54 THE CONDOR Vol. XXII 
is seven. Six may be the complement. An Aleut patriarch told me that twelve 
eggs are the usual number, and the native who collected the nest deseribed by 
Allen reported the same; but in view of the fact that but two eggs were saved 
of this elutech it is evident that conclusive proof of such an excessive number 
is lacking. On the other hand a young, intelligent native boy told me that he 
had examined several wren’s nests during the past ten years, and had never 
found more than ‘seven eggs or young. Furthermore he reported that in olden 
times the natives could not count accurately, and that when they used the num- 
ber twelve (learned from sailor-men) it merely meant a considerable number 
and was not definite. It may be added that Dall, in speaking of this wren, re- 
Fig. 9. Eaas or ALASKA WREN; NATURAL SIZE. 
ports that ‘‘according to the Aleuts, it lays six eggs’’. 
As noted by Allen, the eggs are white with a shght gloss, and are more or 
less peppered with reddish dots. These markings are described as being “‘so 
few and small as to be easily overlooked’’, but this is certainly not the rule. 
The set shown in the accompanying figure (kindly photographed by my friend 
and colleague, Prof. R. W. Doane) may be considered typical, and, as indi- 
cated, the spots are clearly in evidence on every egg. The average size of thir- 
teen eggs is 17 mm. by 13 mm. The largest is 18 mm. by 14 mm., while the 
smallest measures 14 mm. by 13.5 mm. 
