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NATURAL HISTORY

THE OSPREY.

AN Il.I.USTRATKII

MoN'iiii.v M.\(;.\zim: oi-^ I^)l'^L.\K Ok \ rin()i.f)(,v,

VOLUME 1.
SEPTEMBER. \H'>(>. ro September, 1897.

iCopyrislited.)

xlitcd h\ Walter Adams Johnson,

Associated with I^r. I'Jhott Coues.

GALESBUKG. ILI,.:
THE OSPREY COMTANY

1897.

Copyrighted, 1897.

(March to August inclusive.)

The Osprey Company, Publishers,

61 North Prairie Street,

Galesburg, 111

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THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

Vol. 1. No. 1.

GALESBURG, ILL., SEPTEMBER, 1896.

$HKJ A Year

A Tern Study.

BY KEY. P. B. PEABODY. ST. YINCENT. MINX.

A STUDY of Terns— a casual study
— not of the common Hirundo. not
of Maxima. Eleg^ans. Paradisca,
whose beautiful forms or exquisite colors
appeal so keenly to the quickened senses.
under the deli-
cious air of (
Spring-, nor yet of j
our dear little
pearl-and-eb o n y
"Water Swal-
lows," of "(tuH-
like form," who.
about the l<»th of
May (in latitude
St. Paul 1 comes
wheeling- and roll-
ing- in compact
flocks, like well
drilled soldiers,
marching- in mid-
air, along- the
marshes, with
many a g-raceful
simultaneous dip,
waterward. and
an incessant, mu-
sically strepitant,
**chilt"-ing^ cho-
rus— but just a
study of Forster's
Tern — him of the
black pileum and
snowy under-
feather, pearly
white mantle and
trailing- forked
tail, so often mis-
taken for Hirun-

sota represent both Hirundo and Forsteri.
It is to be doubted whether even a criti-
cal eye could disting-uish them in flight,
unless, perhaps, when flocking- together,
if. indeed, they do flock tog-ether », this
making the slig-htly greater size and tail-
lenufth of Forsteri apparent.

While the common Tern breeds at Dev-

il's Lake, North

Dakota, I do not
personally know
of any breeding-
ground in Minne-
>ota. However,
cither Hirundo or
Forsteri — I do not
yet know which —
is found at and
near Mille Lacs
and the neig-hbor-
ing- lakes about
June 1, in com-
li pany with a few
> p, pairs of Caspian
Terns, and so, un-
doubtedly breeds.
I am inclined t(^
l)elieve that the
Mille Lacs birds
a r e C» > m m o n
Terns, there be-
ing- in that imme-
so

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NEST OF FOKSTEK S TEKX OX Ml'SKKAT HOUSE IX
HEKOX LAKE, MIXX.

marg-in instead
of the bog- g^y
marsh expanse
that seems so
dear to Forster's

do, and yet (to say nothing- of specific
difi"erences of structure and color. > in
breeding- habit as widely difl'erent. Un-
doubtedly, the Terns that are seen during
the Spring- migration in Southern Minne-

Tern. Owx present study will deal with
the rug-ged little ja^g-er as observed, dur-
ing the breeding season, in Southern
Minnesota, in the very notable bird j>ara-
dise — Heron Lake. Little does the casual

THE OSPREY.

observer know about the ways of a bird.
There is a strong- touch of human in the
seriousness with which I have been tokl
that this (and other like birds) while
abundemt in summer, do not nest at Heron
Lake. In truth, I once thoug-ht thus my-
self!

I have but two seasons' record for the
Heron Lake habitat. According- to these,
the Terns beg-in to arrive about April 7th,
coming-, first, in sing-les or trios, then in
squads, and later, in strag-g-ling- flocks
that never become very larg-e.

The first apparent Spring--time food
consists of dead fish and frog-s and other
aquatica that have perished in the win-
ter ice, and are being- revealed as the lat-
ter melts beneath the sun. At first the
Terns creep, scout-like, on the wing-,
along- the thawing- shores. Then, as heat
and wind-wave melt and crush the ice-
bonds of the lake, the Tern speedil}- as-
sumes the hawk-like (or swallow-like)
habit, wandering-, fitfulh' over the newlv
released waters with eye alert, beak point-
ing- downward, and with many a shrill
but cheery cry of self-g-ratification or of
brotherly g-ood-will.

He knows not fear. As one rows iimong-
the innumerable "copses" of rush and
flag-, bent on reaching- the Mallard's feed-
ing- g-round, a skirmish-line of Terns will
wander by, twenty-, fifteen, ten feet over-
head, furiously, without swerving- a wing--
breadth from their course, the one or two
that are passing- eye curiously the dumb
decoys in the boat's belly, and then saun-
ter on with a rattling- "jeer" of derision
at the hunter who toils at the oar, and
who, unlike the Tern, is never quite sure
of his g-ame. But then, our black-capped
jseg-er hunts all day!

A thoroug-hly mis-avian spirit is he.
While sociable among- his kind, and, to
them, moderately- g-ood-tempered (except
in the breeding--time ), he is radically hos-
tile to all other birds. A veritable Ish-
mael among- the water-fowl, his spirit,
both of courag-e and of mean cowardice,
is never so clearly portra^'ed as when, by
mutual encroachment upon favorable wa-
ters, many species other than those of his
feather flock tog-ether.

I shall never forg-et one day in early
May when, as the sempiternal south wind
swept the wide expanse of rush and g-rass
and cane along- the southern shore of He-
ron Lake, I drew a heavy boat, wife and

baby laden, after a stern pull across the
well-nig-h drenching- waves, into a wide
and sheltered ba}'. There had been, re-
cently, a strong- north wind and many a
raft of appetizing- flotsam lav along- the
wave-whipped mucky shores.

Dozens of little waders of half-a-dozen
sorts were winnowing- the ooze along^ the
mud-flats laid bare by the receding- waves;
a sing-le King- Plover stood in petrified
astonishment not ten feet from the boat's
bow, innocent brig-htness beaming- from
between his rounded coral eyelids; g-reat
awkward companies of Nig-lit Herons
went flai>ping- away in ridiculous terror;

sorts of

sweeping-

of color;

Hung-ry

widely.

and, overhead, as many
ducks, in whilom bevies, went
by. What bewildering- maze
what exquisiteness of motion!
black Terns were wanderinj
hovering- a moment, and then lig-htlv and
swiftly dropping- to touch the water for
one brief instant; an occasional squadron
of Franklin Gulls paused, in their dig-ni-
fied processions, to hawk for a bit among-
the invisible insect armies overhead; and,
withal, a spiteful troop of Forstcr's Terns
were scattered everywhere, expressing-,
with shrillest indig-nation their resent-
ment at the invasion of their favorite
hunting--g-round by all this feathered troop
and rabble.

And very justly were they indig-nant.
This was, not merely feeding- g-round, but
breeding- g-round — that is to say, if one
may take a Tern's word for the extent of
territory, adjacent to the breeding- spot,
over which he asserts the rig-ht of emi-
nent domain. Not 5U0 3"ards from the
very bay is the area of watery marsh-
marg-in wherein, the previous autumn,
the muskrat had built their huts, and the
Terns were now laying- their eg-g-s.

Plodding- heavily from the waterline up
the miry shore, one strikes throug-h a nar-
row belt of coarse rank g-rass, g-rowing-
rather in mats than in bog-g-y tussocks,
with an occasional clump of flimsy willow
lifting- up a weak apolog-y for existence,
and, as he pushes onward, suddenly steps
off into an areaof water densely islanded,
in spots, with cane-bog-s and studded with
g-roups of rushes and an occasional copse
of cat tail, or sweet-flag-. The water in
this reedy strip was at the time in ques-
tion— May of 1894— from 18 to 30 inches
deep, to say nothing- of the mud!

On the 2bth of May, I beg-an to explore

THE OSPREY.

this moss tract, intent on man^- thing-s —
but never dreaminjif that I should find the
breetlinj^ places of my Terns.

The Yellow-heads, aixnit to build, were
noisily solicitous, everywhere, and very
busy. The habitants of the Nig-ht Ilertm-
rv < which covered ten acres or more anion »^
tile canes), were hawking- overhead and
all about, from their nests and hidin*^-
places. A spur of the heronry, which lay
several hundred yards to the southwest,
abutted into the area of which 1 am speak-
in«>;-. This spur consisted of a very nar-
row ridiife (say ten feet wide, ) of hijjfher
marsh, a reefy remnant, perhaps, of a
once extensive cane-bo<4" lon<4- since <j;Tound
away by ice-floes in the Sprinj^-. A line
of heron nests extended up the canes ( or
reeds ) that formed this "ridg-e," and these
I had been examining". Reaching the ex
tremity I turned aside into the deeper wa-
ter and the coarse marsh g-rass. Finding-
that the water was reaching uncomforta-
bly near my hip-boot tops, I beg-an to look
anxiously about for firmer bog-s, when my
sig-ht rested upon an old decayed muskrat
"house," perhaps a mere eating--place, in
a fairly larg-e open expanse of water.
Eg-g-s, i saw, surmounted it. Eagerly I
pressed forward, the oozy water trickling,
unheeded, into my boots. Instantly I
stood beside a "nest" and eg"g"s never seen
before, concerning- which my notebook
says:

"5-3 — Forster's Tern, three eg-g-s; well
beg-un; flat muskrat house, eig-ht inches
above water. Hollow; six inches in diam-
eter, lined with two-inch bits of rushes."

From where I stood I saw another nest,
whose record is: "6-3 — As above; well
begun. Hut large [muskrat] house, two
feet high."

A careful search revealed no more nests,
whatever, anywhere in the vicinity. But
on the loth of June, in a spot some little
distance from the above, where the rat
houses were larg-er and more abundant, I
stumbled onto a little colony. There were
six nests bearing- takeable sets. Each
contained three eg-g-s, incubation invaria-
bly advanced. Besides these, there were
many other nests with eggs in which in-
cubation was tot) far advanced for scienti-
fic i)urposes. On the small houses but a
single nest was usually found; while the
larg-e ones bore often two and sometimes
three "nests." 1 use quotati<m marks ad-
visedl}", for most of these eg-g--receptacles

were nests only in name. Unlike the he-
rons, r)f whom all are industrious, and
most of them skillful, 7'cnui luirs^tcri is
in the main, when it comes to nidification,
a slovenly bird. In most cases, there is
but a slig-ht scratching- away of the rush-
fragments and wads of marsh-])lant, and
the f(»rining of a hollow averaging about
four by one-and-a-half inches. In char-
itable (lualiliiation of the above ei)ithet of
sloven^ one oug-ht tosav that this lack of
thrift and neatness may l)e due rather to the
frequent spoiliation and consequent and
subse<|uent haste than to constitutional
laziness, l^vidently, the Tern has many
foes. The rVanklin's (iull is his arch-
enemy; the muskrat and the mink un-
doubtedly do away with many egg-s, while
the character of this Tern, himself, inclines
me to think that he occasionally plays the
cannibal.

[To BE Continued.]
The Sociability of Birds.

BY O. WIDiMANN, OLD OKCHAKD, MO.

BIRDS are naturally sociable; they
like the company of each other;
individuals of the same species con-
g-reg-ate into troops and flocks and, as a
rule, they are also disposed to associate
with other species of the same family;
even birds of diff^erent families but with
similar habits are regular companions.
In times when birds seem scarce we know
that where we hear one bird we are sure
to find a score and possibly a hundred, of
a dozen different species, if not families.
This state of companionship is most ob-
vious in winter, when the same company
spends weeks and months tog-ether, mak-
ing- tog-ether the rounds of the district,
seeking shelter together against the in-
clemency of the cold waves, and frol ic-
ing- together when they have passed away.
This sociability performs also an im-
portant part in their migrations. We see
certain species, some of widely separated
families, wander tog-ether, and we see the
early arrivals of a transient species in the
company of (me, the later individuals in
compimyof another, species. It is well-
known that the dilTerent sjiecies of
Thrushes, of Warblers, of Sparrows, of
Swallows and Blackbirds, are always
more or less mixed when mig-rating-, and
it has occurred that a party of less than a

THE OSPREY.

dozen Blackbirds, which alig^hted for a
moment's rest in a tree, was found to be
composed of four g-enera.

Sociability is undoubtedly a prominent
feature in bird-life, and the desire for
association is indulg-ed in to the full ex-
tent of their wing-s.

The strong- -win g-ed birds unite in larg-e
and often immense flocks. They seem to
be the most sociable of birds, but this
apparent difference in the love of society
is easily explained by their g-reater facil-
ity for collecting food on distant hunting-
g-rounds.

A short-winged bird may possess the
same quality of sociableness, but its
weaker powers of flight forbid its g^ath-
ering- into larg-e flocks, because it cannot
spread readily over an equally larg-e terri-
tory in searcl* of food, and it cannot
escape approaching dang-er so easily as
its long--wing-ed cousin.

The Snowflakes and Longspurs can
roam over the country in swarms of thous-
ands, the Towhee and Song--sparrow must
be satisfied with the company of a dozen
or two.

While the Robin sports in flocks of
hundreds and is joined by thousands in
its roost, all the Thrasher can ever g-ather
for the nig-ht is a score, hardly many more.

Swallows, Swifts, or Blackbirds
can afford to roost in company of hun-
dreds or thousands and still find plenty to
eat next morning, because their long and
strong- pinions carr}- them over hundreds
of square miles in a day.

The short-winged Whip-poor-will could
never attempt to g-ather into such flocks
as the Nighthawk,nor could the Meadow-
lark g-o in equally larg-e masses as its near
relative, the Blackbird.

The desire to associate exists amon^
all birds with few exceptions, and it is
generally yielded to as far as the law of
self-preservation will allow.

Only the assassin, the one who kills
its own kind if it g-ets a chance, that
selfish, blood-thirsty creature who does
not even spare its brothers and sisters; its
fate is doomed to solitude. Among- the
Passeres it is only the Shrike that be-
long-s to this class, but we find more of
them among the Rap tores.

We do not know if they feel the op-
pression of loneliness, but we may sup-
pose that their solitude is not entirely a
matter of choice, but a consequence of

being shunned by all others, even by their
own kind. Not all Raptores are such
savag-e murderers that they cannot at
times gratify the wish for temporary fel-
lowship. The species which do not ex-
clusively feed on warm-blooded animals
join each other often in their mig-rations,
and it is nothing- extraordinary to meet
with a scattered party of Short-eared
Owls, Marsh Hawks or Buteos. The in-
sectivorous kinds, especially the Kites,
are very sociable birds, and are often seen
to hunt in troops. Some Raptores even
breed in company, and colonies of the
Osprey and of the Burrowing Owl are
well-known facts.

The carrion-eating- Cathartida? live in
company all the year. Some of the Wood-
peckers seem to like seclusion, but thoug-h
they are g-reat lovers of home, they are
no hermits. In its forest the Woodpecker
monopolizes a certain district which he
really needs for his wants, and in which
he cannot allow others of his kind to
hunt, lest lack of food would force him
to leave. He nevertheless enjoys the
company of others, and has invented, as
a substitute for song-, a sort of communi-
cation which allows intercourse at a dis-
tance, the drumming-.

His voice is also in conformity with his
district, so that he has the pleasure of
hearing and being- heard without the risk
of losing control over his domain.

Mig-rating- Woodpeckers are as sociable
as other birds. Sapsuckers travel and
winter in troops. Colaptes form larg-e,
loose flocks.

On the morning- of March 23, '95, one
hundred Flickers passed over Creve Coeur
Lake in as many minutes, all following-
the bluffs northeastward. The Red-
headed W. moves in equally larg-e num-
bers. In a sing-le hour (10-11 a. m., Sept.
15, '84, ) 1 counted 284, crossing- the Mis-
sippi below St. Louis, g-oing- NE.

Indeed, there are very few birds which
are non-g-reg-arious at all seasons, and
thoug-h not everyone may have a chance
to see a flock of Kingbirds, a troop of
Orioles, a battalion of northern Thrushes,
or a whole regfiment of Yellow-rumped
Warblers, such occurrences are indispu-
table facts.

It is not safety from dang-er which
makes birds cong-reg-ate. It is not plain
why a Swift should be safer when hun-
dreds g-o noisily into one chimne}', than

THE OSPREY.

when each pair retires quietly into its own
chimney where it reared its joung-.

A sing-le Crow could hide itself an}--
where, but a thousand are sure to attract
all kinds of enemies, first of all the
deadly g"un. Of course, we have to pre-
sume that habits were formed l^efore the
chimney, before the g'un, and even long-
before man was on the scene. A dozen
eyes will often see an approaching- danger
sooner than one pair would, but this is
no reason wh}" birds should unite into
armies of hundreds and thousands.

Social love binds bitd to bird, and it is
only during the period of reproduction
that most birds can free themselves from
it. Onl}' birds of very easy flight, of
long and amj^le wings, such as Pigeons,
Swallows, Herons, Terns, (lUlls, and
birds of the ocean which carries the food
to them, can afford to breed in large colo-
nies. All others have to scatter more or
less, and keep apart until the young ones
can provide for themselves. All Hirun-
dinidas and many Icteridai' belong to the
most sociable landbirds; not onh' do the}"
prefer to breed in company, but as soon
as their offspring- is able to fly the dis-
tance, the whole family betakes itself to
the common roost.

But the Cowbird takes the prize for
genuine socialism; it cannot even remain
long enough alone to hatch its eggs. Ex-
perience has taught most of our landbirds
that during the breeding season each pair
must have a certain district, and to avoid
misunderstandings, to keep others posted
in regard to this matter, and at the same
time to remain in contact and on good
terms with all their neighbors, they have
invented a ver^' nice way of interchange
of thought and feeling: their songi

Song with a bird means not only a de-
sire to attract and please the females; the
songs given in his chosen home contains
a kind of Monroe Doctrine, a declaration
that the songster regards that particular
district as his domain, and that he is
ready to defend it against all intruders; it
is a friendly message to his neighbor to
keep out! Birds which breed in colonies
need no song, and have none.

The Lark,

Up like a wing--ed rocket there
Thro' the bou^^ant wave of the morning- air.
With a song- in a thousand .s])arks of joy
Like a shower of stars, love's hope to cloy.
Charles S. Reid, Walhalla, S. C.

Three Da'ys in the Sierras,

BY CHKSTKK BAKI.OW, SANTA CLAKA, CAI,.

The evening of June 17th found me
climbing- the grade to Placerville on my
wheel, having with usual good fortune
missed the train at Sacramento, com])ell-
ing me to cover the sixty miles of rolling
and mountainous road awheel. Through
Shingle Springs, El Dorado, and finally,
in tortuous windings up the last grade,
and I could see the twinkling lights of
Placerville against the dark background
of the canyon in which it is situated.
Five minutes' ride down the grade and j
was in Placerville, one of the liveliest of
the '49 mining towns, most of which are
now relics of by-gone days. Next morn-
ing, shortly after 3 o'clock, two tourists
and myself were comfortabh" stowed away
in the stage, and were soon on the road
to the high Sierras. The dawn and sun-
rise were magnificent, and the scenery
ever-changing and picturesque. My des-
tination was a point in El Dorado county
about fifteen miles above Placerville, and
which was reached shortly before 7 o'clock,
while the stag-e continued on toward Lake
Tahoe

By arrangement, I was to meet my
friends, Messrs. Osgood and Beck, at this
point, but as they did not put in an ap-
pearance until evening, I improved the
day in looking over the country. Fyffe,
the stage stati(m, is situated on the old
emigrant road from I^ake Tahoe to Placer-
ville, at 3,700 feet altitude, and on all
sides is a thick g-rowth of timber, chiefly
pine, with spruce and a few cedars inter-
mixed. Near by is a canyon, at the bot-
tom of which flows a small stream, while
a few miles to the north is the American
river. In suitable places there are growths
of bushes and underbrush and an abund-
ance of a low, thick weed known as
"mountain miser}-," which supports a
small white flower of peculiar odor.

In general, bird life is quite plentiful,
though certain species resort to certain
localities. At the time I was there, June
18 20, it was evidently late for fresh eggs,
and the character of the region made find-
ing nests difficult. Soon after my arrival I
was eager to investigate the forests a few
hundred yards away, and upon taking a
trail into" the pines, a sprightly Mountain
Chicadee was the first bird to greet me.
I wandered on, and discovered a small

THE OSPREY.

nest among- a cluster of pine needles, per-
haps twenty feet up in a pine, and upon
climbing- so I could see into it, discovered
it was a warbler's nest, just linished. It
was a neat structure of fine plant stems
and g-rasses lined with fine cedar bark.
No birds were about, so I left it. The
nest was about six feet from the trunk of
the tree, and was quite conspicuous from
the ground. A subsequent visit failed to
find an}- parents about the nest, and as it
was empty, I left it, taking with me only
the empty consolation that it was either
the nest of Audubon's or a Hermit War-
bler, the parents of which had probably
been shot.

Later in the day I wandered down the
canyon among- the tall pines, being greet-
ed by Cassin's Vireos, Calaveras Warblers
and an occasional Woodpecker in the trees
above. Nests were not to be found easily as
I soon discovered. However, upon walk-
ing under a small pine I beheld a nest
with the bird's tail projecting- over the
edge, about fifteen feet up. The female
did not leave the nest until I had almost
climbed to the limb on which it was situ-
ated, when she flew to a tree near by and
was joined by her richly-g-arbed mate — a
male Tvouisiana Tanag-er. Both l)irds
kept up a sharp *'chip" similar to the
alarm note of the Black-headed
Grosbeak, as long- as I remained
in the tree. The nest was six
feet from the trunk of the tree,
on a horijjontal limb about two
inches in diameter, built on a
cluster of pine needles. Four
dark-g-reen eg-g-s against the
brown lining- of the nest made
a pretty sight, but I could not
reach the nest, so left it until
later in the day. The next da v
Mr. Osgood and myself set out
to collect the nest and parents,
but it was rather difticut to lo-
cate the tree. Finally a Tana-
g-er overhead drew our atten-
tion, and the tree which had
been marked was soon located.
The birds l)eing secured, we
beg-an operations upon the nest,
its taking being- finally accom-
plished by sawing down a near-
by sapling- to use as a ladder.
The nest and egg-s as collected
are shown in the accompanying
illustration.

The nest is composed of fine weed
stems and roots, lined with fine brown
grass, and measures five inches in diame-
ter at the top, the base widening out con-
siderably. The cavity of the nest is quite
deep. The eggs are a deep bluish-green,
spotted about the large end with fine
blackish-brown spots. Incubation was
about one-half advanced. Male Tanagers
were noted on several other occasions,
their bright plumage making them quite
conspicuous in the tree tops.

Next morning-, while Chef Beck was
preparing- breakfast, I took a stroll up an
unfrequented road into the woods, along
which several Western Robins were ob-
served hunting for food, and the peculiar
cry of the Spurred Towhee could be
heard on all sides. Several Black-throat-
ed Gray Warblers were flitting about
among the bushes on the edg-e of a clear-
ing, but their nests could not be located.
A pair oi Thurber's Juncos were chirping
uneasily near a bunch of weeds, and upon
my withdrawing to a distance, the female
hopped down through the limbs of a low
tree and flew to the ground. Upon flush-
ing her, four pretty young Juncos were
found in the nest, which was secreted be-
neath a drooping weed.

A walk later in the dav throu<)fh a thick

NEST OF LOUISIANA TANAGEK.

THE OSPREY.

growth of bushes, among- which were
scattered on occasional pine or ce(hir, found
bird life abundant. Several \arictics of
Warblers were sinj^ing from llir bus'.us.
the occasional weird call of an ()li\c-
sided Flycatcher came from the top of a
burnt stub, which with the warbling of
the Purple l*^inches in the pines, the
sweet song- of the thick-l)illed Sparrow
and other species of the locality, made it
one continued concert.

During- my stay I found four nests of
Cassin's Vireo, usually being led to tiu'
tree in which the nest was located by tlu'
clear l)ell-like note of the male, which
was invariai)ly found singing in the tree
in which the female was sitting- upon the
nest. One nest was suspended from a
slender limb of an alder near the creek at
a heig-hth of about twelve feet and could
not be reached. The bird remained quiet-
ly on the nest, showing- little regard for
my attempts to secure her treasures. Two
other nests were each five feet from the
g-round in small black oaks, being- more
or less hidden by the broad leaves and
both contained four young-. The fourth
nest was also in a black oak bordering- a
g-ully and five feet from the g-round, and
contained five young-. The female re-
mained upon the nest until I almost
touched her with my hand, when she flew
a few feet and showed the greatest solici-
tude for her unusually larg-e family. In
May, 1895, I found a nest of Cassin's
Vireo in the foot-hills near San Jose
which contained five small young-, but
these are the only instances in which I
have found nests of any of the Vireos
with more than four eg-g-s or young.

All of the Vireos nests were compactly
made, the chief composition being fine
g-rass with a few leaves intermixed, and
all were decorated on the sides and bot-
tom with small pieces of white cocoon,
similar to that found beneath the loose
bark of trees. This trait of decorating-
the nest I believe to be constant with
Cassin's Vireo. Taken altog-ether this
handsome little Vireo is one of the most
interesting- birds of the mountain region.
Late one evening while we were sitting
in camp on one side of a clearing, the
center of which was brilliantly lighted
by the moon shining- down through the
lofty pines, the soft, weird cry of "poor-
will, poor-will," came to us from out the
darkness on the opposite side of the

woods, and one c(mld almost wish that he
might linger always in the mountains
with their varied and interesting bird
life.

Some Observations on the Spotted
Sandpiper,

l',V I. II. IIAKKIS. jK., KANSAS CITY, .M(^.

THIS most interesting and dainty
little fellow is an abundant species
along the Missouri Kiver at this
j.oint (luring the migrating season.

The low willow bushes that skirt the
Clav County l>ank afford a means of aj)-
proaching unobserved quite near to the
water; and under cover of these willows

I have lain for hours and watched the
Sand])ipers, being not more than \\\c teet
from them. This bird is a shy creature
and is startled at the least disturbance.
When slightly alarmed he will start up
with shrill cries and invariably fly straight
(mt over the water curving- up stream
and then into the bank, where he will
stand inotionless save an occasional "tip
up" for several minutes; then if nothing-
hai>i)ens he will quietly take wing and tly
to the si)()t from where he was frig'htened.
(See Figure). But if g-reatly alarmed
he will, with much i)iping, hastily with-
draw to a place more convenient for his
safetv, usually the opposite bank. I have
even seen him take to the timber to evade
danger.

The fiig-ht is irregular and jerky, char-
acteristic of the snii)es and sandpii)ers.
Another tvpical sandpiper characteristic
that it has is that of tipping its body up
and down. It does this when walking or
standing and simietimes it will suddenly
stop running, apparently for no other
reason than to tip up.

THE OSPREY.

The male is quite an ardurous lover
;incl very dem<jnstrative in his advances.
With his head thrown back, wing-s hang--
ing-, and tail spread, he will, with very
hig-h steps, strut around his lady love
and proceed to make an impression. If a
rival appears on the scene he will duck
his head and with drag-g^ing wings im-
mediately drive the intruder away.

The cry of the Spotted Sandpiper con-
sists of a plaintive whistle resembling the
words "peet-weet.'"

This bird does not g-o in very large
Hocks and is g^enerally accompanied by
the Least Sandpiper, that is, when found
on the river. But it is g-enerally solitary
when found feeding- on small streams or
ponds.

Nesting of the Ferruginous Rough^'leg,

( . I rrhihutco fcrnio-ijiciis.. )
BY p:. s. kolfe, minnrwaukan, n. d.

THIS g-reat hawk is one of the earli-
est spring- arrivals in the Devil's
Lake reg-ion, and, like the Bald
Eag-le, which in shape and demeanor it
sugg-ests, its nesting- beg-ins often before
the winter's snow has quite disappeared,
and in the midst of bleak and chilling-
influences that oug-ht naturally to dis-
courag-e its efforts till softer conditions
prevail. However, the majority display
a sounder judg-ment by delaying opera-
tions till the last of April or first of Mji}-,
at which latter date the collector ma}'
confidently look for completed sets. If
the nesting- is later 1 am ccmvinced that
some accident has been responsible, for I
note that the later sets almost uniformly
contain but three eg-gs instead of the
larger complement of four, sug-g-esting
that an earlier set may, possibly, have
been lost, and that nature was hardly
equal to the producing- of so larg-e a sec-
ond set.

In some neighborhoods in the same
g-eneral reg-ion it would seem that this
species nest habitually in trees; in others
the sites chosen are bare, bleak, stone-
covered hills, so strong- seems to be the
instinct to follow a community fashion.

Within five miles of this point is a big
basin of irregular shape and covering-
thousands of acres that once formed part
of Devil's Lake, along- the edges or
"shore line" of which stands an occa-

sional lone box-elder or elm tree of scrub-
by appearance and from ten to twenty
feet in height. In winter, when stripped
of their foliage, the majority of these
trees, as they rise from the white expanse
of snow, disclose the roug-h nest of sticks
that is to 1)e utili/ced first by the Ferru-
g-inous Roug-h-leg, or, if not, then a lit-
tle later by the Swainson's Hawk. There
is little that is distinctive in the structure
of these nests. They would pass indif-
ferently for those of any hawk, crow or
Long-Eared Owl, and one that is especial-
ly conspicuous and has been a landmark
hereabouts for many years is fully three
feet deep and correspondingly hug-e every-
way, and was, doubtless, in an earlier
day, the home of a Bald Eag-le. From
this latter two sets of Ferruginous have
been taken this year; the first, an incom-
plete set of two, being- tiiken and female
shot for identification on April 17th, and
the second set (of three eg-g-s, incubation
perceptible, ) on May zf.th, clearly indicat-
ing- the popularity of this nest, reoccu-
pied, as it must have been, by a fresh
pair immediately after the first despoil-

But the distinctive nest of this species,
in this reg-ion at least, is placed on the
g-round on the summit, or well up the
side, of a hill that is crowned with stone
and boulders, or along- the verg-e of some
stiff g-orge throug-h which a coulee finds
its way. If on the summit of the hill, it
is invariably enclosed and held in place
by boulders, and if up the side of the hill,
a jutting boulder forming- a natural shelf
is selected to sta}' the bulky, loosely-con-
structed nest in place. The nest material
is uniformly sticks varying- in size from
that of a twig^ to one an inch or more in
diameter and of all leng-ths suitable, well
intertwined together, often, with one or
more bleached buffalo bones. The lining- is
of turf, bunches of dried g-rass with roots
adhering, well dried "cow chips" and the
like, and the whole forms a structure sugf-
g-esting that of the eagle as usually de-
picted in old-time illustrations, and, aside
from its exposure to attack by small ani-
mals, somewhat superior to the average
tree nest.

It seems a rare thing- to find fresh nests
occupied less than a mile or more apart,
so that one undertaking- to personal I3'
collect a large series of sets of this species
will find it necessary to travel many weary

THE OSPREY.

miles over the rouj^-hest country. Either
alone, or in company with J. K. Craig^ue,
of this place, I have this si>rin<4- pretty
thoroujjfhly covered a strij) of coimtrv
something- over forty miles in leng-th 1)y
from eig-ht to fifteen miles in width, and
consuming- a total of at least two weeks,
with the result of finding- about twenty-
tive nests containing eg'g"s.

I think it no exag-g-eration to state that
this necessitated fully 500 miles of travel
and the examination of, i)erhaps, 2oo
nests, most of which were old and unoc-
cupied, for I do not discover much evi-
dence that on the hills an old nest is re-
paired and reoccupied, though the loca-
tion of the old nest is often, apparently,
very satisfactory, and a new nest is likely
to be placed near by. On the whole, I
should say that the wild, stony hills to
the west and south, sterile and uninviting-,
and, as yet, but little invaded by settlers,
offer the conditions most acceptable to
this majestic species, and most in keeping-
with its character.

But the Ferrug-inous Roug-h-leg-, like
any other species, is capable of achieving-
the unconventional and unexpected. On
April 27th, I discovered a pair busily en-
gag-ed in constructing- the nest shown in
the illustration. It was located on the
verg-e of a stiff, rocky bench — once a shore
line — and overlooking- a shallow, barren
little valley on the west of the Devil's
Lake Indian Reserve, and scarcely fifty
yards from the railroad track over which
heavy trains were passing- daily, and at a
spot where the section crew were busily
eng-ag-ed repairing- track and culverts
damag-ed by the spring- floods.

During- the process of the construction
of the nest and the depositing- of the set
I repeatedly visited the vicinity, and
found the pair so accustcmied to the sig-ht
of man that my presence scarcely dis-
turl)ed them, and altogx'ther I spent some
hours there watching their oj)erations,
often within a short stone's toss of one or
both as they flew about or settled on the
burned prairie surrounding- the spot and
boldly stared at me.

On May lOth Mr. Craig-ue found a set
of four eg-g-s in a somewhat carelessly
constructed nest of the usual materials
on the straw-covered roof of an aban-
doned stal)le near a well travelled road
and within easy distance of stony hills or
lone trees usually selected by this species.

On May *»th I took a tine, well-marked
set of four from a similar nest on top of
an old straw stack in the midst of a stub-
blefu'ld surrounded l)v low, stone-covered
hills that, apparently, offered much more
characteristic nestings sites.

Identification is rarely difficult to one
familiar with the characteristic features
of the species since, as incubation com-
nu'nces with the depositing- of the first
egg, the female sits close and rises care-
fully from the nest when disturbed, gen-
erally hesitating- an instant after gaining
the edg-e of the nest and before taking
wing. Usually, also, she aligdits within
full view, and is often joined by her mate,
g-enerally to ])e discovered close at hand.
P^urthermore, if my observation has been
accurate, the pair never make any outcry
whatever at the time of the breaking- up
of their nest, preservinji^ throughout tlieir
air of proud superiority in silence. Tlie
female shot at the nest, as spoken of
above, was simply wing-ed, and broug-ht
to me in perfect condition otherwise, and
I kept it alive in the yard about my house
for nearly four days. It utterly refused
food of the kind ordinarily most tem])t-
ing- to a member of the family of Raptorcf.,
fresh meat, g-opher, jack-rabbit, duck vis-
cera and mice, being- all rejected with
silent disdain, and its demeanor through-
out was sug-g-estive of sullen thoug-h im-
potent defiance. Its death by starvation
being- only a matter of time, I thoug-ht it
mercy to hasten it with my gfun.

As to the numl)er of eggs constituting
a full set, I think it would be safe to say
that three are as often to be met with as
four, and as I have never taken a set of
less than three showing- sig-ns of incuba-
tion, I assume that one or two is never a
full set, th(mgh on May 1st I flushed a
female from her nest containing- one in-
differently marked egg-, and, leaving it,
returned on the .^d to find her still sitting
on the lone eg-g-. It was inferior in both
measurement and marking, and. uj)on
l)lowing-, it proved to be addled.

The eg-g-s in the illustration* were about
2.20x1.85 inches, whereas I had not ]>re
viously taken an eg-g- of this species un-
der 2.30 in length. Had I chanced wy^m
this set in a tree without seeing- the own-
ers I should have i;y/cssc'(/ it to belong to
the Swainson, thoug-h,on the other hand,
I have re])eatedly taken eg-g-s of the
Swainson fullv as larg-e as the averag-e of

10

THE OSPREY.

the Ferrug-inous. However, this partic-
ular set, being- absolutely' that of the lat-
ter, has its certain value in a series as
illustrating- one extreme of measurement.
As usual with the Raptores^ the eggs
of this species exhibit the greatest diver-
sitv of marking-. The ground color is
nearly always a dirty white, occasionally
verging upon clay, and the shell is
coarsely granulated and very tough. Oc-
casionallv one or more in a set is nearly
immaculate, or shows only faint shell
marking-s of lilac or pale brown, Init the
majority are boldlv blotclu-dor ])lentifully

OUIVEK CKEEK, N^AK

sprinkled or streaked with brick red, lilac,
pale chocolate or umber brown, some-
times indiscriminately scattered over the
surface, and sometimes heaviest at one
end, and the heaviest marking is as often
at the small end as otherwise. It is rare
to find a set where the marking is fairly
uniform throughout the set, and I took
but one such this season, now in the col-
lection of C. W. Crandall, of Woodside,
N. Y.
*See Frontispiece.

Why not or_£ranize an Illimjis ornitholog-ical
association? Michig-an, California and other
States liave tliriviiif,'' clubs. Hon. K. M. Barnes.
W. S. Cobleiyh and others write in heart}- sym-
pathy with the movement.

Prof. Silloway will follow with other papers
dealing- more technically with the birds of the
Ouiver Lake reg-ion. Illustrations with this
article are kindly furnished by Dr. Forbes, of
the State Labratory of Natural History.

Rambles Around Ouiver Lake,

BY P. M. SILLOWAY, HOODHOUSE, ILL.
(First paper — A foot in Flag Lake.)

QUIVER LAKE is situated some two
miles north of Havana, 111., open-
ing- into the Illinois river on the
eastern side. The lake is interesting
itself chiefly to lovers of piscatorial sport,
but to the ardent ornithologist it is inter-
esting as the base of operations and gate-
way to a numl)er of swamp-lakes afford-
ing rich opportunities for the study of the
water birds. Lying northwest of the lake

and partly be-
tween the lake
and the river
are se\-eral
swamp -lakes
known as Dog-
fish Lake, Duck
Lake (evident-
ly because
there are no
ducks found in
its borders, )
Mud Lake
(well named)
(jrass Lake
Punkin Patch,
and others, all
enriching a
natural resort
for species
which dwell in
LAKE. or near the

water. Across the river, on the western
side, are the Spoon River vallev (well-
known to naturalists through the genial
reminiscences of Dr. Strode), Seebe's
Lake, Flag Lake, and Thompson's Lake,
and prolific in characteristic animal and
plant life. The recently established
biological station of the University of
Illinois on Ouiver Lake has done much
to bring this region before the attention
of Illinois naturalists, and readers of an
Illinois ornithological magazine may be
interested in some rambling notes based
on experiences in that region.

First and always my mind reverts to
Flag Lake, which lies across the river
from the point or "cut-off" separating
Ouiver Lake proper from the river. We
shall fare better by rowing across the
river, leaving our skiff securely tied, lest
the waves from a passing steamer wash
it beyond our reach, and going a-foot,

THE OSPRRY.

11

wearing- old shoes and trousers in prefer-
ence to waders. A student of the water-
birds must not object to g-etting- wet and
muddv. The immediate 1)ank of the river
is a dry ridg-e sei)aratin<r the swamp-hikc
from the river, and it is thickly wooded
with the willow. ma])le, elm, and other
typical growths, intergrown with climlv
ing-and creep-
ing- vines and
bushes. Here
is a typical
home for the
Warbling and
R e d - e y e d
Vireos, a n d
through t h e
livelong- d a y
their notes are
heard on ev-
ery side. Here
also are the
homes of the
silently mov-
ing- and g-ut-
tural- voiced
Cuckoos, the
confiding and
familiarBlack
capped Tit-
mouse, the querulous Crested P^lycatcher,
the retiring'WoodThrush.the lowly minded
Maryland Yellowthroat,and the happy In-
dig-o Bunting-. Here is heard sweet plaint
of the Wood Pewee, and ever above all the
loud vibratory notes of the Prothonotary
Warbler; not above all, either, for the
harsh calls of the Grackles mingle with
the full whistle of the Cardinal and the
shrill squeaky efforts of the Cowbird,
while the various species of Woodpeckers
lend their notes to the vivacity of the
scene. Having- crossed the low ridg-e,
thoug-h stopping- now and then to investi-
g-ate the home of a warbler or \ireo and
adding- to our collection such specimens
as our fancy suj^g-csts, we strike the
"buckbrush," which marks the division
between the wooded river-bank and the
swamj). Here the Red-winged Blackbird
is nesting in numbers, and sometimes we
are led to search for the well-concealed
home of a Yellow-breasted Chat when we
hear the excellent imitation of a school-
boy's whistle, followed by a series of
peculiar notes resembling- the harsh cries
of young grackles in their nest.

Pushing- our way through the 'iiuck-

brush " with some effort, we finally
emerg-e upon the open area occupied by
Flag- Lake, an ex])anse less than a mile
wide and perha])s several miles long-,
filled with a level g-rowth of fiag-s and
having- several areas of open water toward
the middle. Harsh cries salute our ears,
the cackling of Coots and (lallinules. the

LOTUS BED IX yl"IVKK LAKE.

sharp, g-uinea-like "kraa" of the King
Rail, the distant g-uttural pumjnng of the
American Bittern, and the coarse "quock""
of Mallards and Sprig-tails feeding in the
shallow reg-ion near our entrance. Dur-
ing- my visit to this swamp last spring, in
the latter half of May, the outer margin
of the lake was dry "and the flags for a
width of seventy yards were brown and
hard. Thence the water gradually ap-
peared, varying- from pure mud to clear
water of a depth never reaching to my
knees, except in the open areas. The
circle of greenish llag-s g-rowing- in the
mud and shallow water is the home of
the King Rails. Indeed, we found several
nests ctmtaining; sets of well incubated
eg-g-s in the outer fringe of dried llag;s
from which the water had recetled. and
we found no nests of this si)ecies in^ the
deei)er water near the open areas. From
these facts it api)ears to me that the
chosen sites of the King- Rail are where
the receding- water will afford their
y(mngsters comparatively dry looting
when they step from the nest.

Beyond the ai)parent limits of the King-
Rails, among the flags where the ^Tound

12

THE OSPREY.

was well covered with water, were the
homes of the Coots and Florida gallinules,
the so-called Mud-hens. It is curious
that they are able to keep so well con-
cealed, when they are heard cackling and
splashing' on every side and their nests
are found at intervals of a few feet.
Their presence is also evident from the
broken and floating stems of the so-called
wild celery where they have been feeding
and sporting among the flags, the tender,
succulent portion of the stem at the base
being the part they clearly desire. Here
also we find the "squawks" or American
Bitterns feeding, and now and then as we
chance upon one he swings clumsil}- into
the air uttering the characteristic harsh
"squawks," straggering loosely in air
until he squares himself and settles into
his slow, regular flight, rising higher and
higher as he advances. Frequently the
cr}^ and iiscent of one will startle others,
and perhaps twenty or thirt}' will take
flight from as many different parts of the
pond, rising singj}' but uniting into a
flock and circulating about several times
before alighting one by one to continue
their feeding in the shallow parts of the
swamp. (to be c(mtinued. )

(Beneral 1Rotes«

WESTERN VISITORS.

Besides the throng- of our usual north-
ern spring guests, I had the pleasure of
greeting three rare visitors from the
West: Harris's Sparrow, the Western
Meadowlark, and Yellow-headed Black-
bird.

(). WiDMANN.

Old Orchard, Mo.

DUCKS MIGKATINC;.

I sav/ a flock of about a dozen White-
winged Scoter ( Oidcmia dclinidi) July 20,
and shut one together with a Surf Scoter,
( Oldoiiia pcrsp/ci/hdd) July M). So the
Tail mii^ration has apparently set in, with
till- (lucks at least.

Philip J. McCook.

Hartford, Conn.

A Murderous Woodpkckek.

Sometime ago I found a Wood Pewee's

nest with three fully fledged young. On

climbing to the nest the young flew, two

lig-hting- in a larg-e elm near by. A few

minutes later a Red-headed Woodpecker
came crawling up the tree and soon spied
the young birds. He immediately pounc-
ed on one and with a blow of his sharp
beak drove a hole through its skull, letting
the brains ooze out. He then served the
other the same way. After this murder-
ous feat he hopped about and chattered
as though very much delighted.

Frank C. Willard,
Galesburg, 111.

domesticated quail.
On the farm of my brother-in-law, Wm.
York, at Millersburg, Mercer county, 111.,
a Bob-white made its nest in a small
bunch of grass against the barn, and
within a few feet of the door. Although
Mr. York's family and others passed every
day within a few feet of the nest, the
quail paid no attention to them, and after
hatching out thirteen chicks, they imme-
diately made friends with the chickens
about the barn lot, and when I saw them
last, appeared to be much at home, though
I never could get very near to them.

D. J. Van Meter.

CORTLAND COUNTY NOTES.

The Pileated Woodpecker { Ccophlocns.
pilcatus), which until a very few years
ago was considered a rare bird in this vi-
cinity, has become quite common in cer-
tain localities. In the town of McDon-
ough, Chenang-() county, several have
been shot, and they are known to breed
there annually.

American Pine (xrosbeaks were very
common the past winter — several large
flocks being seen in this place and vicin-
ity. Only a very small per cent were
adult male birds.

I am also i)leased to report the fondly
cherished Bluebird, although by no means
common, as much more numerous than
last year. I have discovered the nest of
a pair which I hope may succeed in rear-
ing their brood in safety.

H. C. Hkk.ins.

Cincinnatus, N. Y.

Personal.

Mr. Will. E. Saunders, of Loudon, Ont.. is
cnjoyinj^ a trip to British Coluniljia. He writes
that he will return about Sept. 20th.

Dr. Robert H. Wolcott, Instructor of Zoolo<,'-y
at the University of Nebraska, is spending the
summer at his home in Grand Rapids, Mich.

THE OSPREY.

13

Mr. Albert Luiio has chiuif^-fd his ])lace of
residence to Aitkin. Minn., and is now niana-
f^^er (jf the Aitkin Pliarniacv of that citv.

Mr. Elmer W. Durfee. so well known to the
readers of the "< ). iSr ()." in the «(»"s, is now at
Lordslnirj,--. New Mexico, nianafj^'inf^ a silver
mine.

Till'; ()srKi:\ ha> received an intcrotinj;- let-
ter from Mr. L. ( >. Dart, whu is now with a
party camjjiii','- in the ()rinoco delta. Simth
America.

Dr. J. A. Allen, editor of the .Ink, will re-
turn early in Se])tember from an Eurojjean
tour. Dr. Allen has lately been elected honor-
arv member of the Zoolof^-ical Societv of New
York.

Mr. IMiilii) J. McCook lias returned to his
honii' in Hartford, Conn., iifter tilliuf,'- the ])osi-
tion of instructor in (Jerman in St. Alban's
Academy at Kiioxville, 111. He j^aive his Gales-
buri,'- friends a very pleasant call before leav-
ini,'- Illinois.

Mr. J. H. I5owles is now located at his new
home in Tacoma, \\'ashin<.;ft<)n, and re-
ports the prospects j^ood from an ornitholoj,''-
ical standpoint. He notes an eaj^le's nest 200
feet uj), and says it made him think of "William
Henry" and Dr. Strode. Our best wishes are
extended Mr. Bowles in his new collectinf^ held.

Prof. J. (i. Needham, of Knox Colle^'-e, Gales-
burj,--, has taken a leave of absence to accept a
scholarshi]) in cntomolo^'-y at Cornell Universi-
ty, ^iven him in recoi^-nition of his work in that
branch. Prof. Needham is a thorouj^^h natur-
alist, and is rapidly workinj^ his way to the
front. The Smithsonian will soon publish an
article on Draj^-on Flies by the Professor, and
Tm; (^Sl■KK^■ is ])romised a ])a])er from his pen
soon.

Messrs. W. E. Mulliken and L. J. Cole, of
Grand Kapids, and T. E. Hankinson, of the
A<,'-ricultural Collef;-e, Mich., left Aug-ust 1st in
their "clinker," the "Orchis," for a collectint,'-
trip down the (irand Rapids river, from whence
they will proceed alonj.;- the shore of Lake
Michi/^'-an. They will j^^o in quest of skins and
sl<eletons of the smaller mammals, as well as
the birds.

Messrs. Frank C. and Nel.-^nn Willard, of
Ckiles1)ur^'-, ;,'-raduated with the class of ''»(>
from Knox Co]lei,'-e, at (Jalesburj,'-. Nelson re-
ceived tlie hij^hest honors of the class, and has
acce])ted a ])osition as instructor in St. All)an"s
Academy at Kiioxville, 111. Frank will l;ecome
principal of schools at Tombstone, Arizona.
Messrs. Willard are enthusiastic young' oolo-
gists and we may ex])ect to hear something of
of interest fi-om Frank in his new Held.

Prof. I). P.. r.urn.ws. of Eacon, 111., who has
lieen teaching in Casa IJlanca, Texas, during-
the pj'.st tvio years, has recently returned home
and is now eng-ag^ed in writing- a number of
articles, extracts of which will apj)ear in Ben-
dire's Eife Histories. Shortly before his re-
turn, he and an assistant made a two weeks'
trip among the bird islands along- the (xulf
coast between the mouths of the Neuaces and
Kio Grande rivers, and as a result bring'-.s home
with him a magnificent lot of specimens.

Fiftieth Anniversary,

On August lo ilie Sniillisonian lii;,tautinn com-
pleted its first half century uf work

This great institution, established by Congress
with the aid of one-half million of dollars betjueathed
by James Smithson, was founded in iS4() at Wash-
ington, "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge
among men."

The expense, each year, is now about one-half mil-
lion dollars, part of which is met with an annual ap-
propriation by Congress, while the Distri' t of Cohim-
l>ia shares the expense of the National Zoological
Park, which is under the direction of the Smitiisonian.
as is the (lovernment Museum, i^ureau of Ethnology
and the Astro- Physical Observatory.

In connection with its work in ichthyology, the
Fish Commission was established; the Weather Bu-
reau grew out of its observation in meteorology, and
through its liberality, 150,000 volumes have been
added to the Library of Congress; the Department of
Agriculture was provided with a botanical collection,
it gave its fine art collection to the Corcoran Free
(iallery, and greatly enlarged the Army Medical
Museum. By this liberality the institution has made
itself freer for efforts in its special <H'Ids. the eth-
nology, zoology and mineralogy of tiie United States.

The institution acts as a medium of exchange tor
publications and specimens with societies and indi-
viduals in both hemispheres; aids research financially
and by the loan of specimens; publishes the fruits of
these investigations, and other matters of scientific
importance. Its international exchange service as-
sists, e\er\' \cnr. 25,000 correspondents.

A Department of Reviews.

.V Department of Kexiews ^f ( urrent ornithologi-
cal literature will be added toTuK Ospkev in a near
future issue.

We acknowledge the receipt of tht; following.

Copy of "Birdcraft," by Mabel Osgood Wright,
which has been reprinted by the New York publish-
ers. The MacMillan Company, 66 Fifth .Vvenue
One hundred and twenty-eight species of birds in
natural colors UmuI additional interest to Mrs.
Wright's excellent wotk, and it is well worth the price

of ^;(.00.

Dr 1> ii Wairen, State Zoologist of Pennsylvania.
st'uds us a cop\' of Bulletin No. 6 of the State De-
partment of .Agriculture, Dixision of Economic Zo-
ology, forty-five pages oi wiiich are devoted to Tax-
idermy and facts concerning the collecting and pres-
ervation of birds and their nests and eggs, and sixty-
four pages to the game and fish laws of Pennsylvania
The ( opy in hand is of the second edition, published
in |iuie to ni(>et the demand.

ISulIclin No () of Wilson Ornithologicil Chapter of
the Agassi/, .\ssociation was out of the press July 30.
with sixteen pages of matter of interest and value to
the ornitholofjist.

"My Story «d" the Birds." by James Newton
Baskett, will soon be jjublishcd by the A])ple-
tons. An article by Mr. Baskett will ajjpear in
the October O.si'KMvV.

Chas. K. Worthen. of Warsaw. III., i.s now
working- on a collection of birds to be mounted
for the Illinois Agricultural College.

14

THE OSPREY.

Gaiilornia Departiiieni

Edited by DONALD A. COHEN,
Alameda, Cal.

All Ornitholog-ists west of the Rocky Moun-
tains will favor the editor of this Department,
as well as the publishers of The Ospkky, by
furnishing- notes, news, or articles and illustra-
tions for publication.

THE Cooper Ornitholog-ical Club of
California (with reference to +he
northern division ) is doing- active
work, and, as nearly all the members of
this division who live near enough to at-
tend the meetings
regularly reside
in Alameda and
Santa Clara coun-
ties, it was de-
cided at the Aug-
ust meeting to get
up a list of birds
occurring in these
two counties.

Messrs. Barlow
and Osgood were
chosen to g^et up
the Santa Clara
county list, and
Messrs. Bryant,
Emerson, Taylor
and Cohen to g^et
up the Alameda
county list. As
a spirit of rivalry
existed between
the two commit-
tees as to whose
list would include
the larg-er number
of birds, a dinner
was staked on the
result. Santa
Clara county is
rich in bird life,
the California
Condor ( Pscmio-
gryp/ins ( a/ifor-
niaiiiis) occur-

ring, but Alameda count}- is ecjually pro
ductive, and when we inclvule our long
list of bay-shore birds we ought to "take
the cake."

THE exceeding-ly common House
Finch occurred this year in Ala-
meda with no visible decrease, yet.

on a farm and orchard of over 100 acres,
where I usually' find their nests g-alore,
only three were found this season. In
former 3-ears nests of this bird were per-
sistently torn down with but little success
toward driving these fruit pests away.
Why they should suddenly refuse to nest
in this locality, I am at a loss to know,
for on neig-hboring land they were as
common as ever.

ANYONE collecting- egg-s of the
Cormorants where eg-g-eating- Gulls
abound would do well to cover the
partial sets with grass or seaweed. This
method insures full sets at the proper
date. The Cormorant is a close sitter,

but the Gulls are
apt to destro3'the
eg-g-s before she
Can g-et back to
nest. This trick
is about the only
way to obtain full
sets of Baird's,
Brandt's and Far-
allone Cormor-
ants on the Far-
allone Islands.

THE Western
Robin, a
usually
abundant winter
resident in this
part of Califor-
nia, was practic-
ally absent last
winter. Only a
very few were
seen. The year
before found them
extra plentiful.

FEBRUARY
11th, acom-
mission
house in San
Francisco had for
sale, alive, two
Whistling Swans
in adult plumag-e,
and about twenty-
five Brant, American White-fronted, and
Snow Geese. The last two species were
colored in some cases as if they had in-
terbred, sug-g-esting- that they had been
reared in captivit}-. All were unusually
tame, and attracted a g-reat deal of curi-
osity.

DONALD A. COHKN, KDITOK CALIFORNIA DICPT.

THE OSPKEY.

15

MAY 15th, while "riding-" himie
from a collecting- trip, I picked up
fourteen Red Phalaropes lying-
dead on a road through a tule swamp. I
thought someone had shot them and had
been frigfhtened away, as "Xo tresspass-
ing-" and "No shooting-" were numerous,
but I noted that none of the birds showed
visible wounds, and further along- laN' a
dead Ruddy Duck. Then it occurred to
me that these birds had struck the tele-
g-rapli wire. There was quite a svath
wind blowing, and the}- had come in con-
tact with the wires on the south of the
road. I tied the Phalaropes by the legfs
and hung the bunch over the handle-bars
of my wheel, and it being- closed season
for ducks, tucked the dack under my coat.
Upon making skins, all the Phalaropes
were found t> have contused skulls and
blood-clotted brains and necks, while a
few had broken wing-s in addition, and
two had necks entirely severed. Two
had struck the wires just so the top of the
skull was dented. The front of the
duck's skull was cut open, and the neck
badly clo.ted, and three claws from one
foot as neatly severed as if clipped off
M'ith a pair of scissars. These birds must
have attained a great velocity flying with
the wind, and judg-ing- from the distance
from the wires to the north side of the
road (about thirty feet ), were instantly
killed.

Micnioan Ornitlioloolcal Glub.

C.KAND RAPIDS, MICH.

July 10, 1896. — Meeting- was called to
order by the President, A. B. Durfee.

Ten members were present.

Mr. W. A. Davidson presented a paper
entitled: "Vireonidrc of Wayne County,
Michigan." His article contained notes
on three species — the Red-eyed, Warbling-
and Yellow-throated \"ireos.

The article was read by Mr. Newton in
the absence of the author.

An article entitled: "What Can We Do
With the Birds of Michig-an," by Dean C.
Worcester, Professor of Zoolog-y, Uni-
versity of Michig-an, was read throug-h
the courtesy of Dr. Morris Gibbs.

The article was written for the Michi-
g-an Academy of Science, and was read at
the December meeting-, 1894. It was full
of useful hints, some of which will prob-

ably be improved by the club.

Mr. R. R. Newton g-ave a talk on the
"Ouails and (xrouse of America," which
brought up a discussi(m of the subject,

Mr. A. H. Jones, of Greenville, was
elected an active member, after which the
club adjourned.

W. Eaki.e Mi: Lin ken,

Secretary.

To the Ornitholog-ists of Oh'uf, lUinjis,

Indiana, and Wisconsin:

The mig-ration of your States is closely
related to that of Michigan, and v.jur ob-
servations ( probably l^'ing- in some d "awer
at home, and of no use to anyone, > will
be of much value to the Migrati m Com-
mittee of the Mich. Ornithological Club.

Due credit will be g-iven for all notes
sent in. A card to any of the persons
mentioned below will bring- you blanks
on which to record your notes in a sys-
tematic manner.

L. Whitney Watkixs,

Manchester, Mich.

W. E. MULLIKEX,

191 First Ave.,. Grand Rapids, Mich.
T. L. Haxkixsox,
Ag-ricultural Colleg-e, Mich.

GorrespoiKlence.

Editors The Osprey:

There are one or two reasons that I think I can see
why many publications de\oted to our friends, the
birds, "die a-bornin."

First and chiefest, I would place their falling into
the hands of persons who run them for selfish ends,
cither enlarge some particular collection, to boom
some certain set of ornithologists, and next, the lack
of strictly accurate field observations

A few days ago 1 had occasion to read up with some
care on the nesting habits of our little screech owl.
and while I have a library of about 150 volumes of
ornithological work, mostly standard works on the
subject, you would hardly believe me were I to tell
you that but two books in my library pretended to
even give anything like an accurate statement of the
dates on which or at which this bird nests. Most
writers, I find in the published works, as well as in
our magazines, are too anxious to tell how many eggs
they got or how many birds they shot, to tell us much
about the dates on which it was done, or the condition
of the weather, or to make any effort whatever at in-
troducing us into the surroundings where the bird
robbery or murder was committed.

As for myself. I get far more pleasure, and am cer-
tain I get much more information, from carefully ob-
serving the bird, its habits, and actions, and the date
of its arrival, departure, and nesting, and the eflfect
that the weather has upon it, than I do either taking
its eggs or putting an end to its existence. Yours
truly. K. M B.arnes.

Lacon. Ill

THK OSPREY

16

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted
Excusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BY

WALTER A. JOHNSON.
DR. A. C. MURCHISON.

Subscription ■ In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One-
Dollar a year, in advance.

Single copies. Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription: One Dollar and Twelve Cents. Post
age paid to all countries in the Universal Postal Union.

Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contributions
are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to Editors
at office of publication.

Address all business comniunications to

THE OSPREY CO.,

217 Main Street, GALESBURG, ILL.

It is deemed no introduction will be needed
in this initial number. Our ornitholog-ical
friends have been acquainted with our purpose
and watched the hatching- process in our April
prospectus.

In the succeeding months' the young- Osprey
has matured into a strong- bird, and naturally
of a cosmopolitan spirit, will use its inherited
wing- power in collectings the best of food to
keep its feathers brig-ht and its ej-es from drows-
iness. No partialitj^ or predilection will be
shown ZLViy reg-ion, nor will this Ospkey be un-
like the species in its txnquarrelsome disposition.

The Osprey is not a monej'-making- scheme,
as has been the case with manj^ like journals;
nor is its life wholl)' dependent on the first
3'ear's receipts, althoug-h the sttpport already'
profl"ered indicates no great financial loss.

We have before us a circular sent bj- the
United States Department of Ag-riculture, Divi-
sion Biolog-ical Survej', advising- a "Bird-day"
in schools ixnd.er the same g-eneral plan as
"Arbor-day." This appeal has been sent
broadcast to the school principals of the coun-
try, and it is hoped this will obviate to some
extent the shameful neg-lig-ence of the past, as
to instruction in the value of our native birds
and means of protecting- them from destruc-
tion.

The appointment of W. T. Hornadaj' as su-
perintendent of the proposed Zoolog-ical Gar-
den in New York lends interest to the article in
the JuU^ Scribner's by J. Carter Beard, the ani-
mal painter, on taxidermy. He describes Mr.
Hornaday's work as showing the best existing
specimens of the art.

A Card,

To THE Readers of The Osprey:

It is with regret that I feel compelled to an-
nounce ni)^ retirement as editor of the Califor-
nia Department of The Osprey. Since the
issuance of the Prospectus, matters at that
time unforseen have arisen, and hampered by a
serious lack of time in which to do justice to
such a department, I have deemed it to the best
interests of all concerned to resign the task to
other hands.

Mr. Donald A. Cohen, of Alameda, Cal., has
been installed as editor of the California De-
partment, and as one of the foremost workers
and keenest observers of the Golden State,
there can be no doubt of a successfully-edited
and interesting column. In laying aside the
newly-acquired editorial pen, I feel that this de-
partment has been placed in the best possible
hands.

Chester B.\rlow.

Santa Clara, Cal., Aug. 1st, 1896.

■We take pleasure in giving our readers
the latest portrait of our Mr. Donald
A. Cohen on pag-e 15. This portrait will
have an interest to devotees of our science aside
from the fact of Mr. Cohen's acceptance of the
"California" editorship.

Messrs. Johnson and Fyfe are said to be the
only collectors fortunate enough to visit the
Farallone Islands this year. Mr. Barlow says
the United States lighthoitse inspector declined
to issue permits to persons desiring to visit the
islands, earlv in the season.

Owing to the illness of Mr. Walter A. John-
son the first issue of The Osprey was delayed
from early spring- until the present tiine. We
now feel that the extra time has been well
spent and that we are in better shape to give
our readers the best to be had.

Our camera prize was awarded to Mr. E. S.
Rolfe, Minnewaukan, N. D., and subscription
given to Mr. E. E. Masterman, New London,
Ohio.

"Bkudder Johnsing" duly acknowledges
Brother Taylor's superiority in dialect. But if
Brother Taylor would "read up" he would find
his question in the June-July issue of the A7c/-
ologist unnecessary, for all good Ospreys hatch
about April or W-s^y .

The manj' friends of W. S. Cobleigh, Canton.
111., will regret to learn of the death of his in-
fant son, which occurred a short time since.

A New Petrel,

We have received notice that Prof. Loomis
has discovered a new Petrel on the Farallone
Islands. It is said to resemble Leaches. This
will cast a doubt on all Petrels' eggs taken
there unless by reliable collectors. Mr. Barlow
does not think it has made its home on the
Islands more than a few years, and he is
fortunate in having taken most of the birds
with his sets, thus rendering their identity
certain.

"S^

i n.

s

^

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

Vol. 1. No. 2.

GALESBURG, ILL., OCTOBER, 18%.

$1.00 A Year

Some Notes on the Nesting of the House Wren.

BY JAMES NEWTON BASKKTT, MEXICO, MO.

AS mentioned by Dr. M. Gibbs in
the Sriciitifir American of April S,
1.S93, all the Wrens are known to
build more than one nest at the bejiJi-in-
ning- of the season. Even the Marsh
Wren, which nests in the g-rass, is in the
habit of building- a half dozen domiciles
in the immediate vicinity of each other,
any one of which, to our eyes, appears
g-ood enoug-h, but only one of which, it is
said, is ever used. It would seem in this
case that this trait was a mere matter of
fastidiousness. It is not confined alone
to the Wren family, however, as the Pur-
ple Gallinule, also a g-rass-builder, is
known to build as many as five or six-
sham nests. I have known our common
Robins and some others to build more
than one nest before they were suited.

If it were not for the proximity of
these nests to each other in the Marsh
Wrens we mig-ht infer that the sham nest
was intended to mislead the enemy. The
bird's intellig-ence is certainly capable of
this, or if we choose we may say that it
should not seem strang-e that its instinct
should take this direction since we see
such a similar purpose in the broken wing-
act of so many g-round builders. It has
been often steited that the purpose of our
House Wren, in filling- all the holes, was
one of pure envy. He attempts to occupy
all the g-ood situations so that none other
may enjoy them.

The Eng-lish, however, call these extra'
nests of their Wren cock-nests, asserting-
as a popular concensus that the cock
roosts in them while the female incubates,
and that the earlier V>roods also similarly
use them while succeeding- broods are
beinyf brouyfht forth. But in our House

Wren I know by observation that this is
not the case. I have seen the male (or
at least one of the birds while the other
was incubating-) roost in the crotch of a
maple on consecutive nig-hts, while the ex-
tra nests were unoccupied. He docs not
necessarily choose the same crotch each
nig-ht, however. I know, too, that the
young- of the first brood use a similar sit-
uation, for one of my boys came in with
a handfull of four or five a summer or so
ag-o, which he had g-rabbed out of a g"roup
which he had seen settle in a low crotch
just at dusk. So our little bird does not
inherit the habit and is not prompted by
the purpose of his foreig-n cousin.

During- the last summer I watched
closely, hoping- to g-et some clue to the
mystery, a pair of Wrens that built in my
yard. There were three very desirable
situations for a Wren home situated at
the apices, say, of an equilateral triang-le
— about thirty yards from each other. On
each side of the front yard was a g-ourd,
with a small hole in it, nailed to a tree,
while in the rear was a Martin box with
two compartments. As usual they were
all filled by the same pair, and it was
more than a week before I could tell that
the real nest was located in the southern
g-ourd.

The male, however, kept up a continu-
ous battle with the Sparrows at the box,
and an interloping- male Wren, who was
anxious apparently to secure one of the
g-ourds. This kept him pretty busy, but
he held them all ( with my help against
the Sparrows. ) This other Wren always
came and went in a certain line, but I
could never discover that he had a nest in
the direction of his retreat. I was anx-

18

THE OSPREY.

ious to settle the question as to whether
or not he was mated or a bachelor. He
was equally assiduous in trying- to steal
into either' g-ourd, but from the fact that
I once caug-ht him in the unoccupied
g-ourd and saw the other chase him
away towards the usual resort, I suspect
that he, too, was simply trying to build an
extra nest, and perhaps had no other
g-ood situation near his real home. His
constancy in g-oing and coming- from one
place, however, was all the evidence that
I saw of his being probably a nesting
bird. He gave it up finally as a bad
cause before the local mother brought off
her first brood, but still so long- as I went
beneath the unoccupied gourd the other
male would come and scold me. But
soon, while the mother was feeding the
young- in the rose bush beneath my win-
dow, he was singing around the Martin
box, and before I realized it, a second
brood was here well on its way. Now
the male at once lost all interest, so far
as I could discover in either of the gourds.
I tested his temper by climbing- up to
them when he was singing in plain sight
but he would not scold me.

Now the inference that 1 drew from
this summer study, was, finally that_ the
purpose of so many nests and the bird's
jealousy was of course a selfish one, but
one looking- to the later broods. These
birds often bring- out their brood and the
nests are all often, if not usually, in the
same vicinity. I do not think that the
number of broods is predetermined be-
yond the second, but the very early
brooding- of the mother while her first
young- are weak of wing- and require at-
tention, would make an adjacent locality
convenient.

Ag-ain I have known this nest-building
to g-o on after the female beg-an setting-,
and I have been informed of one well
noted instance where a second nest was
built exclusively by the male — his sing--
ing identifying- him. His mate never
came but once to look at this nest, seem-
ing-ly rejecting- it — after her first brood
was out, so that many of our birds' nests
nicij be truly called "cock nests" also as
well as those in Eng-land ; but they are
cock nests built with a view of submitting-
them to feminine choice, and the fastidi-
ousness may be ( and doubtless for the
latter broods is) finally on the feminine
side. Other observers note that the
female build all the nests, but I think
there is the pre -determination by
both to hold these places as elig-ible loca-
tions in case of future emergencies, and
of course other elements of selfishness
enter as incidental. I feel that if it had
been the purpose of these birds to raise a
third brood the male would still have
shown an interest in the unused g-ourd,
unless it may have been emphatically
rejected by his mate. My slight observa-
tion is that there is none of this extra
nest-building- in preparing- for the second
or third broods, but it may be also that
this itch for building- in the spring- is
simply an overflow of spirits and energy
as is maintained by some to be the mo-
tive of song-. The fact that the Marsh
Wrens do not subsequently use their
extra nests, as has been asserted, if true,
would confine my hypothesis to the House
Wren only, and we still would have no
general solution that will apply to the
family the world over.

Rambles Around Quiver Lake,

BY P. M. SILLOWAY, KOODHOUSE, ILL.
(First Paper— Continued.)

SOON we enter the inner circle of
flags, where the water is corres-
pondingly deeper, and where our
progress is more impeded by the g-rowth
of moss and lily stems. Here we find the
homes of the g-rebes, little circular
mounds of decaying- veg-etable matter
anchored among the flag- stems, with the
eg-g-s loosely covered by a mass of shred-
like matter, apparently to deceive a nov-

ice like me. The shy owners are out
on the open water, feeding among- the
lily-pads and keeping well out of view
of any wandering- ornithologist like my-
self. There are other more tang-ible
evidences of life, however, for frequently
we startled a Least Bittern, which spring-s
loosely into the air, like its larg-e rela-
tive, but settles itself more quickly and
flies almost straig-htaway or in a slow

THE ospr?:y.

19

curve, advancing- more rapidly than the
"squawk," and alig-hting- abrtiptly after
a shorter flig-ht. They are nesting- in
this part of the swamp, and now and then
we chance upon their loosely constructed
platform, placed among" uprig-ht stems
about ten inches above the water, and
containing- from three to five eg-g-s ( thoug-h
I never found live in a nest). This
deeper part of the swamp is the favored
resort of the Long--bille(l Marsh Wrens,
and their loud rattling- chant causes us to
peer among- the stems to loceite the au-
thor. There he is, cling-ing- along the
side of a vertical culm, with his short
tail thrown well over his back and his
head almost erect as his little throat vi-

of the swamp-lake. His is indeed a

whee/vV note, rasping- through a throat
which has not l)een oiled this season at
least, but it is unmistakably the note of
a Blackbird and can be identified by a
blind stranger. However, we can plainly
see the author, and as he perceives that
he is observed, he ^lips slowly d(jwn the
stem upon which he is perched, still
rasj)ing- out his famous notes, and soon
flies away to continue his wheezy caden-
zas. Other voices arrest our attention,
for flitting- hither and thither on a])i)ar-
ently tireless pinions are numerous lilack
Terns, uttering- sharp squeaks as they
pass above our heads and then move on
up or down the open water. Frequently

PORTION OF OUIV1':k I.AKK.

brates with his harsh rattle. Now he
slips down the stem, clutches more
tightly to retain his place, and ag-ain
loudly rattles his happiness, before he
whirs away with his head somewhat ele-
vated in his curious flig-ht. Their damp,
cocoanut-shaped structures are found
here and there, and we insert our Anglers
into those we find, but none of them con-
tain eg-g-s. Like the House Wren, this
species can not restrain its joy in the lo-
cality of its home, and its noticeable
chant is a pretty certain index of its
homes in the vicinity.

Somewhat more particular than the
song- of the Marsh Wren is the queer
utterance of the Yellow-headed Black-
bird, found scattering-ly in this portion

one will pause in its flig-ht over a partic-
ular spot, and hover a moment with
reg-ularly vibrating- wing-s, sometimes
dropinng- into the water a moment later
to pick up a floating- morsel before resum-
ing- its restless flig-ht. Out on the
floating- "punkin" stems we can see them
edig-hting-, where they are evidently
courting-, for they bow and smirk with
all the zeal and solemnity of Flickers or
Cowbirds, thoug-h they do not rest hmg-
before they are up and ag-ain coursing-
and (|uartering over the water, g-raceful
and Swallow-like

And now we have reached the limit of
the space assig-ned us by the recently
fledg-ed editor of the infant Ospkey. Per-
haps our rambling- notes have added

20

THE OSPREY.

nothing- to the ornitholog-ical knowledg-e
of the state and the advanced readers of
The Osprey may demand something-
more in detail concerning- the birds men-
tioned so g-enerally. Our purpose, how-

ever, is to acquaint Illinois naturalists
with a reg-ion forming- an ideal field for
the study of species not met with in
the dry prairie reg-ions of our g-reat
state.

Nesting Habits of the Nashville Warbler,

BY J. H. BOWLES, TACOINIA, WASH.

MY acquaintance with Hclniintho-
p/iila nipcapilla has been by no
means very extensive and has
been wholly confined to Eastern Massa-
chusetts, where it is a reg-ular and not
uncommon spring- and autumn mig-rant,
only a few, however, remaining- to breed.

consisting- of moss, dry leaves, g-rass and
pine-needles, and lined with pine-needles
and g-rass, instead of horse hair, which is
almost invariably used by Mniotilta. It
measures about 3.5 inches across by 2
inches deep, the interior dimensions
being- 2.vS inches in width by 1.25 inches

EAST BANK ILLINOIS KIVEK, NEAK QUIVER LAKE.

It seems to show a preference for rather
hig-h, dry g-round at no g-reat distance
from water, and where the trees are
moderately thick and not very tall, oak
woods seeming- to suit as well as another.

It is one of our first warblers to com-
mence house-keeping-, often beg-inning- on
the nest Jpy the middle of May, and even
earlier, thoug-h occasionally delaying-
until late in the month.

They are essentially g-round-building-
birds, placing- the nest on the ground
under a shrub or tree, much after the
fashion of that of the Black and White
Warbler {Mniotilta varia^ to which it
holds considerable resemblance. The
material, however, is somewhat different,

in depth. The one in the illustration*
may be considered as fairl}- typical, being-
situated in a larg-e tract of twenty foot
scrub oak and at a long- distance from
any house, which I have always found to
be the case. Curiously enoug-h, this nest
was found by flushing- the bird while my
brother and self were preparing- to photo-
g-raph a nest of Ruffed Grouse {Boiiasa
7t})il)cl/iis) which was not twenty feet
distant. As was the case in another
specimen I examined, there is an arch
formed over the nest by the surrounding-
shrubs, making- it extremely difficult to
see.

The eg-g-s are usually four in number,
thoug-h, as is more or less commonly the

■"See Frontispiece.

THE OSPREY.

21

case with all our warblers, five are some-
times laid. Those I have seen have been
subject to little variation in size, the
averag-e being- about .59 inches by .50
inches. In marking-s the eg-g"S, as mig-ht
be expected, vary to a larg-e extent, not so
much in the color as in the distribution.
The ground color is a delicate white,
marked with dots of brownish red, some-
times so thickly as almost to conceal the
g-round color, being- thickest in an irreg--
ular ring- around the larg-er end. A
distinguishing- feature of the eg-g-s of this
bird, when compared with those of other
Warblers, is a marked scarcity of blotches.
In fact, I have never seen any that could
be called anything- but slig-htly blurred,
the predominant marking-s being- a few
spots about half the size of the head of
an ordinary pin and many others very
much smaller.

This bird shows more than usual cour-
ag-e while covering her treasures, allow-
ing- one to approach within two or three
feet before leaving-, even after she knows
she has been discovered and is being-
closely examined. She then hops onto
the edg-e of the nest, stays for an instant,
and then flies within an inch or two of the
ground to quite a distance; where she
remains, expostulating- b}- means of a
soft "chip" repeated at intervals of eig-ht
or ten seconds, from the top of the neig-h-
boring- trees.

In an instance mentioned to me by Mr.
Oliver Durfee, of Fall River, Mass., the
bird to one nest he found acted rather
differently. He flushed her twice and
each time she flew at once into the top of
a tree. Otherwise her actions were simi-
lar to the above description.

A Tern Study,

BY REV. P. B. PEABODY, ST. VINCENT, MINN.

(CONTINUED.

The Terns sit closely. As one stands
upon a huge rat house of rushes, a house
that is perhaps ten feet in diameter and
four feet hig-h, he may see the white
forms of man}" sitting- birds, even at mid-
day, in the warmest of sunlig-ht, flecking-
the sides and summits of many a house,
on all sides of him. Then, as a troop of
the Gulls pass by, swooping- down at the
sitting- Terns, often, I think, with sheer
purpose of torment, the birds on the
houses, with upraised heads, shriek out
piercing choruses of shrill and ang-ry
scolding- notes, and, almost as frequently,
they scold the too familiarly passing-
birds of their own kind. These and
many other marks of incessant warfare
tell their own story.

As to the four-footed enemies, one
must judg-e rather from the finding- of
dead birds — young- and old — than from
the discovery of the shattered eg-gs. I
have found, to g-ive but a single instance,
a mother Tern sitting- on a rat house
dead, beside her dead young-, each throt-
tled and blood sucked from slig-ht neck
wounds. Here is undoubtedly mink
havoc. But I have found on a rat house,
far from land, a coot thus killed, but
worse mang-led; and this season, at least

a quarter of a mile from shore, I chanced
to find, while searching- for an Ibis nest,
a trio of Western Grebe, about one
fourth g-rown, dragg-ed into an empty
Heron nest, two of them being- half eaten
while the third had but a sing-le wound
in the neck, so slig-ht that the bird made
a well-nig-h perfect specimen for my cab-
inet. This sort of destruction is, I am
sure, attributed to the Musk-rats, who
are by no means the rigid veg-etarians
they are generally held to be. There
are reasons, of which I shall have more
to say in a different connection, for be-
lieving- that the half-g-rown Nig-ht Her-
ons pray upon unprotected young- Terns,
picking them up for themselves after be-
ginning- to venture out, on their own
"hooks," in search of additional food to
fill their enormously capacious maws.
(The crop and the gape of a young-
Nig-ht Heron are the big-g-est part of
him!) However that may be, this much
is certain: In case of the Herons, the
hatred which the Terns bear toward the
fathers is certainly visited upon the
children. More than once I have stopped
short in the middle of a deep quag-mire
and laug-hed outrig-ht to hear and see a
flying Tern swoop ang-rily down upon a

22

THE OSPREY.

wandering- young- Nig-ht Heron, all
beak, crop and legs, who straightway,
with a "cack!" of open-breasted terror,
would straddle and flop away into the
rushy mazes for refuge.

Certainly many eg-gs are deserted, and
very many young- Terns are killed and
eaten. It is not unusual to find eggs,
stale and unincubated, lying either in the
hollows or near the lower margins of the
rat houses, having rolled or been rolled
away. Partly eaten eggs are sometimes
found, aud I have in my cabinet a desert-
ed egg, on the apex of which is tele-
scoped and firmly glued the half-shell of
a partly devoured egg. I have never
chanced to see a young Tern more than
four inches long, and those that ccr^'seen ap-
pear to be incessantly in hiding. Nothing,
indeed, protects them while the parents are
abroad for food, save their exquisite
simulation and their habit of squatting
motionless. The untrained eye sees, in
late June, upon the big rat houses only,
(and that after a real scrutiny) a chance
nest of incubated eggs, or, quite as often,
fresh ones, while the framed eye detects,
here and there, among the grey wads of
weeds, a delicately mottled bit of brown-
ish-black and grayish-white negation,
which proves, on examination, to have
an anaesthetic temper; pale flesh-colored
web-feet; a sternate beak ; and a pair of
tell-tale black-bead eyes.

A single note from my final entry, on
this species, for 1894 well illustrates
what I have just said: "June 30, one
large house set of 3, incub. begun, near
top. Set of 2, incub. 0, on side. Set of
3, near base, incub. 0. All deserted.
Hollows very slight."

The autumn of 1894 was very dry at
Heron Lake. Great sections of the lake
dried up, entirely. The Heronry and
the Tern-ery above referred to, were
utterly fire-swept, in the spring of 1895.
In June of that year I discovered about a
mile northwest of my old exploring
ground, an evidently famous haunt for
Pied-bill Grebes, Coots, Gallinules, For-
ster's Terns and Franklin's (xulls. The
rat houses were very large and very
abundant. Here I found, on June 10, a
great many nests of the Forster's Tern,
there being, in one case, six nests on one
house.

We were all out that afternoon — hus-
band, wife and child and camera. I
poled the light boat swiftly among the
sparser beds of rushes, feasting the eyes
of the boy, ever and anon, upon a glimpse
of a cosy coot-nest rising and falling in
its clump of rushes, with the waves,
while the mother bird hurried awa}" with
bobbing head and an occasional comical
hen-like "c-r-r-r-t" of warning.

Amid this floating sea of aquatic nests
I saw an unusual number of well con-
structed homes of the Tern. Among
these was one that I count a perfect nest.
It rested on the perfectly flat foundation
of a small decayed rat house, which was
about fourteen inches in diameter. The
nest, in form a truncated cone (barring
the cavity), was about eight inches high
and ten inches in diameter. The hollow
— quite shallow — was about seven inches
across, being thus unusually large. The
whole was built up of bits of rushes,
carried to the spot, these being quite
uniform in length — about four inches.

The nest contained an incomplete set
of two rarely beautiful eggs, olive clay
in color, with rich black-brown markings,
in form much like those often found on
eggs of Cabot's Tern.

It being too late in the day for photo-
graphing, I took the eggs, intending to
bring them back, to photograph the nest
by earlier and brighter light. Too bad!
The birds removed every single bit of the
rush, before my return, the three signal
rags tied to the rushes and the bare flat
of moss-mould only, greeting me. The
strange feature of the removal is that
there were literally /oiis of rushes round-
about. Had I left the set the chances
are that the mother-bird would have been
unmolested, the nest likewise.

In one instance only have I ever found
such a nest as comprehensive book state-
ments and the laconic datas would have
led one to expect. On the long "streak"
of reed-bogs previously referred to, I
found, at a certain point, an old dry and
beaten-down rat house. On this was a
nest — depression — near which nestled a
pretty Tern fledgling-, only a few days
old. But on a "reef" of rushes, thrown
up beside the rat house by the waves of
the higher water, the year before, lay in
a plainly artificial depression, a single
egg, deserted.

THE OSPREY.

23

I must not negflect to speak of the rang--
in<r habits of the Terns, nor of their
hunting- exploits on the hind.

Both Fostcri and Hirundo^ I imag-ine,
wander far from home, especially while
the young- are beings fed. In the Mille
Lacs reg-ion the Gulls and the Caspian
Terns were daily found at Farm Island
Lake, twelve miles from Mille Lacs, dili-
gently fishing-, around and across the
lake, and passing- to the innumerable deep
lying- and wood-g-irt lakelets, lying- be-
yond. Near Heron Lake are the beauti-
ful String- Lakes — the fring-e of their
burr-oaks charming-ly foiling- the sombre
undulating- prairie Ij'ing- hig-h above.
Hither the Terns made frequent journeys
daily, returning- (during- July) each with
a frog- or a fish, the latter carried invari-
ably by the g-ills, that is, with tail dang--
ling- downward. And over my String
Lake marsh, of Bobolink and Marsh
Wren fame, the Terns were hawking-
incessantly, during- the day time, arriv-
ing as early as five o'clock in the morn-
ing-, slowly winging- over the g-rass tops,
often not over three feet from the g-round,
eag-erly scanning- the sphagnum and g-rass
tussock depths beneath. Frog-s, insects,

and, very likely, Meadow-mice, were
their intended prey. And I can hardly
be wrong- in imputing to them the robbery
of nests also.

The nest of a Marsh Hawk, containing-
five eg-g-s, had been left intact for photo-
g-raphing- in a strong^er lig-ht. Having-
drilled and partly blown the eg-g-s, I could
infallibly identify them. About a week
after the orig-inal discovery I found one
of them a hundred feet from the nest. It
had been recently dug- out of the top of a
sphag-num bog-, and plainly sucked by
beak-thrust and not by tooth-crush. I am
justified, then, in assuming- that a Tern
may have been the "orig-inal taker" of
the set. For had the eg-g- been hidden by
some other animal, how did the Tern
find it? And if the Tern hid it, is not
this an unrecorded but entirely plausible
trait of this restless bird? Who shall
say how man}- traits and habits 3"et un-
known, may be discovered throug-h
patient watching- of community-breeding-
birds b}' men enjoying- more of leisure for
such delig-htful studies than often falls to
the lot of most of us, who have bread and
butter to earn, and a tiny part of the
world's work to finish.

Albinism, Melanism and Hybridism,

BY CHAS. K. WORTHEN, WARSAW, ILL.

Thinking it mig-ht be of some interest
to the readers of The Osprey, I submit
herewith a list of some of the curios and
interesting- "freaks" in the way of Albin-
ism, Melanism and Hybridism that have
passed thoug-h my hands in the past 23
years that I have been engag-ed in nat-
ural history work. Albinism as follows:

American Robin. — One specimen, mot-
tled with scattered pure white feathers
throug-hout plumag-e, two that showed
a stray, white primary or tail feather,
from Iowa.

Bluebird. — One specimen, not white,
but a very pale or bleached blue, from
Iowa.

Brown Thrasher. — Occasionally one
with an odd white primary or tail feather,
from different localities,

Yellow-throated Vireo. — One white
primary, taken here.

Indigo Bunting. — A male, mottled,
with scattered white feathers, taken here.

TowHEE. — Scattered white feathers in
tail and primaries, from Iowa.

Field Sparrow. — One specimen, tak-
en here; pure white, with only a few scat-
tering- pale brown feathers.

Goldfinch. — Two or more, showing-
scattered white feathers throug-hout
plumag-e, from this locality.

Bronzed Grackle. — One specimen,
showing- one or two scattered white
feathers, taken here.

Red-winged Blackbird. — One beauti-
ful specimen, a solid creamy white, with
under wing-s of a rich yellow-orang-e tint,
taken in Sang-amon County, 111.

CowBiRD. — One with white primary
and one or two scatterings white feathers.

American Crow. — One specimen,
nearly pure white, from this locality; one
specimen, a dusky white, locality un-
known.

Blue Jay. — One specimen, a beautiful
pure white, solid color throug-hout,

24

THE OSPREY.

said to have been taken in Lee County,
Iowa.

Brewer's Blackbird. — One specimen,
with a pure white feather in breast, from
Marion County, California.

Rusty Blackbird. — One specimen,
mottled with black and white, the white
predominating-, taken in Humbolt County,
Iowa, by myself.

Flicker, or Golden-winged Wood-
pecker.— One beautiful specimen, of a
solid creamy white, nape of neck showing-
a pink crescent,
and under part of
wings a rich yel-
low; a most exqui-
site specimen; said
to have been taken
in Lee County,
Iowa.

Bald Eagle. —
One specimen, in
second year's plu-
m a g e, commonh"
known as "Gray
Eagle." This
specime n had
greater part of
breast and abdo-
men of a soiled or
dusky white, and
was taken on
island near here.

Prairie Chick-
en. — One speci-
men, taken here,
with body mottled,
with white feath-
ers.

Quail. — One
very handsome
specimen, taken
in Sangamon
County, 111., seem-
ing to be pure
white at a little

distance, but a close examination showed
the usual transverse markings, very pale
and faint, as thoug-h the white had been
painted over them; also another specimen,
similar, but not quite as white, locality
unknown.

Wilson's Snipe. — One specimen, show-
ing two white primaries. A close exam-
ination also showed traces of an old shot
wound, thoroughly healed, at base of the
two odd quills, and I inferred the shot to

COPYRIGHTED BY MINNS, AKRON, O.

be the cause, and the two abnormal feath-
ers the effect. (?)

Ring-necked Duck. — One specimen,
taken in this locality, of a light, dirty
brown color all over.

Green-winged Teal. — One very
handsome male, with marking-s showing
through a light wash, as thoug-h painted
over with a semi-transparent wash, from
this locality.

Gadwall. — One, cream white, with a
few lig-ht chocolate markings, and anoth-
er spe c i men,
only a shade
darker, both from
this locality.

Mallard. —
Three specimens,
two creamy white
with more or less
light chocolate
markings, the
other similar but
darker; two from
this locality, other
unknown.

Dusky Duck. —
One specimen of a
light chocolate
color, with darker
markings, from
Illinois River.

Double Crest-
ed Cormorant. —
One with about
half of the under
parts white; taken
near this locality.
Black Tern. —
One specimen,
with pure white
feathers, mottling
the entire body,
taken here on the
river.

YOUNG RED-TAIL HAWK.

The following cases of Melanism:—

Swainson's Hawk. —Two specimens,
nearly of a jet black, and two of solid
dark umber, but all showing more or less,
tail bars and bars on primaries; all from
the west.

Broad-winged Hawk.— One specimen
from Minnesota, of a solid dark umber,
showing dark bars on tail and primaries.

Red-tailed Hawk.— One, very dark
umber colored specimen, taken here, by

THE OSPREY.

25

myself, another seen at the same time and
place (see Natural History Survey of
Illinois, pag-e 472). This form is now
known as Harlan's Hawk, Butco harhini,
and above specimens are the only ones I
have ever seen in or from Illinois.

American Rough-legged Hawk. —
Several specimens, rang^ing" in color from
nearly a solid jet black, to a very dark
umber; two taken here, others from Iowa
and Minnesota.

Gkeat Hokned
Owl. — I have
taken and had
some five speci-
mens of this spe-
cies that are very
dark; asdarkasthe
North we stern
form, known as
"Duskv Horned
Owl."" Bubo z:
sa t II rain s. All
were taken in the
heavy timbered
bottom lands be-
low here and
across the river in
Missouri.

Among- the Hy-
brids, I have had
some three speci-
mens of g, cross
between Mallard
and Pin-tail
Ducks. One sup-
posed to be a cross
between the Wild
Mallard and do-
mestic Ducks. One
supposed to be a
cross betweenGad-
wall and B a 1 d-
pate, ( American
Widg-eon ) .

' ^H^^

%

1^

,,.

^^

1 JBk

1^

^^

' ■,, . , . ritJBBl^fejt^ . .^^ <,-V> V^

"Prize" Photographs,

A number of our subscribers have
br<mg-ht us to task for not includ-
ing- our "cover" picture within the
text, that it might not be lost in binding
the volume. Therefore we will publish
our "cover" picture within the text por-
tion each month, and we think all will
ag-ree that the September and October
pictures are well worth the space they
occupy. Many of
o u'r correspond-
ents have compli-
mented us on our
"little Hawks,"
which adorned the
September cover,
and this month
we are g-lad to be
able to g-ive an-
other photog-raph
of one of the little
Redtails sing-lj-.

We are indebted
to Mr. E. E. Mas-
terman, of New
London, Ohio, for
these photog-raphs
and the privileg'e
of publishing-
them.

COPYRIGHTED BY MINNS. AKRON, O.

YOUNG RED-TAILS.

Prof. L. M.
Loomis has g-one
to Monterey,
where he will
make another
study of mig-rat-
ing- water birds
for the California
Academy of Sci-
ence.

The Warbling Vireo,

{From unpublished MSS. '■'■ Avifauna of British Columbia.
BY WM. L. KELLS, LISTOWELL, CAN.

The Virco gilvtis^ found as a reg-ular
summer resident, both to the east and
west of the Cascade range of mountains,
and probabl}' in all suitable locations
throughout all the southern regions of
British Columbia. In g-eneral appear-
ance, both of form and plumag-e, as well

as in most of its habits, it does not differ
much from the more familiar Red-eyed
species of this g-enus, though the dis-
tinctive markings on the head of the
latter are wanting- in the Warbling- Vireo.
It inhabits the sand rang-e of country,
but it differs in the particular places of

26

THE OSPREY.

its haunts from the Red-eyed bird. It is
a little over five inches in length, and its
g-eneral colors are of an ashy-g-reenish
hue with whitish underneath. Its song-
is not loud, and its melody not so grandly
musical as are the lays of many other
species v/hose voices mingle in the great
orchester of nature, where it has its
haunts and home, but to the attentive
student of bird life, and the lover of avi-
faunian music, its song, somewhat
resembling that of the Purple Finch — is
especially sweet and appealing to the
finer feelings of humanity, especially
when it falls on the ears of one who is
a stranger amid the wild and romantic
scenery of the Pacific coast.

Mr. Mcllwraith, in describing this spe-
cies, says: "This amiable little songster,
although less abundant than the Red-
eye, is probably known to a greater num-
ber of people, owing to the preference
that it shows for isolated ornamental
trees in parks and gardens and the shade
trees in cities. Its song is soft, subdued,
and flowing like the murmuring of a hid-
den brook in the leafy month of June."

Dr. Coues, speaking of this species,
gives its range as "Eastern North Ame-
rica to the high central plains, breeding
throughout its range, wintering extra-
limital, an abundant little bird, and an
exquisite songster. Its voice is not
strong, and many birds excell it in bril-
liancy of execution, but not one of them
can rival the tenderness and softness of
the strains of this modest vocalist. Not
born "to waste its sweetness on the
desert air," the Warbling Vireo forsakes
the depths of the woodland for the park
and the orchard and the shady street,
where it glides through the foliage of the
tallest trees, the unseen messenger of
rest and peace to the busy, dusty haunts
of men."

A pleasing peculiarity about this spe-
cies is that it warbles its pleasing melody
— common to both sexes — not only
throughout the greater part of the day,
in the early part of summer, while it
gleans its insect prey among the opening
buds and expanding leaves, but also
when composing its nest, and when the
female is seated on her eggs, which fact
being known to the oologist, will lead
him to the location of the nest, which
might otherwise be concealed, as it is

generally middling high off the ground
and well hidden among the foliage. The
nest, formed like a small basket and sus-
pended from the horizontal fork of a small
twig, is composed of various fine vegeta-
ble materials, neatly felted by the bill
and saliva of the little weaver. The
eggs — three or four in the set — are of a
pure white hue, dotted on the large end
with a few dark spots. Like many other
little birds it is often imposed upon by
the Cowbird, but when it discovers this
intruder about, it gives notice to its
partner, and with great spirit and bold-
ness both birds will unite to drive off this
enemy, as well other species, even as
larere as the Cuckoo and the Grackle.

The New Farallone Petrel,

The discovery of the new Petrel by
Prof. Loomis is quite naturally causing
some uneasiness among collectors possess-
ing a number of Farallone collected eggs.

Some collectors have parents with the
sets, but undoubtedly the majority have
not. As far as we have learned collec-
tors are taking them from their exchange
lists until something more definite is
found out.

Prof. Loomis thinks the eggs of the
new Petrel are somewhat larger than
those of the Ashy.

Mr. H. R. Taylor came into possession
of quite a number of sets through his
recent purchase from Mr. H. C. Johnson,
and he believes that he can pick out each
species from the mixed lot.

It will indeed be a regretable circum-
stance if it be proven that these eggs can
not be authentically identified, unless
accompanied by parent, and thus the
many otherwise valuable specimens now
existing in collections be made worthless.

An appropriation of $500,000 has been made
by the State of New York for the building of a
third wing- of the American Museum of Nat-
ural History.

Mr. W. S. Cobleigh writes September 20th,
from his home conveniently near the Illinois
swamps: —

"Jack Snipe are plentiful, and there seems
to be an unusual number of Wood Duck and
Blue-winged Teal."

THE OSPREY.

27

(Bcncral motes*

LATE NESTING.

I have recently returned from a collect-
ing" trip in Penobscot Ba}-. Was g-one
about a week and took about forty fine
specimens of various Plovers and Sand-
pipers for skins to add to my collection.
I found the Common Terns still nesting-
at the late date of Aug-ust 19th, and took
nearly fresh eg-g^s. Also noted some
Herring- Gulls' nests with eggs.

O. W. Knight.

Bang-or, Me.

BLUEBIRDS.

I have lately seen a flock of about 20
Bluebirds since the breeding- season, also
man}" sing-le specimens. I believe they
are increasing- in numbers.

Wm. H. Warken.

Danielson, Conn.

THE MURDEROUS WOODPECKER.

The Red-headed Woodpecker must be
somewhat of a ruffian. I have seen him
pursue and kill the young- of the Fox
Squirrel in the same way which Mr. Wil-
lard mentions in the September Osprey,
of his killing- the young Wood Pewees.
H. C. Butcher.

(jalesburg, 111.

THE RED-HEADED VILLAIN.

On May 3d, 1896, I observed the Red-
headed Woodpecker killing- the young- of
the House Sparrow. At this time they
came to look after their nesting- site and
found it occupied, but it was only of a
short space of time till they had it all
cleaned out. The hole was in a deca3'ed
apple tree, ten feet from the g-round.
They went in and broug-ht out three
young birds, one at a time and beat them
on a limb until they were mashed to jelly,
then let them fall to the ground, then
they cleaned out the trashy nest and
laid their own eggs.

W. G. Savage.

Hillsboro, Iowa.

FREAK eggs of THE WOOD IBIS.

Some time ago I had an inquiry for
peculiar or freak eggs. I wrote the party
stating what I had, and I think he was a
little afraid of the erenuineness of them.

I told him I had the following of Wood
Ibis: 1 set )4- (measurement in inches)
2.65x1.80— 2.55x1.79 — 1.62x1.81 — 1.95>^
xl.42; 1 set 1-5, 2.39>4xl. 73— 3.31x172^
— 2.30x1. 74>4— 2.64x1.72^2— 1.70x1.33. I
have never found an}^ thing like it before
or since. Can give positive and correct
data, having collected them last season.
If any one doubts this I will deem it a
favor if he will write me and I will for-
ward the two sets to the Smithsonian In-
stitution for identification. I hardly
think they will find any "Raine"in these.
A. M. Nicholson.
Orlando, Fla.

motes from mcbrastta*

From J, R. Bonwell, Nebraska City, Neb.

Large flocks of Robins and Meadow
larks are in this vicinity, now probably
on their way south.

No doubt a great many species have
already gone, as one misses a great many
once familiar voices now in the woods.

A number of observers have mentioned
that they have noticed a greater number
of Baltimore and Orchard Orioles in this
locality this year than ever before. Speak-
ing of the Orchard Oriole brings to mind
that I noticed a, to me, very original nest-
ing site for this species. While in a
thicket on the Missouri collecting last
summer, I found several nests of this
Oriole in the willows, sometimes right
amongst a colony of Red-winged Black-
birds. This place was at least a mile
from any habitation, which impressed me
as I had always thought that this species
was fond of civilization.

The local Naturalists' Association will
open their fall course of lectures in Octo-
ber with a lecture by Prof. Barbour of
the Nebraska State University.

Agnes Engel, the President of the Ger-
man League for the Prevention of the
Killing of Birds for Decorative Purposes,
delivered a lecture at the international
congress at Perth, and pointed out the
wanton destruction of birds to gratify
modes of the moment.

28

THE OSPREY.

Calllornla Department..

Edited by DONALD A. COHEN,
Alameda, Cal.

All Ornithologists west of the Rocky Mountains will favor the
editor of this Department, as well as the publisher of The
Osi'REY, by furnishing notes, news, or articles and illustrations
for publication.

A Handy Book.

For a number of years I have kept a
catalog-ue of the total list of eg-g-s in my
collection. First I followed a check-list
and spaced the book according- to the
different species I had or was likely to
have, so as not to g^et the work crowded,
and to keep the species in reg-ular A. O.
U. order. Each species has its name on
a headline, thus: —

360a. — Desekt Spakkow Hawk.

5 ^^^5, })iarkcd 1-^-94-. No. 1^2.
^ " '' 1-4-95^ No. 40.

6 "■ " 1-6- g6. No. gy.

A ten or fifteen-cent blank book with
end-hinge covers, with about 100 pag-es,
small enoug-h to be carried in ei coat pocket
is what I use. The above, for illustra-
tion, shows that I have at the present
da}' three sets of Desert Sparrow-Hawk.
The eg-gs heive been marked to show the
year in which the}' were taken, while the
number sign indicates the number of the
entry on the field-book, ( as I do not
always write out data until a set is
called for, as more can be told in a book
about the nature of the country, the ac-
tions of the birds, the description of the
nest, etc., than will g-o on an ordinary
data blank).

If I trade the set of eg-g-s to Tom Jones
I run a line through the entry in my
"hand book" and write the party's name
and the date of shipment after No. 97.
This is done to avoid the trouble of look-
ing- into the cabinet at some future date
to see how many sets of Desert Sparrow
Hawk I have.

If I receive a set I write, for example,
thus:

375. Great Hokned Owl.

2 eggs and date; marked j-2; from
Smith. lo-iy'gs.

In the event of trading- this set, I run
my pen throug-h the entry and set after 10-
15-'96, "to Jack Robinson, 2-ll-'96."

If an eg-g- is damag-ed or second-class,
or if data are lacking, or if a set is a par-

tial set, or if an eg-g- becomes broken, I
make a note of it on the same line, or if
there is not enoug-h room, on the space
below, I do not have to look into the cab-
inet to see how many sets I have of a cer-
tain bird or to handle each eg-g- to see if
they are all perfect, when a moment's look
at my book will reveal all the informa-
tion desired. If a nest belong-s to a set
it is either indicated in the set-mark or
more fully mentioned. I also keep an-
other book for nests, run much upon the
same plan as the egg- book, and another
book for skins.

For a rare bird three or four lines will
be sufificient space unless I am in a posi-
tion to collect or receive four or five sets.
For a common bird, that I take annually
in series, I space according-ly. It all de-
pends on how active the collector is as to
how long- his book will last. Mine last
me about two years without having- to
insert extra pag-es to avoid cramping
space — something- that cannot always be
foreseen. When the book is rewritten
you do not need to rewrite memoranda for
sets that have been broken or exchang-ed.

The main object of this book is the
advantag-e of being- able to obtain a clear,
full and decisive knowledg-e of your collec-
tion in a hurry and at any time and at
any place (provided you have the book
with you) and to be exceptionally handy
to a collector whose collection is tempo-
rarily disarrang-ed, or if he has no ade-
quate storag-e room to keep sets of a
series side by side.

LOCAL names for birds are at times
curious as well as interesting-, more so
from the fact that before we knew
our birds by their proper or scientific
names, we adopted the names set down
by boys older than ourselves. Many of
these nicknames, especially of certain
birds, hold g-ood throug-h-out the state,
while others vary locally, even in the
same country. Below is a list of "native"
tyros' names of some Alameda County
birds:

Grebes, Divers; California Murre, Far-
allone Bird, from its habit of nesting on
the islands of that name; Cormorants,
Shags; Terns, Sea Pigeons; Merg-ansers,
Saw-bills, Fish Ducks; Shovelers, Spoon-
bill; Canvasback, Can; American Golden-
eye, Copperhead; Scoters, Coots; Great
Blue Heron, Crane; Black-crowned Nig-ht

THE OSPREY.

29

Heron, Squiiwk, Shitepoke; American
Coot, Mud-hen; Phalaropes, small Sand-
pipers and small Plovers, Snipes; Ameri-
can Avocet, Irish Snipe, (from its up-
turned bill ) ; Western Willet, Candlestick
Plover; Black-chinned Humming'-bird,
Sponge Hummer, from the color and ap-
pearance of its nest; Black Phoebe, Spi-
der Bird, Black Flycatcher; Blackheaded
Grosbeak, Bullfinch, House Pinch and
California Purple Finch, Linnet; Ameri-
can Goldfinch, Canary; Lawrence's Gold-
finch, California Canary; Arkansas Gold-
finch, Tar-weed Canary; Western Savan-
nah, Bryant's Marsh and Samuel's Song-
Sparrows, Marsh Chippie; Oreg-on Tow-
hee. Catbird, from its note; California
Towhee, Buck Chippie; Lazuli Bunting-,
Bluebird; California Shrike, Butcherbird;
Vireos, Weaverbird; Yellow Warbler,
Yellow Wren; American Pipit, Wagtail;
Plain Titmouse, Toppy, from the crest;
California Bush Tit, Tom Tit.

ter; the subscriptions will not do it. Even a
larg-e periodical like A/cC/urc's or Cosntopolifan,
never counts on making- expenses the first
year. Richard McGregor.

Palo Alto, Cal.

Mr. H. B. Raiding-, of Drytown, Amador
County, is spending a fe-w months in San Prem-
cisco, He and his party had the g-ood fortune
to take many desirable sets with the nests and
parents in the Sierra Nevadas, this summer.

Mr. R. S. Wheeler, an active field collector, of
Alameda, has recently entered a law office in
San Francisco, where he will have unlimited
opportunity to look up the law relating- to the
cri>ncoi "taking or destroying- any bird's nest."
Make g'-ood use of your time Mr. Wheeler.

Mr. H. R. Taylor, of Alameda, has recently
become, by purchase, the possessor of the
oolog-icai collection of Mr. H. C. Johnson, form-
erly of American Fork, Utah. The cabinet,
trays and g-ood will of the business were thrown
in, and the nests, of course, for how could Mr.
Taylor keep up his "Nidolog-ical" reputation by
ig-noring the nests?

Gorrespoiidence.

Editors The Osprey:

As Mr. Barnes had much trouble in finding-
nesting dates of the Screech Owl, perhaps
some of these references will help him, but he
must remember that a slig-ht difterence of
locality will some times aff^ect nesting dates
very materially:

Young Oologisf, vol. 1, p. 51, "84. "Hawks
and Owls of the United States and their Rela-
tion to Agriculture," Fisher, p. 167. "Notes
on the Birds of Minnesota," (First report of
the State Zoologist), p. 214. "Egg-s of Native
Pennsylvania Birds," J. Warren Jacobs, p. 7.
Nidologist, vol. 11, p. 33, '94.

If Mr. Barnes has ever published a paper he
would know that a magazine usually fails the
first year from lack of funds to pay the prin-

(ExirHota I'r in priva<« l"iier from Mr. Widniaim.)

The last few weeks I had a verv pleasant
trip north with Mrs. Widmann. At Milwaukee
we spent several daj-s with our old friend, Mr.
Nehrling, at the Public Museum, where the
Goss G\^y^ collection is one of the greatest at-
tractions. The collection of mounted birds
exceeded our highest expectations in regard to
quantity as well as quality. Many very
choice pieces of taxidermic art, especially
those by Mr. Akelej' and Mr. Turner, are here
exhibited and a few groups of mammals, de-
serve the hig-hest praise. The present quarters
are a little crowded, but the city is erecting a
new and commodious building perfectly
adapted for the purpose.

The Museum of the Chicago Academy of
Science in Lincoln Park is a perfect jewel of
modern Museum building-, and its custodian,
Mr. Baker, has a rare talent for exhibiting'- ob-
jects in the most instructive manner. The
collection of birds is not so larg-e, but as Mr.
Woodrufi" has loaned and exhibited his own
collection of birds and skins all of which are
as fine skins as one can find anywhere — the
value of the exhibit is g'-reatly enhanced.

At the Field Museum we found the amiable
curator, Mr. Cherrie, busily engaged in the
tremendous work of properly labeling the large
collection of North American birds, which fills
one room. Another and larger room is occu-
pied by the great collection of mounted birds
exhibited by Ward at the World's Fair, while
the Gary collection of bird skins is stored in
tins on the gallery in the room of the North
American birds. Here is also the valuable
library which the Museum acquired with the
skins.

At Glen EHyn, friend Gault showed us his
fine series of bird skins, incomparably the best
prepared skins I have ever seen. We also took
occasion to find some live birds in the bushes
of his neighborhood, which fairly swarmed
with migrating Thrushes, Tanagers, etc. From
what I saw of migration there as well as at
Highland Park and other places in the vicinity
of Chicago, I think that the west shore of
Lake Michigan beats the Mississippi valley in
fall mig'-ration, at least ,so far as Thrushes and
Warblers are concerned.

At Champaign, where my son, Otto W., jun-
ior, is beg'-inning to study science under Prof.
Forbes, we spent two very pleasant days.

The collection of mounted birds of Illinoi.s,
which '.vas such a g-reat ornament to the Illi-
nois Slate building'- at the World's Fair is set
up in the museum of the university. Unfortu-
nately the hall is not quite suitable for the
purpose, and the splendid memorials to the
lamented Adams does not appear to good ad-
vantag'-e. A new structure is g'-oing up at pres-
ent, and when finished the museum of the
university will be given better quarters.

'Yours truly, O. Widmann.

Old Orchard, Mo.

30

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted
Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BY

WALTER A. JOHNSON.
DR. A. C. MURCHISON.

Subscription: In ihe United States, Canada and Mexico, One
Dollar a year, in advance.

Single copies. Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription: One Dollar and Twelve Cents. Post-
age paid to all countries in the Universal Postal Union.

Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contributions
are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to Editors
at office of publication.

Copy for advertisements and all matter for publication should
be in the publisher's hands by the fifteenth of the month pre-
ceding publication.

Entered at the Galesburg Postoffice as mail matter of the
second class.

Address all business coniniunications to

THE OSPREY CO.,

217 Main Street, GALESBURG, ILL.

We are g"lad to inform our readers that the
appearance of the 2nd volume of Maj. Bendire's
Life-Histories will not be long-er delayed, but
will be out shortly. This knowledge is
greeted with pleasure by the many who have so
long- been waiting and looking for the second
installment of this great work.

Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller is now preparing
another of her popular lectures on birds, enti-
tled "Home Life of Our Birds," illustrated
by the stereopticon, one of the illustrations
being our "little Redtails." No doubt this will
be truly "popular," as are all of Mrs. Miller's
lectures.

On September 15th the season opened for
the killing of Prairie Chickens in Illinois. In
most portions of the state the hens reared their
young very successfully, and they are now
reported to be plentiful throughout the state.
September 15th also opens the season for all
species of water fowl; October 1st being the date
for Bob-white and Rufted Grouse. The State
Wardens have been doing much work in their
effort to suppress illegal killing,

"Gleanings from Nature" No. 1, a third of a
series of papers gleaned from the field work
and material in the collection of J. Warren
Jacobs, of Waynesburg, Pa., is now being
made ready for the press by Mr. Jacobs. The
booklet will contain sixteen pages and not
less than four illustrations. We understand
No. 1 will be for the most part on the oo-
logical abnormities of the collection.

It is found necessary to postpone Chief Po
kagon's article until the November number.

We are greatly gratified by the letters that
have come daily with praise and encourage-
ment from Smithsonian and other ornitholo-
gists whose letters are worth what they say,
word for word.

Mr. Philip J. McCook informs us that his
observations mentioned in "General Notes" of
September number on the White-Winged and
Surf Scoter, were made at Niantic, Ct. As
these species seldom leave the salt water and
as the name of Mr. McCook's resident city was
attached to the note some comment has arisen
which the above information will expel.

We are in receipt of a news-paper published
in Greensboro, S. C, containing a two column
write-up of Guilford College, which is not far
from Greensboro. Much credit is given the
curator of the college museum, Prof. T. G.
Pierson, who is known to many of our readers
as an old time contributor to ornithological
publications. Prof. Pierson spends his vaca-
tions collecting for the museum, and has lately
returned from a successful trip in Florida.

The Ornithologists of York County, Neb.,
made an exhibit at their County Fair.

Literature Received,

A copy^ of "Park Commissioner's Report for
1895," from Mr. D. J. Marsh, president of
Board of Park Commissioners, Springfield,
Mass. It contains much matter of general in-
terest, while the naturalist and ornithologist
can find parts of special interest. A list of
birds occuring in Forest Park is furnished by
Mr. Wni. W. Colburn.

"Spare the Hawks and Owls" is an article in
a recent number of the Waynesburg (Pa.)
Independent, by J. Warren Jacobs. Referring
to the bounty paid for heads of hawks and
owls by the State of Pennsylvania a few years
back, Mr. Jacobs says: "If I remember cor-
rectly, Greene county contributed to this large
list 1,116 hawks and owls, paying out in boun-
ties over $550."

The Iowa Ornithological Association.

The Second Annual Congress of the Iowa
Ornithological Association was held at Mt.
Vernon, July 29, 30, 31, President Chas. R.
Keys in the chair; ten active members present.
After the business meeting the usual program
of papers and discussions occupied the time.

Morton Peck read an interesting paper, "The
Affinities of Warblers.." Mr. William Savage
of Wilsonville, (honorary member), exhibited
paintings of Iowa birds, in colors, two hundred
in number. These paintings have occupied the
leisure hours of a very busy man — begun twenty
years ago. He also gave a paper on "The Hab-
its of tl:e Crow."

The subject of "Bird's Nests was introduced
by Frank Shoemaker, and called forth much
interesting discussion.

The next annual meeting will be held at
Manchester, Iowa.

Mrs. Mary L. Raun.

NEST AXD THKEE YOUNG OF PRAIKIE WAKBLEK.
Collected and plwtographed by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt. {Nat. Sizi
(See pag-e 35.)

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the hiterests of

ORNITHOLOGY,

Vol. 1. No. 3.

GALESBURG, ILL., NOVEMBER, 1896.

SI. 00 A Year

SHEEP ATTACKED BY KEAS.
From Mounted Group in U. S. National Museui

The Genus Nestor.

BY F. H. KN(J\VLTON. PH. D.. SMITHSOXIAX IXSTITUTHJN.

CCORUIXlr t.) Salva-
dori, ^vho has recently
in()nogTaphed the gToup
there are four hundred
and ninety-nine species
of Parrots, belong"ing- to
seventy-nine g^ e n e r a .
now kno^vn. The num-
ber has been slig-htly
increased since this
monog-raph, but remains
not far from live hundred. They are
found throug-hout the warmer parts of
the world, being- most abundant in South
America. Among- the great diversities
of size, structure and coloration observed
in the Parrots, there is perhaps no small
g-roup of them that are more interesting-,
all thing's considered, than those of the
g-enus y^cstor.

Nestor, it will be remembered, was the
oldest of the chieftains who took part in

in the sieg-e of Troy, and his dignified
bearing- and white hairs have since been
emblematic of wisdom and experience.
This g-roup of Parrots was g-iven the
name of Nestor from their grey heads.
They are entirely confined to New Zea-
land and certain neig-hboring- islands,
and they are also the sole representa-
tives of a family, the Xcstoridae. As a
family they are distinguished by the
elong-ated much compressed beak which
is long-er than deep, and has a long-itudi-
nal g-roove on the upper half. The
feathers are soft, those about the base of
the lower mandible being- hairy and di-
rected forwards, and the feathers of the
tail have pointed shafts projecting- be-
yond the web. The tip of the tongue is
provided with a fringe of long- hairs, and
the cere is partially feathered.

The g-enus ^A>5^^rembraces five species,
three of which are now extinct. The

32

THE OSPREY.

larg"er of the living- species is the Kea,
(A^. lloiab/7/s),^^^h{ch. is restricted to the
South Island of New Zealand. The}- are
about 19 inches in leng^th of which nearl3-
two inches is taken up b}- the beak. In
g-eneral hue the plumag'e is dull olive-
green with black edg-es to the feathers.
The wing's are dusky brown and the tail
blueish olive with a broad band near the
end.

Their home is hig^h above the wooded
districts among- the rocks and cliffs where
there is only dwarf veg-etation. "Here,"
says a recent writer, "the Keas may be
seen among- the crevices of the rocks
when the mountains are shrouded in
mist or sleet, or covered with a mantle of
snow; while at other times they may be
observed soaring- with motionless wing-s
from peak to peak." The birds are
forced, however, to seek their food at
lower elevations during- the winter, and
it is this circumstance that has led to the
striking- chang-e in their diet. Orig-inally
they probably fed on succulent vegeta-
bles, roots and insects, but since the in-
troduction of the sheep industry they
have developed decided carniverous pro-
pensities, for, according- to Sir. W. Duller,
those Keas which "frequent the sheep-
stations appear to live almost exclusively
on flesh. They claim the sheep's heads
that are thrown out from the slaug-hter
shed, and pick them perfectly clean,
leaving- nothing- but the bones. Of recent
years, however, the Keas have g-one even
farther than this, and now actually kill
sheep for themselves, alig-hting- upon the
backs of the unfortunate ruminants, and
tearing- down throug-h the skin and flesh
until they reach the kidneys, the fat of
which is g-reedily devoured." This habit
has of course broug-ht them into bad re-
pute with the sheep owners, and they are
killed by them on sig-ht, the consequence
being- that the Keas are much diminished
in numbers

Our illustration, from a mounted g-roup
in the U. S. National Museum collection,
shows two of the Keas in the act of tear-
ing- open the back of a sheep.

The Kaka ( N. mcridoualis ) the other
living- species, inhabits both islands of
New Zealand. It is but little smaller
than the Kea and is readily disting-uished
from it by the presence of a red ting-e on

NKSTOK PKODUCTUS.
FiODi Spiui 1111)1 ill the r. S. Xafioiia/ Miisi'iiiii.

the abdomen and under wing'-coverts,
and by the g-olden yellow on the ear-
coverts. Its home is in the forests and
it is said to be by far the noisest of the
denizens of the woods of its native
islands. It is described as being- semi-
nocturnal in its habits, g-oing- abroad in
search of its food in early morning- be-
fore it is fairly lig-ht. They feed on ber-
ries, roots and necter of flowers.

In his iVotcs on the Birds of Nczv Zea-
land, Hoost says: "The noisy Kaka
plays a conspicuous role in the forest.
It is a g-reg-arious bird, perching- g-en-
erallv on the hig-hest trees; but as soon

THE OSPRKY.

33

as the assembled flock hear a noise un-
known to them, they approach and amuse
the traveller by their various quarrel-
some notes and shrieks. If in shooting-
at them one only be wounded so that it
may be secured, it is an easy matter to
shoot one after the other, as they always
come back when they hear the cry of a
wounded companion."

The nest is described as being- a poor
affair, made in a hollow tree, and the
eggs as being- usually four but sometimes
six in number. The nest is made in
November and by the lirst of January
the young- are able to fly.

The birds make excellent pets, and be-
ing- g-ood mimics are often taug-ht to talk.

Midway between New Zealand and
New Calidonia are two small islands,
Norfolk and Philip, each of which was
once the home of now extinct species of
Nestor. Philip Island, the smaller of
these, is only about five square miles in
area, and althoug-h Norfolk Island is only
four miles distant neither species has
been found except on its own island.

The Philip Island Parrot ( N. prodiic-
tits) was only about fifteen inches in
leng-th and can be readily disting-uished
by a broad, yellowish white band across
the breast.

This bird was probably always a rare
one, for the limited habitat would pre-
clude the probability of its being- very
abundant. It seems improbable that
there could have been more than a few
hundred even when seeing- its most pros-
perous days, and it is small wonder that
they were so soon exterminated. It ap-
pears that the last individual was seen
alive about 1851, which g-ives less than
fifty years from the time of its discovery
to the total extinction. The actual
causes of its extinction is not known, but
it is probably directly or indirectly trace-
able to the advent of civilization. In
any event it is g-one as a living- factor,
and we have left not more than twenty
skins distributed among- the various
Museums of the world. As far as I am
able to learn there eire only two specimens
in this country; one in the collection of
the Philadelphia Academy of Science and
the other, a very g-ood example, of un-
known sex, in the Smithsonian Institu-
tion. The latter specimen is the one

from which our fig-ure is taken, and was
purchased by B. A. Hoopes about thirty
years ag-o, of the late Wm. P. Turnbull
of Philadelphia, and was only recently
recog-nized as the rare Xesto?'. It was
purchased of Mr. Hoopes and g-enerouslv
presented to the Smithsonian bv Dr. W.
L. Ralph of Utica, New York.

The Norfolk Island Parrot ( .\: norfol-
cotsis ) was the smallest species of the
g-enus, being- only twelve inches in leng-th.
It is also further disting-uished by havings
the long-est bill of any specie known, the
l)ill being- 3S inches, and curbed in a semi-
circle. In color the head and neck were
dull green with the sides of head, under
the ej-es and the chin and throat, pale
crimson, the remaining- parts being- much
as in other species.

There are no specimens of this bird
known to be preserved, and in fact the
species rests entirely on Latham's descrip-
tion published in 1822, and a color here
published by von Pelzeln in 1860. This
drawing- was made by F. L. Bauer, a
botanical artist, who visited Norfolk
Island early in the centur3'. On his
death his drawing-s and notes were sold
at auction and fortunately fell into ap-
preciative hands. Among- them was the
painting- of the head of this species,
which was taken from a living- subject in
Norfolk Island, Jan. 19, 1805.

The remaining- species is the Count of
Essling-'s Parrot \N. Essliugi) which
has apparently been extinct for some
fifty years. It was a larg-er bird, being-
about 18 inches in leng-th, and having- a
bill 2.1 inches long-. It approaches most
closely to the Kaka { X. ])icridio)/aIis),
but differs in having- a broad, yellowish
white band between the gray upper
breast and the dull red abdomen. The
ear coverts are also g-olden yellow.

Onlj' a single specimen of this species
has ever been collected, and the precise
place and date of capture of this are both
unknown. It was for a time in a private
collection, but it was long ago purchased
for, and is now preserved in, the Briti^>h
Museum. Both this and the Norflok
Island species have been regarded by
some authors as abnormal variations of
certain of the other species, but they
differ so markedh^ that this seems hardly
probable

34

THE OSPREY.

What the Bible Has Done for the Protection of Birds.

BY OTTO WIDMANX.

SOME years ag-o, while in the country,
I became g^reatly provoked by
some boys who took pride in killing-
every bird which their g-uns could reach.
My remonstrances were of no avail, and
knowing them to be children of ver^'
religious parents, I begged the priest to
use his influence, saying, that I felt
sure a word from him would have the
desired effect. At the same time

i ventured the question, whether he
ever pointed out in his teachings the sin-
fulness of wanton destruction of God's
creatures, such as the killing of birds for
the mere fun of it, as the boys call it.

This answer astonished me greatly.
He said: "There is nothing in our relig-
ion which makes the killing of animals a
sin. We hold that God has created all
thing-s for man, plants and animals, in
fact everything in existence has been
created for man; if he finds pleasure in
killing birds, we can see no sin in it.
Do we not hear that our presidents are
going hunting every now and then? How
could it be a sin? If it is no sin to kill
ducks, why should it be a sin to kill
smaller birds? These poor boys cannot
hire steamboats or railroads to reach
what you call game birds, but they take
as much pleasure in shooting- as the rich
men who can afford such things."

This was a complete surprise, almost
stunning, and like a drowning man tak-
ing hold of the last thing within reach,
I took recourse to the plea that these
birds render good services to husbandry-
by destroying noxious insects; but he
replied coolly that in his estimation one
pound of arsenic is worth more as an in-
sect destroyer than all my birds.

This conversation was quite a revela-
tion to me. In the simplicity of my heart
the idea had never occurred to me theit
anything was created for me, so that I
should find pleasure in destroying it. I
had always entertained the highest de-
gree of respect for everything in God's
beautiful creation. I knew that the law
of self-preservation compels us to take
the life of animals in order to provide
the food necessary for our sustenance.
We are also forced to kill those animals
which are robbing- us of our stores, or are
destroying our crops in the fields, menace

our lives, our health or well-being. But
all this is done as an act of necessity and
in strict accordance with the law of self-
preservation. Can we say that all the
things which are appropriate for our
use. are especially created for us? With
the same right could the grub that bores
into the heart of the beautiful oak say
that the oak is created for the grub; or
the wheat and corn for the chinch bug.
It is true that the Bible says that every-
thing is created for man; but it does not
say that it is created for man to be destroy-
ed at his pleasure. It is created to be ad-
mired, to be loved and protected by him.
The same superior intellect, which makes
man the master of the earth, and gives
him the power to destroy, g-ives him also
the power to protect. It is not the Bible
that teaches that everything is to be
destroyed by man; it is the false inter-
pretation of the Bible. The Bible also
teaches to love the beautiful works of
nature, because it says that God has
made every little thing with His loving
hands. It is only the interpreter who
seeks to suppress this love of Nature be-
cause he is afraid that it opposes, or at
least detracts from the only desirable
love, the love of the church.

If I expected the priest to take my view
in regard to the slaughter of innocent
birds, I was mistaken, I might have
known better. Were we not told that
the Pope himself found pastime and re-
cre.ttion in netting- and killing the song--
birds on their way from the north of
Europe to Africa, though in mitigation
of the seeming barbarity we hear that he
ate but few himself and gave the rest to
the poor.

Sheer decency rebels against the
acceptance of such axioms as those, that
everything is created solely for man, to
be destroyed at his will, and that the
killing of birds is an innocent pastime.

Such a teaching not only fosters arro-
gance and injustice, but it produces cru-
elty and encourages the lowest instincts
in man, destructiveness and murder.
How much injurious influence this false
doctrine has exerted on the moral devel-
o])ment of mankind can only be surmised,
but that the birds have suffered greatly
under its dominance is only too obvious.

THE OSPREY.

35

When we compare countries, in which
animal life is held sacred throug-h relig--
ious belief with those where, throug-h
misinterpretation of the Bible, destruc-
tion is sanctioned, we find g-reat differ-
ences. There the birds enjoy the esteem
and love of the people and repay it
throug-h confidences and attachment.

Here birds become fewer and wilder
every year. Man, in whom they should
see their best friend and protector, is
shunned as their g-reatest enemy. Ordi-
nary laws cannot protect the birds, and
the work of extirpation will continue as
long- as superstition and prejudice find
nourishment in the brain of the unedu-
cated.

The only hope is to be found in the
education of the children. Make them
acquainted with the wonderful works of
God's creation, and they will soon begin
to love them. The better they become
acquainted the better they will love them,
and the friendship once sprung- up be-
tween them, will be the best protector.

Teach the children to look for God,
not only in the church and in heaven,
but everywhere. Open their e3'es and
they will find Him and love Him in all His
works; in the rocks upon which we stand,
in the plants which adorn the ground, in
the smallest not less than in the m(jst in-
tellig-ent of animals, in the clouds which
we see in the sky, and in the stars
beyond.

The Nest of the Prairie Warbler,

{Detidroica discolo?'. )

BY DR. K. W. SHUFELDT, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

IT has always been a matter of curiosi-
ty to me to know what Wilson had
g-otten a hold of when, in his account
of the Prairie Warbler, he wrote "The
nest of this species is of very neat and
delicate workmanship, being- pensile and
g-enerally being on the fork of a low bush
or thicket; it is formed outwardly of
g-reen moss, intermixed with rotton bits
of wood and caterpillar's silk; the inside
is lined with extremely fine fibers of
g-rape-vine bark; and the whole would
scarceh' weig-h a quarter of an ounce.
The eg-g-s are white, with a few brown
spots at the g-reat end."

Admitting- that the nest of this species
is a neat and delicate little structure, not
a sing-le word of this description in any
other particular approaches the truth,
that is, so far as the nest is concerned.
What he says about the eg-g-s is correct
enoug-h, as is his description of the male
bird, and the habits of the species. But,
unless Dcndroica discolor made a very
different kind of nest ninety years ag-o
when Wilson wrote, it certainly does not
construct a "pensile" one in these times,
"being on the fork of a low bush or
thicket." Some of the small Vireos may,
but not the Prairie Warbler. Several
nests of this species were found by my
son and myself during- our collecting-
trips last spring-, in the neig-hborhood of
the city of Washing-ton, D. C. The}- are

*See frontispiece.

fond of building- in the low, second-
g-rowth timber, composed of Scrub-oak,
Chestnut, Dog--wood and similar trees.
On the 8th of last June (1896), a very
pretty specimen of the nest of this spe-
cies was discovered in the fork of a small
oak, not more than three feet above the
ground. It contained four eg-g-s, and
these hatched out in the course of the
next few days. At first, the birds are
not much bigg-er than young humming--
birds, but they grow rapidly, and, at
about the time they were ready to quit
the the nest I made a photog-raph of
both, taking- it of natural size, and a
reproduction of this picture is herewith
submitted.*

Upon examining- the structure of this
nest, I find it to be composed of the fol-
lowing- materials — inside it is somewhat
thickly lined with the very finest kinds
of g-rass, veg-etable fibers and the white
hair of some animal — the three being-
beautifully interwoven in such a way as
to ^ive a smooth and even surface. This
lining- is completely blended with the
outer structure of the nest, in which lat-
ter much of the same material is used,
but to this part of the structure the birds
had added bits of white string-, feathers,
rather coarser g-rasses, scraps of cotton
and tiny pieces of wool, and similar ma-
terials. The weaving- is extremely intri-
cate and close, and the nest below is built

36

THE OSPREY.

around little limbs of the fork that sup-
ports it. In form it is deeper than it is
broad, being- somewhat subellipsoidal in

g-eneral contour. They do not vary
much, though one that my son found had
a g-ood deal of cotton in its composition.

My Marsh Hawk Finds.

BY KEY. P. B. PP:AB0DY.

The common name of Circus hudsoii-
iits, that most, and most widely fa-
miliar,of all hawks, is like nearly all
names, in part conventional. The bird
mig-ht almost as aptly have been called
"Hillside" Hawk, "Prairie" Hawk, ''Black
Oak-scrub" Hawk, all of the indicated
haunts being quite as dear to this bird,
apparently, as are the marshes.

To the many, this bird is merely a
hawk; to the "fool-with-a-g-un" a thing
to be murdered at ease and without
mercy; while, to the trained and observ-
ant ornithologist, it is both a public
benefactor and a private friend, for one
cannot avoid a friendly
feeling- toward a bird so
useful, so harmless, and
so unusually interesting.
Among the first of mi-
grants he comes to us, in
spring. I say "he" ad-
visedly, for it is the pearly
plumag-ed birds that
first appear. Flying- low
and fearlessly above the
stubble fields, amid the
damp, awakening- fresh-
ness of the March winds,
he pounces suddenl}' upon
a too-venturesome mead-
ow-mouse; or may be con-
tents his empty stomach
with a half-thawd garter-
snake.

In a while, his tribe in-
creases. The ruddy young-
and the faded, rusty fe-
males appear. Very soon,
apparently, the mating
takes place, or the pre-
viously-mated birds rejoin
each other; and soon each
old familiar nook has its
pair of Marsh Hawks; for
Cirrus is \'ery domestic
and very local in his
habits.

This paper will emphasize the upland-
dwelling- habits of this so-called and
rightly so-called. Marsh-bird, partl}^ be-
cause it has been quite largely as a wood-
land-hillside dweller that I have known
him, and partly because the Marsh Hawks
for shrubby uplands is far more charac-
teristic than many have realized.

For example: Just beyond the little
birch-girt lake beside which nestles my
boyhood home in mid-northern Wisconsin,
there stands a high hill clad, in greater
part, with scattered clumps of black oak;
its very summit crowned once with a
single gaunt dead oak, whose outstretched

NE.ST AND EGt;S OF iMAKSH HAWK.

THE OSPREY.

37

arms were welcoming-, for many years,
the whilom Kag^le who strayed that way,
or the frequent Blue Heron, that rested
thus, beside his tishing--o-rounds, before
returning- to his rookery among- the pines,
a score t)f miles distant.

On the farther slope of this hill there
lived, probably for many years, a pair of
Marsh Hawks. I faintly remember still
how often and how serenely they were
wont t(i circle the hill-top, hig-h in air;
and I well recall the ecstatic wonder I
once felt at seeing- one parent drop its
prey from a g-reat heig-ht above the hill,
the mate so defth' catching- it a hundred
feet below and hurrying- nestward to
divide the spoil.

Of my six nest-finds the first was ac-
cidental; the third deliberately planned,
while the rest are "incidental," so to say.

On May 27, of '94, in Steele county,
Minn., I was searching- amid a drizzling-
rain, for something- oolog-ical. In cross-
ing- a triang-ular, acre-larg-e bit of willow
and-coarse-g-rass waste, at marg-in of a
field, among- burr oak g-roves, I started
a rather pale female marsh-hawk while
I was yet one hundred feet from her ex-
ceptionally well made nest of rose stems
and weed stocks and g-rass, built up a
few inches from the water-g-irt spot of
hig-her g-round that stood nearly hig-hest
of all the waste, among- thick weeds and
g-rass.

The eg-g-s were very dirty; but the
final nail-brush application revealed in
the set one spotted. Early in that same
May, while returning- from a Krider's
Hawk search, I drove across lots, strik-
ing- the marg-in of a closely cropped dry
marsh of some seventy acres, lyings low
among- the fields and brush land. As my
eye rem across the meadow a female
Marsh Hawk flew across it with marvel-
lous quickness, but a few feet from the
g-round. Almost before I had seen her,
she disappeared, on the g-round near the
middle of the marsh where there was no
other covert than an occasional smart-
weed, left by the cattle. In two weeks I
went to find the nest and take the set.
I walked almost directly to the nest,
which was built heavily, thoug-h on dry
g-round, of coarse weeds and g-rass. It
was entirely unconcealed. But all that
the skunks or coons had left of the eg-g's
was a sing-le unmarked shell.

In the latter part of May, '94, a voung-
man in the school at Wilder, Jackson
county, Minn., reported to me from the
U-shaped marsh (luite near the school, a
nest, each of Mallard Duck and of a hawk,
both nests being- in the coarse g-rass well
out in the marsh. The hawk nest was,
of course, that of a C/fcas, the eg-irs be-
ing- unmarked and rather unusually
g-reenish, and the incubation nearly com-
plete. Expecting- to be a frequenter of
that marsh during- the season of '95, 1
made a mental note of my young- friend's
untimely find.

Averag-ing- book dates with those per-
sonally known, I sauntered out and down,
throug-h steep hill-sides, to that marsh
on May 27 of the following- spring-.
Passing- b}- as, "unlikely" the sphag-num
tracks with their bog's tufted with suc-
culent g-rass and the one limited area of
cat-tail flag-s, I crossed to the undulating-
weedy marg-in; and, on a little promon-
tory, beg-an to search.

My pride of nidolog-ical acumen was

LITTLE BLUK HKKON ( VOUNC I'KO.M I.Il'K.j

38

THE OSPREY.

greatly tickled bj the finding-, in a trice,
of a well-begun but long^ since deserted
foundation, coarse weeds of a marsh-
hawk nest. While I was critically ex-
amining- this the veritable male, whose
mate had thus bet^un her season's work,
sailed carelessly overhead. With dig-nity
he floated beyond, barely deig-ning- to
notice me; but his quick drop, four hun-
dred yards or so away among the flag-s,
broug-ht me at once to my feet.

Barel}' had he flushed ere I had covered
half the intervening- distance, when, to
the rear, I heard the female's well known
crackle. Of an instant she was upon me,
darting- with screechy iteration within a
few feet of my head, rising- fift}- feet or
so above and a hundred feet away, and
sweeping- swiftl}- down ag-ain and at me,
voice and wing joining in the spiteful
impetuousness of her attack. "Thank
you, ma'am," said I, "you're very kind,"
and away I ran, turning- back to the
marsh-marg-in, and curled myself into the
smallest possible heap among- the rankest
available weeds.

For perhaps five minutes the hawk
swooped down at me repeatedly and then,
suddenly, as if the thought of approach-
ing evening and rapidly cooling eggs had
flashed upon her, she swept away with a
graceful whirl in exactly the direction
the male had previously taken, and not a
hundred feet from where he had settled
down, she dropped swiftly and disap-
peared among the cat-tail flags two hun-
dred yards awa}'.

Never was bee-line more steadily or
more eagerly taken. Nearer and nearer
now, at last but a hundred, seventy, fifty
feet, from the fascinating spot; pace by
pace, nearer, and at forty feet, a rust}'
and hair-brown head and neck are
craned, cautiously upmost, and then,
into the air with one sweep of wings.

It was a beautifully perfect nest of rose
twigs, weed stems and fine g-rass, raised
but a few inches above the sphagnum
(which at that spot was unusually' dry)
in a two-foot open space among coarse
and fine grass and small cat-tails.

There were five unspotted eggs. In-
cubation, as I partly blew and and sealed
the eggs, to be left for later photograph-
ing, advanced to well formed soft em-
bryos. They were destroyed later,
probably by birds, either Franklin's (kill
or Forster's Tern being the depredator;

one clean-sucked egg (bearing my drill
hole and a narrow beak-thrust besides the
broken area ) being found ten days later
on a sphagnum tussock, a hundred feet
from the nest, it apparently having been
dug up out of the "moss." (Another set
of five eggs vvas used in photographing
the nest. ) Of the parent birds the male
was quite young and the female an old,
faded and dialapidated specimen.

( TO BE CONTINUED. )

Autumn Thoughts,

The leaves are falling- and turning brown,
The ripened nuts come tumbling- down,
The birds are leaving- us, one by one,
Thus is the work of Nature done.

Out in the fields the g-rain stocks nod

To the 3'ellow plumes of the golden-rod.

And the merry farmer cheerily sing-s

Of the happiness sweet that the harvest bring-s.

But the woodland now is dark and still,
Nowhere is heard the song-ster's trill;
The solemn owl alone is there
To stand the blasts of wintry air.

We miss the thrush, the lark, and then
The cheery note of the little wren;
Our thoug-hts take on a sad refrain,
And we almost wish 'twere spring again.

Nature well has fixed the seasons.
Using judgment in her reasons;
For when winter her cold blasts bring.
We'll wistfulU' wait for balmy spring.

— J. R. BONWELIy.

(Bcncral IHotcs,

POKE BEKKV COLORING.

During the autumn the poke berry
{phvtolacca dccaudra) furnishes food for
many of our birds. In several cases it
was noticed that the brilliant coloring
matter of the berries tinted the whole
flesh, and in the abdominal regions some
times came through the skin into the
roots of the feathers. This autumn I
have examined stomachs of the following
species which contained these berries:
Red-headed Woodpecker, Flicker, Mourn-
ing Dove, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Robin,
Black-poll Warbler and Brown Thresher.
H. T. Van Ostkand.

Morganza, Washington Co., Pa.

LATE NESTING OF THE TOWHEE.

August 28, 1891, I found a nest in
Baltimore countv with three hard set

THE OSPREY.

39

eg'gfs. It was two feet up in a small wild
plum bush.

W:\i. H. FiSHEK.
Baltimore, Md.

KED-BELLIED WOODPECKEK.

I wish to record as one of our rarest
visitors this year, a male Red-bellied
Woodpecker on July 17. It is the first
one I ever saw so far north.

Arthur M. Farmer.

Clinton, Mass.

A COKKECTION.

Mr. A. M. Nicholson writes that the
measurements of eg-g^s of the Wood Ibis
in "General Notes'' of October number
were incorrect throug-h a mistake made
in taking- them. The correct are as fol-
lows: "Set 14 1.90x1.44—2.55x1.79—
2.65x1.80-2.62x1.81. One set 1-5 1.70x1.36
—2.68x1.84—2.34x1.75—2.39x1.76—2.30-
xl.78. These I know are correct meas-
urements, as near as I can get them by
my calipers and rule."

A. M. Nicholson.

MiGliiQan OrnitliolOQical GliiD.

CiHAND KAPIUS, MICH.

October 9, 1896. — The meeting- was
called to order by Vice President Robert
R. Newton.

After the regular business, during
which Mr. Frank A. Wood, of Ann Ar-
bor; Mr. Mark B. Mills, of Macom, and
D.. Robt. H. Wolcott, of Lincoln, Neb.,
were elected to active membership, the
following- papers were presented: "A
few thoughts on the Origin of Migration,"
by W. Earle Mulliken. The paper was
discussed by Messrs. Cole, Jones and the
author.

"The American Coot," by Burton Lar-
oway, followed by remarks by Messrs.
Cole, Read and Laraway.

"Protective Resemblances of Animals,
Especially in Regard to Color, " by Leon J.
Cole. The paper was followed by re-
marks by Messrs. Mulliken, Jones, Lar-
away and Read.

After which the club adjourned.

W. Earle Mulliken,

Sec'y.

Illustration of young- Little Blue Heron in
this number, is from a photograph owned by
the Frank B. Webster Company, Hyde Park,
Mass.

Note and Comment.

Prof. D. B. Burrows has returned to Casa
Blanca, Texas.

Mr. W, S. Cobleigh, of Canton, 111., was a
visitor at The Ospkev office October 24th.

Mr. A W. Anthony has just returned from a
three month's cruise along- the coast of Lower
California.

Mr. Horace A. Gaylord, of Pasadena, Cal.,
reports his trip to Lower California very suc-
cessful as well as enjoyable

Mr. Andrew Nelson has lately succeeded to
the business of Mr. Walter F. Webb's natural
science establishment at Keokuk, Iowa.

Prof. L. L D^-che, of Kansas State Univer-
sity, returned from Alaska, Oct. 17th, arriving
at Seattle, Wash., on the "City of Topeka."

Mr. H. B. Kaeding has been visiting Mr. D.
A. Cohen at Alameda. Quail hunting was the
prevailing- amusement and was reported good.

The 111. Weslevan Universitv Mag'-azine for
October, and Bulletin No. 10 o"f the W. O. C.
of the Agassiz Association, come with pleasing
reviews of The Osprev.

The Boston Camera Club have offered prizes
of $100 and $50 for best photographs of large
soaring birds. We would like to see some of
our contributors and readers compete for a
prize. The competition is open until October
1897.

Mr Theo. Hurd, of Riverside, Cal , is visiting
relatives at Galesburg, and incidently strength-
ening his acquaintance with the editor of The
O.SPKEV. Mr Hurd was a resident of Gales-
burg some fifteen years ago, and is an associate
member of the A. O. U.

The fourteenth cong-ress of the American
Ornithologists' Union will convene at Harvard
Universitv, Cambridg-e, Mass., on Tuesday,
November 10, 1896, at 10 o'clock A. M. The
meeting-s will be held in the Nash Lecture-
room, University Museum, Oxford Street.

Mr. E vS. Rolfe, of Minnewakan, N. D ,
reports a family of half-g-rown Short-eared
Owls, occupant.s"of his yard last summer, and
regrets that he had not the requisite camera
or local photog-rapher that he mig-ht have ob-
tained the valuable photog-raph this family
would have afforded.

Mr. Chas. K. Worthen has lately secured
some extremely rare skins, among them are
Black, Least, and Socorro Petrels, Frazar'sOys-
tercatcher, Guadalupe Junco, Guadalupe Rock
Wren, Guadalupe House Finch, and Great Lapp
Owl. Some of these are almost mythical, there
being but two of Socorro, and three of the
Least Petrels in collections to our knowledge.

The election of new officers of the Wilson
Ornithological Chapter of the Agassiz Associa-
tion will occur between November 25th and
December 5th. The candidates are as follows:
For President. R. M. Strong and N. Hollister:
for Secretary, J. E Dickinson and A. T. Wayne:
for Treasurer, Lynds Jones and O. W. Knight:
for Executive Council, John H. Sage. V. H.
Chase, \V. I. Mitchell. B. T. Gault, J. C. Gal-
loway, H. C. Oberholser.

40

THE OSPREY.

Ificcent literature.

L!/6- Histories of North At)icrican Birds, from
the Parrots to the Grackles, with special refer-
ence to their breeding- habits and egg's. By
Charles Bendire, Captain and Brevet Major, U.
S. A. With seven lithog-raphic plates. Special
Bulletin, U. S. Nat. Mus. Washington: Gov-
ernment Printing Office.

The second volume of Maj. Bendire's mag-
nificent Life Histories of North American Birds
has just been issued by the U. S. National Mu-
seum. It is of course a companion volume to
the first, which was published in 1892, and
forms a large quarto volume of 518 pages and
seven lithographic plates of eggs The first
volume covered the Gallinaceous birds and
birds of prey, while the one before us begins
with the now nearly extinct Carolina Paroquet
and ends with the Grackles, thus covering the
Trogans, Woodpeckers, Goatsuckers, Swifts,
Humming- Birds, Coting-as, Flycatchers, Larkb,
Crows, Jays, Magpies, Starlings, Blackbirds
and Orioles. The third volume, the prepara-
tion of which is well under way, will conse-
quently begin with the Evening Grosbeak and
continue the passerine series.

As Maj. Bendire stated in his first preface
these volumes contain very much more than a
mere description of nests and eggs; they are in
fact complete life histories with the migratory
and breeding ranges as well as the food of each
species. The author has had a wide field ex-
perience, and this together with a large corre-
spondence has afi'orded him an invaluable
amount of original material on which to draw.
He has however not hesitated to quote at
length from the published accounts of well-
known observers whenever they supplement
his own observations or in cases where he had
not met with the species.

The titnes are unquestionably ripe for the
production of a work of this character. The
preliminary work on North American oology by
Dr. T. M. Brewer, also prepared under the aus-
pices of the Smithsonian Institution, was pub-
lished in 18.57, but was discontinued from lack
of material. The more general work of Baird,
Brewer and Ridgway issued in 1874 was the
last attempt at a complete presentation of the
life histories of our birds. But ir, the twenty
years since that time the study of ornithology
has been greatly stimulated, with the result of
accumulating an enormous mass of valuable
material, as this is quite widely scattered in
journals, reports, faunal papers, etc., and it re-
quired a careful sifting process to exclude the
obviously unworthy and to place in more prom-
inent form the authentic. That Maj. Bendire
has performed this task in a thoroughly satis-
factory manner, must be acknowledged by all
who turn the pag-es of his volume. The style
is easy and pleasing and the habits and peculi-
arities of our birds made exceedingly inter-
esting.

The descriptions of the nests and eggs is of
cour.se especially complete, and is based almost
entirely on material in the U. S. National Mu-
seum collection. This collection has been
grfatU^ enriched since the publication of the
first volume by the donation of the magnificent

private collection of Dr. W. Iv Ralph number-
ing'- over seven thousand specimens. The plates
of eggs are from drawings by Mr. J. L. Ridg-
way. The reproduction is if any things better
than in the first volume.

Notwithstanding the fact that the study of
our birds has been prosecuted so vigorously of
late, there is still good work to be done. Thus
it is noted in the volume before us, there are
quite a number of species and sub-species of
which the nidification is unknown. Strangely
enough there are no absolutely authentic eggs
of the Carolina Paroquet deposited in a wild
state and even the nesting site — whether in
hollow trees or in nests on tjranches — is still in
dispute. The same may be said of the egg'-s of
the Trogan, Maynard's and the Siberian
Cuckoos, St. Lucas Woodpeckers and many
others. F. H. Knowi^ton.

Bird-Band fuhocs. By Charles Conrad Ab-
bott, M. D., with illustrations by William
Everett Cram, Phila., J. B. Lippincott Co.
Cloth, 12mo, pp. 270, $2.00.

This book of ten chapters, or essays, each
narrating its given part of bird-life, can be
read by the mere lover of nature or the orni-
thologist, and neither can fail to enjoy Dr. Ab-
bott's mode of telling us of the birds. He loves
birds, whether commonplace or rare, stupid or
entertaining, gentle or vicious, large or small;
but he has his favorites. One surmises the
Quaker strain in his nature at once when he
honors the demvtre sparrows with first place in
his book. "It is the unobtrusive, overlooked,
and underrated birds that claim ni)' closest re-
gard," he says. It is these he listens for first
when he "stands tiptoe upon the edge of the
mornings and overlooks an unawakened world."
The chirping'- chewink is to him more than the
rose-breasted grosbeak with its wonderful song,
yet he takes the opportunit3' to have a little
fun with the Ouaker fanaticism that frowns
upon music. He imagines that the early
Quakers must have looked with approval upon
the thrush's snuff-brown coat, but must have
frowned at the spotted waist-coat and certain-
ly must have felt like criticising providence
when the bird flooded their new-cleared fields
with ravishing music.

"To me a swamp means freedom." he says,
"It means nature without man's interference;
and when we get as close as pos.Sible to the
earth and as far as possible from mankind we
begin to breathe, and one b}' one the scales
drop from our eyes."

No one can fail t(j enjoy hearing Dr. Ab-
bott lead the old miller on to tell us of the
"quoks" and of the "devil-diver" who he says,
"has side-wiskers and a smart way of lookin"
at you that showed it was up to snuft." Per-
haps the booming'- of the Am. Bittern was never
no more aptly discribed. "There is no sound in
nature so hopelessly beyond discription as the
booming of the Bittern."

The illustrations are of numerous line-draw-
ings, which, with some exceptions, are g-ood.

W. A. J.

THE OSPREY.

41

A-Birdi)ig' on a Bronco. By Florence A.
Merriam. Illustrated. Boston and New York,
Houj,''htoii, Mifflin and Company. Cloth. 16
nio., pp. 226, S1.2o

This book tells us of the short experiences of
the author, an eastern lady, with the birds
about Twin Oaks, California, (n<jt far from
San Deigo.) Some sixty species are touched on
with a scientific exactness which is pleasing
in a popular work on birds.

Miss Merriam weaves her valuable observa-
tions in with interesting anecdotes and humor,
which acquaints the reader with cold facts,
with hardly a knowledge of their occurrance.

With the exception of several articles, which
have appeared before in somewhat different
form, in The Auk. T/ic Odsfrz'er, and Our An-
imal Friends, all are published here for the
first time.

One of the features of the book is the many
beautiful photographic illustrations; also the
numerous line-drawings by Louis Agassiz
Fuertes deserve much more than passing
notice, and our imagination is not taxed in
agreeing with name of species represented.

W. A. J.

An Annotated List of Birds Observed on Mar-
garita Island and at Guanta and Lagiiayra, t^ en-
ezuela. By Wirt Robinson. With Critical
Notes and Descriptions of N^it Species. By
Charles W. Richmond, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.
Vol. XVIII, No. 1093, pp. 649-685, pi. XXXIII;
1896.

This paper is based on material obtained by
Lt. Robinson in June and July, 1895, and em-
braces about two hundred skins. The Island
of Margarita, which is situated about seventeen
miles from the nearest point on the Venezulan
coast, had not before been visited by an orni-
thologist, and as a result no less than eleven
new forms were obtained out of a total of
seventj' three species noted. The new species,
which are named and characterized bj- Mr
Richmond, belong to the Genera Butorides.
Enpsychortyx, Leptotila. Scardafella, Speo-
tyto, Dendroplex, Ouiscalus, Hylophilus, Dole-
roniya, Amazilia, and Cardinalis, with an un-
identified Cormorant (Phalacrocorax)

On the Venezuelan coast Lt Robinson found
the birds in poor plumage and tlierefore col-
lected but few. At Guanta he noted eighteen
species and at Laguayra about thirty-five.

F. H K.

Descriptions of Tivo Neiv Subspecies of the
Doivny Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens (Lin-
naeus). By Harry C Oberholser, Proc U. S.
Natural M'useum. Vol. XVIII, No. 1080, pp.
547-550, 1896.

The common Downy Woodpecker is divided
by Mr. Oberholser into three races, of which
two are here characterized as new. The first,
to be known as D. pubescens meridionalis (Sw j.
is described as "Similar to D pubescens, hnt
smaller; the lower parts more brownish, the
white markings of wings and tail averagring of
less extent." Its range is the South Atlantic
and Gulf States from South Carolina to Texas.
The other is named D. pubescens nelsoni and is
" Similar to D. pubescens, but averaging larger;

the under parts pure white instead of brownish;
the lower tail, coverts and outer tail feathers
averaging with much less of black marking.^;
red nuchal band of male averaging somewhat
wider." Its range is Alaska and Northern
British America. F. H. K.

A Preliminary List of the Birds of Wayne
County, Ohio. 'S>y Harry C. Oberholser. Bulle-
tin of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Sta-
tion; Technical Series, — Vol 1, No 4. Wooster,
Ohio, July, 1896.

The author makes no pretentions of a com-
plete list, and only a perfectly reliable record
of a species allows its inclusion: all but four
species having been identified by the author,
either in the field or from specimens in local
collections. The nomenclature, and the classi-
fication of the O. O. U. is used entire through-
out the catalogue. Many illustrations are used,
which are faniiliar in previous publications
The more or less text appended to each species
is largely original and of value. A list of
species quite likely to be found in tlie county is
al.so published. W. A. J.

Contributions to the Natural History of the
Commander Islands. XI. The Cranium of
Polear's (\irmorant. By Frederic A. Lucas,
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XVIII, pp. 717-720,
pi. XXXIV, XXXV, 1896-

Mr. Lucas here describes and figures some
additional material belonging to this extinct
Cormorant. It was obtained by Dr. L- Stijne-
ger on Bering Island in 1895, and includes a
nearly perfect cranium and sternum. The ob-
vious differences in these bones between the
Polear's Cormorant and related forms is pointed
out. A table of measurement is also given.

F. H. K.

Catalogue of a Collection of Birds made by Doc-
tor W. L. Abbott, in Eastern Turkestan, the
Thian Shan Mountains, and Tagdumbash Pamir,
Central Asia, ivith Notes on Some of the Species.
By Charles W. Richmond. Proc. U. S. Nat.
Mus. Vol. XVIII. No 1083, op. 569-576.

This is a catalogue, with important notes, on
a collection of 210 skins obtained by Dr. W L.
Abbott in the course of his travels through
Eastern Turkestan, the Thian-Shan Mountains
and in the Tagdumbash Pamir. It embraces
98 forms, of which number three are character-
ized as new. F. H. K.

How Birds Affect the Farm and Garden. "A
series of facts determined by investigation of
the food habits of our common birds, showing
their character as insect destroyers and their
value as allies of the farmer and fruit grower."
By Florence A. Merriam. Reprinted from
Forest and Stream. New York, 16mo.. pp. 32.

The Croze in Massachusetts. By E. H. For-
bush, Ornithologist to the Board. Bulletin of
Mass, Board of Agriculture, Series of 1896, No.
4. Aug.. 1896, pp 24-40.

This article treats on the general habits of
the crow, but relates largely the food benefits
and economic value to the farmer.

42

THE OSPREY.

Garnoniia^pariiiieiit.

Edited by DONALD A. COHEN,
Alameda, Cal.

All Ornithologists west of the Rocky Mountains will favor the
editor of this Department, as well as the publisher of Uhe
OsTREV. by furnishing notes, news, or articles and dlustrations
for publication.

THE Cooper Ornoitholg-ical Club, of
California, held its October meet-
ing- on the 3d, at the residence of
Mr. W. E. Bryant, at Oakland. The fol-
lowing- members being- present: R. C.
Mc(;reg-or, W. H. Osg-ood, W. E. Bryant,
R. S. Wheeler, C. Barlow, D. A. Cohen,
(;e(). Chamberlin, Rev. E. L. Hood, H. R.
Taylor and Mr. Moran. An interesting-
paper by Mr. H. B. Kaeding- on the Olive-
sided Flycatcher, was, in the absence of
the author, read by Mr. Cohen, and Mr.
W. O. Emerson's article on the unusual
and heavy w^ave of migrating- Louisiania
Tanag-ers at Hay wards last spring-, was
read by Mr. Taylor in the absence of the
author. The usual business was trans-
acted, and the meeting- adjourned untill
Nov. 7, when it will meet at Berkeley at
the residence of Rev. E. L. llood.

WE do not know what the result of
the inter - colleg-iate foot-ball
g-ame will be this fall, but we do
know that last spring- a University of
California man went to Palo Alto and
carried home a line set of eg-g-s of the
White-tailed Kite from a nest in a tree
in plain view of Stanford University.

California Game Laws,

EAME Laws are causing- trouble in
and about San Francisco. The sea-
son opens Oct. 15th and closes Feb.
15th, but the sale of g-ame is forbidden,
except from Nov. 15th to Jan. 15th. This
law went into effect in 1895, and was en-
forced wherever practicable, not without
considerable opposition, however, for the
market hunters and commission men
claimed that if g-ame could be leg-ally
killed it could be leg-ally sold.

In 1894 the open season extended from
Oct. 1st to March 1st, under the State
Law, with some counties extending- the
closed season. The object of the State

Law in shortening- the open season ( in
1895 ) did not have the desired effect of
protecting- g-ame as much as intended,
and consequently it was revised, extend-
ing the closed season fifteen days and
shortening- the open season fifteen days,
making- one month's less shooting-.

It will be seen that there are four
months in the year in which any one can
shoot for recreation and pleasure, and
but two months in which to shoot for
financial g-ain. This the market hunters
and commission men claim is class leg-is-
lation, in favor of the rich and to the dis-
advantag-e of the poor. If a man has not
time or money to eng-ag-e in the popular
pastime of killing- wdld g-ame he must
either depend on some more fortunate
person to donate him an occasional brace
of ducks or quail or must abide his time
until it is lawful to buy them. It may be
class leg-islation, but, it has the desired
effect of preventing- the unlimited
slaug-hter of g-ame, and then these fowls
are not necessities of life, only luxuries,
and can be easily dispensed with for the
short time.

A g-reat many birds, however, found
their way into the market, invoiced as
rabbits or squirrels, and were disposed of
on the sly to confiding- buyers. Arrests
and convictions followed in cases detected,
but, this year many of the San Francisco
commission men openly violated the law
in a most flag-rant manner by offering-
ducks and quail for sale over two weeks
prior to the open season. It is reported
that there is a compact of commission
men formed to openly violate the game
law that provides that no g-ame can be
sold except between Nov. 15 and Jan. 15,
and they have notified the market hunt-
ers to beg-in shipping- on the first day of
the open season (Oct. 15. )

They are simply taking- advantag-e of
a defect in the law. Owing- to someone's
bung-ling- work the minimum penalty for
violations is stated in the statutes, and
not the maximums. Therefore the pen-
alty cannot be leg-ally g-uag-ed. On this
fine point a rail hunter who killed his
g-ame before the open season was dis-
charged.

The g-ame warden surprised a San
Francisco dealer selling- ducks on Sept.
25, and confiscated the lot. Many of
them were "flappers," their wing- feath-

THE OSPREY.

43

ers not being- fully grown. Warrants
were sworn out for the principals, a pur-
chaser and an intending- purchaser.

Arrests for violations of the game laws
in San Francisco last fall were crowned
b}' convictions before a jury in the police
court and a lively controversy is promised
this fall. The State Sportmen's Asso-
ciation were instrumental in passing- the
recent laws for protection of g-ame and
are justly indig-nant, to say the least, at
the offenders, and many members have
offered their services as deputy fish and
g-ame wardens, to serve without pay and
to handle whaL cases the regular officers
cannot find time for.

The majority of sportsmen have their
own troubles, nevertheless, arising from
the actions of gun clubs who have fenced
in their preserves and blockaded the
sloughs, chiefly in Solano county, the
best duck g-round in this part of the
State, and within several hours ride from
San Francisco and the nuiuerous bay
cities. The preserves consist of "over-
flowed and unimproved marsh land,'' and
an act of the leg-islature last year granted
any person the privileg-e of shooting over
such land whether the owner or lessee
had objections or not. The outside
sportsmen were bitterly arrayed in court
ag-ainst the club men who monopolized
nearly all the g-ood duck g-rounds, fenced
them in and hired keepers to keep poach-
ers out, and in some cases bloodshed was
narrowly averted. The clubs recently
obtained a victory over outside shooters
in the Supreme Court. The main slough
on the Suisun marsh is barred to outside
shooters who intend to resume the fight
on the g-round that it is a navig-able
sloug-h and illeg-ally blocked. The club
men claim otherwise and their right to
blockade it to prevent boats from coming
up the small tributaries and scattering-
tresspassers over their preserves.

The supervisors of Solano county are
thinking- to settle the trouble by prohib-
iting- shooting by both classes. At a
larg-e meeting- of the Sportsmen's Asso-
ciation a stand was taken favoring- legis-
lators who will make laws for the masses,
not for the classes.

Gorr6S|}Oiid6iiC6.

F^DITOK TUP, OSI'KEY:

I hope Thk Ospkkv ma^' do much to draw the
ornitholog'ists, especially of this district, into
closer conmiunion.

I see a movement is on foot to found iin
()riiithol(jg-ist's club for Illinois. That is g"ood,
but would it not be be better to include some
of the neig"hb(jrinj4- States in the associa-
tion. It wtjuld seem to me there is everything'-
to g-ain and nothing to lose by so doing. It
seems doubtful if any one of our large
western states can furnish by itself sufficient
attractions t(j draw bird lovers to its meeting's
from all parts of its teritory, but a meeting of
the ornitholog-ists of several neighboring
states, could be made much more attractive and
useful, while the members attending would be
put to very little more trouble or expense, or
loss of time.

It would be evidently- undesirable, however,
for a club of this kind to take in too much ter-
ritory. How would an association for the
Upper Mississippi work, that would include the
states of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin
and Minnesota? In siich a territory there
oug-ht to be enough ornitholog^ists, both pro-
fessional and amateur, enoug-h coUeg-es and
museums and private collections to furnish
material for the work of the society. And yet
all the centers of learning in this territory' are
within comparitively easy reach of one an-
other.

There are many practical reasons why our
national association, the A. O. U., cannot at
present hold its meeting's within reach of the
<n-nitholocrists of the middle west, and thoug-h
we would not rival it in its work, j-et we must,
if we wish the help that such co-operation
among- naturalists g-ives, found societies for
ourselves, that will bring- together the best
material we have for our material benefit.
Very sincerelj^ yours.

Wm. E. Pkakc.Kk.
Keokuk, la.

Mr. W. H. Osg-Qod, vice-president of the
Cooper Club, is teachings natural history to the
young- son of President David Starr Jordan of
Stanford Universit3'.

Editor thp: Ospkey:

I wished very much this spring to add a set
of Screech Owf eggs to my collection, but when
I looked over my books and papers on oology
to see when fresh eg-g-s might be expected I
met with no better success than Mr. Barnes
records in the September issue. As Mr. Mc-
Greg'-or remarks, (pag^e 29) "a slig-ht difference
of locality will sometimes affect nesting dates
very materially," it mig-ht be interesting- for
the'correspondents of Thk Osi'KEv to compare
dates of collecting- eg-.gs of this bird. My only
record is as follows: April 5th, 1896.

Yours truly,

Wady Peta, 111. Vikc.inus II. Chask.

[In Knox and Warren counties, Illinois, I
have been fortunate in examining between
twenty-five and thirty nests, fourteen of which
contained eg^g-s. The'first eg-g- in all these sets
was evidently laid between March 25th and
April 15th.— Ed.]

44

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted
Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BV

WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON.

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One
Dollar a year, in advance.

Single copies. Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription : One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents. Post-
age paid to all countries in the Universal Postal Union.

Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contributions
are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to Editors
at office of publication.

Copy for advertisements and all matter for publication should
be in the publisher's hands by the fifteenth of the month pre-
ceding publication.

The resident locality of contributors are given when nature of
article requires it.

Entered at the Oalesburg Postoffice as mail matter of the
second class.

Address all business communications to

THE OSPREY CO.,

217 Main Street, GALESBURG, lEL.

NOVEMBER, 1896.

With this issue Walter Adams Johnson
assumes entire editorial charg^e of this publi-
cation Dr. A. C. Murchison has kindly lent
his aid in maturing- the young- Ospkkv. and
now. thoug^h not nominally connected with
Thk Ospk i-.v, his keen interest, g-ood will and
occasional writing-s will still aid the mag-azine
in its onward fiig-ht No chang-e is made
in the financial basis of The Osprey Company,
which will continue as before

The sportsmen of Texas have lately taken
a very commendable action, which has for its
object the protection of the g-ame and song-
birds of their state. The preservation of the
flocks of ducks and g-eese, and of the myriads of
wading- birds, rests larg-ely with the residents
of Texas, and the protective course mapped
out by a convention of its citizens held recently
at Waco, will, if followed out, lead to more
lasting results than will the efforts of the
people of many other states combined.

Texas is the winter home of vast flocks of
wild fowl. The birds are pursued tirelessly
and relentlessly by market hunters from the
moment they arrive from their breeding
grounds until they start Northward again on
the spring migration. The ducks and geese
are shot at nig-ht by the aid of dazzling- lights
backed by swivel guns which turn legitimate
sport into slaughter. Snipe and phjver are
hunted in their meadow and marsh homes so
persistently that they are barely allowed feed-
ing time. One of the delegates to the Waco

convention told of the shipment in one day of
400,000 plover from one Texas town.

A game law was framed by the deleg-ates to
the convention, and it was dec'ared that its
passage and signing had been assured. It
forbids the shipping of any game whatsoever
out of the State, and provides a heavy penalty
for the law's infraction. Needed restricticjns
are placed on the number of birds one man may
kill, and the size of guns and the hours for
shooting are limited. The enforcement of this
law will insure the rapid increase of the game
supply of the country and will preserve to the
people a valuable adjunct to their food supply
for years to come.

David Starr Jordan, president of the Leland
Stanford Junior University, is talked of at
Washington as the man best fitted to succeed
the late Prof. Goode as Assistant Secretary^ of
the Smithsonian Institution and Director of
the National Museum President Jordan,

however, is contented where he is; but for all
that it is said his name will be considered when
the Regents meet in January, and an effort
made to change his determination. As Mr.
Jordan gets $10,000 a year where he is, and the
museum pay's its director only S4,500, there
would seem to be small chance for the effort to
succeed. It appears to be conceded that a nat-
uralist will be chosen, although an ethnologist
is among those mentioned for the place.

Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, president of the
Board of Police Commissioners of New York
City, writes in a recent letter, "The Ospkev
is a first rate little periodical." The students
of Knox College, in a mock election a few years
back, choose Mr. Roosevelt for President of the
United States: and they were not aware of his
being an ornithologist, either.

Prof. M J. Elrod, of 111. Wesleyan University
sends us a series of excellent photos of the
Snowy Owl; also two of the Short-eared Owl.
These were taken by Prof. Elrod from live
birds that have been in his possession. They
show the birds in interesting attitudes and go
far to illustrate the importance of the camera
in ornithology. One of these will be published
in our cover for December.

Publication Notes.

Foreign subscribers will please note the
change in subscription made necessary- by the
cost of foreign postage to us.

We have been unusually fortunate, of late,
in receiving many interesting and valuable ar-
ticles, and we only regret that all cannot be
published at once.

The publishers of The Aick, through an over-
sight, republished our advertisement which ap-
peared in their issue of July. Two statements
were made incorrect through this late publi-
cation, namely: name of California Editor,
which should be Mr. D. A. Cohen: and as /he
Nidolcmisf has lateU' changed to an exclusive
ornitholog-ical magazine The Osprey is not the
only one as stated.

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THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

Vol.. 1. No. 4.

GALESBURG, ILL., DECEMBER, 1896.

$1.00 A Year.

On the Wing.

BY MARY L. RANN.

" Sweet summer's dead : O, ye south steering- swallows,
Heith the daj^ come then for saying- g-ood-bye?

Ply then ye roving- crew.

What ! Will no one of you

Stay to have winter throug-h?
Neither would I.

Sweet was the song, sing-er, just as you sang- it once.
Smiles to the lips \'ou broug-ht, tears to the eye.

Sing'-, sing- ag-ain we sighed,

Ivig-htly you turned aside.

Wise little witch, I cried.
Neither would I."

THE pensive sadness of Autumn is
intensified to bird lovers when we
beg-in to miss the sig^ht of our favo-
rite birds whose voices have been stilled
by the advancing- season. The time of
their stay with us is so short, and the
interval of their return so long-, that we
no more than g-et a taste of g-ood thing-s
than the revel is done. We refuse to
accept the inevitable till we awake some
day to hear the last check-check of the
Brown Thrasher, or see a Catbird or a
Wren, skulking- about as if ashamed of
not having- made off before. And how
different the coming- from the g-oing.
Then, in song- and merry-making- they
fill our trees and fields, coming- about our
doors, peering- into our windows, building-
and raising- their young- in a confiding-
nearness. Now like the veriest vag-a-
bonds they hide in secret places, or g-ather
in numbers and steal off in the nig-ht. No
amount of vi^ilence can fix the time to a
certainty, when the ear shall hearken and
a g-reat stillness shall reig-n. These
movements are determined by intuitions
of their own. We say climatic chang-es,
food demands and many another reeison
is g-iven for early bird mig-ration, but the
fact remains that many of our birds g-o
before a frost has touched the fields, and

when food is much more plentiful than
when they come. And they do not g-o to
fresher fields than they leave, for the
South has had her season of charm, and
thoug-h the rice fields may attract the
Bobolinks, only those birds that desire
uniform warmth and ever spring-ing- ver-
dure, would seem to be benefitted by so
early a chang-e.

Of the American Warblers not more
than a half dozen varieties nest
with us, and their stay doth not much
exceed the necessities of rearing- their
young-. The Swifts g-o from the first to
the tenth of Aug-ust, but most Swallows
remain a little long-er. King-birds and
many water birds move on early, and in
neither case can it be said that cold or
lack of food has driven them away. Mead-
owlarks forsake their grounds and
gather in flocks for leave taking-, when
g-rasshoppers, millers and other insects
are in abundance, and as Professor Beal
tells us the number of g-rasshoppers eaten
by the Meadowlark is so enormous that
it ranks among- our most efficient birds as
a g-rasshopper destroyer, it would puzzle
a Chinese to know what he goes for.

Since the beg-inning- of scientific obser-
vations and collection of information
from the various lig-ht-house stations and

46

THE OSPREY.

lig-ht-ships around the water coasts, we
have learned many thing-s. One of the
unexpected facts is that mostof Eng-land's
resident birds are more or less migrator}-,
their summer birds g'oing" east for the
winter and others of the same species
come from the east to take their places. I
think this is true of our own birds.
Thoug-h where they g-o, is not yet a
revealed fact. Juncos, Canadian Tree
Sparrows, Nuthatches, Chickadees and
some of the Woodpeckers, all of which

over the water on its mig-ratory journey.
Breedings in Labrador, this bird mig-rates
to northern Brazil for the winter, and on
the assumption that the long-est time a
bird can remain on the wing- is fifteen
hours — and on the supposition which ob-
servation makes probable that the journey
is made in one uninterrupted flig^ht, the
enormous rate of speed is 255 miles an
hour. I am g"lad the words supposition
and probable were inserted in this state-
ment.

FROM PHOTOGRAPH BY M. J. ELROD, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.

SNOWV OWL ( FROM LIFE. )

are so much in evidence in the winter,
are not seen in summer, save in sing-les
or pairs in wooded places. A few Jun-
cos have been known to nest here in
retired places, but their nests are not
often reported.

Heinrich Gatke, in his report of fifty-
one years observations at Helig-oland'
g-ives some startling- fig-ures of the rate
of flig-ht of mig-ratory birds. He says
that Hooded Crows will travel at the rate
of 125 miles an hour. Still more rapidly
he thinks must the Virg-inia Plover speed

As an illustration of the traveled bird,
he g-ives the Knot as an interesting- ex-
ample. The Knot is thoug-ht to breed in
some unknown polar lands lying between
the Jeannette Islands and the pole — for its
nest has not yet been found. On its au-
tumn migration it has been met with in
New Zealand, having traveled half the
circumference of the g-lobe. The Brant
Goose, Ross's Gull, and the Curlew
Sandpiper are other birds that breed in
the same terra incognito.

It has been g-enerally believed that in

THE OSPREY.

47

bird migration the old migrate with the
young", but from Gatke's observations it
seems positively ascertained that as a
g"eneral rule the young* mig^rate several
weeks in advance of the old birds. He
states that the young- are readily distin-
g-uishable from the old birds b3' their dif-
ferent plumagfe, and that when the young-
leave, the old birds are g-enerally moult-
ing- and unable to do so. To ascertain
positively that the young- are not led by
the old would appear to be a difficult
matter, but fifty years of observation is a
long- period and the results oug-ht to g-o
for something-. On the return journey-
in the spring- the old males mig-rate first,
leaving- the females and the voung- to fol-
low, as we have ourselves learned. Var-
ious theories have prevailed to explain
the marvelous faculty possessed by mi-
g-rating- birds in finding- their way over
land and sea; but so far nothing has been
made sure, and the suppositions have the
field.

Will it ever be otherwise? Do we not
here encounter one of the divine mysteries
of nature? I may know the anatomy of
a bird, the food it eats, and the number
of feathers that clothe its body; I ma}'
know its song-, the rapidity of its flig-ht,

and many another thing- of its outward
life, but here I must stop; I am not per-
mitted to enter the holy of holies — that
inner conciousness that controls the
whole.

It has been a g^eneral belief among^ or-
nitholog-ists that birds arrive at the end
of their journey in an emaciated condition,
but this belief is contrary to Herr Gatke's
experience — also that of the Helig-oland
fowlers. He affirms that whether near
the beg-inning- or end of their journe}', the
birds when taken are found to be vig-or-
ous and well nourished, and, curiously
enoug-h, are found invariably to have
empty stomachs. He thinks that this is
proof that birds prepare for their migTa-
tory feats by an abstainance from food.
These most interesting- observations upon
which I have scarcely touched, may bring
us no nearer the solution of the why and
the wherefore of mig-ration, but they at
least show us how easy it is to be wrong-,
and to g-ive a few superficial observations
g-reater prominence than they deserve.
This it is that makes the study of orni-
tholog-y a delig-htful recreation, and from
a passing- interest one gets imbued with
the spirit of research, seldom abandoned
in a life time.

Rambles Around Quiver Lake,

BY P. M. SILLOWAY, KOODHOUSE, ILL.

(Second paper— Along Mud Lake Slough )

In my opinion there is no portion of the
Quiver Lake reg-ion more attractive,
both in its woodland picturesque beauty
and its abundance of birdlife, than the
locality immediately centering about the
north end or "head" of the lake. In the
ang-le between Quiver and the river lie
Dog-fish, Grass, Duck, and Mud Lakes,
and the sloug-hs or outlets leading- from
them add their currents to the inflow of
Quiver Creek, and thus a reg-ular channel
is formed from the head of the lake to its
influx into the river. My first visit to
the head of Quiver, or Mud Lake Sloug-h,
was on a beautiful Saturday morning-,
the 18th of May, 1895, when a fellow-
collector and myself, accompanied by a
g-enial friend, who presided over the cul-
inary department of the cabinboat in

which we made our headquarters, started
on a voyag-e to Grass Lake in search of
Duck's nests, which the last mentioned
member of the expedition declared were
to be found there in numbers (subse-
quently found to be a mistake). Quiver
Lake is something- more than two miles
long-, thoug-h I cannot be accurate about
distances there, and for the first third of
our vo3'ag-e we rowed over water free
from moss and beautifully clear as g-reen-
tinted g-lass. Beyond the clear water,
however, from the mouth of Dog-fish
Lake, there was a heavy g-rowth of moss
and lilies, which g-reatly impeded our
prog-ress, and soon we found ourselves
compelled to follow the tortuous wind-
ing-s of the channel formed by the current
from Quiver Creek and the upper lakes.

48

THE OSPREY.

For the last third of our voj^ag-e the
shallowness of the water at that season
rendered our passag^e in the skiff impos-
sible, and while our g-uide generally
waded ahead and dragged the skiff along
the channel, which wormed its way be-
tween moss patches, sandbeds, and areas
of flags and lilies, my collecting friend
betook himself to the eastern shore and I
disembarked on the western bank, ready
to stow away in our baskets whatever we
might consider of value. The eastern
shore near the head of the lake is low
and heavily wooded, while the western
shore is lower and sparsely wooded. I
had not gone many steps along the
muddy, treacherous margin of the lake,
when a pair of Tree Swallows attracted
my attention with their graceful evolu-
tions about a low denuded stub whose
base was washed by the stagnant margin
of the water. The stub was only about
seven feet high, and six inches from its
top was a suggestive looking hole made
by a Woodpecker some preceding season.
While I reached upward to investigate
the contents of the cavity, the interested
owners chattered angrily about my head
as they fluttered to and fro in their ex-
cited manner, squeaking their protesta-
tion at my outrage of their premises,
and sometimes alighting on convenient
bare branches of adjacent trees. To
determine the contents of the cavity, it
was necessary for me to tear away the
decayed material at the entrance, and
with the yielding wood came several
feathers, of which the nest was largely
composed. Seeing the downy material
of their home floating in the air and on
the water, the birds swept down in pass-
ing and displayed their volatorial powers
by picking up the feathers, with which
they fluttered toward the entrance as
though to replace them in their despoiled
home. The cavity was seven inches
deep, and the nest had a foundation of
dried grass, on which was the bed of
downy feathers, the tops of the feathers
being placed upward so that the}- curled
over and almost hid the five fresh, snow}'
eggs.

Having reached the mouth of Mud
Lake Slough, we securely tied our skiff
and then started on our tramp toward
Mud Lake. On either side was a low,
densely- timbered region, beautiful in its
wild and primeval nature. But I am

prone to dilate on the beauties of nature
when ye editor wishes me to write about
birds. The one bird of this delig-htful
region is the Prothonotary Warbler, and
while my companion stopped to pick up
and stow awa}' into the capacious pockets
of his hunting coat a pair of mud turtles,
walking placidly down the slough, I
marked a low willow stub at my left.
The stub was only eight feet high, and
five feet from the ground was a neat round
hole one and a half by two inches. Striking
the stub with m}" hatchet, a female Warb-
ler darted from the entrance, and flying
toward the ground in the manner charac-
teristic of the species, she flew from one
fallen branch to another, stopping with
partly open, quivering- wings and out-
spread, fan-like tail, her half crouching
form suggestive of an enraged hen
"blufling'" to protect her brood. Tearing
away the rotten wood about the entrance,
I exposed a new cavity, probably made in
the preceding fall by Chickadee or Downy
Woodpecker, five inches deep, three inches
long by two wide. The nest was on a
slight foundation of moss, and was made
principally of fine dried grass. It con-
tained five incubated eggs, and even now
as I gaze on their delicate, faintly grayish-
white ground, and note their large
markings of pale cherry brown and faint
lilac, I can recall something of the pleas-
ure with which I took my third set of
Prothonotary Warbler. While I thus
ruthlessly harried this wildwood home,
the owners kept hopping about in the
lower foliage of the adjacent trees, chirp-
ping their displeasure at the proceedings.
The woods rang with the clear ringing
notes of the species, and we took a num-
ber of fine sets of the Warbler in our
tramp along Mud Lake Slough.

Numbers of Great Blue Herons were
feeding along the margins of Mud Lake,
which is completely set among groves of
fine timber. They flapped hurriedly
away at our approach, jerking their frail
bodies at every flap of their long curving
wings, rising higher and higher as they
circled over the lake in the warm summer
air, and frequently one would soar in
broad circles, much after the manner of
the buzzard-hawks, with the base of the
neck laid back over the shoulders and the
long legs protruded back seemingly at
full length, these characteristics alone
enablinjjf the novice to distinguish them

"THE OSPREY.

49

from Hawks in their soaring- flig-ht. Their
manner of alig^hting" was interesting- to
me, for they soar down straight toward
the spot where they wish to alight, fol-
h)wing- a long- oblique line, moving- with
unmoving- wing-s until about to alight,
when they erect the bod}- and give several
flaps with their lengthy wing-s, thus
breaking the force of their oblique des-
cent as they thrust forward their long-
leg-s. At first thoug-ht I believed that
there must be a heronry in the vicinity,
and I made another excursion to the
vicinity to locate it if any existed, but
the birds were probably simply using- the
locality as a feeding- g-round, for it is
well-known that the Herons frequently
feed many miles from the heronry.
Across the lake a flock of the beautiful
American Eg-rets were also feeding-, mov-
ing- about with some animation until our
appearance startled them into flig-ht.
There were about twenty- in the g-roup,
and as they rose hig-her in their circles

around the lake, their white mantles g-lis-
tened in the strong- sunlig-ht. Unlike the
Herons, they kept well tog-ether, more
like the American Bitterns when startled
from their feeding--grounds, and circled
the pond several times before they drifted
like a white cloud over the trees enclosing-
the basin, and we saw them no more.

From the numerous specimnes of Wood
Duck seen along- Mud Lake, 'I believe
that a search for their nests would have
been profitable, as the timber surround-
ing- contained many sites acceptable
to them, but lack of time on this trip
prevented our looking for their nests.
Over in Grass Lake we found nests of the
King- Rail, and saw American Bitterns
in numbers (comparatively), but did not
stumble on any nests of the species there.
The marg-ins of the lake furnished g-ood
sites for Pied-billed Grebes, and some
g-ood nests of this species were found.
And now ye editor says I have written
too much already.

My Marsh Hawk Finds.

BY KEV. P. B. PEABODY.

Continued.)

□ n the third of June, of the current
season, while searching-, near St.
Vincent, for nests of the ^ lay-colored
Sparrow, among- the rose-bestudded, wil-
low-dotted and poplar-thicket-bordered
meadows, I saw a female Marsh Hawk
fly rapidly into a rather distant poplar
and burr-oak bluft' and disappear.
Allig-ning- the spot, hastily, by two inter-
vening burr-oak shrubs, I soug-ht the
spot at my leisure; and found it to be a
fairly dense g-rowth on a sort of island,
surrounded by meadows that were but
partially over-flowed.

I had bareh' touched the bush}' tract
when the unusually obstreperous female
pounced upon me.

Her chief anxiety seemed to center at
about the middle and the densest part of
the bluff; but I could find nothing.

Repeatedly, as she swept away, for a
space , I ran and hid in the thickest
g-rowths; but her hawk-eye ever ferreted
me out. Twice, her indifferent spouse
came near, and vouchsafed a lazy chat-
terinir for one brief moment: merely I

thought, in compliment of madame's
bravery.

Amid the alternate searching-sand hid-
ing-s, I suddenly lost both birds, the
female vanishing- in my immediate neig-h-
borhood.

Making straig-ht for the thickest of the
poplar clumps, I roused her, a few feet
from where I had already been. She rose
straig-ht up, for twenty feet, from a four-
foot open g-rassy space among- the poplars.
Here in a rather slight nest of scanty
weeds and plenty of fine grass, lay five
plain egg-s, which contained embryos.
Wishing- to photograph the bird, in her
downward swooping, I left the eg-g-s,
having first slightly drawn the contents
through small pin holes. One eg-g-,
badly nest-cracked, was removed.

Many duties delayed my return for ten
days. Then, as I approached, with
camera set, on June 13, at 4 p. m., I was
amazed to find that one eg-g- had hatched
that very morning-. The physiognomy
of that hapless g-aping hawk-chick is
shown imperfectly in the illustration

50

THE OSPREY.

which clearly shows the lig-hts and
shadows, and the surrounding's of that
nesting- site.

Of this pair of birds, the one was a
fine blue male; the mate being so pale a
wine-tinted brown that she might well
have passed for a ruddy example of the
other sex.

The group of sloughs that extend into
the bend of the Red River of the North,
in this locality is bordered, on the side
next the river, by a line of marshes con-
taining open water, once the bed of a
river. This "roadway" lies on the-line-of-
marchof a very small colony of Franklin's
Gulls that nest somewhere in the "mus-
kags," or large open marshes to the
northeast. At one point along this
route, I have noted a wide-spread destruc-
tion of Grebe and Coot eggs, during the
current season. It may be that these
same predatory Gulls are responsible for
the late nesting of a pair of Marsh Hawks
that attracted my attention, on the after-
noon of June 20th, as I was crossing a wide
expanse of upland meadow to avoid the
quagmire of the roads. The male seemed
asearch for something, as he flew across
the meadows. Passing a bit of willow
copse he started his mate. Flying a few
hundred yards away, he dropped into the
midst of a hammock of willow and hazel,
only to reappear. The female followed
slowly, and went suddenly down into a
group of small hazels. Heading my
horse directly for the spot, I soon had
the satisfaction of rousing the bird from
her nest, made, almost entireh' of grass, —
and a greal deal of it, in an opening not —
two feet across, among small burr-oak
and hazel shrubs. Two eggs, nearly
globular, the one spotted with livid, the
other with pale cinnamon, throughout,
lay upon the flat nest. Proving well in-
cubated, and so a complete set, they were
taken, with but a feeble protest on the
part of both birds.

Two days afterward, while locating
wild strawberries for our cook, among
the brushy stretches a mile or so north
of St. Vincent, I noted a female Marsh
Hawk sailing into my horizon. Follow-
ing her, ocularly, from force of habit, I
noticed a "manner" about her, and so
watched her critically. When about
sixty rods away, and almost at the edge
of the poplar belt, she went down sud-
denly, from a height of twenty feet into

the brush, on a gentle slope, quite near a
bit of dry meadow. A friendly bush, in
line and near the spot, gave me a point
toward which I headed "Flora," and
drove across, regardless of intervening ob-
stacles. The female rose, while horse and
buggy were still twenty yards away, and
began the attack. A momentary search,
on foot, to avoid crushing, revealed a
nest quite like the last in structure and
location, containing, — one young, perhaps
two days old; one egg through which a
hooked beak was peering; and a third
progeny which was still /;/ oz'o. The
eggs were of the normal uncolored type
and shape. This may have been a second
set, after a molested first.

But the most interesting Marsh Hawk
experience of the season, and of my life,
happened on the thirteenth of Jul}'. In
mid-afternoon of that day I was return-
ing from a pastoral trip, four miles up
the Red River, in a region quite elevated,
yet still fiat, a tract originally all brush-
land and willowy upland meadow. A
large pasture, densely grown with burr-
oaks, hazels and poison ivy, lay at my
left, as 1 rode.

From far ahead and to the right, came
straight on, a male Marsh Hawk, a hun-
dred rods off when first I heard him. He
was chippering in a most alarming way,
but wherefore I could not imagine; until
suddenly, to the left and rear, his mate
began to pierce the air with angry cries.
Turning, I saw at a glance the situation,
a quarrel between two naturally quarrel-
some neighbors, the Marsh Hawk, and
that thorn-in-the-flesh, the Kingbird.
Their families, mayhap, were being
reared hardly a stone's throw apart; for
the Kingbird was evidently dead in earn-
est, and the Hawk bore the peevish air of
one who, were it prudent to do so, would
quickly yield to the inevitable.

As the male Hawk hurried on still
cackling to his mate, the little enemy
turned upon ///;;/; and the female, released
from persecution, darted away, and liter-
ally tumbled into the "scrub."

Hastily, I drove down the fence,
opposite the spot, as near as I could
judge; and was hurrying on, as best I
could, with one eye on the sign-bush and
the other alert to protect, from the ivy,
my own stumbling progeny; when I noted,
suddenly, to my chagrin, that the mother
hawk was already a-wing, and had in-

THE OSPREY.

51

stantly begun to pounce down at us.
Then we beg^an to laug-h outrig-ht, to see
how the parent Hawks behaved, on find-
ing- themselves, at once, the attacked
and the attacking-. Each kept up a per-
petual chatter; she, with all the shrillness
of a feminine scold, — he, with an iteration
lower pitched, less nervous, and not un-
melodious. Meanwhile, I was looking-
for the nest, but fruitlesslv. While posi-
tive that I had passed almost over the
rig-ht spot, I found no sig-n. Then began
a ludicrous by-plaj. Mamma King-bird
joined the battle. When the little pair
distracted the Hawks, from time to time,
Donald and I would hide, as hide we
could, for all the ever present, ever hate-
ful ivy. But there was no hiding- for iis.
No sooner were we well stowed away,
when the hawks, beating- off their tor-
menters, would swoop down, with re-
doubled screeching-s, into our very faces.
Then, to add to the g-eneral confusion,
Arg-o, my raw pointer puppy, began to
arouse the Hawks well-nigh to frenz3% by
his leapings after what he could see, and
his searchings after something that he
could smell, but could not locate.

This gave me just the hint I needed.
Renewing the search, I gave my scrutiny
a broader outlook. Then, "what's this?"
a feather or two and a cluster of bird-
droppings. I press on into the thicker
brush. Argo suddenly stiffens before
me, and, before him, I see a downy young
Marsh Hawk; whose quills and rectrices
are well sprouted, and whose whole
spread-eagle attitude bespeaks his tiny
rage.

Instantly, my eye caught sight of a
faint trail, among the weeds. Every-
where were scattered spots of limey drop-
pings.

More quickly than I can tell it, the
whole ensemble revealed itself; more blind
paths; a scattered line of hairs, with here
a bone, and there a bit of fur, and there
a feather; Argo pressing up beside me,
his eager jaws adrip; three more awk-

ward pinf eathery Hawks, in various stages
of growth all in a row, at bay, glaring at
the dog; and then, seven feet away, di-
rectly beneath the shelter of a group of
burr-oaks, the nest, — now a befouled and
flattered platform, nearly eighteen inches
across, of sticks and weed stems and
grass, and, everywhere, the bushy and
weedy recesses were honey-combed with
openings made by the young birds, in
their growing, hunger-stimulated hardi-
hood.

Impulsively I seized the nearest of the
open-beaked monstrosities that teetered
about, in their anger, beside me. Out of
his jaws protruded the entire denuded
tail of a jumping mouse, — as if the young-
ster needed anvthing to heighten the
effect of his ungainly anger-accentuated
picturesqueness! I took him home, for a
little time, to edify the rest of the house-
hold, and to gratify my own acquisitive-
ness. But his capacity for frogs proved
so enormous that I soon returned him to
his parents. Easily ma}' one guess at
some of the probable reasons for this
brush-land nesting habit of Ci?rits hud-
souius: concealment of nest; proximity
of food; shelter of the young from the
sun and from aerial enemies; convenience
of crannies for hiding the over-plus of
food secured. But perhaps, in the domain
of bird-wisdom, there are even better
reasons.

How the eye delights, these early
autumn days, to follow the flight of the
3'oung birds, now all splender of grace
and richness of color! Just now, they
and their parents are haunting the stub-
ble fields; next month the}^ will ply the
reed}' meadows, to pick up, with exquisite
grace, the smaller fry of the wounded
birds of the gunner; in early November,
the rudd}' and the rust}' birds will grad-
ually disappear. A solitary old blue
male will then linger on awhile, in melan-
choly quest, above the "sere and yellow"
grass, and then, alas! will come,

"The winter of our discontent."

Ke^gon Pe^nay^sey and Win^'ge-'zee.

BY CHIEF PO-KA-GOX.

The Osprey was called by our people
Ke-gon Pe-nay-sey and the White-headed
Eag-le Win-ge-zee. The Osprey is a clean,
industrious bird, living almost entirely on

fresh fish which it obtains through its
own skill and labor. Apparently it al-
lures its victims near the surface of the
water by its floppings and gyrations in

52

THE OSPREY.

the air. It suffers much from the piracy
of the Eag-le. In my youth old hunters
and trappers told me such strang-e tales
of altercations between these birds, they
were in my heart while awake, and flew
all about me while asleep. When Mich-
ig-an was almost an unbroken woodland,
nothing- more satisfied my youthful aspir-
ations, than to retire alone far into the
forests, and in the deep solitude study
the nature, habits and language of ani-
mals and birds in their native haunts
while unconscious of the presence of man.
Learning of Water-lily Lake in the wil-
derness, a day's journey from home, where
these strange birds were frequentl}' seen,
I sought it out, and there wigwamed in
ambush on the point of a narrow neck of

SmON PO-KA-GON.

land that ran far into the lake. To the
north, nearly one-half mile, stood a gi-
gantic pine, towering high above the
surrounding forests, on the top of which,
in plain sight, was an Osprey's nest, occu-
pied at the time; while to the south of
me was a similar tree in which was nest-
ing an Eagle. From this point I could
survey- the lake a long distance towards
the rising and setting sun. In order that
I might not be noticed I trimmed my
clothes with sprigs, cut from the ever-
greens about my hiding place. The first
night there, as I laid down upon hemlock
boughs for a bed, with only m3- blanket
wrapped around me, I was lulled to sleep
by the wild vespers of unnumbered Whip-
poor-wills, whose songs were mellowed by
the murmuring waves and the whisper-

ing breeze, as it swept through the sway-
ing branches of the forest about me. I
slept as sweetly as an infant in the arms
of its mother, nor did I awake until the
curtain of night was lifted from the stage
of the woodland theater of the lake, when
all the troupe of the feathered warblers
of the wild opened their matinee of love
and gratitude free to all, chanting "re-
joice and praise him." An hour later, as
sunshine kissed the waves, lighting up
along the shore broad fields of white and
golden water lilies, which rose and fell
upon the heaving bosom of the lake, my
admiration was all at sea without a
shore. Entranced I stood, until Bluejays
screamed out a wild alarm. The concert
abruptly closed! The drama changed!
I heard a whizzing sound as when a
rocket rends the air, and looking up saw
an Osprey descending as a meteor from
heaven plunging headlong into the lake,
and while the water yet boiled and foamed
where it went down, it arose in triumph,
clutching in its talons a fish. Slowly
it flew landward, shaking its plumage
like a spaniel just out from the water,
causing a beautiful rainbow to encircle
it, until it entered the shade of the
woods.

The following morning while listening
to the repeated woodland concert, and
again admiring the romantic scenery hung
by the Great Spirit on lake and land —
again the concert abruptly closed ! Again
the Osprey, in plain sight, plunged head-
long with a roar into the lake, snatch-
ing therefrom a silver eel, which snake-
like, writhed, convulsed and tried in
vain to free itself. While expecting to
see the rainbow of the previous morn-
ing repeated, I saw instead the pi-
rate Eagle, with half closed wings,
sweeping down like an infant cyclone
towards the Osprey, which sought escape
by rising in circles, higher and higher —
above the forests, above the highlands
surrounding the lake, above the fog clouds
that hung over it, while the Eagle gave
chase along its spiral trail but a few feet
in the rear, continuing to utter its savage
war cry. Eagerly I watched the strug-
gling flight, praying in my heart that the
Osprey might escape with her prize. I
saw the silver eel descending like an ar-
row shot from the skies, while the Eagle,
with folded w^ings, dropped like a falling
star, g-rasping it in mid-air, bearing it

THE OSPREY.

^3

away with wild screams of exultation.
*To m\' surprise the Ospre}" came falling-
like a ball- but a short distance in the rear
of the pirate, not to reg-ain the eel, but
to allure and catch another fish for its
offspring-, while the Eag-le was yet di-
viding- its ill-gotten g-ain among- her
young-.

*It is the nature of the Osprey never to make
an attempt to regain a stolen fish, or one that
it may drop on lake or land; and unlike the
Eag-le it will not feed on putrid meat or fish of
any kind. — S. Pokagon.

(Bencral IRotcs*

YELLOW-BKEASTED CHATS AT BEAVER
DAM, WISCONSIN.

On June 1st, 1896, took two Yellow-
breasted Chats, which on dissection,
proved to be $ and 9 • They were among-st
the thick bushes on a partly cleared tract
adjoining- a heavy wood on the shores of
Beaver Dam Lake, three miles from this
city. Authentic records of this bird's
occurrence in Wisconsin are few and far
between. The skins are in my collection.

W. E.' Snydek.

THE LONG-TAILED JAEGER AT STEPHEN-
TOWN, NEW YORK.

A Long--tailed Jaeg-er ( Stercorariiis
longicaudus ) was broug-ht to me on June
12th, 1896, by a young- man who found it
dead in the middle of a larg-e cultivated
field. Judg-ing- from the condition of the
specimen it could not have been dead
many hours when found. It showed no
marks of violence, and probably died
from hunger and exhaustion. It seems
strang-e to find this species so far inland,
especially at this date.

Benjamin Hoag.

KILDEER NOTES FROM RHODE ISLAND.

I have been successful in collecting-
eg-g-s of the Killdeer in Rhode Island, be-
ing- the second party obtaining- them in this
State, and only three sets have been taken
of which we have a record. It is a rare
bird east, but perhaps not so rare as it is
hard to locate a nest. Have also a set
of Red-shouldered Hawk that I rode
ninety-six miles on my wheel to collect,
only to show that eastern as well as west-
ern collectors have perseverance.

Providence, R. I. F. E. Newbury.

HIGH NESTING OF THE INDIGO BUNTING.

July 4, 1895, I found a nest of the Indig-o
in a sycamore tree, 19 feet, 10 inches from
the g-round. It was placed on a horizon-
tal limb, about 6 feet from trunk of tree,
and was built around a clump of small
sprouts growing- up from limb. It held
four slig-htly incubated egg-s.

Baltimore, Md. Wm. H. Fisher.

NIGHTHAWK CATCHING INSECTS BY ELEC-
TRIC LIGHT.

About the middle of Aug-ust last (1896)
I happened to be spending- several days
in Evanston, Wyoming, and there wit-
nessed the following- interesting- and ap-
parently confirmed habit of the Western
Nighthawk in availing- himself of an
artificial food supply. The approach to
the hotel at which I was stopping- was
lig-hted by two powerful electric lig-lits,
placed on hig-h poles and perhaps twenty-
five yards apart. The lig-ht of course,
attracted the usual insect audience, and
while seated on the veranda near by,
just out of the glare of the lights, I no-
ticed a number of these Nighthawks ply-
ing- industriously about. They would
pass throug-h the ring- of lig-ht thrown by
the reflector, visiting- both lig-hts, then
make a sharp turn within a few 3'ards
and come back. This turn was repeated
at the other end, and thus they flew back
and forth for an hour throug-h the cloud
of insects. There could be but one in-
terpretation of their actions — they were
feeding on the abundant insect life
broug-ht tog-ether by the lig-ht.

This adaptabliity may have been noted
before, but it was new to me and I do not
remember to have seen it in print.

F. H. Knowlton,

Washington, D. C.

Notes From Nebraska.

From J. R Bonwell, Nebraska City, Nebraska.

A look into a millinery establishment
this fall will show that feather trimming-s
are becoming- the style ag-ain, and like-
wise that our birds will become scarcer,
the question is 't how can we prevent the
destruction of native birds by State leg-is-
tion?" Our only hope would seem to rest
with Congress, as it will be a long- time
before the individual States -can prevent
this evil.

54

THE OSPREY.

It is intended that nearly every school
in Southeastern Nebraska shall establish
a "Bird Day" next season.

A Phoebe was seen here on the 31st of
October, rather late for this locality.

A bill favoring" a better protection to
our song- and game birds will come up
before the Nebraska Legislature this
winter, and every person interested in the
preservation of our birds will be asked to
use their influence with leg^islators to se-
cure the passag-e of the bill, as it is ex-
pected that a great many sportsmen ( ? )
will object to it.

Prof. Elliott Returns,
Prof. D. G. Elliott, leader of the Field
Columbian Museum expedition to Africa,
and O. E. Akeley, its taxidermist, re-
turned November 21st on the St. Louis.
After stopping a few days at New York
Prof. Elliott will g-o to Chicag"o; and as
the specimens have not yet arrived Mr.
Akeley will stop awhile at his home in
Milwaukee.

California department

D0NA1.D A. Cohen, Editor, Alameda, Cal.

All Ornithologists west of the Rocky Mountains will favor the
editor of this Department, as well as the publisher of The
OsPREV, by furnishing notes, news, or articles and illustrations
for publication.

Cooper Club.

THERE was no November meeting of
the Cooper Ornithological Club. Rev.
E. L. Hood expected it to meet at his
residence in Berkeley, but, as the Secretary
absented himself (on pressing- business),
for the first time since the Club's org-aniza-
tion (the first Secretary having- been suc-
cessively re-elected), and as no presiding-
officer put in an appearance the evening-
was g-iven to discussing ornitholog-y and
oology in g-eneral, by the few members
present. Mr. Moran, of Berkely, exhi-
bited the onh' ( two ) complete sets ever
taken of the White-throated Swift [ao'o-
naiipes melanoleiiciis). A set of five and
a set of three eg-gs, with incubation
hig-her in the latter, were taken from
the same nest, a crevice in a larg-e rock,
near the San Luis Obispo, by Mr. Moran.
Foreig-n marking's that could readily be
washed off g-ave the eg-g- a spotted rather
than a speckled appearance. In shape

they were narrow-— eliptical, slig-htly nar-
row toward the "smaller end," the base
rather flat. They surpassed the eg-g-s of
the Cliff Swallow in size by a small ocu-
lar marsfin.

A party of campers took a set(?) of
tvventy-four Wood Duck's eg-g-s from a
cavity in a large sycamore, about ten feet
over the Sacramento River. As the egg-s
were fresh they were added to the camp
bill-of-fare. It would take an enormously
keen appetite to cause many of us to eat
such fine eg-g-s.

A nest and set of (Whistling-) Swan's
eg-g-s was taken two 3'ears ag-o in the
tules near Sacramento. If such is the
case this would make a breeding- record
for a bird supposed only to winter here.

Indications are that there will be, com-
paratively speaking-, no Western Robins
present about Alameda this winter. I
have been afield every day this season
and have failed to hear or see one of these
winter residents, and inquiries from other
parties are — no robins. There may be a
few later on, but the "advance g-uard" be-
gins to strag-gle in by September. The
Varied Thrush, locally called the Horse-
shoe Robin, from the black semi-circle on
its breast, has not yet made its appear-
ance.

Notwithstanding- the incessant slaug-h-
ter of California Clapper Rail since the
season opened October 15th, some fair
bag's have been made on the Alameda
marshes. At the close of the season last
February not a bird was supposed to have
been left alive. Fresh birds have come
in and have bred since then and others, a
few at a time, keep coming- in to make
use of the feeding- g-rounds of their de-
ceased relations. I have flushed five birds
from a small patch of "salt g-rass" just
above the flood tide, and was told by a
reliable party who was out on the marsh
with a friend that the latter shot no fewer
than eig-ht from one patch of "salt grass"
at flood tide, without getting out of the
boat.

Mr. H. B. Kaeding', a well known or-
nithologist and oolog-ist, and the "Cali-
fornia Editor," made ajointbag'of twenty-
two quail (California Partridg'e ) one day
last week. The first ten birds, shot sing'ly,
were all young--of-the-year and, still more

THE OSPREY.

55

remarkable, all males. In counting- sexes,
fifteen proved to be males and seven fe-
males, and only one male and three fe-
males were last year's birds. Only one
of the twenty-tv/o was young- enoug-h to
be under size.

Two seasons ag-o a family of Black-
headed Grosbeaks, the parents and three
young-, came reg-ularly into m}' g-arden,
several times a day, consecutively for
about a month, to feed upon sunflower
seeds. The old birds plucked the ripe
seeds, cracked the hulls and fed the
meats, one at a time, to the young-.
These young- vagrants appeared fully two
months old by the first of September, yet
clamored for food, with outstretched
necks and open mouths, shaking- wings
and petulant cries. House Finches, Cal-
ifornia Purple Finches, and a few Plain
Titmice were regular visitors to the sun-
flower patch.

Flocks of Semi-palmated Sandpipers and
several other small waders, as well as a
few White-winged Scoters and quite a
number of Surf Scoters remain about San
Francisco Bay all summer. These are
known to breed only far to north of here,
and since there has been no evidence of
their breeding- here, and they have not
been wounded and oblig-ed to remain, the
question naturally sug-g-ests itself, "have
they missed a season?" The greater ma-
jority of Scoters remaining- are females.

Aug-ust 12th, 1894, found a nest of
Oreg-on Towhee in a small scrubby live
oak, covered with live blackberry vines,
eig-ht feet from the ground, contain-
ing- three stale eg-g-s, and composed of
rotten strips of Calcutta jute bag-, and
lined with fine g-rass. Another nest, of
the same season, was placed two feet dis-
tant, and similarly constructed, with a
little less jute. The bird being- a ground
builder, or used to a thick foundation of
leaves and twig-s, must have purposely
selected the jute to make a foundation
for the nests in the uncertain oak twig-s.

One way of partially exterminating- the
Eng-lish Sparrow lies in tearing- down
the nests, ( that should be left until the
young- are about ready to leave.) If a
nest with fresh e^rg-s is torn down the
old birds immediately make use of the
material and start a new nest near bv.

The second nest, however, cannot always
be detected, so it is best to keep the old
birds occupied in almost rearing- one
brood as it g-ives them less time to build
ag-ain, and ver^- often they abandon the
idea of rebuilding- late in the season.
Their favorite nesting- sites near my home
are tops of palm trees and thick ivy, and
in rebuilding, more open situations, such
as spreading branches of trees are selected.
Thus the nests are more conspicuous and
can be poked down with a long pole. A
few nests were found about buildings and
in holes in trees, and were also destroyed.
This constant persecution has resulted in
ridding the neighborhood of hundreds
that formerlv bred here.

November 1st wild game was surely
being sold in San Francisco despite the
fact that the law saye it shall not be sold
prior to November 15th. The newspapers
have for some time printed daily quota-
tions of game in the wholesale market col-
umns. The law is practically a dead letter,
as no penalty can be enforced for violations.

Lovers of the dog and gun have found
an abundance of quail on the hillsides
throughout the State, but duck hunters
have had poor success, especially in the
bay counties. They are waiting for a storm
to drive the ducks into the marshes from
that large expanse of water comprising
San Francisco, San Pablo and Suison Bays.

Outside hunters have shot ducks over
the club men's preserves, and the threat-
ened bloodshed has been averted by good
nature( ?) on both sides. In some cases
the keepers have been ordered to frighten
all the ducks from the grounds, as a
last resort. The outsiders have ap-
pealed to the United States District At-
torney to remove the barrier placed by
clubmen across the main slough on the Sui-
son Marsh, and to declare it a navigable
stream. He has requested a solution of
the vexed question from the Assistant
United States Engineer.

Albinos^

Mr. Charles K. Reed, of Worcester,
Massachusetts, has recently received an
albino White-throated Sparrow; also two
albino Red Fox Squirrels. Mr. Reed
says that taxidermists' work is now in
greater demand than he has seen it for five
years back.

56

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted
Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BY

WAIvTER ADAMS JOHNSON.

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One
Dollar a year, in ad%ance.

Single copies, Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription : One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents. Post-
age paid to all countries in the Universal Postal Union.

Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contributions
are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to Editors
at office of publication.

Copy for advertisements and all matter for publication should
be in the publisher's hands by the fifteenth of the month pre-
ceding publication.

The resident locality of contributors are given when nature of
article requires it.

Entered at the Galesburg Postoffice as mail matter of the
second class.

Address all business communications to

THE OSPREY CO.,

217 Main Street, GALESBURG, Ihh

DECEMBER, 1896.

Simon Pokag^on, chief of the Pokag-on band
of the Pottawattomie Indians, whose article
appears in this number, sends his best wishes
to The Ospkkv. Chief Pokag^on is the author
of a unique little publication, " The Redman's
Greeting-," printed on birch bark. He is now
nearly seventy years of age, and has been
called by the press, " the Longfellow of his
race." His father, chief before him, sold the
land where Chicago now stands for three cents
an acre. Chief Pokagon says: •' I wish you
success in accordance with the g-rand work, as
no truer words were ever said than 'the birds
to the animal creation are as the flowers to the
vegetable world."

Large numbers of eggs of water birds are
used to furnish albumen, as used by the pho-
tographer. This can only be obtained from
eggs, and those of the domestic hen are too
valuable for this use. Natives of Labrador,
Greenland, Hebrides and other nesting local-
ities are yearly furnishing'- this product, which
fact leads a sportsman to say that photogra-
phy is killing more ducks than are hunters.

We have a photograph, sent us by Prank B.
Webster Company, of two Wild Pig-eons
taken from live specimens, which they kept in
captivity^ Unfortunately the birds escaped,
and also that the photograph is blurred and
unfit for half-tone reproduction.

The regular annual meeting of the North-
western Ornithological Association will be held
at Salem, Oregon, on December 29th and 30th.

Prof. H. Newell Martin, who until recently
held the chair of biologj^ in Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity, has just died in England.

Messrs. H. C. Butcher, George Rogers and W.
A. Johnson spent three days hunting at Thomp-
son's Lake, on the Illinois River near Havana.
Localities mentioned in Prof. Silloway's inter-
esting papers were visited, and a few ducks
and snipe shot. On the return trip to Galesburg-
Dr. Strode was met at Lewistown The doctor
has fine collections in several branches, notably
ornitholog'-\% chroncology, botany, mineralog'-y
and many Indian relics ; a visit with him is
very interesting.

We are indebted to Mr. Otto Widmann for the
following clipping from a St. Louis newspaper:

" On Friday' morning of the week before last,
early risers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wit-
nessed a peculiar sight in the shape of a shower
of birds that fell from a clear sky, literally
cluttering the streets of the city. There were
wild ducks, catbirds, woodpeckers, and many
birds of strange plumage, some of them re-
sembling canaries, but all dead, falling in
heaps along- the thoroughfares, the singular
phenomenon attracting'- many spectators and
causing much comment.

The most plausible theory as to the strang-e
windfall is that the birds were driven inland
by the late storm on the Florida coast, the
force of the current of air and the sudden change
of temperature causing the death of many of
the little feathered creatures when they reached
Baton Roug-e Some idea of the extent of the
shower may be g-athered from the estimate
that out on iSIational Avenue alone the children
of the neighborhood collected as manv as 200
birds."

The Hermit Thrush,

Where the brook steals g'-ently thro" the tang-led

brake
And the breeze's spirit seems seldom awake,
The single clear note of the hermit bird
In its praise of solitude sweet is heard.

— Ch.a.ri,es Slo.\n Reid.

Mr. H. C. Johnson, of Alameda, Pacific coast
manag-er for Pope Manufacturing- Company, is
now in Hartford. Connecticut, at the company's
headquarters on business matters.

We understand that Brother Taylor of T/ic
N^idotogisf will be a candidate for election to
the citv clerk's office of Alameda, California.

Messrs, Warren Williamson and Thomas H.
Blodgett have a taxidermist shop at Knox Col-
lege this autumn .

Mr. George G. Cantwell is now located at
Juneau, Alaska, and is doing some g^ood work.

Mr. R. W. Williams, Jr., is taking a law
course at Valparaiso, Ind

The museum, nearly completed, at Leyden,
will be the largest in the world next to the
British Musuem. Within its walls space will
be provided for 80,000 stuffed birds.

CEDAR WAXWING (AMPELIS CEDKOKUM. )
Photograph from Life. [See page 6i.)

Land Birds at Sea,

BY A. W. ANTHONY.

NE some times
meets with old
friends in unex-
pected places and
meeting- with many
of our common land
V)irds far out at sea,
may at first seem due to
accident, but those
who "g-o down to the
sea in ships" soon learn
to reg-ard the presence of
mig-rating- land birds far
from land as of reg-ular
occurrence, thoug-h they of
course do not occur in large num-
bers unless driyen out to sea by storms.

In cruising^ along- the Pacific coast I
have often met with mig-rating- land birds
far from shore, and during- calm, clear
weather, which would indicate that they
took that route from choice, rather than
accident or force.

At times I have seen such wanderers,
when suddenly overtaken bj a fog-, com-
pletely lose their sense of direction and
become hopelessly lost, as were two Rufus
Humming-birds that I met with the past
summer off the coast of Lower California.
Thej came out of the thick fog- from the
Kast, and for several minutes made inef-
fectual attempts to find a resting- place on

the spars and rig-g-ing- of the schooner.
Several times they lit in the shrouds, but
were evidently afraid of the flapping-
sails, and at last they disappeared in the
g-ray mist to the West, their heavy flig-ht
indicating- that thej^ were so near exhausted
that they would not g-o far.

Strang-e as it may seem Humming-birds
are among- the most common of the land
species seen at sea, off our South-western
coast, and I have often met with them
far from land, their decidedly business-
like air indicating- that they knew where
they were g-oing- and what they were
g-oing- to do when they g-ot there.

On two or three occasions Rock Wrens
have boarded vessels on which I have
traveled, appearing suddenly on deck,
and usually spending- several hours dodg--
ing- about, making- short flig-hts fore and
aft, sometimes leaving- for short trips over
the water, returning- ag-ain as if loth to
venture on a long- journey. As nig-ht
approached they would become more
restless; and at last would depart either
parallel with the coast or g-oing- straig-ht
toward land. I do not think, however,
that I have met with a Rock Wren over
fifteen or twenty miles from the coast.

Another voyager that I have several
times had as shipmate pro tern, is the
Ruby-crowned King-let. They are always

58

THE OSPREY.

fearless, but with a quiet modesty that
disarms any accusation of rudeness.

Several years ag-o. in late August. I
was, one day, becalmed about twenty
miles from the coast of Lower California.
As I lay sprauling- out on a pile of lumber
on deck, i I saw a King-let alight on the
end of the main boom. Disliking- the
constant jerking- of his perch he next
tried the cabin roof. Within five min-
utes he had thoroug-hly explored the
schooner even to venturing to peek down
the companionway into the cabin. The
next important business was to g-et
acquainted with the crew, and he spent
seconds — a Kinglet is seldom in one spot
long-er — on the toe of my upturned shoe,
calmly looking me in the eye as if to ask,
''Do you shoot birds?"

For several hours he stayed with us,
catching- flies from the deck or rail, but a
breeze sprang- up. he bade us g-ood bye
and disappeared in the distance.

A Meadowlark once spent several
minutes in vainly trying- to alig-ht on the
top mast of the schooner. It was evi-
denth' very tired but would not venture
near the deck.

I once saw a flock of Mexican Horned
Larks twenty-five or thirty miles from
land on a fog-g-y day, and from the direc-
tion of their flight I would venture the
opinion that Otocoris alpestris c/n-ysolacnia
is now a common species in China, if they
did not g-et tired out before they reached
land.

Swallows are very often met with dur-
ing migrations, and alwavs seem very
much at home even thoug-h out of sig-ht
of land much more so than was a Short-
eared Owl I saw one morning- flying- just
over the water and seemingly looking-
for a bunch of marsh g-rass to hide in for
the day.

Some Original Observations.

BY REV. J. M. KECK.

IX the spring- of 1894 I placed a Blue-
bird house upon a g-rape trellis post in
my garden, and was in due time
rewarded by having- it occupied by a pair
of those delig-htful Warblers — for why
should they not be called Warblers in-
stead of the S\h'icoUdac which never
warble?.

In the Sr-ring of 1895 no Bluebirds
came. During- the whole season I ob-
served none in the township, excepting a
few in the autumn mig-ration.

While I was still awaiting- the advent
of the Bluebirds, a pair of Eng-lish Spar-
rows took up their abode in the vacant
house. These usurpers I resoh-ed to dis-
lodg-e. Failing- with milder measures. I
finally shot the male Sparrow. But,
absolutely undaunted, the female contin-
ued nestbuilding- and was joined by
another mate before nig-ht. The next
morning- she was ag-ain bereaved in the
same manner, and ag-ain was remated
before the close of the day. After repeat-
in this prog-ram for several days without
variation. I introduced a chang-e by
removing the female. Somewhat to my
surprise, the performance was as little
interrupted as before. The surviving-
male secured a mate the same dav. and

housekeeping- was apparently taken up
where it had been dropped in the morn-
ing-.

About this time a House Wren appeared
upon the scene, and at once beg-an to
make vig-orous application for the pos-
session of the avian domicile. His mate
came to his assistance in a day or two,
and the plucky little brownies proved a
g-ood match for the obnoxious foreig-ners.

Despairing- of the Blue birds, it was there-
fore May day, I granted the Wrens posses-
sion for the season. With a little assistance
on my part, they g-ained and retained
full control of the premises until the time
of their annual departure.

In the spring- of 1896, in order to fore-
stall the Sparrows, the entrance to the
habitation was closed with a larg-e corn-
cob until the notes of the Bluebirds were
heard in the morning- air. Quite a num-
ber appeared in the vicinity, but none
manifested any desire to inhabit my
bird house. The cob was replaced until
April 21. when suddenly a male Wren
appeared upon the roof of the little
house dancing- and chattering- in extatic
g-lee. He was probably a member of the
family of the previous year, but whether
father or son. I was unable to determine.

THE OSPREY.

59

He immediately assumed proprietorship
foug-ht the obstrusive Sparrows away, and
made ready for the arrival of his mate.
Alas! The hopes of birds, like those of
men, are sometimes blasted. She never
came. Nor did he secure another com-
panion throug-hout the season.

Growing- somewhat discourag^ed after
the lapse of a week or two, he so far
relaxed his preparations for housekeeping
and his warfare ag-ainst intruders as to
allow a pair of Sparrows to stealthil}-
visit the house, with material for the
nest. The Wren still carried in an occa-
sional stick; but the Sparrows, g-rowing-
bolder, soon completed the nest and beg-an
eg-g- laying-. Now and then a skirmish
took place between the Wren and the
male Sparrow, but it became evident that
the former, though still a hang-er-on, was
no long-er the "Lord of the castle." How-
ever, when young- Sparrows were dis-
covered in the common liome^ the dejected

Wren's flag^g-ing- interest in domestic
affairs seemed to revive. He at once
soug-ht and offered them green worms,
which they appeared to devour as greedily
as the regulation sparrow-baby food
broug-ht them by their parents. And
this strang-e partnership housekeeping-
continued throughout the summer, while
at least three or four successive broods of
Sparrows were reared.

With each renewal of the furnishings,
the Wren brought long- sticks, which,
with no small labor and with admirable
skill, he introduced leng-thwise into the
house, and to each hung-ry brood of nest-
lings he faithfully carried the soft larvse
of insects.

The autumnal flight indicates an en-
couraging increase of Blue birds. It is
to be hoped that they will return next
spring- in sufficient numbers to re-tenant
many a deserted bird house especially con-
structed for their occupancy.

Avian Photography.

BY DK. R. W. SHUFELDT.

IN years g-one by, the writer has upon
several occasions communicated to
The Auk his methods and his successes
in the matter of making- photog-raphic
pictures of birds. As he looks back upon
those times he fully realizes how very
crude the first were, and how very seldom
the second could be claimed. Recentl}^
however, and especially' during the sum-
mer just past (1896), many of the former
difficulties were overcome, and where one
partial success rewarded a dozen attempts
ten years ago, the record has been
reversed, and a complete failure is now
but rarely the result. Within the last
twelve months, throug-h the exercise of a
g-reat deal of patience, hard work and
study, the list of truly g-ood pictures has
rapidly increased, and he feels he is now
in ei position to exhibit a few here in sub-
stantiation, as it were, of what was
merely sugg-ested in his aforesaid "Cam-
era Hints to Ornitholog-ists."

Upwards of twenty species of birds
and their nests are now in his collection,
many of these are life size, and in some
pictures both sexes occur, while in others
several of the young are seen. From
this series three are selected, representing-
averag-e results, and these are here pre-

sented as examples of what may be
accomplished in this line.

In the first is seen the head of
an adult male Turkey Buzzard ( Cat/iar-
tcs aura), a picture secured by me from a
living- specimen in my possession last
spring-. It is taken upon direct latteral
view and distinctly exhibits all the char-
acters of the species seen upon this aspect.
The pervious nostrils are well shown, as
well as the elevated rim that entirely
surrounds the superior margin of either
one of them. This character, so evident
in life, is never reproduced in mounted
specimens of this bird, as it really ought
to be, and this stricture applies with
equal truth to the transverse wrinkles on
the top of the head, and below the hinder
division of the jaw, so well seen in the
accompanying picture. Beneath and
in front of the eye, are to be observed the
peculiar wart}' caruncles, another one of
the features of the face of this Vulture,
and the set of the eye is likewise charac-
teristic. Turkey Buzzards are by no
means easy subjects for the photographer
for several reasons. If an exposure of a
number of seconds is contemplated, a
good result will frequently be defeated
by the nearly imperceptible movements

60

THE OSPREY.

NEST AND YOUNG OF YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.
Photo,s:raph from Life. [Sec page 61. )

THE OSPREY.

61

of the head that the bird performs. It
seemed to the writer that he had the
habit of sinking his head slowly down
between his shoulders, at a rate no faster
than about a millimeter per second, but
even that is sufficient to ruin your picture
if you fail to notice it during- the time of
exposure.

In the second plate here offered we have
the reproduction of a photograph of a
living- male specimen of the Cedar Bird
{Ampelis ccdronini ). This is taken about
natural size, and the
back of the bird is
towards the beholder,
it having- assumed
an attitude that it
often does when rest-
ing- after a hearty
repast. When thus
perched, with both
head and crest lower-
ed, the bird will thus
sit for as much as an
hour at a time. Fre-
quently they are seen
to do this in na-
ture, when suddenly
the flock will revive;
preen themselves;
and quickly, by unan-
imous impulse, take
off in sudden flig-ht,
to the nearest point
where ripe berries of
almost any variety
abound, and then pro-
ceed to g"org-e them-
selves in their usual
voracious manner.

TUKKEY VULTUKE (FROM LIFE.

Pho tog-raphs of
this bird, as well as of
the female and young-
have been made by

the writer at different times. In his col-
lection are to be found pictures of this
description exhibiting- the species in
nearly all of its attitudes. The young-
have been obtained in the peculiar atti-
tudes they assume at about the time they
leave the nest. Every one who knows
them have noticed the bolt uprig-ht way
they sit with their heads and necks
stretched out in a straig-ht line with their
bodies, and the whole crew as motionless
as statues.

Old Cedar Birds have the same habit,
and in my collection I have also a picture
g-iving- the male and female upon the
same plate, where the latter is thus posed.
From this circumstance she appears to be
fully an inch long-er than the male in the
picture.

If it be a difficult matter to obtain g-ood
photog-raphs of full-g-rown birds, it is
even more so in the case of nestling-s and
subadult individuals. This is due in part
to their extreme restlessness; almost con-
stant chirping-; and
to the fact that to
make an interesting-
plate we should have
two or more birds in
it. Space here will
not admit of my g-iv-
ing-all the difficulties
that are sure to con-
front the photog-ra-
pher when he comes
to undertake to
make a picture of a
nest full of young-
birds. Their eter-
nal panting-; their
twisting- and turn-
ing-, and g'aping-, and
squeaking- — first one
and then another,
a n d t h e n all to-
g-ether, areenoug-h to
madden him, to say
nothing- about his
discourag-ement. Oft-
en a half a box of
the best plates will
be expended, with
three - fourths o f a
day's steady labor,
before a nest with a
brood of young-
Warblers can be secured.

Still the writer has made many of these
and hopes to be able to make many more.
Among- the best of my results is the
nest and young- of the Yellow-breasted
Chat, taken last spring-, and this has been
selected as an illustration here, of this
difficultkindof work. The nest was found
lig-htly placed among- the twig-s of a
young- dog-wood, and the picture shows it
in situ, without the removal of a sing-le
leaf or twig-. Two of the young- dozed
away on the nest's rim ; they are full

()2

THE OSPREY.

ready to leave it, as three others of the
family had already done before them.
Several exposures were made before a
g-ood result was obtained of this subject.
In photog^raphing- nests we must use a
very small diaphrag-m, in order to g^et the
details of the materials used in its con-
struction. This entails a long-er expos-
ure, and in this case, althoug-h the ^-oung-
were apparentlv asleep, they neverthe-
less, ever and anon g-ave vent to a loud
chirp, wig'g"ling- the whole body as the}^

did so. This maneuvre was ample, how-
ever, to ruin the desired result.

Nests in all ornithological works are
very rarely well drawn, and are never
exactly what they are in nature. More-
ever they are extremely tedious objects to
properly depict, and as their exact repre-
sentation is very important for works
devoted to scientific ornitholog-y, it should
be the aim of every one able to make
correct photographs of them, to not let
such opportunities past in any sing^le
instance.

Nesting of Baird's Sparrow in North Dakota,

(Ajinnodi-aJHHS bainlii. )
BY EUGENE S. KOLFE.

□ N June 16th, 1895, while on my way
to a lonely strip of rocky land jut-
ting- out from the Indian Reserva-
tion into Devil's Lake, where I vainly
hoped to surprise the Franklin's Gull nest-
ing-. I flushed a small bird from her
nest containing- five eg-g-s of a clear blue-
ish-white ground, plentifully spotted and
sprinkled, mostly about the larg-e end,
with rich brick-red marking-s. The nest
was sunk in the g-round, flush with sur-
face at the foot of a weed stalk some
dozen inches hig-h, and lined neatly with
fine died g-rasses and a trifle of horse hair.
There was nothing- about the nest to dis-
ting-uish it from that of the Western
Vesper Sparrow, a plentiful breeder here-
abouts, yet the eg-g-s plainly did not
belong- to that species nor to the common
Savanna or Grasshopper Sparrows, with
all of which species I was fairly familiar.
So after some wearisome maneuvering- to
g-et the bird in rang-e and g-et far enoug-h
away from my No. 6 shot to prevent its
mutilation beyond possibility of identifica-
tion I killed it, but a full hour's search
among- the rank g-rass failed to reveal
the little body, and I reluctantly aban-
doned the spot, thoroug-hly satisfied that
I had taken a g-enuine set of Baird's
Sparrow, but without the necessary proof
to make the find of scientific value. Later
on I shot a pair to thoroug-hlv familiarize
myself with the species which I had often
enoug-h observed in ig-norance of their
identity.

This year I set resolutely about the
task of taking- a set and making- satis-

factory identification, and assisted by my
young- son, faithfully drag-g-ed many,
many acres of prairie in the likeliest lo-
calities and always with occasional males
of the species in sig-ht, as thev clung- to
some weed stalk and sung- out their
cheery "zip, zip, zip, g-r-r-r-r-r, " with a
slig-ht fading- in streng-th toward the end,
but beyond a couple of well-domed nests
of the Western Meadowlark, and one
each of the Bobolink and Chestnut-collared
Long-spur — both the latter containing-
young- — the rope search was unavailing-.
'However, the field collector well knows
that he does not oftenest find the object
for which he makes a specific search and
that eventually it will most likel}- be
revealed by accident.

On June 20th, 1896, while driving-
home with sets and nests of the Baldpate
and Lesser Scaup Duck, my cart wheel
nearly g-razed the much desired nest of
the Baird Sparrow sunk in the g-round on
the open prairie at the foot of a trifling-
sprig- of g^reasewood, and much like the
nest described above, except that the
lining- was more scanty and contained no
horsehair, althoug-h a fenced pasture
containing- horses was but a few rods
away. The bird sat close, allowing- my
horse to pass by without moving-, but
doubtless, was unable to brave the rattle
of the cart when too close at hand, and so
fluttered up and away for a dozen yards
and dropped suddenly into the g-rass.

My faithful mare has long- ceased to be
g-un-shy, but she has a fashion of leaving-
me alone on the prairie if I leave her

THE OSPREY.

63

alone too long-, so I made her fast to the
pasture fence, and returned to the vicinity
of the nest, but without sig-ht of the
owner, and so was compelled to leave the
neig-hborhood for an hour, and on my
return the bird flushed ag-ain, and very
accommodating-ly alig^hted on a g^opher
knoll, some forty yards away. Only one
of my shot seemed to take effect, and
that iust above the eye, but making- a
clean killing-, and g-iving- me a specimen
practically perfect for examination, and
if Dr. Coues has g-iven in his Kev a more
accurate description of any species than
of this, I have not discovered it. Except
for a difference of a trifling- fraction of
an inch in measurement of body my spec-
imen did not vary in the least from his
description.

The eg-g-s numbered four, incubation
barely perceptible, and are now in the
collection of J. Parker Norris, so that I
cannot g-ive accurately the measurements
or marking-s, but I recall that they cover
very similar to the set described above,
except that one eg-g- was in marked con-
trast to the remainder by being- quite
uniformly sprinkled instead of spotted,
and further, that the marking-s of none
were quite so rich in tint as the set taken
last year.

Some two weeks later, while driving
across an abandoned prairie farm, a
female Sparrow of this species flushed
just ahead, and turning- my horse quickly
aside, I saved the nest from being- tram-
pled, but some marauder had previously
made a visit for a broken eg-g-, with con-
tents well dried, lay just outside and the
nest contained but two egg-s, evidently so
far gone in incubation that I concluded to
leave them unmolested further. This
nest was similar to the one last described,
except that it was located among- a shorter,
scantier growth of g-rass and without an}-
weed stalk of any kind for a shade. The
advanced stag-e of incubation showed in
in the duller g-round and somewhat faded
marking-s of the eg-g-s.

I cannot understand why the nest of
this species should be so rare, or at least,
so difficult to locate. Dr. Coues says
{Key, p. 361 ) that he "found it breeding-
in profusion in Dakota, taking- 75 speci-
mens one season," and I am certain that
for the past two years, at least, it has
been a common summer resident in this
reg-ion; yet in all my twelve seasons here
and in all mj^ hundred.s of mile of travel
and search over our prairies, I have met
with their nests in only the three instan-
ces described.

Red/headed Woodpecker Locating His Prey,

BY CHARLES SLOAN KEID.

□ OES the Woodpecker locate his prey
by the sense of hearing- or that of
of touch? Not long- since I had
the rare opportunity' of observing- Mclan-
erpes ervthroccplialus out for food. I saw
him when he first perched upon a limb
near its articulation with the main trunk
of a hug-e pine. He moved slowly for-
ward, ever and anon as he advanced,
placing- the side of his scarlet-topped
head against the timber as if he were list-
ening- with an ear like the human aural
member. At length he seemed to have
located his prey, and beg-an to hammer
away vig-orously, while clasping- the limb
more closely with his drooping- wing-s.

Now was the attitude mentioned one of
listening- or one of divining- by the sense
of touch? I am rather inclined to think
it the sense of touch. It is not impossi-
ble that a finely sensitive g-ang-lion may
be located on either side of the head, which
may communicate cognizance of the very

slig-htest vibratory movement. The little
pine sawyer, or borer, which is a honiic
houchc to the Woodpecker, when working-
away just under the bark of a tree trunk,
is easily heard at a distance of three or
four feet by the attentive ear, yet the
sound is deceptive as to the local point
from which it proceeds. But by placing-
the fore muscle of the second finger
lightly upon the bark, moving- it slowly
and carefully along the surface, the slig-ht
jar occasioned by the fine sawing- of the
little worker is soon perceptible to the
sense of touch, and the sawyer located.
But when it is working- from the heart of
the limb of a tree, there can scarcely be
an appreciable sound even to the most
delicate aural nerve. These must, how-
ever, necessarily be generated a vibratory
motion, be it ever so slight; and this
enables the Woodpecker to locate his
prey by the superfine sense of touch.

64

THE OSPREY.

Nesting Habits of the Black^'throated Green Warbler,

BY J. H. BOWLES.

Jo

T^ EAUTIFUL little Dcndroica v/rciis,

~ in parts of eastern Massachusetts,
is probably the most plentiful of
all our Warblers, even the well-known
Yellow Warbler ( Dcndroica acstiva ) being-
oblig-ed to content itself with second
place. Unless one searches for it care-
fully, it would probably escape almost
unnoticed during- the breeding- season, as
it is then chiefly
c o n fi. n e d to the
tall pines and
thick cedar g-roves.
The son^, which
is continued from
their first appear-
ance late in April
until long- after
the breeding- sea-
son, is low and
sleepy, but ver}-
distincth' articu-
lated and easily
recog-nized after
being- once heard.

Like many other
birds, more so
than any others I
have studied, it
has a marked affec-
tion for a certain
locality, often con-

tinino- Itself to one makbled murkelet (from life,)

tree So much is Photographed by Geo. C. Cantwell, Juneau, Alaska.
this the case that, thoug-h repeatedly
disturbed, it continues to build its nest
year after year in the same tree and some-
times on the same branch.

Asa location for its nest, there is hardly
a place (except in the water) that these
birds have not been known to select, one
pair having- chosen a clump of ferns as
cong-enial surrounding-s for the nest, which
was placed on or very close to the g-round.
It is unnecessary to add that such a loca-
tion is excessively unusual, the nest being-
usually placed from twenty to forty feet
up in a cedar or pine tree ( sometimes
still hig-her), thoug-h birches, oaks and
other deciduous trees are frequently used.

Nest building- is often commenced as
early as the third week of May, and is
continued pretty well throug-h the month
of June. All the nests that I have seen

from Massachusetts were very frail struc-
tures, having- very thin walls and base,
and being- composed of fine dried g-rass,
rootlets, string-, etc., and lined almost
invariably with horsehair and feathers.
On the other hand, those found by my-
self in Northern New Eng-land were
strong-, bulky structures of the same ma-
terial with the addition of numerous

hemlock twig-s.
The lining-, con-
sisting- of horse
hair, line black
rootlets and and
feathers, while the
outside is trimmed
with the outer
bark of the white
birch, which adds
so much beauty to
many of the nests
of our Northern
birds.

Unless robbed, or
similarly dis-
turbed, I believe
that but one set
of eg-g-s is laid
during- the season.
This is completed
in the latter part
of May or early
in June, as a rule,
and if one wishes
fresh eg-g-s it is well to search pretty
t h o r o u g- h 1 y before June 1st. The
number of eg-g-s to a set varies from
three to five, thoug-h three is usual
and five extremely rare, one mig-ht
say accidental. Their chief characteris-
tic is a decided pinkish ting-e, which is
but little effected by the eg-g* being- either
blown or incubated, also they are more
nearly g-lobular than the eg-g-s of the
majority of our other Warblers, excepting-
those of a few species with which it would
not be easily confounded. The g-round
color is a creamy pinkish-white, spotted
more or less thickly over the entire sur-
fade with dots, rarely splotches, of redish-
brown and purple, varying- in size from
that of a pin's point to twice the size of
its head. A distinct ring- is usually
formed around the larg-er end where most

THE OSPREY.

65

of the darker marking-s are confined. In
coloring-, they vary less than the eg-g-s of
any other bird that are not immaculate,
but in size they are subject to the usual
variation. The larg-est eg-g- in my collec-
tion measures .66x.5l inches, the smallest
.58x.48, and from my experience — which
is comparatively small — the former eg-g- is
much larg-er than usual, though all other
writing-s on the subject that I have no-
ticed g-ive it as about the averag-e.

I think I hear some of the uninitiated
say: "If these birds are so common,
how is it that I have been so unlucky as
to have missed finding- them?" This
question is perfectly natural, but let him
come with me into a g-rove of cedars where
he cannot see two feet up into their mat-
ted branches and foliage, and he will say:
"Well, you have some excuse here, but
the pine trees are easy enoug-h as we can
then watch the birds." We ploug-h our

way out of the cedars andwalk along- a main
road to a grove of majestic pines where
a number of males are sing-ing-, and I tell
him to watch the birds and look around as
their are probably half a dozen nests in
that g-rove. At the first g-lance his face
takes on a vacant expression as he rea-
lizes how many places two inches in
diameter there are that he cannot possi-
bly see, and, after a long- search, selects
a bird and proceeds to lay down and
watch it. This bird seems to have no
other object in life than eating an occa-
sional insect and dig-esting it by a song-,
when suddenly he stops as if struck by an
idea, looks quickly around and — whisk —
he disappears like a shot throug-h the
tree tops. Our friend keeps this up for a
few hours long-er, always with the same
result, until, after another disappoint-
ment, he strides up to me and says
abruptly, "It's on nic^ what'll vou take?"

(General motes.

NOTES ON THE CHICKADEE.

The Chickadee — him of the black cap
and social traits of the most pronounced
type — is at once called to mind by Mr.
Widmann's article in the September Os-
PREY, and thinking- of atricapiJhis carries
me back to a damp day last March ( 1st,
1896,) when the cheery little mite showed
me a "bran new" trick of his. It was
Sunday and had been raining- most of the
morning-. I started for the woods at
noon. The Berkshires were still shroud-
ed in drifting- clouds and a thick mist
filled the valley, but such a happy flock
of Chickadees and Nuthatchs ( canadensis)
as I found along- the borders of the
wooded swamp, and such a sweet, woody
song- as the Red-breasts were sing-ing-,
only stopping- a moment now and then to
feed, chase the Chickadees about in the
most playful manner, or have a friendly
little "scrap" among- themselves. A few
White-breasts and Downys were also
with the crowd, and a flock of Redpolls,
with a chorus of pleasing- notes soon
dropped into the tree-tops. Many Black-
caps and Red-breasts were down on the
g-round under some hemlocks, feeding-
among- the cones and old rotten wood. It
was there that I saw a Chickadee fly up
to the lower dead limb of a hemlock with

a bit of decayed wood or a small cone,
which he carried in his claws, and hold-
ing- it firmly on the limb between his
feet, pecked it until something- eatable
was obtained. This performance I saw
him repeat many times, always carrying-
the bits of wood or cones with his feet.
Benjamin Hoag.
Stephentown, New York.

NOTES ON HENSLOW S SPARROW.

I think Worcester County Massachu-
setts must be very near the Northern
rang-e of this species as the few individ-
uals that strangle along- during- the last
week of April and the first week of May
appear to remain with us in undimin-
ished numbers.

Notice of their arrival is not lacking
as, returning from a leng-thy trip, you
pass throug-h their favorite piece of damp
meadow, you hear their low melodious
"cit, cit, cit, sir-it, cit-sir-it, cit-sir-et,
sir-et." Not strong and clear like the
notes of the Song- Sparrow, but just as
emphatic in their lower and more
restrained key. This song- delivered from
the top of some tall weed is seldom varied.
While uttering- it the bird holds the head
well back and drops the tail so that it
points directly at the earth, giving- the
bird the appearance of exerting- itself
g-reatly while singing-.

66

THE OSPREY.

The nest is quite a neat structure, be-
ing- built upon the g-round beneath a
weed or grass clump, and most excellently
concealed. All that I ev^er examined
were composed entirely of grass, the
coarser upon the outside and the finer
used as lining. The female exercises
great skill in the preservation of her
home, often worming her way through the
g-rass for several rods, and then not fly-
ing unless nearly trodden upon

While the clutch is being taken the
bird will remain but a few rods distant,
quietly eyeing you, but never singing
after she sees you have discovered the
nest, but if you be not so fortunate she
will mount a convenient grass stem and
exultantly utter a triumphal "see-nic, se-
nic" to her mate.

Never have I seen a nest with more
than four eggs — often three are a full
complement. They do not differ materi-
ally from the general run of coloration
met with in nearly allied species of Spar-
rows. The ground color being a pale
greenish white, blotched and spotted all
over with sepia and madder, the color
becoming darker and the marking's heav-
ier and more confluent near the larger
end, one set in my collection having a
few dots and splashes of black scattered
over their surface. This set measures
about .75x.60 as an average.

In the days following the breeding
season the birds gradually become more
silent, and until the first of September,
when the bulk depart, they are quite
retiring. But just before leaving they
cheer up again and the swampy meadow
echoes once more until the last straggling
migrant has gone South to join his com-
panions who started a few weeks previous.
Akthuk M. Fakmek.

Clinton, Mass.

MORE ALBINISM.

IN recent numbers of The Ospkev have
appeared notes on albinism. I wish
to add to the list the following:
American Robin. — Male taken in April
from a flock of normally colored birds.
Back mostly pure white, under parts mot-
tle with white, and several primaries and
secondaries white. A female taken in
early summer showing a scattering of
white throughout the plumage, including
several white wing- and tail feathers.

Both specimens taken at Millbury,
Mass., by myself.

Barn Swallow. — Young, pure white
with pink eyes; taken during the summer
at Worcester, Mass.

Field Sparrow. — Male, tail pure
white including- upper and under coverts,
otherwise in normal plumage. Shot from
a flock of the same species at Millbury,
Mass., by myself.

Red-winged Blackbird. — Several
males taken in Worcester County, Mass.,
showing a white feather here and there.

Screech Owl. — Female in red plum-
age. First three primaries of the right
wing, the first two primary coverts,
and the first and third primaries of the
left wing pure white. Shot Jan. 17th,
1896, at Millbury, Mass.

Ruffed Grouse. — Mottled with white
on the back and breast. Taken in Wor-
cester County, Mass.

BoBWHiTE. — One specimen, nearly
white; taken in Mass.

Woodcock. — One specimen, uniform
dingy white; taken in Mass.

H. T. Van Ostrand.

Morganza, Pa.

WHEATEAR in ALASKA.

I observed a Wheatear here at Juneau,
Alaska, on October 21st, among the
stones and grass of a tide marsh. I was
duck hunting at the time, and had but
two loads of four shot left. I shot both
at the bird, but for some unknown
reason it v/as unharmed, and I was obliged
to leave it hopping about the beech. I
was within a few feet of the bird at times,
and am positive of my identification,
although I had never seen a Wheatear
before. The very strangeness of the
bird, both in color, actions and note im-
mediately attracted my attention, and I
observed it very closely. I saw but the
one, and that was not to be found again
on a later visit to the place.

Juneau, Alaska. G. G. Cantwell.

A bittern in the mountains.

A Bittern was taken in the forest in
the vicinity of this place a few days since.
Its habitat is probably fifty or seventy-
five miles south of here. It was evidently
carried beyond its range by the gale, and,
having lost its course, became a wanderer
in this mountainous section.

Walhalla, S. C. C. S. Reid.

THE OSPREY.

67

LONGSPUR NOTES.

Smith's Long-spur ( Ca/carins f>irfits) is
usually considered a rare bird in Illinois.
Its visits are irreg-ular, and so far as
published accounts show few ornitholo-
g-ists have met with it here. This year,
however, it was very common in the fields
in this vicinity. The Painted Long-spur
g-enerally goes in flocks of twenty to a
hundred, and is often found with C. lap-
phouiciis- I saw about twenty-live in a
larg-e flock of Lapland Long-spurs on Oct.
3rd. Perhaps it is often overlooked on
account of its g-eneral resemblance to the
latter species.

E. Black WELDER.

Morg-an Park, 111.

ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF A BONASA
UMBKLLUS.

About eig-ht o'clock on the evening- of
October 9th, last, a Ruifed Grouse flew
with g-reat force ag^ainst a plate g-lass
window on one of the principal resident
streets of this city, and only two blocks
from the main business thoroug-hfare. It
was picked up, taken into the house,
placed in a chair and died in a few mo-
ments. On skinning- it I found it was
very badly bruised, especially on the
breast. I am at a loss to know w^hat
could have attracted it to the city at that
time of the year, food being abundant
everywhere. W. E. Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

A wood ibis in RHODE ISLAND.

On Aug-ust 8th, 1896, a young- Wood
Ibis was shot on the river at Barring-ton,
R. I., by Mr. Charles Miller, and was
g-iven to a taxidermist in this city, Mr.
Mathewson, who permits me to publish
this note. The bird was seen flying- up
the river b}- three men, who hastily went
after their g-uns, and Mr. Miller w^as for-
tunate enoug-h to shoot it. It had been
fired at recently, for a wound was found
on one wing-, which was partially healed.
This is the first record for Rhode Island
so far as I am aware of. The bird which
was mentioned in the October, 1896, Aiik^
by Mr. Wm. Brewster, was shot in See-
konk, Mass., which is within five or six
miles of Barring-ton, R. I.

H. S. Hathaway.

Providence, R. I.

LATE NESTING OF THE GREEN HERON.

On Aug-ust 17th, 1896, while g-rouse
hunting- in a small mixed wood along- the
Kenderhook Creek, I found two nests of
Ardca virescois, both containing- young-
birds. Benjamin Hoag.

Stephentown, N. Y.

GROUSE PLENTIFUL.

Prairie Sharp-tailed and Pinnated
Grouse (Prairie Hens) have been unu-
usually abundant here this fall. In a
day's travel about November 1st, one
could see numerous flocks of from 50 to
200. Geo. W. Dixon.

Watertown, S. D.

LARGE FLOCK OF CROWS.

Over 150 crows passed over here on
December 29th, about seven o'clock, fly-
ing- South-west. Were they mig-rating- or
not? George Roberts, Jr.

Hartford, Ct.

CAROLINA RAIL AT A HIGH ELEVATION.

On September 18th, 1896, I killed a
Carolina Rail on the top of this (Pinna-
cle), Mountain, 800 feet above Clinton.

C. E. Pleas.

Clinton, Ark.

ALBINO TURKEY VULTURE.

A partial albino Turkey Vulture was
seen here. A larg-er portion of its back
seemed to be white, and more than half
of each wing- was apparently without a
dark feather, but they were not a pure
white. I was very sorry it was Sunday,
for had it been any other day I should
have shot him, and took chances of pay-
ing-the city's fine of $5.00 for firing- a
gun inside the city limits.

A. M. Nicholson.

Orlando, Fla.

swallow-tailed kite.

I lately secured a specimen of this Kite
here. This species is of rare occur-
rance in this County. The last one I
noticed was about eig-ht years ag-o; form-
erly the}' were quite common. This
specimen had five frog-s and one larg-e
g-rasshopper in its stomach.

C. Fritz Henning.

Boone, Iowa.

68

THE OSPREY.

LATE DEPARTURE.

October 29th, I observed a Crested Fly-
catcher {M\'i archils crinitiis) feeding- on
the berries of a vine near my window.
A few days previous the g-round was
white with snow, and the thermometer
reg'istered several degrees below the
freezing point. W. S. Johnson.

Boonville, N. Y.

A QUEER NESTING SITE.

While collecting with a friend in June,
1895, we came across an orchard situated
near a dumping ground for old tin cans,
ashes, etc. Boys had evidently been
there and thrown the old tin cans around,
and one of the cans had lodged in the
lower branches of an apple tree, five feet
from the ground. In this queer situation
a Chipping Sparrow had built its nest,
and raised a family of four, which were
about ready to fly when discovered by us.
F. E. Newbury.

Providence, R. I.

American Ornithologist's Union,

The fourteenth annual Congress of the
American Ornithologists, held in Cambridge,
Mass., last November, proved one of the most
successful since its foundation Many active
and associate members were present and the
attendance of the public was unusually large.

The officers of the previous year were re-
elected. One active and seventy-eight associ-
ate members were elected.

Miss Maria R. Audubon, grand-daughter of
the celebrated naturalist, was present each day,
and in her behalf Dr. Elliott Coues exhibited
several recently discovered manuscript journals
of John James Audubon. The finding of these
priceless treasurers completes the broken link
in the chain of Audubon's note books, and
when published must surely clear up some long
disputed points about his writings.

The report of the Committee on the Protec-
tion of North American Birds, read b^- the
chairman, Mr. Dutcher, was a most valuable
document, g^iving in detail the good work
accomplished b^' the committee during the
year 1896. It will be published in The Auk, the
official organ of the Union, and reprinted as a
separate pamphlet.

Dr. Coues had a veritable surprise for those
present when he showed an advance copy of the
volume containing the papers presented to the
World's Congress on Ornithologj' held at Chi-
cago in 1893. The book has since been sent out
to subscribers. He stated that he was engaged
in the preparation of a new edition of his "Key
to North American Birds" and mentioned
other works on ornithologj' that would soon be
given to the public.

The afternoon of the first day was devoted
entirely to the papers hy Messrs. Frank M.
Chapman and William Brewster, entitled "An
Ornithological Tour in Yucatan," and "Some
New England Birds' Nests." Both were illus-
trated with lantern slides.

On the second day the reading of papers
began with one by Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr.,
on "The Philadelphia Vireo." Dr. Dwight has
had exceptional opportunities for studying this
little-known bird, and gave many new facts
regarding its life history'. This paper was fol-
lowed by one by the same author on "The
Moult of the Song Sparrow, and of the Red-
eyed Vireo." Judge John N. Clark read as the
the third title, "Notes on the Black Rail in
Southern Connecticut." and exhibited the set of
four eggs found b^- him In the afternoon Mr.
Abbott H. Thayer gave an open-air talk dem-
onstrating his theory of the principles of pro-
tective coloration.

During the morning of the third day Dr. C.
Hart Merriam spoke informally about some of
the birds of Oregon, and Mr. Brewster exhib-
ited a series of Redpolls and explained two
curious birds' nests. The opening paper of the
afternoon was by Mr. Geo. H. Mackay on "The
Terns of Penikese Island, Massachusetts. "
Owing to lack of time the following papers
were read by title :

"The Fringillidae of Dodge County, Wiscon-
sin " by Will Edwin Sn3'der.

"Some Notes on the Nesting Habits of the
White-tailed Kite," \ty Chester Barlow.

"On the Terns of Muskeget Island, Massa-
chusetts," by Geo. H. Mackay.

The members appreciated the kindness of
Messrs. Chester Barlow and C. W. Crandall in
sending six sets of eggs of the White-tailed
Kite for exhibition. They were fine specimens,
and we understand were all taken by Mr.
Barlow.

The next meeting of the Union will be held
in New York City, beginning Nov. 8, 1897.

Michigan Ornithological Club.

The annual meeting of the Club was held at
the home of the Librarian, Mr. E- J. Cole, on
Dec. 11, 1896 The afternoon was devoted to
the transaction of business and the evening to
the presentation of papers.

The reports of the retiring officers and com-
mittees showed the affairs of the club to be in a
flourishing condition The Treasurer reported
a balance on hand. The following officers
were elected :

President— A. B. Durfee, Grand Rapids,
re-elected.

Vice President — W. A. Davidson, Detroit.

Secretary — Eeon J. Cole, Grand Rapids.

Treasurer — Mrs. F. A. Kelsey, Goose Isle.

Librarian — B. R. Laraway, Grand Rapids.

Prograin, collection, and migration commit-
tees were elected. New members elected are
one active, four associate and four honorary.

On account of the scattered membership it
was decided to publish a quarterly bulletin in
which full accounts of the workings of the club
shall be published. Its sole object shall be the
promotion of Michigan Ornithology.

THE OSPREY.

69

The next annual meeting- will be held at Lan-
sing, Michig-an.

The first article at the evening- session was
presented b3' Mr. Percy Selous of Greenville,
and was read b3' Mr. Miilliken, in the author's
absence. Mr. Selous entered a plea for mercy
toward the English Sparrow, and his article
led to a leng-thj- discussion of the subject. The
final verdict was that as far as the driving away
of our birds is concerned, the bird is a nui-
sance.

Mr. T. L. Hankinson, Ag-ricultural College,
presented an article entitled, "The Progress of
Ornithology' in Michigan." He began with the
list of Lager (1839), and carried the subject up
to the list of Cook (1893), and the organization
of the Club, dwelling in full on the late Hon.
D. D. Hughes and Chas. W. Tunn.

Mr. L. W. Watkins, of Manchester, presented
an article on "'Bird Migration," which led to
considerable discussion.

Mr. W. E. Mulliken, Grand Rapids, read a
paper entitled"The Limticolcr oi Ottowa County,
Michig-an." He enumerated twelve species
and gave the results of his observations on
them in Ottowa County. The article was illus-
trated by a collection of birds.

The program was concluded b3' an article by
Mr. Cole, of Grand Rapids, entiled, "The His-
tory of Baird's Sandpiper, Tringa bairdii,
(Coues) in Michigan." Some ten specimens
are now known to have been taken in Michi-
gan.

Mr. Watkins exhibited his specimen of Cory's
Least Bittern, the onU' one taken in the state
so far.

The meeting-s were of great interest and each
member present declared his intentions of
y)eing present at the next meeting.

Leon J. Cole, Sec'y.

Correspondence.

The Chicago Academy of Sciences,

The Ornithological Section of the Chicago
Academy of Sciences, which was organized
November 6th, 1895, with a membership of
eight, is now in a very prosperous condition.
Our membership roll now numbers eig-hteen,
and the meeting'-s which are held on the first
Wednesday of each month are well attended bj'
members and their friends.

The meetings are held in the Lecture Hall of
the Academy's Museum in Lincoln Park or in
the office of J. G. Parker & Co.. 100 Washington
Street.

The last meeting was held Wednesday even-
ing, December 2nd, at 8 p. m. in the office of J.
G. Parker & Co., with the vice chairman, Mr.
J. G Parker, Jr., in the chair

The paper of the evening was read by Mr. F.
M. Woodruff, entitled, " A Collecting Trip to
Cape Cod, Mass." The talk was illustrated by
specimens and photographs taken on the trip.

Editor The Osprey:

I was much interested in Mr. Chas. K.
Worthen's article in the October Ospkev, en-
titled " Albinism, Melanism and Hybridism."
I notice that all the cases of melanism he re-
ports are Raptorcs, while only one of the al-
binos, the Bald Eagle, is of that order. Is me-
lanism more prevalent among the birds of prey
than among other birds? He g'-ives several al-
binos, or partial albino, ducks, but it was in
this family that I had brought to my notice,
this spring, a striking case of melanism which
may prove of interest to the readers of The
Ospkev

While Mr. W. E. Mulliken and I were collect-
ing at Black Lake, Ottawa County, on April
25th. we shot a male Lesser Scaup Duck which
is strongly colored on the breast and belU' with
light rufous, especially bright where it borders
the black on the breast and sides. The natural
white of these parts shows through in places
giving a sort of mottled appearance. It seems
that the feathers are only tipped with rufons.
Nor is this color by any means confined to the
parts above mentioned: the tail is the same
color, and it is also evident on the tips of the
secondaries, on the back, in a sort of ring
around the neck, and even on the head.

Four American Scaup Ducks, which we shot
at the same time, showed no trace of this color-
ation, and I have never known of its being
found in one of that species.

Mr. L. Whitney Watkins says he has seen
Lesser Scaup with just a dash of rusty tipped
feathers on breast', and T. L. Hankinson has a
specimen taken at Hill dale, Mich., which is
also slightly marked, but I have never seen
another nearly so heavily marked as the one
described. Very truly yours,

Leon J. Cole.

Grand Rapids, Mich , Dec 9, '96.

An invitation has Ijeen received to attend
the Cooper Club's anntial assembly at San
Jose, California, Jan. 9th. The invitation card
is elaborately gotten up; it includes four
pages, giving portraits of the officers for '96,
and programme of the meeting.

Editor The Osprey:

The December Osprey received and enjoyed
as usual. I see our California editor is wonder-
ing where the Robins and Varied Thrushes are.
A few of the Thrushes have skipped Alameda
and located at the Park and Presidio in San
Francisco. The Robins are thronging by hun-
dreds all over the hills around Sansahto and
Tamalpias. I saw several bunches of Robins
in the mark-^t the other day, and effectually
scared the Italian. who had them, by threatening
to inform on him for violation of game laws,
Robins being "forbidden fruit."

Mr. Silloway's experience with the Swallows
reminds me of a similar one of mine with a col-
of Tree and Violet Green vSwallows this sum-
mer. There was an old reservoir on the Stain
slaus River, and it formed a pond half a mile
long and 400 yards wide, at an average depth
of four feet, and was studded with old tree
stumps full of holes and nests. We took sev-
eral sets while there and every time a feather
dropped a Swallow swooped for it, and made off
with a cloud of others following, chatting and
fighting to get the feather.

Henry B. Kaeding.

San Francisco, Cal., Dec. 12, 1896.

70

THE OSPREY.

Ifieccnt literature,

A Popular Handbook of the Ornithology
of Eastern North America. By Tlwuias
Nuttall. Second revised and annotated edi-
tion by Montag-ue Chamberlain. With addi-
tions and one hundred and ten illustrations in
colors. Vol. 1., Land Birds; Vol. 2., Game and
Water Birds. Boston; Little, Brown and
Company, 1896. 2 vols. Crown 8mo., pp. 904.
Cloth, $7.50; half morocco, 113.50.

The second edition of Nuttall's Handbook;
though not now, as was the first edition of over
60 years ag-o, the only commendable work on
birds suited to the average reader; is expected
to take a prominent place among our latter-
day popular publications. This old favorite in
its new form includes all of Nuttall's delight-
ful discriptions.to which have been added by Mr.
Chamberlain's proficient pen, notes giving the
changed and corrected information of the pres-
ent day, including the new species and sub-
species not known or recognized in Nuttall's
time.

The two volumes are of a size suited to the
use of a student's field handbook, but it would
seem of additional convenience had each vol-
ume a seperate index.

The twenty delicately colored plates, contain-
ing one hundred and ten species, are of great
value in a popular handbook The numerous
woodcuts and pen drawings are, as is so often
true of bird-portraiture in popular works, of
varying merit; though the greater number are
good.

Papers Presented to the Horld's Congress on
Ornithology, edited by Mrs. E. Irene Rood,
Chairman Woman's Committee of the Con-
gress, under the direction of Dr. Elliott Coues,
President of the Congress, ex-President of the
American Ornithologists' Union. Chicago,
Charles H. Sergei Company, 1896. pp. 208. Half
leather, $5.00 net.

This book is a report and memento of the
Division of Ornithology in the World's Con-
gress Auxiliary of the World's Columbian
Exposition, held in Hall No 23 of the Memorial
Art Palace at 2 p. m. of Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18-21, 1893. The
opening address was" made by the late Rev.
Dr. David Swing

In the book as published; following the an-
nouncement of the committee in charge, list of
advisory council, and "Publishers' Note;" is
given the masterly Presidential Address by Dr.
Elliott Coues. followed by the papers selected
by the committee for publication. The work is
a valuable addition to an ornithologist's library.

The book is neatly printed on deckel-edge
paper; and is sold onl3' by subscription, the
edition being limited to 600 copies.

Note and Comment.

Mr. Walter E. Bryant has left Oakland to
reside in Santa Rosa, Cal.

John W. Maillard, of San Francisco, has
returned from a business trip in the East.

An albino "partridge" (Bob-white) is the
latest sensation among the sportsmen of Hart-
ford, Conn.

The first annual meeting of the United Orni-
thologists of Maine, was held at Gardiner,
Dec. '28ht and 29th.

TJie Nidologist has not yet appeared for
November. Wood Pewee's eggs hatching good.
Brother Taylor?

Dr. A. C. Murchison sends the editor of
The Ospkey a specimen of the Golden Eagle,
shot near Kewanee, 111.

Invitations to outside ornithologists and
Oologists will be in order at the January meet-
ing of the Cooper Club.

An invitation was received to attend a meet-
ing and banquet of the Southern Division of
the Cooper Ornithological Club, held at High-
land Park, Cal., Dec 28th.

Dr. Nansen, the arctic explorer, carried on his
late expedition a number of carrier pigeons;
one of these, we are told, returned to Mrs.
Nansen from the arctic regions, covering a
thousand miles of ice and another thousand of
ocean, bringing good news from the expedi-
tion.

Mr. Mark Mason, of the Chicago Board of
Trade, called at our office Jan. 2d.

Due honor is given Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright
in The Critie of Nov. 21st, where her pleasing
portrait appears with an article of good length.
We republish a portion of the article as ap-
peared in The Critic :

"Mrs. Wright is the daughter of the late Rev.
Dr. Samuel Osgoed, and the wife of Mr. J. O.
Wright, the well-known dealer in rare books.
So, through her father, whose close companion
she was as a child, and through her husband's
and her own tastes, she has always lived in an
atmosphere of books. While 3'et a school girl
she wrote verses that were printed in the New
York Evening Post, but she did not take up
writing seriously until after her marriage, nor
until she had be twice abroad. Then, in 1893,
she wrote a series of rural sketches for The
Evening Post, the first of which was called
"Spring-time in New England." Others fol-
lowed in the New York Times, and the sugges-
tion of discerning friends these sketches were
gathered together and published in book form
by the Macmillan Co., under the title of "The
Friendship of Nature." The press and public
of America and England received the book
with flattering expressions, and they were quite
right in their judgment, for it is a charming
performance Two years later "Birdcraft"
appeared. This book was written from the
author's own observations and experiences at
her home. "Waldstein," Fairfield, Conn. There
the birds are fed and protected and treated as
valued friends."

THE OSPREY.

71

California department

Donald A. Cohen, Editor, Alameda, Cal.

THE cold weather in the Northwest is
driving- birds unusually far South
this winter. One bird, not coming-
directly under my notice was a Snowy Owl,
a fine specimen, shot almost within the city
limits by a hunter, on the edg-e of San
Francisco Bay. This bird was taken
Dec. 2, in broad day lig-ht, sitting- on the
hard, sandy beach below a larg-e salt
marsh, and was
quite closel}'
approached
without exhibi-
ting- any fear.
L. Belding- in
"Land Birds of
the Pacific Dis-
trict," g-ives its
record from
British Colum-
bia, Washing-
ton and Oreg-on,
as a rare winter
resident to rare
winter visitant,
and in another
work it is re-
corded as hav-
ing- occurred in
Texas, South
Carolina and
Bermuda. From
this it is appar-
ent that a few
occasional y
reach California
althoug-h no direct record is g-iven. Three
more Snowy Owls were reported having-
been taken within a few days of this one
in Sonoma County, about 75 miles north
of Alameda County, while from consider-
ably farther north, in Humbolt County,

San Dieg-o in June '88 and contained the
two eg-g-s slig-htly incubated. The nest
rests on one of the "links" or joints of the
bushy cactus ( OpiDifia sp. ) so abundant
in Southern California. In the picture
you can see where the branch was broken
from the main trunk.

The nest is a slig-ht thing-, as Hummer's
nests g-o, with only a thin bottom, so that
two or three of the sharp spines project
ag-ainst the eg-g-s in a formidable manner.
This nest was detected by the usual
method of watching- the female bird.

RiCHAKD C. McGregor.

NEST AND EGGS OF COSTA's HUMMINGBIRD
TAKEN FROM CACTUS.

f'dta ) was
recent trip,

added to his

W. Otto Em-
erson, of Hay-
wards, is spend-
ing- the g-reater
part of Decem-
ber at Pacific
Grove, where
he will put in
the time with
oils and canvas,
reproducing-
som e of the
g-rand coast
scenery and in-
cidentally take
a few photo-
g-raphs and
capture an}'
stray water
birds of value
on that thickly
traveled water-
h i g- h w a y . A
Rhinocero s
Auklet ( Ccror-
Jiinca monoce-
coUection on a

the San Francisco
Dec. 8, that Snow}'
in flocks.

Chronicle prints on
Owls were observed

NESTS of Hummers are always an
object of especial interest to the
eg-g- collector, and as I have a pic-
ture of a rather peculiar one, I thoug-ht
the readers of The Osprey would like to
see it also. This nest was collected near

The reg-ular monthly meeting of the
Cooper Club was held Dec. 5, at San Jose
at the residence of C. Barlow, with a fair
attendance, including^ two visitors. Offi-
cers were nominated for 1897, several
papers were read, the routine of business
g-one throug-h and the club adjourned to
meet Jan. 9, at San Jose.

R. S Wheeler of Alameda, Cal., is contemplat-
ing-a trip to Alaska next spring", having- eng-ag-
ed an easy situation with a ftir company. He
intends to hustle for some of the rare eg-gs found
there.

72

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted
Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BY

WAIvTER ADAMS JOHNSON.

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One
Dollar a year, in advance.

Single copies. Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription : One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents. Post-
age paid to all countries in the Universal Postal Union.

Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contributions
are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to Editors
at office of publication.

Copy for advertisements and all matter for publication shoidd
be in the publisher's hands by the fifteenth of the month pre-
ceding publication.

The resident locality of contributors are given when nature of
article requires it.

Entered at the Galesburg Postoffice as mail matter of the
second class.

Address all business communications to

THE OSPREY CO.,

217 Main Street, GALESBURG, ILL

JANUARY, 1897.

The new edition of Dr. Coues' "Key to North
American Birds," is expected to be published
under the date of 1897. The old edition is now
being thoroug-hly revised by the author; and,
thoug-h much new matter will be added, it is
hoped to keep the bulk of the book to about
that of the last edition. Now, that the classi-
fication and nomenclature are practicalh'
settled for some time to come, bj- the late
edition of the A. O. U. "Check List," the
opportune moment has arrived for a new edi-
tion of this work: one which has for the
last twenty years aided so many of us in g-ain-
ing- a knowledg-e of birds. In order that the
new edition be fresh in every particular the
illustrations should not be forgotten, and there-
fore a number of the old cuts will be retired,
after long and faithful service, and to replace
them there is now being prepared, under the
supervision of Dr. Coues, new drawings by Louis
Agassiz Fuertes: an artist, who is known to us
as one of the few competent portrayers of
of bird-life.

The specimens collected by Prof. D. G. Elli-
ot's African expedition reached the Field
Columbian Museum, Chicago, December 24th,
and now the work of unpacking is well under
way. The numerous authenticated news-
paper stories show that this collection, which
will be a feature of the museum, was acquired
only through the evident dangers accompany-
ing such an expedition. Prof. Elliot suffered a
severe attact of fever, of which his face vet shows

traces; and he believes that Prof. Akeley is the
only man who has strangled to death a leopard
in a hand-to-hand conflict. They had no seri-
ous trouble with the natives, but some inter-
esting stories of them can be told. Black and
White (London) of November 28th, devotes a
page to an interview with Prof. Elliot.

Chief Simon Pokagon, whose article was
published in the December Ospkev, also has a
paper entitled "The Wild Pigeon of North
America," in the November number of The
Chautauquan. The "Long'-fellow" of the Indian
race has here written a most interesting storj^
of the Wild Pigeon as he has seen it between
the years 1840 and 1880.

The head-piece in this number was drawn by
Mr. P. Wilber Shoop of Abingdon, 111. The series
of illustrated popular articles appearing- in
recent issues of the Chicago Record hy Mr. Shoop
have caused favorable comment.

Mr. Isador S. Trostler, of Omaha, Neb.,
wishes to secure the appointment as Chief of
the Department of Nattxral History at the
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposi-
tion, to be held at Omaha, 1898. Friends that
desire to aid Mr. Trostler should send him a
letter at once, endorsing and recommending
his appointment.

U. S. Department of Agriculture, j

BioEOGiCAU Survey, :-

Washington, D. C. )

Mr. W. a. Johnson : — Dear Sir:— In 1891 the
State of Illinois passed a law providing a bounty
of two cents apiece for English Sparrows killed
during the months of December, January and
February'. The law is still in force and the
clerk of Knox County reports tiiat about $150
have been expended for this purpose up to the
present time — representing the destruction of
nearly 7,500 sparrows in the county. Has the
expenditure caused any noticeable decrease in
number of English Sparrows in your vicinity,
and do 3'ou know of any cases in which any
species besides the English Sparrow has been
killed for the bounty?

RespectfulU',

T. S. Paumek,
Acting Chief of Division.

It is our opinion that this law will not be
effectual in decreasing- numbers of the Eng--
lish Sparrow in this locality, and perhaps not
prevent the increase. No doubt boys kill
species of native Sparrows, and even birds of
other families, but it is a question whether in
sufficient numbers to be detrimental to the
law.

The city clerk of Galesburg reports that many
English Sparrows are now being killed for
the State bounty. This fact brings forth some
denunciation of this law, for the "Sparrows"
still have their friends among kind-hearted
people; and probably some "hard-hearted"
scientists, v.'ho see economic reasons for their
decrease, have regretted the necessity of their
death.

When (?) a Sparrow Commission is estab-
lished bj' Congress, backed bj' plenty of money,
the problem may be solved, — perhaps.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

GALESBURG, ILL., FEBRUARY, 1897.

Vol. 1. No. 6.

$1.00 A Year.

INSTANTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPH OF A GULL IN FLIGHT.

The Kinglets and Their Distribution.

BY EDWIN IRVINE HAINES.
(Read before the Linncpatt Societv of N'ezu }'ork.)

NEXT to the Humming- birds in
size ( of our Eeistern birds ) are the
King-lets; there are two varieties,
distinguished by their brig-ht crests, the
(jolden-crowned, and the Ruby-crowned.
In ornitholog-ical books the Golden-
crowned King-let is said to be a common
winter resident of our Central Eastern
States summering- from the Northern
States,northward, and southward along- the
Alleg-hany Mountains to North Carolina,
thoug-h it is said to occasionally breed in
the larg-e pine swamps of Pennsylvania.
The Rubv-crown, as far as known, is

said to be a transient visitant or a mi-
g-rant, presumably a resident during- the
summer months of hig-h Northern reg-ions,
and wintering- from South Carolina, and
Southern Illinois, south to Guatemala.
'Tt is the exception that proves the rule,''
however, for recently I found the Golden-
crowned King-let an abundant summer
resident at Stamford, Delaware County,
New York, situated in the Northwestern
Catskill Mountains, about 175 miles
north of New York City. Mr. E. P.
Bicknell records Golden-crowned King--

74

THE OSPREY.

lets from Ulster County in the Eastern
Catskills, but these records are not very
surprising- when we recollect that the
Catskills are really a spur of the Alleg-ha-
nies, and both rang-es belong" to the Appa-
lachian system. Thoug-h classed as a mi-
g-rant, the Ruby-crowned King-let occa-
sionally strays Northward or remains be-
hind after the Fall mig-ration and is found
often in Winter, north of its g-eneral Win-
ter range. It has been found in Winter,
in Washing-ton, D. C, in St. Louis, Mo.,
and in numbers in Southeastern Missouri,
last Januar}'. I saw a pair of birds busy
looking- for food in one of the trees in our
orchard ( New Rochelle, N.Y. ) November
19 and on December 1, I observed asing-le
bird, in one of the larch trees, thoug-h
there was a half of foot of snow on the
g-round. West of the Mississippi River
the Ruby-crown is a common mig-rant, in
Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and the other
States, breeding- in the Rocky Mountains,
Sierra Nevada and the mountains of Ari-
zona and other rang-es, along- the Pacific
slope to Lower California. There are
several partly confirmed reports of its be-
ing- seen or taken in Summer, in the East-
ern States, but the only well-established
record of breeding- in the Eastern United
States is that of Mr. S. E. White, who
took a nest with five young- on Mackinac
Island, July 26, 1890.

It is said to have occurred in Summer,
in Western New Hampshire, Indiana, and
to remain in small numbers in North-
eastern Ohio, but the records are not
reliable or confirmed. My paper pre-
sented before the Linna?an Society of
New York, on October 24, 1896, entitled
"The Birds of the Vicinity of Stamford,
Delaware County, New York," contains
the following- account of this bird: "This
rare King-let is found near Stamford,
thoug-h not abundantly, and only com-
mon, in a ravine between two mountains,
that was very thickly filled with briars,
willows, elderberry bushes, pines, hem-
locks, balsams, etc., the g-round being-
damp and marshy. There were about
six pairs of birds there, but were difticult
to approach on account of their shyness.
I first discovered them July lU, 1896, but
it was not until the eig-hteenth that I
secured a pair of birds (male and female ).
I g-ot another male specimen in a bushy
swamp on the upper Delaware River
(near a small brook) on July 16, 1896.

All the specimens were in a stag-e of moul-
ting-, and the female's breast was almost
destitute of feathers and had a thick
layer of fat beneath the skin, which,
according- to experts upon the subject of
moulting-, shows the birds were nesting-
when secured. The occurrence of the
Golden-crown in Summer in the Catskills,
is not very remarkable (thoug-h worth
recording-) as it is known to nest along-
the Alleg-hanies, but the Ruby-crowned
King-let does not nest along- the Alleg-ha-
nies and the few Summer records of it, in
the Eastern United States are not reliable,
therefore the occurrence of this King-let
in Southern New York State in July, is
not only surprising- but also very remark-
able. These birds could not have possibly
been mig-rants, as a look at a few records
of its mig-ration in Spring- and Fall near
New York City, from well-known orni-
tholog-ists will verify. Dr. E. A. Mearns,
in his "List of the Birds of the Hudson
Hig-hlands," as recorded from Hig-hland
Falls, N. Y., g-ives as follows:

In Fall transit, returns from the North,
September 22 ; departs for the South,
November 2.

In Spring- transit, arrives from the
South, April 13-23; departsfor the North,
May 9-18.

And Prof. C. Hart Merriam, in his "Re-
view of the Birds of Connecticut" as
follows:

In Spring- transit, arrives from the
South, April 11; departs for the North,
May 16.

In Fall transit, returns from the North,
October 13; departs for the South, October
24.

If the birds leave us as late as May 16,
they could reach their Summer homes by
June and remain there until late Aug-ust,
and returning-, reach us by early Septem-
ber, hence all Rub^'-crowned King-lets
found near Stamford during- the month of
July were not mig-rants, but were sum-
mer residents of the places they inhab-
ited.

Would it not be well then, to g-ive in
place of the former distribution in the
Eastern United States of the Ruby-
crowned King-let the following-: — Princi-
pally a mig-rant, but wintering- on rare
occasions, g-enerally summering- in hig-h
Northern reg-ions, but sometimes found
here and there, among- the hig-her valleys
in the midst of mountain ranires in differ-

THK OSPREY.

75

ent parts of the country. Nature is won-
derful in her various moods and some-
times misleads us and upsets our theories,
as in the case of living- Mastodons of
Alaska. It will be a long- time before

man can clearly understand all of Nature's
ways, and learn the habits of her children,
and that time may be away down the
murky and distant aisles of the future,
and then perhaps — never.

Brown Pelican on Indian River,

BY DK. MOKKIS GIBBS.

□ N the Gulf coast, and as well as the
Atlantic coast of Florida, are many
breeding locations of the Brown
Pelican; "pelicanaries,"we may call them.
Many of these nest-
ing sites were once
occupied by several
thousands of pairs of
birds who annually
reared their young- in
seclusion; but with
the opening up of the
country to settlers
and tourists, these
pelicanaries have
been sadly devastat-
ed, and many of them
totally obliterated.
For as soon as reg-
ular steam boat lines
and railroads can take
winter visitors to
out-of-the-wa}' pla-
ces, then the decima-
tion of the creatures
of the invaded dis-
tricts begins, and
like the destruction
among the heronries
or with the (tuIIs and
Terns at the North,
it continues until the
few remaining birds
are driven away.

During my winter
sojourns in the South
careful observations
convinced me that the wholesale destruc-
tion of game, fish and the birds of plum-
age is almost wholly due to the destructive
desires of the tourists who want to slay
everything that walks the earth, swims
or flies. The destructive desire is also
largely augmented by the demands of
giddy, vain women for Heron's plumes and
other plumage; a demand which supplies
employment to reckless, irresponsible

GREAT HORNED OWL (FROM LIFE

Copyiit;hted.

persons who ruthlessly slaughter right
and left during nesting- seasons when
feathers are best, and who will keep it
up as long as there is money in it. I
could write a book
full of'condemnatory
material on the sub-
ject of idle destruc-
tion, and the use of
plumage for hat dec-
oration, but then
denunciation is idle.
Let me say one word
in defense of legiti-
mate collecting,
whether of birds or
eggs : collectors do
not accomplish one
hundredth of the
destruction which
occurs seasonally in
Florida, then, too,
they have something-
to show for their
efforts. The same
will apply to all
parts of the country
as well.

On February 17,
1891, a party of us
visited an extensive
nesting site of the
Brown Pelican on
Indian River, Flor-
ida. The pelicanary
was situated on an
island of three or
four acres in extent, and most of us cal-
culated there were at least between 3,000
and 4,000 birds on the island and vicinity
at the time of our arrival, while some
maintained that there were at least
twice that number, which may be cor-
rect, as we well knew that a great number
of the birds were away on a fishing trip,
as they are known to fly up and down
the coast for twenty miles or more for

76

THE OSPREY.

PELICAN ISLAND, INDIAN RIVER, FLORIDA.

food. The size of the advanced young-
gave evidence that nesting" probably be-
g"an by the first of January, if not by
December 15. A few of the young- we
judg-ed to be at least three weeks old, and
as incubation probably occupies a month,
a reasonable inference may be drawn as
to the beg-inning- of nest-building-.

Nearly all of the nests were built on
the sand, and thoug-h a few complete
nests were still empty, about all contained
two, three or four eg-g-s, or young-, or
both. Three eg-g-s appear to be the
usual set, althoug-h several held four and
many more only two, while some nests
held a sing-le incubated eg-g-. A g-reat
many nests just started were also distrib-
uted about, and litter, dead birds, old and
young-, and a few fish were scattered
around, making- a most untidy and unat-
tractive spot, which only the g-entle
breeze made endurable. Many old nests,
some of previous years I doubt not were
in evidence, thoug-h the occasional rush
of the tide over the low island makes this
doubtful.

A few black mang-roves at the edg-e of
the island held nests on their bare, irreg--
ularlj shaped branches. These nests were

built at from five to fifteen feet up. They
differed from those on the g-round in hav-
ing- more larg-e sticks and being- firmer
and more compact, and g-enerally smaller
in diameter. The nests in the trees were
probably built first as they all contained
young-. The nests on the g-round were
often built to a heig-ht of nine inches and
a few were quite a foot hig-h, but the
majority were not above five inches and
some not three. As a rule the nests
were about two feet in diameter, but
some were four to six inches larg-er, and
many were considerably less. The}^ were
all composed of coarse, dead g-rass and
rushes, and mixed with twig-s and sticks,
some over three feet long-. Some were
constructed shiftlessly and a few were
very neat affairs of their kind, when just
completed. It was evident from
examination that the birds when setting-
g-enerally occupied the same position,
with the head toward the water. In
those nests containing- larg-e young- the
structures were usually much disarrang^ed
and beaten down, and were in some cases
pulled to pieces, the squabs sitting-
in the ruins. There were probably 200
nests containing- eg-g-s or young-, while

THE OSPREY.

77

man}- held both eg-g-s and young- quite a
week old. In some nests could be seen
birds which varied in ag"e a week or ten
days, and in one case dissimilarity was
so g-reat that the larg-er bird was trying-
to swallow his diminutive companion.
We were informed that when the eg-g-s
roll from the nests onto the g-round that
there are frequent lig-hts among- the old
birds as to rig-ht of possession. This
story would seem incorrect when we con-
sider that in no nest were there found
more than four eg-g-s and young-, for some
old birds more pug-nacious would secure
more than their share, but still the habit
may obtain and the Pelican know full
well when the complement of four is at-
tained. Anyway the eg-g-s g-et chang-ed
about in some unexplained manner and
the emerg-ing- of the young- in a nest often
varies much in time.

The young- when first out are without
covering- and are toug-h-looking- thing-s;
in truth, at no time in its existence can
we in any way allude to the Brown Pel-
ican as handsome; they are simply curi-
ous and ludicrous. When the youngs are a
few days old they are covered with down
and present a very odd appearance as they
attempt to waddle out of one's way; or
later when they g-et sassy and sit up
straig-ht and hiss at an intruder. Even
the young-est birds appeared to take
frig-ht at our presence and tried to escape,
some leaving the nests and taking- to the
sand, where they quickly died from heat
or fright, the temperature being- at nearly
one hundred deg-rees in the sunshine.

Dissection of the squabs proved that
the old birds fed the very young- with
small pieces of fish, which they undoubt-
edly partially dig-est and disg-org-e, after
the manner of some of the Herons I have
studied. As soon as the young-sters are
of sufficient size they are fed on full
sized fish, and the capacity of a three-

pounder is surprising-. Some of the
larg-er young- were seen sitting bolt up-
rig^ht with the tail of a fish sticking- out
of the mouth. These larg-er squabs g"en-
erally disg-org-e the fish when approached,
but some could not manag-e it as the fish,
eig-ht or ten inches long-, stuck in the g-ul-
let, the spines presenting- the wrong- way;
and the unfortunate young- Pelican would
strain and wrig-g-le about to relieve itself
so as to be able to hiss and intimidate us.

We secured a couple of hundred fresh
eg-g-s which made nice specimens. They
are too well known to require description
here, but will say for those who have not
seen the egg that they are white, with a
thick calcareous coating-, and in size are
about half way between a hen's and a
g-oose's eg-g-.

On my last trip to the island, several
years later, the colony was found to be
g-reatly diminished in size, and the nests
proportionately fewer, all due to the in-
considerate, destructive nature of the
tourist. Truly a case of man's inhuman-
ity to birds.

On one of my trips to Florida I stopped at
an isolated hotel for tourists, where were
domiciled Professor Jenks, of Brown
University; Wm. T. Hornaday, the cele-
brated taxidermist; Mr. Dexter, who had
accompanied Ag-assiz on his Amazonian
trip, and several lesser lig-hts; all inter-
ested in zoolog-y, and intent on investig-a-
tion. They rig-g-ed up a laboratory out-
side under the live oaks and palmettoes
and prepared Pelican and other bird
skins. A half mile away old ocean could
be heard booming- on the shore, while the
notes of the Robins, Red Birds and early
mig-rating- Warblers could be heard all
about us. Those were happy days, and
long- to be remembered, for what can be
more ag-reeable than a company of con-
g-enial associates, and in a land of sun-
shine?

The Circling Loon,

BY K. M. BARNKvS.

IN the latter part of April, 1889, one
warm sunny day, about five o'clock, I
could have been found lazily floating-
in my boat on the water flooding the bot-
toms of the Illinois river, about three
miles below Lacon, making a swamp in
the neig-hborhood of two miles wide, in-

terspersed with small opening-s, patches
of heavy timber and bunches of willow.
I had put in a hard day's collecting, had
tied my boat to a small willow and was
eating- a lunch. Suddenly my attention
was attracted by a very larg-e shadow
passing- over the water, and the rush of

78

THE OSPREY.

something- throug-h the air quite close to
me; on looking- up, I saw what appeared
to me to be a huge bird of very bright,
white breast and under parts ; making
great circles in the air, flapping its wings
and then sailing.

One of these circular movements
brought it almost directly over me and
within perhaps fifty to seventy-five yards
from where I was sitting. Taking my
glass, I examined the stranger with a great
deal of interest, and at once saw that it
was a common Loon. These birds are
scarce on this river and I do not think I
ever saw one here as late in the spring as
this, before or since.

Mr. Loon circled round, and round, and
round, very much after the fashion of a
Bald Eagle; rising spirally higher and
higher, continuing the flapping of its
wings, and the sailing movements until
it reached a great altitude. How high I
am unable to say.

To me this was a very remarkable per-
formance for a Loon, and I watched it
with great care. Finally after it had
raised in the air until it appeared but a
little larger than a Blackbird, it straight-
ened out its wings, and pointing its long
neck toward the North Pole, sailed with
great rapidity. Ordinarily I have seen
Loons flying with a flapping movement

of the wing-s, but this individual after he
had straightened his course for the North,
set his wings as "rigidly as a Tyrkey Buz-
zard and apparantly at a slight angle,
and to my eye seemed to coast or slide
down hill, as it were, toward the North.
I watched hijn with my glass until he
was completely out of sight, and I doubt
if I have ever seen a bird move as rapidly.
As far as I could trace him I could see no
movement of the wings, and he seemed to
be traveling at a tremendious rate.

This led me to believe that he must
be coasting down hill, and he certainly
coasted out of sight. I have no idea
where he was going- or how far he went,
as the river at this place runs nearly
Northeast and Southwest, and this Loon
did not follow the course of the river, but
went straight for the North, which course
if he followed it, must have taken him a
long time before he found another lake
or large body of water to alight upon.

Whether this is the usual method of
migration for this bird, I do not know. It
is the only time I have ever seen it per-
form in this way, though about all I know
of the Loon is what I glean from the
books and from my observation of him on
the Northern lakes in the summer, but to
me this was a wholly novel proceeding,
all through.

Are Green Eggs of the Red-^tailed Hawk Rare?

BY BENJAMIN HOAG.

SO far as I am able to learn there are
very few recorded egg-s of Butco
borealis, which have a g-round color
of g-reen or greenish-white. The first of
these to come to my notice were recorded
by Mr. J. Parker Norris in the Ornitholo-
gist and OoJogist, Vol. XIV, page 51. The
article is not long and I will quote it
entire:

"The egg-s of the Red-tailed Hawk
{Butco borcalis) have a ground color
which varies from white throug-h gra3nsh-
white to a faint bluish-white, but a set
of eggs of this species which exhibit a
decided g-reenish tint must be considered
a novelty.

"Such a set has, however, been taken,
and they are now before me. They were
collected by the celebrated oologist J. M.
W. (Mr. C. L. Rawson), in New Lon-

don County, Connecticut, and fully
identified.

"The ground color is of a pale, but
decided greenish tint, and both the eggs
are spotted near the ends with fav/n color.
The greenish tint of the ground color is
distinctly perceptible, especially by day-
light, and is all the more remarkable
when seen in a large series of eggs of
this bird. Out of thirty-six sets now
before me (containing eighty-six eg-gs)
these two are the only ones which ap-
proach a greenish tint.

"As if to make the set still more re-
markable, one of the eg-gs is a decided
runt, and only measures 2.01x1.60, while
the other is of normal size, and measures
2.37x1.85."

Mr. Rawson took another set of eggs
from these same Btiteos the next season.

THE OSPREY.

79

(April 21, 1889) which he records in the
"O. and O." for June, 1889. He says:

"The Spicer Ledg-es borcalis, which,
April 22, 1888, g-ave the g-reen runt
recorded b\' Mr. Norris in the "O. andO."
for April, 1889, had a pair of eg-gs nor-
mal in size, but preserving- the rare tint,
in an example of the poper-shell type.

"This ag-ed female, escaping- traps and
cold lead in a miraculous way, has bred
here continually since 1875, according- to
my data, alternating- between two trees
in the heart of the woods 40 rods apart.
She has for that leng-th of time g-iven
abundant evidence of being- the self-same
Hawk, and local tradition has it that one
of these old leaning chestnuts on the
ledg-es for thirty 3'ears has held a Red-
tail's nest."

It would be interesting- to hear from
J. M. W., and learn if his old borcalis
g-ave him any more g-reen eg-g-s in after
years.

Rev. J. H. Langille, in "Our Birds in
Their Haunts, "published in 1892, on pag-e
96, mentions a set of three eg-g-s taken in
Western New York, on March 27, but
does not g-ive the year. His description
of the eg-gs is as follows: The eggs,
about 2.25 long by rather less than 1.90
broad, are roundish, one end a little
smaller than the other, greenish-white,
two dimly scratched and spotted with
purplish-brown, while all are more or
less sparingl}' marked with a muddy-
brown, the latter coloring in the case of
the otherwise clear &^^^ seeming verj-
much like slight smirchings of dirt." He
also mentions (page 97) a set of two,
describing the markings, but does not
say if the ground color was of the same
tint.

On April 21, 1891, I collected a set of two
which, with their bright greenish ground
color and delicate markings of lilac and
fawn color, make them unique among all
the eggs of this species which I have
seen.

The same pair of hawks gave me two
more eggs of greenish hue on April 29,

1892. These two clutches are recorded in
the "O.and O." for March. 1893, likewise
a single green Q:^g.

In 18<>3 I located this pair of Bittcos
again on Sheldon Hill, where I first
found them in '91. And a cold climb on
the morning of April 26 to a nest pro-
fusely lined with green sprigs of hemlock
and pine, 53 feet up a big red oak, re-
warded me with a set of two, which fail
to show a trace of green, being faint blu-
ish-white in ground color.

I failed to find their nest in 1894, and
only found it by accident in 1895 in a
small wooded ravine just across the val-
ley. When searching for a nest oicoopcri
on May 16, was surprised to see a female
Red-tail flap out of an old leaning hem-
lock when I roped a tree some two rods
distant. I went up and found an old
flat nest 65 feet from the ground, contain-
ing two eggs nearly hatched and several
sprigs of fresh green maple leaves. Both
eggs are deep greenish-white, one plain,
the other heavily marked.

Last spring ( 1896) they came back to
their old haunts on Sheldon Hill and
commenced housekeeping early, building
a new nest 90 feet up in a triple crotch
in top of a big "shell bark" hickory-.
From this I took a richly marked set of
three eggs on April 18th, incubation well
commenced. Two of these eggs are
grayish-white, one showing green shell
markings through the outside deposit of
ground color at the smaller end, the other
egu- very pale bluish-white.

They then built a second new nest 20
rods above, close to a miniature swamp
on the very top of the hill. This was 40
feet up in a straight soft maple. Three
more eggs were taken from it on May 16;
grayish-white, with much fainter mark-
ings than the first clutch.

It would seem from the data which I
have been able to gather, that green
eggs of borcalis are rare, but my observa-
tions have been limited, so, too, is my
library, and I should like to hear from
others on the subject.

Flycatchers of Minnesota,

BY WALTON I. MITCHKLL.

THE TyraiiiiidiV are quite fully ep-
resented in our State, six species
being summer residents and two
migrants, though very rare.

Of all the family the Kingbird is, as in
most localities the commonest. The date
of his arrival has not varied four days in
the last six years I have kept observa-

80

THE OSPREY.

tions; but this last year was the earliest
of any, the first bird being- seen on April
27, sitting- on the top of a post in a corn-
field.

The first arrivals are always males,
and they sit shivering in the cool April
weather, trying to get into a sunny place.
As warmer weather approaches he may
be seen perched on the top of a weed
stalk, or a dead branch; or preferably the
topmost strand of a barbed-wire fence
along a country road-side. There he sits
watching for a fly or bee to appear, when
he immediately pursues, his wings work-
ing nervously- and his tail spread wide.
After capturing his prey he invariably
returns to the same perch again, and
waits for another victim. His bill is
admirably adopted for this purpose, being
broad and flat and hooked at the tip.

The song is a series of rasping noises,
sounding like coarse laughter, and is
uttered while on the wing, after mount-
ing high up in the air emd suddenly
tumbling down, uttering his uncouth cry,
as if he had lost his senses. The pug-
nacity of the Kingbird is well known, and
he will attack anything from a bird of
his own size up to a Crow, Hawk, Owl or
boy, who appears near his nest.

Nesting is begun about the 20th of
May, and sets are completed by the first
of June or thereabouts. The nest is
placed usually in an oak tree; about 15
feet up on an average, although I found
one nest on the top of a cedar post on the
prairie, only four feet up.

The nest is easily found, and is a very
bulky structure, outwardly composed of
a miscellaneous lot of rubbish, such as
rags, strings, weeds, sticks, grass, etc.,
but finely cupped and lined with grasses,
fine roots, hair and string.

The eggs are usually four in number,
commonly three and very rarely five, and
are too well known to need description.

THE WESTKKN KINGBIRD.

This is a rare accidental visitor and
confined wholly to the prairie regions in
the Western part of the State.

CHESTED FLYCATCHEK.

This is a decidedly rare breeder in this
locality though more common further
South, but is nowhere abundant. I have
met with the species but twice; once
while driving on a country road in 1887,

I saw two birds on a Cottonwood tree in a
thickly wooded part of Ramsey Countv;
but they were very wary, and could not
be approached.

On June 16, 1894, while collecting
Spotted Sandpiper's eggs, four or five
miles out of St. Paul, in a rolling, hilly
district full of ponds amid the patches of
woods, I saw a female fly to an old dis-
used telegraph pole on an old country
road, and enter a hole about ten feet up.
I immediately investigated and found an
old Red-headed Woodpecker's hole filled
up with weeds, twigs, roots and string,
lined very thickly with grass, hair and
the ever present snake skins, three in
number. After cutting away for half an
hour with an old dull knife, I got at the
nest, which contained an exquisite set,
six fresh eggs of a very dark flesh color,
marked and scrawled with reddish brown.
They are much darker specimens than
any others I have in my collection from
other localities, and a little smaller. The
set measures .80x.62, .80x.62, .80x.60,
.79X.60, .81X.64, .82x.62 inches.

PHCEBE.

This very abundant bird arrives the
earliest of the family, coming from the
first to the tenth of April in this locality,
and in the latter part of March on the
Southern border of the State.

The Ph(jebe is the best known and
cherished of the family, and few persons
are unfamiliar with its pleasant, sub-
dued "pe-wee," which gives it its name.
It has many popular names, such as
"Bridge-bird," "Pewit," "Water Pewee,"
etc. The nest is placed almost anywhere
except on the ground or in a tree.

At our summer resorts, the Pewee
places its nest in boat houses, or on piaz-
zas of the summer cottages, and becomes
quite fearless, as it is very rarely molest-
ed. I have known a Phoebe to sit on her
nest on top of one of the porch pillars
while persons were sitting and moving
around within ten feet.

The eggs are usually five, three or four
when interfered with by Cowbirds, and
very rarely six. About thirty per cent are
more or less speckled with brown around
the larger end.

The Phcebe usually returns to its old
nesting place year after year, and the
nests become very large. I have found
double and triple nests. In the wooded

THE OSPREY.

81

portions of the State the Phoebe builds in
roots, under banks of railroad cuts and
in the walls of tunnels, in sandstone
caves, which are so common alonii; the
Mississippi River in the neighborhood of
St. Paul.

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHEK.

A rather common migrant, a few re-
mainini^to breed in the Southern portions
of the State, where the nest is placed as
far as possible out on the end of a limb
from 10 to 40 feet up. Larch or oak
trees are usually selected, and the nest
very much resembles a Kingbird's, but is
more flattened.

The eggs are the handsomest of the
family, the ground color being a deep
flesh color, very handsomely blotched and
speckled in a wreath around the large end,
with reddish and purplish brown, resem-
bling a Wood Pewee's eiifJ:.

The eggs are usually four, commonly
three, and I have heard of a set of live,
but they are extremely rare. A set of
three taken May 30, 1894, from the limb
of a larch tree, fourteen feet up and six
feet from the trunk, measures .78x.60,
.80X.62, .82x.()2 These are rather small.
The average would be about .85x.65.

WOOD PEWEE.

A common summer resident, arriving
about the 10th of May. The note con-
sists of three syllables long drawn out,
resembling "pee-ah-wee," repeated sev-
eral times.

The nests are built in thick woods,
usually near water, and are very hand-
some examples of bird architecture, being
saddled on a limb or fork of an oak tree
usually: are quite flat, and composed of
weeds, stalks, grape-vine bark and grass
stems, lined with bark strips, and adorned
with lichens stuck over the outside. The
eggs are almost invariably three in num-
ber, creamy white, spotted in a wreath
about the larger end with brown-red and
lilac-gray, and average .75x.55.

The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and
Traill's Fhxatcher I have never met with,
but they have been taken within the
State, and are rare migrants.

LEAST FLYCATCHER.

A tolerably abundant summer resident,
arriving by the middle of May, soon
mates and begins nest-building. The
nest is a well-built structure, deeply
cupped, and always placed in a crotch,
usually upright, but never saddled on
horizontally; composed of fibrous weeds,
milkweed bark, and fine grasses, of a de-
decidedly grayish silver appearance out-
side and lined with strips of fine bark of
a reddish color, and some downy substance.
The height varies from six to thirty feet,
fifteen being the average, and maple or
elm trees are usually preferred.

The eggs are creamy white, three or
four in number, though occasionally but
two are laid. Average size of ten sets,
— seven of four and one of two and two of
three — is .64x.52.

(General motes*

FIKST EGG FOK '97.

On Christmas morning I was attracted
by the familiar behavior of a female
Anna's Hummer as she poised before a
pampas plume, delicateh" selecting tiny
bits of down, and by following her as she
darted off, I located the nest, which was
scarcely begun. December 30, five days
later, the nest had reached the usual pro-
portions of a Hummer's nest. On Janu-
ary 1, 1897, between 7:32 and 7:50 in the
morning, the first egg was laid, and on
January 4, between 7:45 and 7:58 a. m.,
the second was laid.

Joseph Gkinnell.

Pasadena, Cal.

SNOWY OWLS numerous.

Snowy Owls have been wonderfully
plentiful in this vicinity. The two local
taxidermists have had thirty brought to
them at last accounts. On the flats op-
posite the city one can see two or three of
these handsome birds any day. My
brother and I have just mounted a mag-
nificent specimen. J. H. Bowles.

Tacoma, Wash.

PINE SISKIN IN SABULA, IOWA.

The Pine Siskin has been unusually
abundant here, for the past few weeks. I
first noted them on November 20, at which
time I saw a large flock feeding on cab-
bage and beet tops, which had been left
standing in the garden, and they have

82

THE OSPREY.

visited the same every day since up to
date, Dec. 12. These birds are very tame,
allowing- a person to approach within a
few feet of them, and returning- again in
a few minutes after being- frightened
away. December 9 I shot three speci-
mens, and found upon dissection that
they had been feeding- entirely upon the
seed of rag-weed, their stomachs being
compactly filled with these seeds divested
of the outer covering, and nothing else.

H. J. GiDDINGS.

Sabula, Iowa.

[Pine Siskins are reported in unusual num-
bers-in many localities. this year. — Ed.]

THE OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER IN VAN
BUKEN COUNTY, IOWA.

In Meiy, 1895,1 was informed of a strange
bird in the bottom lands of a small stream.
I hunted for several days and found noth-
ing new, but on May 15 I had the great
pleasure to find the strang-e bird, which
I shot, and it proved to be the Olive-sided
Flycatcher. I did not observe any
during- the fall of 1895, but in the spring
of 1896 I was informed by reliable per-
sons of three or four in the same location.
This fall, 1896, I observed quite a num-
ber of them from Aug-ust 24 to September
1- . Walter G. Savage.

Hillsboro, Iowa.

Mythological,

BY J . K. BONWel.L.

This is the month when the birdies all,
Give in the woods their annual ball;
And each bird chooses himself a mate,
Or else he'll find himself too late.
The wise old owl. the solemn scribe.
Sends jsrreeting- now to the feathered tribe;
And asks each one, both larg-e and small.
To follow custom and come to the ball.

Each one comes and looks his best,

Trying- hard to outshine the rest:

Into the dance they wildly rush.

To the music sung-' by the'jolly Thrush.

Now quickly to the prompter's call.

The Owl and Osprey open the ball;

And each one feels a pleasant thrill

As they whirl around in the bird quadrille.

The jet black Crow, with plumag-e fine,

Ask [Vliss Jay for her valentine;

But she playfully led the Crow away.

And took for her mate another Jay."

For each one did as he had a mind".

And took to himself one of his kind;

All were mated at the end of the day.

So the ball broke up and the birds flew away.

DOUBLE-CREvSTED CORMORANT.

The 31st of last October I was called
into a store to identif}^ a bird shot on the
lake here that afternoon. It was a
Double-crested Cormorant, the second one
captured in the county, though I have
seen six flying over within eight years. I
saw a Meadowlark here the 5th of Janu-
ary. W. E. Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

SOME NOTES.

In the month of May and early June of
last year, I devoted some time in — to me
— the pleasing labor of seeking for the
nests of our rarer Warblers and other
species that make their summer homes in
this vicinity, and among other "finds"
were two nests of the Canadian Warbler;
each with four eg-gs and a Cow-bird's,
one nest of the Chestnut-sided Warbler,
with four eggs and a Cow-bird's, and one
nest and two eggs of the Black-throated
Blue Warbler. This latter nest was
placed on some rootlets — like a Phoebe's
— in a kind of cave or hut formed by the
turned up root of a fallen hemlock tree.
It contained the two eggs when I discov-
ered it, but two days after when I revis-
ited it no more had been deposited, and
no bird was about the nest. It was evi-
dently forsaken. The eggs were fresh.
It may be that the bird forsook it on
account of my handling one of the eggs,
as I could not otherwise see into the nest.
The fact that this species nests in other
positions than low bushes, was, until
three years ago, new to me, and I would
infer, new to science: but in the early
part of June, 1895, I found a nest of this
species placed among the outer rootlets
of a large turned up root in the deep wood,
and about five feet from the earth. This
contained four young- nearly fledged, and
was not far from the nest taken this sea-
son. I have also seen a nest of this bird
in a pile of hemlock brush. I also col-
lected last season for the first time, a set
of the eggs of the Chewink. Humming-
birds were rare this year; have only seen
a few specimens the past season. Blue-
birds were more numerous than in 1895.
Saw one nest with eggs and a number of
young, and later noted the birds several
days in succession. I have in my collec-
tion two sets of four each, which I believe
to be those of the Connecticut Warbler.

Listowel, Can. William L. Kells.

THE OSPREY.

83

IReccnt literature*

Biblioiirap/iv of the Piiblis/icd ll'rifiiios of
Philip Lutley Sclater, F. R. S., Secretary of
the Zoolog-i'cal Society of London. (1844-1896)
Prepared under the direction of G. Brown
Goode. Bulletin of the U. tt. National Museum
No. 49. Washing-ton: Government Printing-
office. 1896.

A most welcome addition to the National
Museum series of bibliographies, which
already embrace those of Baird, Girard, Lea,
and Lawrence, is that of Philip Lutley Sclater,
one of the best known of living- zoologists.

This series has before inchtded in its scope
only the work of naturalists living and work-
ing in America; but the series would be incom-
plete without that of Mr. Sclater, who. thoug-h
an English naturalist, has contributed more to
systematic Central and South Amercan orni-
thology than has any American ornithologist.

The above birds are mounted, and in the col-
lection of the Chicago Academy of Sciences.

F. M. WOODKIFF,

Secretary Ornithological Section.

A List of the Birds of IVinuebago and Han-
rock Counties, loiva With notes on 216 species.
B3' Rudolph M. Anderson, Forest City, Iowa.
Published by the author, 1897. 20 pag-es.

Hand Book of the Sparrows a>id Pinches of iXezv
England. By C. J. Maynard. Illustrated.
Newton ville, Mass.: Published by the author,
1896. Cloth %l 75.

In this second edition of Prof. Maynard's
little book the text remains the same as in the
first; but the 17 colored plates, including the
heads of 38 species, are now new, and were pre-
pared wholly b^' Prof. Ma^^nard and applied by
a process of his own.

This is an excellent little book for beginners
in the study of ornithology'.

The Chicago Academy of Sciences.

The regular meeting of the Ornithological
Section was held at the office of Mr. J. Grafton
Parker, Jr., 100 Washington Street, Wednesday
evening, January 6th, at 8 p. m. There was a
good attendance of members and their friends.

The paper of the evening was read by Mr. J.
G. Parker, Jr., entitled "A Collecting-" Trip to
the Gulf Coast of Texas." The talk was exten-
sively illustrated by specimens collected by
Mr. Parker.

Mr. F. M- Woodruff reported the following
rare birds taken and purchased by him during
the past month :

Pissa trydactyla, Kittiwake Gull. — Shot on the
Lake shore near the jack-knife bridge, Lincoln
Park, on December 9th, 1896. This being the
first record for this region. Glaucionetta Psl-
andica, Barrows's Golden-eye. — Two specimens
in immature plumage, shot near the Lincoln
Park Sanitarium on December 9th, 1896. Clan-
gula hyemalis, old Squaw Duck, an adult pair
of this species, taken on the same day and
locality. C/ria lomvia, Brunnich's Murre, an
adult male was sent to him December 31st, 1896,
which was shot on asmall lake at Toresman,
Indiana.

Northwestern Ornithological Association,

The third annual session of the Northwest-
ern Ornithological Associati<jn was held in the
auditoriuna of the Williamette Universitj- at
Salem, Oregon, Dec. 29 and 30, and was attend-
ed by members from various parts of the state.

The prog-ramme of the meeting on the even-
ing of the 29th was arranged so as to be of in-
terest to the public and to call more attention
to the studj' of nature in general.

One of the most interesting features (jf the
sessiota was the beautifully arrang-ed exhibit of
mounted birds and skins belonging to the col-
lection of Mr. Geo. D. Peck, of Salem. Mounted
skins of 35 different Warblers were on exhibi-
tion, and these, with other series of specimens,
made a most interesting study.

At the Wedne.sday morning session Mr. Geo.
D. Peck g-ave a most interesting lecture on
Taxidermy. He supplemented his remarks by
practical illustrations in the art of skinning
birds and mounting- them. The value of such
a lesson from one so experienced is inestimable
to students who as a rule have access only to
written descriptions.

In the afternoon an excellent article by Mr.
Re3' Stryker, of Milwaukee, on " Audubon's
Warbler," was read and discussed; and an ex-
tended paper on "Some Methods of Keeping-
Ornithologrical Records," was presented by Mr.
Darsie C. Bard.

The remaining part of the afternoon and
evening was devoted in deciding upon the plans
of work for the coming year, appointment of
committees, election of officers and general
discussion for the good of the association.

It was agreed that the principal work for the
coming year would be the collecting of migra-
tion data and the revising of the list of Oregon
birds compiled a year ago.

A special committee was appointed to take
steps in preventing- the spread of the English
Sparrow pest throughout the State.

The election of officers for the coming year
resulted as follows: President, William L.
Finley; First Vice President, Ellis F. Hadley,
Second Vice President, Herman T. Bohlman;
Secretary, Darsie C. Bard ; Treasurer, D.
Franklin Weeks; Editor, Arthur L. Pope.

It was decided that the next annual meeting
would be held in Portland.

Philo W. Smith, Jr., of St. Louis, will
spend three of the Winter and Spring months
in Texas.

It is rumored that Mr. W. H. Osg-ood, of San
Jose, Cal., will soon go East to accept a posi-
tion in the Department of Agriculture.

Mr W.E. Snyder, of Beaver Dam, Wis., writes
that when at Farina, 111., in the fall of 1894, a
stock buyer informed him that a gentleman of
Effingham, 111., had a pure white Bob-white,
shot near the latter place, for which he had re-
fused $50 cash.

84

THE OSPREY.

California department.

Donald A. Cohen, Editor, Alameda, Cal.

□ N the Farallone Islands, in the Pa-
cific Ocean, 3(» miles from San Fran-
cisco, lives the lig-ht-house keeper
and his assistants, who are nearly all men
of families. These people have for a long-
time felt the need of having- a teacher
for the young- g-eneration ( quite a number
by the way), but, owing- to the isolation
of the "country" and the cheerless life of
a Farallone Islander, no one cared to
live there to teach. It was very well
at first: the g-liding- over the waves and
swells in a tug^ boat, the landing- in a
small boat tossed about in a choppy cove
and if the voyag-er had been sea-sick the
feeling was probably removed by a sous-
ing- breaker before the landing- was made.
Then there was the thrilling- sig-ht of
myriads of sea birds that scrambled and
flew and shuffled and filled the air with
various cries. The natural scenery of the
island as well as the lig-ht houses, appur-
tenances and dwellinc^s were also interest-
ing- and the people hospitable and pleas-
ant. But when the novelty had worn off
the thought of living on an island with
about three acres of tolerably level g-round
among piles of rocks and crag-s, where
the soil is either too rocky, or too rich
with guano to raise veg-etables, with a
back-ground of ocean and sky, had the
effect of deterring- most people from tak-
ing- up a residence there. Perhaps
a month would go by without a tug- boat
or other craft bring-ing new faces, news-
papers, letters from home, and fresh
"grub"; the light . house tenders only
making- periodical visits to stations several
times a year. The monotony of such a
life might be occasionally broken by the
sight of some passing- vessel, but the
never-ceasing- roar of the waves dashing-
against the rocky shore created a still
more lonely feeling-.

Cory Chamberlin, a member of the
Cooper Ornithological Club, held a teach-
er's certificate and answered a call from
the "natives" to disseminate knowledge
to the young- Farallonians, and perhaps,
to learn more for himself of the avifauna
there. He may have found it too lone-
some a life as he soon chang-ed for a posi-
tion on a man-of-war.

According^ to the Constitution of the
State of California the Farallone Islands
are part of the 1st ward of San Francisco,
and the islanders, all who can, come to
town on election day to vote. In reply
to their appeals, the supervisors of their
district decided to furnish them with a
school teacher to be paid by the San
Francisco Board of Education. At the
beg-inning- of the year, a young- lady was
sent to the islands and she thinks she
will be content with the k)nely life in a
g-reat ocean, and we hope she will and
wish her g-ood luck, and may add that
her pupils can g-ive her points when it
comes to ornitholog-y.

THE monthly meeting- of the Cooper
Ornitholog-ical Club of California,
was held at San Jose, January *),with
a larg-e attendance of members, includ-
ing- several from the Southern California
Division. A few visitors were present,
among them Mr. Steinbeck, of Hollister,
who is accredited with having taken as
many Golden Eag-les' eg-gs as any man in
the State. Mr. Steinbeck's name was
proposed for membership. Officers were
elected for 1897 for President, Mr.
Walter E. Bryant, present incumbent; for
Vice President, Mr. H. B. Ka^ding-; for
Secretary, Mr. C Barlow, present in-
cumbent; for Treasurer, Mr. D. A. Cohen.
The usual committees on publication,
programme, etc., were appointed by the
chair, and a committee, consisting of
Messrs. J. W. Mailliard and H. B. K^d-
ing- for San Francisco County, and H. R.
Taylor and D. A. Cohen for Alameda
County, were appointed to confer with
authors of bills now before the Legisla-
ture for the better Protection of Game
and Song- Birds and if possible, to pre-
vent the indiscriminate robbing- of birds'
nests. Interesting papers were read by
members. The next meeting- will be held
February 6, in Alameda.

Ducks have been shot in fair numbers
by pleasure seekers, while commission
men say that consig-nments from market
hunters have been very lig-ht lately.
During^ the two weeks of any clear
weather since Christmas g-ood sport has
been found among- the Quail, while "Jack-
snipe" are yet scattered over considerable
territory where late rains have made good
boring- grounds.

I'HE OSPREY.

85

A Twilight Ramble Among the Birds,

HOW pleasant it is, and how refresh-
ing, when the heat of a July day is
tempered by the "Western sun, "to
wander forth into the cool, delicious air, —
that air which g-ives renewed life to man,
bird and beast, and g-ently revives the
drooping- foliage and tender plants with
its dewy breath, preparing- them to with-
stand the onslaug-ht of the morrow.
Strolling- carelessly along- a shady prome-
nade of Alameda's suburbs, lined with
g-ig-antic, g-narled and lichen-covered
oaks, a band of California Partridg-es
taking- a dust bath in the middle of the
road starts with a whirr, filling- the air
with dust, and alig-hts, some in the trees,
some on the fences, while others dart
into the shrubbery. Farther along- ap-
pears another covey of half-g-rown young-
and their parents, running- along- the side-
walk of the quiet road, and upon my
closer approach, rising- almost simultane-
ously with their mother, they fly over a
g-arden fence and scatter themselves, out
of sig-ht, in an arbor of g-old of Ophir
roses, while the male, the last to leave, slips
under the fence to join them. In a patch
of woods others are calling- to each other
from different directions, while from
every quiet nook and g-arden comes the
rich, winding- song- of a Russet-backed
Thrush, with that frequency and metal-
lic ring- on which he prides himself at
vesper-tide. One or two others, closer to
me, have ceased sing-ing- at my approach,
and are uttering- that mellow whistle
every few moments, preparatory to re-
suming- their interrupted lay. Several
bellig-erent Eng-lish Sparrows in a bunch
of ivy mar the harmony of the scene and
cause a discord in the music.

A whirr of wing-s and a dark streak
ended by a subdued fluttering- in a tall
cypress tree, proclaim two belated par-
tridg-es coming- in from the fields, and a
dash with a tail tipped with white, dis-
appearing- into the hedg-e, and a note —
' 'cheewee, " reveals an Oreg-on Towhee,out
late as usual. Two, three, now four,
California Towhees, trusting- to their
sombre, brown hues for protection, flit
sing-ly across a small clearing- into the
oak foliag-e beyond. The noisy Jays
have long- ag-o abandoned their caucuses,
when it became too dark to tease the
Screech Owls and all birds of the day are

now silent, except the Western Wood
Pewee calling- from his lofty perch on a
eucalyptus tree until darkness quiets him.

The numerous Black-crowned Nig-ht
Herons that have been skulking- all day
in lofty, thick foliag-ed cypress and pines,
have with many a "quawk," all departed
in sing-le file to the swamps and marshes.
Walking quietly along- a path thickly
strewn with pine needles, I stopped,
striking- a match to relig-ht my cig-ar,
when a Great Blue Heron, with a terri-
fied g-uttural "konk-konk," and several
audible flaps of his wing-s, sailed away
from the top of the loftiest pine in the
g-rove at the sig-ht of his unexpected
visitor.

Taking- a short cut for home I brush
ag-ainst a low branch of a walnut tree
and hear a note of alarm, and a short flut-
ter of some small bird. All at once some-
thing- g-lides swiftlv but noiselessly before
my face, and in another moment I hear a
low, quick hoot and another answering-
further away. The little, phantom-like
Screech Owls keep flying- past m}- head
and now they settle on a long-, dead oak
limb where I can see two, now three,
ag-ainst the starry sky. They are alter-
nately chuckling- and hooting- as if they
were spirits about to perpetrate some dia-
bolical trick on me.

I now hear the clang- of the electric
cars and the puffing- of the locomotives
more plainly, and am at last under the
electric lig-ht almost in the main part of
town: one of these elfin Owls is perched
in a tree by my door-way, and as I enter
swoops close to my head and hoots: ''are
you the party who yanked me out of the
dead oak stub and took m}- five eg-g-s last
April ? Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo — it was you !"
Donald A. Cohen.

California Items.

Mr. A. W. Anthony is preparing to charter a
vessel to cruise along- the Mexican coast, in
quest of specimens in botany, zoology and orni-
thology.

The name of Richard C. McGregor, a nomi-
nee for Vice President of the Cooper Ornithol-
ogical Club, was withdrawn just before the
election of officers, as he intends soon to be
absent from the State for an extended period.

Mr. C. Barlow has been re-elected Secretary
of the Cooper Ornithological Club, being the
only nominee for the office. The choice was
well made, even if he has had the position since
the club was organized, for his energy and
ability are recognized.

86

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted
Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BY

WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON.

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, (1ne
Dollar a year, in advance.

Single copies, Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription ; One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents. Post-
age paid to all countries in the Universal Postal Union.

Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contributions
are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to Editors
at office of publication.

Copy for advertisements and all matter for publication should
be in the publisher's hands by the fifteenth of the month pre-
ceding publication.

The resident locality of contributors are given when nature of
article requires it.

Entered at the Galesburg Postoffice as mail matter of the
second class.

Address all business communications to

THE OSPREY CO.,

217 Main Street, GALESBURG, ILL

FEBRUARY, 1897.

A long-felt want, in the way of a publica-
tion, at a nominal price, for teaching children
about birds, is now realized. Birds, a new month-
ly magazine, published by Nature Study Pub-
lishing Company, of Chicago, amply covers this
field; and we trust it will receive its deserved
support from the cultured homes and schools.

Shortly before going to press a copy of the
new edition of Ridgeway's "Manual of North
American Birds," comes to our de.sk. This is a
most welcome arrival with us, as we know it
will be with many other ornithologists.

The Ruffed Grouse is colloquially dubbed
"partridge" by New England sportsmen,
therefore, the albino "partridge" mentioned in
the January Osprey is very likely of this
species.

Our "snap-shot" photograph of Gullin Hig-ht,
in this number, is an excellent piece of work.
It was taken by a young lady who is too
modest to allow her name to be published.

Dr. Elliott Coues and Mrs. Mable Osgood
Wright are preparing "A Bird Book for Begin-
ners," which is to be the first volume of the
Heart of Nature series.

Dr. R. L. Walker informs us that the West-
ern Pennsylvania Ornithological Society has
been organized, and will hold its meeting in
Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh.

Mr. Joseph Grinnell edits a most interesting
science department in The Polytechnic, the
monthly magazine of the Throop Polytech-
nic Institute of Pasadena, Cal.

Mr. G. F Dippie, of Toronto, Can., brought
back from Northwest Canada a nest and five
eggs of Leconte's Sparrow, with female — shot
while leaving the nest.

Mr. James Newton Baskett, of Mexico, Mo.,
is in the lecture field; his specialty is popular
ornithological courses for schools and
colleges.

Dr. Walter Faxon, of the Museum of Com-
parative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., is the
newly elected Active Member of the A. O. U.

Mr. C J. Maynard, of Newtonville, Mass.
started January 2 for the Bahamas, to be
gone five months.

Mr. L. O. Dart, of
returned from the
America.

Litchfield, Minn., has
Orinoco Delta, South

The Oologist, of Albion, N. Y., has resumed
publication after a seven month's discontinu-
ance. We heartily welcome it, and wish
Brother Lattin the success which has always
attended his efforts.

Correspondence.

Editor The Ospkev :

I like the November number of The OsprEY
very much, but wish to call your attention to
the cut of the " Young Little Blue Heron ; " I
think it incorrectly named. I have taken num-
bers of the eggs and young of this bird and
have always found the young to he pure ivhite.
In fact they remain white until the summer of
the second year, when the blue feathers begin
to appear.

The young bird in the picture has very much
the appearance of the young Louisiana Heron.
I have specimens of both species showing their
development of plumage from quite young
until the adult plumage is acquired.

I trust you will pardon me for this criticism,
but thought I would take the liberty to speak of
it. With best wishes for The Ospricy and its
editors, I am very truly yours,

T. Guir.FOKD Pearson.

Guilford College, N. C.

[ We are greatly indebted to Prof. Pearson
for his kindness in calling our attention to this
matter. After consulting with the Frank B.
Webster Company, owners of the photograph,
we find Prof. Pearson is entirely right, —
the young Heron is of the Louisiana
species. To many this will be a valuable note
on the young Little Blue Heron. — Ed.]

AMERICAN KOUGH-LEGGED HAWK. (BLACK PHASE.)
ARCHIBUTEO LAGOmS SANCTI-JOH ANNIS.

From Painting by Louis Agassi= Fuevtes.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

Vol. 1. No. 7.

GALESBURG, ILL., MARCH, 1897.

$1.00 A Year.

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.

Major Charles E, Bendire,

BY F. H. KNOWLTON, PH. D., SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

CHARLES E. Bendire, Captain (and
Brevet Major) in the United
States Army and Honorary Cura-
tor of Oolog-y in the United States
National Museum, was born in Hesse
Darmstadt, Germany, April 27, 1836,
and died in Jacksonville, Florida,
February 4, 18*)7. While not entirely
unexpected his death was a shock to his
man}' friends and associates, who had
hoped that his removal to a warmer clime
mig-ht delay the prog-ress of the dread

malady,* but it was not to be, for he died
only liVe days after leaving- Washington.
His funeraf occurred m Washington on
February 9, and he was buried by the
side of his comrades in arms in historic
Arlington.

tMajor Bendire's life was in many res-
pects a remarkable one, and furnishes a

*Brig-ht's disease.

fMany of the facts in this notice are derived
from a short sketch by Dr. C. Hart Merriam in
Science for February 12, 1897.

THE OSPREY.

striking example of what may be accom-
plished under seeming-ly very adverse
circumstances. "He came to this country
in 1852, and in June, 1854, enlisted as a
private in Company D of the 1st Dra-
g-oons, United States Army. During- the
next ten years he was promoted to Ser-
geant, and served as Hospital Steward in
the 4th Cavalry. In 1864 he was trans-
ferred to the 1st Cavalry and pro-
moted to 2d and soon after to 1st Lieu-
tenant. In February, 1873, he attained
the rank of Captain, and in April, 1886,
was retired on account of an injury to
the knee. In February, 1890, he was
breveted Major for gallant services ren-
dered on September 13, 1877, in fighting
the Indians at Canon Creek, Montana."

His active military service after the
close of the war, as well as prior to that
period, was almost entirely in the far
West, which was then, before the days of
the transcontinental railways, a very
different place from what it has now be-
come. Among the posts at which he
was stationed may be mentioned "Canton-
ment Burgwyn, in New Mexico; Forts
Bowie, McDowell, Wallen, Lowell and
Whipple, in Arizona; Bidwell and In-
dependence in California; Harney and
Klamatt, in Oregon; Vancouver and
Walla Walla, in Washington; Boise and
Lapwai, in Idaho, and Custer in Mon-
tana."

This period of over twenty years wit-
nessed numerous Indian troubles, and in
these Major Bendire played an active and
important part. The Indians learned to
fear, and at the same time, to respect
him, for while he was relentless in their
pursuit when they were obviously in the
wrong, he never deceived them, and once
it is said, during the Apache War, boldly
visited the camp of one of the most sav-
age chiefs, Cochise, and prevailed upon
him to abandon the war path. If all the
dealings between the white and red races
could have been in the hands of such men
as Bendire, civilization would not have
so much to blush for.

Besides these campaigns against the
Indians, Major Bendire also conducted or
was engaged in numerous surveys for
roads, telegraph lines, and the general
exploration of unknown territory. He
had crossed Death Valley, California, in

1867, and he also explored the deserts of
Southern Nevada.

While engaged in these surveys and
explorations Bendire's manner of dealing
with the men under him was such as to
speedily command their best energies and
esteem. After ascertaining what was a
reasonable day's work, he set a task for
each, on the completion of which the man
was free to do whatsoever he pleased for
the balance of that da}'. If he could
accomplish his task by eleven o'clock he
was free to hunt or fish, or climb near-by
mountain peaks until dark. As a result
of this stimulus and confidence his men
accomplished twice the amount of work
that other commands were able to do.

It was this extensive field work, this
intimate association with nature, that so
well qualified him to take up what may
be called his scientific life work. His
opportunity for careful field observation
was undoubtedly very great, but that he
fully availed himself of the opportunity
shows conclusively that he was a born
naturalist and observer. As Dr. Merriam
has pointed out, it is quite impossible to
say just where his scientific work began,
but judging from the voluminous note
books, from which so many interesting
facts were later drawn, it must have be-
gun within a few years after he entered
the Western field. His collection of birds'
eggs certainly dates back as far as 1870.
It has since grown to be the most exten-
sive and valuable one in existence of
North American birds.

Major Bendire's first published contri-
butions appear to have been in the form
of letters to well-known naturalists as
Baird, Brewer, and Allen. In all he
published about fifty papers, one of the
first and most important being an arti--
cle on the "Birds of Southeastern
< )regon," which appeared in 1877. But
his iiiag'nuiii opus is his "Life Histories
of North American Birds," the second
volume of which was noticed in these
columns only a few weeks since. These
magnificent volumes will remain as a
monument to him and a high mark for
the emulation of future workers. It may
be high praise to compare these Life His-
tories with the writings of Audubon,
Wilson and Nuttall, but it is freely be-
stowed, for they are undoubtedly the
best written and most readable accounts

THE OSPREY.

89

LONG-BILLED MARSH WKENS.
From Painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

of the habits of our native birdvS that have
appeared since their time. It is much
to be reg-retted that he was not permitted
to finish the work so well beg-un. The
material for the succeeding- volumes was
accumulating-, but little or nothing- had
been done toward the actual writing-.

Major Bendire's personal appearance is
probabl}' well known to a majority of
American ornitholog-ists. He was strik-
ing-ly a soldier, and his fine ph3'sique and
erect bearings will be well remembered.
He was not, however, a man who made
friends easily. He had a reserve manner
which amounted at timesal most to brusque-
ness, yet beneath the rough exterior was
a warm and sympathetic heart. To

those who where so fortunate as to know
him intimately, he was a g-enial compan-
ion, full of reminiscences and anecdotes
of his long- life on the frontier, of its
hardships and dangers, and its scientific
successes. But on the approach of a
strang-er he became silent.

Above all things Bendire was a lover
of truth. He had no patience with an}--
thing- that had not the stamp of unques-
tioned veracity upon it. In his work he
never made a statement that had not been
verified, so far as within his power, to
the minutest particular. Truthfulness
was so much a part of his nature that the
shadow of its absence in another, received
but scant courtesy at his hands.

His sense of duty was so great that he
let nothing- overshadow it. When en-
g-ag-ed on military duty every moment of
time was g-iven up to it, to the complete
exclusion of scientific or other interests.
It is said, for example, that when on a
scouting- expedition he g-ave not the
slig-htest attention to ornitholog-y. The
eg-g-s of birds new to him, or perhaps
new to science, were passed by without
heed. He was a soldier then, not an
oolog-ist.

To those whom he thought deserving-
he was ever ready with assistance. His
familiarity with almost every foot of the
Western territory made his knowledg-e of
the greatest value, and it was freely
g-iven. While of course his chief inter-
est was the birds, their egg-s and habits,
he obtained material in many branches —
mammalogy, paleontology, ethnolog-y —
and it was freely placed at the disposal
of science. There were no restrictions so
long- as it advanced science.

It is the custom of the ofticers and sci-
entific staff of the United States National
Museutn, on the death of an associate, to
hold a brief memorial meeting-. The
meeting in honor of Major Bendire was
called in the room so long presided oyer
by Dr. (i. Brown (Toode, and into which
we were so recently called to mourn his
loss. Many feeling tributes were paid to
the memory of Bendire — to his hig-h char-
acter, his love of truth and his devotion
to science. At the close of the meeting-
the following- resolutions were adopted:

Whkkeas, Major Charles E. Bendire, of the
United States Army, Honorary Curator of the
Department of Oology in the United States

90

THE OSPREY.

National Museum, has been removed by death,
A'csoli't'd: That in Major Bendire's death the
National Museum suffers the loss of an officer
who took the keenest interest in his special
branch of work; whose constant aim was to im-
prove and develop the department under
his charge; and to whose unfailing interest the
present admirable condition of +he oological
collection is due.

Resolved: That in his death the National
Museum has lost a valued member of its Scien-

tific vStafF, whose place it will be difficult to
fill, and American Ornithology has been robbed
of one of its most earnest workers.

The splendid portrait of Major Bendire,
which we are able to present, is by the
kindness of Dr. A. K. Fisher, of the
United States Department of Ag-riculture.
It was made about 1884, and represents
him essentially as he has been known
since his retirement from active military
life.

Nansen's Discovery of the Breeding Grounds of the Rosy Gull,

BY DR. T. S. PALMER.

Of the result of Nansen's Expedition
thus far announced one of the most in-
terestini!;", at least to ornitholog^ists, is
the reported discovery of the breeding-
grounds of Ross' Gull, also known as the
Wedg-e-tailed or Rosy Gull { Rhodostethia
rosea). In a letter published in the Lon-
don Daily Chronicle last November, Dr.
Nansen stated that he found flocks of Rosy
Gulls on Aug-ust bth, in latitude eig-hty-
one degrees thirty-eig-ht minutes, east
long-itude sixty-three degrees. The birds
were seen near four small islands called
"Hirtenland" by Nansen, a little north-
east of Franz Josef Land. While Nansen
did not actually find nests, he found the
birds abundant, and concluded that their
nests were probably near by. Every
item of information regarding this rare
bird is of interest, and in the December
number of the Ornitholoo-isciie Monats-
herichte (pp. 193-196), Dr.' Herman Scha-
low calls attention to the importance of
Nansen's announcement and takes occa-
sion to review briefly the history of the
species.

There seems to be no reason to question
the correctness of Nansen's determine^tion
of the birds or his surmise that they were
breeding- not far away. The wedg-e-
shaped tail and the rosy tinge of the plu-
mage (both noted by Nansen ) are unmis-
takable characters of the species, and the
presence of the Gulls in such numbers in
that hig-h latitude renders it very prob-
able that they were breeding. The Rosy
Gull has long- remained one of the rarest
Gulls. It was described from a specimen
collected by Sir James Clark Ross in
1823, on Melville Peninsula, but in the
next half century only a few individuals

were taken and these in widely separate^l
localities. In the autumn of 1881 Mur-
doch observed large numbers at Point
Barrow, Alaska, apparently migrating
from the west to the northeast. Al-
though he secured a good series of speci-
mens, he could add little to the life history
of the species, and no other naturalist in
Alaska has had the good fortune to meet
with it in such numbers. This Gull has
also been taken in North America, at St.
Michael's, Alaska, and Disco Bay, Green-
land, but it was not seen by the Lady
Franklin Bay Expedition. It was met
with olf the Siberian coast by the Jean-
nette Expedition, and was recorded by
Payer between Nova Zembla and Franz
Josef Land, only a few degrees to the
south of the islands where Nansen
found it.

The Rosy Gull is a typical arctic cir-
cumpolar bird, reaching a latitude at-
tained by few other species, and specimens
taken outside the Arctic Circle ( at St.
Michael's, Kamschatka, the P^a^roe Islands,
Heligoland, and Yorkshire, England )
can only be regarded as stragglers. No
one has yet been able to explain what
becomes of the thousands which pass
Point Barrow in the autumn, and less is
known of the winter home of this Gull
than of the region where it breeds. Mur-
doch supposed that its breeding grounds
were somewhere north of Wrangel Isl-
and. Nansen's observations seem to in-
dicate that they are much farther to the
west, but, as Schalow remarks, "when
will man's foot again tread the dreary
wastes of those high latitudes where one
of the greatest rarities of northern oology
is to be found. — [^Science.^

THE OSPREY.

91

Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the Painter of Birds.

Few ornitholog-ists there are. who have not before heard of Louis Aj^a-ssiz Fuertes and his
work. We take occasion in this number of Thk Ospkky to introduce him further to our readers,
and have endeavored to fjfive as o-ood reproductions of several of his best painting-s possible bv
our halftone process of making- printing- plates. Dr. Elliott Coues has g-iven his opinion of Mr.
Fuertes" work, with which he is, undoubtedly, the best acquainted of competent critics — En.

To THE Editor of The Osprev :

I am happy to respond to the request for
an expression of my opinion reg-arding- Mr.
Fuertes' ability to draw and paint birds.
It is always a pleasure to me to g'ive
praise where it is
deserv^ed, and it
should be no less
a duty than a
pleasure to every-
one to recog-nize
g"enius, because
that is a rare and
precious g"ift,
something- over
and above mere
talent.

I have not seen
those drawing's or
painting-s of Mr.
Fuertes' which I
understand will be
printed in this
number of The
Osprev, and so
cannot say wheth-
er or not they will
serve to bear out
m y estimate o f
that young- a r-
tist's work. I pre-
sume your orig-inals are in flat washes or
photog-raphs, without colors, of less than
life size, and that they will suffer some-
what in the process of mechanical repro-
duction, in spite of your best efforts.
Very likely, also, Mr. Fuertes has not
full scope in any piece of work desig^ned
for publication in the pag-es of a periodi-
cal, even of one so well printed as The
OsPREY. But my examination of a great
many of his desig^ns, both in black-and-
white and in natural colors, makes me

LOULS AGASSIZ FI-EHTES.

think Mr. Fuertes the most promising-
young- artist of birds now living-, and
one whose work already places him in
the very first rank. He is rapidly master-
ing- the technique of his art, — in other

words, his talent
is overtaking- his
g-enius,— and has
already overcome
certain crudities
which were obvi-
ous in his earliest
efforts. I say de-
liberately, with a
full sense of the
weig-ht of my
words, that there
is now no one who
can draw and
paint birds so well
as Mr. Fuertes ;
and I do not forg-et
Audubon himself
when I add, that
America has not
before produced an
ornitholog-ical art-
ist of equal possi-
bilities.

Mr. Fuertes is at present eng-ag-ed upon
a series of one hundred plates of birds, to
be drawn under my direction and pub-
lished by the Macmillan Company of New
York as illustrations for a "Child's Book
of Birds," of which I am one of the
authors, in collaboration with Mrs. Mabel
Osg-ood Wrig-ht. I full}' believe that this
series will prove to be the finest that have
ever appeared this country.
Very truly yours,

Elliott Coues.

92

THE OSPREY.

Club Grounds as Bird Reserves,

BY OTTO WIDMANN.

^ ARM bird lovers,
not acquainted
with the scope
and methods of
a Hunting- Club
are liable to reg-ard
it as an unmitig-ated
evil, created for the
sole purpose of de-
stroying- bird life.
A careful study of
the clubs in the vicinity of St. Louis,
more particularly those of the marshes of
St. Charles County, 25-50 miles north of
St. Louis, shows that the lover of bird
life has reason to look upon them with
favor rather than with scorn, and even
to wish that all g-rounds frequented by
waterfowl would be in the hands of well-
reg-ulated hunting- clubs. Such clubs
usually consist of from twenty to forty
members, who acquire the sole rig-ht to
hunt on certain g-rounds, on which they
erect a clubhouse, and from which they
keep all trespassers by wire fences, post-
ers and mounted watchmen. For this
rig-ht they pay quite a sum of money to
the owners of the g-round, some of whom
derive a handsome income therefrom.
Others have boug-ht outrig-ht the princi-
pal part of their hunting- g-rounds, there-
by obtaining- full control, of importance
especially in reg-ard to drainag-e, pastur-
ag-e and cultivation.

While the ordinary pot-hunter slaug-h-
ters the g-ame wherever and whenever he
can, without reg-ard to the future, the
club has laid out rules, which, when fol-
lowed, assure a continuous supply of
g-ame, not only throug-hout the season,
but also in the future. Nig-ht shooting-
is never practiced on club g-rounds, and
some clubs do not shoot ducks before
eig-ht o'clock in the morning-, because
if molested in the early morning-, the
ducks are liable to quit the g-rounds and
return no more. The best results are
obtained by those who do not shoot at all
in the forenoon. On these g-rounds the
ducks and g-eese are fed on corn, and
it has been found that, when the birds
are allowed to have their fill in the morn-
ing-, even repeated attacks and great

losses do not drive them from the
g-rounds; the}' g-o up eind fly about for
awhile, but descend in another part of
the lake, and ultimately return to their
old feeding- grounds.

In feeding them, corn in the ear is
scattered over a shallow portion of the
lake, where by tilting ducks can reach
the bottom. These well-fed ducks and
geese do good service as voluntary de-
coys, and very few flocks pass over with-
out alighting. On March 19, 1895, I
v/itnessed a nice piece of decoy work.
At 3:15 p. m. a party of five Canada
(icese came straightways from the south
and were greeted by a host of voices
from the lake, but passed on. Presently
two geese left the lake and ioined

SCKEECH OWL, KED PHASE-
From raiiifi?tgb\' Louis Agassiz Fuertes,

THE OSPREY.

93

the party. In less than one minute
all seven g^eese, which by this time
were already- half a mile to the north
of the lake, turned back, and after
a little circling- sailed down to the
lake. Three-quarters of an hour
later five g-eese, doubtlessly the same,
left the lake and proceeded on their
journey Northward.

On these lakes ducks and g-eese
are plentiful throug-hout spring- and
fall, and the numbers killed by the
club members are only a small per-
centag-e of the vast multitudes which
find rest and food on the lakes.
Some Mallards become so much
attached to the reg-ion that thev do
not leave even after the lakes are
frozen. During- the three weeks
spell of zero weather ( January 25
to February 16, ( 1895) seventy-five
Mallards remained, g"oing- for food
into the cornfields of the neighbor-
hood, and for water to an air hole
in Cuivre Sloug-h, an arm of the
Mississippi, at the mouth of Cuivre
River. It is not only the food that
makes these water-fowl so at-
tached to the g-rounds, it is
also the tranquility of the reg-ion,
the rest which the poor, persecuted birds
g-et there. Even during- the heig-ht of
the shooting- season several days of each
week pass without a shot being- fired on
the grounds.

Other birds besides ducks and g-eese
quick in the appreciation of the tranquil
and pacific conditions, especially in early
April after the close of the duck season,
when the lakes have something- the ap-
pearance of a zoological g-arden, beaming
with bird life.

For a number of years a troop of about
twenty Swans, ( Olor buccinator ] are
making one of these lakes a resting- place
in their spring- migration and, not being
molested, remain for three weeks, the
latter part of March and the first of April.

The Canada Geese are quite at home
here for nearly six months, from October
till April, and the White-fronted Geese
are reg-ular spring and fall visitants,
while the Snow, the Blue, and the
Hutchins Geese contribute to dispel the
monotony of our winter fauna.

It is nothing- unusual to see eig-ht or
nine species of ducks feeding- tog-ether.

SNOWY OWL, NYCTEA NYCTEA.
From Painting by Louis Agassi z Fucrtes.

a gay and splendid picture, provided often
with a fitting frame of sombre-looking-
Coots and Grebes. P^rom early April till
the last of October, for nearly seven
months, the lakes are seldom without a
picket of those long--necked and long--
legg^ed sentinels, the Great Blue Heron
and the American Eg-ret. They are
really g-uardians of the lake population,
and to see a few of them leave in haste is
a sure indication of the approach of man.
Both species breed tog-ether on the islands
in the Mississippi, several miles away,
but here are their feeding- g-rounds. Ten
years ag-o these lakes were dotted from
July till September with many hundreds
of the beautiful Eg-rets, but, as matters
stand now, I am g-lad to report that by
actual count 5S were present September
2, 189().

True sportsmen do not harass any
bird not considered g-ame, and unlike the
boy and pot hunters they do not shoot all
day long-; a few hours of shooting suffice
their wants, and after that the birds are
allowed to collect ag-ain, and can feed
and rest without fear of molestation.

94

THE OSPREY.

If these same grounds were not in the
hands of clubs, they would be overrun
with g-unners of all calibres; some would
shoot from morning- till evening, and
others would camp on the spot and shoot
all night; the birds would have no rest.
After all the legitimate game would be
killed or run off, the attention of the
shootist would g-o to everything that has
wings or shows life, and soon the marsh
would be desolated.

As it now is, the grounds are not only
fenced, posted, and guarded, but there is
no cultivation, and no roads run through
them. In summer nobody visits the
place for months, and the vegetation has
a chance to grow as luxuriant as a rich
soil and plenty of moisture will make it.
It is here that we still find a pair or two
of Mallards rearing their young in safety,
and that Bitterns and Rails find conge-
nial abodes. It is also the home of the
Marsh Wrens, both the Long and Short-
billed, and of Henslow's Sparrow, while
the Song Sparrow has extended the
southern limits of its breeding range into
its territory.

But what makes these peaceful reser-
vations still more interesting and valua-
ble is the unexcelled opportunity for
great roosts of different kinds of birds.

All through August and September to
the middle of October, the Swallows
roost here in immense numbers ; at first
the Bank and Eave Swallows form the
bulk of the masses, but after their de-
parture about the middle of September
the Tree and Rough-winged Swallows
take their places, together with some
Barn Swallows. In August the Bobo-
links gather here for the night, and their
musical "pink" is in the marsh until late
in September, in fact until the Robins
and Rustles begin to arrive and take their
places. The Red-winged Blackbird fre-

quents the marsh all the year round, but
October is the month, when untold mil-
lions of all kinds of Blackbirds retreat
to these marshes in the evening, and
their coming and going is one of the
grandest sights one can see.

In one part of the marsh the Meadow-
larks gather in the evening to the number
of fift^'or more, in another the Dickcissels,
and some of them remain as late as the first
of October. Cedarbirds and Yellowrumps
come here to roost, and besides the regu-
lar marsh-inhabiting Fn'}io-iHidcP, such as
Swamp and Song Sparrows, Savanna and
Leconte's Sparrows, there are roosts of
Tree Sparrows, where on a comparatively
small area hundreds spend the long
winter nights on the ground.

Birds and bird lovers owe much to
hunting clubs, for without them their
paradise would some cease to exist. Not
only would the gun depopulate it, the
husbandman would come in, drain the
lakes, destroy the original growth with
fire, and plow the ground. Instead of
inviting lakes, covered with lotus ( Ne-
Innibiiini ) and flag ( Spai'oauiion ) there
would be an uninviting stretch of sickly
looking corn, and with the marsh grass
( Spartiua ) would go the breeding resorts
of highly interesting species and the roost-
ing retreats of many others.

The bird lover has a right to consider
a well-kept hunting club a benefit to
bird life; and it is to be hoped with the
progress of civilization and culture
the sanguinary feature of the club
will be more and more redeemed by the
development of its preserving qualities,
when suitable tracts of land in many and
different parts of the country will be set
aside and kept in their original state as
bird reserves, not for slaughter but for
the preservation and propagation of bird
life.

Flicker Flirting.

BY JAMES NEWTON BASKETT.

From sundry observations I am inclined
to think that in more things than curved
beak and ground feeding habits, the
P^licker is a modern bird — more modern
than any other Woodpecker. Nearly
everyone must have noticed that during
the silly courting tactics of this bird the

female "peek-a-boos" back with a re-
markable degree of zeal, but I have
not noticed any record of her making
a leap year of the occasion and be-
coming the positive aggressor in the
matter.

THE OSPREY.

95

Yet, on at least two occasions, I found
this unmistakably the case. On April
30, 18^)5, I saw, with a g-ood g-lass, two
female Flickers assiduously courting- a
sing-le male. I was quite near the birds,
which were on an old "snaij" low down,
and the differentiating- of the sexes by
means of the mustache and g-eneral shape
of the head was beyond doubt. Each fe-
male would approach the sing-le gallant,
and display her charms with the most
extravag-ant gig-g-les ; and if one seemed
to be making- some headway, the other
would fly and alig-ht in betw^een her and
the mutual beau.

Occasionally the male would make
some rather affectionate advances toward
one, which (advances) would be mildly
rejected, as if to say, "no special favors
until this business of choice is settled."
At times he would fly away, as if dis-
g-usted with the whole performance, and
beg-in tapping- on some tree, but at once
the two beauties would follow him and
g-etting directly in front beg-in to display
the beautiful marg-ins of their trains and
the brilliancy of their back hair.

I never knew how it was settled, as I
was compelled to leave, but during- the
half hour I watched them there was
never any attempt at fighting- or even

bluffing. It seemed just a g-ood natured
contest display of beauty and devotion.

Ag-ain, a year later, on April the 26th,
I saw three Flickers flirting in a tall tree
top, and put a g-lass upon them, but their
antics were so vigorous that I could not
distinguish the sexes. But shortly two
of them flew away, and as the remaining-
one was a female, I inferred that here
ag-ain was a case of two new women in
feathers. Of course any fleld ornitholo-
g-ist must have noted the female Flicker
persecuted with the attentions of many
male admirers, but I should like to know
if any brother bird gazer has noted this
leap year tendency of this genus.

This bird seems to have its flirting an-
tics set upon hair-trigger ; for I have
often seen them suspend their nodding
and giggling when I approached, but
begin it again if even a twig were
snapped or the slightest vocal noise were
made. Any movement on the part of
one bird sets the whole group to. bowing
and scraping again.

Of course courting females ( and antics )
are very ancient, still found among the
low birds, but as this habit is found among
none other of our Woodpeckers, it is
probably a comparatively modern prac-
tice.

A Peculiar Hybrid.

BY CLEMET L. WEBSTEK.

WHILE conducting scientific inves-
tigations in South-western New
Mexico, during 1889~'92, 1 learned
of a peculiar, though quite common,
hybrid, or cross between the common
hen and the "Road Runner" or "Chap-
arral Cock" ( GeococcYx raliforuiauiis) of
that region.

In the Rio Mimbres valley I first
learned of this fact. It was observed that
during the spring and early summer the
Mexican women were very watchful of
their flocks of hens, and that the}- would
not infrequently be seen "chasing some-
thing away."

In a little time I learned all about this
apparently, at first sight, peculiar pro-
ceeding, and found that that strange and
peculiar bird of the South-western plains,
the Chaparral Cock, annoyed the owners
of hens in the valley very much during

the periods mentioned by the males get-
ting among the the hens and leading
them away into the adjoining foothills;
and as a result of this association an ob-
jectionable cross was brought about
between the hens and this bird.

The hen's eggs, when hatched, devel-
oped chickens having much of the same
roving habits and pugnacious disposition
of the Chaparral Cock; and the Mexicans
found it almost impossible to keep them
at home.

In aspect this hybrid had the general
appearance of the hen, although pos-
sessing also many of the peculiarities of
form and disposition of its wild progeni-
tor.

The habits of the Chaparral Cocks are
very peculiar. It is a very swift runner
and constantly on the go. It never flies,
save when pressed by a pursuer, then will

96

THE OSPREY.

simply sail from a hig-her (should it be
there ) to a lower level.

It is very combative, as well as ex-
tremely bold and audacious. It is never
molested or killed by any one, as it is
very beneficial to the country, its main
object in life appearing- to be "to extermi-
nate the rattlesnakes and tarantulas of the
reg-ion.'' Many peculiar stories are
told of its habits and disposition by old

plainsmens for some of these, however, we
must make some allowances.

This bird is so fearless that I have not
infrequently walked up to within ten to
fifteen feet of it, while it would stand
with bristling- feathers and flashing- eyes
watching- me; and then finally- turn and
run away over the sands and among- the
sasre-bush.

Infertile Eggs,

BY KEV. P. B. PEAKODY.

5KVERAL writers in recent numbers
of ornitholog-ical papers and mag-a-
zines have spoken of "fresh" eg'g-s
as being- found in sets that were incu-
bated. I have often wondered that
this scientific blunder has g-one so long-
unreproved. How often one finds, in
autumn or winter, nests from which the
young- had long- since flown, while yet
"the nest contained "fresh" egg-s!

At nig-htfall, two years ag-o, I flushed
a Vesper Sparrow, in a fallow field. In
the nest that I g-roped for and found were
two young, just hatched, and three
"fresh" eg-g-s. In July of this season,
at marg-in of a meadow copse, I ran
upon a King-bird's nest, — one young-,
nearly ready to fly, and three "fresh"
(^g-g-s. Last September, while mowing- for
recreation, I found two old nests of
the Ruddy Duck, containing- each, shells
and an eg-g- — no — not fresh ^ by any
means, althoug'h by aid of patience and
carbolic-acid solution they were made

suitable to place in my cabinet. In some
seasons, there seems to be an unusual
number of infertile eg-g-s deposited, the
Sparrows and certain aquatic birds being-
especially proflig-ate of specimens worth-
less for their purpose but useful for ours.
Eg'g"s of rare beauty are often thus ob-
tained. A most exquisite Bobolink's eg-g-,
was taken (by watching- the mother
"homing-" at a distance) from a bog-
nest containing- five young-, one day old,
and the eg-g- was perfectly "fresh."

The phenomenon of freshness in eg-g-s
that have been incubated, is easily ex-
plained. Every thrifty house-wife knows
that hen's eg-g-s not fertilized will keep
far long-er than fecundated eg-g-s.

Autumnal quest for infertile eg-g-s in
nests laid bare by falling- of the leaves,
will open an inviting- field tt) that whole
class of sentimental ornitholog-ists whose
human conservatism teaches many a les-
son which some others of us would do
well to heed.

Nest Building of the Downy Woodpecker,

BY ARTHUK M. FARMER.

rr

R

RUP, rup-rup, rrup, rup," and a
faint, thoug-h sug-g'estive, scratch-
ing-, first called my attention to
the freshly cut chips 13'ing- at the base of
a half-dead apple tree, which stood near
the old field road which skirted the bank
of the Nashua River, a few miles from
Clinton, Mass., May 3, 1896.

Glancing- upward I beheld a newly
wroug-ht cavit}' frameing- the tail feathers
of a Downy Woodpecker. It proved to
be the male. Cling-ing- there by his sharp
little talons, he was hang-ing- head down-

ward and working- furiously. I watched
there nearly half a day, and during- that
time the birds took turns at the work,
changing- every half hour or oftener.

Frequently while the male was work-
ing- he would stop a minute and hop out
among- the branches eyeing- me ; then
flying- to the opposite side of the tree
and below the nest, he would circle up to
it and beg-in work ag-ain.

At first, before he went down out of
sig-ht, while he clung- to the rim of the
hole, I could see his tail feathers quiver

THE OSPREY.

97

with every blow. After working" a little
he would swing- backwards as if on a
pivot, g-iving- his head a quick shake that
would scatter several more of the tell-tale
chips about the g-round. But one bird
would be about the tree the g'reater part
of the time, thoug-h when the male stop-
ped dig-g-ing- he would never remain in
the tree, but would fly off entirely out of
view, and very soon the female would
put in an appearance from some near by
tree. She, however, never stopped work
until she heard the mate outside the
cavity.

Some days later I went down to collect
the set, and I will here copy from my
note-book:

"May 20, clear warm day, almost like
July. * * * Went down at 6 p. m. to
the Downy Woodpecker's nest near Rifle
Rang-e.

A little work with my hatchet and 1
secured a set of live nearly fresh egg's.
Male was setting". Height of nest twelve
feet. Entrance, a flat oval in shape,
measuring" 1.25x1.00 inches.

Egg"s lay on chips seven inches below
entrance. Sides of cavity lead straig"ht
down, leaving" the bottom no larger than
the top. Interior finished up very
roughly.

Male and female almost within arm's
reach while cutting out egg"s," fluttering"
wildly about, but uttering" no sound.
When just about to descend tree the male
evidently mistaking" my thigh for the
trunk ( as it was g-etting" dusk ) perched
upon it, and I could feel his sharp little
claws for a moment before he discovered
his error."

Four egg"s of this set are perfectly nor-
mal, but the fifth would almost pass for
an eg"g" of the Hairy, it is so larg-e.

The Downy is by no means a common
bird here in Worcester County, and I did
not see but one other pair until the col-
lecting" season was past. They had made
their home in a dead elm beside a brook
bordering" a ploug"hed field. I did not
disturb their eg"g"s.

(Bencral IRotcs,

NOTES FROM OLD OKCHAKD, MO.

A g"reat migration of Sprig's, ( Dajila
acuta) which reached this vicinity last
Saturday, February 13, and about the
first Snipe ( Galliuago dclicata) killed in
St. Charles County, Mo., ( about 35 miles
north of St. Louis) last Wednesday,
February 17.

I visited the marsh in St. Charles
County on the 18th, and saw thousands
of ducks, 4-5 Sprig"s, 1-5 Mallards, no
other ducks and no geese. Larg-e flocks,
mainly Sprig's, were on the wing", coming"
and g"oing", all day; but in the evening"
from 6 o'clock to 6:15, a steady stream of
flocks passed over, g"oing" north, and the
call of the Sprig- was in the air yet, when
it was too dark to see them.

An unusual number of birds wintered
with us, especially Red-headed Wood-
pecker, Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird,
Towhee, etc. Two species were entirely
new- to me as winterings in this neighbor-
116*6^1 — the Leconte's Sparrow, of which
I took two and saw others, December 29,
189(), in St. Charles County; and the Be-

wick's Wren, which I had wintering" with
me at Old Orchard, and heard first song-
on February 14, about one mile from here.
Meadowlarks are heard sing"ing" in many
places since the 13th, the Robins have
taken to their old breeding" g"rounds, and
the Crows think of nesting". On a walk
of three miles around Old Orchard last
Sunday, February 14, I found caroling"
Bluebirds in six places about their nesting-
haunts. This is a promising outlook for
the species this coming" season.

O. WiDMANN.

February 20, 1897.

FROM A COLLECTOR IN ALASKA.

Have been here now a month and am
having" a "great" time. Am nicely located
in a cabin on the beeich with a good canoe
and enough to eat. Deer are plentiful
and I have four hang"ing in the shed. A
fine clam bed is in front of the house, a
salmon stream up the beach, a halibut
bank in the channel, and ducks, g"eese
and waterfowl everywhere.

Bald Eag"les are numerous and I have
over a dozen nests located. I did not
bring" my climbers as I imag"ined that the
trees in this country were dwarfed, but

98

THE OSPREY.

some of the trees these Eag"les have found
has lead me to send for the irons and
and straps.

I have been so busy with various odd
jobs and away on prospecting- trips that
I have not really settled down to collect-
ings as yet, but I have taken some nice
birds — Kowak Chickadee, Aleution Song-
Sparrow, Alaska Winter Wren, Alaskan
Three-toed Woodpecker, and others. A
few Harlequin Ducks are about but hard
to shoot. Ptarmig-an are plentiful, but I
have not obtained any 3'et and do not know
of what species they are. Cormorants
are abundant, they "line up" on a rock
just opposite the house, and one shot will
g-enerally kill as many specimens as can
be put up in a day. They are mostly
Violet-g-reen and White-crested, but there
is also another kind that I have not
been able to capture as yet. Marbled
and another species of Murrelet are very
common on the open water in company
with the larger Guillemots. The Petrels
and Puftins, and many other varieties of
shore birds will not be here ag^ain till
spring-.

I have not as yet observed any Redpolls,
Leucostictes, or Snowflakes,but expect to
when the weather turns colder — if it does.
Thus far there has been no snow, and I
have not worn an overcoat since I came
here. Geo. G. Cantwell.

Howkan, Jackson P. O. Alaska.

Feb. 1, 1897.

REMAKKABLE CONFIDENCE OF THE
GUADALUPE JUNCO.

It is probably a well known fact that
the birds peculiar to Guadalupe Island, or
any island for that matter, are remarka-
bly tame. Imagfine a bird so rare in
collections as Junco insiilaris baffling an
attempt to collect it by trying- to alig-ht
on the end of the g-un barrel.

In September, 1896 I saw this happen,
and only reg-retted that this almost per-
fect confidence could not be rewarded by
the bird beings allowed to live.

Horace A. Gaylokd.

Pasadena, Cal.

The pupa was encased in its cocoon, and
Dr\'obat€s first punctured a hole in the
upper end, then in order to g-et at the
pupa enlarg-ed the puncture until it be-
came a narrow slit the entire leng-th of
the cocoon. The bird permitted me to
approach within four feet and appeared
as unconcerned as thoug-h accustomed to
being- watched. W. E. Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

late sojourners.

On January 24, a Belted King-fisher was
shot on the banks of the Embamas creek,
three miles west of here. He seemed to
be quite alone and not in the least incon-
venienced by the severe weather. A
Jack Snipe was secured near the same
place January 2, and a Mallard on Janu-
ary 6. These tardy fellows are now in
the collection of Dr. R. L. Jessee. A
Meadowlark was seen skulking- in a
hedg-e on January 26 ( a very cold morn-
ing), probably a cripple, unable to leave
in the fall with his kindred. Our lati-
tude is 40® . Cedar Waxwing-s are quite
common for the first time in several win-
ters. Isaac E. Hess.

Philo, 111.

late visitors.

January 2 a Robin was seen on our
coUeg-e campus; and on December 23 a
flock of 25 Red-winged Blackbirds visited
us. Geo. a. Morrison.

Fox Lake, Wis.

MORE ALBINISM.

DOWNY WOODPECKER FEEDING ON PUPA.

January 19,1 saw ?i Drvobatcs piihc^rcii^'
feeding- on the pupa of a Cecropia moth.

There are within a few miles of this
place some hig-h, rag-g-ed cliffs marked by
many deep fissures, where for years the
Turkey Vultures have roosted in g-reat
numbers. A few years ag-o there was,
among- the Vultures roosting- on these
cliffs, a pure white one, somewhat smaller
in size than any of the others. But this
one seemed to be a leader among- them, as
he was always conspicuous at the head of
the flock when leaving- the cliffs, and was
a beautiful sig-ht with the sunlig-ht on his
snowy wing^s. P^or more than a year this
white Vulture could be seen almost any
day somewhere in the sky, but he sud-
denly disappeared and was never seen
since. Chas. S. Reid.

Walhalla, S. C.

THE OSPREY.

99

NOTES CONTRIBUTED BY THE LEWISTOWN
(ill. ) NATURAL HLSTOKY SOCIETY.

On October 20, 1894, a female Harris'
Sparrow was shot by one of our members.
Ridg-way, in his "Birds of Illinois," says
there is record of but two having- been
collected in this State, so that this adds
another to the list.

Several flocks of Purple Finches have
been observed here this winter and
a number of specimens procured. All
the flocks have been made up of females
and young, the plumage being the same,
and not an adult male has been observed
among the number.

Dr. W. S. Strode, through his collec-
tor, has procured three sets of Great
Horned Owls'eggs;two of the sets consisted
of three eggs each, collected on January
14 and January 31. The other consisted
of one egg, collected January 31, and was
incubated about two-thirds.

Note and Comment*

Mr. John V. Crone, of Marathon, Iowa is
now superintendent of Sheridan (Wyoming-)
city schooLs.

Mr. E. A. Mcllhenney, of Avery's Island,
La., wants two assistants to spend a year with
him at Point Barrow, Alaska.

Mr. Warren Williamson noted a flock of over
a dozen Bluebirds on February 27, near his
home, 10 miles from Galesburg-.

Mr. Ora W. Knig-ht, of Bang-or, Me., is now
tilling- the position of Assistant Chemist at the
Maine Experiment Station.

The editor of The Ospkev recently resig-ned
a nomination for Editor-in-Chief of T/tf Lom-
bard Revieiv, of Galesburg.

Mr. Claudius W. West, of Galesburg'-, reports
a pair of the Swallow-tailed Kite, noted in
June on the Rock River in Northern Illinois.

Mr. O. W. Howard, of Eos Ang-eles, Cal., is
enjoying- an extended trip in Arizona, and ex-
pects to g-et many fine specimens this spring.

A series of comprehensive articles concerning
"Bird Protection," by Mrs. L. M. Stephenson,
is appearing- in The Arkansas School Journal.

Prof. M. J. Elrod, formerly of the Illinois Wes-
leyan University, now has charge of the De-
partment of Biologj' at the University of Mon-
tana.

"A List of the Birds of Maine, Showing-
Their Distribution by Counties," prepared
under the auspices of the United Ornitholog-ists
of Maine, will appear about May first.

"Out Door Studies" is a little popular work
y Prof. James G. Needham. of Knox College,
Galesburg, to be soon published. It is sure
to contain the result of much original observa-
tion.

Mr. Chas. K. Worthen has just purchased Mr.
W. W Price's entire magnificent collection of
Cape St. Lucas skins and eggs, containing the
finest series in the world of many rare species.
The collection comprises about 25,000 speci-
mens.

A printed report of the Oolog-ists' Association
shows that the Association now has twenty
members and is constantly growing. The
officers for 1897 are :— President, I. S. Trostler ;
Vice President, E. A. Mcllhenney; Secretary
and Treasurer, W. E Snyder; Executive Com-
mitteeman, J. A. Dickinson.

Prof. C. A. Babcock, the originator of "Bird
Day" for the schools, says that this movement
"is spreading- with almost the rapidity of a
bird's flight," and that he has had correspond-
ence from England, Italy and Spain concern-
ing- the plan. A movement of so great a rec-
ognized value could hardly be a failure.

Our Animal Friends, the magazine published
by the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, frequently contains inter-
esting articles relating to birds. The number for
February contains an illustrated paper by Mr.
Frank M. Chapman, which is of special inter-
est, entitled, "Recently Discovered Bird of
Paradise."

In the death of Major Charles E. Bendire Thk
OSPREY loses a sincere friend. He was one of
the first ornithologists of eminence to send
encouragement to the magazine in its early
months. He advised the exercise of g'-reat care
that t)nlv strictly reliable observation should
be published, and also furnished several names
of persons whose reliability he deemed doubt-
ful.

A letter from Simon Pokagon, the well-known
Indian Chief, says that he is preparing an-
other article for The Ospkev. He was lately
elected Honorary Member of the Michigan Or-
nithohjgical Club. The Chicago Tribune re-
cently sent two reporters to interview him, at
his home, and the results were given on an
entire first page of a section of the Sunday
edition.

It will interest our readers to know that Dr.
Coues has finished his labors on "The Journals
of Alexander Henry the Younger, and David
Thomp.son," fur-trader and geographer, respec-
tively, and the work will be shortly issued by
Francis P. Harper. Thompson's maps will be
reproduced Unlike Dr. Coues' edition of Lewis
and Clark and of Pike, the body of this publica-
tion consists of matter never before in print.

A "Bird Movement Chart" has been devised
by the Rev. P. B.Peabody of St. Vincent, Minn.,
oil which to keep records, as those implied by
the name, of the mig'-rants and of the residents
and breeders. The records of the species, for a
period of five years, are placed in the most com-
pact manner by a series of symbols, each on a
separate chart a card about four by eig'-ht
inches in size On the opposite side of the card
the respective species is furnished blanks, also
covering five years' records, for copying*- semi-
annual reports like those requested of ornithol-
ogists by the U. S. Department of Ag'-riculture.
The convenience of this chart, especially for
reference purposes, is easilj^ recognized.

100

THE OSPREY.

•ffiecent literature.

Books mentioned below, and all other works for the
naturalist or {.'eneral reader, can be furnished by The
OsPREY Company at the publishers' regular price.

^-V Manual of Xortli American Birds. By
Robert Ridg-wav. Illustrated by 446 outline
drawinf,'-s of the tleueric characters. Second
edition. Phila., J B. Lippencott Co., 1896.
Cloth or flexible leather, $7.50.

/'^idgzvay's Manual is almost as familiar to
the student of North American birds as a stan-
dard dictionary is to a student of language.
The work was first published in 1887, and im-
mediately became a standard authority on our
birds, making a laew era of activity and inves-
tigation. This activity is shown by the fact
that no less than 91 new species and sub-
species have been added to the North American
fauna since 1887, and this in a field of limited
extent and already well studied.

The plan of the work is too well kn<jwn to
need other than the briefest mention. It is
constructed on the plan of dichotomous anti-
thesis, now so familiar in manuals of botanj-;
that is, the student is constantly presented
with two alternatives and the character tested
must conform to one or another of these. This
is followed up until the specific characteriza-
tion is reached.

As there appears to have been some misttn-
derstanding of the uses of the keys, the attthor
has given in the new edition a careful explana-
tion which makes their working plain.

In the new edition many corrections have
been made in the meastirements of both birds
and eggs, and in the distribution of species as
a restilt of a practical use of the work. But
the main body of the work remains unchanged
in this edition, there being apparently no ma-
terial alteration tip to and including page 582.
The additions and corrections are combined in
the form of an appendix which fills 32 pages.
It would tinquestionably have been more coti-
venient for tisers of the book had this matter
been interpolated in the proper places through-
otit the volttme, btit doubtless the cost of re-
setting the entire work was a more important
consideration in the eyes of the publishers.
But this new matter can be readily found by a
series of marginal numbers that have l)een in-
serted in the bod^- of the work, and which cor-
respond to the numbered items in the appendix.
The index also has been entirely recast, and
can be relied upon to further locate all interpo-
lated matter.

It will perhaps be of interest to indicate a
few of the more important changes and addi-
tions made in this edition. Thus, two new
genera recognized are named: Arrenionops,
ccjntaining several species of Mexican and Cen-
tral American Sparrows, the type being Ii))iher-
naora rufiviri^ata Lawr., and Orcosipiza. of
which the type and only species is the common
Western Green-tail-ed Towhee. Pipilo chlornrus.
No actually new .species, and but one new sub-
species (Cardinalis cardinalis yucafaniciis) has
been established. F. H. Knowi.ton.

Chicago Academy of Sciences.

The regular meeting of the Ornithological
Section of the Chicago Academy of .'Scienceti
was held in the oftice of Mr J. G. Parker, Jr.,
and was well attended

The papers of the evening were by Mr. Vir-
ginius H. Chase, of Wady Petra, 111., and by
Mr. John F. Ferry: of Lake Forrest, 111., en-
titled, "Bird Nest Analysis," and "A Collect-
ing Trip to California," respectively. In the
absence of the writers the papers were read by
Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr.

F. M. WooDKiFF, Sec'v.

Michigan Ornithological Club,

P'ebruary 12, 1897, the second meeting (jf the
Club was held at the house of the Secretary, in
Grand Rapids.

After a business session in which seven new
members were elected, the following papers
were read and discussed:

"The Pied-billed Grebe, Podihniibus podi-
ccps,"' by Mr. W. A. Davidson, Detroit. Mr.
Davidson gave a very interesting account of
the nesting habits of this bird. The parent
bird is ver^- shy, and has never been seen, bj'
him on the nest. At one time, upon catching
two 3'oung birds that had jtist left the nest, he
tried to get them to "dive backwards," which
it is often said they will do; but they persisted
in going "head first."

The second paper, concerning the "Birds of
Michigan," was written b\' Mr. Norman A.
Wood, of Ann Arbor. The author showed how
much the stttd)' of ornithology in our State
lacked of being completed. Mtich more is to be
learned by sttidying the habits of our birds
than by merely noting their arrival, departure,
etc., althottgh, of course, this is of much im-
portatice. There is still a great deal to be
learned abottt even our commonest species.

The concltiding paper was by Mr. A. B.
Dttrfee. of Grand Rapids, and was entitled,
"Nesting Habits of the House Wren." Mr.
Durfee gave man}' interesting accounts of
curious nests and tiesting places of this species,
one of the most striking of which was a nest in
a nearU' tised ball of twine which had been
ttsed from the middle, thus leaving the ball
hollow. Leon J. Cole, Secretarj'.

An American Robin was recently taken near
Manchester, England.

Publisher's Notes,

Thk O.spkhv office is now situated in the
Adams, Johnson & Scholl Company Btiilding,
61 to 71 North Prairie street.

A few words by one of otir friends will often
obtain tis a new subscription from a person we
are tmable to reach with a sample.

Though Thk O.'^pkev is now covered by a
copyright, permission will be freely given to
republish matter from its pages. Contributors
need not consider copyright as covering their
respective matter.

Many requests for the September and Novem-
ber ntimbers — some oifering 25 or 50 cents each —
lead txs to say that no copies of these issues re-
main in stock. We have a few of other issues
which may be included iti sttbscriptions while
they last."

THE OSPREY.

101

California department

Donald A. Cohen, Editor, Alameda, Cal.

Still More Albinism,

IN recent numbers of TheOspkev have
appeared notes on Albinism, to which
I can add the following-: Western
Robin 9 , taken March 24, 1S94, at
Alameda, has one pure white tail feather.
An albino Western Robin was reported
to me January 16, 18')7. Two da;rs later,
while in search of this bird, I heard a
Robin's note and saw nothing- but a ' 'White
Pig-eon" flying past me, just out of g-un
rang-e, and a moment later realized it was
the albino. The next day I saw the
bird among a flock of about 15 that were
rather shy and that were feeding- on the
g-round in an orchard. Sneaking stealth-
ily along- a row of trees, trying not to
alarm the birds, I had g-ot within g-ood
g-un range of the white bird, and while
crouching- along-side a tree and waiting-
for the bird to come out into more open
•jfround where I could make sure of g-et-
ting- it with the "scattering" barrel; two
others, erratic as Robins are, sounded
a warning- note from the top of a tree
close by, and took wing, and with them
the whole flock, in such a manner that
intervening- trees prevented an}- chances
of a shot. This was the last I saw of
this bird, but I heard that a boy had shot
a white one. Anyhow I had a g-ood look
at the albino while it was feeding- and
hopping about. It was of a uniform
color, almost immaculate white, except
the breast and belly, which were faint
reddi=;h; an exquisite tint, and contrasted
beautifully with the white. Two or
three of the other birds that were feeding-
and passing- nearest it, ofl^ered it no
hostilitv on account of its color.

The Cooper Club met February d at
the residence of Mr. H. R. Taylor, Ala-
meda. Owing- to the rush of business,
the scientific papers were read by title
only. A letter from Mr. L. Belding- was
read, accepting the honorary member-
ship tendered him.

Canvas-backs have been exceeding-lv
numerous lately on the Alameda marshes
and are extremel}^ shy and wary, owing-
to numerous "-unners.

The closed season for wild game be-
g-ins February 15, and althoug-h the mar-
ket hunters were supposed to have stop-
ped shipping^ game to be sold, January 15,
anyone who "knows the ropes" can buy
ducks and quail in the wholesaler's back
room. The law, being- technically' defect-
ive, cannot be enforced.

From Arroyo Grande, California, Mr.
N. M. Moran writes: "Every night and
morning larg-e flocks of Crows fly over.
I can hear Wren Tits all day on the
mountain sides, and Western Horned
Owls every night. I see Western Red-
tail and Red-bellied Hawks constantly,
and sometimes a (lolden Eag-le and once
in a g-reat while a California Vulture
sailinof over."

Since recording- a Snowy Owl taken at
Alameda last December, another was seen
on the marsh, but was too shy to be shot.

In reply to Mr. H. B. Kreding-'s remarks
( in January number of The Ospkev)
commenting on what appeared in Decem-
ber number about Western Robins and
Varied Thrushes, we wish to say that our
observations were made prior to Decem-
ber and since then have noted the follow-
ing- dates of arrival of the Western Rob-
ins, that are extraordinarily late, but
mav be accounted for by erratic move-
ments in bird life here this winter: De-
cember 1, first two birds; December 5,
three seen at San Lorenzo, while the Cal-
ifornia Editor was g-oing- from Alameda
to San Jose (43 miles ), none seen on re-
turn trip; January 2 to 4, a few seen and
heard at Alameda; January 9, to and
from San Jose, about 45 miles, seen each
wav; January 11, Alameda, one heard
while a flock of about 5(1 was seen on the
14th. They have been tolerably common
to date, ( February 10. )

Mr. R. C. McGreg-or. of Palo Alto. California,
writes that he will be absent until about Sep-
tember first, having- joined Mr. A. W. Anthony
and party on a collecting- trip. All correspond-
ence should be sent to Palo Alto.

Mr. H. B. Kjeding-, of San Francisco, has
left to join the above expedition. They will
collect along the Gulf of California and vicin-
ity.

Mr. Fred W. Koch, it is reported, has returned
to Berkeley from Southern California.

102

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted
Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BY

WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON.

ASSOCIATED WITH

ELLIOTT COUES, A. M., M. D., Ph. D.

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One
Dollar a year, in advance. Single copies. Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription : One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents. Post-
age paid to all countries in the Universal Postal Union.

Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contributions
are respectfidly solicited, and should be addressed to Editor^
at office of publication.

Entered at the Galesburg Postoffice as second-class mail matter.

Copyright applied for by The Osprey Company.

THE OSPREY COMPANY,
61 N. PRAIRIE ST. GALESBURG, ILI^.

Gurney & Jackson, 1 Paternoster Row, London.

: We take the greatest pleasure in making- the
announcement that Dr. Elliott Coues has con-
sented to become associated with Thk Ospkkv
as a consulting editor

Dr. Coues in his busy life as a writer and sci-
entist has g-iven much aid to the devotees of
Ornithol(jg-y — his favorite science. For the last
20 years the greater number of American orni-
tholog-ists and bird-students have received their
inspiration and much of their knowledge of this
Subject from the invaluable hand-book which
bears his name. This book is probably quoted
more than any other work as an authority on
American birds. Dr. Coues was one of the
founders of the American Ornitholog-ists',
Union, and has served this organization as
President and as Chairman of the Committee
on Classification and Nomenclature.

It is impracticable to try, in these columns,
to cite the many ways in which Dr. Coues is
known to the world. We will merelj' add
that he was formerly Secretary of the U. S.
Geolog-ical Survey, and is a member of the
Faculty of the National Medical College and
many of the foremost scientific societies of
America and Europe. With apolog-ies to Dr.
Coues we take the liberty- to quote from the
words we happen to know were once spoken of
him by a prominent official of the Smithsonion
Institution: "He (Dr. Coues) is one of the most
accomplished men in America and as a writer
is perhaps without an equal." The Chicago
Tribune, in the literary department of March
6 speaks of Dr. Coues as "the g-reatest of all liv-
ing- ornitholog-ists," and of "his long career as a
taxidermist and ornitholog-ist as one which has
left valuable results in every natural history
museum in the Union, and has given us his

unrivaled 'Key to North American Birds.' "

We feel that with this number The Os-
PKEV enters a new era, which, with the co-
operation of bird-students, will cover a g-reater
field of possibilities. Oitr endeavor will be to
make The Ospkev as a popular monthly, what
The Auk is as a technical quarterly.

We hope to publish a portrait of Dr. Coues in
our April number.

The report for 1896 of the American Orni-
tholog-ists' Union Committee on Bird Protec-
tion shows that effective work has been done,
and that in the future it will be continued with
increased effort. Since the publication of the
report an important movement has been in-
aug-urated in Chicag-o reg-arding- the use of
birds for millinery purposes; g-rowing, largely,
from seeds sown by the A. 0. U. Committee,
It is an action recentU' taken by the Chicag-o
Women's Club, which will take up this matter
for formal consideration. Complete success,
without legislation, will depend upon the action
of the women themselves; and it seems highly
probable that the "anti-bird" sentiment once
rooted in this and other influential bodies of
women will, eventually, do all that is necessarj^:
place the custom in its proper light before the
women, individually, who are thoug-htlessly
following- this fashion; the destructiveness to
bird life, of which, they now so little realize.

The Michigfan Ornithological Club well ex-
emplifies the advanced work and the prog-ress-
ive spirit, that has g-iven it its reputation as one
of the leading; local associations, in issuing- a
quarterly"Bulletin," to further advance Michi-
g-an ornithology and for the publication of Club
proceeding-s. The first number dated January,
1897, contains three excellent papers, entitled:
"Prog-ress of Ornitholog-y," by T. L. Hankin-
son; "Michig-an Ornitholog-y to the Front," by
Prof Walter B, Barrows; and " I'ireoiiidcT of
Wayne County, Michigan," by W. A. Davidson;
also notes by members, editorial, and a depart-
ment for personal menti(jn. .\ portrait of Prof.
Barrows quite appropriately appears, Mr.
L. Whitney Watkins, the well-known ornithol-
ogist, is Editor-in-Chief. The names of the
manag-ement were mentioned in The Ospkev
for January. The best wishes and sincere in-
terest of TheOspkey are with the Club.

Dr. A. Donaldson Smith, of Philadelphia, has
broug-ht home from Africa a large number of
specimens, including 700 birds. His book.
"Throvig'-h Unknown African Countries," will
be published this month, both in New York and
London.

Dr, Coues' Column.

If we can succeed in negotiations now pend-
ing, Dr Coues will contribute a department
under the above head, giving us little "talks,"
interesting news, and gossip or comment on cur-
rent relevant events All will agree that such
a department contributed by Dr. Coues would
be a most important feature of the magazine
and one that alone would make The Osprey
worthy of subscription.

DR. ELLIOTT COUES.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

Vol. 1. No.

GALESBURG, ILL., APRIL, 1897.

$1.00 A Year.

A Roost of Blackbirds.

BY RICHAKD C. m'grEGOR, PALO ALTO, CAL.

ABOUT the middle of November last,
three of us were out taking- a few
hours rest from university brain
work in company with our bicycles and
the fresh air,
and incidentally
taking- care of
some ducks. If
you will follow
the road back of
the University
and the stock-
farm, below
Adlanta Villa,
and go through
the gate just be-
yond Burke's
Ranche, follow-
ing the road over
the hill, you will
lindasmall water
reservoir, which
has been made by
throwing a dam
across a draw or
g-ully . This
pond is locally
known as Felt
Lake.

By the devious
windings of the
wagon road this
pretentious pond
is probably some
six miles from
Palo Alto; as the
Blackbirds fly not over three.

Well, as I was saying, three of us were
out for a little fresh air and wild ducks.
I was detailed to one side of Felt Lake,
while my companions went around the
other side to the head. I had not been
long squatted in the ditch wondering

MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT.

where the ducks were, when I turned for
a shot. But these were not ducks, they were
only some Red-wing-ed Blackbirds whose
wing-s made such a noise and at the upper

end of the lake I
could hear them
"cheering-" away
for further or-
ders.

I determined to
come again with
note book and
pencil, ready to
take down a rec-
ord of the num-
ber of birds, etc.,
for this was evi-
dently a Black-
bird roost. Fri-
day, December 4,
I took a careful
record of all pro-
ceedings which I
have arrang-ed
and given with
these notes. I
made a third vis-
it to the pond on
Sunda}^ Decem-
ber 6, but as no
new points were
made no record is
given.

Friday, Decem-
ber 4, at three
o'clock, I climbed
on my wheel and in the course of half an
hour was at the lake. A flotilla of Coots
swam lazily near the bank; Tule Wrens
scolded in the reeds; Sparrows (^Mehspiza
and Zo)iotn'chia) thrashed about in the
brush, kicking up a great rumpus and
having- a general g-ood time. One Robin

104

THE OSPREY.

DEC. 4, "96
AT 4:50.

SUNSET

3:55

.58

4:(i2

.04

.05

.05 ',4

.101..
.11

.11 '4

.12

.12%
.12^

13
.131/2

14
.14 '4

.15
.15!^
.15^

.16
.1054

.17
.17>4

.18''2

.21

.23 '4

.23'/2

.25

.26

.27

.29
.30

.31
.31 '4

.33

.35
.36

.36!/j

.37!4
.38
.39
.40

5:0'

Notes.

100
4
15
21

Joined by sinple birds

'til there were about 20.

Six of them settled in

tules; others ffo away.

Three or four notes.

First trill.

Another sing-le trill.

Trill.

Flifrht noise loud.

Tiill.

Trill.

Roug-hly estimated — •

came m three lots.
Strag-g-ling- birds— trill.

Two trills.

Trill.

Flig-ht noise— two trills.

Four or 5 trill togrether.

Compact bunch — trills.
Strag-g-ling-.
Continuous trills.

" " weaker.

and a lone Flicker flew by. A few Titlarks {Anihiis)

fluttered over with their sweet and timid faint notes, but

not a Blackbird in sight or hearing-.

I made a visit to the tules into which they had been

seen to plunge on a previous day, but not a Blackbird. I

sat down on some tules and teased the Song Sparrows, I

disturbed the Ducks and exposed myself to the inquiring

gaze of the Coots and was getting very weary when the

sound of three interrogative notes told me the Blackbirds

were there. Six birds went over and were soon joined by

single birds until there were about twenty. This bunch

left, but at two minutes of four o'clock six birds slowly

settled in the tule roost.

This was the beginning of the home coming. Four

minutes later seventeen birds came over; two minutes

more and there were eleven birds. From that on they came

singly and in lots numbering up to thirty or fifty individ-
uals.' From 4:02 to 4:40 birds came pretty steadily, the

bunches flying at intervals of from fifteen seconds to two

or three minutes. The heaviest of the flight was from
4:09 to 4:13. During these four minutes I recorded nearly
two hundred passing birds.

The greatest number arriving at any one time, esti-
mated at one hundred birds, was a bunch of three lots,
flying so near together, however, as to form nearly one
mass.

The last lot (six birds) came at 4:53^^. Up to 5:07 no
more came and those in the roost were still trilling vigor-
ously. This they kept up for full half an hour after the
last bird came in.

They stop their noise almost simultaneously and after
the trilling is over not a sound is heard save a few satis-
fied single notes as they settle for the night.

Now a few words of explanation. I have given names
to the three kinds of noises which these birds made. 1.
Notes, by which I refer to the single syllables uttered
when in flight or when disturbed. These are usually to
be heard when the birds fly over, but if the flight be rapid
they are silent. 2. Trills, referring to the song, which
may be represented roughly by "cheer-r-r-r." This is the
characteristic Red-wing song. During the first quarter
of an hour of the flight but few of these songs are heard,
but the volume increases with numbers until there is a
frightful uproar. I got quite close to them and could
hear all kinds of strange voices such as one hears in a
clamorous water-fall. A gun shot or a visitor too near
the tules will shut them up at once. Then if you keep
very still they gradually begin again and inside of a minute or two the din is as
great as ever. 3. Flight noise, which is intended to indicate the rushing noise of
the wings meeting the air in rapid flight. This was only noticeable when birds
flew low and rapidly.

It will be seen that I have recorded nearly 600 birds, and this is rather an under-
estimate. One point to my advantage was that they all came from one direction.
They evidently spend the day feeding in fields and marshes toward the bay. As far
as could be seen their flight was up the little gully, and laterally they did not cover
over one hundred yards.

The flight is undulatory in short waves, the various individuals of a bunch do not

Very noisy by this lime.

There camestagrgrli'gr in
this order, 4, 2, 5, 1.

A gun shot stops all
trillinff tor 30 seconds.

Trills g'ain in streng'th.

Trills stop for3sec'nds.

Sun is wa3' below hill —
cool and shady.

One with a few white
primaries in each wing.

Noisy as ever.

Flylowand very sw'ft'y.
Very noisy.

I came away — birds still
trilling.

THE OSPREY.

105

move up and down tog-ether, neither
do they retain their relative positions
in the flock. Those from the front
may fall to the center or rear. The
bunches may roug-hly be placed in two
catag-ories: 1. Those which return earl-
ier, flv hig-her, more leisurely and less
compactly and utter the notes. 2. Those
which return later, fly lower, more rap-
idly, more compactly and are silent. The

larg-er flocks are more likely to be com-
pact than the smaller ones.

When reaching- the tules a flock usually
hovers overheard and descends in graceful
spirals with short breaks in the descent as
we have seen a Horned Lark do.

Other birds being- in a g-reat hurry may
dash at once headlong into the tules.
Most of the birds seem to be males. One
partial albino was recorded.

Flycatcher Notes.

BV REV. P. B. PEABODV, vST. VINCENT, MINN.

ARECE^^T article by Mr. Mitchell on
the Flycatchers of Minnesota, will
probabl}^ call forth commsnt from
some of the resident ornitholog-ists of Mr.
Mitchell's State, whose observations differ
more or less widely from those that are
recorded in The OiPREv for Februarv,
1897.

The King-bird is recorded as breeding-
g-enerally quite hig-h from the g-round,
while in point of fact, remarks made by
Mr. Rolfe in a recent article in The Xid-
olog/st are, so far as relates to the prairie
reg-ions of Minnesota, much nearer the
mark; for in these reg-ions the avcragx
nesting- heig-ht will prove to be under
four feet, many nests being- considerably
lower. A sing-le nest was noted by me,
last November, in a little bush, not four-
teen inches from the g-round, and within
two feet of a frequented road. The post-
top n sting site, of which Mr. Mitchell
speaks, is very common in the south-
western part of the State, where willow
stems, used as posts, have thrown out
sprouts near the top.

T. verticalis was spoken of as being
"rare.'" On the contrary, it is quite
common in the extreme southwestern part
of Minnosota.

"About thirty per cent of the eggs (of
the Phoebe) are'spotted." H Mr. Mitchell
had said that perhaps about thirt}' per
cent of the sets of eggs contain spotted
examples, he would have made a state-
ment which other observors could have
accepted, yet even this is undoubtedly
quite above the mark.

One wonders where, "in the southern
part of" Minnesota accurate field-workers
have found the Olive-sided Flycatcher
breeding. It is almost certain that this

species never breeds in Southern Minne-
sota, where conifers are conspicuously
absent. In Northern Minnesota, where
the evergreen forests abound, one might
reasonably expect to find it.

I am astonished to find E. traillii
spoken of as being a "rare migrant," and
only migrant. In the brushland country
that lies but a few miles to the east of
St. Paul, whence Mr. Mitchell writes, I

MEXICAN SCREECH OWL.
PHOTO. FROM LiFt EV W. H. NASH, PUEBLO, COLO.

106

THK OSPREY.

NEST OF THE KED-EYED YIKEO.
THROUGH THE COURTESY OF THE OUTLOOK.

have heard the inspiriting', "Grea' deal,"
the morning" call of E. trail Hi ^ quite as
often as elsewhere in the central part of
the State, while I have a ver}- fair series
of sets of eg-gs. with nests, personally
taken in various parts of Central South-
ern Minnesota. (In speaking- of this
race, it may not be amiss to state thnt
E. t. ahionini is the race that breeds in
Northern Minnesota.)

Mr. Mitchell states that the Least Fly-
catcher "never saddles its nest horizon-
tally" to the branch whereon it is placed.
Now, in late June, of '93, in Steele
County, Minn., I once found a most deli-

cate and Contop-
us-like nest, far
out near the end
of a horizontal
branch, snug^g^led
into the center of
a thick cluster of
uprig-ht sprouts.
Two miles or so
from the spot in
question, in the
same season, I
found a similarly
situated nest far
out on the hori-
zontal limb of a
tall ash-tree, and
nearly five feet out
from the trunk.
Truly, it is a dan-
g-erous thing- to
use the "universal
neg-ative" in the
domain of orni-
tholog-y. I fear Mr.
Mitchell never
went asearching-
among- the poplars

yfor nests of the
Least Flycatcher,
or that, if he did,
the cunning- simu-
lation which
this bird uses
in such locations, must have proven an
effectual concealment. Nowhere does
this least of the Euipidonaces so frequent
as among- the poplars, at the base of
whose basal branches it saddles its knot-
like nests, of semi-lichenous substances,
so smartly and so deftly placed as to elude
most successfully the casual observer.

I mig-ht speak of this bird's habit of
nesting- in bushes, near the g-round, here
in Northern Minnesota, even where the
poplars abound; but, as Rudyard Kip-
ling^ says, "that's another story," and be-
sides, I hear the ominous "snip" of The
OsPKEY scissors, and so I stop.

A Nest of the Red-eyed Vireo.

THE g-reat relig-ious paper edited by
Dr. Lyman Abbott, 77/^ Outlook,
feels prv)ud that a Red-eyed Vireo
should d> cide to "take" their p-nper, or at
least take a portion of it, as is in evidence

in the beautiful photog-raph published in
this number of The Ospkey throug-h the
kindreds of 7/ie Oiit/ook.

Mr. Chas. F. Wing-ate, of Twilig-ht Park
in the Caslkills, N. Y., writes as follows:

THE OSPREY.

107

"The nest hung- low from a tree, about
ten feet above a much-frequented road-
way, close to Ledg-e End Inn, yet the fe-
male bird showed little alarm at the
traffic passing- directly below her house,
which commanded a mag-nificent and ex-
pansive view. The nest was discovered
by Mrs. M. J. Donnelly, of Brooklyn, who
has spent several seasons in Twilight
Park, where her outdoor classes in bird-
study have been exceedingly popular with
young- and old alike. During- the present
season she has made observations of no
less than fifty-five varieties of birds in
and around the Park, and within an hour
and a half, on the Fourth of July, she
counted twenty-one species from the
porch of Cosy Cabin — my own abiding-
place, which has been made musical with
the song--birds, no doubt partly attracted
by the presence of ray wife's Java Spar-
row in his cage on the piazza, and also
by that past-master in bird-lore, John
Burroughs, who was a welcome gruest at
Cosy Cabin on the day in question.

"Since the Park was established, in
1887, no one has been allowed to shoot or
injure any living thing within its borders,

and this, no doubt, will account for the
number of birds, squirrels, chipmunks,
porcupines, raccoons, and other creatures,
who have g-rown wonderfully tame; the
birds nesting- under piazza roofs and fly-
ing- with food to their young- across
groups of a dozen people without fear,
while the chipmunks are so fearless
that they will eat out of your hand, and
in one cottag-e, whose owner is a veg-e-
tarian, and who larg-ely subsists on nuts,
they climb on the table after every meal
and help themselves to the family
store.

"But to return to our preacher-bird.
After watching- the prog-ress of the fam-
ily g-rowth until the nestling-s had g-rown
strong- enough to fly, Mrs. Donnelly took
possession of the nest, and found, as
shown in the photograph, that it was
largely constructed of extracts from a
last year's number of The Outlook. Also
of strips of the bark of the yellow birch,
and it is a work of art in every respect.
The Red-eyed Vireo is a b2autiful song-
ster, and John Burroug-hs praises its me-
lodious efforts in 'Wake Robin' and his
other writings."

Cobb's Island, Virginia.

BY WM. H. FISHEK, KALTIMOKE, MD.

COBB'S ISLAND has been for over
fifty years a famous resort for g-un-
ners and fishermen, and until late
years was a veritable paradise for the
oolog-ist; but between wholesale slaug-hter
of the birds by so-called sportsmen, dur-
ing- the breeding- season, and by those
taking them for millinery purposes, they
have become scarcer and scarcer, so that
now very few breed on the island. When
I first went to the island about twenty-
eight years ago, the Least, Common and
Forster's Terns nested there in colonies
of thousands, but now few of them breed
and the Least is seldom seen. During
four days on the island in May, 18*^^1, I
only saw one of the latter, and it was as
wild as an Oyster- catcher, which is a very
wild bird. The Royal Tern also nested
on the island at one time.

Cobb's Island has many sweet memories
for me, and I am very sorry to see that it
suffered severely during the hurricane
that raged all along the line of the At-

lantic coast in October, 1896, and as the
prospects are for an early dissolution of
the island, which, I presume most of our
collectors have heard or read about, but
possibly only a few have visited, I think
some notice of it will be of interest.

Old Nathan Cobb (Old Nathan as he
was familiarly called), came from Cape
Cod on a trading expedition some fifty-
five or sixty 3 ears ago, and was so struck
with the surrounding country that on his
return home he had a small frame house
built, placed it on the deck of his schooner,
and returning to Northampton County he
set it on the mainland opposite to Cobb's
Island and opened a store to trade with
the surrounding people. After he had
been located there for some time, one day
a small colored girl was sent down to
make a purchase, but returning with
empty hands, "Missus," she said, "there
am no store down on the shore," and
when her mistress went down to see
about it herself she found it to be a fact.

108

THE OSPREY.

Old Nathan had purchased Cobb's Island,
paying- therefore $20 in cash and 100
bushels of salt. Then building- him-
self a raft he floated his house out to his
newly acquired domain. Here he lived
for some time, fishing- and shooting- for
market and shipping- to New York and
Philadelphia. Later he and others built
and opened a hotel, in which part of the
lumber used was drift and wreckag-e
picked up on the beach. This finally
passed throug-h several hands, and is now
controlled by a syndicate from Lynch-
burg-, Va., which paid *20,000 for the
hotel, some cottag-es, and 25 acres of
g-round, about five years agfo.

When I first visited the island it was
about seven miles long-, the lower end,
where all the houses are situated, was
about a third of a mile wide, and all the
upper part was. a long- strip of narrow
beach, low and sand)% and back of which
were the marshes.

Now, since the hurricane, I understand
that the island at low tide is almost the
orig-inal length, but much of the beach
at lower end being- washed away, it is not
more than about 100 yards wide and only
about 25 acres of solid g-round is left.

Originally there were a number of
trees, some maples and Lombardy pop-
lars being- planted about the lower end.
Farther up were some low scrubby cedars.
All remaining- now, are, as I understand,
a small mulberry and a poplar.

The United States g-overnment estab-
lished a life-saving- station on the island
about the year 1876 or 77. A year or so
asfo this was moved farther back to the
hisfher ground and was so saved from be-
ing- washed away during the storm.

Cobb's Island is situated about nine
miles out from the coast of Northampton
County, and is separated from the main-
land by what is called "The Broadwater."
Between the island and the mainland are
the marshes where most of the shooting
is done. Large bags of game used to be
made and are now at times. On one tide,
in Aug-ust, 18S1, I killed about 20 Cur-
lew {Xiimeiiiiis hudsoiiicus), 00 Willet
{^Svmphemia semiptilmata^ and 120 Gra}--
back {Macroi-haiuphns griseiis), besides a
number of smaller fry. No license used
to be necessarv, but I believe the last
legislature of Virg-inia passed a law re-
quiring- a person to pa}^ $10 to shoot, and

this has kept away some sportsmen. The
fishing-, as a rule, is fine, larg-e catches of
Weakfish (Sea Trout) being made.

Amongst the birds that used to reg-u-
larl}- breed on the Island and in the vicin-
ity, were the following-: Least, Common
and Forster's Terns; Flood Gull (Black
Skimmer); Willet; Laughing Gull; Oys-
ter-catcher; Wilson's Plover; Clapper Rail;
Seaside Sparrow; Sharp-tailed Sparrow;
Red-wing-ed Blackbird; Barn Swallow;
Green Heron; Nig-hthawk; Boat-tailed
Grackle; Fish Hawk; Great Blue Heron;
Snow}' Heron; Spotted Sandpiper; Gull-
billed Tern, and Caspian Tern.

Capt. C. H. Crumb, an enthusiastic
ornitholog-ist ^vho had charge of the life-
saving- station when I was at the island
in May, 1891, g-ave me the following- list
of some of the rarer birds that had been
taken on the island: Am. Eider; Black
Brant; Brown Pelican; Louisiana Heron;
Black-crowned Nig-ht Heron; Yellow-
crowned Nig-ht Heron; Black Guillemot;
Purple Gallinule; Florida Gallinule; Scis-
sor-tailed Flycatcher; Chuck-wili's-wid-
ow; Connecticut Warbler, and Prothono-
tarv Warbler. In the Ornithologist ami
ai^o-/^/ October, 1891, Mr. Edw. J. Brown
records the capture of a young- male Red-
start, and a friend tells me that he saw a
Woodcock on one of the marshes. On
my last trip to the island I remarked
the absence of the English Sparrow.
One of the inhabitants told me it had
never made its appearance on the island,
further remarking that "if anybody
brought them there, that person would
be shot."

Cobb's Island has several times been
washed over b}- the ocean, and I was
there during an easterly storm in 1808
when the sea washed over nearl}^ all of
the island, drowming- about twenty or
more cows that were g-razing- on the
marshes. After the recent hurricane, a
correspondent of The Baitimore Sun vis-
ited the island in order to verify the con-
flicting accounts that had been given of
the damage done, and the substance of
his report is here attached.

He says, October 19: "After quite an
adventurous trip The Sun's correspondent
succeeded in reaching- Cobb's Island yes-
terday by means of a small sailboat, in
company with several other visitors. *
* * Our boat was the first one to carry

THE OSPREY.

109

a part}' to the island since the storm, and
as vet the seas in the vicinity of Cobb's
Island are running" so ver}- hig-h that it
is reall}- perilous for a boat of small di-
mensions to attempt the trip. * * *

''We found about twenty persons on
the island, including- the members of the
life-saving station, all of whom were in
a very sorrowful mood on account of the
almost entire destruction of the island
and the property thereon. One of the
most prominent citizens of the island
took his loss in the most philosophical
manner. He believes that this, as well
as the previous storms encountered on
the island during the past few years, are
onlv Divine warning- for them to vacate
the island entirely, and he thoug-ht it
would not be long- before Cobb's Island
would be many feet under the surface of
the broad Atlantic ocean. While onl}- a
few of the houses were washed entirely'
away, all of them suffered more or less
damag-e. The water was fully a foot

deep over the entire island, and the seas
which rolled were from 40 to 50 feet in
height.

'•The Baltimore Cottage * * "^^
which was previous to the storm seventv-
five yards from .the beach, is now a total
wreck, being- pounded to pieces b}' the
immense seas which swept the island.
Several other cottag-es were about half
buried in the sand. * * * The hotel
is a complete wreck, * * * About
three feet of sand stands in the dancing-
pavillion on the first floor. The bar
room, billiard room, bowling- alley and
several other small buildings were
tumbled down in one heap and broken up
so the}' were of no use whatever. There
are several wells of fresh water now cov-
ered by the ocean that were previously to
the storm in the barn-yard of Mr. Cobb,
used for watering- his stock. The island
was reduced fift}- acres, leaving- only
about twenty-live in sig-ht at low
water."

w

Home of the Loggerhead Shrike.

BY FRANK M. WOODRUFF, CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

HILE in the field last season for the
purpose of collecting- notes, and
specimens for g-roup-work in the

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.

HOME OF THE LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE.

Chicago Academy of Sciences, accom-
panied by my friend, Mr. Thos. J. Staley,
who acted in the capacity of photog-ra-
pher, we were fortunate in obtain,
ing- a number of fine neg-atives of
the nests and young- of several of
our resident birds. The photo-
g-raph which 1 here represent of
Laiiius Iifdoz'iciauus, was taken on
the Phillips farm at Worth, 111.,
about fourteen miles from Chica-
g-o. The nest was in a corner of
an old hedg-e of osag-e orang-e
{ Madura aiirantiaca)^ and about
eig-ht feet from the ground. It
took considerable time and pa-
tience to build up a platform of
fence boards and old boxes to en-
able us to reach the nest.

The narrow object with a lon-
gitudinal white stripe, which lies
almost ag-ainst the main branch
to the right, and about midway-
between the upper surface of the
nest and the limb above, is the
half-eaten body of a young- g-arter-
snake ( Eutaiiiasirtah's), which the
parents of this family of butchers
have hung- up for future use.

110

THE OSPREY.

An Improved Egg-blower.

BY HENKY R. BUCK, WETHEKSFIELD, CONN.

IN The Aiik for April, 1895, (Vol. 12,
pp. 196-198) Mr. E. E- Brewster g-ave
a description of a new device for
blowing- eg-gs. It has probably been seen
by many readers of The Ospkey. I pur-
chased the apparatus and used it in the
following- modified form the remainder of
that season and throug-h 189f) with the
utmost satisfaction. For the benefit of
oijlogists who have not yet tried it, and
who have at hand a water pressure of 25
pounds or over, I would like to ag-ain call
attention to Mr. Brewster's device.

In the orig-inal sketch a filter pump, or
aspirator, exhausted the air from a glass
flask, forming- therein a partial vacuum.
With this flask was connected a rubber
tube having a fine g-lass tip, which tip
was to be inserted in the drill hole of the
eg-g. The theorectical result was obvi-
ous, the contents of the egg- rushing- over
into the flask "to fill the vacuum."

In practice, however, the bottle w^as
found to be unnecessary and extremely
inconvenient, and the arrangement shown
in the cut is submitted as being simpler,
more compact, and especially much more
rapid in its action. To force the g-ela-
tinous contents of a slightly incubated
eg-g- throug-h a tip .02 inch in diameter
requires a pressure of nearly 25 inches of
mercury — say 10 to 12 pounds per square
inch. (A good pump will raise 28'2 in-
ches when 30 inches is a perfect vacuum. )
To exhaust the air in the flask to this
point ma}' take over a minute — depending-
on the size of the flask — while 10 seconds
is time enoug-h to rarity the small amount
of air in the tubes when used without the
bottle.

The advantag-es of this method of
blowing- eggs are obvious. It will blow
an egg throug-h a much smaller hole ihan
any other method, and with a hole of a
g-iven size is more rapid than anything-
else I know of. There is less danger of
breakag-e, since what little pressure comes
on the shell is that of the atmos-
phere acting- on the outside. Anyone
who has seen the old experiment of trying-
to break a hen's egg by squeezing it be-
tween the hands knows how strong an
egg is taken this way. In the two sea-

sons I have used this method I have not
had a sing-le eg-g- collapse. It is far
neater than an3'thing- else — no spattering-
water as with the water-blower; no dish
of slimy embryos as with the air jet —
though of course the "earnest worker"
cares nothing- for this. And, finally,
there is absolutely no pumping- work for
the mouth, hands or feet.

HOW TO MAKE THE BLOWER.

To make this blower get a "small brass filter
pump" of any chemical dealer or of Eimer &
Amend, New York City. It costs a dollar and
a half. Get about one and a half feet of stout
'4 inch rubber tubing, as flexible as possible.
The best thing I have seen is known here as
"basket" tubing, but anything that will not
collapse will do Also get a piece four inches

Elastic banofs

*»y^ Strong rt/ji>i>ef tube
^ inches long

Fittings. - must b&
token Out

Of /'{s^ifCr^o''

6ast<et o)' fr^ssure
Tubi'nff l/i /V tono

Glass ///>

Waste watet
and eg a

long, large enough to slip over the faucet of
your wash bowl, and having a cotton filling
strong enough to stand your city water pres-
sure— pure rubber pipes will not do here Even
if your faucet i>- ^^ of an inch in diameter and
the pump only '4, no matter Wind small
rvibber bands around and around the tube as
tight as possible and it will draw it down to a
tight joint every time. Elastic bands are infi-
nitely better than wire or string as a trial will
show. Never take the rubber tubes ofi^ the
pump slip the whole thing ofi^ the faucet and
hang up to dry.

When the pump comes, unscrew the plug C,
shake out the rubber valve B and screw out the

THE OSPREY.

Ill

washer at A. Throw all these awaj'. The rea-
son for this will be seen when you blow a
heavily incubated egg. The small pieces of
bone may clog" in the hole D. Without the
valve it is the work of an instant to put your
thumb over the outlet E, when the water will
spurt out througfh the tip, taking the offending
bone with it. With the valve in place cleaning
is a ten minutes' job.

To make the glass tips, get '4 lb. of glass
tubing about }4 inch in diameter and having
as thin walls as possible. It costs about 20
cents and will make sometimes 50 tips. Cut it
into pieces about six inches long, by scratching
one side with a three-cornered file and breaking
it with both hands, exactly as you might notch
and break a lead pencil To draw them a large
alcohol lamp or a "fish tail" gas burner may
do, but a small Bunsen burner, costing 35 to 50
cents is far better. If you have a Wellesbach
(incandescent) gas lamp, lift ofi^ the body of it
and you have just the Bunsen burner you want.
To draw them is easy, but to g'et the size you
want each time requires practice. At first I
made about two dozen and discarded all but the
best six. Heat the six inch piece in the middle,
rolling it over all the time until it is red and
bends easily, then take it out of the fiame and
pull quickly, to a distance depending on the
size of tube 3 ou want. You need a good many
of diff"erent sizes, as they will break occasion-
ally. A good size for ordinary use is .04 inch
in diameter, .02 will do for small fresh eggs,

and .08 will empty anything out of any egg up
to the size of a crow's— with the help of the for-
ceps on an occasional bone. To rinse an egg,
put the tip into the hole, push the egg under
water and let the pump act until the water
comes up clear and clean through the glass. If
you don't like the smell of a big, bad egg do the
whole thing under water, it is sometimes
quicker. A thing which may bother one at
first is the membrane which surrounds the
yolk. This will stick in the fine tips, but it
sticks so tightly that if the tip is pulled out it
comes along also and gives no more trouble.
The danger of chipping the holes when putting
in the tip is slight, and after a little practice it
almost never occurs. When the tip is in, hold
the egg loosely in the left hand, then if the tip
wobbles in the right no harm is done.

I work in the wash-basin in the bath-room, with
a dish of water before me for safety and rins-
ing. If there is a screw connection at the
kitchen sink it makes a fine place. I had a
plummer make a "reducer" to fit the pump and
the faucet out of an old female hose coupling.
It may seem from all these directions that the
method is clumsy and intricate. It is, how-
ever, simple and my own experience shows that
it can be worked with almost no direction at
all.

I know, however, that when I began to use
this device I would have been very glad of some
such hints as these, and it is with this idea that
I offer them to other beginners in the method.

General IHotcs.

A ROOSTING METHOD OF THE INCA DOVE.

The strang-e way in which Inca Doves
g"o to roost at night has recently come to
my notice. Nearly a month ago, when
the air at night was still chilly, I saw
seven of these little Doves perched on a
limb side by side. This in itself was not
strang-e, but directly upon the backs of
the first row sat three more Doves. At
another time I saw five in the lower row
and two on top. An examination of the
ground beneath showed it to be a resort
to which these birds gathered to spend
the cold niufhts of the winter months.

Phoenix, Arizona.

G. F. Breningek.

birds. In nearly every instance the
stomachs contained remains of poultry
or game birds. The g-reater proportion
of adult birds to young- and their unusual
abundance is very remarkable from the
fact that in previous years it was rarely
the case when they have had more than
three or four birds, and some years none.

Up to the present time, February 20,
there have been but six Snowy Owls
brought in to be preserved. The com-
parativte rarity of the Snowy Owls would
make the theory of severe weather and
lack of food hardly tenable in the case of
the Goshawk, and we must look else-
where for a suitable answer as to what is
just the cause of their abundance.

H. H. Hathaway.

Providence, R. I.

UNUSUAL ABUNDANCE OF GOSHAWKS.

On November 2, 1896, there was
brought into the store of J. W. Critchley,
Taxidermist, in this city, an adult Gos-
hawk, to be mounted. Since then, and up
to January 15, 1^97, he has had sent in
from nearby towns in Rhode Island and
Connecticut, 22 adult and seven young

THE MURRE .at STEPHENTOWN, N. Y,

A Murre ( Un'a troile) was captured
here on December 12, 1895. The bird
was found in an exhausted condition by
the roadside just outside the village and
easily caught alive. It was brought to
me two days later still alive, but refused
all food offered and died during the nig-ht.
Benjamin Hoag.

112

THE OSPREY.

NOTES FKOM MINNESOTA.

Snowilakes have been abundant here
the past month; coming- into the heart of
the city and feeding- at the base-ball park,
-which is being g-raded by a force of men
who leave bread crumbs around for the
birds. The first Prairie Horned Lark
was noted on the 2nd inst., and quite a
few have arrived at this date.

Walton I. Mitchell.

St. Paul, Minn., March 7, 1897.

Iftecent literature.

Note and Comment.

Dr J. C. Merrill. U. S. A., has left Fort
Sherman, Idaho, to reside in Washing-ton, D. C
Mr. Win. E. Praeger. of Keokuk, la., leaves
for an European sojourn about the first of May.
Mr. Otto Widman, of Old Orchard. Mo , spent
the three weeks preceding- March 20 in Louisi-
ana.

A small flock of Bluebirds was noted on
March 11 at Evanston, III., by Mr. Frederic W.
John.son.

A program wasg^iven in honor of the memory
of Maj. Bendire at the reg^ular meeting of the
Southern Division of the Cooper Club held at
Los Angeles, March 27.

Mr E. F. Bigelow.e ditor of The Observer, is
now devoting part of his titne to lecture work.
One of his course lectures is illustrated by
many fine bird pictures.

Mr. G F. Dippie writes that Mr. Oliver Span-
ner, of Toronto, Can., has just discovered an-
other specimen of the rare Cory's Least Bit-
tern. It was found in an amateur collection of
that city.

The establishment of Mr. Chas. K. Reed, at
Worcester, Mass., was recentl.v destroyed by
fire, consuming a greater part of his stock. He
has now secured a fine new building, in which
his business will not be cramped for room as it
has previously been.

In Bulletin No. 1. dated March 15, 1897, the
Oologists' Association publishes its constitution,
list of members, and announcements relating
to their work for 1897. The order Raptorcs will
be the subject for special study during the fol-
lowing 3'ear.

The marriage of Prof. Henry A. Ward. Pres-
ident of Ward's Natural Science Establishment
of Rochester. N. Y., to Mis. Lydia Avery
Coonley, of Chicago, was celebrated March 18
in Chicago with inuch simplicity and a marked
absence of disjjlay, notwithstanding the high
position both parties hold in public favor.

We are pleased to hear from Mr. H. Kirke
Swann that The Ornitholof^ist, the British
monthly of ornithology, will resume publica-
tion in April. Mr. Swann will edit the maga-
zine as before, but its publishing department
will be under a new management. The new
series will be of a changed form and illustrated.
Undoubtedly this will add popularity to the
matrazine.

Birds of the Gatapagos Archipelago. By Rob-
ert Ridgway, Curator of the Department of
Birds. From the Proceedings of the U. S. Na-
tional Museum, Vol XIX, pp 459-670. (With
Plates LVI-LVII.) [No. 1116 J Washington:
Government Printing Office, 1896.

This work embodies practically' all that is
known of the avi-fauna of the Galapagos Archi-
pelago. But as the islands are not as 3'et thor-
oughly explored the publication is not, of
course, exhaustive.

The Galapagos Archipelago is an interesting-
group of volcanic islands which lie on the equa-
tor 200 miles west of the South American coast.
Credit is placed on two theories as to their ori-
gin: first and most widely agreed, that they
were formed by volcanic upheaval; and second,
that they are what remains of a submerged
single island, which itself, in an earlier time,
was united to the continent, probably with
Central America and West Indies.

The number of species ascertained to occur
on the islands is 105, — the result of observations
of Darwin (1835), Neboux (1836-1839). Kinberg

(1852), Kellett and Wood , Habel (1868),

Cookson (1875), Markham (1880), Jones (1884),
"Albatro.ss" (1888). Town.send (1891), Baur and
Adams (1891). A box of specimens collected by
Baur and Adams was unfortunately lost in
transit. It contained, among- others, 40 species
from an almost unexplored portion of the
group, and, therefore, very likely contained
new species, — at least to the islands and per-
haps to science.

Numerous keys to genera and species are dis-
persed throughout the work An outline map
of the islands is used frequently to show the
ascertained range of genera. The two plates
give the specific variations in form of the bill in
Nesoniimus, Cainarhvuehus, and (ieospiza. The
work is concluded with a bibliograph3' pertain-
ing to the avi-fauna of the Archipelago.

The Sfory of the Birds. By James Newton
Baskett. M. A., Associate Member of the Amer-
ican Ornithologists' Union. New York: D.
Appleton lit Co., 1897. Cloth 65 cents.

Our subscribers who have read Mr. Baskett's
contributions to Thk Osi'KEV know that his
writings are of the kind that we enjoy reading.
The aim of this little work of Mr. Baskett's is
to present in a rather unusual yet popular way
•'The Story of the Birds." with the more strik-
ing scientific features of their probable devel-
opment. In interesting rather than instruct-
ing: in g-uiding- the observation of the inexperi-
enced into proper channels: in suggesting-
slightly to the student what to look for among
the birds, and what to do with a fact when
found, is its proper mission.

The book contains many beautiful illustra-
tions, consisting of full page plates and numer-
ous half-tones and pen-drawings. A number
of the plates are credited to Mr. Frank M.
Chapman.

The publisher's price of this work is remark-
ably low. The book is the first of the "Apple-
ton's Home Reading- Books Series," which will
contain works on various topics.

THE OSPREY.

ii:

Dn Coucs' Column.

Since the deaths of Dr. Brewer, Prof. Baird,
and Maj. Bendire, I am probably the onlj^ per-
son living' who knows an episode of Bendire's
early career that led to the deposit of his eg^er
collection in the U. S. National Museum. I
"discovered" Bendire late in IfeTl. or early in
1872, when he was stationed in Tucson, Ariz.,
and I was Post Surgeon at Fort McHenry, Bal-
timore, Md. Some of the earliest, if not the
very first results, of his field work were pub-
lished by me in the Ai/ierhafi Aaf/ira/is/ for
June. 1»72, upon the strength of the corres-
pondence with him upon which I had already
entered. Later that j-ear, when I had become
Post Surgeon at Fort Randall, S. Dak., he sent
me some novelties and rarities in birds and
eggs, among the former being those new species
which I named Harporhytichtis bendirei and
Peiiccea carpal is. About that time the bump-
tious and captious German soldier, who was a
man to take strong likes and dislikes on very
small provocation, had a falling out with Dr.
Brewer and Prof. Baird, whose "History- of
North American Birds"" was then well under
way. He fancied himself slighted by them, or
misused in some way — I have forgotten exactly
how. So he poured out his grievances to me in
long letters in which he abused them right
heartilj', and swore bA^ "donner und blitzen"
that they should never have anything from
him. I supposed that Dr. Brewer, who was a
narrow-minded, prejudiced, and tactless person,
had wounded Bendire"s self-esteem in some
wa^', and thought I would do what I could to
heal the breach, especially as I did not want his
eggs. I had no private collection: the Smith-
sonian always received whatever I collected in
those days, and I thought Bendire's eggs had
ought to go there too. So I determined to tell
Professor Baird about the doughty- captain's
state of mind, feeling confident that Bairdian
suavity, sagacit.v and tactfulness would easily
set matters aright. I did so: and promptly came
from Baird an urg{ nt request to see Bendire"s
letters to me, that he might learn exactly what
the trouble was. Knowing that Baird's astute-
ness could be trusted, and having entire faith
in his abilit)' to manipulate men and measures,
I sent him the whole of the correspondence. It
was a case in which somewhat questionable
means were justified by the admirable results.
I never knew exactly how Baird conducted his
diplomacy: but he smoothed Bendire"s ruflied
plumes effectually, soon had him well in hand,
and in due course thereafter the Bendire col-
lection was in Baird's hands also, becoming the
nucleus of the present unrivaled oological cabi-
net in the National Museum, of which Bendire
was honorary curator until his death. The
same result would probably have been effected
in the course of time without my friendly in-
tervention, for few persons whom Baird ever
got hold of escaped him afterward, chiefly for
the reason that few ever desired to get awaj-
from what he could and would do for them.
But the fact remains that I was the one who
turned Bendire over to Baird, shortly after my
original discovery of him. and that this inter-
mediation led directlv to the consummation with

which all are now familiar. Perhaps I will tell
The Osprev's readers some day about the
writing and printing of Bendire's two volumes,
concerning which I also happen to be informed
to some extent. But not now.— E. C.

California Department.

Donald A. Cohen, Editor, Alameda, Cal.

MIGRANTS are coming" in slowly
owing- to the long-continued cold
and wet weather. The first arrival
noted was an Allen's or a Rufous Hum-
ming-bird on March 1. Up to the 10th
of the month bird-life ma}- be said to
have been at a standstill,' as only two
more of these Hummingbirds have been
observed, Anna's Hummingbirds have
wintered with us sparingly. American
Goldfinches are seen in small flocks with
the yellow plumage beginning- to show.
A few Arkansas Goldfinches and House
Finches have increased their small num-
ber of winter residents. A Townsend's
Solitaire was shot near Alameda last
week, and a Mockingbird, perhaps an
escaped cage bird, has been observed
among the gardens in town. Robins
(Western), Purple Finches (Cal.) and
Blackbirds have been singing for nearlv
a month past, and the trill of Lutescent
Warblers has been lately heard.

The Sail Francisco Chronicle under
date of March 1, 1897, prints what we
are told is reliable news sent bv Mr.
William Butcher to the reporter, and is
to the effect that all traffic in any form
in birds or eggs from the Farallone
Islands must cease by order of the U. S.
Light House Department. It will be
noticed in January (1897) Auk that Prof.
L. M. Loomis, of the California Acad-
emy of Sciences, and acting as a member
of the A. O. U. Committee on Bird Pro-
tection, was instrumental in bringing
about this decree.

Ill health has been the cause of Mr Walter
E. Bryant"s temporary removal from Santa
Rosa to Los Angeles, Cal. His present address
is 142 South Spring St., Lo-s Angeles, Cal.

The Cooper Club has made a novel departure
from its record of holding successive monthl3'
meetings by deciding to hold no meeting for
March. There is some talk and great probabil-
ity of holding the April meeting at Stanford
University, Palo Alto, Cal,

114

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthlj- Mag-azine Devoted
Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BV

WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON,

associated with

Dr. EEEIOTT COUES.

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico,
One Dollar a year, in advance. Single Copies, Ten Cents.

Foreif^n Subscription: One Dollar and Twenty -five Cents.
Postaare paid to all countries in the Postal Union.

British ag^ent: Frank A. Arnold, Mersham, Surrey, Eng-land.

Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contri-
butions are respectfully solicited, and should be ad-
dressed to the editor at the office of publication.

Copyright 1897 by The Osprey Company. Entered at the
Galesburg Postoffice as second-class mail matter.

THE OSPKEY COMPANY.

61 N. PRAIRIE ST. GALESBURG, lEL.

Of all pictures, that it has been our privilege
to publish among' the illustrations of The Os-
PKEV, we know that the portrait of Dr. Coues,
which appears as the frontispiece of this num-
ber, will be of the greatest interest to our
readers.

It is eminently fitting that we should take
this occasion to also present within our pages
the likeness of Mrs J. O. Wright. Mrs. Wright
needs no introduction,— she is already known to
tis as Mabel Osgood Wright, the author of
"Birdcraft," "Heart of Nature," etc. Besides
being a charming lady, she is a pleasing writer
and, fortunately for bird lovers, a sincere orni-
thologist. Her work, which, we trust, is only
begun, ranks with the best, and much may be
expected of her in the future. Nor will we have
to wait long, for Mrs. Wright is co-author with
Dr. Coues of "Citizen Bird." a book for begin-
ners in ornithology, which will be shortly is-
sued by the Macinillan Company. This will
contain 111 plates by E. A. Fuertes. The few
words regarding Mrs. Wright in January OS-
PREY, p. 70, will be of interest in this connec-
tion. The photograph which is printed on page
103 was taken in November, 1893.

The Illinois Audubon Society is now an ac-
complished fact. The work for bird protection,
so well carried on by the Chicago Women's
Club, and largely reflected b3' the local press,
has resulted in the organization of this society
in Chicago by over 200 of the leading- women.
It is considered only a matter of time when the
organization will extend to many of the cities
and towns of the state. We are led to believe

this, for the ladies declare their motto to be
"Work," and with the energy with which their
aim is prosecuted it can hardly be thought that
this movement will fo'low the road of the many-
defunct Audubon Societies. Mr. Ruthven
Deane and the Rev. Geo. B. Pratt are the
prominent ornithologists who havetaken active
part in the formation of the society. These
names also of interest to us are found on the
list of officers: Prof. D. G. Elliot, Dr. Emil G.
Hirsch, Mrs. Irene Rood, and Edward B. Clark.

Mr. W. E. Scott thinks that most ornitholo-
gists stuft" birds in positions as dissimilar to
their life attitudes as a mummy's is to a real
man's. In his article called "Bird Pictures,"
in Scribner's Maffa~iue for April, he scores the
conventional method of bird-stuffing, and fur-
nishes eight pictures of birds which are
mounted according to his own ideas. They do
not look like the ordinary stuffed birds. He
says: "Do not imitate Copy no other man's
idea of how a bird looks. It is at its best how
he thinks it looks. His itnpression, not j'ours.
The bane of this work has been copying and
imitating, not observing and originating."

The death of Heinrich Gatke occurred Jan. 1,
1897, at his home on the island of Heligoland.
Gatke's name has been familiarized to ornithol-
ogists through his great work on the birds of
Heligoland. The German edition of his book
appeared May 19, 1890, — the date of his 77th
birthday: and the English translation was ptib-
lished in 1895. It would be difficult to over-
estiitiate the value and importance of Gatke's
work. It is the result of more than 50 years
experience and study in the best ornithological
observatory on the west coast of Europe by one
of the most careful and reliable observers.

We are greatly pleased with the many inter-
esting notes that have been kindly sent to us
of late. Though all can liot be published im-
mediately we hope our contributors will not
discontinue to thus favor us, for their arrival
is one of the pleasures accorded the editor.

Important — If True.

The "peculiar hybrid" in the March OSPREv,
p. 95, suggests the above heading of this para-
graph. A cross between the Chaparral Cock
and domestic poultry, if such could be sub-
stantiated, would be the most remarkable in the
annals of ornithology, and go far toward sup-
porting Garrod's view of the genetic relation-
ships between cuculine and gallinaceous birds.
But where are the specimens upon which Mr.
Webster predicates such an extraordinary case
of hybridization? — Elliott Coues.

[We regret most sincerely that this article
was admitted to publication without the corrob-
orative evidence of its truth that we would
have demanded at any other time than during
the haste and pressure of going to press, at
which time it was inserted hastily and without
the requisite scrupulosity. We trust no such
oversight will occur again. — Ed]

MAGNOLIA WARBLERS, DENDROICA MACULOSA. (MALES AND FEMALE.
FKOM PAINTING BY LOUIS AGASSIZ KUERTES.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

Volume 1.

MAY, 1897.

Number 9.

NOTES ON THE MARBLED MURRELET.

JOSEPH GRINNELL, PASADENA, CAL.

S one becomes acquainted with the
water-birds of the North
Pacific, he soon notices the
preponderance both in num-
bers and species of the
family A/cii/a-, which in-
cludes the Auklets, Mur-
relets. Puffins, Murres and
Guillemots. These birds of
such marked structure and
habits, I found in large
numbers in the vicinity of Sitka Bay, Alaska, during
the summer of i8g6.

After the larger, more conspicuous Puffins and
Murres had succumbed to my curiosity, a much
greater desire quite naturally came to me to secure
the tiny, timid Murrelets, which would not allow
themselves to be taken so easily. They would leave
the water and fly out of range long before the sloop
with its towering sails approached near
enough. It was only after I learned the
use of the rolling treacherous Indian
canoe, that I was enabled to form their
closer acquaintance. By stealthily drop-
ping down with the wind toward the
birds while they were feeding, and pad-
dling with might and main after they
dove, I managed to get within range.
Even then I considered myself lucky if I secured one
bird out of three shots. Some days when the water
was smooth or the tide not running favorably, I could
not get a single bird.

Usually the most propitious time was during the
middle of the day, when a shifting breeze caused an
erratic ripple, so that the canoe was not so conspicu-
ous. However, there is no rule, and if one wants to
shoot Murrelets, he must stay out early and late until
he is familiar with the habits of these elusive birds.
The Murrelets are sometimes out in the open bay,
but they usually remain close among the clusters of
small islands, and about the numerous inlets and
sounds. Although so common in the immediate vi-
cinity of Sitka, their nearest breeding grounds were
on an island over thirty miles distant, as I afterward
learned, though I did not visit the locality myself.

LIVE NLARBLEl) MURRELETS

All the adults which I shot during July and August had
bare areas on their abdomens, on which the feathers
and down were entirely absent. This showed that
the birds were incubating. The adults were fre-
quently in pairs, but often singly or in scattered
groups when feeding. The white-breasted immature
birds of the second year were always alone and re-
mained mostly about the kelp-beds where they easily
obtained food. Small fish caught by diving seemed
to be the standard article of food, but dissection of
the stomachs also showed remains of some small
mollusks. A shoal of candle-fish was sure to have
among its followers, besides a cloud of Pacific Kitti-
wakes, several of the Murrelets

Murrelets seem to be perfectly adapted to locomo-
tion in, on, and out of the water. The wings alone
serve the purpose out of the water ; the webbed feet
alone, on the water ; but both wings and feet in the
water. I do not think the tail is used at all in any of
these actions, as it is so short. The tail
with its coverts seems only to be a proper
posterior termination of the spindle-
shaped body, to prevent any drag or
wake during movement through the air
or water.

The wings are the organs for flight, not
only through air, but especially qualified,
as I believe, for progress through water
The quills are exceedingly stiff and strong ; the wing
is narrow and short. These characters are essential
for the use of the wing in water, for the resistance
of a wing stroke in water is many times heavier than
that of a stroke in air. Therefore the strength of a
wing which must fly in water is far greater in propor-
tion to its size, than in one which has only to oppose
the yielding resistance of the air.

I wounded a Murrelet in the head by a chance
shot, and although its movements were not under
regular control of the injured brain, full vigor
seemed to be retained. The water was smooth and
very clear, and I had a fine opportunity to watch
from the canoe the /luniiis operandi in diving. The
feet seemed not of very great aid in diving, except
at change of direction, when they were moved in al-
ternate rhythm. The wings gave regular strokes,

116

THE OSPREY.

anna's hummingbird, trochilus anna, from life, (see page 126.)
Copyrighted by Dougherty & Grinnell, Pasadena, Cal.

about two beats in three seconds. To my wonder the surface. The wing-beats must necessarily be in
most of the diving horizontally was performed with opposition to that tendency. To accomplish this
the belly upward and back downward, that is, in a with the same set of muscles and the same shape of
reverse position to that during flight through air. I wing as used in aerial locomotion, the bird must dive
do not think this was an exceptional case on account with belly upward, or with upward strokes of the
of the disablement of the bird, and on second thought wings. The point of support in order to maintain
it does not seem strange. an upright position of a bird's body in air must be

When a bird flies through air it has gravity to above the centre of gravity. So that to prevent the
overcome, besides the resistance of the air while body of a bird flying through water from rolling from
moving forward. Therefore the wing-beats are down- side to side, the support for keeping the bird from
wards and slightly backwards. But in water the rising, must be below the centre of bouyancy.
Murrelet was lighter than its displaced volume of On several occasions in following Murrelets, I
water, therefore it was constantly tending to rise to noticed that a bird would appear in a direction op-
posite to that in which it faced at the
moment of diving. I was thus fooled, and
at first lost track of many Murrelets. I
think that the birds dove straight down-
wards for a few feet, and then directed
themselves backwards, flying with belly
upward, as just described, appearing again
in an opposite direction, but facing, as at
first.

They always dive under so quickly that
the eye receives only the slightest impres-
sion of the vanishing tail, and but little
ripple is left. They cannot be shot when
alarmed and on their guard as they dive
before the charge can reach them. The
length of time these birds remain under
water is not so long as might be supposed
They commonly come to the surface at
intervals of seldom more than one minute,
though when pursued only the head may
appear, and then only for an instant,
often before one discovers it. One might
thus be led to believe that they stay down

,,^„„^ much longer than in reality. Sometimes

annas hummingbird feeding young. s -'

Copyrighted by Dougherty & Grinnell, Pasadena, Cal. the Murrelets take to wing as soon as ap-

THE OS PREY.

117

preached, but at other times they are very loth to touching the water two or three times in rapid suc-
leave the water. I have followed them with a four- cession before gaining full headway. These same
oared boat, and when thoroughly alarmed they easily birds have another strange habit of flying at great
left the boat far behind, showing how swift their heights over the ocean and even across large islands,
progress through water may be. They become active and fly in this manner at dusk,

The legs of these birds are very short, placed far and may be seen leaving the water in pairs, and
back on the body; this

gives greater ease in _ ^ji''<r<^BB >^ M '^J

swimming on the surface
of the water, which i s
their main use. They
cannot walk on land but
are capable of pushing
themselves over the rocks
with a shambling gait, if
their wings are disabled
When on land they sit on
the posterior ends of
their bodies with their
feet braced forward, the
whole length of the tar-
sus being in contact with
the ground.

The flight of all the
Alcidie is very swift, being
accomplished by rapid
beats of the wings as with
Ducks. The Murrelets
fly faster than any bird I ever sa

of computing the rate, but I should estimate it at not
less than one hundred miles an hour, and it is prob-
ably much more. The wings of these birds being so
short and narrow, modified for flight in water, neces-
sitates their very rapid beats in air to make up for
their small area, in order to sustain the weight of the
comparatively heavy body.

NEST AND EGGS OF THE AMERICAN HERRING GULL.
PHOTOGRAPHED. IN SITU, NEAR ISLE AU HAUT, BY ORA W. KNIGHT.

I had no means starting upwards uttering their wild, weird cries.

The Indians do not know that the "little ducks,"
which they see flying and diving about the bays dur-
ing the day, are the same which they hear at night
passing high over the mountains and islands, but
they say the latter are wonderful, strangely-colored
birds which raise their young in hollow trees high on
the mountain side, just below the snow-line; but no-

The Murrelets have a peculiar habit when rising
from the surface of the water of falling back and body has ever reached them.

A CORRECTION OF A FREQUENT MISSTATEMENT.

LUDWIG KUMLIEN, M

I WISH to call attention to a universal error in re-
gard to the plant chosen by the Yellow-headed
Blackbird for supporting its nest. I have read
often of late, even in " Bendire's Life Histories," that
the Yellow-head constructs its nest on stocks of wild
rice, etc. It is safe to say that this bird never builds its
nest among the so-called wild rice, at least not in the
Mississippi Valley. The grass commonly chosen for
this purpose is the common reed, PJiragmites com munis,
Trin. The stems of this grass are miniature canes,
and remain erect and firm through the winter, and
offer excellent support for the nest the following
spring ; often, if not always, green stalks (the growth
of the year,) are entwined with the dead ones, ap-
pearing as if they had grown up through the nest.
The so-called "wild rice" (properly the Indian rice,
or water oats, Zizanin aquatua, Linn,) does not show

ILTON COLLEGE, WIS.

the stems above water until the nesting time of the
Yellow-heads is past. It also grows in the open water;
that is, not on the more or less submerged shores, as
the reed does ; and it is. moreover, very weak stalked,
and is always broken down by the winter storms, ice,
etc. The Yellow-heads will build in other grasses,
('. ,;'■., sedge ; and sometimes, though rarely, in willows.
Where P/irag/ni/es is plenty, however, they will choose
this plant nine times out of ten.

This bird is one of the few that have increa.sed in
numbers in Southern Wisconsin during the past
twenty-five years. While collecting marsh birds and
eggs during different times in June, 1896, I found
more than one hundred nests, without looking for
them, in the same locality where, by diligent search,
I could not have found a dozen twenty-five years ago.

118

THE OSPREY

T

THE FORMATION OF THE BILL IN THE GENUS LOXIA.

\VM. F. LEMMON, ENGLEWOOI), N. J.

HE most distinguishing feature of the genus 2 and 5.) The nostrils and fossa- and also the com-
Loxiij, or Crossbills, is the formation of the missural point are covered with antrorse feathers,

which are continuous to a greater
or less degree, over the base of
the culmen. This latter is well
marked for the whole length of
the mandible, and is dark bluish-
black in color. The dark area ex-
tends downward in front of, and
touching the fossae, to the rictus.
The lower mandible is straw col-
ored, darker at the tip, and there
is no appreciable difference in
s\,oU\'\\,c.^'>' color between the males and fe-
§"i-g.^ ((•p.ltwteij males, but this point can only be

decided with fresh specimens.
The bill of /.. ctirvirostra minor is much stouter, al-
though no longer, than in the foregoing species, and

bill Both mandibles are falcate, the upper one
usually coming out from the skull in a straight line,
the lower one deflected to one side, thus enabling the
points to cross. Often, however, the
anterior half of the upper mandible
is also deflected; the lower one is al-
ways so fron the />ase, the upper
never; at least this is so in the 120
specimens I have examined.
^ , , . In about one-half of these the lower

"^ ■5' ' mandible crossed on the right side of

the upper, in the other on the left ; the sex making no
difference. These are the general characteristics of
the bill of this genus, but there is considerable varia-
tion among the species.

The series of Loxia on which this paper is based,
is that of the American Museum of Natural History, the crossed portions of both
New York City, and consists of fourteen specimens mandibles more nearly equal
of lencopterci (White-winged Crossbill); ninety one in length. (See fig. 3
c. minor (American Crossbill), and ^^

On

fifteen of c striddandi (Mexican
Crossbill). All the specimens of
leucoptera and c. minor from which
measurements were taken, were
collected in Eastern United States,
north of Delaware, and from New
Brunswick. Those of c. stricklandi

account of the bill being so
much higher at the base, the
culmen and gonys are more
curved ; there is a variation
in this respect, however, one
specimen measuring 10 mm.
high at base, 16.5 mm. being
.^vj a-. Ve*c.<>(^«'-ti jhe length of the upper mandible; another, 8.5 mm
are from Arizona, all but one having been collected by at the base and 18. 5 mm. in length. These were both

Dr. E. A. Mearns.

Taking up L. letuoptera, I find that there is little,
if any, difference between the relative sizes of the
bills of the males and females. But on account of
the limited number of either sex
available, I cannot be positive on
this point. In the eight male
specimens, the longest measure-
ments were 18 mm. for the upper
mandible and 13 mm. for the
lower; these occurred in the same

I

■ I

males, the bills of the fe-
males being slighter and
shorter. The vertical line
of the culmen in this spe-
cies, is either straight for
its entire length, or
straight for its posterior
half, and deflected either
to the right or left, for its
anterior portion. The
curvature occurs about
the centre of the culmen, the extremity of the man-

bird. The averages were 16.5

^''^"'°'" mm. and 11.5 mm. respectively, djble being therefore straight; in only one instance

In this species the extremity of the upper mandible ^^^s it curved. The color is

is convex on the side towards the tip of the lower, xnnch darker than in h-ucop-

whether this be to the right or left of the former, /^;.,,, only the edges of the

(See fig. I.) a peculiarity not ap-
parent in either the Red or Mexican
Crossbills. The tip of the lower man-
dible reaches about three-fourths
of the way to the extremity of the
upper. The anterior portion of the
under mandible is re-curved, while
the upper is de-curved for its cutir,

commissural being light.

The nostrils are feathered,
but the feathers do not al-
ways extend over the base
of the culmen, as in the fore-
going, and are not as dense.

SVr'v

^

i.4vlVl'

§^?-

In the case of the females
1^1^. \- c.nx.not. ^^^ ^.p^ ^j ^^^ nostril feathers seldom do more than

length'; the rictus is nearly straight. Three points meet over the culmen and often do not touch at all.
which are also true of the other species. (See figs. The angle of the gonys is very prominent in all three

THE OSPREY.

119

species, but particularly so in the present one. In the size of the body: the largest bill being on the

slrieklandi it is rounded, and in l,-it(optera is partially largest body, and vice versa.

concealed by the feathers of the chin. (See fig. 5.) The extremity of the lower mandible rarely pro-

The tooth of the lower mandible is very prominent, trudes above the culmen in leinoptera, does so slight-

the tomia being convex from the tip to a point about ly in <■. minor, and very decidedly in c. stricklandi,

opposite the angle of the gonys forward of that in (See fig. 5) . The bases of both mandibles are much

some cases and back of it in others; thence it contin- wider than in the Red Crossbill, which in turn is

ues in a straight and almost horizontal line to the wider than in the White-winged. A curious fact

angle of the mouth. It is just at the juncture of these about the species under consideration, is that in the

two lines that the tooth
is formed, as is shown in
the cut. (See fig. 6.) In
the White-winged and
Mexican Crossbills this
tooth is placed a little
further back than in the
Red.

Loxin c. striiklandi is a
much larger bird than
either of its relatives and
has a bill nearly twice the
size of the Red Cross-
bill's. Seven of the fif-
teen specimens e x a m -
ined, had the lower man-
dible passing to the right
of the upper, in the other
eight it crossed on the
left. (See figs. 7 and 8.)
The specimen which I
have selected as typical
of this species is a male

GREAT HORNED OWLS
FROM PHOTOGRAPH OF LI

specimens which have the
lower inaudible crossed
to the right, the extremity
of the upper is inclined
towards it, while in the
other specimens the ex-
tremity curves away from
it. In other words, it al-
ways curves to the right,
although the mandible
may first be deflected to
the left.

In some specimens, that
portion of the upper tomia
where the lower mandi-
ble crosses it, is appar-
ently worn away; a cor-
;aj responding spot exists on
;^^ the lower mandible, and
as it is not evident in the
young specimens and
reaches its maximum in
the oldest ones, it is evi-

shot by Gen. Crook, at Pine Springs, Arizona, and dently the result of use. There is a great varia-
preserved by Dr. Mearns. The measurements of this tion in the color of the bill, but as a rule it is a dark
birds bill are 10.5 mm. high at base, 19 mm. length horn color above, lighter below; some under man-

of the upper mandible, and 16 mm. length of the
lower mandible. There is less variation in this
species than in the other two, although there is one
specimen which measures 10.5 mm. at base and 22
mm. in length. (See fig. 7.) The bills of the females

dibles are flesh colored, others black.

In summing up we find these features most prom-
inent: L. lencoptera, the smallest bird, has the small-
est bill, and greatest variation in size and form; L. c.
minor slightly larger, has a stouter bill, and less
variation; while /-. c. stricklandi, the largest of the

are smaller than those of the males, and there seems three species, has the least variation and stoutest
to be some relation between the size of the bill and bill of all.

PRACTICAL FEATHER WORK.

CHARLES HALLOCK, ST. PAUL, MINN.

PROPAGATING domestic fowls and plume birds
for their feathers, as a means of preserving
the native wild birds from extinction by the
market hunters, is a capital idea, and there ought to
be big money in the business. When it can be de-
monstrated that artificial production is the most pro-
fitable of the two ; the appeal to the pocket should
have co-right in staying the hands of the destroyers.
If the mercenary plume hunters could only be per-
suaded to institute a legitimate and profitable indus-
try for a hazardous and clandestine employment,
there might be some hope for the remnant of the

feathered hosts which once populated our gulf States
and gave to Florida half its charm

Not only Ostriches, but Peacocks, Paroquets and
even Birds of Paradise are now profitably propagated
for their feathers ; and it would be easy to add
Golden, Silver, and Mongolian Pheasants, Tur-
keys, Pigeons, Ducks, Guinea Fowl and Barnyard
Cockerels, of which at least thirty-five varieties are
grown, differing much in coloration. Indeed, we
opine that domestic poultry is already utilized for
decoration and the arts far more than laymen are
aware of. Anglers all know what quantities of Pheas-

120

THE OSPREY.

ant, Turkey^ Peacock, Dove, Guinea Fowl and Mai- colors, which cannot be distinguished from those they

lard feathers are used in the manufacture of artificial imitate, and are really of equal worth as a matter of

flies; while Milliners and Modistes absorb an ap- mere ornament, since it is only the rarity of the genu-

preciable amount. A large percentage of the gaudy ine plumes which makes them precious in the eyes of

plumes of domestic fowls are naturally dyed in fast collectors, and of those who can afford to pay the price.

AU-MON RE-NAY-SSHEN.

{llie Chiiuney Swift.)

CHIEF POKAGON, OF THE POTTOWATTOM IE INDIANS.

TRUST, while reading Bats like butterflies are flitting all about ; Swallows
this narrative, you will give in wider circles fly, quickly dodging here and there,
that freedom to your men- while high above them all, Nighthawks sail with

tal vision which enables
the human mind to review-
things in the past as though
thev were present. Hence
xA^^ please consider it is now
the first of May, 1840, and
that you are in the old Pokagon village, in the valley
of the St. Joseph River, Michigan. All about you is
an almost unbroken wilderness; you are standing in
front of the old Pokagon council wigwam

wide extended wings, mounting at times as if to scale
the skies, then downward plunging with open mouths
and strange and hollow sound — all gathering alike
their evening meals. All the valley is now made
vocal with the chattering of Whip-poor-wills, whose
only song is but their name ; while Ducks go whizzing
by, up and down the stream.

Amid such stir of active life you wonder how a
native youth can leave his bow unbent. Look now!
He has left the stub upon the river's bank and is

• , \, , , 1 J • , ^u * -1 moving slowly backward with head upturned to catch

A boy about ten years old passing along the trail f> j r

a view above the trees. He strikes his heels against

calls the boy Chief Pokagon, who goes out to meet
him. His face is all aglow, and while he talks you
catch these words: "te-be-cut-nong, mi-shi-o-dos-
kwon se-be, mi-shi-au-mon-og, pe-na-shen-yog, au-
nib." (As I came down the river in a boat last
night, at the "Great Bend," I heard a strange roar
and looking up I saw a cloud of feathered bees as
large as little birds, pouring in to a hollow stub).

It is now late in the afternoon ; the young chief
clad in buckskin pants, and moccasins, with blanket
about him, puts on his cap and feathers, takes up his
bow and arrows, starting up the river along an an-
cient trail. You quietly and unnoticed follow him
several miles through the wild scenery along the
shore until he reaches the "Great Bend." Here he
stops, drops his bow and arrow, sits down at the
base of a large Sycamore stub some sixty feet high,
standing on the banks of the stream. From all ap-
pearance it is but an outside shell four feet in diam-
eter with fur brush at the top.

You sit down unobserved among the tall ferns by

a log, sitting down upon it, in an open space in plain
sight of the stub and stream. As you look, you see
his head is turning slowly around, watching some-
thing high in air above the stream ; you now begin
to look in the same direction, catching glimpses every
now and then of the segment of a wild revolving ring
of small unnumbered birds circling high above the
trees. Their twittering notes and whizzing wings
create a musical, but wild continued roar.

The boy chief, with face upturned, now stands
upon his feet ; his eyes glisten with wonder and de-
light, watching the strange revolving ring. You now
begin to realize he is determined to understand all
about the feathered bees, as large as little birds, the
village boy had seen. The circle continues to de-
crease in size, but increases the revolution until all
the living breathing ring swings over the stream in
the field of your vision and you begin to inquire what
means all this mighty in-gathering of such multitude
of birds. The young chief in admiration claps his

the trail side to watch the boyish chief. You feel hands leaping towards the stream.

satisfied from his appearance and make up, that he The twittering, whizzing roar continues to increase ;

can only speak his mother tongue. And yet you the revolving circle fast assumes a funnel shape,

realize from his moves and meditative look that he is moving downward until the point reaches the hollow

trying to decipher some interesting chapter from the in the stub, pouring its living mass therein until the

great book of nature that lies open before him. last bird dropped out of sight.

Flowers are blooming on every side ; the trees are Rejoicing in wonder and admiration, the youth

putting on their robes of green ; on steady wing the walks round the base of the stub listening to the

Hawk in circles rises high as she utters her alarming rumbling roar of fluttering wings within. Night

screams; skulking along the water's edge the Killdeer comes on, he raps his blanket closer about him, and

shrilly cries her name ; flying from pointed crags to lies down to rest until the coming day, that he may

naked limbs along the shore the Kingfisher utters her witness the swarming multitudes pass out in early

harsh discordant notes. The sun falls out of sight, morning. But not until the hour of midnight, does

THE DSPREY

121

he fall asleep, nor does he wake until the dawn of
day, when rising to his feet he looks upward to the
skies. One by one the stars disappear. The moon
grows pale. He listens. Last night's "familiar roar"
rings in his ears. He now beholds swarming from
out the stpb the living breathing mass, forming in
funnel shape, revolving like a top, rising high in air,
then sweeping outward into a wide expanding ring,
until myriads of birds are scattered wide, like leaves
before the whirlwind

When all are out of sight he speaks aloud in grati-
tude from out the depths of his admiring soul, "Au-
to-yo! mi-she mau-ni-to! (Oh! thou mighty God)
who in thy wisdom, for man's good, created the forest
and stream ; who iilled the air with birds, and their
mouths with song ; who planted the wilderness with
flowers, scenting their breath with rich perfume, so
long as I live I will guard and protect them, and
adore Thee"*

*Many times in early life I was told that Chimney
Swallows wintered in hollow trees, which I regarded
unreasonable, and I continued to investigate the
matter until I was rewarded by being fully satisfied
that it was not true. I have watched several of these
trees, where they congregate in such vast numbers,
and find they are their roosting places, for large re-
gions, before nesting, as they return north in spring
time ; and that after they have reared the young they

again congregate in them to roost in still greater
numbers. I have seen them enter on their return
north and have seen them leave these rousting trees as
they migrated south in September. At such times
they rise from the roosting tree as described in above
narrative, rising high in air forming in funnel shape,
finally assuming a spherical form ; then like a swarm
of bees that goes a long distance, they move with
great velocity, like a balloon before a heavy wind

BLOWING INCUBATED EGGS.

.ALBERT LANO,

AS the season for the egg collector is at hand I
wish to give readers of The Osprev some-
thing new and also something good. It may
not be very new to some, but as I have not seen it in
print it may benefit at least some of you. I believe
in giving all the points and good things to my good
fellow students, for there are only a few of us com-
paratively speaking.

It is the use of pancreati}7e in digesting the con-
tents of badly and far advanced incubated eggs. I
prefer fresh eggs, of course, but often one will get
hold of some rare species and to save the set entire is
usually the aim and desire of every collector.

Proceed in this way : First get your incubated
egg. Drill the hole a little larger than if it were
fresh ; but not much. Stir up the contents with a
probe or some suitable instrument, and blow out all
the liquid. Now make a solution, taking a piece of

AITKIN, MINN.

pure pancreatine the size of a bean to a teaspoonful
of luke warm water ; not hot. With the aid of a bent
medicine dropper force some of this solution into the
egg and then set your specimen away, with the hole
up, for a day. Do not expect that the contents of
your specimen will smell sweetly at this stage of the
process.

Before putting in the digestive feniwnt see that the
membrane in the hole is removed so that it does not
stop up the hole during the time that the digestion
takes place and thus break the shell, for the contents
will swell. If, after blowing the egg, all is not
digested, repeat the process.

Caustic potash {potassiiiiii hydroxide) may also be
used instead of pancreatine, but is more dangerous
to the shells than the latter. Potash also destroys
the membrane of the shell which pancreatine does
not do. I prefer pancreatine.

HUMMINGBIRDS AT SEA.

THE following, taken from the San Francisco
Clironicle, is sent us by Prof. F Gruber, of
the Golden Gate Park Museum :
"Captain Wallace of the steamer Walla Walla
that arrived yesterday from Victoria, has a bird story
to tell, the truth of which is vouched for by every
passenger and officer on the vessel.

"Between 4 and 5 o'clock Friday afternoon, when
off Cape Mendocino, hundreds of Hummingbirds set-
tled down upon the ship. The tiny visitors were
ravenously hungry and attacked officers and passen-
gers, boring their needle-like bills into the flesh. One
of the ladies on deck carried a bouquet, which the
birds attacked. Another lady, who had some bright

artificial flowers in her hat was driven into her state-
room by the birds. Moistened sugar was brought
out and this the hungry visitors revelled in, eating it
out of the hands of the passengers. Yesterday morn-
ing when the Walla Walla was a short distance ofl
Point Reyes, those of the birds that had recovered
sufficiently flew ashore, but a number remained and
were carried off by the passengers. Captain Wallace
has three flying about his stateroom. The Walla
Walla was fifteen or sixteen miles oft' shore when the
birds settled on the ship The weather was very
foggy and the wind blowing off shore. The birds
probably lost their bearings and were carried sea-
ward."

122

THE OSPREY.

General Notes.

CHIMNEY SWIFTS BREAKING OFF TWIGS
WITH THEIR FEET.

As seen in March iVi:hTlogist, in answer to Dr.
Coues' query, I was the only one that said Chimney
Swifts break off twigs for their nests with their feet.

For the last few years a pair of Swifts have built
in an unused chimney in our house, oathering the
twigs for the nest from a couple of dead trees in the
neighborhood ; and it was a favorite occupation of
myself and a friend to watch them do so and they
always seemed to take them with their feet. I re-
member at one time remarking that I thought they
must sometimes get their feet twisted with them, but
although they often came within a few feet of us, we
may have been mistaken while observing them in full
flight. Two years ago their nest was built several
feet below the stove-pipe hole in the chimney so that
they had to pass the hole to reach the nest, and I
could see while they passed the hole, which brought
them within eight inches of my face, that they had
the twigs in their feet, but I could not see them nest-
building, for whenever I tried to look they would
drop the twig and flutter around ; but as soon as any
eggs were laid they would remain quiet on the nest.
It is on the above observations that I principally
based my statement.— S. S. Wilson, St. Joseph, Mo.

WILSON'S SNIPE BREEDING AT BRANCH-
PORT, N. Y.
On May 20, 1896, I found a nest of Ga/liiiago deli-
cata containing four eggs. Two were highly incu-
bated and would have hatched in three or four days,
while the other two eggs were addled. So far as I
can learn the Wilson's Snipe is a rare breeder in
Western New York, and their breeding in this latitude
— a little less 42 degrees — is of unusual interest. — C.
F. Stone, Branchport, N. Y.

AN UNUSUAL NESTING SITE.
An unusual nesting site for Gambel's Quail is the
finding of six eggs deposited in a hollow of a Mesquite
tree, several feet from the ground, and probably
eighteen inches from opening of cavity. The cavity
is much the same as would be cho.sen by one of the
larger Owls. — G. F. Breninger. Flucxtii, Ariz.

MIGRATION AT BEAVER DAM, WIS ■
Migration here is fully ten days ahead of last year,
thus far. Following are arrivals up to date of March
20 : March 4, Geo. Morrison, of Fox Lake, (seven
miles north), reports having seen two Red-tailed
Hawks recently. March 10, one Robin seen at Hori-
con, (ten miles east.) March 12, one Robin seen
here. March 16, Killdeers heard at 1 1 p. m. March
17, Red-winged Blackbirds, several, all males.
March 17, a single American Herring Gull arrived
at Beaver Dam Lake to-day. March 17, first flock
of Ducks seen. March 17, a flock of Canada Geese
on Trenton Prairie. — W. E. Snyder,/?^??/*';-/?^?;;/, Wis.

ten seen April 24. Barn Swallow, five seen April 24.
House Wren, two seen April 24. — Station 248, U. S.
Biological Survey, A'eiv Kochelle, N. Y.

EARLY MIGRANTS.
Least Flycatcher, one seen March 23, 1897. Chip-
ping Sparrows, one seen March 8. Belted King-
fisher, one seen April 7. Pine Warbler, twenty-five
seen April 8. Yellow Palm Warbler, twenty-five seen
April 8. Myrtle Warbler, twenty-five seen April 8.
Hermit Thrush, fifteen seen April 14. Orchard
Oriole, three seen April 14 Louisana Water Thrush,
four seen April 16. Tree Swallow, ten seen April 17.
Purple Martin, five seen April 17. Chimney Swift,

THE OLD DOVE-COTE.

BY CHARLES SLOAN REID, WALHALLA, S. C.

The great, white flakes of crystal snow

Fall softly to the ground.
The breeze is still that late did blow,

And silence reigns all 'round.
But objects still their places mark

Where crystal showers float —
There stands the well-house grim and dark.

And there the old dove-cote.

The old-dove cote where long ago

The bright doves used to pla}-
About its walls in pretty show.

Is tenantless toda)'.
'Tis many years since pigeon feet

Traversed its little floors.
And fledgelings, confident and sweet.

First passed beyond its doors

The rotting roof no longer keeps

The snow from drifting in,
For through the apertures it creeps

And grows in heaps within.
The storms of many years it bore ,

With strength, but now, alas.
The old dove cote will be no more

Ere manyseasons pass.

WILSON'S SNIPE IN;THE BERKSHIRE HILLS
IN WINTER.
Tuesday, February 2, 1897, I was at Hancock,
Mass., a little village at the foot of Potter Mountain
in Berkshire County, and while in the store of Mr.
O. B. Butterfield was asked to identify a bird which
had been shot that morning by a local hunter — Mr.
Fred Grant — along a small creek close to the village.
I was surprised when a fine specimen of Wilson's
Snipe [Gai/iiiogo di'lira/a) was shown me. Through
Mr. Butterfield's kindness I became the owner of the
bird, which I found to be very fat ; no signs of old
wounds could be found. A quantity of bits of green
vegetation was found in the stomach, and among the
bits of fine gravel therein, a small fruit-stone about
.26x. 15 inches in size. Was this fruit-stone swallowed
for the same purpose as the gravel or for the food
furnished by the sprouting kernel it contained? —
Benjamin Hoag, SttpJientowu, Neio York.

RED HEADED WOODPECKER WINTERING
IN WISCONSIN.

In rambling through the deciduous woods north
of Milwaukee on Feb. 14, '97, I was attracted by the
familiar chattering or chattering sound common to
our Red-headed Woodpecker. On investigation 1
was surprised to see the author of the sounds nimbly
hunting over the limbs of a large Oak tree. Although
the bird would not allow a near approach, identifica-
tion was positive, as I was enabled to study him very
closely through a strong glass.

I have never read of this species wintering in Wis-
consin. The bird seemed to be in excellent spirits
and in good physical condition, considering the fact
that a short time before we had a protracted cold
spell with temperature going as low as -20 degrees.

During this same cold spell, on Jan. 24, a pair of
English Sparrows began the construction of a nest
under the eaves of my house, with the mercury hover-
ing around 20°. — Jno. A. Brandon, Milwuakee, Wis.

THE OSPREY.

123

AN EARLY WHIP-POOR-WILL.
As early as March 2, of this year, a Whip-poor-
will was heard uttering its familiar notes in the
southern part of this county, (I'ranklin). It was
heard but once, in the middle of the afternoon of a
warm cloudy day. This early movement of this bird
will not seem so anomalous when we know the fact
that it came with the advance of a warm current of
air, for the following five or six days were uncom-
monly warm and accompanied by thunder-storms
and a summer temperature. — O. M. Meyncke, Brook-
Tii/<; hid.

NOTE AND COMMENT

Recent Literature.

Dr. A. C. Murchison has lately removed his resi-
dence from Kewanee to Toulon, 111.

Mr. Sidney S. Wilson, of St. Joseph, Mo., is spend-
ing a few months at Fort Bayard, New Mexico.

We are pleased to note the number of press notices
in Eastern newspapers regarding Dr Coues' new
relations with The Osprey.

A letter written in New York City from Mr. E. A.
Mcllhenny says that he has just spent two weeks in
Washington preparatory to his Point Barrow expedi-
tion.

Mr. Joseph Grinnell, of Pasadena, Cal., returned
about the first of April from a ten day's trip to San
Clemente Island where he secured some nice eggs.
He will make another trip to the island this month.

Mr. J. Maurice Hatch, of Escondido. Cal., has
taken a set of three eggs of the Western Red-tailed
Hawk, having the light-green ground color as men-
tioned by Mr. Benjamin Hoag in the Februar)-
Osprey

The seventh lecture of a free course being given at
the Field Columbian Museum was delivered April
17 by Prof. D. G. Elliot, and concerned the
Museum's recent African expedition of which Prof.
Elliot was chief.

Mr. Frank M. Woodruff, of the Chicago Academy
of Sciences, has just returned from a trip to Southern
Illinois, where he found some good collecting. He saw
what he feels quite sure was a pair of Duck Hawks
nesting 150 feet from the ground on the cliffs at
Grand Tower.

MiClurc' s Magazine sends us the information that
Prof. S. P. Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution, will write an account of his flying-ma-
chine— "the first one to maintain and move itself in
the air by energy generated in its own mechanism" —
in their number for June.

We are becoming quite accustomed to surprises
from Mr. Chas. K. Worthen. The latest is a fine
egg of California Condor taken, with bird, this spring.
We cannot give further particulars this month. Mr.
Worthen has been able to leave his business long
enough, lately, to take a half dozen Little Yellow
Rails — the first he has met with for .several years.

Messrs. J. P. Roberts, of Chicago, and W. J. Purcell,
of Washington, enjoyed a cruise through the Florida
Keys, during the latter part of March, to obtain
specimens of mostly birds and fishes, for the Smith-
sonian Institution. A thrilling episode of the trip was
the capture of a monstrous sawfish measuring iS
feet in length. The harpooned fish towed their boat
some distance down the channel from Maduro Key
before it was finally dispatched.

A Dictioiwj-y of Birds. By Alfred Newton, as-
sisted by Hans Gadow, with contributions from
Richard Lydekker, Charles S. Roy, etc., London; A.
and C. Black, [The MacMillan Company, 66 Fifth
Avenue, New York.]

The "dictionary" has appeared in four parts, run-
ning i8g3-'g6, the last part having been issued in
November or December of i8g6. In this magazine
we can give only brief mention of this great work —
one characterized by authorities as the greatest and
best book about birds that has ever been written in
English or any other language. The last part furn
ishes, besides the last of the alphabet, a permanent title,
preface, indexes and the introduction. This intro-
duction, which is deemed the best part of the work,
is based on the long series of short articles on birds
furnished by Professor Newton to the ninth edition
of the Encyclopaedia Britannica ; it is a critical
review of ornithology and ornithologists within about
one hundred pages and the result is said to be more
than any writer, past or present, has attained

.-/ Story of the Ba rat tones. By C. Barlow, ar-
ranged and published by H. R. Taylor, Alameda,
Cal., 1897. 36 pages. Price, 50 cents.

We congratulate Messrs. C. Barlow and H. R.
Taylor on the handsome appearance and the good taste
expressed in the make-up of their little brochure: "The
Story of the Farollones. ' The "story" is more vivid-
ly told from an ornithological standpoint than ever
before, for we see the birds just as they are, as well
as the island, just as it appears — with its three kinds
of Cormorants on their rocky fastnesses, the thous-
ands of Murres in their great rookery, the Tufted
Puffins, the Auklets, the Gulls, Petrels, and even the
little Wrens. The story is also timely, inasmuch as
the whole subject of egging on the islands has lately
been made a matter of legislation to prevent the
wholesale robbery and consequent destruction of
these interesting bird resorts. We wish Mr. Taylor
equal future success with J'/ie iVidotogist.

Tlie Aide for April is a most welcome spring
arrival. Among the usual valuable contents is the
colored plate and two articles by Dr. Arthur P.
Chadbourne and Frank M. Chapman, respectively,
on the color-change and moulting of the Bobolink.
Mr. A. W. Anthony names a new bird of Lower
California in honor of Mr. R. C. McGregor, of Palo
Alto, Cal.: this bird will henceforth be known as
McGregor's House Finch.

How often we hear persons, on seeing a wild-bird
in captivity, earnestly remark: "Why don't you let
the poor little thing go. ' This, at first, does seem
the more humane action even though the bird had
grown from a nestling in the cage. But Olive Thorne
Miller does not think so: and we quite agree with her,
after reading her letter published in the last Aiih.
She thinks it cruel to liberate the bird, which, if
young, having been deprived of parental training and
having been furnished life-long protection, shelter,
and food ; and, whether old or young, thrust from
home care and attention — to which, when liberated,
they will frequently return, if not becoming lost — to
the vicissitudes of a wild-bird's existence.

Aretii Bird' s-A'esting. By John Murdoch, in 'Blie
C/iaiitaiK/iiaii for May, is an article that will be of in-
terest to our readers. The author was a member of
one of the two expeditions sent by the United States
Government to point Barrow, Alaska, in 1881.

124

THE OSPREY

Dr. Goues' Column.

IF the history of what used to be called the " Spar-
row war " could be written it would make inter-
esting reading. It ought to be, lest that interest-
ing episode should fade from mind. The recent
publication of the Agricultural Department at Wash-
ington reads as if the writers did not know that any-
thing had been done before on the subject, though
its literature was already very extensive, and almost
everything which that article proved had been proved
before by many others besides myself, who for years
had conducted the Sparrow war to a victorious con-
clusion. The publication simply restated known facts,
which had ceased to be disputed. The whole case
was put in a nutshell in my article entitled "The
Ineligibility of the European House Sparrow in
America," published in the American Naluralisl of
August, 1878, pp. 499-505; and the suggestion I there
made, viz.; to examine stomachs enough to find out
exactly what the Sparrows eat, was ably acted on by
the employes of the Agricultural Department, ampli-
fying the facts upon which I had based my action,
and confirming the conclusion I had reached many
years before. Yet the publication in mention took on
an innocent and ingenuous air of novelty and origin-
ality, by the usual method of suppressing the names
of those who had fought and won the war, and ignor-
ing their contributions the result. How numerous
were these warriors may be seen by the article I pub-
lished in the Bulletin U. S. Geological Sun'ey,
September 6, 1879, pp. 179-196, almost entirely occu-
pied with a bibliography of the subject for the period
1867-79, and the writings there catalogued are, of
course, only a fraction of the whole literature which
the belated writers of the Agricultural document
might have used had they known where to find it and
been not disposed to ignore it.

Dr. C. Pickering, of Boston, was among the first
to show the Sparrow up in his true light, as early as
1867. I took it up in my Key, 1872, and the war was
fairly on in 1874, when Dr. Brewer, whose ignorance
was only equaled by his obstinacy and general can-
tankerousness, undertook to champion the side fore-
doomed to defeat. Not an ornithologist of note sided
with Dr. Brewer, though Professor Baird was for a
while coaxed by Dr. Brewer to do so. Prof. Baird's
relations with Dr. Brewer and myself were such in
1874 that he must have felt "between the devil and
the dark blue sea." The controversy had become
between Dr. Brewer and myself a personal feud, with
the usual accompaniments in the way of sweetness
and light. His wrath knew no bounds when the
Nuttall Ornithological Club took up the subject, and
decided against him. This was one of the spiciest
incidents in the whole business. Everybody took a
hand, and Dr. Brewer consequently quarreled with
them all. Then Mr. T. G. Gentry wrote a whole
book about the Sparrow, in 1878, making a clear
case, identical with that which the Agricultural De-
partment exploited so many years afterward.

The most distinguished opponents I ever had were
not ornithologists, and never pretended to be such. I
recollect two of them —Henry Ward Beecher and
Henry Bergh. The latter, the founder of the noble
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
published a tirade against me, in which he called me
a ' ' murderer, " and all sorts of dreadful things besides.
Baird told me he thought it the finest piece of pure
invective he ever read. Many years afterward I met
Mr. Bergh for the first time, and became impressed
with the same profound respect for his personal char-
acter that I had always felt for his humane life-work.

I have sometimes wondered if chagrin at defeat in
the Sparrow war did not hasten Dr. Brewer's demise
(January 23, 1880). The war practically ended with
his death, though it was long before sentimentalists
ceased to exhibit hysteria. I naturally lost all active
interest in the subject when I had proven my case to
the satisfaction of the public, and the Sparrow had
proven his case — which was. that he had come to stay.
I could whip all my featherless foes, but the Sparrows
proved too many for me, by a large majority, and I
retired from the unequal contest some years ago. I
hardly think it was worth while for the Agricultural
Department to take it up again, there being nothing
to prove that had not been proved years before, and
nobody left to fight against. Such make-believe war
is harmless child's-play in comparison with what went
on in grim reality during the years we were "making
history " on the subject, as anybody may see by con-
sulting my bibliography above named ; but it seems
to have served the good purpose of keeping govern-
ment employes employed. ^E. C.

NOTES ON "FLYCATCHER NOTES."

1SEE by the last Osprey that Mr. Peabody rather
severely criticizes my recent article on Minnesota
Flycatchers.

In the first place, I still assert that the ai'erage nest-
ing height of the Kingbird is fifteen feet, as there are
plenty of nests placed twenty-five to forty feet up, to
counteract the four-feet nests of which Mr. Peabody
speaks. In this locality the average is at least twenty
feet.

Mr Peabody says I should have said "perhaps"
about thirty per cent of Phoebe's eggs are spotted.
I accept the amendment, but in the hundreds of
Phoebe's eggs I have seen and collected, the average
as stated is correct, although very varied in different
collections no doubt.

Mr. Peabody doubts my assertion of the Olive-
sided Flycatcher nesting in the state. I can refer
him to Mr. John C. Knox, of Jackson, Minn., who
took a set of four with nest in June, last year, (1896),
and has them in his collection at present.

As to the variety of E. traillii alnoniiii in the State,
I must accept Mr. Peabody's statements although I
have never met with the species here. I have never (a
dangerous word to use as Mr. P. says) found the
Least Flycatcher's nest saddled, but always placed
in an upright crutch ; and Mr. Peabody should re-
member I am speaking from my own observations,
through his notes are quite interesting to me and, no
doubt, to other observers in the State.

I am glad to have proper corrections and additions
made, but I fear Mr. Peabody criticizes a little too
sharply. Walton Mitchell,

April 28, 1897. St. Paul, Minn.

Mr. Ora W. Knight, of Bangor, Vice President of
the United Ornithologists of Maine, has recently
been appointed commissioner to take birds, their
nests and eggs for scientific purposes, within the
limits of the state. As only ten such appointments
are allowed by law to exist at one time, they are
naturally sought for by our ornithologists, especially
on account of the great privileges allowed their pos-
sessors. These appointments are made by the gov-
ernor upon the recommendation of the fish and game
commissioners, and candidates for appointments
must submit good evidence of their reliability. —
The Maine Sportsman.

New Orleans is incubating a plan to honor the
memory of its distinguished son, J. J. Audubon.

THE OSPREY.

125

Galitornia Denartmeni.

EDITED HV DONALD A. COHEN, ALAMEDA, CAL.

March
West-
davs

LATE MIGRANTS.

MARCH 15, saw a Cedarbird in town. They
rarely appear here. April 3 showed mijjrants
late beyond precedent, although the weather
had been fairly fine for two weeks, as the only spring
arrivals observed on a long trip into the country were
a Lutescent Warbler and a few Cliff Swallows Only
a few extra "lied" Hummingbirds, either the Allen's
or Rufous, were noted in addition to the first arrivals
in the first week in March. A nest containing two
young several day's old was found March 26 April
1 Gambel's Sparrows have been noticeably absent
this winter, but are now abundant. The Western
Robins have nearly all departed and so have the
Varied Thrushes, while the other winter residents
remain. Took a ^^:^SB!^^^^ male Townsend's
Solitaire on y^^^^£j^|lft||^^ March i, (very
rare here,) ^^^^^^^ and noticed

a Townsend's Warbler on
10, a rare winter \isitant. April 6
ern Flycatcher first noticed, and three
later the usual number of them were
found about their old haunts. Warbling
Vireo appeared April 6 and Yellow War-
bler next day. Nidification is correspond-
ingly late with our local residents. Last
season I took complete sets of California
Bush Tit, Oregon and California Towhees
and California Jay before April 4, while
this year I have discovered only California
Bush Tits' nests and took one set, April
15, incubation about four days. Man)
California Bush Tits' nests were begun
last season early in March and completed
leisurely, while this season they have
been begun late and work rushed upon

them. —

COOPER CLUB NOTES.

A LARGE gathering of members and visitors were
present at the. \pril meeting, April 3, at Stanford
University at the solicitation of Mr. R. B. Mc-
Lain. The two names proposed at last meeting were
elected; five new names proposed and one resignation
accepted. Resolutions of respect and regret were
adopted in the matter of Major Chas. E. Bendire's
death. Mr. R. B. McLain was elected vice-president
firo tempore owing to the extended absence of the
present incumbent, Mr. H. B Kaeding.

CALIFORNIA ITEMS.

The California Condor here represented is a
mounted specimen owned by the California editor.

Mr. L. Belding, author of ' 'Land Birds of the Pacific
District," has presented bound manuscript, "Water
Birds of Pacific District, " to the Cooper Club.

Upon close estimation the unprecedented number
of twenty-two sets of Golden Eagle have been taken
in this one season by members of the Cooper Club:
also several sets of Duck Hawk.

We are informed that Mr. Verdi Burtch, of Penn
Yan, N. Y., has discovered a new migrant in the
shape of a bouncing daughter that arrived about
March 20. We congratulate Mr. Burtch and hope
he may continue to add desirable specimens to his
valuable list.

CAL. CONDOR

Mr. R. S. Wheeler, of Alameda has abandoned his
proposed trip to Alaska in quest of eggs since he as-
certained the packing company he intended working
for takes advantage of the short season by working
its employes about twelve hours per day. including
Sundays, so that egg-collecting was out of the ques-
tion.

Mr Fred W. Koch, a well-known ornithologist,
and member of the Cooper Club, a graduate from
the University of California and who nobly dis-
tinguished himself in the eyes of the world by his
supreme efforts as a 440-yards sprinter when the in-
vincible "U. C." athletic team won victory and glorv
from all corners of the United States two years ago,
holds the principalship of the Merced, California,
public school.

A FRAUD IN THE COOPER CLUB.

IT was conclusively demonstrated by documentary
evidence at the February meeting of the Cooper
Ornithological Club, that one of

its members, Oscar ^^^^?^^^s="-- P.Silliman,
of Castro vi lie, ^^KSjj^^^ Monterey,

County, Cal., j^^^^^ had. in his deal-

ings with a ^^S^^^ certain party in the

East, j^^^^r been guilty of gross and pro-
tracted fraud. The evidence, in
the shape of a letter of confession to
the aggrieved party, was again read at
the April meeting and also his reply to the
club's secretary who had notified him of
the club's proposed action and asked for
his defence as allowed accused members by
the constitution, and he offered no defense.
The roll having been called, all present voted
in favor of expulsion. The resolutions drawn
up at the February meeting had been unani-
mously passed by the Southern Division of
the club at their regular meeting. March 27,
and the said Oscar P. Silliman was declared
expelled from the club.

THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

The Ornithological Section of the Chicago Acad-
emy of Sciences held its regular meeting in the offices
of Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., 100 Washington Street.
Wednesday evening, March, 3, at 8 p. m. The Vice
Chairman, Mr. J. G. Parker, was in the chair. The
paper of the evening was read by Mr. Eliot Black-
welder on the "Bird Migration of Morgan Park."
The paper was illustrated by specimens taken by Mr
Blackwelder.

A regular meeting was held in the offices of Mr. J.
G. Parker, Jr., 100 Washington Street, Wednesday,
.April 7, at 8 p. m. A talk was given by Prof. D. G.
Elliot, Curator of Zoology of the Field Columbian
Museum, on the "Birds of Africa"; a number of
skins of the most interesting birds were exhibited.
F. M. Woodruff, Secretary.

Mr. Theodore B. Parker, of Newtonville, Mass.,
writes that he recently saw a snow-white Sparrow in
company with a flock of Tree Sparrows.

During some cold, sleety weather in March, Mr.
H. C. Butcher, of Galesburg, saw a number of do
mestic Pigeons that were unable to fly because of
the weight caused by ice adhering to their plumage.

.A number of the large daily newspapers of the
country print large portraits of Dr. Coues in connec-
tion with their long reviews of his book: "New Light
on the Early History of the Greater Northwest."

126

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine of Ornithology

EDITED BY

WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON

ASSOCIATED WITH

Dr. ELLIOTT COUES

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One
Dollar a year, in advance. Single Copies, Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription: One Dollar and Twenty five Cents.
Postage paid to all countries in the Postal L'nion.

British agent: Frank A. Arnold, Mersham, Surrey, England.
Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contribu-
tions are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to
the editor at the office of publication.

Copyright, 1897, by The Osprey Company. Entered at the
Galesburg Postoffice as second-class mail matter.

THE OSPREY COMPANY.

61 N. Prairie St.

Galesburg, III.

With the present number we commence printing
The Osprey in a new and smaller face of type. We
consider this much better suited to the use of the maga-
zine and well worth the additional expense incurred
through its use. Though The Osprey in the past
has gone far ahead of the mark expected of a dollar
bird-monthly, we feel that our advancement will not
stop here, but that the same causes that have made
the present success of the magazine possible; namely,
the strong support given us and the motive, previous-
ly mentioned in these columns, by which The Osprey
Company was formed; will enable us to introduce
still other improving features that we have in mind.

For the present, among the unique features of The
Osprey in the forthcoming months, is a series of
Louis Agassiz Fuertes' paintings. These appearing
from the brush of America's greatest living bird-
painter, for the first time, make the magazine in-
valuable to those who wish to be abreast with the
advancement of Ornithology.

The people of Lake Providence, Louisana, within
the districts of the recent Mississippi floods, have
lately directed their enmity to the Kingfisher. It
seems that the population of Lake Providence have
only lately become aware that the Kingfisher makes
its nest at the end of a long tunnel of its own construc-
tion in the banks bordering the lakes and rivers, and
that only too often the birds select the all-important
levee as a suitable nesting site. As a result some of
the residents forget, for the time being, their wrath
with the crawfislies and muskrats in their new found
object of animosity. It is to be hoped that they will
direct their efforts to protect the levees rather than
to exterminate the Kingfishers, for the latter plan
could not be as successful as the former while it
could be very harmful to bird-life.

Chief Pokagon kindly sends us a copy of his inter-
esting book: "The Red Man's Greeting." It is a uni-
que little work, the leaves of which are of birch bark.
Another little work that comes to our desk is "Issa-
quena, ' an ancient Indian legend of the Issaquena
Falls of South Carolina, beautifully written in verse
by Charles Sloan Reid, a familiar contributor to The
Osprey. A copy of "In Bird Land," comprising a
number of papers republished from periodicals, is
sent us by the author, the Rev. Leander S. Keyser.
These papers show Mr. Keyser's characteristic origi-

nality, and antipathy for anybody or anything that
uselessly destroys bird-life. This was issued by A.
C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, in 1896.

Mr. W. E. Clyde Todd, of the Biological Survey
of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington,
D. C, wishes us to say that he has in course of
preparation a work on the birds of the western half
of Pennsylvania, which will discuss in detail the
geographic distribution and migration within that
section, as well as these subjects in general In order
that the work may be complete he needs the assist-
ance of as many as possible of the reliable ornitholo-
gists and oologists now residing in that part of Penn-
sylvania, or any of those having notes, however frag-
mentary, on the birds thereof.

The beautiful home of the Cohen family of
Alameda, Cal., was completely destroyed by fire on
March 23, last. The residence was second to none
in the state for size, convenience, and comfort. The
loss is estimated at about $300,000. Our California
editor lost considerable in the fire

The first annual report of the New York Zoological
Society was published March 15. The great Public
Zoological Park that this society proposes to establish
in New York will be an important feature of the city;
and the value of the aid that the society will give to
scientific work is inestimable.

England has turned against its own Sparrow. The
birds are being slaughtered in great numbers by the
farmers, especially in Yorkshire, and great disgust is
expressed at the manner of their taking off. The
Board of Agriculture refuses to protect the birds.

A bill to repeal the law providing for the payment
of a bounty on the heads of English Sparrows was
defeated in the Michigan Legislature on April 16.

PHOTOGRAPH NOTES.

The photographs of the Anna's Hummingbird pub-
lished on p. 116 were taken by Mrs. Elizabeth Grin-
I « nell, of Pasadena, Cal., and a

_ g local photographer. Such pic-

^Kn^ tures as these can be taken only

^^Uii with great difficulty, and we un-

^^^Oik derstand that these were secured

flPl^^^L only after much work and many

BflUj^^^^^^ failures. These pictures will be
^P^^^^^^P^ published in a juvenile bird-book,
^^^^^^ of which Mrs Grinnell is author,

to be issued by Boston publishers.
Their appearance in The Osprey
was secured through Mr. Joseph
Grinnell.

Mr. Ora W. Knight, of Bangor, Me., sends us a
fine series of photographs taken about Penobscot Bay,
one of which, a nest of the American Herring Gull,
is printed on p. 117. Data given : Nest of seeweed,
grass, and a few feathers. Placed on a shelf of a
rocky ledge — Black Ledge, near He au Haut, coast
of Maine, June 23, iSg6. More of these will appear
later, notably an interior and lateral view of an .Amer-
ican Osprey's nest, published with a series of pictures
pertaining to this species.

Our Great Horned Owls of this number were cor-
raled and pictured by the combined efforts of Messrs.
Allan A. Green, Harry C. Butcher and W. .\. John-
son, of Galesburg. The excellent photograph is a
sample of Mr. Green's work.

Copyrighted.

r

M. '

NEST AND EGGS OF THE AMERICAN OSPKEY
FROM PHOTOGRAPH AT PENOBSCOT BAY, BY ORA W. KNIGHT.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY.

Volume 1.

JUNE, 1897.

Number 10.

WATER BIRDS OF THE QUIVER LAKE REGION.

THE FLORIDA GALLINULE.

SILLOWAY, ROODHOUSE, ILL.

UD-HEN " is the name com-
monly applied to both the
American Coot and the
Florida Gallinule in the
swamp-lakes of the Illinois
by persons who see them
swimming and feeding to-
gether. They are so inti-
mately associated that it is
difficult to study either of them separately. The
Gallinule, however, has the base of the upper mandi-
ble and the frontal plate tinged with red, hence it is
known as the " Red-
billed Mud-hen,"
while the Coot has
i t s corresponding
parts white,* and is
therefore known as
the "White-billed
Mud-hen." If ex-
amined more in de-
tail, the foot of the
Gallinule shows a
different structure
from that of the
Coot, for it does not
have the lobed mem-
branes along the
toes, but has instead
merely a continuous
membraneous bor-
der for the toes, like
the foot of the Rail.
This slightly differ- -^ l.arge usfkev nest

ent foot of the Gallinule causes a corresponding vari-
ation in its habits from those of the Coot, enabling
it to frequent the flags and grasses in the shallower
water. Its disposition to spend more of its time among
the coverts, like the Rails, discovers itself on our first
visits to its haunts. We can hear its loud, cackling
cries from any part of the swamp, but more particu-
larly from among the reeds than from the open water.
It walks and runs over the spreading lily pads and

* The Coot's frontal shield is dark brown. — Ed.

upon the floating vegetation better than the Coot, and
can climb among the flag stems with the same facility
as the Rail, though its plump form is not so well
adapted to push its way through the tangled vegetation
of the marshes

The Florida Gallinule is less hardy than the Coot,
arriving at its summer home rather later in the spring
and leaving for its winter quarters earlier in the fall.
However, I believe that Mr. Nelson, upon whose
notes most of the accounts in "Natural History Sur-
vey of Illinois" are based, places the date of its ar
rival rather later than the average will show. He

says that it "arrives
the last of April or
the first of May." In
advanced seasons it
is likely to appear in
Central Illinois by
the end of March.
In ordinary seasons
it comes among us
early in April, and
the bulk of those
making their sum-
mer home in Illinois
have probably be-
come settled by the
end of the third
week of April at lat-
est. I have found
nests with ten fresh
eggs on May 17 in
the Quiver Lake re-
oN cAKDiNER s ISLAND. gjon, and admitting

that the eggs were deposited on consecutive days,
the occupancy of the nests began in the first week
of May. .\s most birds dally several weeks in their
resorts after their arrival before nidification begins,
and frequently wait some time after the completion
of the nests before depositing the eggs, probably the
nests of the birds referred to were built in the last
week of .Vpril and the birds arrived early in April.
The Gallinules are correspondingly later than the

128

THE OSPREY.

YOUNG OSPREYS AT GARDINER'S ISLAND.

Coots in their nidification, for many of the latter have
their full complements of eggs before the Gallinules
have finished their nests.

The nest of the Florida Gallinule is commonly
situated among the flags about midway between the
open water and the dry edges of the swamp. It is
usually found farther out in the flags than the ma-
jority of nests of the King Rails, which it resembles
more closely than it does the habitations of the
Coots. More nests of the Coots than of the Gallinule
are found in the shallow water, and I learned to look
for the habitations of the Gallinules in the middle
third of the growth of flags encircling the open area

tuft of flags. The most of the nests I have exam-
ined averaged between eight and nine inches
above the surface of the water in which the
grass tufts were growing, to the top of the nests,
and usually the base of the nest was in the
water.

The eggs of the Gallinule and the King Rail
are frequently described in such a way that the
novice is unable to distinguish between them. A
series of the two species placed side by side,
however, shows such a marked difference that
there is no liability of confusion to the discrim-
inating observer. There is a marked reddish
tinge or a rusty hue to the ground color of the
eggs of the Gallinule that will readily serve to
identify them from the eggs of the Rail, with
their lighter, dingy-cream ground. The first
impression of the eggs of the Gallinule is not of
cream ground, but a dark clay with a rusty tinge.
The markings of the eggs of the Gallinule are a
rustier red, with more numerous finer dots of
color, and less larger shell marks of lilac and
lavender.

In the use of their loud and numerous cries,
the Gallmules are quite unlike the Coots, which
are rather silent. The ordinary call of the Gal-
linule is something like the syllable " kra " re-
peated several times, and it is peculiar in its ventril-
oquial effect, for when the author may be many yards
away from the observer, the sound will seem to issue
from a point near at hand. Frequently when I have
been in the swamps with a companion, who was walk-
ing twenty or thirty feet from me, I have heard calls
which seemed to proceed from a point at his feet, and
on calling his attention to the vicinity of the author, he
would give his impression of the bird's position at
some point more distant, and perhaps in another
direction. Observers who are familiar with the mis-
leading effect of the notes of the Horned Lark can
appreciate something of the more misleading effect
of the cries of the Gallinules. They can also quack

of water. The commonest site is the base of a tuft

of flags, the lower part of the nest being made of g^ ^nuch like Ducks that the listener is generally mis-
coarse pieces of rushes piled into the tuft, and the taken in the author, though there is a deeper, more
lining being finer pieces of softer flag-stems. The guttural into-
nest generally stands about eight or nine inches high nation in the
in the tuft, and is eight inches across the top, being productions of
of about the same diameter for its entire height, or the Gallinules.
cylindrical in form; in this respect differing from the They have oth-
mound-like nest of the Coot. The cavity of the nest er cries not easy
is about six inches across and generally not more to describe, and
than two inches deep. The stems of the flags usually at any time of
left standing about the nest protect it for most of its day,and partic-
circumference, and sometimes the top is somewhat ularly as day
covered by the drooping of the tops of the stems, dawns and
though the latter feature is more characteristic of the night falls, the
homes of the King Rails. I do not recall any nests swamps arevo-
of the Gallinule that I have seen which might float cal with the
in case of inundation, for in most instances the ma- varied sounds
terial appears to be compacted into the base of the they utter. ^^p^^^, ^^^t- ^^ gardiners island

THE OSPREY.

129

AMERICAN OSPREY NOTES AT GARDINER'S ISLAND, N. Y.

HENRY R BUCK, WETHERSFIELD, CONN.

LAST summer I camped with the Connecticut them lay flat on the breast, with the neck stretched

Naval Battalion at Gardiner's Island. As out, the head lying on the nest, and the wings partly

this is at the eastern end of Long Island, opened. They usually stiffened up a little when I

Ospreys are, of course, common; and I had a chance climbed onto the nest, and the larger ones stood up,

to watch them and make the accompanying photo- but they were too weak to support their weight long,

graphs. The island is some six miles long by three AH the occupied nests had fresh seaweed on them,

wide, and perhaps a quarter of its area is covered always damp, often soaking wet. The birds prob-

by white oak woods with a few elms and other trees, ably use it for the same purpose that Red-shouldered

The rest is dry, rolling pasture land with many soli- Hawks and others use green leaves in their nests —

tary oaks and cedars. The island has been owned by for what I do not know. All the nests smelled strong-

the Gardiner family since about 1640,
but the shooting rights are leased to a
club which has stocked it with Deer,
Wild Turkey and Pheasants, and keeps
it strictly policed.

The Ospreys were always in sight.
There must have been 75 nests on the
island. They are built anywhere, but
more often perhaps, in the solitary
trees and on the edges of the woods.
By far the greater number were near
the tops of the trees, but most of the
trees, especially the isolated ones, be-
ing low, the average height would be
certainly under 30 feet.

The nests have been often described.
They vary here from three to six feet
across and from one to four feet thick.
There were none of the gigantic ac-
cumulations which have been described
from Plumb Island, (Charles S. Allen
in Auk, 1892, Vol. 8, p. 313,) but sev-
eral would easily support four or five
men They are masses of miscellan-
eous sticks, driftwood, turf, seaweed,
cornstalks, heavy grass, and, in fact,
almost everything the birds could pick

ly of fish, and one with two young, per-
haps ten days old, had a fresh cunner,
partly eaten.

The primaries and feathers of the
spinal tract appear first on the growing
chick, among the gray down in which
he is hatched, and the body feathers
seem to come out pretty evenly after
that. The wings are so large and heavy
that the young birds have practically
no control over them, until otherwise
well grown and fully feathered. The
largest birds I saw in the nest could
raise them to their sides only for a
moment and had to let them hang
when they stood up. This odd droop-
ing of the wings is well shown in an
accompanying illustration. Some sail-
ors from the "Cincinnati" took these
two birds from the nest, intending to
take them to the ship for pets, but the
game warden would not allow it. He
wanted them carried back to the nest,
but the boys left them on a fallen tree
near it, where the old birds probably
took care of them. The ground about
the pair was dotted with downy feath-

up. They are nearly flat on top, usually osprev nest in rhode isl.and. ers which they seemed to be shedding
lined or rather covered with seaweed ''"°^° ''^ "■ "• hathaway. _their baby dress, probably,
and grass. It might be interesting to know that the The old birds show a great deal of solicitude for
"Jolly Tar," posing for his picture beside the large the nestlings. On our first day at the island half a
nest in the accompanying illustration, is over six feet dozen birds were screaming overhead all the time
in height. anyone was near the woods where the nests were
We were camped at the island from July 11 to the thickest. If anyone climbed to a nest all the birds
17th. The breeding season was about over, many of in sight "went wild," and we could tell, a mile away,
the nests being empty ; but I saw one nest with well when anyone was bothering them. Toward the end
incubated eggs. Out of about a dozen nests I ex- of the week, however, they paid less attention to us,
amined, which held anything, one had two dead ^-^^ sometimes when I climbed to a nest only the
young a week old ; two held single birds ; and the proprietors of that particular nest would make a dis-
others, two and three birds of all ages, the average jy^^ance. That pair, however, always did: scream-
being at least two-thirds grown. Most of my visits . •, j- • t » ui 1 „ ti,^„„v. fV,«„
^ - , J , ing and divmg uncomfortably close, though they
were made after some of the sailor boys had been on , 1 j

u . 1 . * u ^ .V, * i^ T I, „vi never actually struck anyone to my knowledge,

an egg hunt, but from what they told me I should -^ ■'

,,- , . c ^■\ ^ \ ui ~™ „ In taking one picture I had to wait over half an hour

thmk mfertile eggs were remarkably common. ^" lai^mg un^ y .-

The heat just at this time was intense, and the before one of the birds quieted down enough to settle

young birds seemed to feel it very much. Most of on the perch near the nest, even for an instant.

130

THE OSPREY.

There were two young birds about ten days old and
a bad egg in this nest.

As the Ospreys arrive at Long Island about the
middle of March and do not begin to lay much before
May, they have time to wander over considerable
ground. Thus every spring they come up the Con-
necticut River at the time the fish come up to spawn,
arriving at Wethersfield between March 20 and April
I, and staying sometimes until May i. They easily
catch Perch, Black Bass and other small fish, and
from the first to the twentieth of April are really
abundant.

About the first week in April, 1895, a pair built a
nest in the Hartford south meadows, and used it as
a roost until April 27, and probably a few days later.

though this was a week after most of the Ospreys
had gone down the river. I saw them carry fish to
this nest on four different days, and there were many
fish scales on the ground under it. It was a typical
nest, 60 feet from the ground in the top of a large
dead poplar, and measured four and one-half feet in
diameter and two and one-half feet in thickness. I
had hopes that the birds would lay in it the next year
— i8g6 — but it was blown down during the winter,
and no other nest was built.

As far as I can ascertain, the Osprey is now but a
rare breeder in any part of Connecticut, and though
once common along the shore, has never been known
to nest more than a few miles from salt water. Thus
it seems that even the building of a nest as far as
forty miles back from the coast is quite remarkable.

NOTES FROM MAINE ON THE AMERICAN OSPREY.

ORA W. KNIGHT, BANGOR, ME.

LONG may the Osprey live and thrive in our
native country. Long may it catch its finny
prey along our sea-coast and in the inland
lakes and ponds. Far better it would have been if
the Osprey had been chosen as the bird of our coun-
try instead of that thief
and coward the Bald Eagle,
who despoils it of so much
of its lawful prey.

The Fish-hawk is found
in the vicinity of any body '
of water, which is suffi- ■
ciently large, throughout
North America south of the
Hudson Bay. In Maine it
is a summer resident, but
the birds go south in the
late fall to spend the win-
ter in a more congenial cli-
mate. Soon after the ice
has left the lakes and ponds
at the approach of spring, ospreys nesting in

the Ospreys return to their northern home. The
birds are not characteristic of any faunal area as they
have been found nesting from Lower California north
to Hudson Bay.

I have found the birds to be quite brave in defense
of their homes, and when one approaches its vicinity
they manifest their anxiety by uttering a whistling
cry rapidly repeated and sounding like " wheo, wheo,
wheo, whew, whew." If one ventures to climb to the
nest the birds will make repeated swoops at their
head, but always change their course before actually
touching one. I have never had the birds actually
hit me, although I have had them pass within a very
few inches of my head. A friend of mine relates an
instance where his son was repeatedly struck by the
birds, while climbing to a nest which proved to con-
tain large young. This fact probably indicates the

reason of the extreme pugnacity of the parents in
this case.

Along the Maine coast and about the lakes of the
interior of that State, the birds begin house-keeping
some time in May, and the nest is placed in various
situations. In the vicinity
of the lakes and ponds the
favorite site seems to be the
topmost limbs of some dead
tree, long since despoiled
of all its lower branches.
Here the birds construct a
huge, bulky nest of large
sticks, limbs, etc., often
lined with grass, or with
seaweed in case the nest is
near the sea coast. Such
things as roots of trees, old
gunny sacks, and other
rubbish often enter into its
construction. Several
lower CALIFORNIA. bushels of material are of-

ten used, so that a nest is usually so bulky and tall
that it is a matter of some difficulty for a man to get
high enough to see its contents.

Along the coast the nests are placed in smaller
trees from a matter of necessity, and are much easier
of access. In some cases the nest is even placed on
the ground, and near Ilesboro in this State, a pair of
birds annually build on a wood-pile to the rear of a
cottage belonging to a prominent manufacturer of
patent medicines. This gentleman thinks the world
of his "Pet Fish-hawks" as he calls them, and under
his protection they rear their brood safe from the
persecutions of mischievous boys. Prof. Harvey, of
Orono, informs me that, while collecting along the
coast in 1892, he found an Osprey 's nest placed on
the basket-like top of a spindle which was on top of
a bidden rock to show its location to mariners. At

THE OSPREY.

131

this time the nest contained three half grown young,
and the old birds were very angry at his intrusion.

The nest pictured in our frontispiece was placed on
the edge of a steep bank, on the point of a small island
in Penobscot Bay, Maine. When found, June ig,
i8g6, it contained two eggs which measured 2.55x1.68
and 2.49x1.69. One egg was sterile, and the other
contained a well-formed embryo. The nest was com-
posed of huge sticks, brush, roots and other rubbish,
lined with dry grass and a few feathers. Its measure-
ments were : circumference at middle, 20 feet ; out-
side diameter, 70 inches ; depth outside, 3 feet ; cavity

for eggs, depth, 3 inches. This is one of six nests
observed the same week, all on the ground in similar
situations ; while, during the same time, fully thirty
nests were observed in trees at various heights. This
was the only nest containing eggs, the others having
young birds.

Late in summer the birds are sometimes seen re-
pairing their nests after the young have left them.
Probably the object of these repairs is to better fit
the nests to resist the storms of the winter, and to be
in good condition for occupancy the coming spring.

THE AMERICAN OSPREY IN LOWER CALIFORNIA.

HORACE A. GAVLORD, PASADENA, CAL.

WE were reminded of The Osprey at almost On Cerros Island in the afternoon of August 4, I

every anchorage on our entire Lower Cali- took a snap shot of two Ospreys' nests almost on the

fornia trip. The American Osprey was same rock. From the point where I stood to take

found at all the islands and anchorages visited except this photograph I counted thirteen well-used nests,

Guadalupe Island. Its nests were found in abund- within the radius of perhaps a quarter of a mile, be-

ance on Les Benito and Cerros Islands ; although at sides many deserted ones. Some were immense

the other places they were by no means rare. structures and yet the birds keep adding material

At such a late date we could hardly expect to find probably throughout the year. The size of the nest

any of the nests occupied ; yet on Natividad Island, depends, I think, more on age than on individual taste,

latitude 27= 50' north longitude 115- 10' west, August ^^^ ^^^^ ^^.^ ^^ ^.^^^ undoubtedly use the same

nest year after year, and protects it through all sea-
sons. Most of the nests were built in situations
similar to the one photographed ; some hardly two

3, 1896, Mr. Anthony found a young bird still unable
to leave the nest. Early on the morning of August 4,
however, it was out of the nest making its vain at-

tempts to fly. We drove the bird under the lea of a
rock where the wind did not ruffle its plumage, and feet above the ground, others on the top of lofty pin-
photographed it. It was a brave youngster and would nacles of rock commanding a grand view of the sur-
vigorously attack our legs if we ventured too near. rounding country.

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE NESTING OF DUCKS.

EUGENE S. ROLFE, MINNEWAUKAN, N. D.

IN the Devil's Lake region I have personally taken
nests of the following species of Ducks : Mal-
lard, Pintail, Shoveller, Blue-winged Teal, Bald-
pate, Gadwall, Ruddy, Lesser Scaup, Red-head,
Canvas-back and American Golden-eye. I believe
that the Greater Scaup and the Ring-necked Duck
are rare breeders here ; and feel confident that the
same is true of the Green-winged Teal, for I have
twice noted its presence here in mid-summer, and
in August, 1895, shot a handsome male. I am in-
formed, also, that no less than three nests of the
White-winged Scoter have been taken in the vicinity
of the Lake, but of this I know nothing personally.

Altogether this might be considered fairly good
Duck ground and certainly it has afibrded me some
finds that give much pleasure in the recalling.

Some two miles out is a small strip of territory that
is used extensively by the Ducks as a nesting locality.
This is a trifling coulee about a half-mile in length
with rather ragged banks oflering a foothold here
and there to a small patch of brush and widening

out at one point into a considerable pond fringed
with rushes, flags, slough grass, and wild rice.

On June 30, 1895, just about dusk, I flushed from
the heavy grass within twenty feet of this pond a
short, squatty Duck and, reining my horse sharply
to the right, fortunately spared the nest with its eight
eggs of a pronounced drab tint, altogether darker
than is usual with eggs of most species of Duck.
The unfamiliar appearance of the Duck and the
dim light made identification uncertain, and follow-
ing my unvarying rule in such cases, I left the set
unmolested and proceeded on my way. I had planned
other things for the day following, but an ungovern-
able longing to solve the mystery of that heavily
colored set had prevailed before I slept that night
and next morning I was away to the spot. Creeping
cautiously, with gun cocked, I reached a point within
three or four yards of the nest before flushing the
female. There was nothing in her appearance or
gait as she hastened away on swift wing that surely
placed her in my list of familiar acquaintances, and

132

THE OSPREY.

though I always feel squeamish about shooting for
simple identification yet this might be the Greater or
Lesser Scaup or even a Ring-neck, so before she had
quite passed out of range I tumbled her into the
rushes.

As I turned the short, flat body over in my hand
it was clear that it belonged to the Scaup family, but
whether marilci or affinis was not so clear at the time,
though later measurements and investigation proved
it the latter. The nest, slightly sunk in the ground,
and lined rather sparingly with dried grasses and a
modest amount of down from the breast (the eggs
being still fresh,) was well concealed by the luxuriant
grasses surrounding and was in nowise distinctive in
either structure or location ; but four feet away from
it was the nest of a Blue-winged Teal, also containing
eight eggs, and just on the point of hatching. Twice
I had stood at the Scaup's nest and had neither dis-
covered nor flushed the Teal. It remained for the
colt which followed my mare to accomplish this effec-
tually by planting a foot in the edge of the nest.

Although the selection of a nesting spot in such
neighborly fashion must have been deliberate on the
part of the Scaup, yet such evident inclination to
social intercourse by nesting Ducks, either among
those of the same or differing species, must be re-
garded as unnatural and most rare. Ordinarily the
strictest seclusion is sought, and too close an intrusion
is vigorously resented by the Duck already located.

The same coulee has this year furnished me two
sets of eight and one of eleven of the Lesser Scaup
and in each case the nest was within a hand's breadth
of the flowing water. It is a peculiar fact that in all
my wanderings over this broad region hereabouts I
have never discovered the nest of this species outside
this little coulee.

Some 80 rods further down, the coulee runs full
into a stiff hill and turning abruptly to the left a well
watered angle is formed, nicely protected by the
high, sloping bank behind, and here in a space of
twenty yards grows a wealth of thicket composed of
choke cherry, thorn apple, wild raspberry, and rose
bush ; and any day in June one may lie concealed in
the heavy vegetation near by and study bird life from
the Maryland Yellow- throat up to the Turkey Vulture.

June 2, this year, at the foot of this tangle and from
the verge of the deep pool formed there I unexpect-
edly flushed what seemed to be a female Baldpate,
but getting the sun directly in my eyes I did not have
that fair and sustained view of plumage, bill, head,
feet and "gait" which tell their story so faithfully
when the species is familiar. Springing across the
little pool I discovered the nest at the foot of a wild
rose bush growing within three feet of the pool, and
amidst a dense growth of last year's dried grasses
fully a foot or more in height. Eleven eggs were
disclosed, but of a tint rather too buffy and too little
the appearance of porcelain to suit my notions of a
set of Baldpate. Furthermore, the nest, though

lined in the usual manner with dried grasses, dead-
leaves and down, still showed less careful rimming
up than I had noted in other cases ; and, altogether,
I felt unprepared to write "identification sure," and
so came away, leaving nest untouched, though with-
out the slightest intention of abandoning permanent-
ly, for one thing was certain : the nest belonged either
to the Baldpate or Gadwall and a perfect set of
eleven of either, satisfactorily identified, would be a
valuable find.

A couple of days later, together with my wife, who
was readily induced to accompany me upon assur-
ances of a find of Yellow Lady Slippers, I approached
the angle, with the sun at my back and with gun
at "ready," once more surprised my Duck at home.
But who can properly discount the bewildering effect
of a gray hillside, with its alternating stretches of
bright sunlight and gully's like deep gashes all in
gloomy shade, as a back ground for three seconds to
a swiftly flying Duck no less gray in color? Not the
slightest fraction of an instant did my gaze wander
from the fast fleeting vision but, alas, uncertainty re-
mained with me to the last, and just before the next
bend should carry her away out of range, a charge of
No. 6 shot secured for me the specimen.

First impressions toward identification are more
often the best — at least with me — and, of course, it
was an exceptionally fine specimen of Baldpate ; and
I now felt ready to accord a reluctant assent to Dr.
Coues' description of the eggs of the Baldpate as
"dull, pale buff," at least as applied to specific sets.

On the same day I took a set of ten Mallard — some-
what incubated — from a nest situation almost an exact
duplicate of that just described and with surround-
ings almost identical, though some fifteen rods further
up the coulee. In this case, however, identification
was simple and satisfactory before the big Duck had
fairly gained wing after flushing almost from under
foot.

Another locality some nine miles away borders a
more pretentious coulee draining a big territory and
opening out at one point into a considerable lake,
covering perhaps 100 acres, and enclosing, during
high water in the spring, a little half-acre island with
plenty of boulders underfoot and covered with the
most surprising growth of flags and nettles growing
six feet high. Where this coulee run.s along with
sluggish current through a long alkali flat the shores
are lined with dense rushes and flags and in some
places the waters spread out over the adjoining lands
submerging the coarse vegetation and fostering thick
growths of bullrushes and flags such as furnish the
most likely retreats for the Red-head Canvas-back,
and Ruddy.

On my way to this vicinity on June g last, and
while passing a field in which a lad was plowing, I
observed him suddenly spring out of the furrow and
with the handle of his whip strike down a bird that
had flushed from under the feet of his team. On

THE OSPREY.

133

hurrying across the field I found him standing beside
a nest containing seven eggs, while near by lay the
Duck — a female Pintail — which his chance blow hart
brought down. Not many, surely, can boast of killing
a Duck on the wing with a stick. Many a time I
have vainly thought to do this myself while beating
up a nesting ground where the Ducks lie close before
struggling up suddenly with startling rush and flutter
within tantalizing reach of the hand.

The nest of the Pintail was sunk slightly in the
ground among the wheat stubble and lined wholly
with stubble straw and down from the breast. I do
not remember ever before to have seen a Duck's nest
composed entirely of material so coarse. In this case
the stubble appeared to have been pulled up by the
root — not plucked or broken off.

The lad pointed out to me a tussock of grass in a
strip of prairie adjacent that, he said, concealed a
nest and eleven eggs of the "Spoonbill," which is
the local name for the Shoveller Duck ; and he
claimed to have captured the Duck in his hand off
her nest the day before. I do not doubt his statement
for, on essaying the feat my-self, a couple of tail
feathers as the result of a grab a little too far to one
side proved that the trick might have been done, and,
in fact, I have succeeded in catching the Blue-winged
Teal on her nest in the same manner.

The nest was set on the ground in the midst of the
tussock and thoroughly well constructed with well
defined rim, lined with dried grasses and some few
dead leaves and plentifully supplied with down from
the breast ; the eggs, of characteristic creamy tint,
being somewhat incubated. I have known a nestful
of eggs of this species to be so profusely covered up
with down as to escape the eye entirely, even when
looking down directly upon it from above.

On reaching the coulee work opened briskly. First
I found a set of seven Short-eared Owl's. Then fol-
lowed soon a set of five slightly spotted Marsh Hawk.
Next while splashing round in the shallows I poked
into a thick bunch of buUrushes growing shoulder
high and was proceeding laboriously, the feet tang-
ling painfully in the almost impenetrable mass be-
neath, when, with a sharp "squak," up rushed a
Red-head from her bulky nest of green bullrushes
built over the water, slightly lined with fluffy white
down, and displaying six polished eliptical eggs of a
creamy-drab tint. Now this was in no way remark-
able and the loss of this structure and contents would
hardly seem to justify any demonstrations of distress
out of the ordinary ; but in fact for the space of fully
ten minutes that was the busiest Duck I have ever
seen. Straight up in the air she went to a height of
perhaps 50 feet, than at a sharp angle and with a
rush she struck the water with a splash and as quick-
ly rose again and came straight at my head. Swerv-
ing aside she made a wide circuit and then back
at me again and circled closely round my head fully
half a dozen times and repeatedly came almost with-

in reach of my hand. This not having the effect ap-
parently hoped for she flew to dry land some 50 yards
away and rapidly waddled over the ground for a
short space, but this ruse also failing she hurried
back to the open water and falling clumsily in, with
a splash that sent the spray in every direction, flopped
about in the craziest manner possible — sometimes
rushing rapidly through the water with the aid of her
wings — sometimes swimming dizzily in a narrow circle
with body half submerged and appearing altogether
crippled — and again, proceeding in a series of clean
jumps for several yards. And so were these tactics
repeated, again and again, with never so much as an
instant's rest until my departure.

Later on in the season I took a set ( ?) of tioenly-Jive
eggs from a profusely down-lined nest of the Red-
head ; and something in the way of a demonstration
commensurate with the gravity of this loss might
have been cheerfully overlooked, but the behavior of
the owner was stoical compared to that just described.

After lunch and a restful smoke in a clump of elm
and box elders — the spot where I had, some days be-
fore, found the Swainson's Hawk nesting. I explored
a piece of last year's flags grown thick with this year's
nettles and just overtopping my head. A Baldpate
left her nest hurriedly and dropped into the water
near by, making a curious and unusual little clucking
sound. Her nest was completely typical, planked on
the surface of the ground, well rimmed up and liber-
ally supplied with down, but the vegetable matter
employed was so much decomposed by the underlying
damp that I did not attempt to save it. The nine
eggs were of a clear, translucent appearance.

Some half a dozen miles from here lies Graham's
Island covered with heavy timber. This was formerly
called Whistlers' Island, from the great number of
Whistlers (American Golden-eye) that found nesting
sites in the hollow trees. A few pairs nest there still
and this year there were taken for me eight perfect
sets. In each case the nest was located in a hollow
elm and, with one exception, not exceeding thirty rods
from the lake. The elevation of the nesting holes
varied from 8 to 18 feet and the diameter of the trees
from 16 to 24 inches.

Two nests despoiled on May 17 were immediately
re-occupned and second sets taken on June 7, one of
which, composed of eleven eggs, showed a slight
trace of incubation. On a visit to the nesting trees P
noted that fragments of the white breast down being
caught at the rough edges of the holes seemed to
offer fairly good evidence of an occupied nest within.

A German farmer near by, who, though absolutely
unlettered, is still a keen observer, told me he had
seen a female of this species transport her entire
brood to water, carrying them one by one in her
mouth.

One of the residents on the Island told me that a
pair of Whistlers had made use of a hollow box elder
tree within 40 feet of his stable for several years.

134

THE OSPREY.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine of Ornithology

EDITED BY

WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON

ASSOCIATED WITH

Dr. ELLIOTT COUES

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One
Dollar a year, in advance. Single Copies, Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription: One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents.
Postage paid to all countries in the Postal Union.

British agent: Frank A. Arnold, Mershain, Surrey, England.
Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contribu-
tions are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to
the editor at the office of publication.

Copyright, 1897, by The Osprey Company. Entered at the
Galesburg Postoffice as second-class mail matter.

THE OSPREY COMPANY.

5i N. Prairie St.

Galesburg, III.

''SK

For some time past we have expected to give a
series of photographs of a personal nature : picturing
the American Osprey and its
homes in different parts of our
continent. For this month we
have secured a number of these
— not as many as we wished,
iuit others are expected to
be on hand for publication in
the July Osprey. Which issue
will also contain another repro-
duction of a Fuertes painting.
We have tried, this month,
to please, or, not displease,
our readers by appearing
promptly on the advertised date of publication — the
fifteenth of the month But the editor has other
duties besides the most pleasant one of editing The
Osprey and so we are again a little late.

It is well known that the favorite food of the Can-
vas-back Duck is the tubers of wild celery. A few
years ago a large part of the best feeding ground in
the Upper Chesapeake was destroyed by a combina-
tion of strong winds and a heavy snowfall, which
was followed by severe cold. Exceptionally low
water was produced and ice formed on the exposed
flats, so that when the tide at last came in and lifted
it the plants were torn away and floated off. At a
meeting of the Biological Society of Washington, Mr.
F. B. Colville lately called attention to the fact that
the wild celery had been successfully transplanted to
Western Lakes, and that the Ducks now linger there
to feed in their migrations. He advocated the re-
stocking of the shallow water in the Chesapeake with
the wild celery.

"Sketches of Some Common Birds" will be a
work written in a popular style by Prof. P. M. Sillo-
way, of Roodhouse, 111. The material, in part, is
articles by the author recently published in the St.
Louis G/o/>i'-Di iiiocrat. It will be issued by the
Editor Publishing Company, Franklin, Ohio, early
in the fall. Knowing as we do both the author and the
publishers, we feel quite sure of the book's success.

The Los Angeles papers say that in the month of
April the heaviest consignment of Ostrich plumes
ever shipped from California was sent to Paris. The

industry is no longer an experiment in California.
Already the business has an investment of $209,000,
which is likely to be augmented by a third within a
year. The sale of plumage this year from Ostrich
farms at Fallbrook, Coronado, Anaheim, Pasadena,
Pomona, and Santa Monica foot up to $190,000..
The percentage of profit on the amount invested is
large enough to make the business profitable.

Mr. Rufus H. Carr says: "Let me say for the
benefit of the readers of The Osprey that here in
Brockton, Mass., Chimney Swifts break off and carry
twigs with their feet. Here is a suggestion for Dr.
Coues: why not make a new species of the Swift's of
St. Joseph, Mo?"

In our advertisement of the May Osprey we made
a mistake, which, though obvious in itself, we will
correct: Miss M. R Audubon is not the daughter,
but the grand-daughter, of John James "the great,"
and a daughter of his eldest son, John Woodhouse
Audubon.

The laws of Ohio, prohibiting the keeping of an
Eagle in captivity, prevented the management of a
Canton, Ohio, public park from caging a pair of
Eagles which were presented them by President Mc-
Kinley, from his collection of campaign trophies.

A letter from Mr. Philo W. Smith, Jr., of St. Louis,
says that Mr. Otto Widmann has lately taken a
set of three eggs of the rare Bachman's Warbler ;
which set he presented to the United States National
Museum.

The National Game, Bird, and Fish Protective
Association recently published " Destruction of Birds
for the Decoration of Ladies' Hats," by Dr. Morris
Gibbs, in leaflet form for distribution.

Mr. C. Piper Smith, of Anderson, Ind., says he
can record a rare casual visitor: Mr. L. W. Brokaw,
of Carmel, Ind., called on him June 5.

Dr. F. Henry Yorke, of Foosland, 111., is advertis-
ing a work that promises to be interesting, entitled,
' ' Our Ducks."

Mr. R. C. Woodhouse, of New York City, makes
a trip to Gull Island this month.

ORNITHOLOGICAL BULLETINS.

The May "Bulletin" of the Wilson Ornithological
Chaper of the Agassiz Association records the elec-
tion of some strong men as members. We congratu-
late the association in gaining Mr. Otto Widmann as
an Honorary Member.

7 '/(■(' /o'coa Ornitliologist, the quarterly magazine of
the Iowa Ornithological Association, is filled with in-
teresting matter from cover to cover. Its editor, Mr.
David L. Savage, has been honored by a request from
the Midlmid Monthly to furnish a series of papers on
the "lairds of the Midland Region." Mr. Wm
Savage will draw illustrations to accompany the
articles

The quarterly "Bulletin of the Michigan Ornitho-
logical Club" in its second number, issued about
June I, not only improves in many ways by the result
of experience, but enlarges to sixteen pages and as an
extra frontispiece plate publishes the portrait of Dr.
Elliott Coues. The product of this number goes to
show that the editors are untiring in their effort to
make a model ornithological bulletin ; and they are
certainly succeeding.

THE OSPREY

135

Recent Literature.

upon the 'J'rec-tops. By Olive Thorne Miller.
Illustrated by J. Carter Beard. Boston and New
York : Houghton, Miflin & Company, The Riverside
Press, Cambridge, 1897.

When Olive Thorne Miller places on the market
another of her little volumes of bird observations,
clothed in restful and care-belying language, she
renews and deepens the gratitude of her many
readers. Mrs. Miller is distinctly original and does
not hesitate to make an assertion contradictory, and
quite often emendatory, to the ornithologist's delinea-
tions of bird-ways. Pretty illustrations by J. Carter
Beard, the animal painter, in the present work, pic-
ture amply well, to the general reader, the birds
they represent.

So)iie Covimon Birds (in their relation to agricul-
ture.) By F. E. L. Beal, B. S., Assistant Ornithol-
ogist, Biological Survey, United States Department
of Agriculture. Farmer's Bulletin, No. 54. 44 pp.
Washington ; Government printing office. 1897.

This bulletin contains brief abstracts of the results
of food studies of about thirty grain and insect eating
birds belonging to ten different families : a continua-
tion of similar work by the Department, which, in
times past, has placed an economic value on birds that
were previously thought to be noxious in their rela-
tions to agriculture.

Catalogue of a Collection of Birds made by Doctor
IV. L. Abbott in Madagascar, ivith Descriptions of
Three Neiv Species. By Charles W. Richmond, As-
sistant Curator, Department of Birds. From the
proceedings United States National Museum, Vol.
xix, pp. 677-694. [No 1 1 18] Washington: Gov-
ernment printing office. 1897.

This catalogues the birds — comprising eighty-three
species — in Dr. Abbott's last interesting collection
sent from Madagascar, consisting of mammals, birds,
ethnological material, and miscellaneous objects of
natural history. Many species of the birds are rare
and of great interest. The Doctor was obliged to
discontinue his explorations, being unable to procure
ammunition on account of the unsettled condition of
affairs on the island, and thus undoubtedly curtailing
the collection.

Description of a iVeiu Eagle from Alaska. By C.
H. TowNSEND. Proceedings of the Biological Society
of Washington. Vol. xi, pp. 145-146. June 9, 1897.

This new subspecies is named, Ifaliicltis leucoceph-
aliis aliiscamis. We quote the following : "In forty
specimens examined from localities between Florida
and Alaska there is a regular increase in size north-
ward. Eagles from northern States are larger than
those from Florida and Louisiana. In addition to
the other differences in size, the bill of the Alaskan
bird is wider, while the edging to the feathers,
especially on the wing coverts, is both lighter and
broader. The egg of the northern bird is distinctly
larger, the average of sixteen specimens being 73.5 x
57.5 mm., while that of forty-five Florida specimens
is 69 x 53.5 mm."

Our Friends, the Birds. By C. H. P., Chicago : A.
Flanagan, pp. 170. Cloth, 50 cents.

This little bird-book with its profuse drawings, and
the secrets of bird-life told in a way that will inter-
est the children of the intermediate schools, well ful-
fills its purpose. The mention of each respective
species is preceeded by a scientific description, copied
by special permission, from " Coues' Key."

Birds of Montreal. By Ernest D. Wintle. Mon-
treal : Wm. Drysdale & Co., 1896.

This is one of the best books on Canadian birds,
which will prove useful to all interested in the subject,
and should be consulted with special reference to Mc-
Ilwraith's Birds of Hamilton, Ont. It is mainly an
annotated list of 254 species, based primarily on A.
Hall's only partly published work of 1839, which
gave 208 species, from which ig are now subtracted
and to which 65 are added by Mr. Wintle. A second
part of the book gives short descriptions of all these
species, sufficient for their identification, and a third
part consists of sporting sketches. The most import-
ant record given is that of the Labrador Duck, illus-
trated with two plates. The book is well printed,
and makes an attractive appearance.

The June number of Sports Afield, Claude Kings'
veteran western sportsmen's magazine — besides con-
taining some matter that will compare favorably with
the contents of some of the larger literary magazines —
publishes some excellent material in the "Natural
History " department ; Mr. E. L. Kellogg writes on
the Water Ouzel, and Mr. Morris Rice, a compre-
hensive paper on the food-habits of our Hawks.

Dr. Goues' Column.

THE name of Audubon is perennial, and his fame
is likely to increase as years go on. Interest
in all that relates to the great and good natur-
alist is reawakened at present by various circum-
stances, notably the formation all over the country
of Audubon societies for the protection and preser-
vation of bird-life. The title is happily chosen.
Audubon was a man of humane sentiment, who loved
birds and killed none wantonly; it is well that his
name should be borne by associations for the pre-
vention of cruelty to birds. I trust these societies
may multiply and do such good work in cultivating
kindly sympathies for our feathered friends that it
shall become disgraceful to take their lives needlessly
Many strong names are among those now leading the
"Audubon movement," such as those of William
Dutcher, of New York, and Ruthven Deane, of Chi-
cago ; their influence cannot fail of good effect.
Perhaps we may yet see "Bird Day" to some extent
a national holiday, like "Arbor Day."

The revival of Auduboniana is likely to be pro-
moted and accentuated in the near future by the
work upon which Miss Maria A. Audubon, grand-
daughter of the illustrious ornithologist, is now en-
gaged. Readers of The Osprev will recall the ex-
hibition, at the last meeting of the American Orni-
thologists' Union, of various manuscript journals,
which Miss Audubon now proposes to publish.
Among these are the personal diary of 1827, when
Audubon was in England, on the threshold of his
great work; the Labrador Journal of 1833: and
especially the narrative of his voyage up the Missouri
to the Yellowstone in 1843. All these records are of
absorbing interest to those who desire closer ac-
quaintance with the "American Backwoodsman," as
he used to style himself. They will appear in full,
together with a new biography, more trustworthy
and otherwi.se satisfactory than Robert Buchanan's,
which has hitherto been our main reliance for infor-
mation concerning the man himself, aside from his
own works. I understand that Miss Audubon has
practically completed her work, and made arrange-
ments with a prominent publishing house in New
York for its early appearance. This will be distinctly
an event, and no doubt prove a pronounced success.

136

THE OSPREY.

General Notes.

PARASITIC HABITS OF THE BLACK-BILLED
CUCKOO.
May 20 I found a set of peculiar interest to me.
It was taken from a nest of Can/iim/is (ardiiinlis and
is composed of two eggs of the owners and one each
of Cowbird and Black-billed Cuckoo. I have never
as yet seen recorded a set in which both, or two, of
our parasites were represented ; though I might say
that this is the only evidence I have, from personal
experience, of the parasitic habits of either of our
Cuckoos. — C. Piper Smith, Anderson, Ind.

CONTENTS OF AN OWL'S NEST.

A Great Horned Owl was shot and killed on her
nest near this place by two boys. In her death strug-
gles she rolled one egg from the nest. I investigated
the nest two weeks later, and found it to contain two
broken eggs, thirty-eight Field Mice, and one Quail.

An apparently snow-white Red-tailed Hawk was
recently seen here. — W. G. Savage, Hillshoro, Iowa.

THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER WINTER-
ING IN WISCONSIN.
As confirmatory of Mr. Brandon's statement in the
May OspREY — that the Red-headed Woodpecker win-
ters sometimes in Wisconsin, I wish to say that I
lived in a deep hollow, about five miles south of
Helena, Wisconsin, during the winter of 1864-5.
That my home was surrounded with large White
Oak trees, {Qnt'rciis allia,) and that a Red-headed
Woodpecker spent the winter in that glen. In the
coldest weather, when the sun shone, he (or she)
would perch for hours on the south side of a large tree
near our house. I did not see any other bird of this
species, save that one, during the winter. — J. C.
Elliot, Sicumivick, III.

BARN OWL IN LICKING COUNTY, OHIO.
On October 2, i8g6, a fine male Barn Owl which
had been winged and captured near Alexandria,
about six miles from here, was brought to me to be
"stuffed." I secured it for four-bits and now have
it in my collection. This is the second one that I
know of having been taken in Licking County. The
other one was captured near Newark and exhibited
in that city during the first of February, 1892, as
" the great Monkey-faced Owl. Admission, locents."
Prof. D. S. Kellicott, of the Ohio State University,
tried to secure it on Feb. 12, but their price of $25
deterred him.

The late Dr. J. M. Wheaton in his Report on the
Birds of Ohio, 1882, says in regard to its occurence
in this State ; " Rare visitor. Not over a half-dozen
individuals recorded " No doubt several could now
be added to this list, yet probably not enough to take
it out of the list of Ohio's very rare visitors. — N. G.
Button, Johnstown, O.

tained four more eggs, slightly incubated. It was
June 22 when I collected these eggs, which made 28
eggs in all. The time since the first egg was laid
being forty-two days, the bird resting fourteen days.
— Gerard Abbott, Kni^lewood, Chi(fi_s;o, III.

[This experiment, made by Mr. Abbott, has been
tried by other ornithologists ; and the bird, sub-
jected to these conditions, has been known to lay
even more than this recorded number of eggs. — Ed.]

LARGE LAYING CAPACITY OF THE FLICKER.

On May 12 I took one egg from a F'licker's nest,
which contained two eggs. The female continued
laying and I continued to relieve the nest of duplicate
eggs until twenty-four eggs had been deposited. The
bird then disappeared, and supposing that she had
left, I took the "nest egg."

About two weeks later while passing the tree, to
my surprise I saw the female looking out of the hole.
Upon climbing the tree, I found that the hole con-

PECULIAR NESTING PLACE OF THE RED-
WINGED BLACKBIRD.

On the 4th of June, 1884, I found a nest of this
bird with three eggs in a hazelnut patch, fully 500
steps from the first body of water, a small creek.
This was in Summerfield, St. Clair County, 111. On
the 6th of June, 1893, I found a nest of this bird
with two eggs and two young in a willow nine feet
high. About 200 steps away was a pond affording
the usual breeding situations. This was near Eden
College, St. Louis, Mo. — W. F. Henninger, South
Webster, O.

A TURKEY SWIMS.
While driving near the canal, one day last fall, I
frightened a domestic Turkey from the road, and in
trying to escape the bird flew into the water. It then
swam across the canal, back again nearly to the cen-
ter, and then over to the opposite bank. When it
finally reached the bank it had swum a distance of
about seventy-five feet. The bird was quite a rapid
swimmer. — W. S. Johnson, Boonville, N. Y.

A QUEER SET OF CROW'S EGGS.
I recently collected a set of five incubated eggs of
the common Crow, so differently marked from any
Crow's eggs that I have seen, that I thought a des-
cription might interest some of The Osprev's readers
The ground color is grayish green and is thickly
spotted with pin-head sized spots of a slightly darker
shade, obscuring, in places, the ground color. The
larger ends are colored darker and have black spots
and lines on them. — F. J. Birtwell, Dorchester, Mass.

A BABY RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.

On the afternoon of July 11, '96, as I was gather-
ing some flowers, I found a young Ruby-throat in a
gladiolus blossom getting honey. It showed no sign
of being afraid of me, so I lifted it out, and setting it
on my finger, found it was so young it could hardly
fly. I held it up to other flowers and watched it dart
its little thread-like tongue into the hearts of the blos-
soms, quickly gathering the sweets they contained.

It remained among the flowers all the afternoon ;
and I picked it up a number of times. When it flew
from my finger it always went either to a limb stuck
in the ground for sweet-peas to climb on, or to a
plum tree near by, where the mother-bird would join
it ; whereat several times it seemed to put its bill in-
side of hers, while she acted as though feeding it by
regurgitation.

About 5 o'clock I heard an unusual fluttering in the
yard, which sounded like a large moth tangled in the
grass. I started in search and soon found, not a
moth, but the baby-bird fast by the neck in a gladiolus
plant. It had evidently lost its balance in the flower,
and had fallen between the flower stalk and a leaf,
head on one side and body on the other. I carefully
lifted it out, but it was almost dead. I held it to a flow-
er, but it would not try to get honey, so I put its bill
in a drop of water ; it drank a little and soon revived
enough to fly to the tree a few feet away. It only
stayed there a few moments, then returned to its fa-

THE OSPREY.

137

vorite twig by the sweet-peas, where it remained,
sitting drawn up into a tiny ball with its eyes shut
most of the time, and uttering a little chirp now and
then — the first I had heard.

While I was trying to revive the little one the
parent birds would dart near my face, then hovering
a few inches apart, would rise straight above me,
almost out of sight, and then dart away like arrows,
only to go through the same performance again.

Late in the evening I saw a storm coming up and
went to see after some little chickens. My next
thought was for my little Kuby-throat, but the storm
was on. My first impulse was to rush out and get
it ; but as I was at home alone — no, not a coward,
just don't like thunder storms — I consoled myself
with the thought that surely it will go to shelter with
the old ones.

But next morning we found it cold and stiff, hang-
ing head downward, firmly grasping the twig on
which I left it. — Mrs. C. E. Pleas, Clinton, Ark.

already written up years ago, are small — very small.
I heartily commend such methods as pursued by Mr.
N. Hollister, of Delavan, and others, who make care-
ful and copious notes, file and arrange them in order
for reference, but do not rush into print before they
know what they are doing — consequently their obser-
vations are of value.

Having letter heads printed "Naturalist and Taxi-
dermist," etc., does not make one an ornithologist
competent to help make ornithological history, nor a
"Naturalist" or "Taxidermist" either. We have,
unfortunately, too many "eight skins for a dollar
men." I wish to warn budding Wisconsin ornitholo
gists that good honest loork, will receive the assistance
it merits, but I propose to handle any premature ex-
plosions of ornithological knowledge without gloves
hereafter. — Ludwig Kumlien, Milton Colle^^c, Wis
cousin. May 21, i8gj.

VALUE (?) OF ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSER-
VATIONS BY AMATEURS.
My attention has been called so often of late to
various "observations" by certain amateurs that are
so glaringly false that I deem a note of warning to
the compilers of Bird Migration Records, Secretaries
of different Ornithological Chapters, etc., not out of
place.

I refer to Wisconsin as an example, having little
doubt that it will differ materially from other States
in this respect. This immediate vicinity ( Lake Kosh-
konong. Rock, Jefferson and Dane Counties ) for ex-
ample, has been observed and written about for more
than fifty years by competent ornithologists, yet we
now have mere school boys, with no knowledge of
ornithology, sending out observations to be printed,
like the following: Bay-breasted Warbler, "First
record for Wisconsin," (One of our common W^ar-
blers, and in autumn abundant). Nashville War-
bler, "First record for Southern Wisconsin," (A
regular breeder, though rare, but common in migra-
tions). Other Warblers reported that do not, nei'L-r did,
and in all probability lu-c't-r 7oill occur in Wisconsin.
Also notes on migration like the following ; ( I only
cite one or two among some dozens I know of.) Nov.
ig: " Cowbirds, plenty in large sized flocks."
(Rusty Grackle no doubt.) March 7; "First Chim-
ney Swallow." (White-bellied Swallow, meant, no
doubt.) In the first instance a month or more too
late and in the latter a month to six weeks too early.
I would respectfully suggest that compilers consult
resident ornithologists of repute before condensing
and compiling a lot of worse than useless rubbish.
Bird movements differ from year to year, but experi-
ence teaches us that observations for one or two
years are of little value as extremes occur every few
years — like extremes of wet or dry seasons, (due to
various causes) and the normal or average condition
can not be got at, except by a number of years' con-
tinuous observations in one region. Birds must be
sought in the localities they frequent — and this means
a good deal more than many imagine A. i,'. a notice
was recently printed in a leading ornithological jour-
nal that "Authentic records of the Yellow-breasted
Chat in Wisconsin were few and far between." Had
the author of the above known how and where to
look for Chats he would not have perpetrated so
gross an error. But this party has confounded Pigeon
Hawk and Sparrow Hawk, Turkey Vulture and Car-
rion Crow and a number of other equally serious
breaks. Young Ornithologists should bear in mind
that the chances of their "discovering" anything not

THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK IN MAINE.
In the April number of Maine Sportsincin Mr. J. C.
Mead records, for the first time, the occurrence of
Otocoris alpestris praticola this year at Bridgton,
Me. From skins in my possession, identified by Mr.
William Brewster as perfectly typical Prairie Horned
Larks, I am able to record their occurrence in the
State at an earlier date. The skins are those of a
male taken March 29, 1892, a male taken March 27,
1893, and a female taken March 22, 1894. It is evi-
dent that Prairie Horned Lark is and has for some
time been a regular migrant in the State, and it is
strange the bird was so long overlooked. — C. H
MoKKELL, Pittsfield, Somerset County, Maine.

UNUSUAL MARKINGS OF CLIFF SWALLOW
EGGS.

May 6, I secured a few sets of Cliff Swallow and
among them was a set of four with black lines, also
some black spots upon them, in addition to the usual
markings. In two of the specimens the black formed
a wreath about the larger end.

Mr. A. M. IngersoU wrote me thus ; " None of my
Cliff Swallow's eggs have black markings, and I do not
think I ever saw any that were dotted or marked
with black." — J. Maurice Hatch, Escondido, Cal.

THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

The regular meeting of the Ornithological Section
of the Chicago Academy of Sciences was held in the
offices of Mr J. G. Parker, Jr., 100 Washington
Street, May 12, at 8 p. m., with a good attendance
The paper of the evening was read by Mr. J. G.
Parker, entitled, "The Warblers of Illinois," illus-
trated lay specimens. F. M. Woodruff, Secretary.

AN ALBINO GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE.
Recently took a partially Albino Green-tailed
Towhee. Several primaries and secondaries were
white with inner webs of feathers delicate canary
yellow. White feathers appear also in the chestnut
of the crown — G. F. Breninger, F/ianix, Ariz.

Mr. W. E. Snyder, of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, will
accompany Mr. E. A. Mcllhenny to Point Barrow,
Alaska.

Messrs. R. S. Wheeler and H. C. Ward, both of
Alameda, returned May 11, from an egging trip into
the San Joaquin Valley. The recent drought had
dried up the ponds where the water fowl were wont
to breed, so that the trip was a flat failure, or,
oologically expressed, " an oval failure." Mr. Ward
did not seem discouraged about a trip next day— his
wedding trip. — California Department.

138

THE OSPREY.

Galitornia DeDariment.

EDITED BY DONALD A. COHEN, ALAMEDA, CAL.

COOPER CLUB NOTES.

THE Cooper Ornithological Club met at the resi-
dence of Mr. W. Otto Emerson, Haywards,
Cal., on May i. Dr. J. G. Cooper, the pioneer
ornithologist, in whose honor the club was named,
delivered an address to a large attendance. During
the business session a resolution was adopted that
the Ornithological department of the Smithsonian be
earnestly requested to have some competent person
complete the unfinished work of Major Bendire,
"Life Histories of North American Birds," and that
other Ornithological Associations in the United States
be invited to join the request.

A NEW SOURCE OF REDPOLL'S EGGS.

IT is not every fraud who has nerve enough to
work off House Finches' eggs for those of the
Redpoll ; but we have before us documentary
evidence that C. L. Haight, Naturalist and Taxider-
mist, of Sterling, Kas., has been wilfully guilty of
the above transaction. Mr. H. R. Taylor, of llie Xid-
o/ogist, received last fall, from said C. L. Haight,
two sets of House Finch eggs, the data reading in
part: "Redpoll, collected by Charlie Clark, Tulare,
Cal., April i and 13, iSg6." We have not yet heard
from good authority of the Redpoll breeding in the
United States, to say nothing of California, and at
Tulare especially, which is in the southern part of
the State. Perhaps we are ignorant and uninformed,
but we have not been able to find in " O. & O. " books
any record of the Redpoll nesting in the United
States.

Mr. Haight in one of his letters to a certain well-
known oologist says: "I am sorry to think the set
of Redpolls did not prove satisfactory to you. The
eggs were collected by Charlie Clark, of Tulare, Cal.,
and sent to me from there by W. H. Hiller, of Los
Angeles." We have written to Charlie Clark, of
Tulare, Cal., asking for information regarding his
taking Redpoll's eggs in California. The letter was
mailed April ig, 1897, and has not been heard from
by us, although we plainly affixed to the envelope :
"Return after five davs to The Osprey, Alameda,
Cal."

Charlie Clark may be a very juvenile collector
and naturally suppose the House Finch to be a Red-
poll because the male has a red head ; but if Mr. W.
H. Hiller did as Mr. Haight says he did, send out
the eggs in ijuestion, then he must be woefully ignor-
ant or fraudulently inclined, and we trust such is not
the case.

When Mr. Taylor received the two sets he forth-
with notified Mr. Haight they were nothing but
House Finch eggs, to which Mr. Haight, under date
of Nov. 26, i8g6, replies: "H. I^. Taylor, Alameda,
Cal., Dear Sir : — Yours of the i8th at hand and con-
tents noted, and also data for the eggs I sent you. I
am very sorry that they were not Redpoll as I gave
good exchange for these eggs, and supposed they
were genuine eggs I suppose I have been swindled,
so I will let the fellow I got them of hear from me
pretty strongly. If he does not settle the matter I
will send his name to you and see what you can do
for me, (Signed) Yours truly. C. L. Haight."

Mr. Haight, nevertheless, negotiates an exchange,
a little over two months later, with the well-known
oologist referred to and says : ' ' Am sorry to say I
exchanged the eggs you want to another party ; all

but the set of Redpoll, one-fourth of which I send
you by this mail. I want in exchange the following
sets, * * * * amounting to $1.45.

This set of Redpoll is a very fine set of this species
and as they are very hard to get hold of I do not
hardly like to let a set go for such common eggs." It
is needless to say that this well-known oologist sent
the set back to Mr. Haight, along with a strong
piece of his mind, to which, Mr. Haight, under the
date of Feb. 15, 1897, has the nerve to reply:
"Yours of the 12th at hand. Am sorry you do not
know the difference in the House Finch eggs and the
Redpoll eggs, but I suppose you are a 'kid' collec-
tor, as you say you do know the difference between
them. I suppose they have to lay in one county be-
cause they are Redpoll's do they? * * * Now
don't 'beef around another three weeks about these
eggs but send them back by return mail."

yUEER ACTIONS OF A THRASHER.
Mr. W. Otto Emerson, of Haywards, reports see-
ing a California Thrasher standing in shallow water
of a creek while he was driving along the road, and
that the bird was unusually tame. The bird was
caught shortly afterwards by an acquaintance of Mr.
Emerson and was found to be infested with vermin
and consequently much emaciated, thus accounting
for its strange behavior in standing in the water. It
soon died.

GorresDondence.

REMARKS ON PROF. KUMLIEN'S CORREC-
TION.
To the Editor of The Osprey :

Referring to Prof. Kumlien's article, "A Correc-
tion of a Frequent Misstatement " in the May Osprey,
I desire to say that I have found the Yellow-headed
Black-bird nesting in wild rice (or water oats) in
Cut-oft Lake, near this city ; in B'g Lake, Pottowa-
tomia County, Iowa ; and in the Sandhill (alkali)
Lakes of Cherry County, Nebraska, and Lugenbeel
County, South Dakota. In the latter locality this
species nests in immense numbers and almost exclu-
sively in the wild rice. Isador S. Trostler,

Omaha, Neb.. June 2, 1897.

TROILE OR LOMVIA ?
To the Editor of The Osprey :

Your favor of May 31, in regard to my note on the
Murre in April Osprey, came duly to hand. Pardon
a few days' delay in my answer. I was absent in the
field I sent the specimen in question to Mr. Frank
Blake Webster, Hyde Park, Mass., to be mounted,
and he pronounced it troilc. A friend owns the
specimen and I can submit it to some other authority
if you wish. But it would seem to me that Mr. Web-
ster ought to be familiar with this species as many
specimens have passed through his hands.

Benjamin Hoag,

Stephentown, New York, June 7, 1897.

[The many captured specimens reported as Murre
(I'riii troih-) which afterwards proved to be Brun-
nick's Murre (i\ /ouivia), led us to wish further in-
vestigation of Mr. Hoag's capture. This specimen
was named by Mr. Webster previously to the identifi-
cation of the number of lately captured huin'ia sup-
posed at first to be troilc; and perhaps, therefore,
this bird was thus labelled without critical examina-
tion. We would suggest that Mr. Hoag submit the
specimen again to Mr. Webster, or to an authority
more conveniently located. — Ed.]

LOUISIANA WATER THRUSH, SEIURUS MOTACILLA.
FROM PAINTING BY LOUIS AGASSIZ FUERTES.

THE OSPREY.

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of

ORNITHOLOGY,

Volume 1.

JULY-AUGUST, 1897.

Numbers 11-12.

SONG NOTES AND NESTING NOTES OF THE WESTERN MEADOWLARK.

REV. P. B. PEABODY, ST. VINCENT, MINN.

RECENT writer in Tlie wings. And now his skin enriches my collection, but

.-////' has endeavored to re- the beautiful song is hushed forever. Since then I

duce a number of the songs have often listened to the counterparts, or variants

of Stii]-)U'llii ih-t;/i-i/ii to the of that song. And just once, but two years ago, I

limitations of musical nota- heard a veritable song-refrain from the throat of

tion. His failure to do this ttcglecta, clear cut, staccato, brief, and both rhythmic

intelligently, in even a sol- and tonal. As I write I can hear it still ; and it could

itary case, to at least one be quickly and easily expressed in musical terms were

ornithologist who is thor- it worth the while to harass our printer for the .sake

oughly familiar with this bird in its breeding haunts
(and whose study of music and of bird-life hri\ p hr-r-i
coeval,) only shows how elusi\ r
are many bird marks that an-
still absolutely familiar.

When science shall have tn
abled us, phonographically, tn
retinize the songs of birds, we
may hope to subject the lo\t-
notes of many birds to deliberate
and satisfactory analysis; bui
until this desideratum shall ha\ i
been attained, we must continm
to allow the peculiarly rich a
rhythmic melodies of our West-
ern Meadowlark to remain
among those tantalizingly fas
cinating delights which cannot
be transmitted through human
media ; but must be heard with all their charmin
concomitants if they are to become a delight.

^>.

NEST OF THE WESTERN MEADOWLARK

of SO very short a ditty. But the song was unique ;
and, even wrre T to write it down, not even the anno-
tater of the bird-songs in 77/, ■
'•:(k would believe that I had
■r really heard it.
l!ut, during the current sea-
-^ '\\, since reading over the songs
I' terred to — studying them, too,
111 a sort of puzzled way — I have
listened carefully to the local
li-cta songs, hearing them, at
it-rvals, all the spring and
summer long on willowy mead-
ow-wastes and prairie-stretches,
forty and fifty miles apart. x\nd
in the stud}ing I have come to
this conclusion — the statement
uf which can by no possibility
hurt anybody — namely : that
the ordinary breeding songs of the Western Mead-
owlark are well crystallized and generic ; that they

.^U

I well recall the crisp, clear morning of that April are, in the main, almost absolutely rhythmic ; but
day when the dashing notes of the bird in question that, while exhibiting certain uniformities of pitch,
first fell upon my astonished ears. This, in Central higher and lower in the various members, (the
Minnesota. At my Wisconsin home the Eastern vibrations in the corresponding parts being, so far
form was habitant, in summer, sparingly; and its as I can discern, remarkably uniform,) the mus-
comparatively weak and plaintive song had become ical intervals bear no sort of relation, in the main,
reasonably well known to me in my boyhood days, to the semi-tonal system on which is based all the more
But here was something new. Greatly loth, yet still refined forms of human music. Hence, when the
eager, I crept nearer to the new-found singer. In- effort is made to represent, by musical notation, the
stantly, the smell of powder tainted the sweet morn- songs in question, the rhythm, indeed, may be por-
ing air; and I, with a sharp momentary pang, ran to trayed with a high degree of accuracy ; but all the
pick up that exquisite composite of blacks and browns rest is an unintelligible blank. The heart of it all is
and yellows and grays. There he lay, silent, upon lacking, remaining deliciously wild and free out upon
the frosty grass, with the night dew frozen upon his the prairies, in the throats of the brave and cheery

140

THE OSPREY.

QSPREY'S nest at SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND,
PHOTOGRAPH BY HOKACE A. GAYLOKU.

But, as the impulsive "whittle" clearly shows, nci^ldcUi can-
not long or well restrain his emotion or his passion. Tiring
of his serener mood, he springs into mid-air, crying " screep-
a-rip-ple-rip ! ! " with such an intensity of passionate abandon
that one wonders whether he be merely abroad on a drunken
frolic, or whether he be telling an unheeding world that he
has just made the love-conquest of that demure gray one for
whom his heart has long been longing. Sometimes, at this
song, one inclines to the bacchantic theory, for the ribald
song, in variance, becomes: " Take-a-lit-tle-sip ;" or, again,
the tipsy tempter cries "Jehu, jaa-hu, drink-a-little ! "

Again, the hearer inclines to the theory of love-making, for
the would-be-sociable wooer pleads "I want-to eat-with-
you ! " (and sometimes the words he utters are naughtier than
these).

But there are prophets, too, among the tribe — and sombre
prophets they. Athwart the revel, they exclaim, "Jehu,
jaa-////.f'-deeds-are-evil ;" or, quite as often, with a
more despondent tone of general depreciation, simply
' ' Deeds-are-evil !" And there are other notes of warn-
ing, as dark, as mystical, as wailing, as the lamen-
tations of the ancient prophets. Thus grave meets
gay with bold, yet sad, rebuke; and so "from grave
to gay," from gay to grave, do bird life and bird-song

singers. But one dominant characteristic of the
Meadowlark songs in question should be clearly set
forth here ; for therein, I am sure, lies a large part of
the peculiar fascination that these songs exert ; and
that characteristic is: a marked articulateness. Atten-
tive to this trait, and giving somewhat of wing-
freedom to his fancy, the listening ornithologist comes

to feel that there is an interesting humanness about ru" the gamut of human joys and griefs and sins and

HCi:;lccta; that many of the emotions, and many of the sorrows.

temperamental traits of humankind, cheerful or sad. In turning, with real reluctance, from the songs of

winning or sinister, are reproduced within that little nc^^h'cta, one cannot but speak— and speak quite con

feathered soul. nniore — of her delicate eggs and the dainty nest. To

In the main, the bird has a singing language of his mingle useful fact with pleasant fancy, I turn to my

own. Apart from his unintelligible rhapsodies that data-files and review the data— some laconic and

are executed in mid-air, with a passionate phrensy of some delightfully circumstantial, as data ever are—

wing-beating, just before the love-mad singer slides for some of the sets of Meadowlark in my collection,

down, longspurlike, "upon the scale [ladder] of his Set 5-5 was taken at Macon, Michigan, on May 6

own music," there are many vocables that one de- (incubation begun); nest, beautifully arched, of rather

lights to trace upon paper. Of all these Meadowlark- fine grasses, was found "on ground, in meadow"

language songs one of the sweetest is that which is The eggs are of the blotched type so characteristic of

sung throughout the summer, in the bird's quieter the Eastern bird.

moods Hear him on bush or fence. Set 15-4 was taken at Tarpon Springs,
the much-flirting tail quite still for the Florida, on April 11 (incubation ad-
nonce, the head tilted, as ever, half- vanced). Nest "composed of grass"
heavenward as he sings: "Heery- , (for a wonder). The eggs of this set are
heedle-heera-sy-wheedle." Hear him ' rarely beautiful, each being capped with
again — but more restrictedly — during a scrawled and blotchy nucleus of deep,
the early breeding time, and in equally rich brown.

contemplative mood, as he chants atop These two sets and a series of singles
the highest telegraph pole : " Heap-ter- ; comprise my modest representation of
a, reach-a-da, 70/ii/l/c" Of this three- '■ eggs of the Eastern form. All are, as
membered song, the first portion seems might be expected, of the heavily-
inconsequential, prefatory ; the "reach- marked type.

a-da " is penetrating, beautifully clear i Of the negUcla sets, one was taken at

and tonal (and is the only portion that ^ I Pasadena, Cal., May 5 (incubation be-

isheard at a distance), the "whittle" |^ jiA gun). Nest " in a barley field

being non-tonal but intensely explosive; if&frili IIwmBi ^'^'^ ^ ^"'^^ °^ tunnel under the grass

as if the singer were conscious of hav- J^HH^^^^Hf leading three feet from the nest." An-

ing rendered a charming song, and were jigj^HgHJ^^^^^^^^^^B other is from Sonoma, Cal., taken June
telling his near neighbors, with a most j^Hj^^^^^^^^^^^^H 16, no incubation, probably a second
emphatic sort of "whew!" just how HHEBHiilHIH^BI set A third California clutch was taken

proud he feels about it ! Yellowstone ospkey nest, by Mr. Allen "in a hole in the ground,

THE OSPREY.

141

in a pasture," no date given. These and other Cali- But the choicest set of the collection is one that was

fornia sets are, mainly, very sparsely, yet beautifully, taken in '95 at Wilder, Minnesota, exactly as was the

marked. set just mentioned — the mother bird rising from under

But most attractive (to me, of course,) are the sets the wheel, which touched the rim of the nest — just

of my own taking. One was found in a lowland as I reached the center of a prairie plateau elevated

Kansas meadow — the female flying from beneath my a little above the depths of a deep valley that crouched

very feet — the partly arched nest being cosily set into low among high hills. No tyro was that pair of birds

a cow track among the rather scanty grass. Taken at nest-building. A well-shaped hollow was dug in

June 23 ; undoubtedly a second set. Another Kansas the hard soil among the weeds between two grass

nest was stumbled upon at
midday in a weedy upland pas-
ture, the mother bird sitting
quietly in the well-arched
nest, not flying until I had
eyed her for several seconds,
having caught a sudden view
of her while not over five feet
away. This on June 3 ; most
likely a second set.

On May 26 of the summer
of i8g6, just outside the edge
of the hazel, poplar and burr-
oak "scrub" that surrounds
this village, — an interesting
point where North Dakota,
Minnesota and Manitoba meet,
— among the weeds that bor-

.•\N OSPREY NEST ON ROCK BELOW.

PHOTOGRAPHKD AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

tussocks, and a fine, thick and
perfectly symmetrical nest was
built ; the arch being so com-
plete that it was necessary to
raise it not a little to give my
camera a peep at all the eggs.
The latter are wonderfully
rich in their sparse markings
yet rich colorings ; (that is to
say, five of them, for the sixth
is stippled at the larger end —
like so many of the iici^lccta
eggs — with tiny dots of the
darkest brown.) The six eggs
lay, as the bird left the nest,
in two rows of three each
Being left, for identification,
they were afterward found

dered a bit of overflowed meadow, in a little depres- again in the same relative position — making thus,

sion of a slight hollow among hummocks I found — with the rarely perfect nest, an mscmble whose beauty

or rather my buggy wheel found— a nest. The bird the camera has portrayed for readers of The Osprey

flew, apparently, from underneath the buggy as the ^^^ j^^^e perfectly than a whole font of well-ordered
wheel passed, the track cutting the soft turf not two
inches from the nest, which, being well concealed,

was not arched — the nest-material, (a few dead weed-
stalks and grasses) being interlaced above, just as they
had grown and been settled by the winter's snow. The
six eggs contained in the nest were sparsely marked
with large pale spots— the markings on one egg being
the palest I have ever seen.

type could do. But oh, if only I could have photo-
graphed the song of the male bird as he dashed after
his mate — scolding her (man-like) I thought, for her
arrant cowardice. Brave enough, he ; but did he, I
wonder, ever help to feed the larklings that burst
their shells a little later in another nest among the
nodding weeds ?

MODIFICATIONS OF OUR AVI-FAUNA.

REV. J. M. KECK, MENTOR, OHIO.

WITH the changes incident to the cutting away
of the forests and the clearing up of the
country, there have also occurred changes
in the avifauna of Northeastern Ohio. Before the
advent of the white man. the Quail, probably, was
not a denizen of this region , while Wild Turkeys
were, doubtless, very abundant Water fowl, also,
in great numbers and of many species, frequented
the shore of Lake Erie and adjacent marshes,
streams and ponds. Different species of Ducks,
which are now but transient visitors here, once
reared their broods by our waters.

Bob White, it is said, was first heard in this local-
ity in about the year 1800, after the first settlers had
been here several years. Through causes, possibly
in part unknown, other birds have come to us from

time to time. The Bobolink appeared in about 1857,
and was for some years regarded as a curiosity and a
wonder. We now have our meadows alive with
them from May to August. The Lark Finch was
not observed here before 1861, and is still exceeding-
ly rare. The English Sparrow reached our cities in
about 1870, and began to nest in the rural villages
probably ten years later. The Black-throated Bunt-
ing has been noted during the last few years by other
observers located south and west of us, but I have
not yet seen it in Lake County. The Cardinal Gros-
beak, always abundant in Central and Southern
Ohio, is extending its range farther to the north ; and
one or two appearances have been reported within
our county.

The Indigo Bird and the White-rumped Shrike

142

THE OSPREY.

seem to be greatly increasing in numbers ; while the
Bluebird, formerly very common, has been quite rare
since 1894.

The Bald Eagle was a very common bird along
the shore of Lake Erie ten years ago, but now is not
often seen. A pair of these noble birds for many
years nested in a small grove on the lake front im-
mediately north of the Garfield Farm. The restless
waves washed away the bank and undermined the
tree upon which their nest was situated, but the year
before the tree toppled into the water, the knowing
birds moved their domicil to another tree standing a
few rods farther away from danger. But the en-
croachments of the lake continued until this tree also
was threatened when they removed again farther
from the shore.

The Golden Eagle was formerly supposed not to
nest in this vicinity, but in the spring of i8g6 a young
bird of this species was taken on the grounds of the
Storrs and Harrison Nurseries near Painesville. It
was captured alive while sitting in the tall grass ap-
parently watching for mice. A teamster with a
skilled stroke of his whip lapped the lash about it
and prevented it from taking to wing until secured.
Several Snowy Owls were shot along the lake early
in October in 1896, which is somewhat remarkable
owing to the fact that they usually do not appear
south of the lake before January.

But the rarest find of all is yet to be mentioned.
November 18, 1896, a Murre was shot on Lake Erie
several miles out from Mentor. Two were seen, but
only one was taken. We, of the local talent, pro-

nounced it a Uria troile : but later the specimen
found its way to Oberlin College where it was listed
as an immature Brunnich's Murre, L'ria Unuvia.
Neither of the Murres are mentioned by Dr. J. M.
Wheaton in his "Birds of Ohio." Dr. Morris Gibbs,
in his "Birds of Michigan," says troih- is "occasion-
ally taken on Lake Superior ;" but neither Dr. Gibbs
nor Prof. Cook, in their lists of Michigan birds, men-
tion lonn'ia. In December, 1896, a troile was shot
at Gibralter, Michigan ; and several specimens of the
lonn'ia were taken, during the same month, near
Sandusky, Ohio. The thickness and compactness of
the plumage of these birds shows a wonderful adapta-
tion to arctic, aquatic life.

Such interesting birds as the White Swan, the
White Crane and the Snow Goose are now very
rarely, if ever, seen ; although some of our veteran
sportsmen were once familiar with their appearance.
The Canada Goose has greatly diminished in num-
bers within a few years.

The Pileated Woodpecker, the Wild Pigeon, the
Wild Turkey, and the Raven have entirely disap-
peared from this part of the state. The two latter
are still found in the Northwestern counties of Ohio.
The relentless gun of the indiscriminate hunter has
almost exterminated a number of other birds once
plentiful. Fortunately, our Legislature last year re-
vised the list of birds which have legal protection and
included almost all of our song and insectiverous
species. It is to be hoped that the new law will have
some appreciable effect in staying the causes of the
destruction of our feathered friends.

CHIMNEY SWIFT.— HOW DOES IT BREAK OFF THE TWIGS.?

EDMONDE S. CURRIER, KEOKUK, IOWA.

SEVERAL articles have appeared in our magazines around one of the dead limbs. I think that some

lately, on this subject, and it seems that there child had been flying a small kite and it had blown

is a difference of opinion among observers. into the tree top.

Like many others, I have curiously watched the It seems the bird had became entangled, and in its

bird while in the act of breaking the twig, but it is struggles had broken off quite a branch, and the

done so quickly, scarcely a perceptable stop being weight of this and the bird together had broken the

made, and the flight after the attempt, (as the bird string which was not very strong, and as the limb

is not always successful,) is so swift and erratic that was too heavy for the bird to fly with, had fallen

I have never felt sure about it. On June 22, of the nearly to the ground, catching in the top of a bush

present year, while nesting, I made a find which and leaving the bird still suspended,
bears upon the subject, and although it proves noth- Now as the Swift never lights on the twigs, it could

ing, yet may add some interest to it. have been in the tree top but for one purpose ; and

While passing under a willow, I found hanging in the question arises, how did its foot get fast ?
a low bush, a Swift, a ghastly looking object, dried The string is wound loosely around the twig and

and mumified swaying in the breeze. One of its the bird's foot is caught a few inches from the tip —

feet — the left — was tangled in a small string, the leg the string running both ways of the twig from the foot,
out of place at the knee ; head and right wing point- Has anyone ever been able to see a stick in this

ing downward ; mouth open and right foot drawn bird's mouth, while it was flying ? It can be noticed

tightly to the body. with other birds, but none of them fly like this one.

The string was attached to a dead branch which Now it is evident that if the bird carried the stick in

had fallen from the top of the tree, and was wrapped its claws, the body would hide it and then we cer-

around it for several feet, and to the extremity of one tainly would see nothing of it.

of the smallest twigs. Looking up in the top of the I think that the question is still open, and that we

tree I saw several yards more of the string tangled might devote a little time to it next season, with profit.

THE OSPREY.

143

THE AMERICAN OSPREY IN THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

PKOF, M. J. ELKOn, UNIVERSITY OK MONTANA.

THE American Osprey and its nest are conspicu-
ous figures to the tourist in Yellowstone Na-
tional Park. They are numerous around
West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, and in the Grand
Canyon of the Yellowstone.

All along the lake shore at West Thumb they have
built nests on the stumps of dead pines. In most
cases the nests are on the summit of the stump,
twenty-five or thirty feet above the ground. From a
distance the whitened pine stumps appear to be
tipped with a black cap, which is the nest. In a few
cases the nests were built in the crotch of a limb, as
shown in the illustration.

In the Grand Canyon the nests are built on the
summits of towering crags, yet far below the eye of
the observer, absolutely inaccessible. In the canyon
the nests are quite numerous, and so far as I could
discover, were all entirely beyond the reach of man.

Of course the birds are protected, and are, as a
consequence, rarely disturbed. The birds are fre-
quently seen flying back and forth in the canyon, and
their shrill cry is a familiar sound to the tourist.
From West Thumb to the Grand Canyon, and down
the canyon as far as we went, is about fifty miles. A
portion of this is not wooded, but most of the dis-
tance the nests are quite numerous.

J. H. CLARK, I'ATERSON, N. J.

DURING the last week of July, 1896, I made a
trip through Yellowstone Park, and among
the photographs I took while there is that
of one of the pinnacles of rock showing the Osprey
and a small part of the nest on top of the rock to the
right of the live tree. It was taken in the Grand
Canyon of the Yellowstone, just below the Lower
Falls. Two young birds were in the nest, and I would
have liked to photograph them had I been able to
reach the nest in its inaccessible position.

All down the Canyon are pinnacles of rock, some
high and slender, others massive. Many of these
held either an old or an inhabited nest ; on one I
noticed two nests about three feet apart. Many of
the nests contained one or two young, most of which
were nearly ready to fly. From Inspiration Point
one can see a great many of the nests, and the old
birds flying up and down the Canyon. When they
fly past young in a nest, the little ones raise and
flap their wings, probably excited in their expect-
ancy of food or desire to follow. The young birds
seem much affected by the hot sun ; a great many
of them lie on their breast with their wings spread
out over the nest.

Ospreys in the park have not the same idea of a
building site ; some use the lofty pinnacles of rock,
others the low ones, and some build in the trees.

REMARKS ON THE HABITS OF THE WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

EDWIN IRVINE HAINES, STATION 248, U. S. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY.
[Read before the Linnaean Society of New York.]

PERHAPS of all our winter birds the one that is
most interesting and abundant is the White-
breasted Nuthatch. I have given this bird a
systematic study this winter, with very pleasing re-
sults, and was surprised by its cunning, inquisitive-
ness and intelligence.

These birds are even more curious than the Jays,
and will cock their heads on one side and gaze at you
for a long time, remaining perfectly still in the mean-
time. I have often tested their inquisitiveness by
letting one watch me for a while, then quietly walk
to the other side of the tree, and in every instance

It travels about in pairs, making its presence known they would follow me around,

by a loud "quank, quank ; " and is always found in They are very fearless, and will let you approach

winter in deciduous trees, preferring those of Oak, very near to them, and will not pay any attention to

Chestnut, Sycamore, Poplar, and others which have you, unless from mere curiosity ; but should your

rough bark. One of its peculiar habits is that of run- mien be warlike, they will very soon know it. I have

ning around, and up and down, a tree trunk, as if all often tried to secure them at long range, and in many

directions were horizontal ; but in a systematic hunt, instances have had them dodge to the other side of

it starts at the top, comes down head foremost, cir-
cling around the tree, as if it were going down a cir-
cular stairway in some tower.

Though supposed to be a permanent resident here,
in all probability very few remain to nest, while the

the tree before the shot reached them. After you
have once shown your hostility, they will be very
careful to keep the tree between them and you.

Our great naturalist, Wilson, in his "Ornithology
of the Birds of the United States," (1828, Vol. 2, p.

greater number go further north. This is shown by 54,)says; " The name ' Nuthatch ' has been bestowed
the disappearance of the birds as spring advances, on this family of birds from their supposed practice
a few only being casually seen in summer, while in of breaking nuts by repeated hatchings or hammer-
autumn they become plentiful once more ; besides, I ings with their bills. Soft-shelled nuts, such as hazel
have often seen them with migrating flocks of birds nuts and chestnuts, they may, probably, be able to
in both seasons. demolish, though I have never yet seen them so en-

144

THE OSPREY.

gaged ; but it must be, rather, in search of maggots of the person standing so still and watching them so

that sometimes breed there, than for the kernel. It intently, every now and then they would stop their

is said, however, that they lay up a large store of work, cock their heads on one side and regard me for

nuts for the winter, but as I have never seen them a minute or so. Once I clapped my hands, to see

collecting them, or found their magazines, I am in- what they would do ; they instantly stopped, ran

clined very much to doubt the fact. From the great down the tree a little way, and carefully watched me.

numbers I have opened, at all seasons of the year, I Again I clapped my hands, when, with laughable

have every reason to believe that ants, small seeds, speed they scuttled back to the nuts, pulled and

insects and their larva? form their only subsistence, pecked at them with frantic haste, uttering loud

such matters alone being uniforml}- found in their "quanks" all the while, and finally, having extracted

stomachs. Neither can I
see what necessity they
could have to circum-
ambulate the trunks of
trees with such indefat-
igable and restless dil-
igence while bushels of
nuts lay scattered
around their roots."

This authority of Wil-
son's seems to be so far
undisputed, for every
account of the Nuthatch
has been directly quoted
from him, as far as I
can find out. The fol-
lowing personal obser-
vations, made this win-
ter, will show that his
statements are not en-
tirely correct, and also
how much time and
study must be spent up-
on these little points be-
fore we know what is
absolutely certain about
them.

While walking on
Davenport's Neck, New
Rochelle, in early Feb-
ruary, I observed a pair
of Nuthatchs fly out of
a Hickory tree (to which
some old nuts were still
clinging,) into a neigh-
boring Oak ; I noticed

AN OSPKEY APPROACHING NEST.
(San Cleinente Island, 75 miles off San Diego. Cal.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSEPH GRINNELL.

che kernels, flew with
them into the top of the
tree, put them into
cracks and then started
circling about the tree
as if they did not know
what a nut looked like.
A few days later, while
collecting upon "Quak-
er Ridge," a high wood-
ed district north of New
Rochelle, I observed a
pair of these birds, each
with a nut in its bill, fly
into a small dead tree
near by. On approach-
ing the tree I observed
that it was full of holes
— not of the same size,
lint of different sizes —
placed in regular order
ill over it. On exam-
ining these holes I was
surprised to find that
most of them contained
nuts of different kinds
— hickory, chestnut,
acorns, beech, and many
different kinds of seeds,
and what appeared to
be a frozen black berry
of some sort. During
m y observations t h e
Nuthatchs came back
with two more nuts,
but seeing me, became

that each bird carried a good sized hickory nut in its alarmed, or angry, and flew from tree to tree, utter-
bill. On reaching the tree they placed the nuts in ing th'eir harsh notes all the time. Not wishing to
convenient crevices, and pushed and wedged them in frighten them away, and having made all the notes I
with their bills until they were as firm as if held in a wished, I left them in possession. There seems no
vise. Having done this to their satisfaction, they doubt that this tree was a "store-house," or " maga-
started a shower of furious blows upon the nuts for zine, " of the sort Wilson tried to find so many years
about five minutes, then, as the nuts appeared to be ago.

drilled, or cracked open, they placed one foot upon It is a well-known fact that Blue Jays, Woodpeck-

the nut, extracted the contents with their bills and ers and other birds have these stores. In "Bird

swallowed them with evident relish. Then back to Hall" of the Museum of Natural History is a section

the Hickory tree they flew, secured two more nuts, of telegraph pole taken at Phoenix, Oregon and used

came back to the Oak again, and performed the same by the California Woodpecker for the purpose of

operation ; but soon becoming suspicious, evidently, storing acorns for its winter food. Also in the Smith-

THE OSPREY.

145

sonian Institution, at Washington, which I recently
visited, is a specimen trunk of a tree used for the
same purpose. Though these peculiar habits of the
White-breasted Nuthatch may have been discovered
and mentioned by other naturalists since Wilson's
time, I have made an etiort to lind them but have
not succeeded.

These few notes will show that though ornithology

is now studied to a very fine point, yet there are still,
no doubt, many facts (no matter how infinitely small,)
about nur birds which naturalists do not know, and
will not be found by much search, but only by acci-
dent ; and in the cold, dreary months of winter we
may find many bright spots, if we only look for them,
as I did in my delightful winter-study of the Nut-
hatch

THE WOODPECKERS OF MARYLAND.

VVM. H. FISHER, BALTIMORE, MT>.

THE family Pnidi, is represented in Maryland by
seven species, as follows ; Dvyohates villosus.
Hairy Woodpecker : This Woodpecker is res-
ident throughout the State. I have never found it
common, but it seems to be more plentiful in the
lower counties than in the neighborhood of Baltimore.
As a rule, it is a shy and noisy bird, fond of the woods.
Only on one occasion have I found its nest, and then
I was unable to reach it, as it was about thirty feet
up in a large Poplar, and out in a dead limb.

Dryobates pubeaens. Downy Woodpecker : This
miniature of thepreceding species is far more plenti
ful, and far more social in its habits. It is often
found associated with other birds, in the woods, the
orchards, along fence rows, and not infrequently in the
cities. It generally excavates its nest either in a Wil-
low stub or in an Apple tree, depositing four or five
eggs. Like the Hairy, it is resident.

SpliyrapicHS varhis. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yel-
low-bellied Woodpecker : Our only true Sapsucker,
and is found with us as a spring and fall migrant,
never very abundant. It may be resident on the
eastern shore, as I have killed them there during the
winter.

Ceop/i/aus pilcntus, Pileated Woodpecker, "Cock
of the Wood," "Woodhen," etc.: This large species
is rare, but resident wherever found. I have heard
it while fishing along the Potomac River, in Frederick
County, but have never found it at all abundant ex-
cept in Somerset County, where, in a day's tramp in
the neighborhood of the heavily wooded swamps, you
are almost sure to see some five or six individuals.

November 23, 1894, while shooting in this county,
we saw a " Woodhen" fly to a large Black Gum tree
in an extensive swamp known as the "Blue Heron
Swamp." On approaching the tree we saw nothing
of the bird, but a slight tap caused it to fly from a
hole about three-quarters of the way up the tree
There were three holes, all close together, and from
their size I took them to be made by this Woodpecker.
They were between forty and fifty feet up ; and, as
near as I could judge from the ground, were about
four inches in diameter.

"Early in June, '95, a nest was found by Mr. L.
D Willis, near Church Creek, Dorchester County
It contained 3 eggs ; 2 nearly hatched, the other rot-
ten. It measured 2 feet, 2 inches deep, by 8 inches

in diameter ; the entrance was 5^ inches across, and
20 feet from the ground, in a rotten stub " — Kirk-
wood, Birds of Maryland.

I am told that twenty years ago you could see
twenty-five of these birds in Somerset County where
now you see one, but as the heavy swamps are being
cleared off the Woodpeckers are gradually disappear-
ing.

Mclancrpcs crytJiroccphalus, Red-headed Woodpeck-
er : This bird was at one time one of the most famil-
iar features of the landscape in almost every orchard,
and along the country roads ; but of late years they
have been by no means so abundant. It is resident,
but is not so common in the winter It often exca-
vates its nest in the orchard, but I have more fre-
quently found them in the tops of dead or decaying
Chestnut or Ash trees. Once I saw one in a telegraph
pole. Frequently they use the same hole from year
to year.

May 26, 1894, I discovered a nest in the limb of a
decaying Chestnut tree, and in the same limb, about
ten feet below it, was another hole occupied by a
pair of Sparrow Hawks. The two families seemed
to get along very amicably, as I never saw any signs
of war between them, and frequently a red head
would be seen protruding from the upper hole when
one of the Hawks would be flying to the lower one.

Many persons mistake the immature birds, before
they get the red head, for the female of this species.
Mt'lancrpcs caro/iiiensis, Red-bellied Woodpecker :
A very handsome bird, rare in the vicinity of Balti-
more, and generally occurring in our upper counties
as a winter visitant It is resident in Somerset
County. March 25, 1891, I shot one, a male, in How-
ard County. Again, January 13, 1895, a very cold,
windy day, with light drifting snow at intervals, I
saw another, this time also a male. He did not .seem
to fancy the snow, and clung very closely to the trunk
of the tree for protection.

I have only met with about half a dozen individuals
outside of Somerset County, but there, for the last
fourteen years, in either November, December or
January, I have found them to be very abundant.
According to my observations, they prefer the low,
swampy woodlands and clearings, only occasionally
being found in the isolated tree in the fields. They
are very noisy, and their note "chaw-chaw," gener

146

THE OSPREY.

ally uttered twice, is unmistakable. Frequently, like
the Flicker, they will perch across the limb of a tree,
and I have often watched them dart out and catch a
flying insect.

Colapti's aiiratus. Flicker, " Wheeler," etc. : This
bird of many names is resident, being more numerous
in spring and fall, a few only wintering with us. In
the fall of the year large numbers congregate together
in the Black Gum and Wild Cherry trees, the fruits
of these being a favorite diet of theirs. At this sea-
son they also spend much of their time on the ground
in the open fields hunting ants and other insects.
Some sportsmen (?) consider them as game, and they
are often exposed for sale in market, tied in bunches
with Robins and Larks.

In nesting they will not infrequently make use of a
natural cavity, but generally they excavate a hole
from twelve to twenty inches deep in a dead limb or
stub, not being at all particular as to the height, as I

have found them forty feet up, and again only four
feet from the ground.

***** 45- * * *

Caiiipt-plnliis principalis. Ivory-billed Woodpecker :
The only mention I have ever seen of this bird for
Maryland is made by Audubon. Rewrites: "On
the Atlantic coast. North Carolina may be taken as
the limit of its distribution, although now and then an
individual of this species may be seen in Maryland."

Peter Kalm, writing in 1749, says: " 7'icus prin-
cipalis, the King of the Woodpeckers, is found here,
[Pennsylvania,] though very seldom, and only at a
certain season."

Dryobates horealis Red-cockaded Woodpecker :
Whilst I have no record of this species for our State,
it has several times been recorded from Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, so we will have to live in hope of
some lucky individual recording (and securing) a
Maryland specimen.

A TRAGEDY, A COURTSHIP AND A MARRIAGE.

H. T. VAN OSTR.\ND, MORGANZA, PA.

AS notes on the habits of the American Osprey
now seem to be in order, I will relate an inci-
dent in the domestic life of this species which
came under my observation.

Some four or five years ago I was, with a small
party, cruising around Penobscot Bay, Maine, in
quest of specimens in the ornithological line. One
Saturday afternoon found us anchored in a little cove
off Pickering Island. Several nests of the Osprey
could be plainly seen in the tops of dead Spruces,
and others in some of the more conspicuous live ones.
As it appeared to be a promising field for observation,
we concluded to investigate, and were rewarded with
a few badly-incubated eggs and some young chicks.

From one nest, near the shore of the cave where
we were anchored, I took a chick and two eggs, and
also shot the male bird. Going along the shore about
half a mile, I secured from another nest two young
and one egg, and shot the female. A charge of num-
ber fours, delivered at long range, brought the male
tumbling, end over end, to within a few feet of the
water, where he suddenly revived, and flew to a small
island about a mile away. That evening the mourn-
ful whistle of the female could be heard about her

nest, bewailing the loss of her mate and young. The
next morning found her still in mourning, only leav-
ing the trees in the vicinity of the nest to hover, for a
few minutes, over her empty home. Taking a walk
along the shore, I was surprised to see a bird, un-
doubtedly the male I had wounded the day before,
mournfully hovering and whistling about his empty
nest. All through the forenoon and during the first
half of the afternoon, those birds kept up their plaint-
ive cries about their respective nests.

In the afternoon, about four o'clock, the bereaved
male visited the bereaved female. A bond of sympa-
thy appeared to spring up between them, which, in
the course of a couple of hours, seemed to ripen into
love ; and when the last beams of the setting sun
flickered through the dark Spruces, there could be
seen, perched on the top of a dead Spruce,

" Two souls with but a single thought,
Two hearts that beat as one."

About noon the next day, as a light breeze carried
us out of the sheltered cove, the newly wedded couple
were observed carrying material and repairing the
nest formerly occupied by the female, all their
troubles and losses apparently forgotten.

THE HERMIT THRUSH.

DR. MORRIS (IIBBS, KALAMAZOO, MICH.

WITH the exception of the Robin, Titrdtis aon-
iilasihk,,- pallasii is the first Thrush to ap-
pear in the spring and the last to leave our
boundaries in the autumn. Occasionally the Hermit
Thrush appears in Southern Michigan during the last
week in March, but as a rule they do not become
abundant until the middle of April. It is a common
sight to see these active, rufous-tailed birds along

our hedge-rows and tangled thickets of hazel and
briars as late as May fifth, and it is not rare to find
specimens in wild gardens and shrubbery even in the
city. But as the Hermits do not summer in the two
lower rows of counties, it is necessary to go north of
the 43d parallel to search for the nests.

During migrations the Hermits do not sing, and
aside from their metallic call-notes, are silent until

THE OSPREY.

147

the nesting grounds are reached. Therefore, it fol-
lows that these birds are but little known to the col-
lectors of our southern counties, while their nesting
habits are secret from those who do not follow them
to their summer quarters.

This is a very pleasing bird in an interesting fam-
ily. In truth, I do not know of a Thrush which
appeals to me stronger than this one, both as to its
pleasing manners, as well as its agreeable song. But
after a moment's thought, I feel that I might say the
same regarding all the other Thrushes visiting our
State. They are all very interesting, and each in its
selected quarters fills a position which cannot be — or
at least is not — filled by any other bird.

The Hermit Thrush frequently selects the edges of
slashings — /. e., sections of butchered pineries, — for
its summer home ; and in these situations, where the
wreck of once proud forests is to be seen, the songs
of the Hermit bubble up and lend a charm amid
the waste and destruction of our fast disappearing
forests.

The nests are well concealed, and as thoroughly so

as with any of the larger ground-ne.^t builders. One
nest was situated among a lot of small shoots and
beneath a small bush. It contained three eggs. The
most thoroughly concealed nest that I have met with
was placed beneath a fallen pine bough that still held
the clinging dried needles. The nest would not have
been discovered if we had not passed within a yard
of it and frightened the bird. It was built just within
the edge of a pinery, next to a clearing, and contained
three eggs, which were incubated.

The nest is a shiftlessly built affair, and almost in-
variably falls to pieces, unless extreme care is used,
in removing it to the cabinet. The eggs are of a
beautiful blue, and quite similar in size and shade to
those of the Wilson's Thrush, though, as I under-
stand it, are slightly smaller than those of the Veery,
and are generally, I believe, a shade lighter.

The Hermits are the last to leave us in the autumn,
always excepting the Robin, and they may be seen in
hedgerows and thickets in November in Southern
Michigan. This is a rare singer, and is well known
to all lovers of bird melody.

ODD NESTING SITES.

ROBERT C. WOODHOUSE, NEW YORK CITY.

1HAVE in my collection a set of five Crow's eggs
taken from a nest fifty feet up in an Oak growing
on Goat Island at Niagara Falls. The tree over-
hung the falls, and was always wet with the ever-
rising spray ; still the eggs were considerably ardvanced
in incubation, and would undoubtedly have hatched.
At Van Cortland Park, New York City, there is a
large stone bridge, crossing the railroad track, the
arch of which is about forty-five feet above the rails.
In the crevices about the keystones of this bridge a
colony of several pairs of Rough-winged Swallows
nest annually. The trains pass directly under the

keystones, but they do not seem to disturb the birds.
These are the only Rough-winged Swallows, to my
knowledge, breeding within ten miles of the city.

A pair of Chimney Swifts nested in the open top
of a sewer in Central Park, in the spring of 1892.
The top of the sewer was about fifteen feet high, and
resembled a factory chimney, on a small scale.

At Red Bank, N. J., the residents are compelled to
place pyramid-shaped iron screens on the chimneys
of their houses to prevent the Ospreys nesting on
them. One man who neglected to do this soon found
the chimney of his house filled with rubbish.

WAR ON THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.

THE Red-headed Woodpeckers of Kansas City
seem to be in trouble ; but we fear the griev-
ances of the street railway company are some-
what exaggerated. The following was published in
the A'/!/!S(is Ci/v S/ar, and is kindly sent us by Mr.
John A. Bryant :

"The little Red-headed Woodpecker has become
such a nuisance on the electric lines of the Metropol-
itan street railway system, that it has become neces-
sary to appoint an official Woodpecker exterminator.
The title has been conferred on Coffee Rice, an Inde-
pendence young man, and yesterday he killed nine-
teen of the destructive birds on the Independence
line. The Woodpeckers attack the large poles which
hold up the feed cables and dig holes into the center
and downward to a depth of more than a foot. In
the bottom of this hole they build their nests and rear
their young. The holes are round, about two inches
in diameter. The result is that in a season the water

gets into the heart of the pole and it rots off and
breaks, requiring a new pole to be set up ; whereas,
ordinarily, the life of the big pole is several years. A
large number of the electric line poles have been
ruined this way, and there was a threatened loss of
many thousand dollars unless the pest was checked.
->} * « jt jg averred by some that the Woodpecker
digs in the electric line poles because he hears the
buzzing sound and thinks it is a worm working in the
wood. To support this theory the Woodpecker may
be seen at work and he will stop every few strokes
and turn his head, as if listening, and after a moment
renews his attack with greater vigor. But the fact
that their nests are found at the bottom of many of
these holes would indicate that the red-headed bird
knew what he was about from the start. There is a
law against killing any kind of a song bird or insect
eater, which are very stringent regulations. It covers
the case of the Red headed Woodpecker."

148

THE OSPREY

THE OSPREY,

An Illustrated Monthly Magazine of Ornithology

EDITED BY

WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON

ASSOCIATED WITH

Dr. ELLIOTT COUES

Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One
Dollar a year, in advance. Single Copies. Ten Cents.

Foreign Subscription: One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents.
Postage paid to all countries in the Postal Llnion.

British agent: Frank A. Arnold, Mersham, Surrey, England.
Advertising rates sent on request.

Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contribu-
tions are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to
the editor at the office of publication.

Copyrighted. 1897, by The Osprey Company. Entered at the
Galesburg Postoffice as second-class mail matter.

THE OSPREY COMPANY.

61 N. Prairie St.

Galesburg, III.

Before this issue of The Osprey leaves the office
the Editor expects to be enjoying a vacation out of
the city. The Editor's work nearly forbade his
absence this summer, and this fact has led us to the
consideration of a slight change in our order of pub-
lication, by which Volume 2 and succeeding volumes
would be published in ten numbers, omitting issues
in July and August This plan has been adopted in
coincidental cases, and is customary with the college
magazines. Whether Volume 2 is published in ten
or twelve numbers will make no difference in the
amount of matter given subscribers ; in either case
we expect to give more than we were able to offer in
Volume I — furthermore, it would be a matter of great
convenience to the Editor. However, we will not
decide to make the change without consulting the
wishes of our subscribers ; to this end we ask each
one, when writing, to express an opinion.

We are certain of one or two surprises in the line
of "special features" for the fall numbers of The
Osprey. An unpublished drawing by Audubon, made
about the year 1812, has been secured through the
efforts of Dr. Coues and the kindness of Miss Maria
K Audubon, and we feel sure that a definite an-
nouncement can be made in September of one or two
others that will please our readers. The financial
outlook for our second volume is bright, and, with
prompt renewals from our subscribers, we anticipate
some fine numbers in the forthcoming months.

Mr. W. S. Cobleigh, of Canton. 111., one of The
Osprey's pioneer friends, has taken wing for Los
Angeles, which place he is thinking seriously of mak-
ing his home. He stopped oft a day at Galesburg,
of course, before departing from the "Sucker" state
Mr. Cobleigh will not be lonesome in Southern Cali-
fornia for he looks forward with much pleasure to
meeting the "boys," whose acquaintance he cherishes
from former visits there.

One of The Osprey's advertisements in two Na-
tural History magazines (printed at the same print
ing establishment,) read, by a printer's mistake, "25
cents for one year's trial subscription," instead of the
correct statement, "for three months." Needless to
say that no 25 cent subscriptions are accepted.

Mr. Nelson W. Willard, of Galesburg, has been
awarded a $300 Harvard University scholarship by
the Harvard Club of Chicago The scholarship is
awarded annually to a graduate of some Illinois
College The local press speak of Mr. Willard as
an exceptionally brilliant young man and an apt
student.

Mr. L. W. Nichols, of Somonauk, 111., gave The
Osprey office a pleasant call June 29

Recent Literature.

/'//,■ Birds of Colorado. By W. W. Cook. The
State Agricultural College, The Agricultural Experi-
ment Station Bulletin No. 37, technical series No
2. 128 pages. F~ort Collins, Col.: March, 1897

This excellent bulletin is a complete work on the
ornithology of the State up to the present date. The
major portion of the book is devoted to the annotated
list of the birds ; this is preceded by a Bibliography
and History of Colorado Ornithology ; also some mi
gration material, and an interesting classification of
the 360 species which is as follows : Residents, 87 ;
regular winter visitants from the north, 24 ; regular
breeders that sometimes occur in winter, 17 ; rare or
accidental winter visitants, 22; summer residents, 228,
{a) breeding on plains and in mountains loi, (/') breed-
ing on plains, but not on mountains, 34, (< ) breeding
on mountains, but not on plains, 53, (</) breeding
principally in mountains, sparingly on plains, 20,
(t) breeding regularly only in Southern Colorado, 20:
summer visitants, not known to breed, 15 ; migrants,
58 ; stragglers, 48 ; regular visitants from east and
southeast, 14 ; rare visitants from east and southeast,
33 ; regular visitants from west and southwest, 20 ;
rare visitants from west and southwest, 12. Except-
ing Nebraska, Colorado has a greater diversity of
listed species of birds than any other State in the
Union. This work of Prof. Cook's will undoubtedly
be a great aid to the future work. The publication
may be procured free of charge by addressing : Di
rector Experiment Station, Fort Collins, Col.

One of the prettiest and most interesting of sports-
men's magazines is the Western Field and S/reain,
which makes its monthly visits to our office. It comes
from St. Paul, Minn., (John P. Burkhard, publisher,)
and is edited by that veteran sportsman and natural-
ist, Mr. Charles. Hallock. The Osprey is very for-
tunate in the fact that Mr. Hallock has chosen to
contribute articles to its pages occasionally.

GorresDondence.

To the Editor of The Osprey :

In reference to Mr. Trostler's statement in the June
OspRE^, that he has taken Yellow-headed Blackbird's
nests built in "Wild Kice." in Iowa, Nebraska, South
Dakota, etc., would say that I still maintain my posi-
tion just as it reads in the May Osprey. If Mr.
Trostler will forward me a nest of this bird built in
Wild Rice I would be glad to pay all charges. Or he
can send such a nest to the Editor of The Osprey,
or send it to Frof Trelease, of the Shaw Botanical
Gardens of St. Louis, for identification of the plant

It would, indeed, be of interest if this plant is so
much earlier west of the Mississippi than east of it
in about the same latitude. The Yellow-heads in
Southern Wisconsin have long since left their nests,
but the "Wild Rice" has not yet fairly formed the
stalks that we presume supports the nests Mr Trostler
speaks of. Ludwig Kumlien

Milton College, Wis , July 6, 1897

THE OSPREY

149

NOTE AND COMMENT.

General Notes.

Mr. Frank H. Lattin attended the National Educa-
tional Association convention at Milwaukee.

Mr. J. Parker Norris, J.r., writes that he has taken
seven sets of the Blue-winged Warbler this season

In quoting Mr. Rufus H. Carr in the June Osi'rev
the word "bills" should be inserted instead of "feet."

Mr Lee Chambers, of Santa Monica, Cal , writes
under the date of June 14 that he has just found a
nest of the White-throated Swift containing two
freshly laid eggs.

Mr. Geo. F. Breninger returned, July i, from a two
months' collecting trip into the Santa Rita and
Huachuca Mountains He has taken many rare and
desirable birds, nests and eggs

Mr. Joseph Grinnell, while at San Clemente Island,
March 31, secured specimens of a Towhee which have
proved a new species Mr. Grinnell names it the
San Clemente Towhee, Pipilo clemoitu-, in July Auk.

Mr. R. W Williams, Jr., has returned for the
summer to his home in Florida from Valparaiso. Ind.
He thinks he is reversing the usual order of Florida
sojourning, and has not cared to expose himself to
Old Sol's rays by undertaking field work

Mr. Thomas H. Blodgett was elected First Vice
President of the National Republican College League,
at Detroit, July 14. This is an organization of 50,000
members. Mr. Blodgett attended Knox College at
Galesburg, last year, but expects to take up his studies
at Ann Arbor, in the fall

On July ro the editor of The Osprey had the
pleasure of making the personal acquaintance of Mr.
Claude King, editor of Sports Afield. Mr. King was
"on the road" in the interests of his publication
The name "Claude King" insures him a hearty wel-
come among sportsmen wherever he may go.

Mr. Wm. Dutcher writes us: "Audubon societies
are now in process of formation in Maine, Vermont,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey and two
or three of the Western states. I am pleased to be
able to state that the interest in bird protection seems
to be wide-spread and is growing every day."

We regret to hear of the misfortune that has re-
cently come to the home of the Rev. P. B. Peabody.
Sickness and \he invasion of the flooded river has
compelled him to neglect his ornithological corres-
pondence He wishes parties with whom he has
business to send memorandum of accounts to replace
papers he has lost or mislaid.

A number of Homing Pigeons, owned by Mr. H
J Baumgaertner. President of the Milwaukee Com-
mon Council, on June 11 finished a flight of 400
miles in nine hours and twenty minutes, the fastest
time, for the distance, it is claimed, ever made in the
West. The birds were liberated at fronton. Mo.,
under the auspices of the National Federation of
Homing Pigeon Fanciers

An interesting communication of Mr. Chas. K.
Worthen states that among late rich and rare addi-
tions to his stock are skins, male and female, and
nests and eggs of the Golden-cheeked Warbler ; and
numbers of skins of both sexes of the now-nearly-ex-
tinct Carolina Paroquet A lately acquired skin of
the California Condor was not taken from the same
locality as the egg, as was erroneously stated in the
May OspREY

LATE SPRING MIGRANTS.

Last Myrtle Warbler seen on April 27, eclipsing
previous records by five days. An unidentified War-
bler, presumably Blackburnian, hung about the city
on April 29, 30, and May i.

May I a single Gray-cheeked Thrush was picked
up dead, nearly cut in half by collision with some
sharp edge. Four White-crowned Sparrows, hereto-
fore a rare bird here, arrived the night of April 30,
and remained until the night of May 2.

May 2 and 3 one more Gray-cheeked Thrush seen,
(arrival for Gray-cheeks, Maiuh j-j, showing a pretty
long spring halt :) May 4, a wave of Gray-cheeks,
three Olive-backs, and one Wilson's Thrush, a rare
Thrush here, generally. A large number, also, of
Nighthawks and New York Water Thrushes came
in, and the last Yellow Warbler went north.

May 5, Gray cheeks swarmed — for Gray-cheeks;
more Water Thrushes ; few Nighthawks. Two, (a
pair,) late Bay-breasted Warblers, one fuU-plumaged
Magnolia Warbler in company with them One late
Catbird

May 6, Water Thrushes and Nighthawks nearly
all gone. One young male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
killed. Gray-cheeks much less common. One un-
identified Warbler

May 7 about ended the migration ; one Water
Thrush and one Gray-cheek only ; killed a female
Blue Grosbeak, and noted a flock of five Waxwings.
— Andrew Allison, Neio Orleans, Ln.

SOME LATE MIGRANTS.
It was so pleasant and cool in the Central Missis-
sippi Valley up to the loth of June, that some of our
northern transients were loth to leave it. I do not
remember that the Olive-sided and the Yellow-bellied
Flycatchers were ever so plentiful as this season, and
they were certainly never so late Spending the last
four days of May and the first of June in the vicinity
of Ouincy, 111., I found both species (juite conspicuous
to the last day (June i). Some other late dates are ;
May 31, Gc'othh'pis a,i^ilis, (Connecticut Warbler,) and
Sciiirus noveboracensis, (Water Thrush,); May 29,
Dolichoiiyx oryzivortis, (Bobolink,) and Sykuuiin caii-
aJensis, (Canadian Warbler,); May 28, Melospiza hn-
coni, (\^\nco\ns Sparrow.) — O. Widmann, Old Orchard,
A/,y.

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD NESTING
IN WILD RICE.
I see in the May Ospkev that Prof Kumlien states
that the Yellow-headed Blackbird probably never nests
in Wild Rice in the Mississippi Valley I found them
nesting abundantly in Wild Rice in Jackson County,
Minnesota, during June of this year ; and there were
more nests in the Wild Rice than anywhere else. In
and around St. Paul, howe\er. they never nest in the
Wild Rice, to my knowledge. — W.alton I Mitchell,
.SV. Fai/l Minn.

AN OSPREY'S NEST AT HARTFORD, CONN
Referring to the nest built here in 1895, as noted
on page 130 of The Osprey, I would like to add that
it was built up again this spring in exactly the same
spot as in 1895. It is a little larger, if anything, than
the first nest, but is otherwise precisely similar, and
is, presumably, the work of the same pair of birds.
They again used it only as a roost and eating perch,
and left for the South about the last week of April. —
Henry R. Buck, IVetlursJield, Conn.

150

THE OSPREY.

Galitornia DeDartment.

EDITED BY DONALD A. COHEN, ALAMEDA, CAL.

Mr. T. E. Slevin, of San Francisco, has been tem-
porarily residing in Alameda.

Mr. C. W. Randall, Jr., of Oakland, is enjoying a
few days at a resort in Lake County.

The Cooper Club held no June meeting, owing to
the inability of many members to attend.

Mr. C. Barlow, of San Jose, and Mr. H. Ward
Carriger, of Sonoma, enjoyed a trip into the Sierre
Nevada Mountains in June.

Mr. Horace A. Gaylord, of Pasadena, Cal., left
July 7 for a two week's trip in the Sierra Madre
Mountains Mr. Joseph Grinnell left at an earlier
date on a similiar trip.

Mr. J. M. Willard, of Oakland, is contemplating a
collecting trip to the coast of Monterey County. He
will go on a bicycle, equipped with gun, blankets and
other necessary articles.

According to recent San Francisco newspapers, a
man shot a California Condor and sold it to a saloon-
keeper in a country town for $2.00. We would like
to run a saloon for a while for that kind of business.

Mr. John W. Mailliard says his series of "Western
Nighthawk," birds and eggs, were pronounced posi-
tively Texan by Mr. E. A. Mcllhenny. The speci-
mens were taken within twenty miles north to one
hundred miles south of San Francisco.

Mr. L. W. Brokaw, of Carmel, Ind., formerly of
Monterey, Cal., is still a member of the Cooper Or-
nithological Club. He writes: "Have been rather
hard on the Crows — took 149 eggs in sets of 4 to 6,
including a set of 2 eggs badly incubated. A friend
reports a set of i egg, badly incubated."

We were informed, some two months ago, that Mr.
Claude Fyfe, of San Francisco, had gone to London,
and also read it in the A^idii/oifisf. Now we hear he
is in Northwest Canada, evidently collecting. He
departed silentlv and suddenly, but before he went
hinted of a "soft snap" of a place for eggs that he
might visit.

Mr. H. C. Johnson, of Alameda, was forced to give
up all field work this season, on account of business.
He formerly collected near Salt Lake, Utah, where
he took a few sets of Wilson's Snipe, and other vari-
eties, such as Band-tailed Pigeon, Columbian Sharp-
tailed and Sage Grouse, Arizona Jay, Broad-tailed
Hummingbird, California Cuckoo, Sharp-shinned
Hawk, and many others.

Up to the middle of June the California Editor has
taken six sets of four eggs each of the Duck Hawk, but
was assisted by Mr. R. S. Wheeler in two instances,
he having an equal share in the eggs of a certain pair
of these birds, that yielded up sets on April 3, May i
and June 6, all taken from the same cave. Their
fourth set will probably be found in July. Owing to
lack of time, two other sites were not visited this
season.

June 18, the Editor was favored by a call from Mr.
E. A. Mcllhenny, and spent several hours in very
interesting conversation. This gentleman and party
will leave San Francisco June 25, for Behring Sea.
The steam whaler "Jennie" has been chartered for
the occasion. Mr. Mcllhenny says he will be a little
late, but could not pass the ice in Behring Straits
earlier ; but he expects to take many rare and desir-

able sets, as well as something new. As he will be
gone over a year, we expect his ship will bring back
a cargo of valuable sets and skins. Several assistants
accompany the party, and they will work to the east-
ward of Point Barrow where no naturalist has ever
been. No geologist accompanies the party — one had
decided to go, but found it impossible to be absent
so long. We wish the adventurers unqualified success.

Dr. Goues' Column.

M^"

message to the readers of The Osi^rey for
July is penned from the mansion of the Audu-
bon family in Salem, N. Y., where the gener-
ous hospitality of their beautiful home is extended to
Mrs. Coues and myself by Mrs. John Woodhouse
Audubon and her daughters. Miss M. R. Audubon
and Mrs. Florence Audubon Shufeldt. I am delighted
to be able to say that the wealth of Auduboniana in
the possession of the family is now about to be pro-
perly utilized for the first time in the preparation of
an adequate biography of John James, with copious
extracts from his never published journals, as inti-
mated in my last column. 1 am not surprised to find,
on examining the literary and artistic materials for
Miss Audubon's present work, that no proper use of
them has hitherto been made in any of the published
biographies. Several persons who have had access
to the private journals seem not to have known how
to use them. Robert Buchanan, whose book would
seem to be authentic, being ostensibly based upon
materials furnished by Audubon's widow, botched
the whole business, besides indulging in remarks
offensive to the family. This was an English pub-
lication ; the corresponding American edition of 1868,
by James Grant Wilson, is simply Buchanan's, with
the offensive passages eliminated, but with no other
improvement. Neither of these books is authoritative
or reliable. The earlier one, by Mrs. Horace St.
John, is a hotch-potch of scraps and clippings already
published in Audubon's own works or elsewhere,
and lacks all merit but that of feebly good intention,
besides being full of errors. This book is practically
the basis of several cheap catch-penny affairs, like
that of B. K. Pierce, D. D., which appeared in 1889,
or the anonymous "Story of Audubon," which was
published in London in 1886. All such are beneath
criticism, yet they are the mythical pabulum upon
which the public has hitherto been fed. Aside from
the autobiographical matter which Audubon has
woven into his own ornithological and mammalogical
works, he left altogether about thirty private jour-
nals. Most of these have perished, by fire or other-
wise, but I have examined nine of them, now care-
fully preserved by Miss Audubon, and to be exten-
sively drawn upon for her forthcoming publication, —
some of them to be printed in full. They run from
1822 to 1843, being thus somewhat more than coin-
cident with the extent of his public appearance as
the great ornithologist. I wish I could give my
readers some idea of the wealth of materials from
Audubon's own pen and pencil which grace this his-
toric home ; but space forbids, and besides, all will
be made fully known by Miss Audubon in the near
future. In earnest of what I say. Miss Audubon
kindly permits me to send for use in The Osprey a
photograph of a never published drawing, made by
Audubon himself at Henderson, Kentucky, probably
about 1812, and thus some fifteen years before any
of his plates were published.* — E. C.

* This will appear in the next number.

The Osprey.

INDEX TO VOL. 1.— September, 1896, to September, 1897.

(BY TITLE OF ARTICLE AND NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR.)

PAGE

Abbott, Gerard 136

Alaska, From a Collector in 97

Albinism, Melanism, and Hybridism 23

Albinism, More 66, 98

Albinism, Still More loi

Albino Green-tailed Towhee, An 137

Albinos 55

Albino Turkey Vulture 67

Allison, Andrew 149

Amateurs. Value (?) of Orinithological Observations by. .. 137

American Ornithologist's Union 68

Anthony, A. \V. 57

A Tragedy, a Courtship and a Marriage 146

Audubon Society, Illinois 114

Au-mon Re-nay-sshen 120

Autumn Thoughts, (A Poem) 38

Avi-fauna, Modifications of our 141

Barlow, Chester 5, 16

Barnes, R. M. 15, 77

Baskett, James Newton 17, 94

Bendire, Maj. Charles E. CA Life Sketch) 87

Berry Coloring, Poke 58

Birds, What the Bible Has Done for the Protection of.... 34

Bird Reserves, Club Grounds as 92

Birds, The Sociability of 3

Birds, Twilight Rambles Among the 85

Birtwell, F. J 136

Bittern in the Mountains, A 66

Blackbirds, A Roost of 103

Blackbirds, Red-winged, Peculiar Nesting Place of the. . . 136

Blackweldcr, Eliot 67

Bluebirds *?

Bomuell. J. R 27, 38, 82

Bmvles. J. H 20, 64, 81

Brandon, J no. A I22

Breninger, Geo. F i", 122, 137

Bucli, Henry R no, 129, 149

Bulletins, Ornithological i34

Bunting, Indigo, High Nesting of the 53

Bntclier, H. C 27

Buxton. N. G 136

California Department. 14, 28, 42, 54, 71. 84, loi, 112, 125, 138, 150

Cantwell, G. G 66, 98

Card, A '^

Cliase, I 'irginiiis H 43

Chat, Yellow-breasted, at Beaver Dam, Wis 53

Chicago Academy of Sciences, The 69, 83, 100, 125, 137

Chickadee, Notes on the 65

Clark. J. H 143

Cobb's Island, Virginia 'O?

Cohen, D. A. (portrait) M

Cole, Leon J 69

Cooper Club Notes 14, 42, 53, 71, 84, loi, 125, 138

Cormorant, Double-crested ^2

Cormorant's Eggs, Collecting M

Correction, A 39

Correspondence 15. 16, 29, 43. 69, 86, 138, 148

Coues, Dr. Elliott 9i

Coues, Dr. Elliott, (Editorial) 102

Coues, Dr. Elliott, (Portrait) '03

Crows, Large Flock of 67

Cuckoo, Black-billed, Parasitic Habits of 136

Currier, Ediiiondc S 142

Death, Accidental, of a Bonasa umbellus 67

Dixon, Geo 67

Dove, Inca, A Roosting Method of iii

Dr. Cones' Colutun 113, 124. 135, 150

Ducks, Canvas-back loi

Ducks Migrating 12

Ducks, Some Observations on the Nesting of 131

Duck, Wood, Large Set of ... 54

Editorial 16.30,44,56,72,86,102,114,126,134, 148

Eggs, A New Source of Redpoll's 138

Eggs, A Queer Set of Crow's 136

Egg-blower, An Improved no

Eggs, Blowing Incubated 121

Egg, First, for '97 81

Eggs, Freak, of the Wood Ibis 27

Eggs, Infertile 96

Eggs of Red-tailed Hawk, Rare? Are Green 78

Eggs, Unusual Markings of Cliff Swallows' 137

Elliot, Prof., Returns 54

Elliott, J.C 136

Elrod, Prof. J. M 143

English Sparrows, Exterminating 55

Farallone Islands 84

Farmer, Arthur M. . . 39, 65, 96

Feather Work, Practical 119

Finch, The House 14

Fisher, IVm. H. 38, 53, 107, 145

Flicker Flirting 93

Flicker, Large Laying Capacity of the 136

Flycatcher Notes 105

"Flycatcher Notes," Notes on 124

Flycatcher, Olive-sided, in VanBuren County, Iowa 82

Fraud in the Cooper Club, A 125

Fuertes, Louis Agassiz, the Painter of Birds 91

Game Laws, California 42, 55, 101

Gaylord, Horace A 98, 131

General Notes 12, 27, 38, 65, 81, in, 122, 136. 149

Gibbs. D}-. .Morris 75, 146

Giddings, H.J 82

Goshawks, Unusual Abundance of in

Grin nell. Joseph 81, 115

Grosbeaks, Blackheaded 55

Grouse Plentiful 67

Gull, Rosy, Nansens' Discovery of the Breeding Grounds

of the 90

Haines, Ediuin Ervine 73, 143

Hallock, Charles 119

Handbook, A 28

Harris, J. H. Jr 7

Hathaivay, H. S 67, in

Hatch, J. .Maurice 137

Hawk, Ferruginous Rough-legged, Nesting of 8

Hawk Finds, My Marsh 36, 49

Henning, C. Fritz 67

Henninger, W. F 136

Heron, Green, Late Nesting of the 67

Hess, Isaac E. 98

Higgins, H. C. 12

Hoag, Betijatnin 53, 65, 67, 78, i n. 122, 138

Hummingbird, A Baby Ruby-throated 136

Hummingbird, Costa's, Nest of 71

Hybird, A Peculiar, (This unsubstantiated) 95

Ibis, Wood, in Rhode Island 67

Illinois Ornithological Club Proposed to, 43

Iowa Ornithological Association, The 30

Important — If True 114

Jaeger, The Longtailed, at Stephentown, N. Y 53

Johnson, W. S 68, 1 36

Junco, Gaudalupe, Remarkable Confidence of the 98

PAGE

Kaeding, Henry B 69

Keck, Rev. J. M. 58, 141

Ke-gon Pe-nay-sey and Win-ge-zee 51

Kelts, Win L 25, 82

Killdeer Notes from Rhode Island 53

Kinglets and Their Distribution 74

Kite, Swallow-tailed 67

Kite, White-tailed 42

Knight, Ora II' 27, 130

Knight, Ora W. ( A Clipping) 124

Knoiidton, Dr. F. H 31, 53, 81, too

Kumlien, Ludivig 117, 137, 148

Lano, Albert 121

Lark, The Prairie Horned, in Maine 137

Late Departure 68

Late Sojourners 98

Late Visitors 98

Leintiion, ll'in. P 118

Literature, Recent 13, 30, 40, 70, 83, 100. 112, 123, 135, 148

Longspur Notes 67

Loon, The Circling 77

Loxia, The Formation of the Bill in the Genus 118

Maryland, Woodpeckers of 145

Meadowlark, Western, Song Notes and Nesting Notes of

the 139

Meynche, O. M 1 23

McCook, Philip J 12

McGregor, Richard C 29, 71 , 103

Migrants 113

Migrants, Early 122

Migrants, Late 125

Migrants, Late Spring 149

Migrants, Some Late 149

Migration at Beaver Dam, Wis 122

Minnesota, Notes from 112

Minnesota, Flycatchers of 79

Misstatement, A Correction of a Frequent 117

Michigan Ornithological Club, The 15,39,68, 100

.Mitchell, IValton / 79, 112, 124, 149

Monterey, Gone to 25

Morrison, Geo. A 98

Murre at Stephentown, N. Y in

Murrelet, Marbled, Notes on 115

Murres of the Farallone's Protected 113

Museums, Visits to 29

Mythological, (A Poem) 82

Names, Local 28

Nebraska, Notes from 27, 53

Nesting, Late 27

Nesting Site, A Queer 68

Nesting Site, An Unusual ... 122

Nesting Sites, Odd 147

Nestor, The Genus .... 31

Ne%vbury, F. E 53 , 68

Nicholson, A. M 27, 39, 67

Nighthawk Catching Insects by Electric Light . 53

Northwestern Ornithological Association 83

Note and Comment 12, 39, 70, 99, 112, 123, 149

Notes Contributed by the Lewistown, (111.) Natural His-
tory Society 99

Notes, Cortland County, (N. Y.) 12

Notes from Old Orchard, Mo 97

Notes, Soiue 82

Nuthatch, White breasted. Remarks on the Habits of the. 143

Observations, Some Original 59

Osprey, American, Notes at Gardiner's Island, N. Y . . . 129

Osprey, American, Notes from Maine on the 130

Osprey, American, in Lower California 131

Osprey, the American, in the Yellowstone National Park. 143

Osprey 's Nest at Hartford, Conn., An 149

Owl, Barn, in Licking County, Ohio 136

Owl, Screech, Notes Wanted on 43

Owl's Nest, Contents of an 136

Owls, Snowy 71

Owls, Snowy, Numerous 81, loi

Palmer, Dr. T. S go

Partridge, California, Shooting 54

Peabody, Rev. P. B 21, 36, 49, 96, 105, 139

Pearson, T. Guilford 66

Pelican, Brown, on Indian River 75

Personal 12

Petrel, A New 16

Petrel, The New Farallone 26

Photography, Avian 59

Photograph Notes 126

Photographs, "Prize." 25

Pleas, C.E 67

Pleas, Mrs. C. E 136

Pokagon. Chief Siitiion 51, 120

Pokagon, Chief, (Portrait) 52

Praeger, ]l'in. E 43

Publisher's Notes 44, 100

(Juail, Domesticated 12

Quiver Lake, Rambles Around 10, 18, 47

Quiver Lake Region, Water Birds of 127

Rail, Carolina, at a High Elevation 67

Rail, Western Clapper 54

Rann, Mary L 45

Reid, Charles Sloan 5. 56, 63, 66, 98, 122

Reply, A loi

Remarks on Prof. Kum lien's Correction 138

Roberts. Geo., Jr 67

Robin, The Western 14

Robins, Western 54

Rolfe, Eugene S 8,62, 131

Sandpiper, Spotted. Some Observations on the 7

San Francisco Bay, Northern Waterbirds Remaining at.. 55

Savage, W. S 27, 82, 136

Sea, Hummingbirds at 121 '

Sea, Land Birds at 57

Shrike, Loggerhead, Home of the 109

Shufeldt. Dr. R. (/' 35, 59

Sierras, Three Days in the 5

Sillo%vay, Prof. P. M 10, 18,47, 127

Siskin, Pine, at Sabula, Iowa 81

Skins, Rare 39

Smith, C. Piper 136

Snipe, Wilson's, Breeding at Branchport, N. Y 122

Snipe, Wilson's, in the Berkshire Hills in Winter 122

Smithsonian Institution, Fiftieth Anniversary of the 13

Snyder, W. E 53, 67, 82, 98, 122

Sparrow, Baird's, Nesting of in North Dakota 62

Sparrow, Henslow's, Notes on the 5

Station 24S, U. S. Biological Sur7>ey 122

Stone, C. F ,22

Swan, Whistling, Breeding in California 54

Swans and Geese 14

Swifts, Chimney, Breaking off Twigs with Their Feet 122

Swifts, Chimney, How Does it Break off the Twigs ? 142

Telegraph Wires, Killed by 15

Tern Study, A i, 21

The Hermit Thrush, (A Poem) 56

The Lark, (A Poem) 5

The Old Dove Cote (A Poem) 122

Thrasher, Queer Actions of a 138

Thrush, The Hermit 146

Towhee, Late Nesting of the 3S

Towhee, Oregon, Nest of 55

Troile or Lomvia 138

7'rostler. Isador S 138

Turkey Swims, A 136

I'an Meter, D. J n.

I 'an Ostrand, H. T 38, 66, 146

V'illian, The Red-headed 27

Vireo, Red-eyed, A Nest of 106

Vireo, The Warbling 25

Warbler, Black-throated Green, Nesting Habits of the. ... 64

Warbler, Nashville, Nesting Habits of the 20

Warbler, Prairie, The Nest of the 35

M'arren, M'm. H. 27

M 'ebster, Cleiiietit L 95

Western Visitors 12

Wheatear in Alaska 66

Whip-poor-will, An Early 123

]Vidmann, Otto 3, 12, 29, 34, 92, 97, 149

Wild Rice, Yellow-headed Blackbird Nesting in 149

Willard, Frank C. 12

Wilson Ornithological Chapter of the Agassiz Association 39

Wilson, Sidney S 1 22

Wing, On the 45

M 'oodhouse, Robert C 147

Woodpecker, A Murderous 12

Woodpecker, Downy, Feeding on Pupae 98

Woodpecker, Downy, Nest Building of 96

Woodpecker, Red-bellied 39

Woodpecker, Red-headed, Locating His Prey 63

Woodpecker, Red-headed, Wintering in Wisconsin .. .122, 136

Woodpecker, The Murderous 27

Woodpecker, Red-headed, War on the 147

// 'oodruff, Fra nk M. 1 09

\l 'or then, Chas. K 23

Wren, House, Some Notes on the Nesting of the 17

Wright, Mabel Osgood 70

Wright, Mabel Osgood, (Portrait) 103

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Nest of the Ferruginous Rough-legged Bwzziir A. F>-o>!i ispifce
Nest of the Forster's Tern in Muskrat House in Heron

Lake, Minn '

Nest of the Louisiana Tanager 6

Flight of the Spotted Sandpiper, (diagram) 7

Quiver Creek near Lake lo

Lotus Bed in Quiver Lake "

Donald A. Cohen, (portrait) U

Nest and Eggs of the Nashville Warbler Frontispiece

Portion of Quiver Lake '9

East Bank of Illinois River near Quiver Lake 20

Young Red-tailed Hawk, (from life) 24

Young Red-tails, (from life) 25

Nest and Three Young of the Prairie ^?i.xh\&'[. Frontispiece

Sheep attacked by Keas 3i

Nestor productus 32

Nest and Eggs of the Marsh Hawk 36

Young Louisiana Heron, erroneously labeled "Little

Blue," (from life) 37

Nest and Eggs of the Marsh Hawk (two photos) Frontispiece

Snowy Owl, (from life) 46

Simon Pokagon, (portrait) 52

Cedar Waxwing, (from life) Frontispiece

Nest and Young of the Yellow-breasted Chat, (from nature) 60

Turkey Vulture, (from life) 61

Marbled Murrelet, (from life) 64

Nest and Eggs of Costa's Hummingbird taken from Cactus 71

Instantaneous Photograph of Gull in Flight 73

Great Horned Owl, (from life) 75

Pelican Island, Indian River, Florida 76

American Rough-legged Hawk, from painting by Louis

Agassiz Fuertes Frontispiece

Major Charles E. Bendire, (portrait) 87

Long-billed Marsh Wren, from painting by Louis Agassiz

Fuertes 89

Louis Agassiz Fuertes, (portrait) 91

Screech Owl, Red Phase, from painting by Louis Agassiz

Fuertes 92

Snowy Owl, from painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes 93

Dr. Elliott Coues, (portrait) Frontispiece

Mabel Osgood Wright, (portrait) 103

Mexican Screech Owl, (from life) 105

Nest of the Red-eyed Vireo 107

Home of the Loggerhead Shrike, (from nature) 109

An Improved Egg-blower, (figure) no

Magnolia Warblers, from painting by Louis Agassiz

Fuertes Frontispiece

Live Marbled Murrelets 115

Anna's Hummingbird, (from life) 116

Anna's Hummingbird Feeding Young, (from life) 116

Nest and Eggs of the American Herring Gull 117

The Formation of the Bill in the Genits loxia, (8 figures)... 118

Great Horned Owl — Father and Son (?), (from life) i ig

California Condor 125

Anna's Hummingbird, Young and Nest, (from life) 126

Nest and Eggs of the American Osprey 127

A Large Osprey Nest on Gardiner's Island 127

Young Ospreys at Gardiner's Island 128

Osprey Nest on Gardiner's Island 128

Osprey Nest in Rhode Island. 129

Ospreys Nesting in Lower California 130

Young Osprey, (from life) 134

Louisiana Water Thrush, from painting by Louis Agassiz

Fuertes Frontispiece

Nest of the Western Meadowlark 139

Osprey's Nest at San Clemente Island 140

Yellowstone Osprey Nest 140

An Osprey — Nest on Rock Below 141

An Osprey Approaching Nest 144

SeptemDer. 1896.

^ "'"'•' ^^^^^s^i

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THE OSPREY.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Nest of Ferrug-inous Roug-h-leg- Frontispiece.

A Tern Study, (Illustrated) Rev. P. B. Peabody. 1

The Sociability of Birds O. Widmann 3

The L,ark, (a poem) Chas. S. Reid. 5

Three Da3's in the Seirras (Illustrated) C. Barlow. 5

Some Observations on the Spotted Sandpiper, (Ilhistrated) J. H. Harris, Jr. 7

Nesting- Ferruginous Rough-leg, (Illustrated) E. S. Rolfe. 8

Rambles About Quiver I^ake, (Illustrated) P. M. Sili^oway. 10

General Notes 12

Western Visitors.

Ducks Migrating.

A Murderous Woodpecker.

Domesticated Quail.

Cortland County Notes.
Personal

Fiftieth Anniversary

A Department of Reviews....

California Department

Michigan Ornithological Club.

Correspondence

Editorial

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THK OSPRKY.

CONTENTS.

Nest and Eg-g-s of Nashville Warbler Frontispiece.

Notes on the Nesting- of the House Wren James Newton Baskett 17

Rambles Around Ouiver Lake (Illustrated) P. M. Silloway 18

Nesting- Habits of~the Nashville Warbler (Illustrated) J. H. Bowles 21

A Tern Study (Continued) Rev. P. B. Peabody 20

Albinism, Melanism and Hybridism Chas. K. Worthen 23

"Prize" Photog-raphs 25

The Warbling Vireo Wm. L,. Keli.s 25

General Notes ► 27

Late Nesting -Bluebirds — The Murderous Woodpecker — The Red-headed Villain —
Freak Eggs of the Wood Ibis.

Notes from Nebraska 27

California Department —

A Handy Book 28

Local Names 28

Notes 29

Correspondence 29

Editorial 30

Literature Received 30

The Iowa Ornitholog-ical Association 39

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OF A

Quarter of a million
Specimens.

:iO,000 Birds' E^gs.
•i,000 Birds' Skins
100,000 Shells.

2,000 Star fish and Urchins.
5,000 Land and Marine Curios.
10,000 Specimens Mineral^.
1,000 Corals.

AlsT thousands of instruments, books and
requisites for Naturalists. Any and all to be
sold for any reasonable offer. Large or small
lets. When you write state exactly what you
want to see list of.

Collectors and dealers nearest to Keokuk,
Iowa, address at that point. All others address
lit once

WALTER F. WEBB,
Albion, N. Y

SinJ for a (ree sample copy of

'^GAIVIELAND^

the monthly echo from the woods, the
V. aters, the mountains and the fields.
It is practi:al and E.uthenlic. Yearly
SM.'S.ription, to any address, ONE

DOLLAR. Three tral numbers, twenty-five cents.
GVMFIA^D PL'SLISHINQ COHPANY,

,J77 ltroa«l>vHy, - - New York, N. Y.

BELIEVE ME,

Spom f\ti6id

Is the best Outdoor
Life monthly ever
printed.

It has all the devotion to
Nature of the true
naturalist as well as
literary articles of
tie f^-reatest interest. A "sporting- pa-
per," if you will — but a sporting- paper
that is as hij^h-g-rade as Harper's 3fag^a~int'
S. D. Barnes' superb serial "Dunk Cavens'
Luck," the best story of Arkansaw life ever
written, beg-an in the Aug-ust number. It is,
seriously, a story that ci'cry American family
should read.

Correspondence invited. At all news stands.
10 cents, or of

SPORTS AFIELD,
358 Dearborn Street, Chicago.

SPECIAL LIST.

SPECIMENS at closing out rates, also Catalogue
of Naturalists supplies, phatographs of Tax-
idermist work. A 5x7 photograph of a hftetn
foot snake, by mail, for 12 cents. Very fine.
Send 10 cents for complete list

FRANK B. V\/EBSTEr< CO..

PIYD^ PARK, Mass.

TIIK OSI'REY.

SILVER OR GOLD

Bank drafts, bills or postage stamps, we can use any of them in pay-
ment for any of our goods.

SD6Glal OllGPs in Egos.

Collection No. I.

RETAIL
PRICE.

Herring- Gull 20

Brown Pelican 25

Royal Tern 40

Laug-hing Gull , 20

Cormorant. 25

Little Blue Heron 10

Amer Coot 10

Alligrator 20

And 10 other varieties for $1 prepaid.

Colleollo;{ 0 2.

Red Shouldered Hawk 35

Murre 20

Am. Eared Grebe 15

Leachs' Petrel 15

Blue Wing- Teal 20

Green Heron 10

Anna's Humming- Bird 50

Night Hawk 40

And 10 other varieties for $1 prepaid.

Collection No. 3.

Ruby throat Humming- Bird 50

Coopers Hawk.. . '. 30

Curve bill Thrasher 15

Bewicks Wren 25

Turtle 10

Russet back Thrush 15

Razor bill Auk. 20

Sooty Tern 35

And 10 other varieties for $1 prepaid.

Collection No. 4

White Ibis 35

Louisiana Heron 10

Wilsons Thrush 15

American Mag-pie 25

Wood Ibis $1.00

Black Duck 40

Carolina Wren 10

Red Shafted Flicker 10

And 12 other varieties for $1 prepaid.
For $4 we send all of the above and include
oneof our best $1 calipers, nickeUplated,
and graduated to lOOths.

SI16II oners.

Collection No I — ah large, show)' shells, cleaned

REGULAR
PRICE.

Pair Angel's Wings, 6 inch 75

Tulip Shell 4 " 25

Crown Shell, 3 " 35

Spider Shell, 5 " 25

White Cone Shell, 2 inch 25

Red Corol, very bright 20

Pink Coral, fine spray 25

And 10 varieties of smaller shells, all named,
for $1, express prepaid.

Collection No 2

White Murex Shell, 4 inch 35

Spotted Cene Shell, 2 " 25

East India Clam (one valve) 4 " 25

Brain Coral (fine) 20

Fulgar Shell, 5 inch 25

Calico Clam, 4 " 35

And 12 nice varieties of smaller shells, all
named, for $1, prepaid.

Collection No 3

Black Pearl Ear Shell, 4 inch 60

Pair fine Scallop valves, 2)4 " 15

Bull Conch, 3,14" 20

Heart Shell (one valve), 4 " 25

Cameo Shell (fine color), 4 " 35

Worm Coral 25

And 15 varities of smaller show)' shells,
named, for $1, prepaid.

Collection No 4

Black Murex Shell, 4 inch 75

Rose '* " 3 " 50

Turk's Cap (flnelv mottled pearl) 3 inch 50

Olive Shell, ' 2 " 15

Mitre (bright red and white) 2 inch 25

Marlinspike, 4 35

And 15 va rieties smaller shells named, for
$1 prepaid .

The four collections of 77 first-class shells, all
difi^erent and named, will be sent, prepaid,
for $4, and we will include one of our $1 hand-
painted shells.

Chas. K. Reed,

Naturalist and Ta.xiderniist and Dealer in Naturalists' Sup-
plies and Books, A\inerals, Shells, Birds' Eggs, Curiosities*
etc- Send 4-cent stamps for our complete Catalogue.

Mention this paper.

T^orc e3tor, 3:v£a.3S-

THE OSPREY.

TI16 ornimoioQisi)

ft MontHly Magazine o!

OrnittiolOQy and OoIoqu

£aite(l by lb. 1k» Swann.

with the assistance of J. Whitaker,
F. Z. S.; C. V. Alpin, F. L. S.; F.
B. Whitlock; Rev. H. A. Macpher-
son, M. A.; W. Hy. Heathcote, F.
L. S. ; G. E. H. Barrett Hamilton
(Ireland).

The Ornithologist is the onlj' British
monthly mag-aziiie of Ornitholog-)' and is
rapidl)^ becoming- th e recog^nize organ
of both field-ornithologists and scientific
students. It contains articles by leading-
ornithologists, also valuable records and
observations, reviews of ornithological
literature, etc. The Notes and News sec-
tion chronicles passing events of orni-
thological interest from all quarters. A
high-class photogravure plate is included
monthly and a colored plate at intervals.

Subscriptions (j^early, Si. 50; half yearly,
80 cents) may be sent to the editor, 10 Har-
rington St., London, N. W., Eng.,or to care
of H. R. Taylor, 150 Fifth Ave., N. Y.

Buflington

Best HnG to Denver, St. Pau 1
Minneapolis^ Kansas City* St.
Joseph, Omaha, St. Louis, Port-
land and California Points-

Specially conducted Tourist
cars to and from California.

HARVEST EXCURSIONS will be
run August 18; September 1. 15 and 29;
October 6 and 20.

Full information given by any of un-
dersigned.

P. S. EUSTIS, G. P. A., Chicago.
A. S. CRAWFORD, Galesburg, 111.
W. H. SPINNER, Ticket Agent,
Galesburg, 111.

Quick and Dura

I I B

In the year 1896 my advertisements have appeared in over twenty
papers and magazines, among which are the following well-
known: Natural science News, Oologist, American
Field, American Angler, Mdologist, Amatenr
Sportsman, Home, North Ame ican
Naturalist, etc., etc.
My process has heen in use tor over a quarter of a century.

My process of Rapid Taxidermy is more popular than ever, and thousands of testimonials
testifj'ing to the increasing favor with which it is received. As evidence of the merits of my
method, man)' were instructed in various parts of the Union to mount specimens and leave them
exposed to wind and weather throug-hout the past winter. Reports show that the specimens,
birds and mammals, stood the test without losing a feather or hair bj- moth or elements.

Any one can learn ni)' method full)', and a child can comprehend it at the first attempt. It
requires no tools excepting- a knife, file and wire. The work will last for centuries, and is sure
to please.

Send 75 Cents and receive in return complete Instructions for mounting birds, mammals,
heads, etc., etc., also a pound of prepared Compound, ready for use, enough to prepare twenty to
fifty birds, together with Directions for dressing pelts with the hair on for rugs, robes and
hangings. Mention the OsPRKV and send 75 Cents to

MORRIS GIBBS, M. D ,

KALAMAZOO, MICH.

VOLUME I
NUAlBEk 3

NoveinDer, 1896.

SI.OO A YEAR
10c A COPY

THE OSPREY.

Not a bicycle but a

Racycle — ^^^^y

j\ arrow -Tread, and different from a BicKl^ as a watch from a clock.
What is a Narrow-Tread ? Answer: The pedals are so near together
that you ride as yon walk without having to s pre id your feet apart.
You get more V'ower with less exertion.

The ball-bearings of all bicycles may be represented by a pair of shafts to a
buggy, while the chain and spocket-wheel may be likercd to a horse. It
would be absurd to hitch up to the outside of one of theie shafts, yet that
is exactly where you will find it in every bicycle on earth.
Look at them and satisfy yourself. No wonder they wobble. The latest,
most improved, up-to-date wheel is the Racycle, Narrow-Tread, is the only
machine having the horse [the sprocket] hitched up between the shafts,
where it should be, thus overcoming leverage, friction and wobble.

Detail (//2 size) of Racycle crank hanger.

Biig-g-y
shaft

Detail ( '2 size) of ordinary bicycle crank

Bug-g-y
shaft

Horse

Bngg-y
shaft

The Racycle has the horse (sprocket) I Absurd, is it not? Yet that is where
where it should be. Think of it I A the sprocket is in every bicycle on
great point, eh? | earth.

TI16 Miami C11CI6 mi Maomacturino Go..

Chicago:
'.\23> Wabash Avenue.

Middletown, Ohio.

New York:
1773 Broadwaj'

THE OSPREY.

Hope lor tjie Bald.

A French doctor, who has been study-
ing the subject for numy years, says that
out of a hundred people from 20 to 30
years of age, taken at hazard, '27 will be
found to be bahl. Women conceal sucli
a deficiency with great cleverness, and
are not often detected; but while the loss
of hair is not so prevalent among tiieni
as among men, yet, if the proportion of
tlie fair sex, whose heads are as smooth
as doorknobs could be accurately learned
the results would be undoubtedly stnrt-
ling. Between the ages of 30 and ■H) the
percentage of baldheads rises to 47 per
100.

The critical ])eriod, however, is be-
tween iO and 50 years. Out of a liun-
dred chance subjects, only 25 had fairly
good growth of hair, the other 75 being
almost destitute entirely of capillai'y cov-
ering. When the Goth year is passed,
this physician asserts, it is rare to tind a
man who has enough hair on the top of
his head to make parting a possibility.

It is consoling, however, to know that
this annoying affliction can now be cured,
as a wonde'"ful remedy has been discov-
ered that will positively produce a luxuri-
ant growth of hair on the baldest head.
It is also an excellent remedy for thin
eyebrows and eyelashes, hair falling,
scanty parting, will positively force a
growth of whiskers and mustache, on the
smoothest face at any age, besides restor-
ing gray and faded hair to its original
color.

Full information is sent absolutely free
of charge by Messrs. W. S. Lorrimer &
Co., the eminent specialists, of 1005
Pennsylvania avenue, Baltimore, Mary-
land, and hundreds who have availed
themselves of Messrs Lorrimer's gener-
ous offer, are now rejoicing in an abund-
ance of hirsute adornment which they
have hitherto striven in vain to produce.
We recommend all sufferers to note this
firm's name and address and write to
them while the above offer holds good.

TI16 NiflOlOOlSt

SiibsGriDtlon One Dollar,

With Prtniliim to Every SuhsoiH er.

Fourth successful Year begins
September.

II. R TAYLOK, Editor ^^(l Proprietor.

DK. U W. 8H[ F KLDT, of the Smith-
sonian Institution, Associate.

Half-tone lllystratlons Unexcelled.

Articles replete with interest and
information. Devoted exclusively
to

Birds, Nests and Eggs

Published Monthly at
Alanie:!a, - - - California.

I teach

HlJDnOtlSDl

AND

Mesiiierlsin

By Mail
Terms reasonable, and for a short time
I will accept desirable Natural His=
tory specimens in payment.

Send stamp for particulars.

ISADOR 5. TROSTLER,

4246 Farnum St., OMAHA, NEB.

THE OSPREY.

TI16 omitnoiooisi

fl Montniu Magazine ot

OrnittiolOQH and OoIoqd

£(litea by lb. Ik* Swann.

with the assistance of J. Whitaker,
F. Z. S.; C. V. Alpin, F. L. S.; F.
B, Whitlock; Rev. H. A. Macpher-
son, M. A.; W. Hy. Heathcote, F.
L. S. ; G. E. H. Barrett Hamilton
(Ireland).

The Ornithologist is the only British
monthly magazine of Ornitholog'y and is
rapidl)^ becoming" th e recog"nize organ
of both field-ornithologists and scientific
stiidents. It contains articles by leading;
ornitholog-ists, also valuable records and
observations, reviews of ornithological
literature, etc. The Notes and News sec-
tion clironicles passing events of orni-
thological interest from all quarters. A
high-class photogravure plate is inclttded
monthh' and a colored plate at intervals.

Subscriptions (ycarW, $1.50; half yearly,
80 cents) may be sent to the editor, 10 Har-
rington St., London, N. W., Eng.,orto care
of H. R. Taylor, 150 Fifth Ave., N. Y.

Burlington

B6S1) 1*1116 to Denver, St. Paul
A\inneapoliS) Kansas City? St.
Joseph, Omaha, St. Louis, Port-
land and California Points-

Specially conducted Tourist
cars to and from California.

HARVEST EXCURSIONS will be
run November -Sand IT; December 1 and

15.

Fnll information giv<n by any of un-
dersigned.

P. S. EUSTIS, G. P. A., Chicago.
A. S. CRAWFORD, Galesburg, 111.
W. H. SPINNER, Ticket Agent,
Galesburg, 111.

Quick and Durable Taxidermy ...

In the year 18DtJ my advertisements have appeared in over twenty
papers and magazines, among which are the following well-
known: Natural Science News, Ooiogist, jimericaii
Field, American Angler, Nidologist, Amateur
Sportsman, Home, North American
Naturalist, etc., etc.
My process has been in use for over a quarter of a century

My process of Rapid Taxidermy is more popular than ever, and thousands of testimonials
testifying- to the increasing- favor with which it is received. As evidence of the merits of my
method, many were instructed in various parts of the Union to mount specimens and leave them
exposed to wind and weather througfhout the past winter. Reports show that the specimens,
birds and mammals, stood the test without losing a feather or hair by moth or elements.

Any one can learn my method fiilly, and a child can comprehend it at the first attempt. It
requires no tools excepting- a knife, file and wire. The work will last for centuries, and is sure
to please.

Send 75 Cents and receive in return complete Instructions for mounting birds, mammals,
head8, etc.. etc., also a pound of prepared Compound, ready for use ^ough to prepare twentj' to
fifty birds, tog-ether with Directions for dressing- pelts with the hair on for rug-s. robes and
hang-ing-s. Mention the 0.spre;y and send 75 Cents to

MORRIS GIBBS, M. D.,

KALAMAZOO, MICH.

December. 1896.

$1.00 A VtAW
lOc A COPY

An 1 LLU!)TRATED
MONTHLY MAGMINE
..^fQRMITnOLOGY

®:E:DITEDBY-fS
WALTER A.,JOHNSOM

THE OSPREY.

BELIEVE ME.

Is the best Outdoor
Life nionthU' ever
printed.

It has all the devotion to
Nature of the true
naturalist as well as
literary articles of jf
the greatest interest. A "sporting- pa-
per," if 3'ou w^ill — but a sporting paper
that is as high-grade as Harper's Magazine
S. D. Barnes' superb serial "Dunk Cavens'
Luck," the best story of Arkansaw life ever
written, began in the August number. It is
seriovtsly, a stor3' that every American family
should read.

Correspondence invited. At all news stands,
10 cents, or of

SPORTS AFIELD,
358 Dearborn Street, Chicago.

SPECIAL LIST.

SPECIMENS at closing out rates, also Catalogue
of Naturalists supplies, photographs of tax-
idermist work. A 5x7 photograph of a hfteen
foot snake, by mail, for 12 cents. Very fine.
Send 10 cents for complete list.

FRANK B. WEBSTER CO,
HYDE PARK, Mass.

Choosy \jJhaf yoli \A}anf —

gun, riflp, ammunition, rod, ta'-kle, bicycle, camera,
canoe, row-boat, or any other mekchandise that
money can buy,

and seciire if uiifhoiit cos!

through us. We will supply any article you de-
sire, free of charge, provided you get a sufficient
number of your friends to subscribe to (jnnieland.
F ^r instance, send us ten yearly subscriptions,
and we will send you any $5 rod you select; send
fift V. and yo 1 can have a $25 camera, or any other
article or artirles worth $25; and so on.
SEND FOR FULL PARTICULARS and a free sam-
ple copy of GAMELAND. Subscription price,
%i per year.

GAMELAND PUBLISHING CO.,

INCORPORATED,

275 Broadway, New York.

GEORGE G. CANTWELL.

Juneau, Alaska,

TAXIDERMIST AND COLLEeTOR,

Alaskan Bird Skins and Eggs, Sianash Indian
trinkets and cnrios, rare and interesting and
seldom found in collections. Choice views
of Alaska and the Gold fields. No catalogues
and no exchanges only when there is some-
thing in sight

Wanted-An Idea

Who can think
of 'ome simple
thi.. • to patent?
Protect your ideas; they may bring you wealth
Write JOHN WEUDEKBURN & CO.. Patent Attor
ney8, Washington, D. C, for their $l,8Ul) prize offer
and list of two hundred inventions wanted.

G0LLE.6T0RS LOOK:

OUR NEW GftTftLOGUE

Containing- iiftj pag-es, nicely illustrated, and pricing- almost everything ever found
in a Natural History establishment, is just out and will be sent to anyone for a 2c
stamp. Let us hear from you at once. State what you are collecting- mostly. We
can interest you.

THE MUSEUM:

Just beg-ins its second volume of usefulness with the November number. Can be
had for the next twelve numbers for only SOc, and two free exchang-es will be given.
You will miss a treat if you g-o without it. Barg-ains every month in its pag-es. You
will save during- the year many times the price of subscription.

We have just added a very fine assortment of Marine Shells, about 1,000 species,
about 200 species of Unio, some very fine consig-nment of Skins, the entire collection
of one of our older paleentolog-ists, who died a couple of years ag-o, nearly a ton of
fine Bahama Corals, and various other nice thing's for the cabinet. Impossible to
outline them here. Write us, g-iving- an idea what you want, and you will hear from
us at once. Address plainlv

WALTER F WEBB, Manager,

Albion, N. Y.

THE OSPREY.

Not a bicycle but a
Racycle

IN arrow-Tread, ami different from a Bicycle as a watch from a clocli.
Wliat is a Narrow- Tread ? Answer: The pedals are so near together
that you ride as you walk without having to spread your feet apart.
You get more power with less exertion.

The ball-bearings of all bicycles may be represented by a pair of shafts to a
buggy, while the chain and spocket-'wheel may be likened to a horse. It
would be absurd to hitch up to the outside of one of these shafts, yet that
is exactly where yon will find it in every bicycle on earth.
Look at them and satisfy yourself. No wonder they wobble. The latest,
most improved, up-to-date wheel is the Racycle, Narrow-Tread, is the only
machine having the horse [the sprocket] hitched up between the shafts,
where it should be, thus overcoming leverage, friction and wobble.

Detail ('2 size) of Racycle crank hang-er.

Bug-g-y
shaft

Detail (j^ size) of ordinarj' bicj'cle crank
hang^er.

C shaft

The Racycle has the
where it should be.
great point, eh?

horse (sprocket)
Think of it! A

Absurd, is it not? Yet that is where
the sprocket is in every bicycle on
earth.

TI16 Miami Cycle and Manuiaciurino 60..

Chicag-o:
.']23 Wabash Avenue.

Middletown, Ohio.

New York:
1773 Broadwav.

<!»^=23^'^'*°^i^^t55==^^r^^^?55%=^^^

iBurlington

Best) line ^ Denver. St. Paul

A\inneapolis» Kansas City? St.
Joseph, Omaha, St. Louis, Port-
land and California Points-

Specially conducted Tourist
cars to and from California.

HARVEST EXCURSIONS will be
run November 3 and 17; December 1 and
15.

Full information given by any of un-
dersigned.

P. S. EUSTIS, G. P. A., Chicago.
A. S. CRAWFORD, Galesburg, 111.
W. H. SPINNER, Ticket Agent,
Galesburg, 111.

I teach

Publications of the American Ornithologists' Union.

THE AUK

A Quarterly Journal of Ornithology.

J. A. ALLEN, Editor. FRANK M. CHAPMAN, Assoc. Editor.

As the official organ of the Union "The Aiik"
is the leading ornithological publication of this
country. Each number contiains about 100 pages
of text, a handsomely colored plate, and other
illustartions. The principal articles are b^^
recognized authorities, and are of both a popu-
lar and scientific nature. The department of
"General Notes," gives brief record of new
and interesting facts concerning birds con-
tributed by observers throug-hout the Uni-
ted States and Canada. Recent ornitholo-
gical literature is reviewed at length and
news items are commented on by the editors.
"The Avik" is thus indispensable to those who
would be informed of the advance made in the
study of birds either in the museum or in the
field. Price of current volume, $3.00. Single
numbers, 75 cts

Check- List o! North American Birds.

The text has been most carefully revised, re-
cent changes in nonmenclature, and species
and sub-species described since 1886 are in-
cluded, while the ranges of birds have been
entirely rewritten and more fully defined. 8vo.
Cloth. Price, $2.00

L S FOSTER, Agent of the Union for fie sxle of its Publications
35 PINE STREET, NEW YORK CITY.

I Hyiinotisiii

TI16 NldOlOfllSl

SuDscrlption One Dollar,

AND

With rreniiiiin to Every Subscriber.
Fourth successful Year begins

Mesinerlsin ^'"'^"""^

H. R. TAYLOR, Editor and Proprietor.

By Mail, DR. R. W. SHUFKLUT, of the Smith-

sonian Institution, Associate.
Terms reasonable, and for a short time =sss

1 will accept desirable Natural His- HalMOnB IllUStratlOnS Un6XC6ll6d.

tory specimens in payment.

Articles replete with interest and
in formation. Devoted exclusively

to

fi Send stnni]! lor ])arlii,-ul;Lrs.

ISADOR 5. TROSTLER,

4246 Farnum St., OMAHA. NEB, Alameda,

Birds, Nests and Eggs

Published Monthly .vr

California.

'^d^^=^^Q^^^m^:^^!f^^<L=.:'€^is?r^ti

VOLUME 1
NUMBER 5

JANUARY, 1897.

*l.00 A V EAk
l()c A COPY

An Illustrated
monthly mag/vzine

j^^fQRNlTnOLOGY^^

A8

^EDITED BYr^l
WALTER A.JOMNSOM'

r^<^

'Mm.

vV^ilfSi*

Jk;.^»«

"^^^^^^5^/

THE OSPRLY COMPANY,

2I7MA1N STREtT. ^ — -^-- GALESBURG. ILL.

THE OSPREY.

CONTENTS.

Pag-e.

Cedar Waxwing- ( from life) Fkontispieck.

Land Birds at Sea A. W. Anthony 57

Some Orig-inal Observations Rev. J. M. Keck 58

Avian Photog-rapiiy Dr. R. W. Shufeldt 59

Nesting- of Baird's Sparrov^^ in North Dakota Eugene S. Rolfe 62

Red-headed Woodpecker Locating- his Prey Charles Sloan Reid 63

Nesting- Habits of the Black-throated Green Warbler J. H, Bowles 64

Marbled Murrelet, Photog-raphed from Life Geo. G. Cantwell 69

Notes on the Chickadee (65), Notes on Henslow's Sparrow (65), More Albin-
ism (66), Long-spur Notes (67), Accidental Death of a Bonasa Umbellus
(07), A Wood Ibis in Rliode Island (67), Late Nesting- of the Green
Heron (07), Grouse Plentiful (67), A Larg-e Flock of Crows (67), Caro-
lina Rail at a Hig-h Latitude (67), Albino Turkey Vulture (67), Swal-
low-tailed Kite (67), La 1:6 Departure of Crested Flycatcher (63), A
Queer Nesting- Site (68).

American Ornitholog-ist's Union 68

Michig-an Ornitholog-ical Club 68

Chicag-o Academy of Sciences 69

Correspondence 69

Recent Literature ''^0

Note and Comment •. 70

California Department '^i

Editorial 72

Hope lor t|ie Bald.

A French doctor, who luis been study-
ing the subject for many years, Sciys that
out of a hundred people from 20 to 30
years of age, taken at hazard, 27 will be
found to be bald. Women conceal such
a deficiency with great cleverness, and
are not often detected; but while the loss
of hair is not so prevalent among them
as among men, yet, if the proportion of
the fair sex, whose heads are as smooth
as doorknobs, could be accurately learned
the results would be undoubtedly start-
ling. Between the ages of 30 and 40 the
percentage of baldheads rises to 47 per
100.

The critical period, liowever, is be-
tween 40 and 50 years. Out of a hun-
dred chance subjects, only 25 had fairly
good growth of hair, the other 75 being
almost destitute entirely of capillary cov-
ering. When the 60th year is passed,
this physician asserts, it is rare to find a

man who has enough hair on the top of
his head to make parting a possibility.

It is consoling, however, to know that
this annoying affliction can now be cured,
as a wonderful remedy has been discov-
ered that will positively produce a luxuri-
ant growth of hair on the baldest head.
It is also an excellent remedy for thin
eyebrows and eyelashes, hair falling,
scanty parting, will positively force a
growth of whiskers and mustache, on the
smoothest face at any age, besides restor-
ing gray and faded hair to its original
color.

Full information is sent absolutely free
of charge by Messrs. W. S. Lorrimer &
Co., the eminent specialists, of 1005
Pennsylvania avenue, Baltimore, Mary-
land, and hundreds who have availed
themselves of Messrs Lorrimer's gener-
ous offer, are now rejoicing in an abund-
ance of hirsute adornment which they
have hitherto striven in vain to produce.
We recommend all sufferers to note this
firm's name and address and write to
them while the above offer holds good.

THE OSPREY.

Want, For Sale, and Exctianae.

Notes in this column are charged/or at the rate
of one cent a word, with a minimum 0/25 cc tits for
one insertion.

Naturalists and collectors who will send me a
list oftbeir wants will receive lowest quotations on
supplies, books, shells, minerals and curios

Andrew Nelson.
1108 Palean Lt. , Keokuk, Iowa.
(Successor to W. F. Webb's Western branch. )

Good Puices paid or copies of ''Wisconsin
Naturaliss. '' and "Wolverine Naturalist," that I
need to complete files. W. E Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

A NICE specimen of the rare Salamander, Desmog-
nathus brimleyorum Stejuger, prepaid for 27 cents
in stamps, four for $1. W. E. Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis

For Sale Cheap — A new copy of Capen's
"Oology of New England"; fine skins of birds and
small animals, tis winter's collecting; 50 mounted
small birds; 160 first-class sets catalogued at $100,and
300 odd numbers of "The Oologist,'' etc. Enclose
stamp for full lists. Geo. D French.

Ivory ton, Conn.

Wanted — All ornithologists to send me notes on
the Svvallow family, any notes they may have, large
or small. Am supervising a systematic study made
by the Wilson Chapter of the A. A. Am offering
prizes. It may pay you, write for particulars.

Stephen J. Adams.

Cornish, Me.

Some common sets very cheap. Will take com-
mon sets of other localities at full catalogue prices
in part payment. 10 good singles prepaid, 50c.

Benjamin Hoag

Stephentown, New York.

For Sale— '94 Model Varsety bicycle, in fine
condition. Wanted, a good shot gun and books on
ornithology, oology and taxidermy.

Thos. H Blodgett.

217 E. Main St., Galesburg, 111.

Notice — I'will collect birds and small mammals
in the meat or fresh skins during the coming winter
and spring, at reasonable rates. Full list, with
prices, for stamp. Geo. D. French.

Ivoryton, Conn.

Wanted— A single B. G. shot gun, 12 guage, T.
& W. preferred. Will give ex. in books or eggs, or
cash. State wants. Stephen J. Adams.

Cornish, Maine.

For Sale — Live silk work Cocoons, Promythea,
Cucoopia and Polyphemun. 7c each.

R. W. Wehrle.
Indiana, Pa.

To Exchange — For birds' eggs mounted birds or
anythig useful, the following school books. Bryant
itStraston Book-keeping, Anderson's History of the
United States, Townsend's Civil Government, Thom-
son's Graded Arithmetic, or will .sell cheap. Send
lists. W. J. Wirt. Naturalist,

Box 23 Oak Orchard, Orleans Co., N. Y.

Bicycles — Fine sets taken in part payment.
Write before you buy. Enclose Q^% list and 2 cent
stamp. I have the best wheels manufactured.
Common egg:s of other localities wanted.

Benjamin Hoag.

Stephentown, New York.

NiDOLOGisT— Nov., Dec. '93; Feb., March, Oct.,
Nov., '94; Jan., March, Oct., '95, lot for $1.25.
Pair of "all steel Climbers," 50c. Cash prices.

Benjamin Hoag.

Stephentown, New York.

I have one duplicate of a fine, large Agkistrodon
contortix (Copperhead Snake) in alcohol, with data,
which I will send prepaid for $1.75.

W. E. Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

Following first-cla.ss sets to exchange for the
same:-! 1-5, 49 1-3, 64 1-2, 120c 1-4, 127 1-3,191
1-5, 269 1-4, 285 1-3, 337 1-3. 360 1-3, 368 1-2, 375
1-1, 378 1-8, 416 1-1, 417 1-2, 538 1-4 Send lists.

Lake City, Minn. W. F. Hill,

Parties desiring skins of the Dendragopus
obscurus and Bonasa umbellus umbelloides, will
please send me list of their skins for exchange.
Will send fresh skins if desired.

Frank M Woodruff.

Chicago Academy of Sciences, Chicago, 111.

Wanted — Eggs in sets or singles in exchange
for nicely mounted specimens of owls, hawks, shore
birds and warblers. Send list of what you have.

Chas. K. Reed.

Worcester, Mass.

Wanted — Every collector, naturalist and taxi-
dermist to send 4c for my latest catalogue of every-
thing you need in naturalists' supplies, eggs, shells,
minerals, etc. Chas. K. Reed.

Worcester Mass

For Sale— The following fine skins with full
data: Male Bohemian Waxwing, 75 cent<; female
Red Phalarope, $2; male Bachman's Warbler, $1.50;
A. 0. U.. 306 Heath Hen, young, $6.

A. S. Hathaway.

Merchants' National Bank, Providence, R. I.

To Exchange — A high grade '96 bicycle in good
condition with lantern, bell and cyclometer to ex-
change for first-class sets and skins — water birds
and raptores preferred. Write for full description
of Wheel and make offer.

C. H. Watrous.

Chester. Conn.

;^

.^^^^^*K-^.

yy

?P'

;^^^

QK><K><><>OCH>0<)<KKK><><><><><><><><^^

O -wwr ■■ ^ »~ Specimen pages, etc., X

0 ^^eOSter'S sentonappUciition. JJ

International

Di^ionary

iBuflington

Invaluablein <{tp<'e<

Successor of the
'Unabridged.

Standard of the U.S.
Govt l*rintiiig Office,

I lie V. S. Supreme
( oint, and of nearly
all the Schoolbooks.

Warmly c o m -
n.ended by State Su-

II e ri 11 ten den ts of •
Siliools, and other Ed-
ncator.s almost without
number.

THE BEST FOR EVERYBODY

BECAUSE

It is easy to find the word wanted.
It is easy to ascertain the pronunciation.
It is easy to trace the growth of a word.
It is easy to learn what a word means.

G. & C. Mh^RJilA M CO., JPublisbers,
Springiield, Mass., U.S.A.

;B6St line to Denver, St. Paul
h^inneapolis, Kansas City^ St.
' Joseph, Omaha, St. Louis. Port-
jland and California Points-
I Specially conducted Tourist
cars to and from California. .

llAliVKST EXCURSIONS will be
;iii(l IT; December 1 and

OVERS OF FIELD SPORTS,

run

ir>.

Full ill.
dersisrned.

A. S.
W. H

.JSTIS, G. p. A.. Chicago.
CRAWFORD, Galesburg, 111.
S i^T :- VTTT? Ticket Agent,
iralesburg. 111.

II I ME lis,
ANGLERS,

<;vctiSTis,

F.vERYBouy, Beautitui Buuerllu Pictures.

Should send a t"o cent stamp for a
sainidc copy of

I SPORTS AFIELD

The Best and Oldest of Western
Sportsman's Magazines.

Sport? Afield Pub. Co.,

1.1,.

American Taxidermy -a' List of 160 Photographs

From Worl<

Hei-e are 8. of thetn— No. 4, Workshop, Deer

season: 141, Hawks, (3S Bird.s); 139, Dticks and

Gee.se (37 birds); 141, Workshop, Moose season;

131. Owl season {i)3 birds); 138. Swans. Loons.

1 20 birds'. 140, Grouse and Ptarmio-an; 153, A

Window Decoration. Price 15c or 12 for $1.25.

f . I.ctions of .SttjfFed Birds for schools a spec-

iu y Send 10c for Catalofj-ue of materials, it.

FRANK BLAKE WEBSTER CO.

A Fine Present for Young and
and Old Naturalists, in two sizes.

^Q I.— Contains 100 large and brilliantly colore.!
Butterflies and Moths from all countries
lS.x:^4. tflass top. 3 inch Polished Oak Frame
price §10 QD cash.

Xo. 11.— I'ontains 50 of thft same size and color
1'2.\15, (ilasis Top. 214-in. Polished Oaiv
Friune, price S5.00 cash. Each picture "
beautiful collection in itself. Now is your
time to procure a fine work of ^rt arid natur
cheap. -

We al.so offer the ont.y SxANDAur* Piuce'Li

AMEKtrAN AND ExofiC BUTTERKI.ll

Moths published in this coinitry, of 4.Ui -
species, for 15c each, 25c in silver taken. In-
no stamps and no postals wanted. We also
will consider exchanges for live cocoons and
I hrysalder of all kinds. 1000 wanted. Wil!
-ive in, exchange Exotic. Butterflies an
Aliiths. Eggs in Sets and Skins, and pn<-ii
rash. No li>ts sent free. .\dclress.
|.i>. u; 1 ■ \ IM in.' \ I' V Vntivr

^K
^

tlijtle Park, Mass.

'4^;^ ^ ^^ ^^i^^^

».

FEBRUARY, 1897.

$1.00 A YEAR
10c A COPY

An I LLU5.TRATED
MONTflLY MAG/VZINE
fORNlinOLOGY

<=*-r^-;

'>=^^

^

Q

^: EDITED BYro^it
WALTER A.JOHNSOnl

'jlilllilllliiiiliiiiia

THE OSPRLY COMPANY,

21? MAIN STREET. ^ GALESBURG, ILL.

COPYRIGHTED BY MINNS, AKRON. O.

THE OSPREY.

CONTENTS.

Pag-e.

Instantaneous Photograph of Gull in Flig-ht -• • • ' ^

The King-lets and Their Distribution Edwin Ekvink Haines 73

The Brown Pelican on Indian River Dr. Morkis Gibbs 75

Great Horned Owl (photog-raph from life) • 75

The Circling- Loon R. M. Barnes 77

Are Green Eg-g-s of Red-tailed Hawk Rare? Bevjamin Hoag 78

Flycatchers of Minnesota Walton I. Mitchell '^

General Notes: — First Eg-g- of '97, (81); Snowy Owls Numerous, (81); Pine
Siskin at Sabula, Iowa, (81); The Olive-sided Flycatcher in Van
Buren County, Iowa, (82); Double-crested Cormorant, (82); Wilson's
Snipe Breeding- at Branchport, New York, (82); Snowj Owl Cap-
tured, (82); Some Notes, (82).

Recent Literature 83

Chicag-o Academy of Sciences 83

Northwestern Ornitholog-ical Association 83

California Depai;tment • ■ ■ • • ■ • 84

Editorial 86

Correspondence . 86

Need Data Blanks?

We can furnish them like this sample, printed on g-ood paper, in tablets of 100
each, at 3Sc per 100, or 300 for $1. Postpaid.

THE OSPREY COMPANY,

Cox 500, Galesburg-, 111.

EGGS ARE MARKED

A. O. U. SET INDEX.

NO. OF EGG'S.

Eggs of the.

(Date -■_ i8g Incubation.

Locality _.._

Identification
jNcst

Collected by

THE OSPRKY

Want, For Sale, and Exclianae.

Notfs ill this column arc charged for at the rate
of one cent a word, with antinimutn 0/25 cents for
one insertion.

Dealers are referred to our regular advertising
rates.

Specimens, such as we can use, will be accepted
at one-half list rates.

Each subscriber is entitled to one notice of 35
words, to be used at any time during the year of
subscription.

I AViSH TO TRADE Or Sell a Scott's Stamp Album,
tenth edition, with 2,000 stamps, valued at $200.00,
containing: many rare sets and issues (Colombian
uncanceled, Bavaria, France and Austria complete)
Queensland, issue 1861, 2c, bine, value $25, and many
others, for bird skins, eggs, minerals or Indian rel-
ias or cash. Please write,

Edwin I. Haines.

New Rochelle, N. Y.

1 WANT the following: Wilson Ornithological
Chapter publications. Semi-Annuai Vol. 1 No. 1,
and Bulletins Nos. 1, 2 and 'i.

W. E. Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

Wanted — Good sets of Hawks, Grouse: exchange
sets of 429, 431, with nest on twig, at rate of $J
eace. Dr. Davidson.

116 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, Cal.

Wanted — One copy of the November Osprey.
Will give two copies of the "Nidologist," January
and September, 1895, in exchange, or pay cash, 25
cents. A. H. Howell.

1005 13th St., N. W., Washington, D. C.

Packark's "Guide to the Study of Insects," in
good condition, for 83 cash. Gray's School and
Field Botany," and Davie's "Nest and Eggs," paper,
for best cash offers. E. S. Crafton.

Plattsburg, Mo.

Books wanted — We have a lirge list of fir.st
class sets (many very desirable ones) to exchange for
good books, or back numbers of "The Auk," and
many magazines, popular and scientific. Send list
of any you have. Be sure to state binding, date
and edition, publisher's price, and your lowest price.
If you have what me want will send list of speci-
mens at once. The Osprey Company.

Box 500, Galesburg, 111.

Wantkd — Sets of Swallow-tail Kite and Golden
Eagle. Will pay cash for same. Also want Hawks'
and Owls' eggs in exchange for goods in our cata-
logue. If you are interested send for our bulletin
of skins, eggs, etc., the largest bulletin sent out by
a dealer. James P. Babbitt.

Taunton Mass.

In order to defray the expenses of a long trip I
shall be prepared to fill orders for choice Alaskan
bird skins, curios, etc., till June next Send stamp
with inquiries. Gko. G. Cantwell.

Howkan, Jackson P. O.. Alaska.

Will Exchange my collection of mounted Rap-
tores and other fine specimens, also duplicate jour-
nals, sets and nests, for first class sets.

Geo. a. Morrison.

Fox Lake, Wis.

Send 12 cents for a nice fragment of Mound Pot-
tery from Dodge County, Wis.

W. E. Snyder.
Beaver Dam, Wis.

Orders for Skins, Skulls and Skeletons of smaller
Mammals of Wisconsin, to be collected the coming
season, solicited. Prices way down.

W.E. Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

Will collect and prepare nice skins of Central
Wisconsin land and water birds at one-half Worth-
en's list prices, postage or expressage to be paid by
purchaser, lasts furnished.

W. E.Snyder.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

^ VTbo can think.
f^ of some siinple
" thiiiK lo iiateht/'
Protect your idea^: thpy inay bring vii wealth
Write JOH.V WKLDTiUBUHW ft CO.. Patent Attor
neys, Washington, D. C;.. f t their (il.^w prize oiler
and list of two hundred iuventions wanted.

-m

G. F. DIPPIE

17 .McMillan Street.

TORONTO. CANADA,

High-Class Bird and Mammal Skins
from Alberta and the NorthAvest.

Also a few fine sets. Full data.

Correspondence Solicited.

iiUHB'ilti^'*""'"""f|

PRINTING OUTFiTSi

fOR SALE AT I

ONE -HALF COST PRICE.]

ighly ootrkauled and aa good as new.
CompUf Job outfttt from 5 to 200 dollars.
Send for list of preaaes. outfts etc. We
buy ttcond-hand outfits and material. Send [

ist of vhat ^ou hoije.

PRINTERS' SUPPLY CO., {

_^P OflLESBURO, III.

wmTvvvTniv»»TTtiiKT>wnw!!ftiri?tnmii

SOME BARGAINS.
8x12 Favorite, foot-power,
5x8 Pearl, foot-power
8x12 Columbian, lever
7)^xl3>4 Excelsior,
3^x61^ Uncle Sam,
Job and body type, supplies, etc.

$60
42
32
2:.

Heduced One-Half!
Reprint of Ord's Zoology.

To dispose of the remainder of my edition of the
Reprint. I have reduced the price to" $1, in advance,
post paid. This Reprint was made directly from
the only copy of the second American edition of
Guthrie's Geography (1815) now known to exist. It
contain's Ord's catalogue and original' description
of Norlh American Mammals, Birds and Reptiles,
with a copious Appendix of notes and decisions by
the editor on (piestions of natural history and nom-
enclature involved in Ord's work; also a half-tone
portrait of George Ord. Address all orders to the
editor, Samuel N. Rhoads,

Haddonfield. N. J

^j^B^gS^^'c^^see^^Q,,,,^^^^^

1877. 21st YEAR. 1897.

The Best is None Too Good For You.

Life Insurance sold by the

Covenant Mutual Life
flssoclaiion . .

of Galesburg, Illinois,
Has always and will ahvays insure.
Increase in Assets.

Increase in Surplus in 1896.

You may insure, or you may insure others

Information promptly and clieert'ully
furnished.

W. H. Smollinger, Sec'y.
A. W. Bekggren, Pres.
Galesburo;, HI.

Rapid Taxi(l6riiiii at Home.

No Tools Required.

No extra Expense.
Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money
Refunded.

After many years of unvarying success, and a
constantly increasing sale in every State in the
Union, and with thousands of testimonials as to the
merits of my Method of Simplified Taxidei my, from
Boys, frirls, Parents, Doctors, Lawyers, Ministers,
School Teachers, Merchants, Farmers, Mechanics,
Hunters, .Outers and Sportsmen, as well as from
Curators of leading University Museums and Pro-
fessional Taxidermists; 1 feel that I can safely make
this offer: Send me

75 CENTS

Cash or Stamps, and receive complete Irs*^rnctions
for mounting Birds in Cases, Plaqii^-s, HHngimr
Game, peer Heads,etc., etc., with package of Pre"
pared Compound, ready for use, enough to mount
50 small birds or 20 large ones, toeether wth full
directions for dressing skins with the hair on. for
Rugs, Robes and Hangings.

If you are not fully sntisfied' your money will be
cheerfully refunded. Beware of Imitations'.

Mention The Osprey, and address

MORRIS GIBBS. M. D ,

KALAMAZOO, MICH.

(r''^^s>^^^^^^js=5=^^r^^^^js=*=^

Burlington

'c^^seJ^^z^^^^^iS^^Cf^^^s^iS^,

B6S1) lino to Denver, St. Paul
A\inneapolis, Kansas City» St.
cioseph, Omaha, St. Louis, Port-
land and California Points-

Specially conducted Tourist
cars to and from California.

p. S. EUSTIS, G. p. A., Chicago.
A. S. CRAWFORD, Galesburg, IlL
W. H. SPINNER, Ticket Agent,
Galesburg, IlL

Tti6 Rarest o! SDecimons

as well as common bird skins can be found in
the IMMENSE stock of over 10,000 skin«, I carry_
containing species from all over the United
States, British Columbia Alaska, Lower Califor.
nia, Mexico, Guadalupe and adjacent islands.
I can supply a few fine

SKINS AND EGGS
of the almost unknown

BLACK, LEAST, AND SOCORRO PETRELS
if ordered before the few on sale are gone.
Skins of Carolina Paroquets, Ivory-billed Wood-
pecker, Flamingoes, Tropic Birds, Long-tailed
Paradise Trogons and many handsome tropical
species. Also Glass Ej'es, Handsome Geodes;
and a few Illinois Geological Reports for sale,
now becoming very rare. Taxidermy in all
its branches. Dealers. Schools, Museums sup-
plied at LOWEST PRICES. Reference: All
prominent Scientists and Institutions through-
out the country. Enclose stamp with all letters
of inquiry, or two for price lists.

CHAS. K. WORTHEX,

Naturalist, Taxidermist and Dealer,
Established in 1873. Warsaw, III., U. S. A.

VOLUME 1.
NUMBER 7.

MARCH, 1897.

$1.00 A YEAR.

10- A COPY.

An I LLUSTRATED
MONTHLY MAG/VZINE
^°fORMITnOLOGY

m

^a

EDITED BY

WALTER A. JOHNSOM,

ASSOCIATED WITH

DR. ELLIOTT GOUES,

WASHINGTON. D. C.

4

iiiiiilllll'H!.

'"Hillllil'lllliH

THE OSPRLY COMPANY,

61 NO.PRAIRIE ST. r — --- GALESBURG, ILL

THK OSPKEY

CONTENTS

Pag-e.

American Rough-legged Hawk, Painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes Fkontispikck

Major Charles E. Bendire F. H. Knowlton. Ph. D. §7

Nansen's Discovery of the Breeding Grounds of the Rosy Gull Dr. T. S. Palmrr 90

Louis Agassiz Fuertes Dr. Eij.iott Couks 91

Club Grounds or Bird Reserves Otto Widmann 92

Flicker Flirting James Newton Baskett 94

A Peculiar Hybrid ClemEjnt L. Webster 95

Infertile Eggs Rev. P. B. Peauody 96

Nest Building of the Downy Woodpecker /Vrthur M. Farmer 96

(leneral Notes: — Notes from Old Orchard (97) From a Collector in .Alaska (97). RtmarkablH Confi-
dence of the Guadalupe Junco (98). Downy Woodpecker Feeding on Pupa (98). Late Sojourners
(98). Late Visitors (9.^), More Albinism (98), Notes Contributed by the Lewi?town (III.) Natural
History Society (99).

Note and Comment 99

Recent Ijiterature 100

Chicago Academy of Si-iences 100

Michigan Ornithological Club 100

Publisher's Notes 100

California Department 101

Editorial 102

Need Data Blanks?

We can furnish them like this sample, printed on g-ood paper, in tablets of 100
each, at 35c per 100, or 300 for $1. Post-paid.

100 Data blanks free to every subscriber who sends us anew subscription, en-
closing- three two-cent stamps. This offer holds g-ood until April 25th.

THE OSPREY COMPANY, Gale-sbukc, III-

EGGS ARE MARKED

A. O. U. SET INDEX.

NO. OF EGGS.

Eggs of the.

Qate _ _ r8'q:.... Incubation.

Locality _ .- -

Identificatiofi -

J^est -

Collected bv

THE OSPREY.

Want, For Sale, and ExcHancje.

Notes in this coiitinn are e/iaixeit for at tlie rate
of one cent a ivord^ with a niininium of 2S cents Jor
one insertion.

Deaters are referred to our i-e<j;nlar advert isim:,
rates

Specimens, that we can use, ivill be accepted
at one-hatf list rates.

Each subscriber is entitted to one notice of jj
ivords, to be used at anv time during the year of
subscription.

Will P^xchange my collection of mounted Rap-
tores and other fine specimens, also duplicate jour-
nals, .sets and nests, for first class sets.

Geo. a. Morrison.

Fox Lake, Wis

Wanted — Good sets of Hawks, Grouse: exchange
setsof 429, 431, with nest on twig-, at rate of $1
eace. Dr. Davidson

116 S. Spring St.. Los An^jeles, Cal

Wanted— One copy of the November Usprp:y.
Will give two copies of tlie "Nidologist," January
and September, 1895, in exchange, or pny cash, 25
cents. A. H Howell.

1005 13th St.. N. W., Washington, D. C.

Books wanted — We have a Inrge list of first
class sets (many very desirable ones) to exchange for
good books, or back numliers of "The Auk," and
many magazinps, popular and scientific. Send list
of any yoti have. Be sure to state binding, date
and ed ition, publisher's price, and your lowest price.
Will send list of specimens at once.

The Osprey Company.

Box 500, Galesbnrg. 111.

In order to defray the expenses of a long trip I
shall be prepared to fill orders for choice Alaskan
bird !-kins, curios, etc., till .Tutie next Send stamp
with inquiries Gko. G. Cantwell.

Howkan, Jackson P (3., Alaska,.

Wanted — A good 4x5 cnniera (good make) in
exchange for rare Northern Bird Skins, in perfect
condition. G. F. Dippie.

17 McMillan St.. Toronto, Can.

Wanted — Banjo, Birds nesting in N. W Cana-
da, 0. and 0. vol. H and 8 Offer (ireat Blue Heron,
Skins, Papers, etc. Arthur M. Farmer.

Clinton, Mass.

Wanted — A first-class pediereed Cocker Spaniel
bitch or dog. Will give fine sets of eggs with data
for such. Send full description of dog.

Bloomington, 111 P. D. Getty.

Something Good — I have on hand a fine lot of
Arizona eggs in sets strictly first-class in every
respect, with full data, including Red-faced Warb
ler. Painted Redstart, Lony- crested ,Iay, Scott's
Oriole, Vermilion Flycatcher. White-necked Raven
and many otliers, nearly all with nests. I also have
a fine lot of single eggs and a few choice skins, I
will sell reasonably, or will exchange for old United
States postage, levenue and depar^'ment stamps or
for any rare foreign stamps Will also make offers
for entire collections. Parties havinar such stite
plainly what you have. Full list of eggs and skins
sent on application to parties meaning business.

Tucson. Arizona. 0. W. Howard.

I want three or four good skins of adult Blue
Pigeon Hawk. 1 can offer best excliange.
Phoenix, Arizona Geo. F. Bkeninger.

Have ^^^^, skins, books, 1000 tin mailing boxes,
wr'ting desk, mimeograph, ht'ktograph to exchange
for ornithological V)ooks, vols. Auk, eggs in sets,
camera. Eggs specially wanted collected in Illinois.

Peoria, 111. W. E. Loucks.

For SALE~My collection of 500 minerals, single
specimens 5 cents each, a lot of fine shells and first-
class bird skins. Send for lists. Ridgways' "Orni-
thology of Illinois," Vol. I $2.00.

H. S. Hathaway.

Merchants' Nafl Bank, Providence, R. I.

"Indico" Check-List — How often are valuable
moments wasted, asearch for the A. 0. U. number
of some well-known "oird. Now, a little pack of In-
dex cards will save all this trouble. Price, 35 cents
per set. Order at once- or not at all — of

St. Vincent, Minn. P. B. Peabody.

Bird Movement Charts — Card sy.-tem (One
card for each species.) Any movement, of species,
tor any time, during five years, found in a moment.
Entire record at a glanc- Better still obverse of
card duplicate-^, Agr D pt. Reports. Spring and
Fall Movements for each year in parallel lines. Any
record out ot three hundred, say, on report, found in
ten seconds Much time and annoyance saved.
Samplers, two c nt stamp; per hundred, 75 cents.

St. Vincent, Minn. P. B Prabody.

For Sale — To enrich my camera fund. ! will
sell duplicate sets— Bald-patf^, Canvas-back, Gad-
whII, Whip-poor-will, Miss. Kite, Cassin's Vireo.
Hutton's Vireo, Golden-cheeked Warbler, and oth-
ers at lowest (confidential) prices. If you ever buy,
send stamp for lists— shall have, hiter, sets that
you'll eagerly take. Guaranteed, perfect authen-
ticity: full data, faultless preparation, lowest prices.

St. Vincent. Minn. P. B Peabody.

Fine Grosbeaks. Eggs in Sets and Live
Birds in Pairs.

Having had aood success with the feu)ales I ist
season. 1 am keeping now for eggs 20 pairs of Pine
Grosbeaks If you desire a fine set of these eggs
reasonably, send your order now. The birds are
kept in a large comfortable cage, each pair por-
tioned oft". Sets Guaranteed. I also oft'er a few
pairs of live birds; best offers- in cash takes them.
Each female lays from one to three sets during the
sea,son. They are easily kept and are fine cage-birds
and sweet singers besides.

I A.LSO OFFER the only Standard Price Listof
American and Exotic Butterflies and Moths, contain-
ing the names and prices of 4000 species.

Each list 15o.: both for 2.=S(;. in silver. No stamps arc! no
POSTALS wiiDted. Will (Jive good cxchinge or ca>h for live
cococns ami pii'-;v of all kinds

PROF. CARL BRAUN, Naturalist.

banuok me., u. s. a

G F DIPPIE

17 McMillan Street.

TORONTO ('ANA HA.

High (! I ass Bird find Manimai Skins
from Alberta aii<l the Northwest.

Also a few fine sets. Full data.

Correspondence Solicited.

6^''^^j,W>tf^^^53^=^^!y^^^t>S=*=^^7

1877. 21st YEAR. 1897.

The Best is None Too Good For You.

Lite Iiisnraiice sold by the

Covenant Mutual Lite
Association.

of (iralesbnrgr, Illinois,
Has always and will always insure.
Increase in Assets.

Increase in Surplus in 1896.

\'<)ii niiiv iiisure,or you limy insure otliers.

Infoniuition promptly and cheerfully
furnislied.

W. H. Smollingek, Sec"y.
A. W. Bek(4GREn, Pres.

(Talesburg, 111.

Raold TaxidGriiiu at Home.

No Tools Required.

No extra Expense.
Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money
Refunded.

After many years of unvarying success, and a
constantly increasintr sale in every State in the
Union, and with thousands of testimonials as to the
merits of my Method of Simplified Taxideimy, from
Boys, (rirls, Parents, Doctors, Liwyers, Ministers,
School Teachers. Merchants. Farmers, Mechanics,
Hunters, Outers and Sportsmen; as well as from
Curators of leading University Museums and Pro-
fessional Taxidermists; I feel that I can safely make
this offer: Send me

75 CENTS,

Cash or Stamps, and receive complete Instructions
for mounting Birds in Cases, Plaques. Hanginar
(lame, T'eer Heads, etc.. etc . with package of Pre-
pared Compound, ready for use. enough to mount
.')0 small liirrls or 20 large ones, together with full
directions for dressing skins with the hair on. for
Rugs, Rol)»s and Hangings.

If you are not fully satisfipd vour money will he
cheerfully refumled. Beware of Imitations.

Mention Ihk Osi'HEv. and address

MORRIS GIBBS. M.D.,

KAi.AMAZoo. MICH.

Burlington

x^^,=«^^^i^^==^ii^^(r'=*^^a^

Best line to Denver. St, Paul ^
A\inneapt)lis, Kansas City> St. ^
Joseph, Onu^ha, St. Louis, Port-
land and California Points-

Specially' conducted Tourist
cars to and from California.

p. S. EUSTIS, G. P. A., ChicaoQ.
A. S. CRAWFORD, Galesburo', 111.
W. H. SPINNER, Ticket Agent,
Galesburo', 111.

TUG Rarest ot SDGClmens

as vrell as common bird skins can be found in
the IMMENSK stock of over 10 OOO skin 1 carry,
containing species from all pver the United
States, Uritish Columbia, Alaska. Lower Califor-
nia, Mexico. (Tuadalupe and adjacent islands.
I can supply a few fine

SKINS AND f:G(;s
of the almost unknown

BLACK, LEAST, AND SOCORRO PETRELS,
if ordered before the few on sale are gone
Skins of Carolina Paroquets, Ivory-billfd Wood-
peckers, Flamingoes, Tropic Birds, Long-tailed
Paradise Trogons and many handsome tropical
species. Also Glass Eyes, Handsome Geodes;
and a few Illinois Geological Reports for sale,
now becoming very rare. T.xxrDKRMv in all
its branches. Hfalers. School.^, Museums sup-
plied at r.owRST I'KicKs. Reference: All
prominent Scientists and Institutions through-
out the country. Enclose stamp with all letters
of imjuiry, or two for )>rice lists.

(HAS. K. WORTH EN,

Naturalist, Taxidermist and Dealer.
Establisht^d in 187?>. \V.M!sa\v. li,r,. . U S A.

(r^^s*^^^^^j^*=^^7<^^^i2*=s^

VOLUME 1
NUMBER 8

APRIL, 1897.

^=^

'^^i-

An Illustrated

MONTHLY MAG/VZlNf

v^f Ornithology

i'l'iiiiiiiif

y -" .jii

^^^^^ ,A

Q

lY

I.

r^

EDITED BY

Wcilber ^. Johnson.
ASSOCIATED w;th

Dr. eilictt Coucs,

WASHINGTON. D. C.

$1.00 A YEAR
10c. A COPY

^: i.lil.iiMiiln

Mexican Screech Owl, (From Life).

THE 6SPRLY COMPANY,

61 NO.PRAIRIE ST. , — ^_. GALESBURG. ILL.

^!S^i

THE OSPREY.

ILLUSTRATED LECTURES

Nature, Education and Recreation

subjects:

One Lecture - - i. "The Wonders and Beauty of
Nature."
(2. "Journeys in Space — Our
Two LECTURES - -i' , ,, World and Others "

3. "Journeys about Hoine-Road-
[ sides, Fields and Forests."

Three Lectures— 2 and 3 with 4. "Practical Micro-
scopy— Minute Life and Structure."

For Terms and Particulars Address

Edward Fuller Bigelow

Managine; Editor
... of ...

PORTLAND, CONN.

THE OBSERVER

An Illustrated Magazine for all students
and lovers of Nature, creatinji and in-
creasing: a knowledge and love of the
natural sciences.

Sabscrlption, One Year $1.00

Single Number 10 cents

I WANT ornitholog-ical books and papers.
Will g-ive $5 magic lantern v?ith outfit, Mekeel's
U. S. Stamp Album, philatelic papers or banjo.
No. 2 Caligraph typewriter for bicycle.

Clyde L. Smith, Oblong, 111.

Wanted — A chance to furnish you collec-
tions of showy shells or minerals, or anything
you may need in any department of Natural
History. Andrew Nelson, 1108 Palean St ,
Keokuk, Iowa.

LIVE RED FOXES WANTED.

Cash paid for same. Address R N. E., care of
The Osprey Company, Box 500, Galesburg, 111.

Steel Climbing Irons

All strapped
ready for use

ONLY 91.2-j PER PAIR.

J. H. IVIEXCRUF

Holyoke. IVIass

.1 H HnlmP<5 «6 ah inquiries win be
U. II. 1 lUlUICd ^ promptly answered

DEALER IN

DUNEDiN, FLA. 5hells, Marine Curios, etc

17 Hcaillan Street
TORONrO. CANADA

Q. F. DIPPIE

High Class^^rf."— ^

Birds and flamma! Skins

from Alberta and the Northwest.
Also a few fine sets. Fall Data. Correspondence solicited.

OVERS OF FIELD SPORTS .^

Hunters
Anglers
Cyclists
Everybody

Should send a two cent stamp for a
sample copy of

SPORTS AFIELD

The Best and Oldest of Western
Sportsmen's Magazines.

SPORTS AFIELD PUB. CO.

358 Dearborn St. Chicago, III.

American Taxidermy— A List of 160 Photographs
From Work.
Here are 8 of them— No. 4, Workshop, Deer season ; 141,
Hawks (35 birds ; 139, Ducks and Geese (37 birds): 141,
Workshop, Moose season ; 131, Owl season (53 birds) ; 138,
Swans, Loons (20 birds) ; 140. Grouse and Ptarmig-an ; 153,
A Window Decoration. Price, 15c, or 12 for SI. 25. Collec-
tions of stuffed birds for schools a specialtj-. Send 10c
for catalogue of materials, etc.
FRANK BLAKE WEBSTER CO., HYOE PARK, MASS.

Wanted-An Idea

Who can think
of some simple
thing to patent?
Protect your ideas; they may bring you wealth
Write JOHN WEDDEKBURN & Co., Patent Attor
neys, Washington, D. C, for their $1,81X) prize offer
and list of two hundred Inventions wanted.

Reduced one=half ! Reprints of Urd's Zoology.

To dispose of the remainder of my edition of the Re-
print, I have reduced tlie price to $1, in advance postpaid.
This Reprint was made direct from the only copy of the
second American edition of Guihrie's GeogTaph3' (1815)
now known to exist. It contains Ord's catalogue and
orig'inal description of North American Mammals, Birds
Bud Keptiles, with a copious Appendix of note.s and deci-
sions by the editor on questions of natural histor3- and
noniinclature involved in Ord's work ; al.so a half-tone
portrait of Georg'e Ord. Address all orders to the editor,
Samuel N Rhoads,

Haddonfield, N. J.

WE GIVE LIBERAL PREMIUMS for clubs
of subscriber-. Hera are some: Moore Bicycle
saddle for 5 subscriptions. Search Light Lantern
for 6. Pocket Kodak (loaded) for 6. Bristol steel
fishing rod for g Comet Camera for g. $15 Mil-
waukee reel for 15. $15 Washburn banjo, mando-
lin .r guitar for 15." $16 Winchester rifle for 16. $iS
Marlin rifle for 18. Complete Spalding tennis outfit
for 2g. $50 phonograph, complete and ready for
use, for 50. Accne bicycle, 'gy model, man's or
woman's, for 100. $100 S> racuse bicycle, 'ti7 model,
man's or woman's, built to order, for 125 subscrip
tions. And there are hundreds of other equally
desirable articles full particulars of which will be
found in GAMELAND, the monthly magazine of
outdoor sport. Subscription price, $1 i er year.
SEND FOR A FREE SAMPLE COPY. Order
blanks, for use in securing subscriptions, free of
charge.

Address,

GAMELAND PUBLISHING CO.,
Incorporated,

63 Rutgers Slip, New York.

THE OSPREY.

WANT, Fur sale and exchange.

Notices in this column are charged for at the rate
of one cent a ivord, with a tninitnuni of 2§ cents
for one insertion.

Dealers are referred to our regular advertising
rates.

Specimens that we can jise will be accepted
at one-half list rates.

Each subscriber is entitled to one notice of jj
zvords, to be used at any time during the year of
subscription.

In okdek to defray the expenses of a long
trip, I shall be prepared to fill orders for choice
Alaskan bird skins, curios, etc., till June next.
Send stamp with inquiries. Geo. G. Cant-
WELL, Howkan, Jackson P. O.. Alaska.

Choice Southern eg-gs in sets with full data,
for sale at a reasonable price, and to exchange
for sets and large singles. Ivist for stamp. Dr.
M. T Cleckley. 457 Greene St., Augusta, Ga.

Large stock of bird skins, mammal skins,
eggs and nests peculiar to Arizona and Cali-
fornia. Private collections and museums sup-
plied at reasonable prices. Those contemplat-
ing purchases will do well to write for list with
prices. Geo F Breninger. Phoenix. Ariz

CouES' Key — New copy, last edition, for only
$4 00 A bargain. Davie's Methods in the Art
of Taxidermy, at half price, $5 00. Geo. Rog-
ers, care Osprev Co . Galesburg. 111.

$250.00 fine sets. I offer for a new $100.00 type-
writer, latest Remington preferred. Geo. Rog-
ers, care Osprey Co , Galesburg. 111.

Wanted — Really rare sets and singlts ; also
rare skins. I offer supplies, books and speci-
mens in tnost any branch of Natural History.
Do not offer common material, as I cannot use
it W. F. Webb, Mgr., Albion, N. Y.

Wanted —A copy of Coues' Key and Ridg-
way's Manual, 1890 edition, in return for fine
skins of A O. U , 278. 248, 247. 431.433.397, 507,
542c, 599, 596. 615, 607 646a, 57, 656, 668. 683a,
685a, 681a, 719a, 722a, 725a, 730, 758, 759, 763,
767, 74 la, 65. W. Otto Emerson, Hay wards,
California.

Florida Shells for Salk — Sea shells by
mail, 40c per lb, or 3 lbs for $1 ; safe arrival
guaranteed. Write for prices in quantities.
Florida Air Plants that will live, 10c, 25c and
5i)c by mail ; stamps taken. James F. Powell,
Melbourne, Florida.

For Sale OK Rent -C stages and lots and
lands on the Indian River, for the raising of
pineapples, vegetables and oranges. No finer
nor hea'thier climate in the U. S. Address J.
F. Powell, Melbourne, Fla.

Camera (4x5) WanTiCD — Also large rifle.
Offer five mounted birds and skeletons. H. C.
Butcher, Galesburg, 111.

Will ExCHANGE-Wa-tches of all kinds or
anything in the jewelry line for good sets of
skins with data. W. S. Townsend, jeweler.
Perry, O. T.

For Sale or Charter— Schooner 34 ft. long,
12 ft. beam, fitted for cruising. Would charter
from April to November very low. Take a col-
lecting trip at little expense over 300 miles of
inland water, Indian River and tributaries.
Address J. F. Powell, Melbourne, Fla.

Bugs— Did you receive a copy of "Household
Insects of the United States" (Division of En-
tomology, Washington) that you do not care
for? Perhaps you have Vol. I.. No. 4 of The
Taxidermist to spare? W. E. Snyder, Beaver
Dam, Wis

During the coming season I desire to pur-
chase for cash any quantity of first-class sets
of eggs of the following species : Loon, Whoo-
ping and Sandhill Crane, Swallow-tail and
White-tailed Kites, Sharp shinned and Broad-
winged Hawks, American and Ferruginous
Rough-leg, Golden and Bald Eagles, Prairie
Falcon, Duck Hawk, Pigeon Hawk, Whip-
poor-will, Chuck-wills-widow, Parauque, and
any rare species new to my collection. Parties
will do well to correspond with me in reference
to this notice, as I mean business. Above must
be A 1 in all respects and with full data. Also
desire back numbers of The Auk and O. & O.

Parties having series of sets of any of the
following species to offer in exchange will do
well to correspond with me, as I desire a large
number of each, and will offer choice sets from
my private series in exchange for them. I de-
sire the following : Bluebird, Wilson's and
Woodthrushes, Cal. Bush Tit, Brown Thasher,
Catbird, Chestnut sided Warbler, Yellow War-
bler. Cedar Bird, Chippy, Song Sparrow, Spar-
row Hawk, and long list of others, both com-
mon and rare. All must be very choice in
preparation and have full data. C W. Cran-
DALL, Woodside, Queens Co., N. Y. Lock Box 3.

SIIVION F»OK«GOr<l. Polta-watcamiK Chief,

Authorof the ' Red M,an's Oolumbian Greeting," Published in a
B- otlet m.ide from the Manifold Hark of the Wtiite Birch Tree.
No two 1 aves Mre alike in Texture or in Hue, all varying
throuah Different Shades of Orims n.Wliite and Golden
t olors, as they came from Nature's Hand.
Simon Pokag-on is a full blooded Indian and the last
Chief of the Pottawattamie Pokagon band. He is author
ot the Red Man's Greeting-, termed by miny the Red Man's
Rebuke. It is published in a booklet made from the mani-
fold bark of the white birch tree. It was entitled by Prof.

Longfe

read in such niasrazines as the Cliantmigtian, Arena and
RcTiew of R views. He was guest of Chicago during the
World'sColumbianFair; was honored on Chicago Day by
being the first to ring the new "Liberty Bell," after which
"Glory Hallelujah'' was sung for the first time on the Fair
Ground. He then laid aside his cap and feathers making
a brief address to the largest crowd ever assembled in
America, at the close of which, amid deafening cheers, a
errand rush was made for the old chief, shaking both his
hands, until his arms gave out. He was the first Red man
to visit Abraham Lincoln while president f the U. S.,
again visiting him a short time before his death. He also
visited General Grant while president, with whom he
smoked "the pipe of peace" receiving thanks for Indian
soldiers furnished during the war. H^ is now nearly sev-
enty years old. His father, Leopold Pokagon, was chief
forty-two vears, during which time he sold Chicago and
the "surrounding countrv to the U. S. for 3c per acre, the
most of which remained unpaid until autumn of 18%. As
he said to the Indian cnmmission, "I have gotten to be an
old nnn trying to get my pay." Below are a few extracts
from press reviews: , . r.

The Red Man"s (ireeti'i<r is published and on sale by C.
H. Engl . of Hartford. Mch. Postage stamps and bills
to the amount OIS2.1K1 received in payment at publisher's

risk. Price 50 cents.

'(r'*^5^S>*=:^^^§t?S*==^^?^^§tJ5^::^^

1877. 21st YEAR. 1897.

The Best is None Too Good For You.

Life Insurance sold by the

Covenant Mutual Life
flssoGiaiion.

of Galesbnrg, Illinois,
Has always and will always insure.
Increase in Assets.

Increase in Surplus in 1896.

You maj insure,or you may insure others.

Information promptly and cheerfully
furnished.

W. H. Smollinger, Sec"}'.
A. W. Berggren, Pres.
Galesburg, 111.

Rapid Taxidermy at Home.

No Tools Required.
^ . „ No extra Expense,

^satisfaction Guaranteed or Money
Refunded.

After many years of unvarying snccess, and a
constantly increasing sale in every State in the
Union, and with thousands of testimonials as to the
merits of my Method of Simplified Taxidermy, from
h5oys(Tirls, Parents, Doctors, Liwyers, Ministers,
School teachers. Merchants, Farmers, Mechanics,
Hunters, Outers and Sportsmen; as well as from
< urators of leading University Museums and Pro-
fessional Taxidermists; 1 feel that I can safely make
this otter: Send me

75 CENTS,

Cash or Stamps, and rec-ive complete Instructions
for mounting Birds in Cases, Plaqups, Hanging
Crame, Deer Heads, etc., etc , with package of Pre-
pared Compound, ready for use, enough to mount
60 small birds or 20 large ones, together with full
directions for dressing skins with the hair on, for
Kugs, Kobes and Hangings.

If you are not fully satisfied viur mm^v will be
cheerfully refunded. Beware of Imitations

Mention The Osprey, and address

MORRIS GIBBS, M.D.,

KALAMAZOO. MICH.

Burlington

Best Iill6 to Denver, St. Paul
Minneapolis, Kansas City, St.
cJosepJT, Omaha, St. Louis, Port-
land and California Points-

Specially conducted Tourist
cars to and from California.

P. S. KUSTIS, G. p. A., Chicago.
A. S. CRAWFORD, Galesburg, 111.
W. H. SPINNER, Ticket Agent,
Galesburg, 111.

THe Raresi o! SDeciiiiens

as well as common bird skins can be found in
the IMMENSE stock of over 10 000 skin- I carry,
containing species from all over the United
States, British Columbia, Alaska, Lower Califor-
nia, Mexico, Guadalupe and adjacent islands.
I can supply a few fine

SKINS AND EGGS
of the almost unknown

BLACK, LEAST, AND SOCORRO PETRELS,
if ordered before the few on sale are gone.
Skins of Carolina Paroquets, Ivory-billed Wood-
peckers, Flamingoes, Tropic Birds, Long-tailed
Paradise Trogons and many handsome tropical
species. Also Glass Eyes, Han-lsome Geodes;
and a few Illinois Geological Reports for sale,
now becoming very rare. Taxidermy in all
ifs branches. Dealers, S-chools, Museums sup-
plied at LOWEST PRICES. Reference: All
prominent Scientists and Institutions through-
out the country. Enclose stamp with a'l letters
of inquiry, or two for price lists.

CHAS. K. WORTHEX,

Naturalist, Txidermist and Dealer,
Established in 187o. Wahsaw, 111.. U S A. M*

VOLUME 1.
NUMBER 9.

MAY. J 8^7.

$1.00 A YEAR.
I Or. A COPY

An Illustrated
monthly mag/vzine

°PQRNlTnOLGGY

Y/--^^

y^-it

EDITED BY

WALTER A. JOHNSON,

ASSOCIATED WITH

DR. ELLIOTT GOUES,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

^.y^^^_^ cTj^*>n

THE OSPRLY COMPANY,

61 N PRAIRIE ST. r — ^^ GALESBURGJLL.

("opyrightf^d, 1897. by Tlie Osprey Company.

THE USPiiEV.

CONTENTS.

Page.

Magnolia Warblers, from Painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes Frontispiece.

Notes on the Marbled Murrelet Joseph Grinnell. 115

Annas Hummingbird, from Photograph by Mrs. Elizabeth Gkinnell 116

Nest and Eggs of the American Herring Gull, from Photograph by Ora W, Knight 117

A Correction of a Frequent Misstatement Ludwig Kumlien 117

The Formation of the Bill in the Genus Loxia ; Wm. P. Lemmon .iiS

Great Horned Owls— Father and Son (?) from Photograph by Allen A. Gkeen 119

Practical Feather Work *. Charles Hallock 119

Au-Mon Re-Nay-sshen Chief Pokagon, of the Pottowattomie Indians 120

Blowing Incubated Egg's.". .".'.'. . . .' Albert Lano 121

Hummingbirds at Sea San Francisco Chronicle 121

Old Dote-Cote, (Poem) Charles Sloan Reid 122

General Notes :— Chimney Swift Breaking oft Twigs with Their Feet. C122). Wilson Snipe Breeding at Branchport,
N. Y., (122). An Unusual Nesting Site, (122). Migration at Beaver Dam, Wis., (122). Early Migrants, (122). Wilson
Snipe in the Berkshire Hills in Winter, (122). Red-headed Woodpecker Wintering in Wisconsin, (122). An Early
Whip-poor-will, (123).

Note and Comment.— An Egg of the California Condor Taken 123

Recent Literature ^23

Dr. Coues' Column 124

Notes on •'Flycatcher Notes" Walton Mitchell 124

California Department :— Late Migrants, Cooper Club Notes, A Fraud in the Cooper Club, California Items 125

The Chicago Academy of Sciences 125

Photograph Notes 126

Editorial Notes 126

A COLLECTION OF FINE SETS OF BIRDS' EGGS

have been placed in our hands to sell ; and to SELL QUICKLY we offer them at the
low prices attached. Some special bargains included. Numbers following names are
the number of eggs in a set. Postage on orders of less than $1.00 must be paid by
purchaser.

Per Egg.

American Eared Grebe, 9 $ .08

Pied-billed Grebe, 7-6 04

Puffin, 1 20

Cassin's Auklet, i 50

Murre, i 08

Razor-billed, i oS

Great Black-backed Gull, 2 25

Ring-billed Gull, 3 15

Caspian Tern, 3 20

Forster's Tern, 3 03

Arctic Tern, 3 03

Least Tern, 3 03

Bridled Tern, i 35

Noddy, I 15

Fulmar, i 25

Audubon's Shearwater, i 45

Anhinga,4 12.

Double-crested Cormorant, 4 08

Florida Cormorant, 4 08

Farallone Cormorant, 3 .10

Brown Pelican. 3 lo

Blue-winged Teal, 9-13 08

Lesser Scaup Duck, 8 25

White Ibis, 4-5 oS

American Bittern, 3 3°

Least Bittern, 4 o5

Snowy Heron, 4 08

Little Blue Heron, 3 05

Green Heron, 4 05

Black-crowned Night Heron, 3 05

Purple G alii nule, 6 08

Florida Gallinule, 7-8 05

American Coot, 7-8-9 04

Red Phalarope, 4 65

American Avocet, 4 20

Spotted Sandpiper, 4 06

Killdeer, 4 08

Bob-white 8-10-11 05

Valiey Partridge, 6. 06

Prairie Hen, 13-10 12

Chachalaca, 3 18

Mourning Dove, 2 02

Cooper's Hawk, 4 10

Harris' Hawk, 3 i2

Red-tailed Hawk, 2 18

Red-shouldered Hawk, 3

Florida Red-shouldered Hawk, 3.,

Swainson's Hawk, 2

American Sparrow Hawk. 5

Audubon's Caracara, 3-2

American Osprey, 3

Short-eared Owl, 4

American Long-eared Owl, 5

Screech Owl, 4-5-3

Great Horned Owl, 2

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 3-4

Downy Woodpecker, 6

Red-headed Woodpecker, 5

Red-bellied Woodpecker, 4

Flicker, 7-8-9

Whip-poor-will, 2

Nighthawk, 2.. -

Western Nighthawk, 2

Chimney Swift, 4

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, n. 2.
Black-chinned Hummingbird, n. 2

Anna's Hummingbird, n. 2

Rufous Hummingbird, n. 2

Allen's Hummingbird, n. 2

Scissor-t ailed Flycatcher, 5

Kingbird, 4

Arkansas Kingbird, 4

Crested Flycatcher, 5

Phcebe, 5

Black Phcebe, 4

Wood Pewee, 3

Traill's Flycatcher, 3-4

American Magpie, 6

Yellow-billed Magpie, 7-8

Blue Jay, 4-5

California Jay, 3

American Crow, 4-5-6

Yellow-headed Blackbird, 4

Red-winged Blackbird, 3-4

Meadowlark, 5

Western Meadowlark, 3

Bullock's Oriole, 5

Brewer's Blackbird, 4-5

Bronzed Grackle, 4-5

House Finch, 4-5

Per Egg,

15

American Goldfinch, 4-5

Grasshopper Sparrow, 4

Gambel's Sparrow, 3

Field Sparrow, 4

Song Sparrow, 3

Towhee, 3

California Towhee, 4-3

Cardinal, j

Gray-tailed Cardinal, 4

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 3-4.
Black-headed Grosbeak, 3 .. .

Blue Grosbeak, 4

Indigo Bunting, 3

Lazuli Bunting, 4

Painted Bunting, 4

Dickcissel, 4-5

Lark Bunting, 4

Scarlet Tanager, 2-3

Summer Tanager, 3

Purple Martin. 4

Cliff Swallow, 4

Barn Swallow, 4

Cedar Wa.xwing 4-3

Whife-ruinped Shrike. 4-5-6..

Red eyed Vireo, 4

Bell's Vireo, 7

Black and White Warbler, 4.

Yellow-Warbler, 3-4

Macgillivray's Warbler, 4

Maryland Yellovz-throat, 4...

Mockingbird, 4

Catbird, 4-5

Brown Thrasher, 4-5

Carolina Wren, 5

Baird's Wren, 7

House Wren, 7-8

Long-billed Marsh Wren, 5 . .

Chickadee, 7

California Bush-Tit, 5

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 5

Wood Thrush, 4

Russet-backed Thrush, 4-5 .. .
Western Robin, 3

Per Egg.

JL'i:':ZLTHE OSPREY COMPANY,

61 North Prairie Street, Galesburg, Illinois.

THE USPKEY.

WANT, FOR SALE AND EXCHANGE.

Notices in this coliiiiin are charged /or at the rate of one cent
a wort/, with a ininiinuiii of 2j cents for each insertion.

Dealers are re/erred to our regular advertisint; rates.

Speciiiieiis that 2ve can use tvill be accepted at one-half list rates.

Each subscriber is entitled to one notice if Jj words, to be used
at any time during the year if subscription.

A NUMBER of notices are crowded out this number.

Large stock of bird skins, mammal skins, eggs
and nests peculiar to Arizona and California. Private
collections and museums supplied at reasonable
prices. Those contemplating purchases will do well
to write for list with prices. Geo, F. Breninger,
Phoenix, Ariz.

$250.00 fine sets, I offer for a $100.00 typewriter.
Geo. Rogers, care Osprey Co., Galesburg, 111.

Wanted — Really rare sets and singles ; also rare
skins. I offer supplies, books and specimens in most
any branch of Natural History. Do not offer com-
mon material, as I cannot use it. W. F. Webb,
Mgr . Albion, N. Y,

Wanted — Volumes sand 4 of "The Auk," back
numbers of the Century Magazine and Harpers'
Weekly; I offer first-class skins and eggs, also mammal
skins. Albert Land, Aitkin, Minn.

Wish to exchange some nice Alaskan birds and
eggs for a little job printing. Geo. G. Cantwell,
Juneau, Alaska.

For Sale- Quackenbush rifle, 22-calibre, in good
condition. Will sell cheap for cash. Hartley H.
T. Jackson, Milton, Wis.

A LOT of " Musuem's" and "Oologists" to exchange
for copies of "Osprey" and " Nidologist." N. K.
Christie, Rouse Junction, Colo.

Pinion Jays — A few finely prepared sets of Pinion
Jay, four eggs in set, for sale at $2.50 per set. Nest,
if desired, 25 cents extra. N, R, Christie, Rouse
Junction, Colo,

Will take this season 360a, 366, 402a, 408, 475,
492, 448, 562, 583, 656, 702, 708 and others. Will
sell at one-fourth catalogue rates or exchange for de-
sirable articles. Send list of what you have, inclos-
ing stamp, N, R, Christie, Rouse Junction, Colo

Notice- I have for sale several fine mounted
specimens of "Loons" or "Great Northern Divers, '
will .sell cheap for cash. Send for prices and Blue
Prints showing positions. Have also eggs in sets and
skins to exchange for sets and mounted birds, W.
A. Oldfield, Port Sanilac, Mich,

LIVE RED FOXES WANTED !

Cash paid for same. Address, R, N. E., care of The
Osprey Company, Box 500, Galesburg, 111,

Nest, four eggs. Clay-colored Sparrow, 30 cents :
selected series, four sets, $1 60, all prepaid. Set ten.
Pied-bill Grebe, 50 cents, P, B, Peabody, St, Vin-
cent, Minn.

For Exchange — A copy, in good condition, cov-
ered in cloth and morocco, of Studer's " Birds of
North America," profusely illustrated with colored
engravings of birds by Theodore Jasper Will ex-
change for $35 in complete sets of eggs, with original
data, of North American Eagles, Kites or Hawks.
Jno, W, Daniel, Jr, Lynchburg, Va,

Wanted for Cash — A copy of each, "Birds of the
Virginias," by Rioes, and "Nidologist" Vol. i, No. 2.
Jno. W. Daniel, Jr., Lynchburg, Va.

For Sale— Improved egg-blowers, which are made
on the same principal as the one described in the
April number of The Osprey, Each blower is in
complete working order. Either %, ^, i or i^
inch couplings (to screw directly to your faucet) will
be sent as desired. Price, $1, Postpaid. Adaress,
J. Maurice Hatch, Escondido, Cal.

Wanted To Exchange — Eggs and skins of Wood
Ibis, Florida Burrowing Owl, Florida Cormorant,
Little Blue, Louisanna and Great Blue Herons An-
hingas. White Ibis, Osprey and Sandhill Crane; also
Skulls, Preserved Snakes and live specimens of Birds,
Snakes, Alligators, Turtles and other stuff. For
Glass-eyes, Cork, Bark, Artificial leaves and other
taxidermist supplies. A, M. Nicholson, Orlando,
Fla,

Will Exchange — Desirable Cape St. Lucas and
other rare Lower California and Guadaloupe, etc.,
species for first-class skins of Leach's, Wilson's
Stormy, and other Petrels, Passenger Pigeons,
Krider's, Harlan's and Short-tailed Hawks, Swallow-
tailed and Mississippi Kites, Grafalcons, Smith's
Longspiurs, Ipswich Sparrows, Baird's, Worthen's
Black-chinned and Slate-colored Sparrows, Spotted
Owls, Aikins Screech Owls, Richardson's Merlins
and Pigeon Hawks in B/i(t' plumage. Pigmy Owls,
Massena Partridges, Masked Bob-whites and many
other species desired, too numerous to mention.
Send full lists, enclosing stamp for reply. Chas. K,
Worthen, Warsaw, 111,

"The neatest and best arranged data blank I
have ever seen," so says E. S. Crafton. We still
have a few more of these at 35 cents per book of 100
each, postpaid. The Osprey Co., Galesburg, 111.

An Egg Blower — One of the papers that pub-
lished kind words of the April Osprey, says regard-
ing one of the articles: "The illustration accom-
panying the article on ' Improved Egg-blower' is very
complete and gives every oologist a scientific imple-
ment at a mere nominal .price which will do away
with the annoyance that hitherto has always been
associated with attempts to 'blow' eggs." April
number for sale at 10 cents each. Address, The
Osprey Company, 61 N. Prairie St., Galesburg, 111,

PINE GROSBEAKS.

Eggs in Sets and Live Birds in Pairs.

Having had good success with the females last sea-
son, 1 am keei)ing now tor eg.sjs 20 pairs of Pine Gros-
beaks. If you desire a fine set of these eggs reason-
ably, send "your or<ler now. The birds are kept in a
large comfortable cage, each pair portioned off. Sets
Guaranteed. I also offer a few pairs of live birds;
best offers in cash takes them. Each female lays
from one to three sets during the season. They are
easily kept and are fine cage-birds and sweet singers
besides.

I ALSO OFFER the only Standard Price List of
American and Exotic Butterflies and Moths, contain-
ing the names and prices of 4,000 species.

Each list 15c.; both for 25c. in silver. No .stamps
and no postai-s wanted. Will give crood exchange
or cash for live cocoons and pup?e of all kinds.

PROF. CARL BRAUN, Naturalist.

BANGOR. ME.. U. S. A.

WSS5S»8®S»W»S»S»8WiS»r«»S«!^«8S»»8«gi

1897.

2l8t YEAR.

THE BEST ^<^^^> FOR YOU.
LiF'E INSURANCE

.SOI>D BY THK

COVEHANT MUTUAL
^^ LIFE ASSOCIATIOK

OF GALESBURG, ILL.,

Has always ^^^ INSURE
Will always "^v^^'^'--

Increase in Assets.
Increase in Surplus in 789^

Burlington

THE BEST LINE W

m

Denver, St. Paul, II]iririeapolis, m

Jjansas City, St. Josepl], S

Oniaha, St.Louis, Portland aiid m

6alifori]ia Poiiits. M

^&» \n\\ May Insure, or Yoii May Insure Others.

1^;^ Information |>roniptly and clu'erfully furnished :
B. F. REINMUND, Sec'y.

W. H. SMOLLINGER, Pres.

GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

OF FIELD SPOpS-f

Hunters
Anglers
Cyclists
Everybody

Should Send a Two Cent Stamp for
A Sample Copy of

i"SPORTS • AFIELD."

Thf IJcst and Oldest of
Western Sportsmen's Maga/Jnes.

i SPORTS AFIELD PUB. CO.

358 DEARBORN ST.

oszio^o-o, ii_.Xjiisrois.

AMERICAN TAXIDERMY.
A List of i6o Photographs from Work.

Here are 8 of them — No. 4, VVorksliop, Ueer season ; 141,
Hawks, (35 buds); 139, Ducks aiul Geese, {^y birds): 141,
Workshop, Moose season: 131, Owl season, (53 liirds) ; 138,
Swans, Loons, (20 birds) ; 140, Grouse and Pi.unii^au: 15!. \
Window Decoration. Price, 15c, or 12 for $1.25. Collections
of stuffed birds for schools a specialty. Send 10c for cat.ilnyup
of materials, etc.

Frank Blake Webster Co., Hyde Park, Mass

CHMS. K. :iA£ORTHEN.

Naturalist, Taxidermist and Dealer,
Established in 1873. WARSAW, ILL., U. S. A.

SPECIALLY CONDUCTED TOURIST
CARS TO AND FROM CALIFORNIA.

p. S. EUSTIS, G. V. A., Chicaoo.

A. S. CRAAYFORl), Galesuurg, III.
W. II. fSPlNXER, Ticket Agent,

GALESBURG, ll-L.

THE RAREST OF SPECIMEITS

as well as common Bird Skins can be found in
the immense stock of over 10,U0O skins I carry,
containing species from all over the United
States, British Columbia,Alaska, Lower Califor-
nia, Mexico, Guadalupe and adjacent islands.
1 can suiiply a few SKINS AND EGGS of
the almost unknown

( ^'lack, Least, and Socorro Petrels,

if ordered before the few now on sale are gone,
skins of Carolina Paroquets, Ivory-billed Wood-
p< ckers. Flamingoes, Tropic Birds, Long-tailed
Paradise Trogons and many handsome tropical
species. Also Glass Eyes, handsome Goedes,
and a few Illinois (reological Reports for sale,
now becoming very rare.

Taxidermy in All its Branches,

Dealers, Schools, Museums supirlied at lowest
prices. Refereiu-e: — All prominent Scientists
and Institutions throughout the country. En-
close stamp with all letters of inciuiry, or two
for Price l^ists.

VOLUME 1.
NUMBER 10.

JUNE, 1897.

$1.00 A YEAR.
10c. A COPY.

An Illustrated
monthly mag/vzine

111:

^^

Am

\^

EDITED BY

WALTER A. JOHNSON,

ASSOCIATED WITH

DR. ELLIOTT GOUES,

WASHINGTON, D. 0.

YOUNG OSPREYS AT GARDINER'S ISLAND.

J

%^

^.y^*'^^ co2>^;

THE OSPRLY COMPANY,

61 N PRAIRIE ST. r—^ GALESBURG, ILL.

Copyriti;lited, 1897, by The Osprey Company.

THE USFKEV

CONTENTS.

Page.

Nest and eggs of the American Osprey from Photograph by Ora W. Knight Frontispiece.

Water Birds of the Quiver Lake Region Prof. P. M. Silloway 127

American Osprey Notes at Gardiner's Island, N. Y Henry R. Buck 129

Notes from Maine on the American Osprey Ora W. Knight 130

The American Osprey in Lower California ■. Horace A. Gaylord 131

Some Observations on the Nesting of Ducks r Eugene S. Rolfe 131

Editorial Notes i34

Ornithological Bulletins 134

Recent Literature 135

Dr Coues' Column 135

General Notes : — Parasitic Habits of the Blackbilled Cuckoo. Contents of An Owl's Nest. The Red-headed Wood-
pecker Wintering in Wisconsin. Barn Owl in Licking County. Ohio. Large Laying Capacity of the Flicker.
Peculiar Nesting Place of the Red-winged Blackbird A Turkey Swim.-;. A Queer Set of Crow's Eggs. A Baby
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 'Value ( ? ( of Ornithological Observations by Amateurs. The Prairie Horned Lark
in Maine. Unusual Markings of Cliff Swallow Eggs. The Chicago Academy of Sciences. An Albino Green-
tailed Towhee 136-137

California Department : — Cooper Club Notes. A New Source of Redpoll's Eggs. Queer Actions of a Thrasher 138

Correspondence 138

A COLLECTION OF FINE SETS OF BIRDS' EGGS

have been placed in our hands to sell ; and to SELL QUICKLY we offer them at the
low prices attached. So/ne special b(irg(ii?is inch4ded. Numbers following names are
the number of eggs in a set. Postage on orders of less than $1.00 must be paid by
purchaser.

Per Egg.

American Eared Grebe, 9 8

Pied-billed Grebe, 7-6

Puffin, 1 ..

Cassin's Auklet, i

Razor-billed, i

Great Black-backed Gull, 2

Ring-billed Gull, 3

Caspian Tern, 3

Double-crested Cormorant, 4

Blue-winged Teal, 9-13

Lesser Scaup Duck, 7

White Ibis, 4-3

American Bittern, 3

Least Bittern, 4

Snowy Heron, 4

Green Heron, 4

Purple Gallinule, 6

Florida Gallinule, 7-8

American Coot, 7-8-9

Red Phalarope, 4

American A vocet, 4

Bob-white 8-10-1 1 . . ;

Prairie Hen, 13-10

Mourning Dove. 2

Turkey Vulture, 2 .

Cooper's Hawk, 4

Florida Red-shouldered Hawk, 3

Audubon's Caracara, 3-2

American Osprey, 3

Screech Owl, 4-5-3

Barn Owl, 4

Red-headed Woodpecker. 5

Flicker, 7-8-y

Whip-poor-will, 2

Western Nighthawk, 2

Chimney Swift, 4

Kingbird, 4

Crested Flycatcher, 5

Phoebe, 5

Wood Pewee, 3

Traill's Flycatcher, 3-4
Yellow-billed Magpie, 7-8. . . .

Blue Jay, 4-5

California Jay, 3 . . . .

American Crow 4-5-6

Yellow-headed Blackbird, 4. .
Red-winged Blackbird. 3-4...

Meadowlark, 5

Western Meadowlark, 3

Bullock's Oriole, 5

Brewer's Blackbird. 4-5

Bronzed Grackle, 4-5

House Finch, 4-5

American Goldfinch, 6

Field Sparrow, 4

Towhee, 3

California Towhee, 4-3

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 3-4 .
Black-beaded Grosbeak, 3 .. .

Blue Grosbeak, 4

Indigo Bunting, 3

Lazuli Bunting, 4

Scarlet Tanager, 2-3

Summer Tanager, 3

Purple Martin. 4.

White-ruinped Shrike. 4-5-6..

Yellow-Warbler, 3-4

Mockingbird. 4

Catbird. 4-5

Brown Thrasher, 4-5

Baird's Wren, 7

House Wren, 7-8

Long-billed Marsh Wren, 5

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. 5

Russet-backed Thrush, 4-5 .. .

Per Egg.

•05
.05

.18

•05
■05
.03
.02

Order wliile tHese
Baroains Last.

One to six sets of each of the
species listed have not been sold.
These remarkably Low Prices
have brought us orders from a
number of the best-known col-
lectors, including an order from
the owner of

The Largest Private
Collection ot Birds'
Eqqs in America !

Several purchasers have sent in
a second order

Please name a few species that
may be used to fill out order in
case part of those ordered are sold

„THE OSPREY COMPANY,

61 North Prairie Street,

Galesburg, Illinois.

J. H. Holmes ^

All inquiries will be
promptly answered.

DEALER IN

DUNEOIM, FLA. Shells, Marine Curios, etc.

Wanted-An Idea

'Who can think
of some simple
--_ ^ ^ - thing to patent?

Protect your idea.= ; they may bring vu wealth
Write JOHN 'WEL.DKKBCrRN ft CO.. P"itent Attor
neys, Washington, D. C, for their Sl.Sno prize offer
ana list of two hundred inventions ■wanted.

THE OSPKEY.

WANT, FOR SALE AND EXCHANGE.

Notices in this column are charged for at the rate of one cent
a -word, with a tninimum of 23 cents for each insertion.

Dealers are referred to our regular ad%<ertising rates.

Specimens that we can use will be accepted at one-half list rates.

Each subscriber is entitled to one notice of 33 "words., to be used
at any time during the year of subscription.

Subscription to the Michigan Ornithological Club's
Bulletin and new subscription to The Osprey for only
$1.25. Regular price of both $1.50.

Will give good exchange in Colorado sets for
October and December, 1896, January, February
and April, 1897, number of The Osprey. N. R.
Christie, Rouse Junctioi , Col.

Choice Southern eggs in sets with full data, for
sale at a reasonable price, and to exchange for sets
and large singles List for .stamp. Dr. M. T.
Cleckley, 457 Greene St., Augusta, Ga.

Wanted — Male and female Ivory-billed Wood-
pecker Skins. Fine skins wanted. Will give fifteen
Jeweled Elgin Stem-wind, open face, gold filled case
and chain ; value $35. W. S. Townsend, Jeweler,
Perry, O. T.

Wanted — Really rare sets and singles ; also rare
skins. I offer supplies, books and specimens in most
any branch of Natural History. Do not offer com-
mon material, as I cannot use it. W. F. Webb,

Mgr , Albion, N. Y,

Wanted — A few first-class skins of Mountain,
Plumed, and Gambel's Partridge, in exchange for
Northern species, this season's skins preferred (cor-
respondence desired with parties who have above.)
G. F Dippie, 17 McMillan Street, Toronto, Canada.

Notice — Live Oologists send for cuts and prices
of my new Oologist Instrument; does not "blow"
your brains out, cleans the egg quickly, saves rare
incubated sets and dispenses with blow-pipes, hooks,
scissors, pinchers, etc. Russell Kennedy, New
Castle, Pa.

Wanted — The first seven numbers of ' ' Nidologist "
Vol. I. Will give cash for the same. Write, stating
price, to F. B. McKechnie, Dorchester, Mass.

Large stock of bird skins, mammal skins, eggs
and nests peculiar to Arizona and California. Private
collections and museums supplied at reasonable
prices. Those contemplating purchases will do well
to write for list with prices. Geo. F. Breninger,
Phoenix, Ariz.

Cameras to Exchange— $3.50 Peek-a-boos and
$2 Crescents for sets at one-third Lattin's price.
They are new stock, fitted with time and instantane-
ous shutter. Express 25 cents, payable in eggs at
same rate. Louis D. Sumner, 502 State Street,
Madison, Wis.

A great chance for a dealer, or for a collector
who wants a stock of fine sets of eggs for exchanging.
We received from Mr. E. A. Mcllhenney, shortly be-
fore he left for Alaska, about $160 worth (at standard
catalogue rates,) of sets, a i with data. We wish to
dispose of them within ten days, and will send them
to the first party sending us $20. The address pinned
on a $20 hill will suffice All money arriving after
the first S20. will be promptly returned. Special pref-
erence will be given orders enclosing more than $20.
The Osprey Co., Galesburg, 111.

/

Wanted — A copy of Coues' Key and Ridgway's
Manual, 1890 edition, in return for fine skins of A.
O. U., 278, 248, 247, 431, 433. 397, 507, 542c, 599,
596, 615, 607, 646a, 57, 656, 668, 683a, 685a, 68ia,
719a, 722a, 725a, 730, 758, 759, 763, 767, 741a, 65.
W. Otto Emerson, Haywards, California.

Will Exchange — Stevens' 22 caliber pocket rifle
in good condition (cost $11.25) for best offer of bird
books. Ridgway's Manual, Nuttall Bulletins, and
Auk, Vols I to 5 especially desired. Arthur H.
Howell, Biological Survey, United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

The Nidologist continues the best, being also
the pioneer of illustrated bird journals. Fifth year
begins September. May number records the discov-
ery, with photos, of the nesting of the Great Blue
Heron on the ground \ in June, first published photos
of nesting site of California Condor All who sub-
scribe wcTr receive "The Story of The Farallones"
free as a premium. Remit $1 for twelve months, to
H R Taylor, Publisher, Alameda, Cal.

LIVE RED FOXES WANTED!

Cash paid for same. Address, R. N. E., care of The
Osprey Company, Box 500, Galesburg, 111.

(DTJ-EL IDTJCICS.

By F. Henry Yorke. M. D., A.ssociate member of Ameri-
can Ornithologists" Union, .\utlior of " Days With oar Up-
land (iame Birds ;" " Days With our Waterfowl." History
of their Nesting. Range, Habits and Food throusrlioiit the
Year. Result of nearly thirty years experience of a hunter
and field naturalist, particularly adai)ted to clubs, or duck
shooters owning or controlling grounds, and duck shooters
generally. Will he published in book form in August : price
$1.51). provided the list of live lumdred subscribers be com-
pleted by that time. All interested please forward their
names and addresses to theaiithor who will promptly notify
them when ready for delivery. Address, F. HENRY
YORKE. M. I).. Box 3, Fossland. 111.

FINE SETS VERY LOW.

To close out quickly I will sell choice sets of my own
collecting as below. Charges prepaid <>n orders ex-
ceeding $;-!. Discount on orders exceeding $10. Full
data. IS^o exchanges :

Per Egg.
Ferruginous Rough-leg.

2-3, -.'-I. 1-5 $1.00

Turkey Vulture. l-L' 35

Swaiuson's Hawk, 3-2. 3-3 .20
Marsh Hawk. 2-4. 2-5, 1-6 .20
American Long - Eared

Owl. 2-5 .20

Short Eared Owl. 2-5, 1-6 .40
Great Horned Owl. 1-2.. .75
Western Night IIawk.2-2 .15
Am. Sparrow Hawk, 2-4. .15
Prairie Sharp- tailed

(ironse. l-S). i-lO. l-ll.. .20

Per Egg.
Bartramian Sandpiper

3-4 15

Canada Goose, m-5 50

American Golden-Eye

Duck, 1-0, 1-10, 2-11."... .25

Canvas-back. 1-7. 30

Lesser Scaup. 1-7 2-9 25

Baldpate. 1-6. 1-7. 1-9 25

Red-head sets. 6 to 10 10

Shoveller sets. 7 to 11 . . . .10
Pin-tail sets. 5 to 10. . ,10
Mallard. 1-10. 2-11, 1-13. . . .08
Blue-Winged Teal. 2-12. . .08

EUGENE S. ROLFE, Minnewaukan, N. Dak.

Will Exchange — Desirable Cape St. Lucas and
other rare' Lower California and Guadaloupe, etc.,
species for first-class skins of Leach's. Wilson's
Stormy, and other Petrels, Passenger Pigeons,
Krider's, Harlan's and Short-tailed Hawks, Swallow-
tailed and Mississippi Kites, Grafalcons, Smith's
Longspiurs, Ipswich Sparrows, Baird's, Worthen's
Black-chinned and Slate-colored Sparrows, Spotted
Owls, Aikins Screech Owls, Richardson's Merlins
and Pigeon Hawks in Blue plumage. Pigmy Owls,
Massena Partridges, Masked Bob-whites and many
other species desired, too numerous to mention.
Send full lists, enclosing stamp for reply. Chas. K.
Worthen, Warsaw, 111.

B 1877. 21st YEAR.

M

1897.

THE BEST T'<^A^<ro^.> FOR YOU.
LIFE INSURANCE

SOLD BY THK

GOVENftNT MUTUAL
LIFE flSSOGinilON

OF GALESBURG, ILL.,

"w^l^f^"'"' INSURE.

Will always

Increase in Assets.
Increase in Surplus in 1896.

You May Insure, or You May Insure Others.

Information promptly and cheerfully furnished :
B. F. REINMUND, Sec'y.
W. H. SMOLLINGER, Pres.

GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

Burlington

THE BEST LINE

TO

Denver, St. Paul, EQii^neapolis,

Kansas City, St. Josepl],

Oniaha,St.Louis,Portlarid arid

galiforr^ia Poirits.

SPECIALLY CONDUCTED TOURIST
CARS TO AND FROM CALIFORNIA.

p. S. EUSTIS. G. P. A., Chicago.

A. S. CRAWFORD, Galescurg, III.
W. H. SPINNER, Ticket Agent,

GALESBURG, IlL

if

M

0¥EP OE FIEliD SPOpS-f

Hunters
Anglers
Cyclists
Everybody

Should Send a Two Cent Stamp for
A Sample Copy of

"SPORTS • AFIELD."

The Best and Oldest of
Western Sportsmen's Magazines.

SPORTS AFIELD PUB. CO.

358 DEARBORN ST.

AMERICAN TAXIDERMY.
A List of i6o Photographs from Work.

Here are 8 of them— No. 4. VS'orkshop, Deer season; 141,
Hawks, {35 birds); 139, Ducks and Cieese, (37 birds); 141,
Workshop, Moose season; 131, Owl season, (53 birds); 138,
Swans, Loons, (20 birds); 140, Grouse and Ptarmigan; 153, A
Window Decoration. Price, 15c, or 12 for Si. 25. Collections
of stuffed birds for schools a specialty. Send loc for catalogue
of materials, etc.

Frank Blake Webster Co.. Hyde Park, Mass

THE RAREST OF SPECIMENS

as well as common Bird Skins can be found in
the immense stock of over 10,uOO skins 1 carry,
containing species from all over the United
States, British Columbia, Alaska, Lower Califor-
nia, Mexico, Guadalupe and adjacent islands.
I can supply a few SKINS AND EGGS of
the almost unknown

Black, Least, and Socorro Petrels,

if ordered before the few now on sale are gone,
skins of Carolina Paroquets, Ivory-billed Wood-
peckers, Flamingoes, Tropic Birds, Long-tailed
Paradise Trogons and many handsome tropical
species. Also Glass Eyes, handsome Goedes,
and a few Illinois Geological Reports for sale,
now becoming very rare.

Taxidermy in All its Branches,

Dealers, Schools, Mu.seums supplied at lowest
prices. Reference :^A\\ prominent Scientists
and Institutions throughout the country. En-
close stamp with all letters of inquiry, or two
for Price Lists.

OHMS. K. :iA£ORTHEN,

Naturalist, Taxidermist and Dealer,

T^sLablishert in 187:5. WARSAW, ILL., U. S. A.

■si

m

m
m

m

m

1

VOLUME 1.
NUMBERS 11-12.

JULY-AUGUST, 1897.

$1.00 A YEAR.
10c A COPY.

'm

^^fxV/^C

An Illustrated
MONTHLY mm\n€

°fORNlTnOLOGY

IVv.

c

V r

r/^>

-.ijf

x5i

EDITED BY

WALTER A. JOHNSON,

ASSOCIATED WITH

DR. ELLIOTT GOUES,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

■'m

inCOSPRLY COMPANY,

61 N PRAIRIES! r — --^ GALESBURG.ILL.

Copyrighted, 1897. by The Osprey Company.

THE OSPREY.

CONTENTS.

Page.

Louisiana Water Thrush, from Painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes Frontispiece.

Song Notes and Nesting Notes of the Western Meadowlark Rev. P. B. Peabody 139

Osprey's Nest at San Clemente Island, from Photograph by Horace A. Gaylord 140

Modifications of our Avi-fauna Rev. J. M. Keck 141

Chimney Swift.— How Does it Break Off the Twigs ? Edmonde S. Currier 142

™, ■ ^ • i_ 1, 11 » XT i- 1 r. 1 S Prof. M. T. Elrod 143

The American Osprey in the Yellowstone National Park -j , y^ Clark 143

Remarks on the Habits of the White-breasted Nuthatch Edwin Ervine Haines 143

An Osprey Approaching Nest, from Photograph by Joseph Grinnell 144

The Woodpeckers of Maryland Wm. H. Fisher 145

A Tragedy, A Courtship and A Marriage H. T. Van Ostrand 146

The Hermit Thrush Dr. Morris Gibbs 146

Odd Nesting Sites Robert C. Woodhouse 147

War on the Red-headed Woodpecker ■ 147

Editorial Notes 148

Recent Literature 148

Correspondence 148

Note and Comment 149

General Notes :— Late Spring Migrants. Some Late Migrants. Yellow-headed Blackbird Nesting in Wild Rice. An

Osprey's Nest at Hartford, Conn 149

California Department 150

Dr. Coues' Column 150

Bull6iln 01 tli6 MJGHioan OrniiHolooiGal GluD.

Published quarterly in the interests of the
Ornithologists of the Great Lakes Region.
50 cents per year ; 15 cents per copy.

Bulletin and new "Osprey" subscriptions tOQetlier, $1.25.

Back Numbers of the Bulletin:
Volume I. No. i, -
Volume I. No. 2,

25 c.
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Make money orders payable to

TV^ULLIKEN &t COLE,

191 I=IRST HVE. GRKND RKRIDS, JV^ICH

Lakge Stock of bird skins, mammal skins, eggs
and ne.sts peculiar to Arizona and California. Private
collections and museums supplied at reasonable
prices. Those contemplating purchases will do well
to write for list with prices^ Geo. F. Breninger,
Phoenix, Ariz.

Consider this :— A 1 set of White-necked Raven,
1-4 at 24c.; Screech Owl, l-«, 1-5, 1-t, 1-3 at 14c.: Red
Phalarobe, M, 1-4 at 48c.; Ca.ssin's Auklet, .38c. The
Osprey Co., t51 N. Prairie St., Galeshurg, 111.

LIVE RED FOXES WANTED!

Cash paid for same. Address R. N. E., care of The
Osprey Company, Box 500, Galesburg, 111.

Wanted-An Idea

Who can think
of some simple
thing to patent?
Protect your ideas; they may bring you wealth
Write JOHN WEDDEKB0RN & CO., Patent Attor
neys, Washington, U. C, for their $1,8UU prize offer
and list of two hundred luveutions wanted.

J. H. Holmes ^

All inquiries will be
promptly answered.

DEALER IN

DUNEDiN, FLA. Shells, Marine Curios, etc.

TliE USPiiEV

WANT, FOR SALE AND EXCHANGE.

Notices in this coliunn are charged /or at the rate of one cent
a word, with a minimum 0/23 cents /or each insertion.

Dealers arc re/erred to our regular advertising rates.

Specimens that ive can use mill 6e accepted at one-half list rates.

Each subscriber is entitled to one notice 0/33 words, to be used
at any time during the year of subscription.

SuBSCKiPTiox to the Michigan Ornithological
Club's Bulletin and new subscription to The Ospkky
for only $1.25. Eegular price of both $1.60.

Wanted— Really rare sets and singles; also rare
skins. I offer supplies, books and specimens in most
any branch of Natural History. Do not offer com-
mon material, as 1 cannot use it. W. F. Webb, Mgr.,
Albion, N. Y.

Notice— I want eggs in sets with data, and otter
many supplies and specimens for same. Send stamp
for list of my wants and offers I make. Ernest II.
Short, Albion. N. Y.

Wanted— First six numbers of The Osprey. If
you have any of them, write: will pay cash. Could
use a few sets of Gull's and Tern's eggs. W. H. Bin-
GAMAN, Grundy Centre, Iowa.

For Sale— a Snap— Kelsey self-inking press, in
perfect condition, prints data blanks, etc., 2J^x3}-^;
three fonts of type, furniti;re, etc. F. A. Coli.ey,
Hyde Park, Mass.

Wanted -September and November, '96, numbers
of The Osprey ; will give $i worth of minerals, fos-
sils, or Indian relics for same. C. C. Bassett, 619
Anderson St., Greencastle, Ind.

Wanted— Sets of Pied-billed Grebe, Least and
Black Tern, and Red-headed Woodpecker. Will take
nice sets of above in payment for (tnythlngl carry
in stock. J. P. Babbitt, Taunton, Mass.

To Exchange- If you are in need of tine data
blanks I can gixe you the greatest trade you ever
heard of. Will exchange for eggs and skins, or sell
cheap for cash. Address by return mail, Walter
E. McLain, New Vineyard, Me.

Wanted— Animal Heads, Horns and Skins, Bird
Skins and Eggs, Shells, Indian Goods, Curios; loill
pay cash. Collectors, note. Foster & Co., Ann
Arbor, Mich.

Exchange— California Eggs for exchange. I have
most all the common Western Eggs which I will ex-
change for Eastern or Southern species. Many com-
mon ones desired. All specimens must be strictly A
1. Lee Chambers, Santa Monica, Cal.

For Sale or Exchange— Fine Skins and Eggs
in sets ; will sell cheap, or exchange for others not in
my collection. Also fine data blanks for sale cheap.
Send me a sample order and I will give you trade that
will please you in data blanks, Skins or Eggs. Let
me hear from you by return mail. Address W. E.
McLain, New Vineyard, Me.

$50 Kodak— The Eastman No. 4, folding ; made to
load with roll of 100 (or less number ) 4x5 films ; fine
lens ; good tripod accompanying ; all in A 1 condition.
Will pack carefully and sell for $20 cash. Walter
A. Johnson, 61 N. Prairie St., Galesburg, 111.

For Sale Cheap— 250 lbs. brevier body type in
cases, »25 ; 8 x 12 self-inking Columbian lever press,
$25. Enclose stamp for particulars. Thomas H.
Blodgett, Galesburg, 111.

A feav fine bird and mammal skins at your price.
Fox and two young numnted, $10; fine Albino Deer,
$40 ; Buck Antelope Head, $7 ; Coyote Skins, $2 ; other
bargains. B. Hartley, West Ilaven, (^onn.

CASH PRIZES for

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Circular relating to Prizes.

JOHNSON BRIGHAM,

PUBLISHER,

DES MOINES, IOWA.

Toward 1)116 Souin Pole!

WANTED— A capable Ornithologist to join a Sci-
entific Expedition which is soon to start on a two
years' voyage of exploration to the unknown

ANTARCTIC REGIONS.

The vessel will visit the P^alkland Islands, Argen-
tinia, Patagonia, Terra del Fuego, many of the Sub-
Antarctic Groups, and explore as much of the Costal
Fringe of the South Polar lands as conditions will
permit.

This is a rare opportunity for an Ornithologist to
make new discoveries and priceless collections in the

VIRGIN ANTARCTIC WILDS.

Applicants must be physically sound and able to
contribute to the general expenses of the expedition.
— (C. ) Address

F=. M. COOK,

687 Bushtcick Ave. BROOKLYN, N. Y.

New York ;

All reviewed in the new sporting
magazine:

" OTJTlDOOI^S.''
Invaluable to tlie salt-water fislicrnian,
the fresh water fisliernian. tli(> (Jroiise,
(Jiiail, Snipe, Woodcock and Ilan-lnint-
er. the Bay-bird and AVildtowl Kunner,
the big game hunter, the tourist, wheel-
man, field photographer, boatman and
naturalist. Price lOe. ; no free copies.
Subscription 75c. a year.
"Outdoors Pub. Co." 1370 Brosidway.

m&^

UMM^^mSm^^mp.

1897.

S i^~^- 2l8t YEAR.

^ THE BEST T^o^c?o"o"i> FOR YOU.
UF'E iNSURANCE

SOLD BY THK

GOVENftNT MUTUftL
LIFE ftSSOGIflTION

m

OF GALESBURG, ILL.

1 Has always p^f^ INSURE
I Will always "^^^'^'-'

iways

Increase in Assets.
Increase in Surplus in 1896.

You May Insure, or You May Insure Others.

Information promptly and cheerfully furnished :

B. F. REINMUND, Sec'y.-
W. H. SMOLLINGER, Pres.

GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

j^lSSSSSS^fiWSKSS^^S^t

Burlington

THE BEST LINE

TO

Deliver, St. Paul, IlQiririeapolis,

Ijarisas City, St. Josepl],

Oii]aha,St.Louis,Portlaiid arid

California Poirits.

SPECIALLY CONDUCTED TOURIST
CARS TO AND FROM CALIFORNIA.

p. S. EUSTIS, G. P. A., Chicago. %

A. S. CRAAVFOKD, Galesburg, Ii.i-. %

W. H. SPINNER, Ticket Afient, M

Galesbukg, Im,. m

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8S8 DEARBORN ST.

m

AMERICAN TAXIDERMY.
A List of i6o Photographs from Work.

Here are 8 ot them — No. 4, VVorksliop. Deer season ; 141,
Hawks, (35 birds); 139, Ducks and Geese, (37 birds;; 141,
Worksliop, Moose season; 131, Owl season, (53 birds); 138,
Swans, Loons, (20 birds); 140, Grouse and Ptarmigan; 153, A
Window Decoration. Price, 15c, or i2 for $1.25. Collections
of stuffed birds for schools a specialty. Send loc for catalogue
of materials, etc.

Frank Blake Webster Co., Hyde Park, Mass.

THE RAREST OF SPECIMENS

as well as common Bird Skins can be found in
the immense stock of over 10,000 skins I carry,
containing species from all over the United
States, British Columbia, Alaska, Lower Califor-
nia, Mexico, Guadalupe and adjacent islands.
I can supply a few SKINS AND EG.GS of
the almost unknown

Black, Least, and Socorro Petrels,

if ordered before tlie few now on sale are gone,
skins of Carolina Paroquets, Ivory-billed Wood-
peckers, Flamingoes, Tropic Birds, Long-tailed
Paradise Trogons and many handsome tropical
species. Also Glass Eyes, handsome Goedes,
and a few Illinois Geological Reports for sale,
now becoming very rare.

Taxidermy in All its Branches.

Dealers, Schools. Museums supplied at lowest
prices. Reference:— M\ prominent Scientists
and Institutions throughout the country. En-
close stamp with all letters of inquiry, or two
for Price Lists.

OHKS. K:.!iA£ORTHEN,

Naturalist, Taxidermist and Dealer,

AMNH LIBRARY

100104240

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