Se a OBERHOLSER, Notes on N. A. Birds. II. BPA 
backing to the edge of the nest where she raised her wings threaten- 
ingly and uttered the creaking note in a frightened tone. The 
turtle soon disappeared but she remained at the side of the nest 
creaking softly for several minutes, then peering ahead she cau- 
tiously settled down to brood. 
Next day I found the nest all mussed up with three of the eggs 
remaining in it and two more in the water on one side. I was in 
the blind nearly an hour and although I heard Gallinules near 
several times none came to the nest. 
On examination the nest appeared to have become water soaked 
one side disintegrating so that the weight of the Gallinule had 
caused it to sink and spill the eggs. Or perhaps a turtle had tried 
to climb upon the nest. However this does not seem probable as 
the eggs had not been destroyed. 
Incubation was almost complete in some of the eggs and there 
would have been young in the nest inside of two days and I had 
hoped to be in the blind at this interesting time. 
NOTES ON NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
i, 
BY HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. 
Like the first installment! the present paper is made up of 
various notes on North American birds. A few of the birds treated 
below belong to species or genera which are much in need of revision, 
and the notes on such have been withheld for years in the expecta- 
tion that time and opportunity would avail for thorough study of 
these groups. But since this does not appear possible in the near 
future, these comments are now presented in this form in the hope 
that they.may be of at least some assistance to ornithologists. 
1For the first paper of this series see “The Auk,’ XX XIV, April, 1917, pp. 191-196. 
