JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



51 



ing combination of nest , eggs and 

 surroundings met my gaze. 



Imagine, if you can, lying upon one 

 end of a bright green limb, a shallow 

 saucer of light green Spanish (usnea) 

 moss, the outer edges fading off into 

 delicate tracing against the darker 

 and richer green and reposing in the 

 centre depression three rich, creamy 

 eggs, whose bright spots were fairly 

 brilliant in the dazzling sunshine; all 

 this with a dense background of the 

 richest green, for looking down as we 

 were, nothing beyond the foliage 

 could be seen. 



It was a sight I shall never forget, 

 and it marked a red letter day in my 

 collecting career. I sincerely wish the 

 sight could have been enjoyed by 

 every member of the U. O. of Maine; 

 for although the nest and eggs now 

 occupy a proud position in my cabi- 

 net, where all are welcome to examine 

 it, still the charm of their original 

 surroundings are lacking, though the 

 eggs repose in the nest as found. 



I will not weary the reader with the 

 details of securing the prize and their 

 conveyance to a place of safety, suffic- 

 ing that the efforts were successful, 

 though extremely difficult. The nest 

 itself proved to be a platform of 

 small dead twigs and a few (three or 

 four) roots interwoven throughout 

 with Spanish (usnea) moss. It meas- 

 ured about 7x7.50 and was rather ir- 

 regular and scraggly about the outer 

 edges. The depression in the centre 

 or nest proper being about three inch- 

 es across ,its composition not differ- 

 ing in the least from the entire struc- 

 ture. There was absolutely nothing 

 in the construction of the whole af- 

 fair but twigs and moss except the 

 three small rootlets, and no attempt 

 at a lining had been made. Indeed, 

 where the eggs lay the small twigs 

 were as much in evidence as the 

 softer moss. It looked to me as if 

 the entire platform had first been 



completed and the depression in the 

 middle gradually made by the bird's 

 body. 



The eggs were three in number, per- 

 fectly fresh. They resembled those 

 of the Wood Pewee (C. virens) though 

 much larger, measuring 85x60, and 

 while the latter are white or nearly 

 so, those of Borealis are a very rich 

 cream or vinaceous buff, marked with 

 sharply defined and obscure spots of 

 light and dark brown interspersed 

 with lilacious shades. These color- 

 ings were mostly at the larger end, 

 forming an irregular wreath, occasion- 

 al spots appearing well down toward 

 the smaller end of each egg. The 

 point and centre of the larger end 

 were in every case spotless. 



In closing this humble contribution 

 to our society's columns, may I en- 

 deavor to impress upon collectors the 

 importance of so planning and arrang- 

 ing their cabinets that the nests and 

 eggs can be displayed together just as 

 they were taken, and not separated as 

 is the usual custom. To be sure a 

 little more cabinet space is required, 

 but the satisfaction of being able to 

 examine at once and with the eggs 

 the marvelous house building of our 

 feathered friends amply repays for 

 the extra outlay. It is the usual way 

 I know to box the nests and "put 

 them away" until some convenient day 

 that never comes, when they are to 

 be arranged and displayed by them- 

 selves, and thus the beautiful eggs are 

 robbed of half their charm. 



Turn over a new leaf. Have your 

 nests with the eggs, that they may be 

 examined and enjoyed, for of the two, 

 they are far more interesting and in- 

 structive. You can at least have a 

 specimen of each species, excepting 

 perhaps birds of prey and sea fowl, 

 and then if limited for space arrange 

 the duplicate sets nearby. Try it and 

 you will like it. 



FRANK T. NOBLE, Augusta, Me. 



