THE OOLOGIST. 



85 



and a large piece of the inner skin of the 

 shell were found, both of which were eaten 

 considerably. Beyond a spot on the in- 

 side that appeared to have been gnawed, 

 the shell was not harmed. Of fifty speci- 

 mens then examined not an insect could be 

 found. The fact is, if eggs were properly 

 blown, especially the chalky eggs of sea 

 birds, there would be less insects, for they 

 rarely if ever trouble clean eggs. If such 

 eggs as Humming Birds', Warblers' and 

 others possessing frail shells be allowed to 

 go into the cabinet half blown, they will be 

 ruined, for the insect eats shell and all in 

 cases where it is not strong enough to re- 

 sist its ravages. Strong shelled eggs are 

 less liable to be damaged, but where a spot 

 of neglected membrane is left to dry adher- 

 ed to the shell, there is a probability of the 

 shell being gnawed in that spot. Since 

 overturning the Murre's egg, we have had 

 no difficulty in keeping free from the mar- 

 auders, and if any of our friends are troub- 

 led we would recommend two preventives, 

 or rather a caution and a preventive. Al- 

 low no eggs that are anything but entirely 

 clean, in your cabinet ; if you have valua- 

 ble eggs that are not entirely free from 

 membraneous substance or dried skin, and 

 cannot extract it without danger to the spec- 

 imen, make a free use of camphor. It is 

 a good remedy and will check the forages 

 of the insects, whether they be harmless or 

 not. 



ness of this bird in occupying the nests of 

 birds even larger than itself, but these are 

 very few. A friend brought us a Cedar 

 Bird's nest containing a Cow Bird's egg, 

 and once in a while a Thrush's nest is found 

 to contain one or two, but the Robin and 

 King Bird are not troubled, as the Cow 

 Bird is cowardly and like the majority of 

 such people, delight to harass smaller ones 

 than themselves. 



But few instances of more than two eggs 

 being found at one time in a nest are known 

 yet doubtless it is a common practice to lay 

 three, though as inany as four probably 

 never have been taken. Dr. Coues men- 

 tions a Towhee's nest containing three Cow 

 Bird's and two of the rightful owners' eggs, 

 and soliloquizes on the discouraging pros- 

 pects of the scene. A Yellow Warbler's 

 nest will sometimes, upon investigation, 

 turn out two or three conquered Cow Bii'd's 

 eggs, imbedded in its center, and very fre- 

 quently Vireos' nests contain in addition to 

 its own eggs two others, whose identity is 

 always recognized. It has puzzled many 

 persons why this bird does not honestly 

 build a nest and notmolest other birds, but 

 it is a problem that, if regarded as other 

 than simply a peculiar characteristic of the 

 bird, will remain midecided for some time 

 to come. The European Cuckoo pursues 

 the same course of habitually using other 

 birds' nests. 



An Unprofitable Tenant. 



TI^VERY collector can tell what a nui- 

 -'-^ sance the Cow Bird is, from the var- 

 ied experience of finding its eggs in smaller 

 birds' nests. Those commonly appropriated 

 belong to birds inferior in size to them- 

 selves, though not always so. The unfor- 

 tunate Warbler, Sparrow, Vireo or Fly- 

 catcher are obliged to submit to the unask- 

 ed-for tenant, and in common with their 

 own must rear the clumsy young of the 

 Cow Bird, often as many as two or three 

 at a time. There are instances of the bold- 



The English Sparrow is found to breed 

 nearly the year round in this country. Cer- 

 tainly as many as five broods are reported, 

 and persons liave observed young birds 

 from March to November. An exchange 

 remarks that if they continue much longer 

 to propagate with such rapidity, there will 

 be a " Sparrow plague," such as they have 

 in Germany and some portions of France. 



Now comes a letter from the west stat- 

 ing that the writer is of the belief that no 

 Shrikes' eggs were ever collected save those 

 What next? 



