Iz0 THE NIDOLOGIST 
Nidification of the White=necked Raven. 
URING the past four years it has been 
my fortune to examine over forty 
nests of the White-necked Raven, 
fourteen of them this season. 
In this portion of Texas the Raven 
begins building about the 20th of April, 
and by the 1st of May fresh eggs may be 
found. June ro is my last date for fresh 
eggs, though I am satisfied they may be 
found even as late as the Ist of July. 
On May 11 of this year I found a pair 
carrying sticks to a mesquite tree, and after 
dropping quite a pile on the ground, they 
seemed at Jast to settle on a location, and 
began building. On May 15 the body of 
the nest was complete, and so remained 
until the -18th, when the work of lining 
was begun; in this work only the female 
seemed to be engaged, though both had 
been occupied in constructing the outer 
portion. On the zothit was complete, and 
a very pretty nest it was, the body of it 
being composed of sticks and twigs, some 
of them as large as a man’s little finger and 
12 to 18 inches long. ‘Then came smaller 
twigs and ‘‘binder’’ twine, while around 
the brim a number of ‘‘devil’s claws” 
served to hold everything well in position; 
the lining was of wolf hair, cow hair, rab- 
bit fur, and avery little wool. Outside 
measurements—diameter 114 inches,depth 
17 inches; inside measurements—diameter 
6 inches and depth 434 inches. This is a 
typical nest, both in construction and 
measurements, and as such I send along a 
picture of it. 
On May 23 the first egg was deposited, 
and one was added each day uutil the set 
was complete. I allowed them to remain 
three days longer, to be sure, then took the 
set, which measured as follows: 1.79 x 
TEA), UO) x6 MAG, (Ou x WB, WIG ue WoAz/, 
1.88 x 1.21 and 1.90 X 1.25. 
In markings, the eggs of a set are quite 
similar, though different sets vary very 
much. I have one set marked almost 
exactly like the American Crow, another 
with longitudinal stripes like the Crested 
Flycatcher, and still another with almost 
no marks at all, only a few faint specks. 
On May 12 Emmett Robertson and I 
made a trip of a few miles, and found two, 
complete sets, one of five and one of six 
eggs, and alsoa nest containing only one 
egg. This last was left until the 18th, 
when we returned and secured the set of 
six, and found seven more nests, having in 
one nest seven; in two, six each; in two, 
five each; and the two remaining sets in- 
complete, coutaining respectively four and 
one each; these were left as before, and 
secured later on. 
I have found that eggs are deposited 
daily, usually between three and nine 
o'clock; that as soon as the set is complete 
both birds stay near, and frequently put in 
a vigorous protest in the shape of hoarse 
croakings whenever their home is invaded. 
Of 92 eggs in my possession the average 
size is 1.83 X 1.25, maximum being 1.97 x 
1.29,and minimum 1.69 x 1.10. The usual 
number of eggs laid is five or six, more 
often the latter; occasionally a set of seven 
is found, and I have found one nest with 
only four, which I suppose was complete, 
as one was already hatched. 
I have only examined some four or five 
nests containing young, and they are about 
as hard-looking specimens as one need wish 
to see. When first hatched they are naked, 
red as lobsters,and principally head; by the 
time they attain the size of a Dove the skin 
has become darker and black feathers have 
come out,especially on the wings and head, 
which, by the way, is still the main part of 
the bird. The white feathers of the neck 
are not present at this age, and as I have 
never examined any birds between this size 
and full grown, can’t say when they do first 
appear. 
The site chosen for the nest is usually 
low ground, near a stream, more often in a 
mesquite tree than anywhere else, and 
placed from 8 to 15 feet from the ground; 
horizontal limbs are seldom selected, the 
favorite situation being in a crotch where 
the nest may be supported by from three to 
ten upright limbs. 
W. EK. SHERRILL. 
Haskell, Texas. 
-_> — 
THE FEATHER, a poultry and fancier’s journal, 
has a short wild bird department, edited by Dr.F. 
H.Knowlton of the Smithsonian Institution. In 
its last number appears a truly wonderful (if true) 
story about a visit to a Bald Eagle’s nest in Vir- 
ginia, in which the writer states: ‘‘The nest, 
which was about fifteen by twelve feet, was built 
in the top of a giant tree * * * the outer works 
of the nest were composed of fence rails, just as 
they had been used on the farm.” 
As Dr. Knowlton is responsible for the paper’s 
bird department, we would respectfully beg to 
inquire if he verified the above measurements, or 
counted the fence rails? Authorities in Virginia 
should havea care to these Eagles, forif they once 
combined they might carry off a town. 
wi ee 
— 
