214 General Notes. [J'^f^ 



of Telmatodytes palustris griseus — a form which often lays colorless eggs, 

 as I well know, having taken eggs as long ago as 1877 of the latter and 

 which are now in the Charleston Museum. Mr. Ridgway gives the meas- 

 urement of the eggs of Cistothorus stellaris as .63 X .48 and of palustris 

 as .66 X .46. As griseus is smaller than palustris the eggs are naturally 

 smaller. The colorless eggs of T. p. griseus taken by me in 1877 I believed 

 were representatives of Cistothorus stellaris simply because they were 

 white instead of chocolate! If the Short-billed Marsh Wren bred on St. 

 Simon's Island between the years 1853 and 1865 (which is questionable) 

 it wovild still continue to do so at the present time, as the conditions are 

 unchanged. 



While I am discussing these Georgia records it is well to mention that 

 the eggs of Bachman's Warbler {Vermivora bachmani) were recorded ' 

 from Georgia by Mr. H. B. Bailey, taken by the late Dr. G. S. Wilson 

 between the years 1853 and 1865. These eggs were described as "dull 

 white; around the larger end is a wreath of dark brown, covering nearly 

 one- third of the egg; while a few obscure spots of lilac are scattered over 

 the rest of the surface." As is now well-known, the eggs of Bachman's 

 Warbler are pure white without any markings of any color. — Arthur 

 T. Wayne, Mount Pleasant, S. C. 



Birds of Central Alberta. — In 'The Auk' for October, 1909, appeared 

 a list of birds by myself for this district, and in the January, 1910, issue 

 appeared some comment on the list by Mr. W. E. Saunders of London, 

 Ontario. May I be allowed the space to show where these so-called dis- 

 crepancies are not discrepancies at all, as will be explained by the following. 



Whooping Crane. — "A very common migrant, stopping at least part 

 of the summer along the larger lakes. One nest was located which was 

 afterwards abandoned." This statement is correct. I have seen no 

 Sandhill Cranes here at all. 



White-winged Crossbill. — My notes sent to the 'Ottawa Naturalist' 

 for 1907 stating, "Seen but once," "a pair carrying nesting material in a 

 spruce swamp," are those of 1908. This accounts for my stating it bred 

 here. When a bird is seen carrying nesting material it is quite obvious 

 that it nests in that locality. Where I stated in ' The Auk,' " seen but once " 

 I should have said, "seen but twice." 



Evening Grosbeak.— My 1906 list states: "Seen but once." My 1907 

 list, sent to the 'Naturalist,' says: "Seen but once." For 1908 the list 

 states, "Found nest, four birds around most of time, quite common." 

 My 1909 list states "Rare and breeding." As will be seen at a glance, 

 these birds were "rare" during 1906, 1907, and 1909, and quite common 

 during 1908; therefore the conclusion was drawn that the bird, on the 

 whole, should be considered as "quite rare," as stated in 'The Auk.' 



1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, VIII, 1883, 38. 



