14 
Marsh HAWTt. (Circus hudsonius) A 
Large Set of Eggs.— I quote from a letter 
from an ornithological friend in Dnnn\ille, 
Out., he having kindly given me j^ermission 
to do so. 
“I was told of the nest by a farm labor¬ 
er, who in going across the fields daily to 
his work, discovered it in a swale ont in a 
meadow, but near a wood. When first 
found it contained only three eggs, but at 
the end of another week it had six. Some 
days after this, I cannot say now just how 
long, wdien I visited it there were four 
young birds and three eggs, one of the lat¬ 
ter chipped, one half incubated and the 
third but slightly so. Of the birds, one 
was a good sized fellow able to stand up 
while the others were not so strong. The 
nest was in an open space in the high 
weeds or rushes near a bush, and was com¬ 
posed of small sticks and grasses quite 
flattened and tramped down. The man 
told me that he had never seen but the one 
l)air of birds about the nest, and he saw 
them every day he went to his work. I 
took them on the 14th of June 1880. This 
is about all I can tell you concerning them.” 
Some time ago I noticed in the Oologist 
one of its correspondents writing of find 
ing a set of eggs, one of which was very 
small. I do not think this occurrence is 
at all unusual. At present I have a set of 
three eggs of the common Crow, two of 
wdiich are larger than the avenige, while 
the third is very small. One can get a 
good idea of their size from these meas¬ 
urements: l.f(8 X 1.19 inches. 1.99 x 1.18 
inches, .91 x .72 inches. I have also no¬ 
ticed this peculiarity in the Downy Wood¬ 
peckers. Robins and Black Duck’s eggs, 
and I have no doubt that it occurs with 
the eggs of almost every species. 
S. F. Kathbun. Aubuni. N. Y. 
Catching a Tartar.— gentleman resid¬ 
ing in (ireenville. R. I., about eight miles 
northwest of Providence, on S.iturday last 
brought in a male of the Little Black-head 
Duck (Fulix ajiuis) which he had caught 
[Vol. 6-No. 2. 
in his meadow. He stated that he saw it 
first flying as though very tired and alight¬ 
ing in the meadow. He gave chase. It 
flew’ short distances at a time and he final¬ 
ly captured it. The bird had captured a 
mussel and was at the same time a captive, 
for the mussel was a trifle too large for the 
duck to swallow, and moreover the duck 
was trying to get it down the hinged emi 
first. It had shut itself on the bird’s 
tongue, near the throat, in such a way 
that the latter could not crush it. On dis¬ 
section no food w’as found in the duck’s 
stomach, and it had apiiarently been wan¬ 
dering about for some time. I had not 
heard of their visiting any fresh ponds, 
being confined to the sea-board. It prob¬ 
ably , while in such a predicament flew 
hither and thither w’ithout regard to direc¬ 
tion. The party had it mounted with mus¬ 
sel in its mouth as found. F. T. Jexcks. 
[After receiving the above we called at 
the store of South wick & Jencks and saw 
the duck in question. The mussel was 
firmly fixed in the throat, forcing the bill 
open about one and one quarter inches. Ed.] 
Bank Swallows Utilized.— Mr. John H. 
Sage of Portland, Conn.; states that there 
are large quantities of the above birds 
breeding in the banks of the extensive 
Brown stone quarries at that place. The 
birds are protected by the men. they be¬ 
lieving that they destroy large num¬ 
bers of insects that would annoy them 
while at work were the Swallows not there. 
Richardson’s Owl.— About the middle of 
December 1880, an owl was brought to a 
taxidermist in this city, by a young lady, 
to be stuffed, but the taxidenuist seeing 
that it was not a common species, jier- 
suaded her to take a Cedar bird instead. 
The owl. on examination proved to be 
Xyctale tenyi/Kihni, var Jiichardsoni, 
{Jionap) and is the first. I believe that has 
been ^tnken in the state, though Dr. Elliott 
Couet^gives an instance of one being shot 
in Connecticut. The bird is now at the 
Brown University. 
ORNTTIIOLOdLST 
