THE OSPEEY. 



59 



Letter Box. 



PROTECTIVE 



COLORATION. 



Milwaukee, Wis., 



July 3, 1898. 

 To THE Editok: 



Perhaps you will not con- 

 sider the enclosed photog-raph 

 of a pair of young- Mourning 

 Doves [Zcnaidura macnira) 

 unworthy of reproduction in 

 The Osprev. I regard it a-. 

 a remarkable example of pro- 

 tective coloration. It will be 

 seen how closely the squabs 

 in the nest are assimilated 

 with their immediate sur 

 roundings. 



Very Truly Yours, 



Jno. a. Brandon. 



- 'ii 





I 







:V< 



Proteciive Lu. 



A SAMPLE. 

 New London, O., April 29. 

 Editor of The Csprey 



Please find enclosed an article 



Is it what you desire, and willing to publish? 

 I may write more and desire to know more ac- 

 curately what is wanted. I desire your criti- 

 cisms. I wont be imposed upon if I know it and 

 won't impose on anyone else if I know it so 

 if my articles are not up to j'our ideas, I want 

 to know it, I am very much like a character in 

 "Scene from a Poor Gentleman." I hate flat- 

 tery. I don't want an unmerited article pub- 



lished because /wrote it. I think you under- 

 stand me so )-ou will oblige me with honest 

 opinions and not offend by plain speaking. I 

 may send more articles. If my time permits 

 and articles suit I should like to make some 

 arraingement by which I could have one in 

 every 0.sprev. Truly, 



E. E. Masterman. 



Our correspondent need not fear flattery from 

 us, and we cannot make any "arraingement" 

 by which he can have an article "in every Os- 

 prev." — Eds. 



Pigeon Holes. 



Nest and Eggs of the Black-headed 

 Grosbeak. — This bird is a common summer 

 resident of Santa Clara Countj-, California, es- 

 pecially along shady streams in the valley and 

 near water-courses in the hiils. The loud, 

 cheery song of the male may be heard through- 

 out the day in his favorite haunts. In the val- 

 ley the nests are almost always placed in the 

 fork of a willow, either at the top or near the 

 end of a limb, n'jt often above 20 feet from the 

 ground. In the hills, buckeyes and oaks seem 

 to be preferred as nesting sites, the structure 

 being placed near the end of a long slender 

 branch. The nests are so flimsy that the eg^gs 

 may be seen from below. Two of them before 

 me are tj'pical. The smaller one has a founda- 

 tion of a few slender weed-stalks, some of them 

 eight or nine inches long, on which is the nest 

 proper, composed of fine dry grass and lined 

 with rootlets. The dimensions are 4.50 outside 

 and 2.75 inside diameter, with 0.75 depression. 

 The other nest is similar, but it is lined with 

 the small ends of long- narrow weed stalks; 

 outside diameter 5.50, inside 3.00, depth 1.00. 

 The eggs are usually three or four in number. 

 I have taken one set of five, but know of no 

 other case of finding this number. The varia- 



tion in size and shape is shown by the following 

 measurements: 



Set of 2. May 19, 1.02 x 0.76, 1.00 x 0.75. 



Set of 3, June 14, 1.06 x 0.72, 1.08 x 0.70. 1.06 

 X 0.70. 



Set of 4, Mav 26, 1.06 x 0.66, 0.97 x 0.66, 0.94 x 

 0.64, 0.95 X 0.66. 



Set of 5, Mav 6, l.Cl x 0.74. 1.05 x 0.74, 1.05 x 

 0.72, 0.98 X 0.73, 1.01 x 0.6S. 



The average measurement of 35 eggs is 0.98 

 X 0.69. The ground color is greenish-blue, fad- 

 ing to a lighter blue after the egg is blown. 

 The markings are spots and blotches of reddish 

 and dark brown, with frequent underlying spots 

 of lavender and gray; thej' are alwaj's most 

 numerous at the larger end of the egg. One 

 specimen out of 24 in my cabinet is finely dot- 

 ted with spots varying from the size of a pin's 

 head to mere points; all the others are as just 

 described. 



The birds nest mostly in May, and both sexes 

 incubate. The male is more easily flushed 

 from the nest than the female. When disturbed 

 he immediately calls for his better half, and 

 perches at a little distance to watch proceedings 

 till he thinks his assistance is needed. — R. H. 

 Beck, Berryessa, Cal. 



