149 



THE OOLOGIST 



ing about my discovering spotted eggs 

 of this species. 



May 24th, 1887, dawned bright and 

 clear, and as usual I started for an 

 all days tramp, having nothing in 

 particular to look for, but everything 

 in general; so I kept well to the open 

 country, which was thickly dotted with 

 pine saplings, and a dense under- 

 growth of oak bushes. I had only 

 gone a short distance when a bird 

 flew from between my legs. I stopped 

 short, parted the bushes and there, 

 not more than two feet high, was a 

 nest containing four pale bluish eggs 

 with spots. I knew at a glance that I 

 had never seen anything like them be- 

 fore, so I took them out carefully and 

 began examining them, when by an ac- 

 cident, one fell to the ground and was 

 smashed, and the worst of it was that 

 it was one of the best marked. As 

 fretting would not replace it, however, 

 I soon packed the remaining three in 

 my collection box and turned my at- 

 tention to the nest, and as soon as I 

 got it in my hand a thrill of joy ran 

 through me, for then I knew I had 

 discovered spotted eggs of the Blue 

 Grosbeak. 



Yes there was no mistaking that 

 nest. Everything, even to the tradi- 

 tional snake skin, was there, (which 

 by the by, is strongly characteristic 

 of them, as I have never yet found a 

 nest that did not contain it). But to 

 be on the safe side and make identity 

 certain I waited and very soon the 

 chuck, chuck of the female was heard 

 as she flew around the spot. She soon 

 disappeared only to return accompan- 

 ied by the male. I watched them some 

 time being satisfied that I had found 

 something I had never heard of be- 

 fore. 



Two of the remaining three eggs are 

 very thinly dotted with minute spots 

 of red, while the third is marked very 

 distinctly with good sized spots of a 



reddish chestnut, and some few spots 

 of subdued lilac (such as you will find 

 in specimens of the Least Tern). The 

 large end is very thickly marked, 

 while the small end has only two red 

 spots (I thought at first that the mark- 

 ings were accidental, but upon wash- 

 ing I find they still remain), so tak- 

 ing them altogether they are very 

 handsome and as a set, I prize them 

 very much. 



The eggs of this set measure .87x.63, 

 .82x.62 ,and .82x.62, which is almost 

 the usual size, although some will 

 measure .90x.63, and I have one in a 

 set of three that is only .75x.58, and is 

 the smallest I ever saw. 



Now while this species is not com- 

 mon, it is very evenly distributed and 

 particular, and this past season I have 

 taken eleven sets of three eggs, four 

 of four eggs and several of two eggs, 

 more than I ever took in any two sea- 

 sons combined. 



"They arrive amongst us here about 

 the 20th of April, commencing to lay 

 early in May, as I have found sets of 

 them on May 10th, and fresh eggs as 

 late as July 7th, leaving little doubt 

 in my mind but that they rear two 

 broods during the season. I have 

 never heard them sing, and if they do 

 it must be at rare intervals. 



The only note I have ever heard is 

 chuck, chuck. Three eggs as a gen- 

 eral thing is their usual number with 

 us, and now and then sets of four. 



They seem to prefer pine saplings 

 to all other places, but you will .find 

 them in oaks, myrtle, bay and black- 

 berry vines, at varying heights from 

 two to six feet from the ground. The 

 nests are very compact, and always 

 composed of the same material. All 

 eggs that I have ever found before 

 were pale blue, fading somewhat after 

 being blown, all but the set, referred 

 to above, found this season; which 

 scores another point, and remarkable 

 one for 1887. 



