Recent Literature. 



247 



The Red-eyed Vireo is stated to lay eggs "white .... sometimes .... a 

 few dark spots towards the larger end." These eggs are always thinly 

 spotted with black and dark brown. 



The white ground color of the eggs of the Redstart is called grayish- 

 white, to which color these eggs can lay no claim whatever. 



Loon's eggs are described as "dull greenish-yellow with numerous 

 spots of brown," while they are olivaceous brown sparingly spotted with 

 dark brown. 



The number of eggs in a set is frequently misstated, as for instance the 

 Vesper Sparrow and the Chippy both have "Eggs, 4 to 6." In each case 

 3 to 4 would be more correct, five being extremely rare, and six have pro- 

 bably never been found in Ontario. 



The nests and nesting sites are wrong in several instances, the two 

 Grebes, Horned and Carolina, being said to lay on the "bog," the latter 

 making a nest of "a few matted rushes on the bog." Mr. J. A. Morden 

 and myself have examined many nests of the Carolina and some of the 

 Horned Grebe, and can say positively that both of them build a large 

 nest of rushes which reaches nearly or quite to the ground, and is sur- 

 rounded with water from six to twelve inches deep, the nests being gen- 

 erally placed where the surrounding rushes are thin, so that the young 

 have easy access to water. 



"Nest, if any, in a hollow tree or cleft of rock" is accredited to the 

 Great Horned Owl. Almost invariably they use a nest similar to that of 

 the Red-tailed Hawk, no instance having yet come under m.y notice where 

 it has used a hollow tree or cleft of rock. 



Speaking of the Pewee, no mention is made of its nesting among the 

 roots of a fallen tree, where probably half the nests in Ontario are made, 

 this bird being quite common in the woods and numerous nests having 

 been found in that position. 



The American Merganser is stated to be "never plentiful." On the 

 inland waters near London it is by far the most common of the Mer- 

 gansers. 



A lamentable error has occurred with the two White Herons, Ardca 

 egretta and A. candidissima , the titles having evidently been misplaced. 

 That this should have occurred seems almost impossible, but is proved 

 by the fact the description, abundance, and even the repeated name under 

 the heading "American Egret" belong to the Snowy Heron, and vice 

 versa. 



There are two instances given of the capture of the Yellow Rail in 

 Ontario, and it is left to be inferred that those constitute its sole occur- 

 rence here. From a number of specimens taken in the marshes near the 

 west end of Ontario I conclude that it is regular though quite rare. 



The Curlew is stated to be "occasionally seen .... as an irregular 

 visitor and not in large numbers." In suitable places it occurs regularly 

 and in considerable numbers, and on May 24 and 25, 1SS7, I saw hundreds 

 at Rondeau, where they are probably as common as anywhere on our 

 shores. 



