J ^2 SUMMER BIRDS. 



Slide Mountain, June i5, 1881, and two taken on the same mountain 

 by Mr. Pearsall, June 7, 1882, are perfectly typical of the species and 

 manifestly distinct from the preceding. In connection with the lat- 

 ter their dimensions are of interest and are appended, in inches and 

 hundredths : — 

 Ad. $> June 7, '82 — wing, 4.1 5; tail, 3.10; tarsus, 1.03; middle toe, .65; 



bill, culmen and from nostril, .49-37. 

 Ad. 6 June 7, '82 — wing, 3.90; tail, 3.00; tarsus, i 10; middle toe, .68; 



bill, .48-.37. 

 Ad. 6 June i5, '81 — wing. 3 85; tail, 2.87; length of this specimen in 

 the flesh, 7.10. 



It is possible that the earlier taken of these specimens were late 

 migrants representative of a more northern habitat; certainly they do 

 not show the reduction from maximum specific size that we should 

 expect to find in individuals from the southern limit of the breeding 

 rano-e of their species. But with this bird decrease of latitude seems 

 to be nearly compensated by moderate increase in altitude, and a 

 specimen from another locality at the southern breeding limit of the 

 species is rather over than under the average size. This was taken 

 by my brother (P. C. B.), in the western part of the State (Allegany 

 County) at about the same latitude as the Catskills, and gives the 

 measurements here recorded in the order previously followed : — 

 Ad. 6 ? July 19. 1871 — 3.92, 3.00, 1.08, .68, .51-.37. 



I have elsewhere alluded to a Thrush's nest taken at the top of 

 Slide Mountain which, containing blue brown-speckled eggs, may 

 have belonged either to //. ' Szuaiiisoni or H. ' Bicknclli. Notwith- 

 standing the uncertainty as to the identity of this nest a brief de- 

 scription may be not without interest. It was built upon some 

 lateral branches of a young balsam, close to the trunk, about seven 

 feet from the ground. Moss had been largely used in the external 

 construction with plant stems and some dead leaves, the interior be- 

 ing finished with a lining of black rootlets. Several nests of the 

 previous year were similar to this, both in position and construction. 



The three eggs were fresh and measured respectively : .82X.63, 

 .82X-64 .8ix-65. These dimensions appear to be much smaller than 

 the average of those of H. ' Szvai?iso?u\ and smaller than any mini- 

 mum measurements of those of either this species or of H. Alicics 

 that I have seen. While one is nearly elliptical the others are more 

 ovate in outline, and all differ in shade and markings; but from the 

 uncertainty of their ownership further description is not called for. 

 A nest, supposed to be of//. ' Siuainsoni, was discovered near Slide 

 Mountain by my brother (P. C. B.), on June 26, 1873, which was 

 built about fifteen feet from the ground in a small beech-tree, and 



