160 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Yol. 12-:N'o. 10 



a Limpkin sitting on her nest in a tangle of 

 vines, within ten feet of me and on a level with 

 the deck. She did not appear at all alarmed 

 but sat motionless until I clapped my hands, 

 and then moved off just far enough to display 

 a handsome nest full of eggs, six in number. 

 I would have given twice the cost of my ticket 

 for a chance to secure them, but it was a bad 

 case of "so near but yet so far," for there was 

 no landing within two miles, and to be left 

 alone in such a spot without guide or boat was 

 not a desirable predicament, so I consoled my- 

 self with having been so fortunate as to have 

 seen nest, eggs and bird at such close range. 



With these birds the nesting season com- 

 mences very early in the spring, many of the 

 nests having eggs by the middle of February, 

 and from the lateness of some of the sets taken 

 (June 20th) I suspect two broods are reared 

 during the year. 



While at Silver Spring, Marion County, in 

 March, 1887, a set of seven was brought to me 

 on the 13th of the month, which were taken a 

 few miles below on the "Run Run," as the out- 

 let is called. They were far advanced in incu- 

 bation and I saved them with great difficult}'. 

 This set must have been laid early in February. 



The usual complement laid by the Limpkin 

 is five or six eggs, though four and seven are 

 not unusual numbers. A series of fourteen 

 sets in my cabinet show, the following num- 

 bers: eight sets of six, one of five, two of 

 seven, two of four, and one of three eggs. In 

 size, shape and textui-e of the shell thej' resem- 

 ble those of the domestic fowl, while in color 

 and markings the only egg to which they bear 

 any resemblance is that of the Sand-hill Crane. 

 Generally the ground is of a grayish white, 

 varying from an almost pure white to a creamy 

 yellow or buff, this latter form being quite rare. 

 The series above mentioned shows a great va- 

 riety of markings, some of them being very 

 beautiful and almost as rich and delicate in 

 their coloration as the eggs of any of our 

 Hawks. One set of six is especially noticea- 

 ble. They are almost covered at the greater 

 end with diflferent shades of chocolate brown of 

 varying intensity. Some of the blotches are 

 bold and distinct, while others seem beneath 

 the surface of the shell and gradually fade into 

 the grayish white of the ground, and over all is 

 an ashy deposit, very light but sufficient to 

 soften the tints and give the colors a subdued 

 efiect. In addition to the heavier markings 

 the entire surface of the shell is thickly 

 sprinkled with dots of the same color. 



Another set of four is of the buff ground, the 



markings being confined entirely to the greater 

 end, covering it, while the ashy deposit extends 

 all over the surface in spots and patches. This 

 ashy substance will not wash or rub off but is 

 firmly fixed as the color itself. 



In regard to measurements my series present 

 some noticeable contrasts. For instance, the 

 largest set of six eggs gives following dimen- 

 sions : 2.-57x1.80; 2.44x1.55; 2.40x1.77; 2.28 

 xl.75; 2.39x1.80; 2,41x1.83; while the small- 

 est set of the series gives 2.21 x 1.72; 2.21x1.70; 

 2.22x1.62; 2.23x1.63; 2.45x1.63; 2.23x1.65. 

 The greater number of the sets, however, aver- 

 age about half way between these extremes. 



Prothonotary Warbler in Western 

 Illinois. 



BY OTHO C. POLING, QUINCY, ILL. 



The Golden Swamp Warbler, (Protonotaria 

 citrea) is perhaps the most abundant bird in 

 the Bottom Lands on either side of the Mississ- 

 ippi for about twenty miles north of Quincy in 

 Illinois, while in Missouri it is most plentiful 

 just across the river. It not only frequents the 

 dense and heavily timbered tracts but is also 

 found in more open places and along the stag- 

 nant sloughs and ponds where an occasional 

 clump of birch or willows affords shade and a 

 nesting place. By the first week in May the 

 birds are here in abundance, when pairing is 

 soon begun and throughout the month of May 

 they have a peculiar little song uttered at all 

 times, while the birds may be seen flitting rap- 

 idly across the water or perched among the 

 willow tops. The song of this bird may be 

 compared with that of the Yellowbird, though 

 much louder and more distinctly uttered. 



Soon after their arrival from the south and 

 when the mating is in some measure settled 

 they select as a nesting site the decayed cavity 

 of some stump or tree leaning over the water, 

 or in deep moist woods. The place selected ma}'^ 

 be at sonie distance from any body of water. 

 I have found the nest in holes of piers support- 

 ing bridges and within a few inches of the 

 water. In one instance I remember finding a 

 nest with eggs just on the point of being sub- 

 merged, while the parent bird flitting to and 

 fro showed much distress at their peculiar situ- 

 ation. 



The Prothonotary Warbler is a strikingly 

 handsome bird and in the richness of color it 

 has few rivals; when once seen in its native 

 surroundings it is not soon forgotten. The 



