October, 1881.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



61 



The New Check List. 



The first edition of the new check list 

 is exhausted, and the orders now being re- 

 ceived are booked in rotation and will be 

 promptly mailed as soon as the new edition, 

 now in the hands of the printers, is received 



Large Sets of Eggs. — W. Otto Emer- 

 son reports taking sets of California Quails' 

 eggs this season of seventeen, and last 

 season of twenty-four. 



Chewink. — July 19th, I found a nest of 

 Pipilo erythrophabnus containing three tresh 

 eggs, built at least three feet from the 

 ground in a spice bush. Such is not com- 

 mon I believe. — -5. W. Everman, Blooming- 

 ton, Indiana. 



Corrections. — In the September num- 

 ber, page 54, second column, seventeenth 

 line from the bottom, punctually should 

 read practically. Page 51, second column, 

 Pine Grosbeaks should read Pine Goldfinch 

 [Chrysomiiris jnnus.) 



Albino's. — While in the store of Chas. 

 P. Goodale, Boston, we learned that Mr. 

 John Morrow, of Newburyport, Mass., shot 

 a Carolina Rail, the wings of which were 

 pure white. Mr. C. H. Chandler, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., shot a little Blue Heron, 

 pure white except the tips of the wings. 

 This is the young of the little Blue Heron 

 in its first plumage. As it was shot at Pine 

 Point, Maine, and had been seen in the 

 spring and summer, it would be interesting 

 to know where the bird was bred. 



An Egg Within an Egg. — We have 

 received an egg from Mr. Fred. Cory, San- 

 ta Paula, Cal., which contained another 

 perfect egg inside about the size of an or- 

 dinary hen's egg. The outer shell was 

 very large. Both shells were perfect, but 

 unfortunately the contents had not been re- 

 moved, and they were broken badly in the 

 mails and could not be measured. If they 

 had been properly prepared they would 

 have been a valuable addition to our col- 

 lection. 



Burrowing Owl — Continued. 



Speoiyto cunicularia hypogixa {Ridgw?) 



I had entirely forgotten to mention the 

 locations of the burrows, how deep they 

 were, &c. It was an oversight. The lo- 

 cation of course varied according to the 

 nature of the country. At Fort Lapwai I 

 generally found them occupying burrows 

 on the hillsides with a southerly exposure. 

 The burrows usually ran straight into the 

 hill for three or four feet, and then curved 

 to the right or left, more or less, from one to 

 four feet to the chamber that contained the 

 eggs. Some burrows were in the shape of 

 a horseshoe, and the eggs were laid within 

 a foot and a half of the entrance of the 

 hole, but I had to dig probably ten feet to 

 find this out. The chamber in which the 

 eggs were laid is generally a little higher 

 than the entrance hole, if in a side hill. 

 Here at Walla Walla they generally breed 

 in holes in the level ground. These bur- 

 rows descend about two feet and then turn 

 off in various directions The end of the 

 hple being also a little higher than the bur- 

 row after its direction is changed horizon- 

 tally. I presume they sometimes get del- 

 uged during heavy rains, but this does not 

 often happen, as we have but little rain and 

 seldom very heavy in April or May in this 

 country when they are breeding. They are 

 not gregarious but I have found two nests 

 within one hundred yards of each other. — 

 Capt. Chas. E. Bend ire, U. S. A, 



An Encounter. 



While my sister was looking out of the 

 window, she witnessed quite an encounter 

 between a Blue Jay and a snake. The 

 snake was about three feet long. The bird 

 would pick at the snake's eyes and then 

 flutter away to return again and repeat the 

 process — the snake retreating all the while. 

 A running fight was kept up until the snake, 

 finally, was glad to get away. My sister 

 did not know what variety the snake was. 

 — Gus. C. Spaeth, Mt. Cannel, His. 



