14 



In 1901, the predominating number was five ; several sets con- 

 tained six, and only a few with less than five,— many of these 

 were doubtless incomplete on the date of the count, May 24th. 



The numbers held out in 1902 about as they did in the pre- 

 vious year, but at the time of my count many sets were incom- 

 plete. Those known to be complete were twenty sets of five 

 eggs ; eleven sets of six and seven sets of four eggs each, and in 

 one nest the unusual number of seven eggs were found. 



My records show a total of about eleven hundred and fifty 

 eggs laid during the seven years; and the number of young 

 reaching maturity eight hundred and fifty. 



Incubation lasts from twelve to fifteen days, the female, I 

 believe, attending to this duty exclusively. The male is often in 

 the room while the female is sitting, but I do not think for 

 assisting in incubating the eggs. The earliest date I have for 

 eggs to hatch is May 29th., in nests started on the 26th. of 

 April. Throughout the month of June, and sometimes in July, 

 the parent birds can be seen carrying out the fragments of 

 shells, freshly discarded by the young. 



The height of the hatching period is from the 10th. to the 

 15th. of June. 



The Growing Young and the Parents* Care. 



The young, when they first leave the egg-shells, are repulsive 

 looking objects with large heads, eyes closed, and small shiny 

 bodies, without down. The skin is thin and transparent. While 

 vet quite small their eyes open, but in the from of a small cre- 

 vice only. 



During the first day they are not fed by the parents, the 

 mother covering them most of the time. On about the fourth 

 flay down begins to appear on the crown and down the back, on 

 each side of the middle ; and when a week old numerous pin fea- 

 thers of the wings and tail appear. 



After the fifth day the birds grow very rapidly and are 



