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, 1912 STUDY OF THE EGGS O1' THE MELEAGR IDAE. 213 a number of eggs and sets of eggs of M. g. osceola, or Florida Turkey. In no. 25787, the eggs are short and broad, the ground color being pale whitish, slightly tinged Mth brown. Some of the spots on these eggs are unusually large in a few places, three or four running together, or are more or less confluent; others are isolated and of medium size; many are minute, all being of an earth-brown, vary- J. ug in shades. In the case of no. 25787 of this set, the dark brown spots are more or less of a size and fewer in numbers; while one of. them (no. 25787) is exactly like the eggs of number 3; finally, there is a pale one (no. 25787) with tne spots, few in number in middle third, very numerous at the ends. There are scattered large spots of a dark brown, the surface of each of which latter are raised with a kind of incrustation. Another egg (no. 27869) in the same tray (M. g. osceola), is small, pointed; pale ground color with very few spots of light brown (Coil. W. L. Ralph). Sill another in this set (27868) is markedly roundish, with mi- nute brown speckling, uniformly distributed. There are nine eggs in this clutch (no. 27868), and, apart from the differences in form, they all closely resemble each other, and this is by no means always the case, ms the same hen may lay any of the various styles enumerated above, either as belongin. g to the same clutch, or at different seasons. NESTING OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NUTHATCH By F. C. WILLARD WITH TWO PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR WO members of the interesting nuthatch family are regular breeders in the Huachuca Mountains. They are the Pignay Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea), and the Rocky Mountain Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis soni). The latter appears much rarer than the ormer, but, owing to its more general range in the mou.ntains, I am inclined .to believe that it is really the most numerous. The Pigmy Nuthatch is confined to the higher ridges where pine stubs abound. The Rocky Mountain Nuthatch is found all over the mountains, from the oaks at the months of the canyons. to the highest peaks, and it nests wherever found. Like their eastern cousin, the White-breasted, these birds talk to each other as they hunt for food along the trunk or branches of some tree. If the female is sitting, the male still keeps up his "talking" as he hunts for food to take to her. It is by watching him at this time that I am able to locate the nest. He usually takes the food for his mate into the nest, but it is a very common thing for her to come to the entrance to receive it, or even to leave the nest cavity entirely. A natural cavity with a long narrow opening is generally selected. The one shown in the illustration is typical. Nine out of ten nests are in oaks, the balance usually in pines though a sycamore or madtone is occasionally selected. The nest is a mass of assorted fur and hair of various animals, skunk and squirrel fur, cow and deer hair predominating. I have also found rabbit fur and bear's hair in their nests. Enough is used to conpletely fill the bottom of the cavity and come up a little on the sides. Five eggs comprise the usual set, though I once found three about to hatch.