100 



THE OOLOGIST. 



matter as well as the vacancy in my 

 cabinet I decided to yield to the temp- 

 tation in case my birds should again de- 

 posit their eggs. On April 5th I visited 

 my first nest and saw both birds resting 

 on a tree a short distance away. I 

 climbed to the nest and found three 

 fresh eggs. Expecting a larger set I 

 left them undisturbed. April 9th I x'e- 

 turned and this time neither bird was 

 to be seen. However as I climbed into 

 the first crotch of the tree the female 

 left the nest Math a slight rustling of 

 wings and did not appear during my 

 stay. Upon reaching the nest I was re- 

 warded with a set of Jive eggs. I had 

 not expected such a number as a second 

 set from a pair of birds which had. laid 

 but four at the first setting. The nest 

 had not been added to before the second 

 set was laid. This set of eggs shows 

 remarkable variation, each egg being 

 almost totally difi'erent from its mates. 

 One is marked heavily about the large 

 end, the second is evenly blotched 

 throughout, a third is thinly marked 

 with a bright reddish brown, the fourth 

 is very peculiar being of a coffee color 

 with a few dark marks lengthwise on 

 one side while the fifth egg is pure 

 white with a few small specks of brown 

 at the small end. This white egg as 

 also the bright red one were laid fourth 

 and fifth in order. Ths measurements 

 are 1.77x1:35, 1.79x1.26, 1.71x1.23, 1.76x 

 1.26 and 1.80x1.25 from which it will be 

 seen that the eggs average somewhat 

 larger than those of the first set. In- 

 cubation had begun and 23 days had 

 elapsed between the taking of the two 

 sets. 



My second pair of birds deserted their 

 old nest and removed half a mile away 

 to the place where they had nested in 

 1894. On April 13th I visited the lo- 

 cality and but one bird was observed 

 sitting in a white oak. It quietly took 

 wing on my approach alighting some 

 distance away. After a short search I 

 located a new nest which was placed in 



the tree holding their '94 nest, but on 

 the opposite side and about 20 feet from 

 the ground. It was very shallow hav- 

 ing been apparently hastily constructed 

 and held three eggs, which I left. The 

 parent bird showed no concern, remain- 

 ing at a distance. On the 15th 1 again 

 visited the spot and observed the fe- 

 male to leave the nest when I was some 

 distance away. The male was not seen. 

 The nest now held four eggs and incu- 

 bation had evidently begun. Two of 

 the eggs are of the usual dark, mottled 

 phase, the third is entirely white with 

 the exception of one small speck of 

 brown at the small end while the fourth 

 egg is the handsomest 1 have yet taken . 

 On each side of this egg is a large bright 

 reddish blotch, and they run together 

 leaving only a little of the background 

 visible near the large end. There are 

 no dark markings of any kind. This 

 handsome egg was laid last. The eggs 

 of this set average 1.77x1.30, from 

 which it is seen that they are a trifle 

 smaller than those of the first set of 

 these same birds. With these two in- 

 stances it would seem that the stage of 

 incubation of the birds' first sets did 

 not cut any figure in the matter of time 

 required to produce a second set. The 

 first pair of birds having nearly fresh 

 eggs the first time, had laid a second 

 set of five in the same nest in 23 days 

 while the second pair having badly in- 

 cubated eggs, constructed a new nest 

 and had laid four eggs in 22 days from 

 the time of being robbed of their first 

 clutch. 



I am hoping that at least my first 

 pair of birds will lay a third time in 

 order that they may raise a brood for 

 the season and shall make a visit to 

 the locality soon to ascertain if they 

 have done so. 1 am inclined to think 

 that when the first two layings are 

 taken early in the season that they will 

 lay a third set and an instance cited by 

 Mr. A. M. Ingersoll of Sau Diego tends 

 to prove it. A set of two eggs, incuba- 



