688 



BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY. 



A very large Dumber of nests could have beeu secured if desired, as 

 nidificatiou was going on (June 5-19). As a natural result of the exist- 

 ence in large numbers of various reptiles, none of the nests were upon 

 the ground, being invariably on the lower limbs, or if they were well 

 up, in the cluster of the grape-vines that often luxuriantly encircled the 

 trees. The nests were flimsy affairs, and of the eggs, as ordinarily 

 found, the two differed slightly in size. The greatest major axis was 1.14 

 inches, from which it decreased to 1.08 j the extreme variation of the 

 transvere being 0.84 to 0.80, and the general average of all measured 

 being 1.11 by 0.813. 



Melopelia leucoptera, (L.) Bp. — White-ivinged Dove. 



A single specimen noted along one of the southern creeks. Ii^Tone of 

 C. passerina met with during the trip. 



MELEAGRID.ZE. 



Meleagris gallop avo AMERICANA, (Bartr.) Coues. — Common Wild 

 TurJcey. 



This species was first met with at Wolf Creek, Indian Territory, where 

 numbers were observed, but not in the abundance in which it was found 

 as lately as two years ago. It may be said to be common throughout 

 the whole section visited save in the alkali region of Eed Kiver proper. 

 The decrease or disappearance of this game bird from this section, par- 

 ticularly from the Palo Duro and the Washita regions, has been very 

 marked during the last few years. 



The young were batched and able to fly into low trees, June 15, at 

 which time the mothers showed comparative indifference to our 

 approach, all their efforts being combined to get their broods away. 

 Some of the gobblers killed were of large size and great weight, remind- 

 ing us of well fattened " Christmas turkeys". 



An egg taken from a nest, just starting, was 2.28 by 1.70 inches ; 

 ground-color faint sienna, with small spots, various in size, of a darker 

 shade. 



