from the Carolinas southward; is abundant during the migrations, and is
well known to the gunners. In the Eastern States it appears to be much more wary
than in Ohio, and is said to give warning to ducks and other game birds on the ap-
proach of the gunner. About four rapidly repeated, loud and shrill whistling notes
are uttered, which is a signal to the rest of his feathered neighbors, whon the
whole take wing, often to the disappointment of the fowler. From this habit it do-
the name of Tell-tale, and it is also known as Stone "Snipe," Greater Yellow-
shanks, and Long-legged Tattler. The stately form of this bird may " tovlnf

along the gravelly banks of streams, wading in pools or the shallow margins of
and lagoons, feeding upon small fishes, en; < to. It is gci: ml in

pairs, less often in small flocks, and its association with other Samlpipr-is is •
accidental. The eggs are grayish-whifo, marked with spots of darl. rying

NORTH AMKKICAX BIRDH.

145

in intensity of shade, together with obscure shell-markings of lilac. The markings
are over the entire surface, but more numerous at the larger end; three or four im
Humber; size 1.43x1.20.

255. YELLOW-LEGS. Totanus flavipes (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— North America.

The Common Yellow-legs,or Lesser Tell-tale, is found throughout North Ameri-
ca. It breeds from Northern United States northward, extending its migrations to
the Artie regions. It winters in the Southern States and southward. In some locali-
ties during the migrations it is more abundant than the Greater Tattler, and its
general habits and characteristics are the same; its cries are clearer and not so loud.
It is fond of wading about in pools of water seeking food, which consists of larvae
of insects and small crustaceans. The Lesser Yellow-shanks is known to breed in
Alaska, at the mouth of the Porcupine River, which empties into the Yukon. It
doubtless breeds in all the region between Fort Selkirk and Fort Lake, and abund-
antly in the MacFarlane and Anderson River regions. The nests were mere de-
pressions in the ground, without any lining; sometimes they were placed at the foot
of a bush, with a scanty lining of withered leaves. The eggs were usually four.
The bird is reported as doubtless breeding in Illinois and other regions farther
south than those just, mentioned. There is no doubt that a few of the Lesser Yellow-
legs breed in Central Ohio. In referring to my notes I find that a sportsman brought
me a male bird on the 28th of June, 1886. This season (June 14, 1888) Mr. Robert
Hedden shot a specimen, which proved to be a female, the skin of which is now in
my cabinet. From this bird I took a well-formed egg, and the ovaries contained
several others in different stages of development. The breast of this specimen was
quite bare of feathers, indicating that it was engaged in the duties of incubation.
The bird was sitting on the top rail of a fence when killed, and no others were noticed
in the vicinity. The eggs of the Yellow-legs are of a light drab, or even vary to clay,
buffy or cream color, sometimes light brown; the markings are bold and heavy, with
great diversity of heavily splashed blotches of chocolate, umber-brown and blackish,
these being chiefly at the larger end, and sometimes confluent. Paler shell-markings
are also numerous and noticeable; pointedly pyriform in shape; three or four in
number; sizes range from 1.58 to 1.78 long by about 1.16 broad.

256. SOLITABY SANDPIPER. Totanus solitarius (Wils.) Geog. Dist. — North
America, breeding in Northern United States, northward; migrating southward to
Northern South America.

The Solitary Tattler, or the American Green Sandpiper, is found throughout the
entire North America; breeds in Northern United States and northward, and prob-
ably throughout most of its United States range. Winters chiefly in Mexico, Central
and South America and in the West Indies. It
has the same characteristic habits of the Green
Sandpiper of Europe — always seen near water,
during the migrations, on the borders of lakes,
ponds and rivers, or seeking its food, which con-
sists chiefly of worms in the soft loamy soil of
marshes. The Solitary Sandpiper is well named,
when its personal habits or the localities which
it frequents are considered. It is found, except
during and shortly after the breeding season,
about small ponds in woods, remote shaded
ditches or small brooks, just such localities as
are frequented by the Water Thrush, and its
alarm note is very similar to that species, but is
shriller and louder and is sounded while on the
wing in its rapid flight. Although common, the

256. SOLITARY SANDPIPER.

11

146 NE8T8 AND EGQ8 OF

eggs of this species have been until a comparatively recent date of special desiderat-
um, and only a few specimens are as yet to be found in the numerous collections.
In the last edition of this work I mentioned an egg supposed to belong to this species,
which I took in an open field bordering the Scioto River, near Columbus, Ohio, in the
latter part of May, 1877. This specimen was first described by the late Dr. J. M.
Wheaton.* The egg was of a pointed oval shape, and not nearly so pyriform as are
the eggs of most of this family, size 1.25 by .88, smaller than the eggs of the Spotted
Sandpiper. The ground was clay-color with a reddish tinge, thickly marked with
reddish and blackish-brown. The nest was on the ground in as exposed a locality as
is ever frequented by this bird. It contained two eggs, both far advanced in incuba-
tion, only one of which was preserved. In Jones's magnificent workf this egg is ac-
curately figured. From comparisons made at the time this specimen could not be
referred to any other species than that of the Solitary Sandpiper. Dr. Brewer de-
scribes an egg, taken May 28, 1878, by Mr. Jenness Richardson, near Lake Bombazine,
Vermont. It measures 1.32x.90. The ground color is of a light drab, similar to that
of .Et/uiliti* ni< Itida; over the surface are scattered small rounded markings of brown.
some of these are quite dark, nowhere confluent, and not large enough to be called
blotches. Its shape was elongated pyriform. Mr. Capen, in his finely illustrated
work,! gives a faithful colored illustration of this specimen. The female parent of
this erg ^'as shot as she left the nest.

WESTERN SOLITARY SANDPIPER. Tntnnitx milittiriux niinaiiinin-ux
Brewst. Geog. Dist.— Pacific coast region, eastward to the Plains.

The Cinnamon Solitary Sandpiper of the Pacific coast region and the plains is
a race not always distinguishable from the eastern species, T. Mnlitni'iux. Accoi-'ing
to descriptions given by Mr. Brewster (Auk, VIII, p. 377), from specimens coll
by Mr. Frazar in Lower California, the bird is larger, wing grayer, the light spots
on the back, scapulars, and wing-coverets brownish-cinnamon, instead of white or
buffy whitish; the sides of the head more whitish, especially on the lores; no well-
defined loral stripes.

[257.] GREEN SANDPIPER. Tola nu* orliropus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— North-
ern Portions of the Old World. Accidental in Nova Scotia.

If we may regard the authority of the older ornithologists, Richardson and
Nuttall, this bird obtained from them recognition as a straggler to North AHUM -i« -a.
Its claim to our fauna, however, has been restored by the capture of a single sp«>< -j-
men, said to have been taken in Nova Scotia, which was in the possession of J.
Edmund Harting, Esq. The bird is very similar to our Solitary Tattler and aver*
lightly larger. It is very generally distributed through Europe ami in sinm-
.-; esteemed a great delicacy for the table. Said to breed in all the northern
portions of Asia. In England it is considered an abundant bird in sprin.u ami fall
and a number of pairs remain to breed. Known also as the Whistling Sandpiper.
It frequents the shores of the sea and inland lakes, the banks of shallmv stn-ams
and the borders of ponds and marshes. Breeds in various parts of Northwestern
Germany and is known to nest in Southeastern France. The Green Sandpiper is
said to be < uliar in its mode of nesting — depositing its eggs in old m-sts

•In his Report «.n tin- Birds of Ohio. Vol IV, ohi.. Geological Survey, .-i.tiil.-.i
Zoology and Botany, p. 486.

t Illustrations of tin- Nests and Epgs of Birds of Ohio. IlluM Mr~. N. K.

Jones: Text l-y H<.\v:ini .I..TLS, A. M., M. D., Circleville, Ohio.
| Oology Of New Kn^-md: Plate XIX. Fig. 6.

XORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 147

situated in trees and is not known ever to nest on the ground. The nests usually oc-
cupied are those of pigeons, jays, shrikes and other birds, but most commonly those
of the Thrushes. These are said to be situated from three to six feet and as high
as thirty-five feet from the ground. The eggs are four in number; greenish-white
or delicate grayish sea-green, sparsely marked with spots, blotches, and markings
of dark-brown, chiefly at the larger end; average size 1.52x1.12.

258. WILLET. Symphemia semipalmata (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern tem-
perate North America, south to the West Indies and Brazil. Breeds from Florida to
New Jersey and locally, and rarely to Maine. Accidental in Bermuda and Europe.

The Willet is the largest of the American family Scolopacidae, except the genera
Limosa and Numenius. One of the most extensively distributed of all of our North
American birds, being found in the marshy regions of the interior; along the
Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Florida; throughout Central America and into
a large portion of South America. It is also abundant along the Pacific coast.
Breeds throughout its United States range and wherever found in Southern districts.
Nests commonly on Cobb's Island, Va., effectually concealing the eggs in the tall
grass on the higher parts of the Island. The marshes at this place are also favorite
breeding localities, where the nests are built up from the ground, which is wet at
high tide. At Long Beach, N. J., it breeds rarely and is said to have been formerly
one of the most abundant breeding species. Mr. Perry writes that the Willet finds
favorite breeding grounds in the salt marshes of Georgia and South Carolina. He
mentions a large tract of "salt grass" in Beaufort Co., S. C., where it breeds in
great numbers. A hundred pairs or more are commonly observed breeding in this
locality and at the same time, the eggs are very difficult to discover. Crows feed on
them and the empty shells are strewn plentifully over the field. The nest is a mere
depression of the ground, lined with a few pieces of dry grass. Sometimes it is
placed in a tussock of grass. Mr. Perry states that the eggs are deposited early in
May. Mr. Stuart reports the Willet as breeding abundantly along the Gulf coast
or Florida in May and June. The eggs are four in number, and there seems to be
two distinct types of coloration in the ground color — either a greenish-white or a
dark brownish-olive, marked with bold spots of various shades of umber-brown and
markings of subdued purple. The eggs are very large for the size of the bird, rang-
ing from 1.98 to 2.12 in length by 1.46 to 1.58 broad. Four eggs measure 1.95x1.50,
1.98x1.49, 2.05x1.53, 2.04x1.53.

258a. WESTERN WILLET. Symphemia semipalmata inornata Brewst. Geog.
Dist.— Western North America, east to Mississippi Valley and Gulf States; in winter,
south to Mexico, and, during migrations, sparingly along coast of southern Atlantic
States. Breeds from coast of Texas to Manitoba.

Mr. Brewster first described this race in The Auk, Vol. IV, April, 1887, pp. 145-
146. It is somewhat larger and grayer than the eastern species, and according to
Elliot the two forms in winter cannot be distinguished from each other, save pos-
sibly by the longer bill of the present species, though this is not always reliable.
The present variety is very common in the western part of the United States and
in Texas. The nesting habits and eggs are identical with those of S. semipalmata;
the eggs, however, averaging a trifle larger.

259. WANDERING TATTLER. Heteractititis incanus (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.—
Pacific coast of America, from Norton Sound, Alaska, to Galapagos, and west to
Kamtchatka and the Hawaiian Islands: also more eastern groups of Polynesia.

148

NESTS AND EGOS OF

This plainly colored bird is well termed "wandering." No species of this family
traverse so much sea and coast during the changing seasons as this one. Elliot
says: Along the vast extent of the Pacific coast it goes from the Equator onward to
the Aleutian Islands in the far north, and to the interior of Alaska, where it prob-
ably breeds along the banks of the mighty Yukon. He states that the places where
this bird breeds may be well within the Arctic circle.

[260.] BUFF. Pavoncdla pugnax (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern portions of
the Old World ; occasionally straying to Eastern North America.

The male of this species is known as the Ruff and the female as Reeve. It is a
bird of wide distribution; found at various seasons of the year throughout Europe,
the northern parts of Africa, and in western Asia. Examples of this bird have been
taken in Eastern United States, as well as on Long Island and in various places in
New England. Dr. Jasper took a specimen November 10, 1872, at the Licking

280. RUFF (From Brehm.)

County Reservoir, Ohio. It breeds more or less commonly in England and Scotland,
where the eggs are deposited during the first or second week in May. The Ruff is
about the size of the Bartramian Sandpiper, and it also resembles this bird in color.
But the most marked peculiarity of the species is the ruff-like growth of feathers
about the neck, from which it takes its name. There is an endless variety of
plumage in the birds, the males and females differing widely in this respect. As its
specific name, puf/ini.r, implies the bird is of a pugnacious disposition, the males en-
gaging in aggressive combats during the breeding season. Their movements in

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 149

fighting are said to be something like a game cock. Breeds throughout the greater
portion of Scandinavia and in Denmark. In Lapland it arrives in the last week of
May where it is found along the margin of lakes and rivers; later in the season it
may be found hiding in the tall grass of the marshes. The nest is usually placed on
a slight elevation in swampy places surrounded by coarse grass of which material it
is composed. The eggs are four in number and average 1.60x1.09. Four eggs in my
cabinet from England measure 1.64x1.17, 1.79x1.20, 1.64x1.18, 1.75x1.12. They are of
an oblong pyriform shape; the ground color is of an olive or grayish-green; the
markings are the same as those of the American Jack Snipe eggs but are heavier
and more profuse— with spots and blotches of umber and blackish-brown.

261. BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER. Bartramia lonyicauda (Bechst.) Geog.
Dist.— Eastern North America, north to Nova Scotia and Alaska. Breeds through-
cut its range. South in winter as far as Southern South America.

Bartram's Tattler is distributed more or less abundantly throughout the United
States, but is rare west of the Rocky Mountains. Breeds commonly from the middle
districts— Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas northward, into
the Fur Country, and in Alaska. It is very numerous on the prairies of the interior
and is also common eastward. It is known as Field "Plover," Upland "Plover," Grass
"Plover," Prairie "Pigeon," and Prairie "Snipe." In Ohio and Pennsylvania the
eggs are hatched by the first or second week in June. One of the most familiar birds
on the dry, open . prairies of Manitoba, where it breeds, and is known as the
"Quaily," from its soft, mellow note. Mr. L. Jones, of Grinnell, Iowa, informs me
that it nests in that region about the 20th of May. Known to breed in various por-
tions of Michigan, but its eggs are not often taken. The bird is less aquatic than
most of the other Sandpipers, and is seldom seen along the banks of streams. Its
favorite resorts are old pastures, upland, stubble fields and meadows, where its nests
may be found in a slight depression of the ground, and they are not always well
concealed. It frequently alights on trees or on fences, like a Meadow Lark. The
eggs of Bartram's Sandpiper are of a pale clay or buff, thickly spotted with umber
and yellowish-brown, especially about the larger end; commonly four in number;
sizes range from 1.70 to 1.90 long by about 1.28 broad.

262. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. Tryngitcs siibruficollis (Vieill.) Geog.
Dist. — North America, especially the interior. Breeds in the interior of British
America and in Alaska. Occasional occurrence in Europe.

This interesting little Sandpiper is of general distribution in North America,
but apparently nowhere very common. It is migratory in the United States, and
breeds in the Arctic regions. Winters south of United States. It is often found in
company with the Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers on the
gravelly banks of rivers. This bird is said to resemble Bartram's Sandpiper in fre-
quenting upland fields and meadows. Breeds in the MacFarlane and Anderson River
regions and in the Barren Lands of the Arctic coast. The nesting season in these
regions is the latter part of June, extending to the middle of July. The bird also
breeds in the Yukon River district. The nests are slight depressions in the soil,
scantily lined with a few grasses or withered leaves. The eggs are clay color of
various shades, sharply spotted and blotched with rich umber-brown; there is a
great diversity in the shades of the ground color in a large series of specimens, and
there is also the same variations in the markings; the eggs are pointedly pyriform
in shape; commonly four in number, and measure from 1.40 to 1.50 long by 1.02 to
1.10 broad.

150

NB8T8 AND BGGB OF

263. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Actitis macularia (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— North
and South America and West Indies. Winters chiefly south of the United States.

The familiar little Spotted Sandpiper is an extremely abundant bird throughout
North America, breeding everywhere. It winters in the Southern States and be-
yond. Every lazy fisherman and idle school boy, who has whiled away many a
balmy and hot summer day along the banks of streams, knows this bird well by the
bobbing and tilting movements of its body and tail, and its peculiar note, pect-invt.
peet-icctt, as it flies up and down and across the streams. It is known by many
a curious nickname: "Teeter-tail," "Tip-up," "Sandlark," "Peet-weet" and others
which generally refer to some eccentricity of the bird. The eggs are creamy, buff
or clay color, blotched, spotted and dotted with blackish-brown; usually four in
number, and measure about 1.34 by .92. The nest of this Sandpiper is made on the
ground, generally in the shelter of high weeds or grass on a sandy island or border
of a cultivated meadow, near water and often at a considerable Uistance from any
water. It is simply a depression in the soil, sometimes constructed with hay and
moss. The eggs like all those of the waders lay in the nests with the small ends
together.

264. LONG-BILLED CURLEW. Xumciriu* Inmjirttxtrix Wils. Geog. Dist. —
Temperate North America, migrates south to Guatemala and the West Indies.

The large Sickle-bill is of irregular distribution in temperate North America,

» EUROPEAN CUKI-RW, NumeJiiut arqu^tut. Similar in cut to the L«>n>r-bil1ert Curie*

(From Brchm).

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 151

breeding nearly throughout its range. It is migratory northward and is resident
from the Carolinas south to Mexico. It nests very abundantly on the South Atlantic
«oast, and on the prairies of the interior and the Northwest. Unlike others of its
genus it is not a bird of high latitude. The eggs of the Long-billed Curlew are three
or four in number; and almost exactly resemble those of the Willet, but are larger,
measuring from 2.45 to 2.80 in length by 1.80 to 1.90 in breadth; they are, however,
more of a pyriform shape than the eggs of the Willet. In common with other
waders the eggs are deposited on the ground in a slight hollow lined with a few
grasses. This Curlew may be known from all others by its large size and very long,
curved bill, measuring from four to six or eight inches. It may sometimes breed at
St. Mary's Reservoir, in Mercer county, and other localities of Northwestern Ohio,
as it is known to breed in Northern Illinois.

265. HUDSONIAN CURLEW. Numenius hudsonicus Lath. Geog. Dist.—
North and South America and West Indies. Breeds in the far north ; winters chiefly
south of the United States.

The American Whimbrel, Short-billed, or Jack Curlew, as this bird is variously
called, is not so abundant as the Long-billed or Eskimo Curlews. It is generally dis-
tributed throughout North America, breeding in the far north — in vicinity of ponds
and lakes on the Barren Lands of the Arctic regions, the regions of the Anderson
River and in various parts of Alaska. Nests like those of the last species. In the
United States it is a spring and fall migrant and is often found in company with
Godwits, Snipe and others of its tribe. The eggs are ashy-yellow, the markings
are large and bold, of different shades of chocolate and umber-brown. The eggs of
this species can only be distinguished from those of the following species by
their larger size; from 2.12 to 2.30 in length by about 1.60 broad; generally four in
number; of the usual pear-shape.

266. ESKIMO CURLEW. Numenius borealis (Forst). Geog. Dist.— Eastern
Province of North America, breeding in the Arctic regions; south in winter to
Southern South America.

The Dougn-bird, or Eskimo Curlew, is found in North America at large and
breeds within the Arctic circle. It migrates through the United States, where it is
rarely known to winter, and never to summer; wintering in Central and South
America. Abundant in certain places during the migrations. In Labrador it is said
to fairly swarm in August. Of this bird's nest and eggs Dr. Coues says: "This
species breeds in great numbers in the Anderson River region, usually making up
its nest complement of four eggs by the third week in June. The nest is generally
in an open plain, and is a mere depression of the ground, lined with a few dried
leaves or grasses. The eggs vary to the great extent usually witnessed among
waders. The ground is olive-drab, tending either to green, gray or brown in dif-
ferent instances. The markings, always large, numerous and bold, are of different
depths of dark chocolate, bistre and sepia-brown, with ordinary stone-gray shell
spots. They always tend to aggregate at the large end, or at least, are more
numerous on the major half of the eggs; though in a few instances the distribution
is nearly uniform. Occasionally the butt end of the egg is almost completely occu-
pied by confluence of very dark markings. Eggs vary from 1.90x1.40 to 2.12x1.33,
averaging about 2.00x1.45."*

* Birds of the Northwest, n. 512.

152

NESTS AND EGGS OF

[267.] WHIMBREL. Nvmenim phwopus (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Old World;
occasional in Greenland.

In England and Scotland this bird is known as Whimbrel Curlew, "Half-Cur-
lew," or Jack Curlew." It breeds throughout Northern Europe and Asia. Though
pretty generally diffused in Great Britain, it is only found breeding in the extreme
north of Scotland, on the Orkney and Shetland Islands, where the eggs are hatched
by the first part of June. In these places the nests are made on elevated portions of
the heath. During the breeding season the Whimbrel is found on the Faroe Islands
and in Iceland. It is distributed throughout Denmark, Scandinavia and Russia; a,
few are known to breed in Lapland, as far north as latitude 65°. It is said by the
best authorities that this bird is* the most widely diffused of all the waders. Its
extra-limital range includes Siberia, India, China, Australia and Africa. On the
Faroe Islands it is recorded as breeding from the 25th of May to the 17th of June.
The nest being simply a depression in the soil on some slight elevation in dry spots
in marshes. The eggs are four in number, pear-shaped, and vary in color from light
olive-brown to dark greenish-brown, clouded with spots and blotches of dark umber;
average size 2.34x1.67.

[268.] BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW, \innrniitx tahUicnxi* (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist. — Islands of the Pacific Ocean; occasional on the coast of Alaska and Lower
California,

268. BRISTLB-THIGHKD CURLEW. (From Nelson.)

This Curlew, which IB a native of various islands in the Pacific Ocean is given
a place in our avifauna on the ground that two examples were taken on our western
coast, one at St. Michael's Island and the other on Kadiak Island, Alaska,

[269.] LAPWING. 1V;»» //».«.- ranellu* (Linn.) Geog. 3. St.— Northern portion
of Eastern Hemisphere; occasional in Arctic America, Greenland and the Islands of
Norton Sound, Alaska.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

153

The Lapwing or Peewit is one of the most familiar birds of Europe. A rare
visitant in Greenland and other parts of North America. Abundant in all suitable
localities in Great Britain and in all the adjacent smaller islands. Found as far
north as the Faroes, and in Iceland. Common in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and
throughout Russia. It is not so abundant in various portions of Continental
Europe, as in France, Spain and Italy. The Lapwing is a handsome plover; in the

269. LAPWING (From Brehm).

adult in summer dress the fore part and top of the head, chin, throat and breast is
uniform blue-black; side of head and neck white, grayish behind the neck; upper
parts chiefly metallic bottle green, changing to a coppery purple. From the occiput
springs a long crest of narrow bluish-black feathers which curve upwards. It is
commonly called Te-wit, Crested Lapwing, Green Lapwing and Green Plover. The
nests of this bird are like those of all the Plovers — slight depressions in the soil with
a few grasses for a lining. The eggs are four^in number; they vary from a dull,
light, grayish-buff to deep olive buff, more or less heavily marked with spots and
blotches of brownish-black; they are pyriform in shape. Four eggs in my cabinet,
collected in Staffordshire, England, April 18, measure 1.88x1.30, 1.89x1.32, 1.84x1.36.
1.82x1.32. The average size is 1.85x1.33. The eggs are regarded as a delicacy and
are much sought after in all districts where the bird is common.

154 NE8T8 AND EGOS OF

270. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. Charadrius squatarola (Linn.) Qeog.
Dist. — Northern portions of Northern Hemisphere, breeding far north; migrating
south in winter; in America to Brazil, New Grenada and the West Indies.

This handsome bird is known by several different names: Beetle-head, Ox-eye.
Whistling Field Plcver, Bull-head Plover and Swiss Plover. It is a species of wide
distribution, being nearly cosmopolitan during its migrations, wandering through
Southern Asia, Northern and Southern Africa, Australia, the West Indies, Central
and South America to Brazil. The eggs have only been taken in the extreme Arctic
regions — on both sides of the Ural Mountains in Northern Russia — the banks of the
Taimyr in the East and the tundras of the Petchora River in the West. In North
America it has been found breeding in various places in the Arctic regions, as on
the islands of Franklin Bay on the Arctic coast, in the first part of July and on the
Barren Lands. It is also known to breed in Greenland. All th« nests found are
mere depressions in the ground with a slight lining of grasses and leaves. The eggs
are described as being very similar to those of the Golden Plover, C. aprlrarius, or
those of the Lapwing; pyriform in shape, varying from light buffy-olive to deep
olive-buff, thickly and heavily marked with brownish-black or deep black; average
size, 2.04x1.43.

[271.] GOLDEN PLOVER. Charadrins apricarius Linn. Geog. Dist.— Europe;
in winter south into Africa. Greenland.

The European Golden Plover is like the American bird, but the linings of the
wings are white. In Great Britain during the winter months it is one of the most
abundant species; in summer returning to the moorlands of Scotland and Ireland,
and northward to the Orkney and Shetland Islands, where it breeds. It is found in
Norway, Sweden and in Lapland. Breeds also in the Faroes, in Iceland and in
Eastern Greenland. The nest is simply a hollow in the ground, lined with a few
grasses. The full complement of eggs is four and seem exceeding large for the size
of the bird. The ground color in a large series of these eggs varies considerably —
creamy-white, others with a much darker shade of the same, and again of a dark
chocolate-brown. On these different ground colors the large, bold spots and con-
fluent blotches of brownish-black present quite a varied appearance. Eight eggs in
my cabinet from Renfrew, Scotland, measure, 2.02x1.42, 2.08x1.37, 2.10x1.38; 2.11x1.45,
1.96x1.40, 2.01x1.37, 2.08x1.40, 2.12x1.43. Average, 2.08x1.42.

272. AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. <'linnitlrin* <lonnnicit» Mull. Geog.
Dist. — North America at large, breeding in the Arctic regions.

The Golden or Green Plover breeds in Arctic America east of the coast of Bering
Sea and Strait, migrating south in winter nearly throughout the entire America
as far south as Patagonia. MacFarlane found it breeding at Franklin's Bay. In
spring and fall it is an abundant bird in the United States, and is generally esteemed
for the table on account of its large size and the flavor of its flesh. Breeds abundantly
on the coasts and islands of the Arctic Sea, and on the Barren Lands, depositing four
eggs in a depression of the soil, which is usually slightly lined with bits of dry grass.
Out of one hundred and fourteen nests recorded by Mr. MacFarlane in the Arctic
regions, ninety-two contained four eggs each. They vary from pale buffy-brown
to dark grayish-buff, spotted and blotched with brownish-black, chiefly at the larger
end. The spots are often confluent. The average size is 1.98x1.37. In the collection
of the late Capt. B. F. Goss there is a sot of four eggs collected by Mr. MacFarlane
on the Barren Grounds near the Anderson River. These are buffy-drnb. spotted and

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 155

splashed with dark brown, almost black; they are pyriform in shape, quite pointed
at the small end, and blunt at the larger portion of the egg.

272a. PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER. Cliuradriux dominic-us fulvus (Gmel.)
Geog. Dist. — Asia, and islands of the Pacific. In North America, the islands and
coasts of Alaska. In winter, south through India, China, etc., to Australia and
Polynesia.

The Asiatic Golden Plover is similar to C. dominions, but is slightly smaller and
of a more golden color. It breeds in Northern Asia, the Alaskan coasts of Bering Sea
and Strait. Nesting and eggs similar to those of the last. Average size of the eggs,
2.02x1.30.

273. KILLDEER. Mgialitis vocifera (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Temperate North
America, south in winter to the West Indies, Central and Northern South America.

This familiar bird whose notes, kil-deer, kil-decr, are heard in the daytime, and
often in moonlight nights, more frequently during the breeding season than at any
other time, is very abundant in North America at large, breeding nearly anywhere in
its range. The nest is placed on the ground, usually in the vicinity of a stream, or
pond, and often on an elevated spot in the grass or in a furrowed field. It is merely
a slight depression of the ground. The bird frequents both high and low grounds,
pastures and fallow fields, as well as borders of streams. The eggs are drab or clay-
color, thickly spotted and blotched with blackish-brown and umber; small end
quite pointed, as is usually the case with all eggs of birds of this order; the eggs are
generally four in number, measuring from 1.50 to 1.60 long by about 1.10 broad.

274. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, ^gialitis semipalmata Bonap. Geog.
Dist. — North America in general; breeding in Arctic and sub-Arctic districts; south
in winter throughout tropical America as far as Brazil and Peru.

The Semipalmated Ring Plover is abundant and generally diffused throughout
the whole of North America. In the United States it occurs only in the migrations,
but it probably;breeds occasionally in some of the Northern States. Both eggs and
young have been taken near Chicago, 111., in July. It has been found in the summer
months in the Saskatchewan and Mackenzie River regions, and in those of Hudson
Bay, in Greenland and throughout various portions of Arctic America. It has been
found breeding in the latter part of June on the Arctic coast, and in the Anderson
River regions. Breeds on the islands of the Alaskan coast, and at the mouth of the
Yukon. Audubon found it nesting in Labrador. The nest is a mere depression in
the ground, with a lining of dry grasses or leaves. The bird's general habits are like
those of the Killdeer. The eggs vary from greenish to yellowish-ash, spotted,
blotched and dotted with varying shades of brown; pyriform; scarcely distinguish-
able from those of the Killdeer, excepting in size; length 1.20 to 1.40 by .90 to .95 in
breadth ; two to four in number.

275. RING PLOVER. sEgialitis hiaticula (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern por-
tion of Eastern Hemisphere, and eastern portion of Arctic America.

The well known Ringed Dotterel, or Ringed Plover of Europe, holds its place as
a North American species on the grounds of its breeding abundantly throughout
Greenland and on the shores of Cumberland Gulf. It is particularly common in
Great Britain, where it frequents the banks of rivers, inlets and bays, and the shores

156 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

of the sea. Common in Norway, and it has been met with in Lapland. The eggs of
this species are deposited in a slight depression in the sand, broken shells or shingles
above high-water mark. Four eggs are laid and their ground color is of a pale buff
or cream color; they, are beautifully spotted with dark reddish-brown, approaching
black, here and there are obscure shell markings. Average size 1.41x1.00. Four eggs
from England, collected May 6, are in my cabinet and measure 1.36x1.00, 1.40x1.02,
1.43X.99, 1.42x1.00.

[276.] LITTLE RING PLOVER. .Vyialitix tlubia (Scop.) Geog. Dist.— North-
ern portion of Eastern Hemisphere. Accidental on the coast of California and in
Alaska.

The Little Ringed Dotterel or Little Ringed Plover breeds in the northern por-
tions of the Old World. This European species has less grounds for being included
in the North American fauna than the previous ones. Its general habits, nesting and
eggs resemble those of the Semipalmated Plover, but the eggs, like the bird, are much
smaller. The average size of ten eggs in my collection is 1.19x.85. They are short
ovate in form, of a pinkish-buff ground color, finely speckled all over with brown.

276. LITTLE RING PLOVBR.

277. PIPING PLOVER. .-Eijiaim* »«l»tlu (Ord.) Geog. Dist.— Chiefly the
Atlantic coast of the United States, north to southern Labrador. In winter, West
Indies.

The Piping Plover is an abundant species in the summer months along the
eastern coast of the United States, breeding from the Carolinas northward as far as
the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is a graceful and attractive little species, possessing
a remarkably musical voice which can be heard as the bird moves gracefully over
the sandy beaches. Its food is small marine worms, Crustacea, etc. During incuba-
tion it is said that the parents rarely sit upon their eggs, except at niglit and in
damp weather, but always remain in the vicinity and watch over their treasures with
solicitude. The eggs are four in number, pale buff, speckled with black and purplish
gray. In some the markings are very much more profuse than in others. The
average size of a large series (fifty in number) is 1.29x.95. Four specimens measure
1.28x1.01, 1.31x1.01, 1.25x1.03, 1.28x1.00.

NORTH AUUitlCAN BIRDS. 157

277u. BELTED PIPING PLOVEB. <Egialiti8 meloda circumcincta Ridgw.
Geog. Dist— Missouri River region; occasionally eastward to the Atlantic coast.

This variety of the Piping Plover is found between the Missouri River and the
Rocky Mountains and as far eastward as Lake Koskonong, in southern Wisconsin
and occasionally along the Atlantic coast. Its habits are the same as those of meloda.
The eggs measure 1.27x.93.

278. SNOWY PLOVER. Myialitis nivosa Cass. Geog. Dist.— Y/estern North
America, south to Mexico in winter, both coasts of Central America and in Western
South America to Chili.

The Snowy Ring Plover inhabits the United States chiefly west of the Rocky
Mountains. It is a constant resident along the California coast, and a specimen has
been taken on the coast of Texas in the latter part of June. Mr. Emerson, of Hay-
wards, California, informs me that it nests along the sandy beaches of the ocean
coast, and says he has no doubt that it breeds along the bay beach, as he shot the
young there in June. Mr. Shields states that it is abundant along the sandy beaches
in the vicinity of Los Angeles, nesting in the first week of April; fresh eggs often
being found as late as May 15. Mr. N. S. Goss found the Snowy Plover breeding on
the salt plains along the Cimarrion River, in the Indian Territory, the northern
limits of which extend into southwestern Comanche County, Kansas; he also took
two specimens within the State limits. The birds are described as being very much
lighter in color than the California specimens.* The eggs are three in number, in
ground color, pale buff or clay color, and the markings very much resemble Wilson's
Plover, but are more numerous and scratchy; about the size of the eggs of the Piping
Plover, meloda, 1.20x.90.

[279.] MONGOLIAN PLOVER. .Egialitis mongola (Pall.) Geog. Dist.—
Northern Asia, south in winter to Malay Archipeliago and Australia, Choris Penin-
sula, Alaska, accidental.

A bird of wide distribution. Found throughout Northern Asia in general, west
to St. Petersburg, Palestine and Northeastern Africa. In winter it is found through-
out Southern Asia and as far south as the Philippines, Malay Archipeliago, etc., to
Australia. Breeds commonly in Northern portions of Asia, nesting on the ground
like others of its tribe. The eggs are four in number; pale dull olive or buff sparsely
marked with brownish-black; size, 1.43x1.05.

280. WILSON'S PLOVER. JEyialiti* tdlsonia (Ord.) Geog. Dist.— Atlantic
and Gulf coasts of North America, north to Long Island. Casually to No\a Scotia.
South in winter to Brazil and Peru and West Indies.

Wilson's Plover, named in honor of the immortal Wilson, is common along the
sea coast of the South Atlantic and Gulf States. It is found along the Eastern coast,
but rarely north beyond New Jersey. One of the "beach birds," and may be found
in company with others of the genus .Effialitis. On some of the islands on the coast
of Georgia Mr. Perry found them breeding in great numbers in company with the
Least Tern, nesting very much in the same manner. The eggs are deposited in a
cavity of the loose pebbles or shells of the beach; they are usually three in number.
The ground color is a pale olive-drab or clay-colored, some having a greenish tint,
marked all over with blackish-brown, well defined spots, small splashes and fine

* Auk. ill, p. 409.

158

XE8T8 AND EOO8 OF

dots. Sizes from 1.30 to 1.45 long by 1.00 to 1.05 broad,
measures as follows: 1.37x.99, 1.82x.98, 1.40x1.00.

A set in Mr. Perry's cabinet

281. MOUNTAIN PLOVER. .Kj/ialiti* montana (Towns.) Geog. Dist.— West-
ern North America, east to the Great Plains; accidental in Florida.

More properly called Prairie Plover, but it seems to have been badly named,
for it certainly is a prairie bird, inhabiting the most barren prairies, as well as the
watered regions of the United States, from the plains to the Pacific. It can readily
be recognized by its large size, the lack of rings on the breast, with the uniform pale,
yellowish-brown above. It is quite independent of water, and is said to be not the
least aquatic, even on the Pacific coast; it frequents the plain, never the marsh or
beach. Nests anywhere on the open prairie in June and July. The eggs are usually
three in number, olive-drab, with a brown shade, finely and thickly dotted with very
dark brown and black, the markings not larger than a pin's head; sizes from 1.40
to 1.50 long by 1.10 to 1.12 broad.

282. SURF BIRD, .\ftltriza virgata (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Pacific coast of
America, from Alaska to Chili.

Known as the Plover-billed Turnstone. It Is rare on our shores, although it is
found almost along the entire western coast of the two Americas. Little is known
concerning its breeding place and the eggs have not been discovered. Nelson se-
cured specimens of the bird in the vicinity of St. Michael's, Alaska, and the natives
claimed that it bred on the bare mountains of the interior, some 20 or 30 miles from
the coast. At the present time, however, its breeding place is unknown.

283. TURNSTONE. Arcnarla
politan, chiefly along the sea coasts.

(Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Entirely cosmo-
Breeds in high northern latitudes.

283 TURNSTONE From Brehml

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 159

The common Turnstone is widely distributed in the breeding season through-
out the northern portions of both continents, and wanders southward along the sea
coasts of all countries. In America it breeds commonly in the Barren Lands of the
Arctic coasts and the Anderson River districts, on the islands of Franklin and Liver-
pool Bays, nesting in July. In the Hudson Bay country the eggs are laid in June;
the nest is nothing but a hollow scratched in the earth, lined with bits of grass.
It is known by various names, "Brant Bird," "Bead Bird," "Horse-foot Snipe," and
from its varigated colors, "Calico-back." The eggs are greenish-ash, spotted,
blotched and dotted irregularly and thickly with yellowish and umber brown; two
to four; abruptly pyriform in shape, and average 1.58x1.15. A set of four eggs of this
species is in the cabinet of Captain B. F. Goss. These were taken on the Yukon
River, in Alaska. The nest was a slight depression on the ground. The eggs are
greenish drab, spotted all over with brown; sizes, 1.68x1.13, 1.60x1.17, 1.60x1.17,
1.68x1.13.

284. BLACK TURNSTONE. Arenaria melanocepJiala (Vig.) Geog. Dist. — Pa-
cific coast of North America, from Alaska to Santa Cruz and San Minguel Island.

The Black-headed Turnstone is common along the Pacific coast of North Ameri-
ca. It has been found nesting in Alaska at the mouth of the Yukon. In all respects
its habits, nesting, eggs, etc., are said to be similar to those of A. intcrpres. The
eggs average 1.62x1.12.

284. BLACK TURNSTONE.

[285.] OYSTER-CATCHER. Hwmatopus ostralegits Linn. Geog Dist. — Sea
coasts of Europe, portions of Asia and Africa; occasional in Greenland.

The Oyster-catcher of Europe claims a place in the North American fauna from
its occasional occurrence in Greenland. It appears to be common in all suitable
places on the coasts and islands of Europe, extending northward to the northern
shores of Russia and Siberia, where it breeds on the. great Arctic flats. Common
throughout the summer months in Denmark, Sweden and on the west shores of
Norway. In Great Britain the Oyster-catcher is a well known species, nesting on
the shores and islands as far north as Orkney and Shetland. The bird breeds gen-

160

\ /•>•/>• LVD BOOB OF

erally in pairs, bttt in some instances a large number are found nesting in one
place. Four eggs are usually laid in some cavity in the sand' or shingle. Nests have
been found on the top of rocks, ten to fifteen feet above the ground. The eggs are
•f a dull creamy buff, spotted and blotched with brownish-black, generally over the
entire egg. Six eggs in my cabinet from England measure 2.15x1.57, 2.35x1.53, 2.16x
1.56. 2.17x1.54. 2.32x1.50, 2.19x1.56.

* * EUROPRA* OYSTER-CATCHER, similar to the American Oyster-catcher. (From Brehm.)

286. AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER, lltnimtnim* /W///W/M.S Temm. Geog.
Dist. — Sea coasts America from Nova Scotia and Southern California, south to
Patagonia.

The brownish-backed Oyster-catcher breeds alon^ the Atlantic coast from New
Jersey southward, where it becomes more common. It breeds abundantly, but ir-
regularly, in different localities. There an- extensive breeding resorts along the
coast of Virginia. On C'obb's Island it was formerly quite common during the
breeding season, where now only a few pairs are said to be found nesting. It is
common along the coast of Florida, nesting on the beaches and depositing three,
sometimes only two. eggs. The American Oyster-catcher is an abundant resident
throughout the Bahamas, nesting \vhere\-« r there are sandy beaches. It has been
found breeding in Galveston Bay. Texas, in June, and on Islands at the mouth of the
Rio Grande. The eggs are creamy or white, spotted and blotched irregularly with
varying shades of brown; rather oval in shape; sizes range from 2.12 to 2.30 In
length by 1.50 to 1.62 in breadth. Six eggs from the coast of Virginia measure 2.22x
1.57, 2.23x1.58. 2.19x1.. -.2. 2.1.r.xl.52. 2.25x1.60. 2.21x1.57. Mr. Walter Hoxie, in tke

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 161

"Ornithologist and Oologist" for August, 1887, gives us an interesting account of a
pair of these birds moving their eggs when their nest was discovered. While Mr.
Hoxie was watching the parents they carried the eggs about one hundred yards from
the old nest, and deposited them safely in a new nest which he saw the birds pre-
pare. The female lifted the eggs between her legs and successfully carried them
away.

286. 1. FKAZAR'S OYSTER-CATCHER. Hcematopus frazari Brewst. Geog.
Dist. — Lower California (both coasts), north to Los Coronados Islands.

Mr. William Brewster has dedicated this new species to M. Abbott Frazar, who
secured three specimens north of La Paz, on the Gulf of California. It was said to
be common in the locality and evidently preparing to breed on the sandy islands and
shores of the gulf. It has been seen on Los Corronados Islands, San Quentin Bay,
Cerros Island; also at Magdalena Bay, where it was common, and on Santa Margarita
Island. Here they mated in January. They feed upon smalljDivalves. Mr. Brewster
describes this species as differing from H. palliatus in having a stouter, more de-
pressed bill, little or no white on the eyelids, the back, scapulars and wing-coverets
richer and deeper brown.* I have no description concerning the nesting and eggs
of this new species.

287. BLACK OYSTER-CATCHER. Hcematopus bachmani Aud. Geog. Dist.—
Pacific coast of North America from Lower California north to the Aleutian Islands
and across to the Kurilas.

Bachman's Oyster-catcher, as it is called, is a characteristic bird of the Pacific
coast, being more common to the north
than to the south. It is said to be par-
tial to rocky coasts and islands and not
always met with on sand beaches. It
is common in Alaska, where it is one
of the characteristic birds of the sea-
shore, and it is also a summer resident
of the entire Aleutian chain of islands.
Ball found it breeding the latter part
of June on Range Island, one of the
Shumagin group. Here he found two
nests. In both cases the eggs were
placed directly upon the gravel on the
beach; one contained two eggs, the
other one. They were all partly incu-
bated. The eggs of this species are two a87- BLACK OYSTER-CATCHER.
or three in number, light olive-buff,

speckled or spotted with brownish-black and purplish-gray. Their average size is
2.20x1.52 inches.

[288.] MEXICAN JACANA. Jacana spinosa (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Valley of
the Lower Rio Grande, Texas, south into Central^ America, Panama, Cuba, Hayti.

A bird which combines the characters of the Plover and the Rail, but out-
wardly distinguished from either by the excessive development of the toes and par-
ticularly the claws. These are slender, compressed, nearly or quite straight, that of

* For a complete description see The Auk, V, pp. 84-85.

12

162

NKST8 AND EQO8 OF

the halluix much longer than its digit. The spread of feet thus acquired enables the
bird to run quite easily over floating vegetation in the marshes. Dr. James C. Mer-
rill met with the present species near Fort Brown, in Southwestern Texas, in the
early part of August,- 1876. The bird is common throughout the whole of Middle
America, Mexico and Central America to Panama, inhabiting the dense marshes of
these regions, nesting like the Rails. The eggs are of a rounded-oval shape, ground
color, bright drab or tawny olive, marked over the surface with a confused net-

• » Farm Jumna, illustrating the American genus of ihe family farrida (From Brehm).

work of black, or dark brown wavy stripes, blotches and lines. Average size. 1.22
x.94. Mr. Crandall has two sets of the eggs of this bird collected by Frank B. Arm-
strong in Tamaulipas county, Mexico, respectively on May 13 and July 18, 1895. The
nests in both cases were composed of water weeds and trash of any kind. They were
constructed so as to float among the lilly leaves growing on a pond, similar to a
grebe's nest. One set contains five eggs, and they measure as follows: 1.19x.89,
l.lGx.90, l.lSx.89, 1.21x.90, 1.23x.91. The second set of four eggs, taken in July, ex-

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 163

hibit the folowing dimensions: 1.20x.91, 1.22x.90, 1.19x.93, 1.18x.92. The average size
of the nine eggs is 1.19x.90 inches. In a larger series the average size is larger, as
above cited.

* * EUROPEAN QUAIL. Cnt unite coturnix (Linn.) . Geog. Dist.— Northern
portions of Northern Hemisphere; introduced into the United States.

The Oommon Quail of Europe has been imported by the hundreds in various
parts of this country during the last eighteen years. This has especially been the
case in the Eastern States, north to New Erunswick. Either the climate or the food
was unsuited to them and their naturalization is considered a failure.

* COMMON QUAIL OF EUROPE (From Brehml.

289. BOB-WHITE. Colinus virftiniaiius (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern Uni-
ted States; west to Dakota, Kansas, Indian Territory and Eastern Texas. North to
Southern Maine and Southern Canada, south to the Atlantic and Gulf States.

The celebrated game bird of Eastern United States. It has now extended its
range westward into nearly all the Western States and Territories. In the two
southern extremes of its habitat it is found in two light and dark climatic varieties,
as below. Found throughout the greater portion of the year in coveys; in the
early spring pairing, each pair selecting a particular locality, where they remain
during the summer months. Where mating has taken place the male's well-known
mellow notes, — Bob-ichite,Bob-white, may be heard at short intervals echoing
throughout the woodland. The favorite nesting places of this bird are on the ground
in corners of rail fences, at the foot of stumps surrounded by a thick growth of vege-
tation, in gardens or cultivated fields where there are bunches of tall grass or weeds.

164 NB8T8 AND EO08 OF

Two and sometimes three broods are reared in a season and nesting begins as early
as May 1st. The nest is often made in close proximity to the farm house. ft is
rarely built in thick woods. Dr. Jones mentions a nest which he found alongside a
railroad track. It is usually constructed of dry grasses, straws, leaves or weeds.
The complement of eggs is from fifteen to twenty-five, often only twelve, but usually
about eighteen. They are pure white unless stained by the bed of grass upon which
they lie. At one end they are quite pointed, at the other obtusely rounded; size
1.20X.95.

289«. FLORIDA BOB-WHITE. Colinus vifffinianus floridanus (Coues.) Geog.
Dist.— Florida.

A darker colored bird than C. virpinianus. General habits, nesting and eggs
the same. Eggs, 119x.92.

289ft. TEXAN BOB- WHITE. Colinus virffinianus texanus (Lawr.) Geog.
Dist. — Texas and Northern Mexico, north to Western Kansas.

A bird of paler color than the C. v. floridanus. Eggs smaller than C.

* * CUBAN BOB-WHITE. Colinus virfftnianus cubanensis (Gould.) Geog.
Dist. — Cuba and Southwestern Florida.

The late Maj. Bendire in his great work: "Life Histories of North American
Birds," says: "This slightly smaller and darker colored bird than Colinim riri/inianu*
floridanux, is found in limited numbers in Southwestern Florida, south of Lake
Okeechobee and Tampay Bay." Quoting Dr. Juan Viar6, professor of natural his-
tory, University of Havana, Cuba: "The Cuban Bob-White lays from ten to eighteen
eggs; these are usually deposited, between the months of April and July, in a
slight cavity of the ground, sheltered by vegetation." The average size of nine eggs
in the U. S. National Museum collection is 1.20x.94.

291. MASKED BOB-WHITE. Colinus ridfficayi (Brewst.) Geog. Dist.— So-
nora to Southern Arizona.

The handsome Masked or Arizona Bob-white is a comparatively recent addition
to the avifauna of North America, it having been described and named by Mr.
William Brewster in The Auk (Vol. II, 1885, p. 199), from a specimen taken by Mr.
F. Stephens, August 11, 1884, about eighteen miles southwest of the town of Sasabe,
in Sonora, Mexico. It appears that this species is confined to a narrow strip of
country along our southwestern border, and is nowhere as common as the Gambel's
and Scaled Partridges, which are found in the same regions. The eggs appear to be
indistinguishable from those of the eastern Bob-white. An egg obtained by the late
Maj. Bendire measures 1.22x.94.

292. MOUNTAIN PARTRIDGE. Orror///.i- /»/>/»/* (Dougl.) Geog. Dist.— Pa-
cific coast from San Francisco north to Washington.

The beautiful Mountain or Plumed Partridge is a much larger and handsomer
bird than the Bob-white. The head is adorned with two arrow-like plumes three or
four inches in length; these are noticeable in the chick just from the egg, in the form
of a little tuft of down. The general slate and olive color of the adult is beautifully
marked with white along the sides, inner secondaries of the wings, sides of the neck,
«tc. The bird is found breeding along the Pacific coast region from California north

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 165

into the State of Washington. Mr. Emerson informs me that it breeds in the higher
mountain ranges, not below 4,000 feet. In some portions of Oregon it is very abund-
ant. The eggs are deposited on the ground, on a bed of dead leaves, under a bush
or tuft of grass or weeds. Six to twelve are usually laid, of a cream color with a red-
dish tint. Dr. Coues describes the eggs as miniatures of the Ruffed Grouse's, only
distinguishable by their smaller size, 1.36x1.02.

292a. PLUMED PARTRIDGE. Oreortyx pictus plumiferus (Gould.) Geog.
Dist. — Sierra Nevada ranges from Oregon southward; coast ranges of California to
Cape St. Lucas.

This subspecies, which very much resembles 0. pictus, inhabits both sides of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains from Eastern Oregon southward, through the coast ranges
of California. Its general habits, nesting, eggs, etc., are the same as those of the
Mountain Partridge. The eggs are creamy-buff, of varying shades, and their aver-
age size is 1.40x1.02.

292ft. SAN PEDRO PARTRIDGE. Oreortyx pictus coflnis Anthony. Geog.
Dist. — San Pedro Mountains, Lower California.

This is a comparatively recent subspecies, having been first described by Mr.
A. W. Anthony in 1889. It differs from the last-named species, in that the upper
parts are grayer and the bill thicker. Mr. Anthony informed Maj. Bendire that the
breeding range of this race extends from the foothills along the base of the San
Pedro Mountains, Lower California, to the tops of the highest peaks, estimated at
about 12,500 feet. Mr. Anthony found a nest on Valladares Creek, March 29, 1889.
The nest was placed in the midst of thick manzanita chaparral, high up on a hill-
side. The nest was a mere hollow under a manzanita bush, lined or rather filled,
with dry leaves of the lilac and manzanita, and contained but a single egg. Mr. An-
thony shot the female and secured from her another egg just ready to be deposited.
He states that they resemble those of the Plumed Partridge in shape and color, being
creamy white and unspotted. The two specimens measure 1.42x1.10 and 1.46x1.06
respectively.

293. SCALED PARTRIDGE. Callipepla sqiiamata (Vig.) Geog. Dist.— North-
western Mexico and border of the United States, from Western Texas to New Mexico
and Southern Arizona.

This handsome Partridge, called Blue Quail, is distributed throughout North-
western Mexico, Western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, but is said to be less
numerous than the crested Partridges or Quails. In Arizona they
are found in flocks of from six to ten, sometimes more in the
most barren places, miles away from any water. Mr. W. E. D. Scott
found this Quail as abundant on the dry mesas of the San Pedro slope of the
Santa Catalina Mountains, up to an altitude of 3,500 feet, as its congener C. 'yambeli.
At this altitude Mr. Scott found a nest, May 20, containing eleven eggs.* It in-
habits a more open country than 'ffambeli and in other localities large flocks of both
species were often seen together. A slight depression under a bush serves as a
nest, it is generally lined with a few coarse grasses. In Western Texas complete
sets of eggs may be found as early as April 25. The eggs are extremely thick-
shelled; the number laid ranges from eight to sixteen, twelve being the more
common number. Their color is buffy-white or of a cream color, irregularly dotted
with specks of light brown; size, 1.24x.94.

* Auk. Ill, pp. 387-388.

166

NESTS AND BOOS OF

CHESTNUT-BELLIED SCALED PARTRIDGE. Callipepta squamata
(Brewst.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern Mexico and Lower Rio Grande of
Texas.

This bird is like the last, but the general coloring is deeper and richer. Tut
bird appears to inhabit the low lands along the lower Rio Grande Valley, while
C. squamnta inhabits the table lands of Northwestern Mexico, Western Texas, New
Mexico and Arizona. Mr. George H. Ragsdale, of Gainesville, Texas, kindly sent
me four eggs of this bird for inspection; these have a ground color varying from
white to a buff with the surface marked with minute specks of reddish brown. In
a specimen having a white ground the markings have a purplish tint. The shape of
the eggs is characteristic of all eggs of the Partridge. The sizes of the four speci-
mens are, 1.17x.94, 1.13x.92, 1.15x.94, 1.16x93. In the collection of the late Capt. B. F.
Goes there is a set of ten eggs of this Partridge taken May 14, 1886, in Western
Texas. They are dull white, speckled all over with fine dots of different shades of
brown. Some of the eggs have a few small brown spots on them more than a six-
teenth of an inch in diameter; they resemble the eggs of the Scaled Partridge, but
are more thinly speckled and much lighter in color. Sizes, 1.25x.99, 1.17x1.00, 1.24x
1.06, 1.26x1.05, 1.26x.99, 1.24x1.05, 1.25x.99, 1.27x1.00, 1.27x.99, 1.28x1.00. The nest
from which these eggs were taken was on the ground and made of leaves and dry
grass

294. CALIFORNIA PARTRIDGE. Callipepla ralifnniirn (Shaw.) Geog.
Dist. — Coast region of California south to Monterey. Introduced in Oregon. Wash-
ington and British Columbia.

AM CALIFORNIA PARTRIDGE on HKLMKT QUAIL (From Brehm).

NORTH AMERICAN B1RDV. 167

The handsome California Partridge or Valley Quail inhabits the lower portions
of California and Oregon, where it is very abundant, and also eastward nearly to
the Colorado River. It is known also by the name of Helmet Quail. The nest is
made on the ground, and is often found in curious places. Mr. Emerson says it is
sometimes placed in the garden, within twenty feet of the doorway; he saw eggs of
this Quail laid in the nest of chickens that had hidden their nests in the barn-yard,
and it is commonly found under hedges, bushes, brush-heaps; even in the grass by
the wayside. Mr. Bryant mentions several cases of this bird's nesting in trees upon
the end of a broken or decayed limb, or at the intersection of two large branches.
One case he cites of a brood being hatched in a vine-covered trellis at the front door
of a popular seminary.* Mr. H. R. Taylor, of Alameda, California, records a nest
of the Spurred Towhee on the ground in which were 4 eggs of the Towhee and 2 of
the California Quail. f The eggs of this species are most beautifully marked on a
creamy-white ground with scattered spots and blotches of old gold, and sometimes
light drab and chestnut-red. In a large series of specimens sent me by Mr. Arnold
Boyle, collected in the vicinity of Banning, California, there is a striking variation
in this respect. In some specimens the gold coloring is so pronounced that it
strongly suggests to the imagination that this Quail feeds upon the grains of the
precious metal which characterizes its home, and that the pigment thereof is im-
parted to the eggs. The number laid ranges from eight to twenty-four. In shape
they are like those of the Bob-white. Ten selected eggs measure 1.13x.90,1.18x.93,
1.19x.93, 1.19x.94, 1.23x.90, 1.27x.96, 1.30x.95, 1.32x.95, 1.33x.97, 1.35x.94. The average
size is l.£3x.94.

294o. VALLEY PARTRIDGE. Callipepla calif arnica mllicola (Ridgw.) Geog.
Dist. — Interior Regions of California and Oregon, south to Cape St. Lucas.

This variety, which is very similar to the last species, is common to the interior
valleys and foot-hills of the Pacific Province. There is essentially no difference be-
tween the eggs of this bird and those of C. calif ornica.

295. CAMPBELL'S PARTRIDGE. Callipepla yamltelii (Nutt) Geog. Dist.—
Northwestern Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Utah and Western Texas.

A characteristic game bird of Arizona and New Mexico; abundant on moun-
tains and in valleys. It is found as far east as Western Texas, west to the Colorado
River, north to Southern Utah. In Texas it is replaced by the Massena Quail. Mr.
W. E. D. Scott found it distributed throughout the entire Catalina region in Arizona
below an altitude of 5,000 feet. Ey the middle of April, on the San Pedro slope of
the Catalina mountains most of the birds are paired, and breeding has fairly begun.
About Tucson the breeding season begins from three weeks to one month earlier.J
This bird is also known as the Arizona Quail. The nest is like that of any other
partridge, placed on the ground, sometimes without any lining. The eggs are from
eight to sixteen in number and they do not differ from those of the C. californica.
The average size of thirty specimens is 1.27x.98.

296. MASSENA PARTRIDGE. Cyrtony.v niontezumce (Vig.) Geog. Dist—
Tablelands of Mexico from the City of Mexico north to Western Texas, New Mexico
and Arizona.

In Arizona this bird is known as "Fool Quail" or "Fool Hen." Mr. Scott men-
tions finding it common in the evergreen oak region of the Final Mountains, near

* Unusual Nesting Sites, T. Bull. Cal. Acad. Scl. II,
t Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. X, p. 142.
Auk. Vol. Ill, p. 388-389.

168 NESTS AND EGOS OF

the head of Mineral Creek in Arizona and about as abundant in the same localities
on the San Pedro slope of the Catalina Mountains, ranging up as high as 5,700 feet
and as low as 4,000 feet throughout the year. It was generally met with in coveys of
six to a dozen birds. Mr. Otho C. Poling found this Partridge to ie fairly common
in parts of the Wetstone, the Santa Rita, Patagonia, and Huachuca Mountains of
Southern Arizona. On July 15, 1890, he found a nest containing eight eggs; it was
situated under a dead limb of a pine tree on a hillside; sunken in the ground and
composed of grass stems, arched over, and the bird could only enter it by a long tun-
nel leading to it from under the limb with the grass growing around it. Mr. G. W.
Todd found a nest of the Massena Partridge containing ten eggs in Kinney county,
Texas, June 20, 1890. These are now in Mr. Thomas H. Jackson's collection, West
Chester, Pa, The eggs are white and similar to those of the Bob-white, the majority
being more elongated. The average measurement of the eight eggs collected by
Mr. Poling, 1.26x.94 inches.

297. DUSKY GROUSE. Dctidraffapus obscurus (Say.) Geog. Dist. — Rocky
Mountains, west to Wahsatch, north to Central Montana, south to New Mexico and
Arizona.

The Dusky Grouse in its several geographical garbs is distributed chiefly
throughout the wooded and especially the evergreen regions of the United States,
from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific and northward in British America. In the
mountains of Colorado this species is found on the border of timber line throughout
the year, going above in the fall for their principal food — grasshoppers. In summer
its flesh is said to be excellent, but when frost has cut short their diet of insects and
berries, they feed on spruce needles and their flesh acquires a strong flavor. In its
habits it resembles the Ruffed Grouse. It nests on the ground, often under shelter
of a hollow log or projecting rock, with merely a few pine needles scratched together
on which the eggs are laid. The eggs are buff or cream color, marked all over with
small round spots of umber-brown, but generally more numerous toward the greater
end; eight to fifteen are laid; average size 1.98x1.42.

297a. SOOTY GROUSE. 1h-n<1ra<fttintx >>\wunix fuliniiutxut* Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Mountains near the Pacific coast from Sitka, south to California.

A darker colored bird than D. oteniru*. Mr. A. W. Anthony records this Grouse
as abundant in Washington county, in the northern part of Oregon.* He states
that in the winter the bird remains high up in the firs and is very seldom seen. At
the first indication of spring the males begin to "hoot." This is not dissimilar to the
"booming" of the Prairie Hen, and when uttering these love notes the bird may
usually be seen about fifty or seventy-five feet from the ground in a thick fir. The
note is repeated from five to seven times. Mr. Anthony says: "This Grouse is an
accomplished ventriloquist; I have often looked for an hour for one supposed to be
fifty yards in front of me to find it as far in the rear." Nests found in May contained
from five to seven eggs. A set of seven eggs of this bird in the collection of the late
Captain B. F. Goss was taken June 1st, 1887, at Oakland, Oregon. The nest was
placed on the ground. The eggs are creamy buff, spotted and speckled with reddish
brown; the spots are small and scattered, most of them sharply defined; the measure-
ments of the seven eggs are as follows: 1.87x1.38, 1.81x1.33, 1.78x1.33, 1.86x1.37, 1.88
xl.36, 1.80x1.34, 1.83x1.35.

• Auk, Vol. Ill, p. 164. Field notes on the Birds of WashlnRton County, Oregon.

NORTH AMERICAN B1RDU. 165

297. .RICHARDSON'S GROUSE. Dendraffapus obscurus richardsonii (Dougl.)
Geog. Dist.— Northern Rocky Mountains of the United States — Central Montana
northward into British America.

This race is more or less common in the various mountain ranges of Montana.
Its general habits do not appear to be different from those of D. obscurus. The birds
prefer rough and rocky ledges with only a moderate growth of fir to the denser
forests. Occasionally they are found away from the mountains in scattered clumps
of fir growing on the high bluffs or growing on some of the streams. Their "tooting"
is a low, muflled sort of cooing, uttered without vigor or any apparent effort on the
bird's part, which may be squatting on some rock at the time. The eggs are cream
color, marked with small dots of reddish-brown; average size 1.84x1.30. Ihey are
not distinguishable from those of D. obscurus, and the nesting habits are the same.

298. CANADA GROUSE. Dendraffapus canademis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Northern North America, east of Rocky Mountains, from the Northern portions of
New England, New York, Michigan and Minnesota to Alaska.

Known as the Spruce or Wood Partridge, Canada, Black or Spotted Grouse, and
found in all favorable localities, especially the spruce forests and swamp regions
from Northern United States northward, as far as the woods extend in the Arctic
regions, and it has been found breeding in Northern Alaska. Audubon found it
breeding in the vicinity of Eastport, Maine, in the interior recesses of almost im-
penetrable woods of hackmatack or larches. He was informed that the birds breed
in the neighborhood about the middle of May, which is a month earlier than they do
in Labrador. In the nesting season the males produce the same well-known and
peculiar drumming as does the Ruffed Grouse. The female constructs a nest of a bed
of dry twigs, leaves and mosses, and is usually carefully hidden, on the ground,
under low horizontal branches of fir trees; it is generally placed in quiet and swampy
localities. The eggs are of a buffy or reddish brown color, irregularly splashed, dot-
ted and spotted with different tints of brown; eight to fourteen in number; average
size of ten eggs is 1.70x1.20. The shape is characteristic, being like those of the
Ptarmigan in form.

299. FRANKLIN'S GROUSE. Dendraffapus frankUnii (Dougl.) Geog. Dist.—
Northern Rocky Mountains, west to the Pacific coast; chiefly north to the United
States.

This bird is held by some authorities as a mere variety of D. canadensis. It is
confined to the territory between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific coast, chiefly
in British America. Its habits in all respects are identical with those of canadensis.
The nest is made on the ground, of dry leaves and grass, often at the foot of decayed
stumps, or by the side of fallen timber in dense mountain woods. The eggs average
in size 1.68x1.24.

300. RUFFED GROUSE. Bonasa umbellus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
United States, south to North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and Arkansas.

The Ruffed Grouse, "Pheasant" or "Partridge," is a noted game bird distributed
in wooded districts throughout Eastern United Svtates. At the limits of its habitat
it is found in several geographical races as is shown by the following sub-species.
Its habits in many respects differ from those of the Prairie Hen; the latter is found
on open plains, while the Grouse is rarely met with there. The food of the two
ftpecies is very similar, making the difference in their respective abodes quite strik-
ing. The well-known drumming of the male birds is made during the love season,

170 NB8T8 AND EGG8 OF

which commences in March. The sound is produced by the bird while standing OK
a fallen log or elevated rock in the most retired portion of the woods; the wings
are lowered, tail expanded, the ueck contracted, and the entire body seems inflated.
The tufts of neck feathers are elevated, the bird all the while strutting about in the
most pompous manner possible to imagine, striking the sides of his body with rapid
strokes of his wings. These become so rapid that the sound thus produced resem-
bles the rumblings of remote thunder, and the sounds always seem nearer than they
really are. Under favorable circumstances this Grouse not infrequently rears two
broods between the first of April and the middle of October. The nest is usually sit-
uated at the border of a large woods in the midst of dense undergrowth, often in a
thicket, not far from the roadside, and very frequently the birds venture to con-
struct it in a small woods adjoining a farm house. The position of the nest is on
the ground beside a log or stump, or in a brush heap, or under the branches of a
fallen tree. It is constructed of decayed leaves, a few feathers, roots, etc. From six
to fifteen eggs are deposited, usually tenor twelve; they are of a cream color of various
shades, some times so dark as to be nearly brownish, and in others the surface is al-
most milk-white. They are often stained in wet weather by the leaves upon which
they lie, and are sometimes faintly blotched or speckled with shades of brown. Mr.
L. Jones, writing from Iowa, says that the eggs in that vicinity are deposited about
May first. Ten eggs measure 1.54x1.10, 1.51x1.13, 1.54x1.13, 1.54x1.14, 1.51x1.12, 1.56x
1.13, 1.55x1.14, 1.53x1.12, 1.57x1.14.

300a. CANADIAN BUFFED GROUSE. Jtonaxu u>tih<tlnx tutftita (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern Oregon and Washington Territory, east to Moose Factory, Nova
Scotia, Maine, etc.

Eggs supposed to belong to this darker colored variety of Ruffed Grouse in my
collection from Northern Maine do not differ from those of B.

3001). GRAY HUFFED GROUSE. IitnHi*n iimbi-llux innlxiloidt'K (Dougl.) Geog.
Dist. — Rocky Mountain Region north to Alaska, east to Manitoba.

The upper parts of this bird are mostly or entirely grayish, and the tail is always
of a gray color. It is found in the wooded districts of the Rocky Mountain region of
the United States, and as far north as the Yukon valley in Alaska, in British Amer-
ica, east to Manitoba. In the late Capt. GOSS'G collection there is a set of five eggs
of this bird taken at Estes Park, Colorado, May 28, 1884. They are creamy buff;
some of the specimens are almost or quite immaculate, others are faintly and spar-
ingly spotted with lilac brown. The eggs in this set are smaller in size and less
spotted than the usual spotted examples of /?. innhdlux, and unless closely examined
the marking would scarcely be noticed. These eggs were taken from a nest on the
ground; the sizes are as follows: 1.47x1.11, 1.45x1.12, 1.44x1.12, 1.42x1.15.

3OOr. OREGON RUFFED GROUSE, ttnimxn mnhrlli^ xohiiii (Dougl.) Geog.
Dist. — Northwest coast from Northern California to British Columbia.

This subspecies resembles It. umbcUu*, but the upper parts are darker rusty-
brown; the tail is also usually deep rusty color, rarely grayish.
Red Ruffed Grouse. The nesting habits and eggs of this subspecies are essentially
the same as those of D. umbel ius of the Eastern States. It breeds in Oregon, Wash-
ington into British Columbia. The nest is placed in a sunken hollow of the ground,
under a bush or branches of a fallen tree, the cavity of the nest being U.ned with
dry leaves, spruce needles and a few feathers. The eggs range from seven to four-
teen in number, creamy white in color and average in size 1.56x1.16 inchea.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

171

301. WILLOW PTARMIGAN. La</tiimx layoims (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— North-
ern portions of Northern Hemisphere; in North America south in winter to Sitka,
northern New York, etc.

This Ptarmigan is distributed in summer throughout Arctic America. It breeds
abundantly in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains on the Barren Grounds and along
the Arctic coasts. The winter dress of the bird is snow white, with the central tail
feathers black, tipped with white. In summer, the
head and neck are yellowish-red, back black, barred
rather finely with yellowish-brown and chestnut; most
of the wings and under parts remain white as in
winter. Large numbers of the Willow Ptarmigan are
said in the winter to shelter in willow thickets and
dwarf birches on the banks of lakes and rivers, where
they feed on the buds of the smaller shrubs which
form their principal food at that season. Their favor-
ite resorts in daytime are barren, sandy tracts of land,
but they pass the nights in holes in the snow. When
pursued by sportsmen or birds of prey they are said
to often dive in the loose snow and work their way be-
neath its surface. Mr. MacParlane found nests of this
species in the Anderson River region early in June, 301. WILLOW PTARMIGAN.

301. WILLOW PTARMIGAN, winter plumage 'FromBrehm).

172

NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

and as late as June 24th. Others were found on the banks of the Swan River as late
as June 27th, containing large embryos. A nest observed July 10th contained tea
perfectly fresh eggs, and another set of eggs was examined July 22, the contents of
which were slightly developed. The nests made on the ground were mere depres-
sions, generally lined with leaves, hay, and a few feathers from the birds themselves.
The same nest is often occupied in successive seasons. The largest number of eggs
taken by Mr. MacFarlane was ten, but the female is said to lay as many as sixteen.
A few of this species breed in various parts of Alaska. Mr. Dall took eggs near the
mouth of the Yukon in the latter part of June. The eggs have a ground color vary-
ing from pale yellowish-buff to deep chestnut-brown, more or less sprinkled,
speckled, spotted or marbled with rich brown or black. Average size 1.78x1.25.

\

801. WILLOW PTARMIGAN, summer plumage (From Hrchm).

SOla. ALLEN'S PTARMIGAN. Lithium 7r///o;w* allriii Stejn. Geog. 1
Newfoundland.

According to Dr. Stejneger this newly described subspecies is similar to L.
lagopus, but distinguishable by having the shafts of both primaries and second;* i i« s
Mack, the wing feathers and even some of the coverets marked and mottled with the

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 173

same color. It is an abundant resident in Newfoundland. It frequents beds of alder
and dwarf birch in swampy places, especially the borders of lakes and rivers. On
the drier portions of these places its nest is found. The breeding range of this well-
marked race seems to be confined to Newfoundland where it is resident. I have
no description concerning its eggs, which are undoubtedly indistinguishable from
those of the Willow Ptarmigan.

302. BOCK PTARMIGAN. Layopus rupestris (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Arctic
America in general, except northern extremity of Peninsula of Labrador and region
thence northward, Greenland and Aleutian Islands; southeastward to Gulf of St.
Lawrence, Island of Anticosti.

The Rock Ptarmigan is somewhat smaller than the foregoing and the summer
and winter dress is similar. The general mode of living is said to be the same, but
it does not retire very far into wooded districts in winter, frequenting the more
open woodland on the border of lakes, especially on the skirts of the Barren Lands.
Mr. MacFarlane founa this species breeding in the vicinity of Fort Anderson, incu-
bating in June, and young birds of goodly size were observed June 30. The nests
were placed on the ground and were of the same composition as those of L. lagopus.
The eggs with certainty cannot be distinguished from those of the Willow Ptarmigan,
but are described as usually less heavily spotted or less densely marked— averaging
lighter in color and less in size, 1.70x1.18.

302«. REINHARDT'S PTARMIGAN. Lcfyop-us rupestris reinhardi (Brehm.)
Geog. Dist. — Greenland and western shores of Cumberland Gulf, and northern ex-
tremity of Labrador.

The general appearance, summer dress, etc., of the Greenland Ptarmigan is
similar to that of the foregoing. It is found in Greenland and the islands on the
western side of Cumberland Gulf and Northern Labrador. The eggs are indistin-
guishable from those of L. rupestris, averaging 1.65x1.17.

3026. NELSON'S PTARMIGAN. Lacjopus rupestris nelsoni Stejn. Geog.
Dist. — Unalaska and some ajacent Aleutian Islands.

The first specimens of this new race were taken by Mr. Nelson, at Unalaska,
one of the Aleutian Islands. He reports it as common at that place, frequenting the
mountain tops and slopes, and breeding in June. Turner says: 'On some of the
islands it is extremely abundant, among those may be mentoned Unalaska, Akutan
and Akun. It is resident wherever found. At Unalaska they seem to prefer the high,
rocky ledges, but everywhere come down to the low narrow valleys to roost and rear
their young." The nest is composed of a few stalks of grass and feathers that may fall
from the mother's breast and is described altogether as being a very careless affair.
The site for the nest is chosen usually amidst the tall open tundra among the moss
and scanty grass. The number of eggs varies fro'm nine to seventeen, eleven being
the usual number. There appears, at the present writing, that there are no eggs of
this subspecies in the extensive ob'logical collections of this country, but it is safe
to infer that there is little or no difference between the eggs of this bird and those
of the Rock Ptarmigan.

174

NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

302<: TURNER'S PTARMIGAN. /.<*/•"/>"« rupestri* ntklicnxi* (Turner.) Geog.

Dist. — Atka, one of the Aleutian Islands.

. This proves to be another well-marked
geographical race of L. n//>r.v/rfx. Turner
secured specimens May 29 and Jun« 7,
upon Atka Island, the extreme western
end of the Aleutian chain. According to
Turner they were abundant at this place
and also on Amchitka and Attu Islands.
The nest is built amongst the rank grasses
at the bases of the hills and the lowlands
near the beach. It is carelessly arranged
on the ground with a few dried grass
stalks and other trash that may be near.
The eggs vary from eleven to seventeen
and are darker in color than those of L.
ni/Kstris, and slightly smaller than those
of L. lagop-us. A number of eggs of this
bird were secured, but were broken in
transportation. So far as I am aware
nothing farther is known concerning this

302r. TuRNhR'S PTARMIGAN. bird's CggS.

302</. TOWNSEND'S PTARMIGAN. LuyointK n//w«/ri* tnirnsendi Elliott.
Geog. Dist. — Kyska and Adak Islands, Aleutian Chain.

I can find nothing regarding the nidification of this subspecies which, very
likely, is identical with that of L. n//>rx/m.

302.1. EVERMANN'S PTARMIGAN. lM<t<nnt* •rrrmunni Elliot. Geog.
Dist. — Attu, one of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

Dedicated to Prof. Barton W. Evermann, the distinguished naturalist of the
United States Fish Commission. (Cf. Elliott, Auk, XIII. p. 25.)

303. WELCH'S PTARMIGAN. /.ay,/>,,.s «v/r7i{ Brewst. Geog. Dist.— New-
foundland.

A new species, described by the ornithologist, William Brewster, who named it
In honor of Mr. George O. Welch. It is an inhabitant of Newfoundland. Mr. Brewster
says: (Auk, II, p. 194.) "The colors in the male of this Ptarmigan are confused and
blended to such a degree that a detailed description, however carefully drawn, fails
to do them Justice." According to Mr. Welch these Ptarmigan are numerous in
Newfoundland, where they are strictly confined to the bleak interior. Unlike the
Willow Ptarmigan of that island, which in winter wander long distances, and fre-
quently cross the Gulf of Labrador, the Rock Ptarmigan are very local, and for the
most part spend their lives on or near the hills where they were reared. The nest
and eggs of this species have not yet, as far as I am aware, been described, but more
than likely they are similar to /.. /•///»*//•/*.

304. WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN. Iwini* b n<;,nix Swains. Geog.
Dist.— Alpine summits of the Rocky Mountains, south to New Mexico, north into
British Provinces; west to the higher ranges of Oregon, Washington Territory, and
British Columbia.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD IS. 175

The Rocky Mountain Snow Grouse inhabits the Alpine regions of Western North
America from British America south to New Mexico. In summer it is found on the
mountain ranges from the timber line to the highest peaks; at this season, the
upper parts of the plumage of this species are minutely marked with black, white,
grayish-brown and tawny, with the tail wing and lower parts white. In winter the
plumage is entirely white. Mr. Dille informs me that it breeds commonly in Lamar
county, Colorado, making the nest in some cavity among rocks above high timber
line. The nest is scantily made of a few grasses. The eggs are from eight to fifteen
in number, generally eight or nine, creamy-ground color, marked very finely over the
entire surface with umber-brown. The surface is often almost entirely hidden by the
heavy markings. Average size 1.68x1.15. Mr. Dille states that the eggs are de-
posited early in June.

305. PRAIRIE HEN. Tympanuchus americanus (Reich.) Geog. Dist.— Prairies

of the Mississippi Valley, south to Louisiana and Texas, west to Middle Kansas, Ne-
braska and North Dakota; north to Wisconsin, east to Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
The Prairie Hen or Pinnated Grouse is a well known game bird, once dispersed
throughout the United States; at present it is found especially common in Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana, Middle and Eastern Kansas
and Nebraska. It is a rare resident in Northwestern Ohio, and probably breeds.
In Kansas the birds begin laying the last of April. The nest is placed on the ground
in the thick prairie grass, and at the foot of bushes on the barren ground; a hollow
is scratched in the soil and sparingly lined with grasses and a few feathers. The
eggs are usually eight to twelve in number, but frequently more are laid. Mr. L.
Jones states that in Iowa high or low lands are resorted to for breeding grounds, and
little or no attempt is made at concealing the nest. The eggs are deposited by May
1st. In Nebraska the eggs are laid in the latter part of April. These are light drab
or dull buffy, sometimes with an olive hue, and occasionally sprinkled with brown;
their form is rather oval; average size 1.68x1.25.

305o. AT WATER'S PRAIRIE HEN. Tympanuchus americanus attwateri
(Bendire.) Geog. Di&t. — Coast region of Louisiana and Texas.

This geographical race of the prairie chicken was first described by the late
Major Charles E. Bendire in "Forest and Stream" (Vol. XI, No. 20, May 18, 1893).
So far as I can Ascertain the general habits, nesting and eggs of this subspecies are
indistinguishable from those of the common Prairie Hen of the prairies of the
Mississippi Valley.

306. HEATH HEN. Tympanuchus cupido (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Island- of
Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

The light colored Prairie Hen of the Western prairies formerly had a smaller,
darker, and redder eastern representative, which was originally distributed through-
out Long Island, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and Virginia. Perhaps the last
of this race still linger at Martha's Vineyard, Mass., and a wide range of territory
now separates it from its Western cousins. Mr. Brewster states that it is common,
on Martha's Vineyard, where it is confined to the woods, haunting oak scrub by
preference, feeding largely on acorns. Being strictly protected by law, there is, ac-
cording to the best evidence at hand, no present danger of the colony being ex-

176

NESTS AND EGGS OF

MS. PRAIRIB HEN.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 177

terminated.* The eggs are described by Mr. Capen from a manuscript by Mr.
Maynard: "They are regularly oval in form, all the specimens being quite uniform
in this respect. The color is a yellowish-green of a peculiar shade, quite different
from the more decided greenish-brown seen in the Western species, from which
the eggs now at hand also differ in being unspotted. There is little variation in the
dimensions of all six, the average measurements being 1.72 by 1.27 inches." Mr.
Capen, in his beautiful work, also figures an egg from this sett This set of six in
Mr. Brewster's collection is the only one known of the Heath Hen so far as I am
aware.

307. LESSER PRAIRIE HEN. Tympanuchus pallidicinctus Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Eastern edge of Great Plains from Western and probably Southern Texas,
northward through Indian Territory to Kansas.

The late Maj. Bendire says in his great work that the breeding range of the
Lesser Prairie Hen, a smaller, paler-colored species than T. americanus, is not as
well known as could be desired, and as far as our present knowledge goes includes
Southwestern Kansas and western parts of Indian Territory. Its general habits, its
nesting and eggs are similar to those of the common Prairie Hen, except that the
eggs are of a somewhat lighter color. The number laid is the same and, like the bird,
average a trifle smaller.

308. SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. Pediocattes phasianellus (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Interior of British America, from Lake Superior and Hudson Bay to Fort
Simpson.

The Sharp-tailed Grouse, in its various forms, inhabits the western and north-
western plains of the United States and the northern portions of North America, fre-
quenting the grassy prairies and the wooded districts. It is commonly called Pin-
tail Grouse. The present species is said to be especially abundant in the territory be-
tween Great Bear Lake, Fort Simpson, and the country bordering Great Slave Lake.
It is found in the open glades or low thickets on the borders of streams and large
bodies of water, this being the case where the forests are partially cleared. At all
seasons it is found in small flocks, in the winter perching on trees, but keeping to the
ground in the summer. In winter it often hidesx in the deep snow, and works its way
under the surface with ease, feeding as it progresses on the buds of the willows,
larches, aspens, etc. Its food in the summer and autumn is principally berries. The
eggs are deposited in the first part of June in a nest on the ground, made of coarse
grasses and lined with feathers. The eggs are of a dark, tawny, minutely dotted or
speckled with darker spots of brown. The number laid ranges from six to fourteen,
usually twelve. The average size is 1.75x1.25.

308a. COLUMBIAN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. Pedioccetes phasianellus co-
lumbianus (Ord.) Geog. Dist. — Plains of the Northwestern United States and British
Columbia to central portions of Alaska; northward chiefly west of the main Rocky
Mountains; eastward in Montana and Northeastern California.

Dr. Coues says: The Pin-tailed Chicken inhabits the western portions of Min-
nesota, a small part of Iowa, all of Dakota, thence diagonally across Nebraska and
Kansas to Colorado in the Laramine and Upper Platte regions; from thence west-
ward in suitable localities to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges; northern limit

* See William Brewster's article on The Heath Hen in Massachusetts: Auk, II, 80-84.
t Oology of New England: Page 82, Plate XXIV, Fig. 4.

13

178 NESTS AND BOGS OF

to be conventionally established along the northern border of UK- l'uiu-d States, be-
yond which it shades into true i)haaiancllus. In fine, this is the prairie chicken of the
whole Northwest; usually occuring where ('. n/;m,'o does not, the two overlap tu
some extent.* In spme portions of Manitoba it is said to be very abundant, living
exclusively on the open prairie in summer, and exclusively in the wooded districts in
winter. The nest is placed on the ground, composed of a few dry grasses arranged
in a circular form. The bird is esteemed as highly for the table as the Prairie Hen.
The eggs are light clay to a dark rusty-brown, uniformly speckled with fine dottings
of darker brown; from six to twelve in number; average size 1.70x1.25.

3086. PRAIRIE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. l'«H,,r<n<s i>lni*i(ni<lli,« mm-
pcstrifs Ridgw. Geog. Dist.— Plains and prairies of the United States east of the
Rocky Mountains, south to eastern New Mexico.

Another variety of the Sharp-tailed Grouse, inhabiting the great plains of the
United States east to Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, west to Eastern Colorado
and south to Eastern New Mexico. The ground color of the plumage in this bird is
more rusty, or ochraceous, than in /'. />. colutnhianiix, that of the latter species being
buffy-grayish or pale grayish-clay color above, with little or no rusty tinge.

Ridgway gives the average measurements of the eggs as 1.66x1.23.

309. SAGE GROUSE. rn///-orrm/« Hmitlnminnuy (Bonap.) Geog. Dist. — Sage-
bush plains of the Rocky Mountain plateau, north into British America, south to
New Mexico, Nevada, Eastern California and Washington Territory.

The Sage Cock, Sage Grouse, Sage Hen, or Cock of the Plains, as it is variously
caMed in the West, is principally found in what are known as the sage-bush regions
of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, E;;
California and other Western States and Territories, where the march of civilization
has not exterminated their favorite food, the leaves of the wild sage-bush, which
cover large tracts of Western country. This is the natural home of the bird. It is
the largest of American grouse. The color of the bird is so nearly like that of the
ground and sage-bush that it is difficult to detect its presence. In summer their food
is sage leaves, berries and insects, but their sole food in winter seems to be sage
leaves. The male is a little larger than the female; their weight is about ten pounds,
and that of the female seven, live weight. They roam everywhere in winter in
large flocks, the snow quenching their thirst instead of the water of the streams
which supply them in the summer, and along which they scatter in small hands at
this season. The males flock together during the season of incubation; the females
always remaining by themselves to rear their young. Mr. G. G. Mead states that th«>
eggs in Wyoming are deposited about the 15th of May. W. S. Rougis reports them in
the same Territory as being laid as early as the latter part of April or in May, and
that the nests are mere hollows scratched in the ground under sage-bushes. Mr.
Rougis found the nest complement to vary from ten to fourteen eggs, and varying
in shape from oval to that of the usual shape of hen's eggs, and some specimens
taper to a smaller point at the smaller end than do those of the domestic fowl. They
are of a light greenish-drab or pale olive-buff or a drab shaded with buff, thickly
freckled with small rounded spots of reddish-brown and dark chestnut, occasionally
with large blotches and spots. The average size of one hundred and nine speci-
mens in the National Museum is 2.17x1.50. Mr. Rougis gives the measurements of
six specimens as follows: 1.75x1.33, 1.63x1.17. 1.69x1.18, 1.63x1.17, 2.25x1.51, 2.23x

•Key to North Amcruan Hindu, pp. 582-583.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

179

1.48.* According to Major Bendire's observations he considers the number of eggs
laid by this species as usually varying from seven to nine, and he considers eight
a fair average number.

* * PHEASANT, or ENGLISH PHEASANT, Phasianus colcichus

** PHEASANT. ljliasi(iinif< colclrictis Linn. Geog. Dist. — Europe in general;
introduced into and naturalized in ( ?) Eastern United States.

This species resembles very much the Ring-necked Pheasant. The male has no
white ring about the neck, which is one of the chief differences. It is generally called
English Pheasant, for it is very common in England and throughout Europe in
general, except the colder portions. It was introduced into Europe from Western
Asia. Its general habits are similar to those of the Ring-necked Pheasant, and
with regard to the nesting and eggs they are substantially the same. Mr. Adams in
his "Nests and Eggs of Familiar Birds" states that in England the eggs are laid
in April or May and the number of eggs deposited varies from six to fourteen; but
as many as twenty have been found in a nest. A set of seventeen eggs collected
May 12, 1893, in Herefordshire, England, in size has an average measurement of
1.80x1.40.

* * BING-NECKED PHEASANT. PJiasiaitus torquatus Gmel. Geog. Disk—
China, Introduced into the United States. Common in Oregon; southward into
California; eastward into Idaho. Introduced in other sections.

* Young Oologist. Vol. I, pp. 76-77.

180 NB8T8 AND EOG8 OF

This is certainly a welcome foreigner to our shores. As an introduced species
this pheasant of magnificent plumage is now common in various localities of the
United States, especially in Oregon and southward into California. It is common
in portions of Idaho, where it has been found breeding in numbers. The whole
plumage of the male o"f this species is of such gorgeous, changeable hues as not to
permit a full description here. The female is much smaller than the male and of
a uniform pale yellow, with light shades and spots of brown, black and gray. It is
known by two other names: Chinese and Mongolian Pheasant The male measures
from 34 to 40 inches; the tail being from 15 to 24 inches. It is a very hardy bird and
from the evidence I have at hand it will propogate in any temperate latitude. A
number of pairs of this splendid bird have been liberated in several localities in
Ohio, and are protected by law until they become established sufficiently to make
their ultimate extermination by the gun impossible. As a table bird its flesh is
among the finest and for beauty of plumage it has few equals. Both of these quali-
ties will be great agents in its protection from total extermination. Dr. A. G. Prill,
of Sodaville, Oregon, writes me that the legislature of Oregon in the winter of
1894-95 passed an act changing the name of this pheasant, calling it Denny's Pheas-
ant in honor of Judge O. N. Denny, of Portland, Oregon, who, about twelve years
ago imported six pairs, which were liberated and protected by law, and they have
since multiplied to the extent as above stated. The males crow and fight similar
to the domestic cock. Dr. Prill states that the nest is made upon the ground in open
fields; it is made of leaves and dry grass, built in a tussock of grass or perhaps under
some small bush. Three broods are generally raised in a season and from seven
to fifteen eggs are laid, and the first complement of eggs is deposited by April 15, or
by May 1st. A set of thirteen of this bird's eggs are in my collection, collected by
Dr. Prill near Sodaville, Oregon, April 8, 1895; they are a buff color with a cast of
bluish over the surface; three of the specimens, however, are of a yellowish buff
throughout. Their average size is 1.61x1.31. Dr. Prill says that the birds nest and
breed in captivity and do well. In order to show the value of this excellent bird
I quote the following from a letter to the editor of the "Oregon Naturalist." It is
from Mr. F. S. Matteson, of Turner, Oregon. He says: "Noting your article, 'The
Denny Pheasant,' please allow me to say: The food which he dearly loves is grass-
hoppers, cutworms, crickets, etc., and the chicks especially are very fond of aphids,
flea beetles, etc. Turn a domestic hen with a brood of pheasant chicks into your
cabbage lot and you will have no cabbage aphid, or flea-Leetle. We have tried it.
We used to think they would prove a nuisance, when they first became numerous,
but our further acquaintance has changed our views. They pay for all they eat,
and more. It may be that they will crowd out some native birds, but if these latter
are supplanted by a better, why should we mourn? They are fully as useful insect
destroyers as our quail, or native pheasants, and they are hardier, and better cal-
culated to take care of themselves from skunks, hawks, crows, trappers, pot-hunters,
etc. Our hens, in confinement, laid over 100 eggs each last summer, and we now
have a pheasant hen sitting. We have now the third generation from the wild state,
and the birds are notably gentler to us. When strangers come around they appear
wild. You say 'this bird will hybridize with the domestic hen.' Please permit me
to doubt! Our experience does not point that way yet. But he is the game bird
par excellence, and we are that much ahead of our eastern brothers. He is a beauty,
a fighter; and is useful as well as ornamental.

310. WILD TURKEY. .l/r/M/»/rix *,/I//O/H/J -o Linn. Geog. Dist.— Eastern United
States, north to Southern Canada, south to Florida and Eastern Texas, west to the
Great Plains.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD 8.

181

* * RING-NECKRD PHEASANT, Phasianus torquatus. (Cheney del.)

This is the bird which so very much resembles the domestic turkey, but is more
brilliant in color. It is a constant resident in suitable localities throughout Eastern
United States. It occurs as far north as Canada; is probably extinct in New
England, and is found as far northwest as the Missouri river, and southwest as
Texas. But this grand bird is rapidly becoming exterminated, not only as it is in
New England, but in other sections of the country. In Ohio it was formerly an
abundant resident, breeding throughout the State; now quite unknown in the more
thickly settled portions, but still common in some of the northwestern counties.
Dr. Kirtland (1850) mentions the time when Wild Turkeys were more common than
tame ones are now. Mr. Thomas Mcllwraith, in his admirable work on the Birds of
Ontario, says that within the recollection of people still living, Wild Turkeys were
comparatively common along the southwestern border of Ontario, and that the day
is not far distant when this bird will be sought for in vain in the provinces.* Mr.
Edwin C. Davis reports the Wild Turkey to be very common in the vicinity of
Gainesville, Texas, hundreds being brought to market and sold during the winter
months. The nests of this bird, he says, are very difficult to discover, as they are
made on the ground, midst tall, thick weeds or tangled briers. The female will not
leave the nest until almost trodden upon. Mr. Davis states that when the eggs are
once touched the female will abandon her nest. The eggs are rich, dark cream color,
thickly sprinkled with rounded spots of rusty-brown or umber. The number laid
varies from nine to eighteen, commonly nine to twelve. Some writers say ten
to twenty and twenty-four, but I have never seen this number in a set. Four typical
specimens collected in Morrow county, Ohio, May 10, 1884, measure 2.54x2, 2.56x1.95,
2.56x1.97, 2.69x1.94. The average size of a large series, 2.55x1.80.

* The Birds of Ontario, pp. 130-131.

182

NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

* * WILD TURKEY OF CENTRAL AMERICA, Meleagris ocelUita. (From Brehm).

310a. MEXICAN TURKEY. Mclcayris f/tillnimi;, m<.rirann (Gould.) Geog.
Dist. — Table-land of Mexico, north to the southern border of the United States;
Western Texas to Arizona.

This Turkey is found in Western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and southward;
in suitable localities it is abundant. In various mountain ranges throughout New
Mexico it is very common. On the approach of winter they leave their summer
haunts and travel down the foot hills and the mesas, where they remain until the
snow disappears, when, like the deer, they return. Mr. Scott states that in the pine
woods of the Catalina mountains of Arizona this Turkey was very common late in
November, 1885, though snow covered the ground. The bird, however, from what he
could learn, has already decreased in number in most localities, and to have be-
come exterminated in others where it was formerly abundant.* Mr. George B.
Sennett found this Turkey common on the Lower Rio Grande of Texas, nesting in
the dense woods. The first set of eggs, twelve in number, were taken April 24,
contained young chicks peeping in the shell. A set of fifteen obtained April 26 were

* Auk, Vol. Ill, p. 389.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 183

•

fresh.* The nesting habits are the same as the common wild turkey. The eggs
are described as resembling those of the domestic turkey in ground color and mark-
ings; dark buff or creamy-white, more or less thickly sprinkled with spots of light
and dark umber-brown; they measure 2.40x1.80. The average size of twenty-eight
eggs, as given by Mr. Sennett, is 2.43x1.86; the largest, 2.50x1.90; the smallest 2.33
xl.72.

310&. FLORIDA WILD TURKEY. Meleagris gallopavo osceola Scott. Geog.
Dist. — Southern Florida.

This is a new race of the Wild Turkey described by W. E. D. Scott in "The Auk"
for October, 1800. I have sets of what I presume to be this bird's eggs and have at
present considerable correspondence concerning its habits, and in all respects they
do not differ from those which are characteristic of the Wild Turkey of the North.

310c. RIO GRANDE TURKEY. Meleagris gallopavo ellioti Sennett. Geog.
Dist. — Lowlands of Southern Texas and Northern Mexico.

The general habits, nesting and eggs of this geographical race are the same as
those of the preceding subspecies. This bird was first described by George B. Sen-
nett in "The Auk" for April, 1892, page 167.

311. CHACHALACA. Ortalis vetula maccalU Baird. Geog. Dist. — Valley of
the Rio Grande, southward into Mexico.

The Texas Guan, or Chachalaca, is a remarkable bird, inhabiting the warm
tropical regions of America. It measures from twenty-two to twenty-four inches
in length, of which the tail measures from nine to eleven. Dr. Merrill states that
this is one of the most characteristic birds of the Lower Rio Grande region. "Rarely
seen at any distance from woods or dense chaparral, they are abundant in those
places, and their hoarse cries are the first thing heard by the traveler on awaking
in the morning. During the day, unless rainy or cloudy, the birds are rarely seen or
heard; but shortly before sunrise and sunset, they mount the topmost branch of a
dead tree and make the woods ring with their discordant notes. Contrary to almost
every description of their cry I have seen, it consists of three syllables, though oc-
casionally a fourth is adued. When one bird begins to cry, the nearest bird joins
in at a second note, and in this way the fourth syllable is made; but they keep such
good time that it is often very difficult to satisfy one's self that this is the fact."f The
Mexican name, Chachalac, meaning a noisy person or bird, is derived from the dis-
cordant cries of this species. The quality of these notes may be imitated by putting
the most stress upon the last two syllables. The compass and harshness of the
cries are said to be almost equal to that of the guinea fowl. The birds are said to
be easily tamed, and to cross with the domestic fowl. Dr. Merrill remarks that they
are much hunted for the Brownsville market, but the flesh is not particularly good,
and when domesticated the birds become troublesomely familiar, and are decided
nuisances when kept about the house. Mr. Sennett states that this bird does not
breed in communities, but in isolated pairs, and from all accounts, raises but one
brood in a season, unless the nest is despoiled, when the female will lay another
clutch, which almost invariably consists of three, rarely less. Mr. Norris has a set

* Further notes on the Ornithology of the Lower Rio Grande of Texas, from observa-
tions made during the spring of 1878. By George B. Sennett. Edited, with annotations, by
Dr. Elliott Coues, U. S. A.; pp. 247-248. Extracted from the Bulletin of the Geographical
Survey, Vol. V, No. 3; Washington, November 30, 1879. Author's edition.

t Notes on the Ornithology of Southern Texas

184 NB8T8 AND BOOS OF

of four eggs, and reports that Mr. Thos. H. Jackson has received several sets of the
same number from southern Texas. Mr. Sennett obtained fresh eggs on the Rio
Orande, April 10th. and on the 20th sets were generally full and fresh, after which
time they contained embryos. The nests are shallow structures, often made entirely
of Spanish moss, and are placed on horizontal limbs, a few feet from the ground.
The eggs are of a buffy-white, thick-shelled and roughly granulated; they are large
for the bird; sizes range from 2.18 to 2.35 long by 1.55 to 1.60 broad.

312. BAND-TAILED PIGEON. CnJiimba fawiata Say. Geog. Dist.— West-
ern United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast, from Washington
Territory and New Mexico south, through Mexico to the highlands of Guatemala.

The Band-tailed, or White-collared Pigeon, is found from the Rocky Mountains
westward to the Pacific. It is common, but irregular in distribution. In Wash-
ington county, Oregon, Mr. Anthony records this Pigeon as a common summer resi-
dent, and that south of Beaverton is a large spring, whose waters contain some
mineral which has a great attraction for these birds, and here they are always to be
found in large numbers. Mr. Scott states that this species is common in the Santa
Catalina mountains in Arizona, breeding in July. He met with it commonly in May
and June, as low down as 3,500 feet, feeding on wild mulberries. It was not un-
common in the pine region about the middle of April.* This is an attractive bird,
about the size and possessing many habits of the domestic pigeon. It sometimes
congregates together in flocks, even while breeding, and nests in trees and bushes
along the banks of streams, or in the thick forests near water. The nest is a
mere platform of sticks, and the eggs are also placed on the ground without any
nest, which is sometimes the case with the Mourning Dove (Z. macronra). The eggs
are one or two in number, equal-ended, glistening-white, with an average size of
1.50x1.20. The average size of thirteen eggs in the U. S. National Museum, as given
by the late Major Bendire, is 1.57x1.10; the largest of these being 1.70x1.18; the
smallest 1.50x1.06 inches.

312«. VIOSCA'S PIGEON. Columba fasciata vioscw Brewst. Geog. Dist.—
Lower California.

Mr. William Brewster first described this new subspecies from a large series of
specimens taken by Mr. Frazar at La Laguna, Lower California. The bird as de-
scribed differs from the Band-tailed Pigeon in being a trifle smaller; the tail band
ic wanting, or only faintly indicated; the ground color lighter and more uniform,
etc.f Mr. Frazar, while collecting near Pearco's Ranch in Lower California, se-
cured two nests, each containing a single egg. One egg which the late MaJ. Bendire
describes was found in a nest composed of a few sticks, placed on
a broken upright branch in the center of a giant cactus, about 18 feet from the
ground. It is pure white, slightly glossy, elliptical ovate in shape, and not quite as
notably pointed at the small end as the eggs of Columba fasriata. It measures 1.50x
1.04 inches.

313. RED-BILLED PIGEON. Culmnbn flat -troatri* Wagl. Geog. Diet. — South-
ern border of the United States from the Rio Grande Valley, Arizona, Mexico and
Lower California south to Costa Rica.

This large and handsome Pigeon is common In the valley of the Rio Grande
and southward. In some localities on the Rio Grande in Texas il is abundant during

• Auk, Vol. ill, p. 421.

t C/. Brewater, Auk. V, 88.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 185

the summer months. Dr. Merrill found it not uncommon about Fort Brown, but
more plentiful higher up the river. It loves the deep, dense woods, where It can
dwell in quiet and retirement. The nests are frail platforms of twigs and grasses,
such as are usually built by other pigeons, placed in trees and bushes. Mr. George
B. Sennett describes a nest which he found April 9th, near Hidalgo, on the Rio
Grande. It was placed in a thicket, about eight feet from the ground, made of twigs,
was frail and saucer shaped and contained a single young, nearly fledged. He states
that this bird lays several times in a season. Nests were found containing eggs and
young in all stages of development, but in no case did a nest contain more than one
egg or young. Mr. Sennett gives the average size, taken from a large series, as
1.55x1.10, the length varying from 1.60 to 1.45, and the breadth from 1.18 to 1.10.*
The eggs are pearly white.

314. WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON. Colnmba leucocephala Linn. Geog.
Dist.— Greater Antilles, Bahamas and Florida Keys.

The White-crowned Pigeon occurs in summer on the Florida Keys, and it
breeds abundantly on some of the smaller islands; it is an abundant resident species
in the Bahamas and West Indies. This Pigeon, according to Audubon, arrives on
the southern Florida Keys about April 20th, or not until May first. The birds were
shy and wary on account of the war waged against them, their flesh being esteemed
for its fine flavor. Their shyness only partially abated during the breeding season
and they would silently slide from their nest when sitting, and retreat to the dark
shades of the mangroves. The nest is built in low trees and bushes, composed of
twigs carefully arranged, with little or no lining of grasses. It is, on the whole, a
bulky structure for a pigeon, These birds often breed in numbers, nesting in trees,
some at high elevations, others in low mangrove bushes, and the nests resemble that
of the Passenger Pigeon, but are said to be more compact and better lined. The eggs
are two in number, oval in form, and opaque- white with a very smooth surface; the
average size is 1.41x1.02.

315. PASSENGER PIGEON. Ectopistes miffratorius (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern North America, from Hudson Bay southward, and west to the Great Plains,
straggling thence to Nevada and Washington. Breeding range now mainly re-
stricted to portions of the Canadas and the northern borders of the United States,
as far west as Manitoba and the Dakotas.

The Wild Pigeon once wandered in immense numbers in search of food through-
out all parts of North America. In early times it was extremely abundant in par-
ticular localities. At the present writing (1897) it seems to be on the same parallel
with the American Buffalo of the Western plains, almost, or very nearly extermin-
ated. Both were seen in countless *housands, and today it is not easy to procure
examples of either. The late Maj. Bendire, writing in 1892, says that it looks now
that the total extermination of the Wild Pigeon might be accomplished within the
present century. The only thing which retards the complete extinction of the
Passenger Pigeon is the fact that the birds are so few in numbers that it does
not pay to net them. The breeding range o'f this famous pigeon today is principally
in the thinly settled and wooded regions along our northern border, from northern
Maine westward to Northern Minnesota; in the Dakotas, as well as in similar locali-
ties in the eastern and middle portions of the Dominion of Canada, and northward
to Hudson Bay. According to an informant of Mr. Brewster'9, the last nesting in

* Further notes on the Ornithology of the Rio Grande of Texns.

186

NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

Michigan of any importance was in 1881. Wilson's and Audubon's graphic accounts
of the "congregated millions" which they saw in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky seem
hardly credible to those who have not seen them. The extensive forests which once
served as breeding and feeding grounds have been partially or wholly destroyed,
and we are no longer favored with the sublime sights of immense, unbroken, and
apparently limitless flocks. Until about 1855, these Pigeons were extremely abund-
ant in central Ohio, having at that time a roost and breeding place near Kirkersville,

316. PASSENGER PIOBON (Prom Brehm).

Licking county, and large numbers were to be seen from sunrise till nine o'clock and
after, flying westward from the roost, and in the afternoon about four o'clock till
sundown returning. At these hours they were never out of sight, and often do/.f-ns
of flocks were in sight at once. Dr. Kirtland states that near Circleville, in 1850, one
thousand two hundred and eighty-five were caught in a single net in one day. ;uid
the average price for the birds in Columbus was five or six cents per dozen. The
Wild Pigeon congregates in vast communities for the purpose of breeding, nesting
in trees and bushes, frequently at a considerable height from the ground, and often

NORTH AMERICA* BlltDX.

187

as many as fifty and a hundred nests have been observed in a single tree. The nest
is a mere platform of sticks, carelessly thrown together. The eggs are usually one,
never more than two in number, pure white, and broadly elliptical in shape; average
size, 1.50x1.03. A nest found in Oak Park, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 21st, 1895,
is the latest record of which I am aware. The nest contained one egg and the
female bird was taken. The late Maj. Bendire gives the average measurements of
twenty specimens in the U. S. National Museum as 1.48x1.04.

316. MOURNING DOVE. Zenaiduru macroura (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Whole of
temperate North America from Southern Maine, Canada and Oregon, south to
Panama and the West Indies.

The Carolina Dove, also called Turtle Dove, is one of our best known and fa-
miliar birds. Its gentle disposition, its sweet but mournful cooing, have made it
the typical sad-toned singer in poetry and song. The Turtle Dove is distributed
throughout temperate North America; it is to be met with everywhere, both in
woodland and in open places. It is particularly fond of feeding in country roadways.
During the breeding season they are found in pairs, but at other times are highly

316. MOURNING DOVB AND NEST. (Cheney del.)

gregarious, though flocks of them never attain tha size of those of the Wild Pigeon.
The nest is placed on the horizontal branches of trees, on stumps, on the top rail of
old snake fences, on rocks, in bushes, and in treeless regions the nest is placed on the
ground. It varies in construction with its location. When found in small branches
of trees it is made of a few sticks, somewhat after the style of the Cuckoo's nes.t,
but if on a large limb or stump, it is often but a rim of twigs sufficient to retain the

188 NE8T8 AND BOGS OF

eggs; when on the ground, a few straws and twigs are used to indicate the aest.
The Carolina Dove rears two, sometimes three broods in a season. It begins to nest
early. I have taken eggs April 10th; the late Dr. Wheaton found the nest with young
as early as the middle of April. Breeding usually continues until September. Dr.
Jones states that he had seen Doves sitting on fresh eggs in every month except
December and January, and he has no doubt that they occasionally build nests and
lay eggs in these months in mild winters.* Two white eggs are laid; there are
exceptional cases, however, where more are deposited. Mr. Norris has a set of three;
Mr. L. Jones, of Grinnell, Iowa, writes that he has in his collection a set of four.
Mr. P. W. Smith, of Greenville, 111., records several sets of three and four; two sets
taken from old robbins' nests. He also found a Brown Thrasher's nest containing
one egg of the Thrasher and two of the Dove's.f The eggs are elliptical in shape
and average 1.12x.82.

317. ZENAIDA DOVE. Zenaida zcnaida (Bonap.) Geog. Dist.— Florida
Keys, Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Porto Rico, Santa Cruz, Sombero and coast of
Yucatan.

According to Audubon's observations, this species makes its appearance on the
islands around Indian Key, Fla., about April 15, increasing in numbers until October,
•when they all departed for the West Indies, where they are the most numerous.
Egg laying is begun about the first of May. In Jamaica this species Is known as the
Pea Dove and in Santa Cruz as Mountain Dove. Its general habits are similar to
those of the Mourning or the Ground Dovo, and like the latter species it is more
terrestrial in its habits. It nests indiscriminately on the ground, in trees or in low
bushes. In trees or bushes the nest is a slight platform of twigs. Audubon states
that this species breeds in various keys east of Florida, which are covered with
grass and low shrubs, placing the nest between tufts of grass or on the ground with
little concealment. It is built of dry leaves and grass imbedded in a hollow scooped
in the sand. It is said to be more compact than the nest of any other pigeon. The
eggs are one or two in number, white, with a very smooth surface; size, 1.19x.94.

318. WHITE-FRONTED DOVE. Lcptotila fnlviventris bracJiyi>tcra (Salvia-
dori. Geog. Dist. — Valley of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas, southward through
Mexico to Guatemala.

Mr. George B. Sennett added this Dove as a new species to the fauna of the
United States in 1877; the first specimens being taken in the vicinity of Hidalgo, on
the Rio Grande in Texas. Dr. Merrill notes it as not rare in the vicinity of Fort
Brown, being shy and not very often seen. Mr. Sennett states that in its general
habits this bird is quiet and not easily alarmed; it frequents the high branches of
tall trees, associating with the White-winged Dove and is less numerous than the
red-billed pigeon. By its peculiar note — a low, short cooing— it is easily distin-
guished from all other species. A nest was found situated in the forks of bushes,
about five feet from the ground, was flat and quite large for a pigeon's nest, and
composed of the dead branches, twigs and bark of pithy weeds. Dr. Merrill found
a nest on June 8, 1878, which was about seven feet from the ground, supported by the
dense interlacing tendrils of a hanging vine, growing on the edge of a thicket. This
nest contained two eggs which were quite fresh; sizes 1.16x.86 and 1.19x.89, re-

* Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio, p. 97.
t Ornithologist and Oologist, XI, p. 28.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 199

spectively. These are described as a strong olive-buff color. Mr. Sennett describes
them as of a light drab, or light olive drab, and gives the measurements of four
specimens as follows: 1.14x.89, 1.12x.88, 1.16x.83, 1.15x.85; averaging 1.14x.86.

319. WHITE- WINGED DOVE. Melopclia leticoptera (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Southern border of the United States (Texas to Arizona) and Lower California,
southward to Costa Rica and the West Indies.

Dr. James C. Merrill mentions this as a very common species during the summer
months in the vicinity of Fort Brown, Texas. The nests, he states, are, "as a rule,
smaller and more frail than those of the Carolina Dove, and the eggs have a decided
creamy tinge, which is rarely lost after blowing, at least not for months. Thirty-
four eggs average 1.17x.88; extremes 1.30x.95 and 1.05x.80. The note is a deep
sonorous coo, frequently repeated and heard at a great distance." At Lomita Ranch
on the Rio Grande, in Texas, Mr. Sennett found this species to be more abundant
than all the other pigeons combined, and when they have begun breeding, all day
long the air is filled with the music of their cooing, drowning out the notes of most
other birds. They are the last of the doves to come in the spring and leave about
November. By the first of May eggs were found. Their color, Mr. Sennett describes,
as varying from white to cream, the latter prevailing, and two is the number laid.
From a large series the size averages 1.14x.88; the largest, 1.22x.93, the smallest,
1.05x.88. Two sets of the eggs of this Dove are in the cabinet of J. Parker Norris.
One of two sets of eggs taken May 1, 1884, in Neuces county, Texas, measure l.lOx
.82, l.lOx.81. The second set collected near Catulla, Texas, May 11, 1887, measure
1.05x.78, 1.08x.79, respectively.

320. GROUND DOVE. Columbtffallina passerina tcrrestris Chaprn. Geog.
Dist. — South Atlantic and Gulf States; Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California,
south to the West Indies and the northern portion of South America.

A diminutive Dove, measuring only six or seven inches in length. Abundant in
Mexico, Yucatan, Central America and the WTest Indies. In the South Atlantic and
Gulf States it is a common and familiar species, nesting indiscriminately on the
ground, on stumps, on vines, bushes and young saplings. The nest is elevated
sometimes as high as twenty feet, but usually from two to six feet above the ground,
and is simply a frail structure of twigs, often containing pine needles. The breeding
season in Georgia begins early in April, and fresh eggs may be found in May, June
and sometimes in July. Mr. Perry informs me that in the vicinity of Savannah he
has taken fresh eggs as late as July 9th. Mr. Arthur T. Wayne took a set of two
eggs near Charleston, S. C., October 19th, 1886; these contained small embryos and
the parent bird was incubating.* This date, however, is exceptional. Mr. Walter
Hoxie, of Frogmore, S. C., states that this species is called Mourning Dove by the
natives, who used to have a superstition that any one who molested their nest would
be "mourned to death" by the grief-stricken owners. The eggs are two in number,
white or creamy in color; a large series averages .85x.65.

320a. MEXICAN GROUND DOVE. Columbiffallina passerina pallcscens
(Baird.) Geog. Dist.— Mexico and contiguous territory of United States, from Texas
to Lower California; south on both Mexican coasts to Central America.

According to the late Major Bendire in his "Life Histories of North American
Birds," the breeding range of the Mexican Ground Dove within our borders is con-

* Ornithologist and Oologist: Vol. XII, p. 7.

190 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

fined to Southwestern Texas and Southern Arizona, and probably to Southern Nev
Mexico, although there are as yet no records of its breeding in the latter Territory,
BO far as he was aware. A few stragglers breed probably in Southern California,
where it has been taken on several occasions. It is quite common in Lower Cali-
fornia, where Mr. J. Xantus took its eggs near Cape St. Lucas, and Mr. L. Belding
at San Jose del Carbo. Mr. Xantus says: "The small and rather compact nests are
placed on the horizontal branch of a stout bush or tree, and are lined with a few
straws. On one occasion I found the eggs in a roughly-made nest on the ground on
the edge of a prairie." Dr. James C. Merrill found this subspecies abundant in the
vicinity of Fort Brown, Texas, wheie he secured the eggs. Mr. Herbert Brown
says it is common about Tucson, Arizona. From April to June is the nesting season
of this Ground Dove. The eggs are two in number, pure white, elliptical oval in
shape, a few slightly pointed, and some may be called oval. The average measure-
ment of fifty-four specimens in the National Museum collection is .85x.65; the
largest .91x.69, the smallest .79x.63.

321. INCA DOVE. Scunlnfrlln inca (Less.) Geog. Dist.— Southern border of
the United States (Texas to Southern Arizona) south to Mexico and Guatemala.

This species is known as the Scaled Dove; nearly all the plumage is mark< <l
with black crescentic-edged feathers, producing a scaly appearance. In various
places in Southern Arizona, New Mexico, and along the Rio Grande valley in
this species is quite common during the summer months. Throughout Mexico and
Yucatan it is very abundant, and is known as the Long-tailed Ground Dove. It is
very tame and familiar, frequenting cultivated gardens about houses, and is said to
live more on the ground than the so-called Ground Dove. Its cooing is coarse and
tolerably loud. The nest of this species is built in bushcr., vines and small tiv.-s
similar to that of Columbtyallina /ww/ -iim ; it is a mere platform of twigs. The eggs
are invariably two in number, white, oval in shape, both ends being nearly equal;
average size, .82x.65.

[322.] KEY WEST QUAIL-DOVE, (icutryumi iiinrtinicn (Linn.) Geog.
Dist.— Key West, Florida, Hayti, Cuba, Bahamas.

A constant resident of the Bahamas, Cuba and Hayti. Audubon met with a few
of this species on the island of Key "West, Florida, but it is said not to have been
observed there lately. Within the United States, however, its breeding range is
confined to the island of Key West and the extreme Florida Keys. According to
Audubon, the movements and general habits of this species are similar to those of
the Carolina Dove. The nest is described as formed of light, dry twigs; it is built
in the branches of trees or in bushes, occasionally it is placed on the ground. Ac-
cording to Audubon the eggs are two in number, pure white, and about the size of
those of the White-crowned Pigeon.

[322. 1.] RUDDY QUAIL-DOVE. (}cotry</<,n wontaiid Linn. Geog. Hist.
Tropical America in general, including West Indies; north to Cuba and Kasi.-rn
Mexico; accidental at Key West, Florida.

The Ruddy Quail was first given a place in the avifauna of North America by
Mr. W. E. Scott from a specimen taken at Key West. Dec. 10. 1888. Maj. Bendire
states that it is very doubtful if it breeds within our limits. Two eggs are laid. The
average size of seven eggs in the U. S. National Museum collection, all taken in tin-
West Indies, is 1.06x.83. They are oval in shape and in color vary from pair groon
to salmon-buff. Its general habits and nidification resemble those of the Key \V« -st
Dove.

AMU HI CAN BIRDS.

191

[323.] BLUE-HEADED QUAIL-DOVE. Staminas cyanocephala (Linn.)
Geog. Dist. — Cuba and Florida Keys.

It appears that the Blue-headed Quail-dove has been found only by Audubon on
the Florida Keys; it is resident in the Island of Cuba, where it nests in April and

323. BLUE-HEADED QUAIL-DOVE (From Brelmi),

May. It is a singular Dove, with the crown ri^h blue, bounded by black; a white
stripe under the eye, extending under the chin; the throat is black, bordered with
white. Length of bird about eleven inches. The nest is placed on trees and bushes,
and composed of sticks carelessly arranged. The eggs are two in number, pure
white. The average size is 1.38x1.01.

324. CALIFORNIA VULTURE. Pwudwjryphus calif ornian us (Shaw.) Geog.
Dist. — Coast ranges of Southern California from Monterey Bay southward into
Lower California; formerly north to Frazer River.

Concerning the California Condor or Vulture, Dr. Brewer remarks as follows:
"The single species composing this very distinct genus belongs to Western North
America, and so far as known, has the most restricted distribution of any large rap-
torial bird in the world. It is remarkable for its very large size, all its dimensions
nearly, if not quite, equaling those of the famed Condor of the Andes (Sarrvrhamphus
yryphus)." This great bird has already become very much reduced in numbers and
extinct in localities where it was formerly abundant; this is doubtless due to the
indiscriminate use of poison which is placed on carcasses for the purpose of killing
wolves, bears, lynx, cougars and other noxious animals which played havoc with

192

NB8T8 AND BOOS OF

•beep, calve*, and other cattle of the stockmen. Upon these poisoned remains the
birds feed and perish. It is at present restricted to the area of the Pacific coast
ranges aa above stated. It is more common in the warm valleys of California,
among the almost inaccessible cliffs of the rough mountain ranges running parallel
with the Sierra Nevadas for a hundred miles south of Monterey. They may be
found In those places, where the foot of man has never trodden. For years this bird
has been thought to be on the verge of extermination chiefly for reasons stated
above, but by the indefatigable labor of several ornithologists within the last ten
years, we are led to believe that the bird will still be able to hold its own. Accord-
ing to the late Maj. Bendire it does not seem to be decreasing in the barren mountain
ranges in the vicinity of Santa Barbara. The writer has a mounted specimen taken
In Monterey county. May 10, 1890, and a number of specimens have been taken
within the past few years in the mountainous regions which this bird inhabits. A

»KIA CONDON (Prom Tenny, after Audubon).

oung bird was taken July 7, 1896, from a nest which was simply the bare floor

>f a cave high up In the cliffs In Monterey county, overlooking a dark canyon wi:h

>am about 300 feet below. It Is in the possession of Mr. Frank H H.. lines, of

•a, California. This specimen Is well illustrated from life at about eight

nonths old In The Nldologist for February, 1897, page 58, with a full text regarding

i peculiar habits in confinomont. It associates with the Turkey Buzzard,

NORTH AMEItH!A.\

193

and the habits of both species are alike, often feeding together on the same carcass.
Like the Turkey Vulture its flight is easy and graceful, sailing majestically with al-
most motionless wings, in wide circles at great heights, over a large space of terri-
tory, in search of food. The weight of this bird varies from twenty to twenty-five
pounds; extent of wing from eight and a half to eleven feet. Previous to the egg
recorded by Mr. H. R. Taylor it is doubtful that a specimen had been taken in twelve
years. With the discovery of this egg and the nesting place of this species we have,
with further accessions in an oological way, a reasonably full knowledge of the
bird's nidification.* Mr. Taylor says: "There are probably but three or four eggs

324 CALIFORNIA CONDOR CHICK (From The Nidologist).

of the California Condor in existence, and one of these I have the honor to claim as
my property, having purchased it a month ago at a good round figure from the
collector, who took it in 1889, and had since been keeping it as a curiosity (!) The
discovery of this egg gives positive information as to the nesting time, heretofore
unknown, and is in every way a considerable bit of ornithological news. In ap-
pearance the egg is almost a facsimile of the one figured by Capt. [the late Maj.J
Bendire, although I would describe the color as ashy-green. As an unspotted egg
is bound to appear flat in a lithograph (see figure of egg in 'Life Histories') I have
not attempted to illustrate this one. My egg was taken in May, 1889, in the Santa
Lucia Mountains, San Luis Obispo county, Cal., at an altitude of 3,480 feet. The
egg was deposited in a large cave in the side of a perpendicular bluff, which the
collector entered by means of a long rope from above. The bird was on the nest,
which was in a low place in the rock, and was, the collector says, 'lined with

* For an exhaustive treatise on the habits of the California Condor see Taylor's
article in The Nidologist for February, 1895, pp. 74-79: also March, 1895, concerning the par-
ticulars of the taking of the eggr.

14

feathers picked from her own body.' This latter assertion may be an unwarranted
conclusion. There was but the one egg, incubation, 'about one week.' " The speci-

figured in Maj. Bendire's work measures 114x65 mm., or 4.49x2.56 inches. The
is described as a light grayish-green, unspotted. Another egg of this Condor
was taken In the same region described by Mr. Taylor. It was secured by the well-
known collector. Mr. O. W. Howard, and an assistant for Mr. A. M. Shields, of lx>s
Angeles. It was found in a cave of a lofty precipice. Rope and tackle were used
to reach the entrance. The egg was laid on the bare ground in a saucer-shaped de-
It was taken April 25, 1895, and is now In the cabinet of G. Freen Mor-

of Chicago. It measures 4.42x2.65 Inches. Another egg was taken from a cave
in the same region about the same time. From the facts at hand, it appears that
the California Condor lays but a single egg.

325. TUBKEY VTJLTTJBB. Cathartcs aura (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Temperate
America from New Jersey, Ohio Valley, Washington and Saskatchewan region,
southward to Patagonia, and the Falkland Islands.

316. TURKEY VULTURE (Prom Bream).

The common Turkey Buizard inhabits the United States and adjoining British
Prorinoes from the Atlantic to the Pacific, south through Central and most of South
America, and i« resident north to about 40°. Every farmer knows it to be an in-

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 195

dustrious scavenger, devouring at all times the putrid decomposing flesh of car-
casses. It is essentially gregarious, not only flying and feeding in company, but
resorting to the same spot to roost; breeding also in communities and sometimes
by single pairs; depositing its eggs on the ground, on rocks, or in hollow logs and
stumps, usually in thick woods or in a sycamore grove, in the bend or fork of a
stream. The nest is frequently built in a tree or in the cavity of a sycamore stump.
In the vicinity of Tampa, Florida, Mr. Stuart says, the eggs of this bird are laid in
February and March; in Indian Territory they are deposited in March, April and
May. In Arizona and Colorado it nests in the latter part of April and in May. Mr.
Shields states that in the region of Los Angeles, Cal., this bird begins laying about
April 15. He observes that although the usual nesting sites are chosen, the favorite
place for depositing the eggs is a little depression under a small bush or overhanging
rock on a steep hillside. In Ohio and other Eastern States fresh eggs may be found
in April and May. Notwithstanding the arguments set forth by renowned natural-
ists that this bird is not possessed of an extraordinary power of smell, it has been
proven recently by the most satisfactory experiments that the Turkey Buzzard
dues possess a keen sense of smell by which it can distinguish the odor of flesh at an
immense distance. The flight of this Vulture is truly beautiful, and no landscape
with its patches of green woods and grassy fields, is perfect without its dignified
figure, high in the air, moving in great circles; so steady, graceful and easy, and ap-
parently without any effort. It is a very silent bird, only uttering a hiss of defiance
or warning to its neighbors when feeding, or a low gutteral croak of alarm when
flying low overhead. The eggs are creamy or yellowish-white, variously blotched
and splashed with different shades of brown and usually showing other spots of
lavender and purplish-drab; two in number, sometimes only one; average size about
2.73x1.87. Six specimens measure 2.80x1.89, 2.73x1.89, 2.79x1.98, 2.80x1.91, 2.84x1.88,
2.87x1.90. Mr. H. R. Taylor, of Almeda, Cala., records finding early in April a set
of immaculate eggs of this species.* The average size of nineteen sets, thirty-eight
eggs, taken between April 3, and June 13, is 1.90x2.75 inches. This series is from
Texas, California, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and New Jersey. These
are in the collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall, Woodside, N. Y. Mr. Raymond C. Osburn
reports to me a curious nesting place of the Turkey Vulture which he found in Lick-
ing county, 0., May 15, 1894. It was in a hollow tree twelve feet below the opening,
and the parent bird would not leave the nest until a hole was chopped in the tree on
a level with the nest.

326. BLACK VULTURE. Catharista atrata (Bartr.) Geog. Dist.— Whole of
tropical and warm-temperate America, south to Argentine Republic and Chili, north
regularly to the Carolinas and Lower Mississippi Valley, irregularly or casually to
Maine, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, etc.

This Vulture, called Carrion Crow, is very common along our South Atlantic
and Gulf States, and is resident from South Carolina southward; in many places it is
more numerous than the Turkey Buzzard, and its general traits, nesting habits, etc.,
are the same, breeding in hollow logs, decayed trunks of trees, stumps, and on the
ground. In the Southern Atlantic cities the Black Vulture is said to be a semi-
domestic bird, and even protected by law. Their services as scavengers in removing
offal render them valuable and almost a necessity in Southern cities. A specimen of
this Vulture, which I mounted and now in my collection, was killed February 6, 1895,
fcur miles north of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. On an island near Beaufort, South Caro-

* Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XIII, p. 102.

i«

HB8T8 AND SOO8 OF

.Int. Mr. Walter Hoxie found the Black Vulture nesting under a dense growth of
No attempt was made at forming a nest, or even excavating a hollow. The
are laid far In under the intertwining stems of the yucca and in the semi-
shadows were quite hard to be seen. Mr. Hoxie states that the parent birds have
the habit of always following the same path in leaving and approaching the nesting
place. By these paths, which were often winding, he was able to discover the
effB* Both sexes assist in incubation and two eggs constitute the nest complement.
Mr. Hoxie never observed a bird sitting on a single egg, and so far as he was able
to determine the period of incubation is nearly thirty days; eggs were taken from
May 2 to May 26. He states that Mr. Alfred Cuthbert took a set of three eggs in 1S84.

„ •

--

tl f.

HUACK VuLTi'K* (From Brrlmi).

The efgs are gent-rally broadly elliptical-ovate in shape and similar In color to those
of the Turkey Vulture — bluish-white, blotched and spotted with very dark brown
and umber— not no densely marked as those of Catlmrtrs mini : average size 3.10x2.04.
Mr. Crandall'* series of this bird's eggs consists of twenty-four sets, forty-eight eggs,
mostly taken in Toxas. some in Mexico, between February 28 and June 5. The
site of this series Is 2.99x1.99 inches.

387. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. Klannide* f<ir/irntn* (Linn.) Geog. Dist.
Tropical and warm-temperate parts of continental America, north regularly up UK
Mississippi Valley to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, etc. Casually east to PennsyK
and Southern New England

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

197

1

327. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE AND NIST.

NESTS AND BOOS OF

Tim beautiful species, noted for its graceful and elegant night, is an abundant
ler resident of the Southein United Slates as far north as Virginia, occasionally
straying to the Middle States, and regularly far up the Mississippi Valley. Skins of
this Kite are in my collection which were taken in Ohio, August 22, 1878, and July
lo, 18&3. Previous to these records it has not been heard of in the State since 1858.
The favorite resorts of this bird are bottom woodlands near prairies or fields. Us
food consists of small reptiles and insects; it is particularly fond of small snakes and
lizards, grasshoppers, crickets, and various beetles. The nest of this Kite is built at
the extremity of small branches near the tops of the tallest trees. The one repre-
sented in our illustration is taken from a sketch made on the spot by Mr. J. A.
Slngley, of Giddings, Lee county, Texas. This nest, as represented, is placed in the
top branches of a pecan tree; it is composed of sticks and pieces of green moss,
some of the moss hanging over the sides, giving it a beautiful appearance when
seen from the ground. Outwardly it measures eighteen inches in diameter; depth
twelve inches. Two eggs from this nest measure 1.77x1.43, 1.81x1.45. In other
localities the materials for the nest differ, no moss being used. Mr. Singley states
that the birds are very vicious while nesting; he has seen them attack and drive off
Owls, Turkey Buzzards, Florida Redshouldered Hawk, Butt-a Hn<-atux <tll»ii. Black
Vultures and Crows. On April 25, 18S5, while his collector, Mr. Theodore Thassler,
was climbing to the nest represented in the engraving, he was almost knocked out
of the tree by the birds; and before he could secure the eggs was compelled to kill
the most pugnacious one, which proved to be the male. Unlike the White-tailed
Kite, when the nest is disturbed, the birds will desert it. The eggs of this species are
from two to four in number, occasionally but one, and rarely three or four. This is
the statement by the late Maj. Charles E. Bendire in his matchless work, "Life
Histories of North American Birds." According to his measurements of twenty
specimens from different parts of the United States the average size is 1.85x1.46
inches. Mr. Singley took seven sets in the season of 1887, and was fortunate enough
to find one containing three eggs, and a nest with three young. The color of the
eggs is white, greenish or yellowish-white, spotted and blotched with brown and
umber of varying shades; some are sparingly marked with specks of dark brown,
in others the spots are clustered about the large end. The markings are often large
and of a rich chestnut and mahogany color. During a trip to Texas, in 1888, Mr.
G. D. Benners and Mr. Thos. Gillln collected six sets of eggs of this bird in that
State. One set contained three eggs, another only one, while the other four nests
had two eggs each. Under date of August 2d, 1895, Mr. Singley writes me that the
Swallow-tailed Kite is almost exterminated here (Lee county) "and I doubt if there
were two sets of eggs taken in Texas this season." They must now be considered
expensive eggs to procure. Two sets of two eggs each collected by Mr. Singley
measure 1.87x1.60, 1.78x1.49; the second 2.03x1.40, 1.90x1.50 respectively. These are
in Mr. C. W. Crandall's collection, Woodslde, New York.

WHITE-TAILED KITE. Klanus leucvrus (Vleill.) Geog. Dist.— South-
ern portion of the United States, from South Carolina, Southern Illinois, and Cali-
fornia, southward into South America.

The late Maj. Bendire slates in his "Life Histories of North American Birds"
that the breeding range of this species ao far as actually known by the taking of their
ne«u and eggs, seems to be confined to South Carolina (where Mr. Ward, Audubon's
awUtant, found it nesting on the Santee River early in March), Florida, the Indian
Territory, Texas and the middle portions of California. Tbo niark-slinulflrrnrl nr

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 199

White-tailed Kite is distributed throughout Southern United States from the At-
lantic to Pacific, and southward into tropical America. In the East it is found as
far north as Southern Illinois; in the West as far north as Indian Territory and
Middle California. The flight of this bird is said to be easy and graceful, but not
rapid. Sometimes it stops for a few moments, descends with great velocity to the
ground to capture a lizard or snake. Tne nest of this species, like that of the Swal-
low-tailed Kite, is always placed -just as high in the tree as possible. Prof. B. W.
Evermann informs me that of all the nests he examined he did not notice an ex-
ception in this respect. It is not a very substantial structure, composed of sticks,
forming scarcely more than a mere platform, the cavity being quite shallow; it is
yery sparingly lined with the inner bark of the cottonwood, sometimes with straw.
When robbed of a first set of eggs another is likely to be laid. Prof. Evermann
states that the usual time of nesting in the Santa Clara Valley is from April 1 to
May 1. Nests of this Kite have been found in Southern Texas which were placed in
bushes only seven or eight feet from the ground. Mr. Samuel C. Evans took six
sets of the eggs of this species in San Jose Valley between May 1 and 22, 1886; one of
two eggs on the 1st was far advanced in incubation; one of four on the 8th was
fresh; another of two on the 19th was fresh; two sets of two each, taken on the 20th,
in which incubation had begun, and on the 22d a set of five fresh eggs was taken.
The nests were placed in sycamores, oaks and maple trees; one was situated forty
feet from the ground, and the heights of the others ranged about fifteen feet. Mr.
Evans, in several cases, placed small painted hen eggs in the Kites' nests, and the
birds did not detect the difference, but continued laying. The eggs are of a dull,
creamy-white, thickly blotched, dotted and tinged with deep chestnut, in some
almost completely covering the whole ground; nearly spherical; four to six; this is
the number usually stated, but four is almost invariably the number of eggs lait».
A set of four eggs collected by Prof. Evermann in the Santa Clara Valley, California,
measure 1.64x1.27, 1.62x1.27, 1.69x1.27, 1.62x1.27. The average measurement of four-
teen eggs in Mr. Crandall's collection is 1.72x1.30.

329. MISSISSIPPI KITE. Ictinia mississlppiensis (Wils.) Geog. Dist.—
Southern United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, southward from South Caro-
lina on the coast, and casually or irregularly to Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin on the
interior; south to Mexico.

The Mississippi Kite is a summer resident in the southern portion of the United
States. It is irregular in its distribution, and its occurrence in particular localities
is uncertain, often being found common in regions where it was formerly rare. It
is generally found in the same localities with the Swallow-tailed Kite, and, like
the latter species, its extremely beautiful flight is one of the bird's characteristics.
It often soars so high in the air as to be almost invisible. Like the Swallow-tail
species, its food consists of insects, small snakes and lizards. The nests of the
Mississippi Kite are built in the tops of gigantic pines, pin oaks, sycamores, cotton-
wood, elm, and lofty cypress trees. Mr. J. A. Singley has a nest which he took in
Lee county, Texas, which was placeu in the forks of a live oak twenty-two feet from
the ground. The foundation and sides of the nest is built entirely of small sticks,
the interior portion of small, green oak twigs in leaf, and. leaves of the mesquite
tree; the lining is of green moss, on top of which are placed green leaves of the
pecan tree. The outer diameter from the ends of the longest twigs is seventeen
inches, the most compact portion eleven inches; interior diameter five inches; outer
depth seven inches, inside one and a half inches. Mr. Singley states that the

SB8T8 AND RQQ8 OF

_ur«nenis of two eggs taken May 22, 1886, is 1.65x1.40. 1.63x1.34; they are bluish-
white unmarked, one of them having light brown stains on it. They were taken
from a nest placed in the slender forks of a small post oak about thirty feet from the
ground It was made $f sticks and weed stems, lined with willow twigs in leaf. Mr.
Slnglev'ha* given me the sizes of the eggs of four sets whirl, he collected in the

Left, yiM»i»sini Kiit, light. SWALLOW- TAILKD KIT* (From Brehm .

of 1887. Three of these seta were of two eggs each and one of three; their
color was Invariably bluish-white, unmarked, and their sizes are as follows: 1.63x
1.34. 1.64x1.36. 1.7lxl.r,2. 1.63x1.34, 1.60x1.35, 1.67x1.32, 1.65x1.34, 1.59x1.35, 1.02x1.33.
Considerable variation will be noticed in the length of these specimens, while their
diameter Is very uniform. Col. N. S. Goss found this species breeding in company
with the Swallow-tailed Kite in the vicinity of Neosho Falls, Kansas. An egg was
taken July 5. from an old crow's nest, fitted up with a few extra sticks and green
twigs In lest for lining. It was placed in a medium-sized oak about forty feet from
the (round. The egg, which was advanced in incubation, he describes a pure white.
Hlse 1.70x1.35.* Col. Goss also observed the Mississippi Kite nesting in the timber
lands bordering Medicine River, near Sun City, Barber county, Kansas, and found

• Auk. Vol. It. P. *l

AM K It H: AX BllflJlS. 201

seven nests on the 22d of May; on the 31st he collected four sets of eggs containing
two each and one nest contained a single egg. June 10th, two more sets of two eggs
each were taken Col. Goss describes ihe eggs as "white or bluish-white;" the last
two sets were stained by the wet leaves in the nests. The eggs measure by sets as
follows: First, 1.55x1.33, 1.52x1.36; second, 1.76x1.48, 1.65x1.35; third, 1.70x1.39,
-l.56xl.35; fourth, 1.70x1.37, 1.68x1.30; fifth, 1.75x1.30; sixth, 1.54x1.31, 1.45x1.24;
seventh, 1.70x1.38, 1.68x1.43. The nests were all built either in the forks from the
main body, or in the forks of the larger limbs of the cottonwood and elm trees, and
when old would be taken for the nests of the common crow. Their height from the
ground ranged from twenty-five to fifty feet.* Mr. R. E. Rachford informs me that
he took two sets of the eggs of this species in Texas from nests situated about thirty
feet from the ground in oak trees. The color of the eggs he describes as white, with
a slight greenish tinge. The average measurement of ten specimens is 1.64x1.28.

330. EVERGLADE KITE. Rostrhamus tfociabilis (Vieill.) Geog. Dist.— Flori-
da, Atlantic coast of Mexico, part of West Indies, Central America, Eastern portion
of South America to the Argentine Republic.

This slate-colored Kite is a resident of the Everglades of Florida, and also occurs
in the fresh water marshes and lakes of the middle and southern portions of the
State. Mr. W. E. D. Scott found it abundant at Panasofkee Lake, about February
first, where it was feeding on a kind of fresh-water snail, which was very abundant,
and the local name given the bird is "Snail Hawk." The birds fish over shallow
water, after the manner of gulls; securing a snail by diving, they carry it to the most
available perch, when the animal is dexterously taken from the shell without injury
to the latter. At many places where a particularly convenient tree or stub rises out
of the saw-grass, the ground is literally heaped with the empty shells of the snails.f
The nesting season of this species in the Everglades of Florida is in March, some
pairs breeding later than others, and two or three eggs are deposited. The nests are
built in tall, rank grass and bushes; especially in the saw-grasses, about a foot below
the tops, just so as to be out of sight, and the nests are usually composed of the
same material; they measure about a foot in diameter, with a cavity three inches
deep. Mr. H. B. Bailey describes a set of three eggs, taken in the Everglades,
March 16, by E. W. Montreuil; their sizes are 1.91x1.50, 1.80x1.51, 1.80x1.45; the
color of one is light brown, nearly obscured by large blotches of dark and reddish-
brown; another has a dirty-white ground color, with spots and blotches of various
shades of brown, which become smaller and fewer at the smaller end. It resembles
the common varieties of eggs of the European Sparrow Hawk, Accipiter nism. The
third is of a greenish-white, over the smaller end are scrawls, lines and a few spots
of light and dark brown.J

331. MARSH HAWK. Circus hndsonius (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Whole of
North America, south in winter to Panama, the Bahamas and Cuba.

The Marsh Hawk, Blue Hawk, or Harrier, is distributed throughout the whole
of North America. It is one of the most abundant and widely diffused of our birds,
and breeds from the fur country of Hudson Bay to Texas, and from Nova Scotia to
Oregon and California. It is found especially in regions covered by bushes, small
trees, rank grass, swamp prairies or marshy places. Here the nest may be found,

* Auk, Vol IV, pp. 344-345.
•t'Bu'l Nutt. Club. Vol. VI, p. 16.
t Auk, I, p. 95.

302 NE8T8 AND EOO8 OF

placed OD the ground, which is only a collection of twigs and hay, but from three to
•even inches in height and a foot or more in diameter. Sometimes the nests are of
large proportions, which is the result of nesting in the same spot for a number of
years. The eggs are frequently laid on a bed of green moss, with the material ar-
ranged in a circular form. The bird may often be seen during the spring and sum-
mer months sweeping slowly over meadows and bottom lands in pursuit of gophers,
mice, birds, grasshoppers and large insects. It can readily be recognized by the en-
tirely pure white upper tail coverts; the male above bluish-ash, whitening below;
the female above dark umber-brown. Mr. S. F. Rathbun records a set of seven eggs
taken June 14. at Dunnville, Ontario. Marsh Hawks frequently begin to incubate
with the first egg and the young are hatched at intervals, after the manner of the
cuckoos. Fresh eggs may be found from the first of May to the 15th or 20th of June,
according to locality. The eggs are greenish-white, either immaculate or faintly
spotted with pale brown or lilac, rather oval in shape; three to six in number, often
four or five, and measure from 1.80 to 1.90 in length by 1.38 to 1.45 in breadth.

332. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, .{<•<•! ^it.r rrlnj- (Wils.) Geog. Dist.—
Whole of North America, south to Panama.

This spirited little Hawk is distributed at large throughout North America and
it is considered an abundant species, although in some localities it is quite rare.
Known as Pigeon Hawk, but it should not be confounded with Falco columbariw

"2. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (After Auduboo).

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is swift, irregular and nervous in its flight; is one of the
most daring of the family, often successfully attacking birds of its own weight;
falling sometimes to do so either from over-confidence in its own abilities, or under-
estimation of the powers of its victim. The smaller birds and quadrupeds, young
chickens, pigeons, small reptiles and various insects constitute this bird's food.
The nests of this species are built in Irons n oods, preferably pine groves;

NORTH AMKRICAX

203

* Acciptter nt'su* of Earope. The cut well represents our Sharp-shinned, Cooper's or Goshawk.

frequently a scrubby oak or a birch offers a favorite site, and the height from the
ground may range from ten to sixty feet; the nests generally rest against the trunk
of the tree at the base of a limb. The composition of the nests are small stipks
forming a platform with a slight hollow, usually without lining. Occasionally nests
are placed in cavities similar to those of the Sparrow Hawk, or upon a ledge of rock
overhanging a lake or river. Mr. O. C. Polittg informs me that in Western Illinois
this Hawk selects for ihe s^e of its nest the top branches of an almost limbless tree,
usually an oak, which is situated in dense woods; it is generally composed of oak
twigs and leaves. Mr. Poling states that nesting begins by the middle of April; all
the nests he has observed contained five eggs, although others were found in that
region containing three and four. Mr. Charles F. Morrison, of Fort Lewis, Colorado,

:,,, NB8T8 AND BOOS OF

took a set of three eggs June 22 from a dilapidated Magpie's nest, the arched roof of
which had fallen in. and formed a hollow, which was lined with a few feathers
upon some dead leaves, i he Marsh Hawk and the present species deposit their eggs
when other Hawks are^ nearly through breeding. The Sharp-shinned Hawk's eggs
may be found In the first week of April and as late as the last week of June; the birds
seldom txxrupy a nest tae second time. Mr. Crandall's oological collection consists
of thirty-eight eggs, two sets of five and seven seis of four, and have an average
measurement of 1.47x1.20 inches. Mr. J. Parker Norris has a large series of these
eggs in his collection, consisting of seventeen sets, ranging in number from three
to five. and onecontaining the unusual number of seven eggs; the dates on which they
were taken are from April 11 to June 26. Most of these eggs were collected by the
experienced oologist. "J. M. W.," Mr. C. L. Rawson, of Norwich, Conn. Mr. Norris
also describes seventeen eggs which were laid in succession by a single bird between
May 23 and June 25. The eggs of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Mr. Norris states, are
subject to great variation in markings, and yet, as a rule, they can be identified at
a glance. With the exception of the Sparrow Hawk, Tinnuitmlu* v/wrrm»s. they
are the smallest laid by any of the hawks found in North America, and among the
most beautiful eggs of any of the A'<//>/O;T\. Their ground color varies from bluish-
white to grayish-white, spotted, blotched, speckled, streaked and clouded with light
fawn color, burnt umber, chestnut, lavender-gray, chocolate, russet-brown and
cinnamon, exhibiting an endless variety of bold and indistinct patterns of coloration
and design. The usual form of the egg is sphrriral, of nearly equal size at both ends.
The ,-« \rrnge size is 1.50x1.16.

333. COOPER'S HAWK. .lm/*i/»r »„„;>,/•// (Bonap.) Geog. Dist.— North
America at large; greater portion of Mexico.

Distributed throughout temperate North America at large as a summer resident,
and well known to the farmers by the name of Chicken Hawk. Its flight is easy
and usually slow, but the bird is quick in its movements, its long tail serving the
purpose of a rudder as It suddenly pounces upon the object of its pursuit or quickly
ascends into the air. This and the last species are perhaps the boldest depredators
of the family. They are shy and difficult of approach, yet their imprudence often
proves fatal to them. They do not hesitate to attack chickens in the presence of
their owners; they also feed largely upon small quadrupeds, weasles. squirrels and
young rabbits; snakes and reptiles are among their victims. A specimen of this
bird is In my collection which was killed by a weasel in mid air. the weasel sucking
the blood of the hawk, while the bird was struggling with its intended victim, which
escaped unharmed. The nests of Cooper's Hawk are usually placed in tall trees,
from ten to fifty feet from the ground: frequently an old crow's or some other
hswk's nest Is fitted up for the purpose, which is occupied for a succession of years,
and the nests are often so augmented by the continuous adding of brush and rubbish
that they become huge structures. May 15, 1880. a collector brought me a set of four
eggs taken from an old squirrel's nest. Mr. L. Jones, of Grinnell, Iowa, writes that
thin Hawk deposits Its eggs In that region about the first of May. The number of
eggs laid ranges from four to six. rarHv thr Htter number, and they tuny in- found
In various sections between April 1 and May 20. The eggs are of a pale-bluish or
greenish-white, usually spotted with pale reddish-brown. The average sizp is
1.42 inches. A 8ft of four eggs from Southern Arizona, taken May r
1.90x1.40. 1.95x1.42. 1 92x1.40. 1.90x1.42: another set of four collected in Central Ohio,
April 9 measure 1.89x1.40. i.92xl.4.V 1.93x1.40. 1.90x1.42.

NORTH 1 I/ /•;/>' /T.LV BIRDS.

205

334. AMERICAN GOSHAWK. Acnpitcr atrirapillus (Wils.) Geog. Dist.—
Northern and Eastern North America; the northern half of United States, a winter
resident in some parts.

A large and handsome hawk— one of the most symmetrical in outline of the
family; known to breed mostly north of the United States. Its breeding places are
usually in thick evergreen woods, the nest being placed in tall hemlock trees; it is
bulky and composed of sticks, twigs and weeds, lined with bark strips and grass.
The number of eggs laid by the Goshawk varies from two to five. The average
size is 2.32x1.75 inches; they are bluish-white in color, sometimes faintly spotted
with yellowish-brown.

334a. WESTERN GOSHAWK, .iccipitcr atrirapillus striatulus Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Western North America.

A darker colored race than the foregoing, inhabiting the Pacific coast region,
north to Sitka, breeding in the Sierra Nevadas probably as far south as 39°. General

334. EUROPEAN GOSHAWK. The cut well represents the American Goshawk (From Brehm).

206 NE8T8 AND EGOS OP

habiU, nesting, eggs. etc.. the same as those of atru-apillu*. Average size of eggs
2.16XL76.

33ft. HARRIS S HAWK. /'<// <///«/.</ uiiinnrtuM Jnirrixi (Aud.) Geog. Dist.—
Southern border of the United States; Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, southward to

This bird is an inhabitant of the warmer parts of America, extending its range
over our Mexican border. In Texas it is common, especially about the mouth of the
Rio Grande. Its habits resemble those of the Caracara Eagle, but it is not so active,
and the nests are hardly distinguishable in situation and construction. It is said, by
some observers, to subsist entirely on carrion, and may be seen in company with the
Turkey Buzzard, Black Vulture and Caracara Eagle. Mr. Sennett found this species
to be the most abundant of any other of the family on the Lower Rio Grande in
Texas. In their crops he found mice, lizards, birds and often the Mexican striped
gopher, indicating that they were active hunters instead of sluggish birds. The
eggs are white, with a yellowish tinge, sometimes marked with light dashes of yel-
lowish-brown and dottings of purplish drab; commonly two or three in number,
rarely four. Four sets of these eggs are in the cabinet of Mr. J. Parker Norris, and
show considerable variation in size and shape. One set of three taken near Corpus
Christ!. Texas, May 10, 1886, is entirely dull white; sizes, 2.19x1.61, 2.13x1.63, 2.14x
1.58; another of two eggs taken in Cameron county, Texas, May 25, 1886, measure
2.08x1.65, 2.19x1.71; a set of three eggs from the same place, collected April 25,
measure 2.00x1.65, 2.06x1.65, 2.13x1.69; one of the eggs of this set has a few faint
cinnamon spots; the fourth set taken in Cameron county, Texas, May 3, 1886; two
of these are faintly marked with lavender, but the third is distinctly spotted at the
large end with cinnamon; sizes, 2.14x1.65, 1.94x1.61, 1.99x1.57.

[836.] EUROPEAN BUZZARD. Buteo butco (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern
portions of the Eastern Hemisphere. Accidental in Michigan.

The older ornithologists were doubtless mistaken in the identification of the
specimens obtained in this country, which they described and figured as Buteo
rwfyorM of Europe. This Hawk has been entirely excluded from our fauna by more
recent authorities, and it is admitted only on the grounds of a single specimen taken
near Paw Paw, Michigan, by J. D. Allen, and received in the skin by Mr. C. J.
Maynard in the autumn of 1873. The bird is quite common in England, frequenting
the more cultivated portions, as well as the very wildest parts of Scotland and tracts
of Alpine forests, where its favorite breeding place is on the edges of ravines. The
neat is placed In some large tree or on a ledge of rock, and is built of sticks with a
scanty lining of wool and hair. The eggs are two or four in number, generally three,
of an oval form, bluish-white, with pale brown blotches and spots of yellowish-
brown, chiefly at the larger end. A set of three eggs in my cabinet, from England,
measure 2.30x1.75. 2.28x1.72, 2.30x1.68.

337. RED-TAILED HAWK. Buteo borcaHs (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
portions of North America, west to the Great Plains.

ml. in Its light and dark geographical races, is distributed
throughout the whole of North America. This species is abundant in the eas
portion. A large Hawk and a notorious visitor to barn-yards, though lacking much
of the pluck and dash of the members of some of the preceding genera it has th<
equally successful quality of perseverance. The food of this species is chiefly small

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDP.

207

336. EUROPEAN BUZZARD (From Brehm).

quadrupeds, red squirrels, gophers and ground moles, and the remains of these
rodents may always be found in this bird's nest containing young. The Hawk will
always be found common where these small animals are most abundant. The nest
is placed in high trees in deep woods; it is large and bulky, though comparatively
shallow; made of sticks and twigs, mixed together with corn-husks, grass, moss, and
on the inside may be found a few feathers. Sometimes the deserted nest of a crow
or that of another hawk is fitted up and used. Mr. J. Parker Norris records a nest
occupied first by the Great Horned Owl and afterwards by the Red-tailed Hawk, each
year; the young owls leave the nest before the hawk is ready to occupy it. The num-
ber of eggs laid by this species is two or three, rarely four. Mr. Norris has a series
of twenty-seven sets collected in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Mississippi, and
Texas; nineteen of these sets are of two eggs, six of three, and two of four.* The
time of depositing the eggs in the United States varies according to locality and
circumstances, but they are generally laid in March or April. Eggs are found in
different stages of incubation as late as the middle or latter part of May. A large
series of eggs present amazing differences in size and markings; their ground color
is white or bluish-white; some are entirely unmarked, while others are very heavily
blotched and splashed with many shades of red and brown; some are faintly marked
here and there with a light purplish tint, and again the colorings may form an

* For a detailed description of this series see" Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XI, pp.
67-69. Since the above was written Mr. Norris has increased his series to thirty-six sets.

SKKTH AND KOO8 OF

foriMix nt wr^aih at either end. The largest eggs in Mr. Norris' collection
measure 2.41x1 xt. 2.37x2.00; the smallest. 2,17x1.80, 2.20x1.78. The average size is
23«xl.SO.

337«. KBIDBB'S HAWK. /Mro b<,rt-nli* kriderii Hoopes. Geog. Dist.— Great

Plain* of th< I'riitfd states, from Minnesota to Texas.

This liKhtrr rolorfd v;irlfty of thr; Red-tailed Hawk occurs in the Great Plains,

from Mlnm -'/a "> Texas; east Irregularly or casually to Iowa and Northern Illinois.
-.1 hi I !»• writeB that this bird nests in remote places on the plains and among

the large cliffs of Colorado. He was unable to detect any difference between the

nest and eg*a of this bird and those of the Western Red-tail. He took a set of the

eggs, three in number, in Weld county,
May 24, 1886, from a nest in a cotton wood
tree. Two of these specimens are slightly
spotted with Vandyke brown, but the
third is quite heavily splashed and
blotched at the smaller end with chestnut
' and cinnamon; their sizes are 2.34x1.82,
2.30x1.84, 2.28x1.83. A set of three colected
by Mr. Dille is in my collection and offer
the following measurements: 2.40x1.90,
2.38x1.85, 2.30x1.89 inches. Mr. Dille states
that the nest contained cotton balls, from
the tree in which it was placed; these had
burst and made excellent soft lining for
the nest.

337/>. WESTERN RED-TAIL. Butrn
boreal is caliiras (Cass.) Gr»og. D.^t.-- West-
ern North America, especially in the
United States, from Rocky Mountains
to the Pacific, south into Mexico.

A blackish or sometimes an almost en-
tirely sooty variety inhabiting West-
ern North America. In all respects its
breeding habits are the same as those of
the Eastern representative, nesting in the
branches of lofty oaks, pines, sycamores,
etc. In mountainous regions the nests are
often placed on the narrow ledges of cliffs.
The eggs cannot be distinguished from
those of R. borcalis.

137*.

RfcD-TAIL.

liutco ImrniHx t unman ux Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—

337« . ST. LUCUS BED-TAIL.
Peninsula of Lower California.

This subspecies is confined to the Peninsula of Lower California.
and eggs are identical with the above variety.

Its nesting

337c/. HABLAN S HAWK, ttuteu borcall* Jiarlani Aud. Geog. Dist. »;u!f
State* and Lower Mississippi Valley, north to Pennsylvania, Iowa and Kansas; south
to Central America.

A "/,••/•// i ]//;A'/C.I.V

Mr. Crandall has a set of the eggs of this
subspecies taken at Avery's Island, Louis-
iaaa, March 17, 1895. The nest was large and
bulky, composed of sticks, twigs, lined with
green leaves and moss. The nest was placed
in a large white oak tree on the edge of a
swamp. The eggs, two in number, measure
2.40x1.81. 2.45x1.83 respectively. Their ground
color is bluish-white, blotched with brown;
iB one somewhat sparingly over the small
end. and in the other specimen sprinkled
ever the" entire surface.

339. RED-SHOULDERED HAWK.

Butt-n I incut a* (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern North America, north to Nova Scotia;
west to the edge of the Great Plains.

This large species is one of the common-
est hawks in the United States, and it is
especially abundant in winter, from which
it receives the name of Winter Falcon,
but it is not more hardy than the Red-tail.
It also shares the name of Chicken
Hawk, commonly applied to all the larger
hawks. Only occasionally it visits the
barnyard, its diet is of a more humble kind,

SUCh as frcgS, rats, mice and small

snakes. The nesting of the Red-shouldered Hawk is very much the same as that of
the Red-tail, but in many sections it seems to have a preference for lower woods, in
bottom lands. The nest is said not to be so long re-occupied by the birds. The eggs
are usually deposited in April or May. The number of eggs is three or four, some-
times only two. The ground color is bluish, yellowish-white, or brownish, spotted,
blotched and dotted irregularly with many shades of reddish-brown; they are usu-
ally more highly colored than the eggs of the Red-tail. Some of them are exceed-
ingly handsome. A series of sixty-one sets are in Mr. Norris' cabinet, nearly all of
which were collected by the celebrated oologist, "J. M. W." (C. L. Rawson); they
show a wonderful variation in size and markings, ranging from almost unmarked
to very heavily spotted and blotched specimens. To describe all the shades of reds
and browns, which comprise the variation, would be an almost endless task, and a
large series like this must be seen in order to appreciate how much the eggs of this
species vary. The sizes range from 2.00 to 2.30 long by 1.65 to 1.75 broad. For a
thorough treatise on the food of the Raptores we refer the reader to Dr. A. K. Fisher's
"Hawks and Owls of tue United States."* Hundreds of stomachs of these birds have
been examined and their contents recorded in this work, which proves conclusively
that they are of great benefit to agriculturalists and should by all means be pro-
tected by law everywhere in this country.

* U. S. Department of Agriculture Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, Bulletin
No. 3. The Hawks and Owls of the United States in their relation to Agriculture. Pre-
pared under the direction of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Ornithologist, by A. K. Fisher, M. D.,
Assistant Ornithologist. Published by authority of the Secretary of Agriculture. Wash-
ington: Government Printing Office. 1893.

15

HARLAN'S HAWK (After Audubon).

NB8T8 A.V/J E008 OF

210

8800, FLORIDA RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. Hut*,, li,,,,it,is nW-ni Ridgw.
Geog. Dial.— Florida. Texas.

In Texas Mr. Singley found this bird breeding in the densely wooded bottom
lands, in tall pin oaks that border the streams. He states that the nest is placed
on the large limbs of the trees, and is constructed of large and small sticks, weeds
and moss; sometimes it is beautifully decorated with Spanish moss. A few of the
birds prefer the uplands for a breeding place, and select pin oaks and hickory trees
in the neighborhood of streams. Mr. Singley says this Hawk has the peculiar habit
of placing green leaves in the nest. Sometimes the leaves are bruised and often
stain the eggs, and by the time incubation is well advanced the nest is half full of the
leaves. Nest building commences about the middle of March, and fresh sets of eggs
may be found until the middle of April. Two or three eggs are laid. Mr. Norris
has seven sets collected by Mr. Singley in Lee county, Texas. Their ground-color
is dull white or bluish-white and they vary from almost entirely unmarked to
beavily blotched, spotted and speckled with red, lilac and rich reddish-brown. They
vary In size from 1.96 to 2.19 long by 1.67 to 1.73 broad.

3396. RED-BELLIED HAWK. Itnli-n I'mnitim i-li'i/nnx (Cass.) Geog. Dist. —
Pacific coast of the United States, south into Mexico. .

This western race, whose whole under plumage is of a rich dark reddish color, is
distributed from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. Nesting and eggs similar to
those of R. I. ulleni. Average size of the eggs is 2.19x1.71. A set of two eggs in Mr.
Norris' collection, taken May 2, 1887. in Los Angeles county. California, measure
2.12x1.75, 2.04x1.77. They are grayish-white spotted with russet.

340. ZONE-TAILED HAWK. Itiitro <il>t>r< i •/»////* Taban. Geog. Dist.— Texas,
Arizona and Southern California, south into the northern portion of South America.

The Zone-tailed Hawk is a peculiar species, unlike any other of the United
States. It is slenderly built with long wings and tail and in its various plumages is
not yet well known. The bird is a Mexican and Guatemalian species and is of quite
general distribution in Texas and Arizona, where it frequents the wooded districts
in the vicinity of streams. Its food is small birds, quadrupeds, beetles, locusts and
grasshoppers. In Texas and Arizona this Hawk has been found nesting in May.
fresh eggs being taken by the middle of the month. The nests are built on tall
trees, such as cotton wood, ash, box-elders, sycamore and cypress that fringe the
streams. It is placed from fifteen to forty feet from the ground, in the horizontal
branches: Is largo and bulky, made of coarse sticks, lined with cottonwood leaves
or Spanish moss. When disturbed while incubating the bird is said to fly off, utter-
ing a loud whistling cry. The eggs are two to four in number; dull white, usually
spotted, splashed or speckled, with rich chestnut or umber-brown, chiefly at the
larger end: their average size is 2.15x1.70.

341. BENNETT'S WHITE-TAILED HAWK. !lnf>n ulhirntHlattia scnnrtti
Allen. Geog. Dist.— Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, southward through Mexico,
Central and most of South America.

This fine Hawk is a rather common resident on the Rio Grande of Southern
Texan and southward. Dr. Merrill mentions two nests which he found May 2, 1878,
placed In the top of a yucca growing in Palo Alto prairie, about seven miles from
Fort Brown. The nests were not more than eight feet from the ground, and were
rood-sized platform* of twigs, with scarcely any lining. While examining theae

NORTH .\UKKIC.\\

211

nests, the parents saileJ in circles overhead, constantly uttering a cry resembling
the bleating of a goat. Each nest contained one egg. The first was fresh; size 2.35
xl.91; dirty-white, with a few reddish blotches at the smaller end. The second,
partly incubated, was like the first, but the blotches were rather sparsely distributed
over the entire egg; size, 2.35x1.85. Mr. Edwin C. Davis found a nest of this Hawk
seven miles south of Fort Griffin, Texas, containing two slightly incubated eggs, on
the 2d of June, 1886; it was in a mesquite bush, eight feet fro» the ground. This is
doubtless late nesting, as all other nests found were empty. Three sets of two eggs
each are in Mr. Norris' collection; one taken May 2, 1884, near Corpus Christi,
measures 2.20x1.80, 2.19x1.80; their color is light grayish, faintly and sparingly
spotted with light drab; another collected in the same locality March 24, 1886, one
egg of which is unmarked, and the other faintly spotted with fawn color at the large
end; sizes, 2.17x1.77, 2.25x1.78; the third set was taken on the Arkansas river, Texas,
April 2, 1888; they are dull grayish-white, faintly and sparingly marked with light
fawn color; sizes, 2.33x1.65, 2.30x1.73.

342. SWAINSON'S HAWK. Buteo sicainsoni Bonap. Geog. Dist. — Western
North America from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific; north to the Arctic
regions and south to Buenos Ayres. Casual
in New England.

One of the commonest and most charac-
teristic of the large Hawks in various places
of the West. Many are killed, as they com-
mit great depredations in the poultry yards;
their food, however, consists largely of birds
and the smaller quadrupeds — squirrels, goph-
ers, rats, mice, etc. The flight of Swainson's
Hawk is usually slow, but in pursuit of its
prey its swiftness is said to remind one of the
dash of Accipiter velox, Sharp-shinned Hawk.
The sites which are chosen for nesting places
by this Hawk are extremely variable; in some
localities the nest is built on the ground, on
bushes, small saplings and on the ledges of
rocky cliffs. Old nests of hawks and crows
are fitted up for the occasion ; but usually it is
built in the tallest trees and in an almost in-
accessible position in the outer branches. Mr.
L. Jones states that in Iowa this bird, while
breeding, is found principally in moderately
timbered tracts, selecting less inaccessible
places for its nests than Buteo borealis, but of
the same position and composition. The eggs
are deposited as late as May 15, usually May
1. Mr. A. M. Shields took a set of two eggs
of this Hawk, May 21, 1886, in the vicinity of
Los Angeles, California, from a nest situated
in the extremity of the branches of an oak
tree, fully fifty feet from the ground; these
are in my cabinet and measure 2.20x1.61, 2.20

342. SWAINSON'S HAWK.

212 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

xl.€7. The eggs of this Hawk are two to four in number, greenish-white, buffy-
whtte or colorless, sometimes unmarked, but usually spotted, stained or blotched
with reddish or rusty-brown. Their average size is 2.21x1.70.

343. BROAD-WINGED HAWK. Huff, /«//XM'«JMX (Wils.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern North America, from New Brunswick and the Saskatchewan country south
to Texas, Mexico, Central America, northern portion of South America and West

^^m?'.,

343 BROAD-WINGKD HAWK (After Audubon i

Th* Broad-winged Hawk is of general distribution in Eastern North America.
It makes Its summer home In the solitudes of dense woodlands, usually in the vi-
cinity of a marsh, lake or river. The bird is of an unsuspicious and spiritless char-
acter, frequently permitting the intruder to approach within a few yards of it with-
imi exhibiting the least alarm. When the nest is approached this Hawk is said to
•tter a piercing cry of a.arm. Its food consists of squirrels, weasels, frogs, mice

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 213

and small birds. Not always are the highest trees selected as nesting sites; in some
sections the crotches and branches of trees, ten to forty feet from the ground, are
usually chosen, while in other regions ihe tallest oak and hickory trees, sixty to
eighty feet from the ground, are preferred. Abandoned crows' nests are likewise
made use of by this species.* The nests are coarsely constructed of sticks, lined
with fibrous roots, bark strips, moss or feathers. The eggs of the Broad-winged
Hawk are usually deposited in May. In the forests of the Red River of the North
in Minnesota, Mr. J. W. Preston found the eggs in the latter half of May; they have
been taken near St. John, New Brunswick, as late as June 23; in Monroe county,
Pennsylvania, June 6; and Northampton county, Pennsylvania, May 17 and 18;
near Framingham, Massachusetts, May 25; in Lafayette county, Mississippi, April
9, May 17 and 18. Mr. 0. C. Poling took sets of this Hawk's eggs near Quincy, 111.,
in May. A set of two eggs were brought to me which were taken in Knox county,
Ohio, May 26, 1886. The eggs are of a grayish, lavender-gray or yellowish-white
ground color, variously marked with spots and blotches of fawn color and umber-
brown and chestnut. Two or three are the usual number laid, and four are ex-
ceptional. The average size is 1.90xl.54f

344. SHORT-TAILED HAWK. Buteo brachyurus Vieill. Geog. Dist— Mexi-
co, Central America and most of South America, north to Eastern Mexico and
Florida.

This tropical species comes as far north as Florida, where it is said to breed
regularly, where it places its nest in the tall trees of the cypress swamps. An egg
is described by the late Major Bendire as dull white, showing blue when held against
a strong light. It is marked on the larger end with reddish-brown spots and
blotches over about one-fourth of the surface. Size, 2.17x1.61 inches.

345. MEXICAN BLACK HAWK. UruUtw'ffa anthracina (Licht.) Geog.
Dist. — Arizona, southward to northern portions of South America.

A beautiful Hawk, known as the Mexican or Anthracite Buzzard, and found
throughout tropical America, and north to Southern Arizona. The general color

* Many nests of the Raptores described by writers as resembling those of the Crow
may safely be attributed to the latter as their architects, and wherever Crows breed
abundantly it is almost an assurance that some species of Hawk or Owl may be found nest-
ing in the immediate vicinity.

t This is the average size given by Mr. Norris, taken from a series of seventeen sets
in his cabinet, nine of which came from Minnesota, three from Mississippi, one from
Massachusetts, and four from Pennsylvania; forty-two eggs in all. Mr. Norris states that
there are two types of coloration in the series; twenty-four of the eggs have markings of
very subdued tints of pearl-gray, lavender-gray, lilac-gray and ecru-drab, on a faint yel-
lowish or bluish-white ground; the tints in many instances have the appearance of being
under the shell, and are present in specks, spots and blotches. The remaining eighteen
eggs are marked with spots and blotches of fawn color, russet, walnut-brown, burnt umber
and chestnut. Some of the sizes from this series are as follows: 1.74x1.52, 1.76x1.50, 1.85xl.4fi.
1.87x1.53, 1.90x1.54, 1.99x1.53, 2.01x1.62, 2.06x1.52. See Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XII, p*.
9-11 and Vol. XJIT. p. 21.

:14 NBBTB AND BGO8 OF

of the adult bird Is coal-black; tail-coverts narrowly tipped with white; tail black,
the tip and base white, and crossed at about the middle by a broad band of white.
Ktlgar A. Mearne met with this Hawk in the valley ,of the Rio Verde,
Arizona, in 1884-5. The birds were present throughout the summer months, but
departed in autumn; they were extremely shy and were usually found hidden in the
dense foliage of cottonwoods mar water, in some low situation. Their flight he
describes as swift and powerful. Occasionally one was seen eating a fish upon the
sandy margin of the river. Their loudly whistled cry was rendered with great
power, and different from that of any bird of prey with which he was acquainted.
A nest was found built in a cottonwood tree June 19. This had evidently been the
birthplace of many generations of these Hawks, tor it measured four feet in depth
by two feet in width. It was lined with a layer of cottonwood leaves, several inches
deep, was very slightly concave, and composed of large sticks, much decayed below,
showing that they had been in position for a number of years. The nest was about
thirty feet from the ground and contained a half-grown nestling. Upon approaching
the nest the Hawk exhibited much uneasiness and screamed lustily. A fully identi-
fied egg of this species, taken by Dr. Mearns on May 20, 1887, as described by tne
late Major Bendire, is oval in shape, dull white in color, and irregularly blotcheu,
principally about the larger end, with small markings of different shades of brown.
It measures 2.22x1.81 inches. This egg is figured on Plate 8, Fig. 8, of Maj. Bendire 's
great work, Vol. I.

346. MEXICAN GOSHAWK. Asturina playlata Schlegel. Geog. Dist.—
Southern border of the United States, southward to Panama; accidental in Southern
Illinois.

The late Maj. Charles E. Bendire states that this, one of the handsomest of our
Kaiit'T-M, is not an uncommon summer resident of the southern portions of Arizona.
The bird's peculiar call-notes he describes as resembling the piping of the Long-
billed Curlew; their flight exceedingly graceful and swift, resembling in many re-
spects that of the American Goshawk. They seem to prefer more open country than
the latter species. In the timber bordering Rillitto creek, near Tucson, Maj. Bendire
found this Hawk breeding in 1872; on the dates May 17, June 6 and 19, and June 20,
nests were found containing two and three eggs each. The nests were placed in
cottonwood trees, fifty and seventy-five feet from the ground; one found May 17,
located In the topmost branches of a cottonwood was not a very substantial struc-
ture; a shallow platform composed principally of small cottonwood twigs, a number
of them broken off green by the birds themselves. The birds were seen, while
flying, to grasp at a suitable twig with the talons, usually succeeding in breaking it
off at the flrst trial. The nest was lined with dry cottonwood leaves and the tops
of the willows, the latter taken while yet green. Major Bendire describes the eggs as
white or pale blulsh-whito. unspotted, but always more or less stained with yellow-
ish matter hard to clean off; size 2.00x1.60.* A set of two eggs, taken in Arizona.
May 23. 1884, by Mr. F. Stephens, Is In the collection of the late Captain B. F. Goss.
The nest from which these were taken was in a cottonwood tree, seventy-five feet
from the ground; It was made of cottonwood and willow twigs, mostly green, lined

• Ornftholofflftt nnrt Oolo*1»t. Vol VT. pp. 87-W.

NORTH AMERICAN

215

•with small twigs and green leaves. The eggs are white, with a few indistinct buffy-
brown spots, sizes 1.96x1.54, 1.96x1.58.

[347.] BOUGH-LEGGED HAWK. Archibuteo laffopus (Brunn.) Geog Disk—
Northern portions of the old world; Alaska.

The European Rough-legged Buzzard very much resembles our American bird,
xancti-jolianms. In Europe it is said to be sparingly distributed over the northern
parts, appearing occasionally in Northern Britain, and with regularity in the more
southern portions. It is known to breed in the rugged mountain regions of Switzer-
land and various parts of France and Italy, placing the bulky nest of sticks in lofty
trees or on precipitous rocks. The eggs, two to four in number, varv frcm dirty-

347. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKv(From Brehm).

white to grayish or cream-color, usually marked with numerous spots and blotches
of umber and sepia-brown, and sometimes entirely unmarked; average size 2.20x1.80.

216 \K8T8 AND MOOS OF

347o. AMERICAN BOUGH-LEGGED HAWK. Anhibutn, law**
fokoHHi* iGmel.) Geog. Dist.— Whole of North America, north of Mexican boundary
breeding chiefly north of the United States.

The plumage of the "Black Hawk," as it is called, is subject to great variations.
In general, the whole' plumage is dark brown or blackish and light brown, gray or
whitish. From these variegated stages the bird varies to more or less uniform
blackish: but in either plumage it is easily recognized by the feathered shank. The
Rough-legged Buzzard frequents swamps, marshes and the vicinity of lakes and
rivers. It appears to be more numerous near the coast than in the interior east of
the Mississippi. It is less active than most Hawks, and approaches the owls in the
habit of hunting by twilight. Its food consists chiefly of mice and frogs. The nest
of this species is placed on large trees, frequently on ledges of rocks; it is a bulky
structure, composed of sticks, grasses, weeds and various other materials which are
soft and easily matted together. The eggs are two or three in number; they are
white or buffy, sprinkled, spotted or blotched with brown; the average size giv«-n La
2.27x1.76. Mr. Morris has a set of two eggs taken June 9, 1864, on the Anderson
River, in Arctic America, by R. R. MacFarlane. These are of an ivory whit. .
spotted, splashed and blotched with cinnamon; they measure, 2.20x1.76, 2.22x1.81.

348. FERRUGINOUS ROUGH-LEG. Arrhilmtco prrntfiin-m (Licht.) Geog.
Dist.— Western United States, across the great plains, north to the Saskatchewan
region; south to Mexico. Occasionally to Illinois.

Known as the Ferruginous Rough-legged Buzzard or California Squirrel Hawk.
A common species on the plains of the west, and one of the largest and handsomest of
our American Hawks. In some localities this species builds its large and bulky nests
on trees, ranging from ten to fifty feet from the ground; it is composed of large
sticks and lined with leaves, tufts of grass and roots. Mr. F. M. Dille, of Greeley,
Colorado, states the birds are not shy, and made no demonstration when he ap-
proached the nest. He describes a nest as measuring three feet in diameter and
two In depth. The eggs are two or three, rarely four, in number. The late Capt.
B. P. Goss Informed me that he found this Hawk in Northern Dakota nesting on the
jrround. on rocky, precipitous hillsides; this, too, being the case seemingly from
choice, for heavy timber was only a few miles away, and patches of brush and low
trees were often in the immediate vicinity of the nest. May 4, 1884, the late Capt.
Goss found a nest at the foot of a rock, on a steep bluff; it was composed of sticks,
buffalo ribs, weed stalks and small pieces of turf, lined with dry grass. Four eggs
vary greatly In color, from finely spotted lo heavily splashed with different shades
of brown; sizes, 2.44x1.96, 2.55x1.96, 2.45x2.00, 2.40x1.92. Mr. Dille states that th.
usual date for depositing the eggs on the plains of Colorado is about May 20, but he
has taken fresh eggs as early as April 20. A set of two in Mr. Norris' collection,
taken In Comal county, Texas, March 30, 1873, are spotted, splashed with brown and
burnt umber. They measure 2.33x1.88, 2.33x1.88, 2.34x1.86. Mr. Crandall has a
series of the eggs of this species consulting of nine sets of four eggs each, the thirl y-
f»lx eggs show an average measurement of 2.43x1.91 inches.

349. GOLDEN EAGLE. .4 »/!///« r/ir//*fii/r,« (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern
portions of the Northern i re, chiefly in mountainous regions.

The Golden Eagle Inhabits North America at large, and also the northern part.,

of the Old World. It may be recognized by the tarsus being irJivJly fwtlnrnl t<> the

'he general color of.its plumage is dark-brown throughout, and the torn- of th-

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD S.

217

color, in certain lights, is of a golden-brown. It
is known to breed in mountainous portions of
Northern New England and New York. In the
Anderson River region Mr. MacFarlane found the
Golden Eagle nesting as early as the last of
April, and eggs containing large embryos were
taken May 27. The bird is quite common in the
mountainous regions of California. The nests
are built usually on inaccessible rocks, and
sometimes in trees, and two or three eggs are
laid, generally two. Throughout California the
Golden Eagle seems to nest in trees by prefer-
ence. Mr. Samuel C. Evans found it breeding
in March, in the wild, rugged mountains of
Santa Clara county, in the vicinity of ML Day;
the nests were placed in sycamores, pines and
oaks — one in a large pine tree which overhung a
deep and rocky canon. Mr. Norris has a set of
two eggs which was taken February 26, 1886,
hear Tres Pinos, California, from a nest built in
a solitary live oak standing in a wheat field, on
the side of a gulch. This nest was very large,
nearly four feet in depth and five feet in diam-
eter; it was composed of sticks and lined
with straw stubble, green grass and twigs
in leaf. The eggs are whitish, heavily
blotched with chestnut, and pale lavender
under-shell markings; sizes, 2.86x2.21, 2.89x
2.29. Mr. J. R. Chalker, in the seasons

of 1886-7-8, collected ten sets of the eggs of this bird in San Benito county, California,
nearly all of which were taken from nests placed in trees. The first set was found
February 26, and the others at various dates in the month of March. Two eggs was
the usual number laid, and one set of three was taken. A nest in a lofty red-wood
tree, ninety-four feet from the ground, is described as being made of large sticks,
lined with red-wood twigs and straw-stubble. Nests were also found placed on al-
most inaccessible cliffs. The eggs in colors varied from white, unmarked, to faintly
and heavi-ly marked specimens. One set was found which was densely blotched with
reddish-brown all over. Maj. Bendire gives the average measurements of twenty-
eight specimens taken in California as 2.95x2.28. Mr. C. W. Crandall's oological col-
lection contains no less than a series of over sixty eggs of the Golden Eagle. Many
of these were taken by Mr. Chalker and among these is a set containing the number
of three. These are beautifully marked over a whitish ground with heavy blotches,
spots and specks of chestnut, lavender, grayish and purplish brown and sienna
varying in degrees of intensity in each egg, but these are always more abundant
and heaviest at the large ends. Their sizes are 2.97x2.37, 2.96x2.27, 2.95x2.40 inches.
They were collected March 4, 1889, in San Benito county, Cal. The nest was situated
t>n a cliff and had been used for years, this ,year being lined with a little straw.
Mr. Crandall states that all of his Golden Eagle eggs are heavily marked, which we
believe is not generally the rule with this species. He gives the measurement of
thirty-seven eggs as 2.91x2.32 inches.

349. GOLDEN EAGLE (After Fisher).

218 NB8T8 AND BOGS OF

[35O.J HARPY EAGLE. 77/ ;•»/.«.»/••* //<///>//»</ Linn. Oog. Dist.— Ix>wer Rio
Grande Valley, casual; south to Paraguay. Louisiana (?).

The late MaJ. Bendire says in his "Life Histories of North American Birds":
"The Harpy Eagle, if not the largest, is certainly the most powerful of all the birds
of prey found on the American continent, and can only be considered as a straggler,
having been noticed In the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. No specimens have
as yet been taken within our borders. It breeds in Southern Mexico and thence
southward as far as Bolivia and Southern Brazil." According to the authority of Dr.
Felix Oswald, this bird attacks and kills large turkeys, young fawns, sloths, full-
grown foxes and badgers, middle-sized pigs and even the black Sapayou monkey
i.t tilet imnitcus). whose size and weight exceed its own more than three times.
The Harpy Eagle's nesting place is amongst the highest branches of the tallest
forest trees and the more inaccessible rocks of the foothills. The nest is composed
of dry sticks and moss, lichens, etc. The eggs, four or five in number, but according
to Dr. Oswald the birds never hatch more than two. They are white, with yellow-
ish-brown dots and washes; about as long, but not quite as heavy as a hen's egg.
MaJ. Bendire says: "Judging from the size of several specimens of the Harpy Eagle
in the U. S. National Museum collection, the egg of this species should at least be
as large as that of the Golden *Eagle (.li/nilti rliryxirtuxj, and in fact considerably
larger. I have been unable to find a correct description of the egg of this species."

[351.] GRAY SEA EAGLE. //«//f/r/w* albicUla (Linn.) Geog. Dist— North-
ern portions of Europe and Asia; Greenland.

A large dusky-brown species known as the White-tailed or Gray Sea Eagle. In-
cluded In our North American fauna upon its occurrence in the south and southeast-
ern coasts of Greenland, where it is common, nesting in all suitable places. It is
common to the sea coasts of Europe and is rarely found inland. Breeds on the
coasts of Great Britain; its most favorite haunts being the shores and islands of the
northern and western coasts of Scotland; the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland Islands,
where It nests on the rocky cliffs projecting out over the water. The nests are made
of sticks or seaweed. Trees are also resorted to, though much less frequently.
This Eagle also breeds on the coasts of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and those
of Russia. The eggs are two or three in number, plain white, but occasionally
with small faint spots of light brown, rounded ovate in shape. The average size of
twenty-four eggs In Mr. Crandall's collection (of one to three eggs to a set re-
spectively) Is 2.92x2.29. These were all taken in Southern Russia and on the coast
of Sweden between February 28 and April 20. There are seven sets of three eggs,
one of two and one of one. The largest egg measures 3.10x2.32, the smallest 2.64x
2.19. Mr. Crandall states that some of the eggs are considerably pointed.

352. BALD EAGLE. H<ili<rctu* leucocephalus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Whole of
h America, south to Mexico.

This great bird is common everywhere in North America. It passes through
three stages of plumage; the first year the young are very dark -colored and are er-
roneously called "Black Eagles," the second they are "Gray Eagles," and are usually
larger than the old birds. The residence of the White-headed Eagle is greatly in-
fluenced by the abundance of food, especially that of fish. It is found as far north
at the Arctic Circle, and south as far as Florida and Texas. Breeds in the interior
Arctic regions on the borders of lakes and rivers. Not an uncommon summer resi-
dent tn Labrador, and breeds from thence southward along the Atlantic coast to

\ORTH AMKKH'AX

219

:>52. BALD EAGLE (From Brehm).

Florida. Common resident of Oregon and Washington Territory. It is particularly-
common along the Columbian River, where the supply of fish is abundant. The eggs
are deposited from December to April, according to locality. The Bald Eagle is not
the sluggish, fish-eating bird that some writers state it to be, devoid of energy, ob-
taining its living by robbing the industrious Osprey. It has been known to swoop
down upon flocks of Geese, Brant, Duck and Coot, select a particular bird, when the
flocks scattered, and successfully carry off its victim to the nearest sand-bar. If it is
a goose, and too heavy, both birds fall into the water, when the Eagle literally tows
the prize along the surface until the shore is reached.* This bird also captures
wounded ducks and other birds, and feeds on putrid fish and flesh. Florida seems
to be a favorite breeding ground of the Bald Eagle, where they nest usually in Jan-
uary, but in the extreme southern portions— Cape Sable and the Keys in that region —

•Wm. Brewster: Bull. Nutt. Club, Vol. V, pp. 57-58.

220

NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

they breed In December. The nests are massive structures, made of sticks, lined
with roots or grass; they are placed in trees, and their distance from the ground
ranges from twenty to ninety feet. On rocky coasts, destitute of suitable trees, this
Eagle resorts to the cliff for nesting places, and the same eyrie is occupied for many
yemrs. The eggs are two, rarely three in number, and are white, or ivory-white,
unmarked, usually with a granulated surface and nest-stained. Three sets of two
each are In Mr. Norris* collection; one from Mcrritt's Island, Florida, taken

Jfc"

BALD EAGLE (After Andubon).

December 13, 1883, measure 2.79x2.21, 2.74x2.09; another from Stone Island, Maine,
collected April 21, 1887, measure 2.88x2.15, 2.94x2.13; the third from Tampa, Florida,
taken December 3, 1884, give the following dimensions: 2.70x2.12, 2.70x2.10. Four
sets In my cabinet, collected by Mr. R. C. Stuart at Cape Sable, December 1, 4 and
16, exhibit the following sizes by sets: First, 2.57x2.12, 2.98x2.22; second, 2.89x2.15,
2.91x2.17; third, 2.73x2.09, 2.63x2.02; fourth, 2.51x1.94, 2.51x2.00. These eggs were
taken from huge nests, placed in mangrove trees, twenty to thirty-five feet from the
ground.

353. WHITE OYRFALCON. FaJco Mandus Brunn. Geog. Dist.— Arctic
regions, including Arctic Amorlca and Greenland.

The Gyrfalcons are large handsome birds and are found in various phaseg of
plumage, being white, more or less barred and spotted with brownish and black.
They are birds of boreal regions, and nest in trees or cliffs, preying upon the smaller
quadruped*, grouse, ducks, auks, etc. The adult of the present species averages as
white as the Snowy Owl. It is called Greenland Gyrfalcon and breeds in Greenland
and other portions of Arctic America. Dr. Stejneger states that this species breeds
ring Island. A pair had their nest in a steep and inaccessible rock, a couple of
miles from the main village. The eggs are two to four in number. Mr. Crandall
has two sets of four eggs each of this species taken at Umanack. Greenland. May 21

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDti. 221

and 28th, 1894. Both nests were placed upon ledges of cliffs and the structures
were composed of sticks and rubbish. The eggs, Mr. Crandall informs me, have a
reddish-white ground color, profusely marked with a rich dark red of varying
shades, but exceedingly bright in intensity. In some these markings blend with the
ground color. All the eggs show little elevations like warts on the shell. The first
set mentioned measures: 2.32x1.83, 2.35x1.83, 2.38x1.84, 2.39x1.79 inches respectively;
the second, 2.40x1.82, 2.38x1.85, 2.41x1.74, 2.43x1.83 inches.

354. GBAY GYRFALCON. Falco rusticolus Linn. Geog. Dist.— Extreme
Northern portions of Europe, Asia and North America; Iceland, Southern Green-
land; south in winter to the northern border of the United States.

T,he Gray Gyrfalcon is not uncommon in Iceland and Southern Greenland, and
strays in winter into Northeastern United States. Mr. Norris has a set of two eggs
of this bird, collected by Mr. Proctor in Southern Greenland, on the 30th of May,
1884. Incubation was just begun, and the parent bird was shot. The nest was placed
on a shelving rock. One of the eggs is marked, over a whitish ground, with small
light reddish-brown spots sparingly sprinkled over the surface, confluent at the
small end, where they almost obscure the ground color. The rest of the egg has a
whitish appearance. The other specimen is heavily marked over the entire surface.
SHees, 2.26x1.82, 2.25x1.86.

354«. GYRFALCON. Falco rusticolus yyrfalco (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Northern
Europe; interior or Arctic America, from Hudson's Bay to Alaska.

MacFarlane's Gyrfalcon breeds abundantly in the interior regions of Arctic
America, where numerous skins and eggs are annually taken. It not infrequently
visits the Northern United States in winter, and it is recorded as even
reaching the Middle States. The number of eggs laid by this variety of
Gyrfalcon ranges from two to four, more commonly three to four. In Mr. Crandall's
collection there are two sets of four eggs each, taken April 20, 1892, and April 25,
1893; the former near Kantokino, the latter near Finnmarken, Lapland. Both nests
were placed on ledges of cliffs and were composed of sticks, small twigs, feathers,
etc. The first set of eggs are very light colored and may be described as appearing
an. almost uniform dull yellowish red; the sizes are 2.18x1.68, 2.28x1.70, 2.28x1.71,
2.20x1.70. The second is of a very dark type of coloration, the ground showing but
little of the yellowish-red; the markings being of a deep burnt-umber, resembling
the markings of the typical Merlin's eggs. They measure 2.34x1.79, 2.30x1.79, 2.35x
1.78, 2.32x1.82 inches. These two sets are selected to show the wide contrast in
coloration from a series of forty-one eggs of this species. A single egg in the cabinet
of the late Capt. B. F. Goss, taken at Fort Yukon, Arctic America, in June, 1865, is
finely and evenly speckled with reddish-brown over the entire shell; the spots are
partly confluent, giving the egg a reddish appearance; size 2.34x1.75, which is un-
usually large.

354ft. BLACK GYRFALCON. Falco rusticolus obsoletiis (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.—
Labrador; south in winter to Canada, Maine and New York.

This dusky form of the Gyrfalcon makes its home on the cliffs of the rugged
coasts of Labrador. Its habits are said to be the same as those of any of the fore-
going belonging to the genus, and the eggs >are similar. All the eggs of the several
forms of Gyrfalcons present common characteristics, and do not differ from each
other more than eggs known to belong to the same species of hawk are found to
vary. The average size of the Black Gyrfalcon's eggs is 2.26x1.77.

222 XB8T8 AND EGGS OF

355. PRAIRIE FALCON, /'u/ro i/i<-j-ir«m^- Schleg. Geog. Dist.— Western
United States, from the Eastern border of the Plains to the Pacific Ocean. South
Into Mexico. Casual to Illinois.

The American Lanner or Prairie Falcon is an abundant species throughout the
open country of Western United States. It is the representative of the two Lannera
of the Old World. This Falcon is said to possess great strength and daring; it at-
tacks and overpowers the great hares of the prairies, and other animals even larger
and heavier than Itself. It is very common in Wyoming and Washington Terri-
tories, Oregon and California, The Prairie Falcon nests usually on cliffs and 1<
of rocks, sometimes In cavities in trees. The composition of the nests is sticks with

• • LAN*** HALCUM, not ditiiiiKuiibable in cut fioin our Prairie Fulcuii (From Urchin).

a lining of grasses. In some of the rocky canons of Colorado nests of this hawk
have been found on the tops of those massive sandstone columns that stand solitary
and alone like huge chimneys. The eggs are two to five in number. Three sets of
«b* Pggs of this species are in the cabinet of J. Parker Norris. One of five eggs,

\ORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 223

collected by Walter E. Bryant, near Mt. Diablo, California, exhibit the following
dimensions: 2.00x1.56, 1.99x1.56, 1.98x1.59, 2.11x1.57, 1.93x1.56. These were laid
upon the sand in a cavity in a large boulder. They are handsome eggs, creamy
ground color, almost wholly obscured with specks, spots and cloudings of cinna-
mon and vinaceous-cinnamon. The second set is of two eggs, taken in Sweetwater
county, Wyoming, May 1, 1887; the nest was on a rocky mound, along the Big
Sandy River. The eggs are quite different from each other in appearance; In one
the ground color is cinnamon, sprinkled all over with Mars brown; size, 2.13x1.66.
The other has a ground color of russet, sprinkled all over with burnt umber; size,
2.14x1.68. The third set consists of three eggs. They were collected May 6, 1888,
in Sweetwater county, Wyoming. The nest was on a rock on the bank of the Big
Sandy River. The ground color varies from a deep cream to a hazel, and it is almost
wholly obscured with cinnamon, rufous and light chestnut. They measure 2.28x
1.68; 2.10x1.64; 2.40x1.67.

356. DUCK HAWK. Falco pereffrinus anatum (Bonap.) Geog. Dist.— Whole
of North America.

The Peregrine Falcon, Great-footed Hawk, or Wandering Falcon, as this species
is variously called, is distributed throughout North America at large, but it can
hardly be considered common anywhere. The Duck Hawk breeds as far south as
latitude 36°, and usually in mountainous regions, or in the vicinity where water fowl
are abundant. The nests are placed in natural cavities in trees, and on the sides
of rocky cliffs. Colonel N. S. Goss states that this Hawk is not an uncommon
resident of Kansas, and that it begins laying early in March. It is known to breed
in many of the rocky regions and along the coasts of the New England States; in
Pennsylvania, New York and in Michigan. It has been found nesting in the Ander-
son River regions in Arctic America, in Alaska and on the coast of Labrador. This
species is often called Bullet Hawk, being the terror of ducks and other water fowl,
pursuing and striking them down while on the wing, often seizing the bird which
the hunter has killed, carrying it off when almost within his reach. The eggs of the
Duck Hawk are three or four in number, and measure 2.15x1.62. They vary from
creamy-white to reddish-brown, spotted, blotched and dotted with* reddish-brown
and chocolate of varying shades. Mr. Crandall writes me as follows concerning a
series of this bird's eggs in his cabinet: "A set of four of this species in my collec-
tion, taken by R. H. Beck, in Alameda county, California, April 21, 1896, was taken
from a nest on a narrow ledge of a cliff twenty feet below the top; no regular nest
was made, only a few small sticks on either side of the eggs. The bird was flushed
and incubation was begun. These eggs are of the dark, heavily marked type, and
show the following measurements: 2.11x1.64, 2.28x1.66, 2.15x1.67 and 2.10x1.68
inches. Another set of three eggs from Greenland measure 1.99x1.55, 2.02x1.58 and
1.96x1.61. These are also heavily marked. Thinking perhaps it would be interest-
ing, I herewith give the average size of my series of the European Duck Hawk.
Seven sets of four, twenty-eight eggs, average 2.08x1.63. These were carefully se-
lected from a number of sets."

356a. PEALE'S FALCON. Falco pereffrinus pealei Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
Aleutian and Commander Islands, south along the Pacific Coasts to Oregon.

Dr. Leonard Stejneger states that the "Black Hawk," as it is called, is a com-
mon resident of Cooper and Bering Islands, breeding in high and inaccessible cliffs.
The eggs are not described, but are doubtless similar to those of F.pereffrlnus.

Jfg8T8 AND BOQ8 OF

'\TA. DUCK HAWK (From Hrehm

•57. PIGEON HAWK. rnlm <-,, I, nn barium Linn. Geog. Dist.— North
It general, south In winter to West Indies and northern South America.

A handsome little Falcon, generally distributed throughout North America,
and known to breed in various sections from latitude 40° northward. l>ut tln> ma-
jority breed north of the United States. It subsists mostly on smaller birds, together
with an occasional mouse or small squirrel, capturing them on the wing. When in
pursuit of its prey the speed of its flight is something astonishing. Known to breed
as far north as the Anderson and McKenzie River regions in Arctic America, and it
la common in Alaska. During the breeding season it is found as far south as New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia, in various New England States, New York, !>< la
ttc. It formerly bred in Ohio, but not of recent date. In the West it has IH-PM found
breeding In Washington Territory. Oregon, Idaho and Utah. Mr. Norris' cabinet
contains two sets of four eggs each; one collected in the Wasatch Mountains. Utah,
May 19, 1868. They have a cinnamon ground color, heavily spotted and blotched

NORTH ,l.l//vA'/r.LV HlltDX. 225

with burnt umber; sizes, 1.56x1.25, 1.59x1.25, 1.56x1.21, 1.59x1.23. Another set from
Bingham county, Idaho, taken May 13, 1885, have a creamy-white ground color,
sprinkled, spotted and blotched with chestnut; sizes, 1.44x1.22, 1.56x1.24, 1.52x1.25,
1 47x1.22. The nests of this Hawk are variously situated; in the cavity of a cliff, la
the hollow of a tree, on the branches of trees, and sometimes under the roofs or be-
tween the rafters of ruined or deserted buildings.

357<i. BLACK MERLIN. Fako colnmbanus sukleyi Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
Northwest coast region of North America, from California to Sitka; eastward it
Oregon and Washington.

Little is known concerning the breeding habits of this, the darkest colored of our
Merlins. Major Bendire states that its range probably includes the mountain
regions from Northern California to Alaska, along the coast; and in the interior it is
found in Southern Oregon (Fort Klamath) and Eastern Washington (Fort Walla
Walla), in both of which places he obtained specimens of the bird, but was not aware
that its eggs have ever been taken. He states, however, that he is quite positive
that an occasional pair breeds in the vicinity of Fort Klamath. I have no authentic
information at hand which describes the nests and eggs of this Merlin, but it is reas-
onable to believe that they do not differ from those of Falco 7>rm/n'H?f,<? pcalci.

358. RICHARDSON'S MERLIN. Falco ricliardsoiiii Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
Interior of North America, northward to the Arctic regions, south in winter to Texas
and Arizona; straggles west to the Pacific coast.

Richardson's Merlin is said to breed in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and
from thence northward. Its habits in general are identical with those of F. colum-
barius. Little has been known respecting the nesting, eggs and breeding range of
Richardson's Merlin, and no absolutely authentic eggs have been described. I now
take pleasure in describing, so far as I am aware, the first genuine set of this bird's
eggs in the cabinet of Mr. Crandall, of WToodside, New York. The eggs, a set of four,
were taken, the female bird shot and carefully identified. The late Maj. Bendire
and other oological students of eminence have pronounced them genuine and the
set remains unique in collections at the present time. The region in which they
were taken was Calgary, Alberta, Northwest Territory, May 12, 1894, by Mr. J. E.
Houseman. The ground color of the eggs is a creamy or buffy-white, shaded in
places over the surface with spots, blotches, splashes and cloudings of rich reddish-
brown, chestnut and rufus of various tints, interspersed with very blackish-brown
blotches, like some types of coloration in the eggs of the White-tailed Kite. The
measurements of the four eggs are as follows: 1.59x1.25, 1.60x1.24, 1.66x1.24, 1.61x
1.23 inches. In general appearance Mr. Crandall writes me that they seem to diffei
from any falcons which he has seen, either American or European.

[358. 1.] MERLIN. Falro regnlus Pall. Geog. Dist. — Europe, etc., accidental
in Greenland.

Mr. Ludvig Kumlien, of the Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, received
from Dr. C. F. Wiepken, of Oldenburg, Germany, a fine specimen of this bird, which
was shot at Cape Farewell, Greenland, May 3, 1875, making an additional species to
the avifauna of North America. It is a contmon bird in Europe, especially in the
more northern portions. In England it is considered migratory, while in Scotland
it resides permanently. It breeds commonly in the Orkney and Shetland Islands,
placing its nest among: precipitous rocks. It was formerly trained to the chase, and

16

22'.

NESTS AA'D EGGS OF

used to hawk for quails, snipes and larks. The rugged mountain ranges on the
Scottish border furnish many breeding places for the Merlin. The site generally se-
lected Is the side of some ravine, a projecting rock, bank, or tuft of heath. The
Best consists of a scanty supply of sticks, heather, grass or moss, loosely arranged.

•Jfc

: . •:':5PS.t?

Mr.Hi IN (Kioin Hiehin)

The eggs arc three, four or five In number; Bewick says six; Temminck, five or six.
They are bluish-white, spotted and blotched, generally more thickly at the larger
end, with deep reddish-brown. Average size, 1.49x1.20. Eleven sets of five eggs
each are In Mr. Crandall's extensive collection. The:- iken in I, upland ;unl

various localities In Iceland, all in June between the dates ranging from tl ::«! to the
14th. The average size of the fifty-five eggs is 1.58x1.23 inches; the longest being
26, the shortest 1.60x1.24.

359. APLOMADO FALCON. Pnlm fttteo-ttmiJeftttffJ Virill.
Southern Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, south to Patagonin.

Geog. Dist.—

NOHTH AMERICAN ninns. 22?

This beautiful bird, known as the Femoral Falcon, is common, and has a wide
range in South and Central America; and specimens of the bird, its nests and eggs
have been taken in Southern Texas, along the banks of the Rio Grande, and in
Arizona. Dr. James C. Merrill found nests of this species on June 16, 1877, and
May 7, 1878, near Fort Brown, Texas; they were placed on the tops of the low Span-
ish bayonet, and were simply slight platforms of twigs with depressions, lined with

359. APLOUADO FALCON.

a little grass. Two nests contained three eggs each. The eggs measure 1.78x1.34,
1.84x1.29, 1.73x1.32. Their ground color is white, but so thickly dotted with reddish
as to appear of that color; over these are somewhat heavier markings of deeper
shades of brown. The three others measure 1.80x1.29, 1.77x1.33, 1.88x1.33.

[359. 1.] KESTREL. Falc-o tiiinitnculus Linn. Geog. Dist. — Europe, etc., ac-
cidental in Massachusetts.

Mr. Charles B. Cory, of Boston, Massachusetts, mak«s record of the first oc-
currence of this bird in North America. A female specimen was shot by a hunter
at Strawberry Hill, Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, on September 29, 1887, the sk'in
of which is now in Mr. Cory's cabinet.* The European Kestrel thus finds a place in
the avifauna of North America. It is a common species in Europe, and one of the
most abundant of its tribe in Great Britain. It resembles the American Sparrow
Hawk in size and general appearance, and, like that bird, it has the curious habit
of poising in midair over a mouse, lizard, frog, or some other object of food before
attacking them. In Great Britain it is one of the commonest Falcons, and may be
found in all parts of the country. The nest is built in rocky cliffs by the sea coast,

* Auk, V. 110 and 205.

22*

VESTS A.V/7 EGOS OF

In natural cavities of trees, in ancient ruins, in towers of churches, both in tke
•nuntry and cities, even in London. The material used consists of sticks, twigs, hay,
wool and feathers, all arranged in a slovenly manner. When the n-est is placed in
rooks, it is said that no material is used. The eggs, which are rounded-oval in fm-'u.
•ur or five in number, sometimes six. They vary from a reddish to yellowish,
ipeckled, spott. !i«'«l with omn^r-brown and reddish-brown. A great varia-

"/

1. KESTREL (From Biehm>.

lion exists in the style and amount of markings in a large series of eggs. Four

eggs :n Staffordshire, England, May 12, 1884, measure 1.42x1.20, 1.48x1.24,

1.50x1.30, 1.53x1.24. A set of five eggs taken from an old church spire in County

;m. ir.-hu ,. 1883, gives the following measurements: 1.58x1.30. i.66x

1.24.

36O. AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK, l-'uln, .s/m/ •»•» / •///.«« I, inn. (ieog. Dist—

• ast of ill.- Rocky Mountains, south to Northern South America.
This beautiful lin]. H.iwk is abundant everywhere in North America in its sev-
pral gMwnphirai races, and is familiar to every boy who has been in the fields.

XORTII AMERICAN BIRDS.

221

Here it may be seen hovering almost motionless in mid air, then suddenly swoop-
ing down to the ground, arises again with perhaps a field mouse in its talons. From
this habit it receives the name of Mouse Hawk, aitliough it also preys upon sparrows
and other small birds. It is found almost everywhere, though most abundant along
streams where the high sycamores whose natural cavities furnish suitable nesting
places, but meadows and fields are its retreats when in search of food. It builds no
nest, but deposits its eggs in the natural cavities of high trees, often in the deserted
holes of woodpeckers, or in crevices in rocks, in holes in banks along rivers, or nooks
about buildings. In the West it frequently occupies a deserted Magpie's nest. I
have eggs of this Hawk taken from a crevice in a stone quarry on the Scioto River,
where the birds have nested for years. Boxes on farm barns, provided for domestic
pigeons, are often appropriated by the Sparrow Hawk, and it always proves t«

360. AMERICAN SPARKOW HAWK.

be a peaceable neighbor. The cavities where the eggs are deposited generally con*
tain BO lining. The eggs of the Sparrow Hawk are four or five, rarely six in num-
ber. A series of forty eggs before me exhibit the usual wide diversity of coloration
that is to be found in eggs with spotted shells. Most of my eggs are from Ohie,
Indiana and Kentucky, while two sets are from California. The ground color varies

330 NEBT8 AND EGGS OF

from a yellowish or creamy- white to reddish or pinkish-buff; the surface is sprinkled,

splashed, blotched, spotted and clouded with shades of chestnut and cinnamon-

brown, and the markings may be more numerous and heavier at either end, and they

may be so confluent as to conceal the ground color. The largest eggs I have are

from Ohio, taken by Robert Linton, April 20, four in number. Sizes, 1.37x1.15, 1.40x

1.44x1.16. The average size of the Sparrow Hawk's eggs is 1.36x1.12.

are usually deposited in April or in the first half of May.

36O«/. DESERT SPARROW HAWK, l-'alrn */wi/-r»ri//x thst •> ti«>lus Mearns.
v'estprn I'nlted States, north to British Columbia and Western Mon-

tana.

The nldiflcation and general habits of this subspecies are in most cases identical
those of its Eastern representatives. Mr. L. P. Williams, of Redlands, Cali-
fornia, writes me that he found this hawk nesting in holes in the bank of a creek in
that vicinity. He states that the holes were dug on an average of about fifteen feet
above the stream and were about twelve Inches deep. A set of five and one of four
eggs were taken from a hole from which he had previously obtained a set of Red-
shafted Flicker's eggs. The Hawks, he states, dug the holes themselves, and the
nest lining was nothing but the dust from the walls.

360/j. ST. LUCAS SPARROW HAWK. /•'<//<•»* x/wrr<r///x i>< ninxulariis Mearns.
Geog. Dist.— Lower California.

This geographical race, confined to Lower California, has the same habits which
characterize the American Sparrow Hawk of the Eastern States.

[301.J CUBAN SPARROW HAWK, l-'nh-o ilmn'min-nxix Gmel. Geog. Dist.—
Cuba; casual in Florida.

A darker colored bird than /'. */"/;•» r/n/.v is a common resident of the Islands of
Cuba and Haiti, and it secures a place in the North American avifauna on the
strength of stragglers having been taken in Florida. The general habits of the
:i Sparrow Hawk are counterparts of those of the species of Eastern United
States. The eggs are from three to five in number and average a trifle smaller than
those of N. «i«irri-rinx.

362. AUDUBON S CARACARA. I'ohjhnnis rlnrlinin (Jacq.) Geog. Dist.—

Nero South America (Ecuador and (luiana) north to the southern border of the

'••«! States, Florida. Texas and Arizona.

Common io the Southern border of the United States, and known as the Mexican
Eagle or Buzzard— Intermediate between the Eagles and Buzzards, and resembling
both In Its habits. It eatrlus some of its pivy living, but feeds readily upon dead
animals. Although sluggish at times, it is said to fly well, moving in a direct line.
resembling the Black Vulture somewhat, flapping and sailing alternately, but when
high in air, circles Ilk- a Hawk or Eaglr. Dr. Merrill records this bird as a common
resident, hut more abundant In winter than summer in the vicinity of Fort Brown,
Texas, and Mr Oorup P.. S« HIM tt also mentions it as not uncommon in the region
of Brownsville. It has been found breeding as far north as Comal. Hays and Lee
counties, Texas. In the months of March and April, and in Jefferson rmmty as late
as March nnrt Informs me that he has always met with this bird breeding

>.«• large prairies of Southern Florida In March and April. Eggs were taken
April 4. The tops of the cabbage palmetto trees are their favorite nesting places In
that region. The nests In Texas and Mexico are built In trees or hushes, and some-
times in cliffs, the\ arr bulky platforms of branches, with a slight depression, lined
twigs, roots and grasses, and frequently altogother without lining. Both sexes

NORTH AMERICAN

231

362. THE CAKACARA (From Brebui).

incubate. Two or three eggs are laid, and they are noted for the beauty of their
coloration. On a ground color varying from light and dark cinnamon to reddish
and umber-brown, are specks, spots, blotches and cloudings of yellowish or reddish-
brown, bright chestnut, umber or claret-brown. The markings are variously dis-
tributed over the surface; in some specimens they are dispersed over the entire egg,
while in others scattering or more abundant at the smaller or greater half; occasional
specimens are found almost entirely unmarked. The sizes vary from 2.10 to 2.92 in
length by 1.37 to 1.90 in breadth.

363. GUADALUPE CARACARA. Polyboms liitosus Ridgw.— Geog. Disk—
Guadalupe Island, Lower California.

This is a much paler and browner colored species than the preceding. It was
and possibly is a resident of Guadalupe Island. From all accounts its general habits
Are the same as those of Audubon's Caracara, and there is probably little difference
in its nesting and eggs.

364. AMERICAN OSPREY. Pandion haliwtus carolinensis (Gmel.) Geog
Diat. — Nearly cosmopolitan. In America from Alaska and Hudson Bay south t«>
West Indies and Northern South America.

aaa

NB8T8 A\l> I

This winged fisher inhabits the entire temperate North America, breeding any
where in suitable places throughout its range. Found about inland waters, and
particularly along the sea coast. Mr. \V. \V. Worthington. of Shelter Island, N. Y.,
says they are exceedingly variable in the choice of a nesting place. On Gardiner's
Island they all build in- trees at distances varying from ten to seventy-five feet from
the ground; on Plum Island, where a great many of them breed, a large number
place their ne*t <-////</. some being built up to the height of four or five feet,

while others are simply a few sticks arranged in a circle, and the eggs laid <m /»//••
sand. On Shelter Island they build on the chimneys of houses, and a pair ;
nest on the cross-bar of a telegraph pole. Another pair has a nest on a large rock
in Gardiner's Bay, near Gardiner's Island. They are made chiefly of coarse sticks
and sea weed and anything that is handy, such as pieces of dry cow dung, bones, old
shoes, stra N. curious nest of the Fish Hawk was found by Mr. S. C. Shirk in

May. 1888, on. the coast of New Jersey. A set of three eggs was taken, and upon de-

:«4. FISH HAWK, or OIHKP.Y.

•cending the tree, Mr. Shick observed a nest of the purple Grackle, (ju'w<Hu*
•ecnrely Imbedded in the loose material of the Osprey's nest; from this he took five
tgg*. At the bottom of the Osprey's nest was a thick, rotten limb, in which ther»
was a Tree Swallow's nest containing seven eggs. Mr. Worthington. who has col-
1 hundreds of the eggs of this species, and to whom I am indebted for a larfl*
RTlr*. says the largest set of pggs h< has • \« i t;ik»-n or seen is four: the usual num-
Wr, however. Is three, though sets of two are common. They are subject to great
variation; the ground color is of yellowish or creamy-white, spotted, streaked and

\ORTH AMKRH'AX BIRDS. 23S

blotched with reddish-brown and umber, so thickly at the larger end as to com-
pletely obscure the ground, some are marked chiefly at the smaller end; in a series
of two hundred eggs before me, there is a wonderful diversity of coloring; some are
almost entirely unmarked. The shapes and sizes also exhibit great variations. Four
selected specimens measure 2.05x1.65, 2.21x1.76, 2.42x1.76, 2.54x1.87. The average
Bize is 2.40x1.75.

364. OSPREY'S NEST IN GIANT CACTUS. (From The Nidologist.)

365. AMERICAN BARN OWL. Strix pratincola Bonap. Geog. Dist.—
United States in general, south into Mexico.

A beautiful ochraceous-yellow or amber-colored owl; sometimes called the
"Monkey-faced Owl." A constant resident of the southern portions of the United
States. Mr. Stuart says that in Florida the Barn Owl breeds most generally in
March, usually in hollow trees, sometimes in deserted buildings or in the wrecks of
boats left along the coast. I am informed by Mr. Shields that in the region of LOR
Angeles, California, this Owl nests almost anywhere; in church towers, hollow trees,
holes in banks, in barns, pigeon houses, old crows' nests, and even in holes in the
'ground. He took a set of five eggs from a nest in a burrow far out upon the plains.
The breeding season he states begins about the first of April, and continues until the
last of June. Natural cavities of trees are this bird's usual nesting places. Mr.
Samuel C. Evans writes thai along the Santa Anna River are high banks, perforated
with holes, in which these owls nest. The eggp are often found in various stages of
incubation in the same nest — some fresh and others nearly hatched. The nests are
scantily supplied with a few sticks, straw, bones and other refuse of food. The num-
ber of eggs deposited by the Barn Owl ranges from five to eleven, rarely the latter.

«

NB8TS AND EGOS OF

number: some writers say three to ten. I know of several authentic sets of eK\<>n.
Their color is plain, dead white; their shape ovate. Six specimens measure 1.75x1.35,
1.67x1.30. 1.79x1.33. 1.67x1.34. 1.72x1.35, 1.68x1.29. Twenty-eight specimens have
an average size of 1.74x1.30. The largest egg of the Owl of which I have any record
is in the collection of Joseph M. Wade, of Boston, Massachusetts; it measures

» » BAR* OwtS (Fr

366. AMERICAN LONG-EARED OWL. .l*/o irilsnuinim* (Less.) Geog.
Dist— Temperate North America, south into Mexico.

The Long-enred Owl Is a common resident and generally distributed throughout
North America at largo. It Is of nocturnal habits, thus escaping observation, even
where It i* very common. Its food consists chiefly of mice ami other small rodents.
Breeds In suitable places wherever found. -r preens are favorite re-

NORTH A Ml-: If 1C AS BIKDx. 235

sorts of this species for breeding purposes. The nest is constructed with very little
art; composed of a few sticks with a more or less complete lining of feathers.
Various nesting places are selected; such as a hollow tree or stump, rift of rock, an
old crow's or hawk's nest, which is repaired with a few sticks. In some localities
the nest is made on the ground or on low bushes, and the same nest is occupied for
several years. In the West where this Owl is very abundant it frequently deposits
its eggs in old Magpie's nests. In California it begins nesting as early as the middle
of February; in Kansas the eggs are deposited early in April. The eggs are from
three to six, and sometimes seven in number; they are white and oval in shape.
Three eggs of this Owl are in my collection, taken from an old hawk's nest in Knox
county, Ohio, April 20, 1884; they were so far advanced in incubation that they could
hardly be preserved; these measure 1.62x1.32, 1.57x1.28, 1.59x1.35. Three eggs from a
set of five collected in Marion county, Ohio, April 9, 1884, measure 1.65x1.27, 1.59x
1.33, 1.75x1.28. A set of six eggs from an old Magpie's nest, collected in Douglas
county, Colorado. April 20, 1885, measure 1.59x1.32, 1.64x1.33, 1.57x1.38, 1.65x1.44.
1.60x1.35, 1.60x1.40.

367. SHORT-EARED OWL. Asio acripitriiius (Pall.) Geog. Dist.— Entire
North America; nearly cosmopolitan.

The Marsh Owl, or Short-eared Owl, is found throughout North America at
large, but is more abundant in the Arctic regions during the breeding season than
it is in the United States. It frequents the marshes, the thickets of bottom lands,
and it seems to be particularly common in the tall weeds and grass of fields and
meadows. In the West it is found on the vast prairies, along sloughs, hiding in the
daytime among the sage bushes and tall grass. This Owl is the species commonly
shot by sportsmen, as it rises from a iield, marsh or thicket. It is nocturnal, but
often hunts its food on dark days; this consists of field mice, moles, shrews and other
small rodents. The nest is made on the ground in the matted grass of marsh land;
it may be found in a depression, at the foot of a bush, beside a log, or in a burrow
made by a rabbit or a muskrat; a few sticks, soft grasses and a few of its own feath-
ers usually comprise the nest proper; sometimes the eggs are laid on the bare
ground. The complement of eggs ranges from four to seven. In Ohio they are
deposited in the month of April, sometimes as early as the latter part of March, or
as late as the middle of May. Within these dates it doubtless may be found breed-
ing throughout the United States. A set of six eggs in my cabinet, with the parent
bird, collected by A. Corwin, in Morrow county, Ohio, May 8, 1884, measure 1.60x
1.20, 1.56x1.19, 1.50x1.21, 1.52x1.20, 1.64x1.18, 1.56x1.22. They are white and oval in
shape. The nest was on the ground, between logs, at the edge of a blackberry patch.
The average size of the eggs is 1.55x1.25.

368. BARBED OWL, $yntinm ncbulosunt (Forst.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
United States, north to southern British Provinces; south to Georgia and Northern
Texas

.\XST8 AND

Called the American Hoot Owl or Wood Owl, and Round-headed Owl. A large

dark-eyed species, common to wooded
lands of Eastern United States, especially
bottom woods; those of swamps, along
ravines and rivers where there is a heavy
growth of tall timber. The loud, laughing
notes of this Owl, heard in the night, are
something terrible, and if heard about the
farm-house or camp-fire will not soon be
forgotten. Its flight is soft, as if on wings
of down, noiseless, quick and easy. Nests
in hollows of trees, in old nests of hawks
and crows. In Ohio it is said to breed as
early as the last of February, but I have
always found it nesting in April and the
first half of May. In New London county,
Connecticut, Mr. C. L. Rawson has taken
eggs of this Owl in February, which were
deposited on a solid cake of ice in a cavity
or in the open nest; he states that of late
years full clutches of eggs are deposited
by the last of March. The usual time of
nesting in Iowa is March and April. The
same nesting place is occupied by the
birds for years, even after being robbed
many times. The eggs are two or three
in number, very rarely four; globular,
white. Between the eggs of this specie*
and those of the Great Horned Owl there
is commonly considerable difference in di-
mensions in favor of the former, but

sometimes they approach each other so closely that to identify them by size alone u
impossible. The Barred Owls' eggs measure in long diameter from 1.87 to 2.20, aic*
io short diameter from 1.50 to 1.75.

M8. BARBED OWL (After Jasper).

368a. FLORIDA BARKED OWL. Nj/nnu//i itrtml<ntnm allt-ni Ridgw. Ge«g.
Dlst.— Florida. Texas, Louisiana and adjoining regions.

A darker colored race found in Florida, Texas, etc. Mr. Singley states this is the
commonest owl in Leo county, Texas, where it frequents almost exclusively the thick
wooded bottom lands. He found seventeen nests in hollows of trees with eggs or
young, and the number in each was invariably two. The sizes of a set of two eggs
taken March 20, 1885, now in Mr. Norris' collection, are 1.89x1.58, 1.86x1.61; six
other specimens measure 1.97x1.78, 1.90x1.61, 1.88x1.67, 1.89x1.60, 1.81x1 54, 1.87x1.61.
The eggs are nubsphertcal. pure white, smooth, without granulation?

369. SPOTTED OWL. .Syruium •>« \<lcnlnlc Xantus. Geog. Dist.— South west-
era United States, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Lower California and Mexico.

By no means a common bird and comparatively little is known concerning iU
life history. The- Western Barred Owl was first described in 1859 from a specimen
which remained unique in collections until Major Bendire rediscovered it in Arizoaa

NORTH AMKKIVAX IURDX.

237

in the spring of 1872. A nest was found April 17, which appeared to have been built
by the birds themselves, and was placed about thirty feet from the ground; composed
of small sticks and twigs, lined with grasses, bark and a few feathers. It contained
one white globular egg. Mr. Ridgway gives the size of an egg as 2.05x1.80. Mr.
Norris has a set of two eggs collected by E. M. Haight, near Riverside. California,
May 19, 1885. They measure 2.11x1.67, 2.12x1.68; they Were laid on the bare ground
at the base of a large rock.

370. GREAT GRAY OWL. Scutivtcjr rincrca (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Arctic
America, south in winter to the northern border of the United States.

An immense owl— one of the largest in North America,— round-headed and very
much resembling the Barred Owl in appearance. It breeds far northward. Dr.
Richardson met with this species in the fur. regions and found it common on the
borders of Great Bear Lake, keeping constantly in the woods, hunting hares arid
other smaller quadrupeds. May 23 a nest was found built on the top of a lofty
balsam-poplar, composed of sticks with a lining of feathers. Mr. MacFarlane found
this Owl abundant in the Anderson River region, and on July 19 discovered a nest
built in the top of a pine tree, twenty feet from the ground; it was composed of
sticks, mosses and thinly lined with down. The eggs are white, two or three in
number, and the average size given is 2.16x1.71.

[370a.] LAPP OWL. ScoUaptex cinerea
Arctic portions of the Old World; accidental
in Alaska (Norton Sounu).

A lighter colored bird than the Great
Gray Owl, and is given a place in our
avifauna on the grounds of a single specimen
brought to Mr. L. M. Turner from the Yukon
Delta April 15, 1876. According to Dresser
this Owl is considered one of the rarest in-
habiting the Polar Arctic region, and is al-
most entirely confined to the more boreal
districts, where it is a resident in the upper
portions of the forest belt, but rarely strag-
gling lower into the northern parts of Cen-
tral Europe. It has not been met with in
Great Britain, Greenland or Iceland, but is
found throughout the northern portions of
the Scandinavian Peninsula. The nests of
the Lapp Owl are built chiefly in fir trees,
often at considerable heights. They are com-
posed of sticks, small twigs, heather, and
sometimes are made of any kind of rubbish
near at hand. The eggs are from two to six
in number, pure white, but have a finer shell
texture than those of the Great Horned Owl.
Two sets of this bird's eggs are in the collec-
tion of Mr. C. W. Crandall, of Woodside, New
York. One is of six eggs, taken near Kittila.v
Lapland, April 8, 1891. The measurements
of the eggs are as follows: 2.16x1.67. 2.17x
1.68, 2.31x1.71, 2.25x1.66, 2.12x1.70, 2.09x1.61
inches. The nest was placed high up in a

lapponica (Retz.) Geog. Dist.—

:t70rt. LAPP OWL (From Turner)

238 NESTS AND EGOS OF

fir tree. The second set was collected near Muonio. Lapland, June 7, 1892, from a
eighteen feet up in a fir tree; these measure 2.08x1.72, 2.05x1,67, 2.11x1.71 inches.

371. RICHARDSON'S OWL. \in-tnln triitimalmi rirliartlnnni (Bonap.) Geog.
Dtat.— Northern North America, south in winter to northern border of the United
States.

The American Sparrow Owl, or Richardson's Owl, so far as known, breeds in
northern latitudes and is supposed to nest as far south as Nova Scotia. In Western
Manitoba, in the Red River region, it is quite common in the wooded districts.
Specimens of this Owl have been taken in various parts of the Arctic regions, as at

171. Larger .MALM'S EUROPEAN SAW-WHET OWL, similar in cut to our Richardson's Owr

.mailer figure, resembles the California Pigmy Owl No. :WV».

Fort Simpson, Fort Resolution, etc., and in Alaska. Dr. Richardson states that it
inhabits all the wooded country from Great Slave Lake to the United States. The
nest is described as built in tn-rs. composed of grass and leaves; the eggs two to four
in number and their average size 1.35x1.14 They are globular in shape and white
in color.

372. SAW-WHET OWL. .Y//r/u/*/ tn-mlira (Gmel.) Geog. Dist— Whole of
North Am.: .ling fronr Middle I i .t.-s northward.

Vcadian Owl is the smallest member of the family found in Eastern Nortk
America, and it inhabits the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific, ranging

NORTH AMERICAN HIItDS.

239

north into British America; southward in wooded, mountainous regions, into Mexi-
co. Its shrill, harsh notes, resembling the filing of a saw, have occasioned its name.
The bird has been found breeding in Massachusetts, Maine, New York, etc., nesting
in holes of trees, artificial nests, and in the old nests of herons. Mr. William
Brewster records a set of four eggs taken April 5, near Tyngsboro, Massachusetts,
by Mr. W. Perham; they were deposited in artificial nests made from sections of
hollow trunks, nailed to trees in woods. The sizes of four eggs are given as fol-
lows: 1.12x.95, 1.21X.98, 1.25x.96, 1.25x.97. Other eggs were taken from similar nests
by Mr. Perham. Near Utica, New York, Mr. Egbert Bagg, on the dates of April 7,
21 and 30, 1886, found four sets of eggs of this species; two sets of five and two of
seven eggs each. They were taken from deserted woodpeckers' excavations in tree
stubs, ranging from twenty-two to fifty feet from the ground. The eggs were laid on
the rotten chips in the cavities, and a few feathers of the Owl were present. The
eggs are white, nearly elliptical; the average size is 1.20x1.02. The number ranges
from four to seven. On May 28, 1889, my friend, J. E. Gould, shot two young birds
of this species in a woods near Worthington, Ohio, — about five miles north of Co-
lumbus. These had just left the nest. About a mile and a half distant, in an en-
tirely different strip of woods, another specimen was observed the same day. On
June 2, returning to the place where he had taken the two young, three more were
observed, sitting in the branches of the same sapling from which the two were shot
on May 28. One of these was secured with a stick, the other 2 were allowed to remain.
These were doubtless a brood of five, and the one observed in another woods mak-
ing six in all. There is little doubt that the three young observed on June 2 were
not strong enough to leave the nest when Mr. Gould visited the place on May 28. A
dead mouse was observed hanging in a crotch of the sapling where the Owls were
perched, which was doubtless placed there by one of the parent birds. Two of
these specimens, kindly presented to me by Mr. Gould, are in my collection; the
third is in his possession. That the Acadian Owl breeds in Central Ohio there is
now no longer any doubt, and the securing of its eggs is only a question of time.

373. SCREECH OWL. Meyascops asio (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern United
states, north to British Provinces; west
to the Great Plains, south to Georgia.

The Mottled Owl is resident
throughout Eastern United States and
Canada; west to the Rocky Mountains;
on the limits of its range shades into
several varieties. The eggs of the dif-
ferent varieties of Mcya scops are not
distinguishable. The nest of the Little
Horned or Red Owl, as it isoften called,
is made in a hollow tree or stump,
sometimes in the topmost corner inside
of an old barn or shed. I have found
several nests between the oroken sid-
ing of ice-houses, along streams.
The materials used are «i few sticks,
leaves, feathers, etc., on which the eggs <ci^
are laid. In the month of April, 1885, a
farmer brought me nine young, with
the parent birds, which he had taken
from a hollow tree. This number of
young is, of course, extraordinary for
this species. One of the old birds was 373. SCREECH OWL.

VKSTS AND EGGS OF

fray, the * and some of the young were of red, and some of the gray type

of coloration, this being a common occurrence. The eggs of this bird range
usually from four to six. frequently eight; they are white, nearly round and average
1.40x1.20.

373«. FLORIDA SCREECH OWL. I/. •./«•><"/'* usi» ftnridnnuM (Ridgw.) Geog.
Dist.— Florida. Southern Georgia, occasional in Lousiana.

A smaller and much darker form in the red and gray phases of plumage in-
kabiting Florida and adjoining regions. Its habits are the same as thos«> of I/, mtin,
and eggs in my collection are not distinguishable except, perhaps, by their smaller
rt.ll

373//. TEXAS SCREECH OWL. .Wn/«*ro/>.v asmn> trich<n>*i* (Wagl.) Geog. Dist.
—Rio Grande Valley of Texas, south to Guatemala.

This is n slightly darker bird than auto, of the same size as flnrldanux, and found
In the red and gray plumage. Three eggs in my cabinet, collected near Corpus
Christi. March 20. 1885, measure 1.36x1.17. 1.33x1.18, 1.36x1.15.

373.. CALIFORNIA SCREECH OWL. .l/n/w*ro/w «*/« ln-n,lirn (Brewst.)
Geog. Dial. — California.

No red phasr of plumage is known in this bird; it is grayish-brown or brownish-
gray, and very much likf I/. »/\io, being of the same size. Eggs in my collectiom
from Petaluma and Riverside. California, do not differ from those of the Easterm
representative. Four sprcin; -ire 1.38x1.18, 1.40x1.18, 1.47x1.19, 1.47xl.2t.

The average of ten eggs is 1.40x1.17.

373f/. KENNICOTTS SCREECH OWL. .lMA/.sro/,.s <M,O k,-iniimt1ii (Elliot.)
Geog. Dlst. — Region of the Northwest coast, from Sitka to Oregon, east to Montana.

Kennicott's Screech Owl, in the red and gray phase of plumage, averages con-
•iderahly larger than <i*io and mrmllii. length about eleven inches. Its general
hablta are essentially the same as those of M. </*/". Major Bendire gives the sizes
•f a set of four eggs taken from a hole in a cottonwood in Washington Territory,
April 7. as 1.47x1.28. 1.43x1.29, 1.45x1.30, 1.46x1.30. Tin- cavity from which thes«
«gg* were taken wan sixteen Inches deep and twenty-five feet from (he ground.

373'. ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCREECH OWL. Miwittcnps //.v/o mrurirrllto
(Rldgw. ) Oog. DiHt.— Rocky Mountain region, from Colorado north to Montana.

This form of the Screech Owl has been named In honor of Mrs. M. A. Maxwell, of
BouM ido. a noted huntress and taxidermist. No gray phase is obsn-v «!

In this form. Imt the whole plumage is very light colored. Mr. Norris has a set of
four eggs, taken near Loveland. Colorado. April 20. 1888; they measure 1.49x1.19,
1.46x1.20. 1.46x1.21. 1 54x1.26.

37Sf. MEXICAN SCREECH OWL. M«mx,<,i^ nxin rinrrwiritx (Ridgw.)
f>l»t.— New Mexico. Arizona. T.ower California and Western Mexico.

NOltTH AMtiHlCAb JH Itbti. 241

The plumage of this form is described as nearly ashy-gray above, with broad
blackish streaks in strong contrast, blackish bars on lower parts numerous, black
border on the face and black spots on the breast. Its general habits do not differ
from those of its Northern and Eastern relatives. Average size of the eggs,
1.30x1.10.

373<j. AIKEN'S SCREECH OWL. Meyuywtpfs asw akeni Brewst. Geog.
Dist. — Plains El Paso County, Colorado, south probably to Central New Mexico anu
Northern Arizona.

I have no knowledge concerning the nesting habits of this bird. There is no
reason to believe that they differ materially from those of the Flammulated Screech
Owl.

373//. MACFARLANE'S SCREECH OWL. Mwjascops asio macfar-
lann. Geog. Dist. — East of the Cascades in Washington, interior of British Co-
lumbia; southward to Central Oregon and eastward into Montana.

So far as I know there are no published records concerning the nidification
of this new subspecies.

374. FLAMMULATED SCREECH OWL. Mtyascups flummeola (Kaup.)
Geog. Dist. — Highlands of Guatemala and Central Mexico, north to Colorado and
Northern California.

A small species whose general appearance is that of a young or rather an ungrown
Mottled Owl, J/. asio — the toes are entirely naked to the extreme base. A nest of
this Owl was found in Fremont county, Colorado, June 15, 1875, by Charles E. Aiken;
it was in a dead pine tree, and contained one egg, which was taken with the female
bird. In color and shape the egg resembles those of other species of the genus, and
measures 1.12x.95.

374a. DWARF SCREECH OWL. Mcffaxcops flamneola idahoensis Merriam.
Geog. Dist. — Mountains of Central Idaho.

The type specimen of this new subspecies, and so far as known the smallest of
our Screech Owls, was obtained in the Big Wood River Mountains, near Ketchum,
Alturus county, Idaho, September 22, 1890. Nothing so far as I am aware is known
concerning its general habits, nests or eggs, but it is reasonable to believe that they
do not differ from the preceding species.

375. GREAT HORNED OWL. Liubo virffinianus iGmel.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern North America, westward as far as the Mississippi Valley, and from Labrador
south to Costa Rica.

Literature abounds with the observations of naturalists on the habits of the
Great Horned Owl, and the pages of prose, poetry and song graphically depict its
many characteristics. It is known as the Hoot or Cat Owl, or "Hooter," and ife the
largest of all the owls with ear-tufts. A common bird throughout North America at
large in its several geographical varieties, the present species being restricted to the
region east of the Mississippi Valley. Barn-yards are its favorite hunting grounds,

17

24:

and its depredations done there among the poultry are well known. Rabbits, rac-
coons, weasels, miiik and other quadrupeds, with an occasional quail or grouse,
make up a large portion of this bird's food. The bones, fur and feathers of these
animals, and other refuse of food may be found in their nests in greater or less
abundance, and the neRtlng places aro also frequently impregnated with the odor ot

376. GRKAT HORNED OWL (After Auduboo).

the skunk. This bird does not migrate, but is resident wherever found. It gen-
erally breeds earlier than the Barred Owl. The time of nesting is usually in Feb-
ruary and March, and I know of eggs comparatively fresh taken April 15. but through
extensive research and information furnished by correspondents regarding tho n<>st-

\OKTH AMKKWA.\ BUWti. 243

ing, the greater portion of the eggs are deposited in the latter part of February or the
first part of March; at least more eggs have been collected at that time than at any
other period; and these dates will apply to the nesting of all other forms of this
Owl. Deep woods are its favorite haunts while breeding, where its bulky nests of
sticks, bark, leaves, etc., may be found in the branches of trees ranging from twenty
to one hundred feet from the ground, or the eggs may be deposited in a natural
cavity of a tree. The deserted nests of crows or those of hawks are appropriated—
the nests of the Red-tail, Red-shouldered and CooperTs Hawks being common re-
ceptacles. In Florida and some other sections the nests of the Bald Eagle, Osprey
and Caracara Eagle are frequently taken possession of by this Owl, and the same
pair of birds will occupy a nest for successive years, even after being annually mo-
lested and robbed. A rap on the trunk of the tree will generally cause the birds to
leave the nest. Besides the material already mentioned, the cavities will often contain
weed-stems, corn stalks, corn-silk and feathers from the breasts of the mother bird, and
again the eggs will be found laid upon the bare ground or decayed wood of the
cavity in the presence of a few bones and skulls of animals. This Owl deposits two
or three white, globular eggs.* Five sets of two eggs each are in my cabinet from
Florida, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio; the ten specimens measure, 2.18x1.72, 2.20x1.78,
2.24x1.80, 2.26x1.88, 2.26x1.79, 2.29x1.82, 2.31x1.88, 2.30x1.89, 2.28x1.74, 2.32x1.80. The
average measurements of thirty eggs in Mr. Crandall's collection is 2.26x1.87. This
is d, series containing ten sets of three eggs each and four sets of two.

375«. WESTERN HORNED OWL. Bubo virginianus subarcticns (Hoy.)
Geog. Dist.— Western United States, from the Great Plains westward (except the
northwestern coast) ; east casually to Illinois, Wisconsin and western portion of
Canada, north to Manitoba, south to Mexican table lands.

A lighter colored form inhabiting Western United States. Its nesting, eggs ani
other characteristics are the same as those of B. virginianus. Four eggs in my col-
lection from Riverside, Cal., taken in March, 1884, measure 2.16x1.78, 2.20x1.74,
2.25x1.76, 2.16x1.78.

3756. ARCTIC HORNED OWL. Bubo vlryitiianus arcticus (Swains.) Geog.
Dist. — Chiefly the interior of Arctic America (Fur Countries), south in winter to the
Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains; Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

This bird's general plumage is whitish through the fading of the ground color
and restriction of the dark markings; beneath pure white, with dark markings.
Prof. Ridgway gives the average size of the eggs as 2.19x1.91.

375c. PACIFIC HORNED OWL. B«6o vir&inianus paciflcus Cassln. Geog.
Dist. — Southern California.

The exact range of this subspecies is not known.

* In exceptional cases four eggs have been Jtaken from a single nest, but I am not
aware of an authentic set of five eggs or the extreme number of six of the Eastern Horned
Owl as has been reported of B. v. Subarctints in Colorado. I have in several Instances
received sets of four eggs of B, virgi*ian*s.

244

NBBT8 AND BOOS OF

376. SNOWY OWL. A>7f« M//C/MI (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern portions of
the Northern Hemisphere; in North America, migrating southward in winter to the
Middle States, straggling to Virginia, South Carolina, Texas and to the Bermudas.

This large and beautiful bird inhabits the boreal regions of both continents.
It Is commonly called* White Owl, and is found with the plumage almost immacu-
late, or marked with bars and spots of
black and slaty-brown. It is a bird of
wide range, extending its migrations as
far south as the sub-tropical regions.
During some winters it is very abun-
dant in the United States, especially in
the Northern, Middle and Eastern
States. The food of the Showy Owl
consists of hares, squirrels, muskrats,
and other small animals, and, as the
bird is not exclusively nocturnal, it
catches these quadrupeds in daytime as
readily as any hawk. It is said probably
to breed in Northern Maine, Canada,
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, as it
does in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Common during the summer months in
the region of Hudson Bay and other
portions of Arctic America, nesting on
(he ground in moss on the dry parts of
marshes. I cannot quote better au-
thority on the breeding range and nidi-
flcation of this species than that of the
late Major Charles E. Bend ire from his
"Life Histories of North American
Birds." He says: "The breeding
range of the Snowy Owl in North
America extends from about latitude
53° in Labrador north to the Arctic
Sea, and it has been observed at the
highest latitudes our Arctic expl-

as yet been able to reach, it is likewise common in Greenland during the
breeding season, but much more in the northern than the southern portions."
Cen. A. W. Oreely, chief signal officer, U. S. army, mentions a nest of this species
taken near Fort Conger. Grinnell Land, May 22, 1882, and young birds on July 8.
He says that "the Snowy Owls breed abundantly in the vicinity of Fort Conger, and
as many as fifteen or twenty-five young birds were raised in 1882 and kept by us
until approaching winter compelled us to release them. A nest near Fort Conger
r tumbled that d« sr -ribed by MaJ. Feilden, which was a mere hollow scooped out of
the earth and situated on the summit of an eminence which rose from the cmi, r of
the valley." In this case n few foathers and a little grass wen present. From thr ••••
to ten eggs are laid by the Snowy Owl, usually from five to seven, white In color,
sometimes apparently with a creamy tint, and oblong oval in shape. The average
of fifteen specimens in the U. 8. National Museum is 2.24x1.77.

376 SNOW* owi (After Audubon.)

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

245

[377.] HAWK OWL. Surnia ulula (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Arctic portions of
the Old World. Casual in Alaska (St. Michael's).

Mr. F. M. Turner obtained several specimens
of this species in the vicinity of St. Michael's,
Alaska, while on duty there in connection with
the U. S. Signal Service during the years 1874 to 1881 .
which gives the Hawk Owl of Europe a place in our
avifauna. It is a larger bird than the American Hawk
Owl. Dresser in his magnificent work on "Birds of
Europe" says: "The Hawk Owl is a northern species,
being spread over the whole of Scandinavia and Si-
beria; it visits more southern countries only In winter
and then very sparingly, but has not yet been found on
the shores of the Mediterranean. According to Collett
it is very widely distributed throughout Norway, pre-
ferring the sub-Alpine regions to the low country; it
is tolerably numerous in the sub-Alpine woods of
Northern Sweden and Norway, common in Lapland
and Finland, occasionally visiting Denmark in winter;
said to have nested in East Prussia." The bird nests
in hollows of decayed pine trees, the lining of the nest
being simply the powdered wood or rotten chips of the
tree itself. The eggs are from five to nine in number,
white in color, smooth and glossy; in shape like those
of the Short-eared Owl. The breeding varies from the
middle of April to the end of June. A set of nine eggs
in Mr. Crandall's collection taken May 3, 1893, at

Kittila, Lapland, exhibit the following measurements: 1.67x1.24, 1.57x1.28,
1.23, 1.63x1.25, 1.63x1.27, 1.52x1.23, 1.60x1.23, 1.58x1.29, 1.63x1.27.

377.

EUROPEAN HAWK OWL (From
Turner).

1.58x

377«. AMERICAN HAWK OWL. Surnia ulula caparoch (Mull.) Geog.
Dist. — Northern North America; south in winter to Northern border of the United
States; occasional in British Islands.

A bird hawk-like in appearance, but nevertheless a true owl, and being the least
nocturnal of its tribe, it is called Day Owl. Its food is chiefly field-mice and other
small rodents, hawked for in broad daylight. The Hawk Owl inhabits the northern
portions of North America, and is said to breed from Maine northward. Dr. Rich-
ardson notes this species as common throughout the Fur Countries from Hudson
Bay to the Pacific. It was found in considerable numbers by Mr. MacFarlane in the
Anderson River Region, nesting in top branches of pine trees. Dr. Brewer de-
scribes a nest containing six eggs taken by Mr. MacFarlane on the 28th of April,
which was composed of dry sticks and lined with hay and a few feathers. Another,
which contained six eggs, was lined with green mosses and deer's hair. One nest
contained as many as seven eggs, and all but one had as many as six. Mr. R. B.
Ross found this Owl breeding in the Great Slave Lake district as early as the last of
March or first of April. Dr. Merriam states that the Hawk Owl unquestionably
breeds in northern Idaho. Tt is said that Mr. Boardman collected two of this species
on the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A common species about Nualto, on the
Yukon, Alaska, where Mr. W. H. Dall, on April 5th, obtained six eggs which were
laid in a hollow, in the top of an old birch stump, fifteen feet from the ground.

NE8T8 AND

Tbe eggs are said to range from two to six in number, dull white in color, rounded-
oval In shape, and average in their long diameter 1.53 and in their short diameter
1.26. A set of five eggs is in Mr. C. W. Crandall's collection. They were collected by
Mr. Edward Arnold at Fishing Lakes, Assiniboia, British America, May 26, 1895.
Tbe nest was in a maple tree, fifteen feet from the ground; it was composed of large
and small sticks, lined with grass, moss, rabbit-fur and rubbish. While taking
these eggs the parent bird proved to be very pugnacious. The eggs measure as fol-
lows: 1.59x1.23. 1.54x1.24, 1.58x1.24, 1.53x1.25, 1.58x1.25.

378. BURROWING OWL. N/>rof///o nnnrularia hyimytni (Bonap.) Geog.
Dist. — Western United States, from the Great Plains to the Pacific, south to Guate-
mala. Accidental In New England.

The Burrowing Owl, made famous by popular stories of its living in burrows
and holes of the ground with rattlesnakes, gophers and prairie dogs, inhabits the

UUKKOWING OWL (From BrehmV

• 8» regions of Western North America, from the plains to the Pacific. It is
found In all suitable places in Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Nebraska, India*
Territory, Wyoming, Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Oregom
and California. They are usually abundant, and congregate in large com-
•unitien. breeding in deserted burrows of quadrupeds, such as the prairie dog,
toodger or jropher. and there is no truth in the statements made by travelers that the

.1.17 /•:/»'/( MY 7?/A'/>.S'.

247

owls, gophers and rattlesnakes dwell together in harmony. The Owls choose aban-
doned burrows, and if a snake or quadruped enters, it is only by accident or for the
purpose of devouring the unsuspicious Owls. In Dakota and other regions as many
as twenty of these birds may be found nestling together in one hole, at which time
they are well supplied with food, such as mice, shore larks, etc. In some localities
the nesting place is lined with fine weed-stalks, feathers, bits of skin, etc., as Mr.
Fred Corey informs me is the case in
the vicinity of Santa Paula, Cal. The
late Major Charles E. Bendire says he
never found any other material in the
cavity occupied by the nest than
broken pieces of horse or cow dung, in
the State of Washington. Around the
outside may be found bits of skins of
gophers, rats, mice, and ears of small
rabbits. The eggs are pure glossy
white, nearly round, although in a
large series any shape may be found,
from globular to pyriform. The num-
ber laid varies from four to ten, usually
six or eight. Professor Evermann has
a set of eleven which he collected near
Santa Paula, Cal., April 14, 1881, and
Major Bendire records an extraordin-
ary set of twelve, taken by Mr. Walter

B. Bryant, near Carson, Nevada. The average size given by Major Bendire in a
series of two hundred and fifty specimens is 1.24x1.03; the smallest 1.17x.97, tke
largest 1.35x1.09.

378. BURROWING OWL (After Fislier).

378«. FLORIDA BURROWING OWL. Siptotytu funicular ia fioridana Ridgw
Geeg. Dist.— Florida and adjacent Bahama Islands.

A smaller local race of Florida, having the lower parts of its plumage nearly
pure white. In some places in Florida colonies of these birds are quite common,
nesting in the same manner as S. cunicularia 7fj/pov/w«. Four eggs from Southern
Manatee county, Florida, taken April 10, 1885, measure, 1.24x1.05, 1.23x1.02. 1.22x1.02,
1.25x1.05.

379. PYGMY OWL. Glawidium '\fiwma Wagl. Geog. Dist.— Western North
America in mountainous regions from British Columbia to eastern slopes of the
Rocky Mountains, and south to the tablelands of Mexico.

The breeding range of this little owl extends, as far as known, through the tim-
bered regions of Western North America, from the Southern Rocky Mountains ia
Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona westward to Eastern California, Eastern Orego*
and Eastern Washington; north into Eastern British Columbia, and south into
Mexico. From their very small size and unobtrusive habits they are likely to be
overlooked. The Pygmy Owl feeds upon insects and the smaller rodents, which it
hunts by day as well as by night. Its flight is described as short, quick and Jerky,
similar to that of the Sparrow Hawk. Comparatively little has been written regard-
ing the nesting and eggs of this bird. There is no reason to believe that the
aȣ eggs of this bird differ from those of tho California Pygmy Owl.

24 - NB8T8 AND BOOS OF

3790. CALIFORNIA PYGMY OWL. tiltiunilium t/iminti nilifnrnicum (Scl.)
Geog. Dlst.— Pacific coast region, from Caliioiuia to British Columbia.

A darker colored race than the preceding, is a resident of the timbered regions
adjacent to the Pacific coast, where it breeds from about latitude 37° N. in middle
California, through Western Oregon, Washington and Southern British Columbia.
Mr William A. Cooper describes a nest of this subspecies which was found by Mr.
George H. Ready, near Santa Cruz, Cal., in a deserted woodpecker's excavation in
the trunk of a tree seventy-five feet from the ground. The burrow was about nine
inches deep and two inches across the mouth. The nest was found June 8, 1376, and
contained three eggs, deposited upon a bed of twigs and a few feathers for a lining,
three Inches deep. One egg was accidentally broken. The two remaining eggs are
described as dull white, with a scarcely perceptible yellowish tinge. The surface is
quite smooth, and has the appearance of having been punctured with a fine point
over the entire egg. They are oblong-oval in shape, more pointed at one end; sizes
1.17x.87, 1.18x.90; the larger specimen is more pointed. Incubation was far »<1-
vanced. and the embryos were extracted with difficulty. The eggs are three to five
in number. Mr. C. Barlow has a set of four of this bird's eggs, pure white with a
gloss; they measure 1.15X.92, 1.17x.93, 1.19x.97, 1.18x.95. An interesting paper on
this bird was read before the Cooper Ornithological Club by H. Ward Carriger and
published in the "Nidologist" for August, 1895. I quote the article in part: "The
flight of this Owl is jerky and at times quite swift. It is not often one sees this bird
fly for any distance, as it usually flies, if disturbed, from tree to tree. As the birds
are very quick in winter they are not often seen, though you search carefully for
them. One rainy day in October two were met sitting side by side in the low limbs
of a laurel tree, -nd they retained their position until the limb was forcibly shaken
and then flew to another portion of the tree. Along in February they commence to
'toot.' This note is hard to describe, but once heard is never forgotten. It is easily
Imitated, and probably resembles the word 'toot' or 'who' uttered in a drawn-out,
explosive manner. The Owls were observed 'tooting' as early as 6 a. m., and up to
11 a. m., but never in the afternoon. The usual time of 'tooting' is from 6 to 8:30
a. m., and on cloudy days later, even up to eleven o'clock. The note cannot be
called loud, but nevertheless can be heard for a quarter of a mile and upward, and
to deceptive. When disturbed during its time of 'tooting' the Owl will glance at the
Intruder for a moment, and then resume its note with apparent unconcern. During
mating season they are hard to drive from their perch. Years ago Mr. Carrigpr re-
members seeing a number of these Owls in the orchard about the house, but cf late
years none have been observed within a mile or more of a residence. In 1893 a
specimen was captured and kept in a cage for over a month, when it fell a prey to a
cat. Mr. Carrlger has had the good fortune to discover four nests of this species
during recent years. Nest No. 1 was found April 26, 1891, and contained six fresh
eggs. A rap on the tree brought the bird from the cavity, and after following her
for some time she returned to the nest, but left as soon as the ascent to the cavity
was begun, and remained In the tree while her )mm< was being despoiled. The
y was In the main body of a large white oak. fourteen feet from the Around.
• ntrance was a little over two inches in diameter, and four inches deep. Tin-
inside diameter of the cavity was nearly six Inches. The nest contained a freshly
killed lizard.

370. 1. HOSKIN'S PYGMY OWL. ahninilimn hnalfintli (Brewst.) Geog.
Dlst.— Lower California.

NORTH AMERICAN HI Iff)*. 249

This bird was first described by Mr. William Brewster. It is smaller and grayer
than the California Pygmy Owl. The type specimen was taken by M. Abbott Frazar,
May 10, 1887, in the Sierra de la Laguna, Lower California, Nothing is known con-
cerning its habits and eggs which doubtless are similar or identical with those of
the two preceding races.

380. FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL. Glaucidium phalceiioidcs (Baud.) Geog
Dist. — Southern border of the United States, from Texas to Southern Arizona, south
to Southern Brazil.

The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl is a resident of the southern border of the United
States, breeding in the valley of the Rio Grande in Texas, and in Southern Arizona
In Mexico its nests have been found in the hollows of trees or in those excavations
made by woodpeckers. A set of four eggs was taken near Brownsville, Texas, from
a nest in a woodpecker's hole in a mesquite tree, about ten feet from the ground on
May 3, 1890. The eggs are white, glossy and average in size 1.10x.91. Two sets of
four eggs each of this species are in Mr. C. W. Crandall's collection. They were
taken by Mr. Frank B. Armstrong in Tamaulipas county, Mexico, May 6 ard 16th,
respectively, 1895. The eggs in both cases were simply laid in the hollows in old
trees, sixteen and eighteen feet from the ground. The first set taken measures as
follows: 1.08x.90, l.lOx.89, l.llx.88, 1.13x.91 inches; the second, 1.08x.88, 1.10x.90,
1.10x.90, l.llx.88 inches. The average size of the eight eggs is 1.10x.89 inches. They
are remarkably uniform in size and are miniatures of the Screech Owl's eggs.

381. ELF OWL. Mirropallas tcJiitncyi (Cooper.) Geog. Dist.— Southern Ari-
zona, Southeastern California, Lower California, south to Southern Mexico.

One of the smallest of all raptorial birds, first discovered by Dr. J. G. Cooper,
the type specimen being an adult male, taken near Fort Mohave, California, April
26, 1861. Others were afterwards taken by Col. Grayson on islands off the western
coast of Mexico. Major Bendire took several specimens in the dense mesquite
thickets, near Rillito Creek, about seven miles from Tucson, Arizona, in April, 1,872.
He also found one of their nests with fully fledged young in a hole of a mesquite
stump. This Owl was found to be common by Mr. F. Stephens in the desert region
about Tucson and Camp Lowell. Mr. W. E. D Scott states that it is decidedly the
commonest Owl breeding in Southern Arizona (Pima, Final and Gila counties), and
is very abundant during the breeding time, nesting in the woodpecker holes of the
giant cactus. The eggs range from two to four in number, ordinarily three. Mr.
Scott took a set of five from a nest. On one occasion, near Fuller's Ranch, about the
last of May, 1883, Mr. Stephens and Mr. Scott collected a large number of the birds
and their eggs in a few hours. Mr. Walter E. Bryant has a set of two eggs taken
near Tucson, Arizona, May 28, 1885, by Mr. Herbert Brown. The nest was in an
abandoned woodpecker's hole, in a cactus about twenty feet from the ground; the
cavity was about eight or nine inches deep. The eggs measure 26.5x23.5, 26x22.5
mm.* Mr. Emerson has a set of three, taken by Mr. Stephens near Camp Lowell,
May 24, 1884. They were found in a woodpecker's burrow in a giant cactus, ten
feet from the ground. The sizes are 27x23, 26x23 mm.f A set of three eggs collected
near Camp Lowell are pure white, nearly globular, and measure 1.04x.93, 1.09x.91,
1.12x.91. These were taken from a woodpecker's hole in a giant cactus twenty feet
from the ground.

* 1.04X.93, 1.02X.89.
tl.06x.91, 1.02X.91, 1.06X.91.

250 NB8T* \\I>KOOSOF

382. CAROLINA PAROQUET, foni/ri/x mrnlim-miis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Formerly South Atlantic and Gulf States; up the Mississippi to Missouri; up the
Missouri River to the Platte. Colorado; regularly to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,
Wisconsin. Nebraska, etc. Formerly north in the Eastern rnit» d states to Penn-
sylvania and the Lak~es.

In the fir?i part of the present century the beautiful Carolina Paroquet was
very abundant in the South Atlantic and Gulf States, and its migrations extended
far northward. It has continued to diminish in numbers until it is now nearly ex-
terminated, existing only in remote localities of the lower Mississippi Valley and
Gulf States. It is still found in some regions of Florida. On November 1, 1889, Mr.
F. M. Chapman read before a meeting of the Linnean Society of New York, a paper
entitled "Notes on the Carolina Paroquet in Florida." In this paper, compil'-d
from personal observation, Mr. Chapman writes as follows: "Fifteen years ago,
Paroquets were more or less generally distributed throughout Florida and in many
esses were extremely abundant, and even at more recent date were not uncommon
in numerous localities, but today they have entirely disappeared from the more
settled portions of the state, and we may look for them only bevond the bounds of

»l. CAROLINA PAROQUCT (Krom Biebm. afur Andubou).

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 251

civilization, indeed in regions which are practically uninhabitable. In what num-
bers they still exist is impossible for us to say." Mr. William Brewster in "The
Auk" (Vol. VI, pp. 336, 337), has probably thrown more light on the nesting habits of
this species than any other writer. While in Florida during February and March,
1888, he questioned everybody whom he met regarding the nesting of the Paroquet.
Two professional hunters of alligators and plume birds, both uneducated men, stated
that they had seen Paroquets' nests which they described as flimsy structures placed
in the branches of cypress trees. This was so widely in variance with the state-

382. CAROLINA PAROQUET ^From Wilson

ments of Wilson, Audubon and others, that the Carolina Paroquet lays its eggs in
hollow trees that the statement at the time was taken as a mere fabrication until
it was strongly corroborated by Judge R. L. Long, of Tallahassee, a gentleman with
a very good general knowledge of birds. He stated that formerly they nested
abundantly in large colonies in the cypress swamps. Several of these colonies con-
tained a thousand birds each, and they invariably selected a fork near the end of a
slender horizontal branch for the position of the nest. Every such fork would be
occupied, and he has seen as many as forty or fifty nests in one small tree. They
closely resembled those of the Carolina Dove; the eggs were often visible from be-
neath. Mr. Long describes the eggs as being of a greenish-white color, unspotted.
He thought the number laid was at least four or five. He had often taken young
birds from the nest to rear or to give to his friends. He knew of a small colony of
Paroquets breeding in Waukulla Swamp, about 20 miles from Tallahassee, in the
summer of 1895, and believed they still occur there in moderate numbers. There
appears to be no positive information concerning the actual number of eggs laid by
the Carolina Paroquet in its wild state. Dr. Karl Russ, of Berlin, Germany, men-
tions several instances of this bird breeding in capivity in Germany, where the eggs
were deposited in June and July, the number being from three to five, pure white,
fine grained, very round and quHe glossy, like woodpeckers' eggs, and measuring
abotit 1.50x1.42 inches. Mr. Robert Ridgway's Paroquets which he had in captivitT

NE8T8 AND EGOS OF

would not use the nesting boxes provided for them, and both females deposited their
eggs on the floor of the cage; they were laid ir July, August and September, respect-
ively. None of these eggs can be called round; they vary from ovate to short ovate,
and are rather pointed; they are white with the faintest yellowish tint, ivory-like
and quite glossy; the shell rather thick, close grained and deeply pitted not unlike
the eggs of the African Ostrich, but the pits are not so noticeable. These eggs meas-
ure 1.43x1.06, 1.36x1.07 and 1.31x1.06. The smallest one of these is figured in the
late Major Bendlre's monumental work (Vol. II, Plate I). The last record we have
of this bird being taken .n Ohio is October 9th, 1884. A specimen was shot by .\ir.
A. Lee Hoskinson, near Newark, and mounted by S. G. Hamilton, taxidermist, of
that city. The bird was seen about the place for several days and was heard scream-
Ing all the night before it was killed. It is still in Mr. Hoskinson's possession.

[383.] ANI. Crotoi>h(f,,it <mi Linn. Geog. Dist.— West Indies; eastern South
America, rare or casual in Florida and Louisiana; accidental near Philadelphia.

The Anl, Black Witch or Savanna Blackbird, so grotesque in appearance is only
of rare or accidental occurrence in the United States, as in Southern Florida, and in
other regions as above cited. The bird is from thirteen to fifteen inches long; tail

AMI (From Brehm)

eight inches; the bill is exceedingly compressed and smooth, or with a few traverse
wrinkles on the upper mandible; the color of the plumage is black, with steel-hlm
reflections. It is common throughout the West Indies and in Northeastern South
America. Observers state that several of these birds will form sort of a community
or colony to build an immense nest, which is used in common. It is a large mass of

NOLtTU AMUKICAN BlltDX. 253

interwoven twigs, lined with leaves, and is built in trees or bushes, sometimes in
marshes. Prom five to fourteen eggs, or even more, are deposited by the several
birds. These are of a glaucous-blue in color, usually covered with a light chalky
crust. Their average size is 1.34x1.20.

384. GROOVED-BILLED ANI. Crotophaffu sulcirostris Swains. Geog. Dist. —
Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas and Lower California southward to Peru.

The Grooved-billed Ani was formerly only known from Yucatan, Central and
South America. Between the years 1865 and 1871 it was discovered in Western
Mexico, and finally added to the fauna of the United States by Mr. George B. Sennett,
who shot an adult male on May 19, 1878, at Lomita Ranch, on the Rio Grande, which
is seven miles above Hidalgo. It has since been found breeding in chaparral near
Brownsville, Texas, and its nest and three sets of its eggs taken there are in the
Ralph collection in the U. S. National Museum. The eggs of this species range from
four to eight, usually five in number, and of the same color as those of the last
species. No peculiarity seems to be noted in the nesting of this species; no mention
is made of eggs being laid in one nest by several females, as is the case with C. anl,
and we would naturally expect the breeding habits of both species belonging to the
same genus to be very much similar. Colonel Grayson states that the nest is usually
built in a thorny tree or bush, at a moderate height, and composed of thorns and
dry twigs exteriorly, and lined with fibrous roots. He describes the eggs on tne
outside of the shell as rough and white, the inside green. The birds, he remarks,
associate in small flocks of eight or ten, and are fond of picking ticks off the cattle.
Mr. Charles W. Richmond states that this species is very abundant in the vicinity
of Bluefields, Nicaragua. The heart of a thick thorny orange or lemon tree appears
to be their favorite situation, from four to seven feet from the ground, sometimes as
high up as fifteen feet. The nests like those of €'. aui, are very bulky, conspicuous
structures, composed of dead black twigs, and the cavity proper is invariably lined
with green leaves. The nest is a voluminous structure, and while in its cavity may
be found eggs of the original builder, other eggs, undoubtedly the product of some
intruder, are often found in its framework. The eggs resemble those of the Ani so
closely that the same description will answer for both. The average measurement
of forty eggs in the U. S. National Museum is about 1.23x.94, the largest 1.32x.99
inches, the smallest 1.09x. 86 inches.

385. ROAD-RUNNER. Geococcy.r California nits (Less.) Geog. Dist. -Texas,
New Mexico, north to Western Indian .Territory and Kansas; Southern Colorado,
westward to California; Lower California; south into Mexico.

The Ground Cuckoo, Chaparral Cock, Snake Killer or Paisano, as it is differently
called, is a curious long-tailed, chicken-like bird, noted for its swiftness of foot. It is
found in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California southward. In Southern Cali-
fornia, Mr. Shields states that this bird is abundant in the chaparral and sage bush
regions. Its favorite food consists of small lizards and snakes. It nests in low
trees, usually in the low branches of a cactus or in a thorny bush. A nest before
me, collected in Lee county, Texas, by J. A. Singley, is a coarse structure made of
sticks. It was placed in a haw bush about eight feet from the ground. The struc-
ture is thick and clumsy, with but a slight depression for the eggs. The latter are
deposited at intervals of several days, and a perfectly fresh egg is often found with
one on the point of hatching; or young birds of various sizes with partially incu-
bated eggs in the same nest is of common occurrence. Mr. Shields found oggs as

254

\YD BGO8 OF

early ao the last of March, and ah hue as the middle of June. Most of the eggs ob-
tained by Mr. Sennett in Southern Texas were deposited in April. From two to
twelve are laid, commonly five to nine; the general shape is ovate and the color
*hlte or huffy-white. Six selected specimens measure 1.56x1.20, 1.51x1.23, 1.60x1.18,
l.SDxl.17, 1.57x1.14, 1.56x1.23. 1.58x1.19. 1.61x1.14.

Wf>. ROAD-HI NHER (From Rrehm).

886. MANGROVE CUCKOO. <'Mvyzu« minor (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— West In-
dies (except Bahamas); Florida Keys; coast of Louisiana; Central to Northern and
Eastern South America.

The Mangrove Cuckoo is very much like the yellow-billed species, r. amrrtcanuf,
with the lower parts of the plumage more deeply colored— deep ochraceous, often
extending to the throat; bill similar to that of ('. <nnn-\<-nnnx. This species occurs
In nearly all of the West Indian Islands, except the Bahamas, and it is a rare summer
resident of the Florida Keys. Audubon records it as a regular summer visitor to
Key West and the other Keys. In the Island of Jamaica the Mangrove Cuckoo is
said to breed from March to July, building in tin- low branches of trees and in

AORTH AM Fit I CAN BIRDS.

255

bushes. The nest is described as a loosely made structure, composed of a few dry
sticks. The eggs are three, rarely four, in number, of a glaucous-green color, oval-
oblong in shape, and on the whole they are of the same size and general appearance
as those of C. americaniix.

386a. MAYNARD'S CUCKOO. Cwcyzux minor maynardi Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Bahamas and Florida Keys. Cuba.(?)

A smaller and somewhat paler race than the preceding and from which it has
been separated in the last decade. It has so far only been found at Key West,
where it is rare, but is thought to breed there in limited numbers. The eggs are un-
known, but probably are indistinguishable from those of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO (From Brehm).

387. YEIXOW-BILLEI} CUCKOO. Cvccyzu* amcricanus (Linn.) Geog.
Dist.— Eastern North America, north to BritishvProvince, west to the edge of Great
Plains, South in winter to tropical regions— West Indies, Eastern Mexico and Costa
Rica.

NESTS AND I

This bird is kn • veral names, such as Rain Crow, Rain Dove and Chow-

chow, which are likewise applied to the Black-billed species. Wherever woods uid
undergrowth abound in Eastern United States the Yellow-billed Cuckoo may In-
seen in the breeding season. Its peculiar, resounding notes resembling the syllables
* ,.,k -, are probably uttered more frequently just before falling weather-

hence the name, Rain Crow. Being somewhat nocturnal in their habits, the notes
of both our Cuckoos are often heard at night. The nesi will usually be found in a
low tree or bush, sometimes it is placed in a brier patca close to the ground. Thick-
ets along the streams or upon islands are favorite nesting places. The usual distance
of the nest from the ground is between five and ten feet. It is a slight structure of
slender, dried sticks, sometimes twelve to fifteen inches long, but generally much
shorter, bark-strips and catkins making up the fabric. Although near relatives of
the notorious Cuckoo of Europe, which, like our Cowbird, lays its egc-s in the nest
of other birds, our Cuckoos generally respect the marriage tie, and are not alto-
gether deserving of the stigma of the family name of Cuckoos of the Old World,
although its eggs are sometimes laid in the nests of the Mourning Dove, Catbird,
Cedai x. Cardinal Grosbeak, Robin and others. The eggs are deposited at

intervals • live days, and frequently young are found in the nest wi;h par-

tially iwui.aitd eggs. Two to four are usually laid. Dr. Howard Jones, in :
and Eggs of the Birds of Ohio," says that when incubation does not begin until the
complement is completed, as is commonly the case, four eggs, rarely six, make up
the set. Mr. Norris has a set of six. The average size of twenty-eight specimens

7x.8i». Fresh eggs may be found as early as the middle of May, in June, July
and even August. Not infrequently are the eggs of the Yellow-billed and Black-
billed Cuckoos found In the same nest. The color of the eggs is glaucous-green, of
the same tint found in herons' eggs, which fades upon exposure to light, and when

.ited. this color becomes several shades lighter than that in the fresh specimens,
on Jun»'L'4.1894.a nest of this species was found by Mr.R.C.Osburn in Licking county,
O.. which was placed in an apple tree twenty feet from the ground. It had a lining
a quarter of an inch deep, composed wholly of the seeds of the ash tree. The seeds
bad been carried at least three hundred yards.

1387«.J CALIFORNIA CUCKOO, rorr//;/,* «,H<-ri<-anu* nrridvntali* Ridgw.
Oeog. Dlst.— Western United States, north to Oregon, east to New Mexico and
h over tablelands of Mexico.

Rldp :ib»'H this western form as larger than ('. iiim-rimmix. with

proportionately larger and stouter bill.* The nesting and eggs, and the general
habits of this geographic race are indistinguishable from those of the Yellow-billed
Cuckoo.

888. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, o,, ,//;//> ,ri/ll,rni>l,tlinliiins (Wils.) Geog.
•h America, north to Labrador and Manitoba, westward to the
Rocky Mountains, south In winter to the West Indies and Tropical America.

.same names are given to this bird as are common to the Yellow-billed
nd their general habits are similar. The nests of tin- V-l

low and Black mble each other closely, and it is not always pos-

to differentiate the two. Nests of the former are often found which could not

null Of Nor

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

257

be mistaken for those of the Black-billed on account of the coarseness of the nest,
larger size and paler color of the eggs. However, as a rule, the nest of the Black-bill
is constructed with more care, the sticks being somewhat smaller, the catkins less
numerous, and the whole woven together in a firmer manner. The eggs are smaller,
less elliptical, and are of a darker green — deep glaucous-green or verditer-blue.
The nest complement varies from two to five, rarely six, usually four, and they are
found in all stages of incubation, as is the case with the eggs of C. americanus. Ten
specimens measure 1.13x.79, l.llx.86, 1.15x.84, 1.13x.80, 1.17x.82, 1.17x.84, 1.19x.SO,
1.12x.86, 1.13x.82, 1.18x.89, with an average size of 1.14x.79. A very interesting note
concerning this species is made by Dr. Edgar A. Mearns in his "Birds of Hudson
Highlands."* He says: "The young arc covered with curious-looking pin-feathers,
which give them an appearance like that of the wire swab used in gun
cleaning. The old bird is a close sitter, and when obliged to leave the nest
moves off slowly upon the branches,
with wings and tail outspread. Some-
times it will come quite close to the ob-
server, and then utter for several min-
utes a low, mournful coo, coo, coo, coo,
and then an outpouring of harsh, loud
notes that quickly bring the mate to its
side, all the while keeping its wings
and tail expanded, and crouching low
upon the branch. Its ordinary notes
are quite commonly heard at night as
well as during the day."

[388. 1.] KAMCHATKA!! CTIC-
KOO. Cuculus canorus tclephonus
(Heine.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern Asia,
casually to the Pribilof Islands, Alaska.

The Siberian Cuckoo is entitled to a
place in our avifauna on the strength
of a single specimen having been taken
by Mr. William Palmer at Northeast
Point, St. Paul's Island, Alaska, July

4, 1890, and now in the U. S. National Museum. Nothing definite apparently is
known concerning its nesting habits and eggs, but they undoubtedly correspond
with those of the European Cuckoo.

* * EUROPEAN CUCKOO.

389. COPPERY-TAILED TROGON. Trogon amUguus Gould. Geog. Dist.—
Southern and Central Mexico, from Oaxaca and Guerrero, north to the valley of the
Lower Rio Grande in Texas and Southern Arizona.

A specimen in my collection of this magnificent bird, the only representa-
tive of this family in the United States, wasv taken in the Huachuca Mountains,

* A List of the Birds of Hudson Highlands with Annotations. By 'Edgar A. Mearns:
Bulletin of the Essex Institute, Vols. X-XIII, Part VIII, p. 76.

18

VS8T8 AND BOGS OF

MOTMOT iiTom Urehtn)

Arizona, June 1G, 16J4. This specimen
has a copper-colored tail above, \\ith
the crown, hind-neck, back and scapu-
lars a deep metallic green, varying to
coppery bronze. The length of this
species varies from eleven to twelve
inches, the tail ranging from 6.50 to
7.20 inches. There is no longer doubt
that this beautiful species breeds in
some of the mountain ranges of South-
ern Arizona, as it has been taken a
number of times in that region from
June to August. The Trogons, whose
breeding habits are known, nest in the
natural cavities of trees or in cavities
excavated by woodpeckers, the eggs
being deposited in the bottom of the
holes on the rubbish or chips which
may be found in them. The eggs are
said to vary from two to four in num-
ber, unspotted. The eggs of the Mexi-
can Trogon are described as a very pale
green in color, while those of Trif^m
sitrncna from Paraguay are said to be
pure white. The late Maj. Charles B.
Bendire, in tho second volume of uis
"Life Histories of North American
Birds," says: "I have seen eggs pur-
porting to belong to this species, but
their large size, as well as the source
from which they came, do not warrant
me in giving measurements or a de-
scription of these specimens, and as
far as I know, genuine eggs of the Cop-

-talled Trogon still remain to be
described." With the above facts in
view I venture to describe a set of this
bird's eggs in the collection of Mr. R. P.
Sharpies, of Springfield, 111. The eggs,
three in number, were taken June 14,
1882, in the vicinity of Mazattan, Mexi-
co, by Mr. A. Forrer. The nest was
placed in a hole in a bluff of a river, ten

above the bed of the stream and

two feet below the top surface of the bank, and the cavity extended in about eighteen
inches. The eggs are dull white in color, nearly oval in form, and the shell has
indistinct lines, resembling water marks in writing paper. Their sizes are as fol-
lows: 1.12x.86, l.lOx.87, 1.03X.84 inches. According to the data furnished with this
set of eggs these birds nest in small colonies; six sets of eggs having been secured
from the bank where this set was obtained.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 259

* * BLTJE-CBOWNED MOTMOT. Momotus cceruleiceps Gould. Geog. Dist.—
Eastern Mexico, north to Rio Grande Valley.

The Motmots, or Sawbills, as they are called, is a family of twelve or fifteen
species inhabiting tropical America, the present species coming very near our border

• » PARADISE TROGAN, Pharomaerus tnocinno (After MicheleO.

in the Rio Grande Valley. They are birdsv of striking plumage, the general color
being plain greenish, tinged with olive; the ear-coverets are rather lengthened and
stiffened and chiefly black, but partly blue. They have lengthened and usually spatu-
late middle tail-feathers, blue except the tips, where they are black. The head of the

NEBT8 AND EGGS OF

Blue-crowned Motmot varies from bluish to greenish or, as Mr. Ridgway describes it,
ing to verdigris-green, duller centrally"; length of bird about
14.20 to 15. middle tail feathers 8.80 to 9.15 inches.

390. BELTED KINGFISHER. r<r///< «/r//ow (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Entire
North America. South Panama and West Indies.

This is the familiar bird whose loud, coarse, rattling notes are heard along our
streams. It may be seen perched upon the lower branches of a tree overhanging the
water, or on the top of a dead stump; these places furnish a favorite outlook, from

which it plunges beneath the water to se-
cure its prey, which is chiefly fish. It is a
curious fact that Mr. W. E. D. Scott fre-
quently met with this bird in the desert
region of Southern Arizona, far from
water, feeding on the large insects and
lizards. The nest of the Kingfisher is an
excavation in the face of a perpendicular
bank of a stream, or in the banks of gravel
pits. The entrance is generally about two
or three feet below the surface; the tun-
nel is usually straight, but sometimes an
angle from three to six or eight feet, and is
dug by the bird. The Kingfisher ejects
from its mouth the bones, scales and other
indigestible portions of its food, like a bird
of prey. Thus are we able to account for
the bones and other refuse of food found
in the nesting cavities, in the midst of
which the eggs are deposited. The eggs are of a clear shining white, nearly spherical
In shape, usually six in number; when the full complement is laid it generally num-
bers seven or eight. Six eggs measure 1.34x1.07, 1.35x1.08, 1.37x1.04, 1.47x1.03, 1.37x
1.05, 1.40x1.08.

390. 1. RINGED KINGFISHER. Ceryle tuniuatn (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Mexi-
co and southward to Southern South America; casual on the Lower Rio Grande,

Unit.

This IB the largest and handsomest Kingfisher found on the American con-
habiting suitable localities throughout the greater portion of South
Amrrlca, the whole of Central America, and most of Mexico. It has been added to
our fauna from the fact that Mr. Geo. B. Benners shot an adult female about a mile
below Laredo, Texas, on the United States side of the Rio Grande. The birds nest
in holes in perpendicular banks, sometimes a long distance from water and lay
eggs which are, in all probability, similar to those of our familiar Belted
nher.

391. TEXAN KINGFISHER. < \riih <iw, ri«nni HfjitrntHnnalis Sharpe
(Twhudl.) Geog. Dist.— Southern Texas to Arizona, south to Ecuador and Western

ticauHfiil little bird, known an Texan Green Kingfisher, is quite common in
suitable places along the streams of Southern Texas — wherever the water is not too
muddy for it to clearly see its prey. Like the Belted Kingfisher, this species nests
tn holes of backs, depositing the eggs on the bare floor of the cavity, or upon fish

A TYPICAL KINGFISHER.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD 8.

261

bones and other extraneous matter. Mr. Brewster describes the eggs of this species,
taken in Comal county, Texas, April 25, as extremely thin-shelled, rounded-oval and
nearly elliptical in shape, clear ivory-white, with a rather high polish; others
creamy-white, with scarcely any polish. The sizes of five eggs are given as l.OOx.71,
.94x.69, .99x.69, l.OOx.71, l.OOx.75, respectively. The average size is about .95x.73
inches.

392. IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER (From Brehm).

392. IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. Campephilus principalis (Linn.)
Geog. Dist.— Formerly Southern Atlantic^ and Gulf States and Lower Mississippi
Valley, north to North Carolina, Eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois and Indiana.
Now restricted and only locally distributed in the Gulf States and lower Mississippi
Valley where only locally

NEBT8 AND EGOS OF

The largest of our North American Woodpeckers— in fact it is the prince of
Woodpeckers. Its length ranges from nineteen to twenty-one inches.* The adult
male has a long pointed crest of scarlet, the entire crown (with its elongated feath-
ers) is black; the bill ivory-yellowish or whitish. This bird is now rare, and is ap-
parently restricted to the extreme Southern States, especially those bordering the
Gulf of Mexico. It is of a wild* and wary disposition, making its home in the dark,
swampy woodlands. The dense cypress swamps of Florida are at present one of its
favorite haunts. A set of three eggs of this species is in the cabinet of Captain B.
•ss. They were taken in Southern Texas in May, 1885, from a hole in a
tree about forty feet from the ground; the cavity was excavated to the depth of
nearly two feet, and was large enough to allow the collector to insert his arm and
take out the eggs. These are pyriform in shape, and have the usual gloss of wood-
peckers' eggs, and measure, respectively, 1.44x1.06, 1.45x1.06, 1.44x1.07. The average
measurement of thirteen eggs in the U. S. National Museum is about 1.45x.99 inches.
Mr. W. E. D. Scott found a nest of this species in Hillsboro county, Florida, March
17. 1887, containing a young bird, one-third grown. The nest cavity was dug in a
large cypress tree in the midst of a dense swamp, and was forty-one feet from the
ground; the depth of the cavity was fourteen inches. Mr. Scott was told by old
residents the bird was once very common in that region, but is now comparatively
rare and shy. The day the nest was found eleven of the birds were counted in the
swamp, sometimes four or five were in sight at once.f

393. HAIRY WOODPECKER.

(Linn.) Geog. Dist— Northern and mid-
dle portions of the Eastern United States, from
the Atlantic coast to the Great Plains.

A ragged-looking black and white species,
known as the large "Sapsucker," and one of tin
most noisy in the woods during the breeding
season, which occurs in latter part of April,
through May and the early part of Juno. It
does not accept the society of other species like
Its miniature, the little "Sapsucker" — Downy
Woodpecker, and always maintains a more dig-
nified manner than this species when hunting
insects in the trunks of trees. Tho nest cavity
Is commonly dug in dead or partially dead tree-
trunks, on the outskirts of woods or those in
orchards; the distance from the ground usually
ranges from ten to twenty feet, and tho depth
of the cavity eight to fifteen inches. No material
is used for a nest lining; the eggs simply rest
on the fine chips made during the excavating
Four, rarely five, glossy-white eggs are de-
posited. Five specimens measure .97x.70, .98x
.70. .94X.69, l.OOx.70. l.OOx.69.

•The Imperial Woodpecker, C. imfitrialit (Gould), measures twenty-three or twrnt v-fmir
Inche* in length. Thin bird U f»un<l in Western M<-xi< «.. north alon^ tin- Sirn.i M.i.l.--. and prob-
ably ban not yet been observed or taken within our limits, bat is likely to occur at any time within
the United State* boundary.

t Auk. V. p. 1W.

818. HAIHT WoonrrcKtu.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 263

393cr. NORTHERN HAIRY WOODPECKER. Dryobates villosus leucomela*
Bodd. Geog. Dist.— Northern North America, south to about the northern border of
the United States.

The general habits, nesting and eggs are exact counterparts of those of />.
villosus.

3936. SOUTHERN HAIRY WOODPECKER. Dryobates villosus audubonii
(Swains.) Geog. Dist. — South Atlantic and Gulf States, north to North Carolina and
Tennessee, west to Louisiana and Southern Texas.

The general habits, food, nesting and eggs of this geographical race are identical
with those of D. villosus.

393c. HARRIS'S WOODPECKER. Dryobates villosus Jiarrisii (Aud.) Geog.
Dist.— Pacific coast of North America from northern California to Southern Alaska.

Harris's Woodpecker is exactly like D.villosits, except that it has fewer wing
spots; the coverts and tertials are plain black, the lower parts are usually white, fre-
quently pure white, rarely smoky-gray. In the mountainous regions of the West
coast this bird is quite common, inhabiting all kinds of forests, especially those of
the pine regions. Its nesting and eggs are indistinguishable from those of O.
villosus.

393d. CABANIS'S WOODPECKER. Dryobates villosus liyloscopus (Cab.)
Geog. Dist.— Western United States, except northwest coast, and south into Mexico.

The general habits of this race are all characteristic of those of the Hairy
Woodpecker of Eastern United States. Four eggs taken in Socorro county, New
Mexico, exhibit the following sizes: .95x.67, .98x.69, .96x.70, .97x.70. They
are glossy-white. These were taken May 5, 1887, from a hole in an oak tree forty
feet from the ground. In all respects the nesting and eggs are similar to those of D.
villosus.

394. SOUTHERN DOWNY WOODPECKER. Dryobates pubescens (Linn.)
Geog. Dist. — South Atlantic and Gulf States, from South Carolina to Florida and
Texas.

A careful study of the Downy Woodpecker made by Mr. Harry C. Oberholser
has resulted in separating this bird into three geographical races, the present form
as the true Dryobates pubescens (Linn.), the bird of the middle region; Dryobates
pubescens medianus (Swains.), and that of Alaska and northern British America,
Dryobates pubescens nelsonii Oberholser. (Cf. Brewster, Auk, January, 1897, pp. 80-82.)
All of these races have habits and characteristics generally alike. They are all
commonly called Little or Lesser "Sapsuckers," but these are misnomers and terms
which can only be applied with any propriety to woodpeckers of the genus
SpJiyrapicus. They are perhaps the most social of all our Woodpeckers, and the best
known. They seem to enjoy the company of other birds, especially nuthatches, tit-
mice and wrens, in whose society they are generally found, searching the branches
of low trees or saplings, the hedges, the brush heaps and fences for insects and their
larvae. It is fond of drumming on the stub of a dead limb whose center is hollow,
and whose shell is hard and resonant. Upon such places it will drum for an hour at
a time, now and then stopping to listen for a response from its mate or of some rival.
At all times unsuspicious of man, and when engaged in excavating the cavity for the
nest continue the busy chiseling, unheeding vhis near approach. The nest is exca-
vated in the trunk of a small dead tree, often in the dead limb of an apple tree, in a
post or rail of a fence, seldom more than twenty feet from the ground, usually be-
tween ten and fifteen feet. The eggs are four or five, rarely six; they are pure

264 NB8TS AND EGOS OF

glossy-white, and nearly elliptical in shape. There is considerable difference in the
size of the eggs; a set of four measure, respectively, .75x.62, .77x.62, .73x.61, .73x.62;
another set, containing four, .84x.58, .78x.59, .83x.58, .82x.56; a set of five, .80x.57,
.85X.60, .84X.60, .83x.62, .84x.63.

394/7. OAIRDNER'S WOODPECKER. Dryobatrx imtuwnx ijairdnerii (Aud.)
Oeog. Dist.— Western United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, north
to British Columbia, south to New Mexico.

The western representative or counterpart of the Downy Woodpecker of the
Bast, resembling it in size, general habits, etc. In many places of the West it is an
abundant bird, but is not generally so common as the Downy is in the Eastern
States. Mr. Norris has a set of five eggs of this Woodpecker, collected June 1, 1876,
near Santa Cruz. California. They are glossy-white, and measure .81x.69, .80x.58,
.SOx.59. .77X.58, .7U.56.

394ft. BATCHELDER'S WOODPECKER, nriinlmtrx imhwens orecccus Batch.
Oeog. Dist.— Rocky Mountain region of the United States.

This subspecies inhabits the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, but it
appears to be more common on the eastern slopes than on the western and through-
out the Great Basin regions. Its habits, food, nesting and eggs are identical with
those of the Downy Woodpecker of the Eastern States. A set of six eggs of this
subspecies is in Mr. C. W. Crandall's oological collection. They were taken by Mr.
D. P. Ingraham near Beulah, Pueblo county, Colorado, June 1, 1896. The bird was
shot and identification made certain. The nest was in the hollow of a dead limb
of an aspen tree about 14 feet from the ground, at an altitude of 8,000 feet. The eggs
are pure white, very glossy' and of a true ovate shape. Their sizes are as follows:

:>8. .74X.58, .74x.60, .76x.59, .76x.57, .74x.59 inches respectively.

394*'. DOWNY WOODPECKER. In-imhntix imhrwiiti inrilianux (Swains.)
Oeog. Dist. — Middle and northern parts of eastern United States and northward.

Now a geographical race of the typical />r//o/m/r.v /////H.STO/.S- of Linnaeus. It is the
the familiar "Downy" of the middle and northern parts of eastern United States. Its
habits, nesting and eggs are described under the type No. 391.

394</. NELSON'S DOWNY WOODPECKER. IH'!,,.htit<.«
Oberholser. Geog. Dist.— Alaska and Northern British America.

Mr. Nelson states that this Downy Woodpecker is a winter and summer resident
In Alaska. Where woodland or a growth of bushes and small trees occur it is cer-
tain to be found. It has been taken along the entire course of the Yukon, as well
ts at various points on the coast of Bering Sea. The nesting holes were frequently
found in the decaying stubs, although he did not find a nest containing eggs.

395. BED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. />r,/o /,„/,.< bnrrfili* (Vieill.) Geog.
Dist.— Southern States, north regularly to North Carolina, irregularly to New Jersey;
west • itory and Eastern Texas.

Ked-cockaded Woodpecker has a restricted distribution in the Southeastern
Atlantic and Gulf States, and is found regularly as far north as the Carolinas,
ward to Indian Territory and Eastern Texas, and only irregularly to New Jersey.
Anrlubon speaks of It In his day as brln* found abundantly from Tnxns in Now
Jersey, and as far inland as Tennessee, and nowhere more numerous than in the pine

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

265

394*. DOWNY WOODPECKER (E. S. Cheney del).

regions of, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. He found these birds mated in.
Florida as early as January, and engaged in preparing a breeding place in February.
The nest, he states, is not unfrequently bored in a decayed stump. In Georgia and
other localities this bird excavates a nesting cavity in tall pine trees, living or dead.
The eggs range from three to four in number, rarely more, glossy-white; size .91x.68.

396. TEXAN WOODPECKER. Dryobates scalaris vairdi (Malherbe). (Wagl.)
Geog. Dist. — Southern border of the United States, from Texas to Arizona south into
Mexico.

This bird is called the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, from the black and white
cross-bars on the back. It averages larger than the Downy, 7). pubescens. Dr.
Merrill found it a common resident in Southern Texas. He states that in its habits
it is so like the Downy Woodpecker that there is little to be said about it. He gives
the average size of eighteen eggs as .81x.64.

396a. ST. LUCAS WOODPECKER. Drynhatcs sealant* lurasanu* Xantus.
Geog. Dist. — Lower California north to lat. 34° in the Colorado Desert, California.

There appears to be no written account concerning the nidification of this geo-
graphical race which is found in Lower California and the Colorado Desert in
California.

397. NTTTTALL'S WOODPECKER. Dryolmtes nuttallii (Gamb.) Geog.
Dist. — Southern Oregon, California and Northern Lower California.

The habitat of Nuttall's Woodpecker is restricted to the limited area of the
State of California, Southern Oregon, and down into Northern Lower California.
It closely resembles the Texan Woodpecker, and may be easily recognized from the

Utter by the white or dull buff nasal tufts and the markings of the tail feathers.
The bird is of the same size as the Downy Woodpecker of the Eastern States, and has
many of its characteristics, familiarly searching the orchards, stumps of trees and
fence rails for insects and their larvae. Mr. Walter E. Bryant found a nest of this
species on Mt Diablo-. California, May 29, 1880. It was in a cavity picked between
<>dy and the bark of an oak stump, fifteen feet from the ground. The opening
was very difficult to find. The male bird was sitting, and flew from the stump as Mr.
Bryant approached, and he was obliged to wait for its return before the entrance
could be located. The cavity was about twelve inches deep and four inches inside
diameter; diameter of the entrance was about one inch and a half. The nest con-
tained four glistening, white eggs; their sizes being as follows: 24x17.5, 23x17,

397 HOME or NUTTALL'B WOODPECKER (From Ike Nidologitt),

28x17.5, 23.5x.17 millimeters.* Mr. B. T. Gault on April 23, 1883, obtained a set of six
eggs of thin species from a cavity in the main trunk of an elder bush or tree in the
San Bernardin* Notwithstanding various loud demonstrations— tapping on

ITM trunk and chopping into the cavity with a hatchet the female bird did imt
leave the nest, and when taken out appeared stupefied. The nest was about five kmi
a half feet from the ground, was very nearly a foot deep and about five inches wide;

• .Mx.«. .Jla.67. JSlxM. .Wx.«7.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 267

the entrance was a little larger than a silver half dollar. The eggs were pretty well
advanced in incubation; their sizes are .85x.66, .87x.65, ,82x.64, .85x.66, .85x66, .84.x
.64.* They are of a pearly white.

398. ARIZONA WOODPECKER. Dryobates arizona: (Hargitt.) Geog. Dist.—
Southern Arizona to Northern Mexico.

Mr. F. Stephens met with this species in the Santa Rita andChiricahua Mountains
in Southern Arizona. Although the birds were not uncommon he did not succeed
in obtaining the eggs. A nest was found May 16 in a sycamore tree which contained
young. Mr. W. E. D. Scott found this Woodpecker in the oak region of the San
Pedro slope of the Cataline Mountains where, except in midwinter, it is not uncom-
mon. Mr. Brown found it common on the Santa Rita Mountains. -Mr. Scott rarely
met with more than two in company; frequently in the fall a party was seen com-
posed of Arizona Jays, California Woodpeckers, various Titmice and Warblers, and a
pair of Strickland's Woodpeckers. They appeared mated late in January or early
in February. A nest containing three young, found May 27, was in an oak about
ten feet from the ground; it was much like that of the Hairy Woodpecker, but the
opening was a little smaller. The eggs are three or four in number, glossy white,
and average ,84x.64 inches.

399. WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKEB. Xenopicus alltolarratus (Cass.)
Geog. Dist. — Mountains of the Pacific coast, from Southern British Columbia to
Southern California (including the eastern slope of Sierra Nevada), and east to the
Blue Mountains of Oregon and West Central Idaho.

This peculiarly-colored species is common in the pine regions of Washington,
Oregon and California. Dr. James C. Merrill, Assistant Surgeon, U. S. Army, states
that this bird was first observed in the vicinity of Fort Klamath, Oregon, November
9; by December it became rather abundant, and so continued until the latter part
of February, but after the middle of March none were seen. Careful search during
the breeding season failed to reveal its presence near the Fort, nor was it found in
the higher mountains in July and August. Dr. Merrill rarely heard this Wood-
pecker hammer, and even tapping is rather unusual with it. The bird uses its bill
as a crowbar rather than a hammer, pryiiry off the successive scales and layers of
bark in a very characteristic way, which explains the fact of its being a quiet work-
er. As a result of the great abundance of food which these birds obtained, the
specimens killed were loaded with fat — scarcely surpassed in this respect by some
Sandpiper in autumn.f Capt. B. F. Goss has a set of three eggs of this species,
taken May 17, 1882, near Crockers, California. The nest cavity was in a small rotten
stub, thirteen feet from the ground. The eggs are pure crystalline white, exhibiting
the following sizes: .96x.75, .98x.74, .98x.77. Set No. 253 (oological collection of
Walter E. Bryant), consisting of four eggs, was taken at Blue Canon, Cal., by C. A.
Allen, May 27, 1879. The nest was in an excavation of a pine stump, five feet from the
ground. The eggs measure respectively 23x17.5, 23.5x18.5, 24x18, 24x18.5 mm.$
Set No. 815 in Mr. Bryant's collection was taken at Big Trees, Cal., by Chas W. Knox.
This set contains five eggs; they were taken from a hole in a dead pine stump, eight
feet from the ground. Their sizes are: 25x19, 23.5x18.5, 25x19, 24x19, 24x19.5 mm.§

* Bull. No. 2. Ridgway Ornithological Club, April, 1887: Chicago, 111., pp. 78-81.

t Auk, V, p. 253.

t ,91x.69, .93X.73, ,94x.71, .94x.73.

§ .98x.75, .93x.73, .98x.75, .94x.75, .94x.77.

2us NEST8 AND EGGS OF

400. ARCTIC THBEE-TOED WOODPECKEB. Picoides arcticus (Swains.)
Geoff. Dlst— Northern North America, from the Arctic regions south to the North-
ern United States (New England, New York, Michigan, Minnesota and Idaho), and
in the Sierra Nevadas to Lake Tahoe.

The Black-backed Three-toed Woodpecker has an extended distribution from
the Pacific to the Atlantic, and from the northern border of the United States north-
ward to the Arctic regions. Its favorite haunts are the pine woods of mountain-
ous country. In some portions of Northern New England it is a rare summer resi-
dent Audubon says that it occurs in Northern Massachusetts and in all portions of
Maine covered by tall trees, where it resides. It is found as far south as Northern
New York, where Dr. Bachman was of the opinion that it nested. Dr. Merriam
states that this bird Is not an uncommon resident in those portions of Lewis county,
New York, which pertain to the Canadian fauna; for they are found both in the
Adirondack region and in the coniferous forests bordering Big Alder and Fish
Creeks, in the Tug Hill range. Dr. J. C. Cooper found this Woodpecker quite numer-
ous in September, in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe and the summits of the Sierra
Nevada, above an altitude of 6,000 feet. Dr. Merrill mentions it as a rather com-
mon resident in the vicinity of Forth Klamath, Oregon; in summer more com-
mon in the mountains. Several nests were found early in July, but with young,
fledged. The excavations were in dead young pines, not more than five or six feet
from the ground, in this respect differing from those of the other Woodpeckers
found there, all of which, so far as he had observed, make their holes at a greater
height. The eggs range from four to six in number, pure ivory-white; average size,
.95X.71.

401. AMERICAN THBEE-TOED WOODPECKEB. 7'jYo/Vr.v nmrrir,i,,itit
Brehm. Geog. Dist. — Northern North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south
In winter to the Northern United States (Maine, Massachusetts, New York).

The Banded or Ladder-backed Three-toed Woodpecker is found in the spruce
and fir regions of Northern North America. It is often found associated with the
last species. /'. iirrtinix, whose characteristics are similar, and whose nesting is
identical. Dr. C. Hart Merriam met with a pair of these birds nesting in Northern
New York, June 4, 1878. The cavity, which contained four nearly fresh eggs, was in
a spruce tree about eight feet from the ground; the entrance of the hole was an
Inch and a half in diameter, and the cavity ten inches deep. The eggs are described
as cream-white, and of a texture like those of other Woodpeckers; they are strongly
ovate in outline, and measure respectively, 23.8x17.2, 23.6x17.8, 23x17.9, 23x17.8
millimeters.*

ALASKAN THBEE-TOED WOODPECKEB. Picoides amcricanus alas-

Cecg. Dlst.— Alaska, eouth to Northern Washington.

Nothing has been published regarding this bird's nesting and eggs, but more
than likely they do not differ from those of the preceding species.

40 1ft. ALPINE THBEE-TOED WOODPECKEB. Picoides amcricafliis dorsalis
Baird. Oeog. Dlst.— Rocky Mountain region, from British Columbia and Idaho
south Into New Mexico.

The nesting habits, eggs and general characteristics, of this race inhabiting the
Rocky Mountain region are the same as those of Picoides amcricanus.

•.Mx.e8, .Hx.70. .Nx.71, .ttx.70. Bull. Nutt. rinh. Ill, 200.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

269

**EUROPEAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER Picoides trtaaciylus. Similar in cut to P. americanus (From Brehm),

402. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. Sphyrapicus varius (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern North America north to about 63° 31' (north of Fort Simpson), breed-
ing from Massachusetts northward; in winter to the West Indies, Mexico and Costa
Rica.

The Yellow-bellied Woodpecker is one of the most singularly marked and most
attractive birds of the family. It breeds from the northern United States northward.
A common bird in most of its United States range. The Woodpeckers of this genus
are the only ones to which the term "Sapsucker" can with any propriety be ap-
plied. They lack the long extensile tongue which enables the other species to probe
the winding galleries of wood-eating larvte, and they are known to feed largely upon
the green inner bark of trees. In some localities this species is said to destroy
many trees by stripping off bark and girdling them with holes for the sap. The fol-
lowing details are from Mr. William Brewster's account of this bird's nesting habits
in New England. He states that throughout the White Mountains of New Hamp-
shire, and in most sections of Northern Maine, the Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers out-
number all the other species in the summer season. Their favorite nesting sites are
large, dead birches, and a decided preference is manifested for the vicinity of water,
though some nests occur in the interior woods. The average height of the excava-
tion from the ground is about forty feet. In nearly every tree examined by Mr.
Irewster,- which contained a nest, there were several newly-finished cavities, and
others made in previous years, but in no case was more than one of the excavations
inhabited. Many of the nests were gourd-like in shape, with the sides very smoothly

270

JfBSTB AND EGGS OF

and evenly chiseled; the average depth was about fourteen inches, by five in
diameter at the widest point, while the diameter of the exterior hole varied from
1.25 to 1.60 inches. The labors of excavating the nest and those of incubation are
•bared alternately by both sexes. Mr. Brewster gives the eggs as numbering from

401. YKLLOW-BKLLIED SAPSUCKER lrr»m Beat).

five to seven in a set, and varying considerably in shape, some being oblong, others
decidedly elliptical. They are pure white in color, and there is much less of that
fine polish than in eggs of the other species of Woodpeckers he had examined. The
size is given as .85x.60.«

402/1. RED-NAPED SAPSTTCKER. ,s'/*/f///-f//»/n/.v niriiix tnn-lidlix Bainl.
Dtat— Rocky Mountain region, west to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges; south
into Mexico.

The late Major Charles E. Bendire, U. S. A., met with this race of x. rnrius
sparingly distributed in various portions of the Blue Mountains of Oregon, \v
IngtoD Territory and Idaho, and as far west as the eastern slope or th<> Cascade
Range in Southern Oregon, in the Klamath Lake region, where it was replaci-d M
Nphi/rapint* niter, the two species overlapping each othrr, but not intergrading, HIM)
remaining perfectly distinct.He found it breeding in June, nesting in cavities of live

• Bull. Nutt. Club. I. pp. 68-70.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 271

aspen trees. Dr. James C. Merrill found a nest of this bird in a cavity of a dead
young cottonwood, in Montana, June 12. The height of the hole from the ground
was twenty-five feet, anu near the top of the same tree were three similar holes, prob-
ably used by the same birds in previous years. Mr. Dennis Gale, an enthusiastic
naturalist, has given Major Bendire the results of his observations on the nesting of
this Woodpecker in the mountains of Colorado. According to him, its nesting sites
are invariably in living aspen trees, along the gulches and hillsides, and the birds
are seldom found above an altitude of 9000 or much below 8000 feet. In excavating
the cavity the female bird does the work from beginning to end, and completes it in
from six to ten days. The height of the nesting place from the ground varies from
five to thirty feet. The eggs are from three to six in number, usually four or five.
Fresh eggs may be found in Colorado from June 1 to 15, and should the first set be
taken, a second may generally be found in from ten to fifteen days later; and as a
rule, the second nesting-site will not be a great distance from the first one. Several
nests of this species may be found within a short distance of one another in the same
aspen grove. The cavities are roomy and gourd-shaped. Bendire gives the measure-
ments of two sets of four eggs each, taken by Mr. Gale. The first set, collected June,
1884, measures as follows: .91x.67, .90x.S8, .89x.68, .88x.64; second set taken June 1,
1887, .90x.69, .90x.69, .90x.68, .89x.65. A set of three eggs taken by himself in the
Blue Mountains, Grant county, Oregon, exhibit the following sizes: .90x.65, 90x.64,
.88x.66. The average measurement is given as .88x.66. The eggs are pure white
after blowing, moderately glossy or lustrous, and generally ovate in shape.* The set
of five taken by Dr. Merrill in Montana measure .91x.72, .90x.73, .93x.71, .93x.73,
.91x.73, respectively.

403. BED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. SpJiyrapicus rulter (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist.— Pacific coast region, from California northward into Alaska.

This species is confined to the Pacific coast region, occuring as far east as the
eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Central and Northern California;
in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington, thence northward through
British Columbia into Alaska: A handsome bird, with the whole head, neck and
breast carmine-red in both sexes. Major Bendire states that this bird is an
abundant summer resident of the aspen groves on the mountains in the southwestern
portion of Oregon — the region about Port Klamath, etc. According to his observa-
tions its nesting is very similar to 8. v. nuclialis — breeding in healthy live aspen
trees, making a gourd-shaped nest cavity from six to ten inches deep, four or five
inches wide at the bottom and three inches near the top. It is situated from fifteen
to twenty-five feet from the ground, and usually excavated below the first limb of
the tree. A sure sign of a nest was the chips scattered about the base of the tree.
Five or six eggs are laid, and fresh eggs may be looked for in the neighborhood of
Font Klamath from May 20 to June 5. Major Bendire took the first set of eggs
May 23, 1883, and he has taken nearly fresh eggs as late as June 13. When blown
the eggs are a pure delicate white, the shell showing a moderate amount of lustre.
There is considerable variation in their shape, running through all the different
ovates to an elongate-ovate. The average measurements of sixty specimens are
.94x.68; the largest egg l.OOx.70; the smallest .86x.78. A set of five eggs is in Mr.
Norris's collection, taken with the female bird, near Salem, Oregon, April 13, 1888,
from a cavity in a cottonwood, twenty-five feet from the ground. They measure
l.OOx.73, .91X.71, .94x.70, .90x71, .90x71.

* See Notes on the Habits, Nests, and Eggs «f the Genus Sphyrapicus. By Major
Charles E. Bendire: In The Auk, V, pp. 225-240.

NE8T8 AND EQG8 OP

4O4. WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER. N/'/n/r<;/m-»/* tJivroidcti* (Cass.) Geog.
Dlst.— West* rn United States, from and inclusive of the Rocky Mountains to the

This singular representative of the
,s'/;////r<//>iVMx, has a distribution extending
from the eastern slopes of the Rocky
Mountains to the Pacific coast In Oregon
and California. The maleand femaleof this
species are so different in coloration that
they were for a long time considered sepa-
rate species. Regions of coniferous trees
seem to be the favorite haunts of William-
son's Woodpecker. Dr. Merrill notes it as
not an uncommon resident in the vicinity oi
Fort Klamath, Oregon, but shy and very
suspicious. Two nests containing young
were found June 20 in large dead pines;
each were at a height of about sixty feet,
and inaccessible. Mr. Dennis Gale, who
has given Major Bendire his observations
on the habits of this species in the moun-
tains of Colorado, says that the birds arf
as often met with in moderately thick
woods as in more open clearings. The
nesting sites are excavated in the trunks
of pine trees, at heights ranging from five
to sixty feet or more. Fresh eggs may be
looked for, according to altitude, from
May 20 to June 15. At Fort Klamath,
Major Bendire took the first set of eggs

June 3, 1883. Five or six are laid. They are pure white, a trifle less lustrous than
those of »S. rubcr, a little more elongated and pointed in shape, some approaching a
distinct ovate-pyrlform or pear shape, a characteristic not apparently found in the
eggs of other species of the same genus. Major Bendire gives the average size of
•even teen specimens as .97x.67; the largest, 1.02x.68; the smallest, .94x.67.

405. PILEATED WOODPECKER. Ceophlacus jnlnttux (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Formerly entire North America In heavily-wooded districts, south of latitude 63°,
except in the southern Rocky Mountains; now rare or extirpated in the thickly
settled part of Eastern United States.

Next In size to the Ivory-billed species is the Pileated Woodpecker, commonly

called Logcock. It was formerly common to the whole wooded region of North

America east of the Rocky Mountains, but is now rare or absent in the thickly

settled portions oi the Eastern States. In southern districts, midst timbered

«wamps and heavy secluded woods it Is still abundant. The nesting places are ex-

cavated usually In the main trunks of high trees, such p« oaks, sycamores, elms,

pines, etc. The height of the burrow from the ground ranges from twenty to eighty

If inhabited. and the bird is at home, a rap upon the trunk of the tree will

generally bring this species to the entrance of the excavation. The eggs are from

to five in number, glossy or china-white and average In size about 1.30x1.00

i: I bl

401. WlLLIAMSOM'5 SAPSUCKKR.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

273

405. PILEATED WOODPECKER (From Beal).

406. BED-HEADED WOODPECKER. Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linn.)
Geog. Dist. — United States and British Provinces, west to the Rocky Mountains, oc-
casionally farther. Rare or casual east of Hudson River.

One of the most familiar birds in Eastern United States. It is found almost
everywhere — in deep forests and open woods, in groves, orchards and solitary trees
in fields, or along the roadside, and on the open prairies. A bird of manifold tricks
and manners— some are commendable, and some are not. It is known to rob and
demolish the nests of the Cliff Swallows; oftentimes whole colonies of these nests
are destroyed by this Woodpecker. It seems to have considerable foresight in
"looking out for a rainy day ahead" by storing grasshoppers, acorns and beech nuts
in the cracks and crevices of posts, in the cavities of partially decayed trees, and
under patches of raised bark. Berries and various fruits are likewise a portion of
its food. A cavity for the nest is dug in the decayed trunk of any kind of a tree
of sufficient thickness, and in almost any situation. Telegraph poles are often re-
ported to. On the open, treeless prairies it has been known to nest in the angle
formed by the shares of an upturned plow, and necessity often compels this bird
to make its nest under the roofs or in any dark hole it may find on the prairie

19

NB8T8 AND EOGS OF

farms. The eggs are five or six in number; when fresh and before blowing, like
those of all Woodpeckers, show the yolk through the translucent shell, which gives
them a beautiful pinkish appearance. After blowing they are of a clear, glossy-
white. The average size is .99*. 78.

HK5.

&

RRD-HBADED WOODPECKER (Prom Beal).

407. ANT-EATING WOODPECKER. Mclanerpcs formicivorus (Swains.)
Geog. Dist — Western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, thence over the tablelands of
Mexico.

Mr. W. H. Henshaw met with this species in the Rocky Mountain region of New
Mexico, Dear Santa Fe, where it frequented the small oak groves. Mr. W. E. D.
Scott states that the bird is a common resident of the Final and the Catalina Moun-
tains of Arizona, both in pine and oak regions as low as 4,000 feet. July 30, 1884, a
nest containing three half grown young was found; it was in a natural cavity of a
sycamore tree fifty feet from the ground. The number of eggs laid to a set is four
or five, rarely more. They are like the eggs of all woodpeckers, pure white ami

Sossy. The average measurement of nineteen specimens as given by MaJ. Bendire
l.OOx.75 Inches.

4O7a. CALIFORNIA^ WOODPECKER. Mclancrpcs formirirorus bainti Ridgw.
Geog. Dist — Pacific coast region of the United States, from southern Oregon south
to Northern Lower California and Mexico, east through Arizona to Southern Mexico
and Western Texas.

This subspecies of the Pacific coast region has tn* same general habits as M.
/orsifoiroruf.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 275

'4076. NARROW-FRONTED WOODPECKER. Melanerpea formicivorus oo-

ffustifrous Baird. Geog. Dist. — Southern Lower California.

A smaller race with a brighter sulphur-yellow throat and narrow frontal band
than the California Woodpecker. It is an inhabitant of the more southern portions
of Lower California and was first described by Baird in 1870. Mr. L. Belding found
it common at Miraflores, and abundant in the Victoria Mountains. On June 3, 1887,
Mr. M. Aboott Frazar found a nest of this species in the Sierra de la I aguna, Lower
California. The eggs, four in number, are now in Mr. William Brewster's collection;
these are white, with rather a dull gloss, varying in shape from blunt ovate to broad
elliptical oval, measuring .95x.75, .94x.74, .89x.77, .89x.76 inches. Mr. Frazar in*
formed Major Bendire that as nearly as he remembered the nesting place was in a
dead pine stump, not a great distance from the ground.

408. LEWIS'S WOODPECKER. Melanerpes torquatus (Wilt,., Geog. Dist—
Western United States, from the Black Hills and the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific
coast.

In most of the wooded, mountainous regions of the West, from the Rocky
Mountains to the Pacific, Lewis's Woodpecker is a common bird. About Fort
Klamath, Oregon, Dr. Merrill notes it as rather uncommon during the summer,
nesting usually near the tops of tall dead pines, especially isolated ones, from
which they can obtain a good view of passing insects, which they will often follow
to a considerable distance. The general habits of this species are similar to those of
the Red-headed Woodpecker. It is found in greater or less abundance in the pine
and oak districts of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, etc., where the nests
are burrowed, preferredly in dead trees, at all heights from the ground. The eggs
are five to nine in number, six or seven being the most common number, and, like all
those of the Woodpeckers, are white and glossy. The average measurement of one
hundred and seventy-one specimens in the U. S. National Museum collection is about
1.03X.80 inches; the largest specimen 1.18x.88, the smallest .94x.65 inches.

409. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. Melanerpes carolinus (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern United States, west to the Rocky Mountains, south to Florida and
Central Texas.

This Woodpecker is regarded by some as the most beautiful of the smaller spe-
cies of its tribe, and is known to many as the "Zebra Bird," from the back and wings
being closely banded with black and white; the whole crown and nape are scarlet
in the male, partly so in the female. Under parts grayish, mixed with yellowish-
white, reddening on the belly. A bird generally of retired habits, seeking the
deepest and most unfrequented forests to breed. When engaged in hammering for
insects it frequently emits a short, singular note, which Wilson likens to the bark of
a small dog. The note is repeated twice, and resembles the hoarse utterance of the
syllables choir, chow. Prof. D. E. Lantz states that this species in the vicinity of Man-
hattan, Kansas, exhibits the same familiarity as shown by the Flicker, the Red-
headed and Downy Woodpeckers. About a dozen nests were observed, the excava-
tions ranging usually less than twenty feet from the ground. One nest in a burrow
of a large dead limb of an elm tree was found May 12, and contained five eggs. /The
earliest date for a full set was May 10. The birds were very much attached to their
nests, so much so that in several cases it was necessary to remove them with the
hand before the eggs could be secured. The eggs being taken, they almost im-
mediately begin excavating another nest cavity for the second set, always in the

276 NESTS AND EGGS OF

Ticlnity of the first nest, often in the same tree. In Ohio this bird is a common
resident. Breeds in May. Four to six white eggs are laid, varying in length from
. 1.00 by .67 to .79 in breadth. Six eggs taken in Franklin county, Ohio, meas-
ure l.OOx.77, .98x.78, l.OOx.78, .99x.74, l.OOx.76, l.OOx.74. The average size of twenty-
four specimens in the U. S. National Museum as given by the late Major Bendire is
J9X.73 Inches. These are mostly from Florida.

410. GOLDEN-FRONTED WOODPECKER. Mclanerpes aurifrons (Wagl.)
Geog. Dist.— Southern Texas and Northeastern Mexico.

Dr. James C. Merrill records this species as abundant on the Lower Rio Grande
In Texas, and Mr. George B. Sennett found it very common at Lomita, and as bold
and noisy as the Red-headed Woodpecker of the North. Although breeding
abundantly, the eggs were difficult to obtain, as the nesting cavities were often
situated in the heart of large hard-wood trees, and not very accessible. From four
to seven rather dull looking white eggs are laid; usually five or six. Mr. Sennett
took the first set of eggs April 17, and a clutch of five fresh ones was taken May 1st
Two broods are probably reared in a season as eggs have been found in June. The
lato Major Charles E. Bendire gives the average measurement of seventy-three eggs
1.02x.77 inches.

411. OILA WOODPECKER. Mrlnncrpw uropygialis (Baird.) Geog. Dist. —
Southern Arizona, Southeastern portion of California, Lower California and Western
Mexico.

This species was first discovered by Dr. Kennedy in his route along the 35th
parallel, and described by Professor Baird in 1854. Dr. Hermann found it abun-
dant along the Gila river among the mesquite trees and giant cactus. He met with
It in California in considerable numbers on the banks of the Colorado. Mr. G. Frean
Morcom. in his valuable paper on the birds of Southern California and Southwestern
Arizona,* notes this as one of the species found by Mr. F. Stephens at Yuma, Arizona,
where it was not common. A nest was found May 4, excavated in a growing willow
on the edge of a slough. It contained three eggs, Incubation commenced. In the
region about Tucson, Arizona, Mr. W. E. D. Scott states that it is a common resident,
especially in the giant cactus regions, occurring in numbers up to an altitude of
4500 feet Though breeding in mesquite and cottonwood trees, they show a great
preference for groves of giant cactus, which afford nesting places for thousands of
pairs about Tucson, Florence and Riverside. Near Tucson, Mr. Scott took fresh
•CIS, three to five In number, from May 15 until the last of the month. The birds
do not always excavate new nesting holes in the giant cactus, but more frequently
take advantage of former excavations. The birds are very fond of the fruit of the
giant and other cacti. The eggs are smooth, glossy white, and measure .99x.72.

412. FLICKER. I'nlnittr* (inrntus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern North Ameri-
ca, west to the Great Plains, north to Hudson Bay and Alaska.

This is the Golden-winged Woodpecker, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Pigeon Wood-
pecker., High-holder, Wake-up pnd Yellow-hammer of Eastern North America.
Every country boy has a name for it. The bird's ordinary notes are the f ami II -ir,
oft-repeatrd "rhurk-up. rhtirk-up, chuck-np," (he scythe-whetting note, "quit-tu,
i. fjMlt-tu." and tli" pnruliar "wake-up" call, preluded by rapid monosyllables.

• Bulletin No. 2. The Kldgway Ornithological Club.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

277

412. FLICKKR (From Brehm).

The Golden-winged Woodpecker is found everywhere in woodlands, nesting in the
same manner as others of the family, most frequently in a dead trunk of a tree, at
considerable height from the ground. The excavations are generally made by the
birds, though not unfrequently the eggs are laid within a natural cavity. Curious
breeding-places are sometimes selected. It has been found nesting in an old wagon
hub far out on the treeless prairie; in barrels and in the crevices of deserted barns
and out-houses. Mr. Raymond C. Osburn found a nest of the Flicker on May 27,
1894, in Licking county, O., in the natural cavity of a gate-post, only three feet
from the ground. Ordinarily from six to eight or ten crystaline white eggs are de-
posited, but in exceptional cases this bird is known to lay a large number. Prof.
Evermann took thirty-seven eggs from a single nest between May 4 and June 22,
1885. In this period of time the bird restedvfourteen days. The most remarkable
instance of the laying capacity of the Flicker of which I am aware is that recorded
by Charles L. Phillips, of Taunton, Mass. On May 6, 1883, he found a cavity in a
large willow tree containing two eggs; he took one, leaving the other as a "nest-egg,"

278

NB8T8 AND EOO8 OP

and continued to do BO day after day until the female Flicker had laid seventy-one
eggs in seventy-three days.* The average size of the eggs is l.lOx.90, and in a large
series a great variation In size and shape are noticeable. While it is hardly within
the scope of the present work I herewith quote entire the "General Remarks" in
Mr. F. E. L. Deal's "Food of Woodpeckers/'t which certainly proves their great
value to the agriculturalist. He says: "With the possible exception of the crow,
no birds are subject to more adverse criticism than woodpeckers. Usually no at-
tempt la made to discriminate between the numerous species, and little account

413. I'LICEER (After Audubon)

i« taken of the good they do in destroying injurious insects. The name of 'Sapsucker'
baa been applied to two or three of the smaller kinds, in the belief that they subsist
to a great extent upon the juices of trees, obtained from the small holes they make
In the bark. There can be little doubt that one species, the Yellow-bellied Wood-

• In the last edition* of this work Mr. Phillips' rrrord was credited to the Ornttholo-
HUt and Oologlst (Vol. XI. p. 16). Mention of It first appears In The Youngr Oologlst (Vol.
I. p. »). and It haa recently been recorded In The Auk, Vol. IV, p. 346. *V

t Bulletin No. 7. U. 8. Department of Agriculture, Division of Ornithology and M m-
ir.alogy. Preliminary report on the Food «f v. . Beal. Assistant

ornithologist. The Tongues of Woodpeckers, by F. A. Lucas, Curator, Department Com-
parative Anatomy U. 8. National Museum.' Washington: Government Printing Office.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 279

pecker (Sphyrapicus rarius), does live to a considerable extent upon this sap. Ob-
servation does not show that other species have the same habit, but it is a difficult
point to decide by dissection, as fluid contents disappear quickly from the stomach.
Many observers have testified to the good work these birds do in destroying insects,
while others have spoken of harm done to fruit or grain. Both are correct within
certain limits. Field observation on the food habits of birds is attended with so
many difficulties as to render it a very unreliable source from which to draw general
conclusions. The most conscientious and careful person is often deceived, not only
as to the quantity of a particular kind of food eaten by a bird, but
as to the fact that it is eaten at all. The further difficulty of keeping a number of
birds, or even a single Oile, under constant observation makes an estimate of relative
proportions of different kinds of food impossible. When much mischief is done
the fact is apparent, but there is no way to find out how much good is done during
the same time. For these reasons it often happens that reports on food habits,
based on observations of wild birds, not only conflict with each other, but also disa-
gree with the results obtained from stomach examinations. This last method
must be taken as the court of final appeal, and it is evident that a collection of
stomachs covering every month in the year, and as nearly as may be all points
of the birds' range, becomes more and more trustworthy as it increases in size; in
other words, the more stomachs examined the nearer correct will be the result as to
the birds' annual diet. The present paper is merely a preliminary report, based on
the examination of 679 stomachs of Woodpeckers, and representing only 7 species —
all from the eastern United States. These species are the Downy Woodpecker
(Dryobates pubescens), the Hairy Woodpecker (D. viUosus), the Flicker or Golden-
winged Woodpecker (Colaptcs auratus), the Red-headed Woodpecker (melanerpes
erythrocepahlus) , the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinits) , the Yellow-
bellied Woodpecker (Sphyrapicus roriws), and the Great Pileated Woodpecker
(Ceophlceus pileatus). Examination of their stomachs shows that the percentage
of animal food (consisting almost entirely of insects) is greater in the Downy, and
grades down through the Hairy, Flicker, Pileated, Redhead, and Yellow-bellied to
the Red-bellied, which +akes the smallest quantity of insects. Prof. Samuel Aughey
stated that all of these species except the Pileated (which was not present) fed upon
locusts or grasshoppers during the devastating incursions of these insects in Nebras-
ka. The vegetable matter, of course, stands in inverse order. The greatest quantity of
mineral matter (sand) is taken by the Flicker, somewhat less by the Redhead, very
little by the Downy and Hairy, and none at all by the Yellow-bellied and Pileated.
The stomachs of all of the 7 species except the Redhead and Red-bellied contained
the substance designated as 'cambium' in the accompanying list of vegetable food.
This is the layer of mucilaginous material lying just inside of the bark of trees, and
from which both bark and wood are formed. It is supposed by many to be the main
object sought by woodpeckers. Except in the case of a single species the stomach
examination does not bear out this view, since cambium, if present at all, was in
such small quantities as to be of no practical importance. The Yellow-bellied
Woodpecker, however, is evidently fond of this substance, for in the stomachs ex-
amined it formed 23 per cent, of the whole food of the year. It w^.s found in 37
stomachs, most of which were taken in April and October. Of 18 stomachs collected
in April, 16 contained cambium, and one of the remaining contained no vegetable
food whatever. Moreover, as the true cambium is a soft and easily digested sub-
stance it is probable that what is usually found in the stomachs is only the outer
and harder part, which therefore represents a much larger quantity. The extent

280 VB8T8 AND BOGS OF

of the Injury done by destroying cambium must depend on the quantity taken from
Individual trees. It Is well known that woodpeckers sometimes do serious harm
by removing the outer bark from large areas on the trunks of fruit trees. The rings
of punctures often seen around the trunks of apple trees are certainly the work
of the Sapsuckcr, though sometimes attributed to the Downy and Hairy Woodpeck-
ers. Rut the bird is not sufficiently numerous in most parts of the country to do
much damage. It Is a difficult task to summarize the results of the investigations
herein detailed, more especially if an attempt is made to decide as to the compara-
nierits or demerits of each particular species. The stomach examinations do
not always corroborate the testimony received from observers, and many no doubt
will be inclined to think they have seen more harm done by some members of this
family of birds than is shown by the data here published. If birds are seen feeding
repeatedly on a certain kind of food the inference is that they are particularly fond
of it, but the truth may be that they are eating it because they can find nothing they
llko better, and that a collection of their stomachs from many localities would show
only a small percentage of this particular food. In reviewing the results of these
Investigations and comparing one species with another, without losing sight of the
fact that comparative good is not necessarily positive good, it appears that of 7
species considered the Downy Woodpecker is the most beneficial. This is due in
part to the great number of insects it eats and in part to the nature of its vegetable
food, which Is of little value to man. Three-fourths of its food consists of insects,
and few of these are useful kinds. Of grain, it eats practically none. The greatest
sin we can lay at Its door Is the dissemination of poison ivy. The Hairy Woodpecker
probably ranks next to the Downy in point of usefulness. It eats fewer ants, but a
relatively larger percentage of beetles and caterpillars. Its grain-eating record is
trifling; 2 stomachs taken in September and October contained corn. For fruit, it
seeks the forests and swamps, where it finds wild cherries, grapes, and the berries of
dogwood and Virginia creeper. It eats fewer seeds of the poison ivy and poison
sumac than the Downy. The Flicker eats a smaller percentage of insects than either
the Downy or the Hairy Woodpecker, but if eating ants is to be considered a virtue,
as we have endeavored to show, then surely this bird must be exalted, for three-
fourths of all the insects it eats, comprising nearly half of its food, are ants. It is
accused of eating corn; how little its stomach yields is shown on another page.
Fml t constitutes about one-fourth of its whole fare, but the bird depends on nature
and not on man to furnish the supply. Judged by the results of the stomach ex-
aminations of the Downy and Hairy Woodpecker and Flicker it would !><> hard to find
three other species of our common birds with fewer harmful qualitios. Not one of
io shows a questionable trait, and they should be protected and encourapod in
erery possible way. Fortunately, only one, the Flicker, is liable to destruction, and
for this bird each farmer and landowner should pass a protective law of his own.
The Redhead makes the best showing of the seven species in the kinds of insects
eaten. It consumes fewer ants and more beetles than any of the others, in this re-
spect standing at the head, and It has a pronounced taste for beetles of very large
site. Unfortunately, however, its fondnrss for predaceous beetles must be reck-
oned against It It also leads In tho ronsmnption of grasshoppers; these and beetles
together forming 36 per cent, of its whole food. The stomachs yielded enough corn
to show that It has a taste for that grain, though not enough to Indicate that
material damage is done. It eats largely of wild fruit, and also partakes rather freely
.rlotles. showing some preference for the larger ones, such as apples.
In certain localities, particularly In winter. It feeds extensively on beechnuts. No

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 281

charge can be brought against it on the score of injuring trees by pecking. The
Red-bellied Woodpecker is more of a vegetarian than any of the others. In certain
localities in Florida it does some damage to oranges, but the habit is not general.
On the other hand, it eats quantities of ants and beetles. The Yellow-bellied Wood-
pecker seems to show only one questionable trait, that of a fondness for the sap and
inner bark of trees. Both field observations and the contents of the stomachs prove
this charge against it, but it is not probable that forest trees are extensively injured,
or that they ever will be, for aside from the fact that the bark of many trees would
bo unpalatable an immense number of birds would be required to do serious damage.
But with fruit trees the case is different. Their number is limited, and there are
no superfluous ones as in the forest. In localities where the bird is abundant consid-
erable harm may be done to apple trees, which appear to be pleasing to its taste.
The Pileated Woodpecker is more exclusively a forest bird than any of the others,
and its food consists of such elements as the woods afford, particularly the larvae
of wood-boring beetles, and wild fruits. The species is emphatically a conservator
of the forests. In describing the stomach contents of the different woodpeckers a
quantity of material is classed under the term 'rubbish.' The great bulk of this stuff
is rotten wood and bark, picked up in digging for insects in decayed timber, and
apparently swallowed accidentally with the food. If the six woodpeckers which had
eaten rotten wood are compared with respect to the quantity of this material con-
tained in the stomachs it is found that the Hairy Woodpecker stands at the head
with 8 per cent., the Downy next with 5, the Flicker with 3, the Redhead and
Yellow-bellied with 1 per cent, each, and the Pileated with only a trace. From
this it appears that the Hairy Woodpecker is preeminently a woodpecker, while the
Redhead and Yellow-belly do much less of this kind of work. The difference in habit
is obvious to the most casual observer. The Redhead is ordinarily seen upon a
fence post or telegraph pole hunting for insects that alight on these exposed surfaces,
and watching for others that fly near enough to be captured in mid-air. Unlike
other woodpeckers, he is seldom seen digging at a rotten branch except in spring,
when he prepares a home for the family he intends to rear."

413. BED-SHAFTED FLICKER. Colaptes cafer (Gmel.) Geog. Dist— West-
ern United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast; north to Sitka;
south to Southern Mexico.

This species replaces the Yellow-shafted Flicker from the Rocky Mountains to
the Pacific. In its habits, nesting and eggs it is the exact counterpart of C. auratus.
The eggs average a trifle larger; 1.14x.86 is the average of thirty specimens.

413a. NORTHWESTERN FLICKER. Colaptes cafer saturatior Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Northwest coast, from Northern California north to Sitka.

The general habits, nesting, etc., of this darker colored race are the same as those
of C. auratus or C. cafer.

414. GILDED FLICKER. Colaptes chrysoides (Malh.) Geog. Dist.— Southern
California, Lower California; Southern Arizona.

Mr. F. Stephens regards the distribution of this species in Arizona as coextensive
with that of the giant cactus, for he never met with it except where this singular
plant grows.* Mr. Scott states that it is Common throughout the giant cactus

* Wm. Brewster on a collection of Arizona bircu. Bull. Nutt. Club, Vol. VIII, 24.

>2 rs AM) EGG 8 OF

region all about Tucson, and he occasionally saw single individuals in the mesquite
Ml that he ever met with breeding have been in giant cactus. The nesting
time is from April 10 until the last of May. According to Mr. Scott, the number of
eggs to small, varying from two to five; the latter number being the largest he ever
found in a nest.* The eggs are glossy-white, and average 1.12x.84.

414<i. BROWN FLICKER. r«,/»i/i/ix <liri/x<nilrs hrunmwnti Anthony. Geog.
Dist.— Northern Lower California.

This is a brown phase of the Gilded Woodpecker, occupying the northern por-
tion of Lower California.

415. OUADALUPE FLICKER. Colaptcs rufipileus Ridgw. Geog. Dist—
Guadalupe Island, Lower California.

Mr. Walter E. Bryant gives us the first knowledge we have concerning the nest-
ing and eggs of this bird.f On Guadalupe Island he found it not rare in the re-
stricted area of a large cypress grove, but apart from this locality less than a dozen
were seen during his stay on the Island. For a portion of the year the food of this
species consists largely of smooth-skinned caterpillars, with numerous beetles and
ants. The nesting cavities are found at heights varying from three to fifteen feet.
The scarcity of decayed trees, with the exception of fallen ones, necessitates either
work upon seasoned wood or the resort to dead palm stumps. A cavity was found
April 7, which was dug to the depth of twenty inches, and contained six fresh eggs,
upon which the female was sitting. They correspond exactly, both in color and
general shape, with scores of other eggs of this genus, and offer the following
measurments in millimeters: 28x22, 28x22, 28x22.5, 29x22, 29.5x22, 29.5x224

416. CHUCK-WILL'S- WIDOW. Antrostomus carulint'nxi* (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist.— South Atlantic and Gulf States, from Virginia south through Eastern Mexico
to Central America; Cuba. North in the interior to Southern Illinois and Kansas.
Accidental in Massachusetts.

Perhaps the two best known North American species of this family (Caprimul-
the Goatsuckers), are the Whip-poor-will, Antrnxtnmnx rnnft-nix, and the Night-
hawk. ''/('./</<//< s iiriiinitintits. They are all more or less nocturnal, and fanciful
imaginations have detected in many of their cries the syllables from which their
common names are derived— such is the case with Chuck-will's-widow. It is no-
where a very abundant species, but more common in Florida than in any other State.
It is found in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. Mr. Stuart
informs me that in Florida it nests in the months of May and June, depositing two
eggs on the bare ground, or on leaves in the shadow of some dense thicket. Accord-
ing to Audubon, deep ravines, shady swamps and extensive pine groves are the re-
treats of this species during the day, when the birds roost in hollow trees. When
in search of food, the same places are resorted to at night, and thoir singular notes
are only uttered for a brief period in the early evening, when on the wing. If
either their eggs or young are disturbed, they are carried off in the capacious mouths
of the birds to some distant part of the forest, in the same manner that a cat trans-
ports her kittens. A set of two eggs in my cabinet, collected by Mr. Stuart near
Tampa. Florida, May 20, 1886, measure 1.40x1.02, 1.42x1.00; another set, from Mana-

Auk. in. <».
t Addition to the Ornithology of Ouadalupe Island; Bulletin 6, California Academy of

I l.lOz.87. l.lta.87. l.lOz.89, 1.14X.87, 1.16X.87, 1.16X.87.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 283

tee county, taken May 14, 1887, measure 1.39x1.00, 1.41x1.02. A set taken, in Comal
county, Texas, April 22, 1888, measure 1.41x1.02, 1.42x1.04. These are beautiful eggs,
with a pinkish-buff ground, variously marbled with pale buff-brown and lilac-gray.
They are moderately polished. Mr. C. W. Crandall, of Woodside, N. Y., has kindly
given me the measurements and descriptions of 56 sets of this species' eggs, all col-
lected in Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida, the earliest date being
April 3, the latest June 24. In every instance the eggs were laid either on the bare
ground or on a few dry leaves, especially in Hillsboro county, Fla., where the eggs
were always laid on some dry leaves, among scrub oaks, in the hummocks. At other
places the eggs were sometimes found at the foot of a tree and usually in thick
woods. Concerning the coloration of this bird's eggs Mr. Crandall says: "The
ground color varies from almost a pure white to a rich dark cream, pinkish buff and
other creamy shades. The markings consist of about every known type of spots,
specks, blotches, cloudings, marbling, lines, streaks and scratches of every con-
ceivable pattern; sometimes all of these appear on one egg and in others the egg
will only show two or three styles of markings, the small end occasionally catches
them, but the typical egg shows them generally distributed, and in the majority of
specimens they form more or less of a zone around larger half .of the egg." The
average measurement of this series of fifty-six sets (one hundred and twelve eggs)
is 1.41x1.01 inches. The largest measures 1.54x1.05, the smallest 1.29x.90 inches.

417. WHIP-POOR-WILL. Antrostomus vociferus (Wlls.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern United States to the Plains, and from Lat. 50° south to Guatemala.

The well-known Whip-poor-will, which inhabits the Eastern United States, may
be easily distinguished from A. carolinensis by its greatly inferior size; the colors of
both birds are quite similar. In its habits the Whip-poor-will is very nearly 'the
counterpart of the Chuck*-will's-widow, keeping within the recesses of deep woods
and undergrowth during the daytime, remaining perfectly silent. The name of this
species is a pretty accurate rendering of its note, which is uttered when night comes
on, both when the bird is on the wing in pursuit of nocturnal insects, or at rest.
Rocky ravines shaded by trees, where the sun seldom penetrates the thick foliage,
or beneath dense underbrush, midst fallen logs, are the favorite nesting places of
the Whip-poor-will. The eggs are deposited on the ground, on decayed wood, or
among fallen leaves. Two eggs constitute a set. They are elliptical, of moderate
polish, with a ground color of white or cream color. They are handsomely marked
with large and small spots of yellowish-brown distributed, rather abundantly over
the entire surface; occasionally a few blotches may be observed. Deep shell marks
are about as numerous as the surface marks, and are of a lilac-gray or lavender tint.
A set of two eggs which I took in Franklin county, Ohio, May 28, 1887, measure
l.lSx.90, 1.20x.90; a set from Delaware county, Ohio, collected June 2, 1888, measure
1.14x.87, 1.16x.86. Dr. Jones gives a common size as 1.12x.88. Like the Chuck-will's-
widow this species removes in its mouth the eggs or young to a place of safety if
they have been molested or handled.

417a. STEPHENS'S WHIP-POOR-WILL. Antrostomus vociferus macromy-
stax (Wagler.) Geog. Dist. — Arizona, New Mexico, and table lands of Mexico, south
to Guatemala.

This is a larger bird than the last. Mr. F. Stephens met with it in, the Chiraca-
hua Mountains in Southern Arizona in 1880, and less numerous in the Santa Rita
range in 1881. In the Chiracahua range by June 1st, they were as common as he

NBBT8 AND EGGS OF

•
417. WHIP-POOR-WILL (From Brehm). ^

ever knew them to be in the East; sometimes three or four were heard whistling at
They were restless and rather shy. July 4, a female was shot as she flew
from her nest, which, as usual, was only a very slight depression in the ground, but
in this case was overhung by a rock. Mr. Brewster describes the egg which this nest
contained as white with a dull gloss, apparently immaculate, but upon close inspec-
tion reveals a few faint blotches of the palest purple, so faint that they might puss
for superficial stains were it not for the fact that they underlie the external polish.
This specimen measures 1.17x.87.*

418. POOR-WILL. I'litilininittilu* tiutullii (Aud.) Geog. Dlst. — Western
UiHted States, from the Sierra Nevada eastward to Eastern Nebraska and Eastern
Kansas north to Central Idaho and Montana, and south to Southern Mexico.

Nuttall's Whip-poor-will, or Poor-will, as it is called, is found to be more or
less abundant throughout various States and Territories of the West— in tin- interior
valleys and foot-hills of California, Oregon- and Washington, and in Arizona, New
Mexico, Texas, Colorado, etc. Colonel N. S. Goss mentions it as a common summer
resident of Kansas, and may be looked for on the high prairies and rocky grounds
along the banks of streams. Begins laying the last of May, depositing two white,
unspotted eggs upon the bare ground, in tho thick growth at the edge of timber; also
at the roots of a bunch of bushes or briers upon the prairies. Mr. Emerson states

•William Brewster's Notes on Some Birds from Arizona and New Mexico. Bull.
Null, Club, VI. pp. 6&-71; and Collection of Arizona Birds, Vol. VII. 211-212.

NORTH AMERICAN XIRDS. 285

that he frequently heard this bird's mournful cries, poor-will, poor-will, in San
Diego county, California, in the month of April. A set of two eggs in his collection,
taken near Manhattan, Kansas, May 28, 1885, are pure glossy-white, and measure
30x22, 30x22.5 mm, or 1.18x.87 and 1.18x.91 inches.

418a. FROSTED POOR- WILL. Phal&noptilus nutallii nitidus Brewst. Geog.
Dist. — Texas to Arizona and north to Western Kansas.

This lighter-colored and grayer bird than Nuttall's Poor-will was first described
by William Brewster in "The Auk" (Vol. IV, 1887, p. 147), from specimens taken on
the Nueces River, Texas, February, 1886. Its general habits are identical with those
of P. nutalli. Mr. Crandall has a set of eggs of this bird which was taken- by Mr. M.
W. Kibbe in Franklin county, Kansas, May 10, 1891. The bird was shot and fully
identified. The eggs were laid on the bare ground on the side of a rocky hill. They
measure l.lOx.81, 1.09x.80 respectively. These eggs have the peculiar glossy polished
appearance usual to eggs of Chuck-will's-widow and Whip-poor-will, and they are
of a decidedly creamy white color and not a pure white, entirely unspotted and in
shape like the typical egg of a Chuck-will's-widow.

418&. DUSKY POOR- WILL. Phalcenoptilus nutallii californicus Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Coast of California.

The range of this dark or dusky race is confined to the coast region of Cali-
fornia. Its habits, nesting and eggs are the same as those of the Poor-will.

419. MERRILL'S PARATJQUE. Nyctidromus albicollis merrilli Senn. Geog.
Dist. — Valley of the Rio Grande, north to the Nueces River, south into Northeastern
Mexico.

Mr. George B. Sennett named this bird in honor of Dr. James C. Merrill, Assis-
tant Surgeon U. S. Army. In the vicinity of Fort Brown, Texas, it was a common
summer resident, arriving early in March and remaining as late as the middle of
November. It frequents shady thickets and copses, and when flushed dodges rapidly
and silently among the bushes, but soon alights. In these places the eggs are de-
posited usually at the foot of a bush. Dr. Merrill observes that the habits and eggs
of this species, in addition to its anatomical characters, show its affinity with the
Whip-poor-wills rather thaa the Nighthawks. Their notes are among the most
characteristic night sounds of the lower Rio Grande, and are constantly heard at
evening during the summer months. They consist of a repeated whistle, resem-
bling the syllables "whew, whew, whew, whew, whe-e-e-e-e-w," much stress being
laid upon the last, which is prolonged. The whole is soft and mellow, yet can be
heard at a great distance. Mr. Sennett, in the same region in Southern Texas, ob-
tained a set of two eggs, April 20. He states that the birds breed in the more open
places among the cactus and scattered bushes along with C. texensis — Texas Night-
hawk. The eggs are two in number, of a rich creamy-buff, sparingly marked with a
deeper shade of the same, and with lilac; average size 1.25x.92. Their size and
creamy-buff color render them easy of identification. On the 15th of May, Dr. Merrill
found a set of eggs of this species near camp at Hidalgo, and on returning in about
fifteen minutes to secure the parent, who had disappeared among the thickets, he
found that she had removed the eggs, although they had not been touched. The
average of size of thirty-six sets (seventy-twO eggs) of this bird in Mr. Crandall'a
collection is 1.24x.90; the largest 1.35x.92, the smallest in length 1.14x.92; broadest
1.33x.95 inches. These were all collected in various parts of Tamaulipa county,
Texas, between April 9 and July 27.

2-M, NS8T8 AND EGGS OF

420. NIGHTHAWK. cfiunt>il<s tir</ini(i>nis (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America, north to Hudson Bay, west to the edge of the Great Plains, south
through tropical Am*

The Nighthawk. Bullbat, or Goatsucker, as it is variously called, breeds through-
out its range, depositing two eggs in open situations, such as fields, etc., on the cold
bare ground, often among stones; scarcely a trace of a nest can be found where the
4ggm lay. They are frequently deposited on bare rocks, and on the flat roofs of build-
ings In large cities. Mr. Norris once found a set on the stump of a tree about eighteen
inches from the ground; and a set in his cabinet was taken from the gravel roof of a
four-story building in the center of Philadelphia. The Nighthawk and Whip-poor-
will are often confounded or considered as birds of the same species. A careful com-

420. NIGHTHAWK (From Brehm).

parison with each other, or with the descriptions, will at once show a very decided
difference. The large, white patches on the five outer primaries of the wings of the
Nighthawk when flying, appear like tattered holes caused by the shot from a gun.
In the evenings of summer months great troops of Nighthawks may be seen high in
air over forest or town in search of Insects, performing their wonderful evolutions
and uttering their peevish cries, or swooping down with their strange booming or
rumbling sound, they skim over the grassy meadows. Thus they continue till the
gloaming merges Into darkness, and their flight Is seen no longer. The eggs of the
Nighthnwk vary from pale olive-buff to buffy and grayish-white, thickly mottled
and dashed with varied tints of darker gray, slate, olive, or even blackish, mixed
with a marbling and clouding of purplish-gray; the pattern and tints arc very vari-
able. The shape is elliptical, and average size 1.25x.85. Six eggs measure 1.24x.85,
: lx.86, 1.21X.82, 1.24X.84.

42Oi. WESTERN NIQHTHAWK. chnrtlrilrH rirglnlanu* hrnryl (Cass.) Geog.
Dist.— Western United States from the Great Plains to the Pacific, and from British
Columbia south to Northern South America.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 287

A lighter-colored form of the Nighthawk, found in the unwooded portions of
Western United States. Its general habits, nesting, etc., are the same as those of
C. virginanus; the eggs average paler; size 1.20x.85.

420&. FLORIDA NIGHTHAWK. Chordeiles virginianus chapmani Coues.
Geog. Dist. — Florida and the Gulf coast of Texas, south in winter to South America.

This race of the Nighthawk is dedicated by Mr. Sennett to Mr. Frank M. Chap-
man, the well-known ornithologist and author. It is a somewhat darker-colored
bird and is smaller than the common Nighthawk. In all respects its habits, nesting
and eggs do not differ from those of C. virginianus. Mr. Crandall has a series of
thirty-eight sets of the eggs of this geographical race, eighteen of which were taken
in Manatee and Hillsboro counties, Florida, between the dates of April 27 and July
7; twenty sets on islands off the Mississippi coast of the Gulf of Mexico between
the dates of May 21 and 25. The average size of the seventy-six eggs is 1.16x.84; the
longest is, 1.29x.86; shortest, 1.05x.77; broadest, 1.20x.92; narrowest, 1.05x.77 inches.

420c. BENNETT'S NIGHTHAWK. Chordeiles virginianus sennetti (Coues.)
Geog. Dist. — Treeless region of the Great Plains, from the Saskatchewan south to
Texas.

This geographic race is of a silvery grayish-white predominating above, the
white below is greatly in excess of the narrow irregular or broken dark bars and
little or no rufous anywhere.

421. TEXAN NIGHTHAWK. Chordeiles acutipennis texensis (Lawr.) Geog.
Dist. — Southern border of the United States, from Texas to Southern. California,
north into Southern Utah; south to Cape St. Lucas and Veragua.

This subspecies has quite an extended range. It is known to occur as far north
AS San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties in California; in Southern Nevada; in the
lower Santa Clara Valley, Utah; the desert regions of Arizona; southern portions of
New Mexico, and it is found to be a common summer resident of the southern and
western portions of Texas. The Texan Nighthawk is smaller than the foregoing
subspecies, the general tone of the plumage lighter, and it differs otherwise. Mr.
Sennett describes its flight as resembling that of the Whip-poor-will, but it does not
indulge in the perpendicular descents accompanied by the whir of wings so char-
acteristic of C. virginianus. On the Lower Rio Grande eggs were obtained as early
as April 26, and fresh ones found as late as May 19. They were always laid on the
bare, hot ground. Dr. Merrill states that the notes of this species are a curious mew-
ing call difficult to describe. He found the eggs in the vicinity of Brownsville, Texas,
usually deposited in exposed situations, among sparse chaparral on ground baked
almost as hard as a brick by the intense heat of the sun. One set was found on a
small piece of tin, near a frequented path. Mr. Rachford informs me that in Jeffer-
son county, Texas, this species usually deposits its two eggs on the ground, in a well-
beaten cow-path; the nesting season begins from about May 10th, and eggs may be
found in the latter part of June. Dr. Merrill states that the eggs vary cons! j Drably,
but exactly resemble the surface on which they are placed. The ground-color is
usually clay; some are very sparingly dotted with brown; others mottled with light
brown and ooscure lilac; some are so thickly marbled with brown and lilac on a
dark ground as to give them a granite-like appearance. They average 1.07x.77.

422. BLACK SWIFT. Cypseloides niger^ (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Rocky Moun-
tain region (Colorado), west to the Pacific coast; north to British Columbia, and
south to Lower California, Mexico, Costa Rica and the West Indies.

288 NESTS AND EGOS OF

The Black Swift has been met with sparingly in the various regions cited in the
above habitat Another common name for this bird is "Black Cloud Swift." Com-
paratively little has been ascertained concerning its general habits and its eggs
until recently. The general habits and characteristics of this bird are well-known.
-tut the construction of its nest and a full description of its eggs remain unpublished.
In the last two editions of this work I quoted an article which bore evidences of ac-
curacy concerning the nesting and eggs of this species, but I am now convinced that
the writer was mistaken in his identification. Mr. A. W. Anthony, in the summer of
1883, found this species abundant in Colorado, nesting in the highest inaccessible
crags, and nothing but that which was provided with wings could possibly reach
them. About Silverton a large colony had taken possession of a very high cliff,
•taking their appearance about June 20. Dr. A. K. Fisher saw a number of these
birds about the cliffs near Trinidad, Colorado. Mr. Ridgway met with it in Nevada.
It undoubtedly occurs in suitable localities in the intervening regions, as the moun-
tains of Utah. It is said to be abundant at Lake Samish, Washington. Mr. Rollo H.
Beck, while hunting neai the rocky coast of Monterey county, California, in the
summer of 1894, shot a female Black Swift on June 29, containing a nearly devel-
oped egg in the oviduct. The shell was not yet formed and he had no means of
measuring it. In shape it resembled the egg of the Chimney Swift.41

423. CHIMNEY SWIFT, rinrtnra iu-latjiva (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America, north to Labrador and in the interior to the Fur Countries; west to
the edge of the Great Plains.

The progress of civilization has brought about conditions and causes which have
given rise to this bird's common and now appropriate name, Chimney Swift, or, as
It is probably better known. Chimney "Swallow." When the country was first set-
his species was known to breed only in the hollow trunks of forest trees, but as
soon as the chimneys of dwellings erected by civilized man presented greater con-
venience and better security against enemies this bird forsook its primitive nest-
ing places, and now only in remote regions or wild portions of the country, where
natural facilities, are still afforded, it is found breeding in the hollows of decaying
trees. A chemical analysis ot this bird's nest made for me by Professor Weber,
chemist of the Ohio State University, proves conclusively that the glue which these
birds use is not from the gum of any tree, but purely an animal production. This
should set at rest the claims made by a number of writers in recent periodicals that
the glue of the Swift is of a vegetable nature. The nest, as shown in our illustration,
tea beautiful semi-circular basket made of small dead twigs of nearly uniform length
and thickness, and when attached to the inside of a chimney is placed sufficiently
below the top to be protected from the rays of the sun. The twigs are broken from
trees by the birds while on the wing. They are all strongly cemented together and
fastened to the wall with the saliva of the birds. This glue-like substance dries and
hardens, and becomes so firm that, when the nest is separated from the sides of
• vs. j.crt ions of the brick to which it is fastened often adhere to the stnx -t ur<>.
My fr Arnold Boyle, took a nest of this species from the inside of a barn in

Wyandot county, Ohio; its position was similar to that of the Barn Swallow. From
fi six narrowly elliptical, pure white eggs are deposited, ordinarily four. May
and June are the nesting months, and usually but one brood is reared in a season.
A set of four eggs, collected in the Adirondack region, Essex county, New York, June
•\.52. .Slx.62, .84x.51, .82x.50; a set of five taken in Franklin county,

• Stee B*n«] Histories of N. A. Birds, Vol. II. H. 17.V177

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

289

423. CHIMNEY SWIFTS AND NEST.

20

:<K, NE8T8 AND BOGS OF

Ohio, exhibit the following sizes: .79x.50, .80x.50, .80x.52, .77x.50, .79x.53. The eggs
in a large series range from .74 to .86 in length and from .47 to .55 in breadth.

424. VAUXS SWIFT, rh.itum nni.rii (Towns.) Geog. Dist.— Pacific coast
of the United States northward to British Columbia; south in winter to Lower Cali-

This is a lighter colored and smaller species than the Chimney Swift. The
habits of thr t\vo birds, however, are similar, except that Vaux's Swift is said only
to nest in hollou D various regions of Oregon and in Washington this species

is a common summer resident, where it breeds in May and June, fastening to the in-
side walls of hoi: "inks and stubs the half-saucer-shaped nest of twigs, which
is glued together with the bird's saliva. Three to five/ narrow-elliptical white eggs
are deposited, which have an average size of about .72x.50. Very few of this bird's
eggs have found their way into collections.

425. WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, tfriinniitnt melnnolntcus (Baird.) Geog.
Dist.— Western United States, from the Black Hills, Northern Wyoming and
Southern Montana to the Pacific; south in winter to Guatemala.

The late Major Bendire states that the range of the "Rock" Swift, as it is com-
monly called, does not appear to extend nearly as far north in the mountains of the
Pacific coast districts as it does in the Rocky Mountain region, where it is generally
distributed throughout suitable localities, from Southern Arizona and New Mexico
ward, through Colorado and Wyoming to Montana. The latter, as far as known,
marks the northern limits of its range. Here it was found breeding by Mr. R. S.
Williams in small numbers in holes in a limestone cliff on Belt River, about the
middle of July. 1881. It was found by Mr. Robert Ridgway to be abundant in the
same situations in the Ruby Mountains and in the East Humboldt range, but less
abundant in the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. The eggs of this species still remain
among the special desiderata in oological collections and, according to Bendire
(1895). there are none in the U. S. National Museum collection. Mr. Walter E.
nt gives us the best description of the eggs I have seen. It is in the September
number of the Nidologist for 1894, and is as follows: "More than a dozen years ago
an imperfect set of five fresh unblown eggs of the White-throated Swift were pre-
sented to me by a young man in Contra Costa county (California). They were taken
a nest in a crevice in the back of a tunnel-shaped cave in the side of a cliff
about twenty feet above the base. In color the eggs are pure white, narrowly ellip-
tical In form, but rather smaller at one end. They measured: .87x.53; .88x.53,
.88x.52. .86x.50; the fifth was too much damaged to measure accurately. The eggs
were collected on June 6. 1878."

428. KIVOLI HUMMINGBIRD, /;//</' mx /,//,/<•» * (Swaim.) Geog. Dist—
Southern Arizona and tablelands of Mexico to Nicarauga.

One of the largest and one of the most handsome Hummingbirds found within the

limits of the United States, and it is generally known as the "Refulgent Humming-

" Within our limits it is not an altogether common summer resident. It has

been obtained in the mountains near the Mexican border, in Arizona, and in the

me southwestern portion of New Mexico. It was first added to our avifauna by

haw. who took a specimen near Fort Grant, Arizona, in September, 1873. The

Major Bendire describes two nests that were taken in the Hna< hu< a Mountains,

Arizona. One of these, the best preserved one, resembles the nest of the Ruby-

throntfd HnmmineMrfl vorv rlosoly. but like the bird, is considerably larger. It

wan found by Mr. L. Miller on June 22, 1894, at an elevation of 7000 fret, saddled on

t walnut branch about ten feet from the ground and contained one young bird nearly

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

291

able to fly. The other nest, taken June 4, 1893, contained one fresh egg which was
accidentally broken.

427. BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. Cvligena clemencicp Less. Geog.
Dist.— Southern Arizona and the tablelands of Mexico to Guerrero and Oaxaca.

This is a slightly larger species than the Rivoli Hummingbird, and is sometimes
called "Blue-throated Casique." It is only a summer resident within the southern
boundary of the United States and breeds wherever found. It appears to be more
common than the preceding species. It was first added to our avifauna by Mr. F.
Stephens, who secured an adult male in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona,
May 14, 1884. Since then it has been taken in several other mountain ranges of
Arizona, and Dr. Edgar E. Mearns took it in the Luis Mountains of Southwestern.
New Mexico. Mr. Nelson on September 9th, 1893, found a nest containing two eggs at
an altitude of 11,500 feet on the north slope of the volcano Toluca, in the State of
Mexico. The nest was built in the fork of a small shrub growing out of the face of
a cliff, about 30 feet above its base, on the side of a canyon in the pine and fir forest.
It is a handsome and rather bulky structure, smoothly quilted together of fine
mosses, and lined with the down of willow catkins. This nest was nearly inac-
cessible and one egg was broken in securing it. The single egg measures .64x.39

inches.

428. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. -TrocJiilus colubris Linn. Geog.
Dist. — Eastern United States to the Great Plains, north to Canada, south in winter
to Cuba, Eastern Mexico and Central

America, to Uraguay.

This is the only species of Hum-
mingbird found east of the Mississippi,
where it is common and well-known.
Its small size, irridescent plumage, its
marvelous swiftness of flight, and the
architectural beauty of its nest are the
admiration of all. The eggs of the
whole family of Hummingbirds, as far
as known, are white, unspotted; rather
elliptical than oval, and always two in
number. The only difference noticed
are the relative variations in size. The
nests are generally saddled upon a hori-
zontal branch, are cup-like in shape,
and are mostly made up of various
kinds of soft vegetable down; in nearly
all cases covered on the outside with a
coating of lichens or mosses. The nest
of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is
a miniature of the Blue-gray Gnat-
catcher's. It is felted with a mass of
exquisitely soft cottony, silky, or woolly
substances, such as the down from the
stem of plants, and is artistically cov-
ered on the outside with lichens. It is
usually placed on a horizontal limb of a
forest or orchard tree. Several speci-
mens before me are placed on branches
that were slanting, and the nests rest

292 NESTS AND BOGS OF

in small forks. tine one measures, outwardly, one and three-fourth inches

broad by' one and a half deep. Nests saddled on thick limbs are usually larger. In
Ohio the Ruby-throat prefers nesting in the branches of the buckeye to all other
trees. The birds are especially abundant about this tree when it is in full blossom
«arly in May. The'nesting time is from about the middle of May to the latter part
of June. The average size of thirty eggs is .51x.34, The Ancients knew nothing of
Hummingbirds because they belong exclusively to the Americas, and we can n-ail
nothing concerning these gems of bird life in the mythologies and legends of the
Greeks and the Romans. There are about four hundred species of Hummingbirds
known to the New World.

429. BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD. TW/M/M* u1,:r<in,lri Bourc. &
Muls. Geog. Dist. — Western United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific,
south into Mexico.

This Hummingbird nests in more open ground than the Rufous or Anna's, plac-
ing the structure usually on the small branches of oaks and sycamores. Sometimes
it rests lightly in the forks of a slender twig. It is composed of the web or down
found on the under side of the leaves of the sycamore; the effect is that the nest
looks like a small, round, yellow sponge. Eggs same as those of the Ruby-throat,
with an average size of .50x.30. Mr. W. E. D. Scott states that this species is an
abundant summer resident in the Catalina mountains in Southern Arizona, and by
the last of May the birds are mated and begin breeding. He found fresh eggs as
late as July and early in August. Mr. Stephens notes this Hummingbird as not un-
common in the San Bernardino Valley. A nest taken May 22 was built in a willow.
eight fret from the ground, and contained two eggs in which incubation had com-
menced.

429. 1. VIOLET-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. Trm-liUn* rinlnjuuuhnn Jeff-
ries. Geog. Dist.— Coast of California (Santa Barbara).

Known only from one specimen first described by the late J. Amory Jeffries.
The specimen was a male taken April 5, 1883, near Santa Barbara, California.*

hing is known regarding its habits or the extent of its range.

430. COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD. r »/////*/<• n,xf,r (Bourc.) Geog. Dist.—
Lower California, Western Mexico, Arizona and Southern California.

Costa's Hummingbird is more or less abundant in various regions of Arizona
and Southern California. It is not generally so abundant as the Black-chinned
Hummingbird, in whose company it is often found breeding. Small streams in the
mountain canons, fringed with alder, laurel, sycamore and other shrubbery, are
their favorite resorts. Mr. Scott did not find this species very common at Riverside,
Final county, Arizona, in 1882. On May 5 a nest was found built in a cottonwood
tree thirty-five feet from the ground, almost at the extremity of the branches.
Four sets of the eggs, with the nests, of Costa's Hummer, collected in the neighbor-
hood of Banning, California, May 12 and 13, 1884, are before me. The nests were
built in shrubs, varying from six to twelve feet in height. Two of the nests rest in
slender forks, while the other two are built on small twigs. The materials in these
do not differ essentially from those in ten nests of Anna's Hummingbird, consisting
of soft, downy, yellowish or grayish vegetable substances, with here and there bits
of flower stems, the whole covered on the outside with spider webs. Each of th< s<
nests contained two eggs, and they exhibit the following sizes: .49x.31, .49x.29;
.45x.30, .47x.31; .48X.30, 49x.30; .45X.32, .46x.30.

* The Auk. Vol. V.. pp 168-169.

WORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 29S

431. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD. Calypte anna (Less.) Geog. Dist.— Valleys
of California, Arizona and Mexico

Anoa s Hummingbird is a common resident of California; its nest and eggs can
be found almost any time in May and June. In the vicinity ot jaaywards, California,
Mr Emerson took a nest of this species which contained two eggs, January 20. It
was built in slender forks of a pear tree, about eight feet from the ground. Over
the entire outside of this nest are distributed green lichens. Mr. H. R. Taylor, of
Alameda, California, records a nest containing two eggs far advanced in incubation,
which he found February 13. The nest was placed about thirty feet from the
ground, near the end of slender limb of a cypress tree. The birds build in trees,
and are not particular what kind or where they are situated; on hillside, along
creeks, in orchards or in gardens. Ten nests collected by Mr. R. B. Herron, at San
Gorgonio Pass, California, in May, do not. exhibit great variation in their general
make-up and style. They are composed of thistle-down and willow-cotton, with
occasionally a few small feathers and bits of flower stems; on the outside, moss
well covered with spider webs, with here and there pieces of lichens. Eggs same as
those of T. colubris; four specimens measure as follows: .45x.30, .47x.30, .49X.32,.
.49x.30. Twenty-four eggs Lave an average size of .50x.32.

431. 1. FLORESI'S HUMMINGBIRD. Sclasphorus floresii Gould. Geog.
Dist. — Mexico (Bolanos, Jalisco) ; accidental to California.

Floresi's Hummingbird or Flame-bearer, of exquisitely gorgeous plumage, can
only be considered an accidental straggler within the borders of the United States
and still is very rare in collections. It was obtained at Bolano, Oaxaca, Mexico, in
1845, and remained unique for some time; more recently it has been reported from
the State of Jalisco. Mr. Walter E. Bryant found a specimen in a taxidermist's shop
in San Francisco, California, which had been mounted as a hat bird. He was as-
sured that it had been killed near that city, which gives it a place in our avifauna.
Nothing appears to be known regarding the life history of this species.

432. BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD. Selasphorus platycercus Swains.
Geog. Dist.— Rocky Mountain plateau region of the United States, from Montana,
Idaho and Wyoming southward to Guatemala.

This Hummingbird is a common species in the Rocky Mountain regions of the
United States, and is particularly numerous in New Mexico, Colorado and northward.
In its flight it is said to utter almost constantly a sharp screeching or chattering
note. Large numbers of these birds are often found breeding in thickets of dwarf
willows along streams. The nests are beautiful structures, composed of soft, vege-
table down and covered externally with lichens and bark-fibre, resembling the twigs
to which they are attached, and their height from the ground ranges from three to
ten feet. The nests are similar to those of the Ruby-throat, but are usually sus-
pended on small, swaying twigs, sometimes directly over running water. In Colo-
rado this species rears two broods in a season. Ten eggs before me are not dis-
tinguishaole from those of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird in size, color and
shape.

433. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD. Selasphorus rvfus Gmel. Geog. Dist.—
Western North America, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast; north to or
nearly to Alaska, south over the Table Lands of Mexico.

The commonest and most extensively distributed Hummingbird of the West;
from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, and from Mexico northward. Its favorite-

294 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

nesting site Is along the borders of creeks, on the overhanging limbs and branches
of trees and bushes. Mr. A. W. Anthony mentions this species as abundant in Wash-
ington county, Oregon, breeding nearly everywhere. Nests were found in ferns, in
bushes, trees and vines overhanging embankments; the latter, he states, seems to be
the favorite locality, six nests being found in an old railroad cut, in May and June.
The materials used are willowfloss and soft plant-down. Frequently nests are found
covered with light-colored lichens, which resemble the small bunches of moss in the
trees where they are built. The eggs are not distinguishable from those of T.
colubrts. except that they average slightly smaller.

433 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS (Cheney del).

434. ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD. Sclasplinru* allcni (Hensh.) Geog Dist.-
Coast district of California, north to British Columbia, south to Arizona.

Allon's Hummingbird is found throughout the coast region of California and
northward. This species is said to be very lively and active, keeping constantly in
open places, and always perching upon the most prominent dead twigs. Compared
to the unsuspicious nature of the Rufous Hummingbird, it is extremely shy. Nests
usually in thickets and trees along creeks and canons. The outside of the nest is
composed of fine moss, the lining is the delicate floss of the cottonwood. Eggs same
a» those of T. rofufori*. All the Hummingbirds that breed in California are said to
two broods In a season.

436. CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD. Mrtlnht r,,Hi»,>r Gould. Geog. Dist.—
1 Stales, north to British Columbia, south to Mexico; east to Rocky
Mountains.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 29S

One of the smallest of Hummingbirds. Common to the mountains of the Pacific
slope, from British Columbia south to the tablelands of Mexico. It is abundant in
some localities on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and occurs as
far east as the Rocky Mountain region, from New Mexico north to Montana. In the
vicinity of Fort Klamath, Oregon, Dr. Merrill found this species abundant after
May 16 about the blosoms of wild currant and gooseberry bushes. During the breed-
Ing season the birds are generally distributed in deep pine woods as well as in more
open places, the constant, sharp shrill notes of the males indicating their presence.
A nest found about the middle of July which the young had just left was placed upon
a dead, flattened cone of Plnus contorta. It was composed of thin strips of gray
bark, with a few spiders' webs on the outside; the lining was similar, but with a few
small tufts of a cottony blossom from some tree; the nest was just the color of the
cone, and was admirably adapted to escape notice. Another nest containing two
nearly fledged young was found at about the same time, but was quite unlike the one
just described in construction and situation, being of the common Hummingbird
type, and saddled upon a dead willow twig. Near Carson, Nevada, Mr. Walter E.
Bryant found a nest of this species built upon a projecting splinter of a wood pile at
a height of five feet. Another was secured to a rope within an outbuilding. The
eggs of this species measures .48x.32.

437. LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD. Calotliorax lucifer (Swains.) Geog. Dist.—
Tablelands of Mexico, from Puebla and the Valley of Mexico north to Southern
Arizona.

Mr. H. W. Henshaw added this species of Hummingbird to our fauna in 1874
when he took a specimen near Camp Bowie, Arizona. The late Major Bendire stated
that so far as he was aware no other specimens have been taken within our borders
since that time.

438. RIEFFER'S HUMMINGBIRD. Amazilia fuscicaudata (Fraser.) Geog.
Dist. — Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, south through Eastern Mexico to Central
America and Northern South America.

This common Central American species was given a place in our fauna by a
single specimen secured alive by Dr. James C. Merrill in June, 1876. It has not been
obtained in the lower Rio Grande Valley since and must be considered a straggler
with these limits. It is extremely abundant in the lowlands of Eastern Nicarauga.
Specimens of the nest of this species resemble some of those of the Black-chinned
Hummingbird, and its eggs are similar.

439. BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD. Amazilia eervinivcntris Gould. Geog.
Dist. — Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, south to Eastern Mexico.

Dr. James C. Merrill added this Hummingbird to the avifauna of the United
States in 1876, the first specimen being taken August 17, on the Lower Rio Grande,
in Texas. He found it nowhere so abundant as on the military reservation at Fort
Brown, where it was perfectly at home among the dense, tangled thickets, darting
rapidly among the bushes and creeping vines. A rather noisy bird, its shrill cries
usually first attract one's attention to its presence. A Hummer's nest, undoubtedly
made by this species, was found in September, 1877, within the fort. It was placed
on the fork of a dead, drooping twig of a small tree on the edge cf a path through a
thicket; it was about seven feet from the ground, and contained the shriveled body
of a young bird. The nest was made of downy blossoms of the tree in which it was
placed, bound on the outside with cobwebs, and rather sparingly covered with
lichens. The inside depth was somewhat less than 1.00; the diameter .50; external
depth 1.50. Mr. C. W. Crandall's collection contains a beautiful nest and two

2% <TS AND EGGS OF

of this handsome Hummer secured by Mr. Armstrong, the well-known ornithological'
and oblogical collector, who secured them at Brownsville, Cameron county. Texas,
August 3. 1892. The nest is composed principally of thistle-down, also weed stems
and silky fibers of vegetable matter. It is ornamented on the outside with a few
lichens held on with spider webs. The outside measurements are 1.04 in depth by
1.53 in diameter; insidf diameter .97 by .73 in depth. The eggs measure .55x.36,
.51x33.

440. XANTUS'S HUMMINGBIRD. Basilinmi .mntiisi (Lawr.) Geog. Dist.—
Lower California.

This Hummingbird occurs in the southern portion of Lower California. It was
first taken at Cape St. Lucas by Mr. Xantus, and described by Mr. George N. Law-
rence in 1860. 1 have no information regarding its specific habits; they perhaps.
do not differ essentially from those which characterize other Hummingbirds. Prof.
Ridgway describes the nest as composed of various soft vegetable fibres (especially
raw cotton, spiders' webs, etc.), and attached to small twigs. Size about 1.50 in
diameter by about .80 in height, the cavity about 1.00x.55-.60. Eggs .47x.31.

440.1. WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD. KuxiliniHi Irnmtin (Vieill.) Geog..
Dist.— Mexico and Nicarauga, north to the Chiricahua Mountains.

\ handsome Hummingbird, recently added to the avifauna of North America
K. Fisher, having obtained a specimen on June 9, 1894, in the Chiricahua
Mountains of Southeastern Arizona. Early in June a camp was made at Fly Park,
a well-wooded area southeast of the head of Pinery Canyon, at an altitude of about
10,000 feet. Here a boreal honeysuckle grows commonly through the woods of
spruce, fir, pine and aspen. The flowers of the honeysuckle attract great numbers of
Hummers. It was here that the first specimen was taken on the above date.* Ac-
:.g to Salvin and Godman this is one of the commonest and most characteristic
of the Hummingbirds of the highlands of Mexico and Guatemala. So far as I am
aware there is no authentic published account of the neste and eggs of this beautiful
species.

441. BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD. /</»•//,• l«l<;'<>xtr\K (Swains.) Geog,
Dist.— Southern Arizona, and the South to the Valley of Mexico.

Quoting the late Major Bendire, he says: "The Broad-billed or Circe Humming-
bird appears to be a moderately common summer resident in suitable localities ia
Southern Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico, at altitudes from 3500 to 500^
feet. It was first added to our fauna by Mr. H. W. Henshaw, who took two adult
males in the Santa Rita Mountains, a few miles from old Camp Crittenden, Arizona.
on August 23, 1874. Since then it has also been taken by F. Stephens in the same
locality, where he secured five specimens, which are now in Mr. William Bre^

•inn." Ho says that the birds were always found near water, and usually
along the streams which flowed through canyons, high among mountains. Mr. W.
tt took an adult female that contained an egg with shell nearly formed.
This was in the Catalina Mountains, June 26, 1884. So there can be no doubt <hat
the bird breeds in that region. A nest from Mexico is described as being composed
of plant fibres, and vegetable down; decorated on the outside with narrow strips of
flnr plant stems, bits of lichens, etc. The nest was saddled on a fork of a drooping
twig. There appears to be no published account of the eggs of this Hummer, but
undoubtedly are identical with those of the other well-known smaller species of this
group

• See The Auk. Vol. XI. 1894. pp. 326-328.

NORTH AM URIC AN BIRDS. 297

* * ROSE-THROATED BECARD. Platypsaris alaiw (Lafr.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern Mexico, north to the Rio Grande Valley, south to Salvador.

The family Cotingidse, or the Contingas is a very extensive group of tropical and
subtropical America. They are represented by two genera on our southern border,
Platypsaris and Pacltyrliamphus. They are very closely allied to the family Tyrannida;
the Tyrant Flycatcher, their habits and general characteristics being similar. The
present species is found in Eastern Mexico and northward to the Valley of the Rio
Grande. The extensive oological collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall contains two sets
of five eggs each of this bird, which were taken by Mr. Frank B. Armstrong at Alta
Mira, Mexico, May 8, 1895. The nests in which these eggs were found were as large
as a bushel basket and were composed of general rubbish, bark, straw, dry grass,
etc. Each contained a small cavity where the eggs were deposited. The eggs have a
ground color of a very light drab, marked with blotches, scratches and pen lines
often similar to the markings found in the eggs of the Crested Flycatcher— fawn
color or hair-brown inclining to form a ring around the large end. One set exhibits
the following measurements: .98x.71, 1.04x.71, 1.03x.69, .98x.71, .97x.70; the other
1.02x.73, 1.05x.73, .98x.73, .98x.73, 1.02x.73; the eggs in the second set are remark-
able for their uniformity of breadth. The average size of the ten eggs is l.Olx.71
inches.

441. 1. XANTTJS BECARD. Platypsaris albiventris (Lawr.) Geog. Dist.—
Western and Southern Mexico, north to southern Arizona (Huachuca Mountains).

One specimen of this species taken in southern Arizona by Mr. W. W. Price gives
this species a place in our fauna. A nest from Guatemala was hung from the branch
of a sapling at the foot of a mountain. It was composed of strips of bark and grass
so as to form a hanging nest open at the top and about 2 inches deep. The egg is
white, beautifullly marked with pencilings of pinkish red and spots of the same
color.

[442.] FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER. Milvulus tyrannm (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Mexico to South America. Accidental in the United States— Mississippi,.
Louisiana, Kentucky, New Jersey.

This handsome Flycatcher with a very deeply forked tail is found throughout
tropical America. Its tail is about a foot long, and forked as much as six to eight
inches. The bird's occurrence in the United States is purely accidental, and only a
few specimens have thus far been taken in the regions cited above. Its habits are
said not to differ essentially from those of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher of our
southern fauna. Dr. Brewer describes an egg of this species obtained by Dr. Bal-
damus from Cayenne, as bearing a strong resemblance to the egg of the common
Kingbird. It has a clear white ground, and is spotted with deep, bold markings of
reddish-brown; size .90x.68.

443. SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER. Milvulus forflcatus (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist.— Eastern Mexico and southwestern prairie districts of the United States, north
to Indian Territory, Kansas and the southwestern portion of Missouri. Accidental
in the Eastern States — Virgina, New Jersey, New England — even as far north as
Hudson Bay Territory and Manitoba.

Known as the Swallow-tailed or Fork-tailed Flycatcher— an elegant, graceful
bird, common in the southwestern portion of the United States, from Kansas and
southwestern Missouri southward— especially abundant in Texas. Mr. Singley
states that in Lee county, Texas, this bird nests in trees varying from six to twenty
feet from the ground. He describes a typical nest as built of weeds, small stems and
thistle-down, and lined with down and sometimes with a few fibrous roots. Since

NB8T8 AND EOO8 OF

the introduction of cotton gins and sheep ranches most of the nests are built of
weeds and cotton or wool, or both felted, lined with the same, but oftener with no
lining. Mr. E. C. Davis informs me that the favorite nesting site of this bird in
Cooke county, Texas, is in the low mesquite bushes on the prairies. He has fre-
quently found double nests; one now in his collection consists of three nests built
on each other and made entirely of cotton, measuring fifteen inches from top to
bottom. Mr. Singley says the usual number of eggs in a set is five, fully eighty per
cent, being of this number; the other twenty per cent, is about equally distributed
between sets of four and six. They are white, or creamy-white, marked with a few
dark red spots, and occasionally of an obscure purple, chiefly at the larger end; the
eggs vary in color from pure white, unmarked specimens, which are very rare, to
finely speckled with reddish-brown, and often covered with large spots and blotches
of brown and lilac, and look as if whitewash had been brushed over the colors.
Their average size is .87x.67. A male specimen of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was
taken near Marietta, O., May 20, 1894, by Mr. Frank H. Welder, the skic of which
Is now in his collection. This, I believe, is the first record of the bird having been
taken in the state.

444. KINGBIRD. Tijraiiinix t\ir<\nnns
(Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern temperate North
America, south to Central ard Western South
America to Bolivia; Cuba; Bahamas. Rare west
of the Rocky Mountains.

A common bird in Eastern United States,
and perhaps better known by the name of Bee-
bird or Bee-martin. It destroys thousands of
noxious insects, which more than compensates
for all the bees it eats. This bird's pugnacious
disposition during the breeding season, the bold-
ness, persistent tenacity, and reckless courage
with which it attacks other birds, even crows,
hawks and owls, are characteristics familiar to
all. The nest is placed in an orchard or garden,
or by the roadside, on a horizontal bough, or in
a fork at a moderate height; sometimes in the
top of the tallest trees along streams. It is
bulky, openly situated, and as easily found as
that of the Robin. Exteriorly it is ragged and
loose, but well cupped and brimmed, consisting
of twigs, weedstalks, grasses, rootlets, bits of
vegetable-down and wool firmly matted to-
gether. The lining is of slender grasses, chicken
feathers, horse hair, fibres, rootlets and wool,
used singly or combined in various proportions.
The eggs range from three to five in number.
A large series before me exhibit a wonderful di-
versity in their markings; the ground color is
either white or creamy-white, and the common
type is spotted with rich umber and chestnut-
red. The" sizes vary from .80 to 1.05 in length by
to .75 in breadth. The average size of forty
specimens is .97x.70. Sometimes sets of these
eggs are found almost wholly unmarked.

445. OKA Y KINGBIRD. Turnnnii* dnmln-
iGmel.) Geog. Dist.— South Carolina.
'Kin and Florida: West Indies, ron
Car a and Gulf of Mexico. Accidental

in Massachusetts.

A larger species than the common Kingbird,
444 KINGBIRD but its general appearance habits and nest-

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 299

ing are the same. It is a common bird in the West, Indies, and is found regularly
in Florida and northward to Georgia, etc. Mr. Stuart states that it breeds in Florida
in the months of May and June, building for its nest a frail structure of dry twigs,
lined with a few roots, dead moss or fibrous plant stems; it is placed in low bushes
or in trees at a considerable height. The favorite nesting localities are along
streams in live oaks. Usually three, sometimes four eggs are deposited; they have a
ground color of a creamy, pinkish or rosy tint, spotted, blotched or dashed with
umber-brown and lilac-gray. A set of three eggs in my cabinet, taken near Tampa,
Florida, May 20, 1885, measure l.OOx.75, 1.02x.76, 1.04x.75; another set of three, taken
near Thomasville, Georgia, June 4, 1888, exhibit the following sizes: ,99x.70, l.OOx
.72, l.OOx.73. Mr. Norris has a set of four eggs, taken in Matee, Florida, May 25;
these measure .97x.72, .99x.82, .97x.70, .97x.74.

446. COUCH'S KINGBIRD. Tyrannus melancholicus couchii (Baird.) Geog.
Dist. — Northern portion of Central America, north through Mexico to southern
border of the United States (Southern Texas to Arizona).

This is a common bird from Guatemala north through Mexico to the southern
border of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. It possesses the same characteristics
common to birds of its family. A nest and four fresh eggs are described by Mr.
Sennett* These, together with both parents, were taken at Lomita Ranch, on the
Rio Grande, Texas, in 1881. The nest was situated some twenty feet from the
ground, on a small lateral branch of a large elm, in a grove not far from houses.
It was composed of small elm twigs, with a little Spanish moss, a few branchlets and
leaves of the growing elm, lined with fine rootlets and black hair-like heart of the
Spanish moss. The outside diameter is 6 inches and the depth 2 inches; inside
diameter 3 and depth 1.25 inches. The eggs, Mr. Sennett says, have a general re-
semblance to those of all our Tyrant Flycatchers, but are quite distinct in form, size
and ground-color from any* he had seen. The blotches are more numerous and
smaller; the large end is very round, and the small end quite pointed; the ground-
color is rich buff; the blotches are similar to those of the Kingbird's eggs, but more
irregularly distributed over the entire eggs; sizes l.OOx.76, .99x.76, .98x.76, .97x.72.

447. ARKANSAS KINGBIRD. Tyrannus verticalls Say. Geog. Dist. — West-
ern North America from the Plains to the Pacific, south through Western Mexico to
Guatemala. Accidental in Eastern States — Maine, New York, New Jersey and Mary-
land.

The Western Kingbird possesses the same general traits which are common to
the Kingbird of the Eastern States. Colonel Goss mentions it as a common summer
resident in middle and Western Kansas, arriving about the first of May; begins lay-
ing in the latter part of the month. Mr. A. M. Shields states that in the region
about Los Angeles, California, this species is found nesting from about the first of
May until late in July, building in any convenient place; in the frame-work of a
windmill, the cornice of a house, on fence posts, in the forks of trees at heights
ranging from five to fifty feet. The nest is built of any available material, rags, grass
and twigs lined with wool or cotton. Mr. Walter E. Bryant, in his papers entitled
"Unusual Nesting Sites," mentions some curious freaks concerning the nesting of the
Arkansas Kingbird: An old and much flattened nest of Bullock's Oriole was found
relined, and containing four Kingbird's eggs. ^A. nesi was found by Mr. A. M. Inger-
soll built upon a fence post more than half a mile from the nearest tree. It was se-

*Auk, I, p 93.

300 NE8T8 AND EGGS OF

cured from observation on one side by a board nailed to the post and projecting
above it. One of the most remarkable instances of persistency in nest building was
met with in the case of a pair of K.ngbirds, which had attempted to construct a
nest upon the outer end of a windmill fan. A horizontal blade had probably been
first selected, but an occasional breath of air had slightly turned the mill, bringing
into place another and another, upon each of which had been deposited the first
material for a nest until several nests were in different stages of construction, vary-
ing from the time tha. the windmill had remained quiet, while upon the roof below
was strewn a quantity of debris that had fallen as the wheel revolved. Of course,
nothing but failure could be expected from their repeated attempts. The eggs are
five, sometimes four, in number. A large series before me do not differ essentially
from those of 7. ////••//» HI/*, except that they average smaller; .94x.65.

448. CASSINS KINGBIRD. Tunnnm* mnfrriimt Swains. Geog. Disk—
Guatemala north through Mexico and Western United States to Idaho and Southern

inlng, and coast districts of Southern California.

Cassin's Kingbird greatly resembles T. nr//Vf///.v in color; is less lively, and not
so quarrelsome or pugnacious in its nature. It is a common bird in Southern Cali-
fornia, but is nowhere so abundant as the Arkansas Flycatcher. In the Rocky Moun-
tain region, according to.Dr. Coues, it mostly replaces nrtiralix in the breeding sea-
son. A common bird in Arizona. Mr. W. E. D. Scott states that the position of the
many nests he examined in the Catalina Mountain region shows a decided preference
for the evergreen oaks over other trees. The nest, which is commonly from twenty
to twenty-five feet from the ground, is most always placed near the extremity of a
branch, and is hidden by the thick leaves. Six nests and a large series of the eggs
;s species before me do not differ essentially from those of T. tiirnnHiix or 7f,

•

449. DERBY FLYCATCHER, ninni/n* ,hrl>iann* (Kaup.) Geog. Disk—
• •rn South America, Central America, Mexico, north, to the Valley of the Rio

Grande in Texas.

A large, spirited-looking Flycatcher of Mexico and southward, lately found on the
Lower Rio Grande in Texas. It is said to build its nest chiefly in thorny bushes and
trees; the structure is large and dome-shaped, like a Magpie's nest, with an entrance
on one side. It Is composed of twigs, coarse straws, dried mosses, lichens, etc.
The eggs are from three to five, sometimes six in number; creamy-white, speckled,.
spotted and blotched. diiHly at the larger end, with umber-brown, chestnut and
lilac. Average size of ten eggs is 1.20x.80; an average specimen measures l.K
A set of five eggs In Mr. Crandall's collection, taken May 9, 1895, in Tamaulipas
isures 1.1 Ox M: 1. mx. 83, 1.07x.87, 1.05x.81, 1.12x.85. Another set
measures l.lSx.84, 1.18z.85, 1.19x.87, 1.16x.84, 1.20x.87.

450. OIRAUDS FLYCATCHER. I////*,;, /,/,* /,.,-, „*/.* Kliraud.) Geog. Disk—
"Texas" (Glraud), south to Centra! America and Northern South America.

This species is admitted ?<> our fauna upon Giraud's record and, if it occurs at all

Kio Gram!.- ValU-y In Texas it must be considered a straggler, and it is

ful if it breeds within our limits. Mr. Crandall has a set of four eggs of this

species taken in Tamaulipas county, Mexico, April 30, 1895, by Mr. Frank

I. \rmstrong. The nest was plarod in a bush, in open woods, was bulky

and round and composed of grass, hay and moss. The eggs are creamy white.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 301

very sparsely marked, except at the larger end, where they form a wreath of specks
and spots of brownish purple and lavender. This is a typical set in a series. The
sizes are as follows: .98x.67, 1.02x.68, .96x.66, .96x.66, .99x.68.

451. SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. Myiodnastes luteiventris Scl.
Oeog. Dist. — Southern Arizona, south to Panama.

In 1874 Mr. W. H. Henshaw added this handsome Flycatcher to the avifauna
of North America. He found it to be a summer resident in the Chiricahua Moun-
tains of Southern Arizona, where he secured a pair of old birds, with three young,
August 24. The birds frequent streams bordered with large trees, seeming always to
prefer sycamores, and they are seldom seen more than 50 yards from a stream. They
nest in the knot holes of trees or any suitable tree cavity, the nest being simply con-
structed of small twigs, stems of leaves, etc. A set of three well incubated eggs was
taken August 15, 1894, in Ramsay's Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. The
.ground color is a rich creamy buff, profusely blotched and lighter shades of lavender.
The markings, according to the late Major Bendire, do not resemble the streaky
pattern found in the eggs of the genus Myiarchus. They measure 1.07x.75, 1.04x.74
;and .97x.73 inches.

452. CRESTED FLYCATCHER. MyiarcJnis crinitus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern United States, west to the Plains, north to Southern Canada, south in winter
through Eastern Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica.

The Great-crested Flycatcher is an abundant bird in the woodlands of Eastern
United States as far north as Massachusetts. Mr. Thomas Mcllwraith states that it
is a regular summer resident along the southern frontier of Ontario, Canada, arriv-
ing early in May. During the summer months the loud, harsh cries of this species
are familiar sounds in the woods, which, when once known, are easily recognized.
The Great-crested Flycatcher breeds throughout its United States range. It builds
in the hollows of trees, post-holes, and, even Bluebird and Martin boxes are some-
times occupied. The nest is made of slender twigs, grasses, fine stems and rootlets
and cast-off snake skins are invariably found among the materials. The eggs are
remarkable for their coloration, having a ground of buffy-brown, streaked longitudin-
ally by lines sharp and scratchy in style, and markings of purple and darker brown;
four to six in number; average size, .82x.62. The smallest egg selected from one
liundred specimens measures .76x.62; the largest .93x.70. The eggs are so peculiar
in their style of markings that they may be easily identified, and all the eggs of the
North American species of the genus myiarchus are alike in character.

453. MEXICAN CRESTED FLYCATCHER. Myiarchus mexicanus (Kaup.)
•Geog. Dist. — Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, southward to Guatemala.

The Mexican Crested Flycatcher was found by Dr. Merrill breeding in consider-
able numbers on the Lower Rio Grande in Texas. In its notes and habits it ap-
pears to closely resemble M. crinitus. With one exception, no snake skins were used
in the construction of any of the nests. They were composed of felted locks of wool
and hairs, and were placed not far from the ground in old woodpeckers' holes or in
natural cavities of decayed trees or stumps/ Thirty-two eggs have an average size
of .93x.66, the extremes being 1.03x.73 and .82x.65. The eggs are similar to those of
M. crinitus, except that they have a paler ground color and the markings are not so
fceavy.

302 /> I V/> EGOS OF

463. MEXICAN CRESTED FLYCATCHER.

453fl. ARIZONA CRESTED FLYCATCHER. Alj/iun-lnix inc.rii-nnun ;/m?;/.v/»r
Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Western Mexico, north to Southern Arizona.

Mr. W. E. D. Scott found this bird to be common in spring and summer about
Tucson, Florence, Riverside, and in the foot-hills of the Catalina Mountains up to
about 450 feet, in Southern Arizona. About Tucson it frequents the mesquito ;unl
giant cactus groves. In the Catalinas, at an altitude of 4000 feet, a nest was found
built in a deserted Woodpecker's hole in a dead sycamore stub; it was entirely simi-
lar to that of .17. rrinititx, even to the traditional snake skins, and contained five eggs
nearly ready to be hatched, very similar to those of M. rrinitux, but a little^ larger.
About Tucson the birds nest commonly In deserted Woodpecker's holes in the giant
cactus. From three to five eggs are laid. An egg of this Flycatcher ia my cabinet,
taken in Final county, Arizona, March 21, 1886, measures l.OSx.70.

464. ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER. .U//m/r////x rim rnxn •//.< Lawr. Geog.
Dist.— Western United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, north to
Oregon, Nevada. Utah and Colorado, south over the highlands of Mexico to northern
Central America.

The Ash-throated Flycatcher is a common species west of the Rocky Mountains;
in some place* it is abundant. It is described as being shy, and of retiring habits,
preferring the solitude of deep, shady forests where its insect food abounds. It is
usually sole possessor of the tree in which its nest is built: all intruders are vio-

• assailed and compelled to retreat. The nests are placed in natural < -avities of
trees of almost any kind, in a deserted squirrel's or Woodpeckers' hole. The

lies of eggs range from four to seven, ordinarily five or six. and the nesting
season Is in May and Jun« Old excavations of Gairdner's Woodpecker air <-om-

y this species in California. The eggs are colored and m
like thosr of M \o. 208 (odlogical collection of Walti-r i: I'-i

taken near Oakland. California, June 22, 1881, contains five eggs, which were- fresh
when found: their measurements are 22.6x16.5, 22x16, 23.5x16.5, 22x16.5, 23x16.5 mm.*

.OTx.63. .93X.66. .87x.66, .91x.65.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 303

Set No. 207, five eggs, taken at Berkely, California, June 9, 1880, contained small
embryos, and show the following dimensions: 21x16, 21.5x15.5, 21.5x15.5, 21.5x16, 20x
15 mm.*

454«. NUTTING'S FLYCATCHER. Myiarclms cinerascens nuttinyi (Ridgw.)
Geog. Dist. — Southern Arizona, southward through Western Mexico to Costa Rica.

This is a recent addition to o«r avifauna. The bird with four fresh eggs was
secured by Dr. A. K. Fisher at Rillito Creek, Arizona, on June 12, 1892. Other speci-
mens of the bird have since been taken. The nest which Dr. Fisher found was in a
hole formerly occupied by Woodpeckers in a giant cactus tree about four feet from
the ground. The eggs are similar to those of the Ash-throated Flycatcher and meas-
ure .96x.67. .95x.66, .98x.67 and .94x.69 inches.

[455.] LAWRENCE'S FLYCATCHER. Myiarclms lawrenceii (Giraud.) Geog.
Dist.— Texas (?) and Eastern Mexico.

This species is placed in our avifauna on Giraud's record from the lower Rio
Grande in Texas, but has not since his day (1841) been observed or taken by any
collector. A set of five eggs of Lawrence's Flycatcher was taken by Mr. Frank B.
Armstrong near Alta Mira, Tamaulipas county, Mexico, May 20, 1895. The bird was
shot and identification made certain. The nest was placed in the hole of a tree in
open woods, ten feet from tLe ground. The composition of the nest was brownish-
colored hairs, feathers, etc. 1 he ground color of the eggs is a rich creamy buff, very
sparingly marked when compared with the eggs of other species of this genus, the
same purple and dark brown colors, however, predominating, but 'not laid on in the
same scratchy style, tending considerably more to blotches and spots, although suf-
ficient enough to identify them as eggs belonging to birds of this genus. The set of
five eggs just described are in Mr. C. W. Crandall's collection and were sent to him
by Mr. Armstrong as being typical of the species selected from a small series taken
at Alta Mira. The sizes of the eggs are as follows: .83x.68, .87x.66, .81x.65, .88x.67,
.84x.66: average .85x.66. inches.

455a. OLIVACEOUS FLYCATCHER. Myiarchus lawrenceii olivascens Ridgw.
Geog. Dist. — Arizona and Western Mexico; casual at Fort Lyon, Colorado.

First described by Mr. William Brewster in 1881 from specimens taken by Mr.
F. Stephens in the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, during the months of May and
June. Mr. Stephens supposed that this sub-species bred in the knot holes of trees or
in the excavations made by woodpeckers. Nothing possitive seems to be known
concerning the eggs of this species, but in all probability they, are similar to those of
the Ash-throated Flycatcher.

456. PHG3BE. Sayornis phoebe (Lath.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America;
in winter south to Mexico and Cuba.

The Phcebe, Pewit, or Pewee is one of the best known birds in Eastern United
States, where, with the Robin and the Bluebird, it is always one of the first spring
arrivals. Shady ravines, the borders of rivers and open fields are its resorts. It Is
commonly found perched upon a dead branch of a tree at the edge of a woods,
where it sits flirting its tail and occasionally darting out after passing insects, al-
ways returning to the same twig, and frequently uttering its simple, agreeable and

.8fx 63, Sbx 61, .85x.61, .85x.63, .79x.59.

304

NESTS AND EdGS OF

emphatic note, p^-wev, pe-icit, or as some hear it, /i//»/-fc»v. This species is called
from its habit of nesting in old wooden bridges. The original situa-
tion of the nest is the face of an upright rock, which is sometimes moss-grown and
dripping with water. Wilson states that the Phcebe occasionally nests in an open
five or six feet down, among the interstices of the side- walls; and Nuttall has
known it to nest in an empty kitchen. In wild places, far from the habitation of
man. hollow trees are resorted to as breeding places. Stone culv< . old

log houses, barns and sheds are its accustomed nesting places, and nests are often
found In woods built in the roots of overturned trees. Mr. W. W. Coe records the
nesting of a pair of Pewees on a ferry boat running between Portland and Middle-

4R6 PH<ZBE (From Deal)

town. Connecticut, the boat making trips every ten minutes. The birds seemed to
claim Middletown as their home, and appeared to collect the material for the nest
on that side of the river. My friend, Mr. Mebs, took a nest containing five eggs
from the beams of a freight car, which had recently made a trip of forty-five miles.
The eggs were fresh, and, except one, unbroken. Two nests which I found in cul-
verts, over running water, were perfectly green with moss, and had rvidontly been
occupied for several years. The nest, attached to a perpendicular surface, is built
like that of the Barn Swallow, being compactly and neatly made of mud and various
vegetable substances, with n lining of grass and feathers. This bird's attachment
of a chosen locality is sometimes remarkable; its nest is known to have been torn
down and rebuilt again by its owner in the same spot. The eggs may i» taken,
when a second and even a third set will be deposited. The eggs are ordinarily four
or five in number; clutches of five are the most common; they are pure white,
sometimes sparsely spotted with obscure or well-defined reddish-brown dots at thb
larger end. In exceptional Instances the Pewee deposits six and seven eggs. Their
age sJz« Is .Slx.52.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 305

457. SAY'S PHCEBE. Sayornis saya (Bonap.) Geog. Dist— Western United
States from the Great Plains to the Pacific, north to the Saskatchewan, south to
Mexico.

A bird of an extended distribution in Western United States, amd possessing the
same general traits common to the Eastern Pewee. Col. Goss records this species
as a summer resident in Western Kansas, and styles it "a bird of the plains." Be-
gins laying the last of May. Dr. Coues says that it is common in open or rocky
country, where it is seen singly or in pairs; the principal flycatcher of unwooded
regions, in weedy, brushy places, displaying the usual activity of its tribe, and
littering a melancholy note of one syllable, or a tremulous twitter. Like 8. phfebe,
it has been found nesting in hollow trees, in caves and recesses of rocks, in outbuild-
ings or abandoned dwellings. Sometimes, with the familiarity of the Eastern spe-
cies, it will build its nest on a porch of a dwelling whose inmates are almost con-
stantly in sight. Occasionally two broods are reared in a season. Mr. Bryant men-
tions a nest found by Mr. Walter Bliss at Carson, Nevada, placed within and close
to the entrance of a deserted Bank Swallow's burrow. The composition of the nest
varies more or less according to the locality in which it is built; vegetable fibres,
soft grasses, spiders' webs, etc., are the principal materials, and the shallow cavity
is lined with feathers and hair. The eggs are four or five in number, white, with an
average size of .75x.57. A set of four eggs, taken near Banning, California, May 19,
1884, measure .75x.61, .77x.61. .75x.61, .76x.59.

458. BLACK PHCEBE. Sayornis nigricans (Swains.) Geog. Dist. — Southwest-
ern United States and Mexico — Texas, through Southern New Mexico and Arizona
to California, northward along the coast to Oregon.

This bird's general color is like that of the "Black" Snowbird, Junco hyemalis,
now called Slate-colored Junco. It is an abundant species throughout California,
Southern Arizona and New Mexico, and its general habits are much the same as
those of the common Phcebebird; the nests are also constructed in similar situations
as those of the Eastern species — in caves, on ledges of rocks, under bridges, in de-
serted dwellings, etc. The bird is found more or less abundantly along streams,
and is said to prefer the vicinity of human habitations. Mr. Walter E. Bryant
records a pair of these birds that built for two consecutive years in a well, four feet
below the surface. The first year a second nest was built after the first had been
taken. Pour or five eggs are laid. A set of four eggs is in my cabinet, taken April
26, by Mr. S. C. Evans, from a nest in a barn at San Jose, California. Two of them
are white, unmarked, and the other two are sparsely dotted at the larger end with
light reddish-brown: their sizes are .73x.59. .80x.59. .81x.57. .80x.58.

459. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. Contopus borealis (Swains.) Geog.
Dist.— North America at large, north even to Greenland, south in winter to Central
America and Columbia.

The Olive-sided Flycatcher, apparently nowhere abundant — at least ic seems to
escape the notice of observers — is very rare in the Middle and Southern States, but
less so in the West. It frequents the coniferous, woods of the mountain districts and
those of the lowlands, breeding from Northern United States northward. In some
localities of New England the Olive-sided Flycatcher is rather common, where
numerous instances of its nesting are recorded. It has been found breeding in New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Northern Minnesota. Colonel Goss says it is a rare sum-
mer resident of Kansas. The nest is usually built in evergreen trees, frequently at a

21

306 NE8T8 AND BOOS OF

great height from the ground. It is similar in construction to that of the Wood
Pewee's nest, being saddled on a horizontal limb or fixed in a fork. A nest before me,
taken in Windsor county, Vt.. June 10, 1884, is a shallow structure made of twigs,
grasses, and bark strips, lined with soft grasses and moss; it is a very frail, clumsy
structure, compared -to that of ro»/o/»».v i •//•<•//.«. This was placed in a hemlock tree,
thirty feet from the ground, and contained four eggs, which is the usual number.
From three to five eggs are laid by this species, and May and June are the breeding
months. The eggs are creamy-white, spotted about the greater end with a distinct
confluent ring of chestnut-red and brown; there are also spots of purple and laven-
der. and on the whole the eggs very much resemble those of the Wood Pewee, but
are larger; sizes. .90x.65, .89x.G5, ,90x.62, .90x.67. These sizes are slightly .larger than
most of those stated by writers. The average size given is about .82x.62 inches. Mr.
C. Barlow read a paper July 10, 1897, before the Cooper Ornithological Club describ-
ing a nest and a set of eggs of the Olive-sided Flycatcher taken by W. W. Price in i:i
Dorado county, Cal. The nest was situated in a fir tree seventy-one feet from the
ground.

46O. COUES'S FLYCATCHER, ('nnttijms i><rti>iu.c Cab. Geog. Dist.— Moun-
tains of Southern and Central Arizona, south through Mexico and Guatemala.

This Flycatcher was added to our avifauna by Dr. Elliott Coues, who took a

specimen near Fort Whipple, Arizona, August 20, 1864. It is generally distributed

throughout the southern half of Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, but is no-

inmon. Breeds wherever found. Like the Olive-sided Flycatcher woods

on the edge of an opening or along rocky ravines. The nest and eggs of this Fly-

catcher were first described by Mr. Samuel B. Ladd, of Westchester, Pa., in The Auk

VIII. p. :nr,). They were collected June 17, 1890. It is as follows: "The nest,

1 on an oak limb 20 feet from the ground, is compact, and reminds one of the

nest of our Cnutnjntx r/wix, excepting in size. Outside diameter 5 inches by 2 inches

high; inside diameter 3 inches by 1 inch deep. The body of the nest seems to consist

of the web of some spider, intermingled with the exuviae of some insect, fragments

of insects and vegetable matter, such as staminate catkins, (,)n< rci<x-< ninriii. a pod of

"me leaves of Qn< n-ns < nioriii and o/arr//.s- uinilntn. The interior of the

nest is made up of grasses, principally of two species of Pna, also some fragments of

•I >>'//><;. The eggs, three in number, were slightly incubated. The

ground color is cream buff, spotted in a ring around the larger end with chestnut

lilac-gray. Measurements: 0.63x0.86, 0.82x0.61, 0.61x0.83 inch 0.62x0.84." Mr.

Geon Hinder. of Phoenix, Arizona, makes note of the nesting of Coues's

•or September, 1897, page \'2. as follows: "I found the

Cour her quite a common bird in the Huachuca Mountains, but saw none in

the Santa Ritas. A nest v.-.-is found on Juno 11, by watching the female. At first
both birds appeared rather indifferent about my presence, but 1 noticed that no time
was lost in driving Jays from a large spruce tree. Patient watching revealed the
nest; It was built at the ronflin-nre of two limbs, resting in part on the main limb.
and HO well hidden that i a ted only by seeing tin- bird resume ihe duties of

incubation. The nest is of the Wood Pewee type, but much larger; being composed.
irdly. of *mss stems coven .1 with lichens. The inside is lined entirely with
the ripe tips of a species of grass (Nfi/-- > Krowinu; in places near the nest.

It was situated thirty fret from the Around, and ten feet from the trunk of the tree.
In the ne.^ o eggs and a third one. after receiving some injury, was thrown

out of the nest, lodging upon the edpe. , ubation in the two eggs

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 307

was well advanced. They resemble eggs of the Olive-sided Flycatcher, but are
somewhat smaller than that species." Mr. Crandall has in his collection a set of
three eggs of this species collected by Mr. W. O. Howard in the Huachuca Moun-
tains, Arizona, July 8, 1897. The nest was saddled on the branch of a yellow pine,
near the extremity of the limb, sixty feet from the ground. The nest was composed
almost entirely of dried grass of a rich straw color. On the outside it was artistically
covered with bits of lichen and bark, the green tips and buds of pine. The outside
depth is 1.95 by 3.80 inches, outside diameter. The eggs are of a rich cream color
blotched and spotted in a confluent ring about the large end with chestnut brown
and various shades of gray. The sizes are .86x.61, .81x.61, .83x.61 inches.

461. WOOD PEWEE. Contopus vircns (Linn.) Geog. Dis.— Eastern North
America to the edge of the Great Plains, north to Canada, south in winter to Eastern
Mexico and Guatemala.

A common and a well-known bird in Eastern United States. By those who have
a superficial knowledge of birds, it is often confounded with the common Pewee,
but it is considerably smaller, slenderer, and rather darker in color. The notes of
both birds are very similar; those of the Pewee consist of two syllables, quickly and
sharply uttered, while those of the Wood Pewee are of two, sometimes three sylla-
bles, pe-iccc or pc-a-iccc, repeated at all hours of the day, but especially after sunset.
The notes are truly sad but sweet, less emphatic, much slower and softer than those
of the Phoebe and, as Mr. Thomas Mcllwraith says: "To human ears the notes of the
male appear to be the outpourings of settled sorrow, but to his mate the impressions
conveyed may be very different."* The nest of the Wood Pewee is usually placed
either on the upper surface of a limb, or in a horizontal fork. It is generally built
in a large tree in the interior or on the border of woods, or by the roadside. Very
frequently the nest is placed on the horizontal branches of apple trees in orchards,
and even in shade trees, in close proximity to houses, or on those along river banks.
The distance from the ground ranges from six to fifty feet. The nest is a very
pretty, flat, compact structure, with a thick wall and a thin floor — often the branch
forms a portion of the bottom of the nest, and it is frequently so thin that. the eggs
can be seen from beneath. Slender or split grasses, weed-fibres, narrow strips of
grapevine bark, and pieces of moss-fibres make up the nest proper. Externally it is
covered with pieces of lichens, which are held in position by webs, and the structure
thus ornamented is rendered indistinguishable from a. natural protuberance of the
branch itself. A large series of the Wood Pewees' nests which I have personally
taken in the past ten years are before me. The best of them are far inferior in
design to even the poorest nests built by the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Ruby-
throated Hummingbird, whose structures have high walls, gracefully turned brims,
deeply cupped interiors and highly artistic, lichen-covered exteriors. Some of the
nests of the Wood Pewee are scantily ornamented with lichens, are very shallow,
and at once suggest a one-story, flimsy, poverty-stricken home. The nesting time
is in the latter part of May or in June. The eggs are usually three, rarely four in
number, with a creamy-white ground of varying intensity; the markings are formed
in a wreath around the larger end, or around the center; these are spots of reddish-
brown, burnt umber and lilac-gray. In their short diameter the eggs measure from
.50 to .59; in their long diameter from .65 to .79s the average size is about .74x.55.

462. WESTERN WOOD PEWEE. Contopus richardsonii (Swains.) Geog.
Dist. — Western North America, from the Great Plains to the Pacific; north to British

* Birds of Ontario, p. 181.

308 NE8T8 AND EQG8 OF

Columbia and Interior of British America; south in winter through Mexico and
Central America.

The Western Wood Pewee is common in various regions of Western United
States, as in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California. Oregon, etc. Colonel Goss
records it as a rare summer resident in Western Kansas; begins laying the first of
June. Mr. Bryant informs me that it is tolerably common near Oakland, Gal., where
It nesU by preference on the horizontal branches of alders, about fifteen feet from
the ground. According to Mr. Emerson it is not at all confmon about Hayward,
Cal. A nest taken May 22, 1881, was placed on the large horizontal limb of a syca-
more, thirty feet from the ground; another, taken in Santa Cruz county, May 26,
vas also built in a similar position at a height of forty feet. At Fort Klamath, Ore-
gon, Dr. Merrill found the nests usually built on a horizontal pine branch, often at
a considerable elevation; sometimes they are placed against upright twigs, and
others merely saddled on the bare limb. Only one was found in an aspen tree.
They averaged rather deeper than the nests of C. virens, and were not coated with
lichens. The nests of the Western Wood Pewee do not differ widely from those of
the typical virens, except that they are rarely ornamented with lichens. The eggs,
too, are similar — creamy-white, marked with spots of chestnut-brown, umber and
lilac-gray in wreaths about the larger end or center of the eggs; the number de-
posited ranges from two to four, usually three. A set of three in my cabinet col-
lected in Douglass county, Colorado, June 10, 1887, have the following measurements:
.67X.57, .69X.57, .65x.57.

462<i. LARGE-BILLED WOOD PEWEE. Contopus richardsonii peninsula
Brtwst. Geog. Dist. — Sierra de la Laguna, Lower California.

This subspecies was first described by Mr. William Brewster (The Auk, Vol. VIII,
p. 144). It is an inhabitant of Lower California and, while so far as I am aware there
IB nc published account concerning its nests and eggs, it is reasonable to suppose that
they differ little from those of the Western Wood Pewee, C. nV7wrdxo//ii.

463. YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. A'w/m/om/.r flaviventris Baird.
•Geog. Dist— Eastern North America to the Great Plains, south in winter through
Eastern Mexico and Central America. Breeds from Northern United States north-
ward.

A common bird In Eastern United States, where it frequents thickets, swamps
and woodland. It does not seem to have been met with or observed during the breed-
ing season so commonly as other members of the genus Empitl<n\n.r, which is doubt-
less due to the peculiarity of its nidiflcation, and from its limited breeding area with-
in the United States. Its note is as much entitled to the name of song as many of
the Warblers and other Oscines. A nest containing four eggs was found by Mr. H. A.
Purdy on June 18, in Aroostook county, Maine, at the edge of a wooded swamp, built
in a ball of green mots in the roots of an upturned tree, two feet from the ground.
It was composed of dry moss, and the outside was faced with the same in its beauti-
ful *re«n state. It was large for the size of the bird, and was lined mostly with fine
black roots, a few pine needles and grass stems. June 10, 1878, Mr. S. D. Oaborne
found a nest of this species, with four eggs, on the island of Grand Manan. It was
built in a good-sized hummock of moss at the edge of some low woods. The cavity
extended in about two inches, and was about four inches deep, lined with a few
grasses, black, hair-like roots, etc. Another nest, similar in construction, was found
by Mr. Osborne in Oxford county, Maine, in a bunch of moss under the roots of a

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDti. 309

small tree in swampy woods, bordering a small stream. Two nests of this bird were
taken at Fort Fairfield, Maine, by Mr. Charles F. Batchelder. One found June 14
was in wet mixed woods of spruces, arbor vitaes and hemlocks; it was on the edge
of a bank of a small brook, in a decayed tree trunk, and partly sunk in the sur-
rounding moss. This nest contained four eggs. The second nest, which also con-
tained f ur eggs, taken June 27, was deeply sunk in the soft, green moss on the
side of the stump of a fallen tree.* Mr. Frederick B. Spaulding records the finding
of a nest similar to those described, near Lancaster, New Hampshire, June 14, 1886.f
Mr. Spaulding's nest contained five fresh eggs. The eggs are usually four in number,
buffy or creamy-white, speckled and spotted, chiefly around the larger end with
rusty-brown or cinnamon. The average size is .70x.50. The measurements of Mr.
Batchelder's two sets are as follows: .68x.52, .68x.52, .66x.51, .66x.51; .70x.54; .67x.54,
.67X.53, .67x.51.

464. WESTERN FLYCATCHER. timpldonax difficilis Baird. Geog. Dist.—
Western United States, from the edge of the Great Plains to the Pacific; north to
Sitka, south in winter to Western Mexico.

The Western Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is an abundant species throughout its
United States range. Its general habits, nesting and eggs are similar to those of
flaviventris. Mr. Walter E. Bryant mentions a nest of this species found by Mr. A. M.
Ingersoll, which was built at the bottom of a hole five inches deep, made by a Red-
shafted Flicker in a live oak. Mr. Emerson states that in California this bird nests
in hollows in banks and along creeks, in natural cavities of trees and among the
roots of fallen ones, and in some of the most out-of-the-way places; in tall Austral-
ian gum trees and in corners of rail fences. Nest composed of shreds of roots, dead
leaves, cobwebs, bits of fine grass, and lined with finer grasses and a few feathers.
A set of four eggs is in my collection, taken by Mr. Ingersoll, May 2, 1886. The nest
was placed on rocks four feet from running water. These specimens measure as fol-
lows: .64x.50, .67x.53, .63x.49, .64x.50. The eggs are creamy-white, spotted and
finely speckled with cinnamon or reddish-brown, in some quite thickly about the
larger end, often forming a complete ring, again well sprinkled over the entire sur-
face; three or four, sometimes five in number; average size .69x.51.

464. 1. ST. LUCAS FLYCATCHER. Empidonajc cineritius Brewst. Geog.
Dist. — Lower California.

This comparatively new species or extreme Southern variety of the Yellow-
bellied Flycatcher was first described by Mr. William Brewster from a specimen
taken by Mr. M. Abbot Frazar at La Laguna, Lower California. I believe nothmg
has been published concerning its nests and eggs.

465. GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER. Empidonax virescens (Vieill.)
Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States, north to Southern New York and Southern
Michigan, west to the Plains, south to Cuba and Costa Rica; rare or casual in New
England.

A common bird in the woodlands of Eastern United States. Breeds more or less
abundantly in nearly all the Mississippi Valley region, even as far south as Eastern
Texas, Southern Louisiana and Alabama. Colonel Goss gives it as not uncommon

* For a detailed account of these nests and eggs, see Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, Vol.
Ill, pp. 166-168-187-188; Vol. IV, pp. 240-242.

t Ornithologist and Oologist, XII, pp. 133-134.

310 NB8TS AND EOQ8 OP

in Eastern Kansas, where It arrives the first of May and begins laying early iu June.
Messrs. Keyes and Williams record it as a summer resident of Iowa, but not common;
several nests have been taken near Des Moines during the past few years.* In New
England the Acadian Flycatcher, which is its other name, is of rare occurrence.
In Ohio and the bordering States it is an abundant species. Regions timbered with
large trees, and overgrown with bushes, low trees, vines and weeds are its favorite
resorts. The birds love to penetrate the shadowy depths of the forest, and delight to
rear their young in the most quiet and gloomy spots. Rarely, if ever, is the nest built
in isolated trees, but frequently in those along lonely wagon roads or at the border
of woods. In these quiet retreats the observer is often startled by the bird's loud,
quick and emphatic note, ir?iat-d'~8€e, ichat-d'-ye-see, coming from an unseen per-
former, who is perched in the lower branches. The distance of the nest from the
ground varies from three to twenty feet, and it is usually suspended in a horizontal
fork at the extremity of a low limb. In manner of attachment it resembles the
nests of the Vireos. being fastened by the brim, while the bottom is unsupported.
Sometimes, as when in vines or bushes, it is suspended between two parallel stems.
On the whole, It Is a loose, rustic fabric, made of grasses, catkins, weed-fibres and
shreds of bark, and when just finished considerable quantities of grass hangs from
the periphery of the nest, giving it a slovenly appearance. Two or three jegs are
the number deposited by this species. In only two instances, out of the large number
which I have collected, have I found nests with four eggs, and in both cases one egg
was badly addled. Their color is a slight yellowish-buff of varying intensity, with
a decided flesh-color tint when fresh. The markings are of a light reddish, or bay
or rusty-brown color, and are found either in specks or spots grouped chiefly about
the larger end. Ten specimens offer the following sizes: .70x.53, .70x.56, .70x.53, .72
x.54, .75x.54. .77x.5S, .77x.56, .78x.57, .77x.56, .78x.57. An average egg measures
.74x.54. The eggs are not distinguishable from those of traillii, except that the
ground-color and markings in those of rirrsccns are generally darker.

466. TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER. Empidomi.r tr<iil!ii Aud. Geog. Dist— West-
ern North America, from the Mississippi Valley (Ohio, Illinois and Michigan) to the
Pacific, and from the Fur Countries south into Mexico.

Common in Western woodlands, where it is generally distributed. A nest con-
taining a set of three eggs, collected by S. C. Evans, near San Jose, California, May
26. Is In my cabinet. The nest was placed in the forks of a small bush, three feet
from the ground. Its composition is chiefly vegetable fibres, loosely put together;
thf lining IB of the same material, but of finer shreds, and horse hair. The eggs
have a pale yellowish-buff ground-color, spotted and speckled at tho greater end
with light reddish and madder-brown; sizes, .73x.53, .74x.51, .74 \

466fi. ALDER FLYCATCHER. /:////m/o>m.r /niUtii tilnornin llr.'wst. Geog.
••rica, from the Maritime Provinces and N.-w Kn^lam! west-
ward at least to Northern Michigan, ot... breeding from the southern «•<!;;•• of tlio
Canad northward; in wintor south to Central America.

The Alder .-ds from the Northern United States northward, and as

far south as South*-™ Illinois and Missouri. The locality usually srl.Ti.-d
ing BIN* by this bird is in a thick growth of alders bordering a stream, or in tin-
>f a lonely wood, where it is associated with tho On- Fly-

• A Preliminary Art t.iloRue of th»- T'.irds of Iowa:

*nu ll DM. M. D • MIL'S of n.-ivnp.

>'.<n< rt. Town: 1888. T

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD 8.

311

466«. ALDER FLYCATCHER AND NEST.

312 VESTS AND EGGS OF

catcher during the breeding season. Wherever found breeding E. t. alnonun is more
abundant than is generally supposed, but from its retiring habits is little known.
Our illustration represents a typical nest of Alder Flycatcher, taken in June, 1885,
placed In a clump of alders. They are scarcely ever placed higher than eight feet
from the ground; in most cases about four. In nearly all instances they are built
in an upright fork, and have a strong resemblance to the usual structure of the
Yellow Warbler, but lack in compactness and neatness. The external or greater
portion of the nest is composed of hempen fibres, internally lined in true Flycatcher
style with fine grasses. In some, however, there is a slight lining of horse-hair and
of the down from the milk-weed or thistle. A typical nest measures two and a
half inches in height and three in diameter, with a cavity one inch and a half in
diameter and two inches deep. Three eggs is the usual complement, although four
is not uncommon, and they are often found in varying stages of incubation. The
ground-color of the eggs is extremely variable. In some it is of a cream, in others
approaching buff. In four sets there is a striking variation in the distribution of the
markings. They are usually marked, chiefly at the larger end, with blotches of red
and reddish-brown, and while in some the markings are simply very small dots
sparingly sprinkled over the surface, in others these dottings are scarcely visible,
giving them the appearance of an almost unspotted surface. Six eggs exhibit the
following measurements: .72x.55, .70x.53, .70x.52, .64x.53, ,69x.52, .70x.53. An aver-
age specimen measures .73x.53. The eggs of /.'. t. alnnnnn are paler in ground-color
and markings than those of rirescena, but the difference is so slight that no one can
differentiate them with certainty.

467. LEAST FLYCATCHER. Empidoiiax minimus Baird. Geog. Dist. —
Chiefly Eastern North America west to Eastern Colorado and Central Montana,
south in winter through Central America. Breeds from the Northern States north-
ward.

In all the States between the Atlantic and the Great Plains the Least Flycatcher
is an abundant species, occurring, as a migrant and breeding from about 40° latitude
northward. Breeds abundantly in New England and throughout all the Northern
States — New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc. An abundant summer resi-
dent in Manitoba. Adult and young specimens have been taken at San Angelo,
Texas, during the breeding season. It is reported as breeding commonly at Fannin
county, Texas, and sometimes in the State of Nebraska. The bird frequents the
borders of woods and thickets, particularly the edges of lowland forests and the
more open swamps. The nest, commonly placed in an upright fork of a small tree or
sapling, sometimes on a horizontal limb, is small, compact and felted of flne, soft
materials — bark-flbres, intermingled with vegetable down, lined with flne grasses
and shreds of bark, or, as is frequently the case, with a few feathers. The nest
bean a strong resemblance to that of the Redstart, and the eggs canot be mistaken
for those of any of our Flycatchers of the Eastern States, as they are wholly unlike
any of them. They are normally pure white or buffy-white, unninrknl. run-hi
speck number is sometimes only two or three, usually four, and thHr

average size is .65x.50. Seven eggs measure .60x.50, .62x.50, .64x.51, .64x.52, .65x.53,
.63x.50, .64X.61. May and June are the nesting months.

468. HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER. /;»»/m/om/.,- hnmnimnli (Xantus.) Geog.
Dist— Western North America, south in winter to Southern Mexico, north to the
Lesser Slave Lake.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 313

The Western representative of the Least Flycatcher from the Plains to the
Pacific. The nesting and eggs are said to be substantially like those of E. minimus.
On account of its general plain, soiled color it is called Dirty Little Flycatcher. A
i^et of four eggs was collected by Edmund Heller in San Bernardino county, Cali-
fornia, June 16, 1897. The female was shot and identification made certain. The
nest was placed on the horizontal branch of a fir tree, fifteen feet from the ground
and three feet from the trunk. It was composed of strips of bark and lined with
feathers; the outside diameter is 2.68 by 2.48 inches external depth. The eggs
measure .70x.53, .70x.53, .70x.52, .73x.54 inches; color creamy white, unmarked. This
nest and eggs are in Mr. Crandall's extensive collection.

469. WRIGHT'S FLYCATCHER. Empidonax wriylitii Baird. Geog. Dist.-—

Western United States, south to Southern Mexico, east to Rocky Mountains.

The Gray Flycatcher is common to the woodland, groves and thickets of the
Western States and Territories. During the breeding season, in the region about
Fort Klamath, Oregon, Dr. Merrill usually found it in groves of aspens in company
w'th the Warbling Vireo; also among the pines with Cassin's Vireo and the West-
ern Wood Pewee. The nests were most frequently built in young aspens, at an
average height of about six feet. They resemble nests of the Yellow Warbler, which
are found in the same localities; but all the nests of the Flycatcher were built against
the main trunk, while all of the Warbler were on branches and generally higher
from the ground. The nests are composed externally of strips of light gray bark of
about the same colors as the bark of the aspens, and partly on this account and
because of their location the nests are liable to escape notice if careful search is
not made. The lining is sometimes a smooth, felted mass of fur and horse-hairs, in
others feathers are used, and the nests are generally more deeply cupped than is
usual with this group. Pairs that are found among the pines usually place their
nests in an upright form of a manzani'ca or buck-brush that grow abundantly in such
localities. The eggs are dull, buffy-white; seven sets of twenty-seven specimens
average .68x.53, the extremes of the sets being .65x.50 and .72x.57.*

469. 1. GRAY FLYCATCHER. Empidonax griseus Brewst. Geog. Dist. —
Lower California and portions of Sonora (Arizona ?).

In The Auk (Vol. VI, p. 87) Mr. William Brewster describes this new species
from specimens taken by Mr. M. Abbott Frazar near La Paz, Lower California, it
is a slightly larger and grayer bird than Wright's Flycatcher. Nothing has been
published concerning its nidification.

[470.] FULVOUS FLYCATCHER. Empidonax fulvifrons (Giraud.) Geog,
Dist. — "Texas" (Giraud) and Eastern Mexico.

Giraud in his monograph, published in 1841, "Sixteen Texas Birds," first describes
this species. It appears that no other specimens since that time have been taken along
our southern border along the lower Rio Grande in Texas nor in Eastern Mexico,
and there is nothing known concerning its nests and eggs.

470a. BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. Empidonax fulvifrons pyymceus
Coues. Geog. Dist. — Western New Mexico and Southern Arizona, south, into Western
Mexico.

. ITT. 258.

314 NBBT8 AND EGGS OF

This subspecies was first added to our avifauna by Dr. Elliott Coues, who ob-
tained it near Fort Whipple, Arizona in May, 1865. Since then it has been taken
several times in Western New Mexico and Southern Arizona, but is far from being
a common bird. Nests and eggs unknown.

471. VERMILION FLYCATCHER. I'urnn itlmhix rnbimits ni-wanus (Scl.)
Geog. Dist.— Southern border of the United States (Southern Texas to Arizona),
south through Mexico to Guatemala.

Along the Rio Grande of Southern Texas and in Southern Arizona the beautiful
Vermilion Flycatcher is a common species. Mr. W. E. D. Scott notes it is a common
species about Riverside, Tucson, and Florence, Arizona. During the breeding sea-
son the male frequently utters a twittering song while poised in the air, in the man-
ner of the Sparrow Hawk; during the song it snaps its bill as if catching insects.
Thickets along water-courses are this bird's favorite resort. The nests are usually
placed In horizontal forks of ratana trees, often in mesquites, not more than six
feet from the ground; they are composed of small twigs and soft materials felted
together, and the rims covered with lichens; the cavity is shallow. A few horse or
cow hairs comprise the lining. Dr. Merrill states that they bear considerable re-
semblance to nests of the Wood Pewee in appearance and the manner in which they
are saddled to the limb. Mr. Brewster describes a nest taken by Mr. F. Stephens on
the 25th of April, at Tucson, Arizona, which lacks the exterior coating of lichens.
Others were found by Mr. Stephens of a similar construction. The usual number of
eggs is three; the ground-color is a rich creamy-white, with a ring of large brown
and lilac blotches at the larger end. Dr. Merrill gives the average size of fourteen
eggs as .73x.54. A set of three eggs in Mr. Norris' cabinet was taken in Cochise
county, Arizona, May 21, 1888. The nest was placed in a sycamore tree near a run-
ning stream. The eggs are pale creamy-buff, with bold spots and blotches of seal-
brown and lilac-gray, in a circle around the center of each egg. They measure, re-
spectively, .71x.53, .69x.53, .80x.53. Six other sets in the same cabinet show great
variation.

472. BEARDLESS FLYCATCHER. Oniitliinn imhcrtu- (Scl.) Geog. Dist.—
Valley of the Rio Grande in Texas, south into Eastern Mexico, Guatemala and Nica-

Mr. George B.Sennett took a specimen of this diminutive Flycatcher near Lomita
Ranch, Texas, April 24, 1879, thus adding a new species to our avifauna.

472*;. RIDOWAY'S FLYCATCHER. Ornillilnn imhcrh,- rhlfiirayi Brewst
Geog. Dist.— Southern Arizona, south in Mexico to Puebla and Jalisco.

Comparatively new addition to our avifauna \\as first described by Mr.

Wllli; | the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Hub (Vol. VII, pp.

208, 209), from specimens secured by Mr. F. Stephens in the neighborhood of Tucson,

na. in the spring of 1881. Qn May 28 he obtained a female and a young bird

loft tin- nrst. In April, 1884, he also took another specimen near

Tucson. < • i have since been taken, but it is not considered by any

means a common b.rd.

[473.] SKYLARK. !/»;//»/./ I, inn. Geog. Dist. — Europe and portions

of Asian; -Irntnl in tho Bermudas ami in r,n-«-iil:iiMl.

NORTH AMERICAN BlltDK.

315

The far-famed Skylark of the Old World holds a place In the avifauna of North
America from its occasional occurrence in the Bermudas, and in Greenland. Several
attempts have been made to introduce these desirable birds in Eastern United States,
but so far the experiments have proved unsuccessful. The Skylark is an inhabitant
of all the countries of Europe, and is said to be more plentiful in cultivated districts.
The mating season is in April, and two broods are reared in a season. The nest is
always placed on the ground, in meadows or open grassy places; it is often sheltered
by a tuft of grass, clod of earth, or other projection. The materials used in its com-
position are grasses, plant stems, and a few chance leaves; the lining is of the same,
but finer. The eggs are three, four or five in number, and vary considerably in form
and coloration; some are grayish-white with a tinge of purple or greenish-white,
thickly sprinkled and mottled with a grayish-brown or drab; others are of a deep
sombre hue, and in some the markings are chiefly concentrated at the larger end.
These are the variations exhibited in four sets of four eggs each in my cabinet, taken
in Staffordshire, England, in the latter part of April and the first of May. The
smallest set offers the following sizes: .86x.57, .87x.60, .84x.58, .89x.60; the largest,
,93x.64, .95x.64, .92x.62, .94x.64, respectively.

474 HORNED LARK (From Brehm).

474. HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpestris (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northeastern
North America— Labrador, region about Hudson Bay, Greenland, and northern parts
of the Old World; in winter south in Eastern United States to the Carolinas,
Illinois, etc.

316 XE8T8 AND EGOS OF

The Shore Lark, the true alpcstris, breeds in northeastern North America and
Greenland, wintering in Eastern United States. It breeds on the coasts of New-
foundland and Labrador, in the Province of Keewatin. Dominion of Canada, and on
both shores of Hudson Bay. It also inhabits northern portions of the Old World.
The common name is derived from the tufts of black feathers over each ear, which
at will the bird has the power of erecting like the so-called "horns" of some owls.
In the Eastern States, during the winter months, flocks varying in size from a dozen
to those of a hundred or more, may be seen frequenting open plains, old fields, dry
shores of bays, and the banks of rivers. As there are a number of geographical
varieties of the Horned Lark, the greatest uncertainty has always attended their
identification, even by experts, and the breeding and winter ranges of the various
subspecies do not yet seem to be clearly defined. This was the species found by
Audubon breeding on the low, mossy and sheltered hills, along the dreary coast of
Labrador. In the midst of the mosses and lichens that covered the rocks the bird
Imbedded its nest, which is composed of fine grasses, arranged in a circular form
and lined with the feathers of grouse and other birds. The eggs, deposited early in
July, are four or five in number, and are described by Audubon as marked with bluish.
as well as brown spots. In his last great work the late Major Bendire describes a
set of three eggs taken near Okak, Labrador, on June 21, 1892. The ground color is
greenish-gray, somewhat darker than the rest of eggs of our Horned Larks. They
are profusely blotched and spotted with dark olive, olive-buff and lighter shades of
pale lavender. They measure .98x.66, .95x.68, and .87x.64 inches. European eggs are
grayish-white, spotted with brownish-lavender or lilac-gray.

474o. PALLID HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpcstris Icucolccma (Coues.) Geog.
Dist.— Interior of British America and Alaska, south in winter to Western United
States.

This paler northwestern form of the Shore Lark breeds from Alaska southward,
east of the Rocky Mountains, nearly to the United States boundary. The nest is
built in a depression of the ground, and sunk a little below the surface, usually
under a tuft of grass; it is well cupped and woven in a circular form of old grasses,
lined with hairs. The eggs are three or four, grayish or pale olive, finely and thickly
sprinkled with olive-brown. Average size .91x.65.

4746. PRAIRIE HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpcstris praticola Hensh. Geog.
Dist.— Upper Mississippi Valley and region of the Great Lakes to New England,
breeding eastward to Northeastern New York and Western Massachusetts, New
Hampshire and Vermont, migrating south to South Carolina, Texas, etc.

The birds of this race may be distinguished from the typical alpcstris by their
smaller size and paler colors. In the northern half of the Mississippi Valley it
breeds abundantly, and as far south as Eastern Kansas, where Colonel Goss notes
It as common and abundant. It begins laying the last of March. The Prairie
od Lark breeds in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin' and Minnesota.
In Northwestern Ohio young birds have been taken in May. Mr. Ernest W. Vickers
found a nest of the Prairie Horned Lark on April 17, 1895. When first discovered
It contain- ,,jng and one egg which was hatched the day following. Prof.

E. L. Moseley Informed him that this lark bred about Sandusky. Mr. James E. Gould
found young birds near Blacklick, Franklin county, July 14, 1893. So far, this
makes the breeding range of the Prairie Horned Lark in Ohio extend from the central
portion northward east and west. It doubtless breeds farther south, but I have no

AMERICAN BIRDS. 317

records to that effect. Two broods are reared in a season, the first very early — usu-
ally by the last of April. Mr. L. Jones, of Grinnell, Iowa, states that as many as
three broods are reared in that region; the first nest is built late in March or early
in April, the second about the first of June, and the third late in July or early in
August. The highlands of meadows and cornfields are its resorts while breeding,
the nest being placed in a hollow of the earth, compactly made of dry grasses and
corn leaves, lined with a few feathers and horse hairs. Mr. Jones says that the
first nest is most elaborately made, while the second and third are more slovenly
put together. Three or four eggs are deposited, usually four; their ground-color
varying from pale olive or light greenish to dull olive-buff, thickly speckled and
sprinkled with drab. A set of four eggs in my collection, taken in Poweshick
county, Iowa, by Mr. Jones, gives the following measurements: .82x.61, .84x.62,
.82x.63. .86x.62.

474c. DESERT HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpestris arenicola Hensh. Geog.
Dist. — Great Plains and Rocky Mounain region of the United States.

This subspecies inhabits the Rocky Mountain regions and the Great Basin of the
United States, coming east to Dakota, where it breeds at least as far east as Ramsey
county. Colonel N. S. Goss gives it as a common resident in Middle and Western
Kansas, where it begins laying early in April. Nesting, habits and eggs similar to
O. alpestris praticola. Average size of the eggs .86x.60.

474tf. TEXAN HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpestris giraudi Hensh. Geog."
Dist. — Eastern and Southeastern Texas.

Mr. Joseph L. Hancock found this form of the Shore Lark very common on the
Hats north of Corpus Christi, Texas, and on May 27 a nest with four eggs was taken.
The nesting and eggs of this subspecies do not differ materially from those of the
others in this group that are better known. The average measurement of ten eggs
before me is .92x.66 inches.

474^. MEXICAN HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpestris clirysolwma (Wagl.)
Geog. Dist. — Coast district of California (north to Nicasio), Northern California,
and parts of Mexico, Mirador, Vera Cruz, Valley of Mexico, etc.

This form of the Horned Lark is a constant resident of Mexico, and it occurs
northward and breeds in the larger valleys of Southern California. Its nesting, eggs
and general characteristics are similar to those of the preceding subspecies. The
average size of twenty eggs in the National Museum collection is .82x.60 inches.

474f. RUDDY HORNED LARK. Otocoris alpestris rubea Hensh. Geog.
Dist. — Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, California.

The breeding range of this subspecies is confined to a rather small area of the
interior of the northern portion of California, the valleys of the Sacramento River
.and its tributaries, and probably the northern portion of the San Joaquin Valley.
A 'sorrel' or rufous-colored race, abundant in California. Mr. Shields informs me
that this bird may always be seen in greater or less abundance on the broad plains
and prairies of Los Angeles county, California. He found their nests, containing
fresh eggs, as early as April 15 and as late a« the middle of June. The eggs were
three or four in number, commonly four, and sometimes five. One nest was found
containing six eggs. The nest is usually placed in a depression of the ground under
a small bush, tuft of grass, vines, by the side of a clod of earth, small rock, etc. It
is composed of fine straw and grasses lined with horse hairs. Mr. W. O. Emerson's

318 NESTS AND BOOS OP

collection contains a series of this Lark's eggs, collected in San Diego county, Cali-
fornia. and in comparing them with a large number of those from the East, South
and Middle States, there is really no perceptible difference in their general shape,
color and markings. My cabinet contains thirty eggs of the Ruddy Horned Lark,
taken In various parts of California. Their color is a pale olive-buff, finely and
densely sprinkled with a rusty-drab color. Ten specimens measure: .82x.54, .84x.53,
,83x.56. .83x.51. .82x.57, .80x.56, .84x.56, .80x.59, .83x.56, .80x.56.

4740. STREAKED HORNED LARK, utnrnris alpestris strigata Hensh. Geog.
Dist. — Coast region of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia; islands off coast
of Southern California.

This conspicuously streaked and striped Shore Lark is larger than the California
bird, (). a. ratea, and is found breeding from Oregon northward. Its nesting and
eggs are exactly the same.

474/1. SCORCHED HORNED LARK. O/wom U//HX// •/* <nlnxtu Dwight. Geog.
Dist. — Southern Arizona and New Mexico; "Western Texas and southward into
Mexico.

474A. HORNED LARK.

During the breeding season this subspecies is confined to the southern borders
of the United States, from New Mexico and Western Texas into Northern Mexico.
In its habits, nests and eggs it differs little if any from members of this i;miil\

474f. DUSKY HORNED LARK. o/oro/-/.s- r///«-.x/r».x- nurriHi Dwight.
Dist — Eastern Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, lid ween the Cascade and
Rocky Mountains; southward in winter into Nevada and California. To Dr. .1
C. Merrill belongs the credit of having first collected the eggs of this bird.

Near Fort Klamath, Oregon, May 30, 1887, he found a nest whit h on .him- 1 rc>ni:iin«'il
two eggs. This was the first set of these eggs known, and remained unique in «>l
lections until a second set was also found near Fort Klamath, by another collector,
on June 1, 1888. The nest was sunken in the ground, and was made of i;
loosely constructed. It contained four eggs. Two of tin -in h;iv<- ;m oli\» butt
ground-color, while the other two are of a light pea-green. All are thickly speck ]<•<!
with light brown. They are ovate in sb;ij>« -. :m<l measure: .83x.58, .83x.60, .85x.58,
.SSx.60.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

319

474;. SONORAN HORNED LARK. Otocoris «//>r.s7m- ixiUida Towns. Geog.
Dist. — Lower California and Sonora.

The breeding range of this small pallid race is probably coextensive with its
geographical range, and comparatively little is known concerning its general habits,
nests and eggs. Very likely they do not differ from those of other Larks of this
family.

475. AMERICAN MAGPIE (After Audubon).

475. AMERICAN MAGPIE. Pica pica hudsonica (Sab.) Geog. Dist.— West-
ern North America (except California), east to the Rocky Mountains, north to
Alaska, south to New Mexico and Arizona. Replaced in California, west of the
Sierra Nevada by the next species.

320 L'O'O'.b1 0V

Known as the Black-billed Magpie. A bird of a bad reputation— a rascal, thief,
and a rogue in general, but like the Devil, is not perhaps "as black as he is painted."
The camp tales of many a western traveler are interspersed with incidents illustrat-
ing the tricks and thieving propensities of the Magpie. »Ae pets, their familiarity
becomes a decided nuisance. A common species on the plains, mountains and hills
of Colorado, where It breeds in abundance. The height of the nest from the ground,
Mr. Dille says, ranges from six to sixty feet; they are often built in the branches of a
slender sapling, or In a scrubby willow. In the mountains the large black pine

us this bird's favorite nesting site, and often as many as four nests are built in
a single tree. The Lests are large and bulky — a rustic lattice-work of sticks, meas-
uring from two to three feet high, though not more than twelve to eighteen inches
in the greatest diameter. The nest has an arched roof, with an opening on the side.
Sometimes these dome-shaped roofs and doorways are not very artistically or elab-
orately made, and the observer is often compelled to put on the finishing touches
«v«th his imagination. The sticks are cemented together with mud, anu the lining
of the nests consist usually of a few grasses or roots. The long tails of the Magpies
may be observed protruding from one of the entrances of t^e nest while incubating.
The number of eggs varies from five to nine, commonly seven, and they are deposited
in Colorado as early as the latter part of April, usually, however, in May. Dr. Merrill took
a set of eggs at Modoc Print, Oregon, on April 8. The eggs are grayish-white, with
a yellowish, occasionally with a greenish tinge, spotted, dashed and dotted with
markings of r rplish or violet-brown; most thickly around the larger end. Ten eggs
measure: 1.32x.89, 1.37x.90, 1.38x.92, 1.40x.94, 1.34x.90, 1.36x.89, 1.42x.92, 1.34x.89,
1.42X.87, 1.40X.93. The average size is 1.34x.89 inches.

476. YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE. Pica nuttalU Aud. Geog. Dist.— Cali-
fornia, west of the Sierra Nevada, from Sacramento Valley south to about latitude
34°; locally distributed.

The Yellow-billed Magpie is confined exclusively to California, where it breeds
abundantly; and it begins nesting about the first of April Its general habits are like
those of /'. hinlxnnira, and the nest is similarly constructed. The eggs range from
five to nine in number, usually six or seven. They are of a light drab, so thickly
marked with fine cloudings of an obscure lavender color as nearly to conceal the
ground, and to give the egg the appearance of an almost violet-brown. A set of six
eggs, collected. in Wheeler Canon, near Santa Paula, California, exhibit the following
dimensions: 1.31x.89, 1.28x.89, 1.31x.89, 1.32x.89, 1.30x.88, 1.28x.90. A set of six eggs
in my cabinet, taken from a nest situated twenty feet from the ground in an oak
tree, near Santa Barbara, California, April 10, 1887, offers the following sizes: 1.30
x.85, 1.29X.84, 1.29x.90, 1.30X.82, 1.28x.81, 1.25x.86.

477. BLUE JAY. Ciinnnrittn rri*lat<i (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern North
America except Florida, west to the Plains, north to the Fur Countries.

The well-known Blue Jay is abundant in Eastern North America, where it breeds
in the latter part of April, in May and June, according to locality. He is a con-
spicuous member of a family of questionable character and, as in the case of the
Magpie, unjust prejudices have doubtless done much to brand him a profligate. His
fine personal dress, and noisy, boisterous habits, only serve to make him the more

inent as a rowdy full of cunning traits. Yet no observer will dispute that the
sagacity often evinced by this bird — his forethought, intelligence and sensibility, are

;:ly akin to reason; and according to the treatment received from a man he is
Justly either shy or wary, confiding or familiar. The nest of the Blue Jay is built in

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

321

4T6. YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE (Cheney del.)

the branches of a lonely forest tree, in the trees of orchards, in those bordering
quiet roadways or lanes, and, where the bird is not molested it is commonly placed
not far from dwelling-houses, in« trees or bushes. The nest is large, and the ma-
terials used are various — twigs, leaves, roots and vegetable fibres rudely but strongly
interwoven; often paper, rags, wool and yarn enter into its composition. The eggs
are four or five in number, olive-brown or olive-drab, thickly spotted with dark
olive-brown. In some specimens the ground-color is light or dark green, similar to
that in the eggs of the California Jay, in which the markings stand out in strong
contrast. Ten eggs exhibit the following sizes: 1.02x.84, 1.06x.84, 1.10x.87, l.llx.8^,
1.12x.82, l.lSx.83, 1.14x.84, 1.12x.83, 1.18x.86, 1.18x.86; one runt egg measures .76x.60.
The following concerning this bird's food is from Seal's "Some Common Birds":*
"The Blue Jay is a common bird of the United States east of the Great Plains, and
remains throughout the year in most of its range, although its numbers are some-
what reduced in< winter in the Northern States. During spring and summer the Jay
is forced to become an industrious hunter for insects, and is not so conspicuous a
feature of the landscape as when it roams the country at will after the cares of the
nesting season are over. Ornithologists and field observers in general declare that
a considerable portion of its food in spring and early summer consists of the eggs
and young of small birds, and some farmers accuse it of stealing corn to an injurious
extent in the fall. While there may be some truth in these accusations, they have

* U. S. Department of Agriculture. Farmers' Bulletin No. 54. Some Common Birds
in Their Relation to Agriculture. By F.E. L. Beal, B. S., Assistant Ornithologist, Biological
Survey. May, 1897. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1897.

22

322

\/>TN

OF

almost certainly been exaggerated. No doubt many Jays have been observed rob-
bing nests of other birds, but thousands have been seen that were not so engaged.
In an investigation of the food of the Blue Jay 292 stomachs were examined, which
showed that animal matter comprised 24 per cent, and vegetable matter 76 per cent.
of the bird's diet. So -much has been said about the nest-robbing habits of the Jay
that special search was made for traces of birds or birds' eggs in the stomachs, with
osult that shells of small birds' eggs were found in three and the remains of
young birds in only two stomachs. Such negative evidence is not sufficient to
controvert the great mass of testimony upon this point, but it shows that the habit
Is not so prevalent as has been believed. Besides birds and their eggs, the Jay eats
mice, fish, salamanders, snails, and crustaceans, which altogether constitute but
little more than 1 per cent, of its diet. The insect food is made up of beetles, grass-
hoppers, caterpillars, and a few species of other orders, all noxious, except from
3V6 per cent, of predaceous beetles. Thus something more than 19 per cent, of the
whole food consists of harmful insects. In August the Jay, like many other "birds,
turns its attention to grasshoppers, which constitute nearly one-fifth of its food
during that month. At this time, also, most of the other noxious insects, including
caterpillars, are consumed, though beetles are eaten chiefly in spring. The vegetable
food is quite varied, but the item of inosl interest is grain. Corn was found in 70

477. BLUE JAY (From Deal).

ftoraachs. wheat in 8, and oats in 2— all constituting 19 per cent, of the total food,
idently the favorite grain, but a closer inspection of the record shows that
the greater part was eaten during the first five months of the year, and that very
Httle was taken after May, even in harvest time, when it is abundant. This indi-
cnten that most of the corn is gleaned from the fields after harvest, except what is
ptnlen from cribs or gathered in May at planting 'time. The Jay's favorite food is
mast (i. e., acorns, chestnuts, chinquapirs, etc.), which was found in 158 of the 292
stomachs and amounted to more than 42 per cent, of the whole food. In Septemlu T
corn formed 15 and mast 35 per rmt.. wliilo in October, November and !>«>< -i-ml « T
iropped to an almost Inappreciable quantity and mast amounted to 64. 82 and
83 per cent., respectively. And yot In those months corn is abundant and .••
where easily accesslhlo. Tho nthor elements of food consist of a fpw spods and wild

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDti. 323

fruits, among which, grapes and blackberries predominate. The results of the
stomach examination show,] (1) that the Jay eats many noxious insects; (2) that its
habit of robbing the nests of other birds is much less common than has been as-
serted; and (3) that it does little harm to agriculture, since all but a small amount
of corn eaten is waste grain."

477a. FLORIDA BLUE JAY. Cyanocitta cristata florincola Cones. Geog.
Dist.— Florida.

This is a smaller bird than the last, with less white on the tips of the second-
aries and tail-feathers. A set of four eggs in my cabinet from Florida do not differ
essentially from those of C. cristata, having the brown type of coloration for the
ground-color.

478. STELLER'S JAY. Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Pacific coast,
north to yitka, south to Northern California.

STELLER'S JAY AND NEST (Cheney del.)

Steller's Jay is an abundant species along the Pacific coast from Northern Cali-
fornia northward. In Oregon it is a very common resident. He is the same bold,
noisy fellow as is his eastern cousin, the Blue Jay. The nest of this bird is built
in firs and other trees, and in bushes, ranging from eight to twenty-five feet from the
ground; it is very bulky, and made of large sticks and twigs, generally with a supply
of mud, and a lining of fine, dry grasses and hair. The eggs, three to five in number,
are usually pale green or bluish-green, speckled with olive-brown, with an average
size of 1.28x.85. Mr. Norris has a set of four eggs collected near Salem, Oregon,
May 4, 1888. This set was taken from a nest in a thorn bush, twelve feet from the

324 NEST.- LOT BOGS OF

ground. The eggs are light bluish -green, spotted and sprinkled with clove-brown;
the markings are heavier near the larger ends, where they form Indistinct circles.
They offer the following dimensions: 1.25x.93, 1.22x.94. 1.19x.91, 1.23x.92.

478a. BLUE-FRONTED JAY. <'i:nnncitta stcllcri frontalis (Ridgw.) Geog.
Dlst— Southern ranges of Sierra Nevada of California and Western Nevada, from
Fort Crook south to Lower California.

A common bird In the mountains of California, inhabiting the whole length of
the Sierra Nevada and also, it is said, the coast ranges. Colonel N. S. Goss found
quite a number of nests of the Blue-fronted Jay in the vicinity of Julian, California,
in the spring of 1883, and "in all cases but one, in holes and trough-like cavities in
trees and stubs, ranging from four to fifty feet from the ground, generally ten to
twenty feet. The nest found outside was built upon a large horizontal limb of an
oak close beside a gnarl, the sprout-like limbs of which thickly covered the nest
overhead, and almost hid it from view below." They were quite bulky, loosely
made of sticks, stems of weeds, and lined with fibrous rootlets and grasses; and as
they were all built at or 'near the opening, the tell-tale sticks projected, and made
the finding of the nest not difficult. A strange departure from the usual habits
of Jays is noted of the Blue-fronted Jay by Mr. Bryant. In Placer county, California,
the birds had persisted in building within the snow-sheds in spite of the noise and
smoke of passing trains. "The destruction of their nests by the men employed on
the water train which makes two trips a week through the sheds during the summer,
sprinkling the woodwork and tearing down nests of Jays and Robins with a hook
attached to a pole, seemed not to discourage them. So accustomed do the Jays be-
come to the passing of trains, that they will often remain on their nests undisturbed.
In one season more than two hundred nests of Jays and Robins were destroyed, so
the train men say, between Cisco and Summit, a distance of thirteen miles. Some
of the nests were but partially built, others contained eggs, these latter ones
having probably been overlooked on previous trips. The nesting of the Jays within
the snow-sheds is, so Mr. Ingersoll supposes, to avoid the persecution of squirrels.
None, he thinks, however, succeed in rearing a brood, for of more than thirty nests
which he found, nearly all were uncompleted." ("Unusual Nesting Sites," No. II.)
Colonel Goes gives the color of the eggs as light blue, speckled and spotted with dark
brown, rather thickest at large end, and the measurements of two sets as follows:
one taken May 19, 1.20x.87, 1.20x.88, 1.21x.88; May 21, 1.21x.88, 1.15x.86, 1.19x.86,
1.16x.85. Mr. W. O. Emerson Informs me that the nests in' the vicinity of Haywards,
California, are placed In oaks, redwood and other tall trees A nest containing a
set of three eggs, collected by Mr. A. M. Ingersoll, May 19, 1888, at Julian, Cali-
fornia, waa inside of an immense oak stub, about fifteen feet from the ground, and
the eggs were far advanced In Incubation. They are of a light grayish-blue, speckled
and spotted with burnt umber. Their sizes are: 1.26x.86, 1.30x.85, 1.21x.85.

478ft. LONG-CRESTED JAY. ('ji<inn<-itt<i */»//»/•/ //m<ro/o/*/m (Bainl.) Geog.
Dlst.— Soiithorn Ilnrky Mountains, Southern Arizona and Northwestern Mexico.

A common bird In the southern Rocky Mountain region. In some portions of
the pine districts of Arizona the birds are permanent residents. They are mated by

latter part of April, and nests with eggs may be found in May. It is n

numerous species in Northern New Mexico and Colorado, where it is a constant

>isy troops of this species are to be found roving about during the

winter months. Their notes at times are said to resemble those of the Hlu< Jay.

Mr. Dllle states that in Colorado the nest of the Long-crested Jay is built in trees or

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 325

bushes, but generally artfully concealed in a bunch of rubbish at the top of a pine or
spruce. It is rather large and coarse, made of small sticks, and weed-stalks, with
little or no lining. Nests with eggs have been found all through June. The eggs
range from three to six in number, four or five being most commonly found. They
are of a light green, with fine markings of dark olive-brown and lighter cloudings
of purplish or violet-brown, and in shape are more elongated than those of the
Blue Jay. Their size ranges from 1.20 to 1.32 in length by .80 to .89 in breadth.

478c. BLACK-HEADED JAY. Cyanocitta stelleri annectens (Baird.) Geog.
Dist. — Northern Rocky Mountains, south Wasatch range, west to Eastern Oregon
and Washington.

A resident of the northern Rocky Mountain region of the United States, and
doubtless also in similar localities in the southern portions of British North
America, in Eastern British Columbia, and in the Province of Alberta. It was
found breeding in Parley's Park, Wasatch Mountains, Utah, June 25, by Mr. Robert
Ridgway. The nest was placed in a small fir on the edge of a wood. It was saddled
on a horizontal branch, about fifteen feet from the ground, and contained six eggs.
The base of the nest was composed of coarse, strong sticks, rudely put together.
Upon/ this was constructed a solid, firm plastering of mud of a uniform concave
shape, lined with fine wiry roots. The sizes of three eggs of the set found by Mr.
Ridgway are given by the late Major Bendire as follows: 1.24x.84, 1.26x.86, 1.26x.88
inches. They resemble in every particular those of the Long-crested Jay.

479. FLORIDA JAY. Aphelocoma floridana (Bartr.) Geog. Dist.— Florida.
The geographical distribution of this beautiful species is confined to the limited

area of Florida. In some districts it is abundant, while in others it is extremely
rare. Mr. Stuart regards it as not very abundant in the region about Tampa, where
it nests in March and April, usually among a thick growth of bushes. The nest is
a flat, compact structure, composed of leaves, small dry sticks, lined with moss,
roots, fibrous plant-stems and often with wool and feathers. The eggs of the
genus Aplielocoma usually have more of a greenish ground and heavier markings
than those of Cyanocitta. Mr. Stuart says that four or five eggs are generally laid by
the Florida Jay, of a light blue or greenish ground, sparingly sprinkled with rufous
and black, the spots being larger and more numerous towards the larger end;
average size, l.OOx.80.

480. WOODHOTTSE'S JAY. ApJielocoma tcoodhouscii (Baird.) Geog. Dist.—
Western United States, from the desert ranges of Southern California north to
Eastern Oregon, east to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, and south
to Northern1 Mexico.

Woodhouse's Jay is more or less common throughout the States and Territories
mentioned in the above habitat. It is generally not so abundant as the Long-
crested Jay, and frequents the scrub-oak and other thickets on the open hillsides.
The nest is built in bushes and thickets, or in low trees of thick foliage, and from
three to six eggs are deposited. Mr. Norris has a set of five eggs of this species,
taken in Weber county, Utah, April 10, 1888. The nest from which the eggs were
token was placed in a sage bush two feet irom the ground, and was composed of
twigs, lined with fine roots and hair. The eggs were fresh, and are of a pale
bluish-green, spotted with burnt umber and lavender-gray. They measure 1.03x.80,
l.Olx.80, 1.07x.80, 1.02x.82, l.OSx.SO. The average size is l.C6x.80.

326 NB8TB \\l> KGGS OF

480. 1. BLUE-EARED JAY. .!////< /o<-om« ruannti* Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
Northern Mexico, ranging northward into Western Texas.

The Blue-fronted Jay is a recent addition to our fauna. It is found in the
mountainous and hilly portions of Eastern Mexico and as far north as Western
Texas. Authentic eggs of this species I believe remain unknown, but very likely
do not differ much from other members of this genus.

481. CALIFORNIA JAY. .\ithrlin-nintt ralifnrnira (Vig.) Geog. Dist.— Pacific
coast of the United States, from Southern California to Oregon, east to Western
Nevada.

A common species from the southern portion of California northward to Oregon,
inhabiting the trees and thickets bordering streams in the valleys. It also fre-
quents the chapparal and sagebrush patches, and prefers the realms of solitude to the
the haunts of man. It is nearly always found in company with the California
Thrasher, //u;v>o;7»///ir//n,v >-«lhirux, whose tastes in regard to the general surround-
ings are similar. Mr. Shields says that in Los Angeles county this bird begins build-
ing about the first of May, but fresh eggs can be found as late as the last of June;
they are usually four, sometimes five in number. The nest is large and bulky.
usually placed in scrub-oak or in the thick portions of chapparal; it is composed of
twigs, roots and dry grasses. The color of the eggs is a dark sea-green or bluish-
green. thickly dotted, spotted and sometimes blotched with clove-brown, chestnut,
light buff, dark brown and bluish-gray. A set of five eggs measure: 1.06x.82, 1.08
i.OSx.84. l.lOx.81, 1.09x.80. Ten specimens average l.OSx.80.

XANTUS'S JAY. Aphrhirnnni <-<iliforni<-<i !ii/i>nl<i«-<i Ridgw. Geog.
Dist.— Lower California, from Cape St. Lucas north to latitude 28°.

The following description %of a nest and eggs is by Walter E. Bryant:* "A
single nest of this new variety was found by myself a few miles southward from

'imacio on April 12, 1889. The nest was built about three metres high in a green
acacia near the trail. The female was sitting and did not fly until preparations for
<limbing the tree had commenced. The nest was in quite an exposed situation
amongst scant twigs on a horizontal branch. It is composed of small loosely laid
dry twigs, and a shallow receptacle lined with fibre and horsehair. The eggs, three
in number (set No. 899, coll. of W. E. B.), contained small embryos. They are more
finely spotted than some similar Jay's eggs, with shell spots of pale lilac-gray and
surface spots of pale olive-green. The ground color is dull, palp glaucous green.
They measure 27.5x20.6; 27.6x21; 27x21 millimetres.''!

481/>. BELDING'S JAY. Aphrlnrnmii nilifdrnirii nbm-uni Anthony. Geog.
Dist— San Pedro Martir Mountains, Lower California.

Another subspecies of the California Jay, a darker race, described by Mr. A. W.
Anthony, who named it In honor of Mr. L. Belding, the well-known ornithologist.
I believe nothing Is as yet known regarding its nests and eggs.

481. 1. SANTA CRUZ JAY. \plirlwnnia i,<s,<t<iri« Hensh. Geog. Dist.— Santa
Crux Island, Southern Califoi ;

This species Is a larger bird than the California Jay, and generally deeper
1. Thorp appears to be link- known about its life history.

I. Acad. Scl.. 2d 8er.. Vol. i;. jum> 20. ]vv;.t ,,. 24.
tl.rwx.7f>. i osx K3 and l.Mx

XOKTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 327

482. ARIZONA JAY. Aphelocoma sieberii arizona Ridgw. Geog. Disk—
Southern New Mexico, Arizona and Northwestern Mexico.

According to Mr. Scott the Arizona Jay is an abundant subspecies and resident
wherever the live-oaks are found on the San Pedro slope of Las Sierras de Santa
Catalina, in Southern Arizona, between the altitudes of 3000 and 7000 feet. It is an
eminently gregarious and sociable bird; even during the breeding season a number
of pairs may be found nesting in the same locality. March 16 a nest was found by
Mr. Scott apparently completed, but containing no eggs; it was built in a sapling
about ten feet from the ground, and was composed of dry rootlets laid very loosely
in concentric rings; there was no lining, and the walls of the structure average
about three-quarters of an inch in thickness; interior diameter, five inches; greatest
interior depth, an inch and three-quarters — a flat, saucer-like fabric. It was not
built in a crotch, but where several small twigs leave the large branch. All other
nests found resembled this one. On the 25th the nest was visited again, and the
female was sitting, but no eggs" had been laid, and further out on the same branch
another nest was built. Two other nests were found the same day about one
hundred feet away; in one a female was sitting on two eggs, which was thought at
the time to be the full set. The eggs were fresh, and so much like those of the Robin,
in color and general appearance as to be almost indistinguishable from them. These
two eggs measured 1.18x.88, 1.13x.86. April 1 the two nests first mentioned were
visited, and although the old bird was sitting on the nest earliest completed, it con-
tained no eggs, but on April 7 Mr. Scott was rewarded by finding five fresh eggs in
this nest, identical in appearance with those above described, and measure 1.25x.83,
1.13x.85, 1.23x.83, 1.14x.80, 1.16x.84. The other nest at this time did not, nor several
weeks after, contain eggs. Perhaps no explanation can be offered for the prepara-
tion of the nest so long before it is used. The first nest was evidently complete on
March 16, and it contained no eggs until later than April 1; the first eggs must have
been deposited between that date and the 7th. Mr. Scott states that the same facts
have been noted in the breeding of the Gray Vireo (Vireo vicinior). As to the circum-
stance of the bird sitting so constantly before laying he suggests that it is not im-
probable that it was in order to keep possession of their nest, for as a number of
individuals of the species composed the colony a question of ownership might easily
arise. He observes that the Arizona Jay is as great a robber of other birds' nests
as its cousin of the East, and possibly the habit of sitting so constantly even before
any eggs are laid, is to be accounted for by a strongly inuerited tendency to prevent
intrusion. The building of extra nests finds a parallel in the case of the Long-
billed Marsh Wrens, and is possibly to be accounted for by the nervous activity of
the birds; or, the extra nest may afford night resting places for the male during the
breeding season.— Auk, III, pp. 81-83.

483. GREEN JAY. Xanthoura luxuosa (Less.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern Mexico,
north to the Rio Grande valley in Texas.

Dr. Merrill states that the Rio Grande Jay is a common resident about Fort
Brown and higher up the river, but does not seem to pass much into the interior of
Texas. Mr. George B. Sennett says: "Of all the birds on the Lower Rio Grande,
this is the most mischievous, robbing and despoiling other birds' nests without
mercy." Its nest, Mr. Sennett observes, is not easily found, for it is always con-
cealed in thickets, or in the heavy undergrowth of dense woods. A large series of
eggs was taken. Of those obtained early in April, few were freshly laid, while all
those obtained in May were fresh, indicating that a second brood is reared, though

oi-» ITS

no young ot the first brood were seen, while numbers of adults were observed daily
from April 9 until the last of May. On April 19 the first eggs were taken, two sets
being found; one of four with large embryos, the other of five, nearly fresh. The
latest set. consisting of four fresh eggs, was found May 17. The usual number of
eggs to a clutch is four, occasionally five. The average size of the specimens col-
lected by rir. Sennett in a season is l.OGx.81, those taken in another season's col-
lecting, l.08x.81. Dr. Merrill describes the eggs as having a grayish-white ground-
color, thickly spotted with brown and pale lilac, especially at the larger end. One
set, however, was found with the markings more numerous at the smaller end, and
averaging l.Olx.80.

484. CANADA JAY. Perisoreus canacbnsis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern
New England and New York, Northern Michigan and Canada, northward to Arctic
America.

The Moose-Bird, Whisky Jack, or Whisky John, as it is variously called, breeds
in Maine and northward. It is a resident species, and seldom seen south of its
breeding range. In Manitoba it is an abundant bird. Its general habits and nesting
are in nowise peculiar, being similar to those of others of the family. The nest is
usually a large, bulky structure, placed on the bough of a spruce or other ever-
green. It is made of twigs, pine-needles, bark-strips and grasses, lined with finer
vegetable material and feathers. The nesting time in Northern Maine and New
Brunswick is March and April. The eggs are light gray, with a yellowish tinge,
finely marked, more abundantly at the larger end with dots and blotches of slate
color and brown, and faint cloudings of an obscure lilac, exhibiting the usual varia-
tions in color and size found in the eggs of other Jays; four or five in number;
average size. 1.17x.80.

484«. ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAY. Perisoreus canadensis capitalis Baird.
Geog. Dist.— Rocky Mountains, south to Arizona and New Mexico.

This bird is called the White-headed Jay or Rocky Mountain Whisky Jack —
a race of the Canada Jay, but very much different. It is peculiar to the Rocky
Mountain region, and is especially common in Northern New Mexico and Colorado.
In the breeding season it is found high up in the mountains in the spruce timber,
from 8000 feet to timber line. He is said to be "as big a thief as ever wore feathers."
White-headed, he at times appears grave and sedate, but is always possessed of a
whimsical brain. Small articles around camp that strike his fancy are always found
missing after one of his visits. Nest-building is begun usually in April. The site
generally chosen Is the horizontal branch of a pine, varying in height from fifty to
sixty feet from the ground. The materials are twigs, pine-needles, Vark, grasses
and hempen fibres, all compactly interwoven into a rude, bulky but strong struc-
ture; It IB warmly lined with the feathers and down of birds. The external height
Is about four inches, and the diameter seven; the cavity about two inches deep and
four across. The eggs are three to five in number, grayish-white in ground-color,
finely speckled with various shades of brown: in some specimens the markings are
more numerous about the greater end. Size, 1.16x.86.

484ft. ALASKAN JAY ,'//,/,/o/x/* ftimifmn* Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—

Alaska, except southern coast districts.

According to Turner the Alaskan Jay rarely occurs in the vicinity of St.
Michael's, but along tho Yukon River it is abundant and a permanent residmf.
Two netts were brought Mr. Nelson from tho nouth of the Tanana River by Mr. M.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 329

Francois Mercier, who obtained them April 1, 1880. Mr. Nelson describes them as
follows: "These two nests now before me, are built of a matted mass of cotton-
like down of some plant; about the upper edge and in the cavity are pieces of rabbit
fur, a few Horned Owl feathers and strips of bark. The entire nest rests upon a
horizontal branch nearly two inches in diameter, and a scanty number of small
dead spruce twigs, six to eight inches long, loosely woven into the structure, give it
consistency and prevent it from being easily damaged. This nest is four and a half
inches high by six broad, with a cavity two and a half inches deep by three and three-

4843. ALASKAN JAY (After Nelson .

fourths inches across the top. The other nest was placed in the fork of a small
branch less than an inch in diameter, and rests on a rough platform of slender
spruce twigs. The main part of the nest is made of the same cottony substance
as is the first, and is also interwoven with twigs. Above this is a layer of fine
fibrous black moss, such as occurs on. spruce trees. The inside of the cavity is
slightly lined with fine grass. This nest measures four inches high by six inches
broad, and the cavity two inches deep by two and three-fourth inches across the
top."

484c. LABRADOR JAY. Perisoreus canadensis nigricapillus Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Coast district of Labrador, north to Ungava Bay.

A resident and breeds wherever found. Its general habits and characteristics
are similar to those of other members of this family. Major Bendire describes a set
of five eggs of this bird taken in Labrador in about latitude 57° 30' N. They were
collected by Mr. Jewell D. Sornborger in the summer of 1892. The eggs resemble
those of the Canada Jay in color and in general style of markings, but the latter are,
as a rule, coarser and larger, and the eggs are more pointed, They measure 1.19x
.83, 1.18X.84, 1.17X.83, and U5x.85 inches, respectively.

330 y£»Tx \\It EGGS OF

485. OREGON JAY. /Yri«oreii* obscvrus (Ridgw.) Geog. Dist.— Northwest
coast, from Northern California to British Columbia.

Mr. A. W. Anthony mentions this species as a common, winter resident of Wash-
ington county. Oregon. In March they depart for the mountains to breed, although
a few sometimes remain to breed in the more secluded parts of the country. He
characterizes it as a bird utterly devoid of fear. While dressing deer in the thick
timber he has been almost covered with these Jays; they would alight on his back,
head and shoulders, and there tug and pull at each loose shred of his coat as if
assisting him in all ways possible. On March 31, 1884, he took a nest with five eggs,
the first, probably, ever taken. The nest was placed about eighty-five feet from the
.ground, in a fir, and well concealed. It was built close against the trunk, an-d was
composed of sticks, twigs and moss, rather loosely put together, lined with cow-hair,
wool, and one or two grouse feathers. The eggs were very light blue, with a grayish
cast, thickly covered with spots of brown and lilac, chiefly on the larger ends. In
one specimen there were a few black, hair-like lines over the larger end. Size,
1.04X.79.

486. AMERICAN RAVEN. Cnrrus n,ni.r xiituatui* (Wagl.) Geog. Dist.—
Western United States, from the Rocky Mountains south to Guatemala.

An inhabitant of the regions west of the Rocky Mountains, where it is common.
The late Major Bendire wrote as follows: "Our ravens have recently been separated
into two races; but from the information I have been able to obtain it is questionable
if the alleged differences of the two forms will prove constant and marked enough to
warrant this distinction. There is not at present sufficient material available for
examination to determine this conclusively. I will leave this to abler ornithologists
to decide, and will follow the adopted nomenclature of the American Ornithologists'

486. HP. AD or A R

Union* for the present, including, however, the Ravens found in the Eastern United
States in this race." He states that the Raven is found throughout the western
portions of the United States more commonly than in the eastern parts of its range,
where it is found only locally, chiefly in the more mountainous regions from New
England and Northern New York to South Carolina, and in the thinly inhabited and
heavily timbered sections of some of our Northern and Middle 81 M of

twenty nests examined near Camp TInrnoy. Oregon, only one was placed in a tree,
which wan In a dead willow twonty foot from the ground, on an island in Sylvies
River, and contained five fresh eggs on April 13. The other nests were placed on

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 33*

cliffs and it generally took several assistants and strong ropes to reach tne nests con-
taining the eggs. A favorite site was a cliff where the nest was completely covered
from above by a projecting rock. They were constructed of sticks well interlaced,
the inner cup being lined with cattle hair or quilted with the fine inner bark of the
cottonwood. Mr. C. Barlow writes me (1895) that a pair of Ravens have nested on
the cliffs of the Farallones for years, near what is known as the West End. No per-
son had attempted to secure the nest and eggs until this year, when one of the light-
house keepers, Mr, R. H. Williams, was lowered by rope to the ledge where the nest
was situated. It was placed in a niche of a cliff about one hundred feet in height,
the nest being about twenty-five feet from the top. In the immediate vicinity there
are numerous other niches where solitary pairs of Baird's Cormorants breed undis-
turbed. On June 9th the nest contained two unfeathered young, apparently but a.
few days old. The nest was composed of sticks and pieces of wreckage, the cavity
being lined with goat's hair, obtained from a dead animal. The number of eggs laid
by the Raven ranges from five to seven, commonly five, while six is not rare. The
ground color is a pale pea green or light olive green, spotted and blotched with
various shades of brown, drab, and lavender. The average size is 1.92x.27 inches.

486a. NORTHERN RAVEN. Corvus corax principalis Ridgw. Geog. Dist. —
Northern North America, from Greenland to Alaska, south to British Columbia,
Canada, New Brunswick, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina, etc.

If it were possible in the English language the name of Poe and Raven would
doubtless become synonymous, for who can think of the Raven without associating
it with the name of Edgar Allen Poe? In former years the Raven appears to have
been considered not uncommon in the northern New England States, but is now
considered very rare, and late records of its occurrence there are very few. It breeds
occasionally on the cliffs of the island of Grand Manan, and more frequently farther
east, as in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, etc. It is rather a common
resident along the whole coast of Labrador. In Alaska this Raven nests about the
middle of May; in> South Greenland Hagerup took eggs April 11 and May 9. Mac-
Farlane found its eggs on. the Anderson River, British America, April 30. Forest-
clad cliffs of great rivers, the crags of lonely islands in the ocean, wooded lakes and
streams in solitary regions are the haunts of this sable-plumed, ominous bird. The
Rev. J. H. Langille states that in Nova Scotia nesting begins early in March. The
site chosen for the nest is usually the most inaccessible tree or rocky cliff; sometimes,
however, it is built in the flat-topped, low spruces, as is the case on Mud and Seal
Islands, on the southwestern coast of Nova Scotia. The nest is made of large sticks,
closely and artistically arranged, with a lining of coarse grasses, sea weed and wool.
The same nest is repaired from year to year, and in course of time becomes quite
bulky. The eggs are four to six in number. A set of five eggs is in my cabinet,
which was collected by Mr. H. Pope, near South West Point, on the island of Anti-
costa, off the mouth of the St. Lawrence, April 21, 1887. The nest was built in cliffs
facing the sea, and the eggs were secured only after a dangerous scramble over
banks of ice and snow. Like the eggs of the crow, these are subject to great varia-
tion in markings. The ground-color is pale bluish-green or light olive-green. They
are spotted, blotched, streaked or dashed with purple and greenish-brown; some
specimens are so densely marked as to almost wholly obscure the ground-color, giv-
ing the surface a dull greenish-gray appearance. ^Four of the specimens in the set of
five are of this type, while the other is of a brilliant bluish-green, sparsely marked
with blackish-brown and obscure lilac. Their sizes are: 1.85x1.24, 1.90x1.30, 2.04x
1.32, 2.07x1.34. The average size is 1.90x1.27 inches.

332 9 "/'

Mr. Amos W. Butler, Indiana's state ornithologist, has just informed me (Septem-
ber 21, 1897) that the Raven has recently been found breeding in Martin and Du Bois
counties of that state. It is the only record I have of the Raven's nesting in this
part of the Ohio Valley. In Ohio it must be considered a rare winter visitor, and a
few may breed in the northern portion. The bird was more common in former years
than at present.

487. WHITE-NECKED HAVEN. Corni* rri/ptolt'nnix Couch. Geog. Dist. —
Southwestern- United States and table-lands of Mexico, north to Indian Territory,
Kansas, Colorado and Southern California, south to Guatemala.

The White-necked Raven is an abundant species throughout most of its range.
The bird's general appearance and its nesting habits are similar to those of the com-
mon crow, with which it is often confounded. From four to seven eggs are laid by
this species, and they have, on the whole, markings of a lighter color than the eggs
of other species of Corrvs; and in addition they have lines running from one end
of the egg to the other, somewhat after the manner of those on the genus MyuircJm*,
of the Flycatchers, of which the most familiar example is the Crested Flycatcher, M.
rri nit ux. This peculiarity is typical of the species, and is found constant in a large
series In the collection of the National Museum, at Washington. A set of five eggs
in Mr. Norris' cabinet was taken May 16, 1888, in Cochise county, Arizona, from a
nest in an oak tree. The eggs are of a pale bluish-green, spotted with clove-brown,
and profusely streaked with longitudinal lines of olive-gray. They measure: 1.74x
1.19, 1.77x1.21. 1.67x1.18, 1.76x1.18, 1.77x1.21.

488. AMERICAN CROW. Corvus americanus Aud. Geog. Dist. — Eastern
North America except Southern Florida and Arctic regions.

An abundant bird in all the Eastern States, where it is well known. The nest is
built in woods, preferably in high, thick forest, and the tree selected is one of thick
foliage. In pine regions the cedar is the favorite tree. The altitude is usually so
great that the nest is practically inaccessible. In quiet, solitary places, however, I
have found it placed not more than ten or fifteen feet from the ground. It is buill
of twigs and sticks, sometimes of considerable size, firmly interlaced, while weeds
and grass, often with clods of earth attached, form part of the structure. The lining
fs of leaves, grapevine bark and fine grasses. Mr. Frank L. Burns has probably
given us the best history of the American Crow that has yet been written. In a
monograph* of forty-one pages the general habits, particularly the feeding, nesting,
roosting, flight, relative abundance, etc., is recorded. These facts and figures are
from competent observers within the geographical range of this bird. Concerning
the material of the nest, he says: "The composition of the nest varies somewhat,
of course, with the local surroundings, as well as with the individual builder's ex-
perience and 'taste' as to the proper material for building. They rarely use a de-
serted squirrel's nest The typical nest is composed of coarse sticks, strips of 1 ark,
clods of earth, dead leaves; lined with hog bristles, strips of grape vine bark; the
bark of chestnut or oak, cow hair, or horse hair. Occasionally the body of HIP
nest will contain moss, grass, rootlets, corn stalks, cloth (often from some dilapi-
dated 'scare crow'), corn husks, weed stalks, pieces of rope, dried cow and horse
manure, feathers, pieces of matting, sheep's wool, twine, or seaweed. The lining

• Pullrtln No. 5: The Wilson Ornithological Chnptor of the Agasslz Association. The
Amprlcnn - ••.•M« Amrrlcnmis). with ••p.-.-inl reference to its Nest and Egrgs. r,y

Prank L. Burrs. Oberlln. OMo. Mnrch IB

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

333

is sometimes made up of strips of cedar or juniper bark, dead leaves, sheep's wool,
feathers, or skunk's hair. Quite often in some localities, especially in the Eastern
States, pine needles are used for lining; while in many other localities, where the
surroundings will permit the use of this material, it is not used at all. Much binder
twine is made use of in the West. Rev. P. B. Peabody, Owatonna, Minn., writes: 'It
has apparently become as indispensable as nesting material to the Crow as sriake-
skins are to the Crested Flycatcher.' " The nesting season is in April and
May, or June, and sometimes even in March. From four to six, and occasionally
seven eggs are laid. These vary from a pale bluish to an olive-green, and from

488. AMERICAN CROW i After Audubon) .

almost unmarked specimens to those which appear of a uniform olive-green, so dense
and small are the markings. The typical egg, however, is of a light sea-green,
thickly spotted and blotched with dark brown, almost black, with purplish reflec-
tions; these are chiefly about the larger end. Mr. Burns gives the measurement of
three hundred and twenty eggs from New York State as follows: Maximum, 2.03x
1.33; minimum, 1.43x1.08; average, 1.65x1.15 inches.

488a. FLORIDA CHOW.

Southern Florida.

Corvus americanus floridanus Baird. Geog. Dist. —

334 > 1\/' EGGS OF

A set of four eggs from Manatee county, Florida, taken April 15, is in my cabinet,
and measure 1.62x1.18. 1.62x1.19, 1.66x1.18, 1.62x1.16. Their color and markings are
similar to those of typical eggs of ('. amcricanua.

489. NOBTHWEST CROW. Curni* ninrinus Baird. Geog. Dist.— Northwest
coast from Oregon to Kadiak, Alaska.

The Northwestern Fish Crow is a smaller bird than the common Crow of the
Eastern States. In its habits it is said to be the exact counterpart of the Fish Crow
of the Atlantic coast. Its principal food is marine crabs or fish which it gathers along
the banks of rivers and the shores of lakes. Like the Raven and Herring Gull, it
carries clams high into the air and drops them in order to break the shell. Its nest
is said to be substantially like that of dn-nis o.s-.s-//>f;;;//x, being built in evergreens
and oaks growing along ravines; and the eggs are indistinguishable. Ridgway gives
their average sizes as 1.56x1.08.

490. Fi8W CROW (After Audubon).

490. FISH CBOW. forma oHtifrayus Wils. Geog. Dist— Atlantic and Gulf
Coasts of the United States from Long Island to Louisiana.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

335

A common species along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New
Jersey to Florida, and on the Gulf coast to Louisiana. It is called the Southeastern
Fish Crow. Mr. Charles S. Schick states that along the coast of Cape May county,
New Jersey, he has found sets of eggs of this species as early as April 13, and on
the 15th of the same month observed nests with young; the dates of laying varying
with the temperature of the season. The usual number of eggs deposited is five or
six, a set of seven being uncommon. In a section containing two hundred ever-
green trees, there were at least sixty nests, ranging in height from twenty to sixty
feet above the ground. The composition is nearly the same as in those of the Com-
mon Crow, except that the lining consists of a few dry leaves or fine bark-fibres.
The bird, Mr. Shick says, feeds largely on small crabs, and devours large numbers of
the eggs of the Clapper Rail. The eggs of the Fish Crow are so nearly like those
of the Crow in color and markings that one description will answer for both; those
of the present species are much smaller. Five specimens measure 1.50x1.08, 1.50x
1.05, 1.46x1.02, 1.51x1.06, 1.47x1.02. The average size of twelve eggs is 1.50x1.09.

491. CLARKE'S NUTCRACKER. Nucifrayo columbianus (Wils.) Geog.
Dist. — Western North America, north to Alaska, south to Arizona, east to and includ-
ing the Rocky Mountains.

491. CLARKE'S NUTCRACKER (Cheney del.)

Clarke's Crow, or Nutcracker, is found in considerable numbers in all suitable
localities in the coniferous forests of the higher mountain ranges within the limits
of the above habitat. It is the American representative of the European Nutcracker,
Nucifraga caryocatactes. A remarkable bird, embodying the peculiar habits of cer-
tain woodpeckers and those of some of the jays — wild, restless and noisy, inquisitive

336 •"'.-'•> 0J

and cunning. Major Bendirc found it breeding quite commonly in the mountain-
ous regions about Fort Harney, Oregon. April 22, 1876, two nests were found, one
containing a young bird, Just hatched, and two eggs with the shells chipped; the other
contained three young. Between April 24 and 30 about a dozen nests were observed,
•ntaining three- young, each in different stages of development. In the spring
of 1877 not a single bird was observed where they were found breeding the year be-
fore, and their absence was accounted for by the scarcity of the seeds of the pine
which constitute their principal food. On April 4, 1878, a nest containing three eggs
was found, and at this early date incubation was far advanced. A set of two eggs,
with good-sized embryos, was taken April 8. All the nests were placed in pine trees,
generally well out on the limbs, and from sixteen to forty feet above the ground.
Trees with plenty of branches seemed to be preferred, and the edges of pine timber
to the interior of the forests. A nest is described as rather bulky, the base consisting
of a platform of small sticks and twigs, mostly of the white sage; on this the nest
proper is placed, which is composed of dry grasses, vegetable fibres, hypnum moss
and the fine inner bark of the western Juniper, all compactly woven together, making
a warm, comfortable structure. The sizes of four eggs, as given by Major Bendire,
are as follows: 1.22x.95, 1.20x.90, 1.26x.95, 1.30x.92, respectively. Their color is a
light grayish-green, irregularly spotted and blotched with a deeper shade of gray,
chiefly at the larger end. In the mountainous region southeast of Fort Garland,
Colorado, the late Captain B. F. Goss found nests of this species under the same
conditions as observed by Major Bendire. May 21 a nest was discovered containing
young. The nests, at first appearance, according to both observers, looked more
like squirrels' nests than anything else, and the birds were close sitters, even
allowing themselves to be captured rather than leave their nests. During the
breeding season they are perfectly silent.

492. PINON JAY. Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus (Wied.) Geo. Dist.— The
Region between the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Ranges, from Mexico to
British America.

The region between and including the Rocky Mountains and the eastern slope of
the Sierra Nevadas, wherever grows the yellow pine, the pinon and the juniper, the
Blue Crow, Maximilian's or Pinon Jay makes its home. A bird combining the
form of a crow and the color and habits of a jay; of a restless, roving disposition,
but resident wherever found. It breeds in colonies, nesting in April, May and June,
according to locality. Nests containing eggs have been found in Nevada by Mr.
Parker in the first part of May, and fully fledged young were observed in the
same region by Mr. Ridgway as early as April 21. Mr. H. B. Bailey took a set of four
eggs in New Mexico that .were well incubated June 5. The late Captain B. F. Goss
i this bird breeding la the region southeast of Fort Garland— the western base
of tfie Sangre de Christo Mountains, at an elevation of about 9000 feet. The nests
were all In small pinon pines, from five to ten feet up, out some distance from the
body of the tree, and not particularly well-concealed. They are large, coarse and
deeply-hollowed structures, much alike, being made mostly of grayish shreds of
come fibrous plant or bark, which breaks up into a mass of hair-like fibres, these
forming the lining, while some weeds and grass are worked into the general fabric.
The birds were close sitters, several not leaving till the nest was shaken, ami they
i have been caught with the hand. One nest contained five eggs, six contained
four each, and two three each; both sets of three were partly incubated. Two nests
were taken May 5, five on the 10th and two on the llth, 1879. The eggs are quite

MOUTH AMMR1VAN BUWR.

337

pointed at the smail end; the ground-color is bluish-white, splashed ail over with
small spots of dark brown thickest at the large end. Thirteen eggs measure re-
spectively 1J9X.88, 1.21X.93, 1.22x.92, 1.25x.91, 1.17x.87, 1.18x.84, 1.17X.85, 1.20x.82,
].l?x.80; average 1.19x.S7.

[493.] STARLING. Sturnus vulyaris Linn. Geog. Dist. — Europe and North-
ern Asia; accidental in Greenland. Introduced in New York.

A specimen of the Starling, taken in Greenland in 1851, entitles it to a place in
the avifauna of North America. It has been introduced and apparently well estab-
lished in the vicinity, of New York city. Mr. Chapman in his "Birds of Eastern
America,' says that the Starling has bred for three successive years in the roof of
the Museum of Natural History and at other points in the vicinity. It is a well-
known bird in Europe, and of a very general distribution. Its handsome plumage,
sprightly, social habits, retentive memory, and pleasing, imitative voice have made
it a great favorite as a caged bird. It is said to live in flocks the greater part of 'the
year, selecting for its nest suitable places in holes of trees, eaves of houses, church-
steeples, old towers and ruins, in cliffs or in high rocks overhanging the sea, and in
wooden boxes put up for its accommodation. The material used for the nest is twigs,
straws and fine grasses. The eggs are four to six in number, of a pale greenish-blue
or bluish-white. A set of five eggs collected by W. Wells Bladden, May 4, in Stafford-
shire, England, is in my cabinet, and exhibits the following sizes: 1.13x.84, 1.10x.82,
l.llx.83, l.lSx.79, 1.20X.79.

493. STARLING.

494. BOBOLINK. Dolichonyx oryzicorus (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern North
America to the Plains, north to Southern Canada, south in winter to the West Ini-
dies and South America. Breeds from the Middle States northward.

A familiar bird in Eastern United States, breeding from the 38th to the 54th
parallel. In some parts of the country, in suitable places, it is very abundant. Of

23

338 XE8TS AM) /:<;<;;>' OF

all our natural songsters the Bobolink is the most noted and popular. Descriptions
of his song so frequently appear in literature that even those who have not heard it
must form a good idea of its enchanting music:

" That rollicking, jubilant whistle.

That rolls like a brooklet along—
That sweet flageolet of the meadows,

The bubbling, bobolink song."

Often have I heard him sing when on the wing, or when at rest, with the broad,
meadow and pasture lands spread before him, perched on the top of a wind-beaten
reed, with his wings sunward spread, his head erect, his white and black back
glistening in the sunlight, pouring forth his "bubble-ing" bobolink notes to the azure
windows of heaven. In the South he is known as the Rice-bird, in the Middle States
as Reed-bird and Meadow-wink, and in the North as Skunk Blackbird. The nesting

494. BOBOLINK.

time is In the latter part of May or in June. The nest of the Bobolink is very hard to
find; it is built in a natural cavity of the ground, amongst the tall grass of meadows;
sometimes it la sunk in the depression made by a cow's or a horse's hoof. Fields of
clover, with here and there a tall weed-staut or sapling, on which the birds alight, are
favorite nesting resorts. In leaving the nest the female will run off through the
grass quite a distance before rising, and she will repeat the same performance upon
her return, so that the nest can only be found by diligent and careful search in the
vicinity from which she arises. The eggs, too, resemble the color of the ground so
closely that they are easily overlooked. The nest is a very slight affair, made of dry
grasses and weed-stems, arranged in a circular form. The eggs are usually five,
sometimes six or seven in number, and of a dull white or grayish-white, variously
tinged with light drab, olive reddish and grayish-brown, intermingled with laven-
der: the general effect being that of a dark, heavily-colored egg. Ten specimens
measure: .79x.56, .80x.65, .86x.60, .84x.63, .87x.58, .87x.61, .88x.66, .86x.61, .83x.60,
.85x.60. An average specimen measures .85x

495. COWBIKD. Mnli,iltnnt niir (Bodd.) Geog. Dlst.— Whole of the United
States, north Into Southern- British Columbia, south in winter to Mexico.

Known as the Cow Bunting or Cow Blackbird from its habit of alighting on the
of cows or cattle, where it sits contentedly while they are grazing. It is a

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 339

notorious parasite, and does not build a nest, but like the European Cuckoo, lays
its eggs in the nests of other birds, usually in those of species smaller than- itself.
Generally a single egg is deposited, but as many as five have been found in a nest
The exact number the female lays is not known. Eggs of this bird are subject to
great variation in their size and markings, and when found in the nests of such birds
as the Cardinal Redbird, Towhee Bunting, Meadow Lark and Brown Thrasher,* it
is sometimes difficult to readily distinguish which is which." Yet it should not be
understood that the Cowbird's eggs look exactly like those of the species just men-
tioned, for they really have, on the whole, only a faint resemblance to them, and
when a large series of either species is brought together and compared with those
of the Cowbird the difference is at once apparent. Dr. Jones suggests that when
the egg of the Cowbird resembles so closely the eggs in the nest where it has been laid,
as to make identification uncertain, it is a good plan to blow all the eggs and notice
if the suspected egg has a yelk of different tint from the balance of the set. If it has,
it is strong evidence that it was laid by an intruder, for almost invariably eggs of the
same set have the same tinted yelks. The ground-color of the Cowbird's egg is white
or gray, sometimes obscured by the abundance of markings. Spots, specks and
blotches are generally pretty evenly distributed over the entire surface. The mark-
ings vary from a chocolate-brown to those of a reddish and yellowish-brown. The
whole surface of am egg is often quite densely marked with specks the size of a pin
point, while the shell of other specimens is sparsely spotted. Ten specimens selected
at random from a very large series exhibit the following sizes: .80x.62, .82x.66, .84x
.62, .881.66, .89X.63, .87X.65, .82x.60, .83x.64, .89x.64, .80x.62. A common size is
.88x.64.

495a. DWARF COWBIRD. Molothrus ater obscurus (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.—
Mexico, and southern border of the United States from Texas to Arizona and Lower
California.

This is a smaller form, inhabiting the southern border of the United States
from Texas to Arizona and southward. Its habits are identical with the Cowbird of
the East, and the eggs are colored the same, but like the bird, average smaller.
Five specimens measure: .77x.60, ,80x.59, .75x.59, .70x.57, .72x.58. The average size
of ten specimens from Arizona is .74x.59.

496. RED-EYED COWBIRD. Callothrus robustus (Cab.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern and Southern Mexico, Yucatan, and south to Panama; north to the lower Rio
Grande Valley in Texas.

A bronze-colored Blackbird with blood-red iris. Common on the Lower Rio
Grande in Texas. Dr. Merrill took specimens at Hidalgo, but they were not so
abundant at this point as lower down the river, where they are common throughout
the year, a smaller proportion going south in winter. Those that remain gather in

* Besides those above named the following are some of the nests In which the Cow-
bird's eggs have been found: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black and White Warbler, Blue-
yellow-backed Warbler (Parula), Worm-eating Warbler. Prothonotary Warbler, Mary-
land Yellow-throat. Yellow Warbler, House Wren, Warbling, Yellow-throated and Red-
eyed Vireos, Indigo Bunting, Chipping Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow,
Swamp Sparrow, Slate-colored Junco, Oven Bird, Pewee, Acadian and Traill's Flycatchers,
Black-throated Bunting, European House Sparrow (Passer domesicus), Yellow-breasted
Chat, Bluebird, Orchard, Baltimore, Bullock's and Hooded Orioles, Scarlet Tanager, King-
bird, Towhee, Prairie Horned Lark (Octocoris alpestris practicola), Wilson's Thrush,
Wood Trush, Red-headed Woodpecker, Robin and Mourning Dove.

340 <T8 AND I

flocks with the Long-tailed Crackles, common Cowbirds, Brewer's, Red-winged and
Yellow-headed Blackbirds. He found its eggs in the nests of Bullock's, Hooded and
the Orchard Orioles, once in the nest of the Yellow-breasted Chat, and Red-winged
Blackbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Texan Cardinal < /'//;•/•// nln.rin xinuatn). The
eggs of the Red-eyed Cowbird are plain bluish-green, similar to that in the eggs as
.90x.70, the extremes being .95x.75 and .82x.65.

497. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. XanthOCephOltU
(Bonp.) Geog. Dist.— Western North America to the Pacific, east regularly to Wis-
consin, Illinois, Kansas and Texas.
Accidental in the Atlantic States.

The handsome Yellow - headed
Blackbird is found generally dis-
tributed on the prairies in all favorable
localities from Texas on the south to
Illinois and Wisconsin, thence to the
Pacific. A common bird in the West,
nesting in May and June. It collects in
colonies to breed in marshy places any-
where in its general range, often in
company with the Red-winged Black-
bird. The nests are usually placed in
the midst ®f large marshes, attached to
the tall flags and grasses. They are
generally large, light, but thick-brim-
meu, made of interwoven grasses and
sedges impacted together. The eggs
are stated to range from two to six in
number, but the usual number is four.
In the hundreds of sets that have come
into my hands only three contained five
eggs of each. Their ground-color is
dull grayish-white, in some grayish-
green, profusely covered with small
blotches and specks of drab, purplish-
brown and umber. Their average size
Is 1.12x.75.

498. RED - WINGED BLACK-
BIRD. Afiddinn i>li<iiiic(iix (Linn.)
Geog. Dist.— North America in genoral.

417 Y.LLOW.HIADED BLACKBI.D. fr()m Qreat glaye Lake gouth to Cogta

Rica, excepting Western Mexico and Lower Colorado Valley, Southern Florida,
the Gulf coast and the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas during the breeding
season.

Red-winged Starling or Swamp Blackbird is found from the Atlantic to the

•10, and as far north as the 57th parallel, breeding more or less abundantly

wherever found, from Florida and Texas to the Saskatchewan country. In its native

marshes during the breeding season, which is in May and June, a loud rhorus of

discord and harmony may be heard from the Red-wings, and above all tho strange,

horating / nr-st \K usually built in reeds or

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD 8. 341

bushes near the ground, often in a tussock of grass, sometimes on the ground and
once m a while at a considerable elevation- in a tree. The materials are usually strips
of rushes or sedges, lined with finer grass and sometimes with a few horse hairs
t is rather bulky, and not at all artistic. This bird nests in communities, and one
is quite as likely to find several nests near each other as a single one, in a piece of

\\

498. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (From Brehm).

swamp. Nests and eggs found in Texas are smaller than the average of those found
in the more northern States. The eggs are light blue, marbled, lined, blotched and
clouded with markings of light and dark purple and black, almost entirely about
the larger end, but vary considerably in this respect; they are usually four, rarely
five in number, and average l.OOx.75. Mr. I. E. Hess, of Philo, 111., makes note of an
unusual Red-wing's nest in "The Osprey"* for September, 1897. It is as follows:
"On May 25 of last season, I climbed to the top of a wild cherry tree for what I sup-
posed to be a nest of the Kingbird. I was greatly surprised to find it a Red-winged
Blackbird's nest. It was firmly fastened to a branch twenty-one feet from the
ground. In construction it differed very materially from the usual Red-wing style,
being composed of strings, grasses and feathers, much after the Tyrannus tyrannus
mode cf architecture. The tree stands within fifteen feet of a large farm residence,
and is fully half a mile from open water. The site is one where I should never have
looked for a nest of Agelaius phceniceus."

* The Osprey, an Illustrated Monthly Magazine of Ornithology. Edited by Walter A.
Johnson, associated with Dr. Elliott Coues, Washington, D. C., Vol. VII, No. 1, p. 13. Pub-
lished by the Osprey Company, Galesburg, 111. Official Organ of the Cooper Ornithological
Club of the Pacific Coast.

342

OF

RSD-WINOKD BLACKBIRD. Upper, male; lower, female (After Audubou).

498a. SONORAN RED-WING. \ncliiiiix i^itrnimiN «tnuirh-Hxin Ridgw. Geog.
Dlst.— Northern Mexico and contiguous borders of the United States, from the Lower
Rio Grande Valley and Southern Arizona north to the Lower Colorado Valley, Cali-
fornia and Chilliwack, British Columbia.

This is a larger race than the Northern Red-wing, with a smaller bill, and in the
male the upper parts are lighter colored; the female is also paler in color. Thr nest-
ing habits, eggs, etc., are Identical with those of Ayclain* ;>/'" ><>« u».

NOItTIf AMKKICAy BIRDS. 343

4986. BAHAMAN BED-WING. Aydaius pJuenicevs bryanti Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Bahamas and Southern Florida, west to the Gulf coast of Louisiana (Lake
Borgne), south to Yucatan and Nicaragua.

A smaller race with a larger bill than the preceding subspecies; the plumage of
the upper parts is darker.

498c. FLOBIDA BED- WING. Ayclaius pJuzniceus floridiamis Maynard. Geog.
Dist.— Florida.

The Florida Red-winged Blackbird has in all respects the general habits and
characteristics of the Red-wing of the Northern States. Its nesting and eggs are
identical.

499. BICOLOBED BLACKBIBD. Ayclaius yubernator (Wagl.) Geog. Dist.—
Pacific coast districts, from Western Washington, south to Lower California, west to
the Cascades and the Sierra Nevadas. Casually to Western Nevada and Southeast-
ern. California.

The Red-and-black-shouldered Blackbird occurs along the Pacific coast from
British Columbia south throughout California. The female is not distinguishable
from the female Red-wing, and the nesting habits are exactly the same, placing the
nests in watercress or rushes, along running streams, ditches and swamps. The
eggs are light blue or bluish-white, marked around the larger end with waving lines
of dark brown, lighter in shade than the markings on the eggs of the common Red-
wing; four or five in number; size from .90 to 1.05 in length by .64 to .74 in breadth.

500. TBICOLOBED BLACKBIBD. Agelaius tricolor (Nutt.) Geog. Dist.—
Valleys of the Pacific coast, from Southern California to Western Oregon.

This species is known as the Red-and-white-shouldered Blackbird, and belongs
to California and Oregon; is especially abundant in the swamps and marshes of the
former State. Like the Swamp Blackbird of the Eastern States, it nests in the vi-
cinity of water, in colonies, usually placing the nest in alder bushes, willows and flags.
It is composed of mud, straw and coarse grass, lined with, finer fibrous material.
The eggs are of a light blue, slightly deeper than the ground-color of the Red-wing's
eggs, marked around the larger end with a circle of ashy-brown,, sometimes black,
irregular lines and blotches; four or five in number; size l.OOx.60.

501. MEADOWLABK. Sturnella magna (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern North
America, west to the Plains, north to Canada.

The Old Field Lark is a well-known bird in the United States east of the Missis-
sippi, breeding wherever found, from Florida and Texas northward. West of the
Mississippi it is replaced by the Western form, Sturnella magna neylecta (Aud.) As its
name implies, the meadows and fields are its home. In almost any stretch of pasture-
land may be found a pair or colony of Meadowlarks, and the sweet sound of their
wild, ringing, and rather melancholy notes fill the air at short intervals from sunrise
till the gloaming. The nesting time is in May, usually beginning in the middle or
latter part of the month. The nest is built on the ground, in a thick tuft of grass; it
is pretty compactly made of coarse, dry, wiry grasses, and lined with finer blades of
the same. It is usually formed with a covered entrance in the surrounding withered
grass through which a hidden and sometimes winding path is made, and generally
so well concealed that the nest is only to be found when the bird is flushed. The eggs
are crystal-white, more or less thickly spotted or dotted with reddish-brown and
purplish, four to six in number, with great variation in size, averaging l.lOx.80.

.^44

**^?-: ?*&???"•

501. MEADOWLARK (From Brehm).

501o. MEXICAN MEADOWLARK. ftturnclla magna mwicana (Scl.) Geog.
Dial.— Valley of the Lower Rio Grande and Southerm Arizona, and south through
eastern and central Mexico to Panama.

The general habits of this Southern race are counterparts of those of the Old
Field Lark of Eastern United States. A typical set of four eggs of this variety, col-
lected by Mr. Frank B. Armstrong in Tamaulipas county, Mexico, on May 3, 1895, is
in Mr. C. W. Crandall's oological collection. He states that on. comparing them with
his series of the eggs of the Eastern and Western larks he can find no appreciable dif-
ference from the general type. The four eggs measure 1.16x.80, 1.14x.79, 1.14x.79,
1.22x.80 Inches, respectively.

5016. WESTEBN MEADOWLARK. Sturnella magna neglecta (Aud.) Geog.
Dist— Western United States, from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, etc., west to the
Pacific coast and north to British Columbia and Manitoba south through Central and
Western Mexico to Guanajuato and Jalisco.

Both of our Meadowlarks, 8. mayna and N. nculivtn, occur in portions of the Mis-
sissippi Valley, overlapping each other in their typical styles for a distance of several
hundred miles, intermediate specimens being extremely rare. For this reason,
and on account of the great difference of its notes and other peculiarities, N. in.
nrglrcta should doubtless be considered a distinct species. Its song, according to
those who have heard it, is remarkably fine, less shrill, more plaintive and richer
than that of the Eastern Meadowlark.* In Los Angeles county, California, Mr.
Shields states that the nesting season is from April in to th<> last of June. Colonel
COM gives it as a common bird in Western and Middle Kansas, where it begins laying
about the middle of May. Nesting habite and eggs are similar to those of x. mn;fnn.
The markings on a large series of the eggs of the Western Meadowlark boforo mo are
flnor than on the eggs of .ST. mayna. The average size of ten specimens is 1.08x.84.

inn of th*» son** of the Western Merulowlark, see Charles N. Allen's
nrtlrle: fr, -nlth. Huh. Vol. VT.

JNOKTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 345

[502.] TROUPIAL. Icterus icterus (Linn.) Geog. Dist— Northern South
America; West Indies (introduced). Accidental at Charleston, S. C. (Audubon).

This splendid Oriole is admitted as North American on. the strength of a single
specimen, shot in Charleston, S. C., by John W. Audubon, son of the great ornitholo-
gist. Others were seen at the same place, and Audubon was informed that small
groups of four and five subsequently made their appearance in the same city and
among the islands. Another specimen was shot which fell in the river, and was
lost. These may have been birds that escaped from cages, but, as Dr. Brewer ob-
serves: "If his information- was correct, it precludes the supposition that those
which have been procured are caged birds." The Troupial is a very popular and de-
sirable cage bird, having a loud, clear, flute-like whistle, and when kept in confine-
ment becomes very tame. It is. common to all the northern countries of South
America, where it is said to associate in large flocks. The nest is described as a
large, massive, pensile fabric; the eggs are four or five in number, with a ground-
color varying from reddish-drab to deep purple, blotched and streaked with reddish-
brown and blackish. Size, 1.10x.90.

503. AUDTJBON'S ORIOLE. Icterus audubonii Giraud. Geog. Dist.— Central
and Northern Mexico, north to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

This large and beautiful Oriole is found in the United States in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley, from thence southward. Dr. Merrill found it in moderate abundance
about Fort Brown, where it is the only resident species. Its usual song is a pro-
longed and repeated whistle of extraordinary mellowness and sweetness, each note
varying in pitch from the preceding. It is shy, and remains in the deep woods
during the breeding season. At Lomita, on the Rio Grande, Mr. George B. Sennett
found two nests with incomplete sets of eggs early in May. At Hidalgo a set of four
was taken. The three nests were found in heavy timber, some ten or twelve feet
from the ground, are half-pensile, something like those of the Orchard and Bullock's
Orioles, and attached to upright terminal branches. They are composed of dried
grasses woven among the growing twigs and leaves so as to form a matting light
and firm. They measure on the inside some three inches in depth and rather more
in width. The eggs Mr. Sennett describes as being peculiar, resembling those of no
other found in that region. The ground-color is white, covered with fine flecks of
brown, giving the egg the appearance of being covered with dust. Over these flecks,
and principally at the larger end, are irregular stains and splashes of deeper brown,
sometimes mixed with lilac, on which are coarse dark brown or black hieroglyphics.
Some have more and larger splashes than others, but none are free from the dark,
grotesque lines peculiar to the eggs of this family. In shape they are less pointed,
and in size smaller to size of bird, than those of other Orioles. The shells are very
tender. Nine specimens average in size .97x.71, the largest being l.OOx.72, and the
smallest .96x.67.*

504. SCOTT'S ORIOLE. Icterus parisorum Bonap. Geog. Dist. — Central Mexi-
co, north to southern border of the United States — Texas to Arizona. Lower Cali-
fornia.

Scott's, Paris or Black-and-yellow Oriole, as it is variously called, is found more
or less abundantly in all suitable localities of- Southern Texas, New Mexico and
Arizona. On May 4, 1885, Mr. W. E. D. Scott found a nest of this species containing

* Further Notes on the Ornithology of the Lower Rio Grande of Texas.

346 P«

two fresh eggs, in Final county, Arizona. During the summer of 1884 he found fire
nests in the same region, between May 21 and July 1. All except one were placed
cca plants, about four feet from the ground, and situated not far from water.
Several were sewed to the edge of dead leaves, which, hanging down parallel to the
trunks of the plant, entirely concealed the nest. These were semi-pensile, and com-
posed externally of fibres of the yucca, fine grasses, cotton-waste, twine and batting,
with fine grasses and cotton-waste throughout. A fifth nest, taken July 1,
was built in a sycamore tree about eighteen feet from the ground. Pensile, being at-
tached to the ends of the twigs very much like that of a Baltimore Oriole. The nests
contained three and four eggs each. The sizes of one set of four, taken May 27, are
given as follows: .96x.68, .98x.66, .92x.68, .96x.68; another set of four, taken May
30, exhibit the following respective measurements: l.Olx.72, 1.02x.70, .97x.70, 1.02x
.73. The eggs are usually four in number, of a dull white, with a bluish tint variously
marked with small blotches and fine dottings of purplish-brown, approaching black;
in some are found the zigzag markings common to the eggs of the Orioles.

6O5. HOODED ORIOLE. I Hint* rurnllatus Swains. Geog. Dist— Valley of
the Lower Rio Grande in Texas, south through Eastern and Southern Mexico.

: din« to Dr. James C. Merrill and Mr. George B. Sennett, this is the most
abundant of all the Orioles on the Lower Rio Grande in Texas. Its home is in the
woods or the edges of forests and groves, where the trees are hung with pendant
tresses of Spanish moss, in which the nests are built. These, Dr. Merrill says, are
perfectly characteristic, being most frequently built in a bunch of the hanging moss,
usually at no great distance from the ground; when so placed, the nests are formed
almost entirely by hollowing out and matting together the moss with a few filaments
of dark, hair-like moss as a lining. Another situation is in a bush growing to a
height of about six feet, with bare stems, throwing out irregular masses of leaves at
the top which conceal the nest. A few pairs build in the Spanish bayonets that
grow on sand ridges in the salt prairies; here the nests are built chiefly of the dry,
tough fibres of the plant, with a little wool or thistle-down as lining; they are placed
among the dead and depressed leaves, two or three of which are used as supports.
Tbe eggs are three to five In number, white, with a bluish tinge, or buff, marked
with hieroglyphics and pencilings common to the eggs of this family, but not so
abundant. These markings are usually brown, but when profuse, black and lilac
shades appear. The larger end is never free from markings, and is frequently cov-
ered with them, but more commonly displays them in the form of a band. Dr. Mer-
rill says some sets are precisely like large Vireo's eggs. Mr. Sennett gives the
average size, taken from a large series, as .86x.60.

505fl. ARIZONA HOODED ORIOLE. Irtrni* curullatu* nrlsoni Ridgw. Geog.
Dist.— Southern Arizona and California, south into Western Mexico and Lower Cali-
fornia.

This variety of the Hooded Oriole is a common breeding bird in Southern Ari-
tona and California. Prof. B. W. Everman found it nesting quite numerously as
far north as San Buenventura, California, and states that it has beem found breeding
at Santa Barbara, thirty miles farther up the coast, though not so commonly as in
Ventura county. The first full set of eggs was taken May 1; the average number to a

I that region Is five. The nests were generally suspended in sycamores, often
in live-oaks, ranging from five to fifteen feet from the ground. They are composed
of grata picked while yet green, so that the nest is usually of a bright straw-color.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 347

Mr. R. B. Herron found this bird breeding at San Gorgonia Pass, California, in the
months of May and June, 1883; the nests were placed in sycamores, ranging from ten
to twenty feet above the ground. In Southern Arizona it was found breeding
abundantly by Mr. W. E. D. Scott, in- May, June and July, rearing two, not infre-
quently three broods in a season; a new home is built for each brood. The nests
were built in cottonwood, ash and sycamores, from twelve to forty-five feet above
the ground; they were also built in the mistletoe that grows plentifully on the
mesquite trees in the region about Tucson, The nests were exceedingly variable in
their appearance, composition and manner of attachment to the trees— some were
truly pensile, like those of the Baltimore Oriole, others were more like those of the
Orchard Oriole, and one rested on a stout twig and could hardly be regarded as a
hanging nest at all. The external materials were coarse dry or green grasses and
yucca fibres; the linings were the same, but finer, and in some instances horse-hairs
and cotton-waste. In these nests Mr. Scott found three or four eggs. The eggs
vary somewhat in shape, some being obtuse and more spherical, others more pointed
and oblong. They have a beautiful white ground, sometimes tinged with bluish,
marbled, blotched and dotted with large dashes and irregular zigzag lines of purple,
brown and black, chiefly at the larger end. A complement of four typical eggs,
collected by Professor Evermann near Santa Paula, California, April 13, 1881, meas-
ure as follows: .94x.66, .94x.64, .92x.63, .89x.63. Four sets of four eggs each, col-
lected by Mr. Herron, are before me. A set taken June 10, 1883, exhibit the following
dimensions: .79x.63, .78x.63, .80x.62, .84x.62. A common size is .84x.64, and the
average of sixteen specimens is .88x.62.

506. OBCHABD ORIOLE. Ictenis spurius (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
United States, west to the Great Plains, south in winter to Panama.

An abundant species in Eastern United States during the breeding season, which
is in May and June. The male is of a chocolate and black color; the female is smaller
than the male, and of a yellowish-olive. Orchards and groves are its favorite re-
sorts, and two broods are frequently reared in a season. The nest is rarely found in
a large tree or in dense woods, and the distance from the ground is from five to
twenty feet, usually about ten. It is a handsome, substantial basket, or purse-like
structure, woven of fresh blades of grass and lined with feathers. The grasses soon
become bleached, and long retain their pea-green color, giving to the nest a beautiful
appearance. Its greenness often makes it difficult to detect in the foliage. Double
nests of the Orchard Oriole are occasionally met with. A specimen is in my collec-
tion, sent me from Texas by Mr. Singley. The eggs range from four to six, usually
five. They have a bluish ground; the markings consist of spots, specks, a few large
blotches, irregular and zigzag lines of various shades of brown, chiefly about the
crown; there are also deep shell-marks of a purplish. In a large series of eggs the
variation in size is considerable, measuring as they do from .70 to .86 long by .50 to
.62 broad.

507. BALTIMORE OBIOLE. Icterus galbula (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America, north to New England, Ontario and the Saskatchewr.^ country, west
nearly to the Rocky Mountains, south through Eastern Mexico and Central America
to Panama.

Known as the Golden Robin, Firebird and Hangnest. A common species in
Eastern United States where, on account of its handsome dress, the peculiarity of
its nest and its loud and rather melancholy whistle, it is well known. Its nest is a

NEST (After Audubon).

masterpiece of workmanship, which, with its bill, it weaves and suspends like a
hammock from the drooping bough of an elm or sycamore, in dense foliage. The
nest Is penBlle and nearly a cylindrical pouch, suspended from the extremity of a
branch. The distance from the ground varies from four to seventy feet. Any sub-
•tance combining the proper length, thickness and strength is used in tho const ruc-
tion of its nest, consequently the materials depend to a great extent upon the locality
—long grasses, strips of bark, vegetable fibres, yarns, wrapping twine, horse and cow
hairs, rags, paper and other substances that are readily accessible. The nest repre-
sented In our Illustration is taken, from a lypn -al specimen which I took from the
branches of a sycamore in Franklin < -minty. Ohio, May 23, 1884; other specimens in
my collection are not so elaborately mado. Tho nmnl.or of eggs laid ranjrcs from
four to six. Tho ground-color is whito. with a slight roseate tinge win n fresh, fa. I
Ing into a bluish tint wtuTi Mown, marked with Motches, lines, scrawls, and tin-
to eggs of this genus, irregularly distributed over t!u
surface, usually thickest about the larger end, forming a wreath. A set of five

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

349

507. BALTIMORE ORIOLE AND NEST (Jasper del.)

350 NE8T8 AND EGGS 0V

measure, reapectirely, .82x.b2, .80x.62, .78x.60, .84x.64, .87x.63; another set, four in
number. l.OOx.64, 1.04x.64, .98x.64, 1.08x.67. A common size of the Baltimore Oriole's
egg la .92x.62.

508. BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. Icterus bitUwkl (Swains.) Geog. Dist.— Western
United States east to and including the Rocky Mountains, south in winter to Mexico.

This is the western counterpart of the Baltimore from the Central Plains to the
Pacific. The nests and eggs of the two species are hardly distinguishable. Mr.
Shields says that Bullock's Oriole is not a common summer resident of Los Angeles
county, California, and it begins building about May 1. Twenty sets, consisting of
four and five eggs respectively, collected by Mr. R. B. Herron, in the latter part of
May and first of June, at San Gorgonia Pass, California, are before me. In comparing
them with a large series of /. galbula, the only difference, apparently, is that the
ground-color of those of bulltx-ki is of a paler and clearer bluish tint, upon which
the markings stand out in bolder contrast.* The average size of fifteen specimens
is .94x.62. The sizes of an average set of four are .89x.64, .93x.66, .93x.66, .89x.65.

509. BUSTY BLACKBIRD. Rcolecopliagus carolinus (Mull.) Geog. Dist. —
Eastern and Northern North America, west to Alaska and the Plains. Breeds from
Northern United States northward. Accidental in Lower California.

The Rusty Crackle or Thrush Blackbird is only a migratory species in most of
the United States, and is only seen in small flocks in the spring and fall during its
passages north and south. Breeds from the northern States northward. Mr. Ernest
E. Thompson states that it is an abundant migrant in Western Manitoba, and breeds
commonly about Big Plain and Winnipeg, building the nest on the ground of hair
and fibres, much like that of a Savanna Sparrow on a large scale, and not necessarily
near water. A nest was found June 24 near St. John, N. B., by James W. Banks;
it contained two young and two eggs. The nest was placed in the upper branches of
a spruce, twenty-eight feet from the ground. It was bulky and large for the size
of the bird, composed chiefly of honeysuckle vines and mixed with mud, forming a
solid mass. The smaller of the two eggs measured 1.09x.76. The eggs are described
as varying from a grayish to a light green, very thickly covered with blotches and
dottings of purplish and reddish-brown, without streaks and lines; usually four in
number, varying much in the character of their markings. The variations are as
great as are those in the eggs of the next species. The number laid is said to range
fiom four to seven with an average size of l.OOx.76.

510. BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, ftrolcrophagu* ryannccphalu* (Wagl.) Geog.
Dist.— Western North America, from the Great Plains to the Pacific, north to the
Saskatchewan, south to the table-lands of Mexico.

The Blue-headed Crackle is an abundant species throughout the West, breeding
In all suitable localities. In California it breeds in Immense colonies. Mr. Shields
states that In Los Angeles county it begins nesting about May 1. The usual number
of eggs laid is five, sometimes six, and even eight. The nest is built In any suitable
place — In the fork of a large bush or live-oak tree and in garden evergreens, at a

• A net of five *ggn In this series, taken Juno 8. scorns to be unique In their ground-
color and mnrklnR*. Thry are yellowish-buff, with n homoKom-ous mass of rc^ul.ir .uxl
It regular concentric rlnns about the bir^-.-r • mis. mlnnb-d with a few spots, blotch"
bold utreaks. These are of a rich reddish-brown, varying In Intensity, even approuchlnR
black. Them are a Is* underlying circles and spots of purple. Their sizes are .87x.6f>, .88x.66,
.«*.«, .Wx.W. .KX.M.

NORTH AMERICAN

351

height of twenty or thirty feet. It is large and bulky and constructed externally of a
rough frame of twigs, with a layer of mud, lined with fine rootlets, grasses, horse
and cow hairs. As many as a dozen nests have been found in a single cypress tree.
All the nests found by Mr. Bryant near Carson, Nevada, were- upon the ground,
usually on the edge of a bank formed by an irrigating ditch, with the exception of
one, which was built two feet from the ground upon dry tule and well hidden by the
growing stems. In a large series of eggs extreme variations will be found in the
shape, color and size. They are of a dull greenish-white or gray, with numerous
streaks and blotches of dark brown; in some the markings are very large and of a
lighter shade, in others smaller, but so numerous as to conceal the ground-color.
Ten eggs measure: .96x.71, .93x.77, 1.02x.70, l.Olx.76, 1.03x.68, l.OOx.73, 1.05x.75, l.OGx
.7S, l.OTx.73. 1.09X.73.

511. PURPLE CRACKLE (After Audubon).

511. PUBPLE QUACKLE. Quiscalus quiscula (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Atlantic
Coast of the United States (except Southern Florida), north to Massachusetts.

A well-known and an abundant species of the Atlantic coast, and commonly
called Crow Blackbird. Its nest is built in trees of almost any kind, usually, how-

352

those of thick foliage, and by preference coniferous trees. It is generally
placed on the boughs, but sometimes in cavities, and quite often in hollow stubs in
low trees near water. In secluded places the nest is not infrequently built in bushes.
It is a loose, bulky affair of twigs, hay and grasses which are often cemented with
mud. The eggs are Jfour to six in number, and they present great variations in size
and color. They are light greenish-white, with large dashes and irregular streaks
of black and brown, in some chiefly at the larger end; in others the ground-color is
of a rusty-brown; these are marked chiefly about the larger end with cloudy blotches
of the same color. The average size is 1.18x.84.

51 !</. FLORIDA QUACKLE, (juixniliix <iiti*<-nl<i a;il<rnx (Baird.) Geog. Dist.—
Chiefly southern portion of Florida, west along the Gulf coast to Louisiana.

This is a slightly smaller race of the Crow Blackbird than the preceding. Eggs
in my cabinet collected in the vicinity of Charlotte Harbor, Florida, do not differ in
size or coloration from those of qirixmla u-nnm. The nesting season is in April,
May and June.

BRONZED GRACKLE. Quixi-alu* quim-ulti <i n< •//* ;(Ridgw.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern North America, from the Alleghanies and New England north to Hudson
Bay, west to the Rocky Mountains. •

The Bronzed Crow Blackbird is a very common species everywhere in its range.
It begins nesting in favorable seasons as early as the middle of March, and by the
latter part of April many of the nests are finished and incubation has begun. Other
nests may not be completed until sometime in May. It nests anywhere in trees or
bushes, on boughs or in hollow limbs or stumps at any height. A clump of evergreen
trees in a lonely spot is a favorite site; often large colonies will nest in surh p!.
and it is also found breeding especially abundant in sycamore groves along streams
and in oak woodland. A number of pairs will often find suitable nesting places in the
trees of quiet orchards. The nest is a coarse, bulky structure, composed of grasses,
knotty roots mixed with mud; the lining is fine, dry grass, horse hair or sheep's wool.
The eggs are light greenish or smoky-blue, with irregular lines, dots, blotches and
scrawls distributed over the surface; there is just as much variation in the eggs of
this species as is found in those of /wr/mm/.v. of the Atlantic coast. Tbo number laid
ranges from four to six, although on the 15th of May, 1888, I found two nests con-
taining seven each. The average size of ten specimens is 1.20x.82.

512. GREAT-TAILED CRACKLE. Qui.frnlnx niinrnuriiit Swains. Geog.
Diet.— Southern Texas, south through Eastern Mexico to Central America.

Called the Fan-tailed Crow Blarkbird or Texas r,rackl<\ It is an abundant bird
In Southern Texas. Concerning its nesting Or. Merrill says: "Early in April, after
several weeks of noisy courtship, they begin to build in irregular rolonios, and by
Mddle of the month have eggs. The nosts arc perhaps most frequently placed
near tho of the main upright branches of a young mosquito tree. They

are strongly built of straws, leaves and grasses, mud bring used freely. Where
Spanish moss is plentiful, the nrs- -riotimos composed entirely of it: and I

have found thorn among Mile-roods, whom several species of Herons were brooding.
I have also found thoir nests either supported by tbo lower part of the nost of the
Caracara Eagle, or in the same tTM." The eggs are usually three in number, although
Mr. Benners found many sets In Texas of four and five. They vary greatly in ap-
pearance; the ground color is usually a greenish-white or purplish-brown, more or

NORTH AMERICAN BHWS. 353

less heavily spotted and dashed with several shades of brown. The markings are
apt to be heavier at the smaller end. By this peculiarity they can usually be dis-
tinguished from those of Q. major. The average size of forty-five eggs is 1.26x.85;
largest 1.44x.91; smallest 1.16x.82.

513. BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE. Quiscalus major Vieill. Geog. Dist— South

Atlantic and Gulf States, north 'to Virginia, west to Texas.

Along the coast of the States that border on the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico,
from the Carolinas to the Rio Grande, the Boat-tailed Crow Blackbird is an abundant
species. It is known as the Jackdaw. Breeds in colonies in reeds and rushes in the
midst of swamps, or anywhere in trees, often a considerable distance from water,
and the nests are also placed in bushes or upon trees at heights varying from twenty
to forty feet. It is large and clumsy, made of coarse materials: sticks, dry grasses,
weeds, strips of bark, lined with finer stems, fibrous roots and grasses. The nesting
time is in April, May, and in June, according to locality. Three or four eggs are
laid, of a brownish-drab; some tinged with olive, others with green; they are marked
with irregular blotches of brown and black. Ten eggs measure: 1.20x.90; 1.21x.86,
1.23x.87, 1.27X.89, 1.26x.89, 1.27x.81, 1.24x.84, 1.30X.91, 1.29x.84, 1.28x.90. The average
size is 1.24x.81 inches.

514. EVENING GROSBEAK. Coccothraustes vespertinus (Coop.) Geog. Dist.—
Western British Provinces, east to Lake Superior, and casually to Michigan, Ohio,
Ontario, New York, and New England.

This handsome bird is not uncommon in various portions of western North
America, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. It is a common resident of the
forests of the States of Washington and Oregon. A specimen of this bird, a male,
was killed by Mr. George Osbun in front of the Academy Hall of the Dennison Uni-
versity, Granville, Ohio, December 10, 1889. It was prepared by Prof. W. G. Tight,
and is now in the museum collection of that institution. In Oregon Dr. Merrill ob-
served the birds carrying building material to a huge fir tree, but was unable to locate
the nest, and the tree was practically inaccessible. Mr. Walter E. Bryant was the
first to record an authentic nest and eggs of the Evening Grosbeak. In a paper read
before the California Academy of Sciences, June 20, 1887, he describes a nest of this
species containing four eggs, found by Mr. E. H. Fiske, in Yolo county, California.
The nest was taken May 10, 1886, but the eggs could not be preserved, as incubation
was so far advanced. In general shape, color, and markings, they were similar to
the eggs of the Black-headed Grosbeak, but in size, Mr. Fiske thinks, they were
somewhat larger. The nest was built in a small live oak, at a height of ten feet, and
was a more pretentious structure than is usually built by the Black-headed Grosbeak,
being composed of small twigs supporting a thin layer of fibrous bark and a lining
of horse hair. June 5, 1884, Mr. John Swinburne found a nest of the Evening Gros-
beak in a thickly wooded canon, about fifteen miles west of Springerville, Apache
county, Arizona. The nest was placed about fifteen feet from the ground, in the
top of a small willow bush, on the border of a stream. It was a comparatively slight
structure, rather flat, and composed of small sticks and roots, lined with finer por-
tions of the latter. This nest contained three fresh eggs of a clear greenish-ground
color, blotched with a pale brown.

514a. WESTERN EVENING^ GROSBEAK. Coccothraustes vespertinus won-
tanus Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Western North America, from the Pacific coast eastward
to the Rocky Mountains; southward over the tablelands of Mexico to Orizaba.

24

354 T8 AND EGGS OF

In general the Western Evening Grosbeak appears to be very different from that
inhabiting the region of the Great Lakes and the north-central portion of North
America. This has been shown from the study of quite extensive material by Dr.
Edgar A. Mearns. U. S. A.* The reference made to the nests and eggs in the last
species refers to this variety.

515. PINE GBOSBEAK. Plnnnln <,inrl<utnr (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern

parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Breeds from Northern New England, Labrador,

to Alaska (except the coast south of the peninsula), and south in the higher

Rocky Mountain regions to Colorado and Utah; in winter south to Northern United

States.

This large, handsome, Grosbeak is resident in Northern New England, elsewhere
in the Northern and Eastern States it is a winter migrant. Mr. Boardman found a
nest with two eggs in it at Calais, Maine, supposed to belong to this species. Dr.
Coues found it breeding in Colorado, living up near timber line, and observed young
birds fully fledged inr June. Mr. Mcllwraith thinks that it is hightly probable that
this species may yet be found breeding in Ontario. The bird, according to Dr.
Coues, inhabits chiefly coniferous woods in flocks when not breeding, feeding upon
the fruit of such trees. "A fine musician, of amiable disposition and gentle manners,
often caged. Nest composed of a basement of twigs and rootlets, within which is a
more compact fabric of finer materials; eggs usually four, pale greenish-blue, spotted
and blotched with dark brown surface markings and lilac shell-spots; 1.05x.74."

1516.] CASSIN'S BULLFINCH. /'//>•;//»//</ cassini (Baird.) Geog. Dist—
Eastern Siberia. Accidental at Nulato, Alaska.

61«. CASSIN'S BULLFINCH; Adult, female (From Turner).

Thla bird belongs to the North American fauna solely upon the capture of a
specimen at Nulato, on the Middle Yukon, June 10, 1867, by Mr. W. H. Dall. So far
as I am aware its nesting and eggs remain to be described.

• <?. Ask. VII, pp. 346-149.

"NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 355

, + «• EUROPEAN BULLFINCH.

517. PURPLE FINCH. Carpodacus purpureus (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America. Breeds from northern United States northward.

Called Purple Grosbeak, Crimson Finch or Linnet. It is found breeding regu-
larly in the northern tier of States — the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc.,
northward, and is said to have been found nesting in northern Illinois. An abundant
bird in New England, where its sweet song, bright colors and sociable disposition
have made it a favorite bird. It nests in May and June. The Rev. J. H. Langille
states that he has found it nowhere so abundant as in Nova Scotia. The nest is
usually placed in evergreens or orchard trees, at a moderate distance from the
ground. It is composed of weed-stalks, bark-strips, rootlets, grasses, all kinds of
vegetable fibres, and lined with hairs. The nests and eggs remind one of the Chip-
ping Sparrow's on a large scale. The eggs are of a dull green, spotted with a very
dark brown, chiefly about the greater end; four or five in number, and measure
.85x.65.

517 a. CALIFORNIA PURPLE FINCH. Carpodacus purpureus calif ornicus
Baird. Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast of the United States, from British Columbia south
to Southern California.

The California Purple Finch is a common bird throughout its range. Mr. Wil-
liam A. Cooper notes it as abundant around Santa Cruz, California. He states that
it is a most destructive bird, visiting orchards and destroying young buds, blossoms,
and fruit. It retires to the wooded river bottoms and hills to breed; the favorite
situations for the nest are the tops of tall willows, alders, trees covered with climb-
ing ivy, and horizontal branches of redwoods. The nests are usually placed at a con-
siderable distance from the ground; one was found placed in the horizontal branches
of an apple tree; the composition of the nests consist of stems and vegetable fibres
for the frame- work, which is generally loosely put together; the inner portions are
of finer material of the same, lined with wbol or a few hairs. The eggs are four or
five in number; they are of a bluish-green or light emerald, marked with spots of
brown and dull purple, chiefly around the larger end; in some specimens they form
a confluent ring; others are spotted over the entire surface, but less abundantly

ITS i \/' BCK/fl <>/

than at the end. Mr. Cooper gives the sizes of a set of four taken May 2, as .83x.57,
>;, .Slx.56, .Slx.56, .80x.54; another set, taken May 3, give the following measure-
ments: .75X.55, .73X.56, .72x.56, .71x.57«

518. CASSIN S PURRLE FINCH, curimdnruit caxnini Baird. Geog. Dist. —
Western United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific north to British Co-
lumbia, south over the highlands of Mexico.

A common bird in Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Eastern California. Its general
habits, nesting and eggs are very similar to those of the Purple Finch of the East.
The nest is found in various situations, box-alder bushes, the tops of cottonwood,
aspen and pine trees. It is composed principally of roots and twigs, lined with
softer material of the same, together with moss and cotton. The eggs are usually
four in number, and a typical specimen is oval in shape, pointed at the smaller end.
The color is light bluish-green, dotted around the larger end with slate, lilac and
blackish-brown. The average size is .84x.62.

519. HOUSE FINCH, ('urpodarn* nn\rinmnfi frmitiilix (Say.) Geog. Dist. —
Western United States, from the Rocky Mountains to Pacific coast (chiefly south of
40° in- the interior), and south through Western and Central Mexico to Colima and
Guanajuato, Lower California. (Ridgw.)

This bird is known as the Red-headed Linnet or Burion. We also include under
this head the supposed race C. fr<mt<ilix rlnn]nrnJiniK (Cab.) It is a very common bird
In the interior region of the United States, from Nevada, Utah and Colorado south-
ward, and is also abundant on the Pacific coast. Mr. Shields mentions this as one of
the best known birds of Southern California. Prof. Evermann found it to be by far
the most common bird of Ventura county, and obtained the first full complement
of eggs early in April. The bird will place its nest anywhere, from the limb of any
tree to the side of a haystack or a tin can on a porch. It is made of anything that
the bird happens to find handy — grasses, straws, roots, etc., and the nest of an
Oriole or Cliff Swallow is often occupied. Mr. Shields states that in Los Angeles
county, California, tlris species begins nesting in the first part of April, and eggs may
und from that time into the first of July. Two, and sometimes three broods are
reared in a season. The eggs are four or five, usually five in number; their color is
of a pale bluish or, as some would call it, pale greenish-blue, sparsely marked with
spots, specks and lines of very dark brown or black, chiefly around the larger end.
Some specimens before me arc innmirknl. An average set of five eggs offer the fol-
lowing measurements: .82x.57, .85x.54, .84x.55, .83x.54, .82x.52. The average of
twenty specimens is .82x.58.

519«/. ST. LUCAS HOUSE FINCH. Cnrimtlurux inc.rictiinin rHlnrrinnix RidgW.
Geog. Dist. — Lower California and probably adjacent parts of Sonora.

Mr. Walter E. Bryant found this variety of the House Finch breeding at Comon-

lx>wer California, where most of the nests were placed in palm trees. A nest
containing two fresh eggs was collected March 31 from the under side of a veranda
awning of house amongst the thick vine branches. Mr. Bryant says: "The

nest was like similar ones of this genus adapted to the space wherein it was built,
and composed of such material as was nearest at hand. In this case rootlets, a bit

'•K and considerable wild cotton, enter into the external composition, while a few
IB from plant stalks, a quantity of wild cotton, and lastly, some horse hairs com-

•Bull. Nutt. Qi ib, ill. pp. I

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDK. 357

plete the interior. Both birds were about while the nest was being removed; the
male was intensely bright colored. A few days later this pair began another nest
under the same roof near the old site. The eggs are not distinguishable from eggs
of C. frontalis from California. They are sparsely marked with black in an irregular
wreath about the larger end. In size they measure 18.5x15 and 19x15 millimetres."*

520. GTJADALTJPE HOUSE FINCH. Carpodacus ampins Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Guadalupe Island. Lower California.

This darker colored House Finch was found to be quite common on Guadalupe
Island, by Mr. Bryant, when he visited that place in 1885. The species did not differ
in its habits or song from frontalis. February 22 two nearly completed nests were
found in cypress trees, and one with five eggs was taken March 1. The last nest
taken was on April 7, and contained five eggs with small embryos in them. Nearly
all the nests were placed on the branches of cypress trees; the birds seemed to
show a preference for the leeward side, where the nest would be protected from pre-
vailing winds. One pair built in a clump of mistletoe at a height of twenty feet;
others built in the tops of palms. The materials used were the finer dead stems of
weeds; in one nest the foundation and sides were made of pine needles. The lining
was invariably of goat's hair. The eggs, sometimes four in number, but oftener
five, during the early part of the season, are colored precisely like the average speci-
men of C. m. frontalis, the spots being either sparingly applied or entirely wanting.
They also resemble them in general shape, but the size serves to distinguish them.
Five eggs in one set measure 22x15, 22x15.5, 22.5x15.5, 23x15.5, 23x16.5 mm.f The
length measurement varies from 19.5x24 mm., and the width 15x16.5 mm. The
average size of thirty-two specimens is 21.3x15.5 mm.J

521. AMERICAN CROSSBILL. Loxia curtirostra minor (Brehm.) Geog.
Dist. — Northern North America, resident sparingly south in Eastern United States
to Maryland and Tennessee, and in the Alleghanies; irregularly abundant in winter.
Casual at Charleston, S. C., and New Orleans, La.

A curious bird, whose home is in boreal regions; and at times, even during the
season of reproduction, straggles far southward. The American Red Crossbill is
known to breed in Northern New England, and from thence northward. Breeds
sporadically in mountainous regions south as
far as New York, Pennsylvania, Central
Maryland, Virginia, Northern Georgia, Ten-
nessee and Kentucky. It maybe found breed-
ing where least expected. The nesting time
is usually in February and March, while the
snow is yet on the ground. In the Lower
Hudson Valley, Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell found
a nest of this species on the 30th of April, con-
taining three eggs. The nest was placed
in a cedar of rather scanty foliage, about
eighteen feet from the ground, and was with-
out any main support, being built in a mass
cf small, tangled twigs. The composition ex-
ternally was of spruce twigs, loosely ar-
ranged; the main body of the structure was a
mass of matted shreds of cedar bark, while

521. CROSSBILL.
* .74x.59, .75x59 inches,
t .87x.59, .87X.61, .89x.61. .91x.61, .91X.65.
J .77 to .95 in length by .59 to .65 in breadth; average .84x.61.

3SS AS AND EGOS OF

the inside was felted by finer material, and lined with horse hair, fine rootlets, grass
stems, pieces of string and two or three feathers. The structure also contained small
pieces of moss, leaves, grass, string, cottony substances, and the green foliage of
c*4ar.* The eggs are three or four in number, usually four. Mr. Bicknell gives the
sizes of the threeeggs which this nest contained as.74x.56, .75x.58,.78x.59 respectively.
The color of the eggs is pale greenish, spotted and dotted about the larger end with
various shades of brown and lavender shell-markings; average size .75x.57.

521<;. MEXICAN CROSSBILL. Ln.ru, <;irrm#tni xtrirklumli Ridgw. Geog.
Di»L — Mountains of Wyoming and Colorado, west to the Sierra Nevada, and south
through New Mexico, Arizona and the tablelands of Mexico to Guatemala.

The nesting and eggs of this subspecies are probably indistinguishable from
those pf the American Crossbill.

522. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. Loxia httcwtcra Gmel. Geog. DIst.—
Northern North America, south into the United States in winter to or beyond 40°.
Breeds frotn Northern New England and higher Rocky Mountains northward.

This is not so common a species as the Red Crossbill, although they are both fre-
quently found associated in deep evergreen woods. The White-winged Crossbill Is
resident in Northern New England, and from the Rocky Mountain region of Colo-
rado, Wyoming and Montana northward. It is possessed of the same uncertain and
erratic disposition as /,. c. minor, and its movements are not to be relied upon; for
this reason, it is likely to be found breeding in suitable places in any of the northern
tier of States. It breeds in winter or early spring, and the nesting is said to be like
•f the Red Crossbill. The eggs are described as pale blue; the larger end rather
littered with fine dots of black and ashy-lilac; the size .80x.56. They are
said to resemble those Of the Purple Finch.

ML WMITE-WIHGKD CROSSBILL (From Turner).

523. ALEUTIAN LEUCOSTICTE. / ,/nxtnnitrha (Brandt.) Geog.

DIst.— Aleutian ;uul Prybllof Islands, Alaska; west to Commander Islands, Kam-
chatka, east to Kadiak.

• For full account of th!» neat and the eggs see Bull. Nutt. Ornlth. Club, Vol. V, pp.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 359

The Aleutian Rosy Finch is the largest of the species of this genus known to in-
hibit North America. It is found in abundance on the Prybilof and other Aleutian
Islands. Dr. Stejneger states that on Bering Island it cannot be said to be numerous,
except perhaps in a few places where the localities are favorable. Copper Island,
being one mass of rugged and cracked rocks and cliffs, with steep, often quite per-
pendicular walls, jutting up straight out of the ocean, is the favorite haunt of these
stone-loving birds, which may be said to be fairly common on that island, occurring
in pairs around the whole isle during the breeding season. In the latter half of
June he found parents feeding their young, and full-fledged young were taken July
7. Many pairs produce two broods in a year. Turner says: "This bird prefers the
bold, ragged cliffs along the sea shore. They are constantly in motion, either on
the wing, flying in sweeping, long curves, sometimes near the earth, to mount thirty
or forty feet at a single effort, alighting on some projecting ledge of a bluff to search
for food, and away again to alight for a moment on a weed stalk. Their nest is
built on a small protected ledge of a bluff, or else in a small crevice. A nest was
obtained by me from a small cleft of a rock on the side of a high bluff. It was com-
posed of small pieces of wild parsnip stalks, coarse grass stems, and finer blades of
grass to form the lining. The nest is not elaborate, the material being somewhat
carelessly arranged. Four (sometimes five) white eggs are laid in the early part of
June. The young are able to fly by the first of August." The nests and eggs of
others of this genus are not certainly known, but probably resemble those of
yriseonucha. The eggs are described as being pure white without markings, three
to six in number, usually four; size ,97x.67.

523. ALEUTIAN LEUCOSTICTE (From Turner).

524. GRAY-CBOWNED LEUCOSTICTE. Leucosticte tcphrocotis Swains.
Oeog. Dipt.— Interior of British America, south in winter throughout the entire
Rocky Mountain region of the United States; most abundant on the eastern slope.

•„ This is Swainson's Rosy Finch which is known to breed only in the Sierra
Nevadas in California. Its general habits, nesting and eggs are identical with those
of the Aleutian Leucosticte.

360 v />•/•>• i \l> EQQ8 "/•'

524ti. HEPBURN'S LEUCOSTICTE. Lcwnstu'tf tcphmcntin littnralis (Baird.)
Geog. Dist.— In summer, probably th«* interior mountainous regions of British Co-
lumbia; in winter, northwest coast, from Kadiak southward, and eastward in the
Rocky Mountain region to Colorado.

Hepburn's Leucosticte is of the same size as the last, but the gray of the head is
spread more or less ly below the upper margin of the ear-coverts, some-

times covering the entire head.

525. BLACK LEUCOSTICTE. Lcitcimticte atrata Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — In
winter, mountains of Colorado and Utah.

male of this species is of a sooty blackish color, the female sooty slate; the
head same as in the Gray-crowned Leucosticte. Breeds in the Salmon River Moun-
tains, Idaho, and probably other northern ranges.

526. BROWN-CAPPED LEUCOSTICTE. J.cncnxticlc iinftral'm Ridgw. Geog.
Dist.— High mountains of Colorado; in winter descending into the lower valleys,
New Mexico, etc.

The Brown-rapped Leucosticte breeds in the mountains of Colorado, above
timber line. The general color of the bird is light tawny brown.

527. GREENLAND REDPOLL. Acanthi* Jn.nicinannii (Holb.) Geog. Dist.—
Greenland and Eastern Arctic America.

According to Hagerup this species is a resident of Greenland, breeding quite
commonly north of 69°. The nest is placed in trees or bushes and is composed of
moss, grass, lined with vegetable down. Seebohm states that the eggs of this species are
similar to those of the Mealy Redpoll, A. liiiaria. of Linnaeus.

527«. HOARY REDPOLL. AcantJns horncuxuniii r/i7///r.s (Coues.) Geog.
Dist. — Circumpolar continental regions; Arctic America.

! lonry Redpoll Linnet inhabits the whole of boreal America, and it is found
in abundance from Alaska to the -Atlantic coast, rarely reaching the United States,
and then only along the northern tier of States in winter. It breeds in high latitudes,
nesting in trees and bushes. The nest is described as rather bulky, composed of
small twigs, straws, etc., mixed and lined with feathers. The eggs are two to five
in number, of pale bluish-green, speckled chiefly about the larger end, with reddish-
brown, sometimes mixed with a few black specks and lines. Ridgway gives the
average size of the eggs as .68x.51.

528. REDPOLL. Acanthi* Unnrifi (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern portions of
Northern Hemisphere; in North America migrating south in winter to the Middle
Tnlted States. Virginia, etc.

The Redpoll Linnet occurs In the United States as a winter migrant. It comes

south from its breeding grounds in high latitudes, often in company with Pine

Grosbeaks and Crossbills, but Is so mntir in its movements that its appearance o.in-

f<\ upon It breeds occasionally in Northern New England; also in Nova

nd commonly in Labrador and all the- Fur Countries. Dr.

Strjneger says that this form of the Redpoll seems to be the common breeding bird

on the mainland of Kamchatka, where he took a very young specimen near

naulski on the 4th of July. Ho does not think that this aperies breeds on the

Islands, as none were met with from the end of May until the beginning of November.

ffORTti AMERICAN BIRDS. 361

rke bird's general habits are very similar to those of the American Goldfinch. The
nest is built in trees and bushes, is bulky, made of twigs and grasses, with generally
a warm lining of feathers. A set of six eggs in Mr. Morris' cabinet were taken May
14, 1885, near Loughboro, England. Their ground-color is bluish-green, speckled
chiefly at the larger ends with burnt umber; sizes .62x.49, .65x.47, .60x.45, .62x.49,
.64x.48, .64x.47. The average size is .67x.48.

528a. HOLBCELL'S REDPOLL. Acantliis linaria holboellii (Brehm.) Geog.
Dist. — Northern portions of Northern Hemisphere, near sea coast, south in winter to
Northern New York and Massachusetts.

An intermediate subspecies between A. linari and A. I. rostrata. It approaches
the former closely and is with difficulty distinguished. A rare bird in Eastern North
America.

5286. GREATER REDPOLL. Acanthis linaria rostrata (Coues.) Geog. Dist. —
Greenland and Northeastern North America, south irregularly in winter to New
England, New York and Northern Illinois.

This is a similar bird to A. linaria, but larger, the feathers of the upper parts
averaging darker, bill shorter and stouter. Hagerup states that in Greenland it is a
summer visitor, but is found occasionally in small flocks or singly in winter. It is
very prolific in South Greenland, but less so in the northern portion. Eggs are laid
from May 20 to June 27, and their number ranges from four to seven in a set. The
eggs are described as being not distinguishable from those of the Greenland Redpoll.
According to Hagerup the nests are placed in willow bushes, generally in the lowest
branches, about three or three and a half feet from the ground.

529. AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. Spinus iristis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Whole
of temperate North America, resident; wintering mainly within the United States.

Thistle-bird, Yellow-bird, Lettuce-bird and "Wild Canary" are the names com-
monly applied to this species. It is distributed throughout North America generally,
and breeds southward to the middle districts. In the United States it is a well
known bird; its conspicuous bright colors, peculiar, undulating flight, and its
plaintive, lisping notes are familiar to even the casual observer. It nests when
most other, birds are through breeding — in some localities, however, as early as June
15, but usually in July, or when the thistle-down begins to float on the breeze, in
August and September. Exceptionally, nests with eggs have been found in May.
The nest is a beautiful, compact, felted mass of vegetable fibres, moss, grasses,
leaves, fine strips of bark, lined with plant down, and the nests that are built late
enough in the season usually have a thick lining of thistle-down. It is placed in all
kinds of trees and bushes, ranging from three to forty feet above the ground. Wil-
lows, maples and orchard trees seems to be favorite nesting sites, and not infre-
quently it is found built in the tops of thistle plants. Mr. Walter E. Bryant records
the following unusual nesting place of the American Goldfinch as observed by Mr.
A. M. Ingersoll, in California: "In 1884 a grove of young willows that had been occu-
pied the previous season by a colony of tri-coloped blackbirds, was found deserted
by them. Many of the blackbirds' nests still remained in forks of the willows from
four to ten feet above the marsh. Six of these old nests were in possession of Ameri-
can Goldfinches. The present tenants had loosely filled the nests about one-half full

362 *T8 AND EOGS OF

of cat-tall down, and had formed only a slight hollow for the nest proper. Some were
found with eggs, and in others there were 'birds in last year's nests.' " Some writers
state that the eggs of the Goldfinch range from three to five in number. This is not
correct, at least in Ohio. The number to a set varies from three to six. In the month
igust and during the first two weeks of September, 1888, Mr. Rudolph, A. L.
Baker and myself collected twenty-nine nests with eggs of the Goldfinch. Out of this
number eleven contained six eggs, ten contained five, five were of four, and three
were of three eggs each. Sets of five and six are common. The color of the eggs
is plain, pale bluish or greenish-white, unspotted. Ten eggs measure .62x.48, .61x.49,
,61x.48, .62x.51, .63x.52, .65x.52, .67x.51, .67x.52, .66x.52, .67x.52. An average specimen
measures .65x.52.

529d. WESTERN GOLDFINCH. Spinus tristis pallidus Mearns. Geog.
Dist. — Arizona.

This appears to be a well-marked geographical race from Arizona; its general
color being described by Dr. Edgar A. Mearns as being decidedly paler than that of
> tristis. Other peculiarities seem to be distinctive of this local race. Its general
habits, nesting and eggs are identical with those of S. trial is.

530. ARKANSAS GOLDFINCH. Spinus psaltria (Say.) Geog. Dist.— Western
United States from the Great Plains to the Pacific, north on the coast to Oregon, in
the interior north to Colorado and Utah, southward to Sonora.

This species is also called the Arkansaw Green-backed and Rocky Mountain
Goldfinch. It is an abundant bird in the West, nesting like its Eastern cousin, the
American Goldfinch, in trees and bushes. In California it breeds from the latter
part of April to the middle of July; May and June being the most general breeding
months. Ten nests containing four eggs each, collected by Mr. R. B. Herron, at San
Gorgon ia Pass, California, in May and June, are in my cabinet. The eggs are of the
same color as those of N. //•/*//*, pale greenish-blue, but are much smaller. The nests
are also smaller — some of the more elaborately built nests of trixtitt are almost
double the size of those of S. psaltria. Ten eggs measure .63x.46, .60x.45, .62x.41,
.62x.42, .59X.46, .63x.44, .63x.47, .63x.48, .64x.47, .63x.45; comparatively little variation
In sire. Four eggs is the usual number laid, rarely five.

530«. ARIZONA GOLDFINCH. Xjnims pxaltria arizotnr (Coues.) Geog.
Dist.— Southwestern portion of tho United States, North to Arizona and Colorado,
East to Texas and Mexico.

T)i«- K'-ri'-ral habits, nesting and eggs of this subspecies are exactly the same as
those of the Arkansas Goldfinch.

530&. MEXICAN GOLDFINCH. N/MMM* jwiltriu mr.rirnnnx (Swains.) Geog.
Dist.— Valley of tho Lower Rio Grande in Texas, southward through Mexico.

The general habits, nests and eggs of this subspecies are identical with those
of the Arkansas or the Arizona Goldfinch.

NORTH AMERICAN B1KLHS. 363

531. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. Spinus lawrencei (Cass.) Geog. Dist.—
California, in winter southeastward to Arizona.

Lawrence's Goldfinch is a common bird in Cali-
fornia where it breeds in abundance, placing the
nest usually near the extremity of the limb of a live
oak, where it is well concealed and hard to find.
They nest in April, May and June. Professor Ever-
marin says he found the first full set of eggs in Ven-
tura county, April 6. The nest is composed of wool,
fine grasses, down and feathers, closely matted to-
gether and lined with the long hair of the larger
animals. They are often made entirely of grasses.
The latter is chiefly the composition of four nests
before me taken by Mr. Herron in May and June.
The eggs are four or five in number, and are pure
white. Four typical eggs before me measure as 531. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH.
follows: .62x.47, .64x.45, .62x.44, .62x.48; a set of

five collected at San Gorgonia Pass, by Mr. Herron, June 22, offers the following sizes:
.56x.45, .58x.45, .61x.46, .62x.46, .64x.44.

[532.] BLACK-HEADED GOLDFINCH. Spinus notatus (Du Bus.) Geog.
Diet. — Mountains of Guatemala and Southern Mexico, north at least to Central Vera
Cruz; accidental in Kentucky (Audubon).

There appears to be no authentic written history concerning the nidification
of this species. There is no doubt that its general habits correspond with those of
others of this genus.

533. PINE SISKIN. Spinus pinus (Wils.) Geog. bist.— Northern North
America, breeding from Northern United States northward; South in winter to
Mexico.

The Pine Linnet, Pine Finch, or American Siskin, breeds throughout the British
Provinces, Northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Michigan, thence
to Oregon and Washington, in evergreen forests. Its breeding within the United
States, however, is by no means of common occurrence. It has been found nesting
by Dr. Merriam and others in New York and various New England States. Dr.
J. A. Allen obtained a set of four eggs of this species at Cornwall-on-Hudson, Orange
county, New York, May 12, 1887. The nest which contained these eggs was placed
in the extremity of an upper branch of a Norway pine, about thirty-five feet from
the ground.* Another nest was found by Dr. A. K. Fisher, at Sing Sing, New York,
on May 25. It was situated in the top of a red cedar, about twenty-four feet from
the ground and contained four nearly fresh eggs.f In both cases the birds were ob-
served carrying building material to the nests. The late Captain B. F. Goss had a
set of four eggs which was taken June 25, 1887, in Northern New York. The nest
was placed near the top of a birch tree, and was made of dry grasses and pine needles,
with a lining of feathers. The ground-color of the eggs is greenish white, spotted
with various shades of brown; one of the eggs of this set is quite thickly spotted over
the whole surface; on another specimen the spots are mostly confined to the larger
end. The other two are faintly marked, and one of them is almost immaculate.
Their sizes are: .67x.45, .68x.48, .67x.48, .69x.47.

* For full account of this nest and the eggs see The Auk, IV, pp. 284-286.
t Bull. Nutt Ornith. Club. VIII, pp. 180-181.

364

' \ n EGQR OF

• • EXOTIC SI-ARROWS Lower litfure, Mouse Sparrow ; next, European Tree Sparrow (From

Brebni).

•* GOLDFINCH, runlm-li* runlm-li.* (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Europe and West-
ern Aala; introduced and naturalized in portions of Eastern United States.

The European Goldfinch has been introduced and successfully naturalized in
various portions of East*-™ rnit. •<] States, as in New York, Hoboken, New Jersey
and in the vicinity of Cambridge, Mass., etc. In Central Park, Nc\v York city, it is
considered a common resident. April 20, 1886, Mr. K. T. Adney discovered two
In Central Park, one of which contained fivo fresh eggs. The nests \\« r«> iilarod in
pine trees, among the tufts of long pine needles, near the end of a slender hori-
zontal limb, about twelve feet from the ground. The nest of the European Goldfinch
Is a handsome, compact, cup-shaped structure, made of fine, soft grasses, vegetable
fibres and mosses. It is thick-walled and substantial, often built in bushes and

'NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 365

various kinds of trees. The eggs are four to six in number of greenish-white, or
light greenish-blue, dotted with reddish-brown around the larger end. Their average
size is .72x.50.

* * EUROPEAN HOUSE SPARROW (ENGLISH SPARROW). Passer domesti-
cus (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Europe, etc.; introduced into the United States.

It is a matter of sincere regret that these rats of the air were ever introduced into
America. The English Sparrow,* by which name it is so widely known, was first
introduced into the United States at Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1851 and 1852; at Portland,
Me., in 1854 and 1858; Boston, Mass., 1858, 1864 and 1869; in New York city 1860, 1864
and 1866; Cleveland, Ohio, and various other towns throughout the state between
1869 and 1872. As far West as Iowa it was introduced as late as 1881. It was fully
established in the city of Quebec, about the year 1866. From these and other
points its numbers have spread and multiplied over vast territories east and west,
north and south. In many instances the first birds introduced did not thrive, and it
was frequently necessary to replenish their broken numbers with new recruits before
they were acclimatized. There are chiefly two offences with which this pest is
charged: The destruction of grain and fruit, and the molestation of many of our
native birds whose nesting places it captures through sheer force of its numbers.
Among the latter I may name the Bluebird, Martin, Downy Woodpecker, Crested
Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch and others whose nesting places are in holes of
trees or in boxes put up for their purpose. Had the wise men who first introduced
these hoodlums into this country traveled a little farther east — to Great Britain and
Germany — for the purpose of ascertaining the true character of this bird's nature,
they doubtless would have been as eager to have spent their time and money in order
to keep them out of this country as they were enthusiastic to introduce them. We
believe, however, it has come to stay, and the problem now is, how shall we get rid
of it? The nest of this Sparrow is built in all conceivable places, in the branches of
trees, vines upon walls, in bushes, in open buildings, in all manner of cracks and
crevices about buildings, in boxes located anywhere and in holes in trees. The nest
is composed of straw, hay, grass, feathers, and any rubbish that happens to be near.
A nest, which was composed of steel turnings of a lathe, was lodged on a beam in the
Panhandle shops at Columbus. Two broods had been reared in this nest
in one season. The House Sparrow may be said to do more or less building every
month of the year, but rarely if ever raises more than six broods in a year, the ma-
jority probably not more than four. The eggs in a set range from four to seven,
usually five or six in number; they are of a dull whitish color, thickly speckled and
dashed with dark brown and purplish gray; size about .87x.64 inches.

* * EUROPEAN TREE SPARROW. Passer montanus (Linn.) Geog. Dist. —
Europe; naturalized about St. Louis and elsewhere.

This species looks very much like the European House Sparrow, and it nests
similarly — in holes of trees, nooks and corners of isolated buildings, etc. The eggs are
four to six in number, similar to those of P. domcsticus, but averaging "smaller and
usually darker and redder." The bird is thoroughly naturalized in the vicinity of
St. Louis, Mo.

* The name "English Sparrow" is a misnomer, as the species is not confined to
England, but is native to nearly the whole of Europe. Most of the birds imported Into
this country came from England, hence the misleading name.

366 <T8 AND /.</<;> OF

534. SNOWFLAKE. rh<-t,-<>i>h< nax ninili* (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Circumpolar
regions, except islands of Bering Sea; south in winter to Northern United States; ir-
regular to Georgia, Southern Illinois and Kansas.

This beautiful, white bird breeds in the high Arctic regions, only visiting the
Northern United States in winter in large flocks. It is known as the Snow Bunting,
and is beautifully called a "warm-blooded Snowflake." Many a dreary winter land-
scape is made a picturesque scene when thousands are seen in their flight drifting
before a storm. The nest of this bird is placed on the ground, and is often hidden
by a tussock of grass or rock; it is built of grass peculiar to the Arctic regions, mixed
with moss, is very substantial, with thick walls, and a small, deep cavity, which is
warmly lined with feathers. Mr. Norris has a set of four eggs of this species, which
was taken in Iceland, May 30, 1882. The eggs were fresh, and are of a pale greenish-
white, speckled and spotted, most heavily near the larger ends, with russet and
lilac-gray. Their sizes are .84x.61, .88x.67, .88x.61, .86x.64. The ground-color in a
large series is said to vary considerably — from whitish to dull purplish or greenish
tint, and the average size is .91x.64.

534(7. PBYBILOF SNOWFLAKE. Plcctroplicna.r irirali* tmnisoidi (Ridgw.;
Geog. Dist.— Prybilof Islands, Alaska, and Commander Islands, Kamchatka.

This new subspecies is doubtless the bird found breeding by Dr. Stejneger OE
Bering and Copper Islands, in June and July. He states that it is resident on the
islands during the whole year. If the season is open and otherwise favorable, the
first eggs will be laid shortly after the middle of May; the young will be out in th(
beginning of June. In July he found fresh eggs of a second brood. The smallest
eggs in the number taken measure .94x.69, .96x.67, .93x.73; the largest in long
diameter, 1.06 inches.

535. McKAY'S SNOWFLAKE. Flcctrophenax liyperboreus (Ridgw.) Geog
Dist.— Western Alaska.

McKay's Snowflake is known to breed on Hall's Island, and probably St. Mather
Island, Bering Sea. Nothing is known, however, concerning its nest and eggs. Mr,
Charles H. Townsend, during the cruise of the steamer Corwin discovered the young
and those in breeding plumage while the vessel was anchored off Hall's Island.

536. LAPLAND LONGSPUB. Calmrin* /fi/)/m*in/.y (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Arctic regions of both hemispheres; in North America south in winter to Northern
United States, sometimes as far as South Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Nevada,

As Its name indicates, this is a boreal bird, and in North America its summer
home Is In the regions about Great Slave Lake, Mackenzie River, and Alaska. In
these places it breeds abundantly in May, June, and July. In the United Sta
appears as a winter visitor, in flocks, often associating with the Horned Lark and
Snow Bunting, frequenting the same fields. The nest of this species is described by
Dr. Coues as placed on the ground, under tussocks, in grassy hummocks. It is built
of mosses and fine, soft, dried grasses, and lined with a few large feathers from some
water fowl. The eggs, four to six in number, are rather pointed at the smaller end,
and are very dark colored, reminding one of the Titlark's; the color is a heavy cloud-
ing or thick mottling of chocolate-brown, through which the greenish-gray ground
is apparent; average size, .80x.62 inches.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

367

536. LAPLAND LONGSPUR (From Brehm).

537. SMITH'S LONGSPITR. Calcariits pictus (Swains.) Geog. Dist.— Interior
of Arctic America; south in winter over the Great Plains and prairies to Illinois and
Texas.

The Painted Longspur inhabits Arctic America, chiefly the Saskatchewan and the
Mackenzie River Valleys, breeding as far north as the Arctic coast and Upper Yukon
Valley. It is a common bird on the prairies of Minnesota, Dakota, Montana, etc.,
southward, associating in the fall with the Chestnut-collared Longspur, but breeds
mostly farther north. Its nesting is like that of C. lapponicus. The eggs, four or five
in number, are light clay color, marked with obscure blotches and lines, dots and
blotches of dark purplish-brown; they have the same average size as those of
lapponicus, but are colored more like the eggs of the next species.

538. CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR. Calcarius ornatus (Towns.)
Geog. Dist. — Great Plains of the United States, north to the Saskatchewan; south in
winter to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico.

This bird is called the Black-shouldered or White-tailed Longspur. It is one of
the most abundant birds of the Western plains — resident in Middle and Northwest-
ern Kansas, breeding north through Nebraska, Dakota, Montana, etc., to high lati-
tudes. A common but somewhat local breeder in Manitoba. In Kansas it begins
laying in June. The nest is placed on the ground on the high, open prairie, and is
composed wholly of mosses and fine grasses. A set of four eggs is in my cabinet,
which was taken in Becker county, Minnesota, where the species is a common breed-
er. These eggs have a reddish-clay color, marked with dark reddish-brown spots
and blotches, even approaching black, and obscure shell markings of purple; sizes
.75x.54, .74x.54. .73x.54, .73x.55 inches.

368 \/>/N AND

539. McCOWN'S LONQSPUR. /i*////c/io/*/i</m.v in<-«nniii (Lawr.) Geog. Dist. —
Interior of North America, breeding f-om the northern border of Kansas, north to
the Saskatchewan; south in winter to Mexico.

The Black-breasted or Bay-winged Longspur breeds in abundance throughout
the prairies of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. In the latter region and Dakota
it is found associated with the Chestnut-collared Longspur, in whose general habits
It is an exact counterpart. Dr. Coues says it has the same soaring, singing flight.

-^

539. McCoWN's LONGSPUR (E. S. Cheney del.)

and parachute-like descent, "sliding down on the scale of its own music." Its nest-
ing habits are the same as those of the last species, and the eggs, three to six in num-
ber, are similar, but their ground-color is usually more olive; average size .82x.60
Inches.

540. VESPER SPARROW, rnm-iiti* unnninrus (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — East-
ern North America, west to the plains, north to Nova Scotia and Ontario, breeding
southward to Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri, northward.

• h, Bay-winged Bunting, or "Gray Bird," as it is called, is an
abundant species in Eastern I'nitrd states. Its favorite resorts are weedy fields,
roadsides and commons. From its habit of singing mostly in the evening mid in
'Ion-! If called Vesper Bird. The bird's song alone is sufTricnt to dis-

tinguish it from others of the smaller sparrows. Its song is a clear, sweet trill, fun •!>•
modulated, or it is the Song Sparrow's song rn, rsed. Tin- breeding season is in May
and June. I have found tb.- neri with fresh <.Kgs in July. This is j.l.-u, ,] ,,n tho

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 369

ground, usually in an exposed position, under a thistle, small bush, or weed-stalk; it
it a slight structure, composed of grasses, with a lining of hair. The eggs are four
or five, usually four, in number; they are of a pale greenish-white, sometimes pinkish
or grayish-white, marked with blotches, mixed with dots and lines of various shades
of reddish or rusty-brown. The average size is .80x.60 inches.

540a. WESTERN VESPER SPARROW. Pooccetes gramineus confinis Baird.
Geog. Dist. — Western United States, north into British America, east to Manitoba and
border of the Plains, south into Mexico.

This form of the Vesper Sparrow is common to the plains and prairies of the
West. It possesses the same characteristics which are common to P. gramineus, nest-
ing also in the same manner.

540b. OREGON VESPER SPARROW. Pooccetes pramineua affinis.
Miller. Geog. Dist. — Northern California and Western Oregon.

This race of the Vesper Sparrow was first described by Mr. G. S. Miller, Jr., in
The Auk for October, 1888, He describes it from the type specimen taken at Salem,
Oregon, as similar to that of P. g. confinis of Baird, but differing in being smaller and
having the ground color above buffy-brown rather than grayish-brown, etc. Its
general habits, nesting and eggs are the same as those of the Western Vesper
Sparrow.

541. IPSWICH SPARROW. Ammodramus princeps (Mayn.) Geog. Dist. — At-
lantic coast from Nova Scotia, south in winter to Virginia and coast of Texas.

It has recently been discovered that the Ipswich Sparrow breeds on Sable Island,
Nova Scotia, and a series of its eggs are in the National Museum. These are similar
to the eggs of the Savannah Sparrow, and, according to Ridgway, they are uniformly
larger; size .81x.62. The nest is placed on the ground in meadows and other grassy
places.

542. SANDWICH SPARROW. Ammodramus sandwicJiensis (Gmei.) Geog.
Dist. — Northwes't coast, from the Columbia River to Unalaska.

This Sparrow is very similar to the next subspecies. Nests and eggs indis-
tinguishable.

542«. SAVANNAH SPARROW. Ammodramus sandwlchensis savanna (Wils.)
Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, breeding from Northern United States to Labra-
dor, and Hudson Bay Territory.

A rather common, and in some places, an abundant bird in Eastern United
State®, usually breeding from about latitude 40° northward. It is stated as breeding
sparingly throughout Illinois and in some parts of Missouri. In Ohio it is a rare
summer resident. Throughout New
England the Savannah Sparrow is
abundant, being found nearly all the
year. Its favorite resorts are salt
marshes along the coast, and wet,
muddy, open ground, overgrown with
grass and weeds in the interior. It is
a terrestrial bird, and is known as the
"Ground Sparrow." Its song is weak,
squeaky and unmusical, which is at
times uttered from the ground, or from
the tops of bushes. The breeding sea-
son is in May and June. The nest is
sunken in the ground, and generally 543*. SAVANNAH SPARROW

25

370 <T8 AND EGG* <>r

well concealed among the weeds and tall grass. It is usually nothing but a slight
arrangement of grasses in concentric rings, the brim being flush with the surface.
The eggs are three to six in number, usually four or five, and there exists as great a
variety in coloration as are to be found in the eggs of the Song Sparrow. The
ground-color is greenish or grayish-white, spotted, speckled and blotched with light
brown and lilac, particularly about the larger end, and the markings are often so
numerous that they almost conceal the ground-color; average size .76x.54 inches,

5426. WESTERN SAVANNAH SPARROW. AniniinlramHx xun<liri<-ln-nsiti
nhniiluiux (Bonap.) Geog. Dist. — Western North America (except in general the Pa-
cific coast region); breeds from Rocky Mountains north to Alaska; south in winter
to Mexico.

The general habits, nesting, and eggs of this Western form of the Savannah
Sparrow are in no wise peculiar, but are like those of A. s. savanna. Average size of
the eggs, .75x.55 inches.

542r. BRYANT'S MARSH SPARROW. Antnunlraimin .v<;m//f/V//r//\i.s hryanti
Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Salt marshes of San Francisco Bay, and south along the coast,
in winter to Southern California.

This subspecies differs from P. sandirirJtmxi* alaiHlinitit in being decidedly small-
er and darker in the coloration of the upper parts, which are similar to .1. lxldin<ji
but not so heavily streaked with black, etc. It has been named by Mr. Ridgway in
honor of the well-known ornithologist, Walter E. Bryant, of Oakland, Cala., who has
devoted much study to the birds of San Francisco Bay and vicinity. Mr. Bryant
has kindly furnished me with an account of this bird's nesting, eggs, etc. He states
that it is a common resident about Oakland, particularly during the winter, when
they become generally distributed over fields and along roadsides. The bird ap-
parently prefers dry ground just away from salt marshes for nesting sites, although
they also breed amongst the marsh grass in places not subject to overflow during ex-
cessively high tides. The fields selected are usually those more or IPSS overgrown
with grass and weeds, or pasture lands where considerable cattle are grazing. The
nests are placed on the ground, usually in a depression. The usual number of eggs
is four, rarely five. The color of a set of four taken by Mr. Bryant on May 22, 1880,
is grayish-white, irregularly blotched with light brown and reddish-brown, sparingly
marked with light purple, which is more noticeable about the larger end, where it
appears as shell markings underlying the brown. They measure 20x14.5, 19.5x14.5,
14.5, 20.5x14.5 mm.* The nest from which these were taken is composed out-
wardly of small, dark grass-stems, and lined with fine, light-colored grasses; ex-
ternal diameter 115 mm. by 50 mm. in height; the cavity is 58 mm. in diameter by 24
mm. deep.f Another set of four eggs in Mr. Bryant's collection came from Sun
Mateo county, California, and was taken May 12, 1878. These are grayish- whit.-,
heavily blotched with yellowish and reddish-brown, and .in under color of pale
lavender. Their sizes are 18.5x14, 18.5x14.5, 19x14.5, 18.5x14.5 mm.J

543. BELDINO'S MARSH SPARROW. 1 mnt <><] ni nut* firldlin/i Ridgw.
Diat.— Salt marshes of Southern California, from Santa Barbara south to Todos
Santos Island. Lower California.

».79x.67. : ix.67.

t 4.53; height, 1.97; diameter of cavity. 2.2S by .94 in depth.
t.56. .78X.B6. .75X.57, .78x.57.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 371

Mr. B. T. Gault found this sparrow to be very abundant in the salt marshes iu
the vicinity of National City, San Diego county, California, in the spring of 1883. A
nest containing three fresh eggs was found May 24; it was situated in a patch of
marsh weed, apparently raised a little above the ground — several feet above tide-
water mark, and was completely saturated with water; notwithstanding the damp-
ness of the nest the eggs were warm to the touch, as the female had just left the nest.
The structure was composed almost exclusively of weed stalks, with a little grass and
a few feathers, arranged in a careless manner. The ground-color of the eggs is dirty-
white, of a brownish tinge, caused by minute specks of brown and lavender. The
eggs had a pinkish tinge before they were emptied of their contents. The spots and
specks are of lavender, and the blotches of amber-brown, congregating principally to-
ward the larger end, with an occasional streak of a darker brown shade; their sizes
are .76x.58, .77x.59, .78x.58.*

544. LARGE-BILLED SPARROW. Ammodramus rostratus Cass. Geog.
Dist— Coast of Southern California, south in winter to Cape St. Lucas and North-
western Mexico.

The summer home of this species is along the coast of Southern California. The
general habits of this curious bird are similar to those of Belding's Marsh Sparrow.
It inhabits the marshes of the seashore, and its nesting and eggs are similar to those
of A. beldinVL

544a. ST. LUCAS SPARROW. Ammodramus rostratus guttatus (Lawr.) Geog.
Dist. — Southern Lower California.

This is a generally darker form than the last species, with characteristics and
habits identical. It is found at Cape St. Lucas.

544. 1. SAN BENITO SPARROW. Ammodramus sanctorum Coues. Geog.
Dist. — San Benito Island, Lower California.

This is a larger species than the last race with a differently-shaped bill, etc.

545. BAIRD'S SPARROW. Ammodramus bairdii (Aud.) Geog. Dist. — Interior
portions of North America, from the Plains of Dakota and Montana to the Saskatch-
ewan, south in winter to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

In the summer months this species is found on the plains and prairies of the
Dakotas and Montana, north to the Saskatchewan. The bird remained for a long
time almost unknown, until Dr. Coues found it breeding in profusion on the prairies
of the Dakotas in some places outnumbering all the other birds together. In general
habits and appearance in life it is quite like the Savannah Sparrows. Dr. Coues
states that the song of this species is peculiar, consisting of two or three distinct
syllables, of a mellow, tinkling tone, running into an indefinite trill, like zip-zip-
sip-sr-r-r-r. The nest is a slight affair, made of grasses and weed-stalks on the
ground ; its diameter is about four inches. The eggs are laid in June and July, and
they range from three to five in number, being similar to those of the Vesper Spar-
row. They are whitish of varying tints, irregularly spotted, speckled, and blotched,
with palo and dark reddish-brown; average size .80x.65 inches.

546. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. Ammodramus savannarum passerlnus
(Wils.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States and Southern Canada to the Great Plains
wintering in the Gulf States, Bahamas, Cuba and Porto Rico.

* Bulletin No. 2, pp. 5S-60, Ridgway Orn. Club.

372 VEST* \\l> EGGS OF

Perhaps better known as the Yellow-winged Sparrow. Anyone will be able to-
Identify this little bird in hand. The edge of the wing is conspicuously yellow; the
lesser wing coverts and line over eye are yellowish. A common bird in the meadows
and clover fields of Eastern United States, nesting in May and June. It is a bird of
retiring habits, generally keeping in the tall grass, on the ground, and not usually
seen only when flushed. Its flight is zig-zag. Sometimes it will mount a stump or
weed-stalk, and sing at short intervals for hours at a time a. peculiar, monotonous
song, which has been aptly compared to that of a grasshopper — hence its common
name. The nest is placed on or rather sunken in the ground, and concealed by a
thick tussock of grass. The eggs are four or five in number, generally four. They
nave no resemblance to the eggs of the Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Savannah
Sparrow, or Grass Finch, having a clear, white ground-color, with a moderate polish,
spotted more or less thickly with pale reddish-brown, chiefly and sometimes wholly
at the larger end. Mr. Poling says he has found fresh eggs in Illinois as early as
April 20, and as late as August 12. Two broods are often reared. A set of four eggs
in my cabinet, taken by Mr. J. E. Gould, on June 14, in Franklin county, Ohio, ex-
hibits the following respective measurements: .77x.55, .77x.56, .79x.56, .81x.55; the
sizes of a set of five taken May 16 by the same collector are .80x.59, .79x.59, .79x.59,
.78x.57, ,77x.57. A set of four from. Marshall county, Kansas, taken May 30, gives the
following dimensions: .70x.54, .70x.56, .71x.54, .72x.55. Average size .73x.56 inches.

546r/. WESTERN GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. Ammnilrainux savannarum
'//I/MX Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Western United States from the Great Plains to the
Pacific, south over table-lands of Mexico.

The nesting and eggs of this paler and grayer form of the Yellow-winged Spar-
row, which is found in the dry, western regions, are the same as those of the Eastern
bird. Average size of the eggs, .75x.57 inches.

547. HENSLOW'S SPARROW. Amnwrtramu* Jtcnslmrii (Aud.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern United States, north to Ontario and Southern New England, west to the edge
of the Plains, winters in the Gulf States.

Henslow's Grasshopper Sparrow or Bunting is not, on the whole, an abundant
species in Eastern United States, being found common only in restricted localities.
It is given as a rare summer resident in portions of Southern New England. Breeds
abundantly in the meadows about Washington, D. C. Mr. Shick found Henslow's
\v-winged Sparrow breeding in the vicinity of Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
Farther west it seems to be common in various sections. It may be found breeding
In Southern and Western Ohio, as it is stated by Dr. Brayton to be a common summer
resident on the prairies of Indiana. Breeds also on the weedy prairies of Illinois
and Missouri. Messrs. Keyes and Williams record it as a common summer resident
in Iowa, and Colonel Goss mentions it as a summer resident of Kansas. Mr. L. Jones
Informs me that in Iowa the favorite resorts of this Sparrow during the breeding
season are neglected fields and pasture lands. Its nest is placed on the ground,
sometimes in a slight depression, beneath a tussock of grass; the composition is of
fine and coarse grasses, with a few cow hairs. The eggs, Mr. Jones says, are de-
posited about May 2.r». Th»> bird's habits, nest, and eggs are described as beinp sim-
ilar to those of the Yellow-winged Sparrow (I. mirnniinnnn jHtum-riim*). but the CRRX
are not pure white in ground-color, having a greenish or grayish-white tint, profusely
dotted and blotched with several shades of brown and lilac shell markings. They
are four or five in number, and average .75x.57 inches.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 373

547a. WESTERN HENSLOW'S SPARROW. Ammodramus henslowii occi-
dentalis Brewst. Geog. Dist. — South Dakota.

For a description of this comparatively newly-known race see William Brewster's
article in "The Auk" for April, 1891, page 145. I have no reliable information re-
garding the nesting and eggs of this subspecies, but in all probability they are identical
with those of the eastern A. Jienslowii.

548. LECONTE'S SPARROW. Ammodramus leconteii (Aud.) Geog. Dist.—
From the Plains eastward to Illinois and Indiana, and from Manitoba south in winter
to South Carolina, Florida and Texas.

It is now certain that Mr. Walter Raine and Mr. G. F. Dippie, of Toronto, Ont.,
secured an authentic nest and eggs of this species in the vicinity of Reaburn, Mani-
toba. Mr. E. Arnold, of Battle Creek, Michigan, appears to have taken a nest con-
taining four eggs in the same region. Mr. Dippie says: "Leconte's Sparrows are
fairly numerous in the vicinity of Reaburn, Manitoba. Their peculiar note can be
heard both day and night in fine weather; the only sound I can compare it to is the
note of the grasshopper. It is one of the most difficult small birds to collect that
I know of. They are great skulkers; I have often followed them guided by their
chirping in the grass, until I was sure the bird was not more than a few yards away,
then he would suddenly "crowd on all sail" and dart away at a high rate of speed,
gyrating from side to side in a manner that would test the skill of any collector. On
June 18th Mr. W. Raine, then my companion at Reaburn, discovered a small nest
containing five small, speckled eggs, which we felt sure were the eggs of the Leconte's
Sparrow, as the birds were in the vicinity all the time. The locality was carefully
noted and we visited it four or five times a day. On the morning of the 21st upon
wakening we found it raining, but in a short time we were cautiously approaching
the nest. When within a few yards the bird flushed and and by a lucky shot I knocked
it over and in another moment I had in my hand the parent bird, Leconte's Sparrow.
On the 19th, while walking over the prairie we almost tramped upon a small bird as
it fluttered from under our feet and a short search revealed a nest containing four
young birds and an addled egg. The egg corresponded exactly with the others, the
nest also was identical and the glimpse we had of the bird made it doubtless that it
was another nest of Leconte's Sparrow. The nests were composed of fine grass,
cup-shaped and deep, carefully concealed in the center of a thick tuft of grass. The
eggs are greenish white ground color, thickly speckled with pale ashy-brown and the
average size is .65x.50 inches."

549. SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. Ammodramus caudacutus (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist.— Salt marshes of the Atlantic coast, from Prince Edward Island and Nova
Scotia to North Carolina.

The Sharp-tailed Finch breeds abundantly in the salt marshes of the Atlantic
coast from North Carolina northward, and it is commonly found associated in the
same places with the Seaside Finch, A. maritimus. They keep closely in the shelter
of the rank salt reeds and herbage, where the nest is built. This is fastened to the
sedges and composed of grasses, lined with finer material of the same. The nesting
season is in May and June, and a second set of eggs may be found in July. While
the nidification of this species and the Seaside Finch is essentially the same, Mr.
Shick states that on the New Jersey coast, the nest of the Sharp-tail is not built so
bulky as that of the former. Both species are common in the salt marshes at the
mouths of creeks and rivers along the Atlantic coast. Mr. Norris has a typical set of

374 i VD EQGS OF

four eggs of the Sharp-tailed Sparrow taken by Hon. John N. Clark, near Old Say-
brook, Connecticut, at the mouth of the Connecticut river. The nest was in the salt
grass of a wet meadow; the eggs were fresh, brownish-white, varying to greenish-
white, thickly sprinkled and speckled with tawny-brown, sizes: .75x.58, .76x.57,
.76x.58. .80x.56. The -eggs are also not to be readily distinguishable from some ex-
amples of the Savannah Sparrow.

549»/. NELSON'S SPARROW, .{nimnilrnmus camlarutnn m-lxnni Allen. Geog.
Dist.— Fresh marshes of the interior, from Northern Illinois northward to North
Dakota and Manitoba; south in winter to Texas.

This subspecies is dedicated to Mr. E. W. Nelson, the ornithologist. It is similar
to .1. niinlnrutux. but smaller, with slenderer and longer bill; the colors are brighter
and the markings more sharply defined. In its migrations it visits the Atlantic
coast, New England and the Lower Hudson Valley. It is accidental in California.
According to Mr. Walter Raine and Mr. G. F. Dippie the nests and eggs of this bird
resemble those of Leconte's Sparrow very closely, the eggs being about the same in
size, color and markings. The bird was found breeding by them in the marshes of
Long Lake, Manitoba.

5496. ACADIAN SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. Amnwdramu* rd,,dnnitns
xulrii-'intnx Dwight. Geog. Dist. — Coast of Southern New Brunswick, Prince Edward
Island (and probably Nova Scotia), and southward in migration to South Carolina.f

A race named by Mr. Jonathan Dwight, jr., in 1887. The bird is similar to A.
cniiilin-ntiix, but paler and much less conspicuously streaked beneath with pale
greenish-gray instead of black or deep brown. It inhabits salt water marshes where
grasses grow luxuriantly. According to Mr. Dwight the male has a fine song which
is repeated at all hours of the day from a tall stalk in the meadow, from a fence,
or while the bird is in the grass. Occasionally toward nightfall one will mount into
the air and, with set wings, float down, fairly gushing with song, a habit shared
by the ordinary Sharp-tail and by the Seaside Sparrow as well.

550. SEASIDE SPARROW, .\nnnnilnnntiit mnritimua (Wils.) Geog. Dist.—
Salt marshes of the Atlantic States, from Massachusetts south to those bordering
Gulf of Mexico.

The Seaside Finch is a common species in the salt marshes of the Atlantic coast
from Connecticut southward. Its nest and eggs are identical with those of the
Sharp-tailed Sparrow, only, as already stated, in speaking of the Sharp-tailed species
the nest is more bulky. It is carefully concealed in clumps of salt grass and quite
neatly built of grasses, lined with fine material. In exceptional instances the nests
have been found arched over. The largest set of eggs Mr. Shick ever found on the
New Jersey coast was seven, but the usual numbers are four or five — five being the
more common. Their ground-color is greenish or brownish-white, thickly spookier]
with iimhrr-hrown, and are not with certainty distinguishable from those of tho last
species. The sizes of a set of five eggs taken by Mr. Shick at Sea Isle City, New
Jersey, May 21, 1887, are as follows: .70x.56, .75x.56, .74x.55, .73x.55, .71x.54.

550o. SCOTT'S SEASIDE SPARROW. Ammodrantu* mnritimua prninsiMr
Allen. Geog. Dist. — South r.-irolina to Northern Florida; Gulf coast from Florida to
Texas.

Thin is a oommon southern representative of the Seaside Sparrow, 1.
it is similar, but its general plumage is mm-h darker.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 375

5506. TEXAS SEASIDE SPARROW. Ammodramw maritimus sennetti Allen.
Geog. Dist. — Gulf coast of Texas, Corpus Christ! to Galveston Bay.

In color this subspecies is similar to A. maritimus, but all the colors are lighter
and paler, the nape being distinctly streaked with black. Mr. W. E. Grover in The
Oologist for November, 1893, describes a domed nest of this bird containing four eggs.
He says: "April 19, 1892 found me in a large salt marsh looking for Sparrow nests.
After a two mile tramp one nest was found, containing four fresh eggs. The ground
color is white showing the faintest tinge of green; the markings are small dots
sprinkled over the entire egg, mostly, however, at the larger end, of a red-brown
color. The nest was loosely made of dead grass, lined with finer, and was very
neatly worked in the heart of a tussock of salt grass, eleven inches above th^e water,
which was four inches deep. Externally the nest measured four and one-half inches
in diameter by three inches high; walls one and a quarter inches thick; bottom one
and three-quarter inches thick. Inside measured two inches in diameter by one and
a quarter inches deep. Very often the high spring tides wash the nest away, but
nothing daunted the birds build a new nest, weaving it in the tops of rank grass or
rushes, and if in the latter, using the leaves to dome the nest, or rather make a
rainproof roof for it. When placed in this position the nests are hard to find, as they
are woven of green grass in the shape of a ball, with the entrance on one side near
the top. As a general thing they prefer thick grass growing on edge of a small
bayou."

550c. LOUISIANA SEASIDE SPARROW. Ammodramus maritimus macgil-
livrayi Aud. Geog. Dist. — Coast of Louisiana, to coast of Texas in winter.

Prom eggs taken on the coast of Louisiana in my collection there appears to be
no distinction whatever from those of A. maritimus.

551. DUSKY SEASIDE SPARROW. Ammodramus nigrescens Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Salt Lake and Merritt Island, Eastern Florida.

Mr. C. J. Maynard, the only collector who has ever met with this species, found a
single individual, March 17, 1872, at Salt Lake, near Titusville, while in April it was
"quite common on the marshes of Indian river just below Dummett's Grove" and
"very abundant on the upper end of Merritt's Island." A very distinct species and
can be distinguished from A. m. peninsula, its nearest ally, by its much darker upper
parts and conspicuously streaked under parts. Mr. Frank M. Chapman in his "Birds
of Eastern North America," says that this Sparrow apparently has a more restricted
range than any other North American bird. During February and March he searched
for the Dusky Seaside Sparrow in the marshes of the east peninsula of Indian river,
opposite Micco, but without success. The nest and eggs are unknown.

552. LARK SPARROW. Chondestes grammacus (Say.) Geog. Dist. — Missis-
sippi Valley, west to the Plains, east to Ohio, north to Michigan and south to Eastern
Texas, Louisiana, etc.; accidental near the Atlantic coast.

Throughout the Mississippi Valley the Lark Finch is found breeding more or
less abundantly in all suitable places, from Eastern Texas and Louisiana on the
south to Iowa and Southern Michigan on the north. Its favorite summer resorts are
prairie lands, clover and stubble-fields, neglected and sparsely wooded pastures and
fields bordered with low trees. Breeds in May,vJune and July according to locality;
sometimes two and three broods are reared. It is one. of the sweetest songsters
among our Sparrows. Its song is uttered in a hurried manner, "in one continuous

376 s' OF

of silvery notes, and accompanied by a metallic tremolo." Several birds may
be seen running in the grass with lowered heads like quails, from which manner,
in some places they receive the name of "Quail-heads," and again they are given the
name of "Road-birds" from their habit of running along road-sides and feeding in
roads. Mr. Singley states that in Texas the Lark Finch often repairs old nests of the
Mockingbird and Orchard Oriole with a lining of grass, horse hairs, etc., and Mr.
Davis Informs me that he has found its eggs in the nest of the Scissor-tailed Fly-
catcher. The nest, however, is usually placed on the ground, sometimes in trees or
bushes. When on the ground it is generally sunken in a hollow, concealed by tufts
of grass or clover and it is hard to find, for the bird, like the Bobolink, has the
habit of running some distance from the nest before taking wing. The composition
varies according to the vegetable growth of the locality in which it is built; usually
grasses, clover and weed stems make up the structure. The eggs are three to five
in number, commonly four; they are pure white or they have a faint bluish or
brownish tinge, speckled and marked with zig-zag, straight lines, of very dark brown
and black, chiefly at the larger end, like the eggs of the Baltimore Oriole, and in
exceptional cases it is impossible to differentiate the eggs of the two species. The
size of those of the Lark Sparrow vary from .76 to .89 in length by .59 to .68 in breadth.

552fi. WESTERN LARK SPARROW. ('hoHtlcstcx i/raminarn* xtriyatux
(Swains.) Geog. Dist. — Western United States from the Great Plains and Central
Texas south into Mexico.

This subspecies is common in Western United States, from the Plains and West-
ern Texas (where it breeds abundantly) to the Pacific. In California it nests on the
ground, in live oaks, sycamores, orange and lemon trees. Eggs .80x.60.

553. HARRIS'S SPARROW. Zonntrirliiii <ii«rula (Nutt.) Geog. Dist— Middle
United States, from Illinois, Missouri and Iowa west to middle Kansas and the
Dakotas, and from Texas north to Manitoba. Accidental on Vancouver Island and
in British Columbia and Oregon. [Accidental in Ohio, Davie.]

The late Maj. Charles E. Bendire has given us (Auk, VI, pp. 150-152) an account
of what he supposed to be a nest and eggs of Harris's Sparrow. He says: "For the
purpose of drawing the attention of ornithologists located along the northern border
of Montana and the Dakotas, and throughout southern British North America, to the
fact that the nest of eggs of this interesting species remain still unknown, and to
the probability of its breeding in these regions, instead of further north, I will state
that none of the large collections of birds, nest and eggs made by the following gen-
tlemen of the Hudson's Bay Company, Robert McFarlane, Strachan Jones, T. Mc-
Dougall, Donald Gunn, C. P. Gaudet and J. Lockhart, and which were donated to the
Smithsonian Institution at Washington, D. C., contained specimens of this species,
although representing nearly every other bird to be found breeding throughout the
vast interior of the former Hudson Bay territory. 'The explorations made by these
gentlemen were thorough and continued through several seasons, and, chiefly
through the good efforts of Mr. Robert Kennicott, all their valuable field notes and an
immense amount of material were brought together. From the fact that no speci-
mens of Zonot> nl 'i were obtained throughout the explorations, which ex-

tended well into the Arctic Circle, and began about the 54th parallel, I necessarily
believed that the summer home of Harris's Sparrow, if properly looked for, will be
round along the foothills of the Bearpaw and Chief Mountains in Montana, along

Turtle Mountains in the Dakotas, and their centre of abundance probably near
Mountain, Manitoba, as well as in suitable localities in the territories of Al-

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 377

bertaand Assiniboia, south of Lat. 54°. During the summer of 1885, while I was sta-
tioned at Fort Custer, Montana, one of my men, who was well posted about the birds
of that region, and helped me to collect a good many, while out hunting one day
found a nest and four eggs of some sparrow, without, unfortunately, securing the
parent, and brought them in for me. I saw at a glance that these eggs were new to
me, and visited the place where the nest was found next day, in the hope of possibly
still finding the owners about the locality, but failed in this. The eggs in question
differ materially in coloration from those of the other species of Zonotrichia, as well
as from those of the genera Passerclla, Melospiza, and Pipilo, all of which are rep-
resented by good series in the National Museum collection. The nest was found
June 24, 1885, in a dense willow thicket close to the banks of Little Horn River,
about one and a half miles above the post. It was placed between several young
willow twigs, about eight or ten inches from the ground, compactly built of strips
of decayed willow bark, coarse grasses, etc., and lined with finer materials of the
same kind. Outwardly the nest was about four and a half inches wide by three
deep; the inner cavity was two and a half inches wide by two in depth. In its gen-
eral make-up it resembled the average nest of a Passerella. The eggs contained
small embryos. They resemble certain types of Cardinal's eggs (Cardinalis
cardinalis) more than anything else, but are considerably smaller. There is no trace
of green whatever noticeable in their ground color. This green tint is always found
to a greater or less extent in all the eggs of the genera Zonotrichia and Passerclla, and
with rare exceptions in Melospiza as well, while here, it is a creamy or buffy white,
and the shell is also more lustrous. The eggs are thickly spotted and blotched with
dark brown and burnt umber, and more or less mixed with pale heliotrope purple
and purplish gray. They are ovate in shape, and measure .89x.70, .88x.69, .86x.69 and
.85x.65 inches. I am certain that these eggs are not those of the Cardinal, which is
not found as far north as Fort Custer and would surely have been noticed by me, if
it occurred there, and unless they should be abnormally colored eggs of Pipilo
maculatus drcticus, which is barely possible, although also rather small for this
species, they will certainly prove to be those of Harris's Sparrow. While I do not
believe that it is a constant and common summer resident in the vicinity of Fort
Custer, it probably breeds there as a straggler; I failed to meet with this species
during the summer, but found it not at all uncommon during its fall migration.
Specimens shot by me in the early part of October are now in the National Museum
collection. I found them associated with White-crowned Sparrows and Arctic Tow-
hees principally, scattered in small flocks through the undergrowth along the Big
and Little Horn River bottoms, and it seems to confine itself to the shrubbery found
along the streams. Specimens were shot by me as late as October 21, 1885." On the
28th of April, 1889, Mr. J. E. Gould shot a specimen of Harris's Sparrow two miles
north of Columbus, Ohio. Four or five others were observed feeding in a thicket in
company with the White-throated Sparrow, Z. aUncollis. Mr. Gould generously pre-
sented me with the specimen of Z. querula, the skin of which is now in my collection.
The identification of this specimen, previously considered by the writer to be Z.
querula was, through the kind assistance of Mr. Chas. F. Batchelder positively de-
termined. This, I believe is the first record of its occurrence in Ohio. The bird in
this case has wandered a long way out of its ordinary habitat. Mr. Rudolph M.
Anderson in his Birds of Winnebago and Hancock Counties, Iowa, says: "Harris's
(or Black-hooded) Sparrow is rather a common migrant in September and October.
Have seen a few specimens in the early part of May. Spring and fall plumages differ
considerably."*

* An Annotated List of the Birds of Winnebago and Hancock Counties, Iowa. Being
a list of birds observed in the Counties of Winnebago and Hancock, State of Iowa, with
brief notes on the same. Forest City, Iowa. Printed by the Author, 1897.

378 PI t \/' /.•'/<;* OF

554. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. Zonotrirhia fn/ro/j/irj/x (Forst.) Geog.
Dist.— North America at large; breeds northward; south in winter, to the Southern
United States, and south to Mexico.

This is probably the most beautiful of our Sparrows. It winters in the Gulf
States and southward, migrating northward in spring to its breeding grounds, which
arc in the higher mountain ranges of Western United States — Sierra Nevada and
Rocky Mountains, and eastward north of the Great Lakes, to Newfoundland and
Labrador. In Colorado this species nests in June and July, often raising two broods
in a season. The bird is chiefly a ground builder, but nests are found in bushes a
few feet above the ground. Mr. Elmer J. Gillette makes record of a nest of the
White-crowned Sparrow which he found in Orleans county, New York. In "The
Ornithologist and Botanist" he notes the following: "We sometimes think this little
sparrow will spend the summer with us, for he stays until many of the small birds
have built their nests and laid their eggs. In fact, on one occasion, I found a nest
of this sparrow, which contained four fresh eggs. The nest was placed in a berry
bush about two feet from the ground. It was composed principally of the stalks of
small weeds, roots, coarse grass and other coarse material. The lining consisted al-
most entirely of fine grass, hair and strips of bark. The nest resembles, very closely
the nest of the Song Sparrow, but somewhat smaller. The eggs also were smaller, and
about the same color as the Song Sparrow's. The nest was not more than 20 rods from
my house and the birds appeared to be very tame. This is the only nest of this species
that I ever founu, and I never knew of another nest being found in this locality." A
set of four eggs in Mr. Norris' cabinet was taken July 1, 1883, near Hancock, Col. The
nest was on the ground and was composed of grasses, etc. The eggs are pale
greenish-blue, speckled and spotted with bay; the markings are much heavier and
thicker near the larger ends; sizes, .87x.64, ,89x.63, .91x.65, .93x.58. The number of
eggs is stated to be four or five, and are said to resemble those of the Song Sparrow,
except in size, some being heavily and distinctly marked.

554«. INTERMEDIATE SPARROW. Znnntrichia 7o/ro/>//;-|/.x intvrmnlia
Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Western North America from the Rocky Mountain region to
the Pacific; in winter, south throughout Western United States into Mexico.

The Intermediate White-crowned Sparrow breeds in the far north— throughout
Alaska (except the coast east and south of the peninsula) and eastward through the
Mackenzie River region. The eggs are described as similar to those of Z. /r»/ro/)7i /•»/•*.
but the more cinnamon or rusty colored style predominates.

554ft. GAMBEL'S SPARROW. 7ono/nV/m/ 7n/ro/'//r//.v ,/">/'>>< Hi (Nutt.) Geog.
Diet.— Pacific coast region from Southern California north to British Columbia.

In California Gamble's White-crowned Sparrow breeds near the coast, building
the nest in trees, bushes, and in thick clumps of weeds. It is quite bulky, and com-
posed externally of weed stems, and fine dry grasses on the inside. Three to five eggs
are laid, commonly four. Mr. Norris has a set of four collected by A. M.

Ingersoll near Alameda, California, April 2, 1885. Their ground color is pale green-
ish-blue, spotted and splashed with Hvor-brown; sizes, .88x.65, .88x.64, .88x.64, .94x.68.
A set of four taken by the same collector exhibits the following measurements: .88x
.63, .90x.66, .94x.67, .88x.64.

**

• Manual N. A. Birds, p. 416.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRD*. 379

557. GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW. Zonotrichia coronata (Pall.) Geog.
Dist. — Pacific coast region, from Southern California to Alaska; migrates east ir-
regularly to Rocky Mountains, casually to Wisconsin.

The Golden-crowned Sparrow is stated to breed in Northern California and
northward to Alaska. Its nesting is similar to that of yambelii and the eggs are
"colored like the more distinctly spotted of Z. leucophrys."

558. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern North America, breeding from Nortnern United States nortnward;
west to the Plains; casually to Utah.

A large, handsome sparrow, very similar to the White-crowned species. Breeds
in Northern Michigan, New York, and Northern New England northward; winters
from the Middle States southward. In the greater portion of Eastern United States
it is seen only during the migrations, or in the winter. In suitable places through-
out the three Northern New England States the White-throated Sparrow is a rather
common breeder, nesting in June. The nest is built on the ground, or, in exceptional
cases, in bushes, and among the branches of fallen trees. It may be built in a clear-
ing near the edge of woods, and frequently in damp places, often under a fallen
branch, or at the foot of a sapling, and but slightly concealed. It is more bulky
than a Song Sparrow's nest, built of weed-stems, grasses, etc. The eggs are four or
five in number and, like those of the Song Sparrow, are subject to great variation in
size and coloration, as are exhibited by a large series of specimens in Mr. Norris'
cabinet. The ground-color is of a pale greenish-blue, spotted, sprinkled and clouded
with cinnamon-rufous and bay. Some eggs are of a pale cinnamon, sprinkled and
clouded with burnt umber. A set of four, containing eggs of the smallest sizes, ex-
hibits the following dimensions: .80x.63, .79x.61, .80x.61, .81x.62; another containing
the largest eggs gives the following measurements: .88x.64, .87x.63, .86x.64, .89x.64.

559. TREE SPARROW. Spizella monticola (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
North America, west to the Plains, breeding far northward; south in winter through
Eastern United States.

This bird looks very much like the Chipping Sparrow but it has a dusky spot in
the center of the chest. In Eastern United States it is found only in winter — hence
the name, Winter Chip-bird, by which it is known. It breeds in Labrador and the
region about Hudson Bay. The nest is described as being placed in trees or bushes
or on the ground, and composed of grasses, mud, fine rootlets and hair. The eggs
have no similarity to those of the Chipping Sparrow. They are light green, flecked
with minute markings of reddish-brown, distributed with great regularity over the
surface, but so sparsely as to leave the ground distinctly visible; on the whole
somewhat resembling the eggs of the Song Sparrow, with endless variations; four
or five in number; size, .80x.60 inches.

559a. WESTERN TREE SPARROW. Spizella monticola ochracea Brewst.
Geog. Dist.— Western North America, breeding in Alaska, wintering in Western
United States, south to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

A paler colored Tree Sparrow which breeds in Alaska and southward to an
undetermined latitude. Nesting and eggs in nowise peculiar. Eggs, .78x.55.

560. CHIPPING SPARROW. Spizella socialis (Wils.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America, north to Great Slave Lake, west to the Plains, south into Eastern
Mexico.

380 NESTS AND EGGS OF

Nearly eve.-ybody knows this familiar little bird as Chippy, Chip-bird, or Hair-
bird. The latter name is given it from the fact that its nest is for the most part,
composed of horse hair, with a slight foundation of fine grass and vegetable fibres.
The breeding season is usually in May and June. The nest is built anywhere in
bushes, hedges, trees of any size, and almost in any situation. In exceptional cases
it has been found built on the ground. The same pair of birds if unmolested will
return and breed in the vicinity of their former nest year after year. Three or four
eggs are laid, rarely five, bluish-green, sparsely spotted with blackish-brown and
purplish, sometimes in a circle about the larger end. Ten eggs selected on account
of their sizes measure: .60x.50, .62x52, .65x.52, .69x.50, .69x.53, .71x.54, .70x.50, .72x.51,
.67x.50, .73x.52. Average size .68x.51.

56O«. WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW, spizrlln xnrintin ariznnw Coues.
Geog. Dist. — Western North America, east to Rocky Mountains; in summer north to
beyond 60°; south in winter to southern Mexico.

Eggs in my collection of this paler Western subspecies do not seem to differ es-
sentially from those of nocialis. Nesting the same.

561. CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. N>':r//« pnUnln (Swains.) Geog. Dist.—
Interior regions of North America from Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, west to base
of Rocky Mountains, north to the Saskatchewan, south to Texas and New Mexico;
in winter to Lower California and Mexico.

The Clay-colored Sparrow breeds from Northern Illinois and Central Iowa
northward. Mr. J. W. Preston found it breeding in Winnebago county, Iowa, in
June, 1885, and in the summers of 1885 and 1886 in Becker county, Minnesota. The
bird is an abundant breeder in Western Manitoba. The nesting season is usually
in May and June. Mr. Preston found the bird frequenting the edges of brush and the
borders of timber. The nests were placed on the ground; one, however, was built in
the branches of a low hazel. The materials used in the construction of the nests were
fine, round grasses and blades, with a lining of horse hairs. The eggs were three
to five in number, commonly three or four, the latter number predominating. They
are similar in color to those of the Chipping Sparrow, X. xni-inlix, and average about
the same in size, .65x.50. Mr. Norris has a set of four taken near Detroit, Minnesota,
June 4, 1886; their sizes are: .64x.47, .64x.47, .62x.47, .64x.48; in these specimens the
markings are fainter than are those of »Sf. socialis. As many as six eggs are said to
be laid by this species.

562. BREWER'S SPARROW. Hpizrlla hrrtrrri Cass. Geog. Dist.— Western
United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, south in winter to North-
western Mexico.

This bird has very much the appearance of the Clay-colored Sparrow, but is
paler and duller, all the markings being indistinct. It is found from the Pacific
coast to the Rocky Mountains, and from the northern portion of California to the
Rio Grande and Mexico, and is especially abundant in Arizona and New Mexico. It
Inhabits almost exclusively open fields and bushy plains. The nests are i>l;i< •• •«! in
bushes, usually the sage, a few feet from the ground. It is composed of dry grasses,
rootlets, and linrd with hair. The eggs are generally four in number. A series of
the eggs of this species In Mr. Norris' cabinet, collected near Fort Klamath, Oregon,
resemble In size and coloration the eggs of the Chipping Sparrow, but as a rule the

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

381

markings are larger, and of a more reddish tint than in those of the former species.
A set of three containing the smallest eggs exhibit the following sizes: .62x.48, .63x
.48, .63x.49; one of four with larger eggs, .69x.53, .64x.52, .67x.53, .64x.52.

563. FIELD SPARROW. Spizclla pusilla (Wils.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern United
States and Southern Canada, west to the edge of the Gfeat Plains.

The Field Sparrow is an abundant species in Eastern United States where it
may be seen during the summer months frequenting the borders of upland woods,
fields and edges of thickets. It sings during the whole day, especially at mid-day
when most birds are silent, and a telegraph wire is a favorite perch while singing.
The nest is placed in bushes or upon the ground in a tussock or at the root of a
bush in a thicket, frequently in briers along roadsides or upon the ground in pastures,
but the birds nearly always (in Ohio at least) during the breeding season, confine

563. FIELD SPARROW (From Beal).

themselves to the outskirts of woods with thick undergrowth. The nest is composed
of grasses on a foundation of leaves; the lining is of hair. The eggs are commonly
four, sometimes three or five. The predominating ground color of the eggs is buffy-
white, or clay, while others have a greenish-white ground; the markings are in the
form of specks and spots of various shades of brown, which are sometimes so dense
at the larger end as to almost wholly obscure the ground color. The eggs rarely
measure less than .61 or more than .73 in length, and in breadth .49 or more than .55;
the average is .68x.52. Two or three broods are reared in a season, the nesting time
being in May, June and July.

382 NEST* IN/) EQGti OF

563«. WESTERN FIELD SPARROW. Xitizclla inisillu nn-nan-a Chadb. Geog.
Dist.— Great Plains, from Southern Texas north to Wyoming Territory and Ne-
braska.

A new subspecies inhabiting the Great Plains of Western United States. Nesting
and eggs indistinguishable from N. /*»/*»//(/.

564. WORTHEN'S SPARROW. >>/:»//« m.rthcni Ridgw. Geog. Dist.— New
Mexico (Silver City) and Chalchicomula, Puebla.

This is apparently a good species, resembling the Black-chinned Sparrow in
many respects, particularly the color of the upper parts. The type specimen was
taken at Silver City, New Mexico.

565. BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW. Ny>/:r//r; ntriyiilnri* (Cab.) Geog.
Dist.— Mexico and southern border of the United States from the Lower Rio Grande
Valley to Southern California; Lower California.

The Black-chinned Sparrow is a rather common species in all suitable places
from the southern border of the United States southward. It inhabits the border
of thickets, grassy fields and low shrubbery. The nest is usually placed in low
bushes, and is made very similar to that of the Field Sparrow. The eggs are light
greenish-blue, about the color of the eggs of the Bluebird. The average measure-
ment of eight specimens is .68x.50 inches.

566. WHITE- WINGED JUNCO. Juncq aikcni Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Colorado,
north to the Black Hills.

This species is dedicated to C. E. Aiken, of Colorado. It is like the Slate-colored
Junco except that the wings are crossed with two v.hite bars formed by the tips of
the greater and middle coverets. Breeds in the Black Hills.

567. SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. JIUH-U hynnnllx (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— North
America at large, breeding from the higher portions of the Alleghanies, Northern
New York and Northern New England to Alaska (except the Pacific coast district, or
south and east of the peninsula), south in winter to the Gulf States.

Better known as the Black Snowbird, and in most of the United States is oftener
seen during the winter months. Breeds in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania,
New York, and New England; is resident throughout the year in Northeastern Ohio,
and in Michigan. Mr. Mcllwraith gives it as a fairly common resident of Ontario
where, in the southern portion, is is known as the "White Bill." Mr. William L.
Kells states that in Ontario, the Slate-colored Junco selects various places for nest-
Ing sites, such as the up-turned roots of trees, crevices in banks, under the sides of
logs and stumps, a cavity under broken sod, or in the shelter of grass or other
vegetation. The nest is made of dry grasses, warmly and smoothly lined with hair.
Mr. Kells says the bird generally begins to nest the first week of May, and nests
with eggs are found as late as August. The set of eggs is usually four or five in
number, of a whitish color, varying to a greenish-white, more or less speckled with
h-brown. with an average size of .78x.57. A set of four eggs taken by J. A.
Dak in. on May 4. in Onondaga county, New York, measures .75x.50, .76x.56, .78x.b7,
.SOx.58. A nest of this species was found on the rafters of a barn in Connecticut.

567a. OREGON JUNCO. Jimm hy rtoUl om/owM* (Towns.) Geog. Dist.— West-
ern North America. Breeds along the Pacific coast region from California north-
ward to Sitka,

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 383

Mr. A. W. Anthony notes this as one of the most common birds of Northwestern
Oregon, rearing three and often four broods in a season. He states that the birds
nest in various locations; in hollows of the ground under low bushes, the nest being
built flush with the surface; also in holes among the roots of bushes and trees, and
many nests are found under wood-piles. Some were found built on the shelf of a rail-
road cut, which was screened by a thick curtain of vines. Nesting begins about the
last of March, or first of April. The materials of the nests are dry grasses rather
loosely put together with a lining of cow-hair. The eggs are usually four, rarely
five in number. In a large series of the eggs of this race of Junco there appears to
be no distinguishable difference in coloration from those of J. hyemalis. The average
size of ten eggs is ,77x.56 inches.

567a. OREGON JUNCO.

5676. SHUFELDT'S JUNCO. Junco hj/emalis shufeldti Coale. Geog. Dist. —
Rocky Mountain region, west in the mountains of the Great Basin to California; in
winter south to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Northern Mexico. Accidental in
Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, etc.

Mr. Henry K. Coale, of Highland Park, 111., has named this variety of Junco in
honor of Dr. Robert W. Shufeldt, U. S. A., who collected the specimens from which
the descriptions were made and presented them to U. S. National Museum.* The
nesting habits and eggs of this bird are identical with those of the Oregon Junco.

567c. THUB-BEB'S JUNCO. Junco hyemalis thurberi Anthony. Geog. Dist.—
Sierra Nevada, and deserts and southern coast rangesiof California.

The general habits, nests and eggs of this subspecies appear to be precisely the
same as J. ft. oregonus. Mr. C. W. Crandall has just added to his extensive oological
collection an authentic set of four eggs of this bird, taken by Edmund Heller, in the
San Bernardino Mountains, California, on June 8, 1897. The nest was placed on the
ground in a carpet of old pine needles sunk flush with the surface, and hidden by
pine brush. The nest was composed of dry grass, bits of moss and lined with finer
material of the same. The outside diameter of the nest was 2.54, inside 1.35 inches.
The eggs are bluish white, handsomely ringed around the larger end with chestnut
red and lavender with a few scattering spots over the major portion of the eggs.
Their sizes are .71x.58, .72x.57, .71x.57, .71x.57 inches.

* For complete description of bird C/. Coale, Auk, IV, pp. 330-331.

384 NEST* \\l> /:<,<,> 0JP

567</. POINT FINOS JUNCO. ,lun<-u hpt mails jrinnttus Looms. Geog. Dist.—
Vicinity of Monterey. California.

I know very little about this variety of the Black Snowbird, but from the quota-
tions given by dealers on the skins and eggs, I imagine that it is a subspecies of lim-
ited abundance. Having a very restricted geographical distribution it is not probable
that many skins of this bird are in private collections and fax less of its eggs. For
a description of the bird Cf. L. M. Loomis, Auk, X, p. 47.

56TV. CAROLINA JUNCO. Jintm Injfniali* carolinensis Brewst. Geog. Dist. —
Higher portions of the Southern Alleghanies.

According to Mr. Wm. Brewster this new variety of the Black Snowbird differs
from ./. hyninilix in being larger, with lighter, bluer and more uniform coloration,
and a horn-colored instead of pinkish-white or yellowish bill. Mr. Brewster found
this bird at Highlands and on the Black Mountains of Western North Carolina. He
states that it is probable that the birds represent the form which breeds on the
mountains of Virginia and Pennsylvania. Two sets of eggs are in Mr. Brewster's
collection taken by Mr. Boynton, at Highlands, respectively June 30 and July 7, 1885.
"The eggs are larger, than those of Iijicmnlin but similar in color and markings." The
nests are also larger and composed of coarser material, although both are neatly
lined with horse-hair. The one collected July 7 was placed "in a bank by the road-
side," a site often chosen by our northern birds, but the other was built in a berry
bush, four feet above the ground. Both sets of eggs were perfectly fresh, a fact
which proves that the bird breeds very irregularly and probably twice at least in the
same season.* Mr. George B. Sennett found this subspecies breeding in the moun-
tains of Western North Carolina. On Roan Mountain the birds were exceedingly
abundant at an altitude of 6300 feet. In the latter half of April they were paired
and building, and many complete nests were discovered. Fresh-laid eggs and young
in all stages were found in July. The nests were found in all sorts of places — in tho
open fields, among the grass hummocks, along the edge of cow-paths, myrtle tus-
socks, under balsams or under the deciduous trees of a lower altitude. Two nests
were found in balsam trees three and five feet respectively from the ground.

568. PINK-SIDED JUNCO. Jimm nnm-i-tnis Baird. Geog. Dist.— Rocky
Mountain district, from Arizona and New Mexico north to Idaho and Montana.

Pink-sided Junco is found in the Rocky Mountain region, breeding from
Fort Bridger northward. Dr. Merrill found it rather common in the mountains of
Montana, at considerable height and among the pines. A nest taken June 13 was
at the top of a ridge connecting two peaks, at an elevation of 8000 feet. The nest
was under a shelving stone, in a little hollow dug out by the parents; it was rather
large and compactly built, composed of coarse, dry grasses, with an inner lining of
fine yellow straw and hair of the mountain sheep. The eggs, five in number, were
far advanced in incubation and one was broken in blowing. The four remaining
specimens measure .81x.60, .80x.59, .84x.60, .83x.60. They are described as dull yel-
lowish-whitish, spotted and blotched with light reddish-brown and lavender. The
spots are scattered over the entire surface of the eggs, but are largest and more nu-
merous at the larger end.

568. 1. BIDOWAY'S JUNCO. Junco ridgvnyi Mearns. Geog. Dist.— Wyom-
ing, Colorado. Arizona and New Mexico.

According to Dr. Mearns the coloration in the upper parts of this species is
similar to that of the Gray-headed Junco and the lower portions similar to that

• Auk. III. pp. 1W-110.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 385

in the Pink-sided Junco. I have nothing authentic concerning its nests and eggs
which more than likely do not differ materially from those of other Juncos.

569. GRAY-HEADED JUNCO. Junco caniceps (Woodh). Geog. Dist. — Rocky
Mountain district, from the Black Hills to the Wasatch and other Mountains of Utah,
south to Mexico and Arizona.

The Gray-headed Snowbird is a common breeder in the mountainous regions of
Central Colorado and Utah southward, nesting in June, July and August, raising
two, perhaps three broods in a season. Its nest resembles that of Junco annectens,
being built on the ground in sheltered positions. The eggs have a difference in
ground-color varying from white and pinkish-white to bluish or greenish-white,
very faintly dotted (the markings being very minute) over the whole surface but
chiefly at the larger end with reddish-brown. A set of four eggs of this Junco is
in the collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall, of Woodside, N. Y. They were taken June
12, 1896, near Beulah, Pueblo county, Colorado, by Mr. D. P. Ingraham. The bird
was shot and .perfectly identified. The nest was placed just under the edge of a
haystack. The situation was at an altitude of about 8500 feet. The eggs measure
as follows: ,76x.61, .77x.60, .74x.61, .76x.61, .76x.60 inches respectively.

570. ARIZONA JUNCO. Junco phceonotus palliatus Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
Southern Arizona and adjacent portions of Mexico.

This is a common species at the higher altitudes in the mountains of Southern
Arizona, where it dwells in the depths of the pine forests. It is generally mated
in April, and nests may be found in May and June; these are placed on the ground
under bushes, or otherwise sheltered. The eggs are described as being plain green-
ish-white, unmarked, size, .78x.60.

570a. RED-BACKED JUNCO. Junco phceonotus dorsalis Henry. Geog. Dist.— •
Mountains of New Mexico and Eastern Arizona.

A common bird in the high mountains of New Mexico, and in the eastern por-
tion of Arizona. July 16, Mr. F. Stephens found a nest of this bird in New Mexico,
under a tuft of grass, which contained three perfectly fresh eggs. When blown, they
are white, with a slight tinge of green, speckled sparsely all over, except at the
smaller ends, with small brownish dots; sizes, .74x.58, .76x.62, .77x.63. Some eggs are
marked in the form of a ring around the larger end.

571. BAIRD'S JUNCO. Junco bairdi Belding. Geog. Dist. — Southern Lower
California.

Baird's Snow-bird was discovered in Lower California. It is described as re-
sembling a bright colored female of J. li. oregonus, with the peculiar combination of
pink sides, yellow eyes and under mandible. Its nest and eggs are unknown.

571. 1. TOWNSEND'S JUNCO. Junco townsendi Anthony. Geog. Dist. — San
Pedro Martir Mountains, Lower California.

This new species from the San Pedro Mountains was described by Mr. A. W.
Anthony (Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., 2d Ser., II, Oct. 11, 1889, p. 76.) Authentic eggs of this
bird are described as being indistinguishable from those of J. h. oregonus.

572. GUADALUPE JUNCO. Junco insularis Ridgw. Geog. Dist.— Guadalupe

Tel~"ri. Lower California.

26

386 n i.w BOUB »r

Mr. Bryant found this Snowbird common on Guadalupe Island, inhabiting the
palm, pine and cypress groves. The birds mated early, soon after the first of the
year, and were incubating by the 26th of January. A nest found March 10, contained
four young, hatched but a few days before. It was placed in a depression, flush
with the surface of the ground, and concealed by a covering of brush. Full fledged
young were taken March 16; also a nest with three fresh eggs. This nest was placed
in the cleft of a pine tree, which grew near the edge of a precipice. It was com-
posed of a few pieces of bark-moss, light-colored dry grass blades, and
a tail feather of a petrel, lined within with goat-hair. The three eggs
whlth the nest contained, Mr. Bryant says, were probably the second setting, judging
from the ragged appearance of the female, indicating previous cares. Their color is
a pale greenish-white, marked with fine dots of reddish-brown clustered around the
larger end. They measure 19.5x15, 20x15.5, 20x16 millimeters.*

573. BLACK-THROATED SPARROW. Amphispiza bilineata (Cass.) Geog.
Dist. — Southwestern United States — Texas to Lower California— south into Mexico,
north in the interior to Nevada, Utah and western portions of Colorado.

The Black-throated Sparrow Is an inhabitant of the southwestern portion of the
United States from Western Texas to the Pacific. Mr. Wm. Lloyd found it breeding
In Western Texas, nesting in the cat-claw or chapparal bushes. Nests were found
May 6 and 13, June 12, and July 13 containing fresh eggs, indicating that the bird
rears at least two broods in a season. Mr. Scott notes this species as a common
resident In the foothill region of the Catalinas and also about Tucson, breeding com-
monly at both points generally at considerable elevation. At an altitude of 4500 feet
in the Catalina region the breeding season begins early in March and continues well
into the latter part of the summer. The nests he states are built near the ground
in some low bush or cactus, and occasionally on the ground. The eggs are three to
five, three or four being the general complement. Mr. Sennett secured several sets
of eggs of this species at Lomita, on the Lower Rio Grande, in April. Mr. Davis in-
forms me that he took two sets of the Black-throated Sparrow's eggs in Eastland
county, Texas, in June; one set was far advanced in incubation, the other on the
14th was fresh. In color the eggs are plain bluish-white, and average in size,
.701.61.

574. BELL'S SPARROW. Amphispiza belli (Cass.) Geog. Dist.— California,
sojuth to Cape St. Lucas.

An abundant bird in all the thickets throughout Southern California. The
nests are built in bushes and composed of grass stems and vegetable fibres, lined
with hair. The nesting season is in May and June. Eggs three or four in number
to a set, pale greenish-blue, finely dotted and speckled chiefly at the larger end with
cinnamon and dark reddish-brown. The average size of six specimens is .74x.60
inches

574n. 8AOE SPARROW. Amphispiza belli nevadcrwis (Ridgw.) Geog. Dist.—
Artemisia Plains of Western United States, north to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming
Territories, east to Colorado and New Mexico, south to interior of Southern Cali-
fornia, and Northern Mexico.

This bird abounds in the sage-brush deserts of Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and
Arizona, Nests found near Carson City, Nevada, are described as being artfully con-

• .77x^9, .7»x.61, .Tta.63.

NORTH AMKK1CAN HIItltH. 387

cealed, either sunken in the ground or a few inches above it, in the lower branches of
a bush; they are composed of sage-brush bark, dry grasses, etc. The eggs are light
greenish, marked all over with very fine dots of a reddish-brown, around the larger
end a ring of confluent blotches of dark purple and lines of darker brown; almost
black; size .80x.60. Three or four are the usual number deposited.

5746. QUAY SAGE SPARROW. AmpUspiza belli cinerca Townsend. Geog.
Dist. — Lower California.

Little is known concerning the habits of this cinerous colored Sage Sparrow.
They no doubt are identical with those of A. b. nevadensis.

575. PINE-WOODS SPARROW. Peuccea wstivalls (Licht.) Geog. Dist.—
Florida and southern portion of Georgia.

The Pine-woods Sparrow is common in some localities of Florida, where it breeds
In May and June. In Alachua county, Florida, Mr. Frank M. Chapman states that
it is common only in one locality, a high, open, palmetto pinery, where, May 21, 1837,
a nest was found with four fresh eggs. In a letter to the late Major Bendire, Mr.
Chapman states that this nest was placed beneath a scrub palmetto, and was con-
structed almost entirely of fine, dry grasses. It was firmly made, and held well
together when lifted from the ground. It was not arched over in any way, which
seems to be the peculiarity in the nests of Peuccea ccstivalis bachmanii. The nest was
perfectly round, with the sides of rims everywhere of equal height, and was a sym-
metrical and well-proportioned structure. Three of the eggs taken by Mr. Chapman
are in the National Museum collection, and are described by Major Bendire as pure
white, slightly glossy, and rounded-oval in shape; sizes, .71x.61, .74x.61, .71x.61 inches.

575a. BACHMAN'S SPARROW. Peuccea ccstivalis bachmanii (Aud.) Geog.
Dist. — South Atlantic and Gulf States, and Lower Mississippi Valley, north to North
Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, Kentucky, Southern Illinois, and west to middle North-
ern Texas.

Mr. Arthur T. Wayne informs me that in the region about Charleston, South
Carolina, Bachman's Finch breeds in April, May, June and July, making • its nest
upon the ground in pine woods. He states that the birds breed in numbers seven
miles north of Charleston, but the nests are difiicult to find, only a single one having
come under his observation. Mr. William Lloyd notes Bachman's Sparrow as a sum-
mer visitor in eastern Concho county, Texas, where nests are found from May 20 to
June 1. Major Charles E. Bendire describes five nests, and several full sets of eggs
of Bachman's Sparrow, which were presented to the National Museum collection by
Dr. William C. Avery, of Greensboro, Alabama, in which vicinity they were taken in
the months of May and June. Major Bendire says: "All the nests of this bird
vary totally in structure from those of the other species of the genus Peuccea, as they
are known to me. They are all distinctly roofed-over or domed, a feature only found
in the nest of a closely allied species, Embernagra rufivirgata, the Texas Sparrow,
which constructs a somewhat similar nest. They are cylindrical in shape, about
seven or eight inches long by three inches in height and four and one-half inches
wide. The inner cavity is from three to four inches in length, about two inches wide,
and one and three-quarters inches high. The rear wall of the nest is about one and "
three-quarters inches thick, the sides about an inch, and the roof a little over half
an inch in thickness. These measurements vary somewhat in different specimens.
The nests are all constructed out of dry grasses exclusively, and are lined with fine

iv/> KOOS OF

grass tops only. Some are much more artistically and compactly built than others;
the roof projects somewhat over the entrance in all cases." The nest is always placed
In a depression of the ground, and the entrance is invariably canted upwards at an
angle of about 15°. The entrance to the majority of the nests faced west. The nests
were found in growths of old-field pines, in patches of pine and plum bushes, on
slopes of hills, in open spaces under fallen branches. The birds do not rise off the
nest as other birds do when disturbed, but run some distance before taking flight."
Major Bendire states that the eggs of Bachman's Sparrow in the National Museum,
collected by Dr Avery, are pure white, but with less gloss than those of P. trxtimlix,
more of a dead white. A set of four nearly fresh eggs taken May 8, gives the follow-
ing sizes: .72x.56, .75x.55, .72x.55, .71x.55. A set taken June 23, measures .7Dx..~7.
.75x.60, .77x.61, .76x.61* The late Captain B. F. Goss had a set of four eggs in his
collection, taken by Mr. Wayne. These measure .79x.63, .75x.63, .75x.63, ,75x.63
inches.

576. AKIZONA SPARROW. Pevccca arizonce Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Southern
Arizona and Sonora.

The general habits, nest and eggs of the Arizona Summer Finch, as it is called,
are identical with those of the next species.

577. MEXICAN SPARROW. Peucwa mexicana (Lawr.) Geog. Dist— Valley
of the Rio Grande in Texas, south into Central and Western Mexico.

Dr. James C. Merrill, met with this species on the Lower Rio Grande in Texas.
He says the bird is found in some abundance on a salt prairie about nine miles from
Fort Brown, and it was obtained with difficulty, as it could rarely be flushed from
among the tall grass. "A nest, found June 16, 1877, was placed among the roots of a
tussock of grass; it was made of blades and stems of grasses, and was rather deep,
but so frail that it fell to pieces on removal. The eggs, four in number, were quite
fresh. They are unspotted, white, strongly tinged with greenish-blue, and meas-
ure .82x.63." Ridgway describes the eggs as plain, pure white, size, .72x.58 inches.

578. CASSIN'S SPARROW. Pnmra cassini (Woodh.) Geog. Dist. — South-
western border of United States. Texas to Arizona, and Northern Mexico; north in
summer to the Plains of Kansas.

The late Colonel N. S. Goss states that this species is a not an uncommon summer
resident In Middle and Western Kansas, arriving from the first to the middle of
May. Begins laying about the tenth of June. Their favorite resorts and breeding
grounds are on the barren plains that are dotted over with low, stunted bushes. Dr.
Merrill says Cassin's Sparrow arrives in the region of the Lower Rio Grande in
Texas, about the middle of March, and frequents the open chapparal and thick
bushes. Nests were found April 28, and May 4 and 22, 1877. They were placed at
the foot of small bushes, and scarcely raised above the ground; were composed of
dried grasses, lined with finer ones and a few hairs, but were very frail. Thirteen
eggs taken from these nests are pure wiute, and average .74x.57. Mr. Lloyd found
nests of this species In Western Texas in May, that were placed in bushes not higher
than a foot from the ground, or in tufts of grasses.

579. RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW. Prurtra carpalt* Coues. Geog. Dist.—
Arizona and Sonora.

• For Major lumliro's detailed account of the nest and eggs of "Peucaea eestivalls
bachmnnlt g«e The Auk. October, 1888, pp. 361-868.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 389

The late Major Charles E. Bendire, U. S. A., found this species to be a common
resident in the vicinity of Tucson, Arizona. The birds were especially abundant on
the ridges bordering Rillitto Creek, on the dry, arid cactus-covered plains, near the
present site of Camp Lowell. Here he collected many nests with eggs. The nest
is usually placed in low bushes, preferably small mesquites, from six inches to five
feet from the ground, most frequently about eighteen inches; and no especial attempt
is made at concealment. It is firmly fixed to a fork or crotch, and is a compact
structure, composed externally of coarse grasses and lined with the fine tops of the
mesquite grass, and not unfrequently a few horse hairs, when such are obtainable.
About one-half of the nests found contained one or more eggs of the Dwarf Cowbird.
A set of three eggs collected by Major Bendire, on August 23, 1872, are in Mr.
Norris' collection; they are plain bluish-white, and give the following measurements:
.75x.57, .78x.59, .75x.58. The first eggs were found by Major Bendire, June 14, but
the birds were believed to commence breeding even a month earlier. The number
to a set is commonly four or five.

580. RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW. Peuccea ruftceps (Cass.) Geog. Disk—
California coast from Lat. 40° south to Cape St. Lucas.

The Rufous-crowned Sparrow breeds in various mountainous localities of Cali-
fornia, where, however, it is somewhat local in its distribution. Rocky hill-sides,
with a sparse growth of stunted bushes, are its favorite resorts. The breeding sea-
son is said to begin as early as April. The nest is placed on the ground in a slight
hollow, and is exceedingly hard to find, as the sitting female steals silently away
under cover of the surrounding vegetation, and if seen at all is likely to be mistaken
for a startled mouse. A nest collected July 10, by Mr. Charles A. Allen, on Black
Mountain, near Nicasio, California, and described by Mr. William Brewster, is out-
wardly composed of coarse grass and weed-stalks, lined somewhat scantily with
horse hair, very loosely put together. The locality was an open heathy tract on the
mountain-side, and the nest was placed on the ground under a bush. This nest con-
tained three pure white eggs; size, .89x.65.* The eggs are described by others as
plain bluish-white.

580a. BOUCARD'S SPARROW. Peuccea ruficeps boucardi (Scl.) Geog. Dist.--
Southern New Mexico and Southern Arizona, south into Mexico and Puebla.

Mr. W. E. D. Scott found this species a resident in Southern Arizona, up to an
altitude of 4000 feet in winter and nearly 10,000 feet during the warmer months, but
Is much more common from the first of February until the middle of October. He
states that it does not seek cover in the thick grass to the degree or in the manner
so characteristic of its congeners. A nest was found June 15, 1885, well up on a hill-
side, at an altitude of 4500 feet, on the bare ground near a tussock of grass. The
nest was bulky for so small a bird, and loosely put together. It is composed of
coarse, dry grasses throughout and there is no attempt at lining with finer material.
Contained in this nest were two young just hatched and one egg, apparently fresh,
and plain, dead white; size, .83x.62. Three partly incubated eggs taken July 27 from
a similar nest, measure .80x.58, .82x.60, .86x.61. A third nest found by Mr. Scott
late in July contained the same number of eggs, which were almost fresh.

5806. ROCK SPARROW. Peuccea ruficeps eremaeca Brown. Geog. Dist—
Southwestern Texas, south in Eastern Mexico to Orizaba.

* Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club., II, p. 37. See also Vol. IV, pp. 47-48.

3(A> 3 Of

Mr. Nathan Clifford Brown describes this subspecies from specimens taken by
him at Boerne, Texas, in 1879-80. He states that he always found the bird in rocky
localities, usually in close proximity to a creek, but occasionally on barren hills a
mile or more from water. It has the same shy, skulking habits which are common
to other species of the genus, rarely taking wing on the approach of an intruder so
long as rock, bush or weed affords a hiding place. Two sets of the eggs of this bird
are i: : ris' collection. One was collected June 19, 1884, in Comal county,

Texas, the nest being on the ground in a bunch of grass; sizes, .Six. 61, .85x.62, ,81x.62,
.83x.62. The other set was collected April 4, 1882, in the same region, and the nest
was likewise on the ground in a bunch of grass. These eggs measure, ,82x.64, ,78x.64,
.73x.63. ,78x.64. The eggs in both sets are plain bluish-white.

581. SONG SPARROW. .l/»7ox/*i;« fnm-itita (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
limed States to the Plains, breeding from Virginia and southern portion of the
Lake States northward to the Fur Countries.

The Song Sparrow in its diverse geographical forms — varying in size, color,
and in the relative size of the bill, etc., inhabits the greater part of the North
American continent. The present species is one of the sweetest of songsters and is

a familiar bird in Eastern United States,
where, east of the Alleghanies, it breeds
from South Carolina north into the British
Provinces. West of the Alleghanies it
breeds chiefly north of 40° latitude, and
is resident throughout the year in a large
portion of the area in which it breeds. Its
nest may be found all through the summer
months, two or three broods being reared;
if the nest is destroyed or robbed, a fourth
or fifth is frequently built, in which eggs

^^ are deposited. It is generally placed on

*4 -^i ^y^ *^e ground or in low bushes. The mater-

*^V K M ials used in its composition are grasses,

weeds and leaves, lined with fine grass
stems, roots, and in some cases hair.
Nests of this bird have been found built in
holes of apple trees, and on the branches
six or oipht foot from the ground. Again
they have been placed by the side of a railroad track where the trains are continually
passing. It is very frequently built in honeysuckle and other vines against the

of houses. Curious places are often selected as nesting sites, such as a he
skull In a grassy field, or under an old tin pan which has a hole in the top. The
eggs are usually four or five, sometimes six, and rarely seven. So great is the
diversity in their coloration and size that they generally serve to represent the eggs
of several different species of "ground-birds" in the small boy's collection. Thoy
vary from or pinkish-white to light bluish-green, more or less thickly

spotted with dark reddish-brown; the ground color and the spots have a diversity
of shades; sizes range from .!'• to .85 in length by .55 to .60 in breadth.

so SPARROW.

581rt. DESERT SONG SPARROW. .lMo.v/i/;r;. fuxrint<i fnlln.r (Baird.) Geog.
Diet. — Parts of N ;/on;i. Southern Nevada and Southwestern Utah.

NORTH AMERICA.^ BIRDS. 391

A common bird in the lower regions of Arizona, inhabiting the willow thickets
and marsh grass near water. Its general habits, nesting and eggs on the whole are
said to be indistinguishable from those of M. fasclata; three or four eggs being the
usual numbers laid.

5816. MOUNTAIN SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza faciata montana Hensh.
Geog. Dist. — Rocky Mountain district — Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Eastern Oregon.

There is no essential difference between the nesting and eggs of this Song Spar-
row and those of M. fasciata.

58 Ic. HEEBM ANN'S SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza fasciata heermanni
(Baird.) Geog. Dist. — California, including the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains.

The California Song Sparrow was named in honor of Dr. A. L. Heermann, who
first obtained it in the Tejon Valley. It has been found in California as far north
as San Francisco and to the south and southeast to San Diego and the Mohave River.
This bird's favorite resorts are on the hillsides, canons and along the banks of
streams. The nest is placed in bushes from two to six feet from the ground. Mr.
Emerson states that the complement of eggs is generally four. The ground color in
the eggs of heermanni is generally more bluish than in those of samuclis and the
markings are heavier and of a darker brown and tend to be more confluent at the
larger end than in the eggs of the latter. The egg of this species is also much larger,
averaging .87x.64 inches.

58 Id. SAMUEL'S SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza fasciata sa.nuclis (Baird.)
Geog. Dist. — Coast regions of California.

Wherever there are salt marshes along the coast of California, Samuel's Song
Sparrow is sure to be found. The bird is especially abundant in the neighborhood
of San Francisco. Mr. Emerson informs me that he has found the nest placed on the
ground beneath tussocks of grass or in salt weeds and more often in a kind of low
shrub that grows on the old sand drifts. Mr. Walter E. Bryant records a nest con-
taining three eggs taken by Mr. Emerson from a round oyster can, which had lodged
sideways among some driftwood, in a willow tree. A nest before me taken March
26, near Haywards, California, is composed of coarse, dry grasses and weed stems
externally, the inside and lining being made of finer material of the same. Three
or four eggs are deposited by this bird; their color is of a bluish-gray, spotted and
blotched pretty generally over the surface with reddish-brown. A set of three eggs
collected by Mr. Emerson, May 1, gives the following respective sizes: .79x.63,
.75x.59, .83x..59; another, .75x.59, .83x.59, .75x.59 inches.

58 le. BUSTY SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza fasciata guttata (Nutt.) Geog.
Dist. — Coast region of Washington and Oregon, south in winter to San Francisco,
Cala.

The Oregon or Rusty Song Sparrow is restricted to the Pacific coast district,
breeding from Northern California northward. The eggs are described as being
indistinguishable from those of M~ fasciata, of the Eastern States, averaging the
same in size.

58 If. SOOTY SONG SPABBOW. Melospiza fasciata ruftna (Bonap.) Geog.
Dist.— Coast region of British Columbia, north to Sitka.

392 NE8T8 AND MQGB 01

This Is a larger and darker race of Song Sparrow inhabiting the Pacific coast
region from British Columbia northward.

BBOWN'S SONG SPABBOW. .l/r/»*/><c»/ iiixrititii rirulm
Geog. Diet. — Lower California, from Comondu northward.

According to Mr. Walter E. Bryant this subspecies begins nest building in the
vicinity of Comondu, Lower California, about the middle of March. He found them
bitting on eggs March 12. The first nest found was on March 27. It was built less
than one metre above the ground in a thick growth of cat-tails, the
situation being quite similar to the sites chosen by Belding's Yellov.-
throat, flrothlyiri* ItddiiHji. The nest is composed outwardly of narrow, loosely laid
leaves 'of cat-tails. The interior is first lined with a thin covering cf fine strips or
cat-tail leaves and a few fibres; over this is a thick covering of hairs. The nest is
like that built by the Song Sparrows. The eggs , four in number, contained large
embryos. They are pale, greenish white, thickly speckled and blotched with reddish
brown, forming a dense ring about the larger end. Mr. Bryant says: "On April 21,
1889, 1 found a set of three in a nest built amongst 'cat-tails' half a metre above a pool
iter; it has the appearance of a double nest, being about twice the usual height.
The eggs vary so much that they look like a composite set. Incubation was equally
advanced in all. They measure 20x14.5; 19x14.5; 18.5x14 millimetres. Five other
specimens, two from Comondu and a set of three from San Ignacio, have an a\
size of 19.5x15 millimetres.

581/1. SANTA BABBABA SONG SPABBOW. J7» /o.x/*r;i/ i<t*ri<ti,i <jnii,iin«t
Townsend. Geog. Dist.— Santa Barbara Island, and, in winter, adjacent mainland
of California.

The habits, nesting and eggs of this variety of Song Sparrow do not differ
materially from those of its allies. A set of four eggs in my collection, together with
the skin of the parent bird, exhibit the same coloration as is common to the Song
Sparrow of the Eastern States. The average size of the f,our eggs is .76x..r)<; in,

581i. SAN CLEMENTE SONG SPABBOW. .17r/o.s/</;»/ i«*<-intn <•;, ,,n ,il,i
Townsrnd. Geog. Dist.— San Clemente and Santa Rosa Islands, California.

This bird of local distribution builds a nest and lays eggs which are indis-
tinguishable from the last subspecies.

581;. DAKOTA SONG SPABBOW. \li-ln*i>i:,i ia*i-i,itn itnlili UUkop. Geog.
Dist.— Turtl«- Mountain and vicinity. North Dakota.

For a description of this new subspecies <'f. Bishop, Auk, XIII. Jan. 1896, p. 132.

58 U. MERRILL'S SONG SPABBOW. Mtlnx/,i:<i (,ixri,ii,i Brewster.
DisU— Fort Shrni.an. Idaho.

The above is the type locality of th.is new subspecies. Cf. Brewster, Auk. .inn.
1896, p. i

581. 1. BISCHOFF'S SONG SPABBOW. J/r/os/,,;,/ ,,/.s,r/,n< Daird. Geog.
Dist.— Kadlak Island. Alaska.

I have no positive knowledge concerning the habits, nests or eggs of this spe-
cies, which is known as the Cinereous or Kadiak Song Sparrow.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 393

582. ALEUTIAN SONG SPABBOW. Mclwiriza cinerta (Gmel.) Geog Dist.—
Aleutian Islands, east to Fort Kenai. Alaska.

This is the Cinereous or Kadiak Song Sparrow of peculiar size, shape and color,
and very long, slender bill. It inhabits the Aleutian Islands, where it nests among
the tall grass and in the low shrubbery. Eggs similar to those of M. fascinta, but
averaging larger, ,89x.65 inches.

583. LINCOLN'S SPABBOW. Melospiza lincolnii (Aud.) Geog. Dist. — Entire
North America, breeding from the Northern border of the United States north-
ward, and south in higher mountain ranges.

Lincoln's Finch is found throughout North America at large, breeding sparingly
in the United States from Wisconsin and Northern New York northward, and in
the west as far south as the mountains of Southern Colorado. Breeds not uncom-
monly in the valleys of Oregon. From its habits of skulking through the under-
brush and shrubbery of marshes, more like a mouse than a bird, it is seldom seen,
and consequently it seems to be little known. Nests on the ground like the Song
Sparrow. Mr. Norris has two sets of the eggs of Lincoln's Sparrow taken in Boulder
county, Colorado, on June 22, and July 18, respectively. One of the nests was placed
in a mossy bank among small swamp bushes, and composed entirely of grasses; the
other was built at the base of an aspen tree. The eggs of one set, three in number,
are light greenish-white heavily marked, principally at the larger end with chestnut
and lavender-gray; sizes .81x.58, ,81x.59, .82x.60. The nest taken June 22 is of four
eggs; these are light pea-green thickly marked with chestnut and measure, .79x.58,
.76x.57, .81x.58. .79x.57 inches.

583a. FOBBUSH'S SPABBOW. Melospiza lincolnii striata Brewst. Geog.
Dist. — British Columbia.

This subspecies is very similar to M. lincolnii but with the superciliary stripe and
the entire upper parts more strongly olivaceous, etc. (Cf. Brewster, Auk VI, April,
1889, p. 89.)

584. SWAMP SPABBOW. Melospiza georgiana (Lath.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
North America, breeding from Northern United States northward; west to the Plains,
casually to Utah.

The Swamp Sparrow breeds from the Northern United States northward. On
account of its secretive and retiring habits, the bird, its nest and eggs are very apt
to escape notice unless perseveringly hunted and purposely looked for. The Swamp
Sparrow dwells in the deep recesses of marshy thickets environed with a canopy of
tangled foliage, whose treacherous quagmire abounds in a luxuriant growth of wild
grasses. In these retreats the bird may exist in abundance and still be considered
rare in certain localities where it has been overlooked. Its neat, trim form and taste-
ful colors render it one of the handsomest of our smaller sparrows. The Swamp
Sparrow builds is nest on the ground in low, damp places; in construction and com-
position it is like that of the Song Sparrow and the eggs of the two species are some-
what similar. The eggs of M. georgiana, however, may generally be distinguished
by the peculiarly clouded and indistinct appearance of the markings. The eggs of
M. fasciata on the contrary, _s a rule have smaller markings and much more distinct
ones, while the clouded effect of those of M. georgiana is entirely wanting. These are
four or five in number and the average size is .82x.56 inches.

394 \ /• fi

585. FOX SPARROW. l'ux.*i r> Iln i.'iiini • MI-IT.) Geog. Diet. — Northern North
America, breeding north of the United States; in winter south over the whole of the
Eastern United States to the Gulf coast.

The Fox-colored Sparrow is one of the largest and finest of its tribe. Breeds
from the Gulf of SU Lawrence and Labrador north into Alaska, It is met with in
Eastern United States during the spring, fall and in winter. The Fox Sparrow in
its summer home is said to be a, charming songster, possessing a clear thrush-like
song of exquisite melody, fairly rivaling the warblings of the ablest feathered per-
formers in the sweetness and purity of tone and beauty of expression. Audubon met
with It breeding in Labrador, and found its eggs from the middle of June to the 5th
of July. It also breeds in Newfoundland. Nests of this species were, according to
the reports of Mr. MacFarlane and Mr. Kennicott, found in trees and on the ground
in the Arctic regions. Mr. W. H. Ball obtained the eggs on the Yukon river in
Alaska, and the birds were very abundant at the mouth of this river in July and also
at St. Michael's. Mr. Maynard found this species nesting on the Magdalen Islands.
According to these observers the nests are, for the most part, placed on the ground,
usually concealed by the drooping branches of evergreens. They are composed of
grass and moss, lined with fine grass and feathers. The eggs are four or five, pale
bluish-green, speckled, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown, or uniform choco-
late-brown ; size .93x.65 inches.

585u. TOWNSEND'S SPARROW. Passerella tliaca uiHilnxcln-cnsis (Gmel.
Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast region, from Kadiak south in winter to Southern California.

This bird breeds north of the United States— from British Columbia north to
Kadiak and coast of Alaska, west to Unalaska Islands. It has been found breeding
on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in May and June, and at St. Michael's,
Alaska. In its habits it is said to be shy and retiring, frequenting the tangled thick-
ets and brush-piles. In these its nest is built, commonly a few inches above the
ground. The nest is described as being made of grasses, moss and vegetable fibres
compactly woven together. The eggs, three to five in number, are described as of a
greenish or dull brownish-white, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown; size
.90x.66.

5856. THICK-BILLED SPARROW. Pawrrlla ilium mcuarhyitvlin (Baird.)
Oeog. Dist— Mountain ranges of California and Oregon, including eastern slope of
the Sierra Nevada.

This species is confined to the restricted area of the mountainous regions of Cali-
fornia and Oregon. Its habits are much the sams as those of P. unnlnm-hn'nx'm,
inhabiting the shrubbery of the mountain ravines, where it breeds. It is said to be
an exquisite songster, Its song resembling in richness and volunm thai of the
Louisiana Water Thrush. The Thick-billed Sparrow has been found brood ing in
several places In California and Southeastern Oregon. Mr. L. Belding found it m>si
ins in f'alaveras county, California, in Juno. Tho nest is said to be built just above
the ground, nnd somotimos at a hripht of five foot, and always in bushos amongst
thlckots. Tho oggs are like those of /'. inniln.trfu-rn.tiit, or those of schistarrn. and
average .86x.64 inches.

585r. SLATE-COLORED SPARROW. I'nxx.n Ha ilia*;, xchM-acra (Baird.)
Geog. Dist.— Rrxky Mountain region, west across the Great Plains into California
and ' ast In winter to thr .ins (Kansas).

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 395

The Slate-colored Sparrow was met with by Prof. Ridgway in Parley's Park
among the Wasatch Mountains, nesting plentifully in the willows and other shrub-
bery along the streams in the month of June. It was always found in company with
the Mountain Song Sparrow, M. f. montana, which, in song, it greatly resembles. The
nests of the two species were also much alike in manner of construction and situa-
tion and the eggs so similar that it required careful observation to identify a nest
when one was found. A set containing three eggs of this species is in Mr. Norris'
cabinet which was collected by Major Charles E. Bendire, at Camp Harney, Oregon,
on June 21, 1875. The nest was in a rose thicket, two and a half feet from the ground,
close to Rattlesnake Creek. The eggs are of a pale bluish-green, heavily spotted with
burnt umber, and measure .83x.62, .80x.62, .87x.63 inches, respectively.

585<Z. STEPHENS' SPARROW. Passerella iliaca stephensi Anthony. Geoff.
Dist — Mountains of Southern California.

The type locality of this subspecies is the San Jacinto Mountains.

586. TEXAS SPARROW. Embcrnaffra rufivirgata Lawr. Geog. Dist. — Valley
of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas and southward.

Dr. Merrill and Mr. Sennett both note this species as a common resident on the
Lower Rio Grande, in Texas, where it frequents the thickets, brush-fences and low
shrubbery. Dr. Merrill says: "I have found the nests with eggs at intervals from
May 9 to September 7. These are placed in low bushes, rarely more than three feet
from the ground; the nests are rather large, composed of twigs and straws, and
lined with finer straws and hairs; they are practically domed, the nests being placed
rather obliquely, and the part above the entrance being built out. The eggs are from
two to four in number; thirty-two average .88x.65, the extreme being .97x.67 and
.81x.61; they are pure white. Two, and probably three broods are raised in a sea-
son." Mr. Sennett obtained on April 10th young birds and a nest containing two eggs
about to hatch.

587. TOWHEE. Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern States,
west to Eastern Dakota, Kansas, Texas and Gulf coast.

The Red-eyed Towhee, Chewink, Ground Robin, or Marsh Robin, as it is various-
ly called, has an extended distribution throughout Eastern United States, from
Florida and Eastern Texas on the south to the Selkirk Settlements on the northwest,
and as far west as the edge of the Great Plains, where it is replaced by other closely
allied races. Breeds almost wherever found. It is a spirited bird and spends a
great deal of its time on the ground, hopping about among the thick underbrush,
frequently uttering its peculiar notes, tohee, toliee, chewink, cheicink, in quick succes-
sion. The shady retreats of woodlands are also favorite resorts of this species.
The nest is generally placed on the ground, at the foot of some bush, or under a fallen
log. It is often built on the ground in the midst of deep, damp woods, well hidden
in the rank grass. Occasionally, however, this Bunting places its nest in a bush
or sapling. Mr. Poling states that he has taken the nest from trees as high up from
the ground as seven and a half feet. It is a rude structure of grapevine bark, twigs,
weed-stalks, leaves and grasses, lined with finer grasses and rootlets. The eggs of
the Towhee are three or four, rarely five in number. Their ground-color is white,
pinkish, or of a faint bluish-white. There is a wide variation in the shapes and
and sizes of the eggs, likewise in the style and distribution of their markings. In
Bhape they will vary all the way from oblong oval to globular; rounded-oval however,

3% NESTS AM> SGOa OF

being the characteristic type. They are thickly sprinkled or speckled with light
reddish-brown; in some the markings are so bold and sparsely scattered that the eggs
resemble very closely those of the Cowbird, Meadow-lark or Cardinal Red-bird. The
markings in the eggs of the Towhee, as a general rule, have a constant pinkish cast
rarely found in the eggs of the other species. We have already stated a means of dis-
tinguishing the eggs of this species from those of the Cowbird — page 272. Ten eggs
measure .89x.66, .89x.68, .89x.68, .90x.71, .88x.75. .90x.73, .94x.75, .96x.74, .93x.72,
.96x.73; average .95x.72 inches.

587a. WHITE-EYED TOWHEE. Pip'tln triithnnihthittinuy allcni Coues. Geog.
Dist. — Florida, Eastern Georgia and Southern South Carolina.

The Florida or White-eyed Towhee has been found breeding as far north as
Beaufort county, South Carolina, by Mr. Walter Hoxie in the months of May and
June. Mr. G. Noble*, of Savannah, Georgia, informs me that he found the White-
eyed In that region building chiefly in young pines from three to ten feet above the
ground, and that the nest resembles that of the Yellow-breasted Chat. Mr. Hoxie
found it nesting in pine trees ranging in height from four to twenty feet above
the ground. The nests were made of coarse weeds, pine needles and
grass, lined with finer grasses. The complement of eggs varies from two to four,
and considerable variation exists in their size and markings. Mr. Norris has several
sets of eggs taken near Frogmore, South Carolina. Their ground color is white,
thickly speckled with pinkish-vinaceous and pearl-gray. A set of three has one
egg which is covered all over with faint yellow specks, giving to the specimen a
light yellow-brown appearance; the other two are bluish-white unmarked; sizes,
.90x.69, .85x.70, .82x.68. Another set of two are of the same light bluish-white tint.
unmarked, and offers the following sizes: .85x.67. .87x.62. The sizes of a set of
three are. l.OOx.74. .95x.72. .87x.70 inches.

588. ARCTIC TOWHEE. I'l/iilo wnnilnhm nrrtlcu* (Swains.) Geog. Dist.—
Plains of the Platte, Upper Missouri, Yellowstone and the Saskatchewan Rivers;
west to the base of the Rocky Mountains; south in winter to Kansas, Colorado and
Texas.

The Northern or Arctic Towhee Bunting has been found in the valley of the
Saskatchewan, where it breeds, and on the high central plains of the Upper Missouri
and the Yellowstone ami I Matte Rivers. An abundant species in the valley of the
Great Slave Lake. Dr. Merrill found it in all parts of Montana wherever a stream
with bordering underbrush afforded shelter. There is great diversity in the time of
laying, or rather in the contents of nests found on about the same dates from the
middle of May until late in July, which was attributed more to the great number of
nests that must be destroyed by snakes, birds and small mammals, and to the at-
tempt of the parents to raise another brood, than to any other cause. The nests are
placed on the ground under some bush, favorite places being growths of cherry
shrubbery. The rim of the nest is flush with the level of the ground, the
birds scratching the hollow large enough to contain the nest, which is strongly built
of bark strips, blades of dry grass, and usually lined with yellow straw. The egga
are four or five, averaging .94x.69 inches. Their ground color is white, slightly
tinged with greenish and covered with dots and small spots of reddish-brown and
lavender, most numerous at the large enA. Some specimens are so densely covered
with the markings that the ground color is harly distinguishable.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

397

588a. SPTJBBED TOWHEE. Pipilo maculatus meyalonyx (Baird.) Geog.
Dist. — Rocky Mountain region westward to Southern California, north to Eastern
Washington Territory, south into Northern Mexico and Lower California.

The Spurred Towhee Bunting is the prevailing form of the Rocky Mountain
region — New Mexico, Arizona, etc. Its habits, nesting and eggs are substantially
the same as those of P. erythroplitltalmus. Mr. S. C. Evans found several nests of this
bird near Riverside, California, all of which were placed in low bushes. Mr. Emer-
son says the bird is quite common in the vicinity of Haywards, California, where
he has taken many of its nests. The nearest he has ever found the nest to the
ground was about ten inches. In other localities, however, it is known to nest on the
ground like the Eastern Towhee. The eggs have a light pinkish-white ground,
thickly sprinkled and speckled with vinaceous-cinnamon, and average .88x.70 inches.

588&. OBEGON TOWHEE. Pipilo maculatus oregonus (Bell.)
Pacific coast from British Columbia south to Santa Cruz, California.

Geog. Dist. —

588*. OREGON TOWHEE (E. S. Cheney del).

The Oregon Ground Robin is a resident in the western portion of the State of
Oregon and Washington during the summer, and in the more northern portions of
California. The nest is placed on the ground and sometimes in bushes, on stumps,
etc., like the Eastern Towhee's. It is composed of grasses and leaves, with a
lining of fine grass. Mr. Anthony mentions finding an egg of this species in the
nest of the Rusty Song Sparrow. In color and general appearance the eggs resemble
those of P. erytJirophthalmus. A set of four eggs, taken May 12, are pinkish-white,
thickly speckled with vinaceous and vinaceous-cinnamon; their sizes: ,94x.70, .92x
.69, .911.71, .95x.71 inches.

398 -T8 AND BOOB OF

589. GAT7DALT7PE TOWHEE. I'iirilu n,nxi,brinus Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
Gaudalupe Island. Lower California.

I have no authentic description of the nesting and eggs of this species, but they
can hardly differ from those of /'. m.

590. GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE. /'i/'i/o chlorurtts (Towns.) Geog. Dist.—
Whole of Middle Province, including the Rocky Mountains and eastern slope of the
Sierra Nevada— Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Montana, etc., south into Mexico.

Called the Chestnut-crowned Towhee, Green-tailed Bunting and Blanding's
Finch. It is generally distributed in all bushy places throughout the fertile moun-
tain portions of the interior. It is a characteristic bird of the eastern slope of the
Sierra Nevada, and a summer resident arriving at Virginia City about the middle or
latter part of April. Habits, nesting, eggs and song generic. The late Mr. Snow-
don Rowland informed me that he collected a set of four eggs of this species in
Wyoming in 1871. The nest was placed on the ground in the usual manner of that
of the Eastern Towhee, and was composed of dry grasses and shreds of bark. It
was well concealed by a dense growth of low bushes. The eggs are white with a
bluish tint, profusely dotted with pinkish-drab, sometimes so thickly distributed as
to give the egg the appearance of a uniform color, or as an unspotted pinkish-drab,
aad again more sparsely diffused; their average size is, .85x.G5.

591. CANON TOWHEE. 1'iinln fttxrua mesoleucus (Baird.) Geog. Dist.— New
Mexico and Arizona, south into Mexico.

The Canon Bunting or Brown Towhee is abundantly distributed throughout the
warmer portions of New Mexico and Arizona, from the valley of the Rio Grande to
that of the Colorado. It prefers the dense bushes of the valleys, and like the Eastern
Red-eye, passes the greater part of its time on the ground, in thickets, generally in
company with the Arctic Towhee. The nest is usually built in shrubs and low mes-
quite trees. The eggs are three or four in number and are rounded oval in shape,
pale blue, spotted, dotted and lined with purplish-brown and black; sizes range from
l.OOx.75 to 1.05x.78. The eggs of the Brown Towhee resemble those of the Red-
winged Blackbirds, but are larger and more rounded oval.*

591«. ST. LUCAS TOWHEE. /'//'«/o fnxnix <ill>i;nila (Baird.) Geog. Dist—
Lower California.

The White-throated Brown Towhee is a common species at Cape St. Lucas,
where it breeds abundantly, placing the nest usually in thickets, a few feet from
the ground and often on the ground, in a slight hollow. It is composed of wiry
grasses, a few leaves, and fine, slender roots. The eggs are usually four in number,
pale greenish- white or very pale greenish-blup. with markings, dots, dashes and
lines about the larger end, of a deep dark shade of purplish-brown, so dark as some-
times to be indistinguishable from black; average size .91x.65 inches.

59 U. CALIFOBNIAN TOWHEE. 7'i/'i7o f,/.yr»/.s rnwtlis (Vig.) Geog. Dist—
Pacific coast region west of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, from the Umpqua
Valley, Oregon, south to Northern Lower California.

An abundant bird in California and known as the California Brown Towhee,
Crissal Towhee Bunting and Canon Finch. Mr. A. M. Shields states that in Southern

of North Amrrirnn Birds, by C. J. Maynnrd, illustrated with ten hand-
colored plate*. Boston: DeWolfe. Fiske & Co. 1890.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 399

California this species is a constant companion of the California Thrasher, fre-
quenting the dense beds of chapparal and the scrub bushes which line the mountain
canons. The birds nest early in April, and fresh eggs may be found until the middle
of May. The nest complement is generally four, often five, sometimes only three.
The situation of the nest, according to Mr. Shields, is quite variable, sometimes it
is placed on the ground, occasionally in crevices of vine-covered rocks, in hollow
trunks of trees, etc., but the favorite nesting place is a thick, scrubby bush from
three to five feet above the ground. Prof. Evermann found young birds as early as
April 3 in Ventura county. The nest in that region is usually built in a sage, grease-
wood, or cactus, one to five feet from the ground. Occasionally, however, it is placed
in live oaks, ten to fifteen feet up, and composed of twigs, bark and grass, lined with
rootlets. A large series of the eggs of this species is before me. In their general
appearance they resemble the eggs of the Red-winged Blackbird, being of a blue,
spotted and blotched with varying shades of dark and light purple, in some the color
is not distinguishable from black, except in a strong light. The markings are
chiefly or wholly at the larger ends and sometimes in the shape of scrawls and daubs.
Ten eggs measure .87x.72, .90x.73, .92x.71, .92x.73, .94x.74, .95x.70, .95x.73, .97x.73,
.99x.71, .99x.73 inches.

59 Ic. ANTHONY'S TOWHEE. Pipilo fuscus senicula Anthony. Geog. Dist.—

Southern California and Lower California, south to Lat. 29°.

The general habits, nesting and eggs of this subspecies are identical with thoee
of the California Towhee. The average size of eight eggs is .87x.74 inches.

4

592. ABERT'S TOWHEE. Pipilo aberti Baird. Geog. Dist. — Arizona and
New Mexico north into Southern Utah and Colorado. f

This very large and long-tailed species, known as the Gray Towhee, is abundant
in all suitable localities of Arizona and New Mexico. One of the most abundant
birds throughout the valleys of the Gila and Colorado Rivers. Its favorite resorts
are the dense chapparal thickets along streams. Said to be a very shy species keep-
ing close within its retreats upon the approach of an intruder. The nest is rather
loose and bulky, usually built in bushes near the ground and again in trees. Mr.
Stephens found one in a bunch of mistletoe at a height of at least thirty feet. The
nest is made of strips of bark, twigs and leaves, with finer lining of the same ma-
terials. The eggs are three or four in number and look exactly like those of the
California Towhee — pale greenish-blue or bluish-white, speckled, spotted and
splotched about the larger end, sometimes, sparsely over the whole surface with
dark brown. Average size l.OOx.74. A set of three eggs in my cabinet, taken by
Dr. Chas. Carter, U. S. A., in Final county, Arizona, on April 21, 1885, exhibits the
following sizes: l.Olx.75, 1.02x.75, l.OOx.74 inches.

593. CABDINAL. Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern United
States; west to Kansas, Nebraska; south to Texas and Florida; north to the Middle
States; rare in New York, casual in Connecticut, accidental in Massachusetts; rep-
resented by varieties in the Southwest. 9

Commonly called Redbird or Cardinal Grosbeak, and by some Virginia Nightin-
gale or Virginia Cardinal. It is not migratory but resident nearly wherever found,
and is distributed throughout the eastern partvof the United States from the latitude
of Ohio southward. The nest of this species is placed in a variety of situations,
usually from three to ten feet above the ground in a dense thicket, which is its fa-
vorite nesting site. I have found the nest placed on the top rail of a fence in the

400 /> t \lt /:r/f7.s' OF

midst of a clump of brambles. The late Dr. Wheaton mentions finding it "on the
top of vine-covered stumps, in wild-gooseberry bushes overhanging water, and in
brush-heaps," and says: "I have found the nest ready for the reception of eggs
as early as April 17." Mr. Davis states that in Cook county, Texas, the Redbird
begins nesting before the trees put forth their leaves. The nest is a loose, i ail
nire. made of slondt>r twigs, strips of grape-vine bark, stems, grass, and a few
leaves, lined with fine rootlets and grasses, sometimes with horse hair. There is a
great diversity in the coloration and general appearance in a largo series of the
eggs of this species. The ground-color in the various specimens runs from white
through bluish or greenish-white to that of a brownish tint. The markings are
reddish-brown, lavender and gray of various shades and are pretty generally scat-
tered over the entire surface; in other specimens they tend to cluster more thickly
about or on the larger ends; some are so thickly marked as to almost conceal the
ground color. The specimens generally considered handsomest are those with a
greenish-white ground heavily and distinctly blotched with reddish-brown. Some
of the smaller eggs and more finely dotted ones resemble very closely those of the
Cowbird. Mr. Ragsdale has an egg of this species with a large chocolate blotch
covering one-fourth of the shell. The eggs are three or four in number.* Eight
eggs (two nests of. four each) measure respectively: .98x.71, .93x.73, 1.02x.74, 1.06x.74,
.98X.77, l.OOx.75, l.Olx.76, 1.03x.78; average l.OOx.73.

593o. ARIZONA CARDINAL. Canlimilix rtinlinalftt .v///<fr?w* Ridgw. Geog.
Dist.— Southern and Western Mexico, south to Mazattan.

A bird very similar to ('. <•« nil mill* but larger, and the female more richly
colored. Its general habits, nesting and eggs are not in anywise distinguishable
from those of the Redbird of the Eastern States.

593/>. ST. LUCAS CARDINAL, ruriliimlis mnliimlix iijnnix (^aird.) Geog.
Dist.— Lower California, north to Lat. 29°.

A smaller bird than .v ///«•/•/*//.«« and called Fiery-red Cardinal as its specific name
implies, but is not any more so than canlinulix, and its habits, nests and eggs are
the same.

593r. GRAY-TAILED CARDINAL, ('(irilinnlix i-dnlinrili* ranirnmluft Chap-
man. — Geog. Dist. — Southwestern Texas, south into Northeastern Mexico.

Mr. Frank M. Chapman describes the male of this subspecies as being similar to
mii.t ••iinliiuiliM, but with a less blarck frontlet; the female averaging grayer
than thp female of ('. Kinliimlix, and with the tail feathers broadly margined with
gray instead of being narrowly edged with olivaceous brown. The type specimens,
a male and female, were taken by Mr. Chapman thirty miles west of Corpus Chrlsti,
April 23, 1891. t Specimens of the nests and eggs of this bird in my collection, taken
near Corpus Chrlsti. appear to be identical with those of ('. niniimiiis of the
North. Eight eggs average in size .97x.74 inches.

593</. FLORIDA CARDINAL. Cardinalis rardinalis floridanus Ridgw. Geog.
Dlfit.— Florida

i numi.f -r of nets of five efrff» of the Cardinal on record, but I have never
<t numlxr from a single nest myself. Sets of three are as common as
of four.
t For complete description see Hull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. III. p. 324.

NORTH AM K If I CAN

4C1

593.

mi brchm.i

The general habits, nesting and eggs of this subspecies are precisely identical
with those of the Cardinal of the North.

594. TEXAN CARDINAL. Pyrrliuloxia sinuata Bonap. Geog. Dist.— North-
ern Mexico and Southern border of the United States — Southern Texas to Southern
Arizona and Lower California.

This species inhabits the southern border of the United States. Dr. Merrill
found it abundant at times at Fort Brown, Texas, particularly in the Spring. Mr.
Sennett records it as tolerably common at Lomita and a probable resident in that
region along with the Virginia Cardinal, and breeds fully as early. There is, he
states, little difference between the habits of the two Cardinals, but the Texan
is more confined to open and exposed situations near settlements, and is always
shy and suspicious, so that he rarely came uponvit unawares. The nest is built in
thickets, sometimes in isolated bushes, from three to eight feet above the ground,
and is said to be very much smaller than that of C. cardinalis. The materials are
bark strips, twigs and dry grasses. The eggs are usually four in number and re-

27

402

VESTS i \/> 1

semble those of 0. mrttimiliM except in their smaller size, averaging .92x.73. Mr. G.
B. Benners gives the sizes of a set of four eggs which he obtained on the Rio Grande,
April 21, as follows: .87x.69, .87x.69, .89x.69, .85x.67.

594o. AKIZONA PYBKHULOXIA. /'///V/IM/OJ-/CI ninnntu bn-khnnri Ridgw.
Geog. Dist. — Southern Arizona to Western Texas, and south into Northwestern
Mexico.

This form, according to Mr. Ridgway differs from the Texas Cardinal. P.
sinuata in being of a decidedly browner and somewhat lighter tone of gray and a
greater extent of dark red on the tail; adult male much less (often not any) blackish
suffusion in the lighter carmine red of the capistrum, and the red of the crest is
much lighter, etc. The nest and eggs of this bird cannot be differentiated from those
of the Texas Cardinal.

ST. LUCAS PYBRHULOXIA. I'i/rrfiul».ri<i xinuat<t i><-ni,isi<l<r Ridgw.
Geog. Dist.— Lower California.

This race of the Cardinal is described by Mr. Ridgway as similar to P. x. bn-khnmi
in color, but decidedly smaller. I am informed that the eggs are similar to those of
the Texas Cardinal and measure .86x.67 inches.

Upper, female; lower, male. (After Audubon.)

NORTH AMERICA* BIRDS. 403

595. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Habia ludov Ida na (Linn.) Geog. Dial. -
Eastern United States, north to Southern Canada; south in winter through Cuba,
Central and into Northern South America.

The rose-bud of our North American Osdnes— everywhere noted for its beauty
and musical ability. Breeds from the Northern States northward, but it is nowhere
an abundant bird. Trees and shrubbery along the banks of streams or the borders
of dense woods are its favorite resorts. A bird with a plump, round form, the male
with head and neck black, bill whitish, wings and tail white and black, the breast
and under wing-coverts rosy or carmine red. The parts which in the male are black
are streaked with blackish and olive-brown in the female, and the under wing-
coverts saffron-yellow, and though not so striking in contrast, makes a bird of hand-
some appearance. The nest is placed in the thick foliage of trees at the edges of
woods or on the banks of streams. It is a flat, shallow structure, composed of small
twigs, vegetable fibres and grass. Breeds in May and June. The eggs are three to
five in number, the latter being uncommon. They are greenish-blue or bluish-
green, more or less spotted over the entire surface with blotches of reddish-brown;
the eggs resemble very closely those of the Summer Redbird or Scarlet Tanager;
sizes range from .95 to 1.08 in length by .70 to .76 in breadth.

596. BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. HaUa melanocephala (Swains.) Geog.
Dist. — Western United States, east to the Great Plains, south into Mexico.

This bird occurs from the high Central Plains to the Pacific, and from the
northern portions of Washington Territory to the table lands of Mexico. Breeds
throughout its United States range. Colonel Goss gives it as a quite common sum-
mer resident in Middle and Western Kansas; begins laying the last of May. Quite
common in California; begins nesting about the first of April — nesting abundantly
in the willow and water-mootic copse near Santa Clara River and among the live-
oaks along the small -streams and creeks. The nests are placed from five to twenty
feet from the ground, and composed of a few slender twigs, weeds, grasses and
rootlets. Two to four eggs are laid. Sets of this bird's eggs are in my cabinet
collected at San Gorgonia Pass, California, by Mr. Herron, in May and June. These
are of two and three eggs each. They are bluish-green sprinkled and blotched with
reddish and rusty-brown; some heavily spotted while others are sparingly marked,
the spots in all cases become more numerous towards the larger ends. Eight eggs
measure .84x.65, .86x.67, .87x.65, .92x.69, .94x.68, .90x.67, 1.07x.72, 1.07x.73.

597. BLUE GROSBEAK. Guiraca ccerulea (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
United States, from Southern New Jersey, Southern Illinois and Central Nebraska
south to Cuba and Mexico. Casual northward to New England.

The Blue Grosbeak is nowhere an abundant bird, but breeds throughout its
United States range, occasionally as far north* as Southern Pennsylvania. In the
West it is found in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and California. Colonel Goss
gives it as a summer resident of Kansas, being quite common in the Middle and
Western portion; begins laying the last of May. A common species in the South
Atlantic and Gulf States. Mr. C. S. Brimley says that in the vicinity of Raleigh,
North Carolina, it begins nesting about the first part of June. Mr. G. Noble, of
Savannah, Georgia, has sent ine a typical nest which he collected in June. In

404 NE8T8 AND EQGS OF

Texas, it commences to build about the
first part of May. Mr. T. D. Perry has
found eggs as early as- May 10, slightly
incubated, near Savannah, Georgia, and
fresh eggs as late as July 7, indicating
that at least two broods are reared in a
season. The nest resembles that of the
Painted Bunting, being invariably lined
with fine brown rootlets, and occasion-
ally it contains some horse hair. A
characteristic of the Blue Grosbeak's
nest is that it almost invariably con-
tains pieces of snakeskin in the outer
material of withered leaves and plants.
6«T. BLUB GROSBBA*. Il is Placed in blackberry bushes along

road-sides and on the border of woods.

Mr. J. A. Singley, of Giddings, Texas, says that in Lee county a favorite nesting place
the vicinity of houses where the first growth of timber has been cut down and
a growth of low thick bushes replaces it. He says he has taken the nest in peach,
apple, hickory and post-oak trees, ranging from fifteen to thirty feet. Mr. E. C.
states that in Cooke county, Texas, this species usually nests in alder bushes
in swampy places. The eggs are three or four in number, plain light blue, and
when exposed to light a little while, fade into dull white; oval in shape and average
.84\.6fi inches. On the 24th of May, 1887, Mr. Perry found a nest containing four
spotted eggs of this species. They were distinctly marked with dots and spots of
chestnut and subdued lilac. One of the eggs was accidentally broken; the remaining
three measure .87x.63, .82x.62, .82x.62 respectively.

597«. WESTERN BLUE GROSBEAK, fiiiirura nintlm <-urliyn<-1ni Couee.
Dist.— Southwestern United States, from South Dakota, Colorado, Southern
Utah. Southern Nevada and California to Lower California and Southern Mexico.

There is absolutely no difference in the general habits, nests and eggs of this
subspecies and that of (1. <<iniha.

598. INDIGO BUNTING. Passerltw <//<///,</ (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — United
States and Southern British Provinces; west to the Great Plains; south in winter to
Yrracua.

The Indigo Bluebird or Indigo Painted Bunting is quite an abundant bird in
various parts of the United States from the valley of the Missouri to the Atlantic,
and from Florida to New Brunswick. The male of this species is of an intense indi-
go-blue color, and the female plain grayish-brown. Breeds throughout its United
States range. The nest is built in a bush or low shrubby tree, generally in an up-
right crotch; it is composed of weed stalks, twigs and coarse grass, and lined with
material of the same. It is on the whole an inartistic nest for a bird of gay
plumage. The eggs are four in number, white, with a bluish or greenish tinge, un-
spotted or rarely thinly dotted with brown; average size .75x.53. Sometimes the
eggs of this species are pure white unmarked.

599. LAZULI BUNTING, /v/.v.xrn/m nmn-nn (Say.) Geog. Dist.— Western
United St.it PR from the Great Plains to the Pacific; south in winter to Western Mexico.

The Lazuli Painted Finch is common in Colorado, Arizona, and very abundant
in California; in fact it is generally distributed throughout the west, and along the

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 405

Pacific coast as far north as Puget Sound during the summer. It replaces the Indigo
Bunting from the Plains to the Pacific and is found in all suitable localities. The
nest is usually built in a bush or in the lower limbs of trees, a few feet from the
ground. It is composed of fine strips of bark, small twigs, grasses, and is lined with
hair. The eggs are usually four in number, light bluish-green which readily fades
when exposed to light; they resemble very closely the eggs of the Bluebird; some
specimens are not distinguishable with certainty; average size, .75x.58. Sets of these
eggi-, are in my cabinet collected by Mr. R. B. Herron at San Gorgonia Pass, California,
between May 4 and June 13, 1883. The sizes of two sets, four eggs each are .76x.5s!
.77x.55, .74x.58, .74x.56; .74x.53, .75x.59, .78x.55, .79x.56. A set of four taken June 10
gives the following dimensions: .81x.62, .83x.64, .79x.62, .83x.64.

600. VARIED BUNTING. Passerina versicolor (Bonap.) Geog. Dist.— Lower
Ric Grande Valley in Texas, southward into Eastern Mexico.

This bird is called Purple Painted Finch, Western Nonpareil, Prusiano. It in-
habits the region of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas south into Eastern Mexico.
Habits and nesting like those of P. amcena. Eggs dull bluish-white; size .75x.57
inches.

600o. BEAUTIFUL BUNTING. Passerina versicolor pulchra Ridgw. Geog.
Pist. — Lower California and Northwestern Mexico.

This is a rather smaller race of the Varied Bunting. Its habits, nests and eggs
remain to be described.

601. PAINTED BUNTING. Passerina ciris (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Southern
Atlantic and Gulf States, north to North Carolina and Southern Illinois, south in
winter to Panama.

Called Nonpareil, Painted Finch and "Mexican Canary." In Mexico and in
some of the Southern States it is a favorite cage-bird. The male is a bird of hand-
some variegated plumage — blue, green, vermilion-red, yellowish-green, etc., and the
female plain olive-green. A common species in the South Atlantic and Gulf States,
nesting in May, June and July, often rearing two broods in a season. In Georgia,
Mr. Perry states that he has found nests with eggs as early as April 7 and as late as
July 20. A nest before me collected by Mr. G. Noble, of Savannah, Georgia, is composed
of leaves, bark strips, twigs, rootlets and fine grasses. It is on the whole a neat,
compact structure. The nest is sometimes lined with horse hairs. It is built in
the smallest bushes, in saplings and also in the tallest trees. Mr. Perry has found
two or three nests in a single tree, and one nest built upon another, with eggs in the
cavities of both. The eggs are four or five in number, dull pearly-white or bluish,
speckled and blotched with reddish-brown particularly at the larger end; average
size .79x.60. Four eggs measure .76x.57, .75x.55, .80x.60, .80x.57.

602. SHARPE'S SEED-EATER. Sporophila morelleti sharpei Lawr. Geog.
Dist. — Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and adjacent parts of Mexico.

This curious little Sparrow is found in the Rio Grande Valley in Southern
Texas and adjacent portions of Mexico. Dr. Merrill states that it is not uncommon
in the vicinity of Fort Brown. The birds were usually seen in patches of briers- and
low bushes at no great distance from water, and were very tame. During the breed-
ing season the male has a very sprightly song much resembling that of the Indigo
Bunting, but sweeter. At least two pairs built within the fort during the season

406 - Of

of 1877. One of the nests, found early in May, was in a bush about three feet from
the ground; it was not pensile; placed between three upright twigs, composed en-
tirely of a peculiar yellow root. This was destroyed by a violent storm before the
egga were deposited. A second nest found May 25, placed in a young ebony-bush,
four feet from the ground, was deserted immediately after completion. It was a
delicate structure supported at the rim and beneath by twigs, and built of very fine.
dry grass, with a few horse hairs. Mr. C. W. Crandall has a nest and four eggs of
this subspecies collected by Frank B. Armstrong near Brownsville, Cameron county,
Texas, May 7, 1892. The bird was shot and identification made sure. The nest was
placed in a small tree, six feet above the ground in open woods. It is composed of
fine fibres of wiry grass, loosely interwoven, the material for the lining being of the
same kind, but finer. The eggs have a ground color of bluish green and the marking*
are distributed quite evenly over the entire surface; they consist of spots and blotches
of brown and lavender with under shell markings of a pale shade, and numerous
surface spots of a rich dark purplish brown. The sizes of the four eggs are as follows:
,67x.48. .63x.48, .64x.49, .68x.49 inches respectively.

[603.] GBASSQUIT. Euetheta biclor (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Cuba. Accidental
In Southern Florida (Sombrero Key).

This species is a resident of the Island of Cuba and has been found on Sombrero
Florida. Its nests and eggs are described as being similar to those of /.'. inmlor.

[6O3. 1.] MELODIOUS QBASSQUIT. Euetheia canora (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.—
Accidental or casual in Southern Florida.

This is the Black-faced Grassquit which is common in various islands of the
Bahama group. It appears to be accidental in Florida. Said to construct a large
dome-shaped nest with a lateral entrance. It is built in bushes and low shrubbery.
Eggs three to five, white or greenish-white, speckled with reddish-brown; average
size .65x.50 inches.

604. DICKCISSEL. Spiza americana (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern United
States (chiefly west of the Alleghanies) to the Rocky Mountains, north to Massa-
chusetts, New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc., south in winter to Northern South
America.

Known as the Black-throated Bunting, "Little Field Lark," and "Judas-bird."
In general appearance It loks like the European House Sparrow, /'. </owr.s//r//x, av-
eraging a trifle larger. The favorite resorts of the Black-throated Bunting are
pastures with a sparse growth of stunted bushes, and clover fields. In these places
Its unmusical, monotonous song may be heard throughout the day during the breed-
Ing season. Its song is uttered from a tall weed, stump or fence-stake and is a v< ry
pleasing ditty when its sound is heard coming far over grain fields and meadows in
the blaze of the noon-day sun, when all is hushed and most other birds have retired
to shadier places. The nest of the Black-throated Bunting is built on the ground,
••a and in bushes. In Central Ohio I have nevar found the nest in any other
position than on the ground under the shelter of a tuft of grass or bush. In Western
Illinois, Mr. Poling states that they are placed in the tall grass or in clover fields.
Mr. L. Jones Informs me that in Iowa the nest may be found almost anywhere, not
above twenty feet In trees and bushes, or on the ground in prairie lands. Nesting
Is begun in May, and the second nests are built in July or August. The materials
are leaves, grasses, rootlets, corn husks and weed stems; the lining is of fine grasses.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 407

and often horse hair. On the whole the nest of this species Is a compact structure.
The eggs are four or five in number, almost exactly like those of the Bluebird; av-
erage size .80x.60. Ten eggs measure ,76x.60, .76x.62, .77x.60, .79x.62, .79x.59, .80x.62,
.81x.60, .80x.59, .75x.56, .82x.59.

605. LABK BUNTING. Calamospiza melanocorys Stejn. Geog. Dist.— Plains
of Dakota and Middle Kansas west to the Rocky Mountains, northward to or beyond
the United States, south in winter to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Lower California
and Northern New Mexico; occasional west of the Rocky Mountains. Accidental in
Massachusetts.

A bird of the plains— a summer resident in Middle and Western Kansas, breeding
from thence northward to or beyond the United States boundary. The bird is said
to utter the most delightful songs, and its warbles are described as similar to those
of the Bobolink and the soft cadence of the Skylark. The nest is placed on the
ground, sometimes sunken even with the surface, and beneath the shelter of a bush
or tuft of grass. It is composed of fine stems, grasses, and lined with finer grasses
and vegetable down. The eggs are four or five in number, light blue, and measure
.85x.65 inches.

[606.] BLUE-HEADED EUPHONIA. Euptonia elegantissima (Bonap.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern Mexico, Central America, south to Veragua, Southern Texas. (Giraud.)

This Tanager of variegated plumage is admitted to our fauna on the above au-
thority and it doubtless does occur over the Mexican boundary. Its eggs are described
as creamy-white, with a few scattered spots and blotches of two shades of brown,
principally at the larger end.

607. LOUISIANA TANAGEB. Piranga ludovteiana (Wils.) Geog. Dist.—
Western United States, from the Plains to the Pacific, north to British Columbia,
south in winter to Guatemala.

Throughout the evergreen forests from Oregon and Montana southward to South-
ern California and Arizona this Tanager is a common species, breeding in suitable
localities, wherever found. It Is called crimson-headed and Western Tanager. The
nesting season is in April, May, June and July, according to locality. The nest is a
thin, saucer-shaped structure, made of bark strips and grass stems, placed on the
horizontal branches of trees, preferedly evergreens and usually in the lower
branches. The eggs are three to five in number, of a clear, light bluish-green, finely
and rather sparsely sprinkled chiefly at the larger end with clove-brown. The eggs
are of a brighter bluish tint and the markings are more speck-like than thoee of
the Scarlet Tanager or Summer Tanager. The average size is ,95x.65 inches.

[607. 1.] GBAY'S TANAGEB. Piranga rubriceps Gray. Geog. Dist.— Co-
lumbia. Accidental in California (Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara county).

This handsome Tanager has in every respect the same general habits of the Scar-
let Tanager, P. erythromelas.

I W VGG8 ob'

608. SCARLET TANAGER. rimn.jn rrythramclas Vieill. Geog. Dist.—

Eastern United States north to Southern
Canada, west to the Great Plains, south
in winter to the West Indies, Central America
and Northern South America.

The male Scarlet Tanager is one of the most
brilliant and striking of all our birds. From its
black wings resembling pockets it is frequently
called "Pocket-bird." The female is plain olive-
green. Breeds as far north as Southern Canada
and west to Eastern Kansas, south to South
Carolina and Texas. It inhabits woodlands and
is particularly fond of swampy places. The
breeding season begins in the latter part of May.
The nest is generally found in low, thick woods,
or in the skirting of tangled thickets; very often,
also, in an orchard, on the horizontal limb of
some low tree or sapling. The nest is usually
very flat, loosely constructed of twigs, fine bark
strips, lined with rootlets and fine inner bark.
The eggs are three to five in number, commonly
four, and of a greenish-blue, speckled, spotted
and blotched with rufous-brown, more or less
confluent, in some chiefly at the larger end. The
markings have a reddish tint while those of the
Summer Redbird, 7'. nilmi, are more of a brown-
ish hue. Ten eggs measure respectively .89x.60,
89x.G2, .92x.64, .94x.62, l.OOx.64, .98x.65, l.OOx.65,
.95x.64, .94x.62, .97x.63; average size .96x.65
inches.

60S. SCAKLET TANAGER; upper, female
lower, male.

6O9. HEPATIC TANAGER. riranyu //r/«i //<•</ Swains. Geog. Dist.— Southern
Arizona and New Mexico, southward.

Mr. W. E. D. Scott gives this species as a summer resident in the oak region of
the Catalina Mountains of Southern Arizona, at an altitude of 5000 feet, breeding
late in the season, from May 6 to 9. A nest found July 12 containing three young
was built on the outer branch of a live oak and was entirely similar to that of the
Scarlet Tanager. No reliable description of the eggs is at hand. The male of this
species is of a dull red color, females and young males greenish-yellow.

610. SUMMER TANAGER. I'inm^i nihni (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
d States west to the edge of the Plains; north regularly to about 40°— New
Jersey, Central Ohio, Illinois, etc., casually north to Connecticut and Ontario, acci-
dentally to Nova Scotia, wintering in Cuba, Central America and Northern South
America,

Tho Summon K<-dl>ird or Rose Tanager breeds nearly throughout its United
States range. Thr adult male is a plain vci inillioii n-d; the plumage of the female
is olive. In habits this species resembles tho Scarlet Tanager but is not so retiring,
frequenting open groves and often visiting towns and cities. According to Colonel
N. S. Goss it is a common n-sMi-nt in Kastern Kansas, where it begins laying about
the 20th of May. The nesting soason of this bird extends to the latter part of July,

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 409

but varies with the degrees of latitude and season. The nest is composed chiefly
of bark-strips and leaves interwoven with various vegetable substances. The struc-
ture is usually built on a horizontal or drooping branch, near its extremity, and
situated at the edge of a grove near the roadside. All the nests of this species which
I have seen collected in Ohio, are very thin and frail structures; so thin that the
eggs may usually be seen from below. A nest sent me from Lee county, Texas, by
Mr. J. A. Singley, is compactly built of a cottony weed, a few stems of Spanish moss,
and lined with fine grass stems and a few catkins. Mr. L. 0. Pindar states that nests
of this species in Kentucky are compactly built but not very thickly lined. The eggs are
bright, light emerald green, spotted, dotted and blotched with various shades of
lilac, brownish-purple and dark brown; they cannot, with certainty, be distinguished
from the eggs of the Scarlet Tanager, but the brown tint in the markings pre-
dominate. Ten specimens offer as great variation in their sizes as do those of P.
erytJiromelas, and average about the same, .94x.64 inches.

610u. COOPER'S TANAGER. Piranga rubra cooperi Ridgw. Geog.'Dist. —
Arizona, New Mexico, north to (Denver) Colorado, south to Western Mexico.

According to Mr. Scott this subspecies is a common migrant and summer resident
about Tucson, Riverside, Florence, and at Mineral Creek and in the San Pedro
Valley of Southern Arizona. They seem to be more rare than either of the other
species of the Tanager in the oak region of the Catalinas, where a few breed. The
eggs are described as being not distinguishable from those of P. rubra.

611. PURPLE MARTIN. Progne subis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Temperate North
America, north to Ontario and the Saskatchewan, south to the higher parts of Mexi-
co, wintering in South America.

The Martin, conspicuous for its striking color and screaming, cracking noise,
breeds throughout its United States range. It originally built in hollow trees, and
some of the "old fogies" do yet, but those who find suitable nesting places in eaves
and cornices of buildings or in boxes prepared for their use, are thus bred to
American ideas and never return to their old log cabins in the air. This jolly fel-
low who puts life into the quiet streets of country towns, and large cities also, by
his noise and activity, constructs a nest out of anything that is handy — leaves, twigs,
straws, bits of string, rags and paper. Commonly four or five eggs are laid, rarely
six. They are pure, glossy white, oval-oblong, pointed at one end, and average .93
x.73. Six specimens measure ,94x.69, .95x.70, .95x.69, .98x.75, l.OOx.75, .99x.69 inches.

61 la. WESTERN MARTIN. Progne subis Jicsperia Brewst. Geog. Dist.—
California, south of Lat. 40°, and southern Arizona; in winter south to Nicaragua.

According to Mr. William Brewster the female of this race differs from the
female of subis in having the abdominal region and under tail-coverts pure white,
etc., while the male is indistinguishable from the male of subis. The nesting habits
and eggs are identical with those of the Purple Martin of the Eastern States.

611. 1. CUBAN MARTIN. Progne cryptolcuea Baird. Geog. Dist.— Cuba and
Southern Florida.

This is a smaller species than P. subis with narrower tail-feathers and relatively
more deeply-forked tail. It is also characterized by a difference in the coloration of
its plumage. It breeds in Cuba and in Southern Florida, nesting in holes of trees.
The eggs are indistinguishable from those of Progne subis, averaging a trifle smaller.

410

§ or

G12. CLIFF SWALLOW. /Y/w/if/iJon lunifrtm* (Say.) Geog. Dist.— North
America in general; in winter south to Central and portions of South America. Not

: ded from Florida or the West Indies.

The "Republicans," as they are sometimes called, or Eave swallows, are known
ti> occur and breed throughout the whole of North America/ north to the limit of
tree BV As the name implies, and as almost every one knows, this bird fixes its queer
bottle-shaped nest to the perpendicular faces of rocks and hard embankments,
also on the walls of houses and under shelter of eaves. The nests are not always
retort or flask-shaped, some have no necks, and the degree of perfection in style de-
pends upon circumstances. They are made entirely of mud, tempered by the bill of
tho bird and are well lined with straw, wool and feathers. The birds are always
found in colonies during the breeding season, which extends all through the summer
Months. The eggs are white, marked with dots, blotches and points of reddish-
brown, chiefly about the larger end; they are less elongated than those of the Barn
Swallow, but the markings of the two are hardly distinguishable. The eggs of the
Cliff Swallow average a trifle larger; they are four to five and sometimes six in num-
ber>the average size is .82x.56 inches.

»RN SWALLOW (From B«»l).

[612.1.] CUBAN CLIFF SWALLOW. r<trn<-J,rti<lnn fulrn (Vieill.) Geog.
Dist. Greater Antilles and the coaat of Central America. Accidental on the dry
Tortugas, Flor

NORTH AMERICAN BIKDH. 411

The same general habits characterize the Cuban Cliff Swallow as are common to
P. lunifrons.

613. BARN SWALLOW. Chelidon cry throg aster (Bodd.) Geog. Dist.— Whole
of North America; south in winter to Central America, West Indies, and various
portions of South America.

Nearly everyone knows this beautiful, deeply forked-tailed Swallow which builds
its nest in barns and under the eaves of other outbuildings. The female fbird of
this species, however, does not possess as deeply a forked tail as is comn^on in the
male birds. The nest is a bowl-shaped structure, entirely open above, composed of

613. BARK SWALLOW AND NEST (E. S. Cheney del).

pellets of mud, mixed with straws, and warmly lined with soft feathers. It is at-
tached by one side to the rafters within barns, on the sides of caves, etc. From
three to five or six eggs are deposited; they are white, marked with spots and
blotches of bright reddish-brown, chiefly at the larger end. The eggs appear rather
narrow for their length; sizes range from .68 to .78 in length by .50 to .56 broad; aver-
age size, .75x.55 inches.

614. TREE SWALLOW. Tachycineta Ucolor (Vieill.) Geog. Dist— Whole of
North America in summer; wintering from Southern Florida, Cuba and Gulf coast
to Guatemala.

NB8T8 AMi BOGS "/'

This is the White-bellied Swallow,
which breeds in all suitable localities
throughout its North American range.
The nesting season is in May, June and
July. Its favorite resorts are in the vi-

fgPSUjf^f^^^^ cinity of ponds, marshes and rivers, and

&flP ^\/^^Bt even in its mi&rations Jt is seldom seen far

i^JBL away from running water. In these places

lofty, leafless tree-trunks are its nesting
sites — in the old excavations of woodpeck-
ers, natural cavities, etc. Sometimes it
nests in cliffs or buildings. In the East-
ern States this bird frequently nests in
bird-boxes. M. C. S. Shick, of Sea Isle City,
New Jersey, says that a pair had taken
possession of a box which he had put up
in his yard. The materials used in nest-
building are grasses and straw, thickly
lined with feathers. Mr. Walter E. Bry-
ant found a nest of this bird under the pro-
jecting and decayed deck of a lumber
lighter, moored at Oakland (Cal.) harbor.
From four to seven, and occasionally nine,
pure white eggs are laid. The average size
of ten eggs is .75x.53. Mr. Edson A. Mc-
Millan informs me that he took from a

single nest in regular succession no less than five sets, each containing five eggs.

This was in the Adirondack Mountain region, beginning with set No. 1 the first

part of June.

6U. TREK SWALLOW (From Audubon).

615. VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. TaHiiirim-tii tlmhixximi (Swains.) Geog.
Diet. — Western United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific; south in
winter to Guatemala.

This lovely Swallow is common from the Central Plains of the United States to
the Pacific coast. It breeds abundantly in California, Oregon and Washington Ter-
ritory. The most characteristic Swallow of the pine regions of Arizona, and is also
! in considerable abundance in Colorado, nesting in all suitable localities, and,
like the Eave Swallow, usually in colonies. It nests in knot-holes of oak and other
deciduous trees and in the deserted excavations of woodpeckers, and more recently
it has been found breeding under the eaves of houses, lil<«> the Cliff Swallow. The
nest is made of dry grasses, lined with a thick mass of feathers. This species has
also been found nesting in holes in banks. Four or five pure white eggs are laid;
average size, .74x.52 inches.

[615.1.) BAHAMAN SWALLOW, rallirhrli,!;,, rn,,H,;,rirdi* Bryant. Geog.
Dint.— Bahamas. Accidental on the dry Tortugas, Florida. e

In all respects the habits, nests and eggs of this species are similar to those of
the Violet-green Swallow. The eggs, however, are far from being common in col-
lations.

NORTH AMERICAN BIR1>K. 413

616. BANK SWALLOW. Clivimla riitaria (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Northern
Hemisphere in general; in America, south in winter to Northern South America.

The Bank Swallow, or Sand Martin, found throughout Europe, is also equally
common throughout North America, and. breeds in the greater part of its range. The
holes in which this bird nests are excavated by the bird in the perpendicular face
of sand or gravel banks; the depth ranges from two to four feet. The termination is
usually somewhat enlarged and the bottom is thinly covered with a few twigs,
grasses and feathers. In suitable localities immense numbers will occupy a large
bank and so perforate it with holes as to present the appearance of a huge honey-
comb alive with bees. From four to six* rarely seven, pure white eggs are deposited,
with an average size of .72x.50; five specimens measure .68x.52, .72x.49, .73x.51,
.72x.52. Average size .71x.50 inches.

617. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, l^telffidopteryx serripennis (Aud.) Geog.
Dist. — United States, from Atlantic to Pacific, and adjoining British Provinces (rare).
Rare in New England, except in Connecticut.

This species and the Bank Swallow are often confounded. The Rough-winged,
however, is larger, has a more labored flight, lacks the pure white of under parts,
and the pectoral collar is incomplete and obscured. The booklets of the wings of
the present species are only fully developed in adult birds. The Rough-winged Swallow
breeds throughout most of its United States range, nesting in the crevices of stone
walls and arches over bridges, sometimes in a chink in the boarding of a building;
almost invariably over running water. The nesting season is in May and June. The
nest is simply constructed of grasses, straws, and lined with a few feathers. The
eggs are four to seven in number, pure white, and closely resemble those of the Bank
Swallow, but the shells are more tender, and they average a trifle larger, .75 x.53
inches.

618. BOHEMIAN WAX-WING. Ampelis yarrulus Linn. Geog. Dist.— North-
ern portions of the Northern Hemisphere. In America, south regularly to the
Northern tier of States, and in the Rocky Mountains to Colorado; irregularly or
casually to about 35° (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico
and Arizona).

The Bohemian Wax-wing looks like the Cedar-bird, but is much larger. It is a
restless, roving species, and its visits in the Northern States are uncertain. Breeds
in high latitudes, and in the West down to the United States border in the Rocky
Mountains. Its nest has been found by Mr. Kennicott on the Yukon, and by Mr.
McFarlane in the Anderson River region. Its nesting is substantially the same as
that of the Cedar Wax-wing. Captain B. F. Goss has a set of four eggs of this spe-
cies which was taken in Labrador, June 18, 1885.. Their color is bluish-white,
spotted with lilac, and very dark brown, being like those of the Cedar-bird, but are
larger; sizes, .99x.70, .98x.70, 1.05x.69, 1.06x.70. Mr. Norris has a set of three Bo-
hemian Wax-wing's eggs taken in Lapland, June 20, 1875. These are exactly like
large eggs of A., cedrorum, and measure .91x.69, .93x.68, .89x.68 inches.

619. CEDAR WAX-WING. Ampelis cedrorum (VieillJ Geog. Dist— North
America in general, from the Fur Countries southward. In winter south to Guate-
mala and West Indies.

414

i.Y/> i-:t;<;s or

618. BOHEMIAN WAX-WING (From Brehm).

The Cherry-bird, Cedar-bird, Southern or Carolina Wax-wing, is found through-
out North America, as far as the wooded country extends, and breeds from Florida

to the Red River country. It goes in flocks nearly tho
entire year. The usual position of the nest of these
species is in acedar bush or orchard t !•«•«•. and it is often
placed in a sycamore, the distance varying from four
to eighteen feet from the ground. It is sometimes a
very handsome structure, being rather bulky, and
made of bark, leaves, roots, twigs, weeds, paper, i a^s
and twine, lined with finer grasses, hair and wool.
The nesting time is late — June, July and August. The
eggs range from 3 to 5 in a set, average .S4x.61, and
are from a light slate to a deep shade of stone-color,
tinged with olive, marked with blotches and spots of a
dark brown and purple, almost black. A set of four
eggs taken by E. H. Huffman in Franklin county, Ohio,

August 19, 1888, is before me. The eggs offer the following dimensions: .93x.63,
Jx.66, .94x.65. These leem to be uncommonly large; a common size is
.S5x.60 inches.

419. CKDAK WAX-WINO.

XORTH AMERICA* BIRDS. 415

PHAINOPEPLA. PhQinopepla nitens (Swains.) Geog. Disk — South-
western United States, from Southwestern Texas westward; north to Southern
Utah, Nevada, Fort Crook, California and south to Cape St. Lucas and the Valley
of Mexico.

A singular bird, known as the Shining Fly-snapper, or Black-crested Fly-catcher.
It inhabits the southern portion of Western United States — abundant in Western
Texas, Southern New Mexico, Arizona and California. Its resorts are regions
of low shrubbery and wooded land in the vicinity of water. According to
Mr. W. E. D. Scott, this bird has a peculiar, bell-like, whistling note that is very
musical. The breeding season is in May and June. The nest is built in trees of
various kinds, oftener perhaps in oaks and mesquites, ranging in height from eight
to twenty-five feet above ground. It is a flat, loosely made affair, and the curious,
light-colored vegetable substances— twigs, stems, mosses, and soft, downy or cottony
fibres — seem to harmonize well with the odd coloration of the eggs. These are two
or three in number. The majority of the nests found by Mr. Scott in Pima county,
Arizona, contained three eggs, while a large series of nests, with eggs, collected at
San Gorgonia Pass, California, by Mr. Herron, during the months of May and June,
1883, were of two eggs each. They are of a yellowish or light or dull gray, thickly
speckled (some grotesquely marked) with a neutral tint, dark brown and blackish.
Ten eggs measure, .84x.64, .87x.63, .88x.69, .89x69, .90x.70, .90x.69, .91x.70, ,91x
.67, .90x.63, .91x.69 inches.

621. NORTHERN SHRIKE. Lanius borealis (Vieill.) Geog. Dist.— Northern
North America; south in winter to the Potomac, Ohio Valley, Kansas, Colorado,
Nevada, California and Arizona.

The Shrikes are birds of a cruel, reckless, quarrelsome nature — rapacious and
carniverous, feeding on grasshoppers and other insects, together with lizards, small
birds, and quadrupeds which they are able to overpower. They often boldly attack
cage-birds, even in the presence of their owners. Their most noted trait is that
of impaling small birds, mice, and other prey on thorns and sharp twigs. In the
breeding season the Great Northern Shrike, or Butcher-bird, is found throughout
the whole of North America, north of United States. It is said to breed in Maine
and it probably does in other New England States. It inhabits woodland and thick-
et, and is often found in upland fields. When insect food becomes scarce this spe-
cies frequently visits cities in pursuit of the European House Sparrow. This species
breeds north of the United States. The nest is a rather rude, bulky affair, made of
twigs, grass and stems, matted together and lined with down and feathers. It is usu-
ally built in thorny trees, bushes, cr hedges, and often no attempt is made at con-
cealment. The eggs are four to six in number, dull whitish or greenish-gray, marked
and spotted with obscure purple, light brown, or olive; average size, 1.08x.79 inches.

622. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. Lanius ludovicianus Linn. Geog. Dist.—
Eastern United States, west to the Plains; north to Northern New England. Breeds
from the Gulf States to Virginia and casually north, on the Atlantic coast, to South-
ern New Jersey; in the interior northward to the Great Lakes, and through Western
Pennsylvania and New York north to New England.

This form of Shrike inhabits the more southeastern portions of Eastern United
States. Dr. Coues says, in its typical manifestation it is characteristic of the South
Atlantic States; but specimens more like ludovicianus than exculntorides occur north
to New England and west to Ohio.* It is a common resident in Central and Southern

* Key to N. A. Birds, p. 338.

416

VESTS .\\i>

OF

871. FHRIKB (Af»*»r Audubon).

Ohio. Its habits are essentially the same as those of the Northern Shrike and are not
less savage and blood-thirsty. The construction of the nest is begun in Ohio as
early as the middle of April, and frequently at this time the birds are sitting on the
full complement of eggs. The nesting season, however, is in the month of June,
and a second brood is reared some weeks later. The full complement of eggs is six.
The nest is built in hedges, scrubby, isolated little trees in cultivated fields, thorn
trees growing along streams or roadsides; thickets along railroads are favorite re-
sorts, and the telegraph wire is their favorite perch. The nest is large, loose and
bulky, composed of weed-stems, grasses, corn-stalks, rootlets, paper, wool, and
rhirken feathers (the latter being the lining; it is often very thick), the feathers
concealing the eggs from view. The eggs are identical with those of borcali*, but
average smaller, .97x.73. Eleven egps measure, .91x.72, .92x.70, .92x.73, .95x.76,
.98X.79, l.OOx.78, .99x.77, 1.02X.80, l.OOx.82, .96x.79, .98x.72.

WHITE-HUMPED SHRIKE. l.nnins
(Swains.) Oeog. Dist. — Western North America, from the eastern border of the
Plains to the Pacific, except coast of California, and from Manitoba and the Plains to
the Saskatchewan south over the table lands of Mexico.

More recent investigations develop the fact that this bird, once described as a
western form, has extended its range eastward, north of that of lutlnririnnu.*. It
breeds nearly throughout its entire range. In Western Manitoba, according to Mr.
Thompson, it is abundant all over from May to September. The late Colonel N. S.
Goaa records it as a common summer resident of Kansas; begins laying early in

NORTH AM URIC AN BIRDS.

417

May. Mr. Scott notes it as rather common throughout the year about Tucson
Arizona. In the Catalinas, at an altitude of 3700 feet, he found a nest of this species
containing five eggs almost ready to batch, April 1, 1885. Breeds as far north as
Northern New York and Northern New England. This is the common breeding
form in the northern portion of Ohio, where also occasionally well-marked indi-
viduals of ludovicianns are taken. Prof. Evermann states that until recently this
bird was a very rare resident of Carroll county, Indiana, becoming more common
since 1882.* This bird builds a nest and lays eggs in every particular like the
Loggerhead, and its general traits are the same. A large series of eggs from Cuya-
hoga and Huron counties, Ohio, do not exhibit any difference whatever.

^$2^

* * EUROPEAN SHRIKE, Lanius minor, (From Brehm).

6226. CALIFORNIA SHRIKE. Lanius ludovicianus 'ffambeli Ridgw. Geog.
Dist— Coast of California.

Mr. A. M. Shields states that this new variety of Shrike is well known in Los
Angeles county, from its frequent appearance in the orchards and gardens, and from
its favorite pastime of pulling off the heads of canaries, wherever a cage is hung in
the open air. My friend, Mr. Arnold Boyle, states that in the region about Banning,
California, this bird feeds largely on lizards, which it often impales on thorns and
leaves them sticking there. The nest is usually built in some scrubby tree — this
being like the structure made by ludovicianus or excubitorides. Five sets of eggs in

* Birds of Carroll county, Indiana. By Barton W Evermann: The Auk, Vol. V.
pp. 344-351; VI, pp. 22-30.

28

4ls

my cabinet, from Banning, San Gorgonia Pass, California, do not differ at all from
those of the Loggerhead and White-rumped Shrikes. They exhibit the same varia-
tions in size and coloration.

[628.] BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO. Vhrn <><ili<lri.« Ixirbatulux (Cab.)
Geog. Dlst. — Cuba, Bahamas, and casually to Southern Florida.

This bird, which is common to Cuba and the Bahamas, is entitled to a place in
our avifauna on account of its occasional occurrence in Southern Florida; it has
several times been taken in the region of Charlotte Harbor. From the supposed re-
semblance of its notes, it is called Whip-tom-kelly. The bird looks very much like
the Red-eyed Vireo, but has a longer bill and other characteristics which distinguish
It. Like other Vireos, the Long-billed Greenlet builds a beautiful, pensile, cup-like
nest, which is attached by the brim and suspended from forked twigs in trees and
bushes, ranging in height from five to twenty feet. The materials used in its con-
struction are dry grasses, shreds of bark, cotton, lichens, and spider's web; the lining
being soft cotton-like fibres. The walls of the structure are not only very thirk.
but neatly and firmly interwoven. The eggs are three or four in number, white,
with a pinkish hue, speckled and spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with reddish-
brown. The average size is .78x.55 inches.

624. RED-EYED VIREO. n/vo o//r//m/x (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America, as far north as Hudson Bay, etc.; west to the Rocky Mountain region;
south in winter through Eastern Mexico and Central America to Northern South
America.

The Red-eyed Greenlet is a common species in Eastern United States, where it
breeds abundantly in the months of May and June. It frequents woodland and is
especially fond of sycamore groves along streams. A tireless, joyful songster, sing-
ing throughout the day nearly all summer
long. Its voice is often the only sound
heard in the woods in sultry summer days.
Compared with the song of the Warbling
Vireo, it is shorter, louder, and more vigor-
ous. The nest of this species is built in
the horizontal branches of trees, usually
from five to twenty-five feet above the
ground, sometimes much higher. Like
other nests of the birds of this family, it is
pensile — a beautiful little well-woven,
pendulous cup, its rim being attached to a
horizontal fork of a branch in the thick
foliage. It is made of vegetable fibres,
strips of pliable bark, etc., lined with fine,
round grasses, sometimes mingled with
horse hairs and bits of newspapers. On
two occasions I have found the nest con-
taining two or three eggs before the frame-
work was nearly completed— in fact the nests in both cases were not ready for the
tion of the eggs, and were finally completed by the female with material carried
by the male bird. Three or four eggs are generally laid, rarely five, pure, white,
sparsely sprinkled witl. fine, dark reddish-brown dots, chiefly at the larger end.

RBD-BYBD VIRBO (After Audnbon).

\OlfTII .\MKIf H'.\\ IllltDN. 419

Ten eggs measure .S2x.56. .80x.56, .82x.58, .84x.59, .85x.58, .87x.54, .87x.56, .85x.53,
.a6x.53 .88x.54. The average size of these ten specimens is .85x.56 inches.

625. YELLOW-GREEN VIBEO. Vireo flavoviridis (Cass.) Geog. Dist.—
Valley of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas southward to Panama, Ecuador, Peru and
Upper Amazon. Accidental at Godbout, Province Of Quebec, and at Riverside, Cali-
fornia.

This Vireo is very similar to Vireo olivaceus. Its nest and eggs are described as
being the same as those of the Red-eye.

626. PHILADELPHIA VIBEO. Vireo philadelphicus (Cass.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern portion of North America, north to Hudson Bay; south in winter to Guate-
mala and Costa Rica, etc.

This is apparently not a very common bird, wherever found in Eastern United
States. From its close resemblance to the Warbling Vireo the bird Is doubtless
often confounded with that species. In portions of the Mississippi Valley it appears
to be more common than in the Eastern States, occurring regularly and in con-
siderable numbers during the spring and fall migrations. In Ohio it is not a very
common spring and fall migrant in May and September. From the best Information
at hand, the Philadelphia or Brotherly-love Vireo breeds chiefly north of the United
States. Mr. Ernest E. Thompson found a nest of this species containing four eggs
near Duck Mountain, Manitoba, June 9, 1884. These were probably the first authen-
tic eggs of this species on record. The nest was hung from a forked twig, about
eight feet from the ground, in a willow which was scant of foliage, as it grew in the
shade of a poplar grove. The nest was pensile, as usual with the genus, formed of
grass and birch bark. The eggs presented no obvious difference from those of the
Red-eyed Vireo. The eggs were accidentally destroyed before they were measured.*

627. WABBLING VIBEO. Vireo ffilvus (Vieill.) Geog. Dist.— North America
in general, from the Fur Countries; south in to Mexico.

The Warbling Vireo,, in its two forms, inhabits North Amrica in general and
is abundant. The form 7. g. swainsoni, which is described as the smaller, with
slenderer bill, etc., occurs in Western United States. Every collector is doubtless
familiar with the incessant, mellow warblings of this Greenlet, as it rambles through
the foliage of trees in open woodland, in parks, and in those along the banks of
streams. In these places it dilligently searches the under sides of leaves and
branches for insect life, "in that near-sighted way peculiar to the tribe." It is one
of the most stoical of birds, and seems never surprised at anything; even at the loud
report of a gun, with the shot rattling about it in the branches. If uninjured, it will
stand for a moment unconcerned, or move along, peering on every side amongst the
foliage, warbling its tender, liquid strains. The nest of this species is like that of the
Red-eyed Vireo — a strong, durable, basket-like fabric, made of bark strips, and fine
grasses on the inside. It is suspended by the brim in slender, horizontal forks of
branches, usually at a greater height than the nest of the Red-eye. The nesting
time is in. May and June. The eggs are spotted, frequently blotched at the larger
end with brown and reddish-brown on a clear white ground— sometimes over the
surface will be found small specks of reddish-brown. The complement of eggs is
three or four; size, .70 to .77 in length by about .55 in breadth. Seven eggs, taken in
Ohio, measure .70x.51, .73x.50, .74x.53, .75x.52, ,72x.55, .74x.55, .77x.53; four from
California, .72x.50 .72x.53 .70x.53 .73x.51.

*Auk, II, pp. 305-306.

420 S "/'

628. YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. I J/-MI flnrifn.nx : Yioill. Geog. Dist.—
Eastern United States west to the Great Plains; south in winter to Costa Rica.

The Yellow-throated Greenlet is common in the woodlands of Eastern United

States. Mr. Mcllwraith gives it as a summer resident of Southern Ontario, but is

by no means common. Colonel N. S. Goss records it as a quite common summer

.us laying about the 20th of May. He states that the bird

inhabits the timber away from settlements. In the Eastern states it is found fre-
quenting and nesting in the orchards and gardens, as well as in wooded country.
It Is a common summer resident in Ohio, especially the northern portion. It fre-
quents secluded woods and the banks of ravines and streams, and appears to be
partial to oak forests. The n,est of this species is pensile, like those of other Vireos,
but the architectural taste and skill displayed in its building is perhaps superior to
any of the family. It is composed of strips of thin bark, grasses, etc. The outside
of the structure is beautifully adorned with lichens, which are held in place by cater-
pillar's silk. Its size is between three and three and a half inches wide, and nearly
as deep. It is buL- in the fork of a horizontal branch, from five to fifteen and some-
times thirty feet above tne ground. The eggs vary from three to five in number,
four being a common set. They are easily distinguished from those of the Red-eye
and Warbling Greenlets by their roseate hue, and are generally more heavily marked,
having the same family resemblance, speckled and spotted with rosy and chestnut-
brown, chiefly at the larger end. A set of four, taken in Franklin county, Ohio,
June 2, 1885, measure .8^x.60, .80x.6i, .83x.58, .79x.58. The average size is .83x.61
inches.

629. BLUE-HEADED VIREO. Tireo solittiriu* (Wils.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America, north to Fort Simpson (on the Mackenzie River) and Hudson Bay;
south in winter to Mexico and Guatemala.

The Blue-headed or Solitary Vireo breeds chiefly north of the United States;
quite common in Manitoba. It has been found breeding in Connecticut and Massa-
chusetts and in some of the Middle States. It is probably a summer resident in
Northern Ohio. C. M. Jones found it breeding near Eastford, Connecticut, in May
and June, building the nests from five to eight feet above ground, in laurel bushes
and hemlock trees. Mr. F. W. Andros records a nest taken by F. T. Lincoln, in
Bristol county, Massachusetts, May 30, 1887. The birds, according to the above ob-
servers, are close sitters — not easily startled from the nest, frequently permitting
themselves to be taken with the hand. The nest of the Blue-headed Vireo is similar
in construction to others of the family — a handsome, pendant, cup-like fabric, which
is suspended by the brim from the forked twigs of a horizontal branch. The ma-

in used are strips of fibrous bark, leaves, fine dry grass, plant-down, the outside
being coven <l with caterpillar's silk, and sometimes ornamented with mosses and

MS. The eggs, which are three or four in number, resemble those of some of the
larger Vireos. They are white, with a faint creamy tinge: point. .1 at the smaller
sometimes forming wreaths of chestnut specks around the larger portions.
The average size is .Six. 62.

629". CASSIN'S VIREO. \h;<, xnlitiiriii* msshiii (Xantus.) Geog. Dist.—
Westn States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific.

During the breeding season, which is in May. .Tun< ami July, this bird is con-
flnrrl Be coast region. Mr. A. W. Anthony gives it as a common

sumrr.er resident of Washington county, Oregon, where it frequents tho coniferous

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 421

growth, and is often found in the alders and aspens. He states that it is more com-
mon than the Warbling Vireo. Nests were found in oaks and alders. About Fort
Klamath, Oregon, Dr. Merrell, says that the bird shows a marked predilection for
pines and firs, and is also found, but much less frequently, in aspen groves, with
Vireo gilvus swainsoni. The nests and eggs of this species resemble those of the
Warbling Vireo. The eggs measure .80x.58. Mr. Norris has a set of three eggs of this
species in his cabinet that was taken June 10, 1888, near Ft. Klamath, Ore. They are
white, sparsely speckled with burnt umber; sizes, .77x.55, .74x.55, .83x.60. The last
egg is abnormally large.

6291). PLUMBEOUS VIREO. Vireo solitarius plumbeus (Coues.) Geog. Dist.—
Rocky Mountain region of the United States; south in winter into Mexico.

This subspecies is abundant in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States,
especially the southern portion, breeding in the pine districts up to an altitude of
9000 feet. In suitable localities in Colorado this Greenlet is a common summer resi-
dent; also in the mountainous regions of New Mexico and Arizona. Its nest is built
very similar to that of the Solitary Vireo, T. solitarius, of the Eastern States, but is
usually placed higher, and the eggs are indistinguishable.

629e. MOUNTAIN SOLITARY VIREO. Vireo solitarius alticola Brewst.
Geog. Dist. — Southern Alleghanies (Western North Carolina, etc.).

According to William Brewster, this bird differs from solitarius proper, in being
larger, with a stouter bill, and duller, darker, and more uniform coloring above.
Throughout the elevated plateau in the southeastern corner of Macon county, North
Carolina, he found this new Vireo to be one of the most abundant forest birds, fre-
quenting exclusively open oak and chestnut woods, mingling its wild, ringing voice
with the rich music of the equally numerous Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Scarlet
Tanagers. On the Black Mountains it was very common, ranging from about 4200
feet to the lower edge of the balsams (5000 feet), and inhabiting woods similar tc
those just described. Mr. Brewster and Mr. R. B. McLaughlin simultaneously
published accounts of the first nests and eggs of this bird ever taken. The nest de-
scribed by Mr. Brewster contained four perfectly fresh eggs, and was found by Mr.
J. S. Cairns, May 27, 1887, on Craggy Mount, Buncombe county, North Carolina. It
was in a chestnut, ten feet out from the main trunk and about twenty feet above the
ground. The nest is a substantial structure, suspended after the usual Vireo fashion
in the forks of a terminal twig. In places the rim is nearly an inch in thickness.
The exterior is beautifully diversified with white and purplish-brown sheep's wool,
grayish lichens, small strips and fragments of decayed wood, and a few spider's
cocoons, bound firmly to or hanging loosely from a frame-work proper, which is com-
posed of coarse grass stalks and strips of bark. The interior lining is fine bleached
grasses, stems, and moss. Upon comparing this nest with four New England nests of
7. solitarius, Mr. Brewster states that it is much larger, with thicker walls and more
elaborate external decorations. The eggs are also larger and finer spotted than
any of the series of fifteen eggs of solitarius in his collection. The eggs belonging to
this nest measure, respectively, .84x.49, .78x.58, .78x,58, .80x.5S. They are ovate to
elongate-ovate in shape; in color, pure white, with a few fine spots, and rather
numerous minute dots of brown varying in tone from vandyke to seal brown. Mr.
McLaughlin found the Mountain Solitary Vireo breeding in the vicinity of States-
ville, Iredell county, North Carolina, in June, 1888. He obtained two nests contain-
ing eggs on the llth and 15th, respectively. Mr. McLaughlin's observations indicate

422 --T8 AND EGGS OF

that the bird in that region confines itself to the pine woods, the summer home of
the Pine Warbler, Di-mlmim n>*w'i. Both nests found were suspended from the
limbs of pines and were less than a hundred yards apart. One contained three, the
other four eggs. The nests were similar in composition to that of Mr. Brewster's,
except that they lack the sheep's wool on the exterior.

629J. ST. LUCAS SOLITARY VIREO. Vireo solitarius lucasanus Brewst.
Geog. Dist.— Lower California.

I have no authentic record regarding the nests and eggs of this Southern
variety of the Solitary Vireo. but I believe there can be very little difference, if any,
in the nidiflcation of this and that of F. *.

630. BLACK-CAPPED VIREO. Vim, ntriminllm Woodh. Geog. Dist.—
Mexico, and Texas north to Southwestern Kansas.

The first authentic account of the nests and eggs of this species was that given
by Mr. Brewster, from specimens collected in Comal county, Texas, in May, 1878, by
Mr. W. H. Werner. Other Texas records of this species are those of Mr. Ragsdale
(who considers it a rare summer visitant in Cook county, on the northern boundary.)
and Mr. William Lloyd, who notes it as tolerably common in Concho county during

v - Y

•30. BLACK-CAPPED VIHEO AND NEST (From Bull. Nutt. Oniim. Club).

th«- fall migrations, and breeding in two localities in Tom Green county. There he
found several nests, which were always situated in some low tree at the edge of thick
shrubbery, and at once distinguishable from the nests of Bell's Vireo (which bn-cds
In the same vicinity), in that the latter is lined with wool, while the Black-cap's is
not. The late Colonel N. S. Goss gives the Black-capped Vireo as a summer resident
in the gypsum hills in Southwestern Kansas. He found it breeding plentifully in
Comanche county. According to the observations of those who have found this

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 423

species breeding, it generally frequents brushwood and builds the nest low down,
about five feet from the ground, in elm, oak, and mesquite trees. It is suspended
from a forked twig, after the usual type of Vireo architecture, is hemispherical in
shape, and composed of broken fragments of bleached leaves, strips of bark, grasses,
catkins, spider's or caterpillar's silk. These are all firmly interwoven and form
thick walls, making a nest that belongs to the higher order of bird architecture.
The eggs are usually four, pure white, and measure .72x.52. Mr. Norris has three
sets of eggs of this species in his cabinet. One set, containing four eggs, was col-
lected June 5, 1886, in Comal county, Texas. The nest was in a mesquite tree, very
low down. The eggs are pure white, entirely unmarked. They measure: .69x.51,
.69x.51, .68x.53, .71x.52. Another set, also of four eggs, was collected June 18, 1888,
in the same locality, by G. B. Benners. The nest was in a Spanish oak tree, three
feet from the ground. The eggs are also pure white, entirely unmarked: . .69x.54,
.70x.55, .69x.53, .70x.54. The third set was taken June 5, 1888, by Mr. Bennere, in
the same locality. The nest was in a Spanish oak, six feet from the ground. The
set consists of three eggs and two of the Dwarf Cowbird's. The Vireo's eggs are pure
white, unmarked, and measure: .72x.52, .72x.51, .69x.52 inches.

631. WHITE-EYED VIREO. Vireo iiovcboracensis (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — East-
ern United States, west to the Rocky Mountains; south in winter through Eastern
Mexico to Guatemala; resident in the Bermudas.

The White-eyed Greenlet is a common species in Eastern United States as far
north as Maine and west to Kansas, and occasionaly to Eastern Colorado. Breeds
throughout most of the Mississippi Valley south of Minnesota. Low swampy places,
near the edges of woods, covered with briers, or the tangled thickets of blackberry
bushes and wild vines, are its favorite nesting places. The nest is usually a purse-
shaped structure, swaying from a forked twig, and is rather large for the size of the
bird. It is seldom placed more than three or four feet from the ground, and is
composed of a mass of odd and miscellaneous materials, such as straws, bits of de-
cayed wood, blades of grass, mosses, lichens and various vegetable substances.
Wilson nicknamed this bird "Politician," because it frequently used bits of news-
paper in the construction of its nest. The eggs are three to five in number, speckled
with reddish-brown and dark purple on a clear white ground; the average size is
.76x.56, which is smaller than those of V. olivaccus.

63 la. KEY WEST VIREO. Vireo noreboracensis maynardi Brewst. Geog.
Dist. — Southern Florida.

Mr. William Brewster dedicated this bird to M. C. J. Maynard, the ornithologist
and author. It is very similar to the preceding species, but the coloration is generally
grayer above, and the yellow beneath paler, with other structural characteristics,
described from the study and comparison of about one hundred and fifty specimens.*
The bird breeds on Key West; its nesting and eggs being indistinguishable from
those of the White-eyed Vireo.

632. HTTTTON'S VIREO. Vireo huttoni Cass. Geog. Dist. — California, resi-
dent.

This Vireo which resembles the White-eyed Greenlet is found in various por-
tions of California, where it is resident. Concerning its nesting and eggs Mr.
William Cooper writes as follows: "Hutton's Vireo, Vireo button t, breeds in the vi-

* Cf. Brewster, Auk, IV, pp. 148-149.

424 MOST* I \7> r<;i;n OF

rinity of Santa Cruz, though not in abundance. Retiring in habits, their nests and
eggs are rarely found. April 7, 1874, I found a nest placed ten feet from the ground,
suspended from a dead branch of a \iynn<In, containing three eggs incubated about
five days. March 30, 1875, I found another nest placed eight feet from the ground,
suspended from the small twigs of a rraniiula. The nest — a neat, compact, structure,
composed of fine vegetable fibres, bits of paper, and grasses covered on the outside
with green and gray mosses, lined with fine grasses— measures 3.25 inches in diameter
outside, 1.75 inside; depth 2.25 outside, 1.50 inside. The eggs, four in number, are
white (a delicate blush-color before blown), marked with minute dots of reddish-
brown, more numerous towards the larger end. They measure respectively, .70x.52,
.70x.51, .69x.51, .68x.52. Two other nests were found, each containing four eggs.
They were placed, one in a \cffumla, thirty feet high, the other at the extremity of an
oak limb, twenty-five feet from the ground."* Mr. Walter E. Bryant notes a pair of
these Vireos (observed by C. W. Knox) which built in the outer branches of a live
oak. only a few feet above the exhaust pipe from a steam pump, where at times they
were compelled to suspend work, owing to the dense vapor which enveloped them.
Four eggs were laid in this nest.

632a. STEPHENS'S VIREO. V/m* Jmttnni .s/r/^n/*/ Brewst. Geog. Dist.—
Arizona, Western Mexico and Lower California.

This new race was first described by Mr. William Brewster, from specimens col-
lected by Mr. F. Stephens in the Chiricahua and Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona. It
is stated that he also took its nest and eggs near Fort Bayard, New Mexico, in 1876,
but there appears to be no published account of them. The late Maj. Chas. E. Bendire
describes a nest of this bird containing three fresh eggs, taken by Lieutenant Benson
on June 21, 1887, near Fort Huachuca, Arizona, which are now in the National
Museum. t The nest was attached to the fork of a small twig of some species of
buttonwood, growing in a canon of the Huachuca Mountains, and was well con-
cealed. It is very peculiar looking, being outwardly exclusively composed of a
yellowish-buff plant down, with similarly colored grass-tops incorporated, giving the
nest a uniform light color, not unlike a very fine cup-shaped sponge. It is lined with
the extreme tops of grasses, also of a golden lint, and measures externally two and
fourth inches in width by two and one-half inches in depth. The inner
diameter is two inches by one and three-fourth inches. The three eggs are ovate
in shape, pure white in color, with little gloss, sparsely spotted about the larger
end, with fine dots of dark umber-brown and brownish-red; sizes .72x.53, .70x.52,
.69x.52 inches.

6326. ANTHONY'S VIREO. Tirrn Jmttmti nlmcuru* Anthony. Geog. Dist.— -
<• coast, from Oregon to Southern British Columbia, south in winter to Cali-
fornia.

This Vireo, which inhabits the Pacific coast region, is similar to V. 7». .v/r/»//r;w
in coloration. I have nothing pertaining to its nests and eggs which I can consider
;nitlii ntir. but more than likely they do not differ from those of Stephens's Vireo.

• nith. Ouh. IIT.

t Notes on a Collection of Birds' Nests and Eggs from Southern Arizona Territory

S. A. IT..... dings of the National Museum,

• > •' '••'• ' •:

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 425

633. BELL'S VIREO. Vireo bellii Aud. Geog. Dist. — Middle districts of the
United States, from Illinois and Iowa west to the eastern slope of the Rocky Moun-
tains, south in winter to Southern Mexico.

Bell's Vireo is a common bird in the interior districts of United States, as far
west as the Rocky Mountains. It breeds in a great portion of the Mississippi Valley,
from Dakota and Minnesota southward. Messrs. Keyes and Williams give it as a
common summer resident of Iowa, where it is perhaps the most familiar bird of its
genus. Here Mr. L. Jones informs me, it frequents the brush fringing the woods
or roadsides, where it attaches its nest to the twigs of the hazel bush. The height
of the breeding season is about the first week of June. The bird is an abundant
summer resident from Kansas to Southeastern Texas. In Kansas it begins laying
the last of May. Mr. Edwin C. Davis states that the favorite nesting places of this
species in Northern Texas are well shaded orchards and the north side of osage-
orange hedges. The nest seems to be the favorite receptacle for the eggs of the
Cowbird, and rarely is a nest found without one or more eggs of this parasite. Mr.
Davis observes that he has never found a young Cowbird in the Vireo's nest, which
suggests the probability that the eggs are disposed of by the parent birds in some
manner. The nest is a neat, cup-shaped structure, suspended by the brim in slender,
forked twigs of a bush or small tree. It is compact and smooth, made of fine bark
strips and strong, flax-like fibres of different plants, lined with fine grasses, feathers
and down, rootlets and hair. The usual number of eggs is four. According to Mr.
William Lloyd, this species rears two broods in a season in Western Texas, nesting
from May 1 to July 3, and the average clutch of eggs is six. He has taken sets of
five, six, and two of eight eggs each. They are white, sparingly dotted with dark
umber-brown around the larger end. Six eggs measure .69x.50, .70x.50, .70x.50, .72x
.51, .73x.50, .68x.47 inches.

633a. LEAST VIREO. Vireo bellii pusillus (Coues.) Geog. Dist. — Southern and
Central California, Lower California and Arizona.

This bird occurs in Arizona, chiefly its lower portion, and California, from Sac-
ramento to Cape St. Lucas. Its habits correspond closely with those of Bell's Vireo.
Mr. Scott found it common in the Catalina Mountains of Arizona, arriving about the
25th of March, and apparently mated at that time, as they proceed to build nests
and lay eggs, the latter commonly three in number. Nests from Arizona are de-
scribed as substantially like those of the former species. The eggs measure about
.69x.48, and are of crystalline whiteness, speckled with red and reddish-brown, the
markings being very minute and scarcely discernible in some cases, in others larger
and more distinct.

634. GRAY VIREO. Vireo vicinior Coues. Geog. Dist. — Northwestern Mexico,
Western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California.

A very limited number of specimens of the Arizona or Gray Vireo had been
procured since its discovery and description by Dr. Coues in 1866, and the species was
considered rare until Mr. W. E. D. Scott, in 1884, found it to be fairly abundant on
the mesas and foothills of the San Pedro slope of the Santa Catalina Mountains, in
Final county, Arizona. The limits of its distribution while breeding, were bctv/ccn
the altitudes of 2800 and 4000 feet, and the locality where it was found most abundant
is where the mesquites terminate and the oaks begin. The smooth, flat mesas, and
the broad, open bottoms of the wilder canon are quite as much frequented by il
the rough and broken hillsides. The bird is exceedingly active, rapidly

426 RS i v/> i:<;<;s OF

searching the limbs of trees and bushes for food, constantly uttering its clear
liquid song. It is rarely found higher up than fifteen feet in trees and bushes. Two
young males which had just left the nest were taken by Mr. Scott on May 26, and a
nest was discovered the same day and others were found at different dates till June
11. They were built in mesquites and thorn bushes ranging from four to seven
feet from the ground. One was attached at the rim for almost the entire circum-
ference, very much like a Red-eyed Vireo's nest, but here the resemblance ceases, for
it is not fastened to the many small twigs, on which it nests, that pass diagonally
downward, so that it is not even a semi-pensile structure. Others were found sit-
uated in upright V-shaped forks, with the rims partially attached to small twigs and
the bottom resting in the crotch— a Vireo's nest resting in a crotch and in no degree
pensile. The materials used in the composition were coarse dry grasses and shreds
of bark externally, while the inner portion is composed of fine, dry grasses arranged
in concentric layers. The nests found by Mr. Scott contained three and four eggs
each respectively. The one discovered on May 26 did not contain any eggs until
the 30th. This habit of sitting on a finished nest for a considerable time before
any eggs are laid he found to be characteristic of the Arizona Jay, .\itJictncnnni nirbirii
a (r, (see pages 262-263 of this work.) The eggs are rather rounded In their gen-
eral shape, rosy when fresh, dead white when blown, and rather sparsely spotted
with reddish and umber-brown spots, some chiefly at the larger end. Mr. Scott gives
the sizes of three eggs from a set of four as .77x.59, .78x.58, .75x.57, respectively;
another of three. .72x.53, .70x.65. .68x.53 inches.*

635. BAHAMA HONEY CHEEPER. Cocrcba ba-hamcn*i* Reich. GeOg.
Dist.— Bahamas, Florida Keys and adjacent coast of Southern Florida.

This littlo bird as its name indicates belongs to the Bahamas. It occurs in the
Florida Keys and strays to the adjacent portions of the southern coast of Florida
as far north as Charlotte Harbor. In the Bahamas it nests in April, May and June.
It builds in small trees or bushes, constructing a globular shaped nest with an en-
trance in one side. The structure is very large for so small a bird. Exteriorally it
is built of weed stems, dry grasses, and lined with finer and softer vegetable fibres.
The eggs are two to four in number, commonly four, are white, finely speckled with
reddish-brown, chiefly at the larger end; average size .60x.50 inches.

636. BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. Miiintiltti rnrin (Linn.) Geog.
Dist — Eastern North America, north to Fort Simpson, west to the Great Plains; in
winter Gulf States, West Indies, Central America and Northern South America.

The little Black-and-white Creeping Warbler, which climbs around the trunks
of trees and among their branches in the manner of a true Creeper, breeds through-
out its range, and winters from the southern border of the United States southward.
Nests usually in the latter part of May and in June, constructing a neat, compact
domicile of leaves, bark-strips, grasses, with a lining of hairs and hair-like roots.
The nest is built on the ground in woods, usually embedded in a depression, and built
on a foundation of decayed wood or leaves. It is generally placed undrr the shelter
of weeds, by the side of a stump, fallen log, or under a projecting stone on a hillside.
Thr rggs are usually five in numbr r. ami «-xhibit considerable variation in sizr and
markings, yet on tho whole the eggs have an individuality of their own which <-n-
onr to distinguish them from the eggs of any other Warbler. The typical <«KR

• F-v.r a detailed account of th. h:it>it ,i ,.KK* of this species see Mr. Scott's

art»« > '.ft Habit* of some Arizona Birds, in Th.- Auk. II. pp. n21-^2fi.

NORTH AMERICAN

427

* HONEY CREEPER, C. flaveola, similar in cut to C. bakamensis (From Brehm.)

of this species is white or creamy-white, speckled and spotted with chestnut and hazel,
generally in the form of a wreath around the larger end, although the rest of the
surface is not unspotted. A typical set measures .65x.51, .63x.51, .60x.50, .65x.49,
.64x.50; the average is .65x.55 inches.

637. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. Protonotaria citrea (Bodd.) Geog.
Dist. — Mississippi Valley and Gulf States north regularly as far as Iowa, Illinois,
Indiana, etc., casually to Wisconsin; rare or casual on the Atlantic Coast, north of
Georgia, south in winter to Cuba, Central America and Northern South America.

The vicinity of willow swamps, the borders of ponds and streams in the bottom
lands of the Mississippi Valley and Gulf States is the summer home of the Golden
Swamp Warbler. Messrs. Keyes and Williams record it as a summer resident of
Iowa and not uncommon, summer resident of Kansas; common in the eastern por-
tion. It is abundant in portions of Indian Territory and Texas. Prof. Evermann
notes the Prothonotary Warbler as a rare summer resident of Carroll county, Indiana.
It is a summer resident in Western Ohio, where it has been observed breeding. Mr.
William fcrewster found this species to be one of the most abundant and character-
istic birds of Southern Illinois and Southwestern Indiana. In his charming ac-
count* of its life-history he describes its song as resembling the note of the Solitary
Sandpiper, and its alarm note that of the Water Thrush. The typical nesting site,
he states, \vas the deserted hole of the Downy v Woodpecker or Carolina Chickadee.
The height varied from two to fifteen feet, though the usual elevation was about

* Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, III, pp. 153-162.

428 NESTS AND EGOS OF

four. If the cavity was old and broken out, or otherwise enlarged, it was far more
likely to be chosen than a neater and newer one close at hand. The stump selected
almost Invariably stood in or projected over water. When the hole was deep it was
usually filled up to within four or five inches of the entrance — the material being
moss, leaves and cypress twigs. Mr. O. C. Poling found this Warbler breeding in
almndancv in the latter half of May, 1887, in Western Illinois, about twenty miles
above Quincy, and obtained a large series of the eggs. These are four to seven in
number, usually six, sometimes five, rarely seven. Their shape is usually rounded-
oval of nearly equal size at both ends, some being nearly spherical, others much
elongated. The ground color is glossy creamy-white or buff, spotted, blotched and
dotted with rich chestnut red, in some the ground being almost obscured by the
markings. The sizes of a typical set taken by Mr. Poling are, ,73x.55, .73x.52, .73x52,
2, .72x.50; another set of six, taken May 21, .72x.57, .71x.56, .70x.58, .71x.64, .70x.59,
.72X.58.

638. SWAINSON'S WARBLER. Ihlinaia xirainsnnii Aud. Geog. Dist.—
Southeastern portion of the United States— from South Carolina to Florida and
Eastern Texas — northward in the Mississippi Valley to Southern Indiana (Knox
county). Jamaica in winter.

Until recently this was one of our rarest North American birds. Its nests and
eggs were first described by Mr. William Brewster from specimens collected by Ar-
thur T. Wayne, near Charleston, South Carolina, June 5 and 6, 1885.* Since that

many nests, eggs and skins of the bird ha've been taken by various collectors,
chiefly, however, by Mr. Wayne, T. D. Perry and George Noble, in the vicinity of
Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. From these collectors I gather
that the birds nests in wild shrubbery of swamps or pools of stagnant water, along
running streams, and on high, dry land at a considerable distance from water. The
nests are built in bushes, canes, palmettos, and clumps of vines from three to ten
feet above the ground or surface of the water. Mr. Perry observes that the birds

i in small colonies; two or more pairs are usually found nesting near one another.
He describes their song as being exactly like that of the Hooded Warbler — a low,
sweet call, consisting of a few notes. The nests are all essentially the same, being
made outwardly of leaves, placed ia layers, and lined with pine needles and fine,
fibrous roots. Three, rarely four, eggs are laid, and their color is a plain white,
with a faint, bluish tinge — the only eggs among our North American
Warbler which are unmarked. The eggs are deposited in May and June. Mr. Perry
has found nests containing egps slightly incubated as late as July 13. Two eggs

i May 13, 1885, measure .80x.60; two taken by Mr. Noble, May 16, 1887, .78x.57,
.77x.58.

639. WORM-EATING WARBLER, llrlmithcru* rcrmirorus (Omel.) Eastern
United States, north to Connecticut Valley, casually to Maine; west to Missouri,
Kansas, and Indian Territory; south in winter to Florida, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico,
Central America.

The Worm-r-ntii " Warbler breeds throughout Its United States range, which
extends as far west as Kansas and Nebraska. In some sections, however, it is only
an occasional or a raro summer visitor, while in others it breeds abundantly. It has
round brooding frerjuently in Southern Connecticut and various parts of South-
ern New England, in New York and Pennsylvania. This bird may be seen scratch-

• In "For " July 8, 188G.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 429

ing the leaves on the ground, or rustling in the leaves of a fallen tree in search of
worms and spiders. Sometimes while in the higher branches its actions are much
like those of a Vireo. In Ohio the Worm-eating Warbler is a rare summer resident.
It has been found breeding abundantly in Chester county, Pennsylvania, by Mr.
Thomas H. Jackson and Samuel B. Ladd, in the months of May, June and July. The
nest is usually built in a depression of the ground on a hillside, beneath a bush, beside
a fallen log, at the foot of a sapling or tree. It is, according to the observations of
Mr. Ladd and Mr. Jackson, likewise built on level ground in rather open places, with
little shelter from the sun. It is composed outwardly of leaves, and lined with hair-
like moss; sometimes fine grass and horse hair is part of the lining. The eggs are
four to six in number, usually five, and exhibit a great variation in size, shape and
parkings, some being faintly marked with light reddish spots, chiefly about the
larger end, while others are heavily blotched with lavender and rich chestnut. The
shape varies from equal ended to those that are quite pointed. A set containing the
smallest normal specimen, collected June 30, in a large series of eggs described
by Mr. Ladd, offers the following dimensions: ,64x.49, .64x.50, .65x.48, .64x.49; a set
of five taken June 6, measure .71x.57, .72x.58, .71x.58, .76x.57, .77x.55.

640. BACHMAN'S WABBLEB. Helminthophila bachmanii (Aud.) Geog.
Dist. — Coast of South Atlantic and Gulf States, from South Carolina to Louisiana.
Cuba in winter.

An extremely rare bird. Said to nest in low trees. Eggs four. One of a set
of four, taken April 30, and found in the collection made between the years 1853
and 1865 by the late Dr. S. W. Wilson in Georgia, is described by Mr. H. B. Bailey as
dull white; around the larger end is a wreath of dark brown, covering nearly one-
third of the egg; while a few obscure spots of lilac are scattered over the rest of the
surface. It has no resemblance to any Warbler's egg, and especially none of any
of this genus.* Size about .74x.60: Ridgw.

641. BLUE-WINGED WABBLEB. Helminthophila pinus (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern United States north to Connecticut and Southern New York, the
Great Lakes and Minnesota; south in winter to Eastern Mexico, Guatemala.

The Blue-winged Yellow Warbler breeds throughout its United States range,
chiefly, however, north of 40° latitude. Apparently it is not found in great abundance
wherever observed during the breeding season. Records are at hand of its breeding
in Southern Connecticut, New York, Southeastern Pennsylvania, Central Ohio, In-
diana and Southeastern Illinois. Colonel Goss gives it as a rare summer resident of
Kansas. It has probably been found breeding most abundantly in Southeastern
Pennsylvania by Isaac S. Reiff. The site generally selected for a breeding place in
that locality is a clump of blackberry bushes on the edge of a wood, and high ground
a short distance from water seems to be preferable. Nest building begins as early
as May 10, and nests were found containing young as early as June 3. The nest is
built on the ground in thickets; sometimes it is raised two or three inches above
the ground and hidden by tall grass or a cluster of small oak sprouts or vines. The
materials used in the construction of the nests were dry leaves, strips of wild grape
bark, becoming finer towards the inner part; the lining is of very fine grass. The
eggs are four or five in number, white, faintly^and sparsely speckled with burnt
umber and seal brown. The average size is .64x.51.

Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, VIII, P.

430 8 OF

642. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. Hclinintln>ithila rliriixojtttra (Linn.)
Geog. Dist.— Eastern United States and British Provinces; in winter south to Cuba,
Eastern Mexico and Central America.

The breeding range of this handsome Warbler is about the same as that of the
last, but it seems not to extend its range so far west in the summer months. It
has been found nesting in Georgia, North and South Carolina, and as far north as
Southern New England. Breeds in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and is a
rather common summer resident of Ohio. Mr. 0. C. Poling found the Blue Golden-
winged Warbler breeding in limited numbers in the bottom lands of Western Illinois,
along the Mississippi River. The birds seem to prefer low land covered with long
grass with here and there a bush or grove of trees. Swampy lands that skirt small
woods are its favorite resorts in Central Ohio. The nest is built on or near the
ground under tussocks of grass or bushes. All the nests found by Mr. Poling were
placed above the ground. The composition consists of leaves, vegetable roots,
sedges, and fine strips of bark, lined with fine grasses — on the whole the situation and
style of the nest is like that of the Maryland Yellow-throat. The eggs, four to six
in number, are white, speckled with burnt umber, chestnut and lilac-gray. The
average size is .62x.48 inches.

643. LUCY'S WARBLER. HrlminttntiihUa /I/CUF (Cooper.) Geog. Dist.— Val-
leys of the Colorado and Gila Rivers in Arizona and Southern California, south into
Sonora.

Major Bendire discovered the nest and eggs of this species near Tucson, Ari-
zona, May 19, 1872. The nest was built between the loose bark and the trunk of a
dead tree, a few feet from the ground, similar to that of the Brown Creeper. Mr. F.
Stephens found it abundant in the vicinity of Tucson in 1882. The birds frequented
the willows along the banks of streams, and like the Kinglets, spent much of their
time in searching for insects in the outer branches. Many nests and eggs were ex-
amined after May 8. These were variable, the characteristic place being like that
found by Major Bendire, but the nests were also built in deserted woodpecker's
excavations, knot-holes and all sorts of crevices. A brood of young was actually
taken from the deserted domicile of a Yellow-headed Titmouse. The eggs are three
or four in number, white, usually sparsely speckled with brown and black, chiefly
at the larger end. A set of four taken by Mr. Stephens is described by Mr. Brewster
as being handsomely wreathed about the larger ends with reddish-brown and umber
spots, a few of which are scattered over the general surface. Their sizes are .58x.46.
.68x.46, .62X.46, .60x.47.*

644. VIRGINIA'S WARBLER. H>li,iintti,>i>)iil(i rir<iini<r (Baird.) Geog.
Dist. — Chiefly the Rocky Mountain districts, north to Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and
Nevada; south into Central Mexico.

In some portions of the Rocky Mountain region this is an abundant species, as
in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. It frequents the shrubbery along creeks, wli-

•IB. A nest with eggs obtained by Prof. Ridgway, near Salt Lake, Utah, is <]p
Kcrihod as being embedded in the deposits of dead or decaying leaves, on ground cov-
ered by dense oak-brush. Its rim was Just even with the surface. It was built on
the aide of a narrow ravine, at the bottom of which was a small stream. It consists
of a loose but intricate interweaving of fine strips of the inner bark of the mountain
mahogany, fine stems of grasses, roots, and mosses, and is lined with the same with

Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club. VII, pp. 83-84.

NORTH ,u//-;/.'/ri.\

431

the addition of the fur and hair of the smaller animals. The eggs were four in num-
ber, and measured .64x.47 of an inch. They are of a rounded-ovoid shape, have a
white ground with a slightly roseate tinge, and are profusely spotted with numerous
small blotches and dots of purplish-brown and lilac, forming a crown around the
larger end.

645. NASHVILLE WARBLER. H clminthophila ruflcapilla (Wils.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern North America to the Plains, north to the Fur Countries, south
in winter to Eastern Mexico and Guatemala.

The Nashville Warbler breeds from the Northern United States northward to
Hudson Bay and interior British America. Throughout New England it is a com-
mon summer resident, breeding in any suitable locality in the latter part of May and
in June. At this season it may also be found in Michigan, Wisconsin, Northern
Illinois, etc. The nest is placed on the ground and is composed of leaves, bark
strips, sometimes almost entirely of pine needles, the lining being finer material of
the same with grasses and hair. Often the nest is embedded in the ground flush
with the surface, and it is usually hidden under a tussock of grass. The ground
color of the eggs varies from white to creamy-white, and are speckled with minute
dots over the surface, but chiefly at the larger end with reddish-brown, hazel and
lilac. They are three or four in number and have an average size of .64x.45 inches.

646. NEST OF ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. Photo by Walter Raine.

645a. CALAVERA'S WARBLER. Helminthopliila ruflcapilla gutturalii
Ridgw, Geog. Dist.— Pacific coast of North America, eastward during migrations
to the Rocky Mountains, northward to Kadiak, Alaska, and southward to Lower
California and Western Mexico.

This bird is very similar to the Nashville Warbler and its nests and eggs
probably identical.

432 NESTS AND EGGS OF

646. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. Htlmintliophila cclata (Say.) Geog.
Dist.— Northern North America, breeding in high latitudes, as in the Yukon and
Mackenzie River regions, southward into the Rocky Mountains. Winters in the
South Atlantic and Gulf States and Eastern Mexico, rare in the Northeastern States.

As mentioned in the above habitat the Orange-crowned Warbler breeds north
of the United States. Its nests and eggs were found by Mr. Kennicott, in the middle
of June, in the vicinity of Great Slave Lake. They were generally built on the
ground among clumps of bushes, often in the side of a bank, and usually hidden by
the dry leaves among which they were placed. They were large for the size of the
bird, and were composed almost entirely of long, coarse strips of bark, loosely in-
terwoven with a few dry grasses and plant stems. They were warmly lined with
hair and fur of small animals. The birds was found breeding near Fort Resolution
on the Yukon, at Fort Rae, and at Fort Anderson. The. eggs are white or creamy-
white, finely speckled, chiefly on the larger end, with reddish or chestnut-brown;
average size .64x.46.

646</. LUTESCENT WARBLER. Ihlminthophila celata lutescens (Ridgw.)
Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast region north to Kadiak, Alaska, south in winter to Lower
California and Western Mexico and eastward during the migrations to Colorado,
Arizona, etc.

The Lutescent Warbler breeds in the coast ranges of Southern California and
northward to Kadiak Island, Alaska. Mr. W. O. Emerson states that it may be seen
during the entire year in the vicinity of Haywards, California, where Dr. J. G. Cooper
took the first known nest. Mr. Emerson also informs me that Mr. A. M. Ingersoll has
collected large numbers of the nests and eggs of this bird in Alameda county, Cali-
fornia, The nest is built on the ground, often concealed by tall grass or bushes.
It is composed of dry grass, rootlets, moss and lined with a few horse hairs and fine
vegetable fibres. The eggs range from three to five in number, and vary from white
to dull creamy-white, finely speckled with lilac-gray and cinnamon-rufous, chiefly at
the larger ends. They are indistinguishable from those of the Orange-crowned
Warbler with an average size of .65x.46.

6466. DUSKY WARBLER. llclniiiitli(>i>liil<i crlnta wrdida Townsend. Geog.
Dist. — San Clemente, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands, California.

Very much similar to the preceding species. Its nest and eggs are no doubt
identical.

647. TENNESSEE WARBLER. //r/;/mi//,o/,//i/f/ />mv/n;ia (Wils.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern North America, breeding from Northern New England, Northern
New York and Minnesota northward into the Fur Countries; migrating through
Eastern I'D i u-cl States, chiefly west of the Alleghanies, as far west as the Rocky
Mountains; south through Mexico and Central America.

A nest of this bird was taken by Prof. Horsford, near Springfield, Massachusetts.

It Is described by Dr. Brewer as being built in a low clump of bushes, just above the

ground, and made of fine, vegetable fibres, grasses, mosses, etc., lined with hair.

pearly white, wreathed about the larger end with brown and purplish

markings, size .60x.50.

648. PARULA WARBLER. row//.s'o/// ////,/* umcrlmnn (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern United States and Canada; in winter Southern Florida, more Northern West

, Eastern Mexico and Northern Central America (Guatemala).

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 433

Better known as the Blue-yellow-backed Warbler. Breeds in suitable localities
throughout its United States range. It has been observed rearing its young in
various parts of Nebraska and Illinois, and its nest and eggs have been taken in
Missouri. Mr. Nehrling saw old birds feeding their young in July and August in
Southern Texas, and Colonel Goss makes note of the same fact occurring near
Neosha Falls, Kansas, in July, 1879. This species is a summer resident in Northern
Ohio, but not common. It seems to be more abundant during the breeding season
in the States bordering the Atlantic coast, especially from New Jersey northward.
The Parula Warbler loves to make its summer home midst swampy groves, whose
trees and bushes are draped in festoons of a long, light green moss, with fine, hair-
like filaments — the pendulous tree moss— the wswc«..of the botanists. In the bunches
of this thread-like lichen the Parula usually makes ijts nest with an entrance at one
side. "J. M. W.," (Mr. C. L..Rawson), who is well acquainted with the habits of
this species in New London county, Connecticut, says that the bird simply gathers
together the lower strands ot the nsnca, felting it with the same material, and the
nest is done. This very accurate naturalist and charming writer also observes that
at first sight the nest might indicate a greater degree of skill than the little archi-
tect possesses. Such is doubtless the case with the one represented in our illustra-
tion, which is a faithful picture of a specimen selected from five beautiful nests,
furnished by Mr. W. W. Worthington, of Shelter Island, New York, where the birds
breed abundantly. The nests are situated in low trees and bushes at heights rang-
ing from three to forty feet, usually from six to twelve feet. Mr. Worthington and
Mr. Griffing both found nests in the moss attached to the sides of the trunks of large
trees. Sometimes one or two horse hairs are woven into the nest, and occasionally
a piece of fine grass. In regions destitute of tree moss, in which this species can
make its nest, it frequently adapts itself to circumstances by nesting in the bunches
of dead leaves, caught on branches during freshets. Dr. C. Hart Merriam records
a nest of this kind taken near St. Louis, Missouri, June 8, 1885. Mr. William
Brewster makes note of an unusual nest of the Parula Warbler, which was made by
the birds and suspended by the upper edges to the drooping boughs of. a live hem-
lock. In general style of construction it closely resembles a wide-mouthed nest of
the Baltimore Oriole open at the top. It is composed entirely of usnca, closely
woven or felted with a scanty lining of fine grasses and pine needles. The breeding
season is in May, June and July. The usual number of eggs laid by this species is
four, sometimes five. Mr. Rawson and Mr. Worthington have both taken sets con-
taining seven, and one of that number taken by the former collector is in Mr.
Norris' cabinet, which contains thirty-nine sets of the eggs of this species. The
ground-color of the eggs is white or creamy-white, more or less glossy, and speckled
with reddish-brown, cinnamon-rufous, chestnut and in some gray tintings. Many
eggs are wreathed near the larger ends. Ten selected specimens before me offer the
following sizes: .62x.42, .67x.46, .64x.*6, .65x.47, .65x.45, ,69x.48, .67x.47, .69x.43, .70x
.45, .66x.46.

648o. NORTHERN FARTJLA WARBLER. Compsotlilypis americana usnca;
Brewster. Geog. Dist— New England New York and westward along the northern
tier of States, and northward into the Maritime Provinces and Ontario, migrating
southward beyond the United States.

So far as the nesting, eggs and general habits of this subspecies are concerned
they are substantially the same as those described under C. americana; many of the
references in the text refer to the present bird.

29

434

NB8T8 AND EQO8 OF

BMP
v

64te. NORTHERN PARULA or BLUK-YKLLOW-BACKKD WARBLER AND NEST.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 435

649. BENNETT'S WABBLEB. Compsothlypia niyrilora (Coues.) Geog. Dial.—
Valley of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas.

This is a common species at various localities on the Lower Rio Grande in Texas.
It was observed by Dr. Merrill to be quite common at Brownsville, and also by Mr.
George B. Sennett at Lomita. Mr. Sennett states that it is truly a bird of the forest,
where it delights to flit about in the upper branches of the tallest trees continuously
warbling its clear song, which is readily distinguished from that of all other birds.
On May 17 a nest containing one egg was found; it was made in a gray mistletoe-like
orchid, an air-plant very common on the Rio Grande, which establishes itself on
the small branches of trees and varies in size up to eight or ten inches in diameter.
This one is six inches long by four and one-half inches wide, quite firm in texture,
and was fastened some ten feet from the ground, to the end of a drooping branch of
a brazil tree in open woodland. The nest is constructed by simply parting the gray
leaves of the orchid, and digging into its center from the side, a cavity some two
inches in diameter being made with an opening one and one-quarter inches. The
birds evidently build also in the hanging trusses of Spanish moss so abundant
everywhere, as a nest was found by Dr. Merrill, July 5, 1877, in a small bunch of
moss about eight feet from the ground. The single egg is described by Mr. Sennett
as similar to that of C. americana; its spots of lilac and brown forming a broad in-
compact band near the larger end, and the entire surface is sparingly marked with
the same colors on a dull white ground; size .67x.46 inches.

650. CAPE MAY WABBLEB. Dendroica tigrina (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern North America, north to Hudson Bay, Lake Winnipeg, etc. Breeds from North-
ern New England northward, also in Jamaica; winters in Greater Antilles.

Not a common bird wherever found in Eastern North America, except in re-
stricted areas during the migrations, when great numbers are seen in a day. Some
years, in certain localities it is more frequently observed than at other times.
Forests of evergreens are its favorite resorts. It is known
to 'breed in Northern New England and northward. A
nest with eggs taken by James W. Banks near St. John,
N. B., is described by Mr. Montague Chamberlain. The
nest was hidden in a cluster of low cedars, growing in an
exposed position on a rather open hillside; it was placed
less than three feet from the ground, and within six
inches of the tips of the branches amidst the densest part
of the foliage, and well screened from observation. June

13 the nest was completed and contained two eggs, and on the 16th four eggs. The
nest somewhat resembles that of the Magnolia Warbler, D. maculosa, being composed
of minute twigs of dry spruce, grasses, with spider's webs interwoven. The lining
is composed entirely of horse hair laid with precision, and shaped into a prettily
formed cup, the brim being turned with exquisite grace. The eggs of this species are
described as dull or buffy-white, or grayish, speckled or spotted round the larger
end with dark brown or reddish-brown and lilac-gray, sometimes a few specks of
blackish are scattered over the greater part of the surface. The ground-color of
the eggs belonging to the nest just described, is dull white like that of the Mag-
nolia's; their sizes .69x.49, .65x.49, .66x.49, .66x.48. The average is .68x.49 inches.

436 TO i v/» BOOB or

651. OLIVE WARBLER. Ihmlrnlm nlirntra (Gi-
raud.) Geog. Dist.— Highlands of Guatemala and Mexico,
north to Southern New Mexico and Mt. Graham, Arizona.

A curious Mexican Warbler known to inhabit Arizona
and as far north as southern New Mexico, chiefly in the
mountainous portions. Its habits are described as being
similar to those of the Pine Warbler, />. n.woxi. its
661. OLIVE WARRLES. nests and eggs remain undescribed.

652. YELLOW WARBLER, ncinlrnira n-xtim (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— North
America at large, except the southwestern part.

Known by several names, such as Summer Warbler, Summer Yellow-bird, Blue-
eyed Yellow Warbler and Golden Warbler. An abundant bird everywhere through-
out its range, in woodland, orchards, parks and gardens. Nests in fruit or shade
trees, low shrubbery and brushwood. Sometimes the nest is built at heights rang-
ing from ten to forty feet in large trees, but their favorite nesting places are hedges
and low bushes. The nest is usually skillfully fastened to several small twigs, and
is a neat, compact, cup-shaped structure, made of grayish, hempen fibres, slender
stems of plants and leaves, lined with soft plant down and feathers. The Cowbird
makes the nest of this Warbler a favorite receptacle for depositing her eggs. In
United States the Yellow Warbler begins nest building about the first of May. The
eggs are four or five in number. They have a greenish-white or even a decided green
ground-color, spotted, usually in a wreath around the larger end, witfi umber-
brown, blackish and lilac-gray. They vary in size from .62 to .70 long by .48 to .53
broad. A common size is .67x.47 inches.

Q52n. SONORA YELLOW WARBLER. Dtinlrnii-n trstira somtrtina Brewster.
Geog. Dist.— Southern Arizona to Western Texas and Northwestern Mexico.

Very similar to 7). frstira, but with the underparts of the male more faintly and
sparsely streaked, etc.* Nests and eggs identical with those of the preceding.

652ft. ALASKAN YELLOW WARBLER. Hrntlrmai irxtira ruhiiiinimn (Pall.)
Geog. Dist. — Alaska and British Columbia, southward through western United States
in migration.

From a careful examination of a series of 'Yellow Warblers in the IT. S. National
Museum by Harry C. Oberholser, the existence of a well-defined geographical race
has been discovered. Its nesting and eggs no doubt, and its general habits are
similar to those of the typical />. u-ntiva.

653. MANGROVE WARBLER, hnulrnirn hrivniti mxlnm i<-< IM Ilidgw. Geog.
Dist. — Western Mexico and southern part of Lower California.

This race breeds in Western Mexico and on Capo St. Lucas. Lower California,
but the eggs are unknown. They are probably very similar to those of />. </•*// ni.

654. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, nrmlmim ,„ nihsr, >i* K'.mnl.)
Dist.— Eastern North America to the Great Plains; breeding from tin- northern ami
more elevated portions of Eastern United States northward: in winter. Florida and
West Indies.

\uk. V.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 437

In most of the Eastern United States this beautiful Warbler is known only as a
spring and fall migrant. It has been observed breeding in Northern New England,
New York and in Ontario. The Rev. C. M. Jones found it breeding at Eastford!
Connecticut, in deep, swampy woods, which the birds seem to make their favorite
resorts. Four nests were discovered placed in laurel bushes, from five to about
eighteen inches above the ground. They were composed of dry grape vine bark,
twigs and roots, and partially covered on the outside with
the woolly substance of cocoons; the lining was of fine
black roots and 'hair, and they contained four eggs re-
spectively. These nests were found in the first half of
June. Mr. William L. Kells found the Black-throated
Blue Warbler breeding in the thick underbrush of the
high timber land, near Listowel, Ontario, in June, and on
the 5th of that month, 1886, discovered a compactly built \KEES!™

nest of this species in a small maple. On the 9th it contained three eggs of the
Warbler and one of the Cowbird. Another nest found placed in a small leafy
shrub at the edge of a thicket contained three young of D. cccrulescens and one
young Cowbird. Mr. Egbert Bagg and Dr. William M. Ralph found this Warbler
nesting in swampy and heavily timbered woods, thickly overgrown with brush, near
Holland Patent, New York. Four nests were taken between May 29 and June 14,
1886; they were built in the upright *orks of little maple bushes, from nine inches
to two feet above the ground. The sizes of two sets of four eggs each are given as
follows: .66x.50, .66x.51, .64x.51, .64x.51; .75x.54, .72x.55, .76x.54, .72x.52. The eggs
are buffy-white or greenish-white, more or less heavily blotched with pinkish-brown,
reddish-brown, of varying shades; some specimens in general shape and appearance
resemble the eggs of the American Redstart, being marked with chestnut and
hazel, chiefly at the larger ends.

9

654a. CAIRN'S WARBLER. Dendroica cccrulescens cairnsi Coues. Geog.
Dist. — Higher parts of the Alleghanies, from Virginia to Georgia.

The general habits, nesting and eggs of this subspecies are identical with those
of the preceding species.

655. MYRTLE WARBLER. Dendroica coronata (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Entire
of North America, rare west of the Rocky Mountains, except on the Pacific coast,
where more or less common. Breeds from Northern United States northward.
Winters from the Middle States and Ohio Valley (40°) southward to West Indies and
Panama. Breeds also in Jamaica.

The Yellow-crowned or Yellow-rumped Warbler is a common and well-known
species in Eastern United States, breeding from the northern portions northward in
May, June and July. Breeds abundantly in the coniferous forests of Maine, New
Hampshire and Vermont. In Central and Northern Ohio it is a rather common
breeder. Dr. Howard E. Jones has several times found it nesting in Pickaway
county, and has observed it in the extreme southern portions cf the State in July.
In the vicinity of Listowel, Ontario, Mr. W. L. Kells met with this species breeding
in swampy woodland, in company with the American Redstart, Blach-and-white
Warbler, Chestnut-sided and Bay-breasted Warblers. The Myrtle Warbler spends
most of its time in the higher branches of trees searching for food, but builds its
nest down on the lower branches, preferedly in pine, hemlock, spruce and other
coniferous trees; the height of the nest from the ground is seldom more than eight

438

EOGB

^

855. MYRTLE WARBLER (E. S. Cheney del).

5

or ten feet, usually four or five. The locality in which Mr. Kells found this species
breeding was woods of black ash, intermingled with balsams and cedars. The nest
is composed of soft vegetable fibres, with a few grass stems for a lining; in some
there is a lining of feathers when they are obtainable. The eggs are four or five,
usually four, in number, and vary from creamy-white to dull white, speckled and
spotted, and frequently blotched, generally in wreaths near the larger ends, with
various shades of reddish-brown and lilac gray. The sizes of a set containing the
largest eggs in a series in Mr. Norris' collection are .70x.54, .69x.54, .72x.55; these
were taken at Grand Manan, New Brunswick, June 24, 1878. A set of four exhibiting
the smallest sizes was taken by Mr. William Brewster at Lake Umbagog, Maine,
June 11, 1876. These measure .64x.51, .64x.49, .66x.50, .66x.50, respectively.

656. AUDUBON'S WARBLER, in-mlmim <n«li<1><,>ii (Towns.) Geog. Dist.—
Western North America, east to the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, north to
British Columbia; south in winter to Guatemala. Accidental in Massachusetts.

ibon'H Warblrr looks like the last species ex« jit that its throat Is y Mow
Instead of white. An abundant species in all suitable places throughout the west.
Mr. Srott found it nesting at Twin Lakes, Colorado, and Mr. D. H. Minot notes it as
a summer resident in the region about Boulder, where the
bird prefers high willow swamps and spruce timber. He
found nests June 24, at Seven Lakes. Mr. Frank M. Drew
gives it as an abundant n-siclmt in San Juan county. Cnlo-
rado. Dr. Merrill states that it breeds rather abundantly
in the Big Horn Mountains, Montana. Mr. H. W. Henshaw
states that Audubon's Warbler breeds abundantly through-
out the pine woods of the mountains about Santa Fe, New

Mexico. Mr. A. W. Anthony says that a few breed in the
AUDUBOM'S WARBLER

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 43g

more elevated parts of Washington county, Oregon. The neats of this species are
situated at various heights, ranging all the way from three to thirty feet, and usu-
ally on the outer branches of pine or spruce trees. Their composition is fine strips
of bark, grass, small stems of the sage bush, pine needles, etc., lined with fine roots,
hairs and feathers. The eggs are usually four in number, sometimes five. Some'
specimens are somewhat like the common type of the Yellow Warbler's, being
greenish-white, marked chiefly about the crown with olive-brown. The ground
color, however, varies from dull olivaceous-white to pale green or even pale blue,
and the markings are usually blackish-brown and lilac-gray; average size .67x.52.

657. MAGNOLIA WABBLEB. Dendroica maculosa (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.

Eastern North America as far west as base of Rocky Mountains. Breeds from north-
ern parts of New England, New York, and Michigan northward to about Hudson Bay.
In winter, Bahamas, Cuba and Central America.

An elegant little bird, and perhaps better known as the Black-and-yellow Warb-
ler. Breeds commonly in Northern New England, New York, Michigan and north-
ward. Not an abundant summer resident in Northeastern Ohio. Accounts of this
species nesting in New Hampshire and Maine have been given by Mr. William
Brewster, Ruthven Deane, C. J. Maynard and others. It was found breeding quite
abundantly on Grand Manan by Mr. Charles H. Andros.
The time of laying for this species is usually in the first
half of June. According to Mr. Brewster it is found
everywhere common throughout the White Mountains of
New Hampshire.* Its favorite resorts are little clumps of
fir and spruce shrubs, also willow thickets near streams
and 'ponds and damp places. Its gay colors and
sprightly song will at once attract the attention of even
the casual observer. The nest is usually placed in the 657. MAGNOLIA WARBLER
horizontal twigs of a fir or spruce at heights ranging from

five to six feet, four being the average elevation, and the favorite localities are the
edges or wood-paths, clearings or roads bordered by woods. Sometimes the nests are
built in the tops of young hemlocks ten to fifteen feet up, or in the heart of the forest,
thirty-five feet above the ground. The nest Mr. Brewster states is loosely put to-
gether, of fine twigs, preferedly hemlock, coarse grasses, dry weed stalks; the lining
is fine black roots, closely resembling horse hair. In general style it approaches
more nearly the nest of the Chestnut-sided Warbler. The eggs are four in number,
very rarely five. A series of forty-three sets of the eggs of this species is in Mr.
Norris' cabinet. The ground color of the specimens is usually creamy-white, spotted
and blotched with various shades of reddish-brown, hazel and chestnut. The mark-
ings are generally large and well defined and often form wreaths about the larger
ends; again the ground-color of the eggs will be almost wholly obscured by in-
numerable fine specks. The sizes of two sets containing the smallest and largest
eggs are as follows: .56x.48, .59x.48, .59x.45, .56x.47; .70x.49, .68x.47, .70x.49, .68x.49.

658. CEBULEAN WABBLEB. Dendroica ccerulea (Wils.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern United States (west of the Alleghanies) and Southern Canada, east to Central New
York; south in winter to Cuba and northern portions of South America.

> A beautiful little sky-blue feathered creature, and well named Azure Warbler.
Its home is in the top branches of trees in sylvan groves, where it may be seen

* Bull. Nutt. Ornlth Club, II, pp. 1-7.

440 S OF

sometimes in numbers, flitting about in search of insect food, and uttering its pe-
culiar syllables which sound Hi > i>. It is not strange that the nest
of this species has been so seldom discovered, even where the bird is very abundant
during the breeding season. The nest is built in the higher horizontal branches of
forest trees, always at some distance from the trunk, and ranging from twenty to
fifty feet above the ground. The Blue or Cerulean Warbler is an abundant summer
resident in Central Ohio, where it prefers damp woods for nesting. Mr. J. A. Allen
describes a nest and lour eggs which were taken in Monroe county, New York, June
7, 1878. The nest was placed in the forks of a small ash, about twenty-five feet from
the ground. One taken near Drummondsville, Ontario, near Niagara Falls, and de-
scribed by Dr. Brewer, was built in a large oak tree, fifty feet from the ground. This
and another nest containing four eggs taken by Mr. Wm. Bryant at Mount Carmel,
Illinois, May 16, 1878, are in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Mr. Allen states
that the Mount Carmel nest was also placed at an elevation of twenty-five feet.*
Prof. Evermann gives the Cerulean Warbler as a common summer resident of Car-
roll county, Indiana. Mr. J. L. Davidson secured two nests of this species with eggs:
in Niagara county, New York, on June 8 and 23, 1888. They were built in small
basswood trees, about twenty feet above the ground. On June 30 another nest was
discovered, but was too high and inaccessible. Two broods were observed in July
in the same woods. The nests are compactly made of fine, dry grasses, bound to-
gether with spiders' silk to which are attached pieces of whitish lichen; the lining is
strips of bark and fine grass. The eggs are bluish-white or greenish-white, speckled
with reddish-brown and lilac, chiefly at the larger end, and often in the form of a
wreath. Mr. Davidson gives the measurements of two specimens that were saved out
of the first nest, as .70x.52, .71x.52. The second nest contained three eggs of the
Warbler and one of the Cowbird; sizes, .64x.50, .63x.49, .64x.50.

859. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. Ih-mlrnim t,> n*ulr«ni<-<i (Linn.) Geog.
Dist.— Eastern United States and Canada. Breeds north of 40° except in higher
mountain ranges. In winter, south to Bahamas, Eastern Mexico, and Central
America to Panama.

This well-known Warbler breeds abundantly in the Middle and Northern States
within its range. Mr. Mcllwraith gives it as a common resident of Ontario, breeding
in suitable places near Hamilton and throughout the country, raising two broods in
a season. Breeds, but not commonly, in Central Ohio, more
abundant in the northern portion. Nests in the latter part
of May and in June. The nest is commonly built in a low
bush, shrub or sapling from two to eight feet above tho
ground. The situations chosen are the "scrub-lands" or
open woods in low grounds, with a growth of bushes, vines,
etc. The nest is generally coarser than the Yellow Warb-
ler's, and contains fewer woolly materials. It is composed
WARBLER.* of narrow strips of thin bark or dried grasses, mixed with

plant-down, fine bleached grasses, and lined with hair. The

eggs are four, rarely five, in number, and vary from clear-white to creamy-white
in tri : with rusty-brown and chestnut, often tinged with lilac-

"\ MI tli< lamer end. where they frequently form wreaths. A set of four
offers the ml lowing sizes: .68x.50, .65x.47, .67x.49, .68x.49; average .68x.50. Eggs
of the Cowbird are commonly found in nests of this species.

• Bull. Nutt. Ornith. <Mul.. IV. pp. 25-27.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 441

660. BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. Dendrmra i-nxtnm-n (Wils.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern North America. Breeds from Northern New England and Northern
Michigan northward to Hudson Bay; south in winter through Eastern Mexico and
Central America.

The Bay-Breasted Warbler is known to breed from Northern New England and
Northern Michigan northward. Mr. William L. Kells found it breeding in the
vicinity of Listowel, Ontario, in low, swampy woods, where there is a mixture of
evergreens, ash, birch, elm and other trees. The nests are compact, cup-shaped
structures, usually placed in coniferous trees from five to fifteen or even twenty
feet above the ground. Mr. Kells found a nest placed between a slender limb and
the trunk of a small cedar about five feet up; another was found in a hemlock at an
elevation of fourteen feet. The nest is composed of fine shreds of bark, small twigs,
fibrous roots and pine hair; the interior is a little more than two inches in diameter
by one in depth. The eggs are deposited in the latter half of May or first half of
June. Four is the usual number laid; they are white, with a bluish tinge, finely
speckled on or round the larger end with reddish-brown; average size .70x.50 inches.

661. BLACK-POLL WARBLER. Dendroica striata (Forst.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern and Northern North America, breeding from Northern New England, Lab-
rador, etc., to coast of Alaska (north of the Alaskan Peninsula) and to the Arctic
Ocean; accidental in Greenland. In winter, south to Bahamas, Cuba and Northern
South America.

In the United States the Black-poll Warbler is known as a spring and fall
migrant, except in Northern New England, where a few pair remain to breed. Its
breeding grounds are from thence northward into the
Arctic regions. The nests are usually built in the month
of June, and are placed in low, thick spruce trees about
eight feet from the ground. They are made of small v— «^i

twigs, lichens, slender rootlets, sedges, and lined with J

feathers. The eggs are four or five in number and have '

an average size of .74x.52 inches. In shape they vary
from ovate to elongate-ovate, and the ground-color varies

„ ,. , , 661. BLACK-POLL WARBLER.

from white to creamy and buff, and occasionally a light

shade of greenish-white is found. They are speckled, spotted and blotched with

various shades of reddish-brown and frequently lilac-gray. Occasionally a set shows

such small specks all over the surface as to almost obscure the ground-color. The

markings are always much heavier at the larger ends, but they rarely form

wreaths,

662. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. Dendroica blacJcburnicF (Gmel.) Geog.
Dist.— Eastern North America to the Great Plains, casually to Utah and New Mexico.
Breeds from Northern United States northward. South in winter to the Bahamas,
Central America and Northern South America.

A lovely Warbler, with throat and chest of intense orange yellow. Breeds from
the northern States northward, occurring as it does in most of the United States as
a spring and fall migrant. Its nests and eggs have been taken in Massachusetts
and other more northern New England States. x Dr. C. Hart Merriam found a pair of
these birds breeding in a grove of large white pines in Lewis county, New York.
In the latter part of May, the female was observed building, and on June 2
the nest contained four fresh eggs of the Warbler and one of the Cowbirtf The nest

442 NEST* \M> 000fi "/

was saddled on the horizontal limb about eight feet from the ground and about ten
feet from the trunk. Blackburn's Warbler has been found breeding in Southern
Michigan, where nests have been taken in pine trees at an elevation of forty feet
In all cases the nests are placed high in hemlocks or pines, which are the bird's
favorite resorts. Mr.^J. W. Preston met with the Blackburnian Warbler breeding in
the hemlock and spruce regions of Northern Minnesota. One nest was found placed
against the trunk and upon a small branch which grew from the tree at a height of
twenty feet; another was built in the fork of a horizontal branch near the end, five
feet from the trunk and thirty feet from the ground. One nest contained two, the
other three eggs, and in each was a Cowbird's egg. From all accounts the nests of
this species are elegantly and compactly made, consisting of a densely woven mass
of spruce twigs, soft vegetable down, rootlets and fine shreds of bark; the lining is
often intermixed with horse hairs and feathers. The full complement of eggs is
four, and they are described as greenish-white or very pale bluish-green, speckled
or spotted, chiefly around the larger end, with brown or reddish-brown and lilac-
gray; average size .69x.50. The sizes of the set taken by Dr. Merriam are .69x.50,
.TOx.45, .71x.49, .69x.50, respectively.

663. YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER. Dciulrnicn dominiwi (Linn.) Geog.
Dist.— South Atlantic States north along the sea coast regularly to Maryland; casu-
ally to New York, Massachusetts, etc., south to the West Indies.

The Yellow-throated Warbler breeds commonly in the South Atlantic States, in
some portions of which it is resident throughout the year. The nest is placed on
branches of pine trees, usually at a considerable elevation. It is also not infrequently
built in the pendulous tufts of Spanish moss, which
grows abundantly on the live oaks and other trees. Mr.
William Brewster found a nest of this species in Cam-
den county, Georgia, May 2, which was placed at a height
of thirty-five feet from the ground, on the stout, hori-
zontal branch of a Southern pine, in a thinly scattered
grove. The nest was set flatly on the limb — not saddled
to it — nearly midway between the juncture with the main

YBLLOW-THROATED trunk and the extremity of the twigs, and was attached
to the rough bark by silky fibres. It is composed of short

twigs, strips of bark, bound together with Spanish moss and silky down; the lining
is soft, hair-like vegetable down. Mr. Arthur T. Wayne obtained nests and eggs
of this Warbler in the mixed woods near Charleston, South Carolina. The nests were
found built in the tufts of tree moss, and lined with feathers. The heights range
from thirty to about forty feet above the ground. Mr. R. B. McLaughlin found, on
Jim*' 4, a nest of this species built close to the main body of a small pine tree, in
woods near Statesville, North Carolina. The nest rested on a short, dead twig,
nineteen feet from the ground. It contained three young birds and one egg. The
egg* are three or four in number, rarely five. They are of a dull greenish or grayish-
white, spotted with various shades of brown and lavender-gray almost entirely near
the larger ends; in some specimens they form wreaths about the crown. This bird
deposits its eggs early, usually in the first part of April. The average size of ton
is .74x.53.

663a. SYCAMORE WARBLER. I)r),<irni«, .l.nninim nUmlnra Ridgw. Geog.
Dist.— Mississippi Valley, west to the Plains, north to Lake Erie and Southern Michi-
gan, and east to Western North Carolina; in winter south to southern Mexico, Hon-
duras, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 443

This is precisely like the last species, but the superciliary stripe is entirely
white and the chin cut off from the bill by white. This subspecies breeds in Ohio.
It is, I believe, well named, for the majority of specimens I have taken were In
sycamore trees. A nest containing four eggs was found by Mr. L. C. Horton near
Mt. Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, June 28, 1897. The female was shot and it, with the
nest and eggs are in Mr. Horton's collection. The nest was placed on a horizontal
branch in an elm tree twenty feet from the ground, a short distance from water,
it is composed of fine shreds of vegetable material, intermingled with short, slender
twigs as the base. The eggs measure respectively as follows: .63x.52, .63x.50, .69x.53,
.71x.53 inches. They have the same coloration as the eggs of the Yellow-throated
species, D. dominica.

664. GRACE'S WABBLEB. Dendroica gracice Baird. Geog. Dist.— Southern
New Mexico and Arizona, and southward into Sonora.

This Warbler was dedicated by the late Prof. Spenser F. Baird in honor of Miss
Grace D. Coues, sister of the eminent naturalist and scientist, Dr. Elliott Coues.
The nesting and eggs of this species are identical with those of D. dominica, but its
eggs will not be found numerous in collections.

665. BLACK-THBOATED GBAY WABBLEB. Dendroica nigrescens (Towns.)
Geog. Dist. — Western United States, north to Colorado and Oregon, and British Co-
lumbia, west to the Cascades; south in winter into Mexico, etc.

Mr. A. W. Anthony gives this species as a summer resident of Washington
county, Oregon, where it frequents the thick firs. In the breeding season it is
quite shy and retired, inhabiting the younger growth of firs
and dense thickets of alder and willows. The eggs are
four in number. The extensive cabinet of Mr. J. Parker
Norris contains a set of four eggs of this Warbler, which
was taken in Polk county, Oregon. The nest was situated
in a fir tree twenty feet from the ground, and is composed of
fine grasses, profusely lined with feathers. The eggs are
pinkish-white, spotted with cinnamon-rufous and lilac-gray. 666 BLA^K_THROATED
The markings are nearly all at the larger ends. They GRAY WARBLER.

measure .67x.51, .71x.54, .71x.54, ,68x.53 inches. Mr. C. Barlow has kindly sent me
for inspection a nest containing four eggs of this Warbler which were taken near
Lakeport, Lake county, California, by Corydon Chamberlain, an account of which
was read in a paper before the Cooper Ornithological Club. A description was pub-
lished in "The Nidologist" for September, 1895. On the 5th of May the nest was
found compactly put together, symmetrically lined with fine hair of quadrupeds; ex-
ternal width three and one-third inches, external depth two inches. The nest was
found in a small clump of manzanitas, about four feet from the ground. The eggs
are white, dotted with reddish-brown and purple, chiefly about the larger end,
where the dots are frequently confluent, and also form small blotches. Their sizes
are as follows: .65x.52, ,66x.52, .65x.51, .66x.51 inches.

666. GOLDEN-CHEEKED WABBLEB. Dendroica chrysoparia Scl. & Salv.
Geog. Dist. — Central Texas and southward to Guatemala.

So far as I am aware all the nests and eggs of this rare Warbler that are in
various cabinets have been collected in Comal county, Texas. Mr. Wm. Brewster
describes specimens of its nests and eggs taken by Mr. W. H. Werner in that region

444 rfl l.\/> EGGS OF

in the month of May, 1878. The birds were found invariably in cedar timber. Four
nests were discovered, all of which were similar in construction, being built in the
forks of perpendicular limbs of the ,/j/;//></-//\ rir<iinian<i. from ten to eighteen feet
from the ground. They were composed of the inner bark of this tree interwoven
!>s, in color resembling the bark of the tree in which they were built,
making them difficult to detect. The interior is lined with hair and feathers. The
nest resembles the average nest of the Black-throated Green Warbler, but is larger.
Mr. G. B. Benners met with this species breeding in Comal county, Texas, in April,
1884. The nests were placed in cedars from five to ten feet above the ground and
similar in materials and construction to those found by Mr. Werner, being neatly
and compactly built. The cavity of a typical nest measures about 1.50 to 1.60 across
by 1.50 to 2.00 inches deep. The eggs are four, rarely five in number. The eggs have a
ground-color of creamy-white, with a slight gloss, speckled and spotted with shades
of red and brown that vary from a cinnamon-rufous to burnt umber. Some eggs
have specks of lilac-gray. The measurements of three eggs taken by Mr. Werner
are given as .75x.57, .77x.56, ,76x.58 inches.

667. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. Dcndroica vircns (Gmel.)
Geog. Dist.— Eastern North America, west to the Great Plains, breeding from North-
ern United States northward. In winter, south through Eastern Mexico and Central
America to Panama; also to the West Indies. Casual in Greenland.

The Black-throated Green Warbler breeds from the Northern United States
northward— wherever there are tracts of coniferous trees the bird is almost sure to
be found during the breeding season, which is generally in the latter part of May
or in June. Throughout the pine regions of New England it is an abundant species.
Breeds in New York, Michigan and it is also stated to breed in Northern Illinois.
A few pairs are said to remain during the summer months in Northern Ohio. The
nest of this Warbler is placed in the fork of a horizontal bough of a coniferous tree,
usually at a considerable height — thirty to fifty feet, but frequently as low down as
fifteen or even five feet above the ground. Mr. L. C. Holmes, of Standish, Maine,
states that all the nests he has found were in low, scrubby firs. The typical nest is a
compact, well-woven fabric made of thin bark strips, twigs, dry grasses, wool and
feathers, lined with hair and vegetable down. The eggs are four in number, ami
have a ground-color which ranges from white to buffy or creamy-white. The mark-
ings are specks and spots of cinnamon-rufous, chestnut, and lilac-gray, forming in-
distinct wreaths about the large ends. The average measurement of four single
eggs is .61x.50 inches.

668. TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, hnnlmlm tmnixnnli (Towns.) Geog.
Dlst. — Western North America (but chiefly near the Pacific coast), north to Sitka.
east during the migrations to the Rocky Mountain region; south in winter to North-

it tral America.

Townsend's Warbler is well known as a Pacific coast species. It inhabits the
pine regions, nesting similar to /». riniis in coniferous trees. The eggs are dcsrribrd
as huffy-white, speckled and spotted with reddish-brown, blackish and lilac-gray;
average size, .64x.53 inches.

669. HERMIT WARBLER. Hi inlrnii-n '>«i,I< iitalix (Towns.) Geog. Dist. —
••rn United States chU-fly nrar the Pacific coast, east during migrations to the
Rorky Mountains; south in winter to Northern Central America.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

445

Sv/Cr*

-<?\Q i^V

£tt3s3&&.

U67. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (From Brehm.)

Two nests of the Western Warbler were found by C. A. Allen during the season
of 1886, in Blue Canon, California. The first contained two eggs June 4, and was
left for a full set. Three days after it was found in a dilapidated condition and the
eggs destroyed, evidently the work of squirrels. The eggs, however, are described as
resembling those of the Yellow Warbler, D. (estiva, but were more heavily marked.
Another nest was found June 7, containing three young birds and one was found seven
or eight years previous also containing three young. These nests were all similarly
placed and well concealed in "pitch pines" from twenty-five to forty feet above- the
ground on thick, scraggy limbs, and very difficult to find. The cavity of the nest
taken June 7, 1886, measures 1.25 deep by 2.50 across; external diameter 4.50 by 2.00
in depth. It was composed of fibrous stalks of plants, fine dead twigs, lichens, a little
cotton twine, and is lined with soft inner bark and hair. Major Bendire had what he
believed to be a set of the eggs of this Warbler taken at Big Meadows, Oregon, on the
banks of the Des Chutes River near its head waters, June 12, 1882. The nest was
placed in the crotch of a willow overhanging the water, and the parent was shot but
fell into the water and was carried away. The eggs are described as being about the
size of those of D. vstim, and resemble the eggs of D. blackburniw, with the exception
of the ground-color, the green of which is not as perceptible as in the eggs of black-
burnicc. They have a faint grayish-green ground, two of them heavily spotted with
lilac and dark umber-brown.*

670. KIRTLANP'S WARBLER. Dendroica kirtlandi Baird. Geog. Dist—
Eastern United States, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Bahamas in winter.

Outside of the description of the plumage here is about all we know concerning

* Cf. Brewster, The Auk, IV; pp.' 166-167.

446 NESTS AND EGC* 01

Kirtland's Warbler: Mr. H. A. Purdie (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, IV, 1879, p. 185), records
the last capture of a specimen, and enumerates the examples previously known, as
follows: Mr. Adolphe B. Covert, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, shot a female of this much
desired warbler, his second capture of the species. This recent specimen I make to
be the ninth known to science, viz.: 1. Male, caught on a vessel at sea off Abaco,
Bahamas, by Dr. Samuel Cabot, of Boston, the second week in October, 1841. Not
identified until several years after the type specimen was described. 2. Male, taken
by Dr. J. P. Kirtland near Cleveland, Ohio, May 13, 1851. Type of the species.

3. Male, obtained by R. K. Winslow near Cleveland, Ohio, in June (May?), 1860.

4. Male, shot by Charles Dury at Cincinnati, Ohio, the first week in May, 1872. 5.
Female, collected by A. B. Covert, at Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 15, 1875. 6 and 7.
Male and female, taken by Messrs. William and John Hall, at Rockport, Cuyahoga
county, Ohio, May, 1878. 8. Female, collected by Charles B. Corey, on Andros Island,
Bahamas, January 9, 1879. Several others have been taken; about a dozen in all, but
its summer residence is unknown, and its nest and eggs have never been described.

671. PINE WARBLER. Dendroica vigorsii (Aud.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
United States, north to Ontario and New Brunswick; wintering in more Southern
States and Bahamas; Bermudas.

The Pine-creeping Warbler breeds in various localities throughout its United
States range and apparently only in regions where there are tracts of coniferous
trees. Its nest is always placed on the horizontal boughs in pines or cedars, ranging
all the way from eight to eighty feet above the ground, usually at an elevation of from
thirty to forty feet. In the pine districts of the States along the Atlantic coast from
the Carolinas northward the bird is a common breeder, nesting in March. Mr. R. B,
McLaughlin took nests containing eggs in Iredell county, North Carolina, March 25.
Mr. C. S. Brimley found the birds building nests in Wake county, of the same State,
in the latter part of March. The nest, according to these observers, is hard to dis-
cover, and in most cases it is found by watching the birds carry building material
wl ich consists of bark-strips, bits of weed and oak leaves, caterpillar's silk and
vegetable sedges. It is compactly built and warmly lined with horse hair and
feathers. The eggs are four, rarely five in number. The ground-color varies from a
dull whitish to gray or purplish-white, and the markings are in the form of spots and
specks of lilac-gray and burnt umber, more dense near the larger ends, and generally
form wreaths.

672. PALM WARBLER. Ih-ndnni-n paJmarum (Omel.) Geog. Dist.— Northern
ior to Great Slave Lake; in winter South Atlantic and Gulf States, the West
imlif's and Mexico. Of rare but regular occurrence in the Atlantic States in mi-
grations.

This V/arbler breeds in the northern interior, to the Great Slave Lake, nesting in
Juno. Its nests and eggs are not common in collections. Its nest is placed on the
ground, is very compactly built of fine grasses, shreds of bark and moss; it is
ily hidden in a tuft of grass or under the shelter of some plant. No more than
four eggs have, I believe, ever been found in a nest. They are creamy white, spotted
and blotched, usually about the larger end with purple, lilac and reddish-brown.
The reddish and purplish markings are permanent characteristics. The average
size is .70x.62 inches. This average size is taken from eight authentic eggs.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 447

672a. YELLOW PALM WARBLER. Dcndroica palmarum hypochrysea Ridgw.
Geog. Dist.— Atlantic coast of North America. Breeds from New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia to Hudson Bay. Winters in the South Atlantic and Gulf States.

There are two forms of the Palm Warbler, D. palmarum (Gmel.) being the form
of the interior region north in summer to Great Slave Lake, migrating south through
the Mississippi Valley to the Gulf States, Florida, Bahamas, etc., and casually during
migrations east of the Alleghanies. The present form, hypochrysea, breeds from Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick northward. Its nest is placed on the ground in open
situations, usually on the edge of a swampy thicket and it is composed of weed-stalks,
grasses, rootlets and pine leaves, lined with fine grasses and hair. The eggs, usually
four in number, are yellowish or buffy-white, with a roseate tinge, speckled with
brown and lilac. Average size .65x.51 inches.

673. PRAIRIE WARBLER. Dendroica discolor (Vieill.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
United States, north to Michigan and Southern New England; south in winter to
Florida, Bahamas and West Indies.

The Prairie Warbler is a rather common breeding bird in many localities east
of the Alleghanies from the latitude of Massachusetts southward ; west of this region
it appears to be rare during the summer months. It is known, however, to breed in
Michigan and regularly (?) in Northern Ohio, but I have no late authentic records to
that effect from the latter region. Mr. H. K. Jamison
found the Prairie Warbler breeding abundantly on the
13th of May, in a scrubby oak thicket in Fairfax county,
Virginia. The nests were placed from two to seven feet
above the ground. Dr. Coues found it nesting in aston-
ishing numbers within a small area, near Washington,
D. C., in the latter part of May. The nests were only a
few feet from the ground, and were placed preferably in 673. PRAIRIE WARBLER.
hickory and dogwood bushes. Mr. Worthington found it

nesting in low bushes and also in small birch and oak saplings on Shelter Island.
New York, in the latter part of May and first half of June. The nest is a very pretty,
deeply cup-shaped fabric, composed of vegetable fibres and fine grasses, closely
felted and lined with hair. Four, rarely five, eggs are laid. Twelve sets of these
pggs are in Mr. Norris' cabinet, many of which were taken by C. L. Rawson, in New
London county, Connecticut. Their ground-color apears white until they are com^
pared with pure white eggs, when a very faint tinge of greenish is perceptible. The
markings are specks of chestnut and burnt-umber, and usually in the form of
wreaths about the large end. Two sets taken, respectively, May 31, 1880, and June
14, 1888, near Norwich, Connecticut, exhibit the following sizes: .59x.47, .64x.48,
.60x.45, .63x.47; .68x.50, ,66x.50, .67x.47, .67x.47 inches.

674. OVEN-BIRD. Seiurus aurocapillus (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern North
America, breeding from about 38° northward, west to eastern base of Rocky Moun-
tains. In winter, south to Southern Florida, West Indies and Central America.

Called Oven-bird on account of the remarkable nest which it usually builds.
This, in its typical form, is roofed over, arched or domed, with an entrance more or
less to one side like the mouth of an oven. It is placed on the ground, or rather
embedded in a depression in the earth amongst leaves, at the foot of a tree or bush
near a fallen log, or under the shelter of tall grass in woods. On the whole, it is
loosely constructed of skeleton leaves, grasses, strips of wild grape vine bark, slender
weed stalks, with a lining of finer grasses and often horse hair. The bird is known

44« UfD EGGS OF

oy other names, such as Golden-crowned Thrush, Golden-
crowned Wag-tail Warbler, and Golden-crowned Accentor.
4n abundant species in the wo6ds of Eastern North Amer-
ica, where it is found breeding from Kansas, the Ohio Val-
. :id Virginia northward into the Arctic regions in the
months of May, June and July, according to latitude and sea-
son. In the United States the nesting time is chiefly in the
674. OVKN-BIRD. latter half of May and June. The birds inhabit dry and wet
leafy woods, and seem to be partial to those through which a

small stream flows, and where wild vines climb to the upper branches of trees whose
foliage throws darkened shadows beneath. In these retreats, during the mating
season, the bird's incessant, emphatic cnwcndu chant may be heard. It is repeated
with such vehemence that it is really startling in solitary woods. The eggs of the
Oven-bird are four or five in number, rarely six. Their color is white or creamy-
white, more or less glossy, and the markings are in the form of specks and spots,
often sparsely scattered over the entire surface, but usually more heavily marked
at the larger ends, and frequently wreathed. The color of the markings is reddish-
brown of various shades and lilac-gray. Ten specimens measure .70x.59, .74\.57,
.72x.59, .76x.58, .79x.60, .79x.63, .80x.62, .82x.62, .84x.63, .82x.61. A common size in a
large series is .78x.58. Though well concealed and hard to find by the collector, the
nest of this species often contains the eggs of the notorious Cowbird. Mr. Lynds
Jones found a nest near Grinnell, Iowa, containing no less than five eggs of the
Cowbird.

675. WATER-THRUSH. Nriw/'M-v inn-clHimcrnttix (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — East-
ern North America as far west as the Mississippi Valley. Breeds from the Northern
United States northward; south in winter to the Gulf States, West Indies, Northern
South America.

The small-billed Water-thrush, New York Accentor, or Wag-tail Warbler breeds
from Northern United States northward. It frequents swampy woods and open,
wet places, nesting on the ground or in the roots of overturned trees at the border of
swamps. It is more or less abundant in all suitable places in the New England States
and New York. It has been found breeding in Northern Illinois and in Iowa, near
Des Moines, according to Messrs. Keyes and Williams, a female was seen feeding its
young in June, 1884. A common summer resident in Manitoba. Mr. M. K. Barnum,
of Syracuse, New York, found a nest of this species in the roots of a tree at the edge
of a swamp, on May 30. It was well concealed by the overhanging roots, and the
cavity was nearly filled with moss, leaves and fine rootlets. The nest at this date
contained three young and one egg. The eggs of this species are four or five in
number. Two sets are in Mr. Norris' cabinet; one taken near Listowel, Ontario,
from a nest under a stump in a swamp, on June 7, 1888; the other set is funn
Canada, Nova Scotia, and was taken July 30, 1886. The nest was built in moss
on the side of a fallen tree. They are creamy-white, speckled and spotted, most
My at the larger ends, with hazel and lilac, and cinnamon-rufous; in the last
mentioned set forming wreaths near the larger ends. Their sizes are .78x.54, .78x.56,
.77x,55, .77X.54; .78x.61, .78x.63, .77x.60, .77x.69 inches.

675'/. GRINNELL'S WATER-THRUSH. Xrinrns niUTbnramisis
Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Western United States, from Indiana and Illinois westward to
California, and north into British America. Casual in migrations eastward to the

NORTH AMKltlVAX Hlltlix. 449

Atlantic coast. Winters from the southern border of the United States southward
to Lower California, Mexico and Northern South America.

This bird is like the last species in coloration, but it is larger and its general
habits are identical. A set of four eggs of this bird are in the collection of Mr. Jameb
B. Forniff , of St. Louis. They were taken near Denver, Colorado June 15, 1897. The
nest was placed in the exposed roots of a tree growing on the bank of a small stream.
The eggs are the same in color as those of 8. novcboraccnate and measure as follows:
.75x.55, .78x.56, .74x.59, .76x.59 inches. The well-known oologist, Mr. Wm. L. Kells,
of Listowel, Ontario, states that the nesting period of Grinnell's Water-Thrush in
that region is from the middle of May to that of July. He found the nests more fre-
quently in the under side of an up-turned root over a pool of water and states that the
usual set of eggs is more frequently four than five eggs.

676. LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH. Seiurus motacilla (Vieill.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern United States, north to the Great Lakes and Southern New England,
west to the plains. In winter, Gulf States, West Indies, Eastern Mexico and Middle
America.

The Large-billed Water-Thrush or large-billed Wag-tail Warbler breeds more
or less commonly in suitable places throughout its United States range south of about
latitude 42°. It is found during the summer months as far west as Kansas, where
Colonel Goss notes it as a common summer resident, and begins laying about the 8th
of May. It is rare in Nebraska, and a few remain to breed in Iowa, but it does not
appear to occur in Minnesota. It is a common summer resident in Ohio, but of ir-
regular distribution. Mr. William Brewster found this species breeding in Knox
county, Indiana, and gives an excellent account of its nest and eggs.* Hon. J. N.
Clark met with it breeding quite commonly in Middlesex county, Connecticut, where
he took complete sets of eggs as early as May 7.f In the northwestern portion of
North Carolina (Iredell county), Mr. R. B. McLaughlin took eggs of this species in
April and May. The nest, according to all observers, is built and carefully hidden
in the cavities among the roots of fallen trees, old logs, stumps, or mossy banks —
always in swampy places. They are usually bulky, and made of partially decayed
leaves, which the female extracts from the bog with mud adhering to them. These
are laid together, and when dry make a solid and compact structure. The inner nest
is formed of grape-grass, and sometimes hair. The great similarity of the materials
in the nest to the external surroundings makes it difficult to detect. Mr. McLaughlin
says that this bird in North Carolina prefers the smaller streams as breeding places —
nesting in the exposed roots of trees along the banks. The eggs are four or five,
sometimes six in number, the usual number being five. The ground coloy of the
eggs varies from a pure white to a deep creamy-white, thickly speckled with cinna-
mon-rufous or chestnut (more heavily near the larger ends) and lilac-gray. Some
specimens have very bold spots of chestnut, and the specks are entirely wanting.
Mr. Brewster gives the size of six eggs as follows: .75x.63, ,78x.64, .75x.63, .76x.62,
.76x.62, .75x.61.

677. KENTUCKY WARBLER. Geothlypis formosa (Wils.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern United States, chiefly west of the Alleghanies to the Plains, north to the
Great Lakes and Southern New England; in winter, south through Eastern Mexico
and Central America to Panama; Cuba.

* Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, III, pp. 133-135.

t For Mr. Clark's extended account, see Ornithologist and Oologist. VII, pp. 145-147.

30

450 /> \M> KGGS OF

The Kentucky Warbler is particularly an abundant species in the Lower Missis-
sippi Valley— Southern Indiana and Illinois, and southward to Texas. Colonel Goss
gives it as a common summer resident of Kansas; begins laying about May 20. Its
nests and eggs have been taker, '.i Southern Illinois and Indiana in the middle of
May. It is a rare summer resident in particular localities in Ohio; more common in
the southwestern portion. Mr. Frank W. Langdon found a nest containing four eggs
of the Warbler and one of the Cow-bird near Madisonville, Hamilton county, Ohio,
on May 28. The eggs were far advanced in incubation. In Jones' magnificent work,
"Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio," there is a beautiful illustration of a nest which was
found on the 20th of May, 1880, in Kentucky, near the Ohio line. The bird has been
discovered nesting near Sing Sing, New York, in June; at Fort Lee, New Jersey. Its
nests have also been taken in the District of Columbia in May. John S. Cairns found
a nest of the Kentucky Warbler in Buncombe county, North Carolina, June 15, 1886.
Mr. C. J. Fennock in "Birds of Chester county, Pennsylvania"* gives it as a rather
common summer resident. It has been found nesting in that region by Mr. Pennock,
Mr. Ladd, Thomas H. Jackson and others. The nest of this species is placed on the
ground in woods; it is usually very bulky, composed of leaves, grasses, and lined
with rootlets or horse hair. It is generally situated at the foot of a bush or weed
stalk. Mr. Pennock informs me that he found the nest deeply imbedded in leaves
with weeds growing around them; others were discovered among leaves at a con-
siderable distance from grass or weeds. The eggs are four or five, rarely six, in
number. They are white, variously speckled or spotted with burnt umber, cinnamon-
rufous and lilac-gray, chiefly and more heavily at the larger ends. The average size
of the eggs is .73x.57 inches.

678. CONNECTICUT WARBLER. Geothlypis agilis (Wils.) Geog. Dist—
Eastern North America, breeding north of the United States

This is one of the rarest of North American Warblers, seen in the United States
only during the spring and fall migrations; in the latter season abundant in some
localities. The first authentic nest and eggs of this species known were those taken
by Mr. Ernest E. Thompson, who found a nest June 21, 1883, on a moss mound in a
tamarack swamp near Carberry, Manitoba. It was composed entirely of dry grass,
sunken level with the surface. The eggs were four in number and measured .75x
.56 inches. Before blown they were of a delicate creamy-white, with a few spots of
lilac, brown, and black, inclining to form a ring at the large end. The nest with
eggs and parent birds is now in the National Museum. Another set of thoso rggs
has. I believe, been taken, but I have no record of it. Mr. C. W. Crandall, of Wood-
side, N. Y., has what is undoubtedly the second or third authentic set of the Con-
necticut Warbler's eggs known to science. They were taken by the veteran collector
and ornithological writer, Wm. L. Kells, on Wildwood Farm, Listowel, Ontario,
June 7, 1895. The nest was placed in a cluster of raspberry vines, in hard woo'" . timber.
The nest is composed of shreds of leaves, fibres of bark, grass, rootlets and hair.
The eggs, four in number, measure as follows: .79x..r>G, .Six. 57, .81x.56, .80x.57 inches,
respectively. Mr. Crandall writes me: "Your description of the coloration of Mr.
Thompson's set of this species fits my eggs exactly with the exception that the
markings are not all confined to the large ends, but are also, especially in two of th<>
sprrlmens, sparingly distributed over the entire egg, and in one sperimon tho flno
Bpecks are pretty evenly distributed over the entire surface. The surface markings
Are very few, the majority being shell spots."

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 451

679. MOURNING WABBLEB. Urntlilmn* i>lii!<t<l<ti>l,i<i (Wlls.) Geog. Diat,~
Eastern North America, breeding from the Northern United States northward; in
winter, south to Central and Northern South America.

The Mourning Warbler is known to breed in the mountainous portions of Penn-
sylvania, New England, New York, Michigan, Minnesota and Eastern Nebraska
northward. It has been found nesting in Illinois, south of latitude 39°. Its nest la
built on or near the ground in woods. One discovered by Mr. John Burroughs in
the State of New York was built in ferns about a foot from the ground, on the edge
of a hemlock wood. It contained three eggs. Mr. Win. L. Kells found what doubt-
less was the nest of this species in a swampy woods near Listowel, Ontario, early in
June, 1877. The nest was placed in the horizontal branch of a small cedar a little
more than a foot above the ground. It was composed of fine strips of bark and
other fibrous material, lined with fine hair. This nest contained four eggs which are
white with a sprinkling of reddish dots near the larger ends. The eggs are described
as being colored like those of G. formosa or G. agilis; size .71x.54 inches.

680. MACGILLIVBAY'S WABBLEB. Geothlypis maeffilllvrayi (Aud.) Geog.
Dist. — Western United States, north to British Columbia; in winter, south through
Mexico, and Central America to Panama.

Macgillivray's Warbler breeds.throughout its United States range — in Colorado,
Utah, Montana, Idaho, Washington Territory, Oregon, and in the mountains of Cali-
fornia. Mr. A. W. Anthony gives it as a common summer resident of Washington
county, Oregon, where it frequents the low, tangled shrubbery, and is found much of
the time on the ground. A nest was discovered placed in a hazel at an elevation of
one foot. Mr. H. D. Minot obtained a nest at Manitou, Colorado, June 21, which was
placed in a scrub-oak five feet above the ground and three feet from a traveled road.
Mr. Charles F. Morrison states that this species is one of the most common birds of
La Plata county, Colorado, where it nests in juniper bushes, four to six feet up. A
set of three eggs in Mr. Norris' cabinet was taken May 18, 1884, near Riverside,
California. The nest was situated in a small bush near the ground, and was made of
dry tules, lined with horse hair. Incubation had begun. The eggs are creamy-white,
marked near the larger ends with spots and pen lines (somewhat like an Oriole's
egg) of clove brown. Their sizes are .74x.54, .73x.53, .71x.51. The eggs of this species
are three to five in number, usually four, and average .72x.52 inches.

681. MABYLAND YELLOW-THBOAT. Geothlypis trichas (Linn.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern United States, north to Canada and Nova Scotia; in winter, South
Atlantic and Gulf States and the West Indies.

This active little Warbler breeds throughout its United States range. Begins
building about the middle of May. The nest is not an easy one to find, being built on
the ground, snugly tucked under the foot of bush or tussock of rank grass, and
sometimes partly roofed over like the Oven-bird's. The favorite resorts of this
Warbler are in low, swampy places or in the shadowy undergrowth of woodland.
It resembles a wren in its fondness for bush and brier. On approaching such places
early in spring one is almost sure to be saluted with its sprightly song, full of
energy. My friend, Mr. Thomas M. Earl, has given me the best description of this
bird's song that I know of. One evening in May, 1884, he was returning from a clay's
hunt, and after a rest on an old log, he was about to start on his journey homeward.
At this instant a little Yellow-throat mounted a small bush, and in quick succession
said, tackle me! tackle me! tackle me! The eggs of this species are four

452 M i \/' EGOB Of

or five, rarely six in number, clear crystalline white but often creamy-white speck-
led, chiefly at the larger end with reddish-brown, dark umber and black; in some,
occasional lines or scrawls appear. Two sets of four eggs each measure, respectively,
.69x.50, .69x.51; .67x.48, .69x.50, .66x.48, .68x.49; the average is .69x.52
inches.

681a. WESTERN YELLOW-THROAt. Urntltlyinx trirlum nrritli-ntali* Brewst.
Geog. Dist.— United States west of the Mississippi Valley. In winter, the more
southern portion of the United States chiefly west of the Mississippi, and south
through Western and Central Mexico.

The same general habits which are common to the Eastern Yellow-throat are
also characteristic of this subspecies in the West. Dr. Merrill states that its fa-
vorite haunt, and one in which it is very common in the region of Fort Klamath,
Oregon, is among the tules in company with Marsh Wrens and Yellow-headed Black-
birds. The eggs average a trifle smaller than those of (!. trirhax : and are less heavily
marked; .67x.50 inches.

6816. FLORIDA YELLOW-THROAT, (iciithluinx trirlmx tifimtn Chapman.
Geog. Dist.— Florida, north to southern Georgia.

This is called Palmetto bird, very similar to the Maryland Yellow-throat, but
with longer tarsus, tail and bill, etc.* Nesting and eggs identical with a. trirhns.

682. BELDING'S YELLOW-THROAT. f,Yo//»////*i.v /»///»>// Ridgw. Geog.
Dist.— Southern portion of Lower California, north to San Ignacio (Lat. 27°).

\Valter E. Bryant writes as follows on Belding's Yellow-Throat: "This
Warbler was first known from specimens taken at San Jose del Cabo in April, 1882, by
Mr. L. Belding, but the eggs have since remained unknown so far as the obtaining
of an authentic nest Is concerned. In the Proceedings of the'U. S. National M
(Vol. V, p. 546), Mr. Belding says: 'Their habits are quite like those of (!. Irirlin*.
and the eggs not materially different, if a nest found by my guide on the Mirallores
and Todos Santos trail May 6, belonged to this species, as I supposed it did, having
seen a fine male near the spot from which it was taken.' As these eggs wen not
preserved, the eleven herein described are presumably the first and only ones known.
In March and April, 1888, I found this species breeding at Comondu, Lower Cali-
fornia, the only locality in which I found it that year, and the most northern point
(at that time) from which it had been obtained. No nests were found during March,
1888, and by April the young were flying. I was fortunate in visiting Comondu dur-
ing the latter part of March of this year, and made a special effort to collect the eggs
of this species, and by offering a cash reward interested some Mexican boys in the
search. This resulted in five nests being found, from four of which eggs were taken,
eleven specimens in all. To Mr. T. S. Brandegee, the well known botanist, who

•::panied me, is due the credit of finding the first nest, March 25, 1889 (set No.

881, coll. W. K. B.). This was discreetly loft undisturbed until I could be shown

to the spot a few hours later. The nest was loosely woven in a clump of 'cat-tails'

ihovo running water. It is composed outwardly entirely of dry

a of the 'cat-tail,' and thinly lined with fino fibre and a few horso hairs. It

measures, nearly as can be determined, not less than 150 mm. in height 1>\ about lir>

mm. in diameter. The :• is about 5." mm. in depth, with a diameter at the

* C/. Chapman, "Birds • North America," i>. 37L

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 453

top of 50 mm. The general appearance is almost identical with some song sparrows'
nests. When taken the eggs were cold and the birds absent, although the female
was seen when it was first found. In size the eggs are larger than any other North
American Yellow-Throat measuring 19x15, 19.5x15, 19.5x14.5, 19.5x14.5 millimetres.
They are white, with shell spots and dots of lilac-gray and a few surface spots and
pencillings of black. There is but little variation from this pattern in the markings
of the other sets mentioned later. The Mexican boys were emphatically instructed
that whatever nests were found they were to be left until I could be shown to the
place. The same day that Mr. Brandegee found the set of four, a bright little fellow
came to camp with the information that he had found a nest containing three eggs.
This was in quite similar situation to the other, but placed not more than half a
metre high. On March 27 the nest and eggs were taken, incubation having com-
menced. The nest is of the same material as used in the other, but is smaller ex-
teriorly. This set (No. 880, coll. W. E. B.) measures 19.5x15.5 mm. with each egg.
On March 28 I found a third nest in a heavy growth of 'cat-tails' near the outer edge
of the clump, and placed one and one-half metres high. This nest, like the others,
is composed of 'cat-tail' leaves, but is lined almost exclusively with black horse-
hairs, so few being used that they do not even hide the structural material. The
two eggs which were in the nest found were not taken until March 31, when they
contained small embryos. Although these two eggs constituted a set, I do not con-
sider it a normal one, but lacking in number from some cause unknown. The
diameter of each specimen is 19.5x15 mm. The female was sitting at the time I went
to take the nest, but quietly retreated amongst the rushes and made no demonstra-
tion, further than a coarse 'tchep' note. Two other nests, one containing two fresh
eggs and the other new, were shown to me by Mexican boys April 3; my departure
from Comondu on that day prevented me from securing more than these two ad-
ditional eggs, which measure 19.5x14.5 and 19.5x15 millimetres."

682. 1. BIO GRANDE YELLOW-THROAT. Geothlypis poliocephala r<i\i>ln
Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Lower Rio Grande Valley.

I have no knowledge concerning the habits, nests or eggs of this race of the
Yellow-throat. They are, in all probability similar to G. trichas.

683. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. Icteria vircns (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern United States to the Great Plains, north to Ontario and Southern New England;
south in winter through Eastern Mexico to Northern Central America.

The Yellow Breasted Chat may be found breeding in all suitable places through-
out its range. It inhabits the thickets and brambles of low undergrowth, preferredly
in the vicinity of a marsh, and the bird is oftener heard than seen. In the mating
season it is the noisiest bird in the woods, at which time it may be observed in its
wonderful aerial evolutions, uttering its medley of sputtering, cackling, whispering
and scolding notes, interluded with loud whistles. The nest is built in brier thickets
from two to five feet above the ground, and is composed of withered leaves, dry
grasses, strips of bark and lined with finer grasses. Large colonies of these birds
are often found nesting in a single locality. A strange nesting place of a pair of
Chats is recorded by Mr. Charles F. Batchelder as observed by Mr. C. W. Beckham
in Howard county, Maryland, where a pair built in a Wren box attached to one of
the pillars of a piazza which partially fronts a small ravine. The birds seemed
little disturbed by the occasional visits of members of the family. The eggs of the
Chat are three or four in number, usually four. They are white with a glossy

454

VESTS \M> EQGS 0V

surface; some specimens have a pinkish tinge, others greenish. The markings are
light reddish, cinnamon-rufous, or chestnut, in the shape of specks and spots, which
are heavier and bolder at the larger ends; again specimens are found with the
markings evenly distributed over the entire surface or in a well defined wreath
around the larger end, with the rest of the egg unmarked. They vary from .84 to
1.02 in length by .62 to .70 in breadth. The average size of ten specimens is .92x.71.

683u. LONG-TAILED CHAT. Icteria virens 1ont/ic<iu<lti (Lawr.) Geog. Dist —
Western United States from the Great Plains to the Pacific; south into Mexico.

The general habits, nests and eggs of this Western subspecies are the same as
those of Irtn-hi i inns. Colonel Goss says it is not an uncommon summer resident
of Western Kansas and Mr. Lloyd gives it as an abundant breeder in Tom Green
and Concho counties, Texas.

682<z. LONG-TAILED CHAT.

684. HOODED WARBLER. t<)/lmnin i)iilr<it<i (Gmel.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
I'D i ted States, west to the edge of the Great Plains, north to Southern portions of
Micnigan, New York and New England; south in winter to Cuba. Jamaica; through
Eastern Mexico and Central America.

The Hooded Hycatching Warbler breeds throughout its United States range.
Colonel Goss mentions it as a rare summer resident of Eastern Kansas where it
begins laying the last of May. It is a common resident in the cane-brakes and low
shrubbery along the Lower Wabash in Southern Illinois. In Georgia the Hooded
Warbler deposits its eggs about the middle of May. Mr.
Arthur T. Wayne has taken fresh eggs near Charleston,
South Carolina, in the first week of .In in-. Tin- bird is a rare
summer resident of Ohio. Dr. Kirtland notices its breeding
in the vicinity of Cleveland. Mr. Gould found it nesting
near Sugar Grove, May 29, 1889. A nest was found rnntai. -
ing four young. Many of the birds were observed, and some
secured. For a number of years the Hon. John N. Clark has
observed this Warbler breeding in Middlesex county, Con-
necticut, usually in the latter part of May or first half of
684. HOODED WARBLER. June. The bird is one of the liveliest of its tribe and is very

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 455

active in catching insects on the wing in the manner of the true Flycatchers. It
frequents thickets and undergrowth of high and low lands, where it skillfully
conceals itself when pursued. It has a peculiarly graceful manner of closing and
spreading its broad tail, like the Redstart. The nest of the Hooded Warbler Is built
in the low bushes of undergrowth usually within a few inches or foot of the ground.
It is composed of leaves, shreds of bark, and scales of beech buds, all compactly
woven and secured together with spider webs; the lining in some nests is entirely
horse or cattle hair, others are found lined with fibres of grape-vine bark, or mixed
with both. The eggs are four in number, rarely five. The usual ground-color is
white, or creamy-white, and the markings are generally specks and spots of chest-
nut or burnt umber and lilac-gray, principally near the larger end, and often forming
wreaths. The average size of twenty specimens is .71x.52 inches.

685. WILSON'S WARBLER. Sylvania pusilla (Wils.) Geog. Diet.— Eastern
North America, west to and including the Rocky Mountains, and to the coast of
Bering Sea. Breeds from northern border of United States and higher Rocky
Mountains northward. South in winter through Eastern Mexico and Central
America.

The Green Black-capped Flycatching Warbler, or Wilson's Black-capped Warb-
ler, breeds from the northern border of the United States northward, chiefly, however,
in the higher latitudes. Mr. H. D. Minot found a nest of this bird containing five
fresh eggs, on June 22, at Seven Lakes, on Pike's Peak, Colorado. The nest was
found on the ground, under a low, spreading branch of a dwarf willow, at the edge of
a swamp.* The eggs of this species are four or five, sometimes six in number. A
set of five in Mr. Norris' cabinet was taken June 15, 1887, in Boulder county, Col-
orado. The nest was well imbedded in the ground among some willow twigs, and
was composed of leaves and swamp grass externally, lined with fine grasses and a few
nairs. The eggs are white, speckled with cinnamon-rufous and lavender-gray.
Nearly all the markings are near the larger ends, where they form wreaths. Their
respective measurements are ,59x.49, .60x.49, ,60x.48, .58x.48, .60x.48.

685a. PILEOLATED WARBLER. Sylvania pttsilla pileolata (Pall.) Geog.
Dist. — Western North America chiefly along or near Pacific coast, north to Kadiak
Island, Alaska, south in winter through Western Mexico to Costa Rica.

The Western Black-capped Flycatching Warbler is a common breeding bird in
various sections on the Pacific coast from Southern California northward. Mr. W.
Otto Emerson states that in the vicinity of Haywards, California, he has taken eggs
as early as April 22, and full-fledged young were observed by May 17. The birds nest
in the thickets along water courses, and rear at least two broods in a season. Prof.
Evermann found a nest near San Buenaventura, California, on May 23, 1881, placed
about a foot from the ground, in a clump of blackberry bushes. Dr. Merrill notes
that the bird breeds in considerable numbers in the swampy willow thickets along
Wood River and Fort Creek, in the region of Fort Klamath, Oregon. The nest is
composed of leaves, bark strips, weed stems, vegetable fibres, rootlets, lined with
finer grasses. Often it is made entirely of leaves and lined with fibrous roots. It
is placed in bushes from one to four feet above the ground. The eggs are four in
number, white or creamy-wnite, speckled with reddish-brown and lilac-gray; in
some specimens these markings are in the form of a wreath near the larger ends.

* See foot note in New England Bird Life, Vol. T, pp. 172-173.

456 \ />•/> UfD I.'.',

A set in Mr. Norris1 collection, taken at Waterville, California, May 6, 1875, gives
the following measurements: .6*x.48, .60x.49, .60x.48, ,60x.48; another, collected at
Alameda, California, April 11, 1885: .57x.49, .58x.49, .58x.50. Average size, .60x.48
Inches.

686. CANADIAN WARBLER. Nylrania ninadensis (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Eastern North America, west to the Great Plains, north to Newfoundland, Southern
Labrador and Lake Winnipeg, south in winter through Eastern Mexico and Central
America to Ecuador.

The Canada Flycatching Warbler breeds occasionally from the Middle
States, and regularly from New England northward. In other Northern States it
breeds sparingly. Mr. Robert B. Lawrence found a nest of the Canadian Warbler
in the mountains of PiKe county, Pennsylvania, on June 9, 1887. The nest was
placed in the roots of an old stump, and contained four young birds and one un-
hatched egg. It has been known to nest in Northern Illinois. In some portions
of Canada it is a common breeder. Thomas Mcllwraith says that a few remain to
spend the summer in Southern Ontario, while the majority go farther north. Mr.
William L. Kells found it nesting in the low, swampy woodlands near Listowel, and
obtained sets of its eggs in the latter part of May and first week of June. The nests
were found in the cavities of upturned roots of trees, and in the depressions in banks
near pools of water. They are generally well hidden by weeds or grass, and are
commonly placed on the ground, in underbrush, by the side of a log or at the foot of
a bush. Their composition is dry weeds, fine roots, with a lining of hair. The eggs
are four or five, white or buffy, speckled or spotted, chiefly round the larger end,
with reddish-brown and lilac-gray. Their average size is .68x.51 inches.

687. AMERICAN REDSTART. Sctniiliaya mtinlln (Linn.) Geog. Dist—
Eastern North America, north to Fort Simpson, west to and including the Rocky
Mountains. In winter, West Indies, Eastern Mexico, Central America and south to
Northern South America.

The richly-colored Redstart breeds in most of its United States range and where-
ever found in British America. It is an abundant breeding species from the Northern
States northward. Nests in May and June. In Ohio I have invariably found it in
the woods which are the favorite haunts of the Oven-bird. NI-/J//-//.V aumminllux.
About four miles east of Columbus, in a thick damp woods of about fifteen acres in
extent, I counted no less than twenty-seven nests in a single day. In many sections
the birds are really more common than the Yellow Warbler, I), irstirn. Tho nest
built by the Redstart is a beautiful, compact, cup-shaped structure, made of shreds
of plants and hempen fibres, held together with spiders' webs; the lining is of fine
grasses and hair. It is either saddled on a branch or placed in the forked twigs of a
small tree or sapling, usually from six to twelve feet above the ground, but often
as high as thirty. A curious habit of the Redstart is that of opening and closing its
fan-like tail \vhilo Hitting about in the trees and bushes. The eggs are four, rnn-ly
five, in number and they are subject to a remarkable variation in size and color. In a
large series the ground color will vary from white* to greenish-white or grayish-
white. The markings are specks or spots of cinnamon-brown and lilac-gray,
chiefly round the larger end. Ten specimens selected on account of their sizes give
the following measurements: .57x.47, .60x.45, .61x.47, .62x.48, .64x.52, .66x.51, .67x.48,
.CSx.49, .C9x.48, .70x.50 inches.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 457

688. PAINTED REDSTART, tietupliaya picta Swains. Geog. Diet— South-
ern Arizona and New Mexico, south to highlands of Mexico.

This is the Painted Flycatching Warbler of so striking colors. It is found in
Southern Arizona and New Mexico southward into Mexico. It frequents shrubbery
near water and in some localities Is abundant. Mr. Walter E. Bryant gives the first
description of the nest and eggs of this species from specimens obtained by Mr.
Herbert Brown in the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, June 6, 1880.* The nests and
eggs do not resemble those of 8. ruticilla. The nesting site is within cavities in
banks or under projecting stones. A nest as taken by Mr. Brown from a hole in a
road bank in the mountains; this Mr. Bryant describes as being loosely constructed
of dry gray grasses and fine shreds of vegetable bark, and lined with black and white
horse hairs. It contained four incubated eggs of a light pearl-white thickly dotted
with brownish-red and traces of lilac on the larger end. They measure .57x.48,
.60x.50, .64x.50, .58x.49. Another set of four was taken from a similar nest beneath
a small bush. The eggs are somewhat larger and spotted over the entire egg, the
markings clustering about the larger end. The sizes of three of them are .69x.52,
.65x.51, .66x.50; the fourth was broken. Mr. William Brewster describes a nest and
eggs of the Painted Redstart obtained by Mr. F. Stephens in the Santa Rita Moun-
tains. The nest was under a projecting stone in a bank near a small stream.
The three eggs which this nest contained were clear, dead white, delicately spotted
with light reddish-brown, the markings being sparsely distributed over the surface
and handsomely wreathed about the larger end. They measure .64x.51, .64x.50,
.66x.49. The average size is .65x.48 inches.

[689.] RED-BELLIED REDSTART. Setophaga miniata Swains. Geog.
Dist.— Highlands of Mexico. Texas (Giraud).

The white of the tail feathers of this species is more restricted, reduced to a
narrow terminal spot (sometimes wanting altogether) on the third feather and never
found on the fourth. Breast and belly usually more orange-red. Nests and eggs
undescribed. The bird breeds in Mexico.

690. RED-FACED WARBLER. Cardellina rubrifrons (Giraud.) Geog. Dist.—
Highlands of Northern Central America (Guatemala) and Mexico, north to Southern
Arizona.

The first knowledge we have concerning the nests and eggs of this handsome
Warbler is from specimens taken by Mr. W. W. Price on May 31, 1888, in the pine
regions of Southern Arizona— the Huachuca Mountains. The nest was placed on
sloping ground, in a slight hollow, and contained four fresh eggs, and dissection of
the female showed that the full clutch had been laid. The nest was so well hidden
by a few sprays of columbine that it would have been overlooked had the bird not
been started directly from it. It was so loosely built that it crumbled to fragments
on being removed. The chief substance was fine, fibrous weed stalks, while the
lining consisted of fine grass, rootlets, plant fibres and a few hairs. Skeleton leaves
and bits of fine bark were intermingled throughout the nest, and the ground on
which it was placed was so damp that the bottom part was badly decayed. The
eggs from this nest were presented by Mr. Price to the National Museum Collection,
at Washington, D. C., and are described by the late Maj. Chas. E. Bendire as ovate in
shape; their ground color, "a delicate creamy-white, spotted with small blotches of

* Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, VI. pp. 176-177.
t Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, VII, pp. 140-141.

458

AE8T8 AM* I

cinnamon-rufous and a few dots of heliotrope-purple and pale lavender. These form
a wreath around the larger end. They resemble the eggs of Hclminttmphihi hiciar.
and //. rii'iriniu- to a certain extent."*

691. RED WARBLER. Ergatiru* nibcr (Swains.) Geog. Dist.— Highlands of
Mexico. Texas (Giraud).

This dusky red warbler is an inhabitant of Mexico and is recorded as far north
as southern Texas by Giraud. Its nests and eggs are unknown.

[692.] BRASHER'S WARBLER. Basiltiiti-ntx ntlirin.nis (Licht.) Geog.
Dlst. — Central America, from Panama north to Eastern Mexico. Texas (Giraud).

This is a Central American species recorded by Giraud as occurring as far north
as Southern Texas. Its nesting and eggs remain to be described.

[693.] BELL'S WARBLER. Hasilniti n/* • bcJli (Giraud.) Geog. Dist.— Guate-
mala and Mexico, north to the temperate regions of Vera Cruz. Texas (Giraud).

There appears to be little known concerning the general habits of this warbler,
which are recorded with a colored illustration by Giraud in his work entitled "Sixteen
Species of Texas Birds," in 1841.

l«94.] WHITE WAGTAIL. MnitinUn nlim Linn. Geog. Dist.— Europe and
Northern Asia; in winter, Northeastern and Southern Asia. Accident,-)] in Crocn-
land.

The common White Wagtail of Europe claims a place in the North An
avifauna as an accidental visitant of Greenland. It is found in all portions of Europe,

•Th.- Auk. V. p

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 459

and its favorite haunts are meadows in the vicinity of water, villages and old houses.
It nests on the ground among the grass of the meadows, in crevices of rocks or old
buildings; in the roots of trees along the banks of streams; under bridges. The
nests are constructed of small stems, twigs, grass, straws, leaves and rootlets, the
lining being of wool and hair. The eggs are four, five, six or even seven in number. A
set of six eggs in my cabinet, taken May 10, 1880, in Staffordshire, England, have a
grayish-white ground-color, and are speckled all over the surface with minute ash-
gray specks. Several single specimens have markings that are of a decided dark
brown color. The set of six measure: .77x.58, .79x.56, .76x.55, .79x.59. .78x.56,
.77x.57. The average size is .75x.55 inches.

[695.] SWINHOE'S WAGTAIL. Montacilla ocularis Swinh. Geog. Dist.—

Eastern Asia. Accidental in Lower California and Aleutian Islands.

Mr. Nelson says: "Although this bird has been taken repeatedly at Plover Bay,
Siberia, and thence throughout a large portion of Northeastern Asia, including China
and Formosa, to the Lake Baikal region, it appears to be almost unknown in
Alaska. In fact its claim as a bird of the territory rests upon the capture of a single
specimen, a young bird in summer plumage, by Captain Kellett and Lieutenant
Wood in "Northwest America," as recorded in the Brit. Mus. Cat. Birds, X, 473. The
Wagtail seen by Mr. Turner on Attu Island, on the western extreme of the Aleutian
chain, may possibly have been of this species, but it is far more probable that it was
the M. lugens which Dr. Stejneger found common upon the Commander Islands. A
single specimen of ocularis was taken by Mr. Belding at La Paz, Lower California,
during the winter of 1881-82. It is scarcely necessary to add that its occurrence at
this point, so far from its home, is entirely accidental. The western limit of this

695. SwiNHoe's WAGTAIL (From Turner.)

bird in Siberia is given by Seebohm as the water-shed between the Yenesel and the
Lena Rivers; thence east it has been taken in many portions of the continent, in-
cluding Mongolia, Chukchi land, and the localities previously mentioned."

696. SIBERIAN YELLOW WAGTAIL? Budytes flavus leucostriattis (Horn.)
Geog. Dist.— Alaska, north of the Peninsula; Eastern Siberia and Kamchatka, winter-
ing in Eastern China.

460 NESTS AND EGG* 01

This Wagtail occurs abundantly in Alaska. Dr. Stejneger states that B.
tevcostriatus Is a common breeding bird in the environs of Petropaulski, Kam-
chatka, being found during the months of June and July everywhere on the low
marshy grounds surrounding the lakes, fresh-water ponds and brackish lagoons of
the vicinity. On Bering Island single individual* were seen until June 10. The
nest of this bird is placed on the ground and usually concealed by a tussock of grass,
projecting stone, etc. The eggs are dull white, yellowish or brownish-white, pro-
fusHy covered with fine dots of reddish-gray, dark brown or black; average size,
.761.55.

697. AMEBICAN PIPIT. Anthu* pensilranicvs (Lath.) Geog. Dist.— Whole
of North America, breeding from the high mountains of Colorado and from Labrador
northward to the Arctic coast. Winters in the Gulf States, Mexico and Central
America.

Known as the American Titlark, Brown Lark, Louisiana Lark and Wagtail. An
abundant and a well-known bird everywhere in fields and plains throughout North
America. In the United States it is seen chiefly in flocks in fall, winter and spring.
Breeds in the mountains of Colorado (above timber line), and from Labrador north-
ward to the Arctic regions. The nest is placed on the ground, and is large and bulky,
made of coarse, dry grasses and moss loosely put together. From four to six dark
chocolate-colored eggs are laid, the surface of which is marked or overlaid with
numerous specks and streaks of grayish-brown. The average size of the eggs in
five sets in Mr. C. H. Cole's collection is .76x.B6 inches.

[698.] MEADOW PIPIT. Anthus pratrnsi* (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Europe;
northern portions of Africa in winter; occasional in Southern Greenland.

The European Titlark very closely resembles the American bird, .1. pi-nnilranicus,
in appearance and all its general characteristics. An occasional visitant in Southern
Greenland. It inhabits the whole continent of Europe, where it is the most common
and best known of its tribe. In Great Britain the Titlark is found throughout the
year. It frequents all kinds of localities — hill or valley, marsh or moorland, shady
woods and flowery meadows, the neighborhood of busy towns, or the sandy sea-shore.
The nest is built on the ground, and is composed of dried grasses, lined with finer
grass, moss and a few hairs. The eggs are four to six in number, and scarcely any
two sets are exactly alike in color; the ground tint may be blue-gray, reddish-brown
or yellow-brown; In all cases the eggs are spotted and mottled with darker brown
or mouse-gray, giving to the surface a uniform dark appearance. A set of five eggs
rollortpfl by Mr. W. Wells Bladen, June 2, 1879, in Staffordshire, England, exhibits
tho following sizes: .79x.59, .80x.59, .83x.58, .84x.59, .85x.60. A set of four from
Suffolk measure respectively, .78x.58, .75x.64, .74x.57, 77x.56. The average size is
.T8x.57 inches.

[699. J BED-THBOATED PIPIT. Anthu* winu* (Pallas.) Geog. Dist—
Northern parts of the Old World. Accidental in Lower California, St. Michael and
Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

Seebohm state* that in Northern Europe the Red-throated Pipit breeds on the
tundra above the limit of forest growth, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, but becomes rarer west of the Ural Mountains. The nest is
made entirely of dry grass, the foundation being made of the coarser pieces. It ia
generally placed on the ground under the shelter of vegetation. The eggs vary from

MOUTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

RttD-iHKOATED PIPIT. Adult, winter plumage.

four to six in number and are usually of a pale grayish color with a faint tinge of
purple, dotted with purplish brown or red, but the markings vary greatly as do the
eggs in size. In length they vary from .68 to .82 and in breadth from .55 to .62 inches.
A specimen of this bird was taken in Greenland in 1845, and since then Ball has taken
it at St. Michael's, Alaska.

700. SPRAGTTE'S PIPIT. Anthus spragueii (Aud.) Geog. Dist— Interior

plains of North America. Breeds from Central Dakota northward to the Sas-
katchewan country; south in winter over southern plains to Southern Mexico.

The Missouri Skylark has the same general habits common to the Titlark, but
soaring like the European Skylark when singing, and according to those who have
heard it, its vocal powers are not less inferior than those of that celebrated bird.
It breeds abundantly in Dakota and Montana northward to the Saskatchewan dis-
tricts, where Captain Blakiston found them common on the prairies during the
breeding season. Sprague's Pipit can also be found in summer in Western Minnesota
and in Nebraska. Its nest is built on the ground in a depression, and is made of fine
grasses, interwoven in a circular form and without lining. The surrounding grasses
are sometimes formed into an arch like the arch-way of the Meadow Lark's nest.
The eggs are four or five, of grayish-white, minutely speckled with purplish-gray;
size .87x.67 inches.

701. AMERICAN DIPPER. Cinclus mexicanus Swains. Geog. Dist.— Moun-
tainous portions of Western North America, from the Yukon Valley south to North-
ern Central America (Guatemala).

The American Water Ouzel, a grayish-colored bird, which has the aquatic habits
of a duck and the tilting movements of a sandpiper, inhabits exclusively the moun-
tainous portions of Western North America. It is resident as far north as the valley
of the Yukon River. It is never found near still water, frequenting only wild, forcible
mountain streams, cascades, eddies and swift currents. Mr. Frank M. Drew beau-
tifully says that the birds "are the very embodiment of a mountain torrent— bustling
and energetic; and their song is like crystallized spray. Sweet, sparkling and
vivacious, taken, with its surroundings, I do not know of any bird-song which sur-
passes it." The nest is variously situated, but always near water in a nook or crevice,
on shelving rocks, among roots of trees, often where the water sprays keep the out-
side damp. It is a beautiful ball of soft green moss, measuring about seven inches

462 -N1 OF

by ten, and is usually dome-shaped, with a small, round hole in one side for an
entrance; within it is strongly arched over with leaves and grasses and supported by
twigs, and all cemented with mud. The eggs are three to five in number, plain, pure
white, and average l.OOx.70. The eggs are usually deposited in the latter part of
May or in June. A set of four eggs in my cabinet taken June 10, 1880, in San Juan
county, Colorado, offers the following measurements: l.Olx.73, .99x.72, l.OOx.70,
1.01 x

702. SAGE THRASHER. Onuscttptc* montanus (Towns.) Geog. Dist. — Sage-
brush regions of Western United States, from the western part of the Great Plains
to the Pacific; in winter south into Mexico.

Erroneously called Mountain Mocking Bird, for it is exclusively an inhabitant
of the sage-brush region of the West, and is partial to the lower portions of the
country, though not infrequently met with in the open mountains. It nests in low
bushes, especially the sage and cactus, from ten inches to three feet above the ground.
The nest is a loose, bulky structure, made of bark-strips, small twigs, coarse grasses
lined with fine stems and rootlets. The eggs are three or four, rarely five, in
number, and they are deposited variously in the latter half of May, in June, and as
late as the first or second week in July. Their ground-color is of a rich greenish-
blue, spotted with bright reddish-brown, and a few plumbeous markings. In shape
they vary from an ovate to a short ovate. Average size .95x.70.

703. MOCKINGBIRD. Mini us /m//////o/fo* (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— United States,
south into Mexico; rare or local north of 38°.

The true home of this inimitable vocalist is in the Southern States, where it is
very abundant. It has occasionally been detected breeding in the more northern
States and above latitude 38°— as, near Springfield and Arlington, Massachusetts,
and in the Connecticut Valley. There are records of the bird's residing in summer
in Central and Southern Iowa. We must consider the Mockingbird as a rather ir-
regular breeding bird in suitable localities of Ohio, being a more common summer
resident in the southern portions than elsewhere. It may be looked for along the
beautiful valley of the Muskingum and other streams in that neighborhood. Mr.
C. H. Morris and Mr. E. G. Arrick, of McConnelsville, Morgan county, found the
Mockingbird breeding in that region in the summer of 1896. Along Meig's Creek,
about eight miles north of McConnelsville several nests were found. One was dis-
covered June 26, situated on a rail fence along a roadway; it contained three young
and one unhatched egg. One of the young is now in captivity. Four days afterward
the birds built another nest a short distance from the first, in the same position.
About the middle of July a nest containing four young ready to fly was found. The
same pair of birds again built in a small sycamore tree about five feet from the
ground, an illustration of which we herewith copy from a photograph. About
twenty birds were gathered together when they left Morgan county for their winter
home. The birds again returned this Spring (1897), but owing to the extremely cold
weather in May and June, they disappeared. I have several times taken them in
June, and my friend, J. E. Gould, observed a pair that lingered about the grounds in
the vicinity of the Ohio State University during the summer months of 1887, but
was unable to discover their nest, which was doubtless in the neighborhood. A pair
built their nest and reared their young for several years near the residence of Dr.
Kirtland, at Rockport, and the bird has been found breeding frequently in Southern
Ohio. Goss gives the Mockingbird as a summer resident of Kansas; begins laying

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

463

703. A Mockingbird's nest in Morgan County, Ohio. (From photo ) (See page 462 )

about the 20th of May. Mr. Shields informs me that in Los Angeles county, Cali-
fornia, where it is an abundant resident, nest-building is begun early in May, and
fresh eggs may be found as late as the last of June. He states that when deprived
of the first set of eggs, a second nest is invariably built and another set deposited.
The nest is composed of small twigs and weeds, lined with roots and sometimes
with horse hair and cotton. Various situations are selected for the nest; an almost
impenetrable thicket of brambles, a hedge, an orange tree or holly bush seem to be
favorite localities. Often the nest is built in a bush a few feet from a door or
window of a dwelling. Generally two or three broods are reared in a season. Mr.
J. A. Singley, of Giddings, Lee county, Texas, informs me that he finds the nests in
that locality built mostly in clumps of live oaks scattered over the prairies, also in
brush-piles, corners of rail fences, and in fact everywhere except on the ground.
He has found them as low as six inches from the ground in a low bush, and as high

464

VESTS \M> EGGS OF

aa fifty feet in trees. A set of five eggs was taken from the hollow of a live oak in
May, 1886. The eggs are usually four or five, seldom six. The ground-color varies
from pale greenish-blue to dull buffy, marked with spots and blotches of yellowish-
brown, russet or chestnut A great variation exists in the sizes. Specimens in a
large series measure as small as ,87x.68, and as large as 1.05x.80. A common size is
.94x.71 inches.

704. CATBIRD. f;«/ro.xro/»/».s- rnrnlinrnxiK (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Eastern
United States and British Provinces, north to about 54° in the interior; west to and
including the Rocky Mountains. Winters in the Southern States, Cuba and Central
America to Panama.

This well-known bird breeds throughout its range, nesting in bushes, low trees,
or clusters of vines, generally in retired places. It is seldom placed more than ten
feet above the ground. Thickets or orchards are its favorite haunts. The nest is
bulky and inartistic, made of dry leaves, twigs, dry grass, and lined with black
fibrous roots and grass. The eggs are usually four, frequently five, and rarely six.
They are plain, deep bluish-green; average size .95x.71.

705. BROWN THRASHER. Harimrliiinrliun nifnx (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern United States, west to the base of the Rocky Mountains, north to Southern

Maine, Ontario and Manitoba. Winters in
more Southern States, north to about 37°.

The Brown Thrasher breeds in all suit-
able localities throughout its range, building
its nest in low bushes, or on stumps, in clus-
ters of wild vines and briers, in heaps of
brush-wood, and often on the ground. It may
be frequently found nesting in the fruit trees
of quiet orchards, and in trees situated in un-
frequented places. When the nest is placed
on the ground where the soil is wet and
clayey the eggs become addled; three in-
stances of this kind have come under my no-
tice, and the eggs have failed to hatch. The
same observations have been made by a
number of my correspondents. The nests
are rather flat, loosely and rudely constructed
of twigs, strips of bark, withered leaves, and
black, fibrous roots, lined with horse hair and
a few feathers. In some sections the Brown
Thrasher begins to build in th-- latter part of
April, hut. more gem-rally in tin- first half of

The eggs are three or four, sometimes five in number. Their ground color

from white through pale-buff to pale-greenish, and, very rarHy. quite a

art green; the markings are minute specks of reddish-brown, thickly sprinkled

iff. frequently forming distinct wreaths near the larger ends.

The average size is 1.08x.80, with considerable variation.

TC5. BROWN THRASHER (After Wilson )

706. BENNETT'S THRASHER.
Geog. Dist. — Lower Rio Grande Valley.

hnn/in.xlri* settMtti (Ridgw.)

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 455

Mr. Sennett says that the Texas Thrasher is a very abundant species through-
out the whole Lower Rio Grande country. It frequents shady thickets,
and is rarely seen in the open plains. Dr. Merrill pronounces it a fine songster, and
states that in habits it scarcely differs from the Eastern bird, rufu*. The eggs, as
Mr. Sennett found them, are usually four in the first clutch in April, while second-
sets, late in May: contain generally three. They are hardly distinguishable from
those of H. rufus. Dr. Merrill gives the average size of fifty-two eggs as 1.08x.82, the
extremes being 1.13x.86 and .97x.75.

707. CURVE-BILLED THBASHEB. H arporhynchus curvirostris (Swains.)
Geog. Dist.— Mexico, north to Southern Texas and New Mexico (east of the Rocky
Mountains).

According to Dr. J. C. Merrill and Mr. George B. Sennett, this species is about
as common as the Mockingbird or H. longirostris sennetti on the Lower Rio Grande.
It inhabits tangled thickets as well as prickly-pear cactuses and mesquite
trees, which afford breeding resorts. In two instances Mr. Sennett found nests in
ebony trees near much frequented pathways, and the birds were as tame as Robins.
The usual height of nests from the ground is about four feet. Mr. G. B. Benners
found a nest of this bird in a Woodpecker's hole in a live oak on the banks of the
Rio Grande. It contained four eggs. Dr. Merrill says: "They are, as a rule, readily
distinguishable from those of the Texas Thrasher and Mockingbird by the almost
invariable lining of yellow straws, giving a peculiar appearance to the nest. They
are also more compactly built, are well cupped, and often have the edges well
guarded by thorny twigs." Mr. Sennett states that the bird commences to breed
in March on the Rio Grande, and rears several broods. The first eggs are laid in
April, and generally number four; by the middle or latter part of May the second
sets consist nearly always of three. A few sets of four were found of the second lay-
ing. Five sets of these eggs are in my cabinet, taken near Camargo, Mexico, in March,
April and May. They vary from oval-oblong to almost pyriform in shape, and their
ground-color is almost invariably light bluish-green, minutely speckled with reddish-
brown. The sizes of two sets as as follows: l.Olx.73, l.OOx.75, 1.02x.79, 1.10x.75; 1.10
x.79, l.lOx.81, 1.15x.83, 1.13x.81. The average size is 1.08x.78.

707a. PALMER'S THBASHEB. Harporhynchus curvirostris palmeri Ridgw.
Geog. Dist. — Southern Arizona, southward into Sonora (Guaymas).

One of the most common birds on the cactus-covered plains of Arizona. The
breeding season in some sections begins in February, in other localities early in
March, and generally two broods are reared in a season. The nests are usually built
in the cholla, a kind of prickly cactus, at a height of about three to six feet. It is
composed of twigs and lined with dry grass; sometimes the lining is mixed with hair
or feathers when procurable. According to the observations of Mr. W. E. D. Scott
and Mr. Herbert Brown, the usual number of eggs laid by Palmer's Thrasher is three,
sometimes four, not infrequently two and rarely one. The eggs cannot with cer-
tainty be distinguished from those of the Curve-billed Thrasher. The sizes of a set
of eggs containing the smallest specimens in a series of twenty-one sets in Mr.
Norris' collection are, 1.10x.78, 1.09x.78, 1.13x.78;ythe largest 1.24x.81, 1.20x.79, 1.16x.79.

708. BENDIBE'S THBASHEB. Harporhynchus bendirei Coues. Geog. Dist.—
Southern Arizona, south into Sonora (Guaymas), casually northeastward to Colorado.

31

466

The late Major Charles E. Bendire, U. S. A., discovered this species in the
vicinity of Tucson, Arizona, in 1872. The bird inhabits the same regions fre-
quented by //. jxilmiri and rrixtmlis, with whom it associates. Mr. Scott states that
the song of the male of this species is particularly beautiful, and is to be compared
with the best efforts of the Mockingbird. The nests are placed in mesquites and
cactuses, usually at a height of three or four feet above the ground. The colla
cactus is their favorite nesting-site. The breeding season begins early in March,
and two broods are generally reared in a season. The eggs are three or four, rarely
two, in number. The eggs are greenish-white, spotted with lavender-gray and drab.
The average size is 1.02x.74 inches.

709. ST. LUCAS THRASHER.

709. ST. LUCAS THRASHKK.

HarpvrhyncIiHx riiirrcuK Xantus. Geog. Diet. —
Lower California.

This Thrasher is confined to the
peninsula of Lower California. Its gen-
eral habits are described as being similar
to those of //. jxiltncri or r/-/\,\(///\. Its nest
is a flat structure, with a slight hollow, and
usually built in low trees, shrubs and
cactus plants about four feet from the
ground. The eggs are two or three in
number, and are described as greenish-
white, spotted with pale reddish-brown.
Average size 1.06x.75.

709a. MEARN'S THRASHER. Htirimrliitnrlinx rim-mis nn-arnxi Anthony.
Geog. Dist. — Northern Lower California.

Mr. Anthony has named this bird in honor of the well-known ornithologist and
scientist, Dr. Edgar A. Mearns. For a description of the bird see Auk. Vol. XII.
January, 1895, page 53. The price of the egg of this Thrasher is quoted at $4.00, but
I have never seen one.

710. CALIFORNIA THRASHER.

710. CALIFORNIA THRASHER. HfirptirJiiiHrJnix rrtlirirus (Gamb.) Geog.
Mat.— Coast region of California, southward along the Pacific coast to Lower Cali-
fornia.

This Thrasher is an abundant resident of the coast region of California. Mr.

: Shields informs me that its favorite haunts in Los Angeles county are the

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 467

scrub oaks and grease-wood brush that fringe deep mountain gorges. It begins to
build toward the last of April, and by the last of May it is difficult to procure a per-
fectly fresh set of eggs. The bird, he says, is a close sitter, often allowing one's hand
to touch it before leaving the nest. The general character of the neat is a coarse,
rudely constructed platform of sticky, coarse grass and mosses, with but a very slight
depression. Occasionally, however, nests of this bird are more carefully and elabor-
ately made. It is always well hid in the low scrub bushes. The usual complement
of eggs is three, sometimes four and occasionally only two. They are light greenish-
blue, with russet-brown and chestnut spots; average size 1.18x.85. Ten specimens
measure l.OSx.80, 1.05x.82, 1.02x.79, 1.04x.77, 1.08x.80, 1.22x.84, 1.21X.85, 1.27x.82, 1.28x
.79, l.SOx.84 inches.

711. LECONTE'S THRASHER. Harporhynchus lecontei (Lawr.) Geog. Dist.—

Valleys of the Gila and Lower Colorado Rivers, south into Sonora.

This is the least common of all the Thrashers in the region which it inhabits,
and from all accounts it is a very shy and difficult bird to obtain. Comparatively
few of its eggs have yet appeared in collections. Mr. E. Holterhoff, Jr., discovered
its nest and eggs at Flowing Wells, a station in the middle of the Colorado Desert,
in California.* In the same region a number of the nests and eggs have been taken
by Mr. F. Stephens and R. B. Herron. Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, U. S. A., met with
this bird in the desert country, between Phoenix and Casa Grande, Arizona.f He
states that the song of this species is
remarkable for its loud, rich tone, and
is at least as fine as any of the genus.
Deserts of sand, "covered in places with
patches of sage-brush and groves of
cholla cactuses, with a few mesquites
and shrubs scattered along the dry ar-
royos," are the favorite haunts of Le-
conte's Thrasher. A glance at these
bushes will usually suffice to detect the
nest, as it is large and conspicuous, ex-
cept when the shrub is bushy. The
nest is usually built near the center of

a Cholla cactus, from one to seven feet 711. LECONTE'S THRASHKK.

above the ground; it is likewise fre-
quently placed in mesquites. The birds are close sitters and one can approach with-
in a few yards before they slip off — which they usually do on the opposite side of the
bush — dropping to the ground they run briskly and seek the cover of the surrounding
vegetation, and so adroitly conceal themselves that it is almost impossible to detect
them. The nest is composed of twigs, grasses and weeds and is lined with feathers.
The breeding season begins in March, and, according to Mr. Herron's observations,
some at least very likely begin laying in February. The eggs are three or four in
number, greenish-blue, faintly speckled, chiefly at the larger end, with cinnamon-
rufous or yellowish-brown. Some specimens have large blotches on the surface.
The general shape of the eggs is elongated-oval. The sizes of a set containing four

* Described in the American Naturalist, ^CV, March, 1881; for fuller account &.
Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, VIII, 48-49.

t For an extended historical account, together with full details of the habits of
" ff lecontei and crissalis" see Dr. Mearns' article, "Some Arizona Birds," in The Auk,
III, pp.

468 -TS AND BOGS OF

eggs collected on May 24, 1883, in San Gorgonia Pass, California, by Mr. Herron,
are 1.13x.75, 1.07x.77, 1.08x.77. 1.14x.75. The average is 1.07x.76 inches.

712. CRISSAL THRASHER. lluritnrhyin'lius m'.v\«i/ix (Henry.) Geog. Dist.—
New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Utah, Southeastern California and northern portion
of Lower California.

This is a common species in suitable localities throughout New Mexico, Arizona
and Southeastern California. Dr. Mearns states that it is abundant all over the
Verde River bottom lands, preferring mesquite thickets and the vicinity of streams.
He says it is one of the few birds that truly sing; and it shares, in Arizona, this rare
gift with its congeners— Bendire's, Palmer's and Leconte's Thrashers. Its song is
remarkable for its scope and sweetness, having all the power of the Mockingbird,
singing from the tops of the tallest bushes in the same attitude as the Brown
Thrasher of the East. Like the rest of the Thrashers it is highly terrestrial, and runs
swiftly on the ground from bush to bush, often jetting its long tail upward, more or
less above the horizontal. They breed about the same time as Bendire's Thrashers.
Mr. Scott found eggs in the Catalina Mountains of Arizona during the first week in
April that were about ready to be hatched, and young birds fully fledged were ob-
served as early as May 1. Dr. Mearns saw young birds that were strong on the wing
by the end of April. Two broods are reared, and the number of eggs laid, so far as I
am able to ascertain, is usually three, sometimes four. Dr. Mearns discovered, on
two eggs, and two days later it contained four eggs. The proprietors of this
two eggs, and in two days later it contained four eggs. The proprietors of this
nest divided their attention between the care of their nest and a family of young not
yet able to shift for themselves. The nests, placed in bushes, are large conspicuous
objects, rudely constructed of coarse twigs; the inner nest is made of finer vegetable
materials. The eggs are pale greenish-blue, unmarked. The average size is l.OSx
.7.r> inches.

713. CACTUS WREN. H<h-<nlut<-x hniinicirninllux (Lafr.) Geog. Dist.— South-
western border of the United States, from Southern Texas to the coast of Southern
California; south into Northern and Central Mexico.

A common bird in the cactus and chaparral regions of Texas, New Mexico, Ari-
zona, Southern Utah, Nevada, and Southern California. As its name implies, cactus
groves are its favorite haunts. In these, and other thorny shrubs, its nest is placed,
which is a very large and purse-shaped affair with an entrance at one end. It is
composed of little thorns and grasses, and lined with feathers. Mr. Shields states
that in Los Angeles county, California, (lu ro is no grove of cactus along the foothills
without these Wrens. He has often found from four to ten nests in a bed of cacti
not more than a dozen yards square. Three broods are probably reared, as fresh
eggs may be found from the middle of April to the last of July. The eggs are gener-
ally five, sometimes four, and occasionally only three. They are white or creamy
In ground-color, which is thickly covered with rich, reddish-brown spots or specks,
giving to the ontire egg a beautiful rich salmon-colored hue. Ten eggs selected out
of fifteen sets give the following mrnsurrmrnts: .86x.G2, .89x.62, .93x.63, .90x.60, .94x
.67, .96x.67, .95x.66, .94x.69, .95x.67, .98x.69. The average size is .97x.65. Their gen-
eral shape is oblong-oval.

7l3a. BBYANT'S CACTUS WHEN. //r/»o»////r« bniminniiiillnn bryanti An-
thony. Geog. Dist.— Northern Lower California, north into Southern California.

NORTIJ AMERICAN U11WS. 449

The nesting and eggs of this bird, which is named in honor of Mr. Walter B.
Bryant, are in every respect the same as those of the Cactus Wren, //. hn,,,n»ir(l,tiUu9

713/>. ST. LUCAS CACTUS WHEN, 7/r/^<////r.s hnninriniinll,,* ,iffint8 XantUS.
Geog. Dist.— Southern Lower California.

The habits, nesting and eggs of this species are identical with those of the last.

715. BOCK WREN. Kuliiim-tcit ubttoletus (Say.) Geog. Dist.— Arid regions of
Western United States from the Great Plains to the Pacific, south through Mexico to
Northern Central America.

This is a more or less common species in the dry, rocky regions of Western
United States. Mr. Scott says that in the Catalina Mountains of Arizona they be-
gin to breed about the middle of March; six or eight young are the common inmates
of the nest, and two broods are reared. Mr. Emerson found this species to be quite
common on the Farallone Islands, and it is the only land bird which is resident. They
were found all over the South Farallone, building in suitable crevices a nest of
Farallone weed, lining it with chicken feathers and hair shed from the island mule.
The nest is usually built in a rift of rocks, or on the ground beneath some shelving
rock. It is composed of a mass of material, very miscellaneous in character, some-
times a single substance, but a variety of materials are more generally used, such as
sticks, bark-strips, weeds, grasses, moss, hair, wool, etc. A curious habit of the Rock
Wren is that of paving the ground about the entrance of the nest with pebbles, or bits
of rock and glass. On the Farallones small pieces of coal, mussel shells, and small
bones of sea-birds and rabbits are used for this purpose. Mr. Fred Corey, of Santa
Paula, California, informs me that he found a nest with four eggs of this bird under
the rafters of a house. Five and six eggs constitute an average set, and seven, eight,
or nine are sometimes deposited. Mr. Emerson found one nest with ten eggs, two
of which were fresh and the others in various stages of incubation. The eggs are
pure glossy white, finely and sparsely speckled with reddish-brown, chiefly at the
larger end. The average size is .72x.54 inches.

716. GTTADALUPE ROCK WREN. Sulpinctcs guadeloupensis Ridgw. Gteog.
Dist. — Guadalupe Island, Lower California.

Mr. Walter E. Bryant states that this is undoubtedly the most common of the
birds on Guadalupe Island, distributed from the beach to the summit, but found most
numerous on the upper and central portions. They are first to begin nesting. A few
birds began the construction of their nests in December, and one had her work nearly
completed on the 25th of December, 1885. Four fresh eggs were found in it on Janu-
ary 17. The breeding season, strictly speaking, Mr. Bryant says, extends from the
middle of January through the month of March. "Nests were found in cavities of
immense boulders, under rocks, in fallen and decayed trunks of cypress trees, the
latter location being apparently a favorite one. But wherever the nests were located
the passages leading to them were, with one or two exceptions, paved with flat peb-
bles ranging in size from a Lima bean to a half dollar. Fully a quart of these pebbles
were removed from the entrance to a nest built in a boulder at a height of four feet,
where, at some previous time, other birds had evidently built1 and accumulated
their share of the pavement. As a rule, scarcely an ordinary handful of stones
used." The nest is built to conform to the size and shape of the cavity which it
occupies; it is made of fine dry grasses and lined with goat hair. The eggs are usually
four, though sometimes five in number, and resemble, both in color and shape, those

S UF

715. NKST AND EGGS OF THE ROCK WREN. (From The Nidologist.)

of the common Rock Wren, X. Hbxnlrlux. Set No. 781 in Mr. Bryant's collection meas-
ures 17x11, 17x14.:.. 18x14.5, 18.5x14.5 millimeters.* Set No. 782 measures in milli-
meters, 19x14, 19x14, 19.5x14.5, 19.5x14.5, 19.5xl5.f The two largest eggs in a series of
fifty- two specimens measure 21x15 mm. and 20x16 mm. respectively; the two smallest
17x14 mm.; average 19x14 mm.J

[717.] WHITE-THROATED WREN. ('(//»;•/"•" iiu.rininus (Swains.) Geog.
Dist.— Mexico, from Oaxaca and Orizaba northward on the tablelands. Texas
(Giraud).

This bird is similar to the next form, but is darker colored above and below, with
a sharper contrast of the white throat; the white speckling mostly confined to the
back and wings. It is common to Mexico and its range extends to the Texan border.
In .-ill respects its habits, nests and eggs are indistinguishable from those of ('. in.

717n. CANON WREN. c<itln /•/" * »n.rirn tut* <-nnxi>< /-.M/N Ridgw. Geog. Dist. —
Great Basin and Rocky Mountain region, from theSierraNeva<la;m<l Cascades eastward
to Southern Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and Western Texas; south on tin- tablelands
of Mexico to Aguas Calientes. Breeds nearly throughout its range; resident in south-
ern parts of its rango in 1

The rocky canons of the mountain regions throughout its range are the home of
this species. It is easily recognized by its white throat and rich yHlowish-brown
tail, and by Its notes,— a peculiar insect-likr chirp, and a delightful clear whistling

» .67X.55. .6Tx.:,7, .71 x

t .76X.65, .7 7. .77X.65, .77x.59.

J Largest .83x ';.'!; smallest .67x.55; average .75x.55.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 471

song. The nest of the Canon Wren is generally built in some deserted tunnel or cave,
in holes in bluffs, and at times in unused buildings. It is frequently placed on some
projecting ledge or shelf. Mr. H. D. Minot found a nest of this bird containing five
fresh eggs near Manitou, Colorado, on June 8, 1880. It was placed in the roof of a
cave, about ten feet from the ground in a niche or pocket with a narrow vertical
opening. The stones being broken away revealed the nest which rested on the bottom
slab. In appearance the structure resembled that of the Eastern Wood Pewee, being
composed of twigs, stalks, bits of leaves, thickly felted with down silk and feathers.
Mr. Scott says that in Southern Arizona three broods are generally reared each sea-
son. The eggs are from four to six in number. Mr. C. B. Benners found this species
nesting on the rocky side of a dry river bed in Comal county, Texas, and on April 10
took a set of five eggs. The eggs are white, speckled with lavender-gray and vinace-
ous-rufous; in some specimens the markings are chiefly at the larger ends, where
they often form indistinct wreaths. The average size is .72x.53 inches.

7I71t. DOTTED CANON WHEN. Catherpes mexicanus punctulatus Ridgw.
Geog. Dist.— Oregon and California, west of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, and
Liower California.

The Dotted Canon Wren is resident from middle California southward. Its
nests and eggs and general habits are the same as those of C. m. conspersns.

718. CAROLINA WREN. Tliryothorus ludoficianus (Lath.) Geog. Dist.— East-
ern United States except Southeastern Florida (rare toward the northern border),
west to the edge of the Great Plains; south to gulf coast, including Northeastern
Mexico. Rare in Southern New England.

A common and well known bird in the more southern portion of its range, being
rare or local north of latitude 40°. It may be found almost everywhere, but shady
ravines, wooded and rocky banks of streams, piles of logs and brush-heaps are its
favorite haunts. The Carolina Wren has a loud, rich song, which it pours forth while
mounted on the end of a fence rail, top of a stump, or the topmost branch of a tree.
The song is repeated most frequently, and with more vehemence during the mating
season, which is early in spring. Breeding begins in the latter part of March or
early in April, and two, sometimes three, broods are reared in a season. The typical
nest of this bird in Central Ohio, where it is a common resident, is a massive, coarse
structure, made of strips of corn-stalks, grasses, hay and leaves, with an intermixture
of the silk of corn; the lining is of chicken feathers, fine, dry grasses and horse hair.
The bird is not particular as to the situation of its nest. It is found in holes of trees,
in wood-piles, and in low bushes; sometimes in the nook or corner of a barn; occasion-
ally in a box, placed in the verandas of dwellings in retired places; often under an ac-
cumulation of brush-wood. Sometimes the nests are arched over or dome-shaped,,
the opening being only large enough to admit the bird. The number of eggs laid
ranges from four to six, and the average size of twenty specimens is .74x.61; a common
size is .72x.56. The ground-color of the eggs varies from a whitish to creamy-white
or salmon-buff; this is thickly sprinkled with a brownish-pink, and so heavily laid on
in some specimens that the surface has this same appearance. Some, however, are
marked more heavily at the larger end.

718a. FLORIDA WREN. TJiryotJiorus ludovicianus miamensis Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Southern Florida.

This race of the Carolina Wren belongs to Southern Florida. It is a larger bird
and generally more deeply colored than T. ludovicianus. Nesting and eggs indis-
tinguishable.

47: • /> i \/<

718I>. LOMITA WBEN. Thryuthorus ludi.ririunus Inmitnisis Senn. Geog.
Dist.— Southeastern Texas.

This is a lighter colored subspecies than the typical Judoru-innus. It inhabits the
thickly timbered regions along the Rio Grande in Texas. Mr. C. W. Crandall has a
set of five eggs of this bird collected by Mr. Frank B. Armstrong near Brownsville,
Cameron county, April 16, 1893. The nest was placed in the hole of a tree about ten
feet from the ground. It was composed of dry leaves, hay and feathers. The ground-
color of the eggs is similar to that of the eggs of T. ///»/onVw//i/.x; one of the eggs being
whitish, sprinkled with brownish-pink and lavender, forming a distinct ring around
the large end. Their sizes are .68x.55, .74x.57, .66x.55, .72x.57, .73x.55 inches re-
spectively.

719. BEWICK'S WBEN. Thryntlmrns Iwicirkii (Aud.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
United States, rare or local east of the Alleghanies and north of 40°; west to the border
of the Great Plains. Winters in the more Southern States.

Bewick's or the Long-tailed House Wren is a common species in Eastern United
States, particularly southerly; breeding from latitude 40° southward. In some place:;
in the interior it replaces the common House Wren. It is not common on the Atlan:!
coast. Nests of this bird are placed anywhere — in boxes, holes, fence-posts, brush-
heaps, stumps, hollow trees, barns, sheds, etc. Dr. Howard E. Jones, who obtained
the first specimens of nests and eggs of this species ever taken in Ohio, has the fol-
lowing in his text of the magnificent work, "Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of the
Birds of Ohio": "The nest and eggs of Bewick's Wren resemble very closely some
specimens of the House Wren's in size and shape, and, except in size, approach even
closer to those of the Great Carolina Wren. The nest alone would be difficult to dis-
tinguish from uncovered nests of T. <t<lnn, but the eggs are not nearly so thickly
marked. Normal specimens of each can be always differentiated. The House Wren,
however, sometimes lays eggs very similar to typical eggs of Bewick's Wren. The
complement of eggs varies from four to six or seven. They measure in long diameter
from .GO to .68, and in short diameter from .48 to .54. A common size is .49x.G4. They
are spotted and speckled with reddish-brown, sparingly about the point, but plentiful
toward the crown, where the marks are often confluent, forming a wreath. The
shell-marks are purplish."

719a. VIGORS'S WBEN. Tliryntlmrux linrirkii xiiUunm (Vig.) Geog. Dist.—
Pacific coast region of North America, southward to Lower California and Western
Mexico. Breeds nearly throughout its range.

The general habits and nests of this subspecies are identical with those of
Bewick's Wren. The eggs are white, finely speckled with chestnut and lavonder-
gray. In rerun' e regions it frequently nests in crevices of rocks. The eggs average
in size .64x.50 inches.

7196. BAIBD'S WBEN. Tlirnntlinnix hni-irkii Imirtli (Salv. & Godni.i
Dist.— Southern Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, south to Southern I'tah, Colorado and
Middle Kansas, south into Mexico. Breeds throughout its range. Resident from
Arizona and Kansas southward.

This is a common bird in various parts of Southwestern United States, as in
Western and Southern Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, etc. According to the lai-
Goss, it is not uncommon in Southwestern Kansas. It was found common on i In-
Lower Rio Grande by Dr. Merrill and Mr. Sennett. Mr. Scott met with it in Sou1
Arizona. The only nests he found were built in natural hollows, or d< : •< Tied Wood-
peckers' holes in live oak trees. Dr. Merrill states that this bird has a

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 473

variety of notes, the principal song being much like that of the Song Sparrow,
but sweeter. The nest of this Wren, besides being built in Woodpeckers'
excavations and natural cavities of trees, is likewise placed in hollow logs,
under brush-heaps, or in any nook or corner about a deserted building, and, when in
a cavity, the space which it occupies is generally well filled with roots, straws and
grasses, lined with fur or feathers. The nest is also frequently built among the twigs
of dense thorny bushes. Two or three broods are reared in a season. The eggs are
usually five to seven in number, white, speckled with chestnut or reddish-brown
and lavender-gray, heavier at the larger ends, and massed there in distinct, broad
bands. Three sets of these eggs from Comal county, Texas, are in Mr. Norris*
cabinet; two of seven eggs each were taken April 4 and 25, respectively; the third,
containing five eggs, was collected June 21. The sizes by sets in their order are as
follows: .65x.50, .64x.49, ,64x.49, .68x.50, .65x.49, .63x.48, .65x.50; .71x.51, .71x.50,
.69x.51, .71x.51, .70x.52, .72x.52, .71x.52; .65x.50, .66x.51, .64x.52, .66x.53, .67x.52; average
.64x.46 inches.

719. 1. SAN CLEMENTE WREN. Thryothorus leucophrys Anthony. Geog.
Dist. — San Clemente Island, California.

This species is found on San Clemente Island, California. In its habits it is
similar to Baird's Wren, and its eggs, I am informed, are also "very much the same
in color and size." For a description of the bird Cf. Anthony, Auk, January, 1895,
p. 52.

720. GTJADALUPE WREN. Thryothorus brevicauda Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—

Guadalupe Island, Lower California.

I believe the nests and eggs of this bird remain undescribed.

721. HOUSE WREN. Troglodytes <vdon Vieill. Geog. Dist.— Eastern United
States and Southern Canada, west to the Mississippi Valley (Michigan to Louisiana);
winters in southern portions.

A common and well-known bird in Eastern United States. It builds its nest
under the eaves of houses, in corners of the barn, martin-boxes, hollows in trees, and,
in fact, they are found nesting in every conceivable cavity or crevice. The nest is
composed of a mass of miscellaneous rubbish, sticks, grasses, hay and other con-
venient materials. If a box or cavity holds a peck the little birds will fill it full.
The nesting season begins early in May, and two or three broods are generally reared.
Mr. L. O. Pindar, of Hickman, Kentucky, informs me that he saw a pair of these
birds nesting ©n the ground under the floor of a barn, which was elevated four or five
inches, and another pair had their nest in a paper bag full of hops, hanging in a
neighbor's porch. It has been found nesting in the skulls of horses and oxen lying
in grassy fields. Mr. George B. Sennett and Dr. B. H. Warren found a*pair breeding
in a Kingfisher's hole in a sand-bank, near Erie, Pennsylvania. August 1. 188
eggs are white, with a light tinge of purple, so thickly dotted with reddish-brown a,
to nearly conceal the ground-color; they ar6 nearly spherical. to oblong-oval in shape.
The eggs are usually seven, sometimes nine, measuring .64x.52, with great variatic
in this respect.

721a PARKMAN'S WREN. Troglodytes cedon .parfcmanii (Aud.) Geog. Dist-
Pacific coast region of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and North
fornia.

474

721. HOUSE WREW (From Beal.)

The nesting, eggs and entire general habits Of T. o. /»//•/,• »/w/iii correspond exactly
with those of the House Wren of the East. Mr. Walter E. Bryant states that Park-
man's Wren has been known to build in the skull of a horse, which had been placed
in a fruit tree, in the nests of Cliff Swallows, and within an old shoe lodged in a tree.

72V>. WESTERN HOUSE WHEN. 7Ym;/m////r.v ,r<],,,, jmrkmniiil Baird. Geog.
Dist. — Western United States, except the Pacific coast, east to Manitoba, south into
Mexico.

A smaller and paler form than the last; habits and eggs indistinguishable.

722. WINTER WREN. r/v,i//of////rx lihnniJift Vioill. Geog. Dist.— Eastern
North America, breeding from northern border of the United States northward; win-
tering from its southern breeding limit southward.

The Winter Wren breeds from Northern United States northward. A number
of records are at hand of its breeding in Southern New York, in Maine, New Hamp-
shire and Vermont. The late Dr. Wheaton took young birds of this species in
Central Ohio whose plumage indicated they had shortly left the nest. He was of the
>n that the bird breeds in Northern Ohio. Mr. Mcllwraith states that a few re-
main to breed in suitable places throughout Ontario. Mr. Wm. L. Kells found it
ing in tfet woods of Central Ontario, nesting in cavities in the roots of upturned
.While the general habits of this bird are much like those of the House \Vn-n.
its song, from all accounts, during the breeding season, is entirely different — "a soul
vibrating, gushing melody, which calls forth the sweetest woodland echoes." The
nest of this diminutive Wren is placed in hollows of low stumps in wet places, in
imorrupied buildings, in the Unified piles of fallen trees and branches. It
is composed of small twigs with moss and leaves interwoven, and warmly lined with
feathers of hawks, crows, grouse, or any that are at hand. The eggs are laid as early
as the middle of May or in June, and two broods are reared. Mr. Kells says< that the
birds will at once forsake a nest that has been touched by human hand. The eggs
are four, five, or six in number, rlr-nr white in ground color, spotted with reddish-
brown and purple, chiefly at the larger ends. Average size .69x.49.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

475

722a. WESTERN WINTER WREN. T/w//o/////r« lri<-in<ili* jmciflrux Balrd.
Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast region from Sitka to Southern California; south in winter
to Western Mexico; east to Eastern Oregon, Nevada, etc.

This subspecies breeds from the southern coast ranges of California north to
Sitka. Habits, nesting and eggs like those of T. IticmaUs of the East. Eggs .60x.48.

723. ALASKAN WREN. Troglodytes alascensls Baird. Geog. Dist.— Aleutian
and Pribilof Islands, Alaska.

"In a small collection of birds' skins, nests and
eggs recently acquired by the Museum of Comparative
Zoology, collected at the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, is
the nest and two eggs of the Alaskan Wren (Troglo-
dytes parruhiB var. alascensis), which are believed to
be the first ever seen by Naturalists. The nest is
quite large and very compactly built, being composed
externally of fine moss of a bright green color, inter-
woven with fine roots, and lined heavily with hair and
feathers. Conspicuous among the latter are the rosy-
tipped feathers of the Leucosticte grlseinuclia. The
hairs are rather coarse and white, three to four inches
in length, and appear to be hairs of the Polar bear.
The nest was obtained in June, 1876, on St. Georgo
Island, by Mr. W. J. Mclntyre, to whom it was brought 723. ALASKAN WREN (From Turner.)
by a native. It is said to have been placed deep down in the crevices of large rocks,
and to have originally contained twelve eggs, all but two of which were broken be-
fore they came into Mr. Mclntyre's possession. These measure, respectively, .68 by
.51 and .60 by .50. Their general color is dull white, with a very few minute dots of
reddish, so few and small as to be easily overlooked." — J. A. Allen, Bull. Nutt. Orn.
Club, July, 1877, p. 82.

724. SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN. CistotJtorus stcllaris (Licht.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern United States and Southern British Provinces, west to the Great
Plains. Winters in the Gulf States and

southward.

The reedy swamps, fresh water
marshes and meadows of Eastern
United States are the summer home of
the Short-billed Marsh Wren. Breeds
abundantly in Western Manitoba, and
occasionally in the southern portions of
its range, but chiefly north of latitude
40°. The late Colonel Goss states that
t possibly breeds in Kansas and Messrs.
Keyes and Williams give it as a rather
common summer resident of Iowa. Dr.
Agersborg has recorded it as a rare
breeder in Southeastern Dakota. The
Short-billed Marsh Wren is a summer
.•esident of Ohio, but here, as is the case
elsewhere, it is not so abundant as the
Long-billed species. The nest cor-
-esponds to that of the Long-billed, but
no mud is used in its construction. It
is Jpuilt in the midst of a tussock of
TJOElrse, high grass, the tops of which are
ingeniously interwoven into a coarse
and strong covering, spherical in shape,
and closed on every side, except one
small aperture left for entrance. The
Strong, Wiry grass Of the tUSSOCk is also 724. SHORT-BH.LBD MARSH WREN AMD NKST (Cheney del.;

476

•x i v/» EGGS <>r

interwoven with fijier material.;, making the whole impervious to the weather. The
inner nest is composed cf grasses and fine sedges, lined with soft vegetable down.
Several nests are frequently built by a single pair of birds, but not more than one is
used. The eggs are si:i to eight in number, are pure white, unmarked and average
.64x:50.

725. LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. Cixtotlinniit imlmttn* (Wils.) Geog.
Diet.— East mi 1'nii. Mid British Provinces, wintering in the Gulf States.

The Long-billed Marsh Wrm
is a common species in swampy
places and salt marshes through-
out Eastern United States, where
it breeds in colonies of greater or
less extent. The nest is globular,
or somewhat the shape of a co-
coanut, very conspicuous by its
bulk and its exposed position. It
is built of grasses and reeds
closely interwoven and often
plastered with mud, securely fas-
tened to the upright swaying reeds
or cat-tails; it is lined with fine
grasses, has a hole on one side,
sometimes nearer the bottom than
the top. A single pair of these birds
will often build several^ nests,
only one of which is ever used.
The eggs range from five to nine
in number, usually five or six;
they are very dark colored, being
so thickly marked with brown as
to appear of a uniform chocolate
color; average size .64x.45, with
considerable variation.

725". TULE WREN.
lotliorus ixiltixtrix iHiludirola Baird.
Geog. Dist. — Western United
States, east to the Rocky Moun-
tains, south to Northern Central
America (Guatemala).

The nesting and eggs of this
Western form of the Long-billed
Marsh Wren are the same as
those of ('. pnlnxtria of the East-
ern States. It nests more gen-
erally among the tules, more
rarely among the flags. Mr. Bry-
ant makes note of a nest found
in California which contained
SH WKKM (From I'hr (>s/>rrjf ) eggs and was woven among the

almost leafless branches of a young willow, five feet above a fresh water marsh.

The false nests were built as usual, but in the eoarse grass near by.

725. WORTHINGTON'S MARSH WREN. rixinllmrux /w/»/*/nx
Brev. Dist. c a of South Carolina and Georgia.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

477

I have no positive knowledge concerning the nests and eggs of this new variety
of Marsh Wren, but they probably do not differ essentially from those of C. palu»tr\».

725. 1. MARIAN'S MARSH WREN. (Mothorus marianv Scott. Geog.
Dist— Western Florida.

This species is named in honor of Mrs. Marian J. Scott, wife of the eminent
ornithologist and naturalist, Dr. W. E. D. Scott, so frequently quoted in this work.
A series of fourteen specimens from which the types were selected were taken at
Tarpon Springs, Florida, in 1888.* These are now in the American Museum of
Natural History, New York City.

726. BROWN CREEPER. Ccrthia familiaris americana (Bonap.) Geog. Diet.—
Eastern North America, breeding from northern border of United States northward,
and in higher mountain districts.

720. BROWN CREEPER (From Brehm

The Little Brown Creeper breeds from the northern border of the United States
northward, and is seen in most of its United States range during the fall, winter, and
early spring. A resident throughout New England, but more abundant in the north-
ern portion. Mr. Wm. Brewster has given us the best account of the breeding habils
of this bird in the heavy timbered region bordering on Lake Umbagog, Western
Maine, f The nest of the Brown Creeper is built behind loose bark of dead tree-
tmnks or stumps. All of the nests examined by Mr. Brewster were similar in con-

* For a description of this bird C/. Auk, V, April, 1888, p. 188.
t C/. Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, IV, pp. 199-209.

478 \ /.>/> i \l> BOOS <>l

struction, and the sites chosen were of a uniform character. In every instance th«
nest was placed in a balsam fir, though spruce, birch, or elm stubs were more
numerous. Within the loose scale of bark was crammed a mass of twigs and other
rubbish; upon this was the finer bark of various trees, with an intermixture of a
little uttnca moss and a number of spiders' cocoons. Mr. Brewster obtained eggs from
the 31st of May to June 23. The eggs are five to eight in number, white or creamy-
white, speckled or spotted with hazel or reddish-brown, chiefly at or around the larger
end, often in the form of wreaths. A set of six eggs in Mr. Norris' cabinet collected
by Mr. Brewster in Oxford county, Maine, June 5, 1879, exhibits the following sizes:
.58x.46,.58x.45, .57x.45, .57x.45,.58x.46, .57x.46. A set of six taken in Buncombe county,
North Carolina, May 2, 1888, measures .59x.45, .58x.46, .57x.44, .56x.45, .58x.45. Sev-
eral other sets in the same cabinet show great variation. The average size is
.59x.47.

726a. MEXICAN CREEPER. Ccrthia familinriit mexirana (Glog.) Geog.
Dist. — Northern Central America (Guatemala), Mexico, and Southern Arizona.

No reliable information is at hand regarding the nidification of this Mexican
form of the Creeper which is, doubtless, similar to that of ('. f. americana.

7261. ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHEEPER. Ccrthia fainiliaris mnntnnn Ridgw.
Geog. Dist. — Rocky Mountain district, north to Alaska; west to Nevada, etc. Ridgw.

The nesting and eggs of this form are like those of the Brown Creeper of the
Eastern States. Prof. Ridgway gives the average size of the eggs as .59x.46.

726r. CALIFORNIA CREEPER, frrthiu fninilinrix nwilrntnlix : Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Pacific coast region of North America from California to Southern Alaska.

This race of the Creeper is confined to the Pacific coast region. Dr. Merrill met
with it in the vicinity of Fort Klamath, Oregon, and states that in no part of the
West did he find it so abundant as there. Several pairs bred in the immediate vi-
clcinity of the Fort, and during the winter several of their characteristic nests were
found hidden by loosened scales of bark, usually on pines, but once or twice on
aspens. The eggs, according to Mr. Ridgway, average .61x.48 inches.

727. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Kitta carolincnsis Lath. Geog.
Dist.— Eastern United States and British Provinces.

The White-breasted Nuthatch is often Improperly called "Sapsucker," a. name
commonly applied to the Downy Woodpecker and others. Nearly every person read-
ily recognizes this black-capped species as it runs up and down and around the
branches and trunks of trees in search of insect food, now and then uttering ita
curious iiiiniik. 'imink. '/"""/•"• It is a common breeding bird throughout its range
and usually begins nesting early in April. Two broods are not infrequently
reared in a season. This species usually selects for its nesting place the dr<
trunk of a tree or stub, ranging all the way from two to sixty feet above the ground.
The entrance may be a knot-hole, a small opening, or a round perforation is con-
structed and a cavity within in which the nest is made. Often the old excavation of
the Downy Wood peck IT is mncU> use of. The nest is composed of chicken feathers,
hair, and a few dry loaves loosely thrown together. The eggs nro five to eight in
number, rarely nine and tm; thrir usual shape is somewhat long ami pointed. They
are white with a roseate tinge, speckled or spotted with reddish-brown and a slight
tinge of purple. The markings as a rule are thickest near the larger ends. Tht
average size of ten specimens is .77x.56.

NORTH AMEK1CAN lilltDK. 47,

727«. SLENDER-BILLED NUTHATCH, mttn <-anliHcn*i« an.lcata (Caw I
Geog. Dist-Western United States east to and including the Rocky Mountains
south into Mexico.

This bird is similar to the last but has a longer and slenderer bill. It is abundant
in the wooded and mountainous regions of the West, replacing ,S'. carolincnsis. It
possesses the same characteristic 'habits of the White-breasted Nuthatch of the
Eastern States, nesting also in a like manner. Mr. W. O. Emerson states that it
breeds in all the coast range valleys of California, wherever there is plenty of white
and black oak timber, and also high up in the Sierras. The nests are built in
cavities or knot-holes of trees and stumps, composed of feathers and sometimes
mostly of rabbit's fur. Six or seven eggs are usually laid; they are creamy-white
speckled with reddish-brown and hazel. The late Col. B. F. Goss had a set of seven
eggs in his extensive collection which he took from a hole in a tree seven feet from the
ground, in Southern California, May 7, 1884. These measure respectively 75x 57
,75x.53, .74x.53, .74x.53, .73x.57, .78x.54, .71x.57, .72x.56.

7276. FLORIDA WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Sitta carolinensis at-
kinsi Scott. Geog. Dist.— Florida, and northward along the coast to South Caro-
lina.

The habits, nests and eggs of this race are identical with those of 8. carolinensis.

728. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Sitta canadensis Linn. Geog. Dist.-
Whole of North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States, except in west-
ern mountainous regions; Eastern United States chiefly in winter.

This is a common bird throughout North America, breeding from Northern
United States northward. Its habits are essentially the same as those of S. caro-
lincnsis. Mr. Manly Hardy has written a good account of this bird's breeding habits
in Maine.* He found them nesting in white birch and poplar stubs, usually from
ten to fifteen feet, and sometimes as low down as four feet above the ground. In
making the entrance to the nest cavity proper, the birds perforate the bark in a
circle with smaller holes, and then take out the center piece. A strange fact con-
cerning the nests found by Mr. Hardy and others, is that the bark at their entrance
is coated with fir balsam or pitch from an inch to three or four inches around the
hole. In one instance the pitch extended down for twenty-one inches, and was
stuck full of the red breast-feathers of the Nuthatches. The cavities are about four
inches deep, in which the nest is made of fine grass. The eggs, four to six in num-
ber, are very thickly spotted with reddish-brown. Average size .60x.50.

729. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. Sitta pusilla Lath. Geog. Dist—
South Atlantic and Gulf States, north regularly to Southern Maryland and Virginia,
casually to Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, etc.

The home of the Brown-headed Nuthatch is in the South Atlantic and Gulf
States, where it is a common breeder. Its habits are generic. Mr. Arthur T. Wayne
states that in South Carolina the Brown-headed Nuthatch pairs in the latter part of
January, and the birds begin to excavate a hole in a dead stump or limb of a tree,
usually not more than a few feet or inches from the ground, and, again, as high as
forty or fifty feet. Eggs may be obtained in Match as four or five weeks are required
to complete the excavation. Mr. George Noble informs me that he found a nest of

Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club. IIT, p. 106.

4 HO

NESTS AND EGGS OF

» « EUROPEAN NUTHATCH, Sitta caia. ; in cut resembling our Brown-headed Nuthatch. (From Brehm.)

this species in the cavity of a stump In a pond. It was two feet from the surface of
the water. Mr. C. S. Brimley found eggs of this species near Raleigh, North Carolina,
in the month of April. Mr. Wayne says that the birds dig several holes before a
satisfactory one is completed for the nest. The cavity extends downward from eight
to twelve inches, and is filled with short pieces of grass, bits of cotton, wool, feathers,
and the leaf-like substance of "pine seed leaves." The eggs are five or six in num-
ber. The ground-color varies from white through creamy-white, to a dull white, and
the markings are several shades of reddish-brown and lavender-gray. The average
size is .62x.49.

730. PYGMY NUTHATCH. Hitta flj/f/mtrn Vig. Geog. Dist.— Western United
States east to and including the Rocky Mountains; from the northern boundary
•outh into mountainous districts of Mexico.

This diminutive Nuthatch is found throughout Western United States from the
Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. It is abundant, chiefly in pine woods in mountain-
ous districts, nesting like the rest of the genus in holes of trees. Mr. Charles F.
Morrison gives it as a common species of La Plata county, Colorado, and is resident
up to 10,000 feet; breeds abundantly, but the nest is hard to find. The eggs are from
six to nine in number. They are crystalline white, speckled more or less thickly
with brick-red, varying In intensity .In different specimens. The average size of
eighteen specimens is ,54x.44 inches.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

48*

730a. WHITE-NAPED NUTHATCH, mtta woman leuconucha Anthony
Geog. Dist.— San Pedro Mountains, Lower California.

The nesting habits and eggs of this race are the same as those of the laat
species.

731. TUFTED TITMOUSE. Parus bicolor Linn. Geog. Dist.— Eastern United
States to the Plains, north to Northern New Jersey and Southern Iowa; casual in
Southern New England. Resident throughout its breeding range.

The Tufted Titmouse is an abundant resident in Eastern United States, an far
west as Eastern Kansas, and, chiefly, however, south of 40°. Its clear, loud whistling
song may occasionally be heard in sunny days through the winter months, but par-
ticularly in the early spring— in March, the mating season, for nesting usually be-
gins early in April. Deserted Woodpecker excavations, natural cavities of trees, or

731. TUFTED TITMOUSE (E. S. Cheney del.)

those in stubs in deep or open woods are the favorite nesting sites of the Tufted
Titmouse. In these cavities the nest is formed of a mass of leaves, moss, corn-
stalks, soft, fibrous bark-strips, and the hair of caftle; this is all carried to the nesting
place in great mouthsful by the female bird. She has often been accused of picking
to pieces and carrying away the moss from hanging baskets suspended on porches.
Mr. O. C. Poling found a nest of this bird containing five eggs in a box near a ruined
building, in the vicinity of Quincy, Illinois. From five to eight eggs are deposited,
five or six being the usual numbers. I have taken three sets in Central Ohio, all
containing six eggs. They are of a pure white or light cream ground-color, which
is profusely speckled and spotted with different shades of reddish-brown. Eight
specimens, selected on account of their sizes, measure .67x.52, .67x.51, .69x.52, .71

32

482 NB8TB AND EOOB OF

,74x.53, .76x.54, .78x.54, .80x.56; a common size is .74x.52 inches. The Tufted Tit-
mouse will frequently nest in boxes that are put up in the woods for that purpose.
The birds are close sitters, and often have to be lifted from the nest before the eggs
can be secured.

731</. TEXAN TUFTED TITMOUSE. Parus bicolor tcxensis Senn. Geog.
Dist.— Southeastern Texas (Bee and Cameron counties).

This race of the Tufted Titmouse was first described by Mr. George B. Sennett
from specimens taken in Bee county, Texas. Its general color is paler than that of
/'. biriilnr. Its nesting and eggs are indistinguishable from those of the northern
bird.

732. BLACK-C±tESTED TITMOUSE, rants ntricristutus Cass. Geog. Dist.—
Eastern Mexico, north into Southern Texas.

An inhabitant of Southern Texas and southward into Eastern Mexico. Mr.
William Lloyd states that this species is a tolerably common resident in Concho
and Tom Green counties, Texas, and from thence to El Paso is the prevailing spe-
cies. Nests were found in old Woodpecker holes April 15, 18 and 20. On the Lower
Rio Grande the Black-crested Titmouse was found to be common by Dr. James C.
Merrill and Mr. George B. Sennett, where nests -containing eggs were found in April.
Besides old Woodpeckers' excavations, the nesting sites chosen are hollows or
deep cracks in tree trunks. The nest is composed of grasses, inner bark, feathers,
moss and wool, and, like the nest of the Blue Grosbeak, it almost invariably con
pieces of snakeskin. The eggs are usually five or six in number, with a clear,
white ground-color, and small spots of chestnut sparsely scattered over the surface;
in other specimens the markings are larger and more closely disposed over the shell.
They can be distinguished at a glance from those of /,. Menhir. The spots on the
eggs of /,. iitriirixtfitntt are fewer and more scattered than on those of irirnlnr. The
average size of a set of six eggs is .67x.54 inches.

733. PLAIN TITMOUSE. 1'uriu* iiionuttiis Gamb. Geog. Dist. — Pacific coast
of ^'alifornia to Oregon.

The Plain or Western Tufted Titmouse is resident along the coast of California.
In some localities it is common, and in others, apparently as well suited to its mode
of living, it is scarce or wanting. The nesting sites are the hollows of limbs, usually
in oaks. Mr. Walter E. Bryant, of Oakland, California, found a nest of this species
placed in the ventilator of an outbuilding. The shape of the nest conforms to the
character of the cavity in which it is built; this is filled with fine grasses, feathers,
cow's hair, rabbit's fur, moss, and almost any soft substance that is available. Mr.
II. R. Taylor, of Alameda, California, observes that the birds begin to construct.
their nests as early as March 7, and the selection of a hole well sheltered from the
rain is a very necessary precaution. From all accounts the bird is a close sitter;
when a stick is thrust into the nest cavity it is met with a vigorous resistam •• •;
ana the bird, if taken from the nest and tossed into the air, will often return im-
mediately and settle down on the eggs in presence of the collector. Under these
circumstances one or more of the eggs are frequently broken or injured by the bird's
claws as she is being removed from the nest. The eggs are five or eight in number,
and may be plain white or spotted. Mr. Frank B. Webster has kindly sent me six

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 433

eggs of this species, showing their extreme variations. Three of these are pure
white, unmarked; the fourth is very obscurely marked with reddish specks at the
larger end, while the fifth is distinctly speckled over the entire surface with vlnace-
ous cinnamon, but chiefly at the larger end; the sixth is marked generally over the
entire shell. These variations may exist in the eggs of a single set, but usually the
specimens in sets are of one type or the other — plain white or speckled. The sizes
of the six eggs just described are .68x.49, .69x.53, .71x.51, .72x.54, .73x.53, .74x.53.

733a. QBAY TITMOUSE. Parus inornatit* i/rineus Ridgw. Geog. Dist.— New
Mexico and Colorado to Arizona, Nevada and California east of the Sierra Nevada.

I have no information regarding the nidification of this variety of Pan/.v ///-
ornatns. Their nesting habits, however, can differ but little if any.

733b. ASHY TITMOUSE. Parus inornatus cineraceus Ridgw. Geog. Dist. —

Lower California.

There appears to be nothing published regarding the nidiflcation of this Tit-
mouse of Lower California.

734. BRIDLED TITMOUSE. Parus wollweberi (Bonap.) Geog. Dist.— West-
ern Texas, Southern New Mexico and Southern Arizona, south into Mexico.

Mr. W. E. D. Scott found this Titmouse to be a rather common resident in the
evergreen oak region of both the Final and Santa Catalina Mountains of Arizona.
It is gregarious, except during the breeding season, going about in small companies.
It was frequently found, especially in the fall and winter months, associated with
flocks of the Plumbeous Bush-tit (Psaltriparus plumbcus) and a pair or more of Ari-
zona Woodpeckers (Dryobates Arizona?) are generally found in the band. He observes
that the Bridlea Titmouse is as unsuspicious and as fond of the society of man as the
Black-capped Titmouse (Parus atricapillus). On two occasions he discovered it
breeding, the nests being located in natural cavities of live oaks, close to. his house.
The first was found May 9, 1884, which was in a cavity rormed by decay, in an oak
stump; the opening, which was a small knot hole where the branch had been broken
off, was about three and a half feet from the ground. The hollow was lined with
cottonwood down, the fronds of some small rock-ferns, and bits of cotton-waste that
had been used to clean the machinery of a mill near by. The nest contained three
pure white, unspotted eggs, with a pinkish tinge before being blown. Two of these
were accidentally broken; the unbroken one measures .63x.48. Another nest was
found May 9, 1885, in a similar location, some six feet from the ground. In addition
to the material of the nest already mentioned, there were decayed grasses and
rabbit's fur. This nect contained four young just hatched and two eggs, similar to
the last in color— plain, dead white, and measure .65x.51, .67x.53. The eggs are said
to range from five to s*ven in number.

735. CHICKADEE. Parus atricapillus Linn. Geog. Dist.— Eastern North
America, chiefly north of 40°, west to the Plates.

The little Black-capped Chickadee or Titmouse is an abundant species in East-
ern United States, north of the Potomac and Ohio Valleys. The usual nesting time
is about the middle of April. The late Colonel Goss gives it as a common resident

484 W.-N/N i.Y/i /:>;<,

of Kansas, begins laying early in April. The nest is constructed in deserted Wood-
pecker holes, natural cavities in trees, decayed stumps, hollow fence posts, etc.
These places are filled with a mass of leaves, moss, dry grasses and warmly lined
with downy feathers, hair from cattle, and often of the fur of the smaller quadrupeds.
The eggs are five to eight in number, white, speckled all over, but most thickly at or
around the larger ends with light reddish-brown. The average size is .57x.47. Of
this species Wilson says: "They traverse the woods in regular progression from
tree to tree, tumbling, chattering and hanging from the extremities of the branches,
examining about the roots of the leaves, buds, and crevices of the bark for insects and
their larvae. They also frequently visit the orchards, particularly in fall, the sides
of the barn and barn-yard in the same pursuit, trees in such situations being gen-
erally much infested with insects. We, therefore, with pleasure, rank this little bird
among the farmers' friends, and trust our rural citizens will always recognize him
as such."*

735«. LONG-TAILED CHICKADEE. Parus atrim influx
(Harris.) Geog. Dist. — Rocky Mountain district (New Mexico to Alaska), west to the
edge of the Great Basin, east nearly across the Plains.

This is the Western form of P. atricainllus, and identical with it in general
habits. It is found as far east as Missouri, Eastern Nebraska and Western Minne-
sota along the Red River, thus slightly overlapping the home of /'. utricapillux
proper. Dr. Agersborg states that it is the only Chickadee found in Southeastern
Dakota, and the late Colonel Goss said it was common in Western Kansas. In the
South it has been found in Texas, where it was found mixed with the Southern
Chickadee. Prof. Lantz took a fine set of the eggs of the Eastern form.f The eggs
of the Long-tailed Chickadee are dull white, and very uniformly speckled with
reddish-brown; their average size is .60x.47.

735/>. OREGON CHICKADEE. l'<ints utrinijnlln* wiilrHtalix (Daird.) Geog.
Dist.— Northwestern coast district of United States, from Northern California north-
ward (to Southern Alaska?).

A common bird along the coast region of Northern California, Oregon and Wash-
ington, possessing all the habits of the Eastern atrirairillus, and nesting in a like
manner. The eggs of the two birds are indistinguishable. The average size of the
eggs in a series of ten sets is .60x.4S inches.

736. CAROLINA CHICKADEE. /•«/•//* rarnlinrnfiis Aud. Geog. Dist. — East-
ern United States, chiefly south of 40°, west to Missouri, Indian Territory and East-
ern Texas.

The Carolina or Southern Chickadee is a common bird in Eastern rniti-d Stat< s,

chiefly south of 40°. It is supposed to be resident throughout its range, and is par-

i rly abundant in the Southern States. This bird, like the Black-capped Chicka-

dee, nests in old Woodpeckers' excavations, natural cavities of trees, hollow fence

rails, etc., not at a great elevation. The material used in these cavities consists of

•American Ornithology, or the Natural History of tin- P.inls of the Unit- -I
Illustrate. 1 with Plates engraved fn.m drawings 1'f.m Nature. i:.v Alexander Wilson ami
Charl< Popular edition. Four volumes In one. Philadelphia: Porter

& Coates. V..I. II. i

t Cf. Report on Hlnl Migration In the Mississippi Valh y In the- years 1884 and 1885, by
revised by Dr. C. Hart Merrlam, Washington. Government
printing Office. 1888. P. 278.

NORTH AMI-: If If l.Y It 1 1. 435

fine dry grasses, shreds of fibrous bark, with a warm lining of feathers, cattle hair
and fur of the smaller quadrupeds. The eggs are five to eight in number, white.
sprinkled with specks and small blotches of reddish-brown. In a large series, how-
ever, there is considerable variation, both in color and size. Ten specimens
average .60x.50. The eggs are not distinguishable from those of P<inix

736a. PLUMBEOUS CHICKADEE. I'nru* iiiriiliiiriixis iti/ilia Senn. Geog.
Dist.— Eastern and Central Texas (Bee, Victoria, Cook and Concho counties, etc.).

Mr. George B. Sennett, who describes this new Chickadee* says that it can be dis-
tinguished from its nearest ally, P. ciiniHimiftis, by its whiter underparts; by its being
almost entirely free from buff washings on sides, and from olive and brown washings
on upper parts; and its very pale lead color on back. Mr. J. A. Singley has sent me
five eggs of this bird which he collected in Lee county, Texas, with full details of the
bird's nidification. The nest is usually excavated in an oak stub at elevations rang-
ing from two to fifteen feet. Deserted Woodpecker holes, natural cavities in trees
are commonly chosen, and occasionally Martin boxes are used. The breeding season
is from the last of February to the first of May. The foundation of the nest is made
of short, green moss, mixed with animal hair, and the lining, as a rule, is of rabbit
fur. The bird sits so closely that it usually has to be lifted from the nest. The eggs
are five to eight in number, white, variously speckled, spotted and blotched with
cinnamon-rufous. They cannot be distinguished trom the eggs of P. atrlrajnUux
or carolinensis, and vary in as great a degree, both in size and coloration, as eggs
of the same species are found to differ. The sizes of five eggs just mentioned are
.56x.43, .61x*47, .62x.50, .63x.47, .63x.50. This plumbeous colored Chickadee is very
likely the prevailing form of Texas.

737. MEXICAN CHICKADEE. Parus meridionalis Scl. Geog. Dist.— Moun-

tains of Mexico, from Orizaba north to Southern Arizona.

The Mexican Chickadee differs from P. atricapillns in having the under parts of
a paler shade of the ashy of the upper, instead of white. Nesting and eggs indis-
tinguishable from atricapillus.

738. MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE. Parus gambeli Ridgw. Geog. Dist. — Moun-

tainous regions of Western United States.

The Mountain Chickadee inhabits the mountainous regions. of Western United
States, chiefly the alpine districts. It nests in old Woodpeckers' excavations and
natural cavities of trees and stumps, from two to twenty feet .above the
ground. Fibrous roots, grasses, sheep's wool, cattle's hair, or fur of the smaller
qaudrupeds constitute the materials of the nest; these will vary with, the locality. A
nest of this bird was found in a rotten stump, two feet from the ground, by Mr. L.
Belding, near Marysville, California, containing seven white eggs.f Dr. Brewer
describes a nest which was discovered by Mr. Charles A. Allen, June 11, 1879, in the
mountains of Placer county, California. It was constructed in an old hole of the
White-headed Woodpecker, Xenopicus albolarvatus, and contained seven eggs, six of
which were pure white, unspotted, and the seventh marked over the entire surface
with dots of reddish-brown.:}: Dr. James C. Merrill found a nest of this species in
Montana, on June 18. It was in a cavity of a pine, about sixteen feet above the

* The Auk, V, D. 46.

t C/. Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, III, pp. 102-103.

t Ib. V, r. 47.

486

TS AND EGGS OF

ground, and contained five or six young and one addled egg, which was dull, un-
spotted, chalky-white. Dr. Elliott Coues makes note of two white unmarked eggs
of this species, taken by William G. Smith, in Colorado. Dr. Merrill says that this
species is perhaps the most common resident species at Ft. Klamath, Ore., and in winter
is seldom out of sight or hearing. Between May 25 and July 4, five nests containing
eggs wore discovered in Woodpeckers' holes in aspen or pine stubs. The eggs were
five to eight iu number, and of the five sets two are entirely unspotted; in two, one or
two eggs are pure white, the others having faint, light brown spots, mostly at

the larger end; in the other set two of
the eggs are quite unmarked, but the
others have distinct reddish spots. He
states that the female birds sit very
close, and when disturbed keep up a
constant hissing, so much like that of
some snakes that no prudent squirrel
would venture to enter the hole. The
eggs have an average size of .60x.41
inches.

739. SIBERIAN CHICKADEE.

I'lini* din-tux (ihtcrtux (Cab.) Geog.
Dist. — Eastern Siberia and Northern
Alaska.

An inhabitant of Eastern Siberia and northern portions of Alaska. Its habits,
nesting and eggs are similar to those of /'. ijamlu'li. Eggs, .65x.50.

739. SIBERIAN CHICKADEE (From Turner.)

740. HUDSONIAN CHICKADEE. 7V/n/x ////</*(,» />//* Forst. Geog. Dist.—
Northern North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south to the more ele-
vated portions of the United States — New England, New
York, Northern Michigan, etc.

The Hudscnian Chickadee is resident in Labrador
and the Hudson Bay region. It is given as a resident of
Northern New England, and breeds on the Island of
Grand Manan, New Brunswick. Audubon found a nest
of this Chickadee in Labrador, built in a decayed stump
about three feet from the ground and composed entirely
of the finest of fur of various quadrupeds, chiefly of the
northern hare, and all so thickly and ingeniously matted
throughout as to seem as if felted by the hand of man.
Mr. Montague Chamberlain mentions several nests that
were found in New Brunswick, one of which was built in
a cavity of a telegraph pole and others built in decayed
stumps. He says that when this species is excavating for
its nest it sometimes enters from the side of a tree and
not invariably from the top of a stump. Mr. James W.
Banks, during the seasons of 1885 and 1886, discovered
three nests, the entrances of which were at the side of a
decayed stump. One of these nests is about two inches
deep and is set on a cushion of dried moss, and besides the felted fur there is con-
siderable dry moss mixed throughout. The entrance was about six inches from the
top of the nest. The eggs are usually six or seven in number. The ground-color

749. HUDSONIAN CHICKADBB
(From Tamer.)

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 487

of the eggs is of a creamy-white tint, sprinkled with hazel and blackish; average site,
.60x.46 inches.

740«. KOWAK CHICKADEE. Farm hudsonlcus stoneyi (Ridgw.) Goog.

Dist. — Valley of the Kowak River, Northwestern Alaska.

According to Mr. Ridgway this variety of Chickadee is similar to /'. Jmdtonicus,
but in color much grayer above, sides of neck purer ash gray, etc. Its nesting and
eggs are doubtless similar to liudsotticus.

740b. COLUMBIAN CHICKADEE. Parus Itudsonicus columbianus Rhoads.
Geog. Dist.— Rocky Mountains, from Liard River south into Montana.

The nesting and general habits of this Chickadee are not known, but are prob-
ably similar to those of P. liudsonicus.

741. CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE. Parus rufcsrcns Towns. Geog.
Dist.— Northwestern coast — Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Southern
Alaska.

The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is an inhabitant of the Northwest coast where,
in some regions, it is rather common. Mr. A. W. Anthony gives it as a common
winter resident of Washington county, Oregon. It was first seen by him in Decem-
ber, 1884, in company with the Oregon Chickadee, Parus atriraitillux <>«-idi ntiili*.
A few lingered to breed, but disappeared as soon as the first brood was raised. A nest
was found April 28, in a large fir stub three feet four inches in diameter, running
horizontally three inches then turning downward for six inches before opening into
the nest, which was of cow hair and rabbit fur. It contained seven eggs with large
embryos. The eggs of this species are five to seven in number; their ground color is
white, sprinkled over with distinct spots of redish, especially at the large end where,
in most specimens, they tend to form a ring. Their average size is .64x.47 inches.
The eggs of this species and those of the next form are not distinguishable.

741a. CALIFORNIA CHICKADEE. Parus rufescens neglcctus Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Coast district of California.

This bird is confined to the coast regions of California where Mr. W. 0. Emerson
informs me it can always be found in the redwood belts. He has only seen two bird?
of this species in the vicinity of Haywards, which is doubtless on account of there
being no redwood timber. It nests in cavities of trees and stumps, and in old Wood-
peckers' excavations, making the nest of quadrupeds' hair. Six or seven eggs are
usually deposited. A set of six eggs in Mr. Emerson's collection was taken by Mn
George H. Ready, April 13, 1885, in Santa Cruz county, California. They were take^
from an old cavity of a Gairdner's Woodpecker in a maple stub, eight feet from thf
ground. The eggs are similar to some specimens of the Black-capped Chickadet
Parus atricapillus, being white, sparsely marked over the entire surface with red
spots, and tending to form a ring at the larger end; average size is .63x.47.

742. WREN-TIT. Chamaa fasciata Gamb. Geog. Dist— Coast region of Cali-
fornia, from Monterey county northward.

The Ground-Tit or Wren-Tit, which partakes of the features of a wren and £
titmouse, may not be considered a common species in the Pacific Coast region of

488

California. On account of its retired habits it is seldom seen. It frequents the
shrubbery of out-of-the-way ravines and solitary canons, often where there is no
water. The nest is built in low bushes from two to four feet above the ground, is
cup-shape in form, with thick walls, and compactly made of bark-strips, grasses,
fibrous roots, lined with cattle hair. The cavity measures about three inches in
width and three-fourths deep. The breeding season begins in May, and two broods
are usually reared in a season. From three to five eggs are laid, four being the
usual complement; they are of a plain pale blue, a shade darker than those of the
Black-throated Bunting or Dickcisscl, Ny/:<; nmcrlcnua. Seven eggs of this species,
collected by Mr. R. B. Herron in San Gorgonia Pass give the following respective
measurements: .68x.54, .66x."54, .69x.58, .77x.56, .75x.55, .76x.56, .75x.55. The average
size is .73x.56. Mr. Emerson informs me that the birds sit very close on the nest,
and when flushed immediately set up a hissing or cricket-like sound.

742</. PALID WREN-TIT, rhnnum fiixciatn hi-nxhaici Ridgw. Geog. Dist. —
Interior of California, including the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, from the
head of the Sacramento Valley south to Northern Lower California.

The habits, nesting, etc., of this paler subspecies are the same as those that are
characteristic of the last species; the eggs are indistinguishable.

743. BUSH-TIT. /'.vf///n/mn/x minimus (Towns.) Geog. Dist. — Northwestern
coast, from Northern California to Washington.

This is a darker-colored species than the California Bush-Tit. It is a common
resident of Oregon and northward into Washington. Breeds preferredly in thi
of ash and willow, building a beautiful pensile nest like that represented in our
illustration of P. m. californinm. The eggs of the two birds are likewise indis-
tinguishable.

743fl. CALIFORNIA BUSH-TIT, /'wi/fri/wri/* minimus calif urn icux Ridgw.
Geog. Dist— California, except northern coast district.

This lighter colored Bush-Tit is a common bird in California, It frequents
bushes and low shrubbery, and very actively hops among the branches, hanging
from them in the manner of other Titmice. The beautiful and bulky purse-shaped
nest built by this species seems out of all proportions to the diminutive size of th»>
bird. The one shown in our illustration is drawn from a typical specimen collected
near Santa Paula, California, by Dr. S. P. Guiberson, April 11, 1885. It was sus-
pended from a small, forked twig, eight feet from the ground. It is six inches long.
Prof. Evermann says that the neets vary all the way from four to twenty-two inches
in length. From five to nine pure white, unmarked eggs are laid, commonly six or
seven. Ten eggs out of a number collected by Mr. R. B. lien on in San Gorgonia
Pass in May, measure .51x.40, .53x.40, .51x.39, .54x.40, .55x.41, .56x.41, .54x.41. .
.54x.44. .54X.42.

743/,. GRINDA'S BUSH-TIT. i:<«illniKini.« minium* urimln- (Belding.) Geog.
Dist. — Lower California.

There is, apparently at the prrs«-m limr. no description conc«-i -H\I\K Hie nidiflca-
tion of the variety of Bush-Tit inhabiting Lower California. Its breeding habits,
however, can differ but little, if any. from /'. minium*

744. LEAD-COLORED BUSH-TIT. /•*«///•»>/;•//* itlnmltm* Baird.
Dist.— Rocky Mountain district, from Western Colorado and Wyoming to Eastern
Oregon and Western Nevada, south to Southern New Mexico and Arizona.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

743«. NEST OF CALIFORNIA BUSH-TIT.

490 ITS -l.Y/> EQGS OF

The following is Maj. Charles E. Bendire's account of the nesting and eggs
of this species: "Although this little Bush-Tit is a widely distributed species
throughout the West, and has been known to naturalists for more than thirty years,
nothing whatever has been placed on record respecting its nesting habits. The
credit for the discovery of their nests and eggs belongs to Lieutenant Benson, who
found them breeding abundantly in the vicinity of Fort Huachuca during the month
of April, 1887. Their favorite abiding places seemed to be along dry water-courses,
up narrow ravines, running into the mountains and on flats, covered with scrub-
oak, between the hill-sides; he says that they are exceedingly tame, perfectly un-
conscious of danger, and will work on their nests with a person not ten feet away
from them. They are one of the first birds to arrive in the spring, but are not resi-
dent throughout the year. The nests, of which a number are before me, are all more
or less gourd-like in form; that is, considerably narrower near the top than around
the bottom. They are not strictly pensile, but are woven into and supported by
small twigs and branches of the oak bushes (Qticrcus it ml u hi fa?) in which they are
built. Several nests were placed in bunches of a species of mistletoe (probably
Phorcdmdrun flarixr, n*), and in these cases the nests are suported and placed directly
in the forks of this plant. They vary in length from seven to nine and a half inches
and from four to five inches in diameter. The entrance to the nest is on the side,
near the top of the structure, about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. The inner
cavity is from four to five inches deep, and about one and a half inches in diameter.
The nests are outwardly composed of the dried, curled-up leaves of the white sage,
plant-down of a pinkish tint, spider webs, small bits of mosses and lichens, and are
thickly lined inside with soft, small feathers. The walls of the nest increase in
thickness from top to bottom, so that while near the top they are not over three-
eights of an inch through, near the bottom they are fully one and a half inches thick.
The nests arc placed in about equal proportions in low oak bushes, from five to seven
feet from the ground, generally well concealed by the foliage, or in bunches of
mistletoe in oak or mesquite trees, from fifteen to twenty feet high. Some of these
birds commenced building in the first week of March, but no eggs were discovered in
any of the nests till fully a month later, the first ones being taken April 8, 1887.
The number of eggs to a set varies from four to six, five being the most common
number found. Probably two or more broods are raised during the season. The
eggs are pure white in color, ovate' in shape, and measure .56x.42 inches for the
largest to .49x.40 for the smallest. Their average size is .53x.40 inches."* The late
Captain B. F. Goss had a set of four eggs of the Lead-colored Bush-Tit, taken near
Fort Huachuca, Arizona, April 10, 1887. These measure .65x.45, .65x.44, .66x.45, .681
.44 inches.

744. 1. SANTA RITA BUSH-TIT. rxiiHrirmrns minta rittr Ridgw. Geog.
Diet. — Santa Rita Mountains, Southern Arizona.

This Bush-Tit, inhabiting the Santa lita Mountains, has, in all probability, the
same general habits which characterize /'. /»/i/w/»n/.v.

745. LLOYD'S BUSH-TIT. Ptaltripnru* //o//«/i Sennett. Geog. Dist.— West-
ern Texas (mountains between Pecos River and Rio Grande), and west to Sonora.

• Notes on a collection of Birds' Nests and ERR* from Southern Arizona Territory.

By the late Major Chas. E. Bendlre. U. 8. A I'M linns ..f r. S. National Museum. 1887.

pp. 557-658.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 49l

Mr. George B. Sennett describes a nest of this species as being pensile, purse-like
composed of mosses, flower stems and lichens, having a lining of feathers. Eggs pure
white. Breeds in pineries of high altitudes. An egg in the collection of Mr Sen-
nett measures .58 inches in length by .42 in breadth. The nest with this egg wag
taken in Limpia, Cameron county, June 21, 1887, at an altitude of 6200 feet. It was
fastened to twigs of a cedar seven feet from the ground. The tree was twenty-five
feet in height, situated on a divide between two ravines.

746. • VEBDIN. Auriparus flaviceps (Sund.) Geog. Dist.— Northern regions
of Mexico and contiguous portions of the United States, from Southern Texps to
Arizona and Lower California.

The little Yellow-headed Bush-Tit or Verdin is a common bird in suitable lo-
calities throughout the arid regions of Northern Mexico, the southern portions of
Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and in Lower California. It is smaller than the largest
North American Hummingbird, Euyencs fulycns, which inhabits Southern Arizona
and southward. This species measures about 5.00 in length, while the length of tho
Verdin varies from 4.00 to 4.60 inches. Notwithstanding the diminutive size of the
bird, it builds a remarkable structure for a nest— large, and bulky, and a marvel of
bird architecture. It is comparatively easy to find, being built near the ends of the
branches of some low, thorny tree or shrub — in the numerous* varieties of cacti and
thorny bushes which grow in the regions of its home. The nest is globular, flask-
shape in form, the outside being one mass of thorny twigs and stems interwoven,
while the middle is composed of flower stems and the lining of feathers. The en-
trance is a small circular opening. Mr. Sennett took a number of the birds, nests
and eggs at Lomita, on the Lower Rio Grande. Dr. Merrill did not observe this
species in the immediate vicinity of Fort Brown, Texas, but it was rather common
at Edinburgh in April and May, frequenting mostly amargosa chapparal. Mr. H. P.
Atwater found it a resident and quite common at San Antonio, Bexar county, Texas,
where a number of skins, nests and eggs were taken in 1884; the first nest was
found March 31, and contained four fresh eggs. Mr. Atwater says that the birds
occupy the nest during the winter months, and the inside is made much warmer
by the addition of feathers. The birds are generally found nesting in the high, dry
parts of the country, away from tall timber, where the thorns are the thickest.
From three to six eggs are deposited, of a bluish or greenish-white or pale blue,
speckled, chiefly round the larger end, with reddish-brown. Their average size is
.59x.43 inches.

747. KENNICOTT'S WILLOW WABBLEB. Phyllopseustes borealis (Bias.)
Geog. Dist. — Northeastern Asia and Alaska.

The first American record of the capture of this bird was a single specimen
taken at St. Michael's, Alaska, August 16, 1866, and later another was taken. Dur-
ing the summer of 1877, in July, Nelson secured two specimens at St. Michael's, and
others have been taken since. The bird is known to be a great wanderer, migrating
through Japan, China and Formosa, and reaching the Malayan Peninsula and Archi-
pelago. In summer it seeks the high latitudes of Asia, to northern Russia, and
thence even to Alaska. We must depend upon those who have visited its haunts
in Northern Europe and Asia for an account of its nesting and eggs. Seebohm's ac-
count (Ibis, Vol. Ill, p. 9, 1879), is as follows: ""When I left the Arctic Circle it had
probably not commenced to breed; but on the 6th of July I had the good fortune to
shoot a bird from its nest at Egaska, in latitude 67°. The eggs are larger than those

492

of our Willow Warblers, pure white, and profusely spotted all ov. r with very small
and very P»le pink spots. They were five in number. The nest wasibuilt on the
ground In a wood thinly scattered with trees, and was placed in a recess on the side
of a tussock or little mound of grass and other plants. It was semi-domed, the
outside being composed of moss, and the inside of fine dry grass. There was neither
feather nor hair used in the construction. I did not see this bird farther north than
latitude 69°."

748. GOLDEN-CBOWNED KINGLET. lic</ulus satrapa Licht. Geog. Dist.—
North America generally, breeding in the northern and elevated parts of the United
States and northward, migrating south in winter to Guatemala.

Although a dainty little creature, the Golden-crowned Kinglet appears to be of a
hardy nature, being found during the winter months nearly throughout the East-
ern States. Breeds from the northern portions of the United States northward, mov-
ing south in the fall, returning northward in spring, and retiring to its breeding
grounds. It is resident in Northern New England. Mr. H. D. Minot found a nest of
this species containing young, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, July 16,
1876.* The late Dr. T. M. Brewer describes a nest which doubtless belonged to this
bird, and which was found in the neighborhood of Bangor, Maine. It contained ten
eggs and was built in a fir tree, at an altitude of six feet. It consisted of a large ball
of green moss, about four and a half inches in diameter. A nest was found by Dr.
North up at Caribou, Maine, containing an incomplete set (five eggs). It was placed
partly pendant from a horizontal branch of a small hemlock at the edge of a forest.
Mr. Chas. II. Andros records a nest containing ten eggs, taken "on or about June 1,"
at Grand Manan, New Brunswick. This nest was saddled on a spruce limb and was
similar in shape to the nest of the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, but much larger and
deeper, and was externally covered with green moss, cobwebs and lichens, intern-
ally lined with soft down and sheep's wool.f By far the best account wo have of
the nidification of the Golden-crested Kinglet is that recently given by Mr. William
Brewster, who found it nesting in a dense woods of mixed pines and spruce, on low,
rather swampy ground, in the neighborhood of Winchendon, Worcester county,
Mass.J With the assistance of Messrs. C. E. Bailey, S. W. Denton and II. M. Spel-
man, three nests were secured, two with sets of nine eggs each. They were found
June 1?,, ir, and 17 (1888), respectively, and were all taken on the 29th. The first
was placed in a tall, slender spruce, within about two feet of the top of the tree, and
at least sixty feet above the ground; suspended among the fine pendant twigs, about
two inches below a short horizontal branch, some twelve inches out from the main
stem; the second was in a heavily-limbed spruce, about fifty feet above (he ground,
twenty feet below the top of the tree, six feet out from the branch, in a dense cluster
of stiff radiating twigs; the third was also in a spruce, thirty feet from the ground,
twelve feet out from the main stem and five feet from the end of the branch. This
nest on the 29th contained no eggs, and was evidently deserted; it was found in a
dilapidated condition. In position the first nest resembles that of the Baltimore
Oriole, being near the ends of long, drooping twigs. The second is built more lik<>
a Yiroo's, but with this difference, that instead of being suspended by its upper edges
only, and between the forks of a single stem, it is suported on every side, and from the
top nearly to the bottom, by numerous stiff, radiating twigs. It is nevertheless a

I limhiiiil. i

nlthologlst and Oologist T'l pp. ttt3-204.
t The Auk, V, pp. 337-344.

XORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 493

distinctly pensile nest. The third is different from either of the others in position*
Placed nearly midway between two stout branches, which in reality are forks of the
same branch, one above the other, and attached by the sides and upper edges to the
twigs which depend from the branch above, while its bottom rests firmly on a brist-
ling platform of stems which rise from the branch below. Thus it is at once pensile
and non-pensile. The material used in the construction of these nests on the exterior
is chiefly green mosses, diversified with grayish lichens and usnca, the whole re-
sembling the general color of the surrounding foliage. The interior at the bottom
is lined with delicate strips of soft inner bark and fine black rootlets. Near the top
are rather numerous feathers of the Ruffed Grouse, Red Crossbill, Hermit Thrush,
and Ovenbird, arranged with the points of the quills down, the tips rising to or
slightly above the rim, and arching inward over the cavity, forming a screen that
partially concealed the eggs. In both, nests, the space being too small for the accom-
modation of the numerous eggs, they were piled in two layers, one above the other.
In the first nest the number in each layer was equal, but in the second five eggs were
in the lower layer and four in the upper. All of these nests were found by watching
the birds building; and, taking into consideration the dim light of dense spruce
woods, the torture one must endure from mosquitoes while watching the erratic and
puzzling movements of the birds flying from branch to branch with their bills filled
with material, the rapidity and unaccountable way in which the substance was often
deposited in the clusters of dense foliage, made it a very difficult and tedious task to
locate the nest in the many similar dark clusters in the spruces.* The eggs vary from
creamy-white to exceedingly deep, often somewhat muddy, cream color, sprinkled
with numerous markings of pale wood-brown, varying from small dots to blotches.
Three specimens are described by Mr. Brewster as having spots and blotches of faint
lavender. The markings of most of the specimens are distributed pretty thickly
over the entire shell, but in nearly all they are most numerous about the larger
ends, where they form a more or less distinct wreath. The sizes of Set A, nine eggs,
are .56x.44, .57x.44, .55x.42, .57x.43, .57x.44, .56x.45, .57x.44, .57x.44.

748a. WESTERN GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. Regulus satrapa ol*
Baird. Geog. Dist.— Pacific coast region from California to Sitka,

The nesting and eggs of this Pacific coast form of Golden-crowned Kinglet are
similar to those of R. satrapa.

749. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. Regulus calendula (Linn.) Geog. Dist.—
Entire North America, breeding from the northern border and higher mountains of
the United States northward. Winters in more Southern United States and south-
ward to Northern Central America.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet breeds from the extreme northern border and higher
mountains of the United States northward. Mr. W. E. D. Scott took a neat contain-
ing five eggs on June 25, at Twin Lakes, Colorado. The nest was suspended to the
leaves of the uttermost twigs of a pine tree, much like a Vireo's nest, and about
twelve feet from the ground. Mr. Frank M. Drew states that in San Juan county,

• * Mr Brewster says that in her flights after building material the female wer
distance of a hundred yards or more, but oftener she confined her quest to the t
a radius of fifty yards or less of the -on& which concealed the nest. She was.inva
followed closely by the male, who, however, did not assist her in any way other
singing almost incessantly in an undertone. In the case of the nests d
males' singing was the characteristic performance which attracted a
where the female was at work.

494 /> iY/> EGOS OF

Colorado, this bird breeds from 7000 to 10,000 feet altitude. A nest taken July 5
was placed in the uppermost branches of a spruce thirty feet from the ground — in
one of those dark masses where the cones grow thickest. It contained four fresh
and one addled egg. Dr. Merrill found a nest of this species containing eight eggs,
in Montana, on the 18th of June, at an elevation of 7700 feet. It was in a flr tree
about eighteen feet from the ground, and placed directly against the trunk, supported
by a single branch beneath, and by several twigs to which the sides were firmly at-
tached. Dr. Merrill also found these birds common about Fort Klamath, Oregon,
apparently placing their nests in dense firs. Mr. Montague Chamberlain records a
nest which was taken at Lennoxville, Quebec, May 15, 1882. This was pensile, and
was attached to a branch of a small tree. It contained nine eggs, one of them a
Cowbird's. The nests of the Ruby-crown vary somewhat in their general style of
structure and in composition. They are usuajly semi-pensile, neatly and well made
with soft, thick walls, composed of moss, fine strips of bark, and well lined with
feathers of various birds, which are woven into the sides and bottom of the structure.
The eggs are five to nine in number, and are dull whitish or pale buffy, faintly
speckled or spotted with light brown, chiefly at the larger ends. Their average size
is .55x.43. Occasionally some of the eggs of this bird are very nearly plain in color.

750. DUSKY KINGLET. lin/iilus ohxcnrns Ridgw. Geog. Dist.— Guadalupe
Island, Lower California.

Mr. Walter E. Bryant found the Dusky Kinglet frequenting more numerously the
large cypress grove on Guadalupe Island; they were also found in the smaller groves
and among the pines. As early as the middle of February, nest-building was in
order, the birds selecting the topmost foliage of a cypress, and sometimes the very
outer extremity of a horizontal branch. After many days' diligent search, three
nests were observed, and these were detected by watching the birds collect building
material, or by tracing to its source a peculiar, low song which the male sometimes
sings when close to the nest. These nests were all found over twenty feet high, and
only one could be seen from the ground, and that merely during the intervals when
the wind parted the branches. They were placed in the midst of a thick bunch of
foliage and but lightly secured to the twigs. Compact, though not very smooth in
structure, they were composed of soft bark-strips intermingled with feathers, bits
of moss, fine grass and cocoons. Additional warmth is secured by a quantity either
of goat's hair or feathers, and, lastly, a thin lining of goat's hair. Their external
measurement is about 70 mm. in height by 90 mm. in diameter, while the internal
depth is about 45 mm., and diameter 35 to 45 mm.* A nest containing two fresh eggs
was found March 24, in the top of a slender cypress twenty-five feet high. It could
not be seen from the ground, but was located by the subdued song of the male bird.
In color the eggs are white, with a dense wreath of pale yellowish-brown spots en-
circling the larger end. Tn some places these spots appear to be laid over a p:»le
<ler washing, and in one specimen, these fine, almost indistinct dots extend
sparingly over the entire surface. They measure in millimeters, 14x11 and 15x11. f

751. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. /W/o/,///a r.rnilm (Linn.) Geog.
Dist.— Middle and southern portions of the Eastern United States, south, in winter
to Guatemala, Cuba, and the Bahamas; rare north toward the Great Lakes, Southern

• external height about 2.76, diameter 3.54; Internal depth 1.77, and diameter 1.38 to 1.77
inches.

t .56x43. .59x43 Inches.

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

751. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER AND NEST (Jasper del.)

496 -TS AND BOOS "/

New York and Southern New England; accidental north to Massachusetts and Maine.
Breeds throughout its United States range, and winters from South Atlantic and
Gulf States southv/ard.

The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher is an abundant bird throughout most of the wooded
districts of the United States, breeding in suitable places, south of 42°. As a work
of beauty and ingenious architectural design the nest of this bird has few equals in
this country. On the whole it is a rather frail structure, usually built in the small
upright twigs or saddled on the horizontal limbs of trees at heights ranging from ten
to fifty feet, but generally at an elevation of about fifteen or twenty feet. The typical
nest has high, compact walls, contracted at the brim and gracefully turned; the in-
terior is deeply cupped, and the exterior is beautifully ornamented -with lichens.
The nest shown in our illustration is selected from eight specimens which I took on
a little island in the Scioto river, Franklin county, Ohio, May 27, 1885. Ten nests of
this species collected by Mr. R. B. Herron in San Gorgonia Pass, California, are en-
tirely deficient of the lichens which characterize the Ohio nests. The interior is com-
posed of soft downy materials — cotton-like substances of withered blossoms and the
silky down of the milkweed — fine wiry grasses, stems of old leaves, horse hair and
an occasional feather from the breast of the bird is intermingled. The cavity meas-
ures from one to one and a half inches deep, and about the same in diameter. At a
short distance the nest often looks like a round knot protruding from the limb. The
eggs are four or five in number; their ground-color is greenish or bluish-white,
speckled with chestnut, and in some the markings are of a darker brownish tinge.
Ton specimens measure. .55x.42, .56x.43, .57x.45, .58x.45, .57x.42, .56x.41, .58x.47,
.59x.44. .58x.44. .59x.45 inches.

WESTERN GNATCATCHER. r<,li<>}>tilu nrrului nbxnira Ridgw. Geog.
Dist. — Arizona, California, Lower California and Western Mexico.

The general habits, nesting and eggs of this western form are identical with
those of /' cirnilrn. The nests of this variety, as will be seen in the description of the
eastern species, lack the abundance of artistically arranged lichens on the outside.

752. PLUMBEOUS GNATCATCHER. I'nli<>i>tila plnmlxa Baird. Geog.
Dist.— Southwestern border of the United States— Southern Texas to Lower Rio
Grande Valley; Northern Mexico and Lower California to Cape St. Lucas.

A nest of the Plumbeous Gnatcatcher was taken at Yuma, Arizona, by Mr. F.
Stephens, July 15, 1881. It was placed in a bunch of mistletoe, at a height of about
eight feet from the ground, and contained one egg of its owner and one of the Dwarf
Cowbird. Mr. William Brewster says that although a delicate structure the nest will
not compare with that of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, entirely lacking the exterior
coating of lichens, but in its general appearance closely resembles the Redstart's,
being felted with soft bark-strips and hemp-like vegetable fibres. It was lint «l
with plant down, a few feathers and the hair of some small quadruped. Mr. Brewster
describes the eggs as pale greenish-blue, coarsely and very evenly spotted with red-
dish-brown; size .53x.42.* Mr. Stephens found two nests of the mark-rapped Gnat-
catcher at Yuma, Arizona, in May, 1886, containing four e^gs each; one of these
containing an egg of Mnlntbni* <it>r '*/»xr»/n/.«*.t

753. BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER. /'o//o/;///»/ mlifnnnca Brewst. Geog.
Dist.— Southern California and Pacific coast of Lower California.

•Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club. VII. p. 77.

t Bull. No. 2, Ridgway Ornithological Club; April, 1887, pp. 56-57.

NORTH AMERICAN ttll <.,:

"This Gnatcatcher was first described by Mr. William Brewster, from specimen*
collected by Mr. F. Stephens, near Riverside, San Bernardino county, California.
March 28, 1878. "A nest and four eggs of this species have recently been obtained
from Mr. Stephens, to whom the credit belongs for the discovery of the first speci-
mens. These were taken near the town of San Bernardino, California, on May 2,
1887, and are now in the National Museum collection (Catalogue No. 23,294). The
nest of P. calif ornica, like that of P. plumbea Baird, from Arizona Territory, differs
radically in its structure from that of its Eastern relative, /' rnrulcn (I. inn.), which
is. too well known to ornithologists to require description. It lacks entirely the
artistic finish of the lichen-covered structure of the former, and resembles more in
shape certain forms of the nest of the Summer Yellow Warbler, Dnnlroica astlta
(Gml.), and the American Redstart, Sctophaga rutidUa (Linn.). The nest is cone-
shaped, built in the forks of a small shrub, a species of mahogany, Coleogyne
ramosessima (Torr.), I think, only two feet from the ground, and it is securely fas-
tened to several of the twigs among which it is placed. Its walls are about half an
inch in thickness. The material of which the nest is composed, is well quilted to-
gether and makes a compact and solid structure. Externally the nest is composed
principally of hemp-like vegetable fiber mixed with small curled-up leaves of the
white sage, Eurotia lanata, plant-down, and fragments of spiders' webs. Inside the
nest is lined with the same hemp-like fiber, only much finer, and a few feathers. The
cavity of the nest is cup-shaped and rather deep. Externally the nest measures two
and a half inches in diameter by three and one-fourth inches in depth. Compared
with a nest of Polioptila plumbea Baird, now before me, from Arizona Territory, it
seems much better constructed and also somewhat larger. I took three nests of the
latter species near Tucson, Arizona, during the months of May and June, 1872. Two
of these were placed in bunches of mistletoe, probably Pliorcdcndron flavcsccns, grow-
ing on mesquite trees from twelve to twenty feet from the ground; and one of them
is described in the 'History of North American Birds,' by Baird, Brewer and Ridg-
way, Volume III, page 502. The third nest was placed in a crotch of a cholla cactus.
The ground-color of the eggs of the Polioptila calif ornica Brewster is bright light
green, much more pronounced than in the eggs of either P. carulca and P. plumb-n.
now before me. They are covered with minute spots of a brownish-red color dis-
tributed irregularly over the entire surface of the egg, but nowhere so thick as to
hide the ground-color. These eggs measure ,50x.45, .58x.45, .57x.45 and .57x.44
inches."*

754. TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE. Myddestes townsendii (Aud.) Geog. Dist.—
Western United States, from the Plains to the Pacific.

So far as I am aware, Mr. Wilbur F. Lamb took the first known eggs of Town-
send's Fly-catching Thrush. This was in Summit county, Colorado, July, 1876, at
an altitude of about ten thousand feet. The nest was placed in the upper bank of a
miner's ditch near Blue River; it was partly concealed by overhanging roots, yet
rendered conspicuous by the loose, swaying material of which it was composed. Mr.
T. M. Trippe found a nest of this species in San Juan county, Colorado, July 9, at
an altitude of 10,500 feet; it was built in a little cranny in a bank, and contained four
eggs in which incubation had just begun. Dr. Coues describes a nest taken by Mr.
G. Smith, of Buffalo Creek, Jefferson county, Colorado. This was found June 18,
1883, and was built in the end of a hollow log; it was about three feet off the ground

* Major Chas. E. Bendire, U. S. A. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mua., 1887, pp. 549-550.

33

498 WESTS AXD EQQS OF

and about one foot from the end of the log. The foundation of the nest was a great
quantity of trash, bits of sticks, etc., the nest proper being constructed chiefly of
pine needles, grasses, and disintegrated weed-stalks— the whole, loose and slovenly,
could hardly be handled without coming apart. Mr. Walter E. Bryant describes the
location of three nests taken by Mr. L, Belding, at Big Trees, California, in various
years, in June. They were placed on the ground in a slight depression, and con-
cealment was attempted by the aid of weeds, a stone, or a large piece of bark. One
nest was built on the ground, within the semi-circular cavity of a standing tree. The
nests were composed mostly of pine needles. Mr. Lamb describes the eggs which he
obtained as resembling those of the Shrikes, and gives the sizes of three specimens
preserved out of the set of four as l.Olx.66, .94x.68, .88x.66. The usual number laid
ie 'our, with an average size of .93x.67.

Y55. WOOD THRUSH. Turdus muxtelinus Gmel. Geog. Dist.— Eastern United
States, in summer north to Southern Michigan, Ontario, Massachusetts, etc.; south
in winter to Northern Central America and Cuba.

A common bird in the woodland of Eastern United States and as far West as
Eastern Kansas, where Colonel Goss gives it as an abundant summer resident.
Its favorite resorts are low, damp woods and thickets, where it spends much of its
time on the ground scratching among the leaves. The bird has a sweet song, which
it sings from the higher branches of trees, generally towards the close of summer
afternoons. The nest is usually saddled upon the horizontal limbs of saplings and
low trees, six to ten feet from the ground; on the outside it is composed of leaves,
grasses and stems of weeds, which are gathered when wet, and become solid and
firm; and between these are tracings of mud; the lining is of small fibrous roots. The
breeding season is in May. Usually four eggs are laid, often only three. Their
color is a plain greenish-blue, and their average size is 1.02x.74, with considerable
variation.

756. WILSON'S THRUSH. Tunln* fnxn-scens Steph. Geog. Dist.— Eastern
United States and British Provinces to the Plains, north to Manitoba, Ontario, Anti-
costi and Newfoundland.

Wilson's, the Tawny Thrush, or Veery, is an abundant species in the wooded
regions of Eastern United States. It is rather partial to low, wet woods. Breeds
from about latitude 40° north to Manitoba, Ontario, Anticosti and Newfoundland. It
has been considered a doubtful breeding bird in Central Ohio; has lately proven to be
quite common during the summer months. I took a nest May 27, 1885, in the char-
acteristic position— at the base of a sapling in swampy woods. The nest is of the
usual type, composed of leaves, strips of grapevine bark, weed stems, anfl lined with
black rootlets. This nest contained three eggs of its owner and one of the Cowbird.
An illustration of a Wilson's Thrush's nest appears in Jones' magnificent work,
"Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio," which was taken May 21, 1884. Dr. Jones took
another nest which was placed at the base of the leaf of the skunk-cabbage plant,
eighteen inches from the ground, at the °dge of swampy woods. Nests of this bird
r.ave been found in hollow trunks of trees, fifteen feet from the ground, and in old
tin rnns lyinp on tho ground in the woods. The eggs are four or five in number, and
arr> plain, pale greenish-blue; average size, .87x.64.

756". WILLOW THRUSH. Tunltix fusrrsrrn* salirimlti (Ridgw.) Geog.
Dist.— Rocky Mountain region of the United States, east casually during the migration
to Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, etc.

NORTH AMERICA* BlltDH. 499

The Willow Tawny Thrush inhabits the lower willowy portions of the Rocky
Mountain region in United States. Habits, nests and eggs are similar to those of
Wilson's Thrush. Eggs, .85x.66.

757. GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH. Turdus alicicc Baird. Geog. Dist.— East-
ern North. America, west to the Great Plains, Alaska, Eastern Siberia north to the
Arctic coast In winter south to Costa Rica.

The Gray-cheeked Thrush breeds from Labrador and Hudson Bay north to the
Arctic coast and the coast of Bering Sea. It has been found breeding abundantly
in the Mackenzie River region and on the Anderson River. The nests were found,
with all but few exceptions, on the branches of low trees, from two to seven feet
from the ground. In a few exceptional cases they were built on the ground. They
are usually compact, and composed of an elaborate interweaving of fine sedges,
leaves, stems, dry grasses, strips of fine bark and lined with fine grasses. Occasion-
ally nests are found constructed with mud, like those of the common Robin. The
eggs are usually four in number, and are greenish-blue, marked with spots of russet
and yellowish-brown. Captain B. F. Goss has two eggs of this species, taken by Mr.
R. R. MacFarlane, at Fort Anderson, Arctic America. The nest from which these
were taken was placed in a low tree. The eggs are greenish-blue, faintly marked
over the entire surface with reddish-brown. Their sizes are .91x.71, .91x.72.

757a. BICKNELL'S THRUSH. Turdus alicice bicknelli (Ridgw.) Geog. Dist.—
In summer, higher mountains of Northeastern United States (Catskills, White Moun-
tains, etc.), and Nova Scotia. Winter home unknown.

This Thrush, recently identified in the Catskill and White Mountains, and named
in honor of its discoverer, Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell, was found breeding by the Rev.
J. H. Langille, on Mud and Seal Islands, out at sea off the coast of Nova Scotia and
westward from the city of Yarmouth. These are almost entirely covered with a low
growth of evergreens — black spruce and balsam fir. Except the Robin, Song Sparrow,
Snowbird, a few Redstarts and Winter Wrens, almost the only small land-birds
breeding here are the Black-poll Warbler and Bicknell's Thrush— the last two being
very abundant. Mr. Langille says that its song is similar in tone to that of Wilson's
Thrush, but more slender and wiry, and therefore not nearly so grand and musical.
The birds were found nesting in almost impenetrable evergreen thickets, beneath
which there is a dense carpet of moss. The nests were all nearly alike in location,
structure and materials; placed a few feet from the ground, against the trunk of an
evergreen tree. They were composed of various kinds of mosses, a few fine sticks,
weed-stems and rootlets, and were lined with fine bleached grasses. The nest on the
outside was as green as a bunch of fresh moss. The eggs were of a light bluish-
green speckled with brown; size, .87x.63.*

758. RUSSET-BACKED THRUSH. Turdus ustulatus (Nutt.) Geog. Disk—
Pacific coast region, north to Sitka; south, in winter, through Western Mexico, to
Northern Central America.

The Russet-backed Thrush is a common species in suitable localit
Pacific coast of California and northward .Mr. A. W. Anthony states that it is not
an uncommon summer resident of Washington county, Oregon. The bird frequents

• Our Birds in Their Haunts: A Popular Treatise on the Flrds of Eastern North
America By Rev. Hibbert Langille. M. A. Boston: S. E. Cassino & Co. 1884. Pp. 511-613.

500

I'S AND EGGS OF

758. RUSSET-BACKED THRUSH AND NKST (E. S. Cheney del.)

the deepest thickets, and when disturbed utters an alarm note like that of the Brown
Thrasher, clinch-, clinch-. It is also a fine songster, and may be heard at dusk and
early morning. The nest is built in thickets or bushes, a few feet above the ground.
It is composed of twigs, grasses, roots and leaves, and in some cases mosses are used.
A set of four eggs taken near San Jose, California, May 18, 1885, gives the following
dimensions: .92x.65, .95x.66, .97x.68. They are greenish-blue spotted with yellowish-
brown, chiefly about the larger end. The average size of ten specimens is .94x.65.

758«. OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. TurtliiK nxttildtii* xiniinminn (Cab.) Geog.
Dist.— Eastern North America, west to and including Rocky Mountains, and as far
as East Humboldt ranges and the Upper Columbia. Breeds chiefly north of the
t'nitfd States, wintering from the Gulf States and Mississippi Valley southward to
Northern South America.

The Olive-backed Thrush breeds chiefly north of the United States. It is given
as a common breedfng bird in the Wasatch Mountains, Utah. Mr. Kennicot found it
nesting In the Arctic regions, frequently placing the nest not more than two feet from
the ground. In his Catalogue of the Birds of New Brunswick,* Mr. M. Chamberlain
it as a summer resident, breeding In abundance. Breeds abundantly in Nova
Scotia. In some parts of Maine and New Hampshire it is the commonest Thrush,
except the Robin, during the breeding season. f Mr. Frank H. Lattin has for two

* I'.inls f.f NVw P.nmswlrk. Hulletin of the Natural History Society of New Hrns-
Wlck. No. 1. Published by the SoHrty. St. John. N. B., 1882. Pp. 29-68.
tNew England Bird Llfr. p;irt I. n. 58.

NORTU AMERICAN

successive years found nests and eggs of the Olive-backed Thrush at Galnes, Orleana
county, New York,, within a short distance of his residence. Dr. Morris Glbba has
taken its nests and eggs in Kalamazoo county, Michigan. It may bo found breeding
in Northern Ohio. This species, like the Hermit Thrush, freqi;
land, but its mode of nesting (except the structure of the nest), as well as its eggs,
are quite different. The nest is built in a bush or small forest tree, a few feet from
the ground— usually from five to eight feet. It is composed of a mass of leaves, twigs,
shreds of bark, and, in the Arctic regions, moss is one of the principal substances
which enter into its composition. The nests average about four inches in diameter
by two in height, the cavity being three wide by one and a half deep. The eggs are
usually deposited in the first part of June, these being three or four in number, of
greenish-blue (some much duller than others), speckled with reddish-brown and other
tints. Their average size is .92x.66.

759. DWARF HERMIT THRUSH. Turdu* aonalnm-likfr Gmel. Geog. Dist.—

Pacific coast region, breeding from California northward; south in winter to Lower
California and Western Mexico; during the migrations east to Nevada and Arizona.

The Dwarf Hermit Thrush breeds from the mountains of California northward
as far as Kadiak. Very few of the eggs of this species appear in the numerous col-
lections, and from the meagre accounts we have concerning them, they must be con-
sidered rare. Mr. Chas. N. Comstock, of Oakland, California, found a nest of this
species containing two eggs, in June, 1883, while on a collecting trip to the Calaveras
group of big trees. The nest was placed in a bush about two feet from the ground.
The eggs are described by Mr. Comstock as being a little lighter than a Robin's, and
all one color.* The sizes of these two specimens are 21x16 mm., 21.5x16.5 mm.t

759a. AUDUBON'S HERMIT THRUSH. Turdus aonalaschka an.lni.nni
(Baird.) Geog. Dist.— Rocky Mountain region of the United States, south to North-
ern Central America.

Known as the Rocky Mountain Hermit Thrush from the region which it inhabits.
In some parts of Colorado it is very common. Mr. Frank M. Drew states that it is
common and breeds in San Juan county, Colorado. Its clear, sweet notes can be
heard from nearly every dark glen or secluded part of the woods. A nest was found
in the latter part of June, placed in a spruce bush, about three feet from the ground.
It contained three eggs. . Mr. Chas. F. Morrison records this bird as tolerably common
in La Plata county, Colorado. The nest he says is generally, if not always, placed
in bushes where the undergrowth is thick and heavy. The bird prefers hillsides
near sluggish water, as old beaver dams and swamps, nesting in their vicinity, and
breeding before the last of May or first of June, and later at a higher altitude.
The nest is composed of twigs, straws, rootlets, coarse grass and moss; it is often
compact, with thick walls. The average diameter is about five inches, with a
cavity two and a half by two deep. The eggs are usually four, and of a plain
greenish-blue. A set of four in my cabinet, taken at Canon City, Colorado, July 4.
1885, offers the following sizes: .85x.65, .84x.66, .88x.66, .86x.64.

7596. HERMIT THRUSH. Turduft imimiiixrhkir iHilluxii (Cab.) Geog. Dist—
Eastern North America, breeding from the Northern United States north ward, winter-
ing from about latitude 40° to the Gulf coast. v

* Young- Oologist, I, p. 149.
t .83x.63, .85x.65 inches.

502 \ />Tx \\1> KGGS OF

The Hermit Thrush or "Ground Swamp Robin," breeds from the Northern United
States northward. It is common in the northern p'ortions of New England in sum-
mer, and in Maine, where it is abundant, it begins to breed during the last week ot
May. It is common in Nova Scotia and in New Brunswick, and begins to build
about the middle of May. Dr. Frank W. Langdon states on the authority of Mr.
Chas. Dury, that the nest and eggs of the Hermit Thrush have been taken near Cin-
cinnati. Ohio, May 10, 1877. The bird probably breeds in Northern Ohio and other
parts of the State. It has been observed nesting in Michigan, a nest being recorded
by Dr. Morris Gibbs as taken by W. A. Gunn in Montcalm county, May 15, 1879.
Nuttall says that the song of the Hermit Thrush "seems to be unusually lively and
varied, warbling almost like the Yellow Bird, and then chanting like the Robin."
This charming writer, in speaking of the marshy places which this bird inhabits,
beautifully says: "In these almost Stygian regions which, besides being cool, abound
probably with its favorite insect food, we are nearly sure to meet our sweetly vocal
hermit flitting through the settled gloom, which the brightest rays of noon scarcely
illumine with more than twilight. The nest, like that of Wilson's Thnidti. is built
on the ground or very near it, in some low, secluded spot, generally beneath the
shelter of dense shrubbery. It is rather bulky, and loosely made of leaves, shreds
of bark, grasses, mosses, and lined with similar but finer material. The eggs are
usually four, often only three, of greenish-blue, unspotted, and average .86x.65.

[760.] BED-WINGED THRUSH. Turrttm iliacua Linn. Geog. Dist.— North-
ern portions of Europe and Asia; accidental in Greenland.

The Red-winged Thrush of Europe claims a place in the avifauna of North
America from its accidental occurrence in Greenland. During the breeding season
it is found in the more northern portions of Europe, only occasionally breeding as far
south as England. Breeds in the wooded districts of Norway and Sweden. It has
been found nesting in the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Northern Russia. In the winter
the Redwing extends its migrations to the more southern portions of Europe — Sicily,
Malta, and even Smyrna. The nest of this species is usually placed in the center of
a thorn bush or small tree, and is made of moss, roots, and dry grasses outwardly,
cemented together with clay, and lined inwardly with finer grass. The external
diameter averages about five inches by three deep; the cavity is three in diameter
by about two deep. The eggs range from four to six in number, pale bluish-green
or olive-greenish, speckled and spotted with reddish-brown. Their average size is
1.04x.75.

761. AMERICAN ROBIN. Mrruhi mifirntoria (Linn.) Geog. Dist.— Eastern
and Northern North America (Hudson Bay region to Alaska); west to the Great
Plains, of occasional occurrence in Eastern Mexico.

During the summer months this familiar bird has an extensive range, breeding-
as it does from near the southern border of the United States northward to the
Arctic coast. The nest is saddled on a horizontal branch or built in the crotch of
trees of almost any kind, and it is commonly placed on the top rail of a fence, often on
stumps, and. in fact, in all sorts of curious places, even in bird boxes. Orchards and
tho shado trees along streets are favorite nesting sites. The nest is a large, coarse
Htrurtun-. made of twigs, roots, stems, grasses, dry leaves, hair and wool. It is
strf-npt honed by a neatly-made cup of clay or mud, which is surrounded by these
materials. The typical set of eggs is four, rarely five. They are greenish-blue, un-
spotted. Very rarely, however, speckled with brown. Average size,

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

SOS

T61. ROBIN (From Beal.)

761a. WESTERN ROBIN. Mcrula miyratoria propinqua Ridgw. Geog. Dist.—
Western United States east to and including Rocky Mountains, south into Mexico.

The general habits, nesting and eggs of this Western form of the Robin are like
those of the Eastern species. Mr. Walter E. Bryant notes a pair of these birds that
nested and reared a brood in a hanging basket suspended from the edge of a veranda
at the residence of Mr. H. G. Parker at Carson, Nevada.

762. ST. LUCAS ROBIN. Merula con finis Baird. Geog. Dist.— Cape region o*
Lower California; accidental at Hayward, California.

This is a distinct species inhabiting the cape region of Lower California. The
adult bird resembles a young robin. The eggs are unknown.

763. VARIED THRUSH. Hcsperocichla nccvia (Gmel.) Geog. Dist.— Western-
North America, chiefly near the Pacific coast, from California to Bering Strait.
Breeds chiefly north of the United States; east casually to New Jersey, Long Island
and Massachusetts.

In various parts of Alaska this is a common breeding bird. A few are known to
breed in the spruce forests of Washington, but their breeding grounds are chiefly
north of the United States. According to Dr. Brewer, Mr. W. H. Dall furnished the
first authentic knowledge concerning the nest and eggs of the Varied Robin as he
found them in Alaska. The nest found by him was built in a willow bush, about
two feet from the ground, and upon the top of a large mass of rubbish lodged there by
some previous inundation. It measures six inches in diameter with a depth of two
and one-half inches. It has but a very slight depression, apparently not more than
half an inch in depth. The original shape of the nest had, however, been somewhat
flattened in transportation. The materials of which it was composed were fine dry
mosses and lichens impacted together, intermingled with fragments of dry stems of
grasses. Other nests of the same species were met with in several places between
Fort Yukon and Nulato, always on or near a river bank and in low secluded localities..

504

;N i \n EOGl

I

A nest of this thrush obtained by Dr.
Minor, in Alaska, is a much more fin-
ished structure. Its base and periphery
are composed of an elaborate basket-
work of slender twigs. Within these is
an inner nest consisting of an inter-
weaving of fine dry grasses and long
gray lichens. The eggs are described
as pale greenish-blue, sparingly but
distinctly sprinkled and spotted with
dark umber-brown, size 1.13x.80.

[764.] BED - SPOTTED BLUE-
THROAT. ('!/<i iif<-nlti xiuricu (Lynn.)
Geog. Dist. — Northern Europe and Asia;
casual in Alaska.

This beautiful and interesting bird,
known as the Blue-throated Redstart, is
widely distributed in the Old World,
breeding in the more northern portions
— Norway, Sweden, Russia and Siberia.
In June, 1851, Dr. Adams found a flock
of these birds feeding about some wil-
lows in the vicinity of St. Michael's,
Alaska. The nest is placed on the
ground, midst the larger herbage, in the
cavities of banks and under low brush-
764. RED-SPOTTED BLUBTHROAT (From fin-hm.) wood usually well concealed. It is

composed of dry grass, moss, withered leaves, roots, and is lined with finer mosses,
hair and the down of cotton-grass. The eggs are four to six in number, generally
a greenish-blue, but varying to grayish-green or olive; they are spotted with reddish-
crown, which is usually thickest and deeper at the larger end. The average size is

.75x.53 inches.

766. WHBATBAR (From Brehm.)

765 WHEATEAR.

>!!<• (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — Europe, Northern
Africa, Asia, Greenland and Labrador,
straggling south to Nova Scotia, Maine,
Lone Island and the Bermudas.

The well-known Wheatear of the Old
World is common in Greenland and prob-
ably also breeds, in Labrador. Dr. C. Hart
Merriam makes note of its probable breed-
ing on the north shore of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence — at Godbout. A female was shot
by Mr. Napoleon A. Comean. .Inne <), 1885,
in which the eggs were pretty well de-
veloped. Its mate was also seen and it is
presumed that the birds would, in all prob-
ability, have bred in the vicinity. The
Wheatear breeds throughout the British
Islands, and in all of Northern Knropeand
Asia. In the British Islands it begins to
maK.- its nest in May. This is usually well
hidden in the innermost recess of
crevice among rocks, in an old wall, stone-
qnarry, gravel-pit, and frequently in
-eried rabbit burrow. Mr. Hewiston has
known a pair to make their nest in the de-

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. SOS

aerted hole of a. Sand Martin in a river bank. The nest is rudely conatnirti-d of
grass, moss, hair, wool, rabbits' fur, or any rubbish obtainable. The eggs usually
range from four to six in number and are of a pale, plain greenish-blue. A *•
four eggs collected near Lame, Ireland, May 30, 1882, is in my collection. Their
sizes are .88x.60. .88x.59, .94x.60, .99x.61 inches.

766. BLUEBIRD. Sialia sialis (Linn.) Geog. Dlst.— Eastern United States,
north to Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, etc., west to the Rocky Mountains. Resi-
dent in the Bermudas.

In its several forms the Bluebird is an inhabitant of the entire temperate North
America, and especially the eastern bird and also the western variety, •,«•»•/»/«,
are familiar to all who study bird life in the regions in which they are to be found.
Dr. J. G. Cooper has aptly said that the Bluebird always bears the national colors,
red, white and blue, and that it is one of the most strikingly peculiar of American
singing birds, and in its habits a model of civilized bird life. Its natural nesting
places are in the deserted excavations of Woodpeckers, hollows of trees, and even
in the crevices of rocky cliffs. With the progress of civilization the Bluebird has
taken advantage of modern surroundings, adopting the boxes that are put up for its
use, nesting also in every conceivable nook and corner in houses and barns. Very
frequently letter boxes upon fences are taken possession of. I found a Bluebird's
nest in the interior of a wheel of a railroad car during the strike a few years since,
and on another occasion, in Morrow county, Ohio, I discovered a brood of young Blue-
birds in a Cliff Swallow's nest under the eaves of an old barn. The normal color of
the eggs of the Bluebird is uniform pale blue, unspotted. They are four, five, and
sometimes six in number, and their average size is .84x.62. The eggs of this bird are
frequently very light bluish-white, and rarely pure white. All found in one nest are
of one tint; that is to say, a white egg is never found in a set with the blue ones.

766a. AZURE BLUEBIRD. Sialia sialis azurea (Swains.) Geog. Dist.—
Southern Arizona and Eastern Mexico.

This bird has the same habits of 8. sialis and the eggs are indistinguishable.
Breeds in Southern Arizona and southward.

767. WESTERN BLUEBIRD. Sialia mexicani occidentalis Swains. Geog.
Dist. — Western United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, south to
Southern Mexico.

An inhabitant of Western United States north to British Columbia. Its habits
are exactly similar to those of the Eastern Bluebird. It nests in holes and cavities of
decayed trees, between their trunks and the loose bark, making the nest of sticks,
grasses, straws, and almost any rubbish procurable. Mr. Walter E. Bryant states
that Dr. Cooper informs him that he has known a Bluebird to build in a Cliff Swal-
low's nest. The eggs of this species are four or five in number, uniform pale blue,
of a slightly deeper shade than those of the preceding species, and average .81x.62
inches.

767a. CHESTNUT-BACKED BLUEBIRD. Sialia mexicana bairdi Ridgw.
Geog. Dist.— Rocky Mountain district, south \o Northern Mexico.

The habits and characteristics of this subspecies are identical with those of I

sialis.

506 UKO EGGS Of

7676. SAN PEDRO BLUEBIRD. .via/in ,/j,-./-/rr/mi nnnh.-ln- Anthony. Geog.
Diet. — San Pedro Martir Mountains, Lower California.

I have no positive information regarding the nidification or habits of this sub-
species, but they probably do not differ materially from those of the next species.

768. MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, sin I in nn-tim (Swains.) Geog. Dist.— Rocky
Mountain region, north to Great Slave Lake, south to Mexico, west to the higher
mountain ranges along the Pacific.

Known as the Rocky Mountain and Arctic Bluebird. It is very common in the
Rocky Mountain region and is also abundant as far west as the mountain ranges
along the Pacific. Breeds in deserted Woodpecker holes, natural cavities of trees,
etc. In settled portions of the West it nests in the cornice of buildings, under the
eaves of porches, in the nooks and corners of barns and out-houses, and in boxes pro-
vided for its accommodation. Mr. Walter E. Bryant says that three incubated eggs
of this species were taken from the nest of a Barn Swallow, at Lake Tahoe, Cali-
fornia, by Walter Bliss. Prof. Ridgway found the Rocky Mountain Bluebird breed-
ing in Virginia City, Nevada, in June. Its nests were built about old buildings and
occasionally in the unused excavations about mines. Mr. Wilbur F. Lamb informs
me that in Summit county, Colorado, he found this species nesting generally in old
Woodpeckers' excavations. One nest was found placed under the projecting roof-
pales of a miner's cabin. The nests were composed almost entirely of dry grass.
In some sections, however, the inner bark of the cedar enters largely into their
composition. In most cases Mr. Lamb found the nests to contain five eggs, though
seven perfectly fresh eggs were taken from one nest, while another contained only
three in an advanced stage of incubation. So that taking the reports of other col-
lectors into consideration with Mr. Lamb's experience, the bird lays from three to
seven eggs, rarely the latter number, and more commonly five. They are pale, plain
greenish-blue and average .85x.63 inches.

APPENDIX.

Since the foregoing pages have been put into metal I have received notes on
the nesting habits of the following species. In some cases their nidification baa
hitherto been unknown, and is not mentioned under their respective titles in the
body of this work:

25. XANTUS'S MTJRRELET. Brachyramphus hypoleucus Xantus.

Here is probably the first knowledge we have regarding the nesting and eggs
of Xantus's Murrelet. Two sets of two eggs each are in the extensive oological
collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall, Woodside, N. Y., and to this collection I shall
have occasion to refej1 several times in this Appendix on account of the new
material recently acquired of especial interest to ornithologists and oologista.
The eggs of this species were collected by the well-known ornithologist, A. W.
Anthony, on San Benito Island, Lower California, March 28th, 1897. The nests
were in clefts of rocks and the birds had to be lifted from the nest before the
eggs could be secured. The ground color is almost an exact raw umber, over which
are spots and blotches of walnut brown and umber with under shell markings of
a much lighter shade. These are sparingly distributed at the large end, where
they form somewhat of a wreath, though not massed together so as to lose their
distinctness. Set No. 1 measures 2.10x1.39, 2.13x1.39; No. 2, 2.12x1.47, x2.06xl.43
inches respectively.

79a. RIDGWAY'S TERN. Anous stolidus ridffwayi.

This new species of Tern was found breeding on Socorro Island, Mexico, about
the middle of May, 1897, depositing its single egg on the bare rocks. The eggs are
hardly distinguishable from those of the Noddy Tern. Five eggs in Mr. CrandaH'a
collection measure respectively as follows: 2.00x1.43, 2.00x1.46, 1.96x1.36, 1.99x1.40,
2.15x1.47 inches.

93. BLACK- VENTED SHEARWATER. Puflinus gavia (Forst.)
A. W. Anthony collected eggs of this species on Nativadad Island in April, 1897.
The nests were in burrows in the sand five or six feet deep, and the birds were
taken on their nests. A single egg is laid; it is of a clear, pure white texture,
elongate ovate in shape and quite pointed. Three sets of one egg each are in Mr.
Crandall's collection and measure as follows: 2.36x1.57; 2.33x1.59; 2.54x1.69
respectively.

206 SANDHILL CRANE. Orus mexicana (Mull.)

W C Mills of Chicago Junction, Huron Co., O., took near that place on N

1897, two sets of two eggs each of the Sandhill Crane, and on the 18th anoth.

two This establishes the fact that the bird very likely breeds regularly in Nort

507

508 \rn:\in.\.

Ohio. A few years ago I mounted a specimen which was killed out of a flock of
eight or ten near Springfield, Ohio. In 1882 the late Dr. Wheaton wrote as follows
concerning this bird: "Rare migrant; probably occasional summer resident. Mr.
Winslow includes it in his list of birds of Northern Ohio, and it has been reported
to me as breeding within a few years in the vicinity of Toledo. Mr. Langdon
mentions two specimens taken in the vicinity of Cincinnati. I have never seen
the bird in this vicinity, and though I have frequently heard of its occurrence,
the identification has never been unquestionable. Both this bird and the Blue
Heron are sometimes confounded under the common name of Blue Crane."

** REDSHANK. 7'o/,///»/.v tntnnm (Linn.)

The European Redshank has been recorded as North American on the ground
that a specimen was taken in the Hudson Bay region and was formerly in British
Museum (Cf. Faun. Bor.— Am. II, 1831, p. 391). The bird breeds nearly throughout
the whole of Europe, placing its nest in a mere hollow of the ground. A set of four
eggs taken in North Britain May 7, 1891, exhibit the following dimensions: 1.71x
1.75x1.27, 1.72x1.24, 1.76x1.26 inches. They are pyriform in shape; the ground-
color being of a pale buff; this is spotted and blotched with a rich seal brown,
mingled with under shell markings of gray and lavender, these tending to form a
ring about the large ends.

286. 1. FBAZAB'S OYSTER-CATCHER. 7/a'ftm/o/jr/x frazari Brewst.

This species was found breeding by A. W.Anthony on San Roque Island in June,
1897. Mr. Crandall has a set of two eggs, taken by Mr. Anthony June 21. The
nest from which these were taken was a simple hollow on top of a bluff; it was
hni'd with pebbles. The color of one egg is creamy buff, the other more of an
olive buff. Both specimens are spotted and blotched with brownish-black and
purplish-gray shell markings. Their sizes are 2.33x1.52, 2.35x1.52 inches, respect-
ively. Mr. Crandall says: "In comparing these eggs with sets of the American
and European Oyster-catchers in my collection, I find the shade of ground-color
is exactly midway between the two species, darker than the American and lighter
than the European. In shape they are elongate ovate."

352<7. ALASKAN BALD EAGLE, llnliintiin Irunirriilmlalittt
Mr. C. H. Townsend says of this new subspecies as follows: (Proc. Biological
Society, Wash., Vol. XI, pp. 145-146, June 9, 1897.) "In forty specimens examined
from localities between Florida and Alaska there is a regular increase in size north-
Eagles from Northern States are larger than those from Florida and
Louisiana. In addition to the other differences in size, the bill of the Alaskan bird
is wider, while the edging to the feathers, especially on the wing coverts, is both
lighter and broader. The egg of the northern bird is distinctly larger, the average
of sixteen specimens being 73.5x57.5 mm., while that of forty-five Florida specimens
is 69x53.5 mm." Mr. Crandall has a set of two eggs of this variety, taken by Mr.
Geo. G. Cantwell at Houcan, Alaska, May 19, 1897. The nest was placed in a dead
spruce seventy feet from the ground. It was made of coarse sticks and lined with
moss. The eggs measure 2.94x2.37; 2.88x2.35 inches, respectively. In shape and
color they are the same as those of the Bald Eagle of the South, but ih« shell ap-
pears to be thicker.

APPi:\ni\. S09

365. AMERICAN BARN OWL. N/ri.r i,rntiin-»ln lionap.

The Monkey-faced Owl, as it is commonly called, waa formerly considered a
rare visitor in Ohio. It is now a very common resident and breeds. Dr. How-
ard Jones informs me that in May, 1897, he found a set of eight eggs in the
hollow of a sycamore tree near Circleville, Ohio, and also secured the parent i
I know a farmer not far from Columbus who raises these birds in confinement
and they thrive well. As a taxidermist I mounted no less than twenty speci-
mens in 1897, from various localities in Ohio.

373fif. AIKEN'S SCREECH OWL. Meyascops aftio aikeni Brewst.

Mr. D. P. Ingraham found a nest containing three eggs of this subspecies in
Pueblo county, Colorado, April 28, 1896. The parent bird was captured and was
identified by Dr. J. A. Allen. The nest was in an old hole in a cedar tree about
eight feet from the ground. The eggs in shape and color are like others of the
genus and measure 1.45x1.23, 1.44x1.24, 1.44x1.23 inches. These eggs are in Mr.
CrandalFs collection and are probably the first authentic specimens that have
been taken

374. FLAMULATED SCREECH OWL. Meyascops flammeola (Kaup.)
Two sets of this species were taken in Pueblo county, Colorado, in May, 1897,
by D. P. Ingraham. One of three nests taken on the 29th contained three eggs.
The nest was in an old excavation of a woodpecker, about twenty feet from the
ground in a quaking aspen tree. The altitude was 7800 feet. The three eggs
measure 1.25x1.03, 1.22x1.01, 1.21x1.02 inches A nest was found on the 27th in a
pine stub, about eighteen feet from the ground in an old woodpecker's excavation,
at an altitude of 7200 feet This nest contained two eggs and measure as follows:
1.28x1.03, 1.25x1.05 inches. The eggs are white with a faint cream color, oval in
shape, shell finely granulated and only slightly glossy.

4016. ALPINE THREE-TOED WOODPECKER. Picoides americana dorsalis
Baird.

In Ouster county, Colorado, Mr. Ingraham took a set of three eggs of this bird
June 9, 1897. The nest was in an aspen tree about sixteen feet from the ground,
at an altitude of 8000 feet. The eggs are pure shining white in color, almost ovate
in shape and offer the following dimensions: 1.03x.72, l.OOx.71 and l.OOx.71 Inches.
These are in Mr. Crandall's oological collection, and are doubtless the first gen-
uine eggs of this bird known to science.

PART II.

ORNITHOLOGICAL - OOLOGICAL

COLLECTING.

CHAPTER I.
OOLOGICAL COLLECTING.

An egg collected without being authentically identified is worth absolutely
nothing. My younger readers should pay particular attention to this remark. When
a nest containing eggs which are unknown is discovered, the bird should be shot,
skinned and preserved. Its identification should be determined by a competent
judge. I shall treat of the skinning and preparation of skins in the following chapter.
The novice, of course, will destroy more animal life than the experienced. He will
probably kill a Song Sparrow for a Swamp Sparrow— a Crow for a Raven, etc.
Therefore I shall not urge the new beginner to kill a bird of which he is ignorant in
order to identify the oological specimens belonging to its nest. The old student
will take as few lives as possible, for he is better acquainted ornithologically with
the avifauna which he is studying. In order to study oology we must take care of
these objects existing around us, and if the naturalist does not call a halt on their
extermination, who will? Animal life must be protected by the naturalist for, if it
Is exterminated, where has his delightful study gone? Experienced taxidermists,
ornithologists and oologists will make better game wardens than politicians! Why?
Because we cannot afford to kill the goose which lays the golden egg! She may lay
another.

Who on earth could be more desirous of preserving animal life than we? No-
body, not a single person. These side remarks are intended for no other purpose
than to show who are the best able and capable to take care of those things which
they love the most.

These directions for collecting and preserving birds, nests and eggs, and the
whole contents of this work are intended to assist the true naturalist in the delight-
ful subject herein treated. For those who idly roam the woodlands and pebbly
shores, collecting everything in reach with aimless intent, this book was never cal-
culated.

To every person who loves to study in the great field of Nature; to those espe-
cially who are deeply interested in the habits of the feathered tribe, the protection
of bird life is of the utmost importance.

Surely none of the readers of the foregoing pages are engaged in the wholesale
collecting of eggs for purely mercenary purposes, sacrificing and depopulating our
birds, and screening their fiendish acts under the gauzy lace of xcirnrc!

Empty the contents of an egg through one smoothly drilled hole in the s4de. and
drill it as small as can be got along with. Force the contents out by blowing into the
hole with a blow-pipe. Do not make holes at the ends of an egg for the purpose of
blowing the contents out. If the embryo is partially developed, the hole must neces-
sarily be made larger, and the embryo should be extracted a little at a time with
an embryo hook or forceps, and cut in pieces with a fine, narrow-bladed scissors.
By soaking the egg in water over night the embryo will often become very tender
and can be taken out with ease.

3

4 "A'\ minumir \l. IND OOLOOICAL COLLECTING.

After the egg is blown it should be thoroughly rinsed by taking water into the
mouth and spirting it through the blow-pipe.

Eggs, as a rule, should be kept in sets; a "set" being those taken from any one
nest; and each one of a set should bear a number referring to a corresponding one in
a note-book where full particulars of the nest and eggs should be given. A printed
label or data blank similar to the following diagram is also necessary.

Hector's No A. O. U. No

Name

Collected by

Locality

Date

Set Identity In.-ubation

Nest

Measurements of Eggs

For illustration, the blank lines of the label should be filled in the following
manner: Collector's No. 126. A. O. U. No. 447. Name, Arkansas Flycatcher. Col-
lected by J. L. Clemmons. Locality, San Diego, California. Dated, June 2, 1881.
Set. V* (indicating that the number of eggs in this set is four). Identity, bird shot.
Incubation, begun. Nest, made of coarse sticks and twigs, lined with hair and cotton,
placed in an "Australian Gum Tree," twenty feet from the ground. All these data
should be carefully written, and the label placed in the cabinet with the eggs. If
there are several sets of the same species, the collector should have his own number
to distinguish the sets. The label with full data should (iliraiis accompany the ^
making exchanges. Besides the above particulars the note-book should be filled
with memoranda devoted to the records of nests found and examined; the general
nature of the surroundings, the precise color and condition of the eggs when found,
as all these fade quickly from the memory.

Nests that can be collected require a wrapping of thread for their safe keeping,
as shown in Fig. 10, Plate 1.

In (limbing high trees, climbing irons are often used. A wooden or tin box, filled
with cotton, should be taken up with you; in this, securely place the eggs before de-
scending the tree.

When eggs are to be shipped by mail or express they should never be packed in
anything but wooden or tin boxes. Each egg should be wrapped in cotton and bound
tightly with thread and then wrapped in tissue paper. Place them in layers in the
box with bits of cotton between each egg The bottom, sides and end of the boxes
are often lined with sheet cotton which is still better protection.

In all ordinary cases collections of eggs are preserved in the drawers of a

cabinet. These are divided by partitions, and each section partly filled with grated

or box-wood sawdust, in which the eggs are placed. The choice of a .•:il»iw>t

must depend largely upon the collector's means, if not also upon his individual

prffrronro.

Tho very best trays or boxes ever designed for keeping eggs in the drawers of a
cabinet or for exhibition purposes are those manufactured by E. J. Schaefer, No. 338
Second street, New Orleans, Louisiana. They are neatly made of paste-board, tho
sides and bottom an> iriKi-niously cushioned with strips of sheet cotton. Each box
has a lid on which tlu- label can be pasted. These boxes are made to suit all sizes
of eggs, and range in price from $2.50 to $8.00 per hundred, according to size.

ORNITHOLOGICAL AND OOLOOICAL COLLECT

PLATE

OOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS.

6 ORNJTBOLOOICAL t.V/> <HU.<K;H\\L COLLECTING.

In our Plate are figured the various instruments used in the collecting and pre-
paration of birds' eggs. The egg drills are made with octagon handles six inches
long, as represented by Fig. 1, in Plate 1. The sizes of the burrs, as will be seen in
Figs. 1 to 6, range from 3-32 inch to 16-32 inch. The following is a list of the es-
sential oological instruments, with their prices:

Egg drill No. 1. 3-32 inch burr $025

'2. 5-32 " " 035

3. 6-32 " " 050

4, 8-32 " " 075

5.12-32 " " 100

6,16-32 " " 150

" " " 1016. common, short 020

Blow-pipe 0 25

Climbing: Irons 350

Embryo hook 0 25

Embryo scissors $0 25 to 1 50

Spring forceps, fine 0 75 to 1 25

If you are just beginning to make a collection of egga, two or three drills are all
that are necessary for ordinary purposes, Nos. 1, 3 and 5 being the most desirable
sizes. If you are to make an extensive collecting trip to remote regions, the entire
outfit enumerated above should be taken with you.

The style of arrangement for mounting birds' nests by the late Maj. Bendire is
illustrated in Fig. 9 of our Plate.

CHAPTER II.

THE SKINNING AND MAKING UP OF BIRD SKINS.

The following is taken almost entirely from the writer's "Methods in the Art
of Taxidermy."

In this chapter I propose to tell you how to skin birds and to make them into a
shapely form. With the assistance of the illustrations each procedure will be so
clearly depicted that the student will, I believe, about as readily understand the
system of work as though he were to see the actual operations performed on the
bench. For our first attempt we shall try the American Robin Virula nwjrntnrin
rl.inn.). ami I care not if it be Mr. Ridgway's Western representative. }fn-ula mi-
;»ro/m»f/""— it's a robin Just the same. All the principles of skinning il ••
robin will be given, while all the rarititiiuis and r.rrr/^;o//\ in the skinning of othpr
birds form the size of a hummingbird and upwards will be found chiefly in foot-notes.
It will, therefore, make very little difference what kind of a bird you may have in
hand to work upon.

Before we begin operations however, you will doubtless want to know how to
"Mire" or preserve the skin of a bird— the materials used. They are, in fact, very

ORNITHOLOGICAL A\D <HU.<X;K t /. < <// , 7

simple. Some taxidermists use nothing but the common pulverized arsenic, which
they sprinkle over the inside of the skin. Others prefer the old-time arsenical soap.
which is very good and can be bought from any dealer In natural history materials,
or you can make it yourself, and I herewith give the formula:

ARSENICAL SOAP.

White soap 2 pounds.

Powdered arsenic 2 pounds.

Camphor | on

Sub. carbonate of potash 6 ounces.

Alcohol g ounces.

Lime 2 ounces.

Directions. — Slice the soap and melt it in a small quantity of water over a slow
tire, stirring it sufficiently to prevent its burning. When melted, add the potash
and lime, and boil until it becomes quite thick. Now stir in the powdered arsenic,
after which add the camphor, previously dissolved in the alcohol. When the mass
has been boiled down to the consistency of thick molasses, pour it into an earthen
jar to cool and harden. Stir it frequently while cooling to prevent the arsenic
settling to the bottom. When cold it should be like lard or butter. For use, mix a
small quantity with water until it resembles buttermilk, and apply with a common
paint brush.

The preservative which I have always used is the following:

ARSENICAL SOLUTION AND ARSENICAL PASTE.

Crystallized Arsenic 1 pound.

Bicarbonate of Soda ^ pound.

Place these two ingredients in a vessel containing five pints of water and boil
the whole down to three pints, or until the arsenic and soda have disappeared, stir-
ring frequently to keep them from settling to the bottom. Crush the large pieces
of arsenic in order that they may more quickly dissolve. When cold it is ready for
use. Put the liquid in a large bottle, properly labeled, "Poison." When a quantity
of this solution is mixed with common whiting to the consistency of cream it Is
ready to be applied to the inside of skins with a brush, and is called Ar^miml /
For the purpose of mixing the solution and whiting take a wide-mouthed bottle or
a shallow dish and keep a large and a small brush in it for use on the various sizes of
skins. The beauties of the Arsenical pasta are, that it is quickly and easily made,
is cheap, makes a most substantial coating and its poisonous effect on skins is equal
to anything of the kind made, not excepting the time-tried Arsenical Soap.

INSTRUMENTS.

A dissecting case which can be purchased for $3.50 will be found serviceable at
home and in the field. It contains:
1 cartilage knife.
1 scalpel.
1 pair of scissors.
1 dissecting point.
1 pair of forceps.
1 hooks and chain.
1 blow-pipe and dr»ll.

8 ORNITHOLOGICAL .\\n <HU.<K;H-.\I.

GUNS AND AMUNITION.

The choice of a gun for the purpose of shooting sepcimens must depend largely
upon individual preference or the means of the collector. The most improved
double-barreled, hammerless shotgun is of course desirable: Nos. in or
being at the present time preferred. A No. 16 or 20 gauge will be found to
about as well in most cases for ornithological collecting purposes. Auxiliary
barrels, No. 32 gauge, are now made to fit in the 10 or 12 gauge guns; these are very
handy, and the brass shells made for them can be loaded at a trifling cost.

A live-shot No. 38 taxidermist's gun with brass shells is also manufactured and
sold by dealers in naturalists' supplies. This makes an excellent collecting gun for
small birds, from the size of warblers and upwards to that of a blackbird. In this
gun and in the shells for the auxiliary barrels the smallest size shot are u.
"mustard seed." In shooting birds with the larger guns the size of the shot and
weight of charge must be duly considered. For any North American bird Nos. 8
or 5 shot will usually prove effective, even upon the largest species within gun range.

The chief object in shooting a bird is to shoot to kill, not to mangle. A bird
well shot for the ornithologist is as good as a "stitch in time." The minute a dead
birds falls into your hands plug the mouth, nose-holes, vent and shot-holes with
cotton in order to prevent the blood or liquids from further soiling the plumage.
Put the dead bird in a paper cone, head first, and place it in your collecting satchel.
The large birds you must treat in the same manner and carry them home the best
way to suit your convenience.

With the above knowledge of what is necessary for the preservation of the skins
of birds and the instruments required for the work we shall proceed to skin the
robin. Perhaps you have carried the bird wrapped in a paper cone in your satchel
or collecting box for a half day or more and the rigor mortis has passed off. The
cotton in all the shot-holes, mouth, nose-holes, ear cavities and vent should be taken
out and carefully renewed, as this will prevent the blood and liquids from soiling
the feathers during the process of skinning.1 A strict observance of this rule in all
cases will often save a great amount of labor in cleaning the feathers after the bird
is skinned. Have a box of corn meal or plaster of Paris at hand; this should 1>
qucntly and profusely sprinkled on the carcass, if very fat, to absorb any blood or
grease which is liable to soil the feathers.2 The first thing to do before yon pi
to skin the bird is to take full measurements of the specimen and record them in

l. P1LXJ] -As a rule it is not neeessary to nil th.

with • pt In the case of owls and other birds which have very large ear orifices.

UEmCNINQ TH i;ii:i'S TOGETHER \VIIIT.K SKIXMNC. in

large bird th'lr bonks should b.- h« Id together while skinning with n piece- «,f eord run
through th.-- nose-hob-, anil under the lower mandible and tied f.

•.-.ax will hold together th" '.e;lk^ of the in.-i.jority nf :-in;ill birds. To the beginner this
precaution may seem superfluous after Vnvlng plumed the mouth, nose-holes, vrni
with cotton; hut it frequently will sav hi; mount of labor In cleaning blood and

liquids from specimens that might otherwise come through and stain the feathers.

\M> QOLOGH \i.

your note-book.1 You may now br< ak the hunerus or upper arm bone of each wing
with your fingers in order that the wings will hang down n I^y th«

bird on its back and separate the feathers along the breast, and with a scalpel or
sharp pen-knife make an incision, beginning high up on the lin-ambon*- and down

1. DIRECTIONS FOR MEASUREMENT OF BIRDS

system of measurement than that given by Dr. Klliott roues in his i,
to North American Birds. His directions are as foil-.

For large birds, a tape-line showing fourths will do; for nmuller ones, a foot-rule
graduated for inches and eighths, or better, decimals to hundredth*, must be u»«d; and
for all nice measurements the dividers are indispensable.

Length.— Distance between the tip of the bill and end of the longest tail-feather.
Lay the bird on its back on the ruler on a table; take hold of the bill with on-
of both legs with the other; pull with reasonable force to K< -i Hi.- curve all out of the neck;
hold the bird thus with the tip of the bill flush with one end of the ruler and see where the
end of the tail points.

Put the tape-line in place of the ruler, in the same way for larger bird*.

Extent.— Distance between the tips of the outspread wings.

They must be fully outstretched, with the bird on its back, crosswise on the ruler.
Its bill pointing to your breast.

Take hold of right and left metacarpus with the thumb and forefinger of yc.ur l«-ft
and right hand, respectively, stretch with reasonable force, getting on(- wlrm-tip Mush with
one end of the ruler, and see how much the other wing-tip reaches. With pull

away as hard as you please, and use the table, floor or side of the room; mark th«- pointw
and apply tape-line.

Length of Wing.— Distance from the carpal angle formed at the bend of the wing to
the end of the longest primary.

Get it with compasses for small birds. In birds with a convex wing, do not lay the
tape-line over the curve, but under the wing in a straight line. This measurement i» the
one called for short "the wing."

Length of Tail.— Distance from the roots of the rectrices to the end of the longest one.
Feel for the pope's nose; in either a fresh or dried specimen there is more or less of a p:il-
pable lump into which the tail feathers stick. Guess as near as you can to the middle
of this lump; place the end of the ruler opposite thist point, and see where the tip of the
longest tail-feather comes.

Length of Bill. — Some take the curve of the upper mandible; others the side of the
upper mandible from the feathers; others the gape, etc. I take the chord of the culmen.
Place one foot of the dividers on the culmen just where the feathers end: no m
whether the culmen runs up on the forehead, or the frontal feathers run out on the
culmen, and no matter whether the culmen is straight or curved. Then with me the length
of the bill is the shortest distance from the point just indicated to the tip of the upper
mandible; measure it with the dividers. In a straight bill of course It is the length of th«
culmen itself; in a curved bill, however, it is quite another thing.

Length of Tarsus.— Distance between the joint of the tarsus with the leg above, and
that with the first phalanx of the middle toe below. Measure it always with divider*.
and in front of the leg.

Length of Toes.— Distance hi a straight line 8 long the upper surface of a toe from the
point last indicated to the root of the claw on top. Length of toe is taken without the claw,
unless otherwise specified.

Length of the Claws.— Distance is a straight line from the point last indicated to Uie
tip of the claw.

Length of Head.— Is often a convenient dimension for comparison with th«- bill,
one foot of the dividers over the base of the culmen (determined as abov.-t ;ind allow the
other to slip snugly down over the arch of the occiput.

2. BREAKING THE HUMERUS IN BIRDS' WINGS.-This is of little Importance
and entirely a matter of habit. As for myself I prefer never to break the upper arm bone
of any bird, even if the wings do come constantly in the way during the process of s
ning. It is easier to skin a bird after the rigor mortis has passbu off than while it

in its death stiffi^ss. This comes on more or less speedily according to temperature and

climate, and a freshly killed bird at all times bleeds too freely to skin. It should

time for the blood to coagulate and the muscles to relax. (X'ontinu. t page.'

10 ORNITHOLOGICAL \ v/> nnumir \I. COLLECTING.

to the vent1 (Plate 2, Fig. 1 a to it). Do not cut through the wall of the abdomen, for
the intestines, blood, etc., will come out and give you trouble. Now raise the skin
carefully along the cut until the muscles of the leg are visible; push gently, but
with sufficient force until the knee-joint protrudes, and cut it off here (Plate 2, Fig.
leaving the thigh attached to the body.1 Most of the cutting from this point
until tho bird is finished may be done with the scissors. Skin the leg down to the
heel, strip the flesh off perfectly clean (Plate 2, Fig. 3 f) and poison thoroughly
with arsenical paste or arsenical soap (see formulas, page 7).n Proceed in the same
manner with the other leg, then loosen the skin down on the back as far as possible,
stand the bird on its breast, bend the tail and cut carefully through the tail joint
or pope's nose (Plate 2, Fig. 4 g). In doing this you will find it necessary to work
slowly and carefully in order to avoid cutting the skin. You may now hang the
specimen up on one of the hooks suspended from the ceiling. Be sure, however, to
leave enough of the pope's nose to hold the feathers fast. Skin down the body, cut
off one of the wings at the shoulder joint, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5 It,
Plate 2. Strip off the flesh from the humerus or upper arm bone and also the fore-
arm (ulna and radius) or double bones, detaching the secondaries of the wing down
to the carpus or wrist joint (Fig. 6 /, Plate 2). In the smaller birds, like the robin
for example, you may cut the wing-bones off at the dotted line* in Fig. 6, Plate 2,

With a little care and gentle force, after hanging tho bird on the hook you can peel

i<in down to the shoulder joint and there disjoint it without disturbing the feathers
to any great extent.

The best bird artist I ever knew never broke the humerus in :u v win* in order to
facilitate the skinning of the bird. He skinned down the body completely as repres.
In Fig. 5. Plate 2. and exposed both upper arm bones; these were cu' off. skinned and
cleaned as seen In Fig. 6, Plate 2, leaving the other wing attached to th^ body, skinning it
down with the assistance of a second hook.

In the smaller birds It Is well enough to rut tho wing off at the end of tin- humerus.
where the dotted lines show In tho upper portion of Fig. •*,. Plate -. In .til of the larger
birds, however, the humerus should be allowed to remain attached to the ulna ami radius
as seen in Fig. 6, Plate 2.

In all of the larger birds, the eagles, the hawks, owls, herons, pelicans, ducks, etc..
be sure and leave all the wing-bones remain attached to one another and skin the wing
from the outside leaving the secondary feathers attached to the ulna of the forearm
as illustrated In Plate 4, Fig. 7. The reason of this will be further discussed when we are
ready to skin the wing of the subject we have on hand.

CUT IX THK HACKS OF lUKDS.-In the grebes, loons, nulls and

many of th«- ducks I shall recommend making the opening cut along the hack, as this
will ii '-rve with more certainty the bc-uity <>f the underpants.

WING THK LEGS OF IMKDS.- In skinnin of birds the rule is to

skin down as far .is feathers prow or in all cases to the he, 1. The logs of many of the owls
should he skini)' is the base Of the toes which is as far as \\ . can reach

from tho Inside. The legs In all hawks and eagles should be skinned to below the h-
EMOVTNO TI.XDONS FROM T.K<;s OF r.lHUS. The tendons in the

v. ks. p«-]i,ans, flamingoes and lar^o herons, down to the sl/,e of the Ani'-ri-

- lurux IfntifinosMS (Montau.i. should In- tak«'ii out. To do this make a cut

In tho ball of the f.,ot and draw the tendons out \>y means of a hook turned on the end of

It you ch"< i \ou may put a wooden handle on the wire ami

"iir outfit. After making the slit In the ball of the fool I

• inch to the toes, take hold of them with

• iw them out. It requires much longer time to remove the tendons from
-,'cln which you 1. 1 than from a fresh bird.

In making up Inrgo birds In the form of skins tho tendons should, l>y all means ho
fik<-n out and tho legs thoroughly poisoned, both to cure thorn and protect them against
tacks of It

ORNITHOLOGICAL AND oo/,or;/r i /. cm

PLATE

From Methods in the Art if Taxideri*
THE PROCEDURES IN SKINNING A B1KU

12 oy,'\ / TIHH.IK;H' i/. .\\ninii.imn-\i. COLLECTING.

and leave the double bones of the wing remain intact.1 Skin thoroughly;
anoint them with poison and let them drop hack in their place. Both wings
being detached and skinned we now proceed down the neck until the base of the skull
is reached.3 For good reasons do not pull or stretch the neck skin in this operation.
In on: hack any blood or liquid which is often ready to flow, before severing

the head from the neck tie a cord firmly about the neck just above the skull, as
shown in Plate 2, Fig. 6 i. Before severing the head from the body we will carefully
detach the membrane of the ear by inserting an awl or other pointed instrument
under it, and by pulling upward and outward quickly the membrane will come out
(I'lati> L>. Fig. 6 A-). The eyes come next and can be observed through the thin mem-
brane; cut very slowly through this until the eye is exposed, and be careful not to
cut through the eye-lids (Fig. 7 m, Plate 2).s Now loosen the skin from the skull
until you come down to the base of the mandibles. Scoop out the eye-balls, sever

After the tendon has been removed run a sharp-pointed wire in at tin- sole all tin- way

• l through the heel as seen in. our illustration. On this wire, at th«- sole and at the

!aee with a brush, all the arsenical paste or arsenical soap that the wire will hold,

and then draw the wire up and down until tin- tarsi has been thoroughly poisoned. I have

frequently repeated this operation two and three times, and then coated the outside of the

ind toes with the clear arsenical solution.

I. LKAVINC ALL THK HONKS IX WINCS OF HIKI»S. -NYvr take any ,,f the

wing-bones out of any of the larger birds, sueh as eagles, hawks, owls, loons, pelicans,

geese, ducks, large »julls, herons etc. You can hardly estimate the value there is in

g all the wing-bones in the larger birds and I may say. even in the smaller ones.

Skin down to the double bones of the wing (ulna and radius) or elbow, clean the Mesh

;ghly from the single bone (hurnerus) and stop there; if it has been don.
«Tly the humerus will be seen as it is in I'late 4. Fig. 7. After treating both wing-
and, after you have skinned the bin! completely as directed, and it is lying be for-
separate the feathers along the under side of the wing, make an incision, take out all
th«- flesh, but leave the secondaries of thr wing attached to the ulna. This is clearly
illustrated in Plate 4, Fig. 7. In order to thoroughly clean the entire wing of th-
an opening between the rm-tacarpal bones should be made. This is also seen in the Fig.
Just i' While it is of great importance to make this cut in order to take out all

the ('• ison the skin and bones thoroughly to the end of the wing, many taxi-

K this important point. In order to skin the. wing in this manner, make
, along thf> under side of the wing as indicated in our drawing, and after having
kin lifted up along both sides of the cut drive pins along its edge into your bench
to hold the. skin back out of the way while you are removing tin- fit sh. Poison the bones
kin thoroughly, take, the pins out and the wings are completely prepared. If tho
wings are- to be spread you should sew this opening up very nicely, in mounting a bird
with the, wings spread never detach the feathers from the ulmi of the wing, for you cannot
M.I t ure has done; nor can you spread them so regularly if you detach them.
In skinning the wings as I have described there are many advantages to be gained. The
• spread out perfectly; you can also always depend upon getting the proper
of them. There la another point in the philosophy of leaving all the wing-b.

Mining the proper shape of the back, and it is abso-
ad any artificial structure which will till their place in this r-
• yon. I question.

[NNINQ TIM-; MK.M'S OF CERTAIN BIRDS. Th<

Of some bir iss through the neck-skin, and thry must be skinned and

-I differently. To skin tl;. \\oodpecU. .•. ms. flam;'

an opening cut must be made from the outside as seen in
of the bill a« usual, cut away the .llesh. take out the

«y«« and brain, poison thoroughly, fill the •. with cotton and sew up thr- slit as

plate. This is done, of course, after skinning down as '

hole In your bench to tit the shape of your bird's bill ami
•.vhlle si Inning the head i Plate 4, FiK

ve the bony eye-cup in owls. If you take these out
your owls will lose their characteristic expression. Dig the eye-ball out with your scalpel

ORNITHOLOGICAL AND OOLOGICAL COLLEC'I

From Mfil-.t
RETURNING THE NECK SKIN OVER THE SKULL.

14 ORNlTHOLOGICAl WD OOLOGICAL COLLECTING

the head from the neck at the base of the skull, as in Fig. 7 n, Plate 2, taking out with
the neck the tongue. The muscles of the lower mandible and around the skull must
Now take out the brain. Do not cut the whole back of the skull off
in order to get at the brain, as I have seen some taxidermists do; but make an opening
at the base of tae skull extending over into the roof of the mouth, exactly as we have
it pictured in Figs. 8 and 9, Plate 2. Scoop out the brain with your brain-spoon or
knife, and clean the head all over in a thorough and general manner. Give it a heavy
coat all over with arsenical paste or arsenical soap; fill the eye-sockets loosely with
balls of clean, white cotton, and the skin is ready to be returned. Before you do this,
however, while the skin is lying before you, wrong side out, clean all particles of
flesh and fat from it and poison the skin all over in the most thorough manner.
The returning of the skin back over the skull is well illustrated in Plate 3. Let me
caution the beginner that ho will find some difficulty in performing this operation
the first two or three times, especially if he is in haste to do it. Take your time by
all means with the first birds, and you will soon learn the knack of returning the
skin over the skull. Do not imagine that you can poke the skull straight through
the neck-skin without some careful manipulation. Work the skin over gradually,
and whenever it becomes rolled up on top of the skull or elsewhere work on the op-
posite side until the folded portion will clear itself, and suddenly it will pass through
and the skin will once more be right side out. The arsenical paste or soap will here
be of great assistance in aiding the skin to slip easily over the skull. The skin now
being turned right side out, the feathers may be very much disarranged. Take
hold of the bill, adjust the feathers with your fingers and spring forceps, and assist
them to fall back in their natural position. Insert the blunt end of a darning needle
in the eye-hole and rub it along under the skin above the skull and the skin and
feathers will fall back to their natural places. This little procedure is of the greatest
importance in adjusting the skin and feathers of a bird's head. You must now with
a needle point pluck out the cotton in the eye-sockets to the natural fullness of the
but do not make them bulge out. Make the circle of the eyelids perfectly
round, adjust the feathers of the neck carefully, and if all has been done according
to directions our robin skin is ready to be filled with tow or cotton to the natural
fullness, which I shall describe in the next chapter.

III.

THE MAKINT, II' OF BIRDS* SKINS.

What is technically known to ornithologists and taxidermists as a "bird skin"

is one constructed more or less artificially to conform to the general shape of the

! <!ea<l bird. It is intended for si-'n nti/it- .xtmlii. because a mounted bird is not HO

handlrd. ;md a r-oIN-rtinn of them ordinarily occupies too much space. The

to which these skins are made all depend upon the structural peculiarities

<>f the specimens.

!<> so you can take the eye-cup out and clean It of Its con-
tents, but you must put it back In its j>l;u •«•. It is r.u better to leave the eye-cups in
place and clean the contents out without disturbing them.

ORNITHOLOGICAL AND OOL< K.II i /.

15

PLATE 4.

«ss*

From Methods in the Art of Tajcit
ILLUSTRATING EXCEPTIONS TO THE GENERAL RULE IN SKINNING BIRDS.

16 ORNITHOLOGICAL AlfD OOLOOICAL COLL^CTIKG.

To make up a clean, shapely, well-prepared bird skin requires considerable ex-
perience and practice. Facility and speed will come with both. I have already de-
scribed in detail the manner in which a- bird should be skinned.

In these directions we shall again take up the robin as our example and skin it
exactly as I have directed in Chapter II, and. if it be any other species much larger,
you will, as before, refer to the foot-notes in case there be any variations or ex-
ceptions to the general rule, as for instance, skinning the heads of woodpeckers,
ducks, skinning the wing by an opening cut along the underside of the wing in large
birds, etc. Do not fail to take full measurements, ascertain the sex, etc., before
beginning as before recommended.

Having skinned the specimen it lies before you exactly as you see it in Plate 4,
Fig. 4, ready for the filling. Some taxidermists fill the neck-skin with tow (Plate
4. Figs. 1 and 2) before turning the skin back. I prefer always to fill the neck after
the skin has been returned over the skull. Poison the entire skin thoroughly. Make
a roll of fine tow the thickness of the natural neck and longer than the entire neck
and body; insert one end of this into the cavity of the skull and let the other extend
as far as the tail. Many do not allow the neck roll to extend farther down than
n in Figs. 3 and 4, Plate 4. The wing-bones in very small birds need not be
wrapped with cotton. In all cases the leg-bones should have a wrapping of cotton
or fine tow; for the small ones cotton will do; but tow should be used in the large
ones. Cotton will answer for the body-filling in the small birds, but tow is the thing
to use in the larger ones. This should be made in one mass, rather firmly moulded
into something like the shape of the bird's body or trunk, but rather less in bulk.
Insert this into the skin until it fits nicely, bring the edges of the incision together
and the skin is about completed. In some cases the opening is held together by
taking one or two stitches with a needle and thread.

The usual fault of beginners is in using too much stuffing, thus making the skin
to "bulge out" in the wrong places, especially between the shoulders and along
the neck. Never make the neck of a skin too long. The specimen is usually meant
to lie on its back with tne head drawn down near the body, the neck being of natural
length. It only remains to "set" the specimen in a shapely manner by folding the
wings neatly, adjusting the head and neck, bringing the legs together and crossing
them. The throat of the bird should be filled with cotton and the skin can now be
labeled and placed in a drying-board.

These are found very useful in forming or moulding the shape of the skin.
They are made by gluing or tacking pieces of thin wood of the same size on a board,
'•qua I distances apart. Pieces of Jirary paper are fitted between the cross-boards
and glued or tacked in position, so as to form semi-cylindrical grooves. Tin or zinc

••<• used for making drying-boards for large birds. Tin- old-fashioned paper cone,

in which you thrust the bird head foremost, pinning the cone on the wall while the

bird is drying, is an excellent method in some cases. All birds with crests should

thi li'-Jid turned slightly to one side and their crests raised. This is illustrated

In I Mate 5, Figs. 1 ar.

rons. geese and all other long-necked birds should, when placed to dry.
rest upon the breast with the head and neck resting upon the back. The feet of the
long-legged waders should be placed underneath the breast. This is beautifully
illustrated in Plate :,. Pi^'s. 8, .". and 6, in skins of the Great Blue Heron. Avoeet and
Marbled Godwit. In Fig. 4 of the same plate we have an illustration of the skin of
the Hooded Merganser, which has as long a neck as some of the clucks. When pre-
paring a long-necked akin in this manner always wrap tow to the natural thickness

ORNlTBOLOGIOAl IND OOLOOWAL <<

i:

From Mtthedt in Ike Art </ Ta .
THE FORMS OF BIRD SKINS.

18 ORNITBOLOOICAL i.Y/> nni.nr,H'\i. COLLECTING,

of the neck around a piece of wire, anchor it in the skull cavity and form the body-
filling around it. All long-necked birds should be treated in this manner, no matter
how you place the neck. It will often prevent them from becoming broken off.
The opening in all large skins should be neatly sewn up. All skins prepared for the
cabinet and all specimens mounted should have a label attached to the legs giving
the species, sex, locality, date of collection, etc. In many adult birds the sex can be
:nin«>d by the color of the plumage. In most cases the body should be examined
to make sure of the sex of the specimen. The testes of the male and the ovaries of
the female lie in the same position in the small of the back, close to the kidneys, and
may easily be reached by cutting through the wall of the abdomen on one side and
pushing the intestines out of the way. The testes of the male are a pair of yellowish
bodies lying close together. The ovary is a mass of small spheres. In the breeding
season both these organs are subject to such enlargement that they become very
conspicuous, and differ so much in appearance that they cannot be mistaken. At
other seasons of the year they can only be recognized upon close examination. The
male is denoted by the sign of Mars, the female by the sign of Venus, or the right
crossed over the left to indicate the male, and the left over the right to denote
the fenr-lo

Tho best method in the world for laying skins away in the cabinet is to wrap

them in sheet cotton batting, allowing the label to be seen when placed in the cabinet

drawer. When collecting in the field in remote regions you may fill the body of the

skin with leaves, dry grass or paper, when tow or cotton cannot be obtained, but

with wool or hair.

It is essential for the preservation of skins to use nothing for the filling that
can be attacked by Insects.

Some years ago I very nearly ruined my reputation as a taxidermist by attempt-
ing to mount five hundred bird skins, from the Holy Land, which were filled with
old woolen clothing of the Arabs and the hair of quadrupeds. Upon these the moths
had feasted and become fat and robust. The skins and feathers had next received
their attention. The havoc they wrought is indescribable.

One evening after a desperate struggle with the hundredth specimen of tin-so
bunches of hides and feathers I was indulging in reveries of stern realities— how
DCC v.-ill sometimes pause — how ingenuity will stagger when invention fails-
how time as well as love's labor is sometimes lost.

I sat in my study till the last slanting sunbeams were gilding the walls — till
the objects before me became indistinct in the twilight, and in fancy saw Job in
one corner of my workshop smiling at my impatience, and hranl Shakespeare by his
side whispering, "What fools these mortals be!"

INDEX.

ACANTHIS.

hornemannii, 360.

hornemannli exilipes, 360.

linaria, 360.

linaria holboellil, 361.

linaria rostrata, 361.
Accipiter.

atricapillus, 205.

atricapillus striatulus, 205.

cooperi, 204.

velox, 202.
Actitis.

macularia, 150.
^Echmophorus.

occidentalis, 1.
^Egialitis,

dubia, 156.

hiaticula, 155.

meloda, 156.

meloda circumcincta, 157.

mongola, 157.

montana, 158.

nivosa, 157.

semipalmata, 155.

vocifera, 155.

wilsonia, 157.
Aeronautes.

melanoleucus, 290.
^strelata.

fisheri, 53.

hasitata, 53.

scalaris, 53.
Agelaius.

gubernator, 343.

phoeniceus, 340.

phoeniceus bryantl, 343.

phoeniceus floridanus. 343.

phceniceus sonoriensis, 342.

tricolor, 343.
Alx sponsa, 84.
Ajaja.

ajaja, 107.
Alauda.

arvensis, 314.
Albatross, Black-footed. 46.

Short-tailed, 47.

Sooty, 47.

Wandering, 45.

Yeliow-nosed. 47.

Alca.

Alle.

torda, 21.
alle, 24.

Amazllia.

cervlniventrts, 296.
fuscicaudnta. 296.

Ammodramus.
balrdll, 371.
beldingi, 370.
caudacutus, 373.
caudacutus nelson!, 374.
caudacutus subvlrgatus, 374.
henslowli, 372.
henslowli occidentalis, 373.
leconteil, 373.
maritimus, 374.

maritimus macgilllvrayl, 376.
maritimus penlnsulce. 374.
maritimus sennettl, 375.
nigrescens, 375.
princeps, 369.
rostratus, 371.
rostratus guttatus, .".71.
sanctorum, 371.
sandwichensls, 3C9.
sandwlchensis alnudlnus. 370.
sandwichensls bryanti, 370.
sandwichensls savanna, 369.
savannarum passerinus, 371.
savannarum perpallidus, 372.

Ampelis.

cedrorum, 413.
garrulus, 413.

Amphispiza.
belli, 386.
belli clnerea, 387.
belli nevadensls. 386.
bilineata, 386.

Anas.

amerlcana, 80.
' boschas, 78.

carolinensls, 81.

crecca, 80.

cyanoptera, 81.

discors, 81.

fulvigula, 79.

fulvlgula maculosa, 79.

obscura, 79.

penelope, 80.

strepera, 79.
Anhinga, 63.

anhinga, 63.
Anl, 252.

Groove-billed. 253.
Anous.

stolidus, 44.

INDEX.

Anser.

albifrons, 97.

albifrons gambeli. IT.

fabui
Anthus.

cervlnus, 460.

pensilvanicus, 460.

pratensis. 460.

epragueii, 461.
Antrostomus.

carolinensis, 2S2.

vociferus, 283.

vociferus macromystax, 283.
Aphelocoma californica, 326.

callfornica hypoleuca, 326.

californica obscura, 326.
notis, 326.

floridana, 196.

insularis. 326.

sieberii arizonse, 327.

woodhousei, 325.
Aphriza.

virgata, 158.
Aquila.

chrysaetos, 216.
Aramus.

giganteus, 122.
Archibuteo.

ferrugineus, 216.

lagopus. 215.

lagopus sancti-johannis, 21G.
Arctonetta.

fischeri, 91.
Ardea.

candidissima, 115.

cinerea, 114.

cserulea, 118.

egretta, 115.

herodiaa, 114.

occidentalis, 113.

rufescens, 117.

tricolor ruflcollls, 118.

virescens anthonyi, 11!».
-cens, 118.

virescens frazari, 119.

wardi. 11::.

exilis, 112.

lit,

Life.

intf-rpres, 158.
ni.-l.inn, . phala, 159.
Asio.

acclpitrinus. 235.
.iiiiis. 234.
Astlir

pl;iKi;it;i. 214.
Auk. -

Aukl- I, 13.

14.
Least. i«.

. 13.

Rhin
Whiskered, 15.

Auriparus.

ilavir. ps, 491.

American, 132.
Aythya.

afflnis, 87.

americana, 86.

collaris, 87.

marila nearctica, 87.

vallisneria, 86.

BALD PAT I

Bartramla.

longicauda, 149.
Basileuterus.

belli, 468.

culicivorus, 458.
Basilinna.

leucotis, 296.

xantusi, 296.
Becard, Rose-throated, 297.

Xantus's, 297.
Bird, Man-of-War, 74.

Red-billed Tropic, 59.

Surf, 158.

Yellow-billed Tropic, 59.
Bittern, American, 111.

Cory's Least, 113.

Least, 112.
Blackbird, Bicolored, 343.

Brewer's, 350.

Red-winged, 340.

Rusty, 350.

Tricolored, 343.

Yellow-headed, 340.
Bluebird, 505.

Azure, 505.

Chestnut-backed, 505.

Mountain, 506.

San Pedro, 506.

\\fstern, 505.

Bluethn.Mt. Red-spotted, 504.
Bobolink, 337.
Bob-whit. .

Cuban. 164.

Florid;.. I'M.

Masked, 164.

Texan, 164.
Bonasa.

umbcllus. lf,:i.

umbellus sabini. I7u.

umbellus togata, 170.

Ullllirlllls Ulllli.'ll.ii.i.

Booby. 1:1.

I '.hi. '-faced, 60.

P.ln. -f<> «»t-(l. HI.
I :rt v

footed, 62.
Botaums.

|.-iilif;inosUH, 111.
Bracliyr.-imphus.
ri. 17.

hypoleucv

kittlitzii. 17.
ui.-irinoratus, 16.

Brant, 101.

Black, 101.
Branta.

bernicla, 101.

canadensis, 98.

canadensis hutchinsii, 100.

canadensis minima, 100.

canadensis occidentalis, 100.

leucopsis, 101.

nigricans, 101.
Bubo.

virginianus, 241.

virginianus arcticus, 243.

virginianus pacificus, 243.

virginianus subarcticus, 243.
Budytes.

flavus leucostriatus, 459.
Buffle-head, 88.
Bullfinch, Cassin's, 354.
Bulweria,

bulweri, 53.
Bunting, Beautiful, 405.

Indigo, 404.

Lark, 407.

Lazuli, 404.

Painted, 405.

Varied, 405.
Bush-Tit, 488.

Californian, 488.

Grinda's, 488.

Lead-colored, 488.

Lloyd's, 490.

Santa Rita, 490.
Buteo.

abbreviatus, 210.

albicaudatus sennetti, 210.

borealis, 206.

borealis calurus, 208.

borealis harlani, 208.

borealis kriderii, 208.

borealis lucasanus, 208.

brachyurus, 213.

buteo, 206.

latissimus, 212.

lineatus, 209.

lineatus alleni, 210.

lineatus elegans, 210.

swainsoni, 211.
Buzzard, European, 206.

CALAMOSPIZA.

melanocorys, 407.
Calcarius.

lapponicus, 366.

ornatus, 367.

pictus, 367.
Calidris.

arenaria, 142.
Callichelidon.

cyaneoviridis, 412.
Callipepla.

californioa, 166.

californica vallicola, 167.

gambelii, 167.

squamata, 165.

squamata castanogastris, 166.

Callothru*.

robufltUH, 339.
Calothorax.

luclfer, 296.
Calypte.

anna, 293.

•
Campephilua.

principally 261.
Camptolaimus.

labradoriUH, 91.
Canvas ba< 1
Caracara, Audubon's, 230.

Guadalup* ,

Cardellina rubrifrons, 467.
Cardinal, 339.

Arizona, 400.

Florida, 400.

Gray-tailed, 400.

Saint Lucas, 400.

Texas, 401.
Cardinalis.

cardinalis, 399.

cardinalls canicaudus, 400.

cardinalis florldunus, 400.

cardinalis igneus, 400.

cardinalis superbus, 400.
Carduelis carduelis, 364.
Carpodacus.

amplus, 357.

cassini, 356.

mexicanus frontalis, 356.

mexicanus ruberrimus, 356.

purpureus, 355.

purpureus californicus, 356.
Cascarca cascarca, 82.
Catbird, 464.
Catharista.

atrata, 195.
Cathartes.

aura, 194.
Catherpes.

mexicanus, 470.

mexicanus conspersus, 470.

mexicanus punctulatus, 471.
Centrocercus.

urophasianus, 178.
Ceophloeus.

pileatus, 272.
Cepphus, 10.

columba, 18.

grylle, 17.

ni.-ni.lt ii. 18.
Cerorhinca.

monocerata, 13.
Certhia,

familiaris alticola.

familiaris amerlcanu. 477.

familiaris montana, 478.

familiaris occidentalis. 478.
Ceryle.

alcyon, 260.

americana septentrionalis. 200.

torquata, 260.

INDEX.

Thachalaca. 183.
Chsetura.

pelagica, 288.

vauxil, 288.
<'hamsea.

fasciata, 487.

fasckiUi henshawi, 488.
Oharadrius.

apricarlus, 154.

dominicus. 154.

domlnicus fulvus, 155.

squatarola, 154.
i 'haritonetta,

albeola, 88.
Chat, Long-tailed, 454.

Yellow-breasted, 453.
Chelidon.

erythrogaster. 411.
<'hen.

cserulescens, 96.

hyperborea, 96.

hyperborea nivalis. 96.

rossii, 97.

x.idee, 483.

California. 487.

Carolina, 484.

Chestnut-backed, 487.

Columbian, 487.

Hudsonian, 486.

Kowak, 487.

Long-tailed. 484.

Mexican, 485.

Mountain, 485.

Oregon, 484.

Plumbeous, 485.

Siberian, 486.
Chondestes.

grammacus, 375.

grammacus strigatus, 376.
••"hordeiles.

acutlpennis texensia, 287.

virglnianus, 286.

virgtnianus chapmani, 287.

vlrprlnlanus henryi, 286.

vir^inlanus sennetti, 287.
< •huck-wlU's-widow, 282.

Ins.

mexicanus, 461.

»nius, 201.
.orus.

mari.'in.'i-. 177.
, stria, 476.

j.r.lu W, 476.

;,;,lustri.s i>:i lmli<-,,la. 476.

nila.

Mi;iliH. 89.

Cltvicola.

ripnrla. 413.
.thrnustes.

rtinus. 353.
vesportlnus montanus, 853.

Coccyzus.

•anus, 265.

.ini«-ric;iMUs occidentalls, 256.

erythropthalmus, 256.

minor, 254.

minor maynardi. 255.
Coeligena.

clemenciae, 291.
Coereba.

bahamensis, 426.
Colaptes.

aura t us, 276.

cafer, :>!.

cafer saturatior, 281.

chrysoides, 281.

chrysoides brunnescens, 282.

rufipileus, 282.
Colinus.

rldgwayi, 164.

virginianus, 163.

vlrginianus cubanensis, 164.

virginianus floridanus, 164.

virginianus texanus, 164.

fasciata, 184.

fasciata vioscae, 184.

flavirostris, 184.

leucocephala, 185.
Columbigallina.

passerina pallescens, 189.

passerina terrestris,. 189.
C'olymbus.

auritus, 3.

dominicus, 4.

holbrellii, 2.

Colymbus nigricollis californlcus. 3.
Compsothlypis.

americana, 432.

americana usneae, 433.

niRrilora, 435.
Contopus.

borealis, 305.

pertinax, 307.

richardsonil, 307.

richardsonil peninsulse, 308

virens, 306.
Conurus.

carolinensis, 250.
Coot, American, 129.

European, 128.
Cormorant, 64.

I'-.-iird's. 69.

I'.randt's, 68.

Double-crested, 65.

Farallone, 67.

Florida. 66.

Mexican, 68.

Pel a Kir. ra.

Red -faced, 70.

Violct-proon, fiO.

\Vhltn-TfSti-d. 66.

Corvus.

americanus, 332.
ajnericanus floridanud, 333.

INDEX.

Corvus caurinus, 334.

corax prlnclpalls, 331.
corax sinuatus, 330.
cryptoleucus, 332.
ossifragus. 334.
Coturnix coturnix, 163.
Cowbird, 338.

Dwarf, 339.
Red-eyed, 339.
Crake, Corn, 127.
Spotted, 125.

Crane, Little Brown, 121.
Sandhill, 122.
Whooping, 120.

Creeper, Bahama Honey, 426.
Brown, 477.
California, 478.
Mexican, 478.
Rocky Mountain, 478.
Crex.

crex, 127.

Crossbill, American, 357.
Mexican, 358.
White-winged, 358.
Crotophaga.
ani, 252.

sulcirostris, 253.
Crow, American, 332.
Fish, 334.
Florida, 333.
Northwest. 334.
Crymophilus.

fulicarius, 130.
Cuckoo, Black-billed, 256.
California, 256.
Kamchatkan, 257.
Mangrove, 254.
Maynard's, 255.
Yellow-billed, 255.
Cuculus.

canorus telephonus. 257.
Curlew, Bristle-thighed, 152.
Eskimo, 151.
Hudsonian, 151.
Long-billed, 150.
Cyanecula.

suecica. 504.
Cyanocephalus.

cyanocephalus, 336.
Cyanocitta.

cristata, 320.
cristata florincola, 323.
stellerl, 323.
stelleri annectens, 325.
stelleri frontalis, 324.
stelleri macrolopha, 324.
Cyclorrhynchus.

psittaculus, 13.
Cymodroma.

grallaria, 58.
Cypseloides.
niger, 287.

Cyrtonyx.

montezumn-. 167.

DAFI!

acuta. 83.
Daption.

capenslH. 53.
Dendragapua.

canadensis. 169.
frunklinli, 169.
obscurun, 168.
obscurus fullglnosua, 168.
obscurus rlchardaonll. 169.
Dendrocygna.

autumnalis, 103.
fulva. 103.
Dendroica.

sestiva, 436.

sestiva rubiginosa, 436.
aestiva sonorana. 436.
audubonl, 438.
blackburniae, 441.
bryanti castaneiceps, 436.
cserulea, 439.
caerulesoens, 436.
caerulescens cairnsl, 437.
castanea, 441.
chrysoparia, 443.
coronata, 437.
discolor, 447.
dominica, 442.
dominica albilora, 442.
graclae, 443.
kirtlandi, 445.
maculosa, 439.
nigrescens, 443.
occidentalis, 444.
olivaoea, 436.
palmarum, 446.
palmarum hypochrysea, 447.
pensylvanica, 440.
striata, 441.
tigrina. 435.
townsendi, 444.
vigorsii, 446.
virens, 444.
Dickcissel, 406.
Diomedea.

albatrus, 47.

exulans, 45.

nigripes, 46.

Dipper, American, 461.

Dolichonyx.

oryzlvorus, 337.

Dove, Ground, 189.

Inca, 190.

Mexican Ground, 189.

Mourning, 187.

White-fronted, 188.

White-winged, 189.

Zenaida, 188.
Dovekie, 24.

Dowitcher, 136.

Long-billed, 136.
Dryobatee arlzonae, 267.

borealis. 264.

nuttallil. 265.

pubescens, 263.

pubescens gairdnerii. 264.

pubescens medlanus, 264.

pubescens nelson!, 264.

pubescens oreoecus, 264.

scalarls bairdi, 266.

scalaris lucasanus, 265.

villosus, 262.

villosus audubonii, 26.1.

villosus harrlsil, 263.

villosus hyloscopus, 263.

villosus leucomelas. 263.
Duck. American Scaup, 87.

Black, 79.

Florida. 79.
loquin. 90.

Labrador, 91.

Lesser Scaup, 87.

Masked, 96.

Mottled, 79.

Ring-necked, 87.

Ruddy, 95.

Rufous-crested, 85.

Steller's, 91.

Wood. 84.
Dunlin, 140.

EAGLE, r,a id. 218.

Golden, 216.

Gray Sea, 218.

Harpy, 218.
Ectopistes.

migratorius, 185.
rican, 115.

Reddish. 117.

r, American. 92.

Kin*. 93.

Nor

p. 93.

Spectacled. 91.
Ides.

forflcatus. 196.
Klanus.

leucurus, 198.
Knil • rn.-iRra.

rufivlrKata. 396.
Empld

ritins. 309.

dlfflcills. 309.

flavlventrls, 308.

fnlvlfron*. 31.1.

fulvifrona pygm;nuH. 313.

Kri

hanimondi. 312.

minimus. 312.

trn.il HI. 310.

tralllil alnorum. 310.

virescens, 309.

wrightli, 313.

Enicont-tta.

stelleri. 91.
Ereunetes.

occidentalis, 142.

puslllus. 141.
Ergaticus.

ruber, 468.
Erismatura.

rubida, 95.
Euetheia.

bicolor, 406.

canora, 406.
Eugenes.

fulgens, 290.
Euphonia.

elegantisslma, 407.
Euphonia. Blue-headed, 107.
Eurynorhynchus.

pygmseus, 141.

FALCO.

columbarius, 224.

columbarius suckleyi, 225.

dominicrnsis, 230.

fusco-coerulescens, 226.

islandus. 220.

mexicanus, 222.

pere^rinus .-inatum, 223.

peregrinus pealei, 223.

regulus, 225.

richardsonii, 225.

rusticolus, 221.

rusticolus Kyrfalco, 221.

rusticolus obsoletus, 221.

sparvrriu

sparverius deserticolus, 230.

sparverius peninsularis, 230.

tinnunculua. 227.
Falcon, Aplomado, 226.

Peale's, 223.

Prairie, 222.
Finch. California I'urpi.-.

Cassin's I'nrj'l.
(I.-mdalupr Hnusf. 3f)7.
Hous.
I'urpl'-.

St. Lucas ll.iii •
l-'lamiiiKo, American. 105.

Flicker

I :r -iiwn. 2S2.
Gild- 'd.
Guadalui"
North \v<

I;. ,| shaft.', I. L'M.
Flycatcher. Aid- r. :'H>.

Arizona Crosted. 302.
Ash -Hi mated. 302.

::i 1.

I'.ui; 313.

COUPS'S. 306.

Derhy. 300.
Fork-tailed. 297.

Flycatcher, Fulvous, 313.
Giraud's, 300.
Gray, 313.
Green-crested, 309.
Hammond's, 312.
Lawrence's, 303.
Least, 312.

Mexican Crested, 301.
Nutting's, 303.
Olivaceous, 303.
Olive-sided, 306.
Ridgway's, 314.
St. Lucas, 309.
Scissor-tailed, 297.
Sulphur-bellied, 301.
Traill's, 310.
Vermilion, 314.
Western, 309.
Wright's, 313.
Yellow-bellied, 308.
Fratercula.

arctica, 11.

arctica glacialis, 11.

corniculata, 11.
Fregata.

aquila, 74.
Fulica.

americana, 129.

atra, 128.
Fulmar, 48.

Giant, 48.

Lesser, 49.

Pacific, 50.

Rodgers's, 50.

Slenaer-billed, 51.
Fulmarus.

glacialis, 48.

glacialis glupischa, 50.

glacialis minor, 49.

glacialis rodgersii, 50.

glacialoides, 51.

GADWALL, 79.
Galeoscoptes.

carolinensis, 464.
Gallinago.

delicata, 135.

gallinago, 135.
Gallinula.

galeata, 128.
Gallinule, Florida, 128.

Purple, 128.
Gannet, 62.
Gavia.

alba, 27.
Gelochelidon.

nilotica, 38.
Geococcyx.

californianus, 253.
Geothlypis.

agilis, 450.

beldingi, 452.

formosa, 449.

macgillivrayi, 451.

; hla. ttl.

n-i. luis Isnota, 461
tn.-h.is ... .•i.l.-ntnllB. 413.
poltoci jilialn ralphl, 453.
Geotrygon.

ilnlca, 190.
montana. 190.
Glaucidium.

gnoma. 247.

gnoma californicum. 243.
hOHklnsll. 243.
phalsenoides, 249.
Glaucionetta.

clangula americana, 88.
telandica, 88.

Gnatcatcher, Black-tailed. 496.
Blue-gray, 494.
Plumbeous, 496.
Western, 496.
Godwit, Black-tailed. 144.
Hudsonian, 143.
Marbled, 143.
Pacific, 143.
Golden-eye, American, 88.

Barrow's, 88.
Goldfinch, 364.

American, 361.
Arizona, 362.
Arkansas, 362.
Black-headed, 363.
Lawrence's, 363.
Mexican, 362.
Western, 362.

Goose, American White-fronted, 97
Barnacle, 101.
Bean, 97.
' Blue, 96.
Cackling, 100.
Canada, 98.
Emperor, 102.
Greater Snow, 96.
Hutchins's, 100.
Lesser Snow, 96.
Ross's Snow, 97.
White-cheeked, 100.
White-fronted, 97.
Goshawk, American, 205.
Mexican. 214.
Western, 206.
Grackle, Boat-tailed, 353.
Bronzed, 352.
Florida, 352.
Great-tailed, 352.
Purple, 351.
Grassqult, 406.

Melodius. 406.

Grebe, American Eared, 3.
Holboell's. 2.
Horned. 3.
Pied-billed, 4.
St. Domingo, 4.
Western. 1.

WDBX.

Green-shank. 144.

Grosbeak, Hlaok-heaflefl. 403.

403.
iiing, 353.

Rose-breasted. 403.
404.
ing. 353.

Grouse, Canada, 169.

lian Ruffed, 170.
Columbian Sharp-tailed, 177.
Dusky, 168.

kiln's. 169.
Gray Ruffed, 170.
Oregon Ruffed. 170.

-iiarp-talled. 178.
Richardson's, 169.
Ruffed, 169.
Sag*

Sharp-tailed, 177.
Sooty. 168.
Grus.

americana, 120.
canadensis, 121.
mexicana. I:1..
Guara.

alba, 107.
rubra, 108.

Guillemot, Black, 17.
Mandt's, IS.
Pigeon, 18.
Guir.<

caerulea, 403.
cierulea euryncha, 404.
Gull. American Herring. 32.
Bonaparte's, 36.
California, 33.
:. kiln's, 35.
Glaucous, 28.
Glaucous-winged, 29.

t Black-backed, 30.
:T\nK. 32.

matin's, 35.
Icelai
y, 27.

•M lien's, 30.
Laughing, 35.
Lilt:.

Nelson's, 30.

• rrow. 29.

hilled, 34.

H, 36.

Sablne'a. 37.
Short-billed, 34.

sn>

SI:. '

W(

i' on. 221.
Black. 221.
Gray. 221.
White. 220.

HABIA.

ludovician

melanocephala, 403.
Hsematopus.

bachmanl, 161.

frazari, 161.

ostralegus, 159.

palliatus, 160.
Halocyptena.

microsoma, 54.
Hallaeetus.

albicilla, 218.

leucocephalus, 218.
Harporhynchus.

bendirei, 465.

cinereus, 466.

clnereus mearnsl, 466.

crissalis, 468.

curvirostris, 465.

curvirostris palmeri, 465.

lecontei, 467.

longirostris sennettl, 464.

redlvivus, 46G.

rufus, 464.
Hawk, American Rough-legged, 216.

American Sparrow, 228.

Desert Sparrow, 230.

Broad-winged, 212.

Cooper's, 204.

Cuban Sparrow, 230.

Duck. 223.

Florida Red-shouldered. 210

Harlan's, 208.

Harris's, 206.

Krider's, 208.

Marsh, 201.

Mexican Black, 213.

Pigeon, 224.

Red-bellied. 210.

Red-shouldered, 209.

Red-tailed, 206.

Rough-legged, 215.

Sennett's White-tailed.

Sharp-shinned, 202.

Short-tailed. 213.

St. Lucas Sparrow, 230.

Swalnson's, 211.

Zone-tailed. 210.
Heleodytes tirunncicapilhis. 4»;s.

linnmrirajiilltis atlinis. •1(1,:t.

brumn icapillus bryant i.
Helinaia.

swainsonii, 428.
Helminthnphila.

l.arliin.mi, 429.

i • lat:i lutescens, 432.
celata sordida, 432.
chrysoptera, 430.
IuH;i\ 430.
peregrina, 432.
pinus, 429.
rulii-apilla, 431.

IMH:.\.

.x

Helminthophila, ruficapilla gutturalis, 431.
Virginias, 430.

Helmitherus.

vermivorus, 428.

Hen, Attwater's Prairie, 175.
Heath, 175.
Lesser Prairie, 177.
Prairie. 175.

Heron. Anthony's Green, 119.
Black-crowned Night, 119.
European Blue, 114.
Frazar's Green, 119.
Great Blue, 114.
Great White, 113.
Green, 118.
Little Blue, 118.
Louisiana, 118.
Snowy, 115.
Ward's, 113.
Yellow-crowned Night, 120.

Hesperocichla.
nsevia, 503.

'Heteractitis.

incana, 147.

Himantopus.

mexicanus, 132.

Histrionicus.

histrionicus, 90.

Hummingbird, Allen's, 294.

Anna's, 293.

Black-chinned, 292.

Blue-throated, 291.

Broa6"-billed, 296.

Broad-tailed, 293.

Buff-bellied, 295.

Calliope, 294.

Costa's, 292.

Floresi's, 293.

Rieffer's, 295.

Rivoli, 290.

Ruby-throated, 291.

Rufous, 293.

Violet-throated, 292.

White-eared, 296.

Xantus's, 296.
Hydrochelidon.

leucoptera, 44.

nigra surinamensis, 43.

IACHE.

latirostris, 296.

Ibis, Glossy, 109.
Scarlet, 108.
White, 107.

White-faced Glossy, 110
Wood, 110.

Icteria.

virens, 453.

virens longicauda, 454.

Icterus.

audubonil, 845.

bullockl, 350.

cucullatus. 346.

cucullatus nelsonl, 348.

galbula. 347.

Icterus. 345.

parisorum. 346.

spurius. 347.
Ictinia.

misslssippiensls, 199.
lonornls.

martinlca. 128.

JABIRU, 110.
Jacana.

spinosa, 161.
Jacana, Mexican, 161.
Jaeger, Parasitic, 25.

Pomarine, 25.

Long-tailed. 26.

Jay, Alaskan, 328.
Arizona, 327.
Belding's, 326.
Black-headed, 325.
Blue, 320.
Blue-eared, 326.
Blue-fronted. 324.
California, 326.
Canada, 328.
Florida, 325.
Florida Blue, 323.
Green, 327.
Labrador, 329.
Long-crested, 324.
Oregon. 330.
Pinon, 336.

Rocky Mountain, 328.
Santa Cruz, 326.
Steller's, 323.
Woodhouse's, 325.
Xantus's, 326.

Junco.

aikeni, 382.

annectens. 384.

bairdi, 385.

canicepr, 385.

pha?onotus dorsalis, 385.

phseonotus palliatus, 385.

hyemalls, 382.

hyemalis carollnensis, 384.

hyemalis oregonus, 382.

hyemalis pinosus. 384..

hyemalis shufeldti, 383.

hyemalis thurberi. 383.

insularis, 385.

ridgwayi. 384.

townsendi, 385.
Junco, Arizona, 385.

Baird's. 385.

Carolina, 384.

INDEX.

Junco. grray-headed, 386.
Guadalupe, 386.
Oregon. 3S2.
Pink-sided. 384.
Point Pinos, 384.
Red-backed. 386.
Ridgway's. 384.
Slate-colored. 382.
Shufeldfs. 383.
Thurber's. 383.
T..\vns, -mi's, 386.
White-winged, 382.

REL. 227.
Killdeer. 155.
Kinpblrd, 298.

Arkansas, 299.

Cassin's. 300.

Couch's. 299.

Gray. 298.
Kingfisher. Belted, 260.

Ringed. 260.

Texan. 260.

Dusky. 494.
Golden-crowned, 492.
Ruby-crowned, 493.

'• rn Golden-crowned, 493.

^lade, 201.
Mississippi, 199.
Swallow-tailed. 196.
Whi to-tailed. 198.
Klttiwako. 27.
Pacific. 28.

•1. 28.
Knot, 136.

LAGOPUS.

evermanni. 171.
lay. , pus. 171.
lagopus alleni. 172.
l.-ururus. 171.
rup.-stris. 173.
rupestris atkhensis, 173.

• Is. .ni, 173.

rup.-stris r.-inhardi, 173.
rup.-stris townsendi, 174.
i. 171.

bon

lii'l' 415.

luilovi'-ianus Kambi'll, 417.
lu<i< x.-ubil«.ri.|.

v Horned, 318.
Hoi

M. xi. Rfl M.irned, 317.
316.

K 1 1 < I < I y H « > r 1 1 • • 1 1 .

Scor. h«,l Horn..]. 318.

Sononi n ! !

Streai

Texan Horned. 317.

I. a r us.

f.fflni

:itatus, 32.
••Hiatus smithsonlanus, 32.

sitririll.-i. 35.

via mis, 29.

Iir;ichyrhynehu3, 34.

cachlnnan

californicus, 33.

canus, 34.

delawarensis, 34.

franklinii. 35.

glaucescens, 29.

glaucus, 28.

heermanni, 35.
Larus Philadelphia, 36.

kumlieni, 30.

leucopterus, 29.

marinus, 30.

minutus, 36.

nelsoni, 30.

occidentalis, 31.

Philadelphia, 36.

schistisagus, 31.

vegse, 33.
L,eptotila.

fulviventris brachyptera, 188.
Leucosticte.

atrata, 360.

australis, 360.

griseonucha, 358.

tephrocotis, 359.

tephrocotis littoralis, 360.
Leucosticte, Aleutian, 358.

Black, 360.

Brown-capped, 360.

Gray-crowned, 359.

Hepburn's, 360.
Liimosa.

fedoa. 143.

heemastica, 143.

lapponica baueri, 143.

limosa, 11'.
Limpkin, 1L1:.1.
Longspur, Chestnut-collared, 367.

Lapland, 366.

McCown's, 369.

Smith's, 367.
Loon

Black-throated, 7.

Pacific, 8.

Ki-<l-throated, 8.

v, -iiow-biii

Lophodytes.

cucullatus, 77.
Loxia,

CUT \ irostra minor, 357.

(in trlcklandl, 358.

leucoptera, 358.

Lurnla.

i-irrhata, 9.

136.
scolopaceu

INDEX.

Magpie, American, 319.

Yellow-billed, 320.
Mallard, 78.
Man-o'-War Bird, 74.
Mareca, 49.
Martin, Cuban, 409.

Purple, 409.

Western, 409.
Meadowlark, 343.

Mexican, 344.

Western, 344.
Megulestris.

skua, 24.
Megascops.

asio, 239.

aslo aikeni, 241.
Megascops asio maxwelliae, 240.

asio cineraceus, 240.

asio floridanus, 240.

asio kennicottii, 240

asio macfarlanei, 241.

asio maxwellise, 240.

asio trichopsis, 240.

flammeola, 241.

iflammeola idahoensis, 241.
Melanerpes, 164.

aurifrons, 276.

carolinus, 275.

erythrocephalus, 273.

formicivorus, 274.

formicivorus angustifrons, 275.

formicivorus bairdi, 274.

torquatus, 275.

uropyg-ialis, 276.
Meleagris.

gallopavo, 180.

gallopavo ellioti, 183.

gullopavo mexicana, 182.

gallopavo osceola, 183.
Melopelia.

leucoptera, 189.
Melospiza.

cinerea, 393.

fasciata, 390.

fasciata clementse, 392.

fasciata fallax, 390.

fasciata graminea, 392.

fasciata guttata, 391.

fasciata heermanni, 391.

fasciata juddi, 392.

fasciata montana, 391.

fasciata rivularis, 392.

fasciata rufina, 391.

fasciata samuelis, 391.

georgiana, 393.

insignis, 392.

lincolni, 393.

lincolni striata, 393.
Merganser.

americanus, 76.

serrator, 77.
Merganser, American, 76.

Hooded, 77.

Red-breasted, 77.

H8 nlbellug. 78.
Merlin, 225.

.:. 225.

Richardson's. 225.
Merula.

conflnls, 503.

migratoria, 502.

mltfratorla propinqua, 603.
Micropalama.

himantopus. 136.
Micropallas.

whitneyi, 249.
Milvulus.

forflcatua, 297.

tyrannus, 297.
Mimus.

polyglottos, 462.
Mniotilta.

varla, 426.
Mockingbird, 462.
Molothrus.

ater, 338.

ater obscurus, 339.
Motacilla.

alba, 458.

ocularis, 459.

Motmot, blue-crowned, 259.
Momotus coeruliceps. 259.
Murre, 18.

Brunnich's, 20.

California, 19.

Pallas's. 20.
Murrelet, Ancient, 16.

Craveri's. 17.

Kittlitz's, 17.

Marbled, 16.

Temmick's, 16.

Xantus's, 17.
Myadestes.

townsendii, 497.
Mycteria.

americana, 110.
Myiarchus.

cinerascens, 302.

cinerascens nuttingl, 303.

crinitus, 301.

lawrenco-ii, 303.

lawrenceii olivascens. 303.

mexicanus, 301.

mexicanus magister, 302.
Myiozetetes.

texensis, 300.
Myiodynastes.

luteiventris, 301.

NETTA.

ruflna, 86.
Nighthawk. 286.

Florida. 287.

Bennett's. 287.

Texan, 287.

Western, 286.

xii

INDEX.

Noddy. 44.
Nomonyx.

dominicus, 95.
Numenius arquatus.

bon-Hlis. ir.l.

hudsonicu.-

longir

phj»

tahitiensis, 152.
Nutcracker, Clarke's, 336.
Nuthatch, Brown-headed, 479.

Florida White-breasted, 479.

Pygmy. 480.

Red-breasted. 479.

Slender-billed, 479.

White-breasted, 478.

White-naped, 481.
Nyctala,

acadica, 238.

t.-iiKmalmi richardsoni, 238.
Nyctea.

nyctea, 244.
Nycticorax.

nycticorax naevius, 119.

violaceus, 120.
Nyctidromus.

albicollis merrllll, 285.

ANITES.
oceanicus, 58.
Oceanodroma.
furcata, 55.
homochroa, 57.
leucorhoa, 56.
macrodactyla, 56.

inia, 56.

socorroensis, 58.
Oidemia,

: icana, 93.
demand!. 94.

i, 94.

perspicillata, 95.
Old-squaw, 89.
Olor.

; i. -it or. 105.
columblanus, 104.
cyngus, 104.
• tyx.

plctus, 164.
pictus conflnis, 166.
plctus plumiferus, 165.
Oriole. Arizona Hooded, 346.

, 346.

more, 347.
I '.til lock's, 360.
>ded. 346.
:•,.•! rd. 347.
••tfa, 345.
Ornithion.

imberbe, 314.
imberbf i
Oroscoptes.

Ortalis.

a inaccali, 183.
Osprey, American, 231.
Ossifi

:, 48.

Otocoris.

alpestris, 315.

alpestris adusta, 318.

alpestris arrnieola, 317.

alpestris chrysolsema, 317.

alpestris giraudl, 317.

alpestris leucoljema. 316.

alpestris merrllli, 318.

alpestris pallida, 319.

alpestris pratlcola, 316.

alpestris rubea, 317.

alpestris strigata, 318.
Oven-bird, 447.
Owl, American Barn, 233.

Aiken's .Screech, 241.

American Hawk, 245.

American Long-eared, 234.

Arctic Horned, 243.

Barred, 235.

Burrowing, 246.

California 1'ygmy, 243.

California Screech. 240.

Dwarf Screech, 241.

Klf. L'l'.i.

Ferruginous Pygmy, 249.
Flammulated Screech, 241.
Florida Bam d, 236.
Florida Burrowing, 247.
Florida Screech, 240.
Great Gray, 237.
Great Horned, 1M1.
Hawk. 245.
Hoskins' Pygmy, 243.
Kennicott's Screech, 240.
Lapp

MacFarlane's Screech, 241.
Mexican Screech, 240.
Pacific Horned, 243.

Richardson's, 238.

Rocky Mountain Screech, 240.

Saw-whet, 238.

• <>ch, 239.
Short-eared, 235.
Snowy. 1M1.
Spotted. 236.
Texas Screech, 240.
Western Horned. 243.
Oyster-catcher, 159.
American, 160.
Black, ir.i.

Fra/.ar's. 161.

PANDION.

lialiartns carolinfiisi-
Parabuteo.

unicinctus harrisl, 206.
Parauque, Merrill's, 285.
Paroquet, Carolina, 250.

*,,.

Partridge, California, 166.

Chestnut-bellied Scaled, 166.

Gambel's, 167.

Massena, 167.

Mountain, 1C4.

Plumed, 165.

San Pedro, 165.

Scaled, 165.

Valley, 167.
Parus.

atricapillus, 483.

atricapillus occidentalis, 484.

atricapillus septentrionalis, 484.

atricristatus, 482.

bicolor, 481.

bicolor texensis, 482.

carolinensis, 484.

carolinensis agilis, 485.

cinctus obtectus, 486.

gambeli, 485.

hudsonicus, 486.

hudsonicus columbianus, 487.

hudsonicus stoneyi, 487.

inornatus, 482.

inornatus cineraceus, 483.

inornatus griseus, 483.

meridionalis, 485.

rufescens, 487.

rufescens neglectus, 487.

wollweberi. 483.
Passer domesticus, 365.

montanus, 365.
Passerella.

iliaca, 394.

iliaca mergarhyncha, 394.

iliaca schistacea, 394.

iliaca Stephens!, 395.

iliaca unalaschensis, 394.
Passerina.

amoena, 404.

ciris, 405.

cyanea, 404.

versicolor, 405.

versicolor pulchra, 405.
Pavoncella.

pugnax, 148.
Pediocaetes.

phasianellus, 177.

phasianellus campestris, 178.

phasianellus columbianus, 177.
Pelagodroma.

marina, 59.
Pelecanus.

californicus, 73.

erythrorhynchos, 70.

fuscus, 73.
Pelican, American White, 70.

Brown, 73.

California Brown, 73.
Perisoreus.

canadensis, 328.
canadensis capitalis, 328.
canadensis fumifrons, 328.
canadensis nigricapillus, 32*.
obscurus, 330.

Petr. I. Ashy, 57.

Black. 66.

Black-capped. 53.

r.ulwer's, 53.

Flaher'a. 53.

Fork-tailed, 56.

Ouadalupe, 66.

Leach's, 66.

Least, 64.

Pintado, 63.

Scaled, 63.

Socorro, 58.

Stormy, 64.

White-bellied, 58.

White-faced, 69.

Wilson's, 68.
Petrochelldon.

fulva, 410.

lunifrons, 410.
Peucsea.

sestlvalls, 387.

sestivalis bachmaull, 887.

arizonoe, 388.

carpalis, 388.

cassini, 388.

mexicana, 388.

ruficeps, 389.

ruficeps boucardl, 389.

ruficeps eremceca, 389.
Peucedramus, 274.
Pewee, Large-billed Wood, 308.

Western Wood, 307.

Wood, 307.
Phaethon.

sethereus, 59.

flavirostris, 59.
Phainopepla, 415.

nitens, 415.
Phalacrocorax.

carbo, 64.

dilophus, 65.

dilophus albocillatus, 67.

dilophus cincinatus, 66.

dilophus floridanus, 66.

mexicanus, 68.

pelagicus, 69.

pelagicus resplendens, 69.

pelagicus robustus, 69.

penicillatus, 68.

urile. 70.
Phalaenoptilus.

nuttallii. 284.

nuttallii californicus. 286.

nuttallii nitidus. 286.
Phalarope, Northern. 131.

Red, 130.

Wilson's, 131.
Phalaropus.

lobatus, 131.

tricolor, 131.
Phasianus colchlcus, 17».

torquatus, 179.
Pheasant, 179.

Ring-necked. 179.

xiv

INDEX.

canagrfe*. ML
Philohela.

minor, 134.
Phoebe, 303.

k, 305.
I, 305.
Phcebetrla.

fuligrinosa, 47.
Phoelcopterus.
ruber, 105.
Phyllopseustes.

borealis, 491.
Pica.

nuttalli, 320.
pica hudsonica, 319.
Picoides.

americanus, 268.
americanus alascensis, 268.
americanus dorsalis, 268.
arcticus. 268.
Picicorvus.

columbianus. 335.
Pig-eon, Band-tailed, 184.
Passenger, 185.
Red-billed, 184.
Viosca's. 184.
White-crowned, 185.
Pinicola.

enucleator, 354.
il, 83.
Pipilo.

alberti, 399.
chlorurus, 398.
consobrinus, 398.

throphthalmus, 395.
erythrophthalmus alleni, 396.
fuscus albig-ula, 398.
fuscus crissalis, 398.
fuscus mesoleucus, 398.

is senicula, 399.
maculatus arcticus, 396.

' -it us megralony >
maculatus Dreg-onus, 397.
Pipit. American, 460.
Meadow, 460.
i -throated, 460.

Mga.

hromelas. 408.

408.

ludoviciana, 407.
rut.ra. 408.
rul.r 409.

rubrlcepa, 407.

:anus, 300.

albiv

•us.
impennis. 21.

Plectrophenax.

hyperboreus, 366.
nivalls. 366.

nivalis townsendi, 366.
Plegadis.

autumnalis, 109.
gruarauna. 110.

Plover, American Golden, 154.
Belted Piping-,
Black-bellied, 154.
Golden, 154.
Little Ring, 156.
Mongolian, 157.
Mountain, 158.
Pacific Golden, IK.
Piping, 156.
Ring, 155.

Semipalmated, if,:,.
Snowy, 157.
Snowy, 157.
Wilson's, 157.
Podilymbus.

podiceps. 4.
Polioptila.

cserulea, 494.
cserulea obscura, 496.
californica, 496.
plumbea, 496.
Polyborus.

cheriway, 230.
lutosus, 231.
Poocaetes.

. gramineus, 369.
gramineus afflnis; 369.
gramineus confinis, 369.
Poor-will, 284.
Dusky, 285.
Frosted, 285.
Pomna,

Carolina, 125.
coturniculus, 127.
jamaicensis, 127.
noveboracensi.s.
porzana, 125.

Procellarla.

pelaglca, 54.
Progne.

cryptoleuca, 409.

subis, 409.

subls hesperia, 409.
Protonotari.i.

' -iirfa, 427.

Pultriparu*

lloydi. 490.

minimus, 488.

minimus californictis, 488.

minimus Krlml..

plumbeus, 488.

Pseudogryphus.

'•.'ilifnrni.-inus, mi.

lean, AM. D

Nel;

Ptarmigan, Reinhardt's, 17::.

Rock, 173.

Townsend's, 174.

Turner's, 174.

Welch's, 174.

White-tailed, 174.

Willow, 171.
Ptychoramphus.

aleuticus, 13.
Puffin, 11.

Horned, 11.

Large-billed, 11.

Tufted, 9.
Puffinus.

auduboni, 51.

borealis, 51.

cinereus, 52.

creatopus, 51.

gavia, 52.

griseus, 52.

kuhlii, 52.

major, 51.

puffinus, 51.

stricklandi, 52.

tenuirostris, 52.
Pyrocephalus.

rubineus mexicanus, 314.
Pyrrhula.

cassini, 354.
Pyrrhuloxia.

sinuata, 401.

sinuata beckhami, 402.

sinuata peninsulse, 402.
Pyrrhuloxia, Arizona, 402.

Saint Lucas, 402.

QUAIL, European, 163.
Quail-Dove, Blue-headed, 191.

Key West, 190.

Ruddy, 190.
Quiscalus.

macrourus, 352.

major, 353.

quiscula, 351.

quiscula eeneus, 352.

quiscula aglaeus, 352.

RAIL, Belding's, 123.

Black, 127.

California Clapper, 124.

Caribbean Clapper, 125.

Clapper, 124.

Farallone, 127.

Florida Clapper, 125.

King, 123.

Louisiana Clapper, 124.

Virginia, 125.

Yellow, 126.
Rallus,

beldingi, 123.

elegans, 123.

crepitans, 124.

crepitans saturatus, 124.

longirostris caribeeus, 125.

Kalhi-. ol)M

virglnlam;

U !,:•
Recur

Redhead, 86.
Redpoll. 360.

Greenlan.i

Gr«

Hoary, 360.

Holboll'a,
Redstart. »56.

PaJnted.

Red-bellied. 457.
Red-tall, St. Lucas, 208.

Western, 208.
Red-winr Bahama, 343.

Florida, 343.

Sonoran, 342.
Regulus.

calendula

obscurus. I'M

satrapa, 492.

satrapa olivaceus, 493.
Rhodostethia.

rosea, 36.
Rynchophanes.

mccownii, 369.
Rissa.

brevirostris, 28.

tridactyla, 27.

tridactyla pollicaris, 28.
Road-runner, 253.
Robin, American, 502.

St. Lucas, 503.

Western, 503.
Rostrhamus.

sociabilis, 201.

Rough-leg, Ferruginous. L'K,.
Ruff, 148.
Rynchops.

nigra, 44.

SALPINCTES.

guadeloupensis, 469.

obsoletus, 469.
Sanderling, 142.
Sandpiper, Aleutian, 137.

Baird's, 139.

Bartramian, 149.

Buff-breasted, 149.

Curlew, 141.

Gre^n. 1 M.

Least, 139.

Pectoral, 138.

Pribilof. 137.

Purple. 137.

Red-backed. 140.

Semipalmated, 141.

Sharp-tailed. 138.

XVI

INDEX.

Sandpiper, Solitary, 145.

Spoon-bill, 141.

Spotted, 150.

Stilt, 136.

Western, 142.

Western Solitary, 146.

White-rumped, 139.
Sapsucker, Red-breasted, 271.

Red-naped, 270.

Williamson's, 272.

Yellow-bellied, 269.
Saxicola.

cenanthe, 504.
Sayornis.

nigricans, 305.

phoebe, 303.

say a, 305.
Scardafella.

inca, 190.
Scolecophagus.

carolinus, 350.

cyanocephalus, 350.
Scolopax.

rusticola, 133.
Scoter, American, 93.

Surf, 95.

Velvet, 94.

White-winged. 94.
Scotiaptex.

cinerea, 237.

cinerea lapponica, 237.
Seed-eater, Sharpe's, 405.
Seiurus.

aurocapillus, 447.

motacilla, 449.

noveboracensis, 448.

noveboracensis notabilis, 448.
Selasphorus.

alleni, 294.

floresii, 293.

platycercus, 293.

rufus. 293.
Setophaga.

miniata, 457.

picta, 457.

rutlcilla, 456.
Shearwater. Audubon's. 51.

Black-tailed. 62.

Black-vented, 62.

Cinereous, 62.

Cory's, 51.

Dark-bodied, 62.

Greater, 51.

Manx, 51.

Pink-footed, 51.

Slender-billed, 62.

Sooty, c>2.

Sheldrake, Ruddy, 82.
Shoveller, 82.
Shrike, California, 417.

Loggerhead, 415.

Northern, 415.

White-rumped. 416.

Sialia.

arctica, 506.

mexicana anabeloe, 506.

mexicana bairdi. 505.

mexicana, occidentalis, 505.

sialis, 505.

sialis azurea, 505.
Simorhynchus.

cristatellus, 14.

pusillus, 16.

pygmseus, 15.
Siskin, Pine, 363.
Sitta.

canadensis, 479.

carolinensis, 478.

carolinensis aculeata. 479.

carolinensis atkinsi, 479.

pusilla, 479.

pygmsea, 480.

pygmcea leuconucha, 481.
Skimmer, Black 44.
Skua, 24.
Skylark, 314.
Smew, 78.
Snipe, European, 135.

Wilson's, 135.
Snowflake, 366.

McKay's, 366.

Pribilof, 366.

Solitaire, Townsend's, 497.
Somateria.

dresseri, 92.

mollissima borealis, 91.

spectabilis, 93.

v-nigra, 93.
Sora, 125.
Sparrow, Acadian Sharp-tailed, 374.

Aleutian Song, 393.

Arizona, 388.

Bachman's, 387.

Baird's, 371.

Belding's Marsh, 370.

Bell's, 386.

Bischoff's Song, 392.

Black-chinned, 382.

Black-throated, 386.

Boucard's, 389.

Brewer's, 380.

Brown's Song. ?>92.

Bryant's Marsh, 370.

('ass hi's, MSS.

Chipping, 379.

Clay-colored, 380.

Dakota Song, 392.

Desert Song, 390.

Dusky Seaside, 375.

European House, 365.

European Tree, 365.

Field, 381.

Forbush's, 393.

Fox, 394.

<3«mbel's, 378.

Golden-crowned, 379.

Grasshopper, 371.

INDEX.

xvii

Sparrow, Gray Sage, 887.

Harris's, 376.

Heermann's, 391.

Henslow's, 372.

Intermediate, 378.

Ipswich, 369.

Large-billed, 371.

Lark, 375.

Leconte's, 373.

Lincoln's, 393.

Louisiana Seaside, 375.

Mexican, 388.

Merrill's Song-, 392.

Mountain Song, 391.

Nelson's, 374.

Oregon Vesper, 369.

Pine-woods, 387.

Hock, 389.

Rufous-crowned, 389.

Rufous-winged, 388.

Rusty Song, 391.

Sage, 386.

Samuels's Song, 391.

San Benito, 371.

San Clemente Song, 392.

Sandwich, 369.

Santa Barbara Song, 392.

Savanna, 369.

Scott's Seaside, 374.

Seaside, 374.

Sharp-tailed, 373.

Slate-colored, 394.

Song, 390.

Sooty Song, 391.

Stephens's, 395.

St. Lucas, 371. .

Swamp, 393.

Texas, 395.

Texas Seaside, 375.

Thick-billed, 394.

Townsend's, 394.

Tree, 379.

Vesper, 369.

Western Chipping, 380.

Western Field, 382.

Western Grasshopper, 372.

Western Henslow's, 373.

Western Lark, 376.

Western Savanna, 370.

Western Tree, 379.

Western Vesper, 369.

White-crowned, 378.

White-throated, 379.

Worthen's, 382.
Spatula.

clypeata, 82.
Speotyto.

cunicularia floridana, 247V

cunicularia hypogsea, 246.
Sphyrapicus.

ruber, 271.

thyroideus, 272.

varius, 269.

varius nuchalis, 270.

Spinus.

lawrciicci, 363.

notatus, 363.

pin us, 363.

psaltria, 362.

psaltria ari/.on;<

psaltria mexicanus, 362.

tristis, 361.

tristis pallidus, 362.

monticola ochracea, 379.
Spiza.

americana, 406.
Spizella.

atrigularis, 382.

breweri, 380.

monticola, 379.

pallida, 380.

pusilla, 381.

pusilla arenacea, 382.

socialis, 379.

socialis arizonse. 380.

wortheni, 382.
Spoonbill, Roseate, 107.
Sporophila.

morelleti sharpel, 405.
Starling, 337.
Starnoanas.

cyanocephala, 191.
Stelgidopteryx.

serripennis, 413.
Stellula.

calliope, 294.
Stercorarius.

longicaudus, 26.

parasiticus, 25.

pomarinus, 25.
Sterna.

aleutica, 42.

aneethetus, 43.

antillarum, 42.

dougalli, 41.

elegans, 40.

forsteri, 40.

fuliginosa, 42.

hirundo, 41.

maxima, 39. .

paradisaea, 41.

sandvicensis acuflavida, 40.

trudeaui, 40.

tschegrava, 38.
Stilt, Black-necked. 132.
Stint, Long-toed, 140.

Strix.

pratincola, 233.

Sturnella.

magria, 343.

magna mexi< an*. .'!U.

magna neglecta. 344.

Sturnus.

vulgaris, 337.

xviii

INDEX.

Bate.

bassana, 62.

brewsteri, 61.

cyanops, 60.

gossl, 61.

piscator, 62.

sula, 61.
Surnla.

ulula. 245.

ulula caparoch. 245.
Swallow, Bahaman, 412.

Bank, 413.

Barn, 411.

Cliff, 410.

Cuban Cliff, 410.

Rough-winged, 413.

Tree, 411.

Violet-green, 412.
Swan. Trumpeter, 105.

Whistling, 104.

Whooping, 104.
Swift. Black, 287.

Chimney, 288.

Vaux's, 290.

White-throated. 290.
Sylvania.

canadensis, 456.

mitrata, 454.

pusilla, 455.

misilla pileolata, 456.
Symphemia.

semipalmata, 147.

semipalmata inornata, 147.
Synthliboramphus.

antlquus, 16.

wumizusume, 16.
Syrnium.

nebulosum, 235.

nebulosum alleni, 236.

occidentale, 236.

TACHYCINETA.

blcolor, 411.

thalassina, 412.
Tanager, Cooper's, 409.

Gray's, 407.

H.patlc. 408.

Louisiana, 407.

Scarlet, 408.

Summer, 408.
Tantalus.

loculator, 110.
Tatler. Wandering, 147.
Teal, Blue-winged, 81.

Cinnamon, 81.

European, 80.

Green-winged. 81.
Tern, Aleutian, 42.

Arctic. 41.

Black, 43.

Bridled, 43.

Tern, Cabot's, 40.

Caspian, 38.

Common, 41.

Elegant, 40.

Forster's, 40.

Gull-billed, 38.

Least, 42.

Roseate, 41.

Royal, 39.

Sooty, 42.

Trudeau's, 40.

White-winged Black, 44.
Thalassogeron.

culminatus, 47.
Thrasaetos.

harpyia, 218.
Thrasher, Bendire's, 465.

Brown, 464.

California, 466.

Crissal, 468.

Curve-billed, 465.

Leconte's, 467.

Mearns's, 466.

Palmer's, 465.

Sage, 462.

St. Lucas, 466.

Bennett's, 464.
Thrush, Audubon's Hermit, 501.

Bicknell's, 499.

Dwarf Hermit, 501.

Gray-cheeked, 499.

Hermit, 501.

Olive-backed, 500.

Red-winged, 502.

Russet-backed, 499.

Varied, 503.

Willow, 498.

Wilson's, 498.

Wood. 498.
Thryothorus.

bewickii, 472.

bewickii bairdi, 472.

bewickii spilurus, 472.

brevicauda, 473.

leucophrys, 473.

ludovicianus, 471.
• ludovicianus lomitensis, 472.

ludovicianus miamensis, 471.
Titmouse, Ashy, 483.

Black-crested, 482.

Bridled, 483.

Gray, 483.

Plain, 482.

Texas Tufted, 482.

Tufted, 481.
Totanus.

flavipes, 145.

melanoleucus, 144.

nebularius, 144.

ochropus, 146.

solitarius, 145.

solitarius cinnamomeus 146.

INDEX.

Towhee, 395.

Abert's, 399.
Anthony's, 399.
Arctic, 396.
California, 398.
Canon, 398.
Green-tailed, 398.
Guadalupe, 398.
Oregon, 397.
Saint Lucas, 398.
Spurred, 397.
White-eyed, 396.

Tree-duck, Black-bellied, 103.
Fulvous, 103.

Tringa.

acuminata, 138.
alpina, 140.
alpina pacifica, 140.
bairdii, 139.
canutus, 136.
couesi, 137.
damacensis, 140.
ferruginea, 141.
fuscicollis, 139.
maculata, 138.
maritima, 137.
minutilla, 139.
ptilocnemis, 137.

Trochilus.

alexandri, 292.

colubris, 291.

violajugulum, 292.
Troglodytes.

aedon, 473.

aedon aztecus, 474.

aedon parkmanii, 473.

alascensis, 475.

hiemalis, 474.

hiemalis pacificus, 475.
Trogon.

ambiguus, 257.

Coppery-tailed, 267.
Troupial, 345.
Tryngites.

subruficollis. 149.
Turdus.

aliciae, 499.

alicise bicknelli, 499.

aonalaschkae, 501.

aonalaschkae auduboni, 501.

aonalaschkse pallasi, 501.

fuscescens, 498.

fuscescens salicicolus, 496.

iliacus, 502.

mustelinus, 498.

ustulatus, 499.

ustulatus swainsoni, 500.
Turkey, Florida Wild, 183.

Mexican, 182.

Rio Grande Wild, 183.

Wild, 180.

Turnstone.

Black, 159.
Tympanuchus.

americanus, 175.

americanus attwateri, 175.

cupido, 175.

pallidicinctus, 177.
Tyrannus.

dominicensis, 298.

melancholicus couchii, 299.

tyrannus, 298.

verticalis, 299.

vociferans, 300.

URIA.

lomvia, 20.

lomvia arra, 20.

troile, 18.

troile californica, 19.
Urinator.

adamsii, 7.

arcticus, 7.

imber, 6.

lumme, 8.

pacificus, 8.
Urubitlnga.

anthracina, 213.

VANELLUS.

vanellus, 152.
Verdin, 491.
Vireo.

atricapillus, 422.

bellii, 425.

bellii pusillus, 425.

calidris barbatulus, 418.

flavifrons, 420.

flavoviridls, 419.

gilvus, 419.

huttoni, 423.

huttoni obscurus, 424.

huttoni stephensi, 424.

noveboracensis, 423.

noveboracensis maynardi. 423.

olivaceus, 418.

philadelphicus, 419.

solitarius alticola, 421.

solitarius cassinii, 420.

solitarius lucasanus, 422.

solitarius plumbeus, 421.

vicinior. 425.
Vireo, Anthony's, 424.

Bell's, 425.

Black-capped, 422.

Black-whiskered, 418.

Blue-headed, 420.

Cassin's, 420.

Gray, 425.

Hutton's, 423.

Key West, 423.

Least, 425.

Mountain Solitary, 421.

Philadelphia, 419.

Plumbeous, 421.

XX

INDEX.

Vireo, Red-eyed, 418.

St. Lucas Solitary, 422.

Stephens's, 424.

Warbling, 419.

White-eyed, 423.

Yellow-green, 419.

Yellow-throated, 420.
Vulture, Black, 195.

California, 191.

Turkey, 194.

WAGTAIL, Siberian Yellow, 459.

Swinhoe's, 459.

White, 458.
Warbler, Alaskan Yellow, 436.

Audubon's, 438.

Bachman's, 429.

Bay-breasted, 441.

Bell's, 458.

Black and White, 426.

Blackburnian, 441.

Black-throated Blue, 436.

Black-throated Gray, 443.

Black-throated Green, 444.

Blue-winged, 429.

Brasher' s, 458.

Cairn's, 431.

Calaveras, 431.

Canadian, 456.

Cape May, 435.

Cerulean, 439.

Chestnut-sided, 440.

Connecticut, 450.

Dusky, 432.

Golden-cheeked, 443.

Golden-winged, 430.

Grace's, 443.

Hermit, 444.

Hooded, 454.

Kennicott's Willow, 491.

Kentucky, 449.

Kirtland's, 445.

Lucy's, 430.

Lutescent, 432.

Macglllivray's, 451.

Magnolia, 439.

Mangrove, 436.

Mourning, 451.

Myrtle, 437.

Nashville, 431.

Northern Parula, 483.

Olive, 436.

Orange-crowned, 432.

Palm, 446.

Parula, 432.

Pileolated, 455.

Pine, 446.

Prairie, 447.

Prothonotary, 427.

Red, 458.

Red-faced, 457.

Sennett's, 435.

Sonora Yellow, 436.

Warbler, Swainson's, 428.

Sycamore, 442.

Tennessee, 432.

Townsend's, 444.

Virginia's, 430.

Wilson's, 455.

Worm-eating, 428.

Yellow, 436.

Yellow Palm, 447.

Yellow-throated, 442.
Water-Thrush, 448.

Grinnell's, 448.

Louisiana, 449.
Waxwing, Bohemian, 413.

Cedar, 413.
Wheatear, 504.
Whimbrel, 152.
Whip-poor-will, 283.

Stephens's. 183.
Widgeon, 80.
Willet, 147.

Western, 147.
Woodcock, American, 134.

European, 133.
Woodpecker, Alaskan Three-totffl,

Alpine Three-toed, 268.

American Three-toed, 268.

Ant-eating, 274.

Arctic Three-toed, 268.

Arizona, 267.

Batchelder's, 264.

Cabanis's, 263.

Californian, 274.

Downy, 264.

Gairdner's, 264.

Gila, 276.

Golden-fronted, 276.

Hairy, 262.

Harris's, 263.

Ivory-billed, 261.

Lewis's, 275.

Narrow-fronted, 275.

Nelson's Downy, 264.

Northern Hairy, 263.

Nuttall's, 265.

Pileated, 272.

Red-bellied, 275.

Red-cockaded, 264.

Red-headed, 273.

Saint Lucas, 265.

Southern Hairy, 263.

Downy, 263.

Texan, 265.

White-headed, 267.
Wren, Alaskan, 475.

Baird's, 472.

Bewick's, 472.

Bryant's Cactus, 468.

Cactus, 468.

Canon, 470.

Carolina, 471.

Dotted Canon, 471.

Florida. 471.

INDEX.

xxi

Wren, Guadalupe, 473.

Guadalupe Rock, 469.

House, 473.

Lomita, 472.

Long-billed Marsh, 476.

Marian's Marsh, 477.

Parkman's, 473.

Rock, 469.

St. Lucas Cactus, 469.

San Clemente, 473.

Short-billed Marsh, 475.

Tule, 476.

Vigors's, 472.

Western House, 474.

Western Winter, 475.

White-throated, 470.

Winter, 474.

Worthingrton's Marsh, 476.
Wren-Tit, 487.

Pallid, 488.

XANTHOCEPHALUS.

xanthocephalus, 340.
Xanthoura.

luxuosa, 327.

Xema.

sabinii, 37.
Xenopicus.

albolarvatus, 267.

YELLOW-LEGS, 145.

Greater. 144.
Yellow-throat, Beldfng's, 452.

Florida, 452.

Maryland, 451.

Rio Grande, 453.

Western, 452.

ZBNAIDA.

zenaida, 188.
Zenaidura.

macroura, 187.
Zonotrichia.

albicollis, 379.

coronata, 379.

leucophrys, 378.

leucophrys gambeli, 378.

leucophrys intermedia, 378.

querula, 376.

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