EGG CHECK LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
~I 
oo 
and after eating our dinner, turned our attention to the Petrels. We 
hunted around and found some old tree trunks which had lain for years, 
until they had settled deep into the ground. These we overturned for the 
Petrels’ nests, the Petrel digs a furrow a foot or two deep beneath some old 
tree or ledge, hollows out the extremity, makes a rude nest, and pais 
one egg only, one pure white egg, somewhat resembling a pigeon’s, 
rounded at both ends and sometimes having fine flesh-tinted dots arranged 
about the larger end. Under some trees we found several nests, and the 
birds were always at home. This necessitated the unpleasant part of col- 
lecting. They could not be driven from their nests, and so we took them 
by the tail and tossed them into the air, whereupon they took wing and- 
flew away, but many, like Bo-Peep’s sheep ‘left their tails behind 
them.’ In my eagerness to get one off the nest I seized it by the head, 
but I dropped him quick, for the creature did what R. warned us against, 
used its weapon of defense, squirted into my hand a thimbleful of oily liquid, 
which had a most disgusting, sickening odor, secondly, if second, to that 
of the skunk. This musky odor is almost impossible to be removed, the 
eggs emit it, and those which I collected on that day still retain it. The 
oil issues from the nostril above the beak, and can be ejected to a distance 
of several feet. Sometimes we found two birds in one nest, but in such a 
case no egg was found, while one bird was always accompanied with one 
egg, so probably the male attends his mate until the egg is laid and then 
leaves. But it was awful hard work getting their nests, and eggs don’t 
“accumulate very fast at the rate of one at a time, so we thought we would 
try to find some other kinds. A diligent search in the rush hammock 
revealed but one egg of the Laughing Gull, and but two sets of Sandpipers. 
This was disgusting, and the mocking laugh of the Gull sounded then, 
anything but pleasant. For the next half hour we broke our knees on the 
rocks of the shore, peering under the ledges and rocks for Sea Pigeons, 
and we felt well repaid with four nests and six eggs, for they are very large 
and handsome. Then we were ready to go home, but if we had to row 
going we had to row much harder and further returning, but stories made 
the time pass pleasantly, and we gathered many hints which will be of 
service to us in our collecting next year. After our arrival at the shore 
we took supper with our host, once more looked over his birds, started 
for home, tired but happy and well pleased with our day’s work. We 
voted R. a good fellow and agreed that our pleasantest day of the season 
had just been passed. We got home about 9g Pp. m., and went to bed 
to dream of Gulls, Terns and Petrels.”’ 
