of the United States of America. 67 



contained one egg of a pure white, without any spot or mark- 

 ing whatever. The next day the indigo bird laid another egg. 

 In the night there was a thunder-storm, with violent rain. On 

 examining the nest, in the morning of the 18th, I found it 

 removed from its upright position, and nearly broken loose 

 from the shoots to which it was attached. The two eggs were 

 lying nearly out of the cavity of the nest ; and on the ground 

 there was a cow bunting's egg, broken. It was evident that 

 the cow bunting had anticipated the indigo bird, by taking 

 possession of the premises, before the rightful owner was pre- 

 pared to lay her third egg. The weight of the cow bunting, 

 together with the moisture which the nest had imbibed from 

 the rain, occasioned the accident. The nest was replaced in 

 its former position, and secured by strings, but the owner 

 abandoned it. 



Small birds generally lay very early in the morning ; hence 

 he who would wish to observe them in the act of dropping 

 their eggs must rise betimes. Of this fact Wilson was aware ; 

 he, consequently, was in the habit of commencing his researches 

 at the break of day. His detection of a cow bird in the nest 

 of a red-eyed flycatcher was the result of his early vigilance. 



As I have noted the colour of the indigo bird's egg, found 

 in the nest above mentioned, it seems proper to speak of a 

 curious circumstance, which, it appears, is unknown to our 

 ornithologists. The egg of the indigo bird is sometimes of a 

 pure white, of a bluish white, of a pale blue, without any 

 spot or marking whatever ; and, again, we find it marked either 

 as Wilson describes it, " with a blotch of purple at the great 

 end," or with pale ferruginous spots. The egg of the Ame- 

 rican goldfinch is subject to nearly similar variations ; for it is 

 found of a dull white, and of a bluish white, without any 

 spots ; and sometimes, as Wilson has it, " thickly marked at 

 the greater end." 



Mr. Nuttall, presuming that his knowledge of our birds 

 was superior to that of the author of the American Ornithology -, 

 corrects, in the most emphatical manner, Wilson's supposed 

 error in regard to the spots on the egg of the goldfinch ; and 

 adds, that his " description was taken from eight nests, which 

 were all made towards the close of summer, chiefly in the 

 Botanic Garden at Cambridge." Wilson, in common with 

 all naturalists, was liable to error, when he trusted to inform- 

 ation derived from others ; but when he had had the chance 

 of an autoptical examination, his descriptions are entitled to 

 the fullest confidence. Had Mr. Nuttall known this, he might 

 not only have spared his significant rebuke about the spots ; 

 it might also have occurred to him, that the nest of the 



