26 THE O. & O. SEMI-ANNUAL. 
used in both positions, and skeleton leaves and the inner bark of the 
American linden usually make up the lining. Nests placed on the 
ground are often sunk into it a half or more of their depth. I do 
not find them “at the roots of trees, in thickets of brush or in bunch- 
es grass :” nor have I ever seen one arched over; but nearly all are 
in some open spot and no more arched over than is a Robin’s nest. 
The three to five eggs vary not a little in shape and color. No. 1 
of the two sets before me average .95x.70. Three eggs are grayish- 
white and rather heavily marked with bold blotches of burnt carmine 
over the entire egg; the blotches larger and more pronounced near 
the large end, but not on it. Beneath these, and arranged in like 
manner, are numerous ill defined blotches of lavender, which with the 
burnt carmine, form a decided ring around the large end. ‘The fourth 
egg is quite pointed and a little larger, .q6x.72, while the three de- 
scribed above are a gentle oval, nearly equal ended ; and this one is 
marked in very fine pattern with a more marked wreath. 
Set No. 2 approaches the other extreme. [he whole set of four 
average .92X.72 3 two eggs .gox.70, two .g4x.74. These are grayish- 
white, with lavender shell markings overlaid with cinnamon-rufous in 
fine pattern and quite evenly distributed over the entire egg. III de- 
fined blotches of a neutral shade appear here and there on the sur- 
face, and a slightly heavier shade of all markings may be seen near 
the large end; but everywhere they are so heavy as to almost hide 
the primary color. 
Chewink's nest is often the receptacle of eggs of the Cowbird. It — 
is especially favorable since the eggs of the two species are so similar 
in markings and so nearly equal in size. I oace found a nest of Che- 
wink in which were three eggs of Cowbird and one of Chewink; as 
the eggs were fresh I destroyed two of the Cowbird’s eggs and thus 
secured a set of three Chewink’s with only one Cowbird’s, for Che- 
wink then went on laying. 
He arrives from the south about the last of March or first of April ; 
the van guard reaches us as early as March 20, followed a week or 
two later by the bulk. He usually leaves us by October 10. Nests 
may be found from the first of May to the middle of June. 
