THE OOLOGIST 



51 



asrauch as the eggs greatly exceed the 

 average length, while the width falls 

 far below it. Their shape is much 

 like Cormorants' eggs. They were col- 

 lected by the writer on March 27, 

 1898 and are well marked specimens. 

 Size, 2.47 x 1.74 and 2.74 x 1.75 inches; 

 the last being clearly an abnormal spe- 

 cimen. 



One can barely appreciate the great 

 departure from normal characteristics 

 by merely seeing the size of these 

 eggs in writing. They must be viewed 

 among the normal sets to appreciate 

 the difference. 



In my series are five specimens 

 measuring over two inches in short 

 axis, — one reaching 2.05 inches, which 

 is nearly as broad as the length of the 

 small eggs. 



During the past twenty-five years I 

 have measured and kept careful rec- 

 ord of 223 normal eggs (97 sets) of 

 this Buteo. This ought to be a good 

 criterion for average measurement, 

 which is 2.34 x 1.86 inches. Allowing 

 a range of .40 inch for the length of 

 normal specimens would make the 

 minimum exhibit 2.14 and the maxi- 

 mum 2.54 inches; and a range of .30 

 inch for the width, would give a nor- 

 mal average measurement of from 1.71 

 to 2.01 inches. Beyond these maxi- 

 mum and minimum figures should be 

 considered abnormally large or small 

 as the case may be. 



Of the 223 eggs measured, only thir- 

 teen were less than 2.18 inches and 

 eleven over 2.50 inches in length. 

 Eleven were less than 1.75 and eight 

 over 1.95 inches in short diameter. 



Two of the 97 sets contained four 

 eggs each, and thirty-two sets con- 

 tained three eggs each. All others, 

 with two or three exceptions, contain- 

 ed two eggs each, or at the ratio of 

 about two sets of two eggs to one of 

 three or four eggs, the latter number 

 rarely deposited. 



J. WARREX .JACOBS. 



News Notes. 



An adult male Baird's Sandpiper 

 (Actodromas bairdii) was taken Sep- 

 tember 27, 1909 by E. W. Campbell at 

 Pittston, Pennsylvania. 



The well known scientist, Professor 

 W. Otto Emerson is now engaged in 

 setting up the bird collection in the 

 new Oakland Public Museum. 



A Brunnich's Murre (Uria lomvia 

 arra) was shot December 4th by Mr. 

 Art Davis Parsonage at Pittston, 

 Pennsylvania. It is now in the col- 

 lection of Mr. Fred Humphreys, and 

 is a fine adult male bird. 



We have a number of splendid arti- 

 cles for future issues of THE OOLO- 

 GIST, among others an illustrated one 

 on Europe birds from our friend, P. 

 G. Howes, who is now traveling in 

 Europe. 



C. B. Vandercook of Odin, Illinois, 

 certainly has the record for an early 

 nest of the Mourning Dove, March 27, 

 1910, two eggs, about one week ad- 

 vanced in incubation. This is by con- 

 siderable the earliest record we know 

 of for so far North. 



The Editor enjoved an over-night 

 visit of the well-known Oologist G. 

 A. Abbott of Chicago, a few days 

 since. It is unnecessary to say that 

 the '"wee small hours" had arrived be- 

 fore we retired, spending most of the 

 time investigating our accumulation of 

 plunder. 



Editor Oologist:— On .lune 22, 1909. 

 while driving along a telephone line 

 near Rathdrum, Id., my father noticed 

 a Jack Snipe lying just beneath the 

 wires and on picking it up, I noticed 

 a deep cut across the breast which 

 probably was caused by flying against 

 the wires. I skinned it and it is now 

 in my collection. — Percy L. Judd. 



Our old friend. Ray Dinsmore former- 

 ly a well-known Oologist but who has 

 done little in that line for a number of 

 years, has recently disposed of his 

 business and now purposes taking a 



