Vol. 



1912 



,^2^^^] General Notes. 393 



conceive what would happen when it came time for the male to sit. Mr. 

 Pohng makes mention of the bird carrying onlj^ one egg. But the set 

 consists of two eggs, and the birds do not incubate (though they may stand 

 over the first egg and guard it) until the second egg is laid. The European 

 Cuckoo, it is said, sometimes carries her egg in her bill (see summary of 

 data, by Francis H. Herrick, in the Journal of Experimental Zoology, 1910). 

 But such a habit is altogether foreign to the behavior of pigeons. 



Hence, we must not believe that the Band-tailed Pigeon carries its eggs 

 unless on the very best of evidence. Have we the best of evidence? Not 

 at all. That a pigeon was shot with an egg embedded in the feathers of 

 the belly indicates, not that the bird had carried the egg voluntarily, but 

 that the egg had become accidentally fastened to the feathers. The egg 

 may have been cracked or nicked, and glued to the feathers by the exuding 

 albumen. I have seen even an unbroken egg carried about because stuck 

 to the feathers by some albumen from a broken egg. — Wallace Craig, 

 Orono, Maine. 



Note on the Bald Eagle and Osprey. — On a number of occasions I 

 have had the good luck to see a Bald Eagle rob an Osprey of his hard- 

 earned meal; but never, until last summer, had I seen the Osprey retaliate 

 in any way whatever. Frequent observations have led me to look upon 

 the latter bird as rather peaceable for a bird of prey, and strongly inclined 

 to attend strictly to business. 



On the occasion in question I came out on the shore of Lake Andros- 

 coggin, a considerable body of water in the Androscoggin River region of 

 Maine, just in time to see an interesting combat, involving some very fine 

 wing work. The Eagle had just forced the Osprey to drop a fish, but had 

 failed to catch it as it fell. The smaller bird then withdrew to a point 

 about fifty feet above, and suddenly swooping down, attempted to strike 

 the Eagle. on the back. Just as it looked certain that the broad back 

 must receive the full force of the stroke, up went one great wing, with- an 

 agility and a skill that would have done credit to a practised boxer, and the 

 Osprey was tossed aside with apparently almost no effort. This was 

 repeated several times; when the Osprey, evidently discouraged, gave up 

 the unequal fight and winged away toward the far side of the lake. Im- 

 mediately the Eagle dropped to the water, and picking up the fish made off 

 with it. 



Throughout the performance, the difference between the birds in build 

 and action was very striking: the Eagle, broad, heavy, apparently slow 

 and clumsy — deceptively so, as the event showed; the Osprey, slender, 

 undulating, all agile grace and skill. — Freeman F. Burr, White Plains, 

 N. Y. 



Maynard's Cuckoo {Coccyzus minor maynardi Ridgway) in Cuba. — 

 On Alarch 9, 1912, I secured a female specimen of the Mangrove Cuckoo, 

 along the bay at " Manati," Guantanamo, Cuba. Not being sure as to 



