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Male. Female.
Young.

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THE BIRD BOOK

ILLUSTRATING IN NATURAL COLORS
MORE THAN SEVEN HUNDRED
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS;
ALSO SEVERAL HUNDRED
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THEIR
NESTS AND EGGS

BY

CHESTER A. REED, B. S.

Garden City New York
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
1915

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Copyright, 1914, by
CHARLES K. REED

All rights reserved, including that of
translation into foreign languages,
including the Scandinavian.

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BARN OWL.

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TOPOGRAPHY OF A BIRD.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Diving Birds. Order I. Pygopodes [10] Grebes. Family Colymbidæ [11] Loons. Family Gaviidæ [17] Auks, Murres and Puffins. Family Alcidæ [21]
Long-winged Swimmers. Order II. Longipennes [35] Skuas and Jægers. Family Stercoraridæ [35] Gulls and Terns. Family Laridæ [38] Skimmers. Family Rynchopidæ [58]
Tube-nosed Swimmers. Order III. Tubinares [59] Albatrosses. Family Diomedeidæ [59] Fulmars, Shearwaters and Petrels. Family Procellariidæ [61]
Totipalmate Swimmers. Order IV. Steganopodes [72] Tropic Birds. Family Phæthontidæ [72] Gannets. Family Sulidæ [74] Darters. Family Anhingidæ [77] Cormorants. Family Phalacrocoracidæ [78] Pelicans. Family Pelecanidæ [83] Man-o'-War Birds. Family Fregatidæ [86]
Lamellirostral Swimmers. Order V. Anseres [87]Lamellirostral Grallatores. Order VI. Odontoglossæ [115] Flamingoes. Family Phœnicopteridæ [115]
Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc. Order VII. Herodiones [115] Spoonbills. Family Plataleidæ [115] Ibises. Family Ibididæ [117] Storks and Wood Ibises. Family Ciconiidæ [118] Herons, Bitterns, etc. Family Ardeidæ [119]
Cranes, Rails, etc. Order VIII. Paludicolæ [127] Cranes. Family Gruidæ [127] Courlans. Family Aramidæ [129] Rails, Gallinules and Coots. Family Rallidæ [131]
Shore Birds. Order IX. Limicolæ [137] Phalaropes. Family Phalaropodidæ [137] Avocets and Stilts. Family Recurvirostridæ [139] Snipes, Sandpipers, etc. Family Scolopacidæ [140] Plovers. Family Charadriidæ [161] Surf Birds and Turnstones. Family Aphrizidæ [169] Oyster-catchers. Family Hæmatopodidæ [170] Jacanas. Family Jacanidæ [172]
Gallinaceous Birds. Order X. Gallinæ [175] Grouse, Partridges, etc. Family Odontophoridæ [175] Turkeys. Family Meleagridæ [178] Curassows and Guans. Family Cracidæ [191]
Page 8 Pigeons. Order XI. Columbæ [192] Pigeons. Family Columbidæ [192]
Birds of Prey. Order XII. Raptores [198] American Vultures. Family Cathartidæ [198] Hawks, Eagles, etc. Family Buteonidæ [201] Falcons, etc. Family Falconidæ [218] Osprey. Family Pandionidæ [225] Barn Owls. Family Aluconidæ [227] Owls. Family Strigidæ [227]
Parrots, Paroquets. Order XIII. Psittaci [241] Parrots and Paroquets. Psittacidæ [241]
Cuckoos, etc. Order XIV. Coccyges [241] Cuckoos, Anis, etc. Family Cuculidæ [241] Trogons. Family Trogonidæ [246] Kingfishers. Family Alcedinidæ [247]
Woodpeckers, Wrynecks, etc. Order XV. Pici [249] Woodpeckers. Family Picidæ [249]
Goatsuckers, Swifts, etc. Order XVI. Macrochires [262] Goatsuckers, etc. Family Caprimulgidæ [263] Swifts. Family Micropodidæ [268] Hummingbirds. Family Trochilidæ [271]
Perching Birds. Order XVII. Passeres [280] Cotingas. Family Cotingidæ [280] Tyrant Flycatchers. Family Tyrannidæ [280] Larks. Family Alaudidæ [297] Crows, Jays, Magpies, etc. Family Corvidæ [300] Starlings. Family Sturnidæ [314] Blackbirds, Orioles, etc. Family Icteridæ [314] Finches, Sparrows, etc. Family Fringillidæ [a]324] Tanagers. Family Tangaridæ [369] Swallows. Family Hirundinidæ [372] Waxwings. Family Bombycillidæ [375] Shrikes. Family Laniidæ [376] Vireos. Family Vireonidæ [378] Honey Creepers. Family Cœrebidæ [385] Warblers. Family Mniotiltidæ [385] Wagtails. Family Motacillidæ [418] Dippers. Family Cinclidæ [419] Wrens. Family Troglodytidæ [423] Thrashers, etc. Family Mimidæ [429] Creepers. Family Certhiidæ [430] Nuthatches. Family Sittidæ [431] Titmice. Family Paridæ [431] Warblers, Kinglets, Gnatcatchers. Family Sylviidæ [433] Thrushes, Solitaires, Bluebirds, etc. Family Turdidæ [442]Index [451]

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BALTIMORE ORIOLE.

Page 10 THE BIRD BOOK DIVING BIRDS. Order I. PYGOPODES GREBES. Family COLYMBIDÆ Grebes are birds having a ducklike body, but with pointed bills. Their feet, too, are unlike those of the Ducks, each toe having its separate web, and having a broad flat nail. Their wings are very small for the size of the body, making it impossible for them to rise in flight from the land. They rise from the water by running a few yards along the surface until they have secured sufficient headway to allow them to launch themselves into the air. After having risen from the water their flight is very swift and strong. On land they are very awkward and can only progress by a series of awkward hops; they generally lie flat on their breasts, but occasionally stand up, supporting themselves upon their whole tarsus. Grebes, together with the Loons, are the most expert aquatic birds that we have, diving like a flash and swimming for an incredible distance under water.
Page 11 Western Grebe.
Holboell's Grebe. 1. Western Grebe. Aechmophorus occidentalis. Range.--Western parts of North America, from southern Alaska southward; east to Minnesota and south in winter to the southern parts of the United States and Mexico. Breeds from the Dakotas and northern California northward. These are the largest of the American Grebes; owing to their unusually long necks, they are frequently called "Swan Grebes." They are very timid birds and conceal themselves in the rushes on the least suspicion of danger. Chalky bluish white, stained buff. At times, to escape observation, they will entirely submerge their body, leaving only their head and part of the long neck visible above the water. This Grebe cannot be mistaken for any other because of the long slender neck and the long pointed bill, which has a slight upward turn. They nest abundantly in the marshes of North Dakota and central Canada. Their nests are made of decayed rushes, and are built over the water, being fastened to the rushes so that the bottom of the nest rests in the water. The nesting season is at its height during the latter part of May. They lay from three to five eggs, the ground color of which is a pale blue; this color is, however, always concealed by a thin chalky deposit, and this latter is frequently stained to a dirty white. Size 2.40 × 1.55. White, stained buff. 2. Holboell's Grebe. Colymbus holboellii. Range.--Throughout North America, breeding from northern United States northward and wintering from the middle to the southern portions of the United States. In regard to size this Grebe comes next to the Western, being 19 in. in length. This bird can be distinguished by the white cheeks and throat and the reddish brown foreneck. They breed abundantly in the far north placing their floating islands of decayed vegetation in the water in the midst of the marsh grass. They lay from three to six eggs of a dingy white color which have the stained surface common to Grebes eggs. Size 2.35 × 1.25.



Page 12 NEST AND EGGS OF HOLBOELL'S GREBE
Lake Winnipegosis, Manitoba.
Page 13 Horned Grebe.
Eared Grebe. 3. Horned Grebe. Colymbus auritus. Range.--The whole of North America, breeding in the interior from North Dakota northwest; winters along the Gulf Coast. This species is one of the most beautiful of the Grebes, having in the breeding season buffy ear tufts, black cheeks and throat, and chestnut neck, breast and sides. They breed abundantly in the marshy flats of North Dakota and the interior of Canada. Buffy white, nest stained. They build a typical Grebe's nest, a floating mass of decayed matter which stains the naturally white eggs to a dirty brown. The number of eggs varies from three to seven. Size 1.70 × 1.15. Data.--Devils Lake, N. Dakota, June 20, 1900. 6 eggs much stained. Nest floating in 4 ft. of water, a large mass of rotten rushes and weeds. Collector. James Smalley. 4. Eared Grebe. Colymbus nigricollis californicus. Range.--North America west of the Mississippi, breeding from Texas to Manitoba and wintering along the Pacific Coast of the United States and from Texas southward. Bluish white, stained. Eared Grebes differ from the preceding in having the entire neck blackish. They nest very abundantly throughout the west, in favorable localities, from Texas to Minnesota and Dakota. Their nests are constructed in the same manner as the preceding varieties and are located in similar localities. As do all the Grebes when leaving the nest, they cover the eggs with the damp rushes from around the base of the nest. This is probably for the purpose of assisting incubation during their absence, by the action of the sun's rays on the wet mass. As they are nearly always thus covered upon the approach of anyone, this may be done also as a protection from discovery. They lay from three to eight bluish white eggs with the usual chalky and discolored appearance. The breeding season is at its height early in June, or earlier, in the southern portion of its range. Size 1.75 × 1.20. Data.--Artesian, S. Dakota, June 21, 1899. Nest of rushes, floating in three feet of water. Large colony in a small lake. Collector, F. A. Patton.




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 NEST AND EGGS OF HORNED GREBE
Saltcoats Marshes, Assiniboia, June 6, 1901.
Page 15 Mexican Grebe.
Pied-billed Grebe.. 5. Mexican Grebe. Colymbus dominicus brachypterus. Range.--Southern Texas and Lower California southward to South America, breeding throughout its range. Deep buff or rich brown. The Least Grebe is by far the smallest of the Grebes in this country, being but 10 in. in length; it can not be mistaken for any other, the Eared Grebe being the only species of this family found in the same localities during the summer. These little Grebes nest very abundantly along the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, the nesting season lasting from the latter part of May until well into December. Their nests are floating piles of grass and weeds upon which they lay from three to five chalky white eggs, which are always discolored, sometimes to a deep chocolate hue. These eggs average a great deal darker in color than do any of the other Grebes. In a series of fifty sets fully half were a rich brown tint. Size 1.40 × .95. 6. Pied-billed Grebe. Podilymbus podiceps. Range.--From the British provinces southward to Argentine Republic, breeding locally throughout the northern portions of its range. Deep buff. The Dabchick, as this bird is called, is the most evenly distributed bird of this family. It is nowhere especially abundant, nor is it, except in a very few localities, regarded as rare. Consequently it is the best known bird of the species. They do not congregate in such large numbers as the other Grebes during the nesting season, but one or more pairs may be found in almost any favorable locality. These birds render their floating nest a little more substantial than those of the preceding varieties by the addition of mud which they bring up from the bottom of the pond; this addition also tends to soil the eggs more, consequently the eggs of this bird are, as a general rule, browner than the other Grebes with the exception of the Least. The bird may always be known by the shape of its bill which is higher than it is broad, and in the summer is white with a black band across the middle. The throat is also black at this season. They lay from five to nine eggs commencing about the middle of May. Size 1.70 × 1.18.




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PIED-BILLED GREBE.

Page 17 LOONS. Family GAVIIDAE Loons may be likened to gigantic Grebes from which they differ externally, chiefly in the full webbed foot instead of the individually webbed toes of the Grebe, and in the sharper, more pointed and spear-like bill. These birds are similar in their habits to the Grebes, except that their homes are generally more substantially built and are placed upon a solid foundation, generally upon an island in some inland lake. Both Loons and Grebes are literally "Water witches," being practically, and in the case of Grebes, actually, born in the water and living in it ever afterwards. Loons are strong fliers, but like the Grebes, because of their small wings they must get their first impetus from the water in order to rise; in case there is any wind blowing they also make use of this by starting their flight against it. They are very peculiar birds and the expression "crazy as a loon" is not a fanciful one, being formed from their early morning and evening antics when two or more of them will race over the top of the water, up and down the lake, all the while uttering their demoniacal laughter. They vie with the Grebes in diving and disappear at the flash of a gun.
EGG OF LOON.
Dark greenish brown.



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 Loon.
Black-throated Loon. 7. Loon. Gavia immer. Range.--North America north of the Mexican boundary, breeding from the northern parts of the United States northward. Unlike the Grebes, Loons do not build in colonies, generally not more than one, or at the most two pairs nesting on the same lake or pond; neither do they seek the marshy sloughs in which Grebes dwell, preferring the more open, clear bodies of water. The common Loon may be known in summer by the entirely black head and neck with the complete ribbon of black and white stripes encircling the lower neck and the narrower one which crosses the throat. The back is spotted with white. In some sections Loons build no nest, simply scooping a hollow out in the sand, while in other places they construct quite a large nest of sticks, moss and grasses. It is usually placed but a few feet from the waters edge, so that at the least suspicion the bird can slide off its eggs into the water, where it can cope with any enemy. The nests are nearly always concealed under the overhanging bushes that line the shore; the one shown in the full page illustration, however, was located upon the top of an old muskrat house. The two eggs which they lay are a very dark greenish brown in color, with black spots. Size 3.50 × 2.25. Data.--Lake Sunapee, N. H., June 28, 1895. Nest placed under the bushes at the waters edge. Made of rushes, weeds and grasses; a large structure nearly three feet in diameter. Collector, H. A. Collins. 8. Yellow-billed Loon. Gavia adamsi. Range.--Northwestern North America, along the Arctic and northern Alaskan coasts. The Yellow-billed Loon with the exception of its whitish or yellowish bill in place of the black, is practically otherwise indistinguishable from the common Loon. It averages somewhat larger in size. This is one of the most northerly breeding birds and it is only within a very few years that anything has been learned about the breeding habits. Their nesting habits and eggs are precisely like the preceding except that the latter average a little larger. Size 3.60 × 2.25. 9. Black-throated Loon. Gavia arctica.. Range.--From northern United States northward, breeding along the Arctic Coast. This species can be easily separated from the Loon by the gray crown and white streaks down the back of the neck. Its size, too, is about five inches shorter. The nesting habits are the same as the Loons and the eggs have rather more of an olive tint besides having the majority of spots at the larger end. Size 3.10 × 2.00.
Page 19 Pacific Loon.
Red-throated Loon. 10. Pacific Loon. Gavia pacifica. Range.--Western North America along the coast chiefly, breeding from Alaska south to British Columbia. In winter, south along the coast to Mexico. This species differs from the Black-throated only in the tint of the head reflections. The habits are the same as those of the other members of the family. They lay two eggs of a greenish brown or greenish gray hue with black spots. Size 3.10 × 1.90. Data.--Yukon River, Alaska, June 28, 1902. Nest of rubbish on an island; found by a miner. 11. Red-throated Loon. Gavia stellata. Range.--Northern parts of North America, breeding from southern Canada northward in the interior on both coasts. South to the middle portions of the United States in winter. This is the smallest of the Loon family, being twenty-five inches in length. In plumage it is wholly unlike any of the other members at all seasons of the year. In summer the back, head and neck are gray, the latter being striped with white. A large chestnut patch adorns the front of the lower part of the neck. In winter the back is spotted with white, whereas all the others are unspotted at this period. The nesting habits are identical with the other species; the ground color of the two eggs is also the same. Size 2.00 × 1.75.




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NEST AND EGGS OF LOON.
This nest is built on top of a Muskrat house.

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PUFFINS, AUKS and MURRES.

Family ALCIDÆ


NEST AND EGGS OF PIED-BILLED GREBE. Puffins, Auks and Murres are all sea birds and are only found inland when blown there by some severe storm of winter. At this season numbers of them are apt to lose their bearings and may sometimes be found with their feet frozen in some of our inland ponds. Puffins are heavily built birds in appearance, but are very active both on the wing and in the water. Their wings are much larger comparatively than those of the other members of this family, so they are enabled to perform evolutions in the air, which are withheld from the others. They stand upright on the sole of the foot and are able to walk quite easily on land. Puffins have very heavy and deep but thin bills, which are entirely unlike those of any other bird and often give then the name of Parrot Auks. Puffins, Auks and Murres are otherwise recognized by the presence of but three toes which are webbed.
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Page 23 		12. Tufted Puffin. Lunda cirrhata. Tufted Puffin. Puffin. Range.--Pacific Coast from Alaska southward to southern California, breeding locally throughout their range. Tufted Puffins are the largest of the Puffins. In the breeding plumage, they are a sooty brownish or black color; the cheeks are white, and a long tuft of straw colored feathers extends back from each eye; the bill is bright red and greenish yellow. They breed commonly on the Farallones, where two or three broods are raised by a bird in a single season, but much more abundantly on the islands in the north. White. Their single eggs are laid in burrows in the ground or else in natural crevices formed by the rocks. The eggs are pure white or pale buff and are without gloss. They very often have barely perceptible shell markings of dull purplish color. The eggs are laid about the middle of June. Size 2.80 × 1.90. Data.--Farallone Is., May 27, 1887. Single egg laid in crevice of rocks. Collector, W. O. Emerson. 13. Puffin. Fratercula arctica arctica. Range.--North Atlantic Coast, breeding from the Bay of Fundy northward. Winters from breeding range along the New England Coast. White.. The common Puffin has the cheeks, chin and underparts white; upper parts and a band across the throat, blackish. Bill deep and thin, and colored with red, orange and yellow. They breed in large numbers on Bird Rock in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The nest is either among the natural crevices of the rocks, or in burrows excavated in the ground by the birds. These burrows vary in length from two and a half to four or five feet. Except upon the positive knowledge of the absence of the bird, it is a hazardous thing to put the hand in one of these burrows for the bird can, and will nip the fingers, sometimes to the bone. They lay but a single egg, usually dull white and unmarked, but in some cases obscurely marked with reddish brown. Size 2.50 × 1.75. Data.--So. Labrador, June 23, 1884. Single egg laid at end of burrow in the ground. Collector, J. H. Jameson. 13a. Large-billed Puffin. Fratercula arctica naumanni. A more northerly subspecies of the last, inhabiting the Arctic region on the Atlantic side. The bird is somewhat larger but otherwise indistinguishable from the common species. The eggs are exactly the same or average a trifle larger. Size 2.55 × 1.80. Data.--Iceland, July 6, 1900. Single egg in hole under a rock. Collector, Chas. Jefferys. 14. Horned Puffin. Fratercula corniculata. Range.--Pacific Coast from Alaska to British Columbia. The Horned Puffin differs from the common in that the blackish band across the throat extends upwards in a point to the bill. Their nesting habits are precisely the same as those of the preceding species. A single pure white egg is laid; the shell is slightly rougher than those of the others. Size 2.65 × 1.80. Data.--Round Is., Alaska, June 24, 1884. Single egg laid at end of burrow in ground; no nest. Collector, G. L. Kennedy. 15. Rhinoceros Auklet. Cerorhinca monocerata. Range.--Pacific Coast, breeding from British Columbia northward and wintering southward to Lower California. The Rhinoceros Auklet or Horned Auk has a much smaller bill than the Puffins; in the summer this is adorned at the base by a horn from which it takes its name. There are also slender plumes from above and below the eyes. Unlike the Puffins, these birds sit upon their whole tarsus. They nest on islands of the North Pacific Coast from Vancouver northward. A single egg is laid in crevices among the rocks or in burrows in the ground. It is similar both in size and shape to that of the Puffins, but is often quite heavily blotched with brown. Size 2.70 × 1.80. Data.--Unak Is., Alaska, June 30, 1900. Egg laid in a fissure of the rocks; no nest. Collector, F. Weston.









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 Horned Puffin.
Rhinoceros Auklet.
Cassin Auklet. 16. Cassin Auklet. Ptychoramphus aleuticus. Range.--Pacific Coast from Alaska to Lower California, breeding nearly throughout its range. A plain appearing bird about 9 in. in length, with blackish upperparts relieved only by a white spot over the eye; breast and throat gray and belly white. This Auklet is fairly abundant on the Farallones, breeding on the lower portions of the island. White.. The late Mr. C. Barlow says that it is found in deserted rabbit burrows and in all probability often excavates its own burrows. It also nests among the cliffs placing its eggs among the rocks in any crevice or tunnel which may offer a dark retreat during the day for they are nocturnal in their habits. The single egg which they lay is dull white in color, the inside of the shell being a pale green, which color can only be seen by holding the egg to the light. They are generally slightly nest stained. Size 1.80 × 1.30. Data.--Coronado Islands, Cal., March 23, 1897. Single egg laid on the bare ground at end of a burrow three and one-half feet long. Collector, E. A. Shives.
RHINOCEROS AUKLET.
Color white, sometimes heavily blotched,
as above, and again unspotted.
Page 25 Paroquet Auklet.
Crested Auklet. 17. Paroquet Auklet.--Phaleris psittacula. Range.--The Alaskan Coast, casually farther south in winter. This bird is about the same size as the preceding, and the plumage is similar, except that it has no white spot over the eye, and the breast is white. It also has a slender plume extending from back of the eye. White. The bill is very peculiar, being quite deep and rounded and having an upward tendency. It is orange red in color. They breed very commonly on the islands of Bering Strait. Their eggs are laid in the crevices of the cliff, often several feet in and by a crooked path so that it is impossible to reach them. The single chalky white egg is laid in May. Size 2.30 × 1.45. Data.--Rocky Islet in the Aleutians, June 22, 1890. Single egg laid on bare rock in a deep crevice. Collector, Capt. S. Wilson. 18. Crested Auklet. Aethia cristatella. Range.--Alaska Coast, similar in form and plumage to the latter, except that the whole under parts are gray and it has a crest of recurved feathers. The nesting season begins in May, the birds nesting upon the same islands and in the same kinds of sites as the last species. The single egg is chalky white. Size 2.10 × 1.50. Data.--Unak Is., Alaska, July 1, 1900. Egg laid in a crevice among the rocks. Collector, F. Weston. 19. Whiskered Auklet. Aethia pygmaea. Range.--The Alaska Coast. Much smaller than the preceding; but 7.5 in. in length. Breast gray, belly white; a small tuft of recurved feathers on the forehead and slender white plumes from base of bill over the eye and from under the eye, backwards. The bill in summer is a bright vermillion color. On some of the islands of the Aleutian chain they breed quite abundantly. The nests are placed back in the crevices of the rocks, where the single white eggs are laid. Size 2.00 × 1.25.






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 Least Auklet.
Ancient Murrelet.
Marbled Murrelet. 20. Least Auklet. Aethia pusilla. Range.--North Pacific on the islands and coast of Alaska. This is the smallest of the Auklets; length 6.5 in. This species has no crest, but has the slender white plumes extending back from the eye. The entire under parts are white sparsely spotted with dusky. This species is by far the most abundant of the water birds of the extreme Northwest, and thousands of them, accompanied by the two preceding species, nest on the rocky cliffs of the islands of Bering Sea. Their nesting habits are the same as those of the other Auklets, they placing their single white egg on the bare rocks, in crevices on the cliffs. Size 1.55 × 1.10. Data.--Pribilof Is., Alaska, June 8, 1897. Single egg laid in crevice. Thousands breeding on the island. White. 21. Ancient Murrelet. Synthliboramphus antiquus. Range.--Pacific Coast, breeding from the border of the United States, northward, and wintering south to southern California. The Murrelets have no crests or plumes and the bills are more slender than the Auklets and are not highly colored. Buff.
The ancient Murrelet or Black-throated Murrelet, as it is also called, has a gray back, white under parts and a black head and throat, with a broad white stripe back of the eye and another formed by the white on the breast extending up on the side of the neck. They breed abundantly on the islands in Bering Sea, laying one or two eggs at the end of burrows in the banks or on the ground, and in some localities in crevices on the cliffs. The eggs are a buffy white color and are faintly marked with light brown, some of these being in the shape of spots and others lengthened. Size 2.40 × 1.40. Data.--Sanak Islands, July 1, 1894. Two eggs on the ground under a tuft of grass and in a slight excavation lined with fine grass.
Page 27 23. Marbled Murrelet. Brachyramphus marmoratus. Buff. Range.--North Pacific Coast, breeding from Vancouver Island. South in winter to southern California. In the breeding plumage, this bird is brownish black above, barred with rusty and below is marbled with brownish gray and white. Its nesting habits and eggs are very similar to those of the Ancient Murrelet, they placing their single eggs in holes in the ground or crevices among the cliffs. Size 2.20 × 1.40. Data.--Chichagof Is., Alaska, June 18, 1898. Single egg in crevice on face of cliff. Large colony breeding in company with Ancient Murrelets. 24. Kittlitz Murrelet. Brachyramphus brevirostris. White. Range.--North Pacific Coast in the Aleutian Islands and north to Unalaska, breeding on isolated islands throughout its range. This species is very similar to the Marbled Murrelet, the chief difference being in the bill which is shorted. They have been found breeding on the same islands with the preceding species. Their single white egg is laid in crevices in the cliffs. Size 2.40 × 1.30. Data.--Sanak Is., Alaska, June 25, 1890. Nest in a hollow under a bunch of rank matted grass. Many ancient Burrelets breeding on the same Islands. Collector, Capt. Tilson. 25. Xantus Murrelet. Brachyramphus hypoleucus. Pale Blue. Range.--Resident along the coast of southern and Lower California. This bird is blackish above and entirely white below, including the sides of the head below the eye. The whole of the under surface of the wing is also white. They breed on the coast islands from Santa Barbara southward. The single egg is laid at the end of a burrow or in crevices among the rocks. It is a pale buffy white in color and thickly, but finely dotted over the whole surface with purplish brown, and with some larger spots at the larger end. Size 2.05 × 1.40. Data.--Galapagos Islands, March 2, 1901. No nest. Single egg laid in a crevice in the rocks. Collector, Rollo H. Beck.




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 26. Craveri's Murrelet. Brachyramphus craveri. Xantus Murrelet.
Mandt's Guillemot. Range.--Both coasts of Lower California, breeding chiefly on the Gulf side. Craveri Murrelet is very similar to the last except that the under surfaces of the wings are dusky. 27. Black Guillemot. Cepphus grylle. Bluish white. Breeds on the islands near Cape St. Lucas, burrowing in the ground as do most of the others of this species. They lay a single egg, the ground color of which is buff; they are quite heavily blotched with brownish. Size 2.00 × 1.40.
Black Guillemot.
Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, breeding from Maine northward to southern Greenland. Guillemots are larger birds than the Murrelets (length 13 inches) and their plumage is entirely different. This species in summer is entirely black except the wing coverts which are white. The bases of the greater coverts, however, are black, this generally breaking the white mirror as it is called. The under surfaces of the wings are white. Legs red. These birds breed abundantly on the rocky islands and high cliffs along the coast. Soon after the first of June the eggs are laid in the crevices of the rocks and sometimes upon the bare ledges. Two or three eggs make the set. The ground color is a pale bluish or greenish white and the markings are various shades of brown and black. Size 2.40 × 1.60. Data.--Grand Manan, June 15, 1896. Two eggs laid in a cavity back of large boulder. No nest. Collector, D. H. Eaton.
Page 29 28. Mandt's Guillemot. Cepphus mandti. Murre. Range.--North Atlantic coast, more northerly than the preceding, breeding from Labrador to northern Greenland. The bird differs from the Black Guillemot only in having the bases of the coverts white also. The nesting habits and eggs are identical. They nest in colonies of thousands and place the eggs upon the bare rock with no attempt at nest building. Generally the eggs are in the crevices so as to be difficult to get at. Size 2.30 × 1.55. Data.--Depot Island, Hudson Bay, June 6, 1894. Two eggs laid on bare rocky ground. Collector John Comer. 29. Pigeon Guillemot. Cepphus columba. Range.--The Pacific Coast of North America, breeding from southern California northward. This bird is very similar to the Black Guillemot except that the under surfaces of the wings are dark. They breed abundantly on some of the islands of Bering Sea and a few of them nest on the Farallones. They lay their two eggs on the bare rock in dark crevices. The color is grayish or pale greenish blue and the markings are brown and black with paler shell markings of lilac. Size 2.40 × 1.60. Data.--S. Farallone Islands, Cal. Two eggs laid on gravel at the end of a burrow, about two feet from the entrance and 285 feet above the sea level. Collector, Claude Fyfe. Pale bluish gray. 30. Murre. Uria troile troille. Range.--North Atlantic coasts and islands, breeding from Bird Rock northward. Murres are similar in form to the Guillemots, but are larger, being about 16 inches in length. Entire head and neck sooty brown; rest of upper parts Pale bluish gray. grayish black except the tips of the secondaries which are white. Under parts white. These birds nest by thousands on Bird Rock and on the cliffs of Labrador. They build no nests but simply lay their single egg on the narrow ledges of cliffs, where the only guarantee against its rolling off is its peculiar shape which causes it, when moved, to revolve about its smaller end instead of rolling off the ledge. The eggs are laid as closely as possible on the ledges where the incubating birds sit upright, in long rows like an army on guard. As long as each bird succeeds in finding an egg to cover, on its return home, it is doubtful if they either know or care whether it is their own or not. The ground color of the eggs vary from white to a deep greenish blue and the markings of blackish brown vary in endless patterns, some eggs being almost wholly unspotted. Size 3.40 × 2.00. Data.--South Labrador, June 19, 1884. Single egg laid on the bare cliff. Large colony breeding. Collector, M. A. Grasar.



Page 30


 30a. California Murre. Uria troille californica. Range.--Pacific Coast, breeding from the Farallones north to Alaska. This Pacific form of the common Murre is the most abundant breeding bird on the Farallones. Their eggs are used in enormous numbers for commercial purposes and these islands being located, as they are, within easy distance from San Francisco, thousands of dozens of the eggs are sold yearly, chiefly to bakeries. Although continually robbed, their numbers have not as yet diminished to any great extent. They lay but a single egg on the bare ledge. Individual eggs are indistinguishable from the last species but in a large series the ground color averages brighter. They show the same great difference in color and markings. The first set is laid in May, but owing to their being so often molested, fresh eggs can be found during August. Data.--Farallones, July 4, 1895. Single egg laid on bare cliff. Collector, Thos. E. Slevin. 31. Brunnich Murre. Uria lomvia lomvia. Range.--North Atlantic Coast, breeding range the same as the common Murre. This species differs from the common Murre in having a shorter and thicker bill, the base of the cutting edge of which is less feathered. They breed on the same islands in company with the common Murre and their eggs are indistinguishable. Data.--Coast of South Labrador. Single egg laid on ledge of cliff. About three hundred birds in the colony.
Page 31 31a. Pallas Murre. Uria lomvia arra. Range.--The Pacific coasts and islands. This is the Pacific form of Brunnich Murre. Its breeding range is more northerly than that of the California variety. Countless thousands of them breed on the islands off the coast of Alaska, their breeding habits and eggs being the same as the more southern form. 32. Razor-billed Auk. Alca torda. Range.--North Atlantic coast, breeding from Bird Rock northward and wintering south to the Middle States on the coast.
Grayish white. The Razor-billed Auk is in form similar to the Murres, but the bill is very different, being deep and thin, and with the upper mandible rounded at the tip. Entire upper parts black shading to brownish on the throat. Under parts and tips of secondaries, white; line from eye to bill and another across the middle of the bill, white. They nest in large numbers on Bird Rock in company with the Murres and in still greater numbers off the coast of Labrador. Their eggs are not placed in as exposed positions as the Murres, being generally behind boulders or in crevices. This is necessary because, not being of the pear-shaped form of the Murres, they would be very apt to be dislodged if commonly placed on the narrow ledges. The eggs vary endlessly in marking but do not show the differences in ground color that the Murres do. The color is white, grayish or buffy. But one egg is generally laid, although two are sometimes found. Size 3.00 × 2.00. Data.--Bay of Fundy. June 17, 1891. Single egg laid on bare rock in a crevice under loose rocks. Collector, A. C. Bent.



Page 32


 Great Auk Dovekie. 33. Great Auk. Plautus impennis. Range.--Formerly the whole of the North Atlantic coasts. Now extinct. These great auks formerly dwelt in large numbers on the islands of the North Atlantic, but owing to their lack of the powers of flight and the destructiveness of mankind, the living bird has disappeared from the face of the earth. Although they were about thirty inches in length, their wings were even smaller than those of the Razor-billed Auk, a bird only eighteen inches in length. Although breeding off the coast of Newfoundland, they appeared winters as far south as Virginia, performing their migration by swimming alone. The last bird appears to have been taken in 1844, and Funk Island, off the coast of Newfoundland, marks the place of their disappearance from our shores. There are about seventy known specimens of the bird preserved, and about the same number of eggs. The immediate cause of the extinction of these birds was their destruction for food by fishermen and immigrants, and later for the use of their feathers commercially. The single egg that they laid was about 5.00 x 3.00 inches, the ground color was buffy white, and the spots brownish and blackish. The markings varied in endless pattern as do those of the smaller Auk. There are but two real eggs (plaster casts in imitation of the Auks eggs are to be found in many collections) in collections in this country, one in the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, and the other in the National Museum, at Washington. Through the kindness of Mr. Witmer Stone, of the Academy of Natural Science, we are enabled to show a full-sized reproduction from a photograph of the egg in their collection.
Page 33
EGG OF THE GREAT AUK.
Photographed from the specimen in the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia;
not more than ten or twelve of these eggs are in this country;
the one figured is one of the best marked specimens.


Page 34




 Dovekie. 34. Dovekie. Alle alle. Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and East Arctic oceans, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering as far south as the Middle States. The little Dovekie or Sea Dove is the smallest member of the family, being only 8 inches in length, and is the only member of the sub-family allinæ. Pale greenish blue. The form is very robust and the bill is short and stout. In summer the plumage is black above; the throat and upper breast are sooty brown, and the under parts are white, as are also the tips of the secondaries and edges of the scapulars. They nest in large numbers on the Rocky cliffs of islands in the East Arctic. Their single pale greenish blue egg is placed in a crevice of the rocks. Size 1.80 × 1.25. Data.--Greenland, June 8, 1893. Single egg laid in a crevice of a sea cliff.
MURRE--White, buff, or deep greenish blue.

Page 35

LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS. Order II. LONGIPENNES
SKUA AND JAEGERS. Family STERCORARIIDAE

Skuas and Jægers are birds having a Gull or Tern-like form and with a hooked bill, the base of which is covered with a scaly shield. They have webbed feet and are able to swim and dive, but they commonly get their living by preying upon the Gulls and Terns, overtaking them by their superior speed and by their strength and ferocity forcing them to relinquish their food. The Jægers especially are one of the swiftest and most graceful birds that fly.
Page 36



 Skua.
Pomarine Jæger. 35. Skua. Megalestris skua. Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly on the European side; rare on the Atlantic coast of North America. Skuas are large (22 inches in length) and very powerfully built birds, having the general form of a Gull. Olive brown. Their whole plumage is a dingy brownish black color, palest below. Breeds in Iceland and possibly on some of the islands in Hudson Strait. The nest is a hollow on the ground in the marsh grass and is lined with grass. The two eggs which they lay have an olive greenish ground, spotted with dark brown. Size 2.75 × 1.90. 36. Pomarine Jaeger. Stercorarius pomarinus. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic Circle, more commonly in the Old World. Deep olive brown. In the breeding plumage, this Jæger has the crown and face blackish; back and sides of head, throat and under parts pure white, except the pointed stiffened feathers of the neck which are yellow. Back, wings and tail blackish, the latter with the two middle feathers lengthened about four inches beyond the rest of the tail, and broad to the tips, which are twisted so that the feathers are vertical. They breed throughout the Arctic regions, but not as commonly in America as the following species. The nest is on the ground in the marsh grass and is made of grass and moss. They lay two and rarely three eggs of an olive brown or greenish color. These are spotted with brown and black. Size 2.20 × 1.70.
Page 37 Parastic Jæger.
Long-tailed Jæger. 37. Parasitic Jaeger. Stercorarius parasiticus. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, wintering south to South America. The Parasitic Jæger is very similar to the Pomarine except that the central tail feathers are pointed and are straight instead of twisted. It is an abundant bird in Alaska, breeding from the Aleutian Chain northward. They locate their nests in the highest parts of marshy places, the nest itself being only a depression in the ground lined with grass and moss. The two eggs have an olive greenish or brownish ground and are marked with various shades of brown and black. Size 2.15 × 1.65. Brownish. 38. Long-tailed Jaeger. Stercorarius longicaudus. Range.--Arctic America; south in winter to South America. The long-tailed Jæger is, according to length, the largest of the Jægers, being 21 in. long; this is, however, due to the long sharp pointed central pair of tail feathers, which extend about eight inches beyond the others, and from the most noticeable distinguishing point from the former species. The plumages that have been described are the light phases; all the Jægers have a dark phase in which the plumage is a nearly uniform sooty brown, lightest below. Olive brown. The Long-tailed Jægers are the most numerous in Alaska and are even more graceful in flight than are the Gulls and Terns, floating, skimming, sailing, plunging, and darting about with incredible swiftness and ease. Like the others of this family, they pilfer their food from the Gulls, and are also very destructive to young birds and eggs. Their eggs are either laid on the bare ground or in a slight depression, scantily lined with grasses. The eggs are indistinguishable from those of the preceding species except that they average a trifle smaller. Size 2.10 × 1.50.





Page 38



 GULLS and TERNS. Family LARIDÆ
Gulls are webbed footed birds having a slight hook to the end of the upper mandible. Their plumage is generally a silvery gray above and white below. They nest in large colonies, some on the islands of fresh water inland, but mostly on the sea coast. They procure their food from the surface of the water, it consisting mostly of dead fish and refuse matter, and crustacea which they gather from the waters edge. When tired they rest upon the surface of the water, where they ride the largest waves in perfect safety. Terns are birds of similar plumage to the Gulls, but their forms are less robust and the bills are generally longer and sharply pointed. Their food consists chiefly of small fish which they secure by hovering above the water, and then plunging upon them. They are less often seen on the surface of the water than are the Gulls.
CHARACTERISTIC NEST OF A LOON.
Page 39 Ivory Gull.
Kittiwake. 39. Ivory Gull. Pagophila alba. Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter to the northern border of the United States. The little Snow Gull, as it is often called, is eighteen inches in length. In the breeding season the plumage is entirely white; the bill is tipped with yellow and there is a red ring around the eye. These Gulls nest in large colonies in the Arctic Regions, placing their nests on the high rocky cliffs. The nest is made of grass, moss and rubbish, and the three eggs are laid during June. The eggs are olive color and the markings are dark brown. 40. Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla trydactyla. Range.--North Atlantic and Arctic regions, breeding from the Gulf of the St. Lawrence northward and wintering south to the Great Lakes and Long Island. The Kittiwake is sixteen inches in length, has a pearly gray mantle, black tips to the primaries, and remainder of plumage white. Its hind toe is very small being apparently wanting in the eastern form, while in the Pacific it is more developed. These are very noisy Gulls, their notes resembling a repetition of their name. They are very common in the far north, placing nests on the ledges of high rocky cliffs, often in company with Murres and Auks. White. They gather together a pile of sticks, grass and moss, making the interior cup-shaped so as to hold their two or three eggs. Large numbers of them breed on Bird Rock, they occupying certain ledges while the Gannets and Murres, which also breed there, also have distinct ledges on which to make their homes. The breeding season is at its height during June. The eggs are buffy or brownish gray and are spotted with different shades of brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--So. Labrador, June 15, 1884. Three eggs. Nest made of seaweed and moss, placed on ledge of cliff. Many Murres nesting on other ledges.



Page 40




 Red-legged Kittiwake.
Glaucus Gull. 40a. Pacific Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla pollicaris. Range.--Coast of the North Pacific, wintering south to California. The Pacific Kittiwake breeds in immense rookeries on some of the islands in Bering Sea. They are well distributed over Copper Island where they nest in June and July, choosing the high ledges which overhang the sea. The nesting habits and eggs are precisely the same as those of the common Kittiwake. 41. Red-legged Kittiwake. Rissa brevirostris. Range.--Northwestern coasts, breeding in high latitudes. Brownish buff. This Kittiwake is similar to the preceding, with the exception that the legs are bright red, the mantle is darker, and the bill is shorter. This species was found by Dr. Leonard Stejneger to be a very abundant nesting bird on islands in Bering Sea, selecting steep and inaccessible rocks and ledges on which to build its nest. Their nesting habits are precisely the same as the Pacific Kittiwake, but they most often nest in separate colonies, but can be distinguished readily when nesting together by the darker mantles when on the nest and the red legs when flying. Grass, moss and mud are used in the nest. The ground color of the eggs is buffy or brownish, and the spots are dark brown and lilac. Size 2.15 × 1.50. 42. Glaucous Gull. Larus hyperboreus. Range.--Arctic regions, south in winter to Long Island, the Great Lakes, and San Francisco Bay. This Gull shares with the Great Black-backed Gull the honor of being the largest of the Gulls, being 28 inches in length. Mantle light gray; it is distinguished by its size and the primaries, which are white to the tips. A powerful bird that preys upon the smaller Gulls and also devours the young and eggs of smaller birds. They nest on the ground on the islands and shores of Hudson Bay, Greenland, etc. The nest is made of seaweed, grass and moss and is generally quite bulky. The two or three eggs are laid in June. They are of various shades of color from a light drab to a brownish, and are spotted with brownish and black. Size about 3.00 × 2.20.
Page 41 42.1. Point Barrow Gull. Larus barrovianus. Range.--Northwest coast from Bering Sea to Point Barrow. White. This species is almost identical with the Glaucus Gull, averaging perhaps a trifle smaller. Its standing as a distinct species is still questioned and has not yet been decided satisfactorily. Early in June their nests are built on remote islands in Bering Sea. These nests are the same as the last species, large piles of vegetation, hollowed on top for the reception of the eggs. The eggs have the same variations in color and markings as the Glaucus Gull. Size 3.00 × 2.10. Data.--Herschel Is., Alaska, July 1, 1900. Nest made of seaweed and grass; placed on the ground. Three eggs. Collector, Rev. I. O. Stringer. 13. Iceland Gull. Larus leucopterus. Range.--Arctic regions, south in winter to the Middle States. Greenish brown. This Gull in appearance is precisely like the two preceding ones but is considerably smaller; 24 inches in length. A very common bird in the north, breeding in colonies of thousands on many of the islands. It is regarded as one of the most common of the larger Gulls in Bering Sea and also nests commonly in Hudson Bay and Greenland, as well as in the Eastern Hemisphere. They nest indifferently on high rocky cliffs or on low sandy islands. Except when the eggs are laid in a sandy depression in the soil, quite bulky nests are made of seaweed and moss. The eggs are laid about the first of June; they number two to three and have a ground color of brownish or greenish brown and are blotched with umber. Size 2.80 × 1.83. Data.--Mackenzie Bay, Arctic America. June 18, 1899. Nest made of seaweed and grass on an island in the bay.



Page 42




 Iceland Gull.
Glaucous-winged Gull. 44. Glaucous-winged Gull. Larus glaucescens. Range.--North Pacific coast, breeding from British Columbia northwards and wintering from the same country to southern California. Pale greenish brown. This Gull is very like the preceding except that the primaries are the same color as the mantle, and are tipped with white. Length about 27 inches. Not so northerly distributed a bird as the previous ones, and consequently better known. They breed in large numbers both on the high rocky cliffs of the islands along the coast and on the low sandy islands of the Aleutian Chain. On Copper Island they breed on the inaccessible cliffs overhanging the water. As in the case of the Iceland Gull, when the nests are on the cliffs, a large nest of seaweed is made, whereas if they are on the ground, especially in sandy places no attempt is made at nest-building. The eggs have a greenish brown ground color and dark brown spots. Size 2.75 × 2.05. Data.--West Coast of Vancouver Island. June 20, 1896. Three eggs; nest made of seaweed. Located on a low ledge. Collector, Dr. Newcombe. 45. Kumlien's Gull. Larus Kumlieni. Range.--North Atlantic coast, breeding in Cumberland Sound and wintering as far south as Long Island. This bird differs from the Glaucous-winged only in the pattern of the gray markings of the primaries and in having a little lighter mantle. It is quite common in its breeding haunts where it places its nest high up on the ledges of the cliffs. The eggs are not different apparently from glaucescens. 46. Nelson's Gull. Larus nelsoni. Range.--Coast of Alaska. Plumage exactly like that of Kumlien Gull and questionably a new species. The nests and eggs are not to be distinguished from the preceding.
Page 43 47. Great- Black-Backed Gull.Larus marinus. Great Black-Backed Gull.
Kumlien's Gull. Range.--North Atlantic on both the American and European sides; breeds from Nova Scotia northward and winters south to the Great Lakes and the Middle States. Grayish buff. The largest of the Gulls (thirty inches long) and unlike any other. The mantle is dark slaty black, and the primaries are black with white tips. The bill is very large and powerful and quite strongly hooked. They are quite abundant birds in their range, and are very quarrelsome, both among themselves and other species. They do not breed in as large colonies as do the other Gulls, half a dozen pairs appropriating a small island to the exclusion of all other birds. They are very rapacious birds and live to a great extent, especially during the breeding season, upon the eggs and young of other birds such as Ducks, Murres and smaller Gulls. They place their nests upon the higher portions of sandy islands. They are made of grasses and seaweed. The three eggs are laid early in June; they are grayish or brownish, spotted with brown and lilac. Size 3.00 × 2.15. Data.--South Labrador, June 21, 1884. Three eggs. Nest on a small island off the coast; of grasses and moss. 48. Slaty-backed Gull.--Larus schistisagus. Range.--North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. This Gull, which is similar to the Great Black-backed, but is smaller and has a lighter mantle, does not breed in any considerable numbers on the American side of the Pacific. It nests in June on some of the islands in Bering Sea and probably more commonly farther north. They often nest in company with other species, placing their small mounds of seaweed on the ground on the higher parts of the islands. The full set contains three eggs of grayish or brownish color, spotted with dark brown or black. Size 2.90 × 2.00. Data.--Harrowby Bay, N. W. T. Canada, June 11, 1901. Nest of grass, roots and mud and lined with dry grass; on point making into the bay. Collector, Capt. H. H. Bodfish.




Page 44




 Western Gull.
Herring Gull. 49. Western Gull. Larus occidentalis. Range.--Pacific Coast, breeding from southern California to British Columbia. This bird, which is the most southerly distributed of the larger Gulls is twenty-four inches in length. Mantle slate colored; primaries black, both these and the secondaries being broadly tipped with white. These Gulls nest abundantly on the Farallones, the majority of them showing a preference for the lower portions of the island, although they nest on the ledges also. Besides man, these Gulls are the greatest enemies that the Murres have to content against. They are always on the watch and if a Murre leaves its nest, one of the Gulls is nearly always ready to pounce upon the egg and carry it away bodily in his bill. The Gulls too suffer when the eggers come, for their eggs are gathered up with the Murres for the markets. They make their nests of weeds and grass, and during May and June lay three eggs showing the usual variations of color common to the Gulls eggs. Size 2.75 × 1.90. 50. Siberian Gull. Larus affinis. This bird does not nest in North America, and has a place on our list, by its accidental occurrence in Greenland. It is an Old World species and its nesting habits and eggs are like those of the Herring Gull. 51. Herring Gull. Larus argentatus. Range.--Whole of the Northern Hemisphere, breeding from Maine and British Columbia northward and wintering south to the Gulf. Buff. This Gull, which formerly was No. 51a, a subspecies of the European variety, is now regarded as identical with it, and is no longer a sub-species. It is twenty-four inches in length, has a light gray mantle and black primaries which are tipped with white. The Herring Gulls nest in colonies in favorable localities throughout their range, chiefly on the coasts and islands. A few pairs also nest on islands in some of the inland bodies of fresh water. Except in places where they are continually molested, when they will build in trees, they place their nests on the ground either making no nest on the bare sand, or building a bulky nest of seaweed in the grass on higher parts of the island. They lay three eggs of a grayish color marked with brown. In rare cases unspotted bluish white eggs are found. Size 2.80 × 1.70.
Page 45 Ring-billed Gull.
California Gull. 52. Vega Gull. Larus vegae. Range.--Coast of Alaska, south in winter to California. Similar to the Herring Gull, but with the mantle darker, but not so dark as in the Western Gull. The nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Herring Gull, except that in a series, the eggs of the Vega will average a little darker in ground color. It nests during May on the coasts and islands of Bering Sea, placing its eggs in a hollow on the ground. Size 2.75 × 1.65. Grayish brown. 53. California Gull. Larus californicus. Range.--Western North America, breeding in the interior. A smaller Gull than the Herring with the primaries grayish instead of black; length twenty-five inches. This Gull is found in winter on the coast from British Columbia southward to Lower California, but nests in the interior from Utah northward. They nest very abundantly around the Great Salt Lake, placing their nests generally upon the bare ground. Sometimes there is a scant lining of grasses or weeds and again the nests will be situated in the midst of a tussock of grass. Three or four eggs generally constitute a set, but occasionally five are laid. The usual nesting time is during May. They show the same great variations in color and markings common to most of the Gulls. Size 2.60 × 1.80. 54. Ring-billed Gull. Larus delawarenis. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding from the United States northward and wintering south to the Gulf States. A small Gull, eighteen inches in length, with a light gray mantle, black primaries with white tips, and always to be distinguished in the breeding season by the black band around the middle of the greenish yellow bill. They nest in enormous colonies on islands in the interior of the country and in smaller colonies on the coasts. Thousands of them breed on the lakes of the Dakotas and northward. The majority of them nest on the ground, although on the coast they are often found on the cliffs. They commonly lay three eggs placing them in a slight hollow in the ground, generally on the grassy portions of the islands. The color varies from grayish to brownish, marked with brown and lilac. The height of the nesting season is in June. Size of eggs, 2.80 × 1.75.




Page 46




 Short-billed Gull.
Heerman's Gull. 55. Short-billed Gull. Larus brachyrhynchus. Range.--Breeds from the interior of British Columbia northward to Alaska; south in winter to Lower California. The Short-billed or American Mew Gull is seventeen inches in length, has a short, stout bill and is otherwise similar to the preceding species. Nests on islands in the lakes and along the river banks of Alaska. The nest is made of grass, weeds and moss and is placed on the ground. Early in June the birds lay their set of three eggs, the ground color of which is greenish brown marked with dark brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Mackenzie River, N. W. T., June 18, 1900. Three eggs. Nest made of seaweed and grass and placed on the ground on an island in the river. Pale greenish-brown. 56. Mew Gull. Larus canus. This is the European variety of the above species, breeding commonly both in the British Isles and northern Europe. This species is given a place in our avifauna because of its accidental appearance in Labrador. 57. Heerman's Gull. Larus heermanni. Range.--Pacific Coast of North America from British Columbia south to Panama, breeding chiefly south of the United States border. A very handsome species, often called the White-headed Gull, and wholly unlike any other; length seventeen inches. Adults, in summer, have the entire head, neck and throat white, this shading quite abruptly into the slaty upper and under parts; the primaries and tail are black, the latter and the secondaries being tipped with white. The legs and bill are vermilion. They are found off the coast of California, but are not believed to breed there. They are known to breed on some of the islands off the Mexican coast nesting on the ground the same as the other species. The three eggs are greenish drab in color and are marked with different shades of brown and lilac. Size 2.45 × 1.50.
Page 47 58. Laughing Gull. Larus atricilla. Laughing Gull. Range.--Eastern North America, breeding from the Gulf to Nova Scotia, chiefly on the coast. A beautiful Gull, 16 inches long, with a dark slate colored head, gray mantle, black primaries, and white neck, underparts and tail. Bill and feet red. Pale grayish brown. RING-BILLED GULL--Gray. This bird has its name from its peculiar laughing cry when alarmed or angry; it is also called the Black-headed Gull. They nest by thousands on the islands off the Gulf Coast and along the South Atlantic States. The nest is placed on the ground and is made of seaweed. Three, four and sometimes five eggs are laid, of a grayish to greenish brown color, marked with brown and lilac. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Timbalin Is., La., June 3, 1896. Three eggs. Nest of drift grass thrown in a pile about 8 inches high, slightly hollowed on top, in low marsh back of beach. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny.




Page 48
Franklin's Gull.
Bonaparte's Gull. 59. Franklin's Gull. Larus franklini. Range.--Interior North America, breeding from middle United States northward. Grayish brown. Like the last but smaller and with the primaries light. Underparts rosy in breeding season. Nests very abundantly in the marshes of Minnesota and northward. Nest made of grasses and placed in the marsh grass barely above the surface of the water. Eggs same color as the last but the markings more inclined to zigzag lines. Size 2.10 × 1.40. Data.--Heron Lake, Minn., May 26, 1885. Nest of wet sedge stalks and rubbish placed in a bunch of standing sedge in shallow water; at least five thousand birds in rookery. Collector, J. W. Preston.
60. Bonaparte's Gull. Larus philadelphia. Pale grayish brown. Range.--Breeds in the northern parts of North America; winters from Maine and British Columbia to the southern border of the United States. Smaller than the last; 14 inches long. Plumage similar, but bill slender and black. They nest in great numbers on the marshes of Manitoba and to the northward. The nests, of sticks and grass, are placed on the higher parts of the marsh and the usual complement of three eggs is laid during the latter part of June. The eggs are grayish to greenish brown, marked with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.90 × 1.30.
Page 49 60.1. Little Gull. Larus minutus. Rose Gull.
Sabine Gull. This Gull is the smallest of the family; it is a European bird, and has accidentally strayed to our shores but a few times. Its plumage is similar to that of the Bonaparte Gull but the bill is red. It breeds in the marshes around the Baltic Sea, placing its nest of dead vegetation on the highest parts of the marsh. They lay three eggs of a greenish gray color marked with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.75 × 1.25. 61. Roses Gull. Rhodostethia rosea. Range.--The Arctic regions, south in winter to Alaska, Greenland, northern Europe and Asia. This beautiful bird is the most rare of all the Gulls, being very difficult to obtain because of its extreme northerly distribution. It is in form and plumage like Bonaparte Gull, with the exceptions that the head is white, there being a narrow black collar around the neck, the tail is wedge shaped, and the whole under parts from the chin to the tail are rosy in the breeding plumage. The nests and eggs remain still undiscovered, although Nansen, in August 1896, found a supposed breeding ground in Franz Josef Land, because of the numbers of the birds, but found no nests. 62. Sabine's Gull. Xema sabinii. Range.--Arctic regions, breeding from Alaska and Greenland and northward, and wintering south to New England. Greenish brown. A handsome bird, having the slaty hood bordered behind with a black ring, the primaries black, white tipped, and the tail slightly forked. They breed abundantly on the marshes of northern Alaska and Greenland, nesting the same as others of the species. The two or three eggs are laid in June. They are greenish brown in color and are marked with dark brown. Size 1.75 × 1.25. Data.--Hudson Bay, August 1, 1894. Eggs laid on the ground in the moss; no nest except the hollow in the moss.



Page 50


 63. Gull-billed Tern. Gelochelidon nilotica. Pale greenish buff. Range.--Found in North America along the Gulf Coast and on the Atlantic Coast north to Virginia and casually farther. This is one of the largest of the Terns, is 14 inches long, has a short, thick, black bill and a short slightly forked tail; the crown is black, mantle pearly gray, white below. This species is very widely distributed, being found in Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. They are known locally as "Marsh Terns" where they breed in immense numbers on some of the marshes about the Gulf, particularly in Texas. They also breed on many of the islands along the Coast, rarely making any nest, but laying the eggs in a hollow in the sand. They nest most abundantly in the latter part of May, generally laying three eggs. They are of a yellowish, grayish or greenish buff color and are spotted with brown and lilac. Size 1.80 × 1.30. Data.--Northampton Co., Va., May 28, 1882. Three eggs laid on a mass of seaweed on marsh above tide water. 64. Caspian Tern. Sterna caspia. Range.--Like the preceding species, this bird is nearly cosmopolitan in its range, in North America breeding from the Gulf Coast and Texas northward to the Arctic Regions. Grayish buff. This beautiful bird is the largest of the Tern family, being about 22 inches in length, with the tail forked about 1.5 inches. The bill is large, heavy and bright red; the crest, with which this and the next three species are adorned, is black. The mantle is pale pearl and the under parts white. These Terns sometimes nest in large colonies and then again only a few pairs will be found on an island. In Texas, the breeding season commences in May, it being later in the more northern breeding grounds. They may be regarded as largely eastern birds, as while they are common in the interior of the country, they are rarely found on the Pacific Coast. Two or three eggs constitute a complete set; these are laid on the sand in a slight hollow scooped out by the birds. They vary from gray to greenish buff, marked with brown and lilac. Size 2.60 × 1.75. Data.--Hat Island, Lake Michigan, July 1, 1896. No nest. Two eggs in a hollow in the gravel. Fully a thousand terns nesting on about one acre. Collector, Charles L. Cass.
Page 51 Gull-billed Tern.
Caspian Tern.
Royal Tern. 65. Royal Tern. Sterna maxima. Range.--Temperate North and South America, breeding in the United States locally from Texas and the Gulf States northward to the northern boundary of the United States. Grayish buff. The Royal Terns nest in great numbers on the coasts and islands on the South Atlantic and Gulf States and in the marshes of southern Texas. Like the former species they lay two or three eggs in a hollow on the bare sand. The eggs are the same size but differ in being more pointed and having a lighter ground and with the markings more bold and distinct. Size 2.60 × 1.70. 66. Elegant Tern. Sterna elegans. Cream color. Range.--Pacific Coast of South and Central America; north to California in summer. A similar bird to the Royal Tern, but easily distinguished by its smaller size, slender bill, and more graceful form. In the breeding plumage the under parts of these Terns are tinged with rosy, which probably first gave the birds their name. They breed on the coasts and islands of Mexico and Central America, placing their eggs on the sand. They are believed to lay but a single egg, like that of the Royal Tern, but smaller. Size 2.40 × 1.40. Data.--Honduras, Central America, June 5, 1899. Single egg laid on the sandy beach.



Page 52


 Elegant Tern.
Cabot's Tern. 67. Cabot Tern. Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida. Range.--A tropical species breeding regularly north to the Bahamas and Florida; casually farther north. Cream color. A beautiful bird distinguished from the three preceding ones by its smaller size (sixteen inches) and by the bill which is black with a yellow tip. They nest in colonies on the shores of islands in the West Indies and Bahamas, but not to a great extent on the United States Coast. Their two or three eggs have a creamy ground color, and are boldly marked with brown and black. Size 2.10 × 1.40. 68. Trudeau's Tern. Sterna trudeaui. Range.--South America; accidentally along the coast of the United States. A rare and unique species with a form similar to the following, but with the coloration entirely different. About fifteen inches in length; tail long and deeply forked; bill yellow with a band of black about the middle. Whole head pure white, shading into the pearly color of the upper and under parts. A narrow band of black through the eye and over the ear coverts. A very rare species that is supposed to breed in southern South America. Given a place among North American birds on the strength of a specimen seen by Audubon off Long Island.
Page 53 Forsters Tern.
Common Tern. 69. Forster's Tern. Sterna forsteri. Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from Manitoba, Mass., and California, south to the Gulf Coast and Texas. Length about fifteen inches; tail long and deeply forked; crown black, back and wings pearl and under parts white. Bill orange red. This species and the three following are the most graceful of birds in appearance and flight. Their movements can only be likened to those of the Swallows, from which they get the name of "Sea Swallows." Their food consists of fish, which they get by diving, and marine insects. They breed by thousands in the marshes from Manitoba to Texas and along the South Atlantic coast. The eggs are laid in a hollow on the dry grassy portions of the islands or marshes. They generally lay three eggs and rarely four. They are buffy or brownish spotted with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.80 × 1.30. Data.--Cobb's Island, Va., June 8, 1887. Eggs in a hollow on grassy bank. Collector, F. H. Judson. Brownish buff. 70. Common Tern. Sterna hirundo. Range.--Eastern North America, breeding both on the coast and in the interior from the Gulf States northward. Buff. This bird differs from the preceding chiefly in having a bright red bill tipped with black, and the under parts washed with pearl. These are the most common Terns on the New England coast, nesting abundantly from Virginia to Newfoundland. These beautiful Terns, together with others of the family, were formerly killed by thousands for millinery purposes, but the practice is now being rapidly stopped. In May and June they lay their three, or sometimes four eggs on the ground as do the other Terns. They are similar to the preceding species but average shorter. Data.--Duck Is., Maine, June 30, 1896. Three eggs in marsh grass about fifty feet from beach. No nest. Collector, C. A. Reed.



Page 54




 71. Arctic Tern. Sterna paradisaea. Arctic Tern.
Roseate Tern.
Aleutian Tern. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding from New England northward to the Arctic Regions and wintering south to California and the South Atlantic States. A similar bird to the last, differing in having the bill wholly red and the feet being smaller and weak for the size of the bird. A more northern bird than the last, breeding abundantly in Alaska, both on the coast and in the interior. In the southern limits of its breeding range, it nests in company with the Common Tern, its nests and eggs being indistinguishable from the latter. When their nesting grounds are approached, all the birds arise like a great white cloud, uttering their harsh, discordant "tearrr, tearrr," while now and then an individual, bolder than the rest, will swoop close by with an angry "crack." On the whole they are timid birds, keeping well out of reach. The nesting season is early in June. Eggs like the preceding. Data.--Little Duck Is., Me., June 29, 1896. Three eggs in a slight hollow on the beach, three feet above high water mark. 72. Roseate Tern. Sterna dougalli. Range.--Temperate North America on the east coast, breeding from New England to the Gulf. Grayish or Brownish. These are the most beautiful birds, having a delicate pink blush on the under parts during the breeding season; the tail is very long and deeply forked, the outer feathers being over five inches longer than the middle ones; the bill is red with a black tip. They nest in large colonies on the islands from Southern New England southward, placing the nests in the short grass, generally without any lining. They lay two or three eggs which are indistinguishable from the two preceding species. 73. Aleutian Tern. Sterna aleutica. Range.--Found in summer in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. South in winter to Japan. This handsome Tern is of the form and size of the Common Tern, but has a darker mantle, and the forehead is white, leaving a black line from the bill to the eye. They nest on islands off the coast of Alaska, sometimes together with the Arctic Tern. The eggs are laid upon the bare ground or moss, and are similar to the Arctic Terns, but average narrower. They are two or three in number and are laid in June and July. Size 1.70 × 1.15. Data.--Stuart Is., Alaska. Three eggs in a slight hollow in the moss.
Page 55 Least Tern.
Sooty Tern. 74. Least Tern. Sterna antillarum. Range.--From northern South America to southern New England, Dakota and California, breeding locally throughout its range. These little Sea Swallows are the smallest of the Terns, being but 9 inches in length. They have a yellow bill with a black tip, a black crown and nape, and white forehead. Although small, these little Terns lose none of the grace and beauty of action of their larger relatives. Light buff. They nest in colonies on the South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, placing their eggs upon the bare sand, where they are sometimes very difficult to see among the shells and pebbles. They are of a grayish or buffy color spotted with umber and lilac. They number two, three and rarely four, and are laid in May and June. Size 1.25 × .95. Data.--DeSota Beach, Fla., May 20, 1884. Three eggs laid on the sandy beach. Collector, Chas. Graham.
75. Sooty Tern. Sterna fuscata. Creamy white. Range.--Tropical America, north to the South Atlantic States. This species measures 17 inches in length; it has a brownish black mantle, wings and tail, except the outer feathers of the latter which are white; the forehead and under parts are white, the crown and a line from the eye to the bill, black. This tropical species is very numerous at its breeding grounds on the small islands of the Florida Keys and the West Indies. They lay but a single egg, generally placing it on the bare ground, or occasionally building a frail nest of grasses. The egg has a pinkish white or creamy ground and is beautifully sprinkled with spots of reddish brown and lilac. They are laid during May. Size 2.05 × 1.45. Data.--Clutheria Key, Bahamas, May 28, 1891. Single egg laid on bare ground near water. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.



Page 56



 Black Tern.
Noddy.
Black Skimmer. 76. Bridled Tern. Sterna anaetheta. Range.--Found in tropical regions of both hemispheres; casual or accidental in Florida. This Tern is similar to the last except that the nape is white and the white of the forehead extends in a line over the eye. Creamy white. The Bridled Tern is common on some of the islands of the West Indies and the Bahamas, nesting in company with the Sooty Terns and Noddies. The single egg is laid on the seashore or among the rocks. It is creamy white beautifully marked with brown and lilac. Size 1.85 × 1.25. Data.--Bahamas, May 9, 1892. Single egg laid in a cavity among the rocks. Collector, D. P. Ingraham. 77. Black Tern. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Range.--Temperate America, breeding from the middle portions of the United States northward to Alaska; south in winter beyond the United States Border. The identity of these Terns cannot be mistaken. They are but ten inches in length; the whole head, neck and under parts are black; the back, wings and tail are slaty and the under tail coverts are white. Their dainty figure with their long slender wings gives them a grace and airiness, if possible, superior to other species of the family. Deep greenish brown. They are very active and besides feeding upon all manner of marine crustacea, they capture many insects in the air. They nest in large colonies in marshes, both along the coast and in the interior, making a nest of decayed reeds and grasses, or often laying their eggs upon rafts of decayed vegetation which are floating on the water. The nesting season commences in May, they laying three eggs of a brownish or greenish color, very heavily blotched with blackish brown. Size 1.35 × .95. Data.--Winnebago City, Minn., May 31, 1901. Three eggs. Nest made of a mass of weeds and rushes floating on water in a swamp. Collector, R. H. Bullis.
Page 57 Greenish buff. 78. White-winged Black Tern. Hydrochelidon leucoptera. Range.--Eastern Hemisphere, its addition to American birds being made because of the accidental appearance of one bird in Wisconsin in 1873. They nest very abundantly among the lakes and marshes of southern Europe, placing their eggs the same as the American species, upon masses of decayed reeds and stalks.
Buff. They lay three eggs which have a somewhat brighter appearance than the common Black Terns because of a somewhat lighter ground color. 79. Noddy. Anous stolidus. Range.--Tropical America, north to the Gulf and South Atlantic States.
Noddy. A peculiar but handsome bird (about fifteen inches long), with a silvery white head and the rest of the plumage brownish, and the tail rounded. They breed in abundance on some of the Florida Keys, the West Indies and the Bahamas. Their nests are made of sticks and grass, and are placed either in trees or on the ground. They lay but a single egg with a buffy or cream colored ground spotted with chestnut and lilac. Size 2.00 × 1.30. Atwood's Key, Bahamas, June 1, 1891. Nest made of sticks and grasses, three feet up a mangrove. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.




Page 58

 SKIMMERS. Family RYNCHOPIDÆ Skimmers are Tern-like birds having a very strangely developed bill. The lower mandible is much longer than the upper and very thin, the upper edge being as sharp as the lower. The lower mandible is rounded at the end while the upper is more pointed. Young Skimmers are said to have both mandibles of the same length, the abnormal development not appearing until after flight. Skimmers are very graceful birds, and, as implied by their name, they skim over the surface of the water, rising and falling with the waves, and are said to pick up their food by dropping the lower mandible below the surface, its thin edge cutting the water like a knife. There are four species of Skimmers, only one of which is found in North America. 80. Black Skimmer. Rynchops nigra. Buffy yellow. Range.--The South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, breeding from New Jersey southward. The Black Skimmer is about eighteen inches in length, and besides the remarkable bill is a bird of striking plumage; the forehead, ends of the secondaries, tail feathers and under parts are white; the rest of the plumage is black and the basal half of the bill is crimson. Skimmers nest in large communities, the same as do the Terns, laying their eggs in hollows in the sand. They are partially nocturnal in their habits and their hoarse barking cries may be heard after the shadows of night have enveloped the earth. Fishermen call them by the names of "Cut-water" and "Sea Dog." The nesting season commences in May and continues through June and July. They lay from three to five eggs, having a creamy or yellowish buff ground, blotched with black, chestnut and lilac. Size 1.75 × 1.30. Data.--Cobb's Is., Va., June 8, 1894. Three eggs laid in a hollow on the beach. No nest.
Page 59 TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS. Order III. TUBINARES. ALBATROSSES. Family DIOMEDEIDAE Black-footed Albatross.
Short-tailed Albatross. Albatrosses are the largest of the sea birds and have an enormous expanse of wing, the Wandering Albatross, the largest of the family, sometimes attaining an expanse of fourteen feet. Their nostrils consist of two slightly projecting tubes, one on each side near the base of the bill. They are unsurpassed in powers of flight, but are only fair swimmers and rarely, if ever, dive, getting their food, which consists of dead animal matter, from the surface of the water. 81. Black-footed Albatross. Diomedea nigripes. Range.--North Pacific from California northward. This Albatross is thirty-two inches in length; it is of a uniform sooty brown color shading into whitish at the base of the bill, which is rounded. Like the other members of the family, this species is noted for its extended flights, following vessels day after day without any apparent period of rest, for the purpose of feeding on the refuse that is thrown overboard. They breed during our winter on some of the small isolated islands in the extreme southern portions of the globe. They lay a single white egg on the bare ground. 82. Short-tailed Albatross. Diomedea albatrus. Range.--North Pacific Ocean in summer, from Lower California to Alaska. With the exception of the Wandering Albatross, which is now regarded as doubtful as occurring off our coasts, the Short-tailed Albatross is one of the largest of the group, measuring thirty-six inches in length, and has an extent of seven feet or more. With the exception of the black primaries, shoulders and tail, the entire plumage is white, tinged with straw color on the back of the head. They breed on the guano islands in the North Pacific off the coasts of Alaska and Japan. They lay a single white egg on the bare ground or rocks. As with the other members of the family, the eggs are extremely variable in size, but average about 4.25 × 2.50.




Page 60


 82.1. Laysan Albatross. Diomedea immutabilis. Laysan Albatross.
Yellow-nosed Albatross.
Sooty Albatross. Range.--Laysan Island of the Hawaiian Group, appearing casually off the coast of California. This species breeds in large numbers on the island from which it takes its name. The birds are white with the exception of the back, wings and tail, which are black. The birds, having been little molested in their remote island, are exceedingly tame, and it is possible to go among the sitting birds without disturbing them. Mr. Walter K. Fisher has contributed an admirable report on this species in the 1913 Bulletin of the Fish Commission, the report being illustrated with numerous illustrations of the birds from photos by the author. Their single white eggs are laid on the bare ground. 83. Yellow-nosed Albatross. Thalassogeron culminatus. This is a species which inhabits the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, and is said to rarely occur on the California coast. They breed during our winter on some of the small islands and during our summer are ocean wanderers. An egg in the collection of Col. John E. Thayer was taken on Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean; Sept. 1st, 1888. The nest was a mound of mud and grass about two feet in height. The single white egg measured 3.75 × 2.25. It was collected by George Comer. 84. Sooty Albatross. Phoebetria-palpebrata. Range.--Southern seas, north in our summer along the Pacific coast of the United States. This species is entirely sooty brown except the white eyelids. It is similar to the Black-footed Albatross from which species it can be distinguished in all plumages by the narrow base of the bill, while the bill of the former species is broad and rounded. They breed commonly on isolated islands in many quarters of the southern hemisphere. Sometimes this species constructs a mound of mud on which to deposit its single white egg, and also often lays it on the bare ground or rock. A specimen in Mr. Thayer's collection, taken by Geo. Comer on So. Georgia Is. in the South Atlantic ocean, was laid in a hollow among loose stones on the ledge of an overhanging cliff. Size 4.10 × 2.75.
Page 61
EGG OF SOOTY ALBATROSS--White.
FULMARS, SHEARWATERS and PETRELS Family PROCELLARIDAE Fulmars, Shearwaters and Petrels are Gull-like birds with two nostril tubes located side by side, in a single tube, on the top of the bill at its base. The Fulmars are mostly northern birds while the majority of the Shearwaters nest in the extreme south during our winter, and appear off our coasts during the summer. Their food consists of fish or offal which they get from the surface of the water; large flocks of them hover about fishermen, watching their chance to get any food which falls, or is thrown, overboard.



Page 62



 Fulmar. 85. Giant Fulmar. Macronectes gigantea. Range.--This Petrel is a native of the southern seas and is only casually met with off the Pacific coast. It is the largest of the family, being about three feet in length, and is normally a uniform sooty color, although it has light phases of plumage. They nest in December on many of the islands south of Africa and South America, laying their single white egg on the bare rocks. 86. Fulmar. Fulmarus glacialis glacialis. Range.--North Atlantic coasts from New England northward, breeding from Hudson Bay and southern Greenland northward. This bird which is 19 inches in length, in the light phase has a plumage very similar to that of the larger Gulls. They nest by thousands on rocky islands of the north, often in company with Murres and Gulls. Owing to the filthy habits of the Fulmars, these breeding grounds always have a nauseating odor, which is also imparted to, and retained by the egg shell. Their single white eggs are laid on the bare rocks, in crevices of the cliffs, often hundreds of feet above the water. Size 2.90 × 2.00. Data.--St. Kilda, off Scotland. June 5, 1897. Single egg laid on rock on side of sea cliff. Collector, Angus Gillies.
Page 63 Pacific Fulmar.
Slender-billed Fulmar. 86b. Pacific Fulmar. Fulmarus glacialis glupischa. This sub-species of the preceding, has a darker mantle than the common Fulmar; it is found on the northern Pacific coasts where it breeds on the high rocky cliffs, the same as its eastern relative. They nest in large colonies, every crevice in the rocks having its tenant. Their flight is graceful like that of the Gulls, which they closely resemble. They lay but a single white egg, the average dimensions of which are slightly smaller than those of the common Fulmar. Data.--Copper Is., Alaska. May 14, 1889. Egg laid in a crevice among the cliffs. 86.1. Rodger's Fulmar. Fulmarus rodgers. Range.--North Pacific, breeding in large numbers on some of the islands in Bering Sea; south to California in winter. Very similar to the two preceding species except that the back is mixed with whitish, it is not believed to have a dark phase. Their breeding habits and eggs do not differ from the common Fulmar. The eggs are laid on the rocky cliffs during June. 87. Slender-billed Fulmar. Priocella glacialoides. Range.--Southern seas, appearing on the Pacific coast of the United States in the summer. This species has a paler mantle than the others of the family, and the primaries are black. The make-up and plumage of the whole bird is more like that of the Gulls than any of the others. They probably breed in the far south during our winter, although we have no definite data relative to their nesting habits.



Page 64




 Cory Shearwater.
Greater Shearwater. 88. Cory's Shearwater. Puffinus borealis. This species probably breeds in the far south. It has been found only off the coast of Massachusetts and Long Island. This is the largest of our Shearwaters, and can be distinguished from the next species by its wholly white underparts, its light mantle and yellowish bill. We have no data relative to its nesting habits. 89. Greater Shearwater. Puffinus gravis. Range.--The whole of the Atlantic Ocean. Thousands of them spend the latter part of the summer off the New England coast, where they are known to the fishermen as Haglets. Their upper parts are brownish gray, darker on the wings; bill and feet dark; underparts white, with the middle of the belly and the under tail covers dusky. Length about 20 inches. Little is known concerning their nesting quarters, although they are said to breed in Greenland. From the fact of their early appearance off the New England coast it is probable that the greater part of them nest in the far south. 90. Manx Shearwater. Puffinus puffinus. This species inhabits the North Atlantic ocean chiefly on the European side, being abundant in the Mediterranean and in the British Isles. Audubon's Shearwater. Thesebirds deposit their single pure white eggs in crevices among the cliffs, on the ground or in burrows dug by themselves. Size of egg 2.35 × 1.60. Data.--Isle of Hay, North Scotland. June 1, 1893. Single egg laid at the end of a three foot burrow. Egg of Audubon's Shearwater--White.
Page 65 91. Pink-footed Shearwater. Puffinus creatopus. Pink-footed Shearwater.
Black-vented Shearwater.
Townsend's Shearwater. Range.--Pacific Ocean, north on American side to California in summer. This species, whose breeding habits are little known, is similar in size and color to the Greater Shearwater, differing chiefly in the yellowish bill and pinkish colored feet. 92. Audubon's Shearwater. Puffinus lherminieri. Range.--Middle Atlantic, ranging north in late summer to Long Island. This bird, having a length of but twelve inches, is the smallest of the Shearwaters found along our coasts. Large colonies of them breed on some of the small islands and keys of the West Indies and Bahamas, and not so commonly in the Bermudas. Their eggs, which are pure white, are deposited at the end of burrows dug by the birds. Size of egg 2.00 × 1.35. Their nesting season commences about the latter part of March and continues through April and May. After the young are able to fly, like other members of the family, the birds become ocean wanderers and stray north to southern New England. Data.--Bahamas, April 13, 1891. Single egg laid at the end of a burrow about two feet in length. Collector, D. P. Ingraham. 92.1. Allied Shearwater. Puffinus assimilis. This is an Australian and New Zealand species that has accidentally strayed to the shores of Nova Scotia. 93. Black-vented Shearwater. Puffinus opisthomelas. Range.--Middle Pacific coast of the Americas, north in late summer along the coast of California. This species breeds commonly on the islands off the coast of Lower California, especially on the Gulf side. Their single egg is white, size 2.00 × 1.30, and is located at the end of a burrow. Data.--Natividad Is., Lower California, April 10, 1897. Single egg laid on the sand at the end of a burrow six feet in length. Collector, A. W. Anthony. 93.1. Townsend's Shearwater. Puffinus auricularis. This bird ranges from Cape St. Lucas, south along the Pacific coast of Mexico, breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off the Mexican coast.




Page 66 Sooty Shearwater. 94. Sooty Shearwater. Puffins fuliginosus. Range.--A common species off the Atlantic coast in summer; breeds along our northern coasts, and it is also supposed that many of them nest in southern seas and reach our coasts early in the summer. These Shearwaters are entirely sooty gray, being somewhat lighter below. They are called "black haglets" by the fishermen, whose vessels they follow in the hope of procuring bits of refuse. They commonly nest in burrows in the ground, but are also said to build in fissures among the ledges. Their single white egg measures 2.55 × 1.75. Data.--Island in Ungava Bay, northern Labrador, June 14, 1896. Egg laid in a fissure of a sea cliff. Collector, A. N. McFord.



Dark-bodied Shearwater.
Slender-billed Shearwater. 95. Dark-bodied Shearwater. Puffinus griseus. This is a southern species which, after having nested on islands in the far south during our winter, comes north and appears off the Pacific coast of the United States during the summer. It is a similar bird to the Sooty Shearwater, but is considerably darker and the under coverts are whitish. Their nesting habits are the same as those of other members of the family. Size of egg, 2.40 × 1.65. Data.--Stewart's Island, New Zealand, February 15, 1896. Single egg at the end of a long burrow. 96. Slender-billed Shearwater. Puffinus tenuirostris. Range.--Northern Pacific Ocean in the summer, extending from Japan and Alaska southward. Supposed to breed in the southern hemisphere, as well as probably on some of the Aleutians in Alaska. 96.1. Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Puffinus cuneatus. Range.--North Pacific, breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off the coast of Mexico, and probably on some of the small islands in the Gulf of California. 97. Black-tailed Shearwater. Priofinus cinerus. This is a Shearwater which inhabits the southern hemisphere, but which has accidentally wandered to the Pacific coast of the United States. It is dark above and whitish below, with black under tail coverts. It breeds in the far south.
Page 67 Black-capped Petrel.
Scaled Petrel.
Fisher's Petrel. 98. Black-capped Petrel. Æstrelata hasitata. This is not a common species; it is an inhabitant of tropical seas and has only been casually found on our coasts or inland. It is a handsome species with white forehead, underparts and nape with a small isolated black cap on the crown; the rest of the upper parts are blackish. It is a native of the West Indies. 99. Scaled Petrel. Æstrelata scalaris. This is another rare species which is an inhabitant of southern seas. A single specimen taken in New York State gives it a claim as a doubtful North American species. It is a handsome bird, the feathers of the grayish upperparts being edged with white, thus giving it the appearance of being barred. Its eggs have only been known to science within the past few years. Data.--Preservation Inlet, New Zealand, June 7, 1900. Single white egg. Size 2.40 × 1.75. Collector, P. Seymour. Parent bird taken with the egg. 100. Fisher's Petrel. Æstralata fisheri. This is a handsome bird known only from the type specimen taken off Kadiak Is., Alaska, by Mr. Fisher. 101. Bulwer's Petrel. Bulweria bulweri. An eastern Atlantic species which is only an accidental visitant to our shores. They breed on the Madeira Islands where the eggs are laid in crevices among the rocks or in burrows in the ground. Size 1.75 × 1.55, white. 102. Pintado Petrel. Daption capensis. This is the Cape Pigeon of the southern hemisphere. It has only accidentally occurred on our coast.


Page 68




 Least Petrel.
Stormy Petrel.
Forked-tailed Petrel. 103. Least Petrel. Halocyptena microsoma. Range.--Pacific coast of America from Lower California to Panama. The Least Petrel is the smallest of this family, in length measuring only 5.75 inches. Their plumage is entirely dark sooty. They have been found breeding on San Benito Island, Lower California, and they probably do on others farther south. The single egg that this bird lays is white with a wreath of fine black specks around one and sometimes both ends. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, June 12, 1897. No nest, the egg being simply laid on the bare rock in a crevice. Size 1.00 × .75. Collector, A. W. Anthony. 104. Storm Petrel. Thalassidroma pelagica. North Atlantic Ocean chiefly on the European side, wintering south to New Brunswick. Smallest of the white rumped, black petrels; 5.75 inches in length. White. This species is the originally called "Mother Cary's Chicken" by the sailors. They nest abundantly on many of the islands off the coasts of Europe and the British Isles, laying their single egg either in burrows or crevices among the cliffs. Data.--Coast of County Kerry, Ireland, June 1, 1895. Single egg laid at the end of burrow in a sea cliff. Size 1.05 × .80; white with a wreath of very fine dots about the larger end. Collector, G. H. McDonald. 105. Forked-tailed Petrel. Oceanodroma furcata. Range.--North Pacific from California to Alaska, breeding in the Aleutians. These birds have a plumage of bluish gray, the wings being darker and the underparts lightest. The nests are made in burrows or crevices in the banks. Data.--Uniak Is., Alaska, June 10, 1900. No nest. Single egg laid at the end of a burrow. Several pairs nesting near. Egg white with a fine wreath of purplish black specks about the large end. Size 1.25 × .95.
Page 69 Kæding's Petrel.
Leach's Petrel.
Guadalupe Petrel. 105.2. Kæding's Petrel. Oceanodroma kædingi. This bird is similar to Leach Petrel, but is smaller and the tail is less deeply forked. Its range is from California to Panama breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off Mexico. 106. Leach's Petrel. Oceanodroma leucorhoa. Range.--North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, breeding from Maine and from the Farallones, northward to Greenland and the Aleutians. These are the most common of the Petrels found on our coast; they are eight inches in length, of a sooty brown color, and have a white rump. The forked tail will at once distinguish them from any of the Atlantic Petrels. They nest in burrows in the ground, laying a pure white egg, sometimes with a very faint dusty wreath about the larger end. Size 1.20 × .95. These birds generally take turns in the task of incubation, one remaining at sea during the day and returning at night while his mate takes her turn roving the briny deep in search of food. White. The young are fed by regurgitation upon an oily fluid which has a very offensive odor. This odor is always noticeable about an island inhabited by Petrels and is always retained by the eggs or skins of these birds. They are very rarely seen flying in the vicinity of their nesting island during the day; the bird that is on the nest will remain until removed by hand. Data.--Pumpkin Is., Maine, June 22, 1893. Single egg; nest of a few grasses at the end of a burrow dug in the bank. Collector, J. Lefavour. White, nest stained. 106.1 Guadalupe Petrel. Oceanodroma macrodactyla. This species, which is very similar to the preceding, except for a longer and more deeply forked tail, breeds on Guadalupe Is. Their eggs are white very minutely wreathed with reddish brown; they are, however, nearly always nest stained to an uneven brownish color. Data.--Guadalupe Is., Lower California, March 24, 1897. Single egg laid on a few oak leaves and pine needles at the end of a three foot burrow. Size of egg 1.40 × 1.00. Collector, A. W. Anthony.




Page 70




 Black Petrel.
Ashy Petrel. 107. Black Petrel. Oceanodroma melania. Range.--South Pacific, from southern California southward, breeding on the small islands on both coasts of Lower California. They are similar to the Leach's Petrel except that the rump is blackish. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, July 23, 1896. White egg laid on bare ground at the end of three foot burrow. Size 1.40 × 1. Collector, A. W. Anthony. 108. Ashy Petrel. Oceanodroma homochroa. Range.--California coast, breeding on the Farallones and Santa Barbara Islands. This species, while not common, nests in all manner of localities on the Farallones, concealing their eggs under any rock or in any crevice that may attract their fancy. Their single white egg is only faintly if at all wreathed with fine dust-like specks of reddish brown. Size 1.15 × .86. Data.--Farallone Is., California, June 12, 1895. Egg laid on sand in crevice at the base of a stone wall; well concealed. Collector, Chester Barlow. 108.1. Socorro Petrel. Oceanodroma socorroensis. Breeds on Socorro, San Benito and Coronado Islands, placing its eggs at the end of burrow. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, July 12, 1897. Single egg at the end of a burrow 3 feet in length. Egg pure white very finely wreathed with pale reddish brown. Size 1.15 × .87. Collector, A. W. Anthony.
Page 71 Wilson's Petrel.
White-billed Petrel.
White-faced Petrel. 109. Wilson's Petrel. Oceanites oceanicus. Breeds in the southern hemisphere in February and March and spends the summer off the Atlantic coast as far north as Newfoundland. This species can be distinguished from Leach Petrel by its square tail and from the Stormy Petrel by its large size and yellow webs to its feet. These birds are the greatest wanderers of the genus, being found at different seasons in nearly all quarters of the globe. Their single egg is white. Size 1.25 × .90. 110. White-bellied Petrel. Fregetta grallaria. A small species (length about 7.5 inches) inhabiting southern seas. Recorded once at Florida. General plumage blackish. Upper tail coverts, bases of tail feathers, under wing coverts, and abdomen, white. 111. White-faced Petrel. Pelagodroma marina. Range.--Southern seas, accidentally north to the coast of Massachusetts. This beautiful species is of about the same size as the Leach's Petrel. It has bluish gray upper parts; the whole under parts, as well as the forehead and sides of head, are white. White. These birds have the same characteristics as do others of the species, pattering over the water with their feet as they skim over the crests and troughs of the waves. They are not uncommon in the waters about New Zealand where they breed. Their single eggs are about the same as Leach's Petrel, are brilliant white and are, very strongly, for a Petrel egg, wreathed about the large end with dots of reddish brown. Size 1.32 × .90. Data.--Chatham Is., New Zealand, January 7, 1901. Egg laid at end of a burrow. Collector, J. Lobb. This egg is in Mr. Thayer's collection.




Page 72




 TOTIPALMATE SWIMMERS. Order IV. STEGANOPODES TROPIC BIRDS. Family PHAETHONTIDAE Tropic Birds are Tern-like birds, having all the toes connected by a web, and having the two central tail feathers very much lengthened. Yellow-billed Tropic Bird.
Red-billed Tropic Bird. 112. Yellow-billed Tropic Bird. Phæthon americanus. Range.--Tropical regions, breeding in the Bahamas, West Indies and the Bermudas, casual in Florida and along the South Atlantic coast. Dull purplish. The Tropic Birds are the most strikingly beautiful of all the sea birds; they are about 30 inches in length, of which their long slender tail takes about 20 inches. They fly with the ease and grace of a Tern, but with quicker wing beats. They feed on small fish, which they capture by darting down upon, and upon snails which they get from the beach and ledges. They build their nests in the crevices and along the ledges of the rocky cliffs. While gregarious to a certain extent they are not nearly as much so as the Terns. The nest is made of a mass of seaweed and weeds; but one egg is laid, this being of a creamy or pale purplish ground color, dotted and sprinkled with chestnut, so thickly as to often obscure the ground color. Size 2.10 × 1.45. Data.--Coney Is., Bermudas, May 1, 1901. Nest made of moss and seaweed in a crevice on ledge of cliff. Collector, A. H. Verrill.
Page 73 113. Red-billed Tropic Bird. Phæthon æthereus. Range.--Tropical seas, chiefly in the Pacific Ocean; north to southern California. Pale purplish. They breed on several islands in the Gulf of California. This species differs from the preceding in having a red bill, and the back being barred with black. Their plumage has a peculiar satiny appearance and is quite dazzling when viewed in the sunlight. They are strong fliers and are met with, hundreds of miles from land. They often rest upon the water, elevating their long tails to keep them from getting wet. They nest, as do the preceding species, on rocky islands and are said to also build their nests in trees or upon the ground. The single egg that they lay has a creamy ground and is minutely dotted with chestnut. Size 2.40 × 1.55. Data.--Daphone Is., Galapagos Is., South Pacific, March 6, 1901. Egg laid in hole of a sea cliff. The eggs are easily told from those of the yellow-billed by their much larger size. Collector, R. H. Beck. Pale purplish ground color. 113.1 Red-tailed Tropic Bird. Phæthon rubricaudus. Range.--Tropical regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, accidental off the coast of Lower California. This is a singularly beautiful species resembling the latter except that the central tail feathers are bright red, with the extreme tips white. During August and September they breed in large colonies on small islands in the South Seas. On Mauritius Island they build their nests either in the trees or place them on the ground; the nest is made of seaweed, sticks and weeds; numbers of them nest on Laysan Is., of the Hawaiian group, concealing their nests on the ground under overhanging brush. The single egg has a pale purplish ground speckled with brown.


Page 74



 GANNETS. Family SULIDAE Blue-faced Booby.
Blue-footed Booby. Gannets are large stoutly built birds, having the four toes joined by a web; they have a small naked pouch beneath the bill; the bill is a little longer than the head, and the tail is quite short. The plumage of the adults is generally white, that of the young grayish. 114. Blue-faced Booby. Sula syanops. Range.--Widely distributed in the tropical seas, north casually to Florida and breeding in the Bahamas. Like the rest of the Gannets, this one is stupid and will often remain on the nest until removed with the hand, merely hissing at the intruder. Often they lay their eggs on the bare ground, but sometimes the nest is lined with seaweed or grass. They lay either one or two eggs early in April. These eggs are of a dull white color and are heavily covered with a chalky deposit. Size 2.50 × 1.70. Data.--Clarion Is., Mexico, May 24, 1897. Nest a mere hollow in the sand near the beach. Collector, A. W. Anthony. 114.1. Blue-footed Booby. Sula nebouxi. Range.--Pacific coasts and islands from the Gulf of California southward to Chili. These birds nest in numbers on the island of San Pedro Martir in the Gulf of California. They lay but a single egg, placing it upon the bare rock. Their breeding season extends from the latter part of March into May. The egg is a dull white, generally nest stained and is covered with the usual chalky deposit. Size 2.35 × 1.60. Data.--Clarion Island, Mexico, May 21, 1897. Two eggs in a hollow in the sand near the beach. Collector, A. W. Anthony.
Page 75 Booby.
Red-footed Booby. 115. Booby. Sula leucogastra. Range.--Tropical coasts and islands of the Atlantic; north casually to Georgia. Chalky bluish white, nest stained. The common Booby is an abundant bird on some of the islands of the Bahamas and Bermudas; it is commonly called the Brown Booby because the upper parts are of a brownish gray. These birds, as do the other Gannets, have great powers of flight and without apparent effort dart about with the speed of an arrow. They are quite awkward upon their feet and are not very proficient swimmers. They rarely rest upon the water except when tired. Hundreds and sometimes thousands of them breed in company, laying their eggs upon the bare rocks. Sometimes a few sticks or grasses will be placed about the bird to prevent the eggs from rolling away. They generally lay two eggs, chalky white and nest stained. Size 2.40 × 1.60. Data.--Key West, Bahamas, April 14, 1891. No nest; two eggs laid on the bare rocks. 115.1. Brewster's Booby. Sula brewsteri. Range.--Pacific coast from Lower California southward. This Gannet replaces the common Booby on the Pacific coast. It nests abundantly on many islands in the Gulf of California, and in company with the blue-footed variety, on San Pedro Martir Island. They generally lay two eggs, placing them upon the bare rocks and surrounding them with a ring of sticks and seaweed to keep them in place. The eggs are chalky white and cannot be distinguished from those of the other Boobies. Data.--San Benedicto Is., Lower California, May 18, 1897. Single egg laid on the sand amid a few blades of grass. 116. Red-footed Booby. Sula piscator. This is another species that is only occasionally taken on the Florida coast. The habits of the birds and their nesting habits are the same as those of the others of the family. Two chalky white eggs are laid. Data.--San Benedicto Is., Lower California, May 18, 1897. Single egg. Nest a few twigs of rank grass. Collector, A. W. Anthony.



Page 76




 Ganet Anhinga. 117. Gannet. Sula bassana. Range.--North Atlantic, breeding, in America, only on Bird Rocks in the St. Lawrence. These are the largest of the family, being 35 inches in length. They feed on fish which they catch by diving upon, from the air. When flying their neck is carried fully extended. They rest on the water when tired, the numerous air cells beneath the skin, causing them to sit high up in the water and enabling them to weather the severest storm in perfect safety. The only known breeding place in America is Bird Rocks, where they nest by thousands, placing their nests in rows on the narrow ledges; the nests are made of piles of seaweed, mud and stones. They lay but one egg of dingy white color and covered with a chalky deposit. On St. Kilda Island, off the coast of Scotland, they breed by millions. They are very tame and will frequently allow themselves to be touched with the hand. It is said that thousands of the young are killed by fishermen every year and marketed in Edinburg and other places. Data.--St. Kilda Island, Scotland, June 18, 1896. Single egg laid on a large mass of seaweed on a sea cliff. Collector, H. McDonald.
Page 77 DARTERS. Family ANHINGIDAE 118. Water Turkey. Anhinga anhinga. Range.--Tropical America, north to the South Atlantic States and up the Mississippi Valley to Illinois. Chalky bluish white. Anhingas or Snake Birds are curiously formed creatures with a Heron-like head and neck, and the body of a Cormorant. They live in colonies in inaccessible swamps. Owing to their thin and light bodies, they are remarkable swimmers, and pursue and catch fish under water with ease. When alarmed they have a habit of sinking their body below water, leaving only their head and neck visible, thereby having the appearance of a water snake. They also fly well and dive from their perch into the water with the greatest celerity. They nest in colonies in the swamps, placing their nests of sticks, leaves and moss in the bushes over the water. They breed in April, laying from three to five bluish eggs, covered with a chalky deposit. Size 2.25 × 1.35. Data.--Gainesville, Florida, May 18, 1894. Nest in the top of a button-wood tree, made of leaves and branches, overhanging the water. Collector, George Graham.
PELICAN POND.
Washington Zoological Park.


Page 78 CORMORANTS. Family PHALACROCORACIDÆ Cormorants have a more bulky body than do the Anhingas; their tail is shorter and the bill strongly hooked at the tip. Cormorants are found in nearly all quarters of the globe. They are very gregarious and most species are maritime. They feed upon fish which they catch by pursuing under water. Most of the Cormorants have green eyes.
Page 79 119. Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo. Cormorant.
Double-crested Cormorant. Range.--The Atlantic coast breeding from Maine to Greenland. The common Cormorant or Shag is one of the largest of the race, having a length of 36 inches. In breeding plumage, the black head and neck are so thickly covered with the slender white plumes as to almost wholly obscure the black. Chalky greenish or bluish white. There is also a large white patch on the flanks. They nest in colonies on the rocky shores of Newfoundland and Labrador, placing their nests of sticks and seaweed in rows along the high ledges, where they sit, as one writer aptly expresses it, like so many black bottles. A few pairs also nest on some of the isolated rocky islets off the Maine coast. During the latter part of May and during June they lay generally four or five greenish white, chalky looking eggs. Size 2.50 × 1.40. Data.--Black Horse Rock, Maine coast, June 6, 1893. Four eggs in a nest of seaweed and a few sticks; on a high ledge of rock. Collector, C. A. Reed. 120. Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus auritus. Range.--The Atlantic coast and also in the interior, breeding from Nova Scotia and North Dakota northward. This is a slightly smaller bird than carbo, and in the nesting season the white plumes of the latter are replaced by tufts of black and white feathers from above each eye. On the coast they nest the same as carbo and in company with them on rocky islands. In the interior they place their nests on the ground or occasionally in low trees on islands in the lakes. They breed in large colonies, making the nests of sticks and weeds and lay three or four eggs like those of the common Cormorant but averaging shorter. Size 2.30 × 1.40. Data.--Stump Lake, North Dakota, May 31, 1897. Nest of dead weeds on an island. Six eggs. Collector, T. F. Eastgate.



Page 80
NESTS OF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS.
Page 81 120a. Florida Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus floridanus. This sub-species is a common breeding bird in the swamps and islands of the Gulf coast and north to South Carolina and southern Illinois. The nests are placed in the mangroves in some of the most impenetrable swamps and are composed of twigs and lined with leaves or moss. They lay three or four chalky bluish white eggs. Size 2.30 × 1.40. Data.--Bird Is., Lake Kissimee, Florida, April 5, 1898. Three eggs. Nest made of weeds and grass, in a willow bush. 120b. White-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus cincinatus. Range.--Northwestern coast of North America, breeding in Alaska, and south to the northern boundary of the United States, breeding both in the interior and on the coast, in the former case generally on the ground or in low trees on swampy islands and in the latter, on the rocky cliffs of the coasts and islands. The nests are built in the same fashion as the other Cormorants, and the three to five eggs are similar. Size 2.45 × 1.40. 120c. Farallon Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus albociliatus. Range.--This sub-species breeds on the coasts and islands of California and southward. In company with other species of Cormorants, these birds breed in large numbers on the Farallones, placing their nests well up on the higher ridges and rocks. They breed most abundantly during May. When nesting on the inland islands, they place their nests in low bushes. Their nests and eggs are similar to those of the other Cormorants. Size 2.40 × 1.50. Data.--Farallones, California. Nest of weeds and seaweed on the rocks. Collector, W. O. Emerson. 121. Mexican Cormorant. Phalacrocorax vigua mexicanus. Greenish white. Range.--Breeds abundantly from southern Texas, south through Mexico; north rarely to Kansas; has recently been found breeding in limited number on some of the Bahamas. In the interior they nest in trees, chiefly those overhanging or growing in the water. On the coasts they nest on the rocky ledges, as do the other Cormorants. They nest in colonies building their abode of twigs and weeds, and during May laying three or four eggs, greenish white in color and chalky, as are all the Cormorants. Size 2.25 × 1.35.



Page 82 120c--122. 122. Brandt's Cormorant. Phalacrocorax penicillatus. Range.--Pacific coast breeding along the whole coast of the United States. This species is found more abundantly on the Farallones than is the Farallone Cormorant. Like the other Cormorants breeding on these islands, these cling closely to their nests, for fear of being robbed by the Gulls, that are ever on the watch to steal either eggs or young. Their nesting habits and eggs are identical with those of the other species. Size 2.50 × 1.50. Data.--Bird Island, California, May 24, 1885. A very bulky nest of seaweed on the rocks. Collector, A. M. Ingersoll. 123. Pelagic Cormorant. Phalacrocorax pelagicus pelagicus. Range.--Coast of Alaska. These are perhaps the most beautiful species of Cormorants, having brilliant violet green metallic reflections and, in the breeding plumage, crests on the forehead and nape, as well as large white flank patches. They breed in large colonies on the Aleutian Islands, placing their nests of sticks and sea mosses on the rocky ledges, often hundreds of feet above the sea level. Three or four eggs are laid during May and June. The young birds when hatched are naked and black, and are repulsive looking objects, as are those of all the other Cormorants. The eggs are greenish white with the usual calcareous deposit. Size 2.30 × 1.40.


123b--124. 123a. Violet-green Cormorant. Phalacrocorax pelagicus robustus. This sub-species is found on the Pacific coast from Washington to the Aleutian Islands. Their habits and nests and eggs are the same as those of the Pelagic Cormorant, nesting on the high cliffs of the rocky islands. The eggs are the same size as those of the preceding. 123b. Baird's Cormorant. Phalacrocorax pelagicus resplendens. This variety breeds on the Pacific coast from Washington south to Mexico. They nest on the Farallones, but in smaller numbers than the other varieties found there. Both the birds and their eggs are smaller than the preceding. Size of eggs 2.20 × 1.40. 124. Red-faced Cormorant. Phalacrocorax urile. Range.--Southwest coast of Alaska, migrating to Japan in the winter. This species differs from the Pelagic chiefly in having the forehead bare. They do not differ in their breeding habits from others of the family. That the Cormorants are expert fishermen may be seen from the fact that the Chinese tame and have them catch fish for them, placing a ring around their neck to prevent their swallowing the fish. Their nesting places are very filthy, being covered with excrement and remains of fish that are strewn around the nests. They breed in June laying three or four eggs. Size 2.50 × 1.50.
Page 83



 PELICANS. Family PELECANIDÆ Pelicans are large, short legged, web footed (all four toes joined by a web) birds, the most noticeable feature of which is the long bill with its enormous pouch suspended from lower mandible. This pouch, while normally contracted, is capable of being distended to hold several quarts. It is used as a scoop in which to catch small fish. Their skin is filled with numerous air cells, making them very light and buoyant. 125. American White Pelican. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. Range.--Temperate North America, breeding in the interior, from Utah and the Dakotas northward. These large birds, reaching a length of five feet, are entirely white except for the black primaries. They get their food by approaching a school of small fish and, suddenly dipping their head beneath the surface, sometimes scoop up a large number of fish at a time; after allowing the water to run out of the sides of the mouth, they proceed to swallow their catch. They nest in large communities on islands in some of the inland lakes. Great Salt Lake, Utah, and Shoal Lake, Manitoba, furnish breeding ground for many thousands of Pelicans. They build their simple nests on the ground, making them of sticks and weeds. They generally lay two eggs, but often three or four. Size 3.45 × 2.30. Data.--Egg Island, Great Salt Lake, June 19, 1884. Two eggs. Nest a slight hollow in the ground, surrounded by a few sticks. Collector, F. F. Leonard.
Chalky white.



Page 84
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
Page 85 Brown Pelican.
White Pelican. 126. Brown Pelican. Pelecanus occidentalis. Range.--Found on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Brown Pelicans are about 50 inches in length; they have a blackish and grayish body and a white head and neck with a brown stripe down the back of the latter. The pouch is a dark greenish brown. This species is maritime and is not found inland. They breed in large colonies on many of the islands in the Gulf of Mexico and on Pelican Island on the east coast of Florida, in which latter place they are now protected from further depredations at the hand of eggers and gunners. Chalky white. Their fishing tactics differ from those of the White Pelican. They dive down upon the school of fish from the air and rarely miss making a good catch. Their nests are quite bulky structures made of sticks and weeds and grasses. These are generally located on the ground but occasionally in low mangroves, these latter nests being more bulky than the ground ones. They lay from two to five chalky white eggs during May and June. Size 3. × 1.90. Data.--Tampa Bay, Fla., May 29, 1894. Three eggs. Nest in the top of a stout mangrove; made of sticks, branches and leaves. Collector, Geo. Graham. 127. California Brown Pelican. Pelecanus californicus. Range.--Pacific coast from British Columbia south to the Galapagos Islands. This bird is similar to the preceding, but larger and the pouch is reddish. They breed abundantly on the Coronado Islands and southward. Their habits, nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Brown Pelican. Size of the three or four chalky white eggs is 3.10 × 1.95. Data.--Coronado Islands, Calif., March 28, 1897. Three eggs. Nest of sticks, lined with green leaves, located on the ground. Collector, H. McConville.




Page 86



 MAN-O'-WAR BIRDS. Family FREGATIDÆ 128. Man-o'-war Bird. Fregata aquila. Man-O'-War Bird. Range.--Tropical seas, north regularly in America to the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, casually farther. Man-o'-war Birds or "Frigates," as they are often called, are remarkable birds in many respects. In comparison with their weight they have the largest expanse of wing of any known bird. Weighing only about four pounds they have an extent of from seven to eight feet, their wings being extremely long and pointed. White. The length of the bird is about 40 inches, of which the tail comprises about 18 in., 10 inches of this being forked. They have a large bright orange gular sac, a long, hooked bill, and small slightly webbed feet. Their powers of flight combine the strength of the Albatrosses and the grace of the Terns. They are very poor swimmers and do not dive, so are forced to procure their food by preying upon the Gulls and Cormorants, forcing them to drop their fish, which the pirates catch before it reaches the water. They also feed upon flying fish, catching them in the air, whither they have been driven by their enemies in their natural element. They nest in large colonies on some of the Bahama Islands and on some of the small Florida Keys. Their nests are small frail platforms of sticks and twigs and the single egg is laid in March and April. It is white and has a smooth surface. Size 2.80 × 1.90. Data.--Key Verde, Bahamas, March 6, 1889. Single egg. Nest a frail affair of sticks on a cactus. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.
Page 87 Order V. ANSERES DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS. Family ANATIDAE The birds comprising this family are of greatly varying sizes, but all have webbed feet, and generally the bill is broader than high, and is serrated on the edges or provided with gutters to act as a strainer in assisting the birds to gather their food. American Merganser.
Red-breasted Merganser. 129. Merganser. Mergus americanus. Range.--North America, breeding from the northern border of the United States northward. The three species of Mergansers are almost exclusively fish eating birds. Therefore their flesh is unpalatable and they are known as "Fish Ducks." Brownish buff. They are also sometimes called "Sawbills" because of the teeth-like serration on both the upper and the under mandibles. Unlike the other species of ducks, their bills are long, slender and rounded instead of being broad and flat; it is also hooked at the tip. Like the Cormorants, they often pursue and catch fish under the water, their teeth-like bills enabling them to firmly hold their prey. The American Mergansers, Goosanders, or Sheldrakes, as they are often called, are found both on the coast and in the interior. Except in certain mountainous regions, they breed chiefly north of the United States. The male bird has no crest and the head is a beautiful green, while the female has a reddish brown crest and head, shading to white on the chin. They build their nest in hollow trees near the water. It is made of grasses, leaves and moss and is lined with feathers from the breast of the female. During May, they lay from six to ten eggs of a creamy or buff color. Size 2.70 × 1.75. Data.--Gun Is., Lake Winnipeg. June 16, 1903. Eleven eggs in a nest of white down, located between two large boulders. Collector, Walter Raine.



Page 88




 Hooded Merganser.
Mallard. 130. Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus serrator. Range.--North America, breeding from northern United States northward. This species is more abundant than the preceding. It is slightly smaller, being 22 inches in length, and the male is crested. Found abundantly in the United States in winter. Breeds commonly in the interior of British America and in Labrador and Newfoundland. They make their nests on the ground, near the water, concealing them under rocks or tufts of grass. The nest is made of grasses, leaves and moss and lined with feathers. They lay, generally, about ten eggs of a buffy or greenish buff color. Size 2.50 × 1.70. Data.--Lake Manitoba, N. W. Canada. Two eggs in a hollow lined with down, under a patch of rose bushes near shore. Collector, Jos. Hamaugh. 131. Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus. Grayish white. Range.--North America, breeding locally throughout its range, in the interior. These are beautiful little Ducks distinguished from all others by the semi-circular, compressed crest which is black with an enclosed white area. They make their nests in hollow trees, in wooded districts near the water, lining the cavity with grasses and down. They lay ten or twelve grayish white eggs. Size 2.15 × 1.70. 132. Mallard. Anas platyrhynchos. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in America from northern United States northward, and wintering south to Panama and the West Indies. Contrasting with the preceding Fish Ducks, the Mallards are regarded as one of the most esteemed table birds. They feed on mollusks and marine insects which they generally reach by tipping in shallow water. They nest in many localities in the United States but more abundantly north of our borders. They nest in fields in close proximity to ponds or lakes, placing their nests of grasses and feathers in the tall grass. In May and June they lay from six to ten eggs of a buffy or olive color. Size 2.25 × 1.25. Data.--San Diego, California, May 19, 1897. Nest made of grass, lined with down, placed on the edge of a field near a pond.
Page 89
NEST AND EGGS OF AMERICAN MERGANSER. This species usually nest in holes in trees, but on this island
they were nesting in holes under boulders.
Page 90




 Black Duck.
Florida Duck. 133. Black Duck. Anas rubripes. Range.--Eastern North America, breeding from the middle portions north to the Hudson Bay territory and Labrador. Pale greenish buff. Throughout their breeding region, one or more pairs of these ducks nest in nearly every favorable locality. Their nests are placed on the ground in marshes, swamps or fields bordering a pond or lake, the nest being concealed in the long grass or reeds. They breed in equal abundance, either in the interior or along the sea coast; in the latter case their nests are often placed beside of, or under an overhanging rock. It is made of weeds, grass and moss and is lined with feathers and down. They lay from six to twelve eggs during May and June; these are buff or greenish buff in color. Size 2.30 × 1.70. Data.--Duck Is., Maine, June 3, 1893. Nest of grasses, concealed in a large tuft on water's edge. 134. Florida Duck. Anas fulvigula fulvigula. Range.--Florida and the Gulf of the Mississippi. This is a similar, lighter colored, locally distributed race of the foregoing. The most noticeable difference in plumage between this and the Black Duck is the absence of markings on the chin. The habits are the same, and the eggs, which are deposited in April, are similar to those of the Black Duck, but smaller. Size 2.15 × 1.60.
Page 91 Gadwall.
Widgeon. 134a. Mottled Duck. Anas fulvigula maculosa. Range.--Gulf coast of Texas and up the Mississippi Valley to Kansas. The habits of this bird differ in no way from the preceding ones. The six to ten eggs are greenish buff in color. Size 2.15 × 1.55. 135. Gadwall. Chaulelasmus streperus. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in America, chiefly in the United States and north to Manitoba, chiefly in the interior. Creamy buff. South in winter to the Gulf. The males of these birds may be identified by the white speculum and the chestnut wing coverts. Gadwalls nest on the ground among the reeds of marshes or in the long grass of bordering fields; they make little or no nest but line the cavity with down from their breasts. They lay from seven to twelve eggs of a creamy buff color. Size 2.10 × 1.60. Data.--Benson Co., North Dakota, June 19, 1898. Eight eggs. Nest on the ground among rank grass on a low island in Devils Lake. Made of weeds lined with down. Collector, E. S. Rolfe. Pale buff. 136. Widgeon. Mareca penelope. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in America, only in the Aleutian Islands; rare or accidental in other parts of the country. The European Widgeon is similar in build and plumage to the following species, except that the whole head, with the exception of the white crown, is chestnut. They build their nests in the rushes, making them of reeds and grass and lining them with feathers. They lay from six to ten light buff colored eggs. Size 2.20 × 1.50.



Page 92





 Baldpate.
Green-winged Teal. 137. Baldpate. Mareca americana. Range.--North America, breeding in the interior from Texas north to Hudson Bay. The Baldpate (so-called because of the white crown) or American Widgeon is a handsomely marked bird and is regarded as a great table delicacy. Creamy white. The male birds cannot be mistaken for any other species because of the white crown, wing coverts and underparts and the broad green stripe, back of the eye. They breed locally in many parts of the country, building their nests of grass and weeds, neatly lined with feathers, on the ground in marshes. They lay from six to twelve creamy eggs. Size 2.15 × 1.50. Data.--Lac Aux Morts, North Dakota. Eight eggs. Nest of grass and down on ground in a grassy meadow. Collector, E. S. Bryant. 138. European Teal. Nettion crecca. An old world species that is casually found on both coasts of America. 139. Green-winged Teal. Nettion carolinense. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States. Buff. A small, handsome species, the male of which can readily be identified by the reddish brown head and neck, with the large green patch behind each ear; length fourteen inches. Green-winged Teals are our smallest representative of the Duck family. They are eagerly sought by sportsmen, both because of their beauty and the excellence of their flesh. They are among the most common of Ducks in the interior, where they nest generally in tufts of grass along ponds, lakes or brooks. Nest of grass and weeds, lined with down from the bird. Eggs buffy, four to ten in number. Size 1.85 × 1.25.
Page 93 Blue-winged Teal.
Cinnamon Teal. 140. Blue-winged Teal. Querquedula discors. Range.--North America, breeding from northern United States northward; rare on the Pacific coast. Another small species, known by the blue wing coverts and the white crescent in front of eye. They nest in the same localities with the preceding species, placing their nest of grass and weeds on the ground in meadows near water. Eggs buffy white. Six to twelve in number. Size 1.90 × 1.30. 141. Cinnamon Teal. Querquedula cyanoptera. Range.--Western United States, chiefly west of the Rocky Mountains. Casually east to Texas, Illinois and British Columbia. The Cinnamon Teal is another small Duck, marked by the uniform rich chestnut plumage and light blue wing coverts. The speculum is green. The nesting habits are the same as those of the Teals, the nests being placed on the ground in marshes or fields near water. Their nests are closely woven of grass and weeds and lined with down and feathers from the breast of the bird. The eggs are pale buff and number from six to fourteen. Size 1.85 × 1.35. 141.1. Ruddy Sheldrake. Casarca ferruginea. This is an Old World species that has accidentally occurred in Greenland.



Page 94



 Pintail.
Shoveller. 142. Shoveller. Spatula clypeata. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding in the interior from Texas northward. Lead gray. This strikingly marked Duck is twenty inches in length, has a green head and speculum, blue wing coverts and chestnut belly. The bill is long and broad at the tip. It makes its nest on the ground in marshy places, of grass, weeds and feathers. Six to ten eggs constitute a complete set. They are greenish or leaden gray color. Size 2.10 x 1.50. Data.--Graham's Island, North Dakota, May 28, 1899. Nest of dead weed stems and grass, lined with down. Ten eggs. Collector, E. S. Bryant. 143. Pintail. Dafila acuta.
Dull olive gray. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in North America from northern United States northward, wintering south to Panama. This species, which is also known as the Sprig-tail, is very common in the United States in the spring and fall migrations. It is about thirty inches long, its length depending upon the development of the tail feathers, the central ones of which are long and pointed. They breed casually in many sections of the United States, but in abundance from Manitoba to the Arctic Ocean. They nest near the water, laying from six to twelve eggs of dull olive color. Size 2.20 x 1.50. Data.--Graham's Island, Devil's Lake, N. Dakota, June 15, 1900. Ten eggs. Nest on the ground, of weeds, lined with down. Colony breeding. Collector, E. S. Bryant.
Page 95 Wood Duck.
Redhead. 144. Wood Duck Aix sponsa. Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from Labrador and British Columbia south to Florida. Rich buff. Bridal Duck is a name often given to this, the most beautiful of all Ducks. They are beautifully marked, have a large crest, and are iridescent with all colors of the rainbow. They frequent wooded country near ponds and lakes, feeding on water insects and mollusks in the coves. They build their nests in hollow trees and stumps, often at quite a distance from the water. When the young are a few days old, they slide, scramble, or flutter down the tree trunk to the ground below, and are led to the water. The nest is made of twigs, weeds and grass, and warmly lined with down. The eggs are a buff color and number eight to fifteen. Size 2. × 1.5. 145. Rufous-crested Duck. Netta rufina. A European species; a single specimen taken on Long Island in 1872. Buffy. 146. Redhead. Marila americana. Range.--North America at large, breeding from northern United States northward, chiefly in the interior. A bird commonly seen in the markets where it is often sold as the following species because of their similarity. The nests are placed on the ground in marshes or sloughs, and are made of grasses, lined with feathers. Eggs from six to fourteen in number, of a buffy white color. Size 2.40 × 1.70.



Page 96
WOOD DUCK.
Page 97 Canvas-back.
American Scaup Duck. 147. Canvas-back. Marila valisineria. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding chiefly in the interior from the United States to the Arctic Ocean. A noted table bird, especially in the south where it feeds on wild celery. Can be distinguished from the Redhead by its darker head, lighter back, and gradually sloping bill. They nest abundantly in Manitoba, their habits being the same as the preceding. They lay from six to ten eggs of a darker shade than the Red-heads. Size 2.40 × 1.70. Data.--Haunted Lake, N. Alberta, June 12, 1897. Ten eggs. Nest of reeds in a heavy reed bed out in the lake. Collector, Walter Raine. Pale greenish gray. 148. Scaup Duck. Marila marila. Range.--North America, breeding from North Dakota northward, chiefly in the interior; south in winter to Central America. This and the following species are widely known as "Blue-bills" owing to the slaty blue color of that member. Their plumage is black and white, somewhat similar in pattern to that of the Redhead, but darker, and the whole head is black. They nest in marshes about many of the ponds and lakes in the interior of British America. The nest is made of marsh grasses and lined with feathers. The six to ten eggs are pale grayish or greenish gray. Size 2.50 × 1.70. Data.-- Saltcoats Marshes, N. W. Canada, June 15, 1901. Ten eggs. Nest in the grass; a depression lined with down and dried grasses. Collector, Walter Raine.




Page 98




 Lesser Scaup Duck.
Ring-necked Duck. 149. Lesser Scaup Duck. Marila affinis. Range.--North America, breeding from North Dakota and British Columbia northward; winters south to Central America. This Duck is distinguished from the preceding, chiefly by its size which is about two inches less, or 17 inches in length. The nesting habits are the same as those of the Greater Scaup and the eggs are similar but smaller. Size 2.25 × 1.55. Data.--Northern Assiniboia, June 10, 1901. Ten eggs on grass and down at the edge of a lagoon. Collector, Walter Raine. 150. Ring-necked Duck. Marila collaris. Lead gray. Range.--North America, breeding in the interior, from North Dakota and Washington northward. Winters from Maryland on the east and British Columbia on the west to Central America. Similar to the Lesser Scaup in size and plumage, except that it has a narrow chestnut collar around the neck, the back is black instead of barred with white, and the speculum is gray instead of white. The habits and nesting habits of the Ring-neck do not differ from those of the other Scaups. They lay from six to twelve eggs. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Cape Bathurst, N. Y. T., June 18, 1901. Ten eggs in a slight hollow in the moss, lined with down. Collector, Captain Bodfish.
Page 99 American Golden-eye.
Barrow Golden-eye. 151. Golden-eye. Clangula clangula americana. Range.--North America, breeding both on the coast and in the interior, from the northern border of the United States northward to the Arctic Ocean. Grayish green. These are handsome Ducks known as "Whistlers" from the noise of their wings when flying, and "Greatheads" because of the puffy crest. The head is greenish with a large round white spot in front of, and a little below the eye. The rest of the plumage is black and white. This species nests in hollow trees near the water, lining the cavity with grass, moss and leaves, and lining the nest with down from their breasts. In May and June they lay from six to ten eggs of a grayish green color. Size 2.30 × 1.70. 152. Barrow's Golden-eye. Clangula islandica. Range.--Northern North America, breeding north of the United States except from the mountainous portions of Colorado northward. This Golden-eye differs from the preceding chiefly in the shape of the white spot before the eye, which in this species is in the form of a crescent. The size is the same, about 20 inches in length. The reflections on the head are purplish rather than greenish as in the preceding. The nesting habits are the same, they building in hollow trees near water. The six to ten eggs are not different from the preceding. Size 2.30 × 1.65. Data.--Alfusa, Iceland, June 30, 1900. Seven eggs. Nest of grass and down in a box attached to a tree by an islander.




Page 100




 Buffle-head.
Old-squaw. 153. Buffle-head. Charitonetta albeola. Range.--North America, breeding from United States northward. Winters south to Mexico. Dull buff. Gunners know this handsome little duck by the names of "Butter-ball," and "Dipper," a name also given to Grebes. It is also quite similar, but smaller (15 in. long), to the American Golden-eye but has a large white patch on the back of the head, from eye to eye. It is an active bird and, like the two preceding, is capable of diving to a great depth to get its food. Its nesting habits are like the preceding. Eggs eight to fourteen. Size 2 × 1.40. Data.--Alberta, Canada, June 6, 1899. Seven eggs. Nest in hole in tree stump, lined with down. Collector, Dr. George. 154. Old-squaw. Harelda hyemalis. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the Arctic regions; south in winter to New Jersey and Illinois. Buff. The Long-tailed Duck, as it is called, is especially noticeable because the breeding plumage of the male differs markedly from that in the winter. In summer their general plumage is blackish brown, with a white patch around the eye, and white belly. In winter they are largely white. The central tail feathers are much lengthened. They breed abundantly in Greenland, Alaska and the Hudson Bay Territory, placing their nests of grasses and weeds on the ground near the water. It is generally concealed in the long grass. The eggs number from six to twelve. Size 2. × 1.50. Data.--N. Iceland, June 10, 1900. Nest on ground, lined with down. Collector, S. H. Wallis.
Page 101 Harlequin Duck.
Labrador Duck. 155. Harlequin Duck. Histrionicus histrionicus. Range.--Northern Hemisphere in America, breeding from Newfoundland and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, northward. South in winter to California and New England. Greenish buff. A beautiful and most gorgeous bird, not in colors, but in the oddity of the markings, the colors only including black, white, gray and chestnut. Either sex can be recognized by the small short bill. They breed mostly in single pairs along swiftly running streams, placing their nest, which is woven of weeds and grasses, in the ground near the water. It is also claimed that they sometimes nest in hollow trees. They lay from five to eight eggs, yellowish or greenish buff in color. Size 2.30 × 1.60. Data.--Peel River, Alaska, June 13, 1898. Seven eggs in a hollow in river bank, lined with down. Collector, C. E. Whittaker. 156. Labrador Duck. Camptorhynchus labradorius. This bird, whose range was from Labrador to New Jersey in the winter, has probably been extinct since 1875, when the last authentic capture was made. It is a strange fact that a bird of this character should have been completely exterminated, even though they were often sold in the markets. Only forty-one specimens are known to be preserved at present and nothing is known in regard to their nesting habits or eggs.


Page 102




 Steller's Duck.
Spectacled Eider. 157. Steller's Duck. Polysticta stelleri. Range.--Arctic regions in America, chiefly on the Aleutian Islands and northwest coast of Alaska. A very beautiful species eighteen inches long; head white, washed with greenish on the forehead and nape; chin, throat, neck, back, tail and crissum, black; underparts chestnut; wing coverts white, the long scapulars black and white. It breeds on the rocky coasts and islands of Bering Sea. The six to nine eggs are pale olive green in color. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Admiralty Bay, Alaska, June 22, 1898. Nest on a hummock of the tundra, near a small pool, lined with grass and down. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny. 158. Spectacled Eider. Arctonetta fischeri. Range.--Coast of Alaska from the Aleutians to Point Barrow. Pale olive green. Like the rest of the true Eiders, this species is black beneath and mostly white above. The head is largely washed with sea green, leaving a large patch of white, narrowly bordered by black around each eye, thus resembling a pair of spectacles. The nests are made of grass and seaweed and lined with down; they are placed on the ground in clumps of grass or beneath overhanging stones. The five to nine eggs are an olive drab or greenish color. Size 2.70 × 1.85. Data.--Point Barrow, Alaska, June 15, 1898. Six eggs. Nest of moss and down in a hollow in dry tundra. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny. 159. Northern Eider. Somateria mollissima borealis. Range.--North Atlantic coast, breeding from Labrador to Greenland and wintering south to New England. A large Duck similar to the next species, but with the base of the bill differing, as noted in the description of the following species, and with a more northerly distribution. The nesting habits are the same as those of the other Eiders. Six to ten eggs generally of a greenish drab color. Size 3. × 2.
Page 103 Eider.
Pacific Eider. 160. Eider. Somateria dresseri. Range.--Atlantic coast, breeding from Maine to Labrador and wintering south to Delaware. Greenish drab. This species differs from the preceding only in the fleshy part of the base of the bill, which extends back on each side of the forehead, it being broad and rounded in this species and narrow and pointed in the Northern or Greenland Eider. This species, but more especially the Northern Eider, are the ones chiefly used for the eider-down of commerce. The preceding species is often semi-domesticated in Greenland, the people protecting them and encouraging them to nest in the neighborhood. They make their nests of seaweed and grass and warmly line it with down from their breast; this down is continually added to the nest during incubation until there is a considerable amount in each nest, averaging about an ounce in weight. The birds are among the strongest of the sea ducks and get their food in very deep water. Their flesh is not good eating. Their eggs number from five to ten and are greenish drab. Size 3. × 2. 161. Pacific Eider. Somateria v-nigra. Range.--North Pacific from the Aleutian Islands northward, and east to Great Slave Lake. This bird is, in plumage, like the Northern Eider, except that it has a black V-shaped mark on the throat. They nest sparingly on the Aleutian Islands, but in great numbers farther north on the coast about Point Barrow. Their habits, nests and eggs are precisely the same as those of the eastern forms. Their eggs number from five to ten and are of olive greenish color. Size 3. × 2. Data.--Cape Smythe, Alaska, June 8, 1900. Eight eggs. Nest a hollow in the moss, lined with grass and down.




Page 104



 King Eider.
Scoter. 162. King Eider. Somateria spectabilis. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in America from Labrador to Greenland and the Arctic Ocean; south in winter to the New England States and rarely farther on the eastern side, and to the Aleutians on the Pacific; also casually to the Great Lakes in the interior. A handsome and very different species from any of the foregoing, having the crown ashy blue, and the long scapulars black instead of white. It also has a broad V-shaped mark on the throat. Like all the other Eiders, the female is mottled brown and black, the different species being very difficult to separate. The nests are sunk in the ground and lined with down. Eggs number from six to ten. Size 2.80 × 1.80. Data.--Point Barrow, Alaska, July 5, 1898. Five eggs. Nest a hollow in the moss on tundra lined with moss and down. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny. 163. Scoter. Oidemia americana. Range.--Northern North America, breeding from Labrador, the Hudson Bay region and the Aleutian Islands northward; winters south to Virginia, the Great Lakes and California. Scoters or "Coots" as they are generally called are sea ducks whose plumage is almost wholly black; they have fantastically colored and shaped bills. The American Scoter is entirely black without markings; base of bill yellow and orange. This species nest as do the Eiders, often concealing the nest, of grass and feathers, under some overhanging rock. They lay from six to ten eggs of a dingy buff color. Size 2.50 × 1.70. Data.--Mackenzie Bay, June 15, 1899. Ten eggs. Nest a hollow in the sand, lined with down.

Buff.
Page 105 Surf Scoter.
White-winged Scoter. 164. Velvet Scoter. Oidemia fusca. An Old World species that has accidentally occurred in Greenland. 165. White-winged Scoter. Oidemia deglandi. Range.--Abundant in North America, breeding from Labrador, North Dakota and British Columbia, northward. Wintering south to the Middle States, southern Illinois and southern California. The largest of the Scoters, length 22 inches, distinguished by a large white speculum on the wing, also a white comet extending from under the eye backwards. It also has a yellow eye. Like the other Scoters, this species often feeds in very deep water. They are strong, active diving birds, and are also strong on the wing, generally flying close to the surface of the water. Their flesh is not regarded as good eating, although they are often sold for that purpose. They nest on the ground, generally in long grass or under low bushes making a coarse nest of grasses, and sometimes twigs, lined with feathers. They lay from five to eight eggs of a pale buff color. Size 2.75 × 1.85. 166. Surf Scoter. Oidemia perspicillata. Range.--Northern North America, breeding north of the United States boundary, and wintering south to Virginia and southern California. The male of this species is entirely black, except for the white patches on the forehead and nape, and the vari-colored bill of black, white, pink and yellow. They nest either along the coast or in the interior, building a nest lined with down, in the marsh grass bordering small ponds. They lay from five to eight buffy cream colored eggs. Size 2.40 × 1.70. The females of all the Scoters are a dingy brownish color, but show the characteristic marking of the species, although the white is generally dull or sometimes mottled. Data.--Mackenzie River, June 25, 1894. Six eggs in a nest of down on an island in the river.




Page 106




 Ruddy Duck.
Masked Duck. 167. Ruddy Duck. Erismatura jamaicensis. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States border except locally on the Pacific coast. Winters along the Gulf and through Mexico and Central America. Grayish white. This peculiar species may always be recognized by the brownish or chestnut upper parts, blackish crown, white cheeks and silvery white underparts. The bill is very stout and broad at the end, and the tail feathers are stiff and pointed like those of a Cormorant. They build their nests in low marshy places, either placing them on the ground near the water or in the rushes over it. Their nests are made of rushes and grasses, sometimes lined and sometimes not, with down from the parents breast. The eggs number from six to twelve and are grayish in color. Size 2.40 × 1.75. Data.--Northern Assiniboia, Canada, June 6, 1901. Eight eggs. Nest made of aquatic grasses, lined with down. Built in a tuft of rushes in a marsh. Collector, Walter Raine. 168. Masked Duck. Nomonyx dominicus. This is a tropical species which is resident in Mexico, Central America and in the West Indies. It occurs in Mexico north to the lower Rio Grande Valley and has in three known instances strayed to northern United States. The general plumage is a rusty chestnut, mottled with blackish, it has a black face and throat, with white wing bars.
Page 107 Lesser Snow Goose.
Blue Goose. 169. Snow Goose. Chen hyperboreus hyperboreus. Range.--North America west of the Mississippi Valley, breeding in northern Alaska and the MacKenzie River district. This smaller species of the Snow Goose nests on islands in rivers along the arctic coast. The nest is a depression in the ground, lined with grasses and, occasionally down. They lay from four to eight eggs of a buffy or yellowish white color. Size 2.75 × 1.75. 169a. Greater Snow Goose. Chen hyperboreus nivalis. Range.--Eastern North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering chiefly on the Atlantic coast, south to Cuba. Grayish White. This bird is like the preceding; except in size; about thirty-six inches, instead of twenty-six inches in length as is the lesser variety. The entire plumage is white except for the black primaries. They construct their nests of grasses on the ground the same as the preceding variety. The eggs number from five to eight and are cream colored. Size 3.40 × 2.40. 169.1. Blue Goose. Chen cærulescens. Range.--North America, principally in the interior, breeding from Hudson Bay northward and wintering along the Gulf coast. This species may always be recognized by the entirely white head and neck, the body being grayish or bluish gray. They nest on the ground as do the other geese laying from four to eight eggs of a brownish buff color. Size 2.50 × 1.75. Data,--Cape Bathurst, Arctic coast, June 29, 1899. Four eggs laid in a depression lined with grass, on an island. Collected with the parent birds by the Esquimaux.




Page 108



 Ross Snow Goose.
American White-fronted Goose. 170. Ross's Snow Goose. Chen rossi. Range.--This beautiful species, which is similar in plumage to the large Snow Goose, is but twenty-one inches in length. It breeds in the extreme north, and in winter is found in the western part of the United States as far south as the Gulf of Mexico. Their nesting habits and eggs probably do not differ from others in the family except in the matter of size. 171. White-fronted Goose. Anser albifrons albifrons. This European species is exactly like the American except that it is said to average a trifle smaller. It is occasionally found in Greenland. 171a. American White-fronted Goose. Anser albifrons gambeli. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering south to the Gulf coast; not common on the Atlantic coast during migrations. These birds may be recognized by their mottled plumage, dark head and white forehead. This species is more abundant than any of the preceding and nests in large colonies along the arctic coast and in Alaska. Their nests are made of dried grasses, feathers and down and are placed on the ground in a slight depression. From four to nine eggs are laid; these have a dull buff ground. Size 3.00 × 2.05. Data.--Island in delta of Mackenzie River, June 10, 1899. Four eggs. Nest of grass and feathers on the ground on a small island. Collector, Rev. I. O. Stringer. [Illustration z110: ] 171.1. Bean Goose. Anser fabalis. This European species is casually found in Greenland. It is one of the most common of the Old World Species.
Page 109 Canada Goose.
Cackling Goose. 172. Canada Goose. Branta canadensis canadensis. Range.--The whole of North America, breeding from northern United States northward, and wintering in the southern parts of the United States. This species is the most widely known of American Geese and is the most abundant. Its familiar "honk" has long been regarded as the signal of the coming of spring, and the familiar V-shaped formation in which the flocks migrate is always an object of interest to everyone. With the exception of in North Dakota and Minnesota, they breed chiefly north of the United States. They construct quite a large nest of weeds and grass, and warmly line it with down and feathers. They lay from four to nine eggs of a buff or drab color. Size about 3.50 × 2.50. Data.--Ellingsars Lake, North Dakota, May 18, 1896. Five eggs. Nest on an island in the lake, constructed of weeds and trash, and lined with a few feathers. Collector, Edwin S. Bryant. 172a. Hutchins Goose. Branta canadensis hutchinsi. This sub-species is like the preceding except that it is smaller, thirty inches in length. It is a western variety, breeding in Alaska and along the Arctic coast and wintering to southern California. Its breeding habits, nests and eggs are the same as the common goose except that the eggs are smaller. Size 3.00 × 2.05. 172b. White-cheeked Goose. Branta canadensis occidentalis. This bird is about the same size as the Canada Goose and the plumage is very similar except that the black sometimes extends on the throat, thereby isolating the white cheek patches, and there is a white collar below the back of the neck. It is a western species, breeding in Alaska and wintering along the Pacific coast of the United States. Its nesting habits and eggs are same as those of the Canada Goose except that the latter are a trifle smaller. 172c. Cackling Goose. Branta canadensis minima. This bird is really a miniature of the Canada Goose, being but twenty-four inches in length. It breeds in Alaska and along the Arctic coast and migrates into the western parts of the United States. They are abundant birds in their breeding range, where they place their nests upon the shores of ponds, or on islands in inland rivers or lakes. The nests are made of weeds and grasses, lined with down. The eggs which are buff colored, number from four to nine and are laid during June and July. Size 2.30 × 1.95.




Page 110
CANADA GEESE.
Page 111 Brant.
Black Brant. 173. Brant. Branta bernicla glaucogastra. Range.--Eastern North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering in the United States east of the Mississippi. The Brant resembles a small Canada Goose, except that the black of the neck extends on the breast, and only the throat is white. They are one of the favorite game birds and thousands are shot every fall and spring. Their nests and eggs are the same as the next species. 174. Black Brant. Branta nigricans. Range.--Western North America, breeding in Alaska and wintering on the Pacific coast of the United States. Rare east of the Mississippi. Grayish. This species is like the last except that the black extends on the under parts. This species nests very abundantly in northern Alaska, laying their eggs in a depression in the ground, lined with down. Favorite locations are the many small islets in ponds and small lakes. They lay from four to eight grayish colored eggs. Size 2.80 × 1.75. Data.--Cape Bathurst, North West Territory, Junes 22, 1901. Seven eggs in a small hollow in the ground, lined with down. Collector, Capt. H. H. Bodfish.




Page 112



 Barnacle Goose.
Emperor Goose. 175. Barnacle Goose. Branta leucopsis. This Old World species occurs frequently in Greenland and very rarely is found on the mainland of this continent. 176. Emperor Goose. Philacte canagica. Range.--Alaska, south in winter casually to California. This handsome species is twenty-six inches in length; it may be known from the mottled or "scaly" appearance of the body, and the white head with a black chin and throat. While not uncommon in restricted localities, this may be considered as one of the most rare of North American Geese. Their nests are built upon the ground and do not differ from those of other geese. They lay from three to seven eggs of a dull buff color. Size 3.10 × 2.15. Data.--Stuart Island, Alaska, June 16, 1900. Six eggs laid in a slight hollow in the ground, lined with a few feathers and some down. Collector, Capt. H. H. Bodfish.
Egg of Canada Goose--Buffy drab.
Page 113 Black-bellied Tree duck.
Fulvous Tree-duck. 177. Black-bellied Tree-duck. Dendrocygna autumnalis. Range.--Tropical America, north in the Rio Grande Valley to southern Texas. These peculiar long-legged Ducks are very abundant in southern Texas during the summer months. They build their nests in hollow trees, often quite a distance from the water. They lay their eggs upon the bottom of the cavity with only a scant lining, if any, of feathers and down. They are very prolific breeders, raising two broods in a season, each set of eggs containing from ten to twenty. These eggs are creamy or pure white, size 2.05 × 1.50. The first set is laid during the latter part of April or early in May, and fresh eggs may be found as late as July. They are especially abundant about Brownsville and Corpus Christi, Texas. Data.--Hidalgo, Mexico, May 29, 1900. Ten eggs in a hole in an old elm tree on side of lake in big woods near town. Eight feet from the ground. Collector, F. B. Armstrong. White. 178. Fulvous Tree-duck. Dendrocygna bicolor. Range.--This species is tropical like the last, but the summer range is extended to cover, casually the whole southwestern border of the United States. This bird is long-legged like the last, but the plumage is entirely different, being of a general rusty color, including the entire under parts. The nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Black-bellied Duck, the white eggs being laid at the bottom of a cavity in a tree. They number from eight to (in one instance) thirty-two eggs in one nest. This species is nearly as abundant as the preceding in southern Texas.



Page 114



 Whistling Swan. 179. Whooper Swan. Olor cygnus. This European variety frequently is found in Greenland and formerly, regularly bred there. It nests in secluded swampy places in northern Europe. 180. Whistling Swan. Olor columbianus.. Range.--North America, breeding in the Arctic Circle, and wintering south to the Gulf of Mexico. These birds, which are nearly five feet in length, are snow white with the exception of the black bill and feet. The Whistling Swan is distinguished from the next species by the presence of a small yellow spot on either side of the bill near its base. Their nests are made of a large mass of rubbish, weeds, grass, moss, feathers and occasionally a few sticks. It is generally placed in a somewhat marshy place in the neighborhood of some isolated pond. The eggs are of a greenish or brownish buff color, and number from three to six. Size 4.00 × 2.75. Data.--Mackenzie River. Nest a mass of weeds, sods and grass, lined with feathers; on an island near the mouth of the river. Collector, I. O. Stringer. 181. Trumpeter Swan. Olor buccinator. Range.--Interior of North America from the Gulf of Mexico northward, breeding from northern United States northward. This is a magnificent bird, about five and one-half feet in length. Its plumage is exactly like that of the preceding except that the bill is entirely black, and the nostril is located nearer the eye. Their nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Whistling Swan. While a few pairs may breed within the United States by far the greater number are found in the extreme north, from Hudson Bay to Alaska. The eggs may average a trifle larger than those of the preceding species.
Page 115 LAMELLIROSTRAL GRALLATORES. Order VI. ODONTOGLOSSÆ FLAMINGOES. Family PHOENICOPTERIDAE American Flamingo.
Roseate Spoonbill. 182. Flamingo. Phœnicopterus ruber. Range.--Tropical and sub-tropical America on the Atlantic coasts, breeding in the Bahamas and West Indies; north to Florida and casually to the South Atlantic States. These remarkable and grotesque appearing birds attain a length of about 48 inches. The plumage varies from white to a deep rosy red. It requires several years for them to attain the perfect adult plumage, and unlike most birds, they are in the best of plumage during the winter, the colors becoming faded as the nesting season approaches. The birds are especially noticeable because of the crooked, hollow, scoop-shaped bill, and the extremely long legs and neck. The feet are webbed, but more for the purpose of supporting them upon the mud flats than for use in swimming. The nests are usually built on a sandy point of an island; they are mounds of earth, grass and rubbish from one to two feet in height, the top being hollowed to receive the eggs. One or two eggs are a complete set. The shell is pale blue, but this is covered with a heavy white chalky deposit. The eggs are laid in June and July. Size 3.40 × 2.15. IBISES, STORKS, HERONS, etc. Order VII. HERODIONES The members of this order are wading birds, consequently they all have long legs and necks. They have four toes, not webbed. SPOONBILLS. Family PLATALEIDAE 183. Roseate Spoonbill. Ajaia ajaja.. Range.--Tropical America, north in summer to the Gulf States. They formerly nested in remote swamps along the whole Gulf coast, but are now confined chiefly to the Everglades in Florida.



Page 116



 Pale greenish blue. This bird, with its broad, flat bill, bare head, and rosy plumage with carmine epaulets and tail coverts, seem more like the fanciful creation of some artist than a real bird of flesh and blood. Its plumage and colors are strikingly clear and beautiful. Full plumaged adult birds have very brilliant carmine shoulders and tail coverts, a saffron colored tail, and a lengthened tuft of bright rosy feathers on the foreneck. This species breed in small colonies in marshy places, often in company with herons and ibises. Their nests are rather frail platforms of sticks, located in bushes or trees, from four to fifteen feet from the ground. The eggs are laid during the latter part of May and June. They are three or four in number and have a ground color of dull white, or pale greenish blue and are quite heavily blotched with several shades of brown. Size 2.50 × 1.70.
Chalky bluish white.
Egg of American Flamingo.
Page 117 IBISES. Family IBIDIDÆ White Ibis.
Scarlet Ibis. Ibises are gracefully formed birds having a long curved bill and a bare face. 184. White Ibis. Guara alba. Range.--This is a tropical and sub-tropical species which is found along the Gulf coast, and north to South Carolina, west to Lower California. Grayish. These handsome birds are wholly white, with the exception of black primaries. The legs and the bare skin of the face is orange red. These birds are very abundant in most marshy localities along the Gulf coast, especially in Florida, where they nest in rookeries of thousands of individuals. Owing to their not having plumes, they have not been persecuted as have the white herons. They build their nests of sticks and grasses, in the mangroves a few feet above the water. In other localities they build their nests entirely of dead rushes, attaching them to the standing ones a foot or more above the surface of the water. They are quite substantially made and deeply cupped, very different from the nests of the Herons. Their eggs are from three to five in number, vary from grayish ash to pale greenish or bluish in color, blotched with light brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. The nesting season is during May and June. Data.--Tampa Bay, Fla., June 4, 1895. Three eggs. Nest of sticks and a few weeds in small bushes on an island. Collector, Fred Doane. 185. Scarlet Ibis. Guara rubra.. Range.--Occasionally, but not recently met with in the southern states. Their habitat is tropical America, they being especially abundant along the Orinoco River in northern South America. Full plumaged adults of this species are wholly bright scarlet, except for the primaries, which are black. Their nests are built in impenetrable thickets, rushes or mangroves, the nests being constructed like those of the White Ibis. The eggs, too, are very similar to those of the preceding species, but both the ground color and the markings average brighter. While still common in some localities, the species is gradually becoming less abundant, chiefly because of the demand for their feathers for use in fly-tying.





Page 118




 Glossy Ibis.
White-faced Glossy Ibis.
Wood Ibis. 186. Glossy Ibis. Plegadis autumnalis.. Range.--This tropical and sub-tropical species, is chiefly found in the Old World. It is occasionally found in southeastern United States where it sometimes breeds. Its habits, nesting habits and eggs are just the same as the next species. 187. White-faced Glossy Ibis. Plegadis guarauna. Range.--A sub-tropical species found in the southwestern parts of the United States, rarely found east of the Mississippi. This species differs from the Glossy Ibis in having the feathers on the front of the head white, the rest of the plumage is a dull brownish chestnut, with greenish reflections on the back. As these birds are not in demand commercially, their numbers have not decreased, and thousands of them breed in colonies in southern Texas. They build a substantial nest of reeds and rushes woven about the upright canes, close to the surface of the water. Their eggs are laid during May, and number from three to four. They are easily distinguished from those of the Herons, being of a deeper greenish blue color and averaging more elongate. Size 1.95 × 1.35. Data.--Corpus Christi, Texas, May 26, 1899. Four eggs. Nest of twigs and rushes on side of river. Collector, F. B. Armstrong. STORKS and WOOD IBISES Family CICONIIDAE 188. Wood Ibis. Mycteria americana. Range.--A sub-tropical species which is resident along the Gulf coast and which strays casually north to New England and Colorado. This peculiar member of the Stork family has the whole head and part of the neck bare and covered with numerous scales; the bill is large, long and heavy; the plumage is white, except for the black primaries and tail. It is a large bird about four feet in length. They are quite abundant in swamps along the
Page 119 Jabiru.
Bittern. Gulf coast, where they place their nests, which are platforms of sticks, in trees and bushes over the water. They lay three eggs which are white, and have a rough surface. Size 2.75 × 1.75. 189. Jabiru. Jabiru mycteria. This large bird, which is the only true Stork that claims a place in our avifauna, is a native of South and Central America, wandering north, casually to Texas. Their nests are large platforms of sticks in very high trees. BITTERNS and HERONS Family ARDEIDAE Herons and Bitterns are long-legged waders, having straight, pointed bills, and with the head feathered, except for the lores. 190. Bittern. Bautaurus lentiginosus. Range.--United States and southern British provinces, breeding in the northern half of the United States and wintering in the southern portion. Brownish drab. This species, with its mottled rusty brownish plumage, is one of the best known of the Heron family. It is known locally by a great many names, nearly all of which have reference to the "booming" or "pumping" sound made during the mating season. They build their nests in swampy or marshy places, placing them on the ground, frequently on a tussock, entirely surrounded by water. The nest proper is only a few grasses twisted about to form a lining to the hollow. They lay from three to five eggs of brownish drab. Size 1.95 × 1.50. They do not breed in colonies, generally, but one or two pairs nesting in one marsh. Data.--Worcester, Mass., June 3, 1897. Four eggs laid in a grass lined hollow in middle of a hummock of earth and grass, in middle of marsh. Collector, James Jackson.




Page 120




 Least Bittern. Cory's Least Bittern. 191. Least Bittern. Ixobrychus exilis. Range.--Common throughout the United States, especially in the eastern part, and in the southern British provinces. This small variety of Bittern is very common in the southern portions of the United States, but less so and locally distributed in the northern portions of its range. They are very quiet and sly birds, and their presence is often unsuspected when they are really quite abundant. When approached, they will remain perfectly quiet, with the body erect and the head and neck pointed skyward, in which position their yellowish brown plumage strongly resembles the rushes among which they are found. Their nests are made of strips of rushes woven about upright stalks, generally over water. They lay from three to five eggs of a pale bluish white color. Size 1.20 × .90. Data.--Avery's Island, La., May 1, 1896. Four eggs. Nest of strips of rushes woven together to form a platform and fastened to saw grass growing on the bank of a stream. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny. Pale bluish gray. 191.1. Cory's Least Bittern. Ixobrychus neoxenus. This rare species, of which about twenty specimens are known is probably resident in Florida, wandering north in the summer, specimens having been taken in Ontario, Canada, and in several localities in eastern United States. It is very different from the Least Bittern, having a more uniform chestnut coloration, especially on the under parts. It is twelve inches in length. Mr. C. W. Crandall has a set of five eggs of this species, taken on the Caloosahatchee River, Fla., April 15, 1891, by S. B. Ladd. Nest was made of grasses and rushes placed in the cane two feet above the water.
Page 121 Great White Heron.
Great Blue Heron. 192. Great White Heron. Ardea occidentalis. Range.--This species occurs in the United States regularly, only in the southern parts of Florida. It is a resident of the West Indies. This large white Heron is about the same size as the Great Blue Heron; it has none of the slender plumes found on the smaller White Herons. These birds are not uncommon in southern Florida, especially on the Keyes, where they build their nests in company with Great Blue Herons. Their nesting habits and eggs are very similar to those of the Blue Heron. Size of eggs 2.25 × 1.80. Data.--Outside of Torch Key, Florida, June 16, 1899. Nest a platform of sticks about five feet from the ground, in a mangrove tree. Three eggs. Collector, O. Tollin. 194. Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias herodias. Range.--Nearly the whole of North America, except the extreme north; resident south of the middle portions of the United States and migratory north of there. This handsome Heron is about four feet in length. Its general color is a bluish gray, relieved by a black crest, primaries and patches on the sides, and a white crown. In the south they breed in large colonies, often in company with many other species. In the northern portions of their range they breed singly or in companies of under a hundred individuals. They generally place their rude platforms of sticks well up in trees, near ponds, swamps or rivers, but in the most northerly parts of their range, where trees are scarce, they often build on the ground. Unless they are disturbed, they return to the same breeding grounds, year after year. They lay from three to five eggs of a greenish blue color. Size 2.50 × 1.50. Data.--Duck Island, Maine, May 20, 1883. Three eggs. Nest of sticks and twigs, about fifteen feet from the ground. Collector, R. B. Gray. 194a. Northwest Coast Heron. Ardea herodias fannini. This darker sub-species of the breeding is found along the Pacific coast, north to Sitka, Alaska. Its nests and eggs do not differ from the former species.



Page 122



 Snowy Egret.
Egret. 194b. Ward's Heron. Ardea herodias wardi. This sub-species is a resident in Florida. It is a lighter variety than the common. It nests together with the Great Blue Heron and its habits are the same. 195. European Heron. Ardea cinerea. This species is only an accidental straggler in Greenland. It is very similar to our Blue Heron and is the one which was formerly used to furnish sport for the royalty when falconry was at its height. 196. Egret. Herodias egretta. Range.--Resident in the southern portions of the United States, straggling northward casually to the northern parts. This is one of the beautiful Herons which have been sought by plume hunters till they are upon the verge of extermination. They are entirely white, with a long train of beautiful straight "aigrettes" flowing from the middle of the back. In remote localities, quite large colonies of them may still be found, but where they numbered thousands, years ago, they can be counted by dozens now. They breed in impenetrable swamps, very often in company with the following species, and also with Louisiana and Little Blue Herons, and White Ibises. Their nests are but frail platforms, generally in bushes over the water. Their usual complement of eggs numbers from three to five, four as the most common number. They are generally laid during the latter part of May, but often on account of their being disturbed, nests with eggs may be found in July. The eggs are a light bluish green in color. Size 2.25 × 1.45. Data.--Gainesville, Florida, April 14, 1894. Four eggs on a platform of sticks and grass, in a button-wood bush over six feet of water. Collector, George Graham. 197. Snowy Egret. Egretta candidissima candidissima. Light greenish blue. Range.--Common now only in restricted localities in the Gulf States and Mexico. This species, which is smaller than the last, being but twenty-four inches in length, is also adorned with "aigrettes," but they are beautifully recurved at the tips. Owing to the merciless slaughter to which they have been subjected, their ranks have been woefully decimated, and it is to be hoped that the remaining ones may be safely protected. Their nesting habits are the same as the last, although, of course, the eggs are smaller. Size 1.80 × 1.25.
Page 123 Reddish Egret.
Louisiana Heron. 198. Reddish Egret. Dichromanassa rufescens. Range.--In the United States, this species is confined chiefly to the Gulf States. Pale bluish green. It is somewhat larger than the last species, the head and neck are rufous, the body is bluish gray, and the back is adorned with slender gray plumes. It also has a white phase. This Egret is very abundant along the whole Gulf coast, but especially so in Texas. Their nesting habits are identical with those of the other small Herons and Egrets. The three or four eggs are rather of a more greenish blue than the preceding. Size 1.90 × 1.45. Data.--Gainesville, Florida, April 14, 1894. Three eggs. Nest of sticks and straw in a button-wood tree, two feet above the water. Collector, George Graham. 199. Louisiana Heron. Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis. Range.--Sub-tropical America, north regularly to the Gulf States and casually farther. Pale bluish green. This Heron is of about the size of the Reddish Egret, but the neck is longer, more slender and dark, while the chin, throat and underparts are white. The plumes from the back are short, reaching barely to the end of the tail. They nest in large colonies in company with Egrets and Little Blue Herons, placing their nests in the mangroves, only a few feet above the water. Their nests are the same as those of the other species, a slight platform of sticks, and the three to five eggs are practically not distinguishable from those of the Snowy or Little Blue Herons. Size 1.75 × 1.35.




Page 124




 Little Blue Heron.
Green Heron. 200. Little Blue Heron. Florida cærulea. Range.--South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, north casually to New England and Manitoba; west to Kansas and Nebraska. Pale bluish green. A smaller species than the preceding, length 22 inches, plumage a uniform slaty blue changing to purplish red on the head and neck. They also have a white phase, but always show traces of the slaty blue, especially on the primaries. Young birds are always white. They breed in immense rookeries during April and May. Their nesting habits and eggs are very similar to the last species, although the eggs average a trifle smaller. Size 1.75 × 1.25. Data.--Avery's Island, Louisiana, April 21, 1896. 5 eggs. Nest a flat and frail platform of twigs in a Mimosa tree growing in floating turf, over deep water in a large swamp. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny. 201. Green Heron. Butorides virescens virescens. Range.--Temperate and sub-tropical America, breeding north to the British Provinces. Light bluish green. This is the smallest of our Herons, and is well known all over the country. Sometimes they breed in numbers in rookeries, in company with the larger Herons, but in most sections of the country they will be found nesting, one or two pairs together, along the border of some swamp or stream. They have a greater diversity of building sites, than do any of the other Herons and frequently nest a long ways from water. Their nests may be found in alders, birches or even apple trees. It is the usual Heron type of platform, upon which the three to six eggs are laid. They are a pale greenish blue in color, and measure 1.45 × 1.10. Data.--Avery's Island, Louisiana, April 10, 1894. 5 eggs on a platform of twigs placed in a willow tree growing on the edge of a pond. Collected by E. A. McIlhenny.
Page 125 201a. Frazar's Green Heron. Butorides virescens frazari. A darker variety found in Lower California; nesting the same as the common species. 201b. Anthony's Green Heron. Butorides virescens anthonyi. A lighter, desert form found in the arid portions of the interior of southwestern United States and Mexico.
NEST AND EGGS OF GREEN HERON.


Page 126




 Black-crowned Night Heron. Yellow-crowned Heron. 202. Black-crowned Night Heron. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. Range.--North America from southern British Provinces, southward; winters along the Gulf coast and beyond. Pale bluish green. A well known bird, often called "quawk" from the sound of its note frequently heard in the evening. While, in some localities, only a few pairs of these birds are found nesting together, most of them gather together into large colonies during the breeding season. In New England they generally select a remote pine grove as their breeding grounds. If not disturbed they will return to this same place each year. Their nests are built of sticks and lined with small twigs, and are placed well up towards the tops of the trees. Frequently several nests will be found in the same tree, and I have counted as many as fifty nests in view at the same time. In large swamps in the south they generally nest at a low elevation, while in the marshes of Wisconsin and Minnesota, large colonies of them nest on the ground, making their nest of rushes. Like all Heronries, those of this species have a nauseating odor, from the remains of decayed fish, etc., which are strewn around the bases of the trees. Their eggs number from three to five and are of a pale bluish green color. Size 2.00 × 1.40. Data.--Uxbridge, Mass., May 30, 1898. 4 eggs. Nest of sticks, about thirty feet up in a pine tree. Many other nests. Collector, H. A. Smith. 203. Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Nyctanassa violacea. Range.--Sub-tropical America, breeding along the Gulf coast and to Lower California; casually farther north, to Illinois and South Carolina. A handsome grayish colored species, with long lanceolate plumes on the back, and two or three fine white plumes from the back of the head, like those of the Black-crowned species. Its black head, with tawny white crown and ear coverts, renders it unmistakable. This species nests in colonies or by pairs, like the preceding, and very often in company with other Herons. They lay from three to six eggs, very similar in size, shape and color to those of the Black-crowned Heron.
Page 127 CRANES, RAILS, etc. Order VIII. PALUDICOLÆ CRANES. Family GRUIDAE Whooping Crane.
Little Brown Crane. Cranes are large, long-legged, long-necked birds, somewhat resembling Herons. Their structure and mode of living partakes more of the nature of the Rails, however. They are found upon the prairies, where besides shell fish from the ponds, they feed largely upon grasshoppers, worms, etc. 204. Whooping Crane. Grus americana. Range.--Interior of North America, breeding from about the latitude of Iowa northward to the Arctic regions; winters in the Gulf states and southward. The Whooping Crane is the largest of the family in America, measuring 50 inches or more in length. The plumage of the adults is pure white, with black primaries. The bare parts of the head and face are carmine. It is a very locally distributed species, in some sections being practically unknown, while in a neighboring locality it may be rated as common. They are very shy birds and are not easily obtained. They nest either upon the solid earth or in marshy places over the water. In either case the nest is a very bulky mass of grass and weeds from two to three feet in diameter and raised perhaps a foot above the ground. They lay two eggs of a brownish buff color, irregularly blotched with brown, and with fainter marking of gray. Size 3.75 x 2.50. Data.--Torkton, northern Assiniboia, northwest Canada. Nest a mass of marsh hay, three feet in diameter, on the prairie. The birds seen, but very wary. Collector, Cowbry Brown. 205. Little Brown Crane. Grus canadensis. Range.--North America in the interior, breeding from Hudson Bay and southern Alaska north to the Arctic coast; south in winter to Mexico. This uniform gray colored Crane differs from the next species only in size, being about three feet in length, while the Sandhill averages three and one-half feet. The eggs cannot be distinguished with any certainty.




Page 128
Brownish buff.
EGG OF WHOOPING CRANE.

Buff.
EGG OF LITTLE BROWN CRANE.
Page 129 Sandhill Crane.
Limpkin. 206. Sandhill Crane. Grus mexicana. Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from the Gulf States, locally north to the southern parts of the British Provinces. This is the most common and the most southerly distributed member of the family. In some sections of Florida and Texas it is regarded as abundant. They nest in marshy places near secluded ponds. The nests are masses of grass, weeds and roots, generally placed in marshes and entirely surrounded by water. The two eggs are similar to those of the Whooping Crane, but the ground color is lighter. The eggs of the two species cannot always, with certainty, be distinguished. Size 3.75 x 2.40. Data.--Carman, Manitoba, May 31, 1903. 2 eggs. Nest on a knoll in a marsh, hidden by dead rushes and weeds; a flat loose structure of broken rushes and reeds. Collector, Chris Forge. COURLANS. Family ARAMIDÆ 207. Limpkin. Aramus vociferus. Range.--This bird is a native of the West Indies and Central America, but occurs regularly north to the southern portions of Florida. This strange bird is the only member of its family found in the United States. It may be likened to a large Rail or a small Crane, being apparently, a connecting link between the two. It is about two feet in length, and the plumage is mottled brownish and white. It lives in the marshes, from whence, until late at night, emanate its strange cries, which are likened to those of a child in distress. They nest in the most impenetrable parts of swamps, building their nests of rushes, grass and weeds, in tangled masses of vines a few feet above the ground or water. They lay from three to eight eggs having a ground color of buff or grayish white and blotched with light brown. Their coloration is very similar to those of the Cranes. Size 2.30 x 1.70. They nest in April and May.
Buffy white.





Page 130
NEST AND EGGS OF LITTLE BROWN CRANE.
Page 131 RAILS, GALLINULES and COOTS. Family RALLIDÆ Members of this family are almost exclusively frequenters of marshes, where they lead a shy, retiring life and are more often heard than seen. 208. King Rail. Rallus elegans. Range.--Fresh water marshes of eastern United States from New England and the Dakotas, southward. Very abundant on the South Atlantic coast, in the inland marshes. Cream color. This is one of the largest of the Rails, (17 inches in length) and may be known by the richness of its plumage, the breast and wing coverts being a rich cinnamon color. It is almost exclusively a fresh water species and is very rarely found around a salt water marsh. Its nest is built on the ground, in a tuft of grass and weeds woven about the upright stalks. They lay from five to twelve eggs having a cream colored ground, sparingly speckled with brown and lilac. Size 1.60 × 1.20. Data.--Clark County, Missouri, June 6, 1893. 10 eggs. Nest composed of reed stalks; a slightly concave mass 8 inches across, and only two inches above the water, in a clump of reeds. Collector, Ed. S. Currier. 209. Belding's Rail. Rallus beldingi. Range.--Lower California and the islands in the Gulf. This is a locally confined species, very similar to the preceding but darker and with the flank bars narrower. Its nesting or eggs will not differ from those of the King Rail. 210. California Clapper Rail. Rallus obsoletus. Range.--Salt marshes of the Pacific coast of the United States. Light buff. This species is like a dull colored King Rail, with reference to the markings of the back, or a bright colored Clapper Rail, as it has a cinnamon colored breast. It is an abundant species in nearly all the salt marshes along the coast. They make their nests on the higher parts of the marsh, where it is comparatively dry, building them of grass and strips of rushes. They lay from four to nine eggs of a light buff color, boldly spotted with brown, and with fainter markings of lilac. Size 1.75 × 1.25. Data.--Palo Alto, Cal., May 1, 1899. Nest of marsh grass under a small bush on bank of slough. Collector, Ernest Adams.



Page 132





 King Rail.
Clapper Rail. 211. Clapper Rail. Rallus crepitans crepitans. Range.--Salt marshes of the Atlantic coast from southern New England southward. Buff. A grayish colored Rail, about the size of, and with the markings similar to those of the King Rail. It is as exclusively a salt water species as the King Rail is a fresh water one. With the possible exception of the Carolina or Sora Rail, this is the most abundant of all the Rails, hundreds nesting in a single marsh on the South Atlantic coast. Their nests are built of rushes and weeds, and are placed on the ground either in the tall grass bordering the marshes or attached to the rushes in the midst of the marsh. The nesting season commences during April and continues through May. They lay from six to fourteen eggs, of a buff color spotted irregularly with brown and gray. Size 1.70 × 1.20. 211a. Louisiana Clapper Rail. Rallus crepitans saturatus. The habitation of this subspecies is limited to the coast of Louisiana. It is very similar to the proceeding but is said to be brighter in plumage. 211b. Florida Clapper Rail. Rallus crepitans scotti. Range.--Western coast of Florida. This bird is also similar to crepitans but is much darker and brighter. 211c. Wayne's Clapper Rail. Rallus crepitans waynei. Range.--South Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Florida. This subspecies is a little darker than crepitans, being about midway between that species and Rallus scotti. The nests and eggs of any of these sub-species cannot be distinguished from those of the common Clapper Rail. 211.2. Caribbean Clapper Rail. Rallus longirostris caribaeus. Range.--West Indies and east coast of Mexico, north to southern Texas. This species is similar to the Clapper, but has a shorter and relatively stouter bill.
Page 133 Sora.
Virginia Rail. 212. Virginia Rail. Rallus virginianus. Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from the Middle States and California, northward to British Columbia and Labrador, and wintering along the Gulf coast; most abundant in the east. Creamy white. A small Rail, 9 inches long, very similar in markings and coloration to the King Rail. It is found chiefly in fresh water swamps, where it builds its nests in tufts of rushes. The eggs number from six to fourteen, and are creamy white, or white, speckled with reddish brown. Size 1.25 × .90 Data.--Fighting Island, Detroit River, Michigan, May 30, 1904. Nest made of marsh grass, in rushes, 6 inches above the water. Collector, E. Leroy King. 213. Spotted Crake. Porzana porzana. This common European species is casually found in Greenland. It breeds in large numbers throughout temperate Europe, nesting as do the American Rails. 214. Sora. Porzana carolina. Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from the southern parts of the British possessions, south to the Gulf coast. Bright buff. This abundant species of Rail may be readily known by its small size, about eight inches long, and the black face and throat of the adult. These are the "Rail-birds" or "Ortolans" which are annually slaughtered by thousands, for sport and marketing, during their fall migration. It is only because of the large families that they rear, that they are able to withstand this yearly decimation of their ranks. They nest either in salt or fresh water marshes, making a rude structure of grass, weeds and strips of rushes, on the ground, generally concealed in a tuft of grass in a tangled swamp or marsh. During May, they lay from six to sixteen eggs of a bright, buffy gray color, spotted with reddish brown and lavender. Size 1.25 × .90.




Page 134




 Yellow Rail.
Black Rail. 215. Yellow Rail. Coturnicops noveboracensis. Range.--Locally distributed in temperate North America, from New England and Nova Scotia, to California and British Columbia; south to the Gulf States in winter. Rich buff. This is a very handsome species, with plumage of glossy brown, yellowish buff, black and white; length seven inches. They are very shy and secretive, and are probably more common than generally supposed. Their nesting habits are the same as those of the preceding. Their eggs are of a rich buff color, speckled in the form of a wreath about the large end, with reddish brown. They are relatively narrower than those of other Rails. Size 1.10 × .80. Data.--Benson Co., North Dakota, June 4, 1901. Set of ten eggs collected by Rev. P. B. Peabody. This set is in the collection of Mr. John Lewis Childs. 216. Black Rail. Creciscus jamaicensis. Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from northern United States southward. Smallest of the rails; 5 inches in length. A dark slaty colored bird with white specks, and a patch of dark chestnut on the fore back. This diminutive species is very hard to find because of its retiring habits, but according to Mr. Brewster it may be located by the clicking sound of its song. Their nests are woven of strips of rushes or grasses, and are well "cupped" to receive the eggs. They are on the ground on the border of, or in, marshy places. Mr. Childs has a fine set of eight eggs, taken by Arthur T. Wayne, at Mt. Pleasant, S. C., June 10, 1903. The nest was located in an oat field. The eggs have a creamy white ground, and are specked all over with reddish brown. Size 1.03 × .75. 216.1. Farallon Rail. Creciscus coturniculus. Known only from a single specimen, which is slightly smaller than jamaicensis and without the white specks on the back.
Page 135 Purple Gallinule.
Corn Crake. 217. Corn Crake. Crex crex. This European Rail is casually found in Greenland and along the Atlantic coast of North America. It is the most abundant of European Rails and is found breeding in marshes, meadows and along streams. 218. Purple Gallinule. Ionornis martinicus. Range.--South Atlantic and Gulf States; casually north in eastern United States to Massachusetts and Ohio. Pale buff. A very handsome bird with purplish head, neck and under parts, and a greenish back. Like all the Gallinules and Coots, this species has a scaly crown plate. An abundant breeding species in the southern parts of its range. Its nests are made of rushes or grasses woven together and either attached to living rushes or placed in tufts of grass. They lay from six to ten eggs of a creamy or pale buff color sparingly blotched with chestnut. Size 1.60 × 1.15. Data.--Avery's Island, Louisiana, May 7, 1896. Ten eggs. Nest of dry rushes, woven to standing ones growing around an "alligator hole" in a marsh. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny.




Page 136





 Florida Gallinule.
Coot. 219. Florida Gallinule. Gallinula galeata. Range.--Temperate North America, from New England, Manitoba and California, southward. A grayish colored bird of similar size to the last (13 inches long), with flanks streaked with white, and with the bill and crown plate reddish. They nest in colonies in marshes and swamps, building their nests like those of the Purple Gallinule. The eggs, too, are similar, but larger and slightly duller. Size 1.75 × 1.20. Pale buff. Data.--Montezuma marshes, Florida, June 6, 1894. Eleven eggs. Nest of dead flaggs, floating in two feet of water. Collector, Robert Warwick. 220. European Coot. Fulica atra. A European species very similar to the next, and only casually found in Greenland. Nesting the same as our species. 221. Coot. Fulica americana. Range.--Whole of temperate North America, from the southern parts of the British Provinces, southward; very common in suitable localities throughout its range. Grayish. The Coot bears some resemblance to the Florida Gallinule, but is somewhat larger, its bill is white with a blackish band about the middle, and each toe has a scalloped web. They inhabit the same marshes and sloughs that are used by the Rails and Gallinules as nesting places, and they have the same retiring habits, skulking through the grass to avoid observation, rather than flying. Their nests are either floating piles of decayed vegetation, or are built of dead rushes in clumps of rushes on the banks. They generally build in large colonies. The eggs number from six to sixteen and have a grayish ground color, finely specked all over the surface with blackish. Size 1.80 × 1.30.
Page 137 SHORE BIRDS. Order IX. LIMICOLÆ PHALAROPES. Family PHALAROPODIDAE Red Phalarope.
Northern Phalarope. Phalaropes are small Plover-like birds, but with lobate webbed feet, similar to those of the Grebes and Coots. 222. Red Phalarope. Phalaropus fulicarius. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the far north, and migrating to the middle portions of the United States, chiefly on the coasts. Greenish buff. The Red Phalarope during the breeding season has the underparts wholly reddish brown; they are very rarely seen in the United States in this dress, however for it is early changed for a suit of plain gray and white. This species has a much stouter bill than the two following; it is about nine inches in length. All the Phalaropes are good swimmers, and this species, especially, is often found in large flocks off the coast, floating on the surface of the water; they feed largely upon small marine insects. Nests in hollows on the ground, lined with a few grasses. The eggs are three or four in number, generally of a greenish buff color, spotted and blotched with brown and blackish. Data.--Myvates, Iceland, June 19, 1897. Collector, C. Jefferys. 223. Northern Phalarope. Lobipes labatus. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the northern parts of the British Provinces. This is the smallest of the Phalaropes, being about eight inches long; in summer it has a chestnut band across the breast and on the side of the neck. Greenish buff. Its habits and nesting habits vary but little from those of the Red Phalarope, although its distribution is a little more southerly, and it is not as exclusively maritime as the preceding species. It is found on both coasts of the United States, but more common on the Pacific side, during the fall and spring, when going to or returning from its winter quarters in the tropics. Their eggs cannot, with certainty, be distinguished from the preceding species.




Page 138



 Male, female, young.
Wilson's Phalarope. 224. Wilson's Phalarope. Steganopus tricolor. Range.--Interior of temperate North America, breeding from the latitude of Iowa, northward, and wintering south of the United States. Brownish buff. This is the most handsome species of the family, being of a very graceful form, of a grayish and white color, with a broad stripe through the eye and down the neck, where it fades insensibly into a rich chestnut color. It is an exclusively American species and is rarely found near the coast. It builds its nest generally in a tuft of grass, the nests also being of grass. The eggs are of a brownish or greenish buff color, spotted and blotched with black and brown. Size 1.30 × .90. Data.--Larimore, N. D., May 30, 1897. Nest a shallow depression, scratched in the sand, under a tuft of grass on an island. Collector, T. F. Eastgate.
Page 139 AVOCETS and STILTS. Family RECURVIROSTRIDÆ American Avocet.
Black-necked Stilt. 225. Avocet. Recurvirostra americana. Range.--Western North America, breeding north to Northwest Territory. Greenish buff. The Avocet can be known from any other bird by its up-curved bill, light plumage, webbed feet and large size (length about 17 inches). These waders are quite numerous in suitable localities throughout the west, constructing their nests in the grass, bordering marshy places. The nest is simply a lining of grass in a hollow in the ground. They lay three or four eggs of a dark greenish or brownish buff color, boldly marked with brown and black. Size 1.90 × 1.30. Data.--Rush Lake, Assiniboia. Four eggs laid in a depression in the sand, lined with dry weeds. Many birds nesting in the colony. 226. Black-necked Stilt. Himantopus mexicanus. Range.--Like the last, this species is rarely found east of the Mississippi, but is very abundant in the United States west of that river. Greenish buff. A black and white wader, with extremely long red legs; otherwise a gracefully formed bird. It breeds in large colonies anywhere in its range, making its nests of weeds and sometimes a few twigs, on the ground beside of, or in the marshes. Their eggs number three or four and are brownish or greenish buff with numerous markings of brownish black, these markings being somewhat lengthened and mostly running lengthwise of the shell. They nest during April in the southern parts of their range and through May and June in the northern. Size of eggs 1.80 × 1.25. Data.--Freshwater Lake, southern California, June 5, 1891. Four eggs laid on a mud flat near the water's edge; no nest. Collector, Evan Davis.




Page 140




 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, Family SCOLOPACIDÆ Members of this family are long-legged waders, of either large or small size, and found either about streams or ponds in the interior or along the coasts. They feed upon small shell fish, or insects which they get usually by probing in the soft mud. American Woodcock.
Wilson's Snipe. 227. European Woodcock. Scolopax rusticola. This European bird is similar to the American Woodcock, but is larger and is barred beneath. Their habits are the same as those of our species. 228. Woodcock. Philohela minor. Range.--Eastern North America, north to the British Provinces, breeding throughout its range. Buffy gray. This is one of the most eagerly sought game birds of the east. Their flight is very rapid and erratic, and accompanied by a peculiar whistling sound made by the rapid motion of the wings; it requires a skillful marksman to bring them down. They frequent boggy places especially "runs" lined with alders, where they bore in the soft ground for worms and grubs. Their eggs are laid upon the bare ground among the leaves and sticks; they are of about the color of dead leaves, as is also the bird, making it quite difficult to discover their nests. They lay three or four eggs of a buffy color, with yellowish brown spots. Size 1.50 × 1.15. 229. European Snipe. Gallinago gallinago. A common species in Europe; of casual or accidental appearance in Greenland. The bird does not differ essentially from our Snipe and its habits are the same.
Page 141
WOODCOCK ON HER NEST.

Page 142

WOODCOCK.

Page 143 Wilson Snipe. Gallinago delicata. Range.--North America, breeding from northern United States northward; winters along the Gulf States and to California, and southward. Olive gray. Another favorite game bird, but one which requires skill to hunt successfully. Of about the same size as the Woodcock (11 inches long). This species, to a great extent frequents the same haunts used by Woodcock, but is especially fond of open marshy meadows, with winding brooks. Their nests are depressions in grassy banks, generally unlined; the three or four eggs have an olive gray color and are strongly marked with blackish brown. Size 1.50 × 1.10. Data.--Lake Winnipegosis, Manitoba, June 10, 1903. Nest in a hollow on a tuft of marsh grass, the four eggs having their points together. Collector, Walter Raine. 230.1. Greater Snipe. Gallinago media. A European species, only American as having accidentally occurred at Hudson Bay; similar in appearance to the preceding species.
NEST AND EGGS OF WOODCOCK.




Page 144




 Dowitcher. 231. Dowitcher. Macrorhamphus griseus. Range.--North America, most abundant in the eastern parts; breeds in the extreme north, and winters from the Gulf States to Northern South America. Greenish buff. This species is commonly known as "Red-breasted Snipe" in late spring and summer because of the rich, rusty red coloration of the underparts, and as "Gray-back" in winter because of its color at that season. They are very common along the Atlantic coast during the Spring migration; they can be easily identified by their very long bills, which are over two inches in length and nearly one quarter the length of the whole bird. They nest during June, placing their three or four eggs in a slight hollow, which may or may not be lined with dried grass or leaves. The eggs have a greenish or brownish buff color and are boldly marked with dark brown. They do not differ greatly from those of the Snipe. Data.--Mackenzie River, June 27, 1900. Four eggs in a hollow in the grass, lined with dead grass. Collector, Walter Raine.
LOON.
Page 145 Long-billed. 232. Long-billed Dowitcher. Macrorhamphus griseus scolopaceus. Range.--Whole of North America, but not common on the Atlantic coast; breeds in the Arctic regions and migrates chiefly through the central and western parts of the United States to Mexico. Greenish buff. This bird is practically the same as the last, but is a trifle larger and the bill averages about a half inch longer. They are very numerous in their breeding haunts, and, during their migrations, fly in large compact flocks. They are not very timid, and consequently fall an easy prey to the gunners. Their nesting habits and eggs are the same as the last species, except that the eggs may average a trifle larger. Size 1.75 × 1.15. Data.--Norton Is., Alaska, June, 1900. Nest a small hollow in the dry ground. Four eggs. Collector, Capt. H. H. Bodfish. 233. Stilt Sandpiper. Micropalama himantopus. Range.--North America, east of the Rocky Mountains; breeds in the Arctic regions and winters from the Gulf States southward. In the summer, these birds may be known by the reddish coloration of the underparts, which are numerously barred; they are smaller than the preceding, length about eight inches. Their nesting habits are the same as those of the majority of the members of the family. The three or four eggs are buffy or grayish, and are blotched and spotted with shades of brown. Size 1.40 × 1.00.


Page 146




 Knot.
Purple Sandpiper. 234. Knot. Tringa canutus. Range.--Arctic regions in summer; south through the United States, chiefly on the Atlantic coast, to South America. Of about the same size as the Dowitchers, length 10.5 inches, but with a much shorter bill. In summer the entire under parts are a uniform reddish chestnut color. They are known to breed in Arctic America, from Point Barrow and Hudson Bay, northward, but no authentic eggs are known, at present, to exist in collections. One taken from a bird by Lieut. Greely, was a pea green color, specked with brown; size 1.10 × 1.00. As it was not fully developed, it was probably correct neither as to size nor color. 235. Purple Sandpiper. Arquatella maritima maritima. Range.--Arctic regions, wintering south to the Middle States and the Great Lakes, but chiefly on the coast. Grayish buff. A grayish and blackish colored species, about nine inches long. It nests in northern Labrador, about Hudson Bay and in Iceland. Its eggs are a grayish buff color handsomely splashed with rich shades of brown and obscure markings of darker gray. Data.--Northern Iceland, June 7, 1897. Four eggs. Nest a hollow in the ground among grass and weeds and lined with a few grasses. Collector, C. Jefferys. 235a. Aleutian Sandpiper. Arguatella maritima couesi. Range.--Supposed to be a resident on the coast and islands of Alaska, from the Aleutians northward. A very similar species to the preceding; scarcely distinguishable. These Sandpipers, which are found in Alaska at all seasons of the year, breed during May and June. Their nesting habits are the same as those of the preceding bird and the eggs are indistinguishable. Size 1.40 × 1.00. Data.--Unalaska, Bering Sea, June 3, 1898. Nest containing four eggs, a depression in the moss, lined with grasses and bits of moss. The eggs were laid with their small ends together.
Page 147 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Pectoral Sandpiper. 237. Pribilof Sandpiper. Arquatella maritina ptilocnemis. Range.--Coast and islands of Bering Sea, south in winter to southern Alaska. This bird, which is ten inches in length, has the feathers of the upper parts edged with rusty, and the underparts light, with a distinguishing patch of black on the breast. Similar in appearance to the Red-backed Sandpiper, but not so reddish above, and the latter has the black patch on the belly. They breed commonly on the Pribilof and other islands in Bering Sea, nesting the same as other Sandpipers. Their four eggs are similar to those of the preceding, but average darker. Size 1.50 × 1.05. 238. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. Pisobia aurita. Range.--An Asiatic species, quite abundant in Alaska in the summer; supposed to migrate south in winter, wholly on the Asiatic side of the Pacific. A similar bird, in appearance, to the following, but slightly smaller and with the breast more ruddy. Its nesting habits probably do not differ from those of the following Sandpiper. 239. Pectoral Sandpiper. Pisobia maculata. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding in the Arctic regions, and wintering south of the United States, most abundant in the eastern parts of the United States during migrations. This species is blackish brown above, with light brown edgings to the feathers, and white below, except the chest, which is brownish, streaked with black. A very peculiar species, having the power, during the mating season, of inflating the throat to a great extent, making a balloon-like appendage, nearly the size of the bird. They have more the habits of Snipe, than do most of the Sandpipers, frequenting grassy meadows or marshes, in preference to the seashore. Their nests are grass lined depressions, and the eggs are grayish or greenish buff, blotched with brown. Size 1.45 × 1.00. Data.--Cape Smythe, Alaska, June 1900. Four eggs in a hollow in the ground, lined with grass.




Page 148




 White-rumped Sandpiper.
Baird's Sandpiper.
Least Sandpiper. 240. White-rumped Sandpiper. Pisobia fuscicollis. Range.--North America, breeding from Labrador and southern Greenland, northward and wintering from central to Southern South America; most common on the Atlantic coast. This species is 7.5 inches in length, and has white upper tail coverts; otherwise it is marked similarly to the preceding Sandpiper. Its nesting habits are the same as those of the majority of the family, and the three or four eggs that they lay cannot be distinguished from those of the following species. Size 1.30 × .90. These are one of the most common of the beach birds along the Atlantic coast during migrations; they are very often known as Bonaparte Sandpipers. 241. Baird's Sandpiper. Pisobia bairdi. Range.--North America, chiefly in the interior, breeding along the Arctic coast and about Hudson Bay, and wintering south of the United States. A very similar species to the preceding, but without the white rump. Their nests are hollows in the ground, generally concealed in a tuft of grass, and lined with grasses and a few leaves. They lay three or four eggs having a grayish colored ground, and marked with different shades of brown, and also with some faint markings of lilac. Size 1.30 × .90. Data.--Peel River, Arctic America, June 18, 1898. Four eggs, taken with the bird by an Indian. Eggs in a slight hollow on the river bank. 242. Least Sandpiper. Pisobia minutilla. Range.--North America, breeding from the southern parts of the British Provinces northward; winters from southern United States southward. Common in the interior and on both coasts. Grayish. This is the smallest of our Sandpipers, being under six inches in length. Except for size, they are similar in appearance to Baird's Sandpiper, only the back is browner. A very abundant species during migrations, being found on the seashore or in marshes, nearly always in company with other species of the family. Their nests are the same as other Sandpipers, and the eggs are grayish, thickly specked with brown. Size 1.15 × .80. Data.--Peel River, Arctic America, June 20, 1899. Nest simply a depression in the river bank, lined with grass.
Page 149 Red-backed Sandpiper.
Curlew Sandpiper. 242.1. Long-toed Stint. Pisobia damacensis. An Asiatic species accidentally found on the Alaskan shores. It is a very similar bird to the Least Sandpiper, and about the same size. As implied by its name, it has unusually long toes. 243. Dunlin. Pelidna alpina alpina. A very common Sandpiper in the British Isles and in Europe, but only casually occurring as a straggler along the Atlantic coast. Very similar to the next species, but a trifle smaller. The nest and eggs do not differ from the following. 243a. Red-backed Sandpiper. Pelidna alpina sakhalina. Greenish buff. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding from southern Greenland, Labrador, Hudson Bay and the Yukon, northward, wintering from the Gulf States southward. This handsome species is similar to the Pribilof Sandpiper, but is smaller (length 8 inches), the upperparts are more reddish, the breast more heavily streaked, and it has a black patch on the belly instead of on the breast as in ptilocnemis. Their nesting habits are similar to others of the family; they lay three or four eggs with a brownish or greenish buff color, heavily blotched and spotted with shades of brown and chestnut. Size 1.40 × 1.00. Data.--- Peel River, Arctic America, June 30, 1899. Nest a simple cavity in the ground, lined with a few grasses and three or four leaves. Collector, J. O. Stringer. 244. Curlew Sandpiper. Erolia ferruginea. Range.--A common Old World species, but regarded as rare in eastern North America and northern Alaska. A bird of slighter build, but similar coloration to the Knot; smaller (length eight inches) and with a slightly decurved bill. Until within recent years, eggs of these birds were rarely seen in collections, and I believe they have not yet been taken in this country, although a few pairs nest along our Arctic coast. Their eggs are very similar to those of the Red-backed Sandpiper, but average somewhat larger. Size 1.50 × 1.05. Data.--Kola, northern Lapland, June 15, 1898. Four eggs laid in a grass-lined hollow in the ground. Collector, J. Ramberg.




Page 150




 Spoonbill Sandpiper.
Semipalmated Sandpiper. 245. Spoonbill Sandpiper. Eurynorhynchus pygmeus. A very rare Asiatic species, which has been taken in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska. A very peculiar bird having the end of the bill broadened and flattened into a sort of spatula. Otherwise very similar to the Least Sandpiper, but with the breast and sides of neck ruddy in summer. About 75 specimens of this rare bird are known to exist. 246. Semipalmated Sandpiper. Ereunetes pusillus. Grayish. Range.--Whole of North America, but chiefly in the eastern and central parts, breeding about the ponds and streams of Labrador and Hudson Bay, and northward. These little Sandpipers are abundant during the migrations either in marshes or on beaches. They are most often found in company with other species, such as the Spotted and Least Sandpipers. Their appearance is very similar to that of the Least Sandpipers, but they are slightly larger and the feet are partially webbed. Their eggs have a greenish buff or grayish ground color and are spotted with brownish or blackish, sometimes, so heavily as to completely obscure the shell color. Size 1.20 × .80. Data.--Small island near Okak, Labrador, July 3, 1895. 2 eggs. Nest a hollow at the foot of a tuft of grass, lined with a few bits of grass and small leaves. Eggs unmistakable in this dark type.
Page 151 Western Sandpiper.
Sanderling.
Marbled Godwit. 247. Western Sandpiper. Ereunetes mauri. Range.--Western North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and migrating through the United States, chiefly west of the Mississippi to the Gulf States and southward. Grayish buff. Scarcely to be distinguished from the preceding species, but the upper parts are said to be brighter and the bill, to average a trifle longer. The nesting habits and eggs are precisely the same as those of the Semipalmated variety. Data.--Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, June 28, 1898. Four eggs. Nest a neatly rounded hollow, sunk into a mossy hummock in marshy ground. Collector, Joseph Grinnell. 248. Sanderling. Calidris leucophaea. Range.--Found in all parts of the northern hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic Circle and wintering in North America, from California and South Carolina southward. A handsome and abundant species, found during migrations by thousands on beaches and about large bodies of water in the interior. They are one of the lightest colored of the Sandpipers, either in winter or summer plumage. In summer the upper parts are a light rusty color and black, and the whole underparts are white. Owing to their extreme northerly distribution in summer, but few of their eggs have been taken. Their nesting habits are like those of the other Sandpipers. The three or four eggs are greenish buff in color, spotted and blotched with brown. Size 1.45 × .95. Data.--Peel River, Alaska, June 18, 1897. Three eggs in a depression on the ground. 249. Marbled Godwit. Limosa fedoa. Range.--North America, breeding, chiefly in the interior, from northern United States northward. Godwits are large Plovers with long slightly up-curved bills. This species is 19 inches in length, is of a nearly uniform ruddy color and is handsomely marbled above, and barred below with black. Their eggs are laid upon the ground in the vicinity of ponds or rivers; sometimes there is no lining and again a few straws or grasses may be twisted around the depression. Their eggs number three or four and have a ground color of grayish or greenish buff, sometimes quite dark, and are blotched with dark brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Devil's Lake, N. D., June 10, 1895. Four eggs laid on the ground in the middle of an unused road. Lined with a few grasses. Collector, W. F. Hill.




Page 152




 Pacific Godwit.
Hudsonian Godwit 250. Pacific Godwit. Limosa lapponica baueri. Range.--Coasts and islands of the Pacific Ocean on the Asiatic side, north in summer to Alaska. This species is more uniform and brighter ruddy beneath than the preceding, and the back is not marbled as strongly. Even in Alaska where it breeds, it is not a common species, and it only occurs elsewhere on the Pacific coast of America casually. The nesting habits are the same, but the eggs are somewhat darker than those of the preceding, but not as dark as those of the following species. Size 2.20 × 1.45. 251. Hudsonian Godwit. Limosa haemastica. Range.--North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering south of the United States. Brownish. This species is apparently not as common or is more locally distributed during migrations than is the Marbled Godwit. They are more abundant in their breeding grounds and are occasionally seen in large flocks. They are smaller than the Marbled Godwit (length 18 inches) and are deep reddish brown below. They lay four eggs on the ground, in marshes or near ponds or streams, lining the hollow with weeds and dried leaves. The eggs have a dark brownish buff ground color and are blotched with brownish black. Size 2.20 × 1.40. Data.--Mackenzie River, Arctic America. Four eggs laid in a hollow in the ground. Collector, J. O. Stringer. 252. Black-tailed Godwit. Limosa limosa. A European and Asiatic species only casually occurring in Greenland. Very similar in appearance to our Hudsonian Godwit, which is frequently called by the name of this species. The nesting habits and the eggs are precisely like those of the American bird. 253. Green Shank. Glottis nebularia. A common bird in Europe and the British Isles, but only American as having been taken once in Florida. A very similar species to the following.
Page 153 Greater Yellow-legs.
Yellow-legs. 254. Greater Yellow-legs. Totanus melanoleucus. Range.--Whole of North America, nesting in the British Provinces and rarely in the northern part of the Mississippi Valley. Grayish white. This and the next species are much sought by sportsmen during their migrations; they are commonly called "Tell-tale," the present species being the "Greater Tell-tale." They are blackish above, speckled with white, and below are white and, in summer, marked with arrowhead spots of black. The legs, as implied by the name of the bird, are yellow and long; length of bird, 14 inches. They nest most abundantly in localities remote from habitations, in the interior of Canada. The eggs are generally laid on the ground, near a marsh or on the bank of a stream, with little or no lining to the nest. They are grayish white, boldly splashed with several shades of brown, and with lilac. Size 1.65 × 1.25. Data.--Whale River, Labrador, June 10, 1902. Eggs laid on the ground in an open marsh. 255. Yellow-legs. Totanus flavipes. Buffy. Range.--North America, breeding chiefly in the interior and eastern parts of Canada, and rarely in the upper Mississippi Valley. This species is very similar to the preceding, but is smaller; length 10.5 inches. It is also called the "Lesser Tell-tale," a name applied because of their wariness, and because, when they fly, they warn all other species within hearing, of danger. Their eggs are laid on the ground, and in similar localities to the preceding. They are three or four in number, grayish or buffy in color, and are quite heavily blotched and spotted with rich brown and grayish or lilac. Size 1.60 × 1.20. Data.--Whale River, Labrador, June 14, 1902. Four eggs laid on the ground in a large marsh.




Page 154




 Solitary Sandpiper. 256. Solitary Sandpiper. Helodromas solitarius solitarius. Range.--Eastern North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States boundary, but apt to be found nesting in any part of its range; winters south of the United States. Clay-colored. A bird with a greenish gray back, barred with white, and white below; length 8.5 inches. This species is one of the oddities among the waders. They are most always met with, singly or in pairs, and are very rarely seen, even in very small flocks. Their preference is for small ponds or streams in wet woods or open meadows, rather than marshes which are frequented by other species. They are occasionally seen during the nesting season, even in the southern parts of their range, and they probably breed there although their eggs are very rarely found. The eggs are clay-colored, spotted with brownish black. Data.--Simco Island, Kingston, Ontario, June 10, 1898. 5 eggs in a shallow depression on the ground, lined with a few grasses.
NEST OF SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
Page 155 Western Sandpiper.
Willet. 256a. Western Solitary Sandpiper. Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeus. Range.--North America, west of the Plains; breeds in British Columbia and probably south of there, also. This bird is like the last, except that the spots on the back are buffy instead of white. Its nest and eggs will not differ in any respect from those of the eastern form. 257. Green Sandpiper. Helodromas acrophus. This species, which very closely resembles our Solitary Sandpiper, is common in the northern parts of the Old World. It has only accidentally strayed to our shores. 258. Willet. Catoptrophorus semipalmatus semipalmatus. Range.--Eastern United States, breeding north to the Middle States and occasionally straying to the Canadian border, especially in the Mississippi Valley. Buff. These large waders are among the most abundant of the marsh or beach birds. They breed in small companies in marshes, frequently in those which are covered with water at high tide, building a frail nest of grasses and weeds, where it will be barely out of reach of the highest water. The three or four eggs have a brownish, or sometimes greenish, buff ground color and are blotched with umber, and have fainter markings of lilac. Size 2.00 × 1.50. Data.--Sandy Bank, South Carolina, May 3, 1901. Nest on the ground, secreted in the high grass. Made of dead marsh grass, lined with finer grasses.




Page 156




 Wandering Tattler.
Ruff.
Upland Plover. 258a. Western Willet. Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inornatus. Range.--Western North America, breeding north to Manitoba and British Columbia. Casually found on the South Atlantic coast during migrations. A larger and paler form of the preceding species; length 15.5 inches. The nesting habits are the same, and the eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the common Willet. Data.--Refugio, Texas, May 18, 1900. 4 eggs in a grass lined depression on the bay shore flat. Collector, J. W. Preston. 259. Wandering Tattler. Heteractitis incanus. Range.--Pacific coast of North America, breeding from British Columbia northward. This is a handsome species, uniform grayish above and white below, closely barred (in summer) with blackish. During the breeding season it is found on the rugged coasts and islands of Alaska, and casually south. It breeds in the marsh grass near the shores and along the banks of streams. 260. Ruff. Machetes pugnax. A common European species, occasionally found on the Atlantic coast of North America. It is a species remarkable for its pugnacity during the mating season; in size and appearance it is about like the Upland Plover, with the exception of the "ruff" which adorns the neck and breast of the male bird. 261. Upland Plover. Bartramia longicauda. Buff. Range.--North America, chiefly east of the Rocky Mountains, breeding from middle United States, northward. A handsome bird, 12 inches in length, generally known as the "Upland Plover," from its habit of frequenting dry side hills, where it feeds upon grasshoppers and worms. It is a favorite bird with many sportsmen. It builds a nest of grasses, on the ground in a tuft of grass in the middle of fields. The three or four eggs have a buff ground and are blotched with yellowish brown. Size 1.75 × 1.25. Data.--Stump Lake, N. D., June 10, 1897. Nest of grass, lined with wool, under a tuft of grass left by the mower. Collector, Alf. Eastgate.
Page 157
NEST AND EGGS OF UPLAND PLOVER.
Page 158




 Buff-breasted Sandpiper.
Spotted Sandpiper. 262. Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Tryngites subruficollis. Range.--Interior of North America, breeding from the Hudson Bay region to the Arctic coast. Grayish white. A buffy colored species, with a peculiarly marbled back. Size 8.5 inches long. It is an upland species like the last. The nests are scantily lined depressions in the ground. The eggs have a grayish white ground and are boldly blotched with rich brown and chestnut with fainter markings of lilac. Size 1.45 × 1.05. Data.--Cape Smythe, Alaska, June, 1900. 4 eggs in a hollow in dry spot on a marsh. Collector, H. H. Bodfish. 263. Spotted Sandpiper. Actitis macularia. Range.--Whole of North America from Hudson Bay southward, breeding throughout its range. Buff. A small wader about 7.5 inches in length, with brownish gray upper parts, and white underparts thickly spotted with blackish, especially on the breast and flanks. This is the most abundant of all the shore birds, and its "peet-weet" is a familiar sound to every country boy. It has a peculiar habit of continually moving its tail up and down, when at rest on a stone or when running along the shore; from these characteristic actions it has received the very common names of "Teeter-tail" and "Tip-up." They build their nests on the ground near ponds, brooks or marshes, generally concealing it in a tuft of grass or weeds on the shore or in the high grass at the edge of the meadows. The eggs number from three to five and are of a grayish buff color, spotted and blotched with blackish brown. The young, like those of all the shore birds, are hatched covered with down, and run about as soon as born. They are anxiously attended by the parents and at the least sign of danger, conceal themselves beneath a tuft of grass or behind a small stone, where they remain perfectly motionless until called by the old birds. The adults frequently attempt to lead an enemy away from the young by feigning a broken wing, or lameness. Size of eggs 1.35 × .90. Data.--Parker County, Ind., May 22, 1901. Nest about six yards from bank of creek, among weeds on a sand bar; a hollow in the sand lined with weeds. Collector, Winfield S. Catlin.
Page 159 Long-billed Curlew.
Hudsonian Curlew. 264. Long-billed Curlew. Numenius americanus. Range.--Breeds in the South Atlantic states and northward in the interior to Manitoba and British Columbia. Greenish buff. This is the largest of the family of shore birds, having a length of about 24 inches. Its plumage is of a buffy color, much variegated above with black and brown; the bill is strongly curved downward and is from four to eight inches in length. Their nests are located on the ground in meadows or on the prairies, and three or four eggs are laid, of a buff or greenish buff color, covered with numerous spots of brownish black. Eggs of the common Curlew of Europe, have been very frequently used as belonging to this species, but the eggs of our species have a lighter and more greenish ground, and the spots are smaller and more numerous. Size, 2.50 × 1.80. 265. Hudsonian Curlew. Numenius hudsonicus. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering south of the United States. Brownish buff. This species is smaller (length 17 inches), darker, more grayish and has a shorter bill than the preceding species. It also has white median and lateral stripes on the top of the head. The nesting habits are the same as those of the Long-billed species; the three or four eggs have a brownish buff ground color and are blotched with blackish brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--McKenzie River, Arctic America. Nest a pile of grass, moss and weeds on an island in the river.




Page 160



 Eskimo Curlew. 266. Eskimo Curlew. Numenius borealis. Range.--Eastern North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering in South America; migrating through the eastern half of the United States, more abundantly in the interior than on the coast. A still smaller species than the last (length 14 inches) and very similar to it. A few years ago this was considered the most abundant of the curlews, but so persistently have they been hunted that they are now practically exterminated. They were the most unsuspicious of the shore birds, and would allow the near approach of the gunner, and the penalty may now be seen. Only a short while ago they were very often found, during migration, in company with other waders such as the Golden or Black-bellied Plovers. Their nests are simply hollows in the plains, lined with a few grasses, dried leaves, or moss. The three or four eggs are the same as the last for color but are smaller; size 2.00 × 1.45. 267. Whimbrel. Numenius phaeopus. A European species casually appearing in Greenland; very similar to the Hudsonian Curlew, but with the rump white. Olive brown. This species is known as the Jack Curlew in England and Scotland, where it is very abundant, and is a favorite game bird. It breeds in the northern parts of Europe and Asia, and in the extreme north of Scotland and on the Shetland Islands. The eggs are laid in hollows on the ground on higher parts of the marshes. The three or four eggs have an olive or greenish brown color and are blotched with dark brown. Size 2.30 × 1.60. Data.--Native, Iceland, May 29, 1900. Six eggs. Nest a depression in the ground, lined with dried grass. 268. Bristle-thighed Curlew. Numenius tahitiensis. Range.--Islands and coast on the Asiatic side of the Pacific; casually found in Alaska. A very peculiar species with many of the feathers on the flanks terminating in long bristles.
Page 161 PLOVERS. Family CHARADRIIDÆ Grayish. Plovers are stouter built birds than those of the previous family, have larger head, shorter necks and but three toes, the bill also is much harder and shorter. 269. Lapwing. Vanellus vanellus. An abundant European species accidentally occurring on the Atlantic coast. It may readily be recognized by its long black crest, black chin and throat, and white under parts. It breeds throughout temperate Europe, laying its eggs in hollows on the ground. The eggs have a dark grayish buff ground and are spotted with black. Size 1.85 × 1.30. 269.1. Dotterel. Eudromias morinellus. A European bird supposed to have been accidentally taken on the Atlantic coast. 270. Black-bellied Plover. Squatarola squatarola. Greenish buff. Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering from the Gulf States to northern South America. This is a remarkably handsome species when in the summer dress. The upper parts are largely white with black spots and bars on the back, wings and tail; the throat, sides of head, breast and fore under parts, black. In winter, brownish-black, somewhat mottled, above; below, dull white. Young similar to winter adults, but the back is spotted with yellowish-white. While these handsome plover migrate to some extent, and sometimes in large flocks, through the interior of the United States, they are chiefly and most abundantly found on the coast. This species has a very small hind toe. It is a very familiar bird to sportsmen and gunners, to whom it is generally known by the names of "Bull-head," or "Beetle-head Plover." They are very numerous in the fall, during which season the underparts are entirely white. The eggs are either laid upon the bare ground or upon a slight lining of grasses or dead leaves. They are three or four in number, brownish or greenish buff in color and boldly marked with black. Size 2.00 × 1.40. Data.--Point Barrow, Alaska, June, 1900. Nest a small hollow on side of hillock, lined with dry grass.



Page 162
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.
Page 163 Black-bellied Plover.
Golden Plover. 272. European Golden Plover. Charadrius apricarius. A European bird, similar to the next, casually found in Greenland. It is a very abundant bird throughout Europe, breeding in the northern parts. Its habits, nests and eggs are the same as those of the American bird. 272. Golden Plover. Charadrius dominicus dominicus. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering south to Patagonia. Greenish buff. This handsome bird is about the same size as the Black-bellied Plover (10.5 inches long). No hind toe. Back and tail mottled with black and yellow; below, more or less entirely black to the tail. Young and winter adults, more or less spotted with yellow and blackish-brown above, and grayish-white below, with indistinct streaks on the breast. Often confused with the last species in this plumage, but is smaller, bill smaller and more slender, and the axillars, or feathers nearest the body, under the wings, are gray while those of the Black-bellied Plover are black. This species is now regarded as rare on the North Atlantic coast during migrations, while in the interior it is more abundant than the last species. They do not seem to be as suspicious as the Black-bellies, and a flock will often allow a close approach, even when they see you. They nest abundantly along the coast and islands of the Arctic Ocean. The four eggs are very similar to those of the preceding, but smaller. Size 1.90 × 1.30. Data.--Peel River, Arctic America, June 1, 1898. Nest of grasses and leaves on the ground in the moss. 272a. Pacific Golden Plover. Charadrius dominicus fulvus. Range.--An Asiatic species, breeding in northern Asia and on the islands and coast of Asia. Very like the preceding, but more golden color on the back and wings. Nesting and eggs the same.




Page 164
NEST AND EGGS OF KILLDEER.
Page 165 Kildeer.
Semi-palmated Plover. 273. Killdeer. Oxyechus vociferus. Range.--Temperate North America from the southern parts of Canada southward. Next to the Spotted Sandpiper, this bird is the most common of the shore birds in the United States. It is rarely seen in New England, but is common south of there and in the interior of the country to Canada. Grayish buff. They are very noisy birds, continually uttering their "kil-deer, kil-deer" from which they take their name. They nest anywhere on the ground, generally near water, placing their nests in fields, cornfields or meadows. The eggs are drab or greenish buff and profusely spotted with black. Size 1.50 × 1.10. Data.--Refugio county, Texas, May 11, 1899. 4 eggs in a depression on the ground, lined with a few grasses. 274. Semipalmated. Ægialitis semipalmata. Range.--North America, breeding in the interior of Canada and wintering south from the Gulf States. Buff. Small web between the bases of the two outer toes. Single broad, black band across the breast; black line from base of bill to eye. They are very abundant on our seacoast in Fall, both in flocks composed entirely of their own kind, and also with Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers. They usually keep on the inner side of sandbars or muddy flats bordering marshes, rather than on the open ocean beach. It is also found in smaller flocks, about ponds and marshes in the interior of the country. They are usually unsuspicious and will allow a close approach, or if you are still, will run by within a very few feet. Nest on the ground; eggs buffy, sparsely specked with black, 1.30 × .90; June.




Page 166




 Ring Plover.
Snowy Plover. 275. Ring Plover. Ægialitis hiaticula. Buffy. Range.--A European bird that breeds abundantly in Greenland. It nests in great numbers on the banks of streams and in fields, laying its eggs in hollows on the ground, generally without any lining. Their three or four eggs are practically not distinguishable from those of the Semipalmated Plover, but larger; size, 1.40 x 1.00. The bird, too, is similar, but the toes are not palmated, and the black breast band is wider. 276. Little Ringed Plover. Ægialitis dubia. An Old World species, accidentally occurring on the Pacific coast. Like the last species, but smaller. The eggs, too, are smaller; size 1.20 x .85. 277. Piping Plover. Ægialitis meloda. Clay Color. Range.--Eastern North America, chiefly along the Atlantic coast, breeding from the Carolinas north to Newfoundland. A handsome little bird, with a black crescent on each side of neck, a small black patch on top of the head, and without any black on the lores or ear coverts. It is the lightest colored of any of the eastern Plovers. Length, 7 inches. Young, similar, but the black replaced by grayish, as is the case with the last species. This species, apparently, never could be classed as abundant and of late years, it is becoming rather rare along our Atlantic coast; this is probably more due to the building of summer resorts and homes along their former breeding grounds than to hunters. They are rather more shy than the last species, but will usually attempt to escape by running along the beach or by hiding, rather than by flight. Owing to their light colors it is very difficult to see them at any distance. They lay their eggs upon the sandy beaches in slight, and generally unlined, hollows. The eggs have a pale clay colored ground and are sparsely specked with small black dots. Size 1.25 x 1.00.
Page 167 278. Snowy Plover. Ægialitis nivosa. Range.--Breeds along the Pacific coast of the United States, and from Texas to Manitoba in the interior. Winters on the California coast and south to Chili. Pale buff. Snowy Plovers are very much like the Piping, but are smaller (length 6.5 inches), have a longer and more slender bill, and have a small black patch on the side of head. It is the palest colored of the Plovers. Large numbers of them nest along the Pacific coast and in Texas; north of Texas, in the interior, they are locally distributed. The eggs are pale clay color, marked with small scratchy dots of black. Size 1.20 x .90. Data.--Newport Beach, California, May 1, 1897. Nest a hollow in the sand, a short distance above high water; lined with broken shell. Collector, Evan Davis. 279. Mongolian Plover. Ægialitis mongola. An inhabitant of the Old World, awarded a place in our avifauna because of its accidental occurrence at Alaska.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER AND NEST.



Page 168




 Wilson's Plover.
Mountain Plover. 280. Wilson's Plover. Octhodromus wilsonius. Range.--An abundant breeding species on the Gulf coast, coast of Lower California, and on the Atlantic coast north to Virginia, and casually farther. Olive gray. A common Plover, which may be distinguished from others of the genus by its comparatively large heavy black bill, and the single broad black band across the breast, and not extending around the back of the neck. They nest on pebbly "shingle" or in the marsh, back of the beaches. Their eggs are an olive gray color and are spotted and scratched with blackish brown, with some fainter markings of gray. Size 1.40 x 1.05. Data.--Corpus Christi, Texas, May 10, 1899. 4 eggs laid on the ground among drifted grass on a salt marsh near town. Collector, Frank B. Armstrong. 281. Mountain Plover. Podasocys montanus. Brownish gray. Range.--Plains and prairies of western North America, breeding from the central portions north to Manitoba, and wintering in California and southward. A very peculiar species, inhabiting even the driest portions of the western prairies. It is 9 inches in length, and has a plumage of a pale buffy tone. It seems to be less aquatic than any other American Plover and is rarely found in the vicinity of bodies of water. It nests on the ground anywhere on the prairie, laying its eggs in a slight hollow. The eggs are brownish gray in color and are spotted and blotched with blackish brown. Data.--Morgan county, Colorado, May 7, 1902. Nest a slight hollow on the ground, near a large cactus bed and close to a water hole. No lining to nest. Collector, Glenn S. White.
Page 169 SURF BIRDS AND TURNSTONES. Family APHRIZIDÆ Turnstone. 282. Surf Bird. Aphriza virgata. Creamy. This species, which is found on the Pacific coast from Alaska to Chili, seems to be the connecting link between the plovers and the Turnstones, having the habits of the latter combined with the bill of the former. Its nest and eggs are not known to have been yet discovered. 283. Turnstone. Arenaria interpres. Range.--The distribution of this species, which is grayer above than the following, is supposed to be confined, in America, to the extreme north from Greenland to Alaska. Its habits and eggs are precisely like the next. 283a. Ruddy Turnstone. Arenaria interpres morinella. Range.--Breeds in the Arctic regions, and migrates through all parts of the United States, south to the southern parts of South America. This species has the upperparts variegated with reddish brown, black and white; the underparts are pure white, except for a black patch on the throat, branching upward to the eye and back to the sides of the breast. It has a peculiar, slightly up-turned bill, which is used, as their name implies, for turning over pebbles and stones in their search for food. They nest commonly in northern Labrador, about Hudson Bay and in Alaska, laying their eggs in scantily lined hollows on the ground, near water. The eggs are very peculiar and beautiful, having a light grayish or cream color ground, peculiarly marbled with many shades of brown and lilac. Size 1.65 × 1.10. Data.--Mackenzie River, Arctic America, June 28, 1900. Four eggs in a grass lined depression in the sand.



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 284. Black Turnstone. Arenaria melanocephala. Grayish. Range.--Pacific coast of North America, breeding from British Columbia northward, and wintering south to Lower California. This species, which has the form and habits of the preceding, is blackish above and on the breast; the rump and the base of the tail are white, being separated from each other by the black tail coverts. Their nesting habits are in no wise different from those of the common turnstone. The eggs are similar, but the markings are not so strikingly arranged. Size 1.60 × 1.10. Data.--Kutlik, Alaska, June 21, 1898. Nest simply a depression in the sand on the sea beach.
OYSTER-CATCHERS. Family HÆMATOPODIDÆ 285. European Oyster-catcher. Hæmatopus frazari. This European species is very similar to the American one which follows. It casually occurs in Greenland. American Oyster-catcher. 286. Oyster-catcher. Hæmatopus palliatus. Range.--Breeds on the coast of the South Atlantic States and Lower California and winters south to Patagonia. Oyster-catchers are Buff. large, heavy-bodied birds, with stocky red legs and long, stout red bills. The present species has the whole upper parts and entire head and neck, blackish; underparts and ends of secondaries, white; length, 19 inches. They are abundant breeding birds on the sandy beaches of the South Atlantic States, and casually wander north to Nova Scotia. They lay their two or three eggs on the ground in slight hollows scooped out of the sand. The eggs are of a buffy or brownish buff color, and are irregularly spotted with blackish brown, with subdued markings of lavender. Size 2.20 × 1.50. Data.--Sandy Point, S. C., May 12, 1902. Three eggs on the sand just above high water mark; nest a mere depression on a small "sand dune" lined with pieces of shells.
Page 171 287--286.1. 286.1. Frazar's Oyster-catcher. Hæmatopus bachmani. Brownish buff. Range.--Lower California. This species is darker on the back than the preceding, and the breast is mottled with dusky. Bill very long, heavy, compressed, and thin and chisel-like at the tip. Bill and eyes red; legs flesh color; under parts white, and a white wing bar. These are large, awkward looking birds. It is not an uncommon wader in its somewhat restricted range. Its nesting habits are the same as those of the preceding one, but the markings are generally more sharply defined. The one figured is from a set in the collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall. 287. Black Oyster-catcher. Hæmatopus bachmani. Olive buff. Range.--Pacific coast of North America from Lower California north to Alaska. This species is the same size as the Oyster-catcher, but the plumage is entirely black both above and below. They are found upon the rocky coasts and islands, more frequently than upon sandy beaches. Their eggs are laid upon bare rocks or pebbles with no attempt at lining for the nest. The eggs are an olive buff in color, spotted and blotched with brownish black. Size 2.20 × 1.55. Breeding throughout the Aleutian Islands, British Columbia and south to Lower California. Three or four eggs are laid.





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 JACANAS. Family JACANIDÆ Mexican Jacana. 288. Mexican Jacana. Jacana spinosa. Range.--Tropical America, north in summer to the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and casually to Florida. Yellowish olive. This interesting species has most of its structural characters similar to the Plovers, but has more the appearance and habits of the Rails. They are about eight inches long, the head and neck are black, the body chestnut, and the wings largely greenish yellow. They have long legs, long toes and extremely long toe nails, a scaly leaf on the forehead, and a sharp spur on the shoulder of the wing. Owing to their long toes and nails, they are enabled to walk over floating weeds and rubbish that would sink beneath their weight, otherwise. They build their nests on these little floating islands in the marsh; they are also sometimes made of weeds and trash on floating lily pads. They lay from three to five eggs of a yellowish olive color, curiously scrawled with brown and black. Size 1.22 × .95. Data.--Tampico, Mexico, June 3, 1900. Three eggs. Nest of weeds and drift on lily leaf floating in fresh water pond near town.
Page 173
NEST AND EGGS OF BOB-WHITE.
Page 174
BOB WHITE.
Female--Male.
Page 175 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. Order X. GALLINÆ GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, ETC. Family TETRAONIDAE The members of this family are birds of robust form, subdued (not brightly colored) plumage, comparatively short legs and necks; the tarsi and toes are feathered in the Ptarmigan, the tarsi, only, feathered in the Grouse, and the tarsi and toes bare in the Partridges and Bob-whites. They feed upon berries, buds, grain and insects. Bobwhite.
Florida Bobwhite.
Masked Bobwhite. 289. Bob-white. Colinus virginianus virginianus. Range.--United States east of North Dakota and Texas and from the southern British Provinces to the Gulf coast. White. A celebrated "game bird" which has been hunted so assiduously in New England that it is upon the verge of extermination, and the covers have to be continually replenished with birds trapped in the south and west. They frequent open fields, which have a luxuriant growth of weeds, or grain fields in the fall. Their nests are built along the roadsides, or beside stonewalls or any place affording satisfactory shelter. The nest is made of dried grasses and is arched over with grass or overhanging leaves so as to conceal the eggs. They lay from ten to twenty pure white eggs, which are very frequently nest stained when found. Size 1.20 × .95. Often two or three broods are raised in a season, but frequently one or more broods are destroyed by rainy weather. 289a. Florida Bob-white. Colinus virginianus floridanus. Range.--This sub-species, which is found in the southern half of Florida, is very much darker than the northern Bob-white, and is numerously barred below with black. Its nesting habits and eggs are identical with those of the preceding. 289b. Texas Bob-white. Colinus virginianus texanus. Range.--Texas; casually north to Kansas. A grayer variety of the Bob-white. The nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Bob-white, except that the eggs may average a trifle smaller. Size 1.18 × .92. 291. Masked Bob-white. Colinus ridgwayi. Range.--Sonoran region of Mexico north to southern Arizona. The female of this species is like that of the Texan Bob-white. Their nesting habits and eggs are in all respects like those of the other Bob-whites. Size of eggs, 1.20 × .95.



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 Mountain Partridge.
Scaled Partridge. 292. Mountain Quail. Oreortyx picta picta. Range.--Pacific coast of North America from California to Washington. Reddish buff. This is the largest of the Partridges, being 11 inches in length. It is of a general grayish color, with chestnut throat patch, and chestnut flanks, barred with white. Two long plumes extend downward from the back of the head. This species nests abundantly in the mountainous portions of northern California and throughout Oregon, and is gradually increasing in numbers in Washington. As a rule they nest only on the higher mountain ranges, placing their nest of leaves under the protection of an overhanging bush or tuft of grass. Their eggs number from six to fifteen, and are of a pale reddish buff color. Size 1.35 × 1.05. 292a. Plumed Quail. Oreortyx picta plumifera. Range.--Mountain ranges of California and Lower California, chiefly in the southern parts of the former. This species is like the latter except that it is grayer on the back of the head and neck. Its nesting habits and eggs are like the preceding. 292b. San Pedro Quail. Oreortyx picta confinis. Range.--San Pedro Mountains, Lower California. This species, which is grayer above than the preceding two, breeds only in the highest peaks of its range. Otherwise its nesting habits and eggs are the same as the other Plumed Partridges. 293. Scaled Quail. Callipepla squamata squamata. Creamy white. Range.--Mexico and southwestern border of the United States. This blue gray species is 10 inches in length; the feathers on the neck and underparts have narrow dark borders, thus giving the plumage a scaly appearance, from which the birds take their name. They have a small tuft of whitish or buffy feathers on the top of the head. It is especially abundant in the dry arid portions of its range, being found often many miles away from water. Their eggs are laid in a shallow hollow under some small bush or cactus, and number from eight to sixteen; they are creamy white, finely specked with buff or pale brownish. Size 1.25 × .95.
Page 177 California Partridge. 293a. Chestnut-bellied Scaled Quail. Callipepla squamata castanogastris. Range.--Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas and and southward into Mexico. This sub-species is like the last with the addition of a chestnut patch on the belly. Their breeding habits do not vary in any particular way from those of the Scaled Partridge. 294. California Quail. Lophortyx californica californica. Range.--Coast region of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Creamy white. This is one of the most beautiful of the Partridges, with its crest of feathers rising from the crown and curving forwards so that the broadened ends hang directly over the bill. It is about the size of the preceding species, and is distinguished from the following one by its white forehead, chestnut patch on the belly and the scaly appearance of the feathers in that region, by its dark crown and the gray flanks with white streaks. They lay from eight to twenty eggs with a creamy white or buffy ground color, handsomely blotched with shades of brown and yellowish brown. Size 1.20 × .93. 294a. Valley Partridge. Lophortyx californica vallicola. Range.--Interior portions of California, Oregon and Washington. The nesting habits of this grayer sub-species do not differ in any manner from those of the above species. The eggs are indistinguishable. 295. Gambel Quail. Lophortyx gambeli. Buff. Range.--Southwestern United States from Texas to California; north to Utah. This handsome species differs from the California in the Chestnut crown and flanks, and the black patch on the belly. They are very abundant in Arizona, both on the mountains and in the valleys, and apparently without any regard to the nearness to, or remoteness from a water supply. They breed during May, laying their eggs on the ground under any suitable cover. The eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the California Partridge, except that they average a trifle larger. Size 1.25 × .95.



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 Mearns Partridge. 296. Mearns Quail. Cyrtonyx montezumæ mearnsi. Range.--Mexico, north to southern Arizona and New Mexico, and to western Texas. A remarkable species about 9 inches long; often called "Fool Quail" because of its eccentric and clownish markings, streaks and spots of black, white, buff, gray and chestnut. It is met with in small flocks on the mountains and less frequently in the valleys. It frequents scrubby wooded places rather than open hill sides and is very easy to approach and kill; this confidence or stupidity together with its clownish appearance are the reasons for its commonly used local name. Their nests are hollows in the ground, lined with grasses and concealed by overhanging tufts of grass. The eggs, which are pure white, are not distinguishable with certainty from those of the Bob-white, but average longer. Size 1.25 × .95. 297. Dusky Grouse. Dendragapus obscurus obscurus. Range.--Rocky Mountain region from central Montana south to New Mexico. With the exception of the Sage Grouse, this species is the largest of the family, being about 20 inches in length. The general tone of its plumage below is gray; above, blackish gray and the tail blackish with a broad terminal band of light gray. They frequent the wooded and especially the coniferous districts, where they build their nests under fallen trees or at the bases of standing ones. They lay from six to ten eggs of a buffy color, sparsely spotted and blotched with brownish. Size 2.00 × 1.40. Rich buff. 297a. Sooty Grouse. Dendragapus obscurus fuliginosus. Range.--Mountain ranges along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. Like the last, this somewhat darker sub-species is met with in timbered regions, where its habits are about the same as those of the Ruffled Grouse, except, of course, that they are not nearly as shy as the Grouse in New England. Their eggs are laid in hollows beside stumps or under logs. The eggs are buff colored, spotted with reddish brown. Size 2.00 × 1.40.
Page 179 Sooty Grouse.
Spruce Grouse. 297b. Richardson's Grouse. Dendragapus obscurus richardsoni. Range.--Northern Rocky Mountains from central Montana to British Columbia. A dark variety with no terminal band of gray on the tail. Its habits, nesting and eggs are precisely like those of the preceding species. 298. Hudsonian Spruce Partridge. Canachites canadensis canadensis. Bright buff. Range.--Northern United States and southern British Provinces; west to Minnesota. A dark species, smaller than the last (15 inches long), and easily recognized by its black throat and extensive black patch on the breast. The habits of this species and the two varieties into which it has been sub-divided are the same; as a species, they are very tame, will not fly unless actually obliged to, and frequently allow themselves to be knocked down with sticks. Their nests are hollows in the leaves on the ground, generally under the sheltering branches of a low spreading fir tree. The six to fifteen eggs are a bright buff color, blotched and spotted boldly with various shades of brown. Size 1.70 × 1.25. 298b. Alaska Spruce Partridge. Canachites canadensis osgoodi. Range.--Alaska. This variety is practically the same as the preceding, the birds not always being distinguishable; the nest and eggs are the same as the Canada Grouse. 298c. Canada Spruce Partridge. Canachites canadensis canace. Range.--Labrador and the Hudson Bay region. Like the last, this variety is hardly to be distinguished from the Hudsonian. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same.




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 Ruffed Grouse. 299. Franklin's Grouse. Canachites franklin franklini. Brownish buff. Range.--Northwestern United States and British Columbia. This species is very similar to the Canada Grouse, the most apparent difference being the absence of the brownish gray tip to the tail, and the upper coverts are broadly tipped with white. This species, which is very abundant in the northwest, has the same stupid habits of the eastern bird. During the mating season, the males of both this and the preceding species have the same habit of "drumming" that the Ruffed Grouse has. Their nests are placed on the ground under bushes or fir trees and from eight to fifteen eggs are laid. These are brownish buff in color, spotted and blotched with rich brown. They are very similar to the eggs of the Canada Grouse. Data.--Moberly Peak, Cascade Mts., British Columbia, June 9, 1902. 7 eggs in a slight hollow on the ground. Collector, G. F. Dippie. 300. Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus umbellus. Brownish buff. Range.--Eastern United States from Minnesota to New England; south to Virginia. The Ruffed Grouse is "King of the Game Birds" in the east, where it has been hunted so freely, that it has become very wary and requires a skillful marksman to bring it down. Because of the cutting off of all heavy timber, and the vigor with which they are pursued by hunters, they are becoming very scarce in New England, and within a few years they will probably be practically extinct in that section. Their favorite resorts are heavily timbered woods or low growth birches. Their nests are hollows in the leaves under fallen trees, beside some stump or concealed among the small shoots at the base of a large tree. The bird sits very close, but when she does fly, goes with the familiar rumble and roar which always disconcerts the novice, the wind created by her sudden flight generally causing the leaves to settle in the nest and conceal the eggs. They lay from eight to fifteen eggs, of a brownish buff color, sometimes with a few faint markings of brown, but generally unspotted. Size 1.55 × 1.15. The young of all the Partridges and Grouse are born covered with down and follow their parents soon after leaving the shell. The adults are very skillful in leading enemies away from their young, feigning lameness, broken wings, etc. The nesting habits and eggs of the three sub-species are precisely the same in every respect as those of this bird.
Page 181
RUFFED GROUSE.
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 299--300a. 300a. Canada Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus togata. Range.--Northern United States and southern British Provinces from Maine and Nova Scotia west to Washington and British Columbia. 300b. Gray Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus umbelloides. Range.--Rocky Mountain region from Colorado to Alaska. A grayer species than the common. 300c. Oregon Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus sabini. Range.--Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. A dark species with the prevailing color a reddish tone.
NEST AND EGGS OF RUFFED GROUSE.
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 Willow Ptarmigan.
Rock Ptarmigan. 301. Willow Ptarmigan. Lagopus lagopus lagopus. Range.--Arctic regions, in America south nearly to the United States border, and casually to Maine. Brownish buff. Ptarmigan are Grouse-like birds, feathered to the toe nails; they have many changes of plumage, in winter being nearly pure white, and in summer largely reddish brown or grayish, barred with black. In the breeding plumage they have red comb-like wattles over the eye. In other seasons, their plumage varies in all degrees between winter and summer. They nest on the ground in hollows among the leaves, lined with a few grasses, and sometimes feathers. They lay from six to sixteen eggs which have a ground color of buff or brownish buff, heavily speckled, blotched and marbled with blackish brown. Size 1.75 × 1.25. 301a. Allen's Ptarmigan. Lagopus lagopus alleni. Range.--Newfoundland. A very similar bird to the preceding; eggs indistinguishable. Buff. 302. Rock Ptarmigan. Lagopus rupestris rupestris. Range.--Chiefly in the interior of British America, from the southern portions to Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. A species with a smaller bill and in summer a grayer plumage, more finely barred with black. Its nesting habits are the same as the other species, it nesting on the ground in such localities as would be frequented by the Ruffed Grouse. Its eggs cannot be positively distinguished from those of the Willow Ptarmigan. Size 1.70 × 1.20.
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 302a. Reinhardt's Ptarmigan. Lagopus rupestris reinhardi. Range.--Labrador and Greenland; an eastern variety of the preceding species. Its habits, nesting habits and eggs are just the same as those of Rock Ptarmigan. 302b. Nelson's Ptarmigan. Lagopus rupestris nelsoni. Range.--Unalaska, of the Aleutian chain. An abundant species in its restricted range, making its nest on the ground in the valleys. Eggs like the others. 302c. Turner's Ptarmigan. Lagopus rupestris atkhensis. Range.--Atka Island, of the Aleutian chain. Nests and eggs not distinctive. 302d. Townsend's Ptarmigan. Lagopus rupestris townsendi. Range.--Kyska Island of the Aleutian group. On account of the constantly changing plumage of these birds, while interesting, they are very unsatisfactory to study, and it is doubtful if anyone can identify the different sub-species of the Rock Ptarmigan, granting that there is any difference, which is doubtful. 302.1. Evermann's Ptarmigan. Lagopus evermanni. Range.--Attu Island, of the Aleutian group. This is, in summer, the darkest of the Ptarmigans, having little or no rufous and much blackish. The nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Rock Ptarmigan. 303. Welch's Ptarmigan. Lagopus welchi. Buff. Range.--Newfoundland. This species, in summer, is more grayish than the Rock Ptarmigan, and is very finely vermiculated with blackish. It is a perfectly distinct species from the Allen Ptarmigan, which is the only other species found on the island. They inhabit the higher ranges and hills in the interior of the island, where they are quite abundant. They build their nests on the ground under protection of overhanging bushes. The eggs are laid in a hollow in the dead leaves, sometimes with a lining of grasses. The eggs do not differ in size or appearance from those of the Rock Ptarmigan. Data.--Newfoundland, June 3, 1901. Nest a slight hollow in the moss, besides a fallen stump; lined with a few feathers. Collector, E. H. Montgomery.
Page 185 304. White-tailed Ptarmigan. Lagopus leucurus leucurus. Range.--Higher ranges of the Rocky Mountains, from New Mexico north to Alaska. Ptarmigan are remarkable birds in that they are in an almost continual state of molting, nearly every month in the year showing them in different stages of plumage, ranging from the snow-white winter dress to the summer one in which reddish-brown prevails on Willow Ptarmigan and a black and gray barred effect predominates on the other species. Notice that they are feathered to the toes, in winter the feathers on the toes growing dense and hair-like, not only protecting the toes from the cold but making excellent snowshoes which enable them to walk with impunity over the lightest snow. Ptarmigan form the staple article of diet for northern foxes, and were it not for the fact that their plumage changes to correspond to the appearance of the ground at the various seasons they would fare hardly indeed. In spring the little red combs above the eyes of the males are swollen and conspicuous. At this season they strut and perform curious antics, such as all Grouse are noted for. This species differs from any of the preceding in having at all seasons of the year, a white tail; it is also somewhat smaller than the Rock Ptarmigan. They nest abundantly near the summits of the ranges in Colorado, making their nests among the rocks, and generally lining them with a few grasses. During June, they lay from six to twelve eggs having a creamy background, speckled and blotched with chestnut brown. Size 1.70 x 1.15. 304a. Kenai White-tailed Ptarmigan. Lagopus leucurus peninsularis. Range.--Kenai Peninsular, Alaska. A similar but paler (in summer) variety of the preceding. The nesting habits or eggs will not differ. 305. Prairie Chicken. Tympanuchus americanus americanus. Range.--The prairies, chiefly west of the Mississippi; north to Manitoba, east to Ohio, and west to Colorado. This familiar game bird of the west is about 18 inches in length, brownish above and grayish below, with bars of brownish black both above and below. In the place of the ruffs of the Ruffled Grouse, are long tufts of rounded or square ended feathers, and beneath these a peculiar sac, bright orange in the breeding
Olive Buff.




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 Prairie Chicken.
Heath Hen. season, and capable of being inflated to the size of a small orange; this is done when the bird makes its familiar "booming" noise. They are very good "table birds" and although they are still very abundant in most of their range, so many are being killed for market, that it has become necessary to make more stringent laws relating to the killing and sale of Pinnated Grouse, as they are often called. They nest anywhere on the prairie, in hollows on the ground under overhanging bushes or tufts of grass. They lay from eight to fifteen eggs having a buffy or olive buff ground color, sparingly and finely sprinkled with brown; size 1.70 × 1.25. 305a. Attwater Prairie Chicken. Tympanuchus americanus attwateri. Range.--Coast region of Louisiana and Texas. This is a slightly smaller and darker variety of the Pinnated Grouse. Its eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the more northerly distributed bird. 306. Heath Hen. Tympanuchus cupido. Range.--Island of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. This species is similar to the preceding, but has the scapulars more broadly tipped with buff, the axillars barred, and the pinnated feathers on the neck pointed. It is slightly smaller than the western species. It is found on the wooded portions of the island, where its breeding habits are the same as those of the Ruffed Grouse. Mr. Brewster probably has the only authentic set of the eggs of this species. They are of a yellowish green color and are unspotted. Size 1.70 × 1.25. A number of Prairie Hens liberated on the island several years ago are apparently thriving well, and nests found there now would be fully as apt to belong to this species.
Page 187 Pale buff. 307. Lesser Prairie Chicken. Tympanuchus pallidicinctus. Range.--Prairies from southwestern Kansas through Indian Territory to western Texas. A smaller and paler species than the Prairie Chicken. Never as abundant as the common Pinnated Grouse, this species appears to be becoming scarcer each year. Its nests are concealed under overhanging brush or placed under a large tuft of prairie grass, and are generally lined with a few grasses or leaves. They lay from eight to twelve eggs of a buffy color, much lighter than those of the Prairie Chicken, and unmarked. Size 1.65 × 1.25. Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse. 308. Sharp-tailed Grouse. Pedioecetes phasianellus phasianellus. Range.--Interior of British America, from the United States boundary northwest to the Yukon. Buffy drab. Sharp-tailed Grouse are similar in form to the Prairie Chicken, but are somewhat smaller and very much lighter in color, being nearly white below, with arrowhead markings on the breast and flanks. This species is very abundant in Manitoba and especially so on the plains west of Hudson Bay. Their nests are generally concealed under a thicket or a large tuft of grass, and are lined with grasses and feathers. They lay from six to fifteen eggs of a drab color, very minutely specked all over with brown. Size 1.70 × 1.25. 308a. Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. Pedioecetes phasianellus columbianus. Range.--Northwestern United States and British Columbia to central Alaska. Both the nesting habits and eggs of this variety are the same as the last, with which species, the birds gradually intergrade as their ranges approach. 308b. Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse. Pedioecetes phasianellus campestris. Range.--Plains of the United States from the Mississippi to the Rockies. This sub-species shades directly into the two preceding where their ranges meet, and only birds from the extreme parts of the range of each show any marked differences. The nesting habits and eggs of all three are not to be distinguished.




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 Sage Hen. 309. Sage Hen. Centrocercus urophasianus. Pale greenish drab. Range.--Sage plains of the Rocky Mountain region from British Columbia to New Mexico, and from California to Dakota. This handsome bird is the largest of the American Grouse, being about 30 inches long (the hen bird is about six inches shorter). It may easily be recognized by its large size, its peculiar graduated tail with extremely sharp pointed feathers, and the black belly and throat. Their nests are hollows scratched out in the sand, under the sage bushes, generally with no lining. The nesting season is during April and May, they laying from six to twelve eggs of a greenish drab color, spotted with brown. Size 2.15 × 1.50. PHEASANTS. Family PHASIANIDÆ * * *Ring-necked Pheasant. Phasianus torquatus. Greenish buff. Several species of Pheasants have been introduced into the United States, among them being the Ring-necked, English, and Green Pheasants. The Ring-necked species seems to be the only one that has obtained a really strong foothold, it being now very abundant in Oregon and Washington, and adjacent states, and also found in abundance on many game preserves in the east. The males of any of the species may at once be distinguished from any of our birds by the long tail. Their nests are hollows in the leaves under tufts of grass or bushes. They lay from eight to fourteen eggs of a buff or greenish buff color, unmarked; size 1.50 × 1.30.
Page 189
RING-NECKED PHEASANT.
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 TURKEYS. Family MELEAGRIDÆ Sage Hen.
Wild Turkey. 310. Wild Turkey. Meleagris gallopavo silvestris. Buff. Range.--Eastern United States from southern Middle States south to central Florida and west to the Mississippi Valley and eastern Texas. These magnificent birds, which once ranged over the whole of eastern United States, are being yearly confined to a smaller range, chiefly because of the destruction of their natural covers, and from persecution by hunters. They are generally very wary birds and either escape by running through the underbrush or by flying as soon as a human being appears in sight. Their nests are made under tangled growths of underbrush or briers. Their eggs, which are laid during April and May, range from eight to sixteen in number. They are of a buff color sprinkled and spotted with brownish. Size 2.55 × 1.90. Data.--Hammond, La., April 17, 1897. Fifteen eggs. Nest hollow scraped in the ground under a bush on the edge of a pine woods; lined with grasses and leaves. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny. 310a. Merriam's Turkey. Meleagris gallopavo merriami. Range.--Southwestern United States from Colorado south through western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico. This variety is abundant throughout its range, its nesting habits and eggs being practically indistinguishable from those of the eastern form.
Page 191 310b. Florida Turkey. Meleagris gallopavo osceola. Greenish buff. Range.--Southern Florida. A small variety of the Wild Turkey, about 42 inches long. They breed in the tangled thickets in the higher portions of the southern half of Florida, laying from ten to sixteen eggs of a brighter and deeper buff color than the northern variety, and smaller; size 2.30 × 1.75. Their nests are generally lined with grasses and occasionally with feathers. The female sits very close when incubating and will not fly until almost trod upon, trusting to her variegated markings to conceal her from observation. 310c. Rio Grande Turkey. Meleagris gallopavo intermedia. Range.--Lowlands of the southern parts of Texas and northern Mexico. A sub-species which differs slightly in plumage and not at all in nesting habits or eggs from the common Wild Turkey. CURASSOWS AND GUANS. Family CRACIDÆ 311. Chachalaca. Ortalis vetula mccalli. Chachalaca. Range.--Eastern portions of Mexico, north to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Buffy white. A very peculiar grayish colored bird with a greenish gloss to the back, and a long, broad tail, quite long legs, and with the face and sides of the throat devoid of feathers. They are very abundant birds in some localities, and very noisy during the breeding season, their notes resembling a harsh trumpeting repetition of their name. They are ground inhabiting birds, but nest in low bushes. Their nests are made of sticks, twigs, leaves, or moss and are generally frail, flat structures only a few feet above the ground. During April, they lay from three to five buffy white eggs, the shell of which is very rough and hard. Size 2.25 × 1.55.





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 PIGEONS AND DOVES. Order XI. COLUMBÆ Family COLUMBIDAE Pigeons and doves are distributed throughout nearly every temperate and tropical country on the globe, nearly five hundred species being known, of which twelve occur within our limits. Their plumage is generally soft and subdued colors, the head small, the wings strong and the flight rapid. 312. Band-tailed Pigeon. Columba fasciata fasciata. White. Range.--The Rocky Mountains and westward to the Pacific, from British Columbia south to Mexico. This large species may be generally recognized by the white crescent on the nape; it is about 15 inches in length. They nest abundantly on the mountain ranges, sometimes in large flocks, and again, only a few pairs together. Their nests are rude platforms of sticks and twigs either in bushes or in large trees in heavily wooded districts. The two eggs which are laid during May or June are pure white in color, and like those of all the pigeons, equally rounded at each end. Size 1.55 × 1.10. 312a. Viosca's Pigeon. Columba fasciata vioscæ. Range.--Southern Lower California. This is a paler variety of the preceding species and is not noticeably different in its habits, nesting or eggs. 313. Red-billed Pigeon. Columba flavirostris. Range.--Mexico and Central America, north to southern Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. This species, characterized by its red bill, purplish colored head, neck and breast and absence of iridescent markings, is abundant in the valley of the Lower Rio Grande, where they build their frail nests in thickets and low bushes, and during May and June lay their white eggs. Size of eggs, 1.55 × 1.05. 314. White-crowned Pigeon. Columba leucocephala. Range.--Resident of the West Indies; in summer, found on the Florida Keys. This species, which can be identified by its white crown, nests in trees or mangroves on certain of the Florida Keys, laying its two white eggs on its rude platform of sticks and twigs. Size of eggs 1.40 × 1.05. Nests in April and May. 314.1. Scaled Pigeon. Columba squamosa. A West Indian species, a single specimen of which was taken at Key West, Florida. A dark colored species, with purplish head, neck and breast; named from the scaly appearance of the iridescent feathers on the sides of the neck.
Page 193 Passenger Pigeon. 315. Passenger Pigeon. Ectopistes migratorius. Range.--Formerly, North America east of the Rockies; casually seen in the upper Mississippi Valley, now extinct. White. A handsome species (see frontispiece) with ruddy underparts, grayish upperparts and a long graduated tail. This species years ago found in flocks of thousands or millions, is now practically exterminated, chiefly by being hunted and trapped. A few pairs probably now nest in the interior, from northern United States to Hudson Bay. Their nests are very rude, frail platforms of twigs, on which two white eggs are laid, they being longer and narrower, comparatively, than those of other species. Size of eggs, 1.50 × 1.02. Data.--Southwest shore of Lake Manitoba, June 1, 1891. Nest of twigs in an aspen tree. 316. Mourning Dove. Zenaidura macroura carolinensis. Range.--North America from New England, Manitoba and British Columbia, southward. Mourning Dove. White. Now that the Passenger Pigeon has disappeared, this species becomes the only one found in the east, with the exception of the little Ground Dove in the South Atlantic and Gulf States. While, sometimes, small flocks of them nest in a community, they generally nest in companies of two or three pairs. Their nests are generally at a low elevation, in trees, bushes and often upon the ground. Their nests are made entirely of twigs and rootlets, and eggs may be found from early in April until the latter part of September, as they often raise two or three broods a season. The two eggs are white. Size 1.15 × .80. Data.--Refugio Co., Texas, May 3, 1899. Two eggs laid on the ground in a slight cradle of twigs. Collector, James J. Carroll.




Page 194
NEST AND EGGS OF MOURNING DOVE H. B. Stough.
317. Zenaida Dove. Zenaida zenaida. Range.--West Indies; in summer, on the Florida Keys, but not in great numbers. This species is similar in size to the Mourning Dove, but it has a short and square tail, and the secondaries are tipped with white, and the underparts more ruddy. They generally nest upon the ground, but occasionally in small bushes, laying two white eggs a trifle larger than those of the preceding species. Size 1.20 × .90. The nests are made of grasses and twigs, on the ground under bushes.
Page 195 318. White-fronted Dove. Leptotila fulviventris brachyptera. White-fronted Dove.
White-winged Dove. Range.--Mexico and Central America north to southern Texas. Slightly larger than the last, much paler below, with no black ear mark as in the two preceding species, and with the forehead whitish. They build their nests of sticks, grasses and weeds, and place them in tangled vines and thickets a few feet from the ground. Their two eggs, which are laid in May and June, have a creamy white or buffy color. Size 1.15 × .85. They cannot be called a common species within our borders. 319. White-winged Dove. Melopelia asiatica. White. Range.--Central America, Mexico and the southwestern border of the United States. This species is 12 inches in length, has a black patch on the ear coverts, white tips to the greater and lesser coverts and some of the secondaries, and broad white tips to the outer tail feathers, which are black. This species is very abundant in some localities within our borders. Their nests are very frail platforms of twigs placed in trees or bushes or precariously suspended among tangled vines. Their two eggs are white or creamy white, and measure 1.15 × .85. 320. Ground Dove. Columbigallina passerina terrestris. Range.--South Atlantic and Gulf States to eastern Texas. The Ground Doves are the smallest of the family, measuring but about 6.5 inches in length. Their nesting habits and eggs are exactly like those of the next to be described. They are very abundant, especially along the South Atlantic coast. 320a. Mexican Ground Dove. Chæmepelia passerinus pallescens. White. Range.--Border of the United States from Texas to southern California and southward. This paler sub-species builds a nest of twigs and weeds, placing the flat structure either in low bushes or on the ground. Their two white eggs are laid during April to July, they sometimes rearing two broods a season. Size of eggs, .85 × .65. 320b. Bermuda Ground Dove. Chæmepelia passerina bermudiana. Range.--Bermuda. Smaller and paler than the last; otherwise the same in nesting habits and eggs.




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 321. Inca Dove. Scardafella inca. Inca Dove.
Ground Dove. White. Range.--Mexican border of the United States south to Central America and Lower California. This handsome species is about the size of the last, but its tail is longer and graduated, consequently its length is greater, it being about 8 inches long. It is not an uncommon species along our Mexican border, but is not nearly as abundant as is the Ground Dove. It is often called "Scaled Dove" because of the blackish edges of nearly all its feathers. They build fairly compact nests of twigs, rootlets and weeds, these being placed in bushes at a low elevation. They are two in number and pure white. Size .85 × .65. 322. Key West Quail Dove. Geotrygon chrysia. Range.--West Indies, rarely found at Key West, although supposed to have been common there in Audubon's time. This species is of about the size of the Mourning Dove, has rusty colored upper parts, and is whitish below, the white below the eye being separated from that of the throat by a stripe of dusky from the base of the bill. They nest in trees, laying two buffy white eggs. Size 1.15 × .9O. 322.1. Ruddy Quail Dove. Geotrygon montana. Range.--Central America, north to eastern Mexico and the West Indies; once taken at Key West. This species is similar to the last but has no white streak under the eye, and the underparts are buffy. Eggs, creamy white. Size 1.15 × .90. 323. Blue-headed Quail Dove. Starnoenas cyanocephala. Range.--Cuba, accidentally straying to Key West, but not in recent years. It is a beautiful species, with a bright blue crown, black throat and stripe through the eye, separated by a white line under the eye. The rest of the plumage is of a brownish or rusty color. Eggs buffy white. Size 1.30 × 1.05.
Page 197
CALIFORNIA VULTURE.
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 VULTURES, HAWKS and OWLS. Order XII. RAPTORES AMERICAN VULTURES. Family CATHARTIDAE Vultures are peculiarly formed birds of prey, having a bare head and neck, a lengthened bill strongly hooked at the end for tearing flesh, and long, strong, broad wings upon which they float in the air for hours at a time without any visible flapping. They are scavengers and do great service to mankind by devouring dead animal matter, that, if allowed to remain, would soon taint the atmosphere. Their eyesight and sense of smell is very acute. They do not, except in very unusual cases, capture their prey, but feed upon that which has been killed or died of disease.
Ashy gray. 324. California Vulture. Gymnogyps californianus. Range.--Apparently now restricted to the coast ranges of California, casually inland to Arizona, and formerly to British Columbia. This large bird, which weighs about 20 pounds, measures about 4 feet in length, and has an expanse of wings of about 10 feet. Its plumage is blackish with lengthened lanceolate feathers about the neck, and with the greater wing coverts broadly tipped with grayish white (in very old birds). The birds are very rare in their restricted range and are becoming scarcer each year, owing to their being shot and their nests robbed. While the eggs are very rarely found and only secured at a great risk, they are not as unobtainable as many suppose, as may be seen from the fact that one private collection contains no less than six perfect specimens of the eggs and as many mounted birds. These birds lay but a single egg, placing it generally in caves or recesses in the face of cliffs, hundreds of feet from the ground, and often in inaccessible locations. The eggs are of an ashy gray color and measure about 4.45 × 1.55.
Page 199 324--325. 325. Turkey Vulture. Cathartes aura septentrionalis. Range.--America, from New Jersey on the Atlantic coast, Manitoba and British Columbia, south to southern South America, wintering in the southern half of the United States. Creamy white. The plumage of this small Buzzard (length 30 inches) is blackish brown, the naked head being red. It is very common in the southern and central portions of its range, where it frequents the streets and door yards picking up any refuse that is edible. It is a very graceful bird while on the wing, and can readily be identified when at a distance from the fact that, when in flight, the tips of the wings curve upward. The two eggs which constitute a set are laid upon the ground between large rocks, in hollow stumps, under logs, or between the branching trunks of large trees, generally in large woods. They frequently nest in communities and again, only a single pair may be found in the woods. Its nesting season ranges from March until June in the different localities. The eggs are creamy or bluish white, spotted and blotched with shades of brown, and with fainter markings of lavender. Size 2.70 × 1.85. 326. Black Vulture. Catharista uruba. Range.--More southerly than the preceding; north regularly to North Carolina and southern Illinois, and west to the Rocky Mountains. This species is about the same size, or slightly smaller than the Turkey Vulture; its plumage is entirely black as is also the naked head, and bill. In the South Atlantic and Gulf States, the present species is even more abundant than the preceding, and might even be said to be partially domesticated. The nesting habits are the same as those of the Turkey Buzzard but their eggs average longer and the ground color is pale greenish or bluish white rather than creamy. They are spotted and blotched the same. Size 3.00 × 2.00.





Page 200
Bluish white.
EGG OF BLACK VULTURE.
NEST AND EGGS OF TURKEY VULTURE.
Page 201 KITES, HAWKS AND EAGLES. Family BUTEONIDÆ The members of this family are chiefly diurnal; they get their living by preying upon smaller animals or birds. They have strong sharply hooked bills, powerful legs and feet armed with strong, curved and sharply pointed talons. Swallow-tailed Kite. 327. Swallow-tailed Kite. Elanoides forficatus. Range.--Southern United States; casually north to New York and Manitoba. White. This most beautiful Kite can never be mistaken for any other; its whole head, neck and underparts are snowy white, while the back, wings and tail are glossy blue black, the wings being very long and the tail long and deeply forked. The extreme length of the bird is 24 inches. As a rule nests of this bird are placed high up in the tallest trees; they are made of sticks, weeds and moss. Two eggs, or rarely three, constitute a full set. They are white or bluish white, spotted with brown. The one figured is an unusually handsome marked specimen in the collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall. Average size of eggs, 1.80 × 1.50. Data.--Yegna Creek bottoms, Texas, April 27, 1891. Two eggs. Nest of sticks and green moss, the same moss also being used for lining; in an elm tree 80 feet up. 328. White-tailed Kite. Elanus leucurus. Range.--Southern United States, north to the Carolinas, Illinois and middle California. Creamy white. This species can be recognized by its light bluish gray mantle, black shoulders and white tail. It is a very active species, feeding upon insects and reptiles, and small birds and mammals. The nests of these species are placed in trees at quite an elevation from the ground, being made of sticks, weeds and leaves. The eggs are creamy white, profusely blotched and spotted with reddish brown and umber. Size 1.65 × 1.25. Data.--Los Angeles, Cal., April 9, 1896. Nest in fork of willows about 25 feet up. Made of willow twigs and weed stalks, lined with pieces of bark.





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 White-tailed Kite
Mississippi Kite. 329. Mississippi Kite. Ictinia mississippiensis. Range.--Southeastern United States, north to South Carolina and Illinois. Bluish white. A small species (length 14 inches) with the head, neck, and underparts gray, and the back, wings and tail blackish, the tips of the secondaries being grayish. They live almost exclusively upon insects, such as grasshoppers, and small reptiles. They build their nests of sticks and weeds well up in tall trees. The eggs are two or three in number and normally bluish white, unmarked, but occasionally with very faint spots of pale brown. Size 1.65 × 1.25. Data.--Giddings, Texas, May 31, 1887. Nest of sticks and weeds, with green pecan leaves in the lining; placed in the top of a live oak sapling, 20 feet from the ground. Collector, J. A. Singley. 330. Everglade Kite. Rostrhamus sociabilis. Everglade Kite. Range.--South America, north to southern Florida and Mexico. This peculiar species has a long, slender, curved bill, blackish plumage, with white rump and bases of outer tail feather. They feed largely upon snails, both land and water varieties. They nest at a low elevation in bushes or under brush, often over the water. Pale greenish white. The nests are of sticks, weeds and leaves. The three eggs are light greenish white, spotted and splashed with chestnut brown. Size, 1.70 × 1.30. Nest in a custard apple tree, 6 feet from the ground, built of twigs, lined with small vine stems and willow leaves.
Page 203
NEST AND EGGS OF MARSH HAWK.
Page 204




 (Adult and young)
Marsh Hawk. 331. Marsh Hawk. Circus hudsonius. Range.--Whole of North America, very abundant in all sections. Pale bluish white. The adult of this species is very light colored, and young birds of the first two years have a reddish brown coloration; in both plumages the species is easily identified by the white patch on the rump. They are, almost exclusively frequenters of fields and marshes, where they can most often be seen, towards dusk, swooping in broad curves near the ground, watching for field mice, which form the larger portion of their diet. Their nests are made in swampy ground, often in the middle of a large marsh, being placed on the ground in the centre of a hummock or clump of grass; it is generally well lined with grasses and often rushes. They lay from four to seven pale bluish white eggs, generally unmarked; size 1.80 × 1.40. Sharp-shinned Hawk. 332. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Accipiter velox. Bluish white. Range.--Whole of North America, wintering in the United States and southward; breeds throughout its range, but most abundantly in northern United States and northward. This is one of the smallest of the hawks and in the adult plumage is a beautiful species, being barred below with light brown, and having a bluish slate back. It is a very spirited and daring bird and is one of the most destructive to small birds and young chickens. Its nest is a rude and sometimes very frail platform of twigs and leaves placed against the trunk of the tree at any height, but averaging, perhaps, fifteen feet. The eggs are bluish white, beautifully blotched and spotted with shades of brown.
Page 205 Cooper's Hawk. 333. Cooper's Hawk. Accipiter cooperi. Bluish white. Range.--Whole of temperate North America, breeding throughout its range. Although larger (length 17 inches), the plumage of this species is almost exactly the same as that of the preceding. Like the last, this is also a destructive species. They construct their nests in the crotches of trees, generally at quite a height from the ground; the nest is made of sticks and twigs, and often lined with pieces of bark; occasionally an old Hawk's or Crow's nest is used by the birds. Their eggs are bluish white, unmarked or faintly spotted with pale brown. 334. Goshawk. Astur atricapillus atricapillus. Range.--Northern North America, south in winter to the northern parts of the United States. American Goshawk. Bluish white. This species is one of the largest, strongest and most audacious of American Hawks, frequently carrying off Grouse and poultry, the latter often in the presence of the owner. It is a handsome species in the adult plumage, with bluish gray upper parts, and light under parts, finely vermiculated with grayish and black shafts to the feathers. Length 23 inches. Their nests are placed well up in the tallest trees, usually in dense woods, the nests being of sticks lined with weeds and bark. The three or four eggs are bluish white, generally unmarked, but occasionally with faint spots of brown. Size 2.30 x 1.70.





Page 206
NEST AND EGGS OF COOPER'S HAWK.
Page 207 Harris's Hawk. 334a. Western Goshawk. Astur atricapillus striatulus. Bluish white. Range.--Western North America from Alaska to California, breeding chiefly north of the United States except in some of the higher ranges of the Pacific coast. This sub-species is darker, both above and below, than the American Goshawk. Its nesting habits and eggs are precisely the same. The eggs are quite variable in size. 335. Harris's Hawk. Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi. Range.--Mexico and Central America, north to the Mexican border of the United States; very abundant in southern Texas. This is a peculiar blackish species, with white rump, and chestnut shoulders and thighs. It is commonly met with in company with Caracaras, Turkey Buzzards and Black Vultures, feeding upon carrion. They also feed to an extent on small mammals and birds. Their nests are made of sticks, twigs and weeds, and placed in bushes or low trees. The three or four eggs are laid in April or May. They are dull white in color and generally unmarked, although often showing traces of pale brown spots. They are quite variable in size, averaging 2.10 x 1.65.
White.





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 Red-tailed Hawk. 337. Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo borealis borealis. Pale bluish white. This is one of the handsomest of the larger hawks, and is the best known in the east, where it is commonly, but wrongly, designated as "hen hawk", a name, however, which is indiscriminately applied to any bird that has talons and a hooked beak. The adult of this species is unmistakable because of its reddish brown tail; young birds are very frequently confounded with other species. Their food consists chiefly of small rodents, snakes and lizards, and only occasionally are poultry or birds taken. They nest in the tallest trees in large patches of woods, the nests being made of sticks, weeds, leaves and trash. The eggs number from two to four, and are white, sometimes heavily, and sometimes sparingly, blotched and spotted with various shades of brown. Size 2.35 x 1.80. 337a. Krider's Hawk. Buteo borealis krideri. Range.--Plains of the United States, north to Manitoba. This sub-species is described as lighter on the underparts, which are almost immaculate. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the preceding. White. 337b. Western Red-tail. Buteo borealis calurus. Range.--Western North America, chiefly west of the Rocky Mountains. This sub-species varies from the plumage of the eastern Red-tail, to a nearly uniform sooty above and below, with the dark red tail crossed by several bands; it is a generally darker variety than the Red-tail. Its nesting habits are the same and the eggs show the great variations in markings that are common to the eastern bird.
Page 209 Red-shouldered Hawk. 337d. Harlan's Hawk. Buteo borealis harlani. Range.--Gulf States and southward, north to Kansas. This dark sub-species is generally nearly uniform blackish, but sometimes is lighter or even white below. Its tail is rusty, mottled with blackish and white. Its nesting habits are the same and the eggs are not distinguishable from those of the other Red-tails. 339. Red-shouldered Hawk. Buteo lineatus lineatus. Range.--North America, east of the Plains and from the southern parts of the British Provinces southward; abundant and breeding throughout its range. White. This species is smaller than the Red-tailed and is not as powerfully built; length 19 inches. The adults are handsomely barred beneath with reddish brown, giving the entire underparts a ruddy color. Like the last species, they rarely feed upon poultry, confining their diet chiefly to mice, rats, frogs, reptiles, etc. These Hawks nest in the larger growths of timber, usually building their nests high above the ground. The nest is of sticks, and lined with leaves, weeds and pieces of bark. They lay three or four eggs with a white ground color, variously blotched and spotted, either sparingly or heavily, with different shades of brown. Size 2.15 × 1.75. Data.--Kalamazoo, Michigan, April 25, 1898. Nest about 40 feet up in an oak tree; made of sticks and twigs and lined with bark. Four eggs. Collector, J. C. Holmes. 339a. Florida Red-shouldered Hawk. Buteo lineatus alleni. Range.--Florida and the Gulf coast; north to South Carolina. The nesting habits of this paler sub-species are precisely like those of the last species.



Page 210
NEST AND EGGS OF RED-SHOULDERED HAWK.
Page 211 339b--340. 339b. Red-bellied Hawk. Buteo lineatus elegans. Range.--Pacific coast from British Columbia south to Lower California, chiefly west of the Rockies. White. This variety is similar to, but darker than lineatus, and the underparts are a uniform reddish brown, without barring. Their nests are like those of the Red-shouldered variety, and almost always placed high up in the largest trees. The eggs are very similar, but average lighter in markings. Size 2.15 × 1.70. Data.--Diego, Cal., April 13, 1897. Nest in a sycamore 20 feet from ground, made of sticks, leaves and feathers. 340. Zone-tailed Hawk. Buteo abbreviatus. Range.--Mexico and Central America, north to the Mexican border of the United States. This species, which is 19 inches long, is wholly black with the exception of the tail, which is banded. Their nests are built in heavy woods, and preferably in trees along the bank of a stream. The nest is of the usual Hawk construction and the two to four eggs are white, faintly marked with pale chestnut. Data.--Marathon, Texas. Nest of sticks, lined with weeds and rabbit fur; on a horizontal branch of a cotton-wood tree, 30 feet up.
White.




Page 212




 Sennett's White-tailed Hawk. 341. Sennett's White-tailed Hawk. Buteo albicaudatus sennetti. Range.--Mexican border of the United States and southward. A large, handsome Hawk which may be identified by its dark upper parts and white underparts and tail, the flanks and tail being lightly barred with grayish; the shoulders are chestnut. It is especially abundant in the southern parts of Texas, where it builds its nests of sticks and weeds, lined with grasses, leaves and moss. They nest in March and April, laying two, or rarely three, eggs which are a dull white, and generally immaculate, but occasionally faintly or sparingly spotted with brown. Size of eggs 2.25 × 1.80. 342. Swainson's Hawk. Buteo swainsoni. Range.--Central and western North America, from the Mississippi Valley and Hudson Bay, to the Pacific coast, breeding throughout its range. White. Swainson's Hawk. In the greater part of its range, this is the most abundant of the Hawk family. Its plumage is extremely variable, showing all the intergradations from a uniform sooty blackish to the typical adult plumage of a grayish above, and a white below, with a large breast patch of rich chestnut. Their nesting habits are as variable as their plumage. In some localities, they nest exclusively in trees, in others indifferently upon the ground or rocky ledges. The nest is the usual Hawk structure of sticks; the eggs are white, variously splashed and spotted with reddish brown and umber. Size 2.20 × 1.70. Data.--Stark Co., N. D., May 21, 1897. Nest of sticks, lined with weeds in an ash tree. Collector, Roy Dodd.
Page 213 American Rough-legged Hawk. 343. Broad-winged Hawk. Buteo platypterus. Range.--North America, east of the Plains, and from the British Provinces southward. Grayish white. A medium sized species, about 16 inches in length, and with a short tail and broad rounded wings; adults have the underparts handsomely barred with brown. Their nests are usually built in large trees, but generally placed against the trunk in the crotch of some of the lower branches. It is made of sticks and almost invariably lined with bark. The two to four eggs are of a grayish white color, marked with chestnut, brown and stone gray; size 1.90 × 1.55. Data.--Worcester, Mass., May 16, 1895. Nest about 20 feet up in a large chestnut tree. The birds continually circled overhead, their weird cries sounding like the creaking of branches. Collector, A. J. White. 344. Short-tailed Hawk. Buteo brachyurus. Range.--A tropical species, which occurs north to the Mexican border and regularly to southern Florida, where it breeds in the large cypress swamps. Its eggs are pale greenish white, sparingly spotted with brown, chiefly at the large end. Size 2.15 × 1.60. Grayish white. 345. Mexican Black Hawk. Urubitinga anthracina. Range.--Mexican border of the United States and southward. A coal black species about 22 inches in length, distinguished by the white tip, and broad white band across the tail about midway. This is one of the least abundant of the Mexican species that cross the border. They are shy birds and build their nests in the tallest trees in remote woods. Their two or three eggs are grayish white, faintly spotted with pale brown; size 2.25 × 1.80. Data.--Los Angeles County, Cal., April 6, 1889. Nest of sticks, lined with bark and leaves; 45 feet up in a sycamore tree. Collector, R. B. Chapman.




Page 214




 Rough-legged Hawk. 346. Mexican Goshawk. Asturina plagiata. Range.--Mexico, north to the border of the United States. White. A beautiful, medium sized Hawk (17 inches long), slaty gray above, white below, numerously barred with grayish; tail black, crossed by several white bars. These are graceful and active birds, feeding largely upon small rodents, and occasionally small birds. They nest in the top of tall trees, laying two or three greenish white, unmarked eggs; size 1.95 x 1.60. Data.--Santa Cruz River, Arizona, June 3, 1902. Nest in the fork of a mesquite tree about forty feet from the ground; made of large sticks, lined with smaller ones and leaves. Three eggs. Collector, O. W. Howard. 347a. Rough-legged Hawk. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. Range.--Northern North America, breeding chiefly north of our borders and wintering south to the middle portions of the United States. Bluish white. The Rough-legs are large, heavily built birds of prey, specially characterized by the completely feathered legs. The present species is 22 inches long, and in the normal plumage has a whitish head, neck, breast and tail, the former being streaked and the latter barred with blackish; the remainder of the upper and underparts are blackish brown. Their nests are usually placed in trees, and less often on the ground than those of the next species. These Rough-legs are very irregularly distributed, and are nowhere as common as the next. While the greater number nest north of the United States, it is very probable that a great many nest on the higher ranges within our borders. The species is often taken in summer, even in Massachusetts. They lay three eggs of a bluish white color, boldly splashed with dark brown; size 2.25 x 1.75.
Page 215 Rough-legged Hawk. 348. Ferruginous Rough-leg. Archibuteo ferrugineus. White. Range.--North America, west of the Mississippi, breeding from the latitude of Colorado north to the Saskatchewan region. This species nests very abundantly along our northern states, particularly in Dakota. It is a larger bird than the preceding and can easily be told by its reddish coloration, particularly on the shoulders and tibia. While in some localities they nest only in trees, the greater number appear to build their nests on the ground or rocky ledges, making a large heap of sticks, weeds and grass. Their three or four eggs are white, beautifully spotted and blotched, in endless variety, with various shades of brown. Size 2.60 x 2.00. Data.--Stark Co., N. D., April 29, 1900. Nest built of coarse sticks on a clay butte. 349. Golden Eagle. Aquila chrysætos. Golden Eagle. Range.--North America, west of the Mississippi; most abundant in the Rockies and along the Pacific coast ranges. This magnificent bird, which is even more powerful than the Bald Eagle, measures about 34 inches long, and spreads about 7 feet. Its plumage is a rich brownish black, very old birds being golden brown on the nape. They can be distinguished in all plumages from the Bald Eagle by the completely feathered tarsus. They build their nests in the tops of the tallest trees in the wild, mountainous country of the west, and more rarely upon ledges of the cliffs. The nests are made of large sticks, lined with smaller ones and leaves and weeds. Their eggs are the most handsome of the Raptores, being white in color, and blotched, splashed, spotted and specked with light brown and clouded with gray or lilac, of course varying endlessly in pattern and intensity. Size 2.90 x 2.50. Data.--Monterey Co., Cal., May 3, 1888. Three eggs. Nest of sticks, lined with pine needles, in a pine tree, 50 feet up.





Page 216
BALD EAGLE.
Page 217 351. Gray Sea Eagle. Haliæetus albicilla. A common species on the sea coasts of Europe; straggling to southern Greenland, where it nests upon the rocky cliffs. Bald Eagle. 352. Bald Eagle. Haliæetus leucocephalus leucocephalus. White. Range.--Whole of North America; most abundant on the Atlantic coast; breeds throughout its range. This large white-headed and white-tailed species is abundant in sufficiently wild localities along the Atlantic coast. It only attains the white head and tail when three years old, the first two years, being blackish. It is about 34 inches in length and expands about seven feet, never over eight feet, and only birds of the second year (when they are larger than the adults) ever approach this expanse. Their food consists of fish (which they sometimes capture themselves, but more often take from the Osprey), carrion, and Ducks, which they catch in flight. Their nests are massive structures of sticks, in the tops of tall trees. They very rarely lay more than two eggs, which are white. Size 2.75 x 2.10. Data.--Mt. Pleasant, S. C., nest in top of a pine, 105 feet from the ground; made of large sticks and lined with Spanish moss. 352a. Northern Bald Eagle.--Haliæetus leucocephalus alascanus. Range.--Alaska. This sub-species averages slightly larger than the Bald Eagle, but never exceeds the largest dimensions of that species. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same, except that it more often builds its nests on rocky cliffs than does the Bald Eagle. The eggs are laid in February and March.





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 FALCONS AND CARACARAS Family FALCONDIDAE Gray Gyrfalcon.
White Gyrfalcon. 353. White Gyrfalcon. Falco islandus. Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter casually to northern United States, chiefly on the coast. Buff. Gyrfalcons are large, strong, active and fearless birds, about 23 inches in length. Their food consists chiefly of hares, Ducks and Waders which abound in the far north. The present species is snowy white, more or less barred with blackish brown on the back and wings and with a few marks on the breast. They nest upon the ledges of high cliffs, laying three or four eggs of a buffy color, blotched and finely specked with reddish brown, this color often concealing the ground color. Size of eggs, 2.30 × 1.80. In America, they nest in Greenland and the Arctic regions. 354. Gray Gyrfalcon. Falco rusticolus rusticolus. Buff. Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter to northern United States. This species is of the size of the last but the plumage is largely gray, barred with dusky. They nest more abundantly in southern Greenland than do the preceding species. The nesting habits and eggs do not differ. 354a. Gyrfalcon. Falco rusticolus gyrfalco. Range.--Arctic regions; south casually to Long Island. This sub-species is hardly to be distinguished from the preceding; its nesting habits and eggs are identical, the nests being of sticks, lined with weeds and feathers and placed upon the most inaccessible ledges of cliffs.
Page 219 354b. Black Gyrfalcon. Falco rusticolus obsoletus. Prairie Falcon. Range.--Labrador; south casually, in winter, to Long Island. A slightly darker variety. Eggs indistinguishable. Data.--Ungava coast, Labrador, May 25, 1900. Nest a heap of seaweed and feathers on sea cliff, containing three eggs. 355. Prairie Falcon. Falcon mexicanus. Range.--United States west of the Mississippi, and from Dakota and Washington southward to Mexico. Reddish buff. This species abounds in suitable localities, generally placing its nests upon rocky ledges and cliffs, and sometimes trees, generally upon the banks of some stream. The nests are masses of sticks, lined with weeds and grasses. The three or four eggs have a reddish buff ground color, and are thickly sprinkled and blotched with reddish buff brown and chestnut; size 2.05 × 1.60. 356a. Duck Hawk. Falco peregrinus anatum. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding locally, chiefly in mountainous regions, throughout its range. Duck Hawk. Buff or reddish buff. This beautiful species, characterized by its black moustache, is the most graceful, fearless, and swiftest of the Falcons, striking down birds of several times its own weight, such as some of the larger Ducks. It breeds quite abundantly on the Pacific coast and in certain localities in the Dakotas, laying its eggs on the rocky ledges. Their eggs are similar to those of the Prairie Falcon, but are darker and brighter, in fact they are the darkest, brightest marked, and most beautiful of Falcon eggs; size 2.05 × 1.55.





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 356b. Peale's Falcon. Falco peregrinus pealei. Pigeon Hawk. Range.--Pacific coast from northern United States north to Alaska. A darker form of the preceding, such as occurs in this section with a great many other birds. The nesting habits and the eggs are precisely like those of the Duck Hawk. 357. Pigeon Hawk. Falco columbarius columbarius. Brownish buff. Range.--North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States except in some of the higher ranges along our northern border. A small Falcon, about 11 inches long, often confused with the Sharp-shinned Hawk, but much darker and a more stoutly built bird. It is a daring species, often attacking birds larger than itself; it also feeds on mice, grasshoppers, squirrels, etc. They generally build a nest of sticks in trees, deep in the woods; less often in natural cavities of dead trees; and sometimes on rocky ledges. Their four or five eggs have a brownish buff ground color, heavily blotched with brown and chestnut. Size 1.50 × 1.22. 357a. Black Pigeon Hawk. Falco columbarius suckleyi. Richardson's Pigeon Hawk. Range.--Pacific coast from northern United States north to Alaska. Very similar in appearance to the preceding, but much darker, both above and below. Its nesting habits and eggs will not differ in any manner from those of the Pigeon Hawk. 357b. Richardson's Pigeon Hawk. Falco columbarius richardsoni. Range.--Interior of North America from the Mississippi to the Rockies and from Mexico to the Saskatchewan. This species is similar to the Pigeon Hawk, but is paler both above and below, and the tail bars are more numerous and white. Their nesting habits are the same as those of the preceding species, they either building in hollow trees, or making a rude nest of sticks and twigs in the tops of trees. The eggs have a creamy ground and are sprinkled with dots and blotches of various shades of brown. Size 1.60 × 1.23. The egg figured is one of a beautiful set of four in the collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall.
Page 221 Aplomado Falcon.
Desert Sparrow Hawk. 358.1 Merlin. Falco æsalon. This common European species was once accidentally taken in southern Greenland. Their eggs are generally laid on the ground on cliffs or banks. 359. Aplomado Falcon. Falco fusco-cærulescens. Range.--Tropical America north to Mexican boundary of the United States. This handsome and strikingly marked Falcon is found in limited numbers within the United States, but south is common and widely distributed. They nest at a low elevation, in bushes or small trees, making their rude nests of twigs, lined with a few grasses. They lay three, and sometimes four, eggs which have a creamy white ground color, finely dotted with cinnamon, and with heavy blotches of brown. Size 1.75 × 1.30. Buff. 359.1. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus. Range.--Whole of Europe; accidental on the coast of Massachusetts. This species is very similar in size and coloration to the American Sparrow Hawk. They are much more abundant than the Sparrow Hawk is in this country and frequently nest about houses, in hollow trees, on rafters of barns, or on ledges and embankments. Their eggs are of a reddish buff color, speckled and blotched with reddish brown, they being much darker than those of the American Sparrow Hawk. Reddish buff. 360a. Desert Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparverius phalæna. Range.--Western United States from British Columbia south to Mexico. This variety is slightly larger and paler than the eastern form. There are no differences in the identification of the two varieties.





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 Sparrow Hawk. 360. Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparverius. Range.--North America, east of the Rocky Mountains and north to Hudson Bay; winters from the middle portions of the United States, southward. Buffy. This beautiful little Falcon is the smallest of the American Hawks, being only 10 inches in length. They are very abundant in the east, nesting anywhere in cavities in trees, either in woods or open fields. The eggs are generally deposited upon the bottom of the cavity with no lining; they are creamy or yellowish buff in color, sprinkled, spotted or blotched in endless variety, with reddish brown. Size 1.35 × 1.10. These birds are very noisy, especially when the young are learning to fly, uttering a loud, tinkling, "killy, killy, killy." They have a very amiable disposition, and frequently nest harmoniously in the same tree with other birds, such as Flickers and Robins. 360b. St. Lucas Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparverius peninsularis. Range.--Lower California. This variety is smaller than the eastern, and even paler than the western form. Eggs identical with eastern specimens. 361. Cuban Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparveroides. A darker colored West Indian form, whose habits and nesting do not vary from those of the common Sparrow Hawk; casually taken in Florida.
Egg of Golden Eagle.
Page 223
SPARROW HAWK.
Page 224




 Audubon's Caracara. 362. Audubon Caracara. Polyborus cheriway. Range.--Southern border of the United States south to South America. A strikingly marked blackish and whitish species, much barred on the fore back and the breast, with the head and throat largely white, except for a black and somewhat crested crown. They are numerous in southern Texas and also in the interior of southern Florida, where they are resident. They build bulky, but shabby nests of sticks, weeds and grass, piled into a promiscuous heap, generally located in bushes or low trees. Their two or three eggs have a ground color varying from buff to bright cinnamon, and are dotted and blotched with all shades of brown and umber. On the whole, these eggs show a greater diversity of markings and ground color than those of any other species. Size 2.50 × 1.80.

Cinnamon. 363. Guadalupe Caracara. Polyborus lutosus. Range.--Guadalupe Island and others off Lower California. This species is somewhat like the preceding, but the plumage is duller, and the coloration more uniform. Their nesting habits and eggs do not vary essentially from those of Audubon Caracara. Mr. John Lewis Childs has a set of two eggs taken June 8, 1896, on Santa Anita Island, by Coolidge and Miller. The nest was made of sticks and situated in a giant cactus. The eggs are slightly brighter and more clearly marked than any of cheriway that I have ever seen.
Page 225 OSPREY. Family Pandionidae 364. Osprey. Pandion haliætus carolinensis. American Osprey. Range.--Whole of temperate America from the Arctic circle south to the equator, most abundant along the sea coasts. Real old birds have the head whiter, and less white edging to the back feathers, than do the young. Feet very strong, and very hard and rough, perfectly adapted to grasping slippery fish; outer toe can be used equally as well, either in front or behind, when perching or grasping their prey. Probably this great fisherman is as well known from one end of the country to the other as any of our wild birds. He is protected by law in a great many states and by custom in nearly all localities where they breed. It is one of the pleasantest sights along the coast to watch a number of these great birds as they soar at an elevation above the water, watching for fish to come near the surface, when, with folded wings, the bird speeds downward and plunges into the water, rarely missing his prey. In many localities they are very tame and nest in the vicinity of houses, sometimes even in the yard. Their nests are platforms of sticks, which, being used year after year and constantly added to, become of enormous proportions. They lay two or three eggs of a bright creamy color, handsomely blotched with bright chestnut brown. They show a great diversity of size as well as markings, but average 2.40 × 1.80.




Page 226
OSPREY LEAVING NEST.
Page 227 BARN OWLS. Family Alucondidae Barn Owl. 365. Barn Owl. Aluco pratincola. Range.--Chiefly in the southern parts of the United States; north casually to Massachusetts, Minnesota and Washington. White. This is one of the lightest colored of the Owls; it has a long, peculiarly hooded face, from which it gets the name of "Monkey-faced Owl." Its plumage is yellowish buff, specked and barred lightly with blackish. It nests usually in hollow cavities of trees, but appears to have no objections to barns, holes in banks, or anywhere it can find a concealed crevice in which to deposit its four to six pure white eggs; size 1.70 × 1.30. HORNED OWL. Family Strigidae Long-eared Owl. 366. Long-eared Owl. Asio wilsonianus. Range.--North America, breeding from the southern parts of British America, southward. White. This species is 15 inches in length; it can easily be separated from any other species by its long ear tufts, brownish face, and barred underparts. Their food consists almost entirely of small rodents, which they catch at night. Most of their nests are found in trees, they generally using old Crow's or Hawk's nests. They also, in some localities, nest in hollow trees, or in crevices among rocks. They lay from four to seven pure white eggs; size 1.55 × 1.35.





Page 228
LONG-EARED OWL ON NEST.
Page 229 Short-eared Owl. 367. Short-eared Owl. Asio flammeus. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding from the middle portions of the United States northward, and wintering in the United States. White. This species is of the size of the last, but is paler, has very short ear tufts, and is streaked beneath. Its habits are the same except that it frequently hunts, over the marshes and meadows, on dark days and towards dusk. Their four to seven pure white eggs are laid upon the ground in marshy places, sometimes upon a lining of sticks and weeds, and are generally under a bush, or close to an old log. Size of eggs 1.55 × 1.25. White. 368. Barred Owl. Strix varia varia. Range.--Eastern North America, from the British Provinces, southward; west to the Rockies. Barred Owl. This species is the most common of the large owls, and can be distinguished by its mottled and barred gray and white plumage, and lack of ear tufts; length 20 inches. It is the bird commonly meant by the term "hoot owl", and being strictly nocturnal, is rarely seen flying in the day time, unless disturbed from its roosting place in the deep woods. Its food consists chiefly of rats, mice and frogs, and sometimes, but not often, poultry. It nests in the heart of large woods, generally in hollows of large trees, and less often in deserted Crow's nests. They lay from two to four pure white eggs, averaging considerably smaller than those of the Great Horned Owl; size 1.95 × 1.65. 368a. Florida Barred Owl. Strix varia alleni. Range.--Florida and the Gulf States; north to South Carolina.





Page 230
BARRED OWL.
Page 231 Great Gray Owl. 368b. Texas Barred Owl. Strix varia albogilva. Range.--Southern Texas. A very similar but slightly paler variety than the Barred Owl, and with the toes bare, as in alleni. Eggs indistinguishable. 369. Spotted Owl. Strix occidentalis occidentalis. Range.--Western United States, from southern Oregon and Colorado, southward. Similar to the Barred Owl, but spotted, instead of barred, on the back of head and neck, and much more extensively barred on the under parts. The nesting habits do not appear to differ in any respect from those of the eastern Barred Owl, and their eggs, which are from two to four in number, can not be distinguished from those of the latter species; size 2.05 × 1.80. 369a. Northern Spotted Owl. Strix occidentalis caurina. Range.--Northwestern United States and British Columbia. Similar to the preceding, but darker, both above and below; nesting the same, in hollow trees or in old Hawk's or Crow's nests. Eggs not distinguishable. 370. Great Gray Owl. Scotiaptex nebulosa. White. Range.--Northern North America; wintering regularly south to the northern border of the United States and casually farther. This is the largest of American Owls, being about 26 inches in length; it does not weigh nearly as much, however, as the Great Horned or Snowy Owls, its plumage being very light and fluffy, and dark gray in color, mottled with white. The facial disc is very large, and the eyes are small and yellow, while those of the Barred Owl are large and blue black. They nest in heavily wooded districts, building their nests of sticks, chiefly in pine trees. The two to four white eggs are laid during May and June; size 2.15 × 1.70.




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 Richardson's Owl.
Saw-whet Owl. 370a. Lapp Owl. Scotiaptex nebulosa lapponica. A paler form of the Great Gray Owl, inhabiting the Arctic regions of the Old World; accidental on the coast of Alaska. Their nesting habits and eggs do not differ from those of the American bird. 371. Richardson's Owl. Cryptoglaux funerea richardsoni. White. Range.--Northern North America, breeding north of the United States; winters south to our border and casually farther. This is a dark grayish and white bird, 10 inches in length, and without ear tufts. Breeds commonly in the extensively wooded districts of British America, chiefly in the northern parts. Their three or four white eggs are usually at the bottom of a cavity in a tree, but occasionally the birds build a rude nest of sticks and twigs, lined with leaves and placed in trees at a moderate height from the ground. Size of eggs, 1.25 × 1.05. 372. Saw-whet Owl; Acadian Owl. Cryptoglaux acadica acadica. Range.--North America, breeding in the northern parts of the United States and in British America, and south in the Rockies to Mexico; winters south to the middle portions of the United States. This small species (length 8 inches) is marked very similarly to the preceding, but the plumage is brown instead of gray. They normally nest in hollow trees, generally in deserted Woodpecker holes, in extensively wooded sections, and usually in mountainous country, especially in the United States. They have also been known to nest in bird boxes near farm houses and in old Crow's nests. During April or May, they lay from three to six white eggs. Size 1.20 × 1.00. They are quiet and chiefly nocturnal birds, not often seen, and may be found nesting in any of the northern states. 372a. Northwestern Saw-whet Owl. Cryptoglaux acadica scotiæa. Range.--A dark variety found on the coast of British Columbia.
Page 233 Screech Owl. 373. Screech Owl. Otus asio asio. Range.--North America, east of the plains and from the southern British Provinces to Florida. White. This well known species, which is often called "Little Horned Owl" because of its ear tufts is found either in the type form of some of its varieties in all parts of the United States. They have two color phases, the plumage being either a yellowish brown or gray, and black and white; these color phases are not dependent upon sex or locality, as often young or both phases are found in the same nest; the gray phase is the most abundant. They nest anywhere in hollow trees, being found very frequently in decayed stubs of apple trees. They also often nest in barns or other old buildings which are not frequented too freely. Their food consists chiefly of mice and meadow moles, with occasionally small birds. During April or May they lay their white eggs, the full complement of which is from five to eight. Size 1.35 × 1.20. The nesting habits of all the sub-species, as far as we can learn, are exactly like those of the eastern Screech Owl; the eggs cannot be distinguished, and in most cases, even the birds cannot be distinguished. 373a. Florida Screech Owl. Otus asio floridanus. Range.--South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Slightly smaller and darker than asio. The eggs average slightly smaller. Size 1.30 × 1.15. 373b. Texas Screech Owl. Otus asio mccalli. Range.--Texas, and southward into Mexico. Very similar to floridanus. 373c. California Screech Owl. Otus asio bendirei. Range.--Coast of California and Oregon. Size of, but darker than asio. 373d. Kennicott's Screech Owl. Otus asio kennicotti. Range.--Pacific coast from Oregon to Alaska. This is the darkest of the Screech Owls and averages a trifle larger than the eastern form. 373e. Rocky Mountain Screech Owl. Otus asio maxwelliæ. Range.--Foothills of the Rockies, from Colorado to Montana. This is the palest form of the Screech Owl. Of the same size as the last.





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 374--375a. 373f. Mexican Screech Owl. Otus asio cineraceus. Range.--Western Mexico and southwestern border of the United States. A gray form with little or no buff, and more numerously barred below. 373g. Aiken's Screech Owl. Otus asio aikeni. Range.--El Paso County, Colorado. A gray form, with the dark markings coarser and more numerous than in any other. 373h. MacFarlane's Screech Owl. Otus asio macfarlanei. Range.--Northern border of the United States from Washington to Montana. 373.1. Spotted Screech Owl. Otus trichopsis. Range.--Mountains of southern Arizona, south into Mexico. A grayish species, similar to asio, but paler and more finely barred beneath, and with whitish spots on the feathers of the foreback. The nesting habits and eggs are probably the same as those of the Screech Owl. 373.2. Xantus's Screech Owl. Otus xantusi. Range.--Southern Lower California. A grayish species with the back and underparts finely vermiculated with reddish brown, and with streaks of darker. It is not likely that the habits or eggs of this species will be found to differ from those of the Screech Owl. 374. Flammulated Screech Owl. Otus flammeolus flammeolus. Range.--Mountain ranges of Mexico, north to Colorado and west to California. This species is smaller than asio, has shorter ear tufts, the plumage is much streaked and edged with rusty, and the toes are unfeathered to their base. They nest in hollow trees, generally using deserted Woodpecker holes. Their three or four eggs are white. Size 1.15 × .95. This species is uncommon in all parts of its range. 374a. Dwarf Screech Owl. Otus flammeolus idahœnsis. Range.--Local in Idaho, eastern Washington and California. This rare variety is smaller than the preceding and is considerably paler. Its eggs have not been described, but should be a trifle smaller than the last.
Page 235 Great Horned Owl. 375. Great Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus virginianus. Range.--North America, east of the Plains and north to Labrador. White. This species and its varieties are the only large Owls having conspicuous ear tufts. They are about 22 inches in length, and have a mottled brown, black and white plumage, barred below. This is also one of the "Hoot Owls," but is not nearly as abundant as the Barred Owl. It is one of the strongest of the family, and captures rabbits, grouse and poultry, and is very often found to have been feeding upon, or to have been in the immediate vicinity of a skunk. They nest very early, January, February and March. Deserted Hawk's or Crow's nests are very frequently used by this bird, if they are located in dense woods. They also sometimes nest in hollow cavities in large trees. They lay from two to four pure white eggs. Size 2.25 × 1.85. 375a. Western Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus pallescens. Range.--Western North America, except the Pacific coast. A smaller and lighter colored form of the preceding, having the same habits and the eggs being indistinguishable from those of the eastern bird. 375b. Arctic Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus subarcticus. Range.--Interior of Arctic America from Hudson Bay to Alaska; south in winter to the northwestern tier of states. A very pale colored Horned Owl with little or no buff or brownish in the plumage, some specimens (very rare) being pure white with only a few black bars on the back. Their nesting habits are the same and the eggs do not vary appreciably from those of the eastern Horned Owl. 375c. Dusky Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus saturatus. Range.--Pacific coast from California to Alaska. This is the darkest of the Horned Owls, the extreme case being nearly black on the back and very dark below. Nesting the same as the Great Horned Owl. 375d. Pacific Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus pacificus. Range.--California, southward and east to Arizona. Smaller and darker than the eastern form but not as dark as the last. Eggs the same as those of the others.





Page 236
YOUNG SCREECH OWLS.
Page 237 Snowy Owl. 375e. Dwarf Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus elachistus. Range.--Lower California. This is a similar but darker form of the Horned Owl and is very much smaller than virginianus. The nesting habits will be the same, but the eggs may average smaller. White. 376. Snowy Owl. Nyctea nyctea. Range.--Arctic regions, breeding within the Arctic Circle and wintering to the northern border of the United States and casually farther. This very beautiful species varies in plumage from pure white, unmarked, to specimens heavily and broadly barred with blackish brown. It is, next to the Great Gray Owl, the largest species found in America, being 2 feet in length. Like the Great Horned Owls, they are very strong, fearless, and rapacious birds, feeding upon hares, squirrels and smaller mammals, as well as Grouse, Ptarmigan, etc. They nest upon the ground, on banks or mossy hummocks on the dry portions of marshes, laying from two to eight eggs, white in color and with a smoother shell than those of the Great Horned Owl. Size 2.25 × 1.75. Data.--Point Barrow, Alaska, June 16, 1898. Three eggs laid in a hollow in the moss. 377. European Hawk Owl. Surnia ulula ulula. Range.--Northern portion of the Old World; accidental in Alaska. Similar to the American species, but lighter and more brownish.




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 American Hawk Owl. 377a. Hawk Owl. Surnia ulula caparoch. White. Range.--Northern North America, breeding from the central portions of British America northward; probably also breeds in the Rocky Mountains in the northern tier of states and casually farther. This handsome mottled and barred, gray and black Owl might readily be mistaken for a Hawk, because of his Hawk-like appearance and long rounded tail. They are very active birds, especially in the day time, for they are more diurnal than nocturnal; their food is mostly of small rodents, and also small birds. They nest either in the tops of large fir trees, in hollows of stumps, or, in some cases, upon the ground. When in trees their nests are made of twigs, leaves and weeds, and sometimes lined with moss and feathers; they lay from three to eight white eggs, size 1.50 × 1.20. Data.--Labrador, May 3, 1899. Five eggs. Nest in the top of a dead tree, 15 feet from the ground. 378. Burrowing Owl. Speotyto cunicularia hypogæa. White. Range.--Western North America from the Mississippi Valley west to California; north to the southern parts of British America and south to Central America. These peculiar birds are wholly different in plumage, form and habits from any other American Owls. They can readily be recognized by their long, slender and scantily feathered legs. Their plumage is brownish, spotted with white above, and white, barred with brown below; length 10 inches. They nest, generally in large communities in burrows in the ground, usually deserted Prairie Dog holes. While generally but a single pair occupy one burrow, as many as twenty have been found nesting together. Sometimes the burrows are unlined, and again may have a carpet of grasses and feathers. Their white eggs generally number from six to ten; size 1.25 × 1.00. Data.--Sterling, Kans., May 7, 1899. Nest of bits of dry dung at the end of a deserted Prairie Dog burrow.
Page 239 378a. Florida Burrowing Owl. Speotyto cunicularia floridana. Burrowing Owl. Range.--Local in the interior of Florida. Like the last, but slightly smaller and paler, and with the tarsus less feathered. Their habits or eggs do not differ from the preceding. 379. Pygmy Owl. Glaucidium gnoma gnoma. Range.--Rocky Mountain region and westward; from British Columbia southward. These interesting little Owls, which are but seven inches in length, feed in the day time upon insects, mice and, occasionally, small birds. They frequent extensively wooded districts, chiefly in the mountain ranges. They nest in tall trees, generally in deserted Woodpeckers' holes, laying three or four white eggs during May; size about 1.00 × .90. 379a. California Pygmy Owl. Glaucidium gnoma californicum. Range.--Pacific coast from British Columbia, south through California. This sub-species is darker and more brownish than the last. It is not an uncommon bird in California. They nest in the tallest trees along the ranges, often being found 75 or more feet from the ground. The eggs do not differ from those of the Pygmy Owl, ranging in size from 1.00 × .85 to 1.20 × .95. 379.1. Hoskin's Pygmy Owl. Glaucidium hoskinsi. Range.--Southern Lower California. This species is smaller and more gray than the preceding. It is not probable that its manners of nesting or eggs differ in any respect from those of the others of this genus.




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 380--381. 380. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl. Glaucidium phalœnoides. Range.--Mexico and Central America; north to the Mexican border of the United States. This species is of the same size as the last, but is much tinged with rufous on the upper parts, and the tail is of a bright chestnut brown color, crossed by about eight bars of black. They nest in hollow cavities in trees, from ten to forty feet from the ground, laying three or four glossy white eggs; size 1.10 × .90. 381. Elf Owl. Micropallas whitneyi. White. Range.--Mexico, north to the bordering states. This odd little bird is the smallest member of the family found in America, attaining a length of only six inches. In plumage it may be described as similar to a very small, earless Screech Owl, only with the pattern of the markings a great deal finer. They are said to be quite abundant in the table lands of central Mexico and in southern Arizona, where they build their nests in deserted Woodpeckers' holes, perhaps most frequently in the giant cactus. It is said to be more nocturnal than the Pygmy Owls and to feed almost exclusively upon insects. They lay from three to five eggs having a slight gloss. Size 1.02 × .90. Data.--Southern Arizona, May 22, 1902. Nest in a deserted Woodpecker hole. Two eggs.
Page 241 PAROQUETS AND PARROTS. Order XIII. PSITTACI. Family PSITTACIDAE 382. Carolina Paroquet. Conuropsis carolinensis. Carolina Paroquet. Range.--Now rare in Florida and along the Gulf coast to Indian Territory. As late as 1885, the Carolina Paroquets were abundant in the South Atlantic and Gulf States, but owing to their wanton destruction by man, they have been exterminated in the greater portion of their range, and now are rarely seen in any locality, and then only in the most unhabitable swamps and thickets. White. A reliable account of their nesting habits is lacking, as are also specimens of their eggs taken from wild birds. They are said to build rude nests of sticks upon horizontal branches of cypress trees, and to nest in colonies; it is also claimed that they nest in hollow trees, laying from three to five pure white eggs. The one figured is one of three laid in confinement at Washington, D. C., by a pair of birds owned by Mr. Robert Ridgeway. It is 1.31 × 1.06 and was laid July 12, 1892. This set is in the collection of Mr. John Lewis Childs. 382.1. Thick-billed Parrot. Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha. Range.--Mexico, north casually to the Mexican border of the United States. This large Parrot (16 inches long) has a heavy black bill, and the plumage is entirely green except for the deep red forehead, strips over the eye, shoulder, and thighs, and the yellowish under wing coverts. Their eggs are white and are laid in natural cavities in large trees in forests. CUCKOOS, TROGANS, KINGFISHERS, ETC. Order XIV.
CUCKOOS, ANIS, ETC. Family CUCULIDAE 383. Ani. Crotophaga ani. Range.--Northeastern South America and the West Indies; casual in Florida, and along the Gulf coast; accidental in Pennsylvania. This species is similar to the next, but the bill is smoother and without grooves. Its nesting habits are the same as those of the more common American species.




Page 242
ROADRUNNER.
Page 243 Groove-billed Ani.
Road Runner. 384. Groove-billed Ani. Crotophaga sulcirostris. Greenish blue. Range.--Mexico and the border of the United States; common in southern Texas. This odd species has a Cuckoo-like form, but is wholly blue black in color, and has a high thin bill with three conspicuous longitudinal grooves on each side. They build large bulky nests of twigs, lined with leaves and grasses, and located in low trees and bushes. They build in small colonies but do not, as is claimed of the common Ani, build a large nest for several to occupy. They lay from three to five eggs of a greenish blue color, covered with a chalky white deposit. Size 1.25 × 1.00. They are laid in May or June. 385. Road-runner. Geococcyx californianus. White. Range.--Western United States from Oregon, Colorado and Kansas, southward; most abundant on the Mexican border, and wintering in central Mexico. This curious species is known as the "Chaparral Cock", "Ground Cuckoo," "Snake-killer," etc. Its upper parts are a glossy greenish brown, each feather being edged or fringed with whitish; the tail is very long, broad and graduated, the feathers being broadly tipped with white. They are noted for their swiftness on foot, paddling over the ground at an astonishing rate, aided by their outstretched wings and spread tail, which act as aeroplanes; their legs are long and have two toes front and two back. Their food consists of lizards and small snakes, they being particularly savage in their attacks upon the latter. They build rude nests of sticks and twigs, in low trees or bushes, and during April or May, lay from four to ten eggs, depositing them at intervals of several days. They are pure white and measure 1.55 × 1.20.



Page 244




 Mangrove Cuckoo.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 386. Mangrove Cuckoo. Coccyzus minor minor. Light greenish blue. Range.--West Indies, Mexico and South America, north regularly to southern Florida. This species is very similar to our common Yellow-billed Cuckoo, but the whole underparts are deep buff. It is a common species and nests abundantly in the West Indies, but occurs only in limited numbers in southern Florida. Their nests are shallow platforms of twigs and rootlets, placed in bushes and low trees, and upon which they lay three or four pale greenish blue eggs, similar to those of the Yellow-billed species but averaging smaller; size 1.15 × .85. 386a. Maynard's Cuckoo. Coccyzus minor maynardi. Range.--Bahamas; accidental on Florida Keys. This is a slightly smaller and paler form than the preceding. 387. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus americanus americanus. Range.--United States east of the Plains and from southern Canada southward. Pale greenish blue. This species is generally abundant in all localities in its range, which afford suitable nesting places of tangled underbrush or vines. It may be distinguished from the Black-billed variety by its larger size (12 inches long), blackish tail with broad white tips, and yellowish lower mandible. They are often regarded by the superstitious as forecasters of rain, and as omens, probably because of their gutteral croaking notes. Their nests are made of twigs, lined with shreds of grape vine bark or catkins; the nests are generally very shabbily made and so flat on the top that the eggs frequently roll off. They are located near the ground in bushes or low trees. The three or four eggs are deposited at intervals of several days, and frequently young birds and eggs are found in the nest at the same time. Like the Flicker, this bird will frequently continue laying if one egg is removed at a time, and as many as twelve have been taken from the same nest, by this means. The eggs are light greenish blue. Size 1.20 × .90. They are usually laid during May or June.
Page 245
NEST AND EGGS OF YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.
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 Black-billed Cuckoo. 387a. California Cuckoo. Coccyzus americanus occidentalis. Range.--Western North America, from British Columbia, southward. Slightly larger and with a stouter bill than the last. Eggs not distinguishable. 388. Black-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus. Range.--United States east of the Rocky Mountains; north to Labrador and Manitoba; south in winter to Central and South America. Greenish blue. This species is rather more common in the northern part of the United States than the Yellow-billed variety. The bird is smaller, has a blackish bill, and the tail is the same color as the back and only slightly tipped with white. Their nests are built in similar locations and of the same materials as used by the Yellow-bill; the three or four eggs are smaller and a darker shade of greenish blue. Size 1.15 × .85. All the Cuckoos are close sitters and will not leave the nest until nearly reached with the hand, when they will slowly flutter off through the underbrush, and continue to utter their mournful "Kuk-kuk-kuk," many times repeated. 388.1. Kamchatka Cuckoo. Cuculus canorus telephonus. An Asiatic subspecies of the common European Cuckoo, accidentally occurring in Alaska. 387a--389. TROGONS. Family TROGONIDÆ 389. Coppery-tailed Trogon. Trogon ambiguus. Dull White. Range.--Southern Mexico, north to the Lower Rio Grande in Texas and in southern Arizona, in both of which localities they probably breed. This is the only member of this family of beautiful birds which reaches our borders. This species is 12 inches in length, and is a metallic green color on the upper parts and breast, and with coppery reflections of the middle tail feathers, the outer ones being white, very finely vermiculated with black, as are the wing coverts. The underparts, except for a white band across the breast, are rosy red. This species nest in cavities in large trees, generally in large, deserted Woodpecker holes. They are also said to have been found nesting in holes in banks. Their eggs are three or four in number and are a dull white in color. Size 1.10 × .85.
Page 247 KINGFISHERS. Family ALCEDINIDÆ Belted Kingfisher. 390. Belted Kingfisher. Ceryle alcyon. Range.--Whole of North America, breeding from southern United States, northward and wintering from the southern parts of its breeding range, southward. This well known bird is abundant in all localities near water, where its rattling notes are among the most familiar of sounds. White. Their food is almost entirely of small fish, which they catch by plunging upon from their perch on an old dead limb overhanging the water, or by hovering in the air like an Osprey. Their nests are located at the end of burrows in sand banks or the banks of creeks and rivers. These tunnels, which are dug by the birds, generally commence two or three feet from the top of the bank and extend back from six to eight feet, either in a straight line or curved; the end is enlarged to form a suitable nesting place, in which from five to eight eggs are laid. They are glossy and pure white in color. Size 1.35 × 1.05. Data.--Lake Quinsigamond, Massachusetts, June 6, 1900. 7 eggs at the end of a 6 foot tunnel in a sand bank. Bird removed by hand from the nest. Collector, C. E. Howe. 390.1. Ringed Kingfisher. Ceryle torquata. Range.--Mexico, north casually to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. This handsome species is much larger than the Belted Kingfisher and the underparts are nearly all bright chestnut, except the white throat. They nest in river banks the same as the common American species, and the eggs are white, but larger. Size 1.45 × 1.10.




Page 248
YOUNG KINGFISHERS.
Page 249 391. Texas Kingfisher. Ceryle americana septentrionalis. Texas Kingfisher. Range.--Southern Texas, south through Mexico. This variety is much smaller than the Belted, length 8 inches, and is a lustrous greenish above, variously speckled with white, and is white below, spotted with greenish. It is a common and resident species in southern Texas, where it lays its eggs in holes in the banks along streams. The eggs are white and glossy, and measure .95 × .70. WOODPECKERS. Order XV. PICI. Family PICIDAE Woodpeckers are well known birds having sharp chisel-like bills, sharply pointed and stiffened tail feathers, and strongly clawed feet with two toes forward and two back, except in one genus. Their food is insects and grubs, which they get by boring in trees, and from under the bark, clinging to the sides of trunks or the under side of branches with their strong curved nails, aided by the tail, for a prop. They are largely resident where found. Ivory-billed Woodpecker. 392. Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Campephilus principalis. Range.--Locally distributed, and rare, in Florida, along the Gulf coast and north casually to South Carolina and Arkansas. This is the largest of the Woodpeckers found within our borders, being 20 inches in length. But one other American species exceeds it in size, the Imperial Woodpecker of Mexico, which reaches a length of nearly two feet; as this species is found within a few miles of our Mexican border, it may yet be classed as a North American bird. The present species has a large, heavy, ivory-white bill. They can readily be identified, at a great distance, from the Pileated Woodpecker by the large amount of white on the secondaries. They used to be not uncommonly seen in many sections of the southeast but are now found very locally and only in the largest and remote woods. They nest in holes in large trees in the most impenetrable swamps; laying three, and probably as many as six pure white glossy eggs measuring 1.45 × 1.00.



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 Hairy Woodpecker. 393. Hairy Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus villosus. Range.--United States east of the Plains and from North Carolina to Canada. The Hairy Woodpecker or its sub-species is found in all parts of North America. The nesting habits and eggs of all the sub-species are not in any way different from those of the eastern bird, consequently what is said in regard to the eastern form will apply equally to all its varieties. White. Except during the winter months, this species is not as commonly seen about houses or orchards as the Downy Woodpecker. During the summer they retire to the larger woods to nest, laying their eggs in holes in the trunks or limbs of trees at any height from the ground, and generally using the same hole year after year, and often twice or three times during one season, if the first sets are taken. They lay from three to six glossy white eggs; size .95 × .70. This species can be distinguished from the Downy Woodpeckers by their larger size (9 inches long), and the white outer tail feathers, which are unspotted. 393a. Northern Hairy Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus leucomelas. Range.--North America, north of the United States. Slightly larger than the preceding. 393b. Southern Hairy Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus auduboni. Range.--Southern United States; north to South Carolina. Similar to the Hairy Woodpecker, but smaller. 393c--394a. 393c. Harris's Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus harrisi. Range.--Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. Similar to the Hairy but with fewer or no white spots on the wing coverts, and grayish on the underparts. 393d. Cabanis Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus hyloscopus. Range.--Southern California, east to Arizona and south into Mexico. Like the preceding but whiter below. 393e. Rocky Mountain Hairy Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus monticola. Range.--Rocky Mountains from British Columbia south to New Mexico. Similar to harrisi but slightly larger and pure white below. 393f. Queen Charlotte Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus picoideus. Range.--Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. Like Harris Woodpecker, but with the flanks streaked and the middle of the back spotted with blackish.
Page 251 Southern Downy. 394. Southern Downy Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens pubescens. Range.--Gulf and South Atlantic States; north to South Carolina. This species, which is the smallest of the North American Woodpecker (length 6 inches), is similar in plumage to the Hairy Woodpecker, but has the ends of the white, outer tail feathers spotted with black. White, glossy. Like the last species, it is represented by sub-species in all parts of North America, the nesting habits of all the varieties being the same and the eggs not distinguishable from one another. They nest in holes in trees, very often in orchards or trees in the neighborhood of houses. They are not nearly as shy as the Hairy Woodpeckers, and also associate with other birds very freely. The three to six eggs are laid upon the bottom of the cavity, with no lining. The height of the nesting season is during May or June. The white glossy eggs are .75 × .60. 394a. Gairdner's Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens gairdneri. Range.--Pacific coast from northern California to British Columbia. This sub-species is like the last, but is without spots on the wing coverts and is a dingy white below, differing the same as Harris Woodpecker from the Hairy. 394b. Batchelder's Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens homorus. Range.--Rocky Mountain region of the United States. Like the last but whiter below. 394c. Downy Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens medianus. Range.--North America, east of the Plains and north of South Carolina. Similar to the southern variety but slightly larger and whiter. 394d. Nelson's Downy Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens nelsoni. Range.--Alaska. Similar to the northern variety but still larger. 394e. Willow Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens turati. Range.--California except the northern parts and the ranges of the south. Similar to Gairdner Woodpecker, but smaller and whiter. 395. Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Dryobates borealis. Range.--Southeastern United States, from South Carolina and Arkansas, southward. This black and white species may be known from any other because of the uniform black crown and nape, the male having a small dot of red on either side of the crown, back of the eye. They are quite abundant in the Gulf States and Florida, where they nest during April and May, and in some localities in March. They build in hollow trees or stumps at an elevation from the ground, laying from three to six glossy white eggs; size .95 × .70.





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 Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Texas Woodpecker. 396. Texas Woodpecker. Dryobates scalaris bairdi. Range.--Southwestern United States from southern Colorado south to northern Mexico. This species is brownish white below, has the back barred with black and white, and the male has the whole crown red, shading into mixed black and whitish on the forehead. Its habits and nesting are just the same as those of the Downy, but the three or four white eggs, that they lay in April, are larger; size .80 × .65. 396a. San Lucas Woodpecker. Dryobates scalaris lucasanus. Range.--Lower California, north to the Colorado Desert, California. Very similar to the last; less barring on the outer tail feathers. Eggs the same. 397. Nuttall's Woodpecker. Dryobates nuttalli. 398--399. Range.--Pacific coast from Oregon south to Lower California. Similar to the Texan Woodpecker but whiter below, with whitish nasal tufts, and the fore part of the crown black and white striped, the red being confined to the nape region. They nest in holes in trees, either in dead stumps or in growing trees, and at any height above ground. During April or May they deposit their white glossy eggs upon the bottom of the cavity. The eggs measure .85 × .65. 398. Arizona Woodpecker. Dryobates arizonæ. Range.--Mexican border of the United States, chiefly in Arizona and New Mexico. This species is entirely different from any others of our Woodpeckers, being uniform brownish above, and soiled whitish below, spotted with black. The male bird has a red crescent on the nape. They are said to be fairly abundant in some sections of southern Arizona. Their nesting habits do not vary from those of the other Woodpeckers found in the same regions, and they show no especial preference for any particular kind of a tree in which to lay their eggs. The nesting season appears to be at its height in April. The pure white eggs average in size about .85 × .60.
Page 253 Three-toed Woodpecker.
Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. 399. White-headed Woodpecker. Xenopicus albolarvatus. Range.--Western United States from southern California to southern British Columbia. White. This odd species is wholly a dull black color, except for the white head and neck, and basal half of the primaries. They are quite abundant in some localities, particularly in California on mountain ranges. They nest at any height, but the greater number have been found under twenty feet from the ground and in old pine stubs. They lay from four to six glossy white eggs, measuring .95 × .70. They are said to be more silent than others of the Woodpecker family, and rarely make the familiar tapping and never drum. It is claimed that they get at their food by scaling bark off the trees, instead of by boring. White. 400. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. Picoides arcticus. As implied by their name, members of this genus have but three toes, two in front and one behind. The plumage of this species is entirely black above, and whitish below, with the flanks barred with blackish. The male has a yellow patch on the crown. They breed abundantly in coniferous forests in mountainous regions throughout their range, laying their eggs in cavities in decayed stumps and trees, apparently at any height, from five feet up. The eggs are laid in May or June. Size .95 × .70. Range.--Northern parts of the United States, north to the Arctic regions. 401. Three-toed Woodpecker. Picoides americanus americanus. Range.--From northern United States northward. The chief difference between this species and the last is in the white on the back, either as a patch or in the form of broken bars. The nesting habits are just the same and the eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the preceding. Both forms are found breeding in the same localities in the Adirondacks and in nearly all other portions of their range.




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 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 401a. Alaska Three-toed Woodpecker. Picoides americanus fasciatus. Range.--Alaska, south to British Columbia and Washington. Like the last, but with more white on the back. Eggs like the arcticus. 401b. Alpine Three-toed Woodpecker. Picoides americanus dorsalis. Range.--Rocky Mountains from British Columbia south to New Mexico. Slightly larger than the preceding and with more white on the back, almost entirely losing the barred effect of the American Three-toed variety. They nest chiefly in dead pines, laying four or five white eggs that cannot be distinguished from those of many other species. Size .95 × .70. 402. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus varius varius. Range.--North America, east of the Plains; breeding from Massachusetts northward, and wintering from the Carolinas and Illinois southward. White. This species is one of the most handsomely marked of the family; they can easily be recognized by the red crown and throat (white on the female), each bordered by black, and the yellowish underparts. The members of this genus have been found to be the only ones that are really injurious, and these only to a slight extent, to cultivated trees. This species and the two following are the only real "sapsuckers," a crime that is often attributed to the most useful of the family. Their nesting season is during May and June, they then resorting to the interior of the woods, where they deposit their four to seven glossy eggs on the bottom of holes in trees, generally at quite an elevation from the ground. Size of eggs .85 × .60. 402a. Red-naped Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis. Range.--Rocky Mountain region of the United States and southern Canada south to Mexico and west to California. This variety differs from the last, chiefly in addition of a band of scarlet on the nape in place of the white on the Yellow-bellied species. Coming as it does, midway between the ranges of the preceding species and the following, this variety, with its extension of red on the head and throat, may be regarded somewhat as a connecting link between the two species, but it is perfectly distinct and does not intergrade with either. There appears to be no difference in the nesting habits of the two varieties, except that the present one, according to Bendire, shows a preference to nesting in live aspens. The eggs measure .90 × .65.
Page 255 Pileated Woodpecker. 403. Red-breasted Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus ruber ruber. Range.--Pacific Coast from Lower California to Oregon. Except for a whitish line from the eye to the bill, the entire head, neck and breast of this species is red, of varying shades in different individuals, from carmine to nearly a scarlet; the remainder of their plumage is very similar to that of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. This is an abundant species and in most parts of the range they are not timid. Like many of the Woodpeckers, they spend a great deal of their time in drumming on some dead limb. They nest commonly in aspens, preferably living ones, and are said to build a new nesting hole each year rather than use the old. The eggs are laid during May or June, being glossy white, five to seven in number, and measuring .90 × .70. 403a. Northern Red-breasted Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus ruber notkensis. Range.--Pacific coast from California to Alaska. 404. Williamson's Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus thyroideus. This is a deeper and brighter variety, and is more yellowish on the belly. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the southern form. Range.--Mountain ranges from the Rockies to the Pacific; north to British Columbia. This oddly marked species shows a surprising number of variations in plumage; the normal adult male is largely black on the upper parts and breast, with only a narrow patch of red on the throat, and with the belly, bright yellow. The female is entirely different in plumage and for a long time was supposed to be a distinct species; she is brownish in place of the black in the male, has no red in the plumage, and is barred with black and white on the back and wings. They nest at high altitudes in mountain ranges, either in coniferous forests or in aspens. There is no peculiarity in their nesting habits; they lay from four to seven eggs, glossy white. Size .97 × .67. 405. Pileated Woodpecker. Phlœotomus pileatus pileatus. Range.--Southern and South Atlantic States. This heavily built Woodpecker is nearly as large as the Ivory-bill, being 17 inches in length. They are not nearly as beautiful as the Ivory-bills, their plumage being a sooty black instead of glossy, and the white on the wing, being confined to a very small patch at the base of the primaries; the whole crown and crest are vermillion, as is also a moustache mark in the male. They breed in the most heavily timbered districts, and generally at a high elevation; excavating a cavity sometimes 25 inches in depth and eight inches in diameter. In most localities they are very shy and difficult to approach. During April or May they lay from three to six white eggs. Size 1.30 × 1.00.



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 Williamson Sapsucker
Northern Pileated Woodpecker. 405a. Northern Pileated Woodpecker. Phlœotomus pileatus abieticola. Range.--Local throughout North America, from the northern parts of the United States northward. This variety is only very slightly larger than the preceding, it otherwise being the same. It is still abundant in many localities, but its range is rapidly being reduced, on account of cutting away the forests. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the southern variety. 406. Red-headed Woodpecker. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Range.--United States, east of the Rockies, except New England; north to northern Canada; winters in southern United States. White. This beautiful species has a bright red head, neck and breast, glossy blue black back, wings and tail, and white underparts, rump and secondaries. It is the most abundant of the family in the greater portion of its range, where it nests in any kind of trees or in telegraph poles at any height from the ground; they also sometimes nest in holes under the eaves of buildings. They are the most pugnacious of the Woodpeckers, and are often seen chasing one another or driving away some other bird. Red-headed Woodpecker. They are also known to destroy the nests and eggs of many species, and also to kill and devour the young, they being the only Woodpecker, so far as known, to have acquired this disreputable habit; they also feed upon, besides ants and larvæ, many kinds of fruit and berries. Their nesting season is during May and June, when they lay from four to eight white eggs, with less gloss than those of the Flicker. Size 1.00 × .75. 407. Ant-eating Woodpecker. Melanerpes formicivorus formicivorus. Range.--Mexican border of the United States, southward. This species may be identified by the black region around the base of the bill, the white forehead, red crown and nape, yellowish throat, and blackish upper parts, extending in a band across the breast, this variety having the band streaked with white posteriorly. The habits of this variety are the same as the next which is most abundant in the United States.
Page 257 407a. California Woodpecker. Melanerpes formicivorus bairdi. Red-bellied Woodpecker. Range.--California and Oregon. This bird differs from the last in having fewer white stripes in the black breast band. In suitable localities, this is the most abundant of Woodpeckers on the Pacific coast. They have none of the bad habits of the Red-heads, appear to be sociable among their kind, and are not afraid of mankind. It nests indifferently in all kinds of trees at any height from the ground, laying from three to seven eggs. Size 1.00 × .75. This species has the habit of storing food for future use developed to a greater extent than any other of the family. They sometimes completely honeycomb the exterior surface of decayed trees, with holes designed to hold acorns. 407b. Narrow-fronted Woodpecker. Melanerpes formicivorus angustifrons. Range.--Southern Lower California. This variety differs from the others in being slightly smaller and in having the white band on the forehead narrower. Its nesting habits are the same, but the eggs average smaller. Size .95 × .75. 408. Lewis's Woodpecker. Asyndesmus lewisi. Range.--Western United States from the Rockies to the Pacific coast; from British Columbia south to Mexico. White. A very oddly colored species, 11 inches in length having a dark red face, streaked red and white under parts, a gray breast band, and glossy greenish black upperparts. They are not uncommon in the greater part of their range, can not be called shy birds, and nest in all kinds of trees at heights varying from six to one hundred feet from the ground, the five to nine white eggs measuring 1.05 × .80, and being laid during May or June. 409. Red-bellied Woodpecker. Centurus carolinus. Range.--United States east of the Plains, breeding from the Gulf States north in nearly all parts of their range, frequenting the more heavily timbered regions, where they nest in any place that attracts their fancy; in some localities they also commonly nest in telegraph poles. They are quite tame, and during the winter months come about yards and houses, the same as, and often in company with Downy Woodpeckers. Their eggs, which are laid during May, are glossy white, average in size 1.00 × .75 and number from four to six.




Page 258




 408--411. 410. Golden-fronted Woodpecker. Centurus aurifrons. Range.--Mexico and southern Texas, resident. White. This is also one of the "zebra" or "ladder-backed" Woodpeckers, having the back and wings closely barred with black and white, the same as the preceding; the forehead, nasal tufts and nape are golden yellow, and the male has a patch of red on the crown. This is a very common resident species in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, where it nests in trees or telegraph poles, sometimes so numerously in the latter situations as to become a nuisance. Their nesting habits are not in any manner peculiar, and the eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the preceding. Size 1.00 × .75. Laid during April and May. 411. Gila Woodpecker. Centurus uropygialis. Range.--Mexican border of the United States, in southern Arizona and New Mexico. Like the preceding but without any yellow on the head, the male having a red patch in the center of the crown. They are locally distributed in New Mexico, but appear to be abundant in all parts of southern Arizona, where they nest principally in giant cacti, but also in many other trees such as cotton-woods, mesquite, sycamores, etc. Besides their decided preference for giant cacti, there is nothing unusual in their nesting habits, and the eggs are not different from those of others of the genus. They lay from three to six eggs in April or May. Size 1.00 × .75. 412. Flicker. Colaptes auratus auratus. Range.--Southeastern United States. White. Flickers are well known, large Woodpeckers (13 inches long), with a brownish tone to the plumage, barred on the back and spotted on the breast with black. The present species has a golden yellow lining to the wings and tail, and the shafts of the feathers are yellow; it has a red crescent on the nape, and the male has black moustache marks. This species and its sub-variety are the most widely known Woodpeckers in eastern North America, where they are known in different localities, by something like a hundred local names, of which
Page 259 Northern Flicker. Pigeon Woodpecker and Yellow-hammer seem to be the most universal. They have the undulating flight common to all Woodpeckers and show the white rump patch conspicuously when flying. They are often found on the ground in pastures or on side hills, feeding upon ants; they are more terrestrial than any others of the family. They nest anywhere, where they can find or make a suitable cavity for the reception of their eggs; in trees in woods or solitary trees in large pastures, in apple trees in orchards, in fence posts, in holes under the roofs of buildings, etc. They ordinarily lay from five to ten very glossy eggs, but it has been found that they will continue laying, if one egg is removed from the nest at a time, until in one case seventy-one eggs were secured. Fresh eggs may be found at any time from May until August, as they frequently raise two broods a season. Size of eggs, 1.10 × .90 with considerable variations. 412a. Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus luteus. Range.--Whole of North America, east of the Rockies, except the southeastern portion. Averaging larger than the preceding, but individual specimens of the northern variety are frequently found to be even smaller than the southern, and vice versa, making the distinction one of the study rather than Nature. Red-shafted Flicker. 413. Red-shafted Flicker. Colaptes cafer collaris. Range.--United States west of the Rockies. White. This species is marked similarly to the preceding, but the top of the head is brownish instead of gray, and the underparts of the wings and tail, and their quills are reddish. Neither sex has the red crescent on the back of the head, except in the case of hybrids between the two species, but the male has red moustache marks. There are no differences in the nidification between this species and the preceding, but the eggs of this average a trifle larger (1.15 × .90). 413a. Northwestern Flicker. Colaptes cafer saturatior. Range.--Pacific coast, breeding from Oregon to Alaska. This is a much darker variety of the Red-shafted Flicker, but its nesting habits or eggs do not differ in any way.



Page 260
NORTHERN FLICKER.
Page 261
NEST AND EGGS OF NORTHERN FLICKER.
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 414. Gilded Flicker. Colaptes chrysoides. Range.--Arizona and southward through Mexico to southern Lower California. This pale species has the yellowish lining to the wings and tail as in the Flicker, but has a pale cinnamon brown crown, no crescent on back of head, and the male has red moustache marks. It is a common species in all localities where the giant cactus abounds, and shows a preference to nesting in these strange growths, to any other trees. Their habits are, in all respects, the same as those of the other Flickers and their eggs cannot be distinguished. Size 1.10 × .90. 414a. San Fernando Flicker. Colaptes chrysoides brunnescens. Range.--Northern Lower California. This is a slightly smaller and darker variety of the Gilded Flicker. 415. Guadalupe Flicker. Colaptes rufipileus. Range.--Guadalupe Island. Similar to the Red-shafted Flicker, but with the crown darker and the rump a solid pinkish white. They are common in a large cypress grove in the middle of the island, but rarely found on any other portions. The eggs have been described by Mr. Walter E. Bryant, who found them breeding on the island, to be indistinguishable from those of the others of the genus. [Illustration z264.] GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS, AND HUMMINGBIRDS.
Order XVI. MACROCHIRES. GOATSUCKERS, Family CAPRIMULGIDAE. Goatsuckers are long winged birds, with small bills, but with an extraordinarily large mouth, the opening of which extends beneath and beyond the eyes. They are chiefly dusk or night fliers, their food consisting of insects which they catch on the wing. Their plumage is mottled black, brownish and white, resembling the ground upon which they lay their eggs.
Page 263 Chuck-will's-widow. 416. Chuck-will's-widow. Antrostomus carolinensis. Range.--South Atlantic and Gulf States, breeding north to Virginia and Indiana, and west to Arkansas and eastern Texas. Grayish white. These birds are abundant summer residents in the southern portions of their range, but as they are silent and hiding in the woods during the day time, they are not as popularly known as are most birds. They rarely fly during the day time unless disturbed from their roosting place which is on the ground under underbrush or in hollow logs. Their notes, which are a rapid and repeatedly uttered whistling repetition of their name, are heard until late in the night. They nest during April, May or June, laying two eggs on the ground amid the leaves in woods or scrubby underbrush. The eggs are grayish to creamy white in color, handsomely marked with shades of lilac, gray and brownish; size 1.40 × 1.00. 417. Whip-poor-will. Antrostomus vociferus vociferus. Range.--North America east of the Plains; north to the southern parts of the British possessions; winters along the Gulf coast and southward. Whip-poor-will. This species is well known, by sound, in nearly all parts of its range, but comparatively few ever observed the bird, and probably the greater number mistake the Nighthawk for this species. The two species can readily be distinguished at a distance by the absence of any pronounced white marking in the wings, and by the white tips to the outer tail feathers in the present species, while the Night Hawk has a prominent white band across the tail, but the top is black, and the tail slightly forked. Creamy white. The Whip-poor-will, rarely leaves its place of concealment before dark, and is never seen flying about cities, as are the Nighthawks. In their pursuit of insects, they glide like a shadow over fields and woods, their soft plumage giving forth no sound as their wings cleave the air. Until late at night, their whistling cry "whip-poor-will," repeated at intervals, rings out in all wooded hilly districts. Their two eggs are deposited on the ground among dead leaves, generally in dense woods. They are grayish white or cream color marbled with pale brown and gray, with fainter markings of lilac. Size 1.50 × .85.





Page 264




 Merrill's Paraque.
Poor-will. 417a. Stephen's Whip-poor-will. Antrostomus vociferus macromystax. Range.--Arizona and New Mexico, south through the tableland of Mexico. This sub-species is slightly larger and has longer mouth bristles than the eastern bird. Their nesting habits are the same and the eggs differ only in averaging lighter in color, with fainter markings, some specimens being almost immaculate. 418. Poor-will. Phalænoptilus nuttalli nuttalli. Range.--United States west of the Mississippi, breeding from Kansas and northern California northward to Montana and British Columbia. White. This handsome species is the smallest of the family, being under 8 inches in length. Its plumage is mottled black, white and frosty gray, harmoniously blended together. They can easily be distinguished from all other Goatsuckers by their size and silvery appearance. They nest on the ground, either placing their two eggs upon a bed of leaves or upon a flat rock. The breeding season is from the latter part of May through July. The eggs are pure white and glossy; size 1.00 × .75. 418a. Frosted Poor-will. Phalænoptilus nuttalli nitidus. Range.--Texas and Arizona, north to western Kansas. This variety is like the last but paler, both above and below. Eggs indistinguishable from those of others of the genus. 418b. Dusky Poor-will. Phalænoptilus nuttalli californicus. Range.--A darker race found on the coast of California, having the same nesting habits as the others. The egg figured is of this species. Data.--Los Angeles, Cal., June 24, 1900. 2 eggs on the ground at the foot of an oak tree on the side of a hill. Collector, F. M. Palmer.
Page 265 419. Merrill's Parauque. Nyctidromus albicollis merrilli. Range.--Mexico, north to the Lower Rio Grande in southern Texas. Salmon buff. This species is the same length as the Chuck-will's-widow, but is not as stoutly built, and has a slightly longer tail. It can be distinguished from any other of the family by its tail, the outer feather on each side being black (or brownish barred with black in the female), and the next two having white ends for nearly half their length. Their eggs are laid on the ground in open localities, and generally under the protection of an overhanging bush. They are two in number and differ greatly from those of any other American member of this family, being a buff or rich salmon buff in color, spotted and splashed with gray, lavender, and reddish brown; size 1.25 × .90. Data.--Brownsville, Texas, April 16, 1900. Eggs laid on the ground in a dense thicket. Collector, Frank B. Armstrong.
NEST AND EGGS OF WHIP-POOR-WILL.




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 Nighthawk. 420. Nighthawk. Chordeiles virginianus virginianus. Range.--North America, east of the Plains and from Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico; winters through Mexico to northern South America. Grayish white. The Nighthawk or some of its sub-species is found in nearly all parts of North America, its habits being the same in all localities. It is of the same size as the Whip-poor-will, from which species it can readily be distinguished by its lack of mouth bristles, forked tail with a white band near the end, and the white band across the primaries, the latter mark showing very plainly during flight. Besides in the country, they are very common in cities, where they will be seen any summer day towards dusk flying, skimming, sailing, and swooping over the tops of the buildings, upon the gravel roofs on which they often lay their eggs. They nest generally on rocky hillsides or in open woods, laying their two eggs upon the top of a flat rock. The eggs are a grayish white color, marbled, blotched and spotted with darker shades of gray. Size 1.20 x .85. 420a. Western Nighthawk. Chordeiles virginianus henryi. Grayish white. Range.--United States west of the Plains. A similar bird to the preceding, but with plumage somewhat more rusty. It frequents the more open portions of the country in its range, its habits and nesting habits being the same as others of the former species; the eggs average a trifle lighter in color. 420b. Florida Nighthawk. Chordeiles virginianus chapmani. Range.--A smaller and paler form found in Florida and along the Gulf coast. No difference can be observed in the nesting habits of this as compared with the northern form and the eggs are indistinguishable.
Page 267
NEST AND EGGS OF NIGHTHAWK.
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 420-421. 420c. Sennett's Nighthawk. Cordeiles virginianus sennetti. Range.--A very pale species with little or no tawny; found in the Great Plains from Texas north to the Saskatchewan; winters south of the United States. 421. Texas Nighthawk. Chordeiles acutipennis texensis. Range.--Mexico and Central America, breeding north to southern Utah and California. Grayish white.
422-424. The pattern of the marking of this species is finer and more mottled with rusty than the Nighthawk. Its habits do not differ to any extent from those of the preceding species; they lay their two mottled gray eggs upon the bare ground, often on the dry sand and in arid regions where they are exposed, with no protection, to the scorching rays of the sun. The eggs vary endlessly in extent of markings, some being very pale and others very dark gray, mottled with various shades of gray, brown and lilac. Size 1.10 x .75.
SWIFTS. Family MICROPODIDÆ 422. Black Swift. Cypseloides niger borealis. Range.--Mountain ranges from Central America north to British Columbia, locally distributed throughout its range. The plumage of this Swift is entirely sooty black, darkest above; the tail is slightly forked and is without spines; length of bird, 7 inches. Although the general habits of this species are well known, little is known of their nesting; they are seen during the breeding season about the higher ranges throughout their United States habitat, and are supposed to nest in crevices on the face of cliffs at a high altitude.
Page 269 Chimney Swift. 423. Chimney Swift. Chætura pelagica. Range.--North America east of the Plains, breeding from central Canada, south to the Gulf coast, and wintering south of our borders. This well known species is sooty brownish black, 5.5 inches long, and has the tail feathers terminating in sharp spines. They are very abundant in all portions of their range, and may be seen on the wing at all hours of the day, but especially abundant in the early morning and toward dusk. They formerly dwelt and bred only in hollow trees, and a great many still continue to do so, as large hollow stumps are known where hundreds nest every year. The majority of the eastern Chimney Swifts now nest in old chimneys that are unused, at least during the summer; some small chimneys contain but a single pair while other large ones may have from fifty to a hundred or more nests glued to the sides. The birds are on the wing during the greater part of the day, generally not frequenting the vicinity of their nesting site, but returning toward dusk, when they may be seen to, one at a time, dive headforemost into the tops of chimneys.
NEST AND EGGS OF CHIMNEY SWIFT.





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 425--426. White. The nest is made of small twigs firmly glued to the sides of the chimney, or tree, and to each other, with the glutinous saliva of the bird, making a narrow semi-circle platform for the reception of their three to five white eggs which are deposited in May or June; size .75 × .50. 424. Vaux's Swift. Chætura vauxi. Range.--Western United States, chiefly west of the Rockies; breeding north to British Columbia, and wintering south of the United States. White. Similar to the last but smaller (length 4.5 inches), and paler in color, fading to white on the throat. The habits of this species are like those of the eastern Chimney Swift, except that the majority of these species still continue to use hollow trees as nesting places. The eggs are just like those of the last bird. 425. White-throated Swift. Æronautes melanoleucus. Range.--Western United States south of Canada, and chiefly in the Rocky Mountains, and in California ranges, north to Lat. 38°. White. A handsome species, 6.5 inches in length, with blackish upper parts and sides, and white throat, breast and central line of under parts, flank patches and ends of secondaries; tail feathers not spined or stiffened. These birds are fairly common in some localities within their range, but appear to be found only on high ranges or in their immediate vicinity. They nest in crevices and caves in the face of cliffs, making a nest similar in construction to that of the Chimney Swift but of weed stalks instead of twigs, and lined with feathers. They lay four or five dull white eggs, during June or July; size .85 × .50.
Page 271 HUMMINGBIRDS. Family TROCHILIDAE Hummingbirds have been truly called "Winged Gems." They are the smallest of birds, the usual plumage being a metallic green with throat or crown patches of the brightest of iridescent shining red, orange, blue or violet. 427--429. Their nests are marvels of architecture being compactly and intricately made of plant fibres and downy feathers ornamented in some cases with lichens. Their flight is accompanied by a peculiar buzzing sound produced by their rapidly vibrating stiffened wing feathers. Their food is small insects and honey both of which they get chiefly from flowers. 426. Rivoli's Hummingbird. Eugenes fulgens. Range.--Mexico, north in summer to southern Arizona where they breed at high elevations in the Huachuca Mountains. This is one of the most gorgeous of the Hummers having the crown a violet purple color, and the throat brilliant green. This species saddles its nest upon branches often at heights of 20 or 30 feet from the ground. They are made of plant down and generally decorated with lichens on the outside, similar to nests of the Ruby-throat. The two white eggs measure .65 × .40. 427. Blue-throated Hummingbird. Cyanolæmus clemenciæ. Range.--Mexico, north in summer to the border of Arizona and western New Mexico. This species is the largest of North American Hummers being 5.25 inches long, this being slightly larger than the preceding. As the name implies, it has a patch of blue on the throat, the upper parts being a uniform greenish; the outer tail feathers are broadly tipped with white. Their nests, which are placed upon the limbs of trees, are made of mosses and plant fibres covered with cobwebs. The two eggs are laid during July and August, and measure .65 × .40.



Page 272
FEMALE RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD ON NEST.
Page 273 Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 428. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Archilochus colubris. Range.--North America east of the Plains and north to Labrador. This is the only representative of the family found east of the Mississippi. It is a small species, 3.5 inches long, with greenish upper parts and a bright ruby throat. Its nest is as beautiful, if not more so, than that of any other species. They build their nests on horizontal limbs of trees at any height from the ground, but usually more than six feet. Branches an inch or more in diameter are usually selected, they not being particular as to the kind of tree, but oaks, pines and maples perhaps being used the most often. The nests are made of plant fibres and down, and the exterior is completely covered with green lichens so that it appears like a small bunch of moss on the limb. The two white eggs are laid in May or June; size .50 × .35. 429. Black-chinned Hummingbird. Archilochus alexandri. Range.--North America west of the Rocky Mountains; north to British Columbia; winters south of the United States. Similar in size and appearance to the Ruby-throat, but with the chin and upper throat black, the rest of the throat gorget being violet or amethyst. It is an abundant species in summer in many localities, especially in the southern half of its range. They build their nests at low elevations, rarely above ten feet, on small branches or the fork at the end of a limb. The nests are made of yellowish plant fibres and are not covered with lichens, so that they have a peculiar spongy appearance. Eggs indistinguishable from those of the Ruby-throat. Laid during April, May or June.




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RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.
Page 275 430--431. 430. Costa's Hummingbird. Calypte costæ. Range.--Southwestern United States; north to southern Utah; winters south of our border. Smaller than the last and with both the crown and the throat gorget, violet or amethyst, the feathers on the sides of the latter being lengthened. Their nests are situated in the forks of branches generally near the ground, and seldom above six feet from it. They are made of plant down with shreds of weeds, bark and lichens worked into the outside portions, and are often lined with soft feathers. The two eggs average .48 × .32. Data.--Arroyo Seco, California, June 10, 1900. Nest in an alder bush. Collector, Charles E. Groesbeck. 431. Anna's Hummingbird. Calypte anna. Range.--Pacific coast of the United States from northern California, southward, wintering in Mexico and southern California. This handsome species has both the crown and the broadened and lengthened throat gorgets, a purplish pink; it is slightly larger than the Ruby-throat. They are very abundant in their restricted range, and nest in February and March and again in April or May, raising two broods a season. Their nests are made of plant down and covered on the outside with cobwebs and a few lichens, and are generally located at a low elevation. The white eggs average .50 × .30. Data.--Santa Monica, California, March 4, 1897. Nest in a bunch of seed pods in a gum tree, ten feet from the ground. Collector, Tom Bundy.