86 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 6-No. 11. 



Chaparral Cock. 



I am sorry that I appear to use conflict- 

 ing terms in descriptions of the eggs of the 

 Chaparral Cock. I have probably had as 

 much experience with the eggs of this bird 

 as any one and ought to know. I have 

 over a hundred eggs in my collection and 

 can send you samples for illustration, if de- 

 sirable. Instead of clear white, I should 

 have said dead white, or dull white, or im- 

 maculate, to designate that they were un- 

 spotted. Without gloss they certainly are 

 and smooth, although occasionally there 

 are chalky patches adhering, comparable to 

 the eggs of the Brown Pelican, only not 

 nearly so prominent nor so frequent. As 

 to my second term, opaque white, I mean 

 wholly in the sense of being not transpar- 

 ent. The egg when fresh, addled or blown, 

 has the same appearance, provided of 

 course they are equally clean outside. By 

 taking a tray full of Pelican's eggs and a 

 tray full of Road-runner's in the same 

 light, the latter are a little more dense or 

 gray, but not enough of the gray, or ash, 

 or light-blue tinge to be called tinted, and 

 when hot compared with chalk would be 

 simply white. I have taken eggs of Brown 

 Pelican and Chaparral Cock and exam- 

 ined by holding alternately to strong day- 

 light with the eye looking into the hole on 

 the side and the small, dull yellow or buff 

 is shown in both species. The color looks 

 more vivid or intense in the Pelican's egg, 

 which I conjecture to be on account of the 

 larger egg allowing more light into the inte- 

 rior. Allowances must be made for my 

 first paper, for it was my first effort to 

 describe eggs, at best quite a difficult thing 

 to do understandingly and clearly. Who 

 shall say but color blindness causes much 

 disagreement in describing colors of eggs? 

 I have thought of givmg quite a little arti- 

 cle on this large Cuckoo and will gladly 

 await the forthcoming article in the Oolo- 

 GisT. As to sets, I have two sets of 

 nine each, three of eight, five or six of 

 seven each and six each, and from that 

 down. I have in alcohol the contents 



of one nest as follows: Five birds 

 and three eggs, the largest bird about 

 three times the size of the smallest 

 just out, and the freshest egg I think 

 would take at least four days to hatch out. 

 The parent I shot as she left the nest. 

 With such irregularity is it any wonder that 

 there exists such conflicting accounts of nid- 

 ification.? — Gto. B. Se/mett, Meadville, Pa. 

 P. S. — A word more in explanation of 

 the eggs of the Chaparral Cock. I fear I 

 may have been misled again in regard to 

 the chalky blotches occasionally on them. 

 I have examined a still greater number 

 than when I wrote you, and while a few 

 have such splashes, yet they are so few 

 that it ought scarcely to be taken into ac- 

 count at all. So please don't lay any stress 

 upon that marking. I presume no other 

 collector would notice it. — Geo. B. Sennett. 



House Sparrow in Maine. — In a late 

 number of the Ornithologist I spoke of 

 the House Sparrow as breeding in this vi- 

 cinity. By reference to the first part of the 

 article it will be seen that I referred to the 

 vicinity of Bangor and only to that locality. 



It is very well understood that the first 

 House Sparrows known to have been 

 brought to this country were brought to 

 Portland, Maine, in 1858, by a Mr. Deblois. 

 They bred there and increased rapidly, and 

 are now common in that city and vicinity, 

 where they breed every year, as they do at 

 other points in our State. They had not, 

 however, previous to this year been sup- 

 posed to breed in this locality, that is 

 Bangor. 1 make this statement lest I may 

 have been understood to refer to the State 

 in general. — H. Merrill^ Bangor, Maine. 



Monkey-headed Owl. — There is a pair 

 of Owls here which are said to come from 

 middle Texas and are known by the above 

 name. The owner says there are only sev- 

 en known. The eyes are very small, with 

 no tufts, and in every respect they look to 

 me like a Barn Owl; bill white and slender. 



Hooded Merganser. — I have also seen 

 a specimen of the above Duck in confine- 

 ment, which is said to be rare. — H. A. Berry. 



