J lead 1886. a 
Eriouss BieSeiis Blace of Nighthaws. 
On June 10th, 1886, a peNiehttiawis. (Chordeiles 
popetue), was found sitting on two eggs on the 
pebble roof of a dwelling house, on Spruce 
street, above Twentieth street, Philadelphia. 
This is right in the centre of the city, where it is 
closely built up for miles in all directions. The 
eggs were laid on the pebbles, without any at- 
tempt at forming a nest. 
pened eae ss i 
Eggs of the White-tailed Hawk. 
Mr. Thomas H. Jackson, of West Chester, Pa., 
sends the following description of a set of two 
eggs of the White-tailed Hawk, (Buteo albicau- 
datus) in his cabinet: 
“They are decidedly pyrifurm in shape, and 
one of them much more so than the other. Color: 
grayish white, faintly clouded with shadings of 
purplish brown. No. 1 has a few streaks of dark 
brown over and near the greater end ; but No. 2 
has no well defined spots other than a few that 
are evidently weather stains. The surface of the 
sheli is rather smoother than usual in eggs of the 
Buteos. No. 1 measures 2.20x1.80 and No. 2 is 
2.39x1.82. 
“They were collected on April 18, 1884, at 
Corpus Christi, Texas, by J. P., for E. D. Drown. 
The bird was shot, and the eggs were fresh. The 
nest was in the top of a‘Spanish Dagger’ bush 
(Yucca alefolia) 7 feet 6 inches from the ground.” 
For description of another set of the eggs of 
this hawk, see ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST for 
January, 1886, p. 11. 
—_———— 
Nesting of the Yellow-rump Warbler. 
BY WILLIAM L, KELLS, ONTARIO, CANADA. 
This species, (Dendraca coronatu), is but rarely 
observed in this section of the country, though 
owing to its peculiar habitat, and comparative 
silence, it may be more common than I am now 
aware. It is well known to every field ornitholo- 
gist that each of the species of Warblers have 
their peculiar haunts, and but few of them inter- 
mingle in the same society, and when they meet 
they evince a jealous rivairy that soon causes 
each to understand that there can be no love be- 
tween them, and that their ways are not in 
harmony. Sometimes, however, ina small circle, 
a number of species may be heard intermingling 
their joyous songs together. In the same thick 
underwood may be found the nests of the Red- 
start, (Setophaga ruticilla), and the Chestnut-sided 
Warbler, (Dendreca pennsylvanica), but that of 
the former is always more elevated than the 
AND ee 103 
latter and paaniy deeper in the wood. So in 
the same swampy woodland the Yellow-rump 
and Bay-breasted Warblers, (Dendraeca castauned), 
meet on common ground; but while the latter 
glean and warble high among the foliage, the 
former confine their haunts near to the ground, 
where they may meet in society the Black-and- 
White Creeper, (Mniotilta varia), and other mem- 
bers of the same family; and as with the birds 
themselves, so with their nesting places. I have 
seen but few nests of the Yellow-rump Warbler, 
and but one with eggs. On the 8th of June, 
1882, I discovered, for the first time, the nest of 
this species. It was in a low black-ash timbered 
wood, where there was an intermingling of low 
balsam and cedars, and near where I had taken 
a nest of a Bay-breasted Warbler the season be- 
fore, and of whose nest I was now in search, 
when I espied in a low balsam about four feet 
from the ground, a nest much like in material, 
form and position, that of a Chipping Sparrow, 
(Spizellu domestica). The bird was seated on the 
nest, but flew off when I was within a few feet, 
and froma position near by anxiously watched 
my movements, at the same time moving uneasily 
and uttering a few “chip’-like notes. I also care- 
fully noted her plumage, and became certain of 
her identity as a Yellow-rump Warbler. The 
nest contained four fresh eggs, which I took, and 
they have since been in my collection. It iscom- 
posed of small stalks of dry weeds, rootlets and 
hair. The eggs are clear white, mottled on the 
large end with spots and blotches of light brown. 
In size, form and color they much resemble the 
eggs of the common Yellow Warbler, (Dendracu 
wstiva), while the nest cam scarcely be distin- 
guished from that of a Chipping Sparrow. Talso 
saw near by an old nest of the previous year, but 
have since failed to find any nest in that place. 
Ee EY eet 
Capacity of Eggs. 
BY WALTER HOXIE, FROGMOREH, 5. C, 
Ten measurements of the capacity of the eggs 
of the Red-winged Blackbird show an average of 
298 cubic inches. Variations from the mean, but 
little more than five per cent. 
Brown Thrush, the same number, 
inches. Variations, less than four per 
Boat-tailed Grackle: .525 cubic inches. 
.292 cubic 
cent. 
Varia- 
_tions, more than thirteen per cent. 
I find I can obtain results with least error by 
displacement of water by overflow into a small 
glass tube. Will not some reader of THE OR- 
NITHOLOGIST AND O6LoGIST try a little work in 
this line. 
