Dec. 1890.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



185 



fourth they are at the smaller ends; while the 

 fifth has them on the centre of the surface. 

 Four of the eggs are of normal size, measur- 

 ing l.:5:)xl.()7; 1.28x1.10; 1.2t)xl.l0; 

 l.;31»xl.ll; while the remainin g one is very 

 large, it measuring 1.50x1.19. 



Every one who has seen them has pro- 

 nounced them to be the handsomest eggs of 

 this bird they have ever seen, and I cannot 

 help sharing their opinion, although it is not 

 good taste to express admiration for one's own 



belonging 



J. P. N. 



Nesting of the Pied-billed Grebe. 



which the nest is composed. I should like to 

 hear from others on this subject who have ob- 

 served them breeding, for if I am not right I 

 wish to know it. T. G. Pearson. 



Archer, l<Ma. 



Number of Eggs in a Set of the 

 Cardinal. 



I have read with interest in the O. & O. 

 from time to time the notes from collectors of 

 different localities on the nesting of the Pied- 

 billed Grebe. I have made this bird a special 

 study for some time, and am always glad to 

 see any notes of interest any collector may 

 bring out. 



During the past season (1890) I had a good 

 opportunity to observe them during the nest- 

 ing season, and although I have often cau- 

 tion dy app/oaehed to where I could obtain a 

 good view of the nest I have never yet been 

 able to see a bird sitting. 



The first nest found this summer was May 

 8th, and it contained two fresh eggs. Later in 

 the day another nest was observed containing 

 one egg. The eggs of both nests were only par- 

 tially covered, and no old birds were in sight. 

 Returning to the same locality on the 18th of the 

 month one nest was found to contain five, the 

 other four eggs. Incubation was begun in 

 both sets. This time the eggs were completely 

 covered, and were warm when taken from the 

 nest. 



Of fifteen nests examined this year six 

 eggs were the most found in any one nest, and 

 that only in one instance, the number being 

 invariably five, but occasionally only four were 

 found. I have never yet found a complete set 

 of eggs that was not entirely covered with de- 

 caying vegetation, and the eggs always warm. 



I have for some time been of the opinion 

 that the Grebe in this locality does not sit on 

 her eggs in the day time for the purpose of 

 incubating, I having never seen or heard tell 

 of one being seen so engaged. And although 

 further observations may lead me to change 

 my views, for the present I must believe that 

 the Grebe does not sit on her eggs in the day 

 time for the purpose of incubating, but that 

 the incubation is carried on largely by heat 

 generated from the decaying vegetation of 



In Hale County, Alabama, three eggs con- 

 stitute a complete set of the Cardinal. More 

 then three have never been found by me, nor 

 by any one else whom I know in this locality. 

 Dr. J. M. Pickett of Cedarville, Alabama, has 

 had the same experience as myself; he has 

 never collected a set of more than three of the 

 Cardinal, although he has taken many sets. 



The Cardinal is one of our commonest birds, 

 nesting from early in April till September, and 

 therefore producing more than one set. This 

 bird may lay fewer eggs to the set than in lo- 

 calities farther north, where the nesting period 

 is short, and where one set may be the usual 

 numbei-. 



Davie in Xests and Ei/ys of \orth Ameri- 

 can Bir<U says that the Red-eyed Vireo lays 

 "three or four eggs;" in this latitude it lays 

 only three. Having, like the Cardinal, a 

 longer time for nesting, it produces fewer eggs 

 to the set, but in all probability lays three 

 more sets than in colder regions. It would be 

 a very great surprise to me to find a set of 

 more than three eggs in a nest of the Cardi- 

 nal or of the Red-eyed Vireo. ir;«. C. Avery. 



Greensboro, Ala. 



Eggs of Sharpe's Seedeater. 



The eggs of Sharpe's Seedeater {SporopJtila 

 morelleti xhnrpei) have, I believe, never been 

 described, and therefore I have special pleas- 

 ure in doing so. 



Last season Mr. Thomas H. .Jackson's col- 

 lector at Camargo, Mexico, was fortunate 

 enough to find two nests, each containing 

 three eggs. One of these nests, together with 

 the eggs, is now before me, and may be thus 

 described : 



The nest is a very thin, frail structure, made 

 of fine rootlets and dried grasses, and is quite 

 fiat. It was found in the centre of a small 

 bush, near the ground. The eggs are ovate, 

 of a pale, bluish green ground color, quite 

 heavily spotted with olive-gray, and a few 

 spots of black. They measure .64 x .47 ; 

 .0('> X .48, and .()•") x .4(1. -T. P. N. 



