50 



THE OOLOGIST. 



away some \eij handsoine sets of their 

 egg'S. Having got my outfit together, I 

 stcirted on the morning of June 3rd, on 

 board a small steamer, of the Booth 

 Paeking Co., that runs between here 

 and the island, gathering up the fish 

 that are eaught. I arrived at the col- 

 leci'mg grounds early on the morning 

 of the 4th and immediately set about 

 business. Ha\ing made a bargain 

 with one of the fishermen, to take me 

 around in his boat, we set out about 5 

 A. m. for the Rock of Ages, a colony at 

 the western extremity of the main is- 

 land. While Ave were yet 300 or 400 

 feet from the rock, the Gulls commenc- 

 ed to rise in dense clouds and to utter 

 piercing cries, which in fact they kept 

 up all day and which have a most tire- 

 some effect on a person. Having land- 

 ed, we set to work to fill our baskets, I 

 here found that it was somewhat late 

 in the season; as a few young birds 

 Avere seen and quite a number of eggs 

 afterwards proved to be partly incuba- 

 ted. We soon had our baskets full and 

 our hats also and so thought it was 

 time to return. Ha^dng put the eggs 

 aboard Ave steered for camp, but Avhile 

 passing a small rock somcAvhat Avooded 

 Ave saAV a pair of Red-breasted Mergan- 

 sers fiy oft". We immediately landed 

 and after a little searching found their 

 nest, placed on the ground and nearly 

 coA'ered Avith [ doAvn and dry grass, so 

 that we almost stepped on it before Ave 

 saMr it. [t contained 11 fresh eggs; 

 these having been pat-ked away we 

 again got aboard and arrived at camp, 

 pretty Avell tired out but very Avell 

 pleased Avith the day's work. The 

 next day I spent in bloAving my eggs 

 and packing them for carrying to town. 

 About 4 a. m. next morning, the steam- 

 er came along and 1 decided to go fur- 

 ther along the island. I got to the 

 eastern extremity about evening and 

 Avent to bed early expecting a good 

 days Avork on the morrow. I Avas up 

 bright and early next morning and 



things having been prepared the pre- 

 Anions CA'ening we set out at once for a 

 rock about seA'en miles aAvay. 



Arrived there Ave went through the 

 same performrnce as before and came 

 back loaded with eggs. In nearly 

 every case there Avas no attempt at any 

 nest building, the eggs being deijosited 

 in some holloAV on the bare rock,' al- 

 though after the bird has set a Avhile oji 

 them refuse collects aroimd and forms 

 someAvhat of an excuse for a nest. 



The usual complement is three, but 

 occasionally only tAvo. In a large num- 

 ber of eggs there is great A'ariation in 

 size, shape and color, ranging from 2.50 

 X 1.60 to 3.00 X 2.00 in size and from 

 deep brown to nearly Avhite, blotched 

 all OA'er Avitli broAvn and lilac of Aarious 

 shades. The next day Avas spent in 

 preparing the eggs and then I moved 

 further around the island and repeated 

 the operation, arriving home on the 

 11th, after one of the most pleasant col- 

 lecting experiences of my life. I be- 

 lieA'B Loons also breed aroiind this 

 island but in comparatiA"ely small num- 

 bers. I saw no nests on my trip but 

 saAV a good many birds and the fisher- 

 men tell me they haA'e found their eggs.. 

 Chas. A. Davis, 

 Duluth, Minn. 



An Albino Grakle. 



Mr. E. L. Kendall, of Orange Co.,. 

 Texas, reports a "White Blackbird." 

 The bird is Avhite all over and is of the 

 Bronze Grakle species. It is A^ery shy 

 and all attempts to shoot it have failed.. 



The bird has also been seen by Mr. 

 C. R. Walter, who says that the Ijird is 

 in a flock of a hundred or more and 

 that to get near encjugh to shoot it is an 

 impossibility 



Are White Blackbirds common? 



This is the first one I have ever heard 

 of. 



W. E. G., an oologist of Galveston, 

 reports a half completed Red bird's, 

 nest, Feb. 9, '»0. 



