12 



ORmTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-:n"o. 1 



tain ash which remain on the trees all winter. 

 They are very tame and their manner is very 

 pleasing and graceful. 



Cedar Waxwing, Ampelis cedrorum. Com- 

 mon every winter. Their manners are similar 

 to those of thi^ preceding species and they feed 

 on the same fruit. Never found In severe 

 weather, but very common during snow 

 storms. 



Northern Shrike, Laniiis horealis. Quite com- 

 mon all winter. They come into the city and 

 feed on Sparrows occasionally. Last winter I 

 saw a Shrike kill one and lly ofl' with it although 

 the Sparrow's relatives tried to prevent the 

 tragedy. The Shrikes are engaged in a good 

 cause, only it is impossible for them to resist 

 the temptation to destroy less harmful birds 

 when they have the o|)portunity. 



Winter Wi'en, TriKjlodi/tes hoenialis. Found 

 only on "thawing days." when Its delightful 

 bubbling music may often be heard, though the 

 agile songster eludes your sight in the dense 

 thickets or underbrush to which it resorts. 



White-breasted Nuthutch, Sitta carolineiisis. 

 Very eonunon all winter. A few winters ago 

 a pair remained in the neighboihood of a farm- 

 er's house for several months. The owner was 

 in the habit of putting bread crumbs and oats 

 In exposed situations for them. The bread 

 crumbs were always eaten on the spot, but the 

 oats were stoi-ed in nooks and crevices In the 

 back of oak trees. I have also known this 

 species to feed on frozen thorn apples, when 

 other food was scarce, swallowing them entire. 



Chickadee, Parus atricapilhis. Common win- 

 ter lesident. Generally found in the vicinity 

 of farm houses. They seem partial to ever- 

 green trees, the dense branches of which attbrd 

 them excellent shelter against tlie cold winds. 



American Kobin, ilcniJa miijratorin. Very 

 rare. Two were seen last winter both near 

 the city. One was in company with a flock of 

 Cedarbirds, and feeding, like them, on the ber- 

 ries of the mountain ash. They appear to be 

 growing more acclimated to our cold winters 

 as the years go by. In a few years they may 

 be ranked among our common winter birds. 



A Series of Eggs of Polyborus 

 cheriway. 



BY J. P.N. 



The eggs of the Carai'ara Eagle {Pulyborus 

 chermay) are noted for their beauty. They 

 exhibit great variation in coloration and mark- 

 ings — no two of them being exactly alike. 



Set I. April 26, 1887. Lee County, Texas. 

 Collected by .J. A. Singley. Two eggs, incuba- 

 tion advanced. No. 1 : Light cinnamon red 

 ground color, of different shades of intensity, 

 speckled in a few places with dark reddish 

 brown. The general appearance of the egg is 

 that of a clouded pattern. '2.41 x 1.82. No. 2 : 

 Whitish ground color, thickly speckled all over 

 with cinnamon and brownish red. At the 

 smaller end theie Is a clouded effect produced 

 by the cinnamon red markings becoming con- 

 fluent. 2..38 X 1.37. This set bears a strong re- 

 semblance to certain sets of Gyrfalcons before 

 the writer. 



Set IL March 1.5, 1887. Coma] County, Tex- 

 as. Collected by .T. A. F. Three eggs, fresh. 

 No. 1 : Bright cinnamon red ground color, al- 

 most entirely unmarked save for a few specks 

 and spots of very dark reddish brown. In 

 three or four places small patches of white 

 occur, where there is no ground color, and 

 these produce a very beautiful contrast with 

 the bright cinnamon red. A few granulations 

 are noticeable near the smaller end. 2.4(i x 1.88. 

 No. 2. Dull cinnamon red ground color, spot- 

 ted and splashed with dark reddish brown. A 

 few small patches of white are visible, as in 

 egg No. 1 of this set. 2.44x1.84. No. 3: 

 Briglit cinnamon red ground color, splashed 

 with rich reddish brown of varying degrees of 

 intensity. There are a number of granulations 

 on this egg, some of them quite large. 2.46 x 

 1.89. 



Set III. March 31. 1885. Atascosa County, 

 Texas. Collected by J. A. F. Three eggs, 

 fresh. No. 1 : Dull cinnamon red ground 

 color, marked with a few specks and spots 

 of dark reddish brown. There are several 

 patches of white on this egg, one of them 

 measuring .92 X .78. Some of the dark reddish 

 brown markings occur on this white, making a 

 very handsome eft'ect. 2.3(ixl.79. No. 2: 

 Dark cinnamon red ground color, beautifully 

 clouded and splashed with dark reddish brown, 

 and also some markings of claret brown. There 

 are also a few spots of white. 2.34 x 1.82. No. 

 3. Darii cinnamon red ground color, heavily 

 splashed with dark reddish and claret brown. 

 2.41 xl.77. 



Set IV. Aijril 7, 1884. Comal County. Texas. 

 Collected by G. B. Benners. Two eggs, incu- 

 bation begun. No. 1 : Light cinnamon brown 

 ground color, speckled and spotted sparingly 

 with dark reddish brown. Near the smaller 

 end there are a number of spots of white, 

 which run into each other. 2.44x1.90. No. 2: 

 Light cinnamon brown ground color, heavily 



