8 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 1 



My attention was first brouffht to a nest of 

 this natnre by accidentally ciusliinof an enclosed 

 egff in a nest, and observint;; a characteristic 

 and not unfamiliar smell. 



'J'he Yellow Warbler and Ked-eyed Vireo 

 have a decided peculiarity in nearly always 

 leavin<i- their nests alone and unprotected usu- 

 ally (juite a time before layin<;- their e<i;<i;s. 

 I'erhaps they are waitinji' to find out what 

 kind of a neifihborhood they are sum merino- 

 in, and are endeavoring' to satisfy themselves 

 as to tlie desirability of tiieir chosen site. Be 

 that as it may, they often make tlie severe 

 mistake of too great caution, and encounter 

 difficulties from which the Vireo cannot es- 

 cape, and our little Summer Yellow IJird only 

 by tlie use of skill and great i):iins. For tlie 

 C'owbird, that villainous i)lebeian of most im- 

 moral social views, is ever on the alert to 

 discover a nest of the absent Warbler. 



A nest now before me finely illustrates the 

 determination of the warbler to succeed in 

 rearing an unmixed family. This nest is a 

 tliree-storied one, one where tlie biids twice 

 covered the eggs of the intriulers. During the 

 early part of the construction of the nest a 

 foolish ('()wl)ird, anticipating too early, laid an 

 egg wiiich was soon covered by the warblers 

 ere completion. Two eggs were laid by the 

 lri])l)y birds when they were again imposed 

 on by the interpoler. This did not discourage 

 them but witii determination, jxtssibly borne 

 of former years' experience, they doomed tiieir 

 own two eggs in order to be liil of the Cow- 

 bird's and buried them all, building still 

 another story, and making a remarkably high 

 structure. Tiiey again essayed their work of 

 love, and wiien the nest fell into my liands 

 tliere were two eggs in the upi)er stiuy or nest 

 proi)er well advanced in incubation. 



Ill my own experience tlie following named 

 species of l)ir(ls ari' imposed upon in Michigan, 

 namely:* Wood Tiirusli, 2; IJluebird, 4; Yel- 

 low Warbler, :'>; (Miestnutsided Warbler, 2: 

 Maryland Yellow-throat, 2; (Golden-winged 

 Warbler, 1; Redstart, 2; Hooded Warbler. 1; 

 Golden-crowned Thrusli,4; Scarlet T:iuager, 2: 

 Hlue-gray Gnatcatcher, 1: (hipping Si)arrow, I; 

 Song Sparrow, .'>; Hose-breasted (irosbeak, 2; 

 Ciiewink, o; Indigo Bird, 1; Wood I'ewee, 1; 

 Traill's Flycatclier, 1; Acadian Flycatcher, 1. I 

 have also heard on good authority of the Least 

 Flycatcher, Cedar Bird, and Small-billed Wnter 

 Thrush in Southern Michigan. 



The eggs of this species dift'er greatly in size, 

 but contrary to what might be a nice theory 

 broached by a friend of mine, namely, "that 

 the small eggs were laid in the small nests and 

 the big ones alongside of large eggs," I have 

 found it to be in no way regulated by any piin- 

 ciple of the kind. 



The largest egg which I have discovered of 

 this species was taken frcun a nest of the Eed- 

 eyed Vireo. The dimensions average in one 

 hundred and thirteen eggs in my collection 

 .84 X .60. The largest egg that I have seen 

 was .1)5 X .09, and the smallest, now before nie, 

 almost globular, .07 x .00. The maikings difier 

 as widely as the dimensions, so much so that 

 it is often with difficulty that they are distin- 

 guished from Song Sparrows, Chewinks and 

 (rolden-crowned Thrushes. In nearly all the 

 eggs the gr(unid color is a dirty white, covered 

 more or less thickly with fine dots, generally 

 thicker toward the butt of the egg and often 

 forming a ring. 'I'he dots or blotches are us- 

 ually of a light brown or leddish. 



Occasional eggs have the markings a faint 

 bluish or nearly black. Often the eggs are 

 almost white, having hardly any markings-, 

 and again are so thickly marked with fine dots, 

 generally brown, that the ground color is much 

 oI>scured. Sometimes the whole surface is 

 blotched with large sjtots of various cohns on 

 different eggs. The egg more nearly resembles 

 the eggs of the miserable, detestable, but pro- 

 lific English Sparrow than that of any American 

 bird, I think. 



What the reasons are that the egg of a bird 

 that does not build a nest of its own should be 

 cohued and marked as this bii'd's is. is more 

 than I would undertake to jirove. but many of 

 my readers may have ideas that may throw 

 light on the subject. 



Coues, in his liirds <>/ flic NorfJiwfsf, page 

 ISO, gives an excellent history of this sjiecics, 

 and refers to what he sujiposes may have 

 caused the peculinrities in the habits of the 

 Cowbird. Jl/orr/.s- Gihh>i. 



Kal.Tin;izoo, Midi. 



One Days Egging. 



*Tlie immliers at tlie rijilit of each name indicate 

 the lar}4est number fit f'uwliinl's esfr-' I ever saw in a 

 nest of the S])eeies. 



On May 2, lSSi>, my brother and myself 

 ctmcluded to make a round trij) and take a num- 

 ber of nests we thought ought to be ready by 

 that time; so armed with guns, irons, reed, line 

 and grai)i)ling hooks we started forth early in 

 the morning, and proceeded to a tract of 

 pines half a mile from home. I'assing by oup 

 nest of I)i'ii<lr<>!i-(i (hnuhiicit as not yet ready. 



