Set 111. Four eggs of the BrowH ^fhrasher, 

 {Harporhynohus rufus) . Three of these have a 

 delicate bhiish ground color, somewhat re- 

 sembling the ground color of the Curved-billed 

 Thrasher, {Harporliynclms curvirostris) with the 

 markings all around the larger end forming a 

 wreath, the remaining parts of the eggs being 

 without marks shows of the bluish tint more 

 decidedly than in the eggs of the Curved-billed. 



The fourth egg is what 'gjgkt Jje called a typi- 

 cal specimen of the species'. -X-III, Oct. li 



1888 P.162 



Set IV. Two eggs of the Brown Thrasher, 

 {IlarporhyncJms ritfiis). These have a heavy 

 dark green ground color with the usual fine 

 brown pin specks evenly distributed over the 

 eggs. Thei-e are no eggs I have ever seen that 

 I can compare them with, it being a peculiar 

 shade. The pair of birds that built the nest 

 these eggs were taken from, were carefully 

 watched by a friend of mine, from the time the 

 nest was started in an old brush pile that lay in 

 the orchard, only a short distance from the 

 house. After the first egg was deposited, see- 

 ing the peculiar color and being anxious to 

 secure the wliolo set, he kept a close watch over 

 the birds and nest to see that no stray "tabby" 

 or anything else molested them. On the fol- 

 lowing day there was another egg deposited, 

 but the next three days passed by without any 

 more eggs being added, although tlie birds re- 

 mained around and often visited the nest. As 

 three days had passed without adding any 

 more to the set, he secured the two eggs, being 

 afraid, as he told me, that if he did not take 

 them something might destroy tliem. 



It has always been a debatable question be- 

 tween us whether tlie female was not ready to 

 complete her complement, or after laying the 

 two eggs and they being so entirely dilferent 

 from what she or any of her sister birds of 

 that species had probably ever deposited, if she 

 did not think nature was playing a joke on her 

 and becoming disgusted, after holding a consul- 

 tation with her partner, they decided to desert 

 this nest, build another and try again. Tliey 

 are certainly a curious pair of eggs, and could 

 not be mistaken for any other species, for leav- 

 ing out the ground color, they resemble a typi- 

 cal egg of the Brown Thrasher, but are a trifle 



1 smaller than the average. . „„„ i ko 



O.&O. XIII, Oct. 1888 p. 152 



