Oct. 1890.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



151 



Nonpareil, in the order named. I am also 

 stron<;iy inclined to think that the Nighthawk, 

 Boat-tailed Graekle, and Clapper Kail will be 

 below the average, and also in the order named. 



Now, after all the "tall fignring" is done, I 

 find the ideal egg to be .208 cnbic inches in 

 capacity. My first three guesses were tolera- 

 bly correct, but not in the right order. So of 

 the Nighthawk and Boat-tailed Grackle, but 

 on the Clapper Kail I was "away out." As to 

 tlie order named, it is only fair to say that at 

 first I named the Boat-tailed Gi-ackle for the 

 smallest species, but afterwards changed my 

 guess to the Nighthawk, before making out 

 the reduction. 



Now, assuming .208 cubic inches as the 

 capacity of an egg that is an inch long, and 

 using it as a standard, it is easy to ascertain 

 approximately the capacity of any egg; or, to 

 state it more plainly, I propose to use .268 as a 

 constant quantity, by which to multiply the 

 cube of the lengtii of any egg, in order to 

 ascertain, approximately, its capacity in cubic 

 inches. Thus the two runt eggs which Mr. 

 Bagg mentions in his article on page .59, Vol. 

 XIII, of the O. & ()., which measure .54 and 

 ..50 inches, would be respectively of the ca- 

 pacity of .0271 and .04.56 cubic inches. The 

 normal egg, which measures .68 inches in 

 length, would contain .08;]1 cubic inches. 



To illustrate still further this idea, I turn 

 liack to page ;50. The last-mentioned egg of 

 the Swamp Sparrow is. 76 inches. Its capacity 

 would be .1I79 cubic inches. That of the last 

 Cooper's Hawk, on page 52, which is 2.02 

 inches long, would be 2.208;] cubic inches. 



Walter Hoxie. 



A Series of Eggs of Merrill's Par- 



auque (Nyctidromus albicollis 



merrilli). 



It is but a few years since the Parauque has 

 been recognized as a Nortii American species, 

 through its occupancy of a narrow strip on 

 our border near the mouth of the Kio Grande 

 river in Texas, and while I am unaware of its 

 having been found nesting in any localitj' far- 

 ther north than this, it is in the northern por- 

 tion of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, a 

 comparatively abundant species. 



The Paraucpu', like all others of the Goat- 

 sucker family, deposits its eggs on tlie ground, 

 making no nest, and often no apparent attempt 

 at concealment other than chance surround- 

 ings may happen to afford. 



Frequently the nest, or rather the place of 

 deposit, is on an open jilace among stones, 

 rocks or on sandy uplands, such as our com- 

 mon Night Hawk is accustomed to choose for 

 its nesting site. 



Like the other members of the family the 

 Parauque lays two eggs of an ellii^tical oval 

 shape, and more or less slightly approaching 

 a point at the smaller end. They have a fine 

 grained glossy shell, the ground color of which 

 ranges from a rich cream color to a dark 

 salmon-buff, more or less profusely marked 

 with two classes of colors. One of these 

 (which is nearly always of a cinnamon-brown 

 shade) appears to belaid diiectly on the sur- 

 face of the shell, and is the more conspicuous 

 of the two in most specimens. The other is a 

 pale shade of lilac, and has the appearance of 

 being beneath the surface of the shell just far 

 enough to obscure its brilliancy. These colors 

 combined, in varying shades, and being applied 

 in a great variety of shapes and markings, 

 make it extremely difficult through the medium 

 of the pen to convey any accurate idea of their 

 appearance. 



A series of twenty-five sets now before me, 

 most of them taken during the season of 1890, 

 show some interesting variations, and a de- 

 scription of a few of the most characteristic of 

 tliem may be of interest. 



They are principally from Tamaulipas, Mex- 

 ico, the first set of the season being taken 

 April 12th, fresh; and the last on .lune 17th in 

 the same condition. 



In size they show a considerable variation, 

 the smallest egg in the series measuring 

 .84x1.08, and the largest, .91 xl.38. 



The smallest set measure .83x1.20 and 

 .85x1.20, and the largest, .91xl.;)8 and 

 .92 X 1.28. 



Set 480, a. Both eggs are of a rich creamy 

 color, with a faint tint suggestive of salmon. 

 The markings are evenly spread on, and are 

 not at all conspicuous. Those that appear to 

 be on the surface of the shell are of a cinna- 

 mon-brown shade, while another and less dis- 

 tinct set of markings, which appear to be 

 under the surface of the shell, are of a darker 

 hue and very difficult to name, but most nearly 

 approach a lilac. In shape they are elliptical 

 ovate, with ends just sufficiently defined to 

 make the large and small distinguishable; 

 size, 1.26 X. 88 and 1.25 x. 88. Taken May 27, 

 1890. 



Set 341, b. This set has almost precisely 

 the same gromid color as the foregoing set, but 

 the cinnamon surface markings are few and 



