102 



OROTTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 7 



ascending warble of two notes, the last with a 

 guttural ending; than follows another whistle 

 like the first, ending with two whistles, the 

 first the higher. The whole is uttered very 

 quickly in a jerky manner, the time varying 

 with every note. 



In the first part of April every orchard and 

 shade tree contains its quota of these birds, 

 and every opportunity is given to the most 

 casual observer for watching their habits. 

 They display great dexterity in keeping out of 

 sigiit always without appearing to be at any 

 pains to avoid you. At hrst he alights about 

 three feet from the ground on some old apple 

 tree, and ascending in a spiral direction picks 

 off the insects which he meets, jumping 

 rapidly backwards down tlie trunk to research 

 any spot that he has not looked over 

 thoroughly, ever and anon springing into the 

 air to seize a fly. On gaining the top he flies 

 hurriedly to the foot of the next. In this man- 

 ner he quickly goes through an orchard doing 

 almost incalculable good in destroying its yet 

 undeveloped pests. At this time of year in 

 addition to the song described above he some- 

 times utters another entirely different. Tliis 

 begins with three notes of the same pitch, 

 followed by one lower which is in turn followed 

 by one lower still ended by three (piick notes 

 starting low and ending at tlic pitch of the 

 fii'st. For about two weeks they are very 

 abundant, but at the end of that period they 

 disappear from the haunts of man and must 

 again be sought in the pinery. Here a few 

 pairs carry on their love making, chasing and 

 flying around a tree, hop]iing backwards and 

 forwards, the male stopping evei'y once in a 

 while to utter his love song. This begins with 

 thi-ee notes followed by two lower; it ends 

 with a rising series of three notes, beginning 

 low. Thus it resembles the song, or a song 

 rather, of the l>lack-throated Green Waibler, 

 except that the three last notes instead of be- 

 ing distinct are elided, while a slight difference 

 can readily be distinguisiied in the first part of 

 the song. I have never succeeded in finding 

 the nest so I can give no description of tlie 

 eggs. Stewart E. White. 



(irand Rapids, Kent Co., Mich. 



Some Curious Sets of Kingbird's Eggs. 



In glancing over a large series of eggs of 

 any species one cannot fail to notice some odd 

 and abnormal ones. And sucli is the (^ase with 

 the scries of eggs of tiie Kingbird (Tyrannus 



tyrannus) now before me, and common as they 

 are, the following sets are so very peculiar that 

 they seem to be worthy of mention. 



July 17, 1888. Taunton, Mass. Two eggs, 

 fresh. Ground color and markings normal, but 

 their sizes are extraordinary, one of them 

 measuring 1.12 x.09, and the other .77 X..57. 

 Taking .O.") x.OS as the average size of the eggs 

 of this bird it will be seen what a very odd 

 pair tliese are. 



June 17, 188."). Smitliborougli, 111. Three 

 eggs, fresh. Liglit creamy white, marked 

 with lilac-gray and heliotrope-purple almost 

 entirely, there being only two or tlii-ee small 

 and indistinct spots of the chestnut which is 

 typical of the normal Kingbird's egg: .8!*x.()7; 

 .90x.G7; .9oX.r)8. No one could recognized 

 these for eggs of this l>ird. 



June f), 1SS(). Rozette, Illinois. These must 

 unquestionably belong tn T. ly'innufi for no 

 other Tyrannus is found in Illinois, but they 

 exactly resemble typical eggs of the Griiy 

 Kingbird, (Ty annus donilnicensis,) having the 

 peculiar deep cream or pinkish-buff ground 

 color characteristic of tliat bird's eggs: 

 .!)8x.74; .!)8x.7o; .0()x.73; .!)r)x.73. 



The smillest sized sets measure .81 x. 0.5; 

 .Slx.G.'J; .82x.(i(); and the largest sets .Ofi x.7n; 

 .94X.78; .9-lx.7S (extremely broad) and 

 1.0()x,77; 1.01 x.7(); .98x.74. -/. P. N. 



The Carrion Crow at Plymouth, Mass. 



A Black Vulture was seen around the house 

 of Daniel llinchlief, about half a mile from 

 the centre of the village and Plymouth Rock, 

 on July 2d and 3d. Mr. II. had thrown out 

 some fish heads and refuse. The Vulture 

 came to feed, bringing a single Crow with it. 

 It was so very tame that Mr. II., who was hay- 

 ing in the field near by, could almost hit it 

 with a pitchfork. Ilis grandson, who w.as 

 spending the Fourth, tliinking it to be an 

 Eagle shot it on tin; morning of the fifth and 

 brought it to me to have it preserved and 

 identified. I exchanged other specimens for 

 it, and at once shipped it to your office. There 

 was one seen here about eight years ago on 

 the farm of Thomas Jackson. 



ir. C. Hathaway. 



[The Vulture, A.O.U. No. 820, was received 

 in good order and mounted; it was found to 

 be a 9i '^"<l from its condition we don't think 

 that it got its share of the iish heads. — IF.] 



