Oct. 1887.] 



A^D OOLOGIST. 



173 



their return ; still to the human eye their bur- 

 rows are as similar to each otlier as the borings 

 of au auger and it seemed hardlj^ possible that 

 distinction could be made. The tracts inhab- 

 ited are permeated with the odor of the birds 

 which can be felt by delicate olfactory nerves 

 a long way out to sea. 



Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, {Empidonax Jlavi- 

 ventris). We had but little experience with 

 this shy denizen of the swampy and sparsely 

 timbered sections. Although not rare they are 

 seldom met with, being especially retiring at 

 the time of our visit. We did not meet with 

 them above Nantucket; Ross and the lower 

 maine island otfer more attraction for their nid- 

 iflcation. The nest is placed upon the ground, 

 preferably cupped into some mossy mound or 

 securely hidden away in the undergrowth. 

 The eggs are too well known to need any de- 

 scription here. 



Spotted Sandpiper, {ActitU macularia). The 

 "■Peeters"' are about the only representitives of 

 this family at present found breeding on the 

 island, though there maj^ be a vei-y few Ring 

 necks left it is extremely doubtful, as they 

 have been obliged to seek safer homes, from 

 the incursions of the voracious foxes. The dis- 

 tance to certain of the outlying islands is so 

 short at ebb tide that the foxes liave gained 

 access to them, and thus not only have the 

 ground breeders of the main suflered, but those 

 on the pregnable islands, owing to the linuted 

 area, are depopulated to even a greater extent, 

 and the former breeding grounds of the Ring 

 necks are destroyed. The nidification of the 

 Sandpiper does not difter from the same in 

 southei'u New England. 



Chas. H. Andros. 



White-throated Sparrow, (Zonotrichia al- 

 Jiicollis). This species was more conspic- 

 uous tlian actually' abundant, and its ring- 

 ing note, a combination between a whistle 

 and a song was very frequently lieard 

 at all hours of the day. A nest was found by 

 Mr. F. W. Andros at Eastport, Maine on the 

 afternoon of our arrival at that place. The 

 nest was placed on the ground under some 

 slight dead underbrush, on a rocky ledge. The 

 birds evinced considerable alarm and flew un- 

 easily about, uttering their loud raetalic chink. 

 This set numbered four, and was very uniform in 

 color. At Grand Manan they were heard on 

 every hand, but as previously stated, in no 

 great numbers. They were, however, about 

 the only bird which was evenly distributed 

 over the entire area of the island, being heard 

 and seen in all portions. 



Another nest of this Sparrow, which we 

 found when in company with Mr. Cheney, 

 differed in many particulars from the preced- 

 ing account of the Eastport one. This latter 

 nest was on the ground in a small clearing in a 

 large swamp, and the bird was detected in slyly 

 and swiftly running from the nest, and verj^ 

 contrary to its usual habits, no exhibition of 

 concern on the part of the parent was given, 

 and no bird was seen after leaving the nest. 

 To judge of actions of this species, from the 

 two extremes above given, needs broad expe- 

 rience. 



F. H. Carpenter. 



The Number of Eggs in a Set of 

 Certain Species. 



BY HON. JOHN N. CLARK, SAYHROOK, CONN. 



Samuels in his Birds of New England tells 

 that the King Bird, (Tyrannns caroHnensis) 

 usually lays five eggs to the set, and Minot's 

 Land and Game Birds says four or five eggs 

 constitute a set. Now the bird is one of our 

 most abundant species, nesting in great num- 

 bers in every orchard, and I have been watch- 

 ing for the past five years every nest that came 

 under my observation — and that not a few — to 

 get a full set without having been able in all 

 that time to secure a single one with either of 

 these numbers. 



The birds are not at all shy, building right in 

 my yard. One placed its nest in a small peach 

 tree, within a few feet of the Bee house, where 

 it could secure a breakfast without much exer- 

 tion, and where I could stand on the ground 

 and put my hand in it; and a large portion of 

 the nests I have observed were equally conven- 

 ient of access. I remember but one that over- 

 reached me and his security was based on liis 

 "cheek," for I slay them with little nieicy 

 when they gather around my apiary. This 

 nest was in the eve trough directly over the 

 kitchen door, and there he successfully reared 

 his brood in the face of many dangers, chatting 

 defiance at me as I popped in and out, my ladder 

 being a little too short. 



In this time I have climbed to numbers of 

 promising nests to find the completed sets num- 

 bering never to exceed three and frequently 

 but two. I will not say that I never found 

 four, but think I have rarely done so, and five 

 absolutely never. Two-thirds of these observed 

 in the above period have contained three eggs 

 when complete and the remainder complete 

 with only two. 



