May 1887.] 



A^D OOLOGIST. 



73 



inasmuch as it is the first of its kind I ever saw 

 or heard of that was lined with feathers." ( 'ol- 

 or of the three eggs, light greenish blue, hut 

 darker than the other set, speckled more dis- 

 tiuctlj' than the forniei- ones with reddish 

 brown. One of the eggs has larger and darker 

 spots at the greater end. Size 1.24 x .S2 ; 1 .20 x 

 .80, and 1.21x.80. 



Califoruian Tlirasher {Harporhijnchux rcdiri- 

 vus). The largest of the Thrashers. Eggs 

 light greenish blue, speckled, spotted and 

 blotched with reddish bi-owu. Three eggs 

 generally constitute a set, though sets of four 

 are sometimes encountered. A set of four 

 taken May 6, 1S82, at Riverside, ( 'ala., meas- 

 ures 1.22x .82; l.li»x.82; 1.17X.82 and l.l.Tx 

 .80. The nest was of twigs and coarse grass, 

 lined with fine dry grass and found in a sage 

 bush. 



A large set measures 129x.78; 1.2;{x.81; 

 1.21 X. 82. Average measurements of six sets, 

 1.21 X. 80, 



Leconte's Thrasher (Ififrporhi/ncliys reilin'nis 

 Jpcontei). In the Ohnithologi.st and Oolo- 

 GIST for December, 1S86, there appeared an 

 article by the present writer, in wliicli each 

 egg of a set of four of this species was describ- 

 ed separately. In that instance there Avas used 

 the following language in making comparisons 

 with eggs of the other species of this genus : 

 "To compare these eggs (Leconte's Thrasher) 

 with those of the kindred Thrashers, I would 

 say that they are much smaller and of a lighter 

 and more delicate shade than those of the Cali- 

 fornian Thi-asher (//. redin'rits) about the same 

 size as those of the Curve-bill Thrasher (H. cur- 

 virostris)^ but the spots and dots are much less 

 numerous and of a lighter shade ; and a set of 

 each side by side show difierences more easily 

 discovered than desciibed, and greater than 

 would be exhibited in any number of sets, in 

 a series of Curve-bill Thrasher. The ground 

 color of this set is lighter than any eggs 1 have 

 seen of Palmer's Thrasher {H. r.paJmerl). The 

 eggs of Palmer's are more blunt ended, fuller 

 and more rounded than the present examples 

 of Leconte's Thrasher, and an egg of the latter 

 can instantly be picked out of a handful of 

 those of the Californian, Curve-bill and Palm- 

 er's Thrashers." 



Since writing the above in October 1886, a 

 single additional specimen has been seen, in 

 which the ground color is of a much darker 

 hue, thus showing that, as with eggs of our 

 commoner species, the primary color ranges 

 through various shades, within certain limits, 

 though possessing an individuality which ren- 



ders the egg easily identified even in the cab- 

 inet. 



Ruf US-vented Tlirasher {Harporhiinrhns rris- 

 suUs). It was for some time supposed that 

 two eggs constituted a set of this species ; and 

 Captain Bendire in his interesting field experi- 

 ence in Arizona, in 1872, failed to find more in 

 any instance; but since then investigations in 

 difierent portions of the territory have revealed 

 many sets of three, and occasionally four. A 

 set collected by Mr. F. Stephens near 'I'ucson, 

 Arizona, April 10th, 1884, measures 1.09x.72; 

 1.12X.73 and l.].3x.73. Several othei- sets 

 show no great variation in size, tliough as in a 

 series of any species the elongated and obtuse 

 forms are seen. The eggs are indistinguisha- 

 ble from those of the Robin and Arizona Jay 

 (Aphi'Ioco'iiKi. sordiila ari.zoiKt). 



Tame Night Heron. 



BY HENRV HALES. 



A few years ago I sent a sliort comnnmica- 

 tion to the OrnitH(>lugist and Ooi,(>(iiST in 

 regard to the hardiness of Night Herons (A'i/c- 

 tianlpn gardeni. As my experience with my 

 pet Heron was pleasant to myself I think per- 

 haps it may interest some of your i-eaders. 



Being presented with a pair of Night llentns, 

 1 kept them but a short time in confinement, 

 and then gave them their liberty, which was as 

 soon as they appeared able to take care of 

 themselves. Living on a farm near a fine 

 meadow, with a creek and some woodland, 

 they had a good opportunity to start in life on 

 their own account, particularly as wild birds 

 of the same species were often heard near by. 



In about three weeks one bird disappeared 

 but the other remained. We called him Jack, 

 to whicli he always responded, especially 

 if hungry. We fed him on fish and meat, 

 mice, hazlet etc.; in fact, nothing of animal 

 food came amiss to him. He made his head- 

 <iuarters in a flower and kitchen garden in front 

 of my house. His sight was to all appearance 

 as sharp by day as at twilight, but during the 

 latter he was very lively, often taking a flight 

 for a mile or more in circles around the place 

 or visiting a pond in the edge of the meadow 

 near the house, or another duck pond in a poul- 

 try yard close to the barn, within seventy-five 

 feet of it and about thirty from a hen house, 

 where he could always find frogs, of which he 

 was verj^ fond. At night he roosted in a pine 

 tree close to the front of my house, not often 



