146 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-^0. 10 



impossible to prepare them. Tliis nest Avas 

 situated riglit on the edge of a road with 

 woods on each side of it, and my brotlier 

 flushed the female. 



My fifth set was taken on the first of June 

 and consisted of four eggs. It was situated 

 like all the others, and I flushed the J. 



The sixth set was token on the 3d of June, 

 and contained four eggs of tlie warbler and 

 one of the Cowbird. Tliis nest was not more 

 than fifteen feet from a hirge field on the edge 

 of a wood. TUrd flushed. 



I did not take any more sets until the 18th 

 of June when I took my seventh and last set 

 of four eggs, although I found three more nests 

 containing young birds and two which appar- 

 ently the birds liad deserted. 



My brother, Henry Norris, took a set of four 

 eggs on the 25th of June. The nest was iu>t 

 more than six feet from a public road where 

 at least a hundred wagons go past every day, 

 and the wood was very small. 



Result of season's collecting: Myself, five 

 sets of four, two sets of five, five nests not 

 yielding any sets, three with young birds and 

 two deserted. My brother found one set of 

 four, one of five (too much incubated to pre- 

 pare), and four nests with young birds. Total, 

 eight sets, seven nests with young biids and 

 two deserted. Not a bad season's work, and I 

 hope to do better next year. 



J P. Norris, Jr. 

 rhilafle]i)liia, Pa. 



The Number of Eggs in a Set. 



This is one point oological about wliicli 

 much has been written, and about which 

 there seems to be a gieat deal of difference of 

 opinion, many oi iiithologists and collectors 

 apparently deeming themselves able to decide 

 wiiat number of eggs any particular bird ought 

 to lay, without asking the opinion of said bird 

 first. 



Now I don't like to liear the poor birds 

 treated so, and I unliesitatingly aflirm the 

 right of any bird to lay a big set or a small set 

 like some of my pooi' Chickadees and I'rairie 

 Warblers down here, aiul not to be strictly 

 limited to laying only wiiat some folks call a 

 true set, as if sets of any other size were un- 

 truthful or at any rate came from a big liar (I 

 refer to the bird, not the collector). 



Now I have studied the matter sonu'what 

 with regard to the birds down here, a id hclow 

 I give the result of my observations, tlioiigli 



of course so far they must be considered as 

 only approximating the actual facts. 



In looking up the matter I endeavored to 

 locate three points, viz. : What was the stand- 

 ard set, what was the variation in number of 

 the set, and thirdly, what was tlie percentage 

 of sets varying from the standard. And now I 

 will take the species I have studied in due 

 order. 



Mourning Dove, Turkey Vulture, Whii^poor- 

 will and Ruby-throated Hummer. Standard 

 set of each, two, variation none. 



Crested Flycatcher. Standard set, five; var- 

 iation, four to six. Four is second or third 

 laying and six is rare. 



Wood Pewee. Variation, two to three. 

 Standard set not determined, but two seems 

 as common as tliree. 



Acadian Flycatcher. Standard set, three. 

 Variation, none. 



Red-winged Blackbird. Standard set, three 

 or four. Variation, three to five; three seems 

 as common if not commoner than four, and I 

 have only seen one set of five. 



Orchard Oriole. Standard set, five. Vari- 

 ation, four lo five. 



Field Sparrow. Standard set, four. A^ari- 

 ation, three to four; per cent of variation, 

 33 1-3. 



Cardinal. Standard set, three. Variation, 

 apparently none, as my sets of two have al- 

 ways been open to the doubt that some boy 

 took No. 3 before I got there. 



Indigo. Set, three to four, apparently about 

 equal numbers of each. 



Blue (xrosbeak. I used to think four was 

 the standard set, but three is cpiite as often 

 the full complement. 



Summer Tanager. Set three to four, my 

 observations fail to determine anyrhing further 

 so far. 



Red-eyed Vireo. Standard set, tliree. Va- 

 riation, tliree to four. 



White-eyed Vireo. Standard set, four. 

 Variation, three to four. This Ijird does better 

 than his bigger relative here. 



Pine Warbler. Standard set, four. Varia- 

 tion, three to five. Per cent of variation, ten. 



Prairie Warbler. Set, three to four, 



liOnisiaiia Water Thrush. Standard set, 

 five; variation, four to five. 



Yellow-breasted Chat. Standard set, four. 

 Variation, three to four. Per cent of variation : 



Mockiiigbirtl. 



^tall(lard sef, four. Varia- 

 tion, three to five. Per cent of variation, 

 nearly .;">(). 



