I,V QL671 .063 * FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY oound 1907'. THE OOLOGIST, FOR THE SlUDENT OF BIRDS, THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. VOLUME XX. ALBION, .V. r. FRA.XK II. LATTIN. XL. D , rVBLISHER, inns. 14 THE OOLOGIST. of. ffff^- ^'^i^ff INDEX. Avocet, Am ^^ Bluebird, ■" Duck, Scaup ^ Duck, Wood '^\ Duck, Long-tail ^^ Gadwall "[ Golden-eye, Barrows ._ ^^ Goose, Grey-leg -^ Grebe, Western _^"J Grebe, Sclavonic ;--^\ Iceland, A Day Among the Duck on Myatr % Idaho. A Nesting Day in ■ • ■ •» If Not, Why So? 7, 2A 1-oon - Mallard, • }>>. Merganser, Red-breasted ^* Phalarope, Northern ^ Phalarope, Wilson's 1^ Pintail, J} Redshank, j^ Scoter, Common "" Tern, Arctic ^\ Towhee, Anthony's •» Wagtail, White f^ Wigeon ■ ■• ''t Woodpecker, Red-headed o /1\ The Oologist. A MONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXIDERMY. VOL. XX. NO. 1. ALBION, N. Y., NOVEVIBER, 1903. Whole No. 196 Wants, Exchanges, and For Sales. Brief special announcements, "Wants,' "Exchanges" "For Sales," Inserted In this departmait tor 26c per 2.=) words. Notices over 25 words, ctiarged at the raw o(one-balf cent per each adoiiiontl word. No notice inserted tor less than 26c. Terms, cash with order. Strictly First-class specimens will be accepted In payment at one-third list rates. What's Your Number? Examine the number following your name on the wrapper of this month's Oologist. It denotes when your subscription expired or will expire. No. 18(5 your subscription expires with this issue 300 " •• •• " Mar., 1904 209 '■ " ■■ " Aug. ■' 207 " ■' " " Oct. " 210 " " •• " Jan. 1905 30O " " " " .Jan, 1909 Intermediate numbers can easily be deter- mined. If we have you credited wrong we wisn to rectify. This Nov. Oologist was Is- sued Dec. 1. IMPORTANr. "Bound Volumes of the Hortlculturaltst and other books to exchange for Postage Stamps. E. & W. C. BAGG. 424 Genesee St Ulica N Y. FANCY Pigeons and pet stock for sale or ex- change for A 1 sets or Indi n relics in good condition. ALMON E. KIBBE, Mayvllle, N. Y. 197. WANTED.— Sets of eggs containing abnor- mal specimens, such as runts, albinos, mon- etroclties, abnormally colored or shaped eggs. Will give cash or good exchange. J. WAREEN JACOBS, Waynesburg, Pa. 101 WANTED -Bulletin of the Michigan Orni- thological Club. Vols. I, II and III. Will give cash or good exchange. The Bulletin. 131 Elm- wood Ave.. Detroit, Mich. MARINE SHELLS AND CURTOS.-Por only 10c I will mail my hansomely illustrated cata- logue and anv one of the following Sea Shells; Crown, Tulip, Lightnlne, Fig, sun or Angel Wing. J. H. HOLMES, Dunedin. Fla. FOR SALE -Minerals, Fossils, Shells Curi- osities, one Vol. Auk V '1. American Ornitho- logy, and many desirable Books and papers list for stamp. GUY BEIGGS, Livermore, Maine. BIRDS EOGS: -Singles. Sparrow Hawk 1-1 7c Pu m Jay M 40c Columbian Shoi t-tail Groue 1-1 10c. Pigeon Guillemot I-l 14c Cassins Auk- let 1-1 3(ic. Blue-failed Jay I-l 30c, Iceland Gull M 40c, Violet green Cormeraur 1-1 20c. Send for list ot sets. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephen- town, New York. TO EXCHANGE. -50 numbers "Museum." ,50 • Ooloeist " 75 "Recreation." 50 "Wide World." 15 'Osprey." and many others, for Birds or mammals, in flesh or skins. GEO. |F. GUELP, Brockport, N, Y. WANTED.— A few sets of Water thrush, Prothonotary. Pamla, Prairie and C'.e-tnut sided Warblers. Those havintr same send for my list. E. A. DOOLITTLE PamesviUe, Ohio. Box 34 WANTED,— Position as keeper of menagerie or curator of natural history museum, by the rough naturalist and anlmaL man. Past sea- .son with Robinson's show. W. H. SPEAK, Pern, Ind. EGGS. SHELLS, BUTTERFLIES, BOOKS AND PERIODICALS TO EXHCHANGE,- Send your lists of what you have and desire in return, and receive my lists. J EROME TROM- BLEY, Box 54 Petersburg Mich. I DESIRE to buy or exchance Indian relics, birds and mammals skins, curios, colonial antiques, old tire arms etc. No postals answ- ered. STRPHEN VAN RENSSELAER Jr. West Orange, N. J, EXCHANGE NOTICE.-49 1-3 85 1-8 77 1-5 190 13, 191 1-4 333 1-4, 339 1 3. 337 1-2. 342 1-2, 373 1-3. 461 1-3. 467 1-3, 627 1-3, 624 1-4 619 1-4, 62ja 1-5, 659 1 2 for other. W. E. SAUNDERS, London Ont. gFOR sale.— Chapman's Hand book, Davies' Nests and Eggs, Knight's, Birds of Milne, and hundreds of books and papers. Nidolog- ists, Ospreys, etc. GUY H. BRIGGS, Liver- more, Maine. FLORIDA FERNS -Will send beautiful native Florida Ferns to any address postpaid. Small size 15c two kinds 2.5c Large size 25c two kings 40c. D. B OALINGER. Haines City Polk Co.. Fla. FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE —Some fine sets collected by myself at Lake Winnipegosls in Northern Manitoba during last June such as American Red breasted Merjansers, Ring bill- ed gulls, Double Gushed Cormorants, Loon, Holbells, Horned Grebes. Fox Sparrow, Phila- depbia Vireo, Red breasted Nuthatch, North- ern Hairy Woodpecker, and others, with Photo- graph of most ot these nests. Send for full list to W. RAINE, Kew Beach, Toronto, Canada. THE OOLOGIST. FOR EXCHANGE.-A Splendid lotof Shells, Corals, Star Fish, i.nd other Marine Curios. Want Minerals, Fossils, etc. Send me your exchange list. W. J. ENGLAND, Caro, Mich- igan. "Proceeding of the American Association for Advaucement of Sc ence and other books to exchange tor Postage stamps. E & W, C. BAUG. 4'il Genesee bt Utica N. Y. EXCHANGE.— Sets of 1, 4, 7. 60 and 64 and man. others, also Florida marine shells, (or marine, land or fresh water shells. CHARLES L. Cass, Aun Arbor, d33 Packard St. Michigan. Will exchange a copy of Davies' Nests and Eggs latest edition for .six dollars worth of common ege.-s listing ten cents or under if sent prepaid. CHAS. K. REb,D. Worcester, Mats. FORSALE OR EXCHANGE.— Skins, Mounf ed birds eggs, seis and singles. Wanted birds, skins, aud eggs in sets, send lists All letters answered. JtSSIE T. CRAVEN, 573 Hubbard Ave- Detroit, Mich. WANTED-44 Cat. Shot gun, second hand. T. L PLACE Milton. Wis WANTED-Ridgway's Birds of Illinois. \ olumes one and two will pay cash. S. S. S Stansell, Phllo, Illinois. BIRDS EGGS, sets only, will take In pay- ment for books, subscription, tools, supplies etc. Send lists, state wants, can supply any want for held or study. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephenton, New York. Guide to Taxidermy 35 cents po.stpald. Tell you h w to mount birds, animals, and flsh. Will exchange this book for SI worth of eggs that are listed for ten cents or less if sent post- paid. CHAS. K. REE ), Worchester, Mass. YOUNG COLLECTORS.— Send me IBI for a lot of . ggs that will make you happy, have a lot that are not strictly Hrst class, but will in- clude Ui St class eggs to fall out of $1 and a lot fur. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, New- York. DOG COLLOK PLATES.-Lettered with name, address, number, and dog's name if de- sired. State width of collar. Heavy Brass, wlthrlvets. 25 ct-. Nickel silver, 5U cts. Post- paid to any address, SWAINE'S STAMP WORKS, Rochester, N, H. Have Ledger and Journal 188 pages, 6 and 7 books of Heredotus Translation Les Mlserables, Lulse de Valltie, The Man with an Iron Mask. Want for trade or Cash. Journal of Pairic, Gass, Pikes, exnlorations ect. E. B. SHEED- LIlR, Hopkinton Iowa. FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.— Some rare sets single eggs from the Arctic Coast of North America Including such species a.s Snowy uwl, Snowflake, Smith's Longspur, Brent Goose, Whistling Swan, Sablnlea Gull, Point Barrow Gull, White Rumped Sandpiper, Pacific Klttiwake. Red and Northern Phala- roper Pacific Elder, Long Tailed Jager, Snow Goose and other varieties. W. RAINE, Kew Beach, Toronto, Canada. WANTED IN EXCHANGE OR CASH IF CHEAP many sets of the following. C-dar Waxwlng, Lener Scaup, Boldpathe Bart- rams Sandpiper, Osprey.— 6, 7, 12, 2ii. 68, 60, 63, 64, 6b. rZ, 74 to so 9'3, l(j6, 112 113. 131. 137, 139. 140, 144. 149 15U, 160, 172. 182 to 191 197 to 'iOl, 'iOl to 208. 214. 226 to 242. 244 to 266, 273 to 2>9b, 292 to 300c, 309 to 310c, 32.=> to 384 387, 388. 390 to 443, 448 to 4,55. 474a to 491, 501 to 509. 517 to .593. 595 to 612. Cedar Waxwlng 619 to 697, 701 to 703, 713 to 768- Send full exchange list or your best cash prices- Can also use bird skins in exchange for eggs. D WILBY 27 Front St. West, Tor- onto, ont. Canada- YOU should have the Summer Birds of Cen tral Texas, only J.ljO A. E. SCHUTZE, 1611 Sabine Street, Austin. Texas. LIVE BIRDS. Pair Artie Horned Owls, fine healthy hl-ds $10 Pair Western Horned Owls at $5. CHRIS P. FORGE, Carman Manitoba. WANTED— To Excnange first class Birds eggs in sets for same. Many common kinds wanted. C. B. JOHN -ON, Box 192, Red Vi Ing, Minn . WANTED— Pre-hlstoric copper relics, also extra large ancient stone spears and knives. REV. E C. MITCHELL, 534 Summit Ave. St. Paul, Minn. JAPANESE IVORY and wood carvings wanted. State lowest prices Must come on approval. Ref. F. H. Lattln. R. G. PAINE, National Museum, Washington, D. C. EXECUTORS SALE,— Time specimens of stone and flint relics and a collection of birds eggs all with data at l-4th list rates. Ad- dress J. W. MYKRANTZ. Ashland. Ohio. DON'T MISS THIS— American Ornithology and Recreation, new subscriptions for only 81 a.i. Conder and Recreation, both new sub- scriptions $1.35. BENJAMIN HOAG, Gar- field, N. Y. WANTED-Every reader of this to send ten cents for a copy of our Bird Magazine and large illustrated catalogue with prices of all Birds Eggs. CHAS. K, REED, Worcester, Mass. ONE DOE (fine) Elk, Moo-e and Deer heads for sale unmounted. Write with stamps for Photos. Also some extra scalps. CHRIS P FORGE, Naturalist and Taxidermist. Car- man, Manitoba, Canada. WANTED-Two sets with data new to my collectl n. Offered A, 1 British and Icelandic sets, full data. Will collect this season If wants are stated. T. GORDON. Coesemalyle Whamphlll, Dlgtownshlre, scotland- 100 EA SHELLS 30c. Indian tomahawk, 30 c, 5 Indian Relics 25 c , 10 Curiosities 15 c. 5 old Coins 16 c. price list. 1 old Liberty Cent. 5 curiosities, 10 choice Stamps all for one dime, W P. ARNOLD PEACEDALE, R. T. WANTED —Woodpecker eggs In original sets All kinds Will give any thing Inline of tools, supplies, books or any thing I adver- tise in exchange. Send list of what you have and your wants. JAMES P. BABBITT, Taun- ton, Mass THE OSPREY.— Complete sets Vol. 2 pre- paid tor SI 6 number of Vol. 1 repaid for 50c, write your wants in odd numbers. Will send 4 pounds of Maga/lnes of interest to all lovers of out door Sports and Nature for 2.5c. BEN- JAMIN HOAG. Stephi-ntown, New York. WANTED— Every dealer and collector to send me his address that I may send out Sample Sheets of my Standard Field Note and Data Blank Books. Endorsed by Advanced Collectors and dealers Recomended Dy Ornolho- loglcal Clubs "All Answered" address GEO. W. MORSE, Ashley Ind. Box 2J0. THE OOLOGIST. WANTED— Indian arrowpolnts. spearheads and other Indian reli'-s, STEPHEN ROZY- CKI, 30f>I Q St N. W.. Washington, D. C. I WANT to buy for cash or a good trade two or three sets Sharp Shinned Hawks eggs. R. P. SHAKPLES. West Chester. Pa. 197 WANTED— Oologist vol. .5 f.)r Cash. Must be in good co'^ditlon. also Merrlam's Birds of Conn., printed in 1S7T. C. M. CAsE, 100 Ash- ley St., Hartford, Conn. BICYCLES a few new and second hand wheels both Ladies' and Men's. Will give a bargalD in exchange for e^igs or books. BEN- JAMIN HOAG, Stephentown. N, Y. FOR EXCHANGE -Indian Snow Shoes and Mocassins. Spaulding 42 inch, hardly used. Take revolver, medical books or dictionary. E. P CARLTON M. D. Keyeser, Wisconsin. WANTED— Second band books and maga- zines on Birds. State what you have. Quote lowest spot cash price prepaid. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, N. Y. WANTED— to exchaoge 813 worth wester- eggs in sets for tobacco tags, coupons and ci. gar bands All letters auswered, no cards. C M. CASE, 100 Ashley St., Hartford, Conn, Wanted — For cash, some of Audubon's orii^inal folio plates, suitable for framing State subject, condition and price. J. O. DUNN 3930 Prairie Ave . Chicago. EXCHANGE— Recreations, Outings. Amer- Boy, Stamp and Poultry Papers, Natural History books, specimens, etc. for V2 c-nts. U. S. stamps. Show> shells, minera s, Indian Re- lics or Poultry Fixtures. RALPH L, WHEEL- ER. Lowell. Mass COLLECTORS! Heres your chance to 1111' out the vacants in your collection. Am going to sell about 300 sets from my own private col- lection. State wants, and I will send listi. RA» DENSMORE. Paln.svlUe. Ohio. MAMMALS! BIRDS! Pardes desiring line mammals or birds from this locality let me know your wants and I will collect to order in the meat or scientilic skins. Address at once;- HARTLEY H. T. JACKSON, Milton, Wis. NORTHERN and western bird and Manu- nal Skins wanted for cash or will exchange skins of Wayn 's Clapper Rail, Worthing'on's Marsh Wren Boat-tailed Grackle, Chuck Wills Widow, Wilson's Plover, Royal and Fasters Tern etc. A H. HKLME, Miller Place, N. Y. The Summer Birs of Central Tevas is a re- cent publication briefly describing the birds, of that locality, their and nests ana eggs. It contains a vast amount of interesting reading matter and many beautiful half-tone illustra- tions of nests in the sltutatlon. A. E. SCHGTZE, 1611 Sabine Street, Austin, Texas' RARE EGGS— I have just unpacked a case of rare eggs from the far North and find ma^^y single eggs which I will sell at very low prices such as Emperor Goose, Flaty back Gull, Black Brant. Speculated Elder, Am. Golden Plover, Snowy and Hawk Owl, etc. Also have choice sets of many rare kinds, such as Yellow bin Loon. PaciHc Loon. Red legged Kittlwake, Pacific Kittlwake. Pe toral Sandpiper, Bluck- bellied Plover and many others Altogether this is the finest lot of eggs ever brought down from the far North If you want to fill up a few gaps in your collection, send for list of eggs from Alaska and Anderson River Region. JAMES P. BABBITT, Taunton, Mass, FIRST CLASS sets of 687 ?-5, 688 3-4, 1911-5, 194 4-5,611 1-5. 866 1-4, 753 3-4 and Others for first class sets. Also fresh water shells for sets. VERDI BURTCH Brauchport, N, Y. TO EXCHANGE— Eggs In sets with full data for volumes of Ornithological raagizines, skins, eggs or arrow heads. GLEN M HATH- ORN. 518 S. 10th St. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. HAVE A LOOK— 6 sets of woods for sale cheap or exchange for other woods. Foreign and native, 141 kinds in a set. 3 dollars will buy 175 kinds of foreign and native woods, or will exchnge for wo, ids not in my col- lection LOUIS W. HAHN. Lake avenue, Silver Creek, Chautauqua County, N. Y. WANTED— Sets of Osprey, Red Shouldered and Red Tailed Hawks, Screech Owl, Red-eyed Vireo, Cedar Bird, Yellow and Black tailed Cuckoos, Californian Quail. Killdeer, Field Plover, Wilson's Plover, Bob white and others. I can offer In exch *nge Sea Birds' Eggs, Ducks, Plovers, etc. from the Arctic region. W. RAINE, Key Beach, Toronto, Canada. MOUNTED BIRDS FOR SALE CHEAP. Gray ruBled Grouse 81. .50, Lesser Scuap Duck »1. Pled billed Grobe «1. l-tufliehead Drake $150 Marbled God wit II. Homed Merganser $1. Mallard $1. Dusky Grouse $1. '3 White- tailed Ptarmiean 8i each. Horned Grebe II. White fronted Goose 13 60 Richardson Owl $3. 8 Barred Owls $1 60 each Les.ser Yellowlegs S.60 2 Bartram Sandpiper 1.75 Fine large winter Jack Rabbitt 3 SKINS FOK SALE CHEAP. Sandhill Crane 12. 2 Prairie Hens $.50 each 3 Gray Ruflied Grouse $.75 each. 3 Can Ruffled Grouse $.50 3 Red Shouldered Hawks $ .50 each. 2 Swaln- sons Hawks $50 each. 3 Redtalls 1.50 each. Roughleg hawk .$1 Richirdson owl $1 60 Spotted Sandpiper 1.20 Bartrams Sandpiper $.25 Lesser Yellow legs $ 25 Harlan's hawk S.50 Willow Ptarmigan $1 Aliens Ptarmigan $1.25. CHRIS P. FORGE, Carman, Manitoba. FOR EXCHANGE — Choice sets of 7 1 | 2, 11112, 311 10 ' 1 40 1 I 3, 47 1 I 3, 51 1 I 3, E6 1 I 3, 86 1 I 1 104 1-1, 111 1 I 1, 121 1- . II 5, 155 1 I 8. and down 178 1 I 9. 2u8 1 I 11. 2'28 1 I 4, 223 1 | 4, 229 1 14 267 1 | 4. ■,;69 1 I 4, 271 1 I 4. 285 1 I 3. 293 1 I 12, 302 1 I 10, 326 1 I 2, 326 1 I 2, 3i9 1 I 1, 332 1 | 3, 335 1 I 4' 337D 1 I 3, 41 1 I 2 343 1 I 2, 349 1 I I, 359 1 I 3 1 I 4, 369 1 1 I 4, 362 1 I 2 1 I 3, 375il 1 | 2, 417 1 I 8 419 1 I 8, 4'38 n I 2, 434 n I 2, 478b 1 | 3, 641 115 676 1 I 5, «H5a 1 I 4, 730 1 I 5, 748 n I H and others. All answered A. E PRICE. Grant Park, 111. Dr. LATTIN says -Frederick Young is all right.' * • I found it both interesting and in- structive, doubly so to the traveler and natu- ralist "Gold top; tinted illustrations; 40 pages; rich, dark green cloth binding, with sheet whit* enamel lettering, and a beautiful black and light green cover design by Frohn. A scientific novel liked by all, Superlative as a gift Publishers price $1 50 bent postpaid, cloth $1.10; paper 40 cts. CHARLES L. PHIL- LIPS Taunton. Ma.ss , WAN TED— Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 6 Of Nidlologlst; any and all volumes of Auk; volume V and No 8 vol. 1\' of Osprey. ("an give in return, books relating to Entemology, Oology and Natural History I have a few copies of Nehr- ling's Birds of N, A. colored plates at 1.75 a copy. (Nos 1, 2 and 6) Also bulletins of the natural history of New York printed in 1840. relating to the plants, fish, fossils etc. Very valuable, to exchange for any of the above wants, or first class bird skins A. E. SCHUTZE, 2306 Guadalope, Aus- tin, Texas. THE OOLOGIST. WANTED-Vol. II, Ridgway's Birds of Illi- nois. Will give $3.00 cash. ISAAC E. HESS. Phllo, Ills. WANTED— Eastern skins. o£fer eastern and western. Will pay cash Auks 1884 18H0. li H. SWALES, 46 Lamed St West. Lietrolt, Mich. 197 • WANTED FOR CASH— Keyes and Williams Annotated Catalogue of Iowa birds, also odd numbers of the Iowa Ornithologist. J. L. SLOANAEvER. Newton. Iowa. 197 FUR EXCHANGE— Flint and stone Indian Kelics. Want any thing that will Instruct or I?.?,,™;, Suitable for a museum. ARTHUR HARVICK. Vienna, 111. 197 MANY rare Sets to exchanee for perfect sets, can use many Common Species. Have i.?fJ=.i,?L^'''="'= <*S'^- Will sell a few. J. W, i-KESTON. Baxter, Iowa. 197 RARE eermonlal objects, p pes. spears and other prehistoric archaeological specimens for sale at low prices Enrlose stamp for out- lines, &c. A. D. Grutzmacher. Mukwonago, GOODS from Government Sales. Shelter tents, haversacks, ponchos, carbines. Want all kmds antlers, scalps of horned or fur animals. A. B. FARNHAM. Taxidermist, Tuxedo, Md. CHOICE sets to exchange for tlrst class stamps from U. S. and possessions also pre- cancplled stamps now in ray collection Will sell 100 var. precancelled for SI 60. Box 57 Unionville Ct. 197 pFOR EX'HANGE-Young American dou- ble action 22 cal. revolver new. Want A 1 sets or $120 cash, one dozen No. 1 BLAKE & LAMB traps .$1.40. JAMES O. JOHNSON Southlngton Conn. EXCHANGE-I have U. S. and Foreign •Coins" U. S. and Confederate fractional currency. Confederate bonds. Colonial notes etc^ for sale or exchange. What have vou- KENNETH B. TURNER, 140 Huestis Street Ithaca, N. Y. FANCIER'S SUPPLIES- Leg Bands, Chick Punches, Fountains, Grit Boxes. Peed Caps Poultry and Pigeon Books, etc. Big Bundle Poultry Papers 10 c. Name )n Poultry Di- rectory 10 c. Catalogues for stamp. R. L WHEELER. 43 E. Varpey St., Lowell, Mass.' VARIOUS FOSSILS, beautiful geodes, sea shells and curios, aoo various minerals, pol- ished onyx, Indian relics, (stone and beaded) geological reports. Spinning wheel for sale closing out. »10 worth for $5. CURIO CO ' CrawfordsviUe, Indiana RADIUM-I havea limited quantity of this wonderful substance Imported fiom Paris It Is or sufficient power to take photographs through solids, and perform numerous experi- ments in radio-actlvjtv For every tifiy cents wor'h of Indian relics or old U. S. copper cents I will send one milligram in a hermitically sealed glass tube. I reserve the privilege of returning at my own expense any specimens that I cannot use. Also photographs made by means of this metal at ten cents each ex change. Also the following to exchange - Marlln repeater, 4x5 Anastigmat lens, old vio- lin. Columbian '93 half d(.llars, pocket tele- scope, day and night signal glass etc. If you want questions answered enclose stamp. L V. CASE, Tarrytown, N. Y. WILL pay cash or exchange first class bird skins for a few Black Squirrels In meat. O. S. BIGGS. San Jose, 111. WANTED -Bird lore Vol. II-Vol.IV. Have for exchange Vol 11 and Vol.111 Condor, also No. I L'-4-5-6 of Vol.1. ISAAC E. HEsS, Philo, FEW FINE sets 194, 289. 33i. 37.i. 461. 467, 4-4b 481, .Wl. 6916, 608, 6M. 6^7, 628, 633, 657. 658 674, 676 719b to exchange. C. F. STONE. Branchport N. Y. FOR EXCHANGE. A large number of South Dakota sets and skins for mounted specimens or books. Complete data furnished. H. E. LEE. Bryant. So. Dakota FOB SALE— Pure Bred Poultry. Barred Plymouth Rocks Stock tl.OO up. Fggs $1 00 per 15. So.OO per lUO. Prfliflc Layers. AR- THUR HARVICK. Vienna, 111. 197 I DESIRE sets of Whooping Crane, Purple Galllnule. Purple Finch, Worm eating War- bler, Pine Warbler and Tufted Tit-mouse. GEORGE SWEZEY. 61 Polk St., Newark, N. J. WANTED -Full sets in series 64. 76. 261. 263, 273, 337. 339, 390, 373, 39.'!, 394. .501, 190. 624. 364. 230, and others. Also want ducks with full nests of down. Good exchange. A. E. PRICE, Grant Park. Ill WANTKD— For Cash, from original collect- ors. A I. setsof Amer. Woodcock. Willet. pip- ing Plover, Snowy Plover. AudubonlsCaracaraJ Red-breasted Mergauser and Cinnamon Teal W. H. BINGAMAN. Box 151 Algoua, Iowa. "for EXCHANGE-Choice sets with full data, Chuckvllls- Widow, Am Oyster catcher, Swaiuson's Warbler, Wilson's Plover Wil- let Royal Term, Clapper R*il. Black Skimmer. Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager Dr M T. Cleckley. 457 Greene St., Augusta, Ga. OOLOQISTS ATTENTION :-Hand Egg Blow-pipe. Very useful for all fresh eggs, in- valuable with ''water blower" sent post paid with directions for .50 cents. Nest stains, ink and pencil marks instantly and permanently removed from eggs by using my solutio 1, two dram bottle, 25 cents Dr. M. T. Cleckley 457 Greene St., Augusta. Ga. FOR SALE OK EXCH-iNGE- 91 seta of Mississippi Kite 12 2-2 Am Bittern 1-4, Grass- hopper 15. Oven bird 15, Western Grebe 1-4 Black-billed Cuckoo 1-3. 1-4 Mounted Birds. Golden Eagle. Ring-necked Pheasant, Wood Duck, Pintail, Snowy Owl. Great Horned Owl, Loon, for office desk. First class hunting dog or offers. GEORGE J. TILLS Albion N. Y. FOR SALE CHEAP-Choice Southern Sets with full and accurate data. ChuckviU's wi- dow 1.00, Am. Oyster catcher, 40 cents, Wil- son's Plover 15 cents. Night hawk '20 cents Wil- let 15 cents. Royal Term 15 cents. Brown Peli- can 10 c. Laughing Gull 5c, Bachman'9 Spar- row 1.1,0, Swalnsim'a Warbler 100 Blue Gros- beak 20c , Clapper Rail 5 c. Black Skimmer 5 c. Boat-tailed Grackle 5 c , Indigo Bunting 5 c, Green Heron 10c,. Yellow breasted Chat 5 c, Summer Tanager 20 c. Mockingbird 5 c. Bob- white 10 c. Long-billed Marsh Wren 5 c, Red- eyed Vlreo 10 c. Field Sparrow 3 c. Cardinal 3 c. Blu -gray Gnatcat-her 20 c, Wood- Thrush 10 c, Maryland Yellow-throat 15 c. Hooded Warbler 25 c. White-rumpled Shrike 10 c Kingbird 5 c, Yellnw-billed Cuckoo 10 c, California Murre 1ft c , African Ostrich 1,00. Satisfaction guaranteed. Many Singles very cheap. Nests with Sets. Dr. M. T. Cleckley, 457 Greene St., Augusta, Ga. The Oologist. VOL. XX. NO. 1. ALBION. N. T., NOVEMBER, 1903. Whole No. 196 The Oologist. A Montlily Publication Devoted to OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXIDERMY. FRANK H. LATTIN, Editor and Publisher, ALBION, N. Y. Correspondence and Items of Interest to tne student of Birds, their Nests and Kggs, so!lclt«d from all. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION ; Single subscription 50c per annum Sample copies 6c eacn Tie above rates include payment of postage. Eacn subscriber Is given a card good tor a Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. (This card Is redeemable at any time within one year from date thereon.) Subscriptions can begin with any number. Back numbers of the Oologist can be furnished at reasonable rates. Sena stamp for descrip- tions and prices. ^yRemember that the publisher must be noil ned by letter when a subscriber wishes hla paper stopped, and all arrearages must be paid. ADVERTISING RATES: 6 cents per nonpareil Une each insertion. 12 lUies \n every Inch. Seven mches in a col- umn, and two columns to the page. Nothing Inserted for Itss than 25 cents. No "special rates," 6 cents per Une Is ■■net." ■■rock bottom," ■■Inside," "spot cash" rate from which there is do deviation and no commission to agents, if you wish to use 6 Hues or less spaca It will cost you 25 cents; luo lines, $6.00; 1000 lines, 150.00. ■■Trade" (Other than cash) advertise- ments win be accepted by special arrangement only and at rates Irom double to Ave times cash rates. Due Bills and Cards payable In advertis- ing wUl be honored only at regular rates in force at the date ot Issuance of said bill or card. Remittances should be made by Drait, Express or Poatofflce Money Order, Registered Letter or Postal Note. Unused U. S . Postage Stamps ot any denomination wUl be accepted for sums un- der one dallar. Make Money Orders and Drafts payable and addret s all hubscripilons and com- muLl-atiOLS to FRANK H. LATIIN, Albion, Orleans i-O., N. Y, ENTERED AT THE P. O. , ALBION, N. Y. AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER. Anthony's Towhee Pipilo fuscus senicula. I admit that it is a far cry from Death Valley to the snn blessed slopes of the Orange county hills, and possibly not less from the notle hawks and owls of which I have been lately writing, to the lowly towhees, but I am one of those, who believe that in the all-em- bracing plan of an oniniscient Creator, there is no bird, no animal, no plant, too inlinitesinial to have a place, aye, more, to be necessary to the welfare of the universe. To me, the least is as interesting as the greatest, just as the poorest of my fellow men is of as much interest as the weakest. For this reason I am bothering ye editor with what little I know of the home life of so common a fellow as I'ipih. First all, the towhee is a worker; from morning till night, year in, year out, with a nestful of young, or with no one to feed but himself, he is on the scratch. Dull of coat and rather incon- .spicuous save during the breeding season. Anthony's Towhee does not appear so plentiful as it really is. In fact, I doubt if even the pestiferous linnets are any more abundant in the hills near my home than the towhees. In the winter — if we may call the inter- val from November to April winter — many of these birds migiate from the brush covered hills to the orchards and sheltered farms of the mesas and low- lands. Here they come fearlessly about the houses, not begging, as do many of the birds, but industriously helping themselves to whatever of edi- bles lies nearest their beaks. This fall movement begins some time in the latter part of September and is quite general, though it does not by any means embrace all the brown towhees 6 THE OOLUGIST. which have reared young or been hatched on the hillsides during the previous spring and summer. It seems rather a sort of universal spreading out, probably caused by the falling off of their food supply with which the ripening seeds of the summer and autumn kept the gray earth of the higher slopes well covered. But in early spring, they return again to their nesting grounds. A few remain along the sandy "washes" of the valley, there to rear their young in cozy homes well built among the many forked branches of some huge sage bush. By far the greater part drift back and upward, however, to an alti- tude of from four hundred to four thousand feet. The breeding season ranges from the 15th of March to a like date in August, and two broods are often reared. I know of one pair which built successively five nests, the female laying live sets of eggs in one season, each SI t having been taken from her as soon as laid. These five sets were 1-4, 1-4, 1-3, 14, 1-3 She was permitted to hatch the last set, which she did, rear- ing three husky brown fellows there- from. The nest of this bird is one of the most peculiarly beautiful of all the Finch tribe, and even the last nest of the female mentioned above was a model of bird architecture. The outer nest is almost always made of rather coarse sage twigs closely interwoven among the branches of the shrub in which the home is to be placed. This is usually a sage or other low bush- the nest seldom being more than two or three feet from the ground. Next comes a rather thick cup of grass blades and very fine flexible twigs which is the real protection of the eggs and young birds. Inside this is a lining usually of hair of some kind and is soft and evtn as a loving pair of parent birds can make it. This background seems to be made with the special object of best displaying the pale blue-green eggs, which are— as another writer has said — much like those of the different Red-winged Blackbirds, though it is comparatively easy for the observant collector to distinguish many small dif- ferences between the two. In both the fall and spring move- ments of the Towhees noted above very few of the birds are seen. And yet I do not think that they migrate at night, but rather attribute their invisibility to the skulking habits of the birds and the prevalence of brush heaps and weed patches throughout Orange county. The birds do not make extended flights but merely move from one orchard or overgrown field to another, distances of seldom more than two or three hun- dred yards, thus progressing by slow stages to the mountainsor upper mesas. G log back, the operation is repeated until their winter home in the lowlands s reached. The Brown Towhees have always been of more interest to me than the Spurred species, probably because I have had more and better opportuni- ties for the study of the former. I have found as high as five eg?s in one set of Anthony's Towhee, but the usual run is four, while most of the first sets and all of the last are of only three eggs. Harry H. Dunn. Los Angeles, Cal. November 14, 1902, Bird Acrobats. July 15, 1902. When out for a ram- ble I noticed a Bluebird practicing some athletic tricks, so I stopped to watch him. The Bluebird would fly high into the air, poise for a moment on the wing, then quickly descend to a branch. It practiced this several times when all of a sudden a Red-headed Woodpecker flew from a stump and tried the same thing. Although the Woodpeckef was a great deal clumsier than the little But bird, his attempts were far from failures. M. B. Denny, Waubeek, Iowa. THE O^LOGIST. If Not. Why So ? And it was demonstrated that on either side of the fence there stood the two extremes, of somewhat cirtiicling views perhaps but reciprocatiag the profound respect that accompanies the comprehension of kindred endpavnr to do what vou undertake thoroughly and well, while upon the fence there posed the intermediate a self evident illustra- tion of a well known sajing a some- tbing about a Jack of all trades with a mention of master of none. No If Just So Doubtless the reader of this valuable little paper are aware of the appearance in the July and Aueust numbers, of an article entitled "If Not, Why So ? "— anyhow, the author is. If the resulting criticism has afforded the readers an interest and pleasure equal to the au- thor's they should club together and make him a present. The originality of individual opinion is always interest ing and wnile one clasj has been heard from it is to be regretted that the opera glass adherent has remained silent as it was hoped from him would originate some criticism of true value In the author's mind the existing criticism is somewhat peculiar not attacking the facts laid down but developing a sub- ject of extremists and assuming a "posi- tion of greatest advantage, the middle one, from which both sides of the mat- ter can be viewed " with a superiority the eo called extremist can never hope to attain as he possesses only the pro- found knowledge. In the December number the only direct bearing upon the articles is iq, reference to the extremist, but where this is appliable to the author he fails to see. He is informed of falling into the ever present error of the extremist " there is no other side " while almost his first words are " Adherants of the opera g'ass are the warmest friends our birds have, not only awarding them the interest that is their due, but ac- complishing it in a wholly harmless manner. " Indication intimates a mis- understanding by some of the author's aim. If Not, Why So V was merely an endeavor to show that from a s'and- point of kuowledge the opera glass adherant is in no position to criticise the ornithologist. A critic's first duty is to carefully read the matter under consideration. Mr. Bowdish was apparently displeas- ed with the author's arbitrary tone and hurried to the end impatient to com- mence his criticism rather with a view to say something than form any real desire for further enlightenment. However, the author will take him at his word and comply with hi.s request. An Ornithologist is a person verged in the science of bird?. A man may calculate the mean velocity of a stream or run a two degree curve by the de- flection angles at the transit, and if his knowledge extends no fuither, bears the same ralative position to a Cifil En- gineer that the opera glass adherant does to the Orniihologist Nothing debars the opera glass ad- herant from entering the mystic zone of advanced knowledge, but with the first step he commences to realize the value of material and in a broad sense has ceased to be an opera glass adher- ant. As the author muses in the past he recalls much that could not have been obtained by him from some less de- structive source. He recollects " a greater or less number of bird's skins made and of the eggs collected. " Of the latter only a small percentage were broken and of the former not a single one has been destroyed to his know- ledge. Commencing in 1886 he has kept a careful record of every nest found containing eggs or young and of every bird taken. Glancing through the pages he finds a great many inter- esting facts and notes the taking of some birds considered very rare in his state, and not before or since secured in his locality, and he contemplates with considerable satisfaction the showing 8 THE OOLOGIST. that fully 90 per cent of the birds shot were preserved and used. In view of the fact that the critic de- clares himself "far from defendinji; " what he is pleased to term the "extrem- ist shot gun student " his next illustra- tion is a puzzel. Refering to a vireo shot by himself he mentions it as " one of a lot collected for the National Mus- eum. " No mention is made of the number comprising this lot but of course it is within the bounds from which the extermist is excluded. It makes the author scratch his ear and wonder. As the author continues to muse in the past he recalls reading the writings of Mrs Miller with pleasure and pro- fit, and does not hesitate to pronounce her vrork exceptionally well done be- tween the narrow lines she persuos. As he continues to muse he remembers her attending a little gathering of bird students here s me two or three years back, and of absolutely refusing to step into an adjacent room and look over a collection of eggs because she did not believe in the takirg of them and she claimed to know nothing of eggs be- yond those inhabiting the nests she had inspected in the field. That she could have absorbed a little more knowledge without serious injury wa: the opinion of a few present. The next step is to accuse the author of gathering into his protecting fold pot and plume hunters, sportsmen and wo- men with birds on their hats, while his intention was merely to use them on the ground of varying opinion and he attri- butes the misunderstanding to careless perusal. Then, after plainly illustrating that the sportsman is practically the people and a power adj isting the law that he may shoot those birds he wishes and protect those he does not care to shoot, if they please him with beauty or song, regardless of the ornithologist orjany other class, the author is inform- ed of having overlooked the point " that when the pleasure seeking of one comes in clash with that of several, the minority must give way to the major- ity.'' As " to what extent the end will jus- tify the means in matter of ornitholog- ical collecting" per the dictation of " an honest conscienc9 " Mr. Bowdish is in a better position to judge than the author, as the latter has never collected for a public institution and never as- pired beyond the few necessary for study. And now if the critic will take the slight tendency to " rub it in " with as much good will and amusement as the author took his, there certainly will exist no feeling of resentment. In conclusion the author would like to say a few words regarding the wo- man whose " head-gear proclaims her tender heart " and this can not be done to better advantage than by taking up the opera glass adherants point of view. J. Claire Wood. A Nesting Day in Idaho. A zephyr soft as bloom on maiden's cheek sweeps up. 'from the south land and with gentle finger unlocks the icy grip of old King Winter from lake and wood and fell. The ice turns grey under the softening spell, then breaks up, and like some ocean derelict drifts away in immense llotillas down the river. All day and all night is heard the cry of north-bound water fowl and in the early morning the cheerful stac- catto of our friend the robin on the fir tree near the door step drifts into our dreams and the querulous challenge of the jay serves to inform u< that spring, with all its manifold possibilities for the oologist, is here. There is no place more dear to the Nature lover within my ken than North Idaho and especially that part of it bor- dering upon beautiful Lake Pend'd Oreille. The glimmering waters stretch away sixty miles to the north like a THE OOLOGIST 9 jeweled ear pendent that resemblance which gave it the name. Thousands of little bays, rush-bordered and still, afford sanctuary for the myriad water, and other fowl that nest here. A gasoline launch, a row boat, hip boots aud industry are absolute nec- essities to the nest hunting enthusiast in these waters. But given these and a fair knowledge of the nesting habits of the various feathered citizens, you may collect un- til visions of despoiled birds rise up and haunt you in your dreams. I will suppose you with me on a trip that fell to my good fortune last spring. Just as the sun rose over the eastern mountain tops and made the lake one sheen of burnished silver, we got the "Lady of the Lake" under weigh and sped out across the lake to yon distant point which mark the entrance to a beautiful little cove that rej ■\^ea in the rather unpoetical name ''Bottle Bay". Across the mouth hangs a heavy fog as if to guard the feathered inmates be- yond from the vandal hand of man. Just as we near the promontory that is the nearer sentinel the fog is rolled up and swept away as though some Titanic scene shifter had pulled it up with invisible ropes, disclosing to our view a scene of great beauty and grandeur. The bay is about two miles in length, cut into the eternal hills that rise fir crowned and vast a thousand feet on either side Perfectly calm it reflects the hills and rocks as a mighty mirror, forming a scene of indescribable grandeur and beauty, a picture for an artist to limn upon canvass, but none but a master hand should desecrate a scene so beauti ful. But this is not birds. As we round the point we make out just ahead two birds swimming, that remind one strangely of iron-clad moni- ' tors so low do they sit in the water. Your glass is brought to bear and the birds both disappear to emerge from the water several hundred yards further in shore. This time you have plenty of time to inspect them and the pointed bill and feather markings say "Western Grebe". We run in as close as possible and moor the "Lady getting out the row boat for a push among the rushes that skirt the shore. We startle thousands of Red-wing Blackbirds and Long-billed Marsh Wrens that circle above us with their startled cries. Hold? Back water. There is some- thing right under our bow that looks like a mass of dried grass and tules but to the trained eye looks suspiciously like a nest, though if so, it is cunningly covered up. Pushing alongside it and lifting off the top layer we find concealed three eggs, that were they not stained with the rotting vegetation would be blueish green but the staining renders them a dirty yellow. So we have made a good beginning. In fact, we have begun at the start. This is the nest of No., 1. of the A. O. U. check lis^, the Western Grebe that we saw backyonder»at the entrance of Bay and no doubt the nest of that identical pair of birds. The nest is floating upon the surface of the water moored to the growing tules and com- posed of such masses of the rotting weeds as the birds could collect around the immediate spot. It looks very much as if it had'merely drifted together but there is a certain form and com- pactness about it that shows to the trained eye that it is not altogether the work of the elements. Securing the eggs we push on toward the shore. The water is now only a few feet deep and is overgrown with the pads of the pond lily. What bird is that who with outstretched wings and neck is running with the speed of a horse o/er the very water it seems? A charge of shot from the collecting gun brings him down and we are at leisure to examine him more closely. The upturned bill, 10 THE OOLOGIST. the half webbed feet, the white upon back and wings tell us the story. This is the American Avocet, a rather rare bird with us, but quite com- mon in Montana, Wyoming and Utah. As we land his mate fli-s up and an- other charge of fine shot lays her be- side her mate, mute witnesses to man's rapacity. The nest cannot be far from the place where she rose. It is not hard to locate, being a mere depression in the .sind lined with a tew wisps of dried grass and leaves, containing four olive- buff eggs plentifully spotted with choco. late brown uniform with all the waders, and iikj them, pointing inwards. In size about 1.80x1.35- They too, go into the capacious maw of the col- lecting case. A whistle of wings over- head causes us to look up in time to see a pair of Mallards alight on the water and swim gracefully away For of all our water birds the Mallard is the most graceful. In this country the Mallard nests among the rocks some distance from the shore of the lake or pond and we must look for this one in yonder cliff of rooks in the direction from whence they came. An hour of search fails to reveal the coveted nesting place of Mrs. Anas and we give up the quest and recline under the shade of a great pine to rest. We are hidden from a view of the lake by the body of the tree. In a short time the duck alights not sixty feet from our resting place and with a preliminary look around wad- dles serenely upon her nest. In vain have we walked around that very spot, but the nest is cunningly secreted among the rock.s and the tall grass that grows between them. Cautiously we approach. Even then 80 nearly does her soft brown back blend with the surroundings that we all most tread upon her before she gives a startled quack and takes wing. There are 9 olive green eggs within a mere depression among the rocks lined with grass and down from the mother's breast. All is fish that comes to our net, and while they are not very valuable let us look up the nests of the Red wings that are continually circling above us making the air vocal with their '■k.-yig ipier ree" and flishing their scarlet epaulets as theywhirl above us. In this country they build upon the rushes above the water and in the thorn and alder thickets that skirt the edge of the lake. So with wading boots pul- led up high we wade out some feet from shore and are in a veritable city of blackbirds. Nests and nests every- where; some 1 I c ompleted,some nearly ready to hatch and a few con- taining only one or more eggs. The nests are compactly made of dried grass and small sticks lined with moss and hair, fastened securely to the tule. We select a few complete sets of the eggs which are the most typically marked, light blue or slate colored with clouded markings of dark purple or black. Well, here is another nest round as a ball and of about the same size, fastened to a single tule stalk, where it sways with every passing breeze, an air-swung cradle for the babies within. What bird is this, say- est thou? In sooth no bird at all. A pair of bright eyes and a funny little whiskered nose are pushed oat of the diminutive hole in the side of the nest, they are peering and sniffing with evident alarm. Upon our near approach the little occupant tumbles into the water and swims away as rapidly as four tiny feet can carry her. This is the home of the kangaroo mouse of the Northwest and we will investigate her domicile. Gently enlarging the doorway we find the cavity neatly aud warmly lined with hair and feathers and reposing on this downy couch five little creatures that seem all eyes and head, except a mi'e of pink body that is entirely guiltless if any covering. Innocent little creatures and as they cannot be THE OOLOGIST. 11 blown and added to our egg cabinet •we replace the stalk and leave them to the tender care of the tiny mother. While busy with the mouse aud her progency my eyes have been upon yon tall Cottonwood by the shore and just now I saw a bird alight upon one of the higher branches and disappear. It i3 a good thing that we threw those climbing irons in the boat for here is something that requires their use. Forty feet to the lowest limb then twenty more to a small hole in the body of the tree. When almost up there a head peers out of the hole and ij turned down to reconnoitre. Satisfied wiih the investigation the occupant pitches out and is awav. "Wood Duck," you say, and you are right. The only wonder is that so large a bird can enter so small a hole. But she did for you saw her come out, and to my mind you saw the handsomest of our water fowls. Tne iridasceose of the wood duck's plumage is mere beautiful than that of any other bird that visits these latitudes. A few blows of the hand ax and the opening is large enough for you to see the bottom. It is about four feet deep and lined with grass and down. There are eight buff colored eggs. It is with very few qualms of con science that we appropriate her treasur- es for we are sure that she will come back and immediately proceed to re- plenish them. Let us hope that no other vandal collector will discover her and that we may have t he pleasure some day of seeing her transfer her progency to their natural element, one at a lime in her bill. Hunger waits for no man. Likewise time is not much of a procrastinator and both have been busy while we were, and now the sun that was lately just gilding the mountain tops is far beyond the zenith and hunger ij gnawing at the citidel of man's existence, admon- ishing us that at that big hotel off yr n- der across the lake is the wherewith to quit this craving. Loading in our treasures of the day we are soon landed in town and appeasing the appetite that effort and outdoor life gives. Chas. S. Moodt, M. D. Wilson's Phalarope. With a plumage and a character all its own, and a domain fairly exclusive, among the marsh denizens, the Wil- son's Phalarope tills a delightful place, in the heart of the bird student, among our western prairie marshes. Strictly speaking, the dainty bird we are study- ing is neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. He is too small for a duck; too bright- colored for a mere sand-peep; and too odd in his domestic habits to be classed with any other bird of our North American orni^. He arrives about the second week in May, as a rule, in the porthern states; thronging, at times, the marshes and the wet timothy fidlds. He is quite as much of a swimmer as of a wader; and no more exquisite sight could kindle the enthusiasm of the student, atield, than the s ght of a wisp of these trim waders floaling, with absolute buoyancy in and amid the foam and flotsam of the margin of some marshy lake; picking up, with consumate grace, the particles of food cast up by the waves. For some three weeks after their arrival, these birds gladden landscape and water-scape, in carefree abandon. They are ever on the move, afoot or awing; and during these three weeks of junketing, the unique courtship is carried on. There is no more laugh- able sight, to one endowed with a modicum of the sense of humor, than that of a couple, or even three, of the brightly-colored females, ardently chas- ing a single somber- plumaeed male, who turns and darts, here and there, in arrowy flights, apparently much bored by the whole performance. Meanwhile, the sometimes-dangling feet and the ever tremulous wings of 12 THE OOLOGIST. the amorous females bespeaks an ardor that would be ridiculous, under the circumstances; were it not so desperate- ly in earnest. By June first, the nests are ready to receive the eggs; the sets, in many cases, being complete by the fifth of the month, along the northern border of the States,* The sites vary little. Sometimes a nest will be found built up over a half-inch of water; but, as a rule, the base of the nest will be fairly dry. The site is usually amid the standing green grass, not quite knee- high. Some attempt is generally made at canopying; the green blades, in all their stubborn straightness, being drawn together at the top with marvellons skill and patience. In the main, the nest, itself, is quite as fragile as the ground nests of such birds are wont to be; .I'ust a handful of dead grass. But the arrangement, and the general effect of nest and site is quite in keeping with the bird's daintiness. And the eggs furnish the finishing touch. Their grevs and drabs, in varying tints, and the rich, variant markings of umber or of purplish sepia form, with the nest and the site, a really marvellous example of harmony and of color pro- tection. After the eggs have been laid, the birds, both male and female, show much solicitude; should any intruder venture within half a-mile of the nest, with evident concern, they welcome the coming, and speed the going guest. As he meanders, hawk like, over the meadows, all legs aad eves, the Phala- ropes flit and soar, above his head, with the airiest of undulating flight-move- ments, repeating, incessantly, a soft, tender, entreating, ventriloquial little "quack"; an exact miniature of the female mallard's soliloquy. t Where- ever the collector g^es. the Phalaropes * Iowa re ords are considerably earlier. + The head tips upward with each repetition of the note. go with him, circling, fearlessly, but a few feet above his head. Artless little deceivers, these; for the coDecter who has never been initiated into this sort of espionage is ever expecting to find something of interest when Phalaropes. dance attendance; but he is mainly disappointed. With growing experi- ence, it begins to occur to him that if he is surrounded, half-hours at a time, by three or four pairs of Phalaropes, the prospect of flushing any one of the four, six or eight, from the cunningly hidden eggs is, to say the least, by no means great. It is only, then, when the searcher turns from the Phalaropes, in disgust and sets his interest upon the quest of bobolinks and bitterns that the un- expected happens. For suddenly then, either from just before his very feet or from a scarcely findable point at from twenty to thirty feet away, the seedy little male Phalarope starts, wings fluttering, legs dangling and with the tiniest, most plaintive vocal protest breathing, sometimes, from the anxious, fussy little body. Then the .searcher is fortunate, indeed, if he be keen-eyed and heedful footed. He carefu ly lays bare every hollow of the ground; and brushes aside every spear of grass. He traverses e'ery square foot of ground, within a likely distance. Just as he reaches the despair point, as he has so often done before, the hidden treasure slowly (-merges upon his gHze. He feasts his eyes a moment, turns away again to see what that hysterical maie is doing; and then repeats the whole search peifjrmance for the benefit of the marsh dwellers. Yet it is worth while. But one conceivable thing is daintier, more delicate than the nest and eggs of a Wilson's Pnaiarope; and that is the soft, grey-bodied, elusive chicks, that are to emerge from the eggs in due time; whom the parents will attend and defend with ail their wildly excited and wheedling arts; but whom not one mortal out of a hundred ardent and tireless searrheis will ever see, in all their wierd, flreiing beauty. P. B. PlSABuDY. THE OOLOGIST. 13 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. Tilt? contents of the December No. include the roUowiag articles. Recent Theories in regard to the Determi- nation of Sex. Prof. T. H Morgan. The Academy of Science of St. Louis. Prof. William Trelease. The Tetrahedral Kites of Dr. Graham Bell. Gilbert H. Grosvenor. Hertzian Wave Wireless Telegraphy. Dr. J. A. Fleming. The Salmon and Salmon Streoms of Alas- ka. President David Starr Jordan. The Storm Center in the Balkans. Dr. Allan McLaughlan The Growth of Rural Population. Frank T Carlton. Rear Admiral Melville, U. S. N.. and Ap- plied Science in the Construction of the New Fleet. The late Professor R. H Thurston The Popular Science Monthly has had few rivals and no equal in the educative service it has done for the American peo- ple A complete set of the volumes thus far published Is both a history of science for the period covered and at the same time a pretty complete cyclopedia of natural science. There is nothing to fill its plac**, and to car'-y it on is a benefaction to the public— W. T. Harris, U. S. Commissioner of Education. THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, SUB-STATION 84, NEW YORK CITY. $3.00 per year. 30c per copy. J»"The Popular Science Monthly will be sent for six months for one dollar to new subscribers mentioning The Oologist TAXIDERMY. The finest grades of work In all branches. Mounted Birds, Mamtnals, Heads and Game Pieces. CEO.F. GUELF, BROCKPORT.N.Y. A CARD will unug yoti my fall list of ovur yoO specimens iu choice sets. A few bargains. Price per egg. Red-throated Loon 15-3 @30 c. Dinlin 10-4 15 c. Whinihul « 4 16 o. European Snipe 4-4 12 c. Whooper Swan 2 4 1-5 70 c. Parasitic Jaeger 5-2 18 c. Rich Praruiigan 6 10 20 c. Ruff 2-4 16 c. Black tailed Godwit 3-4 18 c. Merlin 3 4 2 5 22 c. Mexican Carmorcit 8-4 3-5 25 c. Columbian Sharptailed Guara 1-12 14 20 c. Golden Plover 3-4 18 c. D. WILBY, 27 Front St. West, Toronto, Ont. Can. INDEX FOR VOL. XIX Will be printed in Decern bur Oologist. January issue of the Oologist will be No. 1." Vol. XXI. Whole No. 198; November and Decemt^er isp'ifs com- plete and comprise Vol. XX. The " Whole No of the Oologist as al- ways printed on first page, and by which subscriptions are credited, al- ways runs consecutivelv, hence any confusion in volume or Vol. No., can be quickly untangled by referring to the whole No. Tho is^ue for December, 1902, was Yr,\ XIX wholn No 19i; for NTovem- berand December, 1908 >s Vol XX, Nns. 1 and 2, whole Noe. 196, 197: and for January, U03, will be as stated at the beginning rf the pnragraph. Manv complaints have been received from subscribprs not receiving certain 1902 issu s Subscribers lacking copies of any issue for filing purposes can get new copies at 2 cents each. Gratis if never received. The credit number on the wrapper of this issue of the Oologist remains the same as it showed on November 1st. Renewals since that date have been credited on our books, but not on wrappers. FREE STAMPS Two Guatemala Jubilee Brands. Cat. 80 cents for the nime and addresses of two coUectDrs and 2 cts. post«ge. 130, all different, stamp 4c. 200. 18c. 3n0, 50o. 1000 mixed foreign stamps 19c. 2000, 26c. 10 animal stamps, Camel, Gir-ff, at only 10c. Agents winted. 50 per cent, commission. Present lists free. We buy stamps. Buving list 10 cents. TOLEDO STMVIP CO,, TOLEBO, OHIO. MAJOVE INDIAN Bead Work. Selected woven belts 25 to 30 inches long, of typical Indian Ddsign and Color combinations $2:.50. Neck Ropes, Ceremonial Collars, Bows and Arrows, War Clubs. Baby Cradles, primitive dresses of bark and Chimqhu- eva Bisketry for sa e. R'-fer to Post- master, Express Agent here. OTTO HOLSTEIN, MELIEN, MOHAVE CO. ARIZONA. 14 THE OOLOGIST. JamesP.Bal)t)itt, Closing Out Importer and Dealer in One of the finest stocks of Scientific Taxidermist's Shells S«*^' Minerals Bird Skill, Fossils Eggs and Publications. CuriOS „. , , . „., T 1 u A AND SPECIALLY SCIENTIFIC Nickle and Silver Ink well and Thermometer Fittings for Deer, BOOKS in the country. If you have Moose, Elk and Curibon Feet. ^^^^^ ^^ i^^^gj i^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ j^i. mediately for new Fine Imported Glass Eyes BARGAIN LIST A opetldllj. We also exchange for any A 1 Scientific Books. Send 5 cents for Illustrated Catalogue and Bargain list of Eggs and Skins, Walter F. Webb. 10-12 HODGES AVE., 416 GRAND AVE., TAUTON, MASS. I^ocliesteF, N. Y. THE OOLOGIST 15 TAXIDERMISTS', NATURAL- Tnni C AMQ ISTS' AND OOLOGISTS' Lt"!:? .tl" . LISTS FREE SUPPLIES '. BIRDS NESTS AND EGGS. Here are a few specimen prices. Western Grebe 10 | 4 •■ 1|5 Tufted PufflQ. 3 1 1 California Brown Pelican, 1 1 3; Long Billed Puffin. 1 | 1 . 48 25 25 60 98 BracTt-Beiiled Pine Duck, 1 | 8 4 00 Wilson's Snipe. 1 I 3 1 00 Mexican Jacana. 1 | 5 5 00 Broad-Winged Hawk, 2 | 2 2 OO 113 3 00 Marsh-Hawk, 1 I 5 60 Woodhouse'8 Jay, 1 1 3 1 00 Arizona Jut 2 I 4 1 00 Lead-colored Bush Tit. 1 | 4 „ 85 Magnolia Warbler. 2 | 3 _ 50 All eggs flrst-class full date and sentpre- paiu. Prices are for set. Hundreds of others. Send for lists. Be.st Steel Climbers, with straps $ 2 50 Lead Pencils, especially flne and soft for pggs - 10 Blowpipes 12c., 30c., 40 Cut-tbe-Lining Egg Drills, set of four 1 CO Data Blanks, pads of II 0 10 Egg Cotton on cedar sheet, 9c., package .. 50 All are prepaid. S^nd for lists. I carry a full line of the Codman & Shurtleff naturalists, taxi lermists and oologlsts instruments The best made. Lists free. Everything ciuoted here is prepaid BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, N. Y. BENJAMIN HOAG, STEPHENTOWN, N. Y. SUBSCRIPTION AGENCY For all American and Foreign Magazines and Newspapers- Books of every description. Prompt quotations. Lists and bulletins free. Submit a list of wants I will save you money. I will duplicate any offer made by any agency or Publisher. Simply send their price. You will often get a rebate back on their price. Samples. American Ornithology and Oologist $1.00 Condor New Subscribers only and Oologist. -1.15 Ark and Oologist 3 00 Bird-Love and Oologist 1.15 Outing. Recreation, Country Life in Amer- ica and Success- 4.75 Everybody's McClure's and Munsey's 2.60 Chapman's Handwork and Davles' Nests and Eggs 3.75 Rldgway's Manual 5.60 Davles'Taxldermy 2 50 Davles' Nests and Eggs 1.50 Harper's Magazine^ 3 30 Century Magazine - 3 60 CosmopoUUan Magazine and Twentieth Cen- tury Home 1.25 Handbook Birds Western U. S 3.60 All books are sent prepaid. I am booking orders for Cone's New Key, send It prepaid and a copy of Bailey's or Chapman's Handbook for .S12.00. It will pay you to get my quotations before you buy a single book or subscribe for any Newspaper or Magazine. Mounted Birds! Gray Rufled Grouse, large male birds, list $5; my price $1 65. White-Tailed Patatrmigan, list *5: my price. $2 10 Wo d Duck, male. list. J4.50; my price, 12.54. Snowy Owl. large birds. ('^0 to 23 inches), on stump, list $10; my price f4 Snowfla' e (white winter birds) on T perches li^t$1.30; my price 40c. Redpoll, on T perch, list $1.30; my price 40c. SOMB VERY PRETTY EGGS Set of 2 American Osprey, 70c. - 3 " " $1 06. 2 Audubon's Caracara. 80c. " 3 ■• '• $1.'25. " 3 White Ibis, 33c. " 4 " •• 45c. " 3 Forster's Tern. 18c. 2 Western Gull, 25c. 5 Bobolink, 46c. 5 and Nest of the Blue-Gray Gnat- Catcher. ^ heir nest is a marvel of bird archUecture and the eggs are beauties. .60 For sale by ERNEST H. SHORT, Rochester, N. Y. Mounted Birds. Homed Grebe * 1 00 Merganser 1 00 Ruffed Grouse 1 OO Hooded Merganser 1 00 Screech Owl 1 00 Pintail Duck 100 Golden-Eye (pair) - 2 00 Elder Duck 3 10 Herring Gull 1 00 Mallard Duck 1 00 Pine Grosbeak 75 Wilson Snipe, (pair) 1 25 Kllldeer._ 75 Mountain Partridge 1 00 Snow Bunting 50 Whlie-Winged Crossbill 1 00 Bobolink » 60 Belted Kingfisher 75 Indigo Bunting . 50 Bluebird 50 Long-Eared Owl. 1 60 Hairy Woodpecker 50 Blue Jay 75 Squirrel, (grey).., 125 Scarlet Tanager.. 75 Sparrow Hawk. 75 FUcker 75 Meadow Lark 75 BIRD SKINS. Mourning Warbler.SOc Cerulean Warbler .30c Cape May Warbler.. 60c American Joweo 16c Scarlet Tanager 16c Hooded Warbler.. -•30c BIRDS EGGS. Mourning Warbler, (set of three) $3 00 Hooded Warbler " •' 37 Cheaper Eggs for exchange. JOHN RITENBURGH, Taxidermist, p. O. Box 103. GAINES, N. Y. 16 THE OOLOGISl IMPORTANT. Every notice and advertisement printed in this Oologist is fresii and up-to-date, and was received during tlie last week of November. All old advertis- ing material was returned on November 20th, accompanied with the following letter : In running over the correspondence of the Oologist for the past year, I find the attached notice for the Oologist has never been printed. The November issue will be printed not later than November 30th, and December issue Dec- ember 15. If you wish this notice, or one in its place printed, please return at earliest convenience. THE OOLOGIST for 5 years for only $1. Until January i, 1904, we will accept $1 as full payment for the OOLOGIST for 5 years, (until Jan. i, igog) and Grant all such subscribers use of the OOLOGIST ex- change colums in any or all issues at one-half regular rates. "THE STUDENT OF OOLOGY Should by all means learn to skin birds and put them in their proper shape." — Oliver Davie. Every Ojlogist realizes the need of this knowledge. Our school makes it possible for every Naturalist, sportsman and nature lover to preserve his specimens. TAXIDERMY IN ALL ITS BRANCHES taught by mail. Thoroughly reliable and competent instruction. You can positively learn the art under our instruction. Save your trophies, decorate your den, save money. Our free exchange what Oalogists have always needed. Readers we want to send you It's free. A special offer for 30 days only. Writeto usfor particu- literature, THE NORTHWESTERN SCHOOL OF TAXIDERMY. 41 1-2 BEE BUILDING, The only school of its kind in the world. OMAHA, NEB. SOUTH AMERICAN RHEA, gea SMlS. We have received a few fine speci- mens of the Eggs The regular price is $3 00. We will send, delivery made by us, for 82 35. Each egg having a correct data. This is the first time since we have been in business that we could offer these eggs at such a price. We have a very few Cassowary Eggs They are a beautiful pea green color. Price, net $5.00, delivered. FRANK B. WEBSTER CO. Hyde Park, - - Mass. 25 shells, each a different va- riety, by mail for 25 cents with engravings of each. Send stamps or coin. Have a big stock of White O ives (Panamas) for making portiers. Low price by the thousand. Shells for all kind of fancy work. Scol- lop shells 30 cents dozen by mail. Birds Eggs. Have a list side blown of Guil- mat and Tern eggs from Japan, a ptir by mail 45 cents. My big catalogue of novelties with first order. J. F. POWELL, Wankegan, 111. The OoLOGist. -f^^ A MONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXIDERMY. VOL XX NO. 2 ALBION, N. T., DECEMBER, 1903. Whole No. 197 Wants, Exchanges, and For Sales. Brief special anaouncementa, "Wants, ' "ExcLiangea" "For Sales," inserted In tUla departme' t for 2.W per 2f) words. Notices over 26 words, charged at the rate o( one-hall cent per each addltloral word. No notice Inserted tor less than 25c. Terms, cash with order. Strictly First-class specimens will be accepted In payment at one-third list rates. What's Your Number? Examine the number following your name on the wrapper ol this month's Oologist. It denotes when your subscription expired or will expire. No. 1ST your snbBcription expires with this issue 200 " " '■ " Mar., 1901 205 ■' " " " Aug. •• 207 " " " " Oct. " 209 " " " " Dec, 1904 257 '• " " '■ Dec 1904 Intermediate numbers can easily be deter- mined. If we have you credited wrong we wish to rectify. IMPORTANT. This Dee. Oologist was Is sued Dec. 21. RADIUM -See Nov. Oologlsf L. V. CASE, Tarrytown, N Y. FOR EXCHANGE— Old U. S. Cents, war- tokens and scrip for Indian Relics. W. G. McLAIN, Edison. O. SETS and singles with data to sell or ex- chnage. Have sets o( 650 egg-j that I will sell tor $12 50. SAM DICKENS, Austin, Texas. FOR SALE. I have a collection of eggs for sale cheap for cash, address. J. HAZEL- WOOD, 260,3 Walnut St., Port Huron Mich. WANTED— Sets with nests of A. O. U. 654, 680, 675, 685, 688. IQ exchange can oiler 629a. 656,665,723 J. H BOWLES, Tacoma Wash. NOTICE. We have a lot of line Resurrection Plants to exchange at 30c. each. Anything for the collector wanted. SAYLES BROS, Muse- um, Abilene Tex. FOR EXCHANGE,— A large quantity of Nat- ural History Specimens, Warn books on Sci- entific subjects, also send your list of Indian Relics, minerals, etc. W. J. ENSLAND, Caro, Michigan. FOR SALE— one half section, 320 acres, choice unimproved land in Assiniboii, Canada. Where wheat yields 40 bus. per acre and other grain crops in proportion. Is the safest and best investment of the present time. Intend- ing buyers write tor description, price and terms to EDW. W. SPRINGER, Owatonna, Minnesota. WANTED— Indian relics. Will pay moder- ate prices. E. A. LOCKE, Whitman, Mass. WANTED— Indian relics in exchange or for cash. S ROZYCKI, 3051 Q St. N W. Washing- ton, D. C. Literature relative t'> the Su.S(iuehanna River, wanted, cash NEWMAN F. McGIRR. 310 S. Smedley St., Phila. TO EXCHANGE.— American and Foreign birds' eggs and skins for eggs. J CLAIRE WOOD, 179, 17th St. Detroit . Michigan. Will exchange one fine cloth copy of "Fred- erick Young. " the naturalist, a story, for t3 worth of Al bird skins Send list. CH AS. L. PHILLIPS, Taunton, Mass. EXCHANGE.— Mounted specimens andjskins for skins suitable for mounting, aquarium and supplies g )ld fish etc JOHN CLAYTON, Taxi- dermist, Lincoln, Me BIRD BOOKS WANTED —I want old flies of bird magazines and old bird books. Will be glad to 'eceive a list of any ihing you may have. W. LEE CHAMBERS, Santa Monica, Cal. Wanted.— Fresh skins of water fowl espec- ially ducks, only mature males wanted. Ad - dress with lowest cash price. W. A MEAD. Carmel, N. Y. WANTED— RIdgvviy's Nomencalture of Colors tor cash or exchange. Must be in first class condition Have fine sets of 127 and, many others. All answered. C. S SHARP Escondldo. Cal. FOR Sale.— Many fine single eggs" such as, 342,343 3i9 3M, 267. 687. 3»5, 375. 491 80,70. 289, 394. 474b. 37M, 751, 7.56. 6KI and many other, most- ly with datas Send for list. Very cheap. RAY DEI^SMORE. PalnsvlUe, Ohio Hawks.- Have several tine sets Red-Should ered Hawks, and many others. Want an A. 1 egg of Ostrich, emu and other A 1. sets, send lists. WILLIAM I. COMSTOCK, Norwalk, Conn. EXCHANGE — Autographes. minerals, cur- ios. Natural History papers and books to ex- change for minerals ^ems autographs, curios and Indian relics. P. O NE LSON, 913 Hays St., Boise, Idaho. 18 THE OOLOGIST. FOR SALE— Pure Bred Poultry. Barred Plymouth Rocks Stock $1.00 up. Fggs 81 00 per 15. S.5.00 per 100. ProUflc Layers. AR- THUR HARVICK. Vienna. 111. 197 WANTED FOR CASH— Keyes and Williams Annotated Catalogue of Iowa birds, also odd numbers of the Iowa Ornithologist. J. L. SLOANAKER, Newton. Iowa. 197 FOR EXCHANGE— Flint and stone Indian Relics. Want any thing that will instruct or entertain. Suitable for a museum. ARTHUR HARVICK. Vienna, 111. 197 MANY rare Sets to exchange for perfect sets, can use many Common Species. Have fine list of Arctic egcs. Will sell a few. J. W. PRESTON. Baxter, Iowa. 197 CHOICE sets to exchange for first class stamps from U. S. and possessions, also pre- cancelled stamps now In my collection. Will sell 100 var. precancelled for Jl 60. Box bl Unionvllle Ct^ 197 EXCHANGE— I have U. S. and Foreign "Coins" U. S. and Confederate fractional currency. Confederate bonds. Colonial notes etc. for sale or exchange. What have you- KENNETH B. TURNER, HO Huestis Street, Ithaca. N. Y. FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.— Skins. Mount- ed birds eggs, sets and singles. Wanted birds, skins, and eggs In sets, send lists All letters answered. JESSIE T. CRAVEN, 573 Hubbard Ave- Detroit, Mich. Guide to Taxidermy 35 cents postpaid. Tell you how to mount birds, animals, and fish. Will exchange this book for $1 worth of eggs that are listed for ten cents or less if sent post- paid. CHAS. K. REED, Worchester, Mass. DOG COLLOK PLATES.— Lettered with name, address, number, and dog's name if de- sired. State width of collar. Heavy Brass, with rivets. 25 ct^. Nickel silver, 50 els. Post- paid to any address, SWAINE'S STAMP WORKS, Rochester, N. H. FOR SALE OREXCHANGE— Some fine sets collected by myself at Lake Wlnnipegosls, in Northern Manitoba during last June such as American Red breasted Mer.iansers, Ring bill- ed gulls. Double Cushed Cormorants, Loon Holbells. Horned Grebes, Fox Sparrow, Phila- dephla Vlreo, Red breasted Nuthatch, North- ern Hairy Woodpecker, and others, with Photo- graph of most of these nests. Send for full list to W. RAINE, Kew Beach, Toronto, Canada. FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.- Some rare sets single eggs from the Arctic Coast of North America including such species as Snowy Owl, Snowflake, Smith's Longspur, Brent Goose, Whistling Swan, Sablnies Gull, Point Barrow Gull, White Kumped Sandpiper. Pacific Klttiwake. Red and Northern Phala- roper, PaelHc Elder, Long Tailed Jaeer, Snow Goose and other varieties. W. RAINE, Kew Beach, Toronto, Canada. WANTED IN EXCHANGE OR CASH IF CHEAP many sets of the following. Cfldar Waxwlng, Lener Scaup, Boldpathe Bart- rams Sandpiper, Osprey.- 6, 7, 12, 29. 58. 60, 63, 64, 85, 72. 74 to KO W, 106, 112. 113. 131, 137. 139 140, 144. 149, 150, 160, 172. 182 to 191 197 to 201, 204 to 208. 214. 226 to 242. 244 to 266. 273 to 2K9b, '^93 to 300c, 309 to 310c, 325 to 384 3.H7, 3H8, 390 to 433 448 to 455, 474a to 491, 501 to 509. 617 to 593. 695 to 612. Cedar Waxwlng 619 to 697, 701 to 703, 713,to 768- Send full exchange list or your best cash prices- Can also use bird skins in exchanee for eggs. D. WILEY 27 Front St. West, Tor- onto, Ont. Canada. WANTED.— A few ■ good pairs of steers horns. F. M. RICHARDS. Farmington, Maine. WANTED— Indian arrowpolnts, spearheads and other Indian relics. STEPHEN ROZY- CKI, 3051 Q St. N. W., Washington. D. C. I WANT to buy for cash or a good trade two or three sets Sharp Shinned Hawks eggs. R. P. SHARPLES, West Chester. Pa. 197 YOU should have the Summer Birds of Cen- tral Texas, only $.50. A. E. SCHUTZE, 1611 Sabine Street, Austin, Texas. FOR EXCHANGE-Indiau Snow Shoes and Mocassins. Spaulding 42 inch, hardly used Take revolver, medical books or dictionary. E. P. CARLTON M. D. Keyeser, Wisconsin. WANTED— Pre-Mstorlc copper relics, also extra large ancient stone spears and knives. REV. E. C. MITCHELL, 534 Summit Ave. St. Paul, Minn. JAPANESE IVORY and wood carvings wanted. State lowest prices. Must come on approval. Ref. F. H. Lattln. R. Q. PAINE, National Museum. Washington, D. C. WANTED -Every reader of this to send ten cents for a copy of our Bird Magazine and large Illustrated catalogue with prices of all Birds Eggs. CHAS. K. EEED, Worcester Mass. Wanted— For cash, some of Audubon's original folio plates, suitable for framing. State subject, condition and price. J. 0. DUNN 3930 Prairie Ave , Chicago. MAMMALS: BIRDS! Parties desiring fine mammals or birds from this locality let me know your wants and I will collect to order in the meat or scientific skins. Address at once;- HARTLEY H. T. JACKSON, Milton, Wis. WANTED —Woodpecker eggs in original sets. All kinds Will give any thing Inline of tools, supplies, books or any thing I adver- tise in exchange. Send list of what you have and your wants. JAMES P. BABBITT, Taun- ton, Mass. WANTED.— Every dealer and collector to send me his address that I may send out Sample Sheets of my Standard Field Note and Data Blank Books, Endorsed by Advanced Collectors and dealers Recomended by Ornolho- logical ClulJS "All Answered" address GEO. W. MORSE, Ashley lud. Box 230. The Summer Birs of Central Texas is a re- cent publication briefly describing the birds, of that locality, their and nests and eggs. It contains a vast amount of intere.'.ling reading matter and many beautiful half-tone illustra- tions of nests in the situtatlon. A. E. SCHGTZE, 1611 Sabine Street, Austin. Texas' RARE EGGS— I have just unpacked a case of rare eggs from the far North and find many single eggs which I will sell at very low prices such as Emperor Goose, Platy back Gull, Black Brant, Speculated Eider. Am. Golden Plover. Snowy and Hawk Owl, etc. Also have choice sets of manv rare kinds, such as Yellow bill Loon, Pacific Loon, Red legged Klttiwake, Pacific Klttiwake, Pectoral Sandpiper, Black- bellied Plover and many others. Altogether this is the finest lot of eggs ever brought down from the far North If you want to fill up a few gaps in your collection, send for list of eggs from Alaska and Anderson River Region. JAMES P. BABBITT, Taunton, Mass. THE OOLOGIST. 19 I DESIRE, to buy or exchanee Indian relics DircJs and mammals sldns. curios, colonial antique,"!, old Are arms etc. No postals answ- ered STEPHEN VAN RENSSELAER Jr, West Orange, N . J, HAVE A LOOK-6 sets of woods for sale cbeap or exchange for other woods. Foreign and native. Ml kinds in a set. 3 dollars will buy 1,D kinds of foreign and native woods or will exchange for woods not in mv col- lectjou LOUIS W. HAHN. Lake avenue, Silver Creek, Chautauqua County, N. Y ,^a^IS°4. bn7. S60a, .■i67c,'567d, 588a! 6«8, 669, 680 681a, 685a, 7l,=i, 741a, 743 748a 749 7o4, n9a. 768 and many others. Positively identiHed. Also a few choice sets of eges In- ?iT'i?"i^ n-5 Calaveras Warbler Send for lists, WM. L. ATKINSON, S -nta Clara, Cal Dr. LATTIN says -Prederlck Young is all right.' • • I found it both interesting and in- structive, doubly so to the traveler and natu- ralist "Gold top: tinted illustrations; 40 pages- rich dark green cloth binding, with sheet white enamel lettering, and a beautiful black and light green cover design by Frohn A scentiflc novel liked by all. Superlative as a fi .V .^"S"'*''*^''** P'""='* *' SO sent postpaid, cloth $1.10; paper 40 cts. CHARLES L. PHIL- LIPS. Taunton. Mass WAN I'ED— Wos. -4. 4, 5 and 6 o( Nidlologist; any and all volumes of Auk; volume V and No. 8 vol. IV of Osprey. Can give in return. books relating to Entemology. Oology and Natural History I have a tew copies of Nehr Ungs Birds of N. A. colored plates at 1.7.=, a copy. (Nos 1,3 and 6) Also bulletins of the natural history of New York printed in 1840. relating to the plants fish, fossils etc. Very valuable, to exchange for any of the above wants, or first class bird tln°Texas^' ^^^^'^^'^' 2306 Guadalope, Aus FOR SALE.-U 1-2.75; 123-1.35: 21 11 J2 30- 35 1-811.00; 40 1-3 .45; 44 1-3W00; 105 1-1 Irtv 115 1-2 $1.35; 123a 1-3 $1.80: 137 1-3 85: 130 Ml 3 35' 132 1-7 .50: 133 MO 3. .30: 13on-7200: i:!7 nil 300-' 143n-10 2 00; 149 n-9 2 60; 151 1-13 4 OO; 1.54 1-7 Is": 155 n-7 4 00: 165 1.8 6 00: 176 1-8 1-3.00: 185 12 2 75- 1901-4 1.00; 201b 1-4 1 40: 233 1-4 1.35; 243 1-4 50 3«1 1 4 .45; 263 1-4 .20: 269 1-4 .20: 271 1 4 60- 288 1-5 8 90; 289 1 -17 85: 397a 1 8 3.90; 300b 1 7 1 75- 30'^ UVfin^'l,i?P'' 337b 5-4 100; 337b3 3'.60l 342 1-3 .50; 348 1-3 very line. 2 25; 3,56 1-4 4 25- SfO M 8 00 ; 360a 2 5 ..50; 363 2 3 .95; 364 I 3 .75; 365 1-7 90; 366 1-5.85; 387 14 140; 368 1-3 1,20: 373 -6 1.00; 375 1-3 1.00; 375d 2 3 1.50; 375d 1-4 2 SO' 378 1-7 .50; 390 1-6 ,50; 394a 1-6 1.00; -397 1-5 1 65; '407 1-6 .20; 417 1-2 1.00. 419 1-2 3.00: 430b 1-2 .80; 451 13 30 45013 100; 476 2 4.3 5. 1-6. 1-7,1-8 (§) 18c e^'- 567d 1-4 3.00: 617 1-5.40; 641 n-5 3 M;' 676 n -S ^41; 685a n-4 1.45; 710a 2-3 3-4, fe lie: 721a 1-8 45^ .42b n-3 1.00; 763 n 4 1 60; 767 1 5 .25. Will also trade the above sets for shotgun, mounted birds, or Hungarian opals. Have about 400 sets to dispose of, all first class, and want only first class material In exchange. Orders over K.00 postpaid. CHAS S. THOMPSON, Paso Robles, Cal. WOOD-DUCK— in pairs or quanties also Mal- lard, Teal. Pintail and other wild duck for sale. E. W. WARWICK, Fleming, N. Y. WILL PAY CASH foreggs in 1st class sets If cheap 3-37. 3:30. 349. 352 40.5, for the above sets A. O. U. H. S. SOWERS, 1745 W. 12ih St , Chicago 111. WANTED.— A doe deer head, horns and ant- lers unmounted, for cash write me what you have to offer. M. P. DENNY, Taxlderinist Mount Vernon. Iowa. FOR EXCHANGE.— sets -with data 263, 873, •■Bl. 387, 48S, .501,«23a, 637,633, 743a. For sets not in my collection or for sea shells. A. W. PLUMB. Grand Blanc, Mich. R. F. D. No. 3. FOR EXCHANGE.— Have fine cabinet cur- losities for antiques of all kinds. 1st class mounted birds and works on natural history. JOHN B. WHEELER, East Templeton, Mass, WILL EXCHANGE— a good telescope that Is almost as good as new, for the following: A. I sets with datas 475, 477. 461. 47.3. 365 160 137 130 69,or$3.50in cash JOHN BOWMAN, Devils' Lake. North Dakato. FOR EXCHANGE.— Any of following books for birds' eegs Mavnard's Naturalist Guide. Sparrows and Finches of New England, Man- ual of North American Butterflies, T. PARK- ER, Neutonville, Mass. FOR EXCANGE.— Magazines. Harpers. Cen- tury.Munsey's and many other. Government publif ations and hundred of books to exchange for others Let me hear from you and I will sell if you have not got anjrthing I can use CHARLES CLICKENER, Silverwood Ind- iana R. F. D. No 1. EXCHANGE NOTICE.-Have Bllthdale Ro mance, Tanglewood tales. Cloth bound. Guide For Young Disciples. Pub. 1823. Melg's Woman and Her Diseases. Want. Gov. Rpts. on explor- ations or offers. E. B. SHEEDI^ER, HopKln- ton, Iowa. THE Birds of Maine, revised edition, to be out soon. If you want a copv send quick fo information. J. MERTON SWAIN, Pairfiel Me. EXCHANGE.— I have U. S. and Foreign Coins, U. S and Confed. fractional currency. Confed. bonds Colonial notes etc. for sale or exchange What have you? KENNETH B. TURNER, 140 Hueptis St. Ithaca, N. Y. WANTED.— Marine, fresh water and land shells, books and buUetens on shells, also back numbers of Birds and Nature. I have many desirable eggs in sets and Florida marine shells, CHARLES L.CASS, 533 Packard St. Ann Arbor, Mich. TO EXCHANGE.— Mounted black and gray squrrel great horned and barred owl, grouse blue heron, hawks 5 kinds and osprey for snowy owl, pelican, guns or coins. GEO. F. HiLER. Sebring. Pa. WANTED.— at once, choice sets of Ruffed Grouse, Passenger Pigeon, American Sparrow Hawk, Bald Eagle, Short eared and Saw-whet Owls, Purple Pinch, Arkansas Goldfinch Lawrence's Goldfinch, SnowHake, Savannah Sparrow, Gambel's Sparrow, Tree Sparrow Slate-colored Junco, Bell's Sparrow, Pine-wood Sparrow, Pox-colored Sparrow, Texan Cardi- nal, Blue Grosbeak, Layuli Bunting, Lark Bunting, etc. I can oOer sets from this and other localities in exchange. Give me an idea what is wanted in return. EDW. W. SPRIN- GER. Owatonna. Minn. R. P. D. No 4 20 THE OOLOGIST. FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE— Indian Wam- Dum white and bla'-k beads. Necklaces etc. from mounds and graves, old American and foreign copper and silver coins, .Prelnstoric Morters and Pestels. Bows, Arrows Points, Shell Necklaces and Shell Work Fa™l;ne Cormirantand Ostrich eggs J, B LEWib, (no Washington St., Petaluma Sonomalo WANTED.— for cash, Thread cases with wooden front drawers; give description and price J. O. DUNN, 59a E. 43rd St Chicago. For Sale or Exchange at TaTlor's Catalogue This entire lot (from two collections) Is for sale. Will exchange some specimens for stamps not under 33c. each, Scott's 1903 Cata- logue. Sets. A. O. U. No. 1 4-3 at 14c, 12 l-l at 3()c, 16 .■i-1 at 40c, 30a 10-1 at 5c. 36 1-2 Alaska at «3, 49 1-3 at 10c, 51a 2 3 &-3 at 8c, S3 12 3-3 at 20c. 69 1 3 and 74 1-3 at 6c 86 2-1 at 2!jc. 90 1 1 at 35c, 106 1 1 at 6c. 117 2-1 at 20c, 123 1-3 1-4 at ISC ISd 1-4 11 -3 4-3 at 21c, 126 1-2 at 8c, 137 1-1 1-3 at 38c, 130 1-7 at 2!ic, 133 1-7 1-8 1-9 at lOc, 13i 1 -7 at 26c. 13, 1-9 at 20c, 139 1-8 at 25c. 141 1-7 1-8 1-9 and 143 l-U at ISc, 146 1-10 1-11 1-12 1-14 at 10c, H9 1-9 at 20c 1-.01 l-9at25c, 167 1-7atl8c, 178 1-30 1-21 1-33 1-16 19 l-.^l at 60c. 300 1-5 at 6c 201 3 4 and 203 1-4 2 3 at 6c, 190 1-3 at 4oc, 194 1 4 at 30c, 864 1-3 Europe at 45c 273 3 4 at 5c, 287 1-2 at «1 60 294 1-10 1-19 1-38 at ioc 394a 1-13 l-14at lOc, .308 1-5 at 65c. 308a 1-13 at 60c. 319 12 at 8c, 335 1-3 at 35c, 339 3-3 at 15c 341 1-2 at 48c. 342 1-3 at 20c. 339b 1-3 at bOC. 318 1-2 at66c, 355 1-5 at »3 00, 360a 1-3 1-4 2-5 at 10c 363 1-2 at 35c. 365 2 4 1-6 at 10c' .366 1-5 at 20c, 367 1-3 1-6 at 42c, 37,3c 1-3 at 15c, 375 1-1 at 25c, 375c 1-3 1-3 at«1.75. .378 S-7 1-8 2-9 at 5c, 384 1-6 at Ic, 390i 16 at 7c 393 l-4at20c, 394a subipeciei willow woodpecker 13 at 20c. 411 1-4 at 60c. 413 1-7 at 5c 431 n-8 at 18c, 434 2-n 3 at 34-;. 483 13 at 5c. 443 1-4 at 6c. 4»6 1-4 at 403, 453 1-6 at 5c. 453 1 5 at 15c, 4.-)4 1-4 at 15c. 457 1-3 at 8c, 458 2 4 2-3 1-6 at 5C, 461 n-3 at 5c, 462 1-4 at 8c. 464 1-4 2-3 at 8c; 471 n-2 at 45c. 4761-6at2oc. 478al3at35c, 47Sb 1 3 at 46c, 481 1-4 at 10c, 49r 1-4 at so, .soib is at .5c, .505a 1-4 at 10c 60S 1-4 at 6c, 513 1-3 at 6c. 629b n-3 at 6c, 630 2n-3 at 6c, 542a 1-4 at 5c. 543 1 3 at 10c, 646 1-5 at 6c 549 1-5 at 9c. 5601 3 3 at 6c 667 1-4 at 8c. .-i.4 1-3 at 18c 5Kld6-3 3-4at6c, Silt Marsh Song Sparrows 1-3 14 at 80e. 588b 2 4 at 8c, 591b 3 3 at 5c 69? 1-3 at 20c, 6930 1 4 at 9o, 594 1-2 at lOo, 69b 2-3 at 60 601 1-5 at 14c, 614 1 5 at Sc. 622b 1-5 at 5c 632 1-3 at 50c. 633a 3-3 at 15c. 683a n-4 at 10c, 686a n-3 at sue. 7011 3 at 30 v 713 1-3 at 8c. 7191 1-6 at 15c, 719b 1 5 at I'c, 730 1-5 at 3ic, 7,33 1 4 at 20c 742b n I at 35c. 743a 1 5 1-6 at 5c. 756 1-4 at 6c 758 1 4 at .5c 76lr 1 4 at 7c. 767 2-5 at 6c, Grif- fon Vulture 1-2 Europe, at 80c, Egyptian Vul- ture. Europe. 1-1 95c. , , , Skins at 1-2 Reed's Catolaaue. In pairs (male and female) except where noted. A O U. No. 4- 16 female, 149 male. 165, female. 167. 210.216, 242 two males. 243a. 247, 273 female. 293 male. 293 female, 894. 333a female, 360i, 367 female. 393 d male, 394, 398 413. 436 431' 453a m lie, 463 male, 471 male 455a. 460 female, 474e male 474 h two males 478, 478bj male 481. 483 female. 491 male. 499 6o';b 608 female 510, hl7a female, male Im , 519' 631 .533 two females. 6:13. 543c. 553a male, 654b male. .568 female. 567. 667a. .570 female 573 male. Salt Marsh Song Sparrow. .585 a. 588b, 590 two males, 593 female. 599 male. (i07 pairs in fall, female spring. 61 la female, 615 two males 633b male 638 female 639b male 6:!6 male. 646 w male, 666 tall 688 two males one female. 669 female, 668 three pair. 690 four males, 614 females. 711 female Salt Maash Yellow throated male. 719a 73.5a. 736c male. 730 male 733, 731 female, 741a, 742b 759a two females, 759, 761a fem'ile, 763, 767. Transportation at your evpen.se on skins of 149. 165, 167, 310. 333a. 380a, 367 if ordered separ ately on orders under f'l.OO Everything else prepaid. No orders wanted under$l, 00, DoN ALD A. COHEN, Alameda, California, T HAVE for sale or exchange. Minerals. Curios Indian Relics. Fossils. Opal Rock and Polishfd Opals. GEO. WALTHER, Rushville. N. Y. Yates Co. EXCHANGE,— Butterflies and Moths for others not in my collection also for eggs, shells or minerals. J. D. GRAVES, 54:e. 6th St.Dun- kirk, N. Y. WANTED -Position as keeper of menagerie or curator of uatunal history museum by thor ough naturalist and animal man. Past sea- son with Robinson's show. W. H. SHEAR, Peru, Ind. SOME good polished Buffalo horns for bird skins not in my collection. Also a few west- ern suins. E. A. LOCKWOOD, 114>4 Second St., Laramie, Wyo. WANTED.— Bendines Life Histories Vol. I, paper covers also Bulletin Nuttall Club; will give rare eggs in sets or cash- P. B McKECH- NIE, Poukapog, Mass. TO EXCHANGE.— Nicely mounted Bach- man's Warbler, male, wings and tall half spread, for best offer arst class skins of War- blers State sex. W.H. LAPRADE, 811 Vlne- vllle Ave. Macon, Ga. FOR SALE CHEAP.— Perfection Camera with tripod and complete outttt Used one sea- son everything in Hrst class con lition Cost me nearly 130.00. IM 00 cash takes it; a great bargain, write for complete description, etc- EDW. W. SPRINGER, Owatonna, Mmu. R. F. D. No 4. THE CONDOR. A Journal of Western Or- nithology. W. K, FISHER, Editor, J. GRINNELL, F. S. DAGGETT, Associates. This is a 24 to 32 page illustrated magazine, issued on the 15th of each alternate month. It is published as the official organ of the Cooper Orni- thological Club of California, and re- fllects the enthusiasm of this energetic bird societv. The CONDOR is just entering its sixth volume, having completed five volumes, each an Improvement over the one preceding. The prospects for 1904 point towards a still greater in- crease in size and general interest. SUBSCRIPTION, One Dollar per year; Sample Copy, twenty cents. Back volumes and odd numbers can be supplied, also the three numbers of the Pacific Coast Avifouna series. Address all communications to JOSEPH GRINNELL, Business Mgr. Pasadena, Gal. The Oologist. VOL. XX. NO. 2. ALBION. N. Y., DECEMBER, 1903. Whole No. 197 The Oologist. A Monthly Publication Devoted to OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXIDERMY. FRANK H. LATTIN, Editor and Publisher, ALBION, N. Y. Correspondence and Items ol Interest to the student ot Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited from all. TEEMS OF SUBSCRIPTION : Single subscription 60o perannum Sample copies 6c each The above rates Include payment of postage. Each subscriber Is given a card good for a Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. (This card Is redeemable at any time within one year from date thereon.) Subscriptions can begin vrtth any number. Back numbers of the Oolohist can be furnished at reasonable rates. Send stamp for descrip- tions and prices. ^^"Remember that the publisher must be noil Bed by letter when a subscriber wishes his paper stopped, and all arrearages must be paid. ADVERTISING RATES : 6 cents per nonpareil Une each Insertion. 12 lines in every inch. Seven Inches In a col- umn, and two column.s to the page. Nothing Inserted (or less than 25 cents. No "special rates." 6 cents per Une Is "net." "rock bottom." "Inside," "spot cash" rate from which there is no deviation and no commission to agents. If you wish to use 5 lines or less spaca it will cost you 2.'") cents; loo lines, |5.00; 1000 lines, fso.OO. "Trade" (other than cash) advertise- ments wUl be accepted by special arrangement only and at rates from double to five times cash rates. Due Bills and Cards payable In advertis- ing will be honored only at regular rates In force at the date of Issuance ot said bill or card. Remittances should be made by Draft, Express or PostofBce Money Order, Registered Letter or Postal Note. Unused U.S. Postage Stamps of any denomination wlU be accepted for sums un- der one dallar. Make Money Orders and Draft.s payable and addret s all subscriptions and com- munl.ations to FRANK H. LATIIN, Albion, Orleans lo., N. T IfNot, Why So? (Concluded) Deep In nature's elyslum realm there sits a lover of birds and glances about with enthu- siasm and love and feels from the depth of his sympathetic heart that nature is most sweet and kind, her teachings most sure and good.— The Opera Olnsfi. Far back as the Opera glass adherant can remember, he possessed a deep sin- cere fondness for the freedom of wood- land life and even in the school days this sentiment was a strong protector to the liberty of many birds. As he took them from the nest with intentions of bringint; them home, something seemed to whisper "Remember you are taking the joy out of their hearts for here they were born and here only can they be happy" and invariably they were very carefully and tenderly re- placed and he left them feeling secret- ly pleased with himself that he was so good a friend to these helpless inno- cent little woodland people. This fore- bearance seemed to establish a closer companionship and give rise to a feel- ing of better right to go among them than most of his fellow men because he knew how they should be used and treated them accordingly. There was a proud belief that if all the people in the city were brought into the woods for them to select an individual from to share their wild happy life, every pair of tiny arms would instantly reach out to him as the one they cared most to honor. Their helplessness and to- tal inability to defend home and loved ones against man, and their pathetic consciousness and humble acknowledge- ment of his might and furthermore their timerous solicitation for permission to live unmolested, were ever gentle pleadings to hissenseof right and mercy and reflecting upon these things he often became indignant with those who 22 THE OOLOGIST. thoughtlessly questioned their sacred right to existence. iPleasant] were the days he shared in their company listen- ing to their varied songs and studying their characteristics. Carefully he watched their love making and nest building and took a sort of parental in- terest in the growing broods. He saw them depart southward with a feeling akin to sadness but this was more than balanced by the pleasure of welcoming their return, besides the winter was a time for compiling his observations and reading the works of other bird lovers. What most appealed to] his sympathy was the dangers that con- stantly threatened the lives of these birds. Lamentable was the havoc wrought by severe storms, reptiles, mammals and a few tierce members of their order but this was the natural course of things and his regrets were untarnished by indignation while on the other hand it appeared to him that man had no possible right to take bird life or make them captives and such proceedings seemed an unpardonable sin and wanton cruelty. The shot gun student and the sportsman rarely entered his field of observation but the head-gear of the feminine gender, pro- fuse in bird skin decorations, was con- stantly before his eyes. While not in- clined to interfere in behalf of those capable of defending themselves in the case of these birds, so much in need of human friends to awaken interest, sympathy and comparison in their fa- vor, he unhesitatingly championed their cause upon every favorable op- portunity and, be it said to woman's credit, not wholly in vain. As he con- templated the thousands, aye millions, of birds sacrificed to the caprice of silly fashion — the vast breeding grounds of herons and egrets entirely depopulated, the colonies of terns and multitudes of brilliant dressed and use- ful smaller birds obliterated from the face of the earth— he was apt to ex- claim "Oh cruel, heartless, unfeeling woman they are the only wings you will over wear" but a little reflection convinced him such an exclamation would be an injustice. Women are the tender, affectionate, susceptible flowers of the human race, indespensible as angels to heaven. Loving, gentle, sympathetic and re- fined by nature and strong in their af- fections and warmly charitable in pros- perity and of commendable fortitude and generous sacrifice under adversity and more lavishing of kindness friend- ship and love than man they indeed constitute the charm of his existence and before all the world is he to them most indebted, but in woman's consti- tution are many little weaknessess that should be overlooked or respected. Her little world is home and society and she is an unconscious slave to the cut of fashion, which has caused the death of so many innocent birds. It is not from indiflerence to cruelty and death that she wears bird skins upon her hat but because in the gay unthink- ing pleasure she inhabits, birds are only spoken of in relation to style and only thought of by reason of there beauty. She has never pictured the distress and pain that must follow the depriva- tion of young of their parents or a fe- male of its mate. Could our lady friends see a flock of terns hovering over a fallen comrade reluctant to aban- don it to its fate, so strong are the ties of friendship so compassionate are these birds, and see the millinery agent tak- ing advantage of their sypmpathy and heroism to ruthlessly cut down bird after bird while on the stretch of sandy beaches, young wait and watch in vain and die a lingering miserable death; could they but see this he knew birds would come off their hats forever. The truth is not more than one in a thous- and ever wonder where these birds come from, how they are procured or whether it is right to take so much life THE OOLOGIST 23 for such a frivolous purpose and even a majority of the few no more than get Into the right road of reasoning tnan they hastily turn to other subjects because there is an appeal to the con- science that develops a vague uneasiness and they wish to back out before it is too late because they instinctively be- come aware that the ultimatum would be an abandonment of bird decoration, a sacrifice they do not wish to make when other women will not and this is one of those little weaknesses. As already mentioned, in the gay fashionable society world there is neither time or inclination to create and cultivate a taste for natural history and probably never will be Women think no more of a bird for head dress orna- mentation than so much merchandise Vihile her tender heart will cause her to severely censure a "horrid" man acquaintance who has been out and shot some "sweet little innocent dear darling birds" and so while he sincerely regretted the wholesale butch- ery he did not reproach the fair sex at all because he realized their ignorance in the matter and furthermore was forced to acknowledge that they would not wear birds at all if man did not procure them. Should the above chance into the hands of lovely woman as voiced by a shot gun student it is not improbable that she would apply something like the following to your humble servant. "The pitch on that roof said the archi- tect friend, Is not enough by a foot or more But the sun came out and the pitch on the roof, Drooped on to his neck and the archi- tect swore." J. Claire Wood. A Day Among the Duck on Myvatr. Iceland. My brother and I arrived here in June 1900, journeying from Reykjavik, with a large cavalcade of ponies, carry- ing our tents and baggage. The scene was grand in the extreme, the great lake stretching away in front of us, with its innumerable bays and i.-iland.s, the lava covered ground, and reedy swamps, backed up by extinct craters and lofty snow clad peaks on all sides. We push on till we reach Skutustadir, a church, few houses and farm build- ings, here we intend staying a day or two, to explore the lake. Oar host, a well known Iceland cleric, proves a pleasant companion and a keen student of Ornithology. We dine with him, some of the dishes taking considerable strength of mind to dispose of, even aided by quantities of sugar. Next morning, a lovely day, we take a boat and row out to Mickla Island, a great Duck breeding ground. The water is as clear as crystal and we can see the gravel bottom at a great depth. Near the island quantities of Phalarope (Phahtrojms kyperborca) lovely little birds, with white throat and chestnut collar, are swimming round and round, witD a <|uick forward motion, and on landing we find several of their neat, cup shaped nests, closely woven with dry grasses and well hidden among the rough herbage, most containing their full complement of four pyrifovm eggs, of a greenish buff well spotted and blotched with black. Pushing on we are set upon by a few pairs of Artie Terns [Slerna arr/ica) the only species occuring in Iceland, so there can be no confusion about their eggs, they are very excited and stoop repeatedly at our beads, striking with considerable force even through our caps. The eggs are usually two just laid in slight hollows and are very variable, I find one pale blue without marking and much elongated. Ducks of all kinds are flying and swimming about in large numbers, so we set to work to look for their nests. On hunting a large lava rock a Duck 24 THE OOLOGIST. flies out and enters the water a few yards off. It is Barrows' Goldeeye (Clangula islandica). So far only two or three specimens of the (lolden-eye Clangula (ilaitria have turned up in Iceland, and we were not lucky enough to come across it. The nest was nbout three feet in, composed of a little dry grass, and plentifully lined with dirty whitish down, and contained nine blue green eggs rather stained from the birds feet. Later we tind several others, one in a hole in a turf shed used for foddering cattle, in this same shed was the nest of a White Wag-tail (MotaciUa alba) between two turfs, made of grass lined with pony hairs, in it are five whitish eggs thickly spotted with gray, as for Scaup [Fuligula marila) nests, their name is legion, lined with brown- ish down and containing Ave to ten drab eggs and placed in holes in lava, under overhanging banks, but common- ly about a foot from the waters edge, in tufts of grass, or rushes, quite concealed and if there is any wind, many are washed away. Several nests of the Wigoon (Mareea penelope) turn up in grass covered cracKS in the ground, lined with fine dry grass and white centered down, containing eight or nine roundish cream colored eggs. In the same situation we flush one or two Long tails {Earelda glacialis) and several of the lovely ducks are swimming here and there, uttering their mournful cry. The nests are lined with soft brownish down in which are 8 or 9 greenish drab eggs, one contains a small yolkless example. Crossing a small grassy flat.a Redshank Totanus caledris flies off at our feet from her nest, well concealed in a thick tuft of grass, hollowed and lined with finer grass, the three eggs are buff colored, blotched with bluish gray and red brown, one is almost hatching the others addled. Two or three Red- breasted Mergansers (Mergas serrator) are disturbed from holes in rocks and banks, they strike at your hand very hard with their sharp notched bills, so it is as well to iusert it covered with your cap. We capture one as she flies out, the nest is composed of fine grass, lined with dirty gray down and the eggs seven to nine of a greenish drab. In most of the mudy pools is a nest of the Sclavonic Grebe (Pediceps auritus) simply a loose pile of weeds and mud, level with the water and lloating among the reeds. The eggs are four or five greenish white when fresh, but are soon stained mud color, and some I have taken in iron water are a rich yellowish red, the bird looks very handsome with its chestnut breast and crest floating on the calm water. Sev- eral Common Scoters [Oedeniia nigra) their dark plumage being unmistakable are disturbed among the low willow bushes, the nests of a little moss lined with dusky down, are found under the bushes and contain six or seven creamy eggs. Here two Pintails (Anas Aaciita are also flushed among the bushes, the nests well lined with dried leaves and faint white tipped down with seven and eight greenish buft' eggs. Now we leave this island, the search of which has occupied over three hours, but has proved well worth the trouble, to visit some of the small islands further out. I notice a pair of Gadwall's (Amis strepera) swimming about, the marbled plumage of the drake attract- ing my attention, they are very scarce in Iceland, but we find no nest, in spite of continued search. Nearing a little willow covered isle, a goose flaps off and alights on the water at a considerable distance. Al- most certainly the Gray Leg (^tnser finercn) the commonest of the genus here, the nest of grass and a few twigs is among the willow, there are four large rough white eggs but only a scrap or two of down, coming back, several Loons ( Colymbus glarialis) are seen on the water, their black and white plum- age showing up in the sunlight, one flies over carrying a large fish m its powerful bill. On a small rocky islet we are lucky enough to take a pair of the deep brown, black spotted eggs, the nest a slight mosy hollow, and further in I find a single egg. beauti- fully streaked with black. We reach Skutustadir again tired out after our long day, but I may give an account of, after days ere long. J. G. GOBDON, Corsemalize, Whauphill, Wigtownshire, Scotland, From BIRD-LORE'S Series of North American Warblers 1. American Redstart. Adult Male. 2. American Redstart, Female 3. American Redstart. Young Male. 4. Painted Redstart, Adult. BIRD-LORE A Bi-Monthly Magaz:ne Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds Publisliecl lor the National Committee i>t tlie Audubon Societies, as tlit- officuil organ ol the Societies. Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN Audubon Department edited by MAUEI, OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM l>i:iCHER BIRD-LORE' <. Motlo: A Ihrd in the Bush is IVortll Two in tlie I Ian J I F YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BIRDS YOU WILL BE INTERESTED IN "BIRD-LORE." Its pa-cs are tilled with dcscnptiur.s of c-xpcrieHLes with liinls in field and furest iroin the pens of writers who have won world-wide fame as literary naturalists. Among the contributors to Bird-Lore are John Burroughs Ernest Thompson Seton J. .\. Allen Dr. Henry van Dyke Olive Thorne Miller William Brewster Bradford Torrey P'lorence IMerria.m Bailey Robert Ridgway anil numerDUS other writers known both for their powers of observation and des- cription. In addition to general descriptive articles, Bird-Lore lias departments "For Teacliers antl Students." wherein are are given useful hints in bird-study, and "For Voung Observers, '' designed to develop the love of birils inherent in all children. I'hese, with reviews of current ornithological literature, editorials, teachers' leaflets, and reports of the work of the Audubon Societies, make a magazine which no bird- lover can do witIif)Ut. Not less delightful and entertaining than the text are Bird-Lores illustra- tions, wliich include actual photographs of tlie birds in their haunts, showing them at rest and in motion, brooding their eggs, or feetling their young, as well as drawings. .\ f_-iture of the coming }ear will be a series of plates by Bruce Horsfall accurately illustrating THE WARBLERS IN COLOR with figures of tlie male, female, and voung (when their ]ilumages differ) of every North .American member of this fascinating family. The text accompan\ing these beautiful pictures will be b\- Professor W. W. Cooke, from dati in the possession of the Biological Survey at Washington, and will give the times of arrival and departure <->f the Warblers from hundreds of localities throughout their ranges. SUBSCRIPTION BLANK THE MACMILLAN COMPAXV, Puhlishers for the Audubon Society Crescent and Mulberry Sts., Harrisburg, Pa., or fS6 Filth Ave., New York Lity Please fi ml enclosed One J)o//iir, f(ii' which nuiil me BIRD-LORE fur the year Volume VI begins Feb. 1, 1904 Narne_ AJdr,ss_ 0,ile_ Annual Subscription, $I.0Oi Single Numbers, 20 cents.