22 



ORI^ITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. 2 



tree, and they only gave up when they foiitul 

 tliat they could make no lieadway. 



The Bi-own-hcuded Xiitliateli is a vei-y fastid- 

 ious little bird, as regards its nesting place, and 

 they dig half a <lozeu holes before they are sat- 

 isfied as to which one tliey will complete for 

 their nests. The hole and the nest generally 

 takes from four to five weeks to be ready for 

 their eggs. The hole is first bored perfectly 

 round, and then downward to the depth of 

 eight or twelve inches. The nest, which is 

 remarkable, is made of hits of cotton, wool, 

 feathers from the parents, and almost wholly 

 of the substance in which the seed of the pine 

 is enclosed. This leaf-like substance is very 

 light and warm, and the birds use immense 

 quantities of it. I believe some nests must con- 

 tain upwards of thousands of these little " pine 

 seed leaves." 



The eggs are from four to six, usually five, 

 rarely six, aud four are found as man}' times as 

 six. They are white or whitish, speckled, 

 spotted, and blotched with different shades of 

 red aud brown around the larger ends in the 

 form of a wreath. They vary, however, to such 

 an extent that eggs found in one nest may be 

 all alike, or all different. They measure about 

 .62 X .50. 



I took a set of four eggs last spring which 

 were difterent from any 1 had hitherto collected. 

 The ground was pink, uniform, and one was 

 scarcely marked, while the otliers were uni- 

 form pink, with darker, minute pinkish specks. 



The earliest date I have taken full sets of 

 fresh eggs was on March 12. Only one brood 

 is raised, unless the eggs have been removed, 

 when I have known a pair to lay three diffier- 

 ent times. Both sexes assist each otlu-r in 

 incubation. 



[Thinking that a description of a series of 

 eggs of this species would be interesting, the 

 following has been prepared : 



Set I. April 3, 1886. Berkely County, South 

 Carolina. Collected by Arthur T. Wayne. Six 

 eggs. White, speckled all over with dark led- 

 dish brown. Around the greater ends of the 

 eggs the spots are larger and much closer to- 

 gether, in some cases becoming conffnent. 

 Their general appearance, however, is much 

 m(n-e lightly marked (except at the larger 

 ends), than is usual f(u- this species. There are 

 also a few lavender specks: .64 x .4!) ; .63x.47; 

 .63X.48; .66x.4y; .62x.48; .64x.49. 



Set II. April o, 1886. Berkeley County, South 

 Carolina. Collected by Arthur T. Wayne. Six 

 eggs. White, sprinkled over the surface with 

 bright reddish brown specks. They are nnich 



more evenly distributed than in Set I, and there 



is less confluence of the specks at the greater 

 end than in that set : .59 x .47 ; .55 x .48 ; (a very 

 round egg for this species) ; .59 x .46 ; .5!) x .48 ; 

 ..58X.47; .57x.48. 



Set III. April 29, 1887. Edgecomb County, 

 North Carolina. Five eggs. White, speckled 

 with bright reddish brown. The markings are 

 closer together near tlie greater ends, and (juite 

 confluent: .60x.47; .59x.48; .60 x .47 ; ..58 x 

 .47 ; .59 X .47. 



Set IV. April 4, 1887. Edgecomb (.'ouuty, 

 North Caiolina. Five eggs. Light creamy 

 white, speckled and spotted quite heavily with 

 bright reildish brown : .61 x .47 ; .63 x .49 ; .63 x 

 .48 ; .64 X .48 ; .64 x .49. 



Set V. April 13, 1887. Kaleigh, North Car- 

 olina. Collected by Clement S. Briudey. Six 

 Eggs. White, sprinkled with bright reddish 

 brown. The markings are nmch heavier and 

 closer near the greater ends, where they be- 

 come confluent: .59x.48; ..58 x .46 : ..58x.48; 

 .57 X .46; .■5Sx.47; ,o8x.48. 



Set VI. March 12, 1887. Charleston, South 

 Carolina. Collected by Arthur T. Wayne. Five 

 eggs. White, speckled and spotted with bright 

 reddish brown, very heavily near the larger 

 ends. There are a few traces of lavender mark- 

 ings, and the reddish brown spots are larger 

 and bolder than in any of the fcu'mer sets : .64 

 X.46; .63x,47; .61 x .47 : .62x.47; .61 x .47. 



Set Vn. April 30,1887. Edgecomb County, 

 North Carolina. Five eggs. Three of them 

 have a clear white ground color, w ith Inight, 

 reddish brown sjiecks and spots, becoming con- 

 fluent near the larger ends. The other two 

 eggs have a bufty white ground color, marked 

 with bright, reddish brown specks and spots, 

 wlilcli are heavier and confluent at the greater 

 ends. These two also have traces of lavender 

 markings: .63 x.46; .61 x .45 ; .61x.45; .60 x 

 .45; .62 x.46. 



Set VIII. April 5, 1886. Berkeley County, 

 South Carolina. Collected by Arthur T. Wayne. 

 Five eggs. Dull whitish ground color, almost 

 obscured with lavender markings. Over these 

 are thickly sprinkled dull reddish brown specks 

 and spots, which are larger and closer together 

 near the greater ends : .60 x .49 ; .60 x .48 ; .59 x 

 .47; .60X.49; .61 x .49. 



Set IX. April 4, 1887. Edgecomb t^ounty. 

 North Carolina. Five eggs. Dull white, very 

 thickly speckled all over with bright reddish 

 brown. The markings are larger and closer to- 

 gether near the greater ends: .62x.49; .59 x 

 .47; .64X.49; .64x.49; .62x.48. 



Set X. .A.pril 12, 1887. Edgecomb County, 



