180 NOTES ON NOVA SCOTIAN ZOOLOGY — PIERS. 



July 3rd, when, still liolding only the pair of eggs, Mr. Austen- 

 took both them and the nest. The outside of the latter was 

 formed of grass with pine-needles and pieces of twigs. Without, 

 the diameter was 4 inches, and depth, 2. Breadth of cavity, 2^ 

 inches; depth, 1 inch. Mr. Austen describes the eggs as being 

 of a " bluish green tinge, speckled with reddish brown, and with 

 a complete ring of dark -red blotches around the larger end." 

 The identihcation was complete. Eggs of this species have been 

 priced at a dollar and seventy-five cents each, which shows that 

 their rarity is such that any description of them will be of 

 interest. 



Yellow Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmaruvi hypochrysea). 

 In 1863, Mr. William Winton sent to Professor Baird, of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, the eggs of this species which he had 

 collected at Stewiacke, N. S. This was the first time Baird had 

 ever seen them. On May 26th, 1891, Mr. Austen found a nest 

 containing four eggs at Dartmouth. It was in a wet piece of 

 ground, sunk a little below the level of the soil, and partially 

 concealed by a dead branch. The structure was formed, outside,, 

 of grasses, bits of moss, and fine roots, while the inside was lined 

 with very fine grass, then a few black horse-hairs, and within 

 all a lining of feathers. Its depth outside was 2| inches ; depth 

 inside, If inches ; breadth inside, 2 inches ; circumference outside,, 

 at top, \\h inches; circumference outside, at bottom, 9f inches. 

 Mr. Austen describes the eggs as white, with a faint reddish 

 tinge, dotted indistinctly with red, and one or two scattered 

 blotches ; larger end marked with a ring of reddish and brown 

 blotches of various sizes. The set is now in the collection of Mr.. 

 J. Parker Norris, of Philadelphia. 



Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis). On June 5th, 1891, 

 I obtained the nest and eggs of this species at Kidston's Lake, 

 near the " Rocking-stone," (Spryfield, Halifax County.) As its 

 breeding habits are very little known to naturalists, I intend to 

 devote some space to a detailed description of this rare nest and 

 eggs, in a paper which I hope shortly to read before the Institute, 

 The rarity of the Winter Wren's eggs will be evident when I 



