74 Brewer’s Notes on Junco Caniceps. 
over-cloud the ground-color. In the rest the markings are bolder 
and very conspicuous at the larger end, where they are confluent in 
a ring.” 
Of the three sets of the eggs of Junco caniceps , from Mr. Edwin 
Carter, in one the eggs are almost entirely white, with a very slight 
tinge of greenish, and measure .83 of an inch in length, and from 
.59 to .61 in breadth. More or less diffused over the whole surface 
of the eggs are very minute and quite obscure reddish dots. Around 
the larger end in each case are fainter cloudings of purple, clearly 
perceptible, if looked for, but liable to escape notice if not carefully 
observed. This set, in its general characteristics, is very similar to 
the eggs of Junco cinereus above mentioned, and intermediate be- 
tween them and those of the Junco dorsalis. In regard to its iden- 
tity there seems to be no doubt. Mr. Carter writes me : “ Of the 
set in your possession I am positive. I took it, June 23, 1873, hav- 
ing walked four miles to secure it. On the same day, and in the 
same locality, I found another nest, which was secured. Both birds 
were startled from their nests and shot, without leaving my sight.” 
The second set mentioned is now in my possession, and is more 
plainly and strongly marked than either of the sets referred to in 
the Smithsonian, more so even than that of Junco caniceps. The 
eggs, three in number, measure .82 x .60, .80 x 61, .81 x .60. The 
markings are a combination of rusty and purplish brown, often con- 
fluent and concentrated in greater blotches about the larger ends, 
while also more or less diffused over the whole surface pf the eggs. 
The third set, now in the Cambridge Museum, was taken by Mr. 
Carter’s partner, Mr. Wilkinson, in the high mountains bordering 
the South Park. He flushed the parent from its nest and shot it, 
b it unfortunately did not preserve it. For the followingdescription 
of this set, I am indebted to Mr. J. A. Allen : Cinereous Snow- 
bird, South Park, Colorado, July 12, 1876. Nest on ground; four 
eggs.’ The above is a full transcript of the collector’s label. No 
nest was sent. Coll. M. C. Z., No. 1685. Ground-color white, mi- 
nutely sprinkled all over with reddish-brown surface-markings, and 
deeper ones of a pale lilac. The markings are much more abundant 
near the larger end, where they form a rather broad band ; in some 
of the specimens the smaller end is merely sprinkled rather thickly 
with minute dots, extending over the whole end. The reddish- 
brown markings are much the coarser and more prominent, and on 
one specimen form quite large blotches. The eggs measure, respec- 
tively, .88 x .63, .88 x .62, .90 x .65, .89 x .62.” 
