: C | ™ML 45199799 +~ P7CHLINYC) shay oY 10. }. VOL. I. JANUARY, 1333. Rahim es coi ae << pean ng 4 A222 BS JOrwmnnits punch i “EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY downy character of the plumage distinguishing them at once from all other birds. The bill is cury- ed almost to the base, being hooked at the tip. The claws are sharp and eurved, but less powerful than in the woods or ang fal ae diumal birds of prey. The toes are generally opposed two and two, the outer one being reversible at pleas- ure. The downy plumage and the recurved outer web of the primaries mimaikes the flight almost noiseless, thus enabling them to capture their prey by surprise, their weak wings rendering them almost incapable of pursuit. The peculiar plumage adds a great deal to the apparent size of the body, but the head owes. its real- | ly large size to the large cavities in the skull, between the outer and in- ner layers, which cavities communi- cate with the ear, and are supposed to add to the acuteness of the sense of hearing. The ear in many species is very large and is furnished with am external arch, which is found in no other birds. The feathers which ra- diate from the eye completely con- pletely coneeal the ear; but the feathers surrounding the ear are ar- ranged in the shape of an ear trum- pet, thus rendering the sense still more acute. The feathers surround- ing the eye serve to collect the rays of light and throw them on the pupil so that owls can see as well in twi- light and moonlight as other birds can in the day. They feed on all small animals, such as rabbits, mice, birds, lizards, fishes and insects. Their voracity is wonderful, killing even more than they eat. 5 Their prey is usually swallowed en- tire, the indigestible parts being thrown up in the form of pallets. Tne TWawkeve Orniriu THE NIGHT-HAWK&. (Choridiles popetu.) This bird is very generally distrib- uted over the temperate regions of the United States: generally eastern, found in no small numbers in’ the Mississippi Valley, and is abundant from northern Maine to southern South Carolina. The name of this bird is in striking contrast with its habits. Fromitsnaime oue would suppose it to possess noe- turnal habits; but such is not the case, being seen almost entirely in broad davlight, although it seems to be most frequent at early twilight. This supposition is due to the utter ance of those peealiar cries which at onee catch the ear; for who has not east his eyes Heavenward on hearing those strident notes to dis- cover their origin. These notes are made in the greatest abundance in the early evening, soon after his arrival from the south, and ineuba- tion in progress. He may be seen rising in’ wide circles, propelled by quick and slow movements, in alter- nation, of the wings, until he is ahnost invisible to the eye, and his whereabouts are known only by his harsh squeaks. Then with a head- Jong rush he suddenly falls from fifty to ninety feet, and then as quickly wheeling up, when a hollow whirr is heard which has been compared to the blowing of the wind in the bung- hote of a barrel. This noise by some writers on’ ornithology, is attributed to the aetion of the air on_the wings; by others to the action of the air on the wide-open mouth. Our opinion is that it is produced by the first-nain- ed cause, a good deal after the man- ner of that produced by the ruffed grouse, on which there is some con- siderable discussion, but that the ac- tion of the wings of the partridge on the air causes the noise is sustained )LOGISY AND OvoLoGisr. bs by several writers, notably one eall- ing himself ‘‘Hermit,” in Our Dumb A vimals, who claims personal obsery- ation of said cause. This certainly seems more feasable than the second theory. His food consists of insects, chief- ly of the larger kind, such as _ beetles, Wasps, moths, ete., in the pursuit of of which its motions are most grace- ful, engaging the admiring eye of every beholder. Toward the close of April the night-hawk arrives in the Middle States, and in early May it makes its appearance in Lowa; according to my migration reports of 1887 it was first seen the fifth of May. Soon after their arrival from the South they may be seen in pairs, circling the heavens in pursuit of food. essthan a month later the female selects some suitable spot on the ground, on which to deposit her eggs, The nestis always placed on the ground and frequently on the bare rocks of some field with scarcely any show of a nest whatever. The eggs, according to Davie’s Egg Cheek List, are ‘“‘greyish, thickly mottled with tints of darker grey, slate and yellowish brown; the pat- tern and tints are very variable; el- liptical; size, 1.25 by .85.” The num- ber of eggs in a set is always two. About the middle of August the fall migration begins, moving south- ward in large scattering flocks, and we bid them good-bye till another year. An eagle died in Vienna, Austria, last November, that had been kept in confinement 114 years. It prob- ably was a young bird when caught, so that its age must have been not far from 120 years. A record of the’ eagle’s condition was made from year to year. : S Tire For the Hawkeye O. and O. NOTES ON SOME OF THE PASSE- RES OF FULTON CoO., KY. FIRST PAPER, BY L. 0. PINDAR, PRES. Y. O. A., HICKMAN, KY. This article must not be taken for a list of Fulton county passeres, as | only write of those that I have most observed. 1 follow the A. O. U. and wish all writers on ornithology and oology would do the same, as it prevents the confusion which neces- sarily arises from a multiplicity of Almost all these notes were code ames. made at Hickman, Ky.. a small town on the bank of the Mississippi river. And now to the birds; [ will devote this paper to the family Vyrcniide. KING BERD. (Tyrants tyros. ) A stunmer resident, but mot so coi- mon as the next species. Its colors are simple but pleasing and may be thus described: above, black; below, white; a few red feathers on crown. These red feathers can be displayed or concealed at will. Some writers think they are displayed with a view of attracting insects which take them fora flower but others do not think so. Tagree with the former class. Four eggs in my collection, collect- ed in Jefferson Co,, Texas, by Jas. H. Rachford May 22, 1836, have aground color of white. with bold warkings of dark and reddish brown and faint — lavender. The nest was “of grass lined with a downy substance.” PRATLLS FLYCATCHER. (Empictonice piusillis Trait) A common summer resident. Color tion as follows: above, olive brown, darker on head; below, grayish white, wingbars same color, IT have only one set of eggs, which is a set of three, collected in Wayne Co. Mich., by James Purdy, May 9, ITaAwkKeEYrE OrNitHoLocisr AND OoLocts?. 1886. The eggs are very pretty, cream colored with reddish spots. [ found an empty nest which I take to be of this species at this place last year. In the next paper we will tell of the Corvida, with notes on the Crow and Blue Jay. There are swans on the river Thames, in England, that are known to be 150 years Old. For five centur- ies, the Vintner’s Company there has kept a record of certain swans, and the ages of the specimens of this long-lived species of water-fowl are known to a day. lifelike cut shows us, the The above better than words can «a but too uselessness of the ¢ “Lis thou, oh sable bird of DE wu. In deepest mourning, darkly dress: 4, Th it eateth of the farmer's corn, And leaveth him so sore dishressed, ’Tis thou that knows when death is near And from afar off scents the steer, That died of direst, dread disease— ‘Lis thou that picks those Heshless knees. With dismal croak you rob the nest Of happy, warbling birds, And then, with devilish inteat, You next uproot the early dent. N. B.—The above was written by our junior editor during a sudden at- tack of insanity. He is now slowly recovering and will soon be able to attend to his regular duties. We. will see that he is caged should he have another like attack. Toe TAwkEYE OrNITHOLOGIST AND OoLocist: 9) >it+O0L0GY.t< For the Hawkeye 0. and 0. A FEW WORDS FROM AN OLD COLLECTOR. BY E. G. WARD, THREE RIVERS, MASS. It is surprising to note what changes have taken place in the methods of collecting eggs among amateurs since we first commenced our little collection more than twenty years ago. We commenced by get- ting two eggs of a kind, and, with a few exceptions, have always followed that rule. We think that is a suf- ficient number for the average collec- tor. Tne new craze is to collect in sets, which is all right where they are collected in the interests of science, but young collectors who wish a set for themselves and have a dozen or more sets of the same kind for their exchanges, make it look too much like wholesale robbery of the birds. No wonder some states have made laws forbidding collecting eggs and shooting certain kinds of birds. Massachusetts has such a law, but she has kindly made provision for those collecting in the interest of science. The teachers in our public schools are calling the attention of their pupils to that law, and encour- aging them to protect the birds and their nests. This is a necessity, for birds are not as plenty as they were a few years ago, and many kinds which were quite common then, are either very rarely seen, or have en- tirely disappeared from certain lo- ealities; for instance, in Franklin county, Mass., our old home, the meadow larks were quite plenty a few years since, and it was an easy inatter to find several nests during the nesting season; now we haven’t seen or heard of one being seen for several years. The hobolinks also are few in numbers compared with those early days, and it is quite diffi- cult to find a nest. The same is true of the yellow-birds, partridge wood- peckers, least flycatchers, etc. We use the common local names because they recall old times and bring more vividly to our minds certain very in- teresting excursions after eggs in which we had the satisfaction of add- ing certain desirable specimens to our collection. Now, what causes the scarcity of birds or the disappearance of certain species from certain localities? Do they move from place to place on ac- count of the scarcity of food like the squrirels? Is it owing to climatic changes? These are questions that naturally arise in the mind of the keen observer. We think all of these have a bearing, and to these we can add the mowing machine and horse- rake, which have something to do with thinning out, if not in driving back, into wilder portions of our towns and counties, those birds that nest on the ground. These causes taken in connection with the depre- dations made by their natural ene- mies, the foxes, cats, snakes, hawks, ete., have caused the scarcity of ground nesting birds. The English sparrow, an imported nuisance, is driving away from our cities and vil- lages some of our most desirable feathered songsters. New England is subject to so many extremes in temperature, especially in spring, that some seasons the birds com- mence to nest so early that their eggs or young broods are destroyed. The hunter is almost wholly re- sponsible for the scarcity of our game birds. To these causes we may add the collector of ‘“‘sets’ who _ sees nothing but the Almighty dollar. This class who collect simply to make money out of the birds, bring reproach upon that class who love 10 Tue HaAwKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. the study of Ornithology and Oology. We will find them in every branch of science that has any money in it, so we must make the best of the matter and give them a wide berth. Most of the common varieties of eggs in our collection were collected when it was rulable to “‘blow” them by making small holes in the ends. We haven’t replaced thein by eggs blown on the side because of the as- sociations connected with them, still some of our eggs collected in the past few years have been prepared for the cabinet in the manner now in use. OT a AA ate ee For the Hawkeye O. and O. THE RED-TAILED HAWK, 436. (Buteo borealis. ) BY H. W. DAVIS, NORTH GRANVILLE, WASHINGTON CO., NEW YORK. The above bird is quite abundant around this locality in the breeding season, but their eggs are quite diffi- cult to obtain, owing to the great heighth and large trees they select for their nests. To do any collecting one must be accompanied by climbers and a good determination. On April 25th in company with a friend of mine who most always accompanied me on my collecting trips, because he was a fine climber, we took a fine set of three of this species. We entered a_ thick, heavy timber in which no sign of opening buds were to be seen, but plenty of hard wood trees with the dead leaves clinging to them. It was in one of these the nest was placed, being only about thirty feet from the ground. The nest was in about the center of the woods. We crept upas slowly and still towards it as we could and were soon informed that it was inhabited by the fact that the tail of the female was sticking out over the edge of the nest. Arriving at the foot of the tree and hammering on the same with a stick, thought of course I could make the female fly off, but could not stir the bird from its comfortable position until my partner had got about half way up, then the startled bird left the nest and was soon joined by her mate. They would start and fly straight for your face asif they were going to swoop down and get their eggs, but just before they would get to you they would take a quick sharp turn and alight’ on some tree near by, so that I could have shot both birds very easily. On reaching the nest he reported “three eggs.” They were all placed in a handkerchief with the four corners in his mouth, and all three were safely brought to the ground. The nest was a large bulky affair composed of sticks and twigs, mixed together with dead grass, moss, etc., and lined with a few feathers. The eggs were a bluish white, spot- . 2 ’ ted with brown and umber of yvary- ing shades. The color of the bird is a rich dark brown; the wings are spotted with dusky and white; the tail is a bright chestnut red. The under parts are generally white with a streak of brown across the breast. The legs and feet are a bright yellow. SUGGESTIONS FOR PROPERLY FORMING COLLECTIONS OF BIRDS’ EGGS. The following article, which was published in the late Hoosier Natur- alist, and credited to the Smithsonian Bulletin, No. 139, contains such valu- able suggestions that we republish it for the benefit of those of our readers who may not have read it before. The collection of birds’ eggs for sei- entific purposes requires far more discrimination than the collecting of Tue HawkevrE OrNITHOLOGIST AND OoLocisr. II specimens in almost any other branch of natural history. While the botan- ist, and generally speaking, the zo- ologist, at home is satisfied as long as he receives the specimens in good condition, with labels attached giv- ing a few concise particulars of when and where they were obtained, it should be always borne in mind that to the oologist, such facts, and even the specimens themselves, are of very slight value unless accompanied by a statement of other circumstances which will carry conviction that the species to which the eggs belong has been accurately identified, and the specimens subsequently carefully au- thenticated. Consequently precision in the identification of his specimens should be the principal object of an ege-collector, to attain which-all oth- erstmust give way. There are per- haps few districts in the world, and certainly no regions of any extent, whose faunas are so well known that the most rigid identification may be dispensed with. Next to identifying his speciinens, the most important duty of an egg-collector is to authen- tieate them by marking them in some manner. and on some regular system as will leaye no doubt, as lone asthey exist, of their having been obtained by hinn, and cf the degree of identification to which they were subjected. Neatness in the mode of elptying the shells cf their contents, and other similar matters, are much to be commended; they render the speciinens more fitted for the cabinet. But the main points to be attended To, as being those by which science ean ~alone be benefited, are identifi- cation and authentication. IDENTIFICATION. Of course the most satisfactory, and often the simplest, way of identi- fying the species to which a-nest of eges. when found, belong, is to ob- tain one of the parents, by shooting, snaring or trapping. But it some- times, in practice, happens that this is found to be difficult, from one cause or another—such as the wary instincts of the birds, or the necessi- ties of his position compelling the traveller to lose no time, or the scarcity of the species making him unwilling to destroy the individuals. In any of these cases there is nothing to be done but to make as careful an examination as circumstances will adiit, of the precise situation of the nest, the materials of which it iscom- posed (supposing the collector can- not bring it away with him), and ac- curately to survey the surrounding locality, to observe by what species it is frequented; all the particulars of which examination should be fully noted down at the earliest opportu- nity possible. Should, however, either or both birds be killed, they should be skinned, or at least some characteristic part of the bird pre- served, and duly labelled to corres- pond with the inscriptions subse- quently put upon the eggs, and al- ways with a reference to the collect- or’s journal or note-book, wherein fuller details may be found.’ The oologist is especially warned not to be misled by the mere fact of seeing birds around or near nests. Many of the crow family (Corvide) are great eaters of eggs, and mis- takes are known to have originated from birds of that kind being seen near nests of which they were certainly not the owners. Others, such as the titinice (Paride), though not plun- derers, obtain their food by inces- santly seeking it even in the very lo- calities where many species build, It often happens, also, that two dif- ferent birds have their nests situated very close to: one another, and if they be allied species, the collector may be easily deceived. Thus, it has come to the writer’s knowledge that the dunlin (Tringa alpina) and the pur- ple sandpiper (Tringa maritima) have had their nests only a few feet apart. At first a pair of the latter only were seen, which by their actions betray- ed their uneasiness. A short search discovered a nest with four eggs. The observer was one of the best practical oologists then living, and his eye at once saw that it was not the nest which he wanted; but a less experienced man would doubtless have immediately concluded that he had found the eggs of the rarer species. [fo BE CONTINUED. ] ’ 12 Tire HawkKEYE OrnNITHOLOGIST AND OOLoais?. THE HAWKEYE ORDELHOLOGISTS OOLOGIST A MONTHLY MAGAZINE LEVOTED TO ORNITHOLOGY AND KIN- DRED SUBJECTS, AND GEOLOGY. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY E. B. WEBSTER. Rk. D. MEAD. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Per year, = = = = = 50 cents. Per year to foreign countries, — 6a cents, Single copies, 5 cents. Remittances for subscriptions must be made by postal note—stamps will be returned. TERMS OF ADVERTISING. 1 line, L insertion, a 2 % ay $ .lo Linch, a sie Ae Saige 2 inches, Oa) Js = : Bs u 15 ‘5 column, * = = 2 s ps 2-50 ¥ re 5.00 1 column, - - - 1 page, ee = = = = - 1.00 A large discount on standing ads. Special rates can sometimes be given. GENERAL AGENT. — Ph. Heinsberger, 13 Ludlow St., and 89 Delaney St., New York. All books, periodicals, specimens, etc., sent us will be reviewed. Correspondence and items of interest relat- ing tothe several departments solicited from all. All matter for publication must be in by the last of each month in order to insure inser- tion in the next number. WE'VE COMMENCED. Magazines have been published for the suppression of evil, for the diffu- sion of general knowledge, for the in- terests of fashion, for the benefit of the needy, for the good of various causes, for the advancement of busi- ness interests, for the advocacy of certain principles, for the defense of the innocent, for the justification of wrongs, for the comfort of the afflict- ed—-this magazine is published for 50 Gents perannum. ’ NOTES. For a limited time we will give to raisers of clubs a free copy with every five cash subscriptions. Next month we shall commence a series of articles on the new preserva- tive method of taxidermy, as our teacher learned it of F. Kaempfer, Chicago’s leading taxidermist, many years ago. Harry G. Parker of Chester, Pa.. who is connected with the scientific department of the government in- forms us that he intends to start in a short time for Arizona on a six month’s collecting trip. Just before going to press we re- ceived a sample copy of the ressurect- ed Hoosier Naturalist, Vol. 11J, No, 1. It appears as a four page monthly magazine; subscription price 50 cents a year, advertising space $40 per page. Send six cents for sample copy. We are indebted to Prof. Oliver Davie for a complimentary copy of his “Nests and Eggs,” of which we have bought his remaining stock. This is a valuable work, which is in the hands of a majority of collectors, and those not having bought a copy should procure one at once for use during the coming spring. Our thanks are due Prof. H. W. Davis for fine sets of scientifically prepared eggs of the California Quail and Chaparral Cock or Road-run- ner. Wecan recommend Mr. Davis as being a thorough gentleman in every respect, and as he deals only in strictly first-class specimens, he should receive the liberal patronage of all northern oologists. Tue TAwKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLoéis?. 12 During the coming spring migra- tion, we will publish an extended re- port on bird migration in the Missis- sippi valley. The list of observers we have secured in our county numbers fourteen; the territory consisting of 480 square miles of greatly diversified surface, attracting wood-land, swamp and prairie birds. During the year 1837 our list numbered 183 birds (a good many of the smaller varieties, such as warblers and sparrows, were unknown to our observers). This list embraces about one-half the num- ber of Iowa birds, but with our own obseryations and those of others on the start, we hope to greatly enlarge this list. All persons are requested to send to us for blanks on which to record their observations, as each ad- dition, however small, will help us in giving a complete record. Upon reading Mr. Kell’s article in which he describes the pugnaciovs habits of that rightly named little warrior, the kingbird, we were re- minded of the actions of a pair of these birds that nested in our city. Their nest was in the top of a tall black-oak tree, which grew very near the sidewalk. over which there was considerable travel. From the time their nest was completed till the young had flown, their time was al- most continually spent in warfare upon other birds and all pedestrians. Without the slightest warning what- ever. you were suddenly made aware of their whereabouts by a rush of wings and their war-whoop is sound- ed in your ears; and woe to the pass- er-by who tarried, a peck on the head was liable to be his reward. In fact, they became so_ troublesome that the more timid ladies and chil- dred, who ordinarily passed under the tree, were compelled to walk on the opposite side of the street, and even then they were not entirely free from attack. We might also add that for three successive years this has been the nesting site of a pair of these birds, no doubt the same ones each year. ro) TAXIDERMY at BIRD DISSECTION. Taking the pigeon as an example we will give, for the benefit of those not possessing either of the works, a series of articles on the structure of birds, using Coues’ Key as authority and following the general plan of the work of Prof. Martin. It will be the intention to present the matter in a condensed form convenient for ac- tual work. 1 GENERAL EXTERNAL APPEARANCE. | Supposing the bird to lie before us we will first notice a. The tapering of the body _to- ward either end, thus enabling the bird to pass through the at- mosphere with as little resist- ance as possible. b. The main divisions of the body and the modification of the fore limbs to form wings. c. The feathers covering all of the body but the eyelids, bill and lower portions of the legs. OBSERVE ON THE HEAD. a. The conical bill.and the upper and lower mandibles with the mouth opening between. b. The mandibles are generally of a hard or horny nature near the head. c. The opening of the nostrils, un- der the soft swellings of the pos- terior portion of the upper man- dible. ; d. The tip of the upper mandible overlaps the lower, and is in a slight degree flexible. e. The circular eye with its orange orred iris; the opaque eyelids, and the nictitating membrane, capable of being drawn over the entire eye. is f. The external portion of the ear, found behind the eye by lifting the loose vaned feathers which ’ cover it. ; 3. SPREAD THE WINGS AND NOTE a. ‘Their comparatively large size, due to the stiff feathers. The concavity of the wings above, and the convexity be- low. wo 14 THe HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLocisT. ce. The division of the wings pro- per into arm, forearm and Manus. 4. ON THE LEGS, STUDY a. The thigh, crus, or leg proper, and foot. The foot consisting of the unfeathered tarso-meta- tarsus and the four digits, one of the toes being turned back- ward. b. The claves. c. The peculiar scales (scutelle) on the upper portions of the legs and toes. [TO BE CONTINUED. | LEAF PHOTOGRAPHS. A pretty amusement, especially for those contemplating the study of bot- any, is the taking of leaf photo- eraphs. One very simple process is: At any druggist’s get five cents’ worth of bichromate of potash. Put this into a two-ounce bottle of soda- water. When the solution has b> come saturated—that is, the water has dissolved as much as it will—pour off some of the clear liquid into a shallow dish. On this float a piece of ordinary writing paper till it is thoroughly moistened. Let it become nearly dry in the dark. It should be a bright yellow. On this put the leaf, under it a piece of soft black “cloth and several pieces of newspaper. Put this between two pieces of glass—all the pieces should be the same size—and fasten them all together with spring clothes-pins. Expose to a bright sun, placing the leaf so that the rays will fall upon it as nearly perpendicular as possible. In a few minutes it will begin to turn brown, but it requires from half an hour to several hours to produce a good picture. When it has become dark enough, take it from the frame, and put it in clear water, which must be changed every few minutes, until the yellow part becomes white. Sometimes the venation of the leaves will be quite distinct. By fol- lowing these directions it is scarcely possible to fail, and a little practice will make perfect. The photographs, if welltaken, are very pretty, as well as interesting. >it+ GKOLOGY += THE BOWLDER. SELECTED BY M. R. STEELE. Though I’m but a granite bowlder, Litue children, I am older Than the limestone rocks, that moulder On the Upper Iowa’s shore. Torn by glaciers from the mountains, From the rivers’ Snowy fountains, 1, and many thousand more, Strew the prairies far and wide, Ocean-shore and bleak hillside, Iligh on Greenland’s mountain crest See the glacier’s silvery breast Granite rocks upon it crashing; Rushing, crushing, dashing, splashing, Tothe sea a pathway tearing. To the South a burden bearing. Hark! the crashing iceberg’s thunder! Man is mute with fear and wonder — Silent now, o’er ocean’s breast Towers .loft its gleaming crest. Far it floats upon the tide, Tow'rd a rocky island shore, Now it strikes! it rolls and tumbles. Like a wounded beast it grumbles, Roars and rages, topples o’er, Drops its bowlders on the shore, On the wild Newfoundiand shore. Thus, in ages past, the bowlders, Torn by ice from mountain shoulders, Scattered on the frozen tide, Strewed the prairies far and wide, < Ocean shore and bleak hill-side. Now the children go a-Maying. Through the woods and meadows straying, See the pebble and the bowlder, Ask of those who’re wiser, older, “Pa, do rocks from pebbles grow? “Surely, papa, you must know!” For the Hawkeye O, and O. HOME SCIENCE. BY H. F. HEGNER, DECORAR, TA. In this material universe of ours, the laws of nature are repeated from age toageandecycle follows cycleassureas night follows day. If we were to sum up the flights of time, adding epoch to epochandageto age, the sum total would be: Time is long! Quick- ly it passes away. Year follows year } Tue HAWKEYE ORrNITHOLOGIST AND OoLocisr. I in a uniform repetition of the laws of 'mnatare. That all benignant sun that shone so brightly during the past sumuner is but repeating the lesson which he learned in his youth; for the sun is old. Yes, the sun is old and weary, rapidly passing away in- to feeble age. Those waves of light and heat, without which no life eould exist, are gradually losing their strength. The vital power of the sun is ebbing into eternity, and even this land on which we live is covered with the foam of age. I would that some pow- er could take us back to the time when the earth was young. Would not those mysterious hills come to us in another form, and teach us of mar- ' velous things? The history of Egyptian wonders (Rameses and all of his idolatrous saccessors) cannot compare with the history of the section of country that we plow from year to year, and eall ourown. Those elements around us that give life to all vegetation now, formed the very ground on which our dwellings now stand. I have often heard men complain of the weather— how this is wrong, and that is wrong —how the whole world is wrong, if things do not shape themselves to their minds, but don’t you know that the elements around you are your friends? Without the rain, your crops wouldnt grow, and the springs would run dry, the poor, weary cat- tle would suffer unto death, and all vegetation would die. Wo life could exist if deprived of this precious boon. Aye, even the wind would droop and die away; but without the sun we could have no rain. Z The elements around us, the sun above us, 92,000,000 miles away,—yes, *twill bear repeating; these are the azents which have formed the soil (om that you plant with corn and take such pride in. In what way has the sun done this work? The heat ofthis fiery sphere evaporates the oceanic waters, and thus forms clouds. The rain comes down and forms rills, creeks and rivers; and these agents spread rich alluvial soil over the land and have finished this expanse of country that we might profit by it—all for us! God in His wise and all pow- erful plan has done part of His work in this way, and as we enjoy the light and heat of this brilliant orb We are but enjoying the power that formed the solid hills and fertile soil of our mountainous regions and and prairie lands. [TO BE CONTINUED. ] For the Hawxeye O. and O. THE BAD LANDS OF DAKOTA. BY L. W. STILWELL. A region lying between the White and Cheyenne rivers; where those streams flow near together, in Zie- bach, Washington and Jackson coun- ties, and touching the ‘‘Bad River,” is a barren tract constituting what is known as the heart of the ‘Bad Lanes,” (Mawvaises Terres). Once covered with an ocean whose waters in the lat2 ages laved the shores of the uplifted island which is now known as the Black Hills, subse- quently covered with brackish or fresh water lakes following the subsi- dence of Old Ocean, this ‘Bad Lands” region is now left adry, ster- ile, desolate waste. The appearance of the soil and rock is that of a ma- rine deposit of clay, sand and calca- reous compact. A wierd feeling creeps Over the visitor as he stands ainidst the towers, pyramids and ser- rated ridges carved here and there by water erosion; a loneliness steals over him/as he perceptibly feels the solemn stillness of nature’s gray city of pinnacled forms; and he finds him- self looking around him, almost ex- pecting to see arise ghosts of the huge mammals that perished with the Tertiary age, whose remains lie buried in the detritus at his feet. 16 Tre HawkEVYE OrNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. The Brontotherium and Titaotherium of Marsh, Hayden and Weeks are ex- humed in this locality. These ani- mals were of elephantine proportions, and are said toreach the dimensions of twenty-eight feet in length and nine feetin height. I have tecth of the Brontotherium three and one-half inches square at the crown. The en- amel of the teeth remains in astate of preservation for untold centuries, The bones and teeth of the Oreoden, Anbhitherium (three-toed horse) Hy- rtcodon, etc., are found here. The Tertiary turtle is also found fossilized ; I have one weighing sixty pounds. Following up the Cheyenne river and its tributaries, many cretaceous shells are found over quite an extent of margin bordering their banks. The Scaphties Nodussus, here illus- trated, are from one inch to three and even four inches across. Most of those dis- covered have four rows of nodes, two upon each side, as seen in the cut. They are well preserved, mostly im- bedded in concrete boulders of a blueish gray, fine-grained calcareous compact that may be called lime- stone. The specimens come _ out clear and distinet. Also associated with the Sexphites in the sam? mas; are Baculites of all lengths and sizes from one- fourth to two inches in diameter, and from two to ten inches in length. Many are irridescent, and many dis- play very beautifully the Sutures as shown in the cut. EHigure 2is ouly a short portion of a Baculite, however itis extremely rare to find the tail termination of these shell-fish. The head portion of this cephalopod was an open shell. : : Figure 3 represents an Amimonite Placenta, a flat shell-fish with sharp edges, found also in concrete bould- ers, from the size of an old penny to eighteen inches to two feet across, 1 sent one to a college in Massachusetts weighing forty-nine pounds, but they are procured from five to seven inches across. Associated with these three species in the same locality are the Nautilus DeKayti, Inoceramus in variety, gas- teropods. etc. The Jurassic fossil, Belemnite Den- sus in very fine condition is found at the ‘‘foot-hills” of the Black Hills, es- pecially near the voleanic column of Sanadin Trachyte. One of the great- est of nature’s wonders is this col- um called the ‘‘Devil’s Tower” of which we will write at another time. Notices under this heading imserted for one-half cent per word but no notice will be inserted for less than 25 cents. TO EXCHANGE—First class eggs In sets with full data for V nickels without the word cents on; also for 10,25 and 50 cent shin plas- ters, Henry W.DAVIS, ; North Granyille, N. ¥. TO EXCHANGE—Bird’s eggs in sets with tull data for such sets as I may want; also one new Ballard rifle, 22 cal., for sale or to ex- change for eggs in sets. Wanted the follow- ing single eggs, Red-shvuldered Hawk, Sharp- shinned Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Marsh Hawk and Osprey. HENRY W. Dayis, North Granville N.Y, ADVERTISEMENTS. “He who by his biz would rise must ei- ther burst or advertise.” BIRD'S | EGGS. Any of. the following first-class sets with full data will be sent by re- turn mail at prices named. Safe delivery guaranteed. No. Set of Name Per set 20 4 Blue-throated Warbler $2.00 25 2 Black-crested Flycatcher 1.09 52 4 Red-bellied Nuthatch 1.80 395 5) Am. Barn Owl 1.80 412 3 Little Screch Owl 1.25 Ta 4 European Hawk Owl 3.09 r 422° 5 European Kestrel 1.30 447 4 Am. Rough-leggel Hawk 3.09 303 4 Glossy’ Ibis 1.60 514 4 Golder Plover 1.25 518 4 RingedPlover «| - 80 564 4 Northern Phalarope 1.80 538 * Long-billed Curlew 1.60 7 05 1 Fulman Petrel 89 733 2 Biack-throated Diver 2.50 re) 2 Red-throated Divzr 1.00 Two fine mounted Great-horned Owls and one mouuted Bald Eagle for sale cheap. Send for price. Have more than 290 different sets besides the above. Send stamp for full list. HENRY W_ DAVIS, NORTH GRANVILLE, N. Y. iD df 1888. a PRES 1866. LARGE, MS? y i CATALOGUE ELEGANT POLISHED AGATE GOODS, BLACK HILLS MINERALS, BAD LANDS, D. ~. TAS=0US AND TE , CRE- STIARY FOSSILS, SIOUX, APACHE AND PUEBLO BUCKSKIN RELICS; 3000 OREGON BIRD ARROW POINTS. WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. Sm C427 4ALSCSGT=. LW, STILWELL, DEADWOOD, - - - D. Ae, MO WWLOSEO@ Us My entire stock of New Mexico and Southern California ES PIGE DIO RES PIASIGIN T now offer them at greatly a rates. Price List sent for stamp. All skins first-class. CHARLES H. MARSH, DULZURA, CALIFORNIA. San Diego Co. Europe. Established 1850. Ph. HEINSBERGER, 138 Ludlow St. and 89 Delancey St., NEW YORK, U.S. A. International Gen. Agency. Advertising, collecting, patents, addresses furnished in all Gene of the world. Stamp Directories $1. S..and Foreign stamp pa- pers, 10 papers et Postage and Revenue of all countries for sale. 1000 assorted European postage stamps $1. 100 postage stamps of South and Central America, West India Is- lands $1. 100 different postage stamps of Asia and Australia $5, 10 asst. Confederate notes $1. 4000 gummed hinges: §1. Mercantile agency, news depot, printer. Circulars sent on application with enclosed postage. Corres- pondence in English, German, French, Dutch and Spanish. Agent tor the Hawkeye” Ornithologist and Oologist. America. BARGAINS! Every intelligent collector will find the collections that I am now of- fering under the name of “PECULIAR OCCURRENCES” . = Or MINERAL BODIES. The best thing in the world. PRICE, = Seas in $2.00. With ‘a; Cabinet, $2.50. - W. 8. BEEKMAN, BOx 108, — WEST MEDFORD, MASS. JOB PRINTING. We can do any variety of Job Printing, ia the finest style and at your prices. Neatness and dispatch guaranteed. Wesster & Meap, — - Cresco, Lowa DAVIE’S EGG CHECK LIST MEY TO THE NESTS AND EGGS OF © NORTE AMERICAN BIRDS. SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED, FINE ILLUSTRATIONS BY THEODORE JASPER, A. M., M OD. This work has taken a permanent place in the literature relating to the Nesting Habits of our North American Birds. It contains accurate descrip- tions of the Color and Size of the Eggs of all the Land and Water Birds known to breed in North America. No Oologist can afford to be without this work and it takes the place of expensive works which are usually beyond the reach of many collectors. Wit OTHERS SAT OF It. “The illustrations are new and far ahead of the old cross-eyed owls and the like which are found in so many ancient and modern works on the subject."—Thomas MecIlwraith, Author of the ‘‘Birds of Ontario.” ““T consider it a valuable contribu- | tion to ornithological literature. should be in the hands of every col- leetor.”—Thomas G. Genrry; Author of “Nests and Eggs of Birds of the United States,” “Life Histories of the Birds of Eastern Penn,” ete. “IT must say the illustrations are beautiful, and true to life. You de- serve great credit for getting outsuch | a book. It is the only work of the kind I have ever seen that exactly filled the wants of the egg collector.” -E. C. Davis, Greenville. Texas. “Your last work I am more than pleased with; it ought to be in the possession of every collector." — Ed- win A. Chapen, Author of “Cology of New England.” “It will be of great value to me and I shall prize it highly.’—N. S. Goss, | Topeka, Kansas. “T ain sure you have made a most It | ‘‘I take pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of your ‘‘Key to the Eggs of North American Birds.” It is very handsomely gotten up and unique. It will certainly take a permanent place in the ornithological literature of the U.S. Fifteen years ago what | would I not have given forsuch a vol- ume? and to-day I welcome it hearti- ly. I wish it great success, which it will surely have, unless I misjudge the sense of all working oologists.”— Dr. Howard Jones, Author of the “TIl- | lustrations of the Nests and Eggs of the | Birds of Ohio.” “T cannot refrain from telling you direct how much I welcome. this help- meet in my studies and researches, in short, in a concise and thorough man- | ner it fills a long felt want. Add my name to the long list of admirers, which this charming little book must | have made for you.”—Harry G. Par- ker, Chester, Pa. | ‘Have looked it over, and find it invaluable to the egg collector. The . ‘descriptions are accurate and the useful little book, one that every | work meets a long felt want. The to- young collector (and many who are | pography of the work is perfect, and not young) ought to have.”—B. W. the price is within the reach of all.”— Everman. | A. K: Fuller, Lawrence, Kan. Price by mail, $1.00. Having purchased all the remaining copies of Davie’s ‘““Eggs and Nests” we will offer them, until all are sold, at the above price. Those ordering before March 1st, will receive the Hawkeye O. and O. free. Postal note or money order preferred. WEBSTER & MEAD, Cresco, touwa. pein = — -BEBRUARY, 1086... NO. Be “WHER WKEY EO - ce a i i y Zi # iS 10° * " ay Te ¢ : a Grovinon c y : *EDEEED AND PUBLISHED BY WEBSPFER & MEAD, © CRESC®, - - IOWA. .: ~HCONVENYS + FOR + JANUARY. The Wild Swan’s Dying Strain, = = = = Cones’ Key. A Merciless War Upon Birds, = — = ssi eee eee Hon. C. Aldrich. Canadian Flycatchers, = = = - - Wm. L. Kells. The Wood Ibis. Suggestions for Forming Collections of Bird’s Eggs, Smithsonian Builetin. Animals as Teachers. 3 Notes. Bird Dissection. To Mount Crawfish, = = = = = John O. Snyder. Home Science, + = = = = - H. F. Hegner. The Devil’s Tower, = - - - - L. W. Stiiwell. Advertisements.—Read them carefully and state where you saw ad. when writing to advertisers. NN Ne ew —> R. E. RACHFORD & SON. AC@KEEGTING NATOK ALLS = AND WHOLESALE DEALERS IN-—— BIRD SKINS & mGes, BEAUMONT, THEXAS, —~~ —— CSOVL.LECTORS & HEALERS BE GOLACILAL AND ORNITHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS, arn “The Collector's Hand-book” will be a paper youn heal of 50 or more pages devote! to Birds, their Eggs and Nests, Curios., ete. I have envaze | some most eminent writers to Gonsuibute to + it. It will also contain a few advts. from reliable dealers only. he pages are 5x7 inches, and the book has a guaranteed circulation of 2500 copies. The following are the ADVERTISING RATES: $inch 25; 1 ineh .4, 2 inches .70, $ column 1.20, 1 column 2.00, 1 page 3.50. Terms for ads.:—Cash after book is delivered. The price of book alone is a silver dime, in advanee. [C= As to my honesty I ean refer to Two Bank Corporations, the Sheriff of Fillmore Co, Nebraska, and others. Address everything to ANTGON DPWORAK, LIXCOLN, NEBRASKA. Ghe Dawkeye Orit Hyalagist # On 18 Onl logisl | “Better to search the fields for health unbought, Than fee the doctor for a nauseus draught, The wise for health on exercise depend, God never made his work for man to mend.” VOL. I. GRECO, IOWA, BEBRUARY, 1333. 10. }. THE WILD SWAN'S DYING STRAIN. FROM COURS’ KEY. How sadly sweet, how soft and low Is the music born of pain— How mournful sounds the ebb and flow, What measured beats, what throb and throe, In the wild swan’s ens strain. The archer, Death, and the twanging bow, And the fateful shaft on-sped, All state and grace and pride laid low, Disordered plumes and crimson flow— For the wild swan’s heart has bled. But hear the mournful ery that rings On the startled air of night! As a spirit form in the darkness wings Its way unseen, the wild swan sings His psalm of life and light. How sadly sweet the solemn strain— The dirge of the dying swan! That wondrous music, child of pain, That requiem, sounding once again— And a bird’s soul passes on. res) Tue TaAwkKEVE OrNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. A MERCILESS WAR UPON BIRDS. Condensed from an Address by Hon. CHARLES ALDRICH, before the Towa State Horticultural Society. There can be no doubt that the birds of Iowa, as of the country at large, are yearly diminishing ata rate which should excite our most serious apprehensions, though we would seem to be less merciless in some re- spects, inthe treatinent we give them, than the people of certain other re- gions. Though just now, enjoying beautiful winter weather, there isa wonderful dearth of birds. The noisy jays, troops of charming we are, little chickadees, the busy horned larks, creepers, nut-hatches, winter sparrows, robins and blackbirds, that once enlivened our woods in winter, are gone with few excep- tions. Many species that breed in the wild regions of the far north, come here to winter. These, and stillmore, our own summer birds, are rapidly disappearing from the lan. As to the cause of this alarming change, the rapid settlement of the land may be the first mentioned. The break- ing-plow and the tile-drain are con- stantly transforming the _ prairie sloughs into dry land, and thus de- stroying the haunts of red-wings, yellow-headed blackbirds and marsh wrens, that builds their nests in the tops of reeds and coarse grasses, above the water, to protect their young from foxes and other vermin. We hayvein Iowa one hundred or more tile factories. They rapidly aid the removal of these beautiful birds to other regions, never to return. The consequent loss to the farmer, gar- dener, and orchardist, may be faintly imagined from an estimate made by Wilson, the father of American orni- thology. He stated that these three species above—red-wings, yellow- headed blackbirds and marsh wrens —annually destroyed in the then limited area of the United States, 16,- 000,000,000 insects. They are among the earliest birds to return from the Sunny South; for many of them are singing in the tree-tops in February, while the ground is still covered with snow. ‘They are the last to leave us in autumn or winter. They do little damage, so little indeed, in com- parison with their useful work, that a decent Christian should be ashaim- ed to mention it; though it was once attempted with marvellous stupidity and monumental wickedness to pass alawin Iowa offering rewards for their destruction. The bill made good progress, but was ridiculed to death by Hon. Thomas W. Clagett, then a Representative from lee County. Without his timely inter- position this most disgraceful propo- sition might posibly have become a law of the state. That the beautiful red-wings do a world of good, that they are most emphatically “feather- ed friends,” the observations of Alex- ander Wilson fully proved almost a century ago. Mr. Aldrich then speaks of the rapid destruction of forests, and the fact that we are not planting enough of the right kinds of timber to hold our own with the birds. But there are, he continues, two mnedes of bird destruction in active, increasing operation, which oecasion more wholesale losses than all others. They ought to be easily preventable, and would be, if we had an enlight- ened public sentiment on the side of the birds and humanity. The first mode referred to is the universal slaughter of birds for millinery pur- poses, which has at last aroused a general protest, anda determination to change the fashion. ‘Live skins” are considered the best! Who would encourage so inhuman a practice? Lastly, the mania for stealing eggs is referred to. Sharp eyed small boys are allowed to range the fields and woods for the purpose of making “collections” of birds’ eggs. Every accessible nest is harried; the eggs are “blown,” and then arranged in “strings” or boxes. People who are very strict in sending their boys to Sunday. School, and requiring per- fect lessons, still encourage this wick- ed and unlawful business of robbing nests! Yes, we have laws, but they are not enforced. America’s ornithologists should see that public sentiment is arqused toa just- sense of the magnitude of the fashion eyil, and that the laws forbidding ‘‘collecting” for masote + tifical purposes be enforced. 3 Tue HAwWKEYE ORrNITHOLOGIST AND QOoLoaistT. 19 == ORNITHOLOGY: For the Hawkeye O. and O. CANADIAN FLYCATCHERS. BY WM. L. KELLS, LISTOWEL, ONTARIO. THE CRESTED FLYCATCHER. (Myiarchus Crinitus. ) This species receives its name from the remarkable crest that adorns the back part of the head. It is between seven and eight inches in length. The plumage on the upper parts isa greyish-olive hue; the throat and fore breast, dark ash, the lower parts yel- low. It arrivesin central Ontario in the early days of May, and makes its advent Known by loud warning notes, as if announcing to the woods and fields, andall animated existences therein, that it was time to‘‘wake up, for the coming of summer is nigh.” It dues not appear to be abundant in any part of this province, though sometimes the rural ornithologist notes its call on the margin of high, hardwood lands, and again in the depths of theswampy woods its notes direct hii to its perch on the top of somme monarch of the forest; and again he may observe a pair sportive- ly chasing each other among the trees of an orchard. It appears also to have a partiality for the vicinity of small lakes, and the rolling margins of rivers, and near such places its loud call sudden- ly uttered, often startles the wander- er in the woods, who would not other- wise be aware of its existence. It feeds largely on the various species of insects that make the woods their home; many of these being captured on the wing with the grace and dis- patch peculiar toits family. In dis- position it sometimes manifests some of those irritable propensities which are characteristic of its relative, the kingbird; and when the female is nesting she is occasionally subjected to treatment, like the female bobolink for which there appears no reason, except the bad temper of her partner. This species makes its nest in the hol- lows of trees, or in woodpecker’s holes and in the older settled parts of the country, the boxes put up for mar- tins and blue-birds are sometimes occupied. The nest is composed of wood, strips of bark, fine dry grass and hair, and sometimes in it are found the east off skins of snakes. The set of eggs numbers from four to six; they are of a buffy white color, marked all over the surface with purplish brown lines. THE PHBE FLYCATCHER. (Sayornis Phebe. ) This is the commonest and best known of the flycatcher family found in Canada, and is among the earliest of our returning spring birds. In the early morning, while the air is still cold and patches of snow still linger- ing in the woods, and around the fences, and while but few others of our feathered visitants have returned from their tropical exile, perched on the top of some building, on a fence post, or on the leafless branch of some tree; the pleasant and familiar ‘‘phebe” of this little wanderer may be heard greeting the new born day and returning spring, to the delight of the rural Canadian and the ob- servant student ofnature. Its simple notes seem always pleasing, not for their variety or melody, but rather for their pleasing ideas of renewed life and animation with which they are associated; and the confiding nature which the performer itself evinces. This species remains in Ontario for about five monthsin each year, and during that period it may be found ranging the outskirts of the woods, the vicinity of farm buildings, and 20 THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND QOoLoacistT. ° the streets of towns and villages; and especially is it to be found frequent- ing the margins of watercourses in the vicinity of bridges, where it is al- ways sure to find a suitable nesting place, and under some of these struc- tures, which span the streams on eyery road, a nestisfound. Itis an expert insect catcher, and generally captures its victims on the wing, by a series of darting evolutions, though it will also alight upon the grass or drop downamong the grain inorder to secure a prized morsel, and at times it may be observed skimming over the plowed fields in quest of its favo- rite food. Those who choose the woods as theirsummer habitat, make their nests in the roots of fallen trees, while those who prefer to abide near the habitations of man, find nesting places in the barn, th: wood shed, or porch, or on some projection beneath the eaves of the dwelling house. Its nest has also been found in chimneys, old wells, caves, sawinills, and on pieces of bark hanging from logs crossing streams. The nest is com- posed externally of a species of moss gathered from stones in damp places, wool and fibers of bark; with a little inud, and neatly lined with fine dry grass and hair. The set of eggs, of a white color, sometimes witha few small reddish dots towards the large end, is from four to six in number. If the first effort at brood raising is successful, it does not appear to nest more than once in the season, other- wise it will nest asecondtime. When perching, either repeating its ditty or watching for a passing insect, the tail is constantly jerked up and down with a wagging motion. In length, this species is between six and seven inches’) The plumage on the upper parts isa dusty olive-black; darkest on the head, the lower parts has a lighter hue, the feathers on the head are loose and crested, and there are short bristles at the base of the bill. Though it is an early spring visitant; yet it generally leaves this country early in September, or as soon as the first severe frost indicates the ap- proach of autumn. THE OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. (Contopus Borealis.) This bird is but rarely met within this section of country, and it seems to be rather uncommon in any part of Ontario as well as the other pro- vinces of Canada, though solitary individuals are generally met with in various places every year. It has always been in the early springtime that I have observed it in the neigh- borhood of Listowel. The first time that I noticed a specimen of this species, was seven or eight years ago. It was among some fruit and orna inental trees in front of a private res- idence on Main street near the center of the town; it was quietly seeking its food, flying down to the ground after some food-stuff, and as soon as it had picked it up, returning to a branch overhead, in a quiet, leisurely manner. Some days after I saw it again in a piece of low woods, a mile east of the town. Two or three sea- sons afterwards I saw another in a piece of dry hard-wood, undergrowth, southwards of this place. This was also in the early springtime, before the leaves had begun to inake their appearance on the trees, It may yet become a summer resident in this vicinity as several other species have done in recent years. In the early days of the past October, when at Magara Falls, soon after crossing the bridges, fromthe mainiand, on the eastern side to Goat Island, and tak- ing the road to the right towards the cataracts I heard a rustling in the leaves overhead, and looking up- wards, saw at an elevation of about twenty feet, a fine plumage individu- al of the olive-sided flycatcher. It 7 Tone Wawkevre OrnirnoLoGcisr AND OoLocisr. 21 was then actively gleaning among the leaves, and seemed notin the least alarmed by the many tourists who were passing below. A little farther on, the notes of a kinglet caught the ear; and then several robins were noticed; and the *cawing’ of anumber of crows sounded overhead. These were the only evidences of bird-life then observable in that celebrated place. But when my companion and I reached the turning point towards the Horse-shoe Falls, between the island and the Canadian shore, as we gazed down the mighty chasm where the waters of the Niagara tossed and foamed after their tremendous plunge, we saw, unalarmed by the sound of many waters, or the actions of the “Maid of the Mist” three beautiful ospreys busily pursuing their winged evolutions over the still raging torrent. The olive-sided flyeatcher is be- tween seven und eight inches in length; and, as itsname implies, the pluinage on the sides of the body is ofa bright olive-yellow hue, while that on the upper part of the body and wings is more of a dusky color. I have never yet seen its nest or eggs, but am informed that its nest ismuch like that of the kingbird, and that the eggs, three or four in number, are of a creamy-white color, speckled with reddish brown. [TO BE CONTINUED. } ——— + — — - THE WOOD IBIS. (Tantalus loculator.) The wood ibis, a southern bird, is at once remarkable and interesting to the observer. Inits size and shape, it much resembles the crane, being about four feet in height and even more when standing erect. It is white in color with wings and tail tipped with black. This bird’s head is very peculiar, being entirely bald, and is furnished with an enormously thick and heayy bill. This bird is in some sections of its habitat called the ‘“‘gannet;” in otb- ers it is Known as the ‘water turkey.’ The wood ibis is distributed over nearly all the Southern States from the Carolinas to Colorado, although assembling in the greatest numbers along the Colorado and Gila rivers. This habitat is extended eastward to the Ohio river; but the swamps and lagoons of Louisana, Mississippi and- Florida, are their favorite resor They are gregarious in h-vits. Audubon speaks of their Geis seen in flocks ‘‘composed of several thous- and;” but Jarge flocks are not always the rule, as very often singie individ- uals ay be seen flying or wading. Their carriage is very firm; walking about very sedately, lifting each leg with the greatest deliberation and precision. They never run rapidly; when alarmed they always take flight. They feed entirely upon fish and other aquatic animals, of which they destroy an enormous quantity; fishes, frogs, young alligators and snakes being their prey. Its method of ob- taining food is very singular; as soon as its prey is discovered, it begins a dance, roiling the water so that the fishes, ete., rise to the surface, when it strikes them with its bill. The eggs are elliptical in form; a dull white color, without markings, and rather rough to the touch, with a coating of flaky caleareous sub- Two or three constitute a 1 stance. set. The voung are entirely dusky-gray, with brownish-black wings and bill. The heads is at first covered witha downy plumage, but gradually be- comes bald. About four years are required for the bird to attain the adult plumage. >:+-00L0GY Hi SUGGESTIONS FOR PROPERLY FORMING COLLECTIONS OF BIRDS’ EGGS. Indeed it may, generally speaking, be said of most birds, that whenever they havemests of their own they are acquainted with those of their neigh- bors, which by their actions they will often betray to the collector who may be patiently, watching them. Birds, again, will occasionally lay their eggs—accidentally, as it were— in the nests of other species, even when they were not of a parasitic na- ture, as the Old World cuckoos (Cue- ulus, Budyamis and Oxyioplis.) or the cow blackbird (Molothius ater:) thus eggs of the eider duck (Soma- teria mollissima) have been found in the nest of a gull (Larus) and other similar cases are on record in some of which from the species being nearly allied, confusion might easily have arisen, though at the time, no doubt may have oceurredin the collector's mind. Tt would be impossible in this pa- per to treat of the various methods which may be successfully employed to obtain the birds, to whom a nest belongs, and, in fact, these methods can generally be learned only by ex- perience. It is sufficient to indicate here the use of traps, suares, hingles or bird-lime, in cases where the indi- viduals are too shy to admit of being shot by the gun or rifle. Much inay often be gathered by the collector from the praetice of the natives, es- pecially if they be savages, or half civilized. In like manner it would too much extend these suggestions to give a detailed account of the differert ways in which the nests of birds are Tre HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOoLocisr. to be found. The experience of a single season is to most men worth a whole volume that might be written on the subject. Nevertheless, a few hints are given further on, which might not occur to the beginner. AUTHENTICATION. The most complete method of au- thenticating eggs is that of writing in ink on their shells, not only the name of the species to which each pelongs, but also, as far as the space will admit, as many particulars re- lating to the amount of identification to which the specimen was subjected, the locality where, date when, and the name of the person by \-:hom they were taken, adding always a reference to the Journal or note-book of the collector, wherein fuller d tails may be given. Itis advisxble to do this on some regular system, and the following method is suggested as one that has already béen found to work well in practice. ‘The scientificnames only to be used, except with a mark of doubt or within brackets, when the specimens have really been satis: factorily identified; and if the identi- fication has been made by obtaining one or both of the parent birds, a memorandum of the fact to be added, thus: ‘“‘Both birds snared; ‘‘Bird- shot; or in smaller space, “Bd. st.” [LO BE CONTINUED. | = SHAT: SE ea ANIMALS AS TEACHERS. SELECTED. How much we are indebted to the lower animals! Some of them labor for us. Some furnish us food, cloth- ing aud shoes. Bees make honey for us, and silk-worms give us the most beautiful garments. Various insects carry pollen from plant to plant, which, withoutthis cross fertilization, would not produce seed and fruit. Even earthworms, as Darwin has in- formed us, are very useful as drainers and plowers of the soil. But animals also teach us inechan- The Hawkeye OrniruoLoGisr AND Ootoaisr. 2B ic arts, showing their own bodies as models. Builders or boats and ships have only imitated the forms, and studied the motions, of fish and watertowl.. These are so made as to unite buoyancy with speed. The nose Of a fish and the stiff tins on his back act as cutwaters, and his flexi- ble side fins as oars. His tail, com- bining the rudder and oar, makes a sculling motion familiar to all boys who use boats. John Eriesson, the inventor of the Monitorand the calorie engine, after studying the motion of a fish’s tail, invented the screw pro- peller, which is now generally used on large steamers instead of side wheels. : The octopus or devil fish, and the beautify! nautilus, of the same fam- ily, swim by sucking water into a tube. and ejecting it behind them, the reaction producing a forward motion. A steamer haus been pro- pelled in the same manner, but not Tast enough to suit American tray- elers. The sails of a ship imitate the wings of a bird. ‘Vhe long bones and plumes of «a bird’s wing resemble the spars of a ship and the sails attached to them. ‘the bird in flying and the dog in swihuiming use their tails as rudders. The stime, that covers the bodies of fish, is supplied by glands in the head, and, like paint on a boat, makes the scales waterproof, and helps the fish to glide easily through the water. ‘he scale armor of the ancients was suggested by the scales of a fish. The Roman soldiers em- ployed in mining bostile walls work- ed with one hand, while they covered themselves .with a continuous roof, made of their overlapping shields and named testudo, or tortoise. The teredo navalis, or ship-worm, bores with an auger attached to his head. Another borer preys on bi- valves. He makes a round hole, reamed out like a serew-hole, and sucks the skell-fish dry. Hard rocks are honey-combed by shell-fisharmed with files; and crabs and lobsters have terrible forceps for holding and crushing their prey. The large eyes of the octopus suggested one of the inost powerful lenses used by micro- scopists. This animal's long arms are furnished with many cups and lancets, similar to those used by phy- sicians in drawing blood. The “‘‘fish- ing frog” or angler is a fish with a huge mouth, in front of which a bait hangs ona slender spine or rod, to allure the small try to their doom. If man is ever able to trayerse the air at will, as he sails the ocean, his vessel must imitute the form and propellers of a tish. Or all insects the most interesting for study is the honey-bee, the subject of many learned works, and hardly yet understood. Wio can Solve the mystery of the bee-hive? By sprinkling bees witn flour they have been tracked from a clover field forty miles to their hive. How do they know their way home? it has futely b2en discovered that the sting of the bee is not merely a defensive weapon, butis also a tube used to puncture each filled honey cell, when filled and capped witu wax. The bee then injects a drop of formic acid, which prevents the honey from spolling. ‘he tremex, or saw-borer hy carries her tools within a sheath, and deposits her eggs in the hole she has made. Disturb an ants’ nest, or throw crumbs Or seeds where ants will tind Them, and you will soon see anis, even far from tne nest, conversing in pairs, by rubbing their feelers to- gether, und aiterward hurrying to gather the harvest or to repair the ant-hills. Solomon says: “Go to the “ant, thou sluggard; consider her “ways,and be wise, which, having no “guide, overseer or ruler, provideth “uermeat in the summer, and gath- ereth her food in the harvest.” Ani- nals are endowed with a subtile in- stinct unknown to man, and mistak- en by some, forreason. Cats and dogs, birds and tish return from dis- tant places by land, air or water, to their early homes. We have so much in common with the lower animals, and they are so serviceable to us, that we owe great kindness to these ‘tpoor relations.” ‘They teach us lessons of family af- fection, and of trust in the providen- tial care of Hin who feeds and guards us all. Birds delight us with their curious nests, their airy flights, their wide diversity of character. heir beauty and song please our senses, and cheer us in the dull round of daily toil. Kindness to inferior creatures ennobles us. ‘The merci- “ful man regardeth the lite of his “beast.” WHE ORDIEBOLOGISTEOOLOGIST A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO ORNITHOLOGY AND KIN- DRED SUBJECTS, AND GEOLOGY. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY E. B. WEBSTER. Fr. D. MEAD. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. JASPER, = = = = ss Per year to foreign countries, — Single copies, - - - - 50 cents. 65 cents. 5 cents. Remittances for subscriptions must be made postal note—stamps will be returned, TERMS OF ADVERTISING. lline, linsertion, — = = $1) 1 inch, a — = = 2 aS 1.00 2 inches, “p= = = 2 ee Lib 1¢ column, ™* - = = = r 250 leolumn, “ — = ° s = 5.00 / 10.0 1 page, = - — = = A large discount on standing ads. Special rates can sometimes be given. GENERAL AGENT.— Ph. Heinsberger, 158 Ludlow St., and 89 Delancey St., New York. All books, periodicals, specimens, etc., sent us will be reviewed. Correspondence and items of interest relat- ing to the several departments solicited from all. All matter for publication must be in by the last of each month in order to insure inser- tion in the next nnmber. NOTES. Our article on the “new preserva- tive method” has been indefinite- ly postponed owing to the ad. of Mr. Gibbs in this issue. Orders have already been received from several for those migration blanks. Send ahead for them —we want everyone to help us out in our report. 24 THe Hawkeye OrNnirHoLocist AND OoLocitst. The present month’s magazine is somewhat smaller than the last, ow- ing to the fact that we expect to be crowded for time on the March issue, of which we intend to print several thousand copies. For several nights large flocks of screech owls have been hovering saround the cornices of big buildings in Columbus, Ind. A dispatch says an investigation was instituted, and the discovery made that, “the owls are catching and devouring hundreds of English sparrows. They drag them from their nests or roosting places be- neath the cornices, carry them away and devour them.” A four-footed bird has been discov- ered in South America. The “cigana” (Opistheema cristata.) or “gipsy,” as it is called by the natives, lives on the Anabiju River, in the island of Mar- ajo, at the mouth of the Amazon, and builds its nest in the reeds of the “aninga,” a large-leaved semi-aquat- ic plant, which grows in dense masses in the island swainps. The bird re- sembles a pheasant, and is only four- footed in early life, as, after a few days’ existence, one pair of legs de- velops into wings. There is at Leeds, England, an or- nithologieal association. Among other things, they study the songs of wild birds. Not long ago they pitted a full-song, acclimated night- ingale against an American moek- ing-bird. The sang together, and then they sang apart. First the nightingale led off, until everything he sang was duplicated and improved upon by our national songster. Then the mocking-bird struck off into a new field of song. The nightingale listened, but did not repeat. He pined away and died within a week. THe Hawkeye OrNITHOLOGIST Mr. Hegner, of Decorah, writes us that he has been studying the “ice eave” of that place and intends to is- sue 2 pamphlet next summer giving measurements, currents of air, etc.,— also a theory more accurate than the one he has already published. He says: ’*To tell you the truth, this the- ory will unfold a marvelous cause for the formation of this ice. I never dreamed of the real cause until I ear- ried my investigations to actual ex- periment. Before the appearance of this theory I would be glad to give you an article bringing forth the sa‘a ient points in it.” “ Ata public school-house near To- peka, Kansas, there is a drinking cup that attracts the attention of all who eatch a glimpse of it. The cup was brought from Melbourne, Australia, by an uncle of the young man who teaches at the school. There are many such cups in Melbourne, where they are made of emu eggs. The eggs of the emu are like pebbled leather and they are very strong. Being of a myrile-greenr color, they are hand- some cbjeets. The ostrich eggs are sometimes used for similar purposes. They are like ivory, both in hard- ness and in color, and weigh as much as three pounds when full. on some of espond with The native «lergyman the Pacific is'ands ¢or: each other by ineans o° the frigate bird. For instance, tie islands in the Ellice group are about sixty miles apart, and the carrier birds are very useful in bearing messages froin island toisland. The noteis usually eoncealed in a bit of reed and tied to one of the wings. In the olden times pearl fish-hocks were-in this way sent from one island to another. During a cyclone the frigate bird fiies so low that it is easily Knocked down by along stick. When sitting on her solitary white ege the mother bird will allow herself to be seized by the hand. AND OOoLoGIs?. aS BIRD DISSECTION. 5. FEATHERS. Note on one of the larger feath- ers of the wing. a. The main stem, called scapus. 6. The quill, or calamus, eylindri- eal, translucent and _ hollow. That portion which was im- bedded in the skin, the end of which is perforated as if by a needle, contains a reddish pul, ; the opposite end being filled with scales. c. ‘The remainder of the scapus is ealled the rachis. Rectangular in shape, it tapers to a point. The color is. whitish; it is opaque, and containsa dry pith. d. The slender filaments, fringing a depression in the under side of the scapus, where the rachis and calamus meet. There is in this depression another opening leading into the calaimus. e. The large, flat portions of the feather, called vanes, or veville. These are situated on the oppo- site sides of the rachis. In most feathers they are of the same size. The vanes will be found to be composed of a consider- able number of J. Barbs. These are fastened to- gether firmly enough to make the whoie vane a continuous mmembrane. Each separate barb is triangular in shape and is set obliquely on the rachis with the base sloping towards the eala- mus. g. By examining the vane with a microscope the barbules, a nui- ber of thin plates on each side of the barb may be seen. The barbules of each barb eross ob- 26 Tre HAwWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOoLocis?. liquely the barbules of the next barbs. hk. The barbules on the side of the of the barb towards the cala- mus end in closely packed slen- der filaments, barbicels. The barbules on the opposite side are looser, and consist of lar- ger filaments, bearing fine pro- cesses and knobs, these knobbed threads are hooked on the slen - der filaments of the neighbor- ing barbules, so that the whole forms a membrane which gives a firm resistance to the air. 6. FEATHERS—VARIETIES. a. A feather of the kind de- scribed is Known as a penna or a contour feather. b. Under these feathers are the plumule, or down feathers. There are but few of these on the pigeon. They resemble the contour feathers, with the ex- ception that the barbules do not interlock. «. The hair feathers (filo plume) may be found among the others upon plucking the belly of the bird. But few barbs and no clear distinctions between cal- amus and rachis. d. The — semi-plume, differing from the penna by the vanes being loose and downy, are found on the under surface of the body. TO MOUNT CRAW FISH. Taking a specimen (just killed) by the back, between the thumb and finger, press or pull the tail down- ward with the other hand in such a manner as to separate the shell of the back from the tail and breast. Now with a small knife, scrape out all soft matter from the body and also the flesh from inside the tail. Replace the shell of the back and arrange the legs and claws in their natural shape. Drying it in a slow oven or under the stove will color it a bright red. Drying it in the sun will give it a purple and red color. But to preserve its natural color, it should be dried in a dark box.—[John O. Snyder in Hoosier Naturalist. >it+GKOLOGY.+4< HOME SCIENCE. BY H. F. HEGNER, DECORAH, IA. [CONCLUDED FROM LAST NUMBER. | I remember a time when I classed the rough, unsightly stones and bowlders, found in onr river beds or on our fields, as a nuisance. They were in the way and interfered with the cultivation of the land, and in this sense might have been called a nuisance; but now these stones and bowlders have a language fer me, and I love to read it. They tell ine that these fields were not always here, and that the dry land was not always where it is at present. Far to the west, where the conti- nental backbone stretshes from the peninsula of Alaska to the isthmus of Panama, the ocean extended. ‘The Rocky Mountains were not yet form- ed, and the sea shells, which are found to-day embedded in the solid rock, lived in this ocean. But here comes this all important question. If these shells lived in an ocean and died there, how is it that we find them turned to solid stone hundreds of miles from an ocean? ‘Tis by years of study that the geo- logist has acquired the power to an- swer this question. If you desire to learn the geologist’s method of study, my friends, come with me to the Iowa river, and let us dig into one of these sandy banks. « What is this we have come to? ’Tis a clam shell filled with hardened sand. As we dig deeper we find more simi- lar specimens. Where did they come from? They came from the Iowa river to be sure. You will notice that the current has eaten its way into the bank opposite us. While the current was doing this work, the sediment on which we are Tue Hawkeye Oni tHoLocisr AND OoLoeist. 277 now standing was deposited, and these shells as they died, were buried in this sediment, being first filled with sand. The shells which lived in that aged ocean, of which we have been speak- ing, died and were buried in the sediment brought down by the Silu- rian rivers, which drained the con- tinent, the same as our river systems drain our continental bodies now. This continent, though, extended far to the north. The pressure cf the ocean, about 9,000 pounds per cubic foot. together with internal heai, hardened this sediment, making rock of it. Since then it has been raised from the ozean's bed, and beautified for the advent of nan. Fossils is the name given to all such petrified remains of vegetable and animal life. and ’twas by study- the fossils of our country that the geologist has been able to trace the history of animal life, even from that remote sea where all was so dark and gloomy, the Azoic sea. From the first uppearance of life in the Eozoic seas, he has been able to trace the different forms of animal life, which increased in species and order, but decreased in number, until the order next lower to man was reached. Then man was created, not by evolu- tion, but as a separate, holy creation: and the last touch was thus added to this beautiful earth. This is what the geologist has ac- complished by his persistent study; und his work has been practical as well. Our coal minesare valuable, and it is beautiful to think of these grand treasures stored away for centuries by a kind and benevolent God, that we might use them for our own bene- fit and comfort. But God has done more than this: He not only stored away the coal for us, but also sent us the geologist. that is, gave us minds that ean be developed by studying the works of God through nature. If we were to dig for coal and other valuable minerals where they do not exist, much labor would be wasted. The science of geology, though still in its youth, enables us to locate the presence of valuable minerals, if they are to be found; and, if geology tells us that no coal exists in a certain region, ’twould be foolish for us to search for it. “The geologist may be mistaken,” you say. You would hardly wish to jluvest your money in such vague speculations as this. The gzologist has studied this subject well; he ought to know, and the outcome wail be a loss of the money that you in- vest in digging for coal in such re- gions. There is no coalin the north east- ern part of Iowa. The coal regions are to the south west of us, along the Des Moines river; therefore it would be useless to dig for coal here. My space is too limited to give the reasons in full why coal is not found in strata below the ecarboniferous; but in the near future | in- tend to write an article giving these reasons in detail. In closing, let us bear this in mind, there is nothing that improves the intellect like a study of che Natural Sciences, Observe and investigate, no matter ~ where you are. Even the roughest stones can teach you a valuable les- son. There is history in Nature. You can read it if you try. Go, then, and do your best. Use all your spare moments in studying these wonder- ful works of God. Lieutenant Greely believes that there is an ocean 1500 miles in diame- ter round about the pole, that never freezes. and conjectures that the pole itself is the center of an ice-capped land, covered with ice from 1000 to 4000 feet thick. 28 THE HAWKEYE For the Hawkeye O. and O. THE DEVIL’S TOWER. BY L. W. STILWELL. There are a number of peaks and buttes in the Black Hills of voleanic origin. Crow Peak, Terry’s Peak. Bear Butte, Inyan Kara, ete., are wonderful, but none stand out to the wondering gaze of the over- awed admirer as does the Devil’s Tower. The indications of these peaks, generally in the northern part of the hills,is not that of overflowing erruption, but rather ofthe pushing through the crust of the earth of a plastic material by voleanic force from beneath. The bases of the peaks show strata turned up edge- wise and porphyritic trachyte and rhyolite abound at the places of in- trusion. The Devil’s Tower seems to be the core of a voleano, the walls having eroded and crumbled away. This great rectangular obelisk eonsists of an aggregation of erystal like columns; nearly every individ- ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLocist. ual column extending unLroken from base to summit, giving the entire structure the appearance of a fas- sicle of gigantic fibres. The rock is a greenish-gray San- atin Trachyte. Tne great erystals having generally a rectangular or rhombic section, with sometimes a triangular or hexagonal form, have sides measuring two to four feet. One erystal 30 feet long has cleaved from the mass and fallen flat to the ground with a sharp edge upwzrd, broken out of place like one-eighth of an orange. The height from the Bella Fourche river is 1126 feet and it rises 625 feet from the mound on which it stunds. Its width at the base is 796 feet, and at the summit 376 feet. The Indians hamed it “Mato Tipi” or Bear Lodge and called it “Lhe bad god’s tower.” hence the name Devil’s Tower. Eminent geologists who have ex amined it say “it is a remarkable structure and appears pot to have been repeated elsewhere in nature but stands alone, uniqne and mys- terious.” EXCHANGE NOTICES. Notices under this heading inserted for one-half cent per word but no notice will be inserted for less than 25 cents. WANTED-—First-class eggs of Swallow-tailed Kite, Prairie Falcon, Pigeon Hawk, American Bittern, Wi!son’s Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper, Bartram’s Sandpiper, Baldpate, Biue and Green-winged Tel, Hooded Sheidrake, Noddy and Sooty Terns. I can offer sets of Golden Eagle, Iceland Falcon, Iceland Gulls, Skua Gulls, and other eggs trom the Arctic regions W. RAINE, Waiton St, Toronto, Canada. TO BEXCHANGE-—Bird’s eggs insets with full data for hsetas [may want; also one new Bailard Ritle, 22 cal., for sac or to ea- change for eggs in sets. Wanted the following single eggs; Red-shouldered Hawk, Marsh Sharp-shinned, and Broad-winged Hawks and Osprey. Uignry W, Davi-, North Granville N. Y. TO EXCHANGE—F class eggs in sets with full data for V nickles without the word cents on; also for i0, 25and 50 cent shin plas- ters. HENkyY W. Davis, North Granville, N. Y. ADVERTISEMENIES, eee his te ea te ee el- ther burst or advertise.” EVERTONG SHOULD HAVEIT! —_-—»-__. W.ite and receive a large sheet of print- ed explanations regarding our new and easy prucess of _ pre- serving birds, ete. esa TS A TON Gee Easy to learn; seareely any expense; 10 time or mouey wasted; few tools re- quired, and those made at home; simple and effective; no difficult ecom- plicaus to dishearten the amateur 0- be- Zinner; satisfaction guaranted. A W?YSS:ND 2c STAMP FOR RuPLY! Hyps, Skins, ete., to exchange. Wanted—All kinds of Natnial History Spevinreas, also Indian Relics. # WM. CLIEBS, KALAMAZOO, MICH. Gem arrew points from the Willame'te riyer, Oregon. at wholesale and retail 3000 ou hand. GE&NICIN TRACHITTE From the “Devil's Tower, (described elsewhere in these columns,) for sale in cabinet specimens. Black Hill’. minerals. bad Lend's, D. T., fossils Sionx and Apach buckskin beaded relies. For S-puge illustraied catalogue write to L. W. STILWELL. Deadwood, D. T. BIRD'S J EGGS. | Any of the following first-class sets ' with full data will be sent by re- turn mail at prices named. Safe delivery guaranteed. No. Set of Name Per set 20 4 Blne-throated Warhler $2.00 26 2 SBlack-crested Flycatcher 1.00 52 4 Red-bellied Nuthatch 1.80 394 5 Am. Barn Owl 1.80 42 3 = Little Screch Owl 1.25 407a 4 European Hawk Owl 3,00 422 DB European Kestrel 1,30 447 4 Am, Rough-leggel Hawk 3.00 503 4 Glossy Ibis 1.69 Al4 4 Golden Plover 1.95 518 4 Ringed Plover 80 ies 4 Northern Phalarope 1,80 558 * Long-billed Curlew 1.60 "05 1 Fulman Petrel 80 738 2 Black-throated Diver 2.50 740 2 Red-throated Diver 1.00 133 3 Roseate Spoonbill 3.00 264 4 Am Osprey 1,25 375 2 Great Horned Owl 3.00 PAS 2 Barred Ow! 1.6 531 5 Lawrence Goldfinch 1.25 Two fine muted Great-horned Owls and one moutited Ba ! Magle for sale cheap. Send for price. Have o0re than 200 different sets besides the abov:. S xi stamp for full list. HENRY W. DAVIS, NORTH GRANVILLE, N. Y. BIRDS EGGS AND SKIRS At reasonable prices. Send stamp . for price list. : J, A, SINGLEY, GIDDINGS, TEXAS. s Kstablisued 1859. Ph. HEINSBERGER, 188 Ludlow St. and 89 Delancey St., NEW YORK, U. 8. A. International Gen. Agency. | Advertising, collecting,. patents, addresses furnished in all parts of the world.’ Stamp Directories $1. U. S. and Foreign stamp pa- pers, 10 papers $1. Postage and Revenue of all countries for sale. 100) assorted European ostage stamps $1. 109 postage stamps of Sonth and Central America, West’ India Is- lancs $1. ‘100 different postage stamps of Asia and 4ustralia $5, 10 asst. Confederate notes $1. 4060 gummed hinges $1. Mercantile agency, news depot, printer. Circulars sent on application with enclosed posiaxe. Corres- pondence in English, German, French, Dutch and Spanish. ? Apent for the Hawkeye Ornithologist and Oologist. Eurose. America = DAVIE'S & SEY 10 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF WORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. FINE ILLUSTRATIONS BY THEQDORE JASPER, A. M., M. D. This work has taken a permanent place in the literature relating to the Nesting Habits of our North American Birds. It contains accurate deserip- tions of the Color and Nize of the Eggs of all the Land and Water Birds known to breed in North America. No Oologist can afford to be without this work and it takes the place of expensive works which are usually beyond _ the reach of many collectors. ie WHET OLMERS SAY OF IT. “The illustrations are new and far. ‘‘I take pleasure in acknowledging ahead of the old cross-evyed owls and the receipt of your ‘Key to the Eggs the like which are found in so many of North American Birds.” It is very ancient and modern works on the handsomely gotten up and unique. subject.” —Thomas MeIlwruith, Author It will certainly take a permanent of the *““Birds of Ontario.” - place in the ornithological literature “T consider it a valuable contribu- | ‘would I not have given forsuch a yvol- tion to ornithological literature. —1t ume? and to-day | welcome: it hearti- should be in the hands of every col-| ‘ly lector.” —Thomas G. Gentry; Author of “Nests and Eggs of Birds of the United ‘Tis REINSD alll’ eras oologists.”— States,” “Life Histories of the Birds of Dr. Howard Jones, Audion of Pe “T1- Eastern Penn,” ete. ‘lustrations of the Nests and Eggs of the “T must say the illustrations are | Birds of Ohio.” beautiful, and true to life. You d e- | 5 serve great credit for getting out such | a book. It is the only work of the) ‘‘I cannot refrain from telling you kind I have ever seen that exactly | direct how much I welcome thishelp- filled the wants of the egg collector.” | neet in my studies and researches, in — ~-E. C. Davis, Greenville. Texas. | short, in a concise and thorough mun- “Your last work I. am more than) er it fills a long felt want. Add my” \name to the long list of adiirers, — pleased with; it ought to be in the | possession ae every collector.” —-Kd- | which this charming little book must win A. Chapen; Author of - ~Oology of | phere made for you.”—Harry G. es New England.” ker, Chester, Pa. es “Tt will be of great valuc to me and | I shall prize it ‘highly. Mahi Goss, | “Have looked it over, and:find it. Topeka, Kansas. | invaluable to the egg collector, The “T am sure you have made: a moat: descriptions are accurate and the GG CHEC K LIST . Lwish it great success, which it - will surely have, unless I misjudge + | of the U. 8. Fifteen years ago what _ useful little book, one that ‘every | work ineets a long felt want. Theto-~ young collector (and many who. are) pography of the work is perfect, and _ not young) ought to ha ve eB We ‘the price is within the reach of all.”— Everman. ALES. Fuller, Lae nenice, Kan. Price by mail, 3 os : - $1.90. Having purchased all the remaining copies of Davie’s ‘‘Eggsand Nests’ we - will offer them, until all are sold, at the above price, Those or dering before March ist, will receive the Hawkeye O. and O, free.. Postal note or money order preferred. WEBSTER & MEAD, Cresco, Iewa. YK rs a = iy Ws 4 ~ a 2 +4) AT FEN 1A io 4 ch {NN U > SOT) MEARNS SEDIZED AND PUBLISHED BY. ; WEBSTER & MEAD, \ ERESCO, - - IOWA. + CONTEMIES = HOR: MARCH A4< Facts About the Birds, - = Sa te Dr. F. W. Langdon. Bird Nesting in the North of Eneland, - = = = Walter Raine. Canadian Flyeatehers, = = - - = - - Wm. Kells. Carolina Wren, - = = - = = = J. W. Jacobs. Habits of Some American Grebes, = = = = — Oliver Davie. Notes on Sume of the Passeres of Fulton Co., Ky.. — . - - L. O. Pindar. The Traili’s Flyeateher, -—- = - - = - - — James Purdy. The Bobolink, = = = = = = = = — Frank L. Burns: Remarks on Bobolink and Kingbird, - ~ - = = J. A. Singley. Reminisences of the Early Life of a Tame Crow. : Migration Report. “Protect Our Birds.” ~ - - - = = ~ = — E.G. Ward. Notes. Kand Words. Home Science, - — ~ - - - - - Herman F, Hegner. Tertiavy Fossils of the Bad Lands, Dak., - = = = L. W. Stilwell. Advertisements.— Read them carefully and oblige us by stating where you saw the id. when writing to advertisers. R. E. RACHFORD & SON, ~GOLLEGHING NAYWK ABTSHS —— AND WIIOLESALE DEALERS IN——— BIRD SKINS & HGEes BRAUMONT, TEXAS. a a a ee ee i Ee Ohe Hawkeye Orutholanist 8 “Better to search the fields for health unbought, Than fee the doctor for a nauseus draught, The wise for health on exercise depend, God never made his work for man to mend.” Oalonisl. YOu. I. FACTS ABOUT THE BIRDS. MISLEADING STATISTICS RESPECTING FASHION’S DEMANDS. Dr. F. W. Langdon, of Cincinnati, recently delivered an address before the Society of Natural History, of that city,in which he discussed the object of “The Destruction of our Native Birds” from what he adiit- ted to be the unpopular side t+ QOLOGY + < For the Hamkeye 0. and 0. “PROTECT OUR BIRDS.” BY E. G. WARD, THREE RIVERS, MASS. This is a familiar saying to many of us, but do all who hear it realize the full meaning of these three words? I fear not. It is a warning that all should heed, and take active imeas- ures to help protect oar feathered friends. Are we aware how many old as wellas young persons are en- gaged, in one way, or anotier, in help- ing on this wholesale destruction of our birds? There are too many ‘‘so called” collectors, who are taking the egzs of our rarer species in great numbers, either for parlor ornaments orfor speculation and our amatuer papers are recording from month to month the wonderful luci: some of these parties are having in thus rob- bing these birds. We read, ‘I took four sets or five sets from this or that kind of birds,” as the case may be, as though the party had accomplished something wonderful, something that will be of great importance to the scientific world. Almost every vil- lage and hamlet has one or more of these collectors. Still the people won- der why the birds aren’t so plenty as they were when they were young. This ‘‘set” business isa nuisance and all intelligent and honest collectors should do al] they can to stop this wholesale business of collecting in sets by every new tyro. Next come the taxidermists, who kill birds and mount them to sell as the grocer sells sugar and tea. You will meet them in the country searching for scarlet tanagers and other highly colored birds, because they bring higher prices in market, either as parlor ornaments or to deck the hat of some city belle, who must have everything that fashion dictates,even if it does take the life of an innocent and harmless bird. I am sorry tosay that the demands of fashion are so strong that even our country cousins are willing to fallinto line and thus assist indirectly in depopulating our fields and meadows of these beautiful birds. Then these very same people will wonder why there are so many worms and insects, and they will say that our insect pests are rapidly in- creasing and we shall soon be eaten up if something isn’t done. We say something must be done. ‘‘In Mas- sachusetis, we have laws that will cover the ground,” some one says. Yes we have, but they are like a good inany laws on our Statute Books, no one is willing to enforce them. Let us show our better nature and each one do all he or she can to bring into disfavor indiscriminate set collecting and the fashion of wearing birds on the hats and bonnets of our lady friends. Another source of trouble isour Game Laws which appear to protect our game birds, but were really made in the interest Of our city sportsmen and gun clubs. The law forbids the farmers hooting partridge on his own farm, during certain sea- sons of the year, evenif they are d2- stroying the buds on his fruit trees. It also forbids the farmer’s boy from trapping or snaring this bird during any season of the year. But when this law is ‘‘off,” the city sportsmen can take their dogs and scour the country for miles, allowing them to chase the farmers’ sheep and clean- ing 01.t all the birds the law is sup- posed to protect. No wonder there is such a scarcity of all kinds of birds. Every thing seems to be against them. We should teach the young tolove and protect all of God’s ecrea- tures from the smallest to the great- est. After we have created ahealthy sentiment in that direction, then will come a change, and not till then. All consistent students of ornithology and oology should do their best to bring about this change for the bet- ter protection of our birds. 46 Tue Hawkeye ORNITHOLOGIST AND OotroeisT. “HE HAWKEYE ORDILTHOLOGISTEOOLOGIST I. D. Mrap. Towa. E.B. WEBSTER. Cresco; /=))- A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO ORNITHOLOGY, KINDRED SUBJECTS, AND GEOLOGY. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Per year, pe es = = = 50 cents. Per year to foreign countries, — — 65 ceuts. Single copies, = - - - 5 cents. Remittances for subscriptions must he made by postal note—stamps will be returned, TERMS OF ADVELTISING. 1 line, Linsertion, — - - - $ .10 1 inch, aS - = = - = 1.00 2 inches, Sea = = = = 1.75 a¢ column, * - = = = = 2.50) WCCO) MMe ea = = = = 5.60 1 page, Se - - - - 4 1v..0 A large discount on standing ads. Special rates can sometimes be given. GENERAL AGENT. — Ph. Heinsberger, 183 Ludlow St., and 89 Delaney St., New York. All books, periodicals, specimens, etc., sent us will be reviewed. Correspondence and items of interest relat- ing tothe several departments solicited from all. All matter for publication must be in by the last of each month in order to insure inscr- tion in the next number. Entered at the postoflice ut Cresco, Iowa, as second class matter. OTES. During the recent cold weather at San Francisco, the city was visited by thousands of snow birds of a kind never seen there before. Mr E. L. Brown, a well-known taxi- dermist of Durand, Wis., informs us that he has just returned from an ex- tended expedition after Moose and Elk in Northern Minnesota. The remaining copies of the second edition of Oliver Dayie’s “Nests and Eggs” are so few that he is about to issue a third edition. It will probably be ready by the Ist of April. ‘ Owing to a rush of outside work the present month we were necessari- ly compelled to limit this issue to twenty-two pages, thus crowding out several valuable articles. Hs- pecially do we regret having to hold one on the ‘‘Care of Minerals” by W. S. Beekinan, Ph. C., of West Medford, Mass. We publish this month in the space usually devoted to the protection of birds from useless destruction, a con- densation of an able speech deliver- ed by W. F-. Langdon, before the So- ciety of Natural History of Cincinnati and published in one of the daily papers of that place. While we do not wish it to be understood that our views coincide entirely with those of Mr. Langdon, still we think a careful reading will furnish all with much food for reflection. Mr. Austin C. Stemple, of Fort Madison, Iowa, informs us of the dis- covery at that place, sometime dur- ing last June, of a large tooth, sup- posed to be that of the mastodon. It was found by a colored workman, about twenty feet below the surface of the water, while work was in pro- gress on the piers of the C. 8. T.— Cal., bridge which crosses the river there. The workinan gave it to the firm by which he was employed and itissaid that they sent it to some museum. As Mr. Stemple was re- porting for the daily paper of that city at the time, he had the pleasure of seeing the tooth, which he judged to weigh upward of six pounds,and to be eight inches in length by four and a half in width. This is the second tooth of the mastodon that has been found in that locality. THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLocist. 47 KIND WORDS. So many of our friends have, during the past two months, complimented us on the character and contents of our Magazine that we have been induced to present brief extracts from a few of the letters, trusting that they may be of 1n- terest to others. COLUMBUS, OHIO, Jan. 10, 1888. WEBSTER & MEAD, Gentlemen:—Your magazine caine duly to hand. I am highly pleased with it in every particular; its gener- al style ete., ought to insure you suc- cess in its future numbers. You cer- tainly understand the publishing business which, I can see, will aid you wonderfully in the undertaking. Very Truly, OLIVER DAVIE. LISTOWEL, ONTARIO, Jan. 9, 1888. Messrs. WEBSTER & MEAD. Friends:—Your letter and No. 1 of the Hawkeye O. and O. iave come to hand and read with interest. As to the magazine, I am much pleased with its general appearance, form, type, and general contents. I wish it success, and hope it will at once become the standard organ of all the ornithologists of the Mississippi val- Ve yin22--<:-- Wishing you success I re- inain, Very Respectfully Yours, Wm. L. KELLs. THREE RIVERS, MAss., Jan. 9, 1888. WEBSTER & MEAD, CRESCO, lowaA Gentlemen:-Your magazine received. I am well pleased with its general appearance, and compliment you on the general arrangement and style of the subject matter.’ It will recom- mend itself to all live ornithologists; it is just what is’ needed at the pres- ent time, and I can cheerfully recoin- inend it to any and all of my friends. coatoncee I anticipate mmuch pleasure in reading your magazine the coming season. Yours Fraternally, E. G. WARD. Waynessure, Pa., Jan. 31, 1888. Messrs. WEBSTER & MEAD, CRESCO, Iowa. Dear Sirs:—Copy of the ‘“‘H. O. and O.” to hand and \;ell pleased with it. Seeeatcs To ny eye it is a neat magazine and is full of interesting articles. Wishing you abundant success, I re- main Oologically Yours, J. WARREN JACOBS. BuRR OAK, IA., Jan. 12, 1888. EDITORS HAWKEYE O. AND O. Dear Sirs:—Received the first nuim- ber of the O. and O. last week and it is fully as good as I expected—ex- cellent for the money. Sucha mag- - azine should work up a good sub- scription list, and I hope you may be fully successful. Respectfully Yours, HERMAN F. HEGNER. Sr. PAuL, Minn., Jan, 9, 1888. MEssrs. WEBSTER & MEAD. Gentlemen:—I received a sample Copy of your Hawkeye O. and O., which Mr. Davis of North Granville kindly sent me. Jtis needless to say that I ai extremely pleased with it, and so subscribe for it. It is a useful as well as pleasant reading magazine, full of useful information; a maga- zine which was largely needed, one that devotes itself to the study of or- nithology and oology. I will gladly give my serviceand time torecord the bird inigration of this place......... and allow me here to ask if any reader of the O. and O. knows if the indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) inhab- its this part of the country—south- ern Minnesota. I have noticed a bird of the description which leads me to believe it to be an indigo bun- ting. Respectfully, C. J. SONNEN. HickMAN, Ky., Jan. 12,1888. Dear Sirs:—The Hawkeye O. and O. at hand some time ago. I am yery much pleased with it. It ex- ceeds my expectations. Your Friend, L. O. PINDAR. Nort GRANVILLE, N. ¥Y., Jan. 8, 1885 W. & M., Gents:—Paper came to hand a few days ago, also extra copies for which accept thanks.......-- It is neat in ap- pearance and and should think it onght to havea good support from the ornithological world. Yours truly, H. W. Davis. looks, Toronto, CANADA, Jan. 6, 1888. Messrs. WEBSTER & MAD, Dear Sivs:—I duly received a copy of your new journal, and wish it great success, please enter ny name as a subseriber.....- [have been an enthn- siastic ornithologist for twelve years; most of the time being devoted to British Ornithology. I have only beenin this country two vears. I was a member of the Yorkshire (Eng- land) Naturalist Society and the Leeds Naturalist’s Club.........During the past four years I have been at much expense inemploying my own private collectors in Iceland, Hol- land, Turkey, in Asia and other places......... My collection of eggs, consisting of some 15,000 specimens, is almost as complete as I ean make bees Yours Truly, W. RAINE. +2 A monument is to be erected in Lincoln Park, Chicago, to the great naturalist, Linneus. This monument will be modeled after the one erected to him in Stockholm, by King Charles XIV. Z8 Tur HawKkEVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLocistT. GEOLOGY & ININERALOGY, Tor the Tuwkeye O. and O. THE SCIENTIST. BY H. F. HEGNER, DECORAH, IOWA. For the scientist all the works of nature are beautiful or sublime. First they come to him clothed in the cerements of finitude, and he loves to study them in this. form, again, he studies them in the infinite and boundless expanse of the firmament above, and the sublimity of the laws that guide the planets through the realms of space is fully realized by him. Tne works of nature are like a mirror of truth for the glory of the scientist; and in this mirror is im- aged the unity and beauty of God’s ereation. He sees the image; tis more than an image, a blessed real- ity, dear to him in that he cannot comprehend, though he may appre- hend it. Natureis the mother of the Uni- verse, and he loves her. That deli- cacy of expression which has beauti- fied her work, even frony the begin- ning builded on the stepping stones of animalization. has reachedits ideal genius in the rational mind of man. Beauty decorates all objects, and ian is the finishing touch, destined to turn the works of nature to glory, and finish them with a grandeur that will defy the misty fingers of time. The mind of the. scientist is one that cannot beidle. Natural pheneme- na constantly furnish food for study, and his observing and investigating spirit always finds something new to enrich the mind—the hills are his friends, the flowers and trees his companions, the merry songsters of the woodland his glory. The bird he knows even by its song, : and he marksits flight with an in- Tus HawkEyg ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLoaist. 49 terest that isa perfect index to his mind. He is in his element.and. con- sequently happy. If his:"iind is susceptable of deeper npressions, _ be is more than happy. Being inspired by,. the beauty. of what he sees, the wOodland’s winged orchestra in harmony with the music of his scul, he leads an envious life indeed. Nature has a language for him which is at once beautiful and grand, while a deeper sense of the beauty of his world is awakened by scientif- ic study. How grand, how sublime are his conceptions of nature! She is his inspiration and he loves her. He loves her as the queen of a kingdom pendent in self, and a companion in his greatness. He loves to converse with her, and many a pleasant hour he spends in her felicity. Neither conspiracy nor usurpation can cor- ruptin his kingdom. Strangers are they, and nature is the Queen of his Soul. Even those changes of counte- nance that beautify her face from time to time, the sunny face of the golden day, the clouded face of the darkened day, the tempestuous voice and electrical eyes of the storm and the golden face of the sunset, inspire his mind with grand thoughts, and demonstrate daily the laws of gravi- tation, molecular forces and optics. In the mountains among the but- tresses and pinnacles, he finds an- ether, a richer, field for study. Far above, towering alone in an aged si- jenee, with countenance wrinkled by long years of storm, the noble moun- tain has dropped the tempest, and lifts his hoary head in eternal sun- shine, while far away chiseling a way {hrough his canons, lies the Colorado with his three thousand feet of pris- on wall on either side. Many years have passed away since he carved the rugged columns and barren prec- ipices of the mountain side, and still though his chisel is dulled and his strength feeble, he continues his work. Ceaseless toil!—that carved these rugged peaks from thé ‘broad backs of the ancient mohntains. and perfected this world of crags and col- umns in an awful grandeur! Sub- limity the student loves and a deep- seated appreciation of this grandeur is his. He studies the sculptor Ero- sion. [To BE CONTINUED.|] TERTIARY FOSSILS IN THE BAD LANDS OF | ‘AKOTA. BY L. W. STILWELL, DEADWOOD, D. Tf. The Bad Lands of Dakota along the Cheyenne and White rivers have attracted the attention of such scien- tists as Profs. Marsh, Leidy, Cope, Agassiz, Dana, Crosby, and others and very much time has been given by these eminent men to the study of fossil remains found in this region. Probably the most complete collec- tions of specimens from these noted Miocene and Pliocene beds, are in the possession of Yale College and Sinithsonian Institute. Collectors from these Institutes have spent much time and labor collecting skulls, teeth and skeletons of the strange animals left buried or bleaching in these des- siccated post-tertiary, lake bottoms. These fossil beds appear like a scar upon the face of old earth and the soil is indeed bad land; yet time and chemical action of the elements may transform this sterile land into fertile and productive soil. Unproducing soils have frequently yielded up their riches in this far western country to the tickling plow share of the new settlers. It would be a long story to go over discoveries and descriptions of the mamunalia which have been unearthed here. I have space only to mention afew of the forms. The tooth, a cut of which is here given, is a medium 50 THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND Ootocisr. sized molar of the Brontotherium. There are eight or nine molars. up- on each side of the upper jaw. The back snolar is 8 to 82 inches square upon the crown, and each one from back to front of mouth is:smaller in a graduating scale until a conical-shap- ed tooth, a sort of a tusk, is reached. The teeth are great, handsome and most wonderful specimens, with per- fectly preserved enamel. The skull of this animal at full size is about three feet long and twenty inches wide. The coneaved curved maxi- lary bone bore two greathorns. The animal is said to have attained a length of 28 feet and aheight of 9 feet. The second cut is an inferior one and imperfectly represents the tooth, perhaps of the same animal..: The lower jaw containing this, form of tooth and the upper jaw containin the former tooth have been fond paired together in onecomplete head. Yet. we call the former Brontothe- rium and the latter Titanotherium both belonging to the family called Brontotheride. ' The ‘‘Titanotherium” back: molar has three crests and is 44 to 5 inches long by 2 inches wide, and: the” next tooth towards the front has’ but:two erests. The outer edge of these crests of both species are sharp cut- ting edges, the inner points are rounded. - The third cut here shown repre- . sents a skull and upper teeth of an. Oreodon Gracilis: These teeth are - keen, sharp, jagged cutters, and ap- . pear as having three rows of crests. - They are very interesting specimens, . , The head and body are about the - size of a dog. We obtain some heads . showing all the teeth in places in up: « per and lower jaws clashed | together, excepting the front incisors. RO EON, The Miohippus, or three toed. horse, is found here. The teeth are. unlike those of any -other.animal dis- covered, and cannot be clearly des- cribed here. They must be -seen; to. be appreciated. The animal had three divisions to éach foot and, a. small hoof to each division, cand, is said to be one of the developing pro; genitors of our modern’ horse. The Hyracodon (a tertiary, Rhinge- er ous)teethi found are nearly square. with zigzag cedure on ‘the crown, They are about ? inches: square, gen- erally. The Phenneadns teeth, are rarely found. ~ These. have four ‘rounded * tubercles’ interior . to. the surface of the’ crown: that,.give the _teeth a very handsomé appearance,’ The 3 remains: of: the ‘Mastodon % an Elephant) Beaver, Wolf, Tapir, eté., are also found in this wonderful re- gion. | ADVERTISEMENTS. “IIe who by his biz would rise must ei- ther burst or advertise.” EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE IT! —ae F] White and receive a large sheet of print- ed explanations regarding our new and easy process of pre- serving birds, ete. ofA AM TAN Gc= Easy to learn; scarcely any expense; no time or money wasted; few toels re- quired, and those made at home; simple and effective; no difficult com- plicans to dishearten the amateur oc be- ginner; satisfaction guaranted. ALWAYS SEND 2c STAMP FOR RiPLY! Eggs, Skins, ete., to exchange. Wanted—All kinds of Natural History Specimens, also Indian Relics. be ME GIBBS, KALAMAZOO, MICH. Established 135) Amosrica Ph. HEINSBERGER, 138 Ludlow St. and 89 Delancey St., NEW YORK, U.S. A. International Gen. Agency. Advertising, co'lecting, patents, addresses furnished in all parts of the worid. Stamp Directories $!. U. S. and Foreign stamp pa- pers, 10 papers $1. Postage and Revenue of all countries for sale. 1000 assorted European poses stamps $1. 10% postage stamps of South and Central America, West India Is- lands $1. 100 different postage stamps of Asia and Australia $5, 10 asst. Confederate notes $1. 4300 gummed hinges $1. Mercantile agency, news depot, printer. Circulars sent on application with enclosed postage. Corres- pondence in English, German, French, Dutch and Spanish. Agent for the Hawkeye Ornithologist and Oologist. Earope. ; eeage Seen Seer RDS’ siz EGGS. @ } Any of the following first-class sets with full data will be sent by re- turn mail at prices named. Safe delivery guaranteed. No. Name Setsof Peregg 53 Brown Creeper StoT $ 40 394 Am. Barn Owl 5 85 896 Short-eared Owl 4to6 50 407 Am. Hawk Owl 4to7 1 00 414 Am. Peregrine Faleon 2to4 1 50 433 Am. Gos Hawk 2to3 60 619 Barrow’s Golden Eye 8 to 12 50 720 Am. Goiden Eye 9 to 10 40 Address HENRY W. DAVIS, NORTH GRANVILLE, N. Y. -BIRDS’- EGGS - AND - SKINS- At reasonable prices. Send stamp for price list. J. A. SINGLEY, GIDDINGS, TEXAS. ~+sBIBDS’ EGGS? Eggs are all first class, one hole side blown and can be furnished either in se’s with data or single, A.O. U. No. Name. Price each. 80 Black Skimmer 08 294a Cal. Valley Patridge 10 378 Burrowing Owl 15 385 Road Runner 1d 448 Cassin’s Kingbird 20 500 Tricolored Blackbird 10 508 Bullock*s Oriole 08 510 Brewer's Blackbird 04 519a Crimson House Finch 04 591b Cal. Brown Towhee 05 620 Phainopep'a Bot) 6222 White-rumped Shrike 04 703 Mockingbird 04 713 Cactus Wren 08 SH ALL KINDS OF SPECIMENS, WHOLESALE AND RETALL. Bird, Animal and Rep'ileSkins, Eggs, Minerals, Fossils, Shells, Insects, Alcoholic and Bo- tanical Specimens, Indian Relics, Sea Curiosities, Coins, Stamps, Supplies, General Curiosities, etc. Price Lists, 2 cents each. E. M. HAIGHT, RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA. CHEAP BIRDS’ EGGS. Pa eas SOs PC eae oP ECP nt See During the past ' eur my collectorsin Iceland, Greemand, Norti-west Ca ada, and other pi ces save Sent me more specinebs tian [ anticipated aud as ay Sees 10d F 15006 js as co “p'ete us IT wish to mak eit, PECIMENS I have no use for te eg-S ree vel uc past year, Up to cate 1 bave been supplying Hurop andl A verican dealers, wholesile, wita e,gs; and L ss ow wisa to notify ail colieecturs taat 1 an go- ig to put them on un cquai fo ting wth vea- ers, iyd ;et them have lirst—lass rare eggs at rock bet om prices, [am ia correspondence wi.hall tae ladias oologists of Hu ope and America, a -d Gin obtein Some very rare spe- 5) Li sets, Pe urs or Sing.c spcci.meus. Bliie-tar wud Warb-er § 35 Goldea Eaz'e 5.00 Duck awk 1 4) Juropean frm a ian Kest il 18 oy tted poll 2) W ite Savtat: G ‘Viliark Vy PORE ae i 3 Wuerbl ar ri Snow Zuntng 4) icuar son’s Owl 9) Burope:n H wkO 11 Q) Fuimar Petrel 35 Storuy P orl 3S Maax S121 water ae Europ an vyster-cateher 18 Leeiged Plover 12 Snowy Peover a5 Sauipe 16 Durnin 13 Cur'ew 35 Wainbrel 25 Wristlia, Swan 1S. Ktiz Eiler i) liiit wike Gull O5 G wicous Gull 20 Wail: -winged Gull 95 Re |-throated Diver =) > kua Gal 5) Cussi ’s Auk . il Rs wid wuny other species, Sen? for list. \iTwisito victioit Vimy uuplicute eges Nefore visiting hurope this spring, Tmake the following liberal ter: To every oue orderins St worth of eggs from my new ‘ist just issue l J wilgive fre.a ticket entitling them to a chia O win ing han some sets of Golden, Bid, and Gray Sea Eazle and other gool }rizes, Don’t miss this but send tive cents ia St ups for price ist aad particudars. WALTER RAINE, GWALTON SE. - TOKOSTOL ~ ANADA. Gem arvow pcints from the Willamette livcr Oregon, 1n any quantity. SB OW tS OPV Srl wU, Re Titanotherium, Oreodon, Hyreodon,&c, teeth from the Tertiary Fossils 0f the Bd Lands of Dakota (described elsewhere in these columns.) Foss'] Fish, Green River, Missouri; Black Bill’s Minerals; S oux and Apache Indian Buckskin Relies. Send for larve !llustr tel ¢atvogue L. W. Stilwell, Vezdwood, D. T. ‘ed before April 20, 1888. foreign countries, 65 cents per annum. ==CLOSING oupe: ASURPLUS sO We are ca‘rying many hundred m specimens than we can handle al oe present, and will give all readers mentioning this paper 10 per ceut discount on aJ] orders receiv- with proper data, weil prepared and positively identified. No Sects of Pernbeps 589 Sayan ah Blaekbird, 17 Aincrican Hawk Owl, ¢2° Enropean Kestril, 4 0 Mexican Turkey, £0 619 Barrow’s Golden Eve, 45 740 Red-throated Diver. 2 SSMS and 24 others equally as rare and cheap Oar prices ca no! be duplicated ty any daver ia tie United ~tates aod we will not be endérsold. Give us a trial and be convinced. SCINDLER & SELOVER, Lake City, Minn. The Collectors’ ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE Isa neatly printed monthly, consisting of twen- ty pages or more each month, filled with fine in-tetions, and ehoice reading matter, wriltei expressly for it by the best writers on all branches of Bray 4 NATURAL HISTORY ARCHEOLOGY, NUMIS- + MATICS, PHLLATELY, ETC. ; It alse containsan EXUMANGE DEPARTMENT, which is open free to all sul seribers. Advertising Rates, 50 cents per inch. Subseription Price 50 cents per annim in the United statesand Canada; Bo M4 ¢ pies, 5 + ents. ALL KINDS OF SPECIMENS WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. Ke, Bird, Animal and Reptile Skins, Eggs. Mine: als, Fossils, Shells, Insects. Aleoholie «nd ‘Botan eal specimens, Indian Relies, Sea Curiosities, Coins stumps, Supplies, General pees ete. Price Lists 2 cents each. ese Wi. VES HAIGHT, ‘hae RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIL ’ ey rans r Sx SR ay ey i oe ail ees. NO. PF e Tea ‘RWREYED~ ie : off « ; PaO 2A sir ee pe i _ _ _ EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ~ Brees ts fe A.WEBSTER*AND# ‘MEADS \ Sa 4 Te eet CRESCO, > TOWA. ~¢@ontents For Cprilt= An Eclipse Among the Alps = Aether ce ar ee H. F. Hegner Oologists vs. “Rage Collectors? = = — = = = = = = We Hull! Bird Destruction Ah i eS Re ggeg sae es The Wood Thrush, = = = - - Sl eo awd jeys 1B, leluiohye Canadian Flycatchers, = ee aS EA LEST RN ae Ne eee Win. L. Kells. | Bird Nesting in The North of England — - - Walter Raine. Notes on Some of the Passeres of Fulton Co., Kentucky —- L. O. Pindar.. Death of Prof. Charles Linden = Sa ests = Correspondence. The Largest of Its Species - 2 Sa sees hoe Newavonkt suis Oological Correspondence — mS Eos NR poe | eas eae Oo alye Suggestions for Properly Forming Collections of Birds’ Eggs : Smithsonian Bulletin, Notes. Migration Notes. 4 : How to Collect and Prepare Conenoleical Specimens — J. A. Singley. The Scietist = = = = = = = = = — H. FEF. Hegner. ’ Care of Minerals - - - + - -— = = — + W. 8. Beekman. PENA RA Ho nIN NPR EATS OER oO Uta Ne PE A en ne PIPE ear ote nite ray rar mah e ays gliti use RE. RACHFORD & SON, COLLECTING NATURALISTS BIRD SKINS AND HGGs. EAU MON ie a ESS “Better to search the fields for health unbought, Than fee the doctor for a nauseous draught, The wise for health on exercise depend, God never made his work for man to mend.” VOL. 1. CRESCO, IA. APRIL, 83. NO. 4. AN ECLIPSE AMONG THE ALPS. BY H. F. HEGNER, DECORAH, IOWA. Far along the frozen glaciers Where the milky waiters leap, Through the fresh and quiet valleys, Down the gorges wild and deep. Creeps the night: The stars are shining In the twilight and the gloom: Drifting through the Alpine heavens, Gently shines the rising moon. Now she’s climbing upward; shadows Dropping from the summit’s crest, Wrap the valleys in the darkness, Slumber on the mountain’s breast. But the earth has trailed her shadow Far out into empty space; And the moon walks through the shadow With earth’s image on her face. Oh, how often has that journey By a human soul been made; Passing through this world of trouble, Into sunshine—out of shade! Long I watch her evening journey Far above the mountain’s reach: Her sad face is almost human, With an eloquence of speech. For my soul is ever climbing, Through an Alpine world of thought; Giant BLANCS to be surmounted Iey battles to be fought. —Dubuque Herald. . 52 OOLOGISTS VS. “RAGE” COL- LECTORS. BY W. HULL. By a “Rage” Collector is meant one who is suddenly seized with the idea that he is deeply interested in oology, and must get together a col- lection of eggs as soon as possible. Some are inspired by reading oologi- cal papers, others become interested by associating with those who are at the height of excitement. A great many persons are seized with a greater or less desire to col- lect stamps, coins, etc. These can be identified at any time, but eggs can- not. A true oologist collects with a sci- entific purpose, actuated by a true love of nature, and an egg is of no value to him unless its identity is cer- tain. Some collectors have a large collection, but know little or nothing about the parent birds. This would not be the case if they really cared forthe eggs, but they simply keep therm to gaze upon in blank adiira- tion and boast that they have so many more eggs than some one else who may or may not collect with real interest. I have on my tongue’s end the names of at least two dozen collect- ors of this class, those that collect merely for the number of eggs. These collectors can truly be called ‘‘Great American Egg Hogs.” Unrefined as this expression is, nevertheless it is to the point. This class of collectors number many hundred througnout the Unit- ed States and Canada. The excuse is “that egg collecting is a healthful and innocent pastime.” Healthful it is, if one collects the eggs himself (which is not the case with the ma- jority) but as to the innocence, that is due to the fact that itis not. taken under a full view, and as long as it is Tub HawkEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLoGiIstT. healthful and no serious results are iminediately visible, it is taken for granted to be innocent. This is a watter which the American Ornithol- ogist’s Union is acting upon, and ap- peals to the true oologists, for their assistance in discouraging these ‘‘nat- uralists’(?) in their wild career.—Mil- waukee Naturalist. eee BIRD DESTRUCTION. BY JOS. M. WADE. Twenty to thirty years ago, it was not an unusualsight to see even the searlet tanager, a bright red bird with black wings and tail, flitting from tree to tree in the heart of our cities like a fiery meteor in the sun-light, and to find their nests, built very lightly of straws and similar materia) on the horizontal limbs of our shade trees. But they were killed or drivy- en off long before the advent of bird millinery as a fashion. They were, indeed, a ‘shining mark,” and every body wanted a specimen, or thought they did, until at the present time the scarlet tanageris really a very rare bird throughout the New Eng- land States. The Baltimore oriole, sonamed be- cause the colors of the bird, black and yellow, resembled those of Lord Baltimore, hasalmost met the same fate, as it has done duty in ornament- ing thousands of ladies’ bonnets with- in the past five years. Four yearsago this bird was quite plenty on the clins of Boston and suburbs. The hanging nests, made of hemp, old twine, etc., were quite common. But the past season showed a great change. These birds have been shot so ruthlessly, both while here and at the South, and during the migration, that hardly a pair could be found during the breeding season of 1886. * * * * * * * Scientific American. ‘Ture HawkKeEYE OrNiruoLoGist AND OoLoaist?. 53 HE Hawkere O. anp O THE WOOD THRUSH. COMPOSED BY JAMES B. PURDY. The wood thrush is singing from the depth of the glen, His clear, belil-!ike music, so pleasing to me In the fair month of May, when all nature looks gay; They vie with each other from briar and tree, In adeep shaded nook, where the woodbine twine, And the dark gloomy forest conceals them from view; By a clear, windidg brooklet, o’er tangled with vines, His dear mate is guarding her treasures of blue. Though dark be the weather and gloomy the morn, And all other birds in the forest are stiil, And thesad face of Nature, all dreary, for- lorn, His clear, mellow notes through the drip- ping woods th.ill. In the evening, when nature is seeking repose, And his dear little mate has repaired to her nest, And the last golden sunbeams are kis-ing the rose, It is then that his song is the sweetest and best. Oh, thed man way repine, be dOwnecast on your way, As through the long years you are jour- neying on; For the sadder the morning and gloomier tne day, The happier and sweeter is the wood thrushe'’s song. -_——<—>—~ For THe Hawcere O. ann O. CANADIAN FLYCATCHERS. BY WM. L. KELLS, LISTOWEL, ONTARIO. TRAILL’S FLYCATCHER. (Empidonaxr pusillus Trailli.) In size and general appearance, this species closely resembles the wood pewee; but its habitat and mode of nesting are much different. It does not frequent the back-woods nor the high timbered places; and not until a thick second-growth of low underwood succeeds the original forest in low swampy places does it make its appearance in the central districts of Ontario. Then it isso shy and wary, darting off into the deep- est concealment whenever its haunts are invaded by the presence of hu- man kind, that were it not for its noisy notes, it would scarcely be known to exist. It arrives in this vicinity toward the end of May, when its haunts are being clothed with the emerald fol- iage of summer, and when it can the more easily conceal itself from ob- servation, which it appears to dread. Then, however, the rapidly repeated “wick-we-o” of the male, as he perches on some elevated, but shady branch, intimate its presence, and that his mate has probably chosen the neighboring thicket forher sum- mer home, while should this be pene- trated, her sharp ‘‘twick,’ repeated in a repellant tone, gives the intruder to understand that she is there, and that his presence is not welcome. It is very active in its movements, and darts through the shrubbery with the rapidity of a flash. It ap- pears to subsist chiefly on insects, many of which it captures on the wing after the manner of its family. It is only in recent years that this species has become a summer resi- dent of this vicinity; and in the par- ticular places where it chooses to re- side, it seems yearly to be more coumnon. Inthe manner and posi- tion of its nest, it differs from all the other Canadian flycatehers. This is placed in deep concealment among the thick foliage of the particular shrub, bush or underwood in which itis built, and if the first efforts at brood raising are successful, it does not appear to nest again that season, but if otherwise, it will try again. Its first nest may be found the early nN +. part of June, but its efforts at repro- duction appear to cease after the month of July, and it becomes silent aS Auyust advances. , On the 19th of July, 1885, my boys reported to me they had found the nest of a new kind of bird in a piece of low woods on the farm opposite Wildwood. ‘They stated that the bird was nearly as large as a hermit thrush, but more like a flycatcher; that the nest—placed in a low blue beech—was like an indigo bird’s, but that the three eges which it contain- ed, were like those of a vireo. Hager to ascertain what this new discovery might be, | returned with the boys to the nesting place, and though the owner was absent, | saw at a glance that it was a discovery new to me. The nest was placed inthe fork of a smmall blue beech, three feet oif the ground, well concea'ed among the and surrounding raspberry It was composed externally of wool and coarse grasses; and lined with fine dvy grassaid some horse- hair, The three eggs were of a whitish-yeilow hue, with a few red- ish dots toward the large end. Now, anxious to see the owner of this nest, [took a ramble thiough the wood, where I heard and suw the inale bird, and when I returned the female flushed off the nest and darted into the neighboring thicket, and for some time I supposed this species to be the flycatcher, but learning iy inistake, [ became cer- tain that it was the 7rai/li, and have since been confirmed in this identifi- eation The next suimmer, about the 20th day of June, within a few yards of the above mentioned place, I found in the forks of a small swainp elm, about four feet off the ground, another nest of the saime species; much the same in composition, and containing three fresh eggs, similar in hue and markings. And on the leaves vines. olive sided A Tue Hawkeykr OrNITHOLOGIST AND OoLoaist. samme day, a few rods further in the wood, another nest of this species. containing three young a few days old. This nest, however, was in the forks of a red-maple sapling about nine feet off the ground, and some of the coarse grass stalks of which it was composed hung down nearly a foot from the bottom of the nest. Lastseason I failed to discover any nests of this species, though I found the birds in several other places. YHE LEAST FLYCATCHER. (Empidonax minimus.) This species, in general appear- ance and place of habitat, much re- semmbles the wood pewee, but it is sinmaller in size,andits mode of nest- ing is quite different. {ts scolding notes are the repetition of a simple “chip”; but these are sel- dom heard except when its nest or young are approached. Its song, if such it may be called, reseinbles the word ‘‘chebeck” repeated in a clear tone, may often be heard, especially for some weeks after its arrival Its advent here usually occurs in the latter part of May; and it leaves Canada for more southern latitudes in the early part of September. Its usual habitat is the high, roll- ing, hard-wood timbered lands; and for the hilly margins of gravel-bot- tomed creeks, it seems to have a de- cided partiality. Inthe dry season it feeds occasion- ally on small fish, which it easily cap- tures, as they wriggle in the shallow water, though in general it feeds on simall insects and their progeny in various stages of development. This little creature is quite pugil- istic, and in the pairing season two males often indulge in a free and fierce fight, which probably influ- ences the female in her decision of accepting the victor as her future partner. Yur Hawkert OrniruoLocisr aND OoLoaist. 55 The nest of this species is placed in the upright fork of a small tree, or where some small branches project from a larger stem. It is a neat, compact structure, much like that of the redstarts, composed chiefly of the fibrous matter that forms be- tween the bark and wood of decayed trees, lined witn fine hair. The set of eggs, numbering from two to five, ars of aclear white hue. It does not appear to nest more than once dur- ing the season. (FINIs. ] For THE Hawkevre O. anp O. BIRD NESTING IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND. BY WALTER RAINE, TORONTO, CANADA. Crossing the stream above Thorn- ton Force, we ascend a hill; and on reaching the topa splendid panorama opens before us. Towards the west, the river Lune wends its way for nearly twenty miles, and after pass- ing through the town of Lancaster, empties itself into Morecambe Bay. The sun is shining on the sea, which is twenty miles away, although it does not appear half that distance. The atmosphere is very clear in this region, and taking out our fielu glass we plainly see several ships and steamers sailing in the Irish Sea. Towards the north are the mountain peaks of Cumberland and Westino- land, standing out boldly; to the east stands Ingleborough mountain, to- wards the foot of which we make our way. Wesoon cross another stream which runs over Beezley Falls and down through another fairy gorge called Crina Bottom, which is similar to the one we have just traversed, with numerous cascades, and where more water ouzels, wagtails and red- polls breed; but we have not time to stay here, wishing to get on to the moors to find some plover’s eggs. Crossing sone fields we find a nest of theskylark with four eggs. The iate is soaring high in the air and pouring out his joyous strains; it re- minds us of the old German hymn: “Hark! Hark! the Lark at Heaven’s gate sings.” He is truly a wonderful songster. Immediately on leaving the ground, he begins to pour out bis song, and soaring upward and upward, until he isa mere speck in the sky, when he begins to descend and does not cease singing until he reaches the earth again. The titlark is one of the commonest birds of this district and we come across several nests, by the birds starting from in front of our feet. Their nests are always on the ground, made of dried grass, lined with hair; and contain from four to six eggs of a dusky brown, mottled over with darker brown, some having black hair lines around the egg. A wheatear flying from out of some stones attracts our notice; and here is a nest made of grass and rabbit’s fur, containing six pale blue eggs, not unlike the American blue-birds. This wheatear is called stonechat in America, though it must not be con- founded with the English stonechat which is a different species. We now reach the moors and are soon up to the knees in heather. Bird life here is very numerous. Lapwing plovers fly over our heads, erying ‘“‘pewit, pewit” in a plaintive note; long-billed curlews are scream- ing loudly; golden plovers are whistling; red grouse are crowing; ring ouzel are calling; and above all can be heard the welcome ery of the cuckoo. High in the air, several snipes are drumming. This noise is caused by the bird’s wings as it rap- idly descends in the air. Nothing is more delightful than a ramble over a Yorkshire moor, where the purple 56 ‘YuHE HawkEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLoaist. heather grows in place of grass, re- lieved here and there with stretches of bracken, gray rocks and boulders. Alapwing rises some distance in front, and marking down the spot, we soon stand gazing upon its nest and four eggs with their points in- ward, meeting in the center, after the fashion of all plover’s eggs. The nest is simply a shght hollow in the ground, lined with bits of grass. The eggs have a dark olive ground, abun- dantly blotched with brown and black; average size 2.00x1.50. These eggs are much sought after as delica- cies for the table; and are offered for sale in the markets at three pence and four pence each. We look around and soon find several more nests and eggs; and in less than twenty minutes we have taken some two dozen eggs, and as we don’t wish to carry them along with us, we hide them beneath a rock from carrion crows until we return. Jumping over a little brook, a snipe darts away froma tuft of grass. In the center are snugly laid four richly marked eggs of a greenish-ol- ive hue, blotched and spotted with two or three shades of brown. A large series show the eggs to differ much in ground color and inarkings. This bird is numerous in Yorkshire; I have found it breeding in all parts of the county. Only two species of duck nest inthe moors, near the lagoons, the common mallard and the teal. The mallard usually lays fromseven to twelve pale olive-green tinted eggs in a nest of grass, lined with down; size about 2.25x1.60. The teal builds a nest of vegetable substances, lined with down and feathers. Six totwelve eggs are laid of a buffy white; size, 1.75x1.25. The short-eared owl is found nest- ing here; its nest is always on the ground, asimple structure of sticks, grass and heather, upon which it lays four or flve white elliptical eggs, av- eraging in size 1.55x1.25. Three other species of owls nest in this district: the barn owl, the tawny owl and the long-eared owl. The latter generally selects some old crow or magpie’s nest; and lays from four to six eggs, not so round as those of the short-eared species. Tramping over the moors for a mile or so, a bird rises from the _ hill- side before us and dashes away at a great rate. Marking down the spot, we find a stone surrounded by bird’s feathers and insects’wings, and pick up a titlark which is still warm. This is the shambles of a merlin hawk who was just going ‘to dine off the titlark when we disturbed him. We set about to look around for its nest, when my brother eried out ‘Here it is with four splendid eggs.” In afew seconds I was there, gazing on the treasures with delight and admira- tion. The nest wasa mixed mass of twigs, heather and brakens, raised a few inches high; and the four eggs resting in a slight hollow in the cen- ter. Their ground color was a dark, crimson brown, speckled all over with dark brown and black. Some varieties resemble eggs of the kestril hawk, but a series of fifty eggs be- fore me do not show such varieties in color as the eggs of the kestril do. As arule, they are smaller than the kestril’s eggs and not so round, nor so boldly marked. We blow the eggs and pack them away with care, and proceed farther on. - _, [LO BE CONTINUED. ] For THE HAWKEYE Oe (©), NOTES ON SOME OF THE PASS- ERES OF FULTON CoO., KY. THIRD PAPER, BY L. 0, PINDAR, PRES. -y, O. A., HICKMAN, KY. Following the family Corvide, Vu HawkKEYE OrniruoLocist AND OoLogisy. 57 comes the family Zcteride. The com- moner species of this family in this part of Kentucky are the red-winged blackbird, the meadow lark, the Bal- timore oriole and the purple grackle. The orchard oriole and the rusty blackbird are also found; but over two years of study and careful search- ing in our woods and fields bas failed to detect the bobolink and cowbird. I purpose to devote this paper to the meadow lark and the Baltimore oriole. First come; first served. The meadow or field lark is a common resident here and seems to collect in colonies. I know of two fields where I can always find them, while in other, seemingly just as favored meadows, I have failed to see them. Early in the spring, I think, of ’87, I shot at one of these birds and came very near making a clear miss asonly one shot struck him and that cut off his leg. I picked him up and was going to kill him when the thought caine across my mind to make a pet of him. Accordingly, on reaching home, I put him in a cage and fed him corn meal, which he ate greedily. He also relished a few wheat grains which I let him have. He grew very tame shortly, and on several oceca- sions woke me up in the morning by his clear, rich whistling; but one day I lefta lot of meal by the cage and he killed himself eating it. I wouid have supposed he would have known when he had enough, but he didn’t. Mr. J. B. Richards, Sec’y. Y. O. A., writes me that he has known a wild bobolink to kill itself by eating too much, and he lost a pet bobolink in the same way. The meadow lark is accused by some writers of murdering and de- vouring, not only its own, but other birds’ nestlings, and of being an egg- sucker; but I have nothing to offer on that point myself. The nest of the 1eadow lark is . made of ete., built on the ground, often arched over, and some- tines at the foot of a bush or weed. The eggs'are four to six in number; erystal white, more or less marked with reddish-brown dots; uvelrage size, 1.10x.80. And now, having called the bird a “dark” all through the article, let me grasr, say that itis nota lark at all, buta starling. The old name is, however, too firmly established to permit of a change. The Baltimore oriole is a summer resident and quite common. The males arrive about the middle of April, and the females about ten days later. In 1887; the males arrived on the i3th, the females on the 23d. On the 30th, I found a nest nearly fin- ished; and May 7th it contained five fresh eggs. Unfortunately the boy who tried to secure thein broke the whole set. The oriole is one of our most brill- lantly plumaged birds, and on that account is much persecuted. I have heard that they stand captivity well, but us yet | have had no opportunity to try. But it isin the nest that the chief interest inthe study of this species centers. itis a closely woven pouch of various substances, grass, wool, thread, string, hair, iace, ribbons, rags, paper, leaves—all these and many more have been found in their nests. I have one by me now which is composed entirely of horsehair, with the exception of a white string around the rim to bind the hairs to- gether; and 1 was shown one in Ful- ton, Kentucky, made entirely of long blades of grass. I made a careful examination of the nest mentioned in the first part of the sketch. The foundation was mde entirely of white wrapping twine, lined with dried grass; and as if to render it less conspicuous, it was ~ covered with green locust leayves—it 58 Yue Hawkeye ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLoaist. was in a locust tree—and suspended as it was, among a bunch of leaves, it was next to impossible to see it. I discovered it by watching the bird. One string in the nest was over five feet long. It was wrapped again and again around a limb, then tothe nest, woven down one side under the bot- tom and up the other side to the rim where it was securely fastened. The eggs are white, with blackish spots and scrawls irregularly distrib- uted over the surface, especially toward the larger end. The average size is 1.00x.65, according to Coues; .92x.65 according to Davie. I consid- er the latter more correct so far as it applies to eggs taken bere. The bird is known by the various names of fire-bird, golden robin, hang nest, etc., besides the one given above. DEATH OF PROF. CHAS. LINDEN. Correspondence by Ph. Heinsberger. Prof. Charles Linden, instructor in natural history at the Buifalo High Schcol, died in that city, of acute mania on Feb. 3. Prof. Linden came to America froin Breslau, Germany, twenty-five years ago asa sailor, and was engaged as a seaman on the great lakes when his knowledge of natural history became known and the charge of the collec- tiens of the Society of Natural Sei- ences was given him, after which he took his position in the High School. The Society sent him abroad every summer, visiting in turn Brazil, where he secured many valuable birds, South America, Hayti, and the Southern States. In 1879, while ex- ploring the coast of Labrador, he was shipwrecked and put ashore by a rescuing vessel. It was his custom to send everything new to him to the Harvard Museun. He was an au- thority on ornithology, and a writer of many valuable articles on that subject. THE LARGEST OF ITS SPECIES A HINT TO OUR GOVERNMENT. The biggest American eagie 1m tnué United >tates roosts in the state house in this city. It is the property of Maj. E. J. Anderson, the state comptro¥ver, and its roosting place ison an imitation roek in the window of his private office. The bird measures seven feet and eleven inches from tip to tip of its wings, and it is so tall that if it were alive and standing on the ground it could pick off a man’s waist- coat buttons without getting on tiptoe. The profusion of little fluffy feathers on the under sides of the wings, the peculiar markings of the breast. and the depression in the top of the beak are evidences of the great age to which the bird had attained before it was killed. Those skilled in such matters estimate that it must have been at least 75 years old. Tt isa genuine Washington or American eagle, and prob- ably its only rival in the country. dead or alive, is at the Smithsonian institute at Washington, but the specimen there is smalier. The grazeful yet powerful pose of this bird and the magnificent sweep of its wings show clearly how great a libel upon the bird of freedom is the atrocious figure that attempts to soar over the bundle of sticks ou the back of the )uzzard dollars of the present day. If the government will send an artist to Trenton it can ob- tain a model from which it can make a dollar that will not bring the blush of shame to the cheek of every American who has to spend it. Maj. Anderson’s eagle was shot in Hunterdon county, in this state. The bird is one of the most rare in the country, and it is scarcely ever even seen near the haunts of civilization. It is supposed that advatzed age had made this bird unable to successfully puraie and capture the game of the wilderness, and that there- fore it had yentured into settled regions for tamer prey. It was found near a farmer’s barn, and the farmer filled it fuil of lead from a shotgun and a revolver without killing it, and finally captured it alive, having disabled it by wounds in the wing. It was taken to the village station, and lived there on exhibition a day or two before it died. It was then given to Maj. Anderson, who had it stuffed and mounted, and guards it now with the tenderness and pride of a young father. He has refused for it offers running well into the hundreds of dollars.—Trenton Cor, New York Sun. Hue Hawk eyk OuNITUOLOGIST AND OoLogist. 59 USN LaHoyt, Henry Co., Ia., Meh. 10, °88. Messrs. WEBSTER & MEAD. Dear Sirs:—March number of the H. O. AND O. at hand, and must say itisa daisy. lam an oolcgisi, and on January last | found a nest of the great horned owl, with two fresh eggs, which is the earliest I ever knew it to breed here. The nest was in an old snag, about ten feet from the ground. The owl could be plain- ly seen and I could almost see the eggs while standing on the ground. I had frequently noticed her on the snag, but thought she was roosting there through the day. At the time I found the nest, the snow was on an average of two feet deep. This is the second nest of this species that I have ever found. Red-tailed hawks are plenty here. I found eight nests in one season; they nest here in February and June, raising two broods. They always use the same nests each year unless they are disturbed. | once found a nest in which they had only Jaid one egg, so I went away, leaving it uutil they had finished the set. 1 visited the nest four days afterward, but that egg was gone and they never used that nest again. I have never found a nest yet of the red-tailed hawk but what it wasin a tall tree, and always leaning over a ravine. They trouble the farmers’ fowls a great deal, often killing the largest hens. I once set a steel trap by a hen which they had killed and next morning I had the male. Yourstruly, JAMES C. JAY. SUGGESTIONS FOR PROPERLY FORMING COLLECTIONS OF BIRDS’ EGGS. If the identification has been effect- ed only by obtaining a good view of the birds, the fact should be stated thus: ‘Bird well seen,” ‘‘Bird seen,” or “Bd. sn.," as the case may be. For eggs not taken by the collector himself, but brought in by natives, or persons not having a knowledge of ornithology, the local name or the name applied by the finder should only be used, unless indeed it requires in- terpretation, when the scientific name may be added, but always with- in brackets thus: ‘‘Toogle-aiah (Squatarole helvetica);” the necessary particulars relating to the capture and identification being added. Eggs found by the collector, and not iden- tified by him, but the origin of which he has reason to think he knows, may be inscribed with the common English name of the species to which he refers them; or if it has no appel- lation, then the scientific name may be used, but in that case always with a note of interrogation (?) after it, or else the words ‘‘Not identified.” If the collector prefers it, many of these particulars may be inscribed symbol- ically or in short-hand, but never wn- less the system used has previously been agreed upon with persons at home, and it be known that they have a key to it. Huch specimen should bear an inscription; those from the same nest nay be inscribed; but different nests, especially of the same or nearly allied species, should never be so marked that confusion can pos- sibly arise. It is desirable to mark temporarily with a pencil each egg as it is obtained; but the permanent inscription, which should always be ink, should be deferred until after the egg has been emptied. Thenum- ber terminating the inscription in al] 60 (HE HaAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLoaisr, cases referring to the. page of the collector’s note-book, wherein full de- tails may be found, and the words or letters preceding the number serving to distinguish between different col- lectors, no two of whom ought to employ thesame. (The initial letter of the collector’s name, prefixed to the number, will often be sufficient.) PREPARATION OF SPECIMENS. Eggs are emptied, with the least amount of trouble, at one hole, which should be drilled in the side with an instrument called the egg- drill. The hole should, of course, be proportioned to the size of the egg and the amount of incubation it has undergone. Eggsthat are hard sat upon are more easily blown by being keptafew days, but the operation must not be deferred too long, or they are apt to burst violently imme- diately upon being punctured, though this may be avoided by hold- ing them under water while the first incision is The hole being drilled,the lining membrane should be cleared away from the orifice with a stmnall penknife. by which means not enly is the removal of the con- tents, but the subsequent cleansing of the specimen facilitated. ‘he small end of a blowpipe should then be introduced, while the other ex- tremity is applied to the mouth and blown through, at jirst very yently. If the embryo is found to be inoder- ately developed, » streain of water should be introduced by ineans of .a made. syringe, and the egg then gently shaken, after which the blowpipe nay again be resorted to, until by the ultimate use of both instruments, aided by scissors, hooks, knives and forceps, the contents are completely emptied. After this-the egg should be filled with water from the: syringe, shaken, and blown out, which process is to he repeated until its in- terior is qoinp retary cleansed, when it should be laid upon a pad of blotting paper or fine cloth, with the hole downwards, its position on the pad or cloth being occasionally changed, until it is perfectly dry. During: ‘this time it should be kept as much as possible from the light, especially from the sunshine, as the colors are then more liable to fade than at any, subsequent time. In the case of very sinall eggs, when fresh, the contents may be sucked out by means of a bulbed tube, and the interior alter- wards rinsed out as before. It is al- ways advisable, as far as possible, to avoid wetting the outside of the shell as the action of water is apt to re- move the ‘‘bloom,” affect the color, and in some cases alter the erystali-, zation of the shell. Consequently dirt stains or dung spots should never be removed. While emptying the contents, it is well to hold the egg over a basin of water, to avoid break- age in case of its slipping from the fingers. Eggs that are very hard sat upon, of whatever size they may be, should be treated in the manner de- tailed in ‘‘Concluding Observations,” in next issue, which is a method su- perior to any other known at present to the writer for preventing injury arising to them. Should the yolk of the egg be dried up. a small portion of carbonate of soda may ‘be intro- duced (but with great care that it does not touch the outer surface of the shell, in which case the color is likeiy to be affected) and then the egg filled with water from the syr- inge, and ieft to stand a few hours with the hole uppermost, after which the contents are found to be soluble and sre eusily removed by the blow- pipe, assisted by one of the hooks, it is almost unnecessary to add, ex- cept for the benefil »f beginners, that the wanipulation of the different in- strumelts requires extreme caution, but a few trials will give the collect- or the practice necessary for suc- eess. Tuose who may still prefer to blow egys by means of two holes are particulurly requested not to make them at the ends of the eggs, nor on op- posite sides, but on the samme side. In this case the hole nearest the sinaller end of the egg should be the smallest and the contents blown out at the other. If the holes are made at the ends of the eggs, it not only very much injures their appearance as Gabinet specimens, but also prevents their exact dimensions from being as- certained accurately; and if they are made at opposite sides, the extent of the “show surface” is thereby less- ened. t [To BE CONTINUED. | tHE HaAWKEYE OX:NITHOLOGIST AND Oonoagtsr, 61 THE HAWKEYES ORNITHOLOGIST&0OLOGIST EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY E. B. WEBSTER, F. D. MEAD, CRESCO, IOWA. A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO ORNITHOLOGY, KINDRED SUBJECTS, AND GEOLOGY. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Per year, = = = - - 50 cents Per year to toreign countries, — = 6a cents 5 cents Single copies, - - = = Remittances for subscriptions must be made by postal note—stamps will be returned. TERMS OF ADVEKTISING. 1 line, linsertion, -' - - «= § .10 1 ineh, “ = = = = — — 1.vu meinches, = 2 BGS. t= ahi 1.75 3g column, * = = = = = 2.5) lecolumn, “ - - = = = 5.00 i page, 8 = = = = - 1u..0 A large discount on standing ads. Special rates can sometiines be given. GENERAL AGeNT.— Ph. Heinsberger, 153 Ludlow St., and 89 Delaney St., New Yortc. All bovks, periodicals, specimens, etc.; sent us will be reviewed. Correspoadence aid items of interesr relat- ing tothe several departineats soucited from all. All matter for publication must be iu by the last of eaca monta io order to insure iaser- tion in the next nninber, Entered at the postoflice at Cresco, Lowa, as Second-class matter. NOLES. A neat appearing monthly d:yoted ehiefly to philately, hails us from Mexico, N. Y., under the somewhat peculiar name of “Cumimeuw Sense;” F. A. Thomas, editor. ‘May it live long and prosper.” Mr. Oliver Davie has in prepara- tion an article on the golden-crowned thrush, which we expect to publish in a wonth or so, This is, in his opinion, one of his best efforts, as the Jird is an especial favorite with him. We notice that the Bay State Oolo- gist appears in an improved thongh “condensed” form this month. Suc- cess. Datas, 5x8, neatly printed, good paper, bound in lots of fifty, with flexible cardboard covers, 50 cents each in exchange. The Calnar Kxchange, published by our friend 8. C. Scott, of Calmar, Iowa, comes to our table bright and fresh in its eight-page form and new dress. ‘Those interested in the sub- jects of which it treats will find it an excellent paper at a small price. Every person sending me 50 cents for one year’s subscription to the HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOL- OGIST will receive free six varieties of rare Iowa ininerals, labeled. Send postal note. JAMES C. JAY. LaHoyt, Henry Co., lowa. Among other fine specimens recent- ly received from Messrs. Schindler & Selover, of Lake City, Minn., was one of the large, showy eggs of the Egyptian vulture, collected in Spain, which they are selling at the very low price of $1.25 each. We can take pleasure in recommending this firm as being thoroughly reliable, and as their rates are so extremely low, we bespeak for them a most liberal .pat- ronage. Tbe last number of the Collectors Illustrated Magazine, published by E. M., Haight of Riverside, Calif., which, by the way, is our finest exchange, contains, among its many valuable articles, the first installment of a ser- ies on Virees, by Win. L. Kells, writ- ten in his customary interesting man- ner; also fine articles on ‘‘Natural History” by Chas. L. Mason; ‘“Won- derful Mica” by J. J. Alton; and “The Cliff Dwellers of Southwestern Colorado.” f 62 cue HawkKeEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLoeistT. Our readers will notice that in this issue we commence the publication of a valuable article on Conchology, by J. A. Singley of Giddings, "czce If a person has a hobby, he geuciail > rides it well; therefore we make no hesitancy in saying that Mr. Singley’s article will prove of much value and interest to the conchological student. HOW'S THIS? We would respectfully call the at- tention of the Bay State Oologist to the following: Columbus, O., Nov. 17, 1888. WEBSTER & MEAD, Gentlemen:— a 3 eee = * I have-——copies left of the present edition (a copy of which I send you by to-day’s mail) which you may have at-—per cent off. ES Es eS OLIVER DAVIE. March 8, 1888. WEBSTER & MEAD, Gentlemen:— x > 5 Re I note what Mr. Foote says in regard to my “Nests and Eggs.” When I sent you the-—copies they were all I had in stock—at least I thought so, for it was ali I could find in the closet where I kept them. In turning over a large number of ornithological books for reference, I found a pack- age of eight copies, one of which I sent. Mr. Foote and quoted prices, but he did not take them and I sent them to Mr. Lattin who was entirely out of them and wanted them and 500 more if he could get them at once. Mr. Foote has not nurchased a single copy of the work from me. I now am entirely out until the third edition appears. I have notified Mr- Foote to that effect. Bd fe * Yours truly, OLIVER DAVIE. Mr. Foote’s article, which you have probably all seen, was decidedly un- gentlemanly, to say the least. MIGRATION NOTES. BERNADOTTE, ILLINOIS. BY DR. W. S. STRODE. FIRST NO. NEXT WHEN NAME SEEN StEN SEEN COM., Cedar Waxwing 2—3 2 B.-throated Bunting 2—5 7, 2—13 Am. R.-legged Hawk 2—7 2 Red-tailed os 2—% 1 Mourning Dove* 2-11 1 Wild Geese 2—18) | 7, Bluebirds 2-19 2B 3-5 Brown Creepert 2—26 1 Ducks—on river 3— 1 Robin 38—1 I 3—11 Killdeer 3—1 38 Ducks—Old Squaw 3-3 11 Flicker 3— 3 1 Red-w. Blackbird 38— 4 12 Meadow Lark i 3—8 3 Cooper’s Hawk 3-11 2 Pileated Woodpecker 38—14 2 Purple Grackle 8-15 7 Phoebe 3-18 1 3—19 Am, Sheldraket 3-18 Sparrow Hawk 3-19 3 House Wren 3—19 2 *In company with a large number of Juncas and Song Sparrows; and near some straw sheds had probably been left during the fall migra- tion. +tFound dead at foot of a tree, in very poor condition, +Numerous on the river; a friend shot three. Great-horned Owl—tound first nest Febru- ary 8, containing three eggs. Red-tailed March 3. Hawk—took first eggs, 3, on Crows—counted 206 flying northwest to roost eight miles away, on March 5; on the lith found new aid finished nest. I have made no mention of our winter resi- dents, such as Junco, B. C. Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Song Sparrow, Am. Goldfinch, Crows, Jays, Hairy, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals, ete., for searcely a day of the period covered by this record has passed in which I have not observed more 01 less of all of them; and also have seen nearly every day, in my twenty to forty miles ride, more or less of some of the following more rare permanent residents: Great Horned, Barred and Screech owls, Am. Rough-leggec and Red-tailed Hawks, Prairie Hens, Ruffea Grouse and Bobwhite, and occasionally a wil Turkey would cross my path. HE Hawkeye ORNITHOLOGIST AND OoLouisr, 63 CRESCO, LOWA. Downy Woodpecker 2—23 1 3-4 Horned Lark 2-23 7 3— 4 W.-breasted Nuthatch 3-5 Red Cro-sbill oa 1 Red-h. Woodpecker 3—3 1 Bluebird 3-15 1 3—18 Uhipping Sparrow 3—15 2 3—16 Robin 3—16 2 3-17 Red—ailed Hawk vit 1 3-15 Pewee 3-17 1 MEDINA, N. Y. BY N. F. POSSON. Snow Bunting 11 Am, Robin 1— 1 Black-c. Chickadee 1—¢ White-b. Nuthatch 1— % Brown Creeper 1—7 Downy Woodpecker 1—7 Hairy oy ie Red-h. ee 1—7% Shore Lark 1—28 Gt. Northern Shrike 2—2 Bluebird 2—24 Pine Grosbeak 2—25 CHICAGO. BY W. E. PRATT. Am. Herring Gull* 2-4 M® 2 5 24 Hooded Sheldrake 2-18 4 Red Crossbill 2—13 2 Whiter. Shrike 2—18 1 Shore Lark 2-18 10) 2-22 2-18 Bluebird 222 12t 2» Sparrow Hawk? 2-22 4 Red-tailed “ 2—22 1 *A winter resident here when the lake (Michigan) is free of ice. +All males. The Red-breasted Sheldrake and Black- capped Chickadee, winter residents, were also observed. —=__. Those interested in bird migration will, we hope, read our ‘‘Notes” with interest. We wish to thank those who forwarded reports for their aid; and would be pleased to receive reports from all. Those wishing to aid us in this department and sending us their address will have the neces- sary blanks sent them. Our home reports are meager, ow- ing to the extreme lateness of spring. To secure insertion, the reports should be sent not later than the 15th of each month. CONCHOLOGY. For Tre Hawxere O +O. HOW PTOCOLLECT AND PREPARE CONCHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. BY J, A. SINGLEY. The editors having given me per- mission to ride my “hobby,” I intend to give brief but full instructions on the above as well as make a few re- marks on matters connected with a collection. There are many collect- ors who can profit by what I write, but these notes are intended mainly for the class to which I belonged about 23 years ago, 7. e.: the young collector and the beginner, Had I had these instructions then, it would have saved me many a false step aside from doing some things that, while not very serious mistakes, might be called ‘‘verdant.” I want, in the first place, to point out the advantages of collecting shells. Collecting can be done all the year round in many localities; and on the sea-shore there is no intermission. There is no climbing of trees as in ege collecting, and no danger of broken bones. Shells are not easily broken, are much handsomer than “eggs; and, best of all, a shell always earries its name about with it, while you must take your correspondent’s word for the egg. And tho’ some oologists profess to be able toidentify a species by the egg alone, I am bound to say that after several years of professional collecting in oology, that in the majority of cases aspecies ean not be determined from the eggs. The first thing a collector thinks of when a species of any kind is obtain- ed is the identifying or determina- tion. The Smithsonian Institution at Washington, D. C., or the Acade- my of Natural Sciences at Philadel- phia, Pa., will always determine specimens sent them for that purpose. 64 HE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. In sending out specimens for naming be generous. Sendall that you can spare—and perfect specimens too, as it is impossible to make a positive determination from weathered, worn or broken specimens. Don’t ask that the specimens be returned to you, but present them to the institutions or individuals to whom you _ sent them for naming. Besides the insti- tutions named above there are many of our prominent naturalists who make a specialty of conchology and will name any specimens sent to them for determination. One thing I wish to warn the beginner against is submitting his collections to an amateur and depending on iis label- ing. This was one of the ‘“‘veraant” things of which I was guilty. The beginner in land and fresh- water shells will probably vote such a pursuit as ‘‘slow’ when he first commences. After making a few ex- changes and seeing the diversity of form, color, and sculpturing, he will become interested and begin making comparisons. Heisthen on the right road to knowlege, and as he adds species after species to his collection froin land, river, or lake and sea, the hobby will grow on him and it will not be dropped when entering a bus-’ iness life as is the case with postage staimps and eggs, but the collection will be kept up and give many an hour’s recreation when worried with the cares of life. Another advantage of such acollee- tion is that you don’t offend those wzsthetic people who are horrified at the idea of collecting birds and eggs and give us “‘fits” for ‘murdering’ and “robbing” the poor birds. To tell the truth, after years of collecting and becoming “hardened” to it a guilty feeling sometimes comes over me when taking a set of eggs. % [TO BE CONTINUED. ] MINERALOGY. For THe Hawkeve O. anp O. THE SCIENTIST. BY H. F. HEGNER, DECORAH, IOWA. But now he stands upon the sandy beach with the breakers in sight, his eyes attracted to the sea weeds and pearly shells at his feet. Heis inter- ested, and exainines them carefully. Some of the shells he finds inhabited, and, as he is a naturalist, is soon ac- quainted with each specific ferm, and has a learned name for it. But he also finds a real architect in the delicate tinted coral branches at his feet. Around the head and mouth of this little creature, serving as arms for obtaining food, he finds a num- ber of tentacles. ‘Nature has given. you a goodly work to do, little archi- tect,” cries the naturalist, ‘‘and these tentacles are well adapted to your animal wants. Polypus is many “armed, and henceforth, most scien- tifically, your name shall be polyp!” And then’ he begins a pleasing study. Zoophytes he finds every- where, spreading their beautiful ar- chitectural works along the conti- nental borders. He crosses the stormy Atlantic. weighing the mighty power that drives the storm. On, on through the quiet Indian ocean, the phospho- rescent Indian ocean, naming and collecting myriad living forms, until he reaches the beautiful Polynesia, where, spread out in the tropical sun are the coral reefs—monuments of submerged islands—with an epitaph to the departed written in living characters around each placid la- goon. : The scientist, though, can read and understand; it is not beyond his con- ception; and bringing together these epitaphs, he forms a perfect image of those submerged lands. Vegetation CHE HAWKEYE OrNITHOL.< OGIST AND Oo. OGIST, 65 and animalization, alll defined, are ‘aS clear i in his imagination as though, even now, the white sunlight were reflected from those ancient dslands, forming a perfect image’ on the ret- ‘ina. He studies hard, ‘and his ‘conclus- ions, builded on the material laws of nature, are reliable; ‘and now he’ re- - ‘turns to civilization honored and res- ‘pected, bringing the material of ‘his Tesearches to'the civilized world. There are other” phenomena tho’, “fully as grand as coral islands and polyps, and he is soon in ‘the field of work again. ‘The gallant ship carries hin through’ the wintry’ northern ‘seas, with their ice “mountains tow- ering beneath an énfeebled’ sun, to the realins of, perpetual snow. Past Greenland’s milky glaciers that feed the Arctic main With’ icé mountains. Past the struggling crater oft Mount Heela, where, bound by the ‘king of these ‘ultimate realins, the Fire’ De- mon struggles ‘to be free, groaning out the essence of wrath from his fie- ry nostril in moulten rivers that are petrified by the rigid Ice. King, ‘and added to the adamantine chains with which he is’ ‘bound; on, ‘on +o the north through a world. of ‘icebergs that moan and groan as though they were fettered in this desolate waste of frozen sea, to bar the explorer from the frosty Ice King’s ultimate throne, the North Pole. But no; the scientific mind knows no defeat, and’ he toils on over the icy fields, whilé the sun, aweary with his long ‘virgil, sinks further and further in the :hori- zon, as though he could no longer banish the sleep from his eyes, when lo!—an_ »vpen Polar. sea stretches away to the northward, breaking against a rocky, mountainous coast. ' Filled with the joy of first discov- ery, the scientist voices the language of his soulin one grand apostrophe: “Oh restless Polar sea, that’ breaks upon this rock-bound coast, and spreads away, I know not where, ee’n‘as Eternity, had I but my gal- lant ship, I'd sail thy tossing main!” Sadly he toils back to the south, and none ‘to soon. Creaking and Toarins the massive icebergs among, on ¢omes the tempest, and the sci: entist is thankful for the much neéed- ed shelter. The sun, too, has desert- ed him, and,the .grand aurora bore- alis, like a flaming sword above the lost Eden; sééms-to guard the Arctic reals, while Sparkling gems. glitter on éach icy pinnacle. : “The Arectie winter, which but for the aurora borealis would. be black as the inkiest: night, passes slowly away. Oh, how cold and gloomy it is!’ How the explorer struggles and struggles with the rigid Ice King, eagerly waiting for the departed sun to return and rescue. him, and at last his anxious: wateh is rewar ded. ‘The east puts « on the blush of modesty, a sure prophesy of his majesty’s return, and ‘immediately. his welcome face appears. As he comes up the way, the icebergs part to let him pass, and the gallant ship, freed from her rigid 2 chains, sails onward to the south. Thus, even, thus itis that. the sci- entist tolls on and on in a masterly search for truth. Is it for glory or wealth that he dares this? No; the luxuries of civilization are even like contagion i in ‘his estimation, and with a Stoical Spirit that is grand, he leads a purely intellectual life, drawing from Nature her richest treasures which she is only too glad to give. His wisdom i is like a rich soil in which the seeds of knowledge and virtue germinate. He is a lover of truth, and in Nature he finds his ideal. ‘Natural phenomena become beau- tified before his studious mind, and the lower animal forms teach him ob- jective lessons of wisdom, that, by their very simplicity, are deeply im- HE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST, 66 pressed on his memory. Even in the profound laws of chem- istry and astronomy he finds a beau- ty that is irresistable and studies them until he deveiops a giant intel- lect. He can see beauty in truth; he ean see truth in Nature; and Nature becomes his inspiration. For THE HawkKeEvE O. ann O. CARE OF MINERALS. BY W. S. BEEKMAN. There seems to be difficuJty in real- izing a progress that is not in some manner dependant upon care. Care is exemplified at our several points of observation in the universe, and is realized in all things capable of ad- vancement. Ourselves require care. Care for health, system, surround- ings, character, and appearance. Among some of the many things, where, initsadvancement, care great- ly tends to produce a degree of per- fection, equal to the amount bestow- ed, may be mentioned the various forms of accumulating objects for ad- vancement. Among these forms, it will serve us at present to consider only that which has for its object- matter the accumulation of the natu- ral chemical bodies for mineralogical ~ study. Every one admires a prettily arranged seriesgof rocks, and in our etforts to please both visual and in- tellectual senses, ever bear in mind that the direct results to be obtained are ever dependent upon the genuine- ness of the care bestowed. Minerals are as much under the ne- cessity of receiving care as is the del- icate skin of an infant. Those hard and popularly considered imperish- able bodies we do not exempt from the rulings of care as one would sup- pose. It is the first impulse that much govern our actions while work- ing our specimens of the bed-rock. Specimens must be broken from their homes as carefully as one would exhume a mummy. Hammer and chisel must be deftly applied to the mother-rock, giving a nip here and a whack there, making every blow tell. ‘After securing the specimen carefully protect all its friable or del- icate parts. This can be done in many ways; often in emergencies where one does not. care to utilize their handkercheifs, a handful of grass applied to a projecting erystal will insure its safety while trimming for cabinet use. Before trimming your specimen very much, consider carefully all the objectionable parts you wish to re- move. As in a game of chess—you must know the positions and the ef- fects of every move. Many timesone willin a hurry glance over a rock and say: ‘Well, now, if that was trimmed aboutso it would be a good thing.” Whack goes the hammer, and crumble goes the specimen, Failing to see that there was a weak place of partial fracture of the rock, which, had it been seen, could have been protected, the specimen is des- troyed, owing to the lack of care. In trimming a specimen consider what you want saved and what will be bet- ter off than on. See how it can be best shaped so as to stand easily and shov: what is to be admired most- ly. Inmany instances applying the chisel to the surface in directing cleaveage planes will facilitate the improvement of the mineral at a less expense of battered material. A hard compact rock may be more easily broken by striking the stone while held in the hand, first protecting the hand by an old glove, than when laid on a herd surface. Where a stone is known .to be quickly broken into fragments it may be found well to wrap the stone in stout paper, or cloth, before pounding. In this way — the smaller fragments are easily ob- tained. Always trimming your spec- imens at the quarry your next atten- tion should be the wrapping of each individual in soft paper, PRETO LS to being carried home. [TO BE CONTINUED. | _——<—-s ADVERTISEMENTS “He that whoopeth up his business in the newspapers shall reap a bountiful harvest of aides sheckels.” BIRDS’ EGGS Ezzs are all first class, one hole side blown and ean be furnished either in se’s with data or single, A_.O. U, No. Name. Price each. $0 ~—- Black Ski.nmer ; 08 2941 Cal. Valley Patridge 10 3738 Burrowing Owl 15 Road Runner 15 Cassin’s Kingbird 20 ‘Tricolored Blackbird 10 Bullock‘s Oriote = 08. Brewer's Blackbird 04 crimson House Finch ; OL tal. Brown Towhee 05 Phainopep a 35 White-rumped Shrike 04 Mockingbird ‘ 04 Cactus Wren 5 08 ” ALL KINDS OF SP {CLYE XS, WHOLESALE 1 - AND RETAIL. ‘Bir, Animal and Rep ileSkins, ‘Eggs, Minerais, Fossils, Shells, Insects, Alcoholic and Bo- _tanic :1 Specimens. Indian Relics, Sea Curiosities, Coins, Stamps, Supplies, General Curiosities, etc. Price Lists, 2 cents each. E. M. HAIGHT. : a rs RLVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA. pesseessess | me SSeS iB = RUBBER STAMPS MADE 2 Tx 11> CP EE UD E RE One Line stamps, 25c¢.; extre € lines 10¢. each. Pocket stamp two lines, 40c. Pen and Pen- \ cil Stamp, two lines, 35c. Self ‘ inking stainp, 23x1, in., only ¢ 2 $2. 00. Single line dating BD stamp, good for 8 years, only g Si) $1.50. Self-inking pads, 30c., 21x33 in; 60c. 6x34 inches. — titoas Attention to Mail Oners. tbe SS Yee see Postage Extra. | Cash With Order. 3 GREENE & CO. ce High St., Fitchburg, Mass. PSs CO LS LARA ED LBA I Bars rer are Bees) Ce ees Bierce eas PROT AS VARS CI RE SI FOUR*FOR*A# DOLLAR ENGRAVED TIGRR-SYR Heads for Searf Pins. —WORTH A DOLLAR EACH— DAES Pe Closing Out A Vast Assortment of MINERALS, GEMS, AND | GSeceuvRiIes.25 Send Stamp Stating Your Wants. W.S. BEEKMAN, Box 108. West Medford, Mass. Mention this Magazine! NOCTICRTS SCLOGISTS. : =< It is my intention to visit Europe this coming Spring, and as I desire to dispose of all my duplicate Bird’s Eggs before leaving early in May, I inake the following liberal offers:— To everyone sending me an. order for $4.00 worth of eggs, I will give, free of charge, a ticket entitling them toa chance of winning one of the following prizes. Orders of $8.00 will receive two tickets, and so on, one ticket for every $4.00 invested. Young collectors who are not able to send $4.00 at one time, order $2.00 worth now, and another before May 1st. On this date the prizes will be drawn by disinterested parties and the results published in the HAwkK- EYE O, AND O., and several Oological papers. : 1st prize, set of 2 Golden Eagles, $15. 2nd prize setof 2 Bald Eagles, 8. ° 3rd prize set of 2 Sea Eagles, 5. Other prizes will be given, the val- ue of which will depend upon the number of orders received. WALTER RAINE, Walton Street, TORONTO, CANADA‘ -BIRDS’- EGGS - AND~SKINS- At reasonable prices. for price list, SINGLEY, GIDDINGS, TEXAS. Send stamp COLLECTORS ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE. Ts a neatly printed monthly, consisting of twenty pages or more each month, tilled with — fine illustrations and choice reading matter, written expressly for it by th> best writers on all branches of NATURAL HISTORY, ARCH HOLOGY, NU- MISMATICS, PHILATELY, ETC. It also contains an EXCHANGE DEPART- MENT which is open free t) all subscribers. Advertising Rates 50 cents perjinch. Subserip- tion Price 50 cents per annum in the United States and Canada; foreign countries, 65 cents perannum. Single copies, 5 cents. ALL KINDS 0F SPECIMENS,; WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, Bird, Animal and Reptile Skins, Eggs, Miner- als, Fossils, Shells, Insects, Alcoholic and Bo- _ tarical specimens, Indian Relies, Sea Curiosi- ities, Coins, Stamps, Supplies. General Curiosi- ities, ete. Price Lists 2 cents each. E. M, HAIGHT, RIVERSIDE, = = CALIFORNIA, | Eomnbalming@aught Bree . Send $1.00 cash and receive a pound of Gibbs’ CELEBRATED COMPOUND, Full instructions sent Free with powder. We have been Charging $2.00 for this pro- “eess and receipt of compound, but we now make this “GSSRaATTD REDwUSTrIow 3s being assured that we will sell a large” amount of our Compound, and teach Many the process of ‘Embalining. This Grand Reduction offer is only open for next 60 days. Address, with stamp, R. M, Gibbs, Kalamazoo, Michigan. ; MINERALS. All the leading minerals of the Black Hills, Cretaceous and Tertiary Fossils from the Bad _ Lands of Dakota, 100 varieties of Buckskin and War Relics of the Sioux, Apache and Pue- blos. Western and Eastern Stone Relics in great variety. Send for large illustrated eata- logue, wholesale and retail, L, W. Stilwell, Veadwood, D. T. By means of our “I RIAL ORDE - CATH.” Send 5cents in stamps for CEL OY - lalf cent per word, but no notice will w 7 RexChaneG for skins, and eggs in sets. New pita List a 3 Beet : 20e post free. — WINER MINBRE Send 50¢ for List and 10 | Speci Eee - mens, size 1x1 in. ake [ C. GREENE &CO., - - 95 grown atch pure, far THE GEOLOGIS T's GAZETTE, Commenced in the February No ‘ series of articles on Geology which are illustrated by cuts made express- — ly for this purpose. 8 pages of latest hora geological news, exchange colummm, ete. Send us 25 cents and we will en— | ter your name on our subscription — books for one year, dating from ‘Feb- ruary No,., and send a fine - ‘premium. piles Address, GEOLOGIST’S Gacus Be aN 337 Seneca St., : Wichita, Kansns. $1.09 GOUEN Ase” a beat ew as My F CATE and 20 pp. catalogue of BIRD’S EGG SHELLS, MINERALS, INSTRUMENTS, ete,” at prices that will astonish you. as **Natural History papers insert thi d adie above three months, send’ marked copies ate bill payable in anything we advertise DICKINSON & DURKEE, SEALON, wis. R EXCHANGE NOTICES. Notices under this heading inser ted. for ser’ ed for less than 25 cents. ‘ Birds’ skins, and eggs in sets” and single t CARLETON GILBERT, No. 116 Wildwood Ave., Jackson, an Ue: oh Bartraiu’ Ss Sandpipe Green-winged Teal, tt LAA E> £2 >>> RGA CR aie AR Re RS Si SRSA Pagiae eee Las RRS 2) Ke ee DLP CRIS ASN A OS KARAS OD LR HR KRAN RS CRA . y Ka if =z: she Ga 2 E LR LAS AD, CR AD AD LRA CS CRA CRA CRON SR EBLE BER ESN EAS Sia H sees A Beso tease eae eS Pe SS Sr woe - GRA E> CAEN FOLA CRE A CRC RED LALA CD SD ARR ED CRED En na CRNA ROE aPC en eS > COLLECTION <=) GIES a Ss a MEARNS MAY, 1888. PUBLISHED BY WEBSTER & MEAD, CRESCO, IOWA. es ST Sse as Bas Wot 1 NO.o: Ve) \ oe a) 2g x6 3 SYS iS oS RS ~#@ontents for May.o~ What the Birds Accomplish : 3 : : : : : Golden Days. A Superstitious Sailor : 3 : : : 3 s Golden Days. Canadian Sparrows : : g ; 5 : : g : Wm. L. Kells Bird Philanthropists : 2 : sed heat ; : : : Golden Days American Woodcock : : : : ; : Will C. Brownell Bird Nesting in the North of Baglantl : : : : : : Walter Raine. A Few Suggestions to Ornithologists and Oologists. : g : ‘“Scolopax.’ Correspondence : : : 3 : : : : : : N. F. Posson. Migration Reports. aon to Collect and Prepare Conchological Specimens g : : J. A. Singley. Care of Minerals : : : : : : : : : W.S. Beekman. Kditorial. TRE RAWKEYE prNMeercoee : AND# oie WEBSTER & MEAD, EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS. 2B —_ +o SOP + _ oe 6 _ A oN MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO ORNITHOLOGY, OOLOGY, TAXIDERMY, CONCHOLOGY, MINERALOGY anD NATURAL HISTORY: AA eae ee STAFF OF CONTRIBUTORS. Oliver Davie, Columbus, O.; Wim. L. Kells, Listowel, Ontario; W. Raine, Toronto, Canada; . Rey. 8. A. Noble, Spiceland, Indiana; ‘“‘Scolopax”; J. A. Singley, Giddings, Texas; Dr. W. S. Strode, Bernadotte, Il.; J. T. Emile Bonnet, Montpelier, France; L. O. Pindar, Pres. Y. O. A., Hickman, Ky.; Prof. E. G. Ward, Three Rivers, Mass.; Will C. Brownell, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Chas. B. Wilson, Waterville, Me.; Arthur H. Lockett, Exeter, N. H.; T. H. Nealis, St. Louis, Mo.; Frank A. Patton, Roswell, Dakota; Chas. H. Marsh, Dulzura, Calif.; James B. Purdy, Plymouth, Mich.; J. Warren Jacobs, Waynesburg, Pa.; Neil F. Posson, Medina, N. Y.; E. L. Brown, Durand, Wis., Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa.; Carleton Gilbert, Jackson, Mich.; W. E. Pratt, Chicago, Ill.; Chas. Sonnen, St. Paul, Minn.; Charles Mason, Cincinnati, Ohio, W. 8. Beekman Ph. C., West Medford Mass.; H. F. Hegner, Burr Oak, Iowa; L. W. Stilwell, Deadwood, Dakota; @ 8. Shick, Sea Isle City, N. J. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. ADVERTISING RATES Per Annum, 50 cts. Foreign countries Made known on Application. Send 65 ets. Single copies 5 cts. for estimate. They will pay. ADDRESS, WEBSTER & MEAD, : : », SRESCO MOM A. Ohe Dawkeyg Oruilholonist WHAT THE BIRDS ACCOMPLISH. Ss HE swallow, swift and nighthawk are the guardians of the atmosphere. They check the increase of insects that otherwise would overload it. Woodpeckers, creepers and chickadeesare the guardians of the trunks of trees. Warblers and flycatchers protect the foliage. Blackbirds, crows, thrushes and larks protect the surface of the soil. Snipe and woodcock protect the soil under the surrface. Each tribe has its respective duties to perform in the economy of nature, and it is an nudoubted fact that if the birds were swept off the face of the earth man could not live upon it. Vegetation would with- er and die. Insects would become so nu- merous that no living thing could with- stand their attacks. truction occasioned by grasshoppers, which have lately devastated the West, is un- donbtedly caused by the thinning cf the The wholesale des- birds, such as grouse, prairie-hens and the like, which feed upon them. The great and inestimable service done to the farmer, gardener and florist by the birds is ouly becoming known by sad ex- perience. Spare the birds and save your fruit. The little corn and fruit taken by them is more than compensated by the quantities of noxious insects they destroy. The long-persecuted crow has been found by actual experience, to do more good by the vast quantities of grubs and insects he devours than the harm he does in the few grains of corn he pulls up. He is one of the farmers’ best friends—Golden Days. ad Oalonist. A SUPERSTITIOUS SATLOR. NY sailors are cuperstitious, and be- lieve in bird omens. Not long ago the Norwegian barque Ellen picked up for ty-nine men, the passengers and crew of the steamer Central American, wrecked in mid- ocean. Says the captain of the Ellen: “A bout six o'clock one afternoon I was standing on the quarter deck, there being near me the man at the helm and two others of the crew. Suddenly a bird grazed my right shoulder, and flew Afterward it flew around the vessel. Then it began again to The bird was utterly unlikeany T have ever seen. The color of the feathers was a dark iron- The body was a foot and a half in around me. fly around my face when I canght it. gray. length, with wings three and a half feet from tip to tip. In capturing the bird, it Two of the crew who assisted in tying its legs were also bitten. As it tried to bite everybody, I had its head cut off, and the body was When the bird flew to the ship we were headed a little east of gave me a bite on the thumb. thrown overboard. northeast. I regarded the appearance of the bird as an omen, and an indieation that I accordingly steered to the eastward direct. I should nut have deviated from my course had not the bird visited the ship, and had it not been for this change of course IL should not have fallen in with the forty-nine per- Imnst change my course. sons whom I saved from death.’ So much for superstition; whether the bird was an omen or not, it will always remain as such in the captain’s mind.—G'olden Days. 67 THE HAWKEYVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. CANADIAN SPARROWS. Family: Fringillide. BY WM. L. KELLS. HIS is the largest family of birds found in North America and is represented among the birds of Canada by over twenty species. ‘This family consists more espec- ially of those species which in the Cuvier- jan system of arrangement was known as the Conirostres, on account on the general cone-shaped form of the bill. In the gen- eral form of the body, and many of the habits, there is also much resemblance, tho’ there is much variation in size, plumage and migratory movements. They all feed more or less upon grain, various kinds of seeds, buds and berries, and most of them also feed largely on insects, especially when their young require assistance. In this family are also included, besides the sparrows proper, finches, grosbeaks, buntings, crossbills, juncos and snowflakes; but it is not our intention in these sketches to mention the particular genus to which each species belongs, but will speak of them here as common members of the great family. In the nesting habits of this family are wide variations; for while some nest upon the ground; others prefer sites in bushes or cavities for that purpose; while others, again, same select high situations in trees for the cradle of their progeny. The eggs of the majority of sparrows are more or less spotted, and the young of all are hatched out naked and only capable of opening their bills for food, but towards the young the greatest care is exercised by the parent birds. Incubation lasts about two weeks. All of them are more or less gifted with the power of song. THE SWAMP SPARROW. (Melospiza Georgiana.) This species is a summer resident of On- tario, as well as various other parts of the Canadian Provinces, including Labrador and Newfoundland. Though noticed in most sections of these countries, it does not appear to be abundant or even common anywhere, yet, owing to its love of deep concealment, the wet places that it fre- quents and its unnoticeable song, it may be more numerous than is uow generally It is seldom ever seen near the habitations of man, or in the open fields; but haunts low, marshy grounds and the margins of slow-running known. creeks, where there is a thick growth of willows and other low bushes and fallen brush-wood. Wa- ter-ponds where there are tall flags and grass in which it can readily conceal itself undisturbed by the approach of human kind, or other creatures that it may regard as foes, especially birds of prey, that often sweep with murderous intentions over its home. But though it may conceal itself and nest from the eyes of marauding birds and the collector, yet doubtless if is often robbed by some of the various species of wild animals which also frequent those places that it choses for its summer home. Its common notes, when its nest is ap- proached, or it is otherwise alarmed, are a series of sharp “chicks” and its song much resembles those of the slate-colored junco and chipping sparrow, though perhaps a little louder; but this is seldom heard except in the early days of summer, or perhaps at the nesting period. ~ It feeds on the seeds of the grasses, and such insects as it can procure in the partic- ular places it fiequents, and its partiality for such food-stuffs no doubt induces it to haunt such out of the way places as are seldom frequented by other members of its family. THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 69 Its nest is placed upon the ground among the grass or low bushes, and chiefly formed of rine, dry grass. The eggs, four or five in number, are of a grayish or bluish hue, spotted variously with light reddish brown. In size and general plumage it much_re- sembles the song sparrow, but it has a bay or chestnut patch on the crown of the head, and by this and its manner of flight, and notes, it can easily be distinguished at a considerable distance. THE TREE SPARROW. (Spizella Monticola.) This species is more an irregular spring and autumn visitant than « summer or a winter resident, in central Ontario, though it is more often seen in the winter months than in the summer season. Some springs it makes its appearance in this vicinity early in March, and during the month of April becomes quite numerous, when its pleasing song notes are for a time among the most conspicuous heard in the orchard, grove, or by the wood-land side. Again, other springs, it is quite scarce, and its stay short, as it seenis in a hurry to pass onward to its summer home in more northern re- gions. It does not nest in this Province, but asit has been observed on the lower St. Lawrence, and in Labrador, during the summer months, itis supposed to rear its young in those regions. It is also numer- ous inthe western territories of the Do- minion as well as Alaska, where its nest and eggs have been noticed. Its nest is usually placed in low bushes or in tufts of grass, formed of fibers of bark, grasses, hair and feathers. The eggs are four to six in the set, and are of a light-greenish hue, marked with brownish spots. It feeds on many species of insects, and various kinds of seeds. In length the Tree Sparrow is about six inches. The plumage on the upper parts-is variously marked with brownish, black and bay, the wings having two conspicuous cross bars; the lower parts are grayish white; the breast has a dusky blotch, and the crown a chestnut patch. Its range extends from the borders of the Arctic ocean in summer to the south- ern states, and eastern Kansas in the winter season. [ro BE CONTINUED. | BIRD PHILANTHROPISTS. @Y OME birds are very charitable, it seems. 2) At Dayton, on the Carson river, Neva- da, a pair of robins built their nest on a fence, near which stood a bush containing a nest that belonged to a’ pair of cat-birds. The young were hatched about the same time, and all went well for several days. But, in their eagerness to feed the young, the cat-birds tried to steal some bees. The result was that the bee-keeper shot both the old cat-birds. Im alittle while it became evident toa boy who had been watching the little comedies and tragedies of bird life, that the young cat-birds were in dan- ger of starving. But they did not starve, for the neighboring robins discovered the orphans in the bush and began to feed them. Not only did they take many worms to the young cat-birds, but at night the male robin sat on the nest, his mate hovering over the nest that contained the young robins. In this way both broods _were reared, the catbirds growing to be as strong as though cared for by their own parents. or a long while the young rob ins and cat-birds flocked together; but, when full grown, they separated.— Golden Days. 70 THE HAWKEYVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. AMERICAN WOODCOCK. (Philohela minor (Gmel.) ) BY WILL 0. BROWNELL. HE Woodcock is spread pretty general- ly over the eastern part of the United States, inhabiting, during the greater part of its sojourn, the wet, low-lying marsh lands where the soft, spongy nature of the earth renders it easily penetrated by the long, slender bill as it is thrust into the soil in quest of the worms upon which the bird mainly subsists. Later, in August, when the summer rains have driven to the surface the well- known anglers or fish-worm, the Woodcock may be found in the uplands, in the corn- tields, where the full grown stalks of corn answer the same purpose as do the alders and willows in the swale. Although tolerably plentiful in certain localities it may be classed as one of our rare birds, and were it not for its fame as a game bird, it would remain in more or less obscurity to the casual observer. During the breeding season, which oc curs shortly after their arrival from the South early in April, when the puss-willows and the mild, warm winds first foretell the approach of coming summer, they resort to borders of swamps and marshes where the sloping bank, thickly over-grown with black-briar and alders, offers protection from foes and the elements, The nest is a very simple affair, merely a few dead leaves of the fern or native heath- er arranged in any natural depression where the brush is the thickest, orat the foot of some favorite tussock of dead grass. The finding of a Woodcock’s nest is a very delicate undertaking and will tax the patience of the collector greatly. So ex- actly does the sitting bird resemble the brown, dead leaves that surround her, that the unpracticed eye will fail to discover anything bird-like. The bird, so confi- dent is she of remaining unseen, will often allow you to touch her, only leaving the nest and her eggs when forced by the hand of the intruder. Usually four eggs are laid of a peculiar | shiny, oily appearance which characterizes the eggs of some species of the waders. The ground work is pale blue, spotted and- splashed with darker brown and lavender and other tints less marked. The mark- ings are scattered generally over the sur- face of the shell, being somewhat smaller at the pointed end. Invariably, they are arranged in the nest with the smallend pointing inward, form- ing a cross. But one brood is raised in a season. Whether the male takes part in incuba- ting or not, I am unable to say from obser- vation—some writers affirm that they do. After the breeding season, during the hot months ef summer, the plumage of both sexes is much lighter in color than in the spring, and I am confident that the bird moults before migrating northward as their plumage is richest in color upon their arrival with us. Lying close before the dog, they become un easy victim to the sportsman, who can mercilessly destroy in a few minutes the whole colony that were reared with so much patient toil, only to suceumb to the sportsman’s gun. Late in November, when the cold winds have cut the last remaining leaves from the forest trees, the frosts have rendered the ground too hard tobe probed, the Wood- cock disappears only to return with the soft winds and sunny skies of another spring. THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 71 BIRD NESTING IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND, BY WALTER RAINE, TORONTO, CANADA. ae DER is Pennyghent, the fourth highest mountain in Yorkshire. It is seven miles away but appears as if it were not more than four miles off. Among those crags facing us the Peregrine Falcon has its nest. The last time I visited Pen- nyghent, the birds had young, and, as I ap- proached the front of the cliff, they grew very bold, darting over my head and screaming fiercely. The nest is built of sticks and heather, half way down the cliff on a ledge of rock, and can only be got at by being lowered with ropes from above. Two or three pairs of Peregrines also nest at Sedberg, although much persecuted by the gamekeepers. ‘There is one nest usually occupied by a pair of Ravens early in March, and, as soon as the young have left, apair of Peregrines take possession and lay their eggs early in May. A friend of mine has aset of Raven’s eggs and another of Peregrine Falcon’s, both taken from the same nest in one season. How beautiful Four sets in my collection vary somewhat in color and markings; the ground color of creamy white, others pinky, richly spotted and blotched with reddish brown and choc- olate, whilst other specimens are like large eggs of the Kestril Hawk, of an uniform rich brown, mottled at the larger end with The set I ever saw were the four eggs that were taken from the Raven’s nest before men- tioned. The ground color was a pale, pinky red, capped at the larger end of the The num- her of eggs is three or four; average size, 2.10x1.70. Both the Peregrine and Raven will soon cease to exist in Yorkshire, as are the eggs of the Falcon! some is dark chocolate brown. handsomest. eggs with rich, crimson brown. they are shot and trapped by the game- keepers because they kill a few grouse, a most heinous offence in their sight and those by whom they are employed. The Common European Buzzard is be coming scarce, but still afew pairs may be found nesting among the limestone cliffs, Their nests are made of sticks and heather, and in this district seldom contain more than two eggs, which are similar in size and color to the eggs of the Red-shouldered Hawk. This species is more plentiful among the Cumberland Hills a few miles away. But to proceed along our journey over the moors, we arrive at Guping Ghyll Hole, also called Devil’s Hole, a vertical cavern of unknown depth. A courageous young man was once lowered three hundred feet down this awful pit, but, owing to the wa- ter pouring intoit from all sides, compelled to be drawn up again without adding any more information as to its depth. The mouth of this pit is some twenty feet in diameter and reminds one of the center of some volcano. We collected some large stones, and, throwing them into he was the pit, we hear them bound from ledge to ledge in their descent, each time growing fainter, until the sound is lost and we ex- claim, “What a fearful depth it must be,” and shudder at the thoughts of falling into this place, out of which we could not he taken dead or alive. Our watches tell us it is noon, so we sit down and partake of some refreshments bronght along with us, to which we do jus- tice after our long tramp over the heather clad hills. Down in the valley below lies Clapham, with its wonderful cave three miles long; and while we are at rest, I will tell you of a visit I made to this cave with a church choir party a few years ago. On entering the month of the cave, the two guides gave THE HAWKEYVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. a candle to each man, and as there were twenty-five of us, we made a good light which illuminated the deepest recesses in the cave. We were at once amazed with the sights before us; stalactites were hang- ing like icicles from the roof of the cave. In some places there are huge chambers of considerable heighth; in one of these we all collected and sung several hymns, which had an imposing effect upon all present. Around and above us were hanging hun- dreds of glittering stalactites of all sizes and shapes. They have a musical sound on being struck gently with a stick; and at the place called the organ, a guide played several tunes. A way through the cave, and in scyeral places stream winds its wooden bridges are built across to enable visitors to travel through without wetting their feet. Many ladies visit this place, and the way through has been made as easy At the end of the cave is a small waterfall, behind which the of access as_ possible. euides go, taking as many lights as they can carry and thus illuminate the falls from behind. This limestone district is full of caves and natural wonders. Two miles away is Yorda’s Cave; and five miles away up Chapel-le-Dale at the foot of Whernside mountain is Weathercote Cave, worthy of a visit. This place reminds one of a large limestone quarry. down to the bottom of which we descend by a natural stairway. A large waterfall 60 feet high comes pour ing through a hole near the top of one side of the cave, across which is jammed a stone cotin. The water thunders down before us and enters into the bowels of the earth. This waterfall is supposed to run along un- der the ground for two miles when it ap- pears from a hole at the base of a cliff and joins Kingsdale Beck. My brother was packing up bis boxes when he suddenly sprung to his feet alarm- ed, and Isoon found the canse, for, just where he had been sitting, there was a vi per hissing away like a demon. We soon laid hold of our sticks and stepped forward to give him a settling, but he turned around and darted through the heather, and, although we searched the spot, we found no trace of him. The viper, or ad- der,is the only poisonous British snake. The other two species, called the grass- snake and slow-worm, are not poisonous. It is now time to move away from this spot; and as many Longbilled Curlews are . Screaming away on our left, we make in that direction. Taking advantage of any slight elevation, up which we might crawl on our hands and feet and then show our- selves at the top. we soon startled a Curlew down the slope before us. Marking down the spot, we advance eagerly and here we are lucky in falling in with a nest and four large, spotted eggs. The est was eight inches in diameter, and consisted of a hol- low in the gronnd lined with heather. The eges were of a greenish-olive ground, well spotted with umber brown of various shades and obscure shell markings; average size, 2.70x1.85. This we considered a good addition to our day’s work. Having prepared and packed the eggs, we proceed. But surely there must be many nests around this quarter for many Curlews are flying about whistling, butso wary are the birds that it is dificult to find their nests. At last another bird rises in what we call a skulking manner, flying close to the ground ina suspicious sort of way. We again mark down the spot, some sixty yards ahead, but arriving there found no signs of any nest. We knew it had one by the way it left the spot, and lovsked around for some time and then retired some distance behind arock. In ten minutes we again advance; showing ourselves, the Our- lew rises again and we carefully mark the spot down, and running forward soon found its nest containing three eggs a little smaller in size than the set previously fonnd. The nest materials were the same. [T0 BE CONCLUDED IN JUNE NUMBER | THE HAWKEVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. =I ww A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO ORNI- THOLOGISTS AND OOLOGISTS. BY “‘SCOLOPAX.” = HE writer of this article has seriously co WHEW WHHWeH eA +e +o vw oS 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 6 i 7 7 7 7 8 Sor peenprncne Numerous. HOW TO COLLECT AND PREPARE CONCHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. BY J. A. SINGLEY. FTER this digression, I return to my A subject. A cabinet for specimens is a necessity. The handiest thing I know of —and cheap—is the thread cabinets of the dry goods stores. They can be had every-- where and will hold any but a few of the largest shells. A specimen large enough can have the label pasted on it and be laid in the drawer. The smaller species—and these comprise three-fourths of a collection —can be put in pill boxes of various sizes and the label put in the box with the shell. A little experience will soon teach you the best method of arranging your collection. The North American land shells, or snails, live mostly in the forest, sheltered under the trunks of fallen trees, layers of dead leaves and in the soil; from this hint the collector will know where to look for them. The Helices are the largest family, the- majority of them being large, and some of them very beautiful shells. After collect- ing, the larger species as well as small ues. with a large aperture should be boiled for two or three minutes when the animal can be 1emoved with a pin or piece of wire, and the shell washed off with a soft rinsed out and laid away to dry. The aperture of nearly all species has a thickened peristome, or lip, when mature, often armed with denticles, or teeth; and af- ter the beginner learns to differeutiate be- tween immature specimens of the species that assume the thicked lip with maturity and those that do not have the thickened lip. at any stage of their existence, he should brush, not collect the former until the lip is per- fect. Dead shells that are weathered or . bleached are not admissableunder any cir- 78 THE HAWKEYVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. cumstances, and sending out such or poorly prepared specimens of any kind stamps one as a slovenly collector. A good time to collect Helzces—and in fact any of the land shells—is during and after a warm rain, when they will be found crawling about. The sun will at once drive them to their retreat under logs, ete. The Zonites are generally small, fragile, glassy looking shells, although some of the species attain a large size. They are very partial to moisture, and this will have to be the collector’s cue. [TO BE CONTINUED. | CARE OF MINERALS. BY W. S. BEEKMAN. HE habit of carefully and closely seru- ‘Y tinizing what you bring home can not, by avy means, be overdone. It is a bad habit to place before yourself a collec- tion of specimens when sitting down for a short investigation. The eye and attention becomes distracted, and the mind runs from one prominent point of interest to another without becoming, as it should, concentrat- ed upon a given object from which it should not divert until there was nothing about the specimen that has not been seen and com- mented upon. No matter how certain you feel that there is nothing about the speci- men you have not seen with your eye just as well as you think you would have with a glass, youshould make it a point, every time, to examine the surface with the aid of a good lens. Making this a constant habit, in the long course of events you will find that you have acquired a goodly number of valuable points that were derived from that little habit, and without which you would surely feel the loss. : Having now trimmed and examined our specimen to the best of our ability; the next move will be towards cleaning or improy- ing at points which have suggested them- selves during our examination. Water of course is the universal cleanser. But even with this abundant agent, that substance that, “So delicate might lave an infant’s cheek without injuring it; so limpid that the finest thread of gossamer might di-- vide it and sustain no harm” must be used with caution. There are many minerals that can not ever stand a bath. It is not long since that I saw a large specimen of pink pearl-spar that I had sold to a party on account of the hairy millerite upon it, lying on its label, prettier than ever, but minus the milllerite. Some of the finer cerystalized Aragonites that won’t stand even running water can be cleaned by immersing in water for a few moments and then gent- ly swished back and forth in the water. There are others to which the stiff brush and. soapy water may be freely applied without injury. One must exercise a little common sense. [TC BE CONTINUED. | EDITORIAL. In the circular sent out with our first number, we promised to let the support be shown by the magazine; and, owing to the generous support given us by the enterpris- ing ornithologists and oologists of Canada and the United States, we have changed the form of the H.O. ann O., which we think will be welcomed and appreciated by its many readers. It will be our earnest endeavor to improve it further and make it one of the leading magazines of its kind. A great number of valuable articles are crowded out this month, and others short- ened more than we like to see, on account of a lack of time. THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST Be o> oo¢—— BIRD'S EGGS AND SUPPLIES. 4 New Price List and Three Eggs only 20 cents post free. ----FINE MINERALS.:-- ¢ Send 50 cents for List and Ten aun | mens, size 1x1 inch. + a] — -+— I. GC. GREENE &CO., ° 65 HIGH ST FITCHBURG, eee CHUSETTS: FOUR FORA = ins = PING BNGRAYT RD TiISRR-AYER Heads for Scarf Pins. —WORTH A DOLLAR EACH.— ie=—- Closing Out a Vast Assortment of MINERALS, GEMS «AaAWD OURIOS. Send Stamp Stating Your Wants. W.S BEEKMAN, Box 108, West Medford, Mass. Mention this Magazine! BIRDS'—EGGS—AND—SKINS. At Reasonable Prices. Send Stamp For Price Lists. , Giddings. Texas. | Ee ; 1 Waueak ag 2 o- zcmbalming Waught I ge.40 Send $1.00 cash and receive a pound of Gibbs’ CELEBRATED COMPOUND. Full instructions sent Free with powder. We have been charging $2.00 for this pro- cess and receipt of Compound, but we now make this —EXTRAORDINARY REDUCTION— Being assured that we will sell a large amount of our Compound, and teach many the process of Embalming. This Grand Reduction Offer is only open for next sixty days. Address, with stamp, R. M. Gibbs. Kalamazoo. Mich. MINERALS, All the leading minerals of the Black Hills, Cretaceous and Tertiary Fossils from the Bad Lands of Dakota. 100 varieties of Buckskin and War Relies of the Sioux, Apache and Pue- blos. Western and Eastern Stone Relics in great variety. Send for large ilustrated cata. logue; wholesale and retail. L. W. Stilweil, Deadwood, D. T. LOON’S EGG sent to any address for 75¢. postal note. List of curiosities 5c. N. E. CARTER, Delevan, Wis. J. A. Singley, The OLD CURIOSITY SHOP for May, A Mammmoth Twenty-Page Quarto. Price, 15 cents. Ads., 10 cents a line. Address, C. R. ORCUTT, San Diego, California. $1.00 GIVEN AWAY. By means of our ‘Trial Order Certificate.” Send 5 cents in stamps for Certificate and 20 pp. catalogue of Bird’s Eggs, Shells, Minerals, Instruments, etc., at prices that will astonish ou. *,*Natural History papers insert this and above three months, send marked copies and bill payable in anything we advertise. Dickinson & Durkee, Sharon, Wisconsin. KR. EK. RAGHRORD GasON. COLLECTING NATURALISTS, AND WHOLESALE DEALERS IN IRD#*SKINS#AND#EGGS, BEAUMONT, TEXAS. a eae a oe 7 ee eee ‘2 ae RUBBER STAMPS DMADE TO ANY ORDER § j One line stamps, 25¢c.; extra lines 2c. t each. Pocket st mp, two lines, 40c. Pen and Pencil stamp, two lines, 35c. Self-inking stamp, 27x13 in., only $2.00. o Single line dating stamp, goodfor 8 En O> CR pry ey Soa a a te years, only $1.50. Self inking pads, 30c., 21x3# in.: 60c., 6X32 in. i) Special Attention to Mail Orders. lex Postage Extra. Cash with Order. OS 5 Sess & CO. asaqius mes! <= EXCHANGE NOTICES. Notices under this heading inserted for one- half cent per word, but no notice will be in- serted for less than 25 cents. TO EXCHANGE—Birds’ eggs in sets with full data for sets and nests as I may want. Henry W. DAvis, North Granville. WANTED—A set of 2, 375a, Western Horned Owl; a set of 2, Sandhill Crane; and following sets with nests: Cal. Bluebird, American Red- start, Chimney Swift, Short-billed Marsh Wren, Lon;z-tailed Chat, and Orchard Oriole. Also send list of any sets you may have with nests. Will give good exchange for above. Henry W. Davis, North Granville, N. Y. x1. 1, No. 6. ny JUNE, 1888. a ——- ly a 2 aD : 2 : PUBLISHED BY D WEBSTER & MEAD, : cf CRESCO, IOWA, we _ Entered at the Cresco P. O, as Second-class Mail Matter. = KS Oy; age SRA SEA OP ER SE OP = GY CSTION S ITI ST 7 a) = : eatin Inst A f ¥ 2 AS f “op . Nationa} Musee ~é@ontents tor jane. | Bird Westing in the North of England 2 amie: : : : Walter Raine. Janadian Sparrows : “4 Wm. LL. Kells. Personal Observations on the Decrease of Familiar Birds. : Foot Movements in Birds 3 k. M. Gibbs, M. b: Notes on Some of the Passeres of Fulton Co., Ky. : : : LL... O. Pindar: Migration Reports ~ Editorial. : How to Collect and Prepare Conchological Specimens : 5 J. A. Sineley. cat dasrrasPvat ba Cruel Mott aoPhcPTNad hat iat “CatTea? Sad SAadSROPVat Na Ar VGA Val aah Taal AAP TaA Nas TRAPS PNAET << 4 te obi toss aioe ae TRE RAWKEVE @ORNITHOLOGIST# AND#©OLOGIST. s WEBSTER & MBAD, EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS. Ange Nate Natta M Ae Ned Net aS Muah a -9e— —t Ot— 5 A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO'ORNITHOLOGY,; OOLOGY, TAXIDERMY. CONCHOLOGY, MINERALOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY; a 0D —— inl STAFF OF CONTRIBUTORS. Oliver Davie, Columbus, O.; Win. L. Kells, Listowel, Ontario; W. Raine, Toronto, Canada;- 2ey. 8. A. Noble, Spiceland, Indiana; “Scolopax”; J. A. Singley, Giddings, Texas; Dr. W. S, Strode, Bernadotte, Ill; J... Emile Bonnet, Montpelier, France; L. O. Pindar, Pres, Y. 0. A., Hickman, Ky.; Prof. E. G, Ward, Three Rivers, Mass.; Will ©. Brownell, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Chas. B. Wilson, Waterville, Me.; Arthur H, Lockett, Exeter, N. H.; T. H. Nealis, 5t. Louis, Mo.; Frank A. Patton, Roswell, Dakota; Chas. H. Marsh, Dulzvura, Calif.; James B. Purdy, Plymouth, Mich.; J. Warren Jacobs, Waynesburg, Pa.; Neil F. Posson, Medina, N. Y¥.; B. L. Brown, Durand, Wis., Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa.; Carleton Gilbert, Jackson, Mich.; W- E. Pratt, Chicago, Ill.; Chas. Sonnen, St. Paul, Minn.; Gharles Mason, Cincinnati, Ohio, W. 5. Beekman Ph. C., West Medford Mass.; H. F. Hegner, Burr Oak, Iowa; L. W. Stilwell, Deadwood, Dakota; C. 8. Shick, Sea, Isle City, N. J. SUBSCRIPTION RATES, ADVERTISING RATES ‘Per Annum. 50 cts. Foreign countries Made known on Application. Send for estimate. They will pay. 65 cts. Single copies 5 cts. ADDRASS * WEBSTER & MEAD, : : GCRESCOO We Ohe Dowkeye Orvilhulanist ith Ontanist. BIRD NESTING IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND. BY WALTER RAINE, TORONTO, CANADA. Lf E are now half way up Ingleborough J Mountain, but as we begin to feel tired, and it is three o’clock and the sun is making round to the west, we do not as- cend to the summit, although it is worth the climb, for a more magnificent panorama is not to be seén anywhere in England than from the summit of Ingleborough. Here in olden times beacon fires were lit to warn the surrounding country that enemies were advancing. It is many years since the beacon fires were wont to send their vivid flames into the air; but last year fires were again heaped upon these summits, not as a token that the Danes were over-running the country, but in commemoration of the Queen’s Jubilee. We now turnround and make our way toward Ingleborough village. This side of Ingleborough is very stony, and huge boulders impede our way. Here the Dunlin nests somewhat sparingly. The birds look like mice, running in and out be- tween the stunes. Their nests are so small they cannot be found without one actually flushes the bird from under his very nose. The nest is a slight hollow acout three inches in diameter, lined with bits of grass, and most usually contains three or four pointed eggs. In beauty of coloring and elegance of form the eggs of the Dunlin are unrivaled. A series of forty eggs be- fore me show a great variety; the ground color of some specimens is a clear, light green, in others, bluish white, whilst some have a yellow stone color; some aie speckled all over with brown, other specimens are boldly blotched at the larger end with rich brown, but all are very beautiful. We now begin to descend the mountain slopes, when a large bird flew from the ground from under my very feet, and I al- most trod upon her: She exposed to our gaze three handsome eggs of the Golden Plover. The rest was simply a slight de- pression in the ground lined with a few blades of grass. The eggs proved to be partly incubated, which accounted for the bird remaining on the nest so lone. The eggs are very large for the bird, and are the handsomest of all the plovers eggs; they are of « warm, yellow stone color, well blotched, chiefly at the larger end, with brown and black, in some specimens the ground color is a pale green; size about 2.10x1.40. A Red Grouse startles us both as she flies with a loud whir from the heather just before us, and here we found her nest of ten eggs. They were very beautiful and richly colored, differing much in ground color and markings. Butitis a risky job taking the eggs of this bird; they are game and protected by law, and a heayy fine is unposed upon any one found taking the eggs. These Grouse moors are famous, and the nobility from the south come up here every season, and on the 12th of Au- gust parties are out at break of day and work and fire away until sunset. Next day the newspapers give long accounts of the day’s sport, and how many brace of 80 THE HAWKEYVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. Grouse Lord or Ear] So-and-So bagged, and before the end of the week the poul- terer’s shops are full of Grouse. The Red Grouse is found nowhere except on the British Islands, and, like the Bald Eagle of the United States, their national emblem, so should be the Red Grouse the national emblem of Great Britain. We found several [apwing’s nests, and one nest of the English Snipe, but as we had already taken several sets of both spe- cies, and our boxes were too crowded al- ready, we did not take these. A half hour’s walk brings us to the place where we hid the plover’s eggs we collected in the early part of the day, but it was some time before we struck the exact spot. “Oh, here they are!”? my brother exclaimed, but how shall we carry them, our boxes are full, the only way left is to put them in our hats, cover them with our handkercheifs, and carry them on our heads. We now leave the moors, and begin to descend into the valley. The village is only a mile off, and on our way through the valley we each collect a large bouquet of wild-flowers, Iil- lies of the valley, primroses and forgetme- nots, for the fair ones at h-me. A pair of European Woodcocks usually nest in this valley. Their nest is very slight, seldom more than a hole in the ground with bits of grass and moss for a lining. The four eggs are very similar to those of Bartram’s Sandpiper. The sun is fast setting behind the Lanca- shire Hills, and the birds are singing their evening songs before going to rest. We soon reach the village and make for the New Inn, and, while supper is being pre- pared, we throw off all encumbrances and go in for a good, refreshing wash. After our ravenous appetites are somewhat. satis- fied, we tramp to the station with burning faces and light hearts. Jumping into the eight o’clock train, we are soon rattling along on our way home to Leeds, having spent a most enjoyable and exceedingly profitable day. Five years ago the region I have just tried to picture to my readers was unknown except to a few artists, naturalists and ge- ologists, but of late the railway companies are waking up, and now, during the summer months, excursion trains bring many peo- ple from the large manufacturing towns of Yorkshire and Lancashire, and before long this district will become as popular as the Scottish or Welsh scenery. [FINIs. | CANADIAN SPARROWS. BY WM. L. KELIS. THE SONG SPARROW. (Melospiza Fasciata.) HIS speaes is among the most common Y and melodious of our song birds. In the morning ot the early summer time, when the dew is heavy on the vegetation, and the cool airis laden with the odor of herbs and flowers, while the majority of the human family are still wrapt in slumber anda calm stillmess pervades the atmos- phere, long before the orb of day has made its appearance in the eastern sky, and while yet but few of the feathered tenants of our woods and fields have begun to utter their varied notes, it is then that the most charming lays of the Song Sparrow seems to greet the student of nature, as the singer, occupying some elevated position near where his companion has chosen her nest- ing place, makes his best efforts to tell her of his love and cheer her weary hours, or - greet the spring-day morning in tones of joy and gladness. Soon, as the dawn pro- gresses into day, a rivalry of song notes are heard, and from all parts of the farm, the orchard, and the deep, wild woods, other of THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 81 its species answer, while the robin, the wood and hermit thrushes, have already _been wide awake and greeting the new-born day with their soul-inspiring melodies; but in the open fields, though the solos of other species are not to be despised, the Song Sparrow is the master musician. And this bird is not only a pleasing song- ster, but alsoa hardy and adventurous rang- er; some of its species generally returning to this country while the ground is: still deep in the garb of winter, and the water- courses locked in bands of ice. And no sooner does the pioneer penetrate the back- woods, erect his rude shanty, and begins to clear the surrounding forest, than from’ the brush-piles or the newly cut stump, this lit- tle companion of civilization greets and cheers him with its song which must ever recall, to the thoughtful mind, the days of youth, forever gone, when we wandered o’er the homestead or played round the dwelling called by the endearing name _ of ‘home; and not until the night frosts and stormy winds of autumn herald the ap- proach of winter, does this songster cease its lays, forsake its Canadian home, and~be- gin its flight toward the sunny South. ' Its arrival in Central Ontario, of course, de- pends much upon the weather, but general-, ly in the last week of March, sometimes by the 20th of that month the appearance: of some of the more adventurous of these birds may be looked for; and by the middle of April, the great body have probably all arrived and dispersed over the country where they make their homes for the season. As soon as the weather becomes suffic- iently temperate, they begin to select their nesting sites, usually in the first week of May. In the early part of the season, the nesting place is usually found to be in the side of a bank, the root of a fallen tree, un- qet @ log or stump, or in a bunch of grass or stubble; but, later in the season, they will nest wherever they can find sufficient shelter, whether in the grass or grain field, the garden, the newly chopped fallow, or the margins of the woods. Sometimes they wil] build in the thickest parts of an ever- green or a thorn-bush, several feet from the ground; again, their nests'‘may be found in a hollow stump or old log, or sunk in a hole in the ground. On one oceasion I saw a nest of this species, with three fresh eggs, on the 6th of August, in a shock of fall wheat that had been set up six days before, and often in the pea harvest,’ I have seen their nests among the long, tangled vines; and on several occasions I have found their nest in tufts of water grass deep in the woods, and also in brush-piles. The nest is formed of any soft materials that ‘come in the birds’ way; stalks of weeds, vines, grass, dry leaves, and hair of either horses, cattle or other animals, are commonly used, and neatly placed ina form that can’ generally be distinguished from any other species. The set of eggs in the early part of the season is always four or five; but later, three, and sometimes two form the clutch. The eggs of this species vary much in color and markings, having a greyish, whitish, greenish or bluish hue, sometimes clay-col- or; spotted and blotched with varying shades of brown. It nests several times in a season. It feeds vecasionally on grain, seeds and small fruits, but its principal food appears to be insects and their products, as well us the lower forms of animal’ life; of which it destroys vast, numbers. When mated, these birds appear to be strongly attached tu each other, and their affection for their young is very great. — The Song Sparrow is over six inches in Jength. The plumage on the upper parts is marked with brown, bay and ash white, the breast and sides are streaked with dark lines, and the lower parts are whitish; the crown is dull bay with fine black lines. Both sexes are alike in color and size. [T0 BE CONTINUED. ] 82 THE HAWKEYVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE DECREASE OF FAMILIAR BIRDS: IRD destruction, owing, to the. efforts of the Eastern societiés organized for their protection, has come to be a topi¢ of general interest in the newspapers, partic- ularly those of the Eastern states, and every effort is being made to introduce the most stringent laws forbidding the killing of birds and disturbance of their nests, for other than scientifical purposes, and the use of their, plumage for ornamentation. That birds are suffering a notable decrease in numbers cannot be doubted; but, to a great -extent, the| case is represented to be worse The protectionists cite a long array of figures on the wholesale slaughter of sea coast birds and mention numerous, instances of different species be- than it really is. coming wholly or partially extinct during the past few decades, and using this asa basis for argument apply the results direct- ly to the thrushes, warblers, sparrows and other beneficial birds of the interior. A careful. comparison of the circulars issued by the Audubon Society and the speech de- livered by Dr. Langdon (published in our March number) brings out these facts with great clearness. Throughout the Western States, the more common species of birds are very plentiful, and hence the agriculturist sees but little, if any, ueed tor their protection. In the East, it is different; year by year the birds have become scarcer until now, comparitively speaking, there are but few left. Our correspondents frequently men- tion the rareness of certain species which were once common and eyen the dissapeai- ance of some of the brighter colored rarer birds, while ornithological friends on a visit to the West frequently express their aston- ishment at their abundance. Locally considered, however, the cause of protection: is one of much: interest to all, and becoming a topic of general conver- sation, particularly with the ladies, who fre- quently mention the fact that the robins, catbirds and other songsters are gradually becoming scarcer.’ We have often been ask- ed what should cause the scarcity of the robin, why it is that his song is not as fre- quently heard in the evening as of old. We can give but one reason—the broken bark on sv mary of our trees. It speaks so plainly that he who runs may read. The robin commences to breed in the early months of spring, long before the leaves have put in an appearance, and as he usual- ly chooses a convenient fork in. an open ma ple or oak fora site, the nest is a prominent object and from the time the first straws are carried the small boy gives it his personal supervisiou. Nest after nest is harried, dozens, yes, even hundreds, of eggs broken for sport or ‘‘collected” for “science.” Dur- ing the present spring we have frequently seen the Slue eggs broken on the sidewalks and we could locate at least a dozen nests in the very heart of our city which are emp- ty—forsaken. This is not the work of one or two, but of many, who go by evening in gangs of three or four, carefully examining every promising tree, or visiting the nests marked down during the day, until it is al- most impossible for a bird’ to hatch the first set. of eggs. Of course'they build another nest and lay again, and again if necessary, until finally the craze dies out or the small boy, seeing a few lucky young birds, con- cludes with regret that the days for robbery are past. It is here that the true reason for the robin’s disappearance lies; he finds that his friends in the city will not protect him and he moves further to. the. outskirts until at last he is forced to take refuge in the bor- ders of the larger groves. Here his chances are better; and, as he returns each year to THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 83 the same locality to breed, the people of the cities must miss his song. In support of this comes the observation that there are ten robins breeding in the edges of the groves, where a few years agu there was one. But even here they ae far from be- ing safe, for. although the nests are not so easily found, they are confronted by another enemy in the shape of a shot gun. a recent evenings stroll, we saw, in one small grove and surrounding underbrush, three parties of boys busily hunting. The smallest of these gangs, consisting of two about fourteen years of age (each being armed with a revolver) had succeeded in securing a chipmunk, the remaining two parties were doing fairly well among the smaller birds, and, judging from the incess- ant firing on the opposite side of the grove, several others were having immense luck. We merely mention this as a common oc- During curence—six days in the week. And even this is not all; there are other’ scarcely less important influences, one of which, the “‘bird-minder,” mention. requires special He is usually an old man (heys are too impatient) who spends the greater portion of the small fruit season in exter: minating the smaller birds in his vicinity. As a particular instance of this, we might mention one, a retired minister, well thought of by our people in general, but at heart. so mean and stingy that he could not spare the orioles a few peas from his bountiful | supply. Of what value is a half peck of peas worth 20 cents, compared to two pairs of orioles? Ask his neighbors, in whose trees their nests were built and young ‘left to the slow tortures of starvation. We It is not, as one would imagine, the chil- dren of the poorer people of the town who commit the most wholesale robbery, but those of the wealthy business men—men’ who should know that they are responsible for every bird killed and every nest disturb- ed in violation of law. Yes, we have laws but they are never enforced. The gentle- man before mentioned rendered himself lia- ble to fines for vivlating two distinct laws every time he shot a bird, and yet we sup- pose he considers himself a thorough Chris- tian. But to return to the original subject; one might enquire, “What do they do with the eggs?” Some get them to throw at each other; the majority collect them for a pastime—such smash a hole in each end, put them on strings and preserve them as an Indian would scalps—usually breaking them when tired of them, and then get a new lot the next spring; others collect them as you would shells or fossils, the more the better; quantity 1s the only thing taken into account, each one trying to get a larger col- lection than his friend has. That this is the case is evinced by the frequent inquiries as to the number of eggs we have. “Don’t know as we ever knew; uever counted them,” is the only answer that can be given. We began collecting one ur two eggs of a spe- cies; and-our cabinet contains the same two robin’s eggs that it did eight years ago, and no more. As the eggs of the different spe- cies were gradually added, we have had to travel farther and farther in search of new species, until a ten mile walk has become a short mornings stroll, affording excellent opportunities for the study of habits. and song, and:but. seldom giving occasion for the blackening of gun barrels. - FOOT MOVEMENTS IN BIRDS. i i BY. Rs M. GIBBS, M. D. SP Y¥ OME one has said: “Let me see a per- 2) son walk and I will give you many _ points in his character without further in- troduction.” To those who have carefully studied the peculiarities of different individ- 84 THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. uals in their manner of moving the lower extremeties, wedoubt not conclusions may often be drawn; and that the dispositions and general make-up may be understood, we : will not attempt todeny. We are all more or less apt to form an opinion of a person from watching his style of locomotion; and it is a common occurrence to remark on the good business ability of a passing pedestrian if we observe a quick, prompt step, or to censure as a sluggard the man who drags his feet, and dallies on his way to work. To a limited extent we are charitable to the man who hobbles by on crutches, for we know only too well that an imposition is often pressed upon our sight by one too la- zy to work and yet smart enough to attempt to enlist our sympathies. We fully sympa- thize, however, if the man is really maimed . by paralysis or loss of lim), and our remark generally is, “How hard to go through lite in such a plight.” In the lower animals we will find that greater variation exists in the styles of moving about than even between the six day pedestrian, who draws a house to see his wonderful feat of endurance and speed in walking, and the slow-poke who wearily drags his cumbersome feet after him, and who is known as the lazy man of the neigh- borhood. That the lazy man is equally en titled to a living with the rapid walker is evident from the fact that he still lives; and the principle of the “survival of the fittest” evidently favors the sluggard, for does he not often, aye usually, outlive the active man? In the economy of nature we will also see that, among the lower animals, those of slow movements evidently havea place to fill in Nature’s great thoroughfare; and that the active and strong have no better chance of life than the slow and weak. The remarkable activity of the lizard known as the swift, in no way better provides for his wants than do the clumsy movements of the toad. And further, if we carefully observe the dull creature which we frequently spurn from our path, impatient from its slow lo- comotion, we will find that the celerity with which the toad picks up a fly or ant with its agile, well trained tongue, is fully equal to the quicker, general movement of its lizard relative. Now may we not say, with rea- son, that not infrequently the lazy man who lives in ahigher scale of existence, although many would not like to acknowledge it, and who is usually a diplomat to the extent of his wants, really often surpasses his more active neighbor in the fulfillment of his de- sires. Amo: g the birds a great variation of _ movement exists, and perhaps in no depart- ment, unless we except the insects, shall we find so many interesting features and op- portunities for study of locomotion. It may be said that the locomotion of birds is main- ly by flight, and it is natural that the sug- gestion should arise; Sut, from the fact that as a class we consider birds as fliers, it does not follow that we are to classify them from their aerial movements, or look on them as entirely confined to their wings either in traveling or seeking their food. On the contrary, many species never leave the ground, many others are but indifferent fli- ers, while others even use their wings as propellers or tins in swimming. We will study a few forms of bird movement on the ground, comparing various orders and spe- cies. Ifwe attempt classification of birds on a whole, from their manner of walking, the entire system in vogue would be sadly entangled, and therefore a scientific basis will not be drawn. Beginning with the Passeres, and speak- ing only of those species which we have ob- served, we start in with the Robin. Here we have a veritable, undignitied hopper, or more pruperly jumper, for he invariably rises from the ground and strikes on both THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 85 feet in moving about, whether feeding or playing with hismate. The movements are executed with great regularity and precision, and under all cases appear to be the result of mature deliberation. Our Robin does not hop, or jump—which ever you please— until he has thoroughly considered it. You see him standing proudly on a tussock, or dead fallen limb, his form is erect, his head well up, and the broad, beautiful breast strained out in front. In this position he frequently stands five minutes; and then, with his cheery chirp, uttered a few times, he lowers his head somewhat, directs it toward a point tei feet or more away, and hop-hop-hop he goes toward it. These hops are almost invariably in a straight line, aud I doubt if the hopper could turn aside until the last hop had occurred. I have seen the attempt made, and a sorry effort it was, much like the attempt of a drunkard to suddenly turn about; the bird wobbled about and nearly fell. In almost every ease, the Robin hops his two, three, or up to ten hops, in a direct line; and then it is a common thing for him to jig back on al- most the same course, or off at right angles. In this way we have seen them tack, about a lawn, recently freshened by an April shower, until almost every part had been covered and few, if any, earth-werms were left exposed. It isinteresting to note an oceasional sudden stop made by Robin, while he is on one of his five or six hops; he fairly tumbles over on his head in his ef- fort to suddenly seize a worm while hopping. In these attempts he usually takes a step or two with each foot separately, not hopping as is his usually wont. However, the Robin, and all the other thrushes are like him, is very undignifiedin his manner of getting over the ground; and if he were not an old acquaintance, we would laugh at his odd movements. The Robin usually hops a dis-- tance of a foot or fifteen inches at each at- tempt, and generally makes a distance of eight to twelve feet before discontinuing his movements; whereupon he looks about for worms or food, and again hops. In the trees the Robin often performs the same movements, when the limbs and twigs are placed to his liking. When the limbs are rather too far apart, he often spreads his wings, and occasionally striking his feet, looks as if he were half flying, half hopping, which is the case. The Catbird and Brown Thrush also have this habit. The Thrasher is a strong hopper and frequently makes jumps of two feet or more, but his jumps rarely number over three or four in success- ion. He is a very accurate jumper, much more so than the Robin. We have seen a Browr Thrush repeatedly leap through a small space scarcely large enough to admit his body. It is amusing to see one jump between the rails of a fence, with the long tail streaming after. The Hermit and Wil- son’s Thrushes are also hoppers; in fact, we have never seen a member of this family walk or even use their feet separately, ex- cept in feeding, rarely, and in covering their nests or young, when they stand _ first on one foot—then on the other, before setting. The Bluebird is a hopper also, but will frequently take a few steps when crowded; and often clings to the excavation entrance in which is his nest, first with one foot— then with the other, meantime fluttering his wings and gratifying us with his delightful warble. fe is not nearly so much of a ground bird as the Thrushes, and secures much of his prey from dead limbs and stumps, or even picking it from the ground as he hovers just above it, without touching his feet. [The above article was read before the R O. C. at Chicago; and would have been published in their Bulletin had not the Club been discontinued. | [T0 BE OONTINUED. | 86 THE HAWKEYVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. ie - NOTES ON SOME OF THE PAS- SERES OF FULTON COUNTY, KENTUCKY. FOURTH PAPER, BY L. 0. PINDAR, PRES. Y. O. A., HICKMAN, KENTUCKY. ND now we come to the large family J FPringillide which is the largest family we have, comprising about one-sev- enth of the birds of N. America, according to Dr. Coues. If we have counted aright the A. O. U. Check List places 133 species in this family, which includes the Gros- Finches, Redpolls, Goldfinches, Longspurs, the various Sparrows, Juncos, beaks, Towhees, Cardinals, Buutings, etc. We will be compelled to devote two pa- pers to this family; and will first take up the Am. Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) as 1 have had many opportunities of observing it. It is a common resident here, though this is perhaps one ot their most Southern breed- ing grounds; and, like the Meadow Lark, is extremely local in its distribution. Six miles south of Hickman, just over the line, in Obion Oo., Tenn., they are very abund- ant; but right at Hickman we rarely find them except in winter, when they come around the houses and barns. Thave often noticed them feeding on the seeds of the sweet gum tree in winter; and this habit drew the following remark- able sentence from a boy who spoke of them as “Them ’ere little black and _yeller Ought not that description puzzle anyone as to what itmeant. This bird has many local names, Wild Canary, Flaxbird, Thistlebird, Lettucehbird, ete. being most common, all being received, as will be seen, from its hab- its of feeding on thistle tops, wild flax, let- tuce seed, etc. This bird enjoys the distinction of being about the latest nester we have, usually commencing its domestic care in July, birds what eats sweet-gum seeds.” sometimes not till August. The probable reason for this is that the various seeds fed to the young are not to be found in their greatest abundance till this time, for the birds always nest earlier if we have an early spring and vice versa. The nest is saddled on a limb, something after the manner of that of the Wood Thrush, though of course so dainty a bird could never be imagined to use mud in its nest. Instead, it weaves together the soft inner bark of the grape vine, slender blades of grass, fine moss, and small leaves, lined with an exquisite carpet of felted thistle down. When their home is at last completed, four to six white eggs, delicately tinged with green and sharply pointed at one end, are laid. The above is the normal color, but occasionally aset is found with black spots, and again they may be bluish white. They measure abeut .65x.50. The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella social- 7s) is another common bird here, being most common in summer though many gen- erally remain through the winter. Last winter, ’87—’88, however, contrary to their usual habits, they all left late in the fall, returning early in April. The Chippy, Hair-bird, or Social Spar- row, is one of our best known birds. proba- bly on account of its abundance and the trust it reposes in man, nearly always nest, ing near buildings, and also on account of its extended habitat, reaching west to the Rocky Mts, and south to Mexico. The nest is said by some to be generally placed in shrubbery, etc., but we do not find this to be the case. Our first nest was ina mulberry tree, and about 12 feet from the ground. The nest is not an exceptionally neat structure; it is composed of leaves, dried grass, fine twigs, and with always enough horsehair in its make up to justify the pop- ular appellation of Hair-bird. The eggs are four to five in number, blu- ish green, speckled with blackish brown, and measure, according to Mr. Davie, who gives the average of 30 specimens, .69x.48. THE HAWKEVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 87 MIGRATION REPORTS. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. REPORTED BY W. E. PRATT. FIRST NO. Pectoral Sandpiper 416 Horned Larkt Am. Bittern 4-21 Virginia Rail 4-21 Carolina ‘ 4-91 Cowbird 4-21 Bobolink 4-21 Kingfisher 4-91 Golden-c. Kinglet 4-23 Ruby-e. + 4-93 Y.-headed Blackbird 4-24 Cat bird 4-24 Ruddy Duck 4-24 Black-c. Nightheron 4-24 Golden Plover 4-22 Chipping Sparrow 4-25 Swamp a Duck Hawki 4-95 Osprey 4-25 Bonaparte Gull 4-25 Black Tern 4-26 Spotted Sandpiper 4-26 Bartram’s Sandpiper 4-27 Kingbird 4-28 Horned Grebe o> 1 Green Heron 5- 1 Baltimore Oriole d= 1 Chimney Swift 5-1 Summer Yellowbird 5-3 Bi’h-t. Blue Warbler 5- 4 Black and Y. “ 5- 4 Redstart 5- 4 Chestnut-s. Warbler 5- 4 Least Flycatcher 5- 4 Blackburnian Warler 5- 4 . Nashville + 5- 5 Woodcock 5- 5 Wood Thrush 5- 9 Short-b. Water Th’sh 5-12 Long-b. i eo Rly Warblers—Golden-w. Yellow-rumped Blue Yellow-backed Black-throated Green Tennessee Palm Can. Flycatching Wilson’s Black-capped B. & W. Creeping 5-12 Maryland Y.-throat 5-12 * ** WWD K ¥* KK FTW HE wo ¥RWrR x ODOR Rr Ore PaorRRaoawew * NEXT WHEN NAME. SEEN. SEEN. SEFN. COM. 4-26 4-25 4-25 5-1 4-30 ng Bee ww cis) vw Gt Gre S 5-12 Ble Gn’ y Gnat-catcher 5-12 3 Scarlet Tanager 5-12 * Bank Swallow 5-12 - Forester’s Tern 5 -12 * Least Bittern 5-12 1 Wood Pewee 5-12 i Acadian Flycatcher 5-12 3 Whippoorwill 5-12 2 *Numerous. tT wo half-fledged young ones found, 4-21. fA very large, long-winged Hawk, a very swift flier. Saw him kill four Mud Hens on the wing in about ten minutes. The observations were made at Grass Lake and Grand Crossing. JACKSON, MICHIGAN. REPORTED BY CARLETON GILBERT. Barn Swallow 4-10 4 4-20 4-23 Chimney Swift 4-20 3 4-22 4-24 Scarlet Tanager 4-25 1 4-30 5-14 Golden-c. Thrush 4715) 1) 4506 a5 Purple Martin 4- 3 2 4-6 422 House Wren 4-29 1 4-30 5-10 Baltimore Oriole 4-29 2 4-30 5-15 Catbird 4-20 1 428 5-13 Parula Warbler 5- 4 1 White-t. Sparrow geal) ao) o- 2 6-16 BIl’k and W. Creeper 5- 2 1 5-3 5-10 Vesper Sparrow 4-26 3 4-30 Pine Grosbeak 5- 2 1 Mourning Warbler 5- 4 1 6-12 Y.-rumped Ke 5- 4 1 5-10 5-16 Maryland Y.-throat 5- 4 1 Blackburnian Warb. 5-14 1 “18 5-21 Black-t. Green ‘“ 5 13 1 5 17 S Blue ie 5 19 4 BleGr’y Gnateatcher 5 10 3 516 5 20 Gt. C’st’d Flycatcher 5-12 2 5-18 Rose-b. Grosbeak 3-12 6 5-15 5-21 Whippoorwill 5-12 1 5-18 Nighthawk 5-19 1 Orchard Oriole 5-12 2 5-13 5-20 White-c. Sparrow 5-14 7 d-15 5-17 Chestnut-s. Warbler 5-12 1 Golden-w. ue 5-15 3 d-17 5-19 Black-billed Cuckoo 5-15 il 5-19 Y.-bellied Flycatcher 5-11 5 5-15 5-20 Redstart 5-12 8 d-14 5-15 Red.-h. Woodpecker 5- 1 6 5-13 5-18 Field Sparrow 5-12 3 516 5-18 Swamp Sparrow 5-13 2 5-15 5-19 Bobolink 5-12 1 5-16 5-20 Indigo Bunting 0-21 1 Least Flycatcher 5-18 1 88 THE HAWKEYVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, WAYNESBURG, PENNSYLVANIA. * REPORTED BY J. WARREN JACOBS. REPORTED BY C. J. SONNEN. Casini wae 3 woe — Chewink 4-1 4 4-8 Red-w. Blackbird 4-1 2 Geese catty 88) Cera Wood Thrush AGB Woodcock 417 4 4-18 Kinetishee 4-1 1 English Snipe 418 1 5-6 5-10 eee e Martin PEW 4-6 Passenger Pigeou 4-20 1 Bobolink hs 9 4-9 Kingfisher 4-21 2 4-22 4-30 Green Heron 4-14 1 4-20 Chewink — ae) Bank Swalloy 414 2 448 Sand Martin ea hey) i Spotted Sandpiper 414 1 4-20 Wood Pewee 421 | Ble Gr’y Gnateatcher 4-15 1 417 Orange-c. Warbler footy 480. | Redstart Re Ps eare by) Mud Hen cea el Wilson’s Thrush AO Si Chimney Swallow ay oe Long-b. Wat’r Thr’sh 4.15 2 4.99 Purple Grackle 425 | Catbird 4-15 4-16 Marsh Hawk 4.25 2 5- 4 Bat cerallon: 416 Brown Thrush 4-25 = 4-26 Yellow Warbler 4-99 Snow Brant seen) tl ' | Acadian Flycatcher 422 1 Am. Bittern 4-25 1 5-1 5-15 Warblineavnree 4-93 1 Kingbird ai pad Baltimore Oriole 426 1 SOO EE Bone ae suena cee Y.-breasted Chat 4.281 Horned Lark 5- 5 2 5-6 6-12 Scarlet Tanager 4-98 1 4-30 SON See reas eae Gt. C’st'd Flycatcher 425 1 430 Rose-b, Grosbeak 5-10 5-12 Indigo Bunting 4-99 Baltimore Oriole 5-11 2 5-12- Red-eyed Vireo 4-99 1 Chino ea rca Ne °15 | Kingbird 4-20) 320 Lib 8 Summer Redbird 5-12 1t Oras! Onin 4-30 5-41 Bobolink Calo ae Wood Pewee 5-5 1 5- 6 *Numerous. {Rare visitant here. Beye ug Dir Oy 8 one CRESCO, IOWA. Long-b. Curlew 415 2 MEDINA, NEW YORK. Golden Plover 416 50 449 Am. Bittern 4-15 1 REPORTED BY NEIL F. POSSON. Brown Thrasher 4-30 9 Green Heron 5-1 1 Spotted Sandpiper 5- 1 1 Tree Sparrow 4-13 4 420 4 21 Scarlet Tanager 5- 4 3 5- 5 Golden-e. Kinglet 414 5 415 414 | Indigo Bunting ae Zhi il Savannah Sparrow 4-16 1 419 4419 Wood Thrush 5- 4 1 516 Purple Martin 419 1 420 419 | Wilson’s ‘‘ 5 4 2 5 5 Wood Thrush 4-21 1 Catbird 5 4 1 5 8 Chimney Swift 4-23 1 4-24 4-93 Am. Redstart 5 9 1 5 10 W..-bellied Swallow 4-26 1 4-26 Y.-bellied Woodpecker 5 5 1 Belted Kingfisher 4-26 3 4-26 Maryland Yellow-t. 5 6 1 5.9 Yellow Warbler 4-28 1 Bobolink 5 6 8 5 Barn Swallow 4-28 2 429 4-29 | Rose-b. Grosbeak 5 6 2 Least Flycatcher 429 1 4-30 Am. Woodcock GO 2 Baltimore Oriole 5-1 1 d9-4 5-5 Lesser Yellowlegs 5 9 Spotted Sandpiper 5- 5 5 5- 5 | Baltimore Oriole - 5 12 1 Bobolink 5-5 1 Least Flycatcher 5 12 1 B. & W. Cr’p’g Warb. 5- 5 3 5- 5 Bank Swallow 5 13 2 Golden-w. 86> 5 1 Cerulean Warbler 5 20 1 W.-crowned Sparrow 5- 5 1 B. and W. Creeper 5 12 2 ke wD WW WwW W oo So 1 i io) THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 89 EDITORIAL. Correspondents all speak appreciatingly of our change in form. Mr. F. A. Patton of Roswell, Dakota, promises us some interesting articles on the birds of that section in the near future. Chas. F. Carr of Madison, Wisconsin, who has one of the finest collections in the State, writes us that he intends furnishing us with several articles before long. They will surely be interesting. Just before the close of the season, when oologists are anxious to make good ex- changes, a new directory becomes a much valued article. This year Mr. Taylor of Dunkirk. N. Y., intends to supply the want. As it will probably contain some fitteen hundred names, it bids fair to excel all previous efforts in this line, and should be in the hands of every working student. We have received the first sixteen pages of Prof. Oliver Davie’s “Nests and Eggs.” The work is not nearly so condensed as for- merly, giving numerous notes on the nesting habits of the species. provement in the work may be had when we say that his article on the “Habits of Some American Grebes” in our Apri! num- ber was but a fair synopsis of the notes on these species given in the work. Some idea of the im- Received since last issue: Agassiz Com- paniou; Agassiz Record, Badger State Philatelist, Common Sense, Excelsior, Ex- changer’s Monthly, Garner, of London, Ge- olor? *s Gazette, Leisure Hour, Oologist, Oologist’s Exchange, Our Dumb Animals, Scientist, United States Philatelist, World of Ne are; but the Bay State Oologist, “ch where, oh where has it gone?” Why the whichness of this Mr. Foote? Following are the lucky winners in the prize drawing of Walter Raine: Ist prize: 4 Golden Eagle, ticket 41, Mr. J. C. Sharp, Taunton, Mass. 2nd prize: 4 Bald Eagle; ticket 13; Mr. W.C. Flint, San Francisco. 3d prize: } Sea Eagle; ticket 31; Frank Lattin, Albion, N. Y. 4th prize: + Merlin Hawk; ticket 9; Messrs. Webster & Mead, Cresco, Iowa. 5th prize: Rough-legged Hawk, ticket 35, Mr. G. Gregory, New Haven, Conn. 6th prize: + European Buzzard; ticket 20 G. Dexter Gregory, New Haven, Conn. 7th prize: 1 Fulmar,1 Puffin, ticket 21; Mr. Frank Lattin. _ 8th prize: 1-7 European Coot, ticket 39; Mr. J. C. Sharp, 9th prize: 1 Egyptian Vulture; ticket 46; Wm. J. Parkes, Toronto, Canada. We, the undersigned, dec'are that the above drawing was done in an upright and satisfactory manner to all parties concerned. K. V. Rippon, 60 Scotland St. Wm. J. Parker, 1 Darcy St. Toronto. HOW TO COLLECT AND PREPARE CONCHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. BY J. A. SINGLEY. (9 EK must take everything he can see— no matter how small, as some of the species are almost microscopic in size. The larger specimens can be cleaned as directed for the Helices. The smaller specimens, as well as a@// small shells and those of a larger size where the aperture is contracted or filled with teeth, preventing us from tracting the animal, should be put into al- cohol for 24 hours, taken out and wshed and dried; these delicate shells require cw: ful handling, as the sharp lip must not be J chipped. In collecting these, it is best to 90 THE HAWKEVE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. have a wide-mouthed vial containing alco- hol, so they can be dropped in as soon as collected. A pair of tweezers is indispens- able in collecting small shells. Large shells can be put into an ordinary collecting box. Vitrina. This genus resembles Zonites, and requires similar treatment. Bulimulus and Glandina are Southern and Mexican gencra. Mostly large and They inhabit the same station as the Helices, and are treated them. Cylindrella. There are but two species of this genus found in the U.S. Maero- eeramus, of which also two species are found in this country, is related to this genus. handsome species. like They are elongated, slender, many- whorled shells, and must be treated with the alcohol bath. Pupa and Vertigo are small cylindrical genera found everywhere in the U.S. No particular place can be given as their sta _tion, butsome species are partial to wet meadows; and any chip, piece of bark, or accumulation of trash will richly reward Other Look closely for these small species, as it is the collector who investigates it. species will be found in damp moss. among them that the collector hopes of finding a species new to science may mater- ialize. Treat these species with alcohol. The Succineas are all fragile shells, not of a large size; but having a short spire and large body-whorl and aperture, the animal canbe removed from them, making fine specimens. The species of this genus are the nearest to being amphibious of any of the Pulmo- nata, 2nd are found on the margins of lakes and streams crawling on the nud, and sometimes on sticks or logs projecting out of the water. They can also be found in wet bottom lands, but plenty of moisture being a necessity to them, there is not much use looking for them elsewhere. A simple scalding will loosen the animal so it can be removed and the shell cleaned. Being so fragile they require careful manipulation. If the collector wishes to collect the nak- ed Mollusks, Slugs, &e., they will require While I have not enumerated all the genera of Amerivan terrestrials, I have given to be kept permanently in alcohol. the most important ones; and all specimens can be prepared by some one o: the methods given. The collector will rapidly gain ex- perience in finding the best localities for the different species; and he will hardly find a barren locality. The most important family of American fresh-water shells is the well known “river- mussel,” or Uninnide. Of the 1200 known species, more than one-half have been de- There is a wonderful diversiiy of form and other char- acters; and a complete collection of the American species alone would be worth a small fortune. scribed from American waters. There is scarcely a stream, lake or pond that will not have one or more representatives of this family; and as they are all interesting, ami some very beautiful, they are much songht after, especially by foreign collectors. In collecting this fami- ly the collector can don an old suit and wade after them if the weather is warm and water shallow, orif he is afraid of a wetting he can use a rake with close-set teeth and dredge for them. They. are prepared for the cabinet by scalding, when the shell will gape open. With a sharp knife .remove the animal; wash the shell thoroughly inside and out- side; close the valves and tie astring about the shell, and it will dry closed. If you want your cabinet specimens to look just as they do when removed from the water, give them an application of glycerine on the outside, but don’t drench them in it, a slight application will do. Be particular to label every specimen, giving the stream or lake where taken, county and state. This is nec- essary with all fresh-water shells. In land shells give the county and state on the label. [CONCLUDED IN JULY NUMBER. | the — Gace of any structwe upon es the main parts are to me nontline.’; and this defination exactly agrees with « ¥ description of fon or Outline Collection of Bird’ s Bie ae Zach Sina collection se ‘pied ese epi to the requirement of ay hee 8 invest a fe sum in pure hasing a nae collection ic tion. was obtainable, oes ing to secure a sail cabinet and add there- As © portuni y Offers. — 2 ue eatlei is in no wise to he confounded with some. miscellaneous gatherings, 3 called By 10 lor Amatuer Cabinets, its specimens being selected from the best of eri0 - stock of Birds’ Eggs. The eens between the so-termed Ama- fered by some other dealers : and our Cabinets is See one of stogk ce ate 1s ears was needfnl: “We: think | a a followi ¢ series cont ined i in ome Skele, = ‘ ~ “used in a Rideeway’s S icine ncletare of N. A. Birds: Sed : sof the AsO. U., and the second column and names ‘from: m jave the varietal name following the typieal form. ry. eptes carolinensis, Catbird. ee ; Mewicunus, Aim, Water Onizeleie ane : Oe ae JOOLID Bi Staliaisiali Bluebird. ‘ sh eae PRELOGON ID Eeaennciepie nitens, Black:crested Flycatcher. See, : fist, 60.in number, which, for. want of room we are compelled to omit, will Be ee BT Brae pa or may be found by consulting the following No’s. in Prof. : x i G. 14, 13) 87, 74, 106. 117,118: 120, 126, 128, 132. 182/183, 186; 188, 201, . 206, a 993, 33, QB. 85, 239, 300, B10, 3.1 316, 325, 333, 365, 338, 391, 413, 420, 423, 431, 444; 4774. es 0, GOR. G13, 619,620, 622, 624. 652, 694, 725, 726, W227, 735, 742, 751 and 766. Eps.) ; rom the wbove it will: be seen: that, Col. No.1 embraces 60 specunens, and 57 families. ; = P.O. as Secon.) Sy: AL ral aD =P a a EY GOLLECTION st se Contents jor | Toa Golden crested Kanglet, Senge 5 Birds of Greenbrier Co., West Va.; The Scarlet Tanager. Instinet or Reason? Be Sind i ra g nS Notes on the Passeres ae Fulton Co., ee ; : i ae Editorial Notes. mhe Suibntists, dey) aco ieee ae Noted Collections—No. 1, - nes otewas BOOKS - os WATURALISTS. oe ~ THOS, HUR Any ofthe Paineiie ase will be Sent postpaid on receipt of price: ; SIZE. BIRDS: vo e Ridewav's Mannal of N. A. Birds, $7.50 Cones’ Key. (third eaniony 7.50 Lane les’ “Our Birds and rheiriaunts, » 3.00 Ridaway’s Colors for Naturalists 4 00) Panen’s “Oology of New England.” 365 Raird. Brewer & Ridgway’s Water Birds ——~ of America—2 vols. 24.00 Baird. Brewer & Ridgway’s Land Birds of Ameriea—3 vole. 30.00 Wilson & Ronapartes’ Am. Ornithology 7.50 Yernon’s Our birds of Prey in Canuda— £0 photo illustrations 10.00 Samuels’ Our Northern Birds, 5 00 Balley’s Our Own Birds—col’d, 3.5) ° Adam’s Humming Birds — 1.40)" ASAtia Three Kingdoms, TAXIDERMY: , Kinstey’s Naturalists’ Assistant, Brown’s Taxidermist’s Manual’ Maynard's Manual of Taxidermy, Vaxidernaust, INSECTS: Packard's Guide to the Study of Insects, 5.00) ae Insects of the West, 2.50 ay Binnie Rev. W. F. White’s Ants and *rheir Ways, 2.00/76) or flint tris; } Lubbock’s Ants, Bees and Wasps, 2 2.00/4 to 18, carmfr Adams’ Beautiful Shells, ~ 1,75 browns Lt Marvels of Pond Lite, 1.50} Hoge on Microscope, _ NATURAL HISTORY; Standay da—6 yols,, cloth, mel ¥ * half moroceo, 46) 0 eine tor Pai W. nite’ '$ Natural Tiistory of Selborne, - By ut Ae Wvtt E. B, WEBSTER, Cresco, Towa. EB WEBSTER e The Nawkeye @rnithologist and @clogist. VOL. Il. JANUARY 1, 1888. NO. 1. ) \ GOLDEN-CRESTED KINGLET. BY WM. L. KELLS. Beantifnl bird of the wilderness; Oft T have wondered w here might be thy nesting place. Is it in the cedar or pine’s airy shade? Or in the top of the spruce is thy nursery made? Is it in the north, by the Hudson Bay shore? Or on Labrador’s coast, where the wild billows roar? Or on the ever green hills, whence the Ottawa comes, Where the jay and the raven have their winter homes? O tell me setvapa that I too may tell, The place where in summer ye choose for to dwell, For I know that in autumn, ve choose here to come; And in onr deep wildwoods make your winter home; And active and cheery when snow closeth the ground, And the chill blasts of winter are drifting around; Bnt when the winter’s over, and spring comes again, We miss for a season thy pleasing refrain; Where then do you go with your bright golden crest, To seek in seclusion a place for thy nest? Then I wish I might see, when in summer I roam, In some deep tangled wildwood the place of thy home, And gaze on thy nest amid deep sheltered bowers. Where the green garb of summer is mingled with flowers; Where no vuice of a foe, or dread sound of a gun, May disturb thy retreat till thy purpose is done; Come again to our woodlands when summer is gone, And low in the south sinks the late antumn sun, When the birds of onr snmmer to the tropics have flown; And the leaves of the forest are withered and gone; When the white snow of winter lies deep on the ground; And the cold Arctic breezes are blustering around; While but few other birds will so cheerily sing, Till our winter departs at the voice of the spring. BIRDS OF GREENBRIER CO., 1 BY THADDEUS SURBER. Wnuire Sux. Sprivcs, West Va, Noy. 13, 1888. Mr. E. B. Wessrrr, ~ Cresco, lowa. s) Dear Sir:—By a careful study of Natural History tor a num tion of this list I have had to rely entirely on my own persona L observation, therefore I am alone responsible tor any mistakes made. Though incomplete, the list will give a pretty fair idea of the bird-life of this county. I will endeavor to add to. it from. time to time, as there are probably several species here which — haye not come }eneath my notice. You will tind in this list 121 species representing abont 30 families. List numbered aceord- ing to Ridgeway’s Nomenelature. Additions and corrections x solicited from all. Hoping this will be of some interest to th Be readers of the Hawxryr Oryrrnozoersr and Ooroarsr,,1 am very cape respectfully your humble servant, THappres SurBER. — a 1, Hylocichla mustelina, Wood Thrush; “Swamp Robin.” (ge Common summer resident; breeds. Arrives first of May; de- parts in October. Food, inseets. a / 2. Mylocichla fuscescens. Wilson’s Thrush. Specimens — i secured; very rare. x 5b. Hylocichla unalascae pallasi. Hermit Thrush. Com- mon migrant. ) 7. Merula migratoria. American Robin; “Robin R Breast.”? Abundant summer resident; breeds. Arrives — March; departs in November; oceasionally a few winter Food, insects and worms. Pre: The Hawkeye 0. and. O. scoptes EADS Catbird. Common summer ent; breeds. Arrives first of May; departs last of Septem- Food, seed, ete. Harporhynchus rufus. Brown Thrasher; “Sandy Mockingbird.” Common summer resident; breeds. Arrives in pril; departs in September. . Food, insects mainly. 22. Sialia sialis. Bluebird. Abundant; breeds. Arrives ‘ re : . + . Be n February; departs in November. TF ood,insects. 27. —-Polioptila caerulea. Blne-gray Gnateatcher. Rare summer resident; breeds. Arrives in May; departs in Septem- i) od e, 5 ber. Insectivorous. ' 33. Regulus satrapa.. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Common i 36. Lophophanes bicolor. Tufted Titmouse; “Sugarbird.’’ Pa Common resident. breeds. Food, insects, nuts, ete. AL. Parus atricapitius. Black-capped Chickadee; “Tomtit.” 51. Sitta carolinensis. White-bellied Nuthatch. Common _ resident; breeds. 52. Sitta canadensis. Red-bellied Nuthatch. Occurs oc- easionally during winter; rare. 55. Certhiafamiliaris rufa. Brown Creeper. Common _ during immigrations. Insectivorous. Bra6t. ignore bewicki. Bewick’s Wren. Very rare sum- mer resident; breeds. Oo: Mraulonyies aedon. House Wren; “Jenny Wren.” Common summer resident; breeds. Arrives first of April; de- parts in October. Food, insects. 74. Mniotilta varia. Black-and-white Creeper. Summer a 93. Died iocce aestiva, Summer Yellow-bird; “Yellow- bird. ”” Common summer resident; breeds. Arrives in April; - departs i in September. Food, insects. Mt. _ Deudroeca aculedn Black-and- -yellow Warbler. Com- ‘ 98. Dendroeca eaerulea. Cerulean Warbler grant. : Ny 113a. Dendroeca palmarum hypochrysea. poll Warbler. Migrant; rare. 115. Siurus auricapillus. Golden-crowned Thrush; bird.” Common summer resident; breeds. Arrives in Ap parts in October. Food, insects, ete. Onin ten: 120. Geothlypis philadelphia. Mourning Warbler. — casional migrant. eee stars ; 122. Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat. Sur 1 mer resident; breeds. is if 123. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. Common sur mer resident; breeds. Arrives in May; departs last of Angust Food, insects, worms, etc. Pap eee 135. Vireosylvia olivacea. Red-eyed Vireo. Commor summer resident. breeds. Arrives in April; departs in Octobe Insectivorous. Hi 139. Véreosylvia gilva. Warbling Vireo. Summer re dent; breeds. Arrives and departs with V. o/ivacea. 148. Lanius borealis. Great Northern Shrikes; ‘Bute bird.” Specimen secured November 4, 1887. a 151. Ampelis cedrorum, Cedar Wax-wing; “Cherry-bird” Abundant summer resident; breeds. Arrives first of May; de pats in October. Food, insects and fruit. ‘ , 152. Progne subis. Purple Martin. Common summer res % dent; dreeds, Arrives in April; departs in September. Insecti . orous. 154. Hirundo erythrogastra. Barn Swallow. © Common _ summer resident; breeds. Arrives in April; departs in Septem-_ 4 f ber. 157 9 Cotile riparia. Bank Swallow. Commun Ban resident; breeds. Arrives in April; departs in September. (To be continued.) t The Hawkeye O. and O. ho SS THE SCARLET TANAGER. Puranga rubre. Every ono should be familiar with the habits as well as the appearance of this elegant bird. His gracefully formed body, clothed in the most brilliant and glowing scarlet, and his wings and tail of jetty black, as he gambols among the thick foliage, presents one of the most lovely and attractive objects which our feather- ed world can afford. It iswidely ) | scattered over the United States dur- ing the summer months, seeming to have a decided preference for the deeply shaded woods. The female presents an entirely different appearance from the male, being olive green above and greenish-yellow below; young resemble females very closely at first and presenting an admix- ture of yellow, red and black as they advance in age. It is generally supposed that the male (like the Bobolink) changes to the yellowish plumage of the female at the fall moults. The song resembles that of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak to some extent; they also have a quickly uttered alarm note. Oc- casionally they may he seen in the neighborhood of a farm house or the ontskirts of a villaze, but for the most part they are very shy. The bright contrast of their plnmage with the sombre oak groves which they chiefly frequent renders them an attractive mark to the young sportsman; this, together with the demand for their skins for ornamental purposes, has been rapidly reduc- ing their numbers until now, in most sections of the country, they are almost rare. The nest is a very loosely woven structure, composed of roots, twigs and bark strips, lined with finer similiar substances, nsually placed in the fork of « horizontal limb, and oftentimes so sliht that the eggs can be seen readily from below. There are usual. ly fuur in number, and of a greenish-blue cast; spotted with red- dish-brown, usually forming a ring on the larger end. _ small twigs of which one was too slender, allowing the ne INSTINCT OR REASON? close observer ooh the many anaes vagaries & fee our ah e who are so near us. I have arrived at the conclusion that rule of conduct with regard to the building of nests or mode « life can be laid down as arbitrary. The observations of one su mer will destroy all preconceived notions. There must be some thing beyond what we call instinct to guide in some of strange things we see so often. I shall endeavor to give some of my own observations with regard to these things that proy to me that some grains of reason lurk in the small brains* o these little busy bodies. {iatat Years ago when, as a boy, | roamed throngh the woods | an fields of Bremer county, lowa, I gathered many fragments tha may now interest the readers of the O. anp ©. [| well remem ber the year the Rose-breasted Grosheaks built their nests in Bremer county. I cannot now give the date, but I know that that year the nests were in the low bushes and thin trees, where no such nests were to be found the year before. ‘The conse quence was many of the nests were taken by the omnipresent small boy. The next spring the nests of the Grosbeak were in the elm trees ont of reach of any but skillful climbers, of which I neyer was one, and so saw but few eges after that. D instinct or reason teach the bird that a tall tree was a more sa’ place than a low bush. Note the case of the Oriole as cited in St. Micholas mistake was made of calling it an Orchard Oriole instead o Baltimore, the nest of the Orchard Oriole being of grass ins’ of strings and tow like the Baltimore.) The nest was on s¢ sag to one side. Was it instinct or reason that taugh Oriole to take a string, weave it in one side of the nest and th The Hawkeye O. and 0. y carry if up and tie it In a knot over a limb. (This nest was found at Spiceland, where I live.) A few years ago a-iriend of mine at Spiceland had some nests made to order by furnishing the material, tow, strings and carpet thrums. The Oriole seemed much pleased with the red, green and blue, but after much study chose the gray and brown. Yid not reason teach her that the bright colors would reveal the nest to the eyes of hoys! I will give but one more curiosity of the working of the small min. As I was passing the corner of astreet in Waverly some yeurs ago I saw a vest inasmall maple tree that atthacted my at- tention. On taking it down I found that a Sparrow had_ built a nest and laid some eggs; a Cowhird had left one ege in the nest; the Sparrow then built another nest above the first, laid some eves, and the Cowbird again leaving an egg, she had_ built the third and im this were eggs of both; then she had given up the task. These are only a few of the curions things I have seen among the birds in my years of watching. If these are of interest to the rea lers of the O. anp ©., I will at some future time tell of some of the strange songs I have heard of Jay-bird and Magpie. [ remain yours for the birds, S. L. Noster. NOTES ON THE PASSERES OF FULTON CO., KY. BY L. 0. PINDAR, PRES. Y. 0. A. The Vireonedae are represented in Fulton county by the Red eyed, Philadelphia, Warbling, White-eyed and Bell’s Vireos. The last named is rarest; two were seen and one killed July 16, 1887. The Philadelphia and Warbling Vireos are rare fall mi grants. The White-eyed is a common fall migrant. None ot these have been seen in the spring. The Red-eyed species is a common summer visitant, arriving about the middle of April. & The Hawkeye O. and O. The Vireo is one of my especial favorites among our feather- ed friends. Trim, slender and graceful, of modest colors, never forcing itself on our notice as is the case with some of our more brilliant birds, always keeping up its cheerful strain from the early dawn, the sultry noon and through the dusky eve till the stars shine on its sleeping form as it reposes in its delicate nest, keeping warm its eggs in which are wrapped up all its hopes. This bird has always possessed a peculiar attraction for me. The nest matches the bird. Like those of all the Vireos it is a pensile cup in the forks of a horizontal branch. It is nearer the cup shape than almost any nest built in this locality. The foun. dation of the nest is usually the fine, dry inner bark of grape- vines, a favorite substance with many birds. On the outside it is covered with shreds of a wasp’s nest, and lined with fine bits of hay. The above 1s a description of a nest now before me. This particular nest was rather high for this species, heing about thirty feet from the ground, while the usual distance is half that. It was on the end of such a slender limb that ne one could have climbed to it, but I secured the empty nest by entting the limb on which it was hung, with a rifle. The eggs are pure white with a few dark brown spots, the marking thickest at the larger end. They are usually fourin number and measure .80x.60. The large family Mniotiltidae next comes under consider- ation. The beautiful Maryland Yellow-throat is the one which T have had the most and best chances to study. It may seem strange to pass over such a large and important family so_hasti- ly, but I am not going to have the leisure I hoped to haye to finish these sketches and hope my readers will pardon me for qeing so cursory. (To be continued.) The Hawkeye O. and O. g EDITORIAL. With this month’s issue, the first number of the second vol- ume, the Hawkeryn appears in a new form. Greater convenience to the reader and a- uniform size throughout future volumes, coupled with a desire to make the distinction between the first and second volumes as prominent as possible, have induced us to make the change. We have no apology to offer our readers for our share of the work connected with the volume just completed. The articles have, with but one or two exceptions, been written expressly for the Hawxrre by the leading ornithological writers of the United States and Canada; nor has the geological depart- ment been neglected. Tn fact, though we have far from reached the goal we yet aim at, we feel that we have fulfilled our every promise and presented the ornithologists of the Central. and Western States with a magazine, as frequent letters of encour- agement show, they can well take pride, But with regard to the mechanical execution, variance in size, and irregularity of date of issue, matters which were not under our control and which we could not stand responsible for, we can only look back and say, “It might have been.” Our support has been far better than we expected, fully ample to warrant continuance through coming years and we commence the second volume with the feeling that we can present the bird students of the Western States with more and better reading matter for the money than any other publisher. Our subseription price will remain the same, 50c in advance; our advertising rates 50¢ per inch, $5.00 per page, payable cash in advance. When special contract is made otherwise, an ad- vance of 50 per cent is always required. As the printing is now done by contract, all copy must reach us by the tirst of the month. Yours ——ologieally, E. B. Weserer. 10 Lhe Hawkeye O. and O. THE SCIENTISTS. The Fulton County (Ill.) Scientific Association held their monthly meeting on the evening of November 29th, at the Normal College Chapel, Lewiston. An appreciative audience of perhaps a hundred and fifty guests greeted them. H. L. Roberts for Bureau of Zoology reported that he had a frog that had reversed all former precedent by swallowing a snake, a small puff adder. This phenomena was accounted tor by a member who said that Prof. Roberts had neglected his frog, let it starve nearly to death, and that it had to swallow the snake or starve; a survival of the fittest, Rev. George. from Bureau of History, reported that the Nile river for the first time since the days of Joseph had failed to overflow its banks, and it was believed that the Abyssinians from near its source had, as a war measure, diverted its chief tributary into the sea. The Py resident repor ted that some engineer had made the discovery that the Nile’s chief tributary was separated trom the Indian Ocean by only a narrow strip of land, through which a canal could easily be dug. Dr. Strode exhibited some rare eggs. Those of the Limkin, or Crying Bird, from St. John’s river, Florida, attracting much at- tention from their peculiar color < and marki ings. Prof. T. R. Wileoxson read the first paper on ‘“Euergy” and at its close illustrated his subject with sone very pretty and in- teresting electrical and other experiments, do 1, “Rowlands paper on “An Answer to the Labor Question” was frequently applauded and at its close lle was treated to a general handshaking. H. L. Roberts’ paper, “Evolution”? was the most truly scien- tifieal paper of the evening and Mr. {. was loudly applauded at its close. The Fulton Democrat had this to say of this meeting: “The entertainment—the various payers — deser ve greater praise than we care to offer our own people. The truth “would sound like exaggeration. But our Lewiston people were afford- eda fine treat, ‘and the question of audiences for our scientists is solved, so far as this city is concerned.” W.S. Srropz, Sec’y. The Hawkeye O. and. O. fil NOTED COLLECTIONS—NO. 1. BY F. R. STEARNS. This month I will begin a series of articles on some of the most noted collections in the United States. It will be well to begin with the mammoth collection owned by Mr. Wm. W. Adams, of Mapletown, New York, of whom you have all heard more or less. Although Mr. Adams has been a collector hardly tiye years, he has succeeded in gathering together a collection of relics which are coveted by all who see them. The cireumstances under which Mr. Adams became a_collec- tor are as follows: On the 28th day of February, 1884, he was arranging his books in a new case and found that a partition was unoccupied. So he told his wife that he would go to some wouds near town, owned by a man nained Hoskins, and see if he could find some Indian relies to fill the unoccupied shelf. Tle had heard when a boy that this was the site of an Indian burial ground, and after reaching the woods he proceeded to investigate the graves. The first grave he opened contained a fine Turkey head pipe. ‘Then, he says, “I commenced talking Indian and in- quiring about Indian relics. [I soon found where there were more burying places and, whenever I found time, I would go and dig.” The first year and a half he found about 7,500 speci- mens, which would be considered quite a collection by some, but which forms but a very small part of the present collection. Since then he has made some wonderful finds, of which we have only space to mention a few. Ang. 4th, 1886, he discovered a cache in which was found the following: One silver letter seal with crossed arrows and the letters “‘M. K.” body of seal repre- sents dolphin; 8 baldric beads; 5 bird shaped shell ornaments; 2 brass bells; massive shell bead; shell ornament, 24x14x4, bird- shaped; 400 large colored beads; copper coin, 1650, and 19 Jesuit rings. The lot is valued at about thirty dollars. Octo- ber 18, 1887, the following lot was found: 935 wampum and bu- HY The Hawkeye O. and O. de beads on a string 294 inches long; three pint brass kettle in perfect condition; i iron ax, and a perfect crania. One of his luckiest finds was made Angust 15, 1887. This was a wampum belt about 33 inches wideand 65 inches long, contain- ing over 3,800 olivella shells, and valued at $40. It was found in agrave near Union Springs, N. Y., in company with three bone awls. doubtless the ones used to make it. Last spring Mr. Adams spent several days searching for relies at East Caynga, an old town about two miles north of his resi- dence, where he found some wondertul things. One day’s hunt brought him 6 kettles, about 2,500 beads and ornaments and a eun. The next day he found a eae grave from which he ob- tained the following articles, May 2, 1888: a oun 4 feet, 8 inches Jong, two iron axes, 3 bars lead, aoiane ladle, 8 bnekhorn imple- ments, steel and flint, 3 arrows with brass points, 2 trigger guards warmer, piece of death paint, piece mica, numerous pieces of wood. iron and flint, 16 tusks, + rubbing stones, bone harpoon, 8 baldrie beads, 2 gun flints, 6 bullets, 4 bullet moulds, 2 iron har- poons. six knives, 2.500 wampum beads, pipe, 47 pieces gun locks, 3 pairshears, and numerous other things. This was indeed a rare find and so Mr. Adams thought. He dug them all out in about two hours. Mr. Adams also visited the chiet’s burying place near Union Springs where the reJies are all pre-Enropean. Ona spot not over forty feet square he found over 15,000 specimens. For displaying his collection Mr. Adams has devoted a room 16 by 24 feet, which is completely filled. The specimens are each numbered and arranged in eases, each find being kept together as much as possible. Although Mr, Adams devotes most of his time to the collecting of Indian relies, he also has a considerable number of war relies, old dishes, books, sea curiosities, ete. The collection at the pre- sent time numbers 50,000 pieces, : The Hawkeye O. and O. — eS ES = 3 Spiced : BIBEWAT'S | *BAVTAL OF H, AM. BIR . a Ry Prof. Nove. Ridgway, Curator of Birds, U.S. Nat. Wus., Wasbinztom , D.€ o.—— Royal 8vo, Cloth: Gilt, 631 pages. 464 engravings. | S75) Li Sportsman’s edition, bound in jeather. 37. =o i ©ontains consis descriptions of every Species of bids known to North America, Pyofusely Ulustrated with 464 @utiine cuts of the gencric characteis, and/a-poitrait of the late Spencer F, Baird. The classification, numeration and nomenclature conform strictiy with the Check -Tist of North American Birds recently published by the A. O, U. For the benefit of ob- Servers along Gur southern border, a>ynopsis ofall Mexican. Cuban and Bahaman spe- eles of each North American genus Is given. ‘ ’ THE ANALYTICAL KEYS Are unlike those previously used for any-ornithological work in America, and are mod- els Of conciseness And utility. Taken with the accurate outline cuts, giving the bills, claws, €fc.,.no onecan fall to use them with absolute certainty of satisfactory results, Every genus has bees worked up exactly as if it were the subject of a special mono- : srapb, based on all the material avallabie, and not 2 single page, or part of a page, as printed, has been previously published in anything like the same form. _ Not on’y are the esse ntial characters of every species and sub-species given, with Mmeéastirements, but the yarious plumage of each, depending on sex, age and season, are & _ __ earefally distineuishe?. The nest and eggs are concisely described. Wo active ornithologist, cologist or sportsman can afford to be without this book, as - {twill be the * : } STANDARD AUTHORITY id " - on North American Birds formany years to come. ° +¥ ; E. B. WEBSTER. Cresco Iowa. “OUR BIRDS IN THEIR HAUNTS. eo) BY. REV ds He LANGILLE, Seite Anan aeenel The most readable of all ornithological works, being writien m afresh and originai Toanner. and almost entirely from personal observations. It takes uw) the descriptions - and habits of the birds as they appear in eastern North America, in order of !he seasons, -and being free from the classification of a text book or manual, begins by noting the ar- rival of the first feathered songsters of the winter, taking up cach bird separately, anct presenting allin FOLU LIFE HISTORYS that are curious and fascinating in thelives of these wonderful creatures. The Niagara River and St. Clair Plats recelve the most attention, though a great geal of tnformation izgiven on the interesting localities of Nova Scotia and Hudson's ay. - Migration, istinct, the analogy of nidification, the specialized forms and adaptions of Structure in birds js all made readahle. ; =: The tustrations. 25 In number, are by that prince of bird artists, EDWIN-SHBEP- PARD of Philadelphia, whose connection with the Smithsonian Institute has given him a world-wide reputation, and assures accuracy. There is nO purer source of recreation than to go abroad and study the nature, hab- its and sougs of the birds; and Mr. Langiile has shown us what can be accomplished in this line by a quick eye and fnquisitive mind, and that a persistent observer can culfti- ou vate an acquaintance with the birds which will prove alike pleasant, instructive and re- fimng. : IN CLOTH, and on FINE TINTED PAPER, $3.00, EB WEBSTER, Crescéo, Iowa. $m FREE! FREE!! FREE!!! My price list of Eggs, Minerale, Shells, Cur- fosities, elc., and sample cepy of “lhe Old Curiosity Shop,” an iliustrated monthly jour- nal deyoted to ihe interests of collectors in all branches. E M. WAIGHT, 81 Box 24, Riverside, Calif, é ——1839, —— CLUBBING RATES. Hawkeye O, and 0. (50c) and any of the fol- lowing: pubilcations at annexed price: ; Pab’s, With Price. LH. 0, O. AND O., Of Boston. Mass., $1.00 $1 25 West Am, Sclentist, San Diego, ' Calif., $1.00 and Hoosier Nat- uralist, Vualpariso, Indiana, 50G, tovether $1.50 85 Above and Oologist with prem. 120 Oologist, Albion, N.Y. 00) i) Oologist’s Exchange, 10 55, Agassiz Companion, Kansas, ; Old Curtostty Shop, Stal 70 United States Philatellst, NOB) rat Booms NCES. 1 will give any one of the following for ey- ery perfect Indian avrew heud) sent me Ja- belled viz: Bird's ESER. Cactus Wren, Western Lark Sparrow, fulloek's Oriole, ‘I ri- colored Blackbiid, Red-shatted rlieker; Cur- josities—Hawk Moth Coocoon, Skate’s Ber. Sill Worm Cocoon, 23 var, Calif. Bird wings. E.M. HAIGH, Box 24, Riverside, Cal. ( f two Alligator’s teeth, Or BIRD SKINS Re BEAUMONT, TE: ib BIRD SKINS AND EG At Reasonable Prices. Ser , for} sts. JsvAs SINGLEY. : G A collection las be pnd weintond to iss off, The collection Valloties of Amer ! in all wbout 3000 whieh ere in set, furni-be! onap vered Wileets W eaeh., Daplle Wiil be hice din box a disnesed of a Ar Wwines wil last: number an, yes Mig holder t h eres, will be Aphothite a 0 do y will be conducted fairly and s collection is worth twice what we it and advise you to send at ‘on h more 1ickct3 as Only the six bundy sold, Ther: is hardly a natu My ca Tat will not. be willing to. or more, thereby standing an aire securing all this vast ¢ i 1 OF Remember som: body- wi i cheap, Will it be BOR fiekers to PROCURE THE PROPER “CIRCUS MOVE# IF YOU EXPECT TO ; = Secure Those Bargains iS Advertised in last month’s H, O. Hither singles, pairs on sets. D. MEAD, Creseo, Ta: ‘I desire a few copies number of H. O. 0. SS jonal Musavths = aoe ‘jf “> “Sema emnese Contents for FcbtustypS * Yi 900000000000 Birds of Greenbrier Co., W. Va., = - Sens = T. Surber. Notes on the Passeres of Fulton Co., Ky., - - = L. O. Pindar. Notes from Charleston, - - - = - - J. Drayton Jord. The California Road Runner, = - - = = - Amalgam. Noted Collections—No. 2, - - - - - - FEF, R. Stearns. Result of Walter Raine’s Prize Drawing. A Letter from W. C. Brownell. “THE@HAWKEY ES = 4@rnithologist and @ologist.» ae E,B.WEBSTER, Editorand Publisher. The Leading Ornithological Journal of the Western States. eee Successor to the ‘‘Geologist’s Gazette,” of Elkader, Iowa. Geological Department a leading feature. —_———enrnneeerrnrsnss eres Prominent writers, monthly; illustrated; second voluine commenced January 1, 1889. eee er The HAWKEYE will appear on or about the first of each month. eee er All books and eatalogues sent us will be carefully reviewed. ee eer er Papers desiring to suspend can have their lists filled by us at very low rates. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (REE ADVERTISING RATES: U.S,and Canada, - 506. (( })a8e pate 1 insertion, $5,00. Foreign Countries, - - 65¢. 1co =n) =e Pole Single copies, eal? es 5c. 21 - 1.00. Sample copy free. ae fs =F ~ i= BOE ey = Se as heed ADDRESS: EB. WEBSTER, : =: Cresco, lowa, The Hawkeye Ornithologist and, Oclogist. VOL, Il. FEBRUARY 1, 1889. NO. 2. BIRDS Ok GREENBRIER CO., WEST VIRGINIA. (Continued from page 4.) BY THADDEUS SURBER. 161. Pyranga rubra. Scarlet Tanager; ‘Soldier-bird.”’ Summer resident; rare; breeds. Arrives in May; departs last of October. Food: seeds and insects. E.S. Passer domesticus. English Sparrow. Resident; abundant. Food: grain and insects. 168. Carpodacus purpureus. Purple Finch. Occasional * migrant. 172. Lowxia curvirostra americana. American Crossbill. Oc- casional winter visitant. 181.