JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



17 



Set No. five and the last was col- 

 lected July 6th, the nest was built in 

 the same box that set No. three was 

 found and was composed of the same 

 material as that nest and was fully 

 as large and bulky as the others. 



Thus during a period of a little 

 more than seventy days this pair of 

 birds had built five bulky nests, the 

 female had laid twenty-five eggs and 

 had about one-half incubated the first 

 three sets, the last two were perfectly 

 fresh. Thus I have allowed this pair 

 of birds eleven days in which to build 

 their nest and the female to lay her 

 set of five eggs. The first three sets, 

 nearly one-half incubated, or seven 

 days incubation for each set, making 

 seventy-six days for the out-side limit 

 of what this pair of birds accomplish- 

 ed. There was comparatively little 

 variation in the size of the five sets 

 of. eggs, all of them were very smooth 

 and glossy and resembled eggs of the 

 woodpeckers, especially those of the 

 yellow-bellied Sapsucker, both in size 

 and color. What caused this odd de- 

 parture in the color? Were the birds 

 albinos, or was it from lack of pigment? 

 I think the latter, for I understand 

 that birds that are typical specimens 

 of their species and perfectly healthy, 

 are known to lay eggs that are al- 

 bino's and from a close comparison of 

 these birds with typical specimens of 

 this species I could find no departure 

 from their usual color and size. 



In Davies, Nests and Eggs, (4th 

 edition) he states that blue and white 

 eggs are never found together in the 

 same nest. I am informed by Mr. 

 Everett E. Johnson of Lewiston, that 

 in 1880, he found a nest of the blue- 

 bird in the town of Sabatis, contain- 

 ing five eggs, three of which were 

 blue and two pure white. 



The number of the eggs of the blue- 

 bird range from three to six. In all 

 nests I have found most commonly 

 sets of three and six are not uncom- 



mon. As a bird of insectivorous value 

 the bluebird holds high rank as the 

 feirmers' friend and they should re- 

 ceive the protection of every class of 

 people.not only for their value to agri- 

 culture but for other reasons as well, 

 for do they not, bear the same colors, 

 the red, white and blue as those that 

 float over the grandest, most progres- 

 sive and most beautiful country that 

 the world has ever known? 



GUY H. BRIGGS. 



A PARTIAL LIST 



Of publications on the subject of Orni- 

 thology that may be procured for 

 a nominal price: — 



Publications of the U. S. Dept. of 

 Agriculture. 



Some Common Birds in their Re- 

 lation to Agriculture. 



Legislation for the Protection of 

 Birds other than Game Birds. 



The English Sparrow in North 

 America, 25c. 



The Common Crow of the U. S., 10c. 



Food of the Woodpecker. 10c. 



The Meadow Lark and the Balti- 

 more Oriole. 



The Blue Jay and its Food. 



Cuckoos and Shrikes in their Re- 

 lation to Agriculture, 5c. 



N. H. College Experiment Station 

 Bulletin 55, Durham, N. H. 



The Feding Habits of the Chipping 

 Sparrow. 



Cornell University, Cornell Leaflets. 



Clark University, Hodge, Our Com- 

 mon Birds, Suggestions for the Study 

 of Their Life and Work, 10c. 



These works are classics and should 

 be in the hands of every student 

 whether he be an ornithologist or not. 

 A perusal of their contents can not 

 fail to arouse an interest in our 

 feathered friends. 



Those having no price given are 

 free, 



