26 The Hawkey e 0. and 0. 



haps a little dry grass. The average height is from ten to fifteen 

 feet, but I have seen them at distances from the ground vary- 

 ing from eight to thirty feet. The same nest is often used, 

 twice. One nest was built and used in 1885, left empty in 1886, 

 and May 11, 1887, I took a set of four fresh eggs from it. They 

 probably raise two broods, as I found a nest containing i-one fresh, 

 egg, June 4, 188S, and the usual time for fresh sets is earLy ja. 

 May. The eggs are four, in number, deep blue, and measure 

 l.OOx.75. .., «■.',."' •'■'••' ;. v j." 



The Bluebird- is a resident, and therefore cannot be- called,- in 

 this climate, a "harbinger of Spring," as it was while!''!-. was. liv- 

 ing in Ohio, more -than seven years ago. I never seeTa collection 

 of eggs without thinking of this bird, for my 'first prize in the 

 oological line was a set of five fresh eggs of this bird, taken . one 

 lovely afternoon early in May, 1886. Thiswas rather late for 

 fresh eggs, for I have seen young birds full grown as early .at 

 least as May- 13, and took a set of five we'll incubated eggs April 

 28, 1887. These last were pure white, arid'the otilyset.of. white 

 eggs I have seen-;. Also found a nest containing four .young 

 bird's April 25, 1-S87.. I do not suppose there is any one ..who 

 does not know how.and where the Bluebird' builds. Surely ...the 

 nest "Of grass, leaves, hay^etc.^ placed in a hole in a -tree, stump 

 or post, is familiar to all. The eggs are four or five- in number, 

 nornlallypale blue, sometimes white, as stated above, and, meas- 

 ure .80x.60. These eggs in color form a : %o$able "exception to 

 the general rule that the eggs of all "hole-breeders" are white. 

 Perhaps, years hence, if the decrees of fashion and- the omni- 

 present desire for. slaughter have not swept the' birds from -the 

 earth, and the student of ornithology does hot - have to jstudy 

 from skins collected to-day, the collector will, in writiuo- up his 

 notes, record as a rarity the set of blue eggs he has found.. Who 

 knows? . - 



But,- my readers, if you love the birds you study, as a natural- 

 ist should, if you really enjoy the bursts of melody that float 



