General Notes. 



117 



months I had occasion to examine many nests of the falmeri, nearly 

 always with the same result. Two eggs I considered an imperfect set, 

 and as such left them undisturbed, unless debarred by distance from 

 returning for them when the set was completed. Those that were taken 

 were almost invariably fresh, while sets of three and four were frequently 

 more or less incubated. Towards the latter part of Mav I was at the 

 Qi^iijotoa, some eighty or ninety miles southwest of Tucson. In that 

 vicinity-Palmer's Thrashers were exceedingly abundant. I had there an 

 opportunity to examine many nests, and, to my surprise, they contained 

 but two eggs each. This, however, I attributed to the fact that the eggs 

 in question were, as I supposed, the second or third broods of the season. 



In 1SS6 I was early in the field, and although nests had apparently been 

 completed for several weeks past I did not find an egg of a /rt/;«t'/-/ till 

 February 2Sth. On that day I took two nests, each containing three eggs. 

 March 28 I was again out, and took a nest of four. April 18, another nest 

 containing three. From various causes this practically ended my obser- 

 vations for the year. 



In the spring of the present year ([887), for some cause unknown to me, 

 the nesting season opened unusually late, although as in the preceding 

 year some nests had apparently been ready for weeks. On March 20 I 

 took three nests of the palmeri, each containing two slightly incubated 

 eggs. April 10 I examined eleven nests of this same bird, seven of which 

 contained two young each, one, one young, two, two eggs each, and 

 one, three eggs. April 17 I examined seven more nests; three contained 

 two young each, three, two eggs each, and the other, one Q%^. April 24 

 I examined three nests, of which two had two eggs, and one, one ^^"g. 



May 15 I took two nests, one of which contained two eggs and the other 

 had four. The latter were unusually light in color and much undersized. 

 May i6 a boy brought me a nest containing three eggs which he assured 

 me were all of the same set; but this is doubtful, as one &'g% was larger 

 than the other two and pinkish in color. All were much incubated. 

 May 20 I examined six nests, four of which contained two eggs each, one 

 three, and one one. May 21 I examined five nests, four of which contained 

 three eggs each, the other two eggs. May 24 I examined six nests, two 

 of which contained three eggs, two, two eggs each, and two, one egg each. 



June 4 I took one nest containing two eggs. June 14 one nest with two 

 eggs. June 19 one nest with three eggs. Beyond this I could give them 

 no attention, but I have certain knowledge that they continued nesting 

 late into July. 



If the numerical difterence here noted was due to climatic changes, why 

 were not the Bendire's Thrashers affected likewise.? Both occupy the 

 same locality and have a similarity of habits. The Bendire's nested later 

 than the Palmer's, as usual. It was April 10 when I noted the first eggs 

 of the Bendire's Thrasher. That was a month, all but three days, later 

 than I found them in 18S5. During the past season I examined eighteen 

 nests of this bird, eight of which contained three eggs each, seven con- 

 tained two eggs each, two contained one t%^^ each, and one nest contained 



