THE OOLOGIST. 



155 



pletely protected by tall weeds. It 

 offers the following dimensions: In- 

 ternal breadth, 3 in.; external breadth, 

 5 in.; internal depth, 2% in.; external 

 depth, 3% in. Eggs, three in number, 

 ovate, fine in texture, and very pale 

 blue in color. They measure respec- 

 tively: (1), .91 x .68; (2), .92 x .69; 

 (3), .92 x .68 in. The birds were very 

 bold and were constantly observed 

 while the above notes were being- 

 taken. This set is now in the State 

 Museum at Albany, N. Y. 



C. P. ALEXANDER. 



My dear Mr. Short: — 



In your editorial comments at the 

 foot of my Long-billed Marsh Wren's 

 paper in the September, '06, number 

 of the "Oologist," you stated that the 

 white eggs of C. stellaris are easily 

 distinguished from albino ones of T. 

 palustris, but failed to mention the 

 differences between them. 



If you will kindly describe the dif- 

 ferences between these eggs as re- 

 gards your experience with them in 

 a subsequent issue of the "Oologist," 

 you will confer a blessing and impart 

 a knowledge on the subject to many 

 ornithologists of this city, as well, no 

 doubt, of other localities. There are 

 several sets of marsh wren's eggs in 

 the cabinets of collectors here, but as 

 they unfortunately failed to observe 

 the bird they are in doxibt as to 

 whether they are albinos of palustris 

 or eggs of stellaris. Your assertion 

 that you never heard of a purely al- 

 bino set of the former species, and 

 which Mr. J. Warren Jacobs also tells 

 me he has never seen one, compels 

 me to write to you after more definite 

 me to write to you for more definite 

 data on the subject. Some collectors 

 finding a pure white set of marsh 

 wren's eggs in a marsh inhabited by 

 T. palustris take it for granted that 

 they are albinos of this species and 



never wait to see the bird, when in 

 fact, they are those of C. stellaris. 

 This I've known to occur twice here. 

 Hoping you will bring out the dif- 

 ferences between albinos of T. palus- 

 tris and normal eggs of C. stellaris 

 strongly in the "Oologist," and thank- 

 ing you in advance for any trouble 

 or inconvenience I am putting you to, 

 I am yours truly, 



RICHARD F. MILLER. 



Editorial Note. — Sorry that the 

 pressure of other business brought 

 about a temporary burial of this mat- 

 ter. All the Albino sets of Long-bill 

 Marsh Wren I have seen, exhibited a 

 more or less pronounced lilac or lav- 

 ender tinge and the eggs were more 

 slender or narrow ovate. Those of 

 the Short-bill are absolutely pure 

 glossy white and my sets have always 

 shown up short, broad ovate eggs. 

 Again the nests of the Short-bill are 

 usually further from the water, often 

 in bordering meadows at some dis- 

 tance from actual open water, and of 

 finer materials, usually more fine 

 grasses and less of coarse flag leaves. 

 As a rule closer to the ground and 

 more carefully concealed. 



• ■» ■ 



Salem, N. J. 



Noticing your short article on Pas- 

 senger Pigeons, of recent issue of 

 the Oologist, I have a few notes that 

 would probably be of interest. I have 

 never seen a live Passenger Pigeon 

 in this locality, but have two eggs 

 that were collected in Potter Co.. Pa., 

 for F. T. Pember by A. Lyon. May 3. 

 1878. He says in his data the nest 

 contained two eggs and was placed 

 in the fork of a black birch limb. 20 

 feet high. Dimensions of nest: Out- 

 side diameter, 7 in.: inside diameter, 

 5 in. Birdj^ were seen, and incubation 

 begun: and only a few pairs breeding. 

 I can say the eggs are creamy white 



