that tlioj ha«J rurriod it to a place o; but the spots may vary, some sets 



The nest of thi King Rail is a plaH'orm 

 <r pile of grass, fciliiated in the bottom 

 li'a bunch oi jirrass. The e^jirs are 6 to 

 1) or morc^iu number, they are of a 

 light cream color spotted with ditt'tjrent 

 slunles of brov. u and red. they measure 

 1.67x1.12 inche-?. The bird is nearly 

 as large as a Coot. It does not swim 

 that I have ever seen, though it can no 

 doubt. Itjs ot u general brownish color 

 darkest on the back. 



John V. Cicone. Marathon, Iowa. 

 ♦^■^» 



The \.liit8-rui3n3; Shrike. 



On April 27tii l.slH). I took my col- 

 leciing case and started to some tall i wants 'v/t all. 

 hedii-e that was about a mile distant, representing eighty sf.ecics all accurate 



iiuve taken have iiad but few spois oii 

 (iiem, while others completely cover the 

 ground color of the egg; 1 think the 

 age of the shrike has somctiii..' :_' to do 

 with the spots. The birds an' viiiji on- 

 ly called '^ Mouse liawi^.'^ 

 7\' he covU^tUtd. 



We arv ia rijcipt of a copy of a work 

 entitled, P^ggsol 2\crtli Amci'icjinBiid.'-, 

 by C J. Mtovnard. We cannot speak 

 to highly of it^ nierits< it does the Au- 

 thor much credit, and is invaluable to 

 the student of birds in identifying spec- 

 imens, and is finely bound 



The work throuiihout is tlioroujrhlv 

 practical, and is ii. tended to meet the 

 It contains ten plates, 



in search o: Shrike's Q%\L^, 



ly <*o!ored ; and gives full desd iption 



I found ihirteeu nests and th«y all i of all known f js of IXortli Aineric;.n 



I *" 



liad eggs in them. The ieast number Bird^;^ 



of eggs I tbund in any of them was four j Pew, if ;aiy, amon- American Nat. 



and the greatest seven. Six eggs is ! ,„..,i;^ts have had tiu- v>ide expcrioi ce 



generally the complimei't. | ^vith eggs that .Mr. 3Iayiuud lias. 



The nest's were built in a fork in the i JMany minute poitit.^ t)t difrer-nce, in 

 hedge about eight teet from the gruuud^ j various closely allied ^{,ecies, ^^ ith much 

 and .vere made of hedge sticks firmly ; oilier valualde inl'ormati n have been 

 bound together wiih lint, then tliis is noted, and are recordt*! in this boo/,-, 

 neatly lini'd with stiir.gs, Prairie chic/i- j Although the cost of prepfiring the 

 en feathers, audfibersof bar/c all twist- ; plates has keen large, the [nice has bem 

 •d together so firmly that cue can hardl}' placed so low as to be u ithin the reu,i li 

 fiull it apart. The nest ranges in >ize|ofall who desire it. Wc woahl res- 

 Irom seven to twelve inches across the 'j (.(.tfuUy ,. -ill your '<tr.Mitio!i to M.\ 

 top, four irtches deep on the out side JJiyn;. id's jidvcrtisc must in this issue. 

 Aud three inside. | »*->-- 



The eggs are of a creamy white, Avith' i lease read cajcflly. our inducemcat3 

 light brown spots nearly all o\er them ^^' ^ub.-cviber.- on another page. 



