August 1891.] 



AND OOLOGrST. 



l-2o 



A Series of Eggs of the Phainopepla. 



The ef;gs of the Pliiiinopei)Ia, or Black- 

 ci-estetl Flycatcher, (Phninnpcpla nitenn) are 

 uuiqiie ill their coh)ratioii. No other eggs of 

 any North American bird are like them, ami 

 they can be recognized at a glance. 



Set r. June 27, ISSO. San Diego, Cal. Nest 

 in an elder, ten feet from the ground. Two 

 egg.s, fresh. Grayish, tliickly speckled with 

 olive-gray, slate-gray, and black: .S4x.00; 

 .8i)x.6l. The markings are scattered all over 

 the surface, but are a little heavier at the 

 larger ends. This is the case on most of the 

 larger sets. 



Set II. Mayi2, 1SS5. Riverside, Cal. Nest, 

 a loose, slight structui'e, saddled on a horizon- 

 tal limb of a cottonwood tree. Two eggs, 

 fresh. Dull grayish, thickly speckled with 

 olive-gray, slate-gray, and black: .83x.(i2; 

 .82.\.0:5. The markings are evenly scattered 

 all over the surface. 



Set III. April 10, ISSC. San Diego, Cal. 

 Nest in an alder bush. Three eggs. Light 

 grayish, thickly speckled, but more heavily at 

 the larger ends, with olive-gray, slate-gray and 

 black: .8Sx.64; .82x.C4; .S4x.ti2. 



Set IV. June 8, 188:!. San Gorgonio Pass, 

 Cal. Xest in dead elder bush, ten feet from 

 the ground. Two eggs, incubation begun. 

 Dull giay, thickly speckleil with olive-gray, 

 slate-gray, and black: .S8x.62; .8.")x.02. 



Set V. June 5, 18S;?. San Gorgonio Pass, 

 Cal. Nest on top of a limb, six feet from the 

 ground. Two eggs, incubation begun. I,ight 

 gray, thickly speckled, more heavily at the 

 laiger ends, with olive-gray, slate-gray, and 

 black: .8.">x.G:?; .82x..V,. (This latter egg is 

 unusually small.) 



Set VI. June 20, 1880. San Diego, Cal. 

 Nest in an oak, fifteen feet from the ground. 

 Three eggs. Grayish, thickly sjieckled, but 

 moie heavily at the larger ends, with olive- 

 gray, slate-giay and black: .i)2x.0fi; .SK^x.Ol; 

 .8'J x .(K. 



Set VII. June 20, 1887. Riverside, Cal. 

 Nest of weed stems, grass and leaves, lined 

 with twine. In a pepper tree, about fifteen 

 feet up. Two eggs, fresh. Drab-gray, thickly 

 si>eckled with mouse-gray. There is no black 

 on this set: .80 x .02: .88 x .6:3. 



The statement on page 46.5 of Ridgway's 

 Mnniial of Nurfh Aiin'rlcitn Birds, that this 

 bird lays from ''two to live" eggs must be a 

 misprint, for two is a complete set, and nu>re 

 than three eggs have never been found. 



J. P. N. 



Notes from Raleigh, N. C. 



A few of our noteworthy takes this season 

 are as follows: Ajjril 27tli, male Bacliman's 

 Warbler, and also set of four eggs (and both 

 birds) of Mountain Solitary Vireo. (The 

 birds were determined by Mr. Ridgway to be 

 intermediates, but perhaps nearer this sub- 

 species.)* 



April 22d, Rcd-coekaded Woodpecker taken, 

 a female; May Otli, Golden-winged Wailjler, 

 male taken; May Sth and 11th, two Mountain 

 Solitary Vireos taken, both males; May 22d, 

 our second Bacliman's Warbler taken, a male 

 in full breeding condition. 



In eggs we have taken one set Black Vul- 

 ture, one set Turkey Vulture, four nests of 

 Yellow-throated Warbler, one of which con- 

 tained young, one set of two Broad-winged 

 Hawks, besides sets of common species. 



One of our Barred Owl stobs blew down, and 

 we found the eggs broken on the ground ; 

 another one contained young in the down. 



During the past winter we took two Albinos, 

 one a Slate-colored Junco, two-thirds white, 

 the other a Field Sparrow, half white; we have 

 also had an Albino Robin brought us to mount. 



We lately killed a Cottoiinioutli Mocassin 

 {Anaistrodoa insciKorus), which measured 

 nearly four feet and was a decidedly danger- 

 ous looking reptile. His cousin, a Copper- 

 head, fell a victim to us the same week. We 

 don't love poisonous snakes, you know. 



ir. II. ,(■ C. S. ISrimhy. 



Death of a Sapsucker. 



Years ago, when considered too young to 

 handle a gun with safety, I was given, as a 

 compromise, free access to a bottle of strych- 

 nine, which was thought to be a less dangerous 

 weapon. Owls and Hawks were usually my 

 victims, but on one occasion a Yellow-bellied 

 Woodpecker suddenly dropped dead from an 

 apijle tree, a few seconds after taking a " dip " 

 of sap from a hole in which a small quantity 

 of my narcotic had been placed. This death 

 occurred about twenty-five years ago and is, 

 perhaps, a "first" in its way. Chronicled 

 now my record should run about as follows: 

 "9.22 A..M., October 10, 1806. Male returns, 

 dips, drops dead." (See Auk, Vol. VIII, 

 July, '91, p. 2.W.) .1. T. Park. 



Warner, Tenn. 



* This if. an ex.aiuple of fine .irt. — F. IJ. W. 



