THE 
which it was in danger of losing if it were pemna- 
nently transplanted in New York. ‘s * 
If your expenses are greater here, that is certainly 
a strong reason for returning. In short, I should 
strongly advise yon to return. 
Thanking you for the compliment you have 
paid me in asking for my advice, I remain, with 
best wishes for the success of your valuable jour- 
nal, Yours very truly, 
WILLIAM BREWSTER. 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, } 
APRIL 27, 1896. j 
DEAR Mr. TayLor: Iam sorry to learn that 
you propose returning to California; not that I 
think THE Nrpovocis? will not prosper as well 
there, but because there will be less chance ofsee- 
ing you in Washington, as I had hoped to do quite 
frequently. I do not, however, question the wis- 
dom of your judgment in deciding to return, and 
I believe that wherever you may locate von will 
maintain the high standard of your magazine, 
which is a decided success and deserves the sup- 
port of every Ornithologist. 
I respect all the more any man who never loses 
his respect for the land of his birth, and in your 
desire to return to your native State, I recognize 
the expression of a sentiment which I can easily 
understand and with which I heartily sympathize. 
That you may find there all things as you would 
wish them, is the sincere hope of 
Yours very truly, 
ROBERT RIDGWAY. 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON,) 
APRIL 18, 1896. iy 
Mr. H. R. Taylor. 
DEAR SIR: What you write me about goirg 
back to San Francisco and publishing THE Nrp- 
OLOGIST there again does not surprise me, and I 
do not think you will lose anything by the move; 
in fact, I believe you will gain by it,and the expe- 
_ rience obtained by you while in the East in vari- 
ous matters pertaining to the publication of a 
popular magazine will help you materially to 
make it still more of a success than it is at the 
present date. Yours truly, 
CHARLES BENDIRE. 
OFFICE OF “THE AUK,’’ NEw YorK,) 
May 4, 1896. J 
My DEAR Mr. Tay LOR: I regret to learn of 
your decision to take THE NipOLoGIst back to 
the place of its birth. While it made an excellent 
start in the golden West. its sojourn in the East 
has evidently had no constitutionally bad effects, 
but has given it tone and strength, qualities which 
I trust a return to its birthplace will still further 
develop. Wishing THx NrpoLocistT the continued 
success it so well deserves, believe me, as ever, 
Cordially yours,’ 
- J. A. ALLEN. 
== 
W. K. VANDERBILT, JR., Esq., is interested in 
Ornithology, and is one of THE NIDOLOGIsT’s sub- 
scribers. 
AN ARTICLE on ‘‘Whip-poor-will Courtship’ 
appears in this number, contributed by W. A. 
Johnson, who has announced that he will publish 
a paper similar in scope to THE NIDOLOGIST, at 
Galesburg, I1]., in September. 
NIDOLOGIST 3(2), \$%G 99 
Periods of Deposition of Eggs. 
BY J. H. BOWLES. 
HIS, to me, exceedingly interesting 
subject in the study of Ornithology 
and Oology is among the many that 
I have pursued with but small measure of 
success. However, I have managed. t 
accumulate.a few notes that I trust may 
be considered worthy of a place in the 
NIDOLOGIST. 
It seems to me that amofig the principal 
features to be considered as being of 
influence, are temperature. which so largely 
depends upon the location and time of year; 
the number of eggs to the set; and food, 
its character and quantity. 
It is fairly safe to assert as a rule that 
the majority of birds lay one egg, and only 
one, each day until the set is completed. 
There are certain families, however, in 
which the rule is occasionally broken, and 
others where its application would be 
entirely inadmissable. 
Probably the family of birds by far the 
most erratic in this respect is that of the 
Raptores, the members of which seldom 
(never in my experience) lay all the eggs 
ofaset in as many days. The different 
members of this family extend their nest- 
ing periods from February to July, in fact 
I believe the Bald Eagle commences 
incubation during December in Florida, and 
at no time do the birds seem at all regular 
in laying (I am uncertain regarding the 
larger Owls and Eagles). 
The most irregular of all I have found to 
be the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter coopert), 
which I have known to occupy over two 
weeks in laying aset of five eggs. The 
dates of this areas follows: nest was found 
on May 15, 1893, containing two fresh 
eggs, one of which I took. Visited the 
nest again on the 19th when it still held 
but one egg, which I took and left an egg 
of Gallus domesticus as a substitute. On 
the 23rd there was one more egg which 
was left. On the 25th the nest held one 
egg of Biddy and two of cooferi, the latter I 
took and left two more of Biddy in ex- 
change. ‘Took one egg, the last one, June 
1, after which no more were laid. None 
of the eggs showed the least sign of incuba- 
tion. 
By a similar method I have found the 
Red-shouldered Hawk (Szzeo lineatus) to 
lay an egg every other day or two, though 
on one occasion there was an interval of 
