152 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 10 



Set XSVII. June 22, 1885. Grand Manan, 

 N. B. Nest in spruce bush. Four eggs, fresh. 

 Wliite, spotted and speckled with russet and 

 ]uirplish gray. The markings are nearly all 

 at tlie larger ends: .71 x.54; .75 x .53; .74 x.55; 

 .77 X .58. This set contains the largest eggs of 

 this l)ird tliat I have ever seen. 



Set XXVIII. June!), I87'.». Saybrook, 

 Conn. Nest of leaves, lined with bark and 

 horse-hair. Four eggs, fresh. White, 

 speckled in the form of indistinct wreaths 

 near the larger ends, with purplish gray, burnt 

 umber and black: .71x.55; .71 x.55; .7ox.54; 

 .70 x.54. 



WESTEHN M.\KYI.AND YEI.I.OW-TIIROAT. 



So far as can be judged from a series of 

 lialf a dozen sets the eggs of the Western 

 Maryland Yellow-throat {Geothlypis trichas 

 oecidentalif!) average smaller, and are more 

 sparingly marked than those of its eastern 

 namesake. 



Set I. May 24, 18S(i. Melbourne, Iowa. 

 Nest near the ground, in bunch of grass. 

 Made of coarse grass, lined with fine grass 

 and horse-hair. Four eggs, incubation begun. 

 White, delicately speckled at the larger ends 

 with russet, purplish gray, and one or two 

 specks of black: .07 x .50; .07 x .51 ; .09x.50; 

 .OOx.50. 



Set II. May 7, 1880. Oxford, Miss. Nest 

 of coarse grass on outside, lined with a little 

 fine grass, placed in a bunch of rank grass, 

 near spring. Four eggs, fresh. White, 

 faintly speckled witli russet. Thi-ee of the 

 eggs are almost entirely unmarked: .()4x.51; 

 .05X..50; .02X.49; .e.Sx.49. 



Set III. May 27, 1886. Oxford, Miss. Nest 

 of leaves and grass, lined with fine grass. 

 Placed in a bunch of rank grass in a marshy 

 place. Five eggs, incubation slight. Wliite, 

 sjieckled principally at the larger ends, with 

 ]>urplish gray and burnt umber: .05x.52; 

 .OOx.52; .5<Jx.52 (almost round); .6:!x.52; 

 .n7x..52. 



Set IV. June 1, 1880. Oxford, Miss. Nest 

 of dry grass and leaves, placed in .i rank bunch 

 of grass, twelve or fifteen inches high. Four 

 eggs, fresh. White, speckled chiefly at the 

 larger ends, with purplish gray and a few 

 specks of black: .04x.52; .OOx.52: .00 x.54; 

 .00 X. 5:!. 



Set V. June 20, 1880, Melbourne, Iowa. 

 Nest on ground, in bunch of grass. Made of 

 coarse grass, lined witli fine grass and horse- 

 hair. Four eggs, fresh. White, speckled and 

 s])otted at the larger ends with pur]ilish gray. 



burnt umber and l)lack: .(i5x.51; .00x.5n; 

 .OOx.51; .65X.50. 



Set VI. May 28, 1887. Oxford, Miss. Nest 

 of coarse grass, lined witli fine grass. In 

 buncli of weeds, near old pond. Four eggs, 

 fresh. White, speckled at the larger ends 

 witli burnt umber, purplish gray and a few 

 specks of black: .05 x.54; .04x.5I; .Oox.SSi 

 .65X.51. J. P. N. 



Trip After Fish Hawks and Herons. 



All along the Virginia coast, at a di.stance of 

 from two to five miles from the shore, lies a 

 long chain of narrow, flat islands, many of 

 which consist simply of a mere sand bank on 

 the ocean .side, backed by a broad expanse of 

 low swampy ground, covered with rank marsh 

 grass, and, as might be expected, these places 

 form an exceedingly attractive liome for the 

 various species of sea birds which breed along 

 our coast. There are, liowever, also a number 

 of islands which, while consisting chiefly of 

 sand and swamp, are somewhat higher in 

 places and have been covered by a thick 

 growth of the tallest pine trees, and it is here 

 that the Oreat Blue Herons and Fish Hawks 

 hold undisputed possession. 



On Smith's Island, off Cape (Jharles, is one 

 of the largest of these rookeries, and to it a 

 friend and myself determined to pay a flying 

 visit. Accordingly on the first of May, 1889, 

 well loaded with guns, ammunition, climbers 

 and otlier necessary collecting trajis, ne 

 boarded the steamer for Norfolk, arriving 

 there next day just in time to miss our boat 

 for Cape Charles. As a cotton centre Norfolk 

 may be a great success, but ornithologically 

 it is away below par, and we were glad to get 

 away in the evening, reaching the Cape after 

 a three hours' ride, and here much to our dis. 

 gu.st, we were obliged to spend the night with 

 ten long miles still separating us from the 

 ocean side. 



By daylight next morning we were up and 

 out for a preliminary ramble through the 

 pines near our " hotel." Birds were abundant, 

 anil among others we made the acipiaintance 

 of .Summer Tanagers, Mockingbirds and Brown- 

 headed Nuthatches, three species rare or 

 wanting in the ari fauna of tiie district. 



By this time our team was ready to take us 

 across to Brighton, on the ocean side of the 

 Cape, and immediately opposite Sm.ith's 

 Island. Hardly had we got clear of the town 



