North American Birds Eggs. 333 



[764]. Red-spotted Bluethroat. ('udiircula sturicd. 



Range. — .Northern Asia: casually to Alaska. 



This beautiful fmeigner nests on the ground and lays four to six greenish blue 

 eggs, spotted with reddish brown; size .75 x .50. 



765. Wheater. Sd.ricola (indnthc. 



Kange.— Asia; casual in Alaska in summer; nesting habits and eggs like the 





765a. Greenland Wheater. .S'. <i'. leucorhoa. 



Range.— Europe antl Greenland; casual on the Atlantic coast 

 of North America. 



This very al)undant Old World species is a common breed- 

 ing bird in Greenland and probably also in Labrador. They 

 nest in crevices of quarries, holes in the ground, or stone 

 walls, making a rude nest of weeds, moss or grasses, lined 

 with hair or feathers, and during May lay from four tosixpale fl'"l<!^rc(iii,shblue.] 

 greenish blue eggs; size .90 x .60. 



7 66. Bluebird. Sialia siaJis. 



Range.— Eastern United States, breeding from the Gulf to southern Canada. 

 Winters in the southern half of the Ignited States. 



These familiar birds build in cavities in trees, usually below 



^ 20 feet from the ground, crevices among ledges, bird boxes 



^k anil in any suitable nook they may discover about buildings, 



^^L provitling that English Sparrows do not molest them. They 



^^Hh||^^^^ raise several broods a year, commencing in April when they 



^^^t^f^ lay from three to six pale bluish white eggs (rarely pure 



[Bluish white.] ^vhite); size .SO x .60. The cavities of their nesting sites are 



lined with grasses and feathers usually, although I have 



found the eggs on the unlined bottom of cavities in trees. 



766a. Azure Bluebird. S. s. azurea. 



Range. — This pale variety is found in southern Arizona and southward. 



Its nesting habits are the same and the eggs are indistinguishable from the 

 last. 



7 67. Western Bluebird. Sialia mexicana occidcntaUs. 



Range.— Pacific coast from Lower California to British Columbia. 

 The Western Bluebird is as common and familar in its range as the common 

 Bluebird is in the east. It nests in similar locations and its eggs are scarcely 

 distinguishal)le, although averaging a trifle darker in shade; size .80 x .60. 



767a. Chestnut-backed Bluebird. S. m. bainU. 



Range. — Rocky Mountain region from ^Mexico to Wyoming. 



The nesting habits or eggs of this brighter colored bird do not differ from 

 those of the last species. 



767b. San Pedro Bluebird. iS'. m. anabelce. 

 Range. — San Pedro Martir Mountains in Lower California. 

 The eggs of this variety will not in all probability be any different from those 



of the preceding P>luel>irds. 



768. Mountain Bluebird. Sialia arctica. 



Range.— Rocky Mountain region, breeding from New Mexico north to Great 

 Slave Lake; winters in southwestern United States and Mexico. 



This azure blue species is common in the greater part of its range and is found 

 west to the Sierra Nevadas in California. Like the eastern Bluebird they nest 

 in holes in trees or anywhere that they can find a suitable cavity or crevice. 

 Their eggs are slightly larger than those of the other Bluebirds and have a slight 

 greenish tint; size .85 x .64. 



