THE OOLOGIST. 



67 



The eggs are very light buff, scarcely if at; 

 all darker than cream. Measurements, 

 from 2 by 1.30 to 2.15 by 1.55 inches. 

 Shape, bluntly ovoid. In New York they 

 commence to lay about the middle of April. 



567. Canada Goose. 



The Wild Goose breeds in various por- 

 tions of the United States, most abundant- 

 ly in the northern States and British Amer- 

 ica. Dr. Coues states tliat they have been 

 found nesting in trees, in which they offer 

 a parallel to the Wood Duck, only with the 

 Goose it is not a permanent characteristic. 

 The nest is usually built on the ground near 

 the water, in secluded heavily timbered sit- 

 uations. It is composed of sticks, mud, 

 long grass, weeds, etc., forming a bulky 

 and heavy affair. No information concern- 

 ing the nests found in trees, other than that 

 such have been found is presented, but it 

 is presumed of course, they do not differ 

 much from those found on the ground. Ac- 

 cording to Mr, Dall, six to eight eggs con- 

 stitute a set. Most nests are found in 

 Maine and the British Provinces, where 

 they breed more abundantly than elsewhere 

 in eastern N. A. 



1'he eggs are regularly ovoidal, dirty 

 white, whether naturally so or nest-colored 

 I cannot say, and 3.65 inches long by 2.50 

 in width. The nests and eggs of Hut-chins' 

 Goose are the same as those just described 

 with the exception that the eggs are a little 

 smaller. Dr. Goues says that Hutchins' 

 Goose does not breed in our limits, but its 

 breeding grounds are confined to Arctic 

 America. 



522. American Woodcock. 

 Our well known game bird the Woodcock 

 breeds abundantly throughout the Middle 

 and Eastern States. It is a singular fact 

 that so fcAv nests of this bird have been 

 found, when compared with the number of 

 nests of some other birds, equally hard to 

 find. Yet, perhaps they are not so gener- 

 ally searched for, the bird itself being the 

 object most desired. The Woodcock builds 

 its nest in the deep woods, — not necessarily 

 in a swamp, as has been stated, though 



gererally in damp situations, — and lays five 

 eggs. If the rude collection of straws and 

 grasses upon which the eggs are laid may 

 be called a nest, the term has a very wide 

 meaning, for it is scarcely as visible as those 

 of some of the Sandpipers. Mr. Boardman 

 has recently found that this bird breeds in 

 Florida, a note that will be of much interest 

 to ornithologists, as it seldom remains there 

 during the breeding season. 



An egg from New York gives the meas- 

 urements, 1.55 by 1.15. Its ground color 

 is grayish-cream or brownish-drab ; this is 

 spotted and dotted with light umber and li- 

 lac-gray. The spotting is rather scarce, 

 and the only blotches are on the crown of 

 the large end. The egg is shortly pyriform, 

 though the approach of the small end is not 

 as decided as in the eggs of the Sandpipers 

 and Plover. In the Middle States the eggs 

 are laid about the middle of April. 



to BE CONTINUED. " OvUM." 



Oological Calendar for 1877. '■ 



THE following table of probable dates for 

 full setts of eggs is based upon notes tak- 

 en in the Middle States for eight years. 



Marcli 30 ; Owls, Golden Eagle. April 

 5 ; Red-tailed Hawk, White-headed Eagle, 

 Raven. April 15 ; Red-should, and Sharp- 

 shinned Hawks, Woodcock, Blue Jay. A- 

 pril 25 ; Ruffed Grouse, Broad-winged, 

 Cooper's, Marsh, and Rough-legged Hawks, 

 Crow, Robin, Downy, Haiiy and Yellow- 

 bellied Woodpeckers. April 30 ; White-bel- 

 lied Nuthatch, Crow Blackbird, Blue Bird. 

 May 5 ; Pigeon and Fish Hawks, Meadow 

 Lark, most Sparrows and Finches, Cuck- 

 oos. May 15 ; Loggerhead Shrike, Red- 

 wiuged Blackbird, Red-headed and Yellow- 

 shafted Woodpeckers, Barn and Cliff Swal- 

 lows, Belted Kingfisher, Sparrow Hawk, 

 House Wren, Purple Finch. May 25 ; Bob- 

 olink, Pewee, most Flycatchers and Vireos, 

 Chimney Swift, Thrushes, Cedar Bird, Pm*- 

 ple Martin, Rough-winged Swallow, Cat 

 Bird, Marsh Wrens, Tit-lark, Rose-breast- 



[CONCLUDED ON PAGE 70.] 



