64 



THE NIDIOLOGIST 



ered as rare exceptions. In color and shape 

 they are, like eggs of all Warblers, subject 

 to considerable variation, some being exact 

 miniatures, in shape, of eggs of the Murre, 

 while others are more the shape of an Owl's 

 egg. The typical egg is a medium between 

 the two with a white or creamy ground, 

 spotted more or less thickly with varying 

 shades of brown and lilac, usually forming 

 a confluent ring round the larger end. In 

 my collection the largest egg measures 

 .69X. 49 inches, the smallest, .62X. 47 inches. 

 A peculiarity of these eggs is that the}- are 

 often stained by some substance which can- 

 not be removed and for which I am unable 

 to account. 



In conclusion, I will add that, though 

 seemingly probable from the manner in 

 which the nest is built that the birds would 

 be free from wild-wood persecutors, the 

 Cowbird with its usual perseverance some- 

 times finds the nest and inserts an egg. 

 On one occasion I saw a nest in a low bush 

 and my surprise may be imagined when, on 

 looking into it, I saw a small black snake 

 coiled in slumber upon the three remaining 

 eggs. Whether he intended to collect the 

 rest of the set after his nap, or had taken 

 all he wanted at first, I never discovered 

 for, on arousing him, lie lost no time in 

 dropping from the nest to the bog below. 

 * The exceptions above mentioned are very rare 

 indeed; in fact I have found but one. This was 

 placed between two branches near the top of a 

 small but very thick cedar tree, and was suspended 

 from the twigs of the upper branch in much the 

 fashion of a Vireo's nest. Apart from the nest 

 itself, which was composed entirely of it, there 

 was no usnea nearer than half a mile. 



Ponkapog, Mass. J. H. Bowi.KS. 



The Black Turnstone. 



(Ai'enaria inelaiiocep/iala . ) 



THIS SPIiCIKS is tolerably common 

 along the coast line of the Province 

 of British Columbia, both of the 

 mainland as well as among the larger 

 islands, and north along the coast of Alaska, 

 to high latitudes, and southwards towartls 

 the coast of California. It arrives from the 

 south, on the shores of liritish Columljia, 

 early in April, but May has pretty well ad- 

 vanced before it arrives in the latitude of 



the delta of the Yukon river; and this is 

 regarded as among the earliest arrivals of 

 the shore birds in that region. For some 

 weeks after it frequents the edges of the 

 low pools, or ponds, which are among the 

 first to be freed from the ice, on the open- 

 ing of the spring. After the sea ice has 

 left the shores, it repairs to the rocky 

 beach, and seeks its food among the stones 

 and sea-weeds. It is ever on the alert for 

 a venturesome slug which may ])e left expos- 

 ed as the stones roll to and fro on the beach 

 by the action of the waves. The bird then 

 follows the retreating water until another 

 wave causes it to return to the shore. In 

 some cases it gets caught by the incoming 

 waters, as well as by the nets of the fisher- 

 men. When above the water- mark, if 

 suddenly alarmed, it squats on the place 

 where it may happen to be; but on taking 

 flight, it utters a rattling scream that is 

 quite startling to the person who may come 

 suddenly upon it. In most of its habits it 

 is generally a solitary bird, and but rarely 

 is more than one of them seen at the same 

 time in any place. It is known to breed 

 all along the coast that it frequents in the 

 summer season. On the more northern 

 coast the sea-otter hunters, both native and 

 foreign, have reason to detest this bird, as 

 it frequents the places most resorted to b}' 

 these marine mammals, and it is certain to 

 give an alarm to the otter or seal which the 

 hunters are endeavoring to approach. This 

 species has been btit rarely observed among 

 the Aleutian Islands. This, as well as the 

 other species of Turnstone, receives its 

 name from its habit of rolling over stones, 

 pieces of wood, or dead fish, in order to 

 feed on the marine animal matter that it 

 may find beneath. The nest of the Turn- 

 stone, like those of the Plovers, is simply a 

 depression in the ground, with but little 

 lining of any kind. It is placed in some 

 secluded spot, not far from the seashore, 

 and the set of eggs, from three to four in 

 number, are of a greenish-ash hue, thickly 

 spotted or blotched with yellow and 

 brown. They are p5'riform in shape, and 

 average a little over an inch and a half in 

 length, by over an inch in breadth. In 

 size, form and general habits, this species 

 is much similar to the Ttirnstone, but the 

 plumage on most of the upper parts of the 

 body, and especially on the head, is much 

 darker in hue. Wm. ly. Kells. 



[hVom unpublished MSS. — "Avi-F'auiia 

 of British Columbia."] 



