THE OOLOGIST. 



115 



did, but they were hard to shoot as 

 they gjeuerally kept out of range. 



With their dark vermiUioa red bill, 

 glossy greenish black crest and black 

 feet they make a strikingly handsome 

 bird, and a contrast to the Gulls, that 

 I was surprised that the fisherman 

 should call them all "Gulls" although 

 one man did distinguish them by call- 

 ing them 'Mackerel Gulls." 



Some 50 or 60 pairs of birds bred on 

 this ridge and the Gulls were found 

 breeding everywhere on the island ex- 

 cept upon this ridge, even down to 

 within a few feet of the water barely 

 out of reach of the waves. The eggs 

 of this species from 14 sets measured, 

 average 2.47x1.72. This average seems 

 to be smaller than Davie gives it but 

 is from careful and actual measure- 

 ment however. The extremes of these 

 42 eggs measured 2.28x1.75, 2.54x1.64, 

 2.81x1.70, 2.40x1.83. Coues gives the 

 number of eggs in a set as 2 but I have 

 found that 3 is the numi)er generally 

 laid here. 



There is quite a variation in the 

 ground color and markings of these 

 «ggs as in this series the ground color 

 runs from a dark drab or light stone to 

 a greenish buff and were spotted and 

 blotched with brown and lilac of dif- 

 ferent shades generally quite thickly 

 and evenly marked with small spots 

 over the entire surface, but a few eggs 

 were splashed with heavier markings 

 even as large as .60 in diameter. 



I would like to hear through the 

 columns of the Oologist whether this 

 bird breeds elsewhei'e on the (Jreat 

 Lakes or not. 



Ed. VanWinkle, 

 Vans Harbor, Mich. 



A Tricolored Blackbird. 

 Agdaius tricolor. 



Little has been written about this 

 "Welldetined and distinct species of 



Blackbird. This is probably due to its 

 limited geographical range or the non- 

 migratory disposition of the bird. 



The distinguishing features of the 

 species are dark red lesser wing- 

 coverts, succeeded by white middle 

 wing coverts and a more slender bill 

 than any other of the Agelaius. The 

 plumage of both sexes is bathed in a 

 bluish gloss, the female with this em- 

 bellishment is little less inferior than 

 the male and retains traces of the 

 white middle wing-coverts. This is a 

 rather rare occurence in the Agelaius, 

 where the females as a rule are sober 

 plum aged birds. 



The breeding range, which is the en- 

 tire territory frequented by the species, 

 extends from the Columbia River south- 

 ward throughout the whole of Califor- 

 nia. This range of territory coiTes- 

 pouds closely to that of the Bicolored 

 Blackbird's which is less limited ex- 

 tending farther southward into Mexico. 

 Up to the present time the variety 

 makers, whose untiring efforts and 

 success are plainly verified in the latest 

 check-lists, have not succeeded in 

 forming or finding a sub-species. 



The birds breed in immense colonies 

 selecting large tule swamps or water- 

 inootic flats for breeding purpo.ses, but 

 generally prefer the latter locations. 

 They seem quite independent of water 

 for I have found colonies nesting a 

 quarter of a mile from water in water- 

 mootics. Having taken occasion to 

 visit some of these colonies every year 

 I tind they invariably consist of no 

 fewer than several hundred bird.s, oc- 

 cupying an extent of some acres. 



The largest colony the writer ever 

 found had taken up their abode in a 

 large tule swamp of an area ccpial to a 

 s(|uare mile and they had so densely 

 populated the whole swamp, that it 

 was with diflBculty that I moved about 

 in it without up.setting some of the 

 nests. The noise that proceeds from 

 such a multitude of throats is astonish- 

 ing an<l can be heard at a considerable 



