F) i iratasees 1d 09 alae 24 06% ist) bea : ti iM aut hit Bit iat tes A ieant ti a “> ai bate eh Heit shit as eta Soarscee i a Ne ie a) Nae oth i alka AN (Ya ii ata 4] fe ce o " apes athok a re) is: i huis th pista ie ae As: sien * 4 dedi rae ae it tae Bate i sin ame i Ns oe ad ri sae mae pd 1“ xt 4 oc E OOLOC ji 1 x ed er, co A MONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO Z OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXIDERMY. WANTS, FOR SALES AND EXCHANGES, Brief Special announcements yartment for 25 cents pex 25 words. “Wants,” * Exchanges,” ‘ For Sales,” inserted in this de Notices over 25 words charged at the rate of 1-2 cent for yach 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. Vou. XXV. No. 1. ALBION, N. Y., JAN., 1908. WHOLE No. 246 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 246 your subscription expires with this issue 257 Ty oe Cy oe 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.—Egges in sets and good Indian relics. I offer eggs, shells and showy mount- ed butterflies. ERNEST H. SHORT, Box173, Rochester, N. Y. _ STAMPS.—To exchange for birds’ eggs or skins. Also afew skins and eggs totrade for same. F.T. CORLESS, 804 E. 14 St. N., Port- land, Or. dave Cle a FOR EXCHANGE.—Fine sets of eggs of following species for others not in my col- lection. No’s. 9, 37. 40, 145, 269.1, 297a 327, 328, 342, 358, 354, 354a, 362, 370a, 376, 536, 534, 618, 654a, 639, 748. THOMAS H. JACKSON, 304 N. Franklin St.. West Chester, Pa. INASats OFFER —A long series of rare and beautiful butterflies from all parts ofthe 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.—Heggs of Robin, Flicker, Cedar dird, Yellow and Black-bill Cuckoos. All to de in sets with data. Offer in exchange 337b -2,1-3,1-4; 329 1-1; 342 1-3; 194 1-4, 1-5; 488d 2-4; 60a 1-5; 3651-5; 366 1-3; 375d 1-2; 294 1-12, etc. sig list. CHAS. 8S. THOMPSON, Box 214, 3uena Vista, Colorado. FOR SALE.—Complete file of Osprey ex- cepting October a 1d December, No. of Vol. 1 and 3 No’s. of Vol. 3. Also Vol.5 of Condor. All for $5.00 F. O. B. W. H. BINGAMAN, Box 931, Algona. Iowa. 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 orexchange. M. KUSCHEL, Gubrau. Germany, Bz Breslau. MOUNTED Deer heads and birds, Vols. 9, 10, 11, 22, 23 Oologist; Vols. 3,4, 5 Museum; to exchange for birdsor mammals in flesh or good skins. GEO. F. GUELF, Taxidermist, Brockport, N. Y. I BUY and sell horns, scalps and skins of allanimals. Will buy anything from any- where. What have you? Write. EVAN Ee ANDERSON, P. O. Box 1171, Los Angeles, Jalif. X OR SALE.—Rattlesnake skins, fish and animal skins. Rattle snake skin purses, garters, belts, hat bands, etc. Mounted spec- imens, birds andanimals J. KE. MABURY. Prado, Calif. cr racers ee 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. KAFAHL, 116 E. 6th St., Austin, Tex. Didi Gs Sw eee eS Pure bred buff leghorn, cockerells, Haines single comb strains, good birds, F. O. B. 7dc. each. Extra Birds $1.00 each. Registered cocks and eae $1.50. ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N. Y Beautiful Floral Post Cards. Embossed flowers in natural colors» lettered greetings from your town in gold, or any lettering wanted not to exceed eight words. 30c. per dozen, postpaid. Dealers send stamp for special Propositien: HOW: ARD M. GILLET, Lebanon Springs, N. Y. OT a r sts eh i ie A — 2 THE OOLOGIST. WORLD'S GREATEST COLLECTORS’ MAGAZINE FOUNDED IN 1895 The Philatelic West and Camera News Combines Collectors’ and 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. : Sanne 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. ey Official Organ of over 40 popular societies, 35,000 members. The review ofall papers of alllanguagesis an attractive addition. In- teresting matter from French, German, Latin, and from all foreign English papers in each number. 50 cts. for 12 numbers; foreign, $1 or 4s. ADVERTISERS A word with you; that collectors appreciate the above attractive features isevidenced by our large and growing subscription list. The WEsT circulates ali over the world. Over 12,000 ads in 2 years. Trial Ad | cent per word in Trade Calumn; 3 times for price of 2. L. TL. BRODSTONE, Publisher. Superior, Nebr. (U.S. A.) THE ONLY ISSUE OF THE WARBLER FOR. 1907 is now ready to send out. It contains 56 pages andone hand-colored Plate- Price One Dollar Per Copy. JOHN LEWIS CHILDS Floral Park, N. Y. Prices for Back Numbers of the YOUNG OOLOGIST AND THE OOLOGIST 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, $12.00. No. 32 is 75 cents. Nos. 1, 14, 18, 21, 23-24, 31, 34-35, 42, B38a S6y 898 Mla DSO sas Sel oo seeks OF 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. 2150354 15) 16> D4 bby bo eos 87, 128, 127, 128, 129, 144. 149, are 15 cents each. Nos. 19, 20, 22, 27, 28, 38, 39, 40, 45, 50, 60, 61, 68, 64, 65, 70, 74, 80, 93, 114, 115, 126, 133, 135, are 10 cents each. gaS- 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..... elec OO Vol. III, 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..... Saito) Vol. VII, 1890, Nos. 51 to 62....... .75 Vol. VIII, 1891, Nos. 63 to 74...... .15 Vol. IX, 1892, Nos. 75 to 86........ .90 Viole xa) 18935 INOS) Sie tom Oo Srnec) beeEnOO Vol. XI, 1894, Nos. 99 to 110...... .50 Vol. XII, 1895, Nos. 111 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 . XVII, 1900, Nos. 162 to 171.... .50 . XVIII, 1901, Nos. 172 to 183.. .50 . DX, 1902; Nos. 184 to 195..5.. <50 5 Or TO OR, INOS UMS. Ha) Us Gos XS T1904 Now LS8 tol e200 eee Vol. XXII, 1905, Nos. 210 to 221.... .50 Vio SeXexelew1 9068222) 00) 2300s ee eeee eee nee 55 For $5 I will send prepaid a copy of every issue published, Nos. to 209, inclusive, except the twenty-nine, (29), 25c., 50c. and 75c. copies. For $2.00 I will send prepaid every copy published, Nos. 1 to 209, inclusive, _ except the sixty copies priced above at ~ 10c or over. — BOUND VOLUMES — Can be furnished, strongly bound in cloth and boards, as follows: Vol. I and II YOUNG OOLOGIST bound in (VAIN 5 Goo o oO OO Oo oO OS $1.00 Vol. IX. The OOLOGIST for ’92, 298 pages of valuable and instructive Oological and Ornithological matter with many full page illustrations, . Sha . Or, if you order the two volumes at one time, we will send them by return mail for only $1.75. very student of birds, their nests and eggs, should have these two volumes in their Mbrary. The valuable information they contain, {s worth many times the price. Address plainly, Ease H. pear ar anager 0: ‘ist, CHILI, N. Y. STILL LEADING FIFTH EDITION LATTIN’S STANDARD CATALOGUE OF North American Birds Eggs 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. U. Nome- 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). 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. W TEACH TAXIDERMY BY MAIL. Complete coursein 15lessons. This : iM is one of the most de- lightful 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 our proposition in full. Send TODAY for our new illustrated CATALOG and sam- le copy of The TAXIDERMY MAGAZINE. OTH FREE. THE N. W. SCHOOL OF TAXIDERMY,76 Farnam St., Omaha, Neb. TO ALL INTERESTED. REMEMBER. I furnish collections covering one or several branches 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 gure to please. ERNEST H. SHORT, Box 173 Rochester, 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. Annual subscription, $1.50, net, in advance. Single copies, 30cents. Foreign subscription, $1.75. J. EUGENE LAW, Business Manager, Holiywood, Cal. T. Reed & Co., 4 Duke St., Char- ing Cross, London, W. 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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 ccs epeemec. < srkatieicc eaetete ge ote topeicuezic emesis $2.60 Oologist one year and ‘‘Frederick Young’’ The Natural History s=Novelsprepaid:. .-.- 22 sme ee see $ .90 Oologist four years, Jan. 1905 to Dec. 1908, and ‘‘North American Birds Eggs’’ or -‘Color Key,’’...$3,.25 Oologist four years, as above, and a copy of our new ‘‘Standard Catalogue’’ of North American Binds EOgseeeee eo. ce- c eeeee eee $1.00 Oologist four 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 3 ERNEST H. SHORT, < Manager Oologist Chili, N, Y-. >| ®PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA © 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. FRANK H.. LATTIN, Publisher, ALBION, N. Y. ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. Oorrespondence and items of interest to the student of Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited from all. TERMS. OF SUBSCRIPTION: Single subscription ... 50c per annum Sample copies... - . . Se each The above rates include “payment of postage. Bach subscriber is given a card good for a Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. (This card is redeemable at any time within one year from date thereon.) Subscriptions can begin with ary number. Back numbers of the OOLOGIST can be fur- mished at reasonable rates. Send stamp for de- scriptions and prices. Remember that the publisher must be noti- ed by letter when a subscriber wishes his pa- per stopped, and all arrearages must be paid. ADVERTISING RATES: 5 cents per nonpareil line each insertion. 12 lines in every inch. Seven inches }m a col- umn, and two columns to the page. Nothing inserted for less than 25 cents. No **special rates,’? 5 cents per line is ‘‘net,” .“‘rock ‘bottom,’’ ‘‘inside,’’ ‘‘spot cash’’ rate frum which there is no deviation and no commission to agents. If you wish to use 5 lines or less space it will cost you 25 cents; 100 lines, $5.00; 1000 Zines, $50. ‘‘Trade’® (other than cash) adver- tisements will be accepted by special arrange- ment only and at rates from double to five times cash rates. Due Bills and Cards payable in ad- vertising will be honored only at regular rates im force at the date of issuance of said bill or card. Remittances should be made by Draft, Ex- press or Postoffice Money Order, Registered Letter or Postal Note. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination will be accepted for sums under one dollar. Make Money Or- ders and Drafts payable and address all sub- scriptions and communications to HRNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager, . Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. 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 which greets the ear of the ornithologist when he en- ters that low bushy piece of land or, that patch of aged red cedars draped 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 ly find the nest arched over 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 net so, they being fair- ly easy to find if the area where the rare- with an 6 THE OOLOGIS1. 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 for 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 tthe 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- ( Wilson.) The birds take their departure the cilla by Gmelin.” first week in September, to be exact, they left this locality, this year, Sep- tember eighth. P. G. Howes, Stamford, Conn. THE OOLOGIST 7 Photo by P. G. Howes. Site of the Yellowthroat’s Home. Archeaological Collectors take Notice We print following 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- lies are being placed on sale. A former secretary of state, who retired under charges at Lansing some vears 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 absclute 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 re 8 CHE OOLOGIST. victims. No collection is left free from the suspicion that 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 possibility of determin- ing how many are the victims.” “March 6, 1907, George A. West, of Milwaukee, Wis., ordered an Indian pipe from Daniel EH. 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, “T ‘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 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 EK. Brown, of the Wisconsin ty, at Madison: “Among other persons appar- ently connected with these vari- ous deals are James Scotford, 167 Abbott street; Adolphe B. pro- Archaeological societ- 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 relies 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 prick the little ax to see how hard is the incrustation. They ean 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: “IT 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. and 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 you have secur- ed.” “The complaint made against you,” THE OOLOGIST. 9 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- nine, 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. “T cannot tell that,” said Soper, “unless it is by some freak of na- ture.” “Where 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- einnati university, a good name, and said he was deeply interested in de- tecting frauds. As for Scotford, he Said: : did you get all these 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 Wisconsin socie- ty, Charles EH. Brown, as the follow- ing letter of Noy. 1 shows: To Daniel HE. 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? Cc. 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 copper relics who have captured Michigan finds to obtain acopy of the Detroit News for Nov. 14, 1907 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. With The Hawks. Two Seasons Swainson Out beyond the vineyards ‘and or- chards as one travels toward the southwest from Fresno isa ‘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. ‘Sey- eral large irrigating canals or sloughs trail across the country, their wind- ing course marked by ‘tthe 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 Swainson Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) on their chosen nesting grounds. I had at times, dur- ing the spring, seen these hawks cir- 10 THE OOLOGIST. 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 Vaal- 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 region described above is sometimes called, searching for specimens to add ito my oological collection and items of interest for my note 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 dry 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 eges. 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 plaintiveness 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 smalh 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 L believed it to be a little too early for sets of Swainsoni, 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. Hach of these nests were lin- ed with green willow leaves and a ks : THE OOLOGIST. 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 hawks again some three weeks later but circumstances prevented. How- ever, on the 30th of April of the pres ent year I paid them another visit, going first to the tree that held nest No. 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 thawk was flapping around nearby. It was a rather easy climb to the nest which contained four unusually well4+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 flight 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 ther 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 ghort 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 sluggish 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 showed 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 there. 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 with 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 had the pleasure of finding another new one in the sec- ond of the two willows described as 12 THE OOLOGIST. 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 freshly 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 being 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 be 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 which had sev- eral bunches of green cottonwood berries in place of leaves. _ In conelusion 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 Grounds. Strange 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. —.- eo? 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, Reales Should this prove to be the case we advise prospective purchasers to play a safe game.—H DITOR. = : THE OOLOGIST. ae 13 NEW POLICY Subscribers, Advertisers ——N OTIC E—— FIRST. In line with the decision recently published by the ‘‘Condor’’ and for the same reasons, ie. 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 all who are in arrears and those who have not settled in accordance with terms thereon by January 1st will be dropped. Canadian Subscribers Notice. Owing to the increased Canadian postage, combination and premium offers will not apply to Canada sub- s¢riptions unless accompanied by 12 cents per year extra. EF. H. LATTIN, E.. H. SHORT, Publisher. Manager. 14 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 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 se 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 S50 CENTS Five cloth bound copies for $2.00 postpaid Bound in flexible leather, 75cts. Five oopies 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. 15 OOLOGY or 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 Quarto Volume WEE Three Hundred and Twenty Three (323) Full Sized Lithographic Illustrations, Colored True to Nature, 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, but each copy assembled and wrapped ready for the binder, were unearthed, and although “out of business’’ the undersigned secured them. If interested write or order a copy before it is too late. Highly endorsed by all leading orni- thologists. Address, FRANK H. LATTIN, M. D.. Albion. N. Y. ges-Parties wishing to procure a copy of Capen’s should address the above who will quote best price or advise where the same can be obtain- ed—if obtainable. The few copies I possess are being distributed among my old ‘‘O. and O.”’ friends at a nominal rate. Bene Lk. HOLIDAY . GIFTS Just the Thing for His Christmas MODEL B FEE Bull Dog Sronenders THE STANDARD hecause they fit, because they contain more and better rubber than other makes, allowing easy, free movement of the body in every position; because they have gold-gilt metal parts, guaranteed not to rust or tarnish, and because the cord # ends are stronger than usually found in suspenders, preventing them from fraying and wearing through. THEY OUTWEAR THREE ORDINARY KINDS, WHICH MEANS THREE TIMES THE SERVICE OF USUAL 50 CENT SORTS. The Most Comfortable Suspenders Made for Man, Youth or Boy In Light, Heavy or Extra Heavy Weights, Extra Long(No Extra Cost) Sensible, Inexpensive Gifts Every Man and Boy Will Gladly Receive FOR THE BEST INSIST ON MODEL B BULL DOG SUSPENDER, HEWES & POTTER, Dept. 87 Lincoln St. Boston, Mass. Our useful Butt Doc SUSPENDER Coms anv Case mailed for 10c. postage. Instructive booklet, ‘‘Style, or How to Dress Correctly,’’ free if you mention this publication. THE OOLOGIST. GUN POR SAL 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, 12 ga., 30 in. bbls. $18.00 cash gets it. ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N.Y. JUST OUT —eo@@ -@ -0-@ 14 A NEW UP-TO-DATE Check List of North American Birds ; as oe, 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. 16 pages on good paper. PRICE 3c each. 30c per dozen. $2.00 per hundred ADDRESS OOLOGIST, Albion, N. Y. or ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, e0 0 0 0 © © © © 0 @ 0 @-0-@ @ © © 0 0 © © © @ © @ vi THE OOLOGIST. A MONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXIDERMY. WANTS, FOR SALES AND EXCHANGES, Vou. XXV. No. 2. ALBION, N. Y., FEB., 1908. WHOLE No. 247 Take Notice. Examine the number following your mame on the wrapper of this month’s Oologist. It denotes when your sub- seription 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 246 your subscription expires with this issue ‘ ro oe og ry Dec.. 1908 Intermediate numbers can easily be determined. If we have you credited wrong we wish to rectify. Entered as second-class matter De- ecembed 21, 1903, at the post office, at Albion, N. Y., under the Act of Con- gress of March 8, 1879. WANT.—Eggs in sets and good Indian relics. I offer eggs, shells and showy mount- edbutterflies. ERNEST H.SHORT, Box173, Rochester, N. Y. SOUVENIR POSTALS.—Views of Seattle and Pacific Coast country. 10 colored, 25c; 10 colored and black. 20c; 10 black, lic. W. S. ROOT, 632 32 Ave., N., Seattle, Wash. ern Mexico. Particular attention paid to AUSTIN PAUL SE uc rae ace, . 2, C. PUGET SOUND, SEATTLE AND JAPAN CURIOS.—Send 25 cents for sample lot. W. S. ROOT, 632 32 Ave. N., SEATTLE, Wash. FOR EXCHANGE.—Violin and outfit in good candition cost $25, for Vols. of Bendires Life Histories or Coue’s Key fifth edition, or other bird books of equal value. J. R. RAS- MUSSON, 785 Sixth Avenue, Upper Troy, N’ WANTED.—Eggs of snakes, lizards and urtles. State price, JOS. P. BALL, M. D., Frankford. Phila., Penn. Pure bred buff leghorn, cockerells, Haines single comb strains, good birds, F. O. B. 7ic. each, Extra Birds $1.00 each. Registered cock, 2nd year, $1.50. ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N. Y. ‘ FOR SALE—Auk and Nuttall 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. Bulletin. 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 setsfor both. All answered. H. J. KAFAHL 116 FE. 6th St., Austin, Tex. emits EXCH ANGE—Two folding canvass covered campers cots, good as new. Want old bird boods or magazes. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, N. Y. FOR EXCHANGE.—Fine list of sets and, singles including 3la, 52, 114.1, 147, 172.177, 348 370d, 394b, 411, 419, 468, 570, 638 and many others. Also three revolvers and Marlin rifle. I want a . STAMP ALBUMS.~—International, 2 vols- full leather. Gilt edges. Will exchange for old bird books or magazines or eggs in sets. A bargain for some one. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, New York. WANTED. — “Birds Ontario,’’ Newton’s Dictionery, Eva’s Birds Vol. 9, Cambridge Natural History. State condition and lowest cash price. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephen- town, N. Y. Brewer and Ridgeway, 3 vols. 1905 edition, new, price, $7.50. listed $10.00. CHAS. M METZ, Claremont, Calif. 7 18 WANTED.—A 1 sets of 2, 71, 120b 295, 420 etc, 542a, 585, 661 and many te mostly with nests. Good sets of 187to swap ‘for com- man material, many priced at5dc. California skins to exchange, also sets 141, 146, 221, 226. 294, 378, 178 and plenty, others for exchange. Allanswered, 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, 54a, 356, 358-1, 309-1, 360, 360a, 362, 384, 408, 410, 416, 417, 419, 459, 478a, 490, 494, 518, 536, 538, 534, 554, 569, 578, 581-1, 591, 592, 594a, 607. 618, 629b, 630, 637, 639, 641, 642, 645, 654a, 676, 677, 686, 697, 699, 702. 706, 707, 708, 710a, 722a, 728, 730, 735b, 738, 730, 748, 752, 754, 763, 376, 370a, 679. THOS. H. JA KSON, 304 N. Franklin St., West Chester, Pa, WANTED.—Oologist Vol. IIT, No. 6; Vol. Ws INI@s OF 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. AlJso for exchange books, magazines, climbing irons, few sets and skins. All answered. o de KOFAHL, Austin, Texas. FOR SALE.—Golden Eagle, mounted on stand with wings half spread, first class specimen. $12 cash getsit. B. P. CARPEN- TER, Escondido, Calif. FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE.—Stamps, coins. shells, sea urchins, starfish, Sand Shark’s eggs, perwinkle egg case, etc,, singly or in quantities. List on application. K. B. ea Box 926 Greenport, Long Island, $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 inthe 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, D. 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 eal. 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 aboutd 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 forevery dollars worth of sets sent me. Remington typewriter No. 7, good as new for $300.00 worth of choice sets. Receipt for amet tooth powder ever used for $2.00 worth of A 1 sets. Address CLARENCE H. LUTHER, D. D.S., Fayetteville, Ark. WANTED.—To exehange bird skins for species not in my collection. Send list and receive mine. ALEX WETMORE, Lawrence, Kansas, care of University Museum. THE OOLOGIST. 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 JAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, N. Y. Oologists Tools and Supplies, Bird Books and Magazines. Everything Sent Prepaid. CUT THE LINING EGG DRILLS. 16 sizes from .2to about .32 100ths, 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 & SHURTTEFF DRILLS. The very best standard egg drills made. 6 inch handles, No. 1, 25c; Ne 2, 35¢; No. 3, 50¢c; No. 4, 75c; No. 5, $100; No. $1.50. 3 inch handles. No. 0 and 1, 20¢; No. 3. 25c; No. 3, 35¢c; No. 4, 45c. BLOW-PIPES. All best Nickle. No.1. 10 to 12 inches, 40c.; No. 2,8 to 9 inches, 30c.; 3, 6 to 7 inches, 20c. EMBRYO HOOKS. NAN CIOS Ak erect ae nemiee ee cee eee EMBRYO SCISSORS. No. 1. 25¢.; No. 2, 50c.; best straight fine points, $1.00; best curyed Very finesse.) ao eee eee eee ogadoooecoe 1 23 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. BOING Finest Best quality 6 auch quality, plain or Y 45 Taylor. sor Pattin’ s Egg Satsloaae aoe 25 Davie’s Nests and eggs, 5th ed., cloth... 1 50 Coue’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). 03.323, 32 ee ee eee 2 60 Chapman’s Warbler Book ............... 2 90 Goss? Bird sektansaisheeeeeeec cee neers 4 00 Bailey’s Hand Book Birds Western U.S. 35 25 Hornaday’ Sid thip-alelendoahy Gadnsancuccnanvocs 2 40 Chapman’s Color Key, or Reed’s North American Birds Eggs and your choice DIC AwoOrth) tools! een eee Cee ee eee 2 50 Davie’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 your wants. I will save you money. BENJAMIN HOAG, Stephentown, . New York. THE OOLOGIST. 19 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- 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. 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 is style. Handy in shape (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 MAI Complete ; course in 15lessons. This zen is one of the most de- lightful and faecinat tie of arts. learned. TANDARD METHODS. 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 ourpropositionin full. Send TODAY for our new illustrated CATALOG and azo pe co a a The TAXIDERMY MAGAZIN EE. THE N. W. SCH NOOL, OF TAXIDERALY, 76 Farnam St., Omaha, Neb. TO ALL INTERESTED. REMEMBER. I furnish collections covering one or several pranches 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, Rochester, N. Y. Box 173 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. Annual subscription, $1.50, net, in advance. Single copies, 30 cents. Foreign subscription, $1.75. 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’ ode List 2 cent stamp. Novy. 20 ‘THE OOLOGIST. Oologists and Ornithologists Attention ! An illustrated Brochure” In the Haunts of | the Swainson’s Warbler,” giving migration, song habits, geographical distribution, des- eription of bird, nesting, habits, etc., with plates from photographs of nests and eggs in situ. Sent postpaid for 35c. DOCTOR M. T. CLECKLEY, Augusta, Ga. A COMPLETE LINE of Indian relics, fossils, 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 eolored post cards; worthy of framing and hanging on the walls of your den. T he com- plete set, 18 cents, stamps. HOWARD M. GILLET, Dept. O. Lebanon Springs, N. Y. HAND EGG BLOW-PIPE PERFECTED. Just 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. WORLD'S GREATEST COLLECTORS’ MAGAZINE FOUNDED IN 1895 The Philatelic West and Camera News Combines Collectors’ and 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. ; a a 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. are Official Organ of over 40 popular societies, 35,000 members. The review of all papers_of alllanguagesis an attractive addition. In- teresting matter from French, German, Latin, and from all foreign English papers in each number. 50 cts. for | 2 numbers; foreign, $1! or 48. ADVERTISERS A word with you; that collectors appreciate the above attractive features is eyideneed 2 our large and growing subscription list. The WEst circulates ali over the world. Over 12,000 ads in 2 years. ~ Trial Ad | cent per word in Trade Calumn; 3 times for price of 2. L. T. BRODSTONE, Publisher. Superior, Nebr. (U.S. A.) Prices for Back Numbers of the YOUNG OOLOGIST AND THE OOLOGIST 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, $12.00. No. 32 is 75 cents. Nos. 1, 14, 18, 21, 23-24, 31, 34-35, 42, 53, 86, 89, i111, 130, 132, 137, 139, 140, 153, 158, are 50 cents each. Nos. 9, 66-67, 76, 77, 78, 79, 88, 90, 100, 118, 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 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. §@e- 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. III, 1886, Nos. 15 to 20...... -90 Vol. IV, 1887, Nos. 21 to 25-26.... 1.00 Vol. V, 1888, Nos. 27 to 88...... 1.50 Vol. VI, 1889, Nos. 39 to 50........ -15 Vol. VII, 1890, Nos. 51 to 62....... .75 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...... .50 Vol. XII, 1895, Nos. 111 to 122.... 1.00 Vol. XIII, 1896, Nos. 128 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... Vol. XVII, 1900, Nos. 162 to 171.... . . XVIII, 1901, Nos. 172 to 183.. .50 Vol. XIX, 1902, Nos. 184 to 195.... .50 Vol. XX, 1903, Nos. 196 to 197..... .10 . XXI, 1904, No. 198 to 209.... .50 Vol. XXII, 1905, Nos. 210 to 221.... Vol. XOX, 1906; 222) towbar. cee eee b) For $5 I will send prepaid a copy of every issue published, Nos. 1 to 209, inclusive, except the twenty-nine, (29), 25c., 50c. and 75c. copies. For $2.00 I will send prepaid every copy published, Nos. 1 to 209, inclusive, except the sixty copies priced above at 10c or over. — BOUND VOLUMES — Can be furnished, strongly bound in cloth and boards, as follows: Vol. I and It YOUNG OOLOGIST bound in Gs Voli sus Gos 6 6 alo pb 5 oO 6 $1.00 Vol. IX. The OOLOGIST for ’92, 298 pages of valuable and instructive Oological and Ornithological matter with many full page illustrations, . Sate Mie * 5 3 - Or, if you order the two volumes at one time, we will send them by return mail for only $1.75. very student of birds, their nests and 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, Manager of Oologist, Set CHT ewe Xe ‘THE OOLOGIST. VoL. XXV. No. 2. ALBION, N. Y. Frs., 1908. WHOLE No. 247 THE OOLOGIST, A Monthly Publication Devoted to OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXI- DERMY. FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, ALBION, N. Y. ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. Correspondence and items of interest to the student of Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited from all. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: Gingle subscription . - 50c per annum Sample copies .. - « Se eack The above rates include "payment of postage. Bach subscriber is given a card good for a Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. (This card fis redeemable at any time within one year from date thereon.) Subscriptions can begin with ary number. Back numbers of the OOLOGIST can be fur- sished at reasonable rates. Send stamp for de- eeriptions and prices. Remember that the publisher must be noti- @ed by letter when a subscriber wishes his pa- per stopped, and all arrearages must be paid. ADVERTISING RATES: & cents per nonpareil line each insertion. 12 lines in every inch. Seven inches jn a col- @mn, and two columns to the page. Nothing inserted for less than 25 cents. No **epeeial rates,’® 5 cents per line is ‘‘net,’’ ‘‘rock bottom,’ ‘‘inside,’’ ‘‘spot cash’’ rate frum which there is no deviation and no commission to agents. If you wish to use 5 lines or less space it will cost you 25 cents; 100 lines, $5.00; 1000 lines, $50. ‘‘Trade’’ (other than cash) adver- tisements will be accepted by special arrange- gent only and at rates from double to five times eash rates. Due Bills and Cards payable in ad- vertising will be honored only at regular rates im force at the date of issuance of said bill or eard. Remittances should be made by Draft, Ex- press or Postofice Money Order, Registered Letter or Postal Note. Unused U. 8. Postage Stamps of any denomination will be accepted for sums under one dollar. Make Money Or- ders and Drefts payable and address all sub- ecriptions and communications to BRNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager, Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. 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 protected 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 ina the aggregate, there is probably ne 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 99 THE OOLOGIS1. 255 (2). Not necessarily cease collecting, but col- them, yet have so few friends. lect judiciously, not selfishly and glut- tonously. No man who collects judi- eiously, 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 ccllector 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 to 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 nct, 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- sonablé to suppose that birds which breed and are bred in a certain sec- tion, will instinctively seek the same latitude, if not the same locality, when the next breeding season comes. Hvery by that the kind described and exem- plified by the late Majer 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- true Oologist,—and I mean~ ry a Yor < S< AOS 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 cf 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*ibelieve 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.” et 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, 1908. 3o-~<> o The Mourning Warbler. This exceedingly shy Warbler ar- rives from the sunny south the first and second weeks in May and take THE OOLOGIST 25(2? up their nome in damp, dark woods where the ferrs 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 15 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 Nehrling’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. 23 While the female sits on the eggs, the male igs 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 cf 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 RHEINECKE, Buffalo, N. Y. Nest and Eggs of io Photo by Reinecke. 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 inhabit 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- brown. 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 being 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 grayish 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 tips of feathers slightly lighter. 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 Souta 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 North America; Volume III) as fol- lows: “Arid district of western Unit- ed tSates and British Provinces, from the eastern border of the Great Plains to the western margin of the Great Basin.” The new variety, migrans, Palmer, was first described in the “Auk” in 1898. It is distinguished from the 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 OOLOGIST. 20 This entirely answers the descrip- tion of our small nesting Shrike, and I, for my 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 Nuthatchs 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. (EKd.) Editor Oologist: I noted with interest your state- ment concerring the singing of Warb- ling vireos on the nest in December Oologist, because I have found it very difficuit 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 persistently 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 py. 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. —_—-.+- —~o}<4- — 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 be 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 November, 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 ito learn from the sporting “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 OOLOGIST. 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— eauntry-bred—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 ibob-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 specimen. 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 z In an eye-puzzling knot. He’d outwit a gun, in zigzag run "Round many a screening stump— 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, stir From the berrypicker’s heart; That roaring whirl scared many a chur]— Made e’en the woodfolk start. pulses would By our Swampy path he’d take a bath On a hot summer’s day; } THE OOLOGIST. 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 tricks Of fox, hawk, owl, and gun. 0) y But with weakened a fatal swerve From any covering shield When trees were bare—a snapshot pair Made the ruler’s spirit yield. nerve, So we chance a tear o’er a brave ca- reer— Chant a sincere refrain: Red Ruff we'll set in our cabinet, Let Science reign! —C. L. Rawson. __ Oa —_ —— 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. ent moment I know of but three large pieces of timber 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 her 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- _Inestic At the pres-, 27 tance to investigate a tree cavity, and while returning noticed two pro- jections above the nest that would pass for ear tufts, but 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- 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- 98 THE OOLOGIST. ing an elevation from which the ow- lets could be seen but “bunched” and whether two or three they were 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 of an the tree to be seen no more. nest contained the remains adult male and female Cooper’s Hawk and two defiant juvenile Bubos. They could not fiy a stroke, although sub- 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 decided to secure a set of eggs if possible, and on March 15, after the other localities had panned out null, 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- pings 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 and. after careful survey of the surround- ings, crept cautiously down the limb into it and entirely disappeared. 7 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 was 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 hollow 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. Vou. 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 your subscription expires with this issue 257. °° on a “ Dee., 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. 195 7b So FOR EXCHANGE.—Bald Eagle, 2-1 with full data, Florida coilected, for best offer of sets Ican use. Make offer and send list. J. WARREN JACOBS, Waynesburg, Pa. DR. T. W. RICHARDS, U.S. Navy, wishes to notify correspondents that his present ad- dress is, U. 8. Ship Colorado, care Post- master, San Francisco, California. 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. SUMNER, Madi- son, Wis. M.3. t- FOR EXCHANGE.—For best offer Indian relics or fine curios. One set. Messages and Acts of the. Presidents. 10 vols., cost $35.00, never unrapped. DR. ALBERT E. PAINE, Riverhead, L. I., N. Y. EXCHANGE.— Nature Library, 10 vols, New with bookcase, rare books on orni- thology, fine field glass, butterflies in mounts, sets, etc. Want good sets, especialiy Penna. and New Jersey ones. D. E. HARROWER, Swarthmore, Pa. FOR SALE—Auk and Nuttall Bulletin. Complete up to and including 1907. Thirty two Vols.inall. 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, 3l East Mt. Airy Ave., Philadelphia, Penn. FOR SALE.—I have a number of mounted Snowy Owland White Pelican. What can you use in this line? MARTIN GULLESON; Tax., Rutland, N. D. I HAVE alarge lot of misc. stamps from all countries that I will exchange for first class skins of smallland birds. What have you to offer? H.K.COALH, 136 Washington St., Chicago. WANTED.—Bird skins No. 495a, 496, 498a, 500, 501a, 502, 503, 505, 511, 5lla, 513a, 515b, 520, 523. 524a, 525, 526, 527, 527a, 528a, 528b, 531, 552, 562, 564, 565, 566, 571, 573, 578, 586, 633, 634, 640, 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, Ib, 5, 43. 49, 51, 52, 53, 53a, 60, 62, 64.1, 65, 68, 69, 69.1, 70a, 72, 72a; 541, 42, 42c, 44a. 44.1, 45, 49, 50, 51, 64, 65, 66, 67d, 68, 75, 78, 79, 85a, 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, 78, 79, 80, 84, 85, 86; 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 Auklet, and many others. Only best skins offered or wanted. C. B. LINTON, 1756 Pine Ave., Long Beach, Calif. INDIAN RELICS.—Arrows, bows, baskets, drinking cups, water bottles and head pieces with feathers. Collected from villages of *‘Digger Indian” tribes. C. IRVIN CLAY, 30x 353 Eureka, Cal. WANTED.—To subscribe for every Natural History and Curio Collectors magazine pub- lished. Please send sample copy. ALBERT E. FROST, Box 485, Deseronto, Ont.;Canada. 3o4 THE OOLOGIST. 200 microscopical specimens. _Mounted on glass slides. Representing Histology, Pathology, and Bacteirology, tocexchange for coins stamps or Indian relics. Also haye 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- CAMEEELL, 323 Wyoming Ave., Pittston, a. WANTED.—Coue’s Key, latest edition. Offer skines 334a, male; 621, male; 478c, male; 491, male; 492, male, etc. Capen’s “Oology of N. BE.” new. unbound; Nuttall’s *N. A. Birds,” new; 4x 5camera, 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, 53-5 2-6, 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, 63 10-3, 64 10-3, 67 10-3, 7615-1, 9210-1, 106 25-1, 112 12-1, 1136-1, 1155-2, 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, 3565-4, 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 * os 1-2 (much finer)........... 3 50 Pondicherry Vulture, 1-1 (very large .... 1 75 Shahin Falcon, 1-1 (handsome)..........- 2a iButastum teesay 1-2-9 es eee 1 00 Pernis cristatus, 1-1, fine, rare............ 1 60 Hemprich Gull, 1-3, large holes........... 60 Nebaux Gull, 1-2, large holes.............. 80 Argya gularis, 1-5, bright blue............ 60 IBIackakater lis eee. sc se Ce ee 75 Green-footed Gallinule, 1-10 ............... 1 00 Indian wwater, Hen =4) 78 oe eee 1 00 Forty other foreign species for sale. Most of the above from India, Post free over $2.50. CHAS S. THOMPSON, Box 214 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. O. 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. A Course in Comic 50 cts Ssascesere 55 — Subscribe to “Youth” and get COMIC DRAW- Alle d Year ING LESSONS FREE. Our artists teach you. Sample copy for 6¢ in stamps. YOUTH PUBLISHING CoO., Dep. X.O L BALTO.. MD. BEST STEEL CLIMBERS With 4 straps prepaid are now $3.00; without straps at old price, $1.90 pre- paid. Look over my “ad” in February Oologist—a ful list of oologist’s tools there at lowest prices. Cut-the-Lining Egg Drills. Let me again urge you to try them; 4 select- ed sizes, $1.00. Return and get your money if not perfectly satisfactory. Bargains : Technical World and new _ sub- Scription to Condor 2 secse- $2.25 Goss Birdiss Kiainisaicienei eee 4.00 Forest and Stream and Technical World: 02). 2 eee a.25 Chapman’s Warbler Book ...... 2.90 Davie’s Nests and Eggs and Tech- MiGail WWiOTs (Cie ee een 1.90 Books prepaid. Yearly subscription. Only a short time at above prices. BENJAMIN HOAG Stephentown - New York. THE OOLOGIST. 30 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- 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. U. Nome- clature, but giving Ridgway’s and 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 ig style. Handy in shape (just goes in- to full government envelope). Postpaid 25c each. Six for $1.28. 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. TEACH TAXIDERMY BY MAIL. Complete course in 15lessons. This is one of the most de- ght nating of arts. Easily jeneneal 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. OTH FREE. THE N. W. SCHOOL OF TAXIDERMY, 76 Farnam St., Omaha, Neb. INTERESTED. REMEMBER. I furnish collections covering one or several pranches 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, Rochester, N. Y. TO ALL Box 173 THE CONDOR. A Magazine of Western Ornithology. Official Organ Cooper Ornithalogica! Club. In Articles by Active Ornithologists Half- tones from Life Make-up. The Delight of Bird Students and Bird Lovers Everywhere. (1908) Better Than Ever. Published Bi-monthly. Volume 10, Annual subscription, $1.50, net, in advance. Single copies, 30 cents. Foreign subscription, $1.75. J. EUGENE LAW, Business Holiywood, Cal. Manager. Oologists and Ornithologists Attention ! An illustrated Brochure” In the Haunts of the Swainson’s Warbler,” giving migration, song habits, geographical distribution, des- eription of bird, nesting, habits, etc., with plates from photographs of nests and eggs in situ. Sent postpaid for 35c. DOCTOR M. T. CLECKLEY, Augusta, Ga. 36 THE OOLOGIST. HAND EGG BLOW-PIPE PERFECTED. Just 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. WORLD'S GREATEST COLLECTORS’ MAGAZINE FOUNDED IN 1895 The Philafelic West and Camera News Combines Collectors’ and 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 languagesis an attractive addition. In- teresting matter from French, German, Latin, and from all foreign English papers in each number. 50 cts. for | 2 numbers; foreign, $1 or 4s. ' ADVERTISERS A word with you; that collectors appreciate the above attractive features is evidenced by our large and growing ‘subscription list. The WEST circulates ali over the world. Over 12,000 ads in 2 years. Trial Ad | cent per word in Trade Calumn; 3 times for price of 2. L. T. BRODSTONE, Publisher. Superior, Nebr. (U.S. A.) 60 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE TrRavE MARKS DESIGNS CopyYRIGHTS &c. | Anyone sending a sketch and description may quickly ascertain our opinion free whether an invention is probably patentable. Communica- tions strictly confidential. HANDBQOK on Patents \gent free. Oldest Be eUCy, for securing patents. | Patents taken through Munn & Co. receive igpecial notice, without charge, in the Scientific Americatt. A handsomely iilustrated weekly. Largest cir- | galation of any scientific journal. Terms, $3 2 year; four months, $1. Sold by all newsdealers. MUNN & Co,s618rcaavay, New York . Branch Office, 625 F St. Washington, D.C. . Prices for Back Numbers of the YOUNG OOLOGIST AND THE OOLOGIST 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, $12.00. Nos. 1, 14, 18, 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, 75, 87, 128, 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, 1385, are 10 cents each. gae-All other numbers 5c. per copy. For $12 will send prepaid a copy of every issue ever published, No. 1 to 245. 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 Vol. II, 1885, Nos. 13 to 14........ .50 Vol. III, 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........ 15 Vol. VII, 1890, Nos. 51 to 62....... 205 Vol. VIII, 1891, Nos. 68 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...... .50 Vol. XII, 1895, Nos. 111 to 122.... 1.00 Vol. XIII, 1896, Nos. 123 to 127.... .50 Vol XIV, 1897, Nos. 128 to 139. . XV, 1898, Nos. 140 to 149.... .60 . XVI, 1899, Nos. 150 to 161.... .75 Vol. XVII, 1900, Nos. 162 to 171.... .50 . XVIII, 1901, Nos. 172 to 183.. .50 . 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!. XXITI, 1906, 222 to 233....... cs stessats ese 55 WO] XOX; 1907-234 LO24 be senor eee 50 For $5.25 I will send prepaid a copy of every issue published, Nos. 1 to 209, inclusive, except the twenty-nine, (29), 25c., 50c. and 75c. copies. For $250 I will send prepaid every copy published, Nos. 1 to 209, inclusive, except the sixty copies priced above at 10c or over. — BOUND VOLUMES — : Can be furnished, strongly bound in cloth and boards, as follows: Vol. I and II YOUNG OOLOGIST bound in one) Volumes ii. oe ere ua ane $1.00 Vol. IX. The OOLOGIST for ’92, 298 pages of valuable and instructive Oological 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 mail for only $1.75. Every student of birds, their nests and eggs, should have these two volumes in their library. The valuable information they contain, {s worth many times the price. Address plainly, : ERNEST H. SHORT, Manager of Oologist, CHILI, N. Y. WA THE OOLOGIST. VoL. XXV. No. 3. ALBION, N. Y. Mar., 1908. WHOLE No. 248 THE OOLOGIST, A Monthly Publication Devoted to OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXI- DERMY. FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, ALBION, N. Y. ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. Correspondence and items of interest to the student of Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited from all. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: Single subscription 50e per annum Sample copies . of eae pits . 5e eack The above rates include payment of postage. Hach subscriber is given a card good for a Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. (This card fis redeemable at any time within one year from date thereon.) : Subscriptions can begin with ary uumber. Back numbers of the OOLOGIST can be fur- nished at reasonable rates. Send stamp for de- scriptions and prices. Remember that the publisher must be noti- fied by letter when a subscriber wishes his pa- per stoppéd, and all arrearages must be paid. ADVERTISING RATES: 5 cents per nonpareil line each inserticn. 12 lines in every inch. Seven inches in a col- umn, and two columns to the page. Nothing inserted for less than 25 cents. No *‘gpecial rates,’’ 5 cents per line is ‘‘net,’’ ‘‘rock bottom,’’ ‘‘inside,’’ ‘‘spot cash’’ rate frum which there is no deviation and no commission to agents. If you wish to use 5 lines or less space it will cost you 25 cents; 100 lines, $5.00; 1000 lines, $50. ‘‘Trade’’ (other than cash) adver- tisements will be accepted by special arrange- ment only and at rates from double to five times cash rates. Due Bills and Cards payable in ad- vertising will be honored only at regular rates in force at the date of issuance of said bill or card. Remittances should be made by Draft, Ex- press or Postoffice Money Order, Registered Letter or Postal Note. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination will be accepted for sums under one dollar. Make Money Or- ders and Drafts payable and address all sub- scriptions and communications to HRNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager, Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. Hints at Egg Preserving. When I was but little more than a 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 de 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 eges of the Black Hills form of the Canada Jay. First, as regards the use of pancrea- tine in the digesting of embryos: I presume 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 Pinyon 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 38 THE OOLOGIS1 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 eur 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 ege. In the preparation of hard-set eggs of one inch, or more, in diameter, the Dlow-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 jin the past- ing, to the curvature of the egg. Hach 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). Ihe 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 ithe 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.) While 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. 29°C 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- taticn. water should be inserted into the ege, 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 tc go inside the egg,—mine is,—it will sometimes do as well to shake the egg viclently. 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-pipe). 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 Townsend 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. 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 what 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. C. S. B. Broad-winged Hawk, Black- (HE OOLOGIST. 40 ‘onsst [lidy wut "Moqqy Aq o}0Ud aeodde {[iM ojoyd uoturdm0g ‘svxay, ‘uo1Soy ssug sesuvry tr noyYy, "(+X poyuew Aj]}ULeJ OPIs-|]Iy Ul Gqnuys uaMmo] 99S) "AOHINL PIM JO 231g Bulyson THE OOLOGIST. a 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. 145. 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 description of the aggressiveness of the female and the collecting of a set of five eggs an May 15. Bird circling around and screaming lustily, nest lined with grass, leaves, ete. (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, flushing 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 “eircles around and screams.” normally; and also _ fre- quently lines her nest with the “grass, leaves, etc.” The “ete.” 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 eges 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 wag 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, Penna. 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 be noticed in company with Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers for whose socie- ty they show a pronounced 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 ‘be- ing the whistle already referred to— a loud, clear ‘“‘peto, peto, peto,’ the notes being repeated from three to seven times, usually four or five. This is occasionally varied but 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 liking.’ 25(2) , SAK 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 through 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 oy THE OOLOGIST. 43 Nest No. 1, when I was attracted by a low, pecuilar ‘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. Hach moment I ex- pected the female to leave, but in thy I underestimated her courage. Look- ing within I was greeted 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 eolor and was again at the tree. The cavity was soon enlarged and [| 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 ‘bill and claws. I 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 I 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 -well defined. 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. I 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 the bird to squeeze through. The nest proper was built nine inches ‘back and was constructed of skeleton leaves, plant fibres, ete., 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 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. 25(2), “= 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. ___ —__— e~<_e—_.. - + —— 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, Bewick’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. =: oe 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 inte 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 first 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 eatch 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. IL wondered if it often happened in wild life. It could not have been possible that the female was his mate, for IL had taken him fully seven miles away- Yours truly, A. C. READ. ws On THE OOLOGIST. 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Especially made with re- inforced breech for smokeless powder. Top lever, rebounding locks, choke bore, 12 ga., 30 in. bbls. $14.50 cash gets it. ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N.Y. THE OOLOGIST. 47 NEW POLICY Subscribers, Advertisers —_N OTIC E—— FIRST. In line with the decision recently published by the ‘‘Condor’’ and for the same reasons, ie. 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 all who are in arrears and those who have not settled in accordance with terms thereon by January Ist 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, EE. H. SHORT, Publisher. Manager. te 48 THE OOLOGIST. 52nd Thousand! 52nd! BIRD GUIDE. BY CHEESE RAY REEDS: 5: 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 beok to ALL THE LAND BIRDS EAST OF THE ROCKIES, from the Parrots to the Bluebirds. It is prepared especially for a& a | 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.—AIl 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 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 partment for 25 cents per 25 words. “Wants,” * Exchanges,” ‘‘ For Sales,” inserted in this de- 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. 4. ALBION, N. Y., APRIL, 1908. WHOLE No. 249 Take Notice. Examine the number following your mame 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. 299 your subscription expired Dec, 1904 248 your subscription expires with this issue a7 A us S 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. KODAKS TO EXCHANGE.—Any grade, brand new Eastman camera, for eggs not in my collection at 1-4 Lattin’s List. an use some common sets. L.D.SUMNER, Madi- son, Wis. M. 3. t: FOR EXCHANGE.—For best offer Indian relics or fine curios. One set. Messages and Acts of the Presidents. 10 vols., cost $35.00, never unrapped. DR.-ALBERT E. PAINE, Riverhead, L. 1., N. Y. WANTED.—In condition for mounting. Otter, Fisher, Martin, Wolverine, Beaver, Alleghenian, Least weasel. Offer and price, Write E. W. CAMPBELL, 323 Wyoming Ave., Pittston, Pa. MONGOL Ring Pheasants, two males and five hens. Healthy birds. $10 for the lot. WM. WILKOWSKI, 931 Denner St., Kala- mazoo, Mich. WILL EXCHANGE,—Personally collected Fla. sets for other personally collected sets and mounted birds. Write your require- ments and send list. OSCAR E.BAYNARD, Micanopy, Florida. WANTED.—Fresh skins. First class for mounting. One pair each of Valley, Mount- ain, Gambels, Massena, Scaled Quail. Will pay cash orexchange. 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. Anextra fine set. Price one hun- dred dollars for the set. PHILIP LAURENT, 31 East Mt. Airy Ave., Philadelphia, Penn. WANTED.—No. 6 of Studer’s Birds of North America. W. B. HINSDALE, Ann Arbor, Mich. Have time again to correspond and ex- change. Wish to hear from all old corres- pondents and live new ones. and a good list for exchange. c - MASS. Good Luck Post Cards The *“ Swastika ” 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, toc. per Dozen. ERNEST H. SHORT, 3% CHILI, N. Y. THE OOLOGIST. NWO, XOmV. No. 4: ALBION, N. Y. ApR., 1908. WHOLE No. 249 THE OOLOGIST, A Monthly Publication Devoted to OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXI- DERMY. FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, ALBION, N. Y. ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. Correspondence and items of interest to the student of Birds, their Nests and Hggs, solicited from all. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: Single subscription 50c per annum Sample copies . . - . Se eack The above rates include "payment of postage. Bach subscriber is given a card good for a Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. 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Due Bills and Cards payable in ad- vertising will be honored only at regular rates im force at the date of issuance of said bill or card. Remittances should be made by Draft, Ex- press or Postoffice Money Order. Registered Letter or Postal Note. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination will be accepted for sums under one dollar. Make Money Or- ders and Drafts payable and address all sub- scriptions and communications to ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager, Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. ALONG THE ARNASAS PASS. The Aransas Pass.is a territory lo- eated 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 Mareh of this year in what appeared to ‘be a little por- tion of Colorado or New Mexico whick 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 Mississippi 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, Robin, 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, ak though the mountain sides and ele- vated pastures were full of what i took to be.nests of this family, and certain sparrows. The accompanying illustration with so prominent a bluff was a typical re- Owl, The lit darted up and fuge for the Western Horned Turkey and Black Vulture. tle Texan Kingfisher down this place, and its flights were 54 THE OOLOGIS1. 2= (’! 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, because of the mild winter. In early March I observed a Black Vulture emerging from a_ hollow among immense boulders( and after erawling 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- eal 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 eourse much larger. Referring to illustration in last month’s Oologist, this was one of the many 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 Mareh 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, but 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 nidification. Gerard Allen Abbott. Chicago, Ili. a ee 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 colleetion, nearly all taken in Delaware. They lay five eggs as a THE OOLOGIST. as G1), \20% 55 rule, sometimes six when the sets are complete. They build here in large oak trees about 80 feet from the ground. I have measured six sets and they Tun as follows: 2.52 x 1.79, 2.50 x 1.80, Dale ox Ta Bes os ILA, BiaO) xs ill), 7Aao x (si aver. 2753 x 179r 2:76 x 1.75, DATS) 3% 1.08, ZolO re WET, Was) ox Weiss Aa b x 1.78, 2.80 x 1.81—aver. 2.79 x 1.78; DBU sz WS, Baad se Wows, Lae! o< DLS, 72454! 3x 78, Biot xe 1eS—enveie, Basil) xe alerese BIO xx WBD, Bai ox WAss, B70 xe aD, 20s) x 1.64, 2.66 x 1.65—aver. 2.69 x 1.67; 2.63 & 1.80; 2.72) & 1.78, 2.72) x.1.80; 2:72 x 1.80, 2.55 x 1.84,—aver. 2.67 x 1.80; BBl X U00, Fae 2 WG, Za! >< er, ZA) 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 away 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 brocd 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.—Hd.] My friend, Mr. Crispin and I have taken in the last few years in New Jersey and Delaware, a great many eges 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. EK. J. DARLINGTON. o> 2 Editor Oclogist. Dear Sir:—In The Oologist for March, 1907, Mr. Richard Miller has recorded the suppositious finding of a - mest of the Carolina Chiekadee in 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. OK As to “Albino” Marsh Wren Eggs.” 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 mace 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 eggs of itS cousin average to be Ct'HE OOLOGIST. 56 r “—- (Onsst yore Ut ojoyd wormedu10s seg Sexo, “SSVq SeSUeIV UL UOyey, “ywoqqy Aq 010d ‘sounziNA yoe|q pue Aosyuny jo 9331S Hulyson > THE OOLOGIST. °91%), \) °° 57 markedly ovate; being thus, in both 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. <> -— aS 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. Iwas 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 on the stub of a limb some three feet above 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. pea es we 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 Glov- ersville, IN. 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 soli mnge (72) IOI sx 7B iis (8) WOR sx .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. Se ee 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 seattered 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 eges 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. Hggs of both the latter species are glossed to some extent and the pitting is very faint. J. W. PRESTON, Spokane, Wash. See 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 problem 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 many ‘hiding THE OOLOGIST. d9 places for the Screech Owl. It was not long before I had pulled a sleepy, half-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 reading in the Oologist so many articles from different 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 1905 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 November and the last the later part of January. Of the Heron family we have the great 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 White 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 Noy. 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 October is their latest appearance. Very truly yours, NS Ne Ye K. B. Squires. ao —_ ____ 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 OOLOGIST. Egg, which 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 bids for some of the treasures on which their in getting late owner had set such store, and they were knocked down at beggarly prices. By the time the ornithological natural history collection was reached bidders appeared to have overcome and 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 38. 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 Hgg, ap- proached, the room rapidly filled, but it was half-past the hour ‘before the most remarkable feature of the sale The late Mr. Middle- brook made a quiet corner in auk’s was reached. 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), when he purchased it by auction in 1899. there Yesterday, aS was expected, Was a conisderable slump in value, the last bid being £110 ($528- 00). An egg of the £30 ($144.00). ANpyornis sold for 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 in 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 unicn 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 flag, 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 ® CVV YVVVVY VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVY Combination 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, ACTS SEIG's oo po o0 dbo bon CORES nea mNEEn AS. at cioai fc $2.60 Oologist one year 4 and ‘‘Frederick Young’’ The Natural History Novel, prepaid...............-....-06- S .90 Oologist four years, Jan. 1905 to Dec. 1908, and ‘‘North American Birds Eggs’’ or ‘Color Key,’’..-$3.25 Oologist four years, as above, and a copy of our new ‘‘Standard Catalogue’’ of North American Birds Eggs. .....--.--...-.---+.2-25) 2.35. $1.00 Oologist four 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 >| > ERNEST H. SHORT, Manager Oologist Chili, N, Y. 4 @ CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Birds and Bird Homes “AS THEY WERE SNAPPED.” Our portfolio of fine 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. COVER IN COLORS. UNCUT EDGE. TIED BACF Postpaid, 25 cents. With The Oologist one year, both 50 cents. Address MANAGER OOLOGIST, CHILI, N. Y. 62 THE OOLOGIST. 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. 16 pages on good paper. +0 + 4+ +4 t Rovere 3c each. 30c per dozen. $2.00 per hundred ADDRESS OOLOGIST, Albion, N. Y. or ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N. Y. $4 0-9 -9-4-# 4-4-4 6-0 -@- o-o—@- & & 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, 12 ga., 30 in. bbls. $14.50 cash gets it. ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N.Y. THE OOLOGIST. 63 NEW POLICY Subscribers, Advertisers —_-N OTIC E—— FIRST. In line with the decision recently published by the ‘‘Condor’’ and for the same reasons, ie. 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 all who are in arrears and those who have not settled in accordance with terms thereon by January Ist 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. FEF. H. LATTIN, E. H. SHORT, Publisher. 7 Manager. 64 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 Birds Editor of the American Bird Magazine. This is a popular pocket guide and text beok 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.—AIl 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 se 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. We want agents in every city, town and school. Good commissions. Send for prospectus of Bird BIRD MAGAZINE. CHAS. K. REED, Books and sample copy of the AMERICAN 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- 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. Vou. 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 your subscription expires with this issue 7 a i ah 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 Grouse, 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. BINGAMAN, R. 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, 356, 349, 347a, 632, 230, 424, 763, etc. CHARLES 8. THOMPSON, Box 214, Buena Vista, Colo. EXCHANGE.—Fine eggs in sets for same, a CLAIRE WOOD, 179 17th Street, Detroit, fich. WANTED.—Fresh eggs of species of Wild Ducks, Geese, Quail, Prairie Chickens, Grouse and Pheasants. Exchange. state quantity. Exchange $50.00 steriopticon, mammals, fossils, shells, skins, curios, etc. F. A. W. DEAN, Alliance, Ohio. COLLECTORS-Fresh, perfect skins wanted of marsh and beach birds. Cash or exchange. Also Hawks and Owls. Eggsalso. Taxi- dermy work in exchange. Solicit corres- pondence. EH. R. ADAMS, Taxidermist, Box 196, Canton, Mass. FOR SALE—Auk and Nuttall Bulletin. Complete up to and including 1907. Thirty two Vols.inall. 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, ol Kast 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. o 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 spoonbiil), 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 x 3 Fee i part of a King Rail. I have found many such ‘“grave-yards” of the Horned Owl, but never, 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, GHRALD B. THOMAS. —_—_____ —___ eo. __ . ——_ A Question. Will the irrigation of the arid and desert lands of the West and _ the draining of our great Hastern 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? WR, Jat, WL, Oologist. Oi 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. 7 “I LADAAAAAAAAAAALAAAAAAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA L) Combination Offer. 3 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 PKeDAligem eee ers Pele ces oes els « «cise «8 gre coe hiatenn ROIS ale $2 60 Oologist one year and ‘‘Frederick Young”’ he: Naturalehistony, Novelprepaid. <4. - 2. se-eeseecriae $ .90 Oologist four years, Jan. 1905 to Dec. 1908, and ‘‘North American Birds Eggs’”’ or ‘Color Key,’’--.$3.25 Oologist four years, as above, and a copy of our new “Standard Catalogue’ of North Mme IBIRGIS EGGS. dodoneaseradeoensoccoovcecuveaccd $1.00 Oologist four 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 ; ERNEST H. SHORT, Manager Oologist Chili, N, Y. CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAALAA CAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Birds and Bird Homes ““AS THEY WERE SNAPPED.” Our portfolio of fine Half Tone reproductions of twenty-three good photos of Birds and Birds’ Nests from Nature BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS Includes Studies in FRODECTIVE COLORATION BIRD ARCHITECTURE AND YOUNGBBIRIDS. .: 7: COVER IN COLORS. UNCUT EDGE TIED BACK Postpaid, 25 cents. With The Oologist one year, both 50 cents. Address MANAGER OOLOGIST, CHILI, N. Y. 78 THE OOLOGIST. -~@4- 0 © -4-@ 0-0 © 60-@ JU S fF OvUF 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. 16 pages on good paper. 0 -4-0-0-0-©- 4-6-6 © -6- © PRICE 3c each. 30c per dozen. $2.00 per hundred ADDRESS OOLOGIST, Albion, N. Y. or ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N. Y. i 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. 79 NEW POLICY Subscribers, Advertisers —-N OTIC E—— FIRST. In line with the decision recently published by the ‘‘Condor’’ and for the same reasons, ie. 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 willdsoon be sent all who are in arrears and those who have not settled in accordance with terms thereon by January Ist 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. FEF. H. LATTIN, E. H. SHORT, Publisher. Manager. Br yd 80 THE OOLOGIST. 72nd Thousand! 72nd! BIRD GUIDE. BY, CHESHERTA] 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.—AIl 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 se low that anyone can afford it, but no one can afford te ~s. a be without it. IT NAMES THE BIRDS FOR YOU Bound in flexible sock cloth, postpaid S50 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 partment for 25 cents per 25 words. “Wants,” *‘ Exchanges,” ** For Sales,” inserted in this de 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. 6. ALBION, N. Y., JUNE, 1908. WHOLE No. 251 Take Notice. Examine the number following your mame 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. 29 your subscription expired Dec, | 1904 251 your subscription expires with this issue Bw Dec.. 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. I HAVE FOR EXCHANGE.—For species new to my collection. Choice sets of 327, 346, 353, 354, 354a, 358.1, 359.1, 362, 370a, 376, 389, 421, 455, 744a, 763, etc. THOMAS H, JACKSON, 304 N. Franklin St., West Chester, Pa. WANTED.—Bird Books on both N. A. and foreign ornithology and oology. Also Ham- merless gun. Offer splendid list of sets, over 200 species. Among them 211-1, 2301-4, 347a 1-3, 349 1-2, 355 1-4, 356 1-4, 368 1-3, 424 1-3, 763 1-3, and many others. Want also 1-4 Marbled Godwit; any fine foreign sets. CHAS. S. THOMPSON, Box 214, Buena Vista, Colo. WANTED.—Nests of birds. Particularly common varieties. State price. JOS. P. BALL, M, D. Frankford Phila, Pa. FOR SALE.—Alligator eggs. A fine lot, 1908 take. on receipt of one dollar. NARD, Micanopy, Fla. Four selected eggs sent anywhere OSCAR E. BAY- FOR SALE.—A collection of Natural His tory specimens catalogued over $1200. Will -sell for $350. Fine for museum. F. T. -GORLESS, 804 E. 14 N., Portland, Or. June 6 t. WANTED.—"'Bailey’s Birds of Western U. 8.” Will exchange ‘“Blanchan’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. HARRY CAMPBELL, Shunk, Pa. WANTED.—In 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. Wishto hear from all old corres- pondents and live new ones. All answered and a good list forexchange. A. E. PRICH, Grant Park, Ill. 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, Ne u GET PHOTO POST CARDS of famous cards STMT ERC time. Don’t miss it. EARLE R. FORREST, 357 Washington, Penn. Set of ten for 50c. N. Main St., WANTED.—Eggs of soaks lizards and turtles. State price. JOS. SEA M.D., Frankford, Phila, Penn. May 42. 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. May 3t DR. M. T. CLECKLEY, 457 Greene St., Augusta, Ga. 82 THE OOLOGIST. World’s Greatest Collectors’ Paper Ten cents for three months for the oldest, largest and best collectors’ monthly for all kinds of Hobbies: Natural History and American Historical Discoveries: Coins, Stamps, Curios, Relics, Photography, Miner- als, Sciences, Illustrated Souvenir Post Cards, Rarities and New Finds for all Kinds of Collectors. Over 15,000 Ads. past two years. The Philatelic West and Collectors’ World Superior, Nebraska, U. S. A. Greatest of its kind in the world. Fifty cents entitles you to_a year’s subscription and a free fifteen word exchange notice in the largest exchange department extant. Over 3,600 pages in last two years. ‘This Illustrated 100-Page Monthly Was established in 1895, and has the largest circulation of any collectors’ monthly in the world, and in size has no rival. More ads. in the WEST than in all other American Col- lector monthlies combined. The best-paying medium for advertisers. Rates small, re- sults large. Onecent a word. It will pay you to write us about it. OUR 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 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 or oologist in North America. Sent prepaid on receipt of price, $3.50. Address all orders to ORA WILLIS KNIGHT, No. 84 Forest Avenue. BANGOR, MAINE ap-4t “ THE SHELL BOOK. By Junia E. ROGERS. Just out and the only work of its class. Am authoritive, illustrated, readable work on Shells (sea, land and fresh water). Hight 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’ EXPERIENCE PATENTS TRADE MARKS DESIGNS CopyYRIGHTS &C. | Anyone sending a sketch and description may quickly ascertain our opinion free whether an invention is probably patentable. Communica- tions strictly confidential. HANDBOOK on Patents gent free. Oldest agency for securing patents. , Patents taken through Munn & Co. receive special notice, without charge, in the Scientific Americar. A handsomely iilustrated weekly. Largest cir- culation of any scientific journal. Terms, 33 & year; four months, $l. Sold byall newsdealers. MUNN & C0, 3618roadway, New York anch Office, 625 F St. Washington, D.C. . V 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. Gives directions for making all kinds of FISH LURES, etc. A great book for only 10 cents, postpaid. UNITED SPECIALTY CO., Dept. 719 Chicago. HAND EGG BLOW-PIPE PERFECTED. Just 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. THE OOLOGIST. 83 STILL LEAIDING FIFTH EDITION LATTIN'S STANDARD CATALOGUE OF North American Birds Eggs With Oologist One Year, Both fer 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, 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 of page only leaving it im convenient form for making notes im or using for labelling purposes. Bound in light board covers. Neat ig style. Handy in shape (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 15lessons. This fis #4 is one of the most de- lightful 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 TAXIDE Y, we desire to submit ourpropositionin full. Send TODAY for our new illustrated CATALOG and sam- ple copy oO ae TAXIDERMY MAGAZINE. TH FE THE N. W. SCHOOL OF TRAIDERALY. 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. 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. ERNEST H. SHORT, Rochester, N. Y. Box 173 Wanted. BACK NUMBERS OOLOGIST. Vol. III, No’s. 4 and 6. Vol. LV, No’s 1 and 3-4. Vol. V, No. 6. MGR. OOLOGIST, Chili, N. Y. 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.* Dr. M. T. Cleckley, © Greene St., Augusta Ga, 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. Listlecent stamp. May 2t. * 6 84 THH OOLOGIST. Prices for Back Numbers of the YOUNG OOLOGIST AND THE OOLOGIST 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 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, 34-35, 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, 656, 75, 87, 123, 127, 128, 129, 144. 149, are 15 eents 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. 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: Wolpe lss4-5 Nostell toll 2e ae $ .90 Vol. II, 1885, Nos. 13 to 14........ -50 Vol. III, 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........ Aya) Vol. VII, 1890, Nos. 51 to 62....... 215 Vol. VIII, 1891, Nos. 63 to 74...... aya’ Vol. IX, 1892, Nos. 75 to 86........ -90 Vol. X, 1893, Nos. 87 to 98...... 1.00 Vol. XI, 1894, Nos. 99 to 110...... -50 Vol. XII, 1895, Nos. 111 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 Ay as) 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. XXIV, 1907, 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), 2c., 0c. and 75c. copies. For $250 I will send prepaid every copy published, Nos. 1 to 209, inclusive, except the sixty copies priced above at 20c or over. — BOUND VOLUMES — Can be furnished, strongly bound in cloth and boards, as follows: Vol. I and II YOUNG OOLOGIST bound in onet volumes, ii... 5. gens Nea eae $1.00 - « « « $1.00 Or, if you order the two volumes at one time, The valuable information they contain, fs worth many times the price. Address plainly, ERNEST H. SHORT, Manager of Gologist, GEIL. 'M. ¥. BARGAINS IN DATA BLANKS “Standard Cata- logue” we had a lot of Datas printed on what would otherwise have been In printing our 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 ic. sheet of sample styles stamp for 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 Devoted to OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXI- DERMY. FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, ALBION, N. Y. ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. Oorrespondence and items of interest to the student of Birds, their Nests and Bggs, solicited from all. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: Single subscription 50e per annum @ample copies ......... .- . Se each The above rates include payment of postage. Bach subscriber is given a card good for a Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. (This card is redeemable at any time within one year from date thereon.) Subscriptions can begin with ary number. Back numbers of the OOLOGIST can be fur- mished at reasonable rates. Send stamp for de- ecriptions and prices. Remember that the publisher must he noti- @ed by letter when a subscriber wishes his pa- per stopped, amd all arrearages must be paid. ADVERTISING RATES: & cents per nonpareil line each insertion. 12 lines in every inch. Seven inches im a col- umn, and two columns to the page. Nothing inserted for less than 25 cents. No “special rates,’’ 5 cents per line is ‘‘net,’’ ‘‘rock bottom,”’ ‘‘inside,’’ ‘‘spot cash’’ rate frum which there fis no deviation and no commission to agents. If you wish to use 5 lines or less space it will cost you 25 cents; 100 lines, $5.00; 1000 ines, $50. ‘‘Trade’’® (other than cash) adver- tisements will be accepted by special arrange- ment only and at rates from double to five times eash rates. Due Bills and Cards payable in ad- vertising will be honored only at regular ratea im force at the date of issuance of said bill or card. Remittances should be made by Draft, Ex- press or Postofice Money Order, Registered Letter or Postal Note. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination will be accepted for sums under one dollar. Make Money Or- ders and Drafts payable and address all sub- scriptions and communications to HRNEST H. SHOBT, Editor and Manager, Chili, 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 ang 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 unblewable on account of incubation, two other badly ineu- bated sets were found in addition te 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 were almost round. Farther up the road we saw a hole in a dead limb about 30 feet above the ground. One of my companions proceeded to climb 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 full of young birds almost ready eggs to leave the nest. Presently we saw a Sparrow Hawk circle around over head and light or + 86 THE OOLOGIS1. 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. In 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 flew 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. No 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 flushing 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, (Callipepla 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 ccttonwoods 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 lest 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 eges but as our boxes were already ‘erowded 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 Doves each containing three egg and a set of three White-winged Doves, (melopela leucoptera. G. Wye Jal. 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- blocs. 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. °° fo Some Arizona Nesting Sites. Photos by Hartrauft. 88 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 fortunate 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 OOLOGIST. 4°(2)) '4°* 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 waiked 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 dry 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 ta their rarity and the consideration I have for our most heartiful game bird. WW, 1B. CGieisiobm, ING de ————cuWoo—po ——___—__——- 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 warblers 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 1s 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. po a By an oversight in making up April No. of current volume of Oologist, Mr. Bailey of Newport News, Va., was not credited with the article on “Odd Nesting Site,’ (see page which he contributed. It’s another case where the manager apologizes for another’s mistake.—E. 1H. S. 57, April), 90 THE OOLOGIST. Ox: 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 oe) THE OOLOGIST. 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 quiet flew down in the grass where she disappeared, after waiting for five minutes and hearing nothing from her, I suspected she must be on her nest. So quietly stepping over to the spot from whence she disappeared, she 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 hair and arched over which contain- ed four white eggs, speckled with brown, 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 built 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. Se —_________ 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. i 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. +o —— A Few Observations on Eggs of Gar- ter Snake, Thamnophis sirtelis, var. ordinatus. On May 16th, this year, the Hditor 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. Hges 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 84 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 1% in. long containing a well developed snake over 4 in. long that must have been expelled soon, probably before June ist, certainly long before July. The Snake had met with an acci- dent in the past 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 was ruptured and young killed but was encysted and dried up without causing serious trouble. Hither this is an unusual case or 92 THE OOLOGIST. 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., —. --—- ——_ >< s—___———_ Bobolinks and Snowbanks. During the recent untimely blizzard in Western New York April 30th and May ist 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. <2 - Winter Wren. Mr. E. W. Campbell reports finding fm. of this bird incubating set of four eggs in town of Mehoopany, Wyo Cos Ba, on’ May 23, 1908. 9 Nestea base of fallen hemlock protruding over water of Summer Brook. Composed of moss, hemlock stems and _ inner bark of poplar. Lining of Grouse feathers. ee 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 atseeing himso 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. Wipe ee 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 amy other collectors have ever found such a double nest before. Lewis B. Brown, Toronto, Canada. You Should Know 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 boil- 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 best. 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 arabic dis- solved. 9 THE OOLOGIST. 93 —PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADAAAA AL @ Combination 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, Aloe OE Gls oo oclocdne 60 le SEEMED Si co noicdo oo coeee $2.60 Oologist one year and ‘‘Frederick Young’’ The Natural History Novel, prepaid................+-..200- S .90 Oologist four years, Jan. 1905 to Dec. 1908, and ‘‘North American Birds Eggs’’ or -‘Color Key,’’...$3.25 Oologist four years, as above, and a copy of our new “Standard Catalogue’ of North AmenicaneBindSmE@OSp acct. --------- deter eeE ees. $1.00 Oologist four years and ‘‘Frederick Young,’’..--.-. ---.. ---. $1.40 i The Oologist 4 years, and ‘‘Land Birds,”’ Baird, Brewer & Ridg.; New Edition, Colored Plates, price $10.00, for $8.60. Address ERNEST H. SHORT, Manager Oologist Chili, N. Y. ORIG = RTT Birds and Bird Homes “AS THEY WERE SNAPPED.” Our portfolio of.fine 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. COVER IN COLORS. UNCUT EDGE. TIED BACF Postpaid, 25 cents. With The Oologist one year, both 50 cents. Address MANAGER OOLOGIST, CHILI, N. Y. 94 THE OOLOGIST. —e00-@ -@ -@@ -0 © © © @ @ 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. 16 pages on good paper. —e—0_@0_0_@_@@ -@_@_0_0-@ PRICE 3c each. 30c per dozen. $2.00 per hundred O-4 & 444-4 446-66 4-6 6 6-6 6-6 4-4 ADDRESS OOLOGIST, Albion, N. Y. or ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N. Y. o-oo THE LADIES’ WORLD Edited by CHARLES DWYER THE BEST HOME MAGAZINE PUBLISHED AT 50 CTS. PER YEAR. It contains more HOUSEHOLD DEPARTMENTS, better SERIALS and SHORT STORIES, clever sug- gestions for CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINMENT, and more up-to-date FASHION PAGES than any similar publication in America, : : : S. HH. MOOKE CONPANS 23-25-27 City Hall Place, New York City. - THE OOLOGIST. 95 NEW POLICY Subscribers, Advertisers —_-N OTIC E—— FIRST. In line with the decision recently published by the ‘‘Condor’”’ and for the same reasons, ie. 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 willlsoon be sent all who are in arrears and those who have not settled in accordance with terms thereon by January 1, 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. EF. H. LATTIN, E. H. SHORT, Publisher.! Maneger. 96 te 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 beok 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.—AIl 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 se low that anyone can afford it, but no one can afford te *@ be without it IT NAMES THE BIRDS FOR YOU IPI LIPID IPI II, @ a Beund in flexible sock cloth, postpaid SO CENTS Five cloth bound copies for $2.00 postpaid Bound in flexible leather, 75cts. Five cepies 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,” “ 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. WOltis ROAVGT INOs: Wo 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 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 952 your subscription expires with this issue 23k + a Hh 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. I HAVE FOR EXCHANGE.—For species new to my collection. Choice sets of 327, 346, 353, 354, 354a, 358.1, 359.1, 362, 370a, 376, 389. 421, 455, 7444, 763, etc. THOMAS H, JACKSON, 304 N. Franklin St., West Chester, Pa. FOR SALE.—A collection of Natural His tory specimens catalogued over $1200. Will sell for $350. Fine for museum. 18, 4th CORLESS, 804 E. 14 N., Portland, Or. June 6 t. FOR EXCHANGE.—The following sets: 1. 30, 37, 53. 65, 70, 77, 80, 120, 122, 132, 143, 146, 190, 191, 194, 201. 202, 212, : 228, 243, 263, 269, 273, 300, 308, 316, 326 , 830, d07, 339, d41, 342. 309, 360, 37: 388, 406, 412, 414, 416, 420, 423, 8, 529, 550, 581, 584, 587, 545, 608, 612, 613, 614, 616, 652, 658, 659, 674, 677, FREE.—Rare coin over 100 years old. Send 6 cents for mailing. LOUIS BOHN. 702 Duff St., Pittsburg, Pa. IT have for exchange a 14k gold hunting case watch, handsomely engraved, with fine 17 jewel Elgin moyement. Want bird skins, oid fire arms, curios, or first class prehistoric relics. J. R. RALPH, 511 So-7 St., Minneap- olis, Minn, a : pic x 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, Ill. FOR EXCHANGE.—I have 32 mammal skins; back nambers 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 pamphlets on various natural history sub- jects. I will exchange this lot, whicn aggre- sates 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, cr will sellfor cash. List on application. Write at once. #. P. DROWNE, Chilesburg, Caroline Co., Virginia. STAMP bargain, completeo.|g. set of Domi- nican Rep., 1902 issue, catalogued at 30 cents, post-paid only 8 cents. 10sets for 70 cents. Approvals 6 per cent. discount. . LOUIS BOHN, Jr., 702 Duff St., Pittsburg, Pa. WANTED.—Eggs of snakes. lizards and turtles. State price. JOS. P. BALL, M.D., Frankford, Phila, Penn. May 4 2. WANTED.—Series of 387, 388, 498, 501, 619. 703, 761. Several sets each of 214, 289, 261, 64, Especially want sets of American Osprey. Offer 7 1-2, 21 1-1, 491-2, 42.11-1, 471-1, 1251-3, 194 1-4 1-5, 223 1-4, 226 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, 349 1-2, 355 1-3, 367 1-4 Am.. 420.4 1-2, 431 n-2, 434 n-2, 4461-3, 457 1-5. 462 n-3, 469 1-4, 476 1-7, 486 1-3 1-5, 492 1-3, 498d 1-4, 5051-5, 533 n-3 n-4, 567¢ 1-4, 578 1-4. 591b 1-4, 597 1-4, 607 n-3, 610a 1-3, 629 1-4, 629a n-4. 632 1-4, 646a 1-3 1-4, 657 1-3 1-4 1-5, 663 1-4, 677 n-5, 702 1-4, 708 1-3, 715 1-5 1-6 1-7, 719 1-6, 719d 1-6, 733¢ 1-5, 735¢ 1-4, 7541-3, 759a 1-4, 763 1-3. Besides above wants, I want Am. Woodcock 1-4. No others. CHARLES §, THOMPSON, Box 214, Buena Vista, Colorado, Ornithologists and Oologists. Send 2 cent stamp for Bulletin, T. REED AND GO., 4 Duke St.. Charing Cross, London, England. _oreremnouby. 2, t. ) 98 THE OOLOCIST. World’s Greatest Collectors’ Paper Ten cents for three months for the oldest, largest and best collectors’ monthly for all kinds of Hobbies: Natural History and American Historical Discoveries: Coins, Stamps, Curios, Relics, Photography, Miner- als, Sciences, Illustrated Souvenir Post Cards, Rarities and New Finds for all Kinds of Collectors. Over 15,000 Ads. past two years. The Philatelic West and Collectors’ World Superior, Nebraska, U. S. A. Greatest of its kind in the world. Fifty cents entitles you to a year’s subscription and a free fifteen word exchange notice in the largest exchange department extant. Over 3,600 pages in last two years. T THAT NEVER PAIL. Will produce better light for less money than any other ar- tificial lighting device made. Special inducements and terri- tory consigned to right party. Good man wanted inevery city and vil- fi lage in the world. rite for cata- 52> G,) logue No. 99. National Stamping & Electric Works 183-159 South Jefferson Street, CHICAGO, ILL. 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 or oologist in North America. Sent prepaid on receipt of price, $3.50. Address all orders to ORA WILLIS KNIGHT, No. 84 Forest Avenue. BANGOR, MAINE ap-4t 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. May 3t. DR. M. T. CLECKLEY, 457 Greene St., Augusta, Ga. 60 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE PATENTS TRADE MARKS DESIGNS CopPyYRIGHTS &c. Anyone sending a sketch and description may quickly ascertain our opinion free whether an invention is probably patentable. Communica- tions strictly confidential. HANDBOOK on Patents gent free. Oldest ae eney for securing patents. . Patents taken through Munn & Co. receive special notice, without charge, in the Scientific Americar, A handsomely illustrated weekly. Largest cir culation of any scientific journal. Terms, $3 £ year; four months, $l. Sold by all newsdealers. MUNN & Co,36*8roade0. New York Branch Office. 625 F St. Washington, D.C. _ cy HAND EGG BLOW-PIPE PERFECTED. Just 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. This Illustrated 100-Page Monthly Was estabJished in 1895, and has the largest circulation of any coilectors’ monthly in the world, and in size has no rival. More ads. in the WEST than in all other American Col- lector monthlies combined. The best-paying medium for advertisers. Rates small, re- sults large. Onecent a word. It will pay you to write us about it. .OUR MOTTO: _ Che best and lots of it.” Inyest ten cents judiciously by sending it to ~* L, T. BRODSTONE, Publisher. Superior, Nebraska, U. S A THE OOLOGIST. 99 STILL LEA/IDING 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- gists. A Complete Up-to-date Check List of North American Birds, including Introduced Species, giving correct ex- change values on all species whose eges are procurable at this time. Ar- ranged according to A. O. U. Nome- clature, but giving Ridgway’s amd Coues’ numbers also. Printed on one side of page only leaving it im convenient form for making notes im or using for labelling purposes. Bound in light board covers. Neat im style. Handy in shape (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 15lessons. This a 44d is one of the most de- lightful and fascinating of arts. Easily learned. STANDARD METHODS. En- dorsed by all Tea 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 ourpropositionin full. Send TODAY for our new illustrated CATALOG and sam- ple copy at ane pec MAGAZINE. THF THE N. SCHOOL OF TAXIDERMY, 16 Farnam St.. Omaha, Neb. TO ALL INTERESTED. REMEMBER. I furnish collections covering one or several pranches 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 wall fit your purse and be sure to please. ERNEST H. SHORT,. Box 173 Rochester, N. Y. ~ Wanted. BACK NUMBERS OOLOGIST. Vol. III, No’s. 4 and 6. Vol. IV, NG) s land 3-4. Vol. V, No. 6. MGR. OOLOGIST, Chili, N. Y¥. 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.® Dr. M.T. Cleckley, 457 Greene St., Augusta Ga, T. Reed & Co., 4 Duke St., Charing Cross, London, W. C., England Have for sale rare Asiatic, African, Austra- slian, South American and European birds” egEs and skins. Listlcent stamp. May 2t. 400 THE OOLOGIST. Prices for Back Numbers of the YOUNG OOLOGIST AND THE OOLOGIST 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 ef an issue. Prices for 1907-08 Are as Follows: Complete file, $12.00. Nos. 1,14, 18, 31, 34-35, 42, 53, 86, 89, 111, 130, 132 437. 139, 140, 153, 158, are 50 cents each; Nos. 9, 66-67, 76, 77, 78, 79, 88, 90, 100, 213, 138, 146, are 25 cents, each. INOS, lS ala ae alas Gh, ek, BR, BG, We, 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, 215, 126, 133, 135, are 10 cents each. $W8-All other numbers 5c. per copy. For $12 will send prepaid a copy of every issue ever published, No. 1 to 245. This offer includes your subscription through 1908. My prices for back numbers of the YOUNG OOLOGIST and OOLOGIST in wolumes, are as follows: Wolter S:84-5 SeNOSs elastomer ents $ .90 Wolter als'25, Nos) 1:3) to) 14 see -50 Wolk purl 18865 Nos) 5 ctoZ0nenaeee -90 Wol. IV, 1887, Nos. 21 to 25-26.... 1.00 WOLVES SS. NOS’ Lei tooo Seen 1.50 WR WAL, ASSO INOS SSE) OY BW so4:4 oo 66 ata) Wool) Vl 1890, Nos. 51 to 6205) 5a .75 Wol. VIILT, 1891, Nos. 63 to 74.5!) 57: 275 Wol. TX, 1892, Nos. 75 to 86........ .90 alexs 18935" Nost Sin tom Sma 1.00 Wol. XI, 1894, Nos. 99 to 110...... -50 Vol. XII, 1895, Nos. 111 to 122.... 1.00 Wol. XIII, 1896, Nos. 123 to 127.... .50 Volt XIV, 1897, Nos. 128 to 139.... 1.50 Wol. XV, 1898, Nos. 140 to 149.... .60 Wol. XVI, 1899, Nos. 150 to 161.... .75 Vol. XVII, 1900, Nos. 162 to 171 .50 . XVIII, 1901, Nos. 172 to 183.. .50 Wol. XIX, 1902, Nos. 184 to 195.... .50 Wol. XX, 1903, Nos. 196 to 197..... .10 Vol. XXI, 1904, No. 198 to 209.... .50 Vol. XXII, 1905, Nos. 210 to 221.... .50 Wool PXexelilil 1906:1229 01233 eee 55 VOW PRONG 1907 234 tOl2I Oe eee 00) For $5.25 I will send prepaid a copy o every issue published, Nos. 1 to 209, imclusive, except the twenty-nine, (29), 25c., Wc. and 75c. copies. 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. — BOUND VOLUMES — Can be furnished, strongly bound in cloth and boards, as follows: Vol. I and If YOUNG OOLOGIST bound Me full page illustrations, . ... . . $1.00 Or, if you order the two volumes at one time, we will send them by return mail for only $1.75. Every student of birds, their nests and eggs, should have these two volumes in their Bibrary. The valuable information they contain, fs worth many times the price. address plainly, ERNEST H. SHORT, Manager of Oologist a CHIL, 'N. Y. BARGAINS IN DATA BLANKS “Standard Cata- logue” we had a lot of Datas printed In printing our 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 75e. per 1000. Special rates, style, on 5,000 or 10,000 lots. any Send ic. sheet or sample styles stamp for 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. Vou. XXV. No. 7. ALBION, N. Y. Juny, 1908, WHOLE No. 25% tHe OOLOGIST, A Monthly Publication Devoted to OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXI!I- DERMY. FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, ALBION, N. Y. ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. Correspondence and items of interest to the student of Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited from all. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: Single subscription oO 50c per annum Sample copies .. . - - oc each The above rates include “payment of postage. Hach subscriber is given a card good for a Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. (This card is redeemable at any time within one year from date thereon.) Subscriptions can begin with ary number. Back numbers of the OOLOGIST can be fur- nished at reasonable rates. Send stamp for de- ecriptions and prices. Remember that the publisher must he noti- fied by letter when a subscriber wishes his pa- per stopped, and all arrearages must be paid. ADVERTISING RATES: 5 cents per nonpareil line each insertion. 12 lines in every inch. Seven inches in a col- umn, and two columns to the page. Nothing inserted for less than 25 cents. No *‘special rates,’’ 5 cents per line is ‘‘net,’’ ‘‘rock bottom,’’ ‘‘inside,’’ ‘‘spot cash’’ rate frum which there is no deviation and no commission to agents. If you wish to use 5 lines or less space it will cost you 25 cents; 100 lines, $5.00; 1000 lines, $50. ‘‘Hrade’’ (other than cash) adver- tisements will be accepted by special arrange- ment only and at rates from double to five times eash rates. Due Bills and Cards payable in ad- vertising will be honored only at regular rates im force at the date of issuance of said bill or ecard. Remittances should be made by Draft, Ex- press or Postoffice Money Order, Registered Letter or Postal Note. Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination will be accepted for sums under one dollar. Make Money Or- ders and Drafts payable and address all sub- scriptions and communications to HRNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager, Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. The Whistling Swan on River. Niagara The Whistling Swan, (Olar colum- bianus), is a rare migrant along Niag- ara River. It may be said to occur regularly about the middle of March and casually however, in the fall. Its capture, 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 N- 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 in the same month, 1907, five were taken, but no such catastrophe in the swan world has ever been described as that which happened on Maren 15, 1908, when more than 100 of these majestic birds, journeying toward their summer home near the Arctic Circle, came to an untimely end. A severe rain storm, by thunder and lightning, prevailed during the greater part of that day (March 15, 1908). About 11 o’clock in the morning, between showers, Wim. 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-biré lover to contemplate. accompanied These splendid oirds, helpless after their terrible plunge over thecataract, were dashed, against the ice bridge by 102° THE OOLOGIS1. the swift current, and cakes of Ivose ice which were constantly coming down from the upper river. Some had been 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 the 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 lone before men and boys, armed with guns and sticks, availed themselves of the privilege and be- eame the chief factors in the closing scene of nature’s great tragedy—the sacrifice of the swans. The news of a “Great Slaughter of Wild Swan” appeared in the Buffalo Injured Swan, Photographs by the Author. American 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 Hddy, just below the power house of the Ontario Power Company, and within 150 yards of the Horseshoe Falls. On the morning of the 18th of March, two more swan were taken at the ice bridge and a third was picked up alive at Bass Rock Hddy. . 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. Falls in THE OOLOGIST. 103 Tt 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 quickly 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 lLeBlond, 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 ug 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 Navy 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 “Birds 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 the night. while migrating during I have also been told that 104 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’clocl; in the morning of March 15th, 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 themseives fram plunging into the turbulent waters of the Canadian Rapids. Bass Rock Eddy at extreme left, Ice Bridge and American distance. © tHE OOLOGIST. 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 of breakers they are probably carried down and complete- ly submerged, after which, by reason they can- of confusion or inability, ae as THE OOLOGIST. ee) 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 bridg® 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 made 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 off as strong as ever in the direction of the river. Regarding the disposition made of all these swans, which in the agegre- gate, would approximate a ton in weight, I will say that the cygnets 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. 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- eally 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. 1 believe that fully one-third of the swans ta- ken would have survived if giver 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. —-— - i A -Novel Prize. E. W. Campbell, taxidermist, is en- gaged in mounting a beautiful white swan, and the bird will soon be plaz- ed on exhibition in the window of Farrer & Peck’s drug store, on Water 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 plumb- ing business in Sharon. Mr. Davis was at Niagara Falls a short time ago, attending a convention of plum- bers, 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 ali 106 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. Pease SO ———— 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. EH. R. Warren in tae 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. J. H. BOWLES, Tacoma, Wash. THE OOLOGIST. Death Roll. Louis W. Creek, N. Y. ; Dr, F. N. Damon, Shells and Ind. Relics, Scituate, Mass. W. BE. May, Oologist, Detroit, Mich. Isaac S. Kirk, Mineralogist, Notting- ham, Pa. August Koch, Williamsport, Penn., Hahn, Naturalist, Silver ‘Oologist and Ornithologist. W. E. Shepherd,, Boston, Mass., Veteran English Glass Hye Manufac- turer. Messrs. Hahn, Damon, Kirk and Koch were ‘old timers” on our sub- scription books. Oa A Corection In regard to Mr. Peabody’s ecrit- icism in the “Oologist,’ for April, 1908, regarding what he dubs the sup- positious finding of a Carolina Chick adee’s (Penthres carolinensis) nestin ~ 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 THE OOLOGIST. P 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. eo 2 a ee ead 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 Hagles’ 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 yesterday, 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 eut down in order to destroy the nest. This was bad news for us after trav- eling first 18 miles by train, six miles me ila by wagon and ten miles on foot. The farmer next informed us that two Bald Hagles 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, 75 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 day, 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 incubated, 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 Bagle 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 Hagles 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. BE. J. DARLINGTON, Wilminetc Del. ————--+—>_-___—_———_—- Oological Freaks. Believing you have other readers 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 June 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. 598) contain- ing six fresh eggs. Three of them were partly covered by the lining of the nest and the other three were THE OOLOGIST. «© < 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. +22 —_ ——_ Suspended Nidification. RICHARD C. HARLOW. On July 26th, 1907, I discovered a Goldfinch’s nest which the female had 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? aap Edge Hill, Pa. ay 9 THE OOLOGIST. 109 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 S| and Chapman’s ‘‘Color Key,”’ 3 New Color Key to North American Birds, $2.50 postpaid, All (I RIC Gon oe b oC nss | Hee E meno nicie ea chs o 16S 6 omer $2 60 <4 Oologist one year and ‘‘Frederick Young”’ 3 The Natural History Novel, prepaid...............-....2... $ .90 Oologist four years, Jan. 1905 to Dec. 1908, 4 and ‘‘North American Birds Eggs’’ or ‘Color Key,’’.-.$3.25 | Oologist four years, as above, and a copy of our new ‘‘Standard Catalogue’”’ of North Aimenicanubindst EO OSee. «-\. 4. acer ieee. $1.00 Oologist four 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 | 3 ® Combination Offer. : : ERNEST H. SHORT, Manager Oologist Chili, N, Y. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALA Birds and Bird Homes “AS THEY WERE SNAPPED.” Our portfolio of fine 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. COVER IN COLORS. UNCUT EDGE. TIED BACF ‘Postpaid, 25 cents. With The Oologist one year, both 50 cents. Address MANAGER OOLOGIST, CHILI, N. Y. «oh 110 Se THE OOLOGIST. OUT | JUST common and scientific names. 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 16 pages on good paper. 3c each. OOLOGIST, Albion, N. Y. @-9- 4-6-6 0- -¢ ¢ 6 6 666 © PRICE 30c per dozen. $2.00 per hundred ADDRESS or ERNEST H. SHORT, Chili, N. Y. @)_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_ @_@_@- @_@_@ _@_@_@_@_@_@_¢_@_@_@— Will Irrigation Alter Bird Fauna? EH. 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. 4 There are not many Birds -here ex- cept along the rivers, though ‘#he “boosters” will tell you that there are lots of ibirds 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 town 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 capitalwat | @ Olympia. Oi 4 ; C. EF. WEBSTER, * North Yakima, Wash. : —— sos THE OOLOGIST. 111 NEW POLICY Subscribers, Advertisers —_-N OTIC E—— FIRST. In line with the decision recently published by the ‘‘Condor’’ and for the same reasons, ie. 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 will0soon be sent all who are in arrears and those who have not settled in accordance with terms thereon.by January 1, 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, * a Publisher.. ” Lf | Manager. bis 112 ; 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.—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 se 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 S50 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. i By CHAS. K. REED. WORCESTER, MASS. x THE OOLOCIST. A MONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXIDERMY. WANTS, FOR SALES AND EXCHANGES, Brief Special announcements partment for 25 cents per 25 words. “Wants,” ‘‘ Exchanges,” ‘‘ For Sales,” inserted in this de- Notices over 25 words charged at the rate of 1-2 cent for each additional word. No notice inserted for less than 26 cents. Strictly first-class specimens will be acce Terms, cash with order. pted in payment at 1-3 list rates. Vou. XXV. No. 8. ALBION, N. Y., AUG., 1908. WHOLE No. 253 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 253 your subscription expires with this issue em i a5 Ms 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, 1908, at the post office, at 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, 346, 353, 354, 354a, 358.1, 359.1, 362, 370a, 376, 389, 421, 455, 744a, 763, etc. THOMAS H, JACKSON, 304 N. Franklin St., West Chester, Pa. FOR SALE.—A collection of Natural His tory specimens catalogued over $1200. Will sell for $350. Fine for museum. 1a 0 CORLESS, 804 E. 14 N., Portland, Or. June 6t. Ornithologists and Oologists. Send 2 cent stamp for Bulletin, T. REED AND CO., 4 Duke St., Charing Cross, London, England. July 2. t. WANTED.—Egegs of snakes. lizards and turtles. State price. JOS. P. BALL, M.D., Frankford, Phila, Penn. May 42. EXCHANGE.—For first class sets all com- mon western species, Am. Bird Magazine, Vols. I-III; Dept. Agricultural Reports 1887- 8; Bird Skins, etc. F. SEYMOUR HERSEY, Taunton, Mass. / Sets wantedin exchange for Vol. VI Con- -jdor. Vols. I, II, Ill, 1V, V of Osprey. Ex- _¢epting No.2 and 4, Vol. 1, and Nos. 8,9 and 10 of Vol. III, Vol. XIII Birds and Nature Also many Separates, State and Local Lists, W. He BINGA MAN, Irvington, Iowa. ut ?