INTRODUCTION 



During the latter part of January, 1891. President Lynds Jones, of the 

 Wilson Ornithological Chapter of the Agassiz Association, appointed the 

 writer Chairman of the Oological Committee. Mr. Jones, at the same 

 time, offered a few suggestions in relation to the nature of the work to be 

 performed ; but left the general outline as well as the special subject to be 

 studied, to my own judgment and discretion. While it was my original 

 design to include notes on the nidification of several species in this repf)rt. 

 and some material was received relating to the nests and eggs of 

 Accipilcr coopeti and . /. I'clox. I finally deemed it a wiser plan to con- 

 fine my efforts to a single species, one whose breeding habitat was the 

 least restricted, and whose abundance is well known throughout the 

 country. To accomplish anything in this line, however imperfectly done, 

 requires much time; and the successors to President Jones, (Messrs. Wil- 

 lard N. Clute and Reuben M. Strong) continued me in office until a final 

 report would be assured. To those gentlemen I owe much for sugges- 

 tions, encouragement and other assistance from time to time. 



The notes received were varied beyond description, and often much 

 correspondence was required to bring out some hidden point, or to decide 

 on the accuracy or reliability of the correspondent ; it being my aim to 

 incorporate only original and carefully prepared notes Whatever inter- 

 est or value may attach to the succeeding pages is chiefly due to this 

 precaution. Twenty-eight states and two provinces are represented, 

 either directly through the voluntary contributions of observers, or bv 

 means of exchange and purchase of specimens. The nature of some 

 reports was such as to have no special value in a work of this kind, and 

 consequently are not apparent in the general report. The amount of 

 material not closely appertaining to oology was so great as to cause the 

 compiler to overstep the boundary and take up the life history of Corvus 

 americauits. No special attempt having been made to collect such notes, 

 the history is necessarily fragmentary, without pretentions to complete- 

 ness. Indeed, many interesting traits and peculiarities have been scarcely 

 touched upon, or have been passed over entirely. If time, data, and in- 

 terest warrant it, such neglected points may be made the subject of a 

 paper at some future date. 



I am greatly indebted to the following persons (not all of whom are 

 members of the W. O. C.) for the assistance rendered me ; many furn- 

 ishing not only all the notes at their command, but securing additional 

 data, through their correspondence and otherwise ; at all times manifest- 

 ing their eagerness to bring the report to a successful issue. To them I ex- 



