AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



46. 



This occurs most frequently when 

 we have an early, warm spring. I 

 found two sets last year, one on 

 June 15, containing eleven eggs, 

 and the other on June 18, this also 

 containing eleven eggs, but under 

 peculiar circumstances. The last 

 set mentioned contained, besides 

 the eleven partridge eggs, seven 



eggs of the ring-necked pheasant. 

 The partridge had possession and 

 was sitting, although not able to 

 cover the eighteen eggs, some of 

 which had spoiled. Incubation was 

 about ten days advanced. What 

 battles were fought over the pos- 

 session of the eggs and nest can 

 only be imagined." 



EAGLE vs. HOUNDS. 



1 once saw a golden eagle play a 

 real mean trick on a pack of 

 hounds that were after a rabbit. 

 I should like to have a picture of 

 it as it is in my mind's eye. It 

 was one of those mild, calm days 

 in the late fall. The bunch-grass 

 on the side hills, the blue-stem of 

 the hollows, and the light buffalo- 

 grass made the only shading in 

 the scene. There sat the eagle, a 

 half mile distant, looking like a 

 man sitting with his head drawn 

 down close to his shoulders. 



The hunters were off on a long 

 slope, out of sight of the eagle. 

 Soon the deep baying of the 

 hounds can be heard in the dis- 

 tance, and here comes Mr. Jack- 

 rabbit, just sailing around the hill, 

 across a long slope covered with 

 buffalo-grass, too short to inter- 

 fere with his running. The hounds 

 were good ones, big, buff fellows, 

 almost matching the grass in 

 color, and were keeping well up 

 with the rabbit. On they came; 

 the rabbit, as is its custom, see- 

 ing nothing in front of it while 



running, coming straight for the 

 eagle. When close to it, the eagle 

 rose straight in the air, hovered 

 there a moment till the bewildered 

 jack was under him, then dropped 

 down and seized it as compla- 

 cently as if he had always got his 

 grub that way. The hounds 

 swung off to one side and circled 

 back to the hunters, who seemed 

 to think that the dogs had lost 

 the trail of the rabbit, and they 

 surely had. 



A. K. BOYLES. 

 Salina, Kansas. 



Our Color Chart will be ready 

 for the April number. These 

 charts require twenty-two impres- 

 sions each and are therefore ex- 

 pensive. We have decided to give 

 these to yearly subscribers only. 

 We would suggest that you bind 

 this sheet in your first number, 

 where it can always be found. It 

 will be an invaluable aid when 

 studying the birds in our magazine 

 or any other bird book. Single 

 copies can be had for ten cents 

 each. 



