mmmm^mi^^mm i UflH^^^H HARVARD UNIVERSITY. LIBRARY MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 1 Bequest of WILLIAM BREWSTER ^JUAWOMl /V, '^o^O I f £6 1 /' Binder Rfl VOL. V. 1898-9. THE MUSEUM. A MONTHLY SCIENCE JOURNAL. Rates, 50 cents a year to all Countries. Published the Fifteenth of each month by the Museum Publishing Co. Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. ^' Contents of Vol. 5, 1898-99. Animal Life in the Olympian Mountains. 01 88 Archasological Find 156 Butterflies Worth.Collecting 170 Brief History of the Gathering of Fresh Water Pearls in the United States . . 6,35 Correct Names of Seeds and Nuts 77 Collecting Season Cave Lore Directions and Suggestions, How to Col- lect and Prepare Land and Fresh Water Shells for the Cabinet 117, 137 Finches of Southern California 21 Facts About Sponges 38 Formalin as a Preservative 179 Frogs and Toads Great Pelican Rookery 71 Gulls.and Terns of Sagadaljoc Island, Me. .83 138 Scientific Skin of a .147 Hunting Abalones Hovir to Prepare a Giant Tortoise. Id and Its Habits ^^ Insect Sampsons ■ ■ ^1 Jays and Crows of Southern California. . .163 Kingbirds of Southern California 154 Marsh Hawk 139 Notes on the Bird Life in Yates Co , N.Y. Past and Pitsent 40 Notes on the Helix of the West Indian Is- lands, Including Central and South America ^^ Notes on Heli.x nemoralis, L. and Helix hortensis. Mull 78 Notes on Some New England Shells 102 Notes on Spring Collecting 106 Notes on the Jack Rabbits of the U S. 135,151 Nesting Habits of Some Southern Forms of Birds in Eastern. N. C 149 Naturaliz h1 Volcano 165 Ozocerite or Mineral Wax 107 Pleasure Trip to the Atlantic Coast 3 Plenty of Work for Young Explorers 181 Passenger Pigeon .' 37 Principles of Animal Development 58 Preparation of Starfish 119 Rose Tanager 28 Raising Ferns from Spores 61 Revision of the Chickarees or North American Red Squirrel. . . .97. 99, 115, 131 Rambles of a Naturalist 108 Self Expatiated Birds 155 Size of a Spider's Thread 91 Siphon of the Clam 27 Some Hints on the Preparation and Mounting of Microscope Objects 19 Sea Fowl Catching in the Faroes 6 Marsupialia or Marsupiata 183 'p^jp After Meteorites 120 Notes on American Shipworms 9 Unlimited Supply of •Fossils in the Bad Nebraska Academy of Sciences 23 Lands 76 Notes on the Collection of Shells of Lite White Sheep of Alas-ka 157 Dr. James Lewis 25 Wm. D. Hartman, M. D 185 VOL. V. NO. I. NOVEMBER, 1898. \ Journal Devoted to Research ir Natural Science P -1 THS: — ,-0 cfs. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, 5 cts. Published on the 15th of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. Birds Eggs at Greatly Reduced Prices. We this month offer a fine list of strictly first-class eggs. All side blown and perfect every way. Make up your order at once as of many kinds we only have one or two specimens. Note the DISCOUNTS. For $1 you may select eggs to value of $ 1.50. " 2 3 " 5 " 7^ " 10 " 15 '■ 20 " 25 All sent prepaid on receipt of Hornea Grebe * SO Eared " 15 Black Gumemot ;.0 Murre ''0 Calif. Mun-e - 30 Razor-billed Auk 30 Western Gull 30 Herring Gull 2.1 American Herring Gull 25 Calif. Gull 35 Ring-biUei Gull 30 Royal Tern 40 Cabot's Tern 50 Common Tern 08 Arctic Tern •. 10 Sooty Tern 25 Noddy Tern 60 Fulmar 75 Leach's Petrel SO Farralone Cormorant hO Blue -winged Teal 20 Shoveler 50 Pintail - hO Redbead 40 American Flammgo 1 .iO 35 20 15 15 15 15 2i) 20 10 10 4 00. 7 00. 11.50. 17.50. 25.00. 37-50- 57.00. 7500. White Ibis Least Bittern Snowy Hernn Louisiana Her'n.. Little Blue Heron B.C. Night Heron King Rail Virginia Rail Sora Rail Florida GaUlnule. American Oystercatcher 1 00 American Coot 10 Lapwing 15 Spotted Sandpiper 15 Killdeer Bobwhite 10 Black-necked Stilt .50 Prairie Hen 20 Chachalaca 50 Red-billed Pigeon 1 00 Mourning Dove 05 White-fronted Dove 35 White-winged Dove „ 20 Ground Dove 30 Mexican (.Ground Dove .50 Inca Dove _ __ 15 Groove-billed Anl 1 00 Turkey Vviltiire.- 75 Marsh Hawk 35 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 00 Cooper's Hawk - 3" Harris' Hawli 60 Red-tailed Hawk ., 50 Western Red-tailed Hawk 60 Red shouldered Hawk 35 Swainson's HawU .50 Ferrug. Rough-leg 2 60 Golden Eagle 9 00 Sparrow Hawk 1 00 Barred Owl _ _ 20 Screech Owl .50 Short-eared Owl 1 50 Road Runner 35 Yellow-billed Cuckoo _ 10 Bluck-liilled Cuckoo 12 HfUed Klnglisher 2) Hairy Woodpecker M Downy Woodpecker '35 price. Baird's Woodpecker Nuttall's Woodpecker .. Williamson's Sapsucker Red-headed Woodpecker California '• Gold-fronted " Flicker - Red-shafted Flicker Whip-poor-will Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Kingbird Mexican Crested Flycatcher. .. Phoene . Traill's Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Prairie Horned Lark American Magpie Blue Jay . California Jay American Crow Florida Crow Northwest Crow Bobolink Cowbird Dwarf Cowbird Bronzed Cowbird Yellow-headed Blackbird Red-winged '■ Bicolored " Trlcolored " Meadow Lark Mexican Meadow Lark Western ■' Lark Hooded Oriole _ Orchard Oriole : Baltimore Oriole Bullock's Oriole Purple Gr^ickle Bronzed Grackle Florida Grackle Great-tailed Grackle Boat-tailed Grackle House Finch American Goldflnoh Arkansas " Lawrence " Chestnut-collared Longspur,. McCowan's " . . Ve«per Sparrow Western Vesper Sparrow Savanna ■' Sharp-tailed ■' Seaside " Lark Western Lark Tree '■ (Eup) Chipping '• Western Chipping " Field •■ Black thi'oated " Bell's ■• Song " Herrman's Song " Kusty Song •• Swamp " Towhee Spurred Towhee California Towhee Abert s Towhee Cardinal Gray tailed Cardinal Texan Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Black headed Grosbeak .. . - -.. 15 Pine Grosbe;ik 1 '-5 Indigo Bunting 08 Texas Nighthawk fiO Grassquit . I'O Lark Bunting .25 .'Scarlet Tanager . . '25 Summer Tamiger . . 25 Purple Martin i'3 Cliff Swallow 05 Barn " 05 Bank •' o". Tree " - , In Cednr Waxwing 10 Logeerhead Shrike OS Wbite-runiped Shrike OH R>'d-eyed Vireo Hi Warbfing Vireo I5 White-eyed Vireo 15 Bell's Vireo 15 Hooded Warbler fiO Yellow ■■ 05 Cerulean " 1 75 Mourning ' 2 00 Chestnut-sided Warbler 15 Oven Bird 20 Lnuisiuna Water Thrush .50 Maryland YellowThroat 12 Western " " 25 Yellow V)reasted Chat 18 Long-tailed Chat (H American Redstart 15 Mockingbird 05 C.itblrd' 15 Brown Trasher 05 Bennett's Thrasher 15 CiirvH-billed Thrasher 15 California Thr-isher 20 C^irol'na Wren in Baird's '■ 25 Cactu.s '• 25 House " 05 Parkmans " 15 We.'^tern House Wren 15 Long-billed Marsh Wren 05 Br wn headed Nuthatch 25 Chickadee li Tufted Titmouse X, California Bush Tit 25 Gold crested Kinglet lEup) .. .50 Blue grayGnatc itcher 20 Wood Thrush lifi Wilson's Thrush 13 Russet-backed Thru.sh 15 Hermit Thrush 30 American Robin 0"^ Bluebl.d 05 FOREIGN EGG^ All numbered as per ths list. •29 Montague's Harrier '-ti .•111 Tawnv Owl -=^1) 31 EagleOwl 2 00 45 Wood Chat Shrike 10 46 Spotted Flycatcher ui 55 SougThrush u5 59 Blackbird 05 65 Robin 10 69 Redstart 10 74 Black-throated Wheat ear. '0 Cjntmncd on 3d Cover Page. THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHAN(^ES AND hVR SALES. All notices tliat come muler above will bo iusertcd in this dciJiutiuent until further notice atone (1) cent a. word. No notice less than 25c. Terms Cash with crder. No chiirtjc for address. I shall at all times endeavor to iiccp parties, whose reputation is of a doubtful char- acter from using these columns. STUDENTS COLLECTION of minerals. <55 specimens, averaging 2x2, "printed labels and mounted in pasteboard trays. A beauty. I.iist of content."! on application. I'lice by ex press $.). CHAKLES S CHEVKIER, trcu ton, N.JJ. WAVELLITE, Cynite, Magnetite crystals. Opali/ed Wood, Rose (Quartz, Jasper, Smoky (Juariz Crystals, Orthoclase, Chalcedony. Flint. Chert. Petritied Wood, Zincite with Franklinitc. Moss Agates, I'silomelane, Tour- maline, Pyrite, Chalcopyrite. 1x1 specimens of above '> cents each Postage extra on or- ders under 30 cents. CHARLES S. CHEV- RIER, Trenton. N. J. ALLIGATOR Teeth, Sea Curiosities, etc., also a lot of foreign stamps to exchange for minerals. Minerals wanted for cash. Send lists. CHARLES S. CHEVRIER, Trenton, N.J. MAPS of "Our New Possessions." Every one wants a map handy of Sandwich Isles, Philippines, Cuba, Porto Rico Ladroncs, Alaska, etc . etc. We have them all in one large book-form pamphlet iwilli descriptive reading matter. We have found it the handi- est thing'cxtant. A reliable atl.as and map for 20c , I stamps, prepaid. W. ¥. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. WHOLE CLIFE and Mound Pottery and other ancient implements of Hint and stone for sale at reasonable prices. Cash or ex- change given for authentic specimens. UR. W. O EMORY, Crawfordsville,' Ind. 2tN FOR EXCHANGE:— Native and European shells, coleoptera,, lepidoptera and stam-is. Wanted:— Shells, bi!•d•^ eggs and old coins ot in my collection. JA.MES JOHNSTON. • !.i Wellington St. North, Hamilton, Oct.ui'. Cauada. CAPESS OOLOGY of New England. Fine copy at .$15 00 prepaid. The work cost $15,00 new and as it is now out of print and very hard to secure at all, our price will bo found very reasonable. W. E. WEBB, Albion, N Y. WANTED. -Outfit for making rubber stamps. Will give good exchange. ROBERT Bl'RNHAM, Providence. R. L A RARE opportunity to gat a line collection of specimens from California suitable for school collection or museum. THOS SHOOT- ER & CO, 010 S Spring St., Los Angeles, Calif. MINERALS.— Many beautiful beyond de- scription. A lot of specimens that will grace any collection just received. My bulletins describe them. Sent free. CHARLES S. CHEVRIER, Trenton, N..J, TWENTY-FIV". clean, showy minerals, in handsome, polish.^d. hard-wood case, post- paid, for 90 cents. CHARLES S. CHEVRIER, Trenton, N. J. '^UKS. -We offer Volumes I, IT. Ill and IV at $4.00 a volume also Vols. X, XI, XII and XIII at $3.50 per volume prepaid. W F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. TO EXCHANGE.— In full sets original data 203, 273. 225, 833, 339, 337, 312, 360. 375, 387. 388, 461, 4G0a. 467, 474b, 494, .505, 500, 511, 513, 529, 552, .563. 614, 617, 619, 624, 627, 631, 637, 659, 083. 6S7. 719. 721a, 727, 735, 750. L. ERNEST MARCEAU. 1091 Iowa St., Du- buque, la. THOS. SHOOTER & CO., of Los Angeles, has a large number of choice minerals, fossils, Indian relics, mounted birds, etc., which they will sell verv cheap. Address at once THOS. SHOOTER, "& CO.. Taxidermist, 610 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, Calif. HALF HEADS for rugs. We have foUow- ing we wish to close outsat, once: 4 Coyotte at 25c , 3 Wolf at 35c., 4 Fox at 10c,, 2 Black Bear at 60c , 1 Coon at 15c.. 1 Puma at 40c , 6 Lynx at 25c.. 1 Setter Dog at 40c., 1 Fox Ter- rier at 25c , 1 Bull Terrier at 30c., 1 Swift Fox at 15c, 1 Newfo uidland Dog at 40c. In all 26 which are worli $7.44. Six dollars net will take the lot or will send any desired, prepaid, on receipt of price W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Al- bion, NY. THE OSPREY one year to rae!« subscribers not on Osprey's Inoks and one package of K. & P. preservaiive together with full in- structions. Taxidermy made easy for $1.15. This oiler good until January 1st. KERR IM- PERII AM, Sandwich, Ills. MUSEUMS:— A complete file of Volumes one, two and three, 36 numbers in all, will be sent prepaid to any part of the U. S.. Canada or Mexico for $2. Order now while we have complete tiles to oiler. We will also exchange for good books on Ornithology. W. F. WICBB Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WANTED:- Copies Vol. I and II Bendire's Life Histories, for cash or exchange. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., AllVujn, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. NOTICE: —I would bo pleased to corres- pond with anyone who can collect a large number of good curios for me within the next 8 or 9 months in exchange for same from this locality. W. H. HILLER. 147 W. 23d St., Los Angeles, Calif. GtSept EXCHANGE ADS. FREE —Any reader of the McsuEM who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, 108 Fulton St., New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. MARINE SPECIMENS in formalin, just as taken from ocean. Jar of Marine Algea ready to lloat, many kinds, enough for 50 cards, $1; Starfish, 15c each; Urchins, 20c; Crabs, several species, 15c each; Big Horse Shoe Crabs, weigh 10 or 15 lbs, $1; Large Fish, called "inlying Robin or Grunter," $1; Toad Fish, $1; Salt Water Eel, 40c; Helix in- flated, 10c and a large list of other specimens. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion. N. Y. OPALS.— Beautiful Mexican opals, finely polished, 50 cents to $3 each. To exchange for first class sets with data. Taylor's Cata- logue Basis of exchange. Opals sent on approval to responsible parties. Send lists from which to select. J. M. &JAMESJ. CARROLL, 469 South Ervay Street, Dal- las, Texas. TO EXCHANGE.— Autographs, Bird Eggs Books, Papers, Coins, etc., for Autographs. Fractional Currency and old documents, will also pay cash for Autographs. F. O. NEL- SON, 237 S. Main Street, Butte, Mont. CAPEN'S OOLOGY of New England, good copy, not soiled. Price on applicatiyn, W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WANTED.— Heads, (unmounted) of Deer, Antelope, etc. GEO. F. GUELF. Brockport, N. Y. V , WILL PAY CASH-for perfect sets of Os'- prey and Sharp Skinned Hawk. Address JEAN BELL, Ridley Park, Pa. HAVING— Returned to my home, I am now ready to resume the correspondence and exchanges that have been neglected during mysbsence. W. E. SNYDER, Beaver Dam Wis. EXCHANGE-1898 1 and 2 cent I. R. in- verted, unused Stamps, Columbian 25 cents (U. S.) uncirculated, for best offer in Indian Relics, Minerals, Stamps or Curios. JOHN C. MORGAN, Box 121, New Kensington, Pa UNIO— Planorbis, Nassa, Limnaea, Venus Fulgur shells, Buffalo teeth. Alligator teeth. Porcupine quills, Belemnites, Grouse eggs in exchange for Sea shells. S. M. EDWARDS Argusville, North Dakota. AUKS:-V^e have vols. 1. 2, 3. 4 and 5, $4 each; vols. 10, 11, 12 and 13, $2 each. Pre- paid W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. PUBLICATIONS WANTED —A.A Bulletin Vol. I, Nos. 3, 5. 12, Vol. II, all; Am. Osprey (Ashland, Ky ) Vol. II, all; Am. Osprey, (Ply- mouth, Conn) Vol. I, Nos. 1, 3 and after; Am. Naturalist, Mar. '89; Am. Mag. Nat. Hist., Vol. I, Nos. 2, 3, 6, 11. 12; Avifauna, Vol. I (?); Birds, all; Bittern, Vol. I, all after No. 6; Collectors Monthly (Danielsville, Ct > Vol. I, Nos. 3 12, Vol. II. Nos. 3-5, 8; Collect- or (West Chester, Pa.) '86. all; Loon, Vol. I, No. 1; Maine O. and O., Vol. II, No. 1 and after 3 ('.'); Mockingbird, all; Naturalist (Des Moines, la.) No. 2; Naturalist (Kansas City, Mo.) Vol IV, Nos. 2, 3. 9, 11, 12; Naturalist, (Austin, Texas) Vol; 1, Nos. 2, 4 6; Naturalist and Collector. No. 3 and after (?); Naturalist in Florida, all; North Am. Naturalist, No. 2; Kansas City Scientist, Vols. V and VI; Ob- server. Vol, I. Nos. 4-12, Vol. II, all, Vol. Ill, all but No 5. Vol. IV, all. Vol. V, Nos. 3-,5, 7-9, 11. Vol. VI, Nos.n2, 7, 10-12, Vol. VIII, 1-3, 5, 6, 8. OOlogist, (Ithaca, N. Y.) Vols. I-V, '75-'80; Oiilogist Advertiser. No. l;Or)logist Journal, Vol. I, Nos. 4-12, Vol. II, No. 4 and later; Oiilogist Record, all; Ornithologist and Botanist, Vol, II, Nos. 3-5, 7 and after (?) Owl (Chatham. N. Y.) all; Our Birds, No. 3 and after (V); Old Curiosity Shop, Vol. VIII, Nos. 2. 11, 12; Stormy Petrel, Nos. 2, 4 and after; Iowa Ornithologist, Vol. IV, No. 1; Western Oiilogist. all to '78;Wisconsin Natur- alist, Vol. I. No. 2 and after No. 5; Wolverine Naturalist, Vol. I. Nos. 3, 4 and after; Young Naturalist, Nos. 1, 4; Young Am. Ornitholo- gist (Syracuse) all to '81; Forest and Stream, Vol. XIII (number containing page 1024), Vol. XIV, (numbers containg pages 6 and 25) Warren's Birds of Chester Co., Pa., ('79); Micheuer's Birds of Chester Co.. Pa. ('81); Barnard's Birds of Chester Co , Pa. ('60) in Annual Report Smithsonian Institution for 1860; American Naturalist '97 (containing pages 62-2, 028, 812-14, 907, 911. W. F. WEBB Mgr., Albion, N. Y. BIRD SKINS to the value of $1.25 catalogue price will be accepted in exchange for one package of K. & P. Preservative and Taxider- my Made Easy. Offer good until Jan 1, 1899. KERR & PERHAM, Blencoe, Iowa. SEND lOe for our Price List and Hand Book and you may deduct the amount from your first order amounting to $1.10. KERR "& PERHAM, Blencoe, Iowa. SPECIMENS, BOOKS, &c are frequently wanted by collectors but they caunot always spare cash down. Anything in our stock we will sell on easy payments, a collector paying in such amounts as he can easily spare. Write us contidentally for anythingyou want. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. CASH PAID for full A 1 sets of Hooded Merganser or other rai'e ducks. Eagles, Calif. Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Loon, rarer Hawks, &c. Also for skins of Grouse, Quail, &c. Collectors who can furnish any kind of Grouse or Quail by dozen. Write us Only best of skins tolerated. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. V. ALBION, N. Y.. NOVEMBER 15. 1898. No. r A Pleasure Trip on the Atlantic Coast. [Continuid from October Sninbcr.) The next morning we take steamer for Edgartown, our destination for a few days. W'e find this a typical fish- ing village of some i 500 inhabitants, in the summer season possibly swelling to 2500. The houses are large square structures, mostly painted white and set close to the sidewalk. We notice an unusual number of door plates marked "Captain " and later on we have a number of pleasant chats with these old Sea Captains. Many years ago, when the whaling industry was at its height, this port and Nantucket the largest city on the island by this name some 25 miles dis- tant) sent out no less than 150 whaling boats to the Arctic regions. To fit out so many boats, as there were sel- dom less than 40 men on a boat, took several thousand men from these two villages and required many thousand dollars worth of supplies. Large warehouses were built and many large blocks. Many of these have been burned and torn down but some still stand and are now used as wholesale fish markets, and a very few are used to store supplies needed in fishing. Immediately after getting settled, we head for the nearest beach which is only a short distance away. We have purposely selected Edgartown as a resting place and collecting ground on account of its long sandy beaches, the salt water marshes nearby, the rocky coasts only a short distance in one direction, and the heavy surf and breakers only a few miles to the South. One of the first shells to attract one's notice along the pier walk to the Light house is Littorina Litorea. This little straggler not many years ago was in- troduced on our shores from England and like the English Sparrow has driv- en out many other kinds. The stones were literally covered with them from the si/e of a pin-head to an inch in diameter. We select a couple of quarts of them and consider that enough. With a little work one could easily gather bushels. While picking these up we find the home of hundreds of mussel shells. Walking along the beach at low tide we occasionally saw one adherring to a stone or bit of drift woo'^, but in among the large rocks of the .stone pier was where we found the fine large ones and such beauties. Sev- eral 57 v c'es were noticed. Some re- quire cleaning and some were as smooth as a Cowry shell. The family throw out a large number of fine threads near the hinge of the shell which stuck fast to the stones. Many bunches of shells would be composed of 2 big ones, 4 or 5 a grade smaller, then another grade and so on down to some \ inch long, the largest being 3 inches or more. To all appearances they were successive generations. We soon had to return to the boarding place and "unload." Taking a stroll down to the wharf we fall in with some of our three link fraternity and make the acquaintance of two jolly fellows from Cape Cod who are down here with their new thousand dollar "Cat Boat " fishing for Sword Fish. We are invited into the cabin so-called, shown the compass, barometer and other "fi.xings," includ- ing the chart of all waters in this vic- inity for a hundred miles in every dir- ection. While visiting with them, one says there comes Will I-". and I guess he has a fish, meaning of course a Sword Fish. We watch the boat THE MUSEUM. come into the harbor and can soon see a monster fish lashed to the rail. This is too good to miss, so we go over to the particular landing place and see them unload and cut him up. it proved to be only an ordinary speci- men and dressed 150 pounds, length 10 feet, the nose or sword being one- third the length of the fish. Coming back I at once arrange for a trip after Sword Fish, which will be described in a later paper. The next day was a steady fog but we were bound to get out, even if everyone else staid around the house. Taking the row boat we pull along the shore for some two hours. These short rides along in the shallow water near the beach, where one can see ev- erything on the bottom, were greatly enjoyed. Frequently it got so interest- ing we quit rowing entirely and I sim- ply pushed the boat along with one oar, and stood in the front end with scoop net in hand. In places where the water was 3 feet deep, a sort of sea grass as thick as a mat would be 1 1 feet high. These patches of Sea Grass were of irregular shape and from a rod in diameter to several rods. The grass being of extremely dark color, the water on the surface would look "spotted," for all around these grassed plots would be the finest clear white sand imaginable with not a living thing growing in it. It was really amusing to watch the various species of crabs. As one passed over a patch of sea grass the spider crabs would be seen moving about. They are very inquis- ative chaps and not a bit afraid. Put- ting the scoop net down they would invariably walk in to see what it was like and the next minute seem much surprised when they were in the boat. Along in this grass we found species of very minute shells and any quantity of Pcctcn irridians but really large ones were scarce. Later on I met a col- lector on the island who had a salt pond in which he had planted a lot of beautiful Red Pectens. These he had fed and cared for and now had the largest and finest specimens I ever saw. They equaled any of the rarer and high priced species in beauty. His price was $1 a pair, which at first thought seemed ridiculous, when I had already seen thousands of bushels of Pecten shells, where the regular scallop fishermen had opened them. But after all it was not so high when one may hunt for days and not find a single really large and choice highly colored specimen. Of the several species of crabs sec- ured, one was beautifully spotted with blue. He was a shy chap and didn't relish being caught. If you put the net in front of him he would slide off side ways a mile a minute. Not over half were secured that were seen. Occasionally one would run a short distance and apparently stop an in- stant, tip up edgeways and dodge out of sight. He really dug a little hole in the twinkle of an eye and covered himself with sand. Lots of soft shell crabs were easily taken and a small brownish species. The little "fid- dlers" would dodge into their tiny holes as one walked along a portion of the beach covered with low grass, and along the edges of the inland ponds of salt water. It was during my first ride this morning in the fog I came to a large pond of several miles extent, called "Cape Pogue Pond." I turned into it and as the fog lifted for an hour or so had a pleasant time exploring its shores. On a little sandy point I ap- proached close to 40 odd Common Tern. While poling along I saw a big black thing on the bottom moving about but it was too big to go in my net, which was only about a foot in diameter. I therefore reached down behind him and heading him for shore finally persuaded him to walk out on the beach. It was a horse shoe crab, so-called, the biggest I had ever seen. Keeping close watch I soon had six more big ones in the bottom of the boat, lying on their backs. They made things lively the balance of the THE MUSEUM. 5 day. When I got them home they were put in a keg of formolin where they still repose. The vitality of this same horse shoe crab in iny opinion throws a mud turtle or the cat with nine lives entirely in the shade. Hav- ing occasion to cut one up, I mad seven distinct pieces of it and still did not apparantly kill it for some time. The eight legs with a portion of the under parts would move about entirely free from the body. n.xploring the beach on foot we found many small species of shells alive, and this pond was about the only place we found the razor shell So/i/i i/ist's. They were burrowed in the sand and one would only see a little tip sticking out. In among the sea weeds piled upon the shores from re- cent storms one would find lots of small mollusks of various species, and occasionally skate eggs, strings of peri- winkle eggs, &c. Returning back in the afternoon we found our time fully occupied preparing the crabs, fish, etc., also remo\ ing the animals from the shells, which can be eksily done by first immersing them in boiling water. We had not been in the town 24 hours before any number of small boys had made our acc]uaintance and were all eager and willing to collect speci- mens. They knew where to find them and had their own names for them also. As a sample, one afternoon I had been out to the nearest buoy in the bay and cast anchor. Having caught a large mess of scop I thought I would let my line drag near bottom on my return, which I did. I had not gone far be- fore something was tugging at the line, and imagine my surprise when I pulled out a fish about a foot long with wings 6 or 7 inches long. As I pulled him over the side of the boat he jumped the hook, and as he struck bottom he raised his head a couple inches from the boat, and begun to grunt at me, quite like a pig. He kept this up for some time. On arriving ashore I put him in with the rest of the fish, and the first small boy I met. asked him the name, and he said, "Why, don't you know what that is .' It's a 'grunt- er.' " The next boy I asked said it was a "Methodist minister" and the third a "Flying Kobin." I afterwards found that a grunter was the common name among the tishernien. A glance at the harbor about sunset, and one would think something unus- ual was going on, as simply hundreds of sail boats, from the size of the re- gulation Cape Cod Cat Boat to a small row boat, were anchored as far as one could^see. About nine o'clock in the morning these same boat.s will be seen going out up the channel, some after Bluelish, Sword-fish, Mackeral or Cod, but the greater share after "Ouohogs," so called. A single man with a small sail boat, and willing to work at least 6 hours a day, can easily earn $4.00 every day he goes out. In ye olden times it was not uncommon to make $25.00 in a single day and many fortunes were made thereby. The gathering of "Ouohog" clams by these hardy Portugese, as I found they were most all of this nationality, may be described as follows : Arriving on the "fishing grounds " the boat is an- chored at each end in about 6 to 9 feet of water. The only implement used is a rake with a handle 25 feet or more long. The rake part is very heavy, weighing fully 30 pounds. It has teeth about 8 inches long and curved; also teeth at each end. When this is dragged on the bottom it combs out all clams of saleable size. When the rake is raised from the bottom, the dirt is rinsed out and the rake will be full of grass, clams, scallops, etc. Usually everything is thrown away but the particular clams wanted As fish dealers at the wharf will buy all clams offered at 65c to $1.00 per bushel, the small ones bringing the highest price, it furnishes employment for many hun- dred men. One would think they would play out after a while, but such does not seem to be the case, for real- ly good clam fishing is found 5 miles ,6 THE MUSEUM. from town, where it has been persist- ently fished for 50 years or more. {To be Continued.) Sea Fowl Catching in the Faroes. Seafovvl-catching is greatly engaged in by the Faroe Islanders. Puffins, fulmars, guillemots, cormorants and shearwaters are all eaten at some stage of their existence, but puffins more Ihan any of the others. During the season on Naalsoe Island as many as four hundred of these birds are often canght by a skilled fowler in a single day. At the^end of June and begin- ning of July, when the young birds are hatched, but still remain unfledged in the burrows, the parents spend their morning out at sea, fishing for them- selves and their offspring. About noon they begin to fly home, each with a row of small sprats or anchovies in its beak. At this time of day the fowler seats himself in a suitable spot behind a roughly built wall or a jutting rock on the cliff's edge. Resting before him he holds a pole some twelve feet long, on to the end of which a small triangular net is fixed. With this he Cliches the puffins asj^they fly over his )i-ad. Their flight is so feeble that I hey cannot start from the ground with- ,out launching themselves from the edge of a precipice ; nor can they rise from the sea unless they gain impetus by striking the water with their wings again and again. On a foggy day, with the wind blowing inshore, they are quite at the mercy of the man with the net. The puffins' breasts are salt- ed and consumed in great numbers dur- ing winter, and their feathers form, next to stock-fish, the most important export of the islands. The other birds are either shot or taken from the nest, as their flight is much more powerful than that of the puffin. Quantities of guillemots' and razorbills' eggs are also .collected in early summer, especially .on the Great Diamond (Store Dimon), a desolate island occupied by a single family and shut off from all communi- cation for the greater part of the year. The bird-nesters are let down over the edge of the cliffs on horse-hair ropes, which are twisted on a complicated piece of wooden machinery, needing three men to work it, and hardly doing the work of one. In Myggenaes dur- ing nesting-time similar ropes are stretched across chasms instead of bridges. A Brief History of the Gathering of Fresh Water Pearls in the United States. BY GEORGE F. KUNZ. DiSTRUCTION OF THE MOLLUSK. As to what use or disposal, if an3^ is made of the shells after being exam- ined for pearls and the animals des- troyed, give a painful record of the ut- ter waste of an enormous amount of material useful and beautiful for many purposes in the arts. The question is answered in seventy-four papers, with a melancholy uniformity. In only twelve of them is there any suggestion of utilization of the shells, and in only one of the use of the animals other than as fish bait, manure or food for hogs. Twenty-six of the answers say simply that there is no use made of them or that they are "wasted" or "thrown away ; " nine say that they are thrown into the water, and six add that the fish eat them and also the muskrats and tortoises ; seven speak of their being used for fish bait ; six for feeding hogs, and two for manure. Several merely say that they are left on the banks or shoals for rats, minks and crows to dispose of. An Iowa pearler states that the shells are utilized for button making and that some people use the animal for making soup. The actual use of the shells for buttons is also referred to by two pearlers and their possible value for that purpose is noted in four other papers, though they are not so used as yet. One says that few are polished for ornamental purposes and another makes a similar statement, THE MUSEUM. addinp that they are also used for pav- ing garden walks and burned for lime. This latter use for lime is referred to also by three Tennessee papers as act- ual or possible, and one says that they might be "ground to cement, " and one Wisconsin writer notes that some are ground up for the poultry. As .\ Product for F"ooo. There would seem to be a strong presumption that the ancient people of the United States, must have used the Unios quite largly for food. as we know that the later Indian tribes did, as will be referred to later on. They naturally were thus led to the finding of pearls and accumulated large stores of them in the course of time. The ancient tribes of Brazil have left shell heaps along rivers tributary to the Amazon, composed of fresh-water shells of that region i Hyria and Castal- ia), and though no such stores of pearls have been found, yet the shells them- selves have been much employed as ornaments among these people. \\'hen it is remembered that the tribes of both North and South Amer- ica made large use of the river mussels as an article of food, it seems extraor- dinary that only one instance of any attempt so to utilize them should ap- pear in these accounts : although Can- adian lumbermen catch them by allow- ing bushes to drag after their rafts in shallow streams, using the mollusk for food. They could perhaps often save life, if explorers or hunters knew of their existence, while the shells so cap- able of being wrought and polished into an immense variety of beautiful objects or ornamental art should command a remunerative price instead of being thrown away and wasted. Utii.iz.ation ok Unio Shells i-or Buttons. Several references from time to time have been made to the valuable possi- bilities of the abundant shells of the Unios, for various purposes of manu- facture, and some few instances noted of their being polished as ornaments or cut into buttons. It is highly inter- esting to learn that this latter use has at last attracted attention and is devel- oping into an important industry. A correspondent of the "St. Paul (Minn.; Dispatch," under date of November 13, 1897, gives an extended account of the shell button manufacture at Muscatine, Iowa, where already a number of fac- tories are in operation. No dates are specified, but the statement is made that it was begun within a few years past by Mr. Bepples, a Farmer, who recognized the possibilities of such an industry, and established a factory at Muscatine, soon employing two hun- dred operatives, besides a number of outside people, gathering shells from the Mississippi River at that point. The enterprise proved profitable even under an unfavorable tariff, and sever- al other factories were established, but since the recent protective legislation has gone into effect the business is in- creasing largely, eleven or twelve factories are now in operation, run- ning 300 saws and employing 1,500 people. One of these was working on double time to fill orders for 20,000 gross of buttons for the "holiday trade" of 1897. The business is al- ready 'an important element in the prosperity of the town, and as the supply of shells is enormous it is ex- pected to increase in extent. Other works exist also in Iowa, at Daven- port and Saluba and at Cedar Rapids on the Cedar River. There are also Eastern factories referred to that cut the shells into "blanks," i. e. unfin- ished discs, and send them to Musca- tine to be polished and perforated. The shells have been gathered by men and boys wading in the shallow water and working from boats in the deeper parts with rakes provided with a wire net or basket. Now, however, steam dredging is to be employed. One such boat has been built, and an- other is under construction. The dredge will take up a ton of shells in an hour— a process now slowly con- ducted in small furnaces. As the THE MUSEUM. gathering cannot be carried on in win- ter when the river is frozen, prices rise in autumn. Several species are capable of being used, of which two are particularly mentioned, these are "nigger head" shells, which have risen with the approach of winter from 35 cents a hundred to 70 cents, and "sand" shells have advanced corres- pondingly from $1 to $2 per hundred. PRESENT ABUNDANCE OF THE FRESH- WATER MUSSELS. Out of eighty-three papers which respond to this inquiry seven describe the shells as at present very abundant, thirty-six as plentiful, twenty-five as scarce, and three as absolutely exter- minated, while twenty-eight papers refer to the fact of diminish and di- minishing numbers within a few years past, some of them with great em- phasis. The papers, Tennessee, Nos. 7, 32 and 33, estimate the present number as reduced to one-tenth of what they were ten years ago, and over the same general fact is stated of former abundance and present rarity, and attributed to the pearl hunting distraction of a few years past. Sev- eral papers say that the shells are now scarce in small streams and shallower parts of large ones, while still abun- dant in deeper water and where the currents are strong. NATURAL ENEMIES. The response to question No. 7 in eighty-four papers are varied and in- teresting, and in some respects quite contradictory. The chief natural enemy of the Unios appears to be the muskrat. Sixty-five papers refer to it, twenty-six reporting large destruction from this cause, thirty-eight in some degree and one denying it. Hogs come next, and are referred to in forty-seven papers. Of these seven hold them responsible for large destruction, thirty-five for some, or a little, and five asserting that there is none. Of other animals raccoons are stated in thirteen papers to destroy some shells;- mink in five, mud-turtles in three, crayfish in two, aquatic birds in two, and cattle by trampling, in three. All the animal depradators deal only or chiefly with the Unios that are either young, small-sized or soft shelled, and hence not largely pearl-bearing. The only exception to this general rule is the statement in one paper that many pearls have been found where shells had been taken ashore by muskrats and left to open in the sun. INJURIES DUE TO PHYSICAL CAUSES. With regard to physical causes of injury the most serious no doubt is found in freshets. Of thirty-one papers that refer to these, seventeen report great destruction thereby, thir- teen say "some" or "a little," and one denies that there is any. Some pa- pers say that their injury is small, and that they only shift the beds and re- distribute them, but a number describe the burying of beds by the washing down and caving in of the beds in flood time, or the stranding of great quantities of young shells to per- ish when the water subsides. Two papers that do not mention freshets should doubtless be included here, however, as they speak of destruction caused to the shells by "covering with mud" and by "change of bars V On the other hand, low water and droughts are reported as seriously harmful in five papers, and drift-ice in three. Two papers allude to disfiase as a cause of injury and three to boring parasites. EXTERMINATION OF THE MOLLUSKS. Question No. 28, as to exhaustion of the mussel beds, its causes and its rapidity, has called forth a very sug- gestive body of replies in fifty-seven papers. The remaining third makes no response or none that is at all de- finite. Nine papers report extermina- tion of the shells, either actual or im- minent, within a very few years past: twenty speak of rapid diminution in their nu- ■' rs; si:.'. :en of decrease as noticed and progress, eight are uncer- THE MUSEUM tain, or report little or no change, six describe them as abudant, or "inex- haustible," and four refer to partial re- covery or replenishment after reduc- tion. In forty-five out of tlfty-nine papers, therefore, or approximately three-fourths, the process of exhaus- tion is recorded at time already com- plete. Of these twenty-six state the cause as pearl hunting, mainly or wholly, and ten refer to other agencies — one or two each to low or high wat- er, deposits of sand or mud, ice, boats, hogs and rats. Of seven answers from Wisconsin, where so many pearls of remarkable beauty were found in the early nineties, five report the shells as nearly or entirely exhausted, and two refer to rapid reduction due to careless and ignorant persons taking the small and young shells as well as those more likely to contain pearls. A Tennessee paper alludes to the same reckless habit, and estimates the shells remain- ing as about 4 per cent, only of the number in former years. The destruc- tion of young shells is also mentioned in Indiana. In New York it is stated that a good pearl fisher can "clean out" a bed of 500 shells in a day. The Ohio paper speaks of hundreds being opened daily. In Iowa one states that the river will be exhausted in two years. Of those that speak of little change several remark that much is not known or done in regard to pearls in their localities. Of the four that allude to recovery, Tennessee says that the beds are cleared out about every two years and renewed in four. One says that they exhaust yearly and rebed in one or two years; another states that the shells return every year, but in less numbers, and Texas reports that many beds that have been worked out are recovering through the growth of the young shells that were left unmolested. ( To be continued. ) Note the ad. of "Wholesale Bar- gains" elsewhere in this number. _TH^E MUSEUM^ A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences, Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion, N. Y. Correspondence and Items of Interest on atmve top- ics, as well as notes on the various Museums of the World— rtews from same, discoveries relative to the handling and keeping of Natural History material, descriptive habits of various species, are solicited from all. Make articles as brier as possible and as free from technical terms as the subjects will allow. All letters win be promptly answered. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Single Subscription Sl.OO per annum Sample Copies 10c each ADVERTISING RATES. .=> cents per Nonpareil line each insertion. Twelve lines to the inch. Cash must accompany all orders. Remittances should be made by Draft, Express or Post Ofllce Order or Registered Letter. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination accepted for small araovmts. MUSEUM PUB. CO., ALBION, ORLEANS CO., N. Y. Entered at Albion post-office as second-class mail matter Notes on American Shipworms. "During the summer of 1893, while engaged in observations on the oyster at Beaufort, N. C, for the United States Fish Commissioner," says Chas. P. Sigerfoos, in the Fishing Ga- zette, "I became interested in the various shipworms which are found so abundantly in the waters of North Carolina. During the summer we made some observations on their natu- ral history, and returned for periods during the two succeeding seasons to continue them. The results have been incorporated in a paper on "The Natural History, Organization and Late Development of the Teredinida, ' which is almost ready for publication. "The shipworms were favorite ob- jects of study during the eighteenth century, on account of their great damage to the dykes of Holland in 1733 and subsequent years. The con- temporaneous observers seem to have been unaware of the observations of Pliny and others in ancient times, and lO THE MUSEUM. supposed the shipworms were natives of India, whence they had been brought by shipping in modern times. During these times they were consid- ered true worms, and it was not till the time of Cuvier that their molluscan characters were recognized. "Even if the shipworms were not recognized to be bivalve mollusks from their adult organization, it would be easy to determine this fact from a study of the development. "The shipworm starts in its de- velopment as an egg which none but a specialist could distinguish from the eggs of most bivalves. In American forms that seem most abundant; at least in our Southern waters, the eggs are cast freely into the water and soon fertilized by the male element. As soon as fertilized tne eggs begin to de- velop, and in our warm Southern climate become little free-swimming creatures in from three to four hours. It is true that these little creatures have as yet none of the distinctive features of the shipworms, or even of bivalve mollusks. But within a day the bivalve shell is acquired. For a few days one can rear the larva in an aquaria, but after a time the condi- tions become unfavorable and they disappear. For perhaps three weeks more, in a state of nature, they lead a free-swimming life and are gradually transformed into a little free-swim- ming bivalve almost exactly like the little clam or oyster. But how or where in nature this transitional period is passed has not been observed. "The next stage which the writer found was the little bivales, about a hundredth of an inch in diameter, crawling over the surface of the wood in quest of places for their future homes. Once they have found appro- priate places they begin to change. One by one the bivalve characters are lost, and the little bivalves are transformed into the very long, worm- like creatures which are found in wooden structures in salt water the world over. "But along with the transformation the bivalve shell is preserved, though it is much modified as compared with other bivalve shells, and covers only a small part of the head end of the body. With it the shipworm excavates the burrow in the wood in which it lives, and seems able to penetrate the hard- est or softest kinds of wood with equal facility. As the wood is grated away by the shell the small particles are taken into the digestive canal and the debris is extruded through the anus; but whether in serves for food in any way is a question in dispute. During its life in the wood at least the larger portion of its nutrition is taken in through the tube that hangs at rest in the water, and consists of small animal especially vegetable organisms. "In thinking of shipworms, then, it should be remembered that the wood in which they form their burrows is primarily for their own protection, their long, naked, delicate bodies being perfectly defenceless. "At Beaufort all kinds of unprotect- ed wood becomes literally riddled in a very short time. There are two kinds of worms found there /n great and about equal abundance. "These are the Teredo nonvegica and Xylotra fimbriata, whose mode of spawning has been already des- cribed. However, a very small pro- portion of specimens were of Teredo navalis, one of the common European forms. In this species the eggs are retained in the gills of the mother during a considerable period of their development, perhaps almost till time for them to set into the wood. It is apparently this last species which the writer has found most abundantly in Long Island Sound, though a con- siderable portion of Zylotra fimbriata were also found. "The breeding season in North Car- olina, so far as determined, lasts at least till the middle of August, and perhaps throughout the summer. That the latter is true is indicated by two sets of facts. In the first place, in- THE MUSEUM. II .dividuals are found witli ripe sexual products durinj,' the early part of Au- gust, and the \oung derived from eg^s. laid at this time must continue to set till September or later. In the second place, the younjj were setting in the wood abundantly till the middle of August, a fact which indicates that the same continues to some degree for some time longer. Of course, from an economic standpoint the period durinj:; which the wood is attacked is one of the most vital points to dis- cover. "The number of young produced is ama/ing, estitnated in one case at from a single very large female one hundred million, and while the greater part are lost before the setting stage is reached, yet the number that set is very great, and one of the most dis- couraging features in dealing with shipworms in a practical way. If the spat were of fairly appreciable size and set in but moderate numbers, it might be feasible, by the careful re- moval of all old piles and other old timbers, to sufficiently reduce the number to a minimum. But when, .under favorable conditions, over a hundred to the square inch set where there is not room for more than one .or two to reach maturity, it is easily seen what an excess is always present, and how futile it is to try to .combat the larvae before they enter the wood. "The practical way, of course, is to prevent their entrance into the wood •by protecting the wood with copper , paint and sheeting. With small piles and timbers it would seem to be worth while to try various means of keeping the bark on the wood, which, so far as the writer knows, has not been done; for it is well known that as long as the bark is on timbers they are not at- tacked by shipworms. "Once the shipworm has set into the wood it grows with amazing ra- pidity in our Southern waters. In twelve days it has grown to be an eighth of an inch long: in twenty days about half an inch; and in thirty-six days four inches, when it is thousands of times as large in volume as when it sets. It has become sexually mature and is ready t > produce a new genera- tion. How I .ug shipworms may live has never been observed, though it is probably several years, and that dur- ing this time they keep growing, if there be room in the wood for growth; though when crowded the individuals become dwarfed. The writer has found specimens of great size of T. Norvegica, some three to four feet long, and it is easily seen how de- structive may be a few of these in- dividual which may become almost an inch in diamater. The age of such specimens I have not been able to de- termine, but it is estimated to be less than two years. "In the colder waters of Long Island the writer has found specimens of both T. navalis (.') and Xylotrya fimbriata, the former more abundant. They seem to set more abundantly after the ist of July, though observa- tions for one season cannot be con- clusive. The rate of growth is much slower and it would seem to take twice as long to attain the same size as in the warmer Southern waters. "The writer in his studies of the shipworms has paid most attention to features purely scientific in their in- terest. "Observations, to be of any dif- ferent economic value, must cover a variety of localities under different conditions, and must extend through a period of years — observations which the writer has not had sufficient op- portunity to make and which for our American forms have unfortunately never been made." Florida Land and Fresh Water Shells. Also Centipedes, Scorpions, Crabs, etc. in alcohol at a bargain. Address with stamp. O. BRYANT, LoDgwood, Florida 12 THE MUSEUM. The Finest Calendar of the Century. Those who receive the new Calendar for 1899 given by the The I'otith's Com- panion to all new subscribers will be ready to allow that the publishers have pretty nearly accomplished their object, which was to produce the finest calea- dar of the century. The subject of the exquisite color piece which forms the centre is "The Ideal American Girl,'' and it is depicted in the most delicate tones as well as the most brilliant shades. The Calendar is so designed that no printing appears on the litho- graphed panels, and they may be pre- served as permanent ornaments— suita- ble for the prettiest corner of the house. Not only is this Calendar a gift to all subscribers to the 1899 volume, but all new subscribers receive also the re maining issues of The Compatii n from the time of subscription until January 1, 1899, free, then for liftytwo weeks, a full year, to January, 1900. A beautiful illustrated announcement of the princi- pal contributions engaged for the 1899 volume will be sent free to any one ad- dressing The Youth's Companion, 211 Columbus Avenue, Boston. Mass. The Passing- of the Trapper. With the passing of the old-fashioned trap- per we lose one of the most picturesque figures that ever trod the stage of worldly action or graced the page of Action. Even the armored knight, with all his atmosphere of romance, his dashing courage, his bravery of gay trappings and tossing plumes, will not outlive the wonderful weather-beaten figure of the iron man in deer-skin, who so often has held the centre of the stage during the most thrilling dramas of our earlier history. Who does not love and cherish the mem- ories of the Leatherstockings— the taciturn, sinewy men, almost childish in their simpli- city, almost womanish in their faithful devo- tion, almost God-like in their fearless power, patient, charitableness and inexhaustible re- source? And we of America should never forget these men, for to their daring courage and steadfast purpose we owe much of our present prosperity. In the circle of the council, in the tumult of the skirmish, in the glare, of burning cabins, on the trail of the despoiler, at the head of the army, in the mists of, the rapids, in the shadows of the forests, in the sunshine of the prairies, on the summits of the mountain.s,the buckskin-clad figure was always to be found advising, aiding and leading for the good of men to come. As civilization slowly crept westward and northward its guide and guarantee was a glimpse of the buckskin hunting shirt aud the echo of the old long riUe Far in advance stole the trapper, blazing trails to the fat- lands, locating the sweet waters, learning the resources and mysteries of the new regions. The amount of good these men accomplished can hardly be overestimated; they were the pioneers of progress upon this continent. — Kd W. S.^ndys, in Outing for November. H W. KRRR, BREEDER AND SHIPPER, Fancy and Marketable Hares, Belguim, Flemish Giants, Angora, Etc. Write for prices. BliENGOE. IOWA. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our large monthly bulletin of Skins, Eggs, etc. free upon application. Fine Florida Shells. We have every facility for fiunlshing collectors or dealers with Florida Shells, or Souvenirs. We have had long experience in collecting, and the Editor of the Museum, has, unsolicited by us. offered to answer any inquiries as to our responsibility or fair dealing. If you wish to see quality of specimens before placing larger orders, send %\ for a box of ;samples. All cleaned and correctly named. Price list for stamp and all inquiries promptly answered. Give us a trial. J. H. HOLMES, DUNEDIN, FLA. This is my Proposition. Let me send, for your inspection, charges postpaid, 3,s of the Famous Quartz Crystals found at this place. If this collection of Brilliant Gems pleases you. kindly send 70 cents only, otherwi.se return the collection and it will be O. K.' Highest Award at the World's Fair. Order today. ■3to A. B. CRI9I, nilclclteville, Herkiuier Co., K. Y. "^WlSH^o SUBSCRIBE For any of the Magazines listed below v If you do. send me the regular subscription price given and I will allow you either of tne Photos, from Nature, Free. Photo. No. 1 is a neat amateur photo. 4x5 inches, taken in swamp, of the nest of the Tule Wren. Photo. No. 2, is a neat amateur photo, taken in Eucalyptus Grove, showing the way the b.ark peels down, and the favorite nesting site of the House Finch The Osprey. . .-. $1 00 The Nautilus 1 00 Knowledge, published in England 2 00 The Museum .50 Popular Science News 1 60 V^/. H. HILLER, 147 W. 23d St., Los Angeles, Calif. THE MUSEUM. 13 Wholesale Bargains. ^ ncw Magazine! We have on hand many line things in suih • luautity wo quote low rates on wholesale or iters, ii) order to njake room. The material olTereil in every iustanee is as low as money <-an buy. Look "over the list earefully: Turple Sea Plumes from the Bahamas. Large size, 4 to 5 feet, $3.50 per dozen. Medium, 2 to 3 feet, $1 50 per dozen. Ostrich Kr;g~. South African specimjus, at $4.50 per dozen. Cypnrn Jiinnlus, Kingtop Cowries, from the Last Indies, .50 cents per quart. Cypnra tiwiti:l'(. with varieties, Money Cowry from Singapore, 50 cents per quart. lilach Haliotis, 4 to 5 inch, from Monterey, Cal. 75 cents per dozen. lied Nuliotis. from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch, at $1.50 per dozen. Slromlius tuliirculalus Silver Lips, 2 inch, from Singapore, at 30 cents per dozen. Siroml'us (dalus. Purple Mouth, from Fla., at 24 cents dozen. E. I. Coral fr.igments, 2 to 3 inch, 20c dozen. Mdongena roniia. Crown Shell, from Fla.. 24c doz. Sabre Beans, mammoth, 16 to 20 inches, cur- ious, Bahamas, at SOl- doz Xcnla peleronla, Bleeding Teeth, Bahamas, at 50 cents quart. Purple Gorgonias, Flexible Coral from Baha- mas, $1 50 dozen Mica Snow, for Taxidermists and fancy work, worth 8O1; pound, our price 20c. Mitrex branilaris. from East Indies, 1 to 2 inch, 15c dozen. Bahama Coral, such as Fan, Head, Palm, etc. Several species at 10c pound. Mineral Collections, for Teachers to give or sell to students, .50 varieties, named, etc., at 50c lists on application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work, 2.>c quart, /'ascio/aria (iista«s. Tulip, 2 inch, 3Gc dozen. Fasciolariu lulipi. Tulip. 3 to 4 inch, 40c doz. Fulgar perversa, from Fla., 4 to 5 inch, 00c" Tube Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas. $1.50 dozen. S'fiphiUs notlosus, an ammonite shaped fossil from the Bad Lauds, 2 inch, 50c doz , 3 inch, $1 00 dozen; 4 inch, $3 00 dozen. Make up vour order now, as these prices only hold good while stock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. !i WE BUY STAMPS I AND OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS I Send us what you have with lowest cash price or we will make you an ofTcr it you wi.sh We pay express or postage one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, ULBUi^LK, lA. U Mammalogists, Ornithologists, Oologists, Hark Ye! There is the note of a Wood Pewee and the cry of a mighty Hahl Eagle huntiug lame Osprcys for its dinner. A new magazine fresh from the fields soon appears, certainly ere next August, probably in a week or two. Send in Hvo dollnrs and enjoy the satisfaction of being among Ihejirst to imillVr your support. The Bird, Mammal and Eg^ Field" STAFF: . Robert Ridgeway, Chester Barlow, G. Freaui Morcom. H. R Taylor, Wilfred Osgood, J. Parker Norris, Jr , Ora W. Knight, Walter Bryant, \Vm. Palmer, A. W. Anthony, W. Prentiss, Stephen Rozyaki, Paul Bartsch, et al Jno. W Daniel, Jr., Editor in Chief. Scope, a Bi-monthlj' with dead loads of reading matter and illustrations galore, by most prominent writers. East and west em- brace each other in its coluniiis. It savors of dewy meadows and springtime, with the smell of fresh black earth and high climbs. Send 2oc for exi'hango notice. No sample copies. The old 'Nidologlst'' shall be re- venged and live again. Its editor .'^hall sup- port it. Cooper Ornithological Club of Cali- fornia, Official e.xpouent, Oologist Ass'n. Pul.lihed by Lieut. Jno W. Daniel, Jr., 3d Eng. U. S. V., Lynchburg, Va. BENJAMIN HOAG. BOOKS AM) PEUIOUICALS. Uavles Xesis and V-,Kii^- fif'li ed,. prepaid. $1.7» Birds that Hunt and are Hunted 1,70 Harpers Maya/.lne and any dollar periodical published both full year. $4 ( 0. Drop me a list of wants before you buy books, or sub- scribe for any periodicals. It will pay you. STEPHENTOWN. NEW YORK. SNo NAME \ ICOLLECTOR J JLOCALITY S JdATE SET MARK 5 ; J JNO. IN SET IDENTITY « fiNCUBATION J LABELS like Sample. Sizes 3x1.1 inches, 1 5c per too; $1.00 per 1000. Letter Heads, &c. Please send stamp with copy for prices. D. H. E;AT0N, Wolvern, Mass. 14 THE MUSEUM. Mammoth Auction Sale OF Choice Minerals, Crystals, Arcliceological Specimens. Mounted Birds, Shells and (Hirios. The following articles will be sold at auction, December 5, 1898. All bids must be received by mail by 4 p. m. on that day. The highest bidder in each case win be noti- fied of his purchase and can remit or have goods sent C. O. D. I have placed a reserve price on each lot and no lower bid will be considered. Parties not wishing the whole of any lot can bid on any part of it. Address all bids to ROBERX BITRMHA>I, 143 Gallup St., PROVIDENCE, R. I. 1 1 specimen Arcadiolite.N.S., 2x3, fine $ lo 2 1 ■■ " •• 4x4 '• 25 3 10 lbs. Agatized Wood. Ariz., " 2 00 4 100 lbs. Actiuolite, Mass.. good 6 00 5 100 lbs. Alabaster, Italy, tine 10 00 7 100 lbs. Albite, N. II , Hne .5 00 8 1 specimen Allan ii^ N. H., 2x3, fine 10 1) 1 ■' Analcile N. H., 2x3, tine-- 10 10 I ■■ Amber li iltie Sea 10 11 1 •• Ankeriie- Penn., 2x3 10 12 1 " Andalu.'jite, Mass., good. O.i 13 1 " ■• ■■ fine.... 15 14 1 " Antumony, Japan, 2x2. fine 15 15 1 ■ •■ ■• 3x4, fine 25 16 1 •■ Asbestus, Mass 10 IT 1 •■ ■ •3X4 25 18 1 •' Azurite, Col 05 19 1 " ■■ ■• 3x3, fine 15 20 1 " Barite, Eng., 2x3, good... 10 21 I •■ ■• •• 3x4, fine a5 22 100 lbs. Beryl, N. H., good 6 00 S3 1 .specimen Blotite (15 lbs.). Mass., Matrix 1 Ofl 24 1 specimen Biotite, Mass., !ix3 05 25 1 " •• •■ 3x4 10 26 1 " Black Spinel, N.Y. , mat. .. 25 27 ] " " •• •■ 10 28 1 '■ Bowenite, R. 1 10 29 1 '• Bomite, Col 10 30 I " Brookite, Ark 10 31 40 lbs. Brown Spar, R. 1 2 40 32 1 specimen Brucite, Pa 10 33 40 lbs. Buhrstone. France 3 00 .34 1 specimen Calamine. N. Y 15 35 40 lbs. Calcareous Tufa, N. Y 2 40 36 40 lbs. Caurinite, Me 4 OO 37 1 .specimen Catlinite. Minn., 3x5 30 38 1 " Cerargvrite. Nev., loz... 35 39 1 •■ Chabazite. N. S 10 40 1 Chalcedony on Coral, Fla 2J 41 lOlts. Chalcopyrite, Col 75 42 1 specimen Chlorite, R.I 10 43 1 ■■ Chrysocolla, Col 10 44 lOlbs. Cinnalar, Col., fine 4 00 45 1 specimen Columbite, Conn 10 46 400 lbs. Coquina 16 00 47 1 specimen Copalite, Africa 10 48 I " Cyanite, Conn 05 49 10 lbs. Cyanite, Conn i 00 50 1 specimen Diamond, Africa 2 00 51 151bs. Diaspore. Mass 3 75 .52 15 1bs. Elaeolite. Ark .. 90 .53 40 1bs, Emerv, Mass 3 60 .54 40 lbs. Epldotc, Mass 3 60 ^ft 1 specimen Flint, Fug 10 •56 1 " Franklinite, N. J 10 57 100 lbs. Galenite. Col 10 00 58 10 lbs. Galenite, Mass., rare 103 ub9 200 lbs. Granite in Matrix, Mass 18 00 60 400 lbs. Quartz, R. I 20 00 61 SOOlbs. •• Geodes, 111 16 00 62 1(X) lbs. Chalcedony Geodes, 111 10 00 63 1 specimen Graphite, Europe 15 64 1 '■ Bloodstone, Europe 25 65 1 •' Heulandite, N. S 10 66 lOO lbs. Hornblende, Mass 8 00 67 200 lbs. Hematite, R. 1 16 OO f8 40 lbs. Pyrite, Col 3 Off' 69 1 specimen Lava, Ves 10 70 I '■ Leopardite, N. C 25 71 1 •• Mal.achlte, Chili 15' 72 !0 lbs. Margarite, Mass 180' 73 1 specimen Masonite, R. 1 10' 74 1 '■ Pearl spar, N. Y 10 75 10 lbs. Petrified Wood, Ariz 80 76 10 lbs. Phylite, R. 1 70 77 1 specimen Pyrolusite, Col 15 78 10 Quartz Christals, N. Y. and Ark .. 20' 79 10 ■■ •■ •■ '• ., 30 80 10 ■• '• " " ... SO 81 10 " " " •■ ... 1 00 83 100 lbs. Rhomb Spar, R. 1 5 00 83 10 lbs. Scapolite, Mass CO 84 1 specimen Selenite Crystal, Ark 10 85 10 lbs. Seyberite, Me 1 00 86 4 specimens Silver Ore 100 87 I spec. Smoky Quartz Crystal, Col . , 05 88 1 ■' ■■ ■■ Col 15 89 1 ■• Sodalite, Me 10 90 1 '• Specular Iron, 2x2 Ala 10 91 10 lbs. Sphalerite, Mo ',0 92 I specimen Splene, N. Y .50 93 10 lbs. Stilbite, N. S 50 94 5 lbs. Spodnmme, Mass 40 95 1 specimen Sulphur. 4x4 30 96 1 ■• ■' Crystal l.> 97 1 ■• Tourmaline, Mass.... 25 98 1 ■• Tremolite 25 99 1 " Troosite Matrix Xtal, 25 100 1 ■' Obsidian 1 10 lbs.)Mex. 2 35- 101 1 ■' Wollastonlte 10 102 1 •■ Ziucite, N. J 10' 103 10 Zircon Crystals 35 104 10 lbs. Zoicite, Mass 80 105 1 specimen Nuttalite,4x5, 3 lbs. .Mass. 15 106 1 " Pink Wernerite, 4x5, 2 lbs. Mass 15 107 4 " Boltonite, 3x3, 1 Ib.Mass . 13 108 1 Epian. 144 Blue .lay. US Least Siiiulpljier. 1411 Mvailow I, ark. I IT Sparrow Hawk. UX Meadow I. ark. Ill' IJreat liliu' Heron. Fresh Water Shells, polished. l.'*> 1 pair I'lilo Solliliis. rare 7h l3l I •■ UnloAlaUis. Wis 150 IS'J 1 Uiiloreftiis • 7.T In3 1 •• I'ulo Klbbo, Plfcatus, \VH Hi IM I •• rnio Metanever, ' 7.t 1.^7 I UnloTrlgonus ■' 103 These shells are polished and shine like a mirror. l.iS 1 dozen SiiUoped shells, pierced and l>ollshetl 3S IM I Hermit Crab and Shell Hi 100 1 Horse Shoe Crab, small 10 im I Sln'h.... 20 l«-3 1 Sea frohin (sand dollar) 0.) 163 1 dozen Skates eggs 10 l(M ', dozen Sturgeon plate.s 2-i I6.i a Sea Clam. 4xM for painting.. a.i ifW S gallon mixed Shells 3i 1«7 4 doz. White Murex i» m V •■ PlukMure.x «f 169 '; ■■ Conch Shells .VJ 170 ': ■■ Helmet or Queen Shells 100 ITI 1 doz. large Alligator Teeth 3.i ITi Large Turtle Shell, (gopher) Fla.... 73 1:3 I Saw-tlsh saw. II Inches. Fla l-i 174 lTrunkKlsh.7 •• •• 3(1 li.T 1 Porcupine Fish, .i ■• ■■ ii I7ti Pistol used IS'J years ago nO 177 I piece Mexican Onyx Ssquarein 25 IT(* I •■ ■ 16 ■tine I 00 171) 10 ■■ FotsllCoral.50siiaurein..tine S 00 lt*J 11 ■■ LI ick and white Agate. 4.i'good 160 181 10 • red and white Agate. 40" ■ I ."iO I*: 1 •■ Moss Agate. Brazil. 4 inch ■ ii l»3 I 3 •■ •■ 10 1^1 1 Epldote. Mass.. 5 Inch, good M ls.i 1 doz. Opals (tine) Mexico .tO 1S6 1 doz. ■• " ■' I 00 187 Hdoz. " •• '• 1 00 A FIBRE COLLECTION. We recently secured a fine fibre collection foDsisliui; of lh«! following: 126 kinds of Wool. 64 kinds of Cotton. 24 kinds of Goat Hair. 12 kinds of fibre as Hemp, Flax, &c. 12 kinds of Dye Wood. 20 kinds of Paper series. In all 258 dillerent kinds from nil parts (jf the world. Nearly every country on the globe is represented by it,"* wool, cotton &c., whichever it produces Very complete data accompanies each specimen. The collection is now all packed in separate boxes. A:?. Wc will sell just as it is or put up in trays with glass top, or in dillerent size gla.'is vial.i. Will be sold at less than half its appraised value. Remember all is in perfect condition and can be seen on display at our museum. Further description and price on application. W. F. Webb, Mgr., Albion, N. Y ]\'/u'ii a nsi'.'cri itg aiivcrt i scute nt s al- luays mention THE MUSEUM. IM 1 .... 1 Oy J8J '+ ■■ I)reclous Opals. Australia...!'.'. 1 ou IMS 2 •• •■ " ii)o I" 1 ■• .....: 5to '"SI • .. Mex. orAiis... S OJ isr 1 Tourmaline. S.ParU. Me., nne UKi 8 00 '™ llrt" 6 00 iX, , ' , ■■ " goodV •• 2 00 -W Aiiuamarine, ■• "flneS'„Iil 0 00 ■^ :: ;; •■ •• 3.. •• 4 00 204 1 Red Carbuncle. 10mmxI4mm flne . . 1 .SO 20j 1 Amethyst Carbuncle. 8x12. line 1 .w ^ !. ". "• Paceted,«xl2llne 1 W) 207 I Amei-ican Turquoise. '„ln.xli-I6,Hne 2 OO 2?* • " •• 3 l-16in.x"< •■ . 1 00 909 1 Topaz, facete.l. 3-8 iu flne 1 oo 210 1 pr.Sardonyx for sleeve bultons.flne 7.i 211 ipr. Onyx.do 75 212 4 oz. ItouL'h Opals, specimens diner- eui colors to show PU kinds and conditions -^j 213 ■* oz. l)etter quality .. ... ...!! ib 214 4 oz. still belter '. 1 yo 215 1 Topaz specimen Crystal ! ... 20 216 I Ruby ■■ .. ; SJJ 21" I " ■■ large 50 218 1 limerald •■ ... 40 219 1 Sapphire •• 15 2 JO 1 Diamond 2 00 2il 1 Skookum Stone "> 222 1 Maple Desk l.V) years old. 'can'seiid drawing. Perfect proof of age and ^,„ , history will be sent on request .... 40 00 223 2 Chairs, solid mahogany, very old. In good repair, each 5 oo 224 I Table cloth 6 yards long. 6 napkins These were the property of Maxmillian and used by him in Mexico. Have the coat of arms of Austria. Are very heavy linen 75 00 225 1 doz. flne hand-painted calendars. 1899. each 15 028 1 doz. photo views of Providence 15 227 1 doz. books flowers of New England, hand-painted, each .50 228 I Arctic Fox skin, white 5 60 BAROAINS. 100 flr-stclass specimens to any address, Jl.OO. Beautiful Shells. Corals, and Curiosities from all parts of the world. 100 nice Shells, S.5c. 12 Beautiful mixed Olive Shells, .^Oc. 100 large specimens. 13.00, worth three times the price or money refunded. 33 mixed Coins, Jl.OO. .TO rtrst-class Tropical Botanical Specimens, 11.00. 12 iwrfect An-ow Points. 50c. 20 choice specimens, 27c. 100 perfect Porcupine Quills, 2:c. 50,000 Specimens in Stock. (everything jierfect. Satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded. Send stamp for drawings and bar- gain list. All orders promptly flUed. JOHN' It. WHEELER, East Templeton, Mass. KERR Si PERHAM. Dialers and Collectors, Naturalists Supplies, Publications, Novelties, Etc. Send IOC for Catalogue and I^ists. BLENCOE, IOWA. SANDWICH, ILLS. i6 THE MUSEUM. OUK PUBLICATIONS. Xlie I-"erit Bulletin:— 21 pages, quarterly, illus- trated, sixth year o( publication. 'Price 60' cents a year. We can now supply only Vol. VI complete, Send for it. Flora of the Vpper Su5c|ueliaiiiia:--The only work on the Flora about the headw :ii pi- of the Susquehanna. It is not a mere list. but ri.uiaius full information regarding the plants. IL'nio, IT2 pages, and map, bound in cloth. S1.3.T postpaid. The Plant ^Vorl€t:-The new journal of popular Botany. First volume just completed. Among its contributors are all the foremost American Botan- ists. Monthly. Illustrated. $1.00 a year. Get the first volume before it is out of print.' Address. WILLARD ^. CLUTE & CO., Binghamton, N. Y. A Collection of Iron Ores. We offer a collection nf 64 kinds of Iron Ore, all correctly labelled showing name, mine, locality, &c., and a list accompanies the collection showing the exact chemical ccinipusition of every specimen which has been determined by analysis The lot is a fine thing for a student or scientific school. Will be boxed and shipped by freight for an even $8 net, worth 3 times tliis figure. W, F. WEBB, Mgr., ALBION, N. Y. THE AMERICAN ARCH/€OLOGIST. F^^i^.-.TZRL]^ The Ari-r:auARiAK. A MontUy Anthropological Ma-rarino Designed for Students, Scientists, Collectors and Dealers in Katcral History £p=cimecs. MOV? l:f ITS SECOND VOLUME. Published on tho istli cf each monti ty Tlio Landon Frlntin? and PnblishirR: Co., 20 East Broad Street, Coltinibcc, Cfcio. ;; 13 a'jly ccninctcd, yrcU ectctllshed, and ncmhers iiuious its writer's nnd contributors the first scientists and scSo!m-3 cf err cocnlry. Every issue contains ( --C 1 \ -i: :stratc,l papers on tonics relating' to Primitive [Ir."i.2croar.'I clcewtcrc, irclo'llngtte relics ard re- i.'a.::s cf Pnctlo a::d Clllf I>vrel!ii:g- Indiars t the Moni:-:s p-l I.I'.nca Br.iidcrs cf the United States: prebistc- c rrZ-s and tut wcrts cf rCcslco, Central tpdSou.jiAii^crica; d!jccEsic-s cf prcjlccia! man in &:n:r'cA; cu-.'y zicsn. ij Errcjo aid Ac:a; ttc status ar.dnr.t-r.-'.lliistcrycf recent Civ.-.cei act s, i c, &c. It t-.\-^.z\\^s intcrcL;:ngr jto~G frcn crirctrcrdents l3 ev -J part cf tieconatry, r.i-a devote s mcch atter- tioa to t;-2 v/ant3 cf CcUcctva c:d Dealers, All recent ru^'Jcat.cEs cf sc!cai:..:c vrlne are revic-wtd cjonir.'y ; it f-vcs ai acccz-c cf fU recent archaco- iDgiCLl (:-OccT:rics and n .-..'s ; r.r 1 iliastrates the rare an;lt;::_c;'.ocpccIoc::3CI j-->/r.*:!r.r; el pcKic collections Ticre i3_ro o'.i:r ir.oiitily pzr:;-l of tMs chcractei r-L'lishcflia v::o wojia £;r tl;a eiiiicatioa of thoger- cral pr.L-lc, as well as f cr the staelc- 1. It ainrs to dis- s:r:!::.-^.;s knowledg-e which cannct to gained from clhcr c: ..rces, and publishes teciiaical pap; rs acd gov- pri-it.vo r:?ji. Ttp rrico is within the rcnch cf tM, ar-d affords the rriv.lcTCs of tie great Litraricc, c.citined v/iti Arcuffiolo^ical treatise.", as they appear Irom tiiro to time, n.ivi-gr a wide and increasing circulation, it constitclcs ore cf the best cedlums in orr country frr aavcr'dsiEtf tte bi:sines3 of Curio Dealers, Taxider- mists and naturalists, Satccr-pticn price, $I.SO per year. A copy will be ser.t free to any one sending us ia^jr subscribers and six Cellars. POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, Nature, Invention, Archseoloy. Elec- tricity, Chemistry, Mineralogy. Hy- giene, Medicine, Health. Formerly BOSTON J0UM.4L OF CHEMISTKY. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly containsa largenum- her of Short, Easy. Practical, Interesting and Popular, Scientitic ailicles, that can be Ap- preciated and Enjoyed by any intelligent reader, even though he knew little or nothing of Science. It is intended to interest those who think. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Difl'erent from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name. Monthly, S 1.60 per year; Newsdealers, 1 5c Largest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO., lOo Fulton St.. New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy. THE MUSKUM. Continued Irom id Cover Porc. Uil lliill»c Span ■« ii.'> ■iiil III Canary ii aw 7'\ Ictfrlni- Wnrblcr :; 1 IK! Urt'i'iiiliK h 10 L'75 711 Marsh Wiirbler ■'.1 IM Hullllni-h 3(1 :*ii m S ISi Martin 10 HM ml vvrt-ii i:> IKl llliie li/u'lt Thnisli .tO :i.ir> *f. Alpine Swiii 1 (Kl 3M1 imi t'lrt'ftl Tllru'iiise ISK Itlnc llov. 15 :ft7 nil U'liii^ li":i.l<'lTliiii Stoi-k Uiiv- 15 :w iii-i l.diik' l;iM''il Titmouse '•*i urn I{(10l> Dovr 15 ■.Ml I'li Mcunifit 'I'limnus** mi IHI Pintail Saiul Uiouse ... 75 ;«io III HlHH hi'iul^.l \V»s;l.ill -1 111 J rhmisant ,.. ■M Slil 'i:- Tri'f ripll IS l»7 faperiallUi* ... R'J UBi 1 ii \V.>.iil I.ark 3) ■iri ParirldKf •.'5 3sa ISI Hi-<"l tliititlnK r> •Mi Reil-li'Mii.'fil Partridge .... Cireat Plover .. . :e [ft Cnru IS •JlID . 1 IKl i;m Yellow III aiK oy8t*>rfatch.T 411 i:tr C:humn. 1 III •>>7 Sandpl.ier :^.-> All A I prepaid on receipt of price. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Moor lion 15 SheklraUu Duck 10 (Jar^rt'iu'v liiicU 7ft Llitli' African Cormornnt 2 m Australian Uracharo 3 00 Penguin from S. A 2 10 CoklHii Oilolf Wl Kosethiowleil ll«carcl 7.1 Oray's Thrush 2.i Mi>.':!c'an Mt. Mocker US Cardinal 80 Oiiole 25 Urown Jay . . 30 Kingbird £5 Ureal Oriole 50 Crocodile Amnzon - 2 00 African O.strtch 2 00 So. Atuer Khea 3 00 KedlegKOd Turtle 25 Snapping Turtle . 2'J ALBION, N. Y. Second Class Eggs. Bird* Eggs will break. We break them and some times Uncle Sam does it. Then again we get a batch o. eni blown eggs. Tnese are called second class. If the cracked egg is a cheap one we throw it away. If a lar.ie showy specimen we mend. We have not advertised our second class eggs in several years so we havi a large stock. We have printed a partial list and put our lowest price on each kind ;.nd wc pay postage. These eggs look nearly as well in the cabinet as a first class one and the piice in many cases is but slightly over actual postage. Make out your older at once. Nan.e a few substitutes if possible as we may be out of some when your order comes, but Sail are en htr.d new ar.d many others not listed. Redhead - c;S Klildeer 0.1 Barred 0«1 15 Kleld Plover M.l Peacoc'.*,, OH (Jrass Finch . . 01 Clapper Kali lf{ H-zor l,llle% LABELS like Sample. Sizes 3.x a inches, 15c per 100; $1.00 per 1000' Letter Heads, &c. Please send stamp with copy for prices. D. H. EATON, Wolvern, Mass. H W. KRRR, BREEDER AND SHIPPER, Fancy and Marketable Hares, Belguim, Flemish Giants, Angora, Etc. Write for prices. BLENGOE. IOWA. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our large monthly biUletln of Sljius, Eggs, etc free upon application. POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, Nature, Invention. Archaeoloy. Eiec- Iricity, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Hy- giene, Mecicine. Health. F.rmerly BOSTON JOURN.iL OF CHEMISTRY. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly contains a large num- r of Shnrt, Easy, Practical, Interestins and P,,,>„i..,. t;„:„.,t:^„ ....•_,,^ ... . >^ . l.e opular, Scieutitic articles, that can be Ap- preciated and Enjoyed by any intelligent reader, even though he knew little or nothing of Science. It is intended to interest those who think Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Diflerent from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name, Monthly, S1.60 per year; Newsdealers.l Sc Largest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO., 1 00 Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy. A FIBEE COLLECTION. We recently secured a fine fibre collection consisting of the following: 126 kinds of Wool. 64 kinds of Cotton. 24 kinds of Goat Hair. 12 kinds of fibre as Hemp, Flax, &c. 12 kinds of Dye Wood. 20 kinds of Paper series. In all Ii58 different kinds from all parts of the world. Nearly every country on the globe is represented by its wool, cotton &c., whichever it produces. Very complete data accompanies each specimen. The collection is now all packed in separate boxes, &c. We will sell just as it is or put up in trays with glass top, or in different size glass vials. Will be sold at less than half its appraised value. Remember all is in perfect condition and can be seen on display at our museum. Further description and price on application. W. F. Webb, Mgr., Albion, N. Y KERR Sl PERHAM. Dealers and Collectors, Naturalists Supplies, Publications, Novelties, Etc. Send IOC for Catalogue and Lists. BLENCOE, IOWA. SANDWICH, ILLS. THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHANGES AND FOR SALES. All uotk-es that t'oinc muier ahove will bo inserted in this (loi)aitment until further notice :it one (1) cent a word. No notice less than 35c. Terms Cash with crder. No charf/e for ■iitilress. I shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, who.so reputation is of a doubtful char- acter from using these columns. I'UK S.-\LK;-Fine Yucca I'incushious, 8, 12. 1'"). and ','0 cents each. Redwood Bark Pincushions, 1.5 and 20 cts. each. Small At- lantic Stars, 2 for 5 cts. Postpaid. CLAUUK R. COLLIKR, 143 Conklin Ave . Binehamton, N. Y. FOR SALK:— Extra large finely mounted Tarantulas, .Scorpions, Trap-door Spiders. Trapdoor Spiders' Nests in Redwood Pails at .lO cts. eiich. Postpaid. CLAYUE R. COL- I-IER, 148 Conklin Ave , Binghamton, N. Y. SO.\IETHINr, FINE:-The finest Calcite spray, sparkling like ice, and lino Stalactites, to excbango fir a nice Fossil Fish or Minerals. L. R. WEBER, Eureka Springs. Ark. WANTED:— Fine sets Raptores, Warblers, Rare Ducks, Hummers, and desirable eggs. Oiler bicycles D!) models. Books and period- icals. Bicycle supplies of every description. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, N. Y. TEN:— Showy Singles including African Ostrich $1.00 prepaid. 2.'5 second class eggs, 25 species. 50 cents prepaid. List fine sets free. Fulmer 101, 20 cents each. BENJA- MIN HOAG, Stephentown, New York. WANTED:— A 20 Ga. breach loading shot gun, in exchange for books in Natural His- tory or cash. Write stating what you have. All letters answered. WM. J. CAMPBELL, Fenwood, Moralhon Co., Wis. ENCYCLOPEDIA of Geography, 3 vols; vols. 9, 10, 11, Oologist, to exchange for Birds in the meat or skins. GEO. F. GUELF, Brock- port, N. Y. WANTED:— To exchange eggs and skins, also back numbers of Museum and odd num- bers of The Oologist. for first class skins. JESSE T. CRAVEN, Holley, N. Y. WAN TED;— To exchange vol. 9, F:xplora- tions and Surveys U. S. being, Baird's Cas- sins and Lawrence's Birds of North America, will take $10 worth of first class birds skins. JESSE T. CRAVEN, Holley, N. Y. CALIFORNIA Sea Shells:— Mermaid cradle [Mopnlia rilialn); line, large, 25 cts.. smaller, 15 cts ; Owl shell (J.oUia giganten), 2 in.. Sets. Monoceros engonatum, 5 cts.; Red ear, Unlioti.'' rufe.icens. small, 5 cents; Black ear (Ualiolis rrni-hcrodii). small, 5 cts. Write for my lists of California Sea Shells and Curios. FRANK W.SMITH, fl.3S Orange St., Redlands, Calif. COINS and .Stamps. 3 foreign coins for 10 cents. Ton for 25 cts. all dilTerent and in good condition. 100 foreign stamps 15 cents. JOHN R. PHILLIPS, 344 E. Court Street, Jacksonville, III. FOUR DOLLARS:— will buy 140 varieties of foreign and native woods, or will exchange for woods not in my collection. LOUIS W. HAHN, Silver Creek, N. Y. BIRD SKINS to the value of $1.25 catalogue price will be accepted in exchange for one package of K. it P. Preservative and Taxider- my Maile Eisy. t)ller good until Jan 1, 1899. KEIIR & PERHAM, Blencoe, Iowa. PK.ND 10c for our Price List and Hand L,- k and you m.ay deduct the amount from your lirst order amounting to $1.10. KERR &PEI.'I\M, Blencoe, Iowa. SPEi.lJlENS, BOOKS, &c are frequently wanted by collectors but they cannot always spare cash down. Anything in our stock we will sell on easy payments, a collector paying in such amounts as he can easily spare. Write us contidentally for anythingyou want. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WANTED, — Buyers for a few choice skins of Snowy Owls at $1.00 each to clear, also skins of Long-crested Jay, 30cts. Sharp-tailed and Rullled (irouse 50c. I will bo able to sup- ply mounted or unmounted Heads of Elk, Moose and Blacktailed Deer, also birds either dressed or undressed. Skins or skele- ions of any birds or animals found in this locality or live specimens of same supplied to collectors at reasonable charges. CHRIS P. FORGE, Tax, Carman, Man,, Canada. SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL-Photo Easel of orange-wood inlaid with redwood for 80 cents. Book of pressed California Wild Flowers, 45 cents. California Sea-shells and Curios for sale, FRANK W. SMITH, 038 Orange street, Redlands, Cal. PINCUSHION of the seed-stock of the Spanish Dagger, 10 cents. Pincushion of the bark of "big trees" {Sei/uoia). 10 cts. Chinese horn nuts, per 3, Scents, wholesale cheaoer. FRANK W. SMITH, 638 Orange street. Red- lands, Cal. WANTED:— A good 4x5 ameteui camera. Address THE I ANGDON PRINTING CO., 20 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio i8 THE MUSEUM CAPEN'SOOLOGYof New England. Fine copy at $15.00 prepaid. The work cost $15,00 new and as it is now out of print and very hard to secure at all, our price will be found very reasonable. W. E. WEBB, Albion, N Y. MAPS of 'Our New Possessions." Every one wants a map handy of Sandwich Isles, Philippines, Cuba, Porto Rico Ladrones, Alaska, etc., etc. We have them all in one large book-form pamphlet -with descriptive reading matter. We have found it the handi- est thing'extant. A reliable atlas and map for 20o ,! stamps, prepaid. W. F.WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WHOLE CUFF and Mound Pottery and other ancient implements of Hint and stone for sale at reasonable prices. Cash or ex- change given for authentic specimens. DR. W. O. EMORY, Crawfordsville,' Ind. 2tN WANTED.— Heads, (unmounted) of Deer, Antelope, etc. GEO. F. GUELF. Brockport, N. Y. WILL PAY CASH— for perfect sets of Os- prey and Sharp Skinned Hawk. Address JEAN BELL, Ridley Park, Pa NOTICE: —I would be pleased to corres- pond with anyone who can collect a large number of good curios for me within the next 8 or 0 months in exchange for same from this locality. W. H. HILLER. 147 W. 23d St., Los Angeles, Calif. GtSept EXCHANGE ADS. FREE —Any reader of the McsDEM who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, 108 Fulton St., New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. ■Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. MARINE SPECIMENS in formalin, just as taken from ocean. Jar of Marine Algea ready to Hoat, many kinds, enough for ."iO cards, $1; Starfish, 15c each; Urchins, 20c; Crabs, several species, 15c each; Big Horse Shoe Crabs, weigh 10 or 15 lbs, $1; Large Fish, called 'Flying Robin or Grunter," $1; Toad Fish, $1; Salt Water Eel, 40c; Helix in- flated, lOc and a large list of other specimens. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion. N. Y. HALF HEADS for rugs. We have foUow- ing we wish to close out;at. once: 4 Coyotte at 25c., 3 Wolf at 35c., 4 Fox at 16c,, 2 Black Bear at GOc , 1 Coon at 15c.. 1 Puma at 40c., 6 Lynx at 25c., 1 Setter Dog at 40c., 1 Fox Ter- rier at 25c., 1 Bull Terrier at 30c., 1 Swift Fox at 15c., 1 Newfoundland Dog at 40c. In all 26 which are worth $7.44. Six dollars net will take the lot or will send any desired, prepaid, on receipt of price. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Al- bion, N. Y. OLD PAPERS:- Wanted back numbers of many Scientific Magazines to complete vol- umes. Send list of what you -have. Will pay cash or exchange. CHAS. H. FINNE P. O. Box 280, Little Rock, Arkansas. 1899 LIST:— Our 1899 lists are now ready for mailing. Oologists, Ornithologists and others in supplies, specimens, etc., can re- ceive the same on application. KERR & PERHAM, Blencoe, Iowa. FOR SALE:— New Jersey Indian Relics, Giooved Axes, Jasper Spear and Arrow heads, Argillite "Turtle backs," Yellow Jasper knife 3ixi, Seminole Palmetto basket, quantity small univalves. P. S. TOOKER, Easton, Pa. THE OSPREY one year to new subscribers not on Osprey's books and one package of K. & P. preservative together with full in- structions. Taxidermy made ea.sy for $115. This ofl'er good until January 1st. KERR & PERHAM, Sandwich, Ills. AUKS. -We offer Volumes I, II. Ill and IV at $4.00 a volume also Vols. X, XL XII and XIII at $3.50 per volume prepaid. W F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WANTED:- Copies Vol. I and II Bendire's Life Histories, for cash or exchange. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. PUBLICATIONS WANTED.— A. A Bulletin Vol. I, Nos. 3, 5, 12, Vol. II, all; Am. Oiprey (Ashland, Ky.) Vol. II, all; Am. Osprey, (Ply- mouth, Conn.) Vol. I, Nos. 1, 3 and after; Am. Naturalist, Mar. '89; Am. Mag. Nat. Hist, Vol. I, Nos. 2. 3, 6, 11. 12; Avifauna, Vol. I (?); Birds, all; Bittern, Vol. I, all after No. 6; Collectors Monthly (Danielsville, Ct ) Vol. I, Nos. 3 12, Vol. II. Nos. 3-5, 8; Collect- or (West Chester, Pa.) '86, all; Loon, Vol. I, No. 1; Maine O. and O., Vol. II, No. 1 and after 3 (?); Mockingbird, all; Naturalist (Des Moines, la.) No. 2; Naturalist (Kansas City, Mo.) Vol IV, Nos. 2, 3. 9, 11, 12; Naturalist, (Austin, Texas) Vol.- 1, Nos. 2, 4-6; Naturalist and Collector. No. 3 and after (?); Naturalist in Florida, all; North Am. Naturalist, No. 2; Kansas City Scientist, Vols, V and VI; Ob- server. Vol. I. Nos. 4-12, Vol. II, all. Vol. Ill, all but No. 5. Vol. IV, all. Vol. V, Nos. 3-5, 7-9, 11. Vol. VI, Nos. 2, 7, 10-12, Vol. VIII, 1-3, 5, 6, 8. Oologist, (Ithaca, N. Y.) Vols. IV, '75 '80; Oologist Advertiser, No. 1; Oologist Journal, Vol. I. Nos. 412, Vol. II, No. 4 and later; Oologist Record, all; Ornithologist and Botanist, Vol, II, Nos. 3-5, 7 and after (?) Owl (Chatham, N. Y.) all; Our Birds, No. 2 and after (?); Old Curiosity Shop, Vol. VIII, Nos. 2, 11, 12; Stormy Petrel, Nos. 2, 4 and after; Iowa Ornithologist, Vol. IV, No. 1; Western Oologist, all to '78;Wisconsin Natur- alist, Vol. I, No. 2 and after No. 5; Wolverine Naturalist, Vol. I, Nos. 3, 4 and after; Young Naturalist, Nos. 1, 4; Young Am. Ornitholo- gist (Syracuse) all to '81; J^'orest and Stream, Vol. XIII (number containing page 1034), Vol. XIV, (numbers containg pages 6 and 25) Warren's Birds of Chester Co., Pa., ('79); Michener's Birds of Chester Co.. Pa. ('81); Barnard's Birds of Chester Co , Pa. ('60) in Annual Report Smithsonian Institution for 1860; American Naturalist '97 (containing p.iges 622, 638, 812-14, 907, 911. W. F. WEBB Mgr., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. \' ALBION, N. Y.. DECEMBER 15, 1898. No. Some Hints on the Preparation and Mounting of Microscopic Objects. BV W. H. W.VLMSLEV. So much has been written and pub- lished on this well worn subject that it would seem almost superlhious, if not presumptuous in me to attempt to add thereto. But recollections of the many failures, in my early attempts in years long since gone by, of the wast- age of time and materials incurred, and the unsatisfactory knowledge gleaned from books, impel me to jot down for the benefit of others, the re- sults of actual experience in this work. Whilst by no means asserting that the processes to be described are the best, I would say that I have found them to be uniformly satisfactory, yielding always the desired results, and that all have stood the tests of actual use and experience. I shall give nothing that I do not use in my daily work; and shall not state what "my friend Smith" says "is his pro- cess," or that "I am told Mr. Jones does this or that." Smith's and Jones' processes may be vastly superior to those I shall give, but not having test- ed, I shall not speak of them, my inten- tion being to give simply and succinct- ly as possible, my methods of prep r- ing and mounting ordinary objects i. f interest; which may prove of use to many a beginner in this fascinating pursuit. Nearly all microscopic preparations are mounted in one of three ways; in balsam or other resinous media; in air in the dry way and in aqueous or oth- er iluids. Of these methods I shall proceed to speak first of balsam mounts, the essential materials for which work are as follows: K bottle or tube of pure filtered Canada balsam; a bottle each of 95 degrees alcohol, pure benzole, oil of cloves, and liquor potassiu (the latter with glass stopper); a pair of fine curved forceps, which should be nick- el-plated; another of fine dissecting scissors, and a small dissecting knife; two needles in handles; a few small red sable brushes; one large camel's hair brush; a glass pomatum jar; nest of porcelain dishes; and a few watch glasses; a wide-mouth 8 oz. vial with glass stopper; small glass rod; some pieces of very fine brass wire; glass slips and covers, with suitable labels, and a small bell-glass. To these may be added the follow- ing non-essential, but very convenient articles: A capped bottle with glass rod, for containing the balsam; a small brass table with spirit lamp; a turn table: porcelain mounting plate; mag- nifying glass on stand, with elongated arm, white zinc cement, shellac ditto, and colored fluid for ornamental ring- ing; a bottle of absolute alcohol; and a writing diamond. The luxuries may be mentioned under the head of a well made self-centering turn table; a hot water drying oven; fine spring scissors; an assortment of dissecting needles, book-, scissors and knives; and a pair of binocular magnifiers, mounted upon a firm stand, with focussing adjust- ment. But all the processes of mounting to be here named may be performed with the tools and mater- ials mentioned under the head of es- sentials. Having thus started in business with our capital of tools and materials, let us proceed to put them to the test of actual use. And I can provide no better subject for a beginning than a common blow fly, or an ordinary house fly, either of which will afford material 20 THE MUSEUM. for several different processes of bal- sam mounting. A female should be selected, as the ovipositor, which usu- ally contains some eggs, affords a most interesting and beautiful object. Vivisection not being favored by the writer — first kill your fly in the most humane manner possible (chloroform recommended); — then proceed to clip the wings off close to the body, which, not needing any preparatinn, may at once be placed in alcohol, in one of the covered porcelain saucers. The legs, being cut off, should be placed in liquor potasstt, which should be con- tained in the glsss pomatum jar with a cover. By gently pressing the abdo men, the ovipositor will protrude to its full length, and should then be cut off close to the body, and also placed in the liquor potasste. The tongue should be pressed out in like manner, and when found (under the magnify- ing glass) to protrude to the full ex- tent, with all its parts, should in like manner be cut off and follow the legs and the ovipositer. Then the abdo- men may be cut open with the scis- sors, the viscera washed out with the small sable brushes and water, and the skin or epidermis containing the spericles be placed in the liquor po- tassa;. The trachea and eyes, requir- ing different treatmen to that we are now pursuing, will not be followed fur- ther at present. The length of time necessary for the various parts to remain in the liquor potassit, varies materially. Thus an hour or at the most, two, will suiTice foj the tongue and ovipositor, whereas the legs and epidermis will require an immersion of not less than one or two days. Great care should be taken to remove them before too much color is abstracted, as the beauty of a prepar- ation is quite lost if it be pale and col- orless. A good rule is to remove these parts from the liquor as soon as they assume a lightish brown appear- ance; placing them in water and care- fully washing and brushing them with the sable brushes. One of the nest saucers will be found a most conven- ient vessel for doing this in. They should then be transferred to a glass slip, taking care (with the tongue) so to spread it out with the needles as to show the lobes and false trachae, and (with the feet), to show the hairy pads. When properly spread out, place another glass slip over them so that they are preesed tiat between the two and wrap tightly with a piece of fine brass wi. e, which for this pur- pose should be cut in lengths of lo to 12 inches. The wire is recommended rather than thread of any kind, be- cause there are no fibres to become entangled with the specimen, and thus mar its beauty"; and it may be used many times over. The slips thus wrapped should then be dropped into a vessel of water, and left for some hours. On being taken from the wa- ter and the wire removed, the slips should again be placed in a saucer or small plate of water, and carefully separated to avoid marring or injuring the specimens. These should then be gently, but thoroughly washed and brushed, to remove every remnant of the liquor potasste or dirt that may have adhered to them, and dropped for a few moments into alcohol; one of the nest saucers again forming a convenient vessel for this purpose. The slips of glass having meanwhile been wiped clean and dry, the objects are again to be transferred to one of them, covered with the other, wrapped with the wire and dropped into alcohol, which for this purpose should be contained in the wide mouthed bottle with glass stopper. And here they may safely rest until we ara ready for the final operation of mounting; be it the next day, or year, matters not, as the alcohol will not al- ter or bleach them. The final work to be done upon our specimens, preparatory to mounting, is transferring from the alcohol to oil of cloves, which is substancial repeti- tion of the previous transfer from water to alcohol. The slips of glass THE MUSEUM 21 taken from the bottle, and the wire removed, are to be placed in a saucer containing alcohol, and gently sepa- rated, to avoid injury to the speci- mens, which are now to receive their final brushing. If we have provided oiirsolves with absolute alcohol, a short immersion in the same, in a watch glass is advantageous, but not absolutely necessary. And now hav- ing poured a small quantity of pure oil of cloves into one of the porcelain nest saucers, we carefully transfer the tongue, feet, etc , to the same; not forgetting the wings i which all this time have lain quietly .in the alcohol, as originally placed, not having needed any of the complicated manipulations , immediately replacing the cover to ex- clude dust. It will be observed that I rigorously excluded turpentine in all forms, from my work. I have ever found it a most unsatisfactory medium, foul smelling, sticky, and rendering all tis- sues immersed in it stiff and brittle. Oil of cloves, on the contrary, is in all respects a most admirable medium, rendering all tissues and substances fully as 'clear as turpentine; is agreea- ble to the sense of smell, does not stiffen anything immersed in it, and is perfectly miscible with balsam or damar. After this digression, and whilst our specimens are clearing up in the oil, let us see to our glass slips and covers, and to the balsam in which the for- mer are to be mounted. \'cry many processes for cleaning the slips and covers have been given to the world by various writers, and probably they are all good. I give only my own, which I have used for many years, with entire satisfaction, and therefore can 'confidently recomniend it. The slips which should be smooth edgedj, are placed in a basin with hot water and good soap, and wiped dry with a soft towel, after being thoroughly washed and rinsed. They are then placed in a drawer, and are ready for use at future time, merely requiring to be brushed off with the large camel's hair pencil when used. The thin covers ('which should cthcttys be circles, and not squares, as making neater and more readily finished mountsi, are chopped one by one in a glass tumbler, containing sulphuric acid, and allowed to remain there for some hours. The acid is then poured off, and water carefully added, which in its turn is decanted and replaced with fresh water, the whole contents of the glass being freely agitated until every trace of the acid is removed. One of the .i:lass pomatum jars is now to be par- tially tilled with alcohol, and the thin covers placed therein to remain until wanted for use, when they can be re- moved with the forceps, and a slight wiping with an old, soft linen handker- chief will leave them brilliantly clean. To be cofitinued. The Finches of Southern Califor- nia L arpodaais pitrpiirciis californicu!:. {Baird) Carpodacns cassini. {Baird) Corpodacits iiiexicauiis frontalis. {Say) I have received so many inquiries from my ornithological correspondents regarding these three species that I have deemed it expedient to answer all queries at once and through that medium which I believe will reach the greater part of those collectors — The Museum. My acquaintance with the genus ( (iipodacus began some nine years ago and was with the most numerous spe- cies, the common House Finch or Lin- net. During the years that have pass- ed since that time I have been espec- ially interested in this family and have endeavored in every way to familiar- ise myself with their habits and life- histories. If we take them in the order nam- ed by the A. O. U. check-list we find that the least common species, or rather sub-species, is placed first 22 THE MUSEUM. While the CaHfornia Purple Finch does breed in at least one of the seven southern counties of California, never- theless it is not at all common below the thirty-sixth parallel. From that locality northward to the Columbia River and perhaps to Vancouver's Is- land is the favorite breeding range. Here it finds suitable nesting sites in the coniferous forests which clothe the higher hills and mountains and seems to prefer regions further from the "busy haunts of men" than do either of the other two. This is the most beautiful of our Carpodaci. The whole upper part of the body is crimson, perhaps a little brighter on the head shading almost to purple across the lower back and greater wing coverts. Below, this crimson extends over the greater part of the breast, sometimes even to the tibiff . The belly, as is common with the Fringillidas, varies from gray to pure white. The female is usually slightly smaller and is clothed in a neat brown suit with "a very light superciliary stripe. " Regarding their food and general history I still have much to learn; but I have seen them feeding on the seeds of the so-called "Wild Sunflower," in company with Cassin's and the House Finch. Their song is rather more interesting than pleasing: although during the breeding season I have heard quite a consider- able "rondeau" rendered from the top of some tall willow or cypress. One pair in particular stayed throughout the whole winter of 1897-8 in two large cypress trees in our yard. I have often spent a half-hour vainly searching for some hidden warbler whose song I could plainly hear and at length come upon little piirpui-cus, the source of all the music. I took but one set of this species this season. For some unaccountable reason they were much scarcer this year than last while Cassin's bird was correspondingly more plenty. Tl^'^ nest held four slightly incubated c:;,,, pale bhiish-green in color, spdr.d with brown and black. The set was not typical although the date — May 21 — was just at the height of their breeding season. The nest, placed in a Eucalyptus tree twenty feet up, was woven from weed stems, small twigs, grasses; etc I do not have the nest at hand but think it was fairly typical. Usually the eggs are deep greenish- blue very sparingly spotted with brown, lavender and black. Most authors say that lines are characteristic of the typical eggs of the House Finch, while spots and blotches distinguish the oth- er two species of this genus. This has not been my experience; I have sever- al sets of Cassin's Finch which do not differ at all from a large series of C. nicxicanus frontalis. The difference between the eggs of C. cassini and C. califoriiicus seems to be chiefly in shading and ground-color. While the former is the larger bird, still the eggs are nearly the same size. A large ser- ies of C. purpurcus californicus gives an average measurement of .57X. 74 inches, while a series of Cassin's aver- ages .58x79. I think the egg of the California Purple Finch is the more round in outline, and Cassin's the more pointed oval, somewhat similar to the egg of the House Finch. My experience and notes on the second species have been confined to the past two years in this (Orange) county. It is a much paler species than the first and consequently less noticeable. The upper parts are usu- ally grayish-brown, with some irregu- lar black-brown markings. The crim- son of the head and rump sometimes, though rarely extends down the breast and a slight reddish tinge is occasion- ally found on the wing coverts. This bird is seldom over one-half inch larg- er all around than the preceeding and usually not over one-fourth. I have found them nesting in nearly every variety of tree indigenous to Southern California, but thc\- s^em to picfer 'a tall willow tree, especially one in v, ! h the l^mbs are large and so situated that the nest may be plac- THE MUSEUM. 23 ed close against the main trunk. Eive Oaks, luicalypti and Sycamores are also favorite trees while one now and then finds a nest placed in the fork of some tall Cactus or California Holly bush. The nest is well made, the best of any of the genus. It is usual- ly woven from the fine inner bark of some deatl willow tree and lined with "down" from the same tree. I took several sets of this Finch during the present season. Of these fully se\cnty-five per cent, were of four eggs and the remainder of three and five. According to my notebook the first set consisting of four fresh eggs was taken March 27th and the last, one of three eggs, incubation ad- vanced, June loth. The greater part of the nests found in April however were incomplete, and those found in June contained young almost ready to tly. The eggs are rather pale green- ish-blue in color and average -SS.x. 79 inches. Their food is of course much the same as that of the other Fringillida ; weed seeds, small grain, and such fruit as they may be able to obtain from the numerous foot-hill orchards. Whether they are strictly vegetarian or not I cannot say positively but think they are. The song of this bird is very much the same as that of C. califoriticiii only much longer, but I think they are by nature a more quiet bird than either of the other two. They do not seem to seek such hidden nesting places as does the California t'lnch, and so are less often seen in the higher mountains during the breed- ing season than in the warm interior valleys and canyons. Of the one remaining species little good can be said. It is the greatest pest except perhaps the Gopher with which the Southern California or- chardist has to contend. Many and various are the methods devised for ridding orchards and gardens of these "Linnets." Few, it must be said, result in anything more than failure: but one, invented I believe by Mr. Mills of the Pomona I-^xperiment Sta- tion, has so far proved very success- ful. He sinks pans of poisoned water Hush with the surface of the ground and throws enough dirt into these to darken the reflection of the tin so that they resemble muddy pools put there for the especial benefit of the birds. They drink readily from these and thus many are killed every day. The birds are so well known as to hardly bear re-descripion. Their breeding range, dates and number of eggs are almost the same as those of C. cassini; while their food is anything eatable but preferably fruit and the green leaf-buds of the apricot and peach. They place' their nests any- where; trees, vines, outbuildings, old cans, and in fact any nook or cranny of sufficient size is made use of by these familiar little birds. The eggs are seldoin more than five and in nine cases out of ten are of that number; even the second laying is seldom less than four. If robbed once and the nest left undisturbed they will lay a second and sometimes a third clutch. The opinions put forward above are of course only the result of individual observation without any comparison with any other collector's notes, and I should be verj- glad to hear from other Western collectors on any of these three, for it is only by such interchange of observations that we learn thor- oughly our lesson from Nature's ever- open story book. Harra H. Dunn, Fulerton, Orange Co., Cal. Nebraska /Vcademy of Sciences. The ninth annual meeting of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences was held at Lincoln, November 25th and 26th in Science Hall of the University of Nebraska. After a brief business session in the forenoon of the 25th the program wSs commenced in the afternoon by the address of President Henry A. Wftrd upon "The Fresh Water Biological 24 THE MUSEUM. Stations of the World." This very in- teresting paper enumerated all the im- portant labratories and other stations and described the work of the famous biologists in Europe, Asia, America and elsewhere and was greatly enjoyed "by the Academy. Dr. Robert H. Wolcott read a pa- per entitled "Methods of Collecting and Preserving Water Mites" and ex- hibited prepared specimens ready for study. In a paper entitled "The Southern Maidenhair Fern in the Black Hills." Dr. Charles E. Bessey gave an inter- esting account of finding this southern fern near Cascade, South Dakota, where it grows along a stream which is fed by warm springs. A very interesting paper upon "The Second Year's Flora of a Dried-up Millpond" a continuation of a paper presented at the last annual meeting was read by Mr. C. J. Elmore. Mr. Elmore intends to continue his work upon this same subject during the coming year. Numerous valuable and instructive papers were presented to the Academy ami ng which were: "One to One C irespondence, " by Dr. EUery W. Davis; "A Determination of the Lati- tude of the Observatory"(of the Uni of Nebraska at Lincoln), with charts and maps, by Professor Goodwin D. Swe- zey; "Obituary of Professor Wells H. Skinner" by Mr. A. T. Bell; "The Growth of Children" by Professor William W. Hastings; ''Tliorca, a Re- cently Discovered Seaweed of the Lin- coln, Neb., Flora," by Messrs. A. A. Hunter and E. G. Sedgewick; "On the Poisonousness of Pure Water" by Dr. A. S. VonMansfelde; "What is Phyto-geography.?" by Dr. Roscoe Pound; "Some New Grasshoppers and Other Related Insects from Argen- tina" by Professor Lawrence Bruner; "Hpw Some Pistils Close Up" by Mr. Ernest A Bessey; "A New Bird Tape- worn^" by Mr. George E. Condra, who mentioned that in nineteen Sandpipers examined their stomachs contained from one (i) to fifty-fix (56) taenia each. The species suffering most from these parasites was found to be Tringa fuscisollis; 'Observations on the Leonid Meteors of i8g8" by Pro- fessor G. D. Swezey (with charts showing the course of a large number of the meteors as observed from three different stations at one time); "On the Occurrence of a Fresh-wafer Ne- mertine in Nebraska" by Mr. A. B. Lewis; "Notes on the Falling of Leaves of a Cottonwood Tree" by Mr. C. J. Elmore; "The Hydrachmidaa of Nebraska," a systematic review of the water-mites in this state and also describing a new genns and sixteen new species by Dr. R. H. Wolcott; "Preliminary Remarks upon Some New White River Geodes" with sev- eral specimens for examination, by Miss Carrie A. Barbour; "Botanical Notes for the Year of 1898" by Dr. C. E. Bessey. On the evening of November 25th Professor Lawrence Bruner delivered a very interesting lecture upon the "Flora and Fauna of Argentina," which was illustrated by stereopticon views of scenery, plants and animals of the South American Republic. Professor Bruner spent nearly two years in Argentina in 1897-98, study- ing the locusts and grasshoppers and his discourse upon the subject was as viewed from the eyes of a naturalist and observer. At the closing business session the following officers were elected: Pro- fessor Goodwin D. Swezey, President; Dr. Harold Gifford; Vice-president; Professor Lawrence Bruner, Secre- tary-Custodian. Mr. George A. Love- land, Treasurer. Alexander Agassiz, J. M. Coulter, Samuel H. Scudder, Joseph LeConte, Simon Newcomb, Otto Kuntze and Victor Henson were elected honorary members of the Academy. ISADOR S. TrOSTLER, Omaha, Nebraska. THE MUSEUM. 25 _™ej^useunil_ A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences. Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion, N. Y. Correspondence and items of Interest on al>ove top- ics, as well as notes on the various Museums of the World— views from same, discoveries relative to the handling and keeping of Natural History material, descriptive bablts of various species, are solicited from all. Make articles as brief as possible and as free from technical terms as the subjects will allow. All letters will be promptly answered. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Single SubscripUoiL 11.00 per annum Sample Copies _ lOc each ADVERTISING RATES. 5 cents per Nonpareil line each insertion. Twelve lines to the Inch. Cash must accompany all orders. Remltt.inces should l>e made by Draft. Express or Post Office Order .ir Registered Letter. VnuseU U. S. t'ostase Stamps of any denomination accepted for small amounts. MUSEUM PUB. CO.. ALBION, ORLEANS CO., N.Y. Snterfd at Albion post-office as second-class mail matter NOTES. The Shell Collection: of Dr. James Lewis of Mohawk, N. Y. Having since the issue of the last Museum bought the large collection of shells made by Dr. James Lewis, a few remarks as to the life and work of this well known conchologist may be of interest to our readers, From the Aiitiiicttii A'a/«/-m>ii^a ivsliva) which hopping around for a short time it I have in my cabinet. This is the first came across to my side oi the street specimen of the kind I have ever seen alighted on a lilac tree not more than alive in Wisconsin and must have been a rod from where I was standing, here by mistake as Coues gives them Here it remained hopping about sever- as "Eastern U. S. strictly, and rather al minutes enjoying the warm sun- southerly, N. rarely to Conn." shine, thus giving me ample opportun- Mrs. E. C. Wiswell, ity to note every difference between Kenosha, Wis. COLLECTORS. We have the following fine stock, we are closing out at cost, to make room for shells: BIRDS EGGS, large lot of sets and singles. SKINS, about 600 good Bird Skins and fully 200 Mammals. MINERALS, many varieties in bulk. Fully 300 varieties by specimens, large or small, about 100 kinds lately cracked up, ready to make up in small collections to suit purchaser. FOSSILS, about 500 species, some in quantity. BOOKS. We have as usual a large stock of new and second hand. Lists in any particular branch. Bulletins are now being made of all of above and will be sent to anyone interested. Any young man who would care to start dealing in any of these branches, could get a large and desirable stock at a lump figure. We are ready to sell it that way or list it up. W ALTEK F. ^\ EUR M-t.. ALBION, N. Y. 30 THE MUSEUM. Fine Shells Accurately Labeled. To collectors who wish correctly labeled shells, we can supply suites from the Dr. Lewis collection at prices that cannot fail to satisfy anyone. For many years Dr. Lewis supplied sets of many classes of American shells at loc. per specie of one perfect example. We will do better than this. Of course all the choicest examples of the small land and fresh water shells went into his col- lection and were promptly put into vials and label inside in fine neat writing. The Strcpomatida- were almost wholly in vials and are as neat and clean as when first put there. I-'arties wishing suites of any of the families named be- low should write at once. We have nearly 1600 entries of the families named in first four lines. Goniobasis, Angretema, Lithasia, Trypanastoma, Schizastoma, Physa, Eury- codon, Lioplax, Anculosa, Strepobasis, Melantho, Valvata, I3ythinella, Ancy- lus, Vivipara, Tulotoma, Limna', Amnicola, (Jillia, Tryonia, Somatogyrus, Planorbis, Buhminus, lo, Sphaerium, Pisidium, etc., etc. In I^and Shells we have a fine Strigosa series of 75 species and varieties. It is true a great many are now recognized as merely a color variety still they are a most interesting lot, In Foreign Shells, Land, Fresh Water and Marine we can surely interest you. Fine large series of Cypraea, Purpura, Murex, etc., etc. Many hun- dred species of bivalves. An immense lot of Helix, Partula, Clausilia, Cyclo- phorus, Bulimus, Orthalicus, Pupa, l^ythia, Gibbus, Catanlus, Strophia, Mega- lomastoma, Cassidula, Pyrena, Pachychilus, Melania, Paludomus, Tonalia, Vivipara, Auricula, Cylindrella, Achatina, Ampullaria, Marissa, etc., etc. Space will not allow us to outline a hundredth part of the many good things. We will add as a testimonial how the Lewis collection has been re- ceived by collectors in the past two weeks, one Western man ordered at once 1000 entries of the Strepomatid;f, two of a kind. A Pennsylvania man ordered a complete Lewis Type lot of the American Land Shells and a score of other collectors have ordered on approval sample lots in the particular lines they are most interested in. We have not yet decided to break up the I 'iiiodtr''\ but any collector who would like a slice, large or small, of this family in case we do break it up, should write at once and such will have first chance. We have issued now a list of some American I'resh Water Shells which will be sent gratis. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. * SiiU'O Uiis paragraph was wfitten the enliro Lowi.s ?/rt«)(/f anv scieritldc .lourniil. Tonus, ^ii a vear ; four rnontha, fl. Sold by all Ti^w.^dcMlors. MUNN&Co.^e'Broadway, New York Branch Office. 625 F St., Washington, D. C. THE MUSEUM I WE BUY STAMPS AND OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS I Si'iiil ii< what .voii liHVf with lowest cash prioiB or we will make you an offer if you wish Wt' p;iy I'x press or i>ostape one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, Wholesale Bargains. We have on ham) uiany line things iu sin'h i|iiantity we quote low rates on whiilesnle or- ders, ill ortler to make rooiu. 'I'he liiaterial ottered in every instance is as low as money can Imy Lookover the list carefully : Purple Sea Plumes from the Bahamas Large size. 4 to 5 feet. $2.50 per dozen. Mediiini. 2 to 3 feet, ?1 50 per dozen Ostrich Egjis. South African specimens, at *4 .50 per dozen. <\i/pnrii Ainiiili's, Kin);top Cowries, from the Kast Indies 'n) cents per quart. Cijprtrn mijiitln. with varieties. Money Cowry from SiD(tapnie, ."iO cents per quart. filiii-k- H'lliotis. 4 to ."i inch, from Monterey. Cal. 7.5 cents per dozen. /.■<(/ H'llioti.''. from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch. :it ^l !)0 per dozen Slroiii/iii.1 tul>eriu!fUus Silver Lips. 3 inch, from Singapore, at 36 cents per dozen. Slroml^ts filfiliis, Pnrple Mouth, from Fla , a' 24 cents dozen E 1. Coral fragments, 2 to 3 inch, 20c dozen. Melongtnn mrona. Crown Shell, from Fla . 24c doz Sabre Beans, mammoth. 16 to 20 inches, cur- ious, Bahamas, at 50c doz Xenta pderunla. Bleeding Teeth, Bahaiuas, at 50 cents quart. I'urple Gorgonias, Flexible Coral from Baha- mas. 81 .50 dozen Mica Snow, for Taxidermists and fancy work, worth 80c pouud, our price 20c. Murex brantluris. from East Indies, 1 to 2 inch, 1.5c dozen. Bahama Coral, such as Fan, Head, Palm, etc. Several species at 10c pound. Mineral Collections, for Teachers to give or sell to students, .50 varieties, named, etc., at .5(lc lists on application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work, 2ic quart. ' t'asciolaria dutlans. Tulip. 2 inch, 36c dozen. h'lixcinlurin tiilipi. Tulip. 3 to 4 inch, 40c doz. t'ulgiir perverufi, from Fla., 4 to 5 inch. 60c" Tube Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas. 51 .50 dozen. SrttphiU^ noilo.' of the Faiuouii Quartz Crystals found ;it this place. If t nis collection of UrlUlant ( ,ems pleases you, kindly send 70 cents onlv. otherwl.se relurji the collecllon "and It will be O. K Highest Award at the World's Fair. Order today. "'to .4.. R. CRI9I, Mldcllevllle, Herkimer Co., K. V. Fine Florida Shells. We have every taciUly for furnislilnt; collectors o- dealers with Florida Shells, or Souvenirs. We have h:ul lont; experience In collecting, and the Kdllor of the MCSEC.M. has. unsolicited by us. offered to answer any imiulrles as to our re.sponsibllity or fair dealing. 1 f you wish to see quality of specimens before placing lareer orders, send *1 for a box of Samples. All cleaned and correctly named. Price list for stamp and all Inquiries promptly answered. Give us a trial. J. H. HOI-MES, DUNEDIN, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shells. Also Centipedes, Scorpions, Crabs, etc. in alcohol at a bargain. Address with stamp. O. BRYANT. Longwood, Florida BENJAMIN HOAG, BOOIvS AXI) PERIODICALS. navies Ncsis and Kggs. fifth ed . prepaid. ll.V" Ulrds that Hunt and are Hunted I.™ Harpers Magazine and anij dollar periodical published lx>th full year. M.uo. Drop me a ILst of wants before you buy books, or sub- scribe for any periodicals. It will pay yon. STEPHENTOWN. NEW YORK. IV/ten answering advertisements al- toaj's mention THE MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM Shells, Fossils, Curios and Crystals FROM Webb's Natural History Stock, Albion, New York. VOL. V. NO. 3. JANUARY, 1899. >^^.^^^^^^ UqEUTH A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — fo cts. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, 5 cts. Published on the 1 5th of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. Wholesale Bargains. VVe have on hand many fine things in such quantity we quote low rates on wholesale or- ders, in order to make room. The material offered in every instance is as low as money can buy. Look over the list carefully: Purple Sea Plumes from the Bahamas. Large size, 4 to 5 feet, $3.50 per dozen. Medium, 3 to 3 feet, $1.50 per dozen. Ostrich P^ggs, South African specimens, at $4.50 per dozen. Gyprrta Annulus, Ringtop Cowries, from the East Indies, .50 cents per quart. Cyprca moneta, with varieties. Money Cowry from Singapore, 50 cents per quart. Black Ealiolis, 4 to 5 inch, from Monterey, Cal. 75 cents per dozen. Red Haliotis, from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch, at $1.50 per dozen. Slrombus tuberculatus. Silver Lips, 3 inch, from Singapore, at 36 cents per dozen. Slrombus alalus. Purple Mouth, from Fla., at 24 cents dozen. E. I. Coral fragments, 3 to 3 inch, 20c dozen. Melongena corona. Crown Shell, from Fla., 24c doz. Sabre Beans, mammoth, 16 to 30 inches, cur- ious, Bahamas, at 50c doz. Nercta peleronta, Bleeding Teeth, Bahamas, at 50 cents quart. Purple Gorgonias, Flexible Coral from Baha- mas, $1 50 dozen. Mica Snow, for Taxidermists and fancy work, worth 80c pound, our price 30c. Murex brandaris, from East Indies, 1 to 3 inch, 15c dozen. Bahama Coral, such as Fan, Head, Palm, etc. Several species at 10c pound. Mineral Collections, for Teachers to give or sell to students, 50 varieties, named, etc., at 30c lists on application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work, 250 quart. Fasciolaria dislans. Tulip, 2 inch, 36c dozen. Fasciolaria lulijn, Tulip, 3 to 4 inch, 40c doz. Fulgar ])eri'ersa, from Fla., 4 to 5 inch, 00c" Tube Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas. $1 50 dozen. S'-aphiles nodosus. an ammonite shaped fossil from the Bad Lands, 2 inch, 50o doz., 3 inch. $1 00 dozen; 4 inch, $3.00 dozen. Make up your order now, as these prices only hold good while stock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. I WE BUY STAMPS AND OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS S Send us what you have with lowest cash price or we will make you an offer if you wish. We pay express or postage one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, DUBUQUE, lA. 50 YEARS' EXPERIENCE Trade Marks Designs . w, - ■ Copyrights &c. Anyone sending a sketch and description may aulcklv aseertuin our oi>ini(in free wlictber an inventicm is iirohnbly lialentiible. Commiinica- uous strictly contidenlial. Handbook on Patents sent free, oldest asency for securing patents. Patents taken throueli Munn & Co. receive stiecUU notice, without clmrse, in the Scientific American. A handsomely illustrated weekly. Largest olr- culation of any scientiBc journal, 'terms, ir'i a year; four months, *1. Sold by all newsdealers. MUNN &Co.36'Broadway, New York Braoch Office. C25 F St., Washington, D. V. IMPORTANT NOTICE. We desire to announce that owing to the many improvements made in the current volume of , the Kern Bulletin, the price of .sample J I copies will now be tifleen cent.s each. Pur- Ichasers of sample copies may deduct this suml Itroni the regulai subscription price when sub T Iscribing. The January number contains four-l Iteen articles on fern.s, many shorter notes, anrll 'eight pages devoted to the Mosse.s. Send fori It. Address, The Fern Bulletin. Binghampton. N. Y. THE MUSEUM. WANTS, exchan(;es and for sales. All notices that i'our' uiuler above will bo inserted in this (lei)aitnieiit until further notice atone (1) cent a word. No notice less than 2.'ic. Terms Cash with crder. No charge for address. I shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, whoso reputation is of a doubtful char- acter from using these columns. WANTKU — A 1 skin of Red-billed Toucan and Foco Toucan. Both males. GKO. H. SPOKDE, Wurrenton, Mo. FINE SETS of 608. 5!)lb, 423, 201, 202. 488, 552a, 627, 29 to exchantre for a-1 sets. C. F. STONE, Branchport, N. Y. 20 Var. fossils, geodes. minerals, Sea curios, beautiful calcite cave spec, in frost and oox- •work, 25c to $1.00. Various Indian relics, ar- rowheads, $1.2.1 per 100. postpaid. CORA JEWELL, Crawfordsvillc. Indiana. FOR SALE.— A line lot Skins, cheap for cash, or som of other localities. Decatur St., Sandusky, O. of American Bird will exchange for FKEU FREY, 428 TO EXCHANGE —Bird Skins for Indian Relics. Send list of what vou have. FRED FREY, 428 Decatur St.. Sandusky, O. I WILL GIVE. — First-class sets and singles at one-third Taylor's rates for a lirstclass hand or tripod. 3x4 or larger. "Vive" pre ferred. HARRY H. DUNN, Fullerton, Or- ange Co.. California. EXCHANGES.— Case School of Applied Science, offers duplicates from its museum, in exchange for similar material not in its col- lections. Three lists of specimens offered are issued, viz: 1 Geoloijy and Mineralogy, 2 Botany, 3 Books. Any of these will be sent to those wishing to exchange. Address, FRANK M. COMSTOCK. Prof, of Natural History, Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland, Ohio. 2tJ WANTED BAD.— A small thoroughly iden- tified collection of showy shells; also Keep's "West Coast Shells," in exchange for first- class birds' eggs, sets or singles. HARRY H. DUNN, Fullerton, Orange Co., California WANTED.— Skins of birds and mamm.- •=. Lepidoptera in papers, large Aqunri'Tm :,.. I cash writ: about it at once. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., AIbi .n, N. Y. SPECIMENS, BOOKS, «&c are frequently wanted by collectors but they cannot always spare cash down. Anything in our stock we will sell on easy p.ayments, a collector paying in such amounts as he can ea.-^ily spare. Write us conlidentUly for anythingyou want. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion. N. Y. California Sea shells:— Mermaid cradle (Mofialia riliala); line, large, 2'> cts.. smaller, 15 cts ; Owl shell (LoUia giganten), 2 in.. 5cts. Monoccros cngotiaUtm, 5 cts.; Red ear, HuHotis rnfescens, small, 5 cents; Black ear {Ilaliolin i-radieroilii] small. Sets. Write for my lists of California Sea Shells and Curios. FRANK W. SMITH, 038 Orange St., Redlands, Calif. 34 THE MUSEUM. FOR SALE:— A Stevens' favorite litle, take down, 23 cal. in perfect condition, 22 inch barrel Price $4.50. Address, D. BENSON, JR., 1120 Spruce St., Philadelphia. Pa. ONE VERY FINE Dark Otter in flesh for sale, a beauty uninjured. If you want one to mount this is your chance. CHRIS P. FORGE, Carman, Man. WANTED:- Copies Vol. I and II Bendire's Life Histories, for cash or exchange. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WANTED: — 4.X.5 camera, cash or exchange, must be in good order. ROBERT BURN- HAM, 143 Gallup St , Providence, R. I. HEAD and Scalps of Moose and Elk for sale, also hides, either green or dressed; buf- falo horns and raw or dressed furs for mats and rugs CHRIS P. FORGE, Carman, Man. PASSENGER PIGEONS are rare now days. Still they are occasionally shot. We have a beautiful pair. Will sell at $10 Is that too much? We don't think so. If you have any to sell write us. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. NOTICE: —I would be pleased to corres- pond with anyone who can collect a large number of good curios for me within the next 8 or 0 months in exchange for same from this locality. W. H. HILLER. 147 W, 23d St., Los Angeles, Calif. GtSept EXCHANGE ADS. FREE —Any reader of the MusDEM who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, 108 Fulton St., New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. THE FOLLOWING birds nicely mounted for sale cheap: Snowv Owls, $2.50; Great Head Owl, $3 50; Hawk'Owl, $1.00; Saw-whet Owl. $1.25; Duck Hawk. $2 00; Pigeon Hawk, $1.50. These to introduce my work. Photos, 20c. Money refunded when photos returned. Fresh skins of birds and mammals found in this locality for sale. CHRIS P. FORGE, Carman, Man. PAMPHLETS:— Land and Fresh Water Shells of Ala., 41 pages, by Dr. Jas. Lewis, 25 cents; Land and Fresh Water Shells of New York state by Lewis, 16 pages, 20c; Instruc- tions for Collecting Land, Fresh Water and Marine Shells and preparing for the Cabiuet by Lewis, 10c; Collectors wishing 25 copies or more of the latter pamphlet we will make special rates. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. AUKS FOR SALE:-We have vol. 3 at $3.00 prepaid; vols. 10 (2 sets vol. 11) (2 sets vol. 12) and vol. 13 at $2.00 each pre- paid. Also tollowiug numbers at 40c each prepaid. Vol. 5, No. 1 and 4; vol. 7, No. 2; vol. 8, (2 of No. 1) No, 2 and 4; vol. 10, No. 2 (3 copies No. 3) No. 4, No. 13, No. 3. Order at onc3 of W, F. WEBB, Albion, N. Y. FOR SA1.,E:— Choice lot of some (iO pieces carved Chinese y\Ae objects for one-third val- ue Photo, 5c. Mouiul and Cliff-house relics. DR. W. O. EMERY, Crawfordville, Ind. PROCEEDINGS of Scientific Bodies. We have many of these which we will sell very reasonably. Have 8 vnls Proceedings Acad- emy Natural Science a'ld many others W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. MINERAL COLLECriONS:-We have the following minerals all cracked up ready to mike into small colleclions, for students in mineralogical classes Some teachers have used each spring from 50 to GO collections, giving them to the .srholar.s at actual cost. Here is the list that are ready now: Asphal- tum, Allanite, Actioolite, Alabaster. Albite, Andalusite, Beryl, Boltonite, Calcite, Chal- cedony, Chalcopyrite. Coue-in-Cone, Crinoid Limestone, Calc Spar, Crystalized Calcite, Dolomite, Flint, Galena, Garnets in Rock. Gypsum. Gold Quartz, Hematite, Iceland Spar, Limonite, Magnesite, Milky Quartz, Magnetite, Marble, Orthoclase. Onyx. Pectol- ite, Pudding Stone, Pyrites, Petrified Wood, Pyrolusite, Parcelainite, Quartz geode. Stalactite, Satin Spar, Selenite, Tour- maline, Talc, Weruerite We will send a sample collection of all of above for 70c pre- paid Twenty five colleclions for $10.00; 40 collections for $14.00 If above does not cov- er your wants write us. WALTER F. WEBB, Albion, N. Y. WANTED:— To exchange, Maine minerals for Indian arrow heads, also Maine sea shells for Florida or Pacitic shells. Correspondence solicited. H P. BABB, Box 228, Westbrook, Maine. TRYONS MANUAL Parts of many vol- umes of this rare work cannot now be secured as all that i-emaiu are held for purchasers of the complete set which costs many hundred dollars. We have a few parts we will sell at prices named. Part 2 of vol 7, covering Strombus, Cancellaria, Pterocera, Rostellaria, Aporrhais, Terebellum and Strutholaria, con- taining 12 full page plates and 259 cuts of above families Cost $3.00. Our price pre- paid $1.93. Part 1 of vol. 7 on Terebra &c. contains 12 plates, 240 cuts prepaid $1.75. Part 4 of vol. 7 on Cassis Dolium and Ovula, 25 plates, nearly 300 figures prepaid $3.00. Parts 1 and 2 of vol. 0, both on Conns 31 plates, fully 400 cuts, cost $6 00. Our price $3 90. We will sell the 5 parts prepaid to one address, $8 00. These parts are second hand of course but inside is clean and not lorn. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. Fine Florida Shells. We have every facility for furuisliing collectors or dealers with Florida Shells, or Souvenirs. We have had long experience in collecting, and the Editor of the Museum, has, unsolicited by us, offered to answer any inquiries as to our responsibility or fair dealing. If you wish to see quality of specimens before placing larger orders, send $1 for a box of ^samples. All cleaned and correctly named. Price list for stamp and all inquiries promptly answered. Give us a trial. J. H. HOLMES, DUNEDIN, FLA. THE MUSEUM. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. V. ALBION, N. Y., JANUARY 15, 1899. No. 3 A Brief History of the Gathering of Fresh-Water Pearls in the United States. Natural and Artificial Replenishment of the hrcsh Water Mussels. BY GEORGE F. KUNZ. The inquiry as to whether the ex- hausted beds recover, and in what time, is closely connected svith the preceding one. It is unanswered in twenty-two of the papers, and seven others report no knowledge or opinion on the subject. Sixty-four replies are given, of which several are indefinite or conjectural. Out of about sixty papers, therefore — or about two-thirds of the whole — the following data is taken: Sixteen report the belief that the beds are replenished from year to year; four in one or two years; three in two or three years, and four in four years. Four name periods between four and eight years, and six between six and twelve years, and one gives twenty years, one twenty-five, and two estimate the recovery as requiring a century or more. Three papers say that many years are necessary; five say "a few" or "soon"; two report no exhaustion as noticed, and six report no recovery. Four papers are indefi- nite or uncertain. Two of the papers that give estimated date for recovery do so with an expression of doubt ^"if at all," "if ever') as to whether it really occurs. The Tennessee paper before referred to says that the shells return each year, but in less numbers. .As it is customary, more or less, to leave the young and small shells, the ijuestion resolves itself largely into two, namely: How far have they been carefully spared, and how long does it t.ike them to retain their growth. This probably differs in dif- ferent species, as it is estimated in soiii'i of the answers, and it may also be ini] lenced by various external con- ditior'=. The Tennessee paper esti- mates the recovery as slow from the fact previously brought out very mark- edly that the young shells are those that are most exposed to all natural enemies and accidents. The New York paper, which thinks that there is no recovery, states that few young shells are found. A Texas pearler says that the young shells are found in two years, but contain no pearls. One (mentioned under the last head) says that many beds are recovering by the growth of the young that were left be- fore. On the other hand, in Indiana, one states that when a bed has been worked out plenty are found the next season, and an Iowa pearler reports young shells abundant everywhere. One Tennessee answer gives a very fair average statement to the effect that the beds recover every season, and would perhaps recover entirely in a few years if not molested. NATIONAL AND STATE PROTECTION. The concluding inquiry, as to wheth- 36 THE MUSEUM. er state protection of the beds is de- sirable or necessary, is answered with more or less definiteness in seventy- three papers, and, as might be ex- pected on such a subject, with much diversity. Forty-six of the responses see no need of advantage from protec- tion, and twenty-three favor it. One or two fail to understand the purpose of the question clearly, and some hold that, while not necessary now, it may be in the future. Two or three say that it would be difficut or impractic- able. A few of the answers may be referred to more particularly. Of those that do not favor protection, two (Michigan and New York No. i) think it not worth while or desirable to pre- serve the unios, the latter curiously re- marking that "the water would be purer without them," and one Tennes- see fisherman seems to hold a similar view, saying that protection is not de- sirable, though it is necessary to the preservation of the shells. Tennessee No. 74, failing to appreciate the ques- tion involved, opposes protection "be- cause pearls bring in a great deal of money, and the mussels are of no use. " Two or three think that the shells are inexhaustible and in no danger of ex- tinction. One of those that favor the suggestion, Indiana No. 2, says that it would be well if no shells were taken for five years; the Ohio paper advo- cates "if the mussels are to be preserv- ed." Tennessee No. — alludes to the value of the shells for pearl buttons as a reason for protection; Tennessee No. 32 and No. 33 advocates a limitation as to not opening young shells. The whole question is curiously sug- gestive of the similar conditions in res- pect to forestry and lumbering — the apparently inexhaustible natural sup- ply; the reckless prodigality and waste of such resources by man; the rapid diminution and impending extinction, which it would require years of labor to restore; the foresight and remon- strance of the few, and the indiffer- ence or opposition of the many, as to any limitation or protection designed to preserve the natural resources, and the ease with which they could be pre- served by a few simple and intelligent modes of management, once establish- ed and made familiar to the people, and the pressing importance of some such action in place of the post nos sil- uvium at present prevailing. APPROXIMATE YIELD OF PEARLS. Only a few approximate figures can be given. The total production of pearls may be summed up as follows: First— 1856 excitement, $50,000, worth to-day at least four times that amount. Second — 1868 excitement, $50,000 worth. Third — 1889 Wisconsin excitement, perhaps $300,000 worth; the Tennes- see fisheries, $100,000; Kentucky, $10,- 000; Texas, $20,000; Arkansas, $35,- 000, single pearls found in the past year selling for over $1,000, many over $100 and $200. The great importance and value of a rural population obtaining ready money so easily as by pearling cannot be over- estimated and is a great boon to the pearlers in the payment of taxes, in- terest and for such things as only money will buy. Therefore the pro- tection of the pearling interests is one of great importance, as it opens up a new industry, if properly regulated, in which the product can always be sold for spot cash. To conclude, it is interesting to note a few of the FRAUDULENT AND ACCIDENTAL INTER- MIXTURES WITH PEARLS. In the small lots and packages of pearls that are sent to commercial cen- tres for purchase or valuation and sale, quite a variety of foreign objects are found, some of which have eviilently been introduced with fraudulent intent, while others have got among the pearls accidentally. Among the former are regular artificial pearls — that is, hollow beads of thin glass filled with wax or THE MUSEUM. 37 other composftion; also ground pieces of pearly shell or attached pearls that have been cut from the valve and rounded ami polished on the defective side. Frequently the round, hard lens of a fish's eye. In the second class maybe mention- ed natural |L,'rowths found in the shell, resembling brown pearls, translucent and consisting not of nacre, but of conchioline — the material of the hinge and ligament. These are sometimes handsome and lustrous, and occasion- ally indescent, but, of course, are not pearls and have no commercial value. A third class of doubtful character consists of metallic objects that some- times strongly resemble pearls and may have been introduced either by inten- tion or accident. Such are small shot and steel spheres from "ballbearings"; these, when bright, look much like the darker and lighter gray pearls, respec- tively, and are frequently encountered. END. The Passenger Pigeon. {Hctopistfs Migratorious. ) This beautiful bird, once in such numbers throughout nearly the whole of the extensive region of the North American Continent, has now become almost extinct, — so far as can be learned — the species being very, very seldom seen or heard of, it seems a thousand pities that such should be the case. Trappers followed the birds with their nets to their rookeries every year, catching immense numbers which they shipped both dead and alive to New York, Boston and other large centers. They used wild decoy live birds and fed places for the netting. No doubt this constant pursuit accounts in some measure for their disappear- ance. Many reports have been pub- lished of late that these birds had ap- peared in numbers in Colorado and other sections, but on special incjuiry being made, another of the Pigeon family (The Bandtail) were the ones seen. The last of the Passenger Pig- eons seen by the writer was in the year 18S5, when a little llock of seven tlcw towards a pine bush near Small's pond and within a few hundred yards of our city limits. The appearance of such old friends brought back many, many pleasant remembrances of the good old days when every year, about the month of April the flight of the birds began. It was about the year 1848 that I first remember seeing them. They con- tinued steadily year after year to visit this section of country. The flight would continue for weeks, and many old residents as well as myself can safely testify to the immense ilocks and countless numbers flying from East to West for hours at a time every day of the week, but it is hardly fair to ask people other than old resi- dents to believe what is here stated. I have seen the birds fly along Queen street, West, morning after morning in almost one continued succession of flocks — many flying low down towards the roadway. Farmers and others used even fas far back as the year 1 850) to catch great numbers in nets in the grain fields and other feeding places, and at that time I have seen wagon loads of the live birds taken into our market for sale loose in the convey- ances and a net only used as covering to prevent the birds escaping. They sold for a trifle per dozen. It must also be remembered that the birds were in immense numbers all over Canada as well as in this locality. Wilson, the great Ornithologist writes that in his day they visited and bred in almost every quarter of the United States, and he says in such prodigious numbers as almost to surpass belief and which had no parallel among any of the feathered tribes on the face of the earth. In the states of Ohio and Kentucky and Indiana Territory he saw them congregated in millions. The birds would fly 60 to 80 miles for food in the morning and return in the evening of the same day. Thous- 38 THE MUSEUM. ands of acres were covered by the roosts, trees would be broken down and killed with the weight of the birds, and the marks of desolation remained for many years, scarcely any growth of vegetation being seen on the spot. In Kentucky one roost not far from Shelbyville stretched through the woods for upwards of forty miles in hard wood and pin bush in a Norther- ly and Southerly direction, and was several miles in breadth. That was the loth of April and the old and young birds left prior to the 25th of May. Some large trees had as many as one hundred nests therein. Beech- nut, acorn, grain and berries formed their principal food and their nests consisted of a few dry twigs carelessly put together and so open that the young birds could be seen at all times from the ground. He (Wilson) made a calculation of the number of birds in one flight of about four hours, between Frankfort and Indiana Territory — the column was said to be one mile wide and he believed it to be much wider. This would give at a moderate calcu- lation 2,230,272,000 pigeons as he re- marks an almost incalculable incon- crjv able multitude, and yet probably f li below the actual amount. Each biid consuming half a pint daily would equal 17,424,000 bushels per day. In 1876 and 1877 one roost or nesting place extended for over twenty-five miles in length and every tree in that distance had nests in it. It was com- puted that a compact mass of birds covered 5 by i mile in extent on their arrival. In the year 1876 a roost was begun near Goderich, Ontario, but numbers of sportsmen and farmers commenced firing guns at the birds before the nests were completed, so that the birds crossed the lake into Michigan and nested there. The last nesting or roost of any importance was in the State of Michigan in 1881, a few miles from Grand Traverse — it was about 8 miles long. In 1886 about 600 pair nested in a swamp at Lake City. I lately heard of a few birds having been captured by some party living in the States and that he is now endeav- oring to breed them with the object of re-stocking the country — a small be- gining for such' an object when we take into consideration the vast array that formerly existed. You will notice a great similarity in the appearance of the Mourning Dove, a specimen of which is before you, but the size of the latter is very much smaller than the Pigeon. John Maughan, Toronto, Canada December 19, 1898. Paper read at a meeting of the Bio- logical Section of the "Canadian In- stitute," Toronto. Facts About Sponges. Although, in one form or another, the common sea sponge of commerce is a most familiar article, there are many people who do not know that it is the outer covering of an animal, albeit of a very low order in the scale of existence. The distinction between aquatic animals and plants is some- times so fine that it is a matter of wonder that mistakes are not more often made by the naturalist, and in matter of the sponge it was only by applying the differential tests that the truth was ascertained. The most conclusive proof that ani- mal life exists in the sponge is that when burnt it gives o(i a smell as of burning hair or horn, and exact analy- sis shows it to be allied to these sub- stances. Again, though a living sponge is fixed and apparently immov- able, the holes in its surface are capa- ble of opening and shutting, and from the largest of them a stream of water is expelled, by innumerable cavities, generally invisible except under the microscope. The sponge belonge to the order of Polypes, called the Aster- oida, from the star-like appearance of the tentacles. Young sponges varying from microscopic size to that of a pin's head, swim freely about by means of THE MUSEUM 39 little waviiifj hairs upon their surface, until they reach an age when they prefer security to independence, aiul monotony to danger. It has been proved that in every stage of their ex- istence they live on solid food, and that while thus possessing all those characteristics that are more freciuent among animals than plants, they never contain any traces of the cot- tony and woody substances, especially characteristic of the vegetable king- dom. The manner in which the sponge obtains the food necessary for its exis- tence is a wonderful illustration of the way in which nature provides for her children. The water entering the sponge by the small pores passes through a system of branching and tine canals, and is collected again by a similar system into the out-flowing pores. At the junction between the two systems of tubes are the most vital organs of the sponge, little swollen cavities of microscopic size, walled in with tiny living particles, each bearing a vibrating hair, with which it lashes on the current, and a transparent filmy skirt, with which it catches any food that may pass. All this labyrinth of canals and cavities is living soft flesh, and its movements are analogous to those which occur in certain other marine animals. To prevent its falling a prey to the first hungry animal that passes, it is set through and through with little flinty needles or thorns. During life the sponge of commerce shows only the largest of its numerous holes; over all the rest the dark slate-colored flesh forms a continuous film. There are, it is asserted, 1 50 dif- ferent species of sponge, but- only a few are utilized in commerce. Of the different kinds the finest and most costly is the Levantine sponge, which is found in the Mediterranean. Ex- tensive sponge fisheries are carried on in the waters about I-'lorida, Cuba and Nassau. The fishery from the latter place is very valuable, giving employ- ment to upwards of 6,000 men, in- cluding those who handle the sponges in their various stages and preparation for the market. The exports from Nassau range from $100,000 to $500,- 000 every year. The Florida fisheries are also very large. The commercial sponges found there arc regarded as belonging to five different species. They all belong to the genus spongia, and named in the order of their im- portance, are as follows; Sheep's wool, velvet, yellow, grass and glove. The grass sponge is the most abundant of all the sponges found there. It is ob- tained in from three to ten feet of water. It attains a large size, and small grass sponges of four or five inches in diameter are of little or no commercial value. The best ([uality of sheep's wool sponges come from the small keys near Cedar Key, and is less abundant than the grass sponges. The velvet sponge is more limited in its distribution than the sheep's wool, and is said to be decreasing. It grows on live coral bottom in shallow water varying from three to twenty-five feet, the average size being about eight inches in diameter. The yellow sponge is a very common species, and, owing to the poor quality of those now taken, it is not much sought after by the flshermen. The glove sponge is the most circumscribed in its distri- bution of any of the Florida sponges, and commercially it is the least im- portant. The method of gathering sponges is by means of iron hooks attached to long poles. They are not poked about blindly at the bottom, as the oyster- man uses his tongs, for by the aid of a glass the fishermen are able to see every inch of the bottom, and de- liberately selects his prey. The glass- es are simple wooden boxes, a foot or more square, open at one end, and a pane of glass set in the other. Hold- ing this perpendicularly over the water or slightly submerged, the fisherman is able to see everything on the ocean floor, no matter how many fathoms 40 THE MUSEUM. down. Having determined what sponges to take, he reaches down with the long-handled hook and detaches them from the rock or coral to which they cling. When first taken from the water the live sponge looks very little like the beautiful many celled soft article one uses. It is a flabby gelatinous mass, not very nice to look at, and when ex- posed to the sun for a short time emits an odor exceedingly offensive. When the sponge is sufficiently dead and dried up, it is placed in water and left to soak and be washed out. After a day or two it is beaten with a stick to remove all remaining rem- nants of decayed matter; then, when quite clean, it is packed away and ready for the market. The price at the point of supply varies from $1.20 to $1.60 per pound, although during some recent years as much as $2 per pound has been paid. In 1895 the yield of all kinds of sponges in the Florida sponge fields was 280,372 pounds, having a first value of $344,- 065. Practically the entire catch of the Florida sponges is sold locally to regular dealers at Key West. The catch is sold to the highest bidder. No opportunity is afforded the buyers to weigh the sponges, and the calculation of the quantity of each species and grade of sponge and the probable value of the cargo has to be made rapidly from a glance at each bunch. The Mediterranean sponge differs from and is superior to those of Florida and the Bahamas, and it has been in contemplation to import living sponges from the Levant to Florida waters for propagation. Mutilation injures a living sponge but little. Divided with a sharp knife, even the smallest frag- ments retain their life, and under fa- vorable conditions they will live and grow. Considering the many uses to which the sponge is put, and the fact that most of the Florida fields are overfished, there appears to be neer" for legislative action to protect l'..^ species. A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, MoUusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences. Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion, N. Y. Correspondence and items of interest on above top- ics, as well as notes on the various Museums of the World— A-iews from same, discoveries relative to the handling and keeping of Natural History material, descriptive habits of various species, are solicited from all. Make articles as brief as possible and as free from technical terms as the subjects will allow. All letters will be promptly answered. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Single Sub.scriptlon $1.00 per annum Sample Copies 10c each ADVERTISING RATES. 5 cents per Nonpareil line each insertion. Twelve lines to the inch. Cash must accompany all orders. Remittances should be made by Draft, Express or Post Oflice Order or Registered Letter. Unused U, S, Postage Stamps of any denomination accepted for small amounts. MUSEUM PUB. CO., ALBION, ORLEANS CO., N.Y. Entered at Albion post-ojfice as second-class mail ?natter Notes Upon Bird Life in Yates Co.. N. Y.,Past and Present. C. F. Stone. Since the year 1S94 this section of country has not had the usual rainfall nor enough snow to maintain our in- land lakes at their noimal levels, con- sequently each succeeding year they have reached lower levels until in 1895-6 when Lake Keuka at least reached a lower level than had been recorded before in about twenty years. As a result of this subsidance of the water the swamps have become drain- ed so that fields of corn now wave their golden tassels and various kinds of garden truck flourishes, where in times gpne by I have spent many happy hours shoving a boat through the dense growth of cattails or wading in the muck and water waist deep in my oological searches. The Pied-bill Grebes arrl Florida Gallinules used to be comni> u breed- ers while- ''ley nc .v occur only as mi- grants. \ irginia and Sora Rails were THE MUSEUM. 41 abundant and prolitic breeders, but nosv only three or four pairs can find a suitable nesting place. The Ameri- can Bittern used to stake out his claims early in May althouf^h they did not breed here, but 1 ha\e (ound them breeding in Potter swamp a few miles north of here. Least Hitterns were abundant breed- ers and sometimes I have found six or eight nests in a small area; a sort of colony. Their platform like nests were fastened to cattails six to twenty inches above the water and always hidden in the densest tangle of cat- tails. I took one set on May 2Jnd but seldom were sets complete before the tirst week in June. A few pairs of Black Ducks used to breed here and it was not an unusual sight to see a family of Wood Duck each season, but they were persistent- ly hunted before the young ducks were half grown so they were driven to seek more secluded places long be- fore their nesting sites were gone. However as bird life diminished in the swamp which was exposed by the re- ceding water, became the scene of animation as hosts of shore-birds stopped here to feed and rest when on their mysterious semi-annual pilgrim- age. These muddy flats abound with insects and moluscous life so that many shore birds remain here until the mud becomes frozen or until Nov. 1st. During the last week of May 185 a large flock of Least Sandpipers ar- rived accompanied by a few Sander- lings and about a dozen Black-bellied Plovers. On May 29 six Hudsonian Curlews joined the company and the rear guard of about fifty Turnstones arrived on June ist. For about one week the sand-bar and mud-flats pre- sented a scene of unwonted activity but by June 4th all had passed on to their northern breeding grounds, their departure probable being hastened be- cause the news that "snipe" were plenty was a signal for every pot- hunter to sally forth with his gun, and many of these harmless and innocent birds were killed for eating purposes. The fall movement begins early, even when many common birds are yet rearing their second brood and Goldfinches are just beginning to keep house. On the evening of July 28, 1897, I was considerably surprised to hear the tell- tale notes of a pair of Yellow-legged Plovers {Totanus Jlavi- pi-s) and an immediate visit to the mud-flats revealed a small flock of Least Sandpipers and Semi-palmatcd Plovers. Two Pectoral Sandpipers ar- rived on August 4th. In 1898 the autumnal movement began even earlier. I began to visit the mud -flats by the middle of July so as to get the exact date of their arrival and I extract the following from my note book. July 28. I heard the cries of Lesser Yellow legs. On the 26th, as I strolled along the shore this morning at sunrise I saw half a dozen Leasts and a Solitary Sandpiper. The latter was daintily feeding along the bank of the creek. I also saw a Lesser Yel- low leg. Green Herons sneaked along out in the boggy and grassy water, some with folded necks and others with necks extended and ready to fly if I showed the least sign of being dangerous. Killdeers were there too, noisy and shy, keeping all the other birds posted on my movements. A few Spotted Sandpipers flew out in semi-circles as I approached. July 31. With spy-glass I sat upon the sand-bar and watched the shore- birds digging in their Klondike after golden nuggets in the shape of molusca worms and insects. Three Lesser Yellow legs spent most of their time where the water was about two inches deep and upon the muddy shore, oc- casionally driving their bills full length into the oozy mud. Two stately Great Blue Herons promenaded back and forth. More Least Sandpipers are here and I saw several Solitary Sand- pipers. Killdeers were busy and seemed to be guards for all the others. 42 THE MUSEUM. Aug. 7. While watching the shore birds through a spy-glass, I saw a Green Heron spear two frogs and swallow them head first, but he killed them first by biting them with his bill A Solitary Sandpiper was catching flies or some flying insect that swarm on the mud. He sneaked along with lowered and out stretched neck and when near enough he gave a little jump or sometimes just a dart of the bill. The Heron sneaked upon his victim too — his neck half stretched, his bright yellow eyes hypnotising the frog, then a sudden extension of his telescopic neck and the victim is deftly caught by his head, two or three bites and down he went, the Heron ex- pressing his satisfacting by several energetic flips of his tail. When hunting in the water up to their bodies, their motions are so graceful and deliberate that they do not cause a ripple upon the waters surface. Aug. 16. At 5 a. m. I was again along the marsh. There were fifteen Green Herons standing in as many dif- ferent attitudes, strung along the shore. One Heron caught a frog by the hind leg and of course froggy kicked and the Heron gulped and tossed his victim around for nearly a minute before he could get him started down head first. Pectoral and Least Sandpipers are common, a few Soli- tarys and five or six Lesser Yellow legs with a big flock of Ivilldeers make up the company. Sept. 9. During the past 10 days a lot of despicable pot-hunters have been shooting the shore birds without mercy. Up to Sep. ist the Pectorals and other birds of shore loving habits have enjoyed a quiet peaceful time, and were getting used to my presence so that I could sit near and watch their interesting antics, even the shy and easily alarmed Killdeers would run near by without fearing me, but now they are slaughtered with such persistency that they are wild and sus- picious of my every move although no harm was intended. Only a few Pec- torals and Killdeers are here now. Even the harmless Green Heron went to satisfy the greed or sporting .' pro- clivities of the pot-hunters. This slaughter was kept up with such per- sistency that it was difficult to note the arrival of new migrants, but from Sept. 9th the following birds were ob- served: Black-bellied Plover, Golden Plover, Greater Yellow-legs, and on Sept. 29 I caught a wounded White- rumped Sandpiper. American Pipits are common autumnal migrants, and in October large flocks of Prairie horned Larks gather here. During the latter part of August and in Sep- tember the American Goldfinches visit this muddy shore, alighting upon some log or old stump near the edge of the water and appears to find some kind of food that they eat with great relish. lo and its Habits. In the mountainous region compris- ing portions of the States of Virginia. North Carolina, Tennesee and Ken- tucky arise numerous small streams which unite to form the principal riv- ers which are the head-waters of the Tennesee River. All these streams, not excepting the upper portions of the Tennesee River itself, have in a greater or less degree the characters of mountain torrents, which in reality they seem to be on a very grand scale. The streams have very usually a rapid descent, and are in many cases brok- en by shoals and rapids, the beds of the streams being usually coarse grav- el or rock; there are seldom to be found stretches of placid water, and accordingly as might well be conjec- tured, the fauna of the region, so far at least as relates to fresh water mol- lusks, is somewhat peculiar. In the gravelly portions of some of the streams abound numerous species of * This article was written 20 years ago by Dr. Jas. Lewis and publisiied in the Ameri- can Naturalist. Any of our readers who can add any further notes on this family we will be glad to receive them. THE MUSEUM. 43 Unio; in bars and shoals arc found im- mense numbers of operculate univalve mollusk?, and in the rapids, especially in rocky portions of the principal riv- ers, are found the beautiful and inter- esting shells of species of lo, which are the largest and most attractive univalves of the family to which they belong. The earliest account we have of this group of shells may be found in the /oiirital of t/w AiinLiiiv of Nn/- ural SciciH-c^, November, 1S25, in which Mr. Say described a species found in the North Fork of the Hols- ton River in \'irginia. calling it Fiisiis flii: talis. From that time until quite recently, additional species have from time to time been published, all of them being referred to the Holston River or more vaguely to "Tennesee. " Even so late as 1873, there was on- ly a single record showing that lo had been found in any stream other than the Holston River. The record here alluded to occurs in the American Journal of Conchology. vi. 223, and bears date October 24, 1870. If there were any persons aware of the occur- rence of lo in streams other than the Holston River prior to that date, they probably had reasons for not publish- ing the fact. Since the date quoted, however, it has been ascertained that the distribution of lo extends to sev- eral streams in East Tennesee, ren- dering it quite probable that future ex- ploration may lead to its detection in the southern part of Eastern Ken- tucky, and in the northern part of Western North Carolina. At the present time lo is known to occur in the following streams: North Fork of the Holston in Western \'irginia; in the Holston River in East Tennesee; in the Tennesee River as far south as Bridgeport, Alabama; in the Nola- chucky and French Broad Rivers in Jefferson County, Tenn. ; in the Clinch River at Black's Ford, Anderson Co., Tenn. ; and at \\'illiam'sFord in Roane County, Tenn. ; and in Powell's River at Kreasborn's Ferry, near the State of Kentucky. Observers who have made any re- cords of the habits of lo agree in stat- ing that the shells are found only in swift water, tin '-^h there appear to be discrepancies a.s 10 the abundance of specimens which may indicate that some localities are more favorable for them than others. It must be inferr- ed that lo, living in streams the cur- rents of which are very rapid, is spec- ially organized and adapted to the sit- uations in which it is found. Such, indeed, seems really to be the case; for a lady who collected specimens in some of the rivers of Tennesee wrote of them as follows: "The muscular power of lo is astonishing. I fre- quently find one adhering to a rock half as large as my head, and when I take up the shell it brings the rock with it, and requires much force to separate it." It is somewhat strange that shells of so much beauty as some of the species of lo display are scarcely known to the inhabitants dwelling in the neigh- borhood of the streams in which they occur; yet it seems, from records made of the contents of ancient burial plac- es, that they were known to the peo- ple who inhabited the country prior to the advent of European races. Mr. Lea, writing upon this subject, makes the following suggestive remark, which conveys a good deal in a few words: "Professor Troost informs me they [los] are rare in the river [Holston]; that they had been observed in the graves of the aborigines; and as it was generally believed that these were 'conch shells,' consequently coming from the sea, it was urged that the in- habitants who possessed them must come over the sea. It does not ap- pear that they [los] had been observ- ed in their native element, though liv- ing at the very doors of the persons who had remarked them in the tumu- li." The impression that lo is a "sea- shell" is one that strikes most ordinary observers at first sight, as every col- lector who has them can testify. Quite a considerable number of spe- 44 THE MUSEUM. cies of lo may be found described and figured in various works treating on the shells of North America, and there is considerable diversity exhibited in their forms, sizes, colors and mark- ings. There seems to be considerable difference of opinion among persons who have studied these shells as re- gards the number of species. There are some individuals who with appar- ent good reason believe that there is really only one species of typical lo, to which all the forms are subordinate as varieties; while on the other hand we shall find others who for reasons quite as good insist that there are five or more "good species." The shells, taken by themselves, without regard to any facts relating to their habits, do not afford conclusive testimony as to species, as it is exceed- ingly difficult to isolate forms that cannot be made part of a continuous series when large numbers of shells are placed together. There are, how- ever, some facts connected with geo- graphical distribution and the associa- tion of various forms, which seem to indicate conclusively that there are certainly two species; and, this being admitted, the logical inference might be, under all the circumstances which remain unconsidered, that there are more than two species. This, how- ever, is a question which remains to be investigated. The facts upon which two species are inferred are the fol- lowing: At Black's Ford, Clinch Riv- er, Anderson County, Tenn., two forms of lo constitute very nearly all that are found at that particular local- ity, and these two forms occur there in about equal numbers, and there are not associated with them any inter- mediate forms uniting the extremes. Thirty or forty miles down the river (following its winding course), at Wil- liams' Ford in Roane County, those same two forms reappear, but their relative numbers have changed. At this point the form which seems to be identical with a shell figured by Reeve as lo turrita fnot Mr. Anthony's spe- cies of that name, by any means) is the shell occurring in lowest numbers, while the prevailing form is a graceful, slender variety of the shell that Mr. Lea calls spinosa. The change in the relative abundance of two forms by a change of station seems to afford evi- dence relative to species. In follow- ing out the train of ideas which this suggests, it is perhaps appropriate in this connection to glance at the sub- ject of geographical distribution as it relates to other forms, and suggest some of the conditions that seem to be correlated to the diverse forms. A little reflection will satisfy the most casual observer that the conditions under which lo is found are subject to variations of no small magnitude. First to be considered is the climat- ic condition, affected by the combined influences of latitude and elevation, conspiring in the northern limit of the region inhabited by lo to produce a lower mean annual temperature than may be inferred at the southern limit. There may be in all a difference of four or five' €egrees of latitude, and possibly from^ two hundred to four hundred feet difference in elevation. In the northerii portion of the area in- habited by lo are found those forms destitute of spines, associated with others in which the spines are only rudimentary or reduced to mere tuber- cles. To the southward, the smooth forms diminish in numbers, and dis- appear entirely before the central lat- itude of Tennesee is reached, and as a warmer climate is approached the de- velopment of the spines becomes more and more luxuriant. This is true of the Holston River in \'irginia and Tennesee, and recent observations have detected a similar state of facts in the Clinch River and its tributary, Powell's River. Besides the influences of cli- mate dependent on latitude and ele- vation, it may be conjectured that there are other influences affecting lo, some of them in a considerable degree depending on the animal properties of the water due to the variable qualities THE MUSEUM 45 of rock and soil among the mountains of that region. In evidence of this may be suggested the differences in si/e and appearance of shells from dif- ferent streams. In correlating these differences we shall find two most robust los in the Holston River. The roughest shells, as regards the whole surface, occur in French Broad River. The most slen- der and graceful forms are found in Clinch River. The smallest adult forms occur in Powell's River, where there are also other peculiarities ob- servable that contrast curiously with what is known of lo elsewhere. The tubercular and spinous forms of Pow- ell's River exhibit their characteristics (spines and tubercles^ in a more rudi- mentary form than those found else- where, and on averaging; the speci- mens it will be observed that they ap- pear to have one whorl less, and more spines or tubercles on each whorl, than is observable in the more luxur- iant forms of other localities. How much of all these differences in forms here suggested is ascribable to species is not at this time a subject of inquiry. In color, the shells of French Broad River are remarkable for green tints in the epidermis. In the Holston Riv- er the tints are somewhat ferruginous, but not to the same extent observable in the shells of Powell's River; while in Clinch River the epidermis is often of a bright yellow or orange, varied by livid tints which are partaken of by many other univalve mollusks inhabit- ing that stream. The reader may possibly have felt, in reading a portion of this paper, some curiosity to know why lo occurs only in the upper waters of the Ten- nesee system of drainage. In the in- troductory paragraph of this paper it was stated that "all these streams, not e.xcepting the upper portions of the Tennesee River itself, have in a greater or less degree the characters of mountain torrents, which in reality they seem to be on a very grand scale." From what we now know of lo we may infer that it cannot exist in placid rivers, and the limits of its dis- tribution south in the Tennesee River depends on the character of the river. At the point where the Tennesee be- gins to be a majestic, placid stream, there lo ceases to extend its domain. This very simple inference is a key to the solution of other problems relating to the geographical distribution of al- lied forms in the same great family of mollusks. \'ery many of the univalve mollusks of the Tennesee drainage abound in swift shoal water, among rocks over which the water flows in broken torrents, and nowhere among still waters. The Tennesee River at Mussel Shoals is very prolific in var- ious forms of mollusk life which de- light in a rapid current; but below that point, in the navigable portions of the stream, very many of these interesting species disappear, because the condi- tions are no longer favorable to their existence. Thus far, in the main, only the typ- ical lo has been considered. There is another group of shells very nearly allied to lo, knosv:i by the generic designation Angitraiia. Mr. Reeve regarded these shells as properly be- longing in the genus Io;.but his views do not seem to have met with much favor by writers on American conchol- ogy on this side of the Atlantic. Not- withstanding this evident Difference of opinion, there is much reason for be- lieving that Mr. Reeve's position is a good one, for some of the species of Angitrema are apparently related to Elk River, the Cumberland River, and some of its tributaries, as lo is to the head-waters of the Tennesee River. Indeed, it appears to be true that near the point where lo begins to disap- pear in the Tennesee River in Ala- bama, some of the forms of Angitrema replace it. The question of the rela- tive distribution of lo and Angitrema, taken in connection with obvious re- semblances in the shells detected by Mr. Reeve, seem to favor the sugges- tion that Angitrema is but a minor 46 THE MUSEUM. phase of lo. In habits the animals, so far as is known, are somewhat sim- ilar to each other, with this difference, that Angitrema is fitted to dwell in more quiet waters than the necessities of lo require. Taken in another aspect, the in- quiry why lo should be confined ap- parently to the head-waters of the Tennesee River can be answered (in the proverbial Yankee style) by offer- ing the inquiry why a curious group of shells with a fissured lip should be found only in the Coosa River in Ala- bama. This, like much more that might be made the subject of inquiry, is a part of the unwritten history of lo that remains to be investigated. The reader who may desire to refer to a summary of what has been writ- ten on species of lo will find such in- formation as is a ailable for the pur- poses of a naturb ist in a work entitled Strepomatidffi, by G. W. Tyron, Jr., Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections No. 253. OUR PUBLICATIONS. The Fern Bulletin:-3-l pages, ciuarterly, illus- trated sixth year of publication. Price 50 cents a year. We can now supply only Vol. VI complete. Send for It, Flora of the Vpper Susqueliamia: -The only work on the F-lora about the headwaters of the Susquehanna. It is not a mere list.but contains full information regarding the plants. 12mo, 172 pages, and map, bound in cloth. S1.25 postpaid. The Plant -Worldt-The new .iournal of popular Botany. Fir.st volume just completed. Among its contributors are all the foremost American Botan- ists Monthly, illustrated, SI. 00 a year. Get the first volume before it is out of print. Address, WILLARD N. CLUTE & CO., Binghamton N. Y. American Land Shells Wanted. Any collector who has a good stock of above for sale cheap, we should be pleased to hear from. We will also buy Foreign Land, Fresh Water or Marine, in any quantity. Cyprsea specially wanted. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., ALPION, N. Y. Omaha Stamps Bonght. 1 cent, 10 cents per 100. 4 cent, $1.00 per 100 or 10 cents per 10. 5 cent, *l 25 per 100 or 10 cents per 8. 8 cent. $3 00 per 100 or 10 cents per 5 10 cent, $1 50 per 100 or 10 cents per 7 50 cent, $25 00 per 100, or 25 cents each $1.00 stamp, $50.00 per 100, or 50 cents each. The above prices are for good used stamps, not torn or damaged in any way. Address, RETURN MAIL STAMP CO., DUBUQUE, lA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shells. Also Centipedes, Scorpions, Crabs, etc. in alcohol at a bargain. Address with stamp. O. BRYANT, Longwood, Florida THE MUSEUM. We still have a few sets of back numbers of THE MUSEUM. We will mail the entire first 4 volumes for only $2.00 prepaid; or any number you wish at 5 cents each. Fill out your dies now while you can. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y BOOKS FOR BIRD MEN. Capen's Oology, good as new, only $10. Chapman's new Birds of East U. S., $3 75. IngersoU's Bird Nesting, $1 10. Silloway's Our Common Birds, $1.20. Davie's'Nests and Eggs, latest edition, pre- paid, $2.00 ^ . Davie's Nests and Eggs, fourth edition, cloth, $1.35. Uavie's Nests and Egg, fourth edition, pa- per, 98 Cory's Birds of the Bahamas, $1 00. Ridgeway's Manual, new. Flex. Leather, $6.00. We have a tine lot of books we will ex- change for rare skins or eggs. W. F. WEBB, Mgr . Albion, N. Y. When answering advertisements al- zvays mention THE MUSEUM. STACDPS. lOa all different, including Cuba&c. 10c postpaid. .iO all different, including .Spain &c., 5c postpaid. 2.T all different, including Finland &c.,3c(2c postage) Agents wanted to sell stamps on approval sheets at 50 per cent commission. Send 2c stamp and receive my list of cheap packets and full information concern- ing agency. EDWIN C.COREY, 30 East I29St.,N.V.City. THE MUSEUM. 47 Auction Sale. Mounted Birds, Shells, Minerals, Opals, Curios, Gems &. The follon lUK iirlkles will bn sold ill auction Feb. l.i, IS89. All bills imi.sl be received by mall by 4 p. Ill on that day. The bU'tiesl bidder In each case will be uoil- lled of his purchase and can remit or have the goods sent C. O. I). 1 have iilaced a reserve price on each lot and no lower bid will be considered. I'artles not wIshlUK the whole of any lot can bid on anv part of It. Address all bids to ROBKRX BtR^iHAM, 143 Gallup St. PROVIDENCE, K. I. S 10 lbs. Attatlzed Wood, Ariz. Une . » 2 IX) 4 100 lbs. Actlnollte. Mass.. Rood 6 00 7 lUOlhs. Allille. N. II.. Hne 3 03 IS I specimen Andaluslte, Mas«., good.. Wi 13 1 •• fine 15 14 I Anlumony, Japan 1.1 15 I ■• " flne » 17 I ■ •■ •• ss 20 1 Uarlte. Eng.. (rood SO 21 I •• •• flue 3.T il lOlbs. Her>-1. N. H.,good 60 :3 I specimen Blotlte. (15 lbs.) Mass., Matrl-x _ 100 1 specimen n'act; Spinel. N. Y., mat. 2a 40 lbs. Urown Spar. K. I 2 40 40 lbs Itnhrstone. France SIX) I specimen Calamine. N. Y l.S 10 lbs. Calcarens Tufa, N. Y I 40 26 31 31 34 3.1 35 m 38 40 45 46 40 50 .il 52 51 57 5S «0 ni 62 66 67 es 70 7*' 73 76 77 78 81 82 83 85 87 88 91 «.,^wv« Dealers anJ Collect jrs. Naturalists Supplies, Publications, Novelties, Etc. •■*^»^*»«»** Send IOC for Catalogue and Lists. BLENCOE. IOWA. SANDWICH, ILLS. A FIBRE (X)LLE('TION. We recently secureil a tine fibre collection consislinsj of the following: 126 kinds of Wool. 64 kinds of Cotton. 24 kinds of Goat Hair. 12 kinds of fibre as Hemp, Flax, &c. 12 kinds of Dye Wood. 20 kinds of Paper series. In ,ill 2.JS (lilTerent kinds from all parl.s of tin- worlil. Nearly every country on the (jlobe is represented by it-s wool, cotton itc . whichever it produces. Very complete c seen on display at our mnseum. Kurllun- description and price on application. W. F. Webb, Mgr., Albion, N. Y POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, Nature, Invention, Archaeoloy. Elec- tricity, Chennlstry, Mineralogy. Hy- giene. Medicine, Health. F.rDicrly Hl'STON JOIKN.IL OF CIIEMISTHV. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popnlar monthly contains a Large num- ber of Short. Kasy. Praclical, Interesting and Popular, Scientilic articles, that can be Ap- preciated ami Knjoyed by any intelligcnl rcailcr, even though he knew little or nothing of Science. It is intended to interest those who think. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Kntiroly DifTerent from and Much Superior to other |)apers with a similiar name. Monthly, 51.60 per year: Newsdealers, 1 5c Largest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO.. tOa Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy. iNo NAME ; } '.COLLECTOR. ; ^LOCALITY i {DATE SET MARK * •NO. IN SET IDENTITY { fiNCUBATION i I 3 LABELS like Sample. Sizes 3.x i. I inches, 1 3c per loo; $1,00 per 1000. Letter Heads, &c. Please send stamp with copy for prices. D. H. EATON, Wolvcrn, Mass. '^WISH^O SUBSCRIBE For any of the Magi/ines listed below? If you do, send me the regular subscription price given and I will allow you cither of tiio Photos, from Nature, Free. Photo. No. 1 is a neat amateur photo. 4x.'> inches, taken in swamp, of the nest of the Tiile Wren. Photo. No. 3, is a neat amateur photo, taken in Eucalyptus Grove, showing the way the bark peels dovvn, and the favorite nesting site of the House Finch. The Osprey $1 00 The Nautilus 1 00 Knowledge, published in England 2 00 The Museum ."iO Popular Science News 1 (iO W. H. HILLER, 147 W. 23d St., Los Angeles, Calif. H W. KRRR, BREEDER AND SHIPPER, Fancy and Marketable Hares, Belgtiim, Flemish Giants, Angora, Etc. Write for prices. BLblNCOK. IOWA. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our large monthly bnlletlu of Skins. Eggn. etc. fret" upon aiipUcatlon. THE MUSEUM iVh,V>al^^'^»^*--»A»^'«J^».>^^^ BARGAINS FOR 1899 ^ OF North American Birds BY OLIVER DAVIE. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated. Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. Extra Cloth, - $2.25 postpaid. The best book on Eggs Published. HOW TO GET THIS BOOK FREE. Now I want every collector to have this book and will give it to you free on cer- tain conditions. Offer A. If you will add to your collection eggs from my list (singles or sets with full data) to the value of $4,00 list price I will give you free one copy of Nests and Eggs. B. If you want egg tools, select any tools or supplies or combination of Eggs, Tools or Supplies (except eyes and books) to the value of $5.00 and I will forward free with your order one copy of Nests and Eggs. C. For $2.50 I will send one copy Nests and Eggs and a large Ostrich egg prepaid. D. For $3.00 I will send the book, Ostrich egg and a nest and eggs of Hummingbird giving you the largest and smallest eggs for your collec- tion. E. I have a few Alaska Diamond Scarf Pins and while 1 hey last will pi'es- ent you one free with an order of eggs for 50 cents or more from list. Order soon if you want one and mention pin with your order. F. Forty eggs of my selection in partitioned case with pink cotton, sent prepaid for $1.25. G. Twenty-five eggs of my selection in partitioned case with pink cotton prepaid for 75 cents. These show off the.eggs tine. A few of the eggs in these two collections are blown with two small holes, not noticed when incase. Send 2c stamp for Egg Catalogue. Complete Catalogue, over 300 illustrations and colored plate, 10c in stamps. CHAS. K. REED, 75 Thomas Street, Worcester, Mass. 9^^^^MM^^^^^jtM^MM^^^^^jijmj*^^^^^^ji^jt^^^^^^^jr^j>^^,p^^^^aSSSa. VOL. V. NO. 4. FEBRUARY, 1899. A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — j;o cts. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, 5 cts. Published on the 15th of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y.- THE MUSEUM. OUR PUBLICATIONS. American Land Shells Xlie Kern Bulletin:— :M pages, quarterly, Illus- trated, sixth year of publication. 'Price 50 cents a year. We can now supply only Vol. VI complete. Send for it. Flora of the Upper Susquetaanna;--The only work on the Flora about the headwaters of the Susquehanna. It is not a mere list, but contains full information regarding the plants. 12mo, 172 pages, and map, bound in cloth. SI. 2.^ postpaid. The Plant ■World:— The new .iournal of popular Botany. First volume ,just completed. Among its contributors are all the foremost American Botan- ists. Monthly, illustrated. SI. 00 a year. Get the first volume before it is out of print. Address, WILLARD N. CLUTE & CO., Binghamton N. Y. Omaha Stamps Bought. 1 cent, 10 cents per 100. 4 cent, $1.00 per 100 or 10 cents per 10. 5 cent, $1.35 per 100 or 10 cents per 8. 8 cent. $2 00 per 100 or 10 cents per 5 10 cent, $1 50 per 100 or 10 cents per 7. 50 cent, $25 00 per 100, or 35 cents each. $1.00 stamp, $50.00 per 100, or 50 cents each. The above prices are for good iised stamps, not torn or damaged in any way. Address, RETURN MAIL STAMP CO., DUBUQUE, lA. STACDPS. 100 all different, iucludiug Cuba &c. lOc postpaid. ,50 all different, including Spain &c., 5c postpaid. 2a all different, including Finland &c.,3c(3e postage) Agents wanted to sell stamps on approval sheets ^ at .50 per cent commission. Send 2c stamp and receive my list of cheap packets and full information concern- ing agency. EDWIN G. COREY, 30 East 1 29St.,N.Y.City. THE MUSEUM. We still have a few sets of back numbers of THE MUSEUM. We will mail the entire first 4 volumes for only $2 00 prepaid; or any number you wish at 5 cents each. Fill out 3 our tiles now while you can, W. F, WEBB, Mgr., Albion,. N. Y Fine Florida Shells. We have every facility for furnishing collectors or dealers with Florida Shells, or Souvenirs. We have had long experience in collecting, and the Editor of the Museum, has, unsolicited by us, offered to answer any inquiries as to our responsibility or fair dealing. If you wish to see quality of specimens before placing larger orders, send SI for a box of samples. All cleaned and correctly nanaed. Price list for stamp and all inquiries promptly answered. Give us a trial. J. H. HOLMES, DUNEDIN, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shells. Also Centipedes, Scorpions, Crabs, etc. in alcohol at a bargain. Address with stamp. O. BRYANT, Longwood, Florida AVanted. Any collector who has a good stock of above for sale cheap, we should be pleased to hear from. We will also buy Foreign Land, Fresh Water or Marine, in any quantity. Cypraea specially wanted. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., ALBION, N. Y. SUBSCRIBE DO YOU WISH TO F^or any of the Magazines listed below? If you do, send me the regular subscription price given and [ will allow you either of tne Photos, from Nature, Free. Photo. No. 1 is a neat amateur photo. 4x5 inches, taken in swamp, of the nest of the Tule Wren. Photo. No. 3. is a neat amateur photo taken iu Eucalyptus Grove, showing the way the bark peels down, and the favorite nesting site of the House Finch. The Osprey $1 00 The Nautilus 1 00 Knowledge, published in England 3 00 The Museum 50 Popular Science News 1 00 W. H. HILLER, 147 W. 23d St., Los Angeles, Calif. 50 YEARS' EXPERIENCE Trade Marks Designs Copyrights &c. Anyone sendlnj; a sUetob and doscription may quickly ascertain our opinion free wliether an invention is probably patentable, romnmnica- ,10ns Htrictlvonliilential. Handbook on Patents s.Mit frcp. (ilili'st as--Pii''V for .iccunnix patents. I'aliMits t;ikcn tliroiiL'li .Alunn & Co. receive siiecUll nuticc, wifliout cliar^'C, in tlie Scientific Jlmerican, A handsomely illustrated weekly. I.arL-est cir- culation of any scientific journal. Terms, i^a a year; four months, $1. Sold by all newsdealers. MUNN&Co.^eiBroadway, New York Branch Offlce. C26 F St., Washington, D. C. When anszvcring advertisements al- ways mention THE MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM. AVANTS. EXCHANGES AND EOE SALES. All notiics thiit oonu' iiiulor above will 1)0 inserted in this (lci)aitniont until fiiitlicr notice atone (1) cent a word. No notice less than 'Jdc. Terms Cash with crdcr. No charge for address. I sliall at all limes endeavor to keep parlies, whose reputation is of a doubtful char- acter from using these columns. \VANTKO;-Skins of A. (). U. 13, GO, 71, 72, 74, 25-', 311. 872, 416, 443 and 4U0. (iood ex- change in lirst class skins. W. E. SNYDER, Beaver Dam, Wis. FOR S.\LE:— Small but choice colleclion of mound and clilV-house relies at half valua- tion. I'rice, $28 Also afewcrinoids in mat- ris. Address. DR. W. O. EMERY, Craw fordsville, lad. FOR SALE CHEAP:-$40 edition of Stud er's Birds of North America, new, ll'.t large colored plates with copious text. Will ex- change for Vols of Beudire's Life Histories or good ornithological books. Write what you have to oiler. C. F. STONP:, Branch- port, N. \'. WHO WANTS this lot of eggs? About$100 worth (many choice sots) for a plate or Film Camera. If you have a camera to exchange describe eauiera and receive list of eggs. J. P. FEAGLER, Waterloo, Ind. YOl'R NAME, address and branch of Na- tural History you are interested in on a pos- tal card will be taken in exchange for our 1899 list. The collecting season soon opens and you will be in need of supplies. Send at once for our Price List. KERR'S NATURAL HISTORY ESTABLISHMENT, Blencoe, la. THREE DOLLARS will buy 120 varieties of foreign and native woods or will exchange for woods not in my collection. LOL'IS W. HAHN, Lake Avenue, Silver Creek, Chautau qui Co, N. Y. PETRIFIED WOOD from Delaware. Nice cabinet specimens, 10 to 25 cents. Also dv- olile from Oreenland. Send for list of de-'r- able specimens. POYSER & SMITH, )'. 11 Waverly St , Philadelphia. WANTED— Collectors to send for list, to bo ready about March, of Ohio and Arkansas Mound Finds, such as fine pottery, skulls, bones and stone relics of all kinds. Broken, cracked and restored pottery foi the beginner at his own price. Fine collection of coins and fossils for sale or exchange. CHAS. V. WERTZ, Box 25, Portsmouth, Ohio. TO EXCHANGE:-Fresh Water Shells of the Upper Mississippi River and Jine Geodes in great quantities. Wanted U. S. and State Surveys, Fossils and Natural Histories. I have also Books to ex • n d list. A. T. SNIVELY, Box .52, Wayland, Mo. WANTED: — Fresh skins of Florida and other Wild Turkeys. Also other Southern Bird Skins for either cash or rare bird and mammal skins. ALBERT LANO, Aitkin, Minn. WANTED IN I )WA;— Agents wanted in every town in low i to sell "The Perry" Per- fection Fountain Pen. Its a cracker Jack. Sample, postpaid, $1. Write for agents prices. KERRS NAT. HIST. ESTAB., State Agency. Blencoe, Iowa. You WILL Want Supplies Send for our Special list and 1899 List. KERR'S NAT. HISr. ESTB., Blencoe. la. GEMS of the Rockies: Send for list of F'ine Opals, Amethyst, Topaz, four Gold and Sil- ver specimens with one Colorado wild llower, nicely mounted, 20c. E. W. KIMBALL, 1122 Pearl St., Boulder, Colo. SEl'S OF EG(;S PREPAID:— Spotted Owl 1-2, $4; Mourning Warbler 12. $1.50; Chach- alaca 13. 7oc; American Herring Gull 1-3, 30c; Sooty Tern 1-1, 15c; Great Horned Owl 1-3, $1 50; White Ibis 1-3, 30c; Snapping Turtle 1-25, $1 .50; Red Legged Turtle 1-7, 50c; Clap- per Rail 1-7, OOe; American Bittern 1-3, 90c; Pied-billed Grebe 1 C. 35c; Gannet 1-1, 20c; L. B. Marsh Wren 1-G, .24; Prothonotary Warb- ler 1-5, 60c; Bobolink 1-.5, 75c; Blue Jay 1-4, 16c; Chestnut collared Longspur 1-3, 75c; Cal- fornia Towhee 1-4, 10c; California Thrasher 1-2, lC>c; White-winged Dove 1 2, 10; Mc- Cown's Longspur 1-3, $1; Kcd-shouldered Hawk 1-4, 6Uc; Virginia Rail 19, 80c. Over 300 kinds of single eggs at i to 1 of list price. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. PAN. I'HLETS:— Land and Fresh Water Shells il Ala., 41 pi^es, by Dr. Jas. Lewis, 25 cents; L ind and Fiesh Water Shells of Now York state by Lew U. 10 pages, 20c; Instruc- tions for Collecting Land, Fresh Water and Marine Shells and preparing for the Cabinet by Lewis. 10c; Collectors wishing 25 copies or more of the latter pamphlet we will make special rates. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion. N. Y. EXCHANGE ADS. FREE —Any reader of the Mf.sUEM who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, lOS Fulton St., New York, for a three months trii.l subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. so THE MUSEUM. NEED ANY EGG TOOLS.— Oologists' sup- plies of any kind? How about climbers? You will be interested in ray list. A card will bring it. BENJAMIN HO AG. Stephen- town N. Y. A FINE lot first-class sets for sale. Also a few singles. Golden Eagle, White-tailed Kite, Wilson's Snipe. Lists on request. BENJA- MIN HOAG, Stephentown N. Y. DAVIES' NESTS AND EGGS.— Fifth edi- tion, extra cloth, only $2.70, prepaid; and if vou mention this ad. and enclose 15c extra I will also send you The Museum a full year, Bird Lore, and Bulletin Cooper Club, two new bird magazines, you will be delighted with, both full year, $1.65. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, N. Y WANTED.— Old Crockery, Glass, Brass and Pewter ware, old arms, anything and everything in the curiosity line. Will pay cash or sell on commission. 25 years exper- ience in selling curiosities, museums and school collections a specialty. G. M. SHER- MAN, Commission Dealer, 390 Worthington St., Springfield, Mass. 3tf PROCEEDINGS of Scientific Bodies. We have many of these which we will sell very reasonably. Have 8 vols. Proceedings Acad- emy Natural Science and many others. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. MINERAL COLLECTIONS:— We have the following minerals all cracked up ready to make into small collections, for students in mineralogical classes. Some teachers have used each spring from 50 to 60 collections, giving them to the scholars at actual cost. Here is the list that are ready now: Asphal- tum, Allanite, Actinolite, Alabaster. Albite, Andalusite, Beryl, Boltonite, Calcite, Chal- cedony, Chalcopyrite, Cone-in-Cone, Crinoid Limestone, Calc Spar, Crystalized Calcite, Dolomite, Flint, Galena, Garnets in Rock. Gypsum, Gold Quartz, Hematite, Iceland Spar, Limonite, Magnesite, Milky liuartz, Magnetite, Marble, Orthoclase, Onyx. Pectol- ite, Pudding Stone, Pyrites, Petrified Wood, Pyrolusite, Parcelainile, Quartz geode. Stalactite, Satin Spar, Selenite, Tour- maline, Talc, Wernerite. We will send a sample coUecfion of all of above for 70c pre- paid Twenty-five collections for $10.00; 40 collections for $14.00. If above does not cov- er your wants write us. WALTER F. WEBB, Albion, N. Y. IMPORTANT NOTICE. We desire to announce that owing to the many improvements made in Uie current volume of the Kerii Bulletin, the price of sample i ropips will now be fifteen cents each. Pur-j I liasers ot sample copies may deduct this sviml from the regular subscription price when sub f ■ scribing. The January number contains four-l I teen articles on terns, many shorter notes, and! f eight pages devoted to tho iVIosses. Send for ^ it. Address, The Fern Bulletin. Binghampton, N. Y. 1899. No. 1. 1 Blowpipe, 1 ,>„-,5 Drill. 1 Embryo Hook, Ornithologists' and Oologists' Manual, 25 cents. No. 2. Nickel Blower, large size Drill, Embryo Hook, Lead Pencil, 6 inch Rule and O. and O. Manual, prepaid for 50 cents. No. 3. Best Blower, 3 sizes Drills, 3 sizes Drills, 3 sizes Embryo Hooks, O. and O. Man- ual, a neat case, all for $1.00. Order at once. WALTER F. WEBB, MGR., ALBION, N. Y. TO 1 mii m I.; it* "''M m mil I iH lb il/ \t> tjj Hi i!i Hi \ti tb viz \ti \it \ii <«« ib \!u \>i tl/ lb \'j m ti< xti til t(/ \(i * (b III tl; vb «»i ti' Monarch Pltiyinp Cards. illuptratinK Jessie Bartlett Davis, LiUiau RussoM, Tom Cooper, Leo Richardson and Waltor Jones. Ride a Monarcii and Keep in Front. ib iii \ii \SJ ill i& (b ib lb \k lb ib «t/ lb ib ib lb \b Orjirsa-s-ss-sa^-^-ss-s-s-SiS-s-s-s-s-e-ss-e m mil THE MUSEUM. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. \' ALBION. N. Y.. FEBRUARY 15, 1899 No. 4 JTHE MUSEUIVL A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences. Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion, N. Y. Correspondence and Items of Interest on above top- ics, as well as notes on the various Museums of the World— views from same, discoveries relative to the handling and keeping of Natural History material, descriptive habits of various species, are solicited from all. Make articles as brief as possible and as free from technical terms as the subjects will allow. All letters win l)e promptly answered. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Single Subscription .'>0c per annum Sample Copies .tc each ADVERTISING RATES. 5 cents per Nonpareil line each In.sertion. Twelve lines to the inch. C.i.sh nnist aicompany all orders. Kemittances should be made by Draft, Express or Post Office Order or Registered Letter. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination accepted for small amounts. MUSEUM PUB. CO., ALBION, ORLEANS CO., N.Y. Entfrtd at Albion pott-office as gecond-ctafg mail matter Two Insect Samsons. BY JAMES WEI!?, JR. When Samson stood between the pillars of the temple of Dagon and "bowed himself," thereby occasioning the mighty pile to fall in ruins upon his head, as well as upon the heads of a multitude of his enemies, he evinced extraordinary and super-normal strength; yet it was my good fortune recently to witness exploits of great strength, by the side of which the cap- tive Hebrew's avenging blow pales al- most into utter insignificance. When I declare that the actors in these feats were two lowly "pinching bugs," I am afraid that some of my readers will de- chire that I am drawing on my imag- ination. And yet, that which I am about to relate can easily be verified by anyone who will take the trouble to investigate and to experiment. I.TSt summer I went to a "cake walk " which was given at night in the ci'j park. I had secured a good view- point TJnd was enjoying the amusing antic= "f a couple of cake walkers when I felt something alight on the collar of my outing shirt. The enter- tainment was in the open air, the walking course being one of the foot- paths of the park, which was brilliant- ly illuminated. I had noticed many moths and beetles flying about the lights: so knew at once that my visit- or was a "bug" of some kind. I put up my hand and seized it, when, sud- denly, a spasm of pain darted from my finger tips to my shoulder. In my agony and surprise I emitted a yell which occasioned the two cake walk- ers to execute several steps not down in their repertory. On examination, I found that I had got the tip of my middle finger between the mandibles of the largest stag beetle ( Lucanus elephas) that I had ever seen. His mandibles were carefully pried apart by a friend and my finger released. The size of the beetle was 2', inches long and g of an inch broad. He is much more noticeable with his branch- ing, staglike "horns" which are not horns, but mandibles . broad, flatten- 52 THE MUSEUM. ed, elephant-like head, and sturdy, polished legs and back, than the smal- ler female, whose mandibles are not branched and whose form is not so robust and formidable looking. Unlike most of his congeners, the flight of Lucanus is almost without sound. I did not notice my visitor until I felt him on my collar. As soon this beetle thinks that it is in danger of an attack from any source, it will hold its head erect and widely open its mandibles. Along the inner margins of the latter the horney skin is exceed- ingly sensitive. As soon as it feels anything between them, it closes them with considerable force and power, as I can testify from sad experience. While holding this beetle in my hand, I was greatly struck with the extraordinary strength of his legs. When I closed my fingers upon him, taking care that none of them came between his sharp and ever ready "nippers," he seemed to plow his way through the hollow of my fist without the slightest difficulty. Procuring a little tin wagon which weighed exactly two ounces (960 grains apothecary's weight), I fastened him to it with a quick-drying glue and two pieces of thread. He weighed only 3 1 grains, yet he walked away, drawing the little wagon, as though he were free and un- trammeled. I then placed half an ounce of bird shot in the wagon; he seemed to recognize this additional weight, yet pulled it along without difficulty. I added another half ounce. This seemed to be the limit of his load, for he could barely move the wagon, though move it he did for one inch. Just think of it! Here is a creature weighing only 31 grains which pulled 1,410 grains one inch, measured distance. Do you not think that his feat ranks wfth, if it does not surpass, that of the famous Samson.' I do. I confined all of his legs save one, which I attached t'o a very delicate dynamometer. This leg was fully ex- tended and the animal was then irri- tated. It pulled down, as shown by the dynamometer, 249 grains. A man weighing 240 pounds would have to lift very near 2,000 pounds — one ton — with one hand or one leg in order to equal the performance of this beetle. The rhinoceros beetle (Dynastes tityrus), the second insect Samson to which I invite attention, differs from the first in many respects. Lucanus is jet black, with wing cases and legs highly polished; it is slender, and some- times very quick in its movements. Dynastes, on the contrary, is yellow- ish gray in color, with wing cases splotched with black; its body is heavy and solid looking, and its movements are always slow and sedate. Unlike those of the stag beetle, the horns on the head and prothorax of the rhinoc- eros beetle are true horns and not mandibles. The top horn springs from the back of the creature's neck, as it were, while the lower horn grows from the back of its head. These horns are fixed and immovable and can only be made to approximate by movements of the beetle's head. Near the base of the upper horn are two short, thorn- like spines, one on each side. The fe- male Dynastes is without horns. The set (or sets) of muscles govern- ing the action of the mandibles of L. elephas is very highly developed and is exceedingly strong. Especially is this true of the tendinous attachments of the muscles themselves, which seem part and parcel of the mandibles, so closely and intimately are they welded to them. The anatomical appearance of these structures indicates great strength. This appearance is reality, for relative- ly the elephant beetle has more power in its "jaws" than the most ferocious bulldog that ever gripped a bone. Furthermore, this insect has all the "staying" qualities of its canine proto- type; for, once having seized an object between its powerful pincers, its head may almost be torn from its body be- fore it will relax its grasp. I held this beetle between thumb and forefinger of my right hand, and THE MUSEUM. 53 then brought the tip of my left thumb betsveen its mandibles. These closed at once on the hard and calloused skin, the tips piercinf^ through and through and meeting beneath the surface. By exerting no little force, during the ex- hibition of which the cervical attach- ments underwent considerable strain, the mandibles were dragged through the skin. Not till then did the creat- ure separate them. These members are powerful weap- ons of offense and defense, and one should carefully avoid them when ex- amining this insect Samson. The larva or grub of Dynastes is the largest of all the beetle grubs. The individual I have is very near two years old and will pupate during next winter. It will emerge a fully devel- oped rhinoceros beetle about next May or June. When this grub is first hatched out, it is quite active, boring and eating its way through wood that is just beginning to decay. As it grows older, it becomes sluggish and seeks wood that is softer and more de- cayed; finally, just before it pupates, it seeks the rotten dust and broken up detritus of the cavity and there under- goes further metamorphosis. The grub was reared from the egg. This giant among beetles is remark- ably strong. After fastening it to the tin cart mentioned elsewhere in this paper, I placed in the little vehicle one ounce of bird shot. The beetle pulled this along without difficulty. I then placed a half ounce more of shot in the cart. This seemed to bring out the strength of the insect, for it bent to its work and clearly showed that it felt the additional weight very mater- ially. .Again I added a half ounce of shot. This seemed at first to bring the load to a weight beyond the creat- ure's strength, but when I goaded it with an electric needle, it "bowed it- self," even as Samson did between the pillars of Dagon, and pulled this, to it, enormous weight of one thousand nine hundred and twenty grains, a measured distance of two inchesi The beetle weighed only one iiundred and eight grains; consequently, it moved a weight eighteen times greater than its own. To eijual this feat I would be compelled to drag a wagon and load which together weighed fou'- thousand five hundred pounds! When we take into consideration that two thousand pounds is a heavy load for two strong draught horses, we can appreciate all the more what a wonderful exploit this was. This beetle showed a dynam- ometric strength of three hundred and ten grains for one of its fore legs. In order to further test this insect's strength, I gently placed on its back a common paving brick weighing some four or five pounds. The beetle moved this brick perceptibly to and fro. If a man were to be subjected to a like experiment, the brick being as large in proportion to him as it was to the beetle, he would be crushed in- to a shapeless mass. Principles of Animal Development A Whelk's Egg. "Omne vivum ex ovo" is now an ancient aphorism, says Prof. John Beard, of the Edinburg University in February Xatural Science, and it has become a commonplace to say that the starting place of almost all animal development at the present time is the fertilized egg. The phenomena lead- ing up to this need not concern us at present. Let us assume that we have got our fertilized egg, and let us in the first place consider what sort of a thing it is. If the choice of such an egg is given, how great is the variety out of which it may be selected. It may be the microscopically small egg of an Echinoderm, or one of larger size from the cocoon of an earth worm, the still bigger one from the leathery egg-case of a Whelk, or the huge one from the marvellous egg-capsule of a smooth Skate. It may be so large and con- tain so much poor material that the developing organism may feed upon it for two years, or so small and so des- viVP^p^Bi^m 54 THE MUSEUM. titute of nourishing substances that it can suffice for the needs of the devel- opment for but a few hours. It may be destitue of any envelope beyond a thin structureless membrane formed by the egg-cell itself, or it may be closely wrapped up in a series of coverings, and outside of these we may find a shell or case of complex form and architecture. The eggs of animals are, indeed, endless in variety, when the size, amount of food-yolk, coverings and appendages and the modes in which they are deposited are taken account of. But with all this one fact stands out very clearly, that the size, compo- sition, mode of deposition, etc., of any particular egg, have an intimate rela- tion and connection with the develop- ment of an individual of the species whose egg it is. The individual peculiarities of ova raise various interesting questions which have hither to received out the barest consideration in embryological text- books and even in developmental re- searches. Probably for solutions of most of them the science will have long to wait. The nature of most modern embryological research is, un- fortunately, not such as to furnish hints in the direction of their elucida- tion; the amount one man can accom- plish, even if he be conscious of the existence and importance of the prob- lems, is but the merest trifle, and his labors will require an enormous com- parative material, if the results were to be of far reaching import. These reasons, paradoxal though it may seem to be, impel the writer to attempt some sort of consideration of the subject. It might be made the work of a lifetime without evidence of ex- haustion of the subject. If we are ever to have a true and real comparative em- bryology of organisms, as well as the existing comparative embryology of organs, many questions relating to the eggs of animals, will need to be cleared up. Facts are to be found for the seek- ing; but as every conscientious embry- ologist realizes, the search nowadays, especially if it be in some definite di- rection, is often long and arduous. And the result often may be a single fact and a dozen new problems. More- over, most of us have our plans of work mapped out for years to come, and have no desire to forsake the plot of ground which we have diligently and hopefully tilled, before we have reaped our little harvest. Therefore, since the problem of the individuality of eggs with which we have begun forms no intergral part of our personal task, what we have to say under this head partakes rather of the nature of inci- dental gleanings and musings than of deliberate investigation. We have at- tempted to enunciate some of the prob- lems without pretending to do more than suggest what may be the nature of some of the solutions. Examine on the sea-shore the egg- capsules of a dog-whelk (Purpura la- pillus). If one of the freshly deposit- ed cases be opened in its interior a large number of minute eggs may be counted. Some time later visit the same spot and open others belonging to the same bunch. The probability is that the enumeration of the develop- ing organisms in all the egg-cases of the bunch will not give as large a num- ber as that already recorded in the sin- gle freshly-deposited one. This is of course an old story. The cannibalism of the developing young of the dog-whelk and whelk is one of the commonplaces of marine zoology. Many years ago the writer endeavor- ed to study it for himself, but as the examination of the cases was begun, when, as it turned out subsequently, the eliminative process was over, it was naturally not observed; although the facts were looked for until the young whelks emerged from their cases. The process on that occasion was not seen, simply because it hap- pens at a very early period. One in- teresting little point, did, however, re- veal itself, that the number of young THE MUSEUM. 55 whelks within an egg-case was fairlj' constant, about five or six. If the process be mere cannibalism, it is not easy to perceive why it soould stop short, when some live or si.x larvae were left in the egg-case, why, as al- most always happens in the case of the .Alpine StiliiDiandra atra, one should not devour the rest. The number is so constant in the whelk, that one may suspect it is gov- erned by some law. Probably too, if one counted them, the number destin- ed to be devoured would be found to be equally constant. The whole pro- cess must take place under the work- ings of a law or laws, and it is part of our tasks as embryologists to try to find out what these are and what deter- mines them. If, after the examination of the whelk cases, a fully formed egg purse be taken from the oviduct of a dog- fish or skate, on opening this we shall almost certainly find but a single egg. The eggs of different species of dog- fish or skate also differ considerably in size, both as regards the egg-cases and the yolks. These differences are not always in relation to the specific differ- ences in si^e. The smooth skate {R. batis) is much larger than the starry ray. A', radiata) but no proportion can be detected between the sizes of the two skate and those of their eggs. Indeed if we study the ripe eggs of two closely allied species of shark, Mustcl- iis vulgaris and M. Ineiis, we find that, although, the two fishes are al- most of identical size and so alike that no fisherman could ever be e.xpected to distinguish between them, their eggs exhibit great differences in size along with almost inappreciable differences in the texture of the egg-capsule. What, then, are the essential differ- ences between the eggs of these two species.' The egg-shell of J/, iiilgiiris appears to be rather thicker than that of .1/. lacvis, and — a very important point — the actual egg, the yolk, of the former is the equivalent in size and weight of about four of the latter. This difference cannot be ascribed to the relative sizes of the two species, and, as a matter of fact, it is in asso- ciation with a very fundimental differ- ence in the mode of development. Both species arc viviparous, and it is possible that the young are born in both cases in the same condition of development, though this has yet to be determined. In J/, vulgaris the yolk suffices for the whole of the uter- ine development, whereas in M. lacvis it is used up long before uterine life is o\er, and for what is probably a long portion of its uterine existence the young M. laevis is nourished by a sort of placental attachment of its yolk- case to the uterine wall, as recorded by Aristotle, and as rediscovered dur- ing the present century by that great embryologist, Johannes Muller. The instances above mentioned may serve as the text for further study. Modern embryology has never yet seen any difficulties or even any problems in the matter at all. We have our classifications of different kinds of eggs. We recognize eggs with little or no food-yolk, and those with much. Var- ious forms of segmentation or cleavage of the egg are distinguished, such as equal or adequal, unequal but com- plete, and meroblastic or partial. Our leading text-books either say, or lead the reader to infer, that the differences between the various forms of cleavage are dependent upon the amount of food-yolk. As compared with the egg of a frog or toad that of a cod-fish con- tains but little food-yolk, yet the for- mer exhibits unequal but complete cleavage, and the latter partial or mer- oblastic. Our classification may be convenient for purpose of elementary instruction, but it is purely empirical and has no real scientific basis. It is like everything else. With the advance of knowledge, our conceptions of organic nature become enlarged, and we come more and more to per- ceive how adverse nature is to schem- atic and empirical classifications. But within recent years we have gone fur- ■ JJi.W-l M.P 56 THE MUSEUM. ther still in the use or abuse of food- yolk in embryonical science. It has even been made the basis of a phylo- genetic tree of vertebrate ancestry. What more could be asked of it than this? The discoverer of this tree has indeed disowned and rejected the fig- ment of his own imagination; but, this notwithstanding, from time to time it tries to blossom forth anew. If it could be proved that, as we as- cend the vertebrate scale, the food- yolk either increased or decreased in a regular and intelligible fashion, good reason might underlie its use in phylo- genetic speculation. But if we at- tempt to evolve dog-fish and skate from lampreys by increasing the amount of food-yolk in the egg, gano- ids from the former by again reducing it, and amphibians from these by a still further reduction, and by a new and enormous increase reptiles from amphibians, and so on to the end of the mammalian chapter, we are not really drawing upon an actual tangible, but limited, supply of food-yolk, but simply and solely on the intangible and unlimited resources of the imagin- ation. If it is suspected that the food-yolk of an egg has either increased or de- creased, some cause must have been behind the change. It is only in fairly tales, such as that of "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp" that things come into existence from nowhere and out of nothing. As in physical science so also in natural science every effect has a cause and every effect is govern- ed by a law or laws. If the food-yolk of an egg can be shown to have increased in amount, we must not forget that the egg has had a history, in past times, and that a plus added to it at or during some epoch of time necessarily entails a minus or abstraction from something else at the same time. That this must be so may not be obvious at the first glance. But it Is all but certain that the cells in tiio oviary which feed the ovarian egg (foll- icle cells) or in other cases the ovarian cells consumed by the ovarian egg, are themselves rudimentary or degenerate or sterile eggs. And the amount of nourishment they can furnish in any given instance would seem to be defi- nite and limited. If the egg of an an- imal increase in size and amount of food-yolk it may in all probability rightly be concluded that fewer eggs have been laid, and that in some form or other more incipient eggs have been used up in the process of forming the functional one. This conclusion, or suspicion, brings us natnrally to the main points of our inquiry, i. e. to the modes in which food-yolk has been obtained, and an egg-capsule for the reception of a single egg evolved. The simplest eggs are admittedly those, like the eggs of many echinod- erms, which contain little or no food- yolk, possess only a single membrane formed by the egg itself, and are laid single, an egg-capsule being entirely absent. It is always found that such simple eggs are laid in great numbers, for few or none have been rendered sterile, or degraded to serve as the food of others. Naturally in such cases the devel- oping organism can attain no great degree of complexity of structure be- fore its original source of food-supply, that contained in the egg itself, is used up. The organism must then hatch out and seek food for itself from extra- neous sources. Under these condi- tions the resulting organism possesses at its birth the simplest possible struc- ture, that of a gastrula composed of two layers of cells and with an aperture leading into the gut. Apparently there are two ways in which a further supply of food might be bestowed on the developing egg. Some of its fellows might be rendered sterile in the ovary, and there be used up, as in liver-flukes, tapeworms, in- sects, etc , to increase the food supply of the remaining functional eggs. Or, THE Ml^SI-X'iM. 57 a big batch of eggs being deposited to- gether within a simple structureless cocoon, as in earth worms, leeches, the lug worm, and the whelk, some might be devoured by others to form a reserve supply of food, as in the case of the whelk. Whether there is any connection be- tween the two processes is a difficult question to decide. It may be that they have been separately evolved and that they have proceeded along paral- lel! lines in their subsequent history. On the other hand, in some cases, at any rate, it is possible that the latter of the two processes was the original one, and that in course of time it has passed into the former. If the indications are wanting, that the eggs of lampreys, ganoids, and bony fishes ever passed through the latter condition of being deposited in batches in simple cocoons, the evolu- tion of a skate's egg and purse is only intelligible on this supposition. Taking the latter process first of all, it will be noticed that it ultimately leads to two results — to the formation of a large-yolked egg and the evolution of a complicated egg-capsule for its reception. In its very beginning the formation of a simple cocoon entails the co-oper- ation of structures external to the ovary in the shape of genital ducts. These are necessary in order that a cocoon, however simple in form and structure, may be produced. It is the entire absence of such structure in con- nection with the eggs of lampreys, bony fishes, etc., which would appear to point to a different history of the yolk in these cases. Reverting to the cocoon, a very simple structure, form- ed by a genital duct, and containing a great number of small eggs with little food-yolk, may be looked upon as the beginning of the process. The lug- worm, Arenicola, furnishes an ex- am nle. Larvae are developed within the co- coon and live there as long as they have food to consume. If they then find no other nutriment within this structure they must erperge and seek for food elsewhere. Further life within the cocoon is only possible on one or other of two conditions. The substance of the co- coon itself, or a part of it, i. e. , all except its contex, may be of a nutritive value. This is so in certain leeches, for instance. Here the larvae, as soon as they reach the gastrula condition, proceed to gorge themselves with the semi-fluid "albumen" of the cocoon, and this food-supply suffices them un- til the young leech is formed. But in some animals with simple co- coons the contents of the cocoon apart from the eggs appear to possess no nutritive properties. Undoubtedly it is to be looked upon as a secondary conaition when the gelatinous "white" of the cocoon acquires a food value. A parallell to this is seen in certain eggs of vertebrate animals. The egg- white of an Elasmobranch egg con- tains only the merest traces of albumen Johnnes Muller) and is of no use as food. Whereas the same egg-white in a bird's egg is largely albuminous and very nutritive. But in the simple cocoon, although the substance of this structure is some- times of no value as food, there may be unfertili/;ed or undeveloped eggs, or abnormal or degenerated larvae and these may serve as food for the normal ones. Thus, in the second way, the "birth-period" may be postponed. There are well-known cases among the mullusca, Purpura and Buccinum, in which this "cannibalism" is the nor- mal course of events. A few of the eggs in a cocoon develop quickly, and become gastrulae, with large mouths and muscular gullets. These few very soon use up their own food-supply, and then proceed to devour their fel- lows, which have either not developed at all, or only gone a little way. If this were carried to an extreme, — and it is probable that such cases do oc cur — it would end in their being only one developing organism left in the co- '-^B'^^«9n^!C*K«> 58 THE MUSEUM. coon, and this would be gorged with the food-yolk obtained by the annex- ation of its fellows. The original cocoon by the solidifi- cation of its outer walls, its center re- maining semi-fluid, might thus become an egg-case for a single egg. This would be realized in fact, if the eggs to be consumed, instead of being deposit- ed as separate entities within the co- coon, were joined to or devoured by that single one which was destined to develop while in the ovary. The well- known instances of Hydra and Tubul- aria, with their ovarian "cannibalism" are obviously illustrative. When this transference to the ovary of the process of devouring took place, is of course a moot question, but it must have happened at some time or other in many cases. The originally large number of eggs in the cocoon then becomes reduced to a single large one by the conversion of the rest into yolk-material in the ovary itself. And thus, having at first served a rather different purpose, the cocoon becomes an egg-case for a single egg. Though such an egg containes a large amount of food-yolk in many in- stances, this cannot be retained during cleavage and the subsequent processes within the cells of the developing or- ganism, and these act as if they were not connected with such an enormous mass of food. The egg now as in a skate, segments in a disc-like fashion, or is "meroblastic". The object of the developing organism now seems to be to regain possession of the food mass, which it had been obliged to re- linquish during cleavage. This it does by forming once more a gastrula. The latter is flattened out on the top of the mass of yolk, and in order once more to annex this yolk, the gastrula must grow round and enclose it. So that, if the mass of yolk be large, it appears to be a matter of indiffer- ence whether it be added to or de- voured by the ovarian egg, or whether it be first obtained by the swallowing of other eggs within the cocoon or egg- case. For the latter case ultimately resolves itself in a mere modification of the latter. To put it in another way, the devouring of the yolk-mass has in both cases to be undertaken by the developing organism before it can be said to have obtained real possession of the yolk. ft is thus that the growth of a blas- toderm, i. e. , of a flattened gastrula over a yolk-sac, is exactly comparable to the devouring of yolk-masses by a whelk-gastrula. The end is the same, and probably the beginning was the same in both. We have not got but a little dis- tance along the path of evolution of animal eggs, and others interesting re- main for examination. On another occasion the study of the purse of a dog-fish or skate may engage our at- tention. From this we may pass to the consideration of the egg of a mam- mal, and finally, this should lead to the elucidation of some of the princi-- pies underlying mammalian develop- ment. Food-yolk will here again be found to form an integral part of the pro- gramme, and we may perhaps come to realize with what nicety nature be- stows it on animal eggs. And if we glean nothing else, we may at least learn to realize that the reign of law pervades animal development from its commencement to its close. Notes on the Helix of the West In- dian Islands, Including Cen- tral and South America. During the last few years the study of the family Hclicida- has been taken up quite generally by conchologists tlie world over, and we feel that no excuses are necessary, in giving to our readers a few facts concerning the Helix of the region named above. All of the area south of the U. S. includ- ing the West India Islands, and South America, with its adjoining Island groups, are included in what is termed, the West India fauna. We know no THE MUSEUM. 59 reason why it is thus termed, unless it be that out of three hundred odd spec- ies, over two-thirds of them arc found in the West Indies. The Species found in this territory are divided into four large groups, as follows: Iliinit>Oi/itis, with 94 spec- ies; Po/yiiiita with four species; 'I licli- doiiiiis, with 173 species and Solarop- sis, with 32 species. Taking them in the order named, we have the group llciiiitiiHluis first. For convenience it has been divided into six sections, the first of which is Cviticopsis MoRCH. The type of this section is Helix Cubciisis, Pfk. Si.xteen good species are recorded with some varieties. Helix Macniurryi, C. B. Ad. is the largest of the section being fully an inch and a half across, covered with a yellowish chestnut col- ored cuticle, which easily rubs off. Most of the species run from \ to one inch, and are found in Cuba and Jam- aica. Section 2 is Plagioptycha, Pfr. Twenty-two species and varieties are recorded of which Helix indistincta, Fer. is the Type. This species is about one-half inch across, depressed, thin, sub-translucent, brownish, horn- color. The species of this sec- tion are nearly all from Hay- ti. Section three is Hemitroclius, Sw.-MN. of which Helix -.arians, Mke. is the type. 29 species and varieties are recorded. The most common kinds being larians, Mke., Trose/ieli, PiR. , i^il-ii, Fer., i^raininieola, C. B. Ad., etc. The whole section range about one-half inch in diameter. Sec- tion four is Dialeuca Albers of which Helix iieinoraloides, C. B. Ad. is the type. Nine species and varieties are recorded, and range about three- fourth inch in diameter. All are from Jamaica. Section five, Loryda, Al- bers, contains 1 1 species. Helix alauda, Fer. is the type. As a class they are handsome, but not easy to secure. Nearly all come from Cuba, alaiida being the most common, and showing the most wonderful variation. Section si.x fcaniteretia, Pfr. contains eight species. The type is Helix iiiul- fis(rili>r,\iO'RN., H-viuseariniii, Lea. and H. Broeheii, Gut. They are all readily distinguished on account of their brilliant colors. All are fairly common, being a native of Cuba. They are without any prominent lip, rather thin but solid, and invariably brillianted painted. In Helix picta alone, one may easily select twenty distinct forms of coloration. Group three, 'fhelidoniiis, Swain, is a large one. The shells are as a rule of good size, semi-globose, and are confined mainly to the West Indies in distribution. The group has been sub- divided into ten sections, each show- ing some prominent characteristic. Section i, is Thelidomits, Swain, proper, and Helix iiiserta, Fkr. is the type. Nineteen specimens and var- ieties are given place here, the most prominent besides the type are H. lima, Fer., //. aspera, Fer., H. dis- color, Fer., H. auricoma, Fer., H. provisoria, Fer., etc. All are good size, yellowish to brown-colored shells. Section 2, Parthcna, Alb., contains 1 1 species, mostly from Jamaica and Porto Rico. Helix angitlata, Fer., is now considered the type. Other prominent species are //. doininiccnsis, H. dissita, Desh., H. undnlata, Fek., //. Javiaicensis, Gmel. They range from \ i\ inches in size. Section three, Polydontes, only contains three species, but all of large size. Helix imperil tor, MoNT. , is the type, and to our mind the most imposing Helix in the whole West Indian Group, al- though some are larger. All come from Cuba, The other two species are H. apollo, Pfr., from E. Cuba, and H. sobrina, Fer. , from Santaigo. 6o THE MUSEUM Section four, Dentellaria, Schm., con- tains 17 species, and a most interest- ing lot they are. H. nuxdcnticulata, Chem., is the type, but is not so often found in collections as are H. obcsa. Beck., H. dentiens. Per., H. Isabella, Fer. , H. orbiciilata. Per. , H. badia, Per., H. lychunchus. Mull., H. Jos- cphinac, Per., H. pcrplcxa. Per., and others. The section is mostly from Martinique Island, a few coming from Grenada, Antiqua, Dominica, etc. They are thick, stout, heavy lipped shells, of a brownish color, and showing numerous folds or teeth, somewhat similar to the American Genus Polygyra. Section 5, Ccpolis, Mont., contains 8 species, of which H. cepa, Mull., is the type. They are mostly from Jamaica and Porto Rico. They range from medium to large, are thick lipped, and show many of the folds of the preceding section. Section 6, Lucerna, SwAiN, contains 41 species and varieties, many of which are large and imposing shells. The type, H. acuta, Lam., is one of the largest and finest in the section. Nearly if not all of the section are from Jamaica. The shells are mostly deep brownish color, and shiny, still some are beautifully banded with yel- low and other colors. H. soror. Per., and H. bronni, Pfr., being of the lat- ter class. Near relatives to the type, are H. lucerna. Mull., //. Chcinnit- ziana. Per. , etc. , //. valida, C. B. Ad. , H. sinuata, Mull., H. sinuosa. Per,, and //. invalida, C. B. Ad., are also after the //. acuta style, but much smaller in size. Section 7, Caracollus. Mont., are also large shells, and in some cases very handsome. 15 spec- ies and varieties are given, of which the large and imposing H. carvcolla, Linn., is the type. They are mostly from Eastern Cuba and Hayti. Part of the section are large brownish shells, the balance, being beautifully banded. Section 8, Oxcliona, Morch., contains 8 species of beautiful color from Bra- zil, Costa Rica, Mexico, etc. They are in form the shape of a trochus, with a pointed elevated spire. They approach more nearly the beautiful trochoidal specimens of the Solomon Isles than any others with which I am familiar. //. bifasciata, Burrow., from Brazil is the type. It is of a milky white, spirally encircled by dark purplish-brown narrow bands, and lines. Section 9, Isoineria, Albers. , contains 34 species. They are mostly large, dark, chestnut or chocolate-col- ored shells, confined to the Andes of Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, allied to the Labyrinthus, but with the mouth parts less developed, the teeth when present being generally small. The type is //. areas, Koch. This is a large shell nearly two inches in diam- eter, deep, rich chestnut-brown color, spire depressed, etc. The section as a whole are hard to obtain and I am sorry to say almost unrepresented in my collection. Section 10, Labyrin- thus, Beck., contains 20 species. H. labyrintlius, Desh., from Ecuador, is the type. The section as a whole in- habits that portion of Northern South America, not inhabited by species of Isoineria, and generally less elevated country than the mountainous Andean region, to which the latter group is. confined. The main characteristic, is that the teeth are more develoyed than Isoineria, otherwise the two sections, have much in common. Group four, and last, is Solaropsis, Beck. Thirty species are given, of which the type is H. pellisserpentis, Chem. They are mostly forest snails, living on the ground under stones and in hollow trees. As a rule are hand- some, being of a type not easily de- scribed. H. pellisserpentis, Chem. , is a depressed, convex species, about \\ inches across, light brownish, with ill-defined narrow streaks following the lines of growth, a series of chest- nut arrow-shaped spots below the sut- ures and a similar narrow one at the periphery. H. Brarjiliaiia, Desh., is also quite typical of the section. The species mostly come from Brazil, Ecu- ador, Arg. Republic, etc. THE MUSEUM. 6i Our readers will readily infer from the brief s\nopsis we have piven of the West Indies, Helix fauna, that it is impossible to do justice to such a var- ied and interesting group, in a short article. If, however, by the aid of the notes given my collecting friends, who do not have access to the large and costly works, may more readily arrange their Helix from this area and thereby make them of renewed in- terest, I shall feel well repaid. If my readers, would like me to arrange a similar synopsis of the Chinese, Japan- ese, East Indian Islands, African and Australian groups, I shall take pleasure in doing so and shall be pleased to hear from those interested. Most of the present synopsis has been gleaned from my own collection with the aid of Tryons' invaluable Manual. Walter F. Webb. Kaising Ferns from Spores. Through the kindness of a friend, fifty varieties of fern seed were re- ceived from Australia, I think from some government garden there. In some packages were spores only, vary- ing much in color; and in others were pieces of fronds, with spores attached, the whole plainly showing great care in collecting and marking. Having an especial liking for ferns, I think I was never more pleased in receiving any- thing in the horticultural line, than in getting these seeds. I took fifty smallest size pots, filled them half up with broken cinders, laid a little sphag- num moss on top, and on the moss a thin layer of loam and sand. On this I scattered the spores, using great care in cleansing the hands, and carefully folding away each paper before taking another. The pols were then plunged in a box of damp ashes, and a large light of glass placed over the box. This glass was hardly lifted till the seeds had started, and after that, only an inch or so at long intervals. In due time (^quite a long time, however,; every pot was covered with a growth of seedling ferns, and I rejoiced in the probable possession of some rare va- rieties. \\'hcn the plants were some two inches high, they possessed a sus- picious sameness, and the suspicion gave way to certainty later on, when I found that all but five of the pots had only Ptcris trcinnla in them. Of the five others only two were new to me. I had no plant of Ptcris treinula in the greenhouse, but there was a package of seed with the others. Discouraged, but not quite dismayed, I, next season, selected twenty-five of the choicest sorts, and sowed as before. Again every pot was full, but this time all were J^len's longifolia, of which I had several plants in the greenhouse, but had scattered no seed. I didn't try it again. Several sorts of well-known ferns always multiplied in the greenhouse, but never where I had sown the seed. They seemed to have a preference for the sides of the pots containing other plants. I suppose I have sown enough seeds of the Mexican tree-fern, Cihot- iiim glaiHuiii, to get, perhaps, a million plants, but I never foind but one, and that in an out-of-the-way place. So I think the deliberate sowing of fern seed is mostly wasted time. Animal Life in the Olympian Mountains. Mr. D. G. Elliot, who went to the Northwest last summer in the interest of the Field Columbian Museum, under date of September 13, "98, writes as follows: "The expedition to the Olympian Mountains, which I am at present con- ducting, has thus far secured five hun- dred skins of deers, carnivora, and ro- dents, which collection we hope to in- crease considerably before our labors are ended. This collection is exceed- ingly valuable, coming as it does from hitherto unknown localities where no naturalist has ever penetrated. There are probably species new to science among them, but how many cannot 62 THE MUSEUM. be determined until they have been examined and compared with other material. The country in which these have been procured is the roughest and most difficult to traverse that I have ever seen, and my experience in the various mountain ranges of North America has been very extensive. A great portion of the Olympians is ab- solutely impassible, and we have reached a point beyond which nothing, unless provided with wings, can go, while from our camp we can look over a vast extent of the range totally un- known and unapproachable. A nat- uralist, therefore, can fully appreciate the value of the material we have se- cured. Even if already known, speci- mens coming from such localities are of almost as much value as if unde- scribed, and will prove of great assist- ance in settling questions of geographi- cal distribution and others of equal importance. So-ikes and batrachians are not plenty in the range, but we have secured some of both, which I am sure will prove of much interest, and I hope to be able to obtain some of the fishes of this region." A SPACE THIS SIZE COSTS 50c. AN IN- STERTION OR $5.00 FOR A FULL YEAR. A ONE-HALF COLUMN AD. THIS SIZE COSTS $1.50 EACH INSERTION. 6 MOS. FOR $7.50 OR ONE YEAR FOR $12.00. IF YOU THINK OUR ADVERTISERS DON'T GET RESULTS, WRITE THEM EN- CLOSING STAMP FOR REPLY. SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. The handling of Scientitic Books is exactly in our line. In ye good olden times when a book was wanted, the customer picked up a reliable dealer's catalogue and ordered it at list price. In these hustling 1899 times he or- ders where he can get it the cheapest. Our facilities are unsurpassed. Our import ord- ers are usually tilled in 15 to 20 days. Prompt paying customers need advance no money with us till goods are delivered. Let us figure on your wants. Walter F. 'Webb, Mgr., Albion, N.Y. MUr^DDTMr' ^ ^'"^ ^ ^^"^ STREET, NEAR BROADWAY ilUr r UN U ^ new york city, U. S. a. Minerals for Scientific and Educational Purposes. New Catalogue and Price List, 1899, just out. 10 plates and over 100 figures of Crystals, etc., bound in boards, 25 cents postpaid. THE GEM CRYSTAL COLLECTION, 20 specimens, with 42 page book and list, in trays and box complete, $1.00 postpaid. SULPHUR BALL OF PYRITES, a tine large ball of bright metallic yellow "fool's gold.' 2.5c postpaid. CATLINITE OR INDIAN PIPESTONE, a polished tablet 2x2i inches, 30c postpaid. Carved acorn watch guards, 15o postpaid. We can use all the uncanceled postage stamps you can send. 1 n 1 1 M 1 y 1 Hii THE MUSEUM. 63 POPULAR SCIKNCE NEWS, Nature, Invention, Archaeoloy. Elec- tricity, Chemistry, MineralORy. Hy- giene. Meclclne, Health. F.rmprly BOSTON JOlllN.lL OF rilKMlSTKV. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly contains a large num- ber of Short. Easy. Practical, hUcrestinf; ami I'opular. Scientific articles, that can ho Ap- preciated and Kiijoyeil by any intelligciil reader, even tliougU he knew little or nothing of Science. It is intended to interest those who think. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Kntirely DitTerent from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name. Monthly, SI. 60 per year; Newsdealers, 1 5c Laig-est Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO., 100 Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy. I WE BUY STAMPS AND OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS ."^ind US what you have with lowest casli prill- or we will make you an offer if you wish. We pay express or postage one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, 1)1 BUijLE, lA. Hi"' Offers in Birds Eg-o-s. The eggs offered helow are strictly lirst-class. For $.j 00 we will send $l.'i. 00 worth of line single eggs, no two alike, all correctly num- bered and include a copy of our 100 page Or- nithologists and Oologists Manual. For f 10.00 we will send .149 00 worth, uo two alike. For *;20 on we will send 8100 00 worth, no two alike. For $1.00 we will send 912.00 worth of tine set.i. with full data For $10 00 will send $30 00 worth of tine sets all with full data. For $20 Oi) we will send $80 00 worth ot tine sets, with full data. For an order of $.>0.03 or over wc will sell at 1-C catalogue rates. This you can readily see is to close out our stock. We lose heavily at the latter rate but wish to reduce our stock at once. W. F. WF;bB, M.at , ALBION, N. Y. Wholesale Bariains. Wo have on hand many lino things in such ijiiantity wo (juote low rates on wholesale or- ders, in order to make room. The material offered in every instance is as low as money cau buy. Look over the list carefully; Purple Sea Plumes from the Bahamas. Large size, 4 to 5 feet, $3.50 per dozen. Medium, •2 to 3 feet, $l..'jO per dozen. Ostrich Kggs, South African specimens, at $1.50 per dozen. t'l/priTd Aiinulus, Kingtop Cowries, from the Kast Indies, .")0 cents per quart. Vyprira inoncln. with varieties, Monej' Cowry from Singapore, 50 cents per quart. lilack Halioli^, 4 to 5 inch, from Monterey, Cal. 75 cents per dozen. Ii'ed Ilalioti.f, from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch, at $1 .50 per dozen. Siroiitbus iuberculalus Silver Lips, 2 inch, from Singapore, at 36 cents per dozen. Slromlmx n'ldiis, Purple Mouth, from Fla., at 24 cents dozen. E. I. Coral fragments, 2 to 3 inch, 20j dozen, Mclongena corona. Crown Shell, from Fla., 24c doz. .Sabre Beans, mammoth, 16 to 20 inches, cur- ious, Bahamas, at 50c doz. Xcrcla peleronla, Bleeding Teeth, Bahamas, at 50 cents (|uart. Purple (Jorgonias, Flexible Coral from Baha- mas. $1.50 dozen .Mica Snow, for Taxidermists and fancy work, worth 80l' pouud, our price 20c. Murex brandaris. from East Indies, 1 to 2 inch, 15c dozen. Bahama Coral, such as Fan, Head, Palm, etc. Several species at 10c pound. Mineral Collections, for Teachers to give or sell to students, 50 varieties, named, etc., at 50c lists on application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work, 2.ic quart. Fasciolfiria disUms. Tulip. 2 inch, 36j dozen. Fasciolaria lulipi. Tulip. 3 to 4 inch, 40c doz. Fitlgar perversa, from Fla , 4 to 5 inch, 60c" Tube Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas. $1.50 dozen. Si-aphiles nodosus, an ammonite shaped fossil from the Bad Lands, 2 inch, 50c doz., 3 inch, $1.00 dozen; 4 inch, $3.00 dozen. Make up your order now, as these prices only hohl good while stock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. Fine Large Polished Shells at Wholesale. DO/.. Marliuspikc. choice $2 25 White Murex 1 75 Hooked Scorpions 2 00 Tiger Cjwries •'50 Cameos 2 00 Melons, large -1 00 Orange Scorpions 2 00 Above are choice shells and will please you. W. F. WEBB, M(;k , ALBION, N. Y. 64 THE MUSEUM. hell Notes. Since last Museum we have selected nearly looo species of shell from a noted collection that is being broken up. Among the many hundred new species added to our stock, is a nice assort- ment of Pupa, Partula, Auricula, Cataulus, Buccinum from Arctic region; Meg- alastoma, Nassa, Volutharpa, Phos, Cyclostona, Pterocyclus, Cyclotus, \'it- rinia, Chondropoma, Aulopoma, Choanopoma, Cyclophorus, Tridophora, Oliv- ella, Registoma, Ricinula, Columbella, Engina, Anachis, Marginella, Terebra, Erato, Obeliscus, Ancillaria, Clanculus, Littorna, Helix, Murex, Planaxis, Bulla, Bulimus, Achatinella, Achatina, Melania, Ainpullaria, Cerithium, Phas- ianella, Sistrum, Bullia, Carallophila, HeHcina, fine lot; Alcadia, Trochatel- la, Lucidella, Strophia, Mocroceramus, Glessula, Melampus, Strepotoxis and fully 75 other families that are only represented by one or two species. We wish to send these on approval to you. Some collectors write they only buy in small amounts and hence don't think it would pay to have a box sent on approval. Let me assure you we take pleasure in sending small boxes by mail to customers who wish to add a little to their collection. If you only wish to invest $i to $5 write us what families you would like to see some of and we will respond at once. If the shells desired are small varieties we will mail them. If large, they have to go by express. We want every collector who would buy anything if he were here in our museum, to write us what is wanted and we will gladly send on approval, giving those not able to travel ex- tensively the same chance as those that are able to visit us in person. Address, •9 W. F. WEBB, Mgi Albion, N. Y. p. S. — We have lists on hand of both American Fresh Water, — Helix — Foreign Land and Fresh Water and Marine. We will mail to collectors who will agree to return same promptly as they are type written and require con- siderable labor to make. THE MUSEUM WRITE ME A LETTER TODAY St;it lilt; thai V'lU u.itllil like tn h;ivc Sfht for \niir inspt^fiton i-harufs prepiijil. :t> ■ ly-terinlii- aled Quartz Cr> HtulH, i< iiikI m this piiic.-. II this tcillc) tlcinof DrlUlant 'Ifiiis pleases you. Uludly seiul 7t) i-"nl > ino inorei. ». V. TAKE NOTICE. On. February i, 1899 our branch at Sandwich, Ills, was closed, the stock be- ing coivBolidat-ed with our stock at Blen- coo, Iowa. All iuture correspondence should be addressed to Kerr's Natural History EstablishmeDt H. W. KERR, Mgr., BLENCOE, IOWA. LABELS. iplote prk-e. l-'os l-er lUOO, with a^sc All sizes and for any branch of Natural History, at the very lowest prices. Send nie copy and 1 will 11 Labels like sample 10c per 100; TOc iteu headings. 1 Period Name 1 L.OC DEVONIAN AGE. 1 1 , Letter Heads. Bill Heads. Cards, and etc. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale anil Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. rhirlartw monthly biilletlu of Skins. Eggs. etc. free upon application. H. W. KEkRR, Mok. KKinrs XATrHAL HISTORY ESTABLISHMENT. rUiK.NC .OK, IOWA. OElAI_^ElHS AND COLaLaEIOTORS. Niitiiralists* Supplies. Piil)licati(ms. Novelties, etc. 18W List Free on application. P>c Yiiur < »\vn Ta.xidcrnii.^t. Particular.^^ for stamp. Send for Sanipk Copy oi "The Naturalist Farm and Fanciers Review." THE MUSEUM. North American Birds OLIVER DAVIE. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. Extra Cloth, - $2.25 postpaid The best book on Eggs Published. HOW TO GET THIS BOOK FREE. Now I want every collector to have this book and will give it to you free on cer- tain conditions. Offer A. If you will add to your collection eggs from my list (singles or sets with full data) to the value of $4.00 list price I will give you free one copy of Nests and Eggs. B. If you want egg tools, select any tools or supplies or combination of Eggs, Tools or Supplies (except eyes and books) to the value of $,5.00 and I will forward free with your order one copy of Nests and Eggs. C. For $2.50 I will send one copy Nests and Eggs and a large Ostrich egg prepaid. D. For $3.00 I will send the book, Ostrich egg and a nest and eggs of Hummingbird giving you the largest and smallest eggs for your collec- tion. E. I have a few Alaska Diamond Scarf Pins and while 1 hey last will pres- ent you one free with an order of eggs for 50 cents or more from list. Order soon if you want one and mention pin with your order. F. Forty eggs of my selection in partitioned case with pink cotton, sent prepaid for $1.25. G. Twenty-five eggs of ray selection in partitioned case with pink cotton prepaid for 75 cents. These show off the eggs line. A few of the eggs in these two collections are blown with two small holes, not noticed when incase. Send 2c stamp for Egg Catalogue. Complete Catalogue, over 300 illustrations and colored plate, 10c in stamps. CHAS. K. REED, 75 Thomas Street, Worcester, Mass. VOL. V. NO. 5. MARCH. 1899. nt{j?\ A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — -^o its. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers , 5 cts. Published on the i jfh of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM I ALL ROADS ARE ALIKE I I TO A IIOMRCH^^^ I S $25 King and Queen $25 £ lb il< iii tin tb \b lb lb li/ ib lb lb lb lb The best pair of bicycles on earth for the money ■ . . MONARGH CHAINLESS $76 MONARCH ROADSTERS $60 DEFIANCE ROADSTERS $36 lb lb il( lb lb lb lb lb lb ib lb lb lb lb lb lb lb lb lb lb ■ "lb ^ Branches— New York, Lontlon, Hamburg ^ lb \it MONARCH CYCLE MFG. CO. Lake. Halsted and Fulton Streets lb lb lb lb lb Chicago lb ib lb lb lb lb lb lb Send 20 cents iu stamps Uir a deck tif ib Monarch Playinp ('ards, ilhistratine (j^ Jessie Bartlett Davis, Lillian Russell, ib Tom Cooper, Lee Richardson and ib Walter .Tones. ib lb t Ride a Monarch and Keep in Front. >b lb "^ lb lb Ib Fine Florida Shells. We have every facility for furnishing collctors or dealers with Florida Shells, or Souvenirs We have had long experience in colleetjue, and the Editor of the MnsEtiM, has, unsolicited by u.>i, offered to answer any imiuiries as to our responsibility or fair dealing. If you wish to see quality of specimens before rlaciUK larger orders, send $1 for a box of samples. ^11 cleaned and correctly named. Price list for stamp .and all inquiries promptly answered. Give us a trial. J. H. HOLMES, I)UXE1)1\, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shells. Also Centipedes, Scorpions, Crabs, etc, in alcohol at a bargain. Address with .stamp, O. BRVANT, Longwood, Florida American Land Shells Wanted. Any collector who has a good stock of above for sale cheap, we should be pleased to hear from. We will also buy Foreign Land, Fresh Water or Marine, in any quantity. Cypraea specially wanted. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., ALPION, N, Y. ■^WISH^o SUBSCRIBE For any of the Magazines listed below? If you do. send me the regular subscription price given and I will allow ynu either of tne Photos, from Nature, Free. Photo. No. I is a neat amateur photo. 4x.5 inches, taken in swamp, of the nest of the Tule Wren. Photo No. 3, is a neat amateur photo, taken in Eucalyptus Grove, showing the way the bark peels down, and the favorite nesting site of the House Finch The Osprey $1 00 The Nautilus 1 00 Knowledge, published in England 2 00 The Museum 50 Popular Science News 1 60 W. H. HILLER, 147 W. 23d St., Los Angeles, Calif, 50 YEARS' EXPERIENCE Trade IVIarks Designs . . Copyrights &c. Anvone aendln^ n sketch and description may quiclily :iscprt:iiii our opinion free wild her an invention is |)r*ibablv patentable, f^'iniiiimiiicfl- ilona strictly conflderitial. Handbook on Patents seiit free, oldest aKencv for securing liatents. Patents taken thrmic-h Munn & Co, receive speci'il niitii-e, willn.iu cluvrtrc, in the Scientific JTmerican* A handsomcjv illiislrated weekly. Lnrt'est cir- culation of any scientiflc j.iiiriial. Ternis. Ir.i a year; four niontha, $1. Sold by all newsdi-iilers, MUNN &Co.3«'«"""'"'"' New York Braocta Office. 626 F St.. Washington, D. C. IVhfii ansivcring advertisements al- ways vuntion THE MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHANGES AND FOR SALES. All iiDtii'PS that come uiuler Hhove will bo insiTted iu this liepartiumit until fuitlier notice at OIK' (1) cent a word. No notice loss than 3r)C. Terms Cash with trtlor. No ckiiryc for adtin.ts. I shall at all times endeavor to koop parties, whose reputation is of a doubtful char- acter fiom u>ing thc^e columns. KOK SALK —i moose heails, 1 scalp, mounted Snowy and (ireat Horned Owls, American Bittern, Owl skins. Buffalo horns, Klk antlers, etc. CHKIS P KOKtJK, Carman, Manitoba. WILL EXCHANGE 1000 yurds of aJl wool dress goods for old crockery, showy shells, showy minerals, perfect relics of the Mound Builder or Indian. Dress goods are warrant- ed pirfect. no damaged goods. Send lisr of what you have to exchange, give number of yards wanted, send for samples, give shades wanted. Address G. M. SHERMAN, 3110 Wortbington St., Springheld, Mass. IF VOL' WISH to subscribe for any natural history magazines or run any ads. let me know. I'remiums offered and specimens tak- en in exchange. W. H. HILLEK, 147 W. '-'8d St , l>is Angeles, Calif. YOUR NAME, address and branch of Na tural History you are interested in on a pos- tal card will be taken in exchange for our 1899 list The collecting season soon opens and you will be in need of supplies. Send at once for our Price List KERR'S NATURAL HISTORY ESTABLISHMENT, Blencoe, la. HAVE small lots of mounted birds and bird skins to exchange for postage siamps. No trash wanted. Send oflei- and yet my lists. J. W. BUHLERT, Gray St., Arlington, Mass. GEMS of the Roekies:— Semi for list of Fine Opals, Amethyst, Topaz, four Gold and Silver specimens with one Colorailo wild tlower, nicely mounted, 20c. E. W KIMBALL, 1122 Pearl St., Boulder. Colo. PHOTOGRAPHS of Kiowa. Comanche, Wichita, Apache. Caddo, Delaware andSionx Indians and camp scenes to exchange for In- dian relics, ancient or modern. AH photo- ?Taphs taken by myself during last two vears. )R. J. F. ROV\'ELL. Stamford, Conn WANTED IN IOWA.— Agents wanted in every town in Iowa to sell "rhe Perry " Per- fection FouMiain Pen. Its a cracker Jack. Sample, postpaid. ?1. Write for agents prices KERR S NAT HIST. ESTAB , Slate Agency. Blencce, Iowa. PROCEEDINflS of Scientific Bodies. We have many (if these which we will sell very reasonably. Have 8 vols. Proceedmgs Acaif- emv Natural .Science and many others. W. F \\EBB, Mgr. Albion, N V SETS OF EGGS PREPAIDr-Spotted Owl 1-2. $4; Mourning Warbler 1 2, *l .".O; Chach- alaca 1 A. 7.")c; American Herring Gull 1 'A. 30c; Sooty Tern 1-1. l.^c; (ireat Horned Owl 1-3, $1 i)0; While Ibis 1-3, 30c; Snapping Turtle 1-25, $1 .50; Red Lagged Turtle 17, .'JOc; Clap- per Rail 1-7. (iOc; American Bittern 1-8, 90c; Pied billed Grebe 1 G. 35c; Gannet 1-1, 20c; L. B. Marsh Wren 1-6. .24; Prothonotary Warb- ler 1-5, 60c; Bobolink l-.'i, 75c; Blue Jay 1-4, 16c; Chestnut collared Longspur 1-3, 7.5c; Cal- fornia Towhee 1-4, 16c; California Thrasher 1 2, IGc; White winged Dove 12, 16; Mc- Cown's Longspur 1-3, $1; Red shouldered Hawk 14, 60c; Virginia Rail 19, 80c. Over 300 kinds of single eggs at i to i of list price. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. WANTED. -Old Crockery. Glass, Brass and Pewter ware, old arms, anything and everything in the curiosity line. Will pay cash or sell on commission. 25 years exper- ience in selling curiosities, museums and school collections a specialty. (J. M. SHER- MAN, Commi.'sion Dealer, 390 Worthiugton St., Springfield. Mass. 3tf FINELY MOUNTED DEER HEADS. Vol- umes Report Bureau Ethnology. Coues' Key to Birds N. A.. Minnie balls from civil war battlefields. Will exchange for Indian relics or reli « of war MiuUi he induced to sell for ca^h W. B HINSDALK M. D , Ann Arbor. Mich. MINERAL COLLECTIONS:— We have the following minerals all crncked up ready to m .ke into small collections, for students in mineralogieal classes. Sime teachers have used each sprin? from .5(1 to 60 collections, gi\ inif llieni to ili^' M-hniars at actual cost. Hire i> ihe. list th ii ate r,ady now: Asphal- tum, Allanite. Aciiuuliie, Alabaster. Albite, Andalusite, Beryl. Boltonite. Calcite, Chal- cedony, Chalcopyrite, Cone-in-Cone, Crinoid Lime>tone, Calc Spar, Crystalized Calcite, Dolomite. Flint. Galena, Garneis in Rock. Gypsum, (iold Quartz. Hematite, Iceland Spar, Limonite, .Magnesiie, Milky Quartz, Magnetite, Marble, Orlhoclase. Onyx. Pectol- ite. Pudding Stone. Pyrites, Petrihcd Wood, Pyrolusite, Parcelainite, t^uartz geode, Stalactite, Satin Spar, Selenite, Tour- maline, Talc. Wernerite We will send a sample collection of all of above for 70c pre- paid Twenty live colleclions for $10.00; 40 collections for $14 00 If above does not cov- er your wants write us. WALTER F. WEBB. Albion, N V. 66 THE MUSEUM. YOU WILL Want Supplies Sond for our Special list and 1899 List. KERll'S NAT. HIST ESTB., Blencoe, la. PAMPHLETS:— Land and Fresh Water Shells of Ala , 41 pages, by Dr. Jas. Lewis, 25 cents; Land and Fresh Water Shells of New York state by Lewis, 16 pages, 20c; Instruc- tions for Collecting Land, Fresh Water and Marine Shells and preparing for the Cabinet by Lewis. 10c; Collectors wishing 2.5 copies or more of the latter pamphlet we will make special rates. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. EXCHANGE ADS. FREE —Any reader of the Mdsdem who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, 108 Fulton St., New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. THE FOLLOWING specimens, all well cleaned or polished, cheaper than you can hunt them, neatly labeled and postpaid: Pecten acquisulcatus $ 08 Chione simillina 05 Lottia gigantia 08 Bulla nebulosa 08 Sand crab 03 Saw-tish scales. .^: 01 Small sea urchins ( without spines) 01 Total $ 3i Or if you take the lot 28 cents. W. H. HILLER, 147 W. 23^ St., Los Angeles, Calif. A Fine Collection of Mammals Mounted true to Nature on Nice Stands. 1 Racoon, female, adult, position walking$7 50 1 Kox, red, young, male, walking 4 00 2 Skunks, m., f., very tine, walking$4.00 8 00 2 Gophers, m, f, very tine, sitting 2 00 4 00 2 Muskiats. m., f.,very fine, sitting 1 50 3.00 2 Squirrels, grey, m , f., very fine on one stand 150 3 00 2 Squirrels, red, m . f., on 1 stand 1 00 2.00 1 Porcupine, f., adult, walking. . . 5 00 1 Rabbit, grey, f., adult, sitting, tine ' 3 50 2 Weasels, white and brown 100 2.00 2 Norwav Rats, m. , t 1 .00 2 00 1 Star-nosed Mole, m 1 00 2 Mice, 1 red, 1 grey, on 1 stand.. .50 1.00 2 Chipmunks, m , f 100 2 00 1 Flying Squirrel 1.00 2 Bats, 1 red, 1 grey 50 100 2 Guinea Pigs, m , f., white, on one stand 1.50 3 00 2 Deer Heads, with long necks, beautiful set of antlers 7..50 15 00 $(58 00 All from the Maine woods, without blemish. Satisfaction guarauteed. Must be sold. A fine col lection for a School or Museum. What am I offered for the entire collection. PROF. CARL BRAUN,Naturalist,Bangor,Me. Birds from South Texas. We have this spring a collector making some tine skins along the South Te.xas coast. Our first shipment by freight from there will be here and ready to send out by the time this number reaches our subscribers. It contains as follows: White Pelican, $3; Brown Pelican, $3 50; Mexican Wild Turkey, $3; Caracara, $1; Florida Barred Owl, 85c; Gt. Blue Heron, $150; Krider's Hawk, $1.10; Snow Goose, $1 85; Ferruginous Rough leg, $1.50; White-tail Hawk, $1/^5; 1 Texan Com- mon Skunk. $2; 1 Texan Sp'.tted Skunk, tare, $4; Pintail Duck, 90c; Gadwell, 90c; Long bill Curlew, 90c; Willet, 75c; Blue-wing Teal, 80c; Green-wing Teal, 80c; Great-tail Grackle, 35c; Western Meadow Lark, 20c; Road Runner, 60c; Swainson's Hawk, $1.25; Arizona Cardin- als, 25c; Golden fronted Woodpecker, 35c; Brewer's Blackbird, 20c; Baird's Woodpecker, 35c; Mt. Plover, 45c; Shore Larks, various, 25c; Least Sandpiper, 20c; Sage Thrasher, 25c; Western Savannah Sparrow, 20c; McCown's Longspur, 25; Bewick's Wren, 30c; Verden, 30c; Orange crested Warbler, 30c; Grass Finch. 18c; Black-throated Sparrow, 25c; American Titlark, 20c; Int. W. C. Sparrow, 18c; Arctic Bluebird, 25c; Dwarf Cowbird,20c; Killdeer, 20c. These are freshly made nice skins, full data &c Make up y(}ur order at once and if you can name any substitutes do so, as they will go quirk Satisfaction guaranteed. W. F. WEBB Mgk , Albion, N. Y. Big Offers in Birds Eggs. The eggs offered below are strictly tirst-class. For $5 00 we will serid $15.00 worth of fine single eggs, no two alike, all correctly num- bered and include a copy of our 100 page Or- nithologists and Oologists Manual. For $10.00 we will send $40 00 worth, no two alike For $20 00 we will send $100 00 worth, no two alike. For $1 00 we will send $12.00 worth of fine sets, with full data For $10 00 will send $30 00 worth of flue sets all with full data. For $'30 00 we will send $80 00 worth of fine sets, with full data. For an order of $50.00 or over we will sell at 1-6 catalogue rates. This you can readily see is to close out our stock. We lose heavily at the latter rate but wish to reduce our stock at once. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , ALBION, N. Y. IMPORTANT NOTICE. We desire to announce that owing to the many improvements made In the current volume of the Kern Bulletin, the price of sample i [copies will now be tifteeu cents each. Pur- J Ichasers of sample copies may deduct this suml Ifrom the regular subscription price when sub-r ■scribing. The January number contains four-l Iteen articles on ferns, many shorter notes, and! f eight pages devoted to tho Mosses. Send fori it. Address, The Fern Bulletin, Binghampton, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. V. ALBION, N. Y., MARCH 15, 1899 No. s A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences. Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion, N. Y. Correspondence and it^ms of Interest on above top- ics. a8 well as notes on the various Museums of the World— \'lews from same, discoveries relative to the bandllne and keeptnt: of Natural History material, descriptive habits of various species, are solicited from all. Malte articles as brief as possible and as free from technical terms as the subjects wtu allow. All letters will be promptly auswored. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Single Subscription WJc per annum SampleCoples .5c e;ich ADVERTISING RATES. Scents per Nonpareil line each iusenion. Twelve Unes to the Inch. Cash must accompany all orders. Remittances should be made by Draft, Express or Poet Ofllce Order or Registered Letter. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination ftooepted for small amounts. MUSEUM PUB. CO., ALBION, ORLEANS CO., N.Y. Sntfrtd at Albion pofi office at efcondclaet mail matter Revision of the Chickarees or North American Ked Squirrels.* The Red Squirrels or Chickarees are. the smallest of the true squirrels in North .America, and are distinguish- ed not only by small size but by the possession of a relatively short tail and a rather distinctive pattern of colora- tion. These features are combined with a reduced upper pre-molar, which is not only so minute as to be non- functional but is often absent either on one or both sides of the jaw, being •(The following notes are taken from Prof. J. A. Alleo's ariicle in the Bulletin for 18!I8 of the American Museum of Natural HLstory. Notes on mammals are so scarce, we think the following will be read with ioterest by man^r of our readers ) wanting in j^bout thirty per cent, of the specimens examined, throughout the group, regardless of the species. The only wonder is that so function- less an organ should persist so uni- formly over such a large geographical area, while size and color are more or less variable. In view of these com- bined peculiarities Trouessart in i88o, very properly raised the group to the rank of a sub-genus under the name Taiiiiasciurus. It is confined to northern North America and embraces several species and a considerable number of sub-species. In 1877 the present writer reduced the three species to one with two addi- tional sub-species. During the following twenty years a considerable number of new forms were described, so that at the close of 1897 some twelve forms were current to which five are now added. During the last ten years material relating to the Chickarees has rapidly accumulated. In 1877 I had before me all the specimens then extant in the larger museums of the country, aggregating about 390, of which about 90 were skulls without skins. The skins were mostly in bad condition, such as now would be regarded prac- tically worthless in comparison with the standard now demanded. Many were without definite localities and a much larger number without date of collecting. Little was then known or could readily be learned from the ma- terial then available, regarding the striking seasonal changes of coloration that characterize these animals. In recent years this has been made a matter of careful investigation, and new light has thus been thrown upon the character of otherwise misleading specimens. With now about four 68 THE MUSEUM. times the number of specimens in hand, nearly all of satisfactory char- acter, it is a pleasure to again retrace the work of two decades ago; ana while the material is still grossly in- adequate, it suffices to amend at many points former erroneous conclusions. For example, there are very few spec- imens as yet available from New Mex- ico and Utah, practically none from Nevada, and important areas of large extent in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia are unrepresented as are also some of the outlying buttes and mountain ranges east of the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Wyoming. The sub-genus Taniiasciiirus is a compact group, its members present- ing many features in common, while others are distinctively characteristic of particular sections of the group. The 17 types here recognized cluster around three principal types from which they have obviously been de- rived, namely: Sciiirus /iitchoniciis, Sciurus frcinonti and Sciiirus doiig- lasii. These three types, so far as now appears, do not intergrade, al- though obviously derived from a com- mon ancester, at some not very re- mote period. All the forms undergo marked seas- onal changes in color, but they are approximately parallel in all the forms, so that when onct understood for one form, a key is available for the others. In winter the ears are rather prominently tufted, but they are tuftless at the height of summer pelage. The soles of the feet are heavily furred in winter, especially at the northward, and comparatively naked in summer. In winter the pelage is much thicker, longer and softer than in summer, there being two annual moults. The winter pelage is retain- ed until late in the season, especially at the northward and in the mountain- ous districts, where the winter coat remains practically intact, though more or less worn and bleached, until June, and more or less of it often re- mains till late in July. The acquisition of the full summer pelage is thus de- layed till late in August or even later, and the new winter coat is not much developed till into November, and is usually not perfect till late in Decem- ber. The black lateral line, present in all the forms in, summer, is irregularly obsolete in winter, sometimes only a trace lingering, while sometimes (ap- parently in animals born the previous year) it is well pronounced and several of the western forms is never so much obscured in winter as it is at the same season in the eastern forms. Sciurus liudsonicHS, (Exrl. j North- ern Chickaree: Range, Northern New England, Northern New York, Northern Ontario and Northern Min- nesota, northward including Alaska north of the Alaska mountains. Prob- ably also outlying areas in the Adiron- dack region and in parts of the Ap- palachian Highlands. Toward the southern border of this general area, it generally merges into 5. /ludsoni- cus loquax. Winter pelage. Above with a brown medium band of rufous, varying from light yellowish rufous, extending from top of head nearly to end of tail: sides of body and outer surface of limbs to the toes olivaceous gray, the hairs plumbeous at base, then alternately ringed with a very pale tint of yellowish and black, and slight- ly tipped with black; ear tufts dusky, the hairs slightly tipped with rufous. Below, grayish white and conspicu- ously ringed with black, giving a gen- eral greyish effect. Tail above with a broad central area of yellowish rufous, bordered with a band of black, widen- ing at the tip into a broad sub-termin- al bar, with a conspicuous outer fringe of pale yellowish rufous, lighter than the central area; below the outer fringe nearly as above. Post-breed- ing or summer pelage, whole upper surface, including flanks, pale yellow- ish rufous, strongest and brightest on outer surface of limbs and feet; a con- spicuous black lateral line; ventral surface pure white; ears like the back and without ear tufts; tail colored THE MUSEUM. 69 nearly as in winter but narrower and lefjs full. Sti/irus /iitdsoniius hujiaix. Bangs, SouTHKKN Ciiu KAREE. Winter pel- age similar to that of .S". liinisoiiiiiis proper, but the medium dorsal band is a brij^hter, deeper red, and the rest of the upper surface more yellowish and olevaceous, with the black annula- tions narrower; below with the white much less strongly vermiculated with black; central area of tail above more strongly reddish. The sub-marginal zone of the tail is narrower and the red hairs of the central area are clear red, i. e. not ringed with black. Sum- mer pelage. In general much redder and more brightly colored. General coloration above, strong reddish yel- low; feet ochraceous or reddish ochra- ceous, this color extending up to the fore arm and leg; below clear white. The range is the Aileghanian and Carolinean faun;^ of the humid prov- ince Red squirrels from Massachu- setts, New York, New Jersey, the states bordering the Great Lakes, southern Ontario and thence westward to Wisconsin and southern Minnesota and southward to the Appalachian Highlands, are quite different in col- oration from the Red Squirrels of Arctic America (Labrador west to Alaska! in both winter and summer pelages, the northern form being much paler in general coloration than the southern. Siii/j-iis liudsonicits dakotcnsis, Allen, Black Hili.s Chickaree. Winter pelage. Median dorsal band light yellowish rufous; rest of upper parts and outside of limbs and feet yellowish gray, the hairs fulvous nar- rowly ringed with black; ventral sur- face clear white: tail above with the central area like the back, the black border narrow, fringed with fulvous; tail below with the central area pale gray basally, passing into very pale fulvous distally; bordered and fringed as above. Summer pelage. Above pale yellowish olivaceous gray, the hairs finely aunulated with black; feet. outside of shoulders and edge of thighs yellowish rufous; lateral line obsolete (wanting in 12 specimens out of the 18 examined and clearly indicated in only two, both young of the year) ventral surface pure white; tail above bright yellowish rufous, much lighter than in the northern .S'. Iiudioniciii and eastern 5. hudsoiiicus loquax, with the usual narrow black sub-mar- ginal band and yellow fringe; tail be- low, with the central area grizzled yel- lowish and black. Geographical range the Black Hills of South Dakota and adjoining portions of Wyoming. Sciurus liudsonicits haiLyi, sub- species nov. Bailey's Chickaree. Winter pelage. Above with a broad median reddish band; rest of dorsal surface pale yellowish gray; below, white, finely vermiculated with black. Summer pelage. Above, yellowish olivaceous, the hairs pale yellow nar- rowly ringed with black; fore and hind feet ochraceous orange to reddish or- ange, this color extending to the shoulders and edge of thighs; a dis- tinct blackish lateral line 'present in at least 90 per cent, of the specimens) below, white, usually with a distinct dash of yellow; tail above with the central area dark cherry red, varying to yellowish red, and extending about three-fourths the length of the tail; some of the hairs being, however, nar- rowly fringed with black, giving a griz;5led effect, central area bordered by a zone of black, with an outer, rather broad fringe of pale yellow; lower surface of tail pale yellowish gray, slightly grizzled with black as above with a black band and a pale yellow fringe. Geographical range, outlying mountain ranges of central Wyoming and eastern Montana, and northward into Alberta in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Its range includes the Bighorn, Pryer and Laramie Mountains in Wyoming and the Big Snow, Bear Paw and Little Rocky Mountains in Montana and probably other outlying, pirie cov- ered buttes and hills. Sciurus ?o THE MUSEUM. hudsonicits baileyi probably inter- grades at the north with the true 5. hudsonicHs from which it dif- fers in summer pelage, in the more olivaceous and darker tint of the dor- sal surface, in the pale fulvous wash of the ventral surface, and in the red and black grizzled upper surface of the tail. It differs similarly, but in a greater degree, from 5. h. dakotcnsis, which is a much paler form. With 5. Ii. richardsoiiii it scarcely needs com- parison, owing to the darker, deeper red of the upper parts of the latter and its much greater amount of black in the tail. Its nearest ally is .S'. //. I'ciUoruui which is geographically its near neighbor at the southeast, find- ing its eastern limit in the Wind River Mountains while 5. h. baileyi occupies the Laramie, and Bighorn Mountains a little farther to the eastward. The chief difference between these two forms consists in the less yellowish and decidedly darker olivaceous cast of the dorsal surface of S. It. vcntoruni in summer pelage, and the grayness of the lower surface of the tail. What the difference in winter pelage may be cannot now be determined, owing to lack of material. Sciurus /utdsoniciis vcntoriiiii, sub- species, nov. Wind River Moun- tains Chickaree. The winter pel- age is not well known yet. Above with a narrow median band of dark colored rufous, narrower and less dark than in 5. h. ricliardsouii but much darker and less yellowish than in 5. h. bailcyi\ rest of dorsal surface and legs and feet gray, suffused with pale yel- lowish, the hairs being yellowish gray ringed with black; a dusky lateral line obscurely indicated; below white with- out (in the specimens examined) black vermiculation; tail above centrally dark yellowish rufous, bounded by the usual zone of black and pale yellowish outer fringe, the black zone being of about the usual width in 5. Imdsoui- cus, S. h. loqiiax and 5. /t. baileyi; the tail' is thus very different from 5. //. richardsoiiii; lower surface of tail gray, grizzled sparingly with black. Summer pelage. Above nearly uni- form dark olivaceous, with the sides of the shoulders and outer edge of thighs suffused with strong reddish fulvous; upper surface of feet ochrac- ceous; the dusky lateral line as a rule, narrow and rather indistinct as com- pared with most other members of the .S\ hiidsoniius group; tail above with- out a well defined central area of red- dish (owing to the hairs being narrow- ly but profusely ringed with black) bordered with a zone of black of the usual extent, and broadly fringed with fulvous, with the dark outer border and fulvous fringe as above. Type taken at South P.hss City, Wyoming. Geographical range. Wind River Mountains Region, and northward along the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains to at least Mystic Lake, and probably to the belt ranges east of Helena, and thence westward to the head of Snake River in Idaho and south along the Idaho and Wyoming boundary to the Wasatch Mountains in Northern Utah. Its range thus in- cludes not only the Wind River and Gros Ventre Ranges, but the Sho- shone and Beartooth M-ewntains, the whole of the National Yellowstone Park region, and the outlying regions east of the Main Divide to Central Montana, to the westward and south- ward it includes the Snake River, Car- iboo, Thompson, Blackfoot, Bear Riv- er, Bannock and Wasatch Ranges, with their outlying and included or connected spurs. Sciiir?ts hudsonicus ventorum finds its near- est ally in 5. //. baileyi from which it differs in much darker and more olivaceous coloration above; the upper surface of the tail has the rufous of the central area more varied with black, and the under surface is grayer and less suffused with fulvous. The differences are not great, but are real- ly appreciable and fairly constant. S. h. ventoruvi is thus one step nearer S. h. richardsonii, from which it differs strikingly in the less red and more oli- THE MUSEUM. 71 vaceous upper parts, and in the great- ly reduced amount of black in the tail. It doubtless intergrades with richmd- soitii at the northward, Mystic Lake specimens being fairly good intermed- iates, though much nearer vcntoruju than richanlsonii. (To be continued in April Miiseinn.) A Great Pelican Rookery. BY C. F. HUI.DEK. It has always been somewhat of a mystery where the numerous brown pelicans, so common on the Southern Californian coast, made their head- quarters During the summer months these lumbering birds which bear so grotesque a resemblance to some of the old pictures of the dodo, come into the little bays alongshore and engage in a vigorous warfare upon the small fry— anchovies, herring, smelt and young mackerel — which are found there in such vast quantities. The pelicans are very tame, and pursue their avocation within a few yards of vessels lying in the bays. Their method of obtaining food is arduous in the extreme, and it is only by continual vigilance that they make a living. In hunting for food they fly heavily, twenty or thirty feet above the water, the long and slender bill, from which depends a capacious pouch, pointing downward, the small brown eyes on the watch for the expectant school of fish. Should it appear, the bird apparently throws itself over, then plunges downward, head first, with mandibles apart. The height of the dive in many instances carries the bird completely out of sight beneath the water, from which it rises in a few seconds, and is it has been so fortun- ate as to engulf a sardine or several in its capacious mouth, it toSses them up seemingly from the pouch, by throw- ing the bill aloft,, then swallows the morsels with self-congratulatory wag- gings of the diminutise tail, suggestive of its satisfaction. The capture of game Is not always a guarantee of a feast. The laughing gull, common in these waters, preys upon the pelican or robs it systemat- ically whenever it can. This it ac- complishes by alighting on the peli- can's head or back as it rises, and as the clumsy bird attempts to arrange the morsel in its mouth preparatory to swallowing, the gull reclines forward and snatches it from between the long mandibles and flies away with exult- ant cries. It has been supposed by many that the brown pelicans make their head- quarters in Lower California, coming north in the spring; but during the past season, the writer, during a cruise among the islands off Santa Barbara County, found the rookery of these birds. The islands which constitute the group are divided into two series: — the Santa Catalina off Los Angeles County, lying according to the chart, in what is called the Santa Catalina Channel. These islands include San Clemente, Santa Catalina, San Nic- olas and Santa Barbara. Seventy- five miles to the north lies a second division comprising Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Aliguel and Anacapa. The latter is a long, slender, rocky island, rising from the water's edge to a mesa between one and two hundred feet in height at the east end. The highest portion recalled the famous enchanted mesa, as it was evidently inacessible except by using ropes and a kite. The island is divided into three dis- tinct portions by the sea. The ex- treme end is flat, terminating in a pin- nacle of rock, while through the cen- ■ter is a lofty arch, high and broad enough to admit the passage of a large yacht, through which the sea runs. The mesa was covered with birds, and as we run near and fired the yacht's cannon there arose a cloud so vast that it fairly colored the air. Every bird had a long bill, and it suddenly dawned upon us that here was the home of the brown pelican on the Southern California coast. The great ledge of rock, flat on top, was colored 72 THE MUSEUM. white by the guano of the birds, and was distinguishable five or six miles distant. As we approached the side of the cliff, which formed a slight an- gle, was seen to be covered with peli- cans, waddling with bills partly open and wings expanded. As the sound of the gun reached them the very ground seemed to rise, the birds whirl- ing slowly upward in great circles, then slowly settling again. The rookery, isolated and inacces- sible, occupied probably four or five acres, where the birds seemed to be packed in; and that it was an ancient one there was every reason to believe. Here, in all probability, the young are reared in May. At the time of our visit, the middle of August, the rook- ery appeared to be occupied by old birds and two-thirds grown birds. The pelicans here nest on the ground, there being no trees of any kind on this wind-swept island This is in direct contrast to the brown peli- can of the Florida keys, at least in in- stances observed by the writer, where the nests were in mangrove trees which were growing almost in the water. The nests were of the crudest descrip- tion, the eggs retaining their position by virtue of good luck. Not ten miles from the pelican rook- ery of Anacapa was seen a series of re- markable caves in the entrance of one of which was a shag rookery. This was discovered by the aid of the odor some distance off. Upon approaching a remarkable overhanging cliff was seen, the summit of which was pos- sibly 500 feet above the water — a stu- pendous pile of rock. Near the base it had been eaten away by the sea, leaving a series of rough shelves or ledges which were occupied by shags old and young. Leading directly into the cliff was a large cave, whose side entrance was also pre-emptied by shags, who were, in the main, two-thirds grown. After some difficulty, the writer landed and climbed into the rookery. The nests were of kelp and other sea weed roughly thrown together and strewn about on the rocks were num- bers of young birds, some nearly de- voured and others partly torn in pieces, showing that some animal preyed upon them. After a careful examination of the surroundings, the writer was forced to think that, half starved, the birds had preyed upon each other and that it was a literal case of the survival of the fittest On the water in the cave floated numbers of dead young shags which had evi- dently fallen in, and unable to swim, had been drowned. Yet the young handled were strong and powerful and used their sharp beaks to good advant- age. In the same cave an attractive swal- low with white marking was nesting, its nest being fastened to the walls. They were made almost entirely of the feathers of sea birds, covered on the outside with a light clay veneer, which made them very heavy and also almost indistinguishable from the rock, this probably being the object of the birds — an interesting instance of protective resemblance. The pelicans undoubt- edly use the Anacapa rookery as a nesting place, spreading from there up and down the coast to visit the various feeding grounds. The great arch at Anacapa is of it- self a notable object and well worthy a visit, being of large size and pre- senting a grand and picturesque ap- pearance from either side. It well il- lustrates the manner of disintegrading which is going on in these islands, which are all honeycombed in the most remarkable manner, presenting a series of marine caves, which for size and interest have no counterpart in this country. The east point of Anacapa, or the pelican rookery, originally had four arches where now there is one. These gradually were worn away until the top fell in, divorcing the section from the island, but preserving the mesa line or angle exact. I THI-: MUSEUM. 75 Notes on Helix Memoralis. Linne and Helix Hortensis. Mueller. m rilE KliV. J \\. IIOUSLEV, M.A. It was disgu5t that me a student of snails. Not the affected disgust of a young woman when she discovers a beautiful and interesting specimen of Arioii atcr upon the rose she has un- necessarily plucked; but the disgust at myself, a naturalist by heredity and by environment and education from my earliest years, when I found by the in- spection of a collection of British land shells made by a young friend that I had poked abjut hedges and ditches. woods and clifTs, for thirty out of the forty years I had lived, and yet had never noticed shells so striking in color and variation as Helix ncvioralis. I set to work at once to remedy this de- fect in my character as a general ob- server of nature, and at first collected only iitinoralis and Itortcnsis. Soon, however, this led me to help the col lections of others and to form one for myself by gathering all the British land and fresh-water molluscs. And then I cast my eyes abroad thai I might better learn how to see at home, and laid the foundation of what is now a fairly large collection of the Helicidae of the world. The path that proved so pleasant to me is one on which 1 have induced the feet of not a few lads and men to tread, and with beginners I have always directed their attention first to these two Helices, so striking and so common To display my col- lection of the varieties and variations of nemoralis and hortensis is alwa>s to excite astonishment, and frequently to incite people to do and to possess like- wise. A few notes, therefore, on these allied shells may be of interest to those who have not directed any special at- tention to their peculiarities. P"irst, let me utter a British growl, a grammarian's grumble, anent the ab- surdity or the misleading character of some of the scientific names we must encounter. Helix nemoralis, the snail of the groves, need never be pursued in the grove when there is a hedge handy, and especial!)' is it abimdant on sand-hills by the sea, which arc about as diverse from groves as any- thing can be. When the broken shells of nemoralis are found in a wood, it may generally be discovered that they have been brought in from outside by s.jme thrush, and that few living speci- mens can be found in the wood itself, e.xcept where they have entered beech woods for the purpose, so dear to them at certain times of the year, of ascend- ing the smooth boles of the beech. Such nemora nemoralis are. according to my observation, usually of the na- ture of copses or plantations, and the deeper the wood the less the chance of finding nemoralis therein. Nor is the accuracy of the term Helix Iiortensis, the garden snail, much greater. I can only recall one garden, at Trentham, in which I hive found it abundantly. The hedge-row snail would be abet- ter name, and //. aspersa might by the general acclamation and execration of all gardeners become the real hor- tensis. Nor are one's growls hushed when some of the varietal names are noted. Who was the maniac who called first the yellow bandless variety of nemoralis, libellulat The word is as unknown to classical Latin, as class- ical Latin is usually unknown to those who libel and ill-treat specimens by the so-cilled scientific names they give them. There is, indeed, lihella, which means an as, two-thirds of the truth concerning the sponsor of the shell. In the Latin of Natural History, how- ever, Lihellula means but a dragonfly. Were the dragon-t1ies which the au- thor of the name had seen, uniformly bright yellow.' Or did he lind in their strongly reticulated wings, their enor- mous eyes, their powerful flight, and their carnivorous habits, the points of similarity to the shell which caused him to make the names identical.' Then the red unicolorous and unhand- ed variety is called rubella. This in somewhat late Latin means reddish, but why is rubra not used.' Its hue is 74 THE MUSEUM. definite enough,* and needs no term implying qualification or indecision. And the correspondmg variety in hor- tciisis is iiicarnata. To classical Latin this word is unknown: in mediaeval Latin it would, of course, be common, as meaning having become flesh. What was running in the namer's sub- stitute for a mind was apparently the idea of flesh-colored, and the fancy that incaniatiis referred to a tint, and not an operation or a state. From cherry-red to pink, grade the hues of both rubella and incarnata, and rubra would exactly and acurately describe both. And then the yellow grounded, transparent banded variety of liorten- sis is, if you please, called arcnicola, or the denizen of the sands! For my- self, I have never found Iiortcnsis of any variety on one of the sand-hills I have searched, and I never found any one who could guess- why this name was supposed to be appropriate. I did indeed once find on the Deal dunes or Sandwich sand-hills one or two of the corresponding variety of nemoralis — i.e., Jiyalo^.onata; and as this was (like all the forms of nemoralis I have seen that have no pigment-producing power for their bands) not black-lipped, 1 might, if unobservant and foolish enough, have taken it for Iiortcnsis, and have called it arenicola, though dozens of other varieties abounded in the same position, and would be equal- ly entitled to the name. I suppose the namer of arcnicola has long become humicola, and we cannot interrogate him as to what he might be pleased to call his reason for giving this name. Peace, therefore, to his ashes! Is it really impossible for British conchologists to determine on the com- mon adoption of an intelligible nomen- clature, and, considering how undoubt- edly allied are the two species, nemor- alis and hortensis, to adopt the term Does not this, like all of the color variations dignified with the mis-applied title of var- ieties, shade into its fellows, and may not this be the real reason of the qualifjing name?— Ed. lutea for what is called libclliila in one and lutea in the other; rubra for what is rubella in one and incarnata in the other; and Iiyalozonata for the hyalo- zonata of nemoralis and the arefticola of Iiortensis}\ I pass on to give a few notes on the differences between nemoralis and hor- tensis, which, by the consent of the majority of conchologists, are distinct species, although M. Souverbie, Cura- tor of the Bordeaux Museum, waxed very vehement when discussing the matter with me, and maintained they were only varieties. Others, in earlier days, maintained that the two species were so allied that there was a hybrid form, which form we should now call simply H. hortensis var. fuscolabiata. I have never seen nemoralis and hortensis pairing, although I have carefully look- ed out for instances, nor have I met any one who has This is a strong argument for their diversity, although an occasional paring would not prove them to be the same species. The second difference is an anato- mical one, the obvious and unvarying difference between the darts of the two species. That of nemoralis is straight and very like the Roman short sword; that of hortensis is curved. The length of the dart in nemoralis is 7-8 mm. ; that of hortensis only 4 mm. The observation of the dart is of espec- ial value when a form is found with white peristome and transparent bands associated with undoubted nemoralis. Is it a stray arenicola} or is it the much rarer Iiyalozonata form oi nemor- alis? The shells tell you little; the darts leave you no doubt. In fact, as nemoralis var. albolabiata is so rare in most places, it is always well to verify it by an examination of the dart. t Or perhaps if the sugsjestion made by Mr. B B. Woodward in "The Zoologist" (Nov , 1885, ''On some variations in Helix arbuslorum, Linn.), of simply using the "terms, yellow, red or white variations" and phrases such as, "with transparent bands," and so on, in conjunction with the band formulae, was followed, Ihe dif- ficulty would be met.— £d. THK MUSEUM. 75 The size of the two shells varies — nfiiiornlis is usually i6A iiiiiliineters in height and :2\ in breadth, and /lor- tftisis i6 mm. in height and iS mm. in breadth, and generally the former is more variable in s\ze than the latter. My largest nemoralis is 32 mm. in breadth, and my smallest hoiteusis i i mm. The difference I have especially noticed abroad, where iiiinoialis is often much larger than the average size in England, but hortcnsis remains the same. A third point to be noticed is that it is not usual, though by no means unknown, for the two species to be found in the same habitat. I can only say, in mentall}- reviewing the very many localities in which I have noticed or gathered thousands of these shells, that I can recollect a hedge here and a bank there where both were found mixed and in fairly e(iual proportions. Even here both are found in the same lane, one may be exclusively found at one end and the other at the other. It seems to me, also, that nemoralis is more de- pendent than its cousin, or liortcnsis less dependent than nemoralis, on a calcareous soil. And in a district where both are found nemoralis will affect the parts where the chalk or limestone comes to the surface, and /lortensis will be in the hedges of the valley where alluvial soil to some ex- tent covers the calcareous rock. Have conchologists noticed, by-the-by, that in many places both these shells are common in wayside hedges and on the sides of high roads, but far less common in hedges a field or so distant from the road.' One might have thought that the less amount of cover and the greater amount of ene- mies to be found close to the roads in comparison with field hedges would have reversed the position of affairs. But it seems to me that the dust of the high road provides lime so conven- iently comminuted for the building up of their shells that they have been drawn, so to speak, into public life by its advantages. Both shells being in their typical form five-banded, one may notice that the bandless or unicolorous varieties are much more common in /lortensis than in neinoralis, one observer find- ing that 52.52 of the hortensis and only 1 7. 86 of the nemoralis he collect- ed in one district in Middlesex were of the bandless kind. This one might ex- pect from the fact that hortciisis is, on the whole, feebler than its cousin, and so more likely to be without pigment- producing powers, and this is born out by the rarity of the translucent-banded forms in nciuoralis and their compara- tive frequency in hortensis; and also by the variety with only a peripheral band being quite common in nemoralis, but distinctly rare in hortensis. But one must note per eontra, and con- trary to one's expectation, that the variety (sometimes called eoalita) in which form excess of pigment power all the bands are united into one broad belt of chocolate color that occupies nearly the whole whorl, is much more common in the weaker hortensis than in the sturdy nemoralis. Other differences are these: The albino form is not uncommon in hor- tensis, though one may notice that the dead white appearance of the shell gives way to a white tinged with yel- low when the animal is extracted; but in nemoralis there is hardly a really albino form, the name var. pallida be- ing more justified than that of var. al- I'ina. The variety lilaeina, again — a tint, by-the-bye, very rare in other Helicidae — is doubtfully found in ne- vtoralis, though abundant in certain localities for hortensis. Nor are the two species at all alike as to unicolor- ous specimens of a brown color. In nemoralis we have the vars. eastanca and olivacea, not rare and giving us many shades, from a dark ruddy brown to a light yellowish brown; but in hor- tensis the corresponding var. fusea is rare, and there is nothing like the ser- ies of shades of brown to be found. Another point of difference is the prevalent ground color. Looking at 76 THE MUSEUM. ncmoralis in quantity, and including both banded and unbanded varieties, one would certainly come to the con- clusion that Ihe original type was red, whereas in liortcnsis yellow is the pre- vailing color. The percentages of nc- inoralis were found by Mr. Belt, of Ealing, to be, at any rate for his neigh- borhood, 37 percent, yellow, 51 red, and 12 brown; while those oi hortcnsis from the same district were 86 per cent. }ellow, 14 red, and o brown. Another point of difference seems to be that the color of the peristome and columella is normal in ncmoralis and accidental in hortensis, and collectors will notice that it is much more fugi- tive in Iiortensis than in ucmoralis. so that the varieties of the latter shell with dark red, pink, or yellow lips should be protected from the light, and even then may be found to lose the color of their peristome. No doubt some of these differences are not of very conclusive force when used singly as arguments for the spec- ies being only allied and not one, but the cumulative force they possess when considered all together is by no means small. Ncmoralis is probably the older shell of the two, being found not only sub-fossil, but actually in Miocene strata, while I am not aware that a similar antiquity can be claimed for hortcnsis. It might, therefore, be held that hortensis is but a weak off- shoot from nenioralis, or a more north- ern form. My own observations, how- ever, in Central and Southern France and in Switzerland would not lead me to this conclusion. Unlimited Supply of Fossil Re- mains in the Bad Lands. Professor O. C. Farrington, of Chi- cago, who spent last summer with his assistants in the Bad Lands of South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming, writes in his report as follows: "No region in the world is richer in the remains of ancient mammals than that mentioned, and the work of col- lecting and preserving them before they decay seems of paramount impor- tance. Aside from the intrinsic inter- est which the structure of these an- cient animals possess, it seems hardly less than a duty on the part of the museum to secure and preserve as far as possible these remains, as often as they are exposed by the hand of na- ture. The expedition sent by the museum this year devoted its atten- tion mainly to collecting mammal re- mains of the White river and Loup Fork ages I was ably assisted in the work of collecting by Mr. E. S. Riggs, and about three months were spent by the party in the field. The work was conducted during the first seven weeks in the Bad Lands of South Dakota, after which the "Corkscrew" beds near Harrison, Nebraska, were visited. The party then explored the escarp- ments of the Deep Kiver beds near White Sulphur Springs, Montana, and the remainder of the time available was spent in the Hat Creek basin of Wyoming. While the material is as yet too largely in the matrix to be ac- curately reported upon, the expedition may be characterized as remarkably successful. The amount and quality of the material collected are such as to amply repay for the outlay, and it was clearly demonstrated that the ma- terial could be secured by collection in the field far more profitably than by purchase. The quantity of material obtained for a given outlay was larger. The work of collection was directed towards a needed kind of material, and details of scientific value were noted which could not be gained with a pur- chased collection. Among the speci- mens secured were a nearly complete skeleton of Titanotherium, a large skull, with jaws and thirteen vertebras, three skulls and many miscellaneous bones of animals of the same genus; two skulls, jaws, and leg bones of Acer- atherium; a probably complete skele- ton of Poebrotherium; a skull of Proto- ceras; twenty-five skulls, some with THE MUSEUM. n jaws, and leg bones, of Leptauchenia, and about twenty-five skulls each of species of Hporeodon and Oreodon; a skull, jaws, vertebra', and leg bones of Cynodesnuis; skulls and miscellaneous bones of Hyracodon. Mesohippus, Hyaenodou, Daphaenus. and Lepto- meryx, and representative bones of three genera of rodents. These speci- mens will be cleaned and mounted during the winter months, and from them it will soon be possible to make a creditable exhibit, as a beginning of a collection of ancient vertebrates." Correct Names of Seeds and Nuts. While visiting the Agassiz museum recently at Harvard college we copied a few names of Seeds and Nuts that are frequently seen in the "curio" draw of collectors. Following is the list from our note book: Uura crepitans, cracking nut, from Central and South America. Al'riis pncatorius. Black-eyed Sus- ans, from the West Indies. Trapa lucoriiis, Chinese Horn Nnt from China. lintada scandens. Liver Bean from Florida. Xcluiiibo lidia. Water Chinijuapiu from Bahamas. Cocos nucifcr, Cocoanut from Cey- lon. Qmrctis macrocarpa, Burr Oak Seed, Missouri. Cciatonia siliqua, St. John Bread, from Egypt. Klius tvpJiiiia, called Staghorn Su- mac. Snp/iiii/iis viargiiiatiis, a curious Red Berry or Seed found at Shannon- dale, Ind. Silai^iihlld priiigli-i. Resurrection Plant from Mexico. Tectniia grundis. Teak Nut from India. Tfioiiia radicans. Trumpet Flower Pod. PliytcUplias macrocarpa. Vegetable Ivory Nut, South America. Madura aiiraii/iaca, Osage Orange Ball. U S. js^ Lecytlus Seeds, called Paradise Nuts. Adansonia digitata, a curious round nut from West Indies. Pornciaiia pulclirrri)iia, Ponciana Pod from West Indies. lintada gigantca, curious Pod ir6xtt>^ Antilles. If any of our subscribers have the names of the Brown Banded Sea Bean also Red and Black varieties, etc. we should be pleased to have them. W. F. Webb. OUR PUBLICATIONS. Tlie Kern Bulletin:— 'i4 pages, quarterly, illus- trated, si.xth year of publleatiou. Price 6U ceuts a year. We can now supply only Vol. VI complete. Send for it. Flora of the l^pper Su8quehanna:--The only work on the Flora about the headwaters of the Susquehanna. It is not a mere list. but contain.** full Information regarding the plants. 12mo. 172 pages, and map. bound In cloth. Jfl.iT postpaid. X lie Plaitt World:— The new journal of popular Hotany. Klrst volume just completed. Among it.s contributors are all the foremost .\merican Botan- ists. Monthly, Illustrated. $1.00 a year. Get the Hrst volume before it isout of print. Address. WILLARD N. CLUTE & CO., Binghamton N. Y. Oologi^t^' O^^fi^? ^°^ 1899. No. 1. 1 Blowpipe, 1 i'„-o Drill, 1 Ktnbryo Hook, Ornithologists' and Oologists' Manual, 'iTt cents. No. 2. Nickel Blower, large s-ize Drill, Einbrjo Hook, Leaii Pencil, 6 inch Rule and O. and (X Manual, prepaid for ."iO cents. No. .*• Best Blower, 3 sizes Drill.", 3 sizes Drills, 3 sizes Embryo Hooks, O. and O. Man- ual, a neat case, all for $1.00. Order at once. WALTER F.WEBB, MGR., ALBION, N.Y. STACDPS. 1(1) all different. incliidlnK Cuba&c, 10c i>oslpald. ."io all dllTerent. Including Spain ic. ."ic postpaid, •ii all Uirrerent. including Finland &c.,3c(2c po.itage) Agents wanted to sell stamps on approval sheets at M per cent ij^immlssloD. Send 2c stamp and receive my list of cneap packets and fuU Information concern- ing agency. EDWIN C. COREY, 30 East 1 29 5t.,N.Y.City. 78 THE MUSEUM. Na^Sl^^ntion. Arch^Cov Eiec- ' WMeSlle 6^^1118. NafcjIUJpffi^ntion, Archseoloy. Eiec tricSty, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Hy- giene. Medicine, Health. Formerly BOSTON JOUM.iL OF CHEMISTRY. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly contains a large num- hj<9f Short. Easy, Practical, Interesting and pillar, Scientific articles, that can be Ap- preciated and Enjoyed by any intelligent reader, even though he knew little or nothing of Science. It is intended to interest those who think. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Different from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name. Monthly. $1.60 per year; Newsdealers.1 5c Larg-est Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO., 10» Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy. Omaha Stamps Bought. 1 cent, 10 cents per 100. 4 cent, $1.00 per 100 or 10 cents per 10. 5 cent, .$1.35 per 100 or 10 cents per 8. 8 cent. $3 00 per 100 or 10 cents per 5. 10 cent, $1 .50 per 100 or 10 cents per 7. .50 cent, $25.00 per 100, or 25 cents each. $1.00 stamp, $50.00 per 100, or 50 cents each. The above prices are for good nscd stamps, not torn or damaged in any way. Address, RETURN MAIL STAMP CO., DUBUQUE, lA. THE MUSEUM. We still have a few sets of back numbers of THE MUSEUM. We will mail the entire first 4 volumes for only $2.00 prepaid; or any number you wish at" 5 cents each. Fill out your tiles now while you can. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. Artistic Bird and Mammal Mounting. Mrs. Mogrldge supplies Museums and Collectors with leaves, grasses, flowers, and other accessories as used at South Kensington, London, Natural History Museum, New York, etc. Mrs. Mogridge also gives instruction and supplies the "Mintorn Art Fabric" and all other material tor the work. i6i West gSth Street, New York. We have on hand many fine things in suclt quantity we quote low rates on wholesale or- ders, in order to make room. The material offered in every instance is as low as money can buy. Look over the list carefully: Purple Sea Plumes from the Bahamas Large size, 4 to 5 feet, $3.50 per dozen. Medium, 2 to 3 feet, $1.50 per dozen. Ostrich Eggs, South African specimens, at $4.50 per dozen. Cypnra Annulus, Ringtop Cowries, from the East Indies, 50 cents per quart. Cypra-a moneta. with varieties, Money Cowry from Singapore, 50 cents per quart. Black Haliotis, 4 to 5 inch, from Monterey, Cal. 75 cents per dozen. Red Haliotis, from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch, at $1.50 per dozen. Stronilius tuberciilaius Silver Lips, 2 inch, from Singapore, at 36 cents per dozen. Strombus alalus. Purple Mouth, from Fla., at 24 cents dozen. E. I. Coral fragments, 2 to 3 inch, 20c dozen Melongena corona. Crown Shell, from Fla., 24c doz. Sabre Beans, mammoth, 16 to 20 inches, cur- ious, Bahamas, at 50c doz. Nereta pderonta, Bleeding Teeth, Bahamas, at 50 cents quart. Purple Gorgonias, Flexible Coral from Baha- mas, $1 50 dozen Mica Snow, for Taxidermists and fancy work, worth 80c pound, our price 20c. Murex brandaris, from East Indies, 1 to 2 inch, 15c dozen. Bahama Coral, such as Fan, Head, Palm, etc. Several species at 10c pound. Mineral Collections, for Teachers to give or sell to .students, .50 varieties, named, etc., at 50c lists on application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work, 2.')C quart. Fasciolaria dtslans. Tulip, 3 inch, 36c dozen. Fasciolaria tulipi, Tulip, 3 to 4 inch. 40c doz. Fulgar perversa, from Fla.. 4 to 5 inch, 60c" Tube Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas. $1.50 dozen. Scaphites nodosns, an ammonite shaped fossil from the Bad Lands, 3 inch, 50c doz , 3 inch, $1 00 dozen; 4 inch, $3 00 dozen. Make up your order now, as these prices only hold good while stock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. SCIENTIFIC BCOKS. The handling of Soieutitic Books is exactly in our line. In ye good olden times when a^ book was wanted, the customer picked up a reliable dealer's catalogue and ordered it at list price. In these hustling 1899 limes he or- ders where he can get it the cheapest. Our facilities are unsurpassed. Our import ord- ers are usually filled in 15 to 30 days. Prompt paying customei's need advance no money with us till goods are delivered. Let us figure on your wants. Walter F, Webb, Mgr., Albion, N.Y. TUli MUSEUM. 79 MUnDDTMn ^ ^'"^ '' ^^^ STREET, NEAR BROADWAY ilUrrliNu, new york city, U.,^^ Minerals for Scientitic and Educational Purposes. New Catalogue and Price List, iSyy, just out. lo plates and over loo figures of Crystals, etc., bound in boards, 25 cents postpaid. THK GKM (.'KYSTAL COLLECTION, 20 specimens, with 42 page book and list, in trays and liox couiplclo, $1 00 postp.'iid. SL'LPHl'lt h.\LL OK PYRI TES. a fine large ball of briglit metallic yellow "fool's gold. postpaid. CATLIMTK OK INDIAN PIPESTONE, a polished tablet 2.x2i inches. 30c postpaid. Carved acorn watch guards, 15c postpaid. We can use all the uncanceled postage stamps you can seod. CLOSING-OUT SALE. We are closing out specimens named below at very low prices. Note all are prepaid. We will send on approval if you agree to return promptly prepaid what you do not care for. We will also take pay in installments if more convenient to customer. You must write quick as many of these things will go at once. Mammal Skins Suitable for Mounting. KACH Shrew Mole •$ 3.5 Oregon " 35 Star nose " .... 35 Short-tail Shrew ? 25 Fine Mouse 25 White-foot Mouse 25 Pen na Mouse 25 Kangaroo" 25 Tanias Prirei 80 " Thrysodeirus 35 Striatus 25 •' Townsendi 30 lateralis 30 Pouched (iophcr 60 Trowbridge Hare 70 Nor (irey Squirrel .50 Ore Ground Squirrel 60 Musk Rat 60 Calif (irey Squirrel 60 Weasel 1 summer Mounted 1 00 Coon, medium size 75 Skunks, Fla 1 00 Opossum 80 Amer. Quail 40 Gt. Blue Heron. 1.50 Above are nice. Have large lot medium to large skins will sell at 10 to 35 cents each to close out. Ancient Indian Relics. Fine Perfect Pottery Pipe $4.00 Bowl 4.00 " Bowl, cracked 2.50 Axe, tine groove, cutting edge chipped . . .50 Good Celt 40 ■' axe, half groove 60 Sinkers 15 Scrapers, notched or uunotched 15 Points, poor, various states 01 better, " • 03 " good to line, various states 10 •• fine 20 Obsidian points, chcice 35 to .75 knives 30 to .60 ornament 75 " scraper 25 Sioux Moccasins, all beaded, about si/e 8 1.40 Mink, finely mounted 2.50 Red Squirrel 25 Chautauqua shell collection, use to sell at Wild-cat. good for fur rug 75 Dusky fool Wood Rat, laige 00 Norway Rat 50 Box Turtle 50 Yellow-bellied Turtle 1.00 Alligator. 3 ft 1.50 Bird Skins. »i! 50, prepaid, have 10 will sell at 1.25 Sioux Bow and 2 arrows, metal tipped. . 1.50 Arrows, tnelal tipped, by doz 1.20 Cactus Wood Cane 50 Collection of 50 kinds of minerals, all named, etc 75 Special rates on 25 to 50 collectioas. Ostrich Egg, African 85 12 small mounted birds, mostly ditferent, l.>l 2.50 6 of above, lor lot 1.25 Dark-bodied Shearwater $2 00 BIk -vented " 1.50 Amer. Goshawk, male 1.25 Sanderling 20 Yellow Legs 20 Canada Jay 35 weighing 10 to 40 pounds each Marbled Murrelet 100 Fine, large Speriu Whale tooth, with Evening Grosbeak 30 picture of Washington engraved on by Screech Owl, in down 30 sailors $2.00 A bargain on some big Bahama Corals 8o THE MUSEUM. FiDc. 1;UK<' Wall lis tusk 3 00 Khiorite Crystal, Gypsutn, G.>s'oDiie,(Ji:iphite, Mai iiiu algae |Ji r ill z rards TS Glanconite, Genthite, (J irnet, (iaieua, Gold ScHii pi>t«i inouiitKl in lio\ 40 Ore, Galenite. Garneiite. Gilsonite, Heulan- Hermet Cral), ill shell; all in bnx 25 dite, Horustone, Halite, Hexagonite, lolite, Pieet^ of Big Tree l?ark, 4 X 4 innh 30 IlmenitP, Idocrase. Jeffersite, .Jasper, James- 12 kinds of Sea Bfans all named, for 30 onsite. Kaolinite, Ltzurite, Lppidulite, Labra 25 kinds of Forei/n Birds' eggs, all named dorite. Leelite, Lithn Stone, Lava, Limonite, and first class, fur 150 Lignite, Leucite, Lnllingite, Molybdonlite, Birds of Labrador. Natural History of Monticellite, Marmolite. Magnetite, Magnes- Labrador, and O & O. Manual, all for. 1 00 ite, Monazite, Natron, Nuttallite, Native Cop- he fallowing tine minerals are a!l in stock Pf';-, ^^[r'-T^' p^''"' ^° p'' u^^f '' l^T"' re will send good size cabinet specimens for ^^ "%9''^':1'^"- Pyroxene Prehnite. Perov- n^^nts each, prepaid : ?kite. Pisolite, Pearl bpar. Part zite P.oustte iM9 .j6 ■. , PyriixenH, Porcelainite, Pvrrholite, Pyrites, Albertite. Aj;gent£^, Allanite, Ap .ph.vliite, PetriH.'d Wood, Phra^«. Phlogopite, Pecto- ArseDopjnie. Ataci.mite, Alabandite, Agate. m^ P,,ilomelai e, Qnaiiz Knalger. Rhodon- Asbestos. Albite, Actiuolite, Amphibole, A'.'gi- j,^ ll„..jk Ci v^tal. R ish Quartz Rutile. Rutile nte, Analcite, Apatite, Anhydrite. Alabaster, jq Quartz, Rhomb.>.par, Rhoi'ocrosite, Ripidol- Beryllonite, Biotite, Beryl. Bog Iron Ore. [,,, sain Spar, Salenite, Selenite Crystal, Bauxite, Bloodstone, Biihrsioue. Brookite xl, Somo^kit- Sppi.lite. .Sillimanite, Sodalite, Boruite. Cooper Pseud, Chrysalite. Cinnebar, Simlihsouile, Si i. ri'e S-aurolite. Smoky Carnallite. Succinite, Chalcopynte. Cerru'ite, Quartz Smoky Topaz Sp. duniene, Sphaler- Cryolite, Cer,argyrite, Chalcedony, Caruelian, ■^^^,^ .Siibnit- Sir ,.iiiauite Stilbite.Stinkstono, Chert. Chry. is, Oeiits' framea. 22. -4 and 'Jii in,. Lndics' 22 in. ; best "■Recrfid,"" guariin- i Ment througliout. Our Written Cliurnntee with every bicycle. Ill 3 guarantee forchar^'esone way) state w hi t her ladies'or gents", color and I'cd, and "" will ship ('. 0 D. for the biihirce HS'ri.TS and express charges), n't find it the oiost nonderful Biejcle Offer ever niadi-, send it back at our ex- 1 to be di>appi)int€d. 50 ceits discount for cash in full u irh order. SA .■Minphtelin'>or '»» 31od.-ls at ^11.60 and uj.. Seoord-hond Wheels *3 to ¥10. We want 3Ffi.HD3EH. .A.C^:E33VrS bic.vrle la-t year Tliis vear we ..ffT wheels and cash for v Gliicago, to any exprc The Mead Ci/cle Co. . if sauHle wherlfo agents. Write for our illtcrni propOHitlun. We are known everywhere pcle lloime in thp woiU and are perfedly relii-Me; we refer lo any liank or business house in and to our custom" is eve* y wh '" J. L. MEAD OYGLC OO., Chicago, lil- WE BUY STAMPS AND OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS Send us " 1 nt you have with lowest easli price or we will nihUe > ou an i ffer if joii We pay exprt^s or postage one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, wish. Fine Large Polished Shells at Wholesale. DO/. Marlinspike, choice $3 2,5 White Miirex 1 75 Hooked Scorpions 3 00 Tiger C'lwries ,'50 Caiui'os 3 00 Melous, large 4 00 Orange Scorpions 3 00 Above are choice shells and will please you. W. F. WEBB, M(;i{., ALBION, N. Y." THF. MUSEUM. WRITE ME A LETTER TODAY Si:iiliik' that Villi wiiiilil llkt- to hiivf si-ni lor > M-ir >n>«pfci1oii i-h>trues prf puld. rt» of rht' KatnouH Doably-terniln- aled UunrtK CryHtwIS, f< iind at Uii- |i ... . . II tills i-.jlleciioi, orKrUihini (iein- iiV.i>e- \oii. kindly send 7(1 i-»Dt-* mo 111 irt". olti«TWI e return the rollect- I'ln and It will tx O. K. l:>uotthls;i .ulr |iro|nmlHoi :• :ii Woild s V'n^r received Htyhest A«arJ, 1 L>iploiii:t Adiliv>^ A. n. CRIM, Mlddlevllle, HerUiiiier Co., M. V. TAKE NOTICE. On I'Vliruar) i, i.Sgg our branch at Sandwich, Ills, was closed, the stock be- ing consolidated with our stock at Blen- coe, Iowa. All future correspondence should be addressed to Kerr's Natural History EstablisfimeDt H. W. KERR, Mgr., BLENCOE, IOWA, LABELS. All sizes and for any branch of Natural History, at the ver.\' lowest prices. .Send me copy aud I will ipinlf |irk-e. Kossll f.ahels like sample lllc per lUO; 7Uc per KUKi. with assorteu headings. DEVONIAN AGE. r'erlod Name TjOO Li-tter Heads, Hill Heads. Cards, and eli-. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. JAMES p. BABBITT, Wholesalo :incl Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our larue monthly Imlletln of Skins, upon applli-aiioii. Oggs. etc. flee H. W. KERR, M(.H. KKKHS XATIKAL IlISTOKV ESTAHLISHMENT, BLiElNCC3I\, IOWA. oraLaEirs and CO La l. rotors. \;itiir;ilists' Sni)|>li<'s. I'liMifatioiis. N(»vt^lties, etc. 1890 List Free on application. Be Your Own Taxidermist. Particulars for stamp. Send for Sample Copy of "The Naturalist F'arni and Fanciers Review." Tiir. MisrrM North American Birds OLIVER DAVIE. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated. Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. Extra Cloth, - $2.25 postpaid. The best book on Eggs Published. HOW TO GET THIS BOOK FREE. Now I want every oollector to have this book and will give it to vou free on cer- tain conditions. Offer A. If you will add to your collection eggs from my li.-it (^ingles or set.s with full data) to the value of $4. CO list price I will give you free one copy of Nests and Eg£cs. B. If you want egff tools, select any tools or supplies or combination of Eggs, TooKs or Supplies (except eyes and hooks) to the value of $!i 00 and I will forward free with your order one copy of Nests and Eggs. C For $2.50 I will send one copy Nests and Eggs and a large Ostrich egg prepaid. D. For $3.00 I will send the book. Ostrich egg and a nest and eggs of Hummingbird giving you the largest and smallest eggs for your collec- tion. E. I have a few Alaska Diamond Scarf Pins and while ihey last will pres- ent you one free with an order of eggs for 50 cents or more from list. Order soon if you want one and mention pin with your order. F. Forty eggs of my selection in partitioned case with pink cotton, sent prepaid for $1.25. G. Twenty-five eggs of my selection in partitioned case with pink cotton prepaid for 75 cents. These show off the eggs fine. A few of the egg.s in these two collections are blown with two small holes, not noticed when incase. Send 2c stamp for Egg Catalogue. Complete Catalogue, over 300 illustrations and colored plate, 10c in stamps. CHAS. K. REED, 75 Thomas Street, Worcester, Mass. VOL. V. NO. 6. APRIL, 1899. .^---.^^^^ ^ UcEUTH A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — ,0 cts. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, ,' cts. Published on the 15th of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. 1 THE MUSEUM. . •.v''»l?*^'»»*.r -**;/• '■•'"■' OK Nortli American Birds BY OMVEK DAVIF. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated Thoroughly Revised. Coo pp. Extra Cloth - $2 24 postpaid. The best book on Eggs Published. The four b^oks mentioned belo V are beantif'iUv il'u^tfated bv cnlor photo. graphy, being photoa;r.iphed direct from the bird or biitterll-', and thi'ir eoloriui? is absolutely accurate. Th) price of i.i-.ese hooks is less thm one-twr>?ntieth of what such books could be bongli: for two ye irs a<;n ''The Butteafly Book," by Dr. W. J. Holland, has, besides hundreds of text illus- trations, colored plates, which show over a thousand species of American Butterflies with all their native beauty and brilliance of coloring. It also shows the caterpillar and chrysalis of many in natural colors This is "A. Popular Guide to a Knowledge of the Bntterllies of North America " It tells everything about butterflies, and tells it in a way anvbodv can understand. Everyone interested in butterflies should own this book. Price is only $3.00. prepaid. "Birds that Hunt and are Hunted," by NeltjR Blauchin. Gives the life histories of 1T3 of our game and water birds and birds of prey. You can actually see the iridescent sheen on the neck of the wild pigeon, and the other forty-seven plates are equally flue. Price, $2.00, postpaid "Bird Neighbors," by the same author, has .'52 colored plates, and desbrihes 1.50 of our song birds and other more common feathered neighbors. With the aid of these lifelike plates there can be not the least doubt as to the idontific.ition of a bird. It is a sufficient commentary on the volume that there have been nearly 30.000 copies sold since it appeared. Only $2 00, postpaid "Birds and all Nature." Is the best monthly magazine on nature published. Each number contains eight colored plates, with full descriptive matter in re- gard to each. $1.50 a year, or 15 cents a copy, prepaid We have Vols. I. II, III and IV nicely bound m cloth and gold at $1.25 each, postpaid. CHAS. K. REED, Naturalists' Supplies and Books. 75 Thomas Street, Worcestire, Mass. THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHANGES AND FOR SAJ.ES. All notices that come under above will be inserted in this depaitmeiit until further notice atone (1) cent a word. No notice less than aric. Terms Cash with rrder. No charge fur address. I shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, whose reputation is of a doubtful char acter from using these columns. RUBY- THKO.V I'Kl) UrMMKK.-A few tinp sets of twci with perfect ni sis covered with lichens Full data, each $1.00 WALTKK F. WEBB, Mgr . Albion. N. Y. MOUNTED BIRUS —A few mounted birds at .50 cents A j;rcal bargain for a short time only. Li.st on application f'OYSEK & SMITH. 1U41 Waverly bt., Philadelphia, Pa. COW FISH and TOAD FISH. Fine speci mens from south Floriila, skinned and stuffed natural shape They are dried well and make a ercat curio No offensive smell The Cow Fish are 75e a'l.l the Toad Fish $1 00 both prepaid W. FWEBIVMRr . Albion. N. Y WANTEIX-Fonts of . p- fr. .-h skins of Sparrows. Thrush. Warbl. r.s V;reos. W.iders. FIj-catchers. Indian sknlis m..! M)i crals in bulk Offer other specimei s '•• cash if cheap F. A W DEANS. Nat. Sci E-iablishment, 37 Falls St . Niagar.i Falls N Y. FOR EXCHANGE. — 1 vol. Oreyon Natural ist. 1 vol. Anli'i>ianan 1S97. i vol. American Archcfologist 18!i8. 1 bo k on the p'nhistoric Indians, tilled "Men Bef'"-'' Metal-'."364 pp , 148 illustrations, by N Joly The lot by ex- press $2 00 Wanted helix or othir goo. I shells. WM CLDNEY, Gsli. Out , Can ASETofeight volumes of ili. Pi .■(-.'.•■Mngs of the Philadelphia AcaiJi-my of Science- for sale at $16. Thi y are desirub'e iinl contain a wealth nf vain ilile inform iti -n. Are-voiih twice this figure Or wi|i exchange fu FRANK A. COX. Nnnda. Illinois. _ WAN I'ED: — Position to go with or for ties on collecting tours •<" par- n all BOOKS:— Davie's Nests and Eggs. .5th ed. $1 70 ifew copies 4th ed second hand at ilOe each). D.ivie's Taxidermv, $4 00; Osprcy Vol. II, $1.10. Have hack vols Auk, Nid.. O. & O., etc , in stock Drop mo list of wants in books aud subscriptions and back vols, and odd numbers. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephen- town, N. Y. A CALIFORNIA CONDOR EfiO for sale. A perfect egg of the Californi i Condor, tak- en the 7th of March this year, which we offer for sale at a reasonable figure cnsh or in- stallments, tn suit purchaser Tlic |)i ice will be furnished to those who think i t purchas- ing WALTER K. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. AN( lENT JAPANESE SWORD —We have two niceones, regular price of which is $5. Our price net $2. These are of Kne workmanship, having choice scabbard. Or- der a! once if wanted. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. APRIL FOOL? No! APRIL SNAPS — Cash sale of the following specimens all go cheap I am building a new store and want cash Mounted heads, I Moose at $'.i") 00: un- mouiitcil heads, 3 M'lose at $12 00 each, 2 Elk at $15 00 and $18 90 each. Antlers. 1 set Moose $3 00; 3 set Elk at $4 00 and *2 00; 2 set Blacklaii at $100. Mounted biids. 3 Snowy Owls at $2 50; (ireat Horned Owls $2 OU; pair Barred Owls at $1 50 e-His and singles also liird skins for flr.st cl:.-s bird skins JESSE T. CRAVEN. Hoi ley. N. Y. INDIAN IRON TOMAHAWK I do not think we have ever offen d our customers be- fore :i perfect Ancient lion Tomahawk, he cauoe ihtjy are very scarce. lime and again we have tiied to get one and several limes got track of one, only to learn that someone else bid more than we did. One of our in- timate correspondents recently nneaithert thrct- :-.nd sent ihem direct to ns. Two mpc of regular shaie but one is of a very cunous patlnrn. Puriies wishing to see one on :ip- prov.d and will paj' rt^turn charges if noi :i(>- cepiable. write us at, once. Price will he reasonable. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N Y. FOR SALE:— Choice collection Indian Rel- ii'ss, a few carvt-d ("liiuese jades very cheap.- Will buy lots of Indian relics if authentic. DR. W. O. EMERY, CrawfordsviUe, Ind. FROM SOUTHERN TEXAS! Fine series of eggs of (ireat tail Grackle, to exhibit var- iation, in shape, size and coloration. "25 first class eggs in sets for $3 .50 in other sets, our selection Send lists and book your order early Who wants a fine D B , B L , 10 ga. shotgun? J M. & JAMES J. CARROLL, Refugio, Texas. FOR SA1>E:— A fine collection of Birds Nests and Eggs, comprising over ."lO fine nests, (some on branches) in original .sets, and over 70 species, for sale at a b;irgain, also a few fine Warming Pans $5 to $8 and two pair of brass Andirons (di $5 to $8; Spin- ning and Flax Wheels, Hatchets snd "two" wooden apple parers (first made), I'lint lock Horse Pistols and many other fine things at a bargain not listed. CHAS. H. WILLIHMS, Winchester Centre, Conn. EXCHANGE ADS FREE —Any reader of the Mdsdem who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, 108 Fulton St., New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. PAMPHLETS:- Land and Fresh Water Shellsof Ala , 41 pages, by Dr. Jas Lewis, 25 cents; Land and Fresh Wa'i-r Shells of Now York slate by Lnwis. 10 paacs, 20c; Instruc- tions for (Jollecting Land, Fresh' Water and Marine Shells and preparing for the Cabinet by i^ewis'. 10c; Collectors wishing 25 copies or more of the latter pamphlet we will make special rates \V F WEBB. Mgr , Albiuu, N Y GEMS of the Rockies: — Send for list of Fine Opals, Amethyst, Topaz, four Gold and Silver .■^peciincns with "ne Colorado uild fiower, nicelv I'loiMited. vile. E W. KIMHALL, 1 r-'2 Pearl St B.uid. : Colo. Naturalist Farm and Fanciers Review. Devoted to the Interest of Each Branch Separately and Jointly. Published Monthly - 25 cents per year Special Offer for April and May. Send 35 cents :iri.i receive The Review for one V' ar and a handsome California Big Tree Pincushion as a Premium. Address, H. W. KERR. Publisher. Blencoe, la. IMPORTANT NOTICE. We df sire to annouuL-e that nwiug to the many iraprovements made in the current volume of i 1 the Kern Bulletin* the price of samplei I copies will now be hfteen cents each. Purr I chasers of sample copies may deduct this suml Ifrom the regular subscription price when sub f [scribing. The January number cont-dins four-1 ' teen articles on ferns, many shorter notes, andl eight pages devoted to the Mosses. Send for ' it. Address, The Fern Bulletin, Binghampton. N. Y. THE MUSEUM. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. \' ALBION, N. Y.. APRIL 15. 1899 No. 6 A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, MoUusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences. Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion. N. Y. Correspond euce and items of interest on above top- ics, as well as notes on the various Museuins of the WorlJ— views from same, discoveries relative to the handling and Ueeplnt' of Natural History material, deserlplive hablus of various species, are solicited from all. Make articles as brief as possible and as free from technical terms as the s\itijects will allow. All letters will be promptly auswered. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Single Subscription 50c per annum SampleCopies . ac each ADVERTISING RATES. ft cents per Nonpareil Une each Insertion. Twelve Unes to the Inch. Cash must acconii);iiiy all orders. RemlttuncessliLiild be made by Draft, Express or Post Om.c IJrd^r iir K.-L'lstered Letter. Unused U. S. Pustaye Stamps of any denomination accepted tor small anioimts. IVIUSEUM PUB. CO., ALBION, ORLEANS CO.. N.Y. Snttr*ion i,"^''>jHct: at ffconii-clati^- mail matttr The Gulls and Ternsof Sagadahoc County, Maine. The most favorable time for observ- ing individual characteristics of many of the birds which inhabit our sea coast, says Mr. H. L. Spinney in the Journal of the Maine Ornilltological Soeiety, is during the severe storms which visit it in late fall, winter and early spring. It is then, when n.a.i with all the reason and ingenuity at his command is helpless to conquer the storm, that these smaller represen- tatives of the animal kingdom are to be seen forcing their way against the wind, apparently with little exertion, or riding on the crest of the fiercest waves with perfect security. In the morning as soon as it is light enough to see, we will repair to some promontory which presents its side to the storm. If it divides two large hays we shall get the best results, as the birds flying across the leeward bay with the wind quartering ahead grad- ually make leeway and to double the headland must fly for a longer or shorter distance parallel with the shore, thus bringing them within range of the collector and allowing him to secure many species, which without these circumstances, it would be al- most impossible to do. The wind blowing a gale, interspersed with rain squalls, and the dull crash of the sea as it breaks in all its fury on the rock- bound shore, fills us with awe at the power of these elements As we peer through the mist from the breakers, our attention is attracted to a bird, which, with slow strokes of the wings, slowly approaches, following the shore, now rising in air and again with motionless wings gliding with rapidity into the hollow of the sea, rising just in time to avoid the crest of the wave which breaks, leaving a track of while foam behind. We at once recognize tliis bird to be the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianusj. How easily it breasts the gale, nowwiih motionless wings, then suddenly swooping down to the crest of a wave to secure some marine object which is brought to the surface. So easily is this done that we think tht^e environments must be necessary for lis existence. Sometimes it will hover over some submerged ledge, where amid the sf ething foam, its cjuick eje detects s(.me fish or crustacean which has be- ef me disabled by the sea. At this lime perhaps no other gull may be seen, but should the one mentioned 84 THE MUSEUM. meet with success, before we are aware of it the air is full of them, their shrill notes penetrating the din of the storm, and woe to the one that is lucky enough to secure some eatable object, for if it cannot swallow its food at once it is chased by the others un- til it eludes its pursuers or is compelled to drop it, when some other gull quick- ly secures it, while the original owner commences searching for more. Should they not find any more food at this particular place, they quickly disperse, only to repeat the same manceuvres when some other fortunate bird at- tracts their attention, and in this man- ner they will follow the shore hour after hour, seemingly tireless. Again our attention is attracted to the Black-backed Gull. This species is much larger than the preceding, and while the Herring Gull may be seen every day in large numbers, the Black- back is seldom seen near the shore, except during the most severe storms, and then I do not think the ratio would exceed one to three hundred of the former. The reason for this is that it is more pelagic than the Her- ring Gull and unless it is driven in by storms, few are seen. How gracefully it moves along, as with slow and steady strokes of the wings it moves against the wind, grad- ually rising in air until a certain height is gained, when with motionless wings it glides off, quartering from the wind, on a downward angle with the speed of an arrow, until when about to strike the crest of a wave, it suddenly mounts upward with great rapidity, bringing itself head to the wind and forging ahead and upwards until the desired height is reached, when it again re- peats the same undulating movement. Should it see any food floating on the water, with a few graceful motions of its wings it at once stops its speed and returning, alights near the object, stops for a moment, then resumes its flight. Sometimes when the storm is abating and the sun for a moment shines out through the hurrying masses of dark clouds, then is the Black back seen at its best; the light shining on the pure white under parts in contrast with the dark slate of the back and upper parts of wings, making it appear thejjmost beautiful of our pelagic spec- ies During severe storms large bivalves such as Cvprina islandica and the Beach Clam (Heiiiiinactra solidissiina) are washed upon the beaches Then these species, especially the Herring Gull, resort to such feeding grounds. As the valves of the clams are too thick and strong to be broken by their bills, they will take one and rising some fifty or more yards in the air, drop it so it will strike on the hard sand, repeating this mana;uvre until the shell is broken, when they will alight on the beach and extract the contents to their own satisfaction. Again, one or more of the Herring Gulls may be seen associating with a flock of ducks, sometimes sitting on the water with them, at others, hov- ering in air over them, waiting for one to appear at the surface with some choice morsel it has procured at the bottom. As soon as the duck reaches the surface and before it has time to swallow its food, the gull will snatch it and fly a few yards, alight on the water and eat what it has stolen, re- turning for more as soon as it has dis- posed of what it already had. Some- times the duck will elude the gull by quickly diving, reappearing a few yards away, and succeed in swallow- ing its food before the gull can get it. Although it has the appearance of an overbearing thief, yet it recompenses the ducks by its alertness for any dan- ger, it being almost impossible for any object to get near without it giving an alarm. It would seem that the ducks realized the protection of the gull, since they permit it to rob them with- without opposition and allow it to still associate with them. I remember an incident of the watchfulness of a Herring Gull which was very distasteful to me At the THE MUSEUM. 85 time it happeiiotl I lived a tnilc from a small river which was a great resort of river ducks. Being at leisure that winter, I visited this river nearly every day for three months, after birds. During severe cold the river would freeze over, except one place about half an acre in extent, where the cur- rent was very swift This opening at a certain time of tide, was a favorite resort of some forty or fifty ducks [Mt-rgansiT aint-n\tjnus) to fish for smelts. Every day for two weeks I tried to shoot some of them, but owing to the alertness of a Herring Gull which invariably accompanied them, I did not succeed in getting any, as the gull would always see me and give the alarm, when the Mergansers would fly away. Had it not been for the gull, I could ha\e got near them without any trouble, and although this gull was a ver\' beautiful specimen of the species, 1 never could appreciate it. In the same environment of which I have read, we notice another species. There may be three individuals or per- haps fifty, flying in a straggling flock with rapid strokes of the wings, just high enough to avoid the crest of the waves. This is Bonaparte's Gull, one of the smallest of our species. As it flies along, there is no regularity to its movements. It darts here and there as some floating object attracts it at- tention, and if it be anything it wants, it hovers over it in mid air and daint ily touching its feet on the water picks up the food and at once commences looking for more, returning to inter- view some other gull, which lags be- hind, all the time acting as if it en- joyed the storm as a huge joke. This gull enters our estuaries about the 20th of November and may be seen in such places until the middle of December, when they quickly disappear, one sel- dom being seen during mid-winter. The Kittiwake Gull, larger than the preceding, has much the same habits except that it rarely enters the rivers. While the Herring and Black-backed Gulls may be shot from blinds on the shore, Bonaparte's or the Kittiwake will seldom come within range, unless decoyed. This is easily done, espec- ially from a l)oat, by waving a white cloth or tossing some small object on the water which will splash. As soon as one is killed or wounded, the others will hover over it until nearly if not all of them have been killed, and this is also characteristic of the terns. The collector hunting them for millin- ery purposes was not long in rv^ali/ing this fact, and many colonies of these beautiful birds were nearly extermin- ated to satisfy the barbarism of mod- ern fashion. To observe the terns we must re- pair to the locality of some rocky islet where they resort to breed during June, July and August. Twenty years ago a colony of Common and Arctic Terns, which perhaps numbered three hundred birds, bred on the Heron Is- lands off Popham Beach, also some fifty on the Black Rocks in Sheepscot Bay. Owing to the persecution of the summer sportsman and the fisher- man, these colonies have gradually grown less each succeeding year, and I am sorry to say, for the past two years, not a bird to my knowledge has bred at either place. Although seven- ty years ago they bred in abundance on the coast of Sagadahoc County, I think I can positively state that not one individual has been hatched in this county for the past two years. As we row along the beaches the last of June, the warm sunshine gleaming on the water, with occasionally a warm wave of air from off the land, impreg- nated with the perfume of summer fol- iage, we are aroused from our languor by the sharp cry of one or more birds. Looking up we at once recognize the Common and Arctic Terns. We also notice that instead of the bill being carried horizontally with the body, as it is with the gulls, it is nearly perpen- dicular, and also that the wings are longer and more pointed in proportion to the body, than with the gulls. Moving along a hundred or more feet 86 THE MUSEUM in air with quick stiollace jou around a warm fire and set you to visiting, and the charices are you would see no sleep that night. We can speak from experience, viz: Not such a very long time ago we were to ride all night in a sleeper. Met a Honolula man and visited right through to daylight, hardly thinking of the sleeper ticket in my pocket. I could repeat a hundred instances of a somewhat similar nature. Now we shall likely not ever meet all of our subscribers and "talk it over," but let us hear from jou through the Museum. It will interest us, it will permanently put your notes on re- cord and will interest over 1,000 other collectors all over this vast country and many collectois in foreign landsj I am going to conclude this "after breakfast reminescence" with a true story that occurred last summer in our adjoining county on the west. The family is well known to me from early boyhood, and what I relate was seen myself. Their little son of 12 years, somewhat of a naturalist, possessed a cat with 4 kittens only a few days old. They had a sufficient stock of cats and really wanted to get rid of the kittens. One day as ihey were a week or so old, the boy with his dog dug out a woodchuck Arctomys moiiax and there found a nest of little ones, 2 of which he brought to the house and substitut- ed for I kittens. The cat evidently liked the new comers all right and to all appearances "didn't know the dif- ference." A day or 2 later the boy was chopping up a dead and rotten apple tree and splitting open the tree found a hest of little red squirrels, [Sciitrus hudsonius) which were very young, scarcely having any fur. He took one of these and substituted for another kitten, which the cat also took into the family apparently with good grace. \\'e had heard of this circum- stance and passing by the place one day early last summer we stopped and 88 THE MUSEUM. had the rare good fortune to witness the mother cat nursing — one kitten, two young woodchucks and one young red squirrel. Have any of our subscribers seen a more singular occurrence? W. F. W. Cave Love. Gleanings from a Recent Report OF THE U. S. Geological Survey Prepared for the Quarterly Bulletin of the Societe de Speleologie, Paris, by Percy Van Epps. A handsome volume just issued by the United States Geological Survey (Part n of the i8th annual report) has several articles containing items of much interest to lovers of the science of speleology. The second paper in the volume is by R. T. Hill and T. W. Vaughn, and is entitled, "Geology of the Edwards Pla- teau, and Rio Grande Plain adjacent to Austin and San Antonio, Texas, with reference to underground waters. " Many fine full page plates accompany this paper Two of these illustrate cavern exteriors and a third gives a beautiful view of the interior of Hill- coat cave, Edwards county, Texas. Messrs. Hill and Vaughn speak as follows of the caverns of the Edwards Plateau, pp. 209-2 lo: "There are many interesting caverns in the Edwards Plateau, and inasmuch as their occur- rence, together with the general ques- tion of limestone solution has great bearing upon the distribution of under- ground water, it is essential that they be briefly mentioned. They are of three general types: (i) Small cavities within individual limestone strata, giv- ing them what is usually termed a hon- eycombed structure; (2) open caverns occurring in certain bluff faces along the stream valleys; (3) underground caverns of vast extent dissolved out of many strata. One of the latter class occurs in Edwards county, and may be taken as a type. It is situated just west of the McKenzie trail, about six miles northwest of Hillcoat's ranch. The entrance is near the summit of an oval, conical butte. The recesses ap- parently undermining the whole of the hill, are elongated chambers having cross sections shaped like Norman arches. The total depth from the en- trance to the bottom, as far as ex- plored by the writers, is over 140 feet. The many chambers are lined with stalactites and stalagmites of great beauty and variety of form, and they are nearly dry, only a little water be- ing found at the lowest depths. The method of rock solution here shown is especially interesting to students of un- derground water, as it gives an insight into the related problems discussed in later pages of this paper. Other cav- erns of a similar nature exist in nearly all the countreis embraced within the area of the plateau, especially in Hays, Blanco, Medina and Bexar counties. Another interesting paper in this noble volume is by G. K. Gilbert "Re- cent Earth Movements in the Great Lake Region." Measurements of the water level of the lakes, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, through a course of years tend to show quite indubitably that a slow tilting of the entire region is taking place — that the whole lake region is being slowly tilted towards the southward. Vast consequences to man may result in future time if this oroganic move- ment be continued. Niagara Falls will run dry. Unless a dam be erected to prevent, the waters of Lake Michigan will eventually find their way to the Gulf of Mexico by the medium of the Mississippi river, the Illinois river and an existing channel carved by the out- let of a glacial lake of Pleistocene time. The summit of the channel is now but eight feet above the mean level of the lake. Gilbert says, (page 640): "Evidently the first water to overflow will be that of some high stage of the lake, and the discharge may at first be intermittent. Such high water dis- charges will occur in 500 or 600 years. THE MUSEUM. 89 For the mean lake stage such discharge will begin in about 1,006 years, and after 1,500 there will be no interrup- tion. In about 2;ooo years the Illinois river and the Niagara will carry equal portions of the surplus water of the Great Lakes. In 2,560 years the dis- charge of the Niagara will be intermit- tent, falling at low stages of the lake, and in 3.500 years there will be no Ni- agara The basin of Lake Erie will then be tributary to Lake Huron, the current being reversed in the Detroit ami St. Clair channels. The subject is intensely interesting and is well handled by Professor Gil- bert. Speleological research adds its testimony to the fact of this movement of mother earth. Certain islands near the south shore of Lake Erie have caves opening at the water's edge, be- ing now partly occupied with lake wa- ter. These caves were explored by E. L. Moseley, who finds in them stalac- tites extending from the roof down in- to the water, and stalagmites lying three or four feet below the present surface of the lake. "Comparing the present water level with the lowest levels known in recent times, it ap- pears that these stalagmites have not been above water during the present century, and as stalagmites are found only in the air, it is clear that the lake has encroached on land since they were made." A third paper relates to the glaciers of Mount Rainier. In this Israel C. Russell tells of a novel e.xperience of his party in one of the snow filled cra- ters on the summit of the mountain, for Rainiers, America's grandest moun- tain, was once an active volcano. Here, at an elevation of more than 14,000 feet. Russell and his party passed a night in a snow cavern. It was a strange and altogether uncanny situation. At this enormous altitude, frozen on one side by the eternal cold of space, on the other scorched by the escaping residual heat of the primal molten globe. "The cavern we chose in which to pass the night, although ir- regular, was about 60 feet long by« 40 wide, and had an arched ceiling some 20 feet high. The snow had been melted out from beneath, leaving a roof so thin that a diffused blue light prenetrated the chamber. The floor sloped steeply, and on the side toward the center of the crater there was a narrow space between the rocks and • descending roof which led to unexplor- ed depths. As a slide into this forbid- den gulf would have been exceedingly uncomfortable, if not serious, our life line was stretched from crag to crag, so as to furnish a support and to allow us to walk back and forth during the night without chances of slipping. Three arched openings or doorways communicated with other chambers, and through these drafts of cold air were continually blowing. The icy air chilled the vapor rising from the warm rocks and filled the chamber with steam which took on grotesque forms in the uncertain, fading light. In the central part of the icy chamber was a pinnacle of rock, from the crevices of which steam was issuing with a low hissing sound. Some of the steam jets were too hot to be comfortable to the ungloved hand. In this unin- viting chamber we passed the night. The muffled roar of the gale as it swept over the mountain could be heard in our retreat and made us thankful for the shelter the cavern afforded." The floor of the cell was too uneven and too steeply inclined to admit of ly- ing down. Throughout the night we leaned against the hot rocks or tramp- ed wearily up and down holding the life line. Cold blasts from the branch- ing ice chambers sweep over us. Our clothes were saturated with condensed steam, while one side of the body rest- ing against the rocks, would be hot, the strong drafts of air with a freezing temperature chilled the other side. After long hours of intense darkness the dome of snow above us became faintly illuminated, telling us that the sun was again shining. 90 THE MUSEUM The Anatinae of the Middle Mis- souri Valley. I do not think that there is a place in the United States where a larger number of species of Ducks can be met with, than that portion of the Missouri Valley lying in Iowa and Nebraska. During the last fifteen years I have recorded twenty species, all of them within twenty miles of Omaha. I have recorded the dates when seen and have a pretty good Duck record for this vicinity, which I present to those interested among the Museum's read- ers. Mallard, A/ias bochas, Linn. The Greenhead as it is often called by sportsmen, is an abundant migrant and is not uncommon as a summer resident in the northern portions of Nebraska and Iowa. They arrive in spring, March ist to April 20th; de- parting southward Sept. 20th to Nov. loth. During mild winters large num- bers stay along the Platte River all winter. Large numbers of these Ducks are killed along the Missouri, Niobrara, Platte, Elkhorn and Blue Rivers and the adjoining lakes, sloughs and swamps. Black Duck, Ajias obscura, Gmel. A common migrant, usually seen in company with the Mallard, arriving in spring and departing in fall about same time. Known to sportsmen as Black Mallard or Dusky Duck. Gadwall, Anas strepcra, Linn. A common migrant. Arrive March 2oth to April 20th; returning southward in latter September and October. Baldpate, Anas Americana, Gmel. An abundant migrant. This species is not usually seen in flocks but is com- monly met with among Mallards or in pairs or trios. In autumn they fre- quent the corn and wheat fields and are sometimes seen upon the open prairie. This duck is almost always in good condition. They arrive in spring, March i6th to April 20th and return southward Sept. 15th to Nov. 10th. They are called Widgeon by many sportsmen. Green-winged Teal, Anas carolin- cnsis, Gmel. A comnion migrant; arriving March 20th to .\pril 22d and in autumn during Septeinber and the first half of October. Large numbers of this species are killed by loc il sportsmen, notwithstanding their speedy flight. Blue winged Teal, Anas di scars. Linn. An abundant migrant and somewhat common as a summer resi- dent and breeder. Arrives March 20th to May J St. Breeds in latter part of June. fl found sets of 7, 9 and 11 eggs, incubation advanced, June 22d to 30, 1895 in northwestern Nebrsaka). Departs southward Sept. 15th to Oct. 20th Large numbers are killed by sportsmen and market hunters. Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptcra, ViEiLL A rather rare nngrant. A few are seen in the market among the other Teal. They are always among the Blue-winged Teal during migra- tions. A very tine male hybrid Cin- namon Blue-winged Tea! was killed near here by a friend of mine. It showed markings of both A. discors and A. cyanopcra and the crescent on the head is marked with brown The bird (mountedj is now in the U S. National Museum. Shoveller, Spatula clypatca, Linn. A common migrant and a few remain to breed in Iowa and Nebraska; arriv- ing in spring, March 15th to April loth, returning in fall, September 15th to October 30th. Breeds, June 1st to 20th. Known to local sportsmen as spoonbill. Easily decoyed and killed in large numbers. Pintail, Dafiia acuta, Linn. An abundant migrant. This is the first duck to arrive in spring, usually com- ing in with the early spring rains and sleet storms. They arrive in spring, February 12th to March 20th, return- ing in autumn, September 25th to November ist. Locally known as Sprigtail or Sprigs. Easily decoyed and killed in immense numbers for sport and the market. THE MUSEUM. 91 Wood Duck. .//.I s/>(»iS(i, Linn. A fairly cominoii mifjiaiU and not rare as a siMniiirr resident in vicinity of tinibert (1 lakts and streams Arrives in spriii.i,'. Maich 25th to April I5tli. Breeds in June and seen in pairs and trios all summer in small lakes and streams. They depart southward October ist to 20th. Usually all gone before October 1 5th. Redhead, Aytha Aiiiiiiiditii, EvT. An abundant migrant in spring but nearly as common in the autumn. Arrives usually in large Hocks March 12th to May loth. Latest seen in autumn Oct. 1 2 A few probably breed in northern Iowa and Nebraska. I saw several males in Lakes in N \V. Nebraska, June 24, 1895, tlii; females were probably sitting. Killed in large numbers for the table. Canvasback. Ayl/tra miisiwria, W'lL?. An irregul r migrant, abun- dant some \ ears and quite scarce others. They will average up as a common migrant .A few bieed in northern part of Nebraska. They ar- rive in spring, Febru .ly 24th to April 20th, breeds June isl to 30th and re turn southward September 20th to October 31st. Kill 1! in large num- btrs by spo:l>inen ■ •! 1 market poti hunters. American Scaup Duck, Aylkja iitar- ila UiiircliiiJ. SrtijN A common migrant in spiing, following shortly after the I5alpate. arriving March 20th to .April 26th; returning in autumn, Sep'ember 15th to November lOth. Knvwn to local sp Ttsmen as Pdnebill and killed in large numbers. Lesser Scaup Duck, Ayl/ij^i ii_i/:ui.\, Eyt. An abundant migrant arriving in spiing and autumn the same time as the American S;aup Duck. Ring-necked Duck, Aythya col/aris, DoNOV. Fairly common as a migrant arriving March 20th to April 25th, re- turning September 1 5th to November 1st. American Golden-eye, Glaucionctta c/an^iila aiitciicana, Bon.M'. Some- what common as a migrant, arriving March 20th to May 15th. 1 have never observed this duck in autumn. Th.;y probably return southward early. Known to sportsmen as Whis- tlewings and Garrot and killed in con- siderable numbers along the Missouri River. Barrow's Golden eye, (Uau.iouctla iclditih'ca,, Gmei.. Somewhat rare as a migrant arriving in company with the American Golden-eye. I know of but one flock seen in autumn, some of \\ hich may have been American Golden- tye I was present about ten ihinutes after a sportsman killed two males, September 10, 1897. It was from this that I surmised that the preceed- ing species returned early. Bufflehead, Charitiulta albeola, Linn. Fairly common as a migrant arriving in spring March 15 to 30th and returning OrtoSer ist to 30th. Sportsmen call tluni Dumplm'.,', Dum- py and Rutterball. Harlequin Duck, Histrioiiictis /lis- tiioiicits, Linn. This beautiful little duck is a rare migrant. I know of three of this species being killed in this vicinity, two on the Missouri Riv- er, September 16, 1893 and one at Florence Lake, September 19, 1895. Ruddy Duck, lirisiiiatura riibida, WiLS. An irregular migrant. This (luck is the most irregular of all the (lucks that visit this vicinity. Some years they are abundant and then for perhaps two years idiil are setn. They arrive late. May ist to 20th and return October ist to 15th. Ip.adok S Trostler, Omaha, Neb. Size of a Spider's Thread- Leewenbeck, the first microsco pist, wrote in 1685 as follows: "I have often compared the size of the thread spun by full grown sp'ders with a hair of my beard. I placed the thickest part of the hair before the microscope, and. from the most accurate judgment I could form, more than a hundred of such threads placed side by side would 92 THE MUSEUM. not equal one such hair. If, then, we suppose such a hair to be of a round form, it follows that 10,000 threads spun by the full grown spider when laken together will not be equal in substance to the size of a single hair. To this, if we add that 400 young spiders at the time when they begin to spin their webs, are not larg- er than one full grown one, and that each of these minute spiders possess the same organs as the larger ones, it follows that the exceeding small threads spun by these little creatures must be still 400 times slenderer, and consequently, that 4,000,000 of these minute spiders' threads cannot equal in substance the size of a single hair." — Mici oscope. American Land Shells Wanted. Any collector who has a good stock of above for sale cheap, we should 'be pleased to. hear from. We will also buy Foreign Land, Fresh Waterior Marine, in any quantity. Cypraea specially wanted. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., ALBION, N. Y. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our large monthly bulletin of Skins, Eggs, etc. free upon application. THE FOLLOWING specimens, all well cleaned or polished, cheaper than you can hunt them, neatly labeled and postpaid: Pecten acquisulcatus $ 08 Chione simillina 05 Lottia gigantia 08 Bulla nebulosa 08 Sand crab ... 03 Saw-tish scales 01 Small sea urchins (without spines) 04 Total $ 33 Or if you take the lot 28 cents. W. H. HILLER, 147 W. 231 St., Los Angeles, Calif. Given Away Free to those who ivill devote their leisure | moments to subscription soliciting for Outing th^; foremost magazine devoted to 1 g^enteel sports. Every man and [ woman, every boy and girl is a sportsman or sports- woman at heart, therefore ' everyone wrants Outing, Subscriptiun !^ are easily secured; otir offers are more thin lilreral. Send ('oronrl6 |>fi|i^ prfjuiuni iJBtnixt full pmrticulan, 3ii?purB e<^ui|>- mflDt.etc The <>uiine Pub.Co. Filth Ave., „ New York. I\ SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. The handling df Scientific Books is exactly in our line. In je good olden times when a book was wanted the customer picked up a reliable dealers ca'alogue and ordered it at list price. In these hustling 1899 times he or- ders where he can get it the cheapest. Our facilities are unsutpa.^spil Our import ord- ers are usually lilled in 15to20d.ajs. Prompt paying customers nreil advance no money with us till goods are delivered. Let us figure on your wants. Walter F. Webb, Mgr., Albion, N.Y. The Ornithologist's and Oolo" gist's Manual. Contains 100 pages, giving complete list of all North American Birds, Prices of Eggs and Skins, Number of Eggs in a Clutch, Prices of Mammal Skins, How to Skin Birds and Mam- mals, How to form an Kgg Collection and many other pages of useful information. Pre- paid for ten two-cent stamps. Order at once. W.F.WEBB, Pub. Albion, N.Y THE MUSEUM. 93 Sinistral Shells. A Hull* iissorlinein of r.-\i'rsftl slu-IN ;il\v;iys alUMct a>n As om- liH>k-i f Molliisks. Willie th»* i'olors iiiiM stuipos presont womliTdil viirl illon. still they uiMi ly nil seem In wUlrl to the rl;:lii. Wheu tlK- r . e re.-tM on ii shell iluit whirls to tte left nn- iast..utly ii it Ices It, We have :k very (ew of these ciulos forms, which wo otter us fol- lows: Melanthn lnlei;er. Say. Mohawk, N. Y .1 .so Aehatlnelladlversi. Gut.. Sanilwtch Island:) U8 eitrlna Mlgh • 08 vlri;ulata, Mlgh 10 rosea ■• 08 tessellata. New.- 08 " costa, Newc 08 oUvacea, Hve. .06 castanea, Rve. •• ut} perveisns bw.ilii ■ 09 Partularuliescens. Kve . Society Isles 0(5 auiahalis l>ir " 06 Hell-x elratriii>s.i. Mull . Cl'Ija SO Bullnuisi>erversua, I, .. J.iv . IS cltriuuiii Briig . IMoliiccaH 15 Of the above two spei ie.s we cau furulsh both "rights' and ••lefi«.' Lanlst4?s Llbyea. More Klver Gabboon. Africa 20 All prepaid on receipt of price. Walter F. Webb, Mer., Albion, X.Y. NATURALISTS. This is what vou need for vour Collection. 1, BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY PICUTRES in fine cases 18xS4.x:! in . glass top. cork bottom, contains lOO largs and brllli mtly cieciale(l .-iikI Knjoved by any intelligent n>!i(ler, even though he knew little or nothing of .Siieiue. It is intended to interest those whn ihiiik Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely DitTereiit from and Much Superior to oiher papers with a similiar name. Monthly, 51.60 per year; Newsdealers,! 5c Largest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO.. 10» Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy, Onialia Stamps Bought. 1 cent, 10 cents per 100. 4 cent, $1.00 per 100 or 10 cents per 10. 5 cent, *1.','5 per 100 or 10 cents per 8. 8 cent. •$•-' 00 per iOO or 10 cents per 5. 10 cent, $1 50 per 100 or 10 cents per 7. 50 cent, $25.00 per 100, or 25 ceuis each. $1.00 stamp, $50.00 per loii, or 50 cents each. The above prices are for good used stamps, not torn or diiraagcd in any way. Address, RETURN MAIL STAMP CO., DUBUQUE, lA. LABELS. All sizes and for any branch of Natural History, at the very lowest prices. Send nie copy and I will i|Uotc iirl.e. i'.,,s>ii Labels like sample lOc per 100; 70c Ijer 1000, with .assorted headings. I'erlcid Name... DEVONIAN AGE. 1 1 '-- = ■■ i Letter Heads. Bill Heads. Canl.s. ami etc. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. When answering advertisetucnts al- ways mention THIi MUSEUM. 94 1HR musp:um. CUT PRICES. ON Eggs Tools and Supplies, Taxidermists Mat- erial, Books, Birds Eggs, Skins, etc. Send for our April Bulletin, just out. It will interest you. Per- haps you had better se. i for it before you purchase your Spring Supplies. JAMES P. BABBITT, Taunton, Mass. H. W. KRRR, MoK. KERR'S NATURAL HISTORY ESTABLlSHxMENT, BIaENCOE, IOWA. DRALaB.RS ANO GOLaLaRGTORS. Naturalists' Supplies, Publications, Novelties, etc. 1899 List Free on application. Be Your Own Taxidermist. Particulars for stamp. Send for Sample Copy of "The Naturalist Farm and Fan. iers Review." Iroquois Bleples $ifiJ5 ■100 ..f the f.im. ^Mllbesi-'ldat Jill 13 Iroquois ModeJ 3 ! jeacli, juslOD tSw Bicycles al ^aluc. .ROgyOlS CYCLE WORKS FAILED wS" ^i'/;; tooesiH-nslveijbmlt, aid vvehave bou^jiit the entire plant at s forced saU- at, 20 cents on tine dollar. Witli it we got 400 Model ;iIroquui.s Bi- cycl'-s, finished and coniijlete, Made tO SeItatS60. To ad- vertise our bMsine&s we have concluded to sell tha^i: ■lOo at just \\\r.it tlicy sfiind ua. a- il i.: ike the iiiarveloiiH ofl'er of a Model 8 IROQU01SBiCVGLEatSa6-'?6wlincl!i2jlc8t. Thewhccls are^tnct.lyup-to-dat'', f Yimous ever;' uh ere f'ii'b.?auty and good quality. nrCPDSBTriM """"^ Iroqui^ls Model 3 is tuo well known to need ^ WtWWriBr fl UBB a detailed description. Shelby 1 J^ in. seamless ' I ul unci 111 prove') Iwo-pieco crank, detachuhlc sprockets, nrch crown, barrel hubs r.nd hanger. 2 ^^ in. drop, finest nickel and enamel; coh i8, _ , . 1 maroon and coai-k picen: Genis' frames, 22, ^^4 and 2C, in.. LndiPs* 22 in.; bpst "Record," g:"ar..n- _ _ f^i-'^ I ed tires and high-grade e(]U']iiiient throughout. Our Wvltt^^n tlisn^'ant.ee v.ith every bicycle. SSS^n f^S2S fJifilB B flS ('■•"■ y^nrexpressafieut'sgu^ranteaforchsrgpRonewaylai.aLewhcther ladies'orgenls'.coloranfl SSlJ'U 1?!I1Ib eJ>U)|»E.iU&l baigbt of frame wnnled, an.l wi will ship C. 0. D. foi-thfl balance (*15.75and express charges). E'l'iject to e;;amina(i -in Br. ' ar))rov.-il. If you don't find it the luost wonderful Bicycle Offer ever made, send it back at ourcx- OKI>I''I£ TO'' A V if vf>ii dmi't wTnt to be disapp imted. 5*1 cents discount for cash in full wirh order. "a A ^,r »." ra C'^^^^tf^B RSTSS Aromplptelinoof 'i»3 3!o(If'6 at $13L.^0 and up. Second-hand U t: i: .. '-J k^ BSE'SmF ' ^"'-feO WJ.!'c!sS»toSl(>. We-.va7itjE«.XI>3D:E^ .A.C=i-:S3I'fl'«37S» in evry town to roprj-'rit us. Ilumli"'^^ earned their bicycle la'-t year. This ye.vr we offer wheels and cash for work di-ne for us. also .l*'x-^e kJfsG of samT-)" wheel o asetit«. V'lite for our libera! proposition. We are known everywhere as the greatest Exclusii e Bicycle House »: the wotld and are perfectly reliable; we refer to any bank or business house m Chicago, to any express coiupauy and to our customers cvcywlurf J. I. MEAD GYGLE GO., Chicago, lit The Mead Cycle Co. are (ibfioltAelif yellaile au(iaiits— Editor. WE tS//:,'* tu When answering advertisements always mention THE MUSEHJM. THE MUSEUM. 95 Bargains for April! READ IT THROUGH. IT WILL PAY YOU We are closing out specimens named below at very low prices. Note all are prepaid. We will send on approval if you agree to return promptly prepaid what you do not care for. We will also take pay in installments if more convenient to customer. You must write quick as many of these things will go at once. Mammal Skins Suitable for Mounting. Mostlv without prices i)repaicl. gk-ittls Nolo verv low EACH .$ 8.") . .35 Shrew Mole Oregon Short-tail Shrew 25 Piue Mou:se 25 White-fool Mouse 25 Pennji .Mouse 35 Tanias Priiei .- 30 1 lu\>o(ieiru8 35 Sliiilus 25 •' Townseiiili ■ 30 laleralis 30 Pouched (Joptici- ... 60 Trowbridge Hai •• 70 Nor (irey Squirrel 50 Musk Kal 6U Calif Crij S<)U'riel 60 Coon, uieiliiiiii size ~5 Skunks. Kla . tlat skins 1.00 Texas, line and round with .skull 1 50 Opossutu 80 Red Squirrel 25 Wildc.-tt, good for fur rug (only) 75 Dusky-foot Wood Rat, large 00 N orway Rat 50 Yellow bellied Turtle 100 Alligator. 3 ft 1 50 Bird Skins. Uark-bodied Shearwater $3.00 Blk.venud • 1.50 Sauderliiig 20 Yellow L-gs 20 Ameit Titlark, m 20 We, t.. . 15 McCown s Luugspur. m 20 Black-thri'ated Sparrow, m 25 Bewick's Wren, m 30 Orange-crowned Warbler, m 25 Verdin, m 25 Ancient Indian Relics. Fine Perfect Pottery Pipe $4.00 Bowl 4.00 " Bowl, cracked 2.50 Axe, fine sr • • <\--. cutting edge chipped. . .50 I, \C-" 40 • iixe, .1 . I _..^toove 00 Sinkers 15 Scrapers, notched or unaotched 15 Points, poor, various states 01 belter, " " 03 " good to fine, various states 10 ■ tiue 20 Miuk, finely mounted 3.50 Chautauqua|shellcoll(Ction,used to sell at $2.50, prepaid, have 10 will sell at 1.35 Sioux Bow and 2 arrows, metal tipped. . 1.50 Arrows, metal tipped, by do/, 1.30 Cactus Wood Cane 50 Collection of 50 kinds of minerals, all named, etc 75 Special rates on 25 to 50 collectioQS. Ostrich Egg, African 85 A bargain on some big Bahama Corals weighing 10 to 40 pounds each. Fine, large Sperm Whale tooth, with picture of Washington engraved on by sailors $2.00 Fine, large Walrus tusk 3.00 Canada Jay 35 Marine algae per do/, cards. Marbled Murrelet 100 Evening Grosbeak 30 American (juail. female 40 (ireat Blue Heron, male 1.50 Following from South Texas, made in Feb- ruary and March last: Gadwell, male 90 I,.ong-billeil Curlew, no 90 Willet. m 75 Koad Runner, m 60 Arizona Canlinal, m 25 Western Mcinlow Lark, m 20 Goldenfnmt Woodpecker, m 35 Scorpion, mounted in box Hermet Crab, in shell; all in box Piece of Big Tree Hark, 4x4 inch 12 kinds of Sea Beans, all named, for. . . . 25 kinds of Foreiijn Birds' eggs, all named and first-class, for 1 Birds of Labrador, Natural History of Labrador, and O. & O. Manual, all for. Book of Sea Mosses, 10 beautiful cards, all different, arranged in a book and tied with ribbon. The finest work in the mounting of sea mosses we have ever seen Baird's Woodperker.m. 35 Marine Algea Blotter, the top card with ■5 .40 .35 .20 30 .50 1.00 Brewer's Blackbird, m 30 White-rump Shrike, m 20 Uwarf Cowbird, m 20 Sage Thrasher, m 25 Mexican Shore Lark, m 80 Int White-crown Sparrow, m 15 Small Saaipiper, m 20 beautiful luounliiigs and covered with celluloid. Very neat Marine Algea Newspaper Clipping Case, 6 large envelopes appropriately named and bound in heavy covers, on which are beautiful mounts under celluloid, so it is not easily soiled, gold edges. . . 60 .40 .75 96 THE MUSEUM. Marine Algea Panel, consisting of 5 card mounts, strung witli ribbon, so as to tiang on wall. This is to our notion one of the handsomest 40 Marine Algea Photo. Frame. The frame proper is covered with beautiful mounts that are in turn covered with cellunid to keep dust from soiling. Has buck, so will stand on mantel or table. A beauty 60 The above five articles are particularly suit- able for birthday or wedding gifts being something that will be always admired. We will send on appioval to any collectors, so sure are we that you will be more than pleased. The following fine minerals are all in stock. We will send good size cabinet specimens for 5 cents each, prepaid: Albertite, Argentite, Allanite, Apophyllite, Arsenopyrite, Atacomite, Alabandite, Agate. Asbestos, Albite, Actinolite, Amphibole. Aegi- rite, Analcite, Apatite, Anhydrite. Alabaster, Beryllonite, Biotite, Beryl. Bog Iron Ore, Bauxite, Bloodstone, Buhrstone, Bmokite xl, Boruite, Copper Pseud, Chrysalite. Cinnebar. Carnallite, Succinite, Chalcopyrite, Cerrusite, Cryolite, Cerargyrite, Chalcedony, Carnelian, Chert, Chrysoprase. Corundum, Cuprite, Cas- siterite, Calcite, Calcite Crystal, Chalk, Calc. Tufa, Crocidolite, Cookerite, Chabazite, Clin- ochore, Chalcanthite, Celestite, Colemanitr, Diapase, Diaspore,'Drusy Quartz, Datolite, Dolomite, Elaelolite. Electric Stone. Essonitn, EpidutH, Fibrolite, Feldspar. Franklini e, Fluorite Crystal, Gypsum, Goslonite,Graphitf, Glanconite, Genthite, Garnet, Galena, Gold Ore, Galenite, Garnerite. Gilsonite, Heulan- dite, Hornstone, Halite, Hexagonite, lolite, Ilmenite, Idocrase. Jetfersite, Jasper, James- onsite, Kaolinite, I.iazurite, Lepidolite, Labra dorite. Leelite. Litho Stone, Lava. Limoniie, Lignite, Leucite. Lollingite, Molybdonlite, Monticellite, Marmolite. Magnetite, Magties- ite, Monazite, Natron, Nuttallite, Native Cop- per, Orpiment, Opal Wood, Opal, Oqjx, Oolite. Obsidian. Pyroxene. Prehnite, Perov- skite. Pisolite, Pearl Spar. Parlzite. Proustite, Pyroxene, Porcelainite, Pyrrhotite, Pvrites, Petrified Wood, Phrase, Phlogopite. Pecto- tite, Psilomelane, Quartz, Realger. Rhodon- ite, Rook Crystal, Rose Quartz, Rutile, Rutile in Quartz. Rhomhspar, Rho Ik * Ik Ik * Ik ik ik Ik ik Or * Ik Ik ALL RO\l)S ARE ALIKE TO A illO.\ARCIU^^ $25 King and Queen $25 ^ The best pair of bicycles on earth (or Iho money . . . MONARCH CHAINLESS $76 MONARCH ROADSTERS $60 DEFIANCE ROADSTERS $36 MONARCH CYCLE MFG. CO. Lake. Halsted and Fulton Streets, Chicago BrauchPr— Now York, LoncKtn. Humbnrj; ^ Semi liU cents in Ftanips lur a deck of \^ t^ Monarch PlayiUK CanLs. illu^TratiDf? g« ^ Josjiie tJartlort Oivit Lillian Rnsspl!, y« ^ loni ('(M>|K>r, Lv'O r.iLliartltna and ||f ^ Walror .liinrs. ^ 1* — ^-^^^^^— ^^^— ^ \ii t RideaKonarcliandEeepinFroDt. a! Ik '^ Ik Fine Florida Shells. w- havf evt-ry f;t. nnsoltrlted t-y uh. ofTered to answer iTi . niitnlrlf4 as t'> our re^ponsihiltiy or fair dealing. I ' ;. '11 wUh to **ee i|iialUy of specimens l>erore niacin e lir.-r orders, send •! for a box of samples. All () cents pt-r quart. Cyprtrn momln. with varieties, Monty Cowry from Singapore, .10 cents per niian. BUu'k IJiiliolis. 4 to r> inch, from Monlei ey, Cal. 75 cents per do/.eu. lud llnliolis. from Monterey, 7 to HI inch, a $1 .'lO per ilo/en Stroinliii-i tnhcrcntnlux Silver Lips. 2 inch from tSingapore. at 3(5 cents per do/Rn. Slromliiis (iliilus. Purple Moutli, from Kla,, at i4 cents ilozeti. K I Coral fi Mgiiients. 2 t" 3 inch. L'On dozen Mttiintituii luitnit. Crowu Shvll, finm Fla , 24c (loz. Satire B>-ans mammolli. Id lo 2(1 inches, cur- ious. B'h;iiiiMS, ;it .lOc do/. Xirctn ji.leriint'i. Bleeding I'ceth, H^iliamas, at .Id cents qiinrt. Pill |)'e <}iinoiiia-!. Flexible Coral from Baha- mas. $1 .111 <|i'/.-n Mic.i .>iiow. f.ir raxiderniists and fancy work, wiirih ^0.• (.lOiiud our (Hice "JOc. Manx Iirii7iilitri.i. from Kast Indies, 1 to 2 inch, Ifn- do/.-ii. IViliama Coral, siiih as Fan, Head. Palm, etc. .Several species at lUc pound Mineral Collections for Teachers to give or sell to students, .">l) varieties, named, etc., at ."jDc lists nn application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy Work. 2ic qimrt Fn-ciiiliiriii ntsliin.i. 'I'lilip. 2 inch, :i(i.' dozen. I'ltni-inlnriit InUi-i. Tulip. 3 to 4 inch 40c doz. Fult/ar ]icrrerxit, Irom Fla . 4 to .5 inch, (iOc" Tube Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas. $l.f)0 dozen Smphite.s noilon'ia. an ammonite shaped fossil from I he Bad Lands. 2 inch, .'iOc doz , 3 inch. $1 00 dozen; 4 inch, $3 00 dozen. Make up voiir ordi-r now, as the.se price.s only hold goiil while stock la.-its W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WRITE ME A LETTER TODAY Siailnj; that you would like to have sent tor yoiir Inspection oharups prepaid, 36 or till' KaniouH Doulily-teriiiln- atvcl Quartz CryHtulH, r. iiiiil at ihiH pjaii' II this .'cill.'i ii..nor KrllllaT t (;«'ins iil»-ase.* you. kindly send 71) i-ents (no luo^e^ otherwl-e return the collect- Ion and It will l>e O. I\. 1h not this a lair proposition: Exhililt at Worlil .1 Fair received HlgheHt Award. Medal and Diploma Address. A. B. CRIM, MKldlevllIe, HerkliiicT Co., M. Y. THE MUSEUM. Big Shells. Wholesale Prices. CONCH SHELL. Strombus gigas from West Indies, large beautiful pink lips, Natural state, $10.00 hundred net, or we will remove epidermis and finely polish same at $16,00 hundred. QUEEN HELMET, Cassis. Madagascarensis, beautiful large rounded shells, with black faces, just the thing for mantel or floor ornament, cleaned and polished, $20.00 a hundred. Uncleaned a trifle cheaper. I^ess quantity sold at proportionate rates. Order a dozen of each and sell to your friends. A SN/\P! 1 dozen Ostrich Eggs; i dozen polished Queen Helmet; 2 doz- en polished Conchs, lot for $10.00 net Will retail easily for 3^30.00. W. F. Webb, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. A Pretty Little Gem Collection. We have at great expense secured a large lot of nicely cut stones, such as amethyst. Moss Agate, Tiger Eye, Carneliati, Ribbon Agate, Malachite, Tur- quois, Garnet, Bloou Stone, Gold Stone, Wood Agate, &c., &c., which ! we are putting up in neat little collections of 12 different kinds all in a bo.x, labeled, etc. These collections are cheap at $1.00 and no living person could buy the stones separately for several times this sum. They are all beauties, finely pol- ished on all sides and show the mineral up to its best advantage. OUR OFFER is to send you one of these collections and a years subscrip- tion to the Museum with exchange coupons for $1.00. All prepaid. ANOTHER OFFER is to send an Ostrich Egg and a Collection both pre- paid for $1.00 and 20 cents to cover postage or express and packing. These offers will only hold good while stock lasts. We will not be able to duplicate them. Order quick or you will "get left." W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. VOL. V. NO. 7, MAY, 1899. A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — -to els. per year to all countries, in advance. Single mtmbers, 5 cts. Published on the 15th of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. 50< Qur G®"^ ColJcetion, 50 e. We present this month a small drawing of our gem collection which, in a crude way, gives collectors an idea how it looks. As the stones are all finely cut and polished, they pre- sent a brilliant effect, which cannot fail to attract great attention in a cabinet. These 12 stones could not be bought of any dealer in gems for less than $.3 00 to $5 GO. and to take the rough stones to a lapidary and have them cut, would cost twice this figure. We believe every collector will want one of these collections. The price is only 50c. They will sell at $L.O0 just as easily. Many years ago a Rocky Mountain dealer in minerals offered such a collection at $1.00. They were considered a wonderful lot for the price. In fact, it is a mystery to every one how the stones can be cut and polished and sold for any such figure as we offer. We con- fess we do not understand how it is done, unless the parlies who do the work are laborers who receive but a few pennies a day for their labor. Send a dollar bill well wrapped in your letter for two collections, sell one of them to a friend in your place who will be interested in cut stones, for $1.00 and you have yours free. We guarantee that if they are shown to a few friends they will readily sell at $1.00. If you succeed in selling one, as we are sure you will and think there will be a demand for more, we will make jou a figure on a dozen. Letus hear from you at once. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y, KERR'S NATURAL HISTORY ESTABLISHMENT, BIaENGOEI, IOWA. DRALaRRS and GOLLaEIGTORS. Naturalists' Supplies, Publicatious, Novelties, etc. 1899 List Free on application. Be Your Own Taxidermist. Particulars for stamp. Send for Sample Copy of "The Naturalist Farm and Fanciers Review." THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHANGES AND FOR SALES. All mitices that come under aliove will be inserted in this department until further nniice at one (I) rent a word. No iiotit'e less than 25c. Terms Cash with c idei. S'o char (ji: for address. 1 shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, whose reputation is of a doubtful char- aeter from using these columns. TO EXCHANGE.— One' Hepburn Kerning- ton target rille. barrel M in., octagon, 13 lb , 44105 520 patched, double set trigger, long Vernier peep, wind gauge sights with spirit level, in tine condition Wanted a Stephens 25-25 or 32 40. or Hepburn Remington, 32 40 or 32 30, or will sell cheap for cash. Must be in tine condition. Write to G L. BLACK, Coopers! ow II. OlsegoCo., N. Y. FOR SALE.— A tine collection of Birds Eggs and Nests, comprising over 50 fine nests (some on branches) in original sets and over 70 species for sale at a bargain. A few line Warming Pans at $5 to$f< Two pair of Brass Andirons ai J5 to $8. Spinnirg and Flax Wheels, Halchels ard ' livo" Wooden Apple Pareis (first make), old Crockery. Colonial Mirrors, Pewter, lelics from John Brown's birthplace. Flint-lock Horsn Pistols and many other articlts Addres-s CHAS H WH^ LIAMS, Winchester Centre, Conn. FINE ARKANSAS MINERALS. Fossils, Stalactites, Calcites and Airagonites in many curious forms to exchange for other minerals or curious fossils. L. R WEBER, Box 438. Eureka Springs Ark. SHvICIFIED SHELLS from Indiana -For a short time we will send a de zen (3 named varieties) prepaid for 5 cents. POYER & SMITH, 2941 Waverly St.. COLLECTION OF IRON ORES - 'I his collection consists of 84 kinds of Iron Ore. from the Marquette. Maseba, Gceebic. and Menominee Ranges, all fully labeled, show- ing name of Ore, and the chemical analysis, givmg percentages of Iron, Silica Phosphate. SulpLur. Manpane.-o. Line, Magne,>-ia, Alunj- ina iind water in i ach specimen. The size I'f each specimen ranges about 3 by 3 lo 3 by 4, and most are accompanied by some of the pulverized Ore. We will sell the entire lot with data as above for 12c a specimen or $7 50 for I ho collection W F. WEBB, Mgr., Al- bion, NY. COW FISH and TOAD FISH. Fine speci- mens from south Florida, skinned and stuffed natural shape. They are dried well and make a great cuiio No offensive smell The Cow Fish are 75c and the Toad Fish $1 00 both prepaid. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion. •MURBYS ELEMENTS of CRYSTALLO- GRAPHY," is a fmall work not familiar to American students, but has had a large sale abroad. It consists of a series of nets, by which one is able to construct models of the more important Crystals. About 50 pages of descriptive text also aicr nipanies the nets, all being bound in a puimII cloth covered book the price of which is $1.0U. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. A. Ri: BY-THROATED HUMMER.— A few tine sets of two with pel feet nests covered with lichens Full data, < ach $1 00 WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion. N, Y. A CALIFORNIA CONDOR EGG for sale. A perfect egg of the Calif"rni i Condor, tak- en the 7th of March this ve-ar, which we offer for sale at a rea.sonabc figure cash or in- stallments, to .'^iiit piirch;isor The price will be furnished to those w ho think (f purchas- ing. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. EXCHANGE ADS. FREE -Any reader of the MusuEM who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, lo Popular Science. 108 Fulton St . New Y(M'k. for a three months trial siibscripti.m. will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv in this issue. MOUNTED BIRDS.— A tine mounted Eng- lish Cock Pheasant for $2.5ii. choice Yellow- crowned Night Heron $2 00. pair of Red- breasted Margai.sers on one .stand, commonly called -Saw bills," for %i no A fine perfect White Pelican in ci>uish ••{ njounting. nearly finished, will sell w luu done for $6 00. A lot of other nice birds all mounted but not ijuite finished. If you are interested wiite for list, which we will furnish as soon as ready. W. F WEBB, Mgr . Albion, N. Y. MARINE AL(i.E —A large collection of mounted and pressed sea mos.ses, a'so many decorated novelties Schools, colleges and museums supplied with scientific collections. Write for price list. Orders by mail. Ad- dress MRS H. M JERNEGAN. Edgartown, Mass When answering advertise mints al- ways mmtion THE MUSEUM. 98 THE MUSEUM. Some Rarities. We have the following choice skins, which we offer at exceedingly low prices. Order at once, as these prices are good only while pres- ent stock lasts. St. Domingo Grebe, juv., 40c; Pacific Ful- mar $a.75; Cassin's Auklet, 82.85; Mew Gull, North Am. col., $1.75; Wilson's Petrel. $1.25; Ross' Snow Goose, $4 00; Bahama Pintail, $2.00; Limpkins, $2.25; Snowy Plover. 80c; Zone-tailed Hawk. $2.75; Leconte s Thrasher, $1.00; Pinon Jay, 65c; Least Vireo, 50c; Black Swift, $3.75; Buff-bellied Hummer, $1.00; Anna's Hummer. .50c; Rufous Hummer, 40c; Wren Tit, 35c; Pallid Wren Tit, t5c; Dotted Canon Wren, 80o; Thurber's Junco, 50c; Townsend's Junco, 11.75. If you have a few spare moments, just compare these with cat- alogue prices. We can furnish most anything in the line of Bird Skins, Mounted Birds, Mam- mals, Game Pieces under convex glass, and tinely mounted Heads. Superior work in all branches of Taxidermy. GEO. F. GUELF, PRACTICAL TAXIDERMIST, BROCKPORT, N. Y. Books on Labrador. "Bird Life in Labrador" contains 100 large pages, paper, describing over 100 species of birds found in that far away northern coun- try. As many of our American species only nest in this part of the U. S., the paper is of special interest to all bird lovers. Only 40c. "Notes on the Natural History of Labra- dor."— Gives a list of the mammals found there, birds, reptiles and batrachians, fishes, plants, review and criticism. Also a list of the Crustacea dredged on the coast of Labra- dor by the expedition under the direction of W. A. Stearns in 1882. A review of the ma- rine Crustacea of Labrador, catalogue of the MoUusca and Echinodermata Dredged. This pamphlet cannot fail to be of interest to any one interested in Natural History. Prepaid 40c. We will send both pamphlets to one address for 75c. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. LABELS. All sizes and for any branch of Natural History, at the very lowest prices. Send me copy and I will quote price. Fossil Labels like sample lUc per 100; 70c per 1000, with assorted headings. Period. Name... DEVONIAN AGE. « Loc !.. 1 Letter Heads, Bill Head.i. Curds, and etc. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. OUR PUBLICATIONS. The Kern DuIIetln:-24 paces, quarterly, illus- trated, si.^th year of publication. SPrice .W' cents a year. We can uow supply only Vol. VI complete. Send for it. Flora of Hie ITpper Susc|uelianna:--The only work on the Flora about the headwaters of the Su.squehanna. It Is not a mere list. but contains full information regarding the plaut.-^. 12mo. 172 pages, and map, bound in cloth. »1.2S postpaid. Xlie Plant 'Woria:-The new journal of popular Botany. First voUium ,1\ist completed. Among its contributors are all the fdreinost American Bot.in- ists. Monthly, iliustr:Ui-d. Jl.OO a year. Get the first volume before it iscjut of print. Address, WILLARD^.CLUTE & CO.. Binghamton N. Y. I WE BUY STAMPS AND $ OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS Seud ii.s what yi>ii have with lowest cash price or we will make you an olTi'r if you wish We pay express or pustage one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, DUBUQUE, lA. THE MUSEUM A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. V. ALBION. N. Y., MAY 15, 1899 No. 7 THE MUSEUM. A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences . Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion, N. Y. Correspondence aud lti i; 1 <>.I> \ \ '.11 WE HAVE BICYCLES n tyrj if-yn Vt rrpr'"-'"' "«. M'lmlrfl^ f-ir 'il ' f-T u»; »]«'• 3F*x*ee '_ ••o ■-•( •flm'i*' wh««-i . AS ihf fTr«i<-it F.xclaal'*-- J*i(->'<-Ir lloniie in ;V Oiicafo, lo Ar.f «r;.rM«c>>ii>, ^ti-- jdJ to oar custom •....•- At ;:OCrnU on lhti> niiir\ olouw otVvr - f f\ .Model 8 I R O Q U O I S B I C Y C LE M $ 1 6< 7& ^lille the; la^i. The wheels ■ > it ; iN., f.ini.jii'.«v«ryuherefiTbeauIy an'l crio'i (juality. t^rCPDIDTnW ^'''^ Iroqiurts Model 3 is too well known to need uUuunlrlUll a detAilo'iavscnption. Shelby 1^ in- seanilcis tutitnc.imprnrcd two-piece crank, detach.iKlo sprockets, r.rch crown, barrel Imbi and hanper.S!^ in. drrip, finest nickel and en r.m-'I: cI ri, f;#i.t»" franirt, '12, ^2^ nn-l JG in.. Ladies' T2 in.: blur And T> ,1 M will i)ii|' '■- f> P f-iT ih" li.iltii'-f r|15.i5 an I ositp^s charcni, .<' aio*t woad»rful Diryciv Ottrr ptrr miide, send it back at our ex- ..[.]» .int*-l. W)c»'iit»'l*ri.ijnlff>r e.^'-h ui ftill with •■rdcr. A er.juV.rlr lin^ of *ttO Under* al 91X.&0 and up. Srfond-haad Wlieria *t to 910. \\> wnnt fLXX^EJZV. .^VC%- JsS Al 'X'^ - tiiiTTfle It^l year. Tli-* v<-ar we offer whceU and cii^h for work dnne .. "Write for our liberal propoaltlon. W*- arc known everywhere Id and are |>«rfeell]r rallable; w« refer to any bank or busincta hou^e in J, I. MEAD CYCLE CO., Chicago, lli^ L JI2 THE MUSEL'M. POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, Nature, Invention, Archaeoloy. Eiec- tricity, Chemistry, Mineralogy. Hy- giene. Meoicine, Health. Formerly BOSTON JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRy. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular moiilhly cnuiHins a liirgenutn- ber of Short, Easy, Praclioal, lateresliog atid Popular, Soieatitic articles, that can he Ap- preciated and Euj'iyed by auy iiiiolIiiJtiut reader, eveu though he linew little or nothing of Science. It is intended to interest those who thinli. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Different from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name. Monthly, 51.60 per year; Newsdealers. I 5c Larg-est Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO., I Oo Fulton St., New York. Mention IVIUSEUIVI for a sample copy. IMPORTANT NOTICE. We desire to announce that owing to the many Improvements made in the current volume of I the Kern Bulletin, the price of sample j Icopies vi'iil now be fifteen cents each. Pur-i [chasers of sample copies may deduct this suml Ifrom the regular sutecriptiou price when sub f I scribing. The January number contains four-l r teen articles on ferns, many shorter notes, audi eight pages devoted to the IVIosses. Send tori it Address, The Fern Bulletin. Binghampton, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. We still have a few sets of back numbers of THE MUSEUIVI We will mail the entire first 4 volumes for only $2 00 prepaid; or any number you wish at 5 cents each. Fill out your files now while you can. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. American Land Shells Wanted. Any collector who has a good stock of above for sale cheap, we should be pleased to.hear from. We will also buy Foreign Land, Fresh Water. or Marine, in any quantity. Cyprsea specially wanted. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., ALPION, N. Y. NATURAL.ISTS. This is what you need for your Collection. 1. BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY PICUTRES In fine cases IHxy4x'^ in . glass top. cork bottom, contains luiil;ii'ge and brilliantly colored Butterflies and Moihs from every clime. A beautiful sight to be- hold Every Natui'alist and .Sprotsmiiu wants one for his den. 2. 10.000 DIFFEREN r KINDS OF BUTFERFLIES, MOrHS AND BEETLES from all over the world, perfectly mouuled, correctly named and labelled in cases or oxes. Prices to suit the times. Send be for catalogue. No postals answered. 3. PRESSED SHEET CORK, best and cheapest ever offered. Hx12x.=i-16 in.. 10c per shiet only. It is of uniform thickness, pertectly smooth on top, is not plastered up with paper, has no holes, takes the hnest pins easily, has a good grip, does not break, is Moth proof, no insect-pest can live in a box lined with this cork. It knocks the ordinary cork higher than kite in price and quality. You get as much again for your money and better quality. Send stamp for'sample. 4. PINE GROSBEAK EGGS in sets of 3, 4, 5 with Nests. 7.ic per egg, nest gratis. SO sets already sold. References Wm. Brewst«r. Cambridge, Mass : J. Parker Norris, Jr.. Philadelphia and other prominent orniihologists. Do you want a set'/ Of course you do. 5. SHELLDRAKE GAME PIECES, on polished shield for > our dining room. A pair, male and fe- male. 3.C0: one. S2.00. Very beautiful. 6. 500 MOUNTED NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. All perfect. Prices to suit the times. 7. TAXIDERMIST'S AND ENTOMOLOGIST'S TOOLS. Insect pins, presses nets and cabinets. Send 5c ff»r new Catalogue. No postals. 8. WANTED: Cocoons. Eggs in sets, with nest, pre- ferred Skins and other desirable material in ex- change or cash. PROF. CARL BRAUN. Naturalist. BANGOR, ME. Omaha Stamps Bought. 1 cent, 10 cents pei^ 100. 4 cent, $1.00 per 100 or 10 cents per 10. 5 cent, $1.25 per 100 or 10 cents per 8. 8 cent $2 00 per 100 or 10 cents per 5. 10 cent. $1 50 per 100 or 10 cents per 7. 50 cent. $25.00 per 100. or 25 cents each. $1.00 stamp. $.")0.00 per 100, or 50 rents each. The above prici-s are for good used stamps, not torn or d-imaged in any way. Address, RETURN MAIL STAMP CO., DUBUQUE, lA. Naturalist Farm and Fanciers Review. Devoted to the Interest of Each Branch Separately and Jointly. Published Monthly - 25 cents per year Special Offer for April and May. Send 35 cents and receive The Review one year and a handsome California Big Tree Pincushion as a Premium. Address, for H. W. KERR, Publisher, Blencoe, la. THE MUSEUM. I ALL ROADS ARE ALIKE J i TO A MOi\ARCIL^.^^ 111 It) $2B King and Queen $25 The best pair ol bicycles on earth tor the money . . . ^•^■^•^^■^^^^-^■^«•t^^^^^^M■f■ MONARCH CHAINLESS $75 MONARCH ROADSTERS $60 DEFIANCE ROADSTERS $35 MONARCH CYCLE MFG. CO. Lake, Halsled and Fulton Streets, Chicago BraDclic- — Now York, London. Hnnibnrf? \ti lb Ol lb \k iV 111 ^ * Ride a Monarch and Keep in Front. * iti '^ 111 111 lb .Soiul ;:i) cf.'DtH in staniiis lor a deck of Monarch PlayiDtf Cards, illubtratiuir Jc9>io H.irtlctt Davib. Lillian Kiissell, Tom ('(►oper. Leo Ricliardson and Wal'or .loDos. Ill 111 Ol 111 111 111 III 111 111 III III 111 lb III 111 ill 111 Ui III III Hi III 111 Ml yti 111 Ol III 111 lb lb lb lb lb Fine Florida Shells. We havp every facility tor furnUhlnc rollertors or deiilcnt with Klorlda r>hellM. or Souvenirs. We have had long exix-rleiire In colleftlnK. and the Kdltor of the Mt*sEU>i. has. un.'V)11rlie(l l,y us. odered To answer any Imiulrles a-- to our resixms'itjIUty or fair deallni;- 1 f you wl^h to see quality of specimens before placlnfr 1-irwer orders, send t\ for a Ih>x of samples. All cleaned and correctly nameil. Vrlie list tor stamp and all Incpilnes promptly answered. Give u.s a trial. J. H. HOI MES. DUXEDIX, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shells. Also Centipedes, .Scorpions, Gratis, etc. in alcohol «t a bai^ain. Address with stamp. O. BHVAXT, LcgwooH, Florida Wholesale Bargains. Wo have on haitd many lintt things in such oiir liisjifctioii chiirues prepaid. :& • '< tii,' l.'aiiiouH ■>oul>ly-t<;rniln- atccl Quartz CryHtHls, r< uud at this place, II thlscollectlotiof HrlllLint tJems pleases you. Ulndl.v send 71) cent.s (no more), otherwise return the collect- Ion and It win he O. K. Is not llila a fair proposition': Kxhlbit at World's Fair received Highest Award, .Medal and Diploma. Address. A. n. CRIM, Mlddlevllle, HcrUlnier Co., >i. V. THE MUSEUM. North American Birds OLIVER DAVIE. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. Extra Cloth - $2.24 postpaid. The best book on Eggs PublisheJ. IN EVERYTHING IS THE. OHEAPEST". We have the BEST at lowest prices. IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF Birds Eggs or Skins, Egg Collecting Outfits, Taxidermists' Material, or any kind of Naturalists' Supplies. Send Stamp for Catalogue. Mention Museum. CHAS. K< REED, 75 Thomas St, WORCESTER, MASS. VOL. V. NO. 8. JUNE, 1899. A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES : — j^o cts. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, $ cts. Published on the 15th of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. 50( Qur G®"^ Collection, 50 c. Wo present this month a small drawing of our gem collection which, in a crude wny, gives collectors an idea how it looks. As the stones are all finely cut and polished, they pre- sent a brilliant effect, which cannot fail to attract great attention in a cabinet. Tliese 13 stones could not be bought of any dealer in gems for less than $3 00 to $5 00. and to talje the rough stones to a lapidary and have them cut, would cost twice this figure. We believe every collector will want one of these collections. The price is only 50c. 'J nay will sell at $1.00 just as easily. Many years ago a Rocky Mountain dealer in minerals offend such a collection at $1.00. They were considered a wonderful lot for the price. In fact, it is a mystery to every one how the stones can be cut and polished and sold for any such figure as wo offer. We con- fess we do not understand how it is done, unless the parties who do the work are laborers who receive but a few pennies a day for their labor. Send a dollar bill well wrapped in your letter for two collections, sell one of them to a friend in your place who will be interested in cut .stones, for $1.00 and you have yours free. We guarantee that if they are shown to a few friends they will readily sell at $1.00. If you succeed in selling one, as we are sure you will and think there will bo a demand for more, we will make jou a figure on a di,z(n. Let ns hear from you at once. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. H. W. KRRR, MoR. KERR'S NATURAL HISTORY ESTABLISHMENT, BliENCOE, IOWA. DRALaRRS and GOLaLaEIGTORS. Naturalists' Supplies, Publications, Novelties, etc. 1899 List Free on application. Be Your Own Taxidermist. Particulars for stamp. Send for Sample Copy of "The Naturalist Farm and Fanciers Review." THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHAiMtES AND FOE SALES. All notices tbat come umler above will bo inserted in this department until further notice at one (1) rent a word. No notice less than 25c. Terms Cash with crtler. No chiirge for aiUlrifs. 1 shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, whose reputation is of a doubtful char- acter from using these columns. ALCUOLICS— I have a lot of alcholic speci- mans that 1 would like to exchange for Mam- mal ,«kins. or would sell at a bargaiu. J. K. STRECKER Jr. Waco, lex. TO KXCHANGF;— Fine sets with complete data to oxobanKf for books on Ornithology and Oi>logy. Send list of what you have. P. D GEfTY. liloomingtoD, 111. MARINE ALG.E— A large collection of mountid ami pic?sid sea mosses, also many decorated novelties. Schools, colleges and museums supplif-d with scientific collections. Write for price list. Ordi^rs by mail. Ad- dress MRS. H. M. JERNEGAN, Edgartown, Mass. NOR III CAROLINA BIRDSKINS— Choice lot of 112 .s-.'sptc includingWarblers Yellow- throated. Hooded etc i Sandpipers. Herons, Thrushes etc etc. Mostly common species but all perfect, full data and measurmenis, to exchange for California or Western Mam- mal skins, any species. J. K. STRECKER Jr. Waen. Tex^ SOME !-iLl'RIAN FOSSILS CIN GROL'I' to exchange for fos.'ils minerals, mound and Indian rel-cs and shells J N HODGIN, 122 N. 17 St, Ririmond, Ind. MEXICAN BIRD SKINS-A perfect speci- men of each of the following species; Brown Jay, Aztec Par<'(|uet, Black headed Trogan, Bonai)arttt .series. The plates are only sold in sets at 15 cents a set prepaid. Any 10 sets for $1 25 Or the whole 27 sets for $2 85 These are really remarkable prices They wofild be cheap at 10 cents a plate or $24 00 for the set of 240 plates true to nature They make a portfolio invaluable to any naturalist who is studying birds. List of contents of sets of plans on application. W. F. WF^BB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. WANTED.— Starfish, Hag-fish, Sea Clams, Squids, Crabs and other Sea animals in form- ation, in exchange for fresh water animals, or cash. Address, C. D. BUNKER, Lawerence, Kansas. A FINE CO.MBINATION-OneOstrichEgg $1..50, 1 set 4 Black-neck Stilt, $2.00. 1 set Cinnamon Teal. $4.00, f^iall $7 ,50. We will send prepaid for $2 00 and 20 cts. postage. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. I!4 THE MUSEUM. WANTED.— 10 to 25 lbs. of each of tlip fol- lowing minerals: Albite, Azurite and Mala- chite, Asbestos, Catlinitf, Chaloipyrite, Cookerile, Chaleertony from Tampa, Chert, Dendrites, pjlaeolite, Fluor Spar, Lodestone, Marmolite, Magnetite, Mo.ss Agate, Magne- site Opalized Wood, Oolite, Obsidian Por- phyry. Prehnite, Pink Calcite, Ripidolite, Serpentine, Steatite, Talc, Tin Ore, Variscite, William-lite, Copper Oni, Cryolite, Cvanite. Graphite, Halite, Lead Ore, Smoky Quartz, Selenite Parties havine anv of above please write at once. W. F WKBB, Mgr . Albion, N. Y. HOMING PIGEONS— We can furnish a few pairs of Homing Pigeon at the low price of $3 00 a pair. Will go safely by expn ss. these are handsome birds. WALTER K WEBB, Mgr. Albion, N Y. IMPORTANT NOTICE. I We desire to aunouiu'c tli:it owing to the many improvements made in the current volume of ; the Kern Bulletin, the price of sample j copies vrill now be atteen cents each. Pur- chasers of sample copies may deduct this suml from the regular subscription price when sub-F scribing. The January number contains four-1 teen articles on ferns, many shorter notes, and| eight paees devoted to the Mosses. Send for it. Address, The Pern Bulletin, Binghampton, N. Y. NATURALISTS. This is what you need Collection. for your RARE BARGAINS IN EGGS— A choice set of Black-neck Stilt for GO cts A handsome fresh, clean and perfect set of 8 Cinnamon Teal with down from nest for only $1.00 and 20 cts to pay postage and packing. This mak- es a handsome tray in a Cabinet Set of 4 American Avocet tor 60 cts. Set 3 Black Tern, 15 cts. Set 8 Shoveler Duck $1.10, Set 7 Horn- ed Grebe 60 cts, Redhead Duck $1.20 All of the above are perfect clean sets with full data and will be sent prepaid on receipt of price Will exchange sets Stilt for i.ther sets. W. F. WEBR, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. FOR SALE— A nice lot of skins of owl just arrived, all A 1 5 Snowy and 2 Great Horn- ed Owls Snowy at $2 00 each. Horned at $1.00. CHRIS P. FORGE, Comman, Man. American Land Shells Wanted. Any collector who has a good stock of above for sale cheap, we should be pleased to hear from. We will also buy Foreign Land, Fresh Water or Marine, in any quantity. Cypraea specially wanted. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., ALBION, N. Y. 6. BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY PICUTRES in fine cases 18x24x! in., glass top, Cork bottom, contains lOiJ large and brilliantly colored Butterflies and Moths from every clime. A beautiful sight to be- hold. Every Naturalist and Sprotsman wants one for his den lo.ooo DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUTTERFLIPS. MOTHS AND BEETLES from all over the world, perfectly mounted, correctly named and labelled in cases or oxes. Prices to suit the times. Send 6c for catalogue- No postals anuwered. PRESSED SHEET CORK, best and cheapest ever offered. 9x12x5-16 in, 10c per shfet only. It is of uniform thickness, perfectly smooth on top. is not plastered up with paper, has no holes, takes the flnest pins easily, has a good i;rlp. does not break, is Mothproof, no insect-pest can live in a box lined with this cork. Itknockstheordinary cork higher than kite in price and (luality. You get as much again for your money and better quality. Send stamp for sample. PINE GROSBEAK EGGS in sets of 3, 4, ,=) with Nests. 75c per egg. nest gratis. bO sets already sold. References Wm. Brewster, C.imbridge, Mass ; J. Parker Norris, Jr.. Philadelphia and other prominent ornithologists. Do you want a set? Of course you do. SHELLDRAKE GAME PIECES, on polished shield for ^ our dining room. A pair, male and fe- male. 3.Cd; one. J2.00. Very beautiful. 500 MOUNTED NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. All perfect. Prices to suit the times. TAXIDERMIST'S AND ENTOMOLOGIST'S TOOLS. In.sect pins, presses, nets and cabinets. Send .=)C for new Catalogue. No postals. WANTED: Cocoons. Eggs in sets, with nest, pre- ferred. Skins and other desirable material in ex- change or cash. PROF. CARL BRAUN, Naturalist. BANGOR, ME. POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, Nature, Invention, Archaeoloy. Elec- tricity, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Hy- giene, MeOlcine, Health. Formerly BOSTON JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly contains a large num- ber of Short, Easy, Practical, Interesting aod Popular, Scieutitic articles, that can lie Ap- preciated and Enjoyed by any intelligent reader, even though he knew little or nothing of Science, It is intended to interest those who think. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Different from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name. Monthly, SI. 60 per year; Newsdealers, 1 5c Largfest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO.. 100 Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy. THE MUSEUM. A Mont"ily Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. V. ALBION. N Y., JUNE 15, 1899 No. 8 Revi>ion of the Chickarees or ^orth American Red Squirrels. Sii/i/ t/s (/i'lii^'^liisii, Bachman. Dou- glas's Chickaree Winter Pelage. Above with a broad median band of dark ferruginous, the hairs ringed near the tip wiih black and chestnut; rest of upper parts, limbs and feet, dark brownish gray, the hairs being ringed with a much lighter shade of ferrugin- ous than on the back, the general ef- fect tending to gray; dusky lateral line generally present, varying from obso- lete to well defined; under parts strong buffy gray varying to ochraceous, pro- fusely vermiculated with black, the geperal effect in average specimens be- ing buffy gray. Tail above centrally for two-thirds its length of nearly the same color as the median dorsal band, but more coarsely varied with black, and with the tips of the hairs yellow or yellowish; the black submarginal zone narrow and obscured; a broad subterminal band of black; outer fringe of the tail yellow or yellowish, narrow- est across the end of the tail; below, the tail is grizzled rusty and black, with the submarginal black zone and the broad subterminal black band more ' distinct than above, as is also the yel- low marginal fringe. Ears conspicu- ously tufted with blackish. Summer Pelage. Above dark oli- vaceous brown with a tinge of reddish, the hairs being minutely punctated with deep ferruginous; lateral line broad and intensely black; feet deep orange rufous, extending with diminish- ing intensity to the 'shoulder; ventral surface orange, varying from orange yellow to deep reddish orange; tail much as in winter pelage, but narrow- er and less full. In general effect the color both above and below, in both pelages is subject to much individual variation, but especially in summer, dependent upon the depth of the rufous suffusion above, and of the intensity of the orange tint below. In co-ordina- tion svith this the tail fringe varies from deep yellowish rufous to yellow- ish white. The geographic.il range is the im- mediate vicinity of the Pacific coast in Oregon and Washington, from about Cape Blanco to Juan de Fuca straight. In its e.xtreme development it is limit- ed to within about 50 to 100 miles of the coast. Sciurus douglasii mollipilostts, AUD. & Bach. Redwood Chickaree. Winter Pelage. Above similar to .S". liotiglasii, but the median dorsal band is less dark, and the sides are more decidedly grayish in general effect; below pale buffy gray, heavily vermiculated with black. Tail nearly as in .S". cascadcn- si's, being fringed with white instead of yellow. The coloration below is gen- erally gray with a slight tinge of buff, but varies to strong buff. Summer Pelage very similar, both above and below, to 5. douglasii, e.xcept that the tail is fringed with white; the gen- eral tone of the upper parts, however, is more olivaceous and less ferruginous and the lower parts are less deeply tinted. The geographical range is the Pacific coast region of northern California, west of the coast range, from Sonoma county north to Curry county, Oregon. Grades into S. d. californicus in the Siskiyou region. Sciurus douglasii cascadeiisis, sub- sp. nov. Winter Pelage. Almost in- distinguishable both above and below, from S. d. luollipilosus, being similar- ly characterized by the white fringed tail and rather paler tints, in compari- son with -S". douglasii. ii6 THE MUSEUM. Summer Pelage. More olivaceous above and less deeply orange below than either 5. doitglasii or S. d. iiiol- lipilosns, varying from yellowish buff to buffy ochraceous, thus strongly ap- proaching .S'. d. californicns, with which it intergrades to the east and south. Geographical range. The Cascade region of Oregon and Washington, north into British Columbia, including also the coast region at the mouth of the Eraser river, and north at least to Rivers Inlet, some 50 miles north of Vancouver Island. In Oregon this form prevails south in the Cascades to the vicinity of Fort Klamath; and, west of the Cascades, to Glendale, Cleveland, Eugene and Sweet Home, and in Washington, to Tenino, Roy and Snoqualmie Falls. Sciiirus douglasii californicns, Al- len. California Chickaree. Winter Pelage. Above similar to S. d. cas- cadcnsis, but the median band of a much paler shade of chestnut, and the general color much lighter and grayer in general effect. Tail broad and full, with generally less chestnut at the base of the hairs and the outer white fringe much broader and intense, clear white. Ventral surface grayish white, without fulvous tinge and with little or no ver- miculation, and this mainly at the sides of the ventral area. Summer Pelage. Above similar to 5. d. cascadciisis, almost indistinguish- able, in fact, but rather lighter and grayer in general effect. Ventral sur- face pale fulvous, varying from cream white to pale fulvous; feet ochraceous, with a conspicuous deep ochraceous band along the front edge of the thigh; fore arm, ochraceous, the inner surface only a little paler than the outer. Tail narrow and slender, usually very little chestnut at base of hairs, and the fringe pure white, as in winter, but narrower. The contrast between the coloration of the ventral surface in true S. doug- lasii and typical 5. d. californicns, in both the summer and winter pelages. is thus very striking, but in the Cas- cades region of Oregon and Washing- ton, the two completely intergrade through -S. d. cascadciisis. Geographical range. The Sierra Nevada region of central and northern California, north in Oregon, east of the Cascades, to the Maury Mountains and Strawberry Butte, over which region it prevails with little change and may be considered typical, and nearly typical californicus prevails westward in Oregon to the eastern base of the Cascades, where it passes into cascadciisis. Review of the Sciiirus douglasii Group. The present material is greatly inad- equate for a satisfactory study of the 5. douglasii group, as developed in California, Oregon, W^ashington and British Columbia. There are appar- ently three forms along the coast one of which the northern, also occurs in the interior, while a fourth is wholly confined to the interior. These are beginning at the south-west: i. 5. douglasii viollipilosus, of the redwood belt, west of the coast range, which extends from Sonoma county, Califor- nia, into Curry county, Oregon, inter- grading with i". d. californicus in the Siskiyou region and with douglasii proper at the northward; 2. 5. doug- ■lasii, of the immediate coast region of Oregon and Washington, being con- fined mainly to within 50 to 100 miles of the coast, but extending also up the Skagit valley and intergrading on the e2.s\.W\ih S.d cascadensis] 3. S.d. cas- cadciisis, of the coast region of south- ern British Columbia, and thence southward through the Cascades, but only in the mountains proper, but to varying distances t© the base, both to the east and west, intergrading to the westward with 5. douglasii, and to the south-eastward with 5. d. califor- nicus ; 4. S. d. californicus, of the Sierra Nevada region of California and southern Oregon, ranging in the inter ior at least to the Maury Mountains I THE MUSEUM. "7 and Strawberry Butte, where it still retains nearly its typical features. A series of specimens from Lake Chelan, Washington, is almost referable to this form, being pale and larger, showing that it probably ranges, perhaps some what modified, much to the northward of the limits shown by the present re- stricted material. The e.xtreme phases of the group are .S". (ioii^lasii of the coast and 5. d. ciili/orntLni of the interior, which are exceedingly unlike; the coast-forms are all considerably smMexXhAn californi- lus, and much more strongly colored, particularly below, yet the coast and interior forms appear to completely intergrade through cascadensis. Cali- fornicus is especially characterized by the pale creamy-white to buff) color- ation of the ventral surface in the sum- mer pelage, and in the winter pelage, by the absence in large degree of dusky vermiculations, and any tinge of yel- low below. The series of 32 speci- mens from I't. Klamath, representing all seasons of the year, are specially interesting, since at about this point californicus passes into cixscadcnsis. Of 14 specimens in winter pelage, about one- half are typical taliforniciis, being white below and only slightly vermiculated — about like winter speci- mens from the southern Sierra Nevada; the others show somewhat more verm- iculation. but are all without the ful- vous wash of coast specimens, except one, which is heavily vertniculated and as strongly suffused with fulvous below as average specimens from Neah Bay. Of the 1 8 summer specimens, all but three are typical californicui, differing very little from a similar series from the mountains of central California, the remaining three closely resembling average coast specimens. On the other hand, a series of i r specimens from Siskiyou decided approaches the coast form. Specimens from the War- ner and Maury Mountains and Straw- berry Butte are fairly typical californi- cus. To be continued.) Urections and Sugij^estions- WHEKE TO FIND AND HOW TO COLLECT AND PREPARE LAND AND FRESH WATER SHELLS FOR THE CABINET. We publish the following brief notes on collecting Land and Fresh Water Shells, hoping thereby to remove some of the ditTiculties that usually beset the amateur collector. The writer will, to the extent of his facilities and ability, respond to any inquiries addressed to him relative to the Land and Fresh Water Shells of the United States, and will examine and label any packages of such shells sent to him, charges paid. In such cases it is best to number two suites of the shells you desire named, sending one suite to us. We will respond, giving you the name and number, if possible, retaining the samples sent for our trouble. Explorations. — It will be found gen- erilly, that those sections of the coun- try that have a dry sandy soil are un- favorable for the production of mol- luscs Regions in which pines abound are usually of this character. In the moist alluvial soiles of limestone re- gions are found the most favorable conditions for the production of mol- luscs This is more notably true with Land Shells, but aquatic species are similarly effected, but less conspicu- ously. Land Shells. — Are found most abundantly in the -wooded alluvial re- gions, where during the day they are concealed under fragments of fallen trees, bits of bark, chips, etc., some- times under leaves and in rank tufts of grass. Moist debris of shaly rocks in ravines should be examined, and some peculiar species in the southern states are found on shrubs and trees. Some species of semi-aquatic habits are found under bits of flood-wood, leaves, etc., near the muddy slopes of streams and ponds. Among our more minute spec- ie?, are some that may occasionally be ii8 THE MUSEUM. found, congregated in hundreds, under stray fragments of boards, bits of wood, etc., in wet grass lands, ihat are moist during a considerable portion of the year. Always be on the alert and ex- amine every likely place, and your ef- forts will usually be well rewarded. Fresh Water Shells. — Among the smaller fresh water shells, one is sure to find some air-breathing molluscs that are called aquatic niolltisca. One might think they were land shells, as many species have a habit of crawling out of the water and remaining on the moist mud without inconvenience. They are also found on the stems and leaves of aquatic plants. In their hab- its they adopt a wide range of condi- tions and may be found in lakes, ponds, rivers, canals, ditches, stagnant pools, swamps and small rivulets. By far the greater number of species of this character prefer shallow water, and may be found usually along the mar- gins. By pulling up the stems of fiags or bullrush, many species may be discovered. A class of minute cup- like shells, ''Fresh Water 'Limpets " are frequently found adhering to the sides of other shells, under the mar- gins of stones, etc. Aside from the air-breathing aquatic mollusca, we have some whose respiration is aquatic. These are not usually found in stag- nant waters. The largest shells of this class are found in swamps along the rivers of some of the southern states. In their season of active life they are found feeding on aquatic plants, but where the water dries up, they burrow in the mud. It is best to collect them while active. Another class, smaller than those just mention- ed, but affording a greater number of species and varieties, is found all over North America. They inhabit rivers, lakes, ponds and canals, and when cir- cumstances favor their habits will be found most abundantly, burrowing just beneath the soft mud near the shores, usually at the ntargin of the water. They frequently acquire a more luxuriant growtfi in canals than in neighboring rivers. Next to this class in size is one that embraces a large number of species included in several genera and sub-genera. The shells vary in form from a slender turret to globular, variously colored, and fre- quently ornamented with tubercles, ridges and carinations. With few ex- ceptions, they are found in rivers and perennial streajiis. Some of these molluscs prefer viuddy sloping river hanks, where they crawl on the sur- face of the mud. Others prefer the rapid current among the rocky portions, where they adhere to the surface of the rocks. The habits of the majority of this class, however, are such as to bring them to the shallower portions of the water they inhabit, and they can often be reached from the shore with the hands. By gradual transitions, these genera with their numerous spec- ies are followed by other and smaller genera, some of which have a compar- atively limited range and others are widely distributed over the whole coun- try. Nearly all of them have habits in some respects similar to the last pre- ceding class, and will be found on the muddy bottoms of shallow portions of rivers, lakes, etc., feeding on aquatic plants. Fresh- water Bivalve Shells. — Might be divided into two classes, small and large. The small forms, none of which are ever over a half an inch long, inhabit nearly every perennial stream having a muddy bottom. Also lounA'm stagnant waters, lakes, ponds, canals, and indeed, in every station fitted for mollusc life. They all bur- row just beneath the surface of the vuid, and are found in greatest abund- ance near the margin of the water, or where there is but little depth. Some of the species are extremely frail, and some are very minute. The larger bi- valve shells, called Fresh Water Mus- sels or Fresh Water Clams, embrace a large number of genera and sub-gen- era. No country in the world pro- duces as great a variety of forms as the United States. In the north-eastern THE MUSEUM. 119 part of the United States the nimiber o( species are not great, but in the south and middle west the variety is ahncst endless. They inhabit lakes, riri-rs and canals. Small semi-aquat- ic mammals feed on them in abund- ance. Lar^e quantities of them are now used in manufacturing pearl but- tons and other pearl articles, and im- mense numbers of the shells in Wis- consin, Iowa, and other states through the Mississippi valley h.ive been col- lected and examined in search of pearls. The shells are usually found partly burieci in the mud or gravel. Having now spoken of most of the classes of shells one will be apt to find, we will turn our attention to Collecting. — To collect Land Shells, small tm boxes are suitable. It is best to have several, so one may keep different sizes by themselves to some extent. A very little experience will enable one to tell a young shell from a mature specimen. It is best not to C'jllect many of the former, but leave them for some future visit. One should always be provided with a small bottle of alcohol and put all minute forms into this. A small pair of tweezers is very handy to handle them with, as many are very fragile. Many of the small aquatic species are handled best in this manner. The small "Fresh Water Limpets" before mentioned, can be handled best with a blade of a knife, when they may be removed to the bottle. Many aquatic species may be rapidly gathered with a dipper, which is perforated in the bottom A jointed handle may be fitted to it, and thus be used in a variety of stations. .After dipping up some mud, it can be jently washed away in the water, and the shells that remain in the bottom of the dipper removed to a pail partly filled with water The Fresh Water Mussels can usually be collected with the hand where the water is shallow, and a market basket will be found handy to put them in. In places where it is inconvenient or impossible to wade, a rake with a long handle will bo found handy. One of greater utility can be made having curved teeth, and with teeth in the end. An instrument of this character can be used from a boat handily in ten to fifteen feet of water. When a species is found abundant, it is best to collect a large number, as the habits of many species are affected by inappreciable intluences, and often those that were most abundant, cease to be so, much to the disappointment of the collector. Preparation of Specimens — The large shells of all kinds, down to one- half an inch in diameter, may have the soft parts removed easily by pouring boiling water over them, and using a small metalic hook. The smaller sorts best be put in alcohol when first col- lected, and after 24 hours then may be removed and dried in the sun. The reason of this treatment is, that the alcohol causes the soft parts to con- tract into the smallest possible space within the shell, and also dries up when in the sun more readily, and with less of the offensive odor of de- composition than svhcn dried in the usual manner. Also the shells pre- sent a more cleanly appearance after alcoholic treatment. If a weak solu- tion of alcohol is used they may re- main in it for two or three days. The best way to remove dirt and mud from small shells that are too minute to handle, is to place them in a small dish or vial, and put in equal parts of clear sand, such as one finds on our large lakes or ocean. By agitating the vial or dish in a rotary motion for a few moments, the friction of the shells and sand will very quickly brighten the surface of the shells. This may be done before the animal is removed or before their treatment with alcohol if desired. Preparation of Starfish. Having had many inquiries from Coast collectors and those intending to visit the Coast, how to prepare the little starfishes, we recommend the following: I20 THE MUSEUM. Take live specimens and place in flat dishes of warm water (back upj and when soft and pliable, which will be in a few minutes, change to flat dishes of one -third water and two- thirds alcohol, and let them stand twenty-four to forty-eight hours, cov- ered with the liquid. Take them out and place on boards to dry for a day or two in the sun or by artificial heat as the case may be. From the time that the animals are taken from their warm bath care should be exercised that the arms are systematically ar- ranged; dry them first back up, then when somewhat stiff turn over, and do this until perfectly dry. Fresh warm water kills and makes them pli- able, alcohol hardens, and evaporat- ing carries out quickly from the body such liquids as remain. A Trip After Meteorites.* Baku on the Caspian, Russian Transcaucasia, February, 1899. My dear Bement: — Since sending you my previous let- ter, in which I announced a visit to Persia, I have successfully made that trip, and am once more back in this Caucasian Caspian seaport. Let me tell you a little about my trip, which in the outset, and before it was digni- fied by success, I called (to myself) the veriest wild-goose chase; the very wildest still-hunt of quite a few which you know I have made in these past years after coveted specimens. You perhaps remember that Flight in his meteorite book notes a Persian meteorite called Veramin, which fell some twenty years ago and became the property of the Shah. Now, why shodld I not go to that distant and in- teresting country, interview His Ma- jesty, see Veramin, and get a piece of it for my collection! So thought I, and when in St Petersburg two months ago I took a first step in my plan by obtaining from the Persian Ambassa- dor, resident in the Russian capital, a letter of introduction to the Grand Vizier of the Shah at Teheran. Then when I had finished my meteorite work in the museums of North and Central Russia, had crossed the Cau- casus and had come to this city and writt n my notes to you, I decided, as I informed you, to cut loose and go to Persia. So, with a preliminary invo- cation of fupitcr tonaus, who you know is the patron Deity of meteorite- huniers, I boarded a Caspian steamer and sailed away southward. For two days and nights we followed the east- ern coast, the low shore having a mag- nificent background of high snow-cap- ped mountains — the south-eastern pro- longation of the Anti-Caucasus range. These mountains at length swung around to an east and west trend, and, now called the Elburz range, crossed our track and reached far away east- ward toward Afghanistan. The Cas- pian ended, and we went ashore at the little port of Enzeli, on the north bor- der, or coast, of Persia. There I joined with several of our passengers, who, like myself, were headed for the capital, and engaged riding-horses and baggage- mules for our caravan-trip of about 300 miles to Teiieran. I must not tell you of the incidents of this trip. They were legion, but to narrate them would take me too far from the specifi: subject of this letter. Suffice it to say that we had si.x da}s of delightful views of nature in her grandest display in the vallejs and ra- vines and slopes and cliffs and colossal peaks which we went through, over, and among in mounting to the pass over the Elburz mountains, 7,000 feet above the sea-level. Si.x days delighte in the natural beauties and the country's novelties which were offered us, yet most wearisome from the fati- gues of wretched horses, poor food, and beds upon the hard dirt floors of dilapidated caravanseries and crumb- ling mud huts at which we shopped wherever night overtook us. Then two days more, part of horse-back and part of carriage, took us across the THE MUSEUM. 121 plain of Northern Persia and in full si^ht of Deinavend, the great extinct volcano mountain 19,400 feet hif^h aotl covered with a beautiful sheet of snow, to the north gate of the great walled city of Teheran — the capital and me- tropolis of the Empire. \\'hat I did during my stay of t^vo weeks in this great Persian city must wait in its nar- ration till we meet. Now I will only tell \ou of \'eraniin — that magnet me- teorite which had, all irregularly, pul- led me with its strong attraction so far away to the south. After a few days in this cily I had obtained audience with the Grand Viz- ier at his palatial residence. He spoke and understood French; so I told him in simple, unvarnished words the ob- ject of my visit. I had heard clear in distant America of a famous stone which had fallen from Heaven many years ago, and was now in the Palace of the Shah. That I wished to see it, to examine and weigh and photograph it, and also, if possible, to obtain a piece of it for my collection of these wonderful objects. His Excellency in- formed me that it would be possible to bring about most of my requests as stated, but that he doubted very much my being able to obtain a fragment, even ever so small, of the precious and somewhat celebrated stone. He would. however, at an early day be called to see His Majestv the Shah, and that he would then bring up the subject, and ascertain what mi},'ht be done. In fact, after a few days' delay I received a letter from the Grand Vizier, enclos- ing word from the Shah inviting me to call on the following day with him and with the .American .Ambassador, who had interested himself actively in my behalf. We went promptly the next day to the Paldce; passed the guard at the outer and inner gate.«, traversed, one after another, many courts with foun- tains, and wandered through the mazy pathwajs of the Gulistan, or Garden of Koses, before we reached the en- trance part of the noble edifice. We were joined at the grand staircase by the Guardian of the Palace and one or two court attendants, and with them we proceeded at once to the hall of the Peacock Throne, where the audi- ence was to be given. Our little party — including the American .Ambas- sador, the Grand \'izier and myself— walked down the hall with as much circumstance and dignity as if we were representatives of some foreign poten- tate on a mission of importance to the state, instead of being in the main led and motived bv a Yankee seeking a meteorite for his cabinet. At the fur- ther end of the hall, and immediately in front of the throne, stood His Im- perial Majesty the Shah, Mozuffer-ed- Din ( ■ '\'ictorious of the Faith,") whom, when you meet on such occasion, it is proper to address as "King of Kings," or "Asylum of the Universe." He stood before us quite unattended; a middle-aged man of medium height, somewhat stout and portly in figure. He was dressed in a plain civilian suit of light blue, his coat buttoned in front to the chin, and his skirts, which were long, had voluminous folds and pleats which made it stand out in the peculiar heavy manner distinctive of this article ol Persian dress. Our audience being a private one, he wore no decoration and no insignia or jewels save one large diamond in the front of his ko/a, or head-dress of astrakhan wool, which is in shape like a Turkish fez without the tassel. We of course made our bows in the lowest and most impressive manner. His Majesty opened the con- versation with "Bon jour"; which words, uttered in an explosive manner, proved to be the limit of his French. Our conversation thereafter, in which the Grand Vizier changed my French into Persian for His Majesty's benefit, and His Majes y's Persian into F"rench for my benefit, seemed to roll chiefiy upon meteorites. His Majesty was curious to know more or less about their place of origin, the places in which they had fallen, their general composition, and particularly if any of )22 THE MUSEUM. them contained silver or gold. I have to confess that, with all my efforts to interest him, he appeared to have a rather tired and bored look, and not to be particularly anxious to prolong the audience. Under the circumstances, I myself felt in the same way; in short, our interview reminded me strikingly of Mark Twain's account of his first meeting with General Grant at the White House, at which he felt consid- erably constrained and overcome, but met the difficulty by frankly saying: "Mr. President, I feel a good deal embarrassed, don't you.'" However, one point in our conver- sation with the Shah particularly in- terested me. This was when, turning to the Guardian of the Palace, who stood at his right, he made some re- mark, illustrated by the fingers of one hand crossing the other; at which the Grand Vizier, speaking to me, said: "His Majesty says you may have a piece of the meteorite." This declar- ation having been made, and I having duly given my thanks, I bade a respect- ful farewell, and our whole party, leaving him standing, backed out the entire length of the long hall, at the infinite risk to some of us of suddenly sitting down in an ungraceful manner. Reaching the door, we passed out, and our interview with His Imperial High- ness, Mozuffer-ed-Din, "Victorious of the Faith," "Iving of Kings, " "Asylum of the Universe," was ended. As we descended the staircase the Guardian of the Palace informed me that in two days His Majesty would go to the mountains for a week's hunt- ing, and that then would be a proper time for me to come to the Palace to carry out my work. Accordingly, after two days I returned with our con- sul; a German photographer whose services I had engaged; and a Persian servant bearing a huge pair of scales which I had borrowed at the hotel. We found the meteorite on a low stand upon the floor of the museum hall. It was a mass shaped like an oblong loaf of bread, about 1 6 inches long by 12 inches wide and 8 inches thick; its corners rounded and its surface covt r- ed with the characteristic deep pittings. We at once put it in the scales, find- ing its weight to be just 113.^ pounds. We then placed it upon the stand in the center of the hall and photograph- ed it from several sides and at various distances, bringing into most of our pictures some views of ihe hall itself. In one of these we induced to stand by the side of the specimen, the Guardian of the Palace, a staid and portly gen- tleman. We then had the specimen carried down the Palace steps, across the Gulistan, into one of the small paved courtyards, where I undertook to break off the piece which the Shah had promised me. I found this to be no easy matter. Had the mass been a Siderite, I might have cut it with my steel saw, or had it been an Aerolite, I might have broken off a piece with a hammer; but it was a Siderolite, a mixture of both iron and stone, so tough as to be al- most impossible to fracture. Further- more, it had no corners or salient points which I could attack. I sent out to the street for a smith, who came with a huge hammer and smote the mass a score of times with all his force, almost without any effect — so hard was it. After two hours' work he had suc- ceeded only in crunching off a dozen or more small fragments, weighing to- gether but about half a pound. It then occurred to someone that we should take the meteorite to the Arsen- al, and there undertake to cut it by ma- chinery. Receiving permission from the Guardian of the Palace, who — very wisely, as I thought — sent his son along to see that the entire mass should not get away to Rochester, I put the specimen in a carriage and drove to the Arsenal, a low stone building in another part of the city. There we fortunately found an old steam planing machine. The engine and boiler which should move it being out of order, we were obliged to at- tach men — ten or twelve of them — by THE MUSEUM. 123 a rope, and operate it by hand. This work required two nights and one day, so hard ami refractory was the mass. We at last succeeded, however, in cutting off a piece weighing between two and three pounds. I returned the III lin mass to the Palace, and congrat- ulated myself upon the happy outcome of a mission which in its projecting and its carrying out had been so much of a venture. The specimen which I obtained will show nicely in my col- lection of meteorites, which is fast be- coming one of the largest in Ameiica. In its inner structure it more nearly approaches our Miney from Taney Co., Mo., than any other Siderolite which I know. Tmust not omit to state that this meteorite fell in May of 1880, on the plain of \'eramin, twelve miles away to the east from Teheran. I expect soon to describe it, and, with some added facts, it will retain its place in scientific literature as the "Veramin Meteorite." Although my letter is of meteorites, I will not rush you out of the Palace without first showing a room, one of many which I visited, which would, I am sure, have delighted your mineral- ogical soul. This is the museum hall, where are exhibited not only the royal regalia of all the Shahs of the present dynasty, which dates back for nearly two cen- turies, but also the past collection of objects d'art and curiosities which the generosity of crowned heads or his own whims enabled the father of the pres- ent Shah to mass in his reign of nearly fifty years. Here is an infinity of ob- jects far too numerous for me to un- dertake even the most meagre descrip- tion of them. Some, indeed, are childish and not worthy of description; others, like the swords of Tamerlane, the great Mongolian conqueror of the fourteenth century, and that of Shah Ismail, with many other Persian anti- quities, are of highest historical value. But the objects in this hall which most attract the visitor and make it unique among all halls in the world, are the infinity of gems, cut or uncut, or set in every kind of object and in every var- iety of pattern. Here is a massive arm-chair with a lofty back, which is covered over every inch of its surface, with rubies and emeralds applied in pleasing combinations. The greatest wonder, and probably the most valu- able single object in the hall, stands upon a low table centrally in the room. This is the famous Jewel (ilobe, which was constructed out of his loose gems by the late Shah. It is a common globe about a yard in diameter, on which each of the countries of the earth is depicted by gems of one kind covering its surface. Thus, the oceans are a solid surface of emeralds, En- gland and France of diamonds, Africa of rubies, India of amethysts, and Per- sia with her national stone, the tur- quoise. Thus the whole great globe is a surface of gorgeous, sparkling color, and of priceless worth. The alleged value of the whole (75 lbs. of pure gold and 51,366 gemsj is 947,000 pounds sterling, or nearly five millions of dollars. But I must not go on further, for a full description of the jewels in the possession of the Shah — said to be un- equalled by any other potentate in the world — would take me too far. Having with the acquisition of my meteorite attained the purpose of my trip, and apprehensive of the snow, which had begun to fall heavily upon the mountains, I took a hasty depart- ure from Teheran and returned in eight days, in carriage and on horseback, by the same way in which I had come, to the Caspian, and from thence to Baku, the point from which I had started. And so my Persian meteorite hunt ended. * Letter from Professor Henry A. Ward to Mr. Bement, of Philadelphia, in June Mineral Collector. . 124 THE MUSEUM. Good Pamphlcts,Books,ctc. English Sparrow in North America, 405 pp., 10 figs., 1 map ^ 50 Prairie Grounrl Squirrels of Miss. Val- ley, 61) pp., 3pl.. 4 maps 25 Common Crow of the United States, 98 pp., 1 pi., 6 figs., 1 map 20 Jack Rabbits of the United States, 84 pp , 6 pi., 2 tigs -20 Revision of North American Pocket Mice 36 pp , 4 pi 30 Description of 14 new species and 1 new eenus Amer. Mammals, 52 pp , 8 pi , 7 tigs 20 Biological Survey of the San Francisco Mountain Region and Desert of the Little Colorado, Ariz., 136 pp , 5 maps, 2 figs , 14 pi 40 Biological Reconoissance of South Cen- tral Idaho, 132 pp , 4 pi , 4 tigs 25 Monographic Revision of the Pocket Gophers, 258 pp., 20 pi , 71 figs 60 Revision of the Shrews of the American Genera Blarina and Notiosorex, 124 pp , 12 pi 25 Weasels of North America. 44 pp., 6 pi., 16 tigs 20 Genera and Subgenera of Voles and Lemmings. 84 pp , 12 figs . 3pl 16 Revision of North American Bats, 140 pp . 3 pi . 40 figs 20 Fine Descriptive books of most any Cen- tral American or South American country, at 50c to 1 .00 Public Libraries in the United States. . . 100 Pacific Railroac" Surveys and Explora- tions, set of 13 volumes, cloth, now getting very scarce and valuable 30 00 Mollusca and Crustacea of thfi Miocene of New Jersey. 195 pp.. 24 pi 95 List of Marine Mollusca, comprising the quartenerj fossils betweeri Cape Hat- teras and Cape Roque 45 Invertebrtite Fossils of the Pacific Slope .25 Fauna of the Knoxville beds, 132 pp., 20 pi 25 Americal Fossil Brachiopoda. 464 pp. . . 50 Parties wishing Government Documents of any description please write us for prices. We can quote you species rates on many thousand volumes of such. It is the cheapest scientific literature in the world and the most accurate. Walter F. Webb. Albion, N. Y. Naturalist Farm and Fanciers Review. Devoted to the Interest of Each Branch Separately and Jointly. Published Monthly - 25 cents per year Special Offer for April and May. Send 35 cents and receive Cnv. Kevikw for one Vfar find a handsome Crtlitrirnia Big Tree Pincushion as a Pi'Muiuni. Address, H. W. KERR, Publisher, Blencoe. la. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our large monthly bulletin of Skln.s, Eggs. etc. free upon application. Big Offers in Birds Eo^o^s. The eggs offered below are strictly first-class. For $5 00 we will send $15 00 worth of fine single eggs, no two alike, .-ill correctly num- bered and include a copy of our 100 page Or- nithologists and Uologists Manual For $10 00 we will send $40 00 vvorth. no two alike For $20 00 we will send $100 00 worth, no two alilo: For $1 00 we will send $12 00 wi.rth of fine sets, with full data For $10 00 will send $30.00 worth of fine sets all with full (lata For $20 OIJ we will send $80 00 worth f fine sets, with full data. For an order of $50 00 or over we wid .^ell at 1-6 catalogue rates. This you can readily see is to close out our stock. ' We lose heavily at the latter rate but wish to reduce our stock at once. W. F. WEBB, Mgb., ALBION, N Y, (^ WE BUY STAMPS V OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS Send us what you have with lowest cash price or we will make you an offer if you wish. We pay express or postage one way I DR. J. W. FOWLER, DUBUQUE, lA. SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. The handling of Scientific Books is exactly in our line. In je good olden times when a book was wanted, the customer picked up a reliable dealer's catalogue and ordered it at list price. In these hustling 1.S99 times he or- 'ders where he can get it the cheapest. Our facilities are unsurpassed. Our import ord- ers are usually ailed in 15 to 20 da^s. Prompt paying customers need advance no money with us till goods are delivered Let us figure on your wants Walter F. Webb, Mgr., Albion, N.Y. I i THE MUSEUM. 125 The Young Naturalists' Marvel- ous Collection. This Is truly one o( the nuitt iiiarvelcius iMiUeitlons ever put up. It Is piirtlculaiiy adapted toKluder- garleu Wi>rK. and while proving Invalual'le to "young coUeetors" (.UUt ones will apnrei-lale Us nierlt-s. The swclnieus at retail prke.< would auuuint to several times what we ask for them as a whole. Sent prepaid on receipt of iVJc. List and description of contents; I. Indian Pottery. This Is a fragmeut of pot- tery from the famous mounds in Ohio. '^. Yellow Sea Bean. .■'. Red Sea Bean •*. BlacK Sea Bean The above three "Sea Beans" are found In the Bahamas. The natives call them "Nickers." 5 C:iinese Horn Nut. .V curious nul foimd In China, shaped like an auiniiil's horns. 6 Egg > aosule of Periwinkle This large raoUusk is-found all alonp the Atlanilo shore. It lays If.s epes. coiisistmff of a Ions string of the.se capsules, i- i-c . ».a weed. 7. S-nd Box Shuck This is a portion of a curious nut found in Central America. The nuts when drjlnj;. at a certain stage, explode with a loud report. 8. Alligator Tooth. Specimen taken from an animal in south Florida. 9 Tarpon Scale. The Tarpon Ls one of the noted game tlshes of Florida. It is justly called the "Silver King" as each scale Is tipped with a silvery color. 10. Job's Tears. Curious hard seeds found in British Guinea. They are strung on strings and ex- tensivelj- sold In various parts of tne world as Ijeads. II. Black-eyed Susans. A handsome small red seed with a black sjpot on same. Found in the Ba- hamas. 12. Miamosa Seeds. Found In the Bahamas and extensively used by the natives In the manufact- ure of ornaments, as fancy bracelets, etc. 13. Castor Oil Sean Found growing wild in the i.slands ot the Bahamas Ours were received direct from toere as well as the rest ot our curios In that section from our special collector. 14. Foreiiin L^ind Shell This pretty Snail, /Itlij- ]i faiiia. comes from Italv. 15. Bleeding Too'h Shell. This curious shell. Xerifa p'Uronfa, has teeth like projections with red blotches on same. Found In B.ihamas. 16. Ring-top Cowry. A lurious shell with glistening enamel. Cypraea anmilus. Found through- (■lit the Kast Indies. Most specimens have a distinct ring on the top. 17. Money Cowry, Cypraea moii^ta. Is found largely in the Indian Ocean, where for years it has been collected In large (|uantities and used In barter with the natives of N'rth .\frlca. IS- Tectarias. Tectariaa muricata. Is a small shell with elevated spire the whole covered with lit- tle nodules. Found in the East Indies. 19. OUva biplioata Found along the shore of California. They burrow in the deeo sand, and touri-ts tind great sport in digging for them. 20. Worm Shell. Verniflue tpirahm, is a cur- ious Florida shell. It grows la large clumps In shal- low water. 21. American Fr<:Sh Water Shell. This specimen. TnjpanaMofiia, from Tennessee. Is a .lam- ple of the immense cla.ss oX American B'resh Water Slotlusca. 2^. American Land Shell, //-(ix tj-otela. from Indiana, presents a very good type of the great class of American Land Shells 23. Purpura saxicola Is found on the Paclllc coast . The Purpura shells are what the ancients used in the manufacture ot dye. 24.. Limpet, Annaett ■•ipfcfrurn. Is found common- ly at .Santa Barbara and adjoining coast. They ad- here verv Ilriiilv to the rocks. 25. Beehive Shell This curious shell. Cer- t'" '"1. shape«l like a miniature bee-hive is typical in t'l- Bahamas. A larger numt)er ot si)ecies have been 111-, .iwred there than In any portion of the world. Common In the salt m.arshes and pools. 26 Drill Shell, C'ronnljiiur einera. is found commonly on the piles of wharves along the Atlantic coast Ills ii fertK-ious little mollusc, attacking oth- er large shells, drilling small holes through their shell, and killing the animal. It has produced much havoc among the ovster beds. 27. Button Shell. I'lnboninm. Is a little hut- ion shaped ;.h.-n found alonir the shores of Ceylon. 28. Satin Spar is a form of ilypsum from Cumberland, Eiig.. having a satiny effect, It is used largely in the mauufacture of jewelry. 29. Petrified Wood Is found In many sec- tions of the Western States. This comes from Cen- tral Montana. 30. Mexican Onyx is a compact mineral which takes a tine polish and is used largelv nowa- days in the llnishlng of expensive buildings. It comes from New Mexico. 31 Petrified Coral. This specimen of coral that lived in past ages Is from the Niagara Forma- tion, which crops out at Cincinnati, Ohio. It still shows llie structure of coral. 32. Petrified Nautilus. This is a regular miniature Nautilus. Seapliileii nodoguf. Is found in the Bad Lands of Montana. 33. Petrified Shell- Sample of a pe'fect pet- rlHed shell from the Hamilton Group. of New York state. 34. West. Indies Coral. Small specimen from the Bahamas in many respects the handsomest species found growing there. 35. East India Coral. Specimen from Sing- apore, showing a much dlllerenl style and structure from No. 111. 36. Yellow Coral is from Tahatl. It grows In small clusters on the rocks. The color is natural. 87. Organpioe Coral Is another curl-.us form of recent red c<^ral found -at Singapore. No oth- er specimen approaches It in form. 38. Precious Coral. This specimen is pol- ished and in this form used to be manufactured Into necklaces. It .is found on the bed of the sea near South lialv. 39. Coralline from Africa. It Is a curious growth between a true coral and a sea weed. 4-0. Yellow Sea Fan. Found In the Baha- maK shows a very curious structure. 41. Purple Sea Fern These large Purple Ferns freciuently grow six feet high in the West In- dies Islands. 42. Sponce, This Is a piece from a mammoth Cup Sponge that grows in one large cup shape three feet high in Mauritius. 43. Starfish. Aim of one of these queer ani- mals found along the Atlantic coast. 44. Sand Dollar. A sm.all animal allied to a Starfish, living In shallow water along the Atlantic coast After laying on the beach It frequently bleach- es out white and looks like a dollar." These specimens are all necessarily small, but in every case show the struciure as well as a larger one. Fully half of them are entire specimens, but In the case of Corals and Sea Fan. Sponges .and so on. of course only a small hand specimen could be Included. Sent prepaid on receipt of price. We will make special rates to teachers who wish to supply them to their students. WALTER F. WEBB, Albion, N. Y. LABELS. All sizes and tor any branch of Natural History, at the very lowest prices. Send me copy and I will quote price. Fossil Labels like sample lUc per 100: 70c per 1000, with assorted headings. DEVONIAN AGE. Period i .1 Name 1 Loc Letter Heads. Bill Heads, Cards, and etc. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. When answering advertisements al- ways mention THE MUSEUM. 126 THE MUSEUM. BargairivS for June READ IT THROUGH. IT WILL PAY YOU We are closing out specimens named below at very low prices. Note all are prepaid. We will send on approval if you agree to return promptly prepaid what you do not care for. We will also take pay in installments if more convenient to customer. You must write quick as many of these things will go at once. Bird Skins. beautiful mountings and covered with TjuTAtr'ltr^'''' loo Mar^^ita^-S^r CHppingCa.e; '' Even ng G " beak: i : : l ! ! ! ! i ! ! ! ! ! '. ! ! ! ! ! ,30 6 larp envelopes appropriately named Americin Quail, female 40 and bound in lieavy covers, on whuh Great Blue Heron, male 1.50 are bea„t,fnl mounts under ce luu.ul, so It IS not easilv soilfd. guld edges. . . 75 Following from South Texas, made in leb- Marine Algea Panel, oon.sistiug of 5 card ruary and IVlarch last: mounts, strnngwitli ribbon,' so as to Road Runner, m 50 hang on wall. Thi.s is to mir notion Arizona Cardinal, m. f 20 one of the handscmest 40 Western Meadow Lark, m 20 Marine Algea Photo, Frame. The frame Golden-front Woodpecker, m 25 proper is ooveiv.d with beautiful mounts Dwarf Cowbird, m 20 that are in turn covered with celluloid Sage Thrasher, m 25 to keep dust from .soiling. Has back, Mexican Shore Lark, m 15 so will stand on mantel or table. A Amert Titlark, m i.. .12 beauty 60 McCown's Longspur, m 12 shell Case,' ' a pair 'of ' Pect'en 'iiridaus'. Black-throated Sparrow, m 20 hinged at bottom in which are 10 cards Bewick's Wren, m .20 of algea, very neat 40 Verdin, m 25 i_j;._ D.i:_, _j r...:». The above seven articles are particularly suit- Ind an Ke cs and Lur os. ui t i • .uj jj' ■£! i ■ able for birthday or wedding gifts, being Fine Perfect Pottery Pipe $4.00 something that will be always admired. We '' " ®*^^'j ^"^ will send on approval to any collectors, so Bowl, cracked 2.50 gm-g .^^e we that vou will be more than Good Celt 40 pleased. " axe, half groove 60 Sinkers 15 Minerals. Scrapers, notched or unnotched 15 We carry quite an extensive stock of min- Points, poor, various states 01 erals for one who dni s not pretend to make it better, " " 03 a specialty. We can always furnish several " good to fine, various states 10 hundred kinds right from our cabinet draws, " tine 20 and ire glad to send on approval to any one Chautauqua shell collection, used to sell at who wishes to start a caljiuet $2,50, prepaid, have 10 will sell at 1.25 The following kiud.s are sure to lie in stock. Cactus Wood Cane 50 and good cabinet specimins will be sent for Collection of 50 kinds of minerals, all 5c each prepaid A much tiuer grade such as named, etc 75 run 3 by 2 to 2 by 3 for lOo each Special rates on 25 to 50 collections. The following tine minerals are all in stock Ostrich Egg, African 85 We will send good size cabinet specimens for A bargain on some big Bahama Corals 5 cents each, prepaid: weighing 10 to 40 pounds each. Argentite, Allanite, Arsenopyrite, Atacom- Marine algae per doz cards 75 ite. Agate, Asbestos, Albite, Actinolite, Am- Scorpion, mounted in box 40 phibole. Apatite, Anhydrite, Alabaster, Bio- Hermet Crab, in shell; all in box 25 tite. Beryl, Bog Iron Ore, Bau.xite, Blood- Piece of Big Tree Bark, 4 x 4 inch 20 stone, Buhrstone, Boruite, Copper Pseud, 12 kinds of Sea Beans, all named, for 30 Chrysalite. Chalcopyrite, Cerrusite, Cryolite. 25 kinds of Foreign Birds' eggs, ail named Cerargyrite, Chalcedony, Carnelian, Chert, and tirst-class, for 1.50 Corundum, Cuprite, Calcite, Calcite Crystal, Birds of Labrador, Natural History of Chalk, Calc. Tufa, Crocidolite, Cookerite, Labrador, and O. & O. Manual, all for. 1.00 Celestite, Drusy Quartz, Dolomite, Elaelolite, Book of Sea Mosses, 10 beautiful cards. Electric Stone, Epidote, Feld.spar.Franklinite, all different, arranged in a book and Gypsum, Graphite, Glauconite, Genthite, Gar- tied with ribbon. The finest work in net. Galena, Gold Ore, Galenite, Heulandite, the mounting of sea mo8.ses we have Halite, lolite, Idocrase, Jasper, Kaolinite, ever seen 60 Lazurite. Lepidolite, Labradorite, Leelite, Ditto, large size, fine 1.20 Litho Stone, Lava, Limonite,Lignite, Leucite, Marine Algea Blotter, the top card with Lollingite,Molybdonite,Marmolite, Magnetite, I li THE MISEUM 127 M:i(l[iiesiie, Monazitr, N^itron Xiin:illit(.', N:i- li\e Copper Orpimnit, ()(>:il VVood, Opal. t)iij\. Ooliti-. I'rehiiitiv I'isnlite. P.iirl Spur. I'loustiic. Hyroxpiin. Purculainite. Pyrrhiilitc, i'viiti-s. Petrilitd Wooil, I'ecto- tile, I'siloiiiehinr, C^uaitz. Ki'iUger, Rlincloii- iti-. Rnck ("ry>t!il. R'>S" tjiiart/., Kiitilc. Hutile iu Quart/., Kh(>iii')?par, Kim (u-rosite, Kipiilol- iti'. ."^iitiii Spar, Si>l«-iiitK, Solenite Crystal, SotuaiskitM, S'.-pi"liii', '>il!iui;i'iite, Sotialite, Siiniilisohite. Si-tirite. Smoky Quanz, Spod- iiiui'Mu, Sph-ili'iite, Stihiiiti'. Stroutianite, Slilbite Sitiik>tc>m<, Sulphur riirc]iioi,s. Tit- aniti*. rhuiiipsiiiiitH, Tliuliti", Uraiiitf, Ulexite, Ullmanile. Vivianite Vi-.fiv ianilo, Wad, Wer- neritf, WiHiaiii.-itc, Zuiisjite. Zircon xl. Modern Beaded Indian Relics. \Vn have just received a large .shipment of Fiuo Relies fruui a we.steru Indian Reserva- tion Our man has seleeted a lot for us and at prices tlial we lielieve are reasonable for (tmul relies. V\'e will send for examination. Make up M.urnrdur at once. E.VCB. 2 larire head dr.sses of hair $1.00 2 long scalp ioek oruameuls I. GO 1 tine feather head dress 3 00 2 small be.aded -eabbards 70 12 tiue bea<1ed bags (50 6 pairs of tine armlets 75 1 beaded glass, can and spooon. each. . . .30 1 (jood tobacco sack 1 .50 5 beaded bottles 30 1 squaw belt, with m-'tal plates ou 3 00 2 tine long utekl;i( es of bi'.ads 80 6 war clubs, assorted, all kinds 1.50 6 pairs of moccasins, assorted 1 50 1 fur neck robe 3 00 1 beaded work bag 3.00 1 child's leather belt 1.50 1 pair of kneo dance bells 1.25 4 heart oasi- and bladder bag-^ 1.00 3 pair t^uid armlets 40 1 necklace of long bune b.ads 2.00 1 pair of gloves, with quill work 2 25 2 line pipes of peace with handles 1.-50 These relies are fast liecoraing hard to get. Shrewd white men establish themselves near the Indian Agencies and manufacture Indian goods, and pawn them off ou the unsuspect- ing public but our customers may rest assur- ed, that we will handle or offer noihiug hut genuine Indian make Indian Iron Tomahawks. We were recently vi ry fortunate in secur- ing s jrao of these raro relics. We have two ou hanil. Borh are in fair state of preserva- tion, not withstanding they are of in u and must have lain in the ground for a long per iod. We have one with a slight crack that we offer at $2. Another just like it but per- fect at $3 00. California Condor E^. Wo have a perfect eeg of this very rare bird taken this year. The egg was absolutely fresh, and presents characteristics in way of freshness that no incubated egg ever shows. We offer it at a reasonable cash tigure, or will consider offer of part cash and part exchange, where the exchange part of the deal is desir- ali'c lualeriitl I'licre can In' no question as to ihi-.s|iecinii n givini; the utmost satisfac- tion to the niost f.'i,>-tidious collector. Alcoholic Specimens. \\ I' will sind any of these specimens by iniiil prepaid. Customers can jtut them in jars to suit theuis'-lves. They are all nice specimens. \\ r give localities. Watt r snake, N. Y, , $ .25 Coni'uoa toad, N. Y 25 Sp ule foot to;id. NY 35 Creen fr( g. NY 20 Pink crab. Atlantic .25 Spider crab, Atlantic 25 Sea AMcmnnes. .-Mlaiitic 25 .Marine algea sni ill j tr. sev. kinds 25 (ira.ss snake, N. Y 25 Mi k snake, NY 35 .\tlantic stHrti-h, .Vtlauiic 20 ■ Po jwogj" I inch, N Y 10 Helix, intl tted. several species 15 Set urchin, .Atlantic 25 ^hrilnp. Atlantic 25 S.ciioii .f sponge, Atlantic 15 Lamp >hcll. iirachap id, Atlantic 25 Ki!Ul:ei' cr.iii. At anii'- 15 r ger triton, Missouri 35 Viscid sal.iuiandci, N. C 30 Dwarf salamander, N. C 35 .\mericau newt, N. C 25 K. d newt, N, C 25 P.icitic newt, Calif 40 Urimleys triton, Arkansas 50 Ti ee trog, N . (; . .20 (ireen tree frog, Mississippi 30 Swamp tree frog, Raleigh, N. C 25 Cricket frog, Mississippi 20 Toothless froET, N. C 25 Spring frog. N C 20 Leopard fog. N. C 20 Pickeral frog. N. C 30 Califfirnia lizard. Cal 40 Ground lizard, N C 25 Blue-tail lizard, N. C 25 Nice Mounted Birds. Pair Red breasted Merganser, ou one stand $2.50 Pair of White Willow Ptarmigan, on one stand 3.00 .Male Mandarin Duck, very fine 3 00 Male Yellow crown Night Heron, fine. . . 2.00 Male Broad- ving Hawk 1,.50 Good Male Mallard 1,75 Ma e Whilewing Scoter 1.75 Male Boat-tail (irackle 90 Male Gray-crown Leucosticte 1.00 Male Canada Jay 1.00 Pair American Woodcock, one stand. . . . 2.00 Another pair, dead game, hanging 1,50 Male Louisiana Heron 1.25 Female Shoveler Duck 90 Fine Shells. We are not able this month to give space to the listing of our shells. In fact we should hardly know where to begin or where to leave off W'e will simply state here that of Amer- ican shells we have species of lo, S species of Angitrema, 4 species of Lithasia. 0 species of Strepobasis, 50 kinds of Trypanostoma, 125 128 THE MUSEUM. species of Gociobasis, 13 kinds of Schizosto- ma. 4 kinds of Eur.yciieloD, 18 kinds of Ancul- osa. 4 kinds of Vivipara, 2 kinds of Moplax, 11 kinds of Melantho. 0 kinds of Somatogyrus, 16 kinds Physa. 13 kinds of Limnaea. b<'sides various specien of Pouiati'ipsis. Fliimnicola, Aneyliis. Amnicola, Zna. Bulinus, Tulot.ima, Pianoiiiis, eve We will sell any of tlie above line samples at 10c per pair, or 5c per speci- men. While this may seem a high figure for some, stid there are others that one would spend $0 to try and get a few specimens and maybe not procure' over a dozen In other words some we offer above are worth many times 5c each We will gire a discount of 25 per cent, on aljove (.rices for orders of $10 .and upwards, prompt cash. In American land shells we have about 100 "kinds all correctly labelb d and localized. We will make up nice assortments and send on approval to any inten-sted collectors at very low prices In Foreign land and fresh water shells we've about 500 kinds at least and possibly uear.r one thousand. Nice assortments of Helix, Achatiuella, Partula, Helicina, Uulimus, Helix, Vivipara, etc. i-tc from all parts of the world In Marine shells we havo probably 2,000 kinds on hand and shall take great pleasure in sending collectors named and priced as sortmeuts from which ihev may select any they wish Our rules in such cases are that colleciorsare to pay charges on box sent, where by expioss and we agree to V)ay on any returned. If \'(!send ihe package; by mail, the customer is to return any not wanted in like manner. All shells are priced very low, much below catalogue prices of regular dealers and we feel suTe we can please you as to quality. We invite collei-.'ors to sH?id us 1 sts of what they collect in American Land and Frrsh Water Shells and if agn-ealile to exchange we may be able to offer .\ou sonv thing for your dnpli- cates that will be very acceptable Of m.aiiy line foieigu shells, we have a great qua'itit.v. more than we hope to sell in jears ai.il we very naturally would like to exchange some of tnem for other kinds that we (io not have, or that our stock is very low on WALTER F. WEBB Collections. The Young Naturalist's Marvelous collec- tion, consists of 44 specimens, as follows: In- dian Pottery, Yellow Red and Black Sea Beans. Chinese Horn Nut, Egg Capsule Peri- winkle, Sand Box .'^huck. Alligator Tooth, Tarpon Scale, Jobs Tears, Black eye Susans, Miamosa .Seeds, Castor Oil Bean, Foreign Land Snail, Bleeding Tooth. King TopCowry, Money Cowi-y, Tect arias. Olive, Worm Shell, American Fresh Water Shell. Aiuprican Land Shell. Purpura L'mpet. Beehive Shell, Drill Shell. But'on Shell, Satin Spar. Petrided Wooil. Mexican Onyx, Petrified Cora), Petri- fied Nautilus, Petrified Shell, W I. Branch Coral EI Branch Coral. Yellow Coral, Or- ganpipe Coral, Prescions Coral, Coralline, Yellow Sea Fan. Purple Sea Fern, Sponge, Starfish. Sand Dollar. These are all Natural History Specimens and vvill delight the \oung and old ms well. They arealni'ist certain to create in any yonng mind a l-.ve for Natural History. Special prices to Teachers, where ordered in quantity for students Wi' send the coltection prepaid with descriptive list of same, for only (iOc. Special Miu'iral Collection, consisting of ,50 specimens of good size, as follows: Actinol- ite, Alljite. Alabaster, Allanite, Aragonite, Arsenopyrite. Asphaltuin, Asbestos, Biotite, Beryl, Boltoni'e. Crystalized Calcite. Chalced- ony. Chiastoliie Crystal. Cone, in Cone, Co- quina, Crinoidal Limestoi;e, Dolomite. Flint, F'o.'-sil Coral tiirnets in Rook, Geode Quartz, Gold Ore. Giaphite. Gypsum, Hematite, Ice- land Spar, Iron Pyiitcs, Kaolin, Lead Ore, Limonite. Marble. "M ignelite. Mexican Onyx, Milky Quartz. Mica Scliis', Nuttdlite. Orlho- clase, Petiified Wood, I'orcelainite, Psilomel- ane. Pyrolu.site, Pyrrliotite. Pyroxene. Satin Spar. Seleuite, Silver Ore. Talc, Tourmaline, Wernerite. These Mre all numbered to correspond with a list giving localities, etc. Special rates in quantity P' epaid for 75c Auibib^'U Plate. We have one of Audubon's Plates of the Iceland Gryfatcon, nicely framed under gbtss It is a beautiful thing for a li- brary ' OrigiuiU price $25. Our special price, strictly net, $10 , Mgr., ALBION, N. Y. Iroquois Bicycles $1 400 of the famous Iroguois (yiodei 3 B I vino-third llioir re will be S'lld at ^If. IROQUOIS CYCLE WORKS FAILED Bicycles al value. |. because their ivheels were too exj^'Dshflj built, ar^i we hr.ve Ijouyht tlie entireplant at a forced saleafJO ci'nlson the dollar. With it we ^ot i'n) Model 3 Iroquois Bi- cycles, finished and coicplete, Made to sell at $60* To ad- verliee our business we have conclinied to sell these iOO at just what they sl.tr. i v.s, a- '1 make the marvelous offer of a Model 8 S R O P U O ■ S B ( CYCLE at $ 1 6« 15 while ihey last. The wheels arcMriL-Tly iip-t>-ilat!', i anions every where f-ir beauty and good quality. Drf'S^bi^Tf'iSJ ^^^ Iroquois Model 3 is too well known to need itJVraJS Q Wfcfl a detailed description. Shelby IJi in- seamless ' tubing. improved Iwo-piece crank, detachable sprockets, arch crown, barrel hubs and hanger, 2^ in. drop, tinest nickel and enamel ; colors, id coa b Eiten: Gents' frames, 22, 2i and 25 m.. Lidics' 22 in.; best "Record," guaran- fh-gr.i W if v.'Ai f1'-.n"t wmt to be disapp-iinted. 50 certs discount for cn-^b in full with order. ?F« wfc B >«i *J? tf=>, a ST^^ A coinplrtelineof '559 Models at ^13..60 and up. Second-hnnd ^ KSc4,# T ^B«K.^ WheoUSatoSlO. Vrewant:El.Ii:»:B3F«. -A-C5-:E3VTS ja every town to icpres.nt uj. numlreds e^trned tbeir bicvcle last year. This vear we offrr wheels and cash for work done for us- also :F'3ree XJso of sam-lc wb^elto agents. Write for our libercl proiiOHltlon. We are known every where as the greatest Exflueive Uieycle ISonse in the world and are perfectly reliable; we refer to any bank or business house in Chicago, to any express comi-any and to our custom- I <;evpyv.'h'-f _.,.»_ _ -».«. .^m - mmm J. L. MEAD CYCLE CO., Chicago, III. Tht Mead CycU Co. are absohJelg rrliahle ..»■<; /ro.ji.-j.s Ji„-^„l,s „i /If :■■ art ,,0, :,!,■, Jul i,„ya,m —Ed,ior WE THE MUSEUM. ALL ROADS ARE ALIKE TO A DIOMRCIL^.^.^ * ill 1^ III Oi 111 III 111 III Oi Ui 111 111 111 Oi 111 111 ih * 111 111 ik 111 Ik Ik 111 ^ Oi Ik Oi Ik $25 King and Queen $25 The best pair of bicycles on earth for the money . . . MONARCH CHAINLESS $76 MONARCH ROADSTERS $60 DEFIANCE ROADSTERS $35 MONARCH CYCLE MFG. CO. Lake. Halsted and Fulton Streets. Chicago BrftDchpp— Now York, London. IlftmbnrRr Send 20 cont:^ in Ptomp^ lor n deck of Monarch Playing Cards, ilhihtrntinn Joa.sio Hartlett Davie. Lillian liiiBsoll, Tom Ci»oi>or, Lfto Richardson ami Waltor Jones, Ride a Monarch and Keep in Front. * Fine Florida Shells. Wp have every fHclllty for fiirnlHhInK roUc tors or dealers with Florida ShelN. or Souvenirs. We have had lonii experlenre In collect. njr. and the Kdltor of the MrsKlJ.M. liaH. iinsollelied by \ih, ofTeri-d to answer any Inqnlrles as toour res|nini»it)llUy or fair dealing. I f you w^^.h to see rjiialtty of ppedniens l>efore T-larlnc larger orders, send II for a box of samples. All cleaned and correctly naineIX, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shi'lU. Also Contipedi's, Scorpions. Crabs, otc. in iilooliol at a l)arj;ain. Adilress with stamp. O. IJHVANT, Lo"g»vi)Oi), Klorifla Wholesale Barpins. Wo have ou haiul many lino thing.s in such i|i iinlily wo quolo low rates on wlioiesalc or- iii IS, in order to make room. The material I'lVeiod in every instance is as low as money ( : n bu.y. l>ook over the list earofully: I'lnplo Soa riumes from tho Bahamas. Larf^o si/,0, 4 to 5 feet. $3.00 per dozen. Medium, 2 to 3 feet, Sl.'iO per dozen. Ostrich Kfjgs, South African spociuions, at $4. .It) per dozen. Ci/pnid Annulns, Hingtop Cowries, from the V.aal Indies. .'iO cents per (|uart. ([i/pnra vioHctd. with varieties, Money Cowry from Singapore, ."iO cents per quart. lUiirk. ltidiolis,i to T) inch, from Monterey, Cal. 75 cents per dozen . i:cd Ilatiotis, from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch, at $1..')() per (lozen. t Iromhux tuhcrculalus Silver Lips. 2 inch, from Singapore, at 30 cents per dozen. Slroni/'us iiliUus, I'urple Mouth, from Kla., at 24 cents dozen. K. I. Coral fragments, 2 to 3 inch, 20c dozen* Mcloiigenii corunii. Crown Shell, from Fla., 24c dnz. Sal)ro Beans, mammoth, 16 to 20 inches, cur- ious, Bahamas, at .'"lOc doz. NcrcUi pckronUi, Bleeding Teeth, Bahamas, at ."lO cents (juart. I'urple (rorgouias. Flexible Coral from Baha- mas. $1 TM dozen Mica Snow, for Taxidermists and fancy work, worth 80c pound, our price 20e. Miircx hrnndari.i. from East Indies, 1 to 2 inch, l.'ic dozen. I!:ihama Coral, such as Fan, Head, I'alm, etc. Several species at lOc pound. Mineral Ci'l lections, for Teachers to give or sell to .'.tudents, .'iO varieties, named, etc., at .SOc lists on application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work, 2">c (juart. Faciolitria ilislnns. Tulip, 2 inch, .SOc dozen. Fannifilitrin tuli/ii, Tulip. 3 to 4 inch. 40c doz. /•'uh/ar pcrrer.sii, from P'la., 4 to .5 inch, fiOc" Tiilie Sponges, a great curio from Biihatuas, $I..')0 dozen. SfiiphHex notlos^is, an ammonite shaped fossil from tho Bad Lands, 2 inch, .OOc doz., 3 inch. $1 00 dozen; 4 inch, $3 00 dozen. Make up your order now, as these prices only hold gnoil whilt^ stock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WRITE ME A LETTER TODAY SiatInK that .von would like lo have .sent for vour ln.*tiectlon. chitrues prepaid. XS of the Ke O. K. Isuotlhisa lair proposition'; hit at World's Fair received Highest AwarJ. aLd Diploma Address. A. n. CRIM, MIddlevlIIe. Herkimer Co.. N. V. North American Birds OLIVER D^VIE. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. Extra Cloth - $2.24 postpaid' The best book on Eggs PublisheJ. THE BRST? IN EVERYTHING IS THE OHEAPESTT We have the BEST at lowest prices. IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF Birds Eggs or Skins, Egg Collecting Outfits, Taxidermists' Material, or any kind of Naturalists' Supplies. Send Stamp for Catalogue. Mention Museum. CHAS. K. REED, 75 Thomas St., WORCESTER, MASS. VOL. V. NO. 9. JULY, 1899. iEU/H A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — -fo cts. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, 5 cts. Published on the 15th of each month by Museum Publishing Co. .Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. FT- NATURALISTS. This is what you need for your Collection. 1. BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY PICUTRES in fine cases 18x84x3 in . pclass top, cork bottom, contains UK) large and brilliantly colored Uutterflies and Moths from every clime. A beautiful sight to be- hold. Every Naturalist and Sprotsman wants one for his den. 2. lo.ooo DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUTTERFLIES, MOTHS AND BEETLES from all over the world, perfectly mounted, correctly named and labelled in cases or , oxes. Prices to suit the times. Send Sc for catalogue. No postals answered. J. PRESSED SHEET CORK, best and cheapest ever offered, «xl2xft-16 in., 10c per sheet only. It is of uniform thickness, perfectly smooth on top, is not plastered up with paper, has no holes, takes the finest pins easily, has a good grip, does not break, is Moth proof, no Insect-pest can live in a box lined with this cork. It knocks the ordinary cork higher than kite in price and quality. You get as much again for your money and better quality. Send stamp for sample. 4 PINE GROSBEAK EGGS in sets of 3, 4, FS with Nests. 7.Sc per egg, nest gratis. 50 sets already sold. References Wm. Brewster, Cambridge, Mass : J. Parker Norrls, Jr,, Philadelphia and other prominent ornithologists. Do you want a set? Of course you do . 5. SHELLDRAKE GAME PIECES, on polished shield for ^ our dining room. A pair, male and fe- male, . 3.00; one, S2 Oi). Very beautiful. 6. 500 MOUNTED NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. All jierfect. Prices to suit the times. 7. TAXIDERMIST'S AND ENTOMOLOGIST'S TOOLS. Insect pins, presses, nets and cabinets. Send .^c for new Catalogue. No postals. 8. ^/VANTED: Cocoons. Egsfs in sets, with nest, pre- ferred. Skins and other desirable material in ex- change or cash. PROF. CARL BRAUN, Naturalist. BANGOR. ME. POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, Nature, Invention, Archseoloy. Elec- tricity, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Hy- giene. IVIedlclne, Health. Formerly BOSTON JOURNAL OF CllEMlSTHY. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly contains a large num- ber of Short, Easy, Practical, Interesting and Popular, Scientific aiticles, that can be Ap- preciated and Enjoyed by any intelligent reader, even though he knew little or nothing of Science. It is intended to interest those who think. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Different from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name. Monthly, 31.60 per year; Newsdealers, 15c Largest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO., 10» Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy. I WE BUY STAMPS AND OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS I Send us what you have with lowest cash price or we will make you an offer if you wish. We pay express or postage one way DR. J. W. FOWLER, DUBUQUE, lA. LABELS. All Sizes and for any branch of Natural History, at the very lowest prices, t^end me copy and I will quote price. Fossil Labels like sample lUc per lUO ; 7Uc per 1000, with assorted headings. Period. Name... DEVONIAN AGE. 1 Loc 1 Letter Heads. Bill Heads, Cards, and etc. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. , The handling of Scientific Books is exactly in our line. In ye good olden limes when a book was wanted, the customer picked up a reliable dealer's catalogue and ordered it at list price. In these hustling 1899 times he or- ders where he can get it the cheapest. Our facilities are unsurpassed. Our import ord- ers are usually filled in 15 to 20 days. Prompt; paying customers need advance no money with us till goods are delivered. Let us figure on your wants. Walter F. Webb, Mgr., Albion, N.Y. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our large monthly bulletin of Sliins, Eggs, etc. tree upon applica.tion. COLLECTORS. Have you read our "Wholesale Bargains'" elsewhere in this number? If you are familiar with the goods offered you will see at a glance that the prices are way down. W. F. WEBB. THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHANGES AND FOR SALES. All notices that come under above will be inserted in this department until fuithpr notice at Kill' (1) cent a word. No notice less than 20c. Terms Cas-h with cvder. Mo c/iaryt for a(^(^t.^,^' I shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, whose reputation is of a doubtful char Rctcr from u.siug these columns. FOR S.-\LE — Fine collection mound relics; likewise Cliff-H 'Use pottery and Uhincsej ides. Cash paid for tine spears and heiuaiites. Shells excbanKi'd for Indinn relics. Dr W. O Kmkrv, I'rartfordsvilie Ind. C.\MERA WANFED-I want a first class camera costing l)etiveen $20 and $1U0, not less than 4.\5 in size. Will give anything in way of supplies, spi ciiuens and part cash, if just the mschiue 1 want. Ja.mesP. BABBirr, Taun- ton. Mass. TO EXCHANGE -The followinfr eggs in full original datas. 106. 184,7.5 79,263,319, 333, 339, 342. 373. 387. 388, 393. 394, 409, 447. 461, 46.5. 466. a 467. 491. .506, 507. 511, 5 2. 513, .559, .538. .593 .595.617.624, 857, 631, 637. 659, 6.52. 673. 674. 683. 687' 721. 721a, 735, 3.1 i*c 385, L Eaknest Marceac, 139 lowabt , Dubuque, \o\ a WAN TED— Names and address of ama'.eur photographers. Will send desirable inform- ation to all who send a'ldress. E W Kim- ball, 1122 Paul St . Boulder. Colo. WANTED -10 to 25 lbs of each of thn fol- lowing minerals: Albite, A/nrite and Mala- chite. Asbestos, Catlinitc-. Chalcopyrite, Cookfiiie, Chalcedony from Tamp;i. Chert, Dendrites. Elaeolite, Fluor Spar. Lodestone, Marmoiltf. M:ignetite, Moss Agate, Mague- site. Op:iliz.^d Wood, Oolite. Onidi.ii' Por- phyry. I'cehnit"'. Pink Caicite, Kipidolite, Serpeuline, Steatite. Tali", I"'" Oic, Varisnite, Williani-ite. Copper O.. Cyanile. Graphite. Halite. Lead Ore. Smoky (^■i.iriz, Selenite. Parties havinij anv of above please write at once. W. F. WEBP, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE —Internation- al Postage Stamp Album. Camera, C. S A. Money, old U S. Copper Cents. Minerals, etc Want old. odd and curious Fir.' Arms, 22 calibre Mardn. Winchester or Colts Re- peating Kirte, or offers. Send list and receive mine. C F. ALKIRE, Box 228, Mt. Sterling, Ohio. EXCHAN(;K ADS. P'REE — Any reader of the Mlslem who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science. 108 Fulton St., New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. MARINE ALGiE— A large collection of mounted Mud pressed sea mosses, a s.> many decorated m velties. Schools, colleges and museums supplied with s( ienlific collections. Write for pii. I- li^t. Orders hv mail. Ad- dress MRS 11. -M. JERNEGAN, Edgartowu, Mass BIRDS and ANIMALS portrayed in their natural colors We can furnish complete Si is of iiinl pictures from the magazine liirds and all N'.lurt fiom Jan '97 t" March '99, 27 sets in all The first 12 sets contain 10 pictures each and the last 15 seis 8 picuires each In all 240 tine colored plates This is a mdifnijicenl serioi. The plates are only sold in sets at 15 ceuts a set preptiiil. Any 10 sets fur $1 25 Or the whole 27 sets for $2 85. These are really remai kablc prices They would be che ip at 10 cents a (jlate or $24 00 for the set of 240 plates irne to nature They make a pi>rtfolio invaluable to any naturalist who is studying binls List of contents of sets of plates on application. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y\ A FINE COMBINATION— One Ostrich Kgg $1 ,50, 1 set 4 Black-neck Stilt, $2 00. 1 set Cinnamon Teal, $4.00. value $7 .50. We will send prepaid for $2 00 and 20 cts. postage. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion. N. Y. HOMINC; PIGEONS— We can furnish a few pairs of Homing Pigeon at the low price of $3 00 a pair. Will go safely by express, these are handsome birds. WALTER F WEBB, Mgr. Albion, N Y. FOR EXCHANGE or sale cheap.— Three cub bears, two months old, one female, two males Write at once as this ad. will not ap- pear again. EDWARD MOORE. Wabeno, Wis. The Ornithologist's and Oolo' gist's Manual. Contains 100 pages, giving complete list of all North American Birds, Prices of Eggs and Skins, Numl>er of F>ggs in a Clutch, Prices of Mammal Skins, How to Skin Birds and Mam- mals, How to form an Egg Collection and many other pages of useful information. Pre- paid for ten two-cent stamps. Order at once. W.F.WEBB. Pub. Albion, N. Y 13° THE MUSEUM. Books on Labrador. "Bird Life in Labrador" contains 100 large pages, paper, describing over 100 species of birds found in that far away northern coun- try. As many of our Aruprican species only nest in this part of the U. S., the paper is of special interest to all bird lovers. Only 40c. "Notes on the Natural History of Labra- dor."— Gives a list of the matumals found there, birds, reptiles and batrachians, fishes, plants, review and criticism Also a list of the Crustacea dredged on the coast of Labra- dor by the expediiiou under the direction of W. A. Stearns in 1882. A review of the ma- rine Crustacea of Labrador, catalogue of the MoUusca and Echinodermata Dredged This pamphlet cannot fail to be of interest to any one interested in Natural History. Prepaid 40c. We will send both pamphlets to one address for 75c. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. IMPORTANT NOTICE. We desire to aunmiiu'e that owing to the many improvement.s made In the current volume of J I the Kern Bulletin, the price of sample J Icopies will now be fifteen cents each. Purl I chasers of sample copies may deduct this sumi Ifrom the regular subscription price when sub f Iscribing. The January number contains four-l r teen articles on ferns, many shorter notes, and! eight pages devoted to the Mosses. Send for ' it. Address, The Fern Bulletin, Binghampton. N. Y. THE MUSEUM. We still have a few sets ofJsack numbers of THE MUSEUM. We will mail the entire first 4 volumes for only $2.00 prepaid; or any number jou wish at 5 cents each. Fill out your tiles now while you can. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. When answering advcrtisevtcttts al- ways mention THE MUSEUM. Greater American Colonial Exposition fully witten up and illustrated in the August Number of the Naturalist Farm and Fanciers Review. An Exposition number, alone worth a year's subscription, 25 cents, Sub- scribe at once. No sample copies of this number. Issue 10,000 copies or more. Advertisers secure space at once. Regular rates. Forms close August loth. H. W. KERR, Publisher, BLENCOE. IOWA. BROOKDALE MUSEUM, WEST NEWBURY, MASS. Collectors and Dealers in BIRDS. @ ANIMALS, @ FISH. @ REPTILES. Both Skins and Mounted Specimens; also Heads, Horns, Fur Rugs, Curios, both land and marine, and all specimens pertaining to natural history. TAXIDERMY IN ALL ITS BRANCHES. Write us for quotations on anything in our line. We can furnish anything obtainable in large or small lots, and you will find our prices as low, if not lower, for the quality of goods, than anybody's. CHARLES NEWELL, President. THE MUSEUM A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. V ALBION. N. Y., JULY 15, 1S99 No. 9 _THE MUSEUM. A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences. Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion, N. Y. Correspondence and Items of Interest on above top- ics, as well as notes on the various Museums of the World— views from same, discoveries relative to the bandling and keeping of Natural History material, descriptive habits of various species, are solicited from all. Make .articles as brief as pos.slble and as free from technical terms as the subjects will allow. All letters will be promptly answered. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Single Subscription. 50c per annum Sample Copies _ .Sc each ADVERTISING RATES & cents per Nonpareil line each Insertion. Twelve Unes to the Inch. Cash must accompany all orders. Remittances should be made by Draft, Express or Post Oftlce Order or Registered Letter. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination accepted for small amounts. MUSEUM PUB. CO.. ALBION, OhLEANS CO.. N.Y. Sntered at Albion po»t -office as second-class mail matter Revision of the Chickarees or North American Red Squirrels. {Coniinuation of Review of the Sciur- iis lioufflasii Group. ) In the interior forms the tail is fringed with pure white — broadly so in californicus, more narrowly in cas- cadcusis — and with yellow or yellow- ish in the central coast form ' dou^- lasii . There is, however, much va- riation in this respect, both individual and geographical, the fringe of the tail being occasionally decidedly yellowish white rather than yellow at localities on the coast, and again yellosvish white instead of white at some local- ities in and east of the Cascades; while over quite a belt about midway be- tween the west base of the Cascades and the coast, the tail fringe averages yellowish white rather than either yel- low or white, this belt being occupied by intergrades between douglnsii and cascadcnsis. In large series from points on the coast, usually about one specimen in ten has the tail fringed with white. .S' (i. cascadensis is really little more than a vast assemblage of inter- grades between the interior {califomi- ctts) and coast (doiiglasii) forms, as a whole much nearer douglasii than californicus. The examination of much further material will be neces- sary to determine whether or not it is a sufticiently stable and distinct enough form to warrant permanent recognition. It may here be noted that there is a marked tendency to albinism on the ventral surface in the whole .*>. doug- lasii group, less pronounced, how- ever, in califoyyiicus. owing to its un- der surface, than in the other forms. This is manifested in the presence of a white spot in the a.xil- lary region, varying in different speci- mens from a few white hairs to a large area of white. It is more frequent at some local- ities than at others; thus in British Columbia, at Port Moody, in a series of 17 species, only two are thus mark- ed, and none in i 5 from New West- minster, while out of 22 from Agas- siz, Sumas, Mt. Lehman, etc., one in three have more or less white in the a.xillary region. In Washington (var- ious localities) only about one in twelve is thus marked. In 98 speci- mens from various localities in Oregon 22 are marked with white and three out of 1 5 from the coast of Northern 132 THE MUSEUM. California. Specimens with much white in the axilla are apt to show traces of white elsewhere on the lower parts, as on the lower part of the throat and middle of the breast. * * * * ■::• •:<• Scijtnis incarnsi (Towrisend) Mearn's Chickaree. Winter pelage similar to 5. d. californicns, but pal- er and grayer above, with the dorsal band a paler, more jellowish shade of chestnut. Summer pelage probably similar to that of 5. d. californicns, but lighter above and with the lower parts only faintly washed with cream white, and the feet both front and hind, very much paler ochraceous. Only four specimens have been exam- ined from Lower California, San Ped- ro mountains, April and .Vlay, and hence in worn winter coat. The feet have begun to show the coloration of the summer pelage and in one speci- men this is well developed over the anterior two-thirds of the ventral sur- face. The hind feet are white with a faint tinge of fulvous; the fore feet are in change to strong buff. The fulvous tints on the lower parts and particular- ly on the inner surface of the fore limbs shows that the affinities of this form are with 5. d. ca/ifornicus rath- er than with S. f. inogollonensis. In other respects it is quite as near the latter as the former, the general col- oration of mogolloncnsis and califor- nicns being often closely similar. Sciurus inearnsi is separated from the range of both californicus and mogol- loncnsis by a wide interval of country, where at the present time no repre- sentative of either group exists, or ap- parently can exist. It seems, there- fore, proper to treat this form as a fully seggregated species, there being no possibility of its intergradation with either of the northern affines, which it still so closely resembles, be- ing evidently a recent derivative of the californicus stock, Sciurus fremonti (Aud. & Bach.) Fremont's Chickaree. Winter pel- age, Above gray with a broad, not sharply defined median band of pile yelllowish rufous; the hairs of the me- dian band are plumbous at the base, broadly tipped with jellowish rufous and ringed with black, with a general gray effect, fort and hind limbs, in- cluding upper surface of feet, like sides of body; an obscure nearly ob- solete dusky lateral line; below, gray- ish white, rather profusly annulated with dusky. Tail above with the cen- tral hairs yellowish rusty, rather brighter than the middle of the back, varied with black, forming a distinct lateral area; lateral hairs fulvous bas- ally, subapically broadly banded with black and tipped broadly with white; terminal fifth or sixth black, slightly fringed with white; below, gray or pale gulvous gray centrally, with a broad zone of black and a conspicuous fringe of white; ears slightly tufted with dusky. Summer pelage. Above nearly uniform yellowish gray, varying ' in different specimens to pale rufescent gray; upper surface of feet ochraceous, the fore feet, including fore arm, brighter and stronger ochraceous than the hind; a strong deep black lateral line; ventral surface white or grayish white: tail colored nearly as in winter, but narrower, and edged more nar- rowly with white. Geographic range. The moun- tainous portions of Colorado reaching the extreme southern border of Wy- oming at Woods P. O. and Unitah Mountains of Utah; also reaching the southern boundary of Wyoming at Fort Bridger. The type locality of 5. fremonti is not definitely known. Audubon and Bachman state in their original de- scription of the species "We possess no information in regard to this ani- mal further than that it was obtained on the Rocky Mountains " They fur- ther say "The only specimen we have seen was obtained by Col. Fremont; it was procured on the Rocky Moun- tains on his route by the South Pass to California." Baird, evidently THE MUSEUM. '33 t loosely paraphrasing; Audubon and Bachman, says the specimen described by Audubon and Bachman "Was col- lected in 1849 [lege 1S44?) by Col. Fremont somewhere in the vicinity of the South Pass, and is now in the Mu- seum of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. He identified with it a spicmien from Sawatch Pass, Rocky Mountains, these two speci- mens being," he says, "all that as yet have come to the notice of natural- ists." Throufjh the kind intervention of Mr Whitmer Stone of the Philadel- phia Academy of Natural Sciences, I have in hand the type specimen ob- tained by Fremont. It proves to be the form of Chickaree found throup;h- out the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, to which the name fremonti, since 1857, has been currently ap[)lied It allows also that it could not have come from "the vicinity of South Pass" at the southern end of the Wind River chain in Wyoming, the form there being the very different 5. h. vcntorum. An examination of the type shows it to be in winter pelage, the soles being thickly furred, the ears well tufted, and the general pelage be- ing that of winter or late spring. Even the feet, where change to summer coat first begins to appear, show very little departure from winter condi- tions. The specimen might have been taken in May or even as late as the middle of June. The label on the • specimen (285 Typej is evidently of very recent date and erroneously at- tributes the specimen to "J. K. Town- send" and gives the locality as "South Pass, Rrcky Mts " I wrote to Mr. Stone regarding this point and he kindly replied as follows (under date of May 20, 1898): "The specimen, along with others, seems to have been presented by Townsend to our Acad- emy; he apparently received it from Fremont. You will notice that Au- dubon (and Bachman) gives the spe- cies as 5. frcmonti, Townsend. The occurrence of Townsend's name on the label instead of F'remont's is due to the fact that museum records of old days seem to have placed more stress on the donor than the collector. The label now on the specimen I transcribed from the base of an old stand, about 1890, on which the ani- mal was mounted There is no other specimen of -S fiiinonti in our col- lection. " From the above it is evident be- yond reasonable doubt this specimen is the actual type of Audubon &Bach- man's "Sciurus froiionti. Town- send." It therefore becomes import- ant to determine as near as possible the type locality. Reference to Fre- mont's Reports to the U. S. War De- partment show that his two visits to the region of the South Pass were re- spectively in August, 1842, and Au- gust, 1843, and that the season alone thus rules out of consideration this lo- cality as the source of the type Sciur- us fremonti. On his return journey, in 1844, he skirted the southern Wa- satch Mountains as far north as Utah Lake, and then turned eastward to the north fork of the Platte in Colo- rado, which he reached June iith, passing up the North Platte to the headwaters of the Arkansas, and down this river to the plains at the present site of Pueblo, Colorado, which point he reached June 29th. The specimen, which became the type of .S. fremonti could not have been taken in the Wasatch range, as the present ma- terial shows that the form of Chick- aree occurring near Utah Lake is .S". //. vcntonim. On the other hand it might have been taken in the Park re- gion of Colorado, where this and only this form of Chickaree is known to occur, and the season June iithto 26th, fully agrees with the condition, as already stated. Probably, there- fore, the Park region of central Colo- rado may be safely considered as the type locality of Sciurus fremonti. Sciurus fremonti neomexicanus, subsp. nov. Taos Chickaree. Win- ter pelage. Similar to 5. fremonti. 134 THE MUSEUM. but the median dorsal band much brighter yellowish rufous, nearly as in 5. f. niogollonensis, but size much smaller than the latter Summer pel- age. The summer pelage is not re- presented in the present material, but is probably very nearly like that of 5. /. mogolloncnsis. The geographic range is Taos Range Mountains, New Mexico. In coloration S. /. neomcx- icaniis very closely resembles S. /. niogollonensis, in this respect being much nearer that form than to 5. fre- nionti. It is, however, essentially of the same size as S. freinonti, and thus much smaller than S. h. mogollonen- sis, with relatively much shorter nas- als. Sciiirus freinonti niogollonensis , (Mearns) Arizona Chickaree. Win- ter pelage similar to 5. fremonti, ex- cept that the median dorsal band is of a brighter, stronger tint of yellowish rufous. Tail and lower parts similar. Summer pelage similar in all respects to S. fremonti except that the rufous suffusion of the upper parts is much brighter and stronger. The geograph- ic range is the higher mountains and plateaus of Central Arizona, from the Douglas fir belt to the timber line. Sciurus freinonti grahantensis (Allen) Mount Graham Chickaree. Summer pelage differing from that of S^ f. niogollonensis in being yellower and less rufescent above, with the central area of the tail ochraceous above and nearly white below. The winter pelage is not represented. Geographic range is the fir zone on the summit of Mt. Graham, Arizona. 5. freinonti grahamensis is very close- ly related to S. j. niogollonensis, from which, however, it seems to be easily separable, as stated above, so far at least as present material is concerned. The two forms, nnreover, are geo- graphically well isolated. Review of the Sciurus fremonti GROUP. The Sciurus fremonti group is sharply differentiated from the .S' hnd- sonicus group, although separated at several points by only a slight geo- graphical interval. .S' freinonti prop- er is found apparently throughout the mountains of Colorado, ranging north- ward to the northern extremity of the Medicine Bow Range, which extends a few miles over the Wyoming bor- der. In the Laramie Mountains, the next range to the northeastward, and only a few miles distant, is found the entirely distinct and very different 5. //. baileyi. The Chickaree found at Wood's P. O. in the Medicine Bow Mountains is true 5. fremonti, while the Chickaree from the southern end of the Laramie Mountains, less than thirty miles to the eastward, is a pale phase of i'. Ii. baileyi. Typical S. freinonti is represented in the present material by specimens from several points in the Uintah Mountains, including the vicinity of Fort Bridger, Wyoming, while from the Bear River and Wasatch Moun- tains, only thirty to fifty miles to the westward of points where 5. freinonti occurs, 5. Ii. vcntornin is the only Chickaree represented in the material now in hand. In neither case is there apparent any evidence of intergrada- tjon. In southern Colorado true 5. fre- monti grades toward what is here call- ed .S. f. neomcxicanus, a phase which in coloration is hardly separable from i. niogollonensis. At present our knowledge of the distribution of the Chickarees in Colorado and New Mex- ico is very limited. A single winter specimen from Chama, New Mexico, almost on the Colorado boundary, seems referable to true freinonti, but all the specimens from the eastern slope of the Taos Mountains in Col- fax and Mora counties, New Mexico, are very different from specimens from central and northern Colorado. 5. f. niogollonensis differs from 5, fremonti in its much brighter and more yellowish dorsal region in both pelages, and also in its larger size, es- pecially as shown by the skull meas- THE MUSEUM. 135 urenieiits, and in the relatively great- er length of the nasals. .S". f. nco- mcxicanns agrees in size and in the relative length of the nasals with .s". freinonti, but with -S /. inogolloHinsis in coloration. The species most nearly related to S. fi cvionti '\% S. donglasii, as repre- sented in .S". d. cali/oniuus, where the resemblance is often sj close in winter specimens, that their separa- tion without reference to the localities would be e.xceedingly difficult, yet the sime individuals in summer pelage would differ so markedly in the color- ation of the ventral surface as to leave not the slightest doubt as to their true relationships. In .S. frcinonti. S. f. mogolloncnsis and 5. d. californicus the tail is conspicuously fringed with white, in contrast with the yellow fringed tail of true .S'. douglosii and of ail the members of the .S". hudsonicus group. Notes on the Jack Rabbits of the United States.' All the rabbits of the United States belong to the cosmopolitan genus I.eptis, but they have been arranged for convenience in several groups or subgenera. Of these groups the sub- genus Macrotolagus, (Black-tailed Jack Rabbits) is characterized by certain peculiarities of the skull, by having ears longer than hind foot and pelage which never turns white. For con- venience, the Jack Rabbits which oc- cur in the United States may be divid- ed into two groups, according to the color of the upper surface of the tail. (Jack Rabbits never turn the tail up like cotton-tails, and hence it is easy to tell at a distance whether the color of the upper surface is black or white.; In the first group, represented, by the Prairie Hare ' I.cpus canifcstris , — the only Jack Rabbit which ever turns white in winter — the tail is entirely • Compiled from Dr. T S. Palmer" •< rn- port 10 the Biological ."^ur-py of the Uspitrr- nient of Agriculture of the United S'ates, 1897 white. In the second group (Macro- tolagus) the upper surface of the tail is marked by a more or less distinct stripe of black. Several species of this group have been described, as will appear later. Prairie Hare or White-tailed Jack Rabbit (J.cpus cainpcstris, Bachman). It was first discovered by Lewis and Clark on their memorable trip across the continent in 1804-6, although not actually named until 1837. Bach- man's description was as follows; "The hare on this side of the Rocky Moun- tains inhabits the great plains of the Columbia. Eastward of those moun- tains, they inhabit the plains of the Missouri. They weigh 7 to i i pounds. The head, neck, back shoulder, thighs and outer part of the legs are of a lead color; the sides as they approach the belly, become gradually more white; the belly, breast and inner parts of the legs and thighs are white, with a light shade of lead color; the tail is round and bluntly pointed, covered with white, soft, fine fur, not ijuite so long as on other parts of the body; the body is covered with a deep, fine, soft close fur. The colors here described are those which the animal assumes from the middle of April to the middle of November; the rest of the year he is pure white, except the black and red- dish brown of the ears, which never change. A few reddish brown spots are sometimes intermixed with the white at this season (February) on the head and the upper part of the neck and shoulders His food is grass and herbs; in winter he feeds much on the bark of several aromatic herbs grow- ing on the plains. Captain Lewis measured the leaps of his animal, and found them commonly 18 to 21 feet. They are generally found separate and are never seen to associate in greater numbers than two or three." The white-tailed Jack Rabbit has an extended range in the northern part of the Great Basin and on the Great Plains. It is said to be found as far north as latitude 55 degrees in Sas- 136 THE MUSEUM. katchewan,and ranges eastward toLake Winnipeg, Lanesboro, Minnesota and central Iowa. On the south it is not found on the plains much below cen- tral Kansas and southern Colorado, Fort Riley and Pendenni:^, Kans , and Las Animas, Colo., being near its southern limits. On the Rocky Moun- tain Plateau, however, it goes a little further south and has been taken at Ft. Garland, Colo , and at Kanao, Utah The Sierra Nevada and Cas- cade Range mark the limits of its west- ern distribution, but it occurs in the Sierra, as far south as Hope Valley. Although called the Prairie Hare it ranges high up in the mountains, at least in summer, higher than any other Jack Rabbit. In August, 1 89 1, I saw a large rab- bit belonging to his species, at an alti- tude of about 10,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, about 20 miles south of Mt. Whitney. Signs of their presence have been found in the Rocky Moun- tains far above timber line and nearly to the summits of the higher peaks. It is hardly probable that Jack Rabbits spend the winter at such altitudes, but the upper limit of their winter range remains to be determined. Abundant food in the mountain meadows and above timber line probably tempts them to ascend from lower levels in summer, just as cultivated fields on the plains attract them from a dis- tance. In the mountains and in the north- ern part of their range they become pure white in winter, but in Kansas, Neb., Washington and elsewhere near the southern limit of their habitat they undergo only a partial change, or do not turn white at all. In southern Oregon the rabbits inhabiting the higher mountains are said to turn white in winter, while a little lower down they undergo only a partial change and in the valleys do not assume the white pelage. Opinions seem to differ as to the abundance of the Prairie Hare. Dr. A. K. Fisher has seen as many as 20 together near Colby, Kan., and farther north it is killed in large quantities for market. A commission house in St. Paul, Minnesota, reports having hand- led 12,000 Jack Rabbits during the winter of 1894-5, most of which came from North and South Dakota, where this is the only species. Several thous- and are estimated to have been killed in Codington County, S. D., alone, during the same season. Certainly it must be tolerably abundant in these states to be obtained in such num- bers. The fur of the Prairie Hare is long and silky, and exactly the color of the sand and the dead leaves under the bushes, where they make their ' 'forms. " Unless they move, it is impossible to distinguish them, although looking down on their backs. But when once started they are off in an instant, and their characteristic actions at such times are thus described by Dr. Coues: "The extraordinary agility of this animal, which would be inferred from inspection of its lithe yet muscular and free-limbed shape, has always attract- ed attention. The first sign one has usually of a hare which has squatted low in hopes of concealment, till its fears force it to fly, is a great bound into the air, with lengthened body and erect ears. The instant it touches the ground it is up again, with a peculiar springy jerk, more like the rebound- ing of an elastic ball than the result of muscular exertion. It does not come fairly down, and gather itself for the next spring, but seems to hold its legs stiffly extended, to touch only its toes, and rebound by the force of its impact. The action is strikingly suggestive of the "bucking" of a mule, an affair with which people of the west are only too familiar. With a succession of these high jerky leaps the animal makes off generally in a straight course; there is nothing of the dodging or scuttling about, that marks the running of the smaller rabbits. As it gains on its pursuers, and its ears subsides, the springs grow weaker, just as a flat THE MUSEUM. •37 stone "skipped" on the water dimin- ishes in lenj;th of the rebounds, ami finally the animal squats in its tracks on its haunches with a jerk, to look and listen. The attitude assuch times is hif^hly characteristic. One fore foot is advanced a little before the other, and the ears are held pointing in op- posite tlirections. A hare in such an attitude as this is always upon the watch, and the slightest stimulation of its fears at such a time is enough to start it on its bounding course. It is a beautiful exhibition of timid watch- fulness. I have never seen this hare stand erect with its fore paws off the ground, as some of the smaller relat- ives are wont to do. and I doubt that it ever assumes this attitude except perhaps m >mentarily. (To be continued.) Directions and Suggestions- WHEKE TO FIND .VND II nV TO COLLECT AND PREPARE HAND AND FRESH WATER SHELLS FOR THE CABINET. General remarks. — With the results of his labor before him the collector derives much information respecting his shells as will enhance the pleasure and other advantages he expects to de- rive from them. To the true natural- ist they are the most beautiful as na- ture made them, and one should never seek to beautify them by varnishing. If you wish to exchange your dupli- cates with other collectors we would not advise any artificial treatment oth- er than judicious cleaning. In arranging a series of shells in a cabinet, the collector, if unacquainted with their names, may group the spe- ies according to their obvious resem- blances that show their relation to each other. We strongly recommend keeping a note book and as fast as one puts shells in the cabinet, whether named or not, to designate them by number, said number referring to a similar one in the note book, where full details of the take, date, etc., should be reconled. In packing the large P'resh Water Mussels, if a quantity are to be sent, they may be nested one inside another and then wrapped in paper and placed in tiers in a strong box. Use straw, moss or any soft material between the layers and at bottom and top. They may be safely sent by freight. Bill as Clam Shells and they will go at a specially low rate. The smaller land and fresh water shells can be neatly packed in small pasteboard boxes and these in turn put in cigar boxes when they may be sent to most any part of the world by mail. Cotton or other soft material should be liberally used. Tissue pa- per is best for wrapping. Always brace the cover of cigar boxes so that with rough handling it will not be crushed in. It your p.ickage weighs less than three pounds it can be sent to any point in the United States by express at one cent an ounce the same as mail. The minimum charge over one company is 15 cents and if it goes through the hands of two companies the minimum charge is 20 cents. If a package, for instance, weighs 30 ounces the express companies will car- ry it across the United States for 30 cents. It is a special rate in competi- tion with the mail. It is much safer than by mail and besides the express company guarantees the shipper against loss. We mention this matter as many express agents do not give their cus- tomers this special rate unless asked to do so. Beginning with January i, 1899, collectors in the United States have the satisfaction and privilege of ship- ping samples of their specimens to any point in the Postal Union at one cent an ounce, the regular merchandise rate within the U. S. For many years collectors have been handicapped by being charged 10 cents an ounce, reg- ular letter rate. I believe the limit of weight is 12 ounces, but one may 138 THE MUSEUM. pack quite a large number of land and fresh water shells in a package weigh- ing lo ounces and which can now be sent for lo cents to most any part of the world. We also advise collectors to post themselves on the special postal regu- lations with the Central American countries and some of the islands ad- jacent thereto, which are very favor- able to the sending of specimens by mail. We recently sent a shipment of material weighing lOO pounds by mail ro Central America at a cheaper rate than it would have cost by freight. As stated at the beginning of these remarks the writer will be glad to identify specimens where possible and to aid collectors with information in any way possible. Always enclose stamp for reply when writing for in- formation and in sending shells for names always collect live specimens and remove the soft parts, etc , be- fore sending. Do not send dead spec- imens found on the shore or beach, unless no others can be found. We hope these directions may be the means of starting many collectors to studying the shells to be found about them. The number of species of land and fresh water shells in the United States is enormous and well worth your study. It will be found quite as fascinating as collecting in any other branch of natural history. Walter F. Webb, Albion, N. Y. Hunting Abalones. From an exchange we clip an inter- esting note as to the manner the Cali- fornia Abalones are secured by the Chinese. "The Santa Catalina Islands are the headquarters for this industry, the methods of which were observed by the writer at San Clemente. A crude, high-pooped junk, with a big eye for- ward, was the source of supply, and had landed a band of ten men on the island, which, is forty or more miles from San Pedro. She had deposited another band at San NicolaF, sixty miles distant, and was now running between these islands and the main- land, providing the men with provis- ions and carrying the shells to the coast. The men were in camp on a little bay, and near by were a great many sacks of abalones ready for ship- ment. Every morning the hunters started out, some armed with a long pole, on the end of which was an implement like a chisel, intended for prying off the shells from the rocks. The majority of abalones are found just below tide water, some in water ten feet deep, and in a sea way they are difficult to secure. The men are sometimes bruised by being thrown against the rocks, and an occasional death by drowning has been known. Boats working in a heavy sea are of- ten hurled upon the rocks and the men injured. "The shells when found are relieved of their meat, the latter being dried and sold in the local Chinatown, or shipped to China, where it is consider- ed a delicacy. In the hotels of the California coast abalone chowder is a popular dish. To the uninitiated its preparation is a mystery, as no amount of cooking has any effect upon it until it has been thoroughly pounded with a hammer or hatchet, breaking the leathery muscle, when the meat be- comes tender and appetizing. "The shell itself is in great favor both in this country and Germany. In the latter it is made into cheap jewelry, buttons and various articles, which are reshipped to this country. It is also employed for inlaying furnit- ure and various fancy objects. The dust is utilized, and some of the pol- ished shells are sold as curiosities. In polishing the shells much skill is exer- cised to produce the best effects in the white, black, red and green mark- ings, especially in the black and silver abalones, the cutter or polisher often producing a perfect cross of black against a surface of white, which shell \ Mm THE MUSEUM 139 finds ready sale, the purchaser often assuminj; that the cross appeared up- on the shell in nature. "During the last year the record ob- tained was as follows: San Diego county produced 124,210 pounds of abalane meat and shell, valued at $3-, 234; Los Angeles county, 5,000 pounds, and Monterey county 3,700 pounds. In all about $10,000 is real- ized for the yearly catch. "Abalone pearls are found loose in the folds of the animal or attached to the shell. In the latter case they are broken off and sold by the lot. Oc- casionally perfect pearls are found, which bring a large price; but the im- perfect ones sell to tourists and curi- s- ity seekers for small sums." r The Marsh Hawk. it ircKS /iiiJsonicus.) Imagine a bright, sunny day on the marshes. Far upon every side spreads a mighty level of mingled drabs and greens, where the new growths strug- gle to hide the old. In the distance, upon the one hand, vague, purplish masses, like low-ljing clouds, tell where the grand old woods ring that side of the wet lands; turn about, and far away a continuous flashing with flecks of white in ceaseless move- ment prove that the bosom of the lake is restless even upon so soft a day. Above all, the grand dome of flawless blue, and through the centre of the scene the broad, currentlcss creek, winding like a silver serpent following its sleepy, lazy way. Such is the home of the Marsh Hawk. It is a restful picture, but there is wild life about. Here and there in the coarse grass a gleam of water hints of placid pools where the piedbilled grebes travel and go under with an oily movement which scarce creates a ripple. Grave, slate-tinted coots slowly cruise along the borders of the creek, while from tht cover well-hid- den rails indulge in wheezy merriment and send forth rasping queries as to how things go outside. A blue-wing slips by at quarter speed, for there is no danger now, and an old mallard rises on silent wings and winnows low over the grass to some better pool. He is in no hurry, hence his flight is noiseless. A redwing blackbird in ebony uni- form and glowing epaulets rocks upon a bending stalk and flutes his cheery challenge to the accompaniment of the marsh wren's wee snare drum. A snipe bores off in the eje of the indo- lent breeze to where dozens of his fellows are feeding, and mellow pipings float from muddy borders and shal- lows where plover and sandpiper to t or wade at will. Ominous, dark and resolute, a narrow winged peregrine dashes across the view, while all swim- ming life founders and all wading life seeks cover, for well they know the remorseless freebooter, nor will they reappear until that fearful form is lost in blue distance. And throughout the grass, viewless and unsuspected, stand or crouch the silent feathered folk — the short-eared owls, the bitterns, and others that keep solemn vigil ove their own affairs. Away across the marsh a dark speck appears. It soon resolves itself into a large, brownish bird, whose broad wings ply with easy, measured strokes (it never sails), as it beats the marsh- es as well-trained setter would work in quest of game. To and fro it veers and tacks, its telescopic eye reading at a glance each riddle of the snarl "of grass below, and presently it "cuts down" to seize its favorite prey, an unwary, short-tailed field mouse. The bird comes on, but by some myster- ious instinct it appears to know exact- ly where you are concealtd, and it passes that spot beyond the reach of any ordinary gun. Its .movements are, so far as you can tell, merely whimsical, as it carefully swings from you, but wait until 30U know this hawk better and you will learn that nearly every one of its kind will ace so. ?i40 THE MUSEUM As the bird swerves you see the warm, rusty color of its lower parts, and as it turns straight away a large white spot upon the upper tail coverts proves beyond possibilitj; of a doubt that the bird in question is a female, or a young specimen of the marsh hawk. Long, pointed wings, long tail, steady flight, with no sailing, the conspicuous white sp it, and the habit of beating low over the marches and meadows, will always identify the fe male and young ()f this species. The male in ruU adult plumage bears so scant a resemblance to his mate that few ordinary sportsmen can identify him. He, as is usual with birds of prey, is somewhat smaller than the female. Seen at a distance he might readily be mistaken for a gull, as the geneial effect of his plum- age is a beautiful, silvery, bluish gray. He if also much slyer than his consort, and seldom affords a chance to the gun. All too frequently men who should know better endeavor to kill this hawk. It should never be shot. Its food consists of reptiles, locusts, grass- hoppers and small mammals, and if it ever attdcks poultry the harm it does is infinitestimal when compared with the valuable service it renders The male measures from 17 to 19 inches in length; the female about two inches longer. Its range extends over North America and south to Pan- ama. The nest is built upon the ground in marshes and meadows and contains four or five whitish eggs, "which sometimes show irregular brown- 'ish markings This hawk is said "-o fly at night, but this I have never ob- served.— Ed. VV. Sandys in Outing ■ lor May. 15 Varieties Petrified Wood some very rare, including Agatized Wood, Pet- rified Oak, Manzenata, etc. Pieces weigh one ounce each, by mail postpaid, only 50c.; larger pieces $1.00. JOHN GARDELLA, JR., New- town, California. Choice Sets of Eggs AT Low Prices for Cash. Groove-bill Aui, 1 8 $ Green Jay 1-4 )uc» Dove 12 Koad Knnuer, 1 6 1-7 Sliort-iail Wren- 1 5 _ Whiie-race Glossy Ibis, 14 Aploruado Falcon. 1-3 1 Audubon's Caracara, 1-2, 1-3 White tall Hawk. 12 Harris Hawk 1-4 UuU-blU Tern. 1 4 hSIack Skimmer. 1-4 Wlison'.s Plover. 14 We.stern Miihthawk. 1-3 Texan Nighthawk, 1-2 Texas Bobwhite, 1 9 ,-.. ^■caled Quail, 1 12 Mexican crested Flycatcher, 1-5 .. Golden ttonted Woodpecker. 1-6 _ Bl.xck throated Sparrow, 1-4 _ Ked-bill Pigeon. 1-1 - Yellow breasted Chat, 1-5 Bell's VIreo, 1-4 Field Sparrow, 1-4 . .-.,. Traill's Flycatcher, 1 4 Western Bluebird. 18 _ tB America Magpie, I 5 . Ked-eye Vlreo, 1-3 .. Purple .Martin. 1-6 . Orchard Oriole, 1-5 . Bush Tit, 1-5 Canvas-back Duck, 1- 00 Oi u4 lU Palmer's Thrasher, 1-3 3o Brewer's Sparrow, 1-3 Vi Hooded W.iibler, 1-3 18 Swamp Sparrow, 1-4 10 Cl^estnut-collared Longspur, 1-3 ll McCown's Longspur. 1-3-- 3U Kingtisher, 1-7 1" Rusty Song Sparrow, 1 3 U BlacKbill Cuckoo, 1 4 08 Yellow-blU Cuckoo, 1-3 Cj8 Lark Bunting, 1-4 12 Stilt, a choice series of sets of 1-4 15 Cinnamon Teal, fine sets 10, 11 and 12 with down... 12 Chachalaca. 1-3, 14 15 American Crow, 1-5 _ 03 Fulmar, 11 SO White Ibis. 1-3, 1-3 12 Sooty Tern. 1-1 12 Chestnut sided Warbler, 1-4 l2 Great-tall Crackle, 1-4 08 Red wing Blackbird. 1-4 _.. 02 Tricolored Blackbird, 1-4 „ 06 California Thrashei-. 1-3 10 California Towhee, 1-4 U5 Brown Thrasher, 1 3, 1-4 03 Baltimore Oriole, 1-5 04 Mockingbird, 1 4 03 Catbird, 1-4 02 Senuett's Thrasher. 1-4 07 Snapping Turtle, 1-25 W Bluebird, 1-4 o-^ Flicker, 17 Oi ndigo Bunting, 1-4 .. CU Florida Gallinule, 1-7 u6 Kiughir.i. l-l .. U4 Caliloruia Murre, 1 1 10 ClapperRail, 1-8 _ 10 Ground Dove. 1-2 10 Pied-bill Grebe. 1-6 05 Horned Grebe, 1-6 ts Red leg Turtle. 1 8 05 Leache's Petrel, 1-1 lO Red eye Cowbird. 1-1 10 Dwarf Cowbird, 1-1 00 Black Tern, 1-3 06 Crocodile, 1-1 60 Ganuet, 1-1 16 Victoria Penguin, 4-1 _ 75 Mutton Bird, Australia, 1-1 50 All will be carefully packed and sent prepaid by mail or express. Make up your orders by return mall. W. F. WEBB, Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. 141 New Bargains for July READ IT THROUGH. IT WILL PAY YOU We are closing out specimens named below at very low prices. Note all are prt paid. We will send on approval if yi)u agree to return promptly prepaid what you do not care (or. We will also take pay in installments if more convenient to customer. You must write quick as m^ny of these things will go at once. Bird Skins. Black \ filled Shearwater Miiii'Kit Miin-Hlel Kveuing Gi"cis'>e;ik Araerif.in Qiinil female Great Hliie HerDU, uialw K'>lli)wiuji from South Texas, mado in ruarv and .March l8>': Koaii Run oer, m Arizona Cardinal, m. f Western Meadow Lark, m Sage Thrasher, m Mexican .'^hore Lark, ni Anieii Titlark, m McCown's l,ong.-pur ni, Black-thr> ated Span-' w. lu Black Skiniui'T Cispaian Tern Laiighinf; Gall Giill-bili I'ern Tfxas Da-ky Uui k VNestern Nighthawk Scaled Quail Texan Quail Blaik Tern Turnstone Wilson's Plover Avocet Clapper Rail Great tail Grackle t. Black neck Still Western Willet Texas Cardinal Painted Bunting Vermillion Kljcatcher Piping Plover Cassin's Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Si-i.^sor-tailed Klycatofier L.'iO 1 (H) .30 4U 1 .■)() K. I) 50 20 .20 .25 15 Vi Vi .31) (iO 75 .75 40 60 4(1 35 30 .40 GO 60 3u 60 .50 30 40 35 .40 .50 25 30 Cracked Ostrich Eggs. In the handling of over 100 dozen Ostrich eggs we found a great many specimens cracked slightly. Some .vou wc"iuld have to hunt quite a while to find the imperfection They are just the same as wo have been sell- ing for one year, only for the cracks. Per dozen H 00 Single specimen net 20c or pre- paid 4.5c Perfect Ostrich eggs are now worth $6 00 a dozen. Indian Relics and Curios. Fine Perfect Pottery Pipe $4 00 Bowl 4 00 " Bowl, cracked '. 2. .50 Good Celt 40 Sinkers 15 Scrapers, notched or unnotched 15 Points, poor, various states 01 better, " " 08 " good to tine, various states 10 " fine 20 ChaulaiKpia shell coll' ctioii, used to sell at $2 50, prepaitl, havi- 10 will sell at 1.25 Cactus Wood ('ane 50 Collection of 50 ki.icis of minerals, all namid etc 75 S|)ici:il rates nn 25 to 50 colleciioas. O.-ttich Egg. .\friciiii 85 A iiargMih oji soiiu' big Bahama Corals w eigliing 1(1 tn 40 pMiii,il..< rach. Marine algiie per doz cards 75 ."^corpion. lUDiinteil in box 40 HtTuiet Crah. in shell; all in box 25 Piece i.f Big Tree Bark. 4x4 inch 20 12 kinds of Sea B' ans, all named, for 30 2.5 kirids of Fun i n Birds' egg.s, all named and first cias^, f r l,i)0 Birds of Labrador Natural His'ory of La'iradiir, a' d () & O. Manual all for. 1.00 Bdi.k of Sea Mosses. 10 beauliful cariis .all ddr-r.Mit, arrauH'id in a b mk and tied with ribbon The finest work in the luoiinting of .sea masses we have ever seen 60 Ditto, large size, fine 1.20 Marine Algea Bli'tter. the top card with bi-aiititul mournings and covered with celluli'irl. Very rent 40 Mariin- A'g' a Newspaper Clipping Case, 6 large envelopes appropriately named and bound in heav.\ covers, on which are beautiful mounts under celluloid, so it is not easily suiled, gold edges. . . .75 Marine Algea Panel, consisting of 5 card niiaint-^, strnrg w ith ribbon, so as to hang on wall Tliis is to our notion one of the handsomest 40 Marine Algea Phrto. Frame. The frame proper is covered with beautiful mounts lliai are in turn covered with celluloid to keep dust frcmi soiling. Has back, so will stand on mantel or table. A beauty 60 Shell Case, a pair of Pecten irridans, hinged at bottom in which are 10 cards of algea, very neat 40 The above seven articles are particularly suit- able for birthday or wedding gifts, "being something that will be always admired. We will send on appioval to any collectors, so sure are we that you will be more than p'eased. Minerals. We carry quite an extensive siock of min- erals for one w ho does not pretend to make it a spe( ialty. Wi- can always furnish .several hundied kinds right from our cabinet draws, and tre glad to send on approval to any one who wishes to start a cabinet. 142 THE MUSEUM. The foUnwincr kind* are sure to be in stock, and good .-aiMii.t si.eciniens will be sent lor 5c each prepaid. A uiuch tiner grade such as run 2 by '2 to 2 by 3 for 10c each The following tine minerals are all in stock. We will send good siz.- cabinet specimen.^ for 5 cents each. prei>Mid: Argentite, Allanite, Arsenopyne, Atacom- ite Agate, Asbestos, Albite, Actinolite, Am- phibole, Apatite, Anhydrite. Alabaster^ Bio- lite, Beryl. Bog Iron Ore. Bauxite, Blood- stone, Buhrstoue, Bornite, Copper Psf-ud, Chrysalite. Chalcopyrite, rerrnsite, Cryolue, Cerargvrite, Chalcedony, Carnelian, Chi-rt, Corundum, Cuprite, Calciie, Calcite Crystal, Chalk Calc. Tufa, Crocidolite, Cookerite, Celestite, Drusy Quartz, Uolomite. Ela.Hlol_ite, Electric Stone Epiag 60 1 beaded glass and can each o» 3 beaded bottles • *' 1 squaw belt, with metal plates on iW 3 war clubs, assorted, all kinds 1 50 2 pairs of moccasins, assorted 1 5U 2 fine pipes of peace with handles 150 1 pair armlets ^" 1 beaded hag ^ °" 1 fine beaded war club. - -^ Indian Iron Tomahawks. We were recently very fortunate in secur- ing one of these rare relics It is in fine state of preservation, notwithstanding of iron and must have lain in the ground f-'r a long per iod. Price $3.50 California Condor Egg. We have a perfect egg of this very rare bird taken this year. The egg was absolutely fresh, and presents characteiistics in way of freshness that no incubated egg ever shows We offer it at a reasonable cash figure, or will consider ofifer of part cash and part exchange, where the exchange part of the deal is desir- able material. There can ben. question as to this specimen giving the utmost satisfac- tion to the.most fastidious collector. Alcoholic Specimens. We will send any of these specimens by mail prepaid. Customers can put them id jars t.i suit themselves. They are all nice specimens. We give localiiies Water snake, N . Y * ^ Common toad, N. Y *» Spade foot toiid, NY f^ Green frog, NY f Pink crab, At'antic *» Spider crab, Atlantic ••• *» Sea Anemones Atlantic J2 Marine algea small jar, sev. kinds ^o Grass snake, N, Y ^o Milk snake, NY °^ Atlantic starfish, Atlantic «" "Poly wogs" 1 inch, N Y 1" Helix, iuflateil, several species 15 Sea urchin, Atlantic *o Shrimp Atlautic, 25 25 .20 .20 Section of srpouge, Atlantic 15 Lamp shell, brachiapod, Atlantic ^o Treetrog, N C . ■.■•■ f" Swamp tree frog, Raleigh, N C |» Cricket frog Mississippi *^ Toothless frog. N. C Spring froa; N C Leopard frog, N. C • Pickeral frog, N, C *»" ■ Fine Shells. We wish to state here that of American shells we have on hand two sptcies of lo, 8 species of Angitrema, 4 species of Lithasia, 6 species of Slrepohasis, 50 kinds of Trypanostoma, 125 species of Goniobasis, 12 kinds of Schizosto- ma 4 kinds of Eurycaehm, 18 kinds of Ancul- osa 4 kinds of Vivipara, 2 kinds of Lioplas, n kinds of Melantho, 6kindsof Somatogyrus, 16 kinds Physa. 12 kinds of Limnaea, besides various specie-i of Pomatiopsis, Flumnicola, Ancylus, Amnicola, Zua, Bulinus, Tulotoma, Planorois, ere We will sell any of the above fine samples at 10c per pair, or 5c per speci- men. While this may .seem a high figure for gome, still there are others that one would spend $5 to try and get a few specimens and maybe not procure over a dozen. In other words some we ofl'er above are worth many times .5c each. We will give a discount "i 25 per cent, on above prices for orders of $10 and upwards, prompt cash, ,,,„«. In American land shells we have about lOO kinds all correctly labelled and localized We will make up nice assortments and send on approval, to any interested collectors at very low prices. In Foreign land and fresh water shells we ve about .500 kinds at least and possibly nearer one thousand. Nice assortments of He ix. Achatinella, Partula, Helicina, Bulimus.Helix, Vivipara, etc. etc from all parts of the world. In Marine shells we have probably 3,000 kinds on hand and shall take great pleasure in sending collectors named and priced as- sortments from which they may select any they wish. Our rules in such cases are that collectors are to pay charges on box sent, where by express and we agree to pay on any returned. If wc send the package by mail, the customer is to return any not wanted m like manner. THE MUSEUM. M3 All fhells art' priced very low, imich lu-low catalof^uu prices of regular dealers and we feel sure we can please jou as to iiuality. We invite collectors to send us 1 sts of what they collect in Aiuerican Land and Fresh Water Shells anii if iigreeable in exchange we may he able to otter von something for your dnpli- eates that will he very acceptahle Of many tine foreign shells, we have a grcau quaiitily. more than we hope to sell in jears and we very naturally would like to exchange some of them for t)ther kinds that we do not have, or that our;>tock is very low on. Collections. The Young Naturalist's iviarvelous collec- tion, consists of 44 specimens, as follows: In- <'i I'l P ttory, Yellow Red and Black Sea Beans. Chinese Horn Nut, Egg Capsule Peri wir)kle. S.tnd Box Shuck. Alligator Tooth. Tarpon Scile, Jobs Tears. Black eye Susans, Miamosa Seeds. Castor Oil Bean. Koreign Land Snail, Bleeding Tooth. Ring Top Cowry, Money Cowry, Tectarias. Olive, Worm Shell, American Fresh Water Shell, American Land Shell. Purpura Limpet. Brchive Shell, Drill Shell, Buttoti Shell. Satin Spar. Petriliea Wood. Mexican Onyx. Petrified Coral. Petri- fied Nautilus, Petrified Shell, W 1 Branch Coral. E. I Branch Coral. Y^ellow Coral, Or- fanpipe Cora', Prescious Coral, Coralline, ellow Sea Fan, Purple Sea Fern, Sponge, Starfish. Sand Dollar These are all Natural History Specimens and will delight the young and old as well. They are almost certain to create in any young mind a love for Natural History. Special prices to Teachers, where ordered in quantity for students. We send the collection prepaid with descriptive list of same, for only GOc. Special Mineral Collection, consisting of 50 specimens of good size, as follows: Actinol- ite, Albite. Alabaster, Allanite, Aragonite, Arsenopyrite, Aspbaltura, Asbestos, Biotite, Beryl, Boltonite, Crystalized Calcite, Chalced- ony, Chiastolite Crystal, Cone in Cone. Co- quina. Crinoidal lyimestone, Dolomite. Flint, Fossil Coral. Garnets in Rock, Geode Quartz, Gold Ore, (jraphite. Gypsum, Hematite, Ice- land Spar, Iron Pyrites, Kaolin, Lead Ore, Limonite, Marhle, Magnetite, Mexican Onyx, Milky Quart/, Mica Schist, Nuttnllite. Ortho- clase, Petritied Wood, Porcelainite, Psilomel- ane, Pyrolusile, Pyrrhotite. Pyroxene. Satin Spar, Selenite, Silver Ore, Talc, Tourmaline, Wernerite. These are all numbered to correspond with a list giving localities, etc. Special rates in quantity. Prepaid for 75c Audubon Plate. We have one of Audubon's Plates of the Iceland Gryfalcon, nicely framed under glass It is a beautiful thing for a li- brary. Original price 125. Our special price, strictly net, $10 Pearl Shell Novelties. In connection wltb our ezten.slve bandllnz of botb Sclentlflc and Commercial ShellH we have decided lo offer our customers some beautiful Pearl novelties. Tbey fairly baftledetcrlptlon so brllllaut are the col- ors. The main shell.s u.sed are Turb \k \ll di 111 yii \tl 0/ Ml \tl }il III III a< Mt lb U/ \tl 111 111 111 111 111 111 111 III 111 111 ll> 111 111 III * ———^^^^^—^—-^-^-— li, ^ Send 20 cents in BtampH lor a dock nf i^ ^ Mnnnrch PlayiD^r Cards, illu^trntiui; ili ^ Jps^io Itnrtlctt J)nvi5. Lillian Htissoll, y^ t^ Tom Coopor. Lon Ricli.lrdson atid i|i ^ Walter .Inoes. ll) ifc ^— — ^-^^^— — ^^-^^-^-^^— III * Ride a Monarch and Keep in Front. * I Hi $25 King and Queen $25 ill * The best pair ol bicycles on earth ^ tor the money ... Ol MONARCH CHAINLESS $76 MONARCH ROADSTERS $50 DEFIANCE ROADSTERS $35 MONARCH CYCLE HFG, CO. Lake. Halsted and Fulton Streets, Chicago Branches— Now York, LondoD. Hamburg? Fine Florida Shells. \Vf havf fvvry (aclUty for furnlshlim roUert(»rs or il<'al»Ts with Florida Sihells. or Souvenirs. SW havo )i;ul lonK expiTience In cnllectine. and the Kdltorof •fit' MfsKi'M. has. nns^illrlted tiy iis. filTirrcil to answfr ly liiMnlrlt •■' a^ I" our responsililUty or (air dealing. ' you wNh to St'*' (luality of specimens Ix'fore I'l.ariiiir . uTtzfT orders, send II for a l>ox of saiiutles. All "leaned and crtrrei-ily nametl. Prlre list for sLanip iiid all ln>|Ulries proriiplly answered. Give us a trial. J. H. HOLMES, DUNEDIX, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shflls. Also Centipedes, Scorpions. Oralis. etc. in nicohol at a bargain. Aililres.'* with stamp. O. BHVAXT, Longwood, Florida We hiivi^ on hand niauy lino tliing.s in sueh iinanlity we (luoto low rates on wholesale or- ders, in order to make room. The material olTered in every instaneo is as low as money can hiiy. Jyook over the list esirofiiUy: I'lirple Sea I'lumes from the Bahamas. Largo size, 4 to .5 feet. $2 .'iO per dozen. Modiuiu, •i to :i feet, $1 .""jO per dozen. Ostrich Kggs. South African spccimcus, at $(> 00 per dozen . ( i/pnrn Jiiwilus, Ringtop Cowries, from the tJast Indies, fiO cents per quart. Cyprira moncUi, with varieties. Money Cowry from Singapore, T>Q cents per quart. lUdck UiiUolis, 4 to 5 inch, from Monterey, Cai. 7.5 cents per dozen. /.'('/ //nliotis. from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch, at $1..')() per dozen. t^troinliu.i lubcrculatun Silver Lips. 2 inch, from Singapore, at 3G cents per dozen. Slromlius ttldlns. Purple Mouth, from Fla., at 24 cents dozen. K. L Coral fragments. 2 to 3 inch. 20c dozen Melongeitd. corona. Crown Shell, from Kla., 24e (loz. Sabre Beans, mammoth, 16 to 20 inches, cur- ious, Biihamas, at .50c doz. Ncrctii }iclcro7ila. Bleeding Teeth, Bahamas, at 50 cents ([Uart. l\in)le (Jnrgonias, Flexible Coral from Baha- m;is. $1 ,50 dozen Mica Snow, for Taxidermists and fancy work, worth 80o pound, our price 20c. Miirex Itramiuris, from East Indies, 1 to 2 inch, 1.5c dozen. B;ihama Coral, such as Fan, Head, Palm, etc. Several species at 10c pound. Mineral Collections for Teachers to give or .'iell to .'-tuilents, 50 varieties, named, etc., at 50c lists on application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work, 2'>c quart F'lsciolariii disUnis. Tulip. 2 inch, 3(5i^ dozen. Fiisciolnria Inlipi. Tulip. 3 to 4 inch. 40c doz. Fiili/tir perixrstt, from Fla., 4 to 5 inch. 00c" Tube .Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas. $1.. 50 dozen. f^i/iphiles noilox'iK, an ammonite shaped fossil from the Bad Lands, 2 inch, .50c doz , 8 inch. $1 00 dozen; 4 inch, $3 00 dozen. Make up your order now, as these prices only hold (;ooi| while stock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. WRITE ME A LETTER TODAY Slailny that j'ou would like to have Rem , for Vftur Inspection, charces prnpald. :tt r>r the l-'anioaH Doubly'terinin- i atecl Quiirtz CryHtnls, n tintl at I this pia.e. ir Ibis eollertlonof llrllllant, (Jems i>lea.ses you. kindly send "() rents (no inorei. otherwise return the collect- ion and It will be O. K. Is not Ihl.s a fair propositions r.xhlblt at World s I-'alr received Highest Award, Medal and Dl])1onia. AddreKs. A. R. CRIM. MlddlevlIIe, Herkimer Co., N. V. ;,l 4' I North American Birds BY OMVER DAVIE. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. Extra Cloth - $2.24 postpaid. The best book on Eggs Publishei. IN EVERYTHING IS TTHEl OHRAPEST^. We have the BEST at lowest prices. IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF Birds Eggs or Skins, Egg Collecting Outfits, Taxidermists' Material, or any kind of Naturalists' Supplies. Send Stamp for Catalogue. Mention Museum. CHAS. K. REED, 75 Thomas St., WORCESTER, M«SS. ^: VOL. V. NO. 10. AUGUST, 1899. U^EU/H A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — ^o cts. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, 5 cts. Published on the 15th of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUNf. NATURALISTS. This is winat you need for your Collection. 1. BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY PICUTRES in fine cases 18x24x3 in.. glas.s top. corli bottom, contains KW large and brilliantly colored Buttertlies and Moths from every clime. A beautiful sight to be- hold. Every NaturalLst and Sprotsman wauts one for his den. 2. lo.ooo DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUTTERFLIFS, MOTHS AND BEETLES from all over the world, perfectly mounted, correctly named and labelled In cases or . oxes. Prices to suit the times. Seud Sc for catalogue. No postals answered. 3. PRESSED SHEET CORK, best and cheapest ever offered, 9xl2x.^-16 in., 10c per sheet only. It Is of uniform thickness, perfectly smooth on top. Is not plastered up with paper, has no holes, takes the finest pins easily, has a good grip, does not break. Is Mothproof, no insect-pest can live in a box lined with this cork. It knocks the ordinary cork higher than kite in price and quality. You get as much again for your money and better quality. Send stamp for sample. 4. PINE GROSBEAK EGGS in sets of 3, 4, 5 with Nests. 7.1c per egg, nest gratis. .W sets already sold. References Wm. Brewster, C.imbridge, Mass : J. Parker Norrls, Jr., Philadelphia and other prominent orulihologists. Do you want a set'- Of course you do. 5. SHELLDRAKE GAME PIECES, on polished Shield for i our dining room. A pair, male and fe- male, 3.00; one, S3.00. Very beautiful. 6. 500 MOUNTED NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, All perfect. Prices to suit the times. 7. TAXIDERMIST'S AND ENTOMOLOGIST'S TOOLS. Insect pins, presses, nets and cabinets. Send he for new Catalogue. No postals. 8. WANTED; Cocoons. Eggs in .sets, with nest, pre- ferred. Skins and other desirable material in ex- change or cash. PROF. CARL BRAUN. Naturalist. BANGOR. ME. POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, Nature, Invention, Archaeoloy. Elec- tricity, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Hy- giene. Mealcine, Health. Formerly BOSTON JOURNAL OF CHEMISTllV. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly contains a large mim- her of Short, Easy, Practical, Interestiug and Popular, Scientific ai tides, that can be Ap- preciated and Enjoyed by any intelligent reader, even though he itne'w little or nothing of Science, It is intended to interest those who think. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Different from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name. Monthly. SI. 60 per year; Newsdealers, t 5c Largest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO.. 10» Fulton St., New York. IVIention MUSEUH/I for a sample-copy. I WE BUY STAMPS AND OLD STAMP QOLLECTIONS Send us what yon have with lowest ca.sh price or we will make you an offer if you wish. We pay express or postage one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, DUBUQUE, lA. LABELS. All sizes and for any branch ot NaBiirul History, at the very lowest prices >-encl me copy aud I wilJ riiiote price. Fo«sil LabeN like- .sample KJC per lUO; 7Ue per 1000, with a.'^sortea head.Dys. Period. Name... DEVONIAN AGE. Loc Lettir Heads. Bill Heads, Cards, and etc. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Oiir large monthly bulletin Of Skius. Eggs, etc. free upon application. The Ornithologist's and Oolo" gist's Manual. Contains 100 pages, giving complete list of all North American Birds, Prices of Eggs and Skins, Number of Eggx in a Clinch, Pi ici's of Mammal Skins, Ilow to Skin ISirds anil Mam- mals. How to form an Egg Collection and many other pages ufusefui information. Pre- paid for ten two-cent stamps. Order at once. W.F.WEBB, Pub. Albion. N.Y COLLECTORS. Have you read our "Wholesale Bargains" elsewhere in this number? If you are familiar with the goods offered you will see at a glance that the prices are ■way down. W. F. WEBB. I I vi THE MUSEUM. WANTS. EXCHANGEES AND FOR SALES. All iiotiiH's that come under above will be inserted in this department until further notice atone (1) cent a word. No notice less than 25c. Terms Cash with rnler. No chdrye for address. I shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, whose reputation is of a doubtful char- acter from using these columns. DWANTED:-01d issues of U. S. Adhesive Stamps for which we offer fine California Bird Skins. Address TOWNK BROS., Commonwealtli Ave , West Newton, Ma.'-s. WANTKI): — Back numbers of papers on Natural Science and books of any kind on Natural History, also bird skins. Can ollVr eood exchange in invertebrates, nice eastern bird fkin- mmI some papers on Natural His- tory Stale value of material when writing. F P UROWNK. 20 Benetit St, Providence, R I MARINE ALG^.— A large collection of mounted and pressed sea mosse.s, also many decorated novelties. Schools, colleges and museums supplied with scientific collections. Write for price list. Orders by mail. Ad- dress MRS. H. M. JERNEGAN, Edgartown, Mass. BIRDS and ANIMALS portrayed in their natural colors We can furnish complete sets of bird pictures from the magazine liinls and all Nature from Jan ''J7 to March '99, 27 sets in all The first 12 sets contain 10 pictures each and the last 1.5 sets 8 pictures each In all 240 fine colored plates. This is a magnificent series. The plates are only sold in sets at l.i cents a set prepaid. Any 10 sets for «1 2.5 Or the whole 27 sets for $2.85. These are really remarkable prices They would be cheap at 10 cents a plate or $24 00 for the set of 240 plates true to nature. They make a portfolio invaluable to any naturalist who is studying birds. List of contents of sets of plates on application. W. K WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N, Y. WANTED:— Rough skeletons of mammals, and some birds Human material especially desired Can u.se whole skeletons or parts. Would like to hear from all parties who can offer anything in this line and will furnish directions to those who are able to secure specimens but do not understand iirepara- tion. Can also use some finished .skeletons and skulls. Offer in exchange some finely prepared marine invertebrates, material col- lected this summer. Have a list of lifty spec- ies representing the families Porifera. Coloen- terata, Echinodermata, Vermes, Arthropoda, Tunicatn All specimens nicely preserved in formalin or alcohol. Please state value of material when writing. F P. DROWNE, 20 Benetit St., Providence, R I. W. B. MITCHELL. Collector of Coins, Stamps and Curios, Santa Anna. Texas. 2tA EXCHANGE ADS. FREE.— Any reader of the MusuEM who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, 108 Fulton St., New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fiffy Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. FOR EXCHANGE:-Crt scent bicycle. '95 model, good shape, all hut tires, for single egas. shot gun, ritle, butterflies, moths, bird skins or offers W. C. MORROW, 206 Spruce St., Columbus, Ohio. BICYCLE:— Hartford special pattern 7, 24 inch frame, 2i inch drop, new. except ridden a little here to show up in making sales Will give any one a good trade for eggs in first class sets. New Solar Gas Lamp for $15. Want good sets at list rates. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, N. Y. WANTED.— 10 to 25 lbs. of each of the fol- lowing minerals: Albite, A/.urite and Mala- chite, Asbestos, Catlinite, Chalcopyrite, Cookerite, Chalcedony from Tampa. Chert, Dendrites, Elaeolite, Fluor Spar, Lodestone, Marmolite, Magnetite, Moss Agate, Magne- site, Opalized Wood, Oolite, Obsidian. Por- phyry, Prehnite, Pink Calcite, Ripidolite, Serpentine, Steatite, Talc, Tin Ore, Variscite, Williamsite, Copper Ore, Cyanile. Graphite. Halite. Lead Ore, Siuoky (Quartz, Selenite. Parties having any of above please write at once. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. CAMERA WANTED— Will exchange a new seven dollar Guitar and three dollar figure music instruction hook, and outfit of e(jual value. W. W. Shelly, El Dorado, Butler Co , Kansas. WANTED— To correspond with persons in- terested in snakes, turtles, lizards salaman- ders, with view to exchange of specimens and notes. WM. DUPREE, 151 Gates Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. HOMING PIGEONS— We can furnish a few pairs of Homing Pigeon at the low price of $3 00 a pair. Will go .'afely by expriss, these are handsome biids. WALTER F WEBB, Mgr. Albion, N Y 146 THE MUSEUM. i A FINE COMBINATION— OueOstrich Egg $150, 1 set 4 Black-neck Stilt. $J 00. 1 set Citjnamon Teal, $4.00. value $7 SO. We will send prepaifl for $i 00 aiul 20 cts. postage. WALTER F WEBB. Mgr , Alhiou. N. Y. FOR SALE -A fioe high poster bedstead with hed balance, handsomly embroidered on "horue sp n" linen, made in 1806, (well preserved) will sell cheap for want of room. Soms hue nest.s with sets of Oven bird Horse Pistols' both flint and perousion lock Flint lock suns. Rifles. Mausers, etc. CHAS H. WILLIAMS Winchester Centre, Conn. WILL PAY CASH -For pure white or spoted albinos either in birds or small anim- als Send full description and lowest cash price .-iiid full clescrii)ti"a at once to J. E. GROSJEAN. Lima, Ohio DAGGER LIKE SWORDS-We have a stock iif daeg. r-lik*- .swords, 20 m 30 inch blade in fine sheath fancy handle at $1 00 Bach I'.Pt by express They are a' bargain at this pi ice, No rust on them. W. F. WEBB, Mgi- . Albion, N. Y, DEEK HEADS - Notice our add in another column We are offering tiie Maine Heads at the same figure city taxidermi-*ts ask for mounting alone WALTER F WEBB, Mgr. Albion, N Y. SHELL SUITES -We offer 50 kinds of American Helix at $3.00 prepaid. 50 kinds of Foreign Helix at $4 00 prepaid, 30 kinds of Achatinella, $3 00, 20 kinds Partula at $2. 50, 100 kinds of American Fresh Water shells, mostly Strepomatiilie, Mt $4 00 prepaid, 100 nice kiids of Marine Shells many genera from all parts of the world at $7 50 prepaid, 50 kind.s if Foreign Fresh water shells at $5 00, 100 kinds Foreign Land Shells exclusive of Helix for $8 00 40 kinds of Clausilia for $2 00. over 100 other similar bargains by f im- ilies Let us hear from you All specimens carefully labeled with name, locality, etc. W F WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N Y. MOUND RELICS-Just received a lot of Oh'O and Arkansas mound relics, discoidals. axes, skinneis. heads, pipes, chisels, skulls, etc Good cabinet specimens, pottery $1.00 and upwatd Relics exchanged. CHAS V. WERTZ. 14 East 4th St Portsmouth. Ohio. FINE SETS of 201, 226, 837, 339, 452, 467, 501, 517, 608, 627, 674, 756 and skins of 5nb, 221, 333, 517, .531 and .509 for A 1 set< of eggs. C. F. STONE, Branchport. NY. THE MUSEUM. We still have a few sets of back numbers of THE MUSEUM. We will mail the entire first 4 volumes for only $2.00 prepaid; or any number you wish at 5 cents each. Fill out your files now while you can. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y Choice Sets of Eggs AT Low Prices for Cash. Groove-bill Ani, 1-8 — t 18 Green Jay 1-4 30 Inca Dove 1-2 25 Road Runner, 1 6 1-7 09 Short-tail Wren. 1-5 12 Harris Hawk. 1-4 20 Black Skimmer, 1-4 08 Western Nighthawk, 1-2 12 Texan Nigbthawk, 1-2 12 Scaled Quail, 111 25 Mexican-crested Flycatcher, 1-5 10 Golden finnted Woodpecker. 1-6 Red-bill Pigeon, 1-1 ^5 Yellow breasted Chat, 1-5 04 Bell's Vireo, 1-4 08 Field Sparrow, 1-4 03 Traill's Flycatcher, 1 4 JJo Red-eve Vireo. 1-3 <« Orchard Oriole, 1-5 04 Bush Tit, 1-5 ; 10 Palmer's Thrasher, 1-3 35 Chestnut-collared Longspur, 1-3 11 Rusty Song Sparrow, 1 3 U Lark Bunting, 1-4 - 2 Stilt, a choice series ol sets of 1-4 15 Cinnamon Teal, fine sets 10, 11 and 12 with down... 12 Chachalaca. 1-3, 14 1* American Crow, 1-5 03 Fulmar, 1-1 White Ibis. 1-3. 1-3 Sooty Tern. 1-1 Great-tall Grackle, 1-4 Red wing Blackbird. 1-4 Tricolored Blackbird, 1-4 California Thrasher, 1-3 ■ California Towhee, 1-4 Brown Thrasher, 1-3, 1-4 Baltimore Oriole, 1-5 Moskingbird. 1 4 03 Catbird, 1-4 02 Bennett's Thrasher, 1-4 w Snapping Turtle, 1-25 04 Bluebird. 1-4 03 Flicker, 1-7 J" Indigo Bunting. 1-4 06 Florida Gallinule, 1-7 OB California Murre, 11 jO Clapper Rail, 1-8 : JO Ground Dove, 1-2 1" Pied-bill Grebe, 1-6 OS 13 12 06 10 05 03 04 Horned Grebe, 1-6, Red legTuitle, 1 8, Leache's Petrel, 1-1 Red eye Cowbird, 1-1 Dwarf Cowbird, 1-1 . Black Tern, 1-3 Crocodile, 1-1 JV Gannet, 1-1 1? Victori-a Penguin, 1-1 '•? Mutton Bird, Australia, 1-1 . ...- 5U All will be carefully packed and sent prepaid by mail or express. Make up your orders by return mail. W. F. WEBB, Albion. N. Y. IMPORTANT NOTICE. \Vi' de.-iri- til announce that owing to the many iiuiirovements made in the current volume of; [the Kern Bulletin, the price of samplej 1 copies will now be hfteen cents each. Pur- Ichasers of sample copies may deduct this sum! I from the regular subscription price when sub-l (scribing. The January number contains four-l ' teen articles on ferns, many shorter notes, andl eight pages devoted to the Mosses. Send for it. Address, The Fern Bulletin, Binghampton. N. Y. When ansivering advertisements al~ ivays mention THE MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM. L A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. V. ALBION, N. Y., AUGUST 15, 1899 No. 10 THE MUSEUM ^^^ plastmn or under shell ;ind the ^ ."^l , carapa-\ or upper shell. Consequent- A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, ly a saw is re<]uired and the one best Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, |j(ted for the purpose is a surgeon's Mineralogy and Allied bone Saw with an adjustable back. ^!!!!^^^l! These saws are sharp, strong and Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager thin-bladed, three important requisites Alh'n N Y '^'^ ^^'* work. A large skinninj.; knife , ^„^.,^,^,J^„,^~,„v,„„^„ — a butcher knife is the proper thing Correspondence and Items of lnt«rest on above top- „_j „ rartilatrp knifp ttp hnfh npr" Ics, as well as notes on the various Museums of the ^"^ "^ cariuage Kniie are DOin neC- Worlil— \1e«-s fr.mi .same, discoveries relaUve to the essarv A Dair of boiie snins will be han.llInK and keeping of Natural History material, csbdiy. n. pdii ui uoiic; biiipi will ue descriptive hablt.s of various species, are solicited found USeful, aS alsO a Small pair of from all. . , i i , Make articles as brief as possible and as free from SClSSOrs; and a SCraper, though not technical terms as the subjects will allow. All letters ,, .,, ^, , will be promptly an.swered. really necessary, will greatly hasten ?^^S^^7I^J^^^^^^o"n " |he work of cleaning the meat and fat trom the mside oi the shell and some single Subscription oOc per amium r .1. , t-i 1,1 , sampiecopies .tc each ot the bones. 1 hcse are all the tools Xdvertising^RATeT' required, though curved scissors and ^ . .. „, , some other luxuries often prove of 5 cents per Nonpareil line each insertion. Twelve ■ , • lines to the inch. value. In making up the skin a stout Cash must accompany all orders. ,, j .1 j 11 l j j Remittances should be made by Draft. Express or needle and thread Will be needed. Post Omce Order 1 .r Registered Letter. iTr.-^u tU „« t *„„!„ „,J 1 „» f Vnu.^ed f. s. PosLige Stamps of any denomination With these lew tools and plenty ot accepted for small amounts. persevetance and determination to suc- MUSEUMPUB.co.. ^^^j ^^^ Operator may be sure of ALBION, OHLEANSCC. N.Y. j u good results. Sni'Tfd at Atdion pott-office or wedding gifts, being something that will be always admired. We will send on appoval to any collectors, so sure are we that you will be more than pleased. Collections. The Young Nntuialist's Iviarvelous cullec- tion, consists of 44 specimens, as follows; In- dian Pottery, yi-llovv Red and Black Sea Beans, Chinese Horn Nut, Egg t:apsiili' Peri- winkle, Sand Box Shuok, Alligatof Tooth, Tarpon Scaie, Jobs Tears, Black eye tSusans, Miamosa Seeds, Castor Oil Bean, Foreign Land Snail, Bleeding Tooth Ring Top Cowry, Money Cowry, Tectarias, Olive, Worm Sh^-11, American Fresh Water Shell, American Land Shell, Purpura. Limpet, Beehive Shell, Drill Shell, Button Shell, Satin Spar. Petrified Wood, Mexican Onyx, Petri tied Coral, Petri- fied Nautilus, Petrified Shell, W. I. Branch Coral, E. I. Branch Coral, Yellow Coral, Or- fanpipe Coral, Pres('ions Coral, Coralline, ellow Sea Fan, Purple Sea Fern, Sponge, Starfish, Sand Dollar. These are all Natural History Specimens and will delight the young and old as well. They are almost certain to create in any young mind a love for Natural History. Special prices to Teachers, where ordered in quantity for students We send the collection prepaid with descriptive list of same, for only 60c. JJ THE MUSEUM. '59 Special Mineral Collection. consistiDi; of .'iO speciiuens of (jood size, as follows; Aotinol- ite, Albite. Alabasti-r, Allsinitp. AniKonite. Arsi'iiopyrito. Asphaltiim. Asbestos. Biotite, Boryl, Boltonitx. Crjstali/oit CaK-ite. Clialceil- onj". Chiaslolite Crystal. Cone in Cone. Co- quina. Crinoiilal Limestone, Dolomite, Flint, rossil Coral, (iarnet-s iu Rock, (Jeoiie Quartz, (Jolil Ore. (iraphite, (Jypsiini, Hematite, Ice- land Spar, Iron I'yrites. Kaolin, head Ore, Liinonite. Marble, MaRnetite, Mexican Onyx, Milky tjuartz. Mica Schist, Nnlttillite, Ortho- clase. Petrilied Wood. Porcelainite, Rsilomol- ane. Pyroliisile, Pyrrhntite. Pyroxene. Satin Spar. Solenite, Silver Ore, Talc, Tourmaline, Wernerite. These an- all numbered to correspond with a list giving localities, etc. Special rates in quantity. Prepaid for 75c. Audubon Plate. We have one of Audubon's Plates of the Iceland (iryfalcon, nicely framed under glass. It is a beautiful thing for a li- brary. Original price $2.5. Our special price, strictly net, $10. FINE SHELLS. Another famous Philadelphia Collection of Cy- praea and other Shells just added to our already large stock. Since the publication of the July number we have added the .finest lot of Cypi:ci we have ever handled. It comprised as com- plete an assortment as money can buy The rarest specimen was Vyprna giUtaln which we nave sold at an even $100 cash, probably the largest figure ever paid by any American collector for a single shell. We shall not print a complete list of this collection for many rareiies are either already sold or spoken for but the collection as a whole is <|Uite largely intact. To give an idea of some of the suites, note the following which is copied from an accurate catalogue in our possession . 17 argus. 50 arabiea, 30 arabicula. .50 annul- us, 100 asellus, 'i'i angustata. 16 albuginosa, 3.3 arenosa, 114 cervus group, 50 cioerea, 150 carneola, IS cylindrica, 7(lcaurica, 50cruenta, 115 caputserpenlis, 12 mehinastoma. 20 clan- deslina, 18 cribraria, 13 cribellum. 15 capen- sis, 25 cicercula, 12 children!, 20 errones, Ki eburnea, 40 ero.=a, 16 edentula. 12 europea. 40 fimbricala, 30 gangrenosa, 13 bi>trio, SO helvola, 34 Isabella, 17 intermedia, 30 lurida. 100 lyns. 17 lamarckii, 17 mauriliana, 25 mappa, IS mus 116 moneta, 13 miliaris, 16 madagascarensis, 25 nucleus. 25 nivea, 18 ob- velata, 37 onyx, 17 ocellata, 25 oryza, 20 pan- therina, 15 pyrum, 5 pu'chella, 15 picta, 25 punctulata. 2o punctata, 25 piperita. 15 por- aria, 30 pustulata, 100 pediculus, 100 quad- ripuBctata, 13 reticulata, 20 scurra, lostolida, .'0 stercoraria, 75 spadicea, 24 Sowcrbyi, 27 ^anguinolenta. 33 spurc.a. 62 slaphvl;ea. 60 ^uffusa. 11 testudinaria, 47 talpa, 12 thfrsites, 40 tigris, 30 turdus, 47 undata, 10 ventriculus, 60 vitellus, 40 zigzag This i-imply gives an idea of some of the large suites. We have over 100 species not ou the above list ranging from one to ten speciiuens each, some of the rarer sorts being aurantia, decipieus exusta. leucostonia, scot- tei, lii'ovoi. cuuiingii. margarita, eelantina, gemmuhi. crcgori. rhinoceros, teres, leutigin- osa, listeri, microdon and many others. Thi're were many rare color patterns. For instance a j«t black i)aullierina also dark red ones Fully 75 species are represented by various stages of young from the "bulla form" up. Many distorted species were found. In fact taking Sowerby's Colored Monograph of the Cypriia and excluding a few species that have never been represented in any Ameri- can collection, we had practically every color pattern represented in said work, also Reeve's Monograph of said genus. Aside from the cypra-a we secured a very choice generic collection with suites such as SO species of Achatinella .50 species of large Bulimus, most all species of Partula correctly named and some choice representatives of Murex, Olives. Cones &c. In all there were close on to 2000 species, besides Cypn^a, re- presenting practically every known genus in the world. Mr John Campbrll, whose collection we are describing was the first President of the American Association of Conchologistsin this country. He was a man of means and refine- ment, and able to have the finest specimens in the market. We would like to hear from every collector who would like some of these choice shells. Give us an idea of your pre- ference. We will send on approval and price specimens reasonable. We want your trade and small buyers of from $1 up will receive equally careful attention. Great care will be taken in labeling. Every month we are add- ing new and regular customers to our list. Fine specimens and reasonable prices is the secret of it all. • Maine Deer and Moose Heads. Fifteen Deer and Two Moose Heads have just been received. The Moose are 45 and .50 dollars each respectively. They are large black heads and nicely mounted The Deer Heads were all mounted by a strictly first classman. In fact we would not accept a head from any other source at any price. Our uniform price for a fine Buck Head with handsome antlers will be $10 but we have a partial Albino Head at $15 an extra large M line Head with long neck and part of shoulders at $1S. One nice large Western Deer Head at $20. Fine Caribou Head, $18. i hese heads will please you, as they have every visitor to our rooms the past month. They are l.iELIke and have none of the •STUFKED" expression of many specimens we have seen. We have two or three heads with horns shaped well for a rack forgunsorother sporting goods. To a buyer of 5 or 10 heads we wi'l make a figure that will be satisfac- tory. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr.. ALBION, N. Y. i6o THE MUSEUM. BROOKDALE MUSEUM, WEST NEWBURY, MASS. Collectors and Dealers in BIRDS. @ ANIMALS. @ FISH, @ REPTILES. Both Skins and Mounted Specimens; also Heads, Horns, Fur Rugs, Curios, both land and marine, and all specimens pertaining to natural history. TAXIDERMY IN ALL ITS BFAKCHES Write us for quotations on anything in our line. We can furnish anything cl tan able in laige or srrall lots, ar.d you will find our prices as low, if not lower, for the quality of gocds, than anybody's. CHARLES NEW FLL, President. 50< Qur G^"^ QoJJcetion, 50 e. We present this month a small drawing of our gem collection which, in a crude way, gives collectors an idea how it looks. As the stones are all finely cut and polished, they pre- sent a brilliant effect, which cannot fail to attract great attention in a cabinet. These 13 stones could not be bought of any dealer in gems for less than $3 00 to $.5.00. and to take the rough stones to a lapidary and have them cut, vrould cost twice this figure. We believe every collector will want one of these collections. Thie price is only 50c. Tney will sell at $1.00 just as easily. Many years ago a Rocky Mountain dealer in minerals oli'ered such a collection at $1.00. They were considered a wonderful lot for the price. In fact, it is a mystery to every one how the stones can be cut and polished and sold for any such figure as we offer. We con- fess we do not understand how it is done, unless the parties who do the work are laborers who receive but a few pennies a day for their labor. Send a dollar bill well wrapped in your letter for two collections, sell one of them to a friend in your place who will be interested in cut stones, for $1.00 and you have yours free. We guarantee that if they are shown to a few friends they will readily sell at $1.00. If you succeed in selling one, as we are sure you will and think there will be a demand for more, we will make you a figure on a dozen. Let us hear from you at once. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. lb 5 ALL ROADS ARE ALIKE i TO A i]IOi\ARCH.^.^.^ lb * * til a> lii lii a> a> $25 King and Queen $25 The best pair ot bicycles on earth (or the money . . . MONARCH CHAINLESS $76 MONARCH ROADSTERS $60 DEFIANCE ROADSTERS $36 ■^^•9^^■s^^^^■^ffr^^^fff■^^^ MONARCH CYCLE MFG. CO. Lake, Halsted and Fulton Streets, Chicago Brauclw^— Now York, London. Hamburg 2 Ride a Monarcb and Keep in Front. * Fine Florida JShells. Wp bftve every fm-lllty for rurnlshlriK r-ollettflrs or cleiilei-H with" Klorlda Shells, or Souvenirs We have had I >iiK exp«Tleiipe In tolleitlnir, ami the Kdttor of the MisKTM. h;is. iinsollolled l.y lis otTered to answer any liii|iiirl>M a- to our respoiisihlUiy or (air deallni;. If you wl-.h to we (|uallly of specimens before placlne Uriier orders, send {I for a Ijox of samples. All cleaned and correct'y nainel. Prlre ll-.t for stamp and all lni|Uirles promptly answered. Give us a trial. J. H. HOI.Mi:S, nUXEDIN, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shells. Also Contiperles, S;-(ir|»ions. Cralri, etc. in alcohol ut a bargain. Adilrcs.s wiih stamp. *). BRYANT, Longwood, Florida ■ Wholesale Bargains. \N'l' have on hand many liuo things in stich <|niintity we (jiiote low rales on whulesalc or- () cents per quart. Cypra'd moiutii. with varieties. Money Cowry Irom .Singapore, ,M) cents per (|iiart. Hhirh tliilwlis. 4 to r, inch, from Monterey, Cal. 7.5 cents per dozen. lic'l fl'iUolis. from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch, at $1 ."iO per dozen Slromhiix tnbercAilalus Silver Lips. 2 inch, from Singsipoip. at 30 cents per dozen. Slrnmlmn iiliitiis, Purple Mouth, from Fla., at 24 cents dozen. F,. [. Coral fragments. 2 to 3 inch, 20c dozen Mclongcna i-oronu. Crown Shell, from Fla., 24c doz. Sahre Beans, mammoth, 16 to 20 inches, cur- inns, Bahamas, at TjOc doz. Ke.rcln pdervntn. Bleeding Teeth, Bahamas, at ."iO cents ()nart. I'nrple Gorgonias, Flexible Coral from Baha- mas. $1 ."iO dozen Mica Snow, for TaxideriDists and fancy work, worth HOc vioniid, our price 20c. Miiri X hriitiildrii. from East Indies, 1 to 2 inch, l.")C ilozen. Hidiama {"oral such as Fan, Head. I'alni, etc. Several species at lllc pound. Mineral Collections for Teacliers to give or sell to stmlents, .50 varieties, named, etc., at ■ .50c lists on application. Mi.\ed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work. 2".c ((iiart /•V[<'o/f(n>t '/(.•<('/n.f. Tulip. 2 inch, 30c dozen. F'isridliirin liili/ii. Tulip. 3 to 4 inch, 40c doz. FuU/icr pcrrcr.tn, from Fla.. 4 to .5 inch, fiOc" Tulip "^iionges, a great curio from Bahamas. $1.50 dozen. Srtijihiles noitnsvs. an ammonite shaped fossil from the Bad Lands. 2 inch, 50c doz , 3 inch. $1 00 dozen; 4 inch, $3 00 dozen. Make up your order now, as these prices only hold good while slock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr, Albion, N. Y. WRITE ME A LETTER TODAY Slaiinirihal you would like to have sent (or vo.ir Inspfctlon uhari-'es prejiald. S.t ; or the KaiMouH noubly-teriiilii. j atecl UiiHrt7. CryHtals, i< nuil at 1 this piai>- II this LOlleclloiiof Hrllllant Gems plea.ses you. kindly send 7tJ oents (no more>. otherwise return the collect- ion and It will lie O. K. la not this a fair propositions Kxhibli at Worlds I'alr received Highest Award, Medal and Ulploiiui Address. A. n. CRIM, Mlddlevllle. Herkimer Co.. M. V. M m Nortti American Birds BY OLIVER DAVIE. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. t Extra Cloth - $2.24 postpaid. The best book on Eggs PublisheJ. THRBRST IN EVERYTHING IS •THE CHRAPEST. We have the BEST at lowest prices. IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF Birds Eggs or Skins, Egg Collecting Outfits, Taxidermists' Material, or any kind of Naturalists' Supplies. Send Stamp for Catalogue. Mention Museum. CHAS. K. REED, 75 Thomas St, WORCESTER, MASS, VOL. V. NO. II. SEPTEMBER, iSgg. U^EU/H A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — j;o cts. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, j cts. Published on the 15th of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. I I THE MUSEUM. POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, Nature, Invention, Archseoloy. Elec- tricity, Chemistry, Mirieralogy, Hy- giene. Medicine, Health. Formerly BOSTON JOURNAL OF CBEMISTliY. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly contains a large num- ber of Short, Easy, Practical, Interesting and Popular, Scientific articles, that can j- be- Ap- preciated and Enjoyed by any intelligent reader, even though he knew little or nothing of Science. It is intended .to interest those who think. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Diflferent from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name, i'' f Monthly. ^1.60 per year: Newsdealers,! Sc Largest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO., 10» Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample c:opy. THE MUSEUM. We still have a few sets of back numbers of THE MUSEUM. We will mail the entire first 4 volumes for only $2.00 prepaid; or any number you wish at 5 cents each. Fill out your files now while you can. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. SHELL SUITES -We offer 50 kin.ls of American Helix at 12.00 prepaid, 50 kinds of Foreign Helix at $4 00 prepaid, 30 kinds of Achatinella, $3.00, 20 kinds Partula at $2. 50, 100 kinds of American Fresh Water shells, mostly Strepomatidie, at $4 00 prepaid, 100 nice kinds of Marine Shells many genera from all parts of the world at $7.50 prepaid, 50 kinds of Foreign Fresh water shells at $5.00, 100 kinds Foreign Land Shells exclusive of Helix for $8.00, 40 kinds of Clansilia for $2.00. over 100 other similar bargains by fam- ilies. Let us hear from you. All specimens carefully labeled with name, locality, etc, W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. DEERHEADS-Noticeour addin another column. We are offering fine Maine Heads at the same figure city taxidermi.sts ask for mounting alone. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr. Albion, N. Y. $ WE BUY STAMPS AND OLD STAMP COLLECTIONS $ Send us what you have with lowest cash price or we will make you an offer if you wish. We pay express or postage one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, DUBUQUE, lA. LABELS. All sizes and for any branch of Natural History, at the very lowest prices. Send me copy and I wili quote price. Fossil Labels like sample lUc per lUO; 70c per 1000 with assorted headings. Period. Name.. DEVONIAN AGE. Loc Letttr Heads, Bill Heads, Cards, and etc. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. JAMES p. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our large monthly bulletin ot Skins, Eggs, etc. free upon application. The Ornithologist's and Oolo- gist's Manual. Contains 100 pages, giving complete list of all North American Bird.s, Prices of P^aes and Skins, Number of Eggs in a Clutch, Pi ices of Mammal Skins, How to Skin Hinls and Mam- mals, How to form an Egg Collection ami many other pages of useful information Pre- paid for ten two-cent stamps. Order at once. W.F.WEBB, Pub. Albion, N. Y COLLECTORS. Have you read our "Wholesale Bargains'" elsewhere in this number? If you are familiar with the goods offered you will see at a glance that the prices are way down. W. F. WEBB. THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHANdES AND FOR SALES. All notices that come under above will be inserted in this department iintil further notice at out" (1) rent a word. No notice less than 25c. Terms Cash with crder. No charge for aiUlnss. 1 shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, who.se reputation is of a doubtful char- acter from using these columns. WAN PEl):— Old issues of U. S. Adhesive Stamps for which we off«r tiue California Bird Skins Address TOWNK BROS. Commonwealth Ave , West Newton, Mass MAHINK ALG.S.— A large collection of mounted anil pressed sea mosses, also many decorated n( vellies. Schools, colleges and mnsenms supplied with scientilic collections. Write for price list. Orders by mail. Ad- dress MRS H. M. JERNEGAN, Kdgartown, Mass. TO EXCHANGE —Que second hand tele- graph instrument, •iOohra key, sounder and cutout. Will exchange for silver coins. L. P. PETTIGREW, Roanoke, 111. EXCHANGE ADS. FREE.-Any reader of the MusuEM who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, 108 Fulton St.. New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. DAGGER LIKE SWORDS— We have a stock of dagger-like swords, 20 to 30 inch blade in fine sheath, fancy handle at, $100 each net by express They are a bargain at this price No rust on them. W. F. WEBB, Mgr, Albion, N. Y, WANTED SETS OF 83, 122, 123b. 129, 144, 153. 1,54, 160. 171, 179, 183. 192, 195, liiO. 198, 204. 20.5. 206, 251, 258a, 260, 205. 266, 267, 270, 272, 270. 281. 284. 287, 288, 292, 295, 296, 297, 297b, 298, 300a. 300h. 300c, 301, 308, 308a. 309. 310, 310a, 314, 315, 327. 328. 329. 330, 332, 334. 836. 33»b. 345. 346, 349, 352. 3.53 to 3,58. 359, 359.1. 364. .368a, 369. 372, 373a. 373b, 373c 375a, 376, 377, 377a, 379, 379a, 381, 382 and many others. Send full list of what you have to of- fer We will exchange for cash or specimens. W. F. WEBB. Mgr . Albion, N. V. A FINE COMBINATION— OneOstrich Egg »1.50, 1 set 4 Black-neck Stilt, $2 00, 1 set Cinnamon Teal, *4,00. value $7 r,0. We will send prepaid for $2 00 and 20 cts. postage. WALTER F WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. BARGAINS —Homing pig< nns, 11.50 per pair; White Dragons, $4 00; Red Jacobins, $2. .50; White Fantails. $6.00; Red-shouldered Hawk 6-3. 60c per set Birds sent on approv- al. MAJOR JOHNSON. Lock Hex ,5.50, Souihington, Conn. W. B. MirCHELL. Collector of Coins, Si amps and Curios, Santa Anna. Texas. 2tA WANTED —A set of i Loon at once. Will pay cash for same. W.F.WEBB, Mgr., Al- bion, N. Y. REPTILES in formalin; Mud Puppy (joung 2i inches) 20 ■. spring Newts 20c. Newts 20c. Can furnish Newts alive for acquarium. GEO. F GLTELF. Brockport, NY. DEER HEADS —Two line large mounted Heads at $8 and $10 each. GEO. F. GUELF, Brockport, N. Y. EXCHANGE —I have some good sets for exchange, also over 100 species of Unios and other fresh water shells Send list of eggs, etc , ana receive mine. W S. STRODE, M, D., Lewistown, III. WANTED —Sets of any Warblers, Hawks, Owls. Waders, Game birds. Waterfowl, Spar- rows. Can offer good trade as 362, 1.S7. 341, 117, 269, 493. Send list. D. WILBY, 27 Front street, west, Toronto, Ont. Choice Bird Skins. Sandhill Crane, tine plumage, $3 25; Long- billed Curlew, $1: Red-throated Loon. $1 10 Cassin's Auklot, $2 35: Pscitic Fulmar. 2.75 Bahama Pintail, $1 25; Ross' Snow Goose, .$4 American White-fronted Goose, $1 60; White Ibis,$l ,50; Chacalacii, $1; Zone-tailedHawk,$3 American Rough-legged Hawk, $1 25; Snowy Plover, 70c; Townsend's Junco, $1.35; Black Swift, $2 35; Leconte's Thrasher, $1. Send for complete list of Skins, etc. Will be pleased to (juote pi ices on anything in the line of MOUNTED BIRDS, MAM- MALS, HEADS, and GAME PIECES. Su- perior work in all branches in Taxidermy. GEO. F. GUELF, PRACTICAL TAXIDERMIST, BROCKPORT, N. Y, l62 THE MUSEUM. DEER MOOSE CARIBOU. We have secured a tine assortment of the aV)ove heads They are biaulifnlly mounted and to any collector who wishes one for his Dining; Room, Library or Natural History Den. no better oppoitanity h-is ever been of- fered All have been thoroughly tanned and are rendered as near moth proof as is pos'^ible with any mounted specimen. Those offered in last Museum are being snapped up and we Re-Enforcements. THE NATDRALIST,FARM& FANCIERS REVIEW Has been R) enforced and will be further Reeuforced. The following Departments have been Inaugurated, and each will be Edited by Prominent parties: and a few Carihon. We offer them while they last as follows: Doe heads, pretty, - - - - $ 4 00 Buck " fair size, . . . . 7.50 " large" .... lO.OO Ornithological, | Poultry, Pigeon, Pet Stock " " c-^Vn large. - - . - 12 50 Caribon HeMd.i, fine, • ■ ■ - 18 00 and Nature Photo Exchange. Moose, handsome, 48 00 11..^.^ ..^ « o^^.„l r^....-j * — L" .,1.^ z^^.,.. Write us at once if you want any of the above. We will exchange any of them for .specially rare eggs or other specimens we need. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N Y. FROM CALIFORNIA: A3-0Z. specimen of Agatiz^ad Wood still showing gr;iin of wood, lOc; larger piece, 25c; i lb piece, 40c Wood Jasper, 2-oz specimen, 15c; larger piece, 25c Satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded. Every thing sent post paid. JOHN GARDELLA, JR., Newtown, California. Drop us a Postal Card for Sample Copy. Subscription 25 cents per year. See Clubbing offar with this paper. "Ad Rates" on application. H. W. KERR, Publisher, Blencoe, Iowa, or Albion, N. Y. Flint Ridge Implements. These are known all over the U. S. for their finish, color, and beauty. The Flint Ridge Knives, Arrows, Spears. Scrapers, etc., were carried by aborigines all over the country. Send me $1 for a sample lot. CLIFFORD ANDERSON, BROWNSVILLE, Muskingum Co., OHIO. BROOKDALE MUSEUM, WEST NE WBURY, MASS . Collectors and Dealers in BIRDS, @ ANIMALS, @ FISH, @ REPTILES. Both Skins and Mounted Specimens; also Heads, Horns, Fur Rugs, Curios, both land and marine, and all specimens pertaining to natural history. TAXIDERMY IN ALL ITS BRANCHES. Write us for quotation s on anything in our line. ^Ve can furnish anything obtainable in large or small lots, and you will find our prices as low, if not lower, for the quality of goods, than anybody's. CHARLES NEWELL, President. THE MUSEUM. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. Vol. V. ALBION, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 15. 1899 No 1 1 _THE MUSEUM A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Mineralogy and Allied Sciences. Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager Albion. N. Y. Corresixindence and lt*ms of Interest on above top- ics, as well a.-! notes on the various Museums of the World— views from same, discoveries relative to the handling and keeping ol Natural History material, descriptive habits of various species, are solicited from all. Make articles as brief as possible and as free from technical terms as the subjects will allow. All letters will be promptly answered. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION . Single Sub.scriptlon fWo peranauni SampleCoples ftc each ADVERTISING RATES. 5 cents per Nonpareil line each Insertion. Twelve lines to the Inch. Cash must uocompany all orders. Remittances should be made by Draft, Express or Post Ofllce Order or Registered Letter. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination accepted for small amounts. MUSEUM PUB. CO.. ALBION. OnLEANS CO.. N. Y. Sntertd at Albion po$t-office at »€cond-clais mail matter The Jays and Crows of Southern California. Cyanocitta stcllcri frontalis (Ridg- way). Aphclocouia californica obscura (Anthony), Corviis corax sinnatus (WagI). Coi 7US cryptolcncus (Couch). Corvns aiiiericanus (Hud.) ■Xucifraga Columbiana (Wils. ) Cyanoccplialus cyanoccplialus(\^'\t,A) The above seven species comprise the list of members of the family Cor- vidie. either occurring as migrants or as residents in this state, south of the Tehachipi mountains. These moun- tains serve as a dividing line for the distribution of many species both avain and mammalian. For instance, to the north of these mountains the prevailing form of Otocoris is sup- posed to be 0. alpcstris nibca and that to the south O. alpcstris chryso- lacma. The Blue-fronted Jay occurs during the breeding season among the con- iferous trees of the higher mountains and occasionally wanders down among the oaks of the lower hills during the winter. Dr. Joseph Grunel in his Hand List of the Birds of the Pacific Slope of Los Angeles Co. states that the bird is a late breeder and cites two sets taken on June i, 1895, and June 4, 1896, as examples. The bird is somewhat larger than our local species, Belding's Jay. and is, I be- lieve less noisy and quarrelsome. \'ery rarely, and then only during the most severe of our winters, one ap- pears at this altitude. 500 feet, and sometimes remains a few days among the Jays of this region. But oui old standby is the southern form of the California Jay. If ever there was a noisy braggart in the feathered tribes it is this fellow in .his brilliant coat of blue with grayish- white trimmings. Though this bird is numerous and noisy during the winter it gradually becomes more quiet until the breeding season is over when he again resumes his boisterous ways and comes freely about houses and barns. Nests with eggs may be found from April 1st to May 30th but the best time to look for them, and in fact the best time to collect in this county, is from May loth to June ist. My first set for this year was taken on May lOth. On May 5th the nest contain- ed one egg. I returned every morn- ing thereafter until the 7th when there h 1 64 THE MUSEUM. '4 were four eggs in the nest. On the mornings of the 8th and 9th I could not go to the nest but on the loth took the nest and set. The male never scolded until my hand was al- most on the nest, and in fact this bird is usually very quiet when any in- truder is near his home. The female Jay became so tame that she merely slipped off the nest and sat within a few feet of my hand while I took the set. The eggs were fresh, at least incubation was not noticeable and the nest typical of the several other nests found by me this year. The bottom platform or outer nest was composed of coarse twigs, then a nest of root- lets lined with horsehair, resembling on the whole a well-built nest of Minus polyglottus. It was placed three and one-half feet up on a wild walnut limb, the whole overgrown with a dense chilicothe vine. Shortly after the discovery of this nest I found another containing three eggs. I left this set and in four days returned for it, but found still only three eggs, one of them "pipped." Needless to add I left the set. This nest was very poor, scarcely more than a platform of coarse twigs plac- ed 8 feet up in a thick clump of pois- oned oaks growing over an alder tree. These eggs were decidedly gray in the ground-color, whereas the first set was of a beautiful green. The mark- ings were also larger and fewer in number in the second set. However, I have often noticed that if from nat- ural causes a set is small in numbers it is usually more strikingly marked and the individual eggs are larger than in normal sets. Especially do I remember my third set. One Sunday afternoon in May, the 14th to be exact, a young friend of mine who has a decided leaning toward Botany, came to the house and asked me to take a trip with him over the hills in search of some rare ferns. Away over the "Eternal Hills" we went, now and again flush- ing a Barn Owl from his midday snooze in a bushy oak, frightening whole bevies of young Quail from their feednig grounds. Once in a while a Western Red-tail rose, dark against the western sun, with a shrill cry of dissatisfaction and rising high in the blue ether called his mate from her nest in some secluded sycamore. Nature was at her best, nature such as Aububon saw but not such as the average Audubonian sees. But I di- gress. Having filled our boxes with ferns we passed on down a rocky can- yon, leaping from boulder to boulder over the dry bed of the water course — in winter a raging torrent. Cali- fornia Bush Tits, happily unconscious of their unpronounceable Latin name, scolded us roundly from every oak, while from the top of some bush an exuberant Thrasher poured forth his love song to his nesting mate. Suddenly rounding a bend in the stream I passed under a "Sumach" bush which overhung the stream. I heard nothing, yet with that intuition born of the woods I turned just in time to see a large blue bird sail slow- ly down into a clump of wild goose- berry bushes. My compaion came up just then and I with his help managed to secure the nest and the four eggs it contained. They were exactly like the first set, being of a greenish-blue ground color speckled and blotched with clove brown. In fact to this en- thusiastic young naturalist, Louis Brockmann, and to his brother Harry, I owe much of my success as a col- lector, and their close methods of ob- servation have taught me many things about the birds. Of this set three eggs were badly incubated and one in- fertile. The nest was composed, as was the first, of three distinct cups; an outer nest of coarse twigs, an inner of fine rootlets and a thick lining of black horsehair. In all cases, and I have found at least six nests this year, black was the color of the horsehair lining. Evidently they know how muce more beautiful those rich green eggs would be against a black back- THE MUSEUM. 165 ground. Commonest of all the Cor'rina- of this immediate locality is the Ameri- can Raven, Con'its corax sinnatus. In the lower parts of the county where willow timber is abundant C. aiiitrictiiiiis is "the whole thin^:, " but back here in the hills wherever the cliffs are suitable for nesiing sites this species of Raven may be found, often sinj^ly, usually in pairs, never more than two one pair) on the same cliff. I found but one nest this season that contained anything. One day in the latter part of May, about the 25th I believe, I found this nest on the north face of a triangular cliff. It held the large number of six young, nearly ready to fly. It was well built and lined to a depth of apparently an inch or more with soft black fibres and a few feathers. The nest was scrupu- lously clean, a condition I have found to be true of nearly every nest of this species which I have ever seen. Harry H. Uunn, Fullerton, Cal {To be continued.) A Naturalized Volcano- Wriiten by A. U. Berry in September Min- eral Collector. So far it had been necessary to take the volcano for granted. The ticket for the trip called for a visit to Kila- uea, and the man in Honolulu who sold it had spoken of the volcano as an existing geographical and geologi- cal fact. Even the signboard of the hotel read "\'olcano House," so there must be such a thing in the neighbor- hood. Yet there was not the faintest vestige of the burning lakes of tlame and the crash of nature in hottest con- vulsion which were written about, page after page, by people who had seen Kilauea and given it a puff in the visitors' book at which the traveller had glanced before going to bed the night before. All the day before had been given to thirty odd miles of staging steadily up the mountain. There had been a sight of dense jungles where guavas grew along the roadside, where every great trunk seemed to serve for a bo- tanical hotel for a lodging population of ferns and orchids, where the ferns themselves were trees ten and twenty feet high. Just out of Hilo the road began in the cane fields, where every breath of the trade wind showers a stifling haze of golded-brown pollen, better to look at than to breathe. Then it led into the clammy dampness of the jungli , spiced with the odors of the wild ginger and a score of blooms known hitherto only by learned names in hothouse setting. How the senses reel where choice e.xotics are the way- side weedsl Here was a group of cabins with queer red daubs trailing snakewise above the door and prob- ably conveying interesting Asiatic in- formation, homes of the small Japs, whom one passes swaggering along the way, and making clear that the future of Hawaii if not American would be surely Japanese. More modestly set in nooks of the forest, richer in local color, here and there was a grass house of the native Ha- waiian. Then came the lands where fortunes are looked for in the cultiva- tion of coffee. The planters come to meet the volcano stage for it carries the mail. At every stop before each of these trim little orchards of fifty or a hundred acres the planter bids you "look at those cherries; did you ever see anything finer.'" and you learn that there is a stage of the coffee when it is a cherry. Or from his pocket he brings out something that has the coffee shape but the silvery drab of a gentle Quakeress, and as he talks about the bean in the parchment skin you come to know that coffee has its own history before it comes even to be roasted, and the history begins very prettily indeed on both sides of the road with the cream and red of the cherries and the two shades of green on the leaves. And all these young planters speak so confidently of r66 THE MUSEUM I the estates they are building up in the finest and most wholesome climate in the world that you try to forget the sad history of those other young plant- ers who were just as confident in Cey- lon until they met their troubles. Beyond the coffee the road plunges again into the jungle, but you begin to notice that you can see further along the vistas, and the ferns are get- ting less treelike and the break is be- coming more bushy. Soon you pass out of the forest and find yourself on barrens of brake and gaunt streaks of bare rock, and the driver points his whiplash at it and says "Lava," and you begin to wonder that you can dis- cern nothing of the volcano which you have travelled thousands of miles to see. And that lava, too — it looks like any other wayside rock; surely nobody but a mineralogist could see any dif- ference. Now that you are high up on the fern barrens you can see the eternal snows of Mauna Kea, which looks so out of place within the torrid zone; you can see the crest of Mauna Loa, and possibly you struggle^ to be glib about the pronounciation of the summit crater of Mokuaweoweo, which the guidebook spells for you and leaves you without assistance in get- ting finished when once you have started to speak about it. And when the sun goes down behind the great mountain the eye can see nothing ahead but a smooth and barren slope with nothing to indicate that you are within five miles of "the giant hidden forces of nature," "the central fires of the earth;" odd isn't it, how the old phrases of the school books cling in the memory.' Ask the driver where is Kilauea and he answers "Why that's where I'm a taking yer," and the dis- appointment continues. Now you feel at intervals upon your cheeks a breath of warm and clammy vapor with the reek of brimstone, and there is some comfort in knowing that the stories of the volcanos hereabouts have at least that much of foundation. In the dark of the evening the stage draws up at the Volcano House and even before the question is put Peter Lee answers it by saying: "You can't see the volcano at night 'cause there's a 'wapor' there every night. " It is rather unsatisfactory to know that a great volcano is within thirty yards and yet invisible. The trouble is that everybodj has hammered into his mind in early school days an ideal volcano, a smooth and pointed cone, a shaft of smoke, and a monstrous cloud filling half the sky; Vesuvius in fact. Now Kilauea does not rear its head an inch above the surface; it is a place where for many square miles the bottom has dropped out of things and has sunk 500 feet. No wonder that it is vain to look for it on the road. But both our newly naturaliz- ed volcanos on Mauna Loa, Kilauea on the slope and Mokuaweoweo on the summit, are greater than Vesuv- ius or ^tna, and when they are boil- ing their enormous lakes of flaming lava they seem to be doing something bigger than coughing up ashes and pumice and such light stuff and making a sulphurous fuss about it, which is about the limit of the powers of the Italian craters. With earliest dawn you look out of your window, and still the evasive crater is hiding itself, and the mighty forces of nature keep themselves hid- den. The view is a stretch of dun mountain slope; not a tree in sight, not a single precipice or crag, nor yet a boulder large enough to attract the gaze — a smooth slope of fern and low bush. Before the Volcano House is a garden with flowers of America of the temperate zone. A hundred feet away the hedge of roses poises at the edge of a lake of white fog. For miles the eye traces the shore of that white and motionless lake. There is surely Peter Lee's "wapor," and somewhere in that pond is the volcano, leisurely beginning its daily exhibition. You are disposed in the chill morning air to hold Peter Lee responsible for the THE MUSEUM. 167 failure of his show when you learn that he has spent the last thirty years at the crater. But he, familiar with volcanic habits, assures you that there never is anything to see until after breakfast, and tells you the story of the ohelo berry, which used to be sacred to the Goddess Pelo in the old days before Chieftess Kapiolani — not Kalakaua's Queen, but an ancestress — stood on the crater lip and defied the goddess and all her infernal pow- ers, and the "kapus" of the ancient and bloody paganism were broken, and Hawaii accepted the Christianity that had been sent out from Massa- chusetts to prepare the eight islands in the fullness of time to become American. You can eat some of the berries for breakfast, he says. So you can, for breakfast and every meal besides, while you tarry on the crater edge, to say nothing of picking your fill as you explore the patches of soil which have gathered in between the lava sheets for the encouragement of a stunted mountain vegetation. The story interests, but nothing can re- move the sense of disappointment at the way in which the expected grand- eur of the volcanic spectacle sneaks under its white blanket. But break- fast comes on and there are bowls of the ohelo berries, good to eat, satis- factory to a pagan goddess in a fire pit, and satisfactory to a modern sightseer in cooler surroundings; like a cranberry grafted on a« huckleberry bush, some one says, the red size of the one and the sweetness of the oth- er. Then the horses are brought around from a line of grass-thatched huts, which prove to be the stables, for it is three miles to the mouth of the pit of fire to the Halema'uma'u, about which scholars in the languages may wrangle without end as to whether it has apostrophes in its spelling or not, and dependent on that point whether the same means the house of ferns or the house everlasting. The journey is fairly out of sight. You go a hun- dred feet to the brink of the white lake; at that jumping off place you make a vertical descent of 500 feet, and the rest of the distance is to be ridden over the lava crust of the crat- er itself. Before you begin to be nervous at the prospects of groping in the white depths of that vapor lake, for you doubt Peter Lee since break- fast is past and still there is nothing to see, a new problem arises. The Volcano House stables have but one sidesaddle, and that is already occu- pied by an elderly lady who may not be dislodged. Every other woman must ride Hawaiian fashion, that is man fashion, astride, or else must walk. "How am I ever going to ride on that kind of a saddle.'" a woman asks "Must I really ride astride.' I neve can do it in the world." But Peter Lee's two buxom daugh- ters have heard that complaint many a time before. and they are used to it. One has the stirrup ready and the other stands ready to attend to other little problems as to which there ex- ists an unexpressed but none the less uncomfortable doubt. You spring du- biously into the air and without your knowing exactly how it is done those skirts are adjusted satisfactorily, al- though you do feel like a collection of bundles. There is little doubt as to your ability to make these arrange- ments for yourself, for you learn that at a certain point far down in the depths of the crater you have to leave the horse. But the youngest Lee girl hops into the saddle to show you how it is done and whispers to you, "Albert knows how;" whereat you look rather doubtfully at the Hawaiian who is to guide the party. Now you revise your ideas of the veracity of Peter Lee and of the grandeur of Kilauea as well. While you have been worrying over the in- troduction to horsemanship after the Hawaiian fashion the sun has brought its beams to bear on the vapor lake, and it has vanished except for a mist i68 THE MUSEUM. bank snuggling in the shade under the eastern wall. No doubt now as to the volcano or its whereabouts. You feel giddy when you see almost at your feet a vast pit, 500 feet deep, the bottom of which has fairly drop- ped out from the most solid thing you know, the time honored standard of comparison for solidity, the solid earth itself and a mountain of rock. Some one recites the statement of the guide book that the crater is so many miles long and so many miles wide and has a depth of so many feet on the lava floor. But what meaning has all that; what does it amount to! Figures are an impertinence in the presence of nature operating in its grand method. Down below there in that abyss which has sunk straight down from the mountain slope there may be a certain number of square miles. But what is a square mile to you.' Who would reel off a tape measure to make a record of the mag- nificence of the fire and fury v/hich made that pit.' Mile after mile, if a tale of miles be needed for the seeing of power in its infinite degree, the eye sees the cliff square cut above the crater floor, square cut with the moun- tain slope, above which they do not rise a single inch; one cannot make too clear that impression of a vast dropping down; there is a thrill of fear that it may drop still further while you are below there. Black, green, red these walls bound a floor all black which from the distance seems as level as a floor of carpentry. It is only when you get down to it that you see how But before you see that you have to face the getting down. Only one path exists through all that sweep of precipice, a breakneck place of scram- bling in and out in fearsome zigzags down a sheer face of rock. They tell you that the horse is surefooted, that he has carried blank hundreds of peo- ple up and down that trail. There are times when arithmetic loses its power to console; this is one of them. and you feel that your own feet are surer on such a ladder, and disregard- ing that difficult matter of mounting again on the other kind of saddle you dismount and make the descent afoot, and if truth be told, letting yourself over certain steepnesses with a hand clutched on the ohelo bushes which knot their roots in every rock cranny. It is only on the return trip hours lat- er— and perhaps just as well that it is so — that you see the wayside cross that marks the death spot of one for whom that scramble proved too much, the only death recorded for Kilauea since the heathen days when Goddess Pelo's incandescent wrath sometimes refused to be appeased with her usual sacrifice of a red hen and a black pig and a bunch of ohelo berries, when she could be pacified only by some- thing that gave a despairing scream when it was tossed into the fire lake in which Pelo lived. Cruel days of heathenism! It is well that they have passed away, that Kapiolaui made an end of the last of Kilauea's "kapus;" we order things so much better now- adays. Still you may happen to see the Hawaiian guide, Albert, as he helps you down the slide, pick a twig of ohelo and slip it into his pocket, and you may chance to see a little sprig of green floating down through the hot air into the pit where Pelo once lived, the Halema'uma'u; and, though Albert walks about thirty miles every Sunday to go to church and sing hymns, you feel a stray wonder as to whether the old gods are after all quite dead. At last and out of breath you have scrambled down to the floor of the crater, and with the assistance of a rock you find that the Lee girl was right when she told you Albert knew how. Level as that lava floor looked from the brink of the precipice, you find that now it has its ridges and its hollows, and rarely can you see far ahead. At the very beginning is a bridge across a deep gorge in the rock, a split in the lava reaching to THE MUSEUM 169 warm depths below, of which you get a whiff as you ride o%er. Here be- gins the string of lava blocks which have been set up to mark the path across the lava surface, where in the dull sameness it is easy to get lost and hard to find oneself or to be found when astray. Theie is not a level spot anywhere; the surface shivers under the horse's hoof in glassy splint- ers with a crunching sound as though one were going over spilt sugar. At every turn the lava seems as though frozen stiff in a wild rush to engulf the incautious trespasser; here in such weird shapes as Niagara takes on in winter, there twisted like ropes and cables. Everywhere are cracks and crevasses. Besides the strange shapes of the lava under foot which hold the eye, there is yet nothing to see but the next slope of the lava, the next little valley into which the string of the guide book shows the path to de- scend, and the wider view is bounded by the line of cliffs quivering through the hot emanations of the crater. You feel the heat, the glassy surface re- flects the sun, no breeze dips down into that hole as it sweeps overhead about its own better business, and there is a constantly growing impres- sion that the eternal fires are smould- ering not so far under that crusted surface. At last the corral, beyond which the horses may not go, is reach- ed. Here is water, a need well ap- preciated for the last mile or so over that torrid plain. In Kalauea the well borer would tap fire, not water, and springs are replaced by vents puffing out steam and brimstone. But a few sheets of corrugated iron set on a slant serve to condense the vapor which settles at nightfall and to drip it drop by drop into a bucket in the shade so that it may be a trifle less warm for tourists and horses. Beyond the corral the surface is more rent and torn and twisted and jagged. The lava is hot under foot ; almost every little crack in the field is edged wiih a crust of dirty yellow from the brimstone deposit; as you step across a rift a sweltering gust of sulphur and fused chemicals stings the eyes and chokes the breathing. To the sun's heat in that breathless depth the earth is surely now contrib- uting from its own hot store. You step from the path to a fuming chim- ney projecting from a glazed surface. The moment's glance down that shaft shows a trembling chasm of hot and sulphur-coated rock. The guide puts his stick into a rift in the lava or drives it anywhere through the glassy crust and brings it out ablaze after just touching that fervent heat over which you are walking with no more than five or six inches of slag between. Of course it's hot as you draw near the shaft whereby the earth makes a safety valve for its pent up forces at work far below in the centre of the globe. It is all very well to reassure oneself with the statement there is no danger, but even the men in the party have ceased to wander oft for little lateral trips of exploration and are seemingly content to let Albert pio- neer this part of the path if that is to be called a path which is merely hot rock and a series of guide stones. There is a throb and a quiver and a fever dancing in the air ahead, and seen through it the encircling cliff in the distance seems to reel and bow. It is not quite certain that the lava underfoot is shaking, but there is a tremble unmistakable and a grumbling below. There is more sulphur in the heated air; the air is hotter than it has been. Soon we are standing at the baked verge of a deeper abyss within the pit, and place of evil va- pors of metals reduced to a steam that scars and scorches, a place of dread subterranean noises, and Albert announces "Halema'uma'u. " It is then that one may notice a little bit of green dropping into the in- ferno of swirling vapors, perhaps a twig of ohelo such as pagan Hawaii dropped into Pele's home of terror. Anyway you chance to see Albert put I70 THE MUSEUM. such a twig into the pocket of his blouse far away back in that distant world where the soil was cool and green things grew, long before you came into this place of torments, this imbo and Gehena and place of burn- ings. Well, what if he did.' If you were a Hawaiian and no longer ago than in your grandfather's time, even in your own father's boyhood, this Pele was a goddess capable of much harm unless properly placated, you might yourself somehow feel it best to be on the safe side and toss over your own little sprig of ohelo. Of course such a demon as Pele could impress only wild savages, but it is not the Hawaiians who hold ideas about spilt salt and broken mirrors and that sort of thing. Guide Albert and Peter Lee and all who know the crater tell of its three conditions. It is most commonly quiescent, which means that the lava level in the Halema'uma'u is at a standstill and that much of it is scum- med over with a dark slag; one or more open places show the incandes ■ cence, and these spots are known as the lakes of fire. When from these lakes arise fountain jets and sprays of fluid lava and the crater is boiling it is said te be active. A greater stage of activity is when the Halema'uma'u fills and boils over and the lava runs out upon the crater floor of Kilauea; that is an eruption All these are various stages of magnificent displays of fire, the despair alike of brush and pen to describe. But there is another and a differ- ent stage of the active crater which is very rare indeed, and attracts all those who can reach the spot in time. That is when some physics of the earth's forces causes all the pitful of melted and flaming metal to be suck- ed back into the globe which has been striving to shoot it forth. Such a thiug happens only at rare intervals. They say that when it happens it is a sure sign that there will be an out- burst of activity at the Mokuaweoweo crater on the distant summit of the mountain up among the snows. This year's eruption of that pit of fire was preceded by an emptying of Halema'- uma'u in the Kilauea crater. Of course the mathematician was at work. He was happy at the chance to triangulate the downward abyss and to announce that the bottom of the pit of which the swirling vapors gave now and then a glimpse was 947 feet below the hot rock on which we stood. But it was not the number of feet which took the breath. It was the general stupendousness of it all; the collossal scale of nature's opera- tions; the littleness of the spectators perched in fear upon a rock. Once it was possible to see through the heat and the smother to the floor of the pit itself and the mouth of the chute through which the lava is fed from furnaces below. And then you go back to the corral and mount the wailing horse, for Al- bert does know how, and back you go to the Volcano House to eat more bowls of ohelo berries with cream and sugar. Butterflies Worth Collecting- The first portion of the well-known collection of British butterflies and moths formed by the late William Machin, who was a compositor in a London printing firm, was sold by auc- tion on February 26th, at the rooms of Mr. J. C. Stevens, King street, Covent Garden, London. The collec- tion, formed during a period of fifty- eight years, was chiefly rich in a long series of rare and now extinct British species. The specmitns were thor- oughly authenticated as British, and as there was a large attendance of buyers, the prices generally were high- er than the usual average, varieties especially fetching high rates. Among the earlier lots of butterflies, four spec- imens of Picris daplidicc, taken in Kent, reached i6.f. to \2,s. each. A bred variety of Argynnis pap/tia, with THE MUSEUM. 171 confluent spots on the underside, sold, with seventeen other specimens, for £2 2s. A variety of / ' caiu/ui, taken on Hackney Marshes, fetched £.}, \os. A fine variety of the purple- emperor {Apatura iris), with yellow under wings, £7, t^s. Six specimens of Polyoiiinialiis liispar, "from Mr. Henry Doubleday," fetched from ;^2 to /."5 3^. each, according to size and condition, the latter price being for females, the finest males only fetched ^.'4 8j-. Si.\ty-three typical "blues," including a specimen of small copper butterfly ,/'. /AA^tVJj), with the blue spots on the hind wings larger than usual, reached £1 \os. Lyaena acts, £2 for a pair, and £2 los. for three specimens. Among the moths a spec- imen of Sp/iinx pinastri, from the late Mr. F. Bond, went, with nine Chacro- campa elpenor, for £1 \qs. Two Sesia scoliie/ormis, a yellow-banded variety of 5. culiciforuiis, and eleven others, sold for £2 2s. Four 5. sp/iegiformis, labelled "from Tilgate Forest," with six 5. chrysidiforviis, fetched £2 ^s. Varieties of the common garden tiger, Arctia caia. were not specially fine, the highest price being £2 2s. for three. Laelia caenosa sold in pairs, at £\ 7s. 6d. to £2 25. Seven speci- mens of Bombyx trifolii, one being a fine variety bred by the late Mr. Machin, fetched £l \os. A fine series of eight specimens of Lasiocampa ilicifolia, taken at Cannock Chase, £2 55. to X4 55. a pair. A fine female Noctua Stib- rosca so\A iox £^ \os., the six other specimens fetching £^, £^ 55. and £^ 55. per pair. Cleora viduaria, which has become valuable during the last few years, £\ 155 to ;^3 55. a pair. The thirty-eight drawer mahogany cabinet that contained the collection, sold for nineteen guineas. The total amount realized for the collection of macro-lepidoptera, or butterflies and larger moths, being ^"363. We under- stand that Mr. Machin's still more cel- ebrated collection of British macro- lepidoptera has been purchased as a whole by a well-known London ama- teur naturalist. Frogs and Toads. Some of the differences between frogs and toads may be summed up as follows: Beginning at first principles they both lay their eggs in the water; those •of the frog are, soon after deposit, about the size of a pea, jelly like, and adhering in large masses, while the toad lays a long string in two rows. Frogs have smooth skins and are chiefly aquatic, though they come fretiuently to land, and there obtain much of their food. Toads are smooth when young, but soon become cov- ered with warty prominences, which contain a whitish fluid. The two large spots on each side of the head, at the back, discharge most freely. This fluid is not poisonous, nor does if produce warts upon one's hands, as is often reported, but is to the toad a valuable means of defense, as it is particularly disagreeable to most ani- mals who would sieze him with their mouth, either in sport or for food. Frogs have teeth, the toad has none. Frogs seem to prefer to get along in the world by jumping, while the toad frequently walks. Observing some toads singing, a short time since, they were seen to in- flate their throats remarkably, often to the size of a hickory nut, and in some cases they were not disturbed when we stooped down and tickled the throat with the finger. Here in the east our Bull Frog is Rana cates- biana. the Green Frog Rana clamata, Leopard Frog Rana virescens, Wood Frog Rana sylvatica, Cambridge Frog Rana cantabrigensis. Spotted Frog Rana areolata, Northern Frog Rana septentrionalis, Pickeral Frog Rana palustris. Cricket Frog Acris gryllus, Swamp Tree Frog Chorophilus tris- eriatus, Pickering's Tree Frog Hyla pickeringii, Common Tree Toad Hyla versicolor. The Common Toad is Bufo lentiginosus, the Spade-foot Toad Scapiopus holbrooki. 172 THE MUSEUM. , / A NEW LOT OF FOSSILS. While on our recent trip south we secured a fine lot of Pliocene Fossils, taken in the vicin- ity of the Caloosahatchie river in Florida. This is a region that has had few explorers after fossils and the results are that the specimens possess great interest. The quality of the speci- mens is also good, much better than is usually the case with fossils cf this nature. The species have all been carefully gone over by the curator of one of our leading Pennsylvania museums, carefully sorted up and accurately named. To our notion, fossils are of little value without a name and locality. These specimens were secured at a usual depth of twenty feet below the surface of the ground. They are fully written up in the proceedings of the Wagner Free Institute, by Prof. William H. Dall, of the Smithsonian institution, of Washington, D. C. -Any collector having access to most any of our larger museums will find the above proceedings and illustrations of the species. We offer single specimens at very reasonable prices, or will make up into collections, as follows: Collection of 50 species, representing a large number of genera, all cai'efully labeled for $4.00. Collection of 75 species, all carefully labeled $7.50. Collection of 100 species, all carefully labeled $10 00. Collection of 200 species, all carefully labeled $30 00. Collection of 200 species, giving suites of each kind, usually of from 3 lo 5 specimens, in all aggregating over 750 specimens, for $50.00, which is at the rate of only seven cents a speci- men. At the above figure no man can afford to go to Florida to collect these interesting speci- mens. We are told that less than ten museums in the United States possess a series of the above specimens, and unless secured within the past year, the British museum does not pos- sess a series from the above locality. A large proportion of these will be sold almost inimediately on the appearance of this advertisement, hence you should write at once if you wish to secure any of them. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. SEND NO MOMEY *''!"f°r:"°"''""''' GRADE DROP CABINET BURDICK SEWING MACHINE "») rreiE:ht,c'o.ir.'.u"i linn. YiMi call examine it at your nearest fi tit^ht depot and il fciuii [If rfeclly halisfarlory, exactly as represented, eyual to machines oihers scl as higlins $6U.OO, and THE UKKATEST t{.\KGAlN YOl EVER HEARD OF pay SpccJal Offef PtJce $15.50 J our rreight a§:ent our ^ ^ and freight charfres. Jlachine "eijjlis VM T"'undt.atidthefreii:rht will average 75 cents for each 5(10 iiuu-s. GIVE IT THREE MONTHS' TRIAL i your owQ home, and we will return ymir #15.00 atiy day you are not satisfied We sell different makes and gradesof Sewlnt- .llaohines at * H, 50. CIO.OO, £11.00, #12.00 and np. all fully described in our Free Serine; Machine Catalogue. l)ut*15.50 for this DROP DESK CABINET BURUICK U the creatent value e\ er oltVred bv nnv liouMe. BEWARE OF IMITATIONS ^^,rc'opy"uraTv--e;^ tiBenieiits.otferinf,' unknoivn macldius umU r vai i<;>iisnames, with varionsin- daoementn. Write &onie friend in Chicago and learn who are rcM&ble and who are not, TUIC DIIDmOl^ ^'^^ every BIODERN IMI'ROVEMENT, I riE P^f^L#IVrl% EVERY GOOD IMUMOF EVERY HICH ^^^=^====^=^^:= GRUIK MACHLNK MADE. WITH THE lUtli i> ^l^ M)\K. Made by the tn-t innlvcrs In Amcriea.' 11 1 he best material money ^ SOLID QUARTER SAWED OAK DROP DESK CABINET.pia-opoiuhed. One illustrati. in shows machine <-lMseil (ti.»d dropping fr'ini sitrht ) to he used as a center table, sland I. r desk, tlie other open with full len^rth talde and head in place for sewing,'. 4 fancy drawers, latest 1499 skelelon frame, carved, paneled, em- bossed and det'jratfd cabinet finish, finest nickel drawer pulls, rests 'in four casters, adjustable treadle, genuine Smyth iron stand. Finest large High Arm head, positive four motion feed, self threading vibrating shuttle, automatic bobbin winder, adjustable bearinps. patent tension liberator, improved looee wheel, adjtist.ible pressure f>".t, improved sliuttb' carrier, patent needle bar, IKilttit (irt'ss truiird, head Is handsoinel.T derorated nnd ornamented and beautifully nlrkil irimmid. GUARANTEED the llehlest running, most durable and nearest noiseless marhin*' made. Esery known attachment Is furnished and our Free Iq- struction Book, tells just how anyone can run it and do either plain or any kind of fancy « ork. A 'iO- Years' BlndlngGuaranteeis sent with every machine. IT COSTS YOU NOTHINO to see and examine this macbine. compare it with vvv^iw xjv nm iiM^M those your storekeeper sells at S40.00 to £60.00, and then if convinced that you are saving $25.00 to $10.00, pay your freight aeent the $15. 50. WE TO RETI'RN YOCR 815.50 if at any time within three months vou say you are not satisfied. ORDER TO-DAY DON'T DELAY. (Sears, Roebuck it Co. are thorouL-hlv reliable.— Editor.) Address, SEARS; ROEBUCK & CO. (Inc.) Chicago, III. il THE MUSEUM. 173 Bargains for September! We are cutting prices in many cases way below cost to close out the greater share of our large stock. Some branches of our business will be dropped entirely. We offer you extra inducements to buy now. Remember no poor stock will be sent out unless distinctly understood in advance. Bird Skins at Reduced Prices. PoslsRe extra if you wish sent by mail. Black-vi'iUeil Shearwater l.no Marlileil Munvk't 90 I" '■-g (iroslieak 28 American Quail, female 30 Great Uliie Hi-ion, male 1 00 FollowiuK from South Texa.s, made in Feb- ruary and March last: Road Kuiincr. m 46 Arizona Cardinal, m. f I'.l Western Meadow Lark, m 19 Sage Thrasher, m 24 Mexican Shore Lark, m 14 Ameit Titlark, m 12 McCown's Longspur. m 12 Bhick-lhroated Sparrow, m 18 Black Skimmer 55 Gull-bill Tern 70 Long bill Curlew 55 Western Nighthawk 38 Scaled Quail 55 Texan (iuail 38 Vermillion Flycatcher 34 Cassin's Sparrow 45 Clay-colored Sparrow 25 Scissor-tailed 1- lycat' brilliant ciiaiuel extends ovi r the intiri' specimen and Ihe great variety of ciiliirs are riallv woiiilerfiil I'hev inhabit ebi> lly the warmer sias. al thcinijh a few >|ieeiis eome as far norih as Fli^rida and soi.thern Califurnia I'he Indian (loeaii prodi ees more kinds than any other loealiiy, all hoiii;h thiy inhabii all ishuids from Japan to New Zealand Our new possessions, thi' Sandwii-h Islands, have a number of inter- esting fonns. We list such species as we have on hand at present and shall be pleased to send approval lots to any one who desires same. The differ- ence io price usually denotes a difference in size, as we have no poor specimens whatever You are sure to be pleased with anything from this list. LIST AND PRICES Argus, L 50. 75 to $100 exanthema. L 15. 25 to 50 scurra, Chemn.. 25 to 50 Isabella. L. 5-10 15 lurida, L 10 and 15 Cinerea Gm.-l. 10 20 50 carneola, I,. 10 20 30 75 talpa. L. 20 30 40 rhinoceros, Sliy • 1 00 irrorata, Sol 50 microdon, (iray 50 felina, Gmel. Ill and 20 hirundo. L 5 10 20 neglecta, Siiy 15 cynindrica Born .35 60 teres, (imel 2.00 cruenta, Gmel .10 15 20 stolida, L 50 arenosa. Gray 35 to 50 tessellata. Swain $1.00 to 2 50 caput-seriicntis, L. 5-10 15 Arabica. L. 15 20 25 reticulata. Mart. 20 30 50 histrio, Meusch. 30 40 50 stercoraria, L. 25 to 50 scottei, Brod 4.00 decipiens E. A S 10.00 moneta L. & Vars. 5 to 15 obvelata. Lam 10 to 15 Aurantium, Mart, with bole in outer lip, worn by native 25.00 Tigris. L 1.") to 25 vitellus. L 10 15-25 50 spadicea. Swn 50 75 1.00 pyrum, Gmel , line 35 errones. L 5 10 15 subviridis, Rve 35 50 75 pnlchella. Swain yg 75 zonata, Chem $1.50 to 2.50 picta, (iray. 25 to .50 punctnlatH (iray 15 zic/.ac, L 5 10 to 15 asellus. L. 5 to 10 punctata. L 15 to 25 Comptoni. Gray 50 puliearia, Sve 1.00 cribrarin. L 25 35 and 50 esentropia. Unci 1 .00 Laniarckii. Grav . 20 to 85 ebiirnea. Barnes. 30 40 to 75 erosa I.. 5 to 15 lister', (iray. .50 t> 75 alb.igiiiosa, Mawe 15 polil 1. Roberts 2.00 spnr.-a. L. 20 to 30 ceriiica, Sby 50 edeiitiila, Shy 40 capiusis (iray 1 .35 cervus. L 25 50 to 75 cirvinetta. Kieu 25 li-stiidinaria. L ,50 75 to 1 25 controversa. (iray 50 pulehra, (iray $l".50 to 2 00 ree vi i (iray 1 .50 interrupta, Gray 40 iiuadrimaculata. Gray 50 timbricata. timel. 5-10 .20 macula. Ads 35 and 50 ursellus, Gmel 15 oweni. Sby 1 00 coffea, Sby 50 labescens, Sol. 25 35 50 caurica, L 5 10 20 gregori. Ford 50 ventriculus. Lam. 25-50 75 sulcidintata. (iray 2.50 mauritiana. L. 25 to 40 mappa, L .')0-75$100 1 50 eglantina, Uuc 2 00 intermedia. Gray 15 arabi examine at once, assured of prompt reply W. F. WEBB, Mgr.. Albion, N. Y. Good Pamphlets, Books, etc. English Sparrow in North America, 405 pp., 10 tigs , 1 map $ 50 Prairie Ground Squirrels of Miss. Val- ley, 6!l pp , 3pl 4 maps 25 Common Crow of the United States, 98 pp.. 1 pi.. 6 figs . 1 map 30 Jack Rabbits of the United Stalts, 84 pp.. 0 pi., 3 tigs .20 Revision of North American Pocket ivlice. 36 pp., 4 pi 20 Description of 14 new species and 1 new genus Amer. Mammals, .53 pp., 8 pi , 7 tigs 20 Biological Survey of the San Francisco Mountain Region and Desert of the Little Colorado, Ariz., 136 pp , 5 maps, 3 figs , 14 pi 40 Biological Reconoissance of South Cen- tral Idaho. 133 pp , 4 pi , 4 figs 25 Monographic Revision of the Pocket Gophers, 358 pp., 20 pi., 71 figs 60 Revision of the Shrews of the American Genera Blarina and Notiosorex. 124 pp, 13 pi 25 Weasels of North America, 44 pp., 6 pi., 16 figs 20 Genera and Subgenera of Voles and Lemmings, 84 pp., 13 figs , 3pl 16 Revision of North American Bats, 140 pp , 3 pi , 40 figs 20 Fine Descriptive books of most any Cen- tral American or South American country, at 50c to 100 Public-Libraries in the United States. . . 1.00 Pacific Railroad Surveys and Explora- tions, set of 13 volumes, cloth, now getting very scarce and valuable 30.00 Mollusca and Crustacea of the Miocene of New Jersey, 195 pp.. 34 pi 95 List of Marine Mollusca, comprising the quartenery fossils between Cape Hat- teras and Cape Roque 45 Invertebrate Fossils of the Pacific Slope .35 Fauna of the Knoxville beds, 133 pp , 20 pi 25 Americal Fossil Brachiopoda, 464 pp. . . -50 Parties wishing Government Documents of any description plea.se write us for prices. We can quote you species rates on many thousand volumes of such. It is the cheapest scientific literature in the worUl and the most accurate. Walter F. Webb. Albion. N. Y. THE MUSEUM. i ALL RO\l)S ARE ALIKE J i TO A im\ARCIL^.^.^ : Ik Ik III Ik Ik Ik Ik Ik Ik a> Ik Ik Ik Ik Ik Ik Ik Ik il( Ik Ik Ik $25 King and Queen $25 The best pair ol bicycles on earth (or the money . . ■ MONARCH CHAINLESS $75 MONARCH ROADSTERS $60 DEFIANCE ROADSTERS $36 MONARCH CYCLE MFG. CO. Lake. Halsted and Fulton Streets. Chicago Braoches— New York, LoniJcm. Hamburg Seud M ceQta in t-taiikp^ lor a deck of MoDarch Playioff Cards, iltu^trntioff Jos \k Ik sk \k \k \k ik \k ik \k ik ik \k \k >k ik ik \k * Ik * \k Ik Ik ik \k \k Ik Ik \b 0< o-m-as-ni-mt-rre-e-t^c-i^th^t^it^o Fine Florida Shells. We havp every fftclllly for fiirnl«hlnE collectors or dealers with Plorlda shells, or Souvenirs We have had lonu exp<'rlence In collecting, and the I'.dltor of the MfsEf.M. has. unsolicited by hh. offered to answer any Imnilrles as to our responsibility or (air dealing. I f >'ou wish to .see quality of specimens before placInK larger orders, send II for a box of samples. All cleaned and correctly named. Price list for stamp and all Inquiries promptly answered. Ulve us a trial. J. H. HOLMES, DUNEDIN, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shf'lls. Also Centipedes, Scorpions. Crab.s. etc. in alcohol at a barg'-iin- A(lilri'.ss with stamp. O. BRYANT, Longwood, Florida Wholesale Bargains. Wo have on hand many line things in suoh quantity we quote low rales on wholesale or- (li'fs, in order to make room. The material olTeretl in every instance is as low as money can bii.y. Look over the list carefully: Purple Sea Plumes from the Bahamas. Large si/e, 4 to !) feet, $2.50 per dozen. Medium, 2 to 3 feet, $l.f)0 per dozen. Ostrich Egg.s, South African specimeus, at $li 00 per dozen. CypriTd Annulus, Ringtop Cowries, from the East Indies, .50 cents per quart. Cyj-inra moneUt. with varieties, Money Cowry from Singapore, ."iO cents per quart, liltwk Haiiolis, 4 to 5 inch, from Monterey, Cal. 75 cents per dozen. lied Haiiolis, from Monterey, 7 to 10 inch, at $1 50 per dozen. Nereta pelerontn, Bleeding Teeth, Bahamas, at ."iO cents quart. Purple Gorgonias, Flexible Coral from Baha- mas, $1 50 dozen Mica Snow, for Taxidermists and fancy work, worth 80c pound, our price 20c. Bahama Coral, such as Fan, Head, Palm, etc. Several species at 10c pound. Mineral Collections, for Teachers to give or sell to students, .50 varieties, named, etc., at 50c lists on application. Mixed Shells, from Bahamas, nice for fancy work, 2.5c quart. Fftsciolaria dinUms. Tulip. 2 inch, 36c dozen. Fusciolaria ttilipi. Tulip. 3 to 4 inch, 40c doz. Fulgar perversa, trom Fla.. 4 to 5 inch, 60c" Tube Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas. $1.50 dozen. Scaphites nodosus, an ammonite shaped fossil from the Bad Lands, 1 inch, 30c doz , 2 inch, ,50c dozen; 2i inch, $1 00 dozen. Make up your order now, as these prices only hold good while stock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. IMPORTANT NOTICE. We desire to announce that owing to the many Improvements made In the current volume of j I the Fern Bulletin, the price of samplel Icoples will now be Hfteen cents each. Pur-I lohasers of sample copies may deduct this sumT I from the regular subscription price when subl Iscrlblng. The January number contains four-l ' teen articles on ferns, many shorter notes, andl eight pages devoted to tho Mosses. Send for ' It. Address, The Fern Bulletin, Blnghampton. N. Y. WRITE ME A LETTER TODAY .'^lui iiiK that you would like to havi' scut for your Inspection, churgcs prepaid. 'My ' of till' FamouH noubly-teriulii- i ated Quartz CryHtalH, fi uud at this place. If this collection of lirlUlant (Jems plejiaes you. kindly send 70 cents (no uu»re>. otherwise return the collect- ion and It will be O. K. Is not thU a (air proposition- Exhibit at Worlds Fair received Highest Award, Medal and Diploma. Address. A. B. CRIM, MIddlevlIIe, Herkimer Co., M. V. I THi: MUSEUM. North American Birds BY OLIVER DAVIE. Fifth Edition. Finely Illustrated Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. "^"^ Extra Cloth - $2.24 postpaid The best book on Eggs Published. IN EVERYTHING IS "THR GHRAPEISX. We have the BEST at lowest prices. IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF Birds Eggs or Skins, Egg Collecting Outfits, Taxidermists' Material, or any kind of Naturalists' Supplies. Send Stamp for Catalogue. Mention Museum. CHAS. K, REED, 75 Thomas St., WORCESTER, MASS. I VOL. V, NO. 12. OCTOBER, iSgg. U^EU/H A Journal Devoted to Research in Natural Science. RA TES: — ^o cts. per year to all countries, in advance. Single numbers, 5 cfs. Published on the isth of each month by Museum Publishing Co., Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. POPULAR SCIENCE KEWS, Nature, Invention, Archseoloy. Elec- tricity, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Hy- giene, Mec/icine, Health. Formerly BOSTON JOURNAL OF CHEfflSTRY. ENLARGED and IMPROVED. This popular monthly contains a large num- ber of Short, Easy, Practical, Tnteresling and Popular, Scientific articles, that can be Ap- preciated and Enjoyed by any iutelligeut reader, even though he knuw little or nothing of Science. It is intended to interest those who thinls. Profusely Illustrated. Free from Technicalities. Entirely Difterent from and Much Superior to other papers with a similiar name. Monthly, 3t.60 per year; Newsdealers, 15c Largest Circulation of any Scientific Paper. LILLARD & CO.. 10» Fulton St., New York. Mention MUSEUM for a sample copy. THE MUSEUM. We still have a few sets of back numbers of THE MUSEUM. We will mail the entire first 4 volumes for only $2.00 prepaid; or any number you wish at 5 cents each. Fill out your files now while you can. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. FROM CALIFORNIA: A 2oz. specimen of Agatized Wood still showing grain of wood, 10c; larger piece, 25c; i lb piece, 40c. Wood Jasper, 2-oz specimen, 15c; larger piece, 25c. Satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded. Every thing sent post paid. JOHN GARDELLA, JR., Newtown, California. THIS PAPER is printed at the Book and Magazine Publishing House of A. M. EDDY, Albion, N. Y. AND Send us what you have with lowest cash price or we will make you an offer if you wish. We pay express or postage one way. DR. J. W. FOWLER, DUBUQUE, lA. LABELS. All sizes and for any branch of Natural History, at the very lowest prices. Send me copy and I "will quote price. Fossil Labels like sample lUc per 100; 70c per 1000 with assorted headings. Period. Name... DEVONIAN AGE. Loc 1 Letttr Headp. Bill Heads, Cards, and etc. D. H. EATON, WOBURN, MASS. JAMES P. BABBITT, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Taxidermists' Supplies, Bird Skins, Eggs and Publications, TAUNTON, MASS. Our large monthly bulletin ol Skins, Eggs, etc. free upon application. The Ornithologist's and Oolo" gist's Manual. Contains 100 pages, giving complete list of all North American Birds, Prices of Eggs and Skins, Number of Eggs in a Clutch, Prict's of Mammal Skins, How to Skin Birds and Mam- mals. How to form an Egg Collection and many other pages of useful information. Pre- paid for ten two-cent stamps. Order at once. W.F.WEBB, Pub. Albion, N.Y COLLECTORS. Have you read our "Wholesale Bar,g;ains'' elsewhere in this number? If you are familiar with the goods offered you will see at a glance that the prices are way down. W. F. WEBB. I THE MUSEUM. WANTS, EXCHANGES AND FOR SALES. All nol'ues that come uudur above will be insoited in this dopaitment until further notice atone (1) cent a word. No notice less than 25e. Terms Cash with order. No charge for address. I shall at all times endeavor to keep parties, whose reputation is of a doubtful char- acter from using these columns. BIRUSEVK MARBLE and other kinds of Fossil Corals. Polish like an agate Hand- somest in the world. Also Miferals iind Fro.sh Water Shells to Exchange. C E. BRIGGS, LisboD, la. StU TO EXCHANGE:-One20ohui telegraphy instrument complete, variety of bird eggs, fossils of ferns Will sell or exchange for coins from any country sui'able to me. T P. PErriGREW, Roanoke, 111. TARANTULAS:— A fine specimen mounted in nice box, 45c: Violet-pink or sea green fluorspar from Arizona, 10 to 20c; Mermaid cradles. 15c. Calif, curios for sale. FRANK W.SMITH, 30 W. Colton Ave. Redlands, Calif. FOR SALE:— Finely marked full blooded Llewelyn Setter puppies Soon old enough to ship. Father a tine field dog and mother broken to hunt nests. W. E. LOUCKS, Peoria, 111. A A FIVE drawer cabinet of fine showy moths and butterflies, 300 named species, 700 specimens, will be sold at a bargain by ORA W. KSIGT, Bangor, Me. 2tO WANTED:— To correspond with collectors having 1st class sets to exchange I have many nice sets to offer in exchange, such as, A. O. U. 16, 54, 78, 93, 103, 106.1, 107, 114, 115 1. 116,222. 269. 302, 314, 321, 320a, 365, 377a' 378a. 383. 384, 408, 411, 414, 449, 446, 450, 4.'59, 460, 483. 489 and many common species. JAMES P. BABBriT, Taunton, Mass WILL SELL or exchange for relics Pep- per'.*? System of Medicine, Misser's Medical biagnosis, Zigler's Pathology, Osier's System of Medicine. Surgerys. Books upon Obste- trics, etc. UR W. B. HINSDALE, Ann Ar- bor, Mich. FOR SALE:-Oologist from Feb., 1889 to May, 1895; MusEU.M. Vol. I; Hornday's "Tax- idermy and Zoological Collecting" (aew);Dav- ie's • Nest and Eggs of North American Birds " (new) A. H. SMITHE, Shortville, N. Y. FOR SALE:— Collections prehistoric mound relics, Cliff-House pottery, carved Chinese jades, Roman lamps and pottery. Cash or good exchange for hematites and long spears. DR. W. O. EMERY, Crawfordsville, Ind. o3 WANTED;— Back numbers of papers on Natural Science and books of any kind on Natural History, also bird skins C;iu offer good exchange in invertebrates, nice eastern bird skins and some papers on Natural His- tory. State value of material when writing. F. P. DROWNE, 20 Benefit St , Providence, R. I. 3tO ANCIENT RELICS and modern specimens of Indian workmanship. Will sell or ex- change. Will take other relics, old guns, pistols, swords, rare books, etc. W. B. HINSDALE, Ann Arbor, Mich WANTED:— Rough skeletons of mammals, and some birds. Human material especially desired. Can use whole skeletons or parts. Would like to hear from all parties who can offer anything in this line and will furnish directions to those who are able to secure specimens but do not understand prepara- tion. Can also use some finished skeletons and skulls. Offer in exchange some finely prepared marine invertebrates, material col- lected this summer. Have a list of fifty spec- ies representing the families Porifora, Coloen- terata. Echinodermata, Vermes Arthropoda, Tunicata All specimens nicely preserved in formaline or alcohol. Please state value of material when writing. F. P. DROWNE, 20 Benefit St., Providence, R. I. 3tO VIRGINIA HOMES —You learn all about Virginia lands, soil, water, climate, resources, products, fruits, berries, mode of cultivation, prices, etc , by reading the Virginia Farmer. Send lOc, for three months subscription to FARMER CO , Emporiji, Va. TAXIDERMISTS and Oiilogists Notice! I will furnish in large or small quantities ten assortments of choice grasses, cleaned licliin and mosses for case trimming purposes; also eggs trays in six sizes. Send ten cents for samples of either. Will take in exchange sets which I have not in mycollection. M. J. CONWAY, 584 Sixth Ave., Lansingburg.N.Y. WAN rED:-Crow, Gull and Tern Skins in any quantity. Will take old and mutilated specimens, no matter in what condition if not moth eaten. Parties who are in a locality where they can shoot large numbers of crows write me at once. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Al- bion. N. Y. 178 THE MUSEUM. FERRETS! Ferrets! Ferrets! 15 fine dark Ferrets for sale. Male, $2,50; female, $3. Place your order LOW. S. H. DAVIS, Lan- sing, Mich. 3to BARGAINS:— Fossil shark teeth, 4c; 3 var. fossils, 10c; 12 var. choice Indian Relics, 30c; 25 choice curiosities, all different, 30c; 5 old Colonial coins, 30c; 100 choice sea shells, showy, 30; 10 large sea shells, 20; Indian Tom- ahawk, fine, 30c; axe. 50c; hoe, 35c; spade. 35c; celt, 25c; adz, 33o; extra large spears, 30c; 1 doz. extra tine R I arrow heads. 40c; 25 dif- ferent relics, fine collection, $2 50; bird point'*, 5c and 10c each; confederate notes, 5c and 10c each; 10 old coins, 35c. List free. Price list, drawings of relics and choice arrowhead, 8o. STAR CURIO CO , Box 152, Waki field, R I. A FINE DEER HEAD is one of i he hand- somest ornaments one can have in their home We have .some beauties at the most reason- able piicis There are many specin.tns we u(ed to fill orders, such as fine sets of eggs, many Ameiican Laud 3hel!s, eti: Can use fine Indian Relics and many other specimens, and especially bocks. If 30U have something equally as desirable to us as Mounted Deer Heads we would as soon exchange you one, as to sell for cash Why not send us at once a list of vour duplicate specimens? WAL TER F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion, N. Y. BIRDS EGGS, we are no longer buying to carry in stock, in large quantities as we used to, but we have Jots of calls for specimens for cash. In such cases we would be glad to pur- chase these specimens for cash, to till orders. If ;sou will list lis what you have to i ffer, pos- sibly we can use all vou have. Writ" at once with full list. W. F.WEBB, Mgr.,Albion,N.Y. 500 Mounted Birds for sale at a grtat sacri- fice, also 100 sets of tggs Send for lists with prices J R MANN, Arlington Heights, Mass. COLLECTORS:— Exchange camera prints taken here to Europe, si;amps, entries, etc. What have you? Send 2c stamp for member- ship American Camera Club Exchange. L. BRODSTONE, Superior, Neb. BICYCLES CHEAP:— I will ship direct from factory a new Armada wheel, sold everywhere for $50, for only $25 cash; or can send a new Edgemere $25 wheel from Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago, for $15 cash. A ma- terial saving in each instance by ordering from me. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. MOOSE HEAD. We have one large speci- men we will exchange for such fine eggs as we are in need of. We advertised a want list of sets in last Museum. Look it over and write us. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. A FINE COMBINATION— One Ostrich Egg $1.50, 1 set 4 Black-neck Stilt, $2 00, 1 set Cinnamon Teal, $4.00, value $7 50. We will send prepaid for $2 00 and 20 cts. postage. WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion. N. Y. EXCHANGE ADS. FREE.— Any reader of the MusuEM who will send 25 cents and an addressed and stamped envelope, to Popular Science, 108 Fulton St., New York, for a three months trial subscription, will be presented with a Fifty Cent want advertising coupon. Sample copies free. See additional particu- lars on adv. in this issue. I WANTED SETS OF 83, 122, 123b, 129, 144, 153, 154, 160, 171, 179, 183, 192, 195, 196, 198, 204, 205, 206, 251, 258a, 2G0, 265, 266, 267, 270, 272, 276, 281, 284, 287, 288, 292, 295, 296, 297, 297a, 298, 300a. 300b, 300c, 301, 308, 308a. 309, 310, 310a, 314, 315, 327, 328, 329, 330, 332, 334, 336, 339b, 345, 346, 349, 352, 353 to 358, 359, 359.1, 364. 368a, 369, 372, 373j, 3?3b, 373c.375a, 376, 377, 377a, 379, 379a, 381, 382 and many others. Send full list of what you have to of- fer We will exchange for cash or specimens. W. F. WEBB, Mgr.. Albion, N. \. MUSEUM BACK NUMBERS are getting scarce; of some numbers we have less than half a drz°.n. You should complete your files now. We will accet.t cash or good exchange. The entire first four volumes will be sent for only $2 cash, postpaid, or anv number you wish at 5c a copy. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Al- bion, N Y. COUES' KEY to North American Birds. last (dilioD, is now out of print and cannot be furnished. A copy may soon be worth a great deal more than li.'t price. We have a good copy, not soiled, last edition, we will send prepaid at $6 and 40i' postage. Also a new copy of Ridgeway's Manual, or rather nearlv new. not soiled, will send prepaid for only $6. Order at once if wanted. W. F. WEBB, Mgr , Albion. N. Y. REPTILES in formalin; Mud Puppy (young 21 inches) 20c. spring Newts 20c, Newts 20c. Can furnish Newts alive for acquarium. GEO. F. GUELF, Brockport, N. Y. DEER HEADS —Two tine large mounted Heads at $8 and $10 each. GEO. F. GUELF, Brockport, N. Y. WANTED:— Old issues of U. S. Adhesive Stamps for which we offer fine CalifitUe DrdiT iir Kei^nstered Letter. Unused U. S. Postage St.amps of any denomination accepted for small amounts. MUSEUM PUB. CO., ALBION. ORLEANS CO., N.Y. Bntfred at Albion pogt-office as second-class mail matter Formalin as a Preservative. During the past few weeks several persons have written me to ask how I use formalin and with what success. Encouraged b}' these letters and know- ing how little has been written on its use, I take this opportunity of giving to the readers of the Museum the re- sults of my experience with formalin. It was in the summer of 1^95 that I first began to use this preservative. I was then located at Woods Holl,Mass. , in the employ of a Marine Invertebrate Supply Department, and in the course of the summer we used over a hundred pounds. From that time to the pres- ent I have used formalin almost entire- ly, substituting it for alcohol whenever possible in order to save expense. In nearly every case I have found it satis- factory, and having "put up" very large quantities of material of all kinds in formalin I feel that I can honestly recommend it as a safe and thorough preservative. I used to buy at the wholesale drug- gists what was labelled a forty per cent, solution of J^'ormaldehyde. This was and is considered the same thing as one hundred per cent. Formalin and is mixed on a one hundred per cent, basis. Very recently I purchased some of the same make and I noticed that the label had been changed to read just Formaldehyde, this of course being identical with Formalin or For- mol. In the report of the Department of Agriculture for 1896, I find the fol- lowing sentence which applies to this: "Commercially, we find formaldehyde in the market as a 40 per cent, solution of the gas in water or wood alcohol under the trade names of formalin and formol." I mention these facts so as to avoid any confusion which might occur to a buyer unacquainted with the nomenclature, so to speak, of For- malin. For nearly all purposes a three per cent, solution of Formalin is strong enough. This can be mi.xed by scale, with a graduate glass or simply by measure. Either way the results should be the same — thirty-two parts of water to one part of formalin. We will say that a pound of Formalin costs fifty-five cents, which is, I believe, the retail price at the present time. A pound of formalin is very near a pint and, when diluted to a three per cent, solution, makes thirty-three pints or over four gallons. How much cheaper than alcohol, which costs fcommer- i8o THE MUSEUM. cially pure) $2. 50 a gallon and when diluted to seventy five per cent., the proper strength for a final preserving solution, costs about $2.00 per gallon. Formalin, too, in its concentrated form, occupies but little space, an add- ed advantage to those who are going into the field to collect. I have already stated that a three per cent, solution is strong enough for most purposes. In this strength I have preserved all invertebrates, with a few exceptions to be noted later, the smaller reptiles and batrachia, most fishes, many mammals and birds. In very few cases have I ever lost mater- ial unless through some oversight on my part as packing too closely, not properly injecting, etc. For sponges, medusae, tunicates, large reptiles and batrachians, large fish, mammals and birds, and as an injecting solution, I use five per cent. In my experience five per cent, formalin works better in these cases than three per cent. Great care should be taken to inject all material, large enough to require it, thoroughly. For this purpose I use generally a bulb syringe with a glass tube fitted to it, and in some cases where an incision of any size would be detrimental to the specimen, a hypo- dermic syringe. Crabs should be in- jected through a hole made under 'the "purse" on the under side. Starfish may be injected through a hole cut in one ray. Nearly all the vertebrates should be injected through the mouth and anus and, if rather large, through one or more cuts on the abdomen. Medusae, sponges, tunicates, etc., will not need injecting. A little experience will teach the collector what speci- mens he must inject and what ones do not require it. In packing, specimens should not be crowded for the first day or two. After they have hardened a little they may be packed fairly close without danger of spoiling. I prefer to change formalin on those specimens where it has become much discolored and probably weakened by the juices of the body, and consider this a good rule to follow. This old formalin need not be thrown away, but can be used, strengthened a little if necessary, as a first bath or as a' killing agent for other specimens. It is not necessary to say that form- alin should be kept in tightly closed receptacles as it will lose strength rap- idly. Before going further I might say that it does not make much differ- ence whether formalin is mixed with fresh or salt water, but I think the former a little the best. For marine forms, however, I use a great deal of salt water in mixing the formalin. As regards the lasting qualities of formalin, I have specimens now that I put up in 1895 and they are keeping first rate. I see no reason why they should not keep so indefinitely, pro- vided the containing vials or jars are kept tightly sealed or the formalin re- newed at intervals of two or three years. There is, however, one objec- tion to the use of formalin in large museums, where the temperature is apt to get down to the freezing point. The diluted Formalin will freeze and this may injure the specimens contained in it or perhaps damage the contain- ing glass ware. I think I have seen this objection spoken of in the report of one of our large museums. As a killing agent Formalin acts rather violently. Crabs are apt to cast their claws when immersed in it and it is better to kill them in most anything else. I have tried it as a killing agent on sea cucumbers (Thy- one) but without much success. The worms do not kill well in it. Three are some things, however, like the medusae and many of the tunicates, which can be dropped directly in five per cent, formalin with good results. For reptiles and batrachians, fish, etc., it answers very well. Bright colors are almost sure to disappear in forma- lin, though on some things, as snakes for instance, it holds the color very well. k THE MUSEUM. i8i Before closing I wish to say a few words about the ill effects arising from the use of formalin. No one to my knowledge ever got into the near vicin- ity of an open bottle of Formalin with- out noticing the irritating effect which it causes on the mucous membrane. This irritation one becomes hardened to after enduring it for a time and it ceases to annoy much. Formalin will also get into cuts and "raise cain." It causes irritating sores, which seem to spread day by day unless the hands are kept out of formalin or rubber gloves used to protect them. It also "tans" the skin making it tough and rather black, and a person's hands after a few weeks' steady acquaintance with Formalin are generally in no con- dition to be exhibited at a whist party. This injury to the hands may be rem- edied in part by the use of rubber gloves, but rubber gloves are rather expensive, easily damaged and rather clumsy. As a rule the only time that one needs to get his hands much in contact with formalin is when inject- ing, and in ordinary collecting there is not much of this to be done. It is only when one has to inject large quantities of material day after day that the hands suffer so much. If there are any points in regard to the use of Formalin, which I have not yet made clear, I shall be glad to do so at any time provided I am able. I should also like to hear any additional remarks from others on this interesting subject. F. P. Drowne. Plenty of Work for Young Ex- plorers. It is most important that the young explorer should start out in the right direction, for there are several kinds of explorers and it is quite worth while to become one kind and hardly worth the outlay of time and trouble to become one of the other kinds. To explore, we are told by our dictionaries, signi- fies "to search or pry into; to examine by trial; to inspect carefully." It is the first and last of these definitions that appear to me to best cover what I want to impress on my readers, viz: that to pry into and to inspect care- fully is the true way in which explora- tion should be carried on. And, fur- ther than that, that anything less than that is exploration but in name. When I speak of explorers, probably most of my readers think at once of Stanley and Peary, and Sir Samuel Baker, and few think of Bates and Whymper, and Wallace. Yet it is of the latter that I wish to speak as the true types of the sort of explorers who leave behind them the greatest amount of work that was really worth the do- ing. Not that the name of Stanley will not always be closely connected with the exploration of Africa, nor that Peary's name will not always occupy a place among Arctic explorers, but they will both of them be remembered for what they failed to explore quite as much as for what they discovered; and there will always be the feeling in the public mind that, had it not been for the money-getting and fame-earning lecture platform and the books that were to follow, these explorations would never have been made. But it is an undeniable fact that the man who goes out to a new land with these mo- tives before him is far too likely to be in search for the remarkable and start- ling to give patient attention to the lit- tle minutiae that are in reality of much greater importance. For it is beyond dispute that it is the things that the so-called explorer who goes through the land with a blare of trumpets and an army of attendants never sees that bring lasting credit to the conscienti- ous observer who cares nothing for the applause of the unthinking multitude, but everything for the good opin- ion of those of his fellows in science who are best able to judge of the val- ue and permanence of his work. Bates, who after eleven years of the most painstaking work in the Amazon- ion wildernesses, came back to England I82 THE MUSEUM and fame the same retiring, modest, and thoroughly unspoiled man that he had been when he went away, tells us of the wonderful amount of work that he did for pure science in a manner that is as direct and unassuming as though he was narrating the most or- dinary matters. Whymper, after 219 days and nights in such inhospitable and dangerous elevations as only the Andean explorer can appreciate, comes back to civilization so impressed with the importance of comparing his work with that already done by others, that nine years pass by before he considers it time to give to the world the facts of his explorations in the Equadorean Andes. Wallace spent many of the best years of his life in researches that have given the world some of the most brilliant theories concerning the animal and vegetable kingdoms that have ever been brought forth, and at the same time was busy in gathering a vast store of facts that have been a perfect well- spring from which the botanists and zoologists of all Christendom have drawn many of their choicest material. It is the explorer who explores who is wanted to-day and who has always be- fore him the assurance that his work will be appreciated where appreciation is worth the having. But, I hear some of my readers say, how do you expect us to go away from home and parents and school and copy the achievements of these men who thus spent years away from civiliza- tion.' To which I reply that there is another sort of explorer who is quite as worthy of emulation as these of whom I have last spoken. To this class be- long such names as White, who, around his home at Selbourne, did so much toward unraveling the secrets of nature that there presented themselves to him. And again, we have our own Thoreau, to whom the simple cabin life in a New England woods was of greater charm than the brilliant society that he was sure to meet in his own home, because, as he tells us, the dwellers in that woods — the squirrels, the birds, the reptiles and the insects — were to him worthier of study and more profit- able as companions than their more pretentious relative, man. And to- day we have our Borroughs and our Abbott, letting no chance slip by them to see more of nature, not as she is to be seen in the bleak north or the swel- tering south, but just as she is and is so little understood here at home, and telling us of their discoveries as no others can. I speak of these at-home explorers in this way because I take it for granted that all my readers are ac- quainted with their writings, and, that if some there be who are not, they will quickly remedy the defect — for defect it is. So when I speaK of the work that awaits young explorers — and it is a very important work of which I am writing, if it be well done — I mean ex- ploration around home. There is no need to shrug the shoulders in the feel- ing that around your home there can- not be yet remaining that which is un- discovered, for it is quite safe to say that in the most thickly settled neigh- borhoods in our lands there is more to find out and to communicate for the good of science than has yet been dis- covered about the region. Everywhere, even in our thickly set- tled eastern states, there are many curious, and even wonderrul things, that have never been noticed by peo- ple of intelligence, and consequently remain undescribed. It is of just this sort of exploration that I am writing, and of the impor- tance of which I wish to convince my readers Though not so enticing to many, the explorations that have to do with the animal and vegetable life of any given region are by no means of the least im- portance. Setting aside the mere hunt after the plants or the animals that are valuable in medicine or the arts as not so likely to be of value in our land, and as a least noble sort of exploration at the best, let us consider the kind of inquiry into our immediate neighbor- THE MUSEUM. 183 hoods that it is worth our while to en- ter into. We will begin with the plant life because it will take but a short space to dispose of that branch of the subject, partly because there has been so much more done in botany than in zoology, and partly because I know far less of the needs for exploration in that direction. However, I do know that in what our scientific friends call Cryp- togamic Botany, that branch of the study to which the ferns, the mosses, the lichens, and the countless world of microscopic plants to which the smuts, the mildews, and all their tiny horde belong, there is much of interest to be gleaned. But this is hardly work that will appeal to the juniors while they remain such, for it calls for too much of indoor work, too much of long and patient bending over a microscope, to be very enticing. To those who have a garden, where without too much ex- pense an electric line can be tapped, there is a field of prying into — which was one of the definitions of to explore — which holds out much of promise in the way of experimentation with the electric current and plant life. Pro- fessor Aloi and others have shown that electricity may be made to exert a very beneficial influence on certain vegeta- bles on which they have conducted ex- periments. Corn planted in the usual way and treated as is commonly done on our farms is much hastened in its development and its yield is increased, it is claimed, if an electric current is sent through the ground near its roots. Other vegetables have been effected in like manner and some wild flowers have been induced to so far excel their usual size and beauty as to rival their hot-house cousins. Here is a field for inquiry for the suburban boy that is full of suggestiveness; and, perhaps, it is even a better field for his more pains- taking and flower-loving sister. In conversation with one of the students of mammals in the National Museum at W'ashington, not long ago, I was much surprised to find how much there was yet to be found out about the commoner mammals of our eastern states. It appeared as though there was hardly a species that had not some unsolved problem connected with it, and to one who like myself had always imagined that the mammals of this region were studied until they had been reduced almost to an exact science, it was strange to learn that there was yet so much that the students of that animal class were waiting to find out. There was more to be known about the moles and their habits underground than had yet been discovered. Al- though the varieties and structural peculiarities of the skunks were well known, but little was certain as to their home life, although that seemed quite natural to me, and will, doubt- less, seem so to my readers And so it ran on through the catalogue of the lot. Marsupialia or Marsupiata. (Purse or Pouch.) A great many of our zoologists of the present day, class the Virginia Opossum as a distinct group of the mammalia. They differ essentially from all others in their organization. Some 'possum are insectiverous or carniverous in their habits, others herbiverous and still others frugiverous. Some are diurnal and others nocturnal. The marsupial animals are all restricted to two portions of the globe — America and Australia — including certain is- lands in the Indian Archipeligo. Up- wards of 70 species are known. The genus Didelphys is a genus of which the \'irginian Opossum (Didel- phys virginiana) is restricted to Amer- ica. It contains some twenty species, a few of which are very small. The limbs are short, the feet plantigrade, five toes on each foot, armed with strong curved claws, except the inner toe on the hind feet. The sole is covered with a naked skin which is sensative. The tail is naked or scaly except at its base, and constitutes an organ of prehension, but not to the 1 84 THE MUSEUM. same extent in all species. The ears are large, thin, naked and rounded. The tongue is thick and rough with horny papallae. The snout is long, the muzzle pointed, naked and moist. The females have a pouch, in which they carry their young. The Virginia Opossum and its im- mediate relations are slow and noc- turnal in their habits. They live most- ly on branches and in hollow trees and remain torpid throughout the day. At night they prowl around and feed on insects, eggs, birds, reptiles, and small animals, adding also fruits and roots to their diet. Their sense of smell is of high perfection. Like the English Polecat it is fond of poultry, although not very lively and retreats before the break of day, leaving its victims behind. The Virginia Opossum is common in many parts of North America from Mexico to Massachusetts. Specimens have been shot near Haverhill, Mass. This is as far north as I have any re- ports that I place any faith in, although it may range still farther north. It is about the size of a common house cat, being about 22 inches in length from end of nose to roots of tail. The tail is 1 5 inches long. The under fur is deep and wooley. The color of fur and hair may change as to locality where taken. I simply de- scribed the general color. The ears are large and black, mar- gined on the tips with white. The scaled portion of the tail is of a whitish tint. The general color of the fur is a dirty white with a slightly yel- low cast. The legs are dusky brown, a tint of which surrounds the eyes. There is nothing pleasing in the ap- pearance or habits of the Virginia Opossum. In captivity I find it very dull and sloathful and soon becomes very fat, eating both vegetable and an- imal food. As to cunning, it shows very little when in captivity and is to my mind a very uninteresting pet. In its wild state it suffers from both birds and animals, as well as from man. It is hunted for its fur, fat and for its flesh. Nothing to my knowl- edge will awaken a southern darkey as a Posum hunt, and perchance he may get a skunk instead, as 1 have to my sorrow more than one. I have noticed that as soon as the Opossum discovers the approach of its enemies, it hugs close to the branch or gets into a crotch where two limbs seperate, but if *he hunter has a good coon dog he is soon discovered, and is shortly shaken out or shot. But the dogs have good cause to be very smart or he will quickly disappear. They will feign death to a remarkable de- gree and even after placed in the bag will sometimes not be found when the hunter returns home. They even have more lives than the cat, it would seem, for I have shot them with charges that would kill an animal three times as large, and after placing them in the canooe have seen them try to sneak out over the gunwale when they thought themselves unobserved. It will, when shaken from a tree, steal away and compress itself into a very small space, hoping to elude capture; and will also assume the attitude and stillness of death. This, under the shade of night, will often enable it to escape the dogs. I have noticed that the old Opossum will often be seen with its entire fam- ily of youngsters on its back and they to prevent a fall will have their tails tightly wound around their mother's, and otherwise stand on her back. She will go through the branches thus laden with ease, and the family seem to en- joy the ride. This is, no doubt, a method of the old one to land her off- spring in a place of safety when danger threaten them. Their flesh is white and they are not bad eating at all. They climb with great facility and will hang sus- pended by their tail for considerable time. They also will hang thus by their tail and swing back and forth and suddenly throw themselves from THE MUSEUM. 185 one branch to another some distance away, on which they will safely land. Now as to the amount of a litter of young, I wish to state that I am not positive. I do know that they will have 6 or 8, but I have been told by southern parties that oii{:;ht to know, that they have as high as i 5 at a time. But this I care not to say as a fact, but can say 8, as I have often found that many in a nest. The nest is generally in a hollow tree, well lined with grass. They also build in fallen trees and under old stumps, holes in banks and any dry place. When born they are not covered with hair, but while in the pounch it begins to grow and they open their eyes after 40 or 50 days. This I (juote from others and ask some of the read- ers if they can throw any more certain light on it. I hardly think this cor- rect, but have not had a chance to verify it, so leave it for somebody that has had an opportunity. Last summer I secured a pair of Opossum and intended to place them in a suitable inclosure so as to study this matter, but the Opossums thought better of it and departed in the night. Whether they both got safely away or not our MoUie, a black bear, could say, as they had to pass through her pen to do so, and she is a very inquis- itive bear. But the boys say that they have seen young Opossums no bigger than small rats around the old lumber stored under one of the barns, so I imagine the female escaped and had a litter. Tracks of Opossums have been seen in the mud in a thick woods near here, so I imagine that they are still living. Charles Newell, West Newbury, Mass. William D. Hartman, M, D. The October number of the Nau- tilus contains a notice of the death of Dr. Wm D. Hartman, and believing him to be one of our most prominent students of Conchology, we reprint here portions of said notice. Dr. Hartman whose death occurred on August 1 6th last, at West Chester, Pa. , was born in East Pikeland Town- ship, West Chester, Pa., Dec. 24, 1817. He was the eldest son of Hon. George Hartman. The founder of the family in Chester Co. was his great- great-grandfather, John Hartman, a native of Schwerin, Htsse Casse, Ger- many, who came to Philadelphia in 1753- After receiving an education in the schools of the neighborhood, Wm. Hartman entered the famous school of Jonathan Gause and the academy of Jonathan Strode. He studied medi- cine and about this time became greatly interested in the study of Bot- any. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated from the Medical Department in 1839, at the age of 2 1 years. After graduation he returned to West Chester and engaged in the practice of his profession. Dr. Hartman devoted all the time that he could spare from his medical practice to the study of Natural Sci- ence, a Besides botany he studied en- tomology, mineralogy and conchology, and became an authority in each of these branches, especially as they re- lated to Chester county. The latter science, however, finally engrossed his attention, and it is by his work on Mollusca that he became most widely known. For over forty years he cor- responded upon conchological topics with the leading authorities in the science in this country and abroad. Among his correspondents and co-lab- orers were Isaac Lea, L. L. D., of Philadelphia, Charles Wheatley of Phoenixville, Geo. W. Tryon, Jr., J. G. Anthony, Dr. J. C. Cox, Andrew Garrett, \\'. H. Pease, E. L. Layard and others. Through Mr. Garrett he obtained what is perhaps one of the finest col- lections of Polynesian land shells in the world, especially of the genus Par- tula, of which he described 25 species. 1 86 THE MUSEUM. The original study of the genus Par- tula particularly engaged his attention during several years; and his careful work and extensive writings on the group have given him high rank as an authority thereon. His beautiful col- lection of Achatinellidfe was purchased by the Bremem Museum some time before his death. The last Concho- logical work that Dr. Hartman under- took was a revision of the Helicinida;. He gathered much interesting mater- ial but failing health prevented the carrying out of his intentions. One of the best known publications from the pen of Dr. Hartman was Con- chologia Cestrica, treating of the Mol- lusca of Chester Co., Pa. In its pre- paration he was associated with the late Dr. Ezra Michener of New Gar- den Township, but Dr. Hartman did the larger part of the work. It is il- lustrated with 200 wood cut figures of shells described in the work. This book published in 1874 was formerly used as a text book in many schools in Chester and Delaware counties. He was also the author of the fol- lowing papers: Opercula of the family of Strepoma- tidas. Amer. Jour. Conch, vi. 316, 1S71. Description of a Partula supposed to be new, from the island of Moorea, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 229, 1880. A Catalogue of the Genus Partula, Fer. Privately printed in West Chest- er, 1 88 1. Observations on the species of the Genus Partula, Per., with a Biblio- graphical Catalogue of all the species. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. ix, No. 5, pp 171-190, 1882. Observations on the duplicates of the Genus Partula, Fer., contained in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., formerly belonging to the collection of the late W. H. Pease, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. ix, pp 91-96, 1882. Descriptions of new species of Par- tula and a synonymic catalogue of the genus. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 203- 223, 1885. New species of Partula from the New Hebrides and Solomon Islands. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 30-35, 1896. A bibliographic and synonymic cat- alogue of the genus Achatinella, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 16-56, 1888. New species of shells from the New Hebrides and Sandwich Islands. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 250, pi. 13, 1888. New species of shells from New Hebrides. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 91- 95, pi. 5, 1888. Descriptions of new species of shells. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. 284-288, pi. 3, 1890. Catalogue of the genus Partula. The Nautilus, vi. 73 and 97, 1892. Melania yokohamensis, new species, The Nautilus xi, 41, 1897. In 1883 Dr. Hartman went abroad visiting many of the leading museums. He was married to Mary Jane Kab- el, a daughter of John Kabel of Jeffer- son Co., W. Va., on Dec. 3, 1841. Mrs. Hartman survives her husband, as also do five children. (In July last we had the pleasure of calling on Dr. and Mrs. Hartman, on- ly about a month prior to his sudden death. Although the Doctor was feel- ing very miserable, as soon as I made myself known he insisted on showing me his entire beautiful collection, which is arranged in over 100 large draws. It covers to more or less ex- tent all genera of shells, but one can readilly see his favorites were the East Indian Land Shells. All the speci- mens are beautifully mounted on cards, similar to most of those in the Academy of Natural Science at Phila- delphia. It was a treat greatly en- joyed and long to be remembered. — Ed.) DAGGER LIKE SWORDS— We have a stock of dagger-like swords, 20 to 30 inch blade in fine sheath, fancy handle at $1.00 fiach net by express. They are a bargain at this price. No rust on them. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y, THE MUSEUM. 187 Choice Bird Skins. ^^^^ ^'^^'^ imp'^iieitS' SitiiiUiill Ci aiic. liiiH pIiiiUH)ii<. ;);i ^.j; Lorit;- liillod Cllilc"-. $1; KimI iluo:i>.'.| Lioii. $1 ;0; C'assiu'jt Aiikli-t. $2 35; P:K-ilii- K.iliimr, '.i 75; Biiliaiua Pir tiii! $1.25; R'uT, *1. Send for complete list of Skins, etc. \\ ill he [.)li'!ii » e m-ed W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N Y. WANTED —Sets of am Warblers, Hawks, Owls. Waders, (ianii- bird.^. Waterfowl. Spar- rows Can offer good trade as 362. 187 341 117, 269. 4SI3 S.nd list. D. WILBY, 27 Ernnt street, we.-t. Toronto, Ont. These are known all over the U. S. for their liiiish, color, ami besuiy. The Kiint Kidgc Kuive', Arrow.s, Spe;irs. Sjr.ipers, etc , wore carried I'y .aborigines all over th*; country. Send mo $1 for a saui(ile Lit. CLIFFORD ANDERSON, BROWNSVILLE, Muskingum Co., OHIO. Ke- Enforcements. THE MTDRAL1ST,FARM($ FANCIERS REVIEW Mas be^in Re-eufo.-ct) 1 and wii; b.^ fiunher Re-enforcdd. The foi'owing De^irt uents have been Inaugurated, ant each svill be Edited by Promineat parties: Ornithological, Poultry, Pigeon, Pet Stock and Nature Photo Exchange. Drop us a Postal Card for Sample Cjpy. Subscription 25 cents per year. See Clubbing off jr with tais paper. "Ad Rates" on application. H. W. KERR, Publisher. Blencoe, Iowa, or Albion, N. Y. Our New Lot of Fossils. The new lot of fossil shells advertised in last MusEU.M are going rapidlv. One com- plete set has been seat, 10 the British Museum at London and another set will go to Ger- luany. We 8:ill have a pretty good aasort- niHiit As inliiuated in our adveriisement they would go quickly and they have No one could collect the assortment of specimens \ye offered, name them correctly and make living wage^ at our prices We I'an still off-r a fine assortment of ,50 to 60 species, which iac'ud.^s most all the larg- est spe(rimens ina'-.y ranging 6 to 8 inches, a fin ■ snile of at Irjist 1.50 specimens for only $15.00. Every museum that has not a set of nice Pliocene Fossils .■•iMuid have them repre-ent- ed. It will not be possible to get them at a less figure unless they arc donated outright. We also offer some nice specimens in ex- change for spei-imons of shells we can use. W. E. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y, i88 THE MUSEUM. A NEW LOT OF FOSSILS. While on our recent trip south we secured a fine lot of Pliocene Fossils, taken in the vicin- ity of the Caloosahatchie river in Florida This is a region that has had few explorers after fossils and the results are that the specimens possess great interest. The quality of the speci- mens is also good, much better than is usually the case with fossils c f this nature. The species have all been carefully gone over by the curator of one of our leading Pennsylvania museums, carefully sorted up and accurately named. To our notion, fossils are of little value without a name and locality. These specimens were secured at a usual depth of twenty feet below the surface of the ground. They are fully wriiten up in the proceedings of the Wagner Free Institute, by Prof. William H. Dall, of the Smithsonian institution, of Washington, D. C .Any collector having access to most any of our larger museums will find the above proceedings and illustrations of the species. We offer single specimens at very reasonable prices, or will make up into collections, as follows: Collection of 50 species, representing a large number of genera, all carefully labeled for $4.00. Collection of 75 species, all carefully labeled $7.50. Collection i.f 100 species, all carefully labeled $10 00. Collection of 200 species, all carefully labelfd $30 00. Collection of 200 species, giving suites of each kind, usually of from 3 to 5 specimens, in all aggregating over 750 sptcimeus, for $50,00, which is at the rate of only seven cents a speci- men. At the above figure no iuan can afford to go to Florida to collect these interesting speci- mens. We are told that less than ten museums in the United States possess a series of the above specimens, and unless securtd within the past year, the British museum does not pos- sess a series from the above locality. A large proportion of these will be sold almost immediately on the appearance of this advertisement, herce you should write at once if you wish to secure any of them WALTER F. WEBB, Mgr., - - Albion, N. Y. BROOKDALE MUSEUM, WEST NEWBURY, MASS. Collectors and Dealers in BIRDS. @ ANIMALS. @ FISH. @ REPTILES. Both Skins and Mounted Specimens; also Heads, Horns, Fur Rugs, Curios, both land and marine, and all specimens pertaining to natural history. TAXIDERMY IN ALL ITS BRANCHES. Write us for quotations on anything in our line. ^Ve can furnish anything obtainable in large or small lots, and you will find our prices as low, if not lower, for the quality of goods, than anybody's. CHARLES NEWELL, President. SHELL SUITES— We offer 50 kinds of CHOICE INDIAN RELICS:— We expect in American Helix at 82.00 prepaid, 50 kinds of the near future a large and fine collection of Foreign Helix at $4 00 prepaid, 30 kinds of t„j:„„ d.vi;«, a „ „.i -„. .■ Achatinella, $3.00, 20 kinds Pai'tula at $2. ,50, ^^^'^^ ^«1'«^- ^™°"« other interesting 100 kinds of American Fresh Water shells. things are 900 flint an ow points, 120 white mostly Strepomatidie, at $4 00 prepaid, 100 quartz points, 200 bird points, 115 spear heads nice kinds of Marine Shells many genera of all sizes, 60 scrapers, 40 bone awls, 40 hoes, from all parts of the world at $7 50 prepuid, !.„■„„„ „ „„j j- i on .i -n ,50 kind.s^of Foreign Fresh water shells at '^"'^^s, gouges and disks, 30 drills, many $5.00, 100 kinds Foreign Land Shells exclusive bone, stone and shell beads, 100 stone and of Helix for $8 00 40 kinds of Clausilia for slate implements of curious designs, pipes, $2.00, over 100 other simihir bargains by fani- etc. Parties who wish some of these tine and ilies. Let us hear from you All specimens unique .■specimens should write at once; first carefully labeled with name, localitv, etc come, first served. W. F. WEBB, Mgr.. Al- W.F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N.Y. " bicn, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. 189 (Dctobcr i\iraain5. We arc cutting prices in man)' cases way below cost to close out the greater share of our large stock. Sonic branches of our business will be dropped entirely. We offer you extra inducements to buy now. Remembtr no poor stock will be sent out unless distinctly understood in advance. Bird Skins at Reduced Prices. Postajto extra if you wish sent by niai Evening (iros'ieak American Qimil female Great Bhio Heinn, male Followine from South Texas, niiute in ruary and ftlareh last: ivuie troiii t<( ml ftlareh la: Road Rmiuer, m Arizona Cardinal, m. f Western Meadow Lark, m. . , Sage Thrasher, ni Mexican Shore Lark, m Aiiioi t Titlark, 111 McCown's Longspur, ui Black-throated Sparrow, m. Black Skimmer Gnll-hillTern Long bill Curlew Western Nightbawk Scaled Quail Texan Quail Vermillion Klycatcher Cassin's Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Scissor-tailed Flycatcher... I. 8 .30 1.00 Fcb- .46 .19 .19 .24 .14 12 .13 .18 55 .70 55 38 .55 .38 .34 45 .25 .28 Cracked Ostrich Eggs. In the hanilling of over 100 dozen Ostrich eggs we found a great many specimens cracked slightly. Some you would have 10 hunt quite a while to Bnd the imperfection. They are just the same as we have been sell- ing for one year, only for the cracks. Per dozen $2.00 Single specimen net 20c or pre paid 4.5c. Perfect Ostrich eggs are now worth 16 00 a dozen. Indian Relics and Curios. Fine Bowl, cracked 2.50 Sinkers 15 Scrapers, notched or unnotched , .15 Points, poor, various states 01 better, '• • 03 " good to fine, various states 10 Chautauqua shell colli ction.used to sell at S2 50, prepaid, have 10 will sell at 1.25 Cactus Wood Cane 50 Collection of 50 kinds of minerals, all named, etc ; . .75 Special rates on 25 to .50 collections. Ostrich Egp, African 85 A bargain on some big Bahama Corals weighing 10 to 40 pounds each. Marine algae per doz cards 75 Scorpion, mounted in box 40 Hermit Crab, in shell; all in box 25 Piece of Big Tree Bark, 4x4 inch 20 12 kinds of Sea Beans, all named, for 30 25 kinds of Foreign Birds' eggs, all named and first-class, for 1 .50 Birds of Labrador, Natural History of Labrador, and O. & O. Manual, all for. 1 00 .60 1.20 .40 .75 Book of Sea Mosses, 10 beautiful cards, all (litTiirent, arranged in a book and tied with ribbon The finest work in the mounting of sea mosses we have ever ^eon Ditto, large size, tiiiG Marine Algea Blotter, the top card with beautiful mountings and covered with celhiUiid. Very neat Marine Algea Newspaper Clipping Case, 6 large envelopes appropriately named and bound in heavy covers, on which are beautiful mounts under celluloid, so it is not easily soiled, gold edges. . . Marine Algea Panel, consisting of 5 card mounts, strung with ribbon, so as to hang on wall. This is to our notion one of the handsomest 40 Marin(^ Algea Photo Frame. The frame proper is covered with beautiful mounts that are in turn covered with celluloid to keep dust from soiling. Has back, so will stand on mattel or table. A beauty 60 Shell Case, a pair of Pecten irridans, hinged at bottom in which are 10 cards of algea, very neat 40 The above seven articles are particularly suit- able for birthday or wedding gifts, being something that will be always admired. We will send on appi oval to any collectors, so sure are we that you will be more than pleased. Collections.. The Young Naturalist's Marvelous collec- tion, consists of 44 specimens, as follows: In- dian Pottery, Yellow Red and Black Sea Beans, Chinese Horn Nut, Egg Capsule Peri- winkle, Sand Box Shuck, Alligator Tooth, Tarpon Scale, Jobs Tears, Black eye Susans, Miamosa Seeds, Castor Oil Bean, Foreign Land Snail, Bleeding. Tooth, Ring Top Cowry, Money Cowry, Tectarias, Olive, Worm Shell, American Fresh Water Shell, American Land Shell, Purpura, Limpet, Beehive Shell, Drill Shell, Button Shell, Satin Spar, Petrified Wood. Mexican Onyx, Petrified Coral, Petri- tied Nautilus, Pctriiied Shell, W. I. Branch Coral, E. I. Branch Coral, Yellow Coral, Or- fanpipe Coral, Prescious Coral, Coralline, ellow Sea Fan, Purple Sea Fern, Sponge, Starfish, Sand Dollar. These arc all Natural History Specimens and will delight the young and old as well. They are almost certain to create in any young mind a love for Natural History. Special prices to Teachers, where ordered in quantity for students. We send the collection prepaid with descriptive list of same, for only GOc. Special Mineral Collection, consisting of ,50 specimens of good size, as follows: Actinol- ite, Albite, Alabaster, Allanite, Aragonite, igo THE MUSEUM. Arseuopyrile, Aspbaluini, Asbestos, Biotite, Beryl, Boltonite, Crjstalized Oak-ite. Chalced- ony, Ohiastolito Crjstiil. Cone in Cone, Co- quina. Crinoittal Limfslone, Dolomite. Flint, Fossil Coral, Garnets in Rock, Geode Quartz,, Goltl Ore, Graphite, Gjt'Hiim, Hematite, Ice- land Spar. Iron Pi'riti's, Kaolin, Lead Ore, Limonite. Marble. M:i! cloth ' 3 00 Thk Museum Vols 1, 2 and 3, nicely bound in cloth, 700p ". 1 75 Ornithologist and Oologist. 1889 and '90, full leather, new 2 00 Capen's Oology, good copy, but second hand, rate ,. . . 8 50 Tenth Annual Report of Bureau of Elh- nologv. SOOp, weight 7ibR 2 50 Part 2 of Vol 2 of Geology of Ohio, on Fossils, large voluint! with 60 full page plates 2 00 Standatd Naltiral Hisory, Vol. 1 on Lower Ir;\ 01 tehr.ate.s. 400 pages, fine- ly illustrated 'I'his volume cannot new be pnrchasect separate from set for less than $10 4 50 Cory's Birds of the Bahamas a fine work, new. cost $5 4 00 Any of above fine works sent prepaid on receipt cf price. Gem Stones. Having purchased more of some kinds of these beau'iful polished gem stones than we need, we i)tfer them at the following prices: Wood Agate, dozen $ 40 Tiger Eye " 30 Moss Agate " 50 Carnelian " 30 Malachite '• 50 Bloodstone ' 30 Ribbon Agate " 40 Gold Stone " 40 Black Agate " 40 Turquois " 50 Sample of each above 10 by mail 40 On an order for 12 dozen or more we v.'ill give a discount of 25 per cent. which is actual cost value. New Mineral Collections for Teachers. 1. 40 Minerals in tine case. each specimen lAx2* in a tray, for illustrating min- eralogy, net. ." $2 00 2. 40 rocks in a line case, each specimen lix2A in a tray for illustrating min eralogy 2 00 3. 24 specimens of invertebrates, such as Foraminifera, Sponges, Corals, Worms, Starhsh, Se.i, Urchins, Crus- taceans, Insects, etc 3 50 The above 3 collections at $7.50 are the handsomest thing ever issued of the kind. 4. Consists of 20 minerals and 20 rocks in one case, being just half of Col- lection 1 and 2, net $2 00 Collection 3 and 4 at $5.50 will be found very useful. We can guarantee 6,bove collections to suit any purchaser. W. r. WEBB. Mgr.. Albion. NY. THE MUSEUM. 191 CYPRAEA FOR SALE. There sire very few shell collectors bill what will agree that Uie Cowries are the haiuisom- est of all shells. The brilliant enamel extends over the entire specimen and the great variety of colors are really wonderful They inhabit chietly the warmer seas, al- though a few species come as far north as Florida and southern California The Indian ocean produces more kinds than any other locality, aMhoiigh llioy inhabit all islands from Japan to New Zealand. Our new possessions, the Sandwich Islands, have a number of inter- esting forms. We list such species as we have on hand at pre.sent and shall be plesised to send approval lots to any one who desires same. The differ- ence in price usually denotes a difTorence in size, as we have no rooit specimens whatever. You are sure to be pleased with anything from this list. LIST ASK PRICES. Argus, L 50. 75 to $1.00 exanthema. L 15. 2.5 to 50 scurra, Chiuin., 25 to .oO Isabella. L. 5-10 15 lurida, L 10 and 15 Cincrea Gmel. 10 20 50 carneola, L. 10 20 30 75 talpa, L.20 30 40 rhinoceros, iiby 1.00 irrorata, Sol 50 microdon, (iray 50 felina, Gmel. 10 and 20 hirundo, L 510 20 negleela, Sby 15 eynindrica Born .35 50 teres, (imol 2.00 cruenta, Gmel. 10 15 20 stolida, L 50 arenosa, Gray. 35 to 50 tessellata, Swain $1.00 to 2 50 caput-serpentig, L. 5-10 15 Arabica, L. 15 20 25 reticulata, Mart. 20 30 50 histrio, Meusch . 30 40 50 stercoraria, L. 25 to 50 decipiens. E A S 10.00 moneta. L. & Vars. 5 to 15 obvelata, Lam. 10 to 15 Aurantium, Mart, with hole in outer lip, worn by native 25.00 Tigris, L. 15 to 25 vitcllus. L 10 1.5-25 50 spadicea, Swn 50 75 1.00 pyrum, Gmel , fine 35 errones. L 0 10 15 subviridis, Rve 35 .50 75 pulcbella. Swain 2.50 zonata, Chem. $1..50 to 2..50 picta, (iray. 25 to .50 puDctulata. (iray 15 ziczac, L 5 10 to 15 asellus. L. 5 to 10 punctata, L. 15 to 25 Comptoni. Gray 50 pulicaria, Sve 1 .00 cribraria. L 25 35 and 50 esentropia. Duel 1 .00 Lamarckii, Gray. 20 to 35 cburnoa. Barnes. 30-40 to 75 erosa. L. 5 to 15 listeri. (iray. 50 to 75 albuginosa, Mawe 15 polila, Roberts 2.00 spurca. h. 20 to 30 cernica, Sby ,50 edentula, Sby 40 capensis. (iray 1.25 cervus. 1- 25 50 to 75 cerviuetta, Kien 25 testudinaria, L .50-75 to 1 25 controversa. Gray 50 pulchra, Gray. $1.50 to 2 00 reevei. (iray 1 .50 interrupta, (iray 40 quailrimaculata, (iray 50 limbrieata, (imol.5-10 20 macula. Ads 35 and 50 ursellus, Gmel 15 oweni, Sby 1.00 coll'ea, Sby 50 tabescens, Sol. 25 35 50 caurica, L 5 10 20 gregori, Ford 50 ventriculus, Lam. 25-50 75 mauritiaua, L 25 to 40 mappa, L 50-75 $100 1.50 eglantina, Uuc 2 00 intermedia, (iray 15 arabicula, Lam. 15 to 25 stercoraria. Var. Minor 30 thersites, (iask 2 50 mus, L 30 annulus, L 5 to 10 pantherina, Sol. 25 to 50 melanosioma, Leathes. 50 75 1 .00 onyx, L. tine 50 lynx, L. 5 10 15-25 50 sophiae. Biaz 1.00 pallida, (iray 1 .50 Sowerbyi, Kien. 20 to 35 Exusta. Sby. very fine 10 00 sanguinolenta, (imel .75 undata, Lam. 10-15 to 20 clandestina. L. 5 to 10 angustata, Gmel. 25-35 to 50 piperita, Sol 75 algoensis, (iraj' 50 cribellus, (iask 30 margarita, Sol 2 00 miliaris. (imel. 25 to 40 turdus, Lam. 5 to 15 ocellata, L. 10 to 15 poraria, L 15 helvola, L 5 to 15 semiplota, Migh 2.00 flaveola, L. 15 to 25 gangrenosa, 5 to 25 adansoni, Gray .... 1.00 staphylaea, L. 10 to 20 pustulata, I..am. 15 to 25 Madagascarensis, 35 to 50 annulata, (iray 50 globulus, L 25 oniscus. Lam 40 nivea, (iray 10 scabriuscuia, Gray 10 insecta. Migh 15 globosa. Gray 25 suffusa Gray 15 quadripunctata, Gray 10 192 THE MUSEUM, radians, Lam 25 californica, Gray 10 subrostrata. Gray 30 f ormosa, Gask 50 australis, Lam 25 annae, Roberts 1 00 sub-cylindrica, Sby 60 nucleus, L. 10 to 20 granulata, Pse 50 cicercula, L 20 children!, Gray 25 ovulata, Lam 75 oryza, Lam 10 grando, Gask 75 vitrea. Gask 75 pediculus, L 10 Pacifica, Gray 15 exigua. Gray 75 solandri. Gray 15 sanguinea, Gray 10 pellucidula, Gask 50 europea, Mont 10 pulex, Sol 10 clara, Gask 1 .00 gemmula, Weink 10.00 In addition to the above we have a number of varieties of fossil Cypraea, something in very few collections in this country. One of the most curious forms is probelamtica, Helip, from Pliocene, Fla., $1. No such Cypraea ex- ists to-day. Other good species are amygda- dum, Brocchi. Turin 60c, brocchi, Desh North Carolina 50c, carolinensis, Conr. North Caro- lina 50c, duclosiana, Bart. Transylvania 30c, elongata, Broc. Italy 50c, expansa, Gere. Italy 60c, leporina, Lam France 75c, lyncoides, Brgn. Touraine, Italy 75c, myeri, Bottg Ger- many 50c, platypyga, McCoy, Australia $3, spirata, Sohl. Denmark SOc, splendens, Grat. France $1, sanguinolenta, Duj. France 50c, subexcisa, A. Brm. Germany 30c, pyrum, Gmel. Australia 50c, elegans, Defr. France 25c, bullata, Denmark 35c, Trivia avellina, Sby. 40c, T. europea, Sby. 25c, T. affine, Duj. 40c, T. sphaericulata, 50c, T. lamarckii, Desh. 80c. We also have some unusual specimens not often listed in any catalogue. For instance a extra testudinaria $1.50, beautiful red panther- inas at $2 50, one red Mappa at 81 50, lemon yellow erosa 25c, young caput-serpentis at 10c, orange-colored vitellus at 50c, banded vitel- lus at 40c, young vitellus at 25c, good size, distorted carneola at 50c, young carneola, over three inches long, at 75c, and we have fully developed specimens of same species at 5 to 10c, about i inches long, young thersites, Bulla form, at 50c, young talpa 25c, young cinerea, bulla form 15c, young helvola 15c, young arabica at 15c, and large young arabica 2i inches, with scarcelv any teeth developed 35c, young reticulata 20c, specimens of arabi- ca, size and shape of scurra, intergrading 50c, young arenosa 20c, young venlriculus at 25c, young mus at 20c, young scottei, but damaged some at 50c, young spadicea, with none of natural color formed, but with lip well devel- oped at 50c, also all forms of this beautiful species up to perfect types, young pyrum with three bands at 30c, young onyx with two bands and bulla form 25c, young lynx, all sizes up to two inches 10 to 20c, young maur- itinas, bulla form 25c, larger with lip formed at 30c, and still larger, streaked, showing stage before last coat of enamel is formed 40c. In the Cervus and exanthema group we have every form, size and color imaginable in the species; bulla form 25c. Send in a list of those you wish to examine at once, assured of prompt reply. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. Good Pamphlcts,Books,ctc. English Sparrow in North America, 405 pp., 10 tigs., 1 map 3 Prairie Ground Squirrels of Miss. Val- ley, 69 pp., 3pl., 4 maps Common Crow of the United States, 98 pp., 1 pi., 6 figs., 1 map Jack Rabbits of the United States, 84 pp., 6 pi., 2 figs Revision of North American Pocket Mice. 36 pp., 4 pi Description of 14 new species and 1 new genus Amer. Mammals, 52 pp., 8 pi., 7 figs Biological Survey of the San Francisco Mountain Region and Desert of the Little Colorado, Ariz., 136 pp ,5 maps, 2 figs., 14 pi Biological Reconoissance of South Cen- tral Idaho, 133 pp., 4 pi, 4 figs Monographic Revision of the Pocket Gophers, 358 pp., 20 pi., 71 figs Revision of the Shrews of the American Genera Blarina and Notiosorex, 124 PP-, 13 Pl Weasels of North America, 44 pp., 6 pL, 16 figs Genera and Subgenera of Voles and Lemmings, 84 pp., 12 figs , 3pl Revision of North American Bats, 140 pp , 3 pi , 40 figs Fine Descriptive books of most any Cen- tral American or South American country, at 50c to Public Libraries in the United States. . . Pacific Railroad Surveys and Explora- tions, set of 13 volumes, cloth, now getting very scarce and valuable Mollusca and Crustacea of the Miocene of New Jersey, 195 pp., 24 pi List of Marine Mollusca, comprising the quartenery fossils between Cape Hat- teras and Cape Roque Invertebrate Fossils of the Pacific Slope Fauna of the Knoxville beds, 133 pp., 20 pi Americal Fossil Brachiopoda, 464 pp. . . .50 .25 .20 .20 .20 .20 .40 .25 6 .25 .20 .16 .20 1.00 1.00 30.00 .95 .45 .25 .25 .50 Parties wishing Government Documents of any description please write us for prices. We can quote you species rates on many thousand volumes of such. It is the cheapest scientific literature in the world and the most accurate. Walter F. Webb. Albion, N. Y. THE MUSEUM. J ALL ROADS ARE ALIKE I TO A MONARCIL^^^ 111 111 $25 King and Queen $25 The best pair o( bicycles on earth lor the money . . ■ MONARCH CHAINLESS $75 MONARCH ROADSTERS $50 DEFIANCE ROADSTERS $35 MONARCH CYCLE MFG. CO. Lake, Halsted and Fulton Streets, Chicago Branches— New York, London. Hamburg Send 20 coDt:4 in stamps tor n (icck t*{ Monarch Plnyinc Cards, illuf'tratiD«r Jes.-iio H.irtlctt Davis. Lillian liussolL Tom ('i'*n>er, Lee Ricbar an.swer any in<|ulrles as to our res|>on.s":l)llliy or fair dealing. I f yon wish to 8ee ijuaUiy of specimens before placing larger orders, .send tl for a l)ox of samples. All cleaned and correctly named. Price list for sLimi) and all Inquiries promptly answered. Give ns a trial. J. H. HOLMES, DUNBDIN, FLA. Florida Land and Fresh Water Shi'll.s. AUo CiMitipuilcs, S •orpion.s. ('ralis, etc. in alcobnl at a l>;ir(;aiM. Adilres.s with statu p. O. BRYAXT. Lij"gwoo(1, Florida Wholesale Barpins. Wu Imvf on haiul many lino thlng.s in .sni'h c|U!inlity we (|uole low rates on wholesale or- c quart Fascioliiria (iisUms. Tulip. 2 inch, 36c dozen. Fdsninliiria tulipi. Tulip, 3 to 4 inch, 40c doz. Fulgar perversa, Irom Fla., 4 to 5 inch, 60c" Tube Sponges, a great curio from Bahamas, $1.50 dozen. Sciiphiles nndosvs, an ammonite shaped fossil from the Bad Lnnds, 1 inch, 30c doz , 2 inch. .50c dozen; 2t inch, $1 00 dozen. Make up your order now, as these prices only hold good while stock lasts. W. F. WEBB, Mgr., Albion, N. Y. IMPORTANT NOTICE. We df Fire to aniinnnce that owing to the many ImprowmeDts m;ide in the current volume of i [the Fern Kulletlii, the price of .samplei |oopies will now be lifteen cetits each. Pur-I chu-sers (»f s.'imi)te copies may deduct thlH siiml Ifrom the regular sub.scrlpllou price when subf iHcrlbinK. The January number contains four-1 ] teen articles on ferns, many .-horter notes, and 1 eight paces devoted to the MosKes. Send for ' It. Address, The Fern Bulletin, Binghampton. N. Y. WRITE ME A LETTER TODAY Slating: that yon would liUi* to have sent for your ins|)eitlon. ihariTes prepaid. .'» till' I-'aiiiouH nuubly-teriiiln- I Hted Quartz CryHtalH. f< und at ' this piac*'. II this collection of Krllllant Clems pleases you. kindly .send "U cents (no more), otherwise return llie collect- ion and It will be O. K. Is not this a fair proposition r Exhibit at World's Fair received Highest Award, Medal and Dlplom,-i. Address. A. B. CRIM, MKinievlIIe, IlerUiiiier Co., N, V. ,-r OF North American Birds BY Ol IVER DAVIF. Fifth Edition. Finely Illusirate Thoroughly Revised. 600 pp. Extra Cloth - $2.24 postpaid The best book on Eggs PublisheJ. IN EVERYTHING IS THE CHEAPEST. We have the BEST at lowest prices. IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF Birds Eggs or Skins, Egg Collecting Outfits, Taxidermists' Material, or any kind of Naturalists' Supplies. Send Stamp for Catalogue. Mention this paper. CHAS. K. REED, 75 Thomas St, WORCESTER, MASS. I' |l|fl|||l| '" Ifll II'MIIJ ii:ir