56 
ORNITHi 
A large series of eggs of this species show 
many styles of markings, of various shades of j 
brown, on ground colors varying from a deli- 
cate shade of greenish white to a medium green. 
[Six selected sets now before me may be thus 
described : 
Set I. May 19, 1886, Canada. Collected by J. 
E. Wagner. Four eggs, light pea green, 
marked with spots and cloudings of drab and 
Vandyke brown. In three of the eggs these 
markings form indistinct wreaths near the \ 
greater ends, and there are also a few laven- 
der spots. In the other one the markings are 
more evenly distributed all over the surface of 
the egg: .80x.56; 81x.56; .80x.57; ,80x.57. 
Set II. June 3, 1886, Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reitf. 
Four eggs, bright pea green, heavily marked 
with spots and blotches of sepia and bistre. The 
markings are confluent at the greater ends, where 
they entirely obscure the ground color, leaving 
the remainder of the surface comparatively 
unmarked. They also have some cloudings of 
drab: .76x.59; .79x.59; .79x.59; ,74x.60. 
Set III. June 8, 1884, Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff. 
Five eggs, dull pea green, clouded with drab, 
and with a few spots of Vandyke brown : .84 x 
.55; (an unusually large egg for this specie 
.75 x.58; .79 x .57 ; .76x.58; .76 x .58. 
Set IV. May 30, 1882. Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff. 
Four eggs, light pea green, spotted with raw 
umber, and clouded with drab. The markings 
extend all over the surface of the eggs, but are 
heavier at the greater ends : .81 x .55 ; .80 x .50 ; 
.80 x .56 ; .81 x .55. 
SetV. May 28, 1886. Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff. 
Five eggs, dull pea green clouded and spotted 
with drab and drab-gray. Also a few mark- 
ings of bistre : ,72x.58; .74x.59; .71x.57; .73 
x.58; ,74x.56. 
Set VI. May 28. 1886. Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff 
Four eggs, dull pea green, clouded and spotted 
over the whole surface with drab: .77 x.59; .77 
x.59; .78 x.58; .76 x.59. 
The eggs of this species can be distinguished 
at a glance from those of the Song Sparrow 
( Melospiza fasciata ) by the peculiar clouded 
and indistinct appearance of the markings of 
the former. The eggs of M. fasciata , on the 
contrary, as a rule have smaller markings and 
much more distinct ones, while the clouded ef- 
fect of those of M. palustris is entirely want- 
ing.— J. P. N.] 
O.&O. XIII. Apr. 1888 
