April, 1889.] 



A^sT> OOLOGIST. 



51 



second best, but rapidly repeated its song notes 



as it took a hasty departure. On May 24th, 



being out on a ramble I noticed the songs of 



these birds in various places, on the borders 



of low wood lands, and during the rest of the 



season tliey appeared to be tolerably common, 



but I failed to find any nests. 



William L. Kelts. 

 Listowel. Ontario. 



Parakeets. 



How Many Eggs can a 

 Cover? 



Bob-white 



The above query occurred to me lately when 

 I receivc'd a set of twenty-eight eggs of the 

 Bob-white {Ortyx virginiana). They were all 

 found in one nest, though whether they were 

 all laid by one bird is a question that cannot 

 be answered. Certain it is that the Bob-white 

 lays a very large clutch, but whetlier one hen 

 could lay twenty-eight eggs is very doubtful. 



The eggs of this species are very small in 

 proportion to the size of the bird, and their 

 shape enables them to be closely placed to- 

 gether in the nest, but twenty-eight of their 

 eggs cover a circle of at least six and a half 

 inches diameter, and it is extremely doubtful 

 whether the bird could cover them all when 

 sitting. ./. P. JV. 



Green Eggs of the Red-tailed Hawk. 



The eggs of the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo bo- 

 ^•^((H.-i) liave a ground color which varies from 

 white through grayish-white to a faint bluish- 

 white, but a set of eggs of this species which 

 exhibit a decided greenish tint must be con- 

 sidered a novelty. 



Such a set has, however, been taken, and 

 they are now before me. They were collected 

 on April 22. 1S88, by the celebrated o61(»gist 

 "J. M. \V. "' (Mr. C. L. Rawson) in Xew Lon- 

 don Comity. Connecticut, and fully identified. 



The ground color is of a pale, but decided 

 greenish tint, and both the eggs are spotted 

 near the ends with fawn color. The greeni.sh 

 tint of the gi'ound color is distinctly percepti- 

 ble, especially by daylight, and is all the more 

 remarkable when seen in a large series of eggs 

 of this bird. Out of thirty-six sets now before 

 me (containing eighty-six eggs) these two are 

 the only ones which approach to a greenish tint. 



As if to make the set still more remarkable 

 one of the eggs is a decided runt, and only 

 measures 2.01x1.60, while the other is of 

 normal size, and measures 2.37 x 1.8.5. 



./. P. X. 



I pitched my camp on the Locosumpo- 

 hatchee after a long day's tramp across the 

 prairie from the old Ft. Ivan settlement. Wolf 

 signs were so plenty that I lost no time in col- 

 lecting a good supply of dry wood. While 

 thus engaged a shrill scream overhead made 

 me suddenly look upwards, and I caught a 

 glimpse of the flashing green plumage of a 

 flock of Parakeets, as they dashed by in the 

 direction of Lake Okeechobee. I was ju.st re- 

 gretting that I hadn't my gun in my hand 

 when another smaller flock settled in a tall 

 tree right over my camp. I slipped cautiously 

 back from tree to tree, but just before I could 

 grasp my gun the whole flock took wing again. 

 I chanced a long shot, however, and was 

 pleased to see one bird flutter downward and 

 catch in a low cypress about a hundred yards 

 off. I started to climb for him and when 

 about half way up my shot belt became en- 

 tangled in some way, and it took me quite a 

 while to unbuckle and disengage it. I hung it 

 on a limb, and looking ujjward again there 

 was the whole flock perched around their 

 wounded comrade. I was afraid to descend 

 again for my gun lest the bird I had already 

 hit should recover sufficiently to get clear 

 away. I got right among the gaudy birds 

 before they again took flight. When I ex- 

 tended my hand to catch my pretty little 

 specimen what was my surprise to see him 

 quietly reach his bill down to my sleeve and 

 then crawl along it to my shoulder. As he did 

 not seem inclined to let go I climbed down 

 with him still hanging on, but when I got to 

 wliere I had left my belt I couldn't find it. 

 After a little search I discovered that it had 

 dropped into the bed of the creek, and the 

 likelihood was that my shells Avere all soaked 

 and spoilt. 



While I was building my fire an Indian came 

 up and, after the usual salutation, consented to 

 camp with me. He had venison and potatoes, 

 and I had coffee and hominy, so we had quite 

 a luxurious meal together. After supper we 

 smoked a "friend.ship pipe," and chatted till 

 late. I was already moderately proficient in 

 Seminole and he knew a little English, so we 

 got on nicely. He was pleased to see me 

 hunting bare-legged like himself and asked 

 me if I wanted more Parakeets. Finding that 

 I did he said he would go down to the lake 

 with me and show me their tree. In the 

 morning I inspected my ammunition and 

 found that I had just two loads of eights safe 



