28 ORNITHOLOGIST 
When done, sew up the opening, bend the legs 
into position, being guided by the natural joints 
in the bones. Now place the hare on a board, 
tig. 11, showing bend in hind legs. When the 
bones are missing or broken, the wire will ans- 
wer, but it is a more difficult job to get a good 
bend. 
The mouth, nostrils and head will need shap- 
ing; fill in, using cotton, through the eye holes 
and corner of mouth, carefully working out your 
figure. Draw the ears up into place. If large 
ones cut out pasteboard and sew them to it on 
the inside, and fill cotton in between the ear and 
hoard, and perhaps run a single wire down 
through into the body. (See fig. 12, showing 
both sides.) For deer some use wooden frames, 
and I have seen ears filled with plaster. For 
small animals, such as squirrels, all that is neces- 
sary is to keep them pinched in shape while dry- 
ing, by pinching with the fingers once or twice ¢ 
day. When all is done fill the eye cavities with 
cotton, and use a pair of Thomas Hurst’s superior 
glass eyes. 
Nest of the Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher.* 

BY GEO. H. CENTER. 
May 18, 1885, I found a nest of this little bird 
ona limb twelve feet up, on a dead walnut tree, 
situated on the bank of a small creek. The tree 
was leafless, the water having washed the earth 
from its roots so that it almost fell with my 
weight when I ascended to the nest, which was 
placed in the fork of the branch so that one limb 
formed a roof to shelter it. The nest was com- 
posed of a coarse moss found on the trees near 
by, and spider webs, this latter material being 
wound around the whole nest, together with a few 
pieces of wool. It was lined with the down 
found on hickory buds, and a few feathers, to- 
gether with some very fine dry grass. 
There was one egg in the nest when found, 
which I let remain until May 22d, when I re- 
turned and took the nest and five fresh eggs. 
This time I saw the female on the nest. She was 
sitting parallel with the limb, as I think she al- 
ways would, for on the side from the tree there 
was a low place where she rested her chin which 
enabled her to sit with more ease, as it would 
otherwise compel her to keep her head straight up. 
The next day I was in the woods at an early 
hour and saw a pair of these little birds flying 
from tree to tree, gathering material for their 
nest. I watched them for some time, and at last 
saw them fly into the top of an elm. It took some 
length of time before I could discover them, as 

*From Odlogical Department. 
[Vol. 11-No. 2 
they had evidently just began house building. I 
at last saw it on a limb about twenty feet from 
the ground. I did not trouble them until the 3d 
of June, when I returned and took the nest with 
five fresh eggs. The work and material used 
were precisely like the first, except the nest was 
smaller, as also were the eggs. Nest number one 
was two and three-quarters inches in height out- 
side, two inches deep on the upper side, one and 
one-half inches on the lower ; circumference cight 
and one-quarter inches. Number two measures 
two and one-quarter inches in height, one and 
three-quarter inches in depth on the upper, and 
one and one-quarter inches deep on the lower 
side; circumference seven and_ three-quarters 
inches. 
Large Sets of Eggs of the Mourn- 
ing Dove.* 
BY PHILO W. SMITH, JR., GREENVILLE, ILL. 
It has been my good fortune to find several 
large sets of the Mourning Dove, (Zenuidura 
carolinensis.) My first set of three eggs was taken 
in 1883 ; the second in 1884,and four sets of three 
eggs each in 1885. I will only describe those 
taken in 1885. The first set was taken April 19 ; 
the second April 29; the third June 15, and the 
fourth June 20. Two of the sets were taken 
from old Robin’s nests, the other two from Dove 
nests of the usual construction and material. 
The birds were flushed from their nests in every 
instance. Insets Nos. 2 and 3, one of the eggs 
was considerably smaller than the others of the 
set. In the other two sets there was no more 
than the usual variation in size and shape, and 
on blowing the eggs they all appeared fertile 
with the exception of one egg in set No. 4, (the 
smaller egg.) In collecting I also came across a 
Brown Thrasher’s nest containing one egg of the 
Thrush and two of the Dove’s. Also a Robin’s 
nest with one of the Robin’s and one of the Dove’s. 
In both instances the Dove was flushed from the 
nest. Being unable to visit the locality again I 
did not have the pleasure of watching the old 
Dove feeding and caring for her foster children, 
(provided the Robin and Brown Thrasher eggs 
were hatched.) The question that arises in my 
mind is whether the Robin and Brown Thrasher 
had deserted their nest, or whether the Doves 
appropriated the nests while their owners were 
absent. In the case of the large sets of Dove's 
eggs, did the same bird lay all three eggs, or did 
Dove No. 2 take possession while No. 1 was ab- 
sent” I should like to hear from others on this 
subject. 
*From Odlogical Department. 
