THE WILSON QUARTERLY 75 



plete sets. Mr. Oldright says, three, four, and five consti- 

 tute a set. 



In Iowa I have never found more than four. But in 

 Wisconsin Mr. Clark has found five in a nest. 



A series of eggs collected by Mr. Donald show an aver- 

 age of .79 X .GL The largest is .8() x 01, the smallest .62 x .50 

 which is evidently a runt. Tlie next smallest is .75 x .58. 

 Sets taken in central Iowa show an average .70 x.5-1:. Thus 

 Iowa eggs are more spherical and smaller. In shape they 

 are short ovate 



The ground color is pearly white marked witli a few pin 

 points of black to heavy smudges of red umber. The 

 scratchy, wavy lines are generally characteristic, accord- 

 ing to Oldright, Iowa eggs are much the same. The 

 markings are usually confined to the large end, and never 

 heavy enough to obscure the ground color. The blotches, 

 scratching ;, and pencilings are usually clove brown, with 

 blotches of lavender appearing as shell markings. 



The period of incubation is twelve days, and the young 

 leave the nest in fifteen or sixteen days 



Spizella socialis Chipping Sparrow. 



This bird is almost too well known to require considera- 

 tion here. But it may be interesting to compare dates of 

 nesting in the different localities. Chippy does not breed 

 in Texas. But in North Carolina Mr. Smithwick says that 

 the first nest is made the first of May, and the last to be 

 found the last of June. In New York, according to Stone, 

 the first nest is made May 10. In Iowa the first nest found 

 was May 1, the last June 10. In Wisconsin Clark found 

 the first nest May 15, Strong first week in May. The last 

 one found by Mr. Howe was June 20. In Maine Mr. H. P. 

 T. Weathern says that Chippy does not begin to build till 

 late in May. Nests may be found as late as July 1. Thus 

 the southern birds are several weeks earlier than the north- 

 ern. 



Chippy builds his nest above ground, rarely as high as 

 tliirty feet, usually about six, in trees, bushes, shrubs, and 

 vines. ^Ir. Strong says that the nest is soniotiuies placed 



