152 



THE OOLOGISt 



ish brown. One egg bears a distinct 

 cross near the smallest • end. None 

 are reathed however. Both sets were 

 taken in Stamford, Conn., and in each 

 case the eggs were fresh. 



May 19th, 1910, the writer secured a 

 set of three eggs of the Red-tailed 

 Hawk in Glenbrook, Conn. The birds 

 deserted after laying the third egg. 

 The nest is now in the Museum and it 

 is the smallest of this bird that I 

 have ever seen. The inside diameter 

 is only nine inches and the outside 

 fifteen inches. Another curious fact 

 is that it was situated in the topmost 

 branches of a maple instead of in a 

 solid crotch close to the main trunk. 

 Paul G. Howes. 



Correction, 



My Dear Mr. Barnes: — 



Since writing the notes which I sent 

 to you on August first, I have person- 

 ally visited Dr. Morris at his country 

 estate "Merribrooke" in hopes of se- 

 curing a photo of the reported Snowy 

 heron for the Oologist. As I approach- 

 ed the dam which is to form the arti- 

 ficial lake on Dr. Morris's property a 

 beautiful heron, pure white in color 

 flew off through the woods from a 

 small pool in the bottom of the fu- 

 ture lake. The bird proved to be a 

 beautiful mature specimen of the 

 American egret and not the Snowy 

 heron as reported in the news items 

 which you have probably received. 

 The pool from which the bird had 

 flown was nearly dry and contained 

 countless numbers of half grown tad- 

 poles. I soon had my camera in po- 

 sition and after attaching a wire to 

 the shutter, concealed myself nearby. 

 In about twenty minutes there were 

 several Green herons and two Little 

 Blue herons at the pool. The Egret 

 frequently circled over head, but 

 would not venture very near. Time 



was scarce and I had but an hour be- 

 fore it was necessary for me to leave. 

 Although somewhat disappointed in 

 not obtaining a photograph, I feel now 

 that I was very fortunate in estab- 

 lishing this record. Next spring, 

 when the lake is completed, I shall 

 search again in hopes of finding the 

 Egret with its mate. 

 Very truly, 



Paul G. Howes. 



Case of Identity. 



In re. Mr. Perez article in the June 

 "Oologist" I would like to say a few 

 words concerning the set of rallus ob- 

 soletus, (which by the way should be 

 rallus levipes) mentioned by him. 



Mr. Perez intimates that I may have 

 mistaken a set ui Florida Gallinulis 

 eggs for those of the Lightfooted 

 Rail. Since that time, however, I 

 have collected and handled several 

 sets of both species, and am absolute 

 ly certain of my first identification. 

 D. I. Sheperson, 

 Los Angeles, Cal. 



A Shame! 



It was while at a week's stay at a 

 farm in Wayzata, Minn., a small town 

 on the north of Lake Minnetonka, that 

 I, one day heard that peculiar lisping 

 note of the cedar Waxwing, as a flock 

 of them were busily engaged in eat- 

 ing berries off of the raspberry patch. 

 The farmer quickly secured his shot 

 gun and in firing in to their midst, 

 killed about ten. It seemed a pity 

 that such pretty birds as these should 

 be so unmercifully slaughtered. 



On June 13th, 1911, while in a 

 swampy meadow at St. Lewis Park, 

 Minn. I happened upon a meadow 

 Lark's nest which contained nine 

 eggs, a very unusual number for this 

 bird. The eggs were of a uniform 

 size and color, and had just started 

 incubation. 



Paul G. Burgess. 



