Apr. 1890.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



53 



ings. My next thought was "howsliall I secure 

 it?'' for the longings and aspirations of a full- 

 fledged oologist were suddenly born within me. 



First I tried to reach it from the ground but 

 it was just two feet beyond my grasj). Then I 

 climbed the tree and peering into the nest 

 beheld the first eggs of Trnchilnx colnbris that 

 I had ever seen, — and weren't they beauties ? 

 But still they might as well have been in Africa 

 as far as accessibility was concerned. You 

 may say why didn't I employ one of the thous- 

 and and one ai-ts understood by the oologist ? 

 Ah I but you must remember tliat this was 

 my ./fr.sV experience. Still I did not despair, 

 but going home I procured a saw, and on re- 

 turning, spent the next ten minutes seated 

 upon a stone wall in profound meditation. I 

 had found a nest and had a saw but still the 

 problem of bisection withoutdisplacement was 

 far from being solved. Many were the plans 

 but n(me of them seemed to be practical, un- 

 til finally I decided upon the one which 

 appeared to be the best. I drove the walking 

 stick, which I carried, into the ground directly 

 beneath the nest, then procuring a narrow 

 board I placed one end on the stick and the 

 other on the stone wall before mentioned, thus 

 forming a veiy imstable platform. This I 

 mounted with considerable difficulty, as you 

 m ly imagine, and began operations upon tiie 

 liml) about four inches back of the nest. 



All this time the birds were flying around 

 my head and making things decidedly uncom- 

 fortable in that direction. Well, I had that 

 limb sawed about half off and was beginning 

 to congratulate myself on what a splendid 

 "nest egg'" for a collection I was going to pro- 

 cure when 



" All at once and nothinj;' first, 

 .lust as lml)bles do when tliey hurst-"' 



m^' i)latform went out from luider me. Of 

 course, as instinct i)rompted, I graspe<l the 

 branch as I felt myself falling, but no sooner 

 had reason had a chance to assert itself than I 

 thought that that very thing would spill the 

 eggs, so acting on the imi^ulse I made things 

 worse by letting go the branch. Up it shot 

 like a catapult, acting as such on the eggs, for 

 wlien the bran(di had reached its natural 

 height the eggs continiu'd their skyward 

 course. Imagine my thoughts. It was an 

 easy matter now to procure the nest comi>lete 

 which I did in a very short time. I now have 

 a hiindsome nest in my cabinet labeled Brock- 

 tun Heights, >[ayoO. ISS."), jind I also have in 

 my mind a vivid remembrance of the set of 

 eggs I didn" r take on my initiatory collecting 

 trij). Jien Ihikcy. 



A Series of Eggs of the Louisiana 

 Water Thrush. 



The eggs of the Louisiana or Large-billed 

 Water Thrush {SchirKx motncilln) exhibit 

 great variation in size and markings. The 

 nests, however, appear to be all similarly 

 constructed. 



Set I. June 1, 1886. Edgecombe County, 

 N. C. Nest on ground, at the side of a small 

 creek. Composed of mud, leaves, fibrous root- 

 lets and moss rotten and decayed. Four eggs, 

 fresh. White, with a pinkish tinge, profusely 

 speckled all over the surface with cinnamon- 

 rufous. Near the larger ends there are indis- 

 tinct wreaths, composed of larger spots of 

 cinnamon-rufous, compactly arranged, and 

 also many spots of lilac-gray : .76 x .65 ; .78 x .65 ; 

 .75X.64; .75x.64. 



Set II. June 28, 1888. Monroe County, Pa. 

 Nest near the water, in roots of a fallen tree. 

 Composed of leaves on the outside, lined with 

 rootlets, feathers and hair. Four eggs, incu- 

 bation advanced. Light creamy white, speck- 

 led and spotted with hazel and lilac-gray. The 

 markings are all over the surface, but are 

 much thicker and heavier near the larger ends: 

 .79X.60; .79x.5!»; .80x.60; .7t»x.60. 



Set III. April :)(), 1888. Iredell County, 

 N. C. Nest among roots, under the bank of a 

 stream. Five eggs, incubation begun. Light 

 creamy white, speckled with cinnamon and 

 lilac-gray. The markings are heavier near the 

 larger ends: .7")x.57: .74x..^.8; .76 x..")7; .74 x.58; 

 .71 X. .")(■). 



Set IV. May 7, 1888. Iredell County, N. C. 

 Nest in the bank of a small stream. Five eggs, 

 incubation begun. White, speckled all over 

 with russet and lilac-gray. Near the larger 

 ends the specks increase in size and heaviness: 

 .79X.64; .79x.6:]; .82x.61; .79x.62; .7i»x.6:^. 



Set V. April 30, 1888. Iredell County, N. C. 

 Nest between two roots, in the bank of a small 

 stream. Five eggs, incubation begun. Light 

 creamy white, sprinkled all over the surface 

 with specks of vinaceous and lilac-gray. Near 

 the larger ends the specks are so close together 

 that they form wreaths on some of the eggs: 

 .81x..")7: .79x..")6; .77x.5i>; .84x..50; .78x..58. 



Set VI. April 30, ISSi). Wake County, N. C. 

 Nest three feet above the water, on the steep 

 bank of a small stream. Made of rotted leaves 

 outside, but the body of the nest is made of 

 grass and weed stems, and it was completely 

 sheltered above by the overhanging bank. Five 

 eggs, embryos rather large, but soft. Creamy 



