170 



OENITIK 



eggs were laid about March 31st, as the young 

 were on the point of hatching. 



My second nest was taken April 26th. I saw 

 the birds when they commenced to huild it. It 

 was built in a bunch of moss, and made of 

 essentially the same materials as the last, and 

 was about thirty feet from the ground, in a 

 live oak tree. 



The eggs in this set are four in number, and 

 were perfectly fresh. They are an exquisite 

 set, being beautifully spotted with lilac, bright 

 red, and different shades of brown, around the 

 larger end, in a large wreath, upon a white, or 

 creamy white ground. They are very much 

 pointed, and in shape resemble the eggs of 

 certain Waders. 



Published accounts are so rare as regards the 

 breeding of this Warbler, that I thought the 

 foregoing would be of interest to oologists. I 

 only know of six sets of eggs of this Warbler 

 in collecti^gi^.^ XII. Oct, 1887 ^J^f-IJo 



The Number of Eggs in a Set. 



\ BY P. L. BURNS, BERWYN, TENN. 



Having read from time to time in the O. and 

 O. the opinion of many collectors on this sub- 

 ject, 1 venture to give my limited experience in 

 this line. I commenced collecting in 1885, and 

 for a time was "cheated" out of many sets, es- 

 pecially of our most common birds, by waiting 

 for the female to lay the number of eggs "bird 

 doctors" stated they did lay. In the mean time 

 the eggs would hatch, or be so hard set as to 

 be worthless. Many young collectors com- 

 plain of this, and now some take the eggs as 

 soon as found, complete set or not, claiming 

 that this is the only sure way. 



For instance, the Wood Thrush, {TlylodcMa 

 mustelina) lays three more often than four eggs, 

 and I have yet to find a set of Ave ; and yet 

 most writers claim the usual set to be four or 

 Ave eggs. 



Of forty eggs and young 6^ this species 

 found by me the past season, I And to be divid- 

 ed in sets as follows : ; 



Sets of 2 2 



" "3 -8 



/ " "4 ? 



In all eggs incubation had comm^ced, in 

 , many cases advanced. i 



The first set was taken May 30th, the %st set 

 July 4th, but the majority were taken dpring 

 the first week in June. \ 



