iDey at Law.VVashlngwnD.C.
ToTMt
IS TKE BEST. -^^^^ ^^
CH C AGO BOSTOH MAIJ. «Tl»MT» OA. »*" c»U ">
T. LOUIS I*"- FOR SALE BY '»*"-mtP-
r RIFLES
■ . FOR SAUE ' .'^c.
EVERYWHERE
^eMarLI N RREARifeGd.
• NE.W. HAVEN, CONN,,. U.S.A.
BRIDLED TEEN EGGS.
Tn April "(h) OoL( GIST, vre published the fol'
lowing notice:
• Loilectoit. navins epRS of Bridled Tera that
they obtained direct from me. will please keep
the" same in their posessiou until a question
which has recently arisen, can be settled.
My collector on "the Bahamas was a man of
experience, and old anny captain, and who. for
the past dozen years, has sjjentfrom six to nine
months annually in active field work. In '88
and '89 he broii'ght home froni the Bahamas
several skins of the Bridled Tern and a few eggs
which he postively identilied as coming from
the same species. That my collector is honest
in his belief in the identity of the eggs, is un-
(liiestioiiaWe. but one of the best, if not the
very best Oologists in the United States— or
the world for that matter— writes me that they
are not the eggs of the Bridled Tern.
My t'nllector is now in Central America some-
where and this matter cannot be straightened
until his retem which is not expected until
July.
Vv bile I shall refuse to fill orders for eggs of
this species tmtil his reliiin. 1 shi'll also reiuse
to redeem any of the iggs that I have sold for
that species during the past eighteen months
until the matter can be sti-aightened. Should
it bo decided that the eggs are genuine, or
should it be decided otherwise, notice will be
L;iven In the Ooi.ogist and I shall straighten
the matter to my patrons' entire satisfaction."
The eggs have proved tt) be thtise of .some
other species, but we now have, however, a
.stock cf genuine Brldled's and (Uir patrons hav-
ing the spurious specimens ohfatixd directly
from IIS can retiirn the same and we will send »
genuine specimen by next mall.
FaithfuUv,
FRANK H. LATTIN.
E. W. WILCOX. ALBION, N. Y.
Carr's Natural History and Bird Stores.
Taxidermy. Bird SUius and Kggs. .Shells,
Curios, Minerals, Fossils, Iiullan Ivelics and
Naturalists' Supplies ;Siiging aud Fancy Birds,
Talking Parrots, Goldfish and A(iuarlum
Stock.
New Catalogue will be out In Oct.— "90 Cata-
logues exhaust/ed,
C. F. CARR.
Jelf Madl.son. Wl.s.
K^
284
THE OOLOGIST.
BARGAIN NO. 2.
In putting up a lot of Marvelous Collections.
we had over 4-00 wrapped and labelled
specimens left, some 4o dilterent varieties,
which retail at from 1 to 10c each.
The First$2 Bill
takes the lot by express , or by mail prepaid nOc
additional.
FRAKK H. LaATTIN,
AL.BION, IM. Y.
VIIA*G. SMITH,
—COLLECTOR OF—
"SxT^^, IV^antTnal^ and £^^5,
LOVELAND, COLORADO.
I make a specialty of mailing birds same day
as skinned, or sent in the fiesh after subjecting
them to a preservative prepa'r^ition. EncloBe
stamp for Price List.
400
1,09
VARIETIES OF STAMPS
Duplicates can be returned.
AN UNXJSUALi OFFER
M. K. GREANY,
827 BRANNAN St. SAN FRANSISCO, CAL.
Catalogue for stamp.
Rare CciHfornia View?.
Enclose stamp for catalogue. Su,mple of
views will be sent upon receipt of 25 cents.
California Art Gallery, Santa Rosa, Cal.
THE YOUNG NATURALIST'S
8 26t
4 Bod Eb«U, S'aa'»a.
i Starfish, Capo C'jd. Utua.
i Bark froB, - ■ ~ " "
to Tii*k Shell. W. I.
11 Or;RU]pir«c CorgJ, 6liirS]^0(»
IS Cjrpraa l^-m. Hxagnyrm
IS Bed Has B««&,
19 Braacb OrkL h
91 AcoTD B*raKcl«, Padflo
S3 Rom ConO. B«hkmM
93 QtuirU Crriul. Hot Sprtn^i^ Ark.
S0 Money Cowry. Oyloo
■-•ft AIlipot/>r Tootk. Iniiao ftwr. FU.
81 Owrio Bptm^, B*'
SS rttnOtA Wood. £
S3 "Bsotrt*" fttm, f^. Os.,
.ti Sud 8h»A £cs, AttauA
» Flexible Coi»r(iiUtes).
96 J.impet, Babuctaa
37 BloodTtooth fHkall, ffatBca
SS FomU BhATk Tbo«^ flL C.
aCa.Okrk.
n).TB9BaU«
lUtm LodostoM. Ucfnt Con^ Alk
1 I*i«ie of L
FRANK H. LATTBW,
Pmbiislt^r of "TSB 001,06 I8T^
l;«c)mtni. InitnuMsti, EboptlM ifl(
PuUlMticu far Iha K4tu«IlcC
Albion, N. Y.
•Idarone* wiU B[nail-like pace to the nest all
heightened l)y the (juick sharp chii-ps of
the birds, and still, whenever I look
over my collection and see the two In-own
aud drab beauties my mind reverts
to that scene in the bus!): the tall stately
pine, the beautiful and pure white trel-
liums; and the beautiful birds dashing
and screaming around my head.
Although the label in tlie tray prosa-
ically says:
Fam. Falconid:!?,
Genus, Accipiter.
333^. w/ox(Wils.)
Sharp-shinned Hawk, .
My memory thinks only of the beauti-
ful and poetical. Truly it can be said
of the oologist what liryant says to
the evening wind: —
"Pleasant shall be thy way where meek-
ly bows
TJie shutting flower, :iml darkling
waters pass.
And where thco'er-shadowing biaiu'hes
sweep the gra.'^s."
W. H. McNaikn,
Toronto. Ont,
236
THE OOLOGIST.
A Wliit3 Grow.
I noticed iii Novemijer Oologist an
article headed, '"Albino Birds." Now
I wish to speak about such birds as
these.
On the 27th of November, 1891. my
brother and I went hunting for ducks
at Peijuot Lake, which is situated about
eight miles from this city. Well we
arrived there and were walking along
the shore of the Lake, when we heard
an awful cawing, as though the whole
creation of crows were assembled to-
gether and seemingly trying to outdo
every sound.
While tiying to approach the crows,
I started them all on the wing, about
two hundred strong.
But what should I perceive among
the whole troop — a white bird wheeling
and keeping I'ight in their midst. .
The thought flashed through my
mind, could the white bird be a Albino
Crow, impossible.
I again slowly approach the place
where they had alighted in a large field
when most of the crows again took
flight, but several of them, perhaps
fifty, settled on an old rail fence, and
among them the white bird, which
alightetl on one of the top rails.
We stood and watched the white bird
two or three minutes, the shape of its
body, pose,etc. making sure that it was,
without boubt, an Albino Crow. I am
al$o quite sure that I distinguished its
cry from among the others, it seemed
more harsh and gutteral.
I again, for the third time, advanced;
mj'' eyes seemed growing bigger and
bigger, and a firmer grip of the gun did
I take, as I neared, step by step, to the
diamond among the setting of coals.'
The black crows, one after another
flew away. Could it be possible that I
should get within range ? But, alas, he
Hew, but had the credit of being one of
the last to do so. I watched him fly
away towards the North with his fellow
but black brethren.
That it Avas an Albino Crow, I would
be willing to stake almost anything up-
on it, his manner of flight, size, actions,
and the immaculate white that clothed
his C07-VUS body.
There is a taxidermist who resides in
this city who has a mounted Albino
Blue-Jay, and also an Albino Bank
SSvallow; and another friend of mine
has in his possession a finely mounted
Albino Gray Squirrel.
Albert N. Roberts,
Holyoke, Mass.
The Pileated Woodpecker.
During my career as a naturalist and
reader of scientific papers, I have
not noticed a single article on this
grand species.
The Ivory-billed is some larger and
more scarce, but it cannot be more in-
teresting than the Pileated, which Doc-
tor Coues says is rai'e. It is quite com-
mon here, and is heard more than any
other species.
They are very Avary birds and if once
they see you, it is useless to pursue
them with a view to getting a shot at
them. They are Aery fond of picking
iu rotten logs or stumps in search of
ants and other insects AA'hich inhabit
such places, and can often be taken
while thus engaged.
I have often heard father and mother
tell how tame these birds used to be
when Eastern Indiana was new. When
father Avas a boy he used to kill them
with a stick, by striking around the
stump on Avhich they Avere at work.
Mother has caught raanj' a one in her
sun bonnet by slipping up to the stump
on the opposite side from the bird, and
when he AA'Ould put his head into some
hole or crevice in search of ants or
worms, would quickly put her bonnet
over h im .
Here, during the fall months they
feed a great deal on Avild grapes and
berries of the Black Gum, and later ou.
THE OOLOGIST
237
the Dogwood berries. I have a tiue foui), crvstal wliite eggs, small lor so
pair mounted in my colloetion, one of large a liird; size about 1x1.25.
whieh was shot a few days ago l)y my j The adult is about 18 iiu-hes in length
husband, the other by myself. | coloi-, blaek, with a narrow white stripe
It is almost impossible to gi^t a shot above the eye; a wider one front the
at them unless they are feeding. i.( stril fi-athers (inclusive), under the
A few mornings ago I heard an un- eye and along the side of the head and
usual commotion in some trees near neck.
the house, and went to see what it was The chin is white, tinged with snljjhur-
all about. It proved to be a Sparrow yellow. Entire erown from the base of
Hawk trying to catch a Golden wingeti i the bill, with a well developed occipital
Woodpecker for his breakfast. Soon
another Golden-winged put in appear-
ance, and in a few minutes a Pileated
came to the rescue He would swoop
down on the hawk from his elevated
position in some tall ti'ce, and drive it
screaming away. Tie would then return
to his chosen position uttering his loud
metalic cry, and await the coming of
the hawk. They kept up the battle till
the hawk seemed completely tiled out.
and gave up in despair.
They utter but one note, so far as I
have been able to discover. This is a
a series of aik, cnk.cAik, with each letter
sounded, thus cuk (short),i-epeated many
times in succession, with a variati(m in
pitch of voice and rai)idity. The note
somewhat resembles that of the Golden-
winged Woodpecker, though it is much
louder and more metalic.
The towering top of some dead pine
furnishes a good "lookout," and from
these the males keep watch in the morn-
ing hours uttering their peculiar note
and making the hills for miles around
resound with their "music."
There are Tailor-birds, Oven-birds
and Masons, and the Wood{)eckcr is
truely a carpenter. He slia|)cs his home
to suit his taste, the entiance being
made with the ])rccision of a compass.
He is n >t a "jack of all trades," but
works only in wooil, and oft<'n in live
hard timber, making large excavations
which are sometimes three feet deep.
The eggs are placed at the bottom of
these excavations, the eonii»lement lie-
ingfrotn three to six,fgenei-ally three or
crest, bright scarlet. Cheek patches of
the same.
The fema'e and ,young male hu ks the
red on th(> cheek, and the anterior half
of the top of the head is rei)Iaced by
black.
These birds inhabit North America,
from the Atlantic to the Pacilic, in tim-
bered districts, but seem to shun civil-
ization; for,as a country becomes thick-
ly settled they all
dee feeding.
It is now Hearing dinner time so I
must return home and help devour
Mcleagris domcsticus. I wish the editor
and readers of the Oologist could join
you.
You can imagine what a friendly
hand-shaking two thousand Ornitholo-
gists and and Oologists could have.
C.LVDE L. Kei.lkk,
Salem, Oregon.
Nov. 26, '91.
The Blue-gray Gnat-catoher in Arkansas-
One of our most interesting summer
re.sidents is this little specimen of
l)ird life. It arrives here about the
twenty-lifth of March. From the top
of some tall tree we are lirst nuuhi
aware of his presence, by the shrill,
wiry notes whicli he is accustomed to
utter during the live-long da}', as he
Hits in and out among the branches in
tireless pursuit of insects. Not a crack
or crevice of the tree escapes his keen
.scrutiny. At such times he seems to be
all hurry and bustle, lus though the
work of a life tinu! nuist be crowded
into a few short days.
As the warm days advance his whole
nature seems to uiulergo a change. We
no longer hear those shrill notes, but
240
THE OOLOGIST.
are regaled with the sweetest, tenderest
music. This is so low, that to apprec-
iate its effect, the listener must be but
a short distant from the tree in which
our modest vocalist is busily engaged.
He like manj' of his kin dislike notor-
iety. He does not seek the i)are
branches of some tall tree, and thrill
the air of the surrounding Avood with
ear-splitlinguttex'ances, but as he pours
forth his subdued song wiiile hid away
in the leafy shelter of some gnarled oak
the severest critic could scarcely fail to
assign him a high place among the
feathered choir.
The selection of a home-spot soon
claims their attention. In the river
bottom, the sweet gum seems to be the
kind of tree nearly always chosen, while
here on the mountains thej"^ usually
build in the white oaks. They prefer
trees whose branches are rough and
lichen clad, although I have known f)f
one nest being taken from the top of a
small pine sapling about twelve feet
high. The height at which these nests
are placed varies with the locality. In
some places they are seldom found
above ten feet, but in the majority of
cases, this limit is exceeded and the
height of 50 and even 60 feet are reach-
ed. There is little variation in the form
noticeable, their shape being generally
that of a truncated cone. The position
too is quite uniform. Most of them are
placed on strong branches, both up-
right and horizontal, to which they ai"e
ingeniously woven. The^'^ are so
securely fastened that to dislodge one
is a matter of no small difficulty. By a
wise provision of instinct their contents
are insured against accident. Not so
much by the depth of llie cavity, as by
the purse like contraction of the rim.
Few structures of bird architecture are
are more beautiful than the home of
this little Gnatcatcher. Its walls are of
felt, closely and compactly woven of
the slender stems of grasses, thistle-
down, spider webs and line vegetable
fibei-s. With a love for the beautiful,
our little architect must go further an(^
invest the exterior in a coat of bluish
gray lichens wiiicii serves the iwo-fold
puri)ose of ornamentation and protec-
tion both from the weather and dis-
coverj'. The nest looks so much like i^
natural exrre.'^euce that only the ex-
perienced eye can detect the diflerence.
The nest seems rather bulky compared
with the tiny builders, who measure^
but four and tiuee-tcnths inches in
length.
Having completed their home, from-
four to six eggs are deposited in as.
many daj's. Incubation begins at once
and lasts fourteen daj's. This is as.
much the work of one sex as the other.
But a single brood is raised each year.
The eggs are oval in form and slightiy
pointed. In ground color they are.
white, spotted and blotched with red-
dish brown, slate and lilac. Cabiuet.
specimens some times show a faint
bluish or greenish white tint. The
average dimensions ai'e .59 by .48 inches..
My husband found a nest in a sweet
gum, which was not quite completed..
He watched them for some time, as they
worked away at their little home. He
went bai'k in two weeks to get it, but
found it gone. The question now
arises — did they remove it to safer quar-
ters? for not a vestige of it was left.
If it had been destroyed bj' other birds,
some of the tibei's with which it was.
securely fastened to the limb would,
surely have been left, but not even a.
spiders web remained.
Mrs. Lillik Pleas,
Clinton, Ark.
Shall we Organize !
This is the one great problem which,
agitates the mind of the student of sci-
ence to-day.
We all feel that organization is neces-
sary, and, once it is accomplished the.
difficulties of scientitic research w\\\
THE OOLOGIST.
241
gi'adually melt away as the dew befuro
the morning snn.
I would suggest that the Oologists
and Ornithologists of each state unite
and form an association for the edifica-
tion of professionals and amateurs.
Local organizations should also be
encouraged.
Each association should own a muse-
um and library.
By this means we would become bet-
ter acquainted with the scientific re-
sources of our several states and
localities as well as with each other.
The benefit to be derived from such
an organization cannot be appreciated.
Yet I sincerely hope that before the
sun of anotlier summer; Ave may be
united and working for the advance-
ment of Oology Ornithology, the most
pleasant of scientilic studies.
R. — Michigan.
I was rather surprised at the contents
of the article oy Mr. Brotherton, in llie
last issue of the Oologist, on a gener-
al association scientists. I was not
aware l)efore that they made themselves
so liable to the law.
I dei)recate cruelty anut what we might
gain etc," read instead of ' «oi &c."
Nighthawks and Whip-poor-wills.
I had thought until this year that
Niglithawks and Whip-poor-wills liad
also left us, not to I'eturn again, for
years had passeerling this neslV
Crows and Jays arc abundant, but
dill not molest it.
Has anyone a reconi of a ."jimilar oc-
currance f
Dk. a. <;. i'lcii-L.
242
THE OOLOGIST.
THEOOLOGIST
A Monthly Magazine Devoted to
ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY.
FRANK H. LATTIN, ALBION, N. Y.
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.
CorrespoTKieiice and Items of Interest to the
■stufient of JJirds. their Nests and Efgs, solKilted
Irom all.
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lor publication should be forwarded as early in
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HE POST OFFICE I
» SECOND-CLASS I
Examine the little rose-colored ad-
•^ress label on the wrappt^i' of tlie OoLO.
^GiST. The nnmber following name de-
note.« the time when your subseriptou
expires or has expired.
56 signifies your sub. expired June 1890
6-i " " " " Dec. '■
•68 " " " " June 1891
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We are desirous of straightening our
.sul)scriptiou books at once and trust
our subscribers will send in their sub-
scriptions for '92 including all arrear-
3iges, at their earliest convenience, the
amounts ueces.^ary to accomplish this
:are as follows:
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Should 3 on desire to discontinue your
subscription to the Oologist your in-
debtedness to us is fifty cents less than
the above amounts. The figures are
according to our books Dec. 1, 1891
and renewals sent since that date have
been credited on our books, but not on
the label.
We have decided that in the future
that any person using the columns of the
Oologist either for exchange or adver-
tising purposes or as a writer of articles
appearing on its pages who, if we are
satisfied, has in a single instance
purposely defrauded or cheated any of
our patrons to black-list said collectov
in our office — to cancel all exchange or
advertising coupons in his possession
and to forever debar his name from ap-
pearing in columns of the Oologist
among those of honest dealers and col-
lectors. We shall also print a "black-
list" in the Oologist of what we have
■positive proof ^YQ the greatest rogues
and to head this role of dishonor we
must warn our patrons to have nothing
to do with one Wm. Purdy, alias Nor-
man King, alias Chas. Norman of Aly-
mer West, Ontario, Canada.
We. are also looking up the cases of
several other parties -three in Iowa,
one in Maine, one in North Carolina,
and others and regret that we may be
obliged to publish a few of them at
least, in Jan. Oologist,
A Further Contribution to the Chewink
Controversy-
The Chewink is not very rare in this
locality, and has been observed by me
abundantly in the first and second
weeks in May. They then frequent
high dry woods where shrubbery is
plenty. The Chewink is very shy and
only a very close o!)server can trace
them. I was out in the country yester-
day, and to my astonishment received
from a farmer's boy three eggs of the
THE OOLOGIST.
243
Chewiuk, which he liad taken for me
on or about the 1st of August. He took
toe to the spot where he had found the
nest. It was built about one foot from
the ground in thickly leafed but very
thin twiggeil beech shrubs. The nest was
similar to that of the Wilson's LMirush
i-ousisting outside of leaves and inside
of hair, which were perhaps taken from
a pasture close by. This shows I think,
beyond any doubt that they breed un-
der favorable circumstances, twice a
year. O. Reinrcke.
Sept. 14, '91. Buffalo, N. Y.
One Day's Tramp.
Well everything is ready so will go to
bed. Lets see, set my clock at twenty
minutes of four. Wake up at 3:10 and
get up to see what time it is. Can't go
to sleep again, so dress. Raining of
course. Don't care, I will go anyway. So
get my breakfast and start. Have pret-
ty good load: Gun, lunch, egg-box,
rope and hatchet to get those King-
fishers eggs and climbei-s to get Great
Blue Heron eggs. Get down there
about 7 a. ra.j and go to work at King-
fishers hole. Work about half hour in
tnud and give it up as a bad job. Go on
can't find those Herons nests to save
me Meet an old hunter who lives in a
cabin on the bottoms, and \ve have
quite a talk about our friends, the birds.
Shows me bank of petrified moss, the
first I'd ever seen, :ind a spring in high
bank called Coffin Spring. An opening
\n bank about one and one-half foot
long by two and one-half foot wide that
extends back about eight feet and con-
tains some of the finest water in the
country. He says tliat the wafer never
freezes in winter, and all the i)irds that
Stay come and drink there. He's shot
fine specimens for the naturalists in
town. Have to go there myself next
winter. I ask him ab«tut the herony
and he says he will walk over there with
mu. So we start through the woods
the water up to our knees in some
places, and pretty soon came to .some
njonster cottonwoods in which we see
some large nests about size (jf bushel
basket I shoot up and up Hies about a
dozen Herons and sail niiijestically
around and soon alight again. But we
see th:it the nests have other tenants
than the old birds forout of every bless-
ed nest comes two or three thin necks.
Then all at once we are aware of some
disturbance, a pair of turkey buzzards
swoop down and try to carry off the
fledglings, but the old Herons make a
good fight, and soon put the buzzards
to flight. Find several nests of Che-
winks and Warblers, but got no Herons
eggs. So after an hours pleasant tramp
with my newly made friend, I leave
him, and turn my steps toward home.
It has stopperl raining now and I see
a great many Warblers, Vireo, Gros-
beaks and one Bittern, a pair of Cardi-
nals whose nest I try to find, but fail,
Mudhens, snipe, crows and as I near
the city large n umbel's of English Spar-
rows around tiie factories. In all I
think I have covered about twenty
miles and am pretty tired when I get
home at 3:30 p. m., and although I have
not had a very profitable day, it lias
px'oved a very pleasant one.
A. G. POTTEU,
Omaha, Neb.
The Nest of the Chestnut-sided Warbler.
While out collecting on June 1891 I
entered a small piece of land thickly
covered with small bushes. Out of
these I started a small bird which I rec-
ogniz«!d as the ('hestnut -sided Warbler.
I (jiiickly looked in the imsh, and found
a little nest composeil of gra.ss, fibres,
antl bark, and lined with feathers, and
hair. The eggs were four in nmnber,
averaging .69 x .50, and of a cream j"
white color, s])otted with lilac, brown,
and unib«a" chiefly at the larger end.
The next was situated about two feet
244
THE OOLOGIST.
from the ground. This bird is not a
very common Vjreeder here, according
to my five years experience. It gener-
ally arrives here in the first week in
May, and departs early in September.
It has a very pleasing lively song some
thing like a whistle. Tiie Chestnut-
sided Warbler can generallj' l)e found
in open dry woods M-ith open spots in
which bushes and small trees ca^i be
found. The Cow-bird frequently uses
the birds nests as a situation for its eggs.
It is socially inclined, and is often seen
in company with other Warblers.
B. H. Swales,
Detroit, Mich.
The Gulls.
Among the typical and familiar birds,
we must not fail to remember the Gulls.
Whether we consider their general dis-
tribution, their numbers, their varie-
ty, their great beauty or their useful-
ness, as scavengers, from every
point of view, they are important
and interesting to the ornithologist.
Seen ou the water, so light and
buoyant from their excess of downy
feathers, that they tUmt almost like
a bunch of cotton, and with a foot
most admirably adapted to swimming,
we pi'onounce these ideals among swim-
ming birds. Seen in the air, moving
their wings with the steady ease and
gracefulness of a Hawk or a raven, and
sailing majestically' as a Buzzard or an
Eagle, we are ready to accord them the
higliest perfection in flight. The large
strong bill, much compressed, with well
rounded culmen bracing it above and
gonys strengthening it beneath, would
seem to be of general rather than spec-
ial adaptation. In accordance with
this fact, we tind that its bill of fare is
somewhat varied, almost anything to
be found in and about the sea and bod-
ies of water in general.
The King-billed (jiu\l,Larus delawareii'
sis, is a species not so well known in
all respects is some others, and we will
therefore give a brief account of it.
The Common or Herring Gull, is so well,
known, that it will serve as a good
starting point, to say that delawarensis,
is almost like it, except that it is notici-
bly smaller,that is to a critical observer,,
for one untrained in observation might
scarcely note the difference, whereas,,
the Common Gulls, Icarus argentatiis, is.
two feet or more in length and some;
four feet and a half in stretch of wings.
The Ring-bill is some eighteen or twen-
ty inches in length and about four feet,
in extent. The latter has also very
nearly the same distribution in Eastern
North America as the former. When,
we have the l)ird in hand, we notice a-
strongly marked ditference between the
two species in respect to the feet. The.
bill of the argentatus is plain yellow-
with a red mark on the gonys that of
the delawarensis is greenish yellow at:
the base, followed by a broad band of
black encinding it at the gonys, while
the tip is bright chrome. The feet of
the former are a pale pink of flesh color-
those of the latter a dusky green. In
habits in general, I think the two spe-
cies are quite similar, except that dele-^
warensis is more gregarious at itS;
breeding places.
In Georgian Bay, some forty-foui-
miles northeast of CoUingwood, a little;
north of the route from thence to Parry-
Sound, are two groups of small islands
called^the Western Islands. Only one.
of them contains anything worthy to be-
called forest. Some of them are scarcely
more than rocky shoals. None of them
contain more than a few acres of land^
Here breed the Common Gulls in con-
siderable numbers, Wilson'sTern, some
of the Ducks, and one of the islands the
Ring-billed Gull in such abundance that,
in June 18B1, when I visited the locality
they could have been gathered by thft
barrel. The nests were placed ou the;
ground or ledges of rock and on grassy
plots, and were constructed of mosse.^
THE OOLOGIST.
245
and loose ilebiis iu general, well heaped
tip and well depressed in the center.
"Thtjjwere sometimes so close together
that it must have been difficult for the
bii'ds to iucubate without touching each
other. The eggs commonly three, 2.07-
2.50x1.63-1.70, are drab, generally, some-
what olivaceous, variously specked,
spotted and blotched with shades of
dark brown ami grayish brown. Often
the markings are very large and few iu
number. There is much greater varie-
ty in the color, marking and size of the
•eggs than in those of the common Gull.
The number of this species inhabiting
this island was immense. At certain
points along the shore, the water and
the beach were Avhite with them; and
when they rose, they spread out like
•clouds overhead.
J. II. Langille,
Kensington, Md.
P. S. — This article is the substance of
^ discussion befoi'e the Ornithologists'
Association at Washington, D. C.
Oct, 6, 181)1.
The Carolina Parrot,
( Coiuirus carolinensis .)
Having been for several j-ears engag-
ed in the special study of the great
family of Parrots I have naturally given
^ great deal of attention to the one
species which formerly inhabited the
■greater portion of Eastern North Amer-
ica or more ])roi)erly speaking that ])or-
tion of the United States lying east of
the Mississippi River and south of the
"Great Lakes.
This Parakeet was, during the time
■^ to jyi inches.
jVest. In a meadow ; made of dried grass.
E_qx^. 4-6; white with green or buff tint, irregularly marked with
lilac and brown; 0.85 X 0.60.
The whole continent of America, from Labrador to Mexico,
and the Great Antilles, are the occasional residence of this truly
migratory species. About the middle of March or beginning
of April the cheerful Bobolink makes his appearance in the
southern extremity of the United States, becoming gradually
arrayed in his nuptial livery, and accomj)anied by troops of his
companions, who often precede the arrival of their more tardy
Specimen Page from Nuttall's Ornithology — Game and Water Birds.
■M'lJ
MARBLED GODWIT.
MARLIN.
LiMOSA FEDOA.
Char. Prevailing color dull rufous varied with black; rump and tail
barred; bill pinkish ; legs and feet black. Length 17 to 20 inches.
A^est. Near a stream or lake, — a slight depression sparingly lined with
grass.
Egs^s. 3-4; pale buff or olive, marked with brown and lavender;
2.25 X 1.60.
The Marbled Godwit is only a transient visitor along the sea-
coasts of the United States in the spring and fall on its way to
and from its breeding-place in the North. According to Rich-
ardson, it abounds in the summer season in the interior of the
fur countries, being particularly plentiful on the Saskatchewan
plains, where it frequents marshes and bogs, walking on the
surface of the swamp-moss (^Sphagna) , and thrusting down its
bill to the nostrils in quest of worms and leeches, which it dis-
covers by the sensitive point of its bill, thus finding means to
THE OOLOGIST.
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A lot of 4-50 Second Class Eggs.
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—Willi send by Express for ONLY i|;i.UO. Can
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FRANK H. LATTIN,
Albion, New York.
FOR SaLe.
Having no time to give to eggs I will sell my
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them are such eggs as liald Eagle. Larj:er
White-cheeked Goose. Hermit Thrush. King
Eider, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Hudsonian
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Address. F. M. CARRYL.
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