TEE OOLOGIST 



27 



Variation in Eggs of the King Bird. 



— A set of eggs of tliis species taken in 

 1873 were very dark — dai'ker than any 

 since examined, though a hirge number of 

 sets have been seen. The ground color 

 was a dull reddi.sh-bi-own, and the mark- 

 ings, which extended lengthwise with the 

 shell, were very heavy. Were the eggs a 

 trifle darker and duller, they would have 

 been very similar to those of the Great- 

 crested Flycatcher. 



A number of sets examined immediately 

 subsequent to the finding of the above com- 

 plement were uniformly cream color, spot- 

 ted rather sparsely with roundish dots and 

 markings of chocolate tind lavender. Lat- 

 er, three sets of dark eggs were taken ; while 

 in the meantime, several nests containing 

 the light eggs were foiuid. Whether or not 

 the same pairs laid the dark eggs every 

 time, we do not know, but they were all 

 found in the same locality, though not all 

 the same year. A number of southern sets 

 are all very light and sparely marked. 



searching the ground I found a nest con- 

 taining/bur young birds, and as I saw no 

 other Towhees around, suppose they were 

 the young of those preparing to build. 

 Is it common for them to raise tivo broods 

 in a season? J.F.Hilliker, Boston, Mans. 

 [Authors do not exactly agree upon the 

 point you question. For example, Coues 

 says tliat " two broods of Towhees are us- 

 ually reared each season, and sometimes 

 three" ; while Gentry writes : *■' This spe- 

 cies is single-brooded." We are inclined 

 to believe, that, circumstances I'avoriug, 

 two broods may be reared. — Ed.] 



Oblogical Notes for October. 



Series of Crows' eggs show nearly as 

 much variation as birds eggs usually do, 

 excepting perhaps those instances of abnor- 

 mally maculate or immaculate specimens. 

 In size and shape there is considerable var- 

 iation ; some specimens were very long and 

 slim, and sharply pointed at the lesser end. 

 The ground color is susceptible of differ- 

 ence. A few eggs were very light green, 

 while the majority were dark and clouded, 

 and there were some between these two 

 extremes. As to the markings ; — some 

 were sparsely spotted, especially the lightest 

 ones referred to ; while the darkest ones ap- 

 peared to owe most of their grouud color 

 to the splashes, streaks and iiideiiiiable 

 marks of dark color. 



On the 17th of June, 1879, while walk- 

 ing through the woods I saw a pair of Tow- 

 hee Buntings preparing to build, and on 



A. F. Wooster, Norfolk, Conn. 



Took a set of GaleoscojAes carolinensis 

 with five eggs, June 10, 1879. Nest plac- 

 ed in a scrub apple-tree. I have examined 

 a thousand nests first and last, but never 

 saw the occurrence before ; eggs invariably 

 four. B. J. Peckham, Westerly; R. I. 



Gt. Horned Owl, 



Red-shouldered Hawk, 



Red-tailed Hawk, 



Cooper's Hawk, 



White-rumped Shrike, 



Loggerhead ' ^ 



Swamp Sparrow, 



Red-shouldered Hawk,* 



Rough-winged Swallow, 



Downy Woodpecker, 



Kingfisher, 



Wood Thrush, 



Black-billed Cuckoo, 



Wilson's Thrush, 



Red-eyed Vireo, 



Red-headed Woodp'k'r, 



Black-billed Cuckoo, 



"Second set of pair of birds robbed April 16. 



S. F. Rathbun, Auburn, N. Y. 



