24 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-N"o. 2 



or. Tlie spots and l)lotehes of light thab are of 

 such a light tint as to be almost invisible, and 

 the general effect of the eggs is that they are of 

 one solid color. Minimum length : 1.18 ; max- 

 imum length : 1.33. 



The second set, consisting of seven eggs, have 

 a deep green ground color, finely spotted with 

 dark lirown. They are much larger than the 

 first set, measuring from 1.57 to 1.52 in length. 



The third set, (containing nine eggs, are al- 

 most globular in shape, one end being about as 

 large as the other, and the width beiug nearly 

 equal to the length. In color they are of a 

 rich brown, with but few coarse spots. 



Eggs with a greenish ground color are not as 

 common a type as those of other colors. 



On the whole, the Magpie makes a vei-y good 

 citizen. He attends to his own business, and 

 does not quarrel with the smaller birds. He is 

 on good terms with all domestic animiils, and 

 rids our country of a great deal of decaying and 

 refuse animal matter. Were he to leave us, and 

 join his yellow-billed brother in California, we 

 would miss him, yet, at the same time, we hope 

 the Yellow-bill will not come here, as we are 

 well supplied at present. 



[.4. series of six sets of eggs of Pirn nisticd 

 hndsonica, all collected by Mr. Dille, in >Veld 

 County, Colorado, may be thus described: 



Set I. May 10, 1S80. Six eggs. Very light, 

 creamy white, spotted with drab and light lav- 

 ender: 1.45 X. 91 ; 1.35 x.Sil; 1.41x.!)0; 1.40 x 

 .93; 1.41X.93; 1.44x.92. 



Set II. May 10,1886. Eight eggs. Pearl gray, 

 spotted with drab and olive bull': 1.2(ix.Sy; 

 1.27 X. 88; 1.23 x. 88; 1.23 x. 88; 1.29 x.Ol: 1.27 

 X.S9; 1.24X.91; 1.29x.88. 



Set HI. May 14, 18SG. Seven eggs. Pearl 

 gray, spotted with <lrab and ecru drab: 1.40 x 

 .90; 1.37 X. 91; 1.39X.92; 1.43x.02; 1.35x.88; 

 1.40 X. 92; 1.37X.91. 



Set IV. May 7, 1886. Six eggs. Very light 

 pea green, spotted with drab and olive buff: 

 1..52X.95; 1.50x.93; 1.51x.93; 1.51x.65; 1.56 

 X .95; 1.57 x .94. The largest set in the series. 



Set V. May 8, 1886. Nine eggs. Three of 

 the eggs have a ground color of ecru drali, and 

 the otlier six are of a pearl gray. The markings 

 vary from a drab to a wood brown: 1.34 x 

 .94: 1.33 X. 91; 1.27.x .92; 1.22 x. 91; 1.29 x. 92; 

 1.24 X. 91; 1.28X.92; 1.23x.S7; 1.21 x. 89. 



Set VI. May 10, 1886. Nine eggs. The 

 ground color varies from an ecru drab to an 

 olive buff. The markings vary from a drab 

 to a wood brown: 1.22x.93; 1.22x.94; 1.19 x 

 .96 ; 1 .24 X .89 : 1.27 x .94 ; 1.22 x .95 ; 1.28 x .94 ; 

 1.21 x. 91; 1.31 X. 92. 



The markings of all the sets are small ob- 

 long spots running lengthwise w ith the eggs, 

 and as a rule they cover the surface pretty 

 evenly, although there is a tendency for them 

 to become confluent near the larger ends. 

 —J. P. X.] 



Birds and Their Relation to Agri- 

 culture. 



BY .). A. SIXUI.KV, (;I1>1)1N(;S, TEXAS. 



I have been trying to convince sonic of my 

 agricultural friends that many of the birds 

 classed by them as " injurious" are really beue- 

 ficial, and I send the O. ct O. the results of 

 some dissections made within a year, giving 

 date and time of day when the sjiecinien was 

 taken : 



No. 1. Swallow-tailed Kite {Elanoides for- 

 ficatus). Adult male. Shot from a nest May 

 5, 1887, 11a. m. Stomach contained Coleoptera 

 and Orthijjilcrn. 



No. 2. Texan Screech Owl (Sciqix asio ma- 

 call i). Adult female. Jan. 7, 1887, 8 a. m. 

 Stomach contained Cnleoptent and one Mantis 

 i'ln'olina. 



No. 3. Florida Barred Owl (Hirix ni:bidosa 

 alleni). Adult male. Dec. 2, 1887, 4 p. ni. 

 Stomach contained a few feathers and hard 

 parts of Coleoptera. 



No. 4. American Crow {Corvus frurjii-orus). 

 Adult male. March 2, 1887, 10 a. in. Shot by 

 my neighbor in his corn field; newly planted. 

 Stomach contained two giains of corn, and a 

 large number of cut worms. 



No. 5. American Crow (Cori-us frii(iivorus). 

 Adult female. Nov. 15, 1887, 10 a. m. Stomach 

 aeorus and Coleoptera. 



No. 6. Texan Screech Owl (Scop.tasio maeal- 

 li). April 9, 1887, 3 p. m. Adult female. Shot 

 from a nest of eggs. Stomach contained Coleop- 

 tera. 



No. 7. Cooper's Hawk {Aceipiter cooperi). 

 Adult male. April 23, 1887, 11 a. m. Stomach 

 contained an entire snake fifteen inches long. 

 This hawk had formerly been wounded, a No. 

 3 shot being imbedded in the carpal joint, and 

 several in the body. It could not fly, but was 

 recovering from its wounds. 



No. 8. Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperi). 

 Adult female. April 4, 1887, 9 a. ni. Stomach 

 contained remains of a small bird, a sparrow. 

 l$oth the hawk and myself were after a covey 

 of Texan Quail, and we " met by chance." 



