Woburn, Mass.
It is said that alligators’ eggs are esteemed by the natives of the
regions where those reptiles abound. Mr. Joseph, in his “History of
Trinidad,” says that he found the eggs of the cayman very good. The
female alligator lays from 120 to 160 eggs. They are about as large as
the eggs of a turkey, and have a rough shell filled with a thick
albumen.
There is an eagles nest on the stump of an old tree in the middle of
Caddo lake, near Jefferson, Texas, and a pair of eagles have occupied
this as their home for more than twenty years.
Blue-fronted Jay.
(CYANOCITTA STELLERI FRONTALIS.)
One would, with a general knowledge of the nesting habits of the Jays,
look for their nests in trees and bushes; but with the recent
observations on the habits of this bird, by N. S. Goss, in the Auk,
April, 1885, we have additional light thrown upon the subject. He
found quite a number of nests of the Blue-fronted Jay in the vicinity
of Julian, California, in the spring of 1884, and “in all cases but
one, in holes and trough-like cavities in trees and stubs, ranging
from four to fifty feet from the ground, generally ten to twenty feet.
The nest found outside was built upon a large horizontal limb of an
oak close beside a gnarl, the sprout-like limbs of which thickly
covered the nest overhead, and almost hid it from view below.” They
were quite bulky, loosely made of sticks, stems of weeds, and lined
with fibrous rootlets and grasses; and, as they were all built at or
near the opening, the tell-tale sticks projected and made the finding
of the nests not difficult. Mr. Goss gives the color of the eggs as
light blue, speckled and spotted with dark brown, rather thickest at
large end, and the measurements of two sets, as follows: One taken May
19, 1.20 by .87, 1.20 by .88, 1.21 by .88; May 21, 1.22 by .88, 1.15
by .86, 1.19 by .86, 1.16 by .85.
Mr. W. O. Emerson informs me that he finds the nests in the vicinity
of Haywards, Cal., placed in oaks, redwood and other tall trees.
The above interesting article is an extract from _Davies’ New Key to the
Nests and Eggs of North American Birds_, taken from specimen leaves sent
me, and of which is a fair sample of descriptions of the nests and eggs
of each bird contained in that book.—Editor.
Birds of Pennsylvania.
The following data is taken from notes made during a series of years,
all within this state, and all from personal observation.
(“C” means common, “R” means rare.)
1. Wood Thrush. (C). Breeds May 1st, to June 15th. Nests generally
placed in thick woods, near clearings.
2. Wilson’s Thrush. (R). Breeds June 2nd. Nests placed in thickets, with
southern exposure.
7. American Robin. (C). Breeds May 1st to July 25th. Nests made near
habitations, in trees, outhouses, anywhere almost.