214 THE BIRDS 
weeds, stems and grass, lined with finer grasses. Three 
to five eggs are a full set, though four is the general 
number. Size, 1.25x.95. The ground color of the eggs 
varies from grayish-white to light brownish, while the 
markings, consist of spots, blotches and streaks of black and 
brown. <A series shows a great variation in color and 
markings. Mild winters many remain on the islands, but 
the migratory of the birds arrive with the flocks of the pre- 
ceding species, early in April. Their food is similar to 
the former species, with the addition of marine life, such 
as small mollusks, fiddler crabs, dead minnows and other 
insect matter found along the mud flats and in the salt 
marshes. 
