THE OOLOGIST. 



165 



Our QneBtion Box. 



Queries to be answered In these columns should 

 be written on a postal or slip ot paper— nev^r mix 

 tiiem In your lottur wii(*n wriuug about other 

 matters. 



C. E. G., Pasadena. Cal. — Your de- 

 scription is not suflieient, ])ut think 

 your bird is doubtless Gaird net's 

 Woodpecker. 



L. A. S., Elgin, Ills. — White eggs of 

 the Bluebird are not uncommon. Re- 

 ports are current of their l)eing taken 

 in almost all parts. 



P. S.. Simr;oe, Out.— 1. The best 

 method of killing insects is Iiy means' of 

 a cyanide l)ottle. 



2. Thei "Auk" is published by L. S. 

 Foster, 35 Pine St., New York City. 



8. A turtle can be removed from its 

 shell by placing it in boiling water for a 

 few moments, when the softer parts 

 can be easily removed. 



H. M., Garden City, Kans. — As to the 

 value of eggs of the Black Rail, we 

 would say that no definite value can be 

 placed upon them; but they are rare 

 and desirable and would doubtless 

 bring anywhere from twenty-fi\e cents 

 to live dollars per egg. As a list-price, 

 we might suggest $3.00. 



W. B., Los Angeb^s, Cal. and A. W. 

 M. — The eggs of the California Clapper 

 Rail are worth, doubtless, somewhere 

 from twenty-five to fifty cents each. 

 Some California collector can undoubt- 

 edly give a better opinion. 



A. V. T., Decorah, la.— Your little 

 bird of a greenish-yellow color, which 

 arrives in May and stays in bushes and 

 low trees, is probably the Yellow War- 

 bler. 



W. M. F., Sedalia, Mo.— 1. Your 

 eggs of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo which 

 measured respectively 1.40 x 1.09, 1.40 

 X 1.08, 1.38 X 1.11 and 1.44 X 1.11 are 

 unusually large eggs for that species. 



3. It is impossible to tell to which 

 species of Cuckoo your second set be- 

 longs, from your description. 



A. L. T., Newark, N. Y.— The Ameri- 

 can Coot is frequenth' called "Mud 

 Hen." There are other water birds 

 that are also called by this name. 



W. W. G., Rutland, Vt.— Three-story 

 nests of the Yellow Warbler are not un- 

 common. 



R. M. B., Clyde, N. Y.— The Red- 

 shouldered Hawk is known as the 

 "Winter Falcon." The eggs of this 

 bird do not measure as large as the 

 measurements j^ou give. 



Name mislaid. — 1 The eggs of the 

 Chipping Sparrow are nearly always (jf 

 a darker blue ground than those of the 

 Bluebird. 



3. The Ruffed Grouse not infre- 

 quently raises two broods in a season. 



3. The Whistling Swan Ijreeds only 

 in the high North. 



B. S. B., Phelps, N. Y.— 1. Observa- 

 tions that approach accuracy seem to 

 infer that Hummingbirds feed their 

 young Ijy regurgitation. 



3. The nest of the Grasshoppei 

 Sparrow is placed on or sunken in the 

 ground and concealed by a thick ttis- 

 sock of grass. The eggs have a clear 

 white ground-color, with a moderate 

 polish, spotted more or less thickly 

 with pale reddish-brown, chiefly and 

 sometimes wholly at the large end. 

 They measure about .78 x .56 in. 



3. The nest of the Savannah Spar- 

 row is a slight arrangement of grasses 

 in concentric rings, the rim being fltish 

 with the surface of the ground, in 

 which tiie nest is sunken. It is gener- 

 ally well concealed among the weeds 

 and tall grass. The eggs are four or 

 five, greenish or grayish-white in 

 grcnuid-color, spotted, speckled, and 

 blotched with light-brown and lilac. 

 Markings often very numerous. Meas- 

 urement, about .76 X .54. 



W. T. B., Philadelphia, Pa.— Your 

 Yellowbird with black head and wings 

 laying a white egg, is probably the 

 American Goldfinch. 



I. C, Paducah, Ky. — Description in- 

 sufiicient. 



Name mislaid. — Your description of 

 nest and eggs of bird like Phoebe is 

 somewhat unshapely. We cannot con- 

 ceive oi a bird only a little larger than 

 a W^-en laying an egg If by li inches in 

 size. Your description is like the eggs 

 of either the Kingbird or Wood Pewee 

 only for size. 



