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FORTHE  PEOPLE 

FOR  EDVCATION 

FOR  SCIENCE 

LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  AMERICAN  MUSEUM 

OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY 

S<f.  re.oifj^ 


THE  OOLOGIST 


FOR  THE  STUDENT  OF 


BIRDS,  THEIR   NESTS   AND  EGGS 


VOLUME  XXV 


ALBION,  N.  Y. 

FRANK  H.  L  ATT  IN,  M.  I)..  PCBLISHER 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  EDITOR  AND  MANAGER 

1908 


•i-HB  OOLOGIST. 


INDEX 


Albino  Eggs  of  LongJbilled  Marsh 

Wren    o5 

Albino   Tree   Sparrow,    89 

Aransas   Pass,   Along  the 53 

Archealogical    Collectors    7 

Arizona  Egg  Hunts 85 

Arnold,  W.   P 12 

Bird  Day,  The  First  Real 50 

Bird   Preservers    76 

Birds  of  Maine   155 

Birds  of  Prey  and  the  Collector 21 

Birds  Singing  on  the  Nest 25 

Bluebird    44,  108 

Bob-white   26,  155 

Bobolink    72 

Broods,  Three  in  a  Season 155 

Bunting,    Indigo    108 

Bunting,   Lark    53 

Cardinal    44,  120 

Cardinal,    Grey-tailed    53 

Catbird,  Deformed   170 

Catbird,   Double   Nest  of 92 

Caustic   Soda   37 

Chickadee,  Carolina.  .  .44,  55,  106,  156 

Chat,  Yellow-breasted   108 

Chuck-wills-widow    136,    155 

Condor,    Andes    58 

Cormorant,    Fla 121 

Covert,    A.    B 8 

Creeper,   Brown    44,166 

Crow,   Am 44 

Crow,    Fish     43 

Cuckoo,   Black-billed    171 

Cuckoo,     Yellow-billed    156 

Dove,  Mex.  Ground   87 

Dove,    Mourning    87 

Dove,    White-winged    87 

Duck,   Wood    21,   88 

Eagle,   Golden    58 

Eagle,   Nests  of  Bald 107 

Eagles    22 

Egg  Blower,  How  to  Make  an  Au- 
tomatic     169 


Egg  Preserving,   Hints  at 37 

Egg  of   Calif.   Vulture    57 

Egg  of  Eapyornis  maximus 60 

Egg  of  Gt.  Auk   59 

Eggs  of  Garter   Snake 91 

Eggs  of  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren, 

Albino    55 

Eggs  of  Rohin,  Spotted 57 

Eggs,    Preparation   of    71 

Feeding,  Peculiar  Method  of 153 

Finch,    House    25 

Flani'beau,    Around   the    165 

Flicker   ' 44 

Flicker,   Gilded    86 

Flycatcher,   Crested    12,   57 

Flycatcher,    Vermillion     86 

Freaks,   Three    171 

Gallinue,   Fla 134,  170 

Game,  Open  Season  for 169 

Gibbs,    Dr.    Morris 154 

Gnatcatcher.  Blue  Gray   155 

Goldfinch,  Am 44,   108 

Goldfinch,  Nest  of  Am 25 

Goshawk,    Am 170 

Grosbeak,    Black-headed    25 

Grosbeak,    Rose-breasted    166 

Grouse,  Ruffed    26,  153,  166,  167 

Hawk,  Am.  Sparrow 117 

Hawk,   Broad-winged    39,   117 

Hawk,  Cooper's 12,  22,  28,  117 

Hawk,   Dest,    Sparrow 85,   122 

Hawk,  Goshawk    22 

Hawk,  Duck   22,  54,  117 

Hawk,    Pigeon    22,   87 

Hawk  Red-tailed   27,  44,  54 

Hawk,   Sharp-shinned    22 

Hawk,  Swainson's   9,  54 

Hawk,  West.  Red-tail   12 

Hummingbird,    Ruby-throated    ....182 

Heron,   Black-crowned  Night 138 

Heron,  The  Gt.  Blue   54 

Heron,   The  Gt.  White    59 

Hints  at  Egg  Preserving 37 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Identification,  Erroneous    -39 

Illinois,  State  Game  Farm 121 

Ireland   184 

Irrigation,  Possible  Effects  of 76 

Jay,    Blue    •. . .  o^44 

Jay,  Canada   37 

Jay,    Pinon    54 

Junco,   Slate-colored    44,   53,   166 

Kingtbird    155 

King'bird,  Arkansas    

...11,  55,  87,   10'6,  136,   186 

Kingfisher    Belted    44 

Kingfisher,    Texan    53 

Kinglet,  Golden-crowned    44 

Kite,    Swallow-tailed    170 

Licenses,   Hunting    168 

Maine,   Birds   of    155 

Maine,   Mockingbird    in    92 

Mammals   of  Xew  Jersey 149 

Man-o'-War    Bird    121 

Martin,    Purple    135 

Meadowlark   .' 44,  53 

Merganser,   Am 167 

Merlin,  Richardson's   188 

Michigan,  Gt.  Horned     Owl     in 

Wayne  Co 27 

Migration,    Bird    135 

Mockingbird 53,   92 

Mockingbird,    Western    86 

Mountain   Climbing    151 

Nesting,  Erratic    120,  156,  188 

Nesting,   Mixed    122 

Nesting   of      Crested     Flycatcher, 

Strange    12 

Nesting  of  Song  Sparrow,  Late.... 44 
Nesting  of  Tufted  Tit  in  Pennsyl- 
vania     42 

Nesting  Site,  Another  Odd 57 

New  Jersey,  Mammals  of 149 

New  Jersey,     Nesting     of     Wood 

Duck  in    88 

Niagara  Falls,  Slaughter  of  Whist- 
ling Swan  at   101 

Nidification,  Suspended 108 

Nuthatch,    Red-breasted    25 

Nuthatch,   White-breasted    44 

Observations  on   Xew  Year's  Day 

in    S.  W.  Indiana 44 

Ohio,   Ashtabula   Co 59 

Ontario,  Nesting  of  the  Nor.  Yel- 

lowthroat  in   90 


Oological   Freaks    108 

Oriole,   Bullocks    11,87 

Oriole,   Orchard    137,  155 

Ornithology,    Co-operative 149 

Osprey,  Am 117,  136 

Oven-ibird   23,  152,  166 

Owl,  Am.  Barn    59 

Owl,  Burrowing 86 

Owl,  Gt.  Horned   22,  27,  76 

Owl,  Mex.  Screech    85,  122 

Owl,  Screech    59 

Owl,   Snowy   59 

Owl,  West.  Horned 53 

Pancreatin    37 

Partridge    26 

Partridge,    Gambel's    86 

Pelican,  Brown    121 

Pennsylvania,  Carolina  Chickadee 

in    156 

Pennsylvania,  Eu.  iStarling  in 91 

Pennsylvania,  Henslow's  Sparrow 

in    183 

Pennsylvania,  Nesting  of  the  Broad- 
winged  Hawk  in  Dela.  Co' 117 

Pennsylvania,    Nesting    of    Tufted 

Tit  in    42 

Nesting  of  Winter  Wren  in 92 

Pennsylvania,  Pigeon  Hawk  in 87 

Pennsylvania,  Sandpipers     Breed- 
ing in   121 

Petrel,  Stormy 184 

Phaino]  epla   86 

Pheasant,  Mongolian  or  Ring-neck, 

26,  138,  149 

Phoebe    184 

Phoebe,  Say's   55,  106,  136,  186 

Plover,  Upland    21 

Potash,  Caustic   37 

Quail    26 

Rail,  Yello  wand  Black   135 

Rail.s;   King,  Va.,  and  Sora 133 

Raven,    Am 183 

Redstart,  Am 90,  166 

Redwing,   Sonoran    87 

Roarlrunner   54,  87 

Robin    53,   57 

Robin,  Western    119,  138 

Sandjiiiier,    Least    121 

Saiidi)ii;er,  Semi-palmated   121 

Sandiii|)er,   Solitary    121 

Savage,  Wm 149 


IfliE  OOLOGIST. 


Singing  on  the  Nest,  Vireos 137 

Sparrow,   English    22,   187 

Sparrow,    Henslow's    183 

Sparrow,  Notes  on  the  Swamp.... 185 
Sparrow,   White-crowned    ....166,   167 

Starling,   Eu 22,   91 

Sapsuckei',   Williamson's    53 

iSapsucker,  Yellow-bellied.  .44,  53,  166 
Sets  of  Eggs  from  One  Bird's  Nest, 

Four    lis 

Sets  of  Eggs,  Large.  .119,  138,  170,  184 

Shrike,  Calif 10 

Shrike,    Migrant    24 

Shrike,    White-rumped    24 

Singing  on  the  Wing   120 

Siskin,  Pine    119 

Snake,   Garter    91 

Soper,    Daniel   E 7 

Sparrow,   Field    108 

Si^arrow,  Lark   53,  89 

Sparrow,  Song 44,  120,  188 

Sparrow,  Tree    44,  89 

Sparrow,  White-throated    44 

Swan,   Whistling    101,  105 

Swift,  Chimney   120,  155,  166 

Tanager,    Scarlet    166 

Texas,  Along  the  Aransas  Pass.... 53 

Thrasher,    Bendire's 86 

Thrasher,  Brown   108,  149 

Thrasher,   Palmer's    86 

Thrush,    Hermit    152 

Thrush,  Olive-backed   138,  166 

Thrush,  Wood 59,  118,  166,  170,  185 

Tit,  Tufted;   Nesting  in  Penn 42 

Titmouse,   Tufted    44 

Towhee    53 

Towhee,  Abert's   87 

Turkey,  Mex.  Wild    54 

Vireo,   Philadelphia    166 

Vireo,  Warbling  25,  137 

Vireo,   White-eyed    153 

Virginia,  Bird  Notes  from  El  Ran- 

cho  135,  155 

Vulture,  Black    53,  58 

Vulture,  Calif 57 

Vulture,  Turkey   53,  58 

Warbler,    Black-and-white    25 

Warbler,    Blackburnian    166 

Warbler,   Black-throated   Blue 167 


Warbler,  Black-throated  Green.  ..  .1'67 

Warbler,  Canadian  166 

Warbler,  Cape  May  25 

Warbler,    Chestnut-sided    166 

Warbler,   Kentucky    118 

Warbler,    Kirtland's     89 

Warbler,  Magnolia  166 

Warbler,  Mourning   22,  121 

Warbler,  Myrtle  53,  167 

Warbler,  Nor.  Parula   89 

Warbler,  Swainson's    155 

Water-thrush    166 

Whip-poor-will    .* 136 

Wisconsin,  Around  the  Flambeau.  165 
Woodpecker,  Arctic  Three-toed.  ..  .166 

Woodpecker,  Baird's    86 

Woodpecker,  Downy    44 

Woodpecker,   Gila    86 

Woodpecker,  Hairy    44 

Woodpecker,    Pileated    '69 

Woodpecker,  Red^bellied    44 

Woodpecker,  Red-headed   90 

Woodpecker,   So.   Downy 53 

Wren,   Baird's    53 

Wren,    Bewick's    44 

Wren,    Cactus    87 

Wren,    Carolina    44 

Wren,  House    10i6 

Wren,    Long-billed    Marsh 55 

Wren,  Short-billed  Marsh 55 

Wren,   Winter    92 

Yellowthroat,  Maryland   5 

Yellowthroat,  Northern 90,  152 

o 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Nest  and   Eggs  of   Maryland  Yel- 
lowthroat     6 

Site  of  the  Yellowthroat  Home 7 

Nesting  Site  of  Wild  Turkey 40 

Nesting  Site  of  Turkey  and  Black 

Vultures    56 

Pileated   Woodpecker    70 

Tree   Showing  Work     of  Pileated 

Woodpecker 72 

Some  Arizona  Nesting  Sites.... 87,  88 

Double  Nest  of  Catbird 90 

Injured  Swan  at  Niagara  Falls....  102 
Canadian  Rapids,  Niagara  Falls...  103 
Bass  Rock  Eddy;   Niagara  Falls...  104 


The  Oologist. 

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OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXIDERMY. 


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Strictly  first-class  specimens  will  be  accepted  in  payment  at  1-3  list  rates. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  1. 


ALBION,  N.  Y.,  JAN.,  1908. 


Whole  No.  246 


Take  Notice. 

Examine  the  number  follo'wing  your 
name  on  the  wrapper  of  this  month's 
Oologist.  It  denotes  when  your  sub- 
scription expired  or  will  expire. 

Remember  we  must  be  notified  If 
you  wish  paper  discontinued  and  all 
arrearages  must  be  paid. 
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"Xn    ••  "  "  ••         Dec.  1908 

Intermediate  numbers  can  easily  be 
determined.  If  we  have  you  credited 
wrong   we   wish   to   rectify. 

Entered  as  second-class  matter  De- 
cembed  21,  1903,  at  the  post  office,  at 
Albion,  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress of  March  3,   1879. 

LANTERN  SLIDES.-A  lot,  many  2nd 
grade  (a  little  dense  or  thin),  all  fair,  some 
very  good  for  best  cash  or  exchange  offer. 
B.  S.  BOWDISH.  Demarest,  N.  Y. 

WANT.— Eggs  in  sets  and  good  Indian 
relics.  I  offer  eggs,  shells  and  showy  mount- 
ed butterflies.  E  RNEST  H.  SHORT.  Box  173. 
Rochester,  N.  Y. 

STAMPS.— To  exchange  for  birds'  eggs  or 
■kins.  Also  a  few  skin.s  and  eggs  to  trade  for 
same.  F.  T.  COKLESS.  804  E.  14  St.  N.,  Port- 
land.  Or. Jy.  7.  t. 

FOR  EX('HAN(;E.— Fine  sets  of  eggs  of 
following  species  for  others  not  in  my  col- 
lection. No's.  H,  .^7,  40,  145,  269.1,  297a  327, 
328,  342,  353,  :i.>4,  .iSla,  362,  :i70a,  :i7l),  536,  5:54,  618, 
654a,  ti39.  748.  THOMAS  H.  .JACKSON.  304  X. 
Franklin  St..  West  Chester.  Pa.  N.  3.  t. 

OFFER— A  long  series  of  rare  and  beautiful 
butterflies  from  all  partsof  the  World,  either 
spread  or  in  papers  for  a  first  class  collection 
of  stamps.  Also  wanted  first  class  bird 
skins,  eggs  with  data.  LEVI  W.  MENGEL, 
Boys'  High  School,  Reading,  Pa. 

WANTED.— Eggs  of  Kobin,  Flicker,  Cedar 
bird.  Yellow  and  Black-bill  Cuckoos-  All  to 
be  in  sets  with  data.  Offer  in  exchange  3.37b 
1-2,1-3,1-4;  .329  1-1:  .342  1-3;  194  1-4.1-5:  488d  2-4; 
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Big  list.  CHAS.  S.  THOMPSON,  Box  214, 
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P'OR  SALE.— Complete  file  of  Osprey  ex- 
cepting October  a  id  December,  No.  of  Vol.  1 
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All  for  $5.00  F.  O.  B.  W.  H.  BINGAMAN, 
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FOR  SALE.-Auk  and  Nuttall  Bulletin. 
Complete  up  to  and  including  1907.  Thirty 
two  Vols,  in  all.  The  entire  set  is  bound  in 
half  morocc(j  excepting  the  last  two  Vols,  of 
the  Auk.  An  extra  fine  set.  Price  one  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  set.  PHILIP  LAURENT. 
31  East  Mt.  Airy  Ave.,  Philadelphia.  Penn. 

WANTED. -Birds'  eggs  from  Cuba,  Philip- 
pines, Hawaii  and  Laysan  Islands.  Offer 
cash  or  exchange.  M.  KUSCHEL.  Guhrau. 
Germany,  Bz  Breslau. 

MOUNTED  Deer  heads  and  birds.  Vols.  9. 
10. 11,  22.  2'i  Oologist;  Vols.  3,  4,  5  Museum;  to 
exchange  for  birds  or  mammals  in  flesh  or 
good  skins.  (JEO.  F.  GUELF.  Taxidermist, 
Brockpurt.  X.  Y. 

I  BUY  and  sell  horns,  scalps  and  skins  of 
all  animals.  Will  buy  anything  from  any- 
where. What  have  you  ?  Write.  EVAN 
E.  AXDEKSOX,  P.  O.  Box  1171.  Los  Angeles, 
Calif. 

X  OR  SALE.— Rattlesnake  skins,  fish  and 
animal  skins.  Rattle  snake  skin  purses, 
garters,  belts,  hat  bands,  etc.  Mounted  spec- 
imens, birds  and  animals  J.  E.  MA15URY, 
Prado,  Calif. 

WAXTED.-Oologist  Vol  III,  No.  6;  Vol.  V, 
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sets  for  both.  All  answered.  H..I.  KAFAHL. 
116  E.  6th  St..  Austin.  Tex. J.  2  t. 

Pure  bred  buff  leghorn,  cockerells,  Haines 
single  comb  strains,  good  birds,  F.  O.  B.  7oc. 
each.  Extra  Birds  $1.00  each.  Registered 
cock,  2nd  year,  $1.51).  ERNEST  H.  SHORT. 
Chili.  X.  Y. 

Beautiful  Floral  Post  Cards. 

Embossed  flowers  in  natural  colors* 
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send  stamp  for  special  Propositien-  HOW- 
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The  Oologist. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  1. 


Albion,  N.  Y.  Jan.,  1908. 


Whole  No.  246 


THE    OOLOGIST, 

A   Monthly    Publication   Devoted   to 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXI- 
DERMY. 

FSAITK    H.    LATTIN,    PHbUther, 

ALBION,    N.    T. 

EXVEST    H.    BHOKT.    Editor    aad    Kajiacer. 

Correspondence  and  Items  of  interest  to  the 
•tndent  of  Birds,  their  Nests  and  Eggs,  solicited 
from    aU. 

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The    Maryland   Yellow-Throat. 
(Geothlypis  Trichas.) 


The  Maryland  Yellow-throat  (geoth- 
lypis trichas,)  arrives  from  the  South 
in  this  locality,  some  time  during  the 
first    week    in    May.      But,    for    some 


reason,  this  year  he  was  delayed  'till 
the  tenth  of  that  month. 

The  first  sound  wTiich  greets  the 
ear  of  the  ornithologist  when  he  en- 
ters that  low  bushy  piece  of  land  or, 
that  patch  of  aged  red  cedars  di'aped 
with  grape  vines  is  that  merry 
■'witchity-witchity-witch' '  of  the  yel- 
low throat  as  he  peers  at  you  out  of 
his  shining  'black  eyes,  from  behind 
some   leaf  or   branch. 

"Trichas,"  is  a  common  breeder  in 
this  section,  prefering  the  swampy 
lowlands  and  thickets.  They  begin 
their  household  duties,  from  middle 
of  May  to  the  first  week  in  June.  The 
nest  is  composed  of  coarse  grasses 
grape  vine,  and  leaves  on  the  exter- 
ior, and  lined  with  finer  grasses  and 
hair.  It  is  generally  placed  upon  the 
ground,  but  it  is  by  no  means  an  un- 
common occurance  to  find  it  in  a 
grape  vine  or  bramble.  On  August 
29,  '07  I  found  a  nest  about  three  feet 
above  the  ground  in  an  alder  on  the 
edge  of  a  swamp.  The  eggs  which 
number  from  four  to  six  usually  four, 
often  five,  but  very  rarely  six,  vary 
from  white  to  creamy  white  in  ground 
color,  specked  and  spotted  with  dark 
reddish  brown,  lilac  and  yellow,  and 
average  size  of  .70  x  .50  of  an  inch. 
The  young  birds  leave  the  nest  the 
last  week  in  June.  A  second  set  is 
generally  laid. 

You  will  sometimes,  but  very  rare- 
ly find  the  nest  arched  over  with  an 
entrance  at  one  side.  I  have  read  in 
certain  bird  books  that  the  nest  is 
quite  hard  to  find,  but  in  my  experi- 
ence, this  is  not  so,  they  being  fair- 
ly easy  to  find  if  the  area  where  the 


THE  OOLOGISl 


Photo  by  P.  G.  Howes. 
Nest  and   Eggs  of     Maryland     Yellow  throat. 


nest  is  supposed  to  be  is  carefully 
searched. 

The  birds  are  not  at  all  shy,  com- 
ing close  enough  to  afford  excellent 
opportunities  lor  study.  They  are  of 
much  use  to  the  farmers,  ridding  the 
stalks  of  rye.  wheat,  and  barley  of 
multitudes  of  vermin,  which  might 
otherwise  lay  waste  these  most  im- 
portant crops! 

It  is  a  widely  distributed  bird,  rang- 
ing from   Maine     to  the  Gulf.       It   is 


said  to  be  especially  numerous  in  the 
swampy  thickets  of  Maryland. 

"This  bird  was  considered  a  spec- 
ies of  thrush  by  Linnaeus,  but  very 
properly  removed  to  the  genus  Mota- 
cilla    by   Gmelin."      (Wilson.) 

The  birds  take  their  departure  the 
first  week  in  September,  to  be  exact, 
they  left  this  locality,  this  year,  Sep- 
tember eighth. 

P.  G.  Howes, 
Stamford, 

Conn. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Photo  by  P.  G.  Howes. 
Site   of   the   Yellowthroafs   Home. 


Archeaological  Collectors  take   Notice 


We  print  followiug  extracts  from  a 
Detroit  Paper.  We  received  the  copy 
some  weeks  since  and  contemplated 
further  investigation  but  time  and  op- 
portunity do  not  come  to  hand. 

Daniel  E.   Soper  in  a  Fake  Relic 
Business. 

"Indian  copper  implements,  wonder- 
ful battle  axes  of  leaf  copper,  spear- 
heads so  well  tempered  that  they 
ring  like  a  tuning-fork  and  other 
"rare"  and  "anciently  corroded "  ar- 
chaeological treasures  which  have  in 
recent  years  been  found  in  Michi- 
gan's many  so-called  "mounds  of  pre- 
historic ages"  are  now  brought  under 
suspicion  and  many  are  pronounced 
absolute  fakes.  An  Indian  relic  fac- 
tory is  believed  to  have  been  in  op- 
eration right  here  in  Detroit. 

Many  collectors  have  been  swindl- 
ed,   many    museums   in    various   parts 


of  the  country  have  been  offered 
splendid  specimens  and  have  only  of 
late  discovered  on  what  wholesale 
lines  the  Michigan  brand  of  fake  re- 
lics are  being  placed  on  sale. 

A  former  secretary  of  state,  who 
retired  under  charges  at  Lansing 
some  years  ago.  is  acting  at  the  very 
least  as  catspaw,  dupe  and  salesman 
for  the  makers  of  these  fakes.  The 
curator  of  a  university  museum — not 
in  Michigan,  be  it  said — is  also  con- 
cerned in  the  disposition  of  the  bog- 
us coppers.  And  a  sign  painter  of  De- 
troit is  believed  to  know  much  about 
the  bogus  stuff. 

The  scheme  is  so  unique  as  to  win 
absolute  admiration  for  the  perpetra- 
tors. If  committed  in  a  spirit  of  hu- 
mor, it  is  the  most  colossal  hoax  of 
a  century. 

Unknown  numbers  of  wealthy  men 
whose  hobby  is  the  collecting  of 
choice  Indian  relics  are     among    the 


8 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


victims.  Xo  collection  is  left  free 
from  the  suspicion  tliat  among  its 
specimens  are  bogus  scalping  knives, 
fishhooks  and  other  "rare"  copper  im- 
plements." 

"For  seven  years  at  the  least  this 
arch  swindle  has  been  in  progress. 
There  is  no  possibilitj-  of  determin- 
ing how  many  are  the  victims. "" 

"March  6,  1907,  George  A.  West,  of 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  ordered  an  Indian 
pipe  from  Daniel  E.  Soper.  of  Detroit, 
for  $5.  He  writes  about  sending  six 
pipes  of  a  total  value  of  $40,  but 
names  $35  as  the  bargain  day  price 
for  the  lot.  One ,  pipe,  he  says,  was 
found  in  Kent  county,  Michigan. 

The  Milwaukee  collector  sends  the 
pipes  back  with  some  show  of  dis- 
approval. On  April  2,  1907,  Soper 
writes  again,  saying  he  is  sorry  Mr. 
West  doesn't  like  the  pipes  and  adds, 
"I  have  been  collecting  30  years  and 
my  collection  is  pronounced  the  larg- 
est and  finest  in  Michigan." 

Soper  is  the  man  who  offered  relics 
to  Mr.  Griffin,  which  the  latter  pro- 
nounced  other   than  genuine. 

On  Aug.  22,  1907,  Soper  wrote  to  H. 
P.  Hamilton,  vice-president  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Hamilton  Manufacturing 
Co.,  Two  Rivers,  Wis.,  offering  to  pay 
Hamilton's  expenses  to  Detroit  and 
return  that  he  might  see  Soper's  col- 
lection. Hamilton  had  for  long  been 
a  correspondent"  of  Soper's  and 
wanting  to  see  some  of  Soper's  relics." 
"Much  discussion  of  the  suspected 
parties  has  been  going  on  among 
those  honestly  interested  in  archaeo- 
logy. The  following  is  an  abstract 
from  a  letter  written  Oct.  25,  1907.  by 
a  Wisconsin  expert  of  national  repu- 
tation. Curator  Charles  E.  Brown,  of 
the  Wisconsin  .\rchaeological  societ- 
ty,  at  Madison: 

"Among  other  persons  appar- 
ently connected  with  these  vari- 
ous deals  are  James  Scotford, 
167    Abbott    street;      Adolphe      B. 


Covert,  curator  of  the  University 
of  Cincinnati  museum." 
Covert  was  formerly  connected  with 
the  University  of  Michigan  museum 
as  a  young  man  and  later  tried  to  get 
in  at  the  Detroit  Museum  of  Art,  but 
failed. 

All  the  while  these  investigations 
were  going  on  among  the  archaeolo- 
gists, the  vendors  of  bogus  relics  were 
busily  at  work  urging  their  wares. 

In  a  letter  of  Oct.  5.  1907,  between 
Curator  Brown,  of  Madison,  and  H.  P. 
Hamilton,  the  Two  Rivers  collector, 
regarding  bogus  stuff  from  Detroit, 
this  rule  is  given  for  determining 
fraud: 

"Test  with  sharp  knife  and 
prick  the  little  ax  to  see  how- 
hard  is  the  incrustation.  They 
can  get  the  green  on  the  copper 
easily,  but  they  cannot  counter 
feit  the  hardness  of  the  genuine 
incrustation." 

Oct.  30,  1907,  Soper,  in  Detroit 
writes  as  follows  to  Curator  Brown  at 
Madison,  who  had  examined  some  of 
Soper's  wares  as  submitted  by  Mr. 
Hamilton,  of  Two  Rivers: 

"I  wish  to  know  of  your  find- 
ings. The  collection  in  question 
has  been  sold.  I  am  just  taking 
over  another  collection,  stuff  tak- 
en out  of  the  ground  within  two 
weeks,  among  them  a  beautiful 
battle  ax,  pendant,  grease  lamp 
of  clay,  two  caskets  and  two  clay 
tablets. 

Yours   truly, 
"(HON.)    DANIEL  E.  SOPER." 
The   "Hon."   probably   refers   to   So- 
per's   having   once   been    secretary    of 
state  of  Michigan. 

Curator  Brown  sends  this  caustic 
answer  in  reply,  dated  the  first  of  the 
present  month  of  November: 

"The  specimems  are  frauds  oth- 
er experts  agree  with  me,  I  shall 
be  pleased  if  you  will  kindly  sub- 
mit to  me  for  my  information 
sketches  and  other  data  concern- 
ing the  collection  a'ou  have  secur- 
ed." 

"The  complaint  made  against  you," 


THE  OOLOOIST. 


Mr.  Soper  was  told,  "is  that  you  con- 
tinue offering  these  things  for  sale 
after  they  have  been  branded  as 
false  by  experts.  They  claim  it  would 
■be  for  the  betterment  of  all  true  ar- 
chaeological research  were  you  to  de- 
fer making  a  business  out  of  these 
finds  until  the  general  condemnation 
of  them  as  fakes  is  cleared  up." 

"They  are  genuine." 

"  'How  is  it,'  Mr.  Soper,  that  these 
things,  so  necessarily  ancient  if  gen- 
uine, antedating  even  the  discovery 
of  America  and  the  Christian  era,  lie 
so  near  the  surface?" 

Scotford's  affidavit  regarding  the 
finds  was  that  they  lay  16  inches  be- 
low the  sod. 

"I  cannot  tell  that,"  said  Soper, 
"unless  it  is  by  some  freak  of  na- 
ture." 

"Where  did  you  get  all  these 
things?" 

"Oh,  from   Scotford  and  others.' 

Soper  refused  to  say  where  it  was 
"near  Detroit"  that  one  of  the  big 
discoveries  was  made.  They  were 
found  all  right,  and  witnessed,  he 
claimed,  but  was  silent  as  to  further 
particulars. 

Soper  gave  A.  B.  Covert,  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati university,  a  good  name,  and 
said  he  was  deeply  interested  in  de- 
tecting frauds.  As  for  Scotford,  he 
said: 


Scotford  "Just  Found  Them." 
"He's  a  simple  old  man  who  has  no 
interest  in  these  things — just  happen- 
ed to  find  them." 

Soper  has  not  been  left  in  the  dark 
by  the  curator  of  the  Wisconsia  socie- 
ty, Charles  E.  Brown,  as  the  follow- 
ing letter  of  Nov.  1  shows: 

To  Daniel  E.  Soper,  Esq.:  Dear 
Sir — The  pottery  pipe  and  copper 
tablet  belonging  to  yourself  and 
which  Mr.  Hamilton  submitted  to 
me  some  time  ago,  and  which  I 
have  since  at  his  request  return- 


ed to  you,  are  frauds.     Others  to 

whom  I  have  shown  them  concur 

with   me   in  this   decision.     Have 

you  any  affidavits? 

C.  E.  BROWN." 

The  above  extracts  are  sufficient  to 
explain  the  case. 

The  "Oologist"  can  not  spare  room 
for  all  of  the  interesting  article  but 
we  advise  collectors  of  cop'per  relics 
who  have  captured  Michigan  finds  to 
obtain  a  copy  of  the  Detroit  News  for 
Nov.  14,  19'07  and  ascertain  whether 
any  of  their  prizes  bear  the  "cabalis- 
tic" sign  that  the  Soper,  Scotford,  Co- 
vert combine  decorated  their  finds 
with. 

Several  years  ago  many  of  us 
became  too  intimately  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Covert  for  our  own  good  but 
the  Editor  of  the  Oologist  at  least  had 
hopes  that  he  had  gone  out  of  busi- 
ness. 

Ernest  H.  Short. 


Two     Seasons     With     The     Swainson 
Hawks. 


Out  beyond  the  vineyards  and  or- 
chards as  one  travels  toward  the 
southwest  from  Fresno  is  a  broad  al- 
kali plain  while  still  farther  on  the 
road  leads'  into  a  fertile  area  extend- 
ing away  on  the  south  toward  Sum- 
mit Lake,  while  westward  may  be 
seen  the  Coast  Range  Mountains.  Sev- 
eral large  irrigating  canals  or  sloughs 
trail  across  the  country,  their  wind- 
ing course  marked  by  the  rather  thin 
fringe  of  large  willow  trees  that 
grows  on  their  banks.  Here  and  there 
over  the  wheat  fields  the  form  of  a 
lone  willow  or  cottonwood  tree  rises 
to  break  the  monotony  of  the  land- 
scape and  add  a  touch  of  color  to  the 
scene. 

Here  it  was  that  I  first  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  S'wainson  Hawks 
(Buteo  swainsoni)  on  their  chosen 
nesting  grounds.  I  had  at  times,  dur- 
ing the  spring,  seen  these  hawks  cir- 


10 


THE  OOLOOItT. 


cling  around  in  the  air  and  late  in 
August  quite  a  flock  would  sometimes 
gather  far  overhead,  wheeling,  turn- 
ing, circling  much  after  the  manner 
of  Turkey  Vultures,  finally  to  go  trail- 
ing across  the  sky  toward  a  more 
congenial  winter  home.  I  knew  that 
not  a  few  of  these  birds  were  credited 
with  breeding  in  the  San  Joaquin  Val- 
ley but  not  until  the  sixth  of  April, 
1906  did  I  find  an  occupied  nest. 

On  that  date  I  was  afield  on  the 
"West  Side",  as  the  regiooi  described 
above  is  sometimes  called,  searching 
for  specimens  to  add  to  my  oological 
collection  and  items  of  interest  for 
my  not«  book.  It  was  my  good  for- 
tune to  be  able  to  inspect  among  oth- 
er things,  two  nests  of  Swainson 
Hawk  and  on  the  following  day  three 
more  were  found. 

The  first  nest  which  was  about 
thirty  feet  from  the  ground,  was  built 
against  a  large  nearly  vertical  limb  of 
a  Cottonwood  tree  and  supported  by 
several  smaller  horizontal  branches. 
It  was  not  a  very  large  structure  and 
was  composed  of  dfy  sticks  and  twigs 
with  a  great  many  green  cottonwood 
leaves  for  lining  and  also  a  few  feath- 
ers. Only  one  of  the  birds  was  about 
and  it  did  not  make  any  demonstra- 
tion, although  the  nest  was  apparent- 
ly nearly  ready  for  the  reception  of 
eggs.  Tucked  in  snugly  among  the 
larger  sticks  of  the  foundation  was 
the  nearly  completed  nest  of  of  a 
California  Shrike. 

Soon  after  examining  this  nest  the 
second  one  was  found  in  one  of  two 
old  willow  trees  growing  in  the  bed 
of  a  small  shallow  slough  in  which 
water  flowed  only  occasionally.  Un- 
like the  other,  this  nest  was  placed  in 
the  extreme  top  of  the  tree  but  was 
about  the  same  distance  above  the 
ground.  The  materials  used  were 
much  the  same  as  in  the  other  in- 
stance but  the  lining  consisted  entire- 
ly  of  fresh   willow   shoots,   averaging 


about  a  foot  in  length  with  the  small, 
tender  leaves  attached.  The  female 
was  evidently  not  ready  to  commence 
laying  as  neither  of  the  birds  were 
in  sight  and  there  were  no  feathers 
in  the  nest. 

I  found  no  more  hawk's  nests  that 
day  but  the  next  morning  I  was  out 
before  sunrise  and  tramped  nearly  a 
mile  to  a  thin,  ragged  old  willow  in 
a  wheat  field.  There  had  been  a  light 
fog  during  the  night  but  it  vanished 
even  before  the  sun  arose,  leaving- 
however,  great  shining  drops  of  mois>- 
ture  sparkling  on  every  wheat  blade 
so  that  after  walking  through  the 
knee-high  growth  for  a  few  moments, 
I  was  thoroughly  wet;  but  what  did 
that  matter?  Could  I  not  see  against 
the  sky  the  outlines  of  a  hawk's'  nest 
in  the  tree  a  short  distance  away? 

As  I  neared  the  tree  one  of  the 
birds  pitched  down  from  the  nest  and 
alighted  on  a  fence  post,  while  her 
much  smaller  mate  set  on  another 
post  nearby  and  during  the  time  that 
I  was  present  one  of  them  at  frequent 
intervals  gave  voice  to  a  scream  not 
unlike  that  of  a  Wn.  Red-tail  though 
not  so  emphatic  and  with  just  a  sug- 
gestion of  plaintivenes's  it  it. 

The  nest  -was  built  in  much  the 
same  position  as  the  one  first  describ- 
ed and  about  sixteen  feet  from  the 
ground.  It  was  made  of  rather  small 
dry  sticks  with  a  three-inch  deep  lin- 
ing of  green  leaves  while  a  great 
many  downy  feathers  adhered  to  the 
nest  and  even  the  branchs  within 
three  or  four  feet  of  it.  Although  I 
believed  it  to  be  a  little  too  early  for 
sets  of  S'wainsoni,  yet  as  I  climbed  to 
this  nest  I  almost  expected  to  find  an 
early  set  but  the  nest  was  empty. 

Later  in  the  day  I  found  two  more 
nests  built  in  the  top  of  willows  bor- 
dering a  large  slough  and  in  one  case 
the  tree  was  several  feet  out  in  the 
water.  Each  of  these  nests  were  lin- 
ed  with    green    willow    leaves    and    a 


THS  ooLooirr. 


11 


few  feathers.  One  of  them  contained 
a  single  fresh  egg  on  which  the  bird 
was  sitting  while  in  the  other  in- 
stance both  owners  circled  around 
overhead  but  no  eggs  had  been  depos- 
ited. 

I  was  very  enxious  to  visit  my 
■h'a'wks  again  some  three  weeks  later 
but  circumstances  prevented.  How- 
ever, on  the  30tih  of  April  of  the  pres- 
ent year  I  paid  them  another  visit, 
going  first  to  the  tree  that  held  nest 
Xo.  3  of  the  previous  year  and  finding 
it  unoccupied  so  I  hurried  away  to 
the  Cottonwood  in  which  the  first  one 
described  was  built,  but  found  disap- 
pointment awaiting  me  there  also  for 
no  nest  was  to  be  seen.  Not  far 
away,  though,  was  a  much  smaller 
tree  but  it  did  not  seem  promising  as 
quite  a  number  of  small  birds  were 
singing  and  flitting  about  in  it.  How- 
ever, I  soon  discovered  a  big  nest  up 
in  the  topmost  branches.  This  nest 
seemed  worth  investigating  as  a  big 
sooty-colored  hawk  was  flapping 
around  nearby.  It  was  a  rather  easy 
climb  to  the  nest  which  contained 
four  unusually  well-marked  eggs  and 
I  became  so  interested  that  I  nearly 
fell  from  the  tree  when  a  hawk,  with 
an  angry  scream,  darted  past  me  only 
a  few  feet  away.  She  came  from  be- 
hind me  and  had  evidently  been  ma- 
king a  long  fligiht  as  she  came  in  on  a 
slight  downward  slant,  the  noise  pro- 
duced by  her  wings  reminding  one 
of  a  distant  waterfall.  After  dash- 
ing at  me  the  first  time  she  ascended 
on  a  long  upward  curve,  then  sudden- 
ly turned  and  came  back  again  but 
with  these  two  attacks  her  anger 
seemed  to  have  been  spent  and  she 
afterwards  circled  around  nearby 
while  her  mate  remained  at  a  great- 
er distance.  The  most  aggressive  of 
these  birds,  which  I  believed  to  be 
the  female,  showed  an  unsually  light 
phase  of  plumage  while  her  mate,  as 


before  mentioned,  was  of  an  almost 
uniform  sooty-color. 

A  sihort  time  before  finding  the 
nest  I  had  seen  about  half  a  dozen  of 
these  hawks  sitting  -  on  the  fence 
posts  and  on  the  ground  in  a  pasture 
that  had  been  burned  over  and  they 
were  undoubtedly  engaged  in  catch- 
ing mice.  Their  actions  were  such 
as  to  give  one  the  impression  that 
they  were  sluggis/h  birds,  but  the  two 
at  the  nest  rather  upset  this  theory. 
I  might  mention  that  in  the  tree  with 
the  hawk's  nest  a  pair  of  Arkansas 
Kingbirds  had  also  commenced  build- 
ing and  the  framework  of  a  Bullock 
Oriole's  summer  home  was  suspend- 
ed from  an  outer  branch;  but  of 
course  it  remained  for  the  English 
Sparrow  to  outdo  them  all  for  as  I 
was  climbing  the  tree,  the  saucy  chirp 
of  a  sparrow  was  heard  overhead.  An 
inspection  sihowed  that  a  mass  of 
rubbish,  grass  stems  and  feathers  had 
been  carried  in  among  the  larger 
sticks  in  the  foundation  and  probably 
a  brood  of  young  sparrows  were  af 
terwards  raised  thei-e. 

It  might  be  well  to  give  a  descrip- 
tion of  this  nest  of  Buteo  swainsoni 
before  passing  to  another.  Outward- 
ly it  was  much  larger  than  any  of  the 
others  that  I  had  examined  being 
nearly  two  and  one-half  feet  in  diame- 
ter and  sixteen  inches  in  depth,  the 
inner  cavity  being  about  four  inches 
deep.  The  size  was  governed  no 
doubt  by  the  position  in  which  the 
nest  was  built  and  this  I  believe  is 
the  case  with  nearly  all  large  nests. 
It  was  lined  witih  green  cottonwood 
leaves  and  feathers  and  was  28 ^^  feet 
from  the  ground.  The  eggs  had  been 
incubated  about  one  week. 

My  limited  time  did  not  allow  an 
attempt  to  reach  the  two  nests  along 
the  slough  but  I  ihad  the  pleasure  of 
finding  another  new  one  in  the  sec- 
ond of  the  two  willows  described  as 


12 


THB  OOLOaiST. 


No.  2  for  1906.  The  parent  bird  was 
setting  and  Incubation  was  begun  in 
the  three  eggs  that  rested  on  a  few 
green  leaves  in  a  nest  that  did  not 
differ  essntially  from  the  others  that 
have  been  discovered.  •  There  was  al- 
so a  gopher,  apparently  fresihly  kill- 
ed, in  the  nest  and  the  eggs  were 
somewhat  daubed  with  mud,  showing 
that  the  bird  had  been  in  a  habit  of 
alighting  on  the  ground.  Unlike  the 
owners  of  the  other  nest,  these  birds 
made  no  demonstration  and  the  dark, 
sooty  one  that  was  occupying  the 
nest,  left  quietly  when  I  prepared  to 
climb  and  circling  higher  and  higher 
finally  seemed  to  hang  almost  mo- 
tionless in  the  sky,  watching  opera- 
tions from  far  above. 

The  seven  eggs  from  these  two 
nests  have  a  white  ground  color  with 
a  pale  bluish  tinge  and  are  spotted 
and  blotched  with  brown,  each  egg 
Tjcing  marked  differently.  One  of 
them  has  a  small  wreath  of  blotches 
around  the  smaller  end  while  numer- 
ous small  splashes  of  'brown  are  scat- 
tered generally  over  the  surface  and 
several  pale  lavender  shell  marks  can 
1)6  seen. 

As  I  have  already  noted,  each  of 
these  nests  contained  green  leaves 
for  a  lining  and  I  might  add  that  four 
nests'  of  Wn.  Red-tail  and  one  of 
Cooper  Hawk  recently  examined  all 
had  a  similar  lining  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  of  Red-'tail  wihich  had  sev- 
eral bunches  of  green  cottonwood 
berries  in  place  of  leaves. 

In  conclusion  I  would  state  that  not 
far  from  where  I  had  seen  the  hawks 
catching  mice,  there  was  a  farmyard 
with  many  small  chickens,  some  of 
which  often  wandered  far  from  the 
house  but  their  owner,  a  very  observ- 
ing man,  informed  me  that  he  had 
never  known  them  to  be  molested  by 
the  hawks.  One  or  two  other  farm- 
ers stated  that  they  sometimes  lost 
many  young  chickens  during  the  sum- 


mer but  no  one  had  see  the  hawks 
carrying  them  away  so  I  am  inclined 
to  believe  that  some  other  cause  was 
responsible  for  their  disappearance. 
On  the  whole  the  Swainson  Hawks 
are  of  inestimable  value  to  the  farm- 
ers of  this  county  on  account  of  the 
number  of  mice  and  gophers  they  de- 
stroy and  are  therefore  worthy  of  the 
fullest  protection. 

John  G.  Tyler, 
Fresno,  Calif. 


The  Crested   Flycatcher     on     Strange 
Grounds. 


RICHARD   C.   HARLOW. 


Probably  all  the  readers  of  the 
Oologist  are  familiar  with  the  nest- 
ing and  the  'beautiful  eggs  of  this  in- 
teresting species.  I  was  of  a  like  opin- 
ion until  one  day,  early  in  June,  1904, 
I  discovered  a  nest  built  in  the  rain 
spout  of  a  barn.  The  birds  entered 
through  a  hole  just  above  the  nest 
and  certainly  seemed  secure  until  a 
heavy  rain  storm  came  spreading 
devastation  and  snakeskin  through- 
out the  length  of  pipe. 

No  doubt  such  instances  are  rare, 
but  still  they  go  to  show  that  we  had 
best  be  conservative  in  our  state- 
ments concerning  'birds  and  not  mere- 
ly write,  "Nest  always  in  a  hole  of  a 
tree,"  without  a  second  thought. 


We  Note  in  the  current  issue  of  the 
"West"  an  advertisement  of  Archeao- 
logical  specimens  by  one  Wm.  P.  Ar- 
nold of  Wakefield,  R.  I. 

We  suspect  this  is  none  other  but 
W.  P.  Arnold,  erstwhile  of  Peacedale, 
R.  I. 

Should  this  prove  to  be  the  case  we 
advise  prospective  purchasers  to  play 
a  safe  game.— EDITOR. 


THE  OOLOOIST.  13 


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14 


THI  OOLOGIST. 


52nd  Thousand  !       52nd  ! 

BIRD  guide:. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of  North   American  Birds  Eggs,  and  with  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  Ainerican    Birds 
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THE  OOLOOIST. 


15 


OOLOGY  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

By  E.  A.  CAPEN. 

A  Full  and  Complete  Description  of  the  Eggs,  Nests  and  Breeding 
Habits  of  all  the  Birds  known  to  Breed  in  New  England 

Complete  in  One  QuoLrto  Volume 


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Albion.  N.  Y. 

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and  Pacific  Coast  country.  10  colored.  25c; 
10  colored  and  black.  20c;  10  black.  15c.  W.  S. 
ROOT,  b:i2  :i2  Ave.,  N..  Seattle.  Wash. 

COI.LKCT  TO  ORDER. -Very  fine  ma- 
terial in  the  bird  and  insect  line  trom  south- 
ern Mexico.  Particular  attention  paid  to 
data.  AUSTIN  P.\UL  S.MITH.Cuernavaca, 
.Mexico.  F.2.  t. 

PL(.ET  SOUND.  SEATTLi;  AND.IAPAN 
CURIOS.  — Send  25  cents  for  s;implc  lot.  W. 
S.  ROOT.  tEi2  :i2  Ave.  N..  SEATTLE.  Wash. 

Fo|;  KX(H.VN(iE. -Violin  and  outfit  in 
good  canditiuii  cost  $2.i.  for  \'()ls.  of  Bcndires 
Life  Histories  or  Coue's  Key  fifth  edition,  or 
other  bird  books  of  e<inal  value.  .1.  K.  R.\.S- 
.\IUSSON.  !!<)  .^ixth  .\ venue.  Upper  Troy,   N" 

W.\NTED.-Eggs  of  snake*,  lizards  and 
turtles.  Staff  price.  .TOS.  P.  I!AI,L,  .M.  D.. 
Frarikford.  Phila..  Peim. 

Pure  bred  buff  leghorn,  cockerclls,  Haines 
single  comb  strains,  good  birds.  F.  O.  B.  75c. 
each.  Extra  Birds  $1.U0  each.  Itegistered 
cock,  2nd  year.  {1.50.  i;i;NKST  II.  SIIOKT, 
€hili.  N.  V. 


FOR  SALE-Auk  and  Nuttall  Bulletin. 
Complete  up  to  and  including  1907.  Thirty 
two  Vols,  in  all.  The  entire  set  is  bound  in 
half  morocco  excepting  the  last  two  Vols,  of 
the  Auk.  An  extra  fine  set.  Price  one  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  set.  PHILIP  LAURENT, 
31  East  Mt.  Airy  Ave.,  Philadelphia,  Penn. 

WANTED.-Birds'  eggs  from  Cuba,  Philip- 
pines, Hawaii  and  Laysan  Islands.  Offer 
cash  or  exchange.  M.  KUSCHEL.  Guhrau. 
Germany,  Bz  Breslau. 

X  OR  SALE.— Rattlesnake  skins,  fish  and 
animal  skins.  Rattle  snake  skin  purses, 
garters,  belts,  hat  bands,  etc.  Mounted  spec- 
imens, birds  and  animals  J.  E,  MAYBURY. 
Prado,  Calif. 

WANTED.-Oologist  Vol  III,  No.  6;  Vol.  V, 
No.  6.  Will  pay  $1.00  cash  each  or  $5.00  in  fine 
sets  for  both.  All  answered.  H.J.  KAF'AHL, 
116  E.  6th  St.,  Austin,  Tex.  J.  2  t. 

EXCH  A  N( ;  E— Two  folding  canvass  covered 
campers  cots,  good  as  new.  Want  old  bird 
hoods  or  magazes.  BENJAMIN  HOAG. 
Stephentown.  N.  Y. 

FOR  EXCHAN(iE.-Finelist  of  sets  and, 
singles  including  .ila.  52,  IH.l,  147,  172.  177.  348 
375d,  394b,  411, 419.  46s,  570,  ()3sand  many  others. 
Also  three  revolvers  and  Marlin  rifle.  I  want 
Eastman  kodak  and  tank  developer.  Smith 
it  Wesson  or  Colts  revolver  or  automatic 
pistol,  and  books  on  ornithology  and  natural 
history,  especially  Hornadays  American 
Natural  History.  X(j  postals  answered.  E. 
i;.  WEST,  226  East  4th  St.,  New  Albany.  Ind. 

STAMP  A  r>UU  MS. -International,  2  vols- 
full  leather,  (iilt  edges.  Will  exchange  for 
old  bird  books  or  magazines  or  eggs  in  sets. 
A  bargain  for  .some  one.  BENJAMIN  HOAG, 
Stephentown,  New  '^'oik. 

WANTED.  ■•I'.irils  Ontario,"  Newton's 
Dictionery.  I'Jva's  Birds  \'ol.  9,  Cambridge 
.Naliiral  History.  Stateconditionaiid  lowest 
easti  price.  BENJAMLN  HOAG.  Stephen- 
towii.  N.  Y. ^^ 

FOR  S.VLE. -Land  Birds  of  N.  A,.  P.aird. 
Brewer  and  i;idg<'way.  :!  vols.  1905  edition, 
new,  price,  $7.50.  listed  $10.00.  CHAS.  M. 
•METZ,  Claremont,  Calif. 


18 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


WANTED.-A  1  sets  of  2,  27.  71,  120b  295. 
420  etc.  512a,  585,  661  and  many  others,  mostly 
with  nests.  Good  sets  of  187  to  swap  for  corn- 
man  material,  many  priced  at  5c.  California 
skins  to  exchange,  also  sets  141,  146,  221,  226, 
294,  378, 178  and  plenty  others  for  exchange. 
All  answered,  Taylor's  catalogue.  DONALD 
A.  COHEN.  Alameda,  California. 

EXCHANGE.-If  there  is  anything  you 
need  in  the  following  list  of  eggs  in  fine  sets 
I  would  be  pleased  to  consider  an  exchange. 
12, 13,  30,  31,  32,  37,  40,  75,  76,  108,  145, 148, 182,  207, 
224,  274,  269-1,  283,  293a.  297a,  302a,  309,  310,  313, 
318,  319,  321,  327,  336.  341,  353,  354,  354a,  356,  358-1, 
359-1,  .360,  360a,  362,  384,  408,  410,  416,  417,  419,  421, 
459,  478a,  490,  494,  51S,  536,  538,  534,  554,  569,  578, 
581-i,  591,  592,  594a,  607,  618,  629b,  630,  637,  &39, 
641,  642,  645,  654a,  676,  677.  686.  697.  (599.  702,  706, 
707,  708,  710a,  722a,  728,  780,  735b.  738,  739,  748,  752. 
754,  763,  376,  370a,  679.  THOS.  H.  JACKSON. 
304  N.  Franklin  St.,  West  Chester.  Pa. 

WANTED.-Oologist  Vol.  Ill,  No.  6;  Vol. 
V.  No.  6;  Nidologist  Vol.  I.  No's.  2.  4.  6. 
Will  pay  $1.00  cash  for  each.  Also  have  col- 
lecting gun  to  exchange  for  A  1  sets.  The 
best  gun  made  for  scientific  collecting,  double 
barrel,  Newman  make,  fine  damascus  barrels, 
28  gauge,  brass  or  paper  shot  shells.  Shells 
and  reloading  outfit  go  with  gun.  Also  for 
exchange  books,  magazines,  climbing  irons, 
few  sets  and  skins.  All  answered.  H.  J. 
KOFAHL.  Austin.  Texas. 

FOR  SALE.— Golden  Eagle,  mounted  on 
stand  with  wings  half  spread,  first  class 
specimen,  $12  cash  gets  it.  B.  P,  CARPEN- 
TER, Escondido,  Calif. 

FOR  SALE  OK  EXCHANGE.— Stamps, 
coins,  shells,  sea  urchins,  starfish,  Sand 
Shark's  eggs,  perwinkle  egg  case,  etc,  singly 
or  in  quantities.  List  on  application.  K.  B. 
SQUIRES,  Box  926  Greenport,  Long  Island, 
N.  Y. 

$3  will  buy  155  kinds  of  native  or  foreign 
woods  or  will  exchange  for  woods  not  in  my 
collection.  LOUIS  W.  HAHN.  Lake  Avenue. 
Silver  Creek,  N.  Y..  P.  O.  Box  430. 

NOTICE.— I  will  accept  A  1  sets  with  data, 
new  to  my  collection  at  one  fourth  Lattin's. 
Standard  Cat.  in  payment  for  subscriptions 
to  any  magazine,  newspaper  or  periodical 
published  in  the  U.  S.  For  $5.00  in  any  good 
sets  with  data.  I  will  send  prepaid,  one  Pro- 
phylactic tooth  brush,  1  bottle  very  best 
guaranteed  tooth  powder,  receipt  for  same, 
and  100  best  datas.  Address  CLARENCE  H. 
LUTHER.  P.  D.  S..  Fayetteville,  Ark, 

NOTICE.-I  have  the  following  to  exchange 
for  first  class  sets  with  data.  Eastman  Day- 
light Tank  Developing  Outfit  No.  2  (never 
used)  for  $25.00  worth  of  eggs.  22  cal. 
Stevens  Rifle  single  shot  for  $20.00  in  eggs. 
Redhead  Parrot  3  years  old.  fair  talker,  ex- 
change value  $50.00.  two  female  Fox  Squirrels 
aboutS  months  old.  will  make  very  interest- 
ing pets,  ex  value  $5.00  each,  purchaser  to  pay 
express,  100  extra  fine  datas,  on  fine  bond 
paper  for  every  dollars  worth  of  sets  sent  me. 
Remington  typewriter  No.  7.  good  as  new  for 
$300.00  worth  of  choii'e  sets.  Receipt  for  finest 
tooth  powder  ever  used  for  $2.00  worth  of  A  1 
sets.  Address  CLARENCE  H.  LUTHER.  D. 
D.  S..  Fayetteville.  Ark. 

WANTED.-To  exahange  bird  skins  for 
species  not  in  my  collection.  Send  list  and 
receive  mine.  ALEX  WETMORE.  Lawrence. 
Kansas,  care  of  University  Museum. 


FOSSILS. -8  good  fossil  shells,  30  cents, 
nice  trilobites,  30  cents  each;  10  fossil  corals; 
60  cents.  Collections  for  primary  and  ad- 
vanced students.  Write  for  catalogue.  L.  C. 
SPARKS.  Jeffersonville.  Ind. 

WANTED.— Sets  Sharp-shinned  Hawk  and 
Bald  Eagle.  What  can  you  use  ?  BEN 
.TAMIN  HOAG.  Stephentown.  N.  Y. 

Oologists   Tools  and  Supplies, 
Bird     Books    and     Magazines. 


Everything  Sent  Prepaid. 

CUT  THE  LINING  EGG  DRILLS.  16  sizes 
from  .2  to  about  .32  lOOths,  25c.  to  50c.  each. 
Four  selected  sizes.  $1.00.  If  not  the  best  you 
ever  used  return  and  get  your  money.  You 
will  find  them  a  delight  for  fine  work. 

CODMAN  &  SHUKTTEFF  DRILLS.  The 
very  best  standard  egg  drills  made.  6  inch 
handles.  No  1,  25c;  No.  2,  35c;  No.  3.  50c;  No.  4, 
75c;  No.  5.  $100;  No.  6.  $1.50.  3  inch  handles. 
No.  0  and  1,  20c;  No.  2,  25c;  No.  3,  35c;  No.  4. 45c. 

BLOW-PIPES.  All  best  Nickle.  No.  1,  10 
to  12  inches,  40c.;  No.  2,  8  to  9  inches,  30c,;  No. 
3,  6  to  7  inches,  20c. 

EMBRYO   HOOKS.     Best  quality  6  inch 

handles $    25 

EMBRYO  SCISSORS.  No.  1.  25c.;  No.  2.  50c.; 
best  straight  fine  points.  $1.00;  best  curved 
very  fine 1  25 

CALIPERS.  Best  nickle  sliding  calipers, 
$1.00. 

BEST  STEEL  CLIMBERS.  Made  as  they 
should  be  for  tree  climbing.  Sure  to  please 
you.    With  straps.  $2.50;  without  straps.  $1.90 

PENCILS.  Very  soft,  best  made  for  eggs 
10c.  each;  3  for  25c. 

DATA  BLANKS.  3x5,  10c.  per  100;  about 
3'X  6  with  name  and  address  inserted,  30c. 
per  100. 

FLANIGAN'S  BALL.  For  rinsing  eggs, 
20c.    Checking  lists,  3c.  each;  30c.  per  dozen. 

FIELD  GLASSES.  A  fine  pair  in  showy 
silk  lined  leather  case  with  strap.  Sure  to 
please  you.  if  not  return  and  get  your  money, 
$5.00;  others,  $4,50  to  $90.00 

FISH  BASKETS.  Just  the  thing  for  field 
work.  $1.00.  $1.25  and  $1.50. 

FORCEPS.       Finest     quality,     plain    or 

serrated  points $    45 

CHECK  LISTS.    3cts.  each;  30  cts.  dozen. 

Taylor.s  or  Lattin's  Egg  Catalogue 25 

Davie's  Nests  and  eggs,  5th  ed..  cloth...    1  50 

Cone's  Key,  last  ed..  2  vols,,  cloth. 11  00 

Ridgway's  Manual,  cloth  or  leather 5  75 

Chapman's    Hand    Book,    cloth,  $2.25, 

leather 2  60 

Chapman's  Warbler  Book 2  90 

(ioss"  Birds  Kansas 4  00 

Bailey's  Hand  Book  Birds  Western  U,S,    3  25 

Hornaday's  Taxidermy 2  40 

Chapman's  Color  Key,  or  Reed's  North 

American  Birds  Eggs  and  your  choice 

5(ic,  worth  tools 2  50 

I>avie"s  Nests  and  Eggs  and  a  New  sub- 
scription to  the  Condor 2  30 

A  full  line  of  best  taxidermists  tools  made, 
any  books  or  magazines  published.  Write 
me.  state  you*"  wants.  I  will  save  you 
money. 

BENJAMIN   HOAG, 
Stephentown,  New  York. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


19 


STILL    LEADING 


FIFTH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STANDARD  CATALOCyE  OF 
North  American   Birds   Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year,  Both  for  50c. 


Compiled  by  Frank  H.  Lattin  and 
Ernest  H.  Short,  with  the  assistance 
of    many    prominent    American    Ool'O- 

glBftS. 

A  Complete  Up-to-date  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
Introduced  Species,  giving  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  species  whose 
eggs  are  procurable  at  this  time.  Ar- 
ranged  according  to  A.   O.   U.   Nome- 


clature,  but  giving  Ridgway's  aad 
Coues'  numbers  also.  Printed  oa 
one  side  cf  page  only  leaving  it  in 
convenient  form  for  making  notes  In 
or  using  for  labelling  purposes. 
Bound  in  light  board  covers.  Neat  in 
style.  Handy  in  sihape  (just  goes  in- 
to full  government  envelope). 

Postpaid  25c  each.    Six  for  $1.25. 


Address  ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Manager  Oologist,  Chili,  N.  Y. 


Learn  Taxidermy. 


Naturalists,  Oologists 
and  Sportsmen  should 
all  know  how  to  correct- 
ly mount  all  kinds  of 
birds  and  animals.  WE 
TEACH  TAXIDERMY 
BY  MAIL.  Complete 
course  in  15 lessons.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  de- 
lightfii!  and  fascinating  of  arts.  Easily 
learned.  ST.VN'DARD  METHODS.  En- 
dorsed by  all  leading  taxidermists.  Many 
of  the  best  known  naturalists  of  the  country 
are  numbered  among  our  students.  If  you 
want  to  learn  TAXIDERMY,  we  desire  to 
submit  ourproposition  in  full.  Send  TODAY 
for  our  new  illustrated  CATALOG  and  sam- 
ple copy  of  The  TAXIDERMY  .MAGAZINE. 
BOTH  FREE.  THE  N.  \V.  SCHOOL  OF 
TAXIDERMY,  76  Farnam   St.,  Omaha,  Neb. 

TO     ALL     INTERESTED. 
REMEMBER. 

I  furnish  collections  covering  one  or  several 
oranches  of  Natural  History  for  study  or 
museum  purposes  at  Special  reduced  rates. 
Don't  fail  to  write  me.  I  will  quote  you  on 
your  line  of  wants  or  I  will  furnish  a  general 
assortment  that  will  fit  your  purse  and  be 
sure  to  please. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT. 
Box   173  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


THE  CONDOR. 

A    Magazine    of    Western    Ornithology. 

Official  Organ  Cooper  Ornithalogioal  Club. 

In  .\rticles  by  Active  Ornithologists  Half- 
tones from  Life  Make-up. 

The  Delight  of  Bird  Students  and  Bird 
Lovers  Everywhere. 

Volume  10.  (liJOS)   Better  Than  Ever. 

Published  Bi-monthly. 

Annual  subscription.  $1.50,  net.  in  advance. 
Single  copies,  30  cents.    Foreign  subscription, 

fi  .:=•;. 

J.    EUGENE    LAW,    Business    Manager. 
Holiywood,  Cal. 


T.  Reed  &  Co.,  4  Duke  St.,  Char- 
ing Cross,  London,  W.  C,  England 

have  for  sale  rare  Asiatic.  African,  Australian 
South  American  and  European  birds'  egga- 
List  2  cent  stamp.  Nov.  2.  t. 


so 


THBi  OOLiOQIST. 


Oologists    and     Ornithologists 
Attention  ! 

An  illustrated  Brochure"  In  the  Haunts  of 
the  Swainson's  Warbler."  giving  migration, 
song  habits,  geographical  distribution,  des- 
cription of  bird,  nesting,  habits,  etc..  with 
plates  from  photographs  of  nests  and  eggs  in 
situ.    Sent  postpaid  for  35c. 

DOCTOR  M.  T.  CLECKLEY, 

Augusta,  Qa. 

A  COMPLETE  LINE 

of  Indian  relics  Jossils.  minerals  and  curios 
for  sale  by 

R.  E.  HOLMES, 

Montrose,  Nebr. 
Send  for  1908  price  list. 

THE  GIRL  AND  THE  DOG. 

Six  pretty  and  artistic  poses  on  beautifully 
colored  post  cards;  worthy  of  framing  and 
hanging  on  the  walls  of  your  den.  The  com- 
plete set.  18  cents,  stamps. 

HOWARD  M.  GILLET, 
Dept.  0.  Lebanon  Springs,  N.  Y. 

HAND  EGG    BLOW-PIPE    PERFECTED. 

J»st  the  thing  for  blowing  eggs  with  small 
or  large  holes.  Can  be  used  without  water- 
blower.  Indorsed  by  a  great  many  oologists 
and  collectors.  Satisfaction  guaranteed. 
Sent  postpaid  with  directions  for  $1.00. 
DR.  M.  T.  CLECKLEY, 

Augusta,  Ga. 

lORLfi'S  GREATEST    COLLECTORS'    MAGAZINE 

FOUNDED  IIS  1895 

The  Philatelic  M  and  Camera  News 

Combines  Collectors'  aud  Post  Card  World 

and  Dozen  Other  Papers. 

SUPERIOR,  NEBR.,  U.  S.  A. 

The  oldest  largest  monthly  American  Col- 
lector's Paper  published.  Over  100  pages 
each  issue,  replete  with  interesting  reading 
and  advertising  illustrated  pertaining  to 
Stamps,  Curios,  Coins,  Postal  Cards  and 
Entire  Covers,  Minerals,  Birds,  Relics  of  all 
kinds.  Cameras,  Etc.  Over  3600  pages  issued 
in  2  years.  .  .^     . 

An  unimitated  expensive  meritorious 
feature  is  the  publication  in  each  number  of 
illustrations  of  leading  collectors  and  dealers 
of  the  world.  A  possessor  of  complete  files 
has  a  valuable  and  interesting  collection, 
worthy  of  preservation.  . 

Official  Organ  of  over  40  popular  societies, 
35.000  members.  The  review  of  all  papers  of 
all  languages  is  an  attractive  addition.  In- 
teresting matter  from  French,  German, 
Latin,  and  from  all  foreign  English  papers  in 
each  number. 
SOcts.for  I  2  numbers;  foreign,  $1  0P4«. 

ADVERTISERS 

A  word  with  you;  that  collectors  appreciate 
the  above  attractive  features  is  evidenced  by 
onr  large  and  growing  subscription  list. 
The  West  circulates  ali  over  the  world.  Over 
12.000  ads  in  2  years. 

Trial  A6  I  cent  per  word  in  Trade  Calumn;  3 
times  for  price  of  2. 

L.  T.  BRODSTONE. 

Pxibllsher.  Superior.  N«br.  (  U.  S.  A.) 


Prices  for  Back  Numbers  of  the 
TOXTNG    OOLOGIST   AND   THE    OOLOOIST 

will,  during  1908,  remain  as  below: 
After  which  the  prices  of  many  num- 
bers will  be  advanced  and  possibly  not 
obtainable  at  any  price.  Should  you 
desire  back  numbers  to  complete  your 
file,  NOW  is  the  time  to  purchase.  You 
can  never  obtain  them  for  less  money 
and  possibly  not  at  any  price,  as  our 
stock  ranges  from  only  1  to  25  copies 
of  an  issue. 

Prices  for   1907-08  Are  as  Follows: 
Complete  file,  112.00. 
No.    32   is   75   cents. 

Nos.  1,  14,  18,  21,  23-24,  31,  34-35,  42, 
53,  86,  89,  111,  130,  132,  137,  139,  140. 
153,   158,  are   50  cents  each. 

Nos.  9,  66-67,  76,  77,  78,  79,  88,  90,  100. 
113.  138,  146,  are  25  cents  each. 

Nos.  11.  13,  14,  15,  16,  54,  55,  56,  76. 
87,  123,  127,  128,  129,  144,  149.  are  15 
cents  each. 

Nos.  19,  20,  22,  27,  28,  38,  39,  40,  45, 
50,  60,  61,  63,  64,  65,  70,  74,  80,  93,  114. 
115,  126,  133,  135,  are  10  cents  each. 
iJlF'All  other  numbers  5c.  per  copy. 
For  $12  will  send  prepaid  a  copy  of 
every  issue  ever  published,  No.  1  to 
225.  This  offer  includes  your  subscrip- 
tion  through   1906. 

My  prices  for  back  numbers  of  the 
YOUNG  OOLOGIST  and  OOLOGIST  in 
volumes,  are  as  follows: 

Vol.   I,   1884-5,  Nos.   1   to   12 $  .90 

Vol.   II,   1885,   Nos.    13   to   14 50 

Vol.    Ill,    1886,   Nos.    15   to    20 90 

Vol.   IV,    1887,   Nos.    21   to   25-26 1.00 

Vol.    V.    1888,    Nos.    27    to    38 1.50 

Vol.  VI,  1889,  Nos.  39  to  50 75 

Vol.  VII,  1890,  Nos.  51  to  62 76 

Vol.  VIII,  1891,  Nos.   63  to  74 75 

Vol.  IX,  1892,  Nos.  75  to  86 90 

Vol.    X,    1893,    Nos.    87    to    98 1.00 

Vol.  XI,   1894,  Nos.    99   to   110 60 

Vol.   XII,   1895,   Nos.    Ill   to   122 1.00 

Vol.  XIII,  1896,  Nos.  123  to  127 50 

Vol  XIV,   1897,  Nos.   128   to   139 1.50 

Vol.   XV.    1898,   Nos.    140   to   149 60 

Vol.  XVI,   1899,  Nos.   150  to  161 75 

Vol.  XVII,  1900,  Nos.  162  to  171 50 

Vol.  XVIII.   1901,  Nos.   172   to  183..      .50 

Vol.  XIX,  1902,  Nos.  184  to  195 50 

Vol.  XX,  1903,  Nos.   196  to  197 10 

Vol.   XXI,   1904,   No.    198   to   209 50 

Vol.  XXII,  1905.  Nos.  210  to  221 50 

Vo!.  XXIII.  1906.  222  to  233 55 

For  $5  I  will  send  prepaid  a  copy  of 
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The  Oologist. 


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Whole  No.  247 


THE   OOLOGIST, 

A   Monthly    Publication   DeToted   to 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXI- 
DEEMY. 

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THE    BIRDS    OF    PREY      AND      THE 
COLLECTORS. 


Recently  the  Oologist  has  adopted 
the  new  policy  of  accepting  no  more 
advertisements  of  eggs  or  skins  of 
North  American  birds  to  be  bought  or 


sold  for  cash,  except  of  game  'birds 
and  birds  of  prey.  This  was  a  wise 
step. 

Let  me  say  right  here  that  I  neither 
have  the  desire  to  unwarrantably  in- 
terfere with  the  management  of  the 
Oologist  in  the  conduct  of  its  own 
business,  nor  do  I  write  as  an  ex- 
tremist in  the  matter  of  bird  protec- 
tion, for  I  am  a  collector  myself. 

The  game  birds  are  pretty  thorough 
ly  and  carefully  protected  throughout 
all  parts  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  not  only  by  law,  but  by  pub- 
lic sentiment,  and  when  by  diminu- 
tion in  numbers  they  seem  to  need 
fuller  protection,  they  will  undoubted- 
ly receive  it;  as  for  instance,  in  New 
Hampshire  and  Massachusetts  the 
Wood  Duck  and  the  Upland  Plover 
are  now  protected  for  a  term  of 
years  with  no  open  season. 

The  birds  of  prey,  on  the  contrary, 
have  few  friends.  The  hand  of  ev- 
ery hunter  and  farmer,  with  a  pitiful- 
ly small  percentage  o  fexception,  is 
against  them.  In  some  states  cer- 
tain species  are  pi-otected  by  law, 
but  to  the  average  man,  a  hawk  is  a 
hawk,  and  if  he  can  kill  it,  he  will  do 
so  with  satisfaction.  Public  senti- 
ment is  yet,  as  a  whole,  far  from  fav- 
orable to  the  protection  of  any  birds 
of  prey. 

To  collectors  of  eggs  and  skins  in 
the  aggregate,  there  is  proba'bly  no 
other  order  of  birds  so  attractive  as 
that  of  the  birds  of  prey.  If  this  is 
so,  and  I  believe  it  is,  collectors 
ought  to  enlist  themselves  individu- 
ally and  as  a  class  on  the  side  of 
those   birds   which    mean   so  much   to 


THE  OOLOGISl 


them,  yet  have  so  few  friends.  Not 
necessarily  cease  collecting,  ibut  col- 
lect judiciously,  not  selfishly  and  glut- 
tonously. No  man  who  collects  judi- 
ciously, unless  he  is  making  an  ex- 
haustive study  of  Moults  and  plum- 
ages, which  very  few  collectors  are, 
should  kill  his  specimens  in  the  breed- 
ing season,  but  should  take  them 
either  before  or  after;  better  by  far, 
after. 

The  collector  who  uses  judgment 
and  really  has  any  love  for  the  birds, 
If  he  has  taken  their  first  set  of  eggs, 
will  not  only  refrain  from  taking 
their  second  laying,  but  will  endeavor 
4o  prevent  their  being  disturbed  by 
foes  of  any  kind,  human  or  otherwise. 

Any  collector  who  takes  the  eggs 
from  an  eagle's  nest  one  season, 
should  use  every  means  in  his  power 
to  see  that  the  birds  are  not  disturb- 
ed the  following  season,  because  it 
Is  a  well  recognized  fact  that  the 
eagles  do  not,  as  a  rule,  make  a  sec- 
ond attempt  to  breed  the  same  sea- 
son, if  disturbed  in  their  first. 

In  this  way  we  may  foster  the 
breeding  of  the  various  species  in  our 
own  localities,  for  it  is  at  least  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  that  birds  which 
breed  and  are  ibred  in  a  certain  sec- 
tion, will  instinctively  seek  the  same 
•latitude,  if  not  the  same  locality, 
when  the  next  breeding  season  comes. 

Every  true  Oologist, — and  I. mean 
by  that  the  kind  described  and  exem- 
plified by  the  late  Major  Bendire, — 
will  take  as  much  satisfaction  in  re- 
cording the  safe  raising  of  a  family 
of  rare  birds  as  he  will  in  reporting 
the  taking  of  a  set  of  eggs  of  the 
same  species. 

Our  authorities  who  have  made  ex- 
tensive examination  of  the  contents 
of  the  stomachs  of  raptorial  birds, 
freely  condemn  only  the  Great  Horn- 
ed Owl,  Goshawk,  Cooper's  Hawk, 
Duck  Hawk,  Pigeon  Hawk  and  Sharp- 


skinned  Hawk.  For  the  first  four  I 
have  nothing  to  say,  except  that  from 
the  point  of  sentiment  I  should  hate 
to  see  any  species  exterminated.  The 
Pigeon  Hawk  is  known  to  most  of  us 
only  as  a  rare  migrant,  but  we  had 
best  proceed  carefully  with  the  Sharp 
skinned  Hawk.  To  be  sure  its  food 
consists   principally  of  small  birds. 

The  biggest  problem  in  the  bird 
line  in  this  country  today  is  the  Eng- 
lish Sparrow  pest,  and  onithologists 
are  carefully  watching  the  spread  of 
the  Starling  which  is  now  rapidly  go- 
ing on  from  around  New  York  City. 
Some  of  our  best  ornithological  au- 
thorities believe  that  as  these  or  oth- 
er undersirable  species  spread, — (Of 
course  it  is  not  yet  determined  that 
the  Starling  is  undesirable,) — their 
natural  enemies  will  hold  them  in 
check.  If  these  natural  enemies  are 
to  do  this,  high  in  their  ranks  must 
stand  the  Sharp-skinned  Hawk. 

If  it  is  neither  feasible  nor  advis- 
able to  form  an  Oologist  organization 
which  may  stand  for  these  and  kin- 
dred ideas,  all  who  .believe  in  such 
should  endeavor,  by  precept  and  by 
example,  to  make  collecting  in  this 
field  not  merely  the  preserving  of  the 
rare  and  beautiful,  but  of  equal  or 
greater  importance,  the  preservation 
of  the  source  of  these  things.  We 
are  all  familiar  with  the  old  story  of 
the  result  of  "killing  of  the  goose 
that  laid  the  golden  egg."  Let  all  of 
us  collectors  take  this  home  to  our- 
selves and  not  help  in  bringing  about 
a  similar  result  by  killing  the  bird 
that  lays  the  rare  egg. 

B.  G.  Willard. 
Millis,   Mass., 

.Jan.  4,  190S. 


The   Mourning    Warbler, 


This  exceedingly  shy  Warbler  ar- 
rives from  the-  sunny  south  the  first 
and   second    v.etks    in    May    and   take 


THE  OOLOGIST 


23 


up  their  nonie  in  damp,  dark  woods 
where  the  t'errs  with  their  luxurious 
growth  predominate.  The  male  utters 
short  calling-  notes  to  the  female. 
The  Oven  Bird  is  found  in  the  same 
locality.  About  the  middle  of  May 
they  start  nest-building,  which  are  al- 
most invariably  constructed  in  a  clus- 
ter of  ferns,  about  12  or  1-5  inches 
from  the  ground. 

Those  nests  that  we  found  are 
about  4  inches  in  circumference  and 
3%  Inches  in  height  on  the  outside 
dry  swamp  grass  interwoven  with 
dry  leaves  and  coarse  rootlets,  lined 
with  the  finest  rootlets.  Notwith- 
standing Xehrling's,  Chapman's  and 
Davies'  statement,  "lined  with  fine 
hair,"  they  may,  however,  conform 
with  the  locality.  The  eggs  are  white, 
sprinkled  with  reddish  dots  near  the 
larger  end,  and  lay  from  3  to  5  eggs. 


While  the  female  sits  on  the  eggs, 
the  male  is  perched  on  a  dry  small 
twig  of  a  sapling  from  10  to  15  feet 
from  the  ground.  I  saw  a  male  in 
this  position  ,  and  having  a  stout 
stick  in  hand  with  which  I  parted  the 
ferns  in  looking  for  the  nest,  I  threw 
it  at  the  bird  and  brought  it  down. 
It  now  adorns  our  collection  of  birds. 
They  utter  a  peculiar  song,  which 
is  different  from  that  of  any  other 
warbler,  thereby  leading  to  the  detec- 
tion of  their  nests.  We  took  the  pic- 
ture of  the  nest  June  3,  1906,  and 
found  another  one  in  the  same  piece 
of  woods.  The  shyness  of  this  very 
peculiar  dark  feathered  warbler  makes 
it  very  difficult  to  find.  After  rearing 
the  young,  they  leave  us  again  at  the 
end  of  September. 

EDWARD  REINECKE, 
Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


Photo  by  Reinecke. 
Nest  and   Eggs  of   Mourning   Warbler. 


24 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Excubitorides    or    Migrans? 


For  several  years  I  have  been  much 
interested  as  to  the  identity  of  the 
small  grey  shrikes  that  inha'bit  Fulton 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  during  the  summer  months. 
For  a  long  time  I  believed  the  species 
to  be  the  common  White-rumped 
Shrike,  lanius  ludovicianus  excubi- 
torides, and  as  such  I  mentioned  the 
species  in  the  Oologist  for  December, 
1903. 

Later  on  I  reviewed  my  data  on  the 
subject,  and  in  1906  began  to  think 
that  the  species,  migrans.  Such  was 
the  name  in  "Some  1906  Notes,"  pub- 
lished in  this  paper  for  December, 
1907,  and  it  was  the  query,  inserted 
by  friend  Short  "Was  not  this  excubi- 
torides?" that  has  led  to  the  publi- 
cation of  this  article. 

I  insert  a  description  of  our  Fulton 
county  Shrike,  taken  from  a  freshly 
killed  specimen:  Length,  8.81  in.;  ex- 
tent, 12.63  in.;  wing,  3.69  in.;  tail, 
3.56  in.;  bill,  culmen,  63  in.;  tomia, 
.91  in.;  gonys,  .44  in.;  tarsus,  .94  in. 
Upper  mandible  of  the  bill  dark  grey, 
lower  mandible  greyish  black;  irides, 
olive  brown,  tarsus  and  toes  grayish- 
hrown.  Forehead,  crown,  nape,  back, 
rump,  and  upper  tail  coverts  slaty- 
gray,  tinged  more  or  less  with  brown 
throughout,  tail  graduated,  outer  rec- 
trix  almost  entirely  white;  the  re- 
mained with  more  black  as  they  ap- 
proach the  central  pair,  the  fourth 
and  fifth  pairs  beii\g  black  with  only 
the  extreme  tips  of  the  feathers 
whitish;  the  central  pair  uniform 
dark  brownish  black;  auriculars,  orbi- 
tal and  loral  region,  and  nasal  tufts 
black;  chin,  throat  and  entire  under 
parts,  white,  tinged  on  the  breast 
with  grajish  brown,  scapulars  gray- 
ish white;  lesser  coverts  gray;  mid- 
dle and  greater  coverts  glossy  black; 
primaries  medium  brown  with  basal 
third  and  vane  of  the  feather,  pure 
white;    secondaries  of  brownish  black 


with  extreme  lips  of  feathers  slightly 
lishter.  Sex,  fm.,  Mayfield.  Fulton  Co., 
New   York,   Aug.  2,  1907." 

Now  it  is  observable  at  once  that 
this  bird  is  not  the  typical  subspecies 
ludovicianus,  Linn.,  because  our  bird 
has  the  tail  slightly  shorter  than  the 
wing  instead  of  the  reverse,  while  the 
bill  appears  to  average  slightly  small- 
er. Ridgway  gives  the  range  of  ludo- 
vicianus as  follows:  "Southern  Unit- 
ed Stated.  Coast  district  of  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia  to  southern 
Florida,  west  over  the  coastal  plain  of 
the  United  States  to  Louisiana." 

Returning  to  excubitorides  Swain- 
son,  we  find  that  our  Shrike  agrees  in 
having  the  tail  shorter  than  the  wing, 
but  lacks  entirely  the  sudden  change 
of  color  of  the  uropygius  and  upper 
tail  coverts  (whense,  indeed,  the  com- 
mon name  of  white-runged'  Shrike.) 
mon  name  of  white-rumped  Shrike.) 
preciably  different,  in  color,  from  the 
back. 

The  range  of  excubitorides,  is  giv- 
en by  Ridgway  (Birds  of  Middle  and 
Xorth  America;  Volume  III)  as  fol- 
lows: "Arid  district  of  western  Unit- 
ed t Sates  and  British  Provinces,  from 
the  eastern  border  of  the  Great 
Plains  to  the  western  margin  of  the 
Great  Basin." 

The  new  variety,  migrans.  Palmer, 
w'as  first  described  in  the  "Auk"  in 
1898.  It  is  distinguished  from  th>j 
other  twoc  ommon  Shrikes  by  the 
characteristics  mentioned  above,  as 
well  as  by  having  the  under  parts 
usually  less  purely  white  than  the 
other  sub-species.  This  character  in 
our  Shrike  is  very  pronounced,  the 
breast  and  belly  being  strongly  ting- 
ed with  grayish  brown.  The  range  of 
this  sub-species  fills  in  the  vacancy 
left  by  the  other  varieties,  being  as 
follows:  "Greater  part  of  the  United 
States  east  of  the  Great  Plains,  but 
very  local  in  the  more  eastern  dis- 
tricts." 


THE  OOLOQIST. 


25 


This  entirely  answers  the  descrip- 
tion of  our  small  nesting  Shrike,  and 
I,  for  ray  part,  am  entirely  satisfied 
as  to  its  identity. 

Charles   P,   Alexander. 


Editor  Oologist, 
Dear  Sir:  — 

Please  give  me  the  breeding  range 
of  the  Migrant  Shrike  (lanius  ludo- 
vicianus  migrans).  How  does  the 
bird  differ  from  the  Loggerhead? 

On  May  21st,  last,  I  saw  several 
Red-breasted  Xuthatchs  picking  at 
the  cones  on  a  spruce  tree.  They 
were  clinging  to  them  in  a  manner  not 
unlike  that  of  the  Chickadee.  I  am 
well  acquainted  with  the  Red-breast- 
ed Nuthatch  and  am  not  mistaken  as 
to  identity.  Is  this  a  common  occur- 
rence? 

I  saw  a  Cape  May  Warbler  here  on 
May  18  of  this  year  when  the  Warbler 
migration  was  at  its  height.  The  mi- 
gration was  rather  late  this  year,  on 
account  of  the  very  backward  spring 
I  suppose.  The  first  Warbler  I  saw 
was  the  Black  and  White  which  ar- 
rived on  April  30,  when  the  weather 
was  far  from  agreeable.  Warblers 
were  very  abundant  this  spring.  I 
shot  a  Fox  Sparrow  on  April  25th. 

I  saw  a  nest  of  an  American  Gold- 
finch within  two  feet  of  the  ground 
this  year. 

D.  B. 
Cobourg,  Canada. 

See  answer  elsewhere  in  this  num- 
ber.      (Ed.) 


Editor  Oologist: 

I  noted  with  interest  your  state- 
ment concerning  the  singing  of  Warl)- 
ling  vireos  on  the  nest  in  December 
Oologist,  because  I  have  found  it 
very  difficult  to  obtain  accurate  date 
-on  the  songs  of  sitting  birds  or  of 
female  birds  in  general. 

Mr.   Burroughs'  statement  has  been 


often  quoted,  but  is  certainly  wrong 
as  to  some  species.  I  have  watched 
house  finches  (carpadacus  mexicanus 
frontalis,  nesting  for  many  years,  and 
invariably  have  found  that  the  fe- 
male bird  pejsistently  sings  a  por- 
tion of  the  song  of  the  male,  some- 
times for  an  hour  at  a  time,  the  male 
responding  with  the  full  song  in  a 
tree  near  Dy.  A  reliable  observer  re- 
ports to  me  the  same  trait  in  a  fe- 
male black-headed  Grosbeck  observ- 
ed by  him.  I  should  like  very  much 
to  see  all  such  instances  reported. 
Junius  Henderson, 

Boulder,  Colorado. 


The   Quail   Trap. 

Norwich,   Conn.,  Bulletin. 


The  Quail  Trap,  Dec.  3,  1907.— Well, 
the  open  season  is  over  without  much 
honor  for  either  gunner  or  state. 
What,  indeed,  can  ibe  expected  from 
protective  laws  that  do  not  protect, 
when  the  commonwealth  of  Connec- 
ticut allows  20,000  licensed  men  to 
shoot  sixty  day  in  depleted  covers? 
Through  October  the  cry  was  "No 
game,"  but  in  Novemiber,  when  the 
leaves  had  fallen,  gunners  had  fine 
weather,  made  fairly  good  bags,  and 
by  December  1.  clearly  showed  that 
one  month  of  open  shooting  can  clean 
up  all  superfluous  game. 

.  A  leading  editorial  from  a  journal 
in  a  sister  city  maintains  with  stout 
bravado  that  city  hunters  are  gentle- 
men, and  by  association,  example,  and 
influence,  help  to  elevate  the  manners 
and  social  status  of  farmers  and  farm- 
ers' families.  Perhaps  a  residence  for 
the  last  eight  open  seasons  in  the 
country  may  permit  me  to  insist  that 
farmers  have  few  lessons  in  polite- 
ness and  field  etiquette  to  learn  from 
the  si)orting  "gent"  from  town.  The 
average  city  gunner,  as  I  have  met 
him,  fastens  his  horse  to  a  hidden 
barpost.   steals   into   the  woods,    picks 


26 


THE  OOLOOI8T. 


up  what  game  he  can,  and  goes  away 
without  paying  his  respects  to  the 
farmer. 

For  many  years  I  fished  and  hunted 
all  over  this  county  with  a  man — 
country-ibred — who  invariably  placed 
his  horse  in  the  barn  under  the  farm- 
er's care,  and  paid  liberally  for  all 
privileges,  and  was  ever  a  welcome 
guest  at  the  farmer's  table. 

Two  Woodstock  gunners,  born, 
■bred,  and  living  in  the  country,  who 
shoot  in  our  woods,  bring  us  part  of 
their  bags  on  lucky  days.  This  sea- 
son, last  year,  and  in  former  years, 
they  have  generously  divided  their 
chicken  pats,  and  woodcock  with  us. 
These  gentlemen  have  not  fired  a 
shell  at  quail  for  four  years.  But  one 
day,  in  a  season  when  quail  were 
abundant,  they  stood  on  a  neighbor's 
line  and  dropped  three  extra  large 
quail  on  our  land,  which  were  at  once 
given  to  us.  This  trio  of  bo'b-'whites, 
nicely  set  up,  are  in  our  summer 
home  as  souvenirs  of  a  vanishing 
race,  and  perpetual  mementoes  of 
two  farmers  and  country  gentlemen 
who  do  not  require  association  and 
example  of  city  shots  to  tell  them 
what  is  manly  and  right  to  do. 

But,  alas!  the  close  of  the  season 
saw  the  end  of  the  career  of  our  old 
cock  partridge  who-  for  a  decade  has 
lived  a  charmed  life  in  our  woods.  In 
the  spring  we  have  often  listened  to 
his  rataplan,  and  he  is  the  only  ruffed 
grouse  I  ever  heard  drum  in  autumn. 
We  knew  his  favorite  patches  of  eye- 
bright  and  dewberries,  met  him  huck- 
leberrying  in  open  brush,  and  many 
times  have  seen  him  dusting  his  col- 
lar and  turkey-like  tail  in  an  unused 
roadway.  Others  have  seen  him  'bud- 
ding in  maple  and  apple  tress,  and 
this  season  when  we  surprised  him 
with  three  females  he  was  too  indig- 
nant for  flight  and  stalked  away  out 
of  sight  like  a  Mongolian  pheasant. 
He  exceeded  the  extreme  local  weight 


of  2  and  3-4  pounds,  and  was  in  bril- 
liant winter  dress.  If  wiring  will  re- 
store the  ruff  and  enormous  fan,  the 
taxidermist  will  be  given  a  white  card 
to  give  us  a  lifelike  semblance  of  this 
superb  si:ecimen.  He  was  presented 
to  us  by  a  hunter,  neighbor  and  farm- 
er, who  needed  no  hint  for  his  act  of 
courtesy  from  the  shooting  gentle- 
men of  refinement  and  culture  from 
town. 

We  shall  miss  this  noble  grouse 
from  his  beautiful  woodland  home, 
where  I  hope  to  spend  many  more 
days,  meet  some  of  his  descendants', 
and  where  in  some  sentimental  mood 
I  may  feel  like  pencilling  on  a  beech 
or  white  birch  in  his  special  praise  a 
tribute  more  worthy  of  the  place  and 
bird    than  the  following  jingle: 

Old  Red  Ruff  played  his  bluff 
Through  many  a  joyous  year; 

Of  winter's  cold  and  foxes  bold 
He  had  but  little  fear. 

Behind  a  tree  from  you  and  me 
He'd  dodge  the  charge  of  shot; 

The   treetops    o'er,    his    flight      would 
soar 
In  an  eye-puzzling  knot. 

He'd  outwit  a  gun,  in  zigzag  run 
'Round    many   a    screening   sitump — 

A  setter's  nose  would  not  disclose 
His  perch  in  hemlock  clump. 

The  woods  would  hum  with  his  merry 
drum 

Beat  loud  from  log  or  wall; 
Rival  and  wife  in  am'rous  strife 

Obeyed  the  sovereign  call. 

At  his  flushing  whirr,     pulses     would 
stir 
From   the  berrypicker's  heart; 
That    roaring    whirl    scared      many    a 
churl — 
Made  e'en  the  woodfolk  start. 

By  our  swampy  path  he'd  take  a  bath 
On  a  hot  summer's  day; 


THB  OOLOOIST. 


27 


His  ruff  so  grand  he'd  fill  with  sand 
In   the   dusty  woodland   way. 

A  score  of  wives  lost  their  lives 
Ere  Red  Ruff's  race  was  run. 

And  a  hundred  chicks     he     lost     by 
tricks 
Of  fox,  hawk,  owl,  and  gun. 

But   with   weakened     nerve,      a   fatal 
swerve 
From  any  covering  shield 
"When    trees    were    bare — a    snapshot 
pair 
Made  the  ruler's'  spirit  yield. 

So  we  chance  a  tear  o'er  a  brave  ca- 
reer— 

Chant  a  sincere  refrain: 
Hed  Ruff  we'll  set  in  our  cabinet, 

Let  Science  reign! 
— 'C.  L.  Rawson. 


The    Horned   Owl    in    Wayne    County, 
Michigan. 


Fifteen  years  ago  Bubo  virginianus 
was  a  common  bird  throughout  the 
county,  but  is  now  comparatively  rare 
owing  to  unremitting  persecution  and 
the  cutting  away  of  large  forests  that 
afforded  safe  retreats.  At  the  pres- 
ent moment  I  know  of  but  three  large 
pieces  of  tim'ber  within  the  boundar- 
ies of  the  county  and  feel  confident 
the  Bubo  has  not  nested  in  one  of 
those  for  many  years.  It  is  with  the 
remaining  two  we  have  to  deal. 

The  Dearborn  Township  parcel  cov- 
ers 750  acres  of  ground  and  here,  in 
1901,  a  Red-tail  Hawk  built  an  entire 
•new  nest  and  had  a  complete  set  de- 
posited just  23  days  from  the  time 
lier  first  was  taken.  This  nest  was 
placed  65  feet  above  the  ground  in 
the  main  fork  of  a  large  beech.  April 
13,  1902,  we  ate  luncheon  at  the  base 
of  this  tree,  but  not  before  pounding 
it  and  otherwise  convincing  our- 
selves that  the  nest  was  not  occupied. 
Leaving   the    party   I    went   some   dis- 


tance to  investigate  a  tree  cavity, 
and  while  returning  noticed  two  pro- 
jections above  the  nest  that  would 
pass  for  ear  tufts,  hut  no  amount  of 
noise  induced  them  to  move.  The 
majority  voiced  an  opinion  of  dead 
leaves,  but  this  was  not  entirely  sat- 
isfactory to  me,  for  a  large  owl  had 
glided  from  the  vicinity  at  our  ap- 
proach. However,  I  would  not  climb 
on  the  evidence  at  hand,  but  as  we 
started  away  I  glanced  back  from 
time  to  time,  and  suddenly  discover- 
ed that  only  one  projection  was  vis- 
ible and  while  I  stood  watching  the 
other  swung  into  view.  That  settled 
it.  This  owl  remained  upon  the  nest 
until  I  could  reach  into  it  and  then 
vacated  on  a  straight  line  through 
the  woods  and  did  not  return.  Two 
owlets  about  a  week  old  and  the  re- 
mains of  two  red  squirrels  and  a  do- 
mestic pigeon  represented  the  con- 
tents of  the  nest  which  had  been  re- 
lined  with  oak  leaves'  and  was  with- 
out down.  I  did  not  disturb  the  con- 
tents and  hoped  to  secure  a  set  of 
eggs  the  following  season,  but  a  care 
ful  search  throughout  the  woods  fail- 
ed  to  reveal  any  trace  of   the  owls. 

The  Monguagon  Township  section 
of  timber  comprises  about  700  acres 
— mostly  oak  and  elm  of  the  largest 
size.  I  explored  this  woods  on  April 
17,  1898  and  in  the  most  dense  and 
gloomy  portion  discovered  a  nest  of 
the  Great  Horned  Owl.  It  was  a 
rather  insignificant  appearing  struc- 
ture, situated  70  feet  from  the  ground 
in  the  main  fork  of  a  white  oak  with- 
out an  intervening  limb  and  was  un- 
doubtedly built  by  the  owls.  Nothing 
was  seen  of  the  birds,  but  their  claim 
to  the  nest  was  assured  by  a  profus- 
ion of  down  clinging  to  its  exterior 
and  also  to  the  limbs  and  for  some 
distance  down  the  trunk.  Not  far 
from  this  tree  grew  another  equally 
large  but  with  an  abundance  of  limbs 
and  there  was  no  difficulty  in  reach- 


28 


THE  OOLOOIST. 


ing  an  elevation  from  which  the  ow- 
lets could  be  seen  but  they  were 
"bunched"  and  whether  two  or  three 
in  number  could  not  be  determined. 
Having  plenty  of  time  I  remained 
two  hours  in  the  vicinity  with  a  hope 
of  seeing  the  old  birds,  but  without 
success. 

April  24  found  me  again  beneath 
the  nest,  but  this  time  prepared  to 
ascend.  It  was  sighted  from  fully  300 
yards  and  just  as  both  owls  flew  from 
the  tree  to  be  seen  no  more.  The 
nest  contained  the  remains  of  an 
adult  male  and  female  Cooper's  Hawk 
and  two  defiant  juvenile  Bubos.  They 
could  not  fly  a  s»troke,  although  sxib- 
sequent  measurements  showed  a 
wing  spread  of  41  7-8  and  41  9-16  in. 
That  they  were  unable  to  fly  seems 
remarkable  when  we  consider  that  the 
average  spread  of  the  adult  is  not 
above  54  inches. 

It  was  not  until  the  season  of  1903 
that  I  decide<i  to  secure  a  set  of  eggs 
if  possible,  and  on  March  15,  after 
the  other  localities  had  panned  out 
mill,  I  turned  to  this  woods  as  a  last 
chance.  A  large  nest  was  sighted 
from  a  long  way  through  the  trees 
and  kept  steadily  in  view,  but  no  owl 
was  seen  to  leave.  However,  drop- 
p-ings  on  the  ground  beneath  the  nest 
and  the  sudden  outcry  of  a  flock  of 
crows  suggested  owls  and  I  decided 
to  wait  awhile.  In  a  few  moments  a 
large  owl  came  into  view  followed  by 
a  long  string  of  clamorous  tormen- 
tors and  alighted  upon  the  topmost 
branch  of  a  giant  sycamore,  but  in- 
stantly perceiving  me  and  took  wing. 
This  convinced  me  the  nest  was  oc- 
cupied but  before  attempting  the 
climb   I  wished  to  observe   the  owl's 


home  coming  and  found  the  foliage 
of  a  live  oak  an  excellent  place  of 
concealment.  It  was  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  before  she  put  in  an  appearance 
coming  with  a  noiseless  even  stroke 
of  wings  that  tended  to  blend  with 
the  woodland  gloom  and  render  her 
progress  scarcely  noticeable.  She 
alighted  three  feet  from  the  nest  an<i, 
after  careful  survey  of  the  surround- 
ings, crept  cautiously  down  the  limb 
into  it  and  entirely  disappeared.  I 
stepped  into  view  and  at  almost  the 
same  instant  caught  sight  of  one 
wing  as  she  dropped  down  the  fur- 
ther side  of  the  tree  and  glided  away 
not  more  than  two  feet  above  the 
ground.  This  nest  wa®  constructed 
by  Red-tails  in  1899  and  was  placed 
where  a  large  limb  separated  into 
three  branches  just  84  feet  above  the 
ground.  First  limb  60  feet  up  and 
circumference  of  the  tree  three  feet 
from  ground  eight  feet,  10  inches. 
Was  three-quarters  of  an  hour  up  the 
tree  but  felt  well  repaid  by  the  fine 
set  of  eggs  now  in  my  cabinet. 

March  1,  1904.  Mr.  Wisener  secur- 
ed a  set  of  two  from  this  nest  (as  re- 
corded in  the  Oologist  for  June, 
1904)  and  on  March  19,  1905,  I  took 
another  set  of  two  from  it.  The  bird 
was  a  trifle  latein  getting  down  to 
business  as  the  nest  contained  but 
one  egg  on  March  5.  This  nest  was 
not  occupied  in  1906  nor  could  we 
find  any  signs  of  the  Horned  Owl 
breeding  in  this  woods  or  elsewhere 
until  May  6,  when  we  located  a 
family  in  Gratiot  Township.  The 
first  seen  was  a  young  bird  that  had 
probably  left  the  nest  the  previous 
night.  It  was  perched  in  a  low  dog- 
wood tree  and  made  no  attempt  to 
escape.  We  located  the  nest  hoHow 
at  once  and  Mr.  Spicer  shot  the  fe- 
male as  she  flew  over. 

J.  CLAIRE  WOOD, 

Detroit,  Mich. 


The  Oologist. 

A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXIDERMY. 


WANTS,  FOR  SALES  AND  EXCHANGES, 

Brief  Special  announcements  "  Wants,"  "  Exchanges,"  "  For  Sales,"  inserted  in  this  de- 
partment for  25  cents  per  25  words.  Notices  over  25  words  charged  at  the  rate  of  1-2  cent  for 
each  additional  word.    No  notice  inserted  for  less  than  25  cents.    Terms,  cash  with  order. 

Strictly  first-class  specimens  will  be  accepted  in  payment  at  1-3  list  rates. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  3. 


ALBION,  N.  Y.,  MARCH,  1908.        Whole  No.  248 


Take  Notice. 

Examine  the  number  following'  your 
name  on  the  wrapper  of  this  month's 
Oologist.  It  denotes  when  your  sub- 
scription expired  or  will  expire. 

Remember  we  must  be  notified  if 
you  wish  paper  discontinued  and  all 
arrearages  must  be  paid. 
209  your  subscription  expired  Dec.  1904 
248  vour  subscription  expires  with  this  issue 
267    "  "  "  "  Dec,  1908 

Intermediate  numbers  can  easily  be 
determined.  If  we  have  you  credited 
wrong   we  wish   to   rectify. 

Entered  as  second-class  matter  De- 
cembed  21,  1903,  at  the  post  office,  at 
Albion,  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress of  March  3.   1879. 

COLLECT  TO  ORDER.-Very  fine  ma- 
terial  in  the  bird  and  insect  line  from  south- 
ern Mexico.  Particular  attention  paid  to 
data.  AUSTIN  PAUL  SMITH. Cuernavaca. 
Mexico.  F.  2.  t. 

FOK  EXCHANGE.-P.ald  Eagle,  2-1  with 
full  data,  Florida  collected,  for  best  offer  of 
sets  I  can  use.  Make  offer  and  send  list.  J. 
WAKKEN  JACOBS,  Waynesburg.  Pa. 

DR.  T.  W.  RICHARDS,  U.  S.  Navy,  wishes 
to  notify  correspondents  that  his  present  ad- 
dress is,  U.  S.  Ship  Colorado,  care  Post- 
master, San  Francisco.  California. 

KODAKS  TO  EXCH.VNGE.-Any  grade, 
brand  new  Eastman  camera,  for  eggs  not  in 
my  collection  at  1-4  Lattin's  List.  Can  use 
some  common  sets.  L.  D.  SU.MNEH,  .Madi- 
son. Wis.  M.;3.  t. 

Foi;  E.\'(TL\N(;E.- For  best  offer  Indian 
relics  or  fini-  curios.  One  set.  Messages 
and  Acts  of  the  Presidents.  10  vols.,  cost 
$:i5.(H).  never  un rapped.  DIL  .VLUEKT  E. 
PAIXE.  iliverhead.  L.  I..  N.  Y. 

E.\'('1IAX<;E.- Nature  Library,  10  vols. 
New  with  book-case,  rare  books  on  orni- 
thol<ig.v,  tine  field  glass,  butterflies  in  mounts, 
sets.  fte.  Want  good  sets,  especially  Penna. 
and  New  .lersey  ones.  D.  E.  HARKoWElt. 
Swarthmore.  Pa. 


FOR  SALE-Auk  and  Nuttall  Bulletin. 
Complete  up  to  and  including  1907.  Thirty 
two  Vols,  in  all.  The  entire  set  is  botind  in 
half  morocco  excepting  the  last  two  Vols,  of 
the  Auk.  An  extra  fine  set.  Price  one  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  set.  PHILIP  LAURENT, 
31  East  Mt.  Airy  Ave.,  Philadelphia,  Penn. 

FOR  SALE.— I  have  a  number  of  mounted 
Snowy  Owl  and  White  Pelican.  What  can 
you  use  in  this  line?  MARTIN  GULLESON, 
Tax.,  Rutland,  N.  D. 

I  HAVE  a  large  lot  of  misc.  stamps  from  all 
countries  that  I  will  exchange  for  first  class 
skins  of  small  land  birds.  What  have  you 
to  offer  ?  H.  K.  CO  ALE,  136  Washington  St., 
Chicago. 

WANTED. -Bird  skins  No.  495a,  496.  498a, 
500,  501a,  502,  503.  505,  511,  511a.  513a,  515b,  520. 
523.  524a.  525,  526,  527,  527a,  528a,  528b,  531,  552, 
5(i2,  564.  565.  566,  571,  573,  578.  586.  633,  (i34,  WO. 
Also  others  not  on  list.  Can  offer  mounted 
birds,  bird  skins,  eggs  in  sets  and  singles. 
Will  exchange  mounted  bird  for  sets.  Send 
full  lists.  JESSE  T.CRAVEN, 811  Roosevelt 
Ave..  Detroit,  Mich. 

WANTED.— Several  each,  strictly  first 
class  skins  of  Kites.  Hawks.  Owls.  Also  215, 
16.  31.  33,  44,  86:  400.  1,  la,  lb,  5,  43.  49.  51,  52,  53, 
53a.  60,  62,  W.l.  65.  68.  69,  69.1,  70a,  72,  72a;  541,  42, 
42c,  44a.  44.1.  45.  49,  50.  51:64,  (i5,  66,  67d.  (i8,  75.  78. 
79.  8.3a.88b:621,22,  22a,  23,  26.  30,  31a.  34.  :38,  39, 
40,  41,  42,  43,  44,  45.  45a.  51,  53.  60,  62,  63,  64,  66,  69, 
75.  7S.  79.  S(t.  84,  8.5,  .S6;  711.  Also  have  to  ex- 
change, several  each,  Santa  Cruz  Island  Jay, 
Wren;  San  Clemente  Tohee,  Wren,  Song  Spar- 
row, House  Finch;  Island  Horned  Lark, 
Shrike;  Large-billed  Sparrow;  Black  Oyster 
Catcher,  Wandering  Tattler,  Black  Turn- 
stone" Rhinocerous  .Vuklet.and  many  others. 
Only  best  skins  offered  or  wanted.  C.  B. 
LINTON,  175(i  Pine  \ve..  Long  Beach.  CaliL 

IXDIAX  1!  !•:  Lies. -Arrows,  bows.  b:isk(ts, 
drinking  cups,  water  bottles  and  head  pieces 
with  feathers.  t'ollectcd  from  villages  of 
"Digger  Indian"  tribes.  C,  IRVIN  CLAY, 
I'.ox  353  Eureka,  Cal. 

W  ANTE  I ).— To  subscribe  for  every  Xatural 
History  and  Curio  Collectors  magazine  pub- 
lished. Please  send  sample  copy.  ALBERT 
E.  FROST,  15ox  485,  Deseronto,  Ont..  Canada. 


34 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


200  microscopical  specimens.  Mounted  on 
glass  slides.  Representing  Histology, 
Pathology,  and  Bacteirology,  tolexchange  for 
coins  stamps  or  Indian  relics.  Also  have 
Fossil  Coral  (Lithostistion  Canadense)  to 
trade,  I  want  to  trade  for  or  purchase  col- 
lection of  stamps,  and  Single  State  Revenues. 
Write  first.  J.  M.  BROOKS,  M.  D.,  Golden 
City,  Mo. 

WANTED.— In  condition  from  mounting- 
Otter,  Fisher,  Martin,  Wolverine,  Alligator- 
Least  Weasel.  Offer  and  price.  Write  E.  W- 
CAMPBELL,  323  Wyoming  Ave.,  Pittston- 
Pa. 

WANTED. -Cone's  Key,  latest  edition- 
Offer  skines  33-la,  male;  ()21,  male;  478c,  male; 
491,  male;  492,  male.  etc.  Capen's  "Oology  of 
N.  E."  new.  unbound;  Nuttall's  "'N.  A.  Birds." 
new;  4x5  camera,  etc.  Also  sets  21 1-2;  82  1-1; 
204  1-1;  230  1-3;  498d  1-4;  3321-3;  702 1-4;  Australian 
Crane  1-2;  Antigone  do.  1-2.  CHAS.  S. 
THOMPSON,  Box  214,  Buena  Vista,  Colo. 

WANTED.— First  class  sets  as  follows. 
No's,  5  3-5  2-(3,  7  5-2,  12  10-1, 13  10-1,  16  5-1,  27  10-2, 
29  10-2,  47  5-3,  51  5-3,  52  5-3,  (i3  10-3,  M  10-3,  67  10-3, 
76  15-1,  92  10-1,  106  25-1,  112  12-1,  113  6-1,  115  5-2, 
128 10-1, 139, 140, 144, 153.  several  sets  with  down 
if  possible.  182  5-1,  188  5-3,  207  3-5,  228  5-4,  230  5-4, 
288  5-4.  2-5,  328  4-4,  332  5-4  5-5,  343  10-2  10-3,  348  5-4 
2-5,  349  5-2  1-3,  352  5-2  1-3,  355  5-5,  356  5-4,  357  2-4 
3-5,  359  5-4,  364  10-3  2-4.  368  5-2  5-3,  373  10-4  10-5, 
375  5-2  5-3.  384  3-5,  419  5-2.  For  any  of  these  I 
will  give  best  of  exchange  from  my  series. 
C.  W.  CRANDALL,  10  Third  St..  Woodside, 
Boro  of  Queens,  New  York.  N.  Y, 

FINE  FOREIGN  EGGS  FOR  SALE. 

Some  splendid  sets  at  exceptionally  low 
prices.    All  with  full  data. 

Per  Set 

Australian  Crane,  1-2,  beauties  ■ $4  50 

Grus  Antigone,  1-2  (very  large) 2  25 

1-2  (much  finer) 3  50 

Pondicherry  Vulture,  1-1  (very  large 1  75 

Shahin  Falcon,  1-1  (handsome) 125 

Butastur  teesa,  1-2 1  00 

Pernis  cristatus,  1-1.  fine,  rare 1  60 

Hemprich  (lUll,  1-3,  large  holes •      60 

Nebaux  Gull,  1-2,  large  holes 80 

Argya  gularis,  1-5,  bright  blue 60 

Black  Kite,  1-3 75 

Green-footed  Gallinule,  1-10 1  00 

Indian  Water  Hen,  1-4 1  00 

Forty  other  foreign  species  for  sale.  Most 
of  the  above  from  India.   Post  free  over  $2.50. 

CHAS  S.  THOMPSON, 

Box  2  I  4  Buena  Vista,  Colo. 

THE  GIRL  AND  THE  DOG. 

Six  pretty  and  artistic  poses  on  beautifully 
colored  post  cards;  worthy  of  framing  and 
hanging  on  the  walls  of  your  den.  The  com- 
plete set,  18  cents,  stamps. 

HOWARD  M.  GILLET, 
Dept.  0.  Lebanon  Springs,  N.  Y. 

A  COMPLETE  LINE 

of  Indian  relics,  fossils,  minerals  and  curios 
for  sale  by 

R.  E.  HOLMES, 

Montrose,  Nebr. 
Send  for  1908  price  list. 


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The  OoLOGisT. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  3. 


Albion,  N.  Y.  Mar.,  1908. 


Whole  No.  248 


THE    OOLOGIST, 

A   Monthly    Publication    Devoted   to 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXl- 
DEEMY. 

FKAITE    H.    LATTIN,    Fublilher, 

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Hints  at  Egg   Preserving. 


When  I  was  but  little  more  than  & 
boy  I  once  wrote,  in  the  columns  of 
this,  our  increasingly-favored  little 
bird  magazine,  several  articles  under 
the  above  sort  of  caption.     For  many 


years  I  had  supposed  them  forgotten 
as  much  by  all  others  as  they  were 
by  myself.  Not  long  since,  however, 
one  such  article  was  referred  to  by 
one  who  is  now  well  known.  The 
comment  was  both  appreciative  and 
gratifying. 

I  therefore  now  venture  the  set- 
ting down  of  a  few  ideas  which  I  have 
never  seen  exploited  anywhere  else. 
I  do  so  with  the  statement:  that,  (as 
regards  but  a  single  one  of  them), 
had  I  known  three  years  ago,  what  I 
found  out  afterwards  at  cost  of  cha- 
grin unbounded,  I  might  have  saved 
intact,  a  most  beautiful  set  of  eggs  of 
the  Black  Hills  form  of  the  Canada 
Jay. 

First,  as  regards  the  use  of  pancrea- 
tine in  the  digesting  of  embryos:  I 
liresume  any  school  boy  might  have 
told,  out  of  his  rudimentary  knowl- 
edge of  chemistry;  that  pancreatine 
is  inert  at  any  low  temperature.  But 
the  writer  hereof  hadn't  sense  enough 
to  appreciate  this  fact  until  he  had 
lost,  through  rotting  of  the  egg  shell, 
several  valuable  sets  of  Finyon  Jay. 
Pancreatine  must  hence  be  set  down 
as  of  extremely  limited  value:  espe- 
cially when  one  is  afield. 

Caustic  Soda,  (or  Caustic  Potash, 
the  two  alkaloids  working  in  just  the 
same  way),  caused  me,  on  the  other 
hand,  regrettable  losses  in  two  ways: 
one  through  the  use  of  too  strong  solu- 
tions; the  other  through  the  leaving 
of  the  solutions  within  the  egg  shell 
for  too  long  a  time.  One  learns  only 
by  costly  experiences  that  for  any 
small  egg  the  caustic  solution  must  be 
very  greatly   attenuated;    and   that   it 


THE  OOLOGISl 


need  not  be  left  in  the  egg  but  a  short 
while, — say,  for  eggs  of  robin-size,  not 
over  40  minutes.  With  small  eggs  it 
is  well  to  keep  the  treated  eggs  float- 
ing in  water  while  the  caustic  is  doing 
its  work.  As  for  the  very  small  eggs> 
It  is  wonderful  in  how  short  a  time 
and  with  what  weak  strength  of  the 
soda  it  is  possible  to  remove  even  a 
tough  embryo.  For  example:  by  us- 
ing a  medicine  dropper,  having  its  tip 
very  finely  drawn  out,  I  once  blew,  for 
our  good  friend  Dille,  the  only  set  of 
eight  eggs  of  the  Long-tailed  Chicka- 
dee of  which  I  have  ever  heard.  Dil- 
le wanted  them  badly,  .but  they  con- 
tained very  tough  embryos.  To  my 
own  incredible  surprise  every  one  of 
these  eight  eggs  was  safely  and  clean- 
ly blown  by  the  use  of  a  two-percent 
solution  of  caustic;  through  holes  the 
diameter  of  a  fair-sized  pin.  I  couldn't 
do  it  again,  nor  would  I  attempt  it 
again, — for  anybody  else  on  earth. — 
including  myself.  The  secret  lay  in 
the  leaving  of  solutions  in  the  floating 
eggs  for  not  over  20  minutes  at  a  time; 
and  the  constant  use  of  a  light,  in  the 
blowing;  to  be  utterly  sure  that  no 
vestige  of  cartilage  was  left  in  any 
egg. 

In  the  preparation  of  hard-set  eggs 
of  one  inch,  or  more,  in  diameter,  the 
blow-hole  perforated  patches  of  slit- 
ted  paper  prescribed  by  that  skilful 
physician,  Doctor  Coues,  will  be  found 
a  complete  safeguard  against  the 
breakage  of  a  blow-hole  by  the  use  of 
the  embryo  hook.  Almost  every  read- 
er of  the  Oologist  knows  how  mad- 
dening it  is  to  be  trying  to  remove  that 
last  provoking  humerus  or  femur,  by 
aid  of  lamp  and  embryo  hook,  only  to 
have  some  nervous  or  careless  twist 
of  the  hook  wrench  out  a  piece  of  the 
shell  from  some  highly  valuable  egg. 
To  prevent  this  one  has  but  to  paste 
on  a  series  of  (not  less  than  five)  of 
these  pieces  of  paper.  They  are  to  be 
perforated  in  the  center  to  correspond 


with  the  blow-hole  of  the  egg.  (A  har- 
ness-maker's punch  is  just  the  thing). 
The  edge  of  each  piece  is  then  slit- 
tedso  that  it  may  conform  in  the  past- 
ing, to  the  curvature  of  the  egg.  Each 
piece  is  then  laid  on,  with  utmost 
care,  one  seeing  to  it  that  each  center 
perforation  accurately  registers.  The 
entire  affair  is  then  to  be  laid  away 
for  thorough  drying.  Previously,  how- 
ever, the  drill-hole  should  be  made, 
the  size  thereof  to  be  about  one-third 
as  large  as  the  operator  may  think 
necessary.  Sage  hen  eggs  with  fully 
developed  embryos,  may  be  safely 
blown  through  holes  the  size  of  a  large 
wheat  straw.  The  liquid  is  then  to  be 
carefully  drawn  from  the  egg;  the 
greatest  care  being  exercised  to  re- 
move every  bit  of  the  yolk  of  the  egg. 
(If  this  be  not  done,  the  action  of  the 
caustic  leaves  in  the  egg  a  tough,  gel- 
atinous mass,  which  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  remove  in  any  other  way 
than  with  a  sledge  hammer).  The  egg 
is  now  to  be  filled  with  your  caustic 
solution,  (about  one-third  as  strong, 
if  you  please,  as  you  may  consider 
necessary).  Shake  the  egg  thorough- 
ly. Wipe  clean.  Put  away  for  from 
thirty  to  forty  minutes,  not  more. 
(When  the  soluble  parts  of  the  em- 
bryos have  been  removed,  a  very  weak 
solution  may  be  left  in  the  egg  for  sev- 
eral hours;  in  case  the  embryo  prove 
refractory,  or  the  previously  used  so- 
lution has  been  too  weak.  But,  this 
long  soaking  is  dangerous.) 

W^hile  working  at  the  embryo  one 
should  keep  the  paper-covered  surface 
of  the  egg  just  as  dry  as  he  possibly 
can.  As  the  work  progresses  the  loss 
of  a  few  pieces  can  do  no  harm:  (they 
will  finally  all  come  off,  any  how) ; 
yet  it  is  best  to  leave  them  all  as 
long  as  possible;  or  until  every  well- 
formed  bone  has  been  patiently  coax- 
ed out  of  the  egg.  (This  latter  process 
is  best  wrought  by  standing  on  ones 
head.)       This    feat    may    be    approxi- 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


39 


mated  by  holding  the  egg  above  one's 
head.  The  object  of  this  is  to  keep 
the  bits  of  bone  that  still  remain  in 
the  egg  afloat  and  beside  the  drill- 
hole. In  order  to  promote  this  gravi- 
tation, water  should  be  inserted  into 
the  egg,  over  and  over  again.  When 
every  bit  of  bone  is  gone,  and  you 
have  crawled  clear  inside  the  egg  to 
make  sure  of  this  happy  consumma- 
tion, the  pieces  of  paper  may  be  soak- 
ed away  at  your  leisure.  (If  your  head 
is  too  big  to  go  inside  the  egg, — mine 
is, — it  will  sometimes  do  as  well  to 
shake  the  egg  violently.  One's  train- 
ed ear  will  make  the  test.) 

A  valuable  modification  of  this 
"method  of  extracting  tough  embryos 
is  perfectly  successful  in  the  saving 
of  eggs  in  which  the  embryos  are  fully 
formed.  There  is  no  egg  of  over  a 
half-inch  in  longer  diameter  but  what 
may  be  saved  for  the  cabinet,  (if  of 
sufficient  rarity  to  warrant  such  de- 
liberate murder),  by  the  following 
process : 

The  patches  above  described  have 
the  centers  cut  out  with  fine  scissors 
or  pricked  out  with  a  pin,  to  the  size 
necessary  for  extracting  the  embryo. 
They  are  then  pasted,  successively, 
upon  the  egg;  and  then  allowed  to  dry. 
This  done,  a  section  of  egg-shell  is 
carefully  pricked  out;  the  pin  follow- 
ing along  the  margin  of  the  opening 
in  the  papers.  The  embryo  may  then 
be  gently  revolved  until  the  head  ap- 
pears. It  may  then  be  chloroformed, 
or  deftly  and  quickly  killed  with  the 
forceps.  It  is  then  withdrawn;  the 
placenta  is  carefully  removed,  (loosen- 
ing it,  if  necessary,  by  a  stream  of 
water  from  the  blow-i)ipe).  The  whole 
egg  should  then  be  carefully  rinsed, 
and  partially  dried.  Leave  the  pasted 
pieces  of  paper  where  they  are.  Over 
them  now  paste  a  cover,  of  the  same 
paper,  perforating  this  piece,  in  the 
center,  with  a  pin,  to  insure  the  thor- 


ough drying  of  the  egg.  The  egg- 
marks  may  now  be  made  upon  this 
paper, — (which,  of  course,  ought  not 
to  be  very  bibulous), — by  the  use  of 
a  fine  pen.  Use  carbon  ink, — always 
and  for  all  such  work,  use  carbon 
ink.  (The  writer  once  saved  in  this 
way  a  rarely  beautiful  set  of  five  eggs 
of  the  Towns'end  Solitaire,  which 
could  not  possibly  have  been  saved 
in  any  other  way.  The  resulting  spe-' 
cimens  are  good,  sound  cabinet  speci: 
mens,  which,  unless  the  paste  used 
should  break  away  from  the  egg, 
ought  to  last  indefinitely). 

The  value  of  this  process  lies  in  the 
fact  that  the  strength  of  an  egg  lies 
largely  in  the  arch  of  the  shell,  tf 
this  arch  be  greatly  weakened  the 
shell  is  gone,  even  though  the  egg  be 
not  weakened  by  the  natural  condi- 
tions that  accompany  incubation.  But 
the  paper  reinforcing  leaves  the  brok- 
en portion  of  the  shell  greatly  strong- 
er than  it  was  in  the  first  place;  un- 
less cracks  have  been  made  through 
careless  work  in  the  pricking. 

I  make  no  apology  for  wbat  might 
be  called  the  devilish  cold-bloodedness 
of  this  destruction  of  fully  develop- 
ed embryos.  It  is  no  wickeder  to  de- 
stroy an  embryo  than  it  is  to  blow  a 
fresh  egg:  and  not,  of  necessity,  one 
whit  more  inflictive  of  pain. 

P.  B.  PEABODY. 


Erroneous   Identification. 


In  looking  over  my  file  of  the  Oolo- 
gist  in  search  of  references  to  the 
Broad-winged  Hawk,  I  find  the  follow- 
ing titles  which  seem  to  bear  evidence 
of  mistaken  identity;  and  as  it  is  im- 
possible to  identify  the  writers  in 
two  instances,  and  quite  uncertain  as 
to  the  address  of  the  remainder,  I  take 
this  means  of  commenting  on  the 
matter,  and  requesting  further  infor- 
mation from  the  contributors. 

('.  S.  B.    Broad-winged  Hawk,  Black- 


40 


rHE  OOLOGIST. 


THE  OOLOQIST. 


41 


capped  Chickadee,  Oologist,  Vol.  VI, 
1889,  p.  153.  Set  of  two  eggs,  2.10  x 
1.70,  2.12  X  1.70,  April  20,  at  Bradford, 
Mass.  Nest  lined  with  grass.  (Date 
apparently  almost  a  month  earlier 
than  the  average  set  of  fresh  eggs  of 
Buteo  platypterus  in  New  England; 
measurements  of  eggs  quite  equaling 
or  beyond  the  maximum;  and  notes 
representing  several  hundred  nests 
from  various  parts  of  the  country  fail 
to  show  grass-lined  nests  for  this  spe- 
cies, although  together  with  data,  and 
size  of  eggs,  altogether  harmonizes 
with  the  domestic  arrangements  of 
Buteo  lineatus. 

M.  &  C.  A  Day  After  Hawk's  Eggs. 
Oologist,  Vol.  VII,  1890,  p.  108.  Set 
of  two  eggs  taken  in  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.. 
April  22,  1889.  Female  shot.  (Al- 
though the  bird  was  reported  shot,  it 
was  in  all  probability  incorrectly  iden- 
tified; for  the  date  is  at  least  20  days 
earlier  than  we  find  completed  sets  in 
Chester  county  Penna.,  several  hun- 
dred miles  further  south,  and  well 
within  the  Carolinian  fanna.  Proba- 
bly also  the  Red-shouldered  Hawk). 

Elliot,  E.  G.  Some  Unusual  Hap- 
penings, Oologist,  Vol.  VII,  1890,  p. 
14.5.  An  account  of  the  substitution 
of  the  domestic  hen's  eggs  for  two 
of  those  o  fthe  hawk,  April  17,  at 
Bradford,  Mass.  (Same  remarks  ap- 
ply to  this  as  to  previous  title.) 

Haskins,  R.  V.  A  Battle  with  the 
Broad-wings,  Oologist,  Vol.  XXII,  1905, 
pp.  89-90.  A  graphic  descrii)tion  of 
the  aggressiveness  of  the  female  and 
the  collecting  of  a  set  of  five  eggs  c|n 
May  15.  Bird  circling  around  and 
screaming  lustily,  nest  lined  with 
grass,  leaves,  etc.  (Well  authenti- 
cated sets  of  five  eggs  of  the  Broad- 
winged  Hawk  are  almost  unheard  of, 
while  not  so  very  uncommon  in  the 
instance  of  the  Red-shouldered  Hawk; 
furthermore,  the  former  species  seem 
very  constant  in  their  nesting  habits, 
flu.'^hing   quietly    from    the   nest    when 


-  disturbed  and  aligthing  on  a  dead 
branch  of  a  tree  a  few  hundred  yards 
away  usually,  and  perhaps  protesting 
now  and  then  in  a  Plover-like  whistle. 
The  latter  "circles  around  and 
screams."  normally;  and  also  fre- 
quently lines  her  nest  with  the  "grass, 
leaves,  etc."  The  "etc."  I  will  not 
vouch  for,  however,  as  it  stands  for 
all  sorts  of  things  or  nothing,  and 
should  be  eliminated  from  datas.) 

It  is  easy  to  make  mistakes,  and  it 
sometimes  seems  very  humiliating  to 
have  to  acknowledge  that  an  error 
was  made;  but  it  is  a  far  greater  mis- 
take to  perpetuate  evident  uncertain- 
ties by  silence.  The  Oologist  is  doubt- 
less full  of  errors,  no  scientific  period- 
ical is  entirely  free  of  them;  and  then, 
there  are  oologists  and  oologists, 
quite  a  difference  truly;  and  perhaps 
there  are  too  many  who  attempt  to 
identify  the  eggs  of  a  bird  by  the  eggs 
and  nest,  and  not  by  the  bird.  Al- 
though few  have  the  courage  of  our 
mutual  friend,  the  late  Harry  K.  Jam- 
ison, who  wrote  on  one  of  his  custom- 
ary generous  blanket-sized  data 
blanks,  atfer  identification:  "By  the 
nest  and  eggs."  This  was  a  person- 
ally collected  set  of  the  Broad-winged 
Hawk,  collected  after  a  deal  of  trou- 
ble and  risk,  which  he  relates  under 
the  head  of  remarks;  and  its  identity, 
if  not  its  identification,  is  above  re- 
proach. 

I  want  to  say  to  the  readers  of  the 
Oologist,  that  I  am  now  engaged  in 
collecting  data  on  the  life  history  of 
the  Broad-winged  Hawk,  and  would 
be  pleased  to  have  their  co-operation 
in  this  work.  Exact  data  is  desired, 
whether  it  be  a  single  date  of  its  oc- 
currence in  a  practically  unworked  lo- 
cality, or  notes  on  its  breeding,  feed- 
ing, migrating  or  other  habits  in  the 
center  of  its  abundance. 

FRANK  L.   BURNS, 

Berwyn,   Pennn. 


42 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Nesting  of  the  Tufted  Tit  in   Pennsyl- 
vania. 


RICHARD  C.  HARLOW. 

The  Tufted  Titmouse  seems  to  be 
a  rather  generally  distributed  bird 
throughout  all  of  the  Carolinan  fauna, 
growing  less  common  in  the  Alleghan- 
ian  zone  and  only  being  noted  as  a 
straggler  in  the  Canadian.  About  Phil- 
adelphia they  may  be  found  through- 
out the  year  and  are  rather  common, 
though  they  may  never  be  classed  as 
abundant.  The  course  of  streams 
seems  in  a  large  measure  to  deter- 
mine their  distribution,  as  they  are 
usually  to  be  found  in  the  vicinity  of 
water. 

Apparently  the  coldest  winter  has 
no  effect  on  them,  as  they  seem  just 
as  contented  among  the  February 
snows  as  in  the  May  sunshine.  In  the 
winter  they  may  frequently  he  noticed 
in  company  with  Nuthatches  and 
Downy  Woodpeckers  for  whose  socie- 
ty they  show  a  pronounced  liking. 
They  are  usually  noted  in  pairs  and 
are,  I  believe,  mated  throughout  the 
year. 

The  Tufted  Tit  is  one  of  our  few- 
birds  on  whose  voice  the  winds  of 
winter  seem  to  have  no  effect.  Their 
loud,  pleasing  whistle  may  be  heard 
at  all  seasons,  especially  in  the  early 
spring.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
the  female  Tit  can  sing  as  well  as  the 
male. 

The  Tufted  Titmouse  has  four  dis- 
tinct notes,  the  one  usually  heard  he- 
ing  the  whistle  already  referred  to — 
a  loud,  clear  "peto,  pebo,  peto,"  the 
notes  being  repeated  from  three  to 
seven  times,  usually  four  or  five.  This 
is  occasionally  varied  hut  the  inton- 
ation is  essentially  the  same.  Another 
note  frequently  heard  is  a  "sic-a-dee," 
something  like  that  of  the  Chickadee, 
though  noticeably  louder.  They  al- 
so have  a  third,  a  low-mummured 
"dee-dee-dee,"  which  I  have  only  heard 


at  the  nest  or  in  the  near  vicinity  of 
the  same.  The  last,  but  not  least  use 
to  which  their  vocal  chords  are  put 
is  a  distinct,  snake-like  hiss  uttered 
by  the  female  when  the  nest  is 
threatened. 

Never  shy,  they  admit  of  close  ob- 
servation and  may  be  studied  profit- 
ably. 

As  I  desire  here  to  record  the  find- 
ing of  several  of  their  nests,  I  must 
pass  over  various  other  of  their  char- 
acteristics. The  period  of  nesting  ex- 
tends in  this  locality  from  April  to 
June,  but  one  brood  being  reared.  Us- 
ually about  April  15th  they  may  be 
observed  peeking  into  holes  in  search 
of  possible  nesting  sites.  In  this  mat- 
ter they  are  not  easy  to  please,  and 
will  soon  weary  the  ornithologist  who 
attempts  to  trace  them  home. 

Despite  the  fact  that  the  birds  are 
common,  they  are  adepts  at  hiding 
their  homes,  and  during  the  period 
from  1902  until  the  present  season, 
I  have  found  but  three  nests. 

No.  1  was  discovered  early  in  June, 
1903,  at  Oak  Lane,  Phila.  Co.,  Pa., 
and  was  built  seven  feet  above  the 
ground  behind  the  loosened  bark  of 
a  large  dead  Oak  tree,  the  bird  enter- 
ing throug'h  a  crack  in  the  bark.  This 
was  well  within  woodland  and  on  a 
hill  about  75  yards  from  a  stream. 
The  nest  was  well  defined,  being 
made  of  fine  bark  strips,  small  pieces 
of  rags  and  lined  entirely  with  fur 
that  had  evidently  once  adorned  some 
rug.  It  held  at  this  date  seven  full 
fledged  young,  which  scrambled  out 
when  an  inquisitive  finger  was  insert- 
ed. Both  birds  came  close  by  and 
were  very  solicituous. 

No.  2.  Three  years  elapsed  from 
the  finding  of  the  above  recorded  nest 
till  another  was  discovered,  often 
though  I  observed  the  birds.  On  the 
twenty-fourth  of  May,  1906,  I  was 
passing  through  a  piece  of  woodland 
some  two  hundred  yards  distant  from 


THIS  OOLOQIST. 


43 


Nest  Xo.  1,  when  I  was  attracted  by 
a  low,  peculiar  "dee,  dee,  dee."  quite 
different  from  any  note  I  had  previous- 
ly heard.  In  a  moment  I  had  traced 
the  sound  to  a  Tit  at  the  entrance  of 
its  nest.  A  large  catalpa  tree  leaned 
over  the  creek  at  this  point  at  an  an- 
gle of  45  degrees,  and  up  about  fifteen 
feet,  directly  over  the  water  and  on 
the  upper  side  of  the  trunk  was  a 
knot  hole.  The  bird  was  at  the  en- 
trance to  this  and  in  the  act  of  plac- 
ing some  morsel  in  the  bill  of  his 
mate  within.  In  a  moment  I  was  on 
my  way  up  the  trunk  with  my  eyes 
glued  to  the  hole.  Each  moment  I  ex- 
pected the  female  to  leave,  but  in  thjfe' 
T  underestimated  her  courage.  Look- 
ing within  I  was  gi-eeted  with  her  pe- 
culiar hiss,  but  as  she  sat  close,  and 
I  was  unable  to  insert  my  hand  in 
the  small  cavity,  the  contents  were  a 
mystery.  Ten  minutes  later  I  had 
succeeded  in  borrowing  a  hatchet 
from  the  shanty  of  a  gentleman  of 
color  and  was  again  at  the  tree.  The 
cavity  was  soon  enlarged  and  1  in- 
serted my  hand  All  this  time  the  fe- 
male remained  on  the  nest  amid  the 
storm  of  falling  chips.  On  seeing  my 
hand,  however,  she  concluded  that  it 
was  time  to  act  and  she  went  at  me 
Tjill  and  claws.  1  was  hoping  for  a 
set  of  eggs,  but  imagine  my  disap- 
pointment when  I  finally  discovered 
the  contents  to  be  one  newly  hatched 
young  bird,  six  hatching  eggs  and  an 
unfertile  one.  This  1  took  and  left  the 
anxious  birds  in  possession  of  their 
home.  I  paid  several  visits  to  the 
place  after  this  and  learned  that  the 
young  were  fed  to  a  large  extent  on 
larvae.  They  left  the  nest  just  eleven 
days  after  the  eggs  were  hatched. 

Nest  No.  3.  As  I  had  spent  some 
time  in  vain  search  for  them  the  pre- 
ceding year,  I  began  to  wonder  wheth- 
er I  should  ever  succeed  in  discover- 
ing  a  nest   with   eggs.     However,   on 


April  17th,  I  spent  the  day  at  Tinicum, 
Delaware  Co.,  Pa.,  and  while  there  I 
observed  a  Tit  fly  with  a  beak  full  of 
fur  into  a  hole  some  30  feet  up  an 
Oak  tree.  My  only  other  find  on  this 
day  was  a  fine  set  of  five  eggs  of  the 
Fish  Crow,  but  I  was  well  content  and 
eagerly  awaited  developments.  On 
May  10th  I  was  on  hand  with  a  small 
pocket  axe  and  speedily  ascended  the 
tree.  On  reaching  the  hole  no  bird 
was  observed  and  some  time  was 
spent  in  meditating  whether  it  was 
advisable  to  chop  out  the  nest  without 
further  evidence.  1  decided  to  run  the 
risk,  however,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I 
was  enabled  to  insert  my  hand.  An 
electric  thrill  ran  through  my  body 
for  the  reward  was  there — eggs,  six 
beauties  and  perfectly  fresh.  At  last 
my  desires  were  rewared,  my  hopes 
realized,  and  I  possessed  a  set  of  the 
Crested  Titmouse. 

The  nest  was  built,  as  I  have  said, 
30  feet  up  in  a  Swamp  Oak  and  on 
the  upper  side  of  a  limb  extending 
diagonally  over  a  pool  of  water.  The 
entrance  to  the  nest  was  a  knot  hole 
scarely  large  enough  for  tlie  bird  to 
squeeze  through.  The  nest  proper 
was  built  nine  inches  back  and  was 
constructed  of  skeleton  leaves,  plant 
fibres,  etc.,  and  lined  entirely  with  fur 
and  hair,  chiefly  rabbit,  but  quite  an 
amount  of  cows  hair  was  also  included 
in  the  composition.  The  cavity  was 
well  defined.  Neither  of  the  birds 
were  about  this  nest,  from  which  I  in- 
fer that  one  more  egg,  at  least,  would 
have  been  laid. 

Perchance  I  have  wearied  some 
reader,  but  owing  to  the  fact  that  lit- 
tle has  been  published  as  regarding 
this  obviously  common  species,  I  have 
deemed  it  advisable  to  give  full  data. 

The  eggs  of  this  species  are  very 
handsome,  frequently  being  heavily 
spotted  and  rarely  blotched  with  bril- 
liant reddish  brown.     Outside  of  their 


44 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


beauty  they  are  one  of  the  special  des- 
iderata of  collectors  about  Philadel- 
phia, and  personally  collected  sets  are 
not  at  all  common. 

RICHARD   C.   HARLOW. 


Some    New    Year's    Day    Observations 


In   Southwestern    Indiana. 

The  following  list  of  creatures  were 
seen  abroad   and  stirring: 

Angle-worms,  a  grasshopper,  ants, 
frogs  (croaking)  and  the  following 
birds:  Bluebird,  Bewicli's  Wren, 
Carolina  Wren,  Cardinal,  Song  Spar- 
row, Tree  Sparrow,  Carolina  Chicka- 
dee, Tufted  Titmouse,  Meadow-lark, 
American  Goldfinch,  Golden-crowned 
Kinglet,  Brown  Creeper,  Blue  Jay, 
American  Crow,  Slate-colored  Junco, 
Belted  Kingfisher,  Red-tailed  Hawk, 
Flicker,  Hairy  Woodpecker,  Downy 
Woodpecker,  Red-bellied  Woodpecker 
Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  White- 
breasted  Nuthatch.  That's  twenty- 
three  birds,  and  now  I  will  do  like- 
wise. 

23  for  me. 

Cornelius  F.  Posson. 
Vincennes,  Ind. 


A  Late  Nest  of  Song  Sparrow. 


While  out  walking  last  year,  August 
7th,  I  flushed  a  Song  Sparrow  from  a 
hay  stack,  and  after  a  short  search  I 
found  its  nest,  which  contained  four 
badly  incubated  eggs.  The  nest  was 
made  entirely  of  horse  hair,  and  was 
placed  about  six  inches  back  in  the 
stack.  On  coming  there  three  days 
later,  I  found  that  the  eggs  were 
hatched.  This  time  the  birds  were 
absolutely  fearless,  and  the  sitting 
bird  allowed  me  to  touch  her  with  my 
hand.  Is  this  not  an  unusual  nesting 
site  for  this  bird? 

Yours!    respectfully, 

ISAAC  VAN  KAMMEN. 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 


Mr.  Ernest  H.  Short:  — 

Dear   Sir. — I   thought   that   the     fol- 
lowing would  be  of  interest  to  you: 

A  friendly  White-throated  Sparrow, 
Zonotrichia  albicollis.  On  May  4,  1907, 
I  went  to  Romstadt  on  a  collecting 
trip,  about  seven  or  eight  miles  from 
this  city  (Toledo,  O.)  During  the  day 
I  took  a  male  White-throated  Spar- 
row and  placed  it  in  a  cone  in  my 
collecting  box,  supposing  it  to  be 
dead.  Imagine  my  surprise  upon  open- 
ing the  box  the  next  day  to  have  the 
bird  fly  out,  all  around  the  room  and 
into  the  hall.  I  tried  to  catch  it,  but 
in  vain,  until  I  resorted  to  a  landing 
net  which  I  had  handy.  Examination 
proved  that  the  bird  was  not  serious- 
ly wounded,  so  I  set  him  out  on  a 
branch  of  an  old  apple  tree  in  the 
back  yard.  At  flrst  it  seemed  dazed 
by  its  freedom,  then  it  hopped  up  a 
little  higher  and  began  to  peep  a  little, 
and  then  louder  and  more  often.  I 
concealed  myself  to  watch  results.  In 
about  a  half  hour  I  noticed  another 
sparrow  in  the  tree.  This  was  a  fe- 
male White-throat.  She  at  first  kept 
at  a  distance  but  as  he  continued  his 
calling  she  went  up  to  him  and  coaxed 
him  to  hop  higher  where  it  was  safer, 
and  finally  to  leave  the  tree  alto- 
gether. Although  fast  recovering,  it 
was  several  days  before  he  had  com- 
pletely regained  his  strength.  This 
female  remained  with  him  all  the 
while.  Two  days  afterwards  I  came 
upon  this  wounded  bird  and  his  nurse, 
as  I  called  the  female.  I  made  be- 
lieve to  try  to  catch  him  and  imme- 
diately the  female  threw  herself  on 
the  ground  and  shammed  being 
wounded  so  badly  that  she  could  hard- 
ly keep  from  under  my  feet.  I  allow- 
ed her  to  lead  me  thus  the  whole 
length  of  the  yard,  whereupon  she 
took  wing  and  went  directly  back  to 
the  wounded  bird.  I  repeated  this 
twice  with  the  same  result.  This  bit 
of  kind-heartedness  on  the  part  of  a 
strange  bird  set  me  to  thinking.  I 
wondered  if  it  often  happened  in  wild 
life.  It  could  not  have  been  possible 
that  the  female  was  his  mate,  for  I 
had  taken  him  fully  seven  miles  away. 
Yours  truly, 

A.   C.   READ. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  45 


CombirvdLtion  Offer. 


We  Offer  Oologist  one  year 

and  Reed's  "North  American  Birds  Eggs," 

New  illustrated  Key,  $2.50  postpaid,  all  prepaid  $2.60 

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t  ERNEST  H.  SHORT. 

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46  THE  OOLOGIST. 


JUST    OUT     1 

A  NEW  UP-TO-DATE 

Check  list  of  North  American  Birds  { 

Contains  all  new  additions  and  changes  to  A.  O,  U.  list 
arranged  according  to  A.  O.  U.  Nomenclature  and  giving  both 
common  and  scientific  names.     i6  pages  on  good  paper. 


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t 


GUN  FOR  SALE. 

A  new  unused  Stevens  double  barrel,  breech 
loading  shot  gun.  Especially  made  with  re- 
inforced breech  for  smokeless  powder.  Top 
lever,  rebounding  locks,  choke  bore,  J2  ga., 
30  in.    bbls.     $14.50  cash  gets  it. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT, 

Chili,  N.Y. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  47 

NEW    POLICY 

Svibscribers,     Advertisers 

N  OTIC  E 


FIRST.  In  line  with  the  decision  recently  published  by  the  "Condor" 
and  for  the  same  reasons,  i  e.  That  the  provision  for  scientific  collecting 
under  the  Song  Bird  Law  did  not  contemplate  commercial  collecting. 

The  Publisher  and  Manager  of  this  paper,  the  "Oologist,"  hereby 
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Publisher.  MoLnaLger. 


48 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


52nd  Thousand  !       52nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDE. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of  North   American  Birds  Eggs,  and  with  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  American   Bfrds 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

This  is  a  popular  pocket  guide  and  text  book  to  ALL  THE  LAND  BIRDS  EAST 
OF  THE  ROCKIES,  from  the  Parrots  to  the  Bluebirds.     It  is  prepared  especially  for 

teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
any  other  Bird  Book: 

COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE. — All  the  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  included.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  nests  and  eggs. 

SAIALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
pocket,  measuring  but  3x5  inches.  200  pages,  bound 
in  flexible  sock  cloth  or  leather.  We  have  made  the 
price  of  the  book  as  low  as  possible  considering  the 
good  workmanship  and  material  that  is  used.  It  is  so 
low  that  anyone  can  afford  it,  but  no  one  can  afford  to 
be  without  it. 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR  YOU 

Bound  in  flexible  sock  cloth,  postpaid 

SO  CENTS 

Five  cloth  bound  copies  for  $2.00  postpaid 

Bound  in  flexible  leather,  75cts.     Five  copies  for  $3.00  postpaid. 

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A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXIDERMY. 


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Strictly  first-class  specimens  will  be  accepted  in  payment  at  1-3  list  rates. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  4. 


ALBION,  N.  Y.,  APRIL,  1908.        Whole  No.  249 


Take  Notice. 

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name  on  the  wrapper  of  this  month's 
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scription expired  or  will  expire. 

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297    "  "  ••  ■'  Dec,  1908 

Intermediate  numbers  can  easily  be 
determined.  If  we  have  you  credited 
wrong   we  wish    to   rectify.       . 

Entered  as  second-class  matter  De- 
cembed  21,  1903,  at  the  post  oflSce,  at 
Albion,  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress of  March  3.   1879. 

KODAKS  TO  EXCHANGE.-Any  grade. 
brand  new  Eastman  camera,  for  eggs  not  in 
my  collection  at  1-4  Lattin's  List.  Can  use 
some  common  sets.  L.  D.  SUMNElv,  .Madi- 
son, Wis.  M.  3.  t- 

FOR  EXCHANOE.— For  best  offer  Indian 
relics  or  fine  curios.  (Jne  set.  Messages 
and  Acts  of  the  Presidents.  10  vols.,  cost 
$:d5.00.  never  unrapped.  DR.  ALP.EKT  E. 
PAINE.  Kiverhead,  L.  I..  N.  Y. 

WANTPH).— In  condition  for  mounting. 
Otter,  Fisher.  .Martin.  Wolverine.  Beaver, 
Alleghenian.  Least  weasel.  Offer  and  price. 
Write  E.  W.  CAMPBELL, .m  Wyoming  .\ve., 
Pittston.  Pa. 

MON<i()L  Ring  Pheasants,  two  males  and 
five  hens.  Healthy  birds.  $10  for  the  lot. 
WM.  WII.K'OWSKI,  9:U  Deiiner  St.,  Kala- 
mazoo. Mich. 

WILL  E.\'CH.VN(;E, -Personally  collected 
Fla.  sets  for  other  personally  collfctcd  sets 
and  mounted  birds.  Write  your  reiiuire- 
ments  and  send  list.  O.SCAR  E.  BAYNARD, 
Micanopy.  Florida. 

WANTED.— Fresh  skins.  PMrst  class  for 
mounting.  One  pair  each  of  Valley.  Mount- 
*in.  Oambels.  Massena,  .Scaled  (Juail.  Will 
pay  cash  or  exchange.  PHILO  W.  SMITH, 
JR.,  Eureka  Springs,  Ark. 


FOR  SALE-Auk  and  Nuttall  Bulletin. 
Complete  up  to  and  including  1907.  Thirty 
two  Vols,  in  all.  The  entire  set  is  bound  in 
half  morocco  excepting  the  last  two  Vols,  of 
the  Auk.  An  extra  fine  set.  Price  one  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  set.  PHILIP  LAURENT, 
31  East  Mt.  Airy  Ave.,  Philadelphia,  Penn. 


WANTED.-No. 
North  America. 
Arbor.  Mich. 


6    of    Studer's    Birds    of 
W.  B.   HINSDALE,  Ann 


Have  time  again  to  correspond  and  ex- 
change. Wish  to  hear  from  all  old  corres- 
pondents and  live  new  ones.  All  answered 
and  a  good  list  for  exchange.  A.  E.  PRICE, 
Grant  Park.  111. 

At  the  close  of  the  season  I  shall  have  for 
exchange  a  rare  lot  of  eggs.  Many  Arctic 
taken  .sets,  vultures  and  hawks.  Send  your 
lists  before  disposing  of  your  stocks.  All 
the  older  collectors  remember.  J.  W. 
PRESTON.  1411  13th  Ave,,  Spokane,  Wash. 

Apr.  3.  t. 

FOR  EXCHAN(iE.-The  following  new  fur 
rugs,  felt  lined.  I  want  A  1  skins,  bird  and 
mammal  literature.  Coon  half  head,  $6,00; 
Red  Fox  half  head,  $10.00;  Wild  Cat  half  head, 
$10.00;  Wolf,  open  mouth  $15.00:  Grey  Fox, 
tanned  skin,  $2.00  Til  OS.  B.  TIPTON, 
Richards,  Mo. 

WANTED. -Wilson  Bulletin,  No's.  4.  6.  8. 
Oregon  Naturalist,  Bird  Lore  Vol,  2,  Iowa 
Ornithologist,  Curlew  Oologist  by  Willard 
1875  to  1880,  Condor  Vol.  1.  Will  exchange  or 
pay  cash.  C.  M.  CASE.  100  Ashley  St.,  Hart- 
ford, Conn. 

FOR  EXCHANGE. -In  first  class  sets  the 
following:  202  3-4,  263  1-4,  261  1-3, 332  1-5. .333 1-3, 
3371)  1-2,  339  3-3.  342  1-3,  343  1-3,  364  2-2,  378  1-8, 
394b  1-5,  394c  1-5.  494  1-4  1-5,  641 1-4, 659  3-4, 681  3-4, 
707a  1-3,  for  other  good  sets.  Rare  Warblers 
prefered.  IL  C.  MILLS.  Box  218,  Unionville, 
Ct. 

EXCHAN(;E.- Nature  Library,  10  vols. 
New  with  bookcase,  rare  books  on  orni- 
thology, fine  field  glass,  butterflies  in  mounts, 
sets,  etc.  Want  good  sets,  especially  Penna. 
and  New  Jersey  ones.  D.  E.  HARKOWKR. 
Swarthmore,  Pa. 


50 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


THE  FIRST  REAL  BIRD  DAY. 

By  Jay  (t.  Sigmund. 

All  winter  long  the  naturalist  has  been. 
In  a  torpid  semi-sleeping  state. 
Content  to  see  the  birds  in  magazines, 
Content  to  set  and  read  of  them  till  late. 
Content   to   learn   what   other    "bird-men" 

know. 
Rather  than  venture  through  the  drifts  of 

snow. 

But  spring  has  come,  the  real  bird  days  are 

here. 
The  naturalist  wakes  up  and  looks  around. 
The  chirps,  and  songs,  and  twitters  far  and 

near. 
Are  to  his  listening  ears  a  joyful  sound; 
With  field-glass,  note-book,  box  and  camera 

too. 
He  sallies  forth  to  meet  his  bird  friends  true. 

High  in  the  air  the  quack  of  ducks  is  heard, 
(A  flock  has  lingered  far  behind  the  rest) 
And  looking  where  a  clump  of   brush  has 

stirred. 
We  get  a  glimpse  of  Towhee  at  his  best; 
To  Water-Thrush,  and  Chat  and  sly  Cuckoo. 
We're  glad  to  give  a  welcome  warm  and  true. 

And  when  the  evening  shadows  close  around. 
And  warn  us  that  the  first  bird  day  is  done. 
We  heave  a  sigh  and  wend  our  homeward 

way. 
And  vainly  wonder  where  the  time  has  gone; 
Of  all  the  days  that  make  the  year  we  say. 
The  best  one  is  the  first  bird-day. 


THE  BIRDS 

OF  MAINE 


This  is  a  work  of  about  700  pages, 
illustrated  by  26  half  tones  and  a 

Faunal  Map  of  Maine. 

It  is  the  most  complete  contribution 
to  local  faunal  literature  ever  published 
The  book  contains  keys  for  identifica- 
tion of  the  various  species,  full  descrip- 
tions of  various  plumages,  habits  of 
the  birds,  descriptions  of  nests  and 
eggs,  food,  songs  and  other  details  of 
bird  life.  Nearly  all  the  species  of 
birds  found  in  New  England  and  New 
Brunswick  have  been  taken  in  Maine, 
so  this  work  will  be  most  valuable  to 
and  should  be  in  the  library  of  every 
ornithologist  of  these  sections.  It  is 
also  a  work  which  should  be  desired 
by  almost  any  ornithologist  oroologist 
in  North  America. 
Sent  prepaid  on  receipt  of  price,  $3.50. 


Address  all  orders  to 


ap-4t 


Foreign  Eggs 


In  Choice  Cabinet  Sets,  with  full  and  accu- 
rate data,  from 

Mexico.  Canada  and  Europe. 

For  sale  very  cheap.    Satisfaction  a  pleas- 
ure.   List  for  2c.  stamp. 

457  Greene  St.. 

Augusta,  Ga 


Dr.  M.  T.  CIccklcy, 


WORLD'S   GREATEST     COLLECTORS'    MAGAZINE 

FOUNDED   IN   1895 

Tbe  Philatelic  West  and  Camera  News 

Combines  Collectors'  and  Post  Card  World 

and  Dozen  Other  Papers. 

SUPERIOR,  NEBR.,  U.  S.  A. 

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lector's Paper  published.  Over  100  pages 
each  issue,  replete  with  interesting  reading 
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Stamps.  Curios.  Coins,  Postal  Cards  and 
Entire  Covers,  Minerals,  Birds,  Relics  of  all 
kinds.  Cameras,  Etc.  Over  3600  pages  issued 
in  2  years. 

An  unimitated  expensive  meritorious 
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of  the  world.  A  possessor  of  complete  files 
has  a  valuable  and  interesting  collection, 
worthy  of  preservation. 

Official  Organ  of  over  40  popular  societies. 
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each  number. 

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HAND  EGG    BLOW-PIPE    PERFECTED. 

jBSt  the  thing  for  blowing  eggs  with  small 
or  large  holes.  Can  be  used  without  water- 
blower.  Indorsed  by  a  great  many  oologists 
and  collectors.  Satisfaction  guaranteed. 
Sent  postpaid  with  directions  for  $1.00. 
DR.  M.  T.  CLECKLEY, 

Augusta.  Ga. 


Wanted. 


ORA  WILLIS  KNIGHT. 


BACK    NUMBERS    OOLO(iIST. 

Vol.  Ill,  No's.  4  and  6. 
Vol.  IV.  No's  1  and  3-4. 
Vol.  V,  No.  H. 


No.  84  Forest  Avenue. 


BANGOR.  MAINE      MGR.  OOLOGIST,  Chili,  N.  Y. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


51 


STILL    LEADING 

FIFTH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STANDARD  CATALOGUE  OF 
North  American   Birds   Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year,  Both  fer  50c. 


Compiled  by  Frank  H.  Lattin  and 
E-rnest  H.  Short,  with  the  assistance 
of  many  prominent  American  Oolo- 
gi»t3. 

A  Complete  Up-to-datie  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
Introduced  Species,  giving  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  species  whose 
eggs  are  procurable  at  this  time.  Ar- 
ranged according  to  A.   O.   U.   Nome- 


clature,  but  giving  Ridgway's  aad 
Coues'  numbers  also.  Ptrinted  on 
one  side  of  page  only  leaving  it  In 
convenient  form  for  making  notes  tn 
or  using  for  labelling  purposes. 
Bound  in  light  board  covers.  Neat  in 
style.  Handy  in  sihape  (just  goes  in- 
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Address  ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Manager  Oologist,  Chili,  N.  Y. 


Learn  Taxidermy. 


Naturalists,  Oologists 
and  Sportsmen  should 
all  know  how  to  correct- 
ly mount  all  kinds  of 
birds  and  animals.  WE 
TEACH  TAXIDERMY 
BY  MAIL.  Complete 
course  in  15  lessons.  This 
_  is  one  of  the    most  de- 

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learned.  STANDARD  METHODS.  En- 
dorsed by  all  leading  taxidermists.  Many 
of  the  best  known  naturalists  of  the  country 
are  numbered  among  our  students.  If  you 
want  to  learn  TAXIDERMY,  we  desire  to 
submit  ourproposition  in  full.  Send  TODAY 
for  our  new  illustrated  CATALOG  and  sam- 
ple copy  of  The  TAXIDERMY  MAGAZINE. 
BOTH  FREE.  THE  N.  W.  SCHOOL  OF 
TAXIDERMY,  76  Farnam  St..  Omaha,  Neb. 

TO     ALL     INTERESTED. 


REMEMBER. 

I  furnish  collections  covering  one  or  several 
oranches  of  Natural  History  for  study  or 
museum  purposes  at  Special  reduced  rates. 
Don't  fail  to  write  me.  I  will  quote  you  on 
your  line  of  wants  or  I  will  furnish  a  general 
assortment  that  will  fit  your  purse  and  be 
sure  to  please. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT. 
Box   173  Roche«t«r,  N.  Y. 


THE  CONDOR. 

A    Magazine    of    Western    Ornithology. 

Official  Organ  Cooper  Ornithalogical  Club. 

In  Articles  by  Active  Ornithologists  Half- 
tones from  Life  Make-up. 

The  Delight  of  Bird  Students  and  Bird 
Lovers  Everywhere. 

Volume  10.  (1908)  Better  Than  Ever. 

Published  Bi-monthly. 

Aunual  subscription,  11.50,  net,  in  advance. 
Single  copies,  30  cents.    Foreign  subscription. 

$1.75. 

J.    EUGENE    LAW,    Business    Manager. 
Hollywood,  Cal. 

Oologists    and     Ornithologists 
Attention  ! 

An  illustrated  Brochure"  In  the  Haunts  of 
the  Swainson's  Warbler,"  giving  migration, 
song  habits,  geographical  distribution,  des- 
cription of  bird,  nesting,  habits,  etc.,  with 
plates  from  photographs  of  nests  and  eggs  in 
situ.    Sent  postpaid  for  35c. 

DOCTOR  M.  T.  CLECKLEY, 

Augusta,  •». 


52  THki  OOLiOOIST. 

OOLOGY  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

By  E.  A.  CAPEN. 

A  Full  and  Complete  Description  of  the  Eggs,  Nests  and  Breeding 
Habits  of  all  the  Birds  known  to  Breed  in  New  England 

Complete  in  One  Quo.rto  Volume 


—WITH — 


Three    Hundred    a-nd    Twenty   Three  (323)   Full  Sized  LithograLphic 
Ill\istraLtions,  Colored  True  to  Na.ture, 

This  magnificent  volume  was  published  in  1885  at  $15.00  net  and  has 
k)ng  been  out  of  print. 

Last  summer  among  the  effects  of  the  late  E.  A.  Capen  a  few  copies  of 
this  valuable  work  uncut,  untrimmed  and  unbound,  were  unearthed. 

We  had  them  strongly  and  attractively 

BOUND  IN   CLOTH. 

While  they  last  we  offer  them  at  $5.00    NET. 

W.  B.  CLARKE  CO.  ' 

BOSTON,  .  .  -  -  -  MASS. 

Good  Luck  Post  Cards 

The  "  Swa-stikaL  "  Interpreted. 

EIGHT  DESIGNS  in  Colors. 

The  Oologist  nine  months,  to  December,  1908,  Free  Exchange  Coupon 
and  One  Dozen  of  above  beautiful  Souvenir  Cards, 

ALL  FOR   38  CENTS,  Postpaid. 

Cards  alone,  loc.  per  Dozen. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT, 

CHILI,  N.  Y. 


The  OoLOGiST. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  4. 


Albion,  N.  Y.  Apr.,  1908. 


Whole  No.  249 


THE   OOLOGIST, 

A    Monthly    Publication    Devoted    to 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXl- 
DEEMY. 

FKAITE    H.    LATTIN,    FuWsher, 

ALSIOK,    N.    T. 

XaKEST    H.    SHORT.    Editor    and    Manager. 

Oorrespondence  and  Items  of  interest  to  the 
•tndent  of  Birds,  their  Nests  and  Eggs,  solicited 
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ALONG    THE    ARNASAS    PASS. 


The  Aransas  Pass  is  a  territory  lo- 
cated some  seventy  miles  Northwest 
of  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  has  the 
greatest  elevation  of  any  spot  in  the 
United  States  for  so  southern  a  point. 
I  spent  .January  to  March  of  this  year 


in  what  appeared  to  be  a  little  por- 
tion of  Colorado  or  New  Mexico  which 
had  been  transplanted  ini  this  south- 
western part  of  Texas.  The  altitude 
was  greater  than  that  in  any  other 
part  of  the  state — far  above  what 
might  be  expected  of  Texas. 

The  country  abounded  in  creeks 
and  rivulets',  and  it  was  at  a  stage,  or 
part  of  the  year  when  many  of  the 
bird  residents  were  ones  which  have 
their  homes  in  the  northern  portions 
of  the  United  States.  Birds  from 
both  east  and  west  of  the  Missisisippi 
River  were  found  wintering  there. 
The  Gray-tailed  Cardinal,  Baird'S 
Wren,  Southern  Downy  Woodpecker 
seemed  to  enjoy  loitering  about  the 
yard  at  the  place  where  I  was  stop^ 
ping.  Among  the  brush  piles  and 
thickets  the  Slate-colored  Junco,  Tow- 
hee.  Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  Roibin, 
and  Myrtle  Warbler  could  be  seen  -at 
any  time. 

In  striking  contrast  to  these  species 
one  could  note  various  birds  that 
were  strictly  Western,  such  as  the 
Western  forms  of  the  Lark  Sparrow, 
Meadow  Lark,  Williamson's  Sapsuck- 
er and  Lark  Bunting. 

Not  a  Thrasher,  save  the  Mocking 
Bird  wintered  in  the  community,  al- 
though the  mountain  sides  and  ele- 
vated pastures  were  full  of  what  1 
took  to  be  nests  of  this  family,  and 
certain  sparrows. 

The  accompanying  illustration  with 
so  ])rominent  a  bluff  was  a  typical  re- 
fuge for  the  Western  Horned  Owl, 
Turkey  and  Black  Vulture.  The  lit- 
tle Texan  Kingfisher  darted  up  and 
down  this  place,  and  its  flights  were 


54 


THB  OOLOGISl 


almost   as  rapid  as  those  of  a   Hum- 
mer. 

Although  there  was  no  verdure  in 
evidence  during  February  save  such 
as  the  Juniper  and  Live  Oak,  a  great 
many  migrants  seemed  to  arrive  from 
the  South  at  an  earlier  date  than 
usual,  hecause  of  the  mild  winter. 

In  early  March  1  observed  a  Black 
Vulture  emerging  from  a  hollow 
among  immense  boulders(  and  after 
crawling  through  a  space  only  large 
enough  to  permit  admittance  for  a 
man  of  shadowy  appearance),  I  found 
the  eggs  deposited  on  the  bare  rocks 
at  a  distance  of  some  fourteen  feet 
from  the  entrance,  and  in  almost  ab- 
solute darkness.  A  week  or  so  later 
while  scaling  a  perpendicular  cliff  on 
the  border  of  a  stream,  I  found  un- 
der the  shelter  of  a  small  crevice,  a 
Turkey  Vulture's  nest,  showing  that 
she  was  unusually  early  with  the  du- 
ties of  incubation.  A  Duck  Hawk  had 
her  nest  on  a  little  shelf  over-hanging 
the  water,  and  had  resorted  to  the 
same  spot  annually.  It  was  a  typi- 
cal erie,  and  contained  four  eggs,  by 
the  twentieth  of  March. 

While  riding  along  the  trails  I  was 
afforded  an  opportunity  for  the  first 
time,  of  witnessing  the  manouvers  of 
a  Road  Runner,  and  eventually  locat- 
ed a  nest  of  this  bird  in  a  juniper 
growing  parallel  with  a  winding  road. 
In  construction,  the  nest  reminded 
me  of  a  Mourning  Dove's,  but  of 
course  much  larger. 

Referring  to  illustration  in  last 
month's  Oologist,  this  was  one 
of  the  manj^  brambles  from 
which  the  Mexican  Wild  Turkeys  sal- 
lied forth  shortly  after  sun-up,  and 
their  coarse  gobble  was'  often  uttered 
in  response  to  the  gobble  of  a  domes- 
tic turkey,  and  not  infrequently  the 
Wild  Turkeys  would  be  found  mingl- 
ed among  the  tame  ones  close  to  the 
ranch  houses,  particularly  during  the 
months  of  February  and   March   when 


this  polygamous  bird  is  mating  with 
several  birds  of  the  opposite  sex.  The 
tame  birds  act  as  great  decoys  at  cer- 
tain seasons  of  the  year,  when  they 
are  attracted  to  within  easy  gun 
range,  simply  by  the  notes,  which  to 
the  human  ear  seem  different  entire- 
ly, from  those  of  the  wild  fowl,  and 
yet,  this  is  the  only  way  in  which  the 
wary  game  bird  can  be  secured  by  the 
gunner. 

In  as  immense  hilly  pasture  the 
turkeys  ventured  forth  in  the  vicini- 
ty of  one  conspicuous  point,  and  pros- 
pects were  quite  bright  for  an  oologi- 
cal  find.  Great  growths  of  briers,  al- 
galita  and  scrub  oak  made  progress 
quite  laborious,  hut  I  eventually  dis- 
closed a  large  nest  containing  thir- 
teen fresh  eggs  under  the  shelter  of 
a  fallen  tree.  The  eggs  were  sur- 
rounded and  almost  covered  with 
down  and  feathers,  and  reminded  one 
of  a  Wild  Duck's  abode.  This  was 
my  best  take  while  in  the  Aransas 
Pass  region,  and  I  was  obliged  to  re- 
turn North  at  a  period  when  many  of 
the  breeders  in  that  vicinity  were 
just  returning,  and  the  Pinon  Jays, 
Red-tailed,  and  Swainson's  Hawk 
were  exhibiting  signs  of  nidiflcation. 
Gerard  Allen  Abbott. 

Chicago,  111. 


Great    Blue    Heron. 


In  Sept.,  '07  issue,  Mr.  C.  S.  Thomp- 
son refers  to  Mr,  Peabody's  letter  on 
the  measurements  of  eggs  of  the  Gt. 
Blue  Heron. 

As  the  eggs  are  so  common  in  col- 
lections, I  did  not  think  the  size  of 
the  eggs  would  be  of  much  interest  to 
collectors,  but  find  there  is  some  de- 
sire to  know  how  the  eggs  vary  in 
size    according   to    locality. 

I  have  17  sets  of  Gt.  Blue  Heron 
in  my  collection,  nearly  all  taken  in 
Delaware.      They    lay    five    eggs    as    a 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


55 


rule,  sometimes  six  when  tlie  sets  are 
complete. 

They  build  here  in  large  oak  trees 
about  80  feet  from  the  ground. 

I  ha^e  measured  six  sets  and  they 
run  as  follows:  2.52  x  1.79,  2.50  x  1.80, 
2.45  X  1.74.  2.55  x  1.82,  2.59  x  1.79,  2.56 
X  1.81— aver.  2.53  x  1.79;  2.76  x  1.75, 
2.79  X  1.78.  2.76  x  1.80.  2.84  x  1.78,  2.80 
X  1.7S,  2.80  X  1.81— aver.  2.79  x  1.78; 
2.;37  x  1.78,  2.54  x  1.75.  2.54  x  1.80,  2.54 
X  1.7S.  2.54  x  1.78— aver.  2.51  x  1.78; 
2.70  X  1.69,  2.78  x  1.65,  2.70  x  1.70,  2.65 
X  1.64.  2.66  x  1.65— aver.  2.69  x  1.67; 
2.63  X  1.80,  2.72  x  1.78,  2.72  x  1.80,  2.72 
X  1.80,  2.55  X  1.84,— aver.  2.67  x  1.80; 
2.37  X  1.70,  2.52  x  1.76.  2.50  x  1.77,  2.65 
X  1.75,  2.52  X  1.75 — aver.  2.69  x  1.75. 
Aver,  for  six  sets,  2.61  x  1.76. 

From  the  above  it  would  appear  that 
Mr.  Davie's  average  of  2.50  x  1.50  was 
^way  off. 

My  longest  egg  is  2.84  and  narrow- 
est 1.64. 

Full  sets  can  be  found  here  about 
April  20th,  when  they  lay  their  first 
brood;  the  second  brood  is  laid  in 
May. 

Why  the  Northern  birds  lay  larger 
eggs  than  the  Southern  I  do  not  know, 
as  I  have  none  from  the  South. 

[I  dont  think  they  do.  The  con- 
trary is  probably  correct. — Ed.] 

My  friend,  Mr.  Crispin  and  I  have 
taken  in  the  last  few  years  in  New 
Jersey  and  Delaware,  a  great  many 
eggs  of  the  Gt.  Blue  Heron.  A  great 
many  of  these  were  broken  for  var- 
ious reasons.  We  have  one  rookery^ 
in  Delaware  that  we  intend  to  protect, 
as  their  nesting  sites  are  fast  being 
broken   up  by   woodsmen. 

E.  .1.   DARLINGTON. 


Philadelphia  county,  Pennsylvania, 
years  ago.  He  gives  the  record  as 
unique;  stating,  by  the  way,  that  he 
made  it  "before  (he)  began  to  keep  a 
note-book."  Inferentially,  then,  it  was 
also  before  he  began  to  verify  his 
findings.  One  cannot  but  regret  the 
chronicling  of  doubtful  instances  like 
this;  even  in  a  journal  which  does  not 
aim  at  critical  exactness.  (Much  the 
same  sort  of  inexact  observation  is 
instanced  in  The  Condor  for  January, 
1908,  wherein  a  well-known  observer 
cites  the  Arkansas  Kingbird  (Western 
King  Bird),  as  nesting,  one  pair  near 
the  top  of  an  adobe  bluff,  "in  a  little 
cavity;"  the  other  "on  the  end  of  the 
ridge-pole  of  (a)  cabin."  Now,  in  the 
two  cases  here  given,  the  birds  in 
question  were,  beyond  the  vestige  of 
a  doubt,  just  Say  Phoebes.  The  West- 
ern Kingbird  has  never  been  proven 
to  nest  in  this  manner;  which  is,  how- 
ever, thoroughly  normal  with  the  Say 
Phoebe. 


As  to  "Albino"  Marsh  Wren  Eggs." 


Editor  Oologist. 

Dear  Sir: — In  The  Oologist  for 
March,  1907,  Mr.  Richard  Miller  has 
recorded  the  suppositious  finding  of  a 
nest    of    the    Carolina    Chickadee    in 


It  is  incomprehensible  that  any  per- 
son, whatsoever,  of  the  least  exper- 
ience in  collecting,  should  confuse, 
under  any  conceivable  circumstances, 
the  nests  and  the  eggs  of  our  two 
American  Marsh  Wrens.  In  the  first 
plact,  the  nests  of  the  short-bill  are 
always,  (normally),  on  dryer  ground; 
are  invariably  made  of  dry  materials; 
with  exteriors  almost  always  of  dry 
grasses,  only.  As  for  the  eggs:  the 
most  perfectly-albinistic  eggs  imag- 
inable of  the  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren 
would  most  certainly  be  found  to  be 
of  a  cream-color;  while  the  eggs  of 
the  Short-bill  are  invariably  dead- 
white.  As  for  shapes  there  is  noth- 
ing •"diagnostic."  .As  most  people 
know,  the  eggs  of  the  Long-bill  tend 
to  rounded  contours.  Contrariwise^ 
the  e.ggs  of  its  cousin  average  to   be 


56 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


THE  OOLOOIST. 


57 


markedly  ovate;  being  thus,  in  bdth 
shape  and  color,  just  like  liliputian 
examples  of  normal  eggs  of  a  Leg- 
horn hen.  All  this,  however,  one 
side:  If  it  be  worth  while  to  collect 
at  all  is  particularly  worth  while  to 
verify  all  one's  findings.  The  time 
thus  spent  will  be  found  invariably 
fruitful  in  the  acquisition  of  new  ele- 
ments of  knowledge;  and  in  delight- 
ful experiences.  To  say  nothing  as  to 
the  essential  differences  in  size,  form 
and  color  between  the  two  marsh- 
wren  forms  one  need  but  to  contrast 
the  blithe,  light  and  crisp  "Chip-chip- 
cher-chee-chee-chee"  of  the  upland- 
meadow-frequenting  short-bill  with  the 
more  raucous  and  deliberate  notes  of 
his  fellow  of  the  cat-tails. 

P.  B.  PEABODY. 


Another  Odd  Nesting  Site. 


Seeing  the  article  in  The  "Oologist" 
by  Richard  C.  Harlow,  "The  Crested 
Flycatcher  on  Strange  Grounds,"  re- 
minds me  of  an  experience  I  had. 

I  was  going  across  a  plowed  field  one 
hot  day  last  summer  and  stopped  un- 
der a  small  Locust  tree  for  shade, 
while  talking  to  the  negro  plowman. 
On  leaning  heavily  against  the  tree  I 
was  surprised  to  hear  the  familiar 
call  of  the  Crested  Flycatcher,  and 
looking  up  to  see  where  the  call  had 
come  from,  noticed  a  tin  can  hanging 
or  thf  stub  of  a  limb  some  three  feet 
?l)Ovo  my  head.  As  the  can  was 
slightly  swaying,  I  decided  to  inves- 
tigate, and  on  reaching  the  ground 
with  the  can  found  a  well  made  nest 
and  five  fresh  eggs  of  the  Crested  Fly- 
catcher. The  negro  plowman  inform- 
ed me  that  he  had  hung  the  can  there 
some  two  weeks  before,  while  plowing 
that  part  of  the  field,  so  work  must 
have  commenced  in  short  order.  The 
can   was    twelve   inches   long  by    four 


by  six.  and  while  hanging  on  the  stub 
of  limb  the  bottom  was  slightly  lower 
than  the  mouth,  which  was  entirely 
open,  although  close  to  the  tree  trunk, 
thus  making  the  entrance  mostly  con- 
cealed. The  date  was  May  29th,  quite 
late  for  them  to  have  fresh  eggs  in. 
this  locality,  and  as  one  in  a  can  was 
quite  a  novelty,  kept  this  as  a  show 
addition  to  my  collection.  The  nest 
contained  the  usual  amount  of  snake 
skin. 


Spotted    Robin's    Eggs. 


In  several  years  of  collecting  and 
bird  observation  in  Fulton  county,  I 
have  only  found  one  set  of  eggs  of 
the  American  Robin  that  were  mark- 
ed in  any  way  whatsoever. 

On  May  19,  1904,  Alan  Wright  and 
I,  while  out  for  a  walk  south  of  GIov- 
ersville,  X.  Y.,  discovered  a  robin's 
nest  in  a  willow  tree,  two  feet  above 
the  ground.  The  nest  was  perfectly 
normal,  both  in  size  and  construction, 
but  the  eggs,  three  in  number,  were 
immediately  noticable  because  of  their 
unusual  appearance.  They  were  typ- 
ically 'robin's  egg'  blue  in  ground  col- 
or, quite  heavily  spotted  and  blotched 
about  the  larger  end  with  a  peculiar 
shade  of  olive  brown.  The  set  was  a 
trifle  smaller  in  size  than  the  aver- 
age, the  eggs  measuring:  (1)  1.03  x 
..77  in.;  (2)  1.01  x  .78  in.;  (3)  1.03  x 
.75  in.  The  female  bird  was  flushed 
directly  from  the  nest,  so  that  mistake 
as  to  identity  is  impossible.  I  would 
be  very  glad  to  hear  more  about  this 
phase  of  the  robin's  economy. 

CHAS.  P.  ALEXANDER. 


An   Egg  of  the  California  Vulture  Com- 
pared with  Those  of  Other  Vultures. 


Eggs  of  Cathartidae  are  unusually 
handsome;  the  present  example  being 
no  exception  to  the  rule. 


58 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


The  shape  is  elongate,  tapering 
evenly  and  gradually  toward  the 
smaller  end,  being  long  in  proportion 
to  its  width.  Others  that  I  have  ex- 
amined were  not  different  in  this  re- 
spect. The  color  is  plain  grayish- 
white  with  a  faint  greenish  tinge  as 
seen  in  some  eggs  of  the  Mallard 
Duck.  On  looking  through  the  shell, 
toward  the  light,  the  color  appears  al- 
most copperas.  The  surface  is  decid- 
edly glossed,  finely  and  evenly  pitted 
over  the  entire  shell,  except  in  one 
small  tract  at  the  larger  end  where 
the  pittings  are  so  crowded  as  to  re- 
semble a  blotch.  About  the  smaller 
end  are  a  few  scattered  shell-warts, 
slightly  paler  than  the  general  surface, 
but  bearing  the  same  glossed  appear- 
ance. 

The  color  and  outline  being  so  plain 
makes  this  one  of  the  neatest  and 
most  attractive  eggs  in  my  whole  col- 
lection. 

The  exact  measurements  are  4.37  x 
2.63.  Nestling  beside  it  is  a  magnifi- 
cent egg  of  the  Andes  Condor  carry- 
ing these  dimensions,  4.52  x  2.69. 

The  color  is  creamy-white,  with  not 
the  slightest  trace  of  greenish;  while 
quite  generally  over  the  surface  are 
scattered  blotches  of  pale  lavender  or 
bran  color,  partaking  of  creaminess  of 
the  ground  plan.  The  surface  is  also 
pitted  but  not  so  finely  as  in  the  for- 
mer, and  this  pitting  has  more  of  a 
scarred  appearance,  and  the  gloss, 
though  far  less  apparent,  is  present. 
There  are  a  few  shell  warts  about 
the  larger  end. 

This  egg  is  splendidly  shaped,  but 
is  more- rotund  or  even  bulging.  On 
looking  over  these  fine  samples  of 
eggs,  one  can  but  wish  that  the  be- 
hests of  nature  had  been  accomplish- 
ed in  them. 

How  small  in  comparison  with  these 
giants  do  the  eggs  of  our  common 
vultures  appear!      Although  in  beauty 


of  coloration  the  latter  are  not  at  all 
behind.  My  series  of  Catharts  Aura  and 
Catharista  Urubu  are  very  complete 
and  extensive,  and  it  may  be  said 
that  in  point  of  beauty  they  are  not 
excelled  by  the  series  of  eggs  of  the 
Golden  Eagle  in  which  the  markings 
are  unusually  choice. 

Measurements  of  26  eggs  of  C. 
Urubu  give  an  average  of  3.01  x  2.01, 
while  the  series  of  C.  Aura  averages 
2.88  x  1.90,  the  eggs  being  less  taper- 
ing than  the  former;  the  coloration 
being  more  evenly  distributed  over 
the  surface  and  averaging  heavier; 
many  having  a  reddish  "blush"  mak- 
ing them  decidedly  rich  in  appearance. 

Some  sets  are  indistinguishable 
from  the  former.  In  C.  urubu  many 
eggs  are  almost  plain  white,  one  being 
entirely  so.  Usually  the  markings  pre- 
dominate at  the  larger  end;  a  few  are 
wreathed  fine,  dark  pencil  lines  as 
delicate  as  on  an  oriole's  egg.  Some 
have  delicate,  dark-brown  specks  and 
splashes  on  a  very  clear  ground.  One 
has  the  shape  and  appearance  of  a 
gull's  egg.  Another  resembles  a  mur- 
re's  egg.  Those  which  were  fresh 
when  taken  are  exceedingly  delicate 
In  color,  contrasts  and  the  tendency 
to  an  elongated  outline  makes  them 
a  strikingly  desirable  series.  Eggs 
of  both  the  latter  species  are  glossed 
to  some  extent  and  the  pitting  is  very 
faint. 

J.  W.  PRESTON, 

Spokane,    Wa^^h. 


Dear  Mr.  Short:  — 

Many  have  been  the  discussions  on 
the  ability  of  Owls  to  see  by  day-light, 
and  as  I  was  interested  in  this  matter, 
I  thought  the  best  way  to  solve  the 
])roblem  for  myself,  at  least,  was  to 
test  it  personally.  So  one  clear,  sun- 
ny day  last  September,  I  invaded  an 
old  apple  orchard,  where  the  cavities 
in    the    trees    furnished    manv    hidiag 


THE  OOLOOIST. 


59 


places  for  the  Screech  Owl.  It  was 
not  long  before  I  had  pulled  a  sleepy, 
ialf-dead  looking  Owl  from  the  depth 
of  a  hole,  and  took  him  to  an  open 
space  near  the  middle  of  the  orchard. 
I  tossed  him  gently  into  the  air.  He 
went  up  with  closed  wings,  but  when 
"he  started  down  his  wings  shot  out, 
and  he  started  circling  the  orchard. 
Suddenly  he  dove  straight  for  a  nar- 
row hole  in  one  of  the  trees,  and, 
closing  his  wings  just  before  reaching 
the  opening,  he  slid  through  smoothly 
and  was  gone.  This  was  on  a  bright 
day,  with  the  sun  shining  brilliantly. 
This  at  least  seems  to  show  that  the 
Screech  Owl's  power  of  sight  by  day 
is  not  so  weak  as  is  thought  by  many 
people. 

Sincerely, 
DAVID   E.    HARROWER. 


From    Ashtabula   Co.,    Ohio. 


After  leading  in  the  Oologist  so 
many  articles  from  dilferent  parts  of 
the  country  on  birds  and  bird  life  I 
am  persuaded  to  take  up  my  pen  and 
send  a  few  sketches  of  my  own  ob- 
servation on  ornithology  in  this  coun- 
ty. In  all  I  have  identified  120  species 
of  birds  here.  Although  I  am  told 
there  are  125  species  here.  Be  that 
as'  it  may  I  have  seen  but  the  120  and 
many  of  these  are  not  known  to  nest 
here.  Of  the  birds  of  prey  we  have 
a  good  supply  numbering  about  20 
species  in  all.  Of  these  20  species 
the  American  Barn  Owl  is  the  great- 
est rarity.  I  have  never  known  of 
but  two  specimens  of  this  interesting 
bird  being  taken  in  this  county,  one 
of  which  is  in  my  collection,  and  is  a 
fine  specmen.  Next  on  the  list  of  rare 
raptores'  is  the  Snowy  Owl  (nyctea) 
in  1M5  they  put  in  their  appearance 
in  November  which  is  the  earliest  I 
have  ever  known  of  their  being  here. 
Four  specimens  of  this  noble  bird 
were  taken  near  here  last  season,  the 


first  in  Novemiber  and  the  last  the 
later  part  of  January.  Of  the  Heron 
family  we  have  the  gi-eat  blue,  the 
green,  the  black-crowned  Night  Her- 
on, American  bittern  and  least  bit- 
tern. 

This  summer  bird  lovers  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  the  Great  "\ATiite 
Heron  about  the  water  of  Grand  river. 
This  bird  has  not  been  seen  in  this 
part  of  the  State  before.  I  saw  one 
on  several  occasions  and  at  one  time 
saw  three  about  a  pond. 

We  have  comparatively  few  game 
birds.  The  quail  and  the  grouse  are 
nearly  all  gone,  in  spite  of  strict 
game  laws  and  shrewd  game  wardens 
which  is  a  good  thing,  but  for  all  that 
these  birds  do  not  seem  to  increase 
as  winter  is  their  worst  foe.  If  this 
finds'  its  way  in  print  I  will  soon  tell 
you  about  a  learned  game  warden. 
S.  V.  Wharram. 

I  recorded  a  wood  thrush  in  a  piece 
of  woods  in  the  vicinity  of  Greenport 
on  Nov.  28th,  Thanksgiving  day.  I 
believe  that  this  is  about  six  weeks 
later  than  usual  for  eastern  Long  Is- 
land. As  far  as  I  can  learn  the  14th 
of  Octoher  is  their  latest  appearance. 

Very  truly  yours, 
L.  Is.,  N.  Y.  K.  B.  Squires. 


TAVERN   CURIOS. 


Great   Auk's   Egg    Fetches   a    Beggarly 
Price. 


Part  of  the  world-famous  curio  col- 
lection removed  from  the  Edinburgh 
Castle  tavern,  London,  England,  ow- 
ing to  the  recent  death  of  its  proprie- 
tor, Mr.  T.  G.  Middlebrook,  was  offer- 
ed for  sale  yesterday  at  Messrs.  Deb- 
enham,  Storr  and  Sons'  rooms.  Such 
a  strange  mixture  of  objects  has  sel- 
dom been  seen  in  a  London  sale-room, 
and  many  sightseers  gathered  to 
watch    the    celebrated      Great      Auk's 


60 


THE  OOLOOIST. 


Egg,  w'hich  was  bought  for  the  record 
price  of  300  guineas,  and  other  won- 
ders, come  to  the  hammer.  The  auc- 
tioneer, however,  experienced  the  ut- 
most difficulty  in  getting  bids  for 
some  of  the  treasures  on  which  their 
late  owner  had  set  such  store,  and 
they  were  knocked  down  at  beggarly 
prices. 

By  the  time  the  ornithological  and 
natural  history  collection  was  reached 
bidders  appeared  to  have  overcome 
the  reluctance  to  bid,  which  made  the 
earlier  stages  of  the  sale  so  tedious, 
but  with  regard  to  prices  they  remain- 
ed unrepentant.  Only  ten  shillings 
wa  soffered  for  a  valuable  stuffed  go- 
rilla, while  a  fine  specimen  of  the  blue- 
faced  monkey  changed  hands  for  3s. 
less.  A  whole  case  of  tropical  birds 
of  brilliant  plumage  went  for    £8  8s. 

As  2  o'clock,  the  time  announced  for 
the  sale  of  the  Great  Auk's  Egg,  ap- 
proached, the  room  rapidly  filled,  but 
it  was  half-past  the  hour  before  the 
most  remarkable  feature  of  the  sale 
was  reached.  The  late  Mr.  Middle- 
brook  made  a  quiet  corner  in  auk's 
eggs  during  his  lifetime,  and  from  an 
average  of  about  £75  the  price  of 
this,  his  finest  specimen,  had  risen  to 
the  record  sum  of  £315  ($1512.00), 
w'hen  he  purchased  it  by  auction  in 
1899.  Yesterday,  as  was  expected, 
there  was  a  conisderable  slump  in 
value,  the  last  bid  being  £110  ($5'28.- 
00). 

An  egg  of  the  -^Epyornis  sold  for 
£30   ($144.00). 

T.  REED, 

London,  England. 


OUR    NATIONAL    FLAG. 

The  official  flag  of  the  United  States 
bears  forty-five  stars  (one  for  each 
state)  in  a  blue  field,  arranged  in  six 
rows — the  first,  third  and  fifth  rows- 
having  eight  stars  each,  the  alternate 
even  rows  having  seven  stars  each. 
The  garrison  flag  of  the  army  is  made 
of  bunting,  thirty-six  feet  fly  and  twen- 
ty feet  hoist;  thirteen  stripes,  and  ia 
the  upper  quarter,  next  the  staff,  is; 
the  field  or  "union"  of  stars,  equal  to 
the  number  of  states,  on  blue  field, 
over  one-third  length  of  the  flag,  ex- 
tending to  the  lower  edge  of  the  fourth, 
red  stripe  from  the  top.  The  storm 
flag  is  twenty  feet  by  ten  feet,  and  the 
recruiting  flag  nine  feet  nine  inches 
by  four  feet  four  inches.  The  Ameri- 
can "Jack"  is  the  union  or  blue  field  of 
the  flag.  The  Revenue  Marine  Ser- 
vice flag,  authorized  by  Act  of  Con- 
gress, March  2,  1799,  was  originally 
prescribed  to  "consist  of  sixteen  per- 
pendicular stripes,  alternate  red  and 
white,  the  union  of  the  ensign  bearing^ 
the  arms  of  the  United  States  in  dark 
blue  on  a  white  field."  The  sixteen 
stripes  represented  the  number  of 
states  which  had  been  admitted  to 
the  Union  at  that  time,  and  no  change 
has  been  made  since.  Prior  to  1871 
it  bore  an  eagle  in  the  union  of  the 
pennant,  which  was  then  substituted 
by  thirteen  stars  in  a  white  field,  but 
the  eagle  and  stars  are  still  retained. 

June  14th,  the  anniversary  of  the 
adoption  of  the  National  fiag,  is  cele- 
brated as  Flag  Day  in  the  public 
schools,  and  by  the  display  of  the  em- 
blem on  public  buildings  and  private 
houses  in  a  large  part  of  the  Union. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  61 


9  TTWWJWTrWTWYTf  ▼¥▼▼▼¥▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ ▼▼TTTVTTVTTTTTTTTVVTTTTVV 

CombinaLtion  Offer. 

We  Offer  Oologist  one  year 

and  Reed's  "North  American  Birds  Eggs," 

New  illustrated  Key,  $2.50  postpaid,  all  prepaid   $2.60 

Oologist  one  year 

and  Chapman's  "Color  Key," 

New  Color  Key  to  North   American   Birds,  $2.50  postpaid, 

all  prepaid $2. 60 

Oologist  one  year 

and  "Frederick  Young" 

The  Natural  History  Novel,  prepaid $  .90 

Oologist /oMf  years,  Jan.  1905  to  Dec.  1908, 

and  "North  American  Birds  Eggs"  or  "Color  Key,"- ••$3,25 
Oologist /owr  years,  as  above, 
^  and  a  copy  of  our  new  "Standard  Catalogue"    of   North 

»  American  Birds  Eggs $1.00 

^     Oologist /b«r  years  and  "Frederick  Young," $1.40 

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^  New  Edition,  Colored  Plates,  price  $10.00,  for  ;^8.6o. 

^  Address 

t  ERNEST  H.  SHORT. 

^      Manager  Oologist  Chili.  N.Y. 

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Our  portfolio  of  fine  Half  Tone  reproductions  of  twenty-three 

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Includes  Studies  in 

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62  THE  OOLOGIST. 


JUST    OUT     ! 

A  NEW  UP-TO-DATE 

I  Check  List  of  North  American  Birds  { 

Contains   all    new   additions   and   changes   to   A.    O.    U.    list 
^     arranged   according  to  A.  O.  U.  Nomenclature   and   giving   both 

0  common  and  scientific  names.     i6  pages  on  good  paper. 

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ADDRESS 

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t 


GUN  FOR  SALE. 

A  new  unused  Stevens  double  barrel,  breech 
loading  shot  gun.  Especially  made  with  re- 
inforced breech  for  smokeless  powder.  Top 
lever,  rebounding  locks,  choke  bore,  J 2  ga., 
30  in.    bbls.     $14.50  cash  gets  it. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT, 
Chili,  N.Y. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  63 

NEW    POLICY 

Svibscribers,     Advertisers 

N  OTIC  E 


FIRST.  In  line  with  the  decision  recently  published  by  the  "Condor" 
and  for  the  same  reasons,  i  e.  That  the  provision  for  scientific  collecting 
under  the  Song  Bird  Law  did  not  contemplate  commercial  collecting. 

The  Publisher  and  Manager  of  this  paper,  the  "Oologist,"  hereby 
announce  that,  beginning  November  last,  they  will,  hereafter  decline 
all  advertisements  or  sale  notices  offering  to  buy  or  sell,  N.  American  bird 
skins  or  eggs  for  cash  except  skins  of  game  birds  and  birds  of  prey. 

SECOND.  Hereafter  the  "Oologist"  will  be  sent  only  to  subscribers 
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scriptions unless  accompanied  by  12  cents  per  year  extra. 

F.  H.  LATTIN.  E.  H.  SHORT, 

Publisher.  MeLnaLgdr. 


64 


THE  OOL.OGIST. 


52nd  Thousand  !       52nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDE. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of   North   American  Birds  Eggs,  and  with  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  American   Birds 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

This  is  a  popular  pocket  guide  and  text  book  to  ALL  THE  LAND  BIRDS  EAST 
OF  THE  ROCKIES,  from  the  Parrots  to  the  Bluebirds.     It  is  prepared  especially  for 

teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
any  other  Bird  Book: 

COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE. — All  the  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  included.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  nests  and  eggs. 

SMALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
pocket,  measuring  but  3x5  inches.  200  pages,  bound 
in  flexible  sock  cloth  or  leather.  We  have  made  the 
price  of  the  book  as  low  as  possible  considering  the 
good  workmanship  and  material  that  is  used.  It  is  s© 
low  that  anyone  can  afford  it,  but  no  one  can  afford  to 
be  without  it 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR  YOU 

Bound  in  flexible  sock  cloth,  postpaid 

so  CENTS 

Five  cloth  bound  copies  for  $2.00  postpaid 

Bound  in  flexible  leather,  75ct6.     Five  copies  for  $3.00  postpaid. 

We  want  agents  in  every  city,  town  and  school.  Good  commissions. 
Send  for  prospectus  of  Bird  Books  and  sample  copy  of  the  AMERICAN 
BIRD  MAGAZINE. 


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WORCESTER..  MASS. 


The  OdLOGiST. 

A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

OOLOGY.  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXIDERMY. 


WANTS,  FOR  SALES  AND  EXCHANGES. 

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Strictly  first-class  specimens  will  be  accepted  in  payment  at  1-3  list  rates. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  5. 


ALBION,  N.  Y.,  MAY,  1908. 


Whole  No.  250 


Take  Notice. 

Examine  the  number  following  your 
name  on  the  wrapper  of  this  month's 
Oologist.  It  denotes  when  your  sub- 
scription expired  or  will  expire. 

Remember  we  must  be  notified  if 
you  wish  paper  discontinued  and  all 
arrearages  must  be  paid. 
209  your  subscription  expired  Dec.  1904 
250  vour  subscription  expires  with  this  issue 
287    "  "  "  "  Dec,  1908 

Intermediate  numbers  can  easily  be 
determined.  If  we  have  you  credited 
wrong   we   wish    to   rectify. 

Entered  as  second-class  matter  De- 
cembed  21,  1903,  at  the  post  office,  at 
Albion.  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress of  March  3,  1879. 

EXCHANGE. -Fine  sets  of  Sage  (irouse, 
Woodhouse's  .Jay,  Desert  and  Prairie  Horned 
Larks,  etc.  Want  sets  of  Sharp-shined  and 
Broad-winged  Hawks,  etc.  Also  male  Albino 
skin  of  Prairie  Horned  Lark  to  exchange  for 
sets  of  above.  W.  H.  BINGA.NiAN.  K.  No.  5, 
Algona,  Iowa. 

WANTED.— Hammerless  shot  gun,  prefer- 
ably 16  or  12  gauge.  Remington  new  or  2d 
hand,  also  bird  books.  Offer  extra  value  in 
splendid  sets.  About  200  species,  many  rare, 
as  355.  i5>).  .349,  347a,  632,  230,  424,  763,  etc. 
CHARLES  S.  THOMPSON.  Box  214,  Buena 
Vista,  Colo. 


E.VCHANGE.— Fine  eggs  in  sets  for  same. 
J.  CL.\IKE  WOOD,  179  17th  Street,  Detroit, 
Mich. 

WANTED.— Fresh  eggs  of  species  of  Wild 
)uck9.  Geese.  Quail,  Prairie  Chickens, 
Jrouse  and    Pheasants.      E.xchange.    state 


DuCR.a.       ■uit-c.^c. 

Grouse  and    Phe. 

quantity.       Exchange 

mammals,  fossils,  shel..,.  ^ 

F.  A.  W.  DE.VN,  Alliance,  Ohio. 


uiiy.       r.iruiiiige     |.50.00     steriopticou. 
mammals,  fossils,  shells,  skins,  curios,  etc. 

VV    nFAV     Allhitipp  Ohio 


COLLK(  'T(  »i;S-Kresh,  perfect  skins  wanted 
of  marsh  and  beach  birds.  Cash  or  exchange. 
Also  Hawks  and  Owls.  Eggs  also.  Taxi- 
dermy work  in  exchange.  Solicit  corres- 
pondence. K.  R.  ADAMS,  Taxidermist,  Hox 
196.  Canton,  Mass. 


FOR  SALE-Auk  and  Nuttall  Bulletin. 
Complete  up  to  and  including  1907.  Thirty 
two  Vols,  in  all.  The  entire  set  is  bound  in 
half  morocco  excepting  the  last  two  Vols,  of 
the  Auk.  An  extra  fine  set.  Price  one  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  set.  PHILIP  LAURENT, 
31  East  Mt.  Airy  Ave.,  Philadelphia,  Penn. 

Have  time  again  to  correspond  and  ex- 
change. Wish  to  hear  from  all  old  corres- 
pondents and  live  new  ones.  All  answered 
and  a  good  list  for  exchange.  A.  E.  PRICE. 
Grant  Park,  111. 

At  the  close  of  the  season  I  shall  have  for 
exchange  a  rare  lot  of  eggs.  Many  Arctic 
taken  sets,  vultures  and  hawks.  Send  your 
lists  before  disposing  of  your  stocks.  All 
the  older  collectors  remember.  J.  W. 
PRESTON.  1411  13th  Ave,,  Spokane,  Wash. 

Apr.  3.  t. 

GET  PHOTO  POST  CARDS  of  famous 
Snake  Dance  and  Flute  Ceremony  of  Hopi 
Indians  of  Arizona.  They  dance  with  live 
rattlesnakes  held  in  the  mouth.  Best  Indian 
cards  published.  Placed  on  sale  for  first 
time.  Don't  miss  it.  Set  of  ten  for  50c. 
EARLE  R.  FORREST,  357  N.  Main  St., 
Washington,  Penn. 

WANTED.— Eggs  of  snakes,  lizards  and 
turtles.  State  price.  JOS.  P.  BALL,  M.  D., 
Frankford.  Phila,  Penn. May  4  2. 

Gundlach  Manhattan  Rapid  Convertible 
Lens.  (3  focus  F.  8.  4  x  ^)  in  anto  shutter. 
A  first  f>lass  R.  R.  lens.  New,  cost  $15.00. 
Sell  for  110.00  cash.  C.  E.  WEBSTER,  N. 
Yakima  Wash.  

I  WANT  Delaware  collected  sets  of  every 
variety.  Nests  with  all  small  kinds,  offer 
Florida  sets  in  exchange.  OSCAR  E.  HAY- 
NAKD,  Mican(ipy,  Fla. 

FOR  SALE. 

Mounted  Moose  Elk,  Caribou  and  Deer 
heads.  .VLso  horns  and  scalps.  Buffalo  horns, 
robes,  etc..  at  trade  prices.  References  and 
descriptions  upon  reiiuest. 

EDWIN  DIXON,  Taxidermist, 
Unionville,  Ontario. 


66 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


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THE  BIRDS 

OF  MAINE 

This  is  a  work  of  about  700  pages, 
illustrated  bj'  26  half  tones  and  a 

Faunal  Map  of  MainCi 

It  is  the  most  complete  contribution 
to  local  faunal  literature  everpublished 
The  book  contains  keys  for  identifica- 
tion of  the  various  species,  full  descrip- 
tions of  various  plumages,  habits  of 
the  birds,  descriptions  of  nests  and 
eggs,  food,  songs  and  other  details  of 
bird  life.  Nearly  all  the  species  of 
birds  found  in  New  England  and  New 
Brunswick  have  been  taken  in  Maine, 
so  this  work  will  be  most  valuable  to 
and  should  be  in  the  library  of  every 
ornithologist  of  these  sections.  It  is 
also  a  work  which  should  be  desired 
by  almost  any  ornithologist  or  oologist 
in  North  America. 
Sent  prepaid  on  receipt  of  price,  $3.50. 


Address  all  orders  to 


ap-4t 


In  Choice  Cabinet  Sets,  with  full  and  accu- 
rate data,  from 

Mexico,  Canada  and  Europe. 

For  sale  very  cheap.    Satisfaction  a  pleas- 
ure.   List  for  2c.  stamp." 

457  Greene  St.. 

Augusta  Ga, 


Dr.  M.  T.  Clecklcy, 


TAXIDERMISTS'     MANUAL. 

This  is  a  complete  and  practical  work,  giv- 
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ing, preparing,  preserving,  stuffing  and 
mounting  all  birds,  animals  and  insects.  It 
is  written  in  popular  language,  so  that  even 
any  intelligent  child  can  understand  and 
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professional  taxidermists,  and  gives  all  the 
secrets  and  processes  of  the  profession.  It 
is  illustrated  with  many  fine  engravings  and 
descriptive  diagrams.  12  mo.  Paper  cover. 
Price  50  cents.  Address  orders  United 
Specialty  Co.,  Dept.  718,  Chicago. 


Its  Great  !     Fishermen's  Alarm  Bell. 

Tells  you  when  the  fish  bites.  Easy  to  use. 
Nothing  to  break.  Fasten  to  log  or  pier. 
Mr.  Fish  takes  a  nibble  and  bell  rings.  Keeps 
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My  up  to  date  formulas  and  time  and 
labor  saving  methods  enables  you  to  do  this 
interesting  and  profitable  work  without  ex- 
periment or  risk.  You  can  tan  all  kinds  of 
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learned.  I  guarantee  your  success.  Formu- 
las and  complete  instructions  are  only  $3.00 

EDWIN  DIXON, 

Taxidermist  and  Furrier, 

Main  Street,  Unionville,  Ontario. 

T.  Reed  &  Co.,  4  Duke  St.,  Charing 
Cross,  London,  W.  C,  England 

Have  for  sale  rare  Asiatic.  African,  Austra- 
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OC  NICE  POST  CARDS  Ifk  OFMTQ 
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THE  OOLOGIST. 


67 


STILL  LE Aiding 

FIFTH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STANDARD  CATALOGUE  OF 


North  American   Birds   Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year,  Both  for  50c. 


Compiled  by  Frank  H.  Lattin  and 
Ernest  H.  Short,  with  the  assistance 
of  many  prominent  American  Oolo- 
glsts. 

A  Complete  Up-to-date  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
Introduced  Species,  giving  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  species  whose 
eggs  are  procurable  at  this  time.  Ar- 
ranged according  to  A.   O.   U.   Nome- 


clature,  but  giving  Ridgway's  aad 
Coues'  numbers  also.  Printed  on 
one  side  of  page  only  leaving  it  In 
convenient  form  for  making  notes  In 
or  using  for  labelling  purposes. 
Bound  in  light  board  covers.  Neat  la 
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Address  ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Manager  Oologist,  Chili,  N.  Y. 


Learn  Taxidermy. 


Naturalists,  Oologists 
and  Sportsmen  should 
all  know  how  to  correct- 
ly mount  all  kinds  of 
birds  and  animals.  WE 
TEACH  TAXIDERMY 
BY  MAIL.  Complete 
course  in  15  lessons.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  de- 
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learned.  STANDARD  METHODS.  En- 
dorsed by  all  leading  taxidermists.  Many 
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TO     ALL     INTERESTED. 
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THE  CONDOR. 

A    Magazine    of    Western    Ornithology. 

Official  Organ  Cooper  Ornlthaloglcal  Club. 

In  Articles  by  Active  Ornithologists  Half- 
tones from  Life  Make-up. 

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Vol.  Ill,  No's.  4  and  6. 
Vol.  IV.  No's  1  and  3-4. 
Vol.  V,  No.  6. 


Y.      MGR.  OOLOGIST,  Chili,  N.Y. 


68  THBi  OOL.OGIST. 

OOLOGY  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 

By  E.  A.  CAPEN. 

A  Full  and  Complete  Description  of  the  Eggs,  Nests  and  Breeding 
Habits  of  all  the  Birds  known  to  Breed  in  New  England 

Complete  in  One  Qua-rto  Volume 

—WITH — 

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This  magnificent  volume  was  published  in  1885  at  $15.00  net  and  has 
long  been  out  of  print. 

Last  summer  among  the  effects  of  the  late  E.  A.  Capen  a  few  copies  of 
this  valuable  work  uncut,  untrimmed  and  unbound,  were  unearthed. 

We  had  them  strongly  and  attractively 

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Foxes,  Birds,  etc.     How  to  skin  Animals.  Just  out  and  the  only  work  of  its  class.  An 

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kindsof  FISH  LUKES,  etc.     A  great  book  FRNFST   H    <?HORT          RnehPAtpr    N    Y 

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UNITED    SPECIALTY   CO.,   Dept.    719   Chicago.        „^^p    ^qq     BLOW-PIPE     PERFECTED. 

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or  large  holes.    Can  be  used  without  water- 

EXCHANGE   EXTRAORDINARY!  blower.    Indorsed  by  a  great  many  oologists 

and    collectors.       Satisfaction    guaranteed. 
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Canada,  Mexico  and  the  United  States  for  DR.  M.  T.  CLECKLEY, 

sets  with  nests,  large  rare  singles  and  sets  Augusta,  Ga. 

not  in  my  collection.      Wanted    especially       

Calif.   Condor,    Swallow-tailed    Kite,    Bald 

Eagle.  Plovers,  Sandpipers,  Phalaropes  and  FOR  EXCHAN(TE.-The  following  new  fur 

Warblers.  May3t.  rugs,  felt  lined.    I  want  A 1  skins,  bird  and 

mammal  literature.     Coon  half  head,  $6.00; 

no    M    X    r>i  cni/i  cv  Red  Fox  half  head.  $10.00;  Wild  Cat  half  head, 

UK.  m.    I.  L.LtOKLtT,  IIQOO;  Wolf,  open  mouth  $15.00;    Grey  Fox. 

.^,  ^  ^,  .  .      „  tanned   skin,    $2.00       THUS.     B.    TIPTON. 

457  Greene  St.,  Augusta,  Ga.      Richards.  .Mo. 


The  OoLOGiST. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  5. 


Albion,  N.  Y.  May,  1908. 


Whole  No.  250 


THE   OOLOGIST, 

A   Monthly    Publication   Devoted   to 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXI- 
DEEMY. 

FKAITK    H.    LATTIN,    FublUher, 

ALBION,    N.    Y. 

EEKEST    H.     SHORT,     Editor    and    K&nager. 

Correspondence  and  items  of  interest  to  the 
■tndent  of  Birds,  their  Nests  and  Bggs,  solicited 
from    aU. 

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Pileated  Woodpecker. 


In  April,  1907  while  vvalldng  through 
the  wood  of  North  Boston  Erie  Co.,  X. 
Y.,  we  discovered  the  trunk  of  a  beech 
tree,  about  ten  feet  high,  which  bore 
the  unmistakable  evidence  of  having 
been  the  object  of  attack  of  a  power- 


ful bird.  On  investigation,  it  was 
found  that  the  tree  had  been  excavat- 
ed and  cut  away  in  several  places, 
forming  hollows  more  than  a  foot 
deep.  At  the  foot  of  the  tree  was 
heaped  a  mound  of  chips  of  the  wood, 
some  of  which  were  of  considerable 
size. 

A  work  of  this  kind  was  obviously 
beyond  the  reach  of  any  of  the  com- 
mon woodpeckers,  and  it  w'as,  there- 
fore, evident  that  it  had  been  done  by 
the  Pileated  Woodpecker,  a  bird 
which  is  extremely  rare  in  this  local- 
ity. Shortly  after  the  discovery  of 
the  tree  the  birds  were  seen.  The 
male  was  heard  calling  in  the  woods 
a  short  distance  away  and  Identified, 
but  unfortunately  a  working  train  was 
on  a  side-track  of  a  railroad,  and  on 
Sundays  the  Italians  were  out  shoot- 
ing at  every  bird  they  came  across. 
The  Pileated  Woodpeckers  were  un- 
doubtedly shot.  The  bird  is  very 
large,  about  18  inches  long  and  more 
than  two  feet  from  tip  to  tip  of  wing. 
The  general  color  is  a  dull  black,  the 
side  of  the  neck  and  breast  being 
white,  with  a  slight  yellow  tinge.  The 
conspicuous  feature  is  the  red  crest 
which  stands  up  boldly  on  the  top  of 
the  head.  This  bird,  while  compara- 
tively common  at  one  time  through- 
out the  northern  hemisphere,  is  one 
of  the  first  to  disappear  with  the 
clearing  away  of  the  forests  in  ad- 
vance of  civilization. 

The  woodpeckers  are  a  very  inter- 
esting family  of  birds,  presenting  a 
number  of  features  in  common,  among 
which  are  the  hard  powerful  bills, 
capable    of    cutting    away    very    solid 


70 


THE  OOLOGISl 


Pleated  Woodpecker. 

Cut    Kindly    Loaned    by    Buffalo  "Sunday  Express." 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


71 


material,  and  the  fact  that  the  toes 
are  arranged  two  in  front  and  two  be- 
hind, instead  of  three  in  front  and 
one  behind,  as  is  the  case,  with  most 
birds.  They  commonly  feed  on  the 
larvae  which  live  in  the  trees  just  be- 
neath the  bark  and  possess  wonderful 
instinct  in  determining  the  burrows 
of  these  creatures,  making  a  hole 
through  the  bark  at  the  precise  spot 
through  which  their  long  barbed 
tongue  must  be  inserted  to  draw  out 
the  grub  into  their  mouth. 

The  largest  of  the  family  is  the 
Ivorj-billed,  so  called  from  the  color 
of  the  beak.  This  bird  is  now  practi- 
cally extinct. 

The  Woodpeckers  are  of  inestimable 
value  to  the  farmers,  in  keeping  down 
the  insect  pests  that  are  so  destruc- 
tive to  our  forests.  The  pair  of  Wood- 
peckers at  work  on  the  beech  tree 
shown  in  the  picture  were  in  search 
of  the  larvae  of  the  horn-tail,  a  very 
destructive  insect.  All  of  the  work 
shown  on  this  tree  was  done  in  the 
space  of  a  few  days  by  these  birds. 

Owing  to  this  fact,  the  tree  was  of 
great  interest,  as  proving  the  enor- 
mous strength  of  this  bird,  as  well  as 
its  presence  in  this  locality.  For  this 
reason  arrangements  were  made  to 
cut  it  down,  bring  it  to  Buffalo  and 
place  it  in  the  room  of  the  Buffalo  So- 
ciety of  Natural  Sciences,  where  it 
can  be  seen  by  all  interested. 

O.  REIXECKE. 


PREPARATION    OF    BIRD    SKINS. 


Having  ventured,  in  the  Issue  of 
the  Oologist  for  March,  last(  to  take 
up  the  cudgels  in  behalf  of  greater 
care,  among  younger  students,  in  the 
matter  of  identifications,  I  now  add 
a  few  suggestions  for  the  benefit  of 
those  to  whom  some,  at  least,  of  the 
book  suggestions  and  directions  for 
making  up  bird  skins,  may  have  left 
much  unsaid; 


One  should  be  careful  to  learn, 
early  in  his  career  as  a  bird-killer, 
exactly  the  killing  and  the  tearing 
power  of  a  given  charge  of  powder 
and  shot.  This  care,  observed  in  the 
field,  will  usually  result  in  a  minimum 
of  birds  blown  to  pieces  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  in  a  maximum  of  birds 
secured.  It  is  hard  to  say  which 
could  be  cause  of  the  greater  chagrin: 
to  have  a  rare  bird  shot  out  of  all 
semblance  by  a  too-near  shot;  or  to 
see  escape  some  hird  of  no  intrinsic 
value,  of  itself,  and  which  hence 
would  have  done  just  as  well  if  badly 
shot-up, — which  yet,  in  its  escaping, 
has  left  unauthenticated  a  unique 
nesting  record, — not,  mind  you,  mere- 
ly for  a  single  State;  but  for  the  en- 
tire Union! 

Few  beginners  know  how  wonderful 
a  help  to  clean  work,  in  taxidermy, 
is  to  be  found  in  the  use  of  soft,  ab- 
sorptive newspaper.  Fat  is  the  great 
enemy  of  this  craft;  and  it  must  be 
removed,  and  removed  often,  bit  by 
bit,  with  most  overmastering  patience 
if  the  bird  on  which  one  is  working 
is  to  have  any  scientific  or  aesthetic 
value.  (But  I  have  forgotten  to  meas- 
ure my  bird.  So,  indeed,  has  the  oth- 
er fellow.  The  three  greater  measure- 
ments, Wing,  Length  and  Extent,  are 
matters  of  obligation.  And  let  us  re- 
membei  :  that  quarter-inches  measure 
not,  definitively.  Who  knows  but  that 
some  day,  a  series  of  one  hundredth- 
inch  niceties  may  evolve,  somewhere, 
another  of  Dr.  Dwight's  satirically 
nick-named    "millimeter"    races.) 

One  common  default  in  bird-skin 
preparation  lies  in  scantiness,  or  lack, 
of  poison.  The  nasal  cavity,  while  it 
ought  to  receive  especial  treatment 
often  receives,  in  point  of  fact,  scarce- 
ly any.  The  preservative  should  be 
carefully  worked  in  to  the  nares.  It 
should  also  be  thoroughly  crammed 
into  the  bases  of  the  tail  feathers. 

In    making     the  skin   it     is  a  great 


72 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Tree   Showing   Work   of    Pileated      Woodpecker,   near   Buffalo,   N,  Y. 

("ourtesy  of  O.  Reinecke. 
Cut    Kindly    Loaned    by    Buffalo  "Sunday  Express." 


THE  OOLOQIST. 


73 


help  to  tie  together  the  two  ulnar 
wing-bones  that  are  allowed  to  re- 
main. The  connecting  thread  should 
approximate  the  normal  distance  in 
the  natural  bird.  I  have  found  the 
very  best  method  of  the  shaping  of 
the  skin  to  lie  in  the  use  of  a  narrow 
band  of  paper  pinned  into  a  cylinder 
the  normal  girth  of  the  bird's  body. 
The  object  of  making  the  cylinder 
narrow  is  to  admit  of  the  grooming 
of  the  entire  plumage  into  normal 
shape. 

Under  no  conceivable  circumstances 
ought  birds  of  any  size  to  be  made 
up  without  a  re-inforcing  of  the  neck. 
For  this  purpose  the  older  onitholo- 
gists  used  to  use  small  sticks  or 
splints.  The  invariable  result  of  such 
use,  ancient  or  modern,  is  a  stiff-neck- 
ed specimen.  (Perhaps  Dille  will 
deny  this).  My  own  way, — which 
may  not  prove  helpful  to  others, — is 
to  use  annealed  wire, — copper  wire, 
when  to  be  had.  This  is  prepared  for 
insertion  thus: 

After  the  smooth,  moderately-com- 
pressed body  of  cotton  is  ready,  the 
section  of  wire,  which  is  cut  about 
three-fourths  the  length  of  the  bird, 
has  a  loop  made  at  one  end.  This 
loop  is  closed  down  upon  the  neck- 
piece of  cotton;  which,  at  the  front 
end,  has  been  rolled  over  and  over 
upon  itself  until,  as  held  compressed 
by  the  forceps,  it  may  be  squeezed 
into  the  skull-cavity.  As  inserted, 
this  entire  contraption  lies  with  the 
wire  below  the  cotton.  The  body  is 
now  inserted;  set  not  too  far  forward; 
the  neck  cotton  is  flattened  out;  the 
wire  is  drawn  backward  until  the 
bird-neck  is  just  the  right  length; 
and  the  "slack"  end  of  the  wire  is 
then  looped,  and  bent  tightly  over  the 
back  end  of  the  body-cotton.  One  who 
had  never  tried  this  method  of  set- 
ting and  making  rigid  the  limp  skin 
of  a  bird  of  medium  or  small  size 
could    form    no   idea   of   the   immense 


help  in  the  shaping  which  results 
from  the  use  of  the  wire,  in  the  neck- 
cotton:  (to  say  nothing  of  the  stength- 
ening  of  the  neck.)  To  illustrate  the 
value  of  this  neck  reinforcing  I  will 
repeat  here  a  story  as  told  to  me,  one 
day,  over  our  hot  weiners,  (in  Mrs. 
Dille's  absence),  by  F.  M.  D.,  himself: 
with  a  merry  twinkle  in  his  eyes: 

We  had  a  mutual  correspondent;  a 
man  than  whom  no  living  mortal  can 
make  better  bird  skins.  Truly,  they 
are  better  shaped  than  the  birds, 
themselves.  But  he  uses  no  neck- 
strengthener.  One  day,  in  order 
triumphantly  to  confute  F.  M.  D.,  in 
the  latter's  spirited  defence  of  the 
neck-stick,  he  sent  to  his  Denver 
friend  a  valuable  skin,  made  up  with- 
out neck-re-inforcing.  It  arrived  with 
the  neck  broken.  And  now  P.  B.  P. 
and  F.  M.  D.  are  most  thoroughly 
agreed  on  at  least  one  point. 

Very  few  preparers  of  bird  skin  pay 
the  right  sort  of  attention  to  the 
shaping  of  the  eyelids.  About  five 
per  cent,  of  the  skins'  one  sees  have 
too  much  cotton  in  the  eyes;  and 
pretty  nearly  ninety  per  cent,  don't 
begin  to  have  enough.  Moreover,  the 
same  is  true, — only  more  so, — with 
the  shaping  of  the  throat.  A  big  pro- 
portion of  the  skins  have  the  goitre; 
while  another  big  share  have  the  con- 
sumption. A  very  neat  trick. — though 
not  an  easy  one, — ^by  the  way, — is  to 
introduce  into  the  throat,  after  the 
skin  is  made,  just  enough  cotton, 
placed  in  just  such  a  way  as  that, 
when  the  skin  dries  and  shrinks,  the 
throat  will  be  naturally  rounded.  Just 
here  comes  in  another  trick:  After 
the  throat  cotton  is  placed,  why  not 
close  the  mandibles,  and  keep  them 
closed,  by  inserting  a  pin  at  the  ra- 
mus of  the  lower  mandible;  and  run- 
ning it  up  into  the  nares?  In  a  few 
hours  this  pin  may  he  withdrawn;  its 
quick   and   effective   and  neat  use,   in 


74 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


the  meantime,  proving  a  boon,  in- 
deed, to  tlie  previously  perplexed 
manipulator. 

A  hint  about  tags:  None  more  fit 
could  be  devised  than  those  recom- 
mended to  the  writer  by  Dr.  Bishop 
of  New  Haven.  They  are  made  of 
tough,  thin  linen.  They  are  about 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  wide  and 
about  three  inches  long.  (By  caliper 
measure  I  find; that  they  are  exactly 
.55  X  2.82  inches).  On  these  slips 
are  neatly  printed  certain  detail  out- 
lines; which  are  immensely  helpful 
to  the  busy  preparator. 

One  closing  suggestion  I  would 
fain  print  in  display  capitals;  and  set, 
over  and  over  again,  in  endless  repet- 
ition, on  every  page  of  a  whole  issue 
of  the  Oologist:  In  making  any  re- 
cord,  in  the   making  of  ALL  records. 

Last  year  the  writer  had  occasion 
to  go  over  a  parcel  of  skins, — a  few 
of  them  rich  in  suggestion  and  local 
interest,  that  were  taken  by  him  in 
Rice  county,  Minnesota,  and  in  Mani- 
tou  Park,  Colorado,  thirty,  odd,  years 
ago.  With  few  exceptions  these  skins 
had  all  to  be  re-labelled;  chiefly  be- 
cause the  ink  originally  used  had  fad- 
ed: some  of  it,  utterly  so.  A  power- 
ful reading  glass,  onl,  made  it  possi- 
ble to  transcribe  and  to  preserve,  the 
precious  data.  The  shape  of  the  tags 
used,  moreover,  was  bad,  in  most 
cases,  beyond  portrayal.  In  replacing 
then,  those  old  odd,  clumsy  and  much- 
in-the-way  labels,  with  their  long, 
dangling,  tangling  concomitants  of 
string,  the  neat,  narrow  Bishop-style 
tags  were  neatly  fastened  to  the 
crossed  juncture  of  the  tarsi  of  the 
skins;  just  enough  of  the  connecting 
thread  being  left  between  the  tag  and 
juncture  to  enable  the  student  to  ex- 
amine the  tag  favorably.  Only  strong 
silk  was  used;  of  a  size  not  too  large. 
Tihe  combined  result  made  some  of 
the   skins    in      question, — they      being 


strictly  'prentice  work,' — look  bum, 
enough.  But  one  had  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that,  under  any  probable 
set  of  conditions,  the  data  for  those 
skins  will  be  just  as  legible  to  my 
grandsons, — if  I  should  have  any, — 
as  they  are  to  myself,  today. 

Pardon  one  more  preachment:  the 
very  hardest  thing,  the  most  tantaliz- 
ing slow  thing,  about  the  making  of 
bird  skins,  will  always  be  the  shap- 
ing. Here  acquired  skill  will  always 
set  its  mark.  And  no  student  who 
aspires  to  do  the  very  best  possible 
work  will  ever  weary  in  his  well-do- 
ing, herein,  until  his  work  will  pass 
muster,  anywhere.  To  illustrate  what 
a  conscientious  perseveringness  can 
accomplish,  in  these  directions,  I  will 
say  that  1  have,  among  the  first  skins 
for  which  I  ever  exchanged,  a  few 
that  were  prepared  by  T.  E.  Slevin  of 
San  Francisco.  It  was  among  his 
very  first  work,  I  imagine;  and  it 
would  be  hard  to  find  poorer  made 
skins.  But,  am  I  not  glad,  today, 
that  I  did  not  follow  up  a  rather  re- 
cent impulse,  born  of  accrued  critical- 
ness,  and  burn  those  skins.  For, 
a:aiong  the  large  mass  of  material  left 
extent  by  Mr.  Slevin,  in  his  dying, 
a-'-e  skins  in  large  number  that  are 
wonderfully  marked  for  their  fastidi- 
ously dainty  and  perfect  shaping. 
And  thereby,  my  fellow  boys,  there 
hangs   a   moral. 

P.    B.    PEABODY. 
Livermore,  Iowa,  April  20,  1908. 


THE   NEXT  WORLD'S   FAIR. 


Alaska-Yukon-Pacific  Exposition  a*. 
Seattle,  in  1909,  Now  Claims  At- 
tention—  Management  Surprises 
Country  by  Not  Asking  for  Gov- 
ernment Aid — Its  Progress  to 
Data. 


By  Frank  L.  Herrick. 
Now    that   the    Jamestown    Ter-Cen- 
tennial  Exposition  has  closed,  all  eyes 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


75 


are  turned  toward  the  next  great 
world's  fair,  the  Alaska-Yukon-Pacific 
Exposition  which  will  be  held  at  Seat- 
tle, Washington,  opening  June  1  and 
closing  October  15,  1909. 

This  exposition  will  be  held  in  a 
section  of  the  country  where  world's 
fairs  are  new  and  for  that  and  many 
other  reasons  it  is  expected  to  be  a 
success,  beneficially,  educationally, 
artistically  and  financially. 

Work  on  the  grounds  and  buildings 
of  the  exposition  is  well  under  way 
and  the  management  is  determined  to 
have  everything  in  readiness  by  open- 
ing day.  This  has  been  written  about 
all  expositions  in  late  years,  but  the 
promise  has  never  been  completely 
fulfilled.  The  officials  of  the  Alaska- 
Yukon-Pacific  Exposition,  however, 
liave  started  out  with  a  completed-on- 
opening-day  idea  above  everything 
else,  and  if  they  do  not  carry  out 
their  plans  it  will  not  be  because  west- 
ern energy  has  not  been  expended  in 
the  task. 

The  Alaska-Yukon-Pacific  Exposi- 
tion promises  to  be  different  from  for- 
mer world's  fairs  in  many  ways,  but 
one  policy  stands  out  so  far  above 
any  of  the  rest  that  the  entire  press 
of  the  country  is  commenting  favor- 
ably about  it.  No  mony  will  be  asked 
from  Uncle  Sam  to  carry  on  the  work! 
That  policy  must  be  conceded  as  ori- 
ginal. All  the  management  desires 
is  for  the  United  States  government 
to  participate  in  the  same  manner  as 
foreign  countries  and  the  different 
states,  by  erecting  buildings;  and  in- 
stalling exhibits  therein.  Former  ex- 
positions have  been  aided  by  the  gov- 
ernment in  many  different  ways.  Out- 
right gifts  of  large  sums  of  money 
bave  been  made  by  Congress  to  some 
world's  fairs,  while  others  have  nego- 
tiated loans  from  Uncle  Sam,  some 
of  which  were  paid  back  and  some  of 
which  were  not.  Some  expositions 
"have    received    both      donations      and 


loans.  As  stated  before,  the  Alaska- 
Yukon-Pacific  Exposition  will  ask  for 
neither.  A  clause  pledging  this  poli- 
cy has  been  inserted  in  the  congres- 
sional bill  making  provision  for  parti- 
cipation only  by  Uncle  Sam. 

Since  the  United  States  government 
began  to  patronize  expositions  down 
to  the  .Jamestown  fair,  Congress  has 
appropriated  a  total  of  $28,752,251  for 
world's  fairs.  Only  $485,000  of  this 
money  has  been  spent  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  the  Lewis  and 
Clark  exposition,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful ever  held,  receiving  the  bene- 
fit of  that  amount. 

The  bill  that  has'  been  introduced  at 
the  present  session  of  Congress  pro- 
vides an  appropriation  of  $1,175,000  to 
enable  Uncle  Sam  to  take  advantage 
of  the  opportunity  for  effective  adver- 
tising. The  money  will  be  apportion- 
ed as  follows: 

Buildings     Exhibit 

Government      $200,000     $350,000 

Alaska    100,000       200,000 

Philippines    75,000         75,000 

Hawaii    50,000         75,000 

Fisheries     50,000         * 

*  The  fisheries  exhibit  is  included 
in  the  general  government  display. 

On  .Tune  1,  last  before  a  crowd  of 
fifteen  thousand  persons,  ground 
breaking  ceremonies  were  held,  with 
many  prominent  men  making  ad- 
dresses, among  whom  was  Hon.  John 
Barrett,  director  of  the  International 
Bureau  of  American  Republics,  repre- 
senting President  Roosevelt.  Prom 
that  date  to  the  present  time  work  has 
been  going  on  rapidly  upon  the  exposi- 
tion grounds.  Most  of  the  grading 
and  clearing  has  been  finished.  All 
of  the  principal  roadways,  avenues, 
circles  and  plazas  have  been  complet- 
ed. The  Administration  Building  has 
been  erected  and  occupied  by  the  exe- 
cutive force  for  several  months.  Con- 
tracts have  been  let  for  the  construc- 
tion of  five  large  buildings  and  sever- 
al small  ones'.     Among  these  are  the 


76 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Manufactures  building,  Agriculture 
building,  Auditorium,  Palace  of  Fine 
Arts  and  Machinery  Hall.  The  three 
later  buildings  will  be  permanent 
structures,  built  of  buff  brick  with 
terra  cotta  trimmings.  The  "A-Y-P," 
as  it  is  sometimes  called  in  Seattle, 
will  differ  again  from  some  former 
fairs  in  that  some  of  its  exhibit 
palaces  will  be  permanent  structures'. 
The  grounds  are  located  on  the  prop- 
erty of  the  Washington  University,  a 
state  institution,  and  after  the  expo- 
sition is  over  the  permanent  buildings 
and  those  substantially  built  will  be 
taken  over  by  the  college  to  be  used 
for  educational  purposes. 

The  purpose  of  the  exposition, 
which  is  to  exploit  Alaska  and  Yukon 
and  the  countries  bordering  on  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  is  receiving  much  fav- 
orable comment  throughout  the  coun- 
try. 


E.  H.  Short,  Rochester,  N.  Y., 

Dear  Sir:— While  collecting  to-day 
I  made  an  interesting  little  find 
which,  I  thought,  might  interest  some 
of  your  "Oologist"  readers. 

It  was  the  nest  of  a  Great  Horned 
Owl  about  50  feet  from  the  ground 
in  an  elm  tree.  The  nest,  which  con- 
tained three,  nearly  full-grown  young, 
measured  nearly  5  feet  one  way  by 
three  the  other,  and  had  evidently 
been  used  many  years.  And  under 
the  nest,  on  the  ground,  was  a  collec- 
tion of  material  which  would  nearly 
warrant  the  erection  of  a  glue  fac- 
tory on  a  paying  basis.  For  curiosi- 
ties sake  we  piled  the  bones  and  feet, 
heads,  etc.,  of  a  like  kind  to-gether 
and  this  is  what  we  found.  Thirty- 
three  feet  of  Am.  Coot,  eight  feet  of 
ducks  and  several  heads  (two  mallard 
and  a  spoonbill),  heads  of  three 
chickens  and  no  less  than  forty-sev- 
en hind  legs  of  rabbits  and  six  of 
squirrel.  Besides  all  this,  there  were 
two  half  eaten  rabbits  in  the  nest  and 


part  of  a  King  Rail.  I  have  found 
many  such  "grave-yards"  of  the 
Horned  Owl,  but  nevei',  such  an  enor- 
mous amount  of  material  as  this.  The 
nearest  ponds  to  the  nest  are  nearly 
a  mile,  and  the  water  fowl  must  have 
been  secured  here  in  the  night  while 
the  birds  were  at  roost.  I  also  flush- 
ed two  wood  cock  to-day — the  first 
birds  of  this  kind  that  I  have  ever 
seen  in  this  vicinity  in  over  eight 
years  collecting. 

Sincerely   yours, 
GERALD  B.   THOMAS. 


A  Question. 


Will  the  irrigation  of  the  arid  and 
desert  lands  of  the  West  and  the 
draining  of  our  great  Eastern  swamps, 
both  colossal  works  now  in  progress, 
for  the  redemption  or  reclamation  of 
the  land  for  agricultural  purposes,  ef- 
fect our  birds,  materially,  so  as  to 
cause  an  extinction  of  a  species,  or 
with  the  changes  of  environment  will 
there  occur  a  change  in  the  habit  of 
the  birds  that  inhabit  these  regions? 

R.  F.  M. 
Oologist. 


We  note  that  Massachusetts  is  seri- 
ously approaching  the  problem  of  Bird 
Preserves.  The  attempt  is  worthy  of 
careful  trial  as  deforestation  is  the 
greatest  of  all  setbacks  to  our  birds 
these  days  acting  against  the  increase 
of  forest  birds  as  the  cat  does  against 
the  birds  of  the  open  fields.  Of  course, 
it  will  not  be  possible  to  make  much 
progress  without  extensive  preserves 
under  different  conditions,  some  high 
and  dry  and  some  swampy,  some 
marsh  land  and  some  brush  land. — 
Editor. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  77 

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78  THE  OOLOGIST. 


JUST    OUT     I 

A  NEW  UP-TO-DATE 

Check  List  of  North  American  Birds  { 

Contains  all  new  additions  and  changes  to  A.  O,  U.  list 
arranged  according  to  A.  O.  U.  Nomenclature  and  giving  both 
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t 


GUN  FOR  SALE. 

A  new  unused  Stevens  double  barrel,  breech 
loading  shot  gun.  Especially  made  with  re- 
inforced breech  for  smokeless  powder.  Top 
lever,  rebounding  locks,  choke  bore,  l2  ga., 
30  in.    bbls.     $14.50  cash  gets  it. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT, 
Chili,  N.Y. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  79 

NEW    POLICY 

Svibscribers,     Advertisers 

N  OTIC  E 


FIRST.  In  line  with  tiie  decision  recently  published  by  the  "Condor" 
and  for  the  same  reasons,  i  e.  That  the  provision  for  scientific  collecting 
under  the  Song  Bird  Law  did  not  contemplate  commercial  collecting. 

The  Publisher  and  Manager  of  this  paper,  the  "Oologist,"  hereby 
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Publisher.  MoLnaLger. 


80 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


72nd  Thousand  !       72nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDE. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of   North  Amertcan  Birds  Egys,  and  with  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  American    Birds 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

This  is  a  popular  pocket  guide  and  text  book  to  ALL  THE  LAND  BIRDS  EAST 
OF  THE  ROCKIES,  from  the  Parrots  to  the  Bluebirds.     It  is  prepared  especially  for 

teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
any  other  Bird  Book: 

COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE. — All  the  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  included.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  nests  and  eggs. 

SMALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
pocket,  measuring  but  3x5  inches.  200  pages,  bound 
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low  that  anyone  can  afford  it,  but  no  one  can  afford  to 
be  without  it 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR  YOU 

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The  Oologist 

A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

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ALBION,  N.  Y.,  JUNE,  1908. 


Whole  No.  251 


Take  Notice. 

Examine  the  number  following  your 
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Remember  we  must  be  notified  if 
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wrong   we  wish   to   rectify. 

Entered  as  second-class  matter  De- 
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Albion.  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress of  March  3,   1879. 

I  HAVE  FOR  EXCHANGE.-For  species 
new  to  my  collection.  Choice  sets  of  327,  liKi, 
35;^,  354,  :354a,  :J58.1.  359.1,  362,  370a.  376,  3S9,  421, 
455,  744a,  7ti3,  etc.  THOMAS  H,  .lACKSON, 
304  N.  Franklin  St..  West  Chester,  Pa. 


WANTED.  Nests  of  birds.  Particularly 
common  varieties.  State  price.  .TOS.  P. 
BALI.,  M,  I>.  Frankford  Phila,  Pa. 

FOi;  SALE. -Alligator  eggs.  A  fine  lot, 
l!t(W  take.  Four  selected  eggs  sent  anywhere 
on  receipt  (jf  one  dollar.  OSC.\K  K.  BAY- 
XAKD.  .Nncanopy.  Fla. 

F'OR  S.\LE.-.V  collection  of  Natural  His 
tory  specimens  catalogued  over  $1200.  Will 
sell  for  f3.)0.  Une  for  nuiseum.  I-".  T. 
C()KI.ESS.><04  E.  14  N.,  Portland.  Or. 

.June(>  t. 

WANTED. -"Bailey's  Birds  of  Western  V. 
S."  Will  exchange  ""i^lanchan's  Bird  -Neigh- 
bors," good  skins  or  foreign  coins.  C.  L. 
PHILLIPS.  5  West  Weir  St.,  Taunton.  .Mass. 


I  WISH  to  exchange  my  photos  of  birds' 
eggs,  nests,  etc.,  for  yours.  Will  be  pleased 
to  correspond  with  amateur  photographers. 
Eyerybody  come.  HAKKY  CAMPBELL, 
Shunk,  Pa. 

WANTED —111  condition  for  mounting. 
Otter,  Fisher.  Martin.  Wolverine,  Alleghen- 
ian  Least  Weasel,  offer  and  price.  Write 
E.  W.  CAMPBELL,  323  Wyoming  Ave. 
Pittston.  Pa. 

Have  time  again  to  correspond  and  ex- 
change. Wish  to  hear  from  all  old  corres- 
pondents and  live  new  ones.  All  answered 
and  a  good  list  for  exchange.  A.  E.  PRICE, 
Grant  Park,  111. 

At  the  close  of  the  season  I  shall  have  for 
exchange  a  rare  lot  of  eggs.  Many  Arctic 
taken  sets,  vultures  and  hawks.  Send  your 
lists  before  disposing  of  your  stocks.  All 
the  older  collectors  remember.  J.  W. 
PRESTON.  1411  13th  Ave,,  Spokane,  Wash. 

Apr.  3.  t. 

(iET  PHOTO  POST  C.'VRDS  of  famous 
Snake  Dance  and  Flute  Ceremony  of  Hopi 
Indians  of  Arizona.  They  dance  with  live 
rattlesnakes  held  in  the  mouth.  Best  Indian 
cards  published.  Placed  on  sale  for  first 
time.  Don't  miss  it.  Set  of  ten  for  50c. 
EARLE  R.  FORREST,  357  N.  Main  St.. 
Washington,  Penn. 

W.\NTED.— Eggs  of  snakes,  lizards  and 
turtles.  State  price.  .TOS.  P.  BALL,  M.  D.. 
Frankford,  Phila,  Penn.  May  4  2. 


EXCHANGE  EXTRAORDINARY  ! 

I  offer  choice  cabinet  sets  from  Europe. 
Canada.  .Mexico  and  the  United  States  for 
sets  with  nests,  large  rare  singles  and  sets 
not  in  my  collection.  Wanted  especially 
Calif.  Condor,  Swallow-tailed  Kite,  Bald 
Eagle,  Plovers,  Sandpipers.  Phalaropes  and 
Warblers.  May3t. 

DR.  M.  T.  CLECKLEY, 
45  7  Greene  St.,  Augusta,  Ga. 


82 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


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THE  BIRDS 

OF  MAINE 

This  is  a  work  of  about  700  pages, 
illustrated  by  126  half  tones  and  a 

Faunal  Map  of  Maine. 

It  is  the  most  complete  contribution 
to  local  faunal  literature  everpublished 
The  book  contains  ke.ys  for  identifica- 
tion of  the  various  species,  full  descrip- 
tions of  various  plumages,  habits  of 
the  birds,  descriptions  of  nests  and 
eggs,  food,  songs  and  other  details  of 
bird  life.  Nearly  all  the  species  of 
birds  found  in  New  England  and  New 
Brunswick  have  been  taken  in  Maine, 
so  this  work  will  be  most  valuable  to 
and  should  be  in  the  library  of  every 
ornithologist  of  these  sections.  It  is 
also  a  work  which  should  be  desired 
by  almost  any  ornithologist  or  oologist 
in  North  America. 
Sent  prepaid  on  receipt  of  price,  $3.50. 


THE  SHELL  BOOK. 

By  Julia  E.  Rogers. 

Just  out  and  the  only  work  of  its  class.  An 
authoritive,  illustrated,  readable  work  om 
Shells  (sea.  land  and  fresh  water).  Eight  full 
page  colored  plates,  473  cuts.  Nicely  printed 
and  bound.    Postpaid  $4.40.    Address 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT,       Rochester,  N.  Y. 


FOR  SALE. 

Mounted  Moose  Elk,  Caribou  and  Deer 
heads.  Also  horns  and  scalps,  Buffalo  horns, 
robes,  etc.,  at  trade  prices.  References  and 
descriptions  upon  request. 

EDWIN  DIXON,  Taxidermist, 
Unionville,  Ontario. 


60    YEARS' 
lENCE 


Address  all  orders  to 


ap-4t 


ORA  WILLIS  KNIGHT. 


No.  84  Foreit  Avenue. 


BANGOR,  MAINE 


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culation of  any  scientific  journal.  Terms,  $3  c 
year;  four  months,  fL  Sold  by  all  newsdealers. 

MUNN  &Co.36«Broadway.  New  York 

I      Branch  Office.  626  F  8t«,  WashiDgton,  D.  C   . 


LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS. 

Tells  how  to  make  and  bait  all  kinds  of 
Traps,  how  to  catch  Mink,  Skunks,  Weasels, 
Foxes,  Birds,  etc.  How  to  skin  Animals. 
Dress  and  Tan  Skins,  Furs  and  Leather. 
How  to  Breed  Mink,  how  to  catch  fish,  etc. 
Contains  hints,  helps  and  suggestions  for 
campers.  (Jives  directions  for  making  all 
kinds  of  FISH  LUKES,  etc.  A  great  book 
for  only  10  cents,  postpaid. 

UNITED    SPECIALTY   CO.,   Dept.    719    Chicago. 


HAND  EGG    BLOW-PIPE    PERFECTED. 

J«st  the  thing  for  blowing  eggs  with  small 
or  large  holes.  Can  be  used  without  water- 
bloM'er.  Indorsed  by  a  great  many  oologists 
and  collectors.  Satisfaction  guaranteed. 
Sent  postpaid  with  directions  for  $1.00. 
DR.  M.  T.  CLECKLEY, 

Augusta,  Ga. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


83 


STILL   LE  AIDING 

FIFTH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STilNDARD  CATALOGUE  OF 


North  American   Birds  Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year,  Both  f«r  50c. 


Compiled  by  Frank  H.  Lattin  and 
Ernest  H.  Short,  with  the  assistance 
of  many  prominent  American  Oolo- 
gists. 

A  Complete  Up-to-date  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
Introduced  Species,  girinig  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  species  whose 
eggs  are  procurahle  at  this  time.  Ar- 
ranged according  to  A.   O.   U.   Nome- 


clature,  but  giving  Ridgway's  antf 
Coues'  numbers  also.  Printed  <m 
one  side  of  page  only  leaving  it  ta 
convenient  form  for  making  notes  iB 
or  using  for  labelling  purposer 
Bound  in  light  board  covers.  Neat  in 
style.  Handy  in  shape  (just  goes  ift- 
to  full  government  envelope). 

Postpaid  25c  each.   Six  for  $1.2S, 


Address  ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Manager  Oologist,  Chili,  N.  Y. 


Learn  Taxidermy. 


Naturalists,  Oologists 
and  Sportsmen  should 
all  know  how  to  correct- 
ly mount  all  kinds  of 
birds  and  animals.  WE 
TEACH  TAXIDERMY 
BY  MAIL.  Complete 
course  in  15 lessons.  This 

is  one  of  the    most   de- 

liffhtfol  and  fascinating  of  arts.  Easily 
learned.  STANDARD  METHODS.  En- 
dorsed by  all  leading  taxidermists.  Many 
of  the  best  known  naturalists  of  the  country 
are  numbered  among  our  students.  If  you 
want  to  learn  TAXIDERMY,  we  desire  to 
submit  ourproposition  in  full.  Send  TODAY 
for  our  new  illustrated  CATALOG  and  sam- 
ple copy  of  The  TAXIDERMY  MAGAZINE. 
BOTH  FREE.  THE  N.  W.  SCHOOL  OP 
TAXIDERMY,  76  Farnam  St.,  Omaha.  Neb. 

TO     ALL     INTERESTED. 


REMEMBER. 

I  furnish  collections  covering  one  or  several 
Dranches  of  Natural  History  for  study  or 
museum  purposes  at  Special  reduced  rates. 
Don't  fail  to  write  nie.  I  will  quote  you  on 
your  line  of  wants  or  I  will  furnish  a  general 
assortment  that  will  fit  your  purse  and  be 
sure  to  please. 


ERNEST  H. 


Box   173 


SHORT, 
Rocheater,  N. 


Wanted. 


BACK    NUMBERS    OOLOGIST, 

Vol.  Ill,  No's.  4  and  6. 
Vol.  IV,  No's  1  and  3-4. 
Vol.  V,  No.  6. 


MGR.  OOLOGIST, 


Chili,  N.Y. 


Foreign  Eggs 


In  C^hoice  Cabinet  Sets,  with  full  and  accu- 
rate data,  from 

Mexico,  Canada  and  Europe. 

For  sale  very  cheap.    Satisfaction  a  pleas- 
ure.   List  for  2c.  stamp.' 

457  (jreene  St., 

Augusta  Ga, 


Dr.  M.  T.  Cieckley, 


T.  Reed  &.  Co.,  4  Duke  St.,  Charing 
Cross,  London,  W.  C,  England 

Have  for  sale  rare  Asiatic,  African,  Austra- 
lian, South  American  and  European  birds' 
eggs  and  skins.    List  1  cent  stamp.     May  2 1 


84 


THhl  OOLOQIST. 


Prices   for   Back  Numbers   of  the 
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Prices  for    1907-08  Are  as  Follows: 

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—  BOUND  VOLUMES  — 

Can  be   furnished,   strongly  bound  In  cloth  and 
boards,    as    follows: 
▼ol.  I   and   II   YOUNG  OOLOGIST  bound  In 

one   volume $1.00 

Vol.  IX.  The  OOLOGIST  for  '92,  298  pages 
of  valuable  and  instructive  Oologlcal 
and  Ornithological  matter  with  many 
full    page    illustrations $1.00 

Or,  if  you  order  the  two  volumes  at  one  time, 
we  will  send  them  by  return  mall  for  only 
$1.75.  Every  student  of  birds,  their  nests  and 
eggs,  should  have  these  two  volumes  In  their 
Hbrary.  The  valuable  information  they  contain. 
Si   worth    many    times    the    price. 

Address     plainly, 

ERNEST  H.   SHORT, 

lCanar«r   of   Oologist, 

CHILI,     N.    T. 


BARGAINS 


IN 


DATA 


BLANKS 


In  printing  our  "Standard  Cata- 
logue" we  had  a  lot  of  Datas  printed 
on  what  would  otherwise  have  been 
waste  paper  and  have  decided  to  give 
our  patrons  the  benefit  of  our  gain. 

We  can  furnish  five  (5)  styles  and 
will  send  prepaid,  your  choice,  at 
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Quotations  Good  for  this  lot  and   Un- 
til Present  Stock  is  Exhausted  Only 

Address  as  you  prefer  either 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
or  FRANK  H.  LATIN,  Albion,  N.  Y. 


The  OoLOGiST. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  6. 


Albion,  N.  Y.  June,  1908. 


Whole  No.  251 


THE   OOLOGIST, 

A   Monthly   Publication   DeTOted   to 
OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXI- 
DERMY. 
FRANK    H.    LATTIN,    PubUslier. 
ALBION,    N.    Y. 
XRNEBT    H.    SHOKT,    Editor    and    XuikC«r. 
Oorrespondence    and    Items    of    interest    to   tbe 
•tad«nt  of  Birds,  their  Nests  and  BgKS,  solicited 
from    all. 

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ment only  and  at  rates  from  doable  to  five  times 
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In  force  at  the  date  of  issuance  of  said  bill  or 
card. 

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presa  or  Postoffice  Money  Order.  Registered 
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ERNEST    H.    SHORT,     Editor    and    Manager, 
Chill,    Monroe    Co..    N.    Y. 


An  Arizona   Hunt. 


Our  party  consisted  of  three,  we  de- 
cided to  go  for  a  little  outing  and  as 
Oology  was  our  hobby  thought  it  best 
to  hunt  over  a  strip  of  desert  land, 
about  twenty-five  miles  west  of  Phoe- 


nix, between  the  irrigated  lands  and 
the  Aqua  Fria  (water  cold)  river. 
This  part  of  the  desert  is  covered 
with  a  growth  of  small  cacti,  sage 
brush,  mesquite  and  paloverde  trees. 

We  took  a  light  camping  wagon  and 
left  Phoenix  about  three  p.  m.,  April 
20th,  1907.  Two  miles  had  hardly 
gone  by  when  we  came  to  a  row  of 
large  Cottonwood  trees  dividing  a  pas- 
ture. They  had  been  cut  off  about 
eight  or  ten  feet  from  the  ground  and 
were  sprouting  up  again  from  the  old 
stumps,  leaving  a  lot  of  dead  limbs 
and  knot  holes.  In  one  of  these  holes 
we  found  a  set  of  four  Screech  Owls, 
bird  on.  Not  knowing  what  bird  of 
this  family  it  was  we  had  to  kill  it, 
and  afterwards  identified  it  as  the 
"Mexican  Screech  Owl,"  (Megascops 
asio  aikeni).  It  was  getting  late  in 
the  season  for  the  Screech  Owls  as 
this  set  was  unblowable  on  account 
of  incubation,  two  other  badly  incu- 
bated sets  were  found  in  addition  ta 
the  nest  containing  young  birds. 

Several  trees  down  the  row  we 
found  a  set  of  five  Desert  Sparrow 
Hawks,  (Falco  peninsulae  sparverius). 
slightly  incubated,  two  of  the  eggs 
were  almost   round. 

Farther  up  the  road  we  saw  a  hole 
in  a  dead  limb  about  oO  feet  above 
the  ground.  One  of  my  companions 
proceeded  to  climl)  the  tree  while 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  hole  a 
Screech  Owl  of  the  same  variety  as 
above  mentioned  flew  off  disclosing  a 
hole  lull  of  young  birds  almost  ready 
to  leave  the  nest. 

Presenitly  we  saw  a  Sparrow  H.;n'> 
ciiclc  around   over  head  and  li^lr   »'e 


THB  OOLOOISl 


a  dead  branch  of  a  tree  immediately 
across  the  road  from  the  Screech 
Owl's  hole.  We  looked  on  the  other 
side  of  the  tree  and  found  a  hole  con- 
taining five  eggs. 

Five  or  six  miles  on  we  found  a 
set  of  three  fresh  Vermillion  Fly- 
catchers, (Pyrocephalus  rubineus 
mexicanus).  The  nest  was  situated 
on  the  extreme  end  of  a  dead  branch 
and  was  very  shaky,  however  we  got 
them  to  the  ground  in  safety. 

When  within  a  few  miles  of  our 
destination  we  found  another  set  of 
Sparrow  Hawks,  four  eggs,  fifteen 
feet  up  in  a  dead  cottonwood  stump. 

We  reached  the  border  of  the  des- 
ert by  dusk  and  spent  the  night  there 
by  an  irrigation  canal.  This  section 
abounds  in  snakes  and  numerous  var- 
ieties of  lizards  so  we  brought  fold- 
ing cots  with  us.  We  awoke  the  next 
morning  at  daylight  and  were  under 
way  by  six  o'clock.  A  friend  from  a 
nearby  ranch  accompanied  us  through 
the  day.  He  knew  nothing  about  bird 
eggs  but  helped  us  considerably,  as  he 
went  horseback.  and  could  go 
many  places  where  we  could  not  in 
the  wagon.  Our  route  for  some  dis- 
tance lay  along  a  row  of  cottonwoods. 

[n  a  limb,  six  inches  in  diameter 
and  fifty  feet  from  the  ground,  we 
found  a  set  of  five  Bairds  Woodpeck- 
er, (Dryolates  scalaris  lucasanus);  al- 
so two  Sparrow  Hawks'  holes,  each 
containing  the  incomplete  set  of 
three,  one  of  which  was  in  a  stump 
not  over  five  feet  high  and  used  as  a 
fencepost. 

Our  friend  now  left  us  for  a  little 
scout  while  we  turned  towards  the 
desert.  He  returned  in  about  an  hour 
bringing  a  set  of  three  fresh  Palmer 
Thrashers,  (Toxostoma  aurivirastris 
palmeri),  and  stating  that  he  saw 
two  hawks'  nests  in  the  tops  of  tall 
cottonwoods,  one  contained  young 
birds  the  other  young  and  eggs. 

Shortly  after  he  returned  we  came 


across  an  adobe  house,  unoccupied. 
Upon  going  over  to  investigate  a 
large  Sparrow  Hawk  fiew  from  a  hole 
between  the  window  sill  and  the 
adobe  wall.  The  hole  went  in  two  feet 
and  contained  a  set  of  four  fresh  eggs. 

Xo  Bendire  Thrashers  (Toxostoma 
cinerus)  were  found,  although,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Phoenix  they  are  fairly 
common.  Sets  of  four  Palmer  Thrash- 
ers are  not  common  but  we  succeeded 
in  getting  two  sets  of  that  number  on 
that  trip,  and  found  two  other  sets  of 
four  around  Phoenix  during  the  rest 
of  the  year. 

After  eating  lunch  we  tied  the 
horses  and  hunted  on  foot  for  a  while, 
going  in  pairs,  two  North  and  two 
South.  I  was  with  the  couple  going 
North.  We  hunted  for  a  long  time 
without  finding  anything  but  a  set  of 
Western  Mocking  Birds.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve I  ever  saw  Partridges  so  plenti- 
ful. We  were  fiushiug  them  all  day, 
but  could  find  no  nests,  but  finally 
luck  turned  our  way.  A  large  female 
flew  from  a  bunch  of  sage  brush  and 
there  we  found  a  set  of  eleven  eggs. 
A  short  distance  on  we  found  a  sec- 
ond set  of  the  Gambels  Partridge, 
(CaJlipepla  montezumae),  having 
about  as  much  as  we  could  carry  we 
went  back  to  the  wagon  and  found 
our  companions  there  with  a  set  of 
four  Palmer  Thrashers  and  a  set  of 
five  Gilded  Flickers,  (Colaptes  chry- 
soides).  During  the  afternoon  on  the 
desert  we  found  three  sets  of  Phaino- 
peplas,  (Phainopepla  mitens,)  in  ad- 
dition to  the  other  eggs. 

We  next  turned  East  to  the  long 
rows  of  cottonwoods  and  there  found 
a  set  of  three  and  a  set  of  five  Gila 
Woodpeckers,  (Melanerpes  uropygia- 
lis.) 

A  colony  of  Burrowing  Owls, 
(Speotyeo  cunicularia  hypogea)  was 
found.  We  dug  into  three  holes  the 
first    two   contained     two  eggs     each. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


87 


and  the  last  one  three  eggs.     Showing 
that  it  was  too  early  for  them. 

Late  that  afternoon  we  started  for 
home,  went  part  way  and  finished  the 
trip  next  day,  finding  a  set  of  two 
Vermillion  Flycatchers,  incubation  ad- 
vanced, a  set  of  six  Sonoran  Redwings 
taken  on  account  of  size  of  set,  and 
another  set  of  five  Sparrow  Hawks. 

We  also  found  sets  of  the  following 
•eggs  but  as  our  boxes  were  already 
•crowded  we  left  them.  They  are: 
Cactus  Wrens,  Aberts  Towhees  (Bul- 
locks Orioles,  Doves,  Arkansas  King- 
birds and  Roadrunners. 

Chas.  Winfield  Hartranft. 

P.S. — I  have  been  very  much  inter- 
ested in  the  accounts  on  finding  sets 
of  three  doves'  eggs.  A  friend  of  mine 
has  just  written  fom  Arizona,  stating 
that  he  has  found  two  nests  of  Mourn- 
ing Daves  each  containing  three  eggs 
and  a  set  of  three  White-winged 
Doves,   (melopela   leucoptera. 

C.  W.  H. 


Pennsylvania. 


The  rarity  of  this  species  in  South- 
ern Pennsylvania,  makes  it  advisable 
to  place  on  record  the  recent  capture 
of  an  individual  of  this  variety.  It 
was  taken  during  September,  1904,  at 
Fort  Washington  by  Mr.  James  Cam- 
blos.  At  the  time  of  its  capture  the 
bird  was  sitting  on  the  limb  of  a  tree 
standing  in  an  open  field  and  proved 
very  easy  to  approach.  Mr.  Camblos, 
recognizing  the  rarity  of  the  bird,  had 
it  mounted  and  afterward  generous- 
ly presented  the  specimen  to  the  writ- 
er. It  is  now  in  my  collection  and  is 
a  fine  male  in  the  blue  back  plumage. 
This  is,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  ascer- 
tain, the  only  record  of  this  bird  in 
southeastern  Pennsylvania  for  a  num- 
ber of  years. 

Richard  C.  Harlow. 


Some  Arizona  Nesting   Sites. 


Photos  by  Hartrauft. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Nesting   of   the      Wood    Duck    in 
Jersey. 


New 


A  few  years  ago  old  residents  used 
to  come  across  nests  of  the  Wood 
Duck,  but  little  did  I  ever  dream  that 
I   would   be   foi-tunate  enough   to   find 


one,  but  such  is  the  case.  On  April 
25th,  this  year,  I  went  out  with  my 
rifle  with  the  expectation  of  getting 
some  "sprigs."  As  I  stood  quietly 
among  the  trees  near  a  pond  in  the 
woods  there  came  circling  around  a 
wild    duck.     Waiting    with    my    finger 


THE  OOLOOIST. 


89 


on  the  trigger  every  minute  for  it  to 
settle  in  the  pond  when  I  could  secure 
a  good  shot  I  noted  it  appeared  to  set- 
tle in  the  top  of  a  sour  gumtree  about 
40  feet  up.  Cautiously  I  walked  to 
the  tree,  but  no  duck  could  I  see.  I 
splashed  the  water,  rapped  the  tree, 
shook  the  bushes  and  fired  a  shot  in 
the  top  of  the  tree  but  no  duck  flew 
from  the  tree. 

As  it  was  getting  dark  I  could  not 
discern  any  cavity  in  the  top  of  the 
tree,  so  I  secured  the  pair  of  climbers 
that  I  had  fastened  to  my  wheel  and 
proceeded  to  investigate.  As  I  near- 
ed  the  top  of  the  tree  out  ran  two 
grey  squirrels  and  when  about  6  feet 
of  the  top  out  flew  Mrs.  Duck.  As  I 
peered  down  the  cavity  I  beheld  elev- 
en eggs  that  I  could  count  in  the  twi- 
light but  I  could  not  reach  them  by  a 
foot  or  more,  and  the  wood  was  so 
hard  I  could  not  break  it  with  my 
climbers,  although  it  was  no  more 
than  one  inch  in  thickness.  By  look- 
ing down  on  the  outside  I  found  a 
knot-hole  about  a  foot  below  the  nest 
large  enough  for  me  to  insert  my  hand 
and  now  the  ticklish  part  commenced 
As  I  was  holding  on  with  one  hand  I 
picked  a  small  hole  in  the  bottom  of 
the  nest  with  the  other  and  the  eggs 
commenced  to  roll,  all  seemed  to 
want  to  come  out  in  "jig"  time,  and 
great  care  was  needed  to  keep  them 
from  bumping  against  each  other.  I 
counted  twelve  and  lost  the  count. 
When  I  got  home  I  found  I  had  16  in- 
cubated eggs.  With  hard  work  and 
potash  I  saved  them  first  class.  Tak- 
ing up  Davis  I  found  I  had  secured  a 
very  large  set.  The  nest  was  compos- 
ed of  a  few  di-y  pine  oak  leaves  mixed 
in  with  the  down.. 

While  I  was  securing  the  eggs  the 
female  flew  against  me  and  flew 
whistling  off  to  the  pond  and  it  sound- 
ed real  dismal  at  that  time  as  I  never 
had  heard  their  whistle  before.  It 
sounded    something    like    the    whistle 


of  a  man. 

I  never  collected  a  set  of  eggs  that 
I  so  disliked  to  take  as  this-,  owing  to 
their  rarity  and  the  consideration  I 
have  for  bur  most  heartiful  game 
bird. 

W.   B.  Crispin,  N.  J. 


Mr.  Ernest  H.   Short, 

Ed.  Oologist: — I  wish  to  report  to 
the  capture  of  a  Kirkland's  Warbler 
on  May  15,  1908  by  Mr.  Wm.  P.  Holt 
at  Port  Clinton.  This  is'  our  first  rec- 
ord of  this  rare  warbler  in  our  locali. 
ty.  Also  the  capture  of  a  pair  of  Cape 
May  Warblers  on  May  16.  These 
wai'blers  are  rare  in  this  section.  On 
May  15,  we  took  a  specimen  of  the 
Northen  Parula  Warbler  another  of 
our  rarer  warblers.  During  the  two 
days  that  we  were  at  Port  Clinton  82 
species  of  birds'  were  observed.  The 
weather  was  favorable  and  birds  were 
very  plentiful  although  the  warblers 
were  more  common  on  May  15  than 
on  the  16th.  I  also  wish  to  report  the 
capture  of  the  Lark  Sparrow,  Chon- 
destes  grammacus,  by  George  Chiesa 
on  May  2,  this  is  our  first  record  of 
this  more  southern  bird.  Mr.  Chiesa 
took  a  beautiful  specimen  of  a  parti- 
ally Albino  Tree  Sparrow  March  22. 
It  had  white  specked  throuh  the 
chestnut  head  and  also  back  and  tail. 
The  first  primary  of  each  wing  was 
white  or  nearly  so. 

Yours   truly, 
A.  C.  Read,  Toledo,  Ohio. 


By  an  oversight  in  making  up  April 
No.  of  current  volume  of  Oologist, 
Ml-.  Bailey  of  Xew])ort  News,  Va.,  was 
not  credited  with  the  article  on  "Odd 
Nesting  Site,"  (see  page  57,  April), 
which  he  contributed.  It's  another 
case  where  the  manager  apolo2:i7,eK 
for  another's  mistake. — E.  H.  S. 


90 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Double  Nest  of  Catbird.     Toronto,  Ont. 

Photo  by  L.  B.  Brown. 


Nesting   of  the   Northern  Yellow-throat 

in    Muskoka,   Ont.,   during   the 

Summer  of   1905. 


Rising  early  one  morning  June  11th 
1905  as  the  sun  was  showing  up  in 
the  east,  I  took  a  short  walk  in  the 
woods  intending  to  pass  the  morning 
with  my  friends,  the  birds.  Many 
Redstarts  flitted  about  among  the 
lower  brances  of  the  trees  like  bits 
of  flame  color  as  though  they  would 
set  the  trees  on  fire.  Over  my  head 
came  the  tap,  tap  of  a  woodpecker  on 
a  hollow  limb  of  a  tree  and  on  glanc- 
ing up  saw  that  it  was  a  Red-headed 
Woodpecker  busy  at  work  searching 
for  the  insects  that  might  be  hidden 
there  in  the  wood,  once  it  flew  into 
the  air   after  a   passing  insect   in  the 


manner  of  a  fly-catcher,  bringing  the 
insect  back  to  the  tree  in  his  beak, 
where  he  killed  and  swallowed  it. 
Many  other  birds  were  there  such  as 
the  Red-eyed  Vireo,  Least  Flycatcher, 
Scarlet  Tanager,  Wilson's  Thrush,  etc. 
I  left  the  woods,  and  began  crossing 
a  meadow  with  a  small  brook  run- 
ning through  the  center  with  willow 
bushes  and  long  coarse  grass  grow- 
ing on  both  sides.  As  I  walked  along 
the  edge  of  the  brook  I  heard  the 
Northern  Yellow-throat's  familiar 
song  of  witchity,  witchity,  witch.  It 
was  not  long  before  I  saw  a  male  yel- 
low-throat flitting  here  and  there 
among  the  willow  bushes  like  a  bit  of 
sunshine  peering  out  through  his 
black  mask.  He  was  soon  joined  by 
his  mate   who  began  to  scold  me.     I 


THK  OOLOOItT. 


91 


sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  bank  near 
the  brook  in  order  to  see  if  the  female 
would  return  to  her  nest;  I  waited  for 
nearly  fifteen  minutes  before  she  fin- 
ally quieted  down  and  after  all  was 
<juiet  flew  down  in  the  grass  where 
she  disappeared,  after  waiting  for 
five  minutes  and  hearing  nothing  from 
lier,  I  suspected  she  must  be  on  her 
nest.  So  quietly  stepping  over  to  the 
spot  from  whence  she  disappeared, 
a'he  slipped  off  her  nest  and  ran 
mouse-like  along  the  ground  and  flew 
into  a  bush  from  where  she  began 
scolding  me  as  before.  I  gently  part- 
ed the  grass  with  my  hand  and  reveal- 
led  a  beautiful  nest  sunken  in  the 
ground  made  of  dry  grass  lined  with 
Lair  and  arched  over  which  contain- 
ed four  white  eggs,  speckled  with 
Tjrown,  that  were  partly  incubated. 
That  same  day  I  found  two  more  of 
their  nests.  While  searching  every 
tuft  of  grass  at  a  time  within  my 
reach  (the  yellow-throats  scolded  me 
all  the  while  from  some  nearby 
"bushes).  I  discovered  a  nest,  it  was 
not  sunken  in  the  ground  and  arched 
over  as  the  other  nest  was,  but  was 
Tiuilt  about  two  inches  above  the 
ground  in  the  center  of  a  large  tuft 
•of  grass,  while  two  yards  away  I 
found  another  nest  in  a  tuft  of  grass. 
They  each  contained  four  eggs,  incu- 
bation had  just  begun. 

Signed, 

GEORGE   GERALD. 


The      Starling      in      Pennsylvania — By 
Richard   F.  Miller. 


Early  in  November,  1907,  a  gunner 
shot  two  Starlings  (Sturnus  vulgaris) 
on  the  Delaware  river  marshes  at 
Tacony.  Phiadelphia  county,  Pa.  The 
writer  examined  one  of  them,  a  fine 
male,  in  the  shop  of  a  local  taxider- 
mist. 

They  were  not  escaped  cage  birds, 


but  had  come  westward  from  the  vi- 
cinity of  New  York  City  with  a  flock 
of  Blackbirds.  This  is  my  theory  of 
their  occurrence  which  is'  evidently 
the  correct  one. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  Starling 
is  Inceasing  and  spreading  through- 
out New  Jersey  from  the  vicinity  of 
New  York  City,  but  these  are  the  first 
birds  to  reach  Pennsylvania  to  my 
knowledge. 


A    Few  Observations   on    Eggs  of  Gar- 
ter Snake,  Thamnophis  sirtelis, 
var.   ordinatus. 


On  May  16th,  this  year,  the  Editor 
of  the  Oologist  captured  and  dissect- 
ed a  very  large  female  of  this  species, 
length  39  inches. 

Prof.  Surface  in  his  excellent  "Ser- 
pents of  Penn."  gives  them  as  ovivivi- 
parous.  Eggs  forming  in  May  and 
young  maturing  to  the  point  where 
they  are  ejected  by  the  mother  ready 
to  break  the  membranous  shell  in 
middle  of  July  to  first  of  August. 

Now  my  Snake  contained  many 
more  eggs  than  the  authorities  give 
some  hardly  developed  to  the  stage 
where  they  could  be  counted  to  a  cer- 
tainty, but  S4  well  developed  eggs 
were  found,  and  futhermore  they  were 
not  developing  together. 

Some  were  just  forming  and  they 
ranged  from  these  up  to  an  egg  l^^ 
in.  long  containing  a  well  developed 
snake  over  4  in.  long  that  must  have 
l)een  expelled  soon,  probably  before 
.June  1st,  certainly  long  before  July. 

The  Snake  had  met  with  an  acci- 
dent in  the  ])ast  as  indicated  by  three 
scars  on  outside  of  body  and  in  one 
ovary  was  an  encysted,  dried  up,  dead 
young  located  under  one  of  the  scars. 
Evidently  case  wasr  ruptured  and 
young  killed  but  was  encysted  and 
dried  up  without  causing  serious 
trouble. 

Either   this    is   an    unusual  case    or 


92 


THE  OOLOQIST. 


else  it  would  seem  that  these  snakes 
mature  and  are  expelled  in  a  series 
reaching  over  a  considerable  period. 

This  case  would  also  indicate  that 
they  produce  many  more  young  than 
has  been  supposed  unless  we  concede 
the  possibility  of  numbers  of  the  later 
eggs  failing  to  mature. 

Ernest  H.  Short. 

By  some  oversight  our  printer 
placed  Mr.  Thomas'  address  in  article 
in  May  Oologist  under  Mr.  Peabody's 
article.  Mr.  Peabody  is  still  in  Kan- 
sas. Please  note  correction.  [Ed.] 
The  Pigeon  Hawk  in  Montgomery  Co., 


Bobolinks  and  Snowbanks. 


During  the  recent  untimely  blizzard 
in  Western  New  York  April  30th  and 
May  1st  and  2nd  the  Editor  noted 
Snowbanks  a  foot  deep  and  four  male 
Bobolinks  in  sight  at  once. 

This  is  the  only  occurrence  of  such 
an   anomaly   we  remember. 

Ernest  H.  Short. 


Winter   Wren. 


Mr.  E.  W.  Camp'bell  reports  finding 
fm.  of  this  bird  incubating  set  of  four 
eggs  in  town  of  Mehoopany,  Wyo 
Co.,  Pa.,  on  May  23,  1908.  Nest  in 
base  of  fallen  hemlock  protruding  over 
water  of  Summer  Brook.  Composed 
of  moss,  hemlock  stems  and  inner 
bark  of  poplar.  Lining  of  Grouse 
feathers. 


Mockingbird. 


On  May  28th,  I  saw  a  ^  Mimus 
polyglottus.  I  did  not  collect  it,  but 
the  idenity  was  certain,  for  it  was  sit- 
ting in  the  road  about  ten  yards  away 
from  me,  and  I  have  collected  five 
seasons  in  South  Florida,  where  they 
are  very  abundant,  and  you  can  imag- 
ine my  surprise  at  seeing  him  so  far 
from    his    supposed    range.      He    was 


with  a  Galeoscoptes  carolinensis  who 
seemed  to  be  anything  but  friendly 
towards  him. 

Yours  truly, 
C.  W.  Shaw,  Buckfield,  Me. 


The  Editor  Oologist, 

Dear  Sir: — I  am  enclosing  in  this  a 
photograph  of  a  very  interesting  nest 
taken  by  myself  last  season.  The  ac- 
companying photograph  is  that  of  a 
double  nest  of  the  Catbird.  It  was 
taken  on  the  8th  of  June,  1907,  in  a 
wild  vine  about  6  feet  from  the 
ground  and  when  found  the  parent 
bird  was  flushed  from  the  upper  nest 
that  contained  only  2  eggs,  slightly 
incubated.  One  often  sees  the  double 
nests  of  the  ordinary  Yellow  Warbler 
but  it  would  be  interesting  to  hear  if 
any  other  collectors  have  ever  found 
such  a   double  nest  before. 

Lewis  B.   Brown, 
Toronto,  Canada. 


You  Should  KnoNv 

That  cold  rain  water  and  soap  will 
remove  machine  grease  from  -wash- 
able fabrics. 

That  fish  may  be  scaled  much 
easier  by  first  dipping  them  into  tott- 
ing water  for  a  minute. 

That  milk  which  has  changed  may 
be  sweetened  or  rendered  fit  for  use 
again  by  stirring  in  a  little  soda. 

That  kerosene  will  soften  boots 
and  shoes  that  have  been  hardened 
by  water,  and  will  render  them  as 
pliable  as  new. 

That  salt  will  curdle  new  milk^ 
hence,  in  preparing  porridge,  gravies, 
etc.,  salt  should  not  be  added  until 
the  dish  is  prepared. 

That  salt  fish  are  quickest  and  beat 
freshened  by  soaking  in  sour  milk. 

That  boiling  starch  is  much  Improv- 
ed by  the  addition  of  sperm  or  salt 
or  both  or  a  little  gum  arable  di»- 
solved. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  93 

CombinaLtion  Offer. 

We  Offer  Oologist  one  year 

and  Reed's  "North  American  Birds  Eggs," 

*  New  illustrated  Key,  $2.50  postpaid,  all  prepaid  $2.60 

^     Oologist  one  year 

and  Chapman's  "Color  Key," 

New  Color  Key  to  North   American   Birds,  $2.50  postpaid, 

all  prepaid $2.60 

Oologist  one  year 

and  "Frederick  Young" 

The  Natural  History  Novel,  prepaid $  .90 

Oologist /oMr  years,  Jan.  1905  to  Dec.  1908, 

and  "North  American  Birds  Eggs"  or  "Color  Key,"- • -$3.25 
Oologist /owr  years,  as  above, 

and  a  copy  of  our  new  "Standard  Catalogue"    of    North 

American  Birds  Eggs $1.00 

Oologist /bwr  years  and  "Frederick  Young," $1.40 

The  Oologist  4  years,  and  "Land  Birds,"  Baird,  Brewer  &  Ridg.; 
New  Edition,  Colored  Plates,  price  ^10.00,  for  ^8.60. 
►  Address 

t  ERNEST  H.  SHORT. 

^       Manager  Oologist  Chili,  N.Y. 

• AAAAAA A AAA A A AA A AAA AA A AAAA AAA AA AAAA AAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA < 

Birds  and  Bird  Homes 

"AS  THEY  WERE  SNAPPED." 

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94  THE  OOLOOIST. 


JUST    OUT 

A  NEW  UP-TO-DATE 

Check  List  of  North  American  Birds  { 

Contains  all  new  additions  and  changes  to  A.  O.  U.  list 
arranged  according  to  A.  O.  U.  Nomenclature  and  giving  both 
common  and  scientific  names.     i6  pages  on  good  paper. 

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,t 


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THE  OOLOGIST.  95 

NEW    POLICY 

Svibscriberst    Advertisers 

N  OTIC  E 


FIRST.  In  line  with  the  decision  recently  published  by  the  "Condor" 
and  for  the  same  reasons,  i  e.  That  the  provision  for  scientific  collecting 
under  the  Song  Bird  Law  did  not  contemplate  commercial  collecting. 

The  Publisher  and  Manager  of  this  paper,  the  "Oologist,"  hereby 
announce  that,  beginning  November  last,  they  will,  hereafter  decline 
all  advertisements  or  sale  notices  offering  to  buy  or  sell,  N.  American  bird 
skins  or  eggs  for  cash  except  skins  of  game  birds  and  birds  of  prey. 

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F.  H.  LATTIN.  E.  H.  SHORT, 

Publisher.l  McLnaLger. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


72nd  Thousand  !       72nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDE. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of   North   American  Birds  Eggs,  and  witti  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  American   Birds 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

This  is  a  popular  pocket  guide  and  text  book  to  ALL  THE  LAND  BIRDS  EAST 
OF  THE  ROCKIES,  from  the  Parrots  to  the  Bluebirds,     it  is  prepared  especially  for 

teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
any  other  Bird  Book: 

COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE. — ^ii  the  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  included.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  nests  and  eggs. 

SMALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
pocket,  measuring  but  3x5  inches.  200  pages,  bound 
in  flexible  sock  cloth  or  leather.  We  have  made  thie 
price  of  the  book  as  low  as  possible  considering  the 
good  workmanship  and  material  that  is  used.  It  is  so 
low  that  anyone  can  afford  it,  but  no  one  can  afford  to 
be  without  it 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR.  YOU 

Bound  in  flexible  sock  cloth,  postpaid 

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The  Oologist 

A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXIDERftY. 


WANTS,  FOR  SALES  AND  EXCHANGES. 

Brief  Special  announcements  "  Wants,"  "  Exchanges,"  "  For  Sales,"  inserted  in  this  d^ 
partment  for  25  cents  pei  25  words.  Notices  over  25  words  charged  at  the  rate  of  1-2  cent  for 
each  additional  word.    No  notice  inserted  for  less  than  25  cents.    Terms,  cash  with  order. 

Strictly  first-class  specimens  will  be  accepted  in  payment  at  1-3  list  rates. 


Vol.  XXV. 

No.  7. 

ALBION,  N.  Y., 

,  JULY, 

1908. 

Whole  No.  252 

Take  Notice. 

Examine  the  number  following'  your 
name  on  the  wrapper  of  this  month's 
Oologist.  It  denotes  when  your  sub- 
scription expirerl  or  will  expire. 

Remember  wo  must  be  notified  if 
you  wish  paper  discontinued  and  all 
arrearage.!  must  be  paid. 
209  your  subscription  expired  Dec,  1904 
252  your  subscription  expires  with  this  issue 
2er7    •'  ■■  '•  "  Dec,  1908 

Intermediate  numbers  can  easily  be 
determined.  If  we  have  you  credited 
wrong  we  wish    to   rectify. 

Entered  as  second-class  matter  De- 
cembed  21,  190.3,  at  the  post  office,  at 
Albion.  N.  Y..  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress of  March  3.   1879. 

I  HAVE  KOK  p:X('HAN(iE.-For  species 
new  to  my  collection.  Choice  sets  of  327,  'Mii. 
3.53.  354.  :i54a.:«S.l.:«!t.l.:i(i2.  370a.  376.  389.  421. 
}.i5.  744a.  7H3,  etc.  TIIO.M.AS  H.  .TACKSON. 
304  N.  Franklin  St..  West  Chester.  Pa. 

FOR  SALE. -A  collection  of  Natural  His 
tory  specimens  catalogued  over  $1200.  Will 
sell  for  $3.50.  Fine  for  museum.  F".  T. 
CORLESS.  .S04  E.  14  N.,  Portland.  Or. 

.Tune  (i  t. 

I''Oi:  K.\C1I.\X(;K.-The  following  sets: 
1.  .30.  37.  S.'>.  r<').  70.  77.  so.  120.  122.  132,  1-13.  I4(;,  190. 
191.  li»4.  201.  202.  212.  214.  219,  L'2-S,  243.  2(i3.  209,  273, 
300.  30H,  310,  326.  3L'it.  331,  333.  .335,  337,  339,  341,  342, 
3.55.  300.  373.  .To.  37s.  3><5.  .3^7.  3SN.  400.  412,  414,  410, 
42(1,  423,  444,  452,  401.  4HS.  494.  4IIS.  .529,  .5.50,  5S1,  584, 
.5S7.  5  5.  m^.  012,  013.  014.  010.  0.52.  (i5.S.  0.59,  074.  077, 
(179.  (Wl.  0M7,  7l'5.  727.  7.35.  7.51.  7.5fi.  < ).  HKINK- 
CKH.400  Kim  St..  P>iiffal().  \.  Y. 

Fi;EE."Karc  coin  over  l(Ji)  years  old.  Send 
6  cents  for  mailing.  I.OI'IS  H(»H.\.  702  Duff 
St.,  Pittsburg.  Pa. 

I  have  for  e.xcliange  a  Ilk  gold  hunting  case 
watch,  handsomely  engraved,  with  tine  17 
jewel  Klgin  movement.  Want  bird  skins, 
old  tire  arms,  ciirios.  (jr  first  class  prehistoric 
relics.  .1.  K.  i;.\I.PH,511  So.  7  St.,  .Miimeap- 
oJis,  .Minn. 


Have  time  again  to  correspond  and  ex- 
change. Wish  to  hear  from  all  old  corres- 
pondents and  live  new  ones.  All  answered 
and  a  good  list  for  exchange.  A.  E.  PRICE, 
(irant  Park,  111. 

FOR  EXCHAN(tE.-I  have  32  mammal 
skins;  back  numbers  of  32  natural  history 
magazines  comprising  351  numbers,  includ- 
ing such  desirable  ones  as  eight  volumes 
Ameriban  Naturalist,  several  volumes  Orni- 
thologist and  Oologist,  many  copies  of  Nid- 
ologist  and  Osprey,  three  books  and  twenty 
namphlets  on  various  natural  history  sub- 
jects. I  will  exchange  this  lot.  whicn  aggre- 
gates considerably  over  one  hundred  dollars 
in  value,  for  sixty  pullets  either  S.  C.  White 
Leghorns  or  White  Wyandottes.  or  for  light 
caliber  repeating  rifle  and  part  cash,  or  will 
sell  for  cash.  List  on  application.  Write  at 
once.  K.  P.  DKOWNE.  Chilesburg,  Caroline 
Co..  \'irginia. 

ST.V.MP  bargain,  completeo.lg.  setof  Domi- 
nium Kep..  1902  issue,  catalogued  at  30  cents, 
post-paid  only  s  cents,  li)  sets  for  70  cents. 
Apjirovals  6  per  cent,  discount.  LOUIS 
BO  MX.  .Tr.,  702  Duff  St..  Pittsburg.  Pa. 

W-ANTKl).— Eggs  of  snakes,  lizards  and 
turtles.  State  price.  ,IOS.  P.  P.ALL,  M.  D.. 
Frankford.  Phila.  Penn.  May  4  2. 

W.VNTED. -Series  of  387.  388,  49S,  501,  019. 
703,  7til.  Several  sets  each  of  214.  289.  201,  04, 
Kspccially  want  sets  of  American  Osprey. 
OHcr7]-2.  21  1-1.  49  1-2.  42.11-1.  471-1,  125  1-3, 
194  1-1  1-5,  223  1-4.  22()  1  4.  230  1-4.  243  1-4.  285  1-2. 
310  1-1,325  1-2.  .337b  1-2  2-3.  339a  2-3,  342  1-3,  .347 
1-4,  :'>19  1-2.  3.55  1-3.  307  1-4  Am..  420a  1-2,  431  n-2, 
434  n-2.  44fil-3,  457  1-5.  402  n-3.  409  1-4,  470  1-7. 
48(1  I-:;  1-5.  492  1-3.  49S(1  1-4.  .505  1-5.  533  n-3  n-4, 
507c  1-4.  578  1-4.  5!tlb  1-4.  .597  1-4.  007  n-3,  010a  1-3, 
029  l-4,<)29a  n- 1.032  1-4.  010a  1-31-4,0,571-3  1-41-5, 
063  1-1.  077  n-5.  702  1-4.  70S  1-3.  715  1-5  1-6  1-7.  719 
l-<i,  719(1  1-0,  7.Hc  1-5.  735c  1-4,  754  1-3,  759a  1-4. 
703  1-3.  Besides  above  wants,  I  want  Am. 
Woo.lcock  1-4.  .No  others.  CHARLES  S 
Tin  i.M  I'SON.  I!ox214. 1'.uena  Vista.  Colorado. 

Ornithologists  and  Oologists. 

Send  2  cent  stamp  for  Bulletin.  T.  REEJ> 
AND  CO.,  4  Duke  St.,  Charing  Cross,  London, 
England,  July  2.  t. 


98 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


World's  Greatest  Collectors'  Paper 

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IfiHT  THAT  NEVER  FAiu  ^ 

Will  produce  better  light  foi  i/^j 
less  money  than  any  other  nr-  l\/J 
tificial  lighting  device  made.  ^♦^ 
Special  inducements  and  terri- 
tory consigned  to  right  party.  Good 
man  wanted  in  every  city  and  vil- 
lage in  the  world.  Write  for  cata- 
logue No.  99. 

National  Stamping  &  Electric  Works 
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THE  BIRDS 

OF  MAINE 

This  is  a  work  of  about  700  pages, 
illustrated  by  2ti  half  tones  and  a 
Faunal  Map  of  Maine. 

It  is  the  most  complete  contribution 
to  local  faunal  literature  ever  published 
The  book  contains  keys  for  identifica- 
tion of  the  various  species,  full  descrip- 
tions of  various  plumages,  habits  of 
the  birds,  descriptions  of  nests  and 
eggs,  food,  songs  and  other  details  of 
bird  life.  Nearly  all  the  species  of 
birds  found  in  New  England  and  New 
Brunswick  have  been  taken  in  Maine, 
so  this  work  will  be  most  valuable  to 
and  should  be  in  the  library  of  every 
ornithologist  of  these  sections.  It  is 
also  a  work  which  should  be  desired 
by  almost  any  ornithologist  oroologist 
in  North  America. 
Sent  prepaid  on  receipt  of  price,  $3.50. 


Address  all  orders  to 


ap-4t 


EXCHANGE  EXTRAORDINARY  f 

I  offer  choice  cabinet  sets  from  Europe, 
Canada,  Mexico  and  the  United  States  for 
sets  with  nests,  large  rare  singles  and  sets 
not  in  my  collection.  Wanted  especially 
Calif.  Condor,  Swallow-tailed  Kite,  Bald 
P'agle,  Plovers.  Sandpipers,  Phalaropes  and 
Warblers.  MaySt. 


DR.  M.  T.  CLECKLEY. 
457  Greene  St.,  Augusta,  Ga. 


60    YEARS' 
EXPERIENCE 


ORA  WILLIS  KNIGHT. 


No.  84  Forest  Avenue. 


BANGOR,  MAINE 


Trade  Marks 
Designs 
....  Copyrights  Ac. 

Anyone  sending  a  sketch  and  description  may 
quicltly  ascertain  our  opinion  free  whether  an 
invention  i8  probably  patentable.  Communica- 
tions strictly  conBdential.  HANDBOOK  on  Patents 
Bent  free.  Oldest  agency  for  securing  patents. 

Patents  taken  throuph  Munn  &  Co.  receive 
tpecial  notice,  without  charge,  in  the 

Scientific  JItnericdN. 

A  handsomely  illustrated  weekly.  Largest  Cir< 
culatitJii  (jf  ahv  scientiUc  journal.  Terms,  $3  C. 
year;  four  months,  fL   Sold  by  all  newsdealers. 

MUNN  &Co.36iBroadway.  New  York 

I     Branch  Offlce.  626  F  SU  Wasbington.  D.  C.   . 


HAND  EGG    BLOW-PIPE    PERFECTED. 

Just  the  Ihing  for  blowing  eggs  with  small 
or  large  holes.  Can  be  used  Vvithout  water- 
blower.  Indorsed  by  a  great  many  oologists 
and  collectors.  Satisfaction  guaranteed. 
Sent  postpaid  with  directions  for  $1.00. 

DR.  M.  T.  CLECKLEY, 

Augusta,  Ga. 


This  Illustrated  100-Page  Monthly 

Was  established  in  1«95,  and  has  the  largest 
circulation  of  any  collectors'  monthly  in  the 
world,  and  in  size  has  no  rival.  More  ads. 
in  the  WE^T  than  in  all  other  American  Col- 
lector monthlies  combined.  The  best-paying 
medium  for  advertisers.  Kates  snuill,  re- 
sults large.  One  cent  a  woi-d.  It  will  pay 
you  to  write  us  about  it.  OVK  MOTTO: 
"The  best  and  lots  of  it."  Invest  ten  cents 
judiciously  by  sending  it  to 

L,  T.  BRODSTONE.  Publisher- 
Superior,  Nebraska,  U.  S    A 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


STILL    LE  APING 

flflH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STANDARD  CATALOGUE  Of 


North  American   Birds   Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year.  Both  for  50c. 


Compiled  by  Frank  H.  Lattin  and 
Ernest  H.  Short,  with,  the  assistance 
of  many  prominent  American  Oolo- 
gista. 

A  Complete  Up-to-date  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
Introduced  Species,  srivlng  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  specie-s  whose 
eggs  are  procurable  at  this  time.  Ar- 
ranged according  to  A.  O.   V.  Xome- 


clature.  but  giving  Ridgway's  »mA 
Coues'  numbers  also.  Printed  om 
one  side  of  page  only  leaving  it  Ik 
convenient  form  for  making  notes  1b 
or  using  for  labelling  purpose*. 
Bound  in  light  board  covers.  Neat  l» 
style.  Handy  in  shape  (just  goes  i»- 
to  full  government  envelope"). 

Postpaid  25c  eaci.    Sis  for  $1.25. 


Address  ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Manager  Oologist  Chili,  N.  Y. 


LEARN 


Learn  Taxidermy. 


Naturalists.  Odogists 
and  Sportsmen  should 
all  know  how  to  correct- 
ly mount  all  binds  ot 
birds  and  animals.  WE 
TEACH  TAXIDERMY 
BY  MAIL.  Complete 
(.curse in  15 lessons.  This 

is  one  of  the    most   de- 

llebtful  atid  fasoijiating  of  arts.  Easily 
learned.  STAN1>.\KD  METHODS.  En- 
dorsed by  all  leading  taxidermists.  Many 
of  the  best  known  naturalists  of  the  lountry 
are  numbered  among  our  students.  If  you 
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TILE    N.   W.   SCHOOL    OP 
6  Earnam   St  .  Omaha.  Neb. 


TO     ALL     INTERESTED. 
REMEMBER. 

I  furnish  collections  covering  one  or  several 
oranches  of  NATfR.M.  History  for  study  or 
museum  purposes  at  Speci.\l  reduced  rates. 
Dont  fail  to  write  me.  I  will  quote  you  on 
your  line  of  wants  or  I  will  furnish  a  general 
assortment  that  will  fit  your  purse  and  be 
sure  to  please. 


Box 


ERNEST  H.  SHORT. 
I  7  3  Rochester.  N. 


Wanted. 


BACK    NUMBERS    OOLOGIST- 

Vol.  III.  No's.  4  and  6. 
Vol.  IV.  Nos  1  and  3-4. 
Vol.  V.  No.  H. 


MGR.  OOLOGIST.  Chili,  N.Y. 


Foreign  Eggs 

l:i  Choice  Cabinet  Sets,  with  full  and  accu- 
rate data,  from 

Mexico.  Canada  and  Europe. 

For  sale  very  cheap.    Satisfaction  a  pleas- 
ure.   List  for -(.■.  stamp.* 

Dr.  M.  T.  Cleckley.  «'  ^^•;?^7:;f;G., 


T.  Reed  A  Co.,  4  Duke  St.,  Charinf 
Cross,  London,  W.  C,  England 

ILive  for  sale  rare  .\siatic,  .\frican.  .\.ustn»- 
liaii.  South  Ameriixin  and  European  birds' 
etss  and  skins.    List  1  cent  stamp-     May  2t. 


100 


THhJ  OOL.OOIST. 


Prices  for  Back  Niunbers  of  the 
YOUNG    OOLOGIST   AND    THE    00L0GI8T 

will,  during    1908,    remain  as  below: 

After  which  the  prices  of  many  num- 
bers will  be  advanced  and  possibly  not 
ebtainable  at  any  price.  Should  you 
desire  back  numbers  to  complete  your 
file,  NOW  is  the  time  to  purchase.  You 
ean  never  obtain  them  for  less  money 
and  possibly  not  at  any  price,  as  our 
stock  ranges  from  only  1  to  25  copies 
of  an  issue. 

Prices  for    1907-08  Are  as  Follows: 

Complete  file,  $12.00. 

Nos.  1,14. 18,  31,  34-:?5,  42.  53,  8ti,  89,  111,  130.  132 
137. 139. 140. 153, 158,  are  50  cents  each; 

Nos.  9,  66-67,  76,  77,  78,  79,  88,  90,  100, 
113,  138,  146,  are  25  cents  each. 

Nos.  11,  13,  14,  15,  16,  54,  55,  56,  75, 
87,  123,  127,  128,  129,  144.  149,  are  15 
eents  each. 

Nos.  19,  20,  22,  27,  28,  38,  39,  40,  45, 
60.  60,  61,  63,  64,  65,  70,  74,  80,  93,  114, 
115,  126,  133,  135,  are  10  cents  each. 

aiF'All    other    numbers    5c.    per   copy. 

For  $12  will  send  prepaid  a  copy  of 
every  issue  ever  published,  No.  1  to 
145.  This  offer  includes  your  subscription 
through  1908. 

My  prices  for  back  numbers  of  the 
YOUNG  OOLOGIST  and  OOLOGIST  in 
volumes,  are  as  follows: 

Vol.   I,  1884-5,  Nos.   1   to   12 $  .90 

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THE   OOLOGIST, 

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The      Whistling      Swan      on      Niagara 
River. 


The  Whistling  Swan,  (Olar  colum- 
bianus),  is  a  rare  migrant  along  Niag- 
ara River.  It  may  be  said  to  occur 
regularly   about   the   miclcUe  of  March 


and  casually  in  the  fall.  Its  capture, 
however,  would  scarcely  be  possible, 
were  it  not  for  its  proneness  to  float 
down  the  river  to  injury  or  death  at 
Niagara   Falls. 

I  am  told  by  observers  living  at  Ni- 
agara Falls,  in  a  position  to  know, 
that  scarcely  a  year  passes  without 
one  or  more  swans  being  sacrificed 
at  the  cataract.  In  March,  1906,  about 
a  score  made  the  fatal  plunge,  and 
iu  the  same  month,  1907,  five  were 
taken,  but  no  such  catastrophe  in  the- 
swan  world  has  ever  been  described 
as  that  which  happened  on  March 
1-5,  1908,  when  more  than  100  of  these 
majestic  birds,  journeying  toward 
tlieir  summer  home  near  the  Arctic 
Cii'cle,  came  to  an  untimely  end. 

A  severe  rain  storm,  accompanied 
by  thunder  and  lightning,  prevailed 
during  the  greater  part  of  that  day 
(March  15,  1908).  About  11  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  between  showers, 
Wm.  LeBlond  of  Niagara  Falls,  On- 
tario, was  engaged  in  removing  from 
the  ice  bridge,  a  temporary  structure 
that  had  been  used  during  the  winter 
season  as  a  soouvenir  and  refresh- 
ment stand,  when  he  was  startled  by 
a  loud  cry.  Turning  around,  his  at- 
tention was  first  attracted  to  a  swan 
struggling  in  the  water  at  the  upper 
edge  of  the  ice  bridge,  but  on  look- 
ing toward  the  falls,  he  saw  a  great 
company  of  swans  in  distress  com- 
ing toward  the  bridge.  The  scene  that 
followed  was  a  sad  one  for  any  bird 
lover  to  contemplate. 

These  splendid  birds,  helpless  after 
their  terrible  plunge  over  thecataract, 
w^>re  dashed  against  the  ice  bridge  by 


102 


THE  OOLOGISl 


Ike  swift  current,  and  cakes  of  loose 
ice  which  were  constantly  coming 
down  from  the  upper  river.  Some  had 
heen  killed  outright  by  the  falls.  Oth- 
ers, unable  to  fly  because  of  injury 
to  their  wings,  attempted  to  stem  the 
rushing  waters,  but  here  their  won- 
derful swimming  powers  were  of  no 
avail.  They  were  soon  imprisoned  in 
lie  ice  where  their  frightful  cries 
were  heartrending. 

The  game  laws  of  Ontario  still  per- 
mit the  taking  of  geese  and  swan  in 
the  spring  until  April  30th.  and  it 
was  not  long  before  men  and  boys, 
armed  with  guns  and  sticks,  availed 
themselves  of  the  privilege  and  be- 
came the  chief  factors  in  the  closing 
scene  of  nature's  great  tragedy — the 
sacrifice  of  the  swans. 

Tlie  news  of  a  '"Great  Slaughter  of 
Wild   Swan"   appeared   in  the  Buffalo 


newspapers  on  March  17th,  and  the 
writer  started  for  Niagara  Falls  forth- 
with to  investigate  the  matter.  As 
nearly  as  could  be  ascertained  from  in- 
terviews' with  various  participants  in 
the  "slaughter,"  the  number  of  swans 
taken  on  March  15th  was  one  hundred 
and  two.  Not  all  of  these  were  taken 
on  the  ice  bridge.  A  number  were 
pulled  out  of  Bass  Rock  Eddy,  just 
below  the  power  house  of  the  Ontario 
Power  Company,  and  within  150  yards 
of  the  Horseshoe  Falls. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ISth  of 
March,  two  more  swan  were  taken  at 
the  ice  bridge  and  a  third  was  picked 
up  alive  at  Bass  Rock  Eddy.  This 
latter  bird  I  secured  within  half  an 
hour  after  it  was  found  and  the  pic- 
ture shows  it  still  in  the  arms  of  its 
captor. 


Injured      Swan,     American      Falls      in    Background. 
Photograpli?  by  the  Author. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


103 


It  was  unable  to  stand  on  its  feet 
or  to  use  its  wings,  and  was  taken  in 
that  condition  to  Buffalo,  and  placed 
under  the  care  of  the  curator  of  the 
Zoo  in  Delaware  Park.  It  quicklj'  re- 
covered from  its  bruises  and  shock, 
and  now  (March  25th).  may  be  seen 
floating  gracefully  on  Park  Lake. 

On  March  22nd  I  went  again  to  the 
Falls,  and  saw  five  more  swans  that 
had  just  been  taken  by  LeBlond, 
while  six  had  been  picked  up  at  Bass 
Rock  eddy  early  that  morning.  Three 
others  were  seen  in  the  gorge  but  were 
able  to  mount  into  the  air  and  fly  over 
the  falls  to  the  upper  river.  I  went 
up  the  river  to  the  historic  village 
of  Chippewa,  hoping  to  find  a  rem- 
nant of  this  swan  brigade,  but  there 
was  not  one  to  be  seen  on  the  river 
below  Xavy  Island  .  A  flock,  various- 
ly estimated  to  number  20  to  60  indi- 
viduals  had   been    seen   by   a    number 


of  people  the  day  before.  I  was  un- 
able to  learn  that  any  swans  had  been 
shot  above  the  Falls,  although  they 
had  been  seen  there  almost  every  day 
for  a  week. 

Rev.  .J.  Hibbert  Langille  in  his  book, 
"Our  Birds  in  Their  Haunts,"  tells  of 
finding  a  dead  swan  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Ontario  at  the  mouth  of  John- 
son's Creek,  which  he  says,  "by  some 
means  unknown,  had  perished  in  the 
course  of  its  long  migration."  I  have 
little  doubt  that  it  met  death  in  the 
cataract  of  Niagara. 

Mr.  L.  J.  Davison  says  in  his  "Bii'ds 
of  Niagara  County,  N.  Y.,"  nearly  ev- 
ery season  a  number  of  this  species 
(Whistling  Swan)  are  taken  in  a 
wounded  condition  in  Niagara  River, 
below  the  falls.  They  are  probably 
wounded  in  flying  into  the  falls  dur- 
ing storms  while  migrating  during 
the  night.     I  have  also  been  told  that 


Canadian    Rapids   from    Ice    Fender   of   the    Ontario    Power    Company. 


104 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


dead  specimens  have  been  found  on 
the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  near  Niag- 
ara River,  after  the  ice  had  been  bro- 
ken up  in  the  spring."  While  it  may 
be  true  that  birds  sometimes  fly  into 
the  falls  from  the  gorge  below^,  I 
know  that  the  swans  in  the  present 
instance  went  over  the  precipice  from 
the  upper  river.  They  were  seen 
above  the  rapids  before  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  morning  of  March  loth. 

After  a  long  tiresome  flight  from 
Chesapeake  Bay,  the  open  water  of  Ni- 
agara River  would  be  a  welcome 
sight  to  this  ill-fated  flock  of  Wild 
Swans.  Resting  from  their  labors, 
they  probably  dropped  down  stream 
unsuspecting  danger  until  to  late  to 
save  themselves  fi(.m  plunging  into 
the  turbulent  watcs  of  the  Canadian 
Rapids. 


These  rapids  begin  abruptly  with 
a  drop  of  about  ten  feet  in  a  line  run- 
ning across  the  river  from  the  head 
of  Goat  Island  to  the  gate  house  of 
the  Ontario  Power  Company  on  the 
Canadian  shore.  I  have  watched  gulls 
float  down  over  the  crest  and  spring 
into  the  air  from  the  descending  wa- 
ter. "Swans  being  so  large  and  heavy 
cannot  easily  take  wing,  but  are  oblig- 
ed to  force  themselves  over  the  wa- 
ter against  the  wind  by  rapid  and 
powerful  beats  of  the  wings  and  feet 
until  obtaining  the  requisite  momen- 
tum, they  are  lifted  into  the  air."  "The 
Wild  Fowl  of  the  United  States,"  by 
Daniel  Girard  Elliott.  When  they 
reach  this  line  ot  breakers  they  are 
probably  carried  down  and  complete- 
ly submerged,  after  which,  by  reason, 
of    confusion    cr    inability,    they    can- 


Bass   Rock   Edriy  at  extreme   left,     Ice    Bridge      and      American         Falls      in 

distance. 


THE  OOLOOI8T. 


105 


not  fly,  but  are  rushed  forward 
and  a  minute  or  two  later  are  carried 
over  the  brink  of  the  precipice  and 
plunged  160  feet  into  the  gorge  below. 

Swans  are  not  the  only  water  fowl 
that  are  sacrificed  at  Niagara's  shrine. 
On  the  occasion  of  my  visit  March 
18th,  I  saw  a  handsome  male  Canvas- 
back  Duck  (Aythya  valisneria,  Wils.) 
come  down  against  the  ice  bridge.  It 
was  unable  to  fly  but  succeeded  in 
extricating  itself  from  the  moving  ice 
and  gaining  a  foothold  on  the  bridge 
at  a  point  where  to  attempt  to  catch 
it  alive  would  have  been  a  perilous 
undertaking.  Later  in  the  day  I  saw 
an  American  Golden-eye  Duck  (Glau- 
cionetta  clangula  americana,  Bonap.), 
struggle  out  of  the  foaming  water  be- 
low the  Horseshoe  Falls  into  Bass 
Rock  Eddy,  and  with  great  difficulty 
reach  the  shore.  It  niade  no  attempt 
to  escape  when  picked  up.  While  no 
external  injury  was.  apparent,  it  was 
unable  to  walk  or  fly.  It  recovered, 
however,  from  its  shouck  by  the  time 
Buffalo  was  reached,  and  when  oppor- 
tunity was  given,  it  flew  oif  as  strong 
as  ever  in  the  direction  of  the  river. 

Regarding  the  disposition  made  of 
all  these  swans,  which  in  the  aggre- 
gate, would  approximate  a  ton  in 
weight,  I  will  say  that  the  cj^gnets 
were  nearly  all  selected  at  once  for 
the  table,  and  many  a  tough  old  bird 
as  well.  A  large  number,  however, 
have  been  preserved  by  the  taxider- 
mists of  Niagara  Falls  and  Toronto. 
Five  fine  specimens  secured  by  Mr. 
Ottomar  Reinecke  are  being  prepared 
as  a  splendid  group  for  the  Museum 
of  the  Buffalo  Society  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences by  its  taxidermist,  Herman 
Grieb.  The  latter  reports  that  the 
stomachs  of  the  birds  examined  by 
him  were  empty.  One  specimen,  a 
female,  and  not  the  largest,  measured 
51  1-8  inches  in  length  and  81  inches 
from  tip  to  tip  of  its  extended  wings. 
I  saw  no  less  than  50  of  these  dead 


birds,  and  looked  them  over  carefully, 
thinking  that  possibly  there  might 
be  a  Trumpeter  Swan  (Olor  buccina- 
tor, Rich.),  among  them,  but  none 
was  found. 

While  the  killing  of  the  wounded 
swans  at  the  ice  bridge  was  techni- 
cally lawful,  and  in  a  certain  light 
might  be  regarded  as  an  act  of  mercy, 
inasmuch  as  without  human  interfer- 
ence most  of  the  birds  would  probably 
have  perished  from  their  injuries  or 
by  starvation,  yet  it  is  greatly  to  be 
regretted  that  as  many  of  the  birds 
as  possible  were  not  taken  alive  and 
given  opportunity  to  recover.  I  believe 
that  fully  one-third  of  the  swans  ta- 
ken would  have  survived  if  given 
proper  care.  But  the  impulse  to  kill 
was  stronger  than  the  spirit  to  save, 
and  not  even  a  pair  of  these  unfortun- 
ate birds  was  secured  from  nature's 
doom  and  restored  to  nature's  free- 
dom. 

JAMES  SAVAGE, 

Buffalo,   N.   Y. 
. — t  m   • 

A   Novel   Prize. 


E.  W.  Campbell,  taxidermist,  is  en- 
gaged in  mounting  a  beautiful  white 
swan,  and  the  bird  will  soon  be  pla'> 
ed  on  exhibition  in  the  window  of 
Farrer  &  Peck's  drug  store,  on  Watei* 
street.  There  is  some  interesting  his- 
tory in  regard  to  this  swan.  It  is 
the  property  of  .John  L.  Davies,  of 
Sharon,  Pa.,  a  former  resident  of  this 
place,  who  is  engaged  in  the  ^jlumb- 
ing  business  in  Sharon.  Mr.  Davis 
was  at  Niagara  Falls  a  short  time 
ago,  attending  a  convention  of  plum- 
l)ers.  and  while  there  a  rather  remark- 
able incident  occurred.  A  flock  of 
whistling  swans,  apparently  in  flight 
from  the  south  of  Canada,  was 
seen  hovering  over  the  city.  A  few 
minutes  later  the  whole  flock,  num- 
bering 228  in  all,  apparently  having 
become  exhausted,  fell  into  the  Niag- 
ara river,  just  above  the  falls,  and  all 


106 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


of  the  birds  were  carried  over  the 
falls.  There  was  a  scramble  for  the 
birds  among  the  people  who  happened 
to  be  along  the  river  below  the  falls. 
The  birds  were  injured  and  helpless 
and  only  a  single  one  escaped  alive-. 
Mr.  Davies  and  several  friends  man- 
aged to  secure  a  boat  and  captured 
several  of  the  swans.  The  one  that 
fell  to  the  lot  of  Mr.  Davies  was  an 
exceptionally  fine  specimen,  being  as 
white  as  snow  and  measuring  56 
inches  long,  being  somewhat  above 
the  average  size.  Mr.  Campbell  has 
mounted  the  bird  in  an  artistic  man- 
ner.— Pittston,  Pa.  Gazette,  April 
2,  1908. 


Death   Roll. 


Editor  Oologist. 

Dear  Sir:— In  the  Oologist  of  last 
April,  some  writer  makes  the  state- 
ment that  the  Arkansas  Kingbird  nev- 
er has  been  proven  to  nest  in  such  a 
manner  as  on  the  ridge-pole  of  a  cab- 
in or  adobe  bluff.  He  says  that  nests 
of  this  bird,  mentioned  by  Mr.  E.  R. 
Warren  in  the  Condor,  for  January, 
1908,  as  being  located  in  the  above 
situations,  were  "beyond  the  vestige 
of  a  doubt,  just  Say's  Phoebe." 

I  cannot  speak  from  experience  as 
to  the  nest  in  adobe  bluff,  but  in  Cen- 
tral Washington  I  have  many  times 
found  the  nest  of  the  Arkansas  King- 
bird in  almost  any  place  on  the  out- 
side of  a  house,  where  it  could  safely 
be  placed,  and  two  nests  were  built 
inside  of  barns  on  beams  against  the 
wall  of  the  building.  I  also  found 
a  nest  on  the  end  of  a  roll  of  wire 
fencing  for  hen  yards  that  had  been  left 
standing  upright  against  the  side  of 
a  small  cabin.  Apart  from  this  it 
seems  quite  beyond  belief  that  any  or- 
nithologist could  mistake  either  nest 
or  birds  of  the  Say's  Phoebe  for  those 
of   the   Arkansas   Kingbird. 

.1.  H.  BOWLES, 

Taconia,  Wash. 


Louis  W.  Hahn,  Naturalist,  Silver 
Creek,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  F.  N.  Damon.  Shells  and  Ind. 
Relics,   Scituate,  Mass. 

W.  E.  May,  Oologist,  Detroit,  Mich. 

Isaac  S.  Kirk,  Mineralogist,  Notting- 
ham, Pa. 

August  Koch,  Williamsport,  Penn., 
Oologist  and  Ornithologist. 

W.  E.  Shepherd,.  Boston,  Mass., 
Veteran  English  Glass  Eye  Manufac- 
turer. 

Messrs.  Hahn,  Damon,  Kirk  and 
Koch  were  "old  timers"  on  our  sub- 
scription books. 


A   Corection 


In  regard  to  Mr.  Pea'body's  crit- 
icism in  the  "Oologist,"  for  April, 
1908,  regarding  what  he  dubs  the  sup- 
positious finding  of  a  Carolina  Chick- 
adee's (Penthres  carolinensis)  nest  in 
Philadelphia  county,  Pa.,  by  the  wri- 
ter: 

There  is  nothing  doubtful  about  it 
or  I  would  not  have  written  it,  for 
I  do  not  write  merely  to  see  my  name 
in   print. 

To  be  sure  the  nest  was  discover- 
ed before  I  began  keeping  a  note- 
book or  verifying  my  observations.  It 
was  found  when  I  was  15  or  16  years 
of  age  and  when  I  had  known  the 
Chickadee  for  about  5  years,  for  I 
knew  all  the  common  birds  years  be- 
fore I  commenced  keeping  a  note- 
book. 

If  Mr.  Peabody  thinks,  as  I  infer  he 
does,  that  the  nest  I  found  was  a 
House  Wren's,  he  is  grievously  mis- 
taken, for  even  if  the  bird  (which 
flushed  from  the  nest)  was  not  seen, 
the  composition  of  the  nest,  size  and 
color  of  the  eggs  would  hardly  have 
been  confused  by  the  casual  novice 
for  Troglodytes  aedon. 

One  point  which  Mr.  Peabody  over- 
looked   is    that    I    did    not    record    the 


THS  OOIXKHIT. 


107 


discovery  of  the  nest  until  years  after- 
ward when  I  became  fully  informed 
upon  the  status  of  the  Chickadees  of 
this  locality,  and  knew  what  I  was 
writing  about  when  I  gave  the  record 
as  unique  for  Philadelphia  county. 
The  Black-capped  Chickadee  (Pen- 
thres  atricapillus)  does  not  breed  in 
Philadelphia  county,  Pa. 

RICHARD  F.   MILLER, 
Philadelphia,   Pa. 


Hunting    Eagles'   Nests. 


Mr.  Crispin,  a  celebrated  tree  climb 
er  and  Oologist  of  Salem  Co.,  N.  J., 
and  the  writer  having  contemplated 
a  trip  after  Bald  Eagles'  eggs  for  some 
time,  have  the  following  notes  to  sub- 
mit to  the  readers  of  this  paper.  A 
friend  of  mine,  well  acquainted  with 
the  country,  volunteered  to  go  along 
with  us;  that  made  a  "crowd"  which 
was  full  of  the  right  spirit  that  ulti- 
mately leads  to  success. 

Mr.  Crispin  had  been  over  some  of 
the  ground  before  and  therefore  was 
not  a  total  stranger  as  to  where  the 
Bald  Eagles  nested.  He  collected  an 
addled  egg  about  three  years  ago  from 
one  nest  that  we  visited  j-esterday, 
also  a  young  bird,  but  since  then  they 
have  deserted  the  place  and  from  in- 
formation and  experience  we  gained 
were  led  to  believe  they  do  not  re- 
turn to  a  nest  after  it  has  been  robbed 
of  its  young. 

Having  failed  on  our  first  attempt, 
we  walked  some  three  or  four  miles 
to  another  nest  that  Mr.  Crispin  had 
taken  two  eggs  from  two  years  ago 
after  going  up  100  feet  from  the 
ground.  As  we  approached  the  place 
and  could  not  locate  the  nest,  Mr. 
Crispin  went  to  a  nearby  farm  house 
to  make  inquiry  regarding  the  tree, 
and  they  informed  him  that  it  was 
cut  down  in  order  to  destroy  the  nest. 
This  was  bad  news  for  us  after  trav- 
eling first  IS  miles  by  train,  six  miles 


by  wagon  and  ten  miles  on  foot.  The 
farmer  next  informed  us  that  two  Bald 
Eagles  were  building  '"just  over  thar," 
which  proved  to  be  not  more  than  500 
yards  from  the  house.  We  could  not 
see  the  nest  at  first  owing  to  the  dense 
woods,  but  soon  noticed  one  of  the 
birds  sitting  in  a  tree,  and  when  we 
neared  the  nest  the  other  flew  away. 
The  nest  was  placed  in  a  pin-oak, 
7.5  feet  from  the  ground  and  impos- 
sible to  climb  owing  to  its  large  size 
and  the  many  small  dead  branches 
that  covered  the  trunk. 

The  nest  was  an  immense  affair, 
made  of  coarse  sticks  that  were  much 
darker  in  color  than  the  one  we  had 
visited  earlier  in  the  daj%  after  being 
exposed  to  the  weather  for  several 
years;  the  nest  being  new  was  much 
shallower  than  the  one  that  had  been 
used  several  times  and  rebuilt.  As 
it  was  impossible  to  climb  the  tree  a 
consultation  was  held  and  it  was  de- 
cided that  Mr.  Crispin  climb  a  gum 
tree  that  grew  near  it  and  look  into 
the  nest.  It  was  necessary  for  him  to 
go  up  to  the  top,  some  80  feet,  and 
after  great  effort  he  was  able  to  de- 
clare that  the  bird  had  not  com- 
menced to  lay. 

March  5th  was  the  date  decided  on 
to  go  this  year  because  the  set  taken 
two  years  ago  on  March  10th,  was 
badly  incubate^,  and  both  eggs  were 
broken  while  trying  to  blow  them.  The 
severe  winter  this  year  no  doubt  made 
the  birds  late  owing  to  the  sticks  be- 
ing frozen  fast  and  having  a  new  nest 
to  build. 

We  went  back  to  the  farm  house 
and  had  a  little  talk  with  three  boys 
who  lived  there,  and  after  some  good 
advice  and  a  pecuniary  reward  they 
promised  to  get  the  eggs  later  on. 
Our  next  move  was  to  hire  a  team 
and  drive  about  five  miles  lower  down 
the  bay.  where  we  found  a  man  who 
declared    he    knew    of    eight    or    ten 


108 


THE  OOLOQIST. 


Eagle  nests  about  nine  miles  farther 
on.  We  made  him  an  offer  for  the 
whole  lot  and  he  promised  he  would 
go  after  them  this  week.  If  he  gets 
them  I  will  give  the  readers  of  Oolo- 
gist  full  details  of  his  experience.  I 
have  not  given  the  exact  location  of 
these  Eagles  nests  because  it  might 
excite  the  curiosity  of  some  collectors 
to  such  an  extent  that  they  might  be 
foolish  enough  to  go  over  the  same 
ground  and  suffer  the  same  exper- 
ience as  we  did. 

E.  .J.  DARLINGTON, 

Wilmington,  Del. 


Oological    Freaks. 


Believing  you  have  other  i-eaders 
of  "The  Oologist,"  who  are,  like  my- 
self, especially  interested  in  oologi- 
cal freaks  and  abnormals,  I  think  the 
following  "finds^'  this  season  will  be 
of  interest  to  them: 

On  May  16th,  I  found  a  Field  Spar- 
row's (A.  O.  U.  .563)  nest  containing 
two  young  about  two  days  old,  and 
one  egg  measuring  .46x.39.  This  egg 
had  the  usual  markings  of  eggs  of 
this  species  except  that  it  is  spotted 
on  the  small  end  instead  of  the  large 
end. 

On  .lune  20th,  I  found  a  nest  of 
Brown  Thrasher  (A.  O.  U.  705)  con- 
taining three  fresh  eggs  and  on  re- 
turning to  it  two  days  later  it  contain- 
ed five  eggs  in  the  nest  and  one  egg 
on  the  outer  rim.  These  are,  with- 
out doubt  the  eggs  of  two  birds,  as 
two  of  them  were  darker  and  heavier 
spotted  than  the  others.  Also  two  fe- 
males and  one  male  approached  with 
their  usual  actions  when  the  eggs 
were  being  taken.  I  have  never  se- 
cured more  than  five  eggs  of  this  spe- 
cies from  one  nest  before. 

On  June  21st  I  found  a  nest  of  In- 
digo Bunting  (A.  O.  U.  59S)  contain- 
ing six  fresh  eggs.  Three  of  them 
were  partly  covered  by  the  lining  of 
the    nest    and    the    other    three    were 


placed  in  the  nest,  as  usual.  The 
three  lower  eggs  were  probably  aban- 
doned and  the  parent  bird,  partly  cov- 
ering them  with  more  grasses  laid  the 
others.  Would  you  call  this  one  set 
of  six  eggs  or  two  sets  of  three? 

On  June  22nd,  I  found  a  nest  of 
Yellow-breasted  Chat  (A.  O.  U.  683) 
contained  3  lightly  incubated  eggs, 
one  of  which  was  almost  pure  white, 
having  only  three  very  faint  spots  of 
brown,  another  well  spotted,  and  the 
other  one  sparingly  spotted.  This 
clutch  is  a  series  in  itself. 

On  June  27th  I  found  a  nest  of  Blue- 
bird (A.  O.  U.  766)  containing  four 
lightly  incubated,  pure  white  eggs.  Of 
the  many  clutches  of  this  species  I 
have  examined,  this  is  the  first  one 
of  pure  white  eggs  I  have  ever  found. 
This  nest  was  in  an  abandoned  Red- 
headed Woodpecker's  hole,  in  a  fence 
post,  about  four  feet  from  the  ground. 
In  April  of  this  year  I  found  a  clutch 
of  five  badly  incubated  eggs  of  this 
species  in  this  hole,  but  left  them  to 
hatch. 

W.  L.  GRIFFIN. 
Ky. 


Suspended  Nidificatibn. 


RICHARD  C.  HARLOW. 
On  July  26th,  1907,  I  discovered  a 
Goldfinch's  nest  which  the  female  bad 
just  started  to  build  in  a  small  cotton- 
wood.  On  account  of  the  favorable 
situation  for  observation  the  nest 
building  was  closely  watched,  and 
probably  for  this  reason  the  nest  was 
apparently  deserted  when  just  about 
completed.  Several  times  within  the 
next  two  weeks  I  looked  in  the  nest 
but  to  all  outward  appearances  it  was 
deserted.  For  some  time  then  it  was 
not  visited,  and  my  surprise  may 
therefore  be  judged  when  on  passing 
the  tree  on  August  31st,  I  beheld  a 
Goldfinch  upon  the  nest.  On  inves- 
tigation it  was  ascertained  that  it  held 
four  incubated  eggs  which  were  al- 
lowed to  hatch.  The  eggs  could  not 
have  been  laid  earlier  than  August 
20th  and  an  interesting  problem  is 
here  presented.  The  nest  was  finish- 
ed on  July  30th  and  therefore  a  period 
of  20  days  elapsed  between  the  com- 
pletion of  the  nest  and  the  laying  of 
the  first  egg.  Who  can  enlighten  us 
on  the  subject? 

Edge  Hill.  Pa. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  109 


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110 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


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Will   Irrigation  Alter  Bird  Fauna? 


E.  H.   Short. 

Dear  Sir: — Seeing  in  the  Oologist  a 
question  regarding  irrigation,  drain- 
age and  birds,  I  will  say  a  few  words. 

I  believe  that  irrigation  will  make 
some  difference  in  the  birds  of  a  local- 
ity, i.e.,  will  add  new  birds  to  the  list 
of  that  locality.  But  as  there  is  not 
enough  water  to  irrigate  anywhere 
near  all  the  arid  land  and  semi-arid 
land,  it  will  not  make  a  great  differ- 
ence as  a  whole. 

Since  coming  here  in  the  spring  of 
1906,  I  have  noticed  nearly  as  many 
common  kingbirds  (444)  as  Arkansas 
kingbirds  (447),  which  is  the  western 
variety.  Nearly  all  books  say  of  444, 
"rare  west  of  the  Rockies,"  so  I  think 
irrigation  has  something  to  do  with 
it. 

There  are  not  many  birds  here  ex- 
cept along  the     rivers,     though     the 


"boosters"  will  tell  you  that  there  are 
lots  of  birds  here. 

There  are  quite  a  lot  of  English 
Sparrows  here  already,  (though  noth- 
ing like  they  are  in  the  east)  but  in- 
stead of  trying  to  get  people  to  kill 
them  off  the  paper  here  states  that 
they  are  a  much  maligned  bird,  will 
not  move  out  of  the  towm  into  the 
country,  or  bother  other  birds,  etc. 
That  shows  about  how  much  they 
know  of  the  English  Sparrow  out  here 
— not  much,  surely. 

By  looking  up  the  Youth's  Compan- 
ion of  .June  11th,  you  will  find  an  ac- 
count on  page  284  of  how^  a  man 
caught  an  eagle  (golden)  near  North 
Yakima  last  winter.  The  eagle  was 
on  exhibit  here  for  several  weeks  and 
was  then  shipped  to  the  capital  at 
Olvmpia. 

C.  E.  WEBSTER. 
North  Yakima,  Wash. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  Ill 

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112 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


72nd  Thousand  !       72nd  ! 

BIRD  guide:. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

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SCOPE. — All  the  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
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bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
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Whole  No.  253 


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I  HAVE  FOR  EXCHANGE.-For  species 
new  to  my  collection.  Choice  sets  of  327,  316, 
353.  ;i54.  3.54a.  :i58.1.  359.1.  362,  370a.  376.  3><9.  421. 
455.  744a.  763.  etc.  THOMAS  H.  .JACKSON. 
304  N.  Franklin  .St..  West  Chester.  Pa. 

FOR  SALE.-A  collection  of  Natural  His 
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turtle.s.  State  r-rice.  JOS.  P.  15ALL.  M.  D.. 
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KXCIIAN(  >K.-For  first  class  sets  all  com- 
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10  of  Vol.  III.  Vol.  XIII  Birds  and  Nature 
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pod, etc.  In  a  1  condition,  to  exchange  for 
good  sets.  W.  H.  BINGAMAN.  Irvington, 
Iowa. 

For  Sale  at  Reduced  Prices 

Moose.  Elk  Caribou,  Antelope  and  Deer 
Heads.  New  stock.  Newly  mounted  or 
mounted  to  your  order.  I  use  the  modern 
museum  methods,  which  guarantees  lasting 
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ance and  look  good.  Satisfactory  references 
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heads,  promptly  furnished.  It  will  nay  you 
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able. 

EDWIN  DIXON, 
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Main  Street,  I'nionville,  Ontario. 

Taxidermists,  Sportsmen,   Nature 
Lovers. 

KOi;  S.\LK.-My  carefully  chosen  stock  of 
Moose.  Klk.  Caribou.  Antelope  and  Deer 
Horns  and  Scalps  at  close  cut  quick  sale 
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scription or  no  sale.  Write  today,  stating  as 
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you  can  pay.  I'll  quf)te  prices  and  hold 
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EDWIN  DIXON, 

Taxlderniist, 
Main  Street,  Unionville.  Ontario. 


114 


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Fauna!  Map  of  Maine- 
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Brunswick  have  been  taken  in  Maine, 
so  this  work  will  be  most  valuable  to 
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BANGOR.  MAINE 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


115 


STILL    LEADING 

FIFTH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STANDARD  CATALOGyE  OF 
North  American   Birds   Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year,  Both  for  50c. 


Compiled  by  PYank  H.  Lattin  and 
■Ernest  H.  Short,  with  the  assistance 
of  many  prominent  American  Oolo- 
gista. 

A  Complete  Up-to-date  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
Introduced  Species,  giving  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  species  whosie 
eggs  are  procurable  at  this  time.  Ar- 
ranged according  to  A.   O.   U.   Nome- 


clature,  but  giving  Ridgway's  and 
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Learn  Taxidermy. 


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and  Sportsmen  should 
all  know  how  to  correct- 
ly mount  all  kinds  ol 
birds  and  animals.  WE 
TEACH  TAXIDERMY 
BY  MAIL.  Complete 
course  in  15  lessons.  This 
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Have  for  sale  rare  Asiatic,  African.  Austra- 
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Foreign  Eggs 

In  Choice  Cabinel   Sets,  with  full  and  accu- 
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Mexico,  Canada  and  Europe. 

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116 


thb;  oologist. 


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CHILI,     N.     T. 


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Whole  No.  253 


THE   OOLOGIST, 

A   Monthly   Publication   Deroted  to 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXI- 

DEEMY. 

TXAKK    H.    LATTnr,    Pa^UAtr. 

ALBIOV,    K.    T. 

KEVSST    H.    BHOKT.    Editor    ui4    lUm*«w. 

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Nesting  of  the  Broad-winged  Hawk  in 
Delaware   Co.,    Pa. 


RICHARD   C.    HARLOW. 
The  season   of  1908   was   a  memor- 
able one   to   me   for   several  reasons, 
but   chiefly    because   of   my     unusual 


luck  in  ferreting  out  the  nesting  pla- 
ces of  our  native  hawks.  Here  in 
Pennsylvania  vve  are  wont  to  become 
discouraged  over  the  absence  of  this 
class  of  birds,  and  I  fear  I  have  often 
cast  a  sigh  as  I  read  of  the  exper- 
iences of  collectors  in  the  west.  Dur- 
ing my  short  period  of  collecting  they 
had  invariably  been  a  stumbling  block 
to  me,  but  somehow  this  year  the 
mist  cleared  away  from  before  my 
eyes  and  when  I  packed  up  my  irons  for 
another  year  I  found  that  I  had  ta- 
ken fine  sets  of  Cooper's,  Sparrow, 
Broad-wing,  Osprey  and  Duck  Hawks. 
As  I  recall  the  various  trips  and  suc- 
cesses my  blood  courses  through  my 
veins  once  more  with  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  hunt,  and  I  long  for  the  days 
gone  by.  And  prominent  among  the 
list  stands  the  day  spent  in  search  of 
Broad-wings,  the  16th  of  May.  From 
time  to  time,  my  friend  had  told  me 
of  their  breeding  in  the  vicinity  of 
Wayne,  and  when  I  jumped  off  the 
train  at  that  place  on  the  16th,  I  was 
prepared  to  do  or  die. 

Discouraging  news  awaited  me.  The 
hawks  had  not  been  seen  lately,  and 
had  apparently  disappeared.  But  what 
.study  teaches  one  to  fight  down  de- 
spair more  than  ornithology?  As  we 
struck  off  across  the  fields  the  dew 
was  still  clinging  to  the  grass,  and  in 
a  short  time  we  were  thoroughly 
drenched,  but  what  cared  we,  for 
there  ahead  of  us  lay  the  chosen 
haunt  of  the  Broad-wings,  the  wood- 
covered  hills  merging  into  a  valley 
through  which  a  stream  dashes  on 
its  way.  As  we  pushed  through,  our 
eyes  eagerly   scanning  the   tree  tops, 


118 


THE  OOLOGISl 


the  songs  of  the  birds  were  heard  on 
every  hand,  the  notes  of  the  Red-eyed 
Vireo  and  the  rollicking  song  of  the 
Kentucky  Warbler  being  especially 
noticeable.  Several  limes  did  my 
pulses  quicken  momentarily  at  the 
sight  of  old  nests,  but  never  a  hawk 
did  we  see.  At  last  my  eye  caught 
sight  of  a  bulky  mass  some  40  feet 
up  in  a  double  crotch  of  a  beech.  A 
rap  on  the  tree  failed  to  scare  a  bird, 
but  instinctively  I  knew  it  to  be  a 
Broad-wing.  The  irons  buckled  on,  I 
hurried  up  and  eagerly  looked  over 
the  edge.  There  I  found — nothing. 
It  was  a  new  nest,  even  to  the  lining 
of  fresh  green  beech  leaves,  but  for 
some  reason  it  was  later  deserted, 
though  not  disturbed  in  the  least. 
In  speaking  of  this  matter  with  Mr. 
Frank  L.  Burns,  he  mentioned  that 
it  was  by  no  means  a  rare  trait  of  the 
Broadwings  to  leave  a  nest  after  com- 
pleting it. 

And  so  the  day  wore  on,  and  my 
spirits  began  to  sink.  Farther  and 
farther  we  roamed  and  still  not  a 
hawk  did  we  see.  Entering  another 
woods  we  struck  along  the  top  of  a 
ridge,  commanding  a  view  of  the  steep 
hillsides  on  either  hand.  Some  dis- 
tance ahead  and  far  down  the  hill 
I  saw  a  nest.  On  closer  approach  the 
tail  of  the  bird  was  seen  over  the 
edge  and  I  knew  that  at  last  success 
had  crowned  my  efforts.  A  rap  on 
the  tree  and  she  was  gone.  It  was 
an  ugly  climb,  but  nothing  less  than 
chains  could  have  kept  me  from  that 
nest.  Gradually,  the  distance  to  the 
nest  grew  less,  and  the  ground  rapid- 
ly receded.  Over  broken  limbs,  pro- 
jections and  several  "bulges"  of  the 
trunk  I  struggled,  and  at  last  looked 
over  the  edge.  Do  you  older  collec- 
tors remember  your  first  set  of  Broad- 
wing's?  If  so,  you  can  sympathize 
with  me.  The  eggs  were  packed  and 
the  nest  measured  ,and  I  returned  to 


the  ground  a  gladder  and  wiser  man. 
Then  while  my  friends  unstrapped 
my  irons  I  pulled  out  my  notebook  and 
wrote:  "The  situation  was  on  a  steep 
hillside  within  10  yards  of  Darby 
Creek,  and  the  nest  was  at  least  75 
feet  up  in  a  Shellbark  which  leaned 
slightly  towards  the  creek.  Bird 
flushed  when  I  tapped  on  the  tree; 
several  times  she  circled  back  near 
the  tree,  making  no  outcry  of  any 
kind.  The  nest  was  built  in  a  two- 
pronged  fork  and  was  very  substan- 
tially built,  evidently  by  the  birds 
themselves.  Constructed  of  corn- 
husks,  sticks,  and  lined  with  pieces 
of  bark,  a  few  downy  feathers  and 
green  oak  leaves.  Outward  diameter 
30  inches,  cavity  6  inches  across  and 
3  inches  deep,  being  much  better  de- 
fined than  my  Cooper  Hawk's  nests. 
The  eggs  were  three  in  number  and 
handsomely  marked  with  blotches  of 
reddish-brown  and  shell  markings  of 
lavender  and  stone-gray."  Later  de- 
velopments showed  them  to  be  incu- 
bated about  nine  days. 

An  so  ended  my  day  with  the 
Broad-wings  in  the  verdant  hills  of 
Delaware  countj*.  I  have  found  the 
nests  with  young  in  Bucks  county,  but 
nowhere  does  it  appear  common  in 
the  Keystone  State,  unless  it  be  Ches- 
ter county,  where  I  understand  a  num- 
ber of  sets  have  been  taken. 


Four  Sets  of  Eggs     From     One   Bird's 
Nest. 


RICHARD  F.  MILLER. 

On  May  29,  1906,  a  set  of  three  fresh 
eggs  of  the  Wood  Thrush  (Hylocichla 
mustelina)  were  taken  from  a  nest  at 
Holmesburg,  Pa.,  which  was'  saddled 
to  a  horizontal  wild  cherry  branch, 
along  the  edge  of  a  wood  at  the  bot- 
tom of  a  railroad  embankment. 

On  June  7th,  another  set  of  three 
fresh  eggs  were  taken  from  the  same 
nest. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


119 


On  June  Ifith,  a  third  set  of  three 
fresh  eggs  were  collected,  also  from 
the  -same  nest. 

Oq,  June  26th,  a  fourth  set  of  three 
fresh  eggs  were  removed  from  this 
nest. 

No  nest  egg  was  left  in  the  nest  to 
induce  the  bird  to  continue  laying,  for 
in  such  a  case,  in  all  probability,  the 
bird  would  have  deserted  or  incubated 
the  egg  left  in  the  nest. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  the 
four  sets  were  laid  by  the  same  fe- 
male, as  only  one  pair  of  birds  in- 
habited the  wood,  a  small  and  isolated 
grove  of  about  one-quarter  acre  in 
area;  for  the  eggs  are  alike  in  shape, 
size  and  color,  and  show  no  diminu- 
tion in  size,  the  last  set  being  as  large 
as  the  first. 

Nine  days  elapsed  after  the  taking 
of  the  first  set  until  the  laying  of  the 
second  set;  nine  days  between  the 
second  and  third  sets;  and  ten  days 
between  the  third  and  fourth  comple- 
ment. 

When  the  first  set  was  taken  the 
nest  was  thinly  lined,  the  bare  walls 
being  plainly  visible  through  the  lin- 
ing of  rootlets,  but  before  the  laying 
of  the  second  set  the  birds  had  lined 
it  thickly  with  this  material. 

Several  years  ago  there  was  a  Wood 
Thrush's  nest  in  the  same  situ,  from 
which  a  set  of  eggs  was  taken,  and 
it  would  be  interesting  to  know 
whether  they  were  laid  by  this  bird, 
but  as  they  have  passed  out  of  my 
collection  it  is,  of  course,  impossible 
for  me  to  say. 

Subtracting  three  days  for  the  de- 
positing of  the  eggs,  for  the  Wood 
Thrush  lays  an  egg  every  day  until 
the  set  is  laid,  we  have  a  minimum 
period  of  six  days  for  the  bird  to  get 
"into  condition"  to  lay  each  set,  which 
seems  to  me  a  remarkably  short  time; 
and  in  2S  days  the  bird  laid  12  eggs! 


The  nest  was  not  afterward  seen 
until  late  in  the  summer  and  appear- 
ances then  indicated  that  a  brood  of 
young  had  been  raised  in  it,  undoubt- 
edly by  the  same  pair  of  birds,  who 
laid  a  fifth  set  and  managed  to  hatch 
them. 

(These  notes  are  interesting  as  bear- 
ing on  the  much  discussed  question  as 
to  whether  disturbing  a  set  of  fresh, 
eggs  tends  to  prevent  breeding  that 
season,  but  taking  so  many  sets  from 
one  pair  could  only  be  justified  as  a 
rare  experience. — Ed. ) 


Another  Set  of  Five  Robin. 


Ernest  H.  Short. 

Dear  Sir: — May  not  this  be  of  inter- 
est to  at  least  some  of  the  Oologist 
readers,  though  it  is  a  taking  of  seven 
years  ago. 

During  an  afternoon's  search  for 
Siskins,  on  June  26,  1901,  and  without 
results  in  the  way  of  the  little  hair-lin- 
ed nests,  I  was  finally  rewarded  with  a 
lucky  find.  It  was  a  nest  of  the  West- 
ern Robin  (Merula  migratoria  propin- 
qua).  The  nest  was  eight  feet  up  and 
near  the  end  of  a  15-foot  spruce  limb, 
on  the  edge  of  a  small  swampy  gulch. 

As  I  was  not  in  line  for  taking  sets 
of  this  common  yearly  resident,  it 
must  have  been  my  poor  success  in 
finding  Pine  Siskins  for  the  day,  that 
gave  me  an  egger's  feeling  to  see 
something  with  eggs  in  it,  so  I  just 
took  a  peep  into  this  nest.  It  con- 
tained five  fresh  eggs.  The  eggs  are 
fine  specimens  of  Western  Robin, 
everyone  being  of  an  unusually  dark 
bluish-green  cast  and  perfectly  uni- 
form in  size  and  shape.  Nest  was  of 
usual  structure,  mud  and  dry  grass, 
lined  with  fine  grass.  This  is  the  only 
set  of  five  eggs  of  Western  Robin,  I 
have  ever  seen. 

C.  IRVIX  CLAY, 

Eureka,  Cal. 


120 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Anent    the    Cardinal. 


On  October  29,  1906,  at  Cornwell's 
Station,  Bucks  County, Pa.,  a  nest  of 
the  Cardinal  Grosbeak  was  found  six 
feet  up  in  a  clump  of  green  briars  in 
a  wood,  containing  a  rotten  egg,  which 
was  collected  and  is  now  in  my  col- 
lection. 

It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  tell 
how  long  the  nest  had  been  deserted, 
(as  it  was),  and  the  exact  time  the 
egg  was  laid,  but  judging  from  ex- 
perience, the  time  necessary  for  an 
egg  to  addle  and  rot  does  not  exceed 
six  weeks,  then  we  can  safely  admit 
that  the  egg  was  deposited  about  Sep- 
tember 16th,  or  even  allowing  a  long- 
er period  for  its  decomposition,  and 
supposing  it  to  be  about  eight  weeks 
old,  it  could  then  have  been  laid  about 
September  1st,  which  is  remarkably 
late  nesting  for  this  handsome  bird 
in  this  vicinity. 

But  the  Cardinal  is  an  erratic 
breeder,  albeit,  for  I  have  found  new 
nests  as  early  as  March  30,  1902.  and 
April  1,  1908,  and  collected  fresh  eggs 
as  late  as  August  17,  1904;  and  ex- 
amined young  almost  fledged  August 
2.5,  1899.  I  have  found  eggs  and 
young  birds  in  nests  of  Cardinal  in 
April,  May,  .June,  July  and  August, 
and  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  bird 
rears  two  broods  in  one  season,  al- 
though most  ornithologists  seem  to 
think  that  only  one  brood  is  raised. 
Of  course,  when  a  nest  containing 
eggs  is  destroyed,  the  bird  will  build 
another  and  lays  a  clutch  of  eggs  in 
it,  but  I  do  not  regard  this  as  a  second 
"brood,"  as  I  have  known  some  orni- 
thologists to  so  style  it. 

RICHARD  F.  MILLER, 
Frankford,  Phila.,   Pa. 


search  of  food?  The  only  time  I  have 
known  it  to  do  this  was  on  July  5, 
1908,  when  the  bird  covered  a  space 
of  from  3  to  4  feet  and  then  stopped 
to  sing  his  full  set  of  notes  once.  He 
continued  the  performance  several 
times,  at  last  flying  to  a  near-by  ever- 
green to  sing  for  five  minutes  or  so. 
On  June  6th,  I  found  a  set  of  three 
Chipping  Sparrow's  in  a  large  single 
rose  bush  in  yard.  The  eggs  were 
fairly  heavily  marked  over  entire  sur- 
face with  brown  and  lilac,  principally 
with  brown,  but  the  usual  wreath  was 
quite  plainly  visible  above  the  other 
spots. 

Is  this  not  also  an  uncommon  oc- 
currence? 

CHAS.  A.  HEWLETT. 

The  Song  Sparrow  sings  on  the 
wing  quite  commonly.  Eggs  of  the 
Chipping  Sparrow  showing  spotting 
over  entire  surface  are  not  common. 
—[Ed.] 


Chimney    Swifts    Nesting      in      Hollow 
Trees. 


Woodmere,  L.  I.,  July  8,  '08. 
Dear  Mr.  Short:  — 

Is   it    not    an    uncommon    event   for 
the    Song   Sparrow   to   sing  while     in 


The  Chimney  Bird  unquestionably 
in  early  times  nested  in  hollow  trees, 
but  now  such  a  habit  is  a  curiosity. 
While  in  Warren  county  in  June  of 
this  year,  I  found  three  of  these  birds, 
two  females  and  a  male,  sailing 
around  over  a  slashing;  full-  five  miles 
from  anywhere.  Presently  the  birds 
were  noticed  going  in  and  out  of  a 
tall,  hollow  tree,  and  they  had  every 
appearance  of  having  selected  it  for  a 
nesting  site.  A  friend  of  mine  reports 
having  observed  the  same  state  of 
affairs  in  a  hollow  tree  standing  on 
the  edge  of  a  Xew  York  lake,  last  sea- 
son. 

R.  P.  SHARPLES. 
West  Chester,   Pa. 


THK  OOLOQIST. 


121 


The    Mourning    Warbler. 


In  company  with  my  friend,  Thos. 
H.  Jackson,  I  liad  an  interesting  time 
hunting  the  nest  of  the  Mourning 
Warbler  in  Warren  county,  Pa.,  this 
spring.  The  nest  is  very  hard  to  lo- 
cate, although  we  succeeded  in  two 
Instances.  Both  nests  were  in  low 
blackberry  bushes  on  the  edge  of  tall 
timber.  It  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  we  could  see  the  parent  bird 
■when  she  flushed.  She  would  creep 
quietly  off  into  the  neighboring  brush 
and  make  no  fuss  whatever.  Once, 
when  the  nest  was  being  photograph- 
ed, and  we  were  near  it  for  quite  a 
time,  the  mother  bird  did  come  back 
and  scold  a  little.  The  five  eggs  in 
this  nest  were  slightly  incubated.  The 
other  nest  had  but  one  egg  in  it,  and 
when  found,  about  June  1st,  was  near- 
ly ready  to  hatcb 

When  hunting  the  nest  it  is  useless 
to  try  to  locate  it  by  watch- 
ing the  parent  birds.  They  are  most 
extremely  cautious  in  approaching  it, 
and  while  the  male  will  stay  and  sing 
in  the  neighborhood,  I  never  saw  him 
go  near  the  nest,  and  he  made  no  pro- 
test when  we  found  it. 

R.  P.  SHARPLES, 

West  Chester,  Pa. 


Big   State   Game    Farm. 


The  state  game  farm,  near  Auburn, 
is  now  the  busiest  place  in  Illinois.  Al- 
ready this  month  8,000  baby  birds 
liave  made  their  appearance  and  2,000 
more  are  expected.  Mother  birds  are 
sitting  patiently  on  that  number  of 
eggs,  and  every  day  another  is  made 
liappy  by  the  arrival  of  chicks.  Thirty 
thousand  eggs  of  game  birds  were  pla- 
ced this  spring  at  the  farm.  They  in- 
<;luded  pheasants,  native  quail,  ducks, 
turkeys  and  all  other  kinds  of  game 
that  inhabit  this  state.     In  addition  to 


the  eggs  which  were  placed  under  the 
hens  at  the  farm,  the  game  warden. 
Dr.  J.  A.  Wheeler,  sent  throughout 
the  state,  30,000  eggs  for  private  use. 
The  farm  is  now  producing  from  900 
to  1,000  eggs  a  day  from  the  1,400 
hens. 

"Game  birds  in  Illinois  came 
through  the  winter  remarkably  well," 
said  Dr.  Wheeler.  "We  have  had  the 
most  encouraging  reports  from  every 
section  of  the  state.  The  pheasant  is 
proving  itself  to  be  an  ideal  bird  for 
Illinois.  You  cannot  starve  it.  It  will 
eat  the  bark  on  a  tree  before  it  will 
quit.  I  have  been  surprised  at  its 
hardiness." — Macomb,  111.,  Journal. 


E.  H.  Short:  — 

My  son  and  a  friend  have  just  re- 
turned last  night  13th,  from  up  the 
Susquehanna  River,  fishing.  They 
bring  me  a  young,  in  down,  of  the 
Semi-palmated  Sandpiper  (No.  246). 
I  have  mounted  and  saved  it.  So  this 
bird  breeds  in  Pennsylvania,  as  well 
as  the  Least  Sandpiper.  I  sent  you 
data  a  while  back  on  "Least."  I  have 
that  young  one  safe  as  well  as  this 
one.  I  may  yet,  some  day,  find  a 
young  unable  to  fly  of  No.  256.  It 
will  be  no  surprise  to  me  to  do  so,  as 
the  Solitary  does  breed  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, sure. 

Sincerely, 

E.   CAMPBELL. 


Man-0-War. 


Mr.  Reynolds  says:  "Reed,  in  his 
Bird  Guide,  speaks  of  the  Man-o-War 
Bird  as  possibly  breeding  on  some  of 
the  Florida  Keys.  There  is  quite  a 
large  colony  of  them  breeding  on  Bird 
Key,  near  Veteran,  Fla.,  which  they 
share  with  Fla.  Cormorant  and  Brown 
Pelican." 

July  25,  1908. 


122 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


My  Dear  Mr.  Short:  — 

A  little  Incident  that  came  under 
my  observation  in  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  last 
winter,  may  prove  of  interest  to  your 
renders. 

Two  holes  were  discovered  within 
75  feet  of  each  other.  One  contained 
one  egg  of  the  Desert  Sparrow  Hawk 
and  the  other  two  of  the  Mexican 
Sci-eech  Owl,  both  birds  on.  Several 
days  later  the  birds  had  exchanged 
nests.  Nest  No.  1  (Sparrow  Hawk's) 
had  two  hawk's  eggs,  and  owl  on  nest. 
No.  2  (Owl's)  two  owl's  eggs  and  one 
hawk,  hawk  on.  Later,  nest  No.  1 
was  vacated,  and  one  of  the  two  eggs 
broken.  No.  2  contained  four  owls 
and  one  hawk.  This  seems  very 
queer  to  me,  as  both  birds  are  fight- 
ers. 

Sincerely  yours, 
C.  WINFIELD  HARTRANFT, 
Devon,  Pa. 


Ho/i/  to   Clean   Enamel    Paint. 

Soap  never  should  be  used  la  clean- 
ing paint,  especially  white  enamel  or 
any  painl  with  a  gloss,  as  it  removes 
the  gloss,  which  is  its  chief  charm.  If 
In  washing-  enameled  woodwork  a  cup- 
ful of  common  carpenter's  glue  is  melt- 
ed and  poured  into  a  pail  of  warm  wa- 
ter It  not  only  will  facilitate  the  clean- 
ing, but  will  leave  a  high  gloss  such  as 
new  paint  has.  If  once  used  this  com- 
mon glue  will  become  a  household  ne- 
cessity. 


How  to  Clean  Enamel  of  Stains. 

To  clean  and  remove  all  stains  from 
enamel  )-ub  well  with  salt  moistened 
with  vinegar.  This  will  clean  equally 
•well  enameled  pots  and  pans,  no  mat- 
ter how  burned  or  discolored. 


How  to   Keep  Vegetables  Fresh. 

Cfreen  vegetables  can  be  kept  fresh 
for  days  by  wetting  them  and  then 
rolling  them  up  in  paper,  screwing  the 
ends  to  keep  out  the  air. 


How  to  Keep  Feathers  Fluffy. 
The  expense  of  keeping  either  an 
ostrich  feather  boa  or  an  ostrich  feath- 
er laden  hat  looking  like  new  re<luces 
itself  to  nothing  at  all  and  very  little 
trouble  when  one  knows  the  way.  The 
straightest  feathers  may  be  curled 
"without  ripping,"  as  the  old  ads.  used 
to  say,  and  boas  require  only  a  little 
shaking.  Boiling  water  and  dry  heat 
are  the  two  essentials,  and  the  method 
of  treating  either  hat  or  boa  is  the 
same.  An  old  fashioned  teakettle 
■with  long  spout  is  best  for  the  boiling 
water.  Either  a  radiator  or  the  top. 
of  a  stove  is  usually  best  for  the  dry 
heat.  A  register  seldom  sends  out  suf- 
ficient volume.  In  any  event,  both 
kinds  of  heat  must  be  ready  at  the 
same  time.  When  the  kettle  boils  the 
feathers  should  be  waved  to  and  fro  in 
its  steam  until  they  have  gathered  a 
little  moisture,  not  so  much,  however, 
as  to  be  wet.  At  the  time  when  the 
last  lingering  remnant  of  curl  disap- 
pears they  are  usually  ready  for  the 
dry  heat.  It  is  this  which  curls  the 
feathers,  and  hat  or  boa  should  be  held 
as  close  to  it  as  can  be  without  burn- 
ing, and  either  should  be  shaken  gent- 
ly every  moment.       . 

How  to  Make  Dainty  Neckwear. 

As  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  a 
woman  to  wear  some  form  of  a  neck 
trimming  to  be  considered  well  dress- 
ed, the  woman  of  limited  means  will 
look  about  for  a  way  to  construct  some 
of  the  fussj',  fluffy  little  bows  and  ja- 
bots at  home.  It  is  wonderful  how 
cheaply  these  can  be  made  at  home 
compared  to  the  tremendous  price 
which  one  must  pay  for  these  in  the 
shops.  Hemstitched  handkerchiefs 
with  dainty  colored  borders  may  be 
had  for  moderate  sums,  and  these,  with 
the  addition  of  a  little  Valenciennes 
lace,  may  be  made  into  charming  ja- 
bots. The  lace  edge  should  be  whipped 
on  all  around  the  handkerchief,  which 
is  then  laid  in  small  plaits  and  press- 
ed. It  is  then  divided  about  two  inches 
above  the  center,  and  the  short  end  is 
folded  over  the  longer  one  to  form  a 
jabot  effect.  All  white  handkerchiefs 
with  barred  borders  may  be  treated  in 
this  same  way  with  charming  results. 


THE  OOLOOIST. 


123 


RENOVATING    OF     PILLOWS. 


How  to  Fill  Them  With  Feathers 
Without    Losing    Many. 

Renovating  pillows  is  of  vast  impor- 
tance during  tbe  house  cleaning  sea- 
son. Stuffing  in  more  feathers  when 
your  pillows  wear  soft  is  a  thing  most 
inexperienced  housekeepers  dread,  and 
with  good  reason,  for  unless  it  is  done 
just  so  the  feathers  fly  every  which 
way,  bits  of  the  soft  down  clinging  to 
hair  and  dress  and  everything  in  the 
room  with  a  persistence  remarkable  in 
such  apparent]5-  yielding  things.  When 
that  necessary  time  comes  around, 
ihut  yourself  up  in  as  empty  a  room 
as  you  can  get  (a  small  one  is  best), 
taking  all  the  pillo"\\'S  which  need  fill- 
ing, a  case  full  of  feathers  (or  another 
pillow  from  which  you  purpose  to  re- 
plenish the  others),  strong  thread  and 
stout  needles  and  a  knife  for  the  rip- 
ping. 

Tuck  your  hair  up-  under  a  cap  or 
tie  a  big  handkerchief  over  it.  Don't 
wear  a  cloth  dress  to  do  the  work  in, 
even  though  you  take  the  precaution  to 
put  on  a  big  work  apron— the  kind  that 
covers  you  up  from  throat  to  hem. 
Tliose  feathers  have  a  way  of  creeping 
along  the  floor— the  slight  drafts  of  air 
caused  by  your  movements  being  suffi- 
cient excuse— and  attaching  them- 
selves to  the  hem  of  your  dress. 

Close  doors  and  windows  before  you 
begin  your  work.  Then  with  your 
knife  rip  open  the  end  of  a  pillow  and 
the  end  of  the  one  whose  contents  are 
to  be  divided  among  the  others.  An 
old  method  was  to  transfer  the  feath- 
ers by  handfuls,  pressing  each  little 
lot  well  down  before  taking  another. 
But  a  better  way  is  to  insert  the  ripped 
end  of  the  pillow  to  be  emptied  into 
that  of  thi!  one  to  be  filled  and  then  to 
Shake  down  enough  to  make  it  fairly- 
but  only  fairly— hard.  Then  slip  your 
hand  inside  and  push  the  remaining 
feathers  far  back,  at  the  same  time 
•working  the  edges  of  the  ticking  to- 
gether. When  you  finally  separate 
them  there  Avill  be  fewer  feathers  set 
flying  around  aimlessly  than  in  any 
other  way. 


Pin  the  seam  of  the  filled  pillow  to- 
gether and  begin  on  the  next,  doing  all 
of  them  before  you  sew  up  any,  but 
seaming  them  all  before  yow  leave  the 
room. 


How  to   Renovate  an   Old   Waist. 

Last  season's  waists  were  made 
much  narrower  in  the  shoulders  than 
this  year's,  and  the  sleeves  simply 
were  immense.  If  j'ou  have  a  waist 
which  has  sleeves  made  of  the  same 
material  as  your  waist  and  which  are' 
too  large,  it  probably  also  has  a  yoke 
of  some  shape  of  net.  Maj'be  your- 
waist,  especially  if  it  is  of  silk  or  satin,, 
is  worn  under  the  arms.  If  you  have  a 
few  pieces  of  velvet  or  silk  you  can: 
make  your  waist  as  good  as  new  and 
in  a  pretty,  up  to  date  style.  Rip  the 
sleeves  out  and  cut  the  armhole  from 
two  to  four  inches  larger,  or  enough 
larger  so  that  all  the  worn  part  is  cut 
away.  Cut  the  neck  round,  if  it  was 
V  shaped  or  square,  and  finish  it  with 
a  half  inch  wide  band  of  velvet  or  silk 
and  sew  a  band  of  the  same  material 
into  the  large  armhole.  This  band 
should  be  two  or  two  and  a  half  inches 
wide.  Make  a  belt  of  the  same  ma- 
terial. If  the  old  waist  blouses  too 
much  it  should  be  let  down  an  inch  or 
so.  This  will  give  you  a  pretty,  mod- 
ern overblouse,  which  may  be  worn 
over  lingerie,  net  or  lace  blouses. 


How  to  Amuse  Children. 
When  children  become  restless  on  a 
rainy  day  a  good  way  to  keep  them 
amused  is  to  give  them  an  old  tomato 
basket,  some  white  cloth  and  thread. 
They  can  make  little  rafts,  canoes  and 
boats  out  of  the  basket,  using  the 
cloth  for  sails,  and  with  the  use  of  the 
bathtub  will  keep  themselves  busy  the 
rest  of  the  day. 


How   to    Soothe   Tender    Feet. 

It  is  a  clean  and  dainty  habit  to  be 
as  particular  about  the  condition  of 
the  feet  as  the  hands.  In  many  cases 
the  same  preparations  may  be  used  on 
both.  Daily  baths  in  camphorated  oil 
or  cologne  water  are  refreshing  if  the 
feet  are  tender  and  sensitive. 


124 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


CARE    OF    METAL   PIECES. 


How  to  Clean  Brasses,  Bronzes  and 
Wrought  Iron. 

To  clean  brasses  quickly  and  eco- 
Miomically,  rub  them  well  with  vinegai 
and  salt  or  oxalic  acid  and  salt.  Wash 
immediately  after  the  rubbing,  and 
polish  with  tripoli  and  sweet  oil.  Un- 
less the  acid  is  washed  off  the  thing 
will  tarnish  so  quickly  that  its  last 
estate  will  be  worse  than  its  first. 
Copper  kettles  and  saucepans,  brass 
and  irons,  fenders,  candlesticks  and 
traj'S  are  best  cleaned  with  vinegar 
and  salt.  Cooking  vessels  in  constant 
use  need  only  to  be  well  washed  after- 
ward. Things  for  show,  even  pots  and 
pans,  need  the  oil  polishing,  which 
gives  a  deep  rich  yellow  luster,  good 
for  six  mouths. 

Oxalic  acid  and  salt  is  the  thing  for 
furniture  brasses.  If  it  touches  the 
"wood  around  it,  it  only  improves  the 
tone.  Wipe  the  brasses  well  with  a 
wet  cloth,  and  polish  thoroughly  with 
oil  and  tripoli.  Sometimes  powdered 
rottenstone  does  better  than  tripoli. 
Rub  after  using  either  with  a  dry 
cloth  or  leather  until  there  is  no  trace 
of  oil.  No  matter  what  sort  of  brass 
is  to  be  cleaned,  it  must  first  be  freed 
completely  from  grease,  caked  dirt  and 
grime.  Wash  witli  strong  ammonia 
suds,  rinse  and  dry  before  beginning 
with  the  acid  and  salt. 

The  best  treatment  for  wrought  iron 
or  wrought  steel,  which  both  have  a 
knack  of  grovring  gray  and  lusterless, 
is  to  first  wash  it  very  clean  with  a 
stiff  brush  and  ammonia  soapsuds, 
rinse  well,  dry— by  heat  if  possible- 
then  oil  plentifully  with  sweet  oil,  and 
dust  thickly  with  powdered  (luicklime. 
Let  the  lime  stay  on  two  days,  then 
brush  it  off  with  a  clean  very  stiff 
brush.  Polish  with  a  softer  brush 
and  rub  with  cloths  until  the  lus- 
ter comes  out.  This  ought  to  give 
the  color  of  iron  in  daily  use,  which 
is  nearly  the  most  beautiful  in  the 
whole  range  of  metals.  By  leaving  the 
lime  on  iron  and  steel  may  be  kept 
from  rust  almost  indefinitely. 


Before  wetting  any  sort  of  bric-a- 
brac,  and  especially  bronzes,  remove 
all  the  dust  possible.  The  less  dust 
water  finds  about  fine  lines  and  cran- 
nies the  less  it  can  leave  there.  After 
dusting  wash  well  in  strong  white 
soapsuds  and  ammonia,  rinse  clean, 
polish  with  just  a  suspicion  of  oil  and 
rottenstone,  and  rub  off  afterward 
every  trace  of  the  oil.  Never  let  acid 
touch  a  bronze  surface  unless  one 
wishes  to  eat  and  pit  it  for  antique 
effects. 


How  to  Weigh  the  Baby. 

Use  the  basket  in  which  baby's  toi- 
let articles  are  kept,  supposing  it  is  av- 
erage size.  Buy  five  yards  of  webbing 
—an  extra  heavy  tape.  Cut  two  strips 
each  sixty-four  inches  long.  Pass  one 
under  the  basket  diagonally  and  fasten 
securely  at  corners.  Do  same  with 
other  strip,  fastening  at  opposite  cor- 
ners. Join  the  ends  over  the  top.  This 
leaves  ample  space  to  slip  baby  under. 
In  one  end  of  the  remaining  piece  of 
tape  sew  a  loop  large  enough  to  pass 
one  prong  over  the  chandelier.  On  the 
other  end  sew  the  ring  of  your  ordinary 
hook  scales  at  such  a  height  that  when 
the  loops  on  the  basket  are  hooked  into 
the  scales  the  basket  will  skip  the  bed 
or  table  by  six  inches.  Place  a  pillow 
and  set  of  clothing  in  basket  and  weigh. 
Place  the  baby  in  and  after  weighing 
him  subtract  the  weight  of  basket  and 
Clothing  and  you  have  baby's  exact 
weight. 


How  to  Slip   House   Plants. 

To  slip  house  plants,  fill  a  dish  with 
sand.  Cut  slips  away  from  anj^  kind 
of  house  plants,  taking  care  the  slip  Is 
made  from  a  young  green  shoot  and 
the  cut  is  made  slanting.  Keep  sand 
wet  all  the  time.  Place  in  a  sunny  win- 
dow. They  Avill  begin  to  show  little 
foots  in  from  two  to  three  weeks.  Aft- 
er roots  are  formed  put  in  small  pots 
and  shift  into  larger  pots  as  they  need 
it.  Water  each  day.  To  enrich  plants 
water  with  a  solution  of  150  grains  of 
glue  in  about  two  gallons  of  water. 


t 


► 


THE  OOLOGIST.  125 

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t                                 ERNEST  H.  SHORT.  1 

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126  THE  OOLOGIST. 


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THE  OOLOGIST.  127 

NEW    POLICY 

Svibscribers,     Advertisers 

N  OTIC  E 


FIRST.  In  line  with  the  decision  recently  published  by  the  "Condor" 
and  for  the  same  reasons,  i  e.  That  the  provision  for  scientific  collecting 
under  the  Song  Bird  Law  did  not  contemplate  commercial  collecting. 

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128 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


72nd  Thousand  !       72nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDC 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of  North  American  Birxls  E8:Bfs,  and  with  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  American   BMs 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

This  is  a  popular  pocket  guide  and  text  book  to  ALL  THE  LAND  BIRDS  EAST 
OF  THE  ROCKIES,  from  the  Parrots  to  the  Bluebirds,     it  is  prepared  especially  for 

teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
any  other  Bird  Book: 

COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE. — ^ii  the  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  included.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  nests  and  eggs. 

SMALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
pocket,  measuring  but  3x5  inches.  200  pages,  bound 
in  flexible  sock  cloth  or  leather.  We  have  made  the 
price  of  the  book  as  low  as  possible  considering  the 
good  workmanship  and  material  that  is  used.  It  is  so 
low  that  anyone  can  afford  it,  but  no  one  can  afford  to 
be  without  it. 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR.  YOU 

Bound  in  flexible  sock  cloth,  postpaid 

SO  CENTS 

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Send  for  prospectus  of  Bird  Books  and  sample  copy  of  the  AMERICAN 
BIRD  MAGAZINE. 


CHAS.  K.  REED, 


WORCESTER..  MASS. 


The  Oologist. 

A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXIDERMY. 


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Vol.  XXV. 


No.  9. 


ALBION,  N.  Y.,  SEPT.,  1908. 


Whole  No.  254 


Take  Notice. 

Examine  tlio  number  following  your 
name  on  the  wrapper  of  this  month's 
■Oologi.st.  It  denotes  wiien  your  sub- 
scription  expired  or  will  expire. 

Remember     we     must     be     notified     it 
you    wish    paper    discontinued    and    all 
arrearage;    must    be    paid. 
254  your  subscription  expires  with  this  issue 
•2&7    •■  "  "  "         Dec.  1908 

Intermediate  numbers  can  easily  be 
determined.  If  we  have  you  crediteil 
wrong   we   wish    to   rectify. 

Entered  as  second-class  matter  De- 
cembed  21,  1903,  at  the  post  office,  at 
Albion.  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress of  March   3.   1^70. 

I  HAVE  FOR  EXCHAN(iE.-For  species 
new  to  my  collection.  Choice  sets  of  327,  'Mii. 
,"i5;{,  351.  354a,  3.58.1,  359.1,  362,  370a,  37fi,  .3S!I.  421, 
455,  744a,  7(i3.  etc.  THOMAS  H,  .JACKSON, 
304  N.  Franldiii  St.,  West  Chester,  Pa. 

FOR  SALE. -A  collection  of  Natural  His 
tory  specimens  catalogued  over  !fil2()().  Will 
sell  for  $3.50.  Fine  for  museum.  F.  T. 
COKLESS,  804  E.  14  X.,  Portland.  Or. 

.June  fi  t. 

WHO  will  furi'ish  me  with  first  class  sets 
of  10.  -.'8.67.  113.1.  116, 124, 167,  1!I6.  277,  and  a 
a52a,37i.  405.  4.55a.  4.53a.  463,  5  7,  566,  .574a,  5!)7a. 
627a.  660.  662.  724,  7.5sa.  and  a  whole  lot  more. 
A.  E.  Pi;iCK.  (iratit  Park.  III. S.  2.  t. 

W.VNTEI).— Fine  condition  se  s  with  data, 
<)2.  131  with  down,  161  with  down  242,  2.55.  261. 
Liberal  exchange  in  European.  .American, 
Iniliaii  and  others.  I';ggs.  skins,  etc.  CH.\S. 
.lEFFEltKVS,  Tctbury.  Olos.  Knglaiul.   S.3.t. 

How  would  some  line  mounted  North  Da- 
kota sr>et'im(!iis  suit  you '.'  I  would  like  to 
exchange  with  others  from  other  pai-ts  of  the 
country.  I>('t  me  hear  from  you.  SatisfMction 
guaranteed.  .MARTIN  M.  (iULLFSOX. Tax- 
idermist. Rutland.  N.  Dakota.  S.  3  t 

Bird  skins  and  a  few  sets  to  exchange  for 
sets  new  to  my  collectinn.  .Maiiv  common 
sets  wanted.  O.K.  BROWN,  !I0  Cniversity 
Street. 


THE  New  Series  of  "The  Bulletin"  con- 
tains particular.-*  of  Ornithological,  Oolog- 
jcal.  Entomological.  Ethnographical,  PjiI- 
edntological  and  Pre-historic  Specimens. 
Post  free  for  2  cent  stamp.  Pos  Cards  not 
replied  to.  Address,  The  "BULLKTIX,"  4 
Duke  St.,  Adelphi.  London  W.  C.  Kngland, 
Aug.  3.  t. 

WAXTED.— Warblers  and  (iuail  from  Ari- 
zona and  New  Mexico.  Please  write.  A. 
H.\LL,  14505  Detroit   Ave..  Lakewood.  Ohio. 

COLLECTORS. -I  want  to  get  acquainted 
with  Oologists,  Taxidermists  and  others  in- 
terested in  Ornithology.  Am  especially  in- 
terested in  taxidermy,  and  anything  you 
may  have  of  interest,  1  would  like  to  hear  of. 
Have  been  an  oologist  for  nine  years  and  am 
well  acquainted  with  bird  life  jn  this  country. 
Send  me  a  card  if  interested.  L.  V.  M  EDICUS, 
3002  Chestnut  St.,  K   C.  Mo. 

Bargains  ui  nicely  mounted  birds.  .Vlany 
species.  Also  new  relief  twenty  dollar  gold 
piece.  Roman  numerals.  $30.  List  for  stamp. 
A.  R.  S.NriTfl.  Edge  Hill,  Pa. 

Foi;  H:XCHAN(;K.-.Sets  of  12,  41.3a,  464, 
474g,4!l8f,517.-i,  540b,  554b,  .^)67b,  58le,  588lj,  607. 
(i2ila.  616a.  6.-.6.  725a,  728,  741,  Pugei.  So md  B'ish 
Tit.  7isa,  75S.  761a,  722a.  Want  especially  sets  of 
1S3,  204.  21N.  24i).  418,  486,  751a,  75  and  rare 
warblers  with  nests.  .1.  11.  P.OWLFS.  401 
South  (i.  S  ..  Tacoma.  Wash. 

Will  the  ;;entleman  who  wrote  me  from  the 
"I'in.er  Lakes'"  region  regarding  exchanging 
eggs  for  biitterfiies  please  write. igam.  l^eiter 
was  lost.  DaVID  K.  HAKOKEK,  Swarth- 
more.  Pa. 

I  have  for  exchange  rare  sets  of  south  Cali- 
fornia birds  eggs  with  data.  trade  by 
Lattin's  5tli  edition  siandard  catalogue. 
CIIAS.  S.  .MOO HE.  Texas  and  Monroe  Sts., 
•■■^an  Dieg(j.  ( 'alif. 

Photographic  Apparatus  and   Material. 

I  mi)i>rted  to  ordei-  at  less  than  usual  prices. 
Anastigniat  lens  a  s[)ecialty.  Pri(es  from 
$12.00  up.  Write  for  prices  and  descriptions 
stating  what  you  need. 

C.  E.  WEP.STEH. 
Nortti  'S'akima.  Wash. 


130 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


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THE  OOLOGIST. 


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i     VICTIM     OF     CIRCUMSTANCE. 

HE  wislijil  to  hold  iin   t  fiice, 
But  that  could  never  be. 
The  man  without  a  country 
Was  bettor  cff  than  he. 

HIS  views  upon  all  questions 
Wcri_  eminently  sound. 
Their  wisCum  could  be  never 
With  candidacy  crowned. 

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His  hearth  a  niDdel  sweet. 
His  bearing  in  a  crisis 
Appropriate  and  meet. 

WHY  could  he  not  be  chosen 
To  bear  his  party's  torch? 
He  lived  in  an  apartment 
And  hadn't  any  porch. 

— McLandburgh  Wilson. 


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jrfllS  a  little  thin.L 


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lips, 
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The  Oologist. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  9.  Albion,  N.  Y.  September,  1908.        Whole  No.  254 


THE    OOLOGIST, 

A    Monthly    Publication   Devoted   to 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXI- 
DERMY. 

FBAKK    H.    LATTIN,    Pa^Ushei, 

ALBION,    Ji.    Y. 

EBNEST    H.    SHOKT.    Editor    and    XaBacec. 

Correspondence  and  itemg  of  Interest  to  the 
■tndent  of  Birds,  their  Nests  and  Eggs,  solicited 
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SIDE-LIGHTS    ON    THE    RALLID/C. 


Some  of  the  following  anecdotes 
disclose  the  facts,  that  while  the 
rails  are  very  retiring,  and  seclusive 
in  their  habits,  they  are  not  so  shy 
and    timid    as   a   great   many   aquatic 


birds,  and  generally  speaking,  I 
should  say  they  were  rather  unsuspi- 
cious creatures. 

For  many  years  I  have  resided 
within  a  mile  of  their  haunts.  The 
marshes  and  sloughs  to  which  they 
confine  themselves  while  breeding, 
are  often  traversed  by  thoroughfares 
and  car-lines.  These  encroachments 
do  not  seem  to  effect  the  constant  re- 
turn, in  equal  numbers  annually,  of 
these  birds  which  might  well  be  term- 
ed the  connecting  link  between  land 
and  water  fowl. 

The  King  Rail  is  appropriately 
named  for  he  outshines  all  others  of 
his  tribe.  During  the  balmy  nights 
of  May  and  June,  it  is  not  an  uncom- 
mon occurrence  to  hear  one  of  these 
birds  about  the  door  yard,  a  mile  from 
his  actual  abode.  Frequently  they 
will  stand  under  an  el&ctric  light  and 
give  vent  to  their  clucking.  I  know 
of  one  instance,  wherein  one  of  these 
King  Rails  wandered  into  the  parlor 
of  a  private  residence  during  the 
early  morning  hours  when  the  doors 
were  ajar,  and  house-cleaning  was  in 
progress.  Generally  speaking,  the 
King  is  a  droll  bird,  and  some  of  his 
antico  during  courtship  are  on  a 
par  with  those  of  the  Flicker. 

The  Virginia  Rail  though  two-thirds 
smaller  than  the  King,  is  quite  similar 
in  habits  and  disposition.  He  seems 
very  fond  of  warbling  and  amusing 
himself  by  uttering  a  series  of  notes 
alternating  by  a  rising  and  falling 
inflection  of  the  voice.  The  song  of 
the  Red-eyed  Vireo  conveys  an  im- 
pression not  unlike  that  produced  by 
this  monologist. 

The  Sora  is  not  so  local  in  its  range 


134 


THE  OOLOGISl 


as  the  other  two  varieties  and  fre- 
quently wanders,  or  appears  out  of  its 
environments. 

Several  years  ago,  I  received  a  tele- 
phone call  at  my  office  one  morning, 
from  a  friend  whose  headquarters  are 
in  the  very  center  of  Chicago.  On 
entering  his  suite,  he  found  wander- 
ing about  the  room  cf  a  ten  story 
building,  one  of  these  Carolina  Rails. 
The  bird  manifested  no  fear  or  dis- 
comforture  in  association  of  human 
beings.  The  little  fellow  was  captur- 
ed and  placed  in  a  waste  basket  await- 
ing my  arrival. 

The  Sora  has  been  observed,  on 
prairies  about  farm  houses,  feeding  in 
company  with  chickens.  Their  flute- 
like notes  are  uttered  in  ascending 
scale,  after  the  manner  of  our  field 
sparrow. 

The  Florida  GaUinule  is  known  lo- 
cally as  the  Rice  Hen.  They  are  very 
wary  and  probably  the  noisiest  of  the 
family.  Frequenting  deeper  water 
than  the  true  Rail,  they  rarely  expose 
themselves  except  when  actually  flush- 
ed. Where  the  marshes  are  transvers- 
ed  with  telegraph  lines,this  bird  seems 
to  have  the  misfortune  of  flying 
against  the  wires  and  frequently  suf- 
fering fatal  injury. 

These  four  members  of  the  Ralli- 
dae  are  extremely  nocturnal  and  the 
discordant  sounds  issuing  from  their 
throats,  produce  as  much  confusion 
as  a  quantity  of  domestic  ducks, 
geese,  turkeys  and  chickens  together 
on  a  poultry  farm.  All  have  a  habit, 
especially  the  King,  of  postponing 
nest  building  until  the  eleventh  hour. 
I  have  found  a  single  egg  lying  in 
what  appeared  to  be  nothing  but  a 
very  small  mass  of  wet  vegetation. 
As  the  bird  continued  laying,  she  add- 
ed to  the  size  of  her  nest  and  when 
the  complete  compliment  of  eggs, 
ranging  from  seven  to  fourteen  are 
laid,  the  nest     is  found  to  be  a     well 


built  structure,  and  quite  compact 
for  a  bird  of  this  nature. 

In  seasons  of  heavy  rain  fall,  par- 
ticularly during  the  spring  of  1902,  I 
recall  vividly,  how  the  King  Rails, 
after  being  deprived  of  their  first  set- 
ting by  the  unusually  high  water  re- 
treated to  the  meadows  and  timothy 
fields.  In  a  radius  of  one-fourth  mile, 
I  found  six  nests,  during  the  last 
week  of  May.  The  sites  were  hill 
sides,  twenty-five  feet  above  the 
n]arsh  where  the  water  had  flooded 
their  first  abode. 

I  quote  a  few  extracts  from  my 
note  book  which  are  quite  becoming 
to  the  eccentric  disposition  of  the 
King  Rail. 

"May  11th,  1902,  found  nest  com- 
posed of  dead  rushes,  built  on  a  float- 
ing mass  cf  the  same  in  water  two 
feet  deep.  Location,  fifty  feet  in  the 
rear  of  barn  and  within  one  hundred 
yards  of  several  residences.  Bird 
swam  from  nest  which  contained  ten 
fresh  eggs.  May  25,  1902.  Female 
flushed  from  eggs.  Nest  compactly 
built  of  dry  grass  stems,  and  placed 
two  feet  from  the  ground  in  willow 
tree  situated  in  center  of  small  la- 
goon. Eggs  ten  and  perfectly  fresh. 
June  19th,  1902.  Female  lifted  from 
nest  containing  ten  incubated  eggs. 
Nest  dry  grass  and  slightly  hollowed. 
Location  on  ground  in  timothy  hay 
field,  twenty-five  yards  on  either  side 
of  Oak  Grove  or  Pond.  Four  nests 
within  radius  of  few  rods.  June  19th, 
1902.  Flushed  parent.  Nest  well  con- 
structed and  built  almost  entirely  of 
dead  oak  leaves.  Situated  in  same 
field  as  the  last  described  nest,  but 
nearer  to  the  grove  and  almost  under 
the  shelter  of  an  oak  tree. 

Typical  nests  of  the  King  Rail  are 
well  concealed  in  some  tussock  of 
rank  grass,  and  perhaps  not  to  exceed 
one  hundred  feet,  from  a  road,  or  car 
track. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


135 


The  King,  Virginia  and  Sora  Rails 
are  very  sociable  and  naturally  gre- 
garious. I  have  found  them  nesting 
in  colonies  and  this  is  particularly 
true  of  the  Sora.  The  latter  variety 
often  deposits  her  eggs  at  intervals 
of  more  than  one  day  apart.  A  com- 
plete set,  ranging  from  seven  to  four- 
teen eggs  vary  greatly  in  the  develop- 
ment of  their  contents.  Eggs  of  this 
variety  show  greater  variation  than 
the  products  of  the  other  Rallidae. 

Many  domicles  of  the  Virginia  are 
adeptly  concealed,  under  the  weather 
beaten  masses  of  marsh  grass.  They 
can  be  found  only  l)y  uncovering  the 
last  year's  growth,  as  you  make  your 
way  through  the  vegetation. 

These  nests  are  reached  by  the 
birds  in  a  round  about  way.  A  little 
tunnel  seems  to  exist  which  permits 
a  bird  to  vacate  her  nest  without  be- 
ing seen  by  the  observer  until  she  is 
at  a  point  perhaps  twelve  feet  from 
her  treasures 

This  trait  is  most  characteristic  of 
the  Virginia.  The  King,  or  Red-breast- 
ed Rail  invariably  weaves  a  canopy 
over  her  nest,  but  the  artificial  meth- 
od employed  thus  can  be  detected  by 
a  trained  eye  many  yards  away,  and 
is  only  a  tell  tale  sign,  to  the  collec- 
tor, but  probably  serves  its  purpose 
in  concealing  the  sitting  bird  from 
raptores  and  is  also  a  relief  from  the 
beating  rays  of  the  noon-day  sun. 

The  Carolina  Rail  and  Florida  Gal- 
linule  construct  their  nests  very 
much  along  the  same  lines  and  choose 
situations  quite  similar.  Typical 
nests  of  both  the  later  varieties  have 
the  characteristic  run-ways  or  path 
leading  over  the  edge  of  the  nest  in- 
to the  shallow  water.  This  path  is 
constructed  from  the  same  material  as 
the  nest  proper.  The  larger  bird, 
swims  quietly  from  her  eggs,  when 
disturbed.  The  Sora  exits  quietly 
on    foot.       Occasionally      I   have   met 


with  the  little  Yellow  Rail  whose  eggs 
are  by  far,  the  handsomest  of  marsh 
birds.  A  set  of  nine  in  my  collection 
are  marked  exclusively  and  en- 
tirely on  the  large  end  with  lavender, 
heliotrope  and  hrown.  The  back 
ground  for  a  space  not  to  exceed  one- 
half  inch  in  diameter  is  completely 
hidden  by  this  beautiful  combination 
of  specks.  The  immaculate  portion 
of  deep  cream,  almost  approaching  a 
salmon  tint. 

I  have  never  had  the  fortune  of 
personally  disclosing  a  nest  of  this 
bird,  nor  can  I  claim  such  an  ac- 
quaintance with  the  still  smaller  and 
rarer  Black  Rail.  The  latter  variety 
is  represented  in  my  collection  by  a 
set  of  8  eggs,  light  cream  in  color, 
dotted  evenly  over  the  entire  surface, 
though  rather  sparingly,  with  mark- 
ing of  dark  brown. 

Gerard   Alan   Abbott. 


Bird   Notes  from   El    Rancho,  Va. 


Migration  is  now  in  full  swing, 
Kingbirds,  Orioles,  Swallows,  Swifts, 
Purple  Martins  and  Grosbeaks  have 
left  us.  Nighthawks,  Bobolinks, 
Coopers,  Red-tailed  and  Sharp-shin- 
ned Hawks  are  passing  through  and 
these  moonlight  nights,  one  can  hear 
at  any  time  the  notes  of  birds  pass- 
ing overhead,  the  loudest,  but  not 
most  attractive,  that  of  the  Night 
Heion.  From  Sunday,  Aug.  23nl  un- 
til the  29th  we  had  almost  continual 
rain. 

The  Purple  Martins  seemed  to  suf- 
fer most — the  young  seeking  shelter 
from  the  wet  in  almost  any  sheltered 
place.  The  Martin  box  on  the  front 
lawn  made  a  fine  shelter  for  them  and 
was  sometimes  literally  covered  with 
bii-ds — while  inside,  the  twelve  holes 
were  filled.  On  the  porches  of  the 
box  on  the  protected  side  they  sat 
huddled   closely   together   the   greater 


136 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


part  of  each  clay  and  seemed  to  have 
stopped  migrating,  but  Saturday  the 
29th  in  the  afternoon  the  sun  came 
out  and  soon  all  had  disappeared.  Al- 
though the  nights  are  now  cool,  the 
Chuck  wills  Widow  and  Whip-poor- 
wills  are  still  with  us.  The  berries 
on  the  black  gum,  holley  and  dog- 
wood trees  are  abundant  this  year,  all 
serving  as  excellent  food  for  the  Rob- 
ins and  Flickers  during  their  stay  in 
this  section.  A  late  pair  of  Ospreys  in 
my  back  woods  still  have  young  un- 
able to  fly.  They  must  hurry  or  frosty 
nights  will  catch  them  ere  they  can 
fish  for  themselves. 

H.  H.   Bailey. 


Denver,  Colo.,  May  13,  190S. 
Editor    "The    Oologist", 

Dear  Sir, 

In  the  April  Oologist  the  Rev.  P.  B. 
Peabody  takes  occasion  to  criticize 
the  Condor  and  also  the  well  known 
scientist,  Mr.  E.  R.  Warren,  of  Colo- 
rado Springs,  in  connection  with  an 
alleged  incorrect  statement  regard- 
ing the  nesting  habits  of  the  Arkan- 
sas Kingbird. 

He  concludes  his  criticism  with 
these  words  "Now  in  the  two  cases 
here  given  the  birds  in  question  be- 
yond the  vestige  of  a  doubt  were  Say's 
Phoebes.  The  Western  Kingbird  has 
never  been  proven  to  nest  in  this 
manner,  etc." 

Upon  what  facts  or  authority  Mr. 
Peabody  bases  this  unequivocal  state- 
ment would  be  interesting  to  know, 
but  to  one  who  is  intimately  acquaint- 
ed with  the  habits  of  Tyrranus  ver- 
ticalis,  his  lack  of  information  on  this 
subject  is  certainly  surprising,  es- 
pecially for  one  of  his  standing  in 
Ornithological  matters. 

Mr.  Peabody's  statement  that  the 
Western  (or  Arkansas)  Kingbird  has 
never  been  proven  to  nest  in  the  man- 
ner   mentioned    is    hardlv    tenable    in 


the  face  of  standard  authorities. 
Davies  mentions  a  number  of  various 
nesting  sites,  including  fence  posts, 
frame  work  of  a  windmill,  cornice  of 
a  house,  etc.,  while  Bendire,  quoting 
;Mr.  Wm.  G.  Smith  one  of  the  most 
careful  and  accurate  Colorado  observ- 
ers says  that  they  "nest  occasionally 
on  ledges"  and  further  gives  numer- 
ous instances  of  similar  nesting  sites. 
These  two  authorities  alone  are  with- 
out doubt  stifficient  to  "prove"  almost 
any  point  upon  which  they  both  agree 
perfectly,  and  a  close  study  of  their 
opinions  oh  this  question  will  be' 
much  more  conclusive  than  anything 
I  might  say  on  the  subject. 

The  writer's  intimate  acquaintance 
with  T.  verticalis  has  extended  over 
a  period  of  ten  years  and  covers  not 
only  eastern  and  western  Colorado, 
but  also  numerous  localities  in  Utah, 
Nevada,  Idaho  and  Oregon,  and  I 
have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that 
throughout  this  vast  stretch  of  coun- 
try, the  Western  Kingbird  nests  fully 
as  often  about  buildings,  fences,  etc., 
as  it  does  in  trees,  and  this  is  not  the 
result  of  examining  a  few  nests  only, 
for  I  have  literally  seen  hundreds  of 
nests  in  the  past  several  years. 

Throtighout  western  Colorado,  Ne- 
vada and  Idaho  it  is  seldom  indeed 
that  a  stockyard,  or  corral  is  to  be 
found  without  one  or  more  pairs  of 
these  birds  nesting  in  one  of  the 
many  nooks  perfectly  suited  to  their 
needs.  In  the  prairie  region  of  east- 
eirn  Colorado  windmills  are  a  favorite 
nesting  site,  and  in  the  mountainous 
portions  of  the  state  a  large  majority 
of  the  abandoned  cabins  ftirnishes  a 
nesting  site  for  these  birds. 

I  have  fotind  their  nests  many  times 
between  the  two  upright  posts  of  a 
pole  fence  immediately  adjoining 
heavily  timbered  ground  and  there 
can  be  no  possible  question  but  what 
sitr-s  of  this  kind  or  about  buildings 


THB  OOLOOIST. 


137 


are  selected  through  choice  and  not 
through  lack  of  suitable  trees  for 
nesting  purposes. 

Among  all  the  birds  with  which  the 
state  of  Colorado  is  blessed  there  is 
no  species  (including  even  the  Say's 
Phoebe)  which  varies  so  greatly  in 
its  choice  of  a  nesting  site  as  T.  ver- 
ticalis  and  as  I  have  been  unable  to 
detect  any  difference  in  the  habits  of 
Colorado,  Utah,  Idaho  and  Xevada 
birds  it  is  very  surprising  that  Mr. 
Peabody  has  failed  to  observe  these 
characteristic  traits  of  such  an  abun- 
dant bird. 

Respectfully, 
Robt.  B.  Rockwell, 
Associate   Editor   The    Condor. 
Colorado  Springs,  Colo.  May  21,  190S. 


Editor,  The  Oologist, 

Dear  Sir. — 

Mr.  Robert  B.  Rockwell  has  called 
my  attention  to  Mr.  Peabody's  com- 
munication in  the  April  Oologist,  and 
his  criticism  on  my  remarks  of  cer- 
tain nesting  sites  of  Ti/rainius  vctiea- 
//•<(.  Mr.  Rockwell  also  sent  for  my 
approval  the  manuscript  of  the  reply 
to  Mr.  Peabody  which  accompanies 
this.  At  first  I  thought  I  would  ask 
him  not  to  send  it,  preferring  to  fight 
my  own  battles,  but  as  on  reading  it 
I  found  so  much  information  on  the 
nesting  of  this  bird  I  thought  better 
of  it.  and  only  write  this  short  note 
to  affirm  what  I  said  in  my  Condor 
article. 

The  nest  in  the  adobe  cliff  was 
found  by  my  assistant,  J.  W.  Frey, 
when  fishing  in  Fortification  Creek, 
near  Craig,  Routt  county,  Colo.,  and 
who  called  my  attention  to  it.  Both 
of  us  saw  the  parent  birds  and  they 
were  Western  Kingbirds,  and  not 
Say's  Phoebes,  as  Mr.  Peabody 
guesses.  They  were  Yellow-breasted 
Kingbird  whose  outer  tail  feathers 
had  a  distinct  whitish  edging,  and 
this  was  also  the  case  with  the  birds 


which  had  the  nest  on  the  ridgepole 
of  a  cabin.  The  nest,  was  almost  di- 
rectly over  the  door  of  the  cabin,  and 
we  camped  in  that  cabin  three  days 
and  had  abundant  opportunity  to  ob- 
serve the  birds.  I  will  say  that  I 
have  lived  in  Colorado  nearly  twenty- 
seven  years,  and  have  known  both 
the  Phoebe  and  the  Kingbird  most  of 
that  time,  and  I  knew  something 
about  birds  before  I  came  here,  hav- 
ing collected  and  studied  in  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Edward  R.  Warren. 


WE   NOTE 

That  our  old  correspondent,  Chas. 
W.  Bowman,  now  writes  from  De- 
witt.  P.  O.,  Calif. 

As  many  of  our  friends  have  en- 
quired for  Mr.  Bowman  in  the  last 
four  years  we  thought  this  item 
might  be  of  interest. 

Dr.  M.  T.  Cleckley,  of  Augusta,  Ga.. 
reports  considerable  damage  to  his 
collection  by  the  recent  flood. 

The  regular  yearly  number  of  "'The 
Warbler"  comes  to  hand  from  John 
Lewis  Childs.  It  is  notable  as  contain- 
ing a  complete  catalogue  of  the 
Childs  Library   of   Natural   History. 

A  pair  of  Orchard  Orioles  reared  a 
brood  of  young  the  past  season  in  a 
pine  tree  in  the  door-yard  of  W.  C. 
Yoke  near  Chili  Center,  Monroe  Co.. 
X.  Y. 

My  second  record  of  this  bird  for 
Western  New  York. 

Editor. 


To  the  Editor  of  The  Oologist. 

Dear  Sir: — As  to  Warbling  Vireb 
singing  on  the  nest  my  experience  is 
the  same  as  yours.  I  have  found  many 
Warbling  Vireos  nests  by  going  out 
early  in  the  morning  and,  guided  bj- 
the  song,  find  the  bird  on  the  nest 
singing.  I  think  that  it  would  be  safe 
to  say  that  it  always  sings  on  the 
nest.  I  do  not  know  which  bird  does 
the  singing,  but  think  that  the  male 
takes  a  turn  at  sitting  in  the  early 
morning,  and  that  it  is  he  that  does 
the  singing. 

\T:RDI  BURTCH. 

Branchport,  X.  Y. 


138 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


The  Editor  Has  Lately  Noted 


First — A  Black-crowned  Night-Heron 
flew  over  our  liead  one  smoky,  foggy 
morning  in  mid-September.  A  very 
rare  bird  in  Western  New  York. 

Second — In  a  neglected  school 
yard  on  Sept.  14th  1  found  an  Olive- 
backed  Thrush  that  was  a  victim  of 
some  unexplained  accident.  The  right 
wing  had  been  thrown  clear  forward 
so  that  the  -bird's  head  protruded  be- 
tween the  three  outer  primaries  and 
the  balance  of  the  wing.  The  bird 
was  unable  to  fly  and  could  not  ex- 
tricate itself  from  the  embarassing 
predicament. 

Glad  I  happened  along  before  Mr. 
Tom  Cat.  On  drawing  the  wing  fur- 
ther forward  the  bird  promptly  drew 
its  head  out  and  flew  away  and  a 
tragedy  was  averted. 

Third — New  York  State  gives  the 
New  Pheasant  Law  its  first  trial  next 
month;  This  law  allows  a  licensed 
hunter  to  kill  male  Pheasants  every 
Saturday  and  Thursday  in  October 
provided  he  only  kills  a  total  of  3 
birds  in  the  month.  He  is  to  report 
his  take  to  his  city  or  town  clerk  in 
a  sworn  affidavit  and, — shades  of 
Blackstone, — this  patched  up  freak 
finally  asserts  that  "the  burden  of 
proof  shall  rest  entirely  with  accus- 
sed"  in  case  of  any  claim  of  violation. 
Suppose  a  man  hunts  alone  and  kills 
a  Pheasant  can  he  be  certain  that  he 
can  prove  to  everyone's  satisfaction 
that  he  did  so  legally?  In  Mexico,  I 
am  told  they  hold  a  man  dishonest 
until  he  proves  the  contrary.  Is  that 
rule   becoming  infectious? 

Fourth — Let  no  reader  of  the  Oolo- 
gist  who  buys  or  exchanges  speci- 
mens of  any  kind  forget  that  the  mat- 
ter of  Postal  reforms  in  an  indirect 
issue  in  the  present  political  cam- 
paign that  must  possess  a  live  inter- 
est for  him  since  nothing  but  the  at- 


titude   of    our   last    Senate    stands    in 
the  way. 

Must  we  have  a  Hughes  to  whip 
them  into  line  or  must  we  dispense 
with  them? 

Fifth — Several  parties  are  evidently 
getting  into  line  for  our  "Black  List. ' 

We  would  particularly  warn  the 
two  gentlemen  in  N.  W.  Canada  that 
they  must  "hurry  up." 

E.  H.   Short. 

Large    Sets   of    Merula    Migrator!    Pro- 
pinqua;   Western   Robin. 


As  large  sets  of  the  Robin  either 
M.  migratoria  or  M  .m.  propinqua  are 
rare  the  following  notes  may  be  of  in- 
terest to  some  oologists: 

On  April  29,  of  the  present  season, 
I  found  a  nest  of  the  Western  Robin, 
placed  twelve  feet  up  in  a  small  Fir, 
containing  five  fresh  eggs.  The  nest 
was  a  little  larger  than  usual  with  less 
mud  and  more  grass  and  weed  stems. 
The  five  eggs  are  perfectly  uniform 
in  size  and  shade  and  are  without 
doubt  laid  by  one  bird. 

Set  No.  2  is  still  better.  On  June 
1.5,  one  of  our  neighbors  told  me  there 
was  a  Robin's  nest  in  her  back  yard 
and  if  I  wanted  the  eggs  to  come  over. 
I  jokingly  remarked  that  if  it  contain- 
ed 5  eggs  I  certainly  would  like  it.  On 
•June  20  great  to  my  surprise  and  al- 
so delight  the  little  girl  from  our 
neighbor's  house  come  in  and  told  me 
her  Robin's  nest  had  six  eggs  in  it. 
Xeedless  to  say  I  got  excited  at  once 
and  upon  climbing  the  tree  saw  the 
six  eggs  all  perfectly  uniform  and 
slightly  larger  than  average  Robin 
eggs.  That  was  Set  No.  2  added  to 
my  rarities. 

Set  No.  3.  On  June  22nd  the  same 
liair  that  gave  be  the  set  of  six  start- 
ed building  a  new  nest  in  an  apple 
tree  within  twenty  feet  of  the  first 
nest  and  on  July  1  had  three  eggs.     I 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


139 


left  on  a  fishing  trip  and  upon  return- 
ing July  10  went  over  to  investigate 
the  Robins  doings.  The  nest  contain- 
ed five  eggs  of  the  same  type  as  Set 
No.  2,  but  were  too  far  advanced  to 
save.  This  pair  of  Robins  was  watch- 
ed every  day,  by  a  young  lady  inter- 
ested in  birds  and  we  both  are  posi- 
tive the  eggs  were  laid  by  one  bird. 

I  had  never  seen  a  set  of  more  than 
four  eggs  of  either  the  common  Robin 
or  our  Western  variety  before,  al- 
though I  have  examined  and  talven 
notes  on  about  three  hundred  nests 
in  Oregon  and  Washington  in  the 
past  five  years  and  have  also  collected 
a  good  many  sets  in  (New  Brunswick, 
Canada,)  cf  the  eastern  Robin.  This 
ssason  has  certainly  been  a  red  let- 
ter year  with  the  Robins'  nests  for 
me.  In  some  future  paper  the  writer 
hopes  to  tell  some  of  the  readers  of 
the  "Oologist"  about  the  Black-throat- 
ed Gray  Warblers  he  found  this  sum- 
mer. 

Yours  truly, 

Stanley  G.  Jewett, 
Portland,   Oregon. 


Gave   Him   All    the   Lot. 

"So  that  is  your  final  word?'"  said  the 
rejected  cue.  "^'ery  well,  then,  Ara- 
bella lu  your  presence  I  will  end  the 
life  you  have  blighted." 

He  drew  forth  a  small  bottle  la- 
beled "Poison,"  drank  off  the  contents 
and  fell  senseless  at  her  feet.  Did  she 
sink  beside  him  sobbing  with  remorse? 
No.  She  hastily  left  the  room  and  in 
two  minutes  had  returned  and  was 
kneeling  beside  him.  Then  she  forced 
between  his  lips  the  following:  Half  a 
cup  of  turpentine,  one  pint  of  milk,  a 
cup  of  warm  soapsuds,  a  tablespoonful 
of  aromatic  ammonia,  a  cup  of  black 
coffee,  a  gkiss  of  mustard  and  water, 
a  gill  of  vinegar,  the  juice  cf  a  lemon, 
the  beaten  whites  of  six  eggs  and  one 
cup  of  flour  and  water. 

"Algernon."  she  observed  coldly  as 
he  slowlj-  opened  his  eyes,   "it  is  evi- 


dent you  had  forgotten  that  I  am  a 
graduate  of  a  correspondence  course 
m  first  aid.  My  one  regret  is  that,  as 
I  could  not  on  the  instant  ascertain 
whether  you  had  taken  an  acid  or  an 
alkali,  I  was  compelled  to  administer 
all  the  antidotes  I  had  learned."— Lon- 
don Scraps. 

A  Picture  Romance. 
It  is  said  that  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful ladies  in  French  society  today 
was  first  revealed  to  her  husband  on 
the  walls  of  the  salon.  It  was  while 
visiting  the  salon  in  1S78  that  the 
youthful  Marquis  de  C.  was  sti'uck  by 
the  childish  beauty  of  a  young  girl, 
one  of  the  prominent  figures  in  a  pic- 
ture of  a  village  fete.  Her  tumbled 
golden  locks,  her  dancing  blue  eyes 
and  the  freshness  and  graceful  aban- 
don of  her  figure  so  fascinated  him 
that  he  sought  out  the  artist  and  learn- 
ed from  him  that  the  "little  w^itch" 
was  the  daughter  of  a  poor  peasant 
near  Avranches,  where  the  picture  was 
painted.  To  seek  out  the  peasant  and 
to  make  the  acqiiaintance  of  his  fas- 
cinating daughter,  child  of  nine  sum- 
mers, was  soon  accomplished,  and  the 
marquis  lost  his  heart  even  more  com- 
pletely to  the  real  than  to  the  pictured 
maid.  With  the  father's  approval  he 
had  the  girl  educated  at  one  of  the 
best  schools  in  Paris,  and  nine  years 
later,  on  her  eighteenth  birthday,  the 
maid  of  the  village  fete  blossomed 
Into  the  still  more  lovely  Marquise 
de  C. 


How  to  Scale  Fish  Properly. 
When  sculiui''  lish  hold  them  under 
water  in  a  dishpau.  The  scales  will 
not  lly  all  over  if  this  is  done,  but 
will  fall  to  the  bottom  of  the  pan. 
When  the  water  has  been  poured  off  of 
them  they  can  easily  be  transferred 
into  the  garbage  pail.  The  kitchen 
will  1 1!.'  free  from  the  scales,  which  fly 
about  if  the  fish  is  scaled  in  the  ordi- 
nary way.  and  a  great  deal  of  extra 
and  troublesome  labor  is  saved.  Dip- 
ping the  fish  in  boiling  water  for  a 
moment  and  then  into  cold  will  make 
the  scales  come  off  without  trouble  or 
delay. 


140 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


How  to  Test  DresG  Gocdc. 
Of  The  goods  sold  as  "all  wool"  there 
is  not  one-tenth  that  is  genuine.  Gen- 
erally the  main  component  is  cotton. 
The  test  for  this  is  simple.  All  that  is 
necessary  is  to  pull  out  a  few  threads 
and  apply  a  lighted  match.  Cotton 
will  go  off  in  a  blaze;  wool  will  shrivel 
up.  To  distinguish  pure  linen  from 
counterfeit  is  even  easier.  The  in- 
tended buyer  need  but  wet  her  finger 
and  apply  it  lo  the  goods.  If  they  are 
pure  linen,  the  moisture  Avill  pass 
straight  through.  The  spot  touched 
will  be  soaked  at  once,  and  almost  im- 
mediately one  side  will  be  as  wet  as 
the  other.  Frauds  are  more  numerous 
in  silk  than  in  any  other  fabric,  but 
here  also  the  material  of  adulteration 
is  cotton.  Its  presence  can  readily  be 
discovered.  Draw  a  fev/  threads  out. 
The  pieces  of  cotton  will  en;ip  off  short 
when  pulled,  while  the  silk  will  stretch 
and  permit  a  considerable  pull  before 
breaking. 


Hew  to  Get  Cinders  Out  of  Eyes. 

When  travelers  will  open  car  win- 
dows instead  of  leaving  them  dov.n, 
as  all  the  wise  ones  do,  there  is  the 
constant  danger  of  cinders,  which  ir- 
ritate the  eyeball  Those  who  travel 
two  or  three  times  a  day  on  the  train; ■• 
find  that  their  eyes  are  in  a  bad  con- 
dition about  this  time  of  the  yer.r. 
He!'e  is  a  good  bit  of  .advice  from  one 
who  knows:  Restrain  the  impulse  to 
rub  the  eye  and  insert  a  flat  linseed 
in  the  corner  of  the  eye.  Close  the 
lids  and  the  seed  will  slide  painlessly 
around  the  eyeball  and  soon  come  out 
at  the  other  corner,  bringing  the  cinder 
with  it.  The  best  part  of  this  remedy 
is  that  it  does  not  leave  any  chance 
of  inflammation.  The  oil  of  the  seed 
covers  the  eyeball  and  takes  out  all  ir- 
ritation. It  is  advisable  for  those  who 
use  the  trains  constantly  to  carry  a 
few  of  these  seeds  in  the  pocketbook. 


blood  vessels  of  the  brain.  In  many 
persons  fainting  never  goes  so  far  as 
a  loss  of  consciousness  or  loss  of  con- 
trol of  the  limbs.  And  in  these  the 
sudden  weakness  is  often  brought  to 
an  end  by  a  sneeze  caused  by  nature 
herself  without  any  external  aid.  A 
grain  or  two  of  pepper,  snuff  or  tobac- 
co introduced  into  the  nose  or  tickling 
its  interior  lightly  will  usually  insure 
a  sneeze.  These  simple  procedures  or 
others  similar  in  character  may  prove 
invaluable  when  smelling  salts  and 
other  elegant  aids  are  absent. 


How  to  Preserve  Pretty  Feet. 
A  perfect  foot  is  a  great  rarity,  and 
so  is  a  pretty  foot.  While  it  is  not 
possible  for  one  to  obtain  a  perfect 
foot,  one  can  cultivate  a  pretty  foot. 
One  should  be  just  as  dainty  in  the 
care  of  the  foot  as  of  the  hand.  The 
toes  should  not  be  cramped  and 
squeezed  until  they  are  crooked  in 
shape  and  overlap  one  another.  The 
foot  should  be  as  white  as  any  other 
part  of  the  body,  but  the  heel  and  the 
tips  of  the  toes  should  be  rosy  and 
pink.  Callouses  and  hard  spots  should 
be  rubbed  away  with  a  piece  of  toilet 
pumice.  It  requires  but  little  care  to 
keep  the  feet  soft,  white  and  dainty. 


How  to  Remove  Iron  Rust. 
Iron  rust  may  be  removed  from 
clothing  by  holding  the  stained  spot 
over  a  bowl  of  water  to  which  a  little 
ammonia  has  been  added  and  applying 
with  a  small  glass  rod  or  a  little  piece 
of  wood  18  per  cent  muriatic  acif?.  The 
Instant  the  stain  disappears  irtimerse 
the  spot  in  the  water,  thereby  prevent- 
ing the  acid  from  changing  the  texrcive 
of  the  goods.  Before  using  the  muri- 
atic acid  it  is  best  to  test  it  on  one  cor- 
ner of  the  goods. 


How   to   Cure    Fainting    Spells. 
There  is  no   more  sure  cure  for  an 
attack     of    faintness    than     a    hearty 
sneeze.    It  immediately  stimulates  t 


How  to   Mend   Breaks  In   Plaster. 

For  breaks  in  plaster  mix  together 
one-lialf  pint  powdered  lime,  one  gill 
plaster  of  paris  and  cold  water  to 
make  a  thick  paste.  Fill  the  holes 
with  this  and  smooth  the  surface  with 
a  knife,  working  quickly.  Mix  only  a 
little  at  a  time,  as  it  hardens  rapidly. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


141 


BARGAINS 


IN 


DATA 


BLANKS 


In  printing  our  "Standard  Cata- 
logue" we  had  a  lot  of  Datas  printed 
on  what  would  otherwise  have  been 
waste  paper  and  have  decided  to  give 
our  patrons  the  benefit  of  our  gain. 

We  can  furnish  five  (5)  styles  and 
will  send  prepaid,  your  choice,  at 
12c.  per  100  of  $1  per  1000.  The  small- 
est size  or  No.  1,  at  10c.  per  100  or 
75c.  per  1000.  Special  rates,  any 
style,  on  5,000  or  10,000  lots. 

Send     1c.     stamp     for 
sheet  of  sample  styles 

Quotations   Good   for   this   lot  and    Un- 
til  Present  Stock  is  Exhausted  Only 

Address  as  you  prefer  either 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
or   FRANK   H.    LATIN,   Albion,   N.   Y. 


Prices   for   Back  Numbers   of  the 
YOUNG    00L0<t1ST   AND    THE    OOLOGIST 

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Prices  for   (907-08  Are  as  Follows: 
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Vol.  VI,   1889,  Nos.   39  to  50 75 

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For  $5.25  I  will  .send  prepaid  a  copy  of 
every  issue  published,  Nos.  1  to  209, 
inclusive,  except  the  twenty-nine,  (29). 
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For  $250  I  will  send  prepaid  every 
copy  published,  Nos.  1  to  209,  inclusive, 
except  the  sixty  copies  priced  above  at 
10c   or   over. 

—  BOUiND  VOLUMES  — 
Can   be   furnished,   strongly   bound   In  cloth  nnd 
hoard.s,    as    follow= : 
Vol.   I   and   II   YOUNG  OOLOGIST  bound  In 

one   volume $1.00 

Vol.  IX.  The  OOLOGIST  for  '92,  208  pages 
of  valuable  and  instructive  Oologlcal 
and    Ornithological    matter    with    many 

full    page    illustrations, $1.00 

Or.  if  you  order  tlie  two  volumes  at  one  time, 
we  will  send  them  by  return  mail  for  only 
$1.7.'5.  Every  student  of  birds,  their  nests  anil 
eggs,  should  have  these  two  volumes  in  their 
library.  The  valuable  Information  they  contain. 
Is  worth  many  times  the  price. 
Address     plainly, 

ERNEST  H.   SHORT. 

Manaerer    of   Oologist. 

CHILI,     N.     Y. 


TFIE  OOLOGIST. 


How  to  Keep  Cut  Fruix  Fresh. 
Often  a  housewife  does  not  wish  to 
use  the  whole  of  a  fruit  or  vegetable 
at  once,  and  in  such  cases  as  these  the 
problem  arises  as  to  how  the  fruit  can 
be  kept  fresh  after  it  has  been  cut. 
Often  a  watermelon,  pineapple  or  cu- 
cumber is  too  large  for  one  meal,  and 
one  wishes  to  Icnow  how  to  keep  the 
remainder  fresh.  This  can  be  done  by 
cutting  the  amount  you  wish  to  use 
straight  across  one  end  without  first 
peeling  it  and  then  standing  the  re- 
mainder of  the  fruit  flat  down  on  a 
china  plate  or  enameled  dish  of  suffi- 
cient size  that  no  air  can  penetrate  be- 
tween the  dish  and  the  fruit.  The  fruit 
should  be  stood  on  the  cut  end.  Never 
use  a  tin  dish  for  standing  it  on. 


How  to   Keep   Food  at   Its   Best. 
Green    vegetables   should    be   put   in 
the  Icebox  as  soon  as  they  are  deliv- 
ered.    Salad  greens  should  be  thrown 
into  water  or  wrapped  in  a  damp  cloth 


and  theu  in  newspaper  and  left  in  the 
air  If  they  are  not  to  be  used  imme- 
diately. Proper  receptacles  of  glass  or 
tin  should  be  provided  for  the  cereals, 
and  they  should  be  emptied  where  they 
belong  at  once  and  closely  covered  to 
prevent  insects  g<'tting  in  them.  Cof- 
fee should  go  at  once  into  an  air  tight 
canister  or  it  will  lose  its  aroma.  Salt, 
soap  and  cheese  should  be  kept  in  a 
dry  place,  and  olive  oil  should  be  kept 
cool. 


How  to  Make  Linoleum. 
A  good,  strong  linoleum  may  be  made 
from  old  brussels  carpet  that  has  not 
been  worn  through.  Tack  the  carpet 
right  side  down  on  the  floor  and  then 
apply  paint,  giving  it  a  large  number 
of  coats,  the  last  few  coats  to  be  of 
the  desired  color,  allowing  each  coat 
to  dry  well.  If  the  paint  begins  to 
wear  apply  a  fresh  coat  of  paint.  The 
effect  of  mosaic  tile  may  be  produced 
by  dotting  the  last  coat  with  differ'^nt 
colors  of  paiii<- 


Out    May    1906 

A  NEW  UP-TO-DATE 

Check  List  of  Norlli  American  Birds 

Contains  all  new  additions  and  changes  to  A.  O.  U-  list 
arranged  according  to  A.  O.  U.  Nomenclature  and  giving  both 
common  and  scientific  names.      i6  pages  on  good  paper. 


i 


3c  each. 


R  R  I  C  E 

30c  per  dozen. 


$2.00  per  hundred 


ADDRESS 

OOLOGIST,  Albion,  N.  Y.    or    ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Chili,  N.  Y. 


-♦-  ♦^  «'   ♦ 


THE  OOLOGIST.  143 

NEW    POLICY 

Svibscribers,     Advertisers 

N  OTIC  E 


FIRST.  In  line  with  the  decision  recently  published  by  the  "Condor'^ 
and  for  the  same  reasons,  i  e.  That  the  provision  for  scientific  collecting 
under  the  Song  Bird  Law  did  not  contemplate  commercial  collecting. 

The  Publisher  and  Manager  of  this  paper,  the  "Oologist,"  hereby 
announce  that,  beginning  November  last,  they  will,  hereafter  decline 
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whose  subscriptions  are  fully  paid  in  advance. 

All  premium  offers  except  as  printed  in  this  issue  or  hereafter  are 
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who  are  in  arrears  and  those  who  have  not  settled  in  accordance  with 
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Canadian  Subscribers  Notice.  Owing  to  the  increased  Canadian 
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scriptions unless  accompanied  by  12  cents  per  year  extra. 

F.  H.  LATTIN.  E.  H.  SHORT, 

Publisher.  MaLnacger. 


144 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


72nd  Thousand  !       72nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDE. 

By  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of  North   American  Birds  Eggs,  and  witti  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  American   Birds 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

This  is  a  popular  pocket  guide  and  text  book  to  ALL  THE  LAND  BIRDS  EAST 
■OF  THE  ROCKIES,  from  the  Parrots  to  the  Bluebirds.     It  is  prepared  especially  for 

teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
any  other  Bird  Book: 

COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE. — All  the  \and  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  included.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  ne-ts  and  eggs. 

SMALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
pocket,  measuring  but  3x5  inches.  200  pages,  bound 
in  flexible  sock  cloth  or  leather.  We  have  made  the 
price  of  the  book  as  low  as  possible  considering  the 
good  workmanship  and  material  that  is  used.  It  is  so 
low  that  anyone  can  afford  it,  but  no  one  can  afford  to 
be  without  it. 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR.  YOU 

Bound  in  flexible  sock  cloth,  postpaid 

30  CE  NTS 

Five  cloth  bound  copies  for  $2.00  postpaid 

Bound  in  flexible  leather,  75cts.     Five  copies  for  $3.00  postpaid. 

We  want  agents  in  every  city,  town  and  school.  Good  commissions. 
Send  for  prospectus  of  Bird  Books  and  sample  copy  of  the  AMERICAN 
BIRD  MAGAZINE. 


CHAs.  K.  ree:d. 


WORCESTER.  MASS. 


The  OoLOGiST 

A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXIDERMY. 


WANTS,  FOR  SALES  AND  EXCHANGES. 

Brief  Special  announcements  "  Wants,"  "  Exchanges."  "  For  Sales."  inserted  in  this  de- 
•nartment  for  25  cents  per  25  words.  Notices  over  25  words  charged  at  the  rate  of  1-2  cent  for 
each  additional  word.    No  notice  inserted  for  less  than  25  cents.    Terms,  cash  with  order. 

Strictly  first-class  specimens  will  be  accepted  in  payment  at  1-3  list  rates. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  10. 


ALBION,  N.  Y.,  OCT.,  1908. 


Whole  No.  255 


Take  Notice. 

Examine  the  number  following  your 
name  on  the  wrapper  of  this  month's 
Oologist.  It  denotes  when  your  sub- 
scription expired  or  will  expire. 

Remember    we    must     be    notified    if 
you    wish    paper    discontinued    and    all 
arrearages,   must   be   paid. 
254  your  subscription  expires  with  this  issue 
25.^,    "  ••  ■•  ■•  Dec.  1908 

Intermediate  numbers  can  easily  be 
determined.  If  we  have  you  credited 
wrong   we  wish    to   rectify. 

Entered  as  second-class  matter  De- 
cembed  21,  1903,  at  the  post  office,  at 
Albion.  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gres:5  of  March   3,   1879. 

I  HAVE  FOR  f:XCHAN<iE.-For  species 
new  to  my  collection.  Choice  sets  of  327.  31(), 
353.  3.51.  3.>la.;i>S.l.  359.1.  .31)2.  370a.  37B.  3S9,  421. 
45,5.  744a.  7fi3.  etc.  THO.MAS  H.  .lACKSOX. 
.304  N.  Franklin  St..  West  Chester.  Pa. 

FOR  SALE. -A  collection  of  Natural  His 
tory  specimens  catalogued  over  11200.  Will 
sell  for  $:i50.  Fine  for  museum.  F.  T. 
CORI>ESS.  S04  E.  14  N.,  Portland.  ( tr. 

.Tune  (i  t. 

WHt)  will  furnish  me  with  first  class  sets 
of  10,  2s.ti7,  113.1.  IHi,  124,  l<i7,  10(i,  277,  and  a 
352a,  .372.  4(15,  l.Via.  4.53a,  4t;3.  5  7.  Stifi.  574a.  5M7a. 
627a.  Wio.  f;ti2.  724.  75sa.  and  a  whole  lot  more. 
A.  E.  PKIt'E.  (irant  Park.  111.  S.  2.  t. 

W.WTEI).— Fine  condition  se  s  with  data. 
■62.  131  with  down,  IKl  with  down  242.  2.5.5.  261. 
Liberal  exchange  in  European.  American. 
Indian  and  others.  Eggs,  skins,  etc.  CH.VS. 
.TEI'FEIJEVS.  Tetbury.  (ilos.  En|J-an(l.   S.3.t. 

How  would  some  fine  mounted  North  Da- 
kota specimens  suit  you  ?  I  would  like  to 
exchange  with  others  from  other  parts  of  the 
country.  Let  me  hoar  from  you.  Satisfaction 
guaranteed.  M.MrriN  M.  (iFLLESC  )N.  Tax- 
idermist. Rutland.  X.  Dakota.  S.  3  t 

Bird  skins  and  a  few  sets  to  exchange  for 
sets  new  to  my  collection.  Many  common 
sets  wanted.  D.E.  BROWN.  90  University 
Street.  Seattle,  Wash. 


THE  New  Series  of  "The  Bulletix"  con- 
tains particulars  of  Ornithological,  Oolog- 
jcal.  Entomological,  Ethnographical,  Pal- 
eontological  and  Pre-historic  Specimens. 
Post  free  for  2  cent  stamp.  Post  Cards  not 
replied  to.  Address,  The  "BULLETIN."  4 
Duke  St.,  Adelphi,  London  W.  C.  England, 

Aug.  3.  t. 

WANTED. -For  cash.  Nidologist  Vol.  L 
Osprey  luimbers  7  and  9  of  Vol.  V.  JOHN 
H.  FLANA(iAN.  10  Weybosset  St.,  Provi- 
dence. R.  I. 

Stamps  sent  on  approval,  50  per  cent,  dis- 
count. Five  different  coins.  10c:  10  different 
coins.  10c.  DEWITT  SCOBLE.  22  Poplar 
Place.  New  Rochelle.  N.  Y. 

Attention  Collectors.  I  wish  to  dispose  of 
my  entire  collection  of  lSO  first  class  sets  and 
pair  climbers.  What  am  I  offered?  JOHN 
B  ECKER.  2407  No.  Dupont  Ave..  Minneapolis, 
Minn. 

Collectors.  I  have  a  large  number  of  fine 
sets  with  data,  to  exchange  for  strictly  A  1 
sets  new  to  my  collection.  Send  lists  and 
receive  mine.  CLARENCE  H.  LUTHER,  D. 
D.  s.  Fayetteville.  Ark. 

WANTED.- Bright,  showy  shells,  corrals, 
etc.  Let  "me  hear  from  anyone  having  the 
same  for  sale.  FRED  TRUESDALE.  Shan- 
don.  Calif. 

WANTED.— Eggs  of  reptiles,  also  nests  of 
birds  with  or  without  sets.  State  price. 
J. VS.  P.  Ball,   -M.  I)..  Kraiikford,  Phila.  Pa. 

P  U  B  L  I  C  .V  T  I  ( )  .\  S :  Several  ci^mplete 
volumes  of  Auk.  ( )ologist,  Nidologist.  Ameri- 
can Ornithology,  Osprey  and  other  publi- 
cations, also  odd  numbers.  Lantern  slides 
of  birds.  Correspondence  waiued  with  those 
desiring  to  huv.  sell  or  exchange  publications 
and  slides.  B.  S.  P.oWDlSH.  141  Broadway. 
New  York  city.  N.  V. 

W.V.NTED.- To  exchange  Natural  History 
Specimens  in  any  branch.  Ornithology, 
Oology.  Conchology.  Entomoloiry.  .Miner- 
ologv."  Paleontology,  or  .Misc.  Zoology:  for 
Printing  or  can  use  a  small  hand  press  with 
type.  E.  H.  SHORT,  Box  173,  Rochester.  N. 
Y. 


146 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


World's  Greatest  Collectors'  Paper 

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FOR  S>LE.— Bird  Lore,  nine  volumes; 
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or, Philo  artist  News  and  Camera  Craft, 
American  .Magazine of  Natural  Science,  Bird- 
Lore,  The  Taxidertnist,  Atlantic  Slope  Nat- 
uralist.   T.   S.  HORTON.  Hyde  Park.  N.  Y. 


60    YEARS' 
ERIENCE 


Trade  Marks 
Designs 
....  Copyrights  &c. 

Anyone  sending  a  sketch  and  description  may 
qulclily  ascertain  our  opinion  free  whether  an 
invention  is  probably  patentable.  Communica- 
tions strictly  confldential.  HANDBOOK  on  Patents 
Bent  free.  Oldest  aeency  for  securing  patents. 

Patents  taken  throueh  Munn  &  Co.  receive 
tpecial  notice,  without  charge,  in  the 

Scientific  Jlitterican. 

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culation of  any  scientiBc  journal.  Tonus.  |3  r 
year:  four  months,  $1.   Sold  by  all  newsdealers. 

MUNN  XCo.36«Broadway.  New  Yorl 

Branch  Office.  626  F  St.,,  WashiDgton.  D.  C= 


WANTED.— Warblers  and  Quail  from  Ari 
zona  and  New  Mexico.  Please  write.  A 
HALL.  14505  Detroit   Ave..    Lakewood.  Ohio 

Perfection  Bird  Houses 


FOR   THE 

PURPLE 
MARTIN 

We  Build  Them. 


Twe  ity-five 
years'  experience 
in  the  study  of 
these  tine  birds, 
and  success  in 
their  colonization 
has  taug  t  us  the 
exact  require- 
ments   of    the 

House  Martins,  and  enables  us  to  construct 

ideal  boxes  for  their  use. 

The  J.Warren  Jacobs  Bird  House  Co. 

WAYNESBURG,  PA. 

Illustrated  Booklet  10c.  stamps. 


o.3t 


HUMMERS. 

I  WANT  perfect  specimens  of  the  folio  wing 
in  full  breeding  plumage  only.  One  pair 
(male  and  female)  mounted;  and  one  pair  of 
skins,  and  two  nests  in  situ  on  natural 
branch, one  at  least  a  foot  long,  and  the  other 
may  be  some  shorter,  all  in  perfect  condition, 
suitable  for  "life  groups"  of  the  following: 
species : 

42(3  Rivoli  Hummingbird 

427  Blue-throated  Hummingbird 

429  Black-chinned  Hummingbird 

4:^2  Broad-tailed  Hummingbird 

43f)  Caliope  Hummingbird 

437  Lucifer  Hummingbird 

4:iS  Reiffer's  Hunimiir.bird 

43!)  Buff-bellied  HummingDird 

440  Xanthus  Hummingbird 
440.1  White-eared  Huinmiiigbird 

441  Broad-billed  Hummingbiid 

Any  person  having  all  or  .\Ny  part  of  this- 
material,  commutuc.ite  with  me.  Best  ex- 
changes. 

R.  M.  BARNES, 


Lacon. 


Ill 


EGGS  AND  SKINS. 

Choice  sets,  European,  Indian.  Australian 
etc.  i'lnest  qualitv.  lowest  prices.  Lists. 
2ce..ts.     S.li.  t. 

JEFFERY'S  NATURALIST, 
Tetbury,  Glos.,  England. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


147 


STILL    LEADING 

FIfTH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STANDARD  CATALOGUE  OF 
North  American   Birds   Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year,  Both  for  50c. 


Compiled  by  Frank  H.  Lattin  and 
Ernest  H.  Short,  with  the  assistance 
of  many  prominent  American  Oolo- 
gista. 

A  Complete  Up-to-date  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
Introduced  Sp^ecies,  giving  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  species  whose 
eggs  are  procurable  at  this  time.  Ar- 
ranged according  to  A.   O.   U.   Nome- 


clature,  but  giving  Ridgway's  and 
Coues'  numbers  also.  Printed  on 
one  side  cf  page  only  leaving  it  In. 
convenient  form  for  making  notes  in 
or  using  for  labelling  purposes. 
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GLASS  EYES 

AND   TAXIDERMIST'    SUPPLIES. 

NEW  CATALOGUE 
iiuw  ready.  Showing 
the  most  complete  line 
of  taxidermists'  sup- 
plies ever  listed,  (iLAss 
K\Es,  Tools.  Kelt. 
Wire,  Skuij.s,  Shields 
etc.  We  .sell  to  the 
leading  taxidermists' 
all  over  the  country,  for  our  goods  and  prices 
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also  mount  all  kinds  of  specimens,  and  sell 
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Northwestern  School  of  Taxidermy, 

Dept.  76.  Omaha,  Nebr- 

Stei^crs,    Chicago's    Ground    Gainer. 

Coacji  Stiiu';  of  CIii-.-;i,"z:o  is  iiiakiu;,' 
Captain  Wnltev  Peter  Stelfons.  the 
brainy  grnnnd  painer.  pun  tor  and  droj) 
kiclier,  the  conter  of  all  offensive  tac- 
tics. Sfefifons  has  averaged  90  per 
cent  of  nil  goals  from  all  angles  in 
drop  Idckiii'.;  up  to  forty-five  yards 
and  is  said  to  be  even  hotter  than 
Eckersall.  the  former  star  at  Chicago. 


Lcarn  Taxidermy. 


Naturalists,  Oologists- 
and  Sportsmen  should 
all  know  how  to  correct- 
ly mount  all  kinds  ot 
birds  and  animals.  WE 
TEACH  TAXIDERMY 
BY  MAIL.  Complete 
course  in  151essons.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  de- 
lighLiul  and  fascinating  of  arts.  Easily 
learned.  STANDARD  METHODS.  En- 
dorsed by  all  leading  taxidermists.  Many 
of  the  best  known  naturalists  of  the  country 
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submit  ourproposition  in  full.  Send  TODAY 
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TAXIDEKMY,7()  Farnam   St.  OmaJia,  Neb. 

TO     ALL     INTERESTED. 
REMEMBER. 

1  furnish  collett  ions  covering  oneor  several 
oranches  of  Natukal  History  for  study  or 
museum  purposes  at  Shecial  reduced  rates. 
Don't  fail  to  write  me.  I  will  quote  you  on 
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sure  to  please. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT, 
Box    r73  Rochester,  N.  Y^ 


148  THIS  OOLOGIST. 


Birds  and  Bird  Homes 

"AS  THEY  WERE  SNAPPED." 

Our  portfolio  of  Jine  Half  Tone  reproductions  of  twenty-three 

good  photos  of 

Birds   and   Birds'    Nests   from   Nature 

BRIEF  DESCRIPTIONS 

Includes  Studies  in 

PROTECTIVE  COLORATION 
BIRD  ARCHITECTURE  AND 
YOUNG    BIRDS.    :     :     :     :     : 

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^  Oologist  one  year  ^ 

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►  all  prepaid $2. 60  ^ 

p.  Oologist  one  year  ^ 

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^  Oologist /o?/r  years,  Jan.  1905  to  Dec.  1908,  ^ 

►  and  "North  American  Birds  Eggs"  or  "Color  Key,"- • -$3.25  ^ 
^  Oologist yowr  years,  as  above,  ^ 
^             and  a  copy  of  our  new  "Standard  Catalogue"    of    North  ^ 

►  American  Birds  Eggs $1.00  < 

^  Oologist /b^^r  years  , as  above,  and  "Frederick  Young," $1.40  ^ 

^  The  Oologist  4  years,  and  "Land  Birds,"  Baird,  Brewer  &  Ridg.;  ^ 

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►  Address  ^ 

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►  Manager  Oologist  Chili.  N.Y.  ^ 
•  AAAAAA A AAA AAA AA AAA A AA A A AA  A A A AAA AAA AAA A AAA AAA AAA AA AAA • 


The  Oologist. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  10.  Albion,  N.  Y.  October,  1908.  Whole  No.'  255 


THE    OOLOGIST, 

A    Monthly    Publication   Devoted   to 
OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXI- 
DERMY. 
FKAITK    H.    LATXIN,    FnbUaher, 
ALBIOir,    K.    Y. 
EaNEST    H.     SHOST.    Editor    and    Kanager. 
Correspondence    and    items   of    interest    to    the 
student  of  Birds,   their  Nests  and  BgKS,  solicited 
from    all. 

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ERNEST    H.    SHORT,     Editor    and    Manager, 
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WE    NOTE. 


The  Co-operative  Ornithology  plan 
advocated  by  Rockwell  of  Denver, 
Colo.,  in  current  issue  of  "The  Con- 
dor" would  be  great  if  individual  orni- 
thologists all  over  the  country  were 
uniformly  unselfish  enough   to   freely 


volunteer  the  results  of  their  observa- 
tion and  study  for  that  purpose  and 
incidentally  it  would  certainly  boom 
"The  Condor." 

A  Brown  Thrasher  was  well  seen 
by  the  Editor  at  Chili  Center,  Monroe 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  on  the  morning  of  Sept. 
28th  last.  Our  second  individual  rec- 
ord for  Western  New  York  in  22 
years. 

A  copy  of  the  last  Report  of  New 
Jersey  State  Museum  comes  to  hand 
completely  covering  the  Mammals  of 
New  Jersey  and  a  supplementary  re- 
port on  the  Fishes,  etc.  Well  gotten 
up  and  illustrated  by  many  fine  plates, 
it  forms  an  appropriate  and  valuable 
addition  to  the  reports  for  1905  and 
1906. 

So  far  as  we  can  judge,  that  the 
clause  in  New  York's  new  game  law, 
establishing  an  open  season  for 
Pheasant  shooting  is  working  out  as 
we  feared  it  would.  There  are  not 
game  protectors  enough  to  prevent 
unscrupulous  hunters  from  bagging 
both  cocks  and  hens  far  in  excess  of 
the  legal  limit. 


William   Savage. 


We  reprint  below  some  extracts 
from  an  article  on  the  work  of  Wm. 
Savage,  the  Iowa  "Recluse  Ornitholo- 
gist," taken  from  the  "Des  Moines 
Register,"  soon  after  his  death  last 
July.  Of  his  family  our  older  read- 
ers remember  David  L.  Savage  as 
iniblisher  of  the  defunct  "Iowa  Orni- 
thologist." 

A  native  of  England,  Mr.  Savage 
came  to  New  York  at    the    age  of  15, 


150 


THE  OOLOGISl 


and  six  years  later  removed  with  liis 
wife  to  the  Iowa  homestead. 

To  the  majority  of  settlers  of  that 
early  time  the  prairie  lands  were  most 
alluring,  but  true  to  the  instincts  of 
his  nature  he  chose  the  wooded  wilds 
on  the  banks  of  the  Big  Cedar  creek 
in  Van  Buren  county.  Here,  far  re- 
moved from  the  public  highway  and 
almost  inaccessible,  nestling  beneath 
sentinel  oak  and  graceful  elm,  here, 
among  his  friends  of  the  forest,  the 
feathered  and  furry  tribes,  he  builded 
his  home. 

Fashioned  from  logs  of  the  "forest 
primeval,"  each  crevice  chinked  up 
with  plaster,  roofed  with  clapboards, 
split  out  with  mallet  and  frow,  the 
chimney  constructed  of  stones  leading 
out  from  the  old  style  fireplace.  Here 
he  lived,  and  here  his  children,  three 
sons  and  a  daughter,  were  born. 

Within  a  stone's  throw  of  the 
house  and  surrounded  by  the  same 
dense  growth  of  trees  and  underbrush 
the  workshop  stands.  Crude  and  un- 
plastered,  yet  affording  for  his  treas- 
ures ample  protection  against  the  ele- 
ments. 

It  is  this  workshop  that  furnishes  a 
direct  clue  to  the  personality  of  the 
man. 

In  the  accumulated  conglomeration 
of  odds  and  ends,  some  useful  and 
others  not,  we  see  the  economy  of  the 
former  generation,  which  picked  up 
every  pin,  and  c'.3red  away  all  rem- 
nants with  an  eye  to  the  future  pos- 
sible use.  This  in  direct  contrast 
with  the  wasteful  extravagance  of  the 
present  age. 

The  apparent  confusion  and  disor- 
der which  prevails  tliroughout  the 
room,  indicates  the  careless  disregard 
of  the  occupant  for  conventional 
housekeeping,  yet  there  is  an  absence 
of  accumulated  dirt,  and  these  scat- 
tered articles  were  probably  consid- 
ered by  Mr.  Savage  to  be  just  within 
convenient  reach. 


An   Odd   Shop. 

On  one  side  of  the  workshop  are 
hanging  traps  of  various  sizes  and 
kinds.  With  these  he  caught  the  wild 
marauders  who  often  visited  his  place. 

Of  guns  there  are  a  sufficient  num- 
ber to  start  a  small  arsenal,  conspic- 
uous among  them  is  a  flintlock  pistol 
of  ancient  pattern,  but  which  is  still 
in  shooting  order. 

Above  the  rude  home-made  table 
which  served  as  his  desk,  an  old  style 
grain  cradle  hangs. 

The  bench  on  which  he  sat  was 
cushioned  with  a  piece  of  sheepskin, 
fastened  on  with  an  old  suspender. 

The  desk  was  littered  with  pencils, 
brushes,  paints,  etc.,  and  while  these 
are  of  the  best  and  finest  materials  it 
is  possible  to  purchase,  there  was  not 
a  palette  in  evidence.  The  colors  were 
all  mixed  on  pieces  of  broken  dishes, 
and  one  pattern  of  plate  in  particu- 
lar must  have  been  at  least  fifty  years 
old. 

In  one  corner  is  a  cot  where  he  was 
wont  to  rest  when  fatigued  by  his 
various  occupations,  for  this  artist, 
naturalist,  and  ornithologist,  was  also 
trapper,  farmer,  horticulturist,  taxi- 
dermist and  by  trade  a  tailor. 

In  this  workshop  Mr.  Savage  paint- 
ed his  bird  pictures.  Over  200  por- 
traits are  preserved  in  this  collection, 
which  consists  of  a  reproduction  of 
almost  every  bird  which  has  ever  vis- 
ited this  section,  whether  as  a  resi- 
dent or  migrant. 

The  birds  were  shot  or  captured  by 
^Ir.  Savage  and  his  friends  and  after 
most  careful  and  minute  measure- 
ments of  the  subject  have  been 
drawn  on  white  paper  without  any 
thought  of  background  or  perspective. 
The  colors  are  then  applied,  great 
care  being  taken  to  mix  them  in  such 
manner  as  to  make  an  exact  repro- 
duction of  the  bird  in  size,  color,  form 
and  outline.  And  more  marvelous 
still  the  texture  of  the  feathers  is 
wonderfully  true  to  nature. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


151 


Mr;  Savage  would  spend  days  in 
search  of  a  rare  or  strange  bird  of 
which  he  had  caught  a  glimpse,  and 
rarely  if  ever  failed  to  capture  his 
quarry. 

Some  neighbors  almost  resented 
this  intrusion  of  their  premises  and 
the  slaying  of  their  feathered  friends, 
but  no  sacrifice  was  too  great  nor  ef- 
fort too  strenuous  which  enabled  him 
to  secure  a  coveted  bird  for  his  col- 
lection. 

On  one  occasion  a  "red  snowbird" 
was  creating  considerable  comment 
among  the  residents  of  an  adjoining- 
neighborhood.  He  was  soon  on  its 
track  and  secured — a  cardinal  gros- 
beak, which  had  probably  been  de- 
serted by  its  migrant  companion  and 
was  wintering  in  company  with  snow 

birds. 

We    may    regret      the      eccentricity 

which  prompted  so  talented  a  man  to 
live  in  such  apparent  seclusion.  Yet 
did  he  not  accomplish  more  than 
many  whom  the  world  rates  as  suc- 
cessful? 

In  no  other  place  could  he  have 
studied  bird  life  so  auspiciously  as  in 
this  retreat,  under  conditions  which 
he  created  and  maintained. 

It  is  hoped  that  his  successors  may 
honor  his  memory  by  keeping  invio- 
late this  wildwood  home,  where  birds 
congregate  in  larger  numbers  and 
sing  and  mate  with  greater  freedom 
than  in  any  other  section  of  the  state. 

It  is  largely  through  the  persistent 
personal  interest  and  effort  of  Mr.  E. 
R.  Harlan  of  Des  Moines,  that  Mr. 
Savage  was  persuaded  to  sell  his  col- 
lection intact  to  the  state  board  of 
trustees. 

He  looked  at  them  for  the  last  time, 
as  he  said,  and  packed  them  away  for 
shipment  just  a  few  days  i)rior  to 
his  death. 

The  pictures  have  not  yet  been 
sent,  but  it  is  the  nurpose  of  the  son, 
John  Savage,  to  carry  out  his  father's 


intentions  and  the  offer  of  the  histor- 
ical department  based  on  the  report 
of  Professor  Paarman  of  the  State 
University  of  Iowa  will  be  accepted. 

Thus  the  state  will  come  into  pos- 
session of  the  only  collection  of  this 
kind  in  existence  and  of  an  artistic 
and  scientific  value  beyond  estima- 
tion. 

On  the  other  hand  the  lifework  of  a 
conscientious,  painstaking  toiler  will 
be  properly  cared  for  in  the  magnifi- 
cent new  building  of  the  historical  so- 
ciety. 

Some  day  soon  this  man's  lifework 
will  be  brought  to  Des  Moines  to  take 
the  place  it  deserves  in  the  museum 
of  the  state  historical  building,  ar- 
rangements having  been  completed 
for  its  purchase. 


Mountain   Climbing. 


My  brother,  his  wife,  and  myself, 
while  up  at  Sacandaga  Park,  on  our 
vacation,  this  June,  were  one  day  seiz- 
ed with  a  great  ambition  to  try  our 
skill  at  mountain  climbing.  The  foot- 
hills of  the  Adirondack  Mountains  lay 
just  back  of  our  cottage,  and  one  or 
them  known  as  Gifford's  Mt.,  at  once 
attracted  our  attention,  as  being  the 
largest  within  easy  reach,  and  accord- 
ingly, the  morning  of  the  25th  found 
us  en  route  for  this  destination. 

I,  as  the  scientific  man  of  the  ex- 
Ijedition,  had  my  hands  full  with  the 
birds,  butterflies  and  other  insects, 
which  constantly  fluttered  along  in 
front  of  us.  We  followed  a  country 
load  for  a  couple  of  miles  and  then 
cut  across  the  fields  westward,  di- 
rectly for  the  mountain,  which  loomed 
u])  before  us  like  a  gigantic  pyramid. 
We  passed  through  rocky  fields  and 
swamjjy  fields  (where  we  sank  above 
our  ankles  in  a  moss-like  grass)  and 
after  a  couple  of  hours'  walk,  ari'ived 
at  the  base  of  the  mountain.  In  a 
small    pine    tree,    in    a    rocky    field,    I 


152 


I'HE  OOLOGIST. 


found  a  nest  of  the  song  sparrow  con- 
taining fve  very  large  and  apparent- 
ly fresh  eggs.  In  a  pasture  field,  very 
exposed,  a  vesper  sparrow's  nest 
with  four,  well  incubated  eggs  was 
observed.  A  Maryland  yellowthroat's 
nest  with  three  young  birds,  about 
eight  days  old  was  found  at  the  base 
of  a  willow  sapling  in  swampy  ground. 

We  followed  the  dried  up  bed  of 
a  mountain  torrent,  and  for  the  first 
three  or  four  hundred  feet,  the  asceiU 
was  by  no  means  difficult.  Then  the 
country  became  wilder,  the  trees 
thicker,  and  soon  the  path  up  which 
we  were  to  plod  seemed  very  nearly 
perpendicular.  A  stout  stick  that  we 
carried,  proved  of  much  use  until  we 
struck  the  wall-like  barrier,  when  it 
was  discarded,  because  swifter  and 
safer  progress  could  be  made  by 
grasping  the  stout  saplings  and  pull- 
ing one's  self  up  by  sheer  force.  We 
had  a  few  bad  knocks  and  hard  falls 
among  the  jagged  rocks,  but  after  a 
while  w^e  caught  the  knack  of  this 
sort  of  walking  and  made  very  good 
time   in   the   ascent. 

At  about  700  feet  from  the  base  of 
the  mountain  1  flushed  an  oven-bird, 
Seiurus  aurocapillus,  from  its  nest 
among  the  leaves;  the  nest  contained 
four  fresh  eggs  which  I  measured. 
They  seem  to  be  typical  of  this  bird; 
(1)  and  (2)  .77x.58  (exactly  the 
same);  (3)  .72x.59;  (4)  .74x.57  in, 
rounded-oval,  fine  in  texture,  of  a  del- 
icate pinkish-white,  spotted,  blotched 
and  ringed  about  the  larger  end  with 
rich  reddish-brown,  the  ring  inter- 
spersed with  lilac-grey.  At  the  sum- 
mit of  the  mountain  is  a  ledgy  rock, 
from  which  point,  places  scores  of 
miles  away  are  brought  into  view.  A 
steel  plate  and  a  flag  were  placed  in 
this  rock  by  the  state  surveyor. 
About  the  summit,  birds  seemed  to  be 
very  scarce.  A  few  oven-birds,  a  pair 
of     hermit     thrushes,     white-breasted 


nuthatches,  and  three  or  four  red-eyed 
virecs  were  noticed. 

About  4  o'clock  we  started  the  de- 
scent, and  if  the  ascent  had  been 
steep,  the  downward  one  seemed  dou- 
bly so.  The  sun  was  in  the  back  of 
the  mountain  which  shut  out  the 
light  in  such  a  manner  that  the  woods 
seemed  filled  with  a  sort  of  dim  half- 
light.  After  several  falls,  stumbling 
and  other  acrobatic  stunts,  we  emerg- 
ed from  the  dim  shadows  into  the  sun- 
light, where  birds  were  singing,  and 
the  sun  was  still  high  in  the  heav- 
ens. We  now  followed  a  cow-path, 
and  stopped  at  a  farm  house  for  a 
drink  of  cool  milk.  Completely  ex- 
hausted we  dragged  ourselves  into  our 
cottage  at  sunset. 

Although  my  attention  was  very 
much  taken  up  with  the  bird  fauna,  I 
still  carried  my  insect-net  and  several 
interesting  beetles  were  captured. 
Among  the  bushes  at  the  base  of 
the  mountain,  three  species  of  Lam- 
pyrids,  or  fire-flies,  were  secured;  Ce- 
letes  basalis,  Trypherus  latipennis, 
and  Malthodes  niger,  both  male  and 
female;  also  an  Elaterid,  Melanotus 
leonardi  and  a  beautiful  Mordelled, 
Mordellistena  arnica.  In  the  damp  re- 
cesses of  the  higher  altitudes,  many 
fungous  growths  were  found  and  ex- 
amined. These  yielded  several  rove 
beetles,  Staphylindae,  sp.,  such  as 
gyrohaena      sp.;  Bolitobius       axil- 

laris    and     B.     cinticollis;      also     nu- 
cotretus   sanguinipennis.   Say. 

CHAS.  P.  ALEXANDER. 


The    Ruffed   Grouse   and   Some   of    His 
Habits. 


The  Ruffed  Grouse,  commonly  call- 
ed the  Partridge  in  the  north,  is  the 
game  bird  most  sought  for  by  sports- 
men in  the  east. 

It's  favorite  resorts  are  heavily  tim- 
bered districts,  although  they  are  of- 


THE  OOLOOI8T. 


153 


ten  found  in  swales  and  low,  wet 
wocds  of  hemlock,  pine,  etc.;  also  in 
birch  thickets,  and  are  seen  occasion- 
ally during  September  and  October 
feeding  on  the  berries  of  the  Winter- 
berry,  a  bush  that  grows  along  the 
edges  cf  rivers  and  streams. 

On  entering  the  woods  look  for 
them  on  logs  or  brush  piles  or  on  the 
ground  under  bushes,  also  among 
brambleberry  bushes  or  dead  ferns 
out  in  the  open.  In  the  latter  case 
their  plumage  harmonizes  so  well  with 
their  surroundings,  trusting  as  they 
do  to  the  dead  leaves  and  ferns,  that 
one  may  approach  quite  near  to  them 
before  they  take  wing. 

In  September  and  October  they 
feed  in  beech  trees  on  beech  nuts  and 
in  poplar  trees  on  leaves  as  well  as 
on  the  ground  for  clover  leaves,  wild 
berries  of  many  different  kinds 
whether  ripe  or  green.  The  green  ber- 
ries are  eaten  by  them  when  ripe  ber- 
ries are  to  be  had.  Insects  also  form 
part  of  their  food. 

In  the  cold  weather  they  often 
come  out  on  the  edges  of  woods  or 
clearings  to  sun  themselves  or  to 
have  a  dust  bath  to  rid  themselves  of 
lice  or  other  vermin. 

During  rain  they  seek  shelter  un- 
der bushes  or  in  trees. 

When  a  human  being  approaches 
near,  both  male  and  female  partridges 
make  a  sort  of  hissing  sound  which 
sounds  most  like  wheat,  wheat,  wheat, 
rapidly  repeated.  Sometimes  a  male 
partridge,  if  he  has  been  hunted  a 
few  times  and  has  become  wild,  will 
whistle  (I  have  never  heard  the  fe- 
male whistle),  as  an  inti'uder  tries  to 
see  him  through  the  overhanging 
branches  or  through  the  bushes 
catches  even  a  glimiTse,  he  will  in- 
stantly flv  with  a  whirr  from  his 
wings  in«^  the  air  like  a  rocket,  fly- 
ing sometimes  into  a  tree,  but  is  most 
likely  to  fly  but  a  short  distance  only 
to  drop  into  cover  again  and  run  ra- 


pidly along  the  ground  for  a  few 
yards  and  hide  until  all  danger  is 
past. 

Ruffed  Grouse  are  more  abundant 
some  years  than  others,  as  hard  win- 
ters and  wet  springs,  besides  foxes 
and  squirrels  and  ether  animals  have 
much  to  do  to  decrease  their  numbers. 

Observations  on  the  Ruffed  Grouse 
were  made  in  Muskoka,  Ont. 

GEORGE   GERALD, 

Toronto,  Can. 


A  White-eyed  Vireo's  Peculiar  Method 
of   Feeding. 


On  September  6,  1906,  I  saw  a 
White-eyed  Vireo  at  Wissinoming, 
Pa.,  feeding  in  a  unique  manner.  When 
first  seen  the  bird  was  searching  for 
food  low  down  in  the  shrubs  along  a 
bush-fringed  running  brook,  and  was 
not  particularly  observed  as  it  exhib- 
ited no  unusual  traits  or  habits.  I 
was  just  about  to  turn  my  attention 
to  some  other  bird  which  I  heard  in 
a  pile  of  brush  behind  me,  when  to  my 
astonishment  the  Vireo  deliberately 
plunged  from  its  perch — a  small  alder 
shrub  on  the  brink  of  the  brook — in- 
to the  water,  returning  almost  imme- 
diately to  its  perch,  where  it  sat  for 
several  seconds,  and  then  made  an- 
other plunge.  This  it  repeated  a  third 
time,  after  a  brief  rest.  The  plunges 
only  partially  submerged  the  bird, 
but  the  immersions  were  brief,  as  they 
were  performed  kingfisher  fashion — 
head  first  into  the  water. 

After  the  third  plunge  the  bird 
preened  its  feathers,  flying  into  the 
bushes  as  I  approached  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  its  unusual  method  of 
feeding,  for  such  I  inferred  it  had 
been  doing. 

The  water  of  the  stream  where  the 
bird  made  its  puzzling'  plunges  was 
fairly  covered  with  Water  "Striders" 
(Ilygrotrechus   remigis)    and    Gyrinus 


154 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


sp.,  but  whether  the  bird  could  have 
been  feeding  on  these  insects  I  can- 
not say,  as  I  was  too  far  away  to 
perceive  whether  the  bird  captured 
any,  and  I  certainly  did  not  see  it  eat 
any  on  its  perch,  after  the  plunges. 
Surely,  it  could  not  devour  the  hard- 
shelled  Gyrinus,  but  in  no  other  way 
could  the  bird  have  captured  these 
two  species  of  insects  than  by  plung- 
ing, as  both  are  remarkably  agile  and 
run  with  surprising  rapidity  on  the 
water.  Anybody  who  has  tried  to  cap- 
ture any  of  these  insects  knows  how 
hard  it  is,  and  it  would  not  be  an  easy 
matter  for  a  bird  to  secure  one,  except 
by  plunging. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  White- 
eyed  Vireo  feeds  on  the  ground,  un- 
like its  relatives,  and  that  it  devours 
many  different  kinds  of  insects  not 
eaten  by  the  other  Vireonidae,  in  gen- 
eral, but  I  never  suspected  that  it  fed 
on  water  insects,  for  I  cannot  assign 
any  other  reason  for  the  bird's  pecul- 
iar plunges  than  to  capture  the  "Wa- 
ter Striders,"  although  1  did  not  ex- 
actly see  any  taken. 

It  certainly  was  a  unique  perform- 
ance, and  if  the  bird  was  not  captur- 
ing insects,  what  was  it's  object  in 
plunging  into  the  water? 

RICHARD  F.   MILLER, 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Dr.    Morris   Gibbs. 

Dr.  Morris  Gibbs,  of  Kalamazoo, 
Mich., in  times  gone  by,  a  prolific  and 
valuable  contributor  to  our  columns, 
both  reading  and  advertising,  died 
Sept.  18th.  last,  at  his  home. 

As  an  interesting  writer  on  Bird 
topics  and  the  originator  and  persist- 
ent advocate  of  the  Gibbs'  embalming 
process  in  taxidermy,  Dr.  Gibbs  will 
be  instantly  recalled  by  all  our  older 
subscribers. 


We  append  below  some  extracts 
from  an  article  in  the  Kalamazoo 
Telegram": 

"Dr.  Robert  Morris  Gibbs,  aged  52 
years,  died  this  morning  at  2:30  at 
his  home,  128  East  Lovell  street,  of 
paralysis.  For  the  last  21  years  he 
had  been  disabled  as  the  result  of  pa- 
ralysis, and  that,  added  to  complete 
physical  break-down,  was  the  cause  of 
death. 

Dr.  Gibbs  was  born  and  died  in  the 
same  room  in  the  same  house,  and  all 
but  four  years  of  his  life,  spent  at 
Howard  City  (where  he  "enjoyed  the 
excitement  of  country  practice")  was 
spent  in  this  city,  and  his  residence 
has  been  at  the  family  home,  128 
East  Lovell  street,  during  this  time. 
He  was  educated  at  the  University  of 
Michigan,  where  he  was  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1877,  and  at  Rush  Med- 
ical College,  Chicago,  from  w^hich 
place  he  graduated  in  1879. 

He  was  a  naturalist  of  a  national 
reputation,  being  the  author  of  sever- 
al books  on  the  birds  of  Michigan,  on 
which  subject  he  was  considered  an 
authority.  He  held  the  chair  of  pro- 
fessor of  natural  science  at  Kalama- 
zoo College  for  several  years,  and  car- 
ried on  much  exi^erimental  work  along 
scientific  lines,  even  after  he  was  dis- 
abled. 

"While  deprived  of  the  use  of  his 
limbs  for  the  past  21  years,  he  found 
much  joy  in  life,  and  it  was  often  his 
custom  to  spend  hours  at  a  time  in 
watching  spiders  and  ants  at  work. 
He  was  a  clear  and  close  observer  of 
natural  phenomena,  and  at  this  time 
has  a  book  in  press  at  Lansing,  deal- 
ing with  his  favorite  subject,  "The 
Birds  of  Michigan."  He  was  also  an 
extensive  writer  for  magazines  and 
scientific  publications.  He  compiled 
two  large  collections  of  specimen 
birds,  one  of  which  is  in  the  Russel 
museum  at  the  University  of  Mich- 
igan,  the   other  being  in   Lansing." 


THE  OOL.OGIST. 


155 


Bird    Notes   from    El    Rancho. 


This  has  been  a  fine  season  for  the 
tirds.  With  the  exception  of  a  se- 
vere thunder  storm  on  April  13th, 
which  destroyed  a  large  number  of 
nests  in  trees,  especially  those  of  the 
Blue  Gray  Gnatcatcher,  the  weather 
has  been  ideal  for  the  rearing  of 
young.  As  I  sit  at  my  desk  writing, 
a  young  Chimney  Swift  sits  on  the 
andirons  in  the  fireplace,  his  eyes  not 
yet  open,  but  his  mouth  continually 
so,  crying  for  food.  This  is  even  the 
Swifts  second  brood,  notwithstanding 
they  were  broken  up  once  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  season.  Chipping  and 
Field  Sparrows  have  raised  three 
broods  to  my  knowledge,  while  the 
Kingbirds  have  followed  second  with 
two  broods,  in  fact  nearly  everything 
in  this  section  has  raised  two  or  more 
broods;  among  them  Cardinals,  Chats, 
Carolina  Wrens,  Blue  Grosbeaks,  In- 
digos, Prairie  Warblers  and  Orioles, 
besides  those  already  mentioned.  This 
year  I  have  tried  one  or  two  test  cases 
with  the  birds.  Last  year  I  had  a 
pair  of  Orioles  (orchard)  and  King- 
birds build  a  nest  in  a  Dogwood  tree 
near  the  front  porch.  This  spring  I 
watched  for  them  to  return  and  wasn't 
surprised  to  see  what  I  took  to  be  the 
same  pairs  of  birds  commence  build- 
ing on  the  same  limbs  as  the  previous 
year.  These  sets  I  took  to  see  results, 
and  both  species  began  building  again 
in  the  same  tree — each  on  the  limb 
above  where  the  first  nest  had  been 
located.  The  Oriole  not  only  raised 
this  second  setting,  but  two  more,  all 
in  the  same  tree,  nine  birds  in  all. 
The  Kingbird  raised  tw^o  broods  of 
three  each.  I  think  this  clearly  dem- 
onstrates that  there  is  little  harm  in 
breaking  up  a  setting,  providing  the 
old  birds  are  not  molested.  All  these 
young  birds  since  leaving  the  nest 
have  been  busily  engaged  in  keeping 
my  garden  and  orchard  free  from  in- 


sects, the  young  Orioles  though  de- 
stroying a  large  amount  of  grapes  by 
picking  a  single  hole  in  many  of  the 
grapes  in  each  bunch.  This  loss 
though  I'm  willing  to  stand,  as  I 
know  I  gained  in  other  ways.  On  the 
31st  of  May  I  found  a  nest  and  three 
eggs  of  the  Swainson's  Warbler.  The 
nest  was  placed  between  two  or  three 
upright  shoots  of  a  second  growth 
bush  about  5i^  feet  above  ground; 
9  flushed.  The  nest  was  about  100 
feet  from  the  head  of  a  mill  pond  in 
clump  of  second  growth  bushes.  Two 
weeks  later  I  again  visited  this  local- 
ity and  found  a  finished  nest  which 
I  presume  had  been  built  by  the  same 
pair  of  birds,  but  although  I  didn't 
touch  the  nest  or  any  branch  within 
several  feet  of  it,  the  nest  was  never 
occupied.  This  is  the  first  breeding 
l)air  of  Swainson's  Warbler  I  have 
seen  in  this  section,  and  is,  I  believe, 
a  record  for  north  of  James  River.  On 
May  23d  my  father  secured  at  the 
place  a  set  of  two  eggs  and  female  of 
Chuck  Wills.  Since  then  I  have  seen 
several  pair  flying  aJlDout  at 
dusk,  but  previous  to  this  date  we 
have  never  found  them  breeding  on 
the  peninsula.  I  believe  this  to  be 
another  record  for  north  of  James 
River.  The  Bob  Whites  are  now  all 
large  enough  to  fly  well,  the  dry  sea- 
son allowing  full  covies',  and  we  expect 
a  record  numlber  in  this  section. 
Aug.   17th,   1908. 

H.    H.    BAILEY, 
Newport  News,  Va. 


Birds   of   IVIaine. 

"Birds  of  Maine,"  published  by  the 
author,  Ora  W.  Knight,  B.  S.,  Bangor, 
Me.,  1908,  693  pj).,  cloth.  $3. .50  post- 
paid. 

Written  somew.hat  in  Key  style  but 
sui)i)lemented  by  a  mass  of  valuable 
notes  for  which  the  author  admits  his 


156 


THE  OOLOQIST. 


indebtedness  to  about  50  correspond- 
ents, in  addition  to  his  own  notes. 

The  worli  is  much  more  than  a  mere 
state  list  with  key  and  notes.  It  con- 
tains analytical  key  to  families  and 
key  to  species  occurs  as  an  introduc- 
tion to  each  family. 

Following  the  text  of  work  proper 
is  a  hypothetical  list,  chapter  on 
Faunal  Areas,  Biography  and  an  ex- 
haustive index. 

Illustrated    by   a     faunal      map     of 

Maine,    two    plumage    charts,    and    28 

half-tones,    some    unusually    good.      It 

is  by  far  the  most  pretentious  of  state 

lists    published,    and      reflects      much 

credit  on  its  author,  though  it  may  not 

prove  as  successful  financially  as  its 

merits  deserve. 

E.  H.  SHORT. 


Carolina   Chickadee     in     Pennsylvania. 


I  wish  to  back  up  Mr.  Miller  in  his 
contention  (see  Oologist,  July,  '08), 
that  the  Carolina  Chickadee  does 
breed  in  Pennsylvania. 

I  have  a  female  of  a  pair  caught  in 
a  hole  in  a  birch  stub  under  Camp- 
bell's Ledge,  Luzerne  Co.,   Pa. 

It  was  taken  iby  Harry  C.  Schooley 
when  with  me  hunting  Duck  Hawks 
eight  years  ago.  They  were  nest  build- 
ing late  in  May. 

Mr.  Schooley  is  stil  alive.  Dr.  B.  H. 
Warren  in  "Birds  of  Pennsylvania," 
pp.  320,  gives  records  of  takes  of  this 
bird  as  follows  by  Dr.  Hartman: 

In  1866,  Willow  Swamp,  Street 
Road  and  later  in  same  swamp  which 
female  was  identified  at  Smithsonian 
for  John   Krider. 

I  was  talking  this  matter  over  with 
Dr.  Hartman  on  Sept.  4th  last. 

B.  W.  CAMPBELL, 

Luzerne  Co.,  Pa. 


The    Editor    Has    Lately    Noted. 


morning  in  mid-September — a  very 
rare  bird  in  Western  New  York. 

Second. — In  a  neglected  school-yard 
on  Sept.  14th,  I  found  an  Olive-backed 
Thrush  that  was  a  victim  of  some  un- 
explained accident.  The  right  wing 
had  been  thrown  clear  forward  so 
that  the  bird's  head  protruded  be- 
tween the  three  outer  primaries  and 
the  balance  of  the  wing.  The  bird 
was  unable  to  fly  and  could  not  extri- 
cate itself  from  the  embarassing  pre- 
dicament. 

Glad  1  happened  to  pass  along  be- 
fore Mr.  Tom  Cat.  On  drawing  the 
wing  further  forward,  the  bird  prompt- 
ly drew  its  head  out  and  flew  away 
and  a  tragedy  was  averted. 

Third. — New  York  State  gives  its. 
new  Pheasant  Law  its  first  trial  next 
month.  This  law  allows  a  licensed 
hunter  to  kill  male  pheasants  every 
Tuesday  and  Thursday  in  October. 


First,    a    Black-crowned   Nightheron 
flew  over  our  head   one  smoky,  foggy 


Mr.  E.  H.  Short,  Chili,  N.  Y. 

Dear  Sir: — We  had  what  I  consider 
a  curiosity  here  last  month.  A  Yel- 
low-billed cuckoo  nested  along  the 
Susquehanna  River  here  the  middle 
of  September.  The  two  young  birds 
were  incubated  on  September  13th  or 
14th.  I  enclose  a  very  poor  print 
which  I  snapped  on  September  18th — 
you  can  just  make  out  the  young  birds 
reaching  up  with  mouths  wide  open. 
The  nest  was  built  in  a  low  tree 
which  was  covered  with  a  grape  Vine 
and  was  situated  about  six  feet  from 
the  ground.  Nest  was  of  the  usual 
loose  construction  of  twigs.  We  are 
situated  on  the  northern  boundary  of 
Pennsylvania.  Is  it  not  very  unusual 
to  find  this  species  or  any  other  spe- 
cies  nesting  so   late? 

H.  E.  BISHOP,    Sayre,   Pa. 

The  print  sent  was  too  poor  to  ad- 
mit of  use  for  half-tone.  Such  late 
nesting  is  unusual,  but  is  occasionally 
reported  of  such  species  as  Mourn- 
ing Dove,  both  Am.  Cuckoos,  Song 
Sparrow,  Vesper  Sparrow,  English 
Sparrow  and  the  introduced  Pheas- 
ants, 

E.   H.    SHORT. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


157 


BARGAINS 


IN 


DATA 


BLANKS 


In  printing  our  "Standard  Cata- 
logue" we  had  a  lot  of  Datas  printed 
on  what  would  otherwise  have  been 
waste  paper  and  have  decided  to  give 
our  patrons  the  benefit  of  our  gain. 


We  can  furnish  five  (5)  styles  and 
will  send  prepaid,  your  choice,  at 
12c.  per  100  of  $1  per  1000.  The  small- 
est size  or  No.  1,  at  10c.  per  100  or 
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Send      1c.     stamp     for 
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til Present  Stock  Is  Exhausted  Only 

Address  as  you   prefer  either 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
or  FRANK   H.   LATIN,   Albion,   N.   Y. 


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Vol.    XV.    1898,    Nos.    140   to    149 60 

Vol.   XVI,   1899,  Nos.   150  to   161 75 

Vol.  XVII,  1900,  Nos.  162  to  171 50 

Vol.   XVIII,   1901,   Nos.    172   to   183..      .50 

Vol.   XIX,   1902,  Nos.   184  to   195 50 

Vol.  XX,   1903,  Nos.   196  to   197 10 

Vol.    XXI,    1904,   No.    198    to    209 50 

Vol.  XXII,  1905,  Nos.  210  to  221 50 

Vol .  XXIII,  190f;,  222  to  233 55 

Vol.  XXIV.  i;i()7.  234.  to  245 '."..'      50 

For  $5.25  I  will  send  prepaid  a  copy  of 
every  issue  published,  Nos.  1  to  209. 
inclusive,  except  the  twenty-nine.  (29). 
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For  $2  50  I  will  send  prepaid  every 
copy  published.  Nos.  1  to  209.  inclusive, 
except  the  sixty  copies  priced  above  at 
10c   or   over. 

—  BOIJM)  VOLUMES  — 
Can   lie   fnrni.slied,   stroiiKly  bound  in  cloth  and 
hoards,    as    follow?: 
Vol.   I   and   II    YOUNG  OOLOGIST  bound  In 

Olio   volume $1.00 

Vol.   IX.     The  OOLOGIST  for  '02,  208  pages 

of     valuable    and     instructive    Oologlcal 

and    Ornitliologlcal    matter    with    many 

full    page    illustrations $1.00 

Or,  if  you  order  tlie  two  volumes  at  one  time, 
we  will  send  tliem  by  return  mall  for  only 
J1.7.').  Kvery  student  of  birds,  their  nests  and 
eggs,  slionld  have  these  two  volumes  In  their 
library.  The  valuable  Information  tliey  contain. 
Is  worth  many  times  the  price. 
Address     plainly, 

ERNEST  H.   SHORT, 

Manaerer    of    Oologist, 

CHILI,     N.    T. 


158 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Dugan  May  Ride  Abroad. 
C.  E.  Durnell  makes  the  announce- 
ment that  he  has  I'eceived  a  telegram 
from  A.  J.  Joyner,  trainer  for  Harry 
Payne  "Whitney,  inquiring  at  what 
figure  Durnell  would  sell  his  contract 
on  Eddie  Dugan.  the  jockey.  Durnell 
says  he  sold  only  first  call  on  Dugan 
for  the  present  New  York  season  to 
Mr.  Whitney  a  year  ago  and  that  his 
contract  on  the  boy  runs  until  May  15, 
1909.  He  has  telegraphed  to  Joyner 
that  he  would  take  $7,500  for  the  re- 
maining time  the  contract  has  to  run. 
Durnell  believes  that  Joyner  is  plan 
ning  to  take  Dugan  to  England  with 
him. 


Moran   Wants  Another  Chance. 

Owen  Mora  us  manager  was  not  sat- 
isfied with  the  outcome  of  the  battle 
with  Abe  Attell  recently,  in  which  the 
men  fought  to  a  draw,  and  is  seeking 
another  go  with  the  featherweight 
chamnjoni     This    time   ha.   ws-qts    the 


fight  to  be  at  forty-five  rounds,  ne 
thinks  the  Englishman  can  dispose  of 
the  American  in  a  longer  battle.  At- 
tell is  willing  to  sign  articles  again, 
but  refuses  to  agree  to  battle  more 
than  twenty-five  rounds,  which  he 
says  is  sufficient  for  him. 


Samse  to  Star  on  the  Stage. 

Leroy  Samse.  formerl.v  world's  cham- 
pion in  the  pole  vault,  intends  to  enter 
the  theatrical  world  via  the  vaudeville 
route.  The  ex-Indiana  university  star, 
whose  great  feat  of  12  feet  4%  inches 
at  the  western  interconference  meet  at 
Evanston  in  1906  stood  as  the  world's 
mark  until  broken  by  Gilbert  of  Yale, 
is  looking  for  a  partner  in  the  triple 
parallel  bars. 


fudge  —  You  said  the  defendant 
turned  and  whistled  to  the  dog.  What 
folloAved?  Intelligent  Witness—The- 
dog.— Philndelphia   Inquirer. 


\ 


Out    May    1906 

A  NEW  UP-TO-DATE 

Check  List  of  North  American  Birds 

Contains  all  new  additions  and  changes  to  A.  O.  U.  list 
arranged  according  to  A.  O.  U.  Nomenclature  and  giving  both 
common  and  scientific  names.     i6  pages  on  good  paper. 


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ADDRESS 


OOLOGIST,  Albion,  N.  Y.    or    ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Chill,  N.  Y.      ^ 
I 


THE  OOLOGIST.  159 

NEW    POLICY 

Svibscribers,     Advertisers 

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Publisher.  MaLnaLger. 


160 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


72nd  Thousand  !       72nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDE. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of  North   American  Birds  Egg>,  and  with  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  Norih  Ajnerican    Bfirds 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

This  is  a  popular  pocket  guide  and  text  book  to  ALL  THE  LAND  BIRDS  EAST 
OF  THE  ROCKIES,  from  the  Parrots  to  the  Bluebirds.     It  is  prepared  especially  for 

teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
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COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE.— yUnhe  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  includtd.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  ne-ts  and  eggs. 

SMALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
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be  without  it. 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR  YOU 

Bound  in  flexible  sock  cloth,  postpaid 

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WORCESTER..  MASS. 


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A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

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Vol.  XXV.    No.  11. 


ALBION,  N.  Y.,  NOV.,  1908, 


Whole  No.  256 


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257  ••  "  '•  ■•         Dec.  1908 
intermediate    numbers    can    easily    be 

determined.      If    we    ha\e    you    credited 
wrong   wo   wish    to   rectify. 


Entered  as  second-cla=;s  matter  De- 
cemlied  21,  1903.  at  tiie  post  office,  at 
Albion.  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gres;?  of  March  3,   1S79. 

I  HAVE  FOR  EXCHAN(;E.-For  species 
new  to  my  collection.  Choice  sets  of  327,  3IH, 
353,  354.  :5.54a,  ;j5S.1,3.-)9.1..3(>2,  370a,  37fi,  :3S9.  421, 
45.5,  744a,  7(i3.  etc.  THO.MAS  H.  .JACKSON. 
304  N.  Franklin  St..  West  Chester,  Pa. 

FOR  SALE. -A  collection  of  Natural  His 
tory  si>ecimens  catalogued  over  !fl200.  Will 
sell  for  $;i50.  Fine  for  museum.  F.  T. 
CORLESS.  804  E.  14  N.,  Portland.  Or. 

.June  fit. 

WHO  will  furnish  me  with  tir*t  class  sets 
of  10.  JS,  ii7,  ll.i.I.  llfi,  124,  167.  lltii.  277.  and  a 
3.12:1,  372.  41).).  455(1. -i:)3a,  463,  5  7.  SWi,  574a,  597a, 
f>27a.  (ICO.  6(12.  724.  7.jsa.  and  a  whole  lot  more, 
.V.  E.  I'lnciO.  (irant  Parl<,  HI.  S.  2.  t. 

W.V.VTED.— i'"inc  condition  se  s  witli  data, 
112  131  with  down.  161  with  down  212,  2.55.  261. 
Liberal  exclKinge  in  European,  .\mf>ricHn, 
Indian  and  others.  Eggs,  skins,  etc.  CH.AS. 
.lEFFEREYS,  Tetbury,  (Jlos.  England.   S.3.t. 

How  would  some  linn  mounted  .North  Da- 
kota specimens  suit  \  on  ?  I  would  like  to 
exchange  with  others  from  otiier  parts  of  the 
country.  Let  mc  h(>ar  from  you.  Satisfaction 
guaranteed.  .MARTIN  .M.  (iCLLESOX, Tax- 
idermist. Rutland.  \.  Dakota.  S.  3  t 

WA.N'TED.-EgL's  of  reptiles,  also  nests  of 
birds  witli  or  without  sets.  .State  price 
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in  the  WE>T  than  in  all  other  American  Col- 
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desiring  to  buy,  sell  orexchanye  publications 
and  slides.  H.  S.  HOWDISH,  141  Broadway. 
New  York  City,  N.  V. 

W.V.NTED.— r(j  exchange  Natural  History 
Specimens  in  any  branch.  Ornithology, 
Oology.  Conchology,  Eiitomolo:,'.v,  Miner- 
ology.  Paleontology,  or  .Misc,  Zoology;  for 
Printing  or  can  use  a  small  hand  press  with 
type.    E.  II.  SHORT.  Box  173,    Rochester,   N. 

y. 


162 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


i  i 


THE  BULLETIN"    Perfection  Bird  Houses 


^The  New  Series'of  "THE  BULLE- 
TIN" contains  particulars  of  Orni- 
thological, Oological,  Etomological, 
Ethnographical,  Paleontological  and 
Pre-historic  Specimens.  Post  free 
for  2  cent  stamp.  Post  Cards  not 
replied  to.     Address, 

THE  "BULLETIN" 

4  DUKE  ST., 
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Choice  sets.  European.  Indian.  Australian, 
etc.  Finest  quality,  lowest  prices.  Lists, 
2  cents.    S.  6.  t. 

JEFFERY'S  NATURALIST, 
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FOR   THE 

PURPLE 
MARTIN 

We  Build  Them. 


Twe  ity-five 
years'  experience 
in  the  study  of 
these  fine  birds, 
and  success  in 
their  colonization 
has  taug  t  us  the 
exact  require- 
ments   of    the 

House  Martins,  and  enables  us  to  construct 

ideal  boxes  for  their  use. 

The  JJarren  Jacobs  Bird  House  Co. 

WAYNESBURG,  PA. 

Illustrated  Booklet  lUc.  stamps.  u.3t 


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Out    May    1906 


A  NEW  UP-TO-DATE 

Check  List  of  North  American  Birds 

Contains  all  new  additions  and  changes  to  A.  -O.  U.  list 
arranged  according  to  A.  O.  U.  Nomenclature  and  giving  both 
common  and  scientific  namc^.     i6  pages  on  good  paper. 


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♦-  ♦ 


'HE  OOLOGIST 


163 


STILL    LEADING 


FIfTH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STANDARD  CATALOGUE  OE 
North  American   Birds   Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year,  Both  for  50c. 


Compiled  by  Frank  H.  Lattin  and 
Krnest.  H.  Short,  with  the  assistance 
of  many  prominent  American  Oolo- 
-rists. 

A  Complete  Up-to-date  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
iritrcduccd  Species,  giving  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  species  whose 
e'-;gs  are  procurable  at  this  time.  Ar- 
t-anged   according  to   A.   O.   U.   Nome- 


clature,  but  giving  Pidgway's  and 
Coues'  numbers  also.  Printed  on 
one  side  cf  page  only  leaving  it  In- 
convenient form  for  making  notes  ia 
or  using  for  labelling  purposes 
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Address  ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Manager  Oologist,  Chili,  N.  Y. 


GLASS   EYES 

AND    TAXIDERMIST'    SUPPLIES. 

NEW  C.\TALOGUE 
now  ready  Showing 
the  nio.st  roinplete  line 
of  taxideriHi.st.s'  sup- 
plies ever  listed.  (ii.Ass 
Kyes,  Tools,  F'elt, 
Wire,  Skulls,  Shields 
etc.  We  sell  to  the 
adinsr  taxidermists' 
all  over  the  eouiitr.v.  fi>r  ourgoods  and  prices 
are  rifjht.  We  w;uit  every  user  of  supplies 
to  have  our  new  catalog  now.  Mailed  free 
for  asking.  Write  for  catalog.  No.  52.  We 
also  mount  ail  l<iiids  of  specimens,  and  sell 
game  heads. 

Northwestern  School  of  Taxidermy, 

Oept.  76.  Omaha,  Nebr. 

The  V.'crlc's  Railway:. 
North  Ai;:eri(:i  lirs.  s])ea'.u!ig  in  roumi 
terms,  2i;n.r(; ;  inile.-<  of  railway,  of 
Avliich  22.").n(!i)  are  found  in  the  I'liiteJ 
States.  i:ia-niK>.  as  a  whole  h  i  ■;  V.) )«;(»  ) 
miles,  or  ,';,",(U1<')  miles  less  than  those  In 
the  rnit"(l  State;  alnic.  Asia  has 
r-J.nCd  miles.  Africa  lT.<iii(i  and  .\ustra- 
lia  ail  1  the  adjacent  islands  of  Oc«auia 
ll.r.v.) 


Learn  Taxidermy. 


Naturalists,  Oologists 
and  Sportsmen  should 
all  know  how  to  correct- 
ly mount  all  kinds  of 
birds  and  animals.  WE 
TEACH  TAXIDERMY 
BY  MAIL.  Complete 
course  in  151essons.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  de- 
li;;huul  and  tascinating  of  arts.  Easily 
learned.  STANDARD  METHODS.  En- 
dorsed by  all  leading  ta.xidcrinists.  Many 
of  the  best  known  naturalists  of  the  country 
are  numbered  among  our  students.  If  you 
want  to  learn  TAXfDER.MY,  we  desire  to 
submit  ourproposition  in  full.  Send  TODAY 
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ple copy  of  The  TAXIDER.M  Y  MAGAZINE. 

BOTH  Fi;i':E.    tup:  n.  w.  school  of 

T.\  XJ DE I ;  M  Y,  7(i  Farnam   St . ,  Omaha.  Neb. 

TO     ALL     INTERESTED. 
REMEMBER. 

I  furnish  col  lections  covering  one  or  several 
oranches  of  Natural  Histoky  for  study  or 
museum  purposes  at  Special  reduced  rates. 
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sure  to  please. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT, 
Box    r  73  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


164  THB;  OOL.OGIST. 

Birds  and  Bird  Homes 

"AS  THEY  WERE  SNAPPED." 

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Birds   and    Birds'    Nests   from   Nature 

BRIEF  DESCRIPTIONS 

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BIRD  ARCHITECTURE  AND 
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t  CombinoLtion  Offer.  3 

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^  Oologist  one  year  ^ 

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►  all  prepaid $2.60  < 

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►  Address  < 
t                                  ERNEST  H.  SHORT.  5 

►  Manager  Oolofiist  Chili.  N.Y.  ^ 


^       Manager  Oologist  Chili,  N.Y. 

• AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA • 


The  OoLOGiST. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  11.        Albion,  N.  Y.  November,  1908. 


Whole  No.  256 


THE    OOLOGIST, 

A    Monthly    Publication    Devoted   to 
OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND   TAXI- 
DERMY. 
FRANK    H.    LATTIN,    Publisher, 
ALBION,    N.    Y. 
EKNEST    H.     SHOKT,     Editor    and    Kanager. 
Correspondence    and    Items    of    interest    to    the 
student  of  Birds,   their  Nests  and  Eggs,  solicited 
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EDITORIAL. 


We  regret  being  unable  to  use  at 
])resent  many  valuable  photos  for  half- 
tone work. 

We  wish  to  extend  our  sincere 
thanks  to  several  of  the  friends  of 
The  Oologist  who  have  gone  to  extra 


lengths  to  help  our  little  periodical 
along  during  the  past  year,  and  sin- 
cerely deplore  the  fact  that  lack  of 
time  to  devote  to  the  matter,  has  re- 
sulted in  injustice  to  them  in  some  in- 
stances. 

In  piesenting  some  extracts  from 
an  article  by  C.  L.  Rawson,  in  Nor- 
wich, Conn.  "Bulletin,"  appearing 
seme  time  ago,  we  would  add  that  we 
hope  to  present  an  old  timer's  view  of 
some  recent  legislation  in  our  next  is- 
sue, which  will  be  a  personal  issue. 
ERNEST   H.   SHORT. 


Around    the    Flambeau. 

My  trip  in  19'05  to  this  country  was 
only  a  scouting  excursion  which  ser- 
ved to  acquaint  me  with  the  insectiv- 
erous  and  seed-eating  birds  that  occu- 
py the  coniferous  forests  in  upper 
Wisconsin  near  the  Lake  Superior  re- 
gion. LTpon  returning  to  this  terri- 
tory in  .June,  1908,  I  felt  fairly  confi- 
dent of  success,  having  acquainted 
myself  previously  with  the  lay  of  the 
land,  and  the  songs  and  notes  of  these 
birds,  while  contrary  to  the  water 
fowl,  are  particularly  shy  and  evas- 
ive while  nesting. 

It  'is  not  unusual  to  find  our  various 
Warblers  and  Sparrows  frequenting 
our  shaded  trees  and  parks  during  the 
semi-annual  migi-ations,  when  they  are 
of  a  fearless  attitude  and  quite  tame. 
The  water  birds,  especially  ducks  and 
geese,  are  exceedingly  warj'  while 
stopping  on  their  'northern  and  south- 
ern flights,  but  to  meet  them  during 
the  period  of  nidification,  they  seem 
little  concerned  regarding  the  pres- 
ence   of   man    and    frequently    appear 


166 


THE  OOLOGIST 


in  habited  sections,  from  the  upper 
United   States,  northward. 

The  Flambeau  River  is  used  exten- 
sively for  floating  logs,  and  like  many 
of  these  northern  streams,  is  excell- 
ent for  trout  fishing.  About  the  edges 
of  the  tim'ber  and  in  the  wild  berry 
bushes,  in  rather  open  situations,  the 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler  was  almo-t  as 
conspicuous  as  our  summer  Yellow- 
bird  in  Illinois.  Shaded  portions  of 
the  second  growth  timber  seemed  fair- 
ly well  populated  with  the  vivacious 
Red  Start,  and  his  notes  were  inter- 
mingled with  the  peculiar  tell-tale 
song  of  the  Oven  Bird. 

I  was  working  with  both  hands  to 
ward  off  the  ever  present  mosquitoes, 
and  as  I  passed  among  a  dense  growth 
of  ferns,  adjoining  the  blue-berry 
marsh,  a  Peabody  bird.  White- 
crowned  Sparrow,  hopped  to  a 
dead  limb  aind  chirped  saucily.  I 
parted  the  vegetation  and  found  five 
extremely  handsome  eggs  of  this 
large  sparrow,  in  a  nest  imbedded  in 
the   long  green   moss. 

In  my  efforts  to  follow  a  Ruffed 
Grouse,  who  had  been  '•drumming"  at 
early  morn  cm  a  poplar  ridge,  I  at- 
tempted to  locate  the  female.  Pro- 
gress was  very  laborious  for  this  pari 

0  fthe  timber  contained  many  fallen 
tree  trunks  piled  cross-wise,  four  to 
ten  feet  high.  A  Canadian  Warbler 
flitted  from  beneath  the  fallen  hranch- 
es  ten  feet  ahead  and  from  the  way 
he  moved  about  twittering  nervously, 

1  felt  tempted  to  search  for  the  mate, 
although  the  verdure  was  very  dense. 
I  moved  about  on  my  knees  for  half 
an  hour  and  finally  parted  the  green 
fern  stems  on  the  bank  of  a  little  ra- 
vine only  to  discover  that  I  had  put 
my  hand  on  the  mother  bird  who  was 
incubating  five  of  her  delicately 
speckled  eggs. 

Slate-colored  Juncos,  Yellow-bellied 
Sap  Suckers,  Magnolia  Warblers, 
•Scarlet  Tanagers  and  Chimney  Swifts 


were  all  breeding  in  the  heavy  timber 
which  was  composed  of  spruce,  hem- 
lock,  pine,  cedar,  balsam,  tamarack, 
maple  and  elm.  In  two  instances  I 
noticed  the  male  Rose-breasted  Gros- 
beaks sitting  on  nests.  Several  Brown 
Creepers  were  in  evidence,  and  I  ob- 
served one  Arctic  Three-toed  Wood- 
1  crker.  The  Vlrecs  were  always  in  ev- 
idence, particularly  the  Warbling  and 
Red-eye   varieties. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  was  strolling 
leisurely  near  a  lake  of  considerable 
size,  my  eyes  were  attracted  by  a 
Mourning  Warbler  as  he  moved  about 
among  the  swamp  grass  and  reeds  in 
a  manner  typical  of  our  Yellow-throat. 

Suspended  from  a  horizontal  limh 
of  a  wild  plum  tree  at  a  height  of  ten 
feet  above  the  ground  was  a  new  Vir- 
eo's  nest  that  I  could  look  into,  when 
standin  gon  a  fallen  log.  The  nest 
contained  but  a  single  freshly  laid 
egg.  I  visited  this  nest  several  times 
at  subsequent  dates,  and  on  each  oc- 
casion found  a  pair  of  Philadelphia 
Vireos  in  possession  of  this  domicile. 
Either  of  the  birds  sitting  om  the  nest 
showed  no  suspicion  at  my  approach, 
and  would  allow  me  to  touch  them 
before  vacating  their  treasures.  This 
nest  contained  three  eggs,  when  the 
birds    commenced    to    incubate. 

The  Olive-back  and  Wood  Thrushes 
were  about  equally  distributed  and 
both  were  partial  to  extremely  thick 
places  where  a  little  sunshine  reach- 
ed the  earth.  The  beautiful  Black- 
burnia.n  Warbler  could  be  seen  glean- 
ing about  the  foliage  where  the 
thrushes  had  their  nests.  In  a  springy 
soil  frequented  by  the  red  deer,  I  se- 
cured my  first  clutch  of  Water 
Thrush.  The  eggs  were  imbedded  in 
the  deer  moss  on  a  little  embankment 
dampened  by  a  spring  pool. 

One  of  the  first  birds  that  I  became 
acquainted  with  was  the  Black-throat- 
ed Blue  Warbler.     The  song  of  the  male 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


167 


is  very  distinct  and  original.  Open  pla- 
ces in  the  woods,  where  the  maples 
grow  from  one  to  ten  feet  above  the 
ground,  sem  to  be  infested  with  some- 
thing edible  and  particularly  fascinat- 
ing to  this  (laintily-hued  bird.  I  had 
almost  resolved  that  the  wood-lands 
contained  nothing  but  bachelors  of 
this  strikingly  handsome  warbler  un- 
til with  the  aid  of  opera  glasses,  I 
discerned  a  female  Black-throated 
Blue  acting  suspiciously  about  a 
clump  of  maples.  After  carefully 
searching,  I  found  a  large,  bulky,  but 
artistic  nest  containing  four  eggs  of 
this   variety. 

My  companion  visited  a  place  some 
miles  to  the  east,  but  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  same  rivulet.  He  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  becoming  personally  acquaint- 
ed with  the  Myrtle  and  Black-throated 
Green  Warblers,  also  the  White- 
crowned  Sparrow.  His  red  letter  day 
was  brought  to  a  climax  while  "still 
fishing"  in  the  shady  portion  of  a  lit- 
tle bay,  late  one  afternoon.  A  large 
Buff-breasted  Duck  flew  past  his  boat, 
skimming  the  water's  surface  and  ar- 
riving upon  a  dead  pine  stub  (imbed- 
ded in  a  gravelly  part  of  the  beach, 
on  a  little  point),  her  feet  dangling 
in  the  air,  she  dropped  out  of  sight 
into  the  old  stuni]).  On  examining 
this  old  remnant  of  a  once  stately 
pine,  the  bark  was  found  to  be  in  such 
a  state  of  decomposition  that  it  was 
easy  to  remove  the  exterior  of  the 
stub,  and  the  parent  bird  could  be 
seen  sitting  on  a  level  with  the  eye, 
.and  probably  three  and  one-half  feet 
below  the  entrance.  There  were 
twelve  eggs  of  the  American  Mergan- 
ser in  this  hollow,  and  indications 
showed  there  were  numerous  layers 
of  dow.n,  and  the  bird  had  evidently 
resorted  to  the  same  place  for  years. 
GERARD  ALAN  ABBOT. 


THE    QUAIL    TRAP. 


C.  L.   Rawson. 


In  Norwich,  Conn.  Bulletin. 

The  Quail  Trap,  Oct.  15.— If  over 
one  'hundred  men  with  shotgunrj  are 
to  be  legally  turned  loose  yearly  in 
every  country  village  in  Connecticut 
there  are  reasons  worth  mentioning 
why  the  season  should  not  open  till 
Oct.  1.5.  The  few  young  quail  are  not 
laige  enough  to  shoot,  the  fall  flight 
of  woodcock  from  the  north  has  not 
begun,  the  second  litter  of  gray  squir- 
rels are  only  half  grown,  and  rabbits 
are  not  in  prime  co'ndition  for  the  ta- 
ble till  the  green  summer  food  is  elim- 
inated by  heavy  frosts. 

The  most  convincing  argument  to 
the  true  sportsman  is  that  leaves  are 
now  too  thick  to  allow  them  to  prop- 
erly sight  and  kill  ruffed  grouse.  The 
snap  shots  taken  by  ear  or  guess 
through  screening  foliage,  wing  or 
wound  many  partridges  that  are  left 
unretrieved  to  slowly  die  of  their 
hurts.  On  October  1st,  the  day  the 
law  was  off,  a  grouse  raised  in  the 
town  limits,  was  driven  from  the 
woods  bleeding  with  gunshot  wounds 
to  die  on  a  piazza  on  Beech  street. 
Two  badly  wounded  and  dying  chick- 
en partridgges  were  taken  from  the 
stone  walls  here,  driven  afield  by 
hunters  who  could  not  follow  their 
line  of  flight  on  account  of  leaves.  I 
have  in  mind  a  house  near  here  be- 
tween two  leafy  swamjis  where  grouse 
were  raised  this  year  and  last  season. 
Driven  from  one  grove  towards  the 
other  by  dogs  and  guais,  some  of  these 
birds,  blinded  by  terror,  are  dashed 
to  death  against  this  house.  Some  old 
local  shots,  because  of  inability  to 
see  flushed  grouse,  say  they  will  not 
go  into  the  woods  till  the  last  of  Octo- 
ber. They  say  it  has  been  too  hot  in 
the  fields  for  the  dogs  and  too  close 
in  the  woods. 


168 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Still    more   to   the     point    this   year, 

young  quail  at  the  north  are  too  small 
'^.o  shoot.  The  New  London  gunners 
who  crocked  the  ferry  Oct.  1,  2,  and  3, 
into  Cedar  Groton,  Long  and  Bushy 
Points  and  Poquonnoc  Plains,  report 
seme  covies  of  quail  half  grown,  soime 
two-thirds  grown,  and  ome  big  bunch 
ao  larger  than  sparrows.  But  600  un- 
scrupulous local  shots  are  licensed  to 
go  out  Oct.  1  and  kill  these  bob-white 
fledglings,  which  when  brought  to  bag 
are  only  tiny  bunches  of  feathers.  Full 
grown  young  robins,  wacups  and 
meadow-larks,  fat  and  fit  for  the  ta- 
ole,  are  protected  by  law  all  the  year, 
while  a  half-grown  quail  which  could 
do  more  good  to  the  farmer  than  a 
dozen  thrushes,  can  now  be  legally 
blown  to  pieces. 

..Seventy-four  hunting  licenses  and 
three  non-resident  were  issued  in  Ston- 
ington  up  to  Oct.  7,  and  there  were 
many  more  applications.  I  personal- 
ly know  of  a  few  immature  quail  in 
the  north  part  of  this  town  which  are 
now  legal  game  for  this  licensed 
crowd.  They  can  also  slip  over  into 
Groton  after  the  tiny  quail  reported 
by  the  early  gunners  from  New  Lon- 
don. But  up  to  the  8th,  Groton  itself 
had  licensed  150  people  to  help  on  this 
work  of  extermination.  The  Groton 
'erryboat  daily  carries  across  some  of 
the  214  New  London  licenses,  includ- 
ing a  number  of  aliens.  Up  to  the 
Gth  of  October  Woodstock  had  sent 
into  our  woods  G6  licensed  shooters, 
and  still  a  big  demaoid  for  more 
blanks. 

Norwich  should  be  very  proud  of  her 
work  in  this  line  on  sending  383  resi- 
dent hunters  into  her  fields  and  woods 
with  3  non-residents  so  far  and  8 
aliens!  Mr.  Holbrook  adds,  "If  they 
all  go  and  can  hit  anything,  there 
won't  be  much  game  left."  Too  true, 
alas!  But  suppose  each  one  of  this 
regiment  kills  the  3.5  birds  allowed  by 


law,  any  bird-lover  can  figure  out  the 
frightful  result. 

A  respectable  squad  go  out  only  for 
fox  and  coon,  but  9  out  of  10  gunners 
fhoot  at  every  useful  hawk  cr  owl 
they  run  across.  They  one  an  dall  dis- 
dain to  touch  a  red  squirrel — the  most 
pestiferous  enemy  of  small  breeding 
birds.  Some  licensees  may  never  use 
their  permits;  and  no  doubt  in  the 
general  scramble  others  take  out  li- 
censes simply  because  they  somehow 
feel  that  the  yare  to  be  deprived  of  a 
piivilege  they  never  before  cared  to 
exercise.  This  last  sophistry  impels 
the  same  class  to  drink  in  strictly  no- 
license  towns.  I  find  in  the  list  of  li- 
cemsees  the  names  of  some  aliens 
whom  the  law  was  passed  to  exclude. 
An  unlicensed  Italian  was  last  week 
fined  on  Fishe>s  Island  for  shooting  a 
Belgian  hare.  But  what  shall  we  do  with 
the  licensed  Italiaos  whc  are  sure  to 
fill  their  bags  with  snml]  hi'ds? 

Our  own  half-mile  strip  of  home 
woods,  near  the  Massachusetts  line,  is 
overrun  by  gunners  from  East  Wood- 
stock, Village  Corners,  West  Parish, 
and  Southbridge.  With  this  hot  cross 
fire  and  the  leaves  still  on,  it  is  not 
prudent  to  go  chestnutting  just  at 
present.  I  am  not  overfond  of  pick- 
ing No.  11  shot  from  my  skin  and 
clothing,  saving  still  too  vivid  re- 
membrances of  being  twice  pricked  in 
the  old  autumn  days  when  every  No- 
ank  boy  on  Fort  Hill  or  Long  Point 
blazed  away  at  everything  from  a 
swallow  up  to  a  bar-post  on  the  side 
of  a  harn. 

Some  of  the  younger  licensed  re- 
cruits appear  to  think  that  they  can 
now  shoot  anywhere  at  will.  They 
should  be  reminded  that  neither  gov- 
ernor nor  president  armed  with  20  li- 
censes can  s'hoot  on  my  land  or  your 
laud  without  permission.  A  farmer 
with  no  papers  can  shoot  game  in  his 
own   cabbage   ))atch.   Init   he  may  not 


THE  OOLOQIST. 


169 


follow  his  quarry   over  on   his  neigh- 
bor's territory. 

I  repeat  that  the  present  shooting 
license  gives  no  inivilege  that  a  gun- 
ner did  not  have  before.  It  will  not 
excuse  trespass  of  any  kind.  Oinly 
Saturday  last,  although  he  had  been 
warned,  an  alien  Quinebaug  factory 
hand  persisted  in  shooting  gray  squir- 
rels in  a  dooryard.  In  two  instances 
near  us  small  groves  'near  houses, 
w"hich  have  hitherto  been  held  im- 
mune and  protected  by  common  con- 
sent, have  so  early  this  season  been 
completely  cleaned  out  of  gray  squir- 
rels. Several  times  lately,  when  the 
graytails  were  roaming  the  fields  for 
nuts  and  sweet  apples.  I  saw  gunners 
sitting  in  the  public  road  waiting  for 
this  small  game  to  come  and  feed.  I 
lost  control  of  my  horse  by  a  sudden 
shot  from  one  of  these  men.  A  village 
farmer  had  a  partly  tame  gray  squir- 
rel living  in  his  unused  old  gristmill, 
and  cme  of  these  sidewalk  gunners  de- 
liberately came  and  shot  it.  A  little 
too  promiscuous  and  too  short  range, 
my  friends. 

On  Long  Island  the  season  for  quail, 
grouse,  rabbits  and  squirrels  does  not 
open  till  November  1.  As  I  write  on 
the  15th  of  October,  dense  foliage  still 
fills  the  local  woods  and  swamps.  On 
proepr  presentation  of  these  facts,  it 
would  seem  as  if  the  legislature  would 
proclaim  close  game  season  till  Octo- 
ber 15,  and  the  act  would  surely  be 
approved  by  all  true  sportsmen 
throughout  the  state. 

C.  L.  R. 

How    to      IVIake     an      Automatic     Egg 
Blower  for  50   Cents. 


Every  one  who  does  much  oological 
collecting  should  have  an  automatic 
egg  blower  and  take  blowing  easy,  in- 
stead of  using  up  all  his  breath  with 


one  set  of  eggs.     The  first  thing  to  do 
is  to  secure  the  following  materials: 

A  small  block  of  wood  will  not  cost 
anything. 

One   rubber   syringe   bulb $     "5 

Two  feet  of  glass  tube 10 

One-half     foot     of     rubber     tube 
large  enough  to  fit  the  brass 

and   glass   tube 5 

Small   piece  of  brass  tube iO 

Total    $     .50 

All  these  things  can  be  purchased 
at  a  drug  store  except  the  brass  tube, 
which  can  be  purchased  at  a  hard- 
ware store.  Take  the  block  of  wood 
and  bore  a  small  hole  in  it.  Then  yet 
a  square  piece  of  wood  i/2X%  inche.-; 
square,  and  3  or  4  inches  high,  boi'u 
a  hole  through  it  large  enough  to  in- 
sert the  brass  tube,  then  whittle  the 
other  end  small  enough  to  stick  it  in 
the  hole  in  the  block  of  wood. 
Attach  the  bulb  to  one  end  of  the  tube 
and  a  piece  of  the  rubber  tube  an  inch 
long  on  the  otker. 

Then  take  a  foot  of  the  glass  tube 
and  heat  the  middel  of  it  red  hot  in 
the  gas  jet,  (this  will  only  take  a  mia- 
ute) ;  then  pull  on  each  end  of  the 
tube;  it  will  pull  out  thinner  and  thin- 
ner as  long  as  you  pull.  When  it  is 
as  thin  as  j-ou  want  it  take  it  out 
and  break  it  in  the  middle, 
then  hold  the  thin  part  where  you 
want  to  bend  it  up,  in  the  edge  of  the 
gas  until  it  bends  down  by  its  owu 
weight.  Then  take  it  out  and 
fit  the  large  end  in  the  little  piece  of 
rubber  tube.  By  this  method 
you  can  make  your  blowers  much 
finer  than  you  can  buy  them,  and  you 
can  keej)  the  hole  in  your  eggs  very 
small.  Then  the  machine  is  complete. 
Be  sure  to  get  the  air  through  the 
end.  If  you  do  not  have  it 
this  way  it  will  not  work,  because  it 
cannot  take  air  through  the  small 
blow  pii)e,  which  is  in  the  egg.  I  hope 
this  will  save  many  collectors  some 
money  ,and  also  their  breath. 
P.  G.  HOWES, 

Stamford,  Conn. 


170 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Large   Set   of    Florida    Gallinule. 


On  July  10,  1908,  I  collected  a  nest 
and  18  eggs  of  the  Florida  Gallinule 
at  Port  Richmond,  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
whidh  I  believe  is  the  largest  set  on 
record,  at  least  it  is  the  biggest  I  have 
any  record  of. 

As  generally  happens  with  big  sets 
it  could  not  be  preserved  entire,  as 
incubation  was  advanced  in  the  ma- 
jority of  the  eggs,  being  actually  pip- 
ped in  some,  and  with  the  most  care- 
ful and  liberal  use  of  caustic  potash, 
I  could  save  only  nine  and  two  of 
these  were  i-otten. 

Two  of  the  eggs  were  of  abnormal 
size,  one  of  these  was  rotten  and  was 
blown,  Init  the  other  was  lost,  being 
pipped;  they  being  fully  one-third  lar- 
ger than  average-sized  eggs  of  the 
Water  Hen. 

Several  others  were  below  the  aver- 
age size,  but  not  small  enough  to  be 
considered  abnormal.  In  shape  and 
color  tihey  exhibited  the  most  uniform- 
ity, precluding  the  possibility  of  their 
being  the  product  of  two  females.  Fur- 
thermore, only  one  pair  of  birds  in- 
habited that  part  of  the  marsh,  which 
was  a  small  one  between  an  unopened 
street  and  a  dump,  and  the  birds'  two 
previous  sets  were  collected  by  me  in 
May  and  .June.  These  were  precisely 
like  the  last  in  shape  and  coloration, 
none  of  the  eggs  exhibiting  a  tenden- 
cy to  abnormalism. 

RICHARD  F.  MILLER, 
Frankford, 

Philadelphia,   Pa. 


Malformed    Bill    of   Catbird. 


On  July  5,  1906,  I  saw  a  female  (?) 
Catbird  at  Frankford,  with  a  malform- 
ed bill.  The  upper  mandible  was  bent 
entirely  backward  into  the  air,  the 
point  rising  straight  upward  from  the 
forehead  in  a  perpendicular  position. 

The  bird  was  well  seen  at  its  nest 


and  from  observatiom,  the  curious 
formed  bill  seemed  to  have  been  the 
result  of  an  accident. 

I  intended  to  secure  the  bird,  but 
boys  rifled  the  nest  before  I  could  re- 
turn and  the  bird  deserted  the  locali- 
ty as  I  couldn't  find  it  afterward.  Con- 
sequently, I  lost  an  opportunity  to 
study  the  cause  of  the  malformity  and 
ascertain  how  it  was  done, 

RICHARD  F,  MILLER, 
Frankford,    Philadelphia,  Pa, 


The  Wood  Thrush. 


Editor  Ooologist, 

Dear  Sir: — Last  spring  a  pair  of 
Wood  Thrush  (No.  755)  built  a  nest 
and.  reared  a  brood  of  three  young 
in  an  apple  tree  about  .30  feet  from 
our  door,  and  the  birds  gathered  the 
material  for  the  nest  and  food  for  the 
young  from  the  garden  and  dooryard. 
The  nest  was  of  the  usual  structure, 
leaves,  weeds  and  a  rag,  which  were 
formed  into  the  nest  wet.  This  is  the 
first  nest  out  of  dozens  that  I  have 
examined  in  which  no  eggs  of  the  cow- 
bird  were  deposited.  The  birds  were 
very  tame  and  paid  no  attention  to  me 
when  I  worked  in  the  garden.  This 
is  inside  the  city  limits  and  I  think 
a  little  unusual,  a?  I  have  always 
found  them  breeding  in  dark  thickets 
along  the  creek,  and  are  rather  shy. 
W.  C,  P„ 

Crawfordsville,    Ind. 


January  1,  I  had  brought  to  me  an 
adult  male  Ajn,  Goshawk.  The  crop 
was  empty,  hut  the  bird  could  hardly 
have  been  any  fatter. 

I  have  been  informed  by  a  corre- 
spondent that  in  the  season  of  1907, 
there  were  collected  in  Florida  four- 
teen sets  of  eggs  of  the  Swallow-tailed 
Kite,  more  than  were  ever  taken  be- 
fore in  one  season  so  far  as  is  known. 
This  was  possible  only  because  of  the 


THK  CJOLOGIST 


171 


great  drought  which  rendered 
regions,  orrlinarily  Impenetrable,  ac- 
cessible to  collectors. 

^\ishing  you  all  success  for  1908,  I 
am.  Very  truly  yours. 

B.  G.  WILLARD, 

Millis,   Mass. 


Three  Freaks. 


During  the  past  summer  1  added 
three  interesting  freaks  to  my  collec- 
tion. 

The  first  was  a  perfectly  white 
wocdchuck.  It  is  a  half-grown  fm;  is 
snow-white,  not  a  dark  hair  anywhere. 
Its  eyes  were  pink;  even  the  toe-nails 
and  bottom  of  its  feet  were  pink.  It 
was  killed  in  an  old  slashing  back  in 
the  mountains  nearly  five  miles  from 
the  nearest  farm,  by  a  dog  belonging 
to  a  friend,  who  at  the  time  was  on 
his  way  to  attend  to  some  gas  wells. 

The  second  was  also  a  woodchuck. 
This  one  was  black.  It  was  seen  by 
a  friend  who  told  me  about  it.  So,  a 
few  days  later  I  went  to  that  locality 
and  lay  in  ambush  in  the  edge  of  a 
piece  of  woods  along  the  river.  After 
spending  the  best  part  of  the  day  the 
chuck  came  out  and  1  shot  it.  This 
one  was  an  old  fm.,  black  as  a  bear, 
excei)t  the  face,  which  is  gray. 

The  third  freak  is  a  meadow-lark. 
It  is  very  light-colored  and  has  a  fad- 
ed-out whitish  appearance.  Its  wings 
are  dull  white. 

R.  B.  SIMPSON, 

Warren,   Pa. 


Notes  on  the   Black-billed  Cuckoo. 


(C'occyzus  erythrophthalmus). 


The  Black-billed  Cuckoo  (coccyzu.s 
erythroijhthalmus),  is  in  my  opinion 
one  of  the  most  beneficial  ])irds,  as  it 
consumes  a  great  number  of  the  ap- 
ple-tree tent  caterpillars,  (riisiocami)a 


americana),  a  hairy  species  which 
many  birds  will  not  try  to  feed  upon. 
These  caterpillars  do  a  great  deal  of 
damage  to  the  youmg  buds  of  apple 
anl  cherry  trees,  the  eggs  hatching 
so  early  that  the  young  larvae  feed 
upon  them  before  they  have  time  to 
o.en,  thus  destroying  all  the  leaves 
i::   ca:h  bud 

I  once  watched  one  of  these  cuckoos- 
feasting  upon  a  horde  of  the  caterpil- 
lars, and  so  fond  of  them  was  he,  that. 
I  approached  within  a  foot  of  him  be- 
fore he  noticed  my  presence,  and  vent- 
ing his  anger  with  a  loud  "kow  ou," 
retreated  to  the  nearest  tree. 

The  birds  arrive  in  the  locality  dur- 
ing the  third  week  in  May  but  do  not 
commence  to  build  until  the  first  week 
in  June,  although  I  have  a  set  taken 
May  23rd,  1894. 

The  nest  is  a  rather  loosely  con- 
structed affair  of  small  twigs,  leaves, 
and  sometimes  a  feather  or  two,  and 
in  my  experience  has  always  been 
lined  with  maiden-hair  ferns.  It  was 
a  great  surprise  to  me  when  I  found 
a  nest  lined  with  this  material  in  a 
locality  in  which  I  have  many  a  time 
looked  in  vain  for  this  fern.  This 
seems  to  show  that  they  sometimes 
take  their  material  from  some  little 
distance  from  the  spot  selected  for 
the  nest. 

The  place  selected  for  the  nest  is  a 
small  tree  or  bush  usually  in  a  fairly 
dry  location  and  is  built  from  six 
inches  to  twenty  feet  above  the 
ground,  and  is  of  such  small  size  that 
it  is  not  at  all  conspicuous. 

The  nest  which  I  mentioned  above,. 
I  found  in  a  scrubly  apple  tree  at  the 
foot  of  a  hay-covered  field,  while  out 
searching  for  meadow-larks  on  .Tune 
12th,  1907.  T  happened  to  look  up  and 
among  the  foliage  noticed  a  small  nest 
at  the  extremity  of  a  limb  about  15 
feet  above  the  ground,  and  on  climb- 
ing up,  saw  the  female  bird  leave  the 
nest,     which     contained     two       eggs. 


172 


THE  OOLOGIST 


The  =  e,  of  course,  I  left,  and  on  return- 
ing c-n  the  16th  of  June,  found  no  more 
eggs  Eo  I  concluded  that  it  was  a  full 
set. 

The  eggs  are  either  elliptical  or 
glcbular  hi  form,  and  are  about  the 
color  of  those  of  the  Blue-birds,  and 
sometimes  covered  with  a  yellowish- 
brown  stain. 

The  song  of  this  bird,  though  not 
considered  beautiful;  to  me  in  the 
early  morning  hours,  while  starting  on 
a  collecting  trip,  is  one  of  charm  and 
fascination.  Two  sets  which  I  meas- 
ured are  as  follows:  Set  No.  1,  two 
eggs,  1.02x80'  and  .95x.T9.  Set  No.  2, 
three  eggs,  l.Oox.TT;  l.OSx.Tl  and  1.01 
X .  I  '6. 

The  birds  leave  for  the  south  the 
lait  week  in  September. 

P.  G.   HOWES, 

Stamford,  Conn. 


W 


ADAM    AND    EVE. 

HEN  Adam  was  created 
He  dwelt  in  Eden's  shade, 

As  Moses  has  related, 
And  soon  a  bride  was  mado. 


The  Distance  We  Dance. 

Dancing  is  a  ytreirr.'.>r..;  exercise.  Cal- 
culations show  the  distances  negotiat- 
ed in  a  night  by  fair  enthusiasts  and 
their  partners  to  be  worthy  the  per- 
formance of  athletes.  Thus  the  aver- 
age waltz  turn  will  require  a  dancer  to 
travel  over  1,300  yards.  Other  round 
dances  in  their  accomplishment  in- 
volve: The  mazurka,  1,050  yards;  the 
polka,  a  trifle  under  the  thousand;  the 
pas  de  quatre,  barely  900  yards.  Quad- 
rilles, howeA'er,  hold  the  record,  siu'^e 
dauciu;;  of  one  entails  on  each  of  the 
eight  persons  in  the  set  the  achieve- 
ment all  unwittingly  of  a  constitution- 
al a  mile  and  a  qurirter  long,  while 
dancing  the  full  card,  inchisive  of  the 
cotillon,  at  a  ball  begiuuiug.  say,  at  10 
o'clock  at  night  and  winding  up  at  5 
o'clock  the  following  morning  necessi- 
tates the  taking  of  28,000  steps,  or  a  to- 
tal distance  covered  of  over  eleven 
miles.— Harper's  Weekly. 

Pewter    cciarca     orc»oa 

A.  pewterlike  api>earance  may  be  Im- 
parted to  brass  by  boiling  the  castings 
in  a  cream  of  tartar  solution  contain^ 
Ing  a  Bmall  amount  of  chloride  of  tin. 


He  had  no  conversation, 

Er.t  seemed  to  be  alone 
Till  to  his  admiration 

He  found  he'd  lost  a  bone. 

Great  was  his  exultation 
AVhen  first  he  saw  his  bride; 

Great  was  his  elevation 
To  see  her  by  his  side. 

He  spoke  as  in  a  rapture, 
"I  know  from  whence  she  came; 

From  my  left  side  extracted, 
And  woman  is  her  name." 

The  woinan  she  was  taken 

From  under  Adam's  arm. 
So  she  must  be  protected 

Frt"!  injury  and  harm. 

The  \oman  she  was  taken 
Fror  1  near  to  Adam's  heart, 

By  which  we  are  directed 
That  they  must  never  part. 

Likewise  that  he  should  love  her 
And  treat  her  as  a  friend; 

Prize  notiiing  else  above  her 
Till  life  shall  have  an  end. 

The  woman  was  not  taken 
From  Adam's  head,  we  see. 

So  she  is  not  to  rule  him. 
The  meaning  seems  to  be. 

— Anonymous. 

A  IVIathenriatical  Puzzle. 

Most  people  are  fond  of  good  puz- 
zles, and  many  are  not  entirely  happy 
until  they  have  solved  them,  but  the 
man  v.  ho  resolves  not  to  go  to  bed  un- 
til he  has  found  a  divisor  watLout  a 
remainder  (other  than  1  and  itself)  for 
1,111,111,111,111,111.111  will  be  able  to 
earn  a  good  liA'ing  afterward  as  a  sleep- 
less wonder.  For  nobody  in  the  world 
yet  knows  whether  that  nuiuber  has  a 
divisor  or  not. 


Traveling  Toothbrush  Case. 
A  traveling  case  for  a  toothbrush  is 
•veithin  the  powers  of  unskilled  fingers. 
In  making  this  use  a  piece  of  rubber 
cloth  two  inches  wide  and  more  than 
double  the  brush  length.  Form  it  into 
a  long,  narrow  bag  to  be  slipped  into 
a  second  bag  fashioned  from  silk  or 
ribbon.  The  mouth  of  the  second  or 
outer  bag  is  llnished  neatly,  and  there 
Is  a  drawstring  of  narrow  cord. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


J7S 


BARGAINS 


IN 


DATA 


BLANKS 


:i>  iiirtini;  our  "Standard  Cata- 
I.i^iii-"  wo  had  a  lot  of  Datas  printed 
(■;i  wliat  would  otherwise  have  been 
w.'sto  pa;  er  and  have  decided  to  give 
oar  iiatinns  the  benefit  of  our  gain. 


We  can  furnish  five  (5)  styles  and 
will  sen;l  prepaid,  your  choice,  at 
12c.  per  100  of  $1  per  1000.  The  small- 
est size  01-  .\'o.  1,  at  10c.  per  100  or 
T."c  I  ei-  1000.  Special  rates,  any 
sty!f.   on   C.OOO  or   10,000  lots. 


Send      1c.      stamp     for 
."^heet  of  sample  styles 


Quctations   Good   for  this   lot  and   Un- 
til  Present  Stock   is  Exhausted  Only 

.■\  Ifiress   as   you   prefer  either 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Rochester.  N.  Y. 
or   FRANK   H.   LATIN,   Albion.    .\.    V 


Prices   fcr   Bf.ck   Numbers    )f   the 
YOUNG    OOLOJiST    AND    THE    OOLOGIST 
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<il)t:i  inable    at    any    price.       Should    you 
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file.   NOAV   is   the  time   to   purchase.   You 
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Prices  for    1907-08  Are  as  Follows: 
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ERNEST  H.   SHORT. 

Managrer    of    Ooloe-ist, 

CHILI,     N.     Y. 


174 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


FARM    FOR    WOMEN    ONLY. 


Fruits  and  Flowers  to  Be  Grown  Each 
Month    by    Electricity. 

Long  Island  is  to  have  an  "Adamless 
Edeu."  ]Mme.  Uavidofc,  a  native  of 
Russia,  but  now  a  resident  of  Ne\^ 
York  city,  is  establishing  an  experi- 
mental farm  at  Bellecrest,  near  North- 
port,  N.  Y.,  which  will  be  operated  by 
women.  Men  will  be  barred  from  the 
greenhouses,  where  fruits  and  flowers 
are  to  be  grown  every  month  in  the 
year  by  the  aid  of  electricity.  While 
similar  experiments  have  been  made 
by  this  and  other  governments,  Mme. 
DavidofC  believes  her  experiments  will 
prove  more  successful  than  those  car- 
ried on  bj'  the  bureau  of  plant  indus- 
try of  the  department  of  agriculture. 

Mme.  Davidoft  is  a  writer  for  maga- 
zines. She  says  the  experiments  will 
be  based  on  the  theory  that  the  growth 
of  vegetable  matter,  which  ceases  at 
sundown,  will  continue  through  the 
night  if  proper  artiticial  light  is  sup- 
plied to  stimulate  the  developing  pow- 
ers of  plants.  Fruits  and  flowers  that 
are  grown  near  New  York  only  in  the 
spring  and  summer  months,  she  be- 
lieves, can  be  cultivated  during  the 
■entire  year  by  supplying  the  necessary 
artificial  heat  through  the  electrical 
process  that  will  be  adopted. 

"This  is  not  intended  as  a  money 
making  enterprise,"  said  Mme.  David- 
off  the  other  night.  "While,  of  course, 
we  expect  the  experiments  to  prove 
successful  and  the  farm  to  be  self  sup- 
porting, yet  my  object  is  to  make  it  a 
philanthropic  enterprise  with  the  view 
of  helping  members  of  my  own  sex  as 
well  as  to  prove  the  scientific  value  of 
the  plan  with  which  I  have  been  ex- 
perimenting for  several  years.  There 
is  no  connection  between  my  venture 
iiud  the  utterances  of  Sir  Oliver  Lodge, 
the  English  savant,  relative  to  the  in- 
fluence of  electricity  on  plant  life. 
The  two  systems  differ  chiefly  from 
the  fact  that  all  of  my  experiments  are 
made  under  glass  and  under  certain 
conditions  a  static  machine  is  used  in 
addition  to  dynamos." 


Active_work  on  the  farm  at  Belle- 
crest  will  begin,  she  says,  within  one 
month,  upon  the  completion  of  the  nec- 
essary buildings  and  the  installation 
of  the  electrical  apparatus. 


CHURCH   BUSINESS  MANAGER. 


Innovation  to  Be  Tried  by  Methodists 
In  Cleveland. 

The  Epv.orth  Memorial  Methodist 
church  in  Cleveland,  O.,  has  decided  to 
try  a  new  system  of  church  manage- 
ment. A  b'lsiness  manager  has  been 
appointed,  who  will  give  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  the  finances  of 
the  church.  As  executive  secretary  he 
will  collect  the  benevolences,  dues  of 
members,  sub.scriptions,  etc.,  and  pay 
all  expenses.  He  will  serve  as  seci'e- 
tary  of  the  standing  committees  of 
the  church  and  keep  a  record  of  their 
business  for  transmission  to  the  offi- 
cial board.  This,  it  is  expected,  will 
leave  the  pastor  free  to  give  attention 
to  the  larger  plans  of  the  work  and  to 
his  pulpit  and  pastoral  duties. 

Epworth  Memorial  has  the  largest 
membership  of  all  the  Protestant 
churches  in  Cleveland.  It  has  an  ex- 
tensive charity  work  and  handles  over 
$35,000  in  contribution;;  every  year. 
Dr.  G.  K.  Morris,  district  superintend- 
ent, strongly  commends  the  innova- 
tion. "To  my  mind."  he  says,  "it  is 
the  ideal  of  church  government.  I  ex- 
pect to  see  the  plan  adopted  in  many 
other  cities  " 


Jerusalem    Pudding. 

Stir  into  one  pint  of  heavy  cream 
that  has  been  whipped  stiff  a  half 
package  of  gelatin  which  has  been 
soaked  for  a  half  hour  in  one  cup  cold 
water,  then  dissolved  over  the  kettle. 
Add  one-half  cup  pulverized  sugar, 
one-half  cup  boiled  rice,  one-quarter 
cup  chopped  figs,  one  teaspoonful  va- 
nilla and  preserved  ginger  and  hickory 
or  almond  nut  meats  to  taste.  Mold 
and  allow  it  to  become  perfectly 
chilled.  Serve  in  high  glasses  with 
candied  cocoanut  balls  and  candied 
gin2,er.  Sot  the  glasses  on  a  plate  with 
a  d<illy  betwesMi  glass  and  plate. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  175 

NEW    POLICY 

Svibscribers,     Advertisers 

N  OTIC  E 


FIRST.  In  line  with  the  decision  recently  published  by  the  "Condor" 
and  for  the  same  reasons,  i  e.  That  the  provision  for  scientific  collecting 
under  the  Song  Bird  Law  did  not  contemplate  commercial  collecting. 

The  Publisher  and  Manager  of  this  paper,  the  "Oologist,"  hereby 
announce  that,  beginning  November  last,  they  will,  hereafter  decline 
all  advertisements  or  sale  notices  offering  to  buy  or  sell,  N.  American  bird 
skins  or  eggs  for  cash  except  skins  of  game  birds  and  birds  of  prey. 

SECOND.  Hereafter  the  "Oologist"  will  be  sent  only  to  subscribers 
whose  subscriptions  are  fully  paid  in  advance. 

All  premium  offers  except  as  printed  in  this  issue  or  hereafter  are 
hereby  withdrawn.  A  statement  of  account  to  date  will  soon  be  sent  al! 
who  are  in  arrears  and  those  who  have  not  settled  in  accordance  with 
terms  thereon  by  January  i,  1908  will  be  dropped. 

Canadian  Subscribers  Notice.  Owing  to  the  increased  Canadian 
postage,  combination  and  premium  offers  will  not  apply  to  Canada  sub- 
scriptions unless  accompanied  by  12  cents  per  year  extra. 

F.  H.  LATTIN,  E.  H.  SHORT. 

Publisher.  MaLnoLger. 


176 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


72nd  Thousand  !       72nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDE. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of  North   American  Birds  Eggs,  and  with  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  American    Birds 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

This  is  a  popular  pocket  guide  and  text  book  to  ALL  THE  LAND  BIRDS  EAST 
OF  THE  ROCKIES,  from  the  Parrots  to  the  Bluebirds.     It  is  prepared  especially  for 

teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
any  other  Bird  Book: 

COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE.— J  ?nhe  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  included.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  ne>ts  and  eggs. 

SMALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
pocket,  measuring  but  3x5  inches.  200  pages,  bound 
in  flexible  sock  cloth  or  leather.  We  have  made  the 
price  of  the  book  as  low  as  possible  considering  the 
good  workmanship  and  material  that  is  used.  It  is  so 
low  that  anyone  can  afford  it,  but  no  one  can  afford  to 
be  without  it. 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR  YOU 

Bound  in  flexible  sock  cloth,  postpaid 

50  CENTS 

Five  cloth  bound  copies  for  $2.00  postpaid 

Bound  In  flexible  leather,  75cts.     Five  copies  for  $3.00  postpaid. 

We  want  agents  in  every  city,  town  and  school.  Good  commissions. 
Send  for  prospectus  of  Bird  Books  and  sample  copy  of  the  AMERICAN 
BIRD  MAGAZINE. 


CHAS.  K.  REED, 


WORCESTER.  MASS. 


The  Oologist. 

A  MONTHLY  PUBLICATION  DEVOTED  TO 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXIDERMY. 


WANTS,  FOR  SALES  AND  EXCHANGES. 

Brief  Special  announcements  "Wants,"  "  ELxchanges,"  "  For  Sales,"  inserted  in  this  de- 
partment for  25  cents  pei  25  words.  Notices  over  25  words  charged  at  the  rate  of  1-2  cent  for 
each  additional  word.    No  notice  inserted  for  less  than  25  cents.    Terms,  cash  with  order. 

Strictly  first-class  specimens  will  be  accepted  in  payment  at  1-3  list  rates. 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  12. 


ALBTON,  N.  Y.,  DEC,  1908. 


Whole  No.  257 


Take  Notice. 

Examine  the  number  following  your 
name  on  tho  wrapper  of  this  month's 
•Oologist.  It  denotes  when  your  sub- 
scription expired  or  will  expire. 

Remember    we     must    be    notified    if 
you    wish    paper    discontinued    and    all 
arrearage?    must    be   paid. 
257  vour  subscription  expires  with  this  issue 
269    ••  •'  "  ••         Dec,  1909 

Intermediate  numbers  can  easily  be 
determined.  If  we  have  you  credited 
wrong   we   wish    to   rectify. 


Entered  as  second-class  inatter  De- 
cembed  21,  1903,  at  the  post  ofTice,  at 
Albion.  N.  Y.,  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress? of  March  3,   1S79. 

FOR  .SALl'..— My  entire  collection  of 
anti(iue  guns,  swords  and  pistols.  Many 
flint  locks.  Will  send  prints  and  descriptions 
to  interested  collectors  of  fire  arms.  J.  JAY 
WISLKK.  Columbia.  Pa. 

W.VNTFD.-Vol.  1  and  2  (complete)  of  the 
Condor,  in  good  condition.  Will  pay  good 
cash  price  <jr  exchange  fine  sets  for  same. 
CLAKFXCK  11.  LUTHFK,  D.  1).  S.  Fayctte- 
ville.  Ark. 

TO  F.XCIIANGE.-Bird  skins,  sets  of 
eggs  and  wild  cat  skins  for  Ornithological 
magazines,  bird  skins.  Ridgways  Rirds  of 
North  and  Middle  America,  first  A  vols. 
Brewster's  P.irds  of  the  Cape  Region  of 
Lower  California, and  others.  Will  also  pur- 
chase the  above.  \.2.t.  II.  H.  KIMBALL. 
1527  .M.  St..  Fresno.  Cal 

FOi;  SALE  OR  KXClIAXriE.-Youman's 
"Class  Book  of  Chemistry."  Pleasonton's 
"Blue  and  Sunlights"  Hawthorne's 
"Practices  and  Principles  of  .MediriMc."  2nd 
edition.  Second  liand  copies.  Also  a  few 
curios.  N.2.t.  KICHARl)  F.  MIM.KR.  207:5 
East  Tioga  St..  Pbi  ::delr)hia.  Pa. 

WAXTEl>.-.\t  once,  copies  of  Oologist 
Vol. -\'IV  No.  .1.  .May  l«)7:  and  .\'V1  No.  !l, 
Sept.  1S99  one  or  more  copies.  Write  stating 
condition.  EKNEST  11.  SHORT,  .Manager 
Oologist.  Box  I7.'J.  Rochester.  N.  V. 


PUBLICATIONS:  Several  complete 
volumes  of  Auk,  Oologist,  Nidologist.  Ameri- 
can Ornithology,  Osprey  and  other  publi- 
cations, also  odd  numbers.  Lantern  slides 
of  birds.  Correspondence  wanted  with  those 
desiring  to  buy ,  sell  or  exchange  publications 
and  slides.  B.  S.  BOWDISH.  HI  Broadway, 
New  York  City.  N.  Y. 

I  HAVE  FOR  EXCHANGE.-For  species 
new  to  my  collection.  Choice  sets  of  327,  316, 
353,  354,  354a,  358.1,  359.1,  362,  370a,  376,  3.S9,  421, 
455,  744a,  763,  etc.  THOMAS  II,  JACKSON, 
304  N.  Franklin  St..  West  Chester,  Pa. 

WHO  will  furnish  me  with  first  class  sets 
of  10,  28.  67,  113.1,  116,  124, 167,  196,  277,  and  a 
352a,  372.  405.  455a.  453a,  463,  5  7,  566,  574a,  597a, 
627a.  660,  662,  724,  758a,  and  a  whole  lot  more, 
A.  E.  PRICE,  Grant  Park,  111.  S.  2.  t. 


BOOKS.-Random  Notes,  1,1  to4;  II,  3,  4- 
12:  III.  4  to  6,  9  to  11:  all  inclusive.  Oregon 
Naturalist,  vol.  I:  Oologist,  Utica  and  Rock- 
ville.  vol?I:  II,  1  to  3:  V,  7  to  9;  one  or  set; 
Separa  eiK^  (in  birds  from  Boston  Soc.  Nat. 
Hist.  etc.  Want  to  b 'y  these  and  others. 
Send  t^s'ices  to  W.  C.  BRAISLIN,  556  Wash- 
ington Ave,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

FOR  SALE  OiiEXCHAN(iE  FOR  SETS.- 
Vols.  6.  7  and  8  CoiMi'i.KTR.  Nos.  4,  5  and  6  of 
^'ol.  5  Condor.  Wanted  Vol.  1,  complete.  PI. 
H.  P.AILEY,  321-54  St.,  Newport  News.  Va. 

W.WTEI). -Jacob's  "Summer  P.irds  of 
GrcciuM  'ointv.  Pa  ."and  Col  ton's  "/oology." 
KICHAIM)  F.  MILLER,  2073  East  Tioga  St., 
N.  2.  t.     Philadelphia,  Pa. 

W.\NTED.— Firss  class  skins  of  most  of 
the  game  birds  and  birds  of  prey,  also  mam- 
mals in  tiesb  or  skins.  Can  offer  mounted 
deer  beads  and  birds,  skins.  Natural  History 
books  and  publications.  (iEO.  F.  GFELF, 
Taxidermist.  P.rockport,  N.  V. 

M.ANY  RARE  SETS  can  now  be  secured 
in  exchange  for  common  species.  I  collect 
in  large  series  and  offer  many  "artics,"  etc. 
This  is  an  unusual  opiiortunity.  Twenty- 
five  years  expci-ienc(!.  Scud  lists  of  iill  your 
pci'sonally  collected  material.  \\'ill  pay 
cash  for  very  tine  sets.  I).  2.  t.  J.  W.  PRES- 
TON, 1411  liilb  .Vvc,  Spokane,  Wash 


178 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


WANTED.— A.  1.  skins  of  foreign  birds 
with  full  data,  also  eggs  in  sets.  Cash  or  ex- 
change. HENRY  K.COOLE.  136  Washington 
St.,  Chicago. 

WANTED.— Fine  condition  se^s  with  data. 
62.  131  with  down,  161  with  down  212,  255,  261. 
Liberal  exchange  in  European,  American. 
Indian  and  others.  Eggs,  skins,  etc.  CHAS, 
JE  FEE  KEYS,  Tetbury,  Glos.  England.   S.3.t. 

WANTED.— (^ne  to  several  fine  sets  of  each 
of  the  following,  viz.  7. 10,  54  series,  5X  series, 
59series,  61, 106,  UOand  down,20.s,  211,  81,  81, 
228,  fine  dark  set,  249,  261  series,  264, 273  series, 
288.  oil,  3S7,  83,  388,  364  series.  444,  452  series, 
477.  334,  55>!,  601,  611,  619  series,  498  series,  667, 
697,  704,  71S,  735,  755  756.  Only  extra  fine  sets 
wanted,  preferably  from  the  collector  thereof. 
I  offer  11  1-2,  211-1.  421-3  >m„47  1-3,  82  1-1, 
108  1-1, 121 1-4  1-5. 194  1.4.  200  1-4,  204  1-1.  206  1-1, 
212  1-7,  214  1-9,  226  2-4,  227  1-4,  230  1-3  2-4,  260  1-4, 
269  2-4,  294  1-12,  325  1-2.  337b  1-2  1-3,  339a  1-3, 
342  1-3,  347  1-4,  ;347a  1-3,  348  1-3  1-4,  359  1-4,  367  1-3 
1-4  Am.,  432  n-2,  446  1-3,  476  1-6,  487  1-5  1-6,  593b 
1-3,  657  1-4,  663  14,  722a  1-5,  764  1-5.  Also  want 
sets  with  Cowbirds.  No  postals.  CHAS  S. 
THOMPSON,  Box  35,  Glenwood  Springs. 
Col(jrado. 

TO     ALL     INTERESTED. 
REMEMBER. 

I  furnish  collections  covering  one  or  several 
oranches  of  Natural  History  for  study  or 
museum  purposes  at  Special  reduced  rates. 
Don't  fail  to  write  me.  I  will  quote  you  on 
your  line  of  wants  or  I  will  furnish  a  general 
assortment  that  will  fit  your  purse  and  be 
sure  to  please. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT, 
Box   173  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


FOR   THE 


We  Build  Them. 


il 


Tweity-five 
years'  experience 
t;g,i^i^-»5i.  ^     in    the    study   of 

f;?aicn^  .  "'  'M     these  fine   birds, 

^ri?;.  and     success     in 

'  ■•  their  colonization 

I  ;l  has  tang,  t  us  the 

Ml  exact     require- 

ments of  the 
House  Martins,  and  enables  us  to  construct 
ideal  boxes  for  their  use. 

The  JJarren  Jacobs  Bird  Hoese  Co. 


WAYNESBURG,  PA. 

Illustrated  Booklet  10c.  stamps. 


o.3t 


EGGS  AND  SKINS. 

Choice  sets,  European,  Indian,  Australian,, 
etc.  Finest  quality,  lowest  prices.  Lists,. 
2  cents.    S.  6.  t. 

JEFFERY'S  NATURALIST, 
Tetbury,  Glos.,  England. 


BOOKS  FOR  THE  NATURALIST. 

North  American  Land  Birds,  Baird,  Brewer 
and  Ridgway.  New  edition,  3  vols.,  pub. 
price,  110.00  My  special  price  with  Oologist, 
one  year,  both  prepaid $8.50 

Color  Key  to  North  American  Birds,  Chap- 
man. Pub.  pricfe,  $2.50,  my  special  price  with 
Oologist  one  year,  both  prepaid $2.60 

North  American  Birds  Eggs,  Reed,  pub. 
price,  $2.50,  special  with  Oologist  one  year, 
both  prepaid. $2.60 

Taxidermists  Manual,  Reed  (ncM')  prepaid 
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Guide  to  Wild  Flowers,  Reed,  leather,  75c,' 
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Nests  and  Eggs  of  N.  American  Birds, 
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The  Mammals,  Ingersoll,  illus.,  pub.  price, 
$2.20,  special  with  Oologist  one  year,  both 
prepaid $2.45 

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special  with  Oologist  one  year,  both  pre- 
paid  $4.15 

Shells,  Rogers,  illus.,  pub.  price,  $4.00, 
special  with  Oologist  one  year,  both  pre- 
paid   .$4.15 

"Penikese"  Personal  Memoirs  of  the 
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special  with  Oologist  one  year,  both  pre- 
paid   50c 

Standard  Catalogue  of  N.  American  Birds 
and  Eggs.  Lattin  and  Short,  paper,  25c., 
special  with  the  Oologist  one  year,  both  pre- 
paid   50c 

Birds  of  W.  New  York,  Short,  2d  edition, 
paper,  25c.,  special  with  Oologist  one  year, 
both  prepaid 50c 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT 

Box  1  7  3  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  179 

STILL    LEADING 

FIFTH  EDITION  LATTIN'S  STANDARD  CATAL0611E  OF 
North  American   Birds   Eggs 

With  Oologist  One  Year,  Both  for  50c. 


clature,  but  giving  Ridgway's  and 
Coues'  numbera  also.  Printed  on 
one  side  of  page  only  leaving  it  in 
convenient  form  for  making  notes  in 
or  using  for  labelling  purposes. 
Bound  in  light  board  covers.  Neat  in 
style.  Handy  in  shape  (just  goes  in- 
to full  government  envelope). 


Compiled  by  Frank  H.  Lattin  and 
Ernest  H.  Short,  with  the  assistance 
of  many  prominent  American  Oolo- 
gists. 

A  Complete  Up-to-date  Check  List 
of  North  American  Birds,  including 
Introduced  Species,  giving  correct  ex- 
change values  on  all  species  whose 
eggs  are  procurable  at  this  time.  Ar- 
ranged  according  to  A.   O.   XJ.   Nome-   '       Postpaid  25c  each.    -Six  for  $1.25 

Address  ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Manager  Oologist,  Chili,  N.  Y. 


Out    May    1906 

A  NEW  UP-TO-DATE 

Check  List  of  North  American  Birds 


Contains    all    new   additions   and  .^changes   to   A.  ^O.    U.    list 
arranged    according   to  A.  O.  U.  Nomenclature   and   giving   both       , 
common  and  scientific  names.     i6  pages  on  good  paper.  T 


PRICE 

3c  each.  30c  per  dozen.  $2.00  per  hundred 


: 


ADDRESS 

OOLOGIST,  Albion,  IM.  Y.    or    ERNEST  H.  SHORT,  Chill,  N.  Y. 


180  THK  OOliOGIST. 

Birds  and  Bird  Homes 

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Birds   and   Birds'    Nests   from   Nature 

BRIEF  DESCRIPTIONS 

Includes  Studies  in 

PROTECTIVE  COLORATION 
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PUBLISHED  BY 

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The  OoLOGiST, 


Vol.  XXV.    No.  12,        Albion,  N.  Y.  December,  1908.  Whole  No.  257 


THE   OOLOGIST, 

A    Monthly    Publication   Devoted   to 

OOLOGY,  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  TAXI- 
DERMY. 

FSAlfK    E.    LATTIN,    FubUshei, 

ALBION,    N.    Y. 

SaVEST    H.    SHORT.    Editor    and    lUnagex. 

Correspondence  and  items  of  interest  to  the 
student  of  Birds,  their  Nests  and  Eggs,  solicited 
from   all. 

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lines,  $50.  "Trade"  (other  than  cash)  adver- 
tisements will  be  accepted  by  special  arrange- 
nent  only  and  at  rates  from  double  to  five  times 
cash  rates.  Due  Bills  and  Cards  payable  in  ad- 
vertlsinx  will  be  honored  only  at  tegular  rates 
la  force  at  the  date  of  Issuance  of  said  blU  or 
card. 

Remittances  sbonld  be  made  by  Draft,  Ex- 
press or  PoBtoffice  Money  Order.  Registered 
Letter  or  Postal  Note.  Unused  U.  S.  Postage 
Stamps  of  any  denomination  will  be  accepted 
for  sums  nnder  one  dollar.  Make  Money  Or- 
ders and  Drafts  payable  and  address  all  sub- 
scriptions   and    communications    to 

ERNEST    H.    SHORT,     Editor    and    Manager, 
CblU,    Monroe    Co..    N.    Y. 


BETWEEN    US. 


With  the  New  Year,  the  ownership 
and  control  of  "THE  OOLOGIST" 
passes  absolutely  to  the  undersigned. 
For  the  past  three  years  it  has  been 
purely  a  "labor  of  love,"  and  for  part 


of  that  time  has  been  issued  at  a  pos- 
itive financial  loss. 

During  the  past  year  it  has  been 
my  intention  to  discontinue  it  with 
this  issue. 

My  many  other  interests  have  often 
delayed  its  issue,  sometimes  simply 
because  I  could  not  devote  enough  at- 
tention to  it  to  see  that  it  was  gotten 
out  in  its  order  after  I  had  sent  the 
copy  to  our  printer;  and  again  errors 
and  oversights,  aggravating  to  both 
contributors  and  advertisers,  as  well 
as  the  manager,  crept  in,  usually  at- 
tributable to  my  not  being  able  to 
personally  oversee  the  final  make-up 
before  going  to  press. 

But  on  mentioning  the  probable  fate 
of  our  little  journal  to  several  corre- 
spondents, I  called  forth  a  universal 
protest,  and  in  some  cases,  the  Oolo- 
gist's  friends,  old  and  new,  refuse  to 
consider  such  a  fate  as  possible. 

Again  too,  I  am  in  receipt  of  much 
interesting  material,  original  articles, 
photos,  etc.,  that  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate more  interest  in  its  welfare  than 
I  anticipated. 

Therefore,  I  have  decided  to  place 
the  Oologist  in  the  hands  of  its  friends 
for  at  least  one  year. 

All  the  five,  four  and  three-year  spe- 
cial offer  subscribers  with  few  unim- 
portant exceptions,  expire  with  this 
number. 

No  copies  will  be  sent  to  anyone 
unless  paid  in  advance.  Recent  pos- 
tal  rulings   make   this   necessary. 

All  subscriptions  must  be  at  50c. 
per  year  in  United  States  and  62c.  in 
Canada  and   Europe. 

I    will    still    give    the    25-word    adv. 


182 


THE  OOLOGISl 


coupon  with  each  year's  subscription. 

A  few  changes  have  been  suggest- 
ed. 

Manj-  wish  it  mailed  flat.  If  I  get 
financial  support  sufficient  to  warrant 
this  I  will  do  so. 

Some  desire  it  to  be  issued  as  a 
new  series,  to  begin  all  over  at  Vol.  I., 
No.  1. 

I  hardly  see  how  ths  would  add  to 
its  value. 

Others  ask  for  a  complete  index 
from  Vol.  I.  to  date.  This  would  be 
too  bulky  to  mail  as  one  issue,  and 
would  entail  considerable  extra  ex- 
pense. 

How  much  demand  is  there  for  it? 

In  the  immediate  future,  at  least,  I 
expect  to  he  able  to  give  the  Oologist 
more  of  my  personal  attention. 

I  hope  to  present  through  its  col- 
umns a  new  check  list  of  N.  Am. 
Birds,  giving  the  changes  and  addi- 
tions since  1906;  to  use  more  of  the 
excellent  photos  now  in  my  hands  for 
half-tone  illustrations  ,and  also  to  be- 
gin at  the  beginning  of  the  A.  O.  U. 
list  with  the  Grebes,  and  devote  about 
one  page  each  month  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  one  or  more  ibirds,  showing 
habitat,  nesting  and  eggs  and  index 
to  contributions,  treating  of  same,  in 
back  issues  of  the  Oologist. 

There  are  three  back  numbers  that 
I  experience  great  difficulty  in  getting 
enough  for  files  wanted.  I  hope  to  be 
able  to  reprint  these  in  the  near  fu- 
ture. 

I  have  always  tried  to  protect  our 
readers  from  unscrupulous  advertis- 
ers. I  have  a  few  cases  under  investi- 
gation now.  It  will  not  do  to  rush  in- 
to print  with  matters  of  this  kind,  as 
there  is  often  another  side  to  such 
complaints. 

In  a  few  cases,  where  actual  fraud 
seems  proved,  the  aggrieved  party  has 
not  consented  to  publication  of  the 
facts. 


It  is  needless  to  state  that  unless 
we  are  assured  that  restitution  has 
been  made  such  persons,  further  ad- 
vertising will  be  declined. 

If  during  the  past  year  you  have  fail- 
ed to  receive  a  copy  or  more  due  you, 
I  will  gladly  supply  you  with  a  dupli- 
cate on  demand. 

Any  one  whose  subscription  expired 
during  the  past  year,  and  who  sends 
me  $1.00  for  two  years  in  advance,  can 
liave  the  intervening  issues  of  1908, 
from  the  last  copy  received  up  to  De- 
cember, sent  free  by  mentioning  the 
fact  when  sending  in  subscription. 

In  closing  I  repeat  that  the  "Oolo- 
gist's"  future  is  entirely  experimental, 
and  its  fate  rests  with  you.  I  do  not 
care  for  promises.  I  want  cash  sub- 
scriptions, fresh,  breezy  notes  on  up- 
to-date  subjects,  patronage  for  our  ad- 
vertising columns. 

If  I  get  these  the  Oologist  will  be 
self-supporting,  and  I  ask  no  more. 

Hereafter  all  communications  of  any 
nature  relating  to  the  Oologist  should 
be  addressed  to  me  at  Box  173,  Roch- 
ester, N.  Y. 

ERNEST  H.  SHORT. 

0 ■ 

Petershurg,  Va.,  Sept.  17,  1907. 
Editor  Oologist. 

Dear  Sir:— On  June  5,  1904,  I  found 
a  nest  of  the  Ruby-throated  Humming- 
bird with  a  newly  hatched  bird  in  it. 
The  nest  was  situated  on  a  small  limb 
of  a  cedar  tree,  about  twenty  feet  up. 
Returning  to  the  nest  a  few  days  later 
I  secured  the  young  bird,  and  as  it  was 
so  young,  I  took  the  nest  also.  I  kept 
it  for  about  a  week  and  a  half,  when 
it  became  strong  enough  to  leave  the 
nest,  and  as  soon  as  it  did  so,  I  placed 
it  ill  a  small  cage.  The  bird  became 
very  tame  in  a  short  time  and  would 
come  from  the  cage  and  sit  upon  my 
finger  to  drink  the  sweetened  water 
with  which  I  fed  it,  and  would  chirp 
very  loudly  when  it  was  hungry.     It 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


183 


soon  proved  to  be  a  very  fine  male 
with  an  exquisite  plumage.  Several 
times  during  its  captivity  it  escaped 
to  the  open  air,  but  never  went  too 
far  away  for  me  to  catch  it  and  return 
it  to  the  cage.  As  the  bird  grew  larger 
(it  now  being  two  months  old)  I 
thought  that  some  honey  would  be 
more  suitable  food  for  it,  but  I  soon 
found  to  my  disappointment  that  I 
had  made  a  mistake,  for  it  died  after 
being  fed  only  a  few  times  on  it. 

I  would  like  to  know  if  any  other 
subscriber  has  had  an  experience  in 
raising  hummingbirds,  and  how  he  suc- 
ceeded. 

Yours  truly, 
D.  H.  BURGESS, 

Petersburg,  Va. 


The    Henslow's    Sparrow     in    Philadel- 
phia  County,   Penn. 


There  are  no  records  of  the  Hens- 
low's  Sparrow  (Ammodronus  hens- 
lowi)  being  seen  or  taken  during  re- 
cent years  in  Philadelphia  county,  Pa. 

At  least,  I  have  heard  tell  of  none,  and 
offer  the  following  two  records  as  the 
only  ones  to  my  knowledge  of  the 
bird's  occurrence  in  this  small  county. 

On  September  29,  190.3,  one  was  ob- 
served near  the  Friends'  Asylum,  at 
FVankford,  in  a  railorad  cut,  perched 
on  a  dead  willow  sapling  branch,  sev- 
eral feet  up,  not  ten  feet  away  from 
me,  where  it  alighted,  when  frighten- 
ed from  a  small  stream  that  flowed 
through  the  cut,  where  it  had  been 
drinking.  It  flew  away  into  a  near-by 
field,  w'hen  I  apjiroached  too  near,  as 
I  did,  to  obtain  a  better  view,  and  it 
was  well  seen  and  identified  posi- 
tively. 

The  other  bird  was  seen  on  April 
20,  1906,  at  Holmesburg,  in  a  grassy 
field,  over  a  mile  from  the  Delaware 
river,    and    on    high    ground.      It    was 


flushed  out  of  the  grass  by  my  Fox- 
terrier  and  alighted  onto  a  ibare  wild 
cherry  branch,  where  it  afforded  a 
clear,  unmolested  view,  with  its  rec- 
ognition marks  plainly  discernible  in 
the  clear  light,  and  at  the  close  prox- 
imity of  about  five  feet.  It  remained 
perched  'barely  half  a  minute,  but  I 
was  so  near  that  I  could  readily 
distinguish  it  and  not  mistake  it  for 
a  Grasshopper  or  any  other  Sparrow, 
then  flew  into  the  bushes  (a  row  of 
shrubs,  etc.,  in  a  field),  where  it  was 
impossible  for  my  dog  to  flush  it. 

These  two  birds  are  the  only  ones 
I  have  positively  identified  as  Ammo- 
dromus  henslowi,  for  I  have  seen  sev- 
eral other  of  the  FringillidaB  that 
looked  like  this  species,  but  was  al- 
ways unable  to  secure  a  good,  clear 
view  of  them,  as  in  these  two  cases, 
consequently  they  cannot  be  included 
on  account  of  their  doubtful  authen- 
ticity. 

On  October  6,  190S,  my  brother, 
William  Mc  K.  Miller,  shot  at  Harrow- 
gate,  Philadelphia  county.  Pa.,  with  a 
sling  shot,  a  Henslow's  Sparrow  (Am- 
modronus henslowi),  thus  establishing 
an  authentic  record  of  its  occurrence 
in  this  small  county.  The  bird  was  a 
male  in  fall  plumage  and  its  skin  is 
now  in  my  collection.  On  two  other 
occasions  I  have  seen  and  positively 
identified  the  Henslow's  Bunting  in 
this  county,  but  the  capture  of  a  bird 
places  beyond  all  possibility  of  a 
doubt  the  authenticity  of  its  occur- 
rence. 

RICHARD  F  MILLER, 
Frankford,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


A    Raven's   Nest   in   a   Barn. 


One  nice  sunny  day  in  April,  a 
friend  and  myself  went  on  a  collect- 
ing tri]),  using  a  horse  and  buggy  for 
convenience.  We  had  not  been  gone 
over    an    hour    before    we    came    to    a 


184 


1"KE  OOLOGIST. 


large  oak  tree,  where  a  Pacific  Horn- 
ed Owl  had  its  nest,  and  my  friend 
climbed  the  tree  and  found  two  large 
young  owls. 

Then  we  started  on,  and  came  to 
two  large  oak  trees.  A  Western  Red- 
tail  flew  off  a  nest  and  I  went  up  to 
the  nest,  which  was  placed  80'  feet 
up,  and  found  two  eggs,  badly  incu- 
bated. 

Then  we  soon  came  to  an  old  barn 
from  which  a  Raven  flew  out,  and  I 
looked  at  the  corner  of  the  barn  and 
saw  a  good  looking  nest.  My  friend 
went  up  to  it  and  found  five  fresh 
eggs.  I  saw  a  Barn  Owl  come  out  of 
a  box,  and  went  to  the  box  and  found 
eight  eggs,  five  fresh  and  three  with 
incubation    just    started. 

We  then  went  over  the  hills  to 
some  large  cliffs,  and  got  a  set  of  six 
Raven. 

I  also  found  a  nest  of  Am.  Raven 
in  a  barn  with  young.  Is  that  not  a 
queer  place  for  Ravens  to  nest? 

I  also  found  a  set  of  Desert  Spar- 
row Hawks  in  a  pigeon  box,  and  a  set 
of  Eagle's  eggs  in  an  old  hawk's  nest. 

I  have  been  interested  in  Oology 
for  several  years  and  these  are  new 
records  for  me. 

I  have  a  set  of  6  Ark.  Kingbird,  and 
took  a  set  of  8  Calif.  'Shrike,  but  they 
were  badly  incubated. 

Please  let  me  know  if  this  is  a  new 
place  for  ravens  to  nest,  or  is  it  com- 
mon? 

FRED  TRUE SD ALE, 

Shandon,    Calif. 

The  Am.  Raven  could  hardly  be  call- 
ed a  common  breeding  bird  anywhere 
in  the  United   States. 

Their  utilizing  barns  was  undoubt- 
edly a  matter  of  convenience,  as  with 
the  Chimney  Swift,  Phoebe,  and  Cliff 
Swallow.— EDITOR. 


Here  and  There. 

On  board  S.  S.  Rappahannock,  Liv- 
erpool, off  the  coast  of  Ireland,  July 
11,  190-6.  I  was  awakened  this  morn- 
ing about  three  o'clock  by  the  scream 
of  a  gull,  and  it  was  not  long  till  I 
was  on  deck,  eager  for  my  first 
glimpse  of  land.  To  the  northeast, 
like  a  cloud,  was  the  coast  of  Ireland, 
dim  in  the  morning  twilight,  but  grow- 
ing larger  and  plainer  as  we  drew 
nearer.  As  yet  there  were  few  gulls, 
but  when  within  a  mile  of  the  shore — 
along  which  we  coasted  most  of  the 
day — they  circled  around  the  ship  by 
the  thousands,  and  hovered  in  count- 
less numbers  over  the  rocks.  It  was  a 
fine  sight  for  the  'bird-man;  and  any- 
one else  would  find  interest  in  the  lit- 
tle white  villages  nestled  away  in  the 
valleys;  or  in  the  grim  castles  and 
watch  towers  clinging  to  the  rocks. 
The  gulls  were  very  bold  and  I  suc- 
ceeded in  "snapping"  one,  but  the 
weather  was  too  cloudy  for  good  re- 
sults. The  gulls  almost  entirely  disap- 
pearded  with  the  Irish  coast,  a  few 
ducks  being  about  all  that  was  seen 
in   passing  Wales. 

*       *         *       *       * 

Thursday,  Aug.  2.  About  500'  miles 
from  land.  About  10  a.  m.,  Wilson's 
(or  Stormy)  Petrels  made  their  ap- 
pearance by  the  dozens,  fore  and  aft. 
Sailors  call  them  "Mother  Gary's 
chickens."  They  are  graceful  birds, 
long-winged  and  medium  legs;  they 
appear  to  stand  on  the  water  some- 
times and  never  fly  high  over  it,  gen- 
erally keeping  to  the  lee  side  of  the 
ship,  though  they  seem  to  have  no  dif- 
ficulty in  flying  against  the  wind. 
Flight  is  quick  and  easy,  usually  soar- 
ing, with  quick  wing-beats  of  short  du- 
ration every  few  seconds. 

^  ^  ^  ^  ^ 

Are  Phoebes  common  in  other  lo- 
calities? They  have  almost  entire- 
ly disappeared  here.    A  few  years  ago 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


185 


they  were  found  to  be  breeding  in  al- 
most any  out-house,  and  under  bridges, 
but  they  disappeared  with  the  Blue- 
birds. The  Blue-birds  cariie  back,  and 
are  now  as  common  as  ever,  but  the 
Phoebes  still  remain  away.  It  is  a 
pity,  too,  they  are  such  friendly  birds; 
here,  a  forerunner  of  spring  rather 
than  the  Blue-bird,  which  remains 
during  the  winter;  and  among  the  first 
of  the  smaller  birds  to  breed.  I  have 
found  them  as  early  as  March  7th.  I 
found  only  one  nest  last  year;  this 
year  none,  and  don't  remember  of  hav- 
ing seen  a  single  bird. 

As  to  whether  birds  in  general  are 
growing  scarcer  is  a  hard  question. 
It  seems  to  me  that  there  is  little  no- 
ticable  change.  Perhaps,  though,  the 
decrease  of  one  species  is  more  mark- 
ed than  the  increase  of  others.  As 
I  have  said,  the  Phoebe  has  almost  en- 
tirely disappeared,  while  the  Wood 
Thrush  is  much  more  abundant  than 
formerly;  and  may  this  tribe  continue 
to  increase,  for  the  Mocking-bird  in 
all  his  glory,  cannot  compare  with  the 
Wood  Thrush  in  song.  All  the  semi- 
domesticated  birds,  Chipping  Sparrow, 
Cat-bird,  Brown  Thrasher,  Humming- 
bird, etc.,  seem  to  be  holding  their 
own  in  spite  of  that  "rat  of  the  air," 
English  Sparrow. 

JACOB  BOSTIAX, 
Statesville,    N.   C. 


More  Notes  on  the  Swamp  Sparrow. 


In  reply  to  Mr.  Miller's  article  in 
the  June  Oologist,  I  desire  to  make 
the  following  statement. 

First,  I  believe  the  Swamp  Sparrow 
to  be  a  more  common  resident  in 
Virginia  than  in  any  other  Atlantic 
state,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  nearer 
the  center  of  the  breeding  territory, 
and  has  a  greater  number  of  rivers 
and  marshes  than   any  eastern   state. 


As  Mr.  Miller  seems  to  fear  some- 
what that  I  have  mistaken  the  Song 
Sparrow  for  the  Swamp  Sparrow,  I 
can  assure  him  that  there  is  absolute- 
ly no  doubt  about  the  identity  of  this 
species,  as  nearly  all  the  nests  I  have 
were  taken  from  tall  grasses,  partly 
submerged  by  several  inches  of  wa- 
ter; and  none  of  them  over  ten  feet 
from  water;  moreover,  female  birds 
were  often  flushed  from  nests,  after- 
ward alighting  on  the  ground  in  some 
nearby  grass. 

The  nest  of  the  Swamp  Sparrow  is 
generally  composed  of  dead  marsh 
grasses  entirely,  but  at  times  it  var- 
ies widely,  using  almost  anything 
available,  such  as  leaves,  sticks,  bits 
of  paper  and  the  down  of  cat-tails.  On 
several  occasions  I  have  found  nests 
lined  carefully  with  fine  grass  and 
horse-hair.  The  depth  and  construc- 
tion of  these  nests  vary  immensely. 
Some  are  so  loose  and  fragile  as  to 
nearly  drop  to  pieces  when  removed 
from  nesting  site,  while  others  are 
heavy  and  compactly  built.  The  earl- 
iest date  I  record  is  a  set  of  five  eggs 
taken  May  6,  '06;  while  the  latest  set 
contained  four  eggs,  taken  July  12, 
'06. 

Out  of  a  series  of  nine  sets  in  my 
collection,  all  collected  from  Chester- 
field county,  in  1906,  five  sets  contain 
four  eggs,  and  four  contain  five.  I 
believe  in  a  large  series  sets  of  four 
and  five  would  be  equally  common,  al- 
though a  collector  recently  stated  that 
the  only  three  sets  he  had  ever  found 
contained  five  eggs  each.  Sets  of  three 
are  unrecorded  in  this  locality. 

Mr.  Miller's  wholesale  robbery 
would  be  very  slight  compared  to  a 
heavy  freshet  washing  down  the  river. 
In  June  and  July,  especially,  the  water 
often  raises  8  or  10  feet  in  the  James 
River  after  a  heavy  rain  and  often 
leaves  the  high  grass  flat  on  the 
marsh.      Then    what    becomes    of   the 


186 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


nests?  There  are  often  several  weeks 
of  dry  weather  and  just  as  the  sea- 
son is  in  its  height  a  heavy  rain 
washes  everything  away  and  when  the 
high  grass  is  leveled  out,  empty  nests 
can  easily  be  found  that  were  entirely 
•out  of  sight  before. 

I  take  the  James  River  marshes  as 
an  example,  as  the  Swamp  Sparrow 
appears  to  be  commoner,  and  a  larger 
-colonizer  here  than  any  other  marsh 
I  have  visited.  Just  after  sunset  a 
large  number  of  these  birds  can  be 
seen  running  along  the  ground,  and 
making  short  flights  among  the  cat- 
tails. 

The  marking  of  the  eggs  of  this  spe- 
cies vary  to  a  great  extent.  They  in 
no  wise  closely  resemble  the  eggs  of 
the  Song  Sparrow  fonnd  in  this  local- 
ity. Most  of  the  latter  are  so  covered, 
blurred  and  splotched  with  reddish- 
brown  as  to  give  them  almost  a  choc- 
olate color,  while  the  eggs  the  Swamp 
Sparrow  are  clearly  and  d  istinctly 
marked  on  a  pale  hlue  ground  color, 
the  markings  never .  covering  more 
than  one-third  of  the  entire  area,  and 
often  less,  while  I  have  one  set  of  the 
Song  Sparrow  so  obliterated  with 
brown  as  to  render  the  ground  color 
almost  invisible.  The  eggs  of  the 
Swamp  Sparrow  average  a  trifle  lar- 
ger than  the  Song  Sparrow  and  do  not 
appear  to  have  the  glossy  surface  of 
the  former.  In  conclusion  I  would  say 
the  sets  of  the  Swamp  Sparrow  before 
me  now  in  their  original  nests,  make 
the  finest  showing  in  my  collection  of 
more  than  two  hundred  sets,  and  I  be- 
lieve one  particular  set  contains  the 
most  beautiful  eggs  I  have. 

THOS.   SEMMES,  JR. 


Blue  Rapids,  Kas.,  Nov.  19,  '08. 
Dear  Mr.  Short:  — 

May  I  comment,  as  briefly  as  possi- 
ble, on  the  "rounding-up"  which 
Messrs.    Rockwell    and    Warren    have 


given  me  in  The  Oologist  for  current 
September? 

In  the  matter  of  the  domestic  hab- 
its of  the  Western  Kingbird,  their 
criticisms  are  well  founded;  and  I 
take  my  medicine,  therefore  and  there- 
for, with  all  alacrity.  Yet  the  last 
word  is  not  said; 

That  statements,  as  to  outre  or  lit- 
tle-known nesting  conditions  are  to  be 
found,  unverified,  in  Davie's  Work  on 
Oology  proves  nothing.  My  only  con- 
fession, in  this  one  matter  is,  that  I 
did  not  notice,  in  Davie,  the  Shields 
citation  as  authority  for  statements  as 
to  the  domestic  nesting-habit  of  the 
Western  Kingbird.  Had  I  done  so,  the 
citation  would  have  been  made  in  my 
notes  in  "Nesting  Ways;"  and  my 
strictures  in  the  Oologist  would  never 
have  heen  written.  The  same  excuse 
must  maintain  as  regards  the  Life 
History  citations  for  the  Western 
Kingbird.  With  thousands  of  refer- 
ences to  look  up,  in  connection  with 
my  current  work  on  the  nesting  hab- 
its of  North  American  Birds,  it  may 
be  considered  fairly  excusable  that 
one  should  overlook  important  items 
with  regard  to  species  which  he,  him- 
self, has  familiarly  studied.  My  error 
lay  in  concluding  that  the  habits  of 
the  Western  Kingbird  in  Southern 
Minnesota,  (where  it  has  hut  recently 
found  a  wing-hold),  were  uniform  with 
those  which  maintain  in  regions  of 
settled  habitance.  This  is  an  error 
for  which  one  really  onght  to  be 
ashamed. 

In  the  matter  of  the  Western  King- 
bird-Say Phoebe  ledge-nesting  con- 
troversy, I  am  intimately  familiar  with 
both  birds  in  question,  in  their  breed- 
ing haunts.  Yet  I  would  not  presume 
to  pronounce  on  the  identity  of  a  sup- 
positious specimen  of  either,  at  some 
little  distance,  on  the  wing:  (unless 
the  bird's  note  were  heard).  More- 
over, were  I  to  see,  at  some  distance, 


THE  OOLOQIST. 


187 


without  hearing  the  bird's  call,  a  nest 
on  a  ledge  having  a  bird  possibly  of 
either  of  the  above  species  near  by, 
only  the  most  intimate  verification 
would  induce  me  to  pronounce  as  to 
the  identity  in  question.  Anj'  careful 
observer  would  bear  me  out  in  tak- 
ing this  position.  Contemporary  rec- 
ords are  so  full  of  snap-shot  identifica- 
tions and  second-hand  identifications 
that  one  is  entirely  justified  in  re- 
quiring ample  verification  in  any  case 
of  doubt.  One  can  well  afford  to  be 
captious  in  the  quest  of  truth,  that  he 
■should  occasionally  err,  through  over- 
sight, may  be  forgiven. 

This  question  is  of  so  burning  an 
importance  that  I  venture  to  cumber 
the  pages  of  the  Oologist  with  this  ex- 
planation. I  could  tell  your  readers 
of  items  appearing  in  Condor,  Bird- 
Lore  and  The  Auk  which,  on  the  face 
of  them,  will  not  stand  for  critical 
scrutiny.  The  same  is  true  of  pub- 
lished records  in  both  Davie  and  in 
the  later  work  covering  the  same 
field.  One  can  find  errors,  more  or 
less  grave,  in  almost  every  other  page 
of  these  two  books.  To  call  atten- 
tion to  these,  to  run  the  risk  of  being 
considered  naggy  and  over-critical  in 
the  incessant  demands  one  must  make 
for  verification  is  deliberately  worth 
the  while;  if  only  it  lead  even  a  few  of 
our  younger  bird  students  to  a  habit- 
ual exactness  and  ci-iticalness  of  spir- 
it, with  regard  to  their  own  investi- 
gations. If,  as  I  know  to  be  true, 
there  are  a  few  men  of  national 
repute,  as  bird  students,  who  cannot 
verify  a  few  of  their  own  past  pub- 
lished records,  it  well  becomes  the 
smaller  fry  among  us,  (including  the 
writer  hereof),  to  be  humble  to  a  de- 
gree. 

My  own  estimate  of  Messrs.  Rock- 
well and  Warren  needs  no  other  com- 
ment than  this:  Every  germaine  note, 
published  by  either,  has  been  incorpo- 


rated, long  since,  in  the  manuscript  of 
"Nesting  Ways."  Mr.  Rockwell's  val- 
uable article  on  the  Western  and  Cas- 
sin  Kingbirds  had  been  cited,  given 
full  personal  credit,  some  time  before 
the  September  Oologist  reached  me.  I 
here  tender  to  both  the  gentlemen  in 
question  sincere  thanks  for  the  addi- 
tions to  our  knowledge  which  are 
made  in  the  Rockwell-Warren  article 
which  has  called  forth  the  present  re- 
joinder. Neither  of  these  observers 
need  fear  any  outbreak  of  what 
Browning  so  aptly  called  "goose-criti- 
cism," if  only  they  will  take  the  pains, 
hereafter,  to  assure  readers  of  their 
articles  of  something  more  fully  en- 
titled to  ones  respect  than  mere  bird- 
in-the-bush  indentification. 

P.   B.   PEABODY. 


The    House    Sparrows   as    Flycatchers. 


Has  this  plebian  of  the  city  streets 
aspired  to  act  the  role  of  the  aristo- 
cratic Flycatcher?  Such  seems  to 
be  the  fact,  for  at  times,  certain  of 
these  individuals  can  be  seen  to  rise 
from  the  chimneys  and  telegraph 
poles,  hover  in  the  air  over  some  in- 
sect, and  return  to  the  vantage  point 
in  the  precise  manner  of  the  Kingbird 
or  Pewee,  when  in  search  of  meals. 

If,  in  conjunction  with  their  servi- 
ces as  street  scavengers,  these  obnox- 
ious pests  would  undertake  the  duties 
of  followers  of  aerial  prey,  although 
it  is  doubtful  if  the  house-fly  has  any 
aerial  aspirations,  they  would  do 
much  to  ameliorate  the  conditions 
caused  by  their  extreme  aggressive- 
ness. 

I  was  witness  of  a  case  where  two 
of  these  tatter-de-malions  attempted 
to  capture  a  June-bug  much  too  large 
for  their  efforts.  I  was  apprised  of 
the  disturbance  ^by  the  fall  of  the  in- 
sect near  where  I  was  standing,  fol- 
lowed by  the  two  birds.  The  defensive 


188 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


armor  of  the  insect  seemed  to  to  be 
impervious  to  the  attacks  of  the  birds, 
but  the  arrival  of  more  sparrows  fin- 
ished the  career  of  the  helpess  in- 
sect. 

This  is  the  first  case  coming  under 
my  observation  in  which  sparrows 
were  so  pugnacious  as  to  attack  an 
insect  as  large  as  the  June-tbug,  al- 
though I  have  often  observed  them 
attack  house-flies  upon  the  wing. 
FRED  T.   THORPE, 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Raine's    Camp,    near    Lethbridge, 
Alberta,  N.  W.  C,  May  24. 
Dear  Mr.  Short:  — 

My  son  and  I  came  up  here  on  a 
collecting  trip,  and  the  hest  thing  we 
have  run  across  so  far  is  a  colony  of 
Richardson's  Merlins,  nesting  in  a 
wood  of  poplars  down  on  the  flats  of 
the  Belly  River.  There  appears  to  be 
about  20'  pairs  nesting  here.  We  have 
found  some  nesting  in  old  Magpies' 
inests,  others  nest  in  cavities  of  tree 
trunks  where  old  branches  have  brok- 
en off,  while  a  few  nest  in  holes  in 
trees  like  the  American  Sparrow 
Hawk.  The  female  sits  very  close,  in 
some  cases  allowing  me  to  climb  half 
way  up  the  tree  before  she  leaves  her 
nest.  Then  she  flies  out  of  the  nest 
with  a  scream  and  the  male  bird  then 
appears  on  the  scene,  also  screaming. 
The  birds  are  so  bold  that  they  are 
easily  shot.  The  eggs  are  very  beau- 
tiful and  rich  in  color  and  are  of  the 
same  character  as  eggs  of  the  Euro- 
pean Merlin,  but  average  somewhat 
larger  in  size.  As  you  are  aware,  very 
few  sets  of  this  rare  little  Falcon  have 
been  taken  by  Oologists,  and  none 
have  been  taken  outside  of  Alberta. 
This  region  seems  to  suit  his  habits, 
and-  the  reason  this  bird  hreeds  in  col- 
onies is  because  trees  do  not  grow  on 
the  prairie;  the  only  place  trees  are 
found  is  in  the  sheltered     river     bot- 


toms. Therefore  the  birds  for  miles 
around  have  to  resort  to  the  river  hot- 
toms  and  the  old  Magpie  nests  which, 
abound  here  seem  to  offer  them  suit- 
able nesting  sites.  This  is  the  reason 
so  many  pairs  are  found  nesting  so 
close  together. 

From  here  we  go  to  Northern  Al- 
berta to  the  breeding  haunts  of  the 
Lesser  Yellow-legs  and  Solitary  Sand- 
piper, and  after  that  we  intend  to  pro- 
ceed to  Banff  in  the  Rockies  to  col- 
lect eggs  of  birds  that  nest  in  the 
mountains,  and  expect  to  be  back  in 
Toronto  about  July  1st,  when  I  will 
write  you  a  short  account  of  our  west- 
ern trip. 

Yours  truly, 
W.  RAINE. 


GAL  ONE  — Oologist 

Late    Nesting   of   Song   Sparrow. 

On  Sept.  3,  190S,  I  found  here  a  Song 
Sparrow's  nest  containing  one  young 
bird.  On  Sept.  12th,  it  was  found 
dead  in  the  nest.  Later  on  Sept.  26th, 
I  found  in  Sharon  a  deserted  nest  of 
this  species,  containing  1  egg,  which 
blew  as  easy  as  a  fresh  one,  and 
whose  contents  seemed  quite  fresh. 
This  egg,  it  would  seem,  must  have 
been  laid  this  month,  as  its  contents 
were  not  in  the  least  rotten. 

SIDNEY  F.  BLAKE, 
Stoughton,    Mass. 


THFl  OOLOGIST. 


189 


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THE  OOLOGIST.  191 


NEW    POLICY 


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NOTICE 


DECEMBER     I,     I908. 

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192 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


72nd  Thousand  !       72nd  ! 
BIRD    GUIDE. 

BY  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of  North   American  Birds  Egg^,  and  with  Frank  M.  Chapman  of  Color  Key  to  North  American    Birds 
Editor  of  the  American  Bird  Magazine. 

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teachers  and  students,  after  years  of  study  as  to  their 
needs.  It  has  the  following  points  of  superiority  over 
any  other  Bird  Book: 

COLORED  ILLUSTRATIONS.— Every  bird  is 
shown  in  natural  colors,  including  females  and  young 
when  they  differ. 

SCOPE.— yl??  the  land  birds  east  of  the  Rockies 
are  included.  It  gives  the  range  and  habit  of  each 
bird,  their  songs  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  written,  and 
description  of  their  nests  and  eggs. 

SMALL  SIZE. — It  can  easily  be  carried  in  the 
pocket,  measuring  but  3x5  inches.  200  pages,  bound 
in  flexible  sock  cloth  or  leather.  We  have  made  the 
price  of  the  book  as  low  as  possible  considering  the 
good  workmanship  and  material  that  is  used.  It  is  so 
low  that  anyone  can  afford  it,  but  no  one  can  afford  to 
be  without  it. 

IT  NAMES  THE  BIRDS  FOR  YOU 

Bound  in  flexible  sock  cloth,  postpaid 

SO    CEINTS 

Five  cloth  bound  copies  for  $2.00  postpaid 

Bound  in  flexible  leather,  75ot8.     Five  copies  for  $3.00  postpaid. 

We  want  agents  in  every  city,  town  and  school.  Good  commissions. 
Send  for  prospectus  of  Bird  Books  and  sample  copy  of^^the  AMERICAN 
BIRD  MAGAZINE. 


CHAS.  K.  REED, 


WORCESTER.,  MASS.