THE OOLOGIST 



145 



nest- — a complete set, as indicated by 

 their similarity in shape and size. 

 They are also typical in coloration, 

 but smaller than normal eggs of 

 Agelaius phoeniceus, being about the 

 size of those of the Florida Redwing. 



Never before or since have I found 

 nests of this species containing over 

 four eggs, and know of but one set of 

 five being taken here, and this set was 

 collected by my friend Richard C. 

 Harlow, but I have read of sets being 

 collected consisting of five eggs — 

 never any of six. 



Most books say the Red-winged 

 Blackbird lays from three to five eggs, 

 but we oologists all know that the 

 usual complement is generally three 

 or four eggs, rarely five, as given by 

 Davies. Warren, in his "Birds of 

 Pennsylvania", 2nd edition, says the 

 eggs are from four to six in number, 

 but he is the only ornithologist whom 

 I can I'ecollect of as crediting this 

 bird v.-ith laying the latter number of 

 eggs. 



There are, however, I believe, several 

 records of five eggs mentioned in 

 articles contained in the volumes of 

 our beloved OOLOGIST, but I do not 

 remember having ever read of a set 

 of six in any of them. 



Let us hear from others in regard to 

 big sets of the Red-winged Blackbird 

 or any other species for that matter. 

 In a future paper I shall tell you 

 about my experience with big sets of 

 our plebian Blackheaded Thrush — I 

 mean Robin. 



R. F. Miller. 



Dr. Guy C. Rich, of Sioux City, one 

 of Iowa's well known ornithologists 

 has recently returned from a trip to 

 the Pacific Coast on which he reports 

 much interesting bird observation, in- 

 cluding a visit with our old friend, 

 Professor Grinnell, at Berkeley, Cali- 

 fornia. 



An Artist. 

 We have just received a eoi)y of the 

 exceedingly rare "Cooper's Birds of 

 California" with the heads of all 

 species illustrated there in by our old 

 friend, W. Otto Emerson, done in 

 water colors. The character of this 

 work truly stamps Professor Emerson 

 as an artist of the first class in our 

 estimation. 



Editor. 



White Blackbird. 



While out hunting Sunday, .lohn 

 Dorstler and William Dixon secured a 

 white blackbird which was in a flock 

 of blackbirds and is exactly like the 

 darker hued ones with the exception 

 of colors. The only spot except white 

 on the bird is yellow, under the throat, 

 similar to the colors of the canary. 

 The bird was brought to Sterling and 

 was shown to many people. — Sterling 

 Standard. 



The Northern Shrike. 



At Bloomfield, N. J., on February 7, 

 19U6, I found the only Northern 

 Shrike I have record of in this section. 

 The bird was perched in a decayed 

 beech tree near the roadside and was 

 apparently on the lookout for some 

 smaller bird to pass and give it an 

 opportunity to pounce upon it as I 

 found the carcasses of two freshly 

 killed English sparrows impaled upon 

 the thorns of a neighboring Honey 

 Locust as evidences of its previous 

 depredations. The bird remained on 

 this perch for about ten minutes and 

 afforded me quite suffcient time to 

 get its markings and habits while 

 perching firmly fixed in mind. The 

 bird then flew off in a southerly direc- 

 tion and was not again seen. 



L. S. Kohler. 



