THE WILSON QUARTERLY. ?! 



'Of twenty-one sets examined one contained five eggs., 

 twelve four, eight three. Mr. Oldriglit records one set of 

 five, and several taken by Mr. N. Y. Benedict in Young 

 County, first nests four, later three. A series of eggs 

 shows an average of .93 x .09, the largest 1.05 x .68, small- 

 •est .75 X .59, probably a runt. 



The ground color of eggs varies from a white, to a green- 

 ish or bluish, even to a brown tint, i'he markings are red- 

 dish brown, lavender, and lilac, often pretty evenly distrib- 

 uted over the entire surface, sometimes confined to the 

 larger end, there becoming confluent in a blotch. 



Habia ludoviciana. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 



This is another northern species, breeding commonly in 

 Iowa and Wisconsin, not so commonly in Ohio. Messrs. 

 Clark and Strong list it as abundant in Wisconsin all sum- 

 mer. 



Nesting begins about May 20. Clark gives the first 

 nest May 24, Strong May 20, last July 0. Of the position 

 of the nes)^, Clark says, "Nest in upright fork of slender 

 sapling." Strong says, '"Nests placed from eight to twen- 

 ty feet up in crotches of small trees ai\d forks of limbs of 

 larger trees." I have found many nests in grape vine 

 thickets and on horizontal branches like nests of Scarlet 

 Tanager. 



Strong says of the composiiion of the nest, "Nests are 

 made of small sticks, twigs, weed stems, straw, dried grass, 

 etc Most of the materials used are too stifi^ and brittle to 

 be bent, so the ends of the twigs are left sticking out at all 

 angles." Iowa nests are made of light colored material, of- 

 ten of a small vine woven neatly and compactly. A few 

 grass and weed stems are often used, but no twigs are ever 

 seen. The whole structure is so thin that the eggs can be 

 seen from beneath. There is no attempt at fixing the nest 

 in its position, so it is frequently tipped over or tilted. 



A nest complement is tlij-ee to five, usually four eggs. 

 The eggs are a greenish blue or bluish green, more or less 

 spotted and blotched over the entire surface with reddish 

 brov/n and lilac shell markings. The markings seldom be- 



