128 



THE OOLOGIST. 



her nest on a shaking, jarring brake 

 beam of a freight car for six hun- 

 dred miles or fly along by the side 

 of the car as it sailed over the track 

 on the fast freight, and of course 

 these eggs would be still in a con- 

 dition to hatch if such a trip for them 

 were possible. 



The publication of this kind of stuff 

 shows either that the publishers are 

 ignorant — wholly so — or that they 

 care little or nothing as to what they 

 hand out to their readers; just so it 

 fills space. 



Since the foregoing was put in type 

 we are more astonished than ever to 

 see the long article based on the fore- 

 going dispatch, and apparently en- 

 dorsing the authenticity of the inform- 

 ation regarding this Robin, in the Aug- 

 ust Shields' Magazine, accompanied 

 by a photograph purporting to show 

 the nest in situ. 



That our old friend George O. 

 Shields should be taken in by this sort 

 of a fake is beyond understanding. 



More Abnormal Eggs. 



Observing an account of abnormal 

 eggs in recent issues of THE OOLO- 

 GIST, reminds me that I have found 

 a few oddities in that line. 



I once took a set of two eggs of the 

 Red-tailed Hawk, one of which meas- 

 ured 2.35 X 1.85, the other 2.12 x 1.50. 



Have an egg of the American Gold- 

 finch about one half normal size. 



A set of four of the Red-headed 

 Woodpecker, two of which are per- 

 fect and normal specimens, though 

 averaging a trifle small; the third be- 

 ing nearly flat on one side, and bulg- 

 ing out on the opposite side. The 

 fourth egg is only about two-thirds 

 normal size. 



Have also taken Albino eggs of the 

 Blue-bird and have a pure white un- 

 marked egg of the Field Sparrow. 

 C. W. PELTON, 



Marshfield, Wis. 



We have received from F. W. Walk- 

 er an egg of the Mockingbird, taken 

 near Augusta, Georgia, that is worthy 

 of special mention. 



It is nearly a sphere measuring .48 

 by .51 inches as compared with .72 x 

 1.02 for a normal average egg. 



Contains almost exactly one-fifth 



the cubic contents of the normal egg. 

 Is beautifully marked and is one of 

 a set that is said to have been alike. 

 Sorry I could not have secured them 

 all. 



Mr. Walker says it was found in a 

 nest like a Chickadee's in a hole in a 

 tree near Davidson's Crossing, Geor- 

 gia. It is hard to credit this; seems 

 to me very improbable. 



ERNEST H. SHORT. 



During our recent trip to Canada, 

 we observe! £n:ong other things tie 

 fcllowing unusTial or abnormal eggs. 



Common Term — one pale sky~bluo 

 egg, wholly unmarked, in a set with 

 two dark colored, heavily marked 

 eggs. One set of two nearly »-ound, 

 deep blue, almost unmarked eggs. 

 One runt egg about the size of a 

 White-bellied Nuthatch egg, in a set 

 with two normal sized eggs. One set 

 of four normal size and colored eggs. 



Ring-billed Gull. — One set of five 

 eggs. Several sets of four eggs. One 

 deep blue, slightly marked egg of nor- 

 mal size in a set with two other 

 normal eggs. — Ed. 



Rare and Early. 



I have been able to get out on a 

 number of trips this year, with some 

 pleasing results. On May 12th I se- 

 cured a set of four Bartramean Sand- 

 piper, the first nest I have ever had 

 the good fortune to locate. On Monday, 

 May 31st, I took a set of four Wilson 

 Thrush. This, so far as I am able to 

 ascertain, is the only record for this 

 State. Dawson's Birds of Ohio speaks 

 of it as a possible breeder in • the 

 Northern part of the State, but with 

 no authentic records. There is no pos- 

 sible doubt as to the record. I had 

 both birds under observation for half 

 an hour about the nest. I have ob- 

 served the Wilson Thrush every year 

 during the breeding season in this par- 

 ticular patch of timber, which is very 

 heavy and damp. I once found an 

 empty nest in a clump of ferns. This 

 season's nest was placed in a coarse 

 growth of weeds about a dead branch. 

 I took the nest for evidence. 



On April 26th secured a set of four 

 Killdeer with incubation .begun. I 

 find that very few authorities speak of 

 this bird as breeding in April. It does 



