lanJom ilotejs on latural li^tort). 



Vol. II. PROVIDENCE, MARCH 1, 1885. 



Entered at the Providence Post-Office as Second-Class Matter. 



No, 3. 



l|mtbom If ol0$ on !f aiitral f istori^. 



A Monthly Devoted to the Distribution of Use- 

 ful Knowledge Concerning the Various De- 

 partments OF Zoology, Mineralogy, and 

 Botany. 50 Cents a Year. 

 Address all communications to 



SOUTHWICK & JENCKS, 

 258 Westminster St., Providence, R. I., U.S. A. 



An egg check-list has just appeared, pub- 

 lished b}' Oliver Davie. It will meet a long 

 felt want, not onl}- with beginners, but the 

 more advanced oologist. It is to be regretted 

 that a simpler form was not chosen, that of 

 comparison rather than wholly descriptive. 

 For instance, had Mr. Davie described as 

 accurately as possible the egg of the Wood 

 Thrush and then compared the Wilson's 

 and Hermit with it, as being lighter col- 

 ored, smaller, etc. ; then the Robin's as 

 exactly the same color but larger, and that 

 large specimens of the one and small of the 

 other were indistinguishable, we think it 

 would have been better. 



The Russet-backed Thrush's Qgg would 

 be another type to which the Mocking-bird's, 

 Tanager's, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak's 

 could be compared. A comparison of the 

 unknown with the known gives a better im- 

 pression than the finest description of close 

 shades of color. For the identification of 

 almost anything else Mr. Davie's descrip- 

 tions would be admirable, but, alas ! of what 

 avail are the most careful descriptions of a 

 large portion of our birds' eggs when, with 

 their variety- and similarity, the}' cannot be 

 identified by the pra'cticed expert. 



Mr. Davie proposes in the near future to 

 publish another edition, and invites sugges- 

 tions and corrections. We note a few of 

 the most prominent errors which we gleaned 

 during a hasty perusal. The number of 

 Robin's eggs is ordinarilj/ not more than 

 four, instead of five or six. Several of the 

 Warblers should be credited with four or 

 five, instead of three or four. The White- 

 bellied Nuthatch rarely stops at four, but 

 lays from five to nine. Bald Eagles given 

 two to four, but rarelv three, two being the 



usual number. Passenger Pigeons lay but 

 one egg, despite the assertions to the con- 

 trary, which, however, no one seems able 

 to prove. * Roseate Spoonbill, two or three, 

 usuallj' three or four. American Oyster- 

 catcher given two to four, very rarely over 

 three. Limpkin given ten to fifteen. Another 

 author recently stated two or three. Our 

 experience has been considerable with this 

 species, and the number is usually four to 

 seven. Flamingo given two. According to 

 Mr. Maynard this is exceptional, one being 

 the usual clutch. Noddy and Sooty Terns 

 given two to three. We know several who 

 have collected these species, but only one 

 egg to a set. 



The Ipswich Sparrow in Rhode Island. 



The last week in November found me at 

 Point Judith. After one day's fruitless 

 search for this sparrow in the meadows on the 

 rock}' portion of the shore, I repaired on 

 the next day, Nov. 27th, to the sandy beach 

 to the westward, along which is a double 

 row of sand hills extending a distance of 

 about a mile and a half. Upon these hills 

 is a scanty growth of long grass, but not ex- 

 pecting to find anything here I kept along 

 the beach around the hills to the marsh, 

 hoping that I might find the birds I so much 

 desired to get. But finding none, I returned 

 to the beach, pursuing ni}' way back, when 

 a chirp attracted my attention to the sand 

 hills, and a moment later I had an Ipswich 

 Sparrow. 



Having now discovered where to find them 

 I took the upper row of hills and m}' com- 

 panion the lower, and in this manner pro- 

 bably started all the sparrows on the hills, 

 and secured seven out of eight birds shot at, 

 six being Ipswich sparrows and the other 

 a Savannah. We started three or four 

 others. 



When started they would fly from fifty 

 to one hundred 3'ards, usuall}' alighting in 

 the grass in the hollow between the hills. 



* See Random JS'otes, Vol. I., Nos. 3, 4 and 5. 



