NEST AND EGGS OF THE GOLDEN CROWNED KINGLET 

 {REGULUS SATRAPA). 



BY T. M. BEEWBR. 



I HAVE been recently permitted to examine an example of one of 

 ten eggs from an unknown nest, but which, by the pretty sure 

 evidence of exclusion, cannot well belong to any other species of 

 bird than the Golden-crowned Kinglet {Regulus satrapa). The 

 nest was found in the neighborhood of Bangor, Me., was about 

 six feet from the ground, and is now in the possession of Mr. Harry 

 Merrill of that city. Through his courtesy I have been permitted 

 to examine one of its eggs, and to compare it with sets of the eggs 

 of Regulus cristatus and R. ignicapillus of Europe. My reasons 

 for supposing the nest and eggs to belong to this species are, that 

 this bird is a not uncommon summer resident in that neighbor- 



Brewek on the, Golden-Crovmed Kinglet. 97 



hood ; that from their size and markings they cannot well belong 

 to any other species ; and because, while the egg so closely resem- 

 bles those of R. cristatus (to which bird R. satrapa is also very closely 

 allied) as to be hardly distinguishable from them, it is also essen- 

 tially different from the egg of R. calendula* which more nearly 

 resembles the eggs of R. ignicapillus. 



The following account of the nest and eggs I copy, by permission, 

 from Mr. Merrill's letter: "In 1876 a friend presented me with 

 the nest which I shall describe, but the bird was not obtained, and 

 consequently its identification is a matter of conjecture. The nest 

 consisted of a large ball of soft moss, the whole forming a mass 

 about 4J inches in djii.meter. The opening was at the top, and was 

 about 1| inches across and 2 inches deep. It was lined with hair 

 and feathers, principally the latter. The nest was in one of those 

 bunches of thick -growth so common on many of our fir-trees, and 

 contained ten eggs of the following dimensions : — 



No. 



Length. 



Wiath. 



No. 



Length. 



WUth. 



1 



.52 



.41 



6 



.47 



.39 



2 



.50 



.40 



7 



.52 



.41 



3 



.50 



.41 



8 



.51 



.41 



4 



.50 



.41 



9 



.50 



.41 



5 



.47 



.39 



10 



.50 



.41 



The eggs are of a creamy-white color, and are covered witli very 

 obscure spots, so very obscure, in fact, that they merely give a dingy 

 or dirty tint to the egg, and some to whom I have shown them are 

 doubtful if they are spots, but I regard them as extremely obscure 

 and confluent spots, not on, but in, the shell. From the number 

 of the eggs, their extreme smallness, and the situation of the nest, I 

 have been inclined to believe it to be a Kinglet's." 



Examining my example withapowerful magnifier, I find the ground- 

 color to be white with shell-marks of purplish-slate, and a few ob- 



* See the interesting notes of Mr. W. E. D. Scott in the present number of 

 the Bulletin, p. 91. I have also compared the egg in question witli that of the 

 calendula obtained by Mr. J. H. Batty on Buffalo Creek in Colorado, July 21, 

 1873. This, though in a somewhat fragmentary condition, exhibits its size and 

 markings. It measures .59. x 45. The ground-color is a creamy white, and 

 over this are profusely scattered minute dots of brown with a reddish tinge. It 

 closely resembles in its general character the supposed egg of satrapa, is larger, 

 more oval in shape, and the spots are more distinct and of a different shade. 

 Mr. Batty's nest contained one egg and six young. The parent, though not pro- 

 cured, was seen, and there appears to be good reason to accept the identification. 

 VOL. IV. 7 



