August, 1893.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



117 



found in same situation in a railroad cut, 

 one in a crevice of an old tree trunk, and 

 one was placed on a ledge of rocks. 

 Sennett in the A2ik^ vol. 4, p. 243, speaks 

 of having also found the nest in balsam 

 trees. I was unable to find any nests in 

 such situations, and no doubt, like the nest 

 I found on a ledge of rock, it is the excep- 

 tion and not the rule for the birds to select 

 such situations for purposes of nidification. 

 From the observations made I am led to 

 believe that the full set of eggs is general- 

 ly four, never five, but very often three ; 

 three nests found each contained four 

 young ; two nests also contained four 

 eggs, while two nests contained three 

 young and three nests contained three 

 eggs each. The other nests were empty or 

 only contained one or two eggs. The 

 bulk of the nest in the majority of cases 

 was constructed out of small rootlets ; a 

 few of the nests had considerable moss 

 used in their construction ; one or two 

 leaves were also noticed in a few of the 

 nests. The majority of the nests were 

 lined with hair; in fact every nest had 

 more or less of this material used as a 

 lining, but in some considerable hay and 

 fine grasses had been used. The eggs 

 vary both in size, shape, and markings. 

 The average measure of two sets of four 

 eggs was, set i, .77 x .59, set 2, .72 x .60. 

 The average measure of three sets of three 

 eggs each was, set i , .82 x .60, set 2, .88 x 

 .63, set 3, .76 X .56. Mr. Brewster in the 

 Aitk^ vol. 3, p. 108, speaks of Carolhieiisis 

 as averaging larger than HyoiiaUs. The 

 six skins, 3 <? ^ and 3 ? ? , that I secured 

 give an average measure of length =^.94. 

 extent 9.54, wing 3.10. Six specimens 

 of Junco Jiyemalis is in my collection, 4 $ 

 $ and 2 ? ? , give an average measure of 

 length 6.05, extent 10.30, wing 3.12. 

 Perhaps if a larger series was examined 

 the greater difference might be found on the 

 side of Caroluiensis. Thirty-six species 

 of birds were observed durins: our two 



weeks' stay, all of which were no doubt 

 breeding here in the mountains. The 

 only species worthy of special note was 

 the Song Sparrow {^felospiza fasciata) . 

 Around a brush heap near our house I 

 came across three of them ; on several oc- 

 casions afterwards I noticed them in the 

 same place. This species was not noticed 

 by either Messrs. Brewster or Sennett 

 during their summer collecting trips to 

 these mountains. (^A//k, vols. 3 and 4.) 

 The Song Sparrow probably prefers a 

 lower altitude than the mountains of 

 North Carolina for purposes of breeding. 

 Philip Later cut. 



Illinois English Sparrow Law. 



I thought it would be of interest to 

 the readers of the Ornithologist and 

 OoLOGiST to know that Dec. i, 1891, there 

 went into effect the famous English Spar- 

 row Law passed by our legislature. This 

 law provides for a bounty of two cents 

 each on all English Sparrows killed dur- 

 ing the months of December, January and 

 February of each year. Already every 

 small boy has some sort of a "fusee," 

 waiting the coming of the appointed hour, 

 when to slay a sparrow means two cents 

 gained. This bill is undoubtedly a move 

 in the right direction, and in a few years 

 a sparrow of this pestiferous species will 

 be as scarce as hens' teeth in the great 

 prairie state. I know of no other state 

 paying any bounty on them at this time, 

 but hope the law will become general 

 throughout the Union, and, if it does, the 

 question of what to do with p. domesticus 

 will be solved speedily and satisfactorily ; 

 he will be exterminated. Ornithologists 

 hereabouts are strong supporters of our 

 vSparrow Law. R. M. Barnes. 



Lacon, 111. 



H. O. Havemeyer, Jr., secured one of 

 the skins of the Red Phalarope mentioned 

 in July O. & O. He was awake to the 

 desirability of a recorded sjDecimen. 



