A Series of Eggs of the Marsh Hawk. 
Mr. Ruigway, in bis Manual of North Amer- 
ican Birds, page 226, says that tlie eggs of the 
Marsli Hawk {Circus hudsonius) are “white, 
or bluish-white, usually plain, but often more 
or less spotted or blotched with pale brown.” 
He also states that the number of eggs laid is 
from three to eight. The series ’ndw before 
me does not agree with his statements, as none 
of the eggs are white, and none of the sets 
contain as few as three, nor as many as eight. 
Four eggs I consider is the smallest complete 
set of this bird, while seven is an extreme 
number. Four to six eggs is probably a cor- 
rect statement of the usual number laid. 
Set I. .June 16, 1885. Riverside, Cal. Col- 
looted by E. M. Haight. Kest made of sticks 
and dry tides, on the ground in a bunch of 
tulos which had been bent over. Pour eggs, 
incubation advanced. Bluish-white, unmarked; 
1.69x1. .34; 1.72x1.37; 1.72x1.34; 1.75xl..37. 
This set contains the smallest sized eggs of 
this species that I have ever seen. 
Set II. .June 8, 1883. Ogle County, 111. Col- 
lected by Perry Steele. Nest on the ground in 
a marsh. Five eggs, fresh. Bluish-white, 
faintly spotted with drab-gray. There are 
also a few small spots of drab on two of the 
eggs; 1.92x1.44; 1.88xl.;J5; 1.87x1.43; 
1.80x1.40; 1.81x1. .38. 
Set HI. May 19, 1884. Natick, Sunkway 
Swamp. Collected by .1. II. O. Nest of sticks 
and grass, on the ground, with small bushes 
and high grass around it. Five eggs, fresh. 
Bluish- white; three of the eggs are spotted 
with dark gray, the other two are unmarked; 
1.78x1.42; 1.77x1.43; 1.74x1.37; 1.79x1.41; 
1.78x1.42. 
Set IV. May 8, 1886. Brushy Prairie, four 
and a half miles southeast of Baxter, Iowa. 
Collected by .1. W. Preston. Nest of coarse 
grass stalks and weeds for a rim, lined heavily 
with soft grass. Neatly made, on ground. 
Six eggs, advanced. Bluish-white. Four of 
the eggs are unspotted, but the other two are 
faintly marked with drab-gray. On three of 
the eggs there are very curious protuberances 
which are rough to the touch. 'Ihcy are firmly 
fastened to the shell, and appear to be some 
malformation of it, as they will not rub off. I 
have never seen anything like these on any 
other eggs; 1.82x1.51; 1.85x 1.43; 1.91x1.46; 
1.93x1.49; 1.90x1.45; 1.85x1.41). 
f Sot Y. .May, 21 1889. North Stoniugton, 
New London (!o., Conn. Collected by 
“J. M. AV.” (C. L. Rawson). Nest in bog, of 
tangled and matted sheep laurel, on sphagnum ; 
foundation. Six eggs, fresh. Bluish-white, 
two of them faintly spotted with drab-gray, 
and the other four unmarked, except one 
which has a single spot of burnt umber; 
1.83x1.42; 1.80x1.42; 1.85x 1.43; 1.88x1.48;/ 
1.82x1.43; 1.81x1.41. The lindiug of this set( 
was charmingly described in The Oiinitiioi.- 
OGIST AXD Oor.ooiST for March, 1890, by .Mr. 
Rawson. 
Set VI. May 18, 1884. Cranberry , Bog, 
Preston, New London Co., Conn. Collected 
by “.J. M. W.” (C. L. Rawson). Nest slight. 
Four eggs, fresh. Bluish- white, one entirely 
unspotted, which was laid the day the set was 
taken, and the other three spotted with drab- 
gray; 1.85x1.44; 1.96x1.46; 1.78x1.47; 
1.97x1.41. Mr. Rawson visited this nest throe 
times, taking the eggs at his third visit. He 
also got two other sets from the same pair of 
bircls in 1884, and three sets in 1885. 
Set VII. June 9, 1885. Cranberry Bog, 
New London Co., Conn. Collected by 
“J. M. W.” (0. L. Rawson). Nest embryotic. 
Five eggs, fresh. Bluish-white, two eggs un- 
marked, the other three distinctly spotted with ' 
cinnamon; 1.85x1.38; 1.82x1.36; 1.81x1.37; 
1.85x1.35; 1.87x1.38. Mr. Rawson took two 
other sets from this pair of birds in 1885. 
Sot VIII. May 20, 1882. North Stoniugton, 
New London Co., Conn. Collected by 
“ J. M. \V.” (C. L. Rawson). Nest in big 
open bog, with few scattering maples. On 
May 14th the nest contained four eggs which 
wore left to see it more would be laid. On 
May 20th it was again visited, and Mr. Rawson 
found it contained seven eggs when they were 
taken. All were fresh, and they are a truly 
remarkable set. All are bluish- white. One of 
them is unmarked, three others are faintly 
marked with drab-gray, but the other three 
are marked more heavily than any other eggs 
of this species that I have ever seen. Two of 
these have largo blotches of fawn color, while 
the third has large spots of burnt umber 
around the smaller end, and no one would 
recognize it as an egg of Circus hudsonius. As 
Mr. Rawson well remarks (O. & O. for Febru- 
ary, 1884, Vol. IX, page 16); “Tliese wore not 
the more ‘accidental deposits of lymph,’ i-e- 
ferred to by the late Dr. Brewer, as liable to 
appear on all plain eggs, but they presented a 
good superficial design, and the cloudy sub- 
shell coloring seen on average sets of Red- 
shouldered Hawks.” They measure; 1.78 x 
1.45; 1.84x1.48; 1.85x1.45; 1.84x1.45; 
1.81x1.45; 1.76x1.45; 1.79x1.48. J. P. N. 
O.&o. XV,MaT.1890 
IS 6 3. uts i<jui . /=U lyi.Q, . XoA.' 
Yoi, 88, ^.9. 7- 
Qo 
1014. [JVes^ of the Marsh l/a'wk.~\ By G. S, A. Ihtd., p. 7. —Refer- 
ence to the character of five nests found in the season of 1884. 
NotesNsit. Hi*. I 7. 
281. Marsh Hawk {Circtis hadsonins') > A Large set of Lggs. By 
8. F. Rathb-un;* VI, p. 14. — A clutch of 7 found at Ounnville, Out. i 
743. Late. Nesting. By G. S. Agersborg. Ibid., p. 71. ^^sh 
Hawk and Mallard with fresh eggs, July 4, at Veyinillion, D. T. & O* VCUtVlXl 
TSWngOolOgist. 1 , 554 - Marsh Hawk. By Fred. S. Odle. Ibid., p. lei.AuY.yU. Jan. 1890. P.iri 
The Ool^ist. 1632. Marsh Hawk. By Alfred W. Comfort. Ibid., pp- 234-235. Auk, Vll.^ Jan. ^ 
