56 



their starting point. Four eggs are 

 laid about May 25th. They are 

 cream colored with no markings. 



Great crested Flycatcher. 



(myiarchus crinitus) 

 A rare summer resident. Arrives 

 about May 15th and their nest is 

 finished about June 5th. The com- 

 plement of eggs is generally five 

 rarely six. The nest usually con- 

 tains cast off snake skin. The eggs 

 as all know are curiously streaked 

 and blotched, as with a pen and ink, 

 on a buffy ground. 



Pewit Flycatcher. 



(SAYORNIS FUSCUS.) 



A very common summer resident. 

 Arrive in latter part of March and 

 the nest may be found with full 

 complement of eggs by May 1. 

 The average five, rarely four. The 

 nests are usually composed outward- 

 ly of mud lined with hair and moss 

 plastered under a beam or under- 

 neath a bridge. The eggs I find 

 are commonly spotted about the 

 crown. They depart about Oct. 14 

 or before. 



Wood Pewee. 



(CONTOPUS VIRENS.) 



Not common summer resident, 

 arrives in latter part of May and 

 nests after the middle of the follow- 

 ing month. I have seen fresh eggs 

 as late as June 29. The nest is a 

 beautiful but fragile structure and 

 is composed outwardly of mossy 

 substances. They generally build 

 their nest near the forked end of a 

 rotten limb or branch which usually 

 renders them inaccesible. It is a 

 shallow affair and contains as a set, 

 three eggs. Creamy ground blotch- 

 ed with a beautiful brown about the 

 larger end. They depart as early 

 as Sept. 10. 



Traill's Flycatcher. 



(empidonax pusillus trailli.) 

 Known in this country as a mi- 

 grant and a rare migrant at that.' 

 C. H. A. 



Packing Specimens. 



It is rather late this season for any 

 hints on collecting and too early for 

 next year', so I have chosen this sub- 

 ject and think that a few ideas may 

 be given which can be profitably 

 heeded by many of your readers. 



It is safe to assert that fifty per 

 cent of the fragile specimens sent 

 through the mail are ruined owing 

 to the careless manner in which 

 they were packed. 



As most collectors depend on 

 their exchanges to increase the num- 

 ber of their specimens, they should 

 be careful to prepare their mail 

 package so that they may have no 

 breakage to make good. 



At one time I received a paste- 

 board box full of eggs, by mail. I 

 think I found two whole eggs out of 

 the lot. Lately a box was received 

 containing a large number of eggs 

 which had been simply laid in the 

 box on a layer of cotton, and cover- 

 ed with another layer. Nothing is 

 so aggravating as to open such a box. 

 You expect to get some good things 

 but on taking off the cover find 

 many specimens broken, and of 

 course the broken ones are the best. 

 In this I shall try and give a few 

 simple directions for packing so that 

 the chances will be in favor of speci- 

 mens reaching their destination 

 safely, &nd first for eggs. 



Always use a wooden or tin box — 

 never pasteboard. Cigar boxes may 

 be obtained of different size, and 

 are light and strong. If a large 

 number of eggs are to be sent it is 

 better to put them in two or more 

 boxes than in one large one, but if 

 the one box is used it should be 

 strengthened by placing one or more 

 partitions in it. 



Place a layer of cotton in the 

 bottom of the box, wrap each egg 

 separately in cotton and when one 

 layer of eggs is placed in the box, 



