THE OOLOGIST. 



59 



ity of a limb. Such a similarity exists in 

 the eggs of the entire family of Vireonidce, 

 Avith one or two exceptions, that it is im- 

 possible in most cases to tell to what species 

 a certain nest and egg belongs without ob- 

 taining the bird. A specimen collected in 

 New Jersey in 1873, is quite thinly dotted 

 on the large end with small points of black, 

 on a white ground. It measures .80 by .60. 



246. Bell's Vireo. 



This bird's breeding range is quite re- 

 stricted ; more so than of most other Vireos. 

 Most of the eggs collected are taken in Tex- 

 as. It is found very commonly in Missou- 

 ri, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas. It breeds 

 quite commonly in the stubble localities, 

 placing the nest, of fibrous barks, cottony 

 substances and strings, in either a tall bush 

 or tree. The eggs are small, measuring 

 about .69 inch in length, by .46 to .50 inch 

 in width, and are white, with a rosy tint 

 before being blown, speckled, in most in- 

 stances over the entire shell, with minute 

 dots and points of red and brown. In one 

 specimen the entire marking does not com- 

 prise more than forty dots. 



250. Blue-headed Vireo, 



Otherwise the Solitary Vireo, is common 

 to the eastern portions of the United States. 

 It nests more commonly in deep woods and 

 in isolated lo(]!alities than the other eastern 

 species ; indeed, it may be said that it is the 

 only one that habitually chooses such places. 

 The nest is placed at the extremity of a 

 limb, usually of a small sapling, not over 

 eight feet above the ground. All the nests 

 I ever saw were formed alike and were 

 made of the same material. "With the ex- 

 cej)tion of a few stems and one or two oth- 

 er'minor substances, the composition of the 

 nest is nearly the same as those of V. oliv- 

 aceous and gilvus. An egg from Oneida 

 county. New York, measures .80 by .58 

 inch ; is white, covered on the large end 

 exclusively with a scant collection of lilac- 

 brown and black dots, and is longly ovoid. 



TO BE CONTINUED. " OvUM." 



How a Bird Gets Out of Its Shell. 



[CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51.] 



IV/rR. H. E. Cleveland, of Staten Island, 

 ■^'-^ evidently does not advance much cred- 

 it to the statements of Mr. Marot ; his idea 

 (or rather, we should judge by his words, 

 conviction) does not coincide in any partic- 

 ular with the opinions of Mr Marot, and 

 that gentleman sets forth his argument as 

 conclusive, and in opposition to theory. 

 Now, from the words of Mr. Cleveland, 

 who in apparent sarcasm heads his articles, 

 " 2 and 2 make 4," we take it that Mr. 

 Marot did not inquire into the matter at 

 all and consequently knew naught of the 

 subject whereof he argued ; more than that, 

 he gives inore credit to the theories of Mr. 

 Dodge and Mr. Wolff than to the ai-gument 

 of the aforesaid gentlemen. 



Without giving a detailed discussion of 

 the numerous points of opposition made by 

 Mr. Cleveland, we Avill give his argument 

 in a very abridged form. He first contra- 

 dicts Mr Marot's statement by saying that 

 the chick's head is never found luider the 

 left wing, but under the right, and that, in- 

 stead of the connection of the body with the 

 membrane of the shell by small chords, no 

 such phenomenon occurs. A further par- 

 agraph refutes the bursting of the shell by 

 the expansion of the chick, and evidently 

 is intended to reflect absurdity upon the ar- 

 gument. These points all form the pith of 

 the subject, and seem to have been ignored 

 by many persons, as totally immaterial with 

 the modus operandi tliat the chick may be 

 released. 



According to the authority in view, an 

 extension of the chick takes place, and not 

 expansion, and that, in denial of the inabil- 

 ity of the embryo to move, on account of 

 the connection with the membrane, a rota- 

 ry motion takes place, and the chick not 

 only chips the shell in one place, but frac- 

 tures its entire circumference, whence it is 

 released. The extension of the chick tow- 

 ard the extremities of the shell, removes the 



CONTINUED ON PAGE 63. 



