Tacoma, Wash, 
Jan. 2,1919, 
Dear Mr. Brewster: 
It is one day past the date for ray regular letter, 
but the delay was caused by a hope that an expected box of eggs 
might arrive so that I could have told you of its actual arrival. 
However,I will delay no longer as I am always enthusiastic when 
the time for our annual long-distance conversation comes around. 
My egg collecting season resulted in no extra thrilling 
events,such as the Hooded Merganser episode of the previous year. 
In fact the Hoodys gave me the slip altogether this season, al- 
always on hand when I went down there. It 
though 
is simply beyond my comprehension where they put their nests,as 
there must have been at least two pairs in this one place, I was 
on the grounds as early as the 1st. of March,but they would not 
let me see them selecting a nesting site. One interesting thing, 
however, was the number of Mallards that had their sets completed 
at this early date, and by the middle of April it was hard to find 
one of these ducks that had not hatched her brood. The winter had 
been mild, but the spring was very cold and wet up to April 1st., 
in spite of which very few addled eggs were to be found. 
I did not find any nests of the very rare warblers, either, 
although both Hermit and Townsend’s were by no means rare --- this 
was painful as Townsend’s is still a vacancy in my collection. In 
' 
spite of all this I have no right to complain,as nearly all of the 
other birds treated me unusually well. I took three very nice sets 
