THE OOLOGIST 



157 



bushes, in a corner of a grassy field. 

 The eyes of this set were especially 

 large. The last set of five eggs was 

 found on May 21, 1908. It was built 3 

 feet up in a clump of black haw bushes 

 that stood above the bank at a road- 

 side and just below a large wood. 

 These specimens resembled each other 

 both in size and in color, being es- 

 pecially well marked for eggs from 

 Icteria v. virens. 



S. S. Dickey. 



J. W. Preston's Collection. 

 We have recently acquired all that 

 part of the collection of birds eggs 

 that we could use of the collection of 

 J. W. Preston of Spokane, Wash., 

 about thirteen hundred in number. 

 This lot includes such rare and much 

 wanted specimens as eggs of the Yel- 

 low-billed Loon, Whooping Crane, 

 American Crossbill, Clark's Nutcrack- 

 er, California Condor, Vaux's Swift, 

 etc. It is a valued addition to our ac- 

 cumulations, and one of these times 

 we may inflict upon our readers a re- 

 view of some parts of this collection. 

 — Editor. 



Notes From Bear River Marshes, 

 Utah. 



By Edward Tregonza. 



These marshes are probably, with 

 their contingent mud flats, wet or dry, 

 one of the largest breeding grounds 

 in the interior mountain country. 



They are situated on the northeast- 

 ern margin of the best game preserves 

 of the state, which are controlled by 

 several gun clubs, far and near. These 

 marshes are composed of the deltas 

 of Bear and Weber rivers. The de- 

 posit or silt carried down the rivers 

 meet the resistance of the lake and 

 forms these large marshes, many 

 miles square; they are favorite feed- 

 ing grounds for many species of birds 

 during the spring and fall migrations. 



Also desirable breeding grounds for 

 many species of water and shore 

 birds. 



This vast expanse is covered, al- 

 most as far as the eye can see south 

 and west, by a dense growth of tule 

 and cattails. 



The mud flats are either a deposit 

 of the rivers at high water or drown- 

 ed lowlands caused by back-water of 

 floods. 



After one enters the marshes he 

 finds many narrow open and very 

 crooked water currents; these consti- 

 tute the delta, with an occasional la- 

 goon, or open space 100 x 250 feet 

 more or less, where the birds sport. 



Our camp is at one of the gun club 

 sheds, which proves to be quite com- 

 fortable at night and during a storm. 



Birds note in Bear River Marshes 

 and contingent flats, two trips: 



Canada Goose — 41 nests located. 



Mallard — Fairly common, breeding 

 many resident. 



Shoveller — April 2, 1911. More in 

 evidence than all other species; later 

 not common, but breeding. 



Pintail — Common, breeds freely. 



Gadwalls — Quite common, breeds, 

 nests found far from water quite of- 

 ten. 



Green Winged Teal — Many seen, 

 breeds. 



Blue Winged Teal — Met quite a 

 number, breeds. 



Cinnamon Teal — Common, breeds 

 freely. 



Ruddy Duck — Many found, breeds. 



Ballpate — Fairly common, breeds. 



Redhead — Common, breeds freely in 

 cattail marshes and tule tussocks. 



Killdeer — Common, breeds in all 

 meadows above and in adjoining 

 marshy flats. 



Black-necked Still — Common, on 

 mud flats. 



Am. Avocet. — Common, on mud 

 flats. 



