victims to the taxidermist. Will some one who 
has kept a record of the sex of the specimens 
that have passed through his hands for a series 
of years, please send a note to the O. & O. as to 
this? 
The breeding date must be a very uncertain 
one — that is, its limit in point of time is very 
wide. I have detected young as early as Feb- 
ruary 8th, and a sitting bird on May 8th, that 
had not hatched on the 21st of that month. 
The period of incubation is also probably over 
four weeks. Spy glass observations are not 
very accurate means of determining a fact of 
this nature, but I think that I have seen a bird 
upon the nest for thirty-two consecutive days, 
my point of observation being a mile and a 
quarter by the Coast Survey Chart. The nest 
was for many years in plain sight from my 
door, and I was enabled to watch the move- 
ments and positions of the birds for hours at a 
time. And here let me note that the real 
“spread eagle,” or, as it might be called the 
“ dollar” position, was frequently assumed by 
tire parent birds while standing upon an upper 
limb and watching the young consume their 
food. It is a position that is often ridiculed, 
but proves nevertheless to be a natural one. 
The other day I found a new Eagle’s nest. 
How much pleasure is expressed to me in those 
few words! Although I cannot turn to a well- 
filled cabinet of egg-shells, and write a page or 
two on comparative measurements, shapes and 
shades, I have found a new nest. Why the 
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ber 13, 1883. I 
A Series of Florida Eggs of the Bald 
Eagle. 
I have lately had an opportunity of examin- 
ing a series of twenty-six sets of forty-seven 
eggs of the Bald Eagle (Haliasetus leucoeephalus) 
which were all collected in the Indian River 
region of Florida, in two seasons, by Dr. Wil- 
liam L. Ralph, of Utica, N. Y. So large a 
series from one locality being unrecorded, so 
far as my information goes, I found the data 
exceedingly interesting, so, hoping that the 
readers of the O. & O. will be interested also, 
I write this. Some of the noticeable items of 
the data are, — 
1st. The early date of collection. Think of 
collecting a set of eggs “ slightly incubated ” 
on Nov. 25th ! Some might question whether 
this should be called “early” or “late.” 
2d. The number in the sets. Of the three 
sets of one each, two were perfectly fresh 
(probably not complete), and the third was 
deserted; therefore, it would be practically 
able that their laying commences In soutn Car- 
olina much before February, as stated by Mr. 
Iloxie. — J. P. N.] 
Q. &O. XIII . May. 18 88 p. 7 /’~ 7 Y 
New Eng. Rap tores. Number Eggs in 
a set. F. H. Carpenter. 
Bald Eagle, (IJalixtus leucoeephalus) . 
18 sets of 3 
J 
O.&O. XII. Oct. 1837 p. 107 
: correct to say that the number in each set was 
two; while many of the books say three and 
even four. 
3d. The size of the eggs. The average is 
2.76x2.14, while the size given in all the books 
at my command (except Ridgway’s last) is 3.00 
x2,50, or thereabouts. 
4th. The shape of the eggs is far from 
“nearly spherical” as given fn most of the 
books. 
5tli. The slight variation in size of these 
forty-seven eggs. The length: average, 2.76; 
extremes, 2.98 and 2.46. The breadth: average, 
2.14; extremes, 2.26 and 1.96. It seems to me 
this is an exceedingly small variation in eggs 
of this size. 
6tli. The distance of the nest from the 
ground is constant enough to attract attention. 
The distance was always measured. 
Having thus put my conclusions before my 
premises, in hopes of making the latter more 
interesting, I now give the data: — 
No. 1. Dec. 16, 1886. 2.70x2.16; 2.84x2.20. 
Nearly hatched; height of nest, 56 feet. 
2. Dec. 24, 1886. 2.81x2.23; 2.98x2.21. 
Nearly hatched; height of nest, 65 feet. 
3. Jan. 3, 1887. 2.84x2.12; 2.76x2.10. Near- 
ly fresh; height of nest, 56 feet. 
4. Jan. 26, 1887. 2.73 x2.12; 2.69 x2.13. Al- 
most fresh ; height of nest, 57 feet. 
5. Feb. 3, 1887. 2.46 x2.00; 2.52 x2.01. One 
addled, one nearly hatched; height of nest, 50 
feet. 
6. Nov. 25, 1887. 2.71 x 2.10; 2.81 x 2.15. 
Slightly incubated; height of nest, 58 feet. 
7. Nov. 30, 1887. 2.62 x 1.96; 2.79 x 2.20. 
Nearly fresh; height of nest, 64% feet. 
8. Dec. 3, 1887. 2.69x2.07; 2.71x2.02. 
Slightly incubated; height of nest, 64 feet. 
9. Dec. 5, 1887. 2.84x2.20; 2.88x2.16. Near- 
ly hatched ; measure lost. 
10. Dec. 5, 1887. 2.80x2.23; 2.83x2.25. Fresh; 
measure lost. 
11. Dec. 6, 1887. 2.87 x2.15; 2.75 x2.11. Near- 
ly fresh; height of nest, 59 feet. 
12. Dec. 7, 1887. 2.79 x2.14; 2.81x2.15. 
Slightly incubated ; height of nest, 50% feet. 
13. Dec. 7, 1887. 2.83 x2.05; 2.88x2.14. 
Height of nest, 50% feet. 
14. Dec. 7, 1887. 2.79 x2.26; 2.76x2.21. 
Height of nest, 52 feet, 10 inches. 
15. Dec. 13, 1887. 2.69x2.15; 2.72x2.11. 
Slightly incubated; height of nest, 75 feet. 
16. Dec. 16, 1887. 2.78x2.20; 2.76x2.17. 
Height of nest, 59 feet. 
17. Dec. 16, 1887. 2.82x2.23; other broken. 
Height of nest, 48 feet. 
74 ORISTITT 
18. Dec. 16, 1887. 2.75x2.22; 2.75x2.17. 
Height of nest, 60 feet. 
19. Dec. 17, 1887. 2.62 x 2.17. Perfectly 
fresh; height of nest, 59 feet. 
20. Dec. 18, 1887. 2.68 x 2. 14; other broken. 
Well incubated; height of nest, 59 feet. 
21. Dec. 18, 1887. 2.77x2.19; 2.80x2.19. 
Height of nest, 56 feet. 
22. Dec. 19, 1887. 2.79x2.05; 2.80x2.14. 
Height of nest, 59 feet. 
23. Dec. 29, 1887. 2.87x2.11. Nest deserted, 
egg sunk in lining; height of nest, 56 feet. 
24. Jan. 4, 1888. 2.61 x 2.03; 2.63 x 2.04. 
Height of nest, 65 feet. 
25. Jan. 20, 1888. 2.70 x 2.08. Perfectly 
fresh. 
26. Feb. 8, 1888. 2.96 x 2.18; 2.89 x 2.16. 
One-tliird incubated ; height of nest, 86 feet. 
This last was taken near San Mateo, all the 
others within a few miles of the Indian River, 
Florida. Wherever the species of tree in 
which the nest is placed is not stated it is a 
O Brief Newsy Notes. 
9 ? 
O Bald Eagle’s Egg. — Mr. Snowdon How- 
^ land, Newport, B. I., reports receiving 
£7 from his collector in Florida a single egg 
> of the Bald Eagle. It was taken from one 
i; of those immense Yellow Pines common 
g in the South. The nest was sixty feet up 
© with few limbs to assist the climber. The 
X) 
‘ , nest was four feet by three feet and con- 
tained but one egg, which the collector 
took not caring to repeat the climb. 
