150 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



method employed in the transportation. It has been definitely 

 proved that the bird takes them in the mouth. Audubon (1840) 

 describes it so well that his account is given herewith : 



When the Chuck-wills- widow, either male or female (for each sits alter- 

 nately) has discovered that the eggs have been touched, it ruffles its feathers 

 and appears extremely dejected for a minute or two, after which it emits a 

 low murmuring cry, scarcely audible at a distance of more than eighteen or 

 twenty yards. At this time the other parent reaches the spot, flying so low 

 over the ground that I thought its little feet must have touched it, as it 

 skimmed along, and after a few low notes and some gesticulations, all indica- 

 tive of great distress, takes an egg in its large mouth, the other bird doing 

 the same, when they would fly off together, skimming closely over the ground, 

 until they disapi)eared among the branches and trees. But to what distance 

 they remove the eggs, I have never been able to ascertain ; nor have I ever 

 had an opportunity of witnessing the removal of the young. Should a person, 

 coming upon the nest when the bird is sitting, refrain from touching the eggs, 

 the bird returns to them and sits as before. This fact I have also ascertained 

 by observations. 



The first "apparent" recorded instance of the occurrence and nest- 

 ing of the chuck in Ohio is recorded by E. S. Thomas (1932) and dated 

 May 14, 1932. On May 21, 1932, the nest and two eggs were found 

 and the female, with two eggs, was collected for the Ohio State 

 Museum, 



My earliest nesting record for South Carolina was made on April 

 13, this being nearly two weeks in advance of the next nearest date. 

 The eggs are laid somewhat sooner than usual in forward seasons, 

 the above record being an illustration of such an instance. 



Eggs. — [Author's note : The chuck- will's- widow regularly lays two 

 eggs, which are between oval and elliptical-oval and usually mod- 

 erately glossy. Major Bendire (1895) considered these eggs as 

 "among the handsomest found in the United States." I cannot do 

 better than to quote his description of them, as follows : 



The ground color of these eggs is of such a subtle tint that it is almost im- 

 possible to describe it accurately ; it varies from a rich cream, with a faint 

 pinkish suffusion, to a pale cream, and more rarely to pure white. They are in 

 most cases more or less profusely blotched, marbled, and spotted with different 

 shades of brown, tawny, fawn, and Isabel-color, underlaid and mixed with 

 lighter shades of ecru drab, lavender, pearl gray, and pale heliotrope purple. 

 In an occasional specimen some of the markings take the shape of irregular 

 lines and tracings, like those of the Grackles ; in others they are fine and minute, 

 obscuring the ground color to some extent. In some specimens the darker 

 shades predominate ; in others, the lighter ; in fact, there is an endless varia- 

 tion in the style of markings, but in the entire series there is not a single 

 specimen which is not perceptibly marked. 



The measurements of 54 eggs average 35.56 by 25.57 millimeters; 

 the eggs showing the four extremes measure 40 by 27.5, 38.1 by 28.2, 

 32.9 by 25.1, and 36.2 by 23.1 millimeters]. 



