General Notes. 
125 
or nine eggs, of a light creamy buff, spotted, often blotched, with reddish- 
brown and lavender markings, the latter appearing as if beneath the shell. 
Of some three dozen specimens examined by myself, all have the mark- 
ings more numerous at the larger end ; on some of them the lavender 
predominates. 
A set of eight taken at San Mateo, April 24, 1879, contained small 
embryos. They measure respectively, 1.70X 1.25, 1.73 X 1.23, 1.75X 1.23, 
1.77 X 1.23, 1.68X 1.23, 1.70X 1.22, 1.63X1.26, 1.69 X 1.24. The average 
measurements of thirteen eggs are 1.71 X 1.24. 
The worst enemies they have are the rats which infest the marshes ; 
the collector will often come upon a nest containing only shells, the con- 
tents having been eaten by these rodents. — W. E. Bryant, San Fran- 
cisco, Cal. 
An Unusual Flight of Whistling Swans in Northwestern 
Pennsylvania. — An unusual flight of Swans occurred in Northwestern 
Pennsylvania, on the 22d of last March (1879), Crawford, Mercer, Venan- 
go, and Warren Counties being the places where they were seen. On 
the day mentioned, as well as the previous day and night, a severe storm 
prevailed, the rain and snow freezing as they fell. The Swans, on their 
migration north, were caught in the storm, and, becoming overweighted 
with ice, soon grew so exhausted that they settled into the nearest ponds 
and streams, almost helpless. Generally a single one was seen in some 
mill-pond or creek ; and the fowling-piece, loaded with large shot, and not 
unfrequently the rifle, was used to bring to bag the noble game, though, 
considering the plight they were in, in all probability any one might have 
paddled up to the birds and taken them alive. In fact, in a number of in- 
stances they were reported as thus taken alive. Large flocks were seen in 
some districts in the same pitiable condition. In close vicinity of Mead- 
ville only two, I believe, were taken. Titusville and Oil City, and the 
intervening eighteen miles up Oil Creek and its branches, seem to have 
been the points where they were seen* in greatest number. A published 
report from the former place states that “ ten or twelve White Swans 
were captured alive ” near East Titusville. The report from the Rouse- 
ville (three miles above Oil City, on Cherry Run) correspondent of the 
“ Oil City Derrick,” states : “ A flock of from thirty-three to thirty-five 
American or Whistling Swans surprised the inhabitants of Plumer on 
Saturday forenoon by alighting in the waters of Cherry Run. One of the 
Swans was almost immediately shot at and killed, and, to the surprise of 
the now large crowd of men and boys, the remainder of the flock, on 
account of the ice accumulating on their wings, was unable to fly, and a 
general rush was then made for the poor birds, and twenty-five were cap- 
tured alive by the eager fellows. Some have them yet alive, but many 
were killed for their feathers and flesh. The lemaining eight or ten birds 
finally managed with great difficulty to arise ; — one, however, soon 
