done, like some criminal, to escape further contumely. An "egg-hog" does sometimes feel conscience-smitten, as I am willing to admit.
The nest of the Varied Thrush is usually built close to the main trunk of a spruce, often directly against it, and supported by a clmnp of the stiff horizontal twigs or small branches. Sometimes the surrounding foliage renders the nest almost completely hidden from view. And then again, it may be supported by bare dead branches affording scarcely any screen. The majority of the nests are situated on the south sides of the tree-trunks, as probably being the warmest and dryest side, and then too, strong, cold north winds are of frequent occurrence. All the nests which I have examined are very much alike in composition and structure. The foundation is a rather loose and bulky mass of plant stems, dry spruce twigs and grasses, but the nest proper is a solid, closely-felted structure. The bottom and sides are substantially formed of a mixture of mud, and wet, partly-decomposed grasses and moss. The amount of mud varies in different nests, and in some there is scarcely any; but the various vegetable materials are always incorporated when wet, so that after the structure dries, the walls and rim are very firm like papier mache.
When finished the nest presents a neatly moulded, cup-shaped cavity, with an inner lining of fine dry grasses. The measurements of a typical nest are as follows: Inside diameter 3.25 inches; depth, 2.25. Outside diameter, 6.50; depth 4.50. The weights of the dry nests vary from one-half to one pound, depending on the amount of mud in their composition.
The earliest egg of the Varied Thrush was found on June 2, and on the 4th, a fresh set of three eggs was taken; on the 6th, a set of four, incubation slight. The latter seemed to be the average date of completion of the full set of eggs, although a slightly incubated set of four eggs, was taken as late as the 23rd of June. Of four sets of four each taken on the 11th, one was fresh and in three, incubation was well advanced. I secured eleven sets of the eggs of the Varied Thrush. There are two sets of three, seven sets of four, and two sets of five eggs each, forty-four eggs in all. This series exhibits remarkable uniformity in size and coloring. The ground color is Nile blue, the exact tint varying somewhat, probably due to different terms of incubation and exposure to the light. The eggs are rather sparsely but evenly dotted and spotted with burnt umber and seal brown, With similar-sized "shell-markings" of ecru drab and vinaceous tints. The eggs of one set show larger blotchy markings of raw umber. One egg is almost without markings, thus resembling the robin's. There is a slight tendency toward a congregation of the markings at the larger ends, in some cases. In shape the eggs vary between ovate and short-ovate. The average measurements of the forty-four eggs are in inches, 1.18x.84. The largest egg measures 1.24x.88; the smallest, 1.10x83.
In size and ground color the eggs of the Varied Thrush closely resemble those of the California Thrasher, but the spottings are fewer, finer and much darker. Taking every character into consideration, the Varied Thrush's eggs appear unique and not to be confused with those of any other North American bird with which I am acquainted.
In the San Francisco Chronicle of Oct. 29, Mr. H. R. Taylor occupied a page with a delightful popular article on ornithology, with appropriate illustrations. Mr. Taylor has done much toward popularizing ornithology on the Coast by his frequent versatile, yet accurate, writings on birds.
All aspiring oologists in California who may have had designs upon the "first set" for the season have been thwarted by Mr. Grinnell's taking a set 1-3 Pasadena Thrasher on Dec. 15. And this so soon after Mr. Grinnell's return from eighteen months in the wilds of Alaska!
Mr. Chas. A. Keeler, well known as an ornithologist of ability, and author of "Evolution of Color in North American Land Birds," has recently issued a popular work under the title of "Bird Notes Afield," which is being well received on the Coast.
