THE OOLOOISl 



bulky, or it may be a depression on 

 top of a musk-rat house or heap of drift 

 rubbish. 



In breeding season only one pair is 

 apt to be found in the vicinity as they 

 appear to be exclusive in this respect. 

 The eggs of all the Loons are 

 among the most showy of Birds Eggs. 

 The ground color is olive brown vary- 

 ing in degree and they are more or 

 less spotted with black, lighter speci- 

 mens often showing helitrope shell 

 marks. Full sets are almost invaria- 

 bly two. I have heard it said that 

 three have been found but have never 

 seen such a set. The eggs vary in 

 size with the species. Shape elongate 

 ovate normally. Have seen pyriform 

 specimens. 



Common Loon, wing spread aver- 

 age 15 inches, eggs 3.58 x 2.27 in. 



Often called Gt. Northern Diver and 

 locally, Call-up-a-storm or Laughing 

 Bird. 



Yellowibilled Loon of Nor. Pacific 

 is a slightly larger bird. Eggs simi- 

 lar but averaging larger. Known as 

 White-billed Diver. 



Black-throated Loon only migrant 

 in United States. Smaller wing 

 spread about liy2 in. Head grayish 

 on back of neck. Eggs average 3.20 x 

 2.05 in., and so far as my observation 

 goes they are inclined to run darker 

 in ground color than the other Loons. 

 Known as Black-throated Diver. 



The Pacific Loon of Western coast 

 is similar. Eggs average still small- 

 er, about 3.08 x 1.90. 



The Red-throated Loon is the small- 

 est, wing about 10 1-2 in., and throat 

 shows chestnut, more or less accord- 

 ing to season, in males; pure white 

 in females and young. Eggs average 

 2.86 by 1.80 in. Known as Red-throat- 

 ed Diver. Migrant only in United 

 States. 



Articles treating of the Loons will 

 be found in Oologist as follows: Vol. 



IV., 79; Vol. V, 105; Vol. VIII, 81; Vol. 

 IX, 103, 148, 164, 217; Vol. X, 171, 229; 

 Vol. XI, 283, 359, 364; Vol. XII, 188; 

 Vol. XVII, 103, 150; Vol. XIX, 5, 49, 

 104; Vol. XX, 24; Vol. XXI, 60. 



ERNEST H. SHORT. 



Some Notes from Michigan. 



While strolling in the woods Sat- 

 urday afternoon, Nov. 7th, 1891, I met 

 some boys who knew that I was in- 

 terested in birds and their eggs, who 

 said they had a curious egg. Thrust- 

 ing his hand into his pocket, one of 

 them produced an egg of the Cow- 

 bird (broken, of course,) perfectlj^ 

 fresh. The yolk was fresh and of a 

 bright yellow; the white of the egg 

 was in good condition. It had no odor 

 except that common to eggs. They 

 said the egg was warm when they 

 found it. Have any of the readers 

 ever heard of a Cow-ibird laying eggs 

 in Michigan, or any place so far north, 

 in November? Can anyone give an 

 explanation? 



While passing through a field on 

 May 2nd, 1891, I noticed a bird a lit- 

 tle larger than,a Sparrow, which ap- 

 peared very uneasy about something. 

 I looked for the nest and for the cause 

 of her uneasiness, but found nothing. 

 It was a brownish gray, with black 

 throat and black stripe along the side 

 of the head. It kept to the ground 

 and would only fly a short distance. 

 It ran and hopped at intervals. When 

 flying it spread its tail. The two or 

 three outer tail feathers were black 

 and the rest brownish gray; legs 

 rather long. What was it? 



On June 18th, 1891, I found quite a 

 curiosity in the way of a set of Black- 

 bird's eggs. They were Red-winged 

 Blackbird's; nest in a bush over wa- 

 ter in a marsh; the first was exceed- 

 ingly large, markings as usual; the 

 second was of an average type; the 



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