August, 1889.] 



AWD OOLOGIST. 



119 



reaching terra, ^liriaa I again started homeward 



and readied it bespattered with mud and witli 



scratched hands and face. But I considered 



myself well repaid for my work if I did have 



to hunt them under an umbrella. 



Edwin C. Datis. 

 Gainesville, Texas. 



The White-throated Warbler 

 Saybrook, Conn. 



at 



Twelve years ago I indulged in great satis- 

 faction over the capture of my first specimen 

 of Ilelmlnthophaga leucohronchialis, at that 

 time regarded as an exceedingly rare species, 

 but during the last few years other collectors 

 have obtained and taken so many specimens 

 that its capture is now scarcely considered de- 

 serving of note, yet the securing of another 

 specimen, and hearing its song many times re- 

 peated, drew my attention to the fact that I 

 had not read anything relating to its notes. 



This was early in the season (May 8th, 1889). 

 I was taking a walk into the woods for the 

 purpose of observing and noting the new ar- 

 rivals, when my ear caught the notes of a 

 HelminthoplKKja pinus. Of course I should 

 have i-ecorded it had not the bird at that same 

 moment perched on a twig close at hand and in 

 full view. Although I observed that the note 

 liad less of the whispered lisp of pinii.H, and 

 more of the vocal of chri/soptern, yet the vari- 

 ation was of such a character that in itself it 

 would scarcely have attracted my attention, 

 but once noticing I readily perceived the dis- 

 tinction, and saw that it was a perfect imita^ 

 tion of the first pai't of the song of chrysoptera 

 without the concluding chatter that invariably 

 terminates that of the latter species. 



My bird was (unlike my former experience) 

 very shy, after having inspected me once to 

 his satisfaction close at hand, and too near to 

 be made a specimen of, and for three hours I 

 followed the elusive notes back and forth 

 through the forest with all the caution and 

 strategy of which I was master before success 

 rewarded my labors. This specimen exactly 

 resembled my former capture, and it seems to 

 me the distinction is altogether too marked 

 and permanent to render tenable the recently 

 advocated theory accepted by S(jme of hybrid- 

 ization. But I have found in ornithological 

 matters it is so easy to be mistaken that I only 

 venture to express my doubts by a very small 

 interrogation point. 



John N. Clark. 

 Saylirook, Conn. 



A Series of Eggs of the American 

 Woodcock. 



The eggs of the American Woodcock (P/tilo- 

 hela minor) are almost always four in number, 

 and are laid on a few leaves on the ground. 

 They are rounded ovate or short ovate in form, 

 although occasionally a set is found that 

 are ovate. The ground color is subject to 

 considerable variation as well as the mark- 

 ings. 



Set I. June 8, 1875. Ledyard, New London 

 County, C(mnecticut. Collected by "J. M. W." 

 (C. L. Rawson). Eggs on old leaves, among 

 white birches, on ground sloping toward 

 swamp. Female feigned lameness, almost 

 touched. Pointed by dog. Male near. Four 

 eggs, incubation begun. Ecru drab, spotted 

 with fawn color and lavender-gray: 1.49x1.21; 

 1.44x1.19; 1.50x1.21; 1.49x1.19. 



Set II. March 29, 1889. Wake County, 

 North Carolina. Collected by H. H. & C. S, 

 Brimley. Nest, a mere depression in dead 

 leaves in mixed woods, on hillside sloping to 

 creek, just above flood mark. Bird on nest. 

 Four eggs, incubation far advanced. Buffy, 

 spotted with russet and fawn color: 1.00 x 1.09; 

 1.58x1.09; 1.51x1.07; 1.50x1.09. 



Set III. April 15, 188:^. Preston, New Lou- 

 don County, Connecticut. Collected by "J. 

 M. W." (C. L. Rawson). Eggs on ground, 

 among white birches. Nest pointed by dog, 

 although he may have been pointing the male 

 bird, which was within a few feet of the nest 

 when first seen. Four eggs, incubation begun. 

 Ecru drab, spotted with cinnamon and lilac- 

 gray: 1..5:^xl.l4; 1.47x1.19; 1.50x1.1(5; 1,49 x 

 1.17. 



Set lY. April, 1885, Kennett Square, Penn- 

 sylvania, Collected for H, H. Gawthrop, 

 Eggs on ground. Three eggs; fawn color, 

 spotted with russet and lilac-gray: 1,57x1,17; 

 l,.52xl,14; 1,51x1,14, 



Set V, April 21, 1875, Ledyard, New Lon- 

 don County, Connecticut. Collected by "J. 

 M. W." (C, L, Rawson). Eggs on leaves on 

 ground, on slope wooded with white birches, 

 sloping toward water. Pointed by dog. Four 

 eggs. Fawn color, spotted with russet and 

 drab: 1.5:'.xl.2:3 ; L49xl,22; 1,00x1,21; 1,.53 

 xl.22. 



Set VI, April 26, 1880, Rockland, Maine. 

 Four eggs, fresh. Fawn color, spotted with 

 russet and lilac-gray: 1..50xl.24; 1.48x1.19; 

 1.-52x1.22; 1,40x1,17, 



J. P. N. 



