24 PHOrEEDIKGS OF THE 



the two species do not eticronch upon each other's territory, and 

 my observations bear out this statement. 



Mr. C. C. Henry, of Summit, has found slellnris breeding at 

 Afton, N. J., in the Blaclc meadows, in company with palustris, 

 the ratio being about one to fifty, which means that you might 

 find two or three nests of stellaris in a season. He also tells me 

 of a nest of stcUaris that contained seventeen eggs, all well incu- 

 bated; only one pair of liirds was seen near the nest, but I feel 

 sure that two or moi-e females were responsible for the abnormal 

 get. Seven eggs is the largest number found in any nest of 

 which I have any record, with the exception of the above. 



I have never been able to find any infallible rule for distin- 

 guishing the nests of this species from those of palustris. My 

 own experience has l)een that stellaris used finer grass in con- 

 struction, but Mr. Henry tells me that in the nests he has found 

 the grass used was as coarse if not coarser than that used by 

 palustris. Stellaris invariably (?) builds in grass tules; I liave 

 never found one built in any other location, and have no differ- 

 ing record. Palustris, however, builds in almost aii_y situation 

 that happens to suit his notion, most often in den.'^e patches of 

 calamus, cat-tails or wild rice. I have found them in dense 

 rose bushes which were growing in masses of cat-tails and in 

 grass tules, but not often. 



Some writers tell of having found the nests plastered with 

 mud; I have never found, nor have I ever heard of one so con- 

 structed, having been found in this locality. 



The earliest date that I have for eggs, is May 23, 1903, when 

 I found at Miersville a nest containing one egg, and another 

 nest upon which the birds were working. The next day. May 

 24, in the Lee Meadows I found five nests, in various stages of 

 completion, and watched the birds building them for some 

 time; many "dummy" nests were in the same meadow and 

 had evidently been rejected before starting on the permanent 

 site. 



On May 30, 1903, Mr. J. P. Callender found a nest in the 

 Great Swamp, containing two fresh eggs. 



These dates are unusually early, June 9 being the usual time 

 for finding one or two eggs in a ncBt, in this section. 



