The Hawkey e 0. and 0. 



As the breeding Labi ts are well known by most r.aturaliste, 

 and as the eggs vary but little in size, shape and coloration, I 

 will describe but one set, which was taken by the writer the past 

 season, 1888. 



On May 22d I was out collecting, and as I was passing a clump 

 of alders in a low, swampy place, I saw a Yellow-throat glide 

 from the midst and disappear in the thicket. Knowing this to 

 be a peculiar habit when an intruder is about, I made an examin- 

 ation of the bushes and found the nest, which contained but one 

 egg. As it was but a few liund red yards from home I went my 

 way, knowing there would be, iu a few days, a nice set of eggs, 

 if some small boy did not make a discovery. On the twenty- 

 sixth I went back to collect the eggs, and as I approached, the 

 female noitelessly disappeared as before. The nest contained 

 four beautiful eggs of the Yellow-throat and one of the Cowbird, 

 which had probably been laid after the foster bird had deposited 

 her full complement. 



The coloration is pure white, spotted as follows: 



No. 1 has numerous spots and dots ol black and umber brown 

 seated on the larger end, and over the entire surface are distrib- 

 uted blotches of faint lilac. Measurement, .69x.53. 



No. 2 resembles No. 1, but is not .so boldly marked. Measure- 

 ment, .66x.52. 



The spots on No. 3 form a ring around the larger end. The 

 black spots are entirely wanting. Measurement, .70x.53- 



No. 4 is marked much like No. 2, and in addition has numer- 

 ous black and umber blotches scattered over the entire shell. 

 Measurement, .68x.51. 



The nest was made of leaves, strips of weed stalks, bark, grass, 

 etc., lined with tine grass and a small amount of hair, and was 

 placed between two alders, four icches from the ground. Meas- 

 ures five by two and one-half inches outside. 



