162 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. 11 



snake skius, feathers, and lined with the flower 

 of tlie moss ; in one of the nests tiiere is a 

 quantity of cotton. The nest is built in a 

 bunch of moss, and vests on a bed of the same. 



All of these eggs were taken from three pairs 

 of birds, whicli were the only ones found in a 

 radius of several miles. 



[Two of the sets of eggs of D. dominica re- 

 ferred to by -Mr. Wayne are now before me and 

 may be described as follows : 



April 14, 1888. Four eggs. Ground color 

 grayish-white, in some running to a pinkish 

 white, spotted with lavender-gray, and burnt 

 umber. The markings are almost all near the 

 larger ends, ann form wreaths around the 

 broadest diameters. One of the eggs has a large 

 blotch of burnt umber which produces an odd 

 effect. The}' measure .71 x .5.'! ; .71 x ..")3 ; .09 x 

 .53; .09X.53. 



April 11, 1888. Three eggs. Grayish-white 

 ground color, spotted with lavender-gray and 

 burnt umber. The markings form indistinct 

 wreaths around the centres of the eggs. They 

 measure : .0.5 x .51 ; .00 x .19 ; .00 x .49.— .1. P. 

 N.] 



A Series of Eggs of Oroscoptes mon- 

 tanus. 



BY J. V. N. 



The eggs of the .Sage Thraslier (Orvscoptes 

 moiitaiiHs) are very beautiful, and can be dis- 

 tinguished at a glance from those of the Mock- 

 ingbird {Mimns polyglottus) . The grouud color 

 of the eggs of the latter is much lighter tlian 

 those of 0. montamts which approached more 

 nearly to the color of eggs of il/. carolinensis. al- 

 though not so dark. It is of a rich greenisli 

 blue, which is not given in any of the plates of 

 Ridgway's Nomi'iirdature of Oolors. It varies in 

 intensity in the different sets. 



Their n)arkings are said by Mr. Kidgway (in 

 his Mamiril of North Ameriran Birds) to be of a 

 clove brown, and no doubt some of the speci- 

 mens in tlie National Museum have spots of 

 that color, but none of those in the series 

 described below are so marked. Tliey have 

 spots of a bright reddish brown also not figured 

 in till' plates of the Nomi'iichiture of Colors. 

 The markings are heavier near the larger ends. 

 There are also a few traces of plumbeus. In 

 shape they vary from an ovate to a short ovate. 



Set I. May 20, 1SS8. Fort Klamath, Oregon. 

 Nest in a low bush. Composed of sticks, lined 

 with bark. Three eggs: .90x.72; .S9x.72; 

 .84X.70. 



Set II. June 10, 1880. Ogden City, Utah. 

 Nest in sage bush. Four eggs : .95 s .69; .96 x 

 .70; .95X.0S; .95x.09. 



Set III. June 10, 1880. Ogden City, lUah. 

 Nest in sage bush. Four eggs : .93 x .07 ; .97 x 

 .69; .9.5 X. 09; .98x.71. 



Set IV. May 23, 1888. Fort Klamath, 

 Oregon. Nest in bush. Composed of sticks, 

 lined with bark. Four eggs : .93 x .72 ; .93 x .72 ; 

 .95X.72; .90s. 71. 



Set V. May 2fi, 1888. Fort Klamath, Ore- 

 gon. Nest in bush. Composed of sticks, 

 lined with bark. Four eggs: .87x.71; .94 x 

 .71; .99x75; .92 x .72. 



Set VI. .May 26, 1888. Fort Klamath, 

 Oregon. Nest in bush. Made of sticks, lined 

 with bark strips and hair. Three eggs : .97 x 

 .74; .85X.68; .92 x .09. 



Set VII. June 10, 1880. Ogden City, Lftah. 

 Nest in sage bush. Four eggs : .94 x .73 ; .92 x 

 .70; .80X.75; .94 x .70. 



.Set VIII. July 2, 1885. Near Fort Custer, 

 Montana. Collected by Captain Charles E. 

 Bendire, U. S. A. " Nest in a medium sized 

 sage bush, about eighteen inches from ground. 

 Composed of small twigs, coarse grasses, and 

 lined with finer material of some root. Bigliorn 

 l!iver bottom, north of fort. Eggs contained 

 good-sized einbrj'os. Fully identified." Five 

 eggs, the ground color darker than any others 

 in the series, and the markings heavier: .96 x 

 .71; .9SX.73; .95x.72; .90x.70; .90 x .70. 



Nesting of Otocoris alpestris strigata. 



BY J. V. N. 



In Thr An/.- for April, 1880, (Vol. Ill, p. 100,) 

 Mr. A. W. Anthony described the finding of the 

 first nest of the Streaked Horned Lark (Otocoris 

 alpe.itris strigata) of which we have any record. 

 He found the nest on May 21, but he does not 

 give the year. He stated however, that his 

 observations extended fnnn February, 1884, to 

 June, 1883, so that it must have been one of 

 these yeai's. He fui'ther told us that most of 

 them were made in the vicinity of Beaverton, 

 in the eastern part of Washington County, 

 Oregon. 



Mr. .\ntbouy continues: " .-^ nest found 

 May 21, was built in a hole about three inches 

 below the surface of the ground. It was com- 

 posed of dry grasses and fine roots, lined with 

 fine dry roots and a few horse hairs. It con- 

 tained three fresh eggs. The bird was flushed 

 from the eggs after dark, and I sujjpose must 



