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FORTHE   PEOPLE 

FOR  EDVCATION 

FOR  SCIENCE 

LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  AMERICAN  MUSEUM 

OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY 

^.nfrt(93]S 


ESTABLISHED   1875. 


THE 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


AND 


OOLOGIST. 


VOL.  XVII.,  1892. 


BIRDS:    THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS. 


HYDE  PARK,  MASS.  : 
FJ^ANK  liLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY. 

1892. 


INDEX  TO  ORNITHOLOGIST  AND  OOLOGIST 


FOR   1892. 


Alachua  Count\ ,  Florida,  the  Herons  of 

American  Ornithologist's  Union 

Ann   Arbor    lTni^ersit^^    list    of    North 

American  birds  at 
Auk,  Razor-billed 
Bendire,     Charles,     Life     Histoi 

North  American  Birds 
Heaufort,  N.C.,  Notes  from    . 
Bird  Enemies 
Bird  Flight      .  .  . 

Bird  Notes  at  Sea    . 
Birds",  Christmas  Dinner 
Birds  Singing  on  their  Nests 
Bittern,  American 
Bittern,  American.  Notes  on 
Bittern,  Least 
Blackbird,  Crow 
Blackbird,  Red-winged 
Bluebird  .... 

Bobolink  .... 

Bobolink,  How  to  lind  Nest  of 
Bob-white,  Late  Nesting  of   . 
Bob-white,  Large  set  of  Eggs  of 
Brant,  Common 
Buzzard,  Turkey 
Buzzard,  Turke\ ,  Smelling  jiowers  of 
Camping  out 

Canada,  Collecting  trip  to 
Canarv.  Curious 
Cardinal  .... 

Catbird 

Catbird,    nest   of,   containing    Cuckoo 

egg^ 

Chamberlain,  Montague,    Handbook  of 

Ornithology 
Chat,  Yellow-breasted    . 
Chickadee,  Carolina 
Classification  of  North  ^\nierican  Bird 
Chewink  .... 

Cohasset,  Mass.,  Notes  on  Ducks 
Cormorant,  Double-crested    . 
Crane,  Sandhill,  in  Michigan 
Creeper,  Brown 
Crow         ..... 
Crow    b'ish        .... 
Crow,  Early  breeding  of 
Cuckoo,  Yellow-billed    . 
Curlew,  Long-billed 
Danbury,  Conn.,  Notes  from 
Dartmouth,  N.S.,  Notes  from 


94 
4.3 

141 
106 

41 
"4 
14S 

62 
.^.v  S7 

7^' 

S3 

88 

90 

88 

.S6 

S,  184 

122 

44-  91 

9 

1 1 1 

136 

92 

II 

89 

89 

9.^ 

1-4 
89 
89 
49 
44 
90 

89 

48,  88 

88 

no 

.^4 

,v3 

17- 

14^. 


T)ay  in  the  \\oods 

Delaware  \'alle_\   Ornithological  Club 
Delta  Count_\ ,  Mich.,  Notes  from 
Dove,  Moiu-ning 
Dove,  Mom-ning.  .Mbino 
Dowitcher 

Duck,  American  Eider  . 
Duck,  American  Golden-eye 
Duck,  American  Scaup 
Duck,  American  Scoter 
Duck,  Baldpate 
Duck.  Black    . 
Duck,  BufHehead     . 
Duck,  Canvas-back 
Duck.  Gadwall 
Duck,  Harlequin 
Duck,  Labrador 
Duck,  Lesser  Scaup 
Duck,  Mallard 
Duck,  Old  Squaw 
Duck,  Pintail 
Duck,  Redhead 
Duck,  Ruddy 
Duck,  Sho\eller 
Duck,  Surf  Scoter 
Duck,  White-^vinged  Scoter 
Duck,  \V'ood 
Duty,  An  Iniquitous 
Eagle,  Bald      . 

Eagle,  Bald  in  Fulton  Co..  111. 
Eagle,  Bald,  Eggs  of 
Eagle,  Golden 
Early  Arrivals 
Eggs,  A  Cabinet  of 
Eggs,  Blowing 
Eggs,  How  I  prepare 
Eggs,  Life  Risk  for 
Egret,  .Vmerican 
Finch,  Purple 
Five-mile  Beach,  Birds  of 
Flicker    . 

Flicker,  Large  Set  of  Eggs  of 
Flicker,  Notes  on    . 
Flint.  H.  W..  Eggs  of  Warblers  in  Col- 
lection of      . 
Flj'catcher,  Great-crested,  Nesting  of 
Flycatcher,  Yellow-bellied,  Nest  of 
Fremde  Eier  im  Nest 
Frigate  Bird    ..... 
Gallinules.  Notes  on 


43 


68 

4S 
186 

.^4 
80 

,"13 
90 

44'  90 

44 

44'  9" 

43.  9" 

43.  9" 
44'  9" 

90 

43 

90 

1 10 

44 
86,  90 

44'  4.^' 

44,  9" 
90 

61,  91 

43'  9f> 

44.  91 

46,  91 

86,  90 

■73 

14 

165 

64 

9 

62 

,H 

.3 

1.34 

37 

85,  88 

43-  .V3 
88 

137 
9' 

!.?« 
139 
161 

14 

8 
134 


INDEX. 


Gallinule.  Purple,  in  Massachusetts 

Gannet.  ..... 

Geographical  \"ariati()n  in  Kirds    . 

Gnatcatcher,  Blue-gra\- 

Gnatcatcher,  Blue-gray.  Nesting  of 

(jokitinch,  American 

Ciood  Greenwood    .... 

Goose,  Canada         .... 

Grackle.  Boat-tailed 

Grackle.  Purple       .... 

(irehe.  Ilolhneirs     .... 

Grehe.  Horned         .... 

Cirehe.  Pied-bill       .... 

Grosbeak,  Cardinal,  near  Detroit  . 

Grosbeak,  Rose-breasted 

Grosbeak,  Rose-breasted,  in  Michigan 

Grosbeak,  Rose-breasted,  in  Oaklanti 
Co.,  Mich 

Grosbeak,  Rose-breasted,  in  A\'a\  ne  Co.. 
?slich 

(niilt'ord  Co.,  X.C.,  Spring  Xotes  from 

CtuU,  American  Herring 

(iull.  Laughing       .  .  .  .  . 

Gull.  Ring-billed 

Hawk.  American  Sparroxs 

Hawk,  Broad-winged,  in  Hillsboro  C'o.. 
X.H 

Hawk,  Cooper's       .  .  .  .  . 

Hawk.  Marsh 

Hawk.  Pigeon  .  . 

Hawk,  Red-shouldered,  Eggs  of     . 

Hawk.  Red-shouldered,  I'nmarked  Egg: 

Hawk,  Red-tailed 

Hawk.  Sharp-shinned     .  .  .  . 

Hawk.  Sharp-shinned,  Nesting  of 

Helton,  Black-crowned  Night 

Heron,  (ireat  Blue  .  .  . 

1  leron.  Green  .  .  .  .  . 

1  leron.  Little  Blue  .  .  .  . 

Heron.  Louisiana    .  .  .  .  . 

Heron,  Night  .  .  .  .  . 

Hei'on,  Snow\  .  .  .  .  . 

Heron,  Vellow-ci-ow  ned  Night 

Horned  Lark  .  .  .  .  . 

Hull.  Iowa,  Notes  from 

Hummingbird,  Ruby-throated 

Ipswich  Beach.  A  Day's  Trip  to     . 

Junco  h\enialis  Carolinensis,  Breeding- 
Habits  of      

Junco,  Slate-colored         .  .  .  . 

Gould,  A.  C,  \vork  on  Rifles 

Jamison,  Harry  K.,  death  of 

January  O.  &  O.,  A  Dip  into 

Jay,  Albino  Blue     .  .  .  .  . 

Jay.  Blue  

lunco  li\cmaliv  thurberi 


4."i 

96 

7.^ 

SS 
151.  1 85 

44-  yi 

SS 
SS 
43 
4.1 
4,1  •  95 
1 1 1 


.^4 
79 

56 

S:; 


.3^'-  ,x3 


SS 

1.33 

SS 


116 

89 

1,=; 

.^9 
39 
H 
79 
94 


Kildeer  ...... 

Kingbird  ...... 

Kingfishei",  Belted  .  .  .       54, 

Kinglet,  Golden-crowned 

Kinglet.  Rub\-crowned 

Kite.  Mississippi     ..... 

Knot         ....... 

Ladd,  Samuel  13.     . 

Ladd,  Samuel  B..  his  collection  of  eggs 
of  Warblers  ..... 

Legends  and  Folk  Lore  relating  to  ISirtK 
in  various  Countries   .... 

Linnean  Society,  Abstract  of  Proceed- 
ings of  .....  . 

Loon        ....... 

Ma\ville.  N.'S'..  liest  finds  of  eggs  at     . 

Massachusetts.  Winter  Bird  Notes  from 

Aleadow  Lark  ..... 

Megantic  Fish  and  (jame  Club 

Merganser,  American     .... 

Merganser.  Hooded         .... 

Merganser,  Red-breasted 

Michigan,  Notes  from    .... 

Mice,  have  they  an  car  for  music.' 

Migratory  Birds.  Arrivals  of  at  Johnson 
Co.,  Indiana         ..... 

New  Hampshire.  Bird  Notes  from 

Night  Hawk 

Night  Hawk,  Sun.set  with 

New  Jersey,  Northern,  Bird  Notes  from 

Northern  New  Jersey,  Bird  Notes  of 

Nova  Scotia,  Notes  from 

Nuthatch.  Red-breasted 

Nuthatch.  White-breasted 

Oological  Notes      ..... 

Oriole,  Baltimore  .... 

Ornithology  and  Meteoi'ologx 

Osprey,  Nest  of       ....  . 

Our  Birds  in  their  Haunts 

Our  Feathered  Enemies 

Oven-Bird,  Series  of  eggs  of 

Owl  acquaintances  .... 

Owl,   American  Long-eared 

Owl.  Barred    ...... 

Owl,  Great  Horned  .... 

Owl.  Great  Horned,  Eggs  of 

Owl,  Great  Horned,  Late  nesting  of 

Owl,  Great  Horned,  My  first  set  of  eggs  of 

Owl,  Great  Horned,  Nesting  of 

Owl,  Great  Horned,  Late  nesting  of 

Owl,  Saw-whit,  Eggs  of  .  .  . 

Owl,  Little  Screech         .... 

Owl,  Little  Screech.  Color  phenomena  of 

Owl,  Snowy  ....  9. 

Osprey,  American  .... 

Oyster  \-.  Kingfisher        .... 


88 
84.  131 

7-  90 

85,  90 

168 

.v3 
1 10 

iiS 


94 

43 

133 

Si 

82 

88 

-3 

43 

43 

90 

43 

90 

17 

44 
72 
88 

33 

136 

97 

89 

4,  89 


6 

lOI 

32 

^8 

6.^ 

139 

.H-  7> 

4 

.^4 

47 

109 

74 
.^7 

.57 
80 

.S4 

105 

1 1 .  54 

54 

109 


INDEX. 


Ouzel,  Water  .....  loS 

Parakeet,  Carolina  ....  48 

Pearv  Expidition,  Birds  and  EijLi's  from  15S 

Pelican,  White  .  IJ3 

Petrel,  Wilson'.s       .....  43 

Pewee.  Late  date  for       .  .  .  .  i6 

Pe\vee,  \\'ood.  Nesting  of  in  Xo\a  .Scotia  87 

Phalarope,  Red        .....  109 

Pheasant,  English,  in  New  Jerse_\'  .  48 

Philadelphia  Zoo,  big  bii-ds  at        .  .  118 

Phctbe 77-  SS 

Phcebe,  Nesting  in  Bank  Swallow  "s  bur- 
rows    .  .  .  .  .  .  187 

Phoebe,  in  Winter  ....  62 

Plover,  Black-bellied 

Plover,  Piping 

Plover,  Semipalmated     ....  j;^ 

Pueblo  Count\",  Colorado.  Spring  arri- 

\als  of  birds  at     .  .  .  .  .  loi 

Qiiail,  American     .....  10 

Rail,  Clapper  .....  >i^ 

Rail,  King       ......  53 

Rail,  King,  Set  of  eggs  of 
Rail,  King,  Nesting  of  near  Philadelphi 
Rail,  \'irginia.  Nesting  of 
Raleigh,  N.C.,  Notes  from 
Ramble,  A  Spring 
Redpole,  Common 
Robin,  .iVmerican    . 
Robin,  Albino 
Robin,  Early  appearence  of 
Robin,  Western 
Rochester  Academ\-   of   Sciences,  Pro- 
ceedings of  .....  80 

Sanderling 

Sandpiper,  Least 

Sandpiper,  Pectoral         .  .  .  .  53 

Sandpiper,  Red-backed  ...  53 

Sandpiper,  Semipalmated       ...  53 

Sandpiper,  Spotted 

Sandpiper,  White-rumped 

Shearwater,  Sooty  ....  43 

Shrike,  Great  Northern  ...  85 

Skua,  Great,  Egg  of        ...  .  44 

Snipe,  Wilson'.s       .....  53 

Sparrow,  Chipping  .  .  .  .      S2.  Sg 

Sparrow,  English,  Illinois  L 

Sparrow,  Field        .....  89 

Sparrow,  Field,  in  Michigan  .  .  159 

Sparrow,  Ipswich  ....  88 

Sparrow,  Savanna  ....  88 

.Sparrow,  Seaside  ....  89 

Sparrow,  Sharp-tailed     ....  88 

Sparrow,  Song        .....       84,  89 

Sparrow,  Swamp    .....  89 

Sparrow,  Tree         .....  89 


o»  ■  of 
New     Ilaxen 


103 
94 

104 

86 
85.  90 
79 
^9 
39 


Sparrow,  Western  \'esper 
Sparrow,  White-throated 
Spoon  River,  111.,  .V  morning  on 
Spring  ]Moi-ning  Ramble 
Swallow,  Barn 
Swallow,  Tree 

Swallow,     ^'iolet     Green,     llaliit 
Nesting  of 

Swift,  Chimne\ 

Tanager,  Scarlet 

Tanager,  Scarlet,  Series  of  E 

Tanager,    Loiisiana,     at 

Conn.,  ..... 

Teal,  Blue-winged 

Teal,  Green-winged 

Tern,  Black     ..... 

Tern,  Caspian 

Tern,  Common        .... 

Tern,  Least     ..... 

Terns,  Habits  of     . 

Texas  Woods,  A  da\   in 

Thrasher,  Brown     .... 

Thrush,  Hermit       .... 

Thrush,  Hermit,  Nesting  of  . 

Thrush,  Olive-backed     . 

Thrush,  \'aried        .... 

Tolchester  l?each.  a  trip  to     . 

Towhee  ..... 

Turnstone        ..... 

University-    Marine    Biological   Associ; 

Unusual  Nesting     .... 

Utah  Lake,  Trip  to  .  .  . 

Vireo,  Blue-headed,  Nesting  of 

Vireo,  Philadelphia 

Vireo,  Red-e^ed       .... 

Vireo,  White-eyed 

Visitors,  My  Experience  with 
Vulture,  Turkey      .... 
Warbler,  Black  and  White      . 
Wai-bler,  Black-poll 
Warbler,  Black-throated  Blue,  Nesting 

of 

Warbler.  Ceridean 

Warbler,  Kentucky,  Series  of  Eggs  of 

Warbler,  Macgilli\ray's 

Warbler,  :Myrtle      .... 

Warbler,  Orange-crowned 

Warbler,  Palm         .... 

Warbler,  Parula      .... 

Warbler,  Prairie      .... 

Warbler,  Yellow  Palm,  Eggs  of     . 

Warblers,  Eggs  of,  in  Collection  of  II 

W.  Flint 

Warblers,  Eggs  of,  in  Collection  of  Isaac 

S.  Reiff         .... 
Warblers,  J.  P.  N.  Collection  of 


89 

89 
89 


28.  88 
89 


187 
90 

4.V  90 

140 

96 

43.  86 

43 

8 

106 

89 

90 

114 

40 
3S 
89 

1       94 

.=;9 

ro4 
102 
89 
Sg 
89 
116 

.H 
89 
89 

1J9 


164 
89 
89 
89 
89 

•89 
4S 

138 

167 
166 


INDEX. 


Warblers,  Samuel  B.  Ladd's  Collectioi 

Woodpecker,  Yellow-bellied 

88 

of  Eggs  of            .... 

ii8 

Wren,  Carolina       .... 

89 

Water  Thrush,  Louisiana,  Nesting  of 

99 

Wren,  House            .... 

89 

Wayne  County,  Mich.,  Birds  of     . 

122 

Wren,  Long-billed  Marsh.  Albino  Kggi- 

of       121 

Waxwing,  Cedar     .... 

89 

Wren,  Winter          .          . 

8.=; 

Wenham  Lake,  Collecting  ai 

ound 

70 

Wren,  Winter,  Nest  of  . 

154 

Whip-poor-will 

31 

Yellow-legs     ..... 

.x3 

Willet      .... 

53 

Yellow-legs,  Greater 

S^ 

Wilson,  Alexander 

79 

Yellow-throat,  Maryland 

89 

Winter,  Sunnj  Day  in   . 

4 

Yellow-throat,    Maryland,    at    Raleigh 

Woods,  A  Rainy  Day  in 

7 

N.C.,  in  winter    .... 

137 

Woodpecker,  Downy 

4.  88 

Yellow-throat.  Maryland,  Nest  of 

13-' 

ORNITHOLOGIST   AND   OOLOGIST. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND- 

OOLOGIST. 


$1.00  per 
Annum. 

PUBLISHED   BY  THE  FRANK  BLAKE   WEBSTER  COMPANY. 

Established,  March,  1875. 

Single  Copy 
10  cents. 

Vol.  XVII. 

HYDE    PARK,  MASS.,  JANUARY,  1892. 

No.  I. 

A    Series  of  Eggs  of  the    Kentucky 
\Varbler. 


The  eggs  of  the  Keatucky  Warbler  {Geo- 
thlypisformosa)  exhibit  great  variation  in  size, 
shape,  and  coloration,  and  while  the  series 
now  before  me  does  not  exhibit  all  their  types 
it  is  sufhciently  complete  to  warrant  desription. 

Set  I.  June  1,  1890.  Chester  County,  Penn. 
Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  on  ground, 
in  woods,  at  foot  of  small  bush,  not  more  than 
ten  feet  from  a  fence.  Made  of  leaves,  lined 
with  rootlets.  J  Hushed.  Four  eggs,  incu- 
bation commenced.  White,  speckled  with 
hazel  and  lavender-gray.  Three  of  the  eggs 
have  the  markings  nearly  all  at  the  larger  ends 
in  the  shape  of  indistinct  wreaths,  but  the 
fourth  one  is  much  more  pointed  than  the 
others,  and  has  a  wreath  around  the  smaller 
end:  .79x..i9;  .7Sx.58;  .76x..')9;  .7(>x.59. 

Set  II.  May  28,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  spicewood  bush,  on  ground,  in  low 
woods.  Made  of  leaves,  dried  grass,  etc., 
lined  with  fine  black  rootlets  and  white  horse- 
hair. Bird  seen.  Four  eggs,  fresh.  White, 
speckled  and  spotted,  principally  at  the  larger 
ends,  with  fawn  color:  .71x..")6;  .72x.55; 
.74X.56:  .71x..'i.'i. 

Set  III.  June  19,  1885.  Delaware  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  Hoopes  Matlack.  Nest 
of  dried  grasses  and  beech  leaves,  on  the 
ground,  in  thicket  of  young  underwood.  Four 
eggs,  fresh.  White,  spotted  and  speckled  with 
chestnut  and  lavender-gray:  .77x..56:  .79x.57; 
.78X.56;  .75x.56. 

Set  IV.  May  28,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  ('oUected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest 
between  leaves  of  "Skunk  Cabbage."  on 
ground,  in  woods.  Made  of  leaves,  dried 
grass,  etc.,  lined  with  black  rootlets.  9 
flushed.  Four  eggs,  fresh,  and  one  Cowbird's 
egg.       Light     creamy    white,     speckled     and 


spotted  with  chestnut  and  lavender-gray.  The 
markings  are  heavier  near  the  larger  ends, 
where  they  form  indistinct  wreaths:  .74x.60; 
.72X.60;  .72X.60;  .71x.60. 

Set  V.  June  7,  1889.  Chester  County,  Penn. 
Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris.  Jr.  Nest  between 
three  forks  at  foot  of  small  bush.  Made  of 
leaves  and  grass,  lined  with  horse-hair  and 
black  rootlets.  Bird  seen.  Five  eggs,  fresh. 
Light  creamy  white,  speckled  and  spotted 
with  hazel  and  lavender-gray.  At  the  larger 
ends  the  markings  are  heavier,  and  form 
indistinct  wreaths:  .78x.C0;  .81x.61;  .Six. 60; 
.78X.61;  .79x.()0. 

Set  VI.  June  9,  1885.  Collected  by  J. 
Hoopes  Matlack.  Nest  on  ground,  in  thicket 
of  young  underwood.  Composed  of  dry  grass 
and  beech  leaves.  Four  eggs,  fresh.  Glossy, 
light  creamy  white.  Heavily  spotted,  espec- 
ially at  the  larger  ends,  with  chestnut  and 
lavender-gray:  .79x.59;  .77x.59;  .77x.58; 
.78  X  ..">fi. 

Set  VII.  June  18,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  on 
ground,  at  foot  of  weed,  in  woods,  near  a 
fence  and  a  dried  up  stream.  Made  of  leaves, 
etc.,  lined  with  black  rootlets  and  horse-hair. 
White,  spotted  and  speckled  more  heavily  at 
the  larger  ends,  with  hazel  and  lavender-gray: 
.82X.57;  .79X.57;  .80x.56;  .83x.56. 

Set  VIII.  June  3,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  spicewood  bush,  in  woods,  twenty-five 
feet  from  their  edge.  Made  of  leaves,  dried 
grass,  etc.,  lined  with  black  rootlets.  9 
flushed.  Four  eggs,  incubation  commenced. 
(This  set  also  contained  a  Cowbird's  egg.) 
White,  spotted  all  over,  but  more  heavily  at 
the  larger  ends,  with  chestnut  and  lavender- 
gray:  .74X.56;  .71x.55;  .70x.54;  .71x.54. 

Set  IX.  May  28,  1888.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  Samuel  B.  Ladd.  Nest 
on  the   ground.     Made    of    leaves,    with    fine 


Copyright,  1892.  by  Frank  B.  Webster. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  1 


roots  and  a  few  horse-hairs.  ?  flushed.  Four 
eggs,  incubation  commenced.  White,  speckled 
with  chestnut  and  lavender-gray.  The  rnark- 
ings  are  heavier  at  the  larger  ends:  .G5x.54; 
.66X.55;  .67x.55;  .65x.55. 

Set  X.  June  25,  1890.  Chester  C:ounty, 
Penn.  Collected  by  Henry  Norris.  Nest  in 
small  woods,  four  feet  from  a  public  road.  It 
was  in  a  small  bush  six  inches  from  the 
ground,  and  was  made  of  leaves,  etc.,  lined 
with  black  rootlets  and  horse-hair.  Bird  on 
nest.  Four  eggs,  fresh.  (Remarkably  late 
for  this  species,  and  I  think  it  must  have  been 
a  second  laying.)  White,  delicately  speckled 
with  hazel  and  lilac-gray.  The  markings  are 
all  over  the  surface,  but  are  thicker  near  the 
larger  ends:  .T8x.57;  .81x.5S;  .79x.57; 
.74X.56. 

Set  XI.  May  28,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Xorris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  spicewood  bush,  on  ground,  in  low 
woods.  Made  of  leaves,  dried  grass,  etc., 
lined  with  black  rootlets.  Birds  seen.  Five 
eggs,  fresh.  White,  and  quite  glossy. 
Speckled  and  spotted,  more  heavily  at  the 
larger  ends,  with  hazel,  chestnut  and  lilac- 
gray:  .74x.58;  .75x.58;  .72x.r)7;  .73x..')8; 
.70X.57. 

Set  XII.  May  28,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  bush,  near  dried  up  stream  in 
woods,  not  more  than  twenty-five  yards  from 
public  road.  Made  of  leaves,  dried  grass,  etc., 
lined  with  black  rootlets.  Five  eggs,  small 
embryos.  Glossy  white,  spotted  with  hazel 
and  lilac-gray:  .74x.55;  .75x.55;  .78x.5o; 
.75  X .55;  .75  x .56. 

Set  XIII.  June  29,  1889.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest 
on  ground,  between  forks  of  two  small  bushes 
in  woods.  Made  of  leaves  and  di-ied  grass, 
lined  with  black  roots  and  horse-hair.  Bird 
flushed.  Three  eggs,  incubation  commenced, 
and  Cowbird's  egg.  (Owing  to  the  lateness  of 
the  date  at  which  this  set  was  taken,  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  it  is  a  second  laying.) 
Light  creamy  white,  spotted  with  hazel  and 
lilac-gray:  .84x.58;  .85x.58;  .80x.55. 

Set  XLV.  June  9,  1889.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  and  between  forks  of  small  bush  on 
hillside,  in  woods.  Made  of  dead  and  green 
leaves,  lined  with  fine  black  i-ootlets  and 
horse-hair.  Bird  flushed.  Four  eggs,  fresh. 
Glossy  white,  speckled  with  hazel  and 
lavender-gray.  The  markings  are  much  heav- 
ier at  the   larger  ends,  and  on  one   of   them 


they  form  a  wreath :  .76  x  .58 ;  .70  x  .56 ;  .70  x  .58 ; 
.67X.55. 

Set  XV.  June  6,  1889.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest 
between  three  forks  at  foot  of  small  bush,  in 
swampy  woods.  Made  of  leaves,  lined  with 
fine  black  rootlets.  Bird  flushed.  Five  eggs, 
fresh.  Light  creamy  white,  heavily  spotted 
and  blotched  with  chestnut  and  lilac-gray. 
On  two  of  the  eggs  the  markings  are  heavier 
at  the  smaller  ends,  but  on  the  others  they  are 
principally  at  the  larger  ends:  .70x.59; 
.71X.60;  .71X.60;  .74x.59;  .7lx.58. 

Set  XYI.  June  4,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  Henry  Norris.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  bush.  Made  of  leaves,  lined  with 
rootlets  and  horse-hairs.  9  on  nest.  Fiveeggs^ 
fresh.  Glossy  white,  speckled  and  blotched 
with  chestnut  and  lilac-gray.  The  markings 
form  wreaths  around  the  larger  ends,  and  are 
largely  confined  to  that  portion  of  the  eggs,  but 
there  are  a  few  spots  on  other  portions  of 
them:  .71x.58;  .75x..59;  .76x..58;  .76x.58; 
.75X.59. 

Set  XVII.  May  27,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  bush,  in  woods.  Made  of  leaves, 
etc.,  lined  with  black  rootlets  and  horse-hair. 
9  seen.  Tliree  eggs,  fresh.  Contained  a  Cow- 
bird's  egg  also.  White,  heavily  speckled, 
principally  at  the  larger  ends,  w'ith  chestnut 
and  lilac-gray :  .76  x  .56 ;  .73  x  .56 ;  .71  x  ,53. 

Set  XVIII.  June  11,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  sapling,  in  woods  on  edge  of  a 
path.  Made  of  leaves  and  dried  grass,  lined 
with  fine  rootlets  and  horse-hair.  9  flushed. 
Four  eggs,  fresh.  Glossy  white,  speckled  and 
spotted  with  hazel,  chestnut,  and  lilac-gray: 
.67X.54;  .72x.56;  .69x.54;  .66x.53. 

Set  XIX.  June  4,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  sapling  in  woods,  near  the  edge. 
Made  of  leaves,  etc.,  lined  with  flne  black  root- 
lets. 9  flushed.  Five  eggs,  fresh.  White, 
delicately  marked  with  wreaths  of  fine  specks 
of  hazel  and  lilac-gray:  .74x.57;  .72x.56; 
.72X.57:  .72x.56;  .74x.56. 

Set  XX.  May  31,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  bush  in  swampy  woods.  Made 
of  leaves,  weed  stalks,  etc.,  lined  with  fine 
black  rootlets  and  horse-hair.  Three  eggs, 
fresh.  White,  speckled  with  chestnut  and 
lilac-gray.  Tlie  markings  are  more  evenly 
spread  over  the  whole  surface  than  is  usual  for 
this  species:  .74x.58;  .73x.58;  .75x.59. 


January,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


Set  XXI.  June  2,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  bush  in  woods.  Very  bulky,  and 
made  of  leaves,  etc.,  lined  with  rootlets  and 
horse-hair.  Four  eggs,  fresh.  White,  deli- 
cately wreathed  with  hazel  and  lilac-gray 
specks:  .6Sx.50;  .()lx.57;  .68x.58;  .70x.58. 

Set  XXII.  June  1,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Xorris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  bush,  four  feet  from  a  path  in  the 
woods.  Made  of  leaves,  etc.,  lined  with  fine 
black  rootlets.  9  flushed.  Five  eggs,  fresh. 
White,  sjieckled,  more  heavily  at  the  larger 
ends,  with  chestnut  and  lilac  gray:  .72x..^5; 
.73x.,5G;  .78  x. 5");  .72x.55;  .7ox..56. 

Set  XXIII.  June  2,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Xorris,  Jr.  Nest  at 
foot  of  small  bush  in  woods.  Made  of  leaves, 
weed  stalks,  etc.,  lined  with  horse-hair  and  fine 
rootlets.  Five  eggs,  fresh.  Glossy  white, 
heavily  speckled  and  spotted  with  fawn  color, 
hazel,  and  lilac -gray:  .76x.r)5;  .71  x.  5.5; 
.71X.55;  .72X.53;  .72x.5(5. 

Set  XXIY.  June  12,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  NoiTis,  Jr.  Nest  very 
small.  Made  of  leaves,  etc.,  lined  with  rootlets 
and  horse-hair.  At  foot  of  small  bush  on  bank 
two  feet  above  a  path  in  woods.  9  flushed. 
This  is  the  second  set  laid  by  the  same  birds 
that  laid  Set  XVII,  taken  May  27,  1891.  Five 
eggs,  fresh.  White,  heavily  speckled,  princi- 
pally at  the  larger  ends,  with  chestnut  and 
lilac-gray:  .73x.57;  .72x.55;  .78  x.5();  .70x.57; 
.5(ix.54. 

Set  XXV.  June  25,  1891.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Collected  by  J.  P.  Norris,  Ji-.  Nest  at 
foot  of  a  small  bush  in  swampy  woods.  Made 
of  leaves,  etc.,  lined  with  fine  black  rootlets. 
9  flushed.  Four  eggs,  fresh.  White,  deli 
cately  speckled  with  chestnut  and  lilac-gray: 
.75X.58;  .73X.57;  .77x..59;  .74x.57. 

J.  P.    .V. 


How  I  Prepare  Eggs. 


In  my  earlier  collecting  days  I  lost  many  a 
valuable  egg,  especially  those  containing  em- 
bryos, by  not  knowing  how  to  safely  extract 
the  contents,  and  trusting  my  experience  may 
benefit  others  and  perhaps  interest  them,  in- 
somuch that  they  will  give  of  their  own  ex- 
perience, I  venture  to  tell  the  readers  of  the 
O.  &  O.  my  methods. 

My  working  outfit  consists  of  the  best  drills 
that  I  can  procure  (and  I  know  of  none  that 
can  compare  with  those  that  friend  Webster 


sells),  a  solid  nickel  blow-pipe,  also  one  of 
glass  with  a  rubber  nipple  on  the  mouth  end, 
embryo  scissors  and  hooks,  a  bottle  of  strong 
solution  of  caustic  potash,  which  I  prepare  by 
filling  my  bottle  one-half  full  of  water  and 
tlien  dissolving  in  it  all  the  caustic  that  it  will 
take,  (the  caustic  can  be  procured  at  any 
drug  store),  a  small  box  of  dust  shot,  a  sheet 
of  blotting  paper,  a  soft  cloth  and  soft  lead 
pencil,  a  data  pad,  also  a  glass  of  clean  water 
and  a  dish  of  any  description  to  hold  the  con- 
tents of  the  eggs.  The  latter  should  be  par- 
tially filled  with  water  to  prevent  accidents, 
from  dropping  the  egg.  Now  I  am  ready  for 
work. 

If  the  eggs  are  fresh  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
blowing  them.  I  will  take  for  illustration  a 
nest  of  Oriole's  eggs.  I  first  examine  each  egg- 
to  see  upon  which  side  the  markings  are  most 
prominent  or  most  handsomely  grouped,  and 
on  the  opposite  side  I  drill  as  neat  a  hole  as 
possible.  I  do  not  advocate  drilling  the  small- 
est hole  that  it  is  possible  to  extract  the  con- 
tents through,  neither  do  I  admire  eggs  from 
which  a  quarter  or  a  third  has  been  drilled 
away.  I  think  tliat  the  hole  should  be  in  pro- 
portion to  the  size  of  the  egg,  but  be  the  hole 
large  or  small  let  it  be  neat  and  without 
chipped  edges.  A  rare  egg  with  a  large  hole, 
if  it  be  perfect,  makes  a  desirable  cabinet 
specimen. 

After  blowing  my  eggs  I  thoroughly  rinse 
them  out  with  fresh  water  and  wipe  them 
carefully  with  a  damp  corner  of  my  cloth, 
taking  care  that  I  do  not  destroy  any  of  the 
markings,  which  is  easily  done  with  many 
eggs.  I  now  set  them,  holes  down,  on  the  blot- 
iiig  paper  to  dry,  after  which  I  put  on  them 
the  set  marks;  and  here  is  a  point  I  wish  to 
emphasize:  do  not  sprawl  the  figures  over  half 
the  egg  as  I  have  known  many  to  do,  but  make 
them  small,  neat  and  above  all  legible,  and 
place  them  close  to  the  blow  hole. 

A.11  that  remains  to  be  done  now  is  to  make 
out  the  data  which  should  be  as  full  as  possible, 
and  the  eggs  are  ready  for  the  cabinet. 

Should  the  embryo  be  partially  formed  but 
soft,  it  can  be  blown  out  by  using  care,  but 
often  leaves  a  thick  skin  attached  to  the  shell 
that  is  difficult  to  remove,  and  here  is  where 
the  shot  comes  in  play.  Place  a  few  grains  in 
the  egg  and  fill  it  with  water,  then  gently 
shake  it  in  different  directions  for  a  moment, 
when  using  your  blow-pipe  you  will  find  that 
everything  will  come  out.  The  shot  can  safely 
be  used  in  Warbler's  eggs  and  I  have  found  it 
a  great  help 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  1 


Should  the  chick  be  strong  and  lusty  more 
difficulty  is  experienced  in  its  removal.  If 
the  egg  be  large  as  a  Hawk's,  for  instance, 
carefully  cut  the  embryo  with  the  scissors  and 
extract  with  the  aid  of  a  hook  as  much  of  con- 
tents as  you  can  with  safety,  then  fill  it  up 
with  the  potash  solution,  by  using  the  glass 
blow-pipe,  squeeze  the  nipple,  put  the  end  of 
the  pipe  in  the  solution  and  let  go,  when  you 
will  find  your  pipe  nearly  full.  It  tastes  better 
this  way  than  in  your  mouth.  Set  the  egg  one 
side  for  a  few  hours  when  the  contents  will  be 
found  partially  or  wholly  dissolved  and  can  be 
removed  with  the  blow-pipe.  In  the  case  of  a 
small  egg  a  few  moments  is  all  that  is  neces- 
sary to  dissolve  tlie  contents. 

A  friend  of  mine  in  Texas  said  that  he  re- 
moved troublesome  chicks  by  placing  the  egg 
in  an  ant  hill,  though  I  have  never  tried  it  and 
cannot  tell  from  experience  how  it  would  work. 
In  tlieory  it  is  right,  providing  the  ants  are 
hungry,  and  I  do  not  know  that  they  are  ever 
otherwise. 

If  the  above  directions  are  the  means  of 
saving  one  set  of  rare  eggs  I  shall  feel  amply 
repaid. 

Charles  E.  Ilor/le. 

West  Millbury,  Mass. 

[So  far  as  regards  the  use  of  shot  in  small 
eggs,  I  consider  Mr.  Hoyle's  directions  very 
dangerous,  — J.  P.  N.] 


A  Sunny  Day  in   Winter. 


It  has  been  snowing  for  the  last  few  days, 
and  the  ground  is  covered,  to  the  depth  of  a 
foot  or  more,  with  the  beautiful.  But  at  last 
the  Sim  has  come  out  to  brighten  the  scene, 
and  a  beautiful  sight  it  is.  Pines  and  hem- 
locks bowed  down  with  their  heavy  load  of 
snow,  that  glistens  in  tlie  sunlight  like  a  mass 
of  jewels.  All  natuie  seems  to  be  astir,  and 
as  we  pass  out  of  the  house  for  a  stroll  through 
the  woods  and  fields  we  are  met  by  a  small 
company  of  Tree  Sparrows,  who  are  out  in 
search  of  crumbs,  while  in  the  appletrees 
close  by  may  be  seen  the  Black-capped  Chick- 
adee and  the  White-bellied  jSTuthatch  in  search 
of  insects,  and  on  yonder  tree  a  Downy  Wood- 
pecker is  hard  at  work  hammering  away  after 
some  favorite  morsel.  We  pass  througli  the 
orchard,  and  as  we  enter  the  adjoining  field 
we  notice  quite  a  commotion  among  a  fiock  of 
Snowbirds  and,  looking  about  for  the  cause, 
notice  a  Great  Northern  Shrike  who  is  out 
after  his  dinner,  and  wlio,  failing  to  secure  a 


Junco,  is  now  in  pursuit  of  a  flock  of  Redpoll 
Linnets.  As  we  pass  into  the  woods  we  are 
accosted  by  a  company  of  Jays,  which  in  their 
flight  foi-  safety  startle  a  Barred  Owl  from  his 
slumbers,  and  set  the  Crows  to  cawing,  and 
awaken  the  entire  woods  by  their  weird  cry  of 
"Thief!  thief!"  The  Red  Squirrel  and  the 
Chipmunk,  thus  startled,  join  their  voices  in 
the  concert,  and  as  we  pass  along  we,  in  turn, 
are  startled  by  the  rush  and  whir  of  a  Rulfed 
Grouse,  as  lie  leaves  for  parts  unknown.  As 
we  watch  him  disappear  over  the  top  of  yon 
hemlock,  our  attention  is  called  to  something 
moving  about  among  the  branches  in  the  top 
of  the  tree,  and,  upon  closer  observation, 
prove  to  be  a  party  of  Crossbills  and  Grosbeak 
enjoying  a  feast  of  cones  in  the  sunshine. 
Passing  from,  the  woods  to  the  road  leading 
back  to  the  house,  we  startled  a  Goshawk 
from  his  dinner,  and,  upon  going  to  the  spot 
from  whence  he  took  his  departure,  we  dis- 
cover bits  of  hair,  etc.,  which  tell  us  he  has 
been  dining  upon  a  good  fat  rabbit.  Passing 
thence  along  the  road  we  start  a  flock  of 
Bunting  and  Horned  Larks,  the  first  that  we 
have  seen  this  winter.  And  as  we  again  enter 
the  yard  we  are  met  by  a  company  of  the 
omnijiresent  Passer  domesticus,  who.  having 
driven  the  Tree  Sparrows  away,  are  fiiiisliii;g 
up  the  crumbs.  As  we  enter  and  settle  down 
in  the  easy  cliaii,  to  think  over  all  we  have 
seen  and  heard,  we  all  agree  that  you  would 
have  to  go  a  long  way  to  find  a  pleasanter 
place  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  than  in  the 
woods  on  a  sunny  day  in  winter. 

8.  l{.  Ini/ersoll. 


A    Day's     Trip     to    Ipswich     Beach. 

We  had  talked  of  a  trip  to  Ipswich  Beach* 
for  Thanksgiving  Day,  1891,  for  the  purpose 
of  adding,  if  possible,  some  specimens  to  ouy 
collection;  also  to  have  a  try  at  the  Ducks. 
Our  party  consisted  of  two,  my  cousin  Frank 
and  myself.  Tuesday  evening  was  a  busy  one 
with  us.  Decoys  were  brought  out  and  dusted 
off  (for  we  had  not  used  them  before  this 
season),  guns  oiled  up,  shells  loaded,  etc;. 
My  business  being  in  Boston,  and  we  being 
quite  busy,  I  was  obliged  to  go  up  in  the 
morning.  At  1'2  o'clock  I  started  for  the 
depot,  taking  the  12.:!0  train  for  Ipswich, 
where  I  had  sent  my  stuff  in  the  morning. 
As  the  train  pulled  up  at  Beverly,  Frank  got  on 
loaded  down  with  guns  and  other  equipments. 


January,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


We  arrived  in  Ipswich  at  1.40,  and  went  at 
once  to  Boynton's  stable  for  a  team  to  take  us 
to  the  beach,  which  is  about  a  five-mile  drive. 
This  is  a  very  pleasant  drive.  As  we  got  out  of 
the  village  the  fields  and  large  hills  continually 
reminded  us  of  the  pleasant  times  we  had  had 
with  the  Upland  Plover.  Then,  as  we  got 
along  further,  we  could  see  the  snow-white 
sand  hills  glistening  in  the  sun,  and  also  Hog 
Island,  which  looms  up  above  the  other  hills 
in  gigantic  proportions. 

As  we  drive  along,  with  the  crisp  air  blowing 
in  our  faces  and  the  smell  of  the  salt  marshes 
greet  us,  it  brings  back  many  pleasant  remem- 
brances, and  we  passed  such  remarks  as 
"  Here's  where  we  shot  the  Red-wing  Hawk," 
"Remember  how  we  got  into  the  grass  birds 
here,"  etc.  Birds  appeared  to  be  very  scarce 
on  the  way  down.  There  were  plenty  of  Crows 
and  that  was  all. 

We  arrived  at  the  beach  at  3.1.5,  and  I  guess 
the  driver  earned  his  money  trying  to  get  the 
horse  out  of  a  walk,  but  he  (the  horse)  was  a 
fine  one  if  anyone  wanted  to  take  in  the  scenery. 
As  soon  as  we  landed  at  our  destination  we 
were  out  of  the  team,  traps  and  all,  and  mak- 
ing a  bee-line  for  our  cottage.  After  opening 
it  up,  so  as  to  air  it  out,  we  proceeded  to 
change  our  clothes,  fill  our  pockets  with 
shells,  and  go  down  and  get  the  boat  oft'  and 
get  over  to  a  fav(nite  hunting  ground  for 
Longspurs,  Snowllakes,  Shore  Larks,  etc.  We 
found  the  Shore  Larks  very  abundant  and 
secured  several  fine  specimens,  which  I  shall 
mount.  We  also  noted  some  few  Snowflakes 
but  were  unable  to  secure  any  specimens. 

I  have  never  seen  so  many  Crows  together 
as  there  were  about  sunset.  There  was  a  con- 
tinual riight  of  large  flocks  for  about  an  hour 
flying  from  tlie  direction  of  Hog  Island  and 
tow.ud  the  beach.  There  seemed  to  be  a  few- 
Ducks  flying,  but  the  prospect  looked  slim  at 
this  time.  We  got  back  to  the  cottage  at 
about  .5.30,  and  while  Frank  built  the  fire  I  went 
to  get  some  milk  and  other  things  that  we 
wanted  at  the  hotel,  where  they  are  always 
ready  to  help  a  fellow  out  on  anything  he 
needs  in  the  way  of  food.  When  I  got  back 
Frank  had  a  rousing  fire  going,  and  the  frag- 
rant smell  of  potatoes  told  me  that  he  had  not 
been  idle.  While  he  was  frying  jjotatoes  and 
making  coffee  I  set  the  the  table  and  put 
things  in  order,  and  at  6  o'clock  we  sat  down 
to  supper,  which,  to  use  Frank's  words  "that 
if  any  king  kicked  at,  he  did  not  know  when 
he  had  a  good  thing."  But  laying  joking 
aside,  I  would  not  have  taken  the  best  turkey 


dinner  that  the  Adams  House  of  Boston  could 
have  got  up  for  that  supper  of  fried  potatoes, 
bread,  sausages  and  hot  coffee,  with  the 
surroundings.  After  supper  we  washed  the 
dishes  and  sat  down  by  the  fire  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  the  evening  in  singing,  playing 
the  harmonica  and  talking  over  the  pros- 
pects of  a  good  morning  for  ducks.  At  9 
o'clock  we  started  to  go  to  bed,  and  after  a 
pillow-fight  and  a  good  deal  of  joking  we  got 
to  sleep. 

The  first  thing  I  remember  after  this  was 
Frank  punching  me  and  telling  me  it  was 
quarter  of  five.  We  got  up  at  once  and  in 
thirty  minutes  we  had  a  hot  fire  and  a  steam- 
ing breakfast,  and  by  the  time  we  got  ready  to 
go  out  it  was  6  o'clock.  It  was  a  beautiful 
morning.  The  stars  were  shining  brightly  and 
in  tlie  east  behind  a  bank  of  clouds  could  be 
seen  the  faint  streaks  of  the  sun  just  coming 
up.  The  river  was  like  glass  and  as  we  rowed 
across  to  our  blind  we  left  a  wake  that  we 
could  see  way  across  it.  The  Crows  had  com- 
menced to  fly  back  and  all  the  noise  of  any 
kind  that  we  could  hear  came  from  them. 
By  the  time  we  got  our  decoys  set  and  settled 
in  our  blind  it  was  quite  light. 

The  first  birds  seen  were  a  pair  of 
Whistlers  coming  up  the  river,  but  they  gave 
us  a  wide  berth.  Then  they  commenced  to 
come  along  singly  and  in  pairs,  but  not  in 
our  direction,  and  we  commenced  to  think 
that  this  was  not  one  of  the  days  that  Ducks 
decoyed.  Frank  complained  of  his  feet  being 
cold  so  I  said  "go  back  of  the  bank  and  get 
them  warm  but  be  careful  not  to  scare  any 
Ducks  if  any  come  along."  He  had  hardly  got 
away  before  a  pair  flew  by,  sheldrakes  I  think, 
but  did  not  come  in.  I  was  .sitting  there 
thinking  about  pulling  in  the  decoys  and 
going  after  Snowflakes  when  I  heard  a  noise 
that  sounded  like  Whistlers,  and  almost  be- 
fore I  knew  it  a  flock  of  no  less  than  thirty 
went  past  just  out  of  range.  They  sailed  by 
a  way  then  turned  and  came  straight  for  the 
decoys.  Pictures  of  a  dozen  Ducks  laying 
dead  on  the  water  came  to  me,  but  alas!  so  near 
and  yet  so  far.  They  set  their  wings  to  come 
down  when  Frank's  head  bobbed  up  from 
behind  and  away  they  went  too  far  off  for  a 
shot  but  I  sent  two  charges  of  fours  after 
them  which  made  one  change  his  mind  about 
going  away.  We  soon  got  settled  again  and 
had  another  long  wait.  Since  I  had  fired  at 
the  large  flock,  biids  seemed  to  be  scarcer 
than  before  so  I  concluded  to  go  over  on  the 
marsh  and  see  what  I  could  see.     I  succeeded 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  1 


in  getting  two  more  specimens  of  Shore  Larks,    brie    suggestions  as  to  the  advantage  and  use 


and  could  have  got  more  but  I  liad  enough. 
I  was  just  going  back  wlien  I  heard  Frank 
fire  twice.  I  ran  over  and  found  that  a  pair 
of  Whistlers  had  come  in  to  tlie  decoys  and 
lie  had  succeeded  in  stopping  one  and  wounded 
the  other,  but  ISTo.  2  got  to  feeling  better  and 
started  oft'  before  we  could  get  to  him.  I  then 
took  my  turn  at  the  blind  and  three  birds 
came  sailing  along  out  of  the  river.  As  they 
sailed  over  the  decoys  I  fired,  killing  one  and 
I  had  a  bead  on  another,  but  the  shell  missed 
fire.  Xow  if  there  is  anything  I  like  (?)  it  is 
to  have  a  sliell  miss  fire.  So  after  easing  mj^ 
mind  up  a  little  I  started  out  after  the  bird 
that  I  had  shot  and  found  it  to  be  a  9  Shel- 
drake. 

We  had  just  got  in  the  stand  again  when  a 
pair  of  Whistlers  came  by  going  with  the 
wind.  Frank  fired  and  thought  it  was  fuuny 
he  did  not  get  them  as  he  aimed  as  much  as 
six  feet  ahead.  But  I  don't  think  that  twelve 
feet  would  have  been  any  too  much  at  the 
rate  they  were  going. 

We  were  obliged  to  come  home  on  the  11 
o'clock  train  from  Ipswich  so  at  about  quarter 
of  ten  we  jjulled  in  our  decoys  and  started  to 
row  back  to  the  cottage  against  the  tide. 
When  we  arrived  there  we  found  the  team  in 
waiting,  and  the  fellow  kindly  told  us  that  we 
would  "have  to  hustle"  if  we  wanted  to 
catch  the  train.  We  climbed  in  and  got  our 
traps  in  and  arrived  at  the  depot  just  in 
time  to  get  aboard  the  train.  ,  If  we  had  been 
a  minute  later  we  should  have  lost  it. 

We  arrived  home  all  right  and  I  for  my  part 
never  had  a  better  time,  although  I  have  got 
more  game,  and  I  think  Frank  was  of  the 
same  opinion.  And  after  all  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  time  we  had  and  the  scarcity  of 
game  in  this  section,  the  pleasant  weather 
and  everything,  I  don't  think  we  ought  to 
kick  on  the  amount  of  game  we  got.  Any- 
way we  made  up  our  minds  that  if  possible 
we  should  make  a  like  trip  Christmas,  which 
we  will  give  an  account  of  in  the  O.  &  O. 
if  we  have  any  luck,  and  this  piece  does  not 
find  its  way  into  the  editor's  waste  basket. 

C.  E.  Brown. 
Heverly,  Mass. 


Ornithology  and   Meteorology. 


The  correlation  of  ornithology  and  meteor- 
ology has  been  somewhat  underestimated,  and 
it  is  my  purpose  in   this  paper  to  give  a  few 


of  keeping  weather  data. 

If  a  careful  student  or  field  w  orker  keeps  a 
series  of  temperature  observations  from  day 
to  day,  lie  will  learn:  Firstly,  that  there  are 
what  might  be  termed  temperature  periods, 
or  groups  of  days,  during  which  the  mean 
temperature  of  each  is  relatively  alike,  and 
much  unlike  the  common  temperature  of  either 
the  following  or  preceding  group.  Secondly, 
he  will  learn  that  groups  of  high  and  low  tem- 
perature are  very  apt  to  alternate,  a  familiar 
example  being  that  of  cold  and  warm  waves, 
common  over  most  of  the  United  States. 

Besides  these  temperature  notes,  he  may 
keep  a  daily  or  tri-daily  record  of  the  direction 
and  force  or  velocity  of  the  wind.  Comparison 
will  show  the  necessity  of  the  same  periodical 
division  which  was  applied  to  temperature, 
viz.,  the  secpience  of  winds  from  the  several 
cardinal  points,  and  the  alternation  of  windy 
and  calm  periods. 

The  appearance  of  the  sky  is,  also,  of  con- 
siderable importance.  Irrespective  of  bird 
lore,  the  observer  will  find  a  correlation  of  fair 
and  of  stormy  weather  and  certain  winds. 

Now  the  reader  may  ask,  "Of  what  good  is 
all  this  to  the  oruithoUigist  ?"'  In  reply,  I 
vv'ould  say,  for  any  one,  be  he  interested  in 
birds  or  otherwise,  it  sharpens  the  observatory 
powers,  and  encourages  inferential  deduction  ; 
two  valuable  traits  in  any  walk  of  life. 

For  the  bird  man  it  does  much  more.  For 
instance,  we  will  suppose  that  he  has  kept  an 
approximately  correct  record  of  the  numbers 
of  the  various  species  which  he  m.iy  have 
observed  during  his  walks  afield.  By  review- 
ing his  data  he  will  find  a  tendency  towards  the 
formation  of  alternate  periods  of  plentifulness 
or  scarcitj',  just  as  in  his  meteorological  dita, 
like  and  unlike  conditions  were  grouped  in 
periods  of  successive  days. 

It  then  follows  in  his  mind  to  compare  the 
two  kinds  of  data  in  order  to  detect,  if  pos- 
sible, the  coincidence  of  certain  kinds  of 
weather,  and  certain  conditions  of  plentiful- 
ness among  the  birds.  If  his  data  has  been 
compiled  in  spring-time,  high  temperature, 
southerly  winds,  and  cloudy  or  stormy 
weather,  will  be  apt  to  coincide  with  periods 
of  more  than  ordinary  abundance  of  birds, 
while  cold,  northerly,  and  fair  weather  accom- 
pany scarcity. 

As  the  season  passes  the  marked ness  of 
these  coincidences  decrease  until,  at  mid- 
summer, it  is  hardly  apparent.  As  autumn 
comes  on,  the  fluctuation  in  numbers  increases 


January,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


again  when  the  correlative  meteoi'ological  con- 
ditions regain  prominence,  but  comparison 
will  give  different  results.  Although  the  se- 
quence of  cold  and  warm,  windy  and  moderate, 
and  fair  and  stormy  weather  remains  the 
same,  the  periods  of  abundance  of  birds  will 
now  be  on  the  days  of  cold,  north  wind  and 
fair  weather,  or  the  reverse  of  spring-time, 
wlien  the  warmer  days  and  favorable  winds 
were  incentives  for  the  birds  to  push  north- 
ward on  their  journey,  while  in  the  fall  the 
cold,  north  winds  act  in  the  same  way,  the 
direction  being  reversed. 

And  so  the  migration  passes,  and  autumn 
ages  into  winter,  and  the  birds  become  scarcer 
and  their  fluctuations  less  prominent,  though 
never  ebbing  entirely  away. 

In  Massachusetts  the  east  and  northeast 
winds  of  autumn  are  cold  and  promote  migra- 
tion, but  in  winter  they  are  warmer  than  the 
west  and  northwest  gales,  so  that  at  that 
season  birds  are  sometimes  most  noticeable 
during  easterly  weather. 

Harry  Gordon    White. 


A  Rainy  Day  in  the  Woods. 


Saturday,  December  26,  1801,  we  shoul- 
dered our  guns  and  pocketed  our  note-books, 
and  started  off  for  a  tramp  through  the  woods 
to  see  what  we  could  collect  and  note  in  the 
bird  line.  By  we  I  mean  my  cousin  Frank 
and  myself. 

It  was  cloudy  and  rather  dark  and  rainy, 
just  the  day  one  would  expect  to  see  Owls  and 
such,  and  therefore  we  concluded  to  go  first  to 
a  strip  of  woods  called  Ober's,  and  then 
through  a  large,  dark  woods  and  swamp  called 
the  Park.  Birds  (as  usual  here)  were  scarce, 
except,  of  course,  the  usual  amount  of  Crows 
and  Chickadees.  By  the  way,  if  it  were  not 
for  the  latter  the  woods  in  winter  would  seem 
very  lonesome  to  me.  They  always  seem  so 
.sociable,  and  welcome  you  to  the  woods  at  all 
seasons. 

We  had  been  walking  on  the  road  for 
awhile  when  I  happened  to  glance  into  the 
woods,  and  my  eye  caught  siglit  of  a  small 
object  on  a  pine  tree,  which  looked  some  like 
a  bird  but  more  like  a  pine  knot.  I  kept  my 
eyes  on  it,  however,  and  thought  I  saw  it 
move.  We  went  closer  and  found,  sure 
enougii,  it  was  a  bird,  and  one  we  had  been 
looking  for,  a  Saw-whet  Owl.     He  seemed  very 


tame,  so  I  thought  we  might  capture  him 
without  shooting.  First  I  tried  walking  slowly 
around  behind  him  with  a  long  pole  I  had  cut 
to  hit  him  with.  As  fast  as  I  walked  he  would 
turn  his  head  until  it  got  around  exactly  the 
the  opposite  way  from  what  it  should  be. 
I  thought  then  of  the  piece  I  read  in  the 
O.  &  O.  about  walking  around  and  around  an 
owl  until  he  twisted  his  neck  off.  But  I  found 
this  was  not  that  kind  of  an  Owl,  for  just  then, 
almost  too  quick  for  me  to  see  him,  he  turned 
his  head  way  around  the  other  way.  Finding 
I  could  not  get  <iut  of  his  sight,  to  approach,  I 
got  my  cousin  to  go  around  in  front  of  him 
and  execute  a  war-dance  to  attract  his  atten- 
tion, then  I  walked  carefully  up  behind  and 
tapped  bim  (the  Owl)  on  the  head,  and  in  a 
minute  more  he  was  in  my  hands,  looking  sur- 
prised and  shocked  at  such  treatment.  We 
thought  of  keeping  him  alive  at  first,  but 
finding  he  was  going  to  be  troublesome  we 
decided  it  would  be  better  to  carry  him  home 
in  a  cone. 

The  next  birds  noted  were  Golden-crowned 
Kinglets,  in  a  flock  of  six  or  eight,  of  which 
we  captured  two.  Soon  after  this  we  noted  a 
large  flock  of  Juncos  and  also  a  flock  of  Red- 
polls. We  captured  one  from  the  former  and 
none  from  latter  flock.  In  coming  back 
through  the  woods  we  started  one  Eufled 
Grouse  wliich  I  fired  at  but  failed  to  get. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  we  overturned  an 
old  stump  and  in  it  there  was  a  large  butterfly, 
which  when  released  seemed  to  be  as  lively  as 
though  it  were  the  middle  of  summer.  Is  this 
not  an  unusual  occurrence  ?  I  always  thought 
they  died  in  the  fall.* 

We  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  and  evening  in 
my  workshop,  mounting  our  specimens. 

Birds  have  been  very  scarce  here  this  fall 
and  winter  so  far.  We  saw  more  on  this  trip 
than  I  have  seen  all  the  rest  of  the  winter  put 
together;  and  what  we  thought  would  Le 
rather  a  dreary,  wet  trip  turned  out  to  be  a 
very  pleasant  one,  in  spite  of  cloudiness  and 
occasional  showers.  As  I  write  this  the  Saw- 
whet  stands  on  the  mantel,  all  wound  with 
string,  staring  at  me  as  though  he  knew  just 
what  I  was  writing  about  him. 

C.  E.  Broxon. 
Beverly,  Mass. 


*  Not  at  all  an  unusual  occurrence.  The  family 
Vanessa  often  hibernate  in  stone  heaps  and  exposed 
buildings,  and  the  first  butterflies  of  the  spring  are 
these  insects,  which  have  been  warmed  by  the  approach 
of  the  sun.— Ed. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  1 


Habits  of  the  Terns. 


For  many  years  the  Wilson  Tern  has  not 
been  here  in  any  such  numbers  as  the  present 
fall.  We  concede  the  reason  to  be  that  the 
"  sand  eel,"  the  natural  feed  for  them,  were  in 
schools  of  millions.  "Mackerel  Gull"  is  the 
common  name  for  the  bird  here,  while  further 
south  I  have  heard  them  called  "  strikers" 
and  "  plungers "  because  of  their  wonderful 
and  beautiful  diving.  It  is  certainly  very 
amusing  and  fascinating  to  watch  a  flock  of 
several  thousands  feeding.  I  can  almost  hear 
their  screams  and  guttural  sounds  (which 
only  can  be  imitated  by  a  special  wiiistle  or  by 
wearing  one's  throat  oi;t),  as  they  circle  and 
rush  in  every  direction,  now  and  then  plung- 
ing under  the  water  and  appearing  with  a  fish 
jjai'tly  swallowed. 

Let  us  watch  the  manceuvers  of  one,  if  we  can 
follow  it  through  the  crowd,  which  a  westerner 
would  liken  to  a  "ghost  dance,"  as  it  rushes 
hither  and  thither,  now  darting  up,  down, 
this  way  and  that.  Suddenly  it  stops  in  mid- 
air, poises  gracefully,  then  like  a  white  streak 
disai)pears  beneath  the  water.  Or,  perchance. 
It  will  be  lazily  flying  along  and  seeing  a  fish 
directly  under  it  drop  suddenly,  head  first,  as 
if  shot,  and  come  up  with  a  fish.  Though 
each  bird  always  seems  to  be  for  itself  and 
alone,  very  rarely  being  in  flocks  except  when 
chasing  a  school  of  fish,  yet  they  all  disap- 
pear at  once.  This  fall,  the  last  day  I  saw 
them,  there  were  thousands  and  thousands. 
The  next  morning  not  a  bird  was  to  be  seen. 

1  did  not  see  a  Least  Tern  the  whole  fall, 
but  a  good  many  Black  and  Roseate  and  more 
large  ones  than  ever  before,  either  Royal  or 
Caspian,  probably.  Speaking  of  them  makes 
me  think  of  a  good  story  at  the  expense  of  our 
lamented  John  C.  Gaboon,  when  Tern  shoot- 
ing was  booming  and  a  big  paying  business. 

He  was  on  this  end  of  the  cape  and  wanted 
to  go  out  shooting  with  a  Capt.  Lavender,  the 
best  shot  on  this  end  of  Cape  Cod,  if  not  the 
whole  cape.  He  told  Mr.  Gaboon  he  was  per- 
fectly willing  for  him  to  go,  "and,"  he  con- 
tinued, "I  always  shoot  with  every  one  and 
divide  the  birds  even,  no  matter  who  shoots 
the  most."  Gaboon  objected  as  he  thought 
with  his  little  lO-bore  gun  he  would  greatly 
out-shoot  the  captain.  "All  right,"  the  cap- 
tain said,  "we  will  each  have  what  we  shoot." 
They  started,  the  wind  blowing  quite  a  fresh 
breeze  on  shore,  making  it  extremely  difficult 
to  shoot  accurately. 

AYell,  as  I  remember  the  record,  it  was  fortv- 


five  birds  for  the  captain  and  twenty-eight  for 
Gaboon.  The  next  time  they  shot  they  went 
even.  Poor  Gaboon  made  many  friends  here, 
was  greatly  liked,  and  will  long  be  kindly 
remembered.  Fred  L.  Small. 

Provincetown,  Mass. 


Late  Nesting  of  the  Bob-white. 

In  the  October  O.  *  O.  Mr.  James  B.  Purdy 
of  Plymouth,  Mich.,  records  a  nest  of  the 
Bob-white  found  at  that  place  on  August  30, 
1891.  The  nest  contained  thirteen  eggs  and 
the  next  day,  August  31st,  they  were  about 
half  hatched. 

Mr.  Pvirdy  wishes  to  know  who  can  beat  it 
!  for  a  late  Quail's  nest.  I  have  an  egg  of  the 
Bob-white  in  my  cabinet  which  was  collected 
on  September  12,  1889,  at  Blue  Rapids, 
Kansas,  by  mj'  cousin,  AV.  F.  Hoag.  Tlie  nest 
contained  ten  eggs  perfectly  fresh,  but  he 
drove  over  the  nest  before  it  was  discovered 
and  broke  them  all  but  one,  which  he  kindly 
sent  to  me.  I  presume  there  are  many  who 
have  later  records  of  this  bird  breeding  than 
either  Mr.  Purdy' s  or  the  one  mentioned 
above.  Let  me  hear  from  those  who  live 
where  the  Bob-white  is  an  abundant  breeder. 

Benjaiiiin  Iloay. 
Stephentown,  X.  Y. 


The  FniOATE-Binr).  —  I  see  a  small  blue 
ptiint  in  the  heaven.  Happy  and  serene  region, 
which  has  rested  in  peace  far  above  the  buni- 
cane  !  In  that  blue  point,  and  at  an  elevation 
of  ten  thousand  feet,  royally  floats  a  little  bird 
with  enormous  pens.  A  gull  ?  N<>;  its  wings 
are  black.  An  eagle?  No;  the  bird  is  too 
small.  It  is  the  little  Ocean  Eagle,  first  and 
chief  of  the  winged  race,  and  daring  navigator 
who  never  furls  his  sails,  the  lord  of  the  teni- 
I)est,  the  scorner  of  all  peril  —  the  Man-of-War 
or  Frigate-bird.  We  have  reached  the  cul- 
minating point  of  the  series  commenced  by 
the  wingless  bird.  Here  we  have  a  bird  which 
is  virtually  nothing  more  than  Mings:  scarcely 
any  body,  —  barely  as  large  as  that  of  the 
domestic  cock,  —  while  his  prodigious  pinions 
are  fifteen  feet  in  span.  The  storm  bursts;  he 
mounts  to  lofty  heights,  where  lie  finds  tian- 
quillity.  The  poetic  metajihoi',  untrue  when 
api)lied  to  any  other  bird,  is  no  exaggeration 
when  applied  to  him  :  literally,  he  sleeps  upon 
the  storm.  When  he  chooses  to  oar  his  way 
seriously,  all  distance  vanishes:  he  breakfasts 
at  the  Senegal;  he  dines  in  America. — 
Michelet. 


January,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


ORNITHOLOGISTix^^OOLOGIST 

A  Monthly  Magazine  of 

NATURAL    HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY  DEVOTE P  TO  THE  STUDY  OF 

THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS, 

and  to  the 

INTERESTS     OF     NATURALISTS. 

Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 

FRANK  B.  WEBSTER,  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 

J.  PARKER  NORRIS,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

FRANK  A.  BATES,  Boston,   Mass. 


PUBLISHED  AT  THE 


AND  NATURALISTS  SUPPIV  DEPOT 


FRANK   BLAKE   WEBSTER   COMPANY 


INCl)RPORATED, 

Hyde  Pabk,  Mass.,  U. 


S.  A. 


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Brief  Notes. 


During  the  present  year  we  shall  insert  clip- 
pint;s  from  the  press  that  we  think  will  he  of 
general  interest  to  our  readers.  We  will 
always  give  preference  to  notes  that  are  sent 
in. 

A  Golden  Eagle  taken  at  Kalamazoo,  Mich., 
New  Year's  day.     R.  F.  Judson. 

Rattlesnake  Pete  and  His  Pet  Coon. — 
Rittlesnake  Pete  has  had  a  pet  coon  for  the 
past  three  years  that  was  as  full  of  tricks  as  an 
egg  is  of  nreat.  One  of  these  tricks  was  to 
tiifovv  hack  tlie  three  holts  on  liis  cage,  let  the 
otlier  animals  out,  and  go  visiting.  His  favor- 
ite resort  was  the  Exchange  Hotel,  where  he 
would  hide  in  the  cellar  and  chase  the  women 
when  they  eu^ered.  On  one  occasion  he 
entered  the  dining  room  and  frightened  the 
girls  so  they  climhed  on  the  tal>le.  He  kept 
guard  for  nearly  a  half  hour,  when  the  girls 
cried  for  help.  He  performed  his  last  trick  at 
supper  time  Friday,  when  he  chased  one  of  the 
girls  up  the  cellar  stairs  and  caught  her  dress  in 
his  teeth.  She  drew  his  head  tlirough  the 
door,  slammed  the  door  shut,  and  held  him 
there  until  one  of  the  other  girls  hrought  a 
cleaver  and  split  his  head  open.  The  hody 
weighed  twenty-seven  pounds,  and  the  hide 
will  be  stuffed.  — The  Oil  City  Derrick. 

We  received  a  number  of  Snowy  Owls  from 
Minnesota  early  in  .January.  The  finest  one 
of  the  season  was  pui-chased  by  Philip 
Laurent,  one  of  our  subscribers. 


His  Trap  Carried  Off  by  a  Buzzard. — 

A  boy  living  at  Lewes  missed  one  of  his  musk- 
rat  traps,  the  chain  of  which  was  broken, 
indicating  that  the  trap  had  been  carried  away 
by  something  stronger  than  a  muskrat.  Two 
weeks  afterward  he  found  the  trap  in  Russell's 
woods,  and  caught  in  it  was  a  large  Turkey 
Buzzard  fastened  by  the  leg.  The  trap  was 
opened  and  the  vulture  rtew  away.  Alongside 
of  the  bird  while  it  was  in  the  trap  were  two 
eels,  which  are  supposed  to  have  been  brought 
to  the  captive  by  other  Buzzards. — ^The  Wil- 
mington Moining  News. 

A  pair  of  walrus  tusks  weighing  nearly 
fifteen  pounds  was  brought  to  us  last  week. 
Although  not  the  largest  they  were  of  suffi- 
cient size  to  attract  considerable  attention. 

Annihilated  in  Mid- air. —  Yester^lay 
afternoon  about  3  o'clock,  just  before  the 
heavy  shower,  several  gentlemen  were  sitting 
in  front  of  a  store  in  West  Nashville  when  one 
of  the  party  observed  a  large  Turkey  Buzzard 
that  was  sailing  majestically  across  the  sky, 
and  remarked  that  if  that  Buzzard  did  not 
look  out  he  would  get  wet.  Their  attention 
was  thus  called  to  the  bird,  and  all  were  lazily 
watching  its  flight,  when  suddenly,  just  as  it 
was  opposite  and  above  them,  they  were 
blinded  by  a  flash  of  lightning  which  seemingly 
exploded  on  the  back  of  the  Buzzard.  They 
were  astonished  somewhat  but  recovered  them- 
selves and  looked  for  the  Buzzard,  but  alas,  the 
majestic  bird  was  out  of  sight.  All  that  was 
left  of  him  was  a  few  black  tail  feathers, 
which  fluttered  pathetically  to  the  ground. 
Those  who  witnessed  the  phenomenon  suc- 
ceeded in  catching  several  of  the  scorched 
feathers,  which  they  exhibit  in  corroboration  of 
the  story. 

The  shooting  season  in  Massachusetts  is 
about  over,  and  there  seems  to  be  but 
one  verdict:  ''The  worst  on  record."  It  is 
impossible  to  ignore  the  fact  that  game  is 
growing  scarcer  each  succeeding  year,  and 
there  is  a  very  strong  sentiment  among  the 
gunners  that  game  importation  on  a  heroic 
scale  and  iron-bound  protective  laws  are  the 
only  things  to  save  the  game  bird  shooting  of 
the  commonwealth  from  becoming  a  thing  of 
the  past. 

The  dealers  are  taking  the  matter  up,  and 
it  is  more  than  probable  that  they  will  con- 
tribute generously  to  tlie  exchequer  of  the 
Massachusetts  Fish  and  Game  Protective  Asso- 
ciation. Those  firms  who  supply  cartridges, 
guns  and  other  requisites  for  the  sport  realize 
that  it  will  not  be  to  their  interest  that  the 
Quail  and  the  Ruffed  Grouse  shall  become  ex- 
tinct in  this  state. 

Said  Mr.  C.  E,  Schworer  of  this  city  to  a 
Herald  reporter:  "The  time  has  come  when 
we  must  import  and  tuin  out  annually 
thousands  of  birds.  The  dealers  must  come 
to  the  assistance  of  the  game  protective  asso- 
ciation. I  believe  that  it  will  pay  our  firm  to 
do  so.  Instead  of  turning  out  a  few 
hundred  Quail  at  a  time,  thousands  should  be 
let  loose.  I  am  a  strong  believer  in  big 
'  plantings.'     Instead  of  importing  birds   such 


10 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  1 


as  the  Arizona  Quail,  which  may  possibly  not 
succeed  in  Massachusetts,  and  which  at  any  rate 
are  costly  to  maintain,  would  it  not  be  better 
to  get  Quail  from  Carolina  that  we  know  will 
give  satisfaction,  and  at  any  rate  can  be  got 
for  far  less  money?  The  great  need  of  the 
M.  F.  G.  P.  A.  has  been  money,  but  I  believe 
that  subscripti(ms  will  in  future  flow  in  with 
much  greater  freedom,  as  sjjortsmen  are  now 
beginning  to  realize  the  grand  work  it  is  doing 
in  their  behalf. 

"In  my  opinion  every  man  who  handles 
gun  and  dog  in  Massachusetts  should  send  in  a 
donation  of  at  least  $5  a  year  to  the  associa- 
tion. It  would  prove  money  well  invested. 
A  first-class  gun  costs  from  ^1.50  to  $2b0,  a 
broken  dog  is  worth  a  large  sum,  then  ammu- 
nition is  not  given  away,  and  when  to  these 
items  are  added  the  value  of  time  taken 
from  business  and  actual  travelling  expenses, 
it  will  be  readily  seen  that  $5  to  guarantee 
something  at  which  to  shoot  is  but  a  trifling 
consideration." — Boston  Herald. 

A  party  in  Montana  offers  us  a  tame  Rocky 
Mountain  sheep.  He  writes  regarding  it  that 
it  is  kept  tied  as  it  can  jump  a  twenty-foot 
fence  easily. 

To  Fricasske  Pigeons.  —  Cut  two  pigeons 
into  pieces,  and  wash  and  clean  them  well,  and 
put  them  into  a  stewpan  with  a  pint  of  water  and 
the  same  of  claret,  season  it  witli  pepi^er  and 
salt,  a  blade  of  mace,  one  onion,  a  bunch  of 
sweet  herbs  and  an  ounc<^  and  a  half  of  butter 
rolled  in  tiour ;  cover  the  stewpan  closely,  and  let 
them  stew  vmtil  there  is  just  enough  for  the 
sauce;  then  take  out  the  onion  and  the  herbs 
and  place  the  pieces  of  pigeon  on  a  dish  and 
keep  them  hot;  beat  the  yolks  of  three  eggs 
and  stir  them  into  the  gravy  until  it  is  thick 
and  smooth;  then  put  in  the  pigeon  and  shake 
all  together  over  the  hre;  put  the  pieces  of 
pigeon  into  a  dish  and  pour  the  sauce  over 
them;  scatter  some  fried  oysters  over  the  top 
and  lay  slices  of   toasted  bacon  around. 

Pigeon  Compote.  —  Truss  six  young  pigeons, 
as  for  boiling,  and  fill  their  craws  with  force- 
meat, lard  them  down  the  breasts,  and  fry 
brown  in  butter,  then  put  them  into  a  stew- 
pan with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  good  gravy, 
and  when  they  have  stewed  three-quarters  of 
an  hour  thicken  it  with  a  piece  of  butter 
rolled  in  flour:  serve  with  the  gravy  strained 
over  them,  and  garnish  them  with  forcemeat 
balls. 

May  10,  1891,  at  Fayette  County,  Ga.,  the 
nest  of  Cjolumhn  carolinensis  was  taken.  It 
was  located  in  a  black  gum  tree,  ten  feet  up. 
It  contained  three  eggs,  which  is  unusual. 
The  nest  was  composed  of  pine  needles  and 
grass.  This  sijecies  is  very  common  through- 
out the  southern  states.  They  begin  nesting 
the  latter  part  of  March.     Glen.  B.  Wynn. 

Before  the  society  of  American  Ornitholo- 
gists a  paper  was  read  recently  on  "  Why  the 
Mocking  Birds  left  New  Jersey."  The  New 
York  Tribune  lays  it  to  the  fact  that  the 
mosquitoes  crowded  them  off  the  perch. 


AN    ANTIQUATED  ADAGE. 

"Shoot  lolly  as  it  flies,"  said  Pope; 
liiit  in  tlu-se  latter  days 
'  Tis  better  far  to  let  it  tly, 
And  shoot  it  when  it  stays. 

— Post. 

Folly  is  a  bit  of  game  which  evidently  was 
in  existence  at  the  time  of  Pope,  and  has 
survived  the  attacks  of  the  dude-sportsmen 
since.  There  is  plenty  of  this  kind  of  game 
left  for  them  to  shoot  at  as  is  well  shown  by 
the  acts  of  these  gentry  at  this  day.  They  will 
not  harm  anything. 

A  cow  moose  so  gentle  that  the  children  can 
play  with  it,  and  that  it  is  allowed  to  run 
about  with  the  cattle,  has  been  offered  for  sale 
to  us. 

The  Mexican  hairless  dog  whose  epidermis 
is  to  be  transferred  to  a  man's  arm  believes 
that  it  is  a  skin  game. — Boston  News. 

The  Sportsman  and  Tourist.  Jamaica  Plain, 
Mass.,  (a  forty-page  magazine  devoted  to  sports- 
men and  tourists  and  pleasure  seekers). 
Subscription  rate  has  been  reduced  to  $1.00 
l)er  annum.  We  now  offer  it  in  connection  with 
the  O.  &  O.  for  $1.50  for  the  two  magazines. 

To  Separate  Fighting  Dogs.  —  Apply  to 
the  nostrils  a  pinch  of  snuff  or  pepper,  or  a 
handkerchief  wet  with  ammonia. 

Large  flocks  of  wild  ducks  have  been  going- 
over  Niagara  Falls  for  the  last  week.  The 
birds  have  been  gathering  in  laige  numbers 
above  the  falls  for  two  or  three  weeks  past. 
They  float  out  and  down  the  river  until  they 
are  caught  in  the  rapids  and  are  whirled  along 
over  the  brink.  Those  that  are  not  killed  are 
stunned  and  seem  bewildered.  The  largest 
bags  of  this  game  weie  made  the  other  night, 
wJien  a  dozen  men  picked  up  some  four  hun- 
dred in  the  river  belo  \  the  falls.  Thegame  is 
shipped  to  Eastern  markets. 

Pakkots  Dangerous.  — One  day,  when  this 
parrot's  mistress  was  very  busy,  and  did  not 
care  to  see  callers,  she  happened  to  look  out  of 
the  window,  and  saw  an  acquaintance  ap- 
proaching  the    house. 

"■There  comen  Mrs  B.  Bear,  dear  P^  she 
said   in    a   tone   of   impatience. 

A  moment  later,  Mrs.  B.  was  ushered  in.  On 
the  instant  Polly  exclaimed,  with  a  remaikable 
imitation  of  her  mistress's  t<me  and  emphasis, 

"  There  comes  Mrs.  B.    Bear,  dear  T' 

The  number  of  wild  ducks  which  are  seen 
ill  Charles  River  this  season  since  cold  weather 
began  is  said  to  exceed  all  previous  seasons. 
—  Boston  Transcript. 

This  is  within  city  limits. 

American  Quail  are  being  introduced  into 
China,  for  the  benefit  of  American  and  English 
sportsmen.  —  Herald. 

There  are  said  to  be  about  fifty  buffaloes 
left  in  Wyoming.  —  Herald. 

Related  to  the  Dodo. — The  insect  house 
at  the  Zoological  Gardens  contains  an  interest- 
ing little  bird  which  might  be  easily  passed 
over  by  the  visitor  on  account  of  its    resem- 


January,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


11 


blance  to  an  ordinary  jjigeon.  This  resemblance 
is  in  no  way  deceptive,  for  it  is  a  pigeon  wliich 
lias  acquired  a  certain  amount  of  fame,  or 
rather  notoriety,  on  account  of  its  near  rela- 
tionship to  the  Dodo.  This  kinship  has  not, 
however,  been  admitted  by  recent  authorities, 
and  so  tlie  name  Didunculus  has  been  got  by 
false  pretences,  although  tlie  alliance  claimed 
for  the  bird  is  by  no  means  a  noble  one.  But 
this  little  pigeon  is  interesting  for  tlie  ingen- 
ious way  in  which  it  has  defeated  the  machina- 
tions of  that  enemy  of  the  bird  tribe,  the  cat. 
Didunculus  lives  in  Samoa,  where  there  were 
originally,  of  course,  no  cats.  These  were 
introduced,  and  made  short  work  with  the 
Manumea,  as  the  natives  call  the  bird,  killing 
not  only  the  adult,  but  the  chicks  in  the  nest. 
Owiug  to  its  habit  of  nesting  upon  the  ground 
the  bird  nearly  became  extinct;  suddenly,  ho>v- 
ever,  it  took  to  building  its  nest  upon  the  tree 
tops,  where  it  could  bring  up  its  young  ones 
in  peace,  and  since  that  time  the  bird  has 
asain  become  fairly  plentiful.  — London  Daily 
News. 

Mr.  K.  H.  White,  Jr.,  of  Boston,  has  brought 
in  foi'  our  inspection  a  new  book  of  record  for 
birds'  skins  and  eggs,  made  for  his  own  use. 
The  first  includes  all  the  points  of  measure- 
ment: on  one  column  at  left  of  the  page  (ten 
items);  a  column  at  other  side  for  other 
items  of  usual  interest,  and  space  for  remarks 
in  centre  of  page,  the  whole  bound  in  a  book 


The    egg   record   is   equally    complete. 


Mr, 


White  is  taking  great  interest  in  ornithology 
at  present,  and  bids  fair  to  become  one  of  the 
shining  lights  in  the  science,  if  he  continues 
as  he  has  begun. 

A  Curious  CANAiiv. — A  childless  couple 
up  town  expend  most  of  their  sympathies  on 
a  canary  bird  which  is  a  crank  on  the  feather 
question.  The  little  fellow,  who  is  seven 
years  old,  has  always  had  ;ui  aversion  to  his 
natural  dress,  and  has  industriously  pulled 
out  every  feather  he  could  reach.  The  result 
is  that  he  has  novv  a  smooth,  shiny  skin  which 
looks  like  polished  parchment,  two  or  three 
lonely  tail  feathers,  and  a  trifle  of  plumage  on 
his  head  and  neck.  In  summer  he  is  all  riglit, 
but  the  cold  of  winter  bothers  him.  As  soon 
iXH  frost  comes  he  is  clad  in  a  warm  flannel 
jacket,  which  lie  admires  immensely.  At 
night  he  lies  down  on  a  bed  of  cotton  batting, 
submits  quietly  to  be  covered  up.  and  sleeps 
there  contentedly  till  morning.  If  the  cold 
bc'-omes  too  severe,  he  calls  out  until  he  is 
taken  out  of  the  cage  and  put  in  bed  with  liis 
mistress,  to  whom  he  cuddles  up  eagerly  for 
warmth.  — New  York  Sun. 

One  of  our  contemporaries,  in  the  .lanuary 
issue,  presents  a  beautifully  colored  plate  of 
what  we  should  call  the  Audubon's  Warbler. 
Owing  to  some  peculiar  phase  of  plumage  it 
flits  under  other  colors. 

How  Sf.rpents  Move.  —  King  Solomon  ac- 
knowledged that  there  were  "three  things 
which  are  too  wonderful  for  me  —  yea,  four 
which  I  know  not,"  and  one  of  tliese  was 
"tlie  way  of  a  serpent  upon   a  rock."      For 


hundreds  of  years  after  the  time  of  Solomon 
the  snake's  mode  of  progression  remained 
a  mystery.  Latter  day  men  of  science  have 
learned  that  his  snakeship's  ribs  furnish  him 
with  a  means  of  progression.  So,  instead  of 
having  a  pair  or  two  pairs  of  "feet,"  they 
really  have  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  pairs.  Aristotle  thought  that  ser- 
pents had  as  many  ribs  as  there  are  days  in  a 
month,  but  had  he  examined  a  python  he 
would  have  readily  detected  his  mistake,  that 
species  having  four  hundred.  Snakes  move  in 
this  way:  Each  vertebra  suj^ports  a  pair  of 
ribs,  which  act  like  a  pair  of  legs,  the  extrem- 
ities being  connected  by  a  broad  plate.  The 
hind  part  of  this  plate  is  free,  and  when  the 
ribs  are  moved  forward  that  end  is  raised,  so 
that  it  takes  hold  of  the  surface  underneath, 
even  tliough  it  be  glass,  the  straightening  of 
the  reptile  proi)elling  it  forward.  — Dover 
(N.  H.)  Star. 

Ornithologists  tell  us  that  when  feeding,  the 
stride  of  the  ostrich  is  from  20  to  22  inches; 
when  walking  but  not  feeding,  26  inches,  and 
when  terrified  llj^  to  14  feet,  or  at  the  rate  of 
about  25  miles  an  hour.  —  Clipping. 

But  very  few  Snowy  Owls  have  been  reported 
in  New  England  this  winter.  The  usual  num- 
ber of  Barred  Owls  are  also  wanting.  The 
unusual  mildness  of  the  season  we  think 
unquestionably  accounts  for  it. 

Wood  Worms  Can't  Stand  Benzine. — 
Wf)od  worms  can  be  destroyed  in  books  and 
woodwork  by  benzine.  Books  are  locked  up 
in  a  cupboard  with  a  saucer  of  benzine.  The 
insects,  as  well  as  their  larvas  and  eggs,  soon 
die  off.  Furniture  and  carvings  are  similarly 
placed  in  a  room  with  a  dish  of  benzine  and 
kept  closed  up  for  several  weeks,  the  time 
required  for  the  complete  destruction  of  the 
insects  varying  according  to  the  thickness  of 
the  wood.  New  wood-work  can  be  protected 
against  their  entry  by  a  coating  of  glue,  as, 
living  on  veaetable  substances,  tliey  do  not 
toucli  animal  products.  —  New  York  Journal. 

Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson  is  trying  to  stock 
Alaska  with  Siberian  Reindeer.  It's  a  pity  he 
couldn't  import  some  of  the  exiles  at  tlie  same 
time.  —  Post. 

No  Celebration.  —  Uncle  Rastus:  "I'se 
afeard  I  ain't  goin'  ter  hab  no  turkey  fer  mail 
Thanksgivin'  dis  year." 

Hooks:  "  Why  not  Uncle  Rastus?  Are  the 
prices  too  high  for  you?" 

Uncle  Rastus:  "No,  sah;  but  de  fences  is." 
—  Life. 

We  read  recently  of  a  fox  being  caufjlit  and 
held  by  a  barbed  wire  fence  until  some  hunters 
came  up  and  captured  the  animal.  His  bushy 
tail  had  in  some  way  become  entangled  in 
barbs  and  it  was  more  certain  in  its  giip  than 
a  steel  trap.  Last  Friday  while  Will  M.  Small 
was  out  hunting  he  noticed  something  peculiar 
fluttering  from  the  top  rail  of  a  barbed  wire 
fence  between  the  Highlands  and  North  Truro. 
On  going  up  to  investigate  he  discovered  a 
large   owl   of   the   "Long-eared"   species,   se- 


12 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  1 


curely  fastened  to  one  of  the  sharp  wire  barbs 
and  dead.  The  bird  had  evidently  been  tliere 
several  days,  a..d  suffered  a  slow  torture. 
One  of  tlie  wires  had  gone  entirely  through 
between  the  bt)nes  and  cords  of  the  wing  near 
the  body  and  jiinioned  him  with  a  grip  of 
death.     A  very  peculiar  trap  surely. 

We  have  received  two  fine  skins  of  the 
Newfoundland  Caribou,  both  bucks  with  hue 
antlers,  and  suitable  for  mounting.  Tbe 
antlers  are  much  heavier  than  those  that  we 
have  from  other  sections  in  the  East. 

Any  person  having  information  in  their  pos- 
session relating  to  the  first  arrival  of  tiie  fol- 
lowing sjiecies  in  Newfnuudlaml,  Labrador, 
Cape  Breton  Island,  Prince  Edward  Island, 
Magdalens,  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick, 
Urand  Manan,  Maine,  Province  of  Quebec,  or 
Manitoba,  for  the  sjiring  of  188.5,  will  confer 
a  great  favor  by  communicating  the  same  to 
Harry  Gordon  \Vliite,  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture, Washington:  Robin,  Bluebird,  Baltimore 
Oriole,  Catbird,  Summer  or  Yellow  Warbler, 
and  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 


Extinction  of  the  Giraffe. — The  giraffe 
is  in  danger  of  extinction.  Ten  years  ago 
herds  of  seventy  or  eighty  could  be  found, 
where  to-day  thirteen  would  be  a  large  herd. 
An  African  chieftain,  however,  Khama,  has 
taken  the  giraffe  under  his  protection  and 
preserves  it,  just  as  the  czar  of  Russia  has 
preserved  in  a  forest  of  Lithuania  the 
European  bison  from  extinction. — Clipping. 

It  Makes  a  Diffekence. — Wife:  "'My dear, 
that  horrid  man  next  door  has  killed  tlie  dog." 

Husband:  "Well,  never  mind,  my  dear,  I"ll 
get  you  another  one  some  time." 

Wife:  "  But  it  wasn't  my  Fido  that  he  killed: 
it  was  your  hunting  dog.'" 

Husband  (wildly):  "Where  is  mvgun?"  — 
N.  Y.  Herald. 

W.  E.  Clyde  Todd,  Washington,  D.  C. 
(Division  Ornitliology  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture) wrote  us  a  few  days  since  requesting  the 
names  of  our  subscribers  wlio  resided  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  list  was  sent  to  him  and 
in  return  he  very  kindly  sent  us  quite  a  list  of 
ornithologists  in  the  state  who  were  not  in- 
cluded. Siiould  this  reach  the  eye  of  any 
ornitliologist  it  miglit  be  of  assistance  to  Mr. 
Todd  if  tliey  would  drop  him  a  postal  giving 
their  address. 

Much  discussion  w<is  evoked  sometime  since 
by  the  question  of  the  change  of  plumage  by 
the  Mallard  Drake.  Mr.  Geo.  E.  Board  man,  a 
vetei'an  naturalist  and  a  careful  observer,  on  a 
recent  visit  to  our  office,  stated  that  the  $  Mal- 
lard loses  its  green  head  every  season  about  May, 
and  resumes  it  again  in  the  fall.  In  the  inter- 
im it  does  not  particularly  resemble  the  9 
as  it  has  the  green  wing-patch,  and  the  curled 
tail,  with  a  sort  of  mottled  gray  plumage.  Mr. 
Boardman  has  shot  this  bird  in  New  England 
and  in  the  West  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and 
is  positive  whereof  he  speaks.  It  is  somewhat 
curious  that  this  fact  has  so  long  been  hidden 
from  the  ken  of  the  run  of  collectors  if  it  has 
been  known. 


No  Longer  Tabooed.  —  There  was  a  time 
when  peacock's  feathers  were  tabooed  because 
considered  too  unlucky  to  be  admitted  to  the 
house.  Now  my  lady  is  not  at  all  up  to  the 
mode  if  she  has  no  screen  of  the  vain  bird's 
plumage  in  her  boudoir.  Not  only  that,  but 
she  ties  the  unlucky  plumage  about  her  neck 
for  a  boa,  fringes  her  garments  with  the  glossy 
feathers,  and  even  sets  them  against  the 
warmth  of  her  fair  shoulders  in  the  neck  of 
her  evening  bodice.  —  Boston  Globe. 

All  birds  seem  to  have  an  instinctive  knowl- 
edge that  if  they  once  surrender  to  the  force 
of  the  wiiul  and  allo.v  themselves  to  tlrift  like 
leaves,  there  are  unkno-n  dangers  in  store  ft)r 
them.  They  will  hardly  ever  do  so  except  to 
escape  pursuit,  and  then  only  for  a  few  minutes, 
when  their  pace  is  so  marvellously  rapid  that, 
in  the  case  of  land  birds,  a  few  minutes  is 
sufficient  tt)  carry  them  out  of  the  district 
they  know  into  others  from  which  they  will 
perhajjs  never  be  able  to  find  their  way  back  to 
the  fields  which  are  their  native  home.  — 
Science. 

A  woman  in  Indiana  has  gone  to  eating  dog 
to  cure  consumption.  Probably  the  medicinal 
quality  is  in  the  bark.  —  Post. 

A  Pelican's  Pouch.  —  In  Gray's  Harbor, 
Wash.,  the  Pelican  is  a  common  sight.  Capt. 
Bergman,  of  the  steamer  Typhoon,  shot  two  of 
the  birds  the  other  day.  and,  in  order  to  find 
out  how  much  water  the  pouch  of  this  bird 
would  hold,  he  cut  oh"  the  head  of  one  of  them 
and  tied  a  string  tiglitly  alxuitthe  neck.  Water 
from  <a  faucet  was  allowed  to  fiow  in,  and 
when  the  pouch  was  filled  it  contained  six 
gallons.  —  Dover  (N.   H.)  Star. 

The  United  States  Government  now  issues 
$   &    ^    Postal   Cards. 

December  and  May. — Tiie  old  man  who 
mariies  the  "dear  little  duck"  usually  gets 
"  iienpecked,"  and  acknowledges  himself  an 
"old   goose."- — New  York  Herald. 

Wanted. —  A  copy  of  Minot's  liand  and 
Game  Birds.  Will  give  satisfactory  exchange 
or  will  pay  cash,  if  price  is  not  too  high. 
Frank  A.  Bates,  care  of  O.  &  O. 

tacking. 
'Xeath  tropic  suns  and  arctic  seas 

He  gaily  sailed  a  wlialer; 
Anfl  when  he  wished  for  exercise 
He  gaily  whaled  a  sailor. 

— Clipping. 

Mistook  a  Snake  for  a  Fence  Rail. — 
Joseph  Graham  of  Jones  district  had  fed  his 
hogs  the  other  morning  and  was  leaning  on 
the  fence  looking  at  them  eat,  when  he  felt 
something  chilly  fondling  and  caressing  him 
in  a  peculiarly  earnest  way  about  the  head, 
face  and  neck.  He  saw  at  once  that  he  had 
placed  his  elbow  about  midway  on  the  body 
of  a  king  snake,  several  feet  long,  and  was 
holding  him  fast  down  on  the  rail,  and,  as  you 
would  suppose,  both  ends  of  the  snake  being 
loose,  they  cut  up  vigorous  and  rapid  capers 
about  Mr.  Graham's  countenance.  Mr. 
Graham  says  he  took  his  elbow  off  as  soon  as 
he  found  that  the  snake  did  not  want  it  to 
stay  on. 

A  happy  New  Year  to  you  all. 


January,  1892.J 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


13 


Correspondence. 


Editor  of  O.  <b  O.: 

The  Massachusetts  Society  for  the  Protection 
of   Game  has  lately  been  introducing  game- 
birds  into  the  state,  and  have  stocked  some 
muchly    depleted    sections     with     Bob-white, 
Sharp-tailed   and  Pinnated  Grouse   and   Gam- 
bel's  Partridge.     A  member  of  the  committee 
has  now  at  his  place  in  our  market  a  consign- 
ment  of  eleven  English  Partridges,   imported 
for  a  friend  in  Oregon.     This  fact  prompts  the 
Boston   Herald    to   say   that   "There   is   little 
doubt  that  they  will  find  the  climate  suitable 
to   their   needs.     It  seems,   however,   risky  to 
import  so   small    a   number.      In    stocking   a 
ground  with  game  or  a  stream  with  fisli  it  is 
always  safest  to  rely  upon  a  good-sized  plant- 
ing rather  than  upon  a  few  individuals.     Game 
propagation  is  becoming  quite  the   rage  with 
sportsmen,  and  is  a   relief  after  the  slaughter 
that  has  been  going  on  all  over  Xortli  America 
for  the  last  twenty-five  years.     '  Unless  game 
in  planted  and  protected  the  next  generation 
may  take  to  billiards  or  skittles  or  some  other 
harmless  recreation,    but    there    will    be    but 
little  use  for  either  scatter-guu  or  rifle.'  "     The 
scribe   of    your    neighbor    little   presumed,    I 
tliink,  of  what  he  was  writing,  and  how  much 
his   words  meant  in  the   last  sentence  of  his 
paragraph.     And  how  true  it  is  that  so  many 
birds  are  destroyed  by  sportsmen  (?)  that  the 
country  has  to  be  restocked.     And  yet   "The 
SiJoitsman"  is  allowed  a  few  months  in  each 
year  when  he  can  slaugliter  at  his  pleasure  all 
the    "game-birds"    that   he   chooses.      Good! 
Why  should  not   the  "Naturalist"  also  have 
an  ()i)en  season  when  he  can  shoot  a  few  birds  ? 
And  lie  will  not  point  with  pride  at  a  string  of 
"  twenty  <iuail,  all  taken  on  the  wing,  in  one 
day";    and    not   one   collector    in   a   hundred 
would  shoot  over  four  or  five  birds  of  a  kind, 
and  there  are  not  so  many  "bird  cranks"  as 
there  are  "  game  gunners."     Oh,  no,   it  is  the 
fad  that  the  birds  mast  be  protected,  and  pro- 
viding that  a  certain  class  has  not  money  to 
procure    the    necessary    legislation    or    make 
themselves   feared   among   those   who   control 
the  laws  and  rules  of  conduct,  they  must  take 
a  back  seat  and  wait  their  turn.  B. 


can  Golden  Eye  {Glaucionetta  clangula  ameri- 
cana).  I  suppose  I  must  give  the  Latin  natne 
or  some  scientific  crank  will  take  me  to  task 
for  not  writing  something  that  common  people 
cannot  read,  so  I  give  it.  At  the  same  time 
the  local  name  may  be  as  good  as  any,  so  here 
it  is,  —  "Whistler."  Eed-breasted  Merganser 
{Merganser  serrator),  American  Merganser 
(Merganser  americanus),  —  these  last  two 
are  both  known  as  Sheldrakes,  and  at  times, 
to  define  them,  spring  and  winter  Sheldrakes. 
Long-tailed  Duck,  "Old  Squaw"  (Clangula  hy- 
emalis).  American  Eider,  "Black  aiid  White 
Sea  Duck"  (Somateria  dresseri).  Besides  these 
there  were  Puffins,  Little  Auks,  Grebes,  Loons, 
Guillemots  and  others.  As  yet  they  are  very 
scarce.  Frederic  L.  Small. 

Provincetowu,  Mass. 


Editor  O.  &  O.: 

The  birds  looked  for  at  this  time  of  year 
seem  to  come  very  slowly.  For  instance,  at 
this  time  one  year  ago  the  harbor  and  bay 
were  almost  alive  with  such   birds   as   Ameri- 


Editor  of  0.   tf;  O.: 

Upon  first  arriving  at  Guilford  College, 
about  two  months  ago,  I  was  struck  with  what, 
to  me,  was  the  seeming  scarcity  of  bird  life,  but 
I  soon  located  this  scarcity  as  being  principally 
among  the  aquatic  birds,  there  being  no  bodies 
of  water  of  much  size  within  several  miles  of 
here,  wMnle  in  Florida  where  I  had  spent  the 
past  nine  years  there  are  lakes  and  ponds 
innumerable,  furnishing  homes  and  feeding 
grounds  for  thousands  of  water  birds;  so 
naturally  I  was  a  little  disappointed  in  finding 
them  here  in  such  small  numbers. 

At  this  place,  located  as  it  is,  midway  be- 
tween the  mountains  and  the  coast,  with  no 
rivers  close,  the  field  could  not  be  expected  to 
furnish  much  of  a  variety  of  birds.  However, 
I  have  observed  Chickadees,  Robins,  Gros- 
beaks, Quails,  and  many  other  common  vaii- 
eties;  Cai-olina  Wrens  are  quite  numerous,  as 
are  also  Turkey  Vultures,  Red-eyed  Vireos, 
Sparro*vs,  and  Hairy  Woodpeckers;  have  seen 
Cooper's  Hawks,  Waxwing,  one  Wood  Duck 
(dead),  Pileated  Woodpecker,  and  on  October 
13th  watched  a  Bald  Eagle  as  he  flew  over, 
going  south.  This  is  tlie  only  Eagle  I  have 
seen,  and,  from  what  I  hear,  I  suppose  they 
are  not  very  common  in  this  locality. 

Have  learned  of  some  Wild  Turkeys  within 
a  few  miles  of  here;  am  to  investigate  it  soon. 

T.  G.  Pearson. 
Asst.  Curator  of   College    Museum,   Guilford  College, 
N.  C. 

Editor  of  O.  &  O.: 

The  December  issue  of  the  O.  &  O.  lias  just 
received  my  careful  attention,  and  find  it  re- 
plete with  customary  information  and  points 
of  interest. 


14 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  1 


I  congratulate  its  management  ui^on  the  suc- 
cessful termination  of  the  sixteenth  vol  time,  and 
doubt  not  future  numbers  of  the  little  journal 
will  be  quite  as  indispensable  to  the  ornitholo- 
gist as  well  as  those  interested  in  other 
branches  familiar  to  the  naturalist.  I  heartily 
concur  with  the  views  expressed  in  one  of  the 
December  editorials  to  the  effect  that  the  Ok- 
NiTHOLOGiST  AND  OoLOGiST  should  not  be 
"  exclusively  scientific,"  but  that  its  columns 
should  be  open  to  other  branches  of  natural 
history  and  "items  that  make  us  smile."  This 
latter  brings  the  reader  into  close  sympathy 
witli  the  author  and  renders  the  features  of  tlie 
paper  more  susceptible  of  general  interest, 
while  many  subjects  treated  will  of  tlieir  own 
nature  require  the  introduction  of  sufficient 
scientific  matter  to  please  those  whose  tastes 
run  in  that  direction. 

I  have  recently  mounted  an  Albino  Blue  J;iy 
and  would  be  glad  to  know  if  any  readers  of 
the  O.  &  O.  ever  came  across  one  of  tlie  kind. 
This  specimen  is  of  a  rich  ci'eam  color  and  I 
regard  it  quite  an  acquisition  to  my  collection. 
I  have  also  mounted  several  white  stjuirrels 
killed  in  this  neighborhood. 

AVas  much  amused  at  a  case  of  mistaken 
identity  which  occurred  Wednesday  night  in 
my  poultry  yard.  A  hunter  having  "tipped 
the  wing"  of  a  large  Bald  Eagle  sent  the  bird 
to  me  to  be  mounted.  As  its  wounded  wing 
just  barely  prevented  its  flying  at  the  time,  and 
appeared  to  be  healing  so  rapidly,  the  unfortu- 
nate bird  was  placed  in  an  ordinary  hen  coop, 
fed  and  given  a  little  longer  lease  of  life.  But 
night  before  last  some  unknown  genius  visited 
the  chicken  yard  in  question  and  adroitly  un- 
twisted the  wire  fastening  on  the  door  of  the 
coop.  In  this  was  quietly  perched  the  eagle  — 
in  full  feathers  and  war  paint, —  no  doubt 
dreaming  of  freedom  or  the  honor  the  Amer- 
ican people  put  upon  his  tribe  by  placing  him 
uijon  a  ten-dollar  gold  piece  and  then  giving  it 
his  name.  He  was  then  and  there  snatched 
from  his  only  i^innacle  of  fame  and  forthwith 
entered  a  vigorous  protest.  American  bird,  he 
believed  in  civil  and  social  rights  and  did  not 
intend  to  be  handicapped  by  the  rough  hand 
of  oppression  without  making  his  power 
known.  The  niglit  was  dark Morn- 
ing's gray  dawn  visited  the  poultry  yard  and 
disclosed  the  meaning  of  the  situation.  The 
proud  bird  was  still  master  and  enjoying  the 
liberties  of  a  large  yard,  out  of  which  he  had 
evidently  not  tried  to  make  his  escape.  Me 
returned   quietly  to  his  throne  in  the  coop  audi 


seemed   chagrined  to  have  been  mistaken  for 
the  most  timid  of  birds, —  a  common  turkey. 

It  would  be  interestijig  to  know  the  other 
side  of  the  case.  Mr.  Snatchem  Atnight  no 
doubt  was  chuckling  to  himself  when  he  found 
notliing  but  a  wire  fastening  on  the  door — 
easily  removed.  He  felt  a  magnificent  speci- 
men of  fowl,  and  his  mouth  watered  at  the 
prospect  of  a  turkey  dinner  for  Christmas  day. 
But  was  it  the  "old  boy"  in  a  feathery  suit 
and  a  forked  tongue  that  he  was  gently  propos- 
ing to  remove,  which  lacerated  his  hands  and 
stamped  upon  his  mind  indelibly  the  eighth 
commandment? 

J.  E.  Tylur. 
Easton,  Md. 

[Some  three  years  since  we  had  an  Albino 
Blue  Jay,  white  as  a  bird  could  be.  On  the 
wings  a  faint  tracing  in  white  could  be  seen  of 
the  usual  markings. — Ed.] 


New  Publications. 

Fremde  Eier  im  Nest.  Another  Bird's  Egg 
in  the  Nest. 
Tlie  above  is  the  title  of  a  unique  work  re- 
cently published  by  Paul  Leverkuhn,  C.  M., 
A.  O.  U.,  C.  M.  Z.  S.,  etc.,  of  Munich,  and  of- 
fered to  American  collectors  through  his  agent, 
A.  E.  Pettit,  15  Cortlandt  street.  New  York, 
A  handsome  volume  printed  on  super  calen- 
dared pai)er  and  bound  in  antique  paper.  Tlie 
author,  well  known  in  Germany  as  an  orni- 
thologist, discusses  what  is  to  us  a  somewhat 
novel  ornithological  subject;  the  behavior  of 
parent  birds  against  eggs  not  deposited  by 
themselves  in  their  nest,  but  introduced  by 
other  birds  of  the  same  species  or  another  one, 
or  by  men.  He  gives  a  mass  of  detail  under 
each  head  of  the  four  divisions,  into  which  he 
divided  his  theme,  and  he  takes  from  the 
American  literature  which  he  knows  in  a  sur- 
prising manner.  All  little  journals  are  searched 
and  investigated.  Our  brother  ornithologists 
in  Europe  spoke  in  the  highest  pride  and  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  work,  and  in  the  Edin- 
burgh newspapei',  the  Scotsman,  wiites  in  his 
review  of  books:  "Mr.  Paul  Leverkuhn  has 
studied  the  matter  with  a  care  that  goes  to  the 
ground  of  it  and  seems  to  leave  nothing  to  be 
done  by  a  successor."  Similar  criticisms  ap- 
peared in  tiie  Ibis,  Zool.  Garden,  Ornith. 
Monthly,  Nature,  Feathered  World,  Helios  and 
many  other  periodicals.  We  would  recom- 
mend this  volume  as   a  valuable   addition  to 


January,  1892.J 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


15 


any  library.  The  copies  sent  here  are  not  for 
profit  but  simply  to  gain  an  entry  into  the 
libraries  of  our  American  ornithologists. 

Mmy  a  diamond  is  hidden  beneath  a  rough 
crust,  but  how  much  better  when  we  can  see 
the  beauties  without  digging  it  out  from  be- 
neath the  rude  exterior.  Many  worthy  articles 
are  consigned  to  the  waste  basket  by  the  re- 
morseless editor,  because  their  beauties  are 
hidden  beneath  uncouth  wording,  poor  diction, 
and  worse  punctuation ;  and  if  said  editor 
happens  to  have  a  "sorehead"  he  will  not 
bother  to  pick  out  the  diamonds  from  the 
gravel  which  encumbers  them. 

We  have  had  handed  to  us  a  little  book  by 
Kellogg  &  Reed  on  the  English  Language, 
which  would  enable  many  of  the  parties  from 
whom  emanate  these  encrusted  gems  to  crack 
off  the  crust  and  so  often  save  the  jewels.  It 
gives  the  various  grammatical  changes  with 
prefixes,  suffixes  and  synonyms,  in  short  con- 
cise language.  It  cannot  be  learned  in  a  day, 
and  new  beauties  develop  with  each  examina- 
tion. Published  by  Effingham,  Maynard  &  Co., 
X.  Y.  H.  I.  Smith,  of  Boston,  is  the  Jsew  Eng- 
land representative  of  the  firm. 

Naturalists  are  too  prone,  as  a  general  thing, 
to  turn  the  study  of  nature  into  a  matter-of- 
fact  channel,  and  dwelling  more  on  tlie  pecu- 
liarities of  their  plumage  and  its  variations 
than  upon  their  habits  as  seen  by  him  who 
goes  into  their  homes  and  becomes  one  of  their 
brotherhood. 

About  ten  years  ago  Wilson  Flagg  got  out  a 
book  through  a  prominent  Boston  publislier, 
on  "  A  Year  Avith  the  Birds,"  but  it  never 
sold,  although  it  was  a  good  treatment  of  the 
home-life  of  our  feathered  friends.  It  has 
now  been  taken  in  hand  by  the  Educational 
Publishing  Co..  and  brought  out  as  a  text 
book  for  school  use. 

The  author  did  his  part  passably  well,  for 
although  some  of  his  remarks  are  not  above 
criticism   he   has  made  a  very  readable   book. 

The  publishers,  however,  have  shown  that 
tiiey  were  not  ornitliologists,  or  if  they  were, 
tliey  have  not  collated  wisely,  nor  chosen  well, 
lor  on  page  38,  among  Birds  ol'  the  Garden  and 
Orchard  is  shown  a  reproduction  of  an  old 
English  cut  of  a  group  of  Sparrows;  very  well, 
but  it  is  among  descriptions  of  Vireos  and  birds 
of  tliat  ilk,  and  not  a  word  of  our  alien  friend, 
PuHner  doDiesticus.  He  might  well  be  admitted 
here,  although  he  does  not  fraternize  well  with 
the  Vireo,  and  through  no  fault  of  his;  but  our 


friend  of  the  hanging  nest  loves  better  the 
depths  of  the  forest  than  the  eternal  chatter 
of  his  English  cousin.  On  page  63,  commences 
an  excellent  description  of  the  habits  of  our 
own  Robin  Redbreast,  and  is  preceded  by  a 
full-page  illustration  of  what  purports  to  be 
the  English  Robin.  Xow  our  bird  is  not  a 
Robin  at  all,  but  a  Thrush,  while  the  European 
bird  is  nearer  allied  to  our  Wagtails,  although 
the  illustration  is  nearer  like  a  Wren.  The 
author  has  done  a  very  commendable  deed  on 
page  68,  where  he  inveighs  very  strongly 
against  the  metamorphosis  of  nomenclature. 

It  may  seem  an  odd  subject  to  place  before 
a  youthful  archer,  shooting  for  ideas,  but  it 
does  seem  well  to  inculcate  in  the  minds  of 
the  young  a  firm  contempt  of  the  closet  nat- 
uralists who  would  give  us  a  new  list  every 
few  years,  each  entirely  dift'erent  from  the 
others,  until  no  one  knows  where  he  stands. 

That  the  author  was  a  well  read  man  is 
easily  seen,  and  he  generally  gives  credit  for 
his  extracts.  On  the  whole,  it  is  a  very  good 
sort  of  a  book  for  the  youthful  mind.  [A  Year 
with  the  Birds.  12  mo.,  317  pp.  Illustrated. 
Educational  Publishing  Co.,  Boston.] 


In  our  Xovember  issue  we  noted  the  speedy 
advent  of  a  new  work  on  Rifles  by  Mr.  A.  C. 
Gould,  which  it  was  hoped  would  give  to  the 
shooting  public,  information  for  which  it  has 
long  been  hungering.  How  many  sportsmen 
or  even  working  naturalists,  were  they  called 
upon  suddenly  to  select  a  new  rifle  for  per- 
sonal use,  at  the  beginning  of  an  unexpected 
trip  to  new  grounds,  would  be  able  intelli- 
gently to  select  an  arm  which  they  would  be 
able  to  use  to  their  satisfaction  in  the  days  to 
come  ■? 

Ornithological  collt3Ct(us,  especially  those 
who  take  long  trips,  often  find  themselves  in 
positions  where  their  shot-gun  is,  for  the  time 
being,  practically  useless,  as,  for  instance, 
when  lying  on  the  edge  of  a  cliff,  with  a  beau- 
tiful Glaucous  Gull  resting  on  the  water  just 
out  of  the  range  of  their  gun,  an  i  this  sight 
occurs  day  after  day.  "  My  kingdom  for  a 
rifle  ! "  but  alas,  the  bird  is  safe  for  all  that 
the  collector  is  able  to  do,  and  he  swears  that 
he  will  have  a  rifle  as  soon  as  he  steps  foot  in 
a  gun-store.  Wiien  that  delectable  day  comes 
he  is  in  a  quandary  as  to  what  gun  he  shall 
choose.  He  wants  an  arm  that  will  carry  and 
kill,  and  he  cannot  encumber  himself  with  a 
pound  more  weight  than  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, and  swaying  between  Scylla  and  Char- 
1  ybdis  of  the  various  patterns  he  chooses  at 


16 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  1 


i 


random,  and  generally  wishes  afterwards  that 
he  had  taken  some  other;  and  his  cry  then  is, 
"  If  I  had  only  had  some  guide  to  follow  which 
would  enable  me  to  choose  intelligently  !" 

Mr.  Gould,  editor  of  one  of  the  standard 
sportsmen's  periodicals  of  the  day,  a  sports- 
man himself,  an  earnest  lover  of  his  rifle,  and 
a  naturalist  of  no  mean  grade,  combining  a 
knowledge  of  what  is 
wanted  with  a  twenty-five 
years'  exi^erience  in  the 
use  of  this  form  of  arm, 
now  tells  us  what  he 
knows  about  the  subject, 
and  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  interest  the  reader, 
while  he  is  learning  the 
lesson. 

He  commences  with  the 
principles  of  a  rifle,  and 
tells  us  of  their  mode  of 
manufacture  and  the  vari- 
ous parts  of  it,  with  com- 
ments on  the  advisability 
of  the  various  patterns 
and  sections,  the  sights  in 
their  infinite  variety;  and 
T  note  that  he  advocates 
the  Lyman  sight  for  a 
hunting  rifle,  while  show- 
ing where  in  it  is  at  fault, 
—  a  difficult  task  in  such 
a  subject,  where  personal 
likes  and  dislikes  are  apt 
to  overweigh  the  desire  to 
judge  impartially,  for  in 
no  point  is  a  rifleman  so 
cranky  as  in  his  advocacy 
of  his  favorite  sight. 

Descriptions  of  various 
makes  of  the  arm  follow, 
classified  by  their  adapt- 
ability to  either  practical 
use  (hunting)  or  play 
(target-work),  and  he  ap- 
pends to  this,  positions 
and  notes  on  aiming,  hold- 
ing and  firing,  which  may 
be  studied  to  advantage 
by  even  those  experienced 
in  the  use  of  the  rifle. 

There  is  a  demand  for 
a  rifle  for  the  ornith- 
ological collector,  and  I  gather  that  Mr.  Gould 
intends  to  speak  a  good  word  for  the  new 
.25  caliber  for  light  shooting.  It  has  a  flat 
trajectory,  which  is  a  matter  of  vital  impor- 


WINCHtSTER    SINGLE 
SHOT  .25   CAL.    RIFLE. 


tance,  for  the  places  which  demand  a  rifle  in 
our  work  are  those  where  it  is  exceedingly 
difficult  to  judge  of  distance,  and  the  high 
trajectory  of  the  .22  and  ..32  caliber  will  cause 
one  to  often  overshoot,  and  the  .32  caliber  has 
loo  much  smashing  power.  This  .2.";  caliber 
is  the  result  of  years  of  study  by  Mr.  Gould 
and  other  prominent  riflemen,  and  is  a  golden 
mean  between  the  two.  This  is  furnished  by 
two  different  makers,  but  the  advantage  of 
the  Winchester  arm  over  any  other  is  too 
obvious  to  admit  of  any  argument  on  that 
subject,  and  the  cost  is  much  less  (I  believe 
about  $15.00).  This  is  not  an  advertisement 
for  the  Winchester  company  but  the  honest 
opinion  of  the  writer,  who  has  tried  many  of 
the  different  forms,  and  got  the  opinion  of 
jnany  others  interested  in  Natural  History. 

The  section  on  target  work  is  out  of  our 
province,  but  is  as  complete  as  the  rest  of  the 
work,  and  worthy  of  attention,  since  practice 
at  a  target  is  a  good  preliminary  to  work  in 
the  field. 

While  Mr.  Gould  has  not,  probably,  written 
without  stirring  up  someone's  old  grievances, 
and  laid  himself  ojien  to  criticism  in  some  of 
his  judgments,  he  has  accomplished  what  no 
man  yet  has,  and  that  is,  furni.«lied  to  the 
public  a  work  on  the  American  rifle  which 
will  he  a  manual  to  the  rifleman  and  the  text- 
book of  the  learner  for  years  to  come. 

Nothing  appeals  more  to  the  reader  than 
a  good  illustration  of  what  the  writer  is  talk- 
ing about,  and  in  this  respect  there  is  nothing 
wanting,  as  there  are  over  200  illustrations  of 
various  models  of  guns  and  their  parts,  posi- 
tions,   targets,    tools   and     other    accessories. 

[3/odeni  American  Rifles,  by  A.  C  Gould 
(Ralph  Greenwood)  editor  of  Shooting  and 
Fishing,  Boston.  Bradlee  Whidden.  1  vol. 
royal  8vo.,  cloth,  price  $2.00.] 


A  Late  Date  for  the  Pewee. 


While  taking  an  outing  in  the  vicinity  of 
Washington,  D.  C,  (Four-mile  Run,  Va.,)  on 
Sunday,  December  13th,  I  saw  a  solitary 
Tevfee  (Sayornis  phxebe).  I  am  informed  that 
is  a  late  date  for  this  species  to  be  found  in 
this  vicinity. 

Harry  Gordon  White. 
Washington,  D.  C. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND- 

OOLOGIST. 


.$1.00  per 
Annum. 


PUBLISHED   BY  THE   FRAXK   BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY. 

Established,  March,  1875. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII. 


HYDE    PARK,  MASS.,  FEBRUARY,  1892. 


No. 


Notes  from  Michigan. 


No  brancli  of  natural  history  is  more  inter- 
esting- than  ornithology  and  oologj'.  The 
note-book  and  field-glass  are  the  only  articles 
necessary  to  study  the  habits  of  our  birds. 
True,  to  secure  specimens  for  scientific  pur- 
poses, the  gun  is  required,  but  here  the  trouble 
arises,  —  tliey  carry  it  too  far.  I  was  examin- 
ing the  cabinet  of  a  friend  the  other  day  and 
counted  twenty-five  skins  of  the  Song  Sparrow, 
thirty  of  the  Robin,  and  a  large  number  of 
other  common  species.  Is  it  any  wonder  our 
birds  are  becoming  scarcer  every  year?  As 
a  writer  has  said,  "The  system  of  thoughtless 
butchery  is  similar  in  its  results  to  that  of 
killing  tlie  goose  that  laid  the  golden  egg."  I 
refer  more  particularly  to  the  beginners,  tiiough 
many  of  the  more  advanced  students  are 
always  ready  to  shoot  every  rare  bird  they 
meet  (made  so  by  their  own  recklessness,  as 
is  often  the  case),  although  they  may  have  a 
dozen  or  more  of  the  same;  but  it  is  not  my 
intention  liere  to  defend  our  feathered  friends, 
but  to  give  a  few  extracts  from  my  note-book, 
taken  in  this  vicinity. 

Local  matter  has  but  little  interest  to  many 
except  ill  the  district  represented;  but  there 
are  some  who  do  take  pleasure  in  perusing 
such  manuscript  for  the  knowledge  it 
affords  of  the  range  and  abundance  of  many 
species;  to  these  tlie  following  is  respectfully 
submitted. 

I  have  lately  seen  a  mounted  Gyrfalcon, 
which  was  shot  in  Mackinaw  County;  and  have 
just  returned  (January  l(]th)  from  a  week's 
stay  on  Horsen's  Island,  St.  Clair  County.  The 
last  month  has  been  extremely  mild.  A  snake 
was  observed  on  Christmas  day  (the  party  who 
saw  it  is  a  prohibitionist).  Found  the  follow- 
ing birds  most  common  during  my  stay  on 
the  island:  Tree  Sparrow,  Snowtlake,  Siskins, 
Chickadee.  Downy  Woodpecker.  AYhite-breasted 
Nuthatch,  Blue   Jay,   Marsh  Hawk  and  Kitti- 


wake  Gulls.  The  Marsh  Hawks  could  be  seen 
at  all  times  flying  silently  over  their  hunting 
grounds.  I  believe  they  utter  their  not  very 
agreeable  cry  in  the  mating  season  only,  at 
least  that  is  the  only  time  I  ever  heard  it. 
The  males  can  be  ea.sily  identified  while  on  the 
wing  by  the  white  patch  on  the  rump,  and  the 
females  by  their  light-colored  plumage.  SaAV 
a  flock  of  twelve  Meadow  Larks  singing  mer- 
rily in  a  field  (all  forgetful  of  what  is  yet  to 
come),  and  a  Song  Sparrow  in  the  bushes  on 
the  bank  of  North  Channel.  He  was  very 
tame,  and  I  approached  quite  close  to  him,  so 
there  can  be  no  mistake  in  identity.  The 
Meadow  Lark  is  found  in  the  marshes  here 
throughout  the  winter.  Caught  a  green  frog 
and  saw  a  few  Red- shouldered  Hawks  and 
Northern  Shrikes;  also  a  dead  Red-headed 
Woodpecker.  Noticed  several  flocks  of  the 
Scaup  Duck  on  the  waters  of  South  Channel. 
Red  squirrels  and  rabbits  were  abundant. 
Caught  a  White-footed  Deer  Mouse. 

I  have  often,  while  rambling  through  the 
woods  in  spring,  been  disapjjointed  after  a 
tedious  climb  to  a  Hawk's  or  OwUs  nest  to  find 
it  the  home  of  tliis  mouse.  Flushed  a  Short- 
eared  Owl  from  a  musk-rat  hou.se  in  the  marsh. 
He  is  very  common  in  fall  and  winter,  but  has 
never,  to  my  knowledge,  been  observed  in 
summer.  He  is  diurnal  in  his  habits  to  some 
extent;  have  seen  several  hawking  for  mice  at 
mid-day.  Found  a  dead  one  last  October 
hanging  from  a  joist  in  a  barn. 

The  Short-ear  on  his  arrival  in  October  is 
rather  unsuspicious,  but  persecution  makes 
him  wild  and  wary  and  he  soon  defies  the 
most  skilful  efforts  of  the  collector  to  approach 
nearer  than  rifle  range. 

Jan.  2.5.  Went  out  along  the  river  in  Ecorce 
township.  The  fiist  bird  seen  was  a  Rusty 
Blackbird,  that  arose  from  the  reeds,  flew  a 
short  distance  and  lit  again.  It  flew  with  dif- 
ficulty and  was  doubtless  a  wounded  specimen 
that  had  been  unable  to  make  the   migration 


Copyright,  18D2,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


18 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  2 


south  with  the  rest  of  his  kin.  Shot  it,  but 
the  reeds  were  so  thick  tliat  it  coukl  not  be 
found.  Nothing  seen  on  the  river  but  floating 
ice  and  a  large  Herring  Gull.  Crossed  the 
marshes  to  the  woods,  and  on  the  way  saw  a 
flock  of  Tree  Sparrows,  out  of  which  we  sliot 
several,  and  a  Prairie  Horned  Lark. 

Feb.  12.  Day  stormy.  Went  out  to  Highland 
Park.  Only  saw  two  White-breasted  Nut- 
hatches. This  bird  is  common  here  through- 
out the  year.  The  only  nest  I  ever  found  was 
in  a  decayed  tree  stump  in  the  most  uninviting 
and  gloomy  part  of  a  large  woods.  The  eggs, 
seven  in  number,  were  of  a  handsome  white 
color,  covered  thickly  with  fine  si^ots  of  liglit 
brown.  It  is  called  Sapsucker  here,  as  it  is 
said  to  bore  holes  in  trees  and  suck  the  sap  as 
it  oozes  out.  Now  if  it  does  bore  into  trees 
while  feeding  (a  thing  I  have  never  seen  it  do), 
it  is  probably  to  secure  insects  concealed  in 
the  wood.  It  is  a  very  restless  and  active 
little  bird  and  for  boldness  and  sauciness  is 
rivalled  only  by  the  Chickadee,  often  allowing 
the  observer  to  approach  within  a  few  feet 
of  it. 

Feb.  15.  Saw  a  Brown  Creeper  on  a  maple 
tree  in  the  city  to-day.  I  have  often  seen  it 
climbing  in  a  spiral  course  up  the  trunk  of  a 
tree,  stopping  now  and  then  to  peep  into  a 
crevice  in  the  bark  for  insects,  until  it  reaches 
the  top,  then  tlit  to  the  base  of  another,  up 
which  it  goes  in  a  similar  manner;  but  ap- 
proach  it  while  it  is  thus  engaged  and  it  will 
slip  quietly  around  the  trunk,  but  if  you 
remain  perfectly  still  a  little  head  and  breast 
is  soon  seen  peering  anxiously  around  the 
bark,  and  soon  the  bird  will  resume  its  prog- 
ress. In  this  respect  it  reminds  one  of  the 
Ked-headed    Woodpecker. 

March  17.  Saw  a  Marsh  Hawk  flying  north- 
waril.  Shot  a  Chipping  Sparrow  and  two 
Bluebirds.  Large  numbers  of  Crows  have 
arrived  during  the  week  and  are  to  be  found  in 
nearly  every  woods  or  field.  Heard  the  scream 
of  a  Red-shouldered  Hawk. 

March  27.  A  small  bird  wave  arrived  during 
the  week,  consisting  mostly  of  Robins,  xMeadow 
Larks  and  Juncos.  The  Meadow  Larks  are 
numerous  in  the  open  fields,  while  the  Robins 
prefer  the  swamps  and  damp  woods.  Saw  a 
pair  of  Sparrow  Hawks.  Noticed  some  Crows 
chasing  a  large  Hawk  (probably  a  lied-tail). 
One  would  poise  itself  on  its  wings  for  a  few 
seconds  then  dart  suddenly  downward,  almost 
touching  the  back  of  the  bird  of  prey.  Found 
a  Bluebird's  nest  in  a  fence-post  that  had 
escaped  my  notice  last  year. 


April  7.  Saw  a  White-rumped  Shrike  to-day. 
This  bird  can  often  be  seen  dying  about  trees 
and  hedges  in  search  of  nestlings  or  insects,  or 
perched  on  the  top  of  a  thorn-apple  tree,  its 
head  turning  restlessly  from  side  to  side  and 
its  eyes  glancing  in  every  direction,  watching 
every  blade  of  grass  and  dropping  with  unen-- 
ing  aim  upon  any  field  mouse  that  has  been  so 
unwise  as  to  show  himself.  All  the  nests 
found  of  this  shrike  were  placed  in  oak  trees, 
generally  not  over  twelve  feet  from  the  ground. 
They  were  large,  rather  bulky  and  clumsy  and 
easily  seen  by  any  person  standing  under  the 
tree.  He  has  well  been  termed  the  Butclrer 
bird.  Not  only  does  he  kill  enough  meat  to 
supply  his  wants,  but  seems  to  delight  in 
slaughtering  and  impaling  upon  thorns  all  he 
can  catcli,  eating  only  their  brains  and  leaving 
their  bodies  to  decay. 

April  !).    Saw  seven  Purple  Martins. 

April  14.  Found  a  nest  of  the  Red-slioul- 
dered  Hawk  containing  one  egg  and  a  nest  of 
the  Crow  containing  two  eggs. 

April  16.  Saw  a  Broad-winged  Hawk  sit- 
ting in  a  tree  near  the  edge  of  a  thick  piece  of 
timber.  My  presence  ilid  not  disturb  him  in 
the  least,  and  after  watching  him  a  few  min- 
utes I  passed  on,  leaving  him  sitting  in  the 
same  place  and  cleaning  his  feathers  in  the 
most  contented  manner  imaginable. 

Ajiril  21.  At  !).;3U  found  the  first  nest  of  the 
day  (a  Red-.shouldered  Hawk)  in  a  large  beech 
tree.  Took  two  eggs  of  this  species  out  of  it 
last  year,  an  1  a  pair  of  Hawks  have  taken 
possession  of  it  this  season;  but  up  to  the 
present  date  no  eggs  have  been  deposited. 
About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  this,  in  a 
woods  known  as  Highland  Park,  secured  one 
Red-shouldered  Hawk's  egg  from  a  nest  placed 
in  the  main  fork  of  a  large  elm.  My  brother 
found  the  nest  on  April  14th.  It  then  con- 
tained two  eggs;  these  he  took  and  substituted 
hen's  eggs.  Had  not  proceeded  far  from  here 
when  my  attention  was  attracted  to  a  hole  in 
an  old  rotten  stumiJ  by  seeing  two  Bluebirds 
Muttering  around  it.  Looked  in  and  saw  a 
nest  composed  of  fine  grass.  I  put  my  hand 
in  and  drew  it  out,  but  it  was  immediately 
followed  by  a  flying  squirrel  that  made  for  the 
nearest  tree,  up  which  she  scrambled,  closely 
pursued  by  tlie  Bluebirds.  The  nest  contained 
three  young  squirrels  about  one  week  old. 
Before  leaving  the  timber,  visited  a  nest  of 
the  American  Crow  and  Red-shouldered  Hawk. 
From  the  Crow's  nest  took  five  eggs  and  the 
Hawk's  two.  My  brother  secured  five  Crow's 
eusis  and  three  of  the  American  Robin. 


February,  1892. J 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


19 


April  22.  Found  two  Crows'  nests  near 
Windsor,  Ont.  They  were  situated  nearer  the 
ground  than  any  found  during  the  last  two 
seasons;  also  a  nest  of  the  Red-shouldered 
Hawk  containing  three  highly  colored  eggs. 
The  bird  is  not  very  particular  in  his  choice  of 
a  nesting  tree,  especially  if  it  be  in  thick 
woods.  This  nest  was  placed  in  the  thickest 
r»ortion  of  a  scrub  oak  forest  and  about  eight. 
een  feet  from  the  ground.  He  is  less  daring 
as  a  robber  of  the  poultry  yard  than  most  large 
Hawks,  and  I  have  often  seen  him  sail  serenely 
over  a  number  of  chickens  in  an  open  field, 
without  apparently  noticing  them,  and  of  the 
stomachs  of  five  specimens  shot  here  not  one 
contained  fowl  of  any  description.  It  seems 
to  me  his  tlight  is  less  sluggish  and  more 
graceful  tlian  the  Hed-tail. 

April  80.  Two  friends  and  myself  went  col- 
lecting north  of  the  city.  The  first  nest  taken 
was  one  of  the  Robin  containing  four  fresh 
eggs.  Near  it  we  secured  another  set  of  three. 
Walked  about  a  mile  farther  and  found  a 
I'ewee's  nest  with  one  egg  in  it;  also  (in  a 
large  woods)  four  young  Crows  and  one  egg, 
out  of  wliich  another  tiny  Crow  was  fast 
making  his  exit. 

May  2.  Day  bright  and  warm ;  not  a  cloud 
obscures  the  sky.  Reminds  me  very  forcibly 
of  the  10th  of  March  two  years  ago.  It  was 
one  of  those  clear,  bracing  spring  days  wiien 
nature  seems  to  have  at  last  slipped  from  the 
icy  embrace  of  grim  old  winter  and  extended 
a  friendly  hand  to  warm,  showery  April;  when 
the  Bluebird  can  be  heard  twittering  merrily 
from  the  fence-post,  and  the  Song  Sparrow 
mounts  a  convenient  brush-pile  and  pours 
forth  his  joyful  song  of  welcome.  I  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  of  spending  such  a 
day  In  the  woods,  so  with  note-book  and  shot 
gun  I  started  out,  promising  to  secure  a  few 
specimens     for     a     friend.  Bluebirds     and 

Meadow  Larks  were  abundant.  As  I  sat  in  the 
corner  of  an  old  snake  fence,  enjoying  every- 
thing in  general  and  beating  a  tattoo  with  my 
feet,  my  attention  was  directed  upwards  by 
the  screams  of  a  Red-shouldered  Hawk.  A 
small  army  of  these  birds  were  sailing  about 
most  majestically.  Suddenly  one  (doubtless 
a  scout,  sent  out  to  reconnoitre)  descended 
Tintil  he  was  on  a  level  with  the  tree  tops,  then, 
apparently  satisfied,  amended  in  a  spiral 
manner  and  S(.)on  joined  the  others.  I  pro- 
ceeded on  my  way  and  pushed  into  a  thicket 
of  dwarf  oaks.  A  Great  Horned  Owl  fiew  by 
quite  close  to  me  and  lit  on  a  tree  some  dis- 
tance ahead.     The  light,   downy  nature  of  his 


plumage  made  his  progress  through  the  air  so 
noiseless  that,  were  it  not  for  the  shadow  his 
form  cast  on  the  ground  and  the  screams  of 
several  pursuing  Blue  Jays,  I  would  not  have 
seen  him.  The  Jays  attacked  his  Owlship 
on  all  sides,  screaming  furiously,  and  seemed 
in  no  way  to  relish  the  intrusion  of  the  twi- 
light king  into  their  society.  An  Owl  on  the 
wing  reminds  one  of  a  bunch  of  down  con- 
veyed through  the  air  by  the  wind.  Found  a 
Long-eared  Owl's  nest  situated  not  five  feet 
from  the  ground. 

Last  year  about  the  middle  of  May  I  was 
passing  through  a  swampy  woods  of  second 
growth  timber  when  I  came  unexpectedly  upon 
a  nest  placed  on  the  top  of  an  oak  stump  ten 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  surrounded  with  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  wild  grape-vines,  to  which 
a  bunch  of  down  clung  here  and  there  and  all 
over  the  nest.  "An  Owl's  nest!"  I  exclaimed, 
and  hardly  were  the  words  out  of  my  mouth 
when  a  bird  left  it,  flew  about  a  hundred  feet 
and  uttered  the  barking  scream  of  the  Long- 
eared  Owl.  The  nest  was  rather  difficult  to 
get  at,  owing  to  the  thickly  interwoven  grape- 
vinos,  but  my  labor  was  rewarded  by  the  sight 
of  four  eggs  and  one  Owlet  which  had  just 
come  into  this  cruel,  deceitful  world  of  ours. 
In  going  and  coming  from  collecting  tramps 
I  often  stopped  to  have  a  look  at  my  four  tiny 
Raptores,  that  sat  up  so  awkwardly  in  the  nest 
and  took  bits  of  meat  from  my  fingers,  until  it 
seemed  as  though  their  little  crops  would  bui  st, 
and  the  mother,  at  first  wild  and  wary, 
o-radually  became  bolder,  until  at  last  she 
would  sit  on  a  bough  not  ten  feet  from  my 
head  and  watch  proceedings  with  evident 
interest  and  without  showing  any  signs  of 
uneasiness.  Some  time  after  they  left  the  nest 
I  found  them  bunched  together  in  a  tamarack 
tree,  by  the  excrement  on  the  ground  beneath, 
but  they  had  lost  all  their  formei-  friendliness, 
and  scatteied  in  different  directions  when  I 
attempted  to  climb  the  tree;  indeed,  they  were 
more  suspicious  than  their  parents,  but  this 
may  have  been  owing  to  the  anxiety  of  the 
latter  for  tlieir  safety.     But  to  return. 

I  emerged  upon  a  road,  and  follovving  it  for 
a  mile  or  more  cut  across  the  fields,  bound  for 
the  metropolis  of  the  Evening  Grosbeak,  which 
is  a  piece  of  timber  covering  several  acres  of 
o-round,  for  the  most  part  high  and  covered 
with  red  oak.  This  is  tlie  only  wood  around 
herein  which  the  Grosbeak  is  found  in  plenty. 
As  I  approached  it  from  the  east  the  white 
trunks  of  the  birch  attracted  my  attention 
above   their   surrounding   neighbors,    and    the 


20 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  2 


tamaracks  in  the  backgroiuid,  with  myriads  of 
vines  and  bush,  were  also  prominent  objects. 
A  Hawk  sailing  about  in  wide  concentric  circles 
occasionally  emitted  his  loud  ka,  hee !  No 
other  sound  broke  the  stillness  except  the  cries 
of  a  number  of  Chickadees  and  loud  energetic 
tap  of  a  Woodpecker.  The  ground  was  covered 
with  half  decayed  logs,  to  whose  surface  a  few 
creeping  vines  were  clinging.  When  I  came 
to  the  oak  and  beech  timber,  tlie  distant, 
confused  murmuring  of  Hesperiphona  vesper- 
tina  reached  my  ear,  and,  following  the  sound 
I  came  upon  a  flock  of  these  birds  comprising 
about  one  hundred  individuals.  P'rom  here, 
followed  a  cow-path  and  came  out  on  the  south 
side  where  there  is  a  high,  grass-covered  hill, 
on  the  top  of  which  stands  an  old,  broken 
down  cabin.  Explored  this  and  found  an  old 
Pewee's  nest  and  two  of  the  Chimney  Swift. 
Sweeping  around  the  base  of  the  hill  is  a  stream 
known  to  us  boys  as  Norris'  ditch.  Through 
the  winter  and  early  spring  there  is  a  constant 
volumn  of  water  running  over  the  pebbly  bed, 
and  the  stones  gather  a  slimy  coat  of  green 
moss.  Here  the  Pike  come  to  spawn,  and  in 
a  single  day  two  companions  and  myself 
speared  twelve  by  the  simple  process  of  a 
table-fork,  fastened  firmly  to  the  end  of  a 
hickory  pole.  As  the  hot  days  of  June 
approach  it  gradually  dries  away,  and  nothing 
is  left  by  July  but  the  dry,  hard  bed ;  except, 
perhaps,  in  some  deep  hollow  a  pool  of  stag- 
nant water,  where  a  few  tad-poles  still  struggle 
for  existence.  The  banks  are  high  and  steep. 
and  covered  with  luxuriant  grass  and  tall  weeds. 
In  places  where  the  soil  is  sandy  are  berry 
bushes.  Every  year  I  take  a  trip  along  its 
course,  for  amid  the  dense  growth.  Song  and 
and  Chipping  Sparrows,  Catbirds,  Brown 
Tinasher  and  many  other  .species  make  their 
homes.  On  one  occasion  I  found  a  Thrasher's 
nest,  situated  in  a  bunch  of  hardy  ferns  that 
grew  so  near  the  water's  edge  that  their  roots 
were  constantly  bathed  in  the  flying  spray. 
Tiie  stream  is  crossed  by  numerous  little 
bridges  which  make  a  regular  paradise  for 
Birds.  Spotted  Sandpipers  are  also  very 
common. 

On  the  l.'ith  of  this  month  last  year,  I 
was  sitting  on  the  bank  of  the  stream,  when  a 
Tree  Swallow  paid  me  a  visit.  He  flew  back 
and  forth  over  the  surface  of  the  water  several 
times,  occasionally  dipping  in  his  beak,  whether 
to  drink  or  snatch  up  some  insect  I  cannot  say. 
He  appeared  half  stupefied  with  the  cold, 
lacking  in  his  flight  the  various  evolutions  and 
quick  turns  of  his  April  brother.     The  crimson 


and  golden  tints  of  old  "Sol"  were  glistening 
and  sparkling  on  the  distant  tamaracks  when 
I  turned  my  face  towards  home.  High  up  in 
the  air  could  be  heard  the  call  notes  of  various 
migrating  birds  as  they  passed  swiftly  over- 
head on  their  journey  northward,  and  the  frogs 
awakened  from  their  long  winter  stupor  poured 
forth  their  melancholy  ditty  to  the  silent, 
silvery  moon.  All  nature  seemed  to  have  at 
last  burst  the  bonds  of  winter,  and  the 
recollections  of  that  day's  ramble  are  imprinted 
on  my  memory  so  deeply  that  time  cannot 
erase  them,  and  will  always  be  regarded  by 
me  as  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  days  ever 
spent  in  the  field. 

May  5.  A  rather  ortunate  day.  Tiie  first 
nest  (a  Pe wee's)  was  taken  early  in  the 
morning.  It  was  on  a  beam  under  a  bridge  and 
contained  five  slightly  incubated  eggs.  About 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  this,  on  the  same 
road,  secured  another  nest  of  this  species  with 
three  fresh  eggs.  Worked  my  way  into 
Highland  Park  and  came  suddenly  upon  a  Red- 
shouldered  Hawk's  nest,  about  thirty  feet  up 
in  a  beech  tree.  The  female  arose  with  a  ciy 
of  alarm  and  was  soon  joined  by  her  mate. 
They  soared  high  overhead  uttering  their 
familiar  scream  and  occasionally  darting 
downward  in  a  most  threatening  manner,  but 
a  charge  of  shot  put  an  end  to  these  perfor- 
mances and  they  both  retired  to  a  respectful 
distance  where  they  sorrowfully  watched  the 
plundering  of  their  home,  which  held  three 
highly  incubated  eggs.  One  of  these  eggs  is 
very  handsome,  its  color  being  creamy  white, 
covered  with  brown  of  different  shades.  The 
third  is  grayish  white  and  unspotted, 
while  the  second  is  between  the  two.  Just 
before  leaving  the  wooils,  I  took  five  Crow's 
eggs.  In  the  next  woods  visited,  found  another 
Red-shoulder's  nest,  from  which  two  fresh  eggs 
were  secured.  They  were  both  highly  coloi  ed, 
plainly  showing  that  the  set  was  not  complete. 

May  7.  Collected  a  set  of  five  eggs  of  the 
liOng-eared  Owl.  Nest  in  red  oak  fifteen  feet 
from  the  ground;  evidently  an  old  squirrel's 
nest. 

May  8.  Set  of  three  Bluebird's  eggs  from  the 
hollow  of  a  fence-post  and  four  Robin's  out 
of  an  old  barn. 

May  19.  Secured  three  slightly  incubated 
eggs  of  the  Crow  to-day.  Nest  placed  in  main 
fork  of  red  oak,  seventy  feet  up.  The  latest 
set  ever  found  by  me. 

May  2.S.  Four  eggs  of  the  Red-headed 
Woodpecker.  This  bird  was  (until  the  last 
few   years)  found  around   here  in    plenty,  but 


February,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


21 


now  only  a  few  pair  can  be  seen  within  a  day's 
walk.  Perhaps  this  is  owing  to  a  scarcity  of 
a  favorite  food,  but  more  likely  to  the  contin- 
uous persecut  on  of  the  farmer,  for  his  cherry 
stealing  propensities  are  well  known  here. 
The  movements  of  this  bird  are  quick  and 
energetic  and  the  powerful  strokes  of  his  bill 
can  be  heard  for  a  considerable  distance.  He 
has  been  so  often  pursued  and  shot  at  that,  like 
the  Crow,  he  is  wild  and  difficult  to  approach. 
A  friend  told  me  of  one  he  took  from  the  nest 
before  it  could  fly  and  kept  for  a  pet  for 
several  weeks,  feeding  it  on  grubs  and  bits  of 
meat. 

May  20.  Along  the  American  side  of  Detroit 
river  a  few  miles  below  the  city  are  large 
marshes  of  thick  reeds,  large  patches  of  which  .88x.62  ; 
are  dead.  Worked  my  way  through  these 
to-day  and  found  four  sets  of  four  eggs  of  the 
Red-winged  Blackbird;  also  one  with  five  and 
a  nest  containing  three  young.  Captured  six 
large  land  tortoises. 

While  chasing  a  snake,  came  unexpectedly 
upon  a  Least  Bittern's  nest;  two  of  the  four 
eggs  were  dotted  with  brown.  Did  not  see 
tlie  bird  at  first  but  upon  starting  to  leave  the 
place  she  arose  from  a  clump  near  by  and 
with  head  thrown  back  and  dangling  legs  flew 
far  out  into  the  rushes. 

.June  9.  Caught  a  young  Chickadee.  This 
bird  is  common  here  in  spring,  fall,  and  all 
winter.  It  is  one  of  the  smallest  of  our  winter 
visitors  and,  owing  to  his  trusting  nature,  often 
meets  with  a  very  inhospitable  reception  from 
the  shot  gun  of  the  boy  sportsman.  A  few 
remain  and  breed.  Woods,  fields,  orchards, 
tall  weeds  and  hedges  are  alike  frequented  by 
this  species;  here  they  may  be  seen  in  small 
whlsps  of  seven  or  eight,  always  travelling  in 
one  direction  and  feeding  as  they  go. 

J.  Claire  Wood. 


A    Series    of 


Eggs    of 
Tanager. 


the     Scarlet 


The  eggs  of  the  Scarlet  Tanager  (Piranga 
erythromelas)  are  usually  three  or  four  in 
number,  altlumgh  two  are  sometimes  all  that 
are  laid. 

Set  I.  .June  18,  1888.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  in  white  oak  tree,  about  twenty-five  feet 
up.  Composed  of  sticks  and  weeds.  Two 
eggs,  incubation  advanced.  Light  greenish 
blue,  spotted,  much  more  heavily  at  the  larger 
ends,     with     purplish     gray     and     chestnut  : 


.97X.67;  .95x.G6.  This  set  contains  a  Cow- 
bird's  egg. 

Set    II.        June     12,     1886.  Montgomery 

County,  Penn.  Nest  in  an  ironwood  tree,  over 
a  road,  twenty  feet  from  ground.  Made  of 
twigs  and  root  fibres.  Two  eggs,  incubation 
commenced.  Light  greenish  blue,  thickly 
speckled  and  spotted  with  purplish  brown  and 
chestnut:     .88x.05;     .88x.64. 

Set  III.  June  14,  1888.  Preston,  Conn. 
Small  flimsey  nest  on  tip  end  of  long  horizon- 
tal limb  of  tall  savin  tree.  Collected  by 
"J.  M.  W.  "  (Mr.  C.  L.  Rawson).  Four  eggs, 
fresh.  Light  greenish  blue,  thickly  spotted 
and  speckled,  especially  at  the  larger  ends, 
with  purplish  gray  and  chestnut :  .87  x  .62  ; 
87X.62;  .87x.64. 
Set  IV^.  June  14,  1887.  Black  Hawk 
County,  Iowa.  Nest  on  horizontal  branch  of 
tree.  Three  eggs,  fresh.  Light  greenish  blue, 
speckled  with  purplish  gray  and  chestnut. 
The  markings  are  heavier  at  the  larger  ends  : 
.81X.64  ;  .84X.64  ;  .86x.64. 

Set  V.  June  17,  1875.  Norwich,  Conn. 
Nest  on  end  of  oak  limb,  on  edge  of  wood. 
Collected  by  "J.  M.  W."  (Mr.  C.  L.  Rawson). 
Three  eggs,  fresh.  Light  greenish  blue, 
speckled  and  spotted  with  purplish  gray  and 
chestnut  :     .89  x  .68  ;  .89  x  .67  ;  .88  x  .68. 

Set  VI.  May  23,  1887.  Black  Hawk  County, 
Iowa.  Nest  on  a  side  limb  of  an  oak  tree, 
fifteen  feet  from  the  ground.  Four  eggs, 
fresh.  Light  greenish  blue,  speckled  and 
spotted  with  purplish  gray  and  chestnut.  The 
markings  form  indistinct  wreaths  around  the 
larger  ends  :  .80  x  .63;  .82  x  .63  ;  .83  x  .63  ; 
.83  X .63. 

Set  VII.  June  15,  1883.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  on  horizontal  limb  of  an  oak  tree.  Three 
eggs,  fresh.  Light  greenish  blue,  spotted 
with  parplish  gray  and  chestnut.  The  mark- 
ings are  heavier  at  the  larger  ends  :  .91x.66  ; 
.98X.66;  .91  x  .65.  This  set  contains  a  Cow 
bird's  egg. 

Set  VIII.  June  17,  1885.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nestonan  oak  tree,  saddled  on  a  lower  branch. 
Four  eggs,  fresh.  Light  greenish  blue,  spotted 
and  speckled  with  purplish  gray  and  chestnut. 
On  two  of  the  eggs  the  markings  form  in- 
distinct wreaths,  but  on  the  other  two  they 
are  scattered  over  the  whole  surface  :  .89  x  .64  ; 
.91X.65  ;  .89X.66  ;  .83  x  .64. 

Set  IX.  June  7,  1885.  Black  Hawk  County, 
Iowa.  N'est  on  horizontal  branch  of  oak  tree, 
fifteen  feet  from  the  ground.  Four  eggs, 
fresh.  Light  greenish  blue,  heavily  spotted 
with     purplish      gray     and    chestnut.         The 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  2 


markings  are  much  heavier  at  the  larger  ends, 
where  they  form  indistinct  wreaths  :  .09  x  A)6  ; 
.95X.63;  .97X.66  ;  .95x.64. 

Set  X.  June  4,  1876.  Norwich,  Conn. 
Nest  thin,  on  tip  end  of  oak  limb.  Collected 
by  "J.  M.  W."  (Mr.  C.  L.  Rawson).  Three 
eggs,  fresh.  Light  greenish  blue,  evenly 
spotted  with  purplish  gray  and  chestnut  : 
.95X.70;  .99X.68  ;  .94  x  .69. 

Set  XI.  June  1,  18S7.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  of  line  sticks  and  weeds,  on  pine  tree 
about  ten  feet  up.  Four  eggs,  fresh.  Light 
greenish  blue,  spotted  with  chestnut  and 
purplish  gray.  The  markings  are  heavier  and 
closer  together  near  the  larger  ends  :  .89x  .  68; 
.87X.67;  .92  x  .67  ;  .88x.66. 

Set  XIL  June  11,1887.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  composed  of  fine  sticks  and  weeds,  about 
twenty  feet  high  on  a  wliite  oak  tree.  Four 
eggs,  incubation  slight.  Liglit  greenish  blue, 
very  heavily  spotted,  especially  at  the  larger 
ends,  with  purplish  gray  and  chestnut.  On 
one  of  the  eggs  the  markings  form  a  wreath 
near  the  larger  end:  .97x.66;  .98  x  .64  ; 
.88X.66;  .83  x  .69. 

Set  XIII.  June  7,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  on  horizontal  limb  of  dogwood, 
twenty  feet  from  the  ground.  Made  of  dried 
grass,  twigs  and  a  few  hairs.  Three  eggs, 
fresh.  Light  greenish  blue,  speckled  and 
sijotted,  especially  at  the  larger  ends,  with 
purplish  gray  and  chestnut:  .8(ix.65; 
.8.5  x  .65  ;  .87  x  .65. 

Set  XIV.  May  31,  1887.  Preston,  Conn. 
Collected  by  "J.  M.  W.''  (Mr.  C.  L.  Rawson.) 
Nest  well  out  on  end  of  limb.  Rather  sliglit 
but  svibstantial.  Four  eggs,  fresh.  Light 
greenish  blue,  boldly  spotted  with  purpiisli 
gray  and  chestnut.  This  is  a  very  handsome 
set,  and  the  markings  are  principally  confined 
to  the  larger  ends:  .86x.64;  .85  x  .(H)  ; 
.92X.66  ;  .93  x  .65. 

Set  XV.  June  3,  1887.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  on  a  white  oak,  far  out  from  the  main 
trunk  of  the  tree.  Composed  of  fine  sticks 
and  weeds.  Tliree  eggs  and  one  of  the  Cow- 
bird,  fresh.  Light  greenish  blue,  speckled 
and  spotted  with  chestnut  and  purplish  gray. 
The  markings  on  two  of  the  eggs  are  all  over 
the  surface,  although  much  heavier  at  the 
larger  ends,  but  on  the  third  egg  all  the  sur- 
face is  entirely  unmarked,  except  the  larger 
end,  which  is  almost  entirely  obscured  by 
a  heavy  ring  of  chestnut,  producing  a  most 
beautiful   effect  :  .93  x  .64  ;  .91  x  .66  ;    .86x.65. 

Set  XVI.  May  31,  1884.  Preston,  Conn. 
Collected      by      "J.     M.     AV.  "    (Mr.     C.    L. 


Rawson).  Nest  in  savin  tree  in  open  woods. 
Slight,  but  well  constructed.  Four  eggs,  fresh. 
Light  greenish  blue,  speckled  and  si)otted 
with  purplish  gray  and  chestnut:  .85x.64; 
.83  x  .64  ;  .81  x.65  ;  .83  x.64. 

Set  XVIL  June  12,  1886.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  on  limb  of  beech  tree,  twenty 
feet  from  the  ground.  Made  of  twigs,  etc. 
Four  eggs,  incubation  advanced.  Light 
greenish  blue,  speckled  and  spotted,  more 
heavily  at  the  larger  ends,  with  purplish  gray 
and  chestnut:  .U4x.67;  .96x.67;  .92  x.64; 
.96X.67. 

Set  XVIII.  May  31,  1885.  Norwich,  Conn. 
Collected  by  "J.  M.  W."  (Mr.  C.  L.  Rawson). 
Nest  on  tip  end  of  long  limb  of  apple  tree 
overhanging  carriage  road,  in  the  heart  of  the 
city.  A  most  beautifully  marked  set.  Light 
greenish  blue,  sported  with  chestnut  and 
purplish  gray.  The  markings  form  wreaths 
around  the  larger  ends:  .90x.63;  .90 x.64; 
.91  x.64. 

Set  XIX.  June  20,  1887.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  on  linden  tree,  about  thirty  feet  uj). 
Composed  of  fine  sticks,  heavy  stems  of 
gras.s,  lined  with  grass.  Two  eggs,  and  two  of 
the  ('owbird,  incubation  slight.  Light  green- 
ish blue,  thickly  speckled  and  spotted  with 
puri)lish  gray  and  chestnut:  .93x.68; 
.91  x.Cy'f<. 

Set  XX.  June  15,  1888.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  in  apple  tree  about  twelve  feet  up. 
Made  of  sticks,  lined  with  grass.  Foui-  eggs, 
fresh,  and  one  of  the  Cowbird.  Light  green- 
ish blue,  heavily  speckled  and  spotted,  es- 
pecially at  the  larger  ends,  with  chestnut  and 
purplish  gray:  .85x.61;  .84x.63;  .84 x.64; 
.88X.63. 

Set  XXI.  June  11,  1887.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  on  hickory,  about  twenty-five  feet  up. 
Composed  of  fine  sticks,  weeds  and  wild 
cotton.  Three  eggs,  fresh,  and  one  of  the 
Cowbird' s.  Light  greenish  blue,  thickly 
speckled  and  spotted,  more  heavily  at  the 
larger  ends,  with  purplish  gray  and  chestnut  : 
.93  x.65  ;  .90x.64;  .89x.68. 

Set  XXII.  June  11,  1888.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  on  apple  tree  about  nine  feet  up.  Made 
of  weeds  and  straw.  Four  eggs,  and  two  of 
the  Cowbird.  incubation  far  advanced.  Light 
greenish  olue,  clouded  at  the  larger  ends  with 
purplish  gray,  and  over  this  there  are  wreaths 
of  chestnut.  The  whole  effect  is  beautiful 
and  very  odd  :  .95  x.67  ;  .96  x  .66  ;  .97  x  .07  ; 
.89X.67.  J.P.N. 


February,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


23 


Habits   and    Nesting    of    the    Violet- 
green  Swallow. 


The  Violet-green  Swallow  (Tachycineta 
thalassina)  is  the  first  of  the  family  Ilirun- 
dinidce,  to  arrive  here  (which  is  in  the  first 
week  in  March),  and  no  sooner  have  they 
come  than  they  can  be  heard  chattering 
about  the  windows,  k»oking  for  a  suitable 
place  for  nest  building. 

We  note  the  Tree  or  White-bellied  Swallow 
next,  and  then  comes  the  Cliff  and  Rough- 
winged.  The  Violet-green,  however,  is  the 
handsomest  bird  of  the  lot,  being  of  .  the 
color  the  name  indicates  on  its  back  with  a 
contrast  of  pure  white  on  the  under  parts. 

I  have  often  watched  them  circling  around, 
higii  up  in  the  air  for  an  hour  at  a  time,  their 
actions  being  so  graceful  one  does  not  tire  of 
watching  them. 

Xest  building  begins  about  the  15th  of 
May,  and  fresh  eggs  may  be  procured  from 
the  first  to  the  latter  part  of  .Tune.  They  are 
pure  white  in  color,  rather  pointed  at  the 
smaller  end,  averaging  .74x..52.  Five  eggs 
seem  to  be  the  full  complement,  but  I  have 
taken  as  many  as  seven  in  one  set. 

The  nest  of  T.  thalassina  is  a  very  bulky 
affair,  being  rather  loosely  built.  It  is  com- 
posed of  straws,  strings,  etc.,  and  thickly 
lined  with  feathers.  Boxes  put  up  for  the 
purpose  are  quite  often  used  for  breeding  in, 
and  if  several  are  put  up  close  together  the 
birds  will  nest  in  another  box  after  the  first 
set  has  been  taken,  and  sometimes  return  to 
the  first  box  should  the  second  set  be  col- 
lected, but  never  have  I  recorded  the  fact  of 
a  pair  nesting  in  the  same  box  twice  in  succes- 
sion when  the  first  set  was  taken. 

A  peculiar  incident  took  place  the  past 
season.  A  pair  of  Violet-greens  were  nesting 
in  a  hole  in  a  barn  and  not  more  than  seventy- 
five  feet  from  there  was  a  gourd  on  a  high 
pole;  this  was  occupied  by  a  pair  of  Park- 
man's  Wrens.  It  happened  that  the  sets  of 
both  species  were  complete  at  the  same  time 
and  upon  taking  them  the  birds  changed 
homes  when  second  sets  were  laid.  UiJon 
these  being  taken  they  again  traded  homes. 

In  case  the  Violet-green  should  nest  in  trees, 
as  in  days  gone  by,  the  difference  between  it 
and  the  Tree  Swallow  to  a  general  observer 
might  not  be  noticed,  but  to  one  who  has 
made  it  a  study  the  chief  difference  will  be  in 
their  length,  the  Violet-green  being  much 
shorter.     Another   point  worth   mentioning  is 


their  eyes.  While  the  eyes  of  the  Tree  Swal- 
low are  in  the  dark  feathers  they  are  in  the 
white  ones  with  the  Violet-greens,  and  the 
white  feathers  near  the  lower  tail  coverts 
show  from  the  back  of  the  bird  when  it 
alights  on  the  opening  of  its  nest. 

Although  the  Violet-green  Swallow  used  to 
nest  in  natural  cavities  in  trees,  of  late  years 
it  has  changed  its  nesting  place  to  bird 
boxes,  knot  holes  in  dwellings,  etc.,  and 
could  I  look  into  the  future  I  would  not  be 
surprised  to  see  the  White-bellied  Swallow 
nest  in  such  places  near  habitation  preferable 
to  the  trees,  though  it  is  found  breeding  near 
water  at  the  present  day.        Clyde  L.  Keller. 

Salein,  Oref^on. 


Megantic  Fish  and  Game  Club. 

[From  Shooting  and  Fishing,  Boston.] 

The  fifth  annual  dinner  of  the  Megantic  Fish 
and  Game  Club  was  held  at  the  Hotel  Bruns- 
wick, Boston,  on  the  evening  of  Jan.  28th. 
The  occasion  was  one  long  to  be  remembered 
by  those  participating  in  the  festivities.  The 
hour  for  the  dinner  was  set  at  6  o'clock,  and 
for  an  hour  i^revious  a  reception  was  held, 
which  gave  the  club  members  and  the  guests 
an  opportunity  to  greet  each  other  and  be- 
come well  acquainted.  Thei'«  were  many 
gentlemen  present  who  were  well  known  to  the 
readers  of  sportsmen's  papers.  Among  the 
guests  were:  Col.  Elliott  B.  Hodge,  of  the 
Xew  Hampshire  Fish  and  Game  Commis- 
sion, with  his  genial  face  and  courtly  bearing; 
Gen.  Douglas  Frazer,  who  writes  so  fascinat- 
ingly of  his  adventures  with  gun  and  rod  in 
many  lands,  a  veteran  in  years  and  experience, 
but  buoyant  and  as  full  of  enthusiasm  as  a 
tyro;  Hon.  Frank  B.  Currier,  naval  officer. 
Port  of  Boston,  who  tells  his  experience  in 
fishing  so  fascinatingly  as  to  make  those  who 
never  could  see  much  sport  in  handling  the 
rod  think  they  have  lost  an  immense  amount 
of  sport. 

I  observe  a  medium-sized  gentleman  chat- 
ting with  a  group  of  attentive  listeners.  He 
has  curly  gray  hair,  and  his  frosty  beard  indi- 
cating him  as  belonging  to  the  class  of  vet- 
erans. Why,  that  is  my  old  friend,  Walter 
M.  Brackett,  sportsman  and  artist,  with  a 
world-wide  reputation.  If  you  have  never 
seen  one  of  Mr.  Brackett' s  salmon  pictures 
you  have  not  seen  the  king  of  fishes  portrayed 
by  one  of  the  sovereign  painters  of  fish. 

The  halls  became  crowded  by  six  o'clock, 
and  while  tarrying  on  the  outskirts  I  came  face 


24 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  2 


to  face  with  Capt.  Fred  Barker,  the  most 
popular  man  in  the  Rangeley  Lake  district. 
Capt.  Barker's  popularity  has  been  gained  by 
his  sterling  worth. 

In  this  vast  assemblage  I  perceived  a  person 
who  would  be  noticed  anywhere.  He  looked 
as  though  he  feared  no  living  person  or  animal. 
He  was  tall,  broad  shouldered,  and  possessed 
a  herculean  frame.  He  had  a  clear,  rich  brown 
complexion,  a  heavy  brown  moustache 
sprinkled  with  gray,  and  throat  beard.  He 
had  an  eye  as  clear  as  a  mountain  spring,  and 
it  was  piercing  as  an  eagle's.  I  never  saw  a 
more  resolute  face,  and  yet  there  was  not  a 
cruel  line  in  his  features,  and  his  smile  was 
genial  and  winning.  He  was  neatly  dressed, 
and  his  whole  appearance  indicated  a  man  of 
cleanly  and  abstemious  habits.  "  Who  is  he  ?  " 
I  heard  many  of  the  assem.blage  inquire,  and 
then  would  follow  this  answer,  "  Why,  that  is 
the  famous  Jock  Darling  of  Maine." 

I  might  write  several  columns  of  the  dis- 
tinguished sportsmen  in  this  congregation, 
but  the  call  came  to  fall  in  for  the  banqueting 
hall,  and,  headed  by  the  following  guests,  the 
company  proceeded  thereto: — • 

Hon.  Geoige  W.  Wiggin,  president  of  the 
Massachusetts  Fish  and  Game  Protective  Asso- 
ciation; Hon.  E.  B.  Hodge  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Fish  and  Game  Commission;  Hon 
F.  D.  Courier;  Mr.  Stephen  O'Meara,  Boston 
Journal;  Mr.  S.  A.  Wetmore,  Boston  Herald; 
Capt.  Fred  C.  Barker;  Mr.  Walter  M.  Biackett; 
Mr.  .Jonxthan  Darling,  Maine  Game  Warden; 
Gen.  Douglas  Frazer;  Mr.  J.  N.  Taylor,  Boston 
Globe;  Rev.  C.  F.  Lee;  Mr.  Henry  Dutton;  Mr. 
A.  C.  (iould,  of  8/tooting  and  Flshhig;  Mr.  J. 
D.  Whitcomb;  Dr.  W  G.  Kendall;  Mr.  W.  S. 
Adams  and  Mr.  Frank  B.  Webster. 

The  banqueting  hall  was  a  scene  worthy  of 
description.  Upon  entering  the  hall  the  first 
object  seen  was  a  huge  black  bear;  this  animal 
was  shot  in  Manitoba,  and  was  one  of  the 
largest  specinrens  ever  killed.  Suspended 
from  the  ceiling,  midway  in  the  hall,  was  a 
full-sized  birch-bark  canoe,  and  at  one  end  of 
the  hall  was  a  large  deer,  superbly  mounted. 
Attached  to  the  columns  in  the  room  were  two 
fine  moose'  heads,  three  caribou  heads  and 
five  *deer'  heads.  In  the  centre  of  the  room 
was  an  artificial  grotto  containing  otter,  mink, 
beaver,  weasels,  and  in  fact  almost  every  small 
game  animal,  as  well  as  the  birds  found  in 
New  England  and  Canada.  Here  and  there 
were  Winchester  rifles,  fly  rods,  landing  nets, 
gaffs,  and  various  implements  used  by  the 
sportsman,  and  arranged  with  artistic  effect. 


Mr.  Walter  M.  Brackett  kindly  loaned  some 
of  his  superb  salmon  paintings,  one  showing 
the  rise  and  two  others  the  dead  king  lying 
upon  the  river's  bank. 

Mr.  Darling  brought  an  enlarged  camp  scene) 
showing  six  immense  bucks  killed  by  sports- 
men visiting  his  camps. 

The  walls  were  covered  with  trophies  of  the 
chase;  every  available  space  was  decorated 
with  skins,  mounted  specimens  or  parapher- 
nalia of  the  sportsman. 

The  menu  was  in  keeping  with  the  other 
features  of  the  entertainment,  and  a  fine 
orchestra  discoursed  music  through  the  re- 
ception and  dinner. 

There  was  something  like  decorum  until  the 
musicians  chose  to  render  "Maggie  Murphy's 
Home,"  when  the  ice  was  broken,  and  the 
strains  of  the  orchestra  were  drowned  by  the 
singing  of  the  assembled  sportsmen. 

AVhile  dinner  w'as  being  served  President 
Woodiuff  rapped  for  order  and  read  the  fol- 
lowing telegram: 

New  York,  Jan.  27th. 
Broke    my   paddle    and     can't    fetch     your 
camp  in   time,  but   here's   health   to  you  all; 
long   life   on   earth    and   something   very    like 
camping  ever  after.  w.  ii.  h.  murk  ay. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  repast  President 
I.  O.  Woodruff  called  the  assemblage  to  order. 
He  stated  that  it  was  his  pleasant  duty  to 
preside  at  this  meeting.  The  past  year  has 
been  the  most  successful  one  in  tlie  history 
of  the  club.  In  behalf  of  the  committee  of 
arrangements  he  extended  thanks  to  Mr. 
Webster,  of  the  Frank  Blake  Webster  Co.,  for 
the  elaborate  decorations.  He  referred  to 
the  increase  in  membership  from  217  last  year 
to  283  at  the  present  time,  there  being  but  17 
shares  of  stock  unsold  at  the  present  time. 
The  club  had  redeemed  bonds  to  the  extent 
of  §2200  last  year,  and  there  was  a  balance  of 
.$22:^">  in  the  treasury  at  the  present  time,  the 
remaining  bonded  indebtedness  being  $1800; 
outstanding  liabilities  none,  except  current 
expenses.  The  club  now  controls  1.59,600  acres 
or  2o0  square  miles,  and  although  a  young- 
club,  has  the  largest  preserve,  except  a  strictly 
private  territory,  in  America.  He  referred  to 
the  work  accomplished  by  the  club  in  the  past 
four  years,  and  hinted  at  what  might  be  ex- 
pected in  the  next  twelve.  There  were  to  be 
additional  accommodations  for  members,  new 
boats  and  canoes  having  been  ordered.  Refer- 
ence was  made  to  one  of  the  visitors  who, 
when  visiting  the  preserve  last  year  — 


February,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


!^0 


Was  awakeaed  by  a  tapping, 
As  if  some  one,  gently  rapping 

At  his  cabin  door. 
Somewhat  sleepy,  out  of  temper 
Did  the  angler  bid  him  enter. 
Xo  response  except  a  rapping, 

Tapping  at  the  cabin  door. 
Not  until  the  irate  angle 
Had  with  emphasis  and  anger 

Flung  awide  the  cabin  door, 

Beheld  a  Woodpecker  — nothing  more. 

Hon.  Xathan  Matthews,  Jr.,  mayor  of  Bos- 
ton, was  unavoidably  absent  and  failed  to 
respond. 

Hon.  George  W.  Wiggin,  president  of  the 
Massacliusetts  Fish  and  Game  Protective 
Association,  was  tlien  introduced  and  received 
witli  clieers.  He  said  liis  remarks  would  be 
brief.  He  was  young  in  office  and  thi^y  could 
not  expect  much  from  him.  It  was  difficult 
to  tell  whether  he  was  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Megantic  Club  or  the  Massachusetts  Fish  and 
Game  Association,  as  he  saw  so  many  gentle- 
men belonging  to  both  oi'ganizations.  The 
object  of  both  associations  was  the  same,  the 
protection  of  game.  He  desired  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  Megantic  Club  members  in  the 
great  work  of  protecting  fish  and  game  in 
Massacliusetts.  If  the  preserves  of  the  Megan- 
tic Club  were  as  extensive  as  their  hospitality 
they  ought  to  own  the  earth  ami  have  a 
mortgage  on  the  aii-. 

The  Megantic  Club  Quartette  then  favored 
the  audience  with  a  song. 

President  Woodruff  then  presented  some 
interesting  statistics  in  regard  to  game  killed 
in  the  club's  pi'eserve  in  the  season  recently 
closed.  There  were  seven  moose  against  two 
the  previous  year,  eight  caribou  and  8(5  deer. 
The  record  of  ducks  and  grouse  liad  not  been 
kept.  Over  18,000  trout  had  been  caught 
during  last  season,  besides  many  not  registered. 
There  had  been  as  high  as  55  pounds  of  bass 
taken  in  one  day. 

The  next  speaker  was  Col.  E.  B.  Hodge,  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Fish  and  Game  Commis- 
sion. He  was  introduced  as  the  first  white 
mxu  to  launch  a  canoe  on  Lake  Megantic. 
Colonel  Hodge  stated  that  he  was  one  of  two 
to  launch  the  first  skiff  on  those  waters.  He 
thought  the  magnificent  decorations  before 
liim  well  worth  a  long  journey  to  see.  He  told 
of  the  almost  incredible  number  of  trout  taken 
from  the  waters  of  the  Megantic  preserve  years 
ago.  They  were  caught  and  piled  up  by  the 
cord  and  left  to  rot.  He  never  expected  to  see 
so  many  trout  again  in  those  waters,  but  hoped 
to    see   them   increased.     He   referred   to   the 


benefit  derived  from  spending  a  montli  in  the 
woods;  it  gave  restored  life  and  gave  a  person 
fresh  energy  to  work  for  the  next  eleven 
months.  If  you  want  rest  go  to  Megantic 
Lake. 

If  thou  art  sad  and  hard  beset, 
With  sorrow  that  thou  would  forget; 
If  thou  would  keep  thy  heart  from  fainting 
And  thy  soul  from  sleep. 
Go  to  the  Megantic  woods  and  hills. 
For  there  no  tears  dim  the  sweet  look  which  nature 
wears. 

Mr.  John  B.  Whorisky  then  favored  the  club 
with  choice  vocal  selections. 

President  Woodruff  said  that  at  the  time 
when  the  Megantic  Club  was  first  talked  of, 
some  of  the  projectors  said  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  get  sportsmen  to  go  to  that  region. 
Sportsmen  would  not  go  beyond  Rangeley,  for 
there  was  a  man  there  whom  all  the  sportsmen 
loved  if  they  once  knew  him  and  that  person 
was  Capt.  Fred  C.  Barker.  It  was  his  pleasure 
to  introduce  him. 

Captain  Barker  was  received  with  cheers. 
He  said  if  he  had  expected  to  receive  such  a 
reception  he  thought  he  might  have  remained 
in  the  woods.  He  then  gave  an  interesting 
account  of  a  trip  he  made  with  John  Danforth 
through  the  Megantic  region.  He  congratu- 
lated the  club  on  acquiring  the  Seven  Ponds 
district,  an  acquisition  he  thought  the  club 
would  never  regret. 

Hon.  Frank  B.  Currier  was  the  next  speaker. 
His  remarks  showed  him  to  be  an  enthusiastic 
devotee  to  ''the  gentle  art."  He  found  per- 
fect happiness  only  when  angling.  The  fisher- 
man was  a  patient  listener  and  never  expresses 
a  doubt  of  any  story  he  hears.  Sometimes  the 
fisherman's  face  seems  to  say,  when  listening 
to  a  narrative,  "I  am  something  of  a  liar 
myself."  In  anticipation  of  the  pleasures  of 
coming  seasons  he  would  meet  one  of  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  Brunswick,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  Megantic  Club  and  an  enthusiastic 
angler,  and  the  accounts  of  fish  they  had 
caught  and  would  catch  were  startling.  He 
referred  to  the  work  of  the  fish  commissioners 
and  particularly  to  the  stocking  of  the  Merri- 
mack with  salmon.  Salmon  had  been  hooked 
with  the  fly  there  last  year.  The  difficulty  in 
stocking  the  Merrimack  River  with  salmon  was 
the  low  water  at  certain  seasons.  It  was  said 
you  could  tell  when  a  salmon  passed  up  the 
fishway  by  the  dust  it  kicked  up  (laughter). 
But  the  salmon  ascended  the  river,  though  it 
was  reported  that  Commissioner  Riddle  grabbed 
the  salmon,  and  with  it  under  his  arm  rushed 


26 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  2 


around  the  falls  and  planted  it  above  (laughter). 
He  had  a  confession  to  make.  Col.  Hodge 
tried  to  have  the  law  governing  the  size  of 
trout  permitted  to  be  taken  in  New  Hampshire 
changed.  He  had  opposed  him,  and  wanted 
the  law  fixed  so  as  to  permit  the  taking  of 
trout  four  inches  long.  Col.  Hodge  appeared 
before  the  committee  with  a  small  pair  of  letter 
scales.  He  showed  the  committee  that  a  four- 
inch  trout  weighed  just  one-quarter  of  an 
ounce,  and  a  five-inch  trout  one-half  ounce. 
He  immediately  withdrew  his  argument  and 
apologized.  He  illustrated  the  value  of  pro- 
tecting small  trout  by  relating  his  experience 
in  raising  trout.  After  a  trout  is  five  inches 
long  its  growth  is  rapid.  Some  small  trout 
placed  in  a  pond  last  year  now  measured  from 
7  to  14  inches  in  length.  He  fed  these  fish 
only  once  a  week,  sometimes  only  once  a 
fortnight.  He  thanked  the  club  members  for 
courtesies,  and  hoped  to  make  a  trip  to 
Megantic. 

Dr.  Heber  Bishop  asked  the  attention  of  the 
club  for  a  few  minutes.  He  alluded  to  the 
work  of  Mr.  Webster,  of  the  Frank  Blake 
Webster  Co.,  in  furnishing  the  elaborate  deco- 
rations, and  made  the  motion  that  a  vote  of 
thanks  be  extended  to  Mr.  Webster  and  the 
company  he  represented.  This  motion  was 
unanimously  carried. 

President  Woodruff  then  introduced  Gen. 
Douglas  Frazer  as  a  man  who  had  travelled 
over  much  of  the  world  and  hunted  and  fished 
in  many  countries.  Gen.  Frazer  was  warmly 
greeted.  He  spoke  of  his  gratification  at  being 
with  the  Megantic  Club  members  that  evening. 
He  had  visited  many  countries.  He  described 
his  early  experience  in  shooting  with  a  flint- 
lock gvm  and  pistol  when  he  could  make  them 
go  off;  of  the  mishaps  which  befell  him 
while  burning  gunpowder  during  his  youth. 
When  he  came  to  years  of  discretion  he 
chased  that  same  old  grouse  that  lived 
in  Newton,  year  after  year.  He  had  sat 
for  hours  by  the  river  and  nearly  frozen,  trying 
to  get  a  shot  at  a  duck.  He  had  shot  plover 
and  black  ducks  under  these  very  tables.  Just 
where  this  hotel  stands  was  once  famous 
grounds  for  shore  birds.  Some  German  gun- 
ners killed  immense  bags  of  game  here.  He 
learned  of  the  place  and  liad  killed  70  or  80 
Yellow-legs  in  this  place.  Later,  while  on  a 
voyage  to  China,  there  was  a  calm  at  sea;  he 
boarded  the  quarter  boat  and  made  off  from 


the  vessel;  witliin  two  hours  he  killed  18  alba- 
tross, the  largest  birds  in  the  world.  One  of 
these  birds  measured  over  twelve  feet  six 
inclies  from  tip  to  tip  of  wings.  An  interesting 
account  of  shooting  in  China  was  given.  He 
described  a  native  gunner  whom  he  met  at  a 
season  of  the  year  when  the  river  was  frozen; 
but  this  gunner  was  nude,  except  about  the 
loins.  He  had  two  big  guns,  12  feet  long,  and 
of  about  IJ^-inch  bore.  These  were  primed  and 
a  fuse  attached  to  tliem.  The  native  would 
break  the  ice  with  his  foot  and  work  his  boat 
toward  a  flock  of  ducks,  and  at  the  proper 
time  light  the  fuse  and  discharge  his  gun  with 
deadly  effect.  This  native  did  not  seem  to 
know  what  cold  meant.  After  killing  all  the 
ducks  he  could  carry  he  wouUl  walk  thirty 
miles  to  Pekin  to  sell  them.  He  then  sang 
Chinese  and  Japanese  songs.  But  after  seeing 
all  these  things  he  came  back  to  New  England 
with  the  greatest  pleasure  to  enjoy  its  sports. 
He  closed  by  advising  all  to  seek  the  pleasures 
of  the  woods.  Why  will  Americans  work  so 
liard  during  this  one  short  life?  Why  not 
enjoy  the  greatest  pleasure  given  to  man  ? 

Letters  regretting  their  inability  to  be  present 
were  read  fioni  tlie  following:  Gov.  W.  E. 
Ilussell;  Ex-Gov.  John  D.  Long;  Hon.  .loliu 
Tilton,  Canadian  Minister  Marine  Fisheries; 
Samuel  Wilmot,  president  of  the  Wild  Goose 
Club;  A.  Nelson  Cheney;  Fred  Mather;  H.  P. 
Wells;  F.  E.  Boothby;  Dana  J.  Flanders. 
There  were  also  a  large  batcli  of  telegrams  of 
regret  from  Fish  and  Game  Commissioners. 

Mr.  Stephen  O'Mcara,  editor  of  the  Boston 
Journal,  was  the  next  speaker.  He  thought 
he  might  take  a  lesson  from  the  owl  before 
him  and  remain  quiet.  He  liad  been  recom- 
mended by  his  physician,  a  member  of  this 
club,  to  come  there  and  pass  a  quiet  evening 
(laughter).  He  hoped  to  some  day  experience 
the  pleasure  of  a  trip  to  Megantic. 

The  next  speaker  was  Mr.  Jonathan  Darling. 
In  introducing  him.  President  Woodruff"  said: 
"We  have  here  to-night  a  man  you  have  all 
heard  of;  a  man  who  has  defied  law,  as  well  as 
the  fish  and  game  commissioners.  Deputy 
sheriffs  could  not  catch  him  and  even  jails 
could  not  hold  him,  but  he  had  now  been 
enlisted  on  the  right  side  and  was  now  a  fish 
and  game  warden  of  Maine."  He  then  intro- 
duced Mr.  Jock  Darling. 

Mr.  Darling  was  received  with  cheers.  He 
said  he  felt  out  of  his  element;  the  woods  was 


February,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


27 


the  place  in  which  he  felt  most  at  home.  He 
never  before  was  called  upon  for  a  speech.  He 
related  his  first  exi^erience  in  shooting,  which 
was  with  a  wooden  pistol.  He  loaded  it  with 
powder,  then  a  charge  of  sand;  he  then  placed 
it  near  a  stiing  which  lie  had  smeared  with 
molasses  vvhich  drew  the  flies,  and  when  the 
string  was  covered  with  flies  he  would  touch 
oft'  his  pistol.  Later  he  hunted  big  game. 
Years  ago  before  they  knew  of  any  game  laws 
he  killed  great  quantities  of  game.  He  brought 
loads  of  it  to  Boston,  and  the  market-men 
endeavored  to  prevent  his  selling  the  game,  so 
he  hired  a  team  and,  standing  his  biggest  bull 
moose  up  where  it  could  be  seen  by  those 
coming  near  his  stand,  he  did  a  thriving  busi- 
ness, and  the  market- men  were  glad  to  buy 
him  out.  He  had  written  some  of  his  experi- 
ence, which  he  handed  Dr.  Bishop  to  read. 

Dr.  Bishop  referred  to  the  rejoicing  over 
tlie  reclaiming  of  a  sinner.  He  expected  to 
see  a  person  with  a  cloven  foot  and  forked 
tail,  instead  of  the  fine  specimen  of  manhood. 
He  thought  Mr.  Darling  had  not  been  so  bad 
as  he  had  been  represented  to  be.  He  then 
gave  extracts  from  Mr.  Darling's  reminiscences, 
which  were  in  substance  what  has  appeared  in 
these  columns  over  Mr.  Darling's  signature. 

After  singing  Auld  Lang  Syne  the  company 
adjourned.  Balpli  Greenwood. 


Nesting  of  the  Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

In  tlie  summer  of  1878,  as  I  was  passing 
along  the  road  that  borders  Cedar  Swamp,  I 
heard  the  cries  of  some  species  of  young 
birds  within  the  adjacent  forest,  which  I  at 
first  supposed  to  be  that  of  young  Crows, 
but  presently  an  unusual  note  attracted  ray 
attention  and  my  curiosity  sufficiently  to  draw 
me  from  the  road  and  in  among  the  tall 
cedars  on  an  investigation.  The  source  of  the 
cries  was  speedily  developed,  and  I  saw  an  old 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk  go  dashing  away,  fol- 
lowed quickly  by  a  number  of  young  ones 
well  fledged,  all  immediately  disappearing  in 
the  denser  part  of  the  forest. 

This  adventure  gave  me  an  idea  ;  here  are 
young  Sharp-shinned  Hawks,  consequently 
tliere  must  have  been  a  nest  and  eggs,  and  here 
next  season  will  be  another,  and  don't  you 
forget  it,  as  the  boys  say,  for  a  nest  of  that 
species  was  one  which  1  had  never  had  the 
good  fortune  to  find.  It  may  be  depended 
upon   that   my   memory   was   faithful    to     its 


trust  in  a  matter  of  so  much  interest,  though 
I  had  no  clue  to  work  upon,  having  had  no 
experience  of  the  nesting  habits  of  the 
species.  Perseverance  will  sometimes,  how- 
ever, fill  the  place  of  experience. 

In  this  case,  on  tlie  27th  of  May,  1879,  during 
one  of  my  re]>eated  tramps  within  the  shady 
precincts,  I  was  suddenly  startled  by  a  loud 
cry  like  kil-dy,  kil-dy,  kil-dy,  three  times 
rajfidly  repeated,  and  a  little  male  Sharp- 
shinned  Hawk  came  dashing  by  my  head  and 
perching  on  a  neighboring  bough  again 
repeated  his  wild  cries.  Of  course  I  was  at 
once  wide  awake  to  the  possibilities,  though 
this  was  only  one  of  the  clews;  thoroughly 
followed  up,  however,  it  led  me  at  last  to  the 
spot  where,  in  one  of  a  group  of  cedars  near 
at  hand,  about  forty  feet  from  the  ground,  I 
saw  a  nest  and  the  long  tail  feathers  of  the 
sitting  bird  extending  over  one  side  of  it.  As 
I  climbed  the  tree  she  joined  her  mate  in  his 
outcries  and  kil-dy,  kil-dy,  kil-dy  resounded 
on  every  side  in  stirring  remonstrances  against 
the  intrusion.  The  little  male  bird  was  the 
most  demonstrative  of  the  pair,  and  he  would 
dash  at  me  with  the  greatest  violence  and 
utter  his  most  piercing  cry  within  a  few  feet 
of  my  head,  threatening  to  stiike  me  with 
his  talons,  the  mate  encouraging  him  and 
reiterating  his  stirring  outcries. 

With  great  gratification  I  gathered  in  the 
beautiful  set  of  five  handsomely  marked 
eggs,  the  first  set  of  the  species  it  had  been 
my  good  fortune  to  secure.  None  but  a  col- 
lector can  appreciate  the  satisfaction  such  an 
acquisition  for  the  first  time  yields.  We  may 
become  accustomed  to  a  series  of  successes 
till  we  can  greet  them  with  indifference,  but 
the  satisfaction  of  that  first  triumph  never 
fades  audit  is  never  forgotten  in  its  minutest 
circumstance. 

In  1880  I  was  fully  prepared  with  a  hearfy 
\ve\con\e  ior  Accipiter,  and  after  a  little  delay 
was  gratified  to  hear  again  the  old  familiar 
note.  This  time  the  nest  was  built  lower 
down,  not  over  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground, 
and  I  found  the  female  sitting  on  the  nest 
several  days  before  the  first  egg  was  deposited, 
and  it  was  near  the  10th  of  June  before  the  set 
was  completed. 

In  1881  the  wily  pair  eluded  me  till  incuba- 
tion was  far  advanced,  by  selecting  a  distant 
and  secluded  part  of  the  swamp  and  an  incon- 
spicuous tree  as  the  nesting  site,  but  I  found 
it  all  the  same  at  last,  and  here  my  triumphs 
ended  for  a  long  period.  Early  in  1882  there 
was    a     noticeable     flight     of     Sharp-shinned 


28 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  2 


Hawks  in  this  vicinity  during  a  mild  spell  in 
February,  a  severe  cold  wave  following  shortly 
after.  The  early  migrants  were  straitened  for 
sustenance  and  fell  easy  victims  to  the  gunner  ; 
even  the  inexpert  felt  his  duty  call  to  hunt  a 
Hawk,  though  the  smallest  possible  in  size, 
and  several  were  brought  me  as  curiosities, 
one  that  chased  a  Sparrow  into  a  house  and 
another  in  a  neiglibor's  barn. 

Since  that  period,  from  whatever  cause,  the 
species  has  been  decidedly  rare  here,  so  much 
so  that  some  of  the  intervening  years  have 
passed  without  the  observation  of  a  single 
specimen  in  the  whole  twelve  montlis.  But 
in  1891,  as  the  spring  advanced,  an  occasional 
little  Accipiter  went  glancing  by  and  led  me  to 
look  again  toward  the  old  haunts.  Thither  as  I 
passed  up  the  old  road  one  May-day,  far  away 
Hying  over  the  forest  I  spied  a  little  Hawk 
bearing  something  in  its  talons,  and  this  re- 
minded me  what  I  had  long  ago  observed,  that 
the  female  of  most  species  of  Hawks,  if  not  all, 
cling  tenaciously  to  tlie  nest  during  the  period 
of  incubation  at  least,  and  that  the  male  was  a 
persistent  hunter  and  furnished  the  commis- 
sariat. I  saw  that  little  fellow  as  lie  disap- 
peared in  a  distant  part  of  the  swamp,  and 
thither  at  the  first  opportunity  I  followed,  and 
there  in  the  darkest  recesses  I  was  again  wel- 
comed with  the  almost  forgotten  salutation, 
kil-dy,  kil-dij,  kil-dy.  I  found  the  nest  at  last, 
but  it  was  a  long  hunt.  In  a  thick-topped 
cedar  there  seemed  a  dark  spot  ;  I  struck  the 
trunk  of  the  tree  with  a  stick  but  there  was 
no  response,  and  again  with  greater  violence, 
and  the  female  Hawk  came  dashing  out  of 
the  tree  top  with  loud  outcries  in  whicli  the 
male,  appearing  on  the  scene,  immediately 
joined,  the  loudest  of  the  pair. 

This  nest  was  about  twenty-five  feet  from 
the  ground  and  composed  entirely  of  small 
twigs.  It  contained  four  eggs  with  incubation 
already  well  begun.  This  was  on  the  first  day 
uf  June.  The  set  is  very  different  from  that 
first  found,  an  1  which  I  have  always  retained  in 
my  collection  as  one  of  my  m>st  highly  prized 
captures.  In  them  the  markings  are  chiefly 
large,  bold,  heavy  blotches,  in  one  instance 
on  the  smaller  end.  The  new  set  are  more  of 
the  clouded  pattern,  the  coloration  more  uni- 
formly distributed  and  lighter.  The  size  of 
the  eggs  is  also  less,  and  if  dissimilarity  is  any 
sign  these  must  belong  to  an  entirely  different 
bird.  For  diversity  of  marking  and  general 
variation  as  well  as  beauty,  I  think  that  the 
eggs  of  the  Sharp-shinned  Hawk  take 
the     lead,    and     that     a     well     selected     and 


arranged  series  thereof  wonld  be   one   of  the 
greatest  attractions  in  a  collector's  cabinet. 

John  A.  Clark. 

Saj'brook,  Conn. 

[I  can  fully  endorse  wliat  Judge  Clark  says 
about  the  beauty  of  a  series  of  sets  of  egg.s 
of  this  bird.  A  series  of  twenty-three  sets 
now  before  me  shows  an  almost  endless  varia- 
tion in  coloration  and  markings,  and  yet  there 
is  not  an  ugly  set  among  them. — ,/.  P.  .V.] 


The  Chimney  Swift. 


The  ancient  village  of  Bernadotte,  sur- 
rounded on  three  sides  with  overhanging, 
vine-clad  hills,  and  the  beautiful  little  river, 
"  The  Spoon,"  flowing  at  its  feet,  has  always 
been  a  favorite  resort  for  the  Chimney  Swifts, 
the  low^  houses,  with  their  old-fashioned, 
wide-mouthed  chimneys,  unused  in  the  sum- 
mer months,  affording  them  just  the  site 
desired  for  a  nesting-place.  In  these  old 
chimneys  scores  of  them  nest  every  summer. 

After  a  somewhat  hazardous  climb  to  the 
top  of  one  of  these  chimneys  in  the  month  of 
June,  and  after  my  vision  had  become  some- 
what accustomed  to  the  gloom,  I  could  discern 
a  dozen  or  more  nests,  arranged  around  the 
sides  of  the  chimney  wall,  at  a  depth  of  eight 
or  ten  feet  from  the  top.  The  dusky  females 
could  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  the  dark, 
sooty  surroundings. 

Frightening  them  from  off  the  nests,  a 
strange  phenomenon  would  be  witnessed: 
dropping  a  short  distance  below  the  nest  they 
would  distend  the  wings,  and  after  the  manner 
of  a  bumblebee  on  a  window-pane,  come 
upwards  with  a  buzzing,  roaring  sound,  until 
near  the  top,  then  dropping  back  again  repeat 
the  process  probably  several  times  before  they 
would  rush  past  me  out  of  the  chimney. 

Was  this  strange  performance  on  the  part 
of  the  Swifts  enacted  in  the  hope  of  frighten- 
ing me  away  from  the  outlet  of  the  chimney, 
or  can  they  not  make  their  exit  in  any  other 
manner  ? 

Some  writers  have  thought  that  the  Swifts 
feed  their  young  at  intervals  during  the  night. 
Anyone  who  has  slept  in  close  proximity  to  a 
chimney  full  of  young  Swifts,  and  heard  their 
cries  and  chatterings  at  intervals  all  through 
the  night,  would  believe  this  theory  plausible, 
the  feeding  being  done,  of  course,  by  regurgi- 
tation. This  noisy  habit  of  the  young  birds 
becomes  very  obnoxious  to  some  persons;  so 
much  so  that  summary  means  are  sometimes 


February,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


29 


resorted  to,  to  get  rid  of  them.  The  hotel 
building  in  the  village  afore  mentioned  had  an 
old-fashioned,  great  fireplace  chimney.  In  its 
roomy  recesses  scores  of  Swifts  brooded  every 
summer.  The  landlady,  a  fussy,  nervous 
body,  was  very  much  annoyed  by  their  noisy 
demonstrations  during  the  night  time.  Deter- 
mining to  get  rid  of  them,  she  took  a  straw 
tick  and,  emptying  its  contents  into  the  wide 
fireplace,  she  set  it  on  fire.  This  did  the  work 
for  the  baby  Swifts,  but  the  heartless  woman 
was  punished  for  her  cruelty.  The  stench 
that  arose  from  the  half-roasted  bodies  of  the 
birds  was  so  great  that  for  many  days  the 
building  was  almosr  uninhabitable. 

In  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  just  before 
retiring  for  the  night,  the  Swifts  will  descend 
to  the  streets,  and  skim  rapidly  about  close  to 
the  ground,  getting  a  supper.  I  have  seen  the 
village  boys,  armed  with  long  cane  fishing- 
poles,  station  themselves  on  either  side  of  the 
street,  and  vainly  try  to  hit  them  as  they 
would  flit  rapidly  by.  The  birds  appeared  to 
take  but  little  notice  of  tlie  efforts  of  the  boys, 
and  it  seemed  inevitable  that  some  of  them 
would  be  killed.  But  the  blows,  seemingly 
without  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Swifts,  would 
be  dexterously  avoided,  and  by  their  contin- 
ually returning  and  circling  over  the  boys' 
heads,  they  appeared  to  enjoy  the  sport  nearly 
as  much  as  did  the  gamins,  and  their  joyous 
twitterings  seemed  to  say  to  them,  ''hit  me  if 
you  can  I" 

Swallow  trees,  where  hundreds  of  these 
birds  would  congregrate  to  roost  at  night, 
have  been  described  by  observers  from  various 
parts  of  the  country.  Two  or  three  years  ago 
I  had  the  good  fortune  to  discover  one  of  these 
novel  resorts  of  the  Chcetnra  peku/ica.  In  the 
dusk  of  the  evening  I  was  riding  along  through 
some  heavy  timber  on  the  river  road  four 
miles  below  the  village.  My  attention  was 
suddenly  attracted  by  the  great  number  of 
Swifts  tliat  were  flying  rapidly  about  in  circles. 
After  observing  them  for  some  moments,  I 
presently  saw  that  their  lines  converged 
towards  a  large  sycamore  that  stood  at  the 
edge  of  the  wo(tds  a  little  distance  away.  It 
was  about  eighteen  feet  in  circumference,  and 
at  a  height  of  about  fifty  feet  had  been  broken 
squarely  off,  presenting  much  the  appearance 
of  a  factory  chimney,  the  cavity  extending 
cleai'  down  to  the  ground.  Into  this  opening 
the  birds  were  settling  by  scores.  Hunting  up 
a  heavy  club  I  approached  the  tree  and  dealt 
it  a  resounding  whack.  The  roar  produced 
by  the  Swifts  rushing  out  of  the  tree  could  be 


likened  to  nothing  but  heavy  thunder.  The 
air,  too,  was  black  with  the  dusky  birds,  rush- 
ing, circling,  gyrating  swiftly  among  the  trees; 
their  rapidly  uttered  notes  of  tsij),  tsijy,  tsip, 
tsee,  tsee  was  almost  deafening,  though  not 
unpleasant  to  tlie  ear.  In  a  few  moments  they 
were  again  dropping  rapidly  into  the  hollow 
cavity  of  the  tree. 

No  bird  produces  a  more  singular  nest  than 
does  the  Swift.  It  is  formed  entirely  of  very 
small  twigs,  which  are  broken  from  the  limbs 
while  the  bird  is  on  the  wing.  These  twigs 
are  cemented  together  by  a  glutinous  saliva 
from  the  bird's  mouth,  and  the  whole  inside 
of  the  nest  is  thickly  coated  with  the  same 
material.  No  soft  lining,  whatever,  is  used, 
and  the  nest  in  the  form  of  a  crescent  is 
attached  to  one  side  of  the  wall.  The  usual 
number  of  eggs  is  four,  but  I  have  often 
observed  six  in  a  nest.  The  young  birds  liave 
a  habit  of  leaving  the  nest  sometimes  a  week 
before  they  are  able  to  fly  and  cling  to  the 
sides  of  the  chimney,  where  they  are  fed  by 
the  parents  till  able  to  take  to  the  wing. 

W.  S.  Strode,  M.D. 

Beniadotte,  III. 


An  Early  Bird. 


Tlie  old  adage  that  ''  The  early  bird  catches 
the  worm"  does  not  always  prove  true,  at 
least  not  in  the  case  about  to  be  mentioned. 
On  January  20th,  with  the  thermometer  ten 
degrees  below  zero,  and  about  eight  inches  of 
frozen  snow  on  the  ground,  an  adult  9  Robin 
put  in  an  appearance  here  (Ballston  Spa,  N.  Y.). 
As  there  are  no  worms  to  be  found  here  at 
this  time  of  the  year  I  substituted  a  small 
charge  of  dust  shot,  with  the  desired  result. 
This  is  the  earliest  record,  to  my  knowledge, 
of  the  arrival  of  the  Robin  in  Saratoga  Co. 

.S.  B.  Ingersoll. 


Quite  a  number  of  our  old  subscribers  are 
taking  advantage  of  our  liberal  premiums  for 
new  subscribers.  By  a  very  little  effort  you 
can  make  quite  an  addition  to  your  collec- 
tion. 


30 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  2 


ORNITHOLOGISTi^^^OOLOGIST 

A  Monthly  ^fagazine  of 

NATURAL    HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY  DEVOTEP  TO  THE  STUDY  OF 

THEIR  XESTS  AND  E(1«S, 

and  to  the 

INTERESTS     OF     NATURALISTS. 

Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 

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PUBLISHED  AT  THE 


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Brief  Notes. 


Large  Clutches.  —  Cold  Springs,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  8.  Mis.  Ellsworth  Miller  gave  birth  to 
her  second  pair  of  triplets  to-day.  In  seven 
years  she  has  given  birth  to  fourteen  babies, 
twice  triplets  and  four  times  twins.  They 
come  in  pairs  or  three  of  a  kind  every  time. 
Mrs.  Miller  is  only  thirty  years  old. — Wade's 
Fibre  and  Fabric. 

Sheep  have  two  teeth  in  the  centre  of  the  jaw 
at  one  year,  and  add  two  each  year  until  five 
years  old,  wlien  they  have  a  "  full  mouth." 
After  that  time  the  age  cannot  be  told  by  the 
teeth.  —  \Yade"s  Fibre  and  Fabric. 

A  camera  attached  to  a  i-ifle  is  the  latest 
photographic  invention.  It  takes  a  i)icture 
wlien  the  trigger  is  pulled.  The  chief  advan- 
tage nf  it  is  tiiat  the  victim  is  spared  the 
anguish  of   seeing   how   he   looked. — Posr. 

The  death  of  the  old  horse  Comanche,  which 
was  the  only  living  thing  belonging  to  the 
United  States  that  survived  the  battle  of  the 
Little  Big  Horn,  where  Custer  fell,  recalls  the 
most  horrible  massacre  in  the  history  of  Indian 
warfare.  After  the  battle  Comanche  was 
found  covered  with  wounds  and  riderless,  the 
body  of  every  other  horse  that  carried  the 
brave  cavalry  into  the  fight  naving  been  found 
dead  among  the  heaps  of  slain  soldiers.  From 
that  day  to  this  Comanche  has  lived  on  the 
bounty  of  Uncle  Sam,  and  no  one  has  been 
permitted  to  sit  upon  his  b  ick.  His  hide 
will  be  stuffed  and  his  image  will  survive  as  a 
reminder  of  a  memorable  figlit. 


One  Use  for  a  Bullhead's  Horns.  — 
Lexington,  W.  Va.,  June  16.  A  black  snake 
about  three  feet  long  was  seen  swimming  in 
Tomlinson's  Kun  yesterday  with  a  fish,  com- 
monly known  as  bullhead,  in  its  mouth.  The 
fish  was  nearly  eight  inches  long.  The  snake 
had  succeeded  in  swallowing  the  fish,  begin- 
ning at  the  tail,  up  to  just  back  of  its  head, 
where  its  forward  fins  are  reinforced  by  strong 
horns  or  spines.  Beyond  this  point  the  snake's 
jaws  could  not  get,  for  so  long  as  the  fish  sur- 
vived just  so  long  would  it  instinctively  raise 
its  fins  and  horns  whenever  it  felt  the  end  of 
the  snake's  jaws  touching  them.  With  a 
strong  forked  stick  the  snake  was  lifted  out  of 
the  water,  whereupon  the  fish  fell  out  of  the 
snake's  mouth.  Evidently  it  had  been  there 
some  time,  for  it  was  lacerated,  livid  in  spots, 
and  its  life  blood  seemed  to  have  been  horribly 
su(;ked  out  of  it,  leaving  the  most  of  its  body 
])ailid  and  colorless.  When  released  it  sank 
head  first  to  the  bottom  of  the  pool,  then 
levived  and  came  to  the  surface,  and  after- 
ward swam  slowly  and  laboriously  away. — 
Pittsburgh  Dispatch. 

Seal  Capes  Will  ije  Lowkil — San  Fran- 
cisco, Xov.  li).  James  Waiden  of  the  Con- 
solidated Black  Cat  Co.  is  here  from  Fairhaven, 
Wash.  He  is  one  of  the  stoikholdeis  of  a 
novel  company  just  organized  on  l^uget  Sound 
for  the  propagation  of  black  cats.  An  island 
is  to  be  i)urchased  and  there  the  black  cat 
breed  is  to  be  perpetuated.  These  <!ats  will 
live  on  fish  and  are  to  be  raised  for  their  fur. 

At  THE  WixTEiJ  Resorts.  —  The  rush  of 
tourists  to  Florida  increases  every  winter,  and 
so  much  shooting  (every  man,  nearly,  takes  his 
gun)  is  rapidly  diminishing  the  game  all 
through  the  country.  Tiie  time  was  and  only 
a  few  years  ago.  when  every  bay  and  lagoon 
was  teeming  with  birds;  but  when  the  fashion 
demanded  thafevery  woman's  bonnet  should 
l)e  decorated  with  some  kind  of  a  bird  or  its 
feathers,  men  were  sent  to  F'lorida  to  procure 
them,  and  one  expedition  returned,  it  is  said, 
with  one  hundred  thousand  bird  skins,  shot  in 
one  winter.  Such  destiuction  is  now  felt,  and 
although  the  authorities  have  now  prohibited 
the  slaughter,  it  is  like  locking  the  stable  aftei- 
the  horse  is  stnlen.  On  the  Apalachicola  river 
wild  turkeys  and  ducks  are  shot  wantonly 
from  the  decks  of  the  steamboats,  and  alliga- 
tors all  along  the  banks  come  in  for  a  fusillade 
from  the  rifies  of  the  passengers.  On  my 
recent  trip  on  this  river  1  saw  numbers  of 
turkeys  shot  as  they  were  running  along  the 
banks,  that  were  of  course  wasted,  as  tlie  boat 
could  not  stop  to  pick  them  up;  and  every 
fioek  of  ducks  that  rose  was  fired  into,  killing 
or  maiming  more  or  less  of  tlieni.  Not  only 
on  the  ground  of  wanton  cruelty  should  the 
owners  of  these  boats  prohibit  the  use  of  fire- 
arms, but  it  is  a  great  annoyance  to  many 
passengers  to  have  rifles  and  shotguns  banging 
away  around  them,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
danger  to  life  from  careless  use  of  guns  by 
mere  boys,  as  some  of  them  were.  It  is  a 
theme  the  Forest  and  Stream  might  properly 
bring  to  the  notice  of  the  proper  authorities 


February,  1892. J 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


31 


(tlie  owners  of  the  steamers)  in  the  cause,  and 
enter  a  protest  against  such  wanton  destruc- 
tion of  such  rare  game  as  tlie  turkey,  as  well 
as  every  other  bird  coming  in  for  slaughter, 
as  is  now  the  case  on  the  river  boats  on  the 
southern  rivers.  —  Forest  and  Stream. 

On  a  sultry  night  last  month,  Mrs.  A.  H. 
Ellsworth,  of  Jackson  Hollow,  was  awakened 
by  the  flapping  of  wings  at  one  of  the  windows 
of  her  bedroom.  She  struck  a  light  and 
found  that  a  female  Whip-poor-will  had  got 
wedged  in  between  the  screen  and  the  sash, 
that  the  bird  was  unable  to  free  herself,  and 
that  one  of  her  wings  was  broken.  Mrs. 
Edsworth  took  pity  on  the  wounded  bird, 
bouiul  up  the  bi"oken  wing  as  well  as  slie  knew 
how,  and  placed  her  in  a  canary  biril's  cage 
for  the  night. 

In  the  morning  Mrs.  Ellsworth  found  that 
the  Whip-poor-will,  with  the  exception  of  the 
broken  wmg,  was  all  right,  and  she  fed  the 
bird  and  liung  the  cage  on  the  porch,  intend- 
ing to  set  her  free  as  soon  as  slie  was  able  to 
fly.  During  the  morning  the  Whip-poor-will 
sang  out  a  number  of  times,  and  along  in  the 
forenoon  Mrs.  Ellsworth  noticed  that  another 
Whip-p  )or-will  was  flitting  around  the  cage. 
Slie  concluded  that  the  wonaded  bird  had  suc- 
ceeded in  calling  her  mate  from  a  row  of 
willows  down  by  the  creek,  and  her  conclusion 
proved  to  be  c^onect. 

The  male  Whip-poor-will  alighted  on  the 
rim  of  the  cage,  and  coaxed  like  a  good  fellow 
for  his  wife  to  come  out  and  sail  away  with 
him  to  tlieir  home  among  the  willows,  and 
then  they  put  their  bills  together  between  tlie 
wires  and  had  a  real  sweet  domestic  kissing 
spell  for  three  or  four  minutes,  the  wife  seem- 
ing to  convey  to  her  anxious  husband  an 
understinding  of  the  fact  that  she  would  be 
delighted  to  accompany  him  if  she  only  had 
two  well  wings.  Anyhow,  the  male  appeared 
to  understand  jiretty  soon  that  his  wife  was  a 
cripple,  and  in  prison,  too,  for  when  tliey  had 
kissed  one  another  all  they  cared  to  just 
then,  the  male  flew  away  toward  the  brook. 
In  a  littlewliile  he  returned  with  his  bill  full 
of  food,  which  he  liberally  dealt  out  to  his 
wife  from  his  perch  on  the  rim  of  the  cage.  It 
tasted  better  to  her  than  the  food  that  Mrs. 
Ellsworth  had  put  into  the  cage,  Mrs.  Ells- 
worth said,  and  during  the  day  he  came  and 
went  a  score  of  times.  Mrs.  Ellsworth  left  the 
cage  out  all  night,  so  that  the  wife  might  be 
as  near  to  her  husband  as  possible,  and  the 
male  roosted  on  a  lilac  bush  close  by.  He 
carried  lots  of  food  to  his  wife  each  day.  and 
in  about  a  fortnight  her  wing  got  well.  Then 
Mrs.  Ellsworth  turned  her  loose.  Her  mate 
joined  her  immediately,  and  the  happy  pair 
sailed  off  toward  the  willows,  singinii'  a  song 
of  sjladness  on  the  way.  —  Dayton  (Dayton) 
Daily  Journal. 

Lard  applied  at  once  will  remove  the  dis- 
coloration after  a  bruise. 

BOSTON    TRAGEDY. 

.She  wruns  her  parrot's  neck  and  strewed 

Its  feathers  tlirough  the  street*. 
Because  it  made  remarks  most  rude 

As  she  recited  Keats.  —  Trutli. 


George:     "  I  wish  I  could  turn  Fido's  coat 

as  I  can  mine." 

Jessie  :     "  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

George  :     "  I  fancy  I  should  like  him  better 

with  the  bark  on  the  inside." — N.  Y.  Herald. 

"Hello,  old  man,  have  any  luck  shooting  ?" 
•'I  should  say  I  did  ;  shot  seventeen  ducks  in 
one  day."  "  Were  they  wild  ?"  "  Well  —  no 
—  not  exactly  ;  but  the  farmer  who  owned 
them  was."  — Harper's  Bazar. 

Mr.  Jock  Darling,  whose  name  has  been 
conspicuously  befoie  the  sportsmen  of  Maine 
for  a  long  time,  and  who  has  defied  the  game 
laws  su(;cessfully  —  so  they  state  —  /;a.s-  been 
appointed  as  game  warden  in  that  .state. 

"We  have  no  use  for  bear  stories,"  said  the 
editor.  "Our  readers  demand  something- 
spicy"  "Well,"  said  the  man  with  the 
manuscript,  "  this  story  is  about  a  cinnamon 
bear." —  Indianapolis  Journal. 

An  effort  is  to  be  made  to  successfully  intro- 
duce German  song  birds  into  Oregon.  A  num- 
ber of  Bed  Cardinals,  Bobolinks  and  Indigo 
Birds  have  also  been  brought  there  from  the 
East  and  are  to  be  liberated  in  the  spring.  — 
Boston  Post. 

The  Philosophic  ai.  Bumblebee. — The 
household  arrangements  of  Emerson's  bumble- 
bee are  peculiar.  There  are  a  few  queens  left 
over  from  each  nest  in  the  autumn.  These  in 
November  crawl  into  snug  places,  where  they 
lubernate,  gathering  pollen  in  the  spring  and 
laying  their  eggs  in  it.  Only  the  queen  sur- 
vives, all  the  workers  and  drones  dying,  so 
that  every  bumblebee  hive  is  wiped  out  each 
autumn.  They  do  not  accumulate  large  stores 
of  honey,  notwithstanding  their  industry,  for 
a  single  colony  will  not  number  more  than 
thirty  or  forty;  and  their  cells  are  huddled 
together  without  order,  so  that  the  honey 
cannot  well  be  obtained  from  the  combs  in  a 
clear  state,  as  school-boys  and  farm  lads  very 
well  know.  But  these  bees  are  philosopheis 
all  the  same;  perhaps  that  is  why  they  lay  up 
so  little.  —  Boston  Daily  Advertiser. 

Joking  with  Sea  Guli.s.  —  Sea  birds  are 
always  interesting  objects  to  voyagers.  They 
follow  a  vessel  sometimes  all  the  way  across, 
ever  restless  and  untiling.  The  gulls  particu- 
larly, with  their  long,  swift  wings,  realize  the 
highest  powers  of  endurance  and  fly  with  ease 
against  the  severest  storms.  Some  say  that 
these  birds  never  visit  the  earth  except  to 
deposit  their  eggs;  otherwise  they  live  con- 
stantly between  the  sea  and  the  sky.  In  fine 
weather  they  fly  high  in  the  air,  descending 
with  great  rapidity  to  seize  the  fishes  on  the 
surface  of  the  water. 

The  svmmetry  and  strength  of  the  gulls  are 
remarkable,  showing  how  nature  has  adapted 
them  in  every  particular  for  the  purpose  of 
long  flight.  Their  pectoral  or  breast  muscles 
are"one  solid  mass  of  fiini,  iiard  muscle,  and 
their  bones  are  hollow,  having  no  marrow  in 
them.  Sleep  is  not  necessary  to  them,  or, 
rather,  thev  rest  upon  their  wings  and  allow 
themselves'to  be  cradled  by  the  breezes,  whose 
violence   neither  worries  nor  frightens  them. 


82 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  2 


On  the  other  hand  they  seem  to  feel  a  fierce 
delight  in  the  fury  of  the  storm,  which,  con- 
vulsing the  waves,  bi'ings  up  the  dead  fishes 
and  mollusks. 

Sailors  are  very  fond  of  playing  off  a  joke 
upon  the  gulls  which  are  always  hovering 
about  the  ships.  They  take  three  or  four 
pieces  of  sail  twine  about  six  leet  in  lengtli; 
these  are  tied  together  in  the  middle,  and  to 
the  end  of  eacli  a  small  piece  of  blubber  or  fat 
is  attached  tightly  and  then  thrown  into  the 
sea.  A  gull  comes  along  and  swallows  one 
piece;  another  then  sees  there  is  plenty  to 
spare  and  swallows  the  next;  perhaps  a  third 
bird  takes  possession  of  another,  but  as  they 
are  all  attaclied  to  the  sail  yarns,  whenever 
they  try  to  rty  away  one  or  the  other  is  com- 
pelled to  disgorge  his  share,  and  this  is  con- 
tinued to  tlie  tantalizing  suspense  of  the  poor 
gulls  and  the  great  fun  of  the  passengers  and 
sailors.  —  Ocean. 


5  parts. 
10     " 

S.5     " 


5  parts. 
10     " 
40     " 

50     " 


Anti-Mosqitito  Powokh: 
R     Eucalvptol. 
Talc,  ' 

Corn-starch, 
Mix. 
This   may   be   rendered    more    effective    by 
replacing  fifty  per  cent,  or  more,  of  the  starcii 
by  naphthalin. 

PROTECTIVE  Ag.\inst  Ixsect  Bites:  — 
R     Acetic  ether, 
Eucalyptol, 
Cologne  water, 
Tincture  of  pvrethrum. 
Mix. 
Dilute  with  from  tliree  to  six  parts  of  water 
before  applying  to  skin.  —  W.  Drug. 

Flight  of  Eagles. —  A  Russian  letter  says: 
"A  curious  and  unusual  sight  has  just  been 
witnessed  by  the  inhabitants  of  Bjelgorod  in 
the  Soutli  of  Russia.  A  few  days  ago  an 
enormous  riight  of  Eagles  was  seen  to  fiy  past 
the  town  and  settle  in  nn  adjacent  forest. 
The  woodmen,  who  were  in  the  forest  at  the 
time,  fled  in  dismay  from  the  place.  It  is  well 
they  did,  for  wiien  these  unwelcome  visitors 
had  taken  tlieir  departure,  it  was  found  that 
they  had  devoured  ten  horses,  several  sheep, 
and  a  vast  number  of  smaller  animals.  The 
ground  where  tliey  alighted  was  strewn  with 
feathers,  and  all  the  birds  of  the  neighborhood 
liave  been  so  terrified  that  they  have  fiown  away. 
()nly  one  of  tlie  Eagles  was  caught  — a  bird  of 
immense  size,  and  belonging  to  a  Siberian 
species.  The  Eagles,  which  were  several 
linndreds  in  number  fiew  away  in  a  south- 
westerly direction.  Tlie  peasants  who  saw  this 
remarkable  sight  state  tliat  there  were  so  manv 
of  them,  that  for  the  space  of  several  seconds 
their  wings  hid  ihe  sun  from  their  sight. 

The  \Yheat()n  collection  of  tl)e  birds  of 
Ohio,  made  by  the  late  Dr.  J.  M.  Wlieaton  of 
Columbus,  O.,  has  been  purcha-ed  from  .Mrs. 
Wheaton  by  the  Ohio  State  Universitv.  Tlie 
consideration  >vas  $1000.  This  collection  in- 
cludes nearly  1000  bird's  skins,  mostly  taken 
in  O'do,  although  quite  a  number  of  extra 
limited    species   are   contained   in    it.       They 


have  been  arranged  according  to  the  A.  O.  U. 
check  list  and  placed  in  Harvard,  insect-proof 
display  boxes.  This  collection  is  an  extremely 
valuable  accession  to  the  college,  as  \\ell  as  to 
the  state,  as  any  future  report  of  the  birds 
of  Ohio  must  dra.v  its  information  largely 
from  the  state  report  which  was  compiled  by 
the  late  Dr.  Wheaton  and  based  upon  this 
collection.  N.  G.  Buxton. 

Twenty  Screech  Owls  were  received  in  one 
lot,  Feb.  (),  from  Illinois. 

A  number  of  Bolien)ian  Waxwings  came 
early  in  Februaiy  from  Dakota.  More 
expected. 


New   Publications. 


^'Oiir  lilnlK  in  Their  Haunts''^  is  not  merely 
a  book  about  birds,  but  a  complete  treatise  on 
the  birds  properly  belonging  to  eastern  North 
America;  sufficiently  full  in  resi^ect  to  their 
life  histories,  with  environment  and  habitat, 
to  be  consecutively  readable;  and  clear  enough 
in  description  to  answer  as  a  hand-book  for 
identification. 

As  it  is  written  from  observations  which  are 
tlie  result  of  extensive  travel,  it  contains  no 
small  amount  of  information  not  found  in  any 
other  work  covering  the  same  field,  especially 
in  reference  to  the  habitats  of  the  land  birds, 
and  the  habits  of  the  water  birds  on  the  great 
bodies  of  fresh  water  in  the  interior. 

It  makes  oology  a  specialty.  Nothing  in  the 
science  of  birds  has  been  more  charmingly 
interesting  to  the  author  than  the  location, 
the  material  and  stiiu-ture  of  the  nests;  and 
the  size,  form  and  color  of  the  eggs. 

Readableness,  that  is,  a  philosophical  and 
lucid  presentation  of  the  facts  of  nature,  and 
a  poetic  coloring  of  incident  in  its  relations  to 
season  and  scenery,  has  been  a  special  study 
in  making  the  book.  In  other  words,  while 
endeavoring  to  be  true  to  nature,  the  pleasure 
of  the  reader  has  been  particularly  consulted. 

'I'he  new  edition  now  about  to  be  issued, 
will  be  in  the  same  style  as  the  former,  and 
will  retail  at  :t;2.50;  but  all  orders. — bona  fide 
orders  simply  —  coming  in  before  February  15, 
18!»2,  will  get  the  book  at  $1.(30,  including 
postage.  The  work,  in  624  pages,  is  bound  in 
cloth,  the  paper  and  typography  the  very  best, 
tw(mty-five  illustrations,  and  of  convenient 
size  —  small  octavo.  All  persons  not  satisfied 
with  the  book  can  return  it  promptly  and  get 
their  money  back. 

J.  ir.  Lanr/ille. 

Kensington,  Md.,  or  Box  C.'i,  Smitlist)nian  InstitiUion, 
Washington,  D.  C. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGISTc 


$1.00  per 
Annum. 


PUBLISHED   BY  THE  FRANK  BLAKE   WEBSTER   COMPANY. 
Established,  March,  1875. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII. 


HYDE    PARK,  MASS.,   MARCH,  1892. 


No.  3. 


Geographical    Variation  in  Birds. 


In  my  first  paper  relating  to  surface  geology 
and  tlie  birds,  I  liave  sliown  liow  different  parts 
of  the  country  came  to  1»e  inhabited  by  pecu- 
liar species.  In  this  i)ai:)er  1  shall  endeavor  to 
give  an  idea  as  to  why  such  changes  take 
place. 

If  we  suppose  an  instance  where  a  bird  is 
perfectly  fitted  in  a  special  manner  to  lead  its 
life  in  a  particular  way:  it  may  feed  entirely 
upon  fruit,  which  tlie  climate  admits  to  mature 
at  all  seasons  and  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
constitute  a  never-failing  supply ;  it  may  breed 
in  hollow  trees,  common  in  humid  climates. 
The  food  is  healthy  and  sustaining,  tlie  nesting 
places  secure  from  many  predatory  animals, 
and  under  the  influences  of  this  favorable 
environment  the  species  thrive  and  multiply. 

If  they,  on  account  of  individual  variation, 
cliance  to  differ  in  any  way  from  the  parent 
stock  they  are  consequently  in  discord  with 
their  surroundings,  and  their  associates  which 
vary  less  have  a  better  chance  of  survival,  and 
to  leproduce  their  kind.  In  this  way  the 
species  is  kept  true  to  the  parent  stock.  But 
if  tlie  climate  should  undergo  a  slight  change 
the  whole  state  of  equilibrium  is  upset.  A 
drier  atmosphere  or  a  lower  temperature  may 
strip  the  country  of  its  fruit-bearing  forests, 
and  new  plants  may  take  their  places,  and 
thus  materially  alter  the  conditions  of  exist- 
ence of  the  birds  which  were  perfectly  adapted 
to  the  old  regime.  One  of  three  things  must 
inevitably  happen:  the  birds  must  die,  they 
must  search  for  new  quarters,  or  they  must 
conform  to  the  new  conditions  of  life. 

The  last  is  accomplished  by  a  natural,  selec- 
tion applied  to  the  individual  variation  which 
had  pr  'viously  been  detrimental  to  the  species. 
jVow,  however,  any  slight  deviation  from  the 
ortliodox  habits,  as,  for  instance,  in  the  selec- 
tion of  the  nesting-site,  or  an  acquired  appetite 
f  ■)r  a  new  article  of  diet,  would  be  a  benefit  to 


the  race,  and  the  advantage  gained  by  such 
individuals  over  their  fellows  would  enable 
them,  by  means  of  a  competitive  system  which 
has  been  termed  natural  selection,  to  live  and 
multiply  where  others  would  perish.  Those 
of  their  offspring  which  inherited  the  parental 
traits  would  mature,  only  to  leave  more 
descendants,  and  the  variation  once  started  by 
chance  would  become  more  and  more  notice- 
able and  universal  as  time  progresses. 

Nowhere  is  a  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  vari- 
ation, and  consequently  of  geographical  dis- 
tribution, more  needed  than  in  the  study  of 
American  ornithology,  for  it  is  in  this  country 
natural  selection  has  created  varietal  or  sub- 
specific  forms  and  closely  allied  species,  on 
the  grandest  scale.  As  the  process  of  their 
restriction  to  comparatively  small  areas  was 
discussed  in  the  first  paper  of  this  series,  it 
only  remains  to  refer  to  the  more  general  laws 
of  variation.* 

Tliere  is  an  axiom,  first  established  by  Prof. 
Baird,  that  birds  having  a  wide  range  increase 
in  size  from  south  to  north,  and  from  east  to 
west;  and,  as  if  for  compensation,  particular 
organs,  viz. :  the  beak  and  tail,  decrease  in 
proportion  to  the  increase  in  size,  and,  in  some 
cases,  the  measnrements  were  absolutely  less. 

In  color,  the  intensity  is  found  to  be  great- 
est in  the  more  southern  limits  of  the  habitat, 
and  decreased  toward  the  north.  West  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  especially  in  the  arid 
regions  of  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  Nevada, 
a  general  bleaching  or  fading  is  the  rule,  but 
on  the  middle  and  northern  Pacific  Coast  the 
colors  are  again  intense,  with  a  tendency 
towards  ferruginous  tints  in  the  former. 

This  was  one  of  the  first  steps  to  the  proper 
understanding  of  geographical  variation,  which 
soon  after  resulted  in  the  recognition  of  sub- 

*  For  the  subject  of  fannal  areas  the  reader  is 
referred  to  NortJi  American  Fouiia,  No.  3,  by  Dr.  C.- 
Hart Merriani,  and  published  by  the  U.  S.  Department 
of  Agriculture. 


Copyright,  18J2,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


34 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  3 


specific  differences,  and  the  boundaries  of 
many  of  tlie  lesser  faunal  divisions  are  based 
upon  such  variation. 

Further  researcli  has  demonstrated  tlie  fact 
tliat  the  majority  of  the  birds  found  along  the 
numerous  islands  of  Southern  Alaska  are 
strongly  tinged  with  red  as  in  California;  the 
paler  browns  become  rufous,  and  grays  are 
apt  to  be  intensified  to  dark  brown;  while 
further  north,  in  the  Aleutian  chain,  the 
browns  are  replaced  by  gray. 

Until  the  latter  part  of  the  season  the  bird 
waves  will  come  as  before,  with  stormy 
weather.  There  is,  however,  an  important 
difference.  In  spring,  high  temperatuie  ac- 
companied storm  periods.  The  warm  weather, 
backed  by  favoring  winds,  were  incentives  for 
the  birds  to  push  northward,  and  the  coinci- 
dence of  stormy  weather  was  a  netessaiy  evil 
to  be  endured.  But  in  autumn  the  tempera- 
ture drops  with  the  advent  of  a  storm,  and  tlie 
bad  weather  acts  as  an  auxiliary  force,  which 
combines  with  the  low  temperature  and  usu- 
ally favoring  winds,  to  urge  birds  towards  the 
soutli.  Late  in  fall  the  conditions  are  some- 
what changed,  and  the  lowest  temperature 
comes  with  the  fine  weather  after  the  storm. 
In  consequence,  the  most  marked  waves  no 
longer  occur  during  bad  weather. 

In  this  way  the  migrations  i)ass,  rising  as  a 
tide  in  spring  and  fall,  and  falling  off  at  other 
times,  the  lowest  period  being  in  winter, 
although  in  New  England  it  never  ebbs  entirely 
away.  llnmj  Gordon  White. 

WashinRtnn,  D.  C. 


A  Morning  on  Spoon   River,  111. 

The  morning  of  September  2'k  1801,  was  one 
long  to  be  remembered  by  the  writer.  The 
air  was  balmy  and  the  river  as  still  and 
quiet  as  the  surface  of  a   lake.     In  company 

with  a  naturalist  friend.  Professor  D ,  we 

manned  our  little  boat  and  set  sail  for  a  few 
hours'  general  collecting  on  the  beautiful  river, 
the  "  Winding  Spoon." 

For  a  number  of  miles  above  the  mill-dam  at 
the  village  of  Bernadotte  the  stream  main- 
tains an  average  depth  of  about  seven  feet. 
The  banks  present  an  ever-changing  scene  of 
landscape  beauty,  with  the  wooded  hills  in  the 
distance  for  a  background.  Now  a  great 
tangle  of  blooming  morning-glories,  purple 
astors  and  golden-rod,  and  then  a  soft  fringe 
of  swaying  willow    or   drooping  elm.  dipping 


to  the  water's  edge,  weighted  with  wreaths  of 
the  wild  grape-vine  and  a  wreath  of  purple 
fruit.  This  landscape  beauty  was  mirrored 
with  such  vivid  distinctness  that  we  seemed 
looking  down  upon  another  world  beneath 
the  waves. 

As  we  glided  along  in  our  liglit-running 
craft,  there  raced  ahead  of  us  a  number  of 
water  birds.  A  small  Hock  of  Blue-winged 
Teal,  a  Great  Blue  and  a  pair  of  Little  Green 
Heron,  a  Kingfisher  and  a  Dabchick  were 
observed.  The  latter  bird  made  strenuous 
efforts  to  distance  us  by  diving,  but  the  game 
was  a  losing  one,  for  every  time  that  it  reap- 
peared at  the  surface  the  distance  between  us 
had  rapidly  diminished.  Finally  it  stayed 
under  the  water  an  unusually  long  time,  and 
when  next  seen  it  was  down  the  river  fully  a 
hundred  feet  below  us.  Wings  as  well  as 
legs  must  have  been  used  and  the  transit  under 
the  water  an  actual  tlight. 

The  little  Sandpipers  were  busily  seeking 
a  breakfast  along  the  river's  bank,  and  their 
call  notes  could  be  heard  on  every  side.  So 
tame  were  they  and  unsuspicious  of  danger 
that  they  paid  but  little  attention  to  us.  If 
we  ran  the  boat  too  close  to  suit  them  they 
would  rise  upon  the  wing  and  skim  along  the 
water,  uttering  their  peculiar  notes  of  peet- 
ii-eet-weet,  and,  alighting  upon  the  oj)posite 
bank,  tilt  their  body  backward  and  forward 
for  a  moment  upon  their  long  stik-like  legs, 
and  then  again  resume  the  business  of  break- 
fast hunting.  We  were  not  seeking  birds, 
and,  having  left  our  guns  at  home,  they  were 
safe  from  harm. 

Two  miles  up  the  river  we  came  to  a  great 
forest  of  trees  with  an  almost  impenetrable 
undergrowth  of  vines,  wild  touch-me-nots 
and  nettles.  At  this  place  we  expected  to  do 
some  collecting,  and,  landing  our  boat,  at  once 

prepared   for    business.       Prof.   D , whose 

h(il)by  was  entomology,  could  talk  of  nothing 
but  butterriies  and  beetles.  In  these  woods  we 
expected  to  find  many  of  them,  nor  were  we 
disappointed,  for  no  sooner  had  we  climbed 
over  the  steep  bank,  than  great  numbers  of 
butterflies  were  to  be  seen  flying  about 
through  the  lower  limbs  of  the  trees,  or  hang- 
ing in  clusters  from  the  leaves  of  the  silver 
maple  and  hackberry,  upon  which  they  were 
feeding  and  depositing  their  eggs. 

With  our  butterfly  net  we  soon  had  all  that 
we  desired  snugly  going  to  sleep  in  our 
cyanide  jars.  The  species  captiued  were 
mainly  of  the  Asterids.  ihe  JUrinise  and  the 
IdaUa. 


March,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


35 


We  also  flushed  from  tlie  nettles  and  toncli- 
me-nots  a  fine  luna  moth  and  several  tiger 
and  ermine  moths,  which  we  secured. 

Having  all  the  Lepkloptera  that  we  cared 
for,  we  now  turned  our  attention  to  the 
Coleoptera  or  beetles,  and  in  a  short  time  had 
captured  a  number  of  species.  By  turning 
over  old  logs  and  pulling  the  bark  from  old 
dead  trees  and  stumps  we  found  several  of 
the  great  stag  beetle  and  the  horned  passalns; 
several  species  of  the  lady  bugs  and  caterpillar 
hunters  were  also  secured. 

These  low,  damp,  shady  woods  were  just 
the  place  for  the  Helices  or  snails.  Under  the 
shady  side  of  rotten  logs  or  under  pieces  of 
bark  numbers  of  them  were  to  be  observed. 
Setting  to  work  we  soon  had  a  cigar  box 
nearly  full.  The  Helix  alternata,  an  almost 
universally  distributed  species,  was  the  most 
abundant;  of  these  we  selected  only  a  few  of 
the  largest  and  finest. 

The  next  in  abundance  was  the  beautiful 
H.  mnltilineata  or  many-lined  snail;  great 
beauties  a  half  inch  in  diameter  were  found. 
We  also  secured  a  number  each  of  the  follow- 
ing fine  snails:  H.  profunda,  H.  appressn, 
H.  mitchelliana,  H.  albolabris,  H.  hirsutU. 
We  also  found  adhering  to  old  weed  stalks 
some  fine  large  Succinea  ohliqua  and  oralis, 
and  under  the  bark  of  an  old  sycamore  log  we 
secured  quite  a  number  of  the  Zonites 
arhoreus. 

These  land  shells  should  be  prepared  for  the 
cabinet  by  subjecting  them  to  a  bath  of  hot 
water,  and  after  extracting  the  animal  with 
a  hook  or  head  of  a  pin,  drying  them  in  the 
shade.  If  it  is  desired  to  keep  them  fresh 
looking  and  lustrous  a  light  coating  of  l)est 
olive  oil  will  do  the  work. 

Many  birds  were  all  about  us  as  we  quietly 
moved  about  in  the  dense  woods.  Of  the 
Woodpeckers,  the  Little  Downy,  the  Hairy,  the 
Zebra  and  the  (Tolden-winged  were  seen, 
while  the  trumpet-like  notes  in  the  distance 
of  the  Great  Pileated  Woodpecker  revealed 
to  us  the  fact  that  at  least  in  these  woods  it 
was  not  yet  an  extinct  species.  Several 
Cardinal  Grosbeaks  betrayed  their  presence 
by  continually  scolding  us  for  this  intrusion 
upon  their  favorite  haunts.  The  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak,  too,  from  a  dense  tough 
of  vines  could  be  heard  uttering  in  a  dreamy 
undertone  a  few  notes  so  plaintive  and  low 
tliat  tliey  seemed  but  the  echo  of  the  vigorous, 
rollicking  song  heard  in  the  nesting  time  of 
the  summer  months. 

We  now  returned  to  the  boat,  glad  to  escape 


the  sting  of  the  nettles  and  the  bite  of  mos- 
quitoes that  swarmed  about  us.  Here  we  were 
surprised  to  find  that  a  great  migration  wave 
of  Bank  Swallows  had  arrived  from  the  north, 
and  were  circling  and  whirling  around  over 
the  river  like  thousands  of  leaves  in  a  whirl- 
wind. Accomi^anying  them  were  a  few  Bee 
and  House  Martins,  accidental  stragglers, 
perhaps,  from  the  main  army  that  had  gone 
south  a  month  before.  As  the  Swallows  arose 
high  in  the  air  or  dashed  suddenly  to  the  sur- 
face of  the  river,  the  Bee  Martins  flew  about 
in  a  confused,  dazed  fashion,  uttering  their 
rattling,  unmusical  notes  as  though  j^rotesting 
against  this  delay,  and  urging  the  Swallows 
to  come  along  and  stop  their  nonsense. 
In  a  little  while  they  disappeared  down  the 
river,  and  we  saw  them  no  more,  but  certainly 
our  best  wishes  went  with  them  on  their  long 
journey  to  their  winter  homes  in  the  far 
South. 

A  half  mile  down  the  river  we  came  to  a 
great  flock  of  Blackbirds.  A  clump  of  giant 
sycamore  trees  was  perfectly  black  with  the 
Red-wings  and  Purple  Grackles,  and  their 
camp-meeting  chorus  as  we  rounded  a  bend  in 
the  river  was  almost  deafening.  Suddenly  the 
song  stopped  and  for  a  few  seconds  not  a  note 
was  lieard;  thfu  a  few  clucks  from  the  leadei-s 
and  all  at  once  the  hundreds  arose  on  the  wing 
with  the  noise  of  a  tempest,  flying  to  the  hills 
beyond,  turning  and  circling  over  the  village, 
.swooping  down  again  to  the  river's  valley, 
dashing,  whirling  and  turning  with  the  pre- 
cision of  well-trained  cavalry;  again  lighting 
on  the  old  sycamores,  and  once  more  their 
song  was  borne  to  our  ears,  now  afar  down 
the  river,  now  loud  and  distinct,  and  then  low, 
dying  away  to  a  mere  murmur  as  the  breezes 
gentle  or  strong  bore  the  sound  to  our  ear. 

Wishing  to  obtain  certain  species  of  shells 
which  we  knew  abounded  in  these  waters  we 
slowed  up  our  boat  and  with  a  dredge  made 
of  a  large  tin  dipper  commenced  to  fish  for 
them.  Every  dredge  full  of  mud  brought  to 
the  surface  would  contain  a  number  of  species. 

In  a  short  time  we  had  quite  an  assortment 
of  kinds  washed  out  from  the  .sand  and  mud. 
The  little  mussel-like  shells  called  Sphcerinms, 
not  larger  than  small  beans,  were  plentiful. 
The  rare  and  unique  shell  called  Leivises 
pleurscera  was  also  found  in  considerable 
numbers.  Also  the  large  horn-colored  water 
snail,  Melantha  inteqra  and  a  smaller  species, 
the  wax-like  Physsa,  were  found  in  satisfactory 
numbers.  These  were  all  live  shells,  that  is 
shells   containing   the   animals,    and    were   as 


36 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  3 


bright  and  lustrous  as  though  they  had  been 
varnished.  To  prepare  them  for  the  cabinet 
they  should  first  be  treated  to  a  bath  of  hot 
water  and  then  the  animal  extracted  with  a 
small  hook  or  forceps.  To  preserve  their  nat- 
ural appearance  each  shell  should  be  given  a 
liglit  coating  of  glycerine  or  best  olive  oil. 

Spoon  River  has  become  justly  noted  for 
the  large  size,  perfection  of  form  and  beauti- 
ful markings  of  its  Unios  or  mussels.  So 
many  fine  ones  were  to  be  seen  on  the  sand 
bars  and  in  the  shaHow  water  along  the  banks 
that  we  could  not  refrain  from  selecting  a  few 
of  the  finely  marked  species. 

The  Occident  with  its  beautiful  lines  of 
green  on  variously  tinted  backgrounds  es- 
pecially attracted  our  attention.  The  long 
slender  Rectus  with  its  black  exterior  and 
purple  interior  lay  alongside  of  its  relative, 
the  Anodontoides,  with  its  wliite  epidermis 
and  rose-tinted  interior,  and  near  by  was 
found  their  cousin,  the  Gibbosns  or  hump-back 
mussel,  with  its  liver-colored  nacre  or 
interior. 

Scattered  all  about  in  the  shallow  water 
were  to  be  seen  several  species  of  the  pustu- 
late group  of  Unio;  especially  conspicuous 
were  the  following  species:  Lachrymusus 
or  teary  mussel;  Pustnlasiis,  a  species  covered 
all  over  its  exterior  with  warty  postnles; 
Trif/omis  or  red-meated  mussel;  Conmtnfi  ov 
horn  mussel,  zigzag  with  its  wavy  lines; 
Ele(/ans,  a  truly  elegant  species,  and  tlie  gi-eat 
Aaodonta  i/randis,  or  grand  mussel,  with  one 
exception  probably  the  finest  of  all  the  twelve 
hundred  species  of  the  mussel  or  Unio  family. 
This  is  only  a  partial  list  of  the  species  ob- 
served and  collected.  At  least  a  dozen  more 
species  found  ranging  in  size  from  the  little 
Parvus,  an  inch  in  length,  to  the  great  Uyiio 
heros  of  Say,  a  mussel  seven  or  eight 
inches  long  and  weighing  several  pounds. 

Having  secured  all  the  shells  desired  we 
resumed  our  journey  down  tlie  river.  As  we 
neared  the  boat  landing  we  were  again  wit- 
nesses to  a  fine  exhibition  of  bird  life.  Cir- 
cling high  over  the  village  was  a  great  flock  of 
Cooper's  Hawks  on  their  way  to  the  sunny  lands 
of  the  far  South.  Their  rapid  gyrations  and 
circlings  vividly  reminded  one  of  the  many 
and  sudden  changes  revealed  by  the  kaleido- 
scope. In  a  few  minutes  they  passed  from 
view  beyond  the  hills  to  the  South. 

Our  outing  had  been  a  success  and  we  were 
correspondingly  satisfied  and  happy. 

yV.  S.  strode,  M.I). 

Bernadotte,  111. 


The     Herons    of     Alachua     County, 
Florida. 


Of  the  sub-family  Ardelnce,  true  Herons, 
we  have  eight  varieties  which  are  more  or 
less  abundant  within  the  limits  of  our  county. 

The  notes  which  I  have  to  refer  to  aie 
taken  from  observations  made  by  myself  dur- 
ing the  past  five  years.  By  straining  the 
point  a  little  I  might  to  these  make  the  ad- 
dition of  another  variety,  the  Ardea  ivardi, 
making  a  total  of  nine  varieties,  but  not  being 
able  to  substantiate  the  statement  with  speci- 
mens I  will  not  at  the  present  time  claim  tliis 
last  variety  in  the  avifauna  of  our  county. 

GREAT    lU.lIE    HKHON. 

This,  the  largest  of  all  our  Herons,  is  a 
common  resident  with  us.  Unlike  some 
varieties  of  the  smaller  Herons  it  seldom  ac- 
cumidates  in  large  numbers  except  for  breed- 
ing purposes,  and  may  be  seen  singly  or  in 
pairs,  as  the  case  may  be,  wading  around  in 
tlie  shallow  lakes  bent  upon  obtaining  its  din- 
ner of  fish  or  frogs. 

They  begin  to  nest  usually  early  in  February, 
and  young  may  often  be  seen  of  consideiable 
size  by  the  middle  of  March. 

On  March  28,  1890,  I  visited  one  of  their 
breeding  places  and  found  at  this  time  young 
birds,  many  of  which  were  nearly  as  large  as 
tlieir  parents.  Not  a  single  egg  was  found. 
Tiiere  were,  perhaps,  thirty  nests  in  the 
lookery,  placed  around  in  the  cypress  trees 
at  various  heights.  Tlie  number  of  young  in 
a  nest  was  usually  three  or  four.  There  were 
no  small  Herons  breeding  in  tlie  rookery,  nor 
have  I  euer  found  them  breeding  in  company 
with  the  Great  Blue.  There  were  several 
Anhingas  and  Egrets  nesting  close  by,  but 
nothing  smaller. 

While  passing  through  the  woods  near  Levey 
Lake  on  March  0,  1891,  I  was  attracted  by  cries 
of  young  Herons,  and  going  in  tlie  direction 
from  which  they  came  found  a  company  of 
perhaps  twenty  pair  of  Great  Blues  nesting 
in  the  tall  trees,  which  grew  in  a  slew  that 
runs  into  that  lake.  All  had  hatched  and 
the  young  could  be  seen  standing  around  on 
the  nests. 

Just  north  of  Ledwarth  Lake,  in  some  tall 
pines,  quite  a  number  of  Great  Blues  nest 
every  year.  Strange  as  it  may  seem  this  bird 
is  considered  a  great  game  bird  during  the 
breeding  season  by  the  negroes  of  this  locality, 
and  many  are  annually  slain  for  food. 


March,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


37 


AMFRICAX    EGRET. 

Five  years  ago  the  American  Egret  was  very 
common  around  our  lakes  and  ponds,  but 
tlirough  the  agency  of  man,  especially  the 
plume  hunters,  its  numbers  have  been  reduced 
to  such  an  extent  that  at  the  present  time  it 
is  seldom  met  with  in  any  great  numbers. 
During  the  breeding  seascm  the  Egret  is 
adorned  with  a  magnificent  train  of  long 
white  plumes,  which,  starting  from  the  back, 
fioat  far  behind  the  tail,  even  reaching  to  the 
feet  or  beyond  while  fiying. 

On  March  28,  1888,  I  found  perhaps  a  dozen 
pair  breeding  at  Levey  Lake.  The  rookery 
was  on  a  partly  submerged  island  one  mile 
from  shore,  and  the  nests  were  placed  in  the 
hushes  usually  about  three  feet  above  the 
water.  Incubation  at  this  date  was  far 
advanced;  in  fact,  in  at  least  one-half  of  the 
nests  examined  the  eggs  had  hatched.  Xo 
fresh  eggs  were  found  on  this  day  at  all.  Tlie 
usual  number  in  a  nest  was  three,  sometimes, 
however,  only  two,  and  in  no  case  were  four 
found  in  a  single  nest. 

While  on  a  camping  and  collecting  ex- 
pedition in  Walkahootta  Hammock  my  partner 
and  I,  on  April  27,  1880,  found  a  few  pair  of 
Egrets  breeding  in  the  buttonwood  bushes  of 
a  slew  just  east  of  Horse  Prairie,  although 
at  this  late  date  the  nests  contained  eggs  only 
partially  incubated.  The  usual  number  of 
eggs  in  this  case  was  also  three.  Four  were 
found  in  a  nest  in  one  instance.  A  set  of  four 
fresh  eggs  were  taken  by  my  partner  from  a 
nest  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  on 
March  2(ith  of  the  same  year.  These  birds 
around  here  are  becoming  quite  shy  and  it 
frequently  requires  considerable  caution  to 
approach  within  gun-shot  of  them. 

SNOAVY   HERON. 

Along  in  February  the  Snowy  Heron  is  to  be 
seen  around  the  wet  prairies  and  shallow  lakes 
in  considerable  flocks  in  company  with  the 
Little  Blue  Heron,  and  sometimes  with  the 
Louisiana  Heron.  In  March  they  begin  to 
frequent  their  old  breeding  grounds  and 
shortly  afterwards  commence  repairing  their 
nests  of  the  previous  year  or  building  new 
ones.  During  the  first  two  or  three  weeks  of 
April  the  eggs  are  deposited.  It  is  now  that 
their  plumes  reach  perfection,  which  soon  after- 
wards begin  to  drop  out,  and  by  the  close  of 
the  breeding  season  many  have  shed  them 
entirely. 

The  number  of  eggs  usually  laid  is  four, 
but  sometimes  five  or  three  are  found.     May 


15,  1890,  I  found  a  colony  of  perhaps  fifty 
pair  breeding  in  the  buttonwood  bushes  of 
a  little  pond  in  the  hammock  near  Levey 
Lake.  At  this  date  the  eggs  had  all  hatched 
and  the  young  completely  covered  the  bushes 
of  the  little  pond.  Many  of  the  young  were 
of  considerable  size  and  no  eggs  were  found 
at  rtll.  In  this  heronry  no  other  Herons  were 
found  breeding,  while  on  April  2.5.  1891,  in  a 
similar  rookery  near  Walkahootta,  at  least  one- 
half  of  the  birds  found  nesting  there  were 
liittle  Blue  Herons,  the  remainder  being 
8nowy  Herons.  As  a  rule,  however,  I  find 
that  they  usually  nest  in  company  with  other 
small  Herons. 

I.OtlSIANA   HEROX. 

"Lady  of  the  Waters."  Not  so  abundant 
as  some  of  the  other  small  Herons.  In  early 
spiing  they  were  to  be  met  in  small  com- 
panies feeding  around  the  margin  of  the  lake. 
It  nests  in  company  with  the  Little  Blue  and 
Snowy  Herons;  and  its  nest,  like  others  of  its 
family,  is  simply  a  small,  almost  frail  nest  of 
twigs  and  sticks  placed  on  the  horizontal  limb 
of  some  wild  willow  or  cypress  tree  of  the 
rookery.  The  number  of  eggs  laid  in  one  nest 
is  usually  four,  but  it  is  not  uncommon  to 
find  five  or  even  six  in  a  single  set.  In  the 
spring  of  1889,  about  the  middle  of  April,  I 
visited  a  colony  of  Herons  breeding  on  an 
island  in  Kanappahaw  Lake.  In  this  rookery 
were  found  nesting  Little  Blue  Herons,  Snowy 
Herons,  Green  Herons  and  perhaps  twenty 
pair  of  Louisiana  Herons,  besides  numbers 
of  Boat-tailed  Graekles  and  Bed-winged  Black- 
birds. The  Louisiana's  nests  were  jjlaced 
around  on  the  wild  willow  trees  after  the 
fashion  of  other  Herons.  At  this  date  most 
of  the  nests  contained  complete  sets  of  eggs, 
and  many  of  the  eggs  showed  signs  of  incuba- 
tion. The  number  of  eggs  found  in  a  nest  was 
usually  four,  but  not  uncommon  was  it  to  find 
five,  and  two  of  the  nests  examined  contained 
six  eggs  each.  The  eggs  closely  resemble  those 
of  the  Little  Blue  Heron,  but,  by  putting  a 
series  of  their  eggs  by  the  side  of  a  number 
of  the  Little  Blue's  eggs,  the  shade  of 
blue  is  noticeable  as  not  being  quite  so  deep 
as  in  those  of  the  latter,  and  as  a  rule  the  eggs 

are  not  so  oval  in  shape. 

F.  G.  Pearson. 
(inilford  College,  N.  C. 

[To  be  Continued.] 

Subscribe  for  the  O.  and  O.  if  you  would  be 
informed  on  all  matters  pertaining  to  bird  life. 


38 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  3 


A  Trip  to  Tolchester  Beach. 


On  May  30,  1891,  my  brotlier  and  I  took  tlie 
Steamer  Louise,  which  leaves  here  for  a 
pleasure  resort  on  the  Eastern  shore  of  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  called  Tolchester  Beach.  We  took 
our  rifles  with  us  in  order  to  shoot  some  frogs 
but  our  cliief  aim  was  to  find  some  bird's  eggs. 
My  brother  took  a  fine  set  of  Fish  Hawk's 
down  there  last  year,  but  on  reaching  the  nest 
we  found  some  one  or  the  wind  had  torn  it 
down.  Another  nest  we  found  w'as  in  a  hirge 
sycamore  tree,  and  inaccessible.  I  think  it 
liad  eggs  in  it  as  we  could  see  the  okl  bird 
looking  over  the  edge  of  the  nest. 

Our  first  find  was  a  set  of  four  Spotted 
Sandpiper's,  wliicli  my  brother  took  on  the 
bay  sliore  about  100  yards  from  the  wharf.  I 
scored  tlie  next  point  with  a  nest  of  three 
young  Green  Herons.  Xext  I  flushed  a  Tow- 
hee  on  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  going  to 
the  place  where  she  got  up  found  a  nest  with 
two  young  ones  just  hatched. 

Leaving  the  woods  we  took  to  the  bay  sliore 
again  and  looked  into  some  Bank  Swallows' 
nests.  I  took  a  set  of  seven  fresh  eggs  and 
another  of  five.  My  brother  took  a  set  of  six. 
I  also  found  a  Belted  Kingfisher's  nest  in  the 
same  bank,  but  as  we  could  hear  the  young 
ones  in  it  did  not  attempt  to  dig  it  out. 

I  waded  into  a  small  cat-tail  swamp,  about 
one-quarter  of  an  acre  in  extent,  in  which  I 
found  a  dozen  or  more  Red-winged  Blackbirds' 
nests,  most  of  which  contained  from  one  to 
three  eggs,  but  some  were  empty.  Just  as  I 
was  leaving  the  wet  ground  I  found  a  set  of 
six  King  Rail's,  my  first  find  of  this  species. 
The  nest  was  a  platform  of  broken  bits  of  the 
cat  tail  placed  flat  on  the  ground,  and  was 
not  hollowed  as  much  as  the  Clapper  Rail's 
nest.  Tliis  was  our  last  find  for  the  day,  as  we 
had  to  hurry  back  to  catch  the  boat  for  home. 
Later  on,  June  15th,  when  I  was  down  there 
again,  I  thought  I  would  take  another  look  at 
the  nest.  Wading  into  the  marsh  I  found  the 
old  one,  and  not  more  than  six  feet  from  it 
was  a  new  nest  of  the  same  species  with  ten 
fresh  eggs,  which  soon  found  their  way  into 
my  l)Ox.  Wm.  11.  Fisher. 

Kaltunore.  Md. 


Bird  Notes  of  Northern  New  Jersey. 


I  have  never  noticed  any  record  of  birds 
singing  on  their  nests.  One  of  our  best  field 
ornithologists,  and  a  great  observer  of  nature. 


says  no  birds  sing  on  their  nests.  Three  years 
ago  I  heard  the  sweet  song  of  the  AVhite-eyed 
Vireo.  It  often  proceeded  from  one  tree  that 
I  frequently  peeped  under.  As  it  sounded 
from  one  particular  spot  I  stopped  several 
times  to  discover  the  vocalist.  I  was  rewarded 
by  seeing  its  nest  about  thirteen  feet  from  the 
ground,  on  an  outer  branch  of  the  maple,  well 
concealed  by  leaves.  It  happened  that  the 
nest  was  just  below  an  upper  window  of  a 
barn;  by  taking  a  place  by  the  window  I  could 
see  plainly  into  the  nest.  I  took  the  position 
at  the  window  several  days,  an  hour  at  a  time. 
I  saw  the  male  Vireo  singing  the  entire  time 
he  was  on  the  nest  with  his  full  song. 
Another  singular  trait  I  noticed  was  the  rest- 
lessness of  the  pair;  for  they  changed  ijosi- 
tion  at  the  incubating  duties  every  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes,  the  male  singing  almost 
continuously,  whether  on  or  off  the  nest.  I 
watclied  them  feed  their  young,  and  only  took 
their  nest  after  the  family  had  moved  ouf. 

The  first  American  Goldfinch's  nest  I  ever 
found  was  betrayed  to  me  by  the  female  (m 
the  nest  answering  the  male,  or  it  might  be 
another  male  Goldfinch,  as  it  flew  by.  The 
male  bird  always  utters  his  call  note  when 
flying  in  summer.  Hearing  the  hen  several 
times  in  the  same  place  I  found  her  on  her 
nest,  after  which  I  had  no  difficulty  in  finding 
the  nests  of  this  species  by  their  position. 

Several  times  I  have  noticed  a  solitaiy  Cow- 
bird  {Molothru^  ater),  late  in  autumn,  after  the 
main  flocks  retired  southward.  Sometimes  I 
have  seen  a  belated  Cowbird  with  a  flock  of 
House  Sparrows  in  the  barn-yard.  On  the 
1st  of  January  this  winter  I  saw  two,  and  on 
the  8th  I  saw  one  in  a  flock,  of  Sparrows.  It 
is  probable,  from  being  of  a  gregarious  nature, 
the  birds  associate  with  the  Sparrows  from 
seeing  them  in  flocks.  Prof.  J.  A.  Allen  tells 
me  he  knew  a  Cowbird  to  stay  all  winter  in 
Cambridge,  Mass.  It  is  astonishing  how  these 
birds,  reared  as  they  are  in  various  other 
birds'  nests,  can  find  each  other  and  associate 
in  flocks.  Certainly  they  have  little  affinitj' 
with  the  modes  of  life  of  their  foster  parents, 
many  being  of  the  Warbler  or  Vireo  families. 
Here  it  is  well  to  observe  that  there  is  no 
other  case  in  natural  history,  at  least  in  the 
northern  hemisphere,  of  birds  being  reared  in 
nests  of  foster  parents,  and  afterwards  seeking 
each  other  and  remaining  together. 

The  Cuckoos  of  Europe,  raised  the  same  by 
foster  parents,  do  not  seek  each  other  or  flock 
together.  It  is  a  very  solitary  bird,  seldom 
seen  even  two  together. 


March,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


39 


A  Fidmarus  glacialls  was  picked  up  quite 
weak,  apparently  exhausted,  in  this  locality 
early  in  December,  Bergon  County,  N.  J., 
being'  a  long  way  from  the  scsa.  The  bird  was 
six  miles  west  of  the  Hudson  River.  East, 
between  this  river  and  the  ocean,  is  the 
widest  part  of  Long  Island.  Just  previous  to 
finding  him  the  weather  had  been  very  stormy 
on  the  Atlantic.  Henry  Hales. 


A  Dip  into  the  January  O.  &  O. 

I  iloirt  like  the  shot  method,  "according  to 
Hoyle,''  of  removing  the  placenta  from  a 
much  incubated  egg.  A  stream  of  water 
sharply  driven  obliquely  into  the  drill-hole, 
and  a  vigorous  shaking  of  the  egg,  will,  espec- 
ially if  faitlifully  repeated,  enable  one  to  blow 
the  placenta  out  with  the  rinsing  water. 

Nobody  has  touched,  as  yet,  the  bottom 
mark  as  to  latest  normal  nesting  date  of  the 
liobvvhite, — not  even  your  reporter  from 
Kansas.  Last  autumn,  while  gathering 
apples  with  a  friend  in  his  orchard,  about  thg 
middle  of  October,  my  friend  told  me  that, 
the  week  previous,  while  some  ladies  who  had 
driven  into  the  orchard  with  a  carriage  were 
gathering  apples,  their  horse  stepped  upon 
and  crushed  a  nest  full  of  Quail's  eggs,  and 
that  he  did  not  consider  this  late  nesting  as 
unusual.  (But  the  readers  of  the  O.  &  O. 
must  have  exact  dates :  my  friend  will  inves- 
tigate this  matter,  accurately,  in  tiie  autumn 
of  1892.) 

About  plumage  of  the  Mallard  Drake:  does 
not  everybody  know  that  the  "green  wing- 
patch  "  is  constant  with  both  sexes  in  all 
plumages'?  The  Drake  does  not  alv^aijs,  at 
least,  don  his  bachelor  coat  in  May,  else  the 
expression  "  breeding  plumage  "  is  a  misnomer. 
I  have  seen  the  drakes  in  full  plumage  as  far 
south  as  Central  Kansas,  as  late  as  the  middle 
of  June. 

Tiie  moult  of  the  summer  plumage  is  really 
710^  a  moult  but  a  chromatic  change,  such 
as  certain  hares  and  Ptarmigans  undergo. 
Hence,  the  effect  is  often  "patchy,"  as  often 
in  the  case  of  hares.  This  effect  is  the  most 
noticeable  on  the  head  and  neck,  which  are 
the  last  parts  to  change.  I  have  heads,  pre- 
served for  the  study  of  these  very  conditions, 
the  birds  being  taken  in  Kansas  as  late  as 
November.  At  that  date  and  in  that  locality 
tlie  proportion  of  perfect  male  plumages, 
among  the  male  birds,  was  from  one-third  to 
one-fourth,  roughly  speaking.  In  some  heads 
tiie  green  feathers  are  generally  diffused,   in 


others  distributed  in  patches,  none  of  them 
having  a  "budding"  appearance.  Of  all  this, 
more  later. 

A  gentleman  who  kept  a  pair  of  American 
Goldfinches  in  confinement  lately  told  me  that 
the  color  of  the  plumage  turned,  in  the  spring, 
from  drab-olive  to  golden  yellow,  in  less  than 
a  week.  Perhaps  these  changes  have  much  in 
common;  though  the  age  of  the  Mallard 
Drake  is  certainly  an  important  factor. 

P.  B.  Peabody. 


The     Western     Robin     and     Varied 
Thrush, 


Of  the  different  varieties  of  the  birds  of  east- 
ern Nortli  America  which  are  included  in  the 
avifauna  of  British  Columbia,  none  are  more 
conspicuous  than  the  Robin  {Merula  migratoria 
prophiqua).  It  is  found  in  all  the  valleys  of 
that  "  Sea  of  Mountains,"  and  I  noticed  it  when 
passing  through  "the  Rockies,"  east  of  the 
Columbia  River,  and  as  common  at  Port  Kells, 
Fort  Langley  and  other  localities  on  the  lower 
Frazer,  where  I  was  informed  it  was, resident 
throughout  the  year,  so  that  no  notes  needed 
to  be  taken  regarding  its  migratory  move- 
ments, but  I  did  not  notice  it  at  Vancouver 
city,  nor  down  the  Straits  of  Georgia;  it  was 
common  at  Victoria,  but  not  again  observed 
on  my  southward  voyage  and  inland  rambles 
until  some  miles  east  of  Seattle. 

Why  it  is  distinguished  as  a  different  species, 
or  even  variety  of  the  Merula,  I  could  not 
determine  from  what  observations  I  was  able 
to  male  regarding  it.  The  same  drab  plum- 
age of  the  upper  parts,  the  same  reddish 
breast,  and  ashy  undergarb  that  characterizes 
the  Robin  uf  Ontario  is  noticeable  in  this  bird 
of  the  sunset  land,  as  are  also  its  song  and 
other  notes,  as  well  as  its  general  modes  of 
action,  nesting  habits,  and  the  number  and 
color  of  its  eggs.  A  comparison,  however,  of 
the  western  forms  and  those  of  the  east  may 
establish  the  facts  that  the  former  is  a  little 
larger  in  size  and  the  plumage  on  the  back 
somewhat  darker  in  hue  than  the  latter 
species,  and  since  my  return  I  notice  that  the 
specimens  of  the  eggs  of  the  western  species 
are  about  one-tenth  larger  than  those  of  the 
eastern  variety. 

The  spotted  breast  of  the  young,  which  is 
remarkable  in  the  Robin  of  Ontario,  is  also 
a  characteristic  of  the  nesting  plumage  of  the 
species  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  may  indicate 
in  the  case  of  this  genus  that  it  is  a  develop- 
ment of  the  more  woodland  Thrushes. 


40 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  3 


A  nest  at  Port  Kells,  from  wliicb  I  took  a 
set  of  four  fresh  eggs,  now  in  my  collection, 
was  placed  in  a  small  balsam,  about  seven 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  composed  of  stalks  of 
weeds  and  some  bark  fibres,  plastered  on  the 
inside  with  mud,  and  lined  with  fine,  dry 
grass.  These  are  of  the  same  form,  and  of  a 
similar  greenish  blue  color  as  those  of  the 
eastern  Robin,  but,  as  previously  noted,  are  a 
little  larger.  This  was  on  the  I4th  of  May;  at 
the  same  period  I  observed  in  that  vicinity 
young  Robins  able  to  fiy,  which  must  have 
been  incubated  in  the  latter  part  of  March. 

At  Gieen  Lake,  some  miles  eastward  of 
Seattle,  the  southern  terminus  of  my  western 
rambles,  I  observed  anotlier  nest  of  this 
species  composed  outwardly  almost  wholly  of 
moss.  This  was  placed  on  a  forked  branch  of 
a  small  birch  tree,  leaning  over  a  small  stream 
of  water,  near  the  border  of  the  lake  into 
which  the  stream  emptied,  the  nest  being 
about  fifteen  feet  over  the  water,  and  then 
contained  young.  With  the  exception  of  a 
number  of  Spotted  Sandpipers  on  tiie  sands  of 
the  lake  shore,  I  saw  but  few  other  birds  here, 
though  I  remained  some  hours  in  the  vicinity. 
Tills  was  on  the  18th  of  May. 

TUK    VAHIEl)    THRUSH. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  beautifully  plumaged 
and  pleasing  songsters  whose  presence  and 
notes  affect  the  wild  woods  in  the  lower 
Frazer  valley,  in  British  Columbia.  In  size  it 
is  about  the  same  as  the  Hermit  Thrush,  and 
its  song  notes  closely  resemble  those  of  tlie 
iintKlelinus,  but  to  me  these  did  not  appear  to 
be  so  loud  or  prolonged,  yet,  as  the  season 
was  still  early,  and  before  the  nesting  period 
had  begun  when  I  had  the  pleasure  of  listen- 
ing to  its  lays,  it  may  be  that,  as  the  Varied 
Thrush  season  advances,  it  pitches  its  notes  in 
a  higher  key,  and  devotes  more  time  and 
energy  to  the  emission  of  its  charming  music, 
and,  while  the  ear  is  delighted  with  its  song, 
the  eye  of  the  student  of  nature  who  rambles 
in  these  primeval  wilds,  which  it  makes  its 
haunts  and  home,  is  no  less  pleased  with  its 
varied  plumage  of  dark  brown  and  golden 
yellow.  And  when  to  these  natural  advan- 
tages of  song  are  added  its  graceful  move- 
ments among  the  deep  green  foliage  and 
snowy  blossoms,  which  in  the  early  summer 
intermingle  in  the  Columbian  forest,  it  may 
be  imagined  that  this  species  is  among  tiie 
most  noteworthy  of  all  the  avifauna  families 
west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  tourist,  whatever  be  his  object,  wlio 
suddenly  finds  himself  in  the  woods  bordering 


the  streams  or  wave  washed  shores  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  of  our  western  province,  is  at 
once  astonished  at  the  diflercnt  appearance  of 
his  surroundings  to  what  he  had  previously 
observed  nearer  the  Atlantic,  sea-board.  The 
woods,  the  rocks,  the  mountains,  luive  all  a 
different  aspect,  even  the  air  has  a  different 
smell,  and  for  a  time  produc<'s  different  effects 
on  the  physical  .system  and  impressions  on 
the  mind,  and  many  of  the  birds  whose  forms 
meet  his  gaze  and  music  falls  upon  iiis  eai-, 
iiave  differently  lined  plumages,  and  notes. 

Favored  by  a  rich  soil  and  temperate  cli- 
mate, giant  firs  raise  their  wnving  tops  to  an 
altitude  surpassing  those  in  most  otiier  lands; 
monster  cedars  rival  these  in  tallness  and 
trunk  proportions;  balsams  and  other  ever- 
greens, though  much  smaller,  nevertheless 
standing  close  together,  ca.st  a  deep  shade  on 
the  damp  earth,  from  whence  spring,  while 
intermingling  with  these,  species  of  white 
wood,  alders,  and  large  flowering  dogwood, 
which  altogether  make  a  forest  so  dense  thiit 
it  can  scarcely  be  penetrated,  and  few  attemjit 
to  do  so  except  on  matters  of  business.  It  is 
late  in  the  forenoon  before  the  sun's  rays  pen- 
etrate these  gloomy  woods,  and  though  out  in 
the  clearing  the  heat  is  at  times  oppressive, 
yet  in  these  shades  there  is  always  a  coolness, 
though  the  wind's  influence  is  seldom  felt  and 
storms  cannot  rage,  while  in  most  places,  as 
the  spring  and  summer  advances,  the  ground 
is  covered  with  mosses  intermingled  with 
plants  and  flowers  of  varied  and  beautiful 
hues.  Amid  such  scenes  are  the  haunts  and 
home  of  the  Varied  Thrush,  and  should  it 
appreciate  views  of  scenery,  which  perhaps  it 
does,  it  has  only  to  move  a  short  distance 
from  the  deepest  shade  to  the  lakelet  shoie, 
the  liver  bank,  or  the  margin  of  the  lippling 
brook,  to  view  the  azure  sky,  the  noonday  sun, 
and  the  dark  outlines  of  rock-formed  moun- 
tains whose  sum.mits  aie  capi)ed  with  eternal 
snows. 

Such  feeble  outline  of  some  of  the  localities 
alfected  by  the  presence  of  this  species  may 
assist  in  conveying  to  the  mental  vision  of  the 
reader  ideas  not  otherwise  attainable,  yet 
inseparable  fioni  its  life  history,  and  should 
the  eastern  reader  Avander  on  a  summer  morn- 
ing in  some  dark  wood,  and  hear  in  the  higher 
branches  the  song  notes  of  the  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak  and  the  Scarlet  Tanager,  and  in 
unison  with  these,  in  the  lower  woods,  the 
soul-inspiring  lays  of  the  AVood  Thrush,  he 
may  withour.  much  stretch  of  the  imagination 
assume  that  he  is  passing  through  a  part  of  a 


March,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


41 


Biitisli  Columbian  forest  and  listeninji:  t(>  tlie 
musical  strains  of  the  Black-lieacUd  Goshawk, 
the  Western  Tanager  and  the  rather  melan- 
choly refrains  of  the  Varied  Thrush. 

Among  the  vines. and  bushes,  as  well  as  the 
ferns,  flowers  and  mosses,  this  species  finds 
the  berries  and  lower  forms  of  animated  exis- 
tences, as  Its  daily  needs  require. 

Its  nest,  of  which  I  saw  a  few  specimens 
of  the  past  year,  is  composed  almost  wholly 
of  mosses,  lined  with  lichens  and  other  soft, 
dry  materials.  This  is  placed  in  bushes,  or 
among  branches  not  far  off  the  ground,  or  in 
much  similar  situations  as  that  of  the  Hermit 
Thrush.  The  eggs,  four  or  five  in  the  set,  are 
ol  a  bluish  hue,  mottled  with  reddish  brown 
spots.  Tills  species,  known  also  as  the  Varied 
Itobin  and  Oregon  Tluush,  is  reported  to  be 
more  abundant  on  the  sea-shore,  where  it 
I'emains  tiiioughout  the  year,  than  further 
inland,  and  here  among  the  stunted  firs,  rocks 
and  sands  it  tiuds  a  scenery  much  different 
from  that  of  the  more  inland  valleys,  as  well 
as  the  effects  of  the  sea-breezes  and  the  rolling 
waves.  In  the  museum  at  Victoria  I  saw 
some  fine,  mounted  specimens,  and  in  the 
deep  woods  near  Port  Kells  its  songs  strongly 
reminded  nie  of  the  Wood  Thrush  of  Ontario; 
l)ut  under  the  circumstances  the  effects  w^ere 
nunc  melancholy  than  pleasing. 

iViu.  L.  Kills. 


Notes  on  Bird  Flight. 


To  me,  bird  flight  has  always  been  an  inter- 
esting study.  Statements  of  extreme  velocity 
often  appear  in  print  and  are  sometimes  mis- 
leading. To  say  that  a  flock  of  geese  moves 
at  a  rate  of  one  hundred  miles  an  hour  for  an 
entire  day  may  require  to  be  "backed  up  by 
statements." 

At  times,  when  fleeing  before  a  vorthcr  and 
its  flight  is  accelerated  by  the  force  ^)f  a  high 
wind,  many  birds  sustain  a  great  vehx-ity. 
But  more  frequent  is  unusual  speed  in  the 
fierce  dash  of  Falcon  or  short  flight  of  Grouse, 
Though  different  classes  of  birds  may  usually 
be  distinguished  by  their  mode  of  flight,  there 
art!  variations  at  once  odd  and  pleasing. 
Those  measured  strokes  of  the  Brown  fJrane 
in  full  force  make  a  jjleasing  ontrast  with  the 
majestic  and  long-continued  aerial  evolutions, 
seen  while  on  his  migratory  course. 

The  Canada  Goose  presses  onward,  borne  up 
by  strong  and  steady  pinions.  For  forceful, 
solid  business  he  has   few  rivals.     I  remember 


once,  while  travelling  by  rail  at  a  rate  of 
thirty  miles  an  hour,  our  waylay  for  a  time 
along  the  course  of  a  swollen  creek.  A  flock 
of  geese,  among  them  one  little  Teal,  came 
alongside  the  train  and  kept  almost  within 
gunshot  for  fully  ten  miles,  seemingly  at  an 
ordinary  rare;  and  the  Teal  was  at  no  loss  to 
keep  his  place  among  his  larger  companions. 

Wliile  collecting  on  the  Iowa  River  I  chanced 
to  be  near  a  close  cover  of  weeds  and  dwarf 
willows,  one  cold  winter  day.  Snow  lay  tw o 
feet  deep  on  the  level,  and  but  little  bird-life 
was  in  motion.  Suddenly  a  Quail  came  by  me 
like  a  flash:  a  Goshawk  was  in  hot  pursuit. 
The  Quail  glided  safely  under  cover  and  the 
Hawk  went  again  to  the  woods.  In  a  short 
time  he  drove  another  Quail  into  the  willows, 
reijeating  his  unrequited  task  until  not  less 
than  a  dozen  birds  nestled  in  the  clump  of 
brush  about  me;  yet  the  Hawk  had  not 
observed  me,  and  he  hung  about  the  place  for 
a  while,  unwilling  to  leave  such  good  game. 
The  frightful  speed  of  those  poor,  scared 
birds  and  their  relentless  pursuer  haunted  me 
for  many  a  day. 

At  another  time,  while  riding  in  from  the 
country,  I  saw  a  male  Cooper's  Hawk  making 
a  determined  effort  to  catch  a  Quail  as  it 
whirred  past  over  an  open  space,  but  the 
Quail  was  too  swift.  It  would  be  impossible 
to  estimate  their  fleetness,  but  neither  could 
protract  it  for  a  considerable  distance. 

Often,  by  cunning,  the  smaller  birds  accom- 
])Iisli  their  escape  from  a  swifter  pursuer. 
From  my  father's  house  a  quarter  mile  dis- 
tant, stands  a  row  of  tall  cottonwood  trees. 
Here  the  Xorthern  Shrike  makes  his  perch  in 
winter  time,  and  by  adroit  imitation  of  their 
notes  beguiles  many  an  unsuspecting  victim. 
Hearing  the  fellow's  loud,  grating  cry,  and 
knowing  his  tricks  I  started  with  the  gun, 
intending  to  entice  him.  All  at  once  he  left 
his  high  ))ercli  and  chased  a  little  bird;  and, 
though  he  flew  hard,  his  ettorts  were  not 
successful,  the  bird  evading  his  clutch.  As  1 
had  but  just  started  and  could  scarce  see 
them  I  was  the  more  interested  that  they 
came  toward  me.  The  Chickadee  —  which  it 
proved  to  be — made  good  use  of  its  wits. 
Whenever  the  Shrike  came  directly  at  it  the 
bird  made  a  sharp  turn,  thus  gaining  a  little 
advantage.  Many  times  the  Shrike  chased 
him  up  in  mid-air,  but  when  the  Chickadee 
attempted  to  come  to  ground  the  Shrike's 
greater  weight  accelerated  its  speed,  and  thus 
the  entire  way  was  fought,  and  when  that 
slight  creature  at  length  found  shelter  it  was 


42 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  3 


none  too  soon.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  handle 
that  Shrike. 

Once  only  in  my  experience  have  I  seen 
that  pleasing  exhibition,  —  the  upward  flight 
of  the  Shore  Lark.  It  was  a  bright,  warm 
morning  in  early  spring.  A  pair  of  these 
birds  made  merry  at  the  far  side  of  an  old 
field.  Lightly  one  began  to  fly  about  over  the 
meadow  and  was  soon  ascending  in  easy 
spirals  until  almost  out  of  sight,  singing  as  he 
arose.  But  it  was  at  the  very  highest  point  he 
reached  that  tiiose  ecstatic  notes  swelled  out 
and  fell  sweetly,  while  he  floated  here  and 
tliere  liglit  as  a  feather.  Then  gradually  the 
song  died  away,  and  with  closed  wings  he 
came  easily  to  earth  again. 

How  different  from  their  leisurely  habit  is 
the  fierce,  swift  dash  the  Common  Crow  makes 
when  maddened  by  the  presence  of  a 
Hawk  ! 

Who  has  not  admired  tiiat  sober  sailing  of 
the  despised  Turkey  Vulture,  as  far  over  hill 
and  wood  and  river  he  spreads  his  wing  on 
the  morning  breeze?  During  the  summer  of 
1890  the  cholera  plague  worked  havoc  with 
the  swine  of  this  region,  bringing  in  its  train 
unsanitary  conditions,  and  a  Buzzard's  feast. 
One  morning  my  attention  was  called  to  a 
flock  of  Vultures  coming  on  motionless  wings 
from  the  far  West.  On  and  on  they  went,  yet 
more  were  coming.  Some  settled  in  neighbor- 
ing fields,  while  the  most  passed  on  and  out 
of  sight,  their  great  wings  half  drawn  up  to 
their  bodies.  Perhaps  a  thousand  birds  were 
in  the  caravan.  Whence  came  they  and  how 
knew  they  the  feast  ? 

The  Great  Blue  Heron  is  much  at  ease  on 
the  wing,  yet  those  long,  sweeping  strokes 
carry  him  far.  In  the  vicinity  of  a  heronry 
they  are  coming  and  going,  busy  as  a  swarm  of 
bees,  the  extra  allotment  of  neck,  superfluous 
in  flight,  drawn  up  against  tiie  breast.  In 
long  passages  over  wilderness  and  lakes,  how- 
ever, betimes  he  stretciies  forth  his  slim  neck 
and  with  spread  wings  and  tail,  using  much 
length  of  legs  for  rudder,  soars  aloft,  seem- 
ingly oblivious  to  his  uncouth  appearance. 

A  sleepy  old  member  of  the  tribe  once  gave 
me  a  free  exhibition  of  tlieir  ijeculiar  flight. 
I  came  suddenly  upon  him  as  he  stood  in  two 
feet  of  water  near  a  lonely  shore.  As  I  hurled 
an  oar  at  him  he  became  aware  of  my  intent 
and  began  exerting  his  energies.  For  extreme 
awkwardness  of  movement  his  was  a  success. 
With  unearthly,  croaking  squawks  and  hurried 
gathering  up  of  dangling  legs,  he  urged  him- 
self up  above  the  trees  and  away,  until  those 


garrulous  screams  sounded  only  in  echoes 
through  the  dim,  lonely  woods. 

Of  all  the  birds  with  which  I  am  familiar 
the  Loon,  or  Great  Northern  Diver,  excels  in 
impetuous  speed.  I  can  now  almost  see  that 
trim  form  as  it  came  cloud-high,  returning 
from  its  morning  meal  on  Lake  Gabriel. 
Cleav  and  loud  rang  forth  its  cry;  then  poising 
one  moment  with  folded  wings,  it  fell  grad- 
ually for  a  time,  then  faster  and  faster,  until, 
reaching  a  level  with  the  forest,  it  began  a 
circuit  of  the  lake,  a  distance  of  several  miles. 
At  length  it  passed  my  boat  like  a  flash,  the 
wind  from  its  movement  being  plainly  felt. 
The  air  fairly  whistled  tlirough  its  feathers, 
and  when  it  struck  the  water  at  a  slight  angle 
so  intense  was  its  momentum  tliat  a  foaming 
furrow  was  ploughed  for  more  than  twenty 
rods. 

While  camping  on  Little  Twin  Lakes, 
Xorthern  Iowa,  some  years  since,  I  noticed  a 
male  Hooded  3Ierganser  circling  around  a 
grove  so  often  tliat  it  seemed  certain  that  he 
was  feeding  his  mate,  which  they  do  at  incu- 
bating time.  I  concealed  myself  and  watched 
for  a  long  time,  and  finally  was  rewarded  by 
seeing  the  fellow  fly  plump  into  a  hollow  in  a 
gigantic  oak.  It  would  seem  to  be  a  piece  of 
recklessness:  certainly,  if  he  had  not  aimed 
well  he  would  have  suffered  for  the 
erior. 

A  pleasing  characteristic  of  the  species  is 
the  manner  of  flying  during  nesting  time. 
One  may  see  them  chasing  round  and  round 
some  wooded  lake,  speeding  ever  with  a 
thrilling  impetuosity;  uttering  a  peculiar  note 
as  they  glide  along;  then  they  have  darted  out 
into  the  forest,  leaving  the  beholder  pleased 
with  the  performance,  and  none  the  wiser  as 
to  the  nest  site.  I  timed  one  of  this  species, 
and  it  made  its  mile  in  less  than  one  minute. 

Did  you  ever  see  the  American  Coot  try  to 
fly? 

From  the  depths  of  a  dark,  larch  swamp, 
cool  with  its  shadows,  I  chanced,  one  hot  July 
day,  to  look  upward;  and  out  through  an  open 
space  among  the  branches,  away  far  up  where 
the  fleecy  clouds  floated,  appeared  a  troop  of 
birds,  like  specks  against  the  glistening  cirrus. 
For  a  time  they  seemed  motionless,  then  in 
miniature  curves  and  dashes  they  began  a 
descent  across  the  sky,  and  as  they  fell  the 
flight  became  like  a  quiver  of  arrows  thrown, 
and  before  the  mi)ss-clad  brandies  hid  tliem  I 
recognized  that  fairy  form,  Elanoides. 

J.  W.  Preston. 
IJaxter,  Iowa. 


March,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


43 


Birds  of  Five-mile  Beach. 


Five-mile  Beach,  situated  on  the  coast  of 
New  Jersey,  twelve  miles  north  of  Cape  May 
and  twenty-four  miles  from  Philadelphia,  is 
a  narrow  strip  of  land  at  no  place  more  than 
a  mile  in  width,  and,  as  its  name  indicates, 
about  five  miles  in  length.  It  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Hereford  Inlet,  on  the  east  by  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  on  the  south  by  Turtle-Cut 
Inlet,  while  to  the  west  stretches  away  a 
broad  expanse  of  salt  marshes.  The  fjreater 
part  of  the  beach  is  thickly  wooded;  the 
holly,  maple,  oak  and  cedar  being  the  prin- 
cipal trees,  while  the  undergrowth  is  a  mass 
of  thorn,  blackberry  and  bramble,  in  many 
cases  so  dense  as  to  be  almost  impenetrable. 
Numerous  small  streams  and  brackish  ponds 
are  scattered  throughout  the  neighborhood. 
To  the  botanist,  entomologist  and  ornitholo- 
gist mucii  of  interest  is  to  be  found  on  this 
beach.  Mr.  Henry  VVenzel  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Academy  of  Natural  Science,  who  has 
been  my  companion  on  several  trips  to  this 
place,  has  turned  up  no  less  then  ten  species 
of  Coleoptera,  heretofore  not  recorded  as 
being  found  north  of  the  Carolinas,  while 
several  species  proved  new  to  science. 

The  following  notes  are  the  result  of 
eighty-two  trips  made  to  this  interesting  lo- 
cality, the  length  of  the  trips  being  from  that 
of  a  day  to  two  weeks: 

2.  HolbcelTs  Grebe  (Cnlymbtis  holbcellii). 
Have  met  with  this  species  on  several  oc- 
casions during  the  winter  months. 

i).  Horned  Grebe  {ColymhuH  anritus). 
Common  from  late  in  October  until  end  of 
March.  The  local  name  applied  to  this  species 
is  that  of  Sausage  Neck. 

0.  Pied-billed  Grebe  (Podilymhwi  podlceps). 
Probably  rare,  as  I  have  met  with  it  but  twice. 

T.  Loon  {Urinator  irnher).  (!ommon  during 
winter  months. 

;52.  Razor-billed  Auk  (Alca  torda).  Three 
birds  of  this  species  were  observed  on  (irassy 
Sound  on  several  occasions  during  the  month 
of  February,  18H1. 

")!«,.  American  Herring  Gull  {Larus  argen- 
tatns  smith sonianus).  The  first  generally 
arrive  about  October  Gth ;  by  the  20th  they 
are  common,  and  remain  so  until  about  the 
10th  of  April,  when  they  start  north. 

54.  Ring-billed  Gull  (Larus  delaivarensis). 
Arrives  and  departs  about  the  same  time  as 
its  near  relative,  the  Herring  Gull,  and  is 
equally  abundant. 


58.  Laughing  Gull  (Larus  atricilla).  Com- 
mon from  April  until  October.  Large  num- 
bers breed  in  the  vicinity  of  Five-mile  Beach. 
Gull  Island  takes  its  name  from  the  number 
of  birds  of  this  species  that  breed  there. 

70.  Common  Tern  (Sterna  hirundo).  Very 
common  from  Apiil  until  October.  Many 
breed  on  the  lower  point  of  the  opposite 
beach. 

74.  Least  Tern  (Sterna  antillarum).  Com- 
mon but  not  as  much  so  as  a  few  years  ago. 
Some  breed  on  the  ojiposite  beach. 

94.  Sooty  Shearwater  (Puffinus  stricklandi). 
Two  birds  of  this  species  were  shot  by  Capt. 
Taylor  at  the  fishing  banks  opposite  Five- 
mile  Beach  and  presented  to  me. 

109.  Wilson's  Petrel  (Oceanites  oceaniciis). 
Common  at  the  fishing  banks  opposite  the 
beach. 

117.  Gannet  (Sula  bassana).  Occasionally 
seen  at  the  fishing  banks  opposite  the  beach. 
A  fine  $  was  shot  by  Capt.  Taylor  on  April 
26th  and  presented  to  me. 

120.  Double-crested  Cormorant  (Phalucro- 
coraxdilophus).  Common.  Often  flying  close 
in  along  the  beach.  Known  to  the  residents 
on  the  beach  by  the  name  of  Nigger  Goose. 

129.  American  Merganser  (Merganser 
americanus).  Have  seen  but  few^  of  this 
species,  probably  rare. 

180.  Red-breasted  Merganser  (Merganser 
serrator).  Very  common  from  October  until 
April.  May  breed  in  the  neighborhood,  as 
specimens  have  been  seen  throughout  the 
summer. 

131.  Hooded  Merganser  (Lopltodytes  cucul- 
latus).  Rare.  A  few  killed  each  winter. 
Known  to  the  local  gunners  by  the  name  of 
Hairy  Head. 

132.  Mallard  (Anas  boschas).  Rare.  One 
secured  this  winter  and  one  last  winter. 

133.  Black  Duck  (Anas  obsciira).  Very 
common.  During  a  hard  winter,  when  the 
salt  ponds  and  small  creeks  are  frozen  up,  large 
numbers  are  killed. 

135.  Gadwall  (Anas  strepera).  Rare.  A 
stray  specimen  of  this  species  sometimes 
killed. 

137.  Baldpate  (Anas  americana).  Rare. 
Capt.  Taylor  secured  two  during  the  winter 
1889-90. 

139.  Green-winged  Teal  (Anas  carolinensis). 
Rare.  My  only  record  of  this  species  is  a 
specimen  shot  by  John  Stermer  on  November 
15,  1890. 

142.  Shoveller  (Spatula  clypeata).  Very 
rare.     One  shot  by  Capt.  Taylor  in  the  winter 


44 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  3 


of  1888-89  is  ray  only  record  of  this  species  for 
this  neighborhood. 

143.  Pintail  (Dajila  acuta).  Not  common. 
A  few  seen  each  winter. 

144.  Wood  Duck  {Aix  s2)onsa).  Secured 
two  out  of  bunch  of  five.  This  was  the  only 
time  I  ever  observed  this  species  on  the  beach. 

148.  American  Scaup  Duck  {Aythya  mar'da 
nearctica).     Common  on  Grassy  Sound. 

149.  Lesser  Scaup  Duck  (Aythya  affinis). 
Not  common.  This  and  the  foregoino;  species 
known  to  the  local  gunners  as  Broad-bills. 

151.  American  Golden-eye  {Glancinnetta 
clangula  americana).  C'ommon.  Only  kuDwn 
as  Whistler. 

150.  Bufflehead  (Charitonetta  albeola).  Com- 
mon. Those  secured  generally  young  males 
and  females. 

154.  Old  Squaw  {Clamjula  hyeDialis).  Very 
common  from  about  the  middle  of  November 
until  the  middle  of  April.  Old  Momme  or 
Moinme  is  the  only  name  known  here  for  this 
Duck. 

1(33.  American  Scoter  (Oidemia  americana). 
Common  during  the  winter.  I  have  observed 
tills  and  the  following  two  species  far  up  in 
Hereford  Inlet,  as  well  as  off  shore. 

105.  White-winged  Scoter  (Oidemia  tleg- 
landl).  Common  during  the  winter  months. 
All  the  Scoters  are  called  Coots  by  the  local 
gunners. 

166.  Surf  Scoter  (Oidemia  pprKplrlllata). 
Common  during  the  winter. 

172.  Canada  Goose  (Branta  canadensis). 
Although  very  common  during  the  winter  yet 
vei'y  few  are  shot,  as  they  will  not  decoy  well. 

173.  Brant  (Branta  bernlcla).  Not  com- 
mon.    A  few  seen  every  winter. 

Philip  Laurent. 
Philadelphia. 

[To  be  Continued.] 


The  Appearance  of   the   Chewink  in 
Lat.  37     48'  N.  in  Winter. 


It  may  be  of  interest  to  some  of  the  readers 
of  the  O.  &  O.  to  know  that  while  hunting  near 
the  White  Sulphur  Springs,  W.  Va.,  in  com- 
pany with  Messrs.  R.  M.  McLeod  and  John  A. 
Mastin,  on  February  5th,  I  saw  a  male  Chewink 
(Pipllo  erythrophthalnius)  in  the  winter  plum- 
age. On  looking  over  my  records  I  find  it 
recorded  as  having  previously  arrived  on  the 
following  dates:  April  13,  1890;  April  17,  1891. 
Thaddeus  Surber. 

White  Sulphur  Springs,  AV.  Va. 


Arrivals    of    Some    Migratory    Birds 
of  Johnson  Co.,  Ind. 


The  dates  given  below  are  those  on  which 
the  birds  named  were  first  seen  by  the  writer, 
and  represent  approximately  the  date  of  the 
earliest  arrival  of  each  of  the  species  named 
for  the  year  1891. 

Kobin  (M.  migratoria),  .Tan.  28. 

Bluebird  (S.  slalls),  Feb.    2. 

Kedbird  (C.  cardlnall.^),  "      8. 

Field  Sparrow  (.S.  pusllla),  "      8. 

Cowbird  (3/.  ater),  March  4. 

Killdeer  (^.  roci/'era),  "    IG. 

Meadow  Lark  (S.  magna),  "    17. 

Blackbird  (Q.  quiscula),  "    18. 

Chewink  (P.  erytfiroptJialmus).  "    18. 

Pewee  (tS.  p/toe6e),  "    19. 

Sparrow  Hawk  (F.  sparrerlus),  "    23. 

Kingfisher  (C.  ah- yon),  "    23. 

Pine  Siskin  (.S.  i</Hif.s),  "    23. 
Golden-crowned  Kinglet  (R.  satrapn),        "    30. 

Bewick's  Wren  (T.  beivickll),  April  1. 

Chipping  Sparrow  (.S.  .socJa//.s),  "      1. 
Southern  Chickadee(P.  carolinensls),         "      7. 

BiM-nSwMow  (C.  erythrogaster),  "    13. 

Brown  Thrush  (H.  rufus),  "    13. 
Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker  (S.  varliis),     "    1(>. 

Whip-poor-will  (A.  voclferus),  •'    20. 

Orchard  Oriole  (I.  .sjj»ri».s),  "    21. 

Bain  Crow  (C.  amerlranu-t),  May    8. 

Goldfinch  (.S.  trlstls),  "      8. 

Catlnrd  (G.  caroUnensls),  "    20. 
Nighthawk  (C.  virglnianus),            May  21  to  25, 

The  Bullbat  or  Nighthawk  is  remarkably 
punctual  in  arriving  here  on  its  st)uthern  mi- 
gration about  the  17th  of  August.  In  botli  the 
years  1889  and  1890  the  first  individuals 
made  their  appearance  promptly  on  the  17tli 
of  August.     Tiiis  year  they  were  one  day  later. 

E.  M.  Kindle. 


How  IS  This  For  a  Rare  Egg'?  — "There 
is  now  on  view  in  a  shop  window  in  Kirkwall," 
says  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette,'"  four  eggs  of  the 
Great  Skua,  a  bird  of  peculiar  habits  and  now 
almost  extinct  in  Britain.  Indeed,  its  only 
known  nesting  place  is  the  remote  Islan;^.  of 
Foula,  Shetland.  So  ruthlessly  is  the  bird 
pursued  for  its  now  valuable  eggs  that  last 
year  out  of  about  twelve  nesting  pairs  only 
two  eggs  were  hatched.  A  tourist  who  vis- 
ited Foula  Island  this  year  paid  .$200  foi-  one 
ejig." 


March,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


45 


Old  Squaw  (Clangula  hiemalis 


This  bird  is  in  my  opinion  tlie  most  abnn- 
dant  duciv  in  this  locality,  during  migrations 
Generally  appearing  in  immeni-e  flocks  after  a 
blow.  Last  November  these  birds  were  caught 
in  the  herring  nets  on  Lake  Erie  by  the 
thousand.  At  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  between  five 
and  seven  thousand  were  taken  at  one  haul. 
At  this  port  (Erie)  the  largest  haul,  to  my 
knowledge,  was  eight  hundred.  A  very  few 
American  Black  Scoters  were  also  taken,  but 
no  other  species.  Lake  Erie  is,  to  be  sure, 
a  shallow  lake,  but  the  fishermen  informed  us 
that  most  of  the  ducks  uere  caught  when  the 
nets  were  set  l")  fathoms  (90  feet)  of  water,  a 
few  being  caught  in  18  and  20  fathoms.  Otic 
captain  told  me  that  he  caught  three  ducks  of 
this  species  in  27  fathoms,  and  I  do  not  doubt 
his  word.  One  of  our  daily  papers  printed 
a  long  article  on  this  subject,  claiming  that 
the  fishermen  set  their  nets  on  purpose  to 
catch  ducks,  but  I  had  ample  proof  that  such 
was  not  the  case,  for  the  ducks  were  invari- 
ably so  badly  entangled  in  the  nets,  as  to 
cause  considerable  trouble  in  getting  them 
out;  besides,  after  the  first  large  haul  the 
markets  were  glutted  in  all  directions,  and 
many  were  thrown   away. 

This  bird  is  well  known  to  be  an  expert 
diver,  yet  the  fact  that  they  can  descend  to 
such  depths  as  I  have  noted  seems  (juite  re- 
markable to  me.  Their  flesh  is  very  poor, 
still  it  seems  a  pity  that  they  should  be 
slaughtered  in  this  way,  and  while  1  do  not 
think  they  are  liable  to  be  exterminated,  last 
fall's  catch  must  have  made  quite  a  diminu- 
tion in  their  ranks.         Sdmuel  E.  Bacon,  Jr. 

Erie,  Pa. 


Capture  of  a   Mink. 


December  29th  I  started  for  the  village  store. 
On  the  way  I  saw  some  boys  skating  and  one 
of  them  said  "Mr.  Farmer,  do  you  want  a 
young  (?)  muskrat  ?  "  Of  course  I  did,  and  asked 
them  where  it  w  as.  They  told  me,  and  from  the 
description  they  gave  me  of  it  I  knew  it  was 
a  mink.  I  concluded  to  look  into  the  matter 
when  I  came  back  but  just  as  I  was  going  on 
I  happened  to  glance  across  the  brook  and 
there,  sure  enough,  was  some  kind  of  an 
animal  going  under  a  cake  of  ice  near  the 
shore. 


I  hurried  home,  and,  loading  my  gun  with 
o's,  Avent  back.  When  I  got  there,  on  the 
other  side,  the  boys  said  that  they  had  seen  it 
again  and  that  it  was  under  the  thin  ice  near 
where  I  stood.  I  began  breaking  the  ice  with 
my  feet  and  in  a  moment  up  popped  Mr.  Mink's 
head  about  fifteen  yards  away.  I  moved  my 
foot  a  little  and  that  scared  him,  but  I  took  a 
snapshot  at  his  head  just  as  it  disappeared  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  ice  fly  all 
around  the  hole  where  he  had  gone  down. 
Rushing  forward  I  saw  that  the  ice  was 
covered  with  blood.  I  kept  still  a  moment 
and  loaded  my  gun.  I  had  hardly  finished 
and  laid  the  gun  down  preparatory  to  breaking 
the  ice  when  he  came  up  again  and  made  for 
the  shore.  I  seized  my  gun,  but  the  confounded 
shell  (a  boughten  one)  missed  fire.  This  was 
maddening,  but  I  soon  came  up  with  it  and 
dealt  it  two  good  blows  over  the  head  with  the 
gun-barrel.  This  only  served  to  make  him  go 
faster,  so  I  raised  the  gun  by  the  bari-el,  regard- 
less of  the  fact  that  it  was  loaded,  and  brought 
it  down  on  his  back.  This  did  the  business 
and  I  soon  had  possession  of  him. 

Fur  dealers  and  sportsmen  who  have  seen 
it  declare  it  to  be  one  of  the  finest  minks  they 
ever  saw.  I  have  it  nicelj^  mounted  and  con- 
sider it  one  of  the  gems  of  my  collection. 

Arthur  M.  Farmer. 

Anioskeafi',  N.  H. 


For  blowing  eggs,  when  there  are  a  quantity 
of  large  ones,  the  use  of  a  rubber  syringe 
bulb,  with  two  pieces  of  rubber  tube,  will  be 
found  of  great  value.  A  blow-pipe  is  attached 
to  one  end  of  the  tube  and  the  other  end  is 
placed  in  a  bowl  of  water.  Filling  a  small  box 
with  sawdust,  make  a  hole  through  one  side 
at  the  top  and  insert  the  blow-pipe.  This 
holds  it  in  position  with  the  pipe  over  the  saw- 
dust pointed  upwards.  Now,  instead  of  blow- 
ing the  egg,  force  the  water  by  means  of  the 
bulb  into  the  hole,  and  the  contents  can  be 
quickly  and  easily  emptied,  and  the  shell 
thoroughly  rinsed.  This  bulb,  tubing  and 
pipe  can  be  obtained  from  the  publishers  of 
this  magazine,  postpaid,  for  $1.00.  This  is 
not  a  new  idea,  but  is  a  good  one  just  the 
same. 


The  subscribers  to  the  O.  &  O.,  from  Halifax 
to  Mount  Pleasant,  S.  C,  cry  "Down  with  la 
grippe."  It  is  a  case  where  the  man  that  cries 
is  down. 


46 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  3 


ORNITHOLOGISTi^^^OdLOGlST 

A  Monthly  ^lagazine  of 

NATURAL    HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY  DEVOTEP  TO  THE  STUDY  OF 

THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS, 

and  to  the 

INTERESTS     OF     NATURALISTS. 

Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 


FRANK  B.   WEBSTER, 
J.  PARKER  NORRIS, 


Hyde  Park,  Mass. 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


PUBLISHED  AT  THE 


NATURALISTS    SUPPIY  DEPOT 


FliAXK   BLAKE   WEBSTER   COMPAXY, 

INCORPORATED, 

Hyde  Park,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 


The  O.  &  O.  is  mailed  each  issue  to  every  paid  suh- 
scriber.    If  you  fail  to  receive  it.  notify  us. 


EditoriaL 


The  egg  collecting  season  is  here  again. 
Aheaily  the  records  from  the  Great  Horned 
Owl  di.stricts  are  coming  in  and  will  soon  be 
followed  by  others.  Many  will  begin  their 
experience  with  the  season  of  1892.  To  those, 
as  well  as  older  collectors,  we  would  advise 
that  a  special  effort  be  made  to  u.se  all  possible 
care  in  preparing  the  specimens  that  are  pro- 
cured, and  to  making  proper  records;  to  the 
last  give  your  most  careful  attention.  We 
believe  that  many  charges  of  dishonesty  that 
are  continually  made  arise  from  mistakes  that 
are  made  through  carelessness,  which  when 
discovered  by  others  are  hard  to  refute.  To 
the  ornithological  collectors  we  advise  that 
you  pay  careful  attention  to  the  sexing  of  the 
specimens.  If  there  is  the  least  shadow  of  a 
doubt;  do  not  jump  at  a  conclusion.  Mark 
your  opinion  on  the  label  but  state  that  there 
is  a  doubt,  in  so  doing  you  may  be  spared 
a  future  annoyance  and  increase  the  value  of 
your  collections. 


It  should  be  distinctly  understood  that  the 
O.  &  O.  is  not  antagonistic  to  any  association 
or  publication.  To  the  contrary,  it  is  always 
ready  to  advocate  any  plan  that  will  facilitate 
the  study  to  which  it  is  devoted.     As  an  inde- 


pendent journal  it  will  not  hesitate  to  criticise 
whenever  the  occasion  demands. 


There  is  an  indication  that  considerable 
preparation  is  already  being  made  in  the  taxi- 
dermists' line,  looking  forward  to  the  Colum- 
bian fair  in  1893.  We  hope  that  the  occasion 
will  mark  an  increase  in  the  interest  through- 
out the  country.  All  hands  should  unite  to 
further  such  a  result.  How  would  it  do  to 
have  a  space  secured  and  all  hands,  profes- 
sionals and  amateurs,  each  send  a  specimen 
of  their  work,  and  let  it  be  a  general  exhibit 
from  the  collectors  and  taxidermists  of 
America? 


Brief  Notes. 


By  a  misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  a 
clerk  a  number  of  bills  were  sent  out  to  sub- 
sciibers  of  the  O.  &  O.  for  fractional  parts  of 
the  year.  .Subscrijitions  are  renewed  in  full  if 
not  otherwise  requested. 

Nov.  24,  1891,  I  received  a  fine  male  White- 
winged  Scoter  {Oideuiia  deglandi).  This,  with 
due  other,  was  obtained  from  a  tlock  of  five  at 
Lost  Island  Lake,  Iowa.  The  duck  is  said  to 
be  common  in  the  East,  but  so  far  as  I  can 
learn  this  is  the  first  record  of  its  appeaiance 
in  this  state.  I  would  like  to  heai-  from  others 
on  this  subject.  It  is  a  beautiful  bird  of  a 
velvet  black,  except  the  white  wing  speculum 
and  a  small  white  patch  under  and  beliind  tlie 
eye.  Bill  and  feet  black  and  red.  Frank  W. 
.Sheldon,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

We  wrote  to  C.  F.  Newell  a  few  days  since, 
asking  him  to  procure  a  wild-cat  for  us.  In  a 
(lay  or  so  back  came  a  cat.  He  had  shot  it  in 
the  barn-yard  of  a  neighbor.  This  could 
hardly  be  called  a  miracle,  but  like  Abraham's 
ram  was  on  hand  just  at  the  right  time. 

Edward  Tiiayer  reported  that  Robins  were 
seen  on  Morris'  Island,  Cliatham,  Mass., 
Jan.  16. 

A  Pigeon  Story  of  By-Gone  Days.  — 
Chronicled  in  my  memory,  many  years  now, 
I  recall  the  time,  not  so  long  ago  as  when  deer 
and  bears  were  abundant  in  New  Hampshire, 
but  quite  long  enough  to  make  one  regret  the 
days  when  wild  Pigeons  were  plentiful  in 
Carroll  County,  the  writer  in  company  with 
two  companions,  tired  after  a  long  day's  hunt 
after  Pigeons,  were  sitting,  together  with  a 
number  of  country  folks,  one  evening  in  early 
fall,  before  a  huge  log  fire  in  the  main  room  of 
tlie  tavern  at  West  Ossipee,  then  kept  by 
"Jeff"  .Jewell.  Our  pipes  were  lighted  and 
we  were  all  just  beginning  to  get  well 
"toasted"  when  the  ever-welcome  George 
Wliiting  entered,  the  veteran  stage-driver  of 
this  section  and  who,  though  now  on  the 
sliady  side  of  sixty,  is  still  hale  and  hearty  in 


March,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


47 


his  comfortable  home  in  South  Tamworth. 
Tlie  conversation  quite  naturally  turned  upon 
the  events  of  the  day  and  to  Pigeons.  !Sud- 
tlenly  George  spoke  up  and  said  "See  here, 
uoys,  rU  tell  you  a  Pigeon  story,  and  one 
wliich,  altliough  the  events  described  in  it 
happened  many  years  before  you  were  born, 
will  interest  you,  1  think."  Some  one  who 
knew  George's  "proclivities"  passed  him  the 
"weed,"  anotiier,  an  article  from  wliich  I 
daresay  he  took  that  which  eased  tlie  <lust 
from  liis  tliroat  a  bit,  gathered  there  from  liis 
long  drive  tiiat  day  and  from  wliich  he  had 
just  returned.  Pipes  were  tilled  anew,  the 
little  assembly,  almost  to  a  man,  settled  back 
in  their  chaiis,  prepared  for  a  hearty  laugh, 
so  sure  to  follow,  and  George,  getting  his 
"quid"  adjusted,  said:  — 

"  Xow  boys,  this  is  the  Pigeon  story  as  told 
by  Stephen  Allard,  an  old  bear  hunter  of 
Albany,  N.  H."  "About  1825  or  ';^0,  s(tme- 
where  'long  there,  I  was  out  one  day  a-hoein' 
C'irn  on  my  burned  ground,  and  the  sun  was  a- 
shining  bright  as  ye  ever  see  it,  when  all  to 
once  there  was  a  dark  cloud  passed  over  my 
liead,  and  I  looked  up  and  see  a  flock  of 
Pigeons  Hyin',  and  there  was  more'n  five  hun- 
dred tliousand  million  legion  of  'em.  Jest 
beyond  me  there  was  an  ole  dry  stub  with 
plenty  of  sways  on  it,  and  they  all  flew  and  lit 
on  the  old  stub,  every  one  of  'em. 

"I  had  my  <>le  Queen's  arm  with  me,  in  case 
the  Injuns  should  attack  me  or  the  beais 
(pronounced  bayars),  and  as  I  liad  but  (me 
charge  of  ammunition  with  me,  that  being  in 
the  ole  Queen's  aim,  I  wanted  to  be  sure  and 
kill  ev'ry  one  of  'em  the  first  shot,  and  as  I 
pulled  the  trigger  1  give  her  a  little  switch,  so 
as  to  scatter  tlie  shot,  and  I  killed  every  one 
of  'em  dfnd  as  ^ pelture,'  and  down  they  come, 
the  whole  five  hundred  thousand  million  legion 
of  'em  onto  the  ground.  Then  I  took  my  bay- 
onet and  pricked  lioles  through  their  necks 
and  strung  'em  onto  a  string  o'  withes,  and  I 
slung  'em  over  my  shoulder  and  started  for 
home. 

"Iliad  to  ford  across  the  river  on  my  way 
there,  and  as  the  water  was  pretty  high,  it 
being  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  the  current 
carried  me  down  stream  into  deep  water,  so  it 
run  over  the  waistband  of  my  pantaloons. 
However,  I  managed  to  climb  up  the  bank, 
and  when  1  got  on  the  sliore  I  four.d  my  load 
was  a  great  deal  heavier  than  before,  so  I  took 
off  my  pantaloons  to  wrinff  'em  out,  —  mind 
ye,  gentlemen,  my  wife  Molly  carded  the  wool 
and  spun  the  yarn  and  wove  the  cloth  and 
made  the  pantaloons:  they  were  very  stout 
and  sufficient  to  cnrry  my  load.  — and  wlien  I 
come  to  shake  "em  out  I  shook  out  more'n  five 
bushels  of  the  handsomest  trout  you  ever  see 
in  all  yer  life;  and  mind.  ye.  gentlemen,  this 
is  jest  as  trew  as  the  Holv  Writ,  everv  word 
of  it."     Chas.  F.  Danforth.' 

T  have  taken  Great  Horned  Owls'  egsrs  this 
season  on  the  foUowins:  dates:  Jan.  28,  1-2; 
Feb.  :3.  2-2;  Feb.  8,  :^2;  Feb.  16,  4-2,  5-2;  Feb. 
10.  Ci-?,.  First  Bluebirds  appeared  here  on 
Feb.  i:^,.  and  on  the  16th   a  Red-headed  Wood- 


pecker was  seen.  Dr.  W.  S.  Strode,  Berna- 
dotte,  111. 

Trinomials.  —  "AVell,  little  boy,  what's 
your  name'?"  "Shadrack  Xebuchadnezzar 
Jones."  "Who  gave  you  that  name?"  "I 
don't  know.  But  yer  bet  cher  yer  life  if  I  find 
out,  wheii  I  get's  me  growth  tliey'll  be  sorry 
for  it."  —  Life. 

Those  who  have  watched  the  naming  of 
birds  since  the  advent  of  the  A.  O.  U.  will 
probably  appreciate  the  above  joke.  [This  is 
sent  in  by  a  well-known  friend.  —  Ed.] 

A  beautifully  marked  specimen  of  a  partial 
albino  Bobwhite  was  secured  by  Henry  J. 
Thayer  at  the  Boston  market.  The  tips  of  the 
feathers  were  natural,  while  the  background 
was  nearly  wliite,  giving  a  very  unusual 
appearance. 

A.  E.  Kibbe  writes  that  his  pet  skunks  are 
doing  nicely,  and  he  hopes  to  breed  from  them 
tills  spring. 

A  few  flocks  of  Pine  Grosbeaks  were 
reported  at  Readville,  Mass.,  early  in  February. 

Prof.  Forbush  is  now  on  the  war-path  after 
the  Gypsy  Moth. 

Twenty  thousand  tanned  dog-skins  on  the 
floor  in  one  loft  in  the  city  of  Boston  was  an 
unusual  sight  of  this  week,  all  from  China. 
They  are  used  for  mats,  robes  and  gaiments, 
and  no  doubt  the  animals  were  eaten.  The 
black  ones  are  the  most  desirable. 

The  following  additions  have  been  recently 
made  to  tlie  Zoological  Department  at  PiOger 
Williams  Park,  R.  I.:  A  fine  male  tiger,  a  bull 
bison,  and  a  pair  of  lions  about  two  years  old, 
captured  on  the  coast  of  Africa  when  about 
six  months  old.  There  are  expected  shortly 
a  pair  of  leopards.  Rocky  Mountain  lions 
(panther)  and  spotted  hyenas.  The  park  is 
located  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of  Provi- 
dence, and  under  the  present  management  is 
becoming  very  popular. 

A  pet  bear,  a  lovely  creature,  about  a  year 
old,  kind  and  gentle,  can  be  lead,  and  has 
been  introduced  on  the  stage, — for  sale. 
Address  the  editor  for  particulars. 

We  are  very  much  gratified  to  notice  a  sign 
of  interest  on  the  subject  of  introducing  a 
more  general  attention  to  the  study  of  natural 
history  in  the  public  and  private  schools  in 
Massachusetts.     It  is  time  it  was  done. 

.  Our  friend  Cant  well  comes  to  the  front 
again.  He  writes  that  he  still  lives  but  has 
been  very  busy.  He  sends  us  a  number  of 
photographs.  The  first  represents  him  with 
ills  Prince  Albert  buttoned  up  to  the  chin,  his 
hat  reverently  raised  with  one  hand,  while  he 
sadly  views  the  remains  of  a  large  specimen, 
evidently  contemplating  whether  it  is  too  far 
gone  for  preservation.  T]iis  view  is  very 
unlifeUke.  Others  represented  him  with  the 
various  surroundings,  showing  the  store  and 
workshops  of  C.  E.  Aiken,  with  whom  he  is  at 
present  connected.  Surely  Geo.  G.  Cantwell 
shoots  the  kodak  as  well  as  the  gun. 


48 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  3 


The  set  of  Yellow  Palm  Warblers'  eggs 
taken  by  Harry  Austen,  and  reported  in  the 
O.  &  O.  last  summer,  are  now  in  the  collection 
of  J.  Parker  Norris. 

The  eggs  of  the  White  Pelican  and  the  St. 
Domingo  Grebe  are  fluctuating  in  value  just 
now. 

Fur  of  the  Skuxk. — The  skunk  has  the 
heaviest  fur  of  any  animal  in  the  country,  and 
is  consequently  valuable  and  saleable,  althougli 
when  dressed  it  is  very  small.  About  80  per 
cent  of  all  the  skins  taken  in  the  United 
States  go  to  Europe.  C.  M.  Lampson  has  a 
great  sale  in  London  three  times  a  year.  At 
tliis  sale  there  were  disposed  of,  among  other 
skins,  175,000  coon,  700,000  muskrat,  10r),000 
skunk,  85,000  opossum.  55,000  minU,  and  7,000 
gray  fox,  all  of  which  were  shipped  from  the 
United  States. 

THE    POOU    BLACK    CHTCKKX. 
Out  of  the  baru  one  morning: 

Old  Wliitey  came  strutting  clown 
No  common,' inferior  hen  was  she, 

But  a  Dorking-  of  great  renown. 

And  after  her  came  ten  chicken.s, 

Running  with  all  their  might; 
Nine  had  their  mother's  complexion  fair, 

But  one  was  as  black  as  night. 

Old  Whitey  looked  over  her  shoulder 

And  clucked  to  each  little  pet; 
But  suddenly,  angrily,  stretche(l  her  neck 

And  flew  at  the  small  lirunette. 

All  day  she  pecked  at  the  chicken 

Whenever  she  saw  it  near, 
And  Dinah,  the  cook,  at  the  kitchen  door. 

Heard  its  pitiful  iieeps  of  fear. 

"  I'm  bressed  if  that  stuck-up  Dorkin' 

Don't  hate  yer  fer  beln'  black  ! 
But  one  cullud  pusson  can  feel  for  another  — 

We'll  pay  your  old  mudder  back." 

.•^o,  laughing,  good-natured  Dinah 

(iuick  lifted  the  little  wight. 
And,  shaking  the  dredging-box  carefully  o'er  him, 

Lo  !  presently  black  was  white. 

Then  away  ran  the  floury  chicken, 

I^ooking"  like  all  the  rest; 
And  silly  old  Whitey  coTitentedly  clucked 

As  it  nestled  beneath  her  l)reast. 

Dinah  nodded  and  laughed  at  the  mother; 

"  Yer  fooled,  honey,  sure,  but  <len 
When  folks  every  day  take  appearance  for  truf , 

Why  shouldn't  a  foolish  old  hen  •.' 

—  Sag  Harbor  Express. 

John  Bieney,  whose  place  of  business  is 
at  Rowe's  Wharf,  Boston,  observed  a  mink  for 
two  or  three  days.  Finally  on  Feb.  10,  he  shot 
it  with  his  Flobert  rifle.  Boston  Harbor  is 
not  a  common  resort  for  fur-bearing  animals 
of  this'class. 

H.  D.  Eastman  reports  from  Framingham, 
Mass. :  "  A  Orow  was  found  iianging  liead  down, 
with  wings  extended,  the  claws  firmly  clasping 
a  limb  some  twenty-five  feet  from  the  ground, 
requiring  quite  a  little  amount  of  climbing  and 
shaking  to  bring  him  down.  The  bird  was  in 
good  condition  and  perfect  plumage.  Uo  you 
take  it,  that  this  was  a  case  of  la  grippe  "? 

According  to  latest  advice  from  N'ew  Jersey 
the  European  Pheasant  thrives  miglitily  in  his 
adopted  home,  but  he  has  developed  the  serious 


fault  of  bad  temper.  It  appears  that  the  birds 
have  multiplied  rapidly,  and  that  too  many  of 
them  are  of  the  male  persuasion  for  the  public 
good.  A  cock  Pheasant  is  a  spicy  fighter 
wherever  found,  and  the  Jersey  bird  shows  an 
inclination  to  slaughter  his  own  otfspring  or 
Grouse  or  Quail  on  the  slightest  provocation. 
It  is  difficult  to  imagine  how  any  serious  dam- 
age can  result,  but  one  never  knows  what  will 
come  of  meddling  in  Dame  Nature's  liennery. 
The  men  who  invented  the  American-English 
Sparrow  and  the  Anglo-Australian  rabbit  might 
yet  feel  proud  of  the  Americanized  Pheasant. 
—  Outing. 

Soak  Your  Pencils  in  Oil. — When  I 
come  across  anything  useful,  or  that  I  think 
sucli,  I  make  a  clipping  of  it.  Some  time 
ago  I  made  one  cai^tioned  "Soaking  Pencils 
in  Oils,"  and  since  have  been  following  tlie 
instructions  given.  Every  one  knowshow  much 
easier  it  is  to  write  with  a  soft  pencil  than  a 
hard  one,  and  how  fast  the  former  will  wear 
away.  The  soaking  adds  to  the  life  of  the 
pencil  nearly  one-half,  and  still  more  smootli- 
ness  in  writing.  It  also  adds  toughnes  to  very 
soft  leads,  especially  tlie  large  blue  pencil  so 
much  in  use  by  editors.  And  it  does  not  affect 
the  finish,  whatever  its  nature,  except  to  deepen 
the  color,  and  make  still  more  glossy  and 
smooth  such  as  are  not  painted.  And  such  a 
simple  matter.  Soak  in  linseed  oil  until  the 
wood  and  lead  are  thoroughly  ]>ermeated  with 
oil.  A  week  or  ten  days  is  none  too  long. 
Tliey  will  take  oil  faster  if  sharpened,  especially 
l)ainted  pencils.  If  the  lead  is  not  filled  from 
want  of  time  it  will  absorb  from  the  wood. — 
Capron. 

New  Publications. 


Notes  on  the  range  and  habits  of  the  Caro- 
lina Parakeet  by  Amos  W.  Butler  from  The 
Auk,  Vol.  IX,  No.  1,  January,  1892.  A  very 
interesting  compilation  of  the  facts  tliat  Mr. 
Butler  has  obtained  relative  to  the  former 
occurrence  of  these  birds  in  Indiana  and 
other  neighborng  states. 

Abstract  oi  the  proceedings  of  the  Delaware 
Valley  Ornithological  Clul)  of  Philadelphia, 
1890-91.  This  organization  was  effected  Feb- 
ruary .3,  1890,  by  the  following  gentlemen: 
William  L.  Bailey,  George  S.  Morris,  J.  Harris 
Reed,  Samuel  N.  Rhoades,  Witmer  Stone, 
Spencer  Trotter,  M.D.,  and  Charles  A.  Vojlker; 
the  primary  object  being  the  study  of  bird 
migration  and  kindred  subjects,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  city.  A  perusal  of  the  records 
of  the  meetings  held  during  the  two  years 
shows  that  many  interesting  papers  were  pre- 
sented, together  with  illustrations  by  speci- 
mens. It  is  seldom  that  we  see  a  report  that 
presents  such  a  healthy  interest.  They  should 
be  congratulated. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 


$1.00  per 
Annum. 


PUBLISHED   BY  THE   FRANK  BLAKE    WEBSTER   COMPANY. 

Established,  March,  1875. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII. 


HYDE    PARK,  MASS.,  APRIL,  1892. 


No.  4. 


Classification     of     North 
Birds. 


American 


(Extract  from  A.  O.  U.  Code.) 

Witli  Names  of  Some  Birds  Common  in  Collections. 


I.   Order  PYG0P0DE5.     Diving  Birds. 

a.  Sub-Older,  podicipedes. 

1.  Family,  Podiciphhe.  (irebes  —  Western 
Grebe,  Pied-billed  Grebe,  Horned  Grebe.* 

h.    Sub-order,  cepphi. 

2.  Family,  Urinatoridce..  Loons  —  Pacific 
Loon,  Red-throated  Loon,  Loon.* 

8.  Family,  Alcldce.  Auks,  Muries,  Puffins, 
California  Murre,  Puffin,  Briiniclrs  Miirie,* 
Razor-billed  Auk. 

II.  Order  LONGIPENNES.     Long=winged  Swimmers. 

4.  Family,  Stercorariid(e.  Skuas  and  Jae- 
gers, Skua,  Parasitic  Jaeger.* 

5.  Family,  Laridce.  Gulls  and  Terns  — 
Western  Gull,  American  Herring  Gull,*  Kitti- 
wake,*  Black  Tern,  Common  Tern.* 

6.  Y-AmWy,  Rynchopidxe.  Skimmers — Black 
Skimmer. 

III.   Order  TUBINARES.    Tube=nosed  Swimmers. 

7.  Family,  Diomedeidxe..  Albatrosses  — 
S.)oty    Albatross. 

S.    Family,     ProcellarUdce.        Fulmars     and 

Shearwaters  —  Fulmar,    Greater   Sheai water,* 

Sooty    Shearwater,    Leach's    Petrel,    Wilson's 

Petrel.* 

iV.    Order  STEGANOPODES.    Totipalmate  Swim= 
mers. 

9.  Family,  Pha'etliontidce.  Tropic  Birds  — 
Yellow-billed    Tropic    Bird. 

10.  Fiunily,  Snl'ulce.     Gannels  —  Gannet.* 

11.  Fiim.'i\y,Anhingid(B.    Darters  —  Anhinga. 

12.  Family,  P/iaiacrocoracuZo?.  Cormorants 
—  Florida  Cormorant,  Cormorant,  Double- 
crested    Cormorant.* 

1:^.  Family,  Pelecanidce.  Pelicans — Amer- 
ican White  Pelican,  Brown  Pelican.* 

*  Easily  obtained.    See  Brief  Notes. 


14.   Family,  Freyatidce. 
Man-o'-war  Bird. 


Man-o'-war  Birds  — 


V.  Order,  ANSERE5.    Lamellirostral  Swimmers. 

15.  Family,  Anatuke.  Ducks,  Geese  and 
Swans  —  Red-breasted  Merganser,*  Black 
Duck,  Green-winged  Teal,*  Old  Squaw,*  Amer- 
ican Eider,*  Canada  Goose,*  Whistling  Swan. 

VI.  Order,  ODONTOGLOSS/C.    Lamellirostral  Gralla- 

tores. 

16.  Family,  Phcenicoptoridce.  Flamingoes 
—  American   Flamingo. 

VII.  Order,    HERODIONE5.     Herons,    Storks,    Ibises, 

Etc. 

a.   Sub-order,  ibides. 

17.  Family,  Plataleidce.  Spoonbills  —  Rose- 
ate Spoonbill. 

18.  Family,  Ibididce.  Whrte  Ibis,*  White- 
faced  Glossy  Ibis. 

b.  Sub-order,  cicoNLii:. 

19.  Family,  Cicon'mM.  Storks  and  Wood 
Ibises  —  Wood  Ibis. 

c.  Sub-order,  herodii. 

20.  Family,  Ardeidce.  Herons,  Bitterns, 
etc.  —  American  Bittern,*  Great  Blue  Heron,* 
Snowy  Heron,  Green  Heron,*  Black-crowned 
Night  Heron.* 

VIII.   Order,  PALUDICOL/E.    Cranes,  Rails,  Etc. 

(?.   Sub-order,  grues. 

21.  Family,  Gruidce.  Cranes  — Whooping 
Crane,  Sandhill  Crane,* 

e.   Sub-order,  ralli.     Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots, 
Etc. 

22.  FiimWy,  Aramidce.    Courlaus  — Limpkin. 

23.  Family,  Eallidce.  Rails,  Gallinules  and 
Coots  — King  Rail,  Clapper  Rail,  Virginia 
Rail,*  Sora  Rail,*  Florida  Gallinule,  American 
Coot.* 

IX.   Order,  LIMICOL>G.    Shore  Birds. 

24.  Family,  Phalaropodid(B.  Phalaropes  — 
North ern  Phalarope,  Wilson's  Phalarope.* 


Copyright,  1892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


50 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  4 


25.  Family,  Becurvirostridce.  Avocets  and 
Stilts  —  American  Avocet,  Black-necked  Stilt.* 

26.  Family,  Scolojuicidoe.  Snipes,  Sand- 
pipers, etc. — American  Woodcock,*  Wilson's 
Snipe,*  Pectoral  Sandpiper,  Least  Sandpiper, 
Sanderling,*  Hudsonian  Godwit,  Greater 
Yellow-legs,*  Willet,  Hudsonian  Curlew. 

27.  Family,  Charculriidce.  Plovers  —  Black- 
bellied  Plover,*  American  Golden  Plover. 

28.  Family,  Ajjhrizidce.  Surf  Birds  and 
Turnstones  —  Surf   Bird   (rare),   Turnstone.* 

29.  Family,  Hcematoj^odidw.    Oy.stercatchers 

—  American  Oystercatclier. 

30.  Family,  Jacanidxie.  Jacana  —  Mexican 
Jacana. 

X.   Order  GALLIN/C.    Gallinaceous  Birds. 

/.   Sub-order,  phasiani. 

31.  Family,  Tetraonidce.  Grouse,  Partridge, 
etc. — Bobwhite,*  California  Partridge,  Ruffed 
Grouse,*  Allen's  Ptarmigan,  Prairie  Hen. 

32.  Family,  Phasianide.  Pheasants,  etc.  — 
Wild  Turkey. 

(/.   Sub-order,  pknei.opes. 

33.  Family,  Cracidce.    Curassows  and  Guans 

—  Chaclialaca. 

XI.   Order,  COLUMB/C.    Pigeons. 

34.  Family,  Columhidoe.  Pigeons  ^Passen- 
ger Pigeon,  Mourning  Dove,*  Ground  Dove. 

XII.  Order  RAPTORES.    Birds  of  Prey. 
h.    Sub-order,  sarcorhamphi. 

35.  Family,  C'athurtidce.    American  Vultures 

—  Turkey  Vulture,  Black  Vulture. 

i.    Sub-order,  falconer. 

36.  Family,  Falconidce.  Vultures,  Falcons, 
Hawks,  Eagles,  etc.  —  Swallow-tailed  Kite, 
Marsh  Hawk,  Sharp-shinned  Hawk,*  Red- 
shouldered  Hawk,*  Bald  Eagle,  Pigeon  Falcon, 
American  Sparrow  Hawk,  Audubon's  Cara- 
cara,  American  Osprey.* 

j.    Sub-order,  striges. 

37.  Family,  Strif/idai.  Barn  Owls  —  Ameri- 
can Barn  Owl. 

38.  Family,   Bi(bonid(e.     Horned   Owls,    etc. 

—  American  Long-eared  Owl,  Short-eared 
Owl,*  Barred  Owl,  Screech  Owl,*  Great 
Horned  Owl,  Snowy  Owl,  Burrowing  Owl. 

XIII.  Order,  PSITTACI.    Parrots,  Etc. 

39.  Family,  Psittacidce.     Carolina  Paroquet. 

XIV.  Order,  COCCYGES.    Cuckoos,  Etc. 

k.    Sub-order,  cuculi. 

40.  Family,    Cuculidce.     Cuckoos,  Anis,  etc. 

—  Groove-billed  Ani,  Road  Runner,  Yellow- 
billed  Cuckoo,*  Black-billed  Cuckoo.* 


I.   Sub-order,  tkogones. 

41.  Family,  rro(/on/(7ce.  Trogons  —  Copper- 
tailed  Trogon. 

7)1.   Sub-order,  ai.cyones. 

42.  Family,  Alcedinidce.  Kingfishers  — 
Belted  Kingfisher.* 

XV.  Order,  PICI.    Woodpeckers,  Wrynecks,  Etc. 

43.  Family,  Picidce.  Woodpeckers  —  Hairy 
Woodpecker,  Downy  Woodpecker,  Red-headed 
Woodpecker,  Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  Cali- 
fornia Woodpecker,  Golden-fronted  Wood- 
pecker, Flicker.* 

XVII.  Order,    MACROCHIRES.    Goatsuckers,   Swifts, 
Etc. 

n.    Sub-order,  capkimui.oi. 

44.  Family,  Caprimulgidai.  Goatsuckers, 
etc,  —  Chuck- will's- widow,  Whip-poor-will,* 
Xighthawk.* 

0.    Sub-order,  cypsfi.i. 

45.  Family,  Micropodidve.  Swifts- — Cliim- 
ney  Swift.* 

p.   Sub-order,  tkochili. 

46.  Family,  TrocJiilidce.  Hummingbirds  — 
Anna's  Hummingbird,  Rufous  Hummingbird, 
Ruby- throated  Hummingbird.* 

XVIIi.      Order,  PASSERES.     Perching  Birds. 

r/.   Sub-oi'der,    clamatoijes.     Soiigless  Perch- 
ing Birds. 

47.  Family,  Tyratitridce.  Tymnt  Flycatch- 
ers—  Kingbird,*  Phoebe,  Wood  Pewee,  Least 
Flycatcher. 

r.    Sub  order,  oscinRs.     Song  Birds. 

48.  Family,  Alaudidce.  Larks  ^Horned 
Lark.* 

49.  Family,  Corvidce..  CroAvs,  Jays,  Mag- 
pies, etc. — American  I^Iagpie,  Blue  Jay,* 
Ameiican  Raven,  American  Crow.* 

50.  Family,  iStiirnid(e.  Starlings  —  Starling 
(English). 

5L  Family,  Icte.ridm.  Blackbirds,  Oiioles, 
etc.  —  Bobolink,  Cowbird,  Red-winged  Black- 
bird,* Meadow  Lark,  Baltimore  Oriole,*  Purple 
Grackle.* 

52.  Family,  Fringillidce.  Finches,  Sparrows, 
etc. — Pine  Grosbeak,  Purple  Finch,  American 
Crossbill,*  Redpoll,  American  Goldfinch.* 
Snow  Bunting,  Chipping  Sparrow,  Song  Spar- 
row,* Towhee,*  Cardinal,  Rose-breasted  Gros- 
beak,* Indigo  Bunting. 

53.  Family,  Tanagridce.  Tanagers  —  Scarlet 
Tanager,*  Summer  Tanager. 

54.  Family,  Hirundinid(e.  Swallows  — 
Purple  Martin,  Barn  Swallow,*  Tree  Swallow.* 

55.  FamWj,  AmpelidcB.  Waxwings,  etc. — 
Cedar  Waxwing,*  Phainopepla. 


April,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


51 


56.  Family,  Laniidce.  Shrikes  —  Northern 
Shrike,  White-rumped  Shrike.* 

57.  Family,  Vireonidoe.  Vireos  —  Red-eyed 
Vireo,*  Yellow-throated  Vireo. 

58.  Family,  Coerebidm.  Honey  Creeper  — 
Bahama  Honey  Creeper. 

59.  Family,    Mniotiltldce.      Wood    Warblers 

—  Black  and  W^hite  VVarbler,  Yellow  Warbler,* 
Ovenbird,*  Yellow-breasted  Chat,  American 
Redstart. 

60.  FaraUy,  Motae.ilUdfe.  Wagtails  —  Amer- 
ican Pipit,*  (Titlark), 

61.  Family,  Chiclidce.  Dippers  —  American 
Dipper. 

62.  Fami\y.  Troglodytkhe.  Wrens,  Thrnshes, 
etc. — Mockingbird,  Catbird, *BrownThraslier,* 
Honse  Wren,  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren.* 

68.  Family,  Certltildoi.  Creepers  —  Brown 
Creeper.* 

64.  Family,  Parkhe.     Nuthatches  and   Tits 

—  White-breasted  Nutbatch,*  Chickadee,* 
Bnsh  Tit. 

65.  Family,  8i/lviid(e.  Kinglets,  ftnatcatch- 
ers — Grolden-crowned  Kinglet,*  Blue  Gray 
Gnatcatcher. 

66.  Family,  Tiirdldw.  Thrushes,  Solitaires, 
Stone  Chats,  Bluebirds,  etc.  —  Townsend's 
Solitaiie,  Wood  Thrush,  Hermit  Thrush,* 
American  Robin,*  Wheatear,  Bluebird.* 


A  Bear  Story. 


If  old  Tonorovveep  hadn't  met  the  grizzly 
bear  tliat  warm  April  morning  it  never  would 
have  occurred,  and  if  I  hadn't  met  Frank 
Webster  it  never  would  have  been  written,  so 
whatever  blame  the  gentle  reader  has  can  be 
impirtially  divided  between  Messrs.  Tonoro- 
weep  and  Webster.  Old  Tonoroweep  was  a 
Chivi  Ute  and  lived  close  to  the  dividing  line 
of  Utah  and  ( 'olorado. 

In  his  early  days  the  old  man  had  been  no 
small  factor  in  his  tribe's  war  with  neighbor- 
ing Utes,  Moquis,  Navajoes  and  Hualapais,  to 
say  nothing  of  horse-stealing  raids  from  Mor- 
mons and  "  Mericats."  But  now  the  old  man 
was  growing  old  and,  although  nearly  as 
active  as  ever,  apparently,  was  unable  to 
sustain   exertion,  as    in   times  past. 

The,  long,  cold  winter  of  '71  will  be  long 
remembered  in  Colorado  and  Utah  for  its 
heavy  snows  and  late  spring.  March  was  a 
deceitful  month,  for  it  was  unusually  warm, 
and  April  commenced  the  same  way.     Southern 


hill  slopes  grew  green  with  grass  and  odorous 
with  buds,  but  about  the  twelfth  of  the 
month  there  came  a  snow-storm  that  buried 
the  grass  a  foot  deep  and  made  the  buds  long 
for  their  overcoats  and  mittens.  After  the 
storm  the  April  sun  came  forth,  round-eyed 
and  amazed  at  the  lot  of  work  it  had  to  do  all 
over  again;  and  with  the  coming  sun  old 
Tonoroweep  crept  out  from  his  wickiup  of 
cedar  boughs  and  started  on  a  jack-rabbit 
round-up. 

It  is  the  nature  of  these  long-eared  innocents 
to  excavate  a  shallow  form  on  the  sunny  side 
of  a  snow-bank,  and  there  dream  the  happy 
hours  away.  It  is  also  the  nature  of  their 
copper-colored  neighbors,  the  Indians,  to 
gently  insinuate  a  forked  stick  in  the  aforesaid 
form  and  the  instant  it  touches  the  dreaming 
rabbit  a  dexterous  turn  of  the  wrist  fastens  it 
in  the  jack's  epidermis  and  a  sudden  jerk 
brings  a  very  much  astonished  and  indignantly 
protesting  jack  into  a  warmly  welcoming 
hand.  So  Tonoroweep  took  his  forked  stick 
and  went  to  seek  the  wherewithal  for  a  rabbit 
pie.  He  scuffled  in  and  out  among  the  kanab 
(willows)  that  lined  the  little  creek  and  poked 
out  one  or  two  rabbits,  but  luck  was  not  very 
plentiful  and  so  he  finally  left  the  creek 
bottom  and  browsed  off  into  the  post  oak  flat 
just  above.  While  prowling  through  it  he 
heard  loud  calls  for  help  coming  from  a  little 
glade  in  the  centre  of  the  oak  patch,  and 
running  forward  beheld  one  of  his  neighbors 
perched  on  the  top  of  a  stump  ten  or  twelve 
feet  from  the  ground  and  apparently  fishing 
for  a  huge  grizzly  with  his  feet. 

As  Tonoroweep  entered  on  the  scene  with 
an  answering  yelp  the  bear  suspended  opera- 
tions to  gauge  his  new  adversary,  whereupon 
the  Indian  on  the  stump  begged  Tonoroweep 
to  hasten  and  bring  up  the  tribe  before  the 
speaker's  strength  got  so  weak  he  couldn't 
hold  on  longer.  One  foot  was  already  clawed 
into  strings  and  Akobavi  and  Kaibabitz  (two 
Indian  braves  of  local  note)  were  lying  dead 
just  beyond  the  stump.  The  three  Indians 
had  run  across  old  Eph  that  morning,  and 
although  his  majesty  was  poor  from  his  winter 
fast  he  was  too  lively  for  them,  and  at  the 
very  first  charge  had  struck  down  two  braves 
and  driven  the  third  up  the  stump  where 
he'd  held  him  close  prisoner  for  an  hour, 
varying  his  grabbing  at  the  dangling  feet  by 
going  over  to  the  corpses  and  breaking  the 
gun  and  pounding  the  dead  men  with  his  big 
paws.  Sticking  in  his  side  was  the  knife  of 
the  luckless  Kaibabitz,  and  lodged  somewhere 


52 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  4 


in  his  anatomy  was  a  bullet  from  the  rifle  of 
the  unfortunate  Akobavi. 

As  Tonoroweep  heard  the  recital  his  eye 
grew  clear,  his  back  straightened  and  the  old 
hot  fire  ran  through  his  veins.  "  I  will  kill 
him,"  he  shouted. 

"Old  dotard  and  imbecile,"  screamed  the 
treed  Chivi  Ute,  "are  you  locoed  (crazed) 
beyond  redemption  ?  Know  you  not,  you 
fossilized  relic  of  prehistoric  times,  that  this 
monster  will  slay  you  also  and  then  come  back 
and  practise  on  my  feet  some  more  ?  "  But 
Tonoroweep,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  grizzly, 
slowly  advanced  and,  while  the  scared  Indian 
was  still  volubly  protesting,  took  out  his  knife 
and  sharpened  the  stick  he  carried,  on  its 
point.  The  bear  watched  him  curiously  for  a 
moment  and  then,  as  he  stopped  close  by  one 
of  the  fallen  braves,  shambled  rapidly  toward 
him.  The  old  Indian  raised  one  end  of 
Akobavi's  blanket  from  the  ground  and,  as 
the  bear  made  his  final  quick  rush  for  him, 
threw  it  suddenly  full  in  his  face  and,  slapping 
his  nose  smartly  with  his  rabbit  rod,  slid 
gracefully  to  one  side  as  his  infuriated  oppon- 
ent plunged  madly  forward.  The  bear  turned 
furiously  and  charged  again.  This  time  the 
cool  old  brave  waited  so  long  that  the  Indian 
in  the  tree,  who  had  stopped  his  objurations 
from  sheer  amazement,  sent  up  a  dismal  howl- 
ing lament,  and  clawed  in  anguish  of  heart  as 
he  saw,  in  prospect,  old  Tonoroweep  a  mangled 
corpse  and  the  bear  practising  gymnaslics  on 
his  feet  again.  But  the  old  Indian  was  no 
chicken,  and  just  as  the  bear  was  tasting  him 
the  sharpened  point  of  the  little  rabbit  rod 
was  plunged  viciously  into  his  left  eye  and  old 
Tony  slipped  nimbly  just  beyond  the  bear's 
paw.  Then  commenced  a  sharp  race  that 
probably  was  one  of  the  most  grotesque  on 
record;  —  the  half  blind  bear,  with  all  his 
vengeful  implacable  nature  fully  roused, 
bleeding  from  his  eye  and  frothing  at  the 
mouth,  and  the  old  Indian,  a  little  while 
before  so  decrepit  and  now  so  full  of  the  fire 
of  his  youth.  He  sacrificed  his  blanket  to 
gain  one  turn;  threw  a  great  snowball  spat 
into  the  bear's  well  eye  to  make  another; 
grabbed  a  dead  oak  branch  and  shoved  it  full 
in  Bi'uin's  face  for  a  third  sharp  dodging 
turn,  but  never  once  let  go  his  rabbit  rod  nor 
lost  his  quickness  of  perception.  All  this 
time  he  had  edged  his  way  gradually  nearer 
to  the  body  of  Akobavi,  and  now,  just  as  the 
bear' shot  breath  was  warming  his  backbone, 
he  stooped  and  threw  the  defunct  right  into 
the  grizzly's  arms;  at  the   same  moment   his 


rod  entered  the  bear's  right  eye.  Just  as  he 
raised  himself,  however,  the  long  right  arm  of 
the  bear  shot  out  and  the  claws  caught  the 
old  man  on  the  left  side  of  his  head, 
and  stripped  up  the  scalp  so  it  hung 
down  over  his  ear.  The  force  of  the  blow 
sent  him  whirling,  stumbling  and  falling 
fifteen  feet  away,  while  the  bear,  happy  in  the 
thought  that,  like  Samson  he  was  successful 
though  blind,  hugged  the  corpse  of  the 
deceased  Akobavi  to  his  heart  and  proceeded 
to  mangle  it  in  the  most  approved  bear 
fashion. 

Old  Tonoroweep  was  not  dead  though,  nor 
even  badly  hurt.  As  soon  as  he  had  recovered 
a  little  from  his  first  stun  he  tore  off  a  leg  of 
Kaibabitz's  cotton  trousers  and  proceeded  to 
bandage  his  head,  laying  the  scalp  back  and 
twisting  the  cloth  firmly  over  his  crown  and 
under  his  chin.  After  resting  a  few  moments 
to  recover  his  breath  he  again  advanced  cau- 
tiously to  the  attack.  He  went  slowly  just  in 
front  of  his  antagonist  and  saw  with  satis- 
faction that  his  eyes  were  unquestionably 
blinded;  then  he  walited  alongside  the  bear, 
opposite  to  where  Kaibabitz's  hunting-knife 
still  stuck,  with  his  own  knife  in  liis  hand. 
Warily  and  patiently  the  old  man  watched  his 
opportunity.  The  bear  finally  raised  his  head 
and  turned  impatiently  toward  the  sting 
Kaibabitz  had  implanted,  and  as  he  did  so  old 
Tonoroweej),  reaching  carefully  ovei',  snatched 
out  the  useless  weapon  and,  as  the  bear  turned 
with  a  roar  still  further  to  that  injured  side, 
the  old  Indian  sheathed  his  own  knife  in  the 
tightened  flesh  of  the  neck  on  his  side,  and 
leaped  back  just  in  time  to  avoid  the  counter 
blow  of  his  death-stricken  enemy.  That  was 
a  terrible  blow.  The  tense  flesh  and  tough 
hide  were  severed  like  butter  as  the  long, 
sharp  blade  sank  clear  into  the  jugular  vein, 
A  few  moments  of  strained  lumbering  gallop- 
ing of  the  bear  after  an  invisible  spindle- 
shanked  Indian,  whose  head  was  covered  with 
blood  and  a  dirty  white  cloth,  and  the  battle 
was  forever  lost  to  the  bear.  A  few  protest- 
ing, gurgling  growls  that  end  in  strangling 
barks  and  coughs,  a  wicked  murmur  of  the 
hot  life-blood  that  bubbles  and  spurts  from 
that  awful  gap  in  the  throat  and  makes  red 
blotches  and  si^lashes  on  the  trodden  snow, 
and  the  great  frame  sways,  staggers  and  with 
a  reeling  lurch  sprawls  forward,  an  inert  mass. 

His  feeble  antagonist  comes  warily  forward, 

pokes  the  blinded  eyes  with  a  willow   rabbit 

stick,    and,    convinced    that    life    is    extinct, 

I  proudly   climbs  up  and    seats  himself  on  his 


April,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


53 


vanquished  foe,  wholly  oblivious  to  the  clam- 
oring of  his  copper- tinted  brother,  that,  with 
one  foot  dangling  in  shreds,  is  beseeching  him 
for  help  to  descend  from  his  perch  on  the 
stump. 

All  this  is  tame  to  read  about  in  our  com- 
fortable chairs,  but  some  stormy  night  next 
winter  go  out  and  camp  with  the  Chivi  Utes 
for  a  few  weeks  and  hear  them,  as  they  sit 
around  their  camp-fire,  tell  in  their  way  the 
story  of  old  Tonoroweep's  last  and  greatest 
fight,  and  I'll  pay  all  expenses  if  you  find  the 
story  tame  or  uninteresting.  Honda. 


Birds   of   Five-mile   Beach. 


[Continued.] 

190.  American  Bittern  (Botanrns  lentujuio- 
sus).  Not  common.  A  few  generally  shot  by 
parties  gunning  the  marshes  after  Clapper 
Rail.  This  bird  is  known  to  some  by  the 
senseless  name  of  Donkeydoo. 

191.  Least  Bittein  (Botanrns  exilis).  Rare 
near  the  beach,  but  some  years  (juite  common 
near  the  main  land, 

194.  Great  Blue  Heron  (ArOea  herodlas). 
Common  from  April  until  middle  of  Novem- 
ber. A  few  breed  on  the  beach,  but  the 
majority  resort  to  the  main  land  for  purposes 
of  nidification. 

20J.  Green  Heron  {Ardea  virescenfi).  Very 
common.  The  nest  of  this  bird  may  be  seen 
throughout  the  wooded  portion  of  the  beach. 
The  majority  of  the  nests  that  I  have 
examined  contained  three  or  four  eggs;  only 
one  was  found  with  five,  and  none  with  six. 

i^02.  Black-crowned  Night  Heron  (Nyctico. 
rax  nycfirornx  nceviiis).  Common  throughout 
the  summer.  May  breed  on  the  beach,  al- 
though I  have  not  yet  found  its  nest. 

208.  King  Rail  (Rallits  elec/ans).  Very  rare. 
Have  seen  but  one  during  all  my  trips. 

211.  Clapper  Rail  (Rallus  lonyirostris  crepi- 
tans). Very  common  on  the  marshes  from 
middle  of  April  until  severe  frosts  set  in,  in 
fall.  During  mild  winters  like  the  winter  of 
1889-90,  many  remain  all  winter. 

230.  Wilson's  Snipe  (Gallina</o  delicata). 
Common  on  the  edge  of  main  land,  occasion- 
ally seen  on  the  beach,  as  well  as  on  the  salt 
meadows. 

231.  Dowitcher  {Macrorhamphns  griseuK). 
Arrives  about  the  middle  of  May  and  again  in 
early  August,  many  remaining  until  late  in 
October.  Generally  called  Gray-back  or  Robin 
Snipe  by  the  local  gunner.s. 


234.  Knot  {Tring a  canutus).  Rare.  Arrive 
late  in  May  and  again  in  August.  Generally 
called  Robin  Snipe. 

239.  Pectoral  Sandpiper  {Tringa  maculata). 
Not  common,  although  more  plentiful  in  fall 
than  in  spring. 

240.  White-rumped  Sandpiper  (Trinf/a /ns- 
cicollis).  This  species,  said  by  some  to  be 
common  on  the  New  Jersey  coast,  appears  to 
be  rare  here,  as  I  have  only  met  with  one  or 
two. 

242.  Least  Sandpiper  {Tringa  minutilla). 
Common,  but  not  as  much  so  as  its  associate, 
the  Semipal mated. 

243a.  Red-backed  Sandpiper  (Tringa  alpina 
pacifica).  Common  from  August  until  end  of 
following  May.  Generally  called  Black-breast 
in  spring  and  fall.  Snipe  in  winter. 

246.  Semipalmated  Sandpiper  (Ereimetes 
pusillus).  Very  common.  Arrives  in  May; 
many  observed  throughout  the  summer. 

248.  Sanderling  (Calidris  arenaria).  Com- 
mon in  spring  and  fall. 

254.  Greater  Yellow-legs  (Totanus  melano- 
leucus).  Very  common  in  spring  and  fall, 
remaining  until  late  in  October. 

25.5.  Yellow-legs  (Totanus  flavipes).  Com- 
mon, but  not  as  much  so  as  the  foregoing 
species. 

2.58.  Willet  (SympJiemia  semipalmata).  A 
few  seen  in  spring  and  fall. 

263.  Spotted  Sandpiper  (Actitis  niacnlaria). 
Very  common  along  the  creeks  and  ditches, 
from  end  of  April  until  end  of  September.  No 
doubt,  breeds. 

264.  Long-billed  Curlew  (Niimpuins  longi- 
rostris).  Common  during  the  migrations, 
generally  keeping  well  up  towards  the  main 
land. 

270.    Black-bellied  Plover  (Charadrins  squat- 
larola).      Common.      Arrives  late  in  May  and 
I  again  in  August,  many  remaining  until  the  end 
of  October. 

273.  KiWdeev  (^gialitisvocif era).  Rare.  A 
few  generally  abound  well  up  towards  the 
main  land.  On  several  occasions  during  the 
winter  of  1889-90,  I  came  across  this  species. 

274.  Semipalmated  Plover  (^Egialitis  .semi- 
palmata).    Common  in  May  and  August. 

277.  Piping  Plover  (^Egialitis  meloda).  Not 
common  as  the  foregoing  species.  Individuals 
have  been  observed  every  month  in  the  year. 
A  few  breed  on  the  beach. 

283.  Turnstone  (Arenaria  interpres).  Very 
common  from  about  the  14th  of  May  until  the 
1st  of  June.  They  return  the  latter  part  of 
July  or  beginning  of  August,  but  are  not   as 


54 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  4 


numerous  as  in  the  spring  migrations.  The 
name  Calico-back  is  the  only  name  known  here 
for  tliis  bird. 

316.  Mourning  Dove  (Zenaidura  macroura). 
Common  during  May,  September  and  October. 

.32.5.  Turkey  Vulture  {Cathurtes  aura). 
Common  resident.  Breeds  on  the  main  land 
and  possibly  on  the  beach,  although  I  have 
not  yet  been  able  to  find  their  eggs. 

331.  Marsh  Hawk  {Circus  hudsonlus).  Rare. 
Have  seen  but  two  of  this  beautiful  species. 

352.  Bald  Eagle  (Haliijeetus  ltucucej>halus). 
Rare.     I  have  seen  but  one  during  all  my  trips. 

357.  Pigeon  Hawk  {Falco  columbarius). 
Rare  in  sirring,  common  in  fail,  particularly  in 
October. 

360.  American  Sparrow  Hawk  {Falco  upar- 
verius).     Common  in  spring  and  fall. 

364.  American  Osprey  (PamUon  halhti'tnx 
carollnensis).  Very  common  from  about  April 
10th  until  the  heavy  frosts  of  November  set  in. 
Some  twenty  pairs  of  these  birds  have  their 
nests  on  the  beach. 

366.  American  Long-eared  Owl  {Asio  wiLso- 
nianus).  Not  common.  Have  seen  a  few 
during  the  winter  months.  Generally  seen  in 
a  cedar  tree. 

373.  Screech  Owl  {Meyascops  asio).  Not 
common.  Probably  breeds,  as  I  have  seen 
young  birds  on  the  beach  scarcely  able  to  fly. 

375.  Great  Horned  Owl  {liubo  virginianus). 
Rare.  I  have  seen  but  one  in  all  my  trijjs 
through  the  woods,  and  as  usual,  whenever  I 
run  up  against  Mr.  Bubo,  I  have  no  gun  with 
me. 

376.  Snowy  Owl  {Nyctea  vyctea).  Very 
rare.  On  December  20,  1890,  one  made  its 
appearance.  It  was  the  signal  for  every  gunner 
to  venture  forth,  particularly  so,  as  1  offered  a 
five-dollar  bill  to  the  one  securing  the  bird. 

.387.  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  {Coccyzus  ameri- 
caniis).  Common  spring  and  fall  migrant. 
Does  not  breed  on  the  beach. 

390.  Belted  Kingfisher  {Ceryle  alcyon). 
Very  common  from  March  until  late  in 
November.     Breeds  on  the  beach. 

Philip  Laurent. 
[To  be  Continued.] 


A  Cabinet  of  Birds'   Eggs. 


'•One  of  the  favorite  pursuits  of  boys  in  the 
ccnxntry  is  that  of  making  a  collection  of  the 
eggs  of  different  kinds  of  birds;  and,  like  every 
employment  that  tends  to  foster   a   taste   for 


natural  historj',  this  deserves  to  be  encouraged. 
The  following  hints  maj^  be  useful :  In  selecting 
eggs  for  a  cabinet,  always  choose  those  which 
are  newly  laid;  make  a  medium-sized  hole  at 
the    sharp   end,    with   a   pointed    instrument; 
having  made  the  hole  at  the  sharp  end,  make 
one  at  the  blunt,  and  let  this  last  hole  be  as 
small  as  passible;  this  done,  apply  your  mouth 
to    the    blunt    end,    and    blow    the    contents 
through  the  shar^i  end.     If  the  yolk  will   not 
come  freely,  run  a  pin  or  wire  up  into  the  egg, 
and  stir  the  yolk  well  about;  now  get  a  cup- 
ful of  water,  and,  immersing  the  sharp  end 
of  the  shell  into  it,  apply  your  mouth  to  the 
blunt  end  and  suck  up  some  of  the  water  into 
the  empty  shell;  then    put    your    finger    and 
thumb  upon  the  two  holes,  shake  the  water 
well  within,  and,  after  this,  blow  it  out.     The 
water  will  clear  your  egg  of  any  remains  of 
yolk   or   of   white,  which    may   stay   in   after 
blowing.     If  one   suck    \\\>   of    water   will  not 
suffice,  make  a  second  or  third.     An  egg,  im- 
mediately after  it  is  produced,  is  very  clear 
and   fine;    but   by   staying    in    the   nest,    and 
coming  in  contact  with  the  feet  of  the  bird,  it 
soon  assumes  a  dirty  a])pearance.     'I'o  lemedy 
this,  wash  it  well  in  sonp  and  watei',  and  use  a 
nail-brush  to  get  the  dirt  off.     Your  egg  shell 
is  now  as  it  ought  to  be,  and  nothing  remains 
to    be    done,    but   to    prevent   the    thin    white 
membrane,    which  is   still    inside,    from    cor- 
rupting.     Take  a  wine-glass,  and  fill  it  with 
the  solution  of  corrosive  sublimate  in  alcohol, 
then  immerse  the  sharp  end  of  the  egg  slicll 
into  it,  keeping  your  linger  and  thumb,  as  you 
hold  it,  just  clear  of  the  solution;  apply  your 
mouth  to  the  little  hole  <at  the  blunt  end,  and 
suck    up    some  of  the  solution  into  the  shell. 
You  need  not  be  fearful  of  getting  the  liquor 
into  your  mouth,  for  as  soon  as  it  rises  in  the 
shell,    the   cold    will    strike    your   finger   and 
thumb,  and  then  you  cease  sucking;  shake  the 
shell,  just  as  you  did  when  the  water  was  in 
it,  and  tiien  blow  the  solution  back  into  the 
glass.      Your  egg   shell   is   now    beyond    the 
reach   of   corruption;    the   membrane   forever 
retains  its  pristine  whiteness,  and   no  insect, 
for  the  time  to  come,  will  ever  venture  to  prey 
upon    it.      If   you   wish   your   egg   to   appear 
extremely  brilliant,  give   it  a  coat  of   mastic 
varnish,  put  on  very  sparingly  with  a  camel- 
hair  pencil.     Green  or  blue  eggs  must  be  done 
with  gum-arabic;  the  mastic  varnish  is  a]>t  to 
injure  the  colors." 

The  above  interesting  and  useful  (?)  direc- 
tions, were  taken  from  page  304,  of  "  The  Boy's 
Handy  Book  of  Sports,  Games,  etc.,"  published 


April,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


55 


by  Ward,  Locke  &  Co.,  London,  Eng.  It 
is  an  elegantly  bound  book  and  is  gotten  up  in 
the  very  best  style.  After  reading  a  few  pages, 
the  old  proverb,  "You  should  never  judge  a 
book  by  its  cover,"  goes  rattling  through  one's 
brains  and  makes  a  person  feel  like  dashing  the 
confounded  thing  into  the  grate  or  against  the 
head  of  the  author.  Thinking  that  probably 
the  above  hne  specimen  of  the  work  would  be 
rather  amusing  to  the  scientific  readers  of  the 
O.  &  O.  (as  it  was  to  me),  I  therefore  forward 
it  to  that  work  for  publication.  I  think  the 
writer  might  have  made  bis  directions  a  little 
more  complete  and  useful  (?)  by  adding  that 
Warblers'  and  Hummingbirds'  eggs  should 
be  carefully  whitewashed,  and  tilled  with  tea- 
lead  to  keep  tlie  sides  from  caving  in.  He  also 
forgot  to  say  that  spiders'  eggs  should  be  well 
sandpapered,  then  artistically  kalsomined  with 
a  split  shingle.  He  miglit  also  throw  away  his 
nail-brush,  and  use  a  common  garden  hoe  to 
remove  the  soil  which  the  careless  birdie 
puts  on  the  shell. 

He  can  rest  assured  that,  if  he  ever  comes 
this  way  collecting,  and  giving  directions  to 
young  collectois,  his  name  will  be  "Dennis" 
and  the  "Marine  Hospital"  will  have  another 
inmate. 

If  any  brotlier  naturalist  can  suggest  a  more 

appropriate  way  of  receiving  such  a  learned  (?) 

oologist  into  our  midst    we  will  be  pleased  to 

hear  from  him. 

The   Young  Naturalist. 
Kentville,  N.  S. 


A    Spring    Ramble. 


The  morning  of  the  twenty-second  of  March, 
1890,  was  quite  cloudy;  here  and  there  were 
banks  of  .snow  which  were  rapidly  dwindling 
away  under  the  influence  of  a  balmy,  south- 
west wind.  The  cawing  of  the  Crows  and  the 
screeching  cry  of  the  Bluejays  in  the  distant 
woods  had  a  peculiar  sound  which  is  only 
heard  at  the  breaking  up  of  winter.  On  the 
stone  wall  three  Chipmunks  were  scampering 
about,  playing  hide  and  seek  in  the  cavities 
between  the  rocks.  As  I  crossed  an  open  field 
a  Yellow  Hammer  was  calling  to  his  mate  from 
the  naked  limbs  of  an  old  elm.  Enteiing 
a  small  grove  of  pitch  pines,  mj-  ear  was 
greeted  with  a  few  faint  chirps  which,  for  a 
second,  I  did  not  recognize,  but,  after  waiting 
for  several  minutes  gazing  in  the  direction  from 
whence  they  came,   I  saw  several  little   birds 


hopping  about  among  the  branches  searching 
intently  for  insects  or  other  food  that  might  be 
hidden  in  the  rough  bark.  They  were  lively 
little  creatures,  hardly  larger  than  the  Hum- 
mingbird in  size,  and,  like  them  and  many 
other  small  people,  seemed  to  be  quite  busy 
endeavoring  to  convince  all  observers  of  their 
great  importance  in  the  world.  These  little 
Kinglets  (for  such  they  proved  to  be)  seem  to 
be  of  a  retiring  disposition,  rarely  coming  to 
the  trees  near  the  house  but  rather  preferring 
the  seclusion  which  the  deep  recesses  of  the 
woods  afford.  In  such  retreats  I  have  met 
these  little  fellows  in  various  parts  of  New 
England  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  they 
oftentimes  being  the  only  bird  which  one 
meets  with  in  a  midwinter  tramp  in  the  woods. 
After  passing  them  I  had  proceeded  but  a 
short  distance.  When,  from  the  top  of  a  tall 
white  pine,  a  bird  song  was  wafted  in  the  air 
unlike  any  I  had  ever  heard  before.  It  held 
me  spellbound,  it  was  so  full  of  pathos  and 
character;  it  was  the  sweetest  and  most  soul- 
thrilling  melody  I  have  ever  heard  a  bird  sing. 
It  resembled  somewhat  the  familiar  notes  of 
the  Song  Sparrow,  but  not  so  rollicking  or 
boisterous,  and  more  refined  and  subdued. 
Although  it  was  low,  its  sweetness  seemed  to 
fioat  out  upon  the  air  until  the  whole  woods 
was  filled  with  its  hamony,  when  suddenly  it 
ceased  and  all  was  quiet  again.  For  quite  a 
while  I  looked  intently  into  the  tree,  trying  to 
discover  what  species  of  bird  I  had  listened  to, 
and  thought  my  ears  must  have  been  deceived 
as  to  the  location  of  the  bird.  But,  as  I  was 
about  to  turn  away,  I  saw  something  move  in 
the  topmost  branches  and  a  bird  flew  to 
another  position  in  the  tree,  but  behind  a 
bunch  of  pine  needles.  As  I  determined  to 
find  out  what  he  was,  I  raised  my  gun  and 
fired  into  his  hiding  place.  When  I  reached 
the  spot  where  he  fell,  I  found,  to  my  surprise, 
a  fine  specimen  of  the  Fox  Sparrow.  I  have 
met  with  hundreds  of  these  birds  in  the  spring 
and  autumn  migrations,  but  this  was  the  first 
time  I  ever  heard  any  song  from  them  except 
the  usual  chirp  which  is  characteristic  of  the 
whole  Sparrow  family.  This  bird  is  the 
largest  and  handsomest  of  the  whole  family  to 
which  he  belongs,  which  inhabit  eastern 
North  America.  His  stay  in  eastern  Massa- 
chusetts is  limited  to  a  few  days  in  spring  and 
fall,  as  he  journeys  back  and  forth  from  his 
breeding  grounds  to  the  more  salubrious 
regions  of  the  sunny  South.  As  I  went  along 
by  the  edge  of  a  meadow  which  had  been 
overflowed  by  copious  rains  and  melting  snow. 


56 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  4 


I  was  attracted  by  numerous  bright  red  berries 
tliat  were  floating  in  the  water  near  its  edge. 
Visions  of  turkey  and  cranberry  sauce  made 
my  mouth  water,  and,  although  the  turkey  was 
out  of  tlie  question,  the  thoughts  of  cran- 
berry sauce  was  temptation  enough  for  me  to 
stop  and  gather  tliem  for  dinner  next  day. 
There  is  something  in  the  flavor  of  spring  or 
frozen  cranberries  which  the  solid  ones  do  not 
l)ossess,  and,  as  far  as  my  taste  is  concerned,  I 
like  the  spring  ones  best.  While  gathering 
the  berries  the  Hyler's  cry  now  and  then  piped 
up  to  tell  me  that  spring-time  was  near  at 
hand.  A  little  way  off,  a  pair  of  Hawks  kept 
tilings  lively  with  their  harsh  cries  as  they 
were  mating  the  necessary  arrangements  for 
housekeeping  before  moving  in  for  the  season. 
After  I  had  gathered  a  quart  of  berries,  the 
threatening  clouds  began  to  force  me  to 
make  the  bt^st  of  my  way  home,  tlius  putting 
to  an  end  a  spring  ramble  which  will  be  ever 
fresh  in  my  memory. 

Andrew  XIcIioIn,  Jr. 
Asylum  Station,  Mass. 


How     to     Find      the     Nest 
Bobolink. 


of     the 


The  nest  of  the  Bobolink  will  remain  undis- 
covered until  you  know  how  to  find  it.  I  have 
had  much  experience  with  this  bird,  and  I 
never  found  its  nest  until  I  thoroughly  under- 
stood its  habits. 

Last  year  I  silent  part  of  the  spring  at 
Amherst,  Mass.  In  one  of  my  walks  I  discov- 
ered several  fields  where  Bobolinks  were 
breeding.  1  immediately  set  to  work  to  dis- 
cover their  nests.  After  flushing  several  birds 
and  searching  over  a  radius  of  fifty  or  sixty 
feet  from  their  point  of  flight  I  had  to  own  up 
defeated.  I  tried  this  for  a  week,  but  no  nest 
rewarded  my  efforts  and  I  decided  to  i)ractise 
new  methods. 

I  had  noticed  that  ninety-nine  times  out  of  a 
hundred  the  bird  flushed  was  not  on  the  nest, 
but  simply  feeding,  and  when  by  accident  I 
flushed  one  from  the  nest  she  invariably  rose 
quite  a  distance  off.  As  I  would  approach 
these  fields  the  birds  (mostly  mules)  would  ri.se 
in  all  directions  and  alight  on  the  nearest 
fences.  After  observing  these  facts  I  em- 
ployed my  new  tactics. 

Rising  early  the  next  morning  I  reached  the 
fields  in  good  time.  Starting  from  one  corner 
I  ran  all  over  the  field  shouting  as  loudly  as 
possible.     Of  course  a  perfect  swarm  of  Bob- 


olinks flew  up,  and  after  scolding  over  my 
head  for  a  moment  flew  away  out  of  sight.  I 
now  had  the  whole  field  to  myself.  In  the 
centre  grew  a  large,  solitary  maple  tree.  Into 
tliis  1  immediately  climbed  and  began  to 
watch.  After  waiting  about  an  hour  I  saw  a 
single  female  Bobolink  flying  cautiously  over 
the  field:  seeing  nothing  and  believing  all  safe 
she  suddenly  stopped  and  dropped  swiftly 
downwards  into  the  grass.  I  marked  the  spot 
with  my  eye  and,  descending  without  noise, 
I  walked  slowly  and  softly  toward  the  jdace 
I  had  marked. 

Whirr-rr-rr!  Up  she  flew,  and  I,  stooping 
over,  saw  a  sweet  little  nest  with  six  eggs 
directly  beneath  my  eyes. 

I  practised   this  method  continually  and   it 

seldom  failed.     If  there  be  no  natural   cover, 

build   a  small    cylindrical    brush   blind    with 

orifices  through   the  side  for  seeing;   but   do 

not  fail  to  cover  the  top,   that  no   in<iuisitive 

Bt)bolink  can  fly  overhead  and  peer  in. 

n.  II.   117/ //p.  Jr. 
IJoston,  Mas  . 


Unmarked    Eggs  of   the     Red-Shoul- 
dered  Hawk. 

On  April  18,  1891,  I  took  a  set  of  Ked- 
shouldered  Hawk's  (Bitteo  lineatiis)  eggs  that 
contained  an  almost  entirely  unmarked  speci- 
men. As  it  lays  in  the  cabinet  no  marks 
whatever  can  be  discerned  upon  it,  but  by 
holding  it  close  to  the  eye  there  aie  a  few 
faint  scratches  of  chestnut  no  larger  than  the 
point  of  a  pin,  and  none  exceed  a  sixteentli  of 
an  incli  in  length.  It  is  as  near  nn  unmarked 
specimen  as  could  be  made  without  being 
entirely  so. 

One  of  the  other  eggs  has  a  white  ground 
color,  and  is  evenly  spotted  over  the  entire 
surface  with  bright  specks  of  umber  and  is  a 
beautiful  egg,  while  the  other  has  a  ground 
color  of  dirty  gray,  with  three  larger  blotches 
on  the  small  end,  and  small  specks  of  chest- 
nut over  the  rest  of  the  surface,  and  they 
measure  as  follows:  2.0;}xl.69;  2.08xl.(i9; 
2.08x1.08. 

This  is  the  first  specimen  that  I  have  col- 
lected with  as  few  marks  on  it,  and  think  it 
quite  a  freak. 

[Unra.arked  eggs  of  the  Red-shouldered 
Hawk  are  not  uncommon,  but  they  are  not 
as  commonly  found  as  those  occurring  in  sets 
of  the  Red-tailed  Hawk.  — ,/.  P.  JV.] 


April,  1892.  J 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


57 


Nesting  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl. 

It  seems  a  pity  that  such  a  beautiful  bird  as 
our  Great  Horned  Owl  is  becoming  so  rare, 
especially  in  and  around  our  move  populated 
districts,  for  we,  as  lovers  of  birds,  feel  it 
more,  perhaps,  than  anyone  else,  but  such  is 
tlie  fact,  especially  in  this  vicinity.  I  must 
confess  there  can  be  no  harder  temptation 
placed  before  a  naturalist  than  to  see  one  of 
these  fine  birds  within  gun-shot  and  not  try  to 
secure  him,  especially  if  one  has  no  specimen 
already;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  if  we  were 
better  at  resisting  tiiese  temptations  we  should 
not  witness  the  decrease  of  our  birds  so  fast. 

Often  have  I  heard  my  father  tell  iiow 
common  the  "  Hoot  Owl,"  as  they  were  called, 
used  to  be  around  here,  and  in  those  days  it 
w^as  no  uncommon  thing  to  hear  two  or  three 
of  them  answering  each  oMier  from  the  differ- 
ent woods  around,  especially  just  before  a 
severe  st«rm.  Those  days  are  past  and  gone, 
liowever,  never  to  return  with  us,  I  fear. 

To  my  personal  knowledge  tliere  is  but  a 
single  pair  of  these  birds  tiiat  breed  in  this 
locality,  although  there  may  be  others  who 
find  tliem,  but  I  have  seen  no  recoids  given. 
This  pair  is  located  about  five  miles  from  this 
city,  and  my  first  acquaintance  with  them 
was  during  the  winter  of  1887. 

I  had  often  heard  a  near  neighbor  (who 
is  quite  a  hunter)  say  that  he  had  often  seen 
th^se  birds  in  a  large  swamp  of  hemlocks  and 
mixed  timbei',  nf)t  far  from  my  old  home,  but 
I  was  not  familiar  with  that  locality,  and 
therefore  did  not  venture  there  alone,  for  I 
had  always  heard  of  it  as  a  place  in  which  one 
could  get  lost  very  easily;  but  finally  I  deter- 
mined to  go  there,  so  I  made  arrangements 
with  a  young  fellow  who  was  tolerably  well 
acquainted  with  the  woods  to  go  with  me  to 
have  a  hunt  for  them. 

On  March  15,  1887,  we  started  on  our  first 
visit  to  see  what  could  be  found,  and  we  had  a 
long  and  hard  hunt,  but  we  got  there  at  last, 
and  secured  two  eggs,  but  it  was  a  close  call, 
for  if  we  had  been  a' few  days  later  they  would 
never  have  got  into  my  cabinet.  After  a  tedi- 
ous process,  however,  I  managed  to  make 
good  specimens  of  them. 

I  visited  the  place  during  the  following 
winter  and  hunted  my  best,  but  could  not  find 
the  birds,  and  since  that  time  I  have  not  had 
the  time  to  get  thei-e  again  until  March  .5, 
1891,  when  we  paid  them  another  visit.  This 
time  the  nest  was  in  the  open  woods  and  was 
not  so  hard  to  find,  but  the  bird  was  very  shy. 


We  could  see  her  for  a  long  distance,  as  she 
was  sitting  on  the  nest,  but  she  left  it  before 
we  could  get  up  very  close.  This  nest  con- 
tained two  eggs,  and  was  a  very  odd  set,  one 
being  of  the  usual  size,  the  other  much 
smaller.  They  measured:  2.32x1.86  and 
1.98x1-64.  These  were  badly  incubated  but 
not  nearly  as  bad  as  the  first  set. 

This  year  I  determined  to  be  there  early 
enough  if  possible,  so  on  February  18th  I  gave 
the  woods  a  good  looking  over,  but  could  not 
with  certainty  locate  the  nest,  as  there  were 
so  many  old  Hawks'  and  Crows'  nests  around, 
but  I  saw  unmistakable  signs  of  the  Owls,  so 
I  determined  to  try  them  again.  On  February 
27th  I  went  the  second  time  and  was  in  luck. 
I  saw  the  male  fly  from  near  the  nest,  and  the 
female  stuck  close  to  her  eggs,  but  after  three 
or  four  good  raps  on  the  tree  she  flew  off. 
This  nest  contained  three  eggs,  which  is  the 
largest  set  yet  taken  by  me.  They  were 
slightly  incubated  and  measured  2.30x1.88, 
2.23  X  1.88  and  2.21  x  1.84. 

The  ni'Sts  were  very  rudely  built,  and  in 
this  case  not  very  substantial.  It  was  a 
rickety  affair,  made  of  a  heap  of  rubbish  on  a 
foundation  of  sti  jks,  with  scarcely  any  hollow 
in  them;  and  they  are  lined  with  strips  of 
bark,  grass  and  a  few  feathers  from  the  parent 
bird. 

Two  of  the  nests  were  placed  in  hemlock 
trees,  the  other  in  a  chestnut;  an«i  they  were 
from  forty  to  fifty  feet  from  the  ground.  It  is 
a  mystery  to  me  how  the  bird  got  on  and  off 
of  this  last  nest  without  rolling  out  the  eggs, 
for  it  was  so  fallen  over  on  one  side  that  I  did 
not  dare  to  take  out  the  eggs  one  at  a  time  for 
fear  the  rest  would  roll  out,  but  probably 
they  know  their  own  business  much  better 
than  I  did.  H.  W.  B. 

Bridgeport,  Conn. 


Late  Nesting    of    the    Great    Horned 
Owl. 

On  March  20,  1892,  I  collected  a  set  of  two 
eggs  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl  from  a  hole  in 
the  side  of  a  basswood  tree  thirty-five  feet 
from  the  ground.  Incubation,  fresh.  There 
was  no  material  in  the  nest  excejit  a  few 
feathers  from  the  Owl.  This  must  be  a  second 
set,  I  should  judge,  from  their  nesting  so  late 
in  the  season.  Their  first  set  was  probably 
destroyed  by  the  Crows  or  a  heavy  storm. 

James  B.  Piirdy. 

Plynioutli,  Wayne  Co.,  3Iich. 


58 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  4 


Bird  Enemies. 


Of  all  the  enemies  tliat  beset  small  birds, 
the  small  boys  are  the  worst.  And  right  here 
let  me  say  that  some  who  have  reached  mature 
years  destroy,  annually,  more  birds  and  nests 
than  all  other  enemies  combined.  Do  not  let 
me  be  understood  as  speaking  against  "scien- 
tific collectors,"  for  they  destroy  but  a  small 
percentage  of  what  are  destroyed,  for  no 
earthly  purpose  but  to  take  the  sweet  life  that 
God  has  given. 

The  law  endeavors  to  protect  the  birds  from 
being  wantonly  destroyed;  how  well  it  is 
enforced  I  am  not  to  say. 

It  is  with  the  other  enemies  that  I  have  to 
deal.  The  order  of  birds  known  as  Raptores 
are  freest  from  enemies  of  all  the  orders.  But 
they,  in  turn,  are  great  enemies  of  the  smaller 
birds.  Their  depredations  are  confined  mostly 
to  adult  birds,  and  cover  all  seasons  of  the 
year. 

The  American  Crow  (Corvns  a7)tericanus) 
is  among  the  greatest  destroyers  of  small  birds. 
He  will  not  only  catch  and  eat  adult  birds,  but 
he  will  destroy  every  nest  that  he  may  chance 
to  see.  In  1888,  Mr.  Walter  B.  Barrows,  assis- 
tant ornithologist  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of 
Agriculture,  undertook  to  find  out  the  amount 
of  this  bird's  depredations.  Of  the  three 
hundred  and  fifty  persons  who  sent  replies  to 
Mr.  B.'s  enquiries,  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  attested  to  the  vast  work  of  destruction 
done  by  this  bird.  Over  twenty-five  species 
were  mentioned  as  being  subject  to  his  attack, 
among  these  being  the  Blue  Jay  and  Purple 
Grackle,  birds,  that  in  turn,  destroy  large 
numbers  of  small  birds.  The  greatest  depre- 
dations were  upon  the  Thrush  species,  Robins 
in  particular. 

The  Shrikes  are  the  most  merciless  of  all  the 
assassins  but,  thanks  to  the  "All-wise  Creator,"" 
he  has  kept  them  from  this  vicinity  almost 
entirely. 

Red  Squirrels  are  often  great  thieves, 
destroying  nests  and  eggs  of  all  orchard  birds. 
The  grays  also  take  some  nests,  but,  as  they 
are  more  shy  than  their  red  brothers,  they  do 
but  little  damage. 

The  Weasel  does  but  little  damage  beyond 
catching  an  occasional  young  Field  Sparrow. 
The  Mink  does  some  damage  to  birds  that 
nest  near  water  courses. 

The  feline  tribe  destroys  many  birds  during 
the  course  of  the  year,  but  we  could  not  well 
dispense  with  the  house  cat. 


tender  young  birds  and  often  go  to  a  great 
expense  to  feast  themselves  upon  a  rare  nest. 
I  shall  never  forget  my  experience  years  ago. 
I  had  clmbed  into  the  very  roof  of  an  old  barn 
for  a  nest  of  IJarn  Swallow.  I  put  my  hand 
into  the  nest,  but  drew  it  out  more  quickly 
than  I  placed  it  there,  for  a  huj^h  adder 
followed  out  and  dropped  to  the  floor  beneath. 
A  stick  of  timber  was  handy;  this  I  pushed  off, 
and,  as  it  fell,  it  pinioned  his  snakeship  fast  to 
the  floor.  He  measured  four  feet.  The  nest 
was  entirely  empty. 

I  have  gone  over  a  few  of  the  worst  enemies, 
and  I  hope  some  one  may  find  a  remedy.  It 
behooves  every  ornithologist  to  destroy  these 
enemies  and  thus  protect  the  small  birds.  I 
would  say  to  them,  make  your  collection  as 
full  as  possible  of  the  Raptores  and  Crows, 
kill  all  the  snakes  that  come  in  your  way,  and 
you  will  see  the  effects  in  a  few  years.  Every 
Crow  killed,  I  estimate,  ensures  the  lives  of  at 
least  ten  small  birds. 

Wallace  E.  Lawrence. 
Somewhere.  Me. 


Our  Feathered  Enemies. 


We  have  read  countless  articles  on  "Our 
Feathered  Friends,"  and  there  are  many  of 
them.  Still  I  think  that  among  the  large 
number  of  birds  which  inhabit  this  country 
we  may  find  some  which  may  be  rightly  classed 
as  enemies.  We  will  at  least  glance  over  the 
list  and  see. 

First  of  all,  in  order  to  treat  the  subject 
more  fully,  we  will  divide  them  into  classes. 

Class  I.  Birds  injurious  to  agriculture. 

Class  II.  Birds  injurious  to  poultry. 

Class  III.  Birds  injurious  to  game  birds. 

Class  IV.  Birds  injurious  to  beneficial  birds. 

Class  I.  Contains  the  Crow,  Bobolink,  Yel- 
low-headed and  Red-winged  Blackbirds,  Purple 
and  Rusty  Grackle  and  the  English  Span  ow. 

We  will  place  the  Crow  at  the  head  of  the 
list,  as  its  well-known  habit  of  devouring  seed 
corn  is  known  by  all,  but  the  corn  is  not  its 
only  food.  In  the  West  they  do  considerable 
damage  to  other  cereals,  such  as  oats,  wheat, 
r-ye  and  barley.  They  are  also  fond  of  fruit, 
such  as  cherries,  strawberries  and  raspberries. 

However,  it  is  only  occasionally  that  they 
attack  our  fruit,  as  they  generally  find  an 
abundance  of  wild  fruit.  There  is  still  another 
way  in  which  the  Crow  lias  proven  itself  an 
enemy  to  the  farmer,  and   that  is  by  the  dis- 


April,  1892.J 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


59 


tribution  of  seeds  of  various  noxious  weeds,  as 
sumac,  poison  ivy,  dogwood,  etc.,  upon  wliose 
berries  they  feed;  it  being  a  well-known  fact 
that  tlie  germination  of  many  kinds  of  seeds  is 
haslened  by  their  passage  through  the  diges- 
tive organs  ot  birds. 

Next  on  the  list  comes  the  Bobolink.  They 
do  an  immense  amount  of  damage  among  the 
rice  fields  of  the  South,  which  they  visit  both 
in  the  spring  at  planting  and  again  in  the  fall, 
before  the  harvest,  and  the  planters  have  to 
go  to  considerable  expense  to  hire  people  to 
frighten  these  birds  oft',  in  order  to  secure  any 
of  the  crop. 

In  the  West  great  damage  is  done  to  the 
fields  of  corn,  oats,  flax  and  wheat  by  the 
Yellow-headed  and  Red-winged  Blackbirds 
and  tlie  Puriale  and  Rusty  Grackles,  botli  at 
time  of  planting  and  also  just  before  harvf^st- 
ing,  when  tiie  grain  is  in  the  milk.  Then  large 
flocks  of  these  birds  visit  the  grain  fields  and 
devour  and  Ineak  down  an  immense  amount 
of  the  grain. 

Last  of  all  comes  tlie  English  Sparrow  who, 
everyone  knows,  has  a  great  liking  for  all  sorts 
of  smfiU  grain,  and  tliey  manage  to  get,  at 
least,  their  share  of  everything  going.  They 
are  a  so  reported  as  doing  considerable  damage 
to  fruit,  principally  the  grape  and  apple,  in 
some  parts  of  the  countiy. 

Class  II.  Birds  injurious  to  poultrj'.  Here, 
again,  we  find  the  Crow:  this  time  he  is  feed- 
ing upon  eggs,  when  he  can  find  them,  and 
upon  the  young  chickens.  Many  of  the  chicks 
that  are  missed,  and  charged  against  the 
"wicked  Hawk,"  may  be  rightly  charged  to 
the  Crow.  In  this  class  may  also  be  placed 
the  Duck  Hawk,  Pigeon  Hawk,  Sharp-shinned 
Hawk,  Cooper's  Hawk  and  Great  Horned  Owl, 
all  of  which  are  very  fond  of  poultry,  both 
young  and  old. 

Class  HI.  Birds  Injurious  to  game  birds. 
In  this  class  the  Sharp-shinned  Hawk  and 
Great  Horned  Owl  occupy  the  most  prominent 
place  as  they  destroy  a  great  many  of  our 
game  birds  —  seem  to  prefer  them  to  poultry. 
There  are  others  which  occasionally  prey  upon 
our  game,  but  not  so  persistently  as  the  above. 
The  Crow,  too,  may  possibly  spoil  an 
occasional     hatch. 

Class  lY.  The  birds  in  this  class  may  be 
called  the  worst  enemies,  as  they  destroj^  a 
huge  number  of  the  birds  which  are  beneficial. 
Among  their  victims  are  many  of  our  insectiv- 
orous friends.  The  Screech  Owl,  Sharp- 
shinned  Hawk,  Cooper's  Hawk  and  Pigeon 
Hawk,   also   members   of   the   Shrike    family. 


feed  largely  upon  small  biids,  while  the  Crow 
and  Blue  Jay  devour  the  eggs  of  smaller  birds; 
and,  while  the  English  Sparrow  does  neither, 
he  belongs  to  this  class,  as  he  not  only  drives 
away  our  native  birds  but  also  destroys  their 
nests,  even  breaking  their  eggs  and  killing 
their  young;  and,  where  Bluebird,  Pewee  and 
Wren  once  abounded,  the  Passer  domesticus  is 
the  only  one  found. 

There  are  other  of  our  birds  which  at  certain 
seasons  may  be  injurious,  and  which  others 
may  think  should  be  included  in  this  list,  still, 
as  they  are  beneficial  the  greater  part  of  the 
time,  we  will  not  class  them  among  "Our 
Feathered  Enemies."  S.  R.  Ini/ersoll. 


Unusual  Nesting. 


I  have  received  from  Mr.  William  A. 
Mastin  the  following,  dated  Williamsburg, 
W.  Ya.,  February  17,  1892:  "I  mailed  you 
yesterday  a  set  of  Wren's  eggs  found  in  a  hay 
mow  on  Cherry  River  on  the  last  day  of 
January.  Is  it  a  usual  occurrence?  I  have 
the  nest;  will  send  or  bring  it  out  if  you 
wish.  .  .  .■'  The  eggs  undoubtedly  belong  to 
the  House  Wren  {Tro<jlodytes  cedon),  but  aver- 
age .slightly  larger.  Mr.  Mastin' s  address  is 
Richmond,  Nicholas  County,  W.  Ya. 

I  found,  on  blowing,  the  eggs  were  perfectly 
fresh.  They  were  five  in  number,  but  two, 
unfortunately,  were  broken.       Thad.  Snrber. 

Wlilte  Sulphur  .Springs,  W.  Ya. 


Death  of  Harry  K.  Jamison. 

Our  readers  will  be  sorry  to  learn  of  the 
death  of  Harry  K.  Jamison,  of  Manayunk, 
Penn.,  which  occurred  on  April  6,  1892,  from 
consumption. 

Mr.  Jamison  was  twenty-six  years  old,  and  a 
man  who  would,  if  he  had  lived,  probably 
have  made  his  mark  in  his  chosen  studies  of 
ornithology  aiul  oology.  He  contributed  a 
number  of  articles  to  The  Oknitiioi.ogist 
AND  OoLOGisT,  Hotably  one  on  the  nesting  of 
the  Prairie  Warbler,  which  was  the  best 
account  of  the  nidification  of  that  bird  that 
has  ever  appeared  in  print. 

That  he  should  have  been  cut  off  in  his 
youth,  when  his  life  gave  such  promise,  is 
very  sad.  J.  P.  A^ 


60 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  4 


Remarks  Concerning  the  Texas  Wild 
Cat  Lately  Presented  to  the  Society. 

(Read  February  2,  1892,  before  Cincinnati  Society  of 
Natural  History. 

The  Journal  of  the  Cincinnati  Society  of 
Natural  History,  Vol.  XIV,  Nos.  o  and  4, 
presents  as  usual  many  ai  tides  of  interest. 
We  notice  an  absence  of  ornitliological  matter, 
which  we  regret.  S.  S.  Scoville's  account  of  a 
wild  cat  tliat  was  presented  to  the  society  we 
believe  will  be  of  enough  interest  to  our 
readers   to   give   space    to. 

This  cat  was  about  eighteen  months  old  at 
the  time  of  its  accidental  death,  in  September, 
1891.  It  was  captured  near  Red  Kiver,  in 
Wilbarger  County,  Texas,  when  but  three  or 
four  weeks  old,  and  presented  to  my  little 
eleven-year-old  granddaughter,  Bessie  Owens, 
then  residing  with  her  parents  in  the  above- 
na  lied  locality.  It  was  fed  on  cow's  milk, 
and  at  first  would  not  lap,  and  had  to  receive 
its  nourishment  from  a  teaspoon.  It  was  not 
long,  however,  until  raw  flesh  became  its 
exclusive  diet.  It  never,  up  to  the  time  of  its 
death,  could  be  induced  to  take  the  smallest 
particle  of  cooked  meat  of  any  kind.  It  was 
exceedingly  fond  of  small  birds,  especially  tlie 
English  Sparrow. 

Upon  the  return  of  my  son-in-law's  family 
to  Lebanon,  they  brought  the  cat  and  also  a 
pet  prairie  wolf  with  them.  These  animals 
were  then  about  four  montlis  old.  Both  were 
kept  tied  by  means  of  a  leather  strap  passed 
around  the  neck.  Confinement  was  necessary, 
on  account  of  their  ungovernable  propensity 
to  nab  up  cliickens.  During  the  cat's  life  in 
Texas  it  was  not  confined,  and  was  a  constant 
associate  of  a  common  house  cat,  a  setter  dog 
and  the  above-mentioned  prairie  wolf.  Occas- 
ionally the  wild  cat  would  steal  off  and  prowl 
around  the  premises,  but  would  soon  return 
to  join  its  companions.  Almost  from  the  time 
of  its  capture  it  became  very  playful,  and  was 
fond  of  being  taken  into  the  lap  of  some  mem- 
ber of  the  family.  Little  Bessie  was  its  special 
favorite,  and  from  her  it  received  the  name  of 
Joan,  which,  in  one  respect,  was  quite  appro- 
priate, for  we  know  that  the  Maid  of  Orleans 
was  an  accomplished  fighter.  Upon  its  arrival 
at  Lebanon,  and  up  to  the  time  of  its  deatli,  it 
manifested  this  playful  disposition.  Nothing 
would  please  Joan  better  than  to  have  a  romp 
with  children,  or  some  animal  that  had  tlie 
courage  to  approach  within  playing  distance. 
But  few  dogs,  however,  would  venture  near 
her,  and  the  domestic  cat  never.  Her  long, 
sharp  claws  often  imparted  to  her  playful 
pranks    an     unpleasant    sensation,     and     the 


person  who  courted  lively  sport  with  the  cat 
would  often  draw  off,  wishing  that  he  had 
gone  at  it  "  with  gloves."  At  the  approach  of 
night  she  would  often  seem  lonesome,  and  was 
very  fond  of  being  brought  into  the  house 
with  the  family.  This  was  frequently  done, 
to  the  great  amusement  of  all  present.  After 
a  general  tear  arc»und  the  room  she  would  go 
for  the  house  cat,  frightening  it  nearly  out  of 
its  wits.  And  next  would  be  a  rough  and 
tumble  play  with  the  dog,  one  of  her  Texas 
companions.  It  was  amusing  to  see  how  she 
would  manage  to  spring  upon  the  dog,  which 
was  more  than  twice  her  weight,  and  tlirow 
him  sprawling  upon  the  floor.  The  dog  would 
often  get  mad  and  become  furious,  while  flie 
cat  would  show  no  real  temper.  It  could  be 
seen,  howevei',  by  the  little  flying  tufts  of  hair, 
that  the  dog  was  being  severely  punished. 
The  fracas  would  generally  end  by  the  dog 
drawing  off  for  repairs.  The  cat  was  always 
disposed  to  continue  the  sport,  and  it  was 
only  by  being  taken  upon  the  lap  of  some 
member  of  the  family  that  it  would  quiet  down. 
Bessie  would  often  carry  Joan  around  in  her 
arms,  and  occasionally  lead  her  out  upon  the 
street,  to  the  great  <leiight —  and  sometimes 
fright  —  of  the  town  children.  Slie  had  a 
special  fondness  for  tlie  wolf,  but  this  animal, 
though  quite  playful,  kept  very  shy  of  her 
catship. 

Judging  from  what  I  witnessed,  respecting 
the  disposition  and  habits  of  this  particular 
cat,  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  our  opinions 
concerning  the  wild  cat  liave  been,  in  many 
i-espects,  quite  erroneous.  That  it  can  be 
fairly  well  tamed,  especially  when  taken 
young,  there  can  be  no  question.  It  has  a 
purr  very  similar  to  the  domestic  cat,  but  not 
nearly  so  loud  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
animal.  It  never  spits  and  "gets  its  back 
up,"  as  does  the  house  cat.  Its  cry  of  hungei', 
of  suffering,  or  for  companionship,  has  no 
resemblance  to  the  noises  made  by  the  last- 
named  animal.  Except  when  mad,  it  utters 
but  one  sound,  which  is  not  loud,  and  resem- 
bles somewhat  the  croak  of  a  small  frog.  The 
growl,  when  mad,  or  when  disturbed  while 
taking  its  meal,  is  loud  and  frightful.  It  is  a 
real  tiger  growl,  having  but  little  or  no  resem- 
blance to  that  of  the  house  cat.  This  cat,  of 
which  I  have  been  speaking,  was  wakeful,  and 
generally  on  the  move  during  the  day  time. 
It  slept,  as  a  rule,  during  the  night.  Probably 
this  is  not  the  habit  of  the  wild  cat  in  its  wild 
state.  iS.  .S.  Scoville,  M.D. 

Lebanon,  O. 


April,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


61 


The  Ruddy  Duck. 


At  my  home  at  Beaver,  Beaver  County, 
Penn.,  (where  it  must  be  understood  all 
the  observations  about  to  be  given  were  made), 
this  species  (Erisniatura  ruhida)  is  one  of  the 
most  abundant  and  best  known  Ducks  during 
the  migi  ations,  and,  though  small  of  size,  one 
of  the  most  highly-prized  for  the  table,  con- 
trary to  the  rule  among  the  FiiUf/ulince. 
Pushing  north  from  their  wintering  resorts  to 
thesouthward,  — though  itisiiossiblethatsome 
few  do  actually  spend  the  inclement  season  in 
this  locality,  wandering  about  from  place  to  i 
place  in  search  of  food,  — the  van  api^ears  in 
straggling  numbers  on  our  streams  sometime  in  | 
March,  but  soon  they  become  fairly  abundant, 
and  thus  remain  until  about  April  15th,  when 
they  disappear.  Singly  and  in  twos  and  threes, 
or  more  commonly  in  flocks  of  a  dozen  or  more, 
they  rarely  miss  the  opportunity  to  alight, 
which  the  smooth  water  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Beaver  affords,  there  to  feed,  rest,  and  recruit 
for  the  next  stage  of  their  long  journey. 
Many  a  time  before  sunrise  on  a  frosty  March 
morning,  peering  out  from  my  hiding-place 
among  the  willows,  or  sitting  motionless  in  the 
stern  of  a  drifting  boat,  have  I  watched  a  group 
of  these  Ducks  disporting  in  the  shallow  water, 
swimming  about  from  place  to  place,  and  rais- 
ing themselves  in  the  water  to  flap  their  wings. 
They  come  within  range,  and  not  seldom, — a 
flash,  a  report,  and  tlie  smoke  clearing  away 
reveals  one  or  more  of  their  number  lying  dead 
or  sorely  wounded,  while  the  remainder,  panic- 
stiicktn,  fly  in  confusion  up  the  Beaver  1 
may  add  that  it  is  a  notorious  fact  among  the 
gunners  here  that  no  Duck  which  does  this 
ever  returns. 

The  line  of  water-fowl  migration  tlirough 
Beaver  County  appears  to  extend  down  the 
valley  of  Raccoon  Creek  to  its  mouth,  thence 
up  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of  the  Beaver  and  up 
this  latter  stream.  In  the  fall  tlie  directions 
are  of  course  reversed.  At  that  season  they 
arrive  the  latter  part  of  October,  thougli  from 
lack  of  sufficient  data  the  time  of  their  depart- 
ure cannot  be  given. 

Whatever  these  Ducks  may  have  to  fear  from 
beast  or  bird  of  prey,  man  is  undoubtedly  their 
worst  enemy.  What  with  being  persecuted 
well-nigh  unto  death  wherever  they  may 
attempt  to  settle  for  the  winter,  forced  to 
wander  from  place  to  place  in  a  vain  search  for 
that  which  is  not,  living  in  incessant  fear  of 
their  lives,  it  is  little  wonder  that  they  hasten 


to  push  northward  at  the  first  breath  of  spring. 
But  the  sequel  shows  them  their  troubles  have 
but  just  begun,  for  scarcely  is  their  presence 
known  along  the  line  of  their  path,  than  every 
owner  of  a  "  shooting-iron,"  from  the  old  flint- 
lock musket  of  a  century  ago  down  to  the 
latest  improved  breech-loader,  is  literally  "up 
in  arms "  against  them.  Slaughtered  by  the 
score,  and  that,  too.  usually  in  mere  sport, 
decimated  wherever  they  may  attempt  to  rest, 
frightened  by  those  noisy  inventions  of  men, 
railway-trains  and  steam-boats,  baffled  well- 
nigh  at  every  point,  still  the  thinned  ranks 
keep  on.  only  to  be  overtaken  and  di-iven  back 
by  storms  in  front.  Again  and  again  they 
advance,  again  and  again  are  driven  back,  but 
finally,  the  weather  having  settled,  the  surviv- 
ors are  enabled  to  reach  their  breeding- 
grounds  in  the  British  possessions,  where 
only  may  they  rear  their  young  in  comparative 
peace.  But  with  the  approach  of  winter  in 
increased  numbers  they  must  needs  return 
and  do  it  all  over  again.  Ah,  however  humble 
our  lot  in  life  may  be,  or  how  much  of  a 
struggle  it  may  be  to  keep  soul  and  body 
together,  ought  we  not  to  be  thankful  that  we 
are  not  they  ? 

Apropos  of  Ducks  being  driven  back  by 
storms,  I  would  say  that  on  April  6,  1889, 
occurred  the  most  notable  instance  of  this  kind 
that  has  come  under  my  observation.  That  was 
the  greatest  day  for  Ducks  I  ever  saw.  We  had 
had  comparatively  pleasant  weather  for  a  week 
or  so  previous,  so  that  the  bulk  had  left,  biit 
the  night  before  it  grew  very  cold  and  stormy, 
and  about  two  inches  of  snow  fell.  No  doubt 
the  storm  was  more  severely  felt  farther  to  the 
northward,  for  that  morning  the  Ohio  was 
literally  crowded  with  ducks.  Flock  after 
flock  came  down  the  Beaver,  circled  around  for 
a  short  time  and  then  settled.  It  is  perhaps 
needless  to  add  that  the  whole  shooting  frater- 
nity was  very  busy  that  day,  but  still  the  Ducks 
kept  coming,  until  it  almost  seemed  there  could 
not  be  room  for  more.  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact 
that  the  Ohio  marked  the  limit  of  their  south, 
ward  movement,  for  a  visit  to  Raccoon  Creek 
failed  to  discover  a  single  individual.  Nor  did 
the  Ducks  alone  suif er  from  the  storm ;  other 
water-fowl  accompanied  them,  and  some 
migrating  land  birds  were  also  driven  back. 
As  the  afternoon  wore  away,  the  sun  coming 
out  warm,  they  began  to  go  north  again,  until 
by  evening  but  a  very  few  of  that  mighty  host 
remained. 

The  Ruddy  as  a  diver  is  more  expert  than 
some  of  its  allies,  as  I  have  found  by  experi- 


62 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  4 


ence,  and,  when  wounded  too  sorely  to  fly, 
will  always  attemjit  to  escape  capture  by  this 
means,  sometimes  successfully.  Its  stiff  tail  is 
held  up  when  swimming,  "so  that  this  Duck 
does  not  slope  down  behind  as  most  do  on  the 
water."  Trim  and  jaunty  of  form,  and  taste- 
fully yet  modestly  clad  in  a  suit  of  warm, 
brownish  red,  it  is  without  doubt  a  beautiful 
bird.  In  the  fall,  however,  its  plumage  is  not 
so  bright  as  at  the  other  season. 

W.  E.  Clyde  Todd. 
Dept.  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. 


Humbug. 


About  a  year  ago  I  saw  quite  a  number  of 
articles  in  different  papers  about  the  wonder- 
ful destructive  (liypsy  Moth,  and  what  damages 
it  was  doing  in  Maiden  and  surrounding  towns. 
As  I  am  somewhat  interested  in  entomology  I 
thought  I  would  like  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  head 
quarters  of  that  wonderful  insect. 

I  called  on  a  friend  and  made  my  business 
known  to  him,  and  was  shown  around  several 
gardens  and  was  imformed  they  had  done  a 
great  deal  of  damage;  but  I  must  say  I  was 
unable  to  find  one  single  leaf  that  had  been 
troubled  by  those  $75,000  moths. 

I  was  very  anxious  to  procure  a  few  speci- 
mens. After  riding  around  some  two  hours  we 
brought  up  at  the  police  station  and  were 
introduced  to  the  chief.  I  made  my  business 
known  to  him  and  he  did  not  have  to  hunt 
long,  but  within  ten  feet  of  the  station  door 
we  found  them  on  a  large  cherry  tree.  I  col- 
lected a  few  specimens  and  returned  home  feel- 
ing well  satisfied  that  I  had  seen  the  greatcvst 
humbug  which  ever  invested  Maiden.  Some 
weeks  after  this,  I  saw  some  three  or  four  men 
showering  some  trees  in  an  orchard.  I  made 
inquiries  as  to  what  tree  they  found  them  on. 
It  was  pointed  out  to  me.  I  examined  this 
tree,  and  am  sorry  to  say  not  a  sign  of  a 
moth  could  be  found. 

I  think  if  the  state  would  appropriate  a  few 
hundred  dollars  to  purchase  insect  pins,  and 
distribute  them  among  the  school  children, 
and  offer  a  few  dollars  reward  for  the  one  that 
would  collect  the  most,  it  would  do  more  than 
all  the  army  now  in  camp  at  Maiden  at  three 
dollars  a  day,  and  roast-beef. 

EntomoloyiHl. 


Birds    Singing    on    Their    Nests. 

In  the  March  O.  &  O.,  I  noticed  an  article  by 
Mr.  Henry  Hales,  relative  to  birds  singing  on 
their  nests,  etc.  Keferring  to  same,  I  will  say 
I  consider  it  rare  with  most  birds  but  not  so 
with  the  Vireo.  It  seems  to  be  a  trait  peculiar 
to  that  family.  I  have  observed  both  C^assins 
and  the  Western  Warbling  Vireo  singing  on 
their  nest  and  in  this  way  discovered  them. 
It  is  nothing  uncommon  for  a  bird  to  sing 
near  its  nest,  and  by  careful  attention  you 
will  sometimes  hear  the  9  •'tnswer  fi-om  the 
nest.    '  '"•*''  '''-'■■^'--'''  ■^^-   -'*- 

Tliis  subject  is  an  interesting  one  and  might 
be  a  help  to  many  students  of  bird  life,  in 
assisting  them  to  find  the  oological  treasures. 

Let  us  hear  from  others  in  regard  to  birds 
singing  on  their  nests.  Ch/de   L.   KfUer. 

Salem,  Oregon. 


The  Phoebe,   North   of  Washington, 
D.    C,    in    Winter. 

It  is  reported  in  the  .lanuary  O.  &  O.  that  a 
Pha>be  was  seen  near  Washington,  on  Decem- 
ber 13,  1891.  On  November  28  and  i!0,  18J:0, 
I  was  surprised  to  see  one  here.  But  I  was 
still  more  surprised  to  see  one  on  the  4th  and 
9th  (and  several  times  after  that)  of  January, 
1891.  This  is  about  twenty  miles  north  of 
Washington.  Harold  li.  Stabler. 

Sandy  Spring,  Md. 


Eabi>y  Akkivat.p.  —  Feb.  14,  Phoebe  (Saij- 
ornis phoebe)\  March  6,  Kobin  {Merula  luiyra- 
oria);  March  8,  FWcker  {C'ulajate.s auratus).  A. 
Farmer.     Amoskeag,  N.  H. 

The  flight  of  Yellow-rump  Warblers  passed 
here  in  February.  W.  P.  Hadley,  Arlington, 
Mass. 

On  Feb.  20,  1892,  a  black  English  Sparrow 
was  taken  by  C.  E.  Brown  at  Beverly,  Mass. 
It  was  all  black  except  a  small  buff  spot  on 
each  cheek.  The  specimen  goes  to  the  Pea- 
body  Academy  of  Science,  Salem,  Mass. 

March  3,  1892,  a.m.  Bright,  clear.  Ducks 
and  Geese  have  been  on  the  move  for  the  last 
ten  days.  This  morning  Bluebirds,  Robins 
and  Meadow  Larks  came.  My  dear  featiiered 
friends  are  returning  one  by  one  from  the 
sunny  South.  Afternoon,  sky  overcast. 
March  4,  Blackbirds  reported  moving  in  large 
flocks.  Golden-winged  Woodpeckers  here. 
During  the  morning,  raining.  Afternoon,  sky 
overcast.     Carl  Fritz  Henning,  Boone,  la.    ■ 


April,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


63 


THE 

ORNlTH0L0GIST.i^'OOLOGlST 

A  Monthly  Magazine  of 

NATURAL    HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY  DEVOTEP  TO  THE  STUDY  OF 

THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS, 

and  to  the 

INTERESTS     OF     NATURALISTS. 

Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 


FRANK  B.   WEBSTER, 
J.  PARKER  NORRIS, 


Hyde  Park,  Mass. 
Phila<leli>hia,  Pa. 


PUBLISHED  AT  THE 


MUSEUM  AND  NATURALISTS    SUPPLY  DEPOT 


FRAXK   BLAKE   WEBSTER   COMPANY, 

INCOK.PORATED, 

Hyde  Pakk,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 


connection  with  the  subject  of  the  A.  O.  U. 
during  Professor  Allen's  administration,  we 
take  the  occasion  to  present  to  such  —  and  our 
readers  —  the  now  tjuite  popular  classification 
of  our  birds,  believing  that  while  all  should 
have  the  abridged  check-list  from  which  it  is 
taken,  such  a  consolidated  extract  will  be  of 
practical  service.  We  have  marked  the 
varieties  that  are  easily  obtained  and  recom- 
mend them  to  use  in  beginning.  Fair  speci- 
mens such  as  Warblers,  Bluebirds,  Thrushes, 
etc.,  can  be  obtained  at  $10  per  dozen;  Ducks, 
Hawks,  etc.,  at  §18  per  dozen  and  the  larger 
birds  at  .$2.50  and  $4.00  each.  This  does  not 
mean  the  highest  grade,  but  birds  well 
mounted  (not  distorted)  and  with  plumage 
that  best  represents  the  average  condition  as 
found. 

We  are  ready  to  give  any  requir«d  informa- 
tion and  earnestly  recommend  this  subject  of 
study  to  all  interested  in  the  instruction  of  our 
youth. 

The  extermination  of  the  Ocneria  dispar,  or 


Brief  Notes. 


Gypsy  Moth  in  Massachusetts, 
expended  in  1891: 
By  the  old  commission, 
new  commission, 
Board  of  Agriculture, 


Total  amount 

$  630.9.5 
12.826.51 
55,790.09 


The  American  Ornithologists'  Union,  — 
A  Seven  Years'  Retrospect  (an  address 
delivered  by  the  retiring  president,  Prof.  J.  A. 
Allen^.  The  proceedingsof  this  organization  is 
a  subject  that  cannot  fail  to  be  of  interest  aiui 
importance  to  all  our  ornithologists.  While 
tlie  active  Tuembership,  being  limited,  prevents 
it  from  being  a  true  union  of  the  American 
ornithologists  acct>rding  to  our  American 
ideas,  it  is  to-day  exerting  an  intluenee  tliat 
has  been  unequalled,  in  the  attention  that  it 
has  attracted,  and  tlie  information  that  it  has 
imparted.  Beginning  with  a  sketch  of  its 
origin  (and  of  course  it  could  only  originate 
from  Boston,  our  readers  will  please  take  off 
their  hats,  and  fall  on  tiieir  faces  towards  the 
east),  he  next  carefully  and  fully  explains  the 
code  aiul  system  adopted,  and  gives  a  brief 
and  concise  history  of  what  has  been  accom- 
plished. The  association  is  extremely  fortu- 
nate in  having  the  active  assistance  of  many 
of  our  leading  ornithologists,  and,  in  our 
opinion,  to  none  is  it  more  indebted  than  to 
him  who  has  presided  over  their  deliberations 
during  the  past  seven  years.  We  recommend 
to  all  our  readers  that  they  apply  to  Mi'.  L.  S. 
F(»ster,  3")  Pine  street,  N.  Y.,  for  a  copy  of 
Prof.  Allen's  address,  and  give  it  a  careful 
perus'al,  and  that  w^e  all  give  a  sjood  Methodist 
amen  to  his  closing  toast.  "May  the  success 
which  has  thus  far  rewarded  our  efforts  pres- 
age a  long  career  of  ever-increasing  usefulness 
and  prosperity  ! " 

We  have  of  late  been  called  upon  by  a 
number  of  teachers  connected  with  tlie  schools 
of  this  Sta^e  who  have  asked  our  advice  as  to 
what  birds  would  be  best  adapted  for  use  in 
in-itructino:  their  pupils  in  ornithology,  also  to 
estimate  the  price  of  a  general  collection.     In 


$69,247.55 
no     money    in 


Who    says    that     there 
entomology  ? 

E.  H.  Forbush,  P.  and  M.  D.,  W.  N.  H.  S.  and 
W.  S.  S.  of  N.  H.,  and  A.  M.  A.  O.  U.,  is 
director  of  field  work,  and  receives  from  the 
state  a  salary  of  $1500.  They  could  not  have 
selected  a  belter  man. 

Was  out  yesterday  looking  for  concretions 
containing  remains  of  animals  in  the  way  of 
bones  and  teeth.  These  concretions  are  found 
at  the  base  of  the  high  bluffs  bordering  the 
Missouri  River,  which,  in  Kansas  City,  belong 
to  the  Loess  formation.  After  securing  a 
number  of  very  fair  specimens,  I  visited 
J.  L.  McClain's  farm,  in  the  East  Bottoms. 
Here  I  found  a  bird  house  occupied  peacefully 
by  both  Martins  and  English  Sparrows.  Last 
year  the  house  was  simil  irly  occupied,  both 
birds  raising  broods.  After  the  Martins 
went  south  last  fall  the  Sparrows  occupied  the 
whole  of  the  house  all  winter.  The  Martins 
arrived  this  spring  on  April  2,  and  immedi- 
ately took  possession  with  apparently  no 
opposition,  though  evidently  the  Sparrows  had 
to  give  up  their  parlor  and  best  bed-room. 
R.  B.  Trouslot. 

The  mounted  Pheasant  sent  me  was  the 
finest  male  I  ever  saw.  I  had  a  pair  of  pet 
Pheasants  drowned  in  the  Thames  River.  I 
found  the  only  nest  seen  last  year  on  Fisher's 
Island,  where  a  few  were  introduced.  J.  M.  W. 
Some  sportsmen  recently  had  great  shooting 
at  Macon,  Ga.  One  party  of  sixteen  bagged 
over  2000  Mourning  Doves.  Another  party  of 
four  took  525.  The  birds  must  locate  there 
in   great   numbers. 

Troup  D.  Perry,  Savannah,  Ga.,  reports  a  set 
1  of  Wookcock's  eggs  taken  Feb.  22. 


64 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  4 


I.  A.  Hathaway  reports  a  double-headed 
calf,  albino  Crow  and  albino  Grovind  Squirrel. 

E.  A.  Preble,  North  Woburn,  Mass.,  and 
J.  Alden  Loring,  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  have  both 
received  appointments  in  the  Department  of 
Agriculture,  and  will  collect  for  the  same. 
They  are  both  good  men. 

F.  L.  Farley  has  started  for  Alberta,  and  we 
expect  to  have  notes  from  him. 

On  Marcli  19  I  took  a  set  of  three  fresli 
Bald  Eagle  eggs  from  a  nest  discovered  last 
year  at  English  Lake,  Ind.  The  nest  was  in  a 
sycamore  tree  sixty-tive  feet  up.  Jos.  E. 
Gould,  Columbus,  O. 

Paul  Van  Riper,  Niles,  Mich.,  writes  that 
he  has  a  pet  coon.  It  is  very  tame  and  gentle, 
and  one  wanting  a  pet  of  that  nature  will  do 
well  to  write  to  him. 

I  received  a  white  mink  last  evening,  a  male, 
killed  along  the  Minna  river  in  Montgomery 
County,  Ohio.  Tlie  female  has  been  seen,  and 
is  of  a  spotted  color.  Do  you  know  of  any 
freak  of  this  kind  before?  1  shall  endeavor  to 
get  the  female,  though  it  is  not  for  sale  at 
present.  I  just  write  to  know  more  of  this. 
There  is  not  one  single  colored  hair  on  it.  It 
has  pink  eyes  and  is  as  large  as  a  regular  mink. 
W.  O.  Jones. 

Here  are  a  few  winter  bird  notes.  Two 
Bald  Eagles  have  been  hanging  around  near  the 
foot  of  Woodward  avenue,  on  the  river,  for 
some  time.  Hundreds  of  Ducks  and  Mergan- 
sers are  in  the  river  in  fronc  of  tlie  city  and 
can  be  shot  from  the  docks.  Tliey  have  been 
driven  down  from  tiie  St.  Clair  flats  by  the  ice. 
A  Ribiu  has  remained  here  all  winter,  althougli 
we  have  had  some  very  cold  weatlier.  This  is 
quite  unusual.     B.  H.  Swales,  Detroit,  Mich. 

A  flock  of  Bohemian  Waxwings  visited  iis 
on  March  12.     A.  M.  Farmer,  Amoskeag,  N.  II. 

In  the  January  O.  &  O.  you  mention  an  Owl 
of  the  Long-eared  species  being  impaled  on  a 
barbed  wire  fence.  I  would  like  to  note  the 
fict  of  a  similar  occurrence  on  April  20,  1S91, 
when  I  found  a  Great  Horned  Owl  killed  in 
preciselj'^  the  same  way.  W.  P.  Lowe.  Pueblo, 
Col. 

Birds  of  all  kinds  that  usually  visit  this 
locality  during  the  winter  have  been  very 
scarce.  A  few  flocks  of  Snow  Buntings  were 
seen.  Hardly  an  Owl  reported  as  beins:  seen. 
Last  winter  five  Barred  Owls  were  taken  in 
this  town.  But  one  Screech  Owl  has  been 
taken  in  three  years.  There  are  a  number  of 
small  flocks  of  Quail  wintering  here.  J.  W. 
Jackson,  Belchertown,  Mass. 

Birds  of  TiOXG  Life. — From  the  small 
island  of  St.  Kilda,  off  Scotland.  20.000  young 
Gannets  and  an  immense  number  of  esgs  are 
annually  collected,  and  although  this  bird  lavs 
only  one  egg  per  annum,  and  is  four  years  in 
attaining  maturity,  its  numbers  do  not  dimin- 
ish.    London  Speaker. 

Received  a  Bob-white  last  month  in  very 
peculiar  plumas:e.  The  feathers  are  white, 
shaded  with  yellow  or  buff  at  the  tail,  head 
or  throat,  and  sparsely  spotted  with   more  or 


less  heavy  spear  or  Y-shaped  marks  of  dark 
brown  and  black.  The  eyes  and  bill  are  dark 
as  common,  but  the  plumage  has  a  peculiar 
white,  spotted  appearance.  F.  W.  Sheldon, 
Des  Moines,  la. 

I  have  just  stuffed  a  (male)  Broad-winged 
Hawk  brought  to  me  by  a  lady  from  East 
Whitman.  He  came  into  her  possession  in  a 
very  uncommon  manner.  On  Feb.  29,  just  at 
noon,  she  heard  a  crash  in  the  parlor.  When 
investigation  was  made  a  pane  of  glass,  tliirty 
inches  square,  was  found  broken  and  this 
Hawk  was  found  to  be  the  rogue.  What 
caused  him  to  tly  through  this  large  pane  of 
glass  is  more  than  I  know,  unless  in  pursuit  of 
game.  His  stomach  contained  the  bodies  of 
what  I  called,  by  the  shape  of  the  bill  and 
legs,  an  English  Sparrow,  and  the  legs  of 
another  bird  too  mucli  consumed  to  tell  what 
it  was.  Is  this  a  rare  bird,  at  this  time  of  the 
year,  in  this  locality,  or  not?  C.  C.  F.,  West 
Duxbury,  Mass. 

[We  usually  get  specimens  about  this  time. 
—  Ed.] 

Another  one  of  my  feathered  friends,  the 
Bluebird,  has  come  fmm  the  sunny  South. 
Several  reported  to-day.  Carl  Fritz  Henning, 
March  3,  1S92. 

I  was  glad  to  see  the  article  in  O.  &  O.  by 
Dr.  Strode,  nnd  hope  that  now,  as  a  beginning 
lias  been  made,  we  niav  have  more  articles  on 
insects  and  shells.  Many  of  your  readers  are 
interested  in  one  or  the  other  and  would  send 
many  valuable  notes  if  you  would  announce 
that  you  would  publish  them.  Please  give  it 
a  trial.     E.  J.  Smith. 

[Dedicated  to  my  friend,  Will  C.  Brownell,  M.  D.J 
As  I  wander  alone  among  the  leafless  trees. 

And  think  of  the  joys  too  pure  to  last, 
My  thonsrhts  of  you  and  hvg-one  days 
Bring  back  sweet  memories  of  the  past. 

Where  your  name  on  the  spreading  beech  you.  wrote 

I  note  the  ravages  of  time. 
And  can  faintly  see.  on  the  sturdy  oak. 

The  scars  of  your  climbers  lelt  behind. 

But  when  warm  sprin<r  suns  shall  melt  the  Pnow, 
And  the  B  irred  Owl  hoots  fr-'m  the  hollow  tree, 

I  hope  you  will  be  here  to  go 
And  wander  through  the  woods  with  me. 

When  there  among  the  gnarled  old  trees 
We'd  view  Dame  Nature  free  from  vice ; 

We  would  rather  dwell  amonsr  scenes  like  these 
Than  to  walk  the  streets  of  Paradise. 

James  B.  Purdy. 

Plymouth,  Mich. 

E.  M.  Hasbrouck  of  Washington,  D.  C,  is 
engaged  in  making  a  thorough  study  of 
dicliromatism  and  requests  the  assistance  of 
all  who  have  acquaintance  with  the  common 
Screech  Owl  (Menascnps  nsio)  by  replyi^ig  by 
letter  to  tlie  following  questions:  1.  How 
raanv  specimens  have  come  under  your  notice, 
and  how  many  were  in  tlie  red  phase?  2.  If 
you  have  ever  observed  a  pair  of  old  birds 
accompanied  by  young,  state  character  of  old 
birds  as  to  color,  whether  both  red  or  both 
gray,  the  male  red  and  female  gray,  and  vice 
versa,  also  the  color  of  young.  8.  Give  your 
localitv,  state,  county  and  town.  Address 
E.  M.  Hasbrouck,  1610  15th  street,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND- 

OOLOGIST« 


$1.00  per 
Annum. 


PUBLISHED   BY  THE  FRANK  BLAKE   WEBSTER   COMPANY. 

Established,  March,  1875. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII. 


HYDE    PARK,  MASS.,  MAY,  1892. 


No.  5. 


A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Oven-bird. 


The  eggs  of  the  Oven-bird,  or  Golden- 
crowned  Thrush  (Se'turus  aurocapillus)  vary 
very  niucli  in  tlieir  coloration  and  size. 

Set  I.  June  IS,  188.5.  Nazareth,  Penn. 
Nest  on  ground,  near  fork  of  tree  in  patch  of 
moss;  covered  over.  Four  eggs,  fresh.  White, 
speckled  and  spotted  with  hazel  and  lilac- 
gray.  The  markings  form  wreaths  around  the 
larger  ends,  although  there  are  a  few  specks 
over  the  remainder  of  the  surface.  This  is 
the  typical  style  of  markings  of  eggs  of  this 
species,  and  in  describing  the  sets  below  it 
will  not  be  referred  to,  as  it  will  be  understood 
to  be  the  case  in  each  set,  unless  specially 
mentioned  to  the  contrary.  .7-ix.GO;  .75  x.(31; 
.76X.63;  .74x.60. 

Set  II.  May  2.5,  1879.  Pelham,  N.  Y.  Nest 
of  dry  grasses,  vegetable  fibre,  leaves,  leaf 
stems,  and  lined  with  the  same  material,  but 
finer;  roofed  over,  with  entrance  in  front. 
Diameter,  outside  six  inches,  inside  three 
inches;  depth,  outside  four  and  a  half  inches, 
inside  two  and  a  quarter  Inches.  On  the 
ground,  close  to  a  bush.  (I  give  a  detailed 
description  of  this  nest  as  it  serves  to  describe 
all  the  others  in  a  general  way.)  Five  eggs, 
incubation  begun.  White,  si)eckled  with 
hazel  and  lilac-gray.  The  markings  are  dis. 
persed  all  over  the  surface,  and,  although 
somewhat  heavier  at  the  larger  ends,  are  not 
wreathed  as  usual.  .83x.65;  .83x.G5; 
.82X.C6;  .83X.04;  .84x.66.  This  set  also 
contains  a  Cowbird's  egg. 

Set  III.  June  6,  1883.  Hyde  Park,  Out. 
Nest  of  leaves,  grass,  bark,  etc.,  among  bushes, 
on  the  ground.  Three  eggs,  incubation  com- 
menced. White,  speckled  with  chestnut  and 
lilac-gray:  .82x.62;  .79x.61;  .79x.58.  One 
Cowbird's  egg  with  this  set. 

Set  IV.  May  11,  1889.  Weaverville,  N.  C. 
Nest  under  bunch  of  sage  grass.  Composed 
of    leaves,    grasses,   fibres,    etc.      Four    eggs. 


fresh.  White,  finely  speckled  with  chestnut 
and  lilac-gray:  .76x.58;  .78x..'37;  .74x.59; 
.74X..59. 

Set  V.  May  29,  18SG.  Wellesley,  Mass. 
Nest  on  ground;  composed  of  strips  of  thin 
bark  and  leaves,  and  lined  with  fine  rootlets. 
Three  eggs,  fresh.  White,  sprinkled  and 
speckled  with  hazel  and  lilac-gray.  One  of 
the  eggs  has  spots  of  vinaceous.  .74x..57; 
.75X.59;  .77x.Gl. 

Set  VI.  June  3,  1880.  Norwich,  Conn. 
Leafy,  embryotic  nest,  partly  domed.  Three 
eggs,  fresh.  White,  heavily  and  showily 
marked  with  hazel  and  lilac-gray  spots.  (This 
set  was  collected  by  the  celebrated  oologist 
"J.  M.  W.,"  (Mr.  C.  L.  Kawson),  and  proves 
that  he  can  collect  handsome  Warbler's  eggs 
as  well  as  those  of  his  beloved  Buteos.): 
.83X.63;  .83x.63;  .83x.61. 

Set  VII.  May  28,  1887.  Detroit,  Minn. 
Nest  of  leaves,  grasses  and  fibres,  on  the 
ground,  by  a  log,  at  edge  of  a  larch  swamp,  in 
heavy  woods.  Five  eggs,  incubation  begun. 
White,  heavily  speckled  and  spotted  with 
chestnut  and  lilac-gray.  The  markings  are 
much  heavier  at  the  larger  ends,  but  do  not 
form  wreaths:  .79x.61;  .73x.G0;  .74x.Gl; 
.71X.60;  .74X.58. 

Set  VIII.  May  11,  1889.  Weaverville,  N.  C. 
Nest  in  end  of  large  pine  log.  Five  eggs, 
fresh.  White,  speckled  and  spotted  with 
hazel,  chestnut  and  lilac-gray:  .74x.Gl; 
.73X.61;  .73x.G0;  .72x.61;  ,73x.59. 

Set  IX.  May  15,  1885.  Granville,  N.  Y. 
Nest  on  side  of  hillock,  covered  over  at  top. 
Five  eggs,  fresh.  White,  speckled  and  spotted 
with  hazel  and  lilac-gray:  .78x.57;  .75x.57; 
.75X.G0;  .77X.58;  .77x.Gl. 

Set  X.  June  3,  1885.  Saybrook,  Conn. 
Nest  on  ground,  among  leaves,  in  wood.  Four 
eggs,  fresh.  White,  speckled  and  spotted  with 
chestnut  and  lilac-gray:  ,81  x  .Gl ;  .7Sx.61; 
.78X.G0;  .7SX.G1. 

Set  XI.    May  11,    1889.     Weaverville,  N.   C. 


Copyright,  1892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


66 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  5 


Nest  at  foot  of  oak  sapling.  Four  eggs,  incu- 
bation begun.  White,  speckled  and  spotted 
with  liazel,  chestnut,  and  lilac-gray.  Tlie 
markings  are  more  evenly  dispersed  over  the 
surface  than  is  usual  for  this  si^ecies:  .SOx.GS; 
.70X.03;  .TOx.Gl;  .SOx.Gl. 

Set  XII.  June  7,  1881.  Hartland,  Vt.  Nest 
composed  of  dried  grasses  and  leaves,  lined 
with  soft  grasses.  On  ground.  Four  eggs, 
fresh:  .SOx.59;  .TOx.GO;  .75x.OO;  ,73x..58. 

Set  XIII.  June  5,  1887.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  on  hill-side.  Oven-shaped,  made 
of  gi'ass  and  lined  with  hair.  Four  eggs,  incu- 
bation begun.  This  set  is  very  beautiful,  and 
has  an  additional  interest  from  the  fact  that  it 
was  collected  by  Mr.  Sanuiel  D.  Ladd,  who  has 
probably  collected  more  Warblers'  eggs  tlian 
any  man  of  his  age.  Although  his  "speciality" 
is  the  eggs  of  the  Worm-eating  Warbler 
{H.  vermlvorns)  yet  he  lias  collected  many 
remarkably  handsome  sets  of  the  present 
species,  and  unless  one  has  seen  his  series  of 
the  eggs  of  this  bird  one  would  never  suspect 
how  handsome  tliey  often  are.  White,  heavily 
spotted  with  hazel  and  lilac-gray:  .7'.ix.n:l; 
.79X.G2;  .79x.G3;  .77x.G3. 

Set  XIV.  June  9,  1888.  Weaverville,  N.  C. 
Nest  under  bush;  composed  of  leaves, 
grasses,  etc.  Arched  over.  Five  eggs,  incu- 
bation begun.  White,  spotted  with  hazel  and 
lilac-gray:  .78x.Gl;  .7Gx.Gl;:.77  x  .02;  .77  x  .G2; 
.81X.G3. 

Set  XV.  June  1,  1SS7.  Weaverville,  X.  C. 
Nest  oven-sliaped;  composed  of  leaves,  etc., 
under  small  bush.  Five  eggs,  incubation 
begun.  White,  speckled  with  hazel  and  lilac- 
gray:  .7GX.62;  .75x.Gl;  .74x.6-';  .7r)X.G2; 
.78X.G4. 

Set  XVI.  May  11,  1889.  Weaverville,  N.  C. 
Nest  under  small  pine.  Four  eggs,  fresh. 
White,  speckled  and  spotted  with  hazel  and 
lilac-gray:  .74x..'j9;  .76x..59;  .7Gx..'39; 
.74X.G0. 

Set  XVII.  May  30,  1880.  Cliester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  oven-shaped;  made  of  grass  and 
grape-vine  bark,  covered  with  leaves,  and 
lined  with  fine  grass.  Under  a  bunch  of  ferns, 
on  the  ground.  Four  eggs,  incubation  begun. 
Wliite,  speckled  and  spotted  with  hazel  and 
lilac-gray:  .74  x  .04;  .74  x  .02;. 75  x.G2;  .75  x  .03. 

Set  XVIII.  June  4,  1870.  New  London 
County,  Conn.  Nest  domed  over;  under  edge 
of  ground-savin,  near  edge  of  woods.  Three 
eggs,  fresh.  White,  spotted  and  speckled 
with  hazel  and  lilac-gray:  .79x.01;  .79x.61; 
.78X.G0. 

Set   XIX.    May  28,   1888.     Chester  County, 


Penn.  Nest  oven-shaped;  on  ground;  made 
of  leaves  and  grass.  Four  eggs,  incubation 
begun.  White,  speckled  and  spotted  with 
hazel  and  lilac-gray:  .78x.02;  .78x.G2; 
.78x,e2;  .70X.01. 

Set  XX.  June  4,  1885.  Chester  County, 
Penn:  Nest  on  ground;  composed  of  dried 
grasses  and  leaves.  Five  eggs,  fresh.  White, 
heavily  sjieckled  and  sjiotted  with  hazel  and 
lilac-gray.  The  markings  are  much  heavier 
at  the  larger  ends,  and  more  diffused  over  the 
surface  than  usual,  but  there  are  no  wreaths: 
.82X..57;  .75X.56;  .77X.02;  .78x.02;  .79  x  .02. 

Set  XXI.  May  30,  1887.  Weaverville,  N.  C. 
Nest  arched  over,  under  small  pine  bush. 
Five  eggs,  incubation  begun.  White,  heavily 
speckled  and  sjiotted  with  hazel  and  lilac- 
gray:  .78  X.G3;  .78  x  .02;  .79  x  .GO;  .70  x  ..58; 
.78X.01. 

Set  XXII.  May  23,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  on  ground,  in  woods;  domed 
over,  and  made  of  dried  grass,  leaves,  etc., 
lined  with  horse-hair.  Three  eggs,  fresh. 
White,  speckled  and  spotted  pretty  evenly  all 
over  the  surface,  but  more  heavily  at  the 
larger  ends,  with  hazel  and  lilac  gray.  There 
is  an  unusual  quantity  of  the  latter  color  on 
tliis  set:  .83x.0G;  .84x.04;  .80x.e3.  A  Cow- 
bird's  egg  was  found  in  the  nest  with  this  set. 

Set  XXIII.  May  25,  1887.  Weaverville, 
N.  C.  Nest  of  grasses,  leaves,  etc.,  lined  with 
iiair  and  fine  grass;  oven-shaped.  Four  eggs, 
fresh.  White,  finely  and  tliickly  sxieckled 
with  hazel  and  lilac-gray:  .75x.Gl;  .78x.G4; 
.70  X  .01;  .77  x  ,03. 

Set  XXIV.  May  11,  1889.  Weaverville, 
N.  C.  Nest  of  leaves,  grasses  and  fibres. 
I'laced  at  the  root  of  a  fine  sai)ling.  Four 
eggs,  incubation  begun.  Remarkahly  small 
for  this  species.  AVhite,  thickly  sijeckled  aiul 
spotted  with  hazel  and  lilac-gray:  .70x.55; 
.72X.55;  .73X.55;  .72  x  .55. 

Set  XXV.  May  23,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  on  ground,  in  woods;  domed 
over,  and  made  of  leaves,  etc.,  lined  with 
horse-hair.  Four  eggs,  incubation  slight. 
Light  creamy  white,  heavily  spotted  and 
speckled  with  hazel  and  lilac-gray:  .Six. 02; 
.80X.02;  .78X.00;  .78  x  .01.  This  set  also 
contains  a  Cowbird's  egg. 

Set  XXVI.  June  19,  1887.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  composed  of  leaves  outside,  but 
the  greater  part  made  of  grass  in  an  oven 
shape.  Lined  with  horse-hair,  and  situated 
on  the  ground  under  a  low  busli.  Three  eggs, 
incubation  begun.  Light  creamy  white, 
thickly  sprinkled  and  speckled  with  hazel  and 


May,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


67 


lilac-gray,  more  heavily  at  the  larger  ends, 
but  without  the  customary  wreath:  .77x.63; 
.7ox.63;  .75X.62.  This  poor  bird  had  beeu 
imposed  upon  by  having  three  Cowbird's  eggs 
laid  in  its  nest.  As  a  consequence  its  own 
eggs  were  limited  to  three.  Does  the  fact 
of  the  Cowbird  laying  its  eggs  in  the  nest  pre- 
vent the  real  owner  from  completing  her  set, 
or  does  the  Cowbird  make  away  with  the 
rightful  owner's  eggs  ? 

Set  XXVII.  June  19,  1887.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  IN'est  under  low  bush,  on  the  ground; 
composed  of  grass,  lined  with  a  little  horse- 
hair. Five  eggs,  incubation  begun.  Wliite, 
speckled  and  spotted  with  hazel  and  lilac- 
gray:  .81X.64;  .82X.63;  .81  x  .62;  .81  x  .02; 
.83  x  .62. 

Set  XXYIII.  June  3,  1884.  Farmington, 
Me.  Nest  in  the  woods;  made  of  grass  and 
leaves.  Globular,  with  entrance  on  side. 
Three  eggs,  fresh.  Light  creamy  white,  lieav- 
ily  and  beautifully  spotted  witli  hazel  and 
lilac-gray.  A  most  beautiful  set:  .83x.03; 
.84X.62;  .81  x  .64. 

Set  XXIX.  May  30,  1888.  Chester  County, 
Penn,  Nest  oven-shaped.  Placed  on  ground. 
Made  of  leaves,  lined  with  grass  and  a  few 
liorse-hairs.  Five  eggs,  fresh.  White, 
speckled  and  spotted  with  hazel  and  lilac- 
gray.  The  markings  are  heavier  at  the  larger 
ends,  but  the  wreaths  are  wanting:  .74x.Gl; 
.78X.60;  .7Gx.r)0;  .76x.59;  .77x.o!).  Tliis 
set  also  contains  a  Cowbird's  egg. 

Set  XXX.  May  30,  1877.  Saybrook,  Conn. 
Nest  of  leaves,  bark-strips  and  grasses,  lined 
with  fine  grass  and  hair;  on  the  ground  in 
woods.  Five  eggs,  fresh.  Light  creamy 
white,  heavily  speckled  with  chestnut  and 
lilac-gray:  .80x.62;  .81x.62;  .81x.G2; 
.81X.62;  .82X.01. 

Set  XXXI.  June  2,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  on  ground,  near  stream,  in  woods; 
domed  over,  and  made  of  leaves,  dried  grass, 
etc. ;  lined  with  horse-hair.  Six  eggs,  small 
embryos.  Light  creamy  white,  linely  sjjrinkled 
and  speckled  with  hazel.  The  markings  are 
heavier  at  the  larger  ends,  but  tliere  are  no 
wreaths.  Six  eggs  is  an  unusual  number  for 
this  species:  .Six. 61;  .82x.62;  .80x.63; 
.84X.62;  .83x.63;  .83  x  .62. 

Set  XXXIL  May  24,  1886.  Taunton,  Mass. 
Nest  on  ground;  oven-shaped.  Five  eggs, 
fresh.  White,  speckled  or  spotted  with  hazel, 
chestnut  and  lilac-gray:  .80x.61;  .76x.00; 
.83X.02;  .7SX.59;  .83  x  .60. 

Set  XXXIII.  May  22,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.      Nest   domed   over.      Made   of   leaves. 


lined  with  horse-hair.  On  ground,  in  woods, 
near  a  stream  of  water.  Five  eggs,  fresh. 
Light  creamy  white,  speckled  and  spotted 
with  hazel  and  lilac-gray.  There  are  no 
wreaths,  but  the  markings  are  much  closer 
and  heavier  at  the  larger  ends:  .80x.G3; 
.79X.60;  .78X.61;  .79x.62;  .87x.60. 

Set  XXXIV.  June  9,  1888.  Farmington, 
Me.  Nest  in  edge  of  woods,  beneath  some 
fallen  branches.  Five  eggs,  fresh.  White, 
heavily  spotted  with  hazel  and  lilac-gray.  A 
beautifully  marked  set:  .85x.01;  .81x.01; 
.83X.60;  .84X.62;  .81x.60. 

Set  XXXV.  May  22,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Nest  domed  over,  and  made  of  leaves, 
etc.,  lined  with  horse-hair.  On  hill-side,  in 
woods.  Five  eggs,  incubation  slight:  .83  x  .60; 
.83X.64;  .83x.66;  .82x.66;  .83x66. 

Set  XXXVI.  May  24,  1888.  Saybrook, 
Conn.  Nest  on  ground,  in  the  woods.  Com- 
posed of  leaves,  vine  strips,  weeds  and  grass 
stems;  well  covered  over.  Three  eggs,  incu- 
bation slight.  White,  heavily  spotted  with 
vinaceous  and  lilac-gray:  .77x.61;  .7Sx.;jS; 
.78X.59.  There  are  two  Cowbird's  eggs  with 
this  set. 

Set  XXXVII.  June  1,  1882,  Milton,  Mass. 
Five  eggs,  fresh.  Light  creamy  white, 
sprinkled  and  speckled  (very  heavily  at  the 
larger  ends)  with  vinaceous  and  lilac-gray: 
.S3X.62;  .81X.02;  .83x.64;  .81ix,G3;   .81  x  .63 

Set  XXXVllI.  June  2,  1885.  Saybrook, 
Conn.  Five  eggs,  fresh.  Light  creamy  white; 
sprinkled  and  speckled  with  hazel  and  lilac- 
gray.  The  markings  are  heavier  at  the  larger 
ends,  but  there  are  no  wreaths:  .82x.61; 
.81x,61;  .82X.61;  .82x.59;  .83x.61. 

Set  XXXIX.  June  7,  1884.  Farmington, 
Me.  Nest  in  woods.  Five  eggs,  fresh. 
White,  heavily  spotted  and  blotched  with 
chestnut  and  lilac-gray.  No  wreaths,  80x.01; 
.78X.61;  .80;x.61;  .79x.61;  .84x.62. 

Set  XL.  May  24,  1890.  Chester  County, 
Penn.  Two  eggs,  incubation  advanced. 
Light  creamy  white,  thickly  sjirinkled  and 
speckled  witli  vinaceous  and  lilac-gray.  No 
wreaths.  .77x.6.5;  .78x.64.  There  are  three 
Cowbird's  eggs  with  this  set,  but  what  became 
of  the  other  eggs  of  the  rightful  owner  of  the 
nest  ?  The  presumption  is  reasonable  that 
she  would  not  have  laid  any  more  as  the 
incubation  was  advanced  in  these.     J.  P.  N. 


There  are  quite  a  number  on  our  list  whose 
subscriptions  have  expired.  We  continue 
sending  the  O.  &  O.  to  such,  but  will  discon- 
tinue if  desired. 


68 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  5 


A  Day  in  the  Woods. 

On  the  afternoon  of  April  14,  1891,  Mr.  W. 
H.  Lncas  and  myself,  also  accompanied  by  a 
companion  to  drive  the  team,  started  about  3 
P.M.  for  a  large  swamp  and  woods  filled  with 
hemlocks  as  well  as  oak  and  chestnut,  which 
goes  by  the  name  of  Spruce  Swamp.  We 
arrived  there  in  about  an  hour  and  found  a 
large  steam  saw-mill  set  up  in  the  woods  and 
the  wood  choppers  had  made  sad  havoc  with 
the  timber. 

On  our  visit  to  this  place  in  early  March  we 
had  found  a  nest  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl, 
and  we  had  entertained  a  faint  hope  that  she 
might  possibly  lay  another  set  of  eggs,  but 
we  were  more  particularly  after  a  nest  of  the 
Red-shouldered  Hawk  this  time,  for  we  had 
seen  a  i)air  of  birds  hovering  around  on  our 
former  visit,  but  the  cho^jpers  had  driven  the 
birds  out  of  this  place,  and,  although  the  birds 
were  still  around  we  were  unable  to  find  the 
nest;  so  had  to  return  to  our  team,  when,  after 
a  drive  of  about  half  a  mile,  we  left  again  for 
another  woods,  and  did  not  have  to  hunt  long 
before  we  discovered  the  nest.  It  was  in  a 
chestnut  about  seventy  feet  high  and  on  a  limb 
projecting  about  ten  feet  from  the  body  of  the 
ti'ee,  with  the  female  bird  on  the  nest.  It  was 
now  quite  dark  and  no  amount  of  clubbing  or 
shouting  would  persuade. her  to  get  off.  We 
determined  to  start  her,  so  I  raised  my  gun 
and  shot  one  barrel  close  to  the  nest  to  start 
her,  and  olf  she  jumped.  I  let  the  other 
barrel  go  after  her,  but  as  I  am  no  expert  with 
a  gun  she  continued  on  her  way  unharmed,  so 
we  were  obliged  to  say  good-by  to  her.  Our 
next  problem  was,  where  is  the  fellow  to  climb 
the  tree  and  get  the  eggs  ?  I  certainly  was 
not  desirous  of  the  job,  and  my  companion  did 
not  seem  to  favor  the  plan  of  his  doing  it,  so 
we  decided  to  let  her  rear  her  brood  in  peace, 
so  away  we  started,  and  it  was  now  getting 
pretty  dark;  and  as  we  went  stumbling  along 
we  suddenly  came  upon  an  old,  tumbled-down 
stone  fence.  As  I  was  in  advance  I  put  one 
hand  on  top  of  the  fence  and  made  a  jump  to 
clear  it,  and  was  somewhat  surprised  to  find 
myself  completely  tangled  up  in  one  of  those 
most  desirable  of  fences  —  the  barb  wire.  But, 
oh!  if  you  could  have  seen  those  pantaloons 
when  I  finally  got  clear,  you  would  have 
smiled.  Plenty  of  ventilation,  I  tell  you:  but 
fortunately  that  was  all  the  damage,  so  we 
made  our  way  as  best  we  could  for  the  team, 
and  after  a  drive  of  about  a  mile  we  reached 
my  old  home,  and  after  putting  out  our  horse 


we  repaii'ed  to  the  house  and  partook  of  a 
good  supper  to  which  we  surely  did  justice. 
After  making  a  few  preparations  for  the  trip 
on  the  morrow  and  getting  my  pantaloons 
adjusted,  we  retired  for  the  night. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  were  stirring 
about  making  the  final  preparations,  eating 
our  breakfast,  and  we  were  shortly  off  for  the 
woods.  Nearly  the  first  sound  that  we  heard 
as  we  approached  the  woods  was  the  note  of  a 
Louisana  Water  Thrush,  but  it  was  probably 
well  aware  of  the  distance  a  gun  would  shoot, 
and  so  thought  a  distant  view  the  most  agree- 
ble,  so  it  made  good  its  escape.  Still  we 
pushed  on  through  the  woods  until  we  finally 
saw  a  respectable  looking  nest  in  a  chestnut 
tree  just  ahead  which  \\g  thought  might 
possibly  be  a  Red-shouldered  Hawk's,  for  we 
had  heard  a  cry  come  from  that  direction;  so  I 
strapped  on  my  irons  and  began  to  shin  the 
tree,  and  was  repaid  with  a  large  handful 
of  rotten  leaves  and  rubbish. 

Then  we  struck  across  an  opening  to  the 
wood  on  the  other  side,  and  soon  saw  a  Crow 
sitting  hard  on  her  nest  in  a  tall  chestnut. 
AVe  rapped  on  the  tree  for  her  to  get  off  but 
she  did  not  respond,  so  I  shot  one  barrel  of  my 
gun  about  a  foot  from  the  nest;  but  this  did 
not  seem  to  wake  her  up.  My  companion  (who 
by  the  way  was  rather  near-sighted)  declared 
there  was  no  bird  on  the  nest,  so  to  convince 
him  I  shot  the  other  barrel  into  the  nest  and 
this  moved  her  and  as  she  llew  my  companion 
dropped  her,  but  as  the  eggs  are  so  common 
and  the  tree  a  hard  one  to  climb  we  did  not 
get  the  eggs. 

Then  we  started  out  again  for  another  woods 
about  a  mile  away,  and  in  a  short  time  took 
our  first  set  of  the  day.  It  was  that  of  a  Red- 
shouldered  Hawk  and  contained  three  rather 
(lull  marked  eggs,  and  unusually  small  for  this 
species.  The  nest  was  very  low,  not  more  than 
twelve  or  fourteen  feet  high. 

We  then  started  for  our  team,  for  it  was 
quite  a  long  distance  to  our  next  piece  of 
woods,  which  had  formerly  contained  a  very 
large  pair  of  Red-tailed  Hawks,  but  after 
arriving  there  and  spending  over  an  hour  of 
hard  tramping  we  were  obliged  to  give  it  up; 
but,  as  we  were  coming  around  near  the  nest 
which  was  occupied  by  them  last  year,  we 
discovered  that  it  was  once  more  occupied, 
but  not  by  a  Hawk,  On  investigating  it 
proved  a  Barred  Owl:  we  could  plainly  see  its 
head  and  eyes  watching  us  as  we  manceuvered 
around  throwing  clubs,  etc.,  trying  to  drive 
her  oft";  but  she  stuck  close. 


May,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


69 


I  could  not  help  recalling  my  experience  of 
the  year  before,  and  the  resolve  that  I  made 
wlien  1  reached  the  ground  after  climbing  to 
this  same  nest,  that  if  ever  a  Hawk  or  any 
other  bird  had  its  nest  in  another  tree  like 
that  it  would  not  be  molested  by  me.  But  this 
was  something  new  to  me.  I  had  never  seen  a 
Barred  Owl's  nest  before  and  had  no  set  of 
their  eggs  in  my  collection,  so  I  wished  to  get 
them  very  much.  I  tried  to  persuade  my 
friend,  Mr.  L  — ,  to  try  his  hand  at  this  one, 
but  he  would  not  be  persuaded;  so  I  liually 
decided  to  make  one  more  attempt  myself, 
but  must  own  up  beaten,  for  after  getting  over 
half  way  up  my  courage  gave  out  and  I  had  to 
come  down  again.  So  we  were  obliged  to 
leave  her,  with  this  faint  hope  that  next 
year  she  would  take  up  her  abode  in  a  more 
respectable  tree. 

Next  we  started  for  the  wagon  again  and 
after  a  good  lunch,  and  getting  rested  some- 
what by  oui  short  ride,  we  started  out  once 
more. 

The  first  find  was  a  Crow's  nest  which  con- 
tained four  eggs,  which  we  took;  and  had  not 
pi'oceeded  far  when  we  saw  a  Hawk's  nest 
with  the  bird  on.  We  shot  her  when  she  left 
the  nest,  secured  the  eggs  which  were  three 
in  number,  and  then  proceeded  to  look  for 
another  ^lair  which  had  formerly  been  in  the 
vicinity,  but  after  a  thorough  search  could  not 
find  it,  so  we  proceeded  to  the  next  pair  which 
we  found  without  much  difficulty,  and  got 
three  eggs  from  this  nest  which  we  packed 
carefully  away  with  the  rest. 

Our  next  move  was  for  our  team  again,  when 
after  a  short  ride  it  brought  us  where  a  few 
days  before  I  had  found  a  Red-shouldered 
Hawk's  nest,  but  had  not  had  time  to  get  the 
eggs.  This  we  easily  secured,  which  also  con- 
tained three,  and  were  the  finest  marked  set 
we  had  taken  so  far;  but  it  was  now  after  3 
I'.-M.,  and  as  we  were  several  miles  from  home 
and  liad  several  pairs  which  we  wished  to  visit 
on  our  return,  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  pro- 
ceed as  rapidly  as  possible.  So  we  pushed  on 
to  our  next  piece  of  timber  and  had  but  little 
difficulty  in  iinding  the  nest.  It  was  placed  in 
an  oak,  and  this  set  made  the  fourth  one  I 
have  taken  from  this  same  nest.  It  was 
occupied  by  a  Cooper's  one  year.  We  secured 
a  set  of  three  this  time,  and  as  I  was  in  the 
woods  again  on  May  2d  following  I  saw  the 
bird  leave  the  nest,  and  on  going  up  secured 
a  single  badly  incubated  egg,  which  was 
probably  the  complement  of  the  original  set. 

We  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  when 


we  saw  a  Hawk  fly  from  a  knoll  and  saw  two 
nests  near  but  could  not  tell  for  certain  which 
nest  she  left,  and  as  they  were  both  rather  high 
we  did  not  feel  like  climbing  on  an  uncertainty 
so  left  them,  but  some  time  afterward  I  secured 
a  set  of  three  from  one  of  them. 

Once  more  we  started  for  our  team,  and  rode 
some  distance  to  get  our  wind,  etc.,  and  as 
there  remained  but  one  more  pair  of  birds  on 
our  road  this  time  we  proceeded  for  them;  and 
I  was  anxious  to  find  this  one  as  I  had  taken 
eggs  from  them  before,  and  they  were 
extraordinarily  fine  ones,  and  so  was  more 
anxious  for  this  reason  than  any  other.  So 
we  were  fortunate  this  time  and  secured  the 
prize  set  of  the  day.  This  set  numbered  three 
and  as  this  was  to  conclude  our  day's  hunt  we 
started  on  our  final  journey  to  the  city,  arriv- 
ing there  just  as  the  rain  began  to  come  down 
in  showers,  thoroughly  tired  and  hungry, 
having  had  a  hard  day's  tramp  but  feeling 
amply  repaid  for  our  trouble;  and,  further,  we 
had  a  very  enjoyable  time,  and  it  will  leave  on 
our  minds  something  which  in  after  days  we 
can  look  back  upon  with  much  pleasure. 

//.  W.  Beers. 

i;riil};ep()rt,  Conn. 


That  Big  Gobbler. 


Poking  round  in  an  old  box  of  ruins  the 
other  day  I  came  upon  a  long,  coarse  hair. 
Not  much  of  a  find,  but  what  a  bright  pano- 
rama of  recollections  it  brought  up  to  the  old 
man's  mental  vision.  And  to-night,  a  bright 
spring  night,  with  the  first  Chuck- will' s-widow 
faintly  calling  to  me  from  far  away,  and  the 
moonlight  keeping  me  awake,  I  remember 
that  it  is  a  long  time  since  I  wrote  to  the 
O.  &  O.  So,  taking  that  hair  for  my  text,  —  a 
hair  from  the  beard  of  that  big  gobbler, — I 
again  sharpen  up  my  pencil  for  the  benefit  of 
my  far-away  friends  who  read  my  favorite 
magazine. 

It  was  on  much  such  a  night  as  this  that  I 
waded  the  Fisumycochee  with  a  heavy  pack 
and  a  light  stomacli,  and  sought  a  camp  on  the 
first  bit  of  dry  ground  I  had  seen  since  high 
noon.  The  first  pine  island  that  I  found 
looked  too  busliy  for  my  liking,  so  skirting 
round  the  edge  I  plodded  wearily  along  toward 
the  next,  which  was  clear  of  underbrush  and 
seemed  to  have  been  recently  burned.  In  the 
shaded  side  of  this  I  stopped,  leaned  my  pack 
up  against  a  tree  and  began  to  pick  up  some 
dry  sticks  for  a  fire.     Thus  occupied  I  came  to 


70 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  5 


the  farther  edge  of  the  trees,  and  in  the 
shadow  of  one  of  tlieni,  clearly  silhouetted  at 
my  feet,  was  the  outline  of  a  big  Turkey 
gobbler.  I  slowly  raised  my  head,  and  then 
he  was  sharply  outlined  against  the  face  of  the 
moon,  but  only  for  an  instant.  The  next  mo- 
ment, wings  and  tail  spread  out,  substance 
and  shadow  joined  each  other  away  out  in  the 
prairie,  and  I  Avatched  till  only  a  black  speck 
disappeared  into  the  edge  of  a  big  Cabbage 
woods  more  than  half  a  mile  away.  That  is 
just  what  happens  to  a  man  when  he  is  fool 
enough  to  leave  his  gun  in  camp.  Supperless 
I  sat  and  smoked  by  my  little  fire  and  thought 
of  that  momentary  vision  of  sumptuous  fare. 
And  when  my  complaining  stomach  allowed  me 
to  catch  little  cat  na2)s  toward  morning  it  was 
only  to  see  again  that  broad-winged  shadow 
glide  along  the  moon-lit  prairie,  meet  the  legs 
of  the  noble  fowl  as  he  dropped  to  earth,  and 
then  disappear  in  the  palmettos  away  beyond. 

From  the  last  of  those  fitful  naps  I  awoke 
with  a  start.  The  moon  was  low  down,  and  it 
could  not  be  long  before  dawn.  Sleep  was 
impossible,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  cross 
over  to  the  Cabbage  woods  and  try  to  call  the 
old  fellow  to  breakfast.  The  burnt  prairie 
was  in  my  favor  the  first  half  of  the  way  for 
its  color  under  the  low  light  harmonized 
better  with  moving  objects  than  any  other  in 
nature.  But  as  I  neared  the  woods  the  unburnt 
stubble  made  more  noise  than  I  liked.  The 
closer  I  came  the  more  gingerly  I  slid  my  feet 
along,  trying  to  press  down  and  not  crack  the 
telltale  grass  roots.  There,  in  a  bit  of  the 
blackest  shade  I  could  find  I  cautiously  cocked 
both  barrels,  cleared  out  mj"^  pipu  with  a 
feather,  and  called  the  most  enticing  pee-pee- 
pee  through  it  that  my  eager  lij^s  could  frame. 
How  plain  the  whole  scene  seems  now, — the 
reddish  glow  in*  the  moonlight,  which  is  seen 
only  for  a  short  time  before  the  early  dawn 
comes  on;  the  black  shadows  and  trunks  of 
the  palmettos,  and  back  over  my  shoulder 
a  little  Vermillion  spot  showed  where  my  fire 
was  yet  alive.  Twice  more  I  called  and  listened 
and  then  shifted  my  ground.  Again  failure, 
and  another  noise,  when  at  once,  in  answer  to 
my  call,  came  the  welcome  response  at  least  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away.  iS"©  more  moving  for 
me.  Call  and  call  again  was  answered  a  little 
nearer  each  time,  and  at  last  I  laid  the  stock 
to  my  cheek  and  with  a  "  Pity  you,  but  bless 
my  stomach,"  the  catastroiihe  came. 

Here  is  the  hair.  Lay  it  on  your  foot  rule. 
Ten  inches  or  more,  isn't  it?  Guess  how 
much  the  big  gobbler  weighed  !  Robert  Curzon. 


Collecting    Around    Wenham    Lake, 
North  Beverly. 

In  looking  over  my  collecting  eciuipments 
to-day,  in  ex2)ectation  of  this  spring's  pleas- 
ures in  the  field,  I  came  upon  my  constant 
companion  on  collecting  and  gunning  trips  — 
my  note-book.  Turning  to  notes  of  May  ;10, 
ISUl,  I  thought,  as  this  was  a  good  day's  trip 
in  this  vicinity,  that  some  of  the  western 
friends  of  the  O.  cfe  O.,  that  have  only  to  go  a 
little  way  to  find  more  than  we  can  here  by 
hard  tramping  all  day,  miglit  be  interested; 
and  I,  one  of  the  eastern  readers,  am  always 
ready  to  hear  anijthiwj  from  any  of  our  eastern 
ornithologists  and  oologists,  (but  very  seldom 
do  we  hear  from  any).  I  thought  they  might 
be  interested  also;  so  1  give  it  as  taken  from 
my  note-book. 

We  started  early  on  the  morning  of  May  ;50, 
ISDl,  —  my  cousin  Frank  A.  Brown,  a  thorough 
young  naturalist,  and  myself,  —  taking  the 
shortest  cut  for  the  lake  through  the  woods. 
After  going  about  a  mile  we  came  to  what  is 
known  as  "the  spring,"  a  beautiful  little 
spring  of  ice-cold  water  always  fresh  and  clear. 

This  is  a  model  place  for  birds  and  they 
seem  to  know  it,  judging  from  the  number 
always  around  and  near  it.  Here  tlie  first 
birds  noted  were  a  Wilson's  Thrush  and  a  pair 
of  Maryland  Yellow-throats.  The  latter  birds 
we  watched  carrying  straw  to  make  their 
nest.  After  close  watching  for  some  time, 
lying  on  a  bed  of  soft  moss,  we  noted  the  spot 
where  the  nest  must  be,  and  going  over  we 
found  it,  but  so  nicely  hidden  that  if  we  had 
not  seen  the  bird  go  there  we  should  never 
have  found  it.  We  left  it  undisturbed,  and 
about  four  weeks  later  Frank  got  a  handsome 
set  of  four  eggs  from  it.  I  also  found  a  Cat- 
bird's nest  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
Maryland  Yellow-throat's,  which  of  course  we 
left  as  we  found  it,  after  getting  a  good  scold- 
ing from  Mrs.  Galeoscoptes  carolinensis. 

Arriving  at  the  lake  later  than  we  expected 
we  found  that  the  boat  we  had  engaged  had 
been  let,  as  the  man  thought  we  were  not 
coming.  But  we  soon  secured  another  for  a 
short  time.  We  rowed  straight  across  the 
lake,  leaving  a  long  trail  on  the  glass-like 
surface,  for  this  was  one  of  the  nicest  days  we 
have  had  this  year,  —  calm,  and  not  a  cloud  to 
be  seen.  The  first  nest  Ave  found  was  that  of 
a  Red-winged  Blackbird  with  two  eggs,  which 
we  did  not  take  as  the  set  was  not  large 
enough.  Our  next  find  was  a  nest  of  the 
Yellow  Warbler  with  a  set  of    three,   which 


May,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


71 


we  also  left.  We  next  came  to  a  Yellow 
Hammer's  hole.  I  climbed  up,  but,  as  there 
seemed  to  be  no  way  of  getting  at  the  nest 
and  the  man  stood  on  the  opposite  bank 
waving  his  hands  wildly  to  let  us  know  that 
our  time  with  the  boat  was  up,  I  slid  down 
into  it  and  pulled  for  the  sliore.  We  then 
stiirted  oft"  on  foot,  going  through  a  large 
swamp  where  the  water  was  half  way  up  our 
boots  all  tlie  way.  Here  we  found  quite  a 
number  of  nests  of  the  Purple  Grackle  and 
Robin  all  together,  some  of  the  Robins'  being 
not  ten  feet  from  the  Grackles',  —  some  of 
each  with  eggs  and  some  deserted.  Here  I 
secured  one  good  set  of  three  Grackle' s  eggs, 
also  one  good  nest,  a  deserted  one.  Frank  then 
wanted  me  to  go  to  an  old  stub  about  a  mile 
further  on  where  he  thought  there  were  some 
White-bellied  Swallows  nesting;  but  after  a 
long  walk  and  a  hot  climb  by  me  we  found  all 
the  holes  deserted,  so  we  went  down  on  another 
marsh  to  look  around,  but  found  nothing  of 
interest.  By  this  time  it  was  time  to  start  for 
home,  Frank  taking  in  a  line  set  of  Sj^izella 
socialis  on  the  way.  We  then  took  the  car  for 
home.  "Not  a  very  successful  trip,"  I  hear 
someone  say.     No,  but  an  elegant  time. 

C.  E.  Broioii. 
Beverly,  Mass. 


The  Herons  of  Alachua  Co.,  Florida. 


[Concluded.] 
LITTLE   BLUE    nEKOX. 

Most  common  of  all  our  Herons  is  the  Ardea 
coei'ulea.  Countless  thousands  of  these  birds 
live  around  our  lakes  and  wet  prairies.  Here 
they  spend  the  summer  days  wading  around  in 
the  shallow  water  cooling  their  feet  and  legs 
and  filling  themselves  with  fish  and  frogs. 
They  accumulate  in  large  colonies  to  breed, 
and  construct  their  nests  much  like  other 
Herons. 

The  young  birds  at  first  are  white  and, 
before  they  begin  to  get  their  blue  coat,  are 
not  easily  distinguished  from  the  Ai-dea  can- 
didisslma.  AVhen  the  blue  feathers  first  begin 
to  appear  the  birds  look  quite  odd.  Often 
one-half  of  the  wing  feathers  will  be  blue 
while  the  remainder  are  still  white;  the  rest 
of  the  body  at  the  same  time  will  have  the 
same  general  appearance. 

In  April,  1887,  I  visited  a  colony  of  Little 
Blues  nesting  in  a  pond  at  Horse  Hammock. 
There  were,  at  least,  five  hundred  pairs  breed- 


ing here  at  this  time.  The  number  of  eggs  in 
a  nest  was  usually  four,  sometimes  three  and 
occasionally  five  were  found.  In  this  rookery 
were  also  breeding  five  other  varieties  of 
Herons  and  several  pairs  of  Anhingas. 

Another  colony  visited  on  April  8,  ISUO,  in  a 
cypress  swamp  north  of  Waldo,  Fla.,  con- 
tained no  other  birds  but  Little  Blue.".  The 
nests  were  placed  around  on  the  cypress  limbs 
at  various  heights.  Often  six  or  eight  nests 
were  seen  in  a  single  tree.  At  this  date  but 
few  of  the  nests  contained  eggs  and  many  of 
the  new  nests  were  not  yet  complete. 

GREEN   HEIJON. 

This  bird  becomes  quite  common  with  us 
by  the  last  of  March,  and  by  the  middle 
of  April  nests  containing  their  full  number 
of  eggs  are  to  be  found.  They  nest  in 
company  with  other  Herons,  sometimes  in 
small  colonies  by  themselves  or  in  isolated 
pairs  in  suitable  places  around  the  lakes  or 
marshes.  Their  nests  are  nsnally  placed  in 
bushes  or  wild  willows  growing  in  or  over  the 
water.  But  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  their 
nests  a  quarter  or  even  half  a  mile  from  any 
body  of  water,  elevated  on  the  horizontal  limb 
of  some  old  live  or  water-oak  tree.  Their 
nest  is  small  and  often  so  frail  that  the  eggs 
may  often  be  counted  from  under  the  nest. 
The  eggs  are  three,  four  or  five  in  number. 

BLACK-CROWXED   NIGHT  HERON. 

Quiet  and  secluded  as  it  is,  the  Night  Heron 
is  seldom  met  witli  in  the  day-time  unless  dis- 
turbed from  their  breeding  or  roosting  places; 
then  with  loud  "quocks"  they  will  fiop  away 
to  a  safe  distance  and  again  jjitcli  into  the  tree 
tops. 

While  camping  at  Priece  prairie  in  August 
I  had  a  splendid  opportunity  to  observe  the 
habits  of  these  birds.  In  the  tall  bushes 
which  grew  in  a  little  shallow  pond  back, 
perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  lake, 
thirty  or  forty  Night  Herons  were  found 
roosting.  Upon  firing  a  'gun  they  all  took 
wing  and  flew  off  over  the  woods,  with  the 
exception  of  a  young  male  bird  which  stayed 
behind,  "a  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  science." 
Late  in  the  evening  while  lying  on  the  bank  of 
the  lake,  gun  in  hand,  waiting  for  a  flock  of 
Wood  Ducks  or  a  stray  Anhinga,  the  Night 
Herons  flew  out  over  the  water  and  in  a  strag- 
gling flock  sought  their  feeding  grounds  at 
the  south  side  of  the  lake.  A  nesting  site 
visited  April  18,  1890,  was  situated  in  a  marsh. 
The  nests  were  placed  around  on  the  bushes, 
seldom  over  three  feet  above  the  water;  and 


72 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  5 


these  nests,  having  been  used  for  several  years 
in  succession,  had  become  to  be  qnite  large 
affairs.  The  number  of  eggs  in  a  nest  was 
very  often  not  over  three,  occasionally  four  or 
five,  but  more  often  only  two  were  found. 
In  another  rookery  visited  a  little  later  on  the 
birds  showed  about  the  same  habits  in  nesting 
and  the  same  variations  in  the  number  of 
eggs.  Sometimes  they  are  to  be  found  breed- 
ing with  other  Herons;  again  only  a  small 
colony  will  be  found  witli  no  otlier  Herons 
breeding  near. 

YELLOW-CROWXED   NIGHT   IIEHON. 

Having  never  seen  one  of  these  beautiful 
birds  I  was  somewhat  surjirised  when,  in 
April,  1888,  my  partner  and  I  came  suddenly 
upon  one  of  their  breeding  places  near  Levey 
Lake.  The  place  they  had  chosen  for  tlieir 
nesting  site  was  a  little  pond  densely  sur- 
rounded l)y  tall  trees  and  containing  a  thick 
growth  of  tall  button-wood  bushes.  In  these 
bushes,  and  situated  at  from  three  to  five  feet 
from  the  water,  the  nests  were  i_)laced.  They 
were  thick,  bulky  structures,  most  of  them 
having  been  used  for  a  number  of  years.  The 
bushes  in  which  the  nests  were  placed  were 
quite  tall  and,  the  place  being  surrounded  by 
tall  trees,  the  nests  were  in  semi-darkness  the 
greater  part  of  the  day.  No  signs  of  bird  life 
are  visible  as  you  first  approach  the  place,  biit 
the  moment  a  gun  is  fired  they  all  leave  their 
nests  and  with  loud  "quocks"  fiy  heavily 
over  into  the  trees  at  the  other  side  of  the 
rookery.  They  feed  almost  exclusively  at 
night.  At  the  date  of  our  first  visit  (April  25), 
most  of  the  nests  contained  complete  sets  of 
incubated  eggs.  The  nests  of  last  year's 
birds,  however,  contained  only  partially  coin- 
])lete  sets  or  else  none  at  all.  This  lateness  in 
nesting  is  doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  tlie 
young  birds  have  to  build  new  nests,  while  the 
older  ones  use  the  same  ones  from  year  to 
year.  The  number  of  eggs  found  in  a  nest 
was  generally  four,  sometimes  only  three  and 
in  a  few  instances  six  wei-e  found. 

With  the  exception  of  one  or  two  other  sim- 
ilar places  this  is  the  only  place  I  have  ever 
found  them  nesting,  and  in  all  cases  there 
were  no  other  Herons  found  breeding  with 
them,  unless  perchance  a  straggling  Green 
Heron  or  two.  Prof.  Frank  M.  Chapman 
speaks  of  finding  them  nesting  in  isolated 
pairs  along  the  creeks  which  flow  into  the 
Swannee  Eiver.  The  Yellow-crowned  Night 
Heron,  like  all  the  other  Herons,  upon  being 
robbed  once  will  lay  the  second  time.  Com- 
plete sets  of  their  second  laying  may  be  found 


at  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  days  from  the 

date  the  first  sets  were  taken. 

F.  G.  Pearson. 
Guilford  College,  N.  C. 


Bird      Notes      from     Central      New 
Hampshire,  Winter  of   1891   '92. 


Robin,  November  ;]d  and  Otli,  in  January  and 
March  13tli. 

Winter  Wren,  November  25th  and  December 
5th  and  12th. 

Hermit  Thi-ush,  November  9th. 

Kingfisher,  November  24th. 

Crows  have  strayed  all  winter. 

Blue  Jays,  plenty. 

Pine  Grosbeaks,  <piite  common. 

Pine  Finches,  very  plenty. 

American  (Joldlinch,  i)leuty  first  part  of 
winter. 

Purple  Finch,  very  scarce. 

American  Crossbill,  quite  common. 

Juncos,  about  the  same  as  Crossbills. 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet,  plenty. 

Tree  Sparrows,  common. 

Snowllakes,  seen  occasionally. 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch,  common. 

White-breasted  Nuthatch,  scarce. 

Chickadees,  ])lenty. 

American  Brown  Creeper,  quite  common. 

Hairy,  Downy  and  Pileated  Woodpeckers, 
seen  occasionally. 

Ruffed  Grouse,  not  i)lcnty. 

Barred  and  Saw-whet  Owls,  a  few. 

March  Sth,  shot  a  young  male  Rusty  Grackle, 
that  had  been  seen  three  times  previous.  It 
had  the  outer  eight  primaries  gone,  had  prob- 
ably been  shot  away  in  the  fall,  disabling  the 
bird  so  it  could  not  migrate.  It  does  not 
breed  here.  It  was  singing  and  seemed  quite 
happy.     I  have  the  skin  in  my  collection. 

J.  H.  Johnson. 


Purple    Gallinule    in    Massachusetts. 


A  fine  female  Purple  Gallinule  was  left  with 

me,  April  9th,   for  mounting.     Knowing  this 

to  be  a  rare  bird  in  Massachusetts  I  thought 

its  occurrence  might  be  worthy  of  notice. 

C.  C.  Wood. 
Plymouth,  Mass. 


May,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


73 


Nesting  of  the  Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher. 

It  seems  strange  tliat  such  an  essentially 
southej-n  species  as  the  Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher 
(Polioptila  ccerulea)  should  be  so  abundant  as 
it  is  in  tliis  locality  which  is  so  near  the  limit 
of  its  northern  range,  if  not,  indeed,  actually 
marking  that  limit,  at  least  in  this  state  and 
the  neighboring  State  of  Ohio,  where,  accord- 
ing to  Oliver  Davie,  it  is  also  quite  common. 
But  in  Butler  and  Armstrong  Counties,  only 
some  forty  miles  to  the  eastward  of  here,  it  is 
conspicuous  by  its  absence,  a  fact  in  keeping 
with  the  boreal  affinities  of  the  fauna  of  which 
locality,  as  compared  with  that  of  Beaver 
County. 

Its  arrival  occurs  the  third  week  in  April, 
or,  to  speak  more  iirecisely,  and  by  the  record 
on  the  17th  or  18th  of  the  month,  when 
pleasant  weather  has  become  fairly  established 
and  the  orchard  and  forest  trees  are  just 
beginning  to  burst  into  new  life.  Dry  and 
rather  open  woods,  especially  if  on  a  hill-side, 
ai"e  its  chosen  haunts,  in  which  places  the 
birds,  although  so  small  of  size,  may  always 
be  found  if  present  by  following  up  their 
peculiar  tiling  note,  cJiee-e-e-chee-e-e-chec-e-e, 
wliich  cannot  possibly  be  confounded  with  any 
other,  although  on  the  whole  bearing  consider- 
able resemblance  to  that  of  the  Blue  Gt)lden- 
winged  Warbler.  But  this  is  a  humble  effort 
compared  with  the  Gnatcatcher's  true  song, 
for  it  is  possessed  of  exquisite  vocal  powers, 
though  they  are  not  often  exercised,  and  not 
generally  known  even  among  professed  orni. 
thologists,  its  song  being  heard  for  only  a 
week  or  two  after  the  bird's  ai-rival.  Not  so 
full  and  clear,  indeed,  as  the  vivacious  song  of 
its  cousin,  the  Euby-crowned  Kinglet,  which 
expressive,  and  sweeter,  well-belitting  such  a 
is  migrating  at  the  same  time,  but  more 
exquisitely  modulated,  more  tender,  more 
tiny,  fairy-like  bird,  as,  clad  in  a  delicate  blue 
and  white,  it  ceaselessly  pursues  its  minute 
insect  prey  in  the  tree-tops,  in  every  motion 
graceful. 

They  are  invariably  paired  on  their  arrival, 
and  lose  little  time  in  selecting  a  nesting-site, 
which  is  always  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
last  year's,  and  not  infrequently  on  the  same 
tree.  The  spot  having  been  chosen,  work  on 
the  nest  is  immediately  begun,  and  rapidly 
carried  forward  except  in  stormy  weather, 
though  the  structure  always  requires  for  its 
final  completion  between  two  and  three  weeks 
of  constant  labor  on  the  part  of  the  female, 
the   male,  so   far   as   I   have   observed,    never 


assisting,  although  he  always  remains  near  at 
hand  and  takes  a  great  interest  in  the  work, 
aiding  no  doubt,  by  his  cheery  presence  and 
song.  The  nest  is  occasionally  let  down  into 
the  crotch  of  an  upright  branch,  but  as  a  rule 
is  saddled  on  a  horizontal  limb,  preferably  bf 
an  oak,  at  an  elevation  of  from  twenty  to  fifty 
feet,- and  is  not  infrequently  so  arranged  as  to 
be  directly  under  another  limb,  so  as  to  be 
partially  protected  from  the  disintegrating 
effect  of  rain.  It  is  a  most  elegant  and  elabo- 
rate structure,  a  very  model  of  bird  architect- 
ure, and  as  such  very  creditable  to  its  tiny 
owners,  whose  labor  is  so  patiently  expended 
upon  it.  Though  reminding  one  strikingly 
of  the  nest  of  the  Hummingbird,  with  which 
it  even  vies  in  elegance  of  design  and  beauty 
of  finish,  it  is  much  larger,  being,  in  fact,  very 
large  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  bird. 

A  nest  now  before  me,  collected  May  19, 
1890,  and  wliich  may  be  regarded  as  typical,  is 
composed  of  the  delicate  stalks  of  certain 
small  weeds,  fine  strips  of  inner  bark,  bits  of 
dry  mullen  leaf,  down  from  the  thistle,  milk- 
weed, and  various  other  plants,  pieces  of 
cocoons,  etc.  There  is  no  special  lining  other 
than  the  regular  material  used  for  the  bodj^  of 
the  nest,  but  the  outside  is  completely  and 
neatly  stuccoed  over  with  bluish-gray  lichens 
fastened  on  by  a  lavish  use  of  cobwebs.  The 
cavity  is  deeper  than  it  is  wide;  the  brim  is 
moreover  much  constricted.  The  birds  very 
often  place  their  nest  on  a  lichen-covered 
branch,  the  more  to  escape  observation,  but  in 
any  case  it  might  readily  be  mistaken  for  a  knot 
on  the  limb,  so  perfect  is  the  mimicry.  It  is  a 
soft  and  ijerishable  structure,  loosely  attached 
to  its  branch,  and  never  outlasting  the  season 
for  which  it  is  intended.  Although  it  might 
naturally  be  supposed  that  it  would  be  rather 
difficult  to  find,  this  is  in  reality  a  very  simple 
and  easy  matter,  as  the  birds  never  stray  far 
from  home  and  are  always  certain  to  return 
sooner  or  later,  so  that  it  is  only  necessary  to 
watch  them  while  building.  When  the  female 
begins  to  incubate  she  every  now  and  then 
answers  the  calls  of  her  mate  by  reassuring 
notes,  thus  disclosing  the  position  of  her  nest. 
When  their  domicile  is  invaded  they  become 
very  bold  and  fearless,  though  so  small  and  in- 
significant in  size,  often  coming  within  a  yard, 
scolding  and  pi'otesting  vigorously  meanwhile. 
In  a  case  that  came  under  my  notice  this  last 
spring,  where  the  female  of  a  pair  which  had 
nearly  completed  their  nest  was  accidentally 
killed,  the  male  in  the  course  of  a  few  days 
secured  another  mate,  which  built  a  new  nest 


74 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  5 


at  a  little  distance,  using  the  material  of  the 
old  in  its  constructions. 

Certain  autliors  have  stated  that  the  e<is;s 
are  pure  white  in  ground-color,  but  this  is  a 
mistake,  though  it  is  barely  jiossible  that  some 
bleached  or  abnormally  light-colored  speci- 
mens might  appear  white.  I  have  yet  to  see 
any  specimens  which  differ  appreciably,  except 
in  diversity  of  marking,  from  this  pattern :  light 
bluish-green,  marked  with  clearly-deiincd 
spots  of  a  light  rufous  color,  as  usual  rather 
more  thickly  about  the  larger  end.  According 
to  my  experience,  they  are  as  a  rule  five  in 
number  in  this  locality,  and  very  delicate  and 
fragile.  The  young  are  abroad  with  their  par- 
ents sometime  in  June,  and  these  family  groups 
are  commonly  to  be  found  lingering  in  or  near 
their  old  haunts  until  late  in  August,  when 
they  depart  for  their  winter  quarters  beyond 
the  southern  limits  of  the  United  States. 

W.  E.  Clyde  Todd. 

Beaver,  IJeaver  Co.,  Pa. 

[A  fair-sized  series  of  the  eggs  of  this  bird 
in  my  cabinet  exhibits  a  great  variety  of  colora- 
tion. As  nearly  all  of  them  came  from  one 
locality  (Mississippi)  it  is  odd  that  those  col- 
lected in  Beaver  County,  Pa.,  and  described  by 
Mr.  Todd,  should  show  so  little  variation.  — • 
J.  P.  N.] 


My  First  Set  of  Great  Horned  Owl's 
Eggs. 

Sunday,  February  IGth,  was  a  delightful  day 
to  be  out  of  doors.  In  the  morning  I  had 
taken  an  hour's  walk  in  the  southern  part  of 
town,  hoping  to  be  rewarded  by  seeing  my 
first  Robin  or  Bluebird  from  the  sunny  South, 
but  was  disappointed  as  they  arrived  six  days 
later. 

During  my  walk  I  saw  hundreds  of  the 
familiar  Chickadees  {Parus  atricapillus), 
accompanied  by  the  pretty  Downy  Wood- 
pecker (Dri/obatcs  i^ubescens)  or  Little  Sap- 
sucker,  as  they  are  called  in  our  locality. 
Nearly  every  one  of  the  restless  little  fellows 
were  busily  engaged  in  gleaning  their  multi- 
farious food. 

In  the  afternoon  Arthur  Farmer  called  and 
found  me  in  my  studio  or,  as  the  boys  are 
pleased  to  call  my  room,  "Fritz's  Museum," 
busily  engaged  with  my  collection.  We  were 
content  to  stay  indoors  until  we  came  to  the 
drawer  that  contained  Baptores'  eggs.      The 


prospect  of  adding  another  set  of  Hawk's  or 
Owl's  eggs  to  the  collection  made  us  hunt  up 
our  collecting  boxes  and  start  towards  the 
woods  south  of  the  town. 

What  a  delightful  afternoon  to  be  out  !  Sky 
clear  and  bright.  Black-capped  Chickadees, 
Downy  and  Hairy  Woodpeckers  were  plenty 
everywhere.  Occasionally  a  noisy  Bluejay  or 
sombre  Crow^  would  show  himself.  We  found 
plenty  of  nests,  but  all  proved  to  be  last  year's 
and  empty. 

It  was  not  until  we  liad  gone  about  four 
miles  south  of  our  starting  place  that  we  found 
a  nest  that  looked  as  though  there  might  be 
"something  in  it."  You  can  imagine  our 
surprise  and  joy  when  we  saw  two  great  horns 
sticking  \\\)  out  of  the  nest.  It  was  the  first 
time  that  either  of  us  had  seed  a  Buho  on  her 
nest.  It  is  needless  to  s;iy  that  we  were  excited 
over  the  two  great  ears,  but  we  remained 
(piiet.  AVaiting  for  what  seemed  to  us  a  long 
time,  and  not  noticing  any  movement,  the 
thought  struck  us  that  we  had  in  our  excite- 
ment mistaken  dried  leaves  for  ears,  and  that 
they  did  not  belong  to  an  Owl  at  all.  To  sat- 
isfy ourselves  we  began  hitting  the  tree  with 
sticks,  but  without  success;  then  we  threw  up 
sticks  and  stones  and  off  she  came,  safely  and 
swiftly  winging  her  way  westward.  Now  that 
we  were  sure  that  there  was  "something  in  it" 
for  us,  we  started  to  climb  the  tree.  After 
several  attempts,  with  no  better  success  than 
getting  half  way  u^),  and  all  tuckered  out,  we 
gave  it  up  and  started  for  home,  sorry  that  we 
could  not  take  the  treasure  with  us  but  deter- 
mined to  come  after  them  next  Sunday  well 
prepared. 

It  seemed  a  mouth  to  me  instead  of  a  week 
until  next  Sunday  came.  That  afternoon, 
three  o'clock  found  four  of  us  at  the  nest  and, 
sure  enough,  the  Owl  was  on. 

I  wanted  to  add  Buho  virginianus  to  my 
collection,  so  instructed  the  boys  to  throw  up 
snowballs  while  I  stood  ofE  a  ways,  gun  in 
hand,  ready  to  shoot.  Several  snowballs  fell 
into  the  nest,  but  the  Owl  would  not  leave. 
I  got  tired  of  holding  the  gun  so  long  in  one 
position  and  put  it  down  against  a  stump, 
tiiinking  there  would  be  plenty  of  time  to 
shoot  when  the  Owl  got  oif  the  nest,  but  I  was 
mistaken,  —  the  Owl  got  away  and  I  got  left. 
Now  that  I  had  lost  my  specimen  we  started 
to  get  the  eggs.  We  had  brought  climbing 
irons  and  rope  with  us  but  they  were  of  little 
use  because  the  tree  had  heavy  and  loose  bark 
that  would  peel  off  as  soon  as  the  irons  struck. 
The   result  was  that  it  was  very   diflicult  to 


May,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


75 


make  much  headway.  Finally,  my  brother 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  nest  without  climb- 
ing irons,  and  reported  two  eggs. 

Cautioning  Adolpli  to  keep  quiet  and  rest 
awhile  we  started  to  whoop  and  dance  around 
like  the  noble  red  man,  happy  tliat  we  had 
at  last  succeeded  in  getting  the  eggs.  Brother 
carefully  packed  the  eggs  with  cotton  in  the 
collecting  box  and  set  them  down  with  a 
stout  cord.  They  were  of  the  usual  size  and 
beauties. 

The  nest  was  large  and  made  of  coarse 
sticks,  lined  with  finer  sticks,  roots,  feathers, 
etc.,  and  placed  fifty-oue  feet  from  the  ground. 
The  tree  was  sixty-five  to  seventy-five  feet  in 
height. 

Since  then  I  have  secured  many  sets  of  eggs, 

but  none  that  made  me  feel  so  hapi)y  as  that 

set  of  Jiubo  eggs. 

Carl  Fritz  Ileiuun;/. 
Boone,  Iowa. 


Among  the  other  Owls  of  this  county  are  the 
Great  Horned,  Barred,  Short-eared,  Screech, 
and  occasionally  a  Snowy,  and  Saw- whet. 

B.  II.  Swales. 

Detroit,  Mieli. 


Rose-breasted     Grosbeak 
Co.,    Mich. 


in   Wayne 


American  Long-Eared  Owl. 


The  Long-cared  Owl  is  quite  common  in 
Wayne  Co.,  Mich.,  but  is  seldom  seen  on 
account  of  its  nocturnal  habits.  They  prefer 
dark,  damp  woods,  especially  evergreen  and 
pine.  I  have  never  found  a  nest  here  myself. 
but  J.  Claire  Wood  of  this  city  lias  found  two. 
The  first  was  found  April  17,  1886,  situated  in 
a  beech  tree  twelve  feet  from  the  ground;  and 
contained  five  eggs.  This  nest  was  situated  in 
Highland  Park  about  three  miles  from  Detroit. 
The  other  nest  was  found  May  7,  1887,  and 
contained  five  eggs  also.  This  was  an  old 
squirrel's  nest  remodeled  over,  and  was 
situated  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
eggs  are  pui-e  white,  rather  oval,  and  average 
l.G0xl..32  in  size.  These  Owls  seldom  con- 
struct their  own  nests,  but  usually  occupy  a 
deserted  squirrel's  or  Crow's. 

The  American  Long-eared  Owl  closely 
resembles  the  Great  Horned  Owl  except  that 
it  is  much  smaller.  It  arrives  here  about  the 
middle  of  February.  Their  food  consists  of 
mice,  moles,  small  birds,  etc.  Their  power  of 
vision  in  day-time  is  not  very  strong,  and  they 
can  easily  be  approached  at  such  times.  On 
January  17,  1891,  I  saw  one  at  the  top  of  a 
hollow  elm,  and  climbed  to  within  a  few  feet 
of  him,  and  shot  him.  The  young  arc  grayish- 
white  and  can  sometimes  be  seen  sitting 
together  on  a  limb  in  the  forest.  Tlie  long 
ears  of  this  Owl  can  usually  be  seen  protruding 
from  the  nest. 


Before  1889  I  never  found   the  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak   breeding   in  this  vicinity.     On  May 
14,   1889,  however,  while  exploring  a  piece  of 
woody  swamp  lying  north  of  Highland  Park, 
a  suburb  of  Detroit,  I  found  a  nest  new  to  me 
situated  in  an  ironwood  tree  about  eight  feet 
from  the  ground.     It  was  empty,  but  watching 
a  few  minutes  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
a  male   and    female   Grosbeak    approach   the 
nest.     On  June  1st,  I  returned,  and  found  the 
nest  to  contain  four   slightly  incubated  eggs. 
The    eggs   were    of  a    beautiful    green    color 
spotted  with  reddish    brown,    and    averaged 
1.00  X  .75  in  size.     I  shot  the  male  bird  who  was 
sitting  on  the  nest.     On  June  12th  I  found  my 
second  nest,  also  situated  in  an  ironwood,  and 
this  contained  three  fresh  eggs.     The  nest  was 
twenty-five  feet  from  the  ground.     As  I  never 
found  them  breeding  in  this  vicinity  before  I 
think  it  is  only  lately  that  they  have  done  so. 
The  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  is  a  very  sweet 
songster,  and  can  be  heard  to  better  advantage 
in  a  thick  wood.     The  note  is  a  clear,  nielloAV 
whistle  and  somewhat  resembles  that   of  the 
Robin.     They  are  said  to  sing  best  at  night. 
Their  food    consists  of    berries,   caterpillars, 
worms,  etc.,  and  they  are  a  great  help  to  the 
agriculturist.     The  Grosbeak's  favorite  haunts 
are    low     woodlands     and     densely     wooded 
swamps.     They  arrive  the  latter  part  of  April, 
and  leave  for  the  South  in  September.     Some- 
times you  will  find  them  in  your  garden  in  the 
heart  of  the  city,  but  usually  they  are  quite 
shy. 

The  nest  is  very  fragile,  being  constructed 
of  dried  glasses  and  small  twigs.  The  eggs 
can  often  be  counted  from  the  ground.  The 
males  do  their  part  in  incubating  the  eggs. 
The  Cowbird  often  palms  his  speckled  egg  on 
this  bird. 

The  only  other  species  of  Grosbeak  in  this 
vicinity  is  the  Evening  Grosbeak  which 
occasionally  appears  here  in  winter. 

B.  H.  Swales. 
Detroit,  Mich. 


70 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  5 


Some    Spring   Notes    from   Guildford 
County,  N.  C. 


While  out  coUcctinj;-  on  March  2i»th  a  bird 
llcw  past  within  a  few  yards  of  me  and  lit  on 
a  limb  close  to  the  ground  and  partially  con- 
cealed by  the  overhanging  cedar  boughs.  Un- 
certain as  to  its  identity  I  brought  my  gun  to 
bear  upon  it,  and  upon  tiring  found  that  I  had 
killed  a  Brown  Thrasher,  tlie  first  one  seen 
this  spring. 

About  the  first  of  April  a  warm  spell  brought 
the  birds  from  the  South  in  great  numbers. 
Whip-poor-wills  were  soon  heard;  Black  and 
White  Creepers,  Blue-gray  Gnatcatchers  and 
Water  Thrushes  arrived  about  the  4th  of  the 
month. 

Next  day  a  Woodcock  was  killed  and  a  few 
Snipe  seen.  On  the  8th  a  ?  Hooded  Mergan- 
ser was  shot  from  a  flock  of  eight  individuals, 
all  of  of  which  were  females.  Six  Mallards 
were  seen  on  a  mill-pond  the  same  day. 

About  the  10th  the  Golden-crowned  King- 
lets, Avhich  had  been  with  us  all  winter,  took 
their  leave  and  their  place  w'as  promptly  filled 
by  the  lluby-crowncd  from  the  South.  Myrtle 
AVarblers  in  their  black  plumage  now  became 
common. 

April  KJth  a  Parnla  Warbler  was  seen,  and  a 
week  later  they  were  plentiful. 

The  morning  of  the  18th  brought  the  first 
Chimney  Swift,  which  was  soon  followed  by 
others. 

April  20th,  while  passing  along  a  stony 
hill-side  near  a  mill-pond,  the  uneasy  actions 
of  a  Killdeer  Plover  led  me  to  search  for  the 
nest  which  I  soon  found,  containing  four  fresh 
eggs.  The  next  day  a  Hooded  Warbler  and  a 
Maryland  Yellow-throat  were  taken  and  a 
Wood  Thrush  heard. 

Upon  looking  forth  on  the  morning  of  the 
23d  I  found  the  sun  shining  and  the  birds 
singing.  Almost  the  first  sound  that  saluted 
my  ears  was  the  cheery  whistle  of  a  Hose 
Tannger.  They  had  taken  us  by  storm  during 
the  night  and  the  trees  on  every  side  resounded 
with  songs.  A  little  later  in  the  day  fi  Catbird 
and  a  pair  of  American  Redstarts  were 
noticed. 

The  Crows  ushered  in  the  egg  season  on  the 

2d  of  April  by  a  set  of  five  fresh  eggs.     Two 

wrecks  later  Gi eat  Carolina  Wren's  eggs  were 

found,  and  on   the  2.5th  a  set   of   four   fresh 

Cooper's  Hawks'  eggs  were  taken. 

T.  G.  Pearson. 
(Juikllord  College,  N.  C. 


Notes     on      the     American     Bittern 
(Botaurus  lentiginosus). 


One  day  during  the  last  week  in  August  two 
boys  drove  up  to  my  window,  one  of  them 
inquiring  with  considerable  interest  if  here 
was  where  the  man  lived  that  stuffed  birds. 
With  fully  as  much  interest  I  assured  him 
that  such  a  man  lived  here,  and  at  the  same 
time  put  down  my  pen  and  was  out  to  see 
what  the  boys'  box  contained.  Just  such 
boxes  had  often  brought  me  specimens  which 
I  prized  very  highly,  as  well  as  many  which 
were  not  so  valuable. 

I  found  the  boys  had  a  perfect  living  speci- 
men of  the  American  Bittern.  They  said  they 
had  found  it  along  a  creek  and  had  stunned  it 
with  a  stone,  but  it  completely  recovered  after 
they  had  taken  it.  This  bird  is  not  very  com- 
mon in  this  (Wabash)  county.  I  decided  to 
keep  it  alive  for  a  week  and  watch  its  habits. 
It  was  given  free  use  of  an  empty  room. 

The  commonest  attitude  it  assumes  is 
pointing  its  bill  upward  about  thirty  degrees 
from  the  perijcndicular,  or  stealthily  creeping 
along  the  floor,  or  like  the  Heron  in  repose, 
its  neck  drawn  up,  the  bill  pointing  somewhat 
above  the  horizontal.  Tlie  flashing  eye,  to- 
gether with  the  streaks  about  it  and  elevated 
feathers,  give  the  bird  a  very  fierce  aijpearance, 
and  when  compelled  to  do  so  it  can  use  its 
sharp,  sword-like  bill  to  considerable  effect  in 
defending  itself.  However,  its  gurgling,  blow- 
ing noise  and  fierce  appearance  do  its  best 
service,  probably,  in  defence  from  its  enemies. 

It  has  a  curious,  steady,  weaving  to  and  fro 
motion  when  standing,  stealthily  looking  from 
side  to  side,  never  making  a  quick  motion 
unless  compelled  to  do  so,  and  only  reluctantly 
then.  Its  movements  are  rapid  enough,  how- 
ever, to  be  quite  effectiial  when  seizing  its 
prey, — indeed  they  ai-e  very  quick.  It  fre- 
quently stands  for  several  minutes  without 
moving  in  the  least,  except  its  eyelids. 

The  ruffled  feathers  greatly  enlarge  the 
appearance  of  the  bird.  It,  too,  aiJjiears  to 
delight  in  seeming  much  larger  than  it  is. 
Heron-like,  it  fre(]uently  stands  on  one  leg  for 
some  time.  When  standing  in  this  attitude  it 
will  not  change  the  position  of  its  feet  even 
though  it  may  wish  to  look  at  all  points  of  the 
compass;  its  long  neck  and  ready  use  of  it 
enabling  it  to  look  in  any  direction  desired 
without  a  change  of  position. 

When  on  short  rations  it  refused  to  eat  the 
large  potato  moth  I  gave  it,  or   a  beetle,    or 


May,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


77 


fresh  beef  or  grass.  Fish  and  frogs  seemed 
the  most  toothsome  food  I  furnished  it.  The 
ohl  story  was  so  fresli  in  memory  tliat  I  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  to  place  the  fish  on 
a  flat  surface  and  then  in  water.  Of  course  I 
found  out,  as  everybody  else  has,  that  there 
was  little  or  no  difficulty  in  taking  the  food 
without  the  water,  although  I  could  easily 
imagine  there  was  some  virtue  in  it. 

Tlie  dead  fish  I  gave  it,  ranging  from  two  to 
five  inches  in  length,  were  scarcely  torn  at  all 
before  swallowing.  A  few  hasty,  hound-like 
gulps  was  all  the  attempt  made  at  mastication. 
The  live  cray-fish,  however,  was  pierced  and 
bitten  until  it  in  some  measure  ceased  strug- 
gling, before  it  was  swallowed,  but  from  the 
uneasiness  of  my  Bittern  I  judged  Mr.  Cray- 
fish was  not  behaving  very  well  after  he  had 
been  swallowed. 

Next  a  green  frog  (Rana  vlresccns)  was 
given  it.  When  this  luscious  green  morsel 
was  spied  sitting  there  Mr.  Bittern  cautiously 
moved  towards  it  and  instantly  seized  the 
body  of  the  frog  midway,  using  those  sword- 
like mandibles  to  such  effect  that  life  was 
soon  extinct.  Considerable  care  was  taken  to 
kill  this  specimen.  Even  the  legs  must  have 
the  bones  broken  repeatedly,  especially  the 
long  hinder  ones.  Then,  with  only  slight 
inconvenience  it  was  swallowed  whole,  causing 
a  considerable  distending  of  the  a;sophagus 
for  a  few  minutes. 

Quite  a  variety  of  common  names  have  been 

applied  to  this  bird;  among  them  are,  Indian 

Hen,  Stake  Drive,  Bog   Bull  and  I   have  heard 

it  called  Tliunder  Pumper,  although  this  name 

is  also  applied  to  a  fish.     It  was  probably  a 

confused  idea  of  this  last  name  which  caused 

the  boys  to  reply,  when  asked  what  tliey  had, 

that  they  were  not  quite   sure   about   it   but 

they  thought  it  was  a  "Pump  Sucker.' 

A.  B.  Ulrey. 
North  Manchester,  Iiid. 


Phoebe  Bird  —  Pewee. 

From  Wade's  Fibre  and  Fal)ric. 

This  intelligent  and  familiar  bird  can  be 
found  all  over  New  England  wherever  there 
is  an  open  barn,  barn  cellar,  bridge,  or  any 
kind  of  a  dilapidated  out-house  or  even  high 
rocks,  on  the  face  of  which  the  nest  may  often 
be  found  built  of  moss  and  mud,  with  some 
hair  for  lining,  and  fastened  firmly  to  the  rock 
with  mud  undoi-  some  slight  projection.  I 
never  found  a  nest  on  a  continuous  shelf  on  a 


rock,  but  often  just  above  or  below  one.  This 
is  evidently  done  to  avoid  their  four-footed 
enemies  that  often  pass  over  such  runs  and 
would  destroy  their  eggs  if  they  came  in  their 
way.  There  are  some  rocks  where  the 
remains  of  many  nests  can  be  found  showing 
that  they  have  built  there  for  very  many 
years.  They  will  occuj^y  the  same  nest  for 
years,  relining  it  each  year  unless  they  have 
good  cause  to  desert  it. 

April  10,  18S2,  I  found  a  beautiful  nest  in  a 
deserted  New  England  farm-house  at  Versailles, 
Conn.  It  was  sustained  on  a  nail  against  a 
joist  in  what  had  been  the  dining-room.  I 
questioned  the  owner  about  the  nest.  lie 
stated  that  it  had  been  there  for  twenty  years 
undisturbed,  and  they  always  got  off  two 
broods  in  a  season. 

New  England  barns  are  usually  built  with 
the  under  beams  hewn,  and  are  more  or  less 
rounding,  giving  a  shoulder  on  which  the 
Phaibe  builds  its  nest. 

In  a  barn  cellar  of  this  kind,  at  llockville, 
Conn.,  I  took  two  sets  of  four  eggs;  another 
party  took  the  third  set  vvith  nest  and  four 
eggs.  The  same  pair  built  a  new  nest  and 
laid  four  more  eggs  the  same  year,  from  whi  i\\ 
they  took  off  four  young.  This  was  in  1878, 
when  every  pair  we  found  that  year  laid  but 
four  eggs. 

During  1877  we  took  a  nest  from  a  slight 
shelf  on  a  solitary  rock  which  stood  on  the 
level  ground  in  a  wood  away  from  any  build- 
ings. The  nest  was  not  over  three  feet  from 
the  ground  and  in  plain  sight  of  the  public 
road.  Within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  this 
rock,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Snipsic,  Rockvillc, 
Conn.,  is  a  bridge,  the  beams  of  which  are  not 
over  four  feet  from  the  water,  which  is  very 
turbulent  in  the  spring-time.  The  bridge  is 
always  in  poor  order,  and  the  dirt  falls  through 
and  annoys  the  Phoibes  that  build  their  nest 
underneath,  and  yet  they  breed  there  every 
year,  unless  disturbed  too  much.  Even  then 
they  will  return  another  year. 

Under  this  bridge,  in  1878  (June  11th),  I 
took  a  set  of  four  eggs;  May  14,  1879,  I  took  a 
set  of  five  eggs;  May  15,  1880,  I  took  a  set  of 
five  eggs,  which  proved  to  be  slightly  spotted. 
This  was  the  only  spotted  set  1  have  taken, 
though  they  are  not  unusual.  Under  this 
bridge,  which  is  a  fair  type  of  similar  bridges, 
are  to  be  found  the  remains  of  many  nests. 

In  the  summer  of  187'J,  while  botanizing 
with  a  granddaugher  of  Audubon,  in  the 
town  of  Tolland,  Conn.,  I  climbed  into  a  win- 
dow of  a  recently  abandoned  dwelling.     In  one 


78 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  5 


of  the  bed  rooms  the  plaster  was  starting, 
ing,  and  on  this  slight  shelf  a  beautiful  mossy 
nest  was  fastened,  and  in  which  was  the 
usual  number  (for  that  year)  of  live  pure  white 
eggs. 

These  birds  are  equally  at  home  in  the  do,,!- 
yard,  and  in  the  solitude  of  the  forest.  On 
April  23,  1882,  which  was  early,  during  a  drive 
to  entertain  a  friend,  I  took  a  stroll  in  a  forest 
of  old  timber,  and  on  the  face  of  a  cliff  or 
steep  rock  under  a  slight  projection,  I  found 
an  entire  new  nest  all  built  that  year,  the  mud 
being  still  moist  and  the  moss  green.  It  was 
lined  with  a  few  horse-hairs  as  usual,  and 
ready  for  the  eggs.  I  could  reach  witliin 
eighteen  inches  of  the  nest,  although  it  was  a 
dangerovis  place.  "It  was  so  near,  and  yet  so 
far,"  and  no  known  means  at  hand  to  reach  it, 
when  I  dropped  on  my  hands  and  knees  and 
invited  my  companion  to  step  on  my  back 
wliich  he  did,  and  examined  the  nest  with 
perfect  ease.  This  nest  was  in  a  wild,  rocky 
scene,  near  Norwich, Conn.  The  rocks  were 
nearly  covered  with  masses  of  "  hard  ferns." 
I  have  described  the  above  typical  resting 
places,  but  I  have  found  them  in  every  con- 
ceivable position  except  on  trees,  shrubs,  or  on 
the  ground. 

Wherever  a  giant  of  the  forest  has  been 
uprooted,  turning  the  roots  upward,  there  a 
I'hffibe's  nest  will  often  be  found;  under 
bridges,  on  the  beams,  or  on  the  walls  or  abut- 
ments, no  matter  if  the  bridge  is  little  more 
than  a  culvert,  on  every  conceivable  kind  of 
outbuilding,  inside  and  outside,  even  under 
piazzas  of  buildings,  where  the  occupants  sit 
within  a  few  feet  of  them.  I  found  a  case  of 
this  kind  on  the  piazza  of  Alex.  Temi)le  at 
Broad  Brook,  Conn.  I  never  saw  a  nest 
exposed  to  the  rain  from  above.  They  are 
everywhere  a  favorite,  and  the  farmer  that 
will  use  his  old  revolutionary  lire-arms  on  its 
relative,  the  King-bird,  will  protect  the  Phojbe 
bird,  which  lives  entirely  on  insect  life. 

Eeturniug  once  more  to  the  nesting  habits  of 
this  bird,  I  would  state  that  in  1882  I  found  a 
nest  far  up  the  culvert  below  the  waste-gate 
of  the  Norwich,  Conn.,  water  works.  During 
that  same  year  "  J.  M.  W.  "  of  Norwich,  found  a 
nest  in  the  hollow  of  an  ajjple  tree.  He  also 
reports  finding  six  eggs  on  three  different 
occasions,  the  latest  being  on  July  10th.  Our 
earliest  record  is  May  14,  1879,  a  set  of  five; 
May  15,  1880,  a  set  of  five,  from  the  bridge  at 
the  head  of  Snipsic  Lake,  that  were  spotted. 

Junius  A.  Brand,  of  Norwich,  Conn., 
informed  me  that  he  once  found  a  nest  and  set 


of  eggs  on  the  limb  of  an  old  white  oak  tree. 
The  tree  was  about  twenty  inches  in  diameter, 
and  the  horizontal  limb  on  which  the  nest  was 
found  was  about  eight  inches  in  diameter. 
The  limb  projected  about  sixteen  feet  from  the 
body  of  the  tree  and  the  nest  was  about 
twenty-five  feet  above  the  water.  He  also 
reports  four  nests  at  one  time  on  the  beams  in  a 
small  old  saw-mill  with  up  and  down  saw.  This 
is  not  at  all  unusual,  as  the  birds  become 
remarkably  tame  during  the  breeding 
season. 

The  Wood  Pewee  is  a  near  relative  of  the 
Pha3be  bird,  but  it  always  builds  in  the  woods 
and  on  a  small  horizontal  limb,  and  lays  three 
beautifully  marked  eggs.  I  have  heard  of  five 
eggs  being  laid,  but  have  no  positive  evidence 
of  the  fact. 

Jos.  M.  ]Va<lc. 


The  Woki.d's  Colimt.ian  Exposition. — 
Send  fifty  cents  to  Bond  and  Co.,  TiTO  Ilookery, 
Chicago,  and  you  will  receive,  i^ostpaid,  a 
four-hundred-page  advance  Guide  to  the 
Exposition,  with  elegant  engravings  of  the 
grounds  and  buildings,  portraits  of  its  leading 
spirits,  and  a  map  of  the  city  of  Chicago;  all 
of  the  rules  governing  the  exposition  and 
exhibitors,  and  all  information  which  can  be 
given  out  in  advance  of  its  opening.  Also, 
other  engravings  and  printed  information  will 
be  sent  you  as  published.  It  will  be  a  very 
valuable  book  and  every  i^erson  should  secure 
a  copy. 


A   RUSTIC   CONCKET. 

"  You  kan't  ketch  nothin'  with  them  thar  things, 
Wich  yarn  fer  bodies  an'  feathers  ler  wings. 
You  must  think  trout  is  terrilile  fools 
Ter  be  ketchecl  with  such  outlandish  tools. 

"  An'  look  at  that  pole  —  why  that  won't  do  ; 
A  good,  big  trout  would  bust  it  in  two, 
An'  never  think  nothin'  ov  what  he  did, 
As,  quick  as  lightnin',  away  he  slid. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  durn,  you  can  shoot  me  dead 
Ef  here  ain't  a  windlass  filled  with  thread, 
An'  ther  littlest  sort  ov  thread  at  that  — 
Why,  man,  that  wouldn't  hold  a  gnat ! 

"You'll  find  a  good  place  over  here, 
Under  ther  rapids  tWvy  an'  clear. 
You'd  better  take  wdiiiis  an'  er  hick'ry  pole, 
Or  you  won't  ketch  nuLliin',  'pon  my  soul ! '' 


Sixteen  beauties,  speckled  bright, 

The  basket  bore  ere  the  fall  of  night. 

He  counted  them  o'er  on  the  bank  of  fern, 

And  all  that  he  said  was,  "  Wa'al  — I'll  be  durn  !  " 

—  Outing  for  May. 


May,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


79 


THE 

ORNITHOLOGISTj.^'^OOLOGIST 

A  Monthly  Magazine  of 

NATURAL     HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY  DEVOTED  TO  THE  STUDY  OF 

THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS, 
and  to  the 
-INTERESTS      OF     NATURALISTS. 

Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 


FRANK  B.   WEBSTER, 
J.  PARICER  NORRIS, 


Hyde  Park,  JNIass. 
Philadelphia,  l*a 


PUBLISHED  AT  THE 

MUSEUM  AND  NATURALISTS'  SUPPLY  DEPOT 

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The  O.  &  O.  is  mailed  each  issue  to  every  paid  suh- 
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Brief  Notes. 


Ou  April  13,  1892,  1  took  my  lirst  eggs  of 
the  season  with  Mr.  J.  C.  Wood.  It  was  a  set 
of  live  eggs  of  tiie  lled-sliouhlered  Hawk  from 
a  nest  in  an  oak  about  fifty  feet  up.  Tlie  eggs 
were  smaller  and  rounder  than  the  usual 
tyiJBs.  Of  twenty  sets  taken  this  is  the  only 
set  of  live  eggs  1  ever  saw.  KSaw  a  fine  male 
Bald  Eagio  April  4,  near  the  city.  B.  H. 
Swales,  Detroit,  Mich. 

R.  H.  (Jarr  took  a  Blue  Jay  at  Brockton, 
Mass.,  with  mandibles  crossed.  He  claims 
that  it  is  a  Crossbill. 

A  i3ure  white  Robin  was  shot  April  11  by 
H.  O.  Butterfield  at  Stafford  Springs,  Conn. 

A  collector  in  this  state  writes  us  that  one 
of  his  neighbors  has  complained  of  him  as  a 
nuisance  because  he  has  a  collection  of  native 
snakes.  We  advise  him  to  pay  no  attention  to 
it.  If  it  is  pressed  it  will  be  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  test  the  question,  and  we  will  head 
the  paper  to  pay  expense.  Massachusetts 
collectors  are  not  to  be  bluffed. 

Alexander  Wilson.  —  I  have  just  received 
and  added  to  my  collection  of  Wilson  material, 
the  receipt  book  of  Alexander  Wilson,  which 
he  carried  while  publishing  the  American 
Ornithologist.  It  contains  forty-nine  auto- 
graphs and  as  many  receiijts  for  the  payment 
of  money  for  copper,  printing,  engraving, 
coloring  plates,  etc.,  etc.;  each  receipt  being  a 
historical  link  in  his  eventful  career  showing 
cost  of  each  part  in  his  great  work. 

Jos.  M  Wade. 


Outing  for  March  opened  with  a  description 
of  wild  sport  in  Ceylon's  tangled  forests. 
Under  the  title  of  "A  Marauding  Leopard" 
F.  Fitzroy  Uixon  gives  an  interesting  account 
of  the  killing  of  a  great  spotted  cat  whicli  had 
for  long  been  a  terror  to  the  herds  of  the 
natives.  Beautiful  illustrations  by  J.  Carter 
Beard  embellish  the  article.  The  wliole  num- 
ber is  an  exceptionally  good  one,  both  in  text 
and  illustrations. 

Ostrich  eggs,  artistically  painted  in  a  prize 
competition,  are  to  be  a  feature  in  the  exhibit 
made  by  Cape  Colony,  South  Africa, 

Carl  Fitz  Helming  captured  six  young 
wolves  on  Easter  Sunday.  Wish  we  had  been 
with  him. 

We  have  just  received  a  pet  skunk  from 
A.  E.  Kibbe.  The  little  animal  is  very  gentle 
and  is  now  making  itself  quite  at  home  in  our 
show  windows.  Hundreds  stop  as  they  pass, 
and  many  can  hardly  be  convinced  that  we 
can  keep  a  real  skunk. 

We  received  quite  a  number  of  snakes  in 
April:  black  green  and  striped.  They  sold 
readily  for  pets.  Those  who  could  not  make 
up  their  minds  to  take  a  live  one  indulged  in  a 
paper  one. 

In  the  last  issue  of  Shooting  and  Fishing, 
Boston,  May  12,  1892,  there  is  a  copy  of  a 
photograph  of  the  antler  or  Virginia  Deer  that 
has  seventy-one  well  developed  points.  This 
deer  was  killed  by  cow-boys  about  140  miles 
north-west  of  San  Antonio,  Texas.  It  is  the 
property  of  E.  Dosch,  who  describes  his 
collection  .-of  horns.  Any  person  who  wants 
to  see  the  greatest  curiosity  in  this  line  should 
send  at  once  for  a  copy  of  the  paper. 

A  Ptarmigan  was  shot  just  north  of  Bangor, 
Me.,  in  April.  It  was  sent  to  Messrs.  Holt 
and  Morrill  of  that  city  to  be  mounted.  M. 
Crosby  of  that  city  had  a  black  fox  in 
January. 

N".  Vickery,  who  called  a  few  days  since, 
related  the  circumstance  of  selling  a  Labrador 
Duck  a  few  years  ago  lor  a  mere  song.  He  did 
not  know  what  the  bird  was  at  the  time. 

E.  A.  Capen  left  Boston  for  Wyoming,  where 
he  will  remain  a  few  weeks;  quite  likely  he 
will  do  a  little  egging. 

War-whoops  from  the  Gypsy  Moth  exter-3 
minators  still  curdle  the  blood  of  the  natives 
of  Maiden. 

Will  C.  Colt  is  with  them.  Colt  is  a  good 
collector,  and  is  now  comtemplating  a  trip  in 
the  near  future  to  some  northern  locality.  If 
he  goes  he  will  be  sure  to  render  a  good 
account. 

There  is  bound  to  be  a  change  in  the  price 
of  birds'  eggs.  Tiie  cutting  that  has  been  dtme 
lately  by  a  few  small  dealers  can  result  in  but 
one  thing  —  a  regular  reduction,  and  the 
collectors  will  be  the  ones  who  will  suffer. 


80 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  5 


Correspondence. 


Editor  of  0.  &  O.: 

Seeing  the  article  by  Henry  Hales  in  the 
O.  &  O.  of  this  month,  "Bird  Notes  of  Xew 
Jersey,"  in  which  he  gives  his  experience  with 
regard  to  birds  singing  while  on  the  nest,  let 
me  add  to  this  that  both  the  Red-eyed  and  the 
Wijrbling  Vireo  sing  while  on  their  nests, 
especially  the  latter  variety. 

Also  let  me  say  that  I,  for  one,  am  heartily  in 
favor  of  the  plan  suggested  by  F.  15.  W. 
as  to  the  general  exhibit  of  taxidermy  by 
collectors  and  taxidermists  at  the  Columbian 
Fair,  and  will  be  glad  to  donate  my  mite  to 
such  a  show.  As  there  would  have  to  be  some 
one  there  to  receive  specimens  and  to  have 
charge  of  the  arrangement  of  the  exhibit,  let 
us  hear  of  some  plan  to  defray  such  expense. 
Frank  IJlake  Webster  is  the  man  to  have  charge 
as  we  would  then  know  it  would  be  done  in 
shape,  as  he  has  had  a  large  and  varied  experi- 
ence. 'S.  R.  Ingersoll. 

Ballston  Spa,  N.  Y. 

[It  would  be  impossible  for  F.  13.  W.  to 
undertake  it,  but  we  are  ready  to  help  to  bring 
al)(»ut  some  practical  arrangement. — Ed.] 


Editor  of  O.  it  O.: 

On  February  22d  there  was  brought  to  me 
an  albino  Mourning  Dove.  The  specimen  was 
in  good  feather  and  condition,  being  quite 
plump  and  fat.  The  feathers  arc  not  pure 
white,  but  are  a  bluish  white.  The  specimen 
was  associated  with  a  flock  of  a  hundred  or 
more  Doves,  but  was  exceedingly  wary.  I 
skinned  the  specimen  and  stuffed  it.  Upon 
dissection  I  found  it  to  be  a  female  with  well 
developed  ovaries.  AVhen  dissecting  any  birds 
of  abnormal  plumage  I  generally  look  for  tape- 
worms, but  none  were  in  it.  I  have  always 
contended  that  abnormal  plumage  was  caused 
by  the  tape-worm,  but  in  this  case  I  cannot 
substantiate  my  theoiy.  Are  albino  Mourning 
Doves  a  rarity?  W.  F.  Peacock. 

[This  is  the  first  that  has  come  to  our 
notice.  — Ed.^ 


Editor  of  O.   &  O.: 

On  the  Gtli  of  Jiily  last,  I  took  a  set  of  four 
eggs  of  the  Saw-whet  Owl.  The  eggs  were 
placed  in  the  deserted  nest  of  a  Woodpecker, 
in  a  stub  about  twelve  feet  up  and  within  ten 
feet  of  a  travelled  highway. 

This  Avas  the  second  set  from  the  same  nest. 
A  set  had  been  taken  a  week  or  ten  days 
l)revious  by  a  friend  of  mine.     He  was   not 


able  to  give  the  exact  date.  I  was  unable  to 
visit  the  nest  again,  but  was  informed  by  my 
friend  that  the  bird  soon  laid  a  third  set 
of  four,  which  were  allowed  to  hatch. 

In  both  cases  when  taking  the  eggs,  the  old 
bird  had  to  be  taken  from  the  nest  by  force. 
Both  sets  were  perfectly  fresh,  and  are  now  in 
my  collection. 

Birds  are  abundant  here  this  winter,  which  is 
quite  the  reverse  of  last  season  when  but  very 
few  were  seen. 

Pine  Grosbeaks  are  here  in  large  flocks. 

Wallace  Homer. 

Monson,  Me. 


New  Publications. 


Proceedings  of  the  Rochester  Academy  of 
Sciences.  Brochure  II,  completing  Vol.  I. 
Within  the  pages,  which  show  that  the  pro- 
ceedings cover  a  broad  field  and  of  the  most 
scientific  character,  our  eye  catches  the  fol- 
lowing: "Prof.  II.  L.  Fairchild  presented  to 
the  section*  a  letter  from  Mr.  G.  W.  Hill,  of 
Fisher's  Station,  in  reference  to  a  number  of 
weasels  attacking  a  man.  According  to  Mr. 
Hill's  account,  John  Briggen,  a  tenant  of  his, 
while  waiting  for  his  horse  to  drink  at  a  small 
stream,  saw  on  the  o^iposite  side  about  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  little  red  animals  of  different 
sizes.  This  army  of  weasels,  as  it  turned  out 
to  be,  advanced  across  the  stream  and  climbed 
up  the  legs  of  both  man  and  horse. 

They  were  only  driven  ofl"  by  considerable 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  man  and  by  the  assis- 
tance of  his  dog  coming  to  the  rescue. 

Mr.  Hill  concludes  tliat  these  weasels  were 
probably  travelling,  and  states  that  he  on  a 
previous  occasion  saw  as  many  as  fifteen 
together,  and  last  summer  he  also  killed  a 
large  one  that  had  chased  and  frightened  a 
little  boy. 

Mr.  Geo.  H.  Harris  is  also  cited  as  having 
been  once  attacked  by  a  weasel." 

The  corresponding  secretary  is  Prof.  Charles 
Wright  Dodge,  llochester,  N.  Y. 

Vol.  VI,  Nos.  1  to  4,  Annals  of  the  New 
York  Academy  of  Sciences  for  1891,  contains  a 
catalogue  of  Paitherfurd's  photographic  plates 
of  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  by  John  K.  Bees, 
and  what  will  interest  many  of  our  readers,  — 
2G1  pages  of  coleopterological  notices  by 
Thomas  L.  Casey.  Copies  can  be  obtained 
from  Prof.  D.  S.  Martin,  No.  2-30  West  4th 
street,  New  York. 

*  Zoological  Dept.  Org.,  April  30,  18!)0. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 


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Annum. 


PUBLISHED   BY  THE  FRANK  BLAKE    WEBSTER   COMPANY. 

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Single  Copy 
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Vol.  XVII. 


HYDE    PARK,  MASS.,  JUNE,  1892. 


No.  6. 


Winter     Bird    Notes    From     South- 
eastern Massachusetts. 


In  compiling  data  wliicli  I  had  collected  for 
use  in  the  study  of  bird  migration,  I  found  a 
series  of  notes  on  the  occurrence  of  several 
birds  and  which  may  throw  a  little  light  upon 
the  status  of  each  as  a  winter  resident  in  tliis 
part  of  the  state,  and  I  have  therefore 
summarized  the  results  for  publication.  The 
notes  from  Highland  Light,  North  Truro,  were 
furnished  through  the  kindness  t)f  Mr.  Willard 
M.  Small.  Those  from  Taunton  are  the  results 
of  the  observations  of  Mr.  Bradford  A.  Scudder. 
The  Naushon  observer  is  Mr.  A.  D.  Chisholm, 
and  the  Wood's  Holl  notes  were  collected  by 
the  writer.  Unless  specially  stated,  the 
period  included  is  from  December  1,  1890,  to 
March  1,  189L 

1.  The  Flicker.  This  bird  is  ordinarily  con- 
sidered to  be  a  regular  winter  resident  in  this 
part  of  the  state,  and  the  notes  here  given  are 
only  designed  to  show  the  actual  status  of  the 
species  at  this  season.  This,  and  indeed  each 
of  the  following  species  of  land-birds,  seems 
to  be  rather  more  numerous  in  the  Cape  Cod 
district,  (Plymouth  and  Barnstable  counties), 
than  at  more  inland  points,  possibly  on 
account  of  the  dimimishing  amount  of  snow, 
and  the  somewhat  higher  mean  temperature 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  coast.  At 
all  events,  the  Flicker  is  a  comparatively 
abundant  bird  in  such  localities,  and  the  ratio 
of  its  increase  seems  to  be  more  pronounced 
as  we  pass  from  west  to  east.  The  data  shows 
that  there  were  fifty-three  Flickers  seen  at 
three  stations  during  the  month  of  December, 
namely,  at  Taunton,  eight  birds  on  four  days; 
at  Wood's  Holl,  seven  birds  on  six  days;  and  at 
Highland  Light,  thirty-seven  birds  on  twenty- 
one  days. 

The  entire  number  of  Flickers  observed  at 
the  various  stations   in  January  amounted  to 


seventy-nine,  viz.,  at  Taunton,  thirty-three 
birds,  on  nine  days  ;  at  Naushon,  thirteen 
birds,  on  seven  days;  at  Wood's  Holl,  eight 
birds  on  as  many  days,  and  at  Highland  Light, 
twenty-five  birds  on  eleven  days. 

Observations  for  February  were  not  received 
from  Taunton,  but  were  continued  as  usual  at 
the  other  stations.  The  aggregate  number  for 
the  month  was  forty- three  birds.  At  Naushon 
there  were  seven  birds  on  four  days;  at  Wood's 
Holl,  observations  were  conducted  on  each  of 
the  twenty-eight  days,  but  no  Flickers  were 
seen;  at  Highland  Light,  thirty-six  birds  were 
recorded  on  eleven  days. 

It  is,  of  course,  probable,  that  in  most  cases 
the  same  bird  was  seen  on  each  recurring 
observation,  and  was  thus  counted  over  several 
times.  Still,  the  mere  fact  of  its  presence  at 
the  same  spot  on  successive  days,  may  be 
regarded  as  demonstrating  permanency  or  res- 
idence, for,  as  Mr.  Stone  once  said,  "great 
variation  in  numbers  from  day  to  day,  and  I 
will  add,  from  time  to  time,  denotes  activity, 
(migration),  while  comparatively  unchanging 
numbers  denote  rest,  (non-migration)." 

The  mean  or  average  numbers  of  Pigeon 
Woodpeckers,  as  deducted  from  the  monthly 
sums,  are  seventeen  for  December,  nineteen  for 
January  and  eleven  for  February.  Assuming 
that  these  means  represent  the  ideal  number 
of  Flickers  to  be  met  with  at  any  locality  with 
ordinarily  favorable  surroundings  during  the 
respective  months  for  which  they  stand,  it  may 
be  considered  in  localities  where  the  actual 
number  of  Yellow  Hammers  is  above  the 
average  of  the  several  stations,  to  denote  more 
than  ordinary  favorable  conditions  for  their 
existence;  either  on  account  of  a  greater  food 
supply,  unusual  protections  from  the  extremes 
of  weather,  or  from  their  various  natural 
enemies;  but  if  the  actual  numbers  of  the  birds 
present  do  not  come  up  to  the  average,  then 
the  conditions  of  environment  might  be  con- 
sidered unfavorable.     In  the  immediate  viciu- 


Copyright,  1892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


82 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  6 


ity  of  Wood's  HoU,  the  requirements  of  this 
bird  are  apparently  not  as  perfectly  developed 
as  at  points  a  short  distance  away. 

Across  the  channel,  on  Naushon  island,  they 
are  more  plenty,  and  I  have  also  noticed  a 
great  increase  in  the  numbers  of  this  bird 
about  the  settlements  of  shore  houses  on  the 
branch  railroad  which  connects  Wood's  IIoll 
with  the  main  Cape  Cod  line,  and  notably,  at 
the  villages  of  Wenaumet,  Cataumet  and  Mon- 
ument Beach.  Upon  inquiry,  I  have  been 
imformed  that  the  Pigeon  Woodpecker  has 
become  so  abundant  as  a  winter  resident  in 
these  i)laces,  that  it  is  classed  as  a  "  common 
nuisance"  by  people  having  cottages,  and  boun- 
ties Inxve  been  offered  for  their  heads  because 
of  their  destructive  habit  of  boring  into  the 
houses  for  shelter  during  the  winter. 

The  avidity  of  the  bird  to  select  such  excel- 
lent refuges,  and  the  celerity  with  which  the 
new  habit  is  adopted,  together  with  the  extent 
of  the  new  fields  to  concjuer,  naturally  results 
in  the  draining  of  the  surrounding  territory 
and  the  localization  of  all  available  forces  in  a 
similar  form  to  the  Sparrow  rookeries  and 
Robin  roosts,  described  by  Mr.  Norris  and  Dr. 
Brewster. 

There  was  one  Woodpecker  that  had 
excavated  a  home  in  a  tiag-stalf,  erected  by  the 
Coast  Survey  on  an  islet  in  the  harbor,  and  to 
which  he  resorted  nightly  during  the  llrst  part 
of  the  winter,  but  when  the  cold  waves  of  Feb- 
ruary came,  I  missed  my  C'olajjtes  from  his 
usual  haunts,  and  I  imagine  that  he  was 
obliged  to  find  quarters  less  exposed  to  the 
sweeping  northwest  wind. 

A  comparison  of  the  numbers  of  this  bird 
during  winter  and  the  season  of  migration  may 
prove  interesting,  and  the  following  table  is 
given  to  show  the  mean  monthly  numbers  at 
either  station  dining  the  season  of  autumnal 
migration,  including  September,  October  and 
November,  and  the  period  of  rest,  including  the 
winter  months  already  mentioned.  Simultane- 
ous notes  were  not  received  from  all  points 
previous  to  the  first  of  September. 

AVERAGE  NO.  FI.ICKERS  SP:EN  PER  MONTH. 


TAUNTON.    NAUSHON.     WOOD'S  HC 

Autumn,        107  22  23 

Winter,  20  10  5 


NO.  TRURO.  TOTAL.  MEAN- 

04  21C      54 

33  CS      17 


This  gives  the  mean  average  number  of 
Flickers  for  the  months  of  migration,  as  fifty- 
four,  and  during  the  three  cold  months  of  win- 
ter, it  is  seventeen;  or  in  other  words,  these 
Woodpeckers  are  likely  to  be  one-third  as 
plenty  at  that  season  as  in  autumn.     At  Taun- 


ton and  Wood's  Holl,  the  difference  is  grater, 
being  as  1 :  5,  while  at  Naushon  and  Highland 
Light,  it  is  only  as  1 :  2.  1  am,  however,  of 
the  opinion  that  the  effects  of  the  migrational 
tide,  so  to  speak,  are  very  much  more  pro- 
nounced in  the  vicinity  of  Taunton,  than  in  the 
counties  to  the  eastward  of  that  place,  and 
therefore  the  excess  over  the  number  of  actual 
summer  residents  or  breeding  birds,  is  not  in 
the  same  ratio  at  all  points,  being  git  atest  to 
the  west  and  diminishing  in  an  easterlj^ 
direction. 

2.  Chippini)  Sparroio.  A  single  bird  of  this 
species  was  observed  at  Wood's  Holl,  on 
December  23d.  As  it  was  not  seen  after  that 
date,  it  may  have  been  a  very  late  migrant, 
although  birds  typical  of  the  winter  avifmma, 
namely,  the  American  and  White-winged 
Cros.sbills,  the  Snow  Bunting,  Shrike  and 
Snowy  Owl,  were  seen  on  considerably  earlier 
dates. 

;5.  The  Meadow  Lark.  This  bird  is  common 
as  a  winter  resident  in  some  localities,  while 
in  others  it  is  entirely  wanting.  During  the 
months  of  December  and  January,  but  three 
birds  of  this  species  were  seen  in  Taunton, 
namely,  one  on  December  1st,  and  a  pair  on 
January  3 1st.  At  Naushon,  they  were  some- 
what nu)re  abundant,  six  having  been  recored 
on  January  2.Sth,  and  one  on  the  3()tli.  Single 
birds  were  also  seen  on  February  .ird  and  ^tli.- 
In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Fish  Commis 
sion  at  Wood's  IIoll,  it  was  not  fouiul  during 
the  winter,  but  several  were  usually  to  be  seen 
about  the  salt  marsh  fields  near  Falmouth  and 
also  at  various  points  along  the  shore  between 
that  town  and  the  head  of  Buzzards  Bay.  I 
also  saw  a  pair  at  Edgartown  on  one  or  two 
occassions  in  January  and  February. 

The  North  Truro  record  is  very  complete, 
and  probably  the  Marsh  (^uail  is  nowhere  more 
abundant  within  the  limit  of  the  State  during 
the  three  winter  months,  than  on  that  part  of 
Cape  Cod  which  forms  the  forearm  of  Massa- 
chusetts, viz.,  from  Monomoy  to  Provinctown. 

Mr.  Small's  record  has  a  showing  of  one  hun. 
dred-six  birds  in  December,  they  being  present 
in  numbers  varying  from  two  to  twenty-five  on 
no  less  than  ten  of  the  thirty-one  days  of  that 
month.  In  January,  they  were  seen  on  thir- 
teen days  in  numbers  varying  from  one  to  four- 
teen, and  aggregating  eighty-one.  Meadow- 
Larks  were  present  on  twenty  of  the  twenty, 
eight  days  in  February,  and  the  sum  of  the 
numbers  recorded  amounts  to  fifty.  The  larg- 
est number  seen  on  any  one  day  was  six  and 
the  minimum  number  was  one. 


June,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


83 


The  following  table  shows  the  numbers  of 
Meadow  Larks  present  near  Highland  Liglit 
during  each  of  the  three  months  of  autumn 
and  of  winter: 

1st  Month.  2<l  MoHf/i.    3i/ Jfoiilh.     Total  Xo. 
Autumn,  0  34  71  105 

Winter,  106  81  50  437 

A  comparison  of  these  figures  demonstrates 
that  the  Marsh  Quail  is  more  common  on  the 
tip  of  Cape  Cod  in  winter  than  at  other  seasons, 
for  although  it  is  not  likely  that  they  are 
wholly  absent  during  summer,  as  the  record 
for  September  seems  to  indicate,  it  is  plain 
that  there  is  a  decided  increase  throughout 
the  season,  of  southward  migration,  and  tliat 
this  increase  differs  from  the  swelling  of  the 
numbers  at  points  on  the  main  body  of  the 
land.  This  essential  difference  is,  tliat  the 
number  of  Meadow  Larks  present,  remains  at 
or  near  the  highest  point  throughout  the  win- 
ter, at  Highland  Light,  while  at  the  other 
stations  it  falls  away  more  or  less  rapidly  as 
the  birds  pass  further  to  the  south  before  locat- 
ing for  the  winter.  The  greater  plentifulness  of 
a  number  of  birds  in  the  Cape  district,  than  at 
other  localities  in  the  State  at  this  season,  has 
already  been  mentioned,  but  this  is  one  of  the 
most  apparent  of  them  all.  It  would  seem  as 
though  the  arm  of  land  constituting  Cape  Cod 
might  be  ai^tly  compared  to  an  oasis  of  a 
desert,  in  which  many  spend  the  winter, 
though  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a  practically 
uninhabitable  country. 

4.  The  Crow  Blackbird.  Tliis  bird  is  a  rare 
winter  resident  in  southern  Massacliusetls.  A 
probable  solitary  individual  wintered  in  the 
game  preserve  on  Naushon  Island,  and  was 
observed  by  Mr.  Chisholm  about  the  barns  on 
several  occasions,  notably,  on  January  14th 
and  28th,  and  on  February  11th  and  27th, 
During  the  previous  winter,  a  Blackbird 
remained  about  Wood's  IIoll  and  was  easily 
indeutified  by  its  peculiar  flight  vvliich  was  not 
in  a  straight  course,  but  diagonally  to  the 
right,  from  the  direction  in  which  he  was  head 
lug.  The  Naushon  bird  was,  however,  appar. 
eiitly  uncrippled,  and  was  considered  to  have 
remained  over  from  choice. 

.5.  Shari^-shimied  Ilawk.  This  Hawk  is  con- 
sidered by  many  as  a  rare  winter  resident  in 
this  State  and  I  therefore  append  the  following 
notes  relating  to  its  occurrence: 

A  single  bird  was  seen  on  four  occasions  in 

Taunton  by  Mr.  Scudder,  viz.,  on  December  :jd, 

4th  and  12th  and  on  January  4th.     At  Naushon, 

it  was  taken  in  a  steel  trap,  by  Mr.  Chisholm, 

n  January  13th,  19th  and  28tli,  and  he  informs 


me  that  one  or  two  are  usually  taken  every 
winter.  I  remember  of  one  or  two  instances 
where  a  Hawk  of  this  species  took  up  his  win- 
ter quarters  in  a  church-yard  in  Taunton,  and 
from  which  he  conducted  frequent  raids  on  the 
English  Sparrows  of  the  principal  streets. 

6.  Cooper's  Haick.  Mr.  Scudder  recorded 
single  birds  of  this  species  at  Taunton  on 
December  2d  and  January  1st. 

7.  The  Marsh  Hawk.  Another  unexpected 
fact  which  was  demonstrated  by  the  "Bach- 
elder  blanks,"  is  the  presence  of  the  Harrier, 
as  a  regular  and  common  winter  resident  on  the 
Cape.  Mr.  Small  reported  three  birds  on  as 
many  days  in  December,  at  Highland  Light 
eight,  during  January,  three  being  seen  during  a 
single  day ;  and  nine  for  the  month  of  February. 
Compared  with  the  numbers  recorded  on  the 
three  proceeding  months  at  the  same  station, 
the  results  are  very  satisfactory,  as  the 
following  table  shows: 

NO.  OF  MAESII  HAWKS  IN  FALL  AND  WINTER, 

Igt  Mouth.  2(1  Month.    3d  Month.     Total  Xo. 
Autumn,  22  14  24  50 

Winter,  3  8  9  20 

Judging  from  the  totals  for  the  different 
seasons,  as  here  computed,  we  find  that  the 
Hawks  are  only  reduced  in  numbers  to  one 
third  in  winter  time  and  are  still  left  rather 
common  than  otherwise,  as  Hawks  go,  and 
certainly  more  plenty  than  we  would  naturally 
expect  from  our  knowledge  of  this  particular 
species  as  a  winter  resident  of  Massachusetts. 
I  also  suspect  that  the  number  of  Harriers 
recorded  at  Highland  Light  during  the  three 
autumnal  months  is  considerable  above  the 
average  of  most  Massachusetts  localities,  as 
the  following  notes  tend  to  show: 

During  the  time  that  sixty  Marsh  Hawks 
were  recorded  at  North  Truro,  only  four  were 
seen  at  Wood's  Holl  and  none  at  all  at  Taunton, 
so  that  if  we  judge  the  abundance  of  that 
bird  as  a  winter  resident  on  Cajje  Cod,  by  the 
numbers  present  at  other  localities  during  the 
fall  migration  when  Hawks  as  a  class  are  the 
most  common,  they  may  really  be  said  to  be 
abundant.  This  last  comparison  I  only  give  as 
provisional,  as  my  notes  on  the  comparitive 
abundance  of  the  Marsh  Hawk  are  as  yet  too 
inextensive  to  serve  as  a  basis  for  the  deduc- 
tion of  very  accurate  conclusions. 

8.  The  NUiht  Heron.  This  Heron  is  consid- 
ered to  be  rare  in  winter  at  this  point,  although 
Mr.  Brewster  tells  me  that  they  spend  the  win- 
ter regularly  at  Fresh  Pond,  Cambridge.  A 
Night  Heron  was  shot  at  this  place,  on  Decem- 
ber 26th,  by  Mr.  O.  Grinnell  and  another  was 


84 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  6 


seen  by  the  writer  on  January  1st.  It  was  also 
reported  at  Naushon  on  January  24tli.  The 
Great  Blue  Heron  is  said  to  have  wintered  at 
Wood's  IIoll,  but  it  was  apparently  absent 
during  the  three  winter  months  this  season. 
At  Naushon  it  was  common  in  November  and 
Mr.  Chisholm  noted  it  as  late  as  the  22d  of  that 
montli,  when  one  was  seen. 

9.  The  Belted  Kinf/Ji.sher.  It  is  stated  in 
books  that  the  Kingfisher  may,  on  rare 
occasions,  remain  throughout  the  winter  in 
Massachusetts,  but  I  do  not  remember  to  have 
seen  it  recorded  as  a  regular  or  common 
resident  at  that  season.  Tliis,  however,  ai)i)ears 
to  be  the  case,  at  least  in  that  portion  border- 
ing on  Buzzards  Bay  and  Vineyard  .Sound, 
altliough  the  winter  notes  from  Taunton  aiul 
Iligliland  Light  do  not  include  this  bird  on 
the  lists. 

Late  in  the  fall,  the  Kingfishers  daily  plied 
their  trade  from  off  the  guards  of  the  Com- 
mission Wharf  and  great  was  the  demand  for 
their  skins  to  lielj)  out  the  World's  Fair 
collection.  The  persistency  with  which  they 
were  stalked  and  the  "dare  devil"  habits  of 
the  binls  themselves  caused  me  much  alarm 
for  tlieir  safety,  as  I  was  anxious  to  continue 
my  notes  upon  tliem  with  the  view  of  learning 
the  exact  time  of  their  departure  for  the 
South  ;  and  when  one  or  two  of  them  had 
been  secured,  I  would  liave  sold  out  my 
interest  at  a  very  low  figure.  One  bird  escaped 
the  general  slaughter  and  remained  with  us, 
a  Hitting  spirit  of  the  departed  and  doomed  to 
fish  alone  from  oft'  the  iron  railing,  so  I  was 
correspondingly  hai)py.  But  too  much  of  any 
good  thing  is  apt  to  wear  uixni  the  nerves,  and 
so  it  was  with  my  Kingfisher.  At  first,  I  was 
only  too  anxious  that  he  should  remain 
another  day,  but  soon  I  became  more  in- 
ditterent  and  finally  I  longed  to  mention  the 
impropriety  of  further  putting  oft'  his  depart- 
ure. But  he  had  not  the  slightest  intention  of 
leaving,  and  as  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge,  he 
has  stuck  to  the  text  of  "don't  give  up  the 
ship,"  having  remained  on  the  ground,  ready 
to  welcome  back  his  brethren  which  adopted 
the  better  part  of  valor  last  fall.  All  winter, 
he  kept  bachelor's  quarters  in  a  last  year's 
nest  situated  not  far  from  the  station,  and  as 
long  as  the  "  silversides"  and  other  small  fish 
remained,  he  was  ever  busy  about  the  wharf, 
although  on  account  of  his  temerity,  he  served 
as  a  target  for  ritle  practice.  During  the 
montli  of  December,  he  was  about  the  wharves 
on  ten  days,  and  in  January  I  saw  him  on  nine 
occasions,    the  last  being  on    the    31st.       In 


February,  he  seldom  appeared  about  the 
station,  for  small  fish  were  very  scarce  and 
especially  so  in  the  shallow  water  oft'  the 
harbor,  where  the  anchor  ice  and  frost  killed 
what  few  there  were.  But  on  one  or  two 
occasions,  I  saw  him  diving  into  the  icy  water 
of  tlie  IIoll  amid  tlie  floating  cakes  borne  on 
the  surface  of  the  swiftly  llowing  current. 

A  pair  lived  all  winter  in  a  hole  in  a  sand- 
bank at  Hadley  Harbor,  Naushon,  and  from 
the  reports  of  fishermen,  I  infer  that  at  le.ist  a 
fourth  individual  resorted  to  similar  quarters 
at  Cuttyhunk,  the  outermost  of  the  Elizabeth 
chain  of  islaiuls.  The  Naushon  pair  were 
fre(|uently  seen  in  January,  viz.,  nine  times  ; 
but  on  the  following  month  they  changed  their 
fishing  grounds  and  were  less  freipuMitiy 
observed.  I  heard  of  them  occasionally  out  on 
the  Sound  and  near  Tarpaulen  Cove.  It  is 
said  that  here,  a  winter  never  passes  without 
a  few  Kingfishers  remaining  over  and  that 
usually  they  are  more  plenty  than  during  the 
season  which  has  just  passed,  this  particular 
scarc^ity  being,  no  (U>ubt,  jiartially  caused  by 
the  shooting  last  fall.  On  the  afternoon  of 
February  1st,  I  saw  a  single  Kingfisher  at 
Edgartown  Harbor. 

10.  The  Son(j  Sparroto.  I  have  hesitated 
before  including  this  species  in  my  notes,  on 
account  of  its  familiarity  to  nearly  all  ob- 
servers, for  it  is  nowhere  in  eastern  Massachu- 
setts a  rare  bird  in  winter.  If  considered  in 
relation  to  the  number  of  individuals  which 
pass  through  as  migrants  or  remain  to  breed, 
it  is  less  plenty  tlian  other  species  which  are 
spoken  of  in  former  lists,  as  rare  or  toleral»ly 
common  at  this  season  of  the  year,  and 
furnishes  a  striking  example  of  the  inefficiency 
of  our  present  nomenclature  for  the  expression 
of  degrees  of  plentifulness. 

For  example,  during  the  months  of  Decem- 
ber and  January,  eight  Song  Sjjarrows  were 
seen  about  Taunton.  February  notes  were 
not  available.  During  the  three  winter 
months,  only  live  were  observed  at  Wood's 
IIoll  and  none  weie  seen  at  Naushon  or  North 
Truro.  In  the  first  named  locality  the  number 
of  Song  Sparrows  in  August  were  233  ;  in 
September,  50  and  in  October,  247.  Taking  the 
two  consecutive  numths  of  September  and 
October  to  compare  with  the  December  and 
January  record  for  the  same  locality,  we  have 
a  total  number  of  30G  birds  or  about  forty 
times  the  number  that  are  present  during  the 
winter  months.  At  Wood's  Holl,  the  record 
for  August,  September  and  October  was  214, 
207  and  67,   respectively,   or  a  total  of  488. 


June,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


85 


Comijared  witli  the  total  number  observed 
during  the  tliree  winter  niontbs,  live,  the 
result  shows  tliat  the  Song  Sparrows  were 
about  ninety-seven  times  more  numerous  dur- 
ing the  first  part  of  the  migration,  than  in 
winter.  Nearly  everyone  considers  a  Song 
Sparrow  in  January  to  be  a  more  common 
occurence  tlian  the  presence  of  a  Kingfislier,  a 
Marsh  Hawk,  or,  possibly,  of  a  Meadow  Lark  ; 
yet  my  records  of  the  actual  numbers  seen,  not 
only  prove  that  these  birds  actually  outnum- 
ber the  Song  Si^arrows,  but  that  the  difference 
between  the  comparative  numbers  seen  in 
winter  and  summer  is  very  much  greater  in 
the  case  of  the  latter. 

11.  The  liohin.  Probably  no  winter  passes 
without  a  few  Robins  remaining  within  the 
State,  but  as  their  habits  at  that  season  are  very 
different  from  those  of  other  times  they  are 
seldom  seen,  as  they  keep  tolerably  close  in 
the  thick  swamps.  During  the  past  winter 
they  seem  to  have  been  somewhat  more  plenty 
than  usual  and  have  been  reported  from  a 
number  of  localities.  At  Taunton  they  were 
only  observed  on  one  occasion,  viz.,  on  Decem- 
ber 2d,  when  two  were  recorded.  At  Wood's 
Holl,  they  were  obstaved  on  three  days  in 
December  and  on  one  during  February,  tlie  total 
number  being  twelve.  The  Highland  Light 
record,  is,  as  usual,  very  complete,  as  they 
were  seen  on  twelve  days  in  December,  two  in 
January  and  seventeen  in  February,  with  a 
total  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  birds  for 
the  winter  months.  The  number  seen  at  one 
time  varied  from  one  to  twenty-five  and 
averaged  five. 

This  is  another  case  where  the  actual  num- 
ber of  individuals  increases  from  west  to  east, 
and  also  of  a  lesser  difference  in  the  numbers 
of  migrating  birds  and  winter  residents,  than 
in  the  most  western  of  the  three  counties,  as 
demonstrated  in  the  following  table  : 


Sidson. 

Taioiton. 

Wood's  JIoll. 

Xo.Tmro 

Migration, 

2545 

744 

298 

Winter, 

2 

12 

159 

Approx.  Ratio, 

1.1272 

2.(32 

1.2 

Thus,  we  see  that  the  degree  of  plentifulness 
Increases  from  east  to  west  in  times  of  migra- 
tion and  from  west  to  east  during  the  winter 
months. 

12.  The  Great  JVorthei-n  Shrike.  This  bird 
is  locally  distributed  throughout  the  three 
southeastern  counties  of  the  State  during 
the  winter.  It  was  apparently  wanting  at 
Taunton,  and  was  only  observed  on  one 
occasion  in  the  latter  part  of  November,  at 
Wood's  Holl.     One  bird  was  taken  at  Naushon 


in  January  and  it  appears  to  be  of  common 
occurrence  at  Highland  Light,  where  Mr. 
Small  saw  it  eight  times  in  December,  twice  in 
January  and  the  same  number  of  times  in  the 
following  month. 

13.  The  Yellotii-rinnped  Warbler.  This  bird 
is  a  regulai  migrant  and  winter  resident  in 
eastern  Massachusetts,  sometimes  being 
abundant  at  that  season.  Usually  it  is  most 
numerous  late  in  the  fall  and  gradually 
becomes  less  plenty  as  the  season  advances, 
and  is  frequently  wanting  just  previous  lo  the 
commencement  of  the  spring  migration.  It 
arrives  from  the  North  earlier  in  the  season, 
in  Bristol  County  than  on  jCape  Cod,  and  also 
disperses  earlier  there,  than  to  the  eastward. 
The  foUowing  table  shows  the  numbers 
recorded  monthly,  from  September  to  Febru- 
ary, inclusive,  at  Taunton,  Wood's  Holl  and 
Highland  Light: 

Scjit.  Oct.  Nov.  Dec.  -Tan.  Feb.  Total. 

Taunton,        51  54G  x  19  23  x        G39 

Wood's  Holl,   0  311  126  37  0  0        474 

No.  Truro,        0  338  13  1  56  67       475 

From  this  data  it  would  seem  that  the 
migration  was  well  under  way  at  Taunton 
some  time  before  it  was  at  all  apparent  at  the 
two  other  stations,  but  tlie  height  of  the 
season  was  very  nearly  the  same  at  each, 
although  the  greatest  number  were  seen  at  the 
first  named  station.  After  the  main  body  of 
Warblers  had  passed,  the  numbers  decreased 
through  the  months  of  November  and 
December,  to  a  minimum  which  may  be  con- 
sidered to  represent  tlie  numlier  of  birds  which 
would  remain  as  winter  residents.  This  num- 
ber of  winter  birds  gradually  wasted  away  on 
the  Wood's  Holl  ground,  and  from  experiences 
of  former  years,  I  mistrust  that  a  similar 
reduction  occurred  at  Taunton,  although  the 
absence  of  notes  for  February,  leaves  us  uncer- 
tain of  the  real  state  of  things.  It  will  also  be 
observed  that  when  the  minimum  at  Highland 
Light  was  reached  in  December,  a  decided 
change  took  place,  and  the  numbers  of  Yellow- 
rumps  rapidly  and  steadily  increased  through 
the  remaining  winter  months. 

14.  Ruby  Crowned  Kinglet.  Rare  in  winter. 
One  bird  recorded  at  Highland  Light,  on 
January  1.5  th. 

15.  Winter  Wren.  Rarely  remains  through- 
out the  winter.  Recorded  at  Highland  Light 
on  January  lUth. 

10.  Purple  Finch.  Frequently  present  in 
winter.  One  bird  was  noted  at  Taunton,  on 
January  6th. 


86 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  6 


17.  Common  liedpoll.  A  single  bird  recorded 
at  North  Trviro,  on  December  13tb. 

18.  Mallard.  Tolciably  common,  and 
occurs  on  the  Cape  every  fall  and  winter.  One 
was  seen  at  Wood's  Holl  on  December  9tli 
and  three  on  January  8d. 

10.  Wood  Buck.  This  bird  is  sometimes 
found  in  winter,  altliough  I  am  unaware  of  its 
presence  near  any  station  this  year.  A  full 
plumage,  adult  male  was  taken  alive  at 
Taunton  on  January  11,  1888. 

20.  Common  Tern.  A  single  bird  of  this 
species  was  shot  from  off  the  Commission 
wharf  by  Mr.  O.  Grinnell  on  February  0th. 

Concli(dl)i(/  Remarks.  Before  concluding 
this  paper,  I  would  like  to  offer  a  few  remarks 
on  land  birds,  as  a  class,  in  the  Cape  distiict. 
By  the  term,  land  birds  as  a  class,  I  mean  all 
species,  which,  according  to  the  present  class- 
ilications,  are  considered  to  be  more  highly 
organized  than  the  Raptores,  and  which,  in  the 
"A.  O.  U.  "  checklist,  include  tlie  Kinglishcrs, 
Woodpeckers,  etc.,  and  all  of  those  succeeding 
them,  and  ending  with  the  Thrushes  and 
Bluebirds. 

The  following  table  represents  the  total 
number  of  land  birds  as  here  defined,  which 
were  recorded  during  each  month  of  fall  and 
winter,  at  Taunton,  Wood's  Iloll  and 
Highland  Light: 

Tonnfou.  W.  HoU.  N.  Truro.  T«liiU   M,a„  Xo' 

Sept.            15618  1968  1I>T8  \<JH,\  (l.'JKH 

Oct.               46717  1720  2751  SlltSS  16062 

Nov.  2745  3SSI 

Dec.                 605  392  1172  2169  723 

Jan.                  983  331  4099  5413  1804 

Feb.  91  2202 

Sums,          63923  7247  15703 

Av. Means,  15980  1207  2917  19804  6001 

The  South  Weymouth  record  for  December 
31st,  was  overlooked  at  time  of  writing. 

Thus,  at  Taunton,  the  maximum  and  mini- 
mum numbers  seen  during  any  month,  are 
40,717  and  GO."),  respectively,  and  if  the  total 
number  or  sum  of  the  several  observations  at 
that  station  are  divided  by  four,  we  obtain  the 
mean  or  average  number  for  that  particular 
locality,  namely,  15,980.  The  result  of  this 
number  and  the  two  extremes,  shows  that  there 
is  a  maximum  variation  during  the  migration  of 
about  .30,000  and  a  minimum  variation  in 
winter  of  about  1.5,000.  The  actual  minimum, 
or,  in  other  words,  the  smallest  number  of 
birds  recorded  in  any  month,  sank  in  December, 
to  nearly  0,000  below  the  mean  average  of  the 
several  stations,  while  in  October,  it  increased 
to  about  nine  times  the  mean  average,  having 
an  excess  of  40,316  birds. 


In  Wood's  Holl,  the  maximum  was  2,74.'),  the 
mean,  obtained  by  dividing  by  six,  1,207  and 
the  minimum  was  1)1,  while  the  variafion  in 
either  direction  did  not  exceed  1,.')00  birds. 

The  maximum,  mean  and  minimum  monihly 
records  at  Highland  I>ight,  were  4,01)9,  2,017  and 
1,172,  respectively,  with  the  two  extremes  on 
consecufive  months,  viz.,  December  and  Jan- 
uary. Otherwise  the  minimum  number  of  biids 
would  have  been  recorded  in  September.  The 
actual  variation  seems  to  be  included  within 
1,500  in  either  direction  from  the  mean  for 
the  station,  but  it  is  always  from  2,000  to  5,000 
below  the  mean  average  of  the  several 
localities. 

The  actual  range  at  Taunton  is  about  ten 
times  grater  than  at  Highland  Light,  rising 
much  higher  in  autumn  and  falling  lower 
during  the  winter.  At  Wood's  Holl,  the  act- 
ual range  is  only  about  1.17  as  great  as  the 
Taunton  variation. 

Another  very  i)rominent  difference  between 
the  extreme  localities  is,  that  at  Mr.  Small's 
station,  the  greatest  number  of  birds  are  pres- 
ent during  the  winter  months,  while  about 
Taunton,  Mi.  Scuddcr  finds  them  much  scarcer 
at  that  season  than  during  the  migrations;  but 
as  I  have  in  progress  a  special  work  relating  to 
this  cpiestion,  I  will  only  say  at  the  present 
time  that  this  is  partially  due  to  the  greater 
severity  of  the  weather  in  the  inland  districts. 
The  greater  scarcity  in  winter  at  Wood's  Holl, 
where  the  meterological  conditions  are  practi- 
cally the  same  as  at  North  Truro,  may  be  in  a 
large  part  accounted  for,  when  we  remember 
that  the  prevailing  winds,  which  exert  more 
force  on  the  birds  near  the  coast,  are  either 
from  the  northwest,  southwest  or  south,  and 
owing  to  the  peculiar  situation  of  Wood's  HolL 
such  winds,  and,  judging  from  this  winter's 
experience,  they  are  constant,  have  a  strong 
tendency  to  blow  the  birds  away  from  the 
shore  and  into  the  more  sheltered  inland 
localities.  These  same  winds  which  exert  a 
lessening  influence  on  the  winter  bird  life  of 
Wood's  Holl  may  increase  the  numbers  at 
Highland  Light  by  stranding  biids  which  have 
blown  from  off  the  windward  shore  of  Cape 
Cod  and  Massachusetts  Bays.  The  presence  of 
Snow  Buntings  and  Shore  Larks  in  large  num- 
bers on  the  Cape,  also  tends  to  increase  the 
number  of  land  birds  present  in  winter,  as  they 
are  somewhat  maritime  in  their  habits  and 
occur  much  less  frequently  and  in  smaller 
numbers  at  points  removed  from  the  sea. 

Harry  Gordon  White. 
U.  S.  Fish  Com.,   Wood's  Holl,  March  15,   1891. 


June,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


87 


The  American  Bittern. 


The  well-known  American  Bittern  is  a 
common  summer  resident  in  western  New 
York,  and  may  be  found  breeding  along  slug- 
gish streams,  ponds,  and  swamps  often  in  large 
numbers. 

In  this  locality  the  Bittern  is  generally 
kuown  as  "Stake-driver"  or  "Thunder  Tump," 
receiving  its  names  from  the  peculiar  noises 
made  by  the  bird  which  at  times  resemble 
that  of  driving  stakes,  then  again  that  of 
pumping. 

A  tract  of  low  land  known  as  the  Tonwanda 
Swamp,  lying  along  the  line  between  the  coun- 
ties of  Orleans  and  Genesee,  seems  to  be  a 
favorite  nesting  place  for  this  bird. 

During  the  breeding  season  the  male  may 
be  heard  from  morning  till  night  at  freipient 
intervals,  his  "pumping"  making  the  swamps 
ring,  and  it  may  be  heard  a  long  distance. 

The  Bittern  arrives  in  this  locality  during 
the  first  week  in  April,  and  stays  until  late  in 
the  fall. 

The  Bitterns,  like  the  Herons,  get  their  food 
in  the  vicinity  of  water,  and  are  seldom  seen 
to  alight  in  fields  far  away  from  a  creek. 
Their  food  consists  mostly  of  frogs,  toads, 
and  small  minnows  which  they  are  experts 
at  catching. 

The  American  and  the  Least  Bittern  both 
breed  here,  but  owing  to  tlie  retiring  habits  of 
the  latter  it  is  seldom  seen,  but,  however,  the 
former  is  far  the  more  common.  The  time  of 
the  breeding  of  this  bird  seems  to  be  very 
indefinite,  as  fresh  eggs  may  be  found  from 
the  latter  part  of  April  until  late  in  June. 

The  nest  of  the  Bittern  is  generally  hard  to 
find,  being  placed  in  tall,  rank  grass  which 
covers  the  ground  and  hides  the  nest.  The 
nest  is  seldom  placed  elsewhere  than  upon  low 
ground  that  is  covered  with  water  part  of  the 
year,  altiiough  they  sometimes  build  in  open 
fields  after  the  grass  has  grown  to  a  good 
height.  When  found  in  low  places  the  nests 
are  placed  on  the  ground  or  upon  decaying 
vegetation  lying  in  shallow  water. 

The  nest  is  made  of  coarse,  dry  grass  and 
weeds  that  are  dragged  together  by  the  birds, 
and  lined  with  finer  material  of  the  same  kind. 
Sometimes  the  grass  and  Aveeds  overhanging 
the  nest  are  drawn  together  above  it, 
completely  hiding  the  nest  and  eggs. 

The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number,  gener- 
ally five,  and  of  a  uniform  drab  in  color.  As 
soon  as  the  eggs  are  hatched,  the  parent  birds, 
occup.y  their  time  in  carrying  food   for  their 


young,  and  they  will  fly  from  morning  until 
night,  from  some  pond  or  creek  to  the  nest 
with  food. 

During  incubation  the  female  will  not  leave 
the  nest  until  nearly  trodden  upon,  making  it 
a  rather  difficult  task  to  find  the  nest  by 
flushing  the  bird. 

The  number  of  Bitterns  that  breed  here 
depends  largely  upon  the  season.  During  a 
wet  season,  especially  in  May,  they  breed  in 
large  numbers  in  the  Tonwanda  Swamp,  but 
if  the  season  be  dry  and  hot  their  numbers  are 
greatly  dimimished. 

Two  years  ago  I  found  my  first  Bittern's 
nest.  While  wandering  about  on  a  marsh,  I 
chanced  to  stop  within  a  few  feet  of  the  nest, 
and  as  I  did  not  see  the  bird  she  did  not  offer 
to  fly, but  to  my  "good  luck"  when  I  started  I 
went  towards  the  nest  and  she  flew  off.  I 
examined  closely  the  surroundings  of  the  nest 
and  found  signs  which  I  thought  would  aid 
me  in  finding  another  nest. 

The  next  year,  while  crossing  the  same 
marsh,  I  saw  signs  similar  to  those  around  my 
first  nest.  I  began  hunting  at  once  and  soon 
found  the  nest  a  few  rods  from  the  place 
where  I  first  noticed  the  presence  of  the  birds. 
Both  these  nests  contained  five  eggs  each. 

Elmer  J.  Gillclt. 

Barre   Centre,  New   York. 

[My  experience  leads  me  to  believe  that  these 
eggs  are  very  commonly  a  set. —  J.  P.  N.] 


Nesting  of  the  Wood  Pewee  in  Nova 

Scotia. 


A   POINT  ON  SHELL  MAUKINGS. 

While  at  my  home  in  Kentville,  N.  S.,  an 
exquisitely  marked  set  of  eggs  of  the  Wood 
Pewee  {C'ontvpus  virens)  A.  O.  U.  461,  found 
their  way  into  my  collecting  box.  The  neatly 
constructed  shallow  nest,  composed  of  veg- 
etable down  and  fine  tree  moss,  the  whole 
completely  covered  with  lichen,  (which  made 
it  hard  to  distinguish  from  a  knot  while 
standing  on  the  ground),  was  built  on  top  of  a 
forked  branch  of  a  large  dead  spruce  limb,  five 
feet  from  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  fifteen 
feet  from  the  ground,  to  the  edge  of  a  spruce 
wood.  The  eggs  were  two  in  number,  of  a  pale 
buff  ground  color,  having  a  faint  pinkish 
tinge.  A  series  of  fine  spots  and  irregular 
blotches  of  browns,  shading  from  pale  red- 
brown  to  rich  chocolate,  and  lavenders  from 
light  to  dark,  circle  the  large  end.  One 
thing  particularly  noticeable  in  some  of  the 
lavender  markings  is  the^appearance  of  being 


88 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  6 


put  on  over  some  other  shade,  a  reddish  tinge 
showing  through  in  the  centre.  This  led  me 
to  try  an  experiment.  First  using  a  piece  of 
wliite  silk  dipped  in  water,  I  tried  to  remove 
the  lavender;  a  little  rubbing  made  it  appear 
rather  darker.  Not  satisfied,  I  then  took  my 
sliari)est  scalpel  and  carefully  cut  off  the 
marking.  Every  shave,  as  line  as  it  was, 
made  the  lavender  blotch  darker,  until  I 
finally  cut  down  to  a  dark  reddish-brown  with 
a  very  dark  brown  spot  in  the  centre.  Still 
continuing  the  scrape,  my  brown  began  to 
lighten  up.  Thinking  it  about  time  to  let  up 
scraping,  if  I  wanted  any  shell  left,  I  laid  down 
the  scrapel  and  put  the  egg  back  into  the  box, 
scraped  spot  up,  which  was  a  plain  lavender 
when  I  started  to  scrai)e,  but  now  it  had  a  dark 
brown  centre  with  a  light  brown  circle  around 
it  whicli  was  iu  turn  enclosed  with  a  lavender 
circle;  then  came  the  buff  ground  color.  Tak- 
ing the  other  egg  and  treating  it  in  a  similar 
manner  the  same  result  was  obtained.  Some 
of  the  lavender  spots  do  not  have  brown  xuuler 
them. 

Has  it  ever  been  proved  beyond  doubt  how 
the  Wood  Pewee  and  IIummingl>irds  attach 
the  lichen  so  tightly  to  their  nests'?  I  am 
aware  that  some  argue  that  it  is  wound  on 
with  spiders  thread;  others,  again,  seem  to 
think  that  the  bird  uses  a  sticky  fluid,  which  is 
secrete,  similiar  to  the  Eave  Swallow. 

Any  reader  of  the  0.&  O.  who  will  funli^sh 
an  article,  positively  from  observation  how 
and  with  what  it  is  fastened  to,  will  do  me 
and  no  doubt  others  a  great  favor. 

Walter  B'A.  Hyan. 

Kentville,  N.    S. 


Birds  of  Five-mile  Beach. 

[Continued.] 

394.  Downy  Woodpecker  {Bry abates  puhea- 
cens).     Not  common;  have  seen  a  few. 

402.  Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker  (S2>hyrapicu!< 
varius).  Very  common  during  early  part  of 
October;  have  not  observed  the  species  in 
spring. 

412.  Flicker  {Colaptes  auratux).  Very  com- 
mon, particularly  from  middle  to  end  of 
September,  when  hundreds  are  shot.  Few  if 
any  remain  on  the  beach  to  breed. 

420.  Nighthawk  (Chordeiles  viryininnus). 
Two  secured  during  August,  1889,  is  my  only 
record  of  the  species  on  the  beach. 

423.  Chimney  Swift  {Chcetura  pelar/ica). 
Common.     Breeds.     Arrives  about  May  1st. 


428.  liuby-throated  Hummingbird  (Trochilus 
colubrls).     Kare.     Breeds  on  the  beach. 

444.  Kingbird  {T7jrannus  tyrannus).  Com- 
mon. Breeds.  The  nest  is  generally  placed 
in  a  cedar  tree,  and  is  a  beautiful  structure. 
The  body  of  the  nest  is  generally  com])Osed  of 
the  usnia  or  Florida  moss,  as  it  is  here  gener- 
ally called. 

456.  Ph(ebe.  {Sayornis  phoehe).  Not  com- 
mon.    What  few  come  remain  to  breed. 

474.  Horned  Lark  (Ofocorts  aijjestris).  Very 
common.  During  the  fall  and  winter  months, 
generally  found  on  the  meadows,  but  occas- 
ionally seen  on  the  beach. 

488.  American  Crow  (Corvus  ainericanus). 
Common  resident.     Breeds  on  the  l)each. 

490.  Fish  Crow  {Curvus  ossifragu.s).  Not 
common.  I'robably  breeds  as  its  nest  has 
been  found  on  the  opposite  beach. 

494.  Boholiul^  (Dulichumjx  oryzivorus).  Not 
observed  during  spring  migrations,  but  often 
common  during  the  fall  migrations. 

498.  Ked-winged  Blackbird  {A(/elaiuis  phxii- 
niceiis).  Very  common.  Large  numbers 
breeding  back  of  the  beach.  The  nest  is 
always  placed  in  the  bayberry  bushes. 

501.  Meadow  Lark  {Hturnella  ma<jna).  Com- 
mon resident.  More  numerous  in  fall  and 
winter  than  at  any  other  time  of  the  year. 

507.  Baltimore  Oriole  {Icterus  yalbula). 
Rare.  My  companion,  Mr.  H.  Winzel,  shot  a 
9  on  Septemljer  20,  1890,  which  is  my  only 
record  of  its  occurrence  on  the  beach. 

511.  Purple  Grackle  {(Juiscdlus  quiscnla). 
Common  spring  and  fall  migrant. 

513.  Boat-tailed  Grackle  {(^uiscalus  major). 
Very  rare.  Two  birds  of  this  species  made 
their  appearance  in  company  with  a  number 
of  Purple  Gracklcs;  one  was  shot  by  Samuel 
Ludlam  who  had  it  mounted. 

517.  Purple  Finch  (Carpodacus  purpureus). 
I  have  observed  this  species  on  several 
occasions  during  the  winter  months.  They 
were  generally  found  in  cedar  thickets. 

529.  American  Goldfinch  {Spinus  tristis). 
Common,  particularly  during  the  month  of 
March.  Few  observed  during  the  summer 
months. 

541.  Ipswich  Sparrow  {Ammodromvs  prin- 
ceps).  The  only  record  of  this  species  on  the 
beach  is  a  sijecimen  shot  by  Mr.  John  Sterner, 
on  April  3,  1889,  and  sent  to  me  with  a  lot  of 
other  birds. 

542a.  Savanna  Sparrow  {Ammodromus  snnd- 
wicJiensis  savanna).  Common  spring  and  fall 
migrant. 

549.      Sharp-tailed    SpaiTow    {Ainniodramus 


June,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


89 


candacutus).  Common  along  the  edge  of 
marsh  hack  of  tlie  heach.  More  numerous  in 
fall  than  in  spring;  not  ohserved  in  summer. 

550.  Seaside  Sparrrovv  {Ammodramuti  inari- 
tiinus).  Common,  from  early  in  May  until 
late  in  October  or  early  in  November. 

558.  White-throated  Sparrow  (Zonutrichla 
alblcolUs).  Common  from  September  until 
April. 

5.50.  Tree  Sparrow  {Spizella  mouticola). 
Common  during  the  late  fall  and  winter 
months. 

500.  Chi])ping  Sparrow  (Spizella  soclalls). 
Common  from  early  in  April  until  late  in 
October.  Their  nest  is  generally  placed  in  a 
cedar  tree. 

5G3.  Field  Sparrow  (Spizella pusilla).  Com- 
mon in  spring  and  fall.  A  few  breed  on  the 
beach. 

507.  Slate-colored  Junco  (Juiico  hlcinulis). 
Common  from  late  in  September  until  middle 
of  following  April. 

581.  Song  Sparrow  {Melospiza  fasciata). 
Common  resident.  Breeding  everywhere  on 
the  beach  and  on  the  small  wooded  islands  on 
the  marshes, 

584.  Swamp  Sparrow  (Melospiza  f/eor<jluua). 
Rare.     A  few  seen  in  spring  and  fall. 

587.  Towhee  (Pipilo  erythrophf/ntliiuis). 
Common  in  spring  and  fall.  A  few  observed 
on  the  beach  during  breeding  season. 

593.  Cardinal  {Cardinalis  cardinalis).  Com- 
mon resident.  More  numerous  in  February 
and  March  than  at  any  other  time  of  the  year. 

595.  Eose-breasted  Grosbeak  {Uah'ia  ludo- 
viciana).  Rare.  Have  seen  but  two  of  these 
birds  on  the  beach;  both  Avere  seen  on  May  11, 
1890, 

008,  Scarlet  Tanager  (Piranga  erythromelas). 
Common  during  the  spring  migration  ;  not 
observed   in    fall. 

013.  Barn  Swallow  (Chelidon  erijthroijaater). 
Common  from  late  in  April  until  latter  part  of 
September. 

014.  Tree  Swallow  {Tachycincta  bicolur). 
Common  from  early  in  April  until  late  in 
October.  A  hollow  in  a  small  oak  tree  is 
generally  selected  for  a  nesting-place. 

019.  Cedar  Waxwing  {Ampelis  cedrorum). 
Common  from  late  in  September  until  the 
beginning  of  the  following  May.  Have  never 
observed  them  during  the  summer  months. 

024.  Red-eyed  Vireo  (Ftreo  o^ioaceMs).  Com- 
mon in  spring  and  fall.  A  few  observed 
during  the  summer  months, 

020.  Philadelphia  Vireo  (Vireo  phlladelphi- 
cus).      Rare.      A  specimen  shot    by   Mr.    H. 


Wenzel  and  presented  to  me  is  my  only  record 
of  its  occurrence  on  the  beach. 

031.  White-eyed  Vireo  (Vireo  novehoracensis). 
Very  common.  Arrives  about  middle  of 
April,  remaining  until  late  in  September  or 
beginning  of  October, 

030.  Black  and  White  Warbler  (MnioUltu 
varia).  Only  observed  on  a  few  occasions 
during  month  of  May. 

040.  Orange-crowned  Warbler  (Ilelmin- 
thophila  celata).  A  specimen  of  this  Warbler 
(rare  in  the  east)  was  shot  by  me  on  October 
0,  1889.  It  is  my  only  record  of  its  occurrence 
on  the  beach. 

048.  Parula  Warbler  (Compsothlypis  ameri- 
cana).  Common  from  latter  part  of  April 
until  late  in  September.  Large  numbers  breed 
on  the  beach,  the  nest  as  usual  being  formed 
of  usnia,  or  Florida  moss. 

055.  Myrtle  Warbler  (Dendroica  coronata). 
Common  in  spring  and  fall. 

001.  Black-poll  Warbler  (Dendroica  striata). 
Not  common.  A  few  seen  in  late  fall;  have 
not  observed  it  in  spring. 

072.  Palm  Warbler  (Dendroica  pahnarnni). 
Common  in  spring  and  fall. 

073.  Prairie  Warbler  (Dendroica  discolor). 
Not  common.  A  few  seen  in  spring;  not 
observed  in  fall. 

081.  Maryland  Yellow-throat  (Geoihlypis 
trichas).  Common  from  April  until  Septem- 
ber. All  the  nests  found  on  the  beach  by 
myself  were  placed  in  a  hollow  in  the  grass, 
the  nest  resting  on  the  ground. 

083.  Yellow-breasted  Chat  (Iclcria  virens). 
Common  from  early  part  of  May  until 
September.     Breeds  on  the  beach. 

704.  Catbird  (Galeoscoptes  carolinensis). 
This  bird,  common  nearly  every  where  in 
the  State  of  New  Jersey,  is  only  found  in 
limited  numbers  here;  what  few  do  come 
remain  on  the  beach  to  breed. 

705.  Brown  Thrasher  (Ilarporhynchus  rufus). 
Common.     Breeds  on  the  beach. 

718.  Carolina  Wren  (Thryothorus  ludovi- 
cianus).  Twice  I  came  across  this  species, 
once  in  spring  when  I  secured  two  out  of  five 
seen,  and  again  in  September,  1890. 

721.  House  Wren  (Troglodytes  ai^don). 
Rare.  A  pair  observed  on  several  occasions 
during  the  past  summer. 

720.  Brown  Creeper  (Certhia  faniiliaris 
americana).  Very  common  in  early  part  of 
October,  more  so  than  in  spring. 

727.  White-breasted  Nuthatch  (Hltta  caro- 
linensis).      Rare.       Only     observed    on    two 


90 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  6 


occasions,  both  times  being  in  the  fall  of  the 
year. 

728.  Red-breasted  Nuthatch  {Sitta  canaden- 
siti).  Common  in  latter  part  of  September  and 
early  October. 

730.  Carolina  Chickadee  {Paritfi  caruli- 
nctisin).  Common.  Have  observed  this 
species  on  the  beach  every  month  of  the  year 
except  January  and  February.  A  few 
breed  on  the  beach. 

748.  Golden-crowned  Kinglet  {Regiiliis 
salrapa).  Common  from  September  until 
the  following  April ;  not  observed  in  summer. 

74i>.  Ruby-crowned  Kinglet  (lieyulus  calen- 
dula). Not  quite  as  common  as  the 
Golden-crowned;  not  observed  in  summer. 

7.'58a.  Olive-backed  Thrush  {Turdus  nslulatuN 
mnahisonii).  Not  common.  A  few  seen  in 
spring  and  fall. 

1'A)b.  Hermit  Thrush  {Tardus  aonalanchlcw 
2nillafiii).     Common  spring  and  fall  migrant. 

761.  American  Robin  (Mcriila  mUjratoria). 
Common  except  during  the  breeding  season, 
few  if  any  remaining  on  the  beach  for  purposes 
of  nidification.  Hundreds  iind  shelter  on  the 
beach  during  winter. 

7G6.  Bluebird  {Sialia  sialis).  Common 
spring  and  fall  migrant.  Have  not  observed 
the  species  during  the  summer  or  winter 
months.  Philip  Laurent. 


Notes    on    the    Ducks    of    Cohasset, 
Mass.,  1860-92. 


Althongh  from  early  boyhood  I  have  been 
interested  in  the  study  of  birds,  I  have  made  a 
special  study  of  the  group,  which,  to  an  orni- 
thologist, would  be  known  as  the  Anatidui 
and  to  a  sportsman,  as  the  Ducks  and  Geese. 
I  have  made  Cohasset,  Mass.,  the  field  of  my 
labors,  and,  aided  by  my  father,  have  taken 
notes  there  for  over  thirty  years.  The  result 
is  a  pretty  thorough  knowledge  of  the  habits 
of  the  Scoters  and  other  Ducks  which  share  in 
the  great  autumnal  migration,  and,  not  less 
interesting  to  the  ornithologist,  a  record  of 
many  Ducks  which  one  would  not  suppose  of 
even  accidental  occurrence. 

In  presenting  the  list  which  follows,  I  have 
adopted  the  method  proposed  by  you  in  the 
O.  &  O.  of  using  numbers  instead  of  Latin 
names.  In  these  days  when  an  unoffending 
Duck  rejoices  in  half  a  dozen  barbaric  appella- 
tions, plain  Ridgway  English  is  good  enough 
for  me.     Hoping  that  the  following  list  will 


contain  some  data  which  will  prove  interest- 
ing, even  in  these  days  when  it  seems  as  if  the 
average  ornithologist  "knows  it  all,"  I 
aijpend  my  notes  which  include  remarks  on 
twenty-five  varieties,  four  or  five  of  which  I 
have  been  greatly  surprised  to  find  so  far  from 
their  usual  haunts. 

1.  Red-breasted  Merganser  (Ridg.  l;;0). 
Common  during  fall  migration.  A  few  stay 
through  the  winter,  remaining  until  May. 

2.  Hooded  Merganser  (131).  Uncommon. 
Mr.  C.  L.  Curtis  has  sent  me  six  or  eight  speci- 
mens shot  on  a  small  pond,  late  in  December. 

3.  Mallard  (132).  Uncommon.  Taken 
yearly,  but  in  small  numbers. 

4.  Black  Duck  (133).  Common  dining  the 
fall  migration. 

5.  Green-winged  Teal  (139).  Formerly  fairly 
common,  but  during  the  last  ten  years  rarely 
met  with. 

6.  Blue-winged  Teal  (140).  Abundant  thirty 
or  forty  years  ago,  but  lately  almost  as  rare  as 
the  preceeding. 

7.  Baldpate  (137).  In  all,  five  specimens 
have  been  taken  since  1800. 

8.  Slioveller  (142).  One  adult  $  taken  by 
Mr.  B.  C.  Clark  during  the  fall  of  18()3. 

9.  Pintail  (143).  Occasionally  met  with, 
usually  in  company  with  fiocks  of  Scoters. 

10.  Wood  Duck  (144).  Dr.  G.  G.  Sears  shot  an 
adult  $  in  October,  1881  while  cooting.  Occa- 
sionally taken  on  small  inland  ponds. 

11.  Redhead  (140).  Rare.  I  have  records 
of  two  or  three  which  were  taken  previous  to 
1880.     Since  then  none  have  been  shot. 

12.  Canva.s-back  (147).  Very  rare.  One 
taken  by  Mr.  B.  C.  Clark,  Novembei-,  1883. 

13.  American  Scaup  Duck  (148).  fairly 
common  during  fall. 

14.  Lesser  Scaup  Duck  (149).  Rather  less 
common  than  preceeding. 

15.  American  Golden-eye  (151).  Common 
during  fall  and  winter,  but  much  scarcer  than 
formerly. 

10.  Old  Squaw  (154).  Abundant  during  fall. 
A  number  remain  until  spring. 

17.  Harlequin  Duck  (155).  Very  rare.  One 
$  taken  by  Mr.  C.  V.  Bamer,  November  3,  1887. 

18.  American  Eider  (100).  Uncommon,  and 
usually  very  shy.  I  have  records  of  eight  or 
ten  specimens  which  have  been  taken  dtiring 
seven  northeast  storms. 

19.  Buftie-head  (153).     Fairly  common. 

20.  American  Scoter  (103).  The  least 
abundant  of  all  the  Scoters,  but  during  Novem- 
ber the  young  of  this  species  are  quite  numer- 
ous and  furnish  good  shooting. 


June,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


91 


21.  White- winged  Scoter  (1G5).  Abundant 
during  the  t:dl.  This  species  seems  to  be  tbe 
least  shy  of  the  three  and  on  this  account  are 
killed  in  large  numbers. 

22.  Surf  Scoter  (166).  The  most  numerous 
of  the  Ducks  which  occur  at  Cohasset.  During 
September  tliousands  on  thousands  pour  by, 
but,  unless  driven  in  by  severe  storms,  Hy  far 
out  of  reach  and  furnish  poor  shooting. 

23.  Kuddy  Duck  (167).  Common  during 
some  years  and  scarce  during  others.  Easily 
taken  when  plenty. 

24.  Canada  Goose  (172).  Fairly  common. 
Taken  inland  by  Mr.  C.  L.  Curtis  almost 
annually. 

25.  Brant    (H-)).     Common,     but    hard     to 

secure  except  during  heavy  storms. 

C.  U.  E. 
Boston,  Mass. 


Notes  on  the  Flicker. 


Spring  is  here  again  and  before  many  weeks 
all  our  feathered  friends  will  be  hard  at  work 
with  nest  building  and  egg  laying,  and  the 
collector's  field  will  once  more  be  free  for  him 
to  roam  and  enjoy  himself  to  his  heart's  con- 
tent. The  professional  collector,  too,  will  be 
reaping  his  harvest  of  eggs  and  skins,  and  the 
outlook  for  1892  is  favorable  for  all  of  us. 

I  want  to  tell  you  of  some  curious  notes  I 
took  last  summer  in  various  parts  of  the 
country.  They  may  not  be  new  to  some  of  my 
fellow  ornithologists,  but  they  are  to  me. 

I  was  staying  near  Middletown,  Del.,  a  little 
while  last  summer  and  made  observations  on 
three  pairs  of  Flickers.  The  first  pair  built  in 
a  live  tree  within  ten  feet  of  the  house  and  the 
peculiarity  was  that  the  cavity  was  natural. 
It  was  merely  a  hollow  about  six  inches  deej) 
in  the  top  of  a  stump  caused  by  a  dead 
limb  and  was  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground. 
This  hollow  was  entirely  natural  and  had  in 
no  way  been  altered  by  the  birds. 

I  watched  them  carefully  and  hoped  to  be 
able  to  discover  something  peculiar  in  the 
birds,  but  after  catching  both  the  adults  and 
carefully  examining  their  bills  and  feet,  1 
could  see  nothing  to  cause  them  to  depart 
from  the  regular  order  of  nest  building  of  their 
species.  About  a  week  after  the  young  birds 
were  hatched,  there  came  a  heavy  rain-storm 
and  on  ascending  to  the  tree,  I  found  the  nest, 
which  as  I  said  was  a  mere  cup  and  entirely 
improtected,  filled  with  water  and  the  young 
of  the  interesting  family  all  dead. 


Another  peculiar  instance  in  the  same  local- 
ity was  a  nest  by  a  pair  of  birds  of  the  same 
species  in  an  apple  tree.  The  hollow  in  this 
instance  was  fully  a  foot  and  a  half  in  diamater 
and  extended  to  the  ground,  the  birds  enter- 
ing through  a  knot  hole  about  five  feet  a  hove. 
I  noticed  them  entering  and  being  unbale  to 
reach  anything,  procured  an  axe  and  cut  out 
the  bottom  of  the  trunk.  The  eggs  were  five 
in  number  and  laid  on  the  ground  at  the 
bottom  of  the  hole.  To  make  sure  of  these 
birds  I  shot  the  male  and  have  him,  together 
with  the  eggs,  now  in  my  possession. 

I  have  on  record  another  instance  of  this 

sort  but  it  being  similiar  to  the  others  I  will 

not  relate  it.     I  should  like  to  know  if  these 

habits  have  been  observed  in  any  other  part  of 

the  country  as  they  are  entirely  new  to  me. 

M.   C.  Coaioell. 
Baltimore,  Md. 


A  Strange  Bird  Shot. 

On  Sunday  last,  Mr.  S.  C.  Yost  shot  a  bird 
which  is  said  to  be  a  stranger  in  this  part  of 
the  world,  while  on  Ward's  island.  It  is  said 
to  be  a  specimen  of  a  bird  known  as  the  Crest 
in  the  West  Indies  and  South  America,  and 
that  none  of  its  kind  has  ever  before  been  seen 
in  North  America.  There  were  two  of  them, 
evidently  a  male  and  female,  and  Mr.  Yost 
shot  both,  but  the  female  bird  fell  on  the 
Missouri  shore,  and  when  Mr.  Yost  crossed 
over  from  the  island  he  was  luiable  to  find  it 
He  met  five  fishermen  in  a  boat,  who  said  they 
saw  nothing  of  the  bird,  but  Mr.  Yost  believed 
that  they  picked  it  up  and  had  it  under  their 
nets  in  the  boat  when  he  talked  to  them. 

The  bird  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Yost  is  a 
beauty.  It  measures  nine  feet  from  tip  to  tip 
of  its  wings  and  six  feet  from  neck  to  tail  and 
weighs  forty-eight  pounds.  Its  body  is  cov- 
ered with  pure  white  feathers  as  soft  as  down, 
while  its  wings  are  jet  black.  It  has  short  legs 
and  four  claws  on  each  foot,  and  these  are  a 
brilliant  red.  A  broad  crest  crosses  its  head, 
and  this  has  given  the  species  its  name. 

Mr.  Yost  has  made  arrangements  to  have 
the  bird  embalmed,  and  it  is  now  being  done. 
It  is  no  doubt  a  rare  specimen,  as  not  a  single 
person  who  has  seen  it  ever  saw  a  bird  like  it 
before. 

Can  any  one  identify  this  species? 

O.   C.  Poling. 

Quincy,  111.,  March  19,  1892. 


92 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  6 


A  Collecting  Trip  to  Canada. 


On  the  morning  of  June  21.st,  in  conipnny 
with  my  guide,  I  arrived  in  Lac  Clair,  Canada, 
which  is  some  twenty-live  miles  north  of  the 
Kiver  St.  Lawrence  and  lifty  miles  north-west 
of  the  city  of  Quebec. 

Lac  Clair  is  a  beautiful  lake  some  live  miles 
long  by  three  wide,  surrounded  by  lofty 
mountains  that  are  covered  with  heavy  forests, 
which  I  found  to  be  the  home  of  a  great  many 
of  our  migrant  and  native  birds.  On  my 
journey  into  camp,  while  passing  through  a 
small  swamp,  I  recognized  the  notes  of  the 
Maryland  Yellow-throat  and  Canadian  War- 
blers, Chipping,  Swamp  and  the  beautiful 
White-throated  Sparrows.  Not  having  time 
to  do  any  collecting  before  the  next  day,  being 
busy  pitching  camp  and  other  things  necessary 
on  trips  of  this  kind,  I  paid  but  little  attention 
to  the  feathered  kingdom  for  the  day. 

On  the  following  day,  after  eating  our 
breakfast  of  fried  pork,  potatoes  and  trout, 
which  latter  we  found  to  be  very  plentiful  in 
the  lake,  I  took  my  small  collecting  gun  anil 
started  for  a  walk  such  as  many  of  my  readers 
would  like  to  have  taken. 

My  first  lind  was  a  handsome  male  Yellow- 
bellied  Woodpecker  that  was  climbing  up  the 
side  of  a  large  pine.  lie  was  soon  lying  at  my 
feet  in  answer  to  the  report  of  my  gun  and 
after  examining  him  and  tinding  him  to  be  an 
old  bird  of  fine  plumage,  he  went  into  the 
collecting  bag.  A  few  steps  farther  and  a 
second  one  followed  the  first. 

Ah  !  what  song  is  that  I  hear  off  to  my 
right?  the  little  Wood  Wren,  and  such  a 
song — one  that  must  be  heard  to  be  appre- 
ciated ;  and  such  a  chase  through  under-brush 
and  thickets  !  But  at  last  he  is  perched  upon 
that  stump  to  sing  once  more,  but  it  is  hi.s 
last  song,  for  now  he  adorns  my  case  at  home. 
While  putting  him  away  I  was  very  much 
surprised  to  hear  the  note  of  a  Scarlet  Tanager, 
which  I  was  not  long  in  locating  in  some 
oak  trees  and  a  still  shorter  time  in  bringing 
him  to  my  feet.  It  is  a  beautiful  specimen 
and  I  prize  it  very  much,  as  I  have  never 
heard  of  this  bird  being  so  far  north  before. 
While  returning  to  camp,  I  saw  several  Blue 
Jays  and  Black-throated  Gi-een  Warblers,  but 
left  them  for  another  day. 

On  the  following  morning,  with  my  guide, 
I  started  on  a  trip  in  a  small  birch  canoe  for 
two  large  lakes  known  as  Lac  Long  and  Lac 
Mauntabaun.  While  passing  down  Lac  Clair, 
we  passed  several    Loons  jwliich     were    not 


inclined  to  be  friendly,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  get  within  gun-shot  of  them.  A  short 
distance  farther  along  and  mother  Black  Duck 
with  her  little  family  was  in  a  great  hurry  to 
make  room  for  us  to  pass.  Arriving  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  lake,  we  were  obliged  to 
make  a  short  portage  to  the  waters  of  Lac 
Long. 

While  passing  through  some  small  birches, 
severiil  strange  notes  drew  my  attention,  and 
as  the  guide  now  wished  for  a  short  rest,  I 
went  to  investigate  them.  I  was  soon 
rewarded  by  locating  a  pair  of  Juncos. 
Knowing  their  nest  must  be  somewhere  near 
at  hand  and  after  hunting  for  a  short  time  I 
located  it  in  a  white  cedar  tree  about  lifteen 
feet  from  the  ground,  containing  young,  some 
two  weeks  old.  The  nest  I  found  to  be  made 
of  small  spruce  sticks  without  any  liniugwhat- 
ever. 

While  returning  to  the  guide  I  took  a  fine 
specimen  of  Swainson's  Thrush,  but  was  unable 
to  locate  its  nest,  and  was  very  much  disap- 
pointed in  finding  that  I  was  from  one  to  three 
weeks  too  late  to  obtain  specimens  of  any  eggs 
in  this  locality. 

We  soon  arrived  at  Lac  Long  and  while 
going  up  the  lake  started  several  Gulls  that  I 
could  not  identify.  I  located  one  of  their  nests, 
which  was  made  of  dried  grass,  on  a  large 
rock.  The  young  birds  took  to  the  water  on 
our  approach  and  as  I  had  nothing  but  my 
light  gun  with  me  they  were  perfectly  safe. 
While  examining  their  nest  my  attention  was 
called  to  a  large  Canadian  Jay  which  sat 
watching  us  from  a  neighboring  tree  and  a 
little  way  beyond,  Mr.  Raven  was  questioning 
our  rights  in  his  northern  home. 

Soon  afterwards  we  entered  the  River  Black 
which  connects  Lac  Mauntabaun  with  Lac 
Long  and  is  some  five  or  six  miles  in  length. 
As  we  entered  the  mouth  of  the  river  we 
started  several  Sand  Peeps  and  also  found 
King  Birds,  (Jhimney  and  White-bellied  Swal- 
lows quite  plentiful  of  which  I  took  several, 
fine  specimens.  On  our  way  up  the  river 
we  passed  several  Ducks  with  their  young.  It 
is  in  this  country,  I  think,  where  most  of  our 
wild  Ducks  go  during  the  breeding  season. 
My  guide  informed  me  that  just  as  soon  as  the 
young  birds  were  able  to  fly,  they  left  aiul  it 
was  impossible  to  find  any  more  during  the 
balance  of  the  season. 

After  about  two  hours  paddling  up  the 
river,  we  enteied  the  lake  and  found  it  to  be  a 
large  and  beautiful  sheet  of  water.  Several 
large  Gulls  and  Ducks  arose  on  our  approach, 


June,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


93 


also  a  large  flock  of  Crows  which  I  found  were 
feeding  on  some  dead  fish  that  had  been 
brought  ashore  by  some  animal  and  partly 
devoured. 

As  it  was  now  about  time  to  satisfy  the 
inner  man,  which  I  never  allow  to  suffer  if  it 
can  be  helped,  we  landed  and  the  guide 
began  to  prepare  dinner.  While  he  was  thus 
engaged  I  went  for  a  stroll  along  the  sandy 
beach  and  found  tracks  of  the  bear,  caribou 
and  fox  very  plentiful.  While  thus  engaged 
I  heard  the  song  of  the  Chestnut-sided 
Warbler  in  some  small  birches  near  by.  I,  of 
course,  made  him  a  call  which  resulted  in 
one  more  specimen  added  to  my  Canadian 
collection.  Soon  after,  I  took  a  iine  male 
Rusty  Blackbird  which  I  found  has  its  home 
here.  While  returning  I  saw  several  Song 
Sparrows  and  took  a  fine  specimen  of  the 
Solitary  Vireo  ;  although  1  was  unable  to  find 
the  nest  of  this  bird,  I  think  it  breeds  here. 
Wliile  eating  our  dinner  of  fried  pork,  potatoes, 
bread  and  coffee,  (which  I  will  say  tasted 
better  than  any  dinner  I  have  ever  eaten  at 
either  Parker's  or  Young's),  the  guide  drew 
my  attention  to  a  beautiful  little  Humming- 
bird, but  being  unable  to  obtain  him  1  was  not 
able  to  identify. 

After  having  satisfied  our  hunger  and 
enjoyed  the  good  old  pipe,  we  continued  our 
journey  up  the  lake  for  a  few  miles,  i)assing 
several  Loons  and  Ducks  on  our  way.  Notic- 
ing some  large  white  hemlock  trees  on  our 
right  and  wishing  to  take  a  walk  through  the 
woods  before  dark,  I  instructed  the  guide  to 
land,  which  he  did.  I  soon  added  several 
Black-throated  Blue  Warblers  to  my  collection, 
both  male  and  female,  also  one  "Parula"  of 
which  I  saw  several.  The  common  Black- 
capped  Chickadee  I  found  to  be  very  plentiful. 
It  now  being  quite  late,  we  concluded  to  camp 
here  for  the  night.  During  the  evening,  the 
Barred  Owl  was  our  principal  comj)anion,  with 
his  anything  but  cheerful  hoot  and  several 
times  through  the  night  we  heard  the  distant 
cry  of  a  bear. 

The  following  morning  I  arose  earlier,  per- 
haps, than  I  should  have  done,  had  I  not 
heard  the  note  of  a  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak 
almost  directly  over  my  head.  I  was  surprised 
to  take  this  bird  here  so  far  north. 

We  now  began  our  return  journey  to  camp 
as  it  would  take  most  of  the  day  to  return,  we 
being  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  away. 
On  our  return  trip  I  was  successful  in  taking 
several  specimens,  but  nothing  different  from 
what  I  have  mentioned,  excepting  our  common 


Robin.  This  was  the  first  one  I  had  seen, 
although  I  think  they  are  quite  common 
through  this  country  ;  but  the  timber  was 
almost  too  heavy  for  them  where  we  were. 
We  arrived  at  our  camp  on  Lac  Clair  in  due 
time,  and  I  found  plenty  to  keep  me  busy  for 
sometime  in  preparing  the  specimens  1  had 
brought  back. 

On  the  following  morning,  I  took  a  fine 
male  Wood  Pewee  near  camp.  As  we  were 
both  tired  from  our  trip  of  the  past  two  days, 
we  concluded  to  stay  in  camp  for  the  day,  but 
while  the  guide  went  out  on  the  lake  after 
trout,  I  went  out  near  camp  and  succeeded 
in  bagging  some  fine  birds,  among  which  were 
two  Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks,  White-throated 
Sparrow,  Least  Flycatcher  (of  which  I  saw  but 
one)  and  several  Yellow-rump  and  Black- 
throated  Green  Warblers  which  seemed  to  be 
very  common,  but  the  most  common  Warbler 
I  saw  while  here  was  tlie  Canadian  Flycatcher, 
I  spent  the  balance  of  tlie  day  in  preparing  my 
specimens  and  getting  ready  for  a  trip  to  Lac 
Louise,  which  lies  about  ten  miles  to  the 
northeast  of  Lac  Clair,  through  very  heavy 
timber. 

We  started  on  the  following  day  with  a 
twenty-mile  walk  before  us.  Soon  after  leav- 
ing camp,  I  recognized  the  drumming  of  the 
Ruffed  Grouse  which  I  found  to  be  rather 
scarce  through  this  country  ;  the  winters  I  am 
told  are  too  severe  for  them.  I  was  next 
attracted  by  some  strange  notes  among  some 
tall  spruce  and  hemlock  trees,  which  I  found 
was  made  by  the  little  Golden  Crown  Wren. 
I  took  .several  specimens  of  this  bird,  but  was 
unable  to  find  any  traces  of  their  nests.  A 
short  distance  beyond,  I  added  another  Wood 
Wren  and  several  Warblers  and  also  found  a 
nest  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow  ;  it  was 
placed  at  the  foot  of  a  young  spruce  tree  and 
made  of  small  spruce  twigs  and  dried  grass 
and  lined  with  the  same. 

We  arrived  at  Lac  Louise  about  noon  and 
after  exploring  the  lake  and  eating  our  lunch, 
we  started  on  our  return  trip.  As  we 
approached  the  lake  several  Gulls  arose,  but 
as  they  were  very  wild  I  was  unable  to  identify 
them.  It  was  here  near  this  lake  in  a  small 
swamp,  that  I  took  the  only  Magnolia  Warbler 
that  I  saw  during  the  time  I  spent  north 
The  Golden  Crown  Thrush  was  quite  common 
with  his  ringing  song. 

We  arrived  home  about  dark  and  both  being 
tired,  turned  in  early,  feeling  very  well  satis- 
fied with  our  day's  work. 

Although  I  spent  several  days  more  in  this 


94 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  6 


northern  country,  I  added  nothing  more  that  I 
have  not  before  mentioned.  One  day  I  was 
successful  in  seeing  the  large  Pileated  Wood- 
pecker, and  heard  several  others  at  different 
times,  but  as  they  were  very  wild  I  was  unable 
to  take  one. 

In  one  respect  my  trii)  here  was  not  a 
success,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  inasmuch  as 
during  the  entire  time  from  June  21st  to  July 
5th,  I  was  unable  to  take  a  single  nest  con- 
taining eggs  ;  every  nest  was  either  empty  or 
contained  young  at  least  two  weeks  old. 

IF.  P.  UadU'u. 


Nesting    of     the     King     Rail      Near 
Philadelphia. 


I  was  out  on  the  meadows  on  the  Schuylkill 
Iliver  below  Philadelphia,  on  June  7,  18!I2, 
looking  for  nests  of  the  Swamp  Sparrow 
(Melospiza  georyinnna)  which  breeds  plenti- 
fully in  that  locality,  when  I  came  across  a 
nest  which  amazed  me. 

It  belonged  to  the  King  Rail  {Balhis  ele<jans) 
and  contained  six  eggs.  They  proved  to  be 
fresh  and  the  bird  would  have  undoubtedly 
laid  more,  but  I  was  afraid  to  leave  tliem 
owing  to  the  number  of  persons  fre(inenting 
the  meadows. 

This  is  the  iirst  instance  that  I  am  aware 
of  where  this  bird  has  bred  in  this  locality. 

Isaac  S.  liU'JI'. 


riiilatlelpliia. 


Nesting 


of     Junco 
thurberi. 


hyemalis 


There  are  in  the  central  portion  of  Cali- 
fornia, places  where  birds,  instead  of  migrat- 
ing north  and  south,  move  upward  and 
downward  and  it  is  practically  but  a  few  days' 
journey  for  the  sub-arctic  breeders  to  reach  a 
land  of  perpetual  summer.  Probably  tlie 
most  common  of  all  our  birds  to  which  such 
unusual  advantages  are  offered,  are  the  Junco 
{J unco  hyemalis  thurberi)  and  the  White- 
crowned  Sparrow  (ZonotricJiia  leiicophrys). 
Their  nesting  habits  are  so  nearly  alike  that  to 
describe  one,  is  practically  to  describe  both. 

Junco  hyemalis  thurberi  arrives  at  its  breed- 
ing grounds  in  the  high  Sierras  at  an  altitude 
of  about  !),r)00  feet  about  the  first  of  June,  and 
by  the  end  of  the  month  nest  building  has 
commenced.  Generally  the  nest  is  placed  on 
the  ground  or  under  an  overhanging  bank  of 


a  stream.  In  all  cases  it  is  sunk  level  with 
the  surface  of  the  earth,  but  even  here  it  is 
not  safe  from  being  trami)led  upon  by  the 
cattle  which  are  driven  up  to  these  mountain 
meadows  to  browse  on  the  short  succulent 
grass  which  they  are  denied  on  the  desert  at 
the  eastern  foot  of  the  mountains. 

One  nest  was  found  beneath  a  pine  branch 
which  had  but  recently  been  chopped  off.  It, 
like  all  others,  was  made  of  grass  with  a  few 
fine  twigs  as  a  foundation. 

Three  eggs  constituted  a  set,  as  was  evi- 
denced by  the  several  nests  found.  At  this 
time,  the  parents  utter  little  less  than  a 
nervous  chirp,  though  later,  after  migration  to 
the  lowlands,  it  has  a  note  almost  identical 
with  that  of  Parus  (jambell,  I  think  that  they 
are  able  to  raise  but  one  brood  a  season,  for 
until  the  middle  of  June  snow  is  on  the 
ground,  and  by  the  middle  of  September  the 
earth  is  again  covered  with  a  white  mnntel. 

Fred  IP.  Koch. 
Twin  ( )aks.  Cal. 


New   Publications. 


List  of  N.  A.  Birds  now  in  the  mu.seum  of 
the  University  of  IVIichigan  "Ann  Arbor,"  by 
Filibert  Roth.  The  collection  at  the  time 
consisted  of  4,308  skins.  'The  yeneric  and 
specific  names  are  taken  from  the  latest  edition 
of  Cones'  Key  to  N.  A.  Birds.  Contributions 
are  solicited  by  Prof.  J.  B.  Steers,  the  curator. 

Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Linnwan 
Society  of  New  York.  All  through  its  pages 
appear  the  names  of  those  well  known  to  us 
as  ornithologists.  Mr.  L.  S.  Foster,  we  notice, 
takes  a  lively  interest  in  this  society  as  well  as 
in  the  A.  O.  U.  We  quote  the  last  paragraph : 
"Dr.  C.  S.  Allen  supplemented  his  paper  of 
January  0th  with  additional  facts  about  his 
dangerous  pets,  and  thrilled  those  i)resent  by 
shaking  out  of  a  bag  a  large  rattlesnake  and  a 
moccasin,  alive,  and  then  endeavoring  to  pro- 
voke them  to  coil  and  strike." 

Just  tiiink  of  that  dignified  assembly  sitting 
around  Dr.  Allen  and  really  believing  they 
saw  snakes.     Whew  ! 

The  University  Marine  Biological  Association 
of  Sea  Isle  City,  N.  J.,  founded  for  the  purpose 
of  increasing  our  knowledge  of  American  food- 
fishes  and  mollusks,  is  an  enterprise  that 
opens  facilities  for  study  of  marine  life  that 
should  be  known  to  the  public.  Full  particu- 
lai's  can  be  obtained  by  applying  to  the  above 
address. 


June,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


95 


ORNITHOLOGIST.^"OOLOG1ST 

A  Monthly  Magazine  of 

NATURAL    HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY  DEVOTED  TO  THE  STUDY  OK 

THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS, 

and  to  the 

INTERESTS     OF     NATURALISTS. 

Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 


FRANK  B.   WEBSTER, 
J.  PARKER  NORRIS, 


Hyde  Park,  Mass. 
Philadelphia,  Pa 


PUBLISHED  AT  THE 

MUSEUM  AND  NATURALISTS'  SUPPLY  DEPOT 

OF  THE 

FRANK   BLAKE   WEBSTER   COMPANY, 

INCORPORATED, 

HroE  Park,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 


The  O.  &  O.  is  mailed  each  issue  to  every  paid  sub- 
scriber.   If  you  fall  to  receive  it,  notify  us. 


Removal. 


Looking  forwaid  to  a  final  and  permanent 
location  for  a  business  loiifj  established,  we 
have  located  at  Hyde  Park,  Mass.  In  a  previous 
number  of  the  O.  &  O.  we  gave  a  description 
of  our  main  building,  or  museum,  as  we 
called  it  last  season.  We  moved  our  office  in 
Boston  to  more  commodious  quarters,  but 
after  a  years'  trial  find  that  the  vast  stock  of 
natural  history  material  that  we  carry  requires 
still  more  room.  Further  we  find  that  our 
original  plans  of  consolidating  our  entire 
business  at  one  place  where  it  can  be  under 
the  personal  supervision  of  the  writer  is 
demanded  by  the  natural  increase  of  business. 
So  we  have  discontinued  our  Boston  office 
and  removed  our  entire  business  as  above. 
Our  works  are  located  at  the  Ilazle- 
wood  station,  on  the  Providence  Division  of 
the  Old  C-olony  Railroad,  seven  miles  from 
Boston,  trains  running  hourly. 

In  the  main  building  the  upper  floor  has 
been  fitted  up  for  a  display  room,  and  contains 
m.any  rare  and  valuable  specimens, —  also  min- 
erals, shells  and  land  and  marine  curios.  The 
lower  fioor  is  divided,  one  room  devoted  to  eggs 
and  birds'  skins,  and  the  other  to  naturalist's 
supplies. 

A  new  building  20  x  40  is  nearly  completed, 


which  is  to  be  used  for  work  rooms,  and  as 
is  required  other  small  buildings  will  be 
added.  Each  department  will  be  so  arranged 
that  our  patrons  who  visit  us  can  see  the 
goods  in  which  they  are  interested  to  the  best 
advantage. 

As  soon  as  we  are  able  we  shall  issue  cata- 
logues of  all  our  specimens  which  we  have  on 
hand,  and  copies  will  be  sent  to  all  who  have 
purchased  goods  from  us  during  the  past  year. 

We  have  a  large  stock  of  stuffed  birds  which 
we  propose  to  exchange  for  birds'  skins. 

Birds'  eggs  will  be  exchanged  for  others 
such  as  we  require,  and  for  birds'  skins. 

SUPPLIES. 

We  shall  increase  our  stock  in  this  line 
largely  in  excess  of  what  we  have  ever  carried 
so  as  to  be  able  to  fill  all  orders  without  delay. 

PAPIER   MACHE   HEADS. 

The  manufacture  of  this  line  of  goods  is 
now  being  pushed  so  that  large  orders  can  be 
filled  upon  receipt  of  same. 

GLASS    EYES. 

We  shall  continue  to  carry  a  full  stock  of 
glass  eyes  manufactured  by  Mr.  Thomas 
Hurst  of  Birmingham,  whose  make  has  long 
been  acknowledged  the  best  in  the  world. 

TAXIDERMY. 

AV^e  shall  increase  our  facilities  in  this 
department,  and  with  the  best  workmen  that 
can  be  employed  propose  to  do  the  work  at 
popular  prices. 

SCHOOL   COLLECTIONS. 

.   We  shall  pay  particular  attention  to  furnish- 
ing type  collections  at  moderate  prices. 

Spoitsmen,    Naturalists,    Taxidermists    and 
Teachers  are  cordially  invited  to  visit  us  and 
examine  our  stock. 
Catalogues  t-ent  on  application. 

Frank  B.  Werster,  Treas., 
Hyde  Park,  Mass. 


EXCHANGE    AND    WANTS. 

We  propose  to  devote  one  page  of  this  maga- 
zine to  Exchange  and  wants  of  our  readers. 
The  charge  will  be  50  cents  for  one  inch  space. 
Advertisements  of  dealers  $1.00  per  inch, 


Brief  Notes. 


Robert  Dresser  on  May  20,  took  a  Catbird's 
nest  containing  four  eggs  and  one  egg  of  the 
Yellow-billed  Cuckoo.  Is  our  Cuckoo  in 
danger  of  imitating  its  English  cousin  ? 

PlED-BILLED  GREBEIN  MASSACHUSETTS.   GeO. 

F.  Tew  found  a  nest  of  the  Pied-billed   Grebe 


96 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  6 


at  Whitman,  Mass.,  May  1.  It  contained 
eight  eggs.  Again,  on  May  13,  he  found  a  set 
of  eight  eggs.  Tlie  nest  was  made  of  nislies 
and  grass  and  was  built  so  as  to  rise  and  fall 
eighteen  inches  with  the  water. 

I  have  three  litters  of  skunks  at  present, 
one  of  nine,  which  is  a  large  one.  Lean  beef 
is  the  best  meat  for  them,  but  I  feed  the  old 
ones  most  anything.  I  have  taken  five  sets  of 
Red-shouldered  and  one  of  lled-tailed  Hawks. 

A.  E.  Kihbe. 

"  For  Sale  ;  Motnted  Animals.  What  I 
are  you  retailing  a  cavalry  regiment  ?  Not 
re-tailing,  but  selling  them,  eh  ?  Wade. 

The  Northhampton  Daily  Gazette  reports 
the  finding  of  a  Duck  Hawk's  nest  on  Mount 
Tom,  by  two  boys,  who  succeeded  in  climbing 
oyer  the  ledge  and  getting  the  three  eggs. 
During  the  cold  rain  storm  of  the  past  week  a 
great  many  of  the  Warblers,  mostly  the  Red- 
start, have  been  found  in  barns  and  sheds  and 
a  number  have  fiown  into  the  houses  and 
acted  as  if  they  were  cold.  A  number  of 
Scarlet  Tanagers  have  been  found  dead. 

J.   ir.  Jackson. 

Belchertown,  Mass. 

The  Caspian  Tern  at  llhodv  Island.  May  10, 
I  had  the  good  fortune  to  kill  a  Caspian  Tern. 

Claude  Dumt. 
Ocean  View. 

[From  Mr.  Dunn's  description  there  is  no 
doubt  as  to  the  identity.  —  Ei».] 

R.  H.White,  Jr.,  says,  "  My  skunks  are  doing 
finely.  I  have  named  the  mother  Violet.  We 
would  not  be  surprised  to  see  skunks  univer- 
sally installed  as  i>ets.   They  make  good  ones." 

The  Observer,  Portland,  Conn.,  one  of  our 
valued  exchanges,  states  that  in  two  days  a 
gang  of  three  men  killed  110,89(5  caterpillars 
and  pupa;  (Gypsy  moth).  We  are  very  nuuli 
])leased  to  see  such  statements,  but  it  is  a 
pity  they  did  not  knock  out  104  more  to  make 
120,000.     By  the  way,  how  were  they  counted  ? 

John  C.  Reynolds,  84  Clinton  Place,  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.,  asks  '•  What  bird,  domestic  or 
foreign  is  the  swiftest  on  the  wing,  and  what 
distance  can  it  make  in  a  given  time  ?  "  Who 
can  answer  this  ? 

I  found  a  Blue  Gray  Gnatcatcher's  nest  and 
several  Crow.s'  nests  at  CofEeyville,  Kan.,  May 
21.  Arthur  McDole.  ^ 

The  Bulletin,  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  N.  Y.,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  2,  De- 
cember, ISOl,  contains  articles  on  "  NewSpecies 
of  Bat";  "  New  or  Little  Known  Mammals  of 
B.  A.  and  others,"  by  J.  A.  Allen;  "New 
Species  of  Chipmunk,  Weasel  and  Fox;" 
"Notes  on  Owls  and  Skunks,"  by  Edgar  A. 
Mearns  ;  "Color  Paterns  of  the  Upper  Tail 
Coverts  in  Colaptes  Auratus"  ;  "  Birds  Observed 
near  Corpus  Christi,"  by  Frank  M.  Chapman  ; 
"Observations  on  Some  Cretaceous  Fossils 
from  Syria,"  by  R.  P.  Whitfield  ;  "A  Perfect 
Broadside  from  Heavy  Artillery." 


"Autobiographical  Sketches  and  Personal 
Recollections,"  by  George  T.  Angel,  president 
of  the  American  Humane  Education  Society, 
contains  a  general  outline  of  the  writer's  work 
and  is  well  worth  reading.  It  can  be  had  at 
the  nominal  sum  of  ten  cents  to  cover  postage. 
The  publication  of  the  Mass.  S.  of  C.  to  A. 
reaches  us  regularly  and  is  quite  interesting. 
For  particulars  address  19  Milk  street, 
Boston. 

The  Boston  Commonwealth,  weekly,  25 
Bromlield  street,  a  family  paper,  is  one  of 
our  valued  exchanges. 

The  Sportsman  and  Tourest,  for  May  contains 
several  very  interesting  articles  and  an  account 
of  a  man  swallowed  l)y  a  whale  and  afterwards 
rescued  is  quite  novel.  The  regiUar  subscrip- 
tion rate  is  ^1.00  per  annum.  We  have 
arranged  to  furnish  it  with  the  O.  &  O.  for 
^l.oO  for  both  magazines  for  1892  to  who 
have  already  subscriVted  to  the  O.  iV  O.,  we 
will  send  it  for  75  cents. 

The  American  Naturalist  is  now  published 
by  Binder  &  Kelly,  518  Union  street,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 

Dear  Sir, — Will  you  inform  me  in  your  next 
issue,  if  posible,  which  are  the  swiftest  flying 
birds.  A  friend  says  the  Golden  P^agle  and  I 
understand  that  the  Canvas  Back  Duck  is. 
Which  is  right'.'  I  have  looked  in  encyclo- 
pasdias  and  natural  histories  but  haven't  been 
able  to  find  it.  James  B.  B.  Smith. 

1  St.  James  Terrace,  Uoxbury,  Mass. 

One  day  in  early  June,  1891,  while  I  was 
searching  a  small  swamp  near  here,  I  flis- 
covered  a  nest  of  the  Summer  Warbler.  The 
nest  was  situated  in  a  ff»rk  formed  by  four 
upright  twigs.  After  watching  a  few  moments 
I  noticed  the  constructors  of  this  little  gem 
busily  engaged  in  putting  on  the  finishing 
touches. 

Three  days  later  I  returned  in  hopes  of  find- 
ing the  eggs  but  I  saw  neither  the  eggs  nor 
the  birds;  I  went  away  disappointed  but 
returned  a  week  later,  hoping  that  the  eggs 
had  been  laid.  Judge  of  my  surprise  then,  to 
see  a  Red-winged  Blackbird's  nest  built  in  the 
same  folk.  The  nest  which  contained  three 
eggs  was  built  directly  over  the  Warbler's  little 
house  ;  the  side  of  one  being  interwoven  with 
that  of  the  other. 

Undoubtedly  the  Blackbird,  with  superior 
size  and  strength,  iiad  driven  the  occupants  of 
this  little  summer  home  away,  selfishly  appro- 
priating this  favored  site  to  themselves. 

7?.  //.    White,  Jr. 
Chestnnt  Hill,  Mass. 

Mr.  James  T.  Clark,  who  for  several  years 
was  in  our  em]iloy  as  one  of  our  taxidermists, 
is  no  longer  with  us;  we  learn  he  is  starting  in 
business  for  himself.  We  wish  him  success, 
and  while  we  hope  to  receive  the  patronage  of 
our  custf>mers,  we  believe  that  any  work  done 
by  him  will  be  as  satisfactory  as  it  has  been 
to  us. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 


PUBLISHED   BY  THE  FRANK  BLAKE    WEBSTER  COMPANY. 

Established,  March,  1875. 


$1.00  per 
Annum. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII. 


HYDE    PARK,  MASS.,  JULY,  1892. 


No.  7. 


Notes    From    Nova    Scotia. 


I  have  been  so  rushed  witli  business  tliis 
season  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  devote 
much  time  to  the  birds,  but  I  have  done  a 
little  and  now  beg  to  hand  you  particulars  as 
taken  from  my  journal  and  hope  some  may 
prove  of  interest. 

Ai^ril  22.  Was  down  to  Porter's  Lake  about 
sixteen  miles  from  here  and  took  a  nest  of 
Canada  Jay  containing  two  eggs.  Nest  was 
built  on  limb  of  a  low,  thick,  black  spruce. 
The  9  was  seen  on  and  off  nest  ;  eggs  were 
slightly  incubated. 

May  30.  To  woods  all  day.  Yesterday 
saw  pair  of  Golden-crowned  Kinglets  ; 
hunted  for  nest  all  day  and  came  home  at 
seven  in  the  evening,  tired  out  with  cliasing 
the  birds  about  and  climbing  a  few  million 
trees.  Went  at  it  again  at  half  past  eight  this 
morning  and  at  twenty  minutes  past  one  I  had 
the  nest.  I  was  about  done  up,  as  it  was  hard 
work  and  took  a  lot  of  patience,  (something 
that  I  do  not  possess  to  any  very  great  extent). 
Nest  is  up  about  forty  feet  and  away  out  on 
the  end  of  black  spruce  limb.  I  did  not 
examine  it  as  bird  was  carrying  stuff  to  it, 
and  I  take  it  that  she  has  not  completed  the 
building.  This  makes  three  Golden-crt)\vned 
Kinglets  I  have  found  ;  one  on  June  2,  1889, 
with  nine  eggs  and  one  on  June  14tli,  that 
contained  young.  I  find  this  species  is 
very  hard  to  place,  as  they  make  very  little 
noise  and  keei^  way  uj}  high  on  the  trees.  I 
saw  a  jiair  of  "Ruby"  but  could  not  locate 
nest  and  will  try  it  again.  The  $  Ruby  is 
very  misleading  as  he  covers  the  ground  for 
fully  a  mile  square  and  the  9  is  not  to  be 
seen.  I  found  nest  of  Olive-backed  Thrush 
just  about  built.  This  was  on  a  little  spruce 
tree  about  seven  feet  up  from  the  ground. 
Will  go  at  the  Ruby  Kinglet's  again  to-morrow. 

June  1.  To  woods  this  morning  ;  located 
the    $    Ruby   that  I  was  after  yesterday  and 


followed  him  about  from  nine  o'clock  until 
half  past  twelve,  then  gave  it  up.  I  walked 
about  three  hundred  yards  from  where  I  had 
last  left  the  $,  when  I  heard  him  again  just 
behind  me,  so  I  turned  about  and  went  back, 
looked  at  black  spruce  that  I  thought  might 
hold  nest,  went  up  it  and  just  as  I  got  near  the 
top  down  came  the  9  ^i'<^l  that  .■settled  it. 
The  nest  was  underneath  the  branch,  sus- 
pended from  the  little  twigs  and  to  my  great 
satisfaction,  contained  ten  eggs.  I  got  the 
whole  business  safe  to  the  ground  and  as  it 
was  then  quarter  of  one,  I  left  for  home 
perfectly  satisfied  with  my  morning's  work. 
The  nest  is  a  fine  one  and  the  eggs  were  quite 
fresh  and  were  blown  nicely. 

June  4.  To  the  woods  this  afternoon. 
Located  another  $  Ruby  and  put  in  the  whole 
afternoon  trying  to  find  nest,  but  did  not 
succeed  ;  but  while  tramping  to  and  fro 
through  the  swamp,  I  nearly  crushed  a  bird 
with  one  of  my  number  twelve  boots  and 
looking  about  soon  had  the  nest.  This  held 
five  eggs,  white  ground,  spotted  with  red. 
The  bird  kept  up  high  overhead  and  being 
new  to  me,  I  left  for  home,  got  the  gun, 
started  her  off  nest  again  and  then  gathered 
her  in  and  am  sending  the  skin  to  you  for 
identification.*  The  stomach  of  bird  was  full 
of  flies  and  a  few  spiders  by  way  of  variety.  I 
did  not  see  the  $.  The  nest  was  in  the 
swamp,  raised  up  from  the  wet  ground  and 
built  in  underneath  a  little  hillock  and  right 
by  where  I  found  the  Yellow  Palm  Warbler's 
nest  last  yeai-.  I  also  found  another  Olive- 
backed  Thrush  nest  just  built  up  in  top  of 
little  spruce. 

June  5.  To  woods  all  day  after  the  Ruby 
again,  and  this  time  I  succeeded  in  placing  the 
nest  or  rather  the  place  where  the  bird  intends 
to  build  it,  as  there  are  now  only  a  few  little 
bits  of  moss  that  cannot  be  noticed  excejit  by 
aid  of  the  glasses.     The  9  is  hard  at  work  and 

*  Nashville  Warbler. 


Copyriftht,  1892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


98 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  7 


the  $,  as  usual,  puts  in  the  time  singing. 
Th  s  nest  is  fully  two  hundred  yards  away 
from  where  the  $  led  me  to  helieve  it  was. 
I  examined  the  Golden-crowned  Kinglet's  nest 
found  May  30th  and  it  was  full  of  young,  so  I 
was  wrong  in  thinking  it  was  material  that 
the  9  w^^s  carrying  on  the  :30th  ult.  1  found 
a  Hummingbird's  nest  witli  two  eggs.  Looked 
at  Olive-backed  Thrush  fouiul  the  80th  ult. 
and  it  held  two  eggs  wliicli  were  greenish-blue 
with  red  spots. 

June  6.  Ran  (»ut  this  evening  to  see  how 
the  Ruby  was  getting  on  with  her  nest  found 
on  morning  of  the  5th  and  was  surprised  to 
see  it  completed  on  tlie  outside,  which  shows 
hitw  hard  the  bird  must  work  and  with  what 
rapidity  tiiey  build  their  nests.  Also  found 
nest  of  Summer  Yellow  Bird  just  about  built. 

June  7.  To  woods  all  day  and  worked  hard. 
I  left  iutme  at  eight  o'clock  ;  on  way  out  found 
Kedstart's  nest  just  built  ;  kept  on  and  hunted 
up  anotiier  Kiiby  and  stayed  witli  him  until 
live  in  the  evening,  but  do  what  1  could,  1 
could  not  place  the  nest,  although  I  went  over 
and  over  the  ground  and  climbed  tree  after 
tree.  One  of  tlie  big  black  spruces  that  I 
went  up,  I  was  surprised  to  find  way  up  in  the 
top  out  on  one  of  the  limbs  a  MyitU?  Warbler's 
nest  with  four  eggs.  This  nest  was  uj)  fully 
forty  feet  ;  eggs  were  slightly  incubated,  but 
were  nicely  blown.  I  took  nest  of  Song 
Sparrow  found  on  the  5th  with  three  eggs  ; 
to-day  it  held  five,  all  fresh. 

June  8.  Off  to  woods  again  all  day  ;  put  in 
whole  day  trying  to  locate  tiie  Ruby  nest  that 
I  looked  for  all  day  yesterday,  but  it  was  a 
failure.  1  hunted  the  groiuid  for  a  mile 
around  but  had  to  give  it  up.  I  found  a  nest 
up  on  <me  of  the  black  spruces,  out  on  one  of 
the  limbs,  with  one  egg  in  it  that  looks  very 
much  like  a  Bay-breasted  Warbler's,  but  1  could 
not  see  the  bird,  so  left  it.  Took  the  Olive- 
backed  Thrush  nest  found  built  May  .30th  and 
that  held  two  eggs  on  the  5th  ;  to-day  it  held 
four.  I  shot  the  9  ^s  it  is  the  second  nest  of 
this  species  that  I  ever  found  and  I  wanted  to 
be  certain  of  identity. 

June  9.  To  woods  this  afternoon  ;  took 
nest  of  Song  Sparrow  witli  four  eggs.  Looked 
at  Thrush  nest  found  the  4th  ;  it  held  two 
eggs  to-day.  Watched  the  9  Ruby  found 
building  on  5th.  She  is  now  carrying  feathers 
and  lining  the  inside  of  her  nest.  Took  six 
eggs  of  Golden-winged  Woodpecker. 

June  12.  To  woods  all  day.  Took  Thrush 
nest  found  built  the  4th,  which  held  two  eggs 
on  the  9th  ;  to-day  it  contained  three.     I  saw 


the  9  o"  tli6  nest.  She  was  quite  tame. 
Had  a  look  at  Ruby  found  building  on  the 
5tli  and  nest  is  now  complete  and  she  is  on  it. 
I  looked  at  nest  found  on  8th  with  one  egg. 
Went  up  tree  carefully  and  watched  9  on 
nest  and  saw  that  it  was,  as  I  suspected,  a 
Bay -breasted  Warbler;  scared  lier  off  and 
took  the  nest,  which  lield  five  eggs  so  the 
bird  has  laid  four  since  the  8th.  The  eggs 
were  quite  fresh,  are  nicely  blown  and  a 
fine  set.  I  put  in  three  hours  trying  to  locate 
the  Ruby  nest  that  I  looked  for  on  the  7th  and 
Stii,  but  could  not  find  it.  On  my  way  home 
I  found  another  Bay-breasted  Warbler's  nest 
that  the  9  is  just  about  completing  as  she  was 
carrying  materials  and  placing  them  in  the 
nest.  I  located  a  pair  of  Olive-sided  Fly- 
catchers which  I  will  look  after  later. 

June  13.  Out  to  woods  this  afternoon  with 
ovu'  mutual  friend,  Morse  of  your  place,  and 
showed  liim  the  Ruby  Kinglet's  nest  found 
building  on  5th,  also  a  Bay-breasted  Warbler's 
nest.  At  same  time  1  found  nest  of  Black- 
throated  Green  Warbler  with  two  eggs.  This 
is  uj)  about  fifteen  feet,  on  a  large  black  spruce 
and  way  out  on  end  of  limb. 

June  16.  Out  for  an  hour  this  afternoon. 
Found  and  took  Redstart's  nest  with  four 
eggs;  also  found  nest  just  built  on  liir.b  of  black 
sjiruce,  which  I  suspect  is  a  l?ay-breasted 
Warbler's,  as  1  noticed  a  pair  of  tlie  birds 
around. 

.June  17.  lian  out  this  ev(  ning  and  examined 
nest  mentioned  above;  it  now  contains  one 
egg;  did  not  see  9>  ^"t  ^^^  certain  it  is  as  I 
tliought,  a  Bay-breasted  Warbler.  I  took  the 
Black- throated  Green  Warbler,  found  on  13th; 
it  held  four  eggs;  9  seen  on  and  off  the  ne§t; 
eggs  were  fresh. 

June  18.  Out  thi-  afternoon  and  examined 
for  first  time  the  inside  of  Ruby  Kinglet's  nest 
found  building  on  5th,  and  that  the  9  was 
lining  with  feathers  on  the  9th.  This  held  one 
egg  to-day.  "^I'liis  bird  appears  to  me  slow 
and  late.  Found  and  took  some  kind  of  a 
Vireo's  nest;  can't  make  it  out,  unless  it  is  the 
Blue-headed.  I  describe  it  fvdly,  so  you  can 
assist  me.  Eggs  are  %  of  an  inch  in  length 
and  1!^  inches  in  circumference;  the  markings 
form  a  ring  around  the  larger  end  of  a 
reddish-chestnut;  very  fine  specks  and  eggs 
are  quite  pointed  at  the  smaller  end.  The  nest 
outside  is  composed  of  fine  strips  of  birch 
bark  woven  in  and  out,  and  inside  is  lined 
with  very  fine,  dry  grass  and  fine  reddish 
colored  stalks  of  some  kind  of  grass  or  swamp 
moss.     Outside  of  nest  measures  10  inches  in 


July,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


99 


circumference  by  3  inches  in  depth; 
inside  depth  is  ]^incl)es  by  2J^  inclies  across 
the  top  on  the  inside  and  3  inches  across  tlie 
top  on  tlie  outside.  Nest  is  cup  hke  and 
pensile,  and  was  up  about  ten  feet  from  the 
ground  attached  by  the  rim  to  a  dry,  forked 
spruce  branch,  while  bottom  of  nest  rested 
and  was  also  attached  to  a  dry  limb  that  ran 
out  underneath.  I  saw  the  $  on  tlie  nest  and 
shook  branch  hard  once  or  twice  before  she 
would  vacate  the  nest.  She  was  quite  tame, 
coming  right  close  up  to  me  and  uttering  a 
quivering  kind  of  harsh,  quick,  jerky  sounds 
like  quee,  quee,  quee.  The  bird  was  more 
stoutly  built  than  the  common  Red-eyed  Vireo 
and  had  a  white  line  around  the  eye;  belly  was 
whitish  and  quite  yellow  or  sulphur  colored  on 
the  sides.  I  did  not  have  my  gun  or  should 
have  gathered  her  in;  eggs  were  slightly 
incubated. 

I  also  found  nest  in  an  old  stump;  entrance 
was  by  a  small  hole  in  the  side  about  eight 
inches  from  ground.  I  tore  away  the  opening 
and  about  six  inches  down  was  the  nest;  it  held 
five  eggs,  but  as  I  could  see  no  bird  about  that 
would  lit  the  nest,  except  a  Black  and  White 
Creeper  $ ,  I  hid  and  watched  for  nearly  two 
hours  and  no  bird  showing  I  fixed  up  stump 
and  left  for  home.  I  went  back  again  after  tea 
and  watched  until  dark,  and  with  no  better 
success,  so  left  it  for  the  night. 

June  19.  To  woods  most  all  day.  I  made 
for  nest  in  the  stump  and  on  the  way  found 
and  took  a  Bay-breasted  Warbler's  nest  with 
five  eggs.  This  was  out  on  end  of  branch  on 
big,  black  spruce,  about  twenty  feet  up.  9 
was  on  nest  ;  watched  her  for  a  while  and 
then  took  it.  Nest  is  composed  of  dry  hay, 
small  twigs  of  the  fir  tree  and  roots,  and  is 
lined  with  hair  and  pine  needles  ;  eggs  slightly 
incubated  ;  they  have  a  blue  shade,  spotted 
and  blotched  with  reddish-brown,  principally 
at  large  end  and  here  and  there  are  streaked 
and  dotted  with  black.  I  examined  the  other 
Bay-breast  found  on  the  IGth,  which  held  one 
egg  on  17th  and  there  were  three  eggs  in  it 
to-day.  I  left  it  for  birds  to  complete  the  set. 
When  I  got  to  the  stump,  no  bird  was  there 
and  eggs  appeared  to  be  damp  and  cold,  so  I 
took  them  and  the  nest  and  herewith  give 
description  so  you  can  help  me  out.  Eggs 
have  white  background  and  dotted  pretty  near 
all  over  with  very  fine  reddish  dots,  being 
more  thickly  placed  at  larger  end.  The  eggs 
are  small,  being  IJ/,  inches  in  circumference  at 
largest  part  and  %  of  an  inch  in  length  and  are 
sharply   pointed    at   smallest    end.     The   nest 


outside  is  composed  of  fine  green  moss  ;  inside 
is  a  thick  wool  like  felt ;  it  has  no  grass, 
feathers  or  hair  in  its  makeup  and  I  am 
inclined  to  think  it  is  a  Hudsonian,  as  I 
noticed  the  birds  about  there  on  the  9th,  inst. 
Eggs  five  in  number  ;  incubation  begun. 
Nest,  depth  outside,  2%  inches;  depth  inside, 
IJ^  inches  ;  circumference  outside,  9  inches  ; 
across  top  outside,  3  inches  ;  across  top  inside, 
V/2  inches. 

I  also  found  close  by,  a  Magnolia  Warbler's 
nest  with  four  eggs  ;  9  on  the  nest.  This 
was  on  a  low  spruce  tree  ;  eggs  slightly 
incubated.  I  had  another  hunt  for  the  Ruby 
Kinglet  that  I  looked  for  all  day  on  7th  and 
8th  and  found  it.  Strange  to  say,  it  was 
on  a  black  spruce  that  I  had  gone  up  and 
looked  over  time  and  again.  Nest  was  out  on 
end  of  a  beastly  thick  branch  that  hung  down 
at  tlie  end  and  hid  the  nest.  The  nest  was  right 
in  the  thickest  part  and  was  fastened  by  the 
sides  to  the  little  twigs  and  was  suspended. 
I  could  not  see  eggs  as  the  nest  was  hard  to 
get  at  and  the  opening  of  nest  was  covered 
over  completely  with  feathers  and  lined  with 
feathers  all  the  way  down  on  inside  and 
bottom  and  the  eggs  were  hid  irom  view. 
First  I  have  ever  seen  like  that  ;  but  I  could 
feel  the  eggs  with  my  finger,  so  I  took  nest 
and  on  arrival  home  found  it  contained  six 
eggs  all  of  which  were  incub.ited,  but  I 
succeeded  in  blowing  them  finely.  Am  glad  I 
found  this  as  I  had  worked  hard  for  it.  This 
was  a  good  day  for  Yours  very  truly, 

Dartmouth,  N.  S.  H.  Austen. 


Nesting     of     the     Louisiana    Water 
Thrush. 


The  Louisiana  Water  Thrush  arrives  at 
Raleigh  from  the  twenty-fifth  of  March  to  the 
first  of  April  according  to  the  forward- 
ness of  the  season.  While  it  cannot  be  called 
common  yet  it  is  of  regular  distribution,  being 
found  wherever  suitable  breeding  grounds 
occur,  but  as  a  general  rule  only  one  pair  will 
be  found  inhabiting  each  small  stream  suitable 
for  their  nesting  site. 

The  nest  is  built  in  the  steep  bank  of  a  small 
woodland  stream  usually  on  the  outside  of  a 
curve  and  is  usually  directly  above  running 
water,  being  placed  among  tree  roots  in  the 
side  of  the  bank  or  among  drift  trash  at  a 
height  of  from  six  inches  to  four  feet  above  the 
water.  A  foundation  of  wet,  dead  leaves  is 
first  placed  on  a  root  or  in  a  depression  in  the 


100 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  7 


bank,  iuu\  then  the  nest  composed  of  leaf 
stems,  grass  stems,  weed  stems,  etc.,  is  built 
oil  this  and  lined  with  finer  material,  the  nest 
exclusive  of  its  foundation  being  not  unlike 
that  of  a  Chat,  the  foundation,  however,  being 
not  infrequently  nearly  as  large  as  the  nest 
proper.  In  this  nest,  which,  like  that  of  most 
small  birds  takes  about  ten  days  building,  and 
which  is  usually  sheltered  from  the  weather  by 
the  projecting  bank  above.  The  Louisiana 
Wiiter  Thrush  lays  her  four  or  live  eggs 
provided  no  one  looks  at  the  nest  or  walks  by 
it  in  the  branch;  if  that  occurs  she  usually 
forsakes  the  nest  and  starts  another,  one  bird 
this  year  having  forsaken  two  successive  nests 
but  I  got  a  set  of  four  from  the  third  which 
was  found  with  eggs  in. 

The  natural  date  for  fresh  sets  is  from  April 
2Gth  to  Miiy  10th  and  only  one  brood  is  raised 
in  the  year.  Of  course  when  the  Louisiana 
deserts  her  nest,  or  the  first  set  is  taken,  she 
builds  another  nest  and  so  gives  us  sets  of 
eggs  much  later  than  the  above  dates;  but  1 
am  convinced  that  unless  the  nest  is  deserted 
or  destroyed,  the  set  is  almost  invariably 
completed  by  May  7th,  in  fact  I  have  found 
hardset  eggs  on  May  4th. 

Although  the  nest  is  built  on  the  bank  of  a 
small  branch  usually  half  a  mile  or  so  from  its 
mouth,  yet  one  seldom  sees  the  birds  along  the 
branch,  their  feeding  grounds  being  in  the  low 
grounds  of  the  creek  or  river  into  which  it 
flows  sometimes  nearly  a  mile  away  and  there 
the  loud,  vigorous  song  of  the  male  may  be 
heard  or  the  loud  chirp  of  both  sexes  as  they 
run  about  in  tiie  mud  or  on  the  edge  of  pool 
and  stream  looking  for  their  grub  in  more 
senses  than  one. 

The  distribution  of  this  bird  may,  perhaps, 
be  better  understood  when  I  say  that  for 
some  seven  or  eight  miles  from  the  mouth  of 
Walnut  Creek  up  stream,  I  know  of  only  seven 
tributaries  (branches)  of  Walnut  Creek  they 
breed  on  and  usually  only  one  pair  on  each, 
though  on  two  occasions  I  have  known  two 
pairs  on  a  branch,  yet  every  branch  is  not  used 
every  year. 

The  young  appear  in  Jxine  and  July  and 
linger  on  into  August  sometimes,  and  I  have 
noticed  that  when  the  young  are  in  good 
feather  the  adults  are  usually  moulting  and 
worthless  as  specimens. 

The  Louisiana  is  more  active  and  strong  of 
wing  than  tlie  Common  Water  Thrush  and  to 
my  taste  is  better  looking.  Cynics  say  that  is 
because  he  is  worth  more.  But  there  is  no 
doubt  as  to  his  superiority  on  one  point,  viz., 


his    better    taste    in    selecting    his    feeding 

grounds,    he   not   being  found  in  such    awful 

thickets  of  mud   and   briers   as   his   transient 

cousin  delights  to  frequent. 

C.  S.  Brimley. 
Raleigh,  N.  C. 


An    Adventure. 


For  nearly  two  weeks  I  had  watched  that 
Fish  Hawk's  nest  and  I  was  detei  mined  to 
have  either  the  eggs  or  a  pair  of  young 
birdlets. 

At  last  the  female  began  to  set  and  at  the 
end  of  the  usual  time  the  eggs  hatched  and  I 
then  was  in  a  dilemma  as  to  how  long  to  wait 
before  capturing  the  young  ones.  Finally, 
when  I  would  see  them  stietch  their  necks 
over  the  side  of  the  nest,  I  decided  not  to 
delay  operations  any  longer  for  fear  I  should 
lose  my  game.  So  one  bright  morning  I 
started  out,  minus  the  usual  outfit  of  climbing 
irons  and  rope  for  they  would  have  been 
useless. 

Tall,  straight  and  without  a  twig  for  nearly 
twenty-five  feet,  and  then  such  a  growth  of 
scrubby,  gnarled  and  tangled  branches  as  I 
hope  never  to  encounter  again  — such  was  the 
tree  that  I  was  preparing  to  climb.  After 
half  an  hoiu's  hard  work  and  many  trying 
"backslides"  I  managed  to  grasp  the  lowest 
branch  and  climb  into  the  tangled  mass  of 
small  growth  above  nie. 

It  took  me  one  whole  hour  to  reach  the  nest, 
or  rather  to  get  underneath  it,  for  as  usual  it 
was  placed  on  a  rotten  stub  at  the  top  of  the 
tree.  Here  the  fun  began;  the  female  seeing 
her  offsjiring  in  danger  and  probably  not 
desiring  them  to  go  to  increase  my  collection 
of  live  specimens,  began  to  cavort  around  my 
head  in  a  manner  at  once  impressive  and 
astonishing.  But  I  kejit  on  and  at  last,  crouch- 
ing directly  under  the  nest,  found  a  com- 
fortable position  and  began  to  meditate  on  my 
expected  capture. 

Just  at  this  juncture  my  thoughts  were 
interrupted  by  hearing  a  hoarse  scream  in  the 
distance  and,  looking,  saw  the  male  bird  com- 
ing as  fast  as  his  wings  could  carry  him.  The 
female  flew  to  meet  him  and  together  they 
made  a  dash  that  nearly  unseated  me,  so  1 
started  to  get  my  birds.  The  nest  was  the 
largest  I  have  ever  seen  and  stuck  out  on  all 
sides  of  me  like  a  huge  umbrella. 

Twisting  my  legs  around  the  trunk,  I  worked 
cautiously  out  under  the  edge  of  the  nest,  dig- 


July,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


101 


ging  my  hands  deep  in  its  rotten  material  and 
startling  dozens  of  Sparrows  that  liad  built 
their  nests  in  the  interstices  between  the  sticks. 
On  I  kept,  slowly  but  surely,  until  I  could  just 
see  over  the  edge  of  the  nest  and  take  a  look 
at  my  prizes,  two  in  number  and  just  the 
right  age. 

Sustaining  my  whole  weight  by  the  muscles 
of  the  back  and  thrusting  one  hand  deep  into 
the  decaying  sticks,  I  reached  in  and  took  my 
first  bird.  He  gazed  at  me  with  an  expression 
of  mingled  curiosity  and  astonishment  which  I 
would  have  liked  to  have  studied  had  not  the 
muscles  of  my  back  been  fast  giving  away 
under  the  severe  strain  imposed  upon  them  by 
my  perilous  jiosition.  So  with  a  gentle  swing 
I  tossed  him  out  and  flapping  his  little  pinions 
he  lit  on  mother  earth  for  the  first  time  with 
an  excellent  grace. 

I  was  so  much  interested  in  the  young  birds 
that  I  totally  forgot  the  old  ones  and  just  as  I 
had  tossed  out  the  second  bird  the  parents  left 
a  neighboring  tree  in  the  rear,  from  which 
they  had  been  silently  watching  the  pilfering 
of  their  nest,  and,  coming  at  me  with  a  rush, 
one  caught  me  on  the  back  of  the  neck  while 
the  other  hovered  above  me  for  a  second  and, 
dropping  swiftly  down,  clinched  his  sharp 
talons  in  my  beloved  physiognomy. 

Human  nature  couldn't  stand  such  an  attack 
as  this  and  so  with  a  final  and  a  futile  slap  at 
Pandion  I  let  go  my  hold  and  fell,  and  tliis 
saved  my  countenance  from  utter  demolition, 
for  although  fearfully  lacerated  it  could  be 
patciied  up  and  restored  to  its  former  beauty 
once  more. 

The   very   branches    which    I    had    thought 

a  nuisance  were  the  means  of  saving  my  life 

for  when,  nearly  two  hours  later,  I  regained 

consciousness     I    was    stretched     across     the 

"tangled  mass"  about  fifteen  feet  below  the 

nest  and  hardly  able  to  move.     But  I  got  down 

somehow   or  other  and  at  last  reached  terra 

firraa  and  began  to  look  about  for  my  birds. 

I   found   them   and  started    on  my  homeward 

journey     and    the    amusing    experiences     (to 

others)  that  I  went  through  before  I  got  there 

would  fill  a  volume. 

M.   C.    Conwell. 
Baltimore,   Md. 


Some      Spring    Arrivals     at     Pueblo 
County,    Colorado. 


Mexican  Bluebird,  S.  mexicana,  March  1. 
Western    Meadow    Lark,    S.     M.     neglecta, 
March  3. 


Killdeer  Plover,  u^.  vocifera,  March  10. 

Sparrow  Hawk,  F.  sparverius,  March  12. 

Say's  Phoebe,  S.  say  a,  March  17. 

Intermediate  Sparrow,  Z.  intermedia, 
March  18. 

Mouining  Dove,  Z.  macroura,  March  i.t. 

Turkey  Vulture,  C.  aura,  March  28 

Western  Savannah  Sparrow,  ^.  S.  alaiuVnnift, 
April  1. 

Western  Glass  Finch,  P.  G.  conjinis, 
April  4. 

Rock  Wren,  S.  obsoletus,  April  7. 

Spurred  Towhee,  P.  M.  megalonyx,  April  16. 

Audubon's  Warbler,  D.  audnboni,  April  21. 

Lark  Sparrow,  C.  grammaciis,  April  2?>. 

White-throated  Swift,  M.  inelanoleucus, 
April  24. 

'Mockinghird,  M.  poly g lottos,  April  25. 

Western  Wood  Pewee,  C.  richardsonii, 
April  25. 

Bullock's  Oriole,  I.  bullocki,  April  27. 

Cowbird,  M.  ater,  April  28. 

Long-billed  Curlew,  N.  longirostris,  May  2. 

Cassin's  Tyrant  Flycatcher,  T.  vociferans, 
May  3. 

Broad  tailed  Hummingbird,  T.  platycercus, 
May  5. 

Green-tailed  Towhee,  P.  cJilorurus,  May  6. 

IJlne-gray  Gnatcatcher,  P.  coerulea,  May  6. 

Audubon's  Hermit  Thrush,  T.  A.  aiiduboni. 
May  6. 

Violet-green  Swallow,   T.  thalassina,  May  7. 

Cliff  Swallow,  P.  liinifrons,  May  8. 

Yellow  Warbler,  D.  cestiva,  May  8. 

Spotted  Sandpiper,  A.  macularia.  May  8. 

Arkansas  Tyrant  Flycatcher,  T.  verticaiis, 
May  8. 

*Lark  Bunting,    C.  nielanocorys,  May  9. 

Y'ellow-headed  Blackbird,  X.  xanthoceph- 
nlus,  May  10. 

Barn  Swallow.  C.  erythrogaster,  May  11. 

Kingbird,  T.  tyrannus,  May  12. 

Louisiana  Tanager,  P.  liidoviciana,  May  13. 

Lazuli  Finch,     P.   ameena,  May  13. 

Orange-crowned  Warbler,  H.  celata,  May  16. 

Ash-throated  Flycatcher,  M.  cinerascens. 
May  30. 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher,   C.  borealis,  June  5. 

*It  is  strange  and  singular,  too,  that  this  the 
most  abundant  of  our  summer  birds  should 
this  year  be  conspicuous  by  its  absence.  A 
large  number  passed  through  during  the 
migration  though  scarcely  a  pair  have  remained 
to  breed. 

Willoghby  P.  Lowe. 

Pueblo,  Col. 


102 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  7 


Nesting    of    the     Blue-headed    Vireo 
in  Massachusetts. 


As  with  a  number  of  oilier  birds,  the  Blue- 
lieaded  Yireo  {Vireo  ■solitarius)  has  become 
more  and  more  common  every  year.  Although 
we  had  found  several  nests  of  this  bird  con- 
taining young,  we  never,  until  this  year,  found 
one  with  eggs. 

Our  first  find,  which  resulted  in  a  set  of 
eo-gs,  happened  in  this  way.  On  May  ^8th  we 
took  the  train  for  Islington.  We  had  set  out 
for  the  purpose  of  finding  a  nest  of  the  Marsh 
Hawk,  but,  after  tramping  through  a  large 
tract  of  marsh  and  finding  nothing  but  a  nest 
of  the  Song  Sparrow,  we  decided  to  go  and  see 
what  a  Cooper's  Hawk  was  screaming  about  in 
a  neighboring  grove  of  pines. 

Wh  were  not  kept  long  in  doubt,  for,  ten 
minutes  after  entering  the  grove,  the  female 
flew  from  a  nest  which  was  placed  about 
tvventy-tive  feet  up  in  a  pine.  Tiie  nest  was 
built  the  same  as  usual  and  contained  three 
egsrs  which  were  about  one-third  incubated. 
On  the  ground  below,  and  in  a  spider's  web  on 
the  bottom  of  the  nest,  there  was  a  large 
quantity  of  Cooper's  eggshells  that  at  first  led 
us  to  think  that  the  nest  contained  young. 
We  continued  walking  through  the  grove  for 
fifteen  or  twentj'  minutes  when  we  heard  a 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk  screaming  in  a  decidodly 
suspicious  manner. 

We  then  separated,  but  were  brought 
together  again  by  my  brother  calling  out  that 
he  thought  he  had  found  the  nest.  I  hurried 
to  him,  and  on  coming  near  said  I  guessed  he 
was  about  right,  for  the  tail  feathers  of  the 
bird  were  plainly  visible  over  the  edge  of  the 
nest.  AVe  could  not  drive  her  off  until  one  of 
us  climbed  up.  The  nest  contained  five  eggs, 
which  were  about  one-third  incubated.  Two 
of  them  closely  resembled  the  eggs  of  the 
Sparrow  Hawk  only  being  of  a  browner  red. 

Now  to  the  point.  When  within  three  miles 
of  home  we  heard  a  Blue-head  singing. 
Thinking  that  lie  might  possibly  have  a  nest 
we  went  to  interview  him,  and,  on  nearing  the 
place  where  we  had  located  him,  we  saw  him 
fiy  into  the  trees  and  begin  to  catch  bugs  in  so 
very  unconcerned  a  manner  that  he  overdid 
it.  Looking  where  he  fiew  from,  we  found  the 
nest  which  he  was  building.  It  was  about 
eight  feet  from  the  ground,  in  a  small  dead 
pine,  and  so  close  to  the  trunk  that  a  week 
later,  when  we  collected  the  nest  and  a  set  of 
four  eggs,  we  were  obliged  to  saw  off  the  tree 


above  and  below  the  nest.  It  is  built  of  dried 
grass,  bark,  dried  leaves  and  caterpillars  nests, 
and  well  trimmed  with  green  lichens  and  a 
little  wool.  It  is  pensile  like  all  other  Yireos, 
and  is  lined  with  dried  grass  and  pine-needles. 

The  eggs  measure  as  follows:  .77x..56,  .78  x 
.56,  .76X.57  and  .7.5  x.. 56.  They  are  wliite, 
having  a  tinge  of  flesh  color  with  a  ring  of  red- 
dish-brown spots  on  the  larger  end  and  a  few 
on  the  sides. 

Another  nest,  also  containing  four  fresh 
eggs,  found  on  June  Oth,  was  about  eight  feet 
from  the  ground  in  the  lowest  branch  of  a 
thirty-foot  live  oak.  This  was  in  a  grove  of 
other  oaks  of  the  same  size.  This,  we  think, 
is  an  exceptional  case,  as  all  our  other  nests 
were  built  in  coniferous  trees.  This  nest  is 
much  the  same  as  the  other,  differing  only  in 
being  a  trifle  sh;illower  and  having  birch  bark 
and  paper  in  its  construction.  The  eggs  are 
much  the  same  in  color,  having,  perhaps,  a 
few  more  spots  on  the  sides.  They  measure: 
.78X..57,  .78X.58,  .7!)  x  ..57,  .77x..58. 

As  far  as  the  locality  of  the  nest  is  concerned 
the  bird's  other  name  (Solitary  Vireo)]  does 
not  seem  to  apply  very  well,  as  only  one  out  of 
the  five  nests  found  by  us  were  more  than 
forty  or  fifty  yards  from  the  main  road,  one 
being  within  twenty  feet  of  it. 

A  nest  that  we  found  in  Dublin,  N.  H.,  on 
June  10,  1891,  had  young  just  hatched.  It  had 
much  thicker  walls  than  any  other  nests  we 
have  seen,  and,  as  is  usually  the  case  with 
nests  up  there,  was  patched  very  thickly  with 
birch  bark. 

None  of  our  nests  were  in  swampy  places  or 
near  water. 

C.    ]V.  <tnd  J.  IT.  Bowles. 

I'onkapog-,  Mass. 


Oological    Notes. 


In  the  May  number  of  the  O.  iS:  O.,  while 
reading  the  very  interesting  description  of 
"  A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Oven  Bird,"  by  Mr. 
J.  P.  Norris,  I  noticed  in  Set  XXVI,  three  eggs 
of  the  Warbler  and  three  of  the  Cowbird,  the 
query,  "does  the  fact  of  the  Cowbird  laying 
its  eggs  in  the  nest  prevent  the  real  owner  from 
completing  her  set,  or  does  the  Cowbird  make 
away  with  the  rightful  owner's  eggs?"  As 
far  as  ray  observation  goes,  the  depositing  of 
the  Cowbird's  eggs  does,  in  most  cases,  prevent 
the  owner  from  comijleting  her  set.  For 
instance,  on  May  29,  1886, 1  found  a  nest  of  tlie 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler  containing  two   eggs, 


July,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


103 


and  upon  visiting  the  nest  in  the  afternoon  of 
tlie  same  day,  I  found  a  Cowbiid  had  deposited 
an  egg  with  the  others.  Tlie  Warbler  immedi- 
ately began  setting.  The  nest  was  left  undis- 
turbed for  three  days,  wlien,  concluding  no 
more  eggs  would  be  laid,  I  collected  the  set. 

Also  on  May  19,  1891,  I  found  another 
Chestnut-side's  nest.  She  began  laying  May 
22d  and  had  deposited  three  eggs  when  a 
Cowbird  also  laid  one  in  the  nest.  .She  then 
began  .setting,  but  I  left  the  eggs  until  May 
28th  when  as  no  more  were  laid  I  took  them. 
I  could  recite  several  other  instances  similar 
to  the  above,  of  various  species  of  birds,  thus 
proving  that  the  depositing  of  the  Cowbird's 
eggs  does  prevent  the  real  owner  from 
completing  her  set. 

I  have  in  my  collection  a  set  of  Oven  Bird's 
eggs  smaller  in  number  than  any  described  by 
Mr.  Norris,  it  being  a  set  of  two  without  any 
Cowbird' s  eggs.  The  nest  and  eggs  were 
found  May  31,  1884,  but  were  left  until  June 
5th  for  a  larger  set,  without  avail.  Upon 
blowing  the  eggs,  I  found  that  the  owner  had 
been  setting  for  at  least  one  or  two  days  before 
I  discovered  the  nest.  It  is  the  smallest  set  I 
ever  saw,  the  usual  nest  complement  in 
this  locality  being  five  eggs.  They  measure 
.83  X  .64  and  .82  x  62. 

I  collected  a  set  of  six  eggs  of  the  Yellow- 
shafted  Flicker,  .June  9,  1892,  which  is 
remarkable  for  the  fact  that  it  contains  one 
runt  egg  that  is  the  nearest  to  a  spherical  egg 
of  any  I  have  ever  taken.  It  measures 
.80  X.75.  The  otlier  five  measure  respectively, 
1.06  X. 87;    1.08  X. 88;     l.lOx.88;     l.lOx.88; 

1.16  X. 88. 

G.  L.   H. 
Bethel,  Conn. 


A    Set   of   the    King    Rail. 


On  June  1st,  a  colored  man  brought  me  four 
fresh  eggs  of  the  King  Rail  from  a  nest  he  had 
mown  down  in  a  meadow,  which  I  reluctantly 
took,  more  to  encourage  him  than  for  any 
other  reason.  On  June  2d,  he  flushed  the  old 
Rail  from  near  the  site  of  the  old  nest  and  se- 
cured another  egg  and  on  June  3d  he  got  the 
sixth,  again  near  the  old  nest.  On  June  5th, 
another  man  found  the  same  Rail  and  this  time 
she  had  one  egg  in  the  poorest  apology  for  a  nest 
he  had  ever  seen  ;  this  in  the  low  bushes  and 
briers  on  the  edge  of  the  meadow.  The  next 
day  she  had  built  up  the  nest  some  more  and 


had  laid  another  egg  and  she  kept  on  laying 
one  egg  each  day  and  building  up  her  nest  till 
on  June  9th  she  had  five  eggs  in  the  nest 
making  eleven  she  had  laid  in  all,  the  usual 
number  here  I  think. 

There  was  only  one  pair  of  Rails  in  this 
meadow  which  was  only  an  acre  or  two  in 
extent  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  old  bird 
simply  kept  on  laying  till  she  had  completed 
the  set.  C.  S.  Brimley. 

Raleigh,  X.  C. 


Nesting  of  the  Virginia  Rail   (Rallus 
virginianus). 


On  June  21,  1892,  1  went  out  to  a  small 
inland  swamp  several  miles  north  of  ^t.  Clair 
to  see  if  I  could  collect  some  Blackbird  eggs. 
I  found  several  nests  of  these  and  two  fine  sets 
of  Swamp  Sparrows,  but  was  rather  dis- 
appointed. I  waded  out  to  a  large  log  thickly 
covered  with  underbrush  and  crept  along  for 
quite  a  way  only  to  come  face  to  face  with  a 
large,  black  snake.  It  would  have  required  a 
good  stop-watch  to  determine  the  seconds  it 
took  me  to  get  off  that  log  and  endeavor  to 
get  a  stick,  but  his  snakeship  didn't  relish  the 
meeting  any  more  than  I  did  and  quickly 
swam  away.  Close  by  her  were  several 
clumps  of  flags  and  out  of  one  of  these  I 
startled  a  bird.  Stooping  eagerly  down  I  found 
a  nest  full  of  eggs.  It  was  a  compactly  built 
nest,  slightly  hollowed  and  made  of  dead  flags. 
The  eggs  were  ten  in  number,  creamy  white 
dotted  with  fine  specks  of  reddish  and  lilac- 
brown,  averaging  1.25x.96  in  size.  I  soon 
saw  the  bird  and  recognized  it  as  the  Virginia 
Rail  {liallns  virginianus).  The  female  would 
not  fly  till  almost  stepped  on  and  would  then 
fly  quickly  in  a  straight  line  and  dive  quickly 
into  the  underbrush  where  she  would  rapidly 
move  away  until  out  of  sight. 

As  I  had  never  found  any  other  but  the 
Common  Sora  and  occasionally  a  King  Rail's 
n'St,  I  felt  very  much  elated  over  my  find. 
The  eggs  were  badly  incubated,  but  after  half 
an  hour's  labor  I  succeeded  in  saving  them. 

B.  H.  Swales. 

1220  Woodward  ave.,  Detroit,  Mich. 


Remember. — Our  only  place  of  business  is  at 
our  works,  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 

Frank  Blake   Webster  Co. 


104 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  7 


A  Trip  on  Utah   Lake. 

Being  encouraged  by  your  kind  invitation  to 
write  an  account  of  some  collecting  expedition 
I  will  tender  a  description  of  a  tiip  I  have 
recently  taken  on  Utah  lake  in  which  we  were 
amply  repaid  for  our  trouble,  and  which,  I 
think,  may  prove  of  interest  to  the  lovers  of 
bird  life. 

Early  one  beautiful  morning  some  two  weeks 
ago,  my  friend.  Captain  Eastmond,  a  young 
Mormon  boy  and  myself  set  sail  in  the  yacht 
"Sea  Gull"  to  explore  a  locality  called 
Powell's  Sleugh  some  twelve  miles  from  Amer- 
ican Fork.  We  carried  a  skiff  with  us  and  with 
light  hearts  and  a  good  breeze  soon  anchored 
off  the  mouth  of  a  small  creek,  or  "sleugh"  as 
it  is  locally  called,  and  soon  were  in  the  small 
boat  exploring  the  devious  windings  of  the 
stream  through  the  almost  impassable  rushes 
or  tules.  Our  first  find  was  a  set  of  eight 
fresh  Mud  Hen's  eggs  which  were  in  a  nest 
built  of  dead  tules  actually  floating  on  a  calm 
tributary  to  the  main  stream.  Soon  we 
observed  a  great  number  of  small,  ball-like 
nests,  evidently  Tule  Wrens  and  obtained 
many  beautiful  sets  of  the  same.  We  were 
next  startled  by  nearly  running  over  a  Mud 
Hen's  nest  containing  nine  eggs,  also  placed 
on  the  surface  of  the  water.  Yellow-headed 
Blackbirds  were  abundant  and  we  took  some 
twenty  sets.  Birds  were  abundant  and  we 
thirsted  for  rarer  eggs  as  we  saw  rarer  birds. 
Terns  and  Gulls  flew  about  continually.  Kail 
and  Snii)e  were  seen  and  a  couple  of 
Mergansers  flew  overhead.  Diligent  search 
having  failed  to  produce  other  than  some  more 
Mud  Hen's  eggs  and  a  storm  approaching  we 
hurried  to  the  shelter  of  the  yacht  where  we 
were  soon  snug  and  eating  supper,  though 
under  difficulties,  as  the  yacht  was  rolling  and 
pitching  with  a  heavy  squall  blowing  over. 

After  supper  we  prepared  for  bed  but  sleep 
was  next  to  impossible  for  me.  The  storm 
had  cleared  and  it  seemed  that  the  swamps 
were-  alive  with  feathered  friends.  The 
American  Bittern's  boom  was  heard  on  all  sides 
and  answered  by  the  Loons  and  Divers 
peculiar  whistle  out  on  the  lake.  The  Black- 
birds kept  up  a  chatter  all  the  time  and 
the  Herons  would  quack  as  they  flew  over. 

The  next  forenoon  we  intended  to  visit  an 
island  about  ten  miles  out  in  the  lake  and  said 
to  be  the  breeding  place  for  Gulls  and  Terns, 
but  we  were  prevented  by  heavy  weather  and 
high  seas  and  concluded  to  try  our  luck  again 


in  the  swamp.  This  time  we  were  successful 
in  finding  many  fine  eggs  among  which  were 
Sora  Rails,  Bitterns,  Snipes  and  Blue-winged 
Teals. 

About  noon  we  got  under  way  and  sailed  for 
home  with  the  yacht  plunging  at  every  sea  and 
and  careening  to  the  wind.  On  the  way  a 
flock  of  big  White  Pelicans  with  black  wings 
flew  over  and  we  shot  one  which  fell  near  the 
boat  and  was  secured.  In  course  of  time  we 
anchored  off  the  resort  and  were  soon  home. 
This  trip  I  consider  to  be  one  of  the  most 
enjoyable  I  have  spent. 

//.   C.   Johnson. 


Brief    Notes    From    Raleigh,    N.    C. 


Among  other  captures  this  spring  have  been 
Traills  Flycatcher  9i  ^^^y  1-ith;  Canadian 
Warbler  $,  May  13th;  Wilson's  Warbler  $, 
May  13th;  Cape  May  Warbler  $,  April  7th;  9, 
May  Otli;  Short-billed  Marsh  Wren  $,  May  4th 
and  Black  Pail  $  and  J,  June  8th.  We  have 
also  taken  Turkey  Vultures,  Gieen  Herons, 
King  Rails  and  Killdeer  in  the  down.  The 
Green  Herons  were  ugly. 

Of  eggs  we  have  taken  the  following  worthy 
of  note:  one  set  of  King  Rail;  two  sets  each  of 
Black  Rail,  Louisiana  Water  Thrush,  Wood- 
cock, Yellow-throated  Warbler  and  Crested 
Flycatcher,  and  three  sets  of  Prairie  W^arbler. 

The  spring  was  backward,  though  the  first 
Warblers  came  a  few  days  earlier  than  last 
year,  but  there  were  very  few  species  that 
occurred  in  any  numbers  till  May.  Blackpoll 
Warblers  passed  through  in  very  large  numbers 
and  the  last  one  was  seen  on  May  olst,  unusu- 
ally late  for  any  kind  of  migrant  except  a 
Sandpiper,  in  this  locality.  There  were  more 
shore  birds  about  this  spring  than  in  any  year 
since  1889,  but  not  a  third  of  the  number  we 
saw  that  year. 

C.   S.  Brlmley. 

Raleigh,  N.  C. 


On  May  21st,  while  examining  Bank 
Swallow's'  nests  in  the  rain  1  found  twelve 
Swallows  in  one  hole.  Two  flew  out  and  I  had 
to  pull  the  others  out.  I  never  heard  of  any- 
thing of  the  kind  before.     Is  it  unusual  ? 

Arthur   M.    Farmer. 

Amoskeag,  N.  H. 


July,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


105 


The  Color  Phenomena  of  the  Little 
Screech  Owl. 


Much  has  been  written,  more  has  been  said, 
and  more  than  both  combined  has  been  the 
unexpressed  speculation  in  the  minds  of  nearly 
all  American  ornithologists  on  the  still  mooted 
and  undecided  color  phenomena,  occurring  in 
the  T.ittle  Muttering  or  Screech  Owl.  I  have 
thouglit  much  on  the  subject  in  days  that  are 
past  and  gone  when  I  was  active  as  an  orni- 
thologist and  whenever  I  would  chance  to  see 
one  of  these  stupid,  grewsome  little  birds, 
my  first  observation  always  wonld  naturally 
be, —  its  color. 

Not  long  ago  an  incident  occured  whicli 
enabled  me  to  make  some  pretty  accurate 
observations  and  deductions  on  this  point. 
This  spring,  I  think  it  was  toward  the 
latter  part  of  May,  I  went  on  a  brief  visit  to  my 
old  home  in  Wayne  County,  calling  on  my  old 
friend  Mr.  J.  B.  Purdy,  together  we  went  for 
a  stroll  in  some  neighboring  woodland. 
Following  my  friend  close  in  a  thicket,  well 
guarded  from  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  were 
discovered  several  young  of  the  foregoing 
species.  They  were  just  able  to  leave  tlie  nest 
and  were  perched  on  the  lower  branches  of 
small  bushes  but  a  few  feet  from  the  ground. 
I  think  four  of  the  young  were  discovered  in 
all,  and  all  were  in  the  gray  phase  of  coloring. 
Soon  our  attention  was  directed  to  a  peculiar 
low  cooing  sound,  alternating  with  the  sharp 
snap,  snap,  of  the  beaks  of  the  parent  Owls, 
made  apprehensions  by  our  close  proximity  to 
their  young.  Our  immediate  tliought  was  to 
discover  the  old  birds,  and  determine  also 
their  color.  With  small  trouble  they  were 
found,  as  soon  they  came  quite  close,  uttering 
all  the  while,  that  wired  coo,  coo,  coo,  snap, 
snap;  first  one  bird,  then  the  other.  I  noted 
no  variation  in  the  warning  note  of  the  male 
and  female.  Both  were  in  the  gray  phase. 
Soon  one  of  the  birds  flew  to  a  stub  hard  by 
and  dodged  into  a  small  natural  cavity  near 
the  top  and  there  it  sat,  its  head  alone  visible 
and  although  it  soon  ceased  its  cry,  never  for 
a  moment  did  its  eyes  wander  from  us, 
wondering,  perhaps,  in  its  dumb  instinctive 
way,  what  the  probable  results  of  our  discov- 
ery would  be  regarding  the  ultimate  safety  of 
its  offspring. 

Soon  a  flock  of  small  birds,  Tanagers,  Nut- 
hatches, Gnatcatchers,  etc.,  collected  about 
this  stub,  where  the  Owl  sat  so  statue  like, 
and  set  up  a  great  din,  seeking  nojdoubt,  to 


frighten  the  "squaller"  away.  Not  daring  to 
offer  any  direct  violence,  I  thought  of  the 
simile  it  presented  to  human  birds;  the  early 
settlers,  those  brave,  hardy  men,  who,  braving 
and  daring  all,  went  westward  and  established 
themselves  at  Boonesborough,  and,  not  with- 
standing the  continued  threatenings  of  the 
savage  hordes  who  swarmed  in  the  unbroken 
woodlands  Those  dusky  men  wlio  feared  not 
to  plunge  deep  into  the  vast  solemn  solitude  of 
the  mighty  forest,  but,  brave  and  savage  as 
they  were,  they  have,  one  and  all,  succumbed 
to  the  unresisting  advance  of  enlightment  and 
civilization.  First  the  red  man,  than  the  white 
man,  w^hite  man  forever. 

The  Owl  was  but  one;  the  small  birds  were 
many,  but  the  Owl  was  wise,  was  fortified, 
and  as  well  might  the  Indians  have  hoped  to 
dislodge  Boone  and  his  sturdy  followers  by 
shooting  wooden  and  reed  arrows  at  a  strong 
log  lodge,  as  the  small,  noisy  birds  to  dislodge 
the  Owl.  He  may  have  been  vexed  and 
worried  at  their  attempts,  but  the  idea  of 
capitulating  never  entered  his  head,  probably. 

The  above  observations  may  throw  some 
light  on  this  subject.  Some  have  regarded 
the  variation  due  to  sex  alone,  some  to  age, 
others  to  seasons  of  the  year  or  locality,  while 
others  claiming,  and  I  believe  rightly, 
that  it  is  simply  the  nature  of  the  bird.  Some 
to  be  gray,  some  to  be  red,  although  Mr. 
Purdy  informs  me  of  all  the  young  he  has 
ever  examined,  all  have  been  gray.  I  once 
took  six  young  Owls  of  this  species  from  the 
nest,  and  all  were  gray.  They  were  yet  in  the 
downy  plumage.  Why  there  should  be  a 
deposit  of  pigment  in  some  and  not  in  others, 
is  to  us  a  mystery,  as  is  many  another  fact 
occurring  in  nature. 

I  should  be  pleased  to  see  in  the  columns  of 
this  valuable  medium  the  results  of  other 
observers'  observations  and  their  theories,  for 
by  individual  testimony  much  of  a  valuable 
nature  may  be  added,  and  by  this  we  may  be 
able  more  readily  to  arrive  at  precise  and 
definite  conclusions.  I  see  a  certain  gentle- 
man of  Washington,  D.  C,  is  making  some 
direct  and  scientific  experiments,  seeking  a 
solution    that    way.      My    wish     for     him    is 

success. 

W.  C.  Broionell,  M.  D. 

Morrice,  Mich.,  June  17,  1892. 


Early  in  July,  we  mailed  notices  to  all  whose 
subscription  expired.  Many  have  responded 
promptly.  We  find  that  there  are  still  quite  a 
number  to  hear  from. 


106 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  7 


Notes  from  Beaufort,  N.  C. 

I  spent  a  few  days  at  Beaufort,  N.  C,  in  the 
early  part  of  June  of  the  present  year,  and  I 
give  the  following  brief  notes  in  connection 
therewith. 

June  4.  Spent  half  a  day  on  extensive  salt 
marshes  up  the  sound.  Willets  numerous; 
eight  specimens  secured.  One  bunch  of 
Curlew  seen;  also  a  Raven  and  an  unknown 
Sandpiper.  Little  green  and  brown  Lizards, 
with  red  throats,  not  uncommon  on  the  fences 
but  would  not  be  caught. 

June  6.  On  the  town  marshes  in  the  morn- 
ing, I  found  Boat-tailed  Grackles  plentiful. 
Green  Herons  pretty  common  and  a  few  Sea- 
side Sparrows  were  seen;  one  procured.  Up 
the  sound  in  the  afternoon,  several  Turnstones 
were  collected;  others  seen.  Least  Sandpipers 
not  uncommon  on  the  shoals,  and  several  good 
buslies  of  Curlew  on  the  marsh.  The 
Turnstones  were  simi)ly  chunks  of  soft  grease. 
With  lots  of  patience  and  corn-meal,  I  made 
two  fine,  clean  skins,  but  it  took  from  8  to  12 
P.M.  to  do  it. 

June  7.  The  shoals  provided  a  Wilson's 
Plover  in  the  morning,  and  the  marshes  a  few 
Boat-tailed  Grackles  after  dinner.  The  females 
skinned  over  the  head  readily  but  the  males 
wouldn't  skin  worth  a  cent.  I  finally  skinned 
their  heads  through  a  cut  in  the  back  from  the 
outside.  The  Wilson's  Plover  is  the  first 
published  North  Carolina  record,  I  think,  but 
there  has  been  very  little  systematic  study  of 
our  coast  birds  and  they  (Wilson's  Plover) 
may  be  common  for  all  I  know  to  the 
contrary. 

June  8.  On  the  marshes  and  beach  in  the 
morning.  The  former  provided  a  Sea-side 
Sparrow  and  the  latter  a  Sooty  Shear-water. 
The  Shear-water  was  riding  the  swells,  outside 
the  surf,  and  allowed  me  to  wade  out  within 
easy  shot.  Two  heavy  loads,  apparently,  laid 
him  out,  and  I  went  ashore  to  strip  off  and 
retrieve.  He  revived,  and  I  had  to  again  wade 
out  and  give  him  a  couple  more  shots.  Then 
I  undressed  and  secured  my  game.  The  speci- 
men was  in  fine  condition  to  put  up,  but  very 
emaciated  and  stomach  empty.  Although  I 
was  working  in  a  good  light  and  the  bird's 
intestines  and  body  were  clean  and 
unmutilated,  I  could  not  determine  the  sex, 
although  I  think  it  was  a  male.  It  makes  a 
beautiful  skin.  First  North  Carolina  record. 
I  was  much  struck  with  the  exceedingly  long, 
narrow  wings.     Extent,  forty  inches,  width  of 


spread  wing,  measured  parallel  with  seconda- 
ries, three  and  one-half  inclies.  Wing  bones 
very  light  and  very  elastic.  Double-crested 
Cormorants  were  common  on  the  sounds  and 
evidently  bj'eed  near  by,  as  bunches  of  fifteen 
or  twenty  would  leave  the  harbor  towards 
evening,  always  heading  the  same  way,  and 
about  8  o'clock  in  the  morning  they  returned 
from  the  same  direction. 

I  found  mink  tracks  on  the  salt  marshes  and 
plenty  of  rabbit  signs  on  the  edge  of  the  marsh 
and  beach.  Kavens  not  rare,  (^rows  (Fish 
and  Common)  common.  Purple  Martins 
very  plentiful,  and  a  few  of  the  following  seen: 
Orchard  Oriole,  Mockingbird,  Bed-winged 
Blackbird  and  Great  Blue  Heron.  Clapper 
Rails  heard,  but  none  seen.  Bank  Ponies 
quite  a  feature  on  the  beach  and  marsh. 
They  roam  and  breed  at  large,  take  to  the 
water  like  Ducks  and  are  only  handled  at  the 
"pennings"  when  the  colts  are  banded  and 
selections  made  for  sale. 

H.  II.  Briinley. 

Raleigli,  N.  C. 


A    Day    in    Texas    Woods. 


On  the  evening  of  May  6,  1892,  I  made  my 
preparations  for  an  all  day  tramp  in  the  woods 
of  Travis  County. 

I  intended  to  go  to  sleej*  early,  but  the  low, 
sweet  song  of  a  Mockingbird  and  the  melan- 
choly notes  of  a  Chuck-will's-widow  kept  me 
awake  till  nearly  midnight. 

I  awoke  in  the  morning,  just  as  the  sun  was 
rising  over  the  post-oaks  in  the  east,  and  one 
of  the  first  sounds  I  heard  was  Jack,  my 
Mockingbird,  practising  in  a  minor  key,  the 
Chuck-will's-widow's  cry,  but  when  he  heard 
me,  he  stopped  as  if  ashamed  of  himself  and 
broke  into  a  wild  succession  of  Scissor-tailed 
Flycatcher  notes  that  would  have  driven  their 
originator  frantic. 

On  my  way  out  as  I  walked  through  the  Uni- 
versity campus,  a  Western  Lark  Sparrow 
{Chondestes  grammacus  strigatits)  rose  from 
the  tall  grass  and  perched  on  a  chaparral  bush 
{Berberis  trifoliata)  in  which  his  mate  was 
patiently  incubating  her  eggs  and  listening  to 
his  morning  song.  Near  by  a  Nonpareil 
(Passerina  clris)  in  the  top  of  a  sycamore  tree 
sang  his  loud,  clear  song,  almost  like  a 
Cardinal's,  until  a  jealous  Mocking-bird 
{Mimus  polyglottos)  rushed  at  him  and  forced 
him  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  to  a  cedar  bush 


July,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


107 


where  he  chirped  angrily  but  stopped  when  his 
late  pal  looked  toward  him. 

As  I  wended  my  way  nearly  due  north, 
through  tlie  thinly  settled  suburbs,  a  flock  of 
Bronzed.  Grackles  {Quiscaliis  quiscala  aniens) 
flew  swiftly  eastward  to  their  distant  feed- 
ing grounds  and  near  by,  hidden  in  the 
dense  foliage.  Orchard  Orioles  (Irtenis 
S2nirius)  quarrelled  in  the  trees  tiiat  border 
the  grass-grown  lane. 

Farther  on,  in  the  post-oak  woods.  Painted 
Buntings  (Passerina  ciris),  Blue  Jays  {Cyano- 
citta  cristata)  and  Crested  Flycatchers 
(Mi/lnrchus  crinitus)  were  feeding  together,  a 
Red-bellied  Woodpecker  {Melanerpes  caro- 
linus)  hammered  away  at  an  old,  live  oak  stub 
and  a  low,  moaning  sound  came  from  a  dense 
elm  thicket  to  the  right.  When  I  approached 
the  thicket  the  sound  died  away  and  a  male 
Road  Runner  (Geococcyx  californianus)  dashed 
ott'  through  the  trees,  leaving  the  female  to 
protect  her  eggs  or  run  as  she  felt  inclined. 
She  chose  the  the  latter  course  and  taking  a 
flying  leap  from  her  nest  she  i-eached  the 
ground  thirty  feet  away  and  (quickly  dis- 
appeared in  the  underbrusli. 

The  nest  was  an  old  Mocking-bird's,  repaired 
and  enlarged  to  suit  its  present  owners.  It 
was  in  an  elm  tree,  eight  feet  up  and  contained 
only  one  egg  so  I  left  it  for  a  complete  set. 

Just  in  front  in  the  mesquite  thicket  that 
borders  the  prairie,  the  merry,  jumbling  song 
of  a  Bell's  Vireo  {Vireo  helln)  directed  my 
steps  to  wliere  the  pretty,  little  pensile  nest 
was  swinging  in  the  fork  of  a  horizontal 
mesquite  limb.  It  contained  three  eggs,  faint 
pinkish  white,  irregularly  speckled  with 
reddish-brown. 

To  the  north  the  prairie  stretches  out  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  see  and  trees  aie  few 
and  far  between.  Scissor-tailed  Flycatchers 
{Milvulus  forficatus)  and  Orchard  Orioles  have 
taken  i^ossession  of  most  of  the  nesting  places 
and  some  of  the  former  have  commenced  to 
build  their  nests.  Dickcissels  {Spiza  anier- 
icana)  were  perched  on  the  barbed  wires  and 
their  monotonous  notes,  chip-zerp,  zerp, 
zerp  ,chip-ip,  zerp,  zerp,  zerp,  zerp,  were 
pleasing  though  somewhat  harsh.  Turning 
westward,  I  made  my  way  through  the  tall 
prairie  grass  towards  a  group  of  live  oaks, 
behind  which  the  cedar-clad,  limestone  hills 
rose  one  behind  the  other,  until  they  were 
lost  in  the  hazy  distance.  At  my  feet  a 
muddy,  sluggish  creek  bordered  by  high,  rank 
weeds,  flowed  lazily  through  the  rich,  black, 
waxy,  prairie  soil.     Among  the  bright  green 


weeds  and  water  grasses  that  bordered  it  and 
marked  its  course  from  a  distance.  Western 
Blue  Grosbeaks  (Guiraca  ccerulea  eurhyncha), 
Indigo  Buntings  (Passerina  cyanea)  and  Field 
Sparrows  (Spizella  pusilla)  were  con.spicuous. 
A  single  Solitary  Sandpiper  (Totanus  soli- 
tarius)  standing  by  the  edge  of  a  marshy  pool 
looked  the  embodiment  of  silence  and 
thoughtfulness.  Overhead  a  flock  of  Dwarf 
Cowbirds  {Molothrus  ater  obscurus)  were 
wheeling,  and,  borne  by  the  cool  north  wind, 
the  mellow  notes  of  the  Red-winged  Blackbirds 
[Afjelaius  phmniceus)  were  wafted  down  from 
the  willow  grove  at  the  head  of  the  creek. 

In  the  hackberry  trees  which  grew  at 
irregular  intervals  along  side  the  fences, 
Kingbirds  {Tyrannus  tyrannus)  were  numerous, 
Scissor-tailed  Flycatchers  and  Dickcissels 
hovered  over  abandoned  fields  ovei-run  with 
Johnson  grass,  while  countless  Cliff  Swallows 
(Petrochelidon  lunlfrons)  skim  over  the  prairie 
in  search  of  in.sects. 

As  I  entered  the  live  oak  grove  that  borders 
Shoal  Creek,  a  Mississippi  Kite  {Ictinia  Missis- 
sippiensis)  sailed  slowly  away,  two  Yellow- 
breasted  Chats  (Icteria  virens)  held  an  ani- 
mated conversation  right  in  front  of  me,  but 
prudently  kept  out  of  sight  and  a  Baird's 
Woodpecker  (Bryobates  scalaris  Bairdi)  was 
searching  for  insects  high  up  in.  the  knotty 
trunk  of  the  oak  tree.  The  rocky  sides  of  the 
creek  were  lined  with  hundreds  of  Mourning 
Doves  {Zenaidura  macroura),  who  had  come 
for  miles  to  enjoy  the  shade  and  water. 
Before  I  came  in  sight  they  took  alarm  at  the 
indignant  chirping  of  Cardinals  {Cardinalis 
cardhialis)  and  noisily  flew  away  in  company 
with  a  Green  Heron  {Ardea  vb-escens)  that 
stood  on  one  leg  in  the  water  for  hours.  I 
took  a  drink  from  the  clear,  limestone  spring 
that  bubbled  up  close  by  the  side  of  a  deep, 
still  pool,  and  walked  on  through  a  fleld  of 
corn  where  Texan  Bobwhites  {Colinus  virgin- 
ianus  texanus)  and  Western  Meadow  Larks 
{Sturnella  neglecta)  were  whistling  merrily. 
In  a  telegraph  pole  by  the  side  of  the  railroad, 
Plumbeus  Chickadee  (Parus  carolinensis 
agilis)  had  its  nest,  but  to  my  disappointment 
it  contained  young  birds.  Deep  in  the 
recesses  of  thick,  low  cedar  brakes.  Cardinals 
and  Summer  Tanagers  (Piranga  rubra)  were 
numerous,  but  a  rarer  bird  is  here  and  its  low, 
sweet  notes,  cher-weasy,  weasy,  weah,  were 
heard  on  every  side.  Slipping  up  to  a  tree 
where  one  was  singing,  I  took  careful  aim  and 
brought  him  down.  As  he  laid  on  his  back 
with  his  wings  half  spread,  the  rich  golden- 


108 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  7 


yellow  cheeks,  black  throat  and  white  breast 
with  irregular  black  marks  at  the  sides, 
showed  him  to  be  a  Golden-cheeked  Warbler 
{Dendroica  chrysopaj-ia),  and  an  old  nest  in  a 
tree  close  by  encouraged  me  to  se  irch  for  his 
home  but  I  did  so  in  vain. 

In  the  deep,  shady  canon  between  the 
mountains  Texan  Tufted  Titmice  {Parns 
hicolor  texensis).  Cardinals,  White-eyed  and 
Black-capped  Vireos  {Vireo  noveboracensis  and 
Vireo  ntricapillus)  were  always  in  sight,  but 
their  nests  w-ere  not  so  noticeable. 

Following  the  course  of  the  trickling  stream 
that  ran  down  the  canon  to  the  west,  birds 
were  few,  Cardinals  were  chirping  in  the 
underbrush  and  several  Chuck-wiirs-widows 
(Antrostomus  carolinensis)  were  flushed  from 
the  darker  thickets.  A  group  of  cattle, 
mavericks  and  strays,  gazed  wonderingly  at 
me  for  a  moment,  then  turned  and  dashed 
away  through  the  thick  cedars,  pausing 
occasionally  to  watch  me,  but  starting  on  as  I 
came  near. 

After  a  long,  hard  tramp  over  hot  limestone 
mesas,  made  hotter  by  a  dense  covering  of 
mountain  cedars,  the  cool  shade  of  elm  and 
pecan  trees  growing  at  the  junction  of  Bull 
Creek  and  the  Colorado  River  are  veiy 
pleasant.  Here  Mockingbirds,  Nonpareils, 
Orchard  Orioles  and  a  few  Crows  (Corvus 
americanus)  were  feeding  ;  from  yonder  gray 
cliff  marked  with  long  lines  of  green,  where 
maidenhair  feins  have  obtained  a  foothold  on 
water-bearing  strata,  the  clear,  full  notes  of  a 
Caiion  Wren  {Catherpes  mexicamis  conftpersits) 
came  rippling  down,  to  be  repeated  again  and 
again  by  countless  echoes  until  they  died 
away  in  the  distance. 

Passing  on  through  thistle  patches,  where 
sometimes  in  the  spring  and  fall,  Mexican 
Goldfinches  {Spinus  psaltria  mexicanus)  come 
to  eat  the  seed,  I  followed  the  road  that 
wound  along  between  the  river  and  steep 
cafion  walls,  that  rose  almost  from  the  waters 
edge.  In  the  rocks  and  thick  brush  Rock 
Sparrows  {Peuccea  rvficeps  eremceca)  were 
flitting  here  and  there  seemingly  without  rest. 
High  up  on  the  side  of  the  cliff  a  Pho3be 
{Sayornis  phoebe)  was  laying  the  mud  founda- 
tion for  his  nest,  while  above  him  in  a  tuft  of 
grass,  a  Boucard's  Sparrow  (Pucma  rujiceps 
houcardi)  sat  on  her  four  eggs,  unmindful  of 
the  hot  sunshine  that  beat  on  the  stone  around 
her  and  withered  the  grass  that  i^rotected  her 
nest. 

As  the  sun  neared  the  western  horizon, 
Turkeys  and  Black  Vultures  that  had  wheeled 


over  the  country  in  broad  circles  all  day, 
sought  roosting  places,  the  smaller  birds  took 
shelter  in  the  thick  bushes,  the  tree  frogs 
began  their  weird  chorus,  and  as  the  sun  went 
down  Texan  Screech  Owls  were  lieaid  on 
every  side.  Occasionally  the  gl  oslly  ciifs  of 
a  Western  Horned  Owl  awoke  the  echoes 
through  the  dim  cafions  and  flying  away,  left 
the  woods  still  as  death.  But  gradually  the 
usual  night  sounds  began  and  continued  until 
they  were  interrupted  again. 

Western  Nighthawks  were  circling  over- 
head in  quest  of  insects  as  I  entered  the  city. 
The  town  clock  struck  nine  when  I  arrived 
home,  tired,  without  having  collected  anything 
of  importance,  but  well  satisfied  with  my 
tramp.  J.  H.  Tallichet. 

Austin,  Tex. 


The    Water   Ouzel. 


Mr.  Bliss  of  Carson  City,  Nev.,  an  acquaint- 
ance of  mine,  has  made  seveial  trips  into 
California.  During  these  trips  he  has  noticed 
particularly  some  interesting  habits  of  the 
Water  Ouzel.     He  says  : 

"I  have  taken  three  nests  of  the  Water 
Ouzel.  One,  which  I  take  as  an  example,  was 
constiucted  as  follows  :  the  nest  was  placed 
on  a  flat  rock  side  of  a  rushing  mountain 
stream.  It  was  built  of  moss  and  neatly  lined 
with  leaves  and  Avas  shaped  like  a  dcnie  hav- 
ing a  small  opening  in  the  side.  The  striking 
thing  about  the  nest  was  the  freshness  and 
greenness  of  the  moss.  Wondering  at  this, 
I  determined  to  discover  the  cause.  After 
watching  a  short  time,  I  saw  the  Water  Ouzel 
hovering  over  the  spray  caused  by  a  plunging 
cascade.  When  the  little  bird  had  become 
literally  dripping  with  moisture  it  hovered 
over  the  nest  shaking  the  water  completely 
over  the  moss." 

Mr.  Bliss  gives  the  following  reason  for  this 
singular  irrigating  tendency. 

The  Water  Ouzel  says  to  itself,  "In  a  short 
time  with  no  moisture,  the  moss  will  become 
gray  and  parched,  consequently  conspicuous  to 
man  and  beast  ;  by  shaking  water  on  it,  it  will 
continue  to  be  fresh  and  green  and  so  become 
hardly  distinguishable  from  the  surrounding 
verdure." 

This  reason  of  Mr.  Bliss'  is  a  good  one, 
though  perhaps  a  little  doubtful.  Still  the 
instinct  comes  singularly  near  to  reason. 

B.  R.    WJdte,  Jr. 

Chestnut  Hill,  Mass. 


July,  1892.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


109 


Oyster   vs.    Kingfisher. 


Some  years  ago  I  lived  in  tlie  little  city  of 
Annapolis,  Md.,  a  great  place  for  the  oyster 
and  its  numerous  enemies.  During  a  walk 
along  the  shores  of  one  of  the  three  creeks 
that  surround  the  place,  I  witnessed  an 
incident  that  I  had  read  of  but  never  before 
seen,  of  tlie  oyster's  many  adversaries.  The 
Kingfisher,  in  this  locality,  isn't  the  least,  by 
any  meaiis.  Many  a  fine  oyster  falls  victim  to 
the  rapacious  appetite  of  this  king  of  fisheis 
during   tlie   sunny   hours   of    a   summer   day. 

Walking  along  the  shore  looking  out  for 
anything  that  might  turn  up,  I  noticed  soine- 
tliing  black  tiuttering  and  screaming  on  tlie 
siiore  opposite  me  across  the  water.  Failing 
at  that  distance  in  finding  out  what  it  was,  1 
procured  a  boat  and  crossed  over.  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  a  full-grown  Kinfisher,  evidently 
hurt,  lying  on  the  sand.  1  ran  up  to  it  and 
attempted  to  pick  it  up,  but  found  that  it  was 
attached  to  something  in  the  sand.  Closer 
examination  discovered  its  bill  held  fast 
between  the  shells  of  an  oyster.  I  soon  liber- 
ated it  and  found  the  tongue  quite  black  from 
non-circulation  of  the  blood,  which  showed 
tiiat  it  must  have  been  held  prisoner  for  some 
time.     This  rogue  was  evidently  caught  thus  : 

At  flood  tide  the  oyster  opens  up  to  receive 
its  food  brought  up  by  the  rising  water  to  the 
shore,  and  at  the  first  sign  of  the  ebb,  closes 
]n-omptly.  Our  rogue  went  to  work  just  a 
little  late  and  found  the  oyster  in  the  act  of 
closing  up  for  the  night.  The  bird  was  quite 
weak  from  its  struggles  to  free  itself  and 
rested  for  some  time  in  my  hand  before  it 
took  advantage  of  its  timely  rescue. 

//.   C.  Hopkins. 

H.iltimore,  Md. 


Late    Nesting   of  the    Great    Horned 
Owl. 

Mr.  Purdy's  note  as  to  late  nesting  of  the 
Great  Horned  Owl  makes  the  notes  I  have  for 
this  season  of  probable  interest.  On  March 
14th,  from  an  old  nest  in  an  isolated  wood  near 
this  locality,  I  took  a  set  of  eggs  of  the  Bubo. 
At  the  tirst  rap  on  the  tree,  a  gray  squirrel 
left  the  nest,  followed  almost  immediately  by 
Mamma  liubo.  The  nest  contained  three  eggs, 
one  sligiitly  stained  by  the  blizzard  of  March 
lltii,  the  others  immaculate.  This  set  I  note 
both  for  tlie  unusual  number  and  for  the  small 


size  of  the  eggs,  viz.:  2x1.69;  1.93x1.62' 
1.93  X  1.62  ;  incubation,  1-6 to  1-4.  Mr.  Purdy's 
late  date  is  March  20th  ;  but  on  March  31st 
in  Polk  County,  Wis.,  my  brother,  discov- 
ered a  Bubo's  nest  in  a  black  oak  thicket 
near  the  top  of  a  thirty  foot  oak,  a  very 
unusual  nesting  site.  The  nest  was  a  bulky 
one,  built  by  the  Owls,  and  undoubtedly  tlie 
first  work  of  the  season.  The  nest  contained 
three  eggs  which  were  but  slightly  incubated, 
one  egg,  at  least,  being  subsequently  blown  by 
the  boy,  through  a  hole  into  which  the  tip  of 
the  blow-pipe  could  easily  be  inserted.  The 
sizes  of  these  eggs  are  2.1x1.75  ;  2.1x1.75  ; 
2.1x1,69,  the  eggs  being  "larger"  says  Mr. 
Hehne  (to  whom  they  now  belong),  "  than  any 
I  have  taken  in  the  East." 

One  mile  from  the  thicket  where  this  nest 
was  found  is  a  tamarack  swamp  where  the 
Bubos  used  to  nest.  For  several  years,  up  to 
1888,  a  set  from  this  swamp  was  regularly 
brought  to  me.  Of  late  the  swamp  has  been 
thinned  out  and  I  failed  myself,  on  the  19th 
of  April  last,  of  finding  any  nest  though  a  pair 
of  Owls  were  there.  P.  B.  Peabody. 

Owatonna,  Minn. 


The    Red    Phalarope. 

About  the  twenty-first  of  May,  a  large 
flight  of  these  birds  while  passing  Cape  Cod 
were  driven  in  and  quite  a  number  secured. 
The  plumage  was  full.  Captain  Gould  says, 
"  There  was  a  large  flight  yesterday  (21st)  and 
I  collected  quite  a  number.  I  never  saw  as 
many.  They  were  seen  along  the  beach  in  all 
directions.  The  government  telephone  wire 
was  certain  death  to  many,  numbers  being 
killed  between  here  (Chatham)  and  Monomoy. 
We  found  over  forty  within  four  hundred 
yards  of  the  station,  but  they  were  useless, 
being  torn  and  wingless  from  flying  against 
the  wires.  The  following  day  not  one  was 
seen." 

This  bird  is  very  hard  to  obtain,  not  on 
account  of  its  being  rare,  but  because  it  flies 
outside,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  collectors. 
Another  party  sent  us  in  some  twenty-five,  a 
part  of  a  lot  that  he  had  received  from 
Provincetown.  There  were  a  very  few  of  the 
Northern  Phalaropes  with  them. 

The  proportion  of  males  in  the  entire  lot 
was  about  three  to  one  and  there  were  but  two 
in  the  white  plumage.  The  birds  were  not  as 
fat  as  is  usually  the  case.  Reports  were 
received  of  single  specimens  being  taken  along 
the  coast.  F.  B.   W. 


110 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  7 


THE 

ORNITH0L0GIST..t''OOLOGlST 

A  Monthly  Magazine  of 

NATURAL    HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY  DEVOTED  TO  THE  STUDY  OF 
BIPIIDS, 

THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS, 

and  to  the 

INTERESTS     OF     NATURALISTS. 

Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 

FRANK  B.  WE15STE11,  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 

J.  PARKER  NORRIS,  Philadeli.hia,  Pa 


PUBLISHED  AT  THE 


MUSEUM  AND  NATURALISTS   SUPPIY  DEPOT 


FRAXK   BLAKE   WEBSTER   COMPANY 

INCORPORATED, 

Hyde  Park,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 


The  O.  &  O.  is  mailed  each  issue  to  every  paid  sub- 
scriber.   If  you  fail  to  receive  it.  notif  j'  us. 


The    Labrador    Duck. 


Tlie  specimen  that  was  advertised  a  slK)rt 
time  since  in  tlie  O.  &  O.  lias  been  sold  and  as 
we  predicted  went  into  a  European  collection. 
It  created  quite  an  interest  among  our  sub- 
scribers and  we  regret  that  we  are  not 
autliorized  to  announce  the  purchaser.  It  is 
lost  to  America. 


An  annoying  typographical  blunder  appeared 
in  Mr.  Norris'  editoral  note  to  Mr.  Gillett's 
article  on  the  American  Bittern  in  the  June 
number,  (p.  87).  Mr.  Giillett  stated 
that  the  eggs  were  "four  or  five 
in  number,  generally  five."  Mr.  Norris  add- 
ed in  the  note,  "  my  experience  leads  me 
to  believe  that  three  eggs  are  very 
commonly  a  set,"  but  the  printer  made  this 
read,  "  my  experience  leads  me  to  believe  that 
these  eggs  are  very  commonly  a  set,"  which, 
of  course,  was  nonsense. 


A  Correction. — In  my  article  on  the  Blue- 
gray  Gnatcatcher  in  the  O.  &  O.,  p.  74,  ninth 
line  from  the  top,  instead  of  "  diversity,"  read 
"  density."  W.  E.  Clyde  Todd. 

SVashington,  D.  C. 


Brief  Notes. 


Late  Migrants. — On  June  3d,  while  out 
for  a  drive,  1  noticed  a  pair  of  Horned  Larks 
fiying  over  a  newly  plowed  field.  As  1  have 
never  seen  the  birds  here  later  than  the  29th 
of  March,  the  question  comes  up,  Do  they 
occasionally  remain  and  breed  this  far  south  ? 

S.   B.   Inger.soll. 

I  notice  in  the  April  issue,  a  reference  to  the 
occasional  catching  of  birds  on  barbed  wire 
fences.  This  calls  to  mind  the  finding  of  a 
Crane  which  in  alighting  upon  a  sandbar  had 
become  entangled  in  a  fence,  remaining  there 
until  dead.  I  have  also  found  a  snipe  in  a 
like  condition  and  think  that  such  accidents 
may  occur  not  unfrequently.      E.  A.  Miller. 

I  would  like  to  know  what  is  sui:)posed  to 
be  the  earliest  breeding  date  of  the  Crow  in 
New  England?  I  took  a  set  of  six  on  Ajn-il  17th 
that  had  been  set  on  four  or  five  days. 

A.  M.  Farmer. 

To  the  list  of  birds  that  sing  on  their  nests 
may  be  added  the  Black-headed  Grosbeak. 

W.  P.  Loioc. 
Pueblo,  Col. 

Your  last  issue  informs  me  that  you  are  to 
devote  one  page  to  exchange  notices.  I 
hope  that  advanced  oologists  will  avail  them- 
selves of  the  i)rivilege.  Frank  Craig. 

Dealers  as  a  rule,  do  not  care  to  encourage 
exchanges  among  collectors.  The  O.  &  O. 
l)eing  a  magazine  devoted  to  the  collectors, 
proposes  to  oiien  its  columns  to  anything  that 
will  be  a-  benefit  to  tlu'm.  This  would  have 
been  done  before,  but  we  have  never  been 
requested  to. 

Mr.  Samuel  B.  Ladd,  of  West  Chester,  Ta., 
has  returned  fiom  North  Carolina,  where  he 
went  on  a  collecting  trip  after  eggs  and  skins. 
He  was  remarkably  successful  and  some  of 
the  eggs  he  found  there  were  a  great  surprise 
to  his  friends;  notably  the  sets  of  Canadian 
Warbler  (Si/liHinia  Canadensis)  and  Black- 
throated  Blue  Warbler  (Dendrceca  Cferulescens). 
But  then  Mr.  Ladd  is  such  a  wonderful 
collector  that  he  can  find  eggs  that  others 
have  not  ))een  able  to. 

He  has  jjroinlsed  to  write  an  account  of  his 
trip  for  the  O.  &  O.,  and  we  can  promise  our 
readers  a  treat.  J.   P.  N. 

We  are  indebted  to  Harry  Piers  for  an  extract 
from  the  Transactions  of  the  Nova  Scotian 
Institute  of  .Science,  containing  "Notes  on  Nova 
Scotian  Zoology,"  read  by  him  March  14,  1802. 
It  contains  a  number  of  ornithological  notes  of 
interest. 

Now,  that  the  collecting  season  is  over,  is 
the  time  to  send  us  notes  of  what  you  have 
done. 

Remember,  in  sending  communications, 
that  Hyde  Park  is  our  only  place  of  business. 

"  We  do  not  care  to  probe  into  that  mighty 
mass  of  dead  tree,  brown  and  porous  as  a 
sponge,  for  already  it  is  a  mere  semblance  of  a 
l^rostrate    log,"  writes    Stanley  in  his    book. 


July,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


Ill 


Within,  it  is  alive  with  minute  tribes.  It 
woLikl  chiiim  an  entomologist.  Put  your  ear 
to  it  and  you  can  hear  a  distinct,  murmurous 
lium.  It  is  the  stir  and  movement  of  insect 
life  in  many  forms,  matcliless  in  size,  glorious 
in  color,  radiant  in  livery,  rejoicing  in  their 
occujjations,  exulting  in  their  tierce  but  brief 
life,  most  insatiate  of  their  kind,  ravaging, 
foraging,  hgliting,  destrt)ying,  building  and 
swarming  everywhere  and  exploring  every- 
thing. Lean  but  your  hand  on  a  tree, 
measure  but  your  length  on  the  ground,  seat 
yourself  on  a  fallen  branch,  and  you  will  then 
understand  what  venom,  fury,  voracity  and 
activity  breathes  around  you. 

Open  your  note  book,  the  page  attracts  a 
dozen  butterliies,  a  honey-bee  hovers  over 
your  hand,  other  forms  of  bees  dash  for  .\our 
eyes,  a  wasp  buzzes  in  your  ear,  a  huge  hornet 
menaces  your  face,  an  army  of  pismires  come 
marching  to  your  feet.  Some  are  already 
crawling  up,  and  will  presently  be  digging 
tlieir  scisssor-like  mandibles  in  your  neck. 
Woe!  woe! 

.\nd  yet  it  is  all  beautiful — hnt  there  must 
be  no  sitting  or  lying  do.vn  on  this  seething 
e  irtli.  It  is  not  like  your  pine  groves  and  your 
diinty  woods  in  Enghind.  It  is  a  tropic  world, 
an  1  to  enjoy  it  you  must  keep  slowly  moving. 

'•  Locked  horns  are  becoming  (piite  a  fad 
with  the  swells  at  the  metropolis,"  said  a 
gent!ein;in  the  other  day,  "  ;ind  some  of  the 
Adiiond  \ck  hunters  an  I  guides  are  makingiiice 
little  sums  by  occasional  sales  of  the  cuiiosity 
that  is  demanded.  Yon  see  the  old  story 
about  the  bucks  that  fall  to  hgh  ing,  and  in 
some  manner  get  their  horns  locked  so  they 
can't  get  apart  and  then  starve. to  death,  has 
taken  a  strong  hold  upon  the  romantic  natuies 
of  many  i)eople,  and  if  they  can  only  get  a  set 
of  locked  horns  mounted,  they  are  happy. 

".So  the  hunters  select  nice  horns  that 
correspond  as  to  size  and  by  the  use  of  a 
t>visted  cord  and  case,  spring  them  together  as 
if  locked  in  their  death  embrace  by  the 
maddened  thrusts  of  fighting  bucks.  Then, 
on  account  of  their  great  rarity  and  the 
difficulty  of  finding  them,  they  are  sold  to  the 
rich  curiosity  hunter  for  a  big  price.  His 
friemls  look  in  wonder  and  envy  at  them  while 
he  recounts  the  story  told  him  by  the  guide 
who  found  their  skeletons  held  together  by  the 
horns  and  the  earth  all  trodden  down  around 
the  place  so  solidly  that  vegetation  had  not 
grown  there  in  years,  etc.,  and  the  guide  goes 
back  to  the  \oods  and  fixes  up  another  pair 
for  the  next  curiosty  seeker." 

In  the  June  number  of  the  O.  &  O.  there  is 
published  a  brief  note  entitled  "A  Strange 
Bird  Shot."  This  is  taken  from  a  clipping  of 
a  Quincy  paper  and  so  amused  me  that  I  cut  it 
out  and  wrote  on  the  back  "  can  any  one 
identity  this  species?"  As  it  appeared  in  this 
journal  one  might  infer  that  I  had  seen  such  a 
bird  when  in  reality  I  saw  no  such  bird  and 
know  nothing  of  tiie  party  or  the  occurrence 
and  meiely  sent  the  clipping  for  the  amuse- 
ment it  might  afford.  O.   C.  Poling. 

Quincy,  111.,  July  8,  1892. 


I  took  a  set  of  Cardinal  Grosbeak  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Detroit,  and  thinking  it  would 
prove  of  interest  to  Michigan  collectors,  I 
thought  best  to  write  you,  so  they  could  be 
reache<l  through  your  paper,  the  O.  &  O. 

On  the  lUth  inst.,  the  set  was  taken.  Three 
badly  incubated  eggs  constituted  the  clutch, 
with  dimensions  as  follows:  one  egg  . 95  x. 75; 
two  eggs  l.Oox.SO;  color,  a  pale,  yellowish- 
green,  dotted  and  blotched  witli  different 
shades  of  brown  and  lilac  principally  at  the 
large  end.  The  nest  was  made  of  weetl  stalks, 
grape-vine  bark  and  cedar  bark,  lined  with 
line,  round  grass,  and  placed  in  brier  bush  a 
few  feet  over  a  ditcli  which  ran  alongside  of 
the  road.  Bii-d  was  seen  and  so  identified. 
Took  set  of  Cerulean  Warblers  same  date. 

ir.  A.  Davidson. 

On  .Tune  12,  l,s92,  I  found  the  nest  of  the 
Phojbe  cf)ntaining  six  iiicul)ated  eggs.  The 
nest  was  situated  in  a  boat  house  on  the  lower 
rafter  hardly  a  foot  above  the  water  of  the 
St.  Clair  rivei-.  The  parent  bird  would  sit 
here  unconcerned  about  the  swells  from 
passing  steamers  and  hard  winds.  This  was 
certainly  the  most  perilous  spot  for  a  nest  I 
ever  saw  and  is  the  only  set  of  six  eggs  taken 
for  some  time.  B.  II.   Swales. 

1220  Woodward  Ave.,  Detroit,  Mich. 


Smelling     Powers     of      the      Turkey 
Buzzards. 

While  camping  last  summer  on  Hogback 
Mountain,  in  this  state,  between  Jackson  and 
Transylvania  Counties,  I  made  an  expeiiment 
witli  the  Buzzard. 

Western  North  Carolina  is  not  the  home  of 
this  bird,  but  it  is  occasionally  seen  flying  high 
in  the  air,  going  from  one  state  into  another. 
While  on  Hogback,  five  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea,  we  often  saw  these  birds  pa.ssing 
over  at  a  great  height.  I  had  heard  of  tlie 
very  acute  sense  of  smell  possessed  by  the 
Buzzard,  and  proposed  to  verify  tlie  statement 
by  actual  experiment.  We  had  the  day  before 
bought  a  good  fat  sheep  of  a  neighbor,  and 
after  the  cook  had  dressed  it,  I  took  the  skin, 
liead  and  entrails,  and  carrying  them  away 
from  the  cabin,  entirely  covered  them  with  an 
old  sack.  The  Buzzards  went  on  their  way 
until  the  seventh  day,  when  about  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  we  saw  two  circling  about  far 
above  tlie  mountain  top.  We  knew  by  their 
movements  they  were  hunting  for  something. 
We  watched  them  all  day,  and  before  five 
o'clock  in  the  evening  they  were  both  roosting 
on  the  fence  within  ten  yards  of  their  long 
sought  meal.  They  surely  could  not  see  what 
tliey  were  looking  for  and  found  it  only 
through  the  sense  of  smell.         E.  P.  Jenks. 

Asheville,  N.  C,  July,  1892. 


112 


ORNJTHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  7 


Exchange  and  Wants. 


1   inch,  one  time, 
1   inch,  three  times, 


$    .50 
1.20 


DEALERS'  ADVERTISEMENTS. 

1   inch,  $1 .00 

NO   VARIATION. 


NOTICE   TO  OOLOGISTS. 

Your  conesi^ondence  is  solicited  for  tlic 
exchange  of  first-class  sets,  witii  data, 
of  eggs  of  Nortli  American  birds. — FRANK 
CRAKt,  No.  022— 2;^d  St.,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 


FOR   SALE   OR   EXCHANGE. 

Eggs  and  nests  of  the  Kuby-tliroated 
Hummingbird;  also  (A.  O.  U.)  Nos,  118,  li)4, 
;J88,  219,  107,  200,  7.")(i,  ;',:}l),  ;j'JO,  627,  428,  ",!).). 
60S,  022,  7.'jO,  488,  7u:3,  72!)  and  others.  Will 
exchange  for  sets  (vvith  data)  not  in  my 
collection. — J.  B.  HINE,  East  Onondago,  N.  Y. 


JAMISON'S  COLLECTION  FOR  SALE. 

Isaac  S.  Keiff,  of  853  North  l;3th  street, 
Philadeli>hia,  Pa.,  has  the  collection  of  the 
late  Henry  K.  Jamison  for  sale,  and  any  one 
sending  him  a  two  cent  stami)  will  receive  a 
list  of  the  same.  Mr.  .Jamison's  rei>utation  as 
a  collector  makes  any  eggs  from  his  collection 
very  desirable  as  specimens. — J.  P.  N. 


FOR  SALE. 

A  Hammond  Typewriter.  Only  used  a  short 
time.  In  perfect  condition.  Cost  .slOO.  Will 
sell  for  $00.  Apply  to  "W.,"  care  Ornitholo- 
gist and  Oiilogist. 


FOR  SALE. 

Nests  of  Trap  Door  Spider,  60c. ; 
Trap-door  Spideis,  75c.;  Tarantula,  $1.00;  Hor- 
ned Toad,  $1.00;  Centipede,  75c.;  Scorpian, 
75c.  I3y  mail  post  paid  at  above  prices. — 
FRANK   B     WEBSTER   COMPANY. 


FOR    SALE. 

Large  Sea  Beaver,  (Bahama)  50c.;  Large 
Sea  Urchin,  flat,  bleached,  (liahama)  4()c. ; 
Large  Sea  Urchin,  round,  bleached,  (Bahama) 
40c. ;  Small  Sea  Urchin,  bleached,  (Turks  Is- 
land, 10c. ;  Small  Sea  Urchin  bleached,  (Nova 
Scotia)  10c. ;  Sea  Fan,  (Bahama)  85c.;  Horse- 
foot  Crab,  small,  lOc. ;  Horse-foot  Crab,  five 
inches  in  diameter,  20c.;  Fiddler  Crab,  10c. ; 
Hermit  Crab,  10c. ;  Star  Fish,  lOc. ;  Sea  Urchin 
with  spines,  (Massachusetts)  15c.;  1  Cotton 
Pod,  5c.;  1  Tube  Sponge,  (Bahama)  25c.; 
This  entire  collection  sent  by  express  for  only 
$1.50.— FRANK   BLAKE   WEBSTER   CO. 


WANTED. 

Eggs  of  Snakes,  Turtles,  Alligators.  Also 
Skins  of  A.  O.  U.,  7()0a,  753,  750,  7;57,  725a,  079, 
(i77,  075a,  072,  000,  058,  051,  ()50,  041,  084,  620, 
590,  580b,  517a,  492,  491,  485,484c,  484b,  484a, 
481a,  480,  479,  478c,478l),  478a,478-l,  Coast  Jay, 
470,  409,  441,  44n,  4;^8,  425,  400.— FRANK 
BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY. 

FOR    SALE. 

15  Nuts  and  Beans  from  Brazil  and  Central 
America,  25c.;  10  Assorted  Shells  from  Cay- 
mann,  20c. ;  1  Tarpon  Scale,  5c. ;  1  Sea  Hor.se, 
85c.;  1  piece  Pink  Coral,  25c.;  1  i^iece  Rose 
C!oral,  luc;  1  i)iece  Kidney  Coral,  15c.;  1  Clay 
Stone,  5c.;  1  Pyrulan  Egg  Case,  lOc. ;  1  Cod-lish 
Head  Stone,  5c. ;  1  Chiton,  (Bahama)  25c.; 
1  Emerald  Humming-bird  Skin,  (S.A.)  75c. 
'I'he  entire  lot  by  mail  for  only  $1.25. — 
FRANK   BLAKE    WEBsTER   CO. 


COLLECTIONS  OF  MINERALS  FOR 
BEGINNERS  FOR  $1.00. 

We  will  send  by  express  15  named  minerals 
for  $1.50.  We  will  send  by  exi)ress  20  speci- 
mens for  $2.00;  we  will  send  by  express  85 
specimens  for  $5.00.— FRANK  BLAKE  WEB- 
STER COMPANY. 


An  Exchange  or  Want  Notice  occupying 
this  space 

COSTS  50  cents. 

About  8,000  interested  persons  read  it. 


STUFFED   BIRDS. 

We  have  a  large  variety  on  hand  and  will 
furnish  quotations  jiromptly  to  any  person 
wishing  to  xjurchase,  upon  receiving  a  list  of 
their  wants.  Prices  very  low.— FRANK 
BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


BIRDS'   EGGS   FOR    EXCHANGE. 

We  will  exchange  any  birds'  eggs  that  we 
have  in  stock  for  first-cla.ss  birds'  skins. — 
FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


TO  EXCHANGE    FOR   BIRD  SKINS. 

Back  numbers  of  the  O.  ct  O.,  Vols.  12,  18, 
14,  15  and  10.  Cash  value,  $1.00  each.  They 
are  of  value  to  the  collectors  as  they  contain 
many  valuable  notes. — FRANK  BLAKE 
WEBSTER  CO. 


FOR   SALE. 

A  pair  of  walrus  tusks,  measuring  28  inches 
each  and  the  i^air  weighs  14  pounds  and 
11  ounces.  Price,  $12.  A  few  fine  skins  of 
the  Reil  Phalarope  taken  at  Chatham,  Mass. 
A  fine  skin  $  of  the  Bachman's  Warbler. — 
FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

_AXD  — 

OOLOGIST. 


$i.oo  per 
Annum. 


PUBLISHED   BY  THE   FRANK   BLAKE  WEBSTER  COISIPANY. 

ESTABLISHED    MARCH,   187S. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII.         HYDE    PARK,   MASS.,   AUGUST,   1892. 


No.  8. 


Bird  Notes  at  Sea.  water  the  Wilson's  Petrel  is  seldom  out  of 

;  sight.      I    have    only    seen  them    once   or 

All  summer  I  have  been  cruising  off  twice  in  shore,  when  the  water  gets  a  dull 
shore  on  a  pilot  boat.  I  expected  to  get  i  tinge  from  the  wash  of  the  land.  Their 
material  for  a  long  article  for  the  Orni-  seemingly  confiding  ways  are  not  so  inno- 
THOLOGiST  AND  OoLOGiST,  but  find  my-  cent  as  would  seem  to  be  the  case.  They 
self  much  disappointed.  Species  are  few  never  come  within  reach  of  a  cast  net, 
and  well  known  and  incidents  almost  and  utterly  refuse  to  take  a  baited  line, 
entirely  lacking.  Our  cruising  ground  is  All  my  efforts  to  capture  one  alive  have 
off  the    coast    of  South    Carolina,    never   failed. 

extending  much  beyond  Cape  Romain  on  Early  in  June  there  were  a  good  many 
the  north,  or  Tybee  on  the  south.  The  Shearwaters  pretty  well  out  beyond  Cape 
greater  part  of  the  time  we  are  out  of  Romain.  There  was  a  heavy  sea  on  and 
sight  of  land,  but  occasionally  have  to  great  quantities  of  gulf  weed  floating 
come  ashore  for  provisions  and  water,  about.  Among  this  they  seemed  to  be 
Weather  for  about  three-fourths  of  the  j  feeding,  dipping  down  into  the  hollows  of 
time  squally,  with  a  high  sea.  One  heavy  the  waves  and  rising  with  a  graceful, 
storm  we  dragged  both  anchors  and  went  gliding  motion  over  the  white  crests.  I 
ashore  in  the  night,  but  were  helped  off  could  not  determine  the  species,  but  think 
again  early  next  morning  by  a  passing 
steamer. 


there  is  no  doubt  but   it   was   the  Dusky. 

The  weather  came  on  very    squally    and 

Our    boat    is     a     comfortable    forty-ton    we    were    close-reefed    for    two    or    three 

schooner,    and    one   of  the   fastest  on  the  I  days,  during  which  time  the  Shearwaters 

kept  round  us.  But  as  soon  as  it  cleared 
up  they  all  disappeared.  I  have  seen  a 
few  since  off  Martin's  Industry  in  Julv, 
weather  much  the  same.  At  such  times 
I  often  see  flying  fish.  Their  motion 
closely  resembles  the  flight  of  some  of 
the  smaller  Sandpipers,    and    indeed  the 


coast.  We  have  had  some  lively  races 
with  our  competitors,  and  leave  them 
no  victories  to  record  so  far.  There  are 
three  boats  working  against  us,  so  we  are 
seldom  hove  to,  but  spend  our  time  either 
beating  to  windward  in  a  heavy  head  sea 
or  rushing  down   with    slack    sheets    and 


topsails  all  up  as  soon    as  a  speck  of  sail  first  I  saw  I  would  have  taken  for  birds  if 

breaks  the  horizon  line.      With  this  view  I  had  not  seen  them  drop  into  the  sea. 

of  my  surroundings  it  will  be  readily  seen  |      Early  in  July  we  had  some  calm  nights, 

that   it  has   not   been  easy    to   make    full  and  I  began  to  hear  the    notes    of  small 

notes  upon  the  habits  and  manners  of  the  birds  migrating  overhead.     The  night  of 

few  birds  that  I  have  seen.  the  8th,  with    a  gentle   southerly  wind,  I 

When  once  we  strike  out   into  the  blue  could  hear  their  faint   voices   almost  con- 


Copyright,|i892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


114 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  8 


tinuously  all  night.  And  once  or  twice 
there  was  quite  a  lively  twittering  over- 
head, and  I  caught  sight  of  their  little 
fluttering  forms  playing  about  our  mast- 
head light. 

The  next  day  was  a  dead  calm  and  we 
were  in  the  Gulf  Stream  to  the  eastward 
of  Hilton  Head.  During  the  very  hottest 
part  of  the  day  one  of  tlie  crew  brought  me 
a  male  Least  Bittern  that  had  fallen  from 
aloft  into  the  skiff.  I  kept  him  all  night 
and  the  next  day  he  flew  ofl",  making  di- 
rectly for  the  island. 

Cormorants  are  seldom  seen,  except 
before  a  storm.  Whenever  the  glass  be- 
gins to  fall  rapidly  I  am  pretty  sure  to 
see  a  few  of  them  flying  towards  shore. 
At  such  times  also  the  Royal  Terns  seem 
to  take  longer  flights  to  sea. 

The  other  Terns  all  seem  to  keep  close 
under  the  shore.  Especially  does  this 
seem  to  be  the  case  with  the  Least  and 
the  Short-tailed,  which  scarcely  ever  go 
beyond  the  flats  and  sandbars. 

Pelican  Bank  is  a  long  spit  of  sand  in 
St.  Helena  Sound,  which  I  have  passed 
several  times  of  late.  The  birds  from 
which  it  takes  its  name  are  numerous 
here.  It  also  seems  to  be  a  favorite  feed- 
ing ground  for  the  Royal  Terns.  The 
last  of  July  the  whole  upper  end  was  cov- 
ered with  half-fledged  young,  not  yet  able 
to  fly.  Here  I  secured  one  specimen  of 
the  Sandwich  Tern.         U^alter  Iloxie. 


The  Olive-backed  Thrush. 


Never  shall  I  forget  my  first  experience 
with  the  Olive-backed  Thrush.  It  was 
during  that  delightful  period  of  my  orni- 
thological experience  when  any  bird  at  all 
out  of  the  common  in  occurrence,  habits, 
or  coloring,  was  exceedingly  "  rare." 
What  was  my  delight,  then,  when  late  in 
July  this  species  literally  forced  itself 
upon  my  notice.  On  opening  the  door 
early  one  morning    the    first    object    that 


presented  itself  to  my  gaze  was  a  little 
half-grown  bird  placidly  sunning  himself 
on  the  warm  boards,  while  his  wiser  or 
more  experienced  mother  was  vainly 
striving  to  impress  upon  his  youthful  mind 
a  more  fitting  fear  of  man.  The  young- 
ster, as  all  youngsters  are  apt,  thought 
he  knew  more  about  it  than  anyone  else. 
He  not  only  refused  to  leave,  but  sub- 
mitted to  handling  with  the  utmost  equa- 
nimity. Having  examined  him  to  my 
heart's  content,  I  threw  him  into  the  air  ; 
at  once  the  old  bird  was  by  his  siile,  guid- 
ing him  into  the  less  exciting  but  safer 
confines  of  the  wood.  How  anxiously 
did  I  watch  the  brood,  hoping  that  they 
might  remain  until  grown,  that  I  might 
procure  a  specimen.  They  vanished  in 
two  days,  but  my  disappointment  was  al- 
leviated by  the  capture  of  a  fine  old  male. 

Since  that  long-ago  experience  this 
species  has  become  perfectly  familiar  to 
me  from  four  summers'  observation  on 
Mackinac  Island. 

The  Olive-backed  Thrush  arrives  in 
Kent  County  from  the  fifth  to  the  tenth  of 
May.  Never  common,  a  specimen  or  so 
may  alwavs  be  found  during  an  afternoon 
walk.  Unlike  his  brother,  the  Hermit 
Thrush,  this  bird  prefers  woods  either 
entirely  dry  or  of  a  swampy  character 
surrounded  by  high- wooded  hills.  Dur- 
ing migrations,  however,  this  bird  is  not 
essentially  woodland.  Flocks  of  two  or 
three  may  often  be  surprised  in  the  city 
orchards. 

Wherever  found  he  attends  strictly  to 
his  own  affairs,  neither  obtruding  hims  If 
upon  yoLU"  notice  or  exhibiting  unneces- 
sary shyness.  A  short  chip  is  his  only 
note  at  this  period  ;  his  song,  abundant 
song,  too,  as  you  shall  see,  is  reserved  for 
his  summer  home.  His  stay  is  short,  ex- 
cept in  some  favored  localities,  where  he 
sometimes  lingers  a  week  beyond  his  time. 
The  twenty-first  of  Mav  sees  the  last  one 
oft\ 


August,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


We  again  strike  acquaintance  on  Mack- 
inac Island  about  the  first  of  July.  Here 
the  Thrushes  frequent  the  steep  bluffs 
covered  with  ev^ergreens,  in  which  the 
nests  are  built.  Here  by  far  his  most 
striking  characteristic,  his  singing  power, 
is  developed. 

The  song  of  the  Olive-backed  Thrush 
begins  low,  ascends  by  two  steps  of  two 
notes  each,  and  ends  with  several  sharp 
notes.  The  fii'st  note  of  each  step  is 
higher  than  the  second,  and  the  second  of 
the  next  is  about  the  same  as  the  first 
note  of  the  first  step.  Occasionally  the 
whole  is  preceded  by  a  sharp  chuck. 
The  notes  have  the  swelling  beauty  of  all 
thrush  songs,  while  the  metallic  ending 
"rings"  like  a  little  bell.  The  song  al- 
ways says  to  me,  gtirgle  gurgle  ting 
che  che  chc. 

As  far  as  my  experience  goes,  the 
Thrush  never  sings  steadily^  except  in  his 
chosen  tree.  In  fact,  for  two  years  one 
has  selected  for  his  perch  a  small  ever- 
green near  our  cottage,  and  it  was  from 
him  that  I  pi'ocured  the  following  data. 

I  am  about  to  state  what  to  most  of  you 
will  seem  incredible.  Please  remember 
that  each  of  these  statements  has  been 
verified  again  and  again  through  succes- 
sive seasons,  and  that  I  have  not  attempt- 
ed to  over  rather  than  understate  the  case. 

He  sings  on  an  average  nine  and  one- 
half  times  a  minute  with  extreme  regular- 
ity. During  the  song  periods  of  morning 
and  evening  his  constancy  of  purpose  is 
remarkable  ;  except  to  seize  a  passing  in- 
sect, he  never  breaks  the  recurrence  of  his 
song.  From  a  long  series  of  records  it 
is  found  that  he  begins  on  an  average  at 
about  3.15  A.M.,  %vi\^%  steadily  (of  course 
I  mean  ten  times  a  minute  with  slight  in- 
termissions, not  constantly^  until  about 
9  A.M.  ;  is  nearly  silent  till  noon,  after 
which  he  sings  occasionally  for  a  minute 
or  so  ;  begins  again  about  4.30,  and  only 
ceases  to  retire  for  the  night  at   7.30  p.m. 


This  is  a  wonderful  record,  and  were  it 
not  verified  by  long  experience  I  should 
myself  be  inclined  to  consider  it  excep- 
tional. Why,  just  take  your  pencil  and 
figure  out  how  many  songs  he  must  utter 
in  a  single  day  ! 

Expressing  the  time  in  round  numbers, 
allowing  him  but  eight  a  minute  (he  may 
have  soldiered  while  I  was  not  looking, 
you  know)  and  we  have  — 

Time  of  singing,  one  day,     500  min. 
"      "  occasional  song,  20     " 

Total,  520    " 

520  min.  at  8  per  min.,    4160  songs. 

His  song  ceases  entirely  about  the  25th 
of  July,  although  for  five  days  before  that 
date  vocal  effort  is  somewhat  relaxed, 
about  half  the  usual  time  being  spent  in 
its  pursuit.  However,  as  he  must  arrive 
by  the  first  week  in  June,  certainly  it 
would  not  be  unfair  to  allow  him  at  the 
very  least  six  weeks  of  vocal  effort,  42 
days  at  4000  per  day,  168,000  songs  in  a 
season,  a  record  excelled  probably  by  the 
Vireos  alone. 

His  alarm  note  is  now  c/ni-rcc,  with  a 
strong  vibrating  nasal  sound  on  the  last 
syllable.  Often,  as  with  other  thrushes, 
a  soft  low  whistle  is  uttered,  pce-0-0. 

One  of  his  characteristics  is  that,  when 
singing,  it  takes  a  great  deal  to  frighten 
him.  One  can  stand  almost  directly  under 
his  tree,  but  he  will  continue  to  sing  on, 
seemingly  oblivious  of  your  presence. 

After  the  young  hatch,  little  time  is  lost 
before  beginning  the  southward  journey. 
While  very  abundant  on  the  island  during 
autumnal  migrations,  I  have  observed  but 
a  few  stragglers  in  Kent  County 'during 
that  period.      Stewart  Edxvard  White. 


Many  of  our  readers  will  be  pained  to 
learn  that  James  M.  Southwick,  the  Rhode 
Island  naturalist,  has  been  confined  to  his 
bed  during  the  last  ten  weeks.  We  all 
wish  him  a  speedy  recoverv. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  8 


My  Experience  with  Visitors. 


We  had  company  from  a  distance.  They 
were  good  old  family  friends  of  years' 
standing.  They  came  from  a  long  dis- 
tance, "to  spend  a  few  days."  Of  course 
everyone,  including  myself,  were  delight- 
ed with  these  good  old-fashioned  people, 
jolly  and  courteous.  My  big  collection  of 
eggs  was  arranged  in  a  heavy  cabinet  that 
occupied  one  end  of  the  "  sitting  room," 
protected  in  front  by  glass  slides.  I  took 
pride  in  showing  my  collection,  and,  as  it 
was  really  an  ornament,  my  father  also 
delighted  in  telling  our  friends  about  the 
eggs  from  all  over  the  world,  and  his 
especial  pleasure  was  to  get  out  my 
Ostrich  and  Emu  eggs  and  grasp  them 
an  egg  in  each  hand  like  a  couple  of 
stones  and  clink  them  together,  "just  to 
show  how  thick  they  were,  you  know." 
Well  our  company  had  done  as  we  ex- 
pected them  to,  uttered  their  wonderment 
at  the  novelties  and  expressed  their  delight 
at  the  collection.  When  we  came  down 
to  a  more  minute  examination  of  some  of 
the  rarer  and  odder  specimens,  I  noticed 
that  the  lady  of  the  party  was  just  itching 
to  get  her  hands  on  the  eggs,  and  I 
thanked  my  stars  that  glass  stood  between 
her  fingers  and  my  treasures.  Well  father 
had  clinked  the  Ostrich  eggs  to  everyone's 
amusement  (including  my  own),  and  then 
we  reached  my  Black-chinned  Hummer's 
eggs  and  nests.  You  all  know  what 
beautiful  little  downy  puffs  of  nests  they 
are.  I  had  just  purchased  a  series  of 
them,  with  eggs,  and  unfortunately  had 
left  them  in  a  drawer,  not  as  yet  having 
time  to  arrange  them  in  the  cabinet.  I 
shook  with  apprehensions  as  father  very 
confidentially  handed  out  a  nest  apiece  for 
inspection.  All  at  once  an  exclamation 
from  one  of  the  party  caused  me  to  look 
with  a  start  just  in  time  to  see  one  nest 
and  its  contents  completely  demolished, 
and  in  the  scramble  to  repair  any  possible 


damage  another  and  still  another  followed 
the  first  to  utter  destruction,  while  I 
struggled  to  gather  a  very  sickly  smile 
about  the  lower  end  of  my  face,  as  I  de- 
clared through  lips  that  were  parched  and 
dry  that  the  damage  was  inconsiderable, 
and  for  them  to  pay  no  attention  to  it,  etc., 
and  I  frantically  endeavored  to  draw  every- 
one's attention  to  some  inanimate  and  in- 
teresting objects  several  thousand  miles 
away  from  that  egg  case.  The  moral 
may  be  summed  up  as  follows :  Six  brok- 
en Humming-bird's  eggs,  three  demol- 
ished nests,  one  cracked  Ostrich  egg,,  and 
fifteen  swears,  the  latter  I  added  afterward 
when  they  had  stepped  out.  Don't  ask 
anyone  to  look  at  your  eggs,  unless  you 
have  them  under  heavy  French  plate  and 
the  doors  all  locked,  "  friends  or  no 
friends."  I  give  utterance  knowing 
whereof!  speak.  Experience  is  a  good 
teacher.  W.  C.  B. 

Plymouth,  Mich. 

Breeding  Habits  of  Junco  Hyemalis 
carolinensis,  Br. 


On  July  5  of  the  present  year,  in  com- 
pany with  my  friend  Dr.  Henry  Skinner, 
I  left  Philadelphia  for  the  mountainous 
region  of  North  Carolina,  our  principal 
object  in  the  ornithological  line  being  to 
investigate  the  breeding  habits  of  the 
Carolina  Junco.  We  received  good  ac- 
commodations at  Cranberry,  Mitchell 
County,  and  from  this  point,  which  lies 
3200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  we 
made  trips  to  the  surrounding  hills  and 
mountains.  Our  longest  trip  was  that  to 
Blowing-Rock,  distance  from  Cranberr}» 
32  miles.  Part  of  the  journey  was  made 
in  wagon  and  part  on  horseback.  During 
my  two  weeks'  stay,  with  the  aid  of  the 
doctor,  I  located  and  examined  46  nests  of 
this  sub  species  of  Junco.  Forty-two  of  the 
nests  were  placed  in  natural  depressions 
in   the  bank   of  wagon   roads,  two   were 


August,  1893.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


117 


found  in  same  situation  in  a  railroad  cut, 
one  in  a  crevice  of  an  old  tree  trunk,  and 
one  was  placed  on  a  ledge  of  rocks. 
Sennett  in  the  A2ik^  vol.  4,  p.  243,  speaks 
of  having  also  found  the  nest  in  balsam 
trees.  I  was  unable  to  find  any  nests  in 
such  situations,  and  no  doubt,  like  the  nest 
I  found  on  a  ledge  of  rock,  it  is  the  excep- 
tion and  not  the  rule  for  the  birds  to  select 
such  situations  for  purposes  of  nidification. 
From  the  observations  made  I  am  led  to 
believe  that  the  full  set  of  eggs  is  general- 
ly four,  never  five,  but  very  often  three  ; 
three  nests  found  each  contained  four 
young ;  two  nests  also  contained  four 
eggs,  while  two  nests  contained  three 
young  and  three  nests  contained  three 
eggs  each.  The  other  nests  were  empty  or 
only  contained  one  or  two  eggs.  The 
bulk  of  the  nest  in  the  majority  of  cases 
was  constructed  out  of  small  rootlets  ;  a 
few  of  the  nests  had  considerable  moss 
used  in  their  construction ;  one  or  two 
leaves  were  also  noticed  in  a  few  of  the 
nests.  The  majority  of  the  nests  were 
lined  with  hair;  in  fact  every  nest  had 
more  or  less  of  this  material  used  as  a 
lining,  but  in  some  considerable  hay  and 
fine  grasses  had  been  used.  The  eggs 
vary  both  in  size,  shape,  and  markings. 
The  average  measure  of  two  sets  of  four 
eggs  was,  set  i,  .77  x  .59,  set  2,  .72  x  .60. 
The  average  measure  of  three  sets  of  three 
eggs  each  was,  set  i ,  .82  x  .60,  set  2,  .88  x 
.63,  set  3,  .76  X  .56.  Mr.  Brewster  in  the 
Aitk^  vol.  3,  p.  108,  speaks  of  Carolhieiisis 
as  averaging  larger  than  HyoiiaUs.  The 
six  skins,  3  <?  ^  and  3  ?  ? ,  that  I  secured 
give  an  average  measure  of  length  =^.94. 
extent  9.54,  wing  3.10.  Six  specimens 
of  Junco  Jiyemalis  is  in  my  collection,  4  $ 
$  and  2  ?  ? ,  give  an  average  measure  of 
length  6.05,  extent  10.30,  wing  3.12. 
Perhaps  if  a  larger  series  was  examined 
the  greater  difference  might  be  found  on  the 
side  of  Caroluiensis.  Thirty-six  species 
of  birds   were   observed    durins:   our   two 


weeks'  stay,  all  of  which  were  no  doubt 
breeding  here  in  the  mountains.  The 
only  species  worthy  of  special  note  was 
the  Song  Sparrow  {^felospiza  fasciata)  . 
Around  a  brush  heap  near  our  house  I 
came  across  three  of  them  ;  on  several  oc- 
casions afterwards  I  noticed  them  in  the 
same  place.  This  species  was  not  noticed 
by  either  Messrs.  Brewster  or  Sennett 
during  their  summer  collecting  trips  to 
these  mountains.  (^A//k,  vols.  3  and  4.) 
The  Song  Sparrow  probably  prefers  a 
lower  altitude  than  the  mountains  of 
North  Carolina  for  purposes  of  breeding. 
Philip  Later  cut. 

Illinois  English  Sparrow  Law. 


I  thought  it  would  be  of  interest  to 
the  readers  of  the  Ornithologist  and 
OoLOGiST  to  know  that  Dec.  i,  1891,  there 
went  into  effect  the  famous  English  Spar- 
row Law  passed  by  our  legislature.  This 
law  provides  for  a  bounty  of  two  cents 
each  on  all  English  Sparrows  killed  dur- 
ing the  months  of  December,  January  and 
February  of  each  year.  Already  every 
small  boy  has  some  sort  of  a  "fusee," 
waiting  the  coming  of  the  appointed  hour, 
when  to  slay  a  sparrow  means  two  cents 
gained.  This  bill  is  undoubtedly  a  move 
in  the  right  direction,  and  in  a  few  years 
a  sparrow  of  this  pestiferous  species  will 
be  as  scarce  as  hens'  teeth  in  the  great 
prairie  state.  I  know  of  no  other  state 
paying  any  bounty  on  them  at  this  time, 
but  hope  the  law  will  become  general 
throughout  the  Union,  and,  if  it  does,  the 
question  of  what  to  do  with  p.  domesticus 
will  be  solved  speedily  and  satisfactorily  ; 
he  will  be  exterminated.  Ornithologists 
hereabouts  are  strong  supporters  of  our 
vSparrow  Law.  R.  M.  Barnes. 

Lacon,  111. 

H.  O.  Havemeyer,  Jr.,  secured  one  of 
the  skins  of  the  Red  Phalarope  mentioned 
in  July  O.  &  O.  He  was  awake  to  the 
desirability  of  a  recorded  sjDecimen. 


ii8 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  8 


Samuel  B.   Ladd's  Collection  of  Eggs  of  Warblers. 

July  2<;,  1S93. 


■  d 

% 

be 
2 

636 

74 

^-hl 

75 

638 

76 

639 

77 

641 

79 

642 

81 

645 

S5 

646(7 

S6a 

648 

8S 

652 

93 

654 

94 

655 

95 

656 

96 

657 

97 

659 

99 

661 

lOI 

663 

103 

664 

104 

665 

105 

666 

106 

66^ 

107 

671 

1 1 1 

673 

114 

674 

1^5 

675 

116 

676 

117 

677 

119 

680 

121 

681 

122 

681a 

I22rt' 

683 

123 

683  a 

123a 

684 

124 

685 

125 

685^ 

125^' 

686 

127 

687 

138 

5/4 


Names. 

Black  and  Wiiite  Wnrbler,  1/3,  1/4,  i  1 
Pi-othonotary  Warbler,  8/5,  16/6,  1/7 
Svvainson's  Warbler,  1/4 
Worm-eating  Warbler,  1/3,  22/4,  41/5 
Blue-winged  Warbler,  1/3,  12/4,  12/5 
Golden-winged  Warbler,  3/4,  5/5,  1/6 
Nashville  Warbler,  1/3,  1/5   . 
Lutescent  Warbler,  2/3,-  1/4,  1/5 
Parula  Warbler,  11/4,  5/5 
Yellow  Warbler,  20/4,  3/5 
Black-throated  Blue  Warbler,  4/3, 
Myrtle  Warbler,  3/4,  r/5 
Audubon's  Warbler,  2/4,  1/5 
Magnolia  Warbler,  19/4,  2/5 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  8/4 
Black-poll  Warbler,  4/4,  2/5 
Yellow-throated  Warbler,  2/4 
Grace's  Warbler,  1/3      . 
Black-throated  Gray  Warbler,  }i 
Golden-cheeked  Warbler,  1/4 
Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  11/4,  1/ 
Pine  Warbler,  ^3,  12/4,  1/5   . 
Prairie  Warbler,  ^,  13/4,  2/5 
Oven  Bird,  19/4,  22/5,  3/6 
Water  Thrush,  ^,1/5 
Louisiana  Water  Thrush,  2/4,  3/5,  1/6 
Kentucky  Warbler,  J3,  8/4,  11/5 
Alacgillivray's  Warbler,  3^ 
Maryland  Yellow-throat,  25/4,  9/5 
Western  Maryland  Yellow-throat,  3^,  1/5 
Yellow-breasted  Chat,  3/^,  12/4,  1/5 
Long-tailed  Chat,  ^ 
Hooded  Warbler,  17/4 
Wilson's  Warbler,  2/5,  3/6 
Pileolated  Warbler,  2/4 
Canadian  Warbler,  X,  1/5 
American  Redstart,  10/4 

Nests  with  nearly  all  of  above. 


1/6 


3/6 


Total  No. 
of  Sets. 

14 

Total  No. 
of  Eggs. 

68 

25 

'43 

I 
67 

4 
314 

25 

1 1 1 

9 

2 

43 
8 

4 
16 

•5 

69 

2^ 

95 

9 

32 

4 

'7 

3 

21 

13 
S6 

8 
6 

32 

26 

2 

8 

I 

3 

I 

3 

I 

4 

1 2 

H 

17 

49 
56 
68 

44 

204 

4 
6 

29 

20 

90 

1 

4 

34 

145 

2 
14 

9 
56 

3 

17 

12 

68 

5 

2 

28 
8 

2 

9 

10 

40 

449 


[986 


August,  1S92.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


Big  Birds   at  the   Philadelphia   Zoo. 


Observing  visitors  to  the  Zoological 
Garden  were  impressed  by  an  extraordi- 
nary condition  of  affairs  in  the  houses  of 
the  great  birds  of  prey.  The  big  shed 
below  the  pretentious  dwelling  place  of 
the  carnivora  shelters  some  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  the  carrion-feeding  family  in 
captivity.  There  is  an  immense  South 
American  Condor  with  wings  that  would 
overspread  a  Corktown  palace,  and  feet 
that  would  do  justice  to  a  Lombard  Street 
belle.  Her  associates  are  gigantic  Vul- 
tures and  Buzzards,  whose  reddish  and 
brownish  coats  are  in  the  latest  spring 
styles.  Several  huge  Eagles  of  the  bald 
and  golden  types  possess  roosting  places 
in  the  same  area,  but  they  hold  themselves 
more  or  less  aloof  from  the  carrion-eaters, 
as  becomes  the  lofty  seekers  of  live  prey. 
Flanking  the  big  shed  are  Eagles  and 
Hawks  in  less  imposing  quarters. 

These  wondrous  inhabitants  of  the 
garden,  sitting  about  in  listless,  indifferent 
manner,  as  if  wholly  lost  to  all  interest  in 
existence,  have  been  familiar  objects  to 
Zoo  visitors  for  years.  There  are  no  new- 
comers among  them.  What  impressed 
the  big  crowds  of  the  initial  Sunday  of 
the  season  was  the  change  in  their  man- 
ner. They  no  longer  seemed  lazy  and 
indifferent.  They  were  as  busy  as  it  is 
possible  for  imprisoned  Vultures  and  Eagles 
to  be. 

In  the  big  shed  the  ground  was  strewn 
with  logs,  branches  of  trees  and  bark, 
which  Vultures  and  Eagles  were  breaking 
and  trimming  and  carrying  about  the 
room.  It  required  but  a  moment  to  see 
that  they  were  building  nests  of  a  kind 
not  heretofore  known  to  civilization.  The 
great  Condor's  was  particularly  remarka- 
ble. It  was  fully  completed  and  covered  the 
entire  top  of  the  apartment,  in  one  corner, 
reserved  for  keeper's  utensils.  It  was 
built  of  big  and  small  branches  and  bark 


arranged  with  singular  precision.  In  the 
midst  of  it,  observable  only  to  the  keepers 
who  mounted  their  step-ladder,  was  an 
egg  as  big  as  a  Philadelphia  cobble-stone. 
Smaller  nests  were  the  proud  property  of 
eagles.  Some  were  in  the  earlier  stages 
of  construction.  One  or  two  of  them  con- 
tained eggs. 

It  was  something  to  cause  a  genuine 
sensation  among  the  attaches  of  the  gar- 
den as  well  as  of  all  students  of  zoology. 
For  the  great  carrion-eaters  and  birds  of 
prey  to  mate  and  nest  in  captivity  was 
never  known  before.  Even  head-keeper 
Byrne,  with  his  robust  ideas  of  the  possi- 
bilities of  feathery  captivit}',  had  hardly 
hoped  for  fresh-laid  Buzzard  eggs  and 
Eagle  eggs. 

Interest  naturally  centered  in  the  move- 
ments of  the  great  Condor.  She  had  been 
the  centre  of  admiration  of  the  entire  Buz- 
zard throng  for  a  week  or  two  and  finally 
selected  as  her  mate  a  huge  cinereous  Vul- 
ture cajDtured  in  Africa.  She  seemed  to 
take  the  greatest  pride  in  the  nest  and  its 
big  egg.  A  large  part  of  her  time  was 
spent  in  watching  it,  the  African  Vulture 
stationing  himself  upon  a  near-by  perch 
meanwhile  as  if  to  keep  off'  any  intruders. 
As  soon  as  the  Condor  would  leave  her 
precious  charge  her  zealous  spouse  would 
spring  upon  the  side  of  the  nest  and  stand 
guard  until  her  return. 

A  strange  thing  about  this  singular  inti- 
macy is  the  fact  that  for  ten  years  the  Vul- 
ture and  the  Condor  have  lived  in  the 
same  shed  without  displaying  any  further 
interest  in  each  other  than  the  coldest  pla- 
tonic  friendship.  Some  philosophers  have 
observed  that  all  true  love  is  grounded  on 
esteem,  but  head-keeper  Byrne  accounts 
for  this  case  in  another  and  more  prosaic 
way. 

"The  secret  is  this,"  he  said.  "The 
nearer  you  approach  a  state  of  nature  the 
better  it  is  for  birds  in  every  way.  In 
that    state    the    first    thingf    Vultures    and 


120 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  8 


E  igles  do  when  they  pounce  upon  their 
prey  is  to  cut  into  the  head  and  dig  out 
and  devour  the  brains.  The  birds  had 
always  been  fed  here,  as  they  have  every- 
where else,  on  horse-meat,  but  during  the 
past  month  we  have  made  arrangements 
willi  poultry  and  fish  dealers  by  which  the 
heads  of  poultry  and  fish  dressed  for  mar- 
ket and  all  those  that  are  a  little  damaged 
are  brought  up  here  and  thrown  into  the 
birds.  It  was  a  welcome  change  from 
horseflesh  and  the  birds  have  been  raven- 
ous for  it.  They  are  now  devouring  their 
natural  food  in  their  natural  manner,  and 
are  just  that  much  nearer  their  natural 
state.  They  became  less  sluggish  and 
took  more  interest  in  each  other.  It 
wasn't  long  before  they  were  billing  and 
cooing  like  turtle  doves.  I  came  out  here 
one  morning  and  found  an  Eagle's  egg  in 
the  ground  near  the  wire  screen.  Some 
small  boy  pounded  it  with  a  stick.  Then 
another  one  had  the  same  fate.  So 
branches,  sticks  and  bark  were  thrown  in 
to  the  cages  as  an  experiment,  and,  surely 
enough,  the  Vultures  and  Eagles  began  to 
build  nests  and  lay  in  them.  I  believe  we 
shall  be  raising  young  Vultures,  Condors, 
Buzzards  and  Eagles  like  chickens  and 
ducks  in  a  short  time.  Never  before  in 
captivity  did  these  birds  ever  make  any 
pretence  of  laying  or  making  nests.  We 
shall  give  them  their  chicken  and  fish 
brains  all  summer.  Brains  are  needed  in 
every  business,  and  this  is  what  they  have 
accomplished  with  these  birds." 

Although  all  the  Vultures  in  their  com- 
mon gallantry  helped  to  build  the  great 
Condor's  nest,  none  but  the  favored  Afri- 
can is  now  permitted  to  be  near  it.  An 
intruder  is  set  upon  by  both  birds  with  a 
ferocity  that  proves  fatal.  During  the 
week  the  Condor  and  her  mate  have  killed 
two  red-tailed  Buzzards,  a  Turkey  Vul- 
ture and  several  Hawks  that  ventured  to 
gratify  their  curiosity  by  examining  the 
great  nest  they  helped  to  build.     Several 


Buzzards  have  decided    to    nest   again   in 
other  parts  of  the  room. 

A  great  Griffin  Vulture  of  Africa,  that 
sat  disconsolately  in  a  corner  of  the  shed, 
in  contrast  with  the  wide-awake  air  dis- 
played by  the  others,  attracted  some  atten- 
tion. Mr.  Bryne  explained  that  this  un- 
fortunate Vulture  laid  an  egg  so  near  the 
wire  screen  that  it  fell  a  victim  to  the 
ever-present  small  boy,  and  since  that 
time  the  bird  has  seemed  completely  dis- 
couraged, for  the  Vulture  lays  only  one  or 
two  eggs  during  a  season. 

A  spotted  Eagle  of  Europe  in  a  cage  by 
herself  has  also  performed  the  happy  feat 
of  laying  an  egg,  which  it  contemplates 
throughout  the  day  with  an  air  of  pro- 
found satisfaction  while  her  mate,  now  in 
an  adjoining  cage,  keeps  up  a  congratu- 
latory cackle.  A  man  is  employed  to 
watch  the  cage  in  order  to  keep  urchins 
from  poking  sticks  into  the  nest.  As  in 
the  case  of  the  Vulture  and  the  Condor, 
these  two  Eagles  had  dwelt  together  in 
cold-shouldered  acquaintance  merely  for 
years  before  the  head-keeper's  inspiration 
in  the  way  of  diet  awakened  their  latent 
affections.  It  now  seems  probable  that 
the  Zoo  will  be  able  to  produce  enough 
Vultures,  Condors,  Buzzards  and  Eagles 
of  all  species  to  supply  any  demand. 

Philadelphia  Times. 

W^estern  Vesper  Sparrow. 


This  species,  like  its  congenere  of  east- 
ern North  America,  is  peculiarly  a  bird  of 
the  prairie,  the  meadow,  or  the  grass  field. 
I  first  noticed  it  at  Carberry,  in  Manitoba, 
where  I  remained  a  few  days  on  my  way 
to  the  Pacific  Coast  in  the  first  week  of 
May,  1891.  There,  out  on  the  wild,  un- 
broken prairie  as  well  as  in  the  grain- 
sown  fields,  in  the  early  morning  as  well 
as  in  the  twilight  of  the  evening,  amid  the 
heat  of  the  noonday  sunshine  as  well  as 
in  the  bitter  frost  of  the  morning  hours, 
its  song,  differing  but   little   from   that   of 


August.  1892.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


121 


the  "Bay-winged  Bunting,"  with  which 
I  had  long  been  familiar,  fell  upon  the 
listening  ear,  and  appeared  to  come  from 
all  parts  of  the  seemingly  boundless  hori- 
zon, and  at  various  stopping  places,  till 
we  were  ascending  the  '^downs''  of  Al- 
berta, its  presence  and  its  song  were  still 
noted  as  an  eft'ecting  feature  of  the  land- 
scape. In  the  comparatively  older  and 
more  prairie-like  settlement  near  Fort 
Langly,  on  the  lower  Fraser,  I  first  added 
this  species  to  my  list  of  the  avi-faioia 
of  Britisii  Columbia,  but  it  was  afterwards 
noted  in  some  cultivated  fields,  on  the 
margins  of  the  river,  further  down  that 
stream. 

It  evidently  does  not  like  to  frequent 
the  margins  of  the  woods  or  partially 
cleared  places.  Out  on  the  open  prairie, 
standing  on  a  Gopher  mound,  a  sod,  or 
even  the  level  sward,  it  will  sing  as  cheer- 
ily as  in  the  more  wooded  regions,  where 
it  finds  a  post,  a  fence,  or  the  lower 
branches  of  a  tree  on  whicii  to  perch 
while  venting  its  simple  music.  But  the 
grass-grown  field  is  its  peculiar  home 
from  early  spring  till  the  frosts  of  autumn 
begin  to  end  the  growth  of  vegetation  and 
herald  the  approach  of  winter,  and  no- 
where else  is  so  much  effected  by  its  ex- 
istence. 

Though  there  is  not  much  variation  in 
its  song,  yet  it  is  distinguishable  from  the 
true  Vesper  Sparrow,  and  this  distinction 
is  doubtless  more  notable  if  the  two  are 
heard,  as  they  sometimes  are,  in  the  same 
vicinity.  Nor  is  there  any  distinction  in 
the  plumage  by  which,  at  a  short  distance, 
it  could  be  identified,  but  I  believe  the 
bay-color  on  the  wings  is  of  a  deeper  hue, 
and  the  plumage  in  general  darker  than 
that  which  adorns  our  modest  songster  of 
the  evening  twilight.  But  at  a  short  dis- 
tance the  same  plain  garb  seems  to  clothe 
the  resident  of  the  prairie  and  the  shores 
of  our  sunset  Province  as  is  assumed  by 
the  "Gray  bird"   of  my  early  years,   and 


with  which  I  have  been  so  long  familiar 
in  the  undulating  fields  of  Central  Ontario. 
And,  so  far  as  I  could  learn,  its  general 
habits  and  the  number  and  coloring  of  its 
eggs  are  much  the  same.  It  always  nests 
upon  the  ground,  mostly  in  a  grass  or 
grain-sown  field  ;  and  under  the  side  of  a 
sod  or  among  the  growing  vegetation  is 
with  it  a  favorite  place  for  the  cradle  of 
its  progeny.  The  foundation  for  the  nest 
is  always  sunk  in  the  soft  mould,  the  bird 
making  a  little  cavity  for  that  purpose  and 
then  collecting  round  the  sides  bits  of 
weed  stalks,  stubble  and  coarse  grass,  the 
inside  being  formed  with^  fine,  dry  grass 
and  different  kinds  of  hair  and  rootlets. 
The  set  of  eggs  is  mostly  four,  sometimes 
five,  but  occasionally  three  are  incubated. 
These  are  of  a  grayish-white  hue,  vari- 
ously marked  with  reddish,  brown,  purple 
and  lilac.  W.  L.  Kclh. 

Albino  Eggs  of  Long-billed  Marsh 
Wren. 


I  thought  it  would  be  of  interest  to 
readers  of  Ornithologist  and  Oolo- 
GIST  that  on  June  10,  1891,  I  took  three 
sets  of  albino  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren 
eggs.  The  eggs  were  white,  without  any 
spots  whatever,  and  were  properly  identi- 
fied, as  several  were  found  with  the  darker 
kind.  One  set  of  four  were  all  pure 
white  without  any  markings.  I  also  found 
several  nearly  albino  ones. 

B .  H.  S-vales. 

Detroit,  Mich. 


We  want  brief  newsy  notes  on  natural 
history.  We  have  many  lists  of  birds  sent 
in  ;  and  while  they  are  of  value,  we  find  that 
the  majority  of  our  readers  are  not  partic- 
ularly interested  in  them. 

Engineer  Daniels,  on  his  trip  from  New 
York  to  Boston,  while  passing  through 
Fomfret,  Conn.,  had  a  Red  Screech  Owl 
fly  in  between  the  engine  and  tender.  The 
bird  lived  only  a  short  time. 


133 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  8 


A  Large  Set  of  Eggs  of  the  Bob 
White. 


What  do  you  think  of  a  set  of  Qiiails' 
eggs  (Bob  White)  38  in  number?  The 
nest  was  foiuid  by  my  young  friend, 
Amon  Shearer,  Gilbert,  Iowa.  When 
found  it  contained  37  eggs.  He  took  out 
part  of  them,  and  last  Sunday,  June  5, 
when  I  was  at  his  home,  the  nest  con- 
tained eggs  to  make  38  in  all.  They 
were  laid  by  one  bird.  They  are  beauties. 
Twenty-seven  is  a  large  set,  but  38  beats 
the  record. 

Boone,   Iowa. 


Carl  rritz-IIciuiing. 


[If  some  of  the  eggs  were  removed,  and 
the  bird  went  on  laying,  tliey  cannot  strictly 
be  called  a  "  set."  — J.  P.  N.J 


Birds  of  Wayne  County,  Mich. 


As  I  have  never  seen  any  account  of 
the  avi-faima  of  Wayne  County,  Michi- 
gan, in  the  Ornithologist  and  Ooi.o- 
GiST,  I  thought  I  would  try  and  give  the 
little  information  I  possess  on  it.  Wayne 
County  is  an  excellent  place  to  observe 
birds,  as  both  water  and  land  birds  are 
abundant. 

The  Thrush  family  is  well  represented 
by  the  Robin,  Catbird  and  Wood  Thrush 
as  the  most  abundant.  The  Brown 
Thrasher,  Wilson's  and  Hermit  Thrushes 
are  not  so  common,  while  the  Olive- 
backed  Thrush  is  rare.  All  breed  except 
the  two  latter  species.  The  Bluebird  is 
an  abundant  summer  resident,  arriving 
early  in  February.  The  Chickadee, 
White- bellied  Nuthatch,  Brown  Creeper, 
and  both  Kinglets  are  common  as  winter 
or  half  residents,  while  the  Red-bellied 
Nuthatch  is  occasionally  seen.  The 
Tufted  Titmouse  is  not  very  abundant. 

Of  Wrens  we  have  the  House  and  both 
Marsh  Wrens  as  summer  residents,  and 
the  Winter  is  seen  in  fall  and  early  spring. 
The  Long-billed   Marsh   Wren   is   a   very 


common  breeder  in  the  swamps  along  the 
Detroit  river. 

The  Warblers,  of  which  many  species 
occur  here  either  as  migrants  or  summer 
residents,  include  the  Yellow,  Magnolia, 
Redstart,  Ovenbird,  Chestnut-sided,  Myr- 
tle, Golden-crowned,  Prairie,  Black- 
throated  Green,  Nashville,  Black  and 
White,  Maryland  Yellow-throat,  Cana- 
dian and  many  others. 

The  Vireos  send  the  Red  and  White- 
eyed  and  Warbling  as  representatives, 
with  the  Yellow-throated  as  a  rarer  vis- 
itor. 

The  Great  Northern  Shrike  is  seen  here 
occasionally  in  winter,  but  the  White- 
rumped  breeds  here.  The  Cedar  Wax- 
wing  is  abundant  and  breeds  in  late  July. 
Of  our  Swallows  the  Barn,  Bank,  Cliff, 
Tree  and  Purple  Martins  are  the  most 
abundant. 

The  Sparrows  (summer  residents)  are 
the  Song,  Chipping,  Vesper  and  Field, 
and  our  migrants  include  the  White- 
throated,  White-crowned,  Tree,  Fox  and 
Lark,  of  which  the  Tree  Sparrow  exceeds 
in  abundance. 

The  Scarlet  Tanager  is  fairly  common, 
and  a  few  breed. 

The  Snow  Bunting  is  less  common  than 
formerly,  owing  to  the  absence  of  the  for- 
mer amount  of  snow,  but  the  Junco,  Red- 
poll and  Pine  Siskins  are  still  common  in 
fall  and  spring.  The  Goldfinch  is  very 
abundant  and  breeds.  The  Purple  Finch 
is  occasionally  seen,  and  the  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak  is  a  summer  i-esident  and  breeds. 
In  March,  1889,  the  Evening  Grosbeak, 
300  strong,  paid  us  a  visit,  but  have  not 
been  observed  since.  I  saw  my  last  one 
on  November  16. 

The  Chewink,  Bobolink,  Cowbird,  Red- 
winged  and  Rusty  Blackbirds,  Meadow 
Lark,  Baltimore  and  Orchard  Orioles  and 
Bronzed  Grackle  are  common. 

The  Crow  is  abundant  and  many  breed 
in  April.     The   Blue  Jay   seldom  breeds 


August,  1S93.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


123 


here.  I  found  one  nest,  May  26,  1886, 
with  six  eggs. 

The  Prairie-horned  Lark  is  common, 
and  some  breed  in  April. 

Our  Flycatchers  are  the  Kingbird,  Wood 
Pewee,  Phoebe,  Crested  and  Traill's,  with 
a  few  Acadian  and  Least.  The  Traill's 
are  not  as  abundant  as  formerly,  owing 
probably  to  the  relentless  search  for  their 
eggs  by  the  "  small  boy." 

The  Ruby-throated  Hummingbird  is 
abundant  after  May,  but  its  nest  is  seldom 
seen.  The  only  one  I  ever  found  was  in 
1885  in  an  oak  tree.  The  Chimney  Swift 
is  a  very  abundant  summer  resident,  as  is 
the  Nighthawk,  who  breeds  on  the  flat 
roofs  of  buildings  or  in  pasture  lands. 
The  Whip-poor-will  is  rare,  but  occasion- 
ally nests.  A  friend  of  mine  found  one 
on  Belle  Isle  in  18S7  with  two  eggs. 

The  Red-head  is  our  commonest  Wood- 
pecker, followed  by  the  Downy,  Flicker, 
Hairy,  Yellow-bellied,  Red-bellied,  and 
sometimes  the  Pileated  ;  but  the  latter  is 
nearly  extinct  here. 

The  Belted  Kingfisher  is  common,  and 
a  few  breed  on  the  St.  Clair  and  Detroit 
rivers. 

Both  the  Cuckoos  are  summer  residents, 
but  the  Black-bill  is  the  rarest. 

Owls  are  rather  scarce,  but  our  list  in- 
cludes the  Great  Horned,  Barred,  Long 
and  Short-eared  and  Screech. 

The  Raptorcs  are  well  represented  by 
the  Red-shoulder,  Red-tailed,  Cooper, 
Marsh,  Sharp-shinned,  Sparrow,  Broad- 
winged  and  Pigeon.  The  Bald  Eagle  is 
very  rare,  but  can  sometimes  be  seen. 
The  past  winter  two  hung  around  the  river 
in  front  of  the  city,  feeding  on  the  wild 
duck  that  were  driven  down  from  the  flats 
by  the  ice.  A  pair  is  said  to  breed  on 
Dickinson  Island. 

The  Mourning  Doves  are  rather  rare. 
Quails  and  Ruffed  Grouse  are  on  the  in- 
crease. The  former  were  nearly  exter- 
minated. 


The  Great  Blue  Heron  is  our  most 
abundant  one,  but  the  Green,  American 
and  Least  Bittern  and  Night  Herons  are 
summer  residents. 

The  Virginia,  Sora  and  King  Rails 
breed,  as  do  the  Coot  and  Florida  Galli- 
nules. , 

The  Plover,  etc.,  include  the  Killdeer, 
Spotted  Sandpiper,  Woodcock,  Yellow- 
legs,  Wilson's  Snipe  and  several  other  va- 
rieties. 

Canada  Geese  can  be  seen  migrating 
every  year,  but  they  seldom  light. 

Of  the  Gulls  there  are  several  varieties, 
but  as  I  am  not  very  familiar  with  them  I 
shall  not  endeavor  to  name  them. 

The  Black  Tern  is  very  abundant  and 
breeds  in  immense  numbers  along  in  the 
marshes.  The  Forster's  and  Common 
Terns  also  occur. 

The  Loon  is  rare,  but  sometimes 
breeds. 

The  Pied-billed  Grebe  is  the  most 
abundant,  but  the  Horned  Grebe  is  a  sum- 
mer resident,  and  both  breed  in  the  river 
marshes. 

Of  the  birds  which  occasionally  appear 
the  Turkey  Buzzard  is  one.  They  some- 
times come  in  August.  A  farmer  in 
Highland  Park,  near  Detroit,  saw  a  flock 
and  secured  one,  which  he  has  in  a  pen. 

B.  H.  Swales. 

Detroit,  Mich.,  Aug.  i,  1893. 


Fletcher  M.  Noe,  Indianapolis,  Ind., 
reports  that  he  received  a  ?  White  Peli- 
can, killed  at  New  Castle,  Ind.,  May  20, 
and  says  that  it  is  a  rare  catch  for  the 
locality.  Mr.  Noe  made  us  a  call  while 
east  a  few  days  since.  He  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  relics. 

A  tame  Red-tailed  Hawk  at  our  work 
shop  is  quite  a  convenience.  He  watches 
anxiously  for  the  bodies  of  all  the  small 
birds  that  are  skinned.  He  is  by  no  means 
fastidious  in  his  tastes. 


124 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  8 


THE 

ORNITHOLOGISTr^^OOLOGIST 

A    MONTHLY    MAGAZINE   f)K 

NATURAL  HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY    DEVOTED   TO  TlIK   SI mv  OF 

BIRDS, 

THEIR  NESTS  AND   EGGS, 

AND  TO  THE 

INTERESTS  OF  NATURALISTS. 


Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 
FRANK  B.  WEBSTER,       .         .         .         Hyde  Park.  AFass. 
J.  PARKER  NORRIS, 


Philadelphia,  Pa. 


rrni.isiiED  at  the 
MUSEUM    AND    NATURALISTS'    SUPPLY    DEPOT 

OF   THE 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COiMPANY, 

INCORPORATED, 

HYDE  PARK,  MASS. 


The  O.  &  O.  is  mailed  each  issue  to  every  paid  subscriber. 
If  you  fail  to  receive  it,  notify  us. 


Montague  Chamberlain's  New  "Work. 


In  the  November  issue  a  brief  allusion 
was  made  to  a  new  edition  of  Nuttall's 
Ornithology  by  Montague  Chamberlain. 
In  his  introduction  the  author  states  that 
this  work  is  practically  an  edition  of  "A 
Manual  of  the  Ornithology  of  the  United 
States  and  of  Canada,"  written  by  Thomas 
NuTTALL,  though  only  as  much  of  the 
original  title  has  been  retained  as  seemed 
consistent  with  the  changed  character  of  the 
text.  He  has  taken  Nuttall's  biographies 
and  inserted  notes  relating  to  the  facts  of 
distributions  and  habits  that  have  been 
acquired  by  our  ornithologists,  also  re- 
written the  description  of  plumage  in  a 
manner  that  can  be  readily  understood  by 
all.  A  description  of  the  eggs  of  each 
species  has  also  been  added. 

The  nomenclature  adopted  is  that  of 
the  "  Check-List"  of  the  A.  O.  U.  The 
sequence  of  species  is  that  arranged  by 
Nuttall.  A  careful  perusal  of  the  work 
shows  that  the  plan  has  been  to  present  in 
the  most  comprehensive  manner  a  con- 
densed description,  such  as  is  required  by 
students,  both  old  and  young. 


The  author  some  time  since  promised  a 
number  of  his  Canadian  friends  that  he 
would  prepare  a  work  on  Canadian  birds, 
and  has  kept  the  promise  by  giving  in  this 
edition  an  account  of  every  species  that 
has  been  foiDid  within  the  Dominion 
east  of  Manitoba  plains^  together  with 
their  Caiiadia)i  distribution.  This  can- 
not fail  to  make  it  a  leading  work  in  the 
estimation  of  our  Canadian  friends. 

Referring  to  the  Study  of  Bird  Life  we 
quote  the  author:  "  If  this  science  (clas- 
sification) has  advanced  far  beyond  Nut- 
tall's work,  the  study  of  bird  life,  the  real 
history  of  our  birds,  remains  just  about 
where  .Nuttall  and  his  contemporaries  left 
it.  The  present  generation  of  working 
ornithologists  have  been  too  busy  in  hunt- 
ing up  new  species  and  in  variety-making 
to  study  the  habits  of  birds  with  equal 
care  and  diligence,  and  it  is  to  Wilson, 
Audubon  and  Nuttall  that  we  are  in- 
debted, even  to  this  day,  for  what  we 
know  of  bird  life."  In  this  one  sentence 
Mr.  Chamberlain  strikes  the  key-note, 
which  should  furnish  'food  for  much  re- 
flection. 

The  work  is  well  illustrated,  the  cuts 
being  useful  ones  and  such  as  are  recog- 
nized at  a  glance,  many  of  them  being 
from  drawings  by  Mr.  Ernest  E.  Thomp- 
son of  Toronto. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  is  well  known  to  our 
readers  as  one  of  the  leading  ornithologists 
of  the  day,  one  whose  name  does  not  ap- 
pear as  often  as  some  others  ;  but  when 
it  does,  it  carries  with  it  a  weight  such  as 
can  only  originate  from  one  who  is  a  care- 
ful student,  who  speaks  from  an  hon- 
est conviction  and  is  broad  in  principle. 

He  is  the  author  of  several  ornithologi- 
cal publications  of  importance.  The  work 
is  from  the  press  of  Little,  Brown  &  Co., 
Boston,  well-known  as  the  publishers  of 
"The  History  of  North  American  Birds," 
by  Baird,  Brewer  &  Ridgway. 

No   comment    is  necessary.     We  earn- 


August,  1893.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


125 


estly  recommend  Mr.  Chamberlain's  work 
to  all. 

"A  Popular  Handbook  of  the  Ornithol- 
ogy of  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
based  on  Nuttall's  '  Manual,'  by  Mon- 
tague Chamberlain.  Vol.  I.,  Land  Birds; 
Vol.  II.,  Game  and  Water  Birds,  with 
colored  frontispieces  and  numerous  illus- 
trations in  the  texts.  Two  volumes, 
crown  Svo.,  cloth,  extra,  gilt  top,  $8. 00; 
half  calf,  extra,  gilt  top,  $t3.oo;  half- 
crushed  Levant  morocco,  gilt  top,  $16.00. 
Little,  Brown  &  Co.,  publishers,  254 
Washington  street,  Boston,  Mass."  Cir- 
cular with  specimen  pages  furnished  upon 
application. 

Brief  Notes,  Correspondence,  and 
Clippings. 


To  My  Subscribers  :  Over  four  hun- 
dred subscribers  are  now  recorded  for  my 
work  on  Taxidermy,  lacking  probably 
eighty  names  of  making  the  full  five  hun- 
dred, which  was  the  number  asked  for 
when  the  drawings  for  the  work  were  con- 
sidered complete. 

The  date  of  publication  depends  on  the 
length  of  time  required  for  the  engravers  to 
execute  their  work,  and  this  I  am  assured 
is  being  pushed  as  rapidly  as  is  consistent 
with  obtaining  the  best  results.  There  is 
therefore  positivelv  1/0  date  set  for  the 
appearance  of  the  book.  Instead  of  fifty- 
four  full  page  plates,  with  figures  illustrat- 
ing every  procedure  in  taxidermy,  the  work 
will  now  contain  seventy-Jive  to  eighty. 
Many  special  plates  on  special  subjects 
have  been  added  and  the  text  has  beeu 
greatly  augmented. 

It  should  be  clearly  understood  that  it 
will  be  a  thoroughly  iJhtstrated  tvork  on 
Taxidermy.,  minutely  illustrating  the  best 
methods  employed  in  the  art.  Subscrip- 
tions for  the  work  are  now  recorded  from 
every  State  and  Territory  in  the  United 
States,  from  the  Dominion  of  Canada  and 
from  Great  Britain. 


After  publication,  the  price  of  this  work 
will  be  $10  net.  I  desire  to  tender  my 
sincere  thanks  to  each  subscriber  for  the 
encouragement  kindly  given  in  the  under- 
taking, and  as  soon  as  the  mechanical 
execution  of  the  work  is  completed  due 
notice,  will  be  given  each  subscriber  as  to 
when  the  book  will  be  ready  for  delivery. 

Oliver  DA^'IE. 

Columbus,  O.,  August,  1S92. 

Subscriptions  for  this  coming  work  will 
be  received  at  the  office  of  this  publication. 

In  her  castle  at  Craig-y-Nos,  Mme.  Patti 
has  a  $6000  parrot  which  she  cherishes 
and  pets  as  if  it  were  a  child. 

One  day  there  went  to  interview  Patti 
a  young  man  who  had  travelled  long  and 
far  to  view  the  beautiful  Craig-y-Nos  pal- 
ace, says  the  Neiu  York    World. 

"Mme.  Patti  will  be  here  in  a  moment," 
said  the  door  attendant. 

Just  at  that  moment  there  was  a  rustle 
of  skirts,  and  Mme.  Patti  swept  into  the 
room  adjoining. 

In  a  minute  the  most  beautiful,  birdlike 
notes  rose  upon  the  air,  unmistakably  from. 
Patti's  throat. 

"  She  is  singing  for  me,"  said  the  de- 
lighted listener  to  himself,  "and  she  is  too 
modest  to  come  in  here  and  sing  directly 
l)efore  me.  She  wants  me  to  hear  her  as 
she  sings  at  home.  Oil,  what  a  joy  to 
have  this  privilege  !  " 

At  this  moment  the  heavy  draperies 
were  pulled  aside  and  the  attendant  said  : 

"You  may  wait  upon  Mme.  Patti  now. 
She  has  been  giving  a  short  lesson  to  her 
parrot.  Siie  teaches  him  every  day .  This 
way,  sir,  if  you  please." 

Taking  his  size  into  consideration,  tiie 
mole  is  the  strongest  animal  we  know. 
Whatever  he  does,  too,  he  does  with  all 
his  might.  One  can  see  the  reason  of  the 
comparison  "blind  as  a  bat;"  but  why 
folks  should  ever  say  "  blind  as  a  mole  " 
is  incomprehensible  to   me.      Watch   him 


126 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  8 


as  he  runs  about  in  the  bright  sunshine, 
after  a  spell  of  underground  work,  and  tell 
me  whether  you  think  those  eyes  of  his, 
small  though  they  are,  do  not  serve  him 
in  good  stead.  And  that  beautiful  coat 
never  shows  any  dirt  upon  it,  no  matter 
how  clayey  the  soil  may  be  among  which 
he  works.  —  Pall  Mall  7J?(d<ret. 


Dear  Mr.  Delsarte ! 

Since  you've  taught  us  that  art 
Must  replace  Mother  Nature's  injunctions 

And  teach  us  anew 

What  we  really  should  do 
Witli  our  various  J•)h^•sical  functions. 

We  beg  you  will  add 

To  the  lessons  we've  had 
About  walking  and  breathing  and  posing. 

Other  hints  that  will  make 

All  our  doings  partake 
Of  a  grace  more  perfection  disclosing. 

We'd  be  taught,  if  you  please, 
How  to  gracefully  sneeze. 

How  to  snore  in  symmetrical  manner, 
How  to  get  out  of  bed, 
How  to  drop  when  we  tread 

On  the  cuticle  of  a  banana. 

How  to  smell,  how  to  wink, 

How  to  chew,  how  to  drink, 
How  sublimely  to  shake  an  ash-sifter; 

How  to  step  on  a  tack. 

How  to  get  in  a  hack, 
How  to  toy  with  a  heated  sto\e^lifter. 

How  to  hiccough  with  ease, 
How  to  groan,  how  to  wheeze. 

How  to  spank  a  night-howling  relation  ; 
In  short  how  to  mend 
The  mistakes  that  our  friend 

Dame  Nature  mixed  in  our  creation. 


OoLOGiCAL  Note.  —  From  a  scientific 
point  of  view,  my  collection  of  oological 
specimens  for  1S93  has  been  the  most 
valuable  of  those  yet  taken  in  any  single 
season,  including  as  it  does  fine  full  sets  of 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  Winter  Wren,  Yel- 
low-bellied Fly-catcher,  Maryland  Yellow- 
throat,  Canadian  Warbler,  two  species  of 
Woodpecker,  Hermit  Thrush,  and  others 


to  the  number  of  over  thirty  species. 
Some  valuable  books  have  also  been 
added  to  my  library,  and  many  notes, 
which .  will  yet  interest  the  student  of 
Canadian  ornithology,  have  been  dotted 
down.  W.  L.  Kclls. 

Listowel,  Ontario,  Can. 


One  of  the  interesting  objects  met  with 
on  our  coast  is  the  Horse  Foot  Crab,  Liii- 
eulus  poliiphcmiis.  It  is  found  from 
Maine  to  Florida.  The  breeding  season 
in  New  England  is  during  May  to  August. 
The  eggs  are  deposited  in  the  sand.  They 
are  very  small  and  said  to  resemble  seed 
pearls.  The  young  crab  swims  from  the 
start,  and  its  tail  appears  after  the  first 
moult.  Many  of  them  become  entangled 
in  the  floating  seaweed  and  as  the  tide 
goes  out  are  left  high  and  dry,  when  the 
sun  dries  them  up  and  bleaches  them  at 
short  notice.  The  delicate  shell,  which  is 
all  that  is  left,  is  wafted  by  the  wind  up  on 
the  beach,  where  they  are  secured  in  large 
numbers  by  specimen  hunters.  They  vary 
in  size  from  one  half  inch  to  four  inches 
diameter.  It  is  seldom  that  large  ones  are 
found  in  a  perfect  condition.  When  the 
old  crabs  get  stranded  they  decay  rapidly 
and  drop  to  pieces.  At  Monomoy  Island 
we  have  seen  the  bay  shore  lined  with  the 
old  fellows,  who  would  measure  ten  to 
fifteen  inches  in  diameter. 

The  small  ones  are  very  interesting  to 
those  who  do  not  live  on  the  coast.  They 
can  be  had  at  ten  cents  each  postpaid. 
We  have  seen  some  painted  to  resemble  a 
face,  and  are  quite  grotesque. 


The  sling  was  one  of  the  earliest  inven- 
tions in  the  way  of  a  weapon,  and  was 
itself  an  improvement  on  the  stone  thrown 
by  hand,  which  was  the  rudest  and  most 
primitive  method  of  fighting. — Harper's 
ToiiJtg  People. 

F.  C.  Kirkwood,  115  Concord  Street, 
Baltimore,  Md.,  is  working  on  "The  Birds 


August,  1S93.J 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


127 


of  Maryland"  for  the  Maryland  Academy 
of  Sciences.  On  June  2,  he  succeeded 
in  securing  a  pair  of  young  Bald  Eagles, 
which  he  presented  to  the  society.  He 
writes  that  they  are  now  as  fine  a  pair  of 
birds  as  one  would  wish  to  see. 

Mr.  Enoch  Pratt  recently  purchased  the 
building  of  the  Maryland  club  at  a  cost  of 
$30,000  and  presented  it  to  the  above- 
named  society. 

Mr.  Kirkwood  would  like  the  address 
of  all  interested  in  ornithology  who  reside 
in  his  state. 

He  sat  at  the  dinner  table 

With  a  discontented  frown  ; 
The  potatoes  and  steak  were  underdone 

And  the  bread  was  baked  too  brown  ; 
The  pie  was  too  sour,  the  pudding  too  sweet, 

And  the  roast  was  much  too  fat ; 
The  soup  so  greasy,  too,  and  salt, 

'Twas  hardly  fit  for  the  cat. 
"  I  wish  you  could  eat  the  bread  and  pie 

I've  seen  my  mother  make  ; 
Thev  are   something   like,  and  'twould   do  you 
good 

Just  to  look  at  a  loaf  of  her  cake." 
Said  the  smiling  w-ife  :   "  I'll  improve  with  age  — 

Just  now  I'm  but  a  beginner ; 
But  your  mother  has  come  to  visit  us, 

And  to-dav  she  cooked  the  dinner." 


A  mysterious  ringing  of  electric  bells  in 
a  Swiss  house  was  traced  to  a  large  spider, 
which  had  one  foot  on  the  bell  wire  and 
another  on  an  electric  light  wire. 


Consumption  in  Earthworms.  —  It  is 
now  the  humble  earthworm,  exalted  by 
Darwin  to  the  position  of  the  soil-tiller's 
benefactor,  that  is  destined  to  become  the 
dread  of  nervous  folk.  Pasteur  showed 
about  a  dozen  years  ago  that  the  bacter- 
ium of  charbon  may  be  taken  up  from 
corpses  by  these  creatures,  and  carried  for 
a  considerable  time  in  their  bodies.  Two 
other  French  biologists,  Lortet  and  Des- 
peignes,  have  since  experimented  on  the 
line  thus  suggested,  and  have  satisfied 
themselves  that  these  animals  can  become 
the  hosts  for  months  of  the  tubercle  bacil- 


lus, which  loses  none  of  its  virulence  by 
its  change  of  abode.  It  is  thus  possible 
that  earthworms  —  so  universal  and  so 
active  —  may  become  the  means  of  spread- 
ing one  of  the  most  terrible  scourges  of 
mankind.  The  work  of  these  experi- 
menters has  a  further  interest  in  being  the 
first  recorded  demonstration  of  the  "  tuber- 
cularization  "  of  the  invetebrate. 


I've  got  a  good  New  England  taste 

For  ev'ry  kind  of  pies. 
But  huckleberry's  best,  because 

You  cannot  see  the  flies. 

—  Exchatige. 

Unnecessary  Evidence.  —  Smith : 
You  needn't  tell  me  that  dogs  don't  know 
as  much  as  human  beings.  I  took  Ponto 
to  church  with  me  last  Sunday. 

Jones  :  Yes .'' 

Smith  :  Well,  sir,  he  slept  through  the 
whole  sermon.  —  Life. 

Katy  Did. 

I  had  sent  a  note  to  Katy  and  was  waiting  her 

reply ; 
But  the  carrier  went  his   several    rounds,   and 

always  passed  me  by. 
The  shades  were  gathering  thicker  and  the  sun 

hung  very  low, 
I  was  Iving  in  the  hammock,  and  was  swaying 

to  and  fro ; 
And   I    asked    myself    the    question,    "Did    she 

answer  me  or  no.'" 
And  in  the  leafy  maple  a  little  insect  hid, 
And  declared  as  though  he  knew  it, 

"  Katy-did." 

And  she  did. 

I  finallv  received  it,  and  I  grasped  it  with  a  start. 
Did   it  contain   an   arrow"  or  a  dagger  for   my 

heart? 
I  hastened  to  my  chamber,  very  neivous,  I  con- 
fess. 
I    tore    the    letter    open    and    beheld    the    fond 

address. 
But  I  burned  to  know  her  answer.     Did  she  tell 
me  "  Yes.'" 
And  in  the  leafy  maple  a  little  insect  hid, 
And  declared  as  though  he  knew  it, 
"  Katy-did." 

And  she  did. 
— Jay  Kayc  in  Overland  Monthly . 


EXCHANGE  AND  WANTS. 

I  inch,  one  time  ...  $  .1^0 

I  inch,  three  times      .  .  .  1.20 

Dealers'  A(fx'crfisrnic>ifs — i  incli      .  i.oo 

XC   VAKIATION. 

A  FEW  Choice  Skins  of  380,  3S4,  391,  396.  419. 
''*■  439'  47 1'  54-'"'  543'  544-  ^H9  to  exchanije  for 
such  skins  as  I  can  use.  Send  list  of  duplicate 
skins  vou  have,  statintj  what  vou  can  use  in  ex- 
change. jamp:s  p."  babbitt, 

T.\i  NTON,  Mass. 

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BOTH    FOR   ONE    YEAR,    $1.50. 

The  Sportsman  mid  'I'ourist  is  n  \lt\-  iiopular  niaaazine. 

Jamison's  Collection  for  Sale. 

ISAAC  S.  REIFF,  of  853  North  Thirteenth  St., 
i  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  has  the  collection  of  the 
late  Henry  K.  Jamison  for  sale,  and  anyone  send- 
ing him  a  two-cent  stamp  will  receive  a  list  of 
the  same.  Mr.  Jamison's  reputation  as  a  col- 
lector makes  any  eggs  from  his  collection  verv 
desirable  as  specimens. — J.P.X. 

POR    SALE.— A  IlAM.Muxn  Typkwriter. 
A        Used  only  a  short  time.     In  perfect  condi- 
tion.     Cost  $100:   will  sell  for  $60.     Apply  to 
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FOR   SALE. 

jVIESTS  of  Trap-door  Spider,  60c.:  Trap-door 
^^      Spiders,    75c.;    Tarantula,  $1.00;    Horned 
Toad,  $1.00;  Centipede,  75c.;   Scorpion,  75c. 
Bv  mail  postpaid  at  above  prices. 

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fine.  .Send  12  cts.  in  stamps  for  sample  plates;  6  plates  for  50 
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illustrated $2  00 

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Davies',  paper           .         .         .         .  1  25 

Maynard's,  cloth       .         .         .         .  i  75 
Capen's,  colored        .         .         .         .15  00 

BIRDS  —               Coues'  Key 7  50 

Ridgway's  Manual             .         .         .  7  ^c 

BUTTERFLIES— MaVnard's  (N.A.)            .         .         .  i  50 

Maynard's  (New  England)       .         .  6  50 

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ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  A^D  — 

OOLOGIST. 


PUBLISHED   BY   THE   FRANK  BLAKE   WEBSTER   COMPANY. 

ESTABLISHED    MARCH,    1875. 


$1.00  per 
Annum. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII.         HYDE  PARK,  MASS.,  SEPTEMBER,  1892. 


No.  9. 


Nesting  of  the  Black-throated    Blue 
Warbler  in  Buncombe  Co.,  N.C. 


Altitude  regardless  of  latitude  seems  to 
fill  all  the  requirements  of  this  species 
as  far  as  their  nesting  site  is  concerned. 
Although  many  believe  the  Black-throate(] 
Blue  Warbler  to  be  strictly  a  northern 
breeder,  we  found  them  breeding  spar- 
ingly in  the  Craggy  mountains  at  eleva- 
tions ranging  from  4000  to  6000  feet. 
Their  favorite  abodes  are  among  the  rank 
weeds  and  ferns  which  spring  up  between 
the  rocks  and  fallen  trees  in  the  more 
heavily  timbered  ravines,  and  almost  in- 
variably these  localities  are  known  to  the 
natives  as  rattle-snake  dens.  Mr.  John 
S.  Cairns  has  collected  a  number  of  their 
skins  in  seasons  past,  and  was  satisfied 
from  their  presence  during  their  breeding 
season  that  thev  bred  in  the  Craggies. 
While  collecting  with  him  from  May  5 
until  May  36,  we  together  worked  pretty 
thoroughly  a  spur  of  these  mountains  run- 
ning probably  seven  or  eight  miles,  and 
succeeded  in  taking  eight  nests  with  eggs, 
four  sets  containing  four  eggs  each  and 
four  containing  three  each.  I  will  say  here 
that  the  word  '•'■zvorked"  is  hardly  strong 
enough  to  describe  a  collector's  labor  in 
these  mountains,  for  he  finds  no  prairie 
where  he  may  get  his  "second-wind." 

These  birds  do  not  necessarily  build  on 
swampy  or  low  ground,  as  we  found  nests 
ranging  from  two  feet  to  five  hundred 
yards  from  water.  Occasionally  a  nest  will 
be    placed    in    rhododendron    shoots    and 


laurels,  but  apparently  they  prefer  a  weed 
known  here  as  the  rattle-weed,  an  annual 
that  shoots  four  branches  from  the  stalk  ; 
the  leaves  are  trifid  and  lanceolate,  but 
they  do  not  flower  this  early  and  the 
material  preserved  will  not  identify  them. 
Ridg-dcay' s  ^lauiial  says  "  nest  on  high 
trees  20-50  feet  or  more  from  the  ground," 
but  we  found  none  higher  than  three  feet 
and  one  only  ten  inches  from  the  ground. 
Judging  from  timber  and  suitable  shelter 
here  offered,  I  do  not  believe  they  ever 
breed  in  the  higher  trees. 

Their  nests  show  little  variation  in  their 
construction,  and  a  description  of  one  will 
be  representative.  Exteriorly  it  is  com- 
posed of  strips  of  bark  of  rhododendron 
or  grape-vine  interwoven  with  pieces  of 
birch  bark,  moss  and  spiders  webs,  lined 
with  the  fibrous  part  of  Tillafidsia  ?is- 
noides^  lo"g  moss,  the  same  as  is  used  by 
upholsterers.  This  long  moss  is  probably 
the  same  material  described  by  Rev.  C. 
M.  Jones  and  others  as  fine  black  roots 
and  hair,  as  the  fibre  very  closely  resem- 
bles curled  hair  or  rootlets. 

Their  eggs  in  coloration  and  shape  are 
as  variable  as  those  of  any  of  the  Warblers. 
Some  are  well  rounded,  one  specimen 
measuring  .61  x  .52,  while  some  are  quite 
elongate,  one  measuring  ,(i^yi  .49.  Ground 
color,  greenish-white,  and  buffy-white. 
Some  are  heavily  blotched  with  reddish- 
brown  and  lilac-gray  in  a  wreath  around 
the  larger  end,  while  others  are  marked 
over  their  entire  surface  with  madder- 
brown  and  lilac-gray. 


Copyright,  1892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


130 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  9 


I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Benjamin  M. 
Everhart,  our  eminent  mycological  botan- 
ist, for  the  identitication  of  the  nest  lining 
as  above.  Sanuicl  B .  J. add. 

West  Chester,  Pa.,  Aug.  22,  1892. 

Since  writing  the  above  Mr.  Everhart 
has  identified  the  weed  mentioned  as  the 
rattle-weed  to  be  Cautophyliim  thalic- 
troides.,  better  known  as  blue  cohosh  or 
pappoose-root.  S.  B.  L. 

A  Spring  Morning  Ramble. 


I  woke  up  this  morning  and  looked  out 
of  the  window  on  one  of  the  finest  spring 
days  we  have  had  this  season.  Jumping 
into  my  clothes  and  eating  a  hasty  break- 
fast I  started  off,  taking  the  horsecar  to 
Beverly  Cove,  and  from  there  started  off" 
through  a  field  toward  "  the  Park." 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  and  on  en- 
tering the  field  I  noted  a  large  flock  of 
Robins  hunting  on  the  yet  frozen  ground 
for  their  breakfast.  I  stopped  for  a  few 
minutes  on  the  bridge  spanning  the  "di- 
viding line"  brook,  listening  to  the  gurg- 
ling waters  as  they  rushed  along  over  tlie 
rocks,  making  tiny  waves  that  danced 
merrily  along  in  the  bright  sunshine. 
After  staying  here  a  little  while  I  contin- 
ued my  walk  through  the  park,  seeing 
nothing  of  note  until  I  got  nearly  out. 
when  I  discovered  a  last  season's  Hawk's 
nest,  which  I  marked  to  visit  later  with 
the  expectation  of  finding  it  inhabited. 

Coming  out  near  a  hedge  that  is  a  favor- 
ite resort  for  small  l)irds  both  winter  and 
spring,  I  suddenly  heard  the  songs  of  sev- 
eral .Song  Sparrows  that  I  did  not  hear  at 
all  until  I  made  my  appearance,  when, 
as  if  of  one  accord  they  commenced  to  sing 
as  if  to  greet  me,  each  one  waiting  until 
the  other  finished  his  song,  then  seemingly 
trying  to  outdo  him. 

After  the  many  walks  we  have  taken 
this  winter  by  this  brook  and  along  this 
hedge  when  all  bird  songs  were  hushed, 


how  sweet  these  little  songsters  sounded. 
And  this  morning  the  hedge  seemed  to  be 
alive  with  them  and  a  flood  of  melody 
came  from  every  bush  from  the  earliest  of 
spring  songsters.  These  birds  were  evi- 
dently new  arrivals  from  the  south,  as  they 
were  in  flocks.  We  have  a  few  stragglers 
that  stay  with  us  all  winter,  although  I 
have  never  heard  one  sing  before  the  first 
of  March. 

Here  also  was  heard  the  cry  of  the  Yel- 
low Hammer  from  several  different  places 
and  a  Hawk,  evidently  the  Red-shouldered, 
was  seen  sailing  around  a  favorite  breed- 
ing ground  of  that  species.  Here  I  sat 
down  on  a  pile  of  pine  boughs  in  a  nice 
warm,  sunny  spot,  to  watch  the  flock  of 
Song  Sparrows  and  hear  their  songs. 
They  seemed  quite  tame,  and  notwith- 
standing I  was  in  plain  sight,  they  jumped 
around  hunting  for  food,  and  every  little 
while  one  would  jump  up  on  a  branch 
and  bracing  back,  dropping  his  wings, 
spreading  his  tail  and  throwing  back  his 
little  head,  would  send  forth  music  that 
would  put  to  shame  any  opera  singer ; 
then  jumping  down  and  shaking  himself 
would  look  over  to  me  as  much  as  to  say, 
wasn't  that  done  nicely.  As  I  sat  here  I 
noted  a  pair  of  Juncos,  a  flock  of  Robins 
and  another  of  Bluebirds.  The  Robins 
looked  as  if  they  had  just  arrived  from  the 
south,  large,  plump  and  in  fine  condition. 
A  pair  of  Bluebirds  came  and  lit  in  the 
tree  over  me  and  warbled  their  low,  sweet 
song. 

I  next  went  through  a  strip  of  woods 
where  a  Red-shouldered  Hawk  builds 
every  season  and  where  a  fine  set  of  eggs 
was  taken  last  year.  As  I  emerged  into 
the  opening  I  saw  that  "  cowardly"  Red- 
shoulder  that  was  sailing  so  majestically  a 
short  time  ago  making  the  best  time  pos- 
sible in  his  vain  endeavor  to  get  away 
from  a  solitary  Crow  that  was  chasing 
him.  It  is  a  wonder  to  me  that  he  did 
not  turn  about  and  with  one  or  two  "  digs" 


September,  1892.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


131 


with  those  powerful  talons  end  the  life  of 
his  tormentor. 

By  the  side  of  this  brook  I  again  tlirew 
myself  down  on  a  mound  covered  with 
pine  needles  and  watched  for  more  birds 
and  smelt  the  fragrant  pine  trees.  Here 
the  birds  were  not  so  plenty,  and  instead 
of  the  song  of  the  Sparrow  and  the  wartle 
of  the  Bluebird  I  heard  onl}'  the  soughing 
of  the  wind  through  the  tree-tops,  occasion- 
ly  intervened  by  the  familar  sound  of 
chick-a-dce-dee-dec-dcc. 

On  my  way  home  I  noted  a  flock  of 
Juncos  and  heard  another  Yellow  Ham- 
mer calling  from  an  old  oak  stub,  which 
I  approached  from  the  opposite  side  and 
got  almost  directly  under  him  before  he 
discovered  me.  But  when  he  did  he  was 
in  a  great  hurry,  and  flying  to  a  tree  some 
100  yards  away  he  alighted  again  and 
commenced  his  song,  if  such  it  can  be 
called. 

Before  closing  this  article  I  want  to  add 
my  testimony  for  the  Great  Northern 
Shrike.  On  dissecting  one  yesterday  I 
found  his  stomach  filled  with  caterpillars ; 
nothing  else,  although  there  was  plenty 
of  small  birds  around  near  where  he  was 
shot.  C.  E.  Brozv//. 

Beverly,  Mass. 


Belted  Kingfisher. 


First  observed  this  year  on  April  4. 
Became  common  April  26.  On  May  2 
a  pair  had  dug  a  hole  in  about  four  inches. 
On  the  tenth  as  the  men  were  going  to 
work  at  the  bank  I  dug  it  out.  Hole  was 
six  feet  long  and  ready  for  eggs. 

On  May  13  the  hole  (a  new  one,  ten 
feet  from  the  first)  had  been  dug  in  a  little 
over  two  feet.  On  the  20th  I  dug  it  out. 
It  was  three  feet  long  and  contained  two 
eggs. 

On  the  22d  I  found  that  the  birds  had 
started  a  new  hole  near  the  others,  in  fact, 
between  the  two,  and  had  dug   in   about 


eight  inches.  On  June  2  I  dug  this  hole 
out.  The  hole  went  in  just  four  feet  and 
contained  three  eggs. 

On  the  6th  of  June  I  dug  out  the  fourth 
and  last  hole.  It  was  about  one  hundred 
feet  from  the  others  and  was  just  ready  for 
eggs.  This  hole  went  in  a  few  inches 
over  six  feet. 

Between  the  second  and  third  holes  the 
birds  dug  another  hole  a  few  inches  deep, 
but  struck  a  rock  and  had  to  try  again. 

Arthur  ^[.  Farmer. 

Amoskeag,  N.H. 

The   Rose-breasted   Grosbeak    in 
Oakland   County,  Mich. 


The  article  in  the  July,  1S91,  Ornithol- 
ogist AND  OoLOGiST  regarding  the  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak  in  Washtenaw  County, 
Mich.,  puzzles  and  surprises  me. 

The  northwest  corner  of  Washtenaw 
County  is  some  thirty  miles  southwest  of 
my  residence  in  eastern  Oakland  County 
and  Ann  Arbor  some  fifty  miles,  both  dis- 
tances ///  a  straii^ht  tine^  Washtenaw 
County  bordering  Oakland  County  on  the 
southwest,  and  the  Huron  River,  men- 
tioned in  the  article  just  noticed,  one  of 
the  rivers  that  flow  from  some  of  the  350 
lakes  found  in  Oakland  County. 

A  great  range  of  hills  (geologically 
called  a  morraine)  rising  from  600  to  1200 
feet  above  the  sea  level  crosses  southeast 
Michigan,  passing  through  both  counties. 
I  am  on  the  eastern  slope  of  that  range 
and  Huron  River  rises  on  the  same  slope. 

The  article  above  noticed  conveys  the 
idea  that  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  is 
very  rare  in  Wasbtenaw  County,  even  in 
the  north.  This  is  news  to  me,  for  in 
eastern  Oakland  County  and  in  Macomb 
County  it  is  one  of  the  most  common 
birds,  and  a  peculiar  change  in  the  habits 
of  this  bird  and  the  Scarlet  Tanager  was 
noticed  by  me  in  the  Oologist  for  April, 
1S90,  that  of  leaving  their  forest  haunts 
and  taking    their    abode    in    villages    and 


133 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  9 


cities,  nesting  about  dwelling  houses,  and 
also  the  fact  that  both  these  beautiful  birds 
are  very  fond  of  the  Colorado  potato 
beetle. 

This  species  is  certainly  rapidly  increas- 
ing in  numbers  here,  and  has  put  away 
much  of  its  former  shyness.  Except  for 
one  tiling  I  would  much  admire  it.  That 
one  objectionable  feature  is  its  very  sharp 
and  disagreeable  cheep.  No  one  not  fa- 
miliar with  this  species  would  believe  that 
the  female  belonged  to  the  same  species 
as  the  male,  as  the  sexes  are  wonderfully 
different  in  color. 

Qiiery  :  Does  this  bird  prefer  to  enter 
Michigan  from  the  southeast,  keeping  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  morraine,  or  does 
it  prefer  the  hills  and  vales,  forests  and 
fields,  lakes,  rivers  and  streams  of  Oak- 
land County  to  any  other  portion  of  the 
state  ? 

Should  think  this  bird  ought  to  be  com- 
mon at  Ann  Arbor,  for  it  is  also  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  morraine. 

Is  this  the  only  locality  in  the  state 
where  this  bird  is  abuncjant?  What  is  its 
geographical  range.''  Will  some  of  the 
readers  of  the  Ornithologist  and  Ool- 
OGIST  give  us  more  facts  regarding  the 
geographical  distribution  of  this  species.'' 
Wilfred  A.  Brothcrto)i. 

Rochester,  Mich. 


Nest  of  the  Maryland  Yellow-throat, 


On  the  8th  of  June,  1892,  I  collected 
for  the  first  time  a  set  of  the  eggs  of  this 
species.  It  is  only  in  comparatively  re- 
cent years  that  this  bird  has  made  its 
advent  in  this  locality,  and  only  in  one 
vicinity  have  I  as  yet  observed  it,  or  heard 
its  song  ;  and  not  until  this  season  was  I 
certain  of  its  identity,  though  I  knew  it,  at 
least  the  male,  as  a  distinct  species  for 
several  years  past;  and,  having  read  that 
it  was  a  bush  building  bird,  had  searched 
in  vain  for  its  nest. 


On  the  day  previous  to  taking  this  set 
of  its  eggs,  I  was  crossing  the  burnt 
swamp  on  the  back  part  of  "  Wild  Wood  " 
when  a  small  bird  flushed  out  of  a  patch 
of  dry  swamp  grass  a  few  feet  ahead  of 
my  path.  Her  actions  indicated  that  she 
had  left  a  nest,  and  after  a  little  search  on 
my  part  this  was  discovered,  containing 
three  beautiful  fresh  eggs.  I  saw  at  a 
glance  that  this  nest  and  eggs  were  new 
to  me,  but  for  a  time  I  devoted  my  atten- 
tion to  the  bird  and  her  actions,  in  order 
to  identify  her,  as  her  appearance  was 
much  like  that  of  the  female  Mourning 
and  Yellow  Warbler,  but  I  thought  from 
the  site  of  the  nest  that  she  was  not  that 
species.  In  a  few  moments,  however, 
her  chip-like  notes  brought  her  mate, 
who  had  been  warbling  his  ivJiitidy-\\Ve. 
song  among  some  bushes  near  by,  into 
full  view  and  only  a  few  yards  off,  and 
then  by  his  deep  black  face  and  other 
markings,  I  identified  the  species  as  the 
Maryland  Yellow-throat.  The  nest  itself 
was  deeply  hid  among  a  patch  of  dry 
syvarnp  grass  and  so  well  concealed  that 
if  the  bird  had  not  flew  out  it  would  have 
been  passed  by  undiscovered.  Its  founda- 
tion was  rather  suspended  among  the 
grass  than  placed  on  the  ground,  though 
it  was  several  inches  deep  by  about  two 
inches  across  in  the  inside,  and  was  com- 
posed wholly  of  fine  dry  grasses.  The 
eggs  were  of  a  clear  white  color,  with  a 
ring  or  wreath  of  reddish-brown  spots 
towardi  the  larger  end  and  a  few  dots  of 
the  same  hue  on  other  parts  of  tlie  surface. 
Next  day,  when  another  egg  had  been  de- 
posited, I  took  tlie  set. 

On  the  34th  of  the  same  month  I  found 
another  nest  of  the  same  species  not  far 
from  this,  and  placed  in  a  tuft  of  dry 
grass  about  a  foot  from  the  ground,  com- 
posed also  of  fine  dry  grass  and  contain- 
ing two  eggs  of  similar  size,  color,  and 
marking.  After  four  days,  as  no  more 
eggs   were  added  and  no  birds  were  seen, 


September,  1892.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


133 


I  collected  these,  but  I  found  the  yolks  so 
hardened  that  they  could  not  be  extracted. 

U\  L.  Kclls. 
Listowel,  Ontario,  Canada. 


Bird  Notes  from   Hull,   Iowa. 


Owing  to  lack  of  time  I  have  not  been 
able  to  spend  as  much  time  in  collecting 
as  I  wished  to  have  done,  but  for  all  that 
have  been  able  to  add  quite  a  number  of 
specimens  to  my  collection.  One  point  I 
found,  new  to  me  at  least,  was  yellow 
spots  on  wing  coverts,  four  on  each  wing, 
of  a  male  Scarlet  Tanager.  All  the  Tan- 
agers  I  collected  in  Vermont  did  not  have 
any  such  markings.  Has  any  one  else 
noticed  such  pomts.'' 

A  lady  asked  me  one  day  to  come  out 
to  her  place  and  shoot  a  Flicker.  It  had 
cut  a  hole  through  the  side  of  their  house 
and  was  building  a  nest  there.  Of  course 
the  bird  had  to  be  shot,  but  no  nest  was 
found.  I  found  one  Flicker's  nest  in  a 
fence  post  close  to  the  road  on  one  of  my 
drives,  just  finished,  but  no  eggs.  I  heard 
from  it  one  day  through  a  friend  of  mine 
who  was  working  near  that  spot.  He 
said  a  little  girl  came  to  the  house  one 
evening  with  her  apron  full  of  young  birds 
taken  from  that  nest.  She  was  told  to 
take  them  back,  but  can't  say  as  she  did. 

Had  the  good  luck  to  kill  an  Arkansas 
Kingbird,  a  male  bird.  Are  they  not  rare 
in  this  section  of  the  country  1  This  is 
the  first  one  I  ever  found  here. 

I  must  relate  a  remark  I  heard.  I  was 
carrying  a  Bittern  I  had  mounted  to  the 
room  where  I  have  my  collection,  and  as 
I  was  passing  a  certain  house  I  chanced 
to  hear  the  following  dialogue  between 
two  ladies  : 

First  Lady  —  See  that  bird  ;   what  is  it? 

Second  Lady  —  I  don't  know,  but  think 
it  is  a  species  of  Wren. 

Just  think  of  that !  Perhaps  I  didn't 
smile.  But  I  find  it  generally  the  case 
that  people  have  no  idea   as   to   names   of 


our  most  common  birds.  For  instance, 
last  winter  a  man  told  me  he  had  shot 
some  kind  of  a  Hawk  and  had  intended 
to  bring  it  to  me,  but  had  neglected  to  do 
so.  I  asked  him  to  look  over  my  collec- 
tion and  see  if  he  could  find  anything  like 
it.  He  did  so  and  pretty  soon  he  said, 
"Here  it  is."  I  went  to  him  and  found 
his  Hawk  was  a  Pine  Grosbeak.  I  could 
go  on  and  name  plenty  more  just  such  in- 
stances. The  Cuckoo  here  was  and  is 
called  by  many  Rain  Crow.  In  what  re- 
spect it  resembles  a  Crow  I  am  unable  to 
say.  .1.  /.  J. 

Some   of  my  Best   Finds  to  June  8, 
1892. 


April  22.  Took  a  set  of  three  Red- 
shouldered  Hawk  from  a  beech  tree  49 
feet  from  ground. 

April  26.  Took  a  set  of  four  Red- 
shouldered  Hawk  from  a  birch  tree  62 
feet  from  ground,  also  a  set  of  six  Horned 
Lark. 

April  27.  Took  a  set  of  three  Red- 
shouldered  Hawk  from  a  beech  tree  56 
feet  from  the  ground. 

May  2.  Took  a  set  of  four  Red-shoul- 
dered Hawk  from  a  beech  tree  54  feet 
from  ground,  also  a  set  of  five  Horned 
Lark. 

May  5.    Set  of  four  Killdeer. 

May  6.  Set  of  two  Red-tailed  Hawk 
from  a  hemlock  tree  78  feet  from  ground. 

May  10.    Set  of  four  Killdeer, 

May  II.    Set  of  seven  Kingfisher. 

May  16.  Took  a  set  of  two  Red-shoul- 
dered Hawk  from  a  beech  tree  69  feet 
from  ground. 

May  18.    Set  of  five  Meadow  Lark. 

May  23.  Set  of  five  Cooper's  Hawk 
from  a  beech  tree  65  feet  from  ground. 

June  I .  Set  of  four  Bobolink  and  a  set  of 
three  and  one  Cowbird  of  Purple  Finch. 

June  3.      Set  of  five  Bobolink. 

June  7.  Took  three  sets  of  Chestnut- 
sided  Warbler,  four  in  each   set,  also   two 


134 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  9 


sets  of  four  each  of  Purple  Finch,  one 
runt  egg,  full  smaller  than  the  Hummer. 

June  S.  A  set  of  four  Hooded  and  a 
set  of  three  Chestnut-sided  Warbler. 

I  liad  to  do  some  hard  climbing  and  a 
great  deal  of  walking  to  accomplish  this. 
A.  E.  Kibbc. 

Mayville,  N.Y. 

A  Few  Notes    on    the   Gallinules    in 
North  Carolina. 


On  June  11,  1S92,  a  man  who  brought 
me  some  eggs  of  the  King  Rail  told  me 
about  another  larger  kind  of  Swamp 
Chicken  he  had  seen  two  years  previously, 
whilst  working  in  some  brickyards  near 
here.  They  were  larger  and  had  a  bright 
red  comb,  and  were  mostly  bright  red  in 
color  he  said  ;  they  stayed  about  the  brick- 
yards some  time,  and  raised  a  brood  of 
young  which  were  black  in  color  and 
about  two  dozen  in  number.  The  men 
killed  the  rooster  he  said  by  "  chunking" 
rocks  at  it,  but  he  thought  the  rest  sur- 
vived. 

Divested  of  exaggeration  and  reduced  to 
cold  facts  I  thought  this  might  be  an  in- 
stance of  one  of  the  Gallenules  nesting 
here  ;  so  I  brought  him  a  Florida  Galle- 
nule  in  the  meat,  which  was  then  in  the 
house,  and  asked  him  if  that  was  one  of 
the  Swamp  Chickens  he  referred  to  ;  he 
said  it  was  exactly  like  it,  except  in  color, 
the  bird  he  had  seen  was  red  and  had  a 
larger  comb  he  thought  he  also  thought 
it  was  somewhat  larger,  otherwise  there 
was  no  difterence  between  the  two. 

There  would  seem  to  be  little  doubt, 
then,  of  this  being  an  instance  of  the  breed- 
ing of  the  Purple  Gallenule  here. 

The  only  record  of  the  Purple  Galle- 
nule at  Raleigh  is  one  taken  June  6,  1SS7, 
but  I  have  had  the  bird  described  to  me 
several  times  by  people  who  had  killed 
one  at  some  previous  time. 

The  Florida  Gallenule  above  mentioned 
was  found  by  a  gentleman  in  his  yard  one 


morning  after  a   rain,  about  June  6,   in 
Bertie  County  near  Windsor. 

C.  S.  Brhiilcy. 


A  Life  Risk  for  Eggs. 

"  I  have  my  little  '  fad'  as  well  as  other 
people,"  said  a  prosperous,  fat  and  jolly 
commission  merchant  the  other  day,  "but 
1  dare  say  you  would  guess  a  long  time 
without  hitting  on  it,  so  I  will  confess  it 
without  putting  you  to  the  trouble.  It  is 
my  collection  of  birds'  eggs.  The  making 
of  that  collection  gave  me  many  hours  of 
rare  sport  when  I  was  an  adventurous 
young  fellow  and  had  none  of  this  load  of 
fat  to  carry  about,  and  the  chief  use  of  it 
now  is  to  recall  pleasant  memories  of  those 
days  that  will  never  come  again.  When 
you're  old  you'll  know  how  that  is  your- 
self," and  the  old  gentleman  took  a  strong 
pull  at  his  cigar  and  let  the  smoke  out  in 
a  long  and  noisy  sigh. 

"  I  was  a  traveler  in  those  days  for  a  big 
export  house  which  was  pushing  into 
Mexico  and  South  America  for  trade,  and 
so  it  came  about  that  most  of  my  eggs  are 
those  of  birds  of  those  countries.  Tell  you 
about  some  of  them  }  Don't  mind  if  I  do. 
Well,  for  want  of  knowing  which  one  to 
pick  on,  I'll  tell  you  how  I  came  to  cap- 
ture the  biggest  though  not  the  rarest  one 
in  the  collection.  It  is  a  Vulture's  ^^%'  I 
was  in  Mexico  when  I  got  that  e^<g^^  and  I 
thought  once  or  twice  while  I  was  secur- 
ing it  that  I  would  never  get  out  of  Mex- 
ico again. 

"  Vultures  are  shy  of  mankind,  and  their 
nests  are  exceedingly  hard  to  find,  and  so 
when  I  met  a  hunter  who  knew  where  one 
was  I  hired  him,  with  a  couple  of  assist- 
ants, to  show  me  it  and  help  me  get  the 
eggs.  We  arrived  at  the  spot  about  noon, 
and  I  almost  wished  I  had  not  come.  The 
guide  pointed  out  to  me  a  precipitous  and 
beetling  cliff,  which  looked  to  me  to  be 
about  =;oo  feet  high,  overhanging  a  deep 
lake.     About  100  feet  from  the  top  of  the 


September,  1S92.J 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


^-^5 


cliff  there  was  a  rent  or  hole,  which  from 
where  we  stood  looked  as  if  it  had  about 
as  much  room  inside  it  as  an  empty  flour 
barrel,  In  there,  the  guide  said,  the  Vul- 
tures had  their  n?st,  and  the  only  way  to 
reach  it  was  to  let  me  down  from  the  top 
at  the  end  of  a  long  rope. 

"  It  was  a  perilous  descent,  but  making 
a  sort  of  chair  at  the  end  of  a  stout  raw- 
hide rope  I  swung  myself  over  the  clift' 
and  two  men  lowered  me  slowly  while 
the  third  lay  on  his  face  and  peered  over 
into  the  abyss  watching  me.  When  I 
got  about  twenty  feet  below  the  hole  in 
the  clift'  I  signalled  them  to  stop.  The  hole 
I  found  was  as  big  around  at  the  entrance 
as  a  barn  door  ;  but  the  top  of  the  cliff  pro- 
jected so  that  I  hung  fully  twenty  feet 
away  from  the  face  of  the  rock.  Nothing 
daunted,  I  began  to  swing  myself,  slowly 
at  first,  and  with  gradually  increasing 
force,  till  my  body  at  last  swung  in  against 
the  face  of  the  cliff  and  finally  into  the 
hole  itself.  Catching  a  projecting  corner 
of  rock,  I  gained  my  feet,  and  was  nearly 
knocked  off  them  again  by  the  horrible 
stench  which  greeted  me. 

"  The  floor  of  the  hole  was  strewed  with 
decayed  flesh  and  fish  and  feathers  and 
bones,  and  in  the  middle  of  it  all  lay  the 
nest  of  long  grass  and  as  dirty  as  any  pig- 
sty and  in  it  two  young  vultures  and  one 
unhatched  egg.  The  egg  was  a  grateful 
sight,  but  the  youngsters  were  an  unpleas- 
ant surprise,  for  they  at  once  threw  them- 
selves on  their  backs  and  began  to  scream 
like  mad.  I  secured  the  egg,  but  not  with- 
out getting  a  couple  of  bad  scratches  from 
the  sharp  claws  of  the  young  birds,  which 
were  about  as  big  as  hens.  I  was  wrap- 
ping the  egg  in  my  coat  and  the  young 
birds  were  filling  the  air  with  their  clamor 
when  suddenly  there  was  a  whir  of  wings, 
the  entrance  was  darkened,  and  I  got  a 
blow  on  the  head  that  knocked  me  down 
in  the  unspeakable  filth  and  filled  my  eyes 
with  blood. 


The  old  birds  were  upon  me.  I  recog- 
nized that  fact  in  an  instant,  and  having 
nothing  to  defend  myself  with,  I  expected 
to  be  knocked  down  the  cliff  or  at  least 
have  my  eyes  pecked  out.  I  was  always 
pretty  ready  of  resources,  and  in  this  bad 
plight  the  thought  flashed  through  my 
mind  that  these  unusually  timid  birds 
were  only  fierce  because  they  thought  I 
wanted  to  harm  their  young.  Qiiicklv  un- 
rolling the  egg  from  my  coat,  I  threw  the 
garment  over  the  squalling  brats,  and 
their  sharp  claws  striking  into  the  cloth 
at  once  tangled  them  inextricably  in  it. 
Guarding  my  eyes  from  the  old  birds  with 
one  arm,  I  dragged  the  coat  with  the  two 
young  ones  attached  to  it  to  the  mouth  of 
the  hole,  only  a  step  or  two,  and  hurled 
them  far  out  and  down  into  the  lake. 

"As  I  expected,  the  old  Vultures  fol- 
lowed their  young  at  once  and  their  efforts 
to  lift  them  out  of  the  water  were  so  ludi- 
crous that  I  laughed  aloud.  My  laugh 
was  quickly  shut  off,  however,  for  in  the 
next  moment,  as  I  thrust  the  egg  into  my 
bosom  and  gave  the  rope  a  tug  as  a  signal 
to  my  men  to  pull  me  up,  the  rawhide 
came  down  from  the  top  of  the  cliff  with 
a  run.  Great  Scott!  How  was  I  to  get 
back .''  What  had  those  stupid  fools  at  the 
top  done  !  I  did  not  know  that  they  had 
watched  me  disappear  into  the  hole,  had 
seen  the  old  Vultures  follow  me,  and  had 
then  seen  what  they  thought  must  be  me, 
as  they  distinctly  recognized  my  coat, 
come  flying  out  again  and  fall  into  the 
lake,  pursued  by  the  two  Vultures,  whom 
they  could  see  pecking  at  me  in  the 
waves. 

"  Thev  let  go  the  rope  and  hurried  away 
around  and  down  to  the  lake's  edge  to  res- 
cue my  mangled  body  from  being  entirely 
eaten  up  by  the  birds.  After  some  tedious 
hours  of  climbing  they  found  out  their 
mistake  and  proceeded  to  climb  back 
again.  By  this  time  it  was  growing  dark, 
'  and  as  I   sat  hour  after  hour  in  that  foul 


136 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  9 


hole,  between  heaven  and  earth,  not  know- 
ing what  had  happened,  you  can  imagine 
my  feelings.  Just  as  I  was  in  absolute 
despair,  I  saw  a  stone  tied  to  a  thin  cord 
swing  down  in  front  of  me.  I  clutched  at 
it  with  ecstasy  and  nearly  fell  over  the 
edge  in  my  eagerness.  Tying  the  end  of 
my  rope  to  the  cord,  I  gave  a  pull  and 
away  it  went  up  the  cliff  again.  After 
due  time  I  gave  a  pull  on  the  rope,  and 
finding  it  taut,  I  swung  myself  out  of  that 
infernal  hole  and  was  drawn  up  to  the  top 
rejoicing,  with  my  precious  egg  still  in  my 
bosom."  —  New  Tork  Tribune. 


Camping  Out. 


June  27  of  the  present  year  found  my 
camp  established  on  a  small  brook  in  the 
northerly  part  of  Hillsboro  County,  N.H. 
I  had  arrived  in  the  forenoon,  with  Mr. 
D.  B.  Bartlett  of  Manchester,  in  search  of 
new  specimens  for  my  collection  and  new 
items  for  my  note-book.  The  rest  of  our 
first  day  we  spent  in  camp  splitting  fire- 
wood, and  thinking  of  what  a  fine  time  we 
would  have  on  the  morrow  with  the  birds, 
but  we  were  doomed  to  be  disappointed 
for  it  rained  all  the  rest  of  the  week  except 
one  day. 

We  returned  home  on  the  afternoon  of 
July  2d  with  our  enthusiasm  slightly  damp- 
ened, but  having  enjoyed  ourselves  im- 
mensely. 

Although  it  rained  so  much,  we  observed 
quite  a  number  of  birds,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing is,  I  think,  a  full  and  correct  list : 

Ruffed  Grouse,  very  common. 
Mourning  Dove,  one  individual  seen. 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  one  pair. 
Broad-winged  Hawk,  one  pair. 
Great  Horned  Owl,  three  observed. 
Black-billed  Cuckoo,  common. 
Whippoorwill,  common. 
Niglilhawk,  common. 
Chimne}'  Swift,  two  were  observed. 
Kingbird,  several  pairs  noticed. 
Phoebe,  two  pairs  nesting  under  bridges. 
Wood  Pewee,  one  individual. 


Least  Flycatcher,  fairly  common. 

Blue  Jay,  pair  with  four  young. 

Crow,  common. 

Grassfinch,  common. 

Savanna  Sparrow,  several. 

White-throated  Sparrow,  one  individual. 

Chipping  Sparrow,  a  single  pair. 

Field  Sparrow,  but  three  noted. 

Song  Sparrow,  tolerably  common. 

Towhee,  several  heard. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  two  males. 

Indigo  Bunting,  one  pair  observed  on  the 
way  to  camp. 

Scarlet  Tanager,  two  pairs  observed.  The 
males  sang  near  our  camp  every  morn- 
ing just  before  sunrise  and  every  evening 
just  after  sunset.  I  have  never  in  this 
locality  heard  the  male  utter  a  series  of 
notes  while  the  sun  was  shining  as  I 
have  the  Tanagers  in  Iowa. 

Purple  Martin,  several  were  observed  fly- 
ing about  during  the  rains. 

Barn  Swallow,  fairly  common. 

Red-eyed  Vireo,  tolerably  common  in  the 
hard-wood  forests. 

Yellow  Warbler,  one  pair  seen  by  the 
brook. 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  a  few  noted. 

Black-poll  Warbler,  I  thought  I  caught  a 
glimpse  of  a  male  through  the  brush  but 
could  not  get  a  shot. 

Prairie  Warbler,  quite  common. 

Ovenbird,  a  few  noticed. 

Catbird,  pair  were  breeding. 

Brown  Thrasher,  saw  one  individual. 

Wood  Thrush,  very  common.  At  times 
the  only  sign  of  bird  life  we  would  have 
would  be  the  song  of  this  species. 

In  all  we  observed  thirty-six  varieties. 

Arthur  .1/.  Farmer. 
Amoskeag,  N.H. 


Bird  Notes  of  Northern  New 
Jersey. 


Scarlet  Tanagers  were  unusually  abun- 
dant this  spring.  Several  pairs  bred  in  the 
locality  of  Ridgewood.  They  were  un- 
usually tame.  I  frequently  saw  them  on 
low  bushes  by  the  roadside  in  their  gor- 
geous dress.  A  pair  of  Flickers  (  Colaptes 
aurat/is)  excavated  and  built  in  a  tele- 
graph pole  both  last  year  and  this  year, 
on  a  very  public  highway  and  very  near 


September,  1892.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


137 


a  railroad  —  a  singular  place  for  them  to 
select.  It  is  probable  they  were  influenced 
in  this  choice  by  the  condition  of  the  wood 
for  excavation.  A  fine  young  Bald  Eagle 
was  found  alive  with  a  broken  wing,  by 
a  brook  ;  a  neighbor  keeps  him  in  a  cage 
built  for  him.  He  is  not  very  particular 
as  to  diet.  He  eats  rats,  mice,  moles,  fish 
and  dead  chickens,  being  neither  dainty 
nor  scrupulous  as  to  its  freshness.  As  I 
have  noticed  for  many  years  the  Gold- 
finches {^Astragalijius  tristis)^  which  had 
been  plentiful  all  winter  and  more  so  with 
the  addition  of  the  spring  migrants,  dis- 
appeared in  early  June  and  this  year  not 
many  returned  at  their  breeding  time. 
They  are  very  scarce  this  summer.  I  also 
noted  the  absence  of  the  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak  and  Bobolink.  Not  one  made 
its  appearance  on  my  meadows  as  usual ; 
a  few  years  ago  they  made  these  meadows 
jubilant  every  spring  with  their  matchless 
inusic.  Hoirv  Hales. 


The  Maryland  Yellow-throat  at 
Raleigh,   N.C.,  in  Winter. 


On  February  7,  1889,  I  killed  my  first 
winter  specimen,  a  5  .  As  this  was  the 
coldest  day  since  Christmas,  it  could 
hardly  have  arrived  from  the  south,  and 
the  occurrence  puzzled  me. 

Next  winter  I  shot  at  one  December  6, 
1889,  in  a  thicket  on  the  creek,  and  from 
January  14,  1S90,  till  the  migrants  came, 
heard  or  saw  one  every  time  I  chose  to  go 
by  a  certain  marsh  or  swamp  which  is 
sheltered  from  the  wind  by  rising  ground 
on  every  side  except  the  south. 

Next  winter  (1S90-91)  I  again  noticed 
them  around  the  marsh  and  killed  a  ^  on 
January  8.  As  the  whole  marsh  is  from 
one  to  four  feet  deep  in  water  and  the 
Yellow-throats  stayed  in  the  heavy  growth 
of  bulrushes  and  cattails  that  grew  in  the 
water,  it  was  only  occasionally  one  could 
a  shot.     The  last  two  winters  being  milder 


than  usual,  I  was  curious  to  see  if  the 
Marylands  would  stay  through  in  a  cold 
winter  and  so  watched  them  with  renewed 
interest  last  winter  (1891-92),  but  they 
stayed  right  on  the  same  as  before  although 
the  weather  was  much  colder,  and  now  I 
consider  them  as  of  regular  occurrence  here 
in  winter,  though  not  common. 

C  S.  Brimley. 


Cerulean  Warbler. 


On  the  19th  of  June  I  took  a  set  of  four 
eggs  and  nest  of  this  rare  Warbler.  The 
nest  was  built  in  an  oak  tree  forty-five  feet 
from  the  ground  and  six  feet  out  on  a 
small  limb,  and  is  made  of  very  fine  twigs 
and  grasses  and  lined  with  grass  and  horse 
hair,  the  outside  stuccoed  with  lichens 
held  in  place  by  spider  webs.  Dimen- 
sions of  nest,  external  depth  i/Jg  inches, 
width  %!/%  ;  internal  depth  i  inch,  width 
2,  1-16.  The  eggs  are  a  light  cream, 
spotted  and  blotched  with  various  shades 
of  brown  and  lilac  over  the  entire  egg, 
forming  a  wreath  at  the  large  end  ;  three 
eggs  measure  . 65  x. 50,  and  one  .60X.50. 
W.  A.  Davidson. 

Detroit,  Mich. 


Large  Set  of  Flicker's  Eggs. 


On  the  2 1st  of  May,  1892,  I  made  pre- 
paration for  an  all  day  tramp  through  the 
woods  of  Philadelphia  County. 

I  had  not  gone  very  far,  when  I  saw  a 
Flicker  fly  out  of  a  hole  in  a  cherry  tree. 
The  hole  was  about  ten  feet  from  the 
ground  and  contained  five  eggs.  Three 
days  later  I  visited  the  nest  again,  and  was 
surprised  to  find  three  more  eggs  deposited. 

I  went  to  the  hole  day  after  day  until  it 
contained  seventeen  eggs.  On  the  night 
of  the  seventeenth  day  it  rained,  and  the 
next  morning  the  hole  was  filled  with 
water.  Is  this  not  an  enormous  set  of 
eggs  for  a  Flicker.''      J/.   C.   C.    Wilde. 

Camden,  N.J. 


138 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  9 


Eggs  of  Warblers  in  Collection  of  H.   W.   Flint, 
September  i,  1S93. 


< 

r^ 

636 

74 

637  ^ 

75 

639 

77 

641 

79 

642 

81 

645 

8=; 

648 

88 

653 

93 

654 

94 

657 

97 

65S 

%'^ 

659 

99 

661 

lOI 

667 

107 

671 

I II 

673 

114 

674 

115 

676 

117 

681 

122 

683 

123 

683^ 

123a 

684 

124 

685^- 

105^- 

687 

128 

Black  and  White  Warbler,  1-4,  3-5 

Prothonotary  Warbler,  1-5 

Worm-eating  Warbler,  9-5 

Blue- winged  Warbler,  6-5,  2—6 

Golden-winged  Warbler,  1-4,  i-^ 

Nashville  Warbler,  3-4,  2-^ 

Parula  Warbler,  1-3,  4-4,  1-6 

Yellow  Warbler,  3-4 

Black-throated  Blue  Warbler,  1-4 

Magnolia  Warbler,  1-3 

Cerulean  Warbler,  1-2  -|-  2  Cowbirds 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  2-3,  26-4,  1-5 

Black-poll  Warbler,  1-4         . 

Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  1-2,  7-4,  2-5 

Pine  Warbler,  2-4         .... 

Prairie  Warbler,  1-3,  3-5,  27-4    . 

Oven  Bird,  7-4,  8-5     .... 

Louisiana  Water  Thrush,  (>-'', 

Maryland  Yellow-throat,  15-4,  2-5,  1-3 

Yellow-breasted  Chat,  1-3,  19-4,  3-5    . 

Long-tailed  Chat,  1-4 

Hooded  Warbler,  2-3,  4-4  ,   . 

Pileolated  Warbler,  1-3 

American  Redstart,  6-4 


No.  01 

■  Total  No 

Sets. 

.  Eggs. 

4 

19 

r 

5 

9 

45 

8 

42 

2 

9 

5 

22 

6 

25 

3 

12 

I 

4 

I 

3 

I 

2 

29 

"5 

I 

4 

10 

40 

2 

8 

31 

126 

15 

68 

6 

30 

18 

73 

23 

94 

I 

4 

6 

22 

I 

3 

6 

24 

190 


799 


September,  1892.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


139 


Nesting    of    the    Great-crested    Fly- 
catcher in  Eastern  New  England. 


The  Great-Crested  Flycatcher  {Myiar- 
chus  crifii'tus),  as  is  the  case  with  many 
other  birds,  is  becoming  more  abundant 
every  year.  As  lately  as  three  years  ago 
I  considered  myself  lucky  if  I  found  two 
sets  of  eggs  in  a  season,  but  now  their 
nests  are  in  almost  every  orchard.  Arriv- 
ing by  the  second  week  in  May,  they  fre- 
quent the  woods  and  orchards  in  search  of 
food  until  the  latter  part  of  the  month, 
when  the  nest  building  begins.  The  nest 
is  usually  placed  in  a  decayed  limb  of  an 
apple  tree,  the  birds  scraping  out  the  de- 
cayed portions  until  they  are  satisfied. 
Sometimes  the  deserted  nest  of  a  Flicker 
is  used  or  a  natural  cavity  in  the  body  of 
the  tree.  Tlie  hole  usually  varies  from 
one  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  half  feet  in 
depth,  but  one  which  I  found  was  scarcely 
eight  inches. 

The  nest  is  composed  of  straw,  grass, 
feathers,  cast  off  snake  skins  (always) , 
cedar  bark  and  fur.  It  is  completed  and 
the  set  of  eggs  laid  from  the  fourth  to  the 
ninth  of  June.  Incubation  lasts  about  ten 
days  ;  but,  as  the  bird  is  on  the  nest  only 
about  two  thirds  of  the  time,  the  nest 
usually  contains  one  or  two  addled  eggs 
when  the  young  leave.  The  number  of 
eggs  in  a  set  varies  from  five  to  six.  Five 
eggs  are  most  often  found  and  six  are  very 
rare. 

The  ground  color  of  the  eggs  is  a  creamy 
yellow,  which  is  marked,  as  if  done  with  a 
pen,  with  lines  of  brownish-purple  and  here 
and  there  a  blotch  of  the  same  color.  Some 
eggs  are  evenly  marked  over  their  whole 
surface  while  others  have  a  thick  ring 
around  the  larger  end,  leaving  the  rest  of 
the  surface  thinly  marked.  A  few  eggs 
that  I  have  found  were  spotted  with  no 
scratches,  but  I  think  these  are  very  sel- 
dom found.  The  measurements  vary  from 
.606  inches  to  .701  inches  in  width  by  .807 


inches  to  .905  inches  in  length.  I  think 
that  the  reason  this  Flycatcher's  nest  is 
not  more  often  found  may  be  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  that  whenever  a  person 
comes  within  sight  of  the  bird  it  silently 
disappears. 

I  have  but  once  heard  it  complain  or 
seen  it  appear  while  its  nest  was  being 
examined,  which  contrasts  greatly  with  the 
actions  of  the  Kingbird,  Wood  Pewee  and 
other  Flycatchers. 

I  have  heard  them  use  but  one  note,  a 
harsh,  loud  whistle,  which  they  utter  at 
intervals  from  the  time  of  their  arrival  till 
they  leave,  which  is  usually  in  the  first  or 
second  week  of  September.  I  have  never 
heard  of  any  really  good  reason  for  the 
use  of  snake  skins  in  their  nest.  Some 
nests  are  full  of  them,  others  have  a  few 
small  pieces  ;  but  I  have  never  as  yet  found 
a  nest  without  at  least  a  small  piece. 

I  think  that  the  theory  of  frightening 
away  unwelcome  visitors  is  not  correct,  as 
in  several  cases  that  I  have  seen  the  skins 
were  completely  hidden  by  the  rest  of 
the  nesting  materials. 

Can  anyone  give  a  good,  substantial 
reason.^  J.  H.  Bowles. 


Owl  Acquaintances. 


When  a  youngster  of  ten  or  twelve  I 
had  given  me  a  pet,  that  I  have  always 
held  in  the  tenderest  remembrance  and 
regarded  as  the  most  knowing  and  alto- 
gether charming  pet  I  have  ever  pos- 
sessed. Always  on  the  lookout  for  any- 
thing in  the  pet  line,  I  heard  one  day  that 
a  lady  living  a  few  blocks  from  me  had 
an  owl  she  wished  to  dispose  of.  This 
was  quite  enough  to  send  me  off  immedi- 
ately in  search  of  that  charitable  woman 
who  was  willing  to  delight  the  heart  of 
some  pet-loving  little  boy  like  myself, 
with  the  presentation  of  that  most  desir- 
able of  all  pets — an  owl. 

The  owl  I  had  held,  like  the  Romans, 


140 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  9 


in  the  greatest  veneration,  an  animal  only 
to  be  met  with  in  the  poems  I  had  read 
and  in  the  pictures  I  had  seen  of  broken- 
down  castles  and  ivy-covered  walls.  But 
here  was  a  chance  to  become  the  owner 
of  one  of  these  mysterious  and  much  be- 
legended  animals,  and  I  hastened  to  be 
the  first  to  hand  in  an  offer  of  adoption. 
I  didn't  find  the  good  lady's  house  crowd- 
ed with  eager  inquirers  as  I  had  expected, 
but  found  that  I  was  the  only  one  who 
was  "cranky"  enough  to  want  to  relieve 
the  present  owner  of  a  very  disagreeable 
pet.  I  didn't  look  at  it  in  that  way  at  all, 
and  marched  off  rejoicing  with  the  much 
coveted  prize. 

When  I  got  home  I  produced  my  pet 
amid  exclamations  of  delight  at  his  quaint 
and  knowing  expression. 

From  that  moment  to  the  night  of  his 
death  he  held  a  warm  place  in  tlie  hearts 
of  every  member  of  the  family,  who  were 
all  great  lovers  of  pets,  "Bobby,"  as  he 
was  christened,  would  sit  on  the  table  and 
look  into  your  eyes  with  such  a  pathetic 
expression  that  one  was  constrained  to 
say,  "Bobby,  what  is  it  ,''  Are  you  hun- 
gry ?  "  And  Bobby  would  answer  with  a 
plaintive  little  hoo-o-o,  and  then  we  knew 
he  wanted  his  little  bits  of  raw  meat  that 
were  fed  him.  Very  soon  after  his  arrival 
Bobby  had  found  out  and  regarded  as  his 
own  every  dark  corner  in  the  house  from 
bottom  to  top.  There  was  a  particularly 
dark  spot  in  a  back  garret  room,  which 
he  finally  settled  upon  as  his  permanent 
roost,  where  he  dreamed  away  the  long, 
dreary  sun-lit  hours.  At  dusk  I  would  go 
to  the  foot  of  the  stairs  on  the  first  floor 
and  call,  "Bobby,  Bobby  !"  and  away  up 
stairs  a  faint  hoo-o-o  could  be  heard,  and 
pit-pat  Bob  would  come  down,  step  by 
step,  and  hop  into  my  hand  with  a  wel- 
coming chuck,  chuck. 

Bobby's  quaint  ways  suggested  the 
making  of  a  miniature  bonnet  and  dress, 
which  he  wore  patiently  and  sedately  on 


occasions  when  our  merry  moods  got   the 

upper  hand.  That  little  cap  is  still  pre- 
served in  a  desk  drawer  as  a  sad  memento 
of  the  lost  pet.  One  night,  by  accident^ 
Bobby  was  shut  in  the  kitchen,  where  the 
deadly  rat  held  undisputed  sway.  That 
night  I  slept  as  soundly  as  ever  I  did^ 
wholly  unconscious  of  the  tragedy  being 
enacted  beneath  me  in  that  dark  death- 
trap. Next  morning  poor  Bob  was  found 
decapitated  —  the  work  of  the  felon  rat. 
A  hearty  cry  ended  that  day  of  bereave- 
ment and  deep  grief  for  me,  and  though 
years  have  passed  scarcely  am  I  over  it 
yet.  H.  C.  Hopkii/s. 

Baltimore,  Md. 

While  collecting  at  Ipswich  Beach  oit 
August  26,  I  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  fine 
specimen  of  the  Black  Tern  $.  Thi& 
bird  is  quite  rare  in  this  locality,  and  was 
probably  driven  here  by  the  severe  north- 
east storm  which  was  raging  at  the  time. 
I  noticed  several  more  of  the  same  species 
but  was  unable  to  obtain  them.  I  present- 
ed this  bird  to  the  Salem  Museum,  for 
which  I  am  collecting.  This  museum,  by 
the  way,  has  lately  obtained  two  fine  addi- 
tions, one  a  Marbled  Godwit,  and  the 
other  a  set  of  two  eggs  of  the  Sanderling. 
The  latter  was  collected  on  May  22,  1892,^ 
by  J.  H.  Sears,  and  named  on  his  author- 
ity. They  were  collected  at  Ipswich  Beach 
on  the  sand,  and  are  probably  the  only 
eggs  of  this  species  taken  in  this  county, 
at  least.  Frank  A.  Broiv//. 

"  The  propagation  of  mice,  in  compari- 
son with  that  of  other  animals,  is  very 
remarkable  both  for  quickness  and  pro- 
fuseness.  A  pregnant  female  was  shut 
up  in  a  chest  of  grain  ;  in  a  short  time 
a  hundred  and  twenty  individuals  were 
counted."  —  Aristotle  History  of  Ani- 
mals, Book   V/.,  Chap.  J y. 

And  they  are  just  as  active  to-day. 


September,  1S92  ] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


141 


THE 

ORNlTHOLOGIST^-f^OOLOGIST 

A    MONTH [,Y    MAGAZINE   OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY    DEVOTED   TO  THE  STUDY  OF 

BIRDS, 

THEIR   NESTS   AND   EGGS, 

AND   TO   THE 

INTERESTS  OF'NATURALISTS. 


Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 
FRANK  B.  WEBSTER,       .        .        .        Hyde  Park,  Mass. 
J.  PARKER  NORRIS,  .        .  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


PUDLI.SHED    AT  THE 

MUSEUM    AND    NATURALISTS'    SUPPLY JtDEPOT 

OF  THE 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 

INCORPORATED, 

HYDE   PARK,  MASS. 


The  O.  &  O.  is  mailed  each  issue  to  every  paid  subscriber. 
If  you  fail  to  receive  it,  notify  us. 


Captain   Bendire's   Life   Histories    of 
North  American  Birds. 


The  first  portion  of  Captain  Bendire's 
long  expected  work  has  lately  been  issued,* 
and  it  far  surpasses  the  expectations  that 
have  been  raised  concerning  it.  Captain 
Bendire  is  the  highest  recognized  author- 
ity in  this  country  as  an  oologist,  and  his 
position  in  the  National  Museum,  as  Hon- 
orary Curator  of  the  department  of  Oology, 
has  afforded  him  unusual  advantages  which 
he  has  embraced. 

For  many  years  students  have  looked 
forward  to  the  publication  of  a  work  on 
North  American  Oology  which  would  be 
commensurate  with  the  importance  of  the 
subject,  and  now  that  the  first  portion  of 
Captain  Bendire's  book  has  appeared  it 
has  shown  that  it  will  fill  this  long  felt 
want.  Not  only  has  the  work  been  espe- 
cially desired,  but  no  one  else  was  so  com- 
petent to  write  it. 

In    the    introduction    Captain     Bendire 


*Life  Histories  of  North  American  Birds  with  Special  Ref- 
erence to  their  Breeding  Habits  and  Eggs,  with  Twelve  Lith- 
ographic Plates,  by  Charles  Bendire,  Captain,  U.  S.  Army 
(Retired),  Honorary  Curator  of  the  Department  of  Oology, 
N.S.  National  Musuem,  Member  of  the  American  Ornitholo- 
gist's Union.     Washington:  Government  Printing  Office,  1892. 


states  that  the  work  is  based  largely  upon 
the  collections  in  the  U.  S.  National  Mus- 
eum, but  he  has  not  hesitated  to  also  avail 
himself  of  the  experience  of  many  col- 
lectors. 

The  text  is  full  and  satisfactory,  and 
will  be  found  to  be  of  the  greatest  interest. 
Another  charm  about  the  book  is  the  sim- 
ple and  unpretentious  manner  in  which  it 
is  written.  Captain  Bendire's  experience 
in  the  field  as  a  collector,  especially  in  the 
West,  while  stationed  with  the  U.  S. 
Army,  aftbrded  him  the  amplest  opportu- 
nities for  studying  the  breeding  habits  of 
the  birds  of  that  locality,  and  his  contri- 
butions to  their  history  are  of  the  greatest 
interest  and  value. 

Another  very  valuable  feature  of  the 
work  are  the  copious  extracts  from  the 
manuscripts  of  R.  Macfarlane,  who  knew 
more  about  the  nesting  of  birds  in  Alaska 
than  any  other  writer. 

The  portion  that  has  now  been 
published  embraces  the  Gallinaceous 
Birds  ;  family  Tetraonidce^  Grouse, 
Partridges,  etc.  ;  family  Phasianidce^ 
Pheasants,  etc.  ;  family  Cracidce^  Curas- 
sows  and  Guans ;  Pigeons  or  Doves  ; 
family  Cohimbidce,  Pigeons,  and  Birds 
OF  Prey;  {amWy  Carikartidcc^  American 
Vultures ;  family  Falco7iidce ^  Vultures, 
Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc.  ;  family 
Strigidce^  Barn  Owls;  i&.m\\y  Biibonidce^ 
Horned  Owls,  etc. 

Each  species  is  separately  and  fully 
treated,  the  details  concerning  their 
nesting  habits  are  very  elaborate  ;  and  the 
descriptions  of  the  eggs  the  best  that  have 
ever  been  given.  The  propriety  of  giving 
the  measurements  of  the  eggs  in  milli- 
meters without  giving  their  dimensions 
in  decimals  of  inches  may  well  be  ques- 
tioned however,  as  so  many  writers  prefer 
the  latter,  and  the  reduction  of  milli- 
meters to  inches  giving  considerable 
trouble  and  annoyance. 

The  illustrations  are  very  fine  and  en- 


142 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  9 


tirely  satisfactory  in  every  respect,  and 
equal  the  best  European  plates.  It  is 
especially  gratifying  to  find  them  so  good, 
as  an  egg  is  an  exceedingly  difficult  sub- 
ject to  figure  correctly. 

The  water  color  drawings  were  made 
from  the  eggs  by  Mr.  John  L.  Ridgway, 
and  he  deserves  great  credit  for  his  suc- 
cess. The  chromolithographic  plates  are 
produced  by  the  Ketterlinus  Printing 
Company  of  Philadelphia,  and  Captain 
Bendire  tells  us  they  faithfully  portray 
Mr.  Ridgway's  drawings.  J.P.N. 


Editor  of  the  O.  d-  O.  : 

Dear  Sir,  —  Your  letter  received  and 
noted.  Much  obliged  for  your  informa- 
tion. What  you  say  in  regard  to  "  dead" 
accounts  is  true,  as  I  have  found  out  long 
ago.  I  think  if  dealers  would  stand  to- 
gether, and  not  send  goods  to  parties  with- 
out cash  with  order,  it  would  be  better  all 
around.  Still  when  a  party  who  has  been 
buying  goods  and  always  paid  promptly, 
writes  for  goods  on  credit  it  is  hard  to  re- 
fuse him  —  and  then  you  get  stuck.  Out 
here  several  of  us  curio  dealers  have  stopped 
that  business  by  keeping  each  other  posted 
each  month  as  to  who  has  failed  to  pay. 
In  that  way  we  have  headed  off  a  great 
many  parties.  Only  this  month  I  saved 
a  dealer  a  large  amount  by  letting  him 
know  promptly  about  a  party  who  was  N. 
G.  Another  good  way  is  to  print  a  list 
of  every  one  who  owes  you  and  send  a 
copy  of  it  to  all  of  them  and  state  that  if  it 
is  not  paid  by  a  certain  date  that  you  will 
publish  it  in  the  O.  &  O.  If  they  don't 
come  to  time,  publish  it.  You  will  find 
that  it  will  bring  a  good  many  of  them  to 

time.     Did  Dr. , ,  111., 

ever  get  you  for  any  goods .''  He  is  a  rank 
fraud  and  owes  everybody  he  can  get  trusted 
by.     He  and  our  friend,  who  is  now  in  the 

employ  of  the   State,  ,   would 

make  a  good  team. 


Such  people  ought  to  be  published  by 
all  means. 

Yours  truly, 

A  Dealer. 

We  have  been  called  upon  many  times 
to  publish  the  names  of  certain  parties 
who  have  succeeded  in  swindling  dealers 
and  others,  and  who  have  practiced  deceit 
in  their  dealings  in  specimens,  &c.  The 
question  of  small  uncollectable  accounts 
has  become  so  serious  that  we  have  prac- 
tically discontinued  giving  credit,  believing 
it  to  be  the  only  remedy.  Losses  through 
misfortune  can  be  overlooked,  but  the 
systematic  and  deliberate  swindler  should 
be  shown  up. 

We  have  a  list  of  individuals  who  are 
known  to  us  and  others  as  dead  beats., 
and  invite  any  regular  dealer  in  good 
standing  to  unite  with  us  in  organizing 
for  mutual  information. 

Brief  Notes,  Correspondence,  and 
Clippings. 


W.  O.  Emerson  has  returned  from 
abroad,  as  he  writes,  "to  the  land  where 
the  eagle  screams." 

Do  not  forget  that  Oliver  Davie's  new 
work  on  "  Taxidermy  "  is  promised  before 
Christmas.  Subscription  price,  five 
dollars.  After  it  is  published  the  price 
will  be  advanced  to  ten  dollars.  Now  is 
the  time  to  send  us  in  your  subscription. 
We  have  placed  an  order  for  one  hundred 
copies  with  Mr.  Davie,  and  nearly  all  are 
already  subscribed  for. 

Joseph  M.  Wade's  paper,  "Fibre  and 
Fabric,"  is  the  leading  one  of  its  nature 
in  the  country.  The  "  Factory  Girl  " 
department  is  very  interesting. 

There  are  two  farmers  of  Milltown, 
Pa.,  who  have  gone  into  the  business  of 
extracting  the  poison  from  bees.  They 
catch  the  bees,  and  either  immerse  them 
for   eight   days    in    a    bottle    of    alcohol. 


September.  1892,] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


H3 


having  previously  enraged  them,  so  as  to 
cause  the  poison  to  exude  from  the  poison 
sacs,  or  else  they  kill  them  and  squeeze  the 
virus  into  a  glass  tube.  The  virus  has  a 
local  repute  as  a  cure  for  dropsy,  chill  and 
fever  and  all  kinds  of  insect  stings. 


THE    CRICKETS'   MIDSUMMER   NIGHTS 
SONG. 
Krick,  krick.  krick.  krick, 
Isn't  it  hot!     Isn't  it  hot! 
Kricket^-krick,  krickety-krick, 
Whether  you're  well,  whether  you're  sick. 
Whether  you  like  it  or  not : 
Isn't  it  hot!     Isn't  it  hot! 

Krickv.  kricky,  kricky,  krick  ; 
Krick,  krick,  krick,  krick. 
No  breath  of  a  breeze 
Bestirring  the  trees 
Or  blowing  on  cradle  or  cot ! 
Krick\',  kricky,  kricky,  krick. 
Isn't  it  hot!     Isn't  it  hot! 

The  locusts  chirr,  the  tree  toads  cheep  : 

Too  hot  to  sleep  !     Too  hot  to  sleep  ! 

We  sing  it,  too, 

The  long  night  through  ; 

Now  high,  now  low, 

Now  quick,  now  slow, 

Egad  !     Egad  !     Egad  ! 

Krickv,  krickv,  krickv,  krick; 

Krick,  krick,  krick,  krick. 

Whether  you  like  it  or  not : 

Isn't  it  bad ! 

Isn't  it  sad ! 

Isn't  it  hot,  hot,  hot ! 

—  JV.  D.  Elhvafigcr  in  Nc-m  York  Sun. 


In  writing  on  the  common  mouse,  John 
D.  Gorman  in  American  Natural  His- 
tory says  : 

"  One  evening,  in  the  month  of  Decem- 
ber, as  a  few  officers  on  board  a  British 
man  of  war,  in  the  harbor  of  Portsmouth,  1 
were  seated  around  the  fire,  one  of  them 
began  to  play  a  plaintive  air  on  the  violin. 
He  had  scarcely  performed  ten  minutes 
when  a  mouse,  apparently  frantic,  made 
its  appearance  in  the  centre  of  the  floor 
near  the  large  table  which  usually  stands 
in  the  ward-room,  the  residence  of  the 
lieutenants    in    ships    of    the    line.      The 


strange  gestures  of  the  little  animal  strongly 
excited  the  attention  of  the  officers,  who, 
with  one  consent,  resolved  to  suffer  it  to 
continue  its  singular  actions  unmolested. 
Its  exertions  now  appeared  to  be  greater 
every  moment.  It  shook  its  head,  leaped 
about  the  table,  and  exhibited  signs  of  the 
most  ecstatic  delight.  It  was  observed 
that  in  proportion  to  the  graduation  of  the 
tones  to  the  soft  point  the  ecstacy  of  the 
animal  appeared  to  be  increased,  and  vice 
versa.  After  performing  actions  which 
animal  so  diminutive  would  at  first  seem 
incapable  of,  the  little  creature,  to  the  aston- 
ishment of  the  delighted  spectators,  sud- 
denly ceased  to  move,  fell  down  and  ex- 
pired, without  evincing  any  signs  of  pain." 
—  From  Bartoii  s  Medical  and  Physical 
Journal. 

E.  A.  Capen,  while  on  his  trip  to 
Wyoming  this  spring,  procured  some  fine 
specimens  of  birds  and  eggs. 

A    TRAMP    PELICAN. 

G.  K.  Hurlburt,  the  taxidermist,  was 
exhibiting  to  his  friends  yesterday  a  large 
bird  measuring  eight  feet  from  tip  to  tip, 
which  was  shot  near  Dorr,  Allegan 
county. 

The  bird  is  a  genuine  American  pelican. 
It  is  larger  than  the  swan,  and  remarkable 
for  its  enormous  bill,  to  the  lower  edge  of 
which  is  attached  a  pouch  capable  of 
holding  many  quarts  of  water.  It  is  the 
only  instance  where  a  bird  of  that  species 
has  been  found  so  far  from  the  sea.  They 
are  very  common  along  the  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean  sea  and  millions  of  them 
inhabit  the  rock  bound  coasts  of  the  South 
sea  islands. 

The  bird  probably  wandered  from  New- 
foundland along  the  St.  Lawrence  river, 
until  it  came  to  the  great  lakes,  and  then 
found  its  way  to  the  place  where  it  was 
shot. — Frotn  a  Grand  Rapids  paper. 

It  is  quite  evident  that  the  pelican  is  a 
new  find  for  some  of  our  Detroit  friends  ; 
but  it  is  hardly  fair  to  annoimce  him  from 
this  part  of  the  country. 


EXCHANGE  AND  WANTS. 

I  inch,  one  time  .  .  .  ^   .50 

1  inch,  three  times      .  .  .  1.20  | 

Dealers'' Advertisements — ■  i  inch      .  i.oo 

Sn    VAKlATiriN. 

I   WISH  at  once   several   reliable  collectors  in  j 
favorable  localities  to  collect  Mammal  Skins.  1 
Will  give  Rare  Eggs  and  Skins  in  exchange,  or  | 
cash.     Send  for  particulars  of  how  I  wish  them 
prepared.  JAMES  P.  BABBITT.  ' 

12  IIoDCKS  A\i-:..  Taixion.  Mass. 

CLUB  rates! 

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The  Sportsman  and  Tourist  is  a  vcr>'  jjopular  magazine. 

Jamison's  Collection  for  Sale. 

ISAAC  S.  REIFF,  of  S53  North  Thirteenth  St., 
1  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  has  the  collection  of  the 
late  Ilenrv  K.  Jamison  for  sale,  and  anyone  send- 
ing him  a  two-cent  stamp  will  receive  a  list  of 
the  same.  Mr.  Jamison's  reputation  as  a  col- 
lector makes  any  eggs  from  his  collection  very 
desirable  as  specimens. — J.P.N. 

UOR    SALE. — A  Ham.monu  Typewriter. 
r      Used  only  a  short  time.     In  perfect  condi- 
tion.    Cost  $100;  will  sell  for  $60.     Apply  to 
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Also  Taxidermists'  Supplies  and  Papier 
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NOW   ready! 

BIRD  NESTING  IN  NORTHWEST  CANADA,  with  nu- 
merous lithographs  of  Birds  and  Nests,  Swamp  and  Prairie 
Scenes,  Indian  Camps,  etc.  The  plates  of  Birds'  Eggs  are  very 
fine.  Send  12  cts.  in  stamps  for  sample  plates;  6  plates  for  50 
cts.,  figuring  70  species  of  eggs.  Price  of  Book,  best  edition, 
$2.50;  cheap  edition,  $2.00,  cheap  card  cover.  Only  200  copies 
left;  secure  one  while  they  last.  W.  RAINE, 

Hayden  Street,  Toronto,  Canada. 

Books  for  Sale. 

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illustrated $2  00 

Batty's,  illustrated    .         .         .         .  i  50 

Maynard's i  25 

Hornaday's 2  50 

NEST    EGGS  —  Davies",  cloth i  75 

Davies',  paper           .         .         .         .  i  25 

Maynard's,  cloth       .         .         .         .  i  75 

Capen's.  colored                            .         .  15  00 

BIRDS  —               Coues'  Key 7  50 

Ridgway's  Manual             .         .         .  7  5c 

BUTTERFLIES— Maynard's  (N.A.)            .         .         .  i  50 

Maynard's  (New  England)       .         .  6  50 

French's  (Eastern  U.S.)            .         .  2  00 

Harris'  Insects           .         .         .         .  4  50 

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FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


THE  MINERALOGIST'S  RECORD  BOOK, 

Containing  spaces  for  recording  450  specimens, 
by  F.  R.  Stearns.  Price,  Jj  and  jo  cents.  For 
sale  bv 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 

Exchange  Rarities. 

Sooty  Albatross,  i-i. 

Bulwer's  Petrel,  i-i,  with  skin. 

Rufous-crested  Duck,  1-6. 

Roseate  Spoonbill,  1-4,  1-5. 

Wood  Ibis,  1-4. 

Corey's  Least  Bittern,  1-4,  1-5. 

Canada  Grouse,  1-12. 

Golden  Eagle,  i-i. 

Bald  Eagle,  1-2. 

Prairie  Falcon,  1-4. 

Audubon's  Caracara,  1-3. 

Snowy  Owl,  1-6. 

Florida  Burrowing  Owl,  1-4,  1-5,  1-6. 

Cone's  Flycatcher,  N-3. 

Sharp's  Seedeater,  N-3. 

Key  West  \'ireo,  N-4. 

Gray  Vireo,  N-3,  N-4. 

Blue-winged  Warbler,  N-3,  N-4,  N-5. 

Worm-eating  Warbler,  N-3,  N-4,  N-.v 

Black-throated  Blue  Warbler,  N-3. 

American  Dipper,  N-5,  1-4. 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet,  N-7,  N-8,  N-9. 

Townsend's  Solitaire,  1-5. 

And  nearly  one  hundred  other  varieties. 

All  are  prepared  perfectly  and  their  authenti- 
cit}'  guaranteed,  and  only  such  ^vill  he  accepted 
in  exchange.     Send  full  list  of  your  sets  to 

SAMUEL  B.  LADD. 

West  Ciie.ster,  Pa. 


THAT  LITTLE  TUBE 

That  vou  can  slip  in  youv  12-gauge  gun,  for 
shooting  small  birds,  costs  only  ■$/.jo.  50  brass 
shells  No.  32,  loader,  capper,  and  wad  cutter  com- 
plete, $1.50.     The  M'hole  outfit,  $3.00. 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


EGG    TOOLS, 
BLOW  PIPES,   EGG  DRILLS, 

BIRDS'   EGGS. 

Send  for  our  Catalogue. 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


(schluter's), 
Bright  and  Japanned.  Best  Quality  Made. 

To  Dealers  we  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
they  come  on  papers  and  can  be  easily  handled. 
Cork,  Cones,  Cases,  Nets,  and  Tools. 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AXD  — 

OOLOGIST. 


PUBLISHED   BY  THE  FRANK   BLAKE  WEBSTER   COMPANY. 

ESTABLISHED   MARCH,    1875. 


$1.00  per 
Annum. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII.  HYDE  PARK,  MASS.,  OCTOBER,  1892. 


No.  10. 


Sunset  with  the  Night  Hawks. 


It  was  at  night  I  saw  them,  after  a 
long  day  of  pickerel  fishing,  and  I  was  re- 
turning with  a  heavy  bag  of  forty  bright 
yellow  bellies.  When  I  started  in  the 
morning  it  was  cloudy  and  occasionally 
raining,  wind  just  right ;  but  later  it 
cleared  and  the  wind  "hauled"  to  the  north. 

The  sun  was  just  going  down,  appar- 
ently into  the  ocean,  as  I  stopped  on  top 
of  a  low  hill  to  admire  the  beauty  of  it, 
and  rest  my  weary  self. 

I  stood  there  some  time  and  was  just 
starting  when  something  almost  brushed 
the  back  of  my  neck.  Turning  as  quick- 
ly as  possible  I  caught  one  glimpse  of 
a  bird  as  it  flew  behind  a  bush,  but 
not  enough  to  see  what  it  was.  Drop- 
ping fish  pole,  I  ran  around  behind  the 
bush,  only  to  be  disappointed,  as  the  bird 
had  gone  completely. 

Before  me,  stretching  away  in  a  gradual 
slope  a  hundred  yards  or  more,  was  a  field 
of  huckleberry  bushes,  with  here  and 
there  a  scrub  pine.  At  a  distance  of 
two  hundred  yards  was  another  knoll. 

I  stood  where  I  could  view  the  whole 
of  the  little  valley.  Seating  myself  I 
waited  about  one  minute,  and  had  the 
satisfaction  of  having  two  birds  fly  past' 
me  so  close  I  could  feel  the  wind  from 
their  almost  noiseless  wings. 

For  one-half  hour  I  sat  there,  scarcely 
moving  as  they  flew  around  back  and 
forth  never  seeming  to  notice  me,  only 
busy  getting  a  supper  of  flies,  which  were 


very    numerous    around    the  above    men- 
tioned pines. 

They  kept  up  a  constant  chuckle-like 
sound  —  a  sort  of  guttural  laugh,  so  to 
speak,  very  much  like  the  note  I  have 
often  heard  the  Chuck- Will- Widow  make 
in  Florida  when  in  a  like  occupation. 

I  watched  them  dart  back  and  forth 
until  it  became  too  dark  to  see  them. 
Then  I  shouldered  my  pole  and  fish  and 
started  for  home. 

Gunners  have  been  generally  disap- 
pointed, for  most  of  the  birds  which  have 
migrated  were  in  a  great  hurry  and  would 
not  stop  long  enough  to  hold  even  a 
whistling  conversation. 

The   best  bag   I  have  heard  of  in  one 
day  was  six  Golden  Plover  and  two  Eski- 
:  mo  Curlew. 
I      From  my  note  book  : 
,      August    26.       Saw     two     Yellow-legs 
{^Totanus  Pie/a?2o/e2iczis) , Turnstones  and 
several  varieties  of  shore  birds. 

August  27.  Bad  rain  storm.  Large 
flight  of  Golden  Plover  and  Eskimo  Cur- 
lew in  the  night.  Very  few  stopped. 
Saw  only  two  Plover  and  one  Curlew. 

August  28.  Saw  gunners'  bags  with 
Eskimo  Curlew,  Golden  and  Black-bellied 
Plover,  Knot,  Yellow-legs,  Turnstones, 
and  "Peeps."  Fishermen  report  flocks 
of  several  hundred  of  "  Bank  Birds"  (Pha- 
larope) ,  but  as  none  were  taken  and  it  blew 
a  gale  I  did  not  find  out  the  variety. 

September  i .     Saw  six  young  and  one 
old  Herring  Gulls.   Frederic  L.  Small. 
Provincetown,  Mass.,  Sept.  8. 


Copyright,  1892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


146 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  10 


Notes  from  Dartmouth,  N.S. 


The  last  time  I  had  this  pleasure  was  on 
June  19,  and  now  I  beg  to  submit  notes 
for  balance  of  the  season,  and  trust  they 
may  prove  of  interest  to  your  readers. 

June  21.  To-day  being  a  holiday,  I 
started  for  the  woods  about  9  a.m.  It 
was  raining  pretty  hard,  but  I  kept  on  and 
borrowing  a  long  ladder  carried  it  out  to 
the  Bay-breasted  Warbler's  nest  that  I 
had  found  building  on  the  I3th.  This 
was  up  about  twenty-five  feet  and  placed 
way  out  on  the  end  of  a  very  long  branch 
of  a  very  big  black  spruce,  and  was  im- 
possible to  secure  without  the  ladder.  The 
?  was  scared  off  the  nest  on  my  going  up, 
and  I  was  delighted  to  see  that  it  held  six 
eggs  ;  so  the  bird  has  completed  the  nest 
and  laid  the  six  eggs  since  the  12th,  which 
left  nine  days  for  her  to  do  it  in.  The 
eggs  were  fresh. 

I  then  went  and  took  the  Bay-breasted 
Warbler's  nest  that  I  found  built  on  the 
1 6th  and  looked  at  on  evening  of  the  17th, 
when  it  held  one  egg,  and  also  looked  at 
on  evening  of  the  19th,  when  it  held  three 
eggs,  and  to-day  it  held  five  eggs.  This 
nest  was  out  on  end  of  a  black  spruce 
limb,  about  fifteen  feet  up  from  the  ground. 
I  shot  the  ?  ;  eggs  fresh.  It  still  raining 
hard,  I  left  for  home,  changed  my  clothes, 
had  a  bite  to  eat,  and  started  out  again, 
and  was  very  glad  I  done  so,  as  I  found 
and  brought  back  a  Cat  Bird's  nest,  with 
three  eggs.  I  saw  the  old  birds  over  in  the 
swamp  about  a  week  ago,  and  seeing  the 
$  again  to-day,  I  laid  down  gun  and  fish- 
ing basket  and  went  to  work,  and  in  about 
half  an  hour  I  had  the  nest.  The  ?  was 
on  it,  and  I  stood  and  looked  at  her  for 
some  little  time,  then  scared  her  off.  The 
nest  was  up  about  seven  feet,  on  a  thick 
black  spruce  limb,  and  is  quite  a  bulky 
affair,  and  is  composed  of  leaves,  dry  grass, 
roots,  bits  of  the  fir  tree  and  lined  with 
fine    black    and    white    roots.     The    eggs 


were  incubated,  and  of  a  plain,  bluish- 
green  color.  This  is  the  first  Cat  Bird's 
nest  I  have  ever  taken  in  Nova  Scotia,  and 
I  did  not  think  that  they  bred  in  this  vi- 
cinity. The  birds  are  not  plenty  by  any 
means,  as  I  have  noticed  very  few  of 
them  during  my  trips  through  the  various 
parts  of  the  country.  I  did  not  disturb 
the  old  birds,  and  have  decided  never  to 
shoot  another  specimen,  unless  it  is  an 
unknown  species  and  absolutely  required 
for  the  sake  of  indentification. 

On  my  way  home  I  took  nest  of  Junco, 
with  four  eggs. 

June  24.  Ran  out  before  breakfast  this 
morning  to  look  at  Ruby  Kinglet's  nest 
that  I  found  building  on  5th  and  that  held 
one  egg  on  the  iSth  (when  it  was  exam- 
ined by  me  for  the  first  time),  and  to  my 
surprise  it  still  held  one  egg,  which  was 
cold,  and  the  inside  of  nest  damp,  and  I 
could  see,  for  some  reason  or  other,  that 
the  birds  had  deserted  it,  and  I  was  sadly 
disappointed.  However,  still  hearing  the  S 
singing  close  by,  I  was  satisfied  the  ?  was 
not  far  off  and  had  built  another  nest,  so 
I  went  to  work,  and  in  one  hour  and  ten 
minutes  I  had  it,  and  this  time  it  was  up 
20  feet,  near  the  top  of  a  tall,  slim  black 
spruce,  and  contained  six  eggs.  I  did 
not  take  it,  as  I  wished  to  see  if  set  was 
complete.  On  my  way  home,  I  found 
a  Hudsonian's  nest  with  four  young,  all 
feathered  and  ready  to  fly. 

June  25.  To  woods  all  day.  I  started 
out  to  look  for  Olive-sided  Flycatcher's 
nest,  as  I  had  located  a  pair  of  the  birds 
on  the  8th.  After  I  got  on  the  ground 
I  started  in,  and  in  just  three  hours  I  had 
the  nest.  (I  always  time  myself  to  see  liow 
long  it  takes.)  It  took  me  a  long  time 
to  get  at  the  ?  and  a  longer  time  to  locate 
the  nest,  for  the  simple  reason  that  I  was 
looking  for  it  way  up  on  the  big  high 
spruces  where  I  had  found  them  last 
year,  whereas  this  particular  nest  was  up 
about  15  feet,  out  on  the  limb  of  a  small 


October,  1S92.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


H7 


black  spruce  situated  in  a  swamp.  I 
passed  the  nest  on  going  up  the  tree,  and 
saw  it  on  the  way  down.  Tiie  nest  is  the 
finest  I  have  ever  taken,  being  a  fine  large 
one,  well  and  compactly  built,  and  is  very 
deep,  and  is  composed  of  limbs  of  black 
spruce  and  fir,  and  completely  lined  with 
long  gray  moss  that  hangs  from  the  dead 
limbs.  It  held  three  beautiful  eggs  of  a 
creamy  white,  spotted  at  larger  end  with 
a  ring  of  chestnut,  red  and  brown  spots. 
The  old  birds  kept  flying  about  me  while 
I  was  taking  the  nest,  but  I  did  not  dis- 
turb them,  and  trust  that  they  may  build 
again  and  rear  their  young  in  peace. 

I  also  found  another  nest  of  the  Ruby 
Kinglet,  which  was  full  of  young,  and  I 
was  pleased  that  the  old  birds  had  man- 
aged to  hide  it  so  well,  as  I  had  been  after 
it  a  good  many  times  before,  and  the  com- 
ical part  of  it  is  that  it  was  on  a  black 
spruce  that  I  had  gone  up  tzvice  before, 
but  had  failed  to  see  it.  I  also  found  a 
Myrtle  Warbler's  nest,  with  four  young, 
and  took  a  nest  of  the  Black-throated 
Green,  with  four  eggs,  but  regret  to  say 
they  were  so  badly  incubated  that  I  could 
not  save  them,  and  the  same  sad  fate 
attended  another  set  of  the  same  species  ; 
so  from  this  out  I  shall  be  very  careful 
what  I  take,  as  it  is  bad  enough  to  take 
the  nests,  but  sad  in  the  extreme  when  the 
eggs  and  young  are  destroyed. 

June  26.  Looked  at  Ruby  Kinglet's 
nest  to-day  that  I  found  on  24th.  It  still 
held  the  six  eggs,  so  I  concluded  the  set 
complete  and  gathered  it  in.  The  eggs 
were  slightly  incubated,  but  came  out  all 
O.K.  This  is  the  second  nest  built  by  the 
same  bird  this  season.  I  then  went  and 
took  the  first  nest  that  this  bird  had  built 
and  which  held  one  egg,  but  unfortunately 
trod  upon  it  while  on  the  ground  and 
broke  the  egg.  I  felt  very  sick  then  and 
left  for  home.  After  dinner  I  went  out 
again,  and  found  a  nest  of  the  Yellow- 
bellied  Flycatcher.     This  was  built  in  the 


thick  bushes  about  four  feet  up,  situated 
in  a  swamp,  and  right  by  where  I  took 
them  last  year.  The  nest  held  only  one 
egg,  so  I  did  not  disturb  it.  I  also  found 
another  nest  of  the  Olive-backed  Thrush, 
with  four  eggs,  blue  spotted  with  red  ;  eggs 
well  incubated,  but  came  out  all  safe. 
The  nest  was  up  near  the  top  of  a  little 
spruce.  I  saw  the  ?  leave  the  nest.  I 
also  found  and  took  a  Black-capped  Chick- 
adee's nest  with  six  eggs,  but  they  were 
badly  incubated  and  I  could  only  save 
four,  which  I  will  use  in  my  cases,  with 
the  old  birds.  I  also  took  nest  of  a  Fly- 
catcher, with  three  eggs.  The  nest  was 
out  on  a  limb  of  a  fir  tree.  The  eggs  ap- 
pear to  be  slightly  larger  than  the  Least 
Flycatcher,  and  are  white  with  exception 
of  one,  which  shows  a  few  red  spots. 
The  bird  was  larger  than  the  Least,  and 
showed  a  crest,  nest  is  the  same  size  as  the 
Least  and  made  just  like  it,  but  all  other 
Least  Flycatchers  I  have  taken  have  been 
way  up  in  crutch  of  white  birch  trees. 
What  would  you  call  this  ? 

June  27.  Off  to  the  woods  this  morn- 
ing ;  was  after  another  pair  of  the  Olive- 
sided  Flycatchers  that  I  had  noticed  about 
last  week,  but  they  had  moved  away,  and 
were  not  to  be  found.  I  went  over  a  good 
many  miles  of  ground  in  search  of  others, 
but  saw  none.  This  species  are  rare  and 
their  nests  hard  to  find  in  this  vicinity. 

I  found  another  Black-throated  Green 
Warbler's  nest,  with  four  young,  and  had 
a  look  at  the  Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher's 
found  yesterday.     It  now  holds  two  eggs. 

On  my  way  home  I  heard  the  $  Ruby 
Kinglet  singing,  belonging  to  the  ?  whose 
nest  I  found  building  on  the  5th  and  which 
held  one  ^^Z-i  which  she  deserted  and 
built  another  that  I  found  on  the  24th, 
with  six  eggs,  and  took  on  26th  with  same 
number,  and  I  was  very  much  surprised 
to  find  the  ?  busily  engaged  in  carrying 
materials  for  her  third  nest  for  this  sea- 
son.    This  time  the  nest  is  way  up  in  a 


I4S 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  10 


very  large  black  spruce,  and  out  on  the 
end  (underneath)  of  one  of  the  long  limbs, 
and  will  be  hard  to  secure. 

June  29.  Started  for  woods  this  after- 
noon with  intention  of  taking  the  Yellow- 
bellied  Flycatcher's  nest,  but  to  my  dis- 
gust I  found  the  boys  had  destroyed  it. 
These  youngsters  are  a  nuisance,  and  de- 
stroy great  numbers  of  nests,  eggs,  and 
young  birds  simply  for  pure  devilment. 

On  my  way  home  I  found  a  Myrtle 
Warbler's  nest  with  two  eggs.  This  is  up 
about  15  feet  in  a  small  black  spruce, 
and  placed  close  to  body  of  tree.  Before 
returning,  I  went  up  over  the  ground 
where  I  found  and  took  the  Rubv  King- 
let's nest  on  19th  with  six  eggs,  and  hear- 
ing the  $  about,  I  went  to  work  and  in 
three  hours  and  seven  minutes  I  had  lo- 
cated the  spot  on  which  the  ?  had  com- 
menced to  build  her  secojid  nest.  I  saw 
her  working  at  it,  and  she  has  been  at  it 
for  but  a  short  time,  as  I  can  just  make 
out  the  bare  outline  of  the  nest. 

July  3.  To  woods  this  afternoon  ;  found 
and  took  nest  of  Song  Sparrow  on  a  low 
spruce  tree,  with  five  eggs ;  also  took  nest 
of  Junco,  with  four  eggs.  The  Myrtle 
Warbler's  nest  found  on  39th,  with  two 
eggs,  I  find  the  boys  have  destroyed.  The 
Ruby  Kinglet  nest  found  building  on  29th 
looks  to  be  finished  now,  but  the  one 
found  building  on  27th  I  see  the  ?  is  still 
working  away  at. 

July  3.  Found  Cedar  Bird's  nest  with 
three  eggs.  This  was  up  near  top  of  little 
spruce;  took  this  next  day,  the  4th,  with 
four  eggs. 

July  5.  To  woods  this  morning,  found 
four  nests  of  the  Red-eyed  Vireo,  three 
with  three  eggs  each,  one  with  three 
young.  All  these  nests  were  on  beech 
trees  up  seven  and  ten  feet,  out  on  the  end 
of  the  limbs  and  suspended.  I  only  saved 
one  set  out  of  the  three,  as  the  eggs  were 
very  badly  incubated.  I  examined  inside 
of  Ruby  Kinglet's  nest  found  building 
29th,  and  it  now  held  three  eggs. 


July  7.  Out  to  Preston  to-day ;  took 
nest  of  Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  with  two 
eggs.  This  was  found  building  on  i8th 
by  my  friend  Morse,  of  Sudbury,  Mass., 
and  was  examined  by  him  on  25th  before 
leaving  for  home,  but  it  held  no  eggs. 
So  the  ?  has  had  twelve  days  to  complete 
nest  and  lay  the  two  eggs,  and  as  they 
were  badly  incubated  I  concluded  the  set 
was  complete. 

July  9.  Went  out  this  evening  and  took 
the  Ruby  Kinglet  nest  found  building  29th 
and  that  held  three  eggs  on  the  5th.  To- 
night it  held  seven  eggs,  so  I  took  it,  as  I 
thought  set  complete.  The  9  was  on  the 
nest ;  nest  was  up  about  1 2  feet,  out  on 
limb  of  black  spruce,  underneath  the  limb, 
and  suspended.  This  is  the  second  nest  for 
this  9  this  season  and  was  distant  about 
45  yards  from  where  I  took  the  first  one 
on  June  19,  with  six  eggs. 

This  completes  my  notes  and  collecting 
for  the  season.  Next  year,  if  I  am  spared, 
you  will  hear  from  me  again. 

H.  Austell. 

The  Birds'  Christmas  Dinner. 


Almost  Christmas,  and  no  snow  to 
speak  of.  I  wondered  what  the  birds 
would  have  for  a  Christmas  dinner,  and  so 
I  concluded  that,  as  experience  is  an  able 
teacher,  I  would  visit  their  haunts  and 
find  out  for  myself. 

The  subject  of  food  supply  of  our  win- 
ter birds  is  one  I  had  always  thought  of 
as  worthy  of  attention,  and  I  have  had 
vague  ideas  and  doubts  as  to  the  efHcacy 
of  Dame  Nature  as  a  winter  housekeeper  ; 
but  as  year  after  year  the  birds  remained 
along  through  the  cold  months  and  always 
seemed  in  good  spirits  when  spring  came, 
I  concluded  that  they  knew  her  secrets 
better  than  I,  and  that  when  the  "spirit 
moved"  I  would  investigate  more  thor- 
oughly. The  spirit  has  moved,  just  as  I 
hope  it  will  sometime  with  the  man  who 
is  going  to  give  us  the  "  Botany  of  Birds'- 


October,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


49 


nests  ;  "  and  that  accounts  for  what  I  have 
to  say  further  on. 

The  staple  articles  of  diet  among  the 
Fringillidie  are  the  seeds  of  the  golden 
rods,  wild  sunflowers  (the  seeds  of 
which  are  widely  known  in  Massachusetts 
as  Devil's  Pitchforks),  red  alder  berries, 
mullen,  wild  peppergrass,  burdock  and 
the  milkweeds,  chiefly  because  these 
plants  constitute  a  never-failing  crop,  and 
are  nearly  always  accessible,  for  even  the 
deepest  snow  never  covers  them  all  ;  the 
tall  stalks  of  the  plants  bearing  the  seed- 
vessels  aloft  and  ever  in  reach  of  the  hun- 
gry multitude. 

Then,  too,  there  are  all  the  grasses,  too 
numerous  to  mention,  and  are  invariably 
liked  by  all  seed-eating  birds,  and  there 
are  many  other  plants  to  which  single  or 
a  few  species  resort. 

The  Pine  Finches,  when  they  are  here 
at  all,  and  the  Thistle  Birds  are  both  fond 
of  the  seeds  of  our  pine  and  fir  trees,  and 
during  the  winter  of  1887-88,  when  the 
former  bird  was  especially  common,  the 
seeds  of  these  trees  and  the  burdock  con- 
stituted its  main  food. 

The  Crossbills,  never  very  numerous, 
also  feed  largely  on  coniferous  seeds,  and 
a  year  or  two  ago  I  shot  one  which  was 
eating  the  seeds  of  wild  rose  tips,  and  I 
have  seen  the  Pine  Grosbeak  feeding  on 
the  same  article. 

The  Grosbeaks  sometimes  come  in 
great  numbers  to  feed  on  the  seeds  of  the 
hackmetack  trees,  of  which  they  are  very 
fond,  and  seasons  when  they  are  with  us 
they  are  always  to  be  found  in  their  im- 
mediate vicinity.  They  eat  any  grain 
that  is  exposed  to  them,  and  also  devour 
great  quantities  of  maple  buds,  visiting 
indiscriminately  trees  in  the  heart  of  the 
town  or  in  suburban  villages,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  the  Purple  Finches  and 
Thistle  Birds  sometimes  keep  them  com- 
pany. 

Robins  and  Blue  Birds,  too,  are  some- 


times seen  at  this  season,  and  are  some- 
times accompanied  by  the  Wax-wings 
while  feeding  on  barberries,  the  fruit  of 
mountain  ash,  "horse"  brier  berries,  and 
those  of  the  cedar  and  juniper,  while  with 
Blue  Jays  and  Partridge  Woodpeckers, 
they  sometimes  frequent  the  "  wild  " 
apple  trees  and  the  orchards,  in  search  of 
any  frozen  fruit  which  may  have  been 
overlooked  at  fall  picking. 

The  Yellow  Rump  Warbler,  nearly  al- 
ways a  common  winter  resident,  feeds 
on  a  number  of  different  seeds,  and  eats 
barberries  and  birch  buds  quite  exten- 
sively. 

There  seems  to  be  two  ways  of  feeding 
among  the  Finches,  the  Linnets,  Redpolls 
and  Goldfinches  preferring  to  cling  to 
whatever  they  feed  upon,  while  the 
Snow  Birds,  Song  Sparrows,  and  Tree 
Sparrows  like  to  remain  upon  or  near 
the  ground,  and  eat  whatever  seeds  have 
fallen  or  are  within  their  reach ;  conse- 
quently their  articles  of  diet  vary  slightly. 

A  flock  of  birds  consisting  of  represen- 
tatives of  each  of  these  species  may  be 
feeding  in  company,  yet  they  do  not  great- 
ly interfere  with  each  other.  Those  of 
the  former  group,  though  occasionally 
on  the  ground,  keep  mostly  to  the  tops 
of  the  swaying  weeds  and  are  often  seen 
clinging,  back  downward,  to  the  hard- 
pack  and  mullen  stalks,  or  opening  dex- 
terously a  stray  milkweed  pod  or  belated 
thistle. 

Their  companions,  meanwhile,  give 
their  attention  to  seeds  of  grasses  and  wild 
peppergrass,  or  the  seed  of  goldenrod  or 
other  high  j^l^nts,  which  may  fall  from 
the  shaking  which  their  companions  give, 
higher  up  among  the  dry  dead  stalks. 

All  these  birds,  and  epecially  the 
ground  feeding  ones,  are  very  partial  to  all 
the  cultivated  cereals  when  they  can  get 
them,  and  for  some  years  I  was  in  the 
habit  of  keeping  a  grain  board,  —  an  ele- 
vated platform  out  of  reach  of  stray  cats 


i=;o 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-Xo.  10 


etc., — on  the  premises,  where  many 
Snowbirds,  Tree  and  Song  Sparrows 
spent  their  loafing  time  in  winter,  and 
could  be  seen  at  any  hour  of  the  day, 
while  Finches  and  Linnets  resorted  to 
some  sunflower  stalks,  which  had  been 
left  standing  for  their  especial  benefit ;  but 
finally  the  practice  was  discontinued  on 
account  of  the  "  dog  in  the  manger" 
habits  of  the  English  Sparrows. 

The  winter  food  of  the  Crows  is  mul- 
titudinous, for  they  eat  anything  from 
dead  mice  to  acorns,  and  in  severe  weath- 
er visit  the  tide  waters  of  bays  and  rivers 
by  thousands,  for  crabs,  clams,  and  any- 
thing the  sea  may  wash  up. 

His  gaily-dressed  cousin,  the  Blue  Jay, 
also,  I  suspect,  partakes,  although  perhaps 
more  sparingly,  of  the  same  varied  bill  of 
fare,  and  it  will  be  unnecessary  for  me  to 
refer  at  any  length  to  the  larder  of  the 
various  hawks  and  owls  which  "  stay 
through." 

Apropos  the  habit  of  the  Butcher  Bird 
of  hanging  its  victims  about  in  conspicu- 
ous places,  the  custom  has  its  uses  after 
all,  as  the  Chickadees,  which  are  really 
quite  carniverous  little  chaps,  often  make 
a  dinner  from  the  remains,  and  it  was  this 
habit  which  suggested  a  plan  for  provid- 
ing entertainment  for  them  in  the  winter 
garden  parties  which  I  used  to  give  the 
birds.  My  plan  was  to  hang  scraps  of 
pork  rind  and  pieces  of  beef  to  the  branch- 
es of  the  trees  and  shrubs  on  the  grounds, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  all  the  Chicka- 
dees and  Kinglets  found  it  out.  The 
Creepers  and  Nuthatchers  sometimes 
came,  too,  but  only  in  the  capacity  of  look- 
ers on,  and  I  never  saw  either  touch  the 
meat,  although  the  Nuthatchers  would 
sometimes  take  a  bit  of  cracked  corn. 

The  Downy  Woodpeckers  would,  how- 
ever, eat  the  meat,  but  only  in  small  quan- 
tities and  at  long  intervals.  They  are  in- 
quisitive birds,  and  seemed  merely  to  try- 
it  to  satisfy  their  curiosity. 


These  Sapsuckers  are  very  fond  of 
frozen  fruit,  however,  and  one  year  when 
we  had  a  few  grapes  and  pears  which 
were  frozen  on  the  vines  and  trees,  they 
and  the  Flickers  made  quick  work  of 
them,  and  even  tried  scratching  about  the 
roots  of  the  vines  for  fallen  grapes. 

The  Partridge  Woodpecker  is  very  fond 
of  nuts,  and  manages  to  secure  a  good 
many  of  them  even  after  the  snow  has 
fallen,  digging  out  of  old  stumps  and  from 
under  the  bark  of  fallen  trees.  When 
there  is  no  snow,  which  is  the  greater  part 
of  the  winter  here  in  eastern  Massachu- 
setts, he  confines  his  operations  mostly  to 
ant-hills,  and  manages  to  do  considerable 
execution,  if  the  contents  of  his  stomach 
is  to  be  relied  upon. 

There  is  still  another  recourse,  especi- 
ally for  insectiverous  birds,  which  I  have 
as  yet  hardly  mentioned. 

No  inconsiderable  portion,  if  not  the 
lion's  share,  of  the  food  of  Chickadees, 
Creepers,  Golden-crowned  Wrens,  and  the 
Nuthatchers  consists  of  the  minute  eggs 
and  larvae  of  the  various  insects  which  de- 
posit them,  or  frequent  the  bark  of  trees, 
and  which  fall  to  the  toils  of  these  sharp- 
eyed  searchers.  If  one  takes  the  trouble 
to  pull  the  bark  off  a  decaying  stump  in 
January,  he  will  be  in  poor  luck  indeed  if 
there  are  not  two  or  three  kinds  of  ants,  as 
many  species  of  beetles  and  icneumon,  and 
perhaps  a  newt  or  two,  and  in  deciduous 
growths  snails  are  also  to  be  found,  all  of 
which  are  food  for  the  multitude. 

In  the  woods  the  twin-berry  (commonly 
called  "partridge  berry")  and  the  bright 
red  fruit  of  the  winter-green  or  checker- 
berry  (known  as  box-berry  and  winter- 
plum  on  Cape  Cod) ,  furnishes  food  for 
all,  when  they  chance  to  be  exposed,  and 
the  Partridge  (Ruffed  Grouse)  and  Quail, 
(Partridge)  are  very  fond  of  them.  The 
former  is  an  expert  at  collecting  them  by 
burrowing  under  the  snow,  and  I  strongly 
suspect  that  Bob  White  does  the  same. 


October,  1892.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


151 


The  Partridge  is  not  only  fond  of 
the  fruit  of  the  winter-green,  but  enjoys 
the  tender  leaves  of  this  plant ;  while 
towards  spring,  when  the  berries  are 
scarcer,  he  indulges  in  quantities  of  buds 
of  the  alder  and  white  birch. 

The  few  sources  of  the  food  supply  here 
mentioned  is  very  far  from  being  complete, 
but  it  shows  that  Nature  has  no  lack  of 
material,  and  can  get  up  quite  a  feast  for 
our  feathered  friends'  Christmas  dinner. 

Harry  Gordon    White. 

Gloucester. 


In  Good  Greenwood.  —  I. 


When  I  was  a  youngster  I  pi'obably 
made  more  different  kinds  of  a  fool  of 
myself  than  most  youngsters  do ;  and 
when  I  didn't  do  it  myself  I  let  somebody 
else  do  it  for  me.  The  following  story 
shows  how  I  did  it  once,  and  the  sequel 
explains  fully  why  I  do  not  give  dates  and 
locality. 

I  was  trailing  a  deer.  It  was  getting 
late  in  the  day  and  he  seemed  to  be  feed- 
ing along,  so  I  sneaked  as  quietly  as  I 
knew  how,  and  I  knew  how  to  do  that 
part  of  the  business  better  than  most  boys, 
old  or  young.  It  was  pine  sapling  growth, 
with  low  spots  of  grass  and  scrubby  bush, 
and  the  buck  backed  and  filled  through 
these  places  and  bothered  me  a  good  deal. 
I  was  passing  round  one  of  these  feeding 
spots  when  I  heard  some  Jay  Birds  scold- 
ing a  good  bit  of  a  ways  off  and  concluded 
that  the  deer  must  have  made  a  jump  or 
two  and  agitated  their  feelings  ;  so  I  made 
a  break  toward  the  noise,  and  sure  enough 
there  was  his  trail  again  among  some 
higher  saplings  and  making  toward  a  big 
bay  gull  beyond.  Here  were  a  lot  of  hog 
tracks,  too,  scattered  in  confusion  and  all 
running  away  from  a  place  where  some- 
body seemed  to  have  been  raking  pine 
trash.  I  would  have  passed  it  right  by  if 
the  track  I  was  on  had  not  gone  directly 
through  it  and   I   saw  it  had  been   raked 


over  since  the  deer  passed.  As  I  puzzled 
here  a  minute  I  noticed  flies  swarming 
about  the  heap  of  pine  trash  and  at  the 
same  instant  my  eye  fell  upon  some  panther 
tracks.  That  settled  it.  The  buck  was 
free  now  ;  for  under  the  heap  of  trash  was 
a  fresh  killed  hog  and  I  knew  the  panther 
could  not  be  far  oft".  A  wide  circuit  round 
the  spot  showed  me  where  he  had  gone  off 
into  the  same  bay  gull  the  deer  had  en- 
tered, so  I  chose  a  favorable  spot  to  lee- 
ward of  the  dead  hog  and  sat  down  at  the 
foot  of  a  small  tree  with  a  bush  in  front  of 
me  and  both  barrels  cocked.  I  had  a  few 
serious  thoughts  over  the  situation  at  first, 
but  as  the  hours  wore  on  I  began  to  lose 
all  ideas  of  any  accident  and  was  only 
afraid  that  the  game  might  put  off  his 
coming  till  it  was  too  dark  to  see  to  shoot. 
It  was  only  a  few  minutes  before  sundown 
and  I  was  scratching  little  squams  and 
coons  in  the  sand  with  a  stick  when  I 
heard  a  noise,  and  there  was  the  old 
panther  pawing  the  trash  from  her  buried 
prey  and  two  young  cubs  boxing  with 
each  other  like  a  pair  of  kittens  —  kittens 
about  a  yard  long.  Now  these  same  kit- 
tens complicated  the  affair  a  bit,  for  I 
wanted  them,  too,  if  possible,  and  had  only 
one  shot  for  both.  The  old  lady  offered  a 
tempting  side  shot  but  the  children  were 
eight  or  ten  feet  apart.  I  waited  several 
minutes  for  a  favorable  change  of  position, 
and  at  last  they  grappled  and  rolled  over 
and  over  in  a  close  embrace,  but  the  mother 
was  back  to  me.  As  she  raised  her  head 
the  young  ones  parted.  Then  she  turned 
her  side  again  and  the  two  joined  in 
another  tussle,  so  I  gave  her  the  right  bar- 
rel just  back  of  the  bone  of  the  fore  leg 
and  she  went  up  in  the  air  screeching  like 
forty  devils.  Then  I  found  out  mistake 
number  one ;  the  smoke  hid  the  cubs. 
Mistake  number  two  was  in  not  giving 
the  old  one  the  second  barrel,  which  I  had 
ample  chance  to  do  after  they  had  left. 
So  I  had   to   camp   on   the   trail.     In   the 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  10 


night  a  storm  came  up  and  it  rained  stead- 
ily for  two  days,  not  a  dripping  rain  nor 
even  open-and-shut  sort  of  weather,  but  a 
regular  young  deluge.  So  I  had  to  give 
it  up  and  go  back  to  the  fort.  Three  days 
after  a  settler  brought  in  the  three  scalps. 
He  killed  one  cub  at  his  calf  pen  and  fol- 
lowed the  other  and  got  it  along  side  of 
the  dead  old  one.  Her  hide  was  too  far 
gone  to  save,  but  I  got  the  head  and  claws. 
Now  for  the  sequel .  Of  course  I  claimed 
the  old  one's  scalp,  and  that  led  to  a  very 
practical  argument  between  the  other  fel- 
low and  I.  He  got  in  the  first  two 
shots,  but  I  took  off  two  fingers  and  a 
thumb  and  broke  his  jaw.  And  though  I 
patched  all  up  nicely  myself  and  left  him 
two  nice  fingers  on  his  right  hand,  and 
didn't  charge  a  cent  for  the  job,  his  family 
and  friends  kicked  up  such  a  row  over  it 
that  I  had  to  leave  that  part  of  the  countr}^ 
for  good  and  all.  I  don't  think  I  was 
much  of  a  fool  for  doing  that.  I  think 
they  would  have  been  more  lenient  if  I 
hadn't  got  the  scalp.  Any  way  I  sold  it 
too  as  soon  as  I  finished  stitching  him  up. 
For  we  shook  hands  —  left  hands  —  after 
I  had  him  arranged  all  comfortable  ;  but  he 
went  right  off  his  nut  again  when  he  heard 
the  hard  dollars  ring  down  on  the  counter 
and  saw  me  scoop  them  in.  Age  brings 
sense,  and  I  think  I  have  got  better  sense 
now  than  to  run  the  risk  of  lining  a  jDan- 
ther's  belly  with  my  precious  old  bones. 

Robert  Cars' a  11. 


The  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  in 
Michigan. 


I  noticed  in  the  September  number  of 
the  Ornithologist  and  Oologist  a 
piece  regarding  the  range  of  the  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak.  I  will  say  that  is  very 
abundant  in  this  locality. 

One  day  this  summer  I  entered  a  small 
patch  of  woods  on  a  stream  called  Plaster 
Creek.  Off  in  the  corner  I  could  hear  the 
song  of  this  bird.     Hurrying  in  that  direc- 


tion, I  soon  discovered  him  in  an  oak  tree. 
A  shot  from  my  gun  settled  him  and  he 
was  soon  in  my  bag.  He  was  hardly 
fixed  when  I  heard  the  same  song  in  two 
different  directions,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
two  fine  males  found  their  way  into  my 
bag. 

I  then  went  over  to  a  small  hill  covered 
with  oak  shrubs ;  here  I  secured  three 
males  and  two  females. 

Again,  when  I  had  left  my  gun  at  home, 
I  saw  six  of  these  birds. 

This  summer  I  found-  a  nest ;  it  con- 
tained an  Q.^^  and  I  left  it,  thinking  to  re- 
turn in  a  few  days  and  get  it  when  the  set 
was  full,  but  when  I  called  it  was  gone. 

By  this  you  will  see  that  the  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak  is  quite  a  common  bird 
in  Kent  County.  W.  E.  Mull i ken. 


Some  Notes  of  the  ^A^inter  of  1889- 
1890. 


Dec.  6,  1889.  Saw  one  $  Maryland 
Yellow-throat;  about  15  each  Purple  and 
Rusty  Crackles  ;  also  heard  some  Tow- 
hees  and  one  Pine  Siskin. 

Dec.  7.  Saw  two  $  Towhees  and  three 
Thrashers ;  one  of  the  latter  using  his 
bill  instead  of  his  feet  to  scratch  among 
the  leaves  with. 

Dec.  10.  Heard  a  Siskin  and  a  Tow- 
hee.  Purple  and  Rusty  Crackles  still 
about. 

Dec.  13.    Saw  a  flock  of  30  Killdeer. 

Dec.  14.  Saw  150  Purple  Crackles,  20 
Rusty  Crackles,  2  Thrashers.  Robins 
have  been  very  abundant  so  far  this  month, 
feeding  on  dogwood  berries.  Qiiite  warm 
up  to  date. 

Dec.  16.  Some  25  Rusty  Crackles  in 
woods  ;  no  Purple  Crackles  and  less  than 
one-fourth  as  many  Robins.  Saw  a  ? 
Towhee  and  heard  one  or  two  others. 
Somewhat  cooler. 

Dec.  18.    Saw  four  Cedar  Birds. 

Dec.  20.  Saw  15  Purple  Crackles  to- 
day and  on  several  days  previous. 


October,  1S93.J 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


153 


Dec.  21.  Saw  or  heard  one  or  more 
Towhees  every  day  since  the  i6th  except 
yesterday.  Saw  one  ?  Towhee  and  one 
Thrasher  today.  Saw  about  a  dozen 
Wilson's  Snipe  to-day  and  yesterday. 
Robins  scarcer,  about  one  tenth  of  former 
numbers.  Weather  stiil  quite  mild,  no 
break  so  far. 

Dec.  22. 'H.  killed  a  $  Mallard,  I 
killed  ?  Bewicks  Wren. 

Dec.  23.  Killed  a  $  Sharp-shinned 
Hawk  with  a  Bluebird  in  its  claws  ;  when 
the  Hawk  fell  the  Bluebird  flew  away. 
A  few  Killdeer  every  day  now.  Robins 
have  almost  disappeared. 

Dec.  30.  H.  caught  an  extra  large  $ 
Mink,  L.  26%  ;  T.  loj^  ;  weight  3^^ 
pounds.  Towhees  about  up  to  date. 
Cold  wave  to-day,  weather  breaking  up. 

Jan.  7,  1890.  Killed  a  $  Southern 
Hairy  Woodpecker. 

Jan.  14.  Shot  at  a  Maryland  Yellow- 
throat  on  the  creek. 

Jan.  23.  H.  caught  a  King  Rail  in  one 
of  his  muskrat  traps. 

Jan.  30.  Saw  two  Maryland  Yellow- 
throats  and  one  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren 
in  a  cat-tail  swamp.  Cedar  Birds  have 
been  abundant  since  the  loth. 

Feb.  4.  Killed  a  $  Maryland  Yellow- 
throat. 

Feb.  13.  Killed  a  Yellow-palm  Warb- 
ler. Have  heard  a  Maryland  Yellow-throat 
and  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  every  time 
this  month  I  have  been  near  the  above- 
mentioned  cat-tail  swamp.  Thrashers 
and  Towhees  present  in  small  numbers 
every  day.  H.  killed  a  Red-shouldered 
Hawk. 

Feb.  15.  H.  killed  a  $  Great-horned 
Owl. 

Feb.  24.  Six  Yellow-palm  Warblers 
seen,  one  killed,  but  no  good,  as  all  pin- 
feathers. 

Feb.  27.  Killed  a  full-plumaged  Red- 
headed Woodpecker. 

Feb.  28.  Chipping  Sparrows  arrived. 
Heard  a  Siskin. 


March  3.  Killed  a  Red  Screech  Owl 
and  a  Purple  Grackle. 

March  6.  Killed  a  Yellow-palm  War- 
bler. 

March  14.  Killed  my  first  Pine  Siskin 
of  the  year,  while  on  the  lookout  for  Pine 
Warblers  building. 

March  17.  Small  flocks  of  Siskins  in 
the  pine  woods  now  ;  they  are  feeding  on 
the  seeds  of  the  yellow  and  loblolby 
pines  and  the  trumpet  vine. 

March  19.  H.  took  three  young  Am- 
erican Woodcock  in  the  down  ;  I  took  a 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch  and  a  Siskin. 

March  iS.  Killed  a  ?  Blue-headed  Vireo 
which  was  in  company  with  another  that 
was  not  secured.  C.  S.  Brimley. 

Raleigh,  N.C. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 


Doubtless  some  readers  of  the  Orni- 
thologist AND  OoLOGiST  know  as  little 
of  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  as  I  did, 
and  as  last  summer  I  had  a  chance  to 
make  a  slight  acquaintance  with  them,  I 
think  I  should  pass  my  scraps  in. 

I  arrived  at  Shin  Creek,  in  the  extreme 
north  of  Sullivan  County,  New  York, 
about  the  middle  of  June.  By  that  time 
the  birds  must  have  been  hatched,  for  I 
found  young  ones  ten  days  later.  My  first 
bird  was  an  adult  male.  I  saw  him  on 
June  17  at  the  top  of  a  thicket,  eating  the 
green  tips  of  the  new  shoots  and  catching 
a  few  caterpillars  and  worms. 

I  shot  him,  and  hunted  faithfully  for  the 
nest  that  I  hoped  was  there,  but  it  didn't 
materialize.  Before  I  shot  him  I  watched 
and  listened.  He  hopped  restlessly  from 
ground  to  branch,  and  branch  to  top, 
"warbling"  in  a  hurried,  interrupted  way 
in  a  clear  but  squeaky  voice.  Then  he 
would  vary  it  by  a  series  of  kzichks,  in  a 
hoarse,  grating  voice.  I  was  very  much 
disappointed,  as  I  had  heard  of  their  beau- 
tiful song. 

A  couple  of  weeks  later,  July  i,  when 


154 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  10 


near  a  deserted  house,  I  was  startled  by  a 
series  of  clear,  mellow  whistles,  ivholt^ 
ivhoit.  I  followed  it  up,  and  saw  a  bird 
I  recognized,  by  description,  as  a  female 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  She  had  a  big 
fat  caterpillar  in  her  beak,  and  was  calling 
her  young  one,  who  I  saw  in  a  tree  near 
by;  as  he  refused  to  fly,  she  flew  to  him, 
calling  again.  I  looked  over  my  binocu- 
lars, and  they  fell.  Unfortunately,  the 
young  one  fell  on  a  stone,  and  the  head 
splitting  open  let  out  a  mixture  of  brains 
and  eye  water.  Her  stomach  contained  a 
large  dragon  fly,  several  caterpillars,  and 
a  mess  of  flies  and  green  vegetable  tips. 

That  mellow,  rich  whistle  quite  opened 
my  eyes,  and  I  was  prepared,  when  I  fol- 
lowed a  glorious  song,  to  find  a  $  Gros- 
beak singing.  Their  voice  has  a  peculiar 
"human"  quality.  It  is  more  like 
human  singing  than  the  Cardinal's 
whistle. 

Many  times  after  that,  as  I  whipped  the 
Beaverkill  in  a  golden  sunset  glory,  did  I 
hear  that  wonderful  song  and  see  the  flash 
of  the  musician  as  he  flitted  along  the 
bank.  JMushkodasa. 


Nest  of  the  Winter  ^A^ren. 


As  my  observations  and  impressions 
regarding  the  nesting  and  other  habits  of 
this  species  (  Troglodytes  Hiemalis) ,  in 
former  years,  have  already  been  recorded, 
I  will  on  the  present  occasion  confine  my 
notes  to  my  experience  on  this  subject  for 
the  season  of  1892. 

I  first  heard  the  pleasing  melodies  of 
three  individuals  of  this  species  on  the 
morning  of  the  7th  of  April,  though  it  is 
probable,  as  the  weather  had  been  favor- 
able, that  it  had  made  its  advent  in  this 
vicinity  a  week  earlier.  When  first  no- 
ticed, it  was  in  full  song,  and  was  com- 
mon afterwards,  though  the  different  in- 
dividuals were  continually  shifting  their 
places  of  habitat.     Now  one  was  heard  on 


the  margin  of  the  clearing ;  then,  in  a 
short  time,  its  thrilling  notes  came  from 
the  middle  of  the  deep  swamp,  and  may 
be  an  hour  afterwards  its  music  rose  and 
fell  in  the  centre  of  the  highland  wood. 
And  I  noticed  several  mornings,  when  I 
had  remained  out  all  night  in  the  sugar- 
bush,  that  the  species  was  the  first,  as  day 
began  to  dawn  in  the  eastern  sky,  to  greet 
the  coming  day  with  its  charming  melody. 
As  the  season  advanced  I  was  on  the  look- 
out for  the  nesting-places  of  the  species, 
and  was  pleased  to  find,  not  far  from  each 
other  and  in  my  vicinity,  several  newly 
formed  nests,  giving  me  expectations  that 
I  would  afterwards  collect  therefrom  one 
or  more  sets  of  their  eggs,  but  in  all  tiiese 
early  "finds"  I  was  disappointed;  for 
none  of  them  were  finished.  As  previ- 
ously remarked  in  other  articles  on  this 
subject,  I  believe  that  this  nest-making  on 
the  part  of  the  Woodland  Wren  is  the 
work  of  the  male  bird,  who  leaves  it  in  a 
certain  stage  of  completeness,  and  then,  if 
desirable  on  the  part  of  the  female,  she 
puts  in  the  lining  preparatory  to  deposit- 
ing her  eggs.  By  the  first  of  June  I  had 
given  up  all  expectations  of  collecting  any 
of  the  eggs  of  this  species,  but  on  the  12th 
of  that  month  I  was  taking  a  last  look  at 
some  nesting  places  of  other  species,  and 
had  just  secured  a  fine  set,  1-5,  of  the 
Canadian  Warbler,  when,  on  approaching 
the  margin  of  a  little  woody  dell,  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  wild  wood,  and  near 
where  I  was  often  at  work,  in  a  new  clear- 
ing, the  song  of  this  species  rose  near  by.  I 
thought  I  would  take  a  look.  Beneath  a 
large  hemlock  root  that,  after  the  trunk 
had  been  sawed  off,  had  fallen  back  to 
about  two  feet  off  the  ground,  as  I  stooped 
down,  so  that  I  could  get  a  view  beneath, 
a  Wren  darted  out  of  its  nest  close  to 
the  entrance  and  flew  away.  Judging 
from  the  time,  my  first  impressions  were 
that  here  was  a  nest  containing  either 
young  or  eggs  in  an  advanced  state  of  in- 


October.  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


^55 


cubation,  but  on  inserting  a  finger  I  found 
that  it  was  not  even  lined ;  so  I  then 
thought  that  like  the  others  it  would  be 
forsaken  ;  but  some  days  after  I  found  that 
it  was  being  lined  and  on  the  17th  I  noted 
that  it  contained  one  egg  ;  then  I  feared 
that  having  touched  it  the  bird  would  de- 
sert it,  but  three  days  afterwards  I  found 
the  bird  "  at  home"  and  as  well  as  I  could 
tell  three  more  eggs  were  added.  On 
the  22d,  as  I  concluded  that  the  full  set 
had  been  deposited,  I  removed  the  nest, 
and  found  that  it  contained  five  eggs. 
The  nest  itself  was  placed  in  the  "roof' 
of  the  "  turn-up,"  mostly  kept  in  position 
by  a  number  of  small  rootlets,  so  that  the 
front,  sides  and  part  of  the  bottom  were 
suspended  and  pretty  thick,  while  the  top 
and  back  were  but  little  separated  from 
the  mould  of  the  "root."  It  v/as  mostly 
composed  of  moss,  with  a  few  small 
brambles  and  a  lot  of  the  dry  stalks  of 
hemlock  leaves  in  the  front,  especially 
around  the  entrance  hole. 

This  "find"  considerably  changed  my 
previous  ideas  regarding  some  of  the 
habits  of  this  species. 

It  now  appears  that  the  bird  does  not 
desert  her  nest  on  account  of  it  being 
touched  by  the  human  hand,  but  if  she 
has  decided  to  occupy  the  skeleton  nest 
that  the  male  has  formed,  she  will  do  so 
whether  it  has  been  touched  or  not,  if  she 
is  not  otherwise  much  disturbed.  It  also 
appears  to  nest  more  than  once  in  the 
season,  as  I  have  reasons  to  believe  that 
this  nest  was  the  second  for  that  bird  that 
season  ;  and  its  time  of  commencing  to 
nest  in  the  spring  appears  also  to  vary 
several  weeks.  Five  appear  to  be  the 
general  complement  of  eggs  deposited  in 
each  set.  This  is  the  number  found  in 
the  three  last  nests,  of  which  I  have  taken 
particular  notes,  and  the  last  two  of  which 
are  now  in  my  collection.  The  first  of 
these  three  sets  was  taken  on  the  iSth 
of  May,  the  second  on  the   25th   of  that 


month,  and  this  one  on  the  23d  of  June. 
The  eggs  in  this  set,  to  the  naked  eye, 
appeared  to  be  pure  white,  with  a  pinkish 
tinge,  but  this  latter  hue  disappeared  on 
the  contents  being  extracted,  and  then, 
when  held  up  between  the  eye  and  the 
light  of  a  lamp,  a  number  of  small  dot- 
tings  of  a  reddish  hue  appeared  over  the 
surface,  especially  towards  the  large  end. 
I  may  here  remark  that  I  prefer  to  "  blow  " 
.small  eggs  in  the  light  of  the  lamp,  be- 
cause, by  holding  up  the  specimens  be- 
tween the  eye  and  the  light,  it  can  the 
better  be  seen  if  all  the  contents  are  ex- 
tracted ;  and  if  not  by  holding  the  egg  hole 
side  downward  over  the  heat  the  remain- 
der of  the  contents  ooze  out. 

William  L.  Kclls. 


Nesting  of  the  Hermit  Thrush. 


This  Thrush  has  not  until  the  present 
year  been  known  to  breed  in  this  (Hills- 
boro)  county.  Therefore  it  is  with  great 
pleasure  that  I  am  able  to  announce, 
through  these  columns,  the  taking  of  two 
sets  the  past  season.  The  credit  of  taking 
the  first  set  belongs  to  Mr.  Dinsmore,  of 
this  place,  who  is  a  most  thorough  collec- 
tor and  field  naturalist. 

The  second  set,  which  I  collected  my- 
self on  July  8,  is  now  in  my  collection. 

This  set  I  found  accidentally  while  walk- 
ing through  a  blueberry  patch  a  few  rods 
from  a  swampy  stream. 

The  bird  left  the  nest  when  I  was  but 
three  feet  distant  and  flew  about  thirty  feet 
to  a  small  tree,  where  she  perched  for 
some  time  watching  me  examine  the  nest. 
Finally  she  flew  away  to  some  thick 
growth  and  disappeared. 

The  nest  was  built  in  a  small  depression 
in  the  leaves,  and  composed  of  leaves, 
grass,  and  weed  stalks  with  a  strip  of  thin 
bark  about  the  outer  edge.  It  was  lined 
with  pine  needles  and  horse-hair.  The 
nest  measures  in  depth  outside  3.5  inches. 


156 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  10 


Inside  1.25  inches;  the  width  outside  is 
4.5  inches;  inside  2.5  inches. 

The  nest  contained  three  bluish  green 
eggs,  the  average  size  of  which  is  .6'] -a  .94 
inches.  Arthur  JSI.  Farmer. 

Amoskeag,  N.H. 

Sand  Hill  Cranes  in  Michigan. 


Several  miles  back  from  the  more  popu- 
lous districts  of  Shiawassee  County,  Mich- 
igan, is  a  large  swampy,  woody  tract  of 
State  land,  embracing  about  two  and  one 
half  land  sections,  about  which  little  is 
known  other  than  its  general  dismal,  low, 
wet  character.  Being  a  "hollow,"  modern 
drainage  is  impracticable  and  many  years  at 
least  will  pass  away  before  crowded  popu- 
lation will  raise  the  value  of  land  in  this 
State  high  enough  to  make  it  a  paying 
project,  to  institute  a  more  extensive  and 
expensive  system  of  drainage  in  order  to 
reclaim  it  from  its  present  wild  state. 

It  was  my  fortune  to  be  called  in  a  pro- 
fessional capacity  to  attend  a  family  living 
on  a  farm  on  the  outskirts  of  this  marsh 
the  past  summer,  and  it  was  through  that 
that  my  first  introduction  to  the  above- 
mentioned  birds  was  procured.  Hitherto 
I  had  no  knowledge  of  the  occurrence  of 
Sand  Hill  Cranes  in  Michigan.  I  always 
supposed  from  reading  of  them  that  they 
wexe  a  bird  of  the  western  plains,  inhab- 
iting the  more  extensive  swamps  and 
marshlands  of  the  southwestern  States. 
My  attention  was  first  drawn  to  them  by 
hearing  their  loud,  discordant  cries.  It 
was  a  new  bird  note  to  me,  and  upon  in- 
quiry I  was  told  what  they  were.  Curious 
to  see  so  rare  a  bird  in  its  native  wild  state 
I  prevailed  upon  the  gentleman  to  whose 
house  I  had  been  summoned  to  accompany 
me  back  to  the  border  of  the  swamp  in 
quest  of  them.  He  readily  complied.  Be- 
ing an  intelligent  gentleman,  he  was  able 
to  furnish  me  with  many  undoubted  facts 
regarding  the  domestic  habits  and  nidifi- 
cations  of  the  birds. 


Not  far  from  the  wooded  margin  of  the 
marsh  was  a  bare  sand  knoll,  covering 
perhaps  an  eighth  of  an  acre  of  ground 
and  rising  at  the  summit  some  fifteen  feet 
from  the  land  level  surrounding  it.  On 
the  very  top  of  this  knoll  was  perched  an 
old  male  crane.  At  our  approach  he 
stood  erect  and  tall,  eyeing  us  carefully 
for  a  minute  or  so,  when  all  at  once,  as  if 
assured  of  our  friendly  intent,  he  began  to 
go  through  a  regular  dancing  step,  flour- 
ishing and  curvetting  in  a  manner  most 
ludicrous,  and  to  the  evident  admiration 
of  several  of  his  fellows  who  were  arranged 
about  the  knoll.  Anon  the  veteran  dancer 
would  give  a  shrill  war-like  yell,  throw 
out  his  pinions  on  either  side  and  leap  ten 
feet  into  the  air,  when  he  would  again 
alight  and  go  on  with  his  strange,  wierd 
dance. 

Since  then  I  have  made  many  excur- 
sions to  Saxvycr  J\Iars/i,  studying  the 
habits  of  these  birds,  once  in  company 
with  my  old  naturalist  friend  of  other  days, 
Mr.  J.  B.  Purdy,  who  came  from  his 
home  at  Plymouth  to  study  them  with  me. 
Many  years  have  they  made  the  marsh 
their  home,  till  a  large  flock  assemble 
there  each  year  and  breed.  Another 
spring  I  shall  endeavor  to  secure  sets  of 
their  eggs,  and  if  successful  will  give  my 
experience  in  the  pages  of  the  Ornith- 
ologist AND  OoLOGiST.  If  Michigan 
readers  know  of  the  Sand  Hill  elsewhere 
in  the  State,  would  be  pleased  to  read  an 
article  from  some  one  in  regard  to  them. 

Dr.    W.   C.  Brozvne//. 
Morrice,  Mich. 


The  following  new  arrivals  are  reported 
at  Roger  Williams  Park,  Providence, 
R.I.  :  A  pair  each  of  Leopards,  Jaguars, 
Striped  Hyasnas  and  Panthers,  the  latter 
being  two  months  old,  "little  beauties." 
The  interest  in  this  department  at  the 
park  is  indicated  by  the  increased  number 
of  visitors. 


October,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


^57 


THE 

ORNITHOLOGISTRi^^OdLOGIST 

A    MONTHLY    MAGAZINE   OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY   DEVOTED   TO  THE  STUDY  OF 

BIRDS, 

THEIR   NESTS   AND   EGGS, 

AND   TO  THE 

INTERESTS  OF  NATURALISTS. 

Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 
FRANK  B.  WEBSTER,       .        .        .        Hyde  Park,  Mass. 
J.  PARKER  NORRIS,  .        .        .  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

PUBLISHED   AT  THE 

MUSEUM    AND    NATURALISTS'    SUPPLY    DEPOT 

OF   THE 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 

INCORPOR.\TED, 

HYDE  PARK,  MASS. 


The  O.  &  O.  is  mailed  each  issue  to  every  paid  subscriber. 
If  you  fail  to  receive  it,  notify  us. 


a  very  winning  way  and   was   so   honest 
that  we  trusted  him. 

Result,  $0,  but  Wisdom. 


Brief  Notes,  Correspondence,  and 
Clippings. 


The  subject  of  the  trouble  of  collecting 
small  accounts  from  parties  scattered  over 
the  country  has  caused  quite  an  interest, 
we  should  judge,  from  the  letters  that  we  j 
have  had  come  in  since  our  last  issue. 
We  have  replied  to  many  that  we  have 
now  adopted  the  plan  of  spot  cash — and 
only  send  goods  when  the  requisite  amount 
accompanies  the  order.  We  do  not  see 
that  any  other  way  of  dealing  with  strang- 
ers should  be  expected. 

It  is  natural  to  wish  to  do  all  the  busi- 
ness that  one  can,  but  any  one  had  far 
better  have  their  goods  on  hand  than  an 
unpaid  account  against  at  least  about  fifty 
parties  now  on  the  black  list  at  our  office. 

ANOTHER    CASE. 

F.  B.  W.  Co.  : 

Gentlemen, — We  return  herewith  your 

claim    against   R.   — .   as   worthless 

and  uncollectable.  Debtor  is  a  worthless 
sort  of  a  fellow  and  never  pays  when  he 
can  help  it.  We  see  no  way  of  collecting 
it. 

,  Ohio. 


Sept.  16,  1S92. 

This  "worthless  fellow 


wrote  to  us  in 


Those  of  our  readers  who  are  fond  of 
shooting  with  shotgun,  rifle,  or  revolver; 
who  ride  a  bicycle  ;  who  class  themselves 
as  fishermen  ;  who  fence,  box,  play  base 
ball,  cricket,  or  lawn  tennis,  or  who  in- 
dulge in  any  form  of  outing  or  field  sports, 
should  write  Shooting  and  Fishing,  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  the  old  established  sports- 
men's journal  of  New  England,  for  the 
remarkable  Fall  premium  list  they  have 
issued,  a  copy  of  which  has  just  reached 
us. 

Many  a  shooter  would  love  to  own  a 
good  gun  or  rifle  but  can't  afford  it.  They 
will  not  own  a  cheap  gun,  and  they  are 
not  able  to  spare  the  money  for  an  expen- 
sive one.  Shooting  and  Fishing  makes 
a  present  of  as  fine  a  gun,  rifle,  or  revolver 
as  money  can  buy,  on  conditions  which 
any  bright  young  sportsman  can  easily 
comply  with.  On  the  same  conditions,  it 
offers  any  one  of  the  popular  makes  of 
bicycles  (from  the  lowest  to  the  highest 
priced),  also  shooting  coats,  gun  cases, 
rifle  cases,  pleasure  and  hunting  boats, 
ammunition  cases,  fencing  foils,  fishing 
rods  and  reels,  photographic  cameras, 
hunting  boots,  boxing  gloves,  base  ball, 
cricket,  and  lawn  tennis  outfits,  and  an 
hundred  other  valuable  articles  belonging 
to  a  sportsman's  equipment. 

We  have  seen  many  premium  lists 
ofTered,  but  none  so  complete  and  gener- 
ous in  their  conditions  as  the  ones  before 
us.  The  full  list,  with  instructions  as  to 
how  any  of  these  handsome  premiums 
may  be  obtained,  without  the  cost  of  a 
dollar  to  the  sportsman,  will  be  mailed  to 
any  of  our  readers,  on  application  to 
Shooting  and  Fishing,  20  Devonshire 


158 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  10 


Street,  Boston,  Mass.  Our  readers  who 
write  for  the  list  will  favor  us  by  mention- 
ing the  name  of  our  paper. 


A  flock  of  about  one  hundred  small 
hawks  passed  over  us  at  Amoskeag,  N.H. 
about  September  21,  flying  southwest. 

A.  j\I.  Farmer. 


In  Ornithologist  and  Oologist  of 
September,  received  this  day,  I  see  the 
announcement  of  Oliver  Davie's  new  book 
on  "  TaxideiMny."  As  it  is  only  the  second 
time  any  later  news  has  reached  me, 
would  be  pleased  to  be  one  of  the  sub- 
scribers. Do  you  want  the  $5.00  now, 
or  when  the  book  is  out.-*  Please  let  me 
know  at  once,  as  such  things  should  not 
be  missed.  If  it  is  anything  like  his  Nests 
and  Eggs,  it  will  be  as  near  perfect  as  can 
be  had.  Hoping  to  hear  from  you  soon, 
I  remain,  Yours  truly, 

Alf  Eastgate. 

We  call  the  attention  of  our  readers  to 
the  fact  that  the  price  advances  after  the 
work  is  published. 

We  receive  subscriptions  now  at  $5.00 
per  copy.  One  dollar  in  advance,  as  we 
have  to  place  our  orders  in  advance,  and 
the  balance  to  be  paid  when  the  work  is 
ready  for  delivery. 

BIRDS    AND    EGGS    FROM    THE    PEARY 
EXPEDITION. 

At  Mr.  Norris'  request,  I  send  the  fol- 
lowing notes  on  the  birds  and  eggs  col- 
lected on  the  recent  Arctic  expeditions 
sent  out  by  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences of  Philadelphia,  under  Lieut.  Peary 
and  Prof.  Heilprin,  more  extended  ac- 
counts of  which  will  be  found  in  the  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Academy  :  — 

The  West  Greenland  Expedition  which 
escorted  Lieutenant  Peary  to  McCormick's 
Bay  and  returned  to  Philadelphia  in  Sep- 
tember, 1891,  procured  the  most  extensive 
ornithological  collections,  about  150  birds 
representing    21     species,   together    with 


large  series  of  eggs  of  a  few  species  being 
obtained. 

The  Greenland  Eider  Duck,  a  species 
quite  distinct  from  the  American  Eider 
and  more  nearly  related  to  the  form  in- 
habiting the  north  of  Europe,  was  found 
breeding  in  abundance  at  Duck  Island, 
lat.  73  deg.  57  min.  N.,  and  fine  speci- 
mens of  the  male  and  female  birds,  to-, 
gether  with  a  number  of  sets  of  their  large 
green  eggs,  were  secured  by  Dr.  Hughes, 
the  ornithologist  of  the  expedition. 

Briinnich's  Murre  was  also  found  to  be 
common  and  specimens  of  the  birds  and 
the  peculiar  pear-shaped  eggs,  with  their 
varied  markings,  were  collected. 

Little  Auks  were  obtained  in  large 
quantities  in  full  breeding  plumage,  with 
jet  black  head  and  neck,  as  well  as  Maudt's 
Guillemot,  Black  Guillemot,  the  three 
species  of  Jagers  —  Pomerine,  Parasitic 
and  Long-tailed  —  Ivory,  Kittiwake  and 
Gloucous  Gulls,  and  Fulmar  Petrels,  the 
latter  exhibiting  both  the  white  and  dusky 
phases  of  plumage. 

A  few  specimens  of  the  handsome  King 
Eider  were  also  obtained. 

The  only  waders  collected  were  the 
Northern  Phalarope,  Purple  Sandpiper, 
and  Ring  Plover,  a  species  closely  re- 
sembling the  Semi-palmated  Plover  of  our 
eastern  coast,  and  which  supplaces  it  in 
Europe. 

Besides  the  Greenland  Ptarmigan,  Gyr- 
falcon  and  Raven,  the  only  land  birds  ob- 
served were  the  Snow  Buntings,  Lapland 
Long  Spurs  and  Wheatears,  the  former 
being  the  most  abundant.  The  specimens 
of  the  Snow  Buntings  brought  back  by 
the  expedition  show  all  stages  of  molt, 
from  the  black-backed  breeding  bird  with 
its  pure  white  head  to  the  buff  and  black 
plumaged  bird  that  visits  the  United  States 
in  winter,  as  well  as  the  interesting  gray 
plumage  of  the  young.  Nests  and  eggs 
of  the  Snow  Buntings  were  also  collected. 

The  collections  made  by  Lieut.  Peary's 


October,  1892.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


159 


party  during  their  stay  and  those  brought 
back  by  the  relief  expedition  do  not  differ 
materially  from  those  of  the  expedition  of 
1 89 1,  a  few  species  of  water  birds  being 
added  and  larger  series  of  the  others  being 
secured. 

Although  but  little  egg  collecting  could 
be  done  by  the  expeditions,  owing  to  the 
late  date  at  which  they  reached  the  Green- 
land coast,  some  well  authenticated  oolog- 
ical  specimens  were  obtained  from  the 
authorities  at  Disko,  which  included  eggs 
of  the  Sea  Eagle,  Little  Auk,  Greenland 
Ptarmigan,  Arctic  Tern,  Gloucous  Gull, 
etc.  Witj)icr  Stone. 


As  little  Richard  Barnard,  aged  14 
years,  was  in  swimming  last  July  at  Cres- 
cent City,  Fla.,  he  little  knew  that  he  was 
the  object  of  interest  from  a  source  that 
would  have  tended  to  make  the  strongest 
grow  pale. 

Completing  his  swim,  as  he  was  draw- 
ing himself  out  on  some  logs  his  leg  was 
seized  with  a  vise  like  grip.  His  cries 
for  help  were  fortunately  heard  by  Mr. 
Simons,  who  running,  seized  the  boy  and 
succeeded  in  rescuing  him  from  a  large 
alligator.  Twenty-eight  tooth  marks,  re- 
quiring 52  stitches,  was  the  result,  and  it  is 
feared  that  Barnard  will  be  permanently 
injured.  J.  R.  Hill  shot  the  reptile,  which 
measured  1 1  feet  3  inches  long.    E.L.  W. 

Through  a  lack  of  support,  the  Orni- 
tholos-ist  and  Botanist  of  Des  Moines 
has  been  discontinued.  So  writes  R.  E. 
Bagley.  

On  October  2  I  received  of  P.  R.  David- 
son, of  this  city,  a  beautiful  nest  of  the 
Chimney  Swift. 

It  was  taken  from  an  empty  freight  car 
that  had  been  side-tracked  for  some  time. 
It  is  made  of  sticks  glued  together  (as  all 
people  know)  with  the  spit  of  the  bird  ; 
it  is  shaped  like  a  half  cup  and  is  iJ4^ 
inches  deep.  W.  E.  MiilUken. 

Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 


I  thought  I  would  let  you  know  about 
our  tame  Red-shouldered  Hawks.  They 
were  taken  out  of  the  nest  in  May,  1SS9. 
Mine  I  called  "Sullivan"  and  H.  AlHs 
called  his  "Whiskers."  All  summer  we 
left  them  at  liberty  in  a  spacious  yard, 
first  taking  the  precaution  to  keep  their 
wings  clipped.  They  were  very  tame  and 
would  perch  on  our  arms  or  sticks  and 
take  meat  or  birds  from  our  hands  without 
the  least  fear.  They  were  the  terror  of 
every  cat  or  dog  of  the  neighborhood  after 
the  latter  had  made  the  acquaintance  of 
their  sharp  talons  and  beak.  Twice  some- 
body stole  them  and  once  we  rescued  poor 
"Whiskers"  from  a  Polish  family  by 
doing  the  sneak  act  while  the  other  talked 
to  the  matron  of  the  house. 

B.  H.  Szvales. 

St.  Clair,  Mich. 


Notice.  —  Will  each  ornithologist  and 
oologist  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  who  is 
willing  to  help  in  some  ornithological 
work  and  further  the  knowledge  of  our 
Illinois  birds,  please  send  me  their  address 
on  a  postal  card.  W.  E.  Loucks. 

Peoria,  111. 


Field  Sparrow  in  Michigan. 


August  3,  1S92,  I  found  my  second 
nest  of  the  Field  Sparrow  {^Spizella  -ptis- 
illa),,  containing  three  badly  incubated 
eggs.  The  nest  was  situated  in  a  small 
thorn  tree,  three  and  a  half  feet  from  the 
ground,  in  Senck's  woods  and  was  com- 
posed of  fine  dried  grass.  The  eggs  aver- 
aged .70  X  .53.  The  only  other  set  I  ever 
took  was  in  May,  1886,  while  out  with 
W.  and  H.  W.  Tracy.  I  found  a  set  of 
four,  situated  in  the  hole  made  bv  a  cow 
print.  This  bird  seems  to  be  a  rare 
breeder  here.  On  August  12  I  saw  an 
adult  male  Bald  Eagle  flying  down  the 
St.  Clair  river.  B.  H.  Swales. 

St.  Clair,  Mich. 


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ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 


$i.oo  per  PUBLISHED   BY  THE  FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY. 

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Vol.  XVII.         HYDE  PARK,  MASS.,  NOVEMBER,  1892. 


No.  II. 


Nest  of  the  Yellow-bellied  Fly- 
catcher. 


One  of  the  most  interesting  nests  and 
set  of  eggs  that  I  discovered,  and  added  to 
my  collection,  in  the  season  of  1892,  was 
thatof  the  Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher  {^Em- 
pidojiax  Flcviventris^ . 

On  the  14th  of  June  I  was  doing  some 
work  on  a  piece  of  new  fallow,  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  Wildwood  adjoining  a 
swamp  composed  chiefly  of  balsam,  cedar 
and  black  ash  timber,  when,  as  my  team 
was  resting,  I  thought  I  would  take 
another  look  at  the  nesting  site  of  the 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk  from  which  on  the 
25th  of  May  I  had  taken  a  most  beautiful 
set  of  eggs  ;  and  also  at  the  small  turned- 
root  of  a  balsam,  in  a  cavity  of  which 
some  swamp  frequenting  bird  had  nested 
the  previous  year,  as  I  have  observed  that 
when  an  old  nest  is  removed,  the  same  or 
some  other  species  often  reoccupy  the 
same  premises. 

Now  I  found  that  the  cavity  in  the  root 
had  not  been  occupied,  and  as  the  day 
was  hot,  I  was  stooping  down  to  take 
some  of  the  cool  water  from  the  small 
pool  below,  when  a  small  bird  flew  out 
past  my  face  and  disappeared  in  the  sur- 
rounding underwood.  In  a  moment  I 
saw  the  nest  from  which  the  bird  had 
glided,  and  from  its  composition,  and  the 
color  of  the  four  fresh  eggs  that  it  con- 
tained, I  at  once  inferred  that  it  was  new 
to  me  ;  but  supposed  that  it  was  that  of 
some  rare  warbler,  whose  identity  I  was 


then  desirous  to  discover,  so  I  sat  down 
near  by  to  await  the  bird's  return. 

For  several  minutes  no  bird  either  ap- 
proached the  nest  or  gave  a  note  near  by. 
Then  the  mournful  refrain  of  a  little  bird, 
which  I  took  to  be  a  species  of  Flycatcher, 
sounded  among  the  balsam  tops,  a  little 
distance  off,  and  on  discovering  the  actor 
itself,  I  for  awhile  watched  its  movements 
as  in  true  Flycatcher  style  it  darted  to  and 
fro  after  insects,  at  the  same  time  giving 
vent  to  its  io-zceep-Wke  lament.  But  not 
being  certain  that  this  was  the  owner  of 
the  nest,  I  left  the  place,  and  in  less  than 
an  hour  afterwards  returned  and  found 
the  bird  seated  on  the  nest,  where  she  re- 
mained till  I  was  within  a  few  feet  of  her, 
when  she  again  flew  off  and  I  fully  identi- 
fied her  as  the  female  Yellow-bellied  Fly- 
catcher. 

The  nest  was  placed  in  a  kind  of  cavity 
made  in  the  soft  mould  in  a  corner  of  the 
"turn-up,"  and  about  two  feet  above  the 
small  hollow  below.  It  was  formed  al- 
most wholly  of  moss,  lined  with  fine  dry 
grass  and  a  few  pieces  of  vines.  The  four 
fresh  eggs  were  white,  with  a  yellowish 
tinge,  and  all  more  or  less  spotted  with 
orange-brown.  The  spotting  is  nearly  al- 
together on  the  large  end,  some  being 
much  more  spotted  than  others ;  one  or 
two  have  the  end  nearly  covered,  others  are 
ringed,  and  there  are  but  a  few  small  dots 
towards  the  centre.  Inside  the  nest  is 
about  two  inches  across  by  one  in  depth. 
This  species  has  been  but  rarely  noticed 
in  Canada.     In  its  general  appearance  it 


Copyright,  1892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


l63 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-X0.  II 


would  be  difficult  to  distinguish  it,  even 
at  a  short  distance,  from  either  the  Least 
Flycatcher,  or  the  tra/Iii,  but  its  habitat 
and  notes  are  different,  and  its  nesting 
modes  more  so.  The  habitats  of  both 
the  other  species  of  this  genus  above- 
mentioned,  are  easily  discovered  by  their 
song  notes,  which  in  the  early  summer 
season  are  continually  repeated,  but  so  far 
as  I  am  aware  this  species  is  songless,  and 
owing  to  the  wild  places  that  it  frequents, 
and  its  habits  of  darting  off  into  deep  con- 
cealment on  the  approach  of  human  kind, 
it  would  scarcely  be  known  to  exist  were 
it  not  for  its  simple  lament  uttered  when 
the  environs  of  its  nest  is  invaded. 

]V/7/ia/>f  L.  Kc//s. 

A  Few  Notes  which  I   have   Noted. 


On  reading  Mr.  Brotherton's  article  in 
the  Septemlier  number  of  the  Ornith- 
ologist AND  OoLOGiST  on  "The  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak  in  Oakland  County, 
Michigan,"  I  thought  that  my  observations 
might  throw  some  light  upon  the  subject. 
The  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  is  one  of 
those  peculiar  birds  which  does  not  appear 
in  every  locality  throughout  its  entire 
geographical  range,  but  visits  only  its  old 
haunts  and  breeding  grounds,  where  per- 
haps it  was  reared  and  has  bred  for  years, 
and  while  it  may  be  abundant  in  one 
locality,  yet  but  a  few  miles  from  there  it 
may  be  seldom  if  ever  seen.  Such  is  the 
case  where  I  live  at  Plymouth,  Michigan. 
Although  we  have  inviting  forests,  swamps 
and  ravines,  yet  I  have  never  seen  a  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak  on  an  average  of  more 
than  once  in  two  years,  and  never  found  a 
nest  in  a  radius  of  three  miles  around  my 
place,  and  I  have  kept  the  ground  well 
canvassed  ;  and  yet  only  four  miles  east  in 
the  township  of  Levonia,  they  nest  every 
year  quite  abundantly ;  and  while  on  a 
collecting  trip  in  this  same  locality  in 
company    with     my    friends,    Albert    and 


Elmer  Durfee,  they  led  the  way  to  what 
they  called  their  "Timbered  Forty,"  and 
there  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  heard 
the  Wilson's  Thrush.  The}'  were  sending 
forth  their  ringing  notes  on  every  hand  and 
we  were  not  long  in  finding  three  nests. 
But  I  do  not  expect  to  live  long  enough  to 
ever  hear  one  of  these  birds  or  find  one  of 
their  nests  in  Plymouth  ;  and  I  know  where 
there  is  a  little  narrow  strip  of  marsh 
grass  bordering  a  small  stream  where 
there  is  a  small  colony  of  Short-billed 
Marsh  Wrens  breeding  every  year,  and 
although  my  friend,  Mr.  W.  A.  Davidson 
of  Detroit,  tells  me  that  they  breed  quite 
abundantly  in  the  marshes  along  the  De- 
troit river,  yet  this  is  the  only  place  where 
I  have  found  them  nesting  myself,  and  al- 
though there  are  hundreds  of  places  which 
would  seem  more  inviting,  yet  they  cling 
to  the  place  where  they  have  been  hatched 
and  reared  for  years ;  and  so  it  is  with 
many  others  of  this  class  of  birds.  They 
nest  only  in  certain  localities,  while  the 
Robin,  the  Bluebird,  the  Meadow  Lark, 
the  Song  Sparrow  and  many  other  varie- 
ties are  more  evenly  distributed,  and  are 
found  breeding  in  every  orchard  and 
meadow  and  on  every  farm  throughout 
their  entire  range.  The  above  notes  I  be- 
lieve to  be  correct,  for  many  a  pair  of 
boots  I  have  worn  out  and  many  a  suit  of 
clothes  I  have  torn  out  wading  through 
the  deepest  swamps  and  quagmires,  climb- 
ing steep  hills  and  wandering  thi'ough 
valleys  and  tearing  my  way  through  thick- 
tangled  underbrush  to  make  these  observ- 
ations, and  yet  there  is  a  great  deal  to  be 
learned  about  bird-life  that  will  never  be 
known,  for  when  a  young  bird  leaves  its 
nest  it  may  never  see  another  one  like  it 
until  it  builds  one  for  itself,  and  then  it 
uses  the  same  material  for  its  foundations, 
fashions  it  in  the  same  form,  and  uses  the 
same  kind  of  material  for  its  lining  that  its 
ancestors  have  used  for  generations  before. 
I  think  I  hear  some  one  say,  "  That  is  in- 


November,  1S92.J 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


163 


stinct."     Yes,    it    is    an    instinct    that    no 
human     intelligence    can    analyze    or    the 
most  learned  philosopher  can  ever  explain. 
James  B.  Piirdy. 
Plymouth,  Wayne  County,  Mich. 


In  Good  Greenwood. —  II. 


You  can  make  a  pet  of  most  anything, 
but  getting  them  real  tame  is  another 
thing.  A  poor  little  prisoner  soon  gets  to 
know  its  jailor  and  in  time  ceases  to  a 
certain  extent  to  pine  for  freedom  if  the 
jailor  is  kind  and  supplies  its  wants  in  a 
sensible  fashion.  But  the  kind  of  pets  I 
had  in  mind  when  I  wrote  the  above  lines 
are  free  and  unconfined.  I  remember  a 
Mink  that  used  to  visit  one  of  my  camps 
every  morning,  and  we  came  to  such  a 
good  understanding  that  he  would  catch 
the  scraps  I  threw  to  him.  And  when  he 
had  eaten  enough  we  would  have  a  regu- 
lar game  of  pitch  and  toss  with  a  bit  of 
stick.  Last  summer  I  had  a  pet  Lizard 
that  came  to  me  for  flies,  and  even  tried 
to  call  me  out  by  scratching  on  the  win- 
dow. One  of  the  mosr  fascinating  wood- 
land acquaintances  that  it  was  ever  my 
good  fortune  to  cultivate  were  a  pair  of 
young  Otters.  Their  home  was  in  a  hol- 
low tree  that  stood  in  a  dense,  swampy 
thicket,  and  when  I  first  peered  in  at  them 
they  were  both  curled  up  fast  asleep  and 
looked  for  all  the  world  like  two  large 
grey  puft'  balls  such  as  are  often  seen  in 
old  fields  or  by  the  roadside.  Indeed  the 
resemblance  was  so  complete  that  I  very 
nearly  passed  them  carelessly  by,  only  I 
wanted  to  see  what  kind  of  puff  balls 
grew  inside  of  hollow  trees,  and  the  warm, 
furry  little  animal  that  my  hand  touched 
was  a  geniune  surprise.  They  exhibited 
no  aversion  to  being  handled,  but  wriggled 
about  in  my  lap  and  were  in  a  sleepy  self- 
satisfied  sort  of  way  for  nearly  an  hour.  I 
had  half  a  mind  to  take  them  home  but 
thought   better  of  it,  as  the  locality  was 


quite  close  to  the  house  and  certainly  until 
their  eyes  were  open  they  would  be  cared 
for  best  by  their  natural  parent.  So  I 
visited  them  nearly  every  day,  and  in  about 
a  week  their  eyes  were  beginning  to  open 
and  they  showed  signs  of  recognition  at 
my  approach.  I  soon  found  that  all  my 
rambles  either  began  or  ended  at  Otter 
Corner,  as  I  named  that  part  of  the  swamp, 
and  my  little  friends  learned  to  come  and 
meet  me  when  I  whistled.  All  this  time 
I  had  never  met  the  old  mother,  and  I 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Otters 
are  in  the  habit  of  leaving  their  young  to 
themselves  during  the  middle  of  the  day. 
I  have  often  found  young  ones  but  never 
but  once  saw  the  mother  with  them,  and 
on  this  occasion  it  was  very  early  in  the 
morning. 

My  new  acquaintances  had  begun  to 
have  lively  frolics  with  each  other  and 
once  in  a  while  something  very  like  a 
fight.  I  found  they  appreciated  highly 
the  presents  I  made  them  of  small  fish. 
So  one  day,  to  try  their  tempers,  I  put  a 
good  sized  mullet  on  the  ground  between 
them  and  awaited  results.  Both  scrambled 
up  to  the  prize  and  fell  to  with  the  very 
best  of  table  manners.  Not  a  growl  or  a 
grumble  from  either,  only  little  contented 
murmurs  and  sounds  of  satisfaction.  Nay 
more,  they  evidently  assisted  each  other 
at  the  repast,  for  one  would  hold  on  "  with 
tooth  and  toe  nail"  while  the  other  tugged 
and  worried  to  bite  off  a  tough  morsel.  I 
never  tried  to  make  them  quarrel  after 
that. 

As  summer  advanced  and  they  grew  in 
size  and  strength,  my  little  Otters  often  fol- 
lowed me  part  way  to  the  house,  but  always 
stopped  inside  the  woods.  The  bright 
sunlight  of  the  open  field  that  surrounded 
my  house  seemed  to  be  a  drawback  to 
their  further  progress  in  that  direction. 
Late  one  cloudy  afternoon,  though,  they 
followed  me  clear  across  and  examined 
the  whole  house  in  the  same  cautious  and 


164 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol. 


-No. 


circumspect  manner  that  a  young  kitten 
will  go  tlirough  the  same  operation. 
Everything  seemed  to  be  satisfactory  to 
them.  I  had  no  dog  then  and  have  never 
fallen  so  low  as  to  keep  a  cat,  and  they 
were  in  undisputed  possession.  In  the 
morning  they  had  gone  back  to  their  own 
premises,  but  all  summer  long  we  con- 
tinued our  friendship.  I  called  on  them 
every  day  and  they  returned  the  visit  every 
night.  In  the  fall,  when  I  began  to  have 
a  fire,  they  showed  a  keen  enjoyment  of 
the  heat  and  gamboled  uproariously  before 
the  blaze,  until  a  singed  paw  or  tail  was 
the  result  of  an  incautious  movement. 
I  have  never  seen  anything  in  the  way  of 
animal  motions  so  bewitchingly  beautiful 
as  their  play.  Not  only  was  every  move- 
ment and  pose  the  acme  of  grace  and 
beauty,  but  the  whole  motif  was  caressing 
and  kind.  One  night  they  did  not  come  as 
usual.  I  sat  at  the  door  and  whistled  a 
long  time,  and  at  last  went  clear  down  to 
the  hollow  tree  in  their  corner,  but  it  was 
empty.  I  haven't  seen  them  since.  It's 
always  so  with  pets.  Something  is  sure 
to  happen  and  we  lose  them.  The  house 
seemed  lonesome  and  I  went  into  camp 
for  a  long  time.  Even  to-day  it  gives  me 
a  bad  sort  of  feeling  to  write  about  them. 
I  guess  I  need  a  smoke. 

Robert  Canro/i. 


Macgillivray's  Warbler. 


This  species  ( GeotJilypis  macgilli- 
vrayi) ,  known  also  as  Tolmie's  Warbler, 
came  under  my  notice  during  my  rambles 
in  the  vicinity  of  Port  Kells,  and  out  along 
the  way  to  Langley  prairie,  but  at  the 
time  I  failed  to  identify  it.  But  I  well  re- 
member that  there  were  numbers  of  differ- 
ent species  of  the  Warbler  family  giving 
vent  to  their  varied  and  pleasing  melodies, 
among  the  lower  brush  wood,  at  medium 
elevations  and  high  up  among  the  taller 
timber,  which  for  the  time  were  new  and 


strange  to  me,  but  as  I  carried  no  death- 
dealing  weapon  into  the  wilds  of  this  sun- 
set land,  its  feathered  residents  were  little 
disturbed  by  my  advent  among  them.  I 
have  since  entertained  no  doubt  that 
among  the  members  of  the  avi-faunian  race 
whose  melody  fell  upon  my  ear,  in  that 
wild,  strange  land,  and  of  whose  forms  - 
and  plumage  I  caught  occasional  glimpses, 
as  they  flitted  to  and  fro  among  the  foliage 
and  blossoms  of  its  peculiar  woods,  were 
many  specimens  of  the  Macgillivray's 
Warbler.  Mr.  Fannin,  in  his  L/st  of 
British  Columbia  Birds^  records  this 
species  "  as  a  common  summer  resident 
through  the  greater  part  of  the  province, 
breeds  on  Vancouver  Island,  a  bright, 
active  little  bird,  continually  on  the  move, 
darting  here  and  there  among  the  low 
shrubbery."  Mr.  Townsand,  who  in  1S39 
published  a  work  on  the  birds  of  the  Paci- 
fic coast,  and  by  whom  several  species  of 
the  birds  resident  in  that  region  have  been 
named,  first  describes  this  species  under 
the  name  of  Tolmie's  Warbler,  in  honor 
of  Dr.  Tolmie,  then  of  Fort  Vancouver. 
Mr.  Ross,  in  his  "  Birds  of  Canada,"  de- 
scribes this  bird  as  being  "five  inches 
long,  the  wings  less  than  two  and  a  half 
inches,  the  head  and  neck,  ash,  a  narrow 
frontlet  and  space  around  the  eye,  black  ; 
the  feathers  of  the  forward  underparts 
really  black  but  appearing  gray  from  the 
ashy  tips  of  the  feathers ;  the  rest  of  the 
upper  parts  dark  olive  green,  and  of  the 
lower,  yellow."  Speaking  of  the  birds  of 
Colorado,  Mr.  Morrison  says  regarding 
this  species,  "  One  of  our  most  common 
Warblers.  Although  very  shy  when  the 
nest  is  approached,  the  female  will  glide 
off,  and  flying  close  to  the  ground  is  soon 
lost  from  sight,  and  also  from  the  nest  as 
long  as  the  safety  of  the  eggs  will  allow  ; 
when  without  seeing  the  bird  you  will 
very  likely  find  her  on  the  nest,  where  she 
has  stolen  perhaps  the  only  moment  your 
eyes  were  taken  from  her.     Nests  in  juni- 


November,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


165 


per  bushes,  four  to  six  feet  off  the  ground." 
In  describing  the  eggs  and  nest  of  this 
species,  Mr.  Davie  says,  "  Pinkish  white, 
marked  and  spotted  with  purple,  lilac, 
reddish  brown  and  dark  brown  approach- 
ing black.  The  complement  of  eggs  is 
usually  four,  size  .75  by  .50.  The  bird 
breeds  in  abundance  in  Utah,  Montana, 
Idaho,  Oregon,  Washington,  and  probably 
also  in  northern  California,  and  is  said  to 
breed  through  its  United  States  range. 
The  nest  is  j^haced  usually  in  low  under- 
brush or  thickets,  is  cup-shaped,  loosely 
constructed,  of  slender  strips  of  bark,  de- 
cayed stalks  of  plants  and  grasses,  lined 
with  fine  materials  of  the  same.  Habitat, 
Western  and  Middle  provinces  of  the 
United  States  north  to  British  Columbia." 
William  L.  Kclh. 
Listowel,  Canada. 

Note. — A  female  Ruby-throated  Hum- 
ming Bird,  apparently  a  young  bird  of  the 
season,  was  captured  here  in  a  dwelling 
house,  which  it  had  entered  after  flowers, 
on  the  15th  of  October.  This  is  the  lat- 
est date  that  I  have  known  this  species  to 
be  seen  in  this  country,  as  they  usually 
leave  by  the  20th  of  September. 

The  Bald-headed  Eagle  in  Fulton 
County,  Illinois. 


To-day  a  school  teacher  of  this  county 
brought  me  a  fine  Bald-headed  Eagle, 
with  the  following  history  :  On  Friday 
evening,  November  4,  a  farmer  was  out 
"Coon"  hunting  on  a  stream  called 
"  Sugar  Creek."  He  had  just  captured 
an  Opossum,  and  crossing  over  the  creek 
had  gone  but  a  little  distance  when  a 
large  bird  spread  its  wings  a  little  ways  in 
front  of  him.  Not  being  able  to  discern 
just  what  manner  of  varmint  it  was  by  the 
dim  moonlight,  he  hissed  his  dog  on  it. 

The  dog  sailed  in  valiantly,  but  quickly 
had  enough  of  the  fight,  and  came  back 
howling  to  his  master.     Nor  did  he  come 


alone,  for  the  great  bird  with  outspread 
wings  was  hopping  close  after  him.  The 
hunter  was  frightened  nearly  out  of  his 
wits,  but,  when  the  Eagle  was  nearly  on 
him,  made  a  wild  blow  at  it  with  an  axe 
that  he  was  carrying. 

Luckily  the  blow  fell  upon  the  bird's 
head,  stunning  it,  and  repeating  the  strokes 
he  soon  dispatched  it.  The  teacher  that 
brought  it  to  me  said  that  on  the  after- 
noon previous  to  its  capture  it  had  perched 
on  the  fence  near  his  school  house  for  two 
hours.  This  fact,  and  the  circumstances 
of  its  capture,  would  lead  a  naturalist  to 
surmise  that  the  bird  was  an  escaped  pet 
Eagle.  And  this  idea  was  further  strength- 
ened when  an  examination  showed  that 
the  left  leg  had  at  some  time  been  broken 
just  above  the  knee.  This  wound  was 
entirely  healed,  but  there  was  a  consider- 
able enlargement  at  the  point  of  fracture, 
and  the  limb  was  much  curved. 

The  plumage,  however,  did  not  show 
any  cage  worn  condition  and  the  gray 
head  indicated  that  it  was  not  a  bird  of  the 
year. 

From  tip  to  tip  it  measured  7  feet  and 
3  inches.  The  Bald  Eagle  is  not  uncom- 
mon in  Illinois,  especially  In  the  fall  sea- 
son along  the  Illinois  river  and  its  lakes, 
where  a  few  of  them  may  be  found  as  long 
as  the  seine  fishing  is  continued,  the  dead 
fish  being  the  line  that  draws  them  to  this 
locality.  Dr.    W.  S.  Strode. 

Lewiston,  111. 


I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  rat  is  a 
transmitter  of  some  of  the  most  dangerous 
diseases  which  aflilict  humanity  —  diseases 
that  have  for  ages  baffled  the  skill  of  the 
ablest  scientists  in  the  world.  —  Dr.  S.  E. 
Weber  s  Lecture. 


An  American  Egret  was  shot  at  Ipswich, 
Mass.,  November  22.  It  has  been  pre- 
served by  N.  Vickary  the  well  known 
Lynn  taxidermist. 


1 66 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[V^ol.  17-N0.  II 


S  c 
bJ0!7 

< 

List  of  Warblers'  Eggs  in  the  J.  P.  N.  Collec 

November  1,  1S92. 

3 

Total  No. 
Sets. 

c 

Names. 

Sets. 

eS" 

74 

636 

]51ack  and  White  Warbler, 

2-4,    12-5 

•        14 

6S 

75 

637 

Prothonotary  Warbler, 

3-4 »  21-5,  34-6,  1 5-' 

h  2-S     75 

442 

76 

63S 

Swainson's  Warbler. 

8-3, 2-4,  1-5   . 

1 1 

37 

77 

639 

Worm-eating  Warbler, 

2-3  5  6-4,  10-5,  3-6 

21 

98 

79 

641 

Blue-winged  Warbler, 

I -3  5  2-4,  3-5     . 

.       6 

26 

81 

642 

Golden-winged  Warbler, 

4-4'  5-5    • 

•       9 

41 

83 

643 

Lucy's  Warbler, 

1-3 

I 

3 

85 

645 

Nashville  Warbler, 

1-3'  4-4'  1-5     • 

.       6 

24 

86a 

6^6  a 

Lutescent  Warbler, 

1-3'  2-4,  1-5    • 

•       4 

16 

88 

648 

Parula  Warbler, 

2-2,  9-3,  22-4,  14-5 

3-7       50 

210 

93 

652 

Yellow  Warbler, 

16-3,  50-4'  27-5 

•     93 

3S3 

94 

654 

Black-throated  Blue  Warbler, 

1-3 

I 

3 

95 

655 

Myrtle  Warbler, 

3-3'  1-4'  2-5    • 

.       6 

23 

96 

656 

Audubon's  Warbler, 

1-3'  2-4'  1-5     • 

•       4 

16 

97 

657 

Magnolia  Warbler, 

3-3'  54-4'  1-5 

•     58 

230 

98 

658 

Cerulean  Warbler, 

1-4'  1-5    • 

■> 

9 

99 

659 

Chestnut- sided  Warbler, 

4-3'  3^-4'  2-5 

•     37 

146 

100 

660 

Bay-breasted  Warbler, 

1-6 

I 

6 

lOI 

661 

Black-poll  Warbler, 

1-3'  6-4'  1 1 -5 

.     iS 

82 

102 

662 

Blackburnian  Warbler, 

3-4  • 

•       3 

12 

103 

663 

Yellow-throated  Warbler, 

1-3,  2-4    . 

•       3 

II 

104 

664 

Grace's  Warbler, 

1-3   . 

1 

3 

105 

665 

Black-throated  Gray  Warbler, 

1-4   . 

I 

4 

106 

666 

Golden-cheeked  Warbler, 

7-4  • 

•      7 

28 

107 

667 

Black-throated  Green  Warbler, 

1 1-4 

1 1 

44 

1 1 1 

671 

Pine  Warbler, 

18-4,  2-5 

.     20 

82 

113^7 

672(7 

Yellow  Palm  Warbler, 

1-4  . 

I 

4 

114 

^^73 

Prairie  Warbler, 

9-3'  39-4'  4-5 

•    52 

203 

115 

674 

Oven-Bird, 

1-2,  10-3,  30-4,  45- 

)'  1-6    87 

3S3 

116 

675 

Water-Thrush, 

2-4   • 

2 

8 

117 

676 

Louisiana  Water-Thrush, 

2-4'  9-5'  1-6    • 

12 

59 

119 

677 

Kentucky  Warbler, 

1-2,  5-3'  19-4'  27-5 

•    52 

228 

121 

680 

Macgillivray's  Warbler, 

1-3'  2-4    • 

•       3 

II 

122 

681 

Maryland  Yellow-throat 

3-3'  25-4'  4-5 

•     32 

129 

122a 

6Sia 

Western  Maryland  Yellow-throat  6-4,  1-5    . 

7 

29 

123 

683 

Yellow-breasted  Chat, 

1-2,  33-3'  99-4'  1-5 

•  134 

402 

123a 

683a 

Long-tailed  Chat, 

1-3'  6-4    • 

•      7 

27 

124 

684 

Hooded  Warbler, 

6-3,  18-4 

•    24 

90 

125 

685 

Wilson^s  Warbler, 

1-5 

I 

5 

125a 

685a 

Pileolated  Warbler, 

1-3'  2-4    • 

•       3 

II 

127 

686 

Canadian  Warbler, 

1-5   . 

I 

5 

128 

687 

American  Redstart, 

5-3'  24-4'  1-5 

•     30 

116 

911 

3757 

November,  1S92.] 


AND   OOLOGIST. 


167 


^ 

d 

13 

< 

M 

636 

74 

637 

75 

638 

76 

639 

77 

641 

79 

642 

81 

645 

85 

646^ 

86a 

648 

88 

652 

93 

657 

97 

659 

99 

661    ] 

[OI 

663    ] 

03 

666         ] 

06 

667    ] 

07 

671    ] 

[I  I 

673    ] 

H 

674    ] 

15 

675    J 

16 

676    ] 

17 

677    ] 

19 

681    ] 

[22 

683    ] 

23 

6S3^r 

[23a 

684    ] 

[24 

6S5« 

[25« 

687    ] 

28 

Eggs  of  Warblers  in  Collection  of  Isaac  S.  Reiff, 
October  27,  1892. 


Xames. 

Black  and  White  Warbler,  1-5 
Prothonotary  Warbler,  1-5 
Swainson's  Warbler,  2-3 
Worm-eating  Warbler,  3-4,  2-5 
Blue- winged  Warbler,  6-5,  1—6,  1-7 
Golden-winged  Warbler,  1-5 
Nashville  Warbler,  1-4 
Lutescent  Warbler,  1-4 
Parula  Warbler,  1-3,  2-4 
Yellow  Warbler,  2-4 
Magnolia  Warbler,  1-4 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  r-3,  1-4 
Black-poll  Warbler,  1-4 
Yellow-throated  Warbler,  1-3 
Golden-cheeked  Warbler,  1-4 
Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  1-4 
Pine  Warbler,  3-4 
Prairie  Warbler,  5-4,  1-5 
Oven  Bird,  3-5     . 
Water  Thrush,  1-4 
Louisiana  Water  Thrusli,  1—5 
Kentucky  Warbler,  2-4 
Maryland  Yellow-throat,  2-3,  2-4 
Yellow-breasted  Chat,  1-3,  3-4 
Long-tailed  Chat,  1-3 
Hooded  Warbler,  1-4 
Pileolated  Warbler,  1-3 
American  Redstart,  2-4 


No.  of 

Total  No 

Sets. 

Eggs. 

I 

5 

I 

5 

2 

6 

4 

18 

8 

43 

I 

5 

I 

4 

I 

4 

3 

1 1 

2 

8 

I 

4 

2 

7 

I 

4 

I 

3 

I 

4 

I 

4 

2 

8 

6 

25 

3 

15 

I 

4 

I 

> 

2 

8 

4 

14 

4 

15 

I 

3 

I 

4 

I 

3 

3 

8 

59 


247 


i6S 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-X0,  1 1 


Where  the  Mississippi  Kites  Fly. 


"Dear  Mr.  Peabody  :  The  Mississippi 
Kite  breeds  in  Barber  and  Comanche 
Counties  [Kas.]  along  the  wooded  streams 
and  their  tributaries.  I  expect  to  visit 
that  region  in  May  and  June  next,  in 
search  of  the  Black-capped  Vireo.  Should 
I  be  so  fortunate  as  to  find  any  eggs  of  the 
Kite,  I  shall  be  glad  to  remember  you. 
"Very  truly  yours," 

Thus  wrote  Col.  Goss  but  three  weeks 
before  all  those  who  had  ever  seen  his 
genial  face  and  talked  with  him  were 
shocked  at  the  tidings  of  his  sudden  death. 

But  the  letter  filled  me  with  a  great 
desire,  not  only  to  visit  the  breeding 
grounds  of  the  Kite,  but  to  discover,  if 
possible,  the  nests  and  eggs  of  the  Black- 
capped  Vireo  among  the  wooded  gypsum 
hills  along  the  Cimmarron  River.  Many 
lions  in  the  way  killed  this  part  of  my 
plan.  But  the  26th  of  May  last  found  me 
en  route  for  Kansas,  through  South  Min- 
nesota, Iowa  and  Northwest  Missouri. 

I5ut  what  delays !  One  day,  at  the 
start,  through  a  young  ticket  seller's  stu- 
pidity ;  another  day,  at  Wellington,  Kas., 
the  news  of  whose  appalling  cyclone  dis- 
aster reached  us  two  hours  after  the  stroke 
as  our  long  Pan-Handle  train  took  on  a 
score  of  jolly  Odd  Fellows  at  Ottawa  ;  a 
day's  delay  through  the  tearing  up  of  the 
track  and  its  blockading  with  shattered 
box  cars  at  Harper,  forty  miles  from  Wel- 
lington, a  delay  which  I  improved,  or 
desecrated,  by  viewing  such  sights  of  Na- 
ture's awful  destructive  fury  as  I  hope 
never  to  see  again. 

But  Attica  is  reached  at  last  and  I  leave 
the  Pan-Handle  train  to  board  the  dingy 
little  stub  that  is  to  transport  me  to  Medi- 
cine Lodge.  Ah,  here  is  a  colony  of 
prairie  dogs  beside  the  little  station,  — 
promise  of  unknown  things  to  delight 
a  nature-loving  heart.  Another  delay ! 
Through    my  failing    to    reach    Medicine 


Lodge  in  the  morning,  the  stage  to  Sun 
City,  twenty  miles  away,  has  gone  on 
without  me,  and  it  is  now  Saturday  night. 

Never  mind.  My  traps  go  to  the  hotel ; 
and  I,  travel  stained,  seek  a  clean  spot  on 
the  river  bank  for  a  bath-house.  As  I 
cross  the  flats  there  sweeps  down  from  the 
trailing  horizontal  branch  of  a  cotton  wood 
a  dark  Red-tailed  Hawk,  to  my  very  great 
surprise. 

A  ticklish  climb  to  the  ridiculous  height 
of  twenty  feet  secured  me  from  the  flat, 
much-feathered  nest,  laid  atop  the  hori- 
zontal lower  branch,  a  one-third  incubated 
set  of  two  eggs,  of  which  one  was  but 
faintly  and  palely  marbled,  the  other  im- 
maculate. This  set  must  have  been  de- 
posited three  months  later  than  the  earliest 
nesting  date  (March  i). 

Early  Sunday  morning,  having  packed 
the  heaviest  of  my  belongings  and  left 
them  for  the  stage  to  bring,  I  set  out  on 
foot  for  my  destination,  twenty-four  miles 
away,  climbers,  collecting  box,  rope,  gun, 
saddled  to  me,  clinging  to  me  somehow. 
A  stern  walk  was  before  me  that  hot  May 
morning  ;  but  who  could  not  rest  and  re- 
joice, even  as  he  walked,  in  such  a  region, 
on  such  a  day!  Before  me  a  smooth, 
winding  red  road  ;  to  the  left  in  front,  and 
winding  up  to  the  northwest,  glimpses  of 
the  yellow  stream,  with  its  unbroken  fringe 
of  drooping  elms  and  white,  spire-like 
sycamores;  beyond,  to  the  south,  rolling 
prairies  and  red  fields  ;  and  far  beyond  the 
abrupt  terraces  of  the  gypsum  hills,  gleam- 
ing with  red  of  clay  and  white  of  gypsum, 
and  green-seamed  with  their  wooded  can- 
ons ;  overhead,  the  bluest  of  skies,  suf- 
fused everywhere  with  foamy  heaps  and 
masks  of  cloud  ;  and  all  glorified  by  more 
than  a  suggestion  of  that  luminous  atmos- 
phere whose  perfection  grows  as  one  nears 
the  Rocky  Mountain  range. 

As  I  went,  fresh  traces  of  the  recent 
storm,  so  awful  at  its  centre,  were  seen 
everywhere  ;  a  wagon  blown  far  afield,  a 


November,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


169 


granary  twisted  to  discord  with  the  points 
of  compass  ;  glimpses  of  the  yellow,  foam- 
ing bank  full  river ;  tiny  walks  and  ter- 
races of  fine  dead  grass  and  pebbles  on 
every  hillside  among  the  flowers,  where 
the  sheets  of  water  had  poured  down  the 
slopes,  the  holes  of  the  prairie  dogs,  fun- 
neled  high,  on  the  uphill  side  ;  for,  "them 
little  critters  knows  better  than  to  get 
drownded,"  dryly  explained  an  old  settler, 
"and  so,  before  it  rains,  they  just  makes 
a  dyke  around  their  holes." 

But  now  all  is  peace.  A  Goshawk 
floats  overhead,  brilliant  in  his  pied  coat 
of  drab  and  white  ;  the  flowers  nod  as  if 
they  had  never  been  lashed  with  cruel 
wind  and  cut  by  fierce  hail ;  and  the  great 
fat  mother  prairie  dogs,  asquat  with  flut- 
tering tails,  beside  their  holes,  unceasingly 
pipe  and  shriek  for  the  scattered  litter  of 
half-grown  young  to  come  and  be  safe 
from  the  terrible  monster  that  is  passing 
by.  At  noon  I  pass  a  grim  hunter  with 
his  pack  of  stag  hounds,  out  after  wolves 
and  the  twenty-five  dollars  bounty  offered 
by  the  ranchmen.  Farther  on,  as  I  pass 
a  high  ravine  bridge  that  is  sinking  into 
the  pit  recently  made  by  the  washout  of 
the  clay,  I  see  my  first  bird  carrying  nest 
material ;  a  soft,  gray  bird  bearing  a  long 
streamer  of  something  trailing  far  behind. 
But  it  gives  forth  a  strange  note  ;  and  I 
look  sharply  and  learn  my  mistake, — the 
trailing  thing  is  a  tail,  and  its  bearer  a 
Scissor-tail. 

It  is  Sunday,  and  my  only  arsenic  is 
salt ;  but  I  must  have  that  bird.  It  is  shot, 
measured,  and  skinned  at  once,  for  the 
sun  is  very  hot.  An  hour  before  sundown, 
I  see  the  roofs  of  Lake  City  just  ahead, 
and  I  have  made  twenty  miles.  After 
a  refreshing  bath  in  a  clear  pool,  grass 
fringed,  in  a  newly  broken  field,  while 
the  little  hyles  blow  out  their  bubble 
throats  at  my  very  toes,  with  piping  loud 
enough  for  bullfrogs.  I  press  on,  and 
pay   seventy-five   cents   for    a    twenty-five 


cent  lodging  at  the  one  hotel,  after  wad- 
ing the  eighty-rod  bed  of  the  two-inch 
stream,  for  the  Medicine  here  is  Platte-like 
in  its  course.  Next  morning  I  pick  my 
way  onward  through  the  mud  engendered 
by  last  night's  hard  rain.  A  mile  or  two 
out,  as  I  cross,  barefoot,  the  sandy  gyp- 
sum-stream bed  of  a  tributary  stream,  a 
man  drives  up  in  the  meagrest  road  cart 
imaginable  :  "Is  the  stage  coming  soon?  " 
I  ask:  "/am  the  stage,"  he  quietly  said. 
"Well,"  with  a  glance  at  the  scant  accom- 
modations slung  between  those  two  light 
wheels  :  "  Well,  I  guess  you  needn't  bring 
my  grip.  You  won't  be  able  to  carry  it 
and  me  when  I  go  back." 

Still  northwest.  There  is  a  newly 
broken  "claim,"  and  the  road  changes, 
"  stReioHt  WESt"  says  the  sign.  Over  on 
the  field  lies  a  carcass  with  four  vultures 
gorging  themselves  upon  it.  Beyond  is 
an  immense  prairie-dog  village  of  eighty 
or  a  hundred  acres  in  extent.  I  cross  a 
difficult  ford  ;  away  yonder  is  a  score  of 
motley  buildings,  weather-scarred,  new, 
ancient  and  modern.  And  soon  I  am 
THERE  !  And  so  are  the  Kites.  Over  a 
high  table  land  north  of  the  town  a  flock 
of  twelve  is  steadily  sailing,  sailing,  look- 
ing for  food.  Instantly  I  am  shaking 
hands  with  the  quiet,  whole-souled  ranch- 
man previousl}^  unknown  to  me  save  by  a 
brief  correspondence  and  for  eight  un- 
blown Kite  eggs,  ready  to  hatch,  sent  me 
last  season. 

"  No,  you  don't  want  to  go  to  anv 
hotel.  You'll  stay  with  us  while  you  are 
here.  After  dinner  we'll  see  about  the 
Kites."  And  we  went,  on  broncho  back, 
two  miles  to  the  heavy  timber  along  the 
Medicine. 

An  occasional  Kite  skims  overhead  on 
the  wind,  making  my  heart  thrill  with  an- 
ticipation. In  fifteen  minutes  I  sight  my 
first  nest,  in  a  small  leaning  elm  among 
the  heavy  timber,  quite  well  out  on  a 
semi-horizontal  branch,  quite  flat,  of  small 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  II 


sticks,  about  twenty  feet  up.  An  eager 
climb,  without  spurs,  and  I  find  that  the 
nest  contains  two  twigs,  freshly  plucked,  in 
soft  green  leaf.  Later  discoveries  prove 
this  to  be  a  typical  location  and  an  aver- 
age nest. 

"I  thought  we'd  come  out  here  this 
afternoon,"  remarked  my  host  as  we  gal- 
loped homeward,  at  sundown,  having  dis- 
covered five  fresh  but  empty  nests,  "and 
then  go  out  to-monow  to  where  the  Kites 
really  breed.  It  is  seven  miles  and  more 
from  here." 

Now  this  was,  I  confess,  a  "stunner." 
All  along  the  trip,  I  had  said  to  myself, 
"Now  if  Mr.  D.  is  busy,  I'll  just  go  out 
alone  among  the  timber,  explore  Col. 
Goss'  colony,  and  when  I  have  secured, 
say,  ten  sets,  I'll  go  home."  Work  lay 
before  us,  on  the  basis  of  a  ranchman's 
thorough  knowledge  of  every  square  mile 
of  this  portion  of  the  watered  and  wooded 
gypsum  hills.  Before  my  trip  was  ended 
I  said  to  myself,  "What  madness  for  a 
tender-foot  to  think  of  coming  out  here 
alone  after  Kites'  eggs." 

"To-morrow"  we  explored  all  the 
available  territory  inhabited  by  the  Kites. 
On  the  way  out,  riding  up  a  steep  cliff  to 
the  edge  of  a  crag  honeycombed  with 
small  caves,  where  surely  vultures  breed, 
I  was  delighted  to  find  that  the  lone  tree 
which  formed  the  pinnacle  of  the  crest, 
and  whereon  a  vulture  sat,  was  a  live  red 
cedar.  "  These  canons  were  all  heavily 
fringed  with  them  once,"  my  friend  ex- 
plained. "When  I  was  a  trader  here,  in 
the  early  days,  cedar  posts  were  legal 
tender.  I've  had  as  high  as  fifty  thousand 
on  hand  at  once.  When  the  buffaloes 
stampeded,  the  hunter  used  to  cut  posts. 
I  used  to  trade  provisions  for  posts,  the 
posts  for  corn,  and  the  corn  for  money." 

Riding  on,  we  spent  the  day  in  explor- 
ation. A  gale  of  wind  blew  all  day.  The 
Kites  were  settled,  a  pair  here,  a  single 
bird  there,  among  the  trees,  to  escape  the 


blow;  but  they  were  very  wild.  Many 
wing  shots  failing,  I  had  to  commit  a  delib- 
erate murder  to  secure  the  one  fine  male 
that  was  to  supply  my  cabinet. 

Some  ten  or  a  dozen  fresh  nests  were 
found,  and  several  old  ones.  The  nestifig 
was  all  of  ten  days  late,  and  I  have  missed 
the  keen  satisfaction  which  it  would  have 
been  to  take  from  the  nest  with  my  own 
hands  an  egg  so  rare  as  that  of  the  Missis- 
sippi Kite. 

But  that  day's  adventure  had  its  com- 
pensations, though  it  ended  in  a  seven 
mile  gallop  home  through  driving  rain. 
Prominent  among  the  satisfactions  of  the 
day  was  the  taking  from  a  high  red  clay 
bank,  stratified  with  gypsum  and  bearing 
several  thousand  nests  of  the  Cliff  Swallow, 
distributed  in  colonies  from  top  to  bottom 
of  the  cliff,  several  sets  of  eggs,  and  a 
beautiful  nest  cemented  to  a  plate  of  the 
crystalline  gypsum.  And  greater  still 
among  satisfactions  was  that  of  bringing 
these  and  other  specimens  safely  home, 
on  horseback,  by  stage,  by  rail,  all  these 
hundreds  of  miles. 

Although  the  Kites  would  not  lay  for 
we,  they  did  for  my  collector,  who  sent 
me  in  August,  nicely  blown  and  safely 
packed,  a  large  series  of  eggs.  Of  the 
nests,  all  but  one  were  in  elm  trees,  by 
preference,  evidently,  in  trees  that  were 
ivy-grown.  Nesting  height,  from  fifteen 
to  forty  feet.  Locality,  the  remote,  wild, 
wooded  canons. 

Desiring  to  reimburse  myself,  in  part, 
for  expenses  of  collecting,  I  made  a  propo- 
sition to  an  eastern  dealer,  who  was  kind 
enough  to  offer  me  per  egg  just  what  I 
pay  my  collector,  and  who  added  to  his 
offer  this  caution,  "and  they  must  not  be 
Marsh  Hawks,  either,  at  that  price.  You 
probably  know  they  can  be  substituted." 

Now  this  astonished  me,  although  on 
comparison  of  several  non-typical  Kite 
eggs  with  Marsh  Hawk's  eggs  of  unusual 
shape  and  color,  I  could  detect  a  resem- 


November.  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


171 


blance,  but  it  was  a  resemblance  only. 
Tlie  typical  egg  of  the  Mississippi  Kite  is 
pointed  suhsphcrical  in  shape,  is  blue- 
greenish  white  in  color,  when  fresh,  and 
measures,  within  a  tenth  of  an  inch,  i  03 
by  1.25.  The  texture  of  the  shell  is  finer 
than  that  of  the  Marsh  Hawk.  But  all 
this  I  did  not  accurately  know  when,  grit- 
ting between  my  teeth  the  discipline  of  a 
great  disappointment,  I  packed  and  started 
for  home.  Straight  north  by  the  Burling- 
ton Route  I  came,  across  the  monotonous 
miles  of  flooded  Iowa  bottoms.  At  Oma- 
ha, unluckily,  I  took  the  Minneapolis  con- 
vention delegate  laden  express,  wheiein 
was  standing  room  only,  in  coach  and 
sleeper.  But  in  the  early  morning  we 
tapped  the  "Northwestern"  at  Kasota, 
and  I  went  flying  home  in  a  half  empty 
train,  through  the  sweet  but  dusty  June 
morning  air,  three  days  earlier  than  I  had 
been  expected.  Half  dead  for  want  of 
sleep,  I  plodded  homeward  across  lots, 
with  the  lightest  and  most  precious  of  mv 
luggage.  I  opened  the  dining-room  door 
and  stood  expectant.  There  was  a  rustle 
of  skirts,  a  sound  of  hurrying  feet,  a  vision 
of  two  bright  eyes,  and  the  sound  of  a  voice, 
"  WW/,  you  dear,  dirty  old  —  " 

P.  B.  Peabodv. 


Singing  Mice. 


A  four-footed  creature  that  sings  is  cer- 
tainly curious  enough  to  have  its  existence 
doubted  ;  and  many  people  do  not  believe 
that  such  a  thing  as  a  singing  mouse  has 
ever  been  seen,  or,  more  correctly  speaking, 
heard.  It  lias,  though  ;  and  in  a  certain 
house  beloved  of  mice  generally,  what 
sounded  like  the  voice  of  a  very  small  bird 
was  often  heard  in  the  wall.  A  trap  was 
set  for  the  uproarious  ones  that  kept  up  a 
constant  squeaking  and  gnawing,  beside 
nibbling  every  viand  that  they  could  possi- 
bly get  at ;  and  one  night  the  dainty  bits 
of  cheese  lured  into  captivity  a  mouse  that 
looked  like  other  mice  and   acted   like   a 


Wren.  Such  a  quivering,  musical  little 
warble  could  scarcely  come  from  any  other 
throat  than  that  of  the  tiny  bird. 

But  it  soon  proved  beyond  a  doubt  that 
mousie  did  it  himself,  and  that  he  must  be 
the  very  singer  who  gave  the  mysterious 
wall  concerts,  so  the  next  thing  was  to 
make  him  a  cage.  It  was  quite  an  uncom- 
mon one,  as  uncoinmon  as  he  was  himself 
—  a  glass  globe  covered  with  netting.  A 
warm  nest  was  arranged  in  it,  and  the  cur- 
ious little  performer  took  very  kindly  to  his 
luxurious  quarters.  He  had,  of  course, 
the  best  cheese  to  nibble  at,  and  he  evi- 
dently considered  himself  in  clover.  He 
put  on  airs,  too,  and  seemed  to  know  when 
he  was  being  watched.  At  such  times  he 
would  raise  himself  up,  and  try  with  all 
his  small  might  and  main  to  act  like  a 
canary.  Sometimes  he  would  hold  up  one 
paw,  and  then  he  was  a  full-fledged  prima 
donna,  sending  forth  such  loud  notes  that 
it  was  almost  startling  to  hear  him. 

But  an  easy  life  did  not  seem  to  agree 
with  the  amusing  little  rodent,  and  possi- 
bly he  pined  for  the  home  in  the  wall, 
with  its  boundless  freedom,  where  he  may 
have  left  "  his  young  barbarians  at  pla^^" 
In  a  few  days  he  died  without  any  appar- 
ent cause,  and  the  experiment  of  caging  a 
singing  mouse  was  altogether  unsuccessful. 

Other  four-footed  warblers  have  been 
kept  in  good  condition  for  a  much  longer 
time,  giving  abundant  opportunity  to  make 
some  very  interesting  discoveries  in  regard 
to  their  musical  organs.  They  do  not,  it 
appears,  sing  with  their  throats  like  other 
songsters,  but  with  their  noses.  Their 
vocal  chords  are  vibrating  folds  of  the 
skin  at  the  outlet  of  each  nostril,  and  the 
performer  can  vary  tire  tone  from  high  to 
low  by  using  more  or  less  force  in  expel- 
ling the  air.  When  quite  by  himself,  the 
sound  produced  by  the  singer  resembles 
that  of  an  ^olian  harp  ;  but  in  a  cage, 
when  the  small  prisoner  is  often  singing 
for  effect,  the  notes  are  much  bolder. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  II 


A  cat  purs  very  much  in  the  same  way 
as  a  mouse  sings,  and  both  are  signs  of 
comfort  and  satisfaction.  But  the  mouse's 
song,  unHke  that  of  the  cat,  has  given  rise 
to  many  absurd  superstitions,  and  houses 
have  acquired  the  bad  reputation  of  being 
haunted  because  of  singing  mice  in  the 
walls.  The  soft  wailing  sounds  which  the 
song  then  assumes  is  said  to  come  from 
the  uneasy  spirits  of  those  who  have  been 
murdered ;  and  the  servants  who  are 
frightened  of  the  singing  mouse  could 
never  be  made  to  believe  that  the  contin- 
ual picking  and  stealing  from  the  pantry 
are  done  by  the  singer  himself  and  his 
near  relatives.  For  although  it  seems  as  if 
so  delicate  a  creature  should  be  above  such 
a  mean  thing,  he  is  really  no  better  than 
his  common-place  companions. 

Harper  s  Votnig  People. 


Broad-winged  Hawk  in  Hillsboro 
County,   N.H. 


Before  this  spring  I  have  always  con- 
sidered the  Broad-wing  as  one  of  our  very 
irregular  visitors.  But  this  year  they  seem 
to  be  more  plentiful  than  usual,  as  I  know 
of  at  least  four  pair  that  have  undoubtedly 
nested  in  this  county  the  past  season. 

To  begin  with,  the  first  one  noted  this 
year  was  on  April  S,  on  which  day  I  was 
collecting  Hawk's  eggs  along  Black  Brook. 
While  eating  my  lunch  I  discovered  a  pair 
of  Broad-wings  and  soon  found  their  nest, 
which  they  were  just  finishing  up  ready 
for  eggs. 

The  female  was  a  handsome  specimen, 
but  I  did  not  molest  her,  because  they  are 
so  rare  here  that  the  destruction  of  a  sin- 
gle pair  would  make  quite  a  gap  in  their 
ranks. 

After  this  pair  were  noted  I  observed 
several  scattered  individuals,  and  later  on 
another  pair.  They  were  flying  about 
East  Turn  Hill  and  upon  searching  I  found 
their  nest,  just   completed.      Seeing    that 


this  species  had  appeared  to  be  so  plenty 
this  year  so  far,  I  thought  that  I  would 
be  justified  in  collecting  a  set,  inasmuch 
as  I  had  never  taken  any  before.  -I  re- 
turned May  17  with  Mr.  Dinsmore,  who 
desired  to  examine  the  nest.  Just  as  we 
stopped  beneath  the  tree  the  bird  left  the 
nest,  which  contained  two  nearly  fresh 
eggs. 

The  nest  was  placed  fifteen  feet  from 
the  foot  of  a  small  oak  tree  that  grew  out 
oyer  the  edge  of  an  out-cropping  mass  of 
rocks  that  formed  a  steep  cliff. 

No.  I  is  of  a  dark  cream  color  heavily 
blotched  with  umber  and  a  few  lines  of 
black. 

It  has  several  small  feathers  adhering  to 
the  larger  end  on  one  of  the  black  lines, 
from  which  I  infer  that  they  are  unnatural 
markings.     This  egg  measures  2.14x1 .73. 

No.  2  is  dirty  white  in  color  and  sparse- 
ly lined  about  the  larger  end,  with  brown 
and  black.  This  egg  is  not  so  rounded 
in  form  as  No.  I .     Size  2.1 1  x  1.58. 

As  the  set  now  reposes  in  my  cabinet, 
it  does  not  look  so  beautiful  in  my  eyes  as 
it  did  when  I  first  examined  it,  birt  never- 
theless I  am  glad  that  I  took  it. 

Arthur  J/.  J^ar/i/er. 

Amoskeag,  N.H. 

From  now  to  January  i  we  will  mail  to 
any  one  sending  us  60  cents  any  of  the 
following  volume  of  the   Ornithologist 

AND  OOLOGIST  :    vol.  9,   12,  13,   14,   15,   16. 

This  offer  will  not  be  open  after  the  date 
named.  Now  is  the  time  to  make  a  val- 
uable addition  to  your  library. 

Notes  from  Danbury,   Conn. 


A.  E.  Betts  writes  that  "George  Dick- 
erman  of  this  place  found  a  nest  of  the 
Barn  Swallow  on  September  3,  with  five 
eggs  slightly  incubated."  Unfortunately 
they  were  accidentally  broken. 

November  9  a  Great  Blue  Heron  was 
seen  and  on  the  i-^tth  a  Fish  Hawk. 


November,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


7o 


THE 


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AND   TO   THE 

INTERESTS  OF  NATURALISTS. 


Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 
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An  Iniquitous  Duty. 


The  defeat  of  the  Republican  joarty  in 
the  late  election  is  without  doubt  due  to 
the  McKinley  bill  more  than  any  other 
cause. 

While  very  few  question  the  advantage 
of  a  moderate  protection,  when  it  is  over- 
done to  the  advantage  of  a  few  and  the 
disadvantage  of  the  masses  it  is  time  to 
cry  "Halt!" 

Whatever  may  be  our  political  affilia- 
tion, we  are  emphatic  that  a  duty  of  60  per 
cent  on  any  line  of  goods  is  a  gross  out- 
rage and  shoud  be  rectified. 

Let  the  taxidermist  stop  and  think : 
$600  duty  on  every  $1000  worth  of  glass 
eyes  that  are  imported  !  To  be  paid  by 
theni^  not  by  the  foreign  manufacttirer. 

The  great  hue  and  cry  of  "  Piotect 
American  industries,"  tooted  by  McKinley 
and  his  backers  to  cover  schemes  to  en- 
rich a  few  at  the  expense  of  many,  should 
be  effectually  silenced  by  the  8th  of  Nov- 
ember verdict. 

We  do  not  believe  that  an  industry  that 
requires  over  20  per  cent  protection  is 
worth  nursing. 


It  now  remains  to  be  seen  if  the  Demo- 
cratic party  will  do  a  little  paring  down. 

Brief  Notes,  Correspondence,  and 
Clippings. 


Manly  Hardy,  of  Brewer,  Me.,  has  a 
very  complete  collection  of  the  North 
American  birds,  nearly  all  mounted  by 
himself.  It  is  seldom  one  sees  so  many 
of  the  rare  specimens  in  a  private  collec- 
tion. 

H.  H.  Brock,  of  Portland,  Me.,  has 
added  the  Waders  to  his  already  large 
collection.  The  doctor  gives  evidence  of 
a  great  deal  of  skill  as  a  taxidermist,  and 
of  being  an  observer  of  nature. 


Way  up  in  Skowhegan,  Me.,  is  a  tax- 
idermist who  is  giving  a  great  deal  of 
attention  to  the  mounting  of  large  animals. 
All  over  the  town  are  scattered  pieces  of 
his  handiwork.  As  we  rode  up  to  the 
principal  hotel  the  first  thing  that  met  our 
gaze  was  the  piazza  adorned  with  stuffed 
Caribou  and  Deer.  A  large  Moose  was 
seen  occuj^ying  the  centre  of  one  of  the 
stores,  while  in  the  various  windows 
wei'e  Bear,  Timber  Wolf,  Lynx,  Wildcat, 
Beaver,  etc.  It  was  quite  a  surprise  to 
us  to  find  the  extensive  manner  in  which 
Mr.  Gifford  had  gone  into  the  heavy  work. 

S.  L.  Crosby,  at  Bangor,  Me.,  is  another 
busy  body.  His  store  was  packed  with 
heads  of  Deer  and  Moose,  trophys  of  a 
good  season  for  the  visiting  sportsman. 

Mr.  Crosby  succeeded  the  late  lamented 
E.  S.  Bowler,  who  was  one  of  the  first  to 
order  eyes  from  A.  L.  Ellis  &  Co.  when 
they  started  business  in  Pawtucket.  Crosby- 
said,  "We  can  stuff  heads  equal  to  any 
one  in  the  country,"  and  handed  out  the 
cigars.  What  could  we  do  but  say,  "  Right 
you  are,"  and  try  the  cigars  .f*  Holt  & 
Morrell,  of  Bangor,  were  also  found  ready 
to  stuff  any  head  that  came  their  way. 

But  when  we  got  back  to  Portland 
and  settled  down  in  Line  Daniels',  trap- 


174 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  II 


per,    guide,   taxidermist,   sportsman,    and 
good  fellow,  then  we  were  at  home. 

Line  told  some  pretty  good  stories,  but 
he  got  one  setback  that  made  us  smile. 
He  had  a  very  large  Gray  Squirrel  that  he 
had  just  completed  and  stuffed  for  all  it 
was  worth.  He  had  barely  called  our 
attention  to  it  and  we  had  remarked  that 
it  was  as  large  as  a  cat,  when  in  walked  a 
lady.  Walking  around  and  admiring  the 
various  things,  her  eye  fell  upon  Line's 
Squirrel.  "Oh,  my!"  she  exclaimed, 
"isn't  it  a  beauty?  But  I  have  got  one 
at  Jiome  tzvice  as  large.'^  A  deep  silence 
fell  upon  the  scene. 


Carl  Fritz-Henning  during  the  summer 
made  a  trip  up  and  down  the  Mississippi 
river  from  Clinton,  Iowa,  to  St.  Paul, 
Minn. 

He  writes  that  the  scenery  is  grand  and 
bird  life  was  abundant. 

While  in  Minnesota  he  visited  and  re- 
mained several  days  at  lake  Minnetorka. 

During  the  fall  he  made  a  trip  down  the 
Illinois  river  from  Hennipin  to  Peoria. 

On  October  34,  he  reports  thousands  of 
Crow  Blackbirds  near  Boone,  la.,  ready  to 
migrate. 

Oliver  Davie  writes  that  he  is  working 
hard  to  have  his  work  out  by  January  i . 
We  have  a  very  few  samples  of  plates  that 
we  will  send  to  any  one  who  really  wishes 
to  subscribe. 

Mr.  Davie  will  publish  in  the  work 
the  names  of  all  who  subscribe  up  to  500, 
the  limit.  We  have  received  quite  a 
number  of  new  names.  Seventy-five  to 
eighty  full-page  plates  means  quite  a  work, 
and  the  price  at  which  it  can  now  be 
secured,  five  dollars,  is  very  low. 

Mr.  Davie  is  preparing  a  collection  of 
birds  for  the  State  of  Ohio,  that  are  to 
be  exhibited  at  the  Columbian  Exposition. 
He  writes  that  he  has  just  completed  a 
private  museum,  and  the  birds  will  be  ex- 
hibited there  before  sending  to  Chicago. 


MUSKEGET  ISLAND. 


Muskeget  Island,  thy  name  is  blest' 
With  pleasant  memories  of  peace  and  rest. 
Safely  ensconced  in  old  ocean's  bed, 
.Vlike  to  life's  cares  and  sorrows  dead, 
To  th\-  barren  shores  we  gladly  fly. 
And  bid  ihe  bustlinLf  world  "  ii^ood-bye." 

From  this  lonely  isle,  wet  with  ocean  spray, 
The  white-winged  Seagull  bears  away 
The  onl\-  message  to  the  outer  world 
Of  pitiless  storms  against  it  hurled. 

But  nighlh'  billows  and  tempestuous  winds. 
Fraught  with  peril  to  all  mankind, 
Make  no  injuries  on  thy  shifting  sands 
As  they  onw  ard  move  to  less  favored  lands. 

No  blades  of  grass  or  budding  trees 
Herald  the  coming  of  a  warmer  breeze. 
To  Winter  and  Summer  alike  thou  art  dead, 
Serenelv  calm  in  thy  watery  bed. 

And  vet  w  hat  pleasure  is  in  store 
For  those  who  vearh'  seek  this  shore. 
In  its  sheltered  bay  the  sportsman  finds 
Ducks  and  Geese  of  various  kinds. 
Who  unsuspicious  of  the  death  that  awaits 
Their  sojourn  here  in  search  of  mates. 

In  the  balmy  days  of  an  early  spring 
Peace  and  rest  thy  solitudes  bring. 
Merchandise  venders  are  something  unknown, 
Brokers  can't  reach  you  by  Bell  Telephone, 
Stocks  and  bonds  may  advance  or  decline, 
Clearing-house  rates  to  the  dogs  we  consign, 
Political  wars  no  progress  make, 
Religious  belief  no  parson  can  shake. 
Freedom  of  action  is  ours  to  enjoy ; 
The  business  man  once  more  is  a  boy. 

If  wind  and  waves  thy  praise  could  sing, 
A  silent  tribute  each  day  would  luring, 
Though  memory  fades,  hearts  ne'er  can  forget 
The  pleasures  —  peace  of  Muskeget. 

Gordon  Phiiiiiiicr. 

While  at  Line  Daniels'  a  specimen  of 
the  Hutchins  Goose,  that  had  been  shot  in 
Maine,  was  brought  in  to  be  mounted. 

James  M.  Southwick  is  again  able  to 
attend  to  business. 


The  British  Guiana  Museum  will  make 
an  exhibit  of  the  mammals  of  that  country 
at  the  Columbian  Exposition.  The  con- 
tract for   mounting  them    came   to   H3-de 

Park,  Mass. 


November,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


1/5 


Have  Mice  an  Ear  for  Music? 


Some  time  ago  there  was  a  hen-coop 
on  our  phice  very  much  infested  with  mice 
and  rats. 

One  dav  I  happened  to  be  in  there 
playing  upon  a  liarmonica  when  all  at 
once  I  saw  the  head  of  a  tiny  mouse  peer- 
ing from  an  opening  in  the  wall,  as  though 
he  were  listening. 

Further  and  further  he  advanced,  until 
—  with  a  whisk  he  was  gone.  I  stopped 
playing. 

Then  I  commenced  again,  and  after 
awhile  on  looking  carefully  about  I  beheld 
in  the  wall  four  holes  and  the  heads  of 
two  mice  at  each  hole. 

Slowly  they  came  toward  me  and 
crouched  upon  the  ground,  listening. 
The  music  stopped  and  the  mice  were 
gone. 

As  I  started  the  music  a  mouse  crept 
from  the  opening  in  front  of  me,  and  ap- 
proached. 

He  crept  to  my  very  feet  and  looked 
into  my  eyes,  all  the  time  keeping  up  a 
"  Squeak  !  Squeak  I  " 

He  held  this  position  for  about  five 
minutes,  then  turned  and  ran  into  the  wall 
again. 

Folks  laughed  at  me  until  I  invited 
three  or  four  into  the  coop.  There  the 
mice  went  through  the  same  actions  as 
previously.  Dav  after  day  it  continued  the 
same,  until  the  little  animals  and  I  grew 
quite  friendly. 

Once  a  rat  advanced  toward  me,  but 
soon  turned  and  went  back  again. 

But  at  last  the  hen-coop  was  altered 
and  my  small  friends  disappeared. 

The  question  is,  did  those  mice  like 
music,  and  were  they  attracted  by  it.'' 

C.  P.  T. 

Wakefield,  Mass. 

A  Barred  Owl  was  shot  within  about 
five  minutes  walk  of  our  place,  December 
I .     A  dangerous  locality  for  such  visitors. 


To  the  Ornithologists  of  Illinois  : 

The  results  from  the  short  notice  I 
placed  in  the  October  Ornithologist 
AND  OoLOGiST,  for  your  help  in  some 
work  on  the  birds  of  the  state,  have  been 
far  from  satisfactory.  Only  a  few  have 
responded  so  far. 

The  general  distribution  of  probably  the 
majority  of  the  Illinois  birds  has  been 
sadly  neglected  by  our  most  prominent 
writers.  In  fact,  Illinois,  compared  with 
some  other  states,  has  had  very  little  sys- 
tematic and  scientific  research  among  her 
birds.  To  partially  remedy  this  and  ad- 
vance our  knowledge  of  the  Illinois  birds, 
Mr.  A.  C.  Murchison,  of  Kewanee,  111., 
and  I  have  decided  upon  a  plan,  to  be 
accomplished  only  by  the  combined  help 
of  all  Illinois  workers. 

This  state  has  many  ornithological  stu- 
dents in  the  field,  and  by  bringing  their 
observations  together  and  combining  them 
very  satisfactory  results  could  be  obtained. 
It  is  desired  to  make  a  thorough  investi- 
gation into  the  distribution,  nesting,  arri- 
val and  departure  of  the  birds  throughout 
the  state ;  to  publish  the  results  and  to 
give  due  credit  to  each  observer.  There- 
fore all  Illinois  ornithologists  and  those 
who  are  able  to  identify  our  native  birds 
are  invited  to  help  and  to  send  in  their 
names  at  once  in  order  that  circulars  may 
be  sent.  We  need  your  aid,  and  unless  a 
sufficient  number  of  stations  be  established, 
the  work  cannot  be  carried  on.  It  is  in- 
tended to  commence  work  by  the  first  of 
January,  1893,  and  your  early  and  prompt 
reply  will  oblige. 


William  E.  Loiicks. 


Peoria,  111. 


One  more  issue  will  close  this  volume 
of  the  Ornithologist  and  Oologist. 
If  the  subscribers  who  intend  to  renew 
will  notify  us  at  once,  it  will  save  us  a 
great  deal  of  labor. 

We  hope  to  hear  from  you  all. 


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ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  A^D  — 

OOLOGIST. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY. 

ESTABLISHED   MARCH,    1875. 


$1.00  per 
Annum. 


Single  Copy 
10  cents. 


Vol.  XVII.         HYDE  PARK,  MASS.,  DECEMBER,  1892. 


No.  12. 


Legends  and  Folk  Lore  Relating  to 
Birds  in  Various   Countries. 


Of  the  many  superstitions  relating  to 
birds,  the  most  numerous  are  those  con- 
nected with  the  domestic  fowls  which 
have  longest  been  in  familiar  association 
with  man.  Next  comes  those  birds  which, 
though  not  domesticated,  are  looked  upon 
with  favor  b}'  mankind  and  which  have 
their  haunts  near  the  homes  of  human 
beings,  birds  which,  for  certain  reasons, 
are  not  only  tolerated  but  have  also  been 
protected  through  unanimous  consent  for 
ages,  as  the  Stork,  Robin  Redbreast  and 
some  others.  Following  these  come  those 
birds  to  which  the  attention  of  man  has 
been  attracted  by  the  peculiar  notes  to 
which  they  give  utterance  or  by  some 
peculiarity  of  action. 

The  fact  that  most  of  the  superstitions 
and  folk  lore  connected  with  birds  relate 
to  such  as  belong  to  the  Old  World  shows 
that  these  notions  are  of  very  slow  growth 
and  are  the  traditions  of  ages.  The  super- 
stitions we  have  in  America  in  regard  to 
birds  relate  only  to  those  of  species  found 
in  the  Old  World,  or  so  like  as  to  have 
been  given  the  same  names.  For  super- 
stitions connected  with  the  birds  of  Amer- 
ica we  must  go  to  the  myths  and  traditions 
of  the  aborigines  of  the  country,  or  to  the 
negroes  transplanted  on  the  continent  as 
savages  from  the  wilds  of  Africa.  Doubt- 
less many  of  the  superstitions  relating  to 
birds  in  the  Old  World  originated  when 
the  white  race  was   still   in   a   savage   or 


semi-savage  state.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that 
educated  and  enlightened  people  never 
originate  any  such  stories  in  regard  to 
birds  and  beasts  nor  endow  them  with 
such  attributes  as  are  given  them  in  the 
folk-lore  of  the  nations,  though  still  pleased 
with  the  poetical  ideas  embodied  in  many 
of  them. 

THE    COCK    AND    HEN. 

'  As  among  the  oldest  of  the  bird  super- 
stitions are  those  relating  to  the  common 
Cock  it  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the 
species  have  longer  been  associated  with 

1  man  in  a  state  of  domestication  than  any 
other  of  the  fowls  of  the  poultry  yard.  In 
the  most  ancient  times,  as  far  back  as 
written  history  reaches,  cocks  were  closely 
watched  and  studied  by  the  Greek  and 
Roman  augurs,  and  their  crowing,  account 
being  taken  of  time  and  place,  interpreted 
for  good  or  evil.  In  the  Bible  the  Cock 
appears  when  Peter  denies  his  Master. 
The  Cock  not  only  lifts  his  voice  in  warn- 
ing to  the  living  but  also  to  the  dead  ;  at 
his  first  crow  in  the  morning  all  ghosts 
that  are  scouting  abroad  in  this  upper 
world  must  hasten  back  to  Hades. 

Mahomet  reported  seeing  in  the  first 
heavens  a  Cock  so  large  that  his  crest 
touched  the  floor  of  the  second  heaven. 
The  crowing  of  this  celestial  bird  arouses 
from  sleep  every  living  creature  except 
man  ;  he  alone  hears  it  not.  When  this 
big  Cock  ceases  to  crow  the  day  of  judg- 
ment will  be  at  hand. 

The  Cock  seen  on  the  spires  of  churches 
is  to  remind  men  not  to  deny  their  Lord. 


Copyright,  1892,  by  Frank  Blake  Webster  Company. 


ITS 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-X0.  1  z 


In  Persia  there  are  lucky  and  unlucky 
hours  for  the  crowing  of  Cocks,  and  the 
Cock  that  crows  at  an  unlucky  hour  is  in- 
stantly killed,  for  there,  as  in  many  other 
countries,  men  and  poultry  "  roost"  in  the 
same  dwelling.  In  Ireland  the  fate  of  the 
Cock  that  crows  out  of  hours  is  not  so  bad. 
He  is  supposed  to  prophecy  some  event 
affecting  the  family,  and  the  mistress  of  the 
house  hastens  to  feel  his  feet.  If  they  are 
cold  a  chill  strikes  her  heart,  for  she  knows 
that  he  predicts  a  death  ;  if  warm  she  re- 
joices, as  she  is  well  aware  that  the  pro- 
phet of  her  home  and  hearth  sees  good  for- 
tune coming  and  has  raised  his  voice  to 
proclaim  it. 

In  one  place  in  Ireland,  howe^er,  no 
Cock  is  ever  heard  to  crow.  That  place 
is  Ballyfay.  The  reason  is  this  :  The  last 
night  that  St.  Columba  was  in  Ireland  he 
lodged  in  Ballyfay.  He  informed  the 
mistress  of  the  house  that  he  must  posi- 
tively leave  her  at  cock-crow  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  woman's  Cock  crowed  very 
early  in  the  night,  awakening  St.  Colum- 
ba, who  departed  wearily,  and  as  he  went 
he  cursed  the  town  in  the  following  words  : 

"  Oh,  luckless  Ballyfay. 

Deprived  of  Chanticleer, 
Evil  to  drive  away, 

And  morning  light  to  cheer  I  " 

Since  that  day  no  Cock  has  ever  been 
heard  to  crow  at  Ballyfay. 

There  are  ten  thousand  stories  in  which 
the  sagacity  and  prophetic  powers  of  the 
Cock  play  an  important  part,  but  all  are 
too  long  to  be  mentioned  here.  We  of 
the  present  day  are  fortunate  in  that  the 
Cock  has  given  over  his  ancient  practice 
of  laying  eggs.  That  fearful  creature,  the 
Cockatrice,  was  produced  from  a  Cock's 
egg  hatched  by  a  serpent.  It  was  a  mon- 
ster with  the  wings  of  a  fowl,  the  tail  of  a 
dragon  and  the  head  of  a  Cock.  The  very 
look  of  this  creature  caused  instant  death. 
The  Cockatrice  is  mentioned  in  the  Bible, 
and  Isaiah  speaks  of  a  time  when  even  the 
"weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the 


Cockatrice's  den."  The  word  "Tsepha" 
or  "  Tsiphoni "  occurs  five  times  in  the 
Bible  ;  three  times  it  is  translated  as  Cock- 
atrice and  twice  as  the  adder. 

The  Hen  is  not  so  highly  honored  as  the 
Cock,  and  her  crowing  is  generally  looked 
upon  as  a  thing  not  to  be  tolerated.  The 
old  adage  asserts  that  — 

"  A  whistling  maid  and  crowing  Hen, 
Are  good  for  neither  God  nor  men." 

The  crowing  of  a  Hen  is  thought  to  be 
unlucky,  and  in  many  places  is  looked 
upon  as  foreboding  death.  A  whistling 
maid  means  a  witch,  who  whistles  like  the 
Lapland  witches  to  call  up  the  winds ; 
they  were  supposed  to  be  in  league  with 
the  devil. 

The  Hen,  however,  is  not  always  pun- 
ished for  crowing.  In  Ireland  the  Cock  is 
believed  to  be  well  aware  of  the  reason  for 
rejoicing  at  Christmas-tide,  since  for  nine 
nights  at  that  season  he  crows  all  night 
long.  In  the  village  of  Carrigan  county, 
Donegal,  lived  a  family  who  possessed  a 
Hen  of  a  disposition  so  pious  that  on 
Christmas  eve  she  imitated  her  rejoicing 
lord  and  crowed  vigorously. 

"Whist,  you  villain  of  a  bird!"  cried 
the  mistress  of  the  house  from  her  bed, 
"just  wait  till  to-morrow  and  I'll  wring 
your  unlucky  neck." 

"Deed  you  will  not !  "  cried  the  master, 
"you'll  no  stir  thou  Hen,  for  she  has  more 
wit  nor  many  a  Christian." 

THE    GOOSE. 

Although  the  very  name  of  the  bird  is 
the  synonym  for  silliness,  yet  the  Goose  has 
been  highly  honored  by  some  people.  In 
Rome  it  was  a  sacred  bird,  as  was  the  Ibis 
among  the  Egyptians.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion that,  when  the  Gauls  invaded  Rome, 
a  detachment  in  single  file  climbed  up  the 
hill  of  the  captial  so  silently  that  the  fore- 
most man  reached  the  top  without  being 
challenged ;  but  when  he  was  striding 
over  the  rampart,  some  sacred  Geese, 
disturbed  by  the   noise,   began   to   cackle 


December,  1S92.J 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


179 


and  awoke  the  garrison.  Marcus  Manlius 
rushed  to  the  wall  and  hurled  the  venture- 
some Gaul  over  the  precipice.  To  com- 
memorate this  event,  the  Romans  carried 
a  golden  goose  in  procession  to  tJie  capi- 
tal every  year. 

In  the  Isle  of  Man  a  fairy  and  wonder- 
ful beauty,  whose  singing  was  so  sweet 
and  fascinating  that'  fishermen  were  con- 
stantly being  enticed  to  follow  her  into  the 
sea,  where  the}'  were  drowned,  to  the  deep 
sorrow  of  the  Manx  maidens  left  pining  on 
the  shore. 

At  last  there  came  forward  from  among 
the  young  men  of  the  island  a  champion 
with  heart  and  soul  duly  steeled  by  prayer 
and  fasting  upon  whom  the  charms  of  the 
Manx  siren  had  no  effect.  He  had  deter- 
mined to  destroy  the  fairy  in  order  to  in- 
sure the  safety  of  his  countrymen  for  all 
time,  but  just  when  he  thought  he  had  her 
in  his  power  she  took  the  form  of  a  Wren 
and  made  her  escape.  The  champion 
then  cast  upon  her  a  spell  which  compels 
her  to  reappear  in  the  form  of  a  Wren  once 
a  year ;  for  this  reason  the  Wrens  are 
hunted  —  it  is  hoped  that  one  of  those 
killed  may  be  the  wicked  fairy. 

MAGPIE    SUPERSTITIONS. 

The  mischievous  Magpie  is  a  bird  of 
both  good  and  evil  omen.  We  are  told 
by  Grose  that  it  is  unlucky  to  see  one 
Magpie  and  afterward  several  others  ;  but 
if  two  Magpies  are  seen  it  is  a  sure  sign  of 
a  wedding  soon  to  come  ;  three  means  a 
prosperous  journey,  and  four  good  news 
will  be  received.  An  old  Scotch  rhyme 
sums  up  all  these  Magpie  signs  as  follows  : 

"  One's  sorrow,  two's  mirth. 
Three's  a  wedding,  four's  a  birth. 
Five's  a  christening,  six  a  dearth, 
Seven's  heaven,  eight  is  hell, 
And  nine  is  the  devil  his  ane  sel." 

In  "Macbeth"  Shakespeare  says: 

"Augurs  and  understood  relations  have 

(by  Magpies,  and  Choughs,  and  Rooks)  brought 

forth 
The  secret'st  man  of  blood." 


In  England  in  1S23,  at  Stogumber,  a 
thing  occurred  that  showed  Shakespeare 
was  not  far  wrong.  A  servant  who  was 
entering  a  field  had  his  attention  attracted 
by  a  Magpie,  which  appeared  to  have  es- 
caped from  a  neighboring  house.  The  bird 
spoke  so  uncommonly  plain  that  the  man 
was  induced  to  follow  it.  "Cheese  for 
Marget,  cheese  for  Marget !  "  was  its  con- 
tinual cry  as  it  hopped  forward,  till  it 
stopped  behind  a  hay-stack  and  began  to 
eat.  On  inspecting  a  number  of  hams,  a 
quantity  of  cheese  and  other  articles  were 
found  in  sacks.  The  finding  of  the  plun- 
der led  to  the  arrest  of  four  men  wanted  for 
a  murder. 

MANY    NOTIONS    ABOUT    THE    RAVEN. 

The  Raven,  a  bird  related  to  the  Mag- 
pie, being  of  the  family  Corvidae,  owing 
to  its  harsh  voice  more  than  to  any  harm 
actually  done  by  it,  is  classed  among  birds 
of  evil  omen.  There  are  an  almost  infin- 
ite number  of  superstitions  and  legends  of 
various  kinds  connected  with  the  Raven. 
More  than  almost  any  other  bird  it  is  men- 
tioned in  the  Bible,  and  also  much  is  said 
of  it  by  the  ancient  writers  of  all  nations. 

A  Raven  was  sent  out  by  Noah  from 
the  ark  to  see  whether  the  waters  were 
abated.  Ravens  were  the  means,  under 
divine  command,  of  supporting  the  pro- 
phet Elijah  at  the  brook  Cherith.  They  are 
expressly  mentioned  as  instances  of  God's 
protecting  love  and  goodness,  as  in  Job  : 
"Who  provideth  for  the  Ravens  his  food.' 
when  his  young  ones  cry  unto  God,  they 
wander  for  lack  of  meat.''  Also  see 
Luke  xii.,  34,  and  Psalm  cxlvii.,  9.  The 
Raven  is  enumerated  with  the  Owl,  Bit- 
tern, etc.,  as  marking  the  desolation  of 
Edom  (Is.,  xxxiv.,  11).  "The  locks  of 
the  beloved"  are  compared  to  the  glossy 
blackness  of  the  Raven's  plumage.  The 
Raven's  carniverous  habits,  and  especially 
his  readiness  to  attack  the  eyes  are  alluded 
to  in  Prov.,  xxx.,  17.     To  the  fact  of  the 


I  So 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  12 


Raven  being  a  common  bird  in  Palestine, 
and  to  its  habit  of  flying  about  restlessly 
in  constant  search'  of  food  to  satisfy  its 
voracious  appetite,  may  perhaps  be  traced 
the  reason  for  its  being  selected  by  the 
Saviour  and  the  inspired  writers  as  the 
special  object  of  God's  providing  care. 

The  notion  of  tlie  bird  being  of  ill  omen 
and  that  it  forebodes  death  and  brings  pes- 
tilence is  probably  much  owing  to  its  habit 
of  following  armies  in  time  of  war.  For 
this  the  bird  is  not  to  blame,  as  its  so  fol- 
lowing armies  is  merely  evidence  that  it 
possesses  sufficient  wisdom  to  know  that 
when  armies  are  afoot  death  is  also  abroad  ; 
and  as  for  the  pestilence,  it  naturally  comes 
after  the  slaughter. 

The  Ravens  were  once  as  white  as  the 
Swans,  and  not  inferior  in  size  ;  but  one 
day  a  Raven  told  Apollo  that  Coronis,  a 
Thessalian  nymph,  whom  he  passionately 
loved,  was  faithless,  and  the  god  shot  the 
nymph  with  his  dart ;  but,  hating  the  tell- 
tale bird, — 

"He  blacked  the  Raven  o'er, 

And  bid  him  prate  in  his  white  plume  no  more." 

Jovianus  Pontanus  tells  of  two  skirm- 
ishes near  Beneventiun,  between  Ravens 
and  Kites,  which  prognosticated  a  great 
battle.  Battles  are  said  also  to  have  been 
thus  foreshadowed  in  many  cases  by  fights 
between  armies  of  Ravens  and  Crows. 
Many  stories  are  told  of  deaths  being  fore- 
told by  Ravens  flying  into  dwellings  or 
alighting  on  their  roofs.  Ravens  fluttering 
about  the  dwelling  of  Cicero  warned  him 
that  the  hour  of  his  death  was  near,  and  it  is 
related  that  a  Raven  entered  the  chamber 
of  the  great  orator  the  very  day  of  his 
murder,  and  pulled  the  clothes  off  his  bed. 

The  "  fatal  Raven,"  consecrated  to  Odin 
the  Danish  war-god,  was  the  emblem  on 
the  Danish  standard.  It  was  embroidered 
"in  one  noontide"  by  the  daughter  of  a 
great  war-chief,  with  magic  spells  which 
gave  it  a  sort  of  life.  If  the  Danes  were 
to  be  victorious  in  a  battle  the  Raven  stood 


erect  and  soaring,  but  if  they  were  des- 
tined to  defeat,  the  bird  hung  his  head  and 
drooped  his  wings. 

The  two  Ravens  of  Odin  were  called 
Hugin  and  Munnin  (Mind  and  Memory). 
They  sat  on  his  shoulders,  and  each  whis- 
pered into  an  ear  of  the  god  of  all  things 
either  of  earth  or  heaven. 

In  Christian  art  Ravens  are  emblems  of 
God's  providence.  St.  Oswald  holds  in 
hand  a  Raven  with  a  ring  in  its  mouth  ; 
St.  Benedict  has  a  Raven  at  his  feet ;  St. 
Paul,  the  Hermit,  is  drawn  with  a  Raven 
bringing  him  a  loaf  of  bread. 

PELICAN    LEGENDS. 

The  Pelican  is  several  times  mentioned 
in  the  Bible.  Of  Edom  it  was  said  that 
the  "Pelican  and  the  Bittern  should  pos- 
sess it."  The  same  words  are  spoken  of 
Ninevah.  The  Pelican  was  probably 
used  as  an  emblem  of  mourning  and  deso- 
lation, because  of  its  general  aspect  as  it 
sits  in  apparent  melancholy  mood,  with 
its  bill  resting  upon  its  breast. 

St.  Hieronymus  gives  the  story  of  the 
Pelican  restoring  its  young  ones  destroyed 
by  serpents,  and  his  salvation  by  the  blood 
of  Christ.  The  "Bestiarium"  say  that 
"  Physiologers  tell  us  that  the  Pelican  is 
very  fond  of  its  brood,  but  when  the  young 
ones  begin  to  grow  they  rebel  against  the 
male  bird  and  so  provoke  his  anger  that 
he  kills  them  ;  the  mother  returns  to  the 
nest  in  three  days,  sits  on  the  dead  birds, 
pours  her  blood  over  them,  revives  them, 
and  they  feed  on  the  blood." 

In  Christian  art  the  Pelican  is  the  sym- 
bol of  charity.  It  is  also  an  emblem  of 
Jesus  Christ,  "by  whose  blood  we  are 
held." 

The  Goose  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
Bible,  though  it  was  probably  known  to 
the  Hebrews,  it  being  common  in  Egypt. 
The  notion  of  silliness  which  attaches  to 
the  Goose  is  very  ancient.  In  the  old 
Egyptian  hieroglyphics  the  emblem  of  a 
vain,  silly  fellow  is  a  Goose. 


December,  189^.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


[Si 


In  regard  to  the  Gustom  which  prevails 
in  Europe  of  having  a  roast  Goose,  at 
Michaehnas,  our  legend  says  that  St. 
Martin  was  tormented  with  a  Goose, 
which  he  finally  killed  and  ate.  As  he 
died  from  the  repast,  good  Christians  have 
ever  since  sacrificed  the  Goose  on  the  day 
of  the  Saint. 

ABOUT    THE    PEACOCK. 

The  Peacock  is  mentioned  in  the  Bible, 
but  it  was  not  known  in  the  Holy  Land 
until  Solomon's  ships  brought  home  from 
Tarshish  specimens  of  the  bird,  together 
with  Apes  and  other  curiosities.  ^Elian 
relates  that  Peacocks  were  brought  into 
Greece  from  some  barbarous  country,  and 
says  they  were  held  in  such  high  estima- 
tion that  a  pair  were  valued  at  Athens  at 
1000  drachma:^  or  over  $160.  Their 
next  step  might  be  to  Samos,  where  they 
were  preserved  about  the  temple  of  Juno, 
being  the  birds  sacred  to  that  goddess. 
In  ancient  times  Peacocks'  crests  were 
among  the  ornaments  of  the  Kings  of 
England.  The  pride  of  the  Peacock  when 
in  full  feather  is  proverbial.  The  fabled 
incorruptibility  of  the  Peacock's  flesh, 
caused  the  bird  to  be  adapted  as  a  type  of 
the  resurrection.  "By  peacock"  was  at 
one  time  an  oath  esteemed  as  sacred. 

Peacock  feathers  are  again  condemned 
as  unlucky.  There  was  such  superstition 
in  old  times,  but  it  faded  out,  and  during 
the  first  part  of  the  present  century  Pea- 
cock feathers  were  again  in  high  repute  ; 
however,  the  old  superstition  has  been 
revived  and  there  is  now  no  sale  for  the 
feathers. 

A  year  or  two  ago,  in  order  to  prove 
the  folly  of  this  superstition,  Daniel  Hod- 
not  of  Long  Branch,  brother-in-law  of  the 
late  Daniel  Liddv,  brought  home  from 
Europe  a  screen  made  of  Peacock  feathers. 
He  told  his  wife  of  the  prevailing  super- 
stition and  said  they  would  disprove  the 
commonly  received  notion.      She  said  the 


superstition  did  not  disturb  her.  Since 
then  Mr.  Hodnot's  house  has  several  times 
marvelously  escaped  destruction  by  fire  ;  a 
valuable  dog  of  his  died  without  apparent 
cause ;  burglars  have  entered  the  place 
and  stolen  valuables,  and  both  Mr.  Liddy 
and  Mr.  Hodnot  have  died.  Finally  there 
was  a  lawsuit  to  contest  Mr.  Liddy's  will. 
In  the  neighborhood  of  Long  Branch  Pea- 
cock feathers  are  now  no  more  popular 
than  before  the  test  was  made. 

PIGEON    LEGENDS    AND    SUPERSTITIONS. 

The  Pigeon  or  Dove  having  been  asso- 
ciated with  man  from  the  earliest  times, 
there  are  many  legends  connected  with  it. 
We  read  of  the  Dove  in  the  time  of  Noah. 
Two  black  Pigeon?  are  said  to  have  taken 
their  flight  from  Thebes,  in  Egypt ;  one 
flew  to  Libya,  and  the  other  to  Dodona 
in  Greece.  On  the  spot  where  the  former 
alighted,  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Ammon 
was  erected  ;  in  the  place  where  the  other 
settled,  the  oracle  of  Jupiter  was  estab- 
lished, and  there  the  responses  were  made 
by  the  black  Pigeons  that  inhabited  the 
surrounding  groves. 

Mahomet  had  a  Pigeon  that  was  taught 
to  pick  grains  of  wheat  from  his  ear,  in 
order  that  it  might  be  thought  that  the 
bird  brought  him  communications  from 
heaven. 

There  was  an  old  superstition  that  one 
sprinkled  with  the  blood  of  a  Pigeon 
would  never  die  a  natural  death.  This 
notion  is  said  to  have  originated  as  fol- 
lows :  A  sculptor  carrying  home  a  bust  of 
Charles  I.  stopped  to  rest  on  the  way  ;  at 
the  moment  a  Pigeon  overhead  was  struck 
by  a  Hawk,  and  the  blood  of  the  bird  fell 
on  the  neck  of  the  bust.  The  sculptor 
thought  this  ominous,  and  after  the  king 
was  beheaded  the  incident  was  given  a 
place  among  the  popular  superstitions  of 
the  time. 

As  regards  the  Dove  there  is  no  end  of 
popular  superstitions  and  an  abundance  of 
folk  lore. 


iS- 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-N0.  12 


THE    ROBIN. 

In  regard  to  the  Robin  Redbreast  there 
is  a  tradition  that,  while  the  Saviour  was 
on  his  way  to  Calvary,  a  Robin  plucked 
a  tlioni  out  of  his  crown,  and  the  blood 
which  issued  from  the  wound  falling 
upon  the  bird  dyed  its  breast  with  red. 

A    popular   notion    long   jDrevailed   that 

the    Robin   will     cover   with     leaves    any 

dead  person  whom   it   may  find,   and  we 

see  this  superstition   made   use   of  in   the 

story  of  the  "Babes  in  the  Wood."     An 

old  rhyme  says  : 

The  Robin  and  the  Wren 
Are  God's  Cock  and  Hen. 

THE    WREN    A    PERSECUTED    BIRD. 

The  poor  Wren,  however,  does  not  find 
that  protection  in  Britain,  outside  of  Eng- 
land, that  is  almost  universally  accorded 
the  Robin.  In  Ireland  the  Wren  is  relent- 
lessly hunted  down  by  more  than  half  the 
people.  Every  Catholic  among  the  lower 
classes  kills  a  Wren  whenever  he  gets  a 
chance.  They  do  not  often  give  a  stranger 
the  true  reason  for  the  animosity  they 
cherish  against  the  bird,  merely  saying: 
"The  Wren  has  a  drop  o'  the  diel's  blood 
in  it." 

According  to  the  best  authorities,  the 
real  reason  for  the  rage  against  the  Wren 
is  found  in  the  legend  that  relates  that  in 
one  of  the  rebellions  a  party  of  Protestant 
soldiers,  overcome  with  fatigue,  lay  down 
in  a  deep  glen  and  soon  sentinels  and  all 
were  sound  asleep.  The  rebels  had  been 
on  the  watch  and  soon  were  creeping  for- 
Avard  to  surprise  the  sleeping  men.  At 
the  critical  moment,  however,  a  Wren 
tapped  three  times  with  its  beak  on  the 
Protestant  drum,  awakening  the  drummer- 
boy,  who  sounded  an  alarm,  when  the 
assailants  were  smitten  "  hip  and  thigh" 
and  ignominiously  routed. 

In  the  south  of  Ireland,  on  St.  Stephen's 
Day,  boys  carry  a  Wren  about  in  a  furze- 
bush,  which  is  decorated  with  ribbons. 
They  shout,  sing  and  dance  as   they  pass 


along.  Later  in  the  day,  when  they  have 
killed  the  Wren,  they  knock  at  all  the 
doors  in  the  village  and  neighborhood, 
saying  the  Wren  is  in  its  coffin,  and  they 
want  money  to  bury  it. 

Curiously  enough,  the  Wren  is  hunted 
in  the  same  relentless  way  in  the  Isle  of 
Man  on  St.  Stephen's  Day.  When  a 
Wren  has  been  caught  it  is  carried  about 
on  a  pole  and  several  curious  ceremonies 
are  performed.  At  last  the  bird  is  killed 
and  buried  in  the  village  churchyard.  A 
feather  taken  from  a  Wren  killed  on  one 
of  these  occasions  is  thought  to  be  a  sure 
charm  against  shipwreck  and  drowning, 
and  good  for  twelve  months.  Formerly 
no  Manx  fisherman  would  think  of  putting 
to  sea  without  his  Wren  feather. 

At  the  first  glance  one  is  vniable  to  see 
why  the  fisherman  should  look  for  protec- 
tion in  the  feather  of  a  Wren.  Just  here, 
however,  comes  in  a  legend  whicii  doubt- 
less affords  the  explanation.  The  story  is 
that  at  one  time  tliere  dwelt 

THE    SACRED    BIRD    OF    THE    EGYPTIANS. 

The  Ibis,  the  sacred  bird  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, is  the  avator  or  incarnation  of  the 
god  Thoth,  who  in  the  guise  of  an  Ibis 
escaped  the  pursuit  of  Typhon.  It  was 
said  to  drink  only  the  purest  of  water,  and 
its  feathers  to  scare  and  even  kill  the  croc- 
odile. It  is  also  said  that  the  bird  is  so 
fond  of  Egypt  that  it  would  pine  to  death 
if  taken  elsewhere.  It  was  reported  to 
destoy  the  eggs  of  the  Crocodile,  to  devour 
serpents  and  kill  all  manner  of  noxious 
reptiles.  The  Egyptians  made  it  death 
to  kill  one  of  those  birds,  even  by  accident. 
They  say  its  plumage  symbolizes  the  light 
of  the  sun  and  the  shadow  of  the  moon, 
its  body  a  heart,  and  its  legs  a  triangle. 
The  bodies  of  tens  of  thousands  of  these 
birds  are  found  as  embalmed  in  ancient 
times.  The  Egyptian  name  of  the  bird 
was  "Hip."  The  Ibis  is  still  found  in 
Egypt.  The  Arabs  call  it  "Abou-men- 
gel"  —  Father  of  the  Sickle.     In   Lower 


December,  1S93.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


183 


Ethiopia,  where  Bruce  found  the  bird, 
it  was  called  "  Abou-hannes"  —  Father 
John.  In  ancient  times  the  Ibis  was  so 
venerated  and  was  so  free  from  molesta- 
tion that  it  entered  even  the  most  sacred 
temples  with  impunity. 

THE    STORK. 

The  Stork  is  mentioned  in  the  Bible  in 
several  places.  It  is  in  various  coun- 
tries regarded  as  a  sacred  bird.  It  was 
among  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans, 
as  among  the  Hebrews,  a  type  of  pater- 
nal and  filial  attachment.  It  was  believed 
that  the  young  repaid  the  care  of  their 
parents  by  remaining  with  them  tlirough 
life  and  tending  them  in  old  age.  In 
proof  of  this  there  are  many  stories.  In 
some  countries  the  Storks  are  believed  by 
the  children  to  bring  all  the  little  babies 
from  heaven. 

According  to  the  Swedish  legend,  the 
Stork  received  its  name  from  flying  around 
the  cross  of  the  crucified  Redeemer, 
crying  "  Styrka  !  Styrka  !  "  (Strengthen  ! 
strengthen!)  This  sounds  well,  but  the 
fact  is  that  the  Stork  has  no  voice.  The 
only  sound  it  makes  is  by  snapping  Its  bill 
castenet  fashion.  We  have  all  seen  pic- 
tures of  the  strong  young  Storks  carrying 
their  aged  parents  south  on  their  beaks  in 
order  that  they  might  still  have  the  benefit 
of  a  warm  summer  climate  in  their  old 
age. 

THE    SWALLOW. 

The  Swallow,  according  to  Scandina- 
vian tradition,  was  also  at  the  crucifixion. 
It  is  said  to  have  hovered  over  the  cross 
of  the  Saviour,  crying  "  Svala  !  Svala  !  " 
(Console!  console!)  whence  it  was  called 
"  Svalow,"  the  bird  of  consolation. 

It  was  a  Roman  superstition  that  it  was 
lucky  for  the  Swallow  to  build  about  one's 
house.  Aelian  says  the  Swallow  was  sa- 
cred to  the  Penates  or  household  gods, 
therefore  to  injure  one  would  be  to  bring 
wrath  upon  your  house. 


The  Swallow  is  said  to  bring  home 
from  the  seashore  a  stone  that  gives  sight 
to  her  fledglings.  This  curious  fact  in 
natural  history  is  thus  mentioned  by  Long- 
fellow in  "  Evangline  :  " 

"  Seeking  with  eager  eyes  that  wondrous  stone 

wliich  tlie  Swallow 
Brings  from  the  shore  of  the  sea  to  restore  the 

sight  of  its  i^edglings." 

ABOUT    THE    SWAX. 

There  are  many  legends  and  supersti- 
tions relating  to  the  Swan.  It  is  said  that 
Flonnuala,  daughter  of  Lir,  was  trans- 
formed into  a  Swan  and  condemned  to 
wander  for  many  himdred  years  over  the 
lakes  and  rivers  of  Ireland  till  the  intro- 
duction of  Christianity  into  that  island. 

Erman,  "Travels  in  Siberia,"  says  of 
the  Swan:  "This  bird,  when  wounded, 
pours  forth  its  last  breath  in  notes  most 
beautifully  clear  and  loud."  Another 
writer  says,  "Its  note  resembles  the  tones 
of  a  violin,  though  somewhat  higher. 
Each  note  occurs  after  a  long  interval. 
The  music  presages  a  thaw  in  the  cold 
northern  countries,  hence  one  of  its  great- 
est charms." 

In  "  Othello,"  Emily  says  :  "  I  will  play 
the  Swan  and  die  in  music."  And  in 
ancient  times  every  knight  chose  one  of 
these  birds,  which  was  associated  with 
God,  the  Virgin,  and  his  lady-love  in  his 
oath. 

CUCKOO    LORE. 

In  regard  to  the  Cuckoo   the   folk-lore 

and   superstitions    are    inexhaustible.       In 

England,  once  the  Cuckoo  arrives,  it  must 

eat  three  meals  of  cherries  before  it  ceases 

its  song.      Then  it  is  said  — 

"  The  first  cock  of  hay 
Frights  the  Cuckoo  away." 

After  St.  John's  Day  the  Cuckoo  turns 
into  a  Hawk.  Gamekeepers  are  deadly 
enemies  of  the  Cuckoo  for  this  reason, 
and  shoot  them  on  sight.  It  is  also  sup- 
posed that  the  Cuckoo  sucks  the  eggs  of 
other  birds  to  make  her  voice  clear.     If  a 


1 84 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  17-No.  12 


man  desires  a  good  fortune,  he  turns  what- 
ever money  he  has  in  his  pocket  on  tirst 
liearing  the  Cuckoo.  The  Cuckoo  tells 
the  length  of  life,  and  also  can  inform 
maidens  how  many  years  tiiey  will  remain 
single. 

The  farmers  iiave  many  Cuckoo  prov- 
erbs, such  as  — 

"When  Cuckoo  calls  on  tlie  buret  horn 
Sell  voiir  cow  and  buv  _\oui-  corn." 

And  — 

'•Cuckoo  oats  and  woodcock  ha\' 
Make  a  farmer  run  awav." 

Natuialists  say  the  Cuckoo,  .in  depo.sit- 
ing  her  eggs  in  the  nests  of  other  birds, 
first  lays  them  on  the  ground,  then  carries 
them  in  her  mouth  and  places  them  in  the 
nest  to  be  hatched  by  the  stranger  bird. 

oi-   Tin-:   i-:.\gij:. 

The  Eagle  is  frequently  mentioned  in 
the  Old  Testament.  At  least  four  distinct 
kinds  of  Eagles  have  been  observed  in 
Palestine,  among  which  are  the  golden, 
the  imperial  and  the  spotted.  It  is  also 
supposed  that  the  Griffon  Vulture  was 
sometimes  spoken  of  as  an  Eagle,  as  in 
passages  like  "Enlarge  thy  boldness  like 
the  Eagle." 

The  Eagle  is  emblematic  of  St.  John 
the  evangelist,  because,  like  the  Eagle, 
he  looked  on  the  "sun  of  glory."  The 
Romans  used  to  let  an  Eagle  fly  from 
the  funeral  pile  of  a  deceased  Emperor. 
Dryden  alludes  to  the  custom  in  his 
stanzas  on  Oliver  Cromwell,  after  his 
funeral,  when  he  says,  officious  haste 
"did  let  too  soon  the  sacred  Eagle  fly." 

"Thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the 
Eagle's"  is  a  saying  founded  on  the 
superstition  that  every  ten  years  the 
Eagle  soars  into  the  "fiery  region,"  and 
plunges  thence  into  the  sea,  where, 
moulting  its  feathers,  it  acquires  new  life. 

BIRDS    OF    EVIL    OMEN. 

Crows  are  considered  unlucky  if  seen 
on    the   left   of  the   observer ;    and    where 


one  flies  over  a  house,  at  the  same  time 
croaking  thrice,  it  is  said  to  prognosticate 
the  death  of  one  of  the  inmates.  The 
hooting  of  the  Owl  is  in  some  countries 
considered  an  omen  of  evil,  while  in 
others,  where  Owls  abound,  the  hoot  of 
the  bird  means  nothing  worse  than  a 
change  of  weather.  For  a  white  Pigeon 
to  enter  a  house  is  in  many  places  looked 
upon  as  a  warning  of  a  death  in  the  fam- 
ily, and  it  is  the  same  when  the  Pigeon 
comes  and  flutters  at  a  window. 

There  are  superstitious  notions  and 
legends  connected  with  many  other  birds, 
but  space  forbids  pursuing  the  subject 
further  at  this  time.  —  J)an  Dc  .'i)/u'/lc  in 
"  Salt  Lake   City  Trih/u/c:' 

Late  Nesting  of  the  Bob  White. 


During  the  fall  and  winter  of  iS9i-i8c)3 
the  ORNiiiioi-OGiST  AND  OoLOGiST  Con- 
tained several  records  of  late  nesting  of 
the  Bob  White. 

I  agree  with  Mr.  P.  B.  Peal)ody,  in  re- 
gard to  his  statement,  "Nobody  has 
touched,  as  yet,  the  bottom  mark  as  to 
latest  normal  nesting  date  of  the  Bob 
White."  In  fact,  I  said  the  same  in  sub- 
stance in  my  article  in  the  January,  1892, 
Ornithologist  and  Oologisi". 

My  cousin  W.  F.  Hoag,  of  Blue  Rapids, 
Marshall  County,  Kansas,  again  sends  me 
eggs,  with  data  of  two  instances  of  late 
nesting  of  the  Q]iail.  One  of  them  beats 
his  1889  nest,  recorded  by  me  in  the  Jan- 
uary Ornithologist  and  Oologist,  by- 
several  days. 

Nest  No.  I.  Found  September  32, 
built  in  a  corn-field,  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  of 
corn,  contained  ten  eggs  of  the  Bob  White 
and  one  of  the  domestic  lien,  incubation 
about  two  thirds  advanced.  The  nest  was 
about  ten  rods  from  a  farm  house,  which 
explains  the  presence  of  the  hen's  egg. 

Nest  No.  2  was  found  September  33, 
built  in  the  prairie  grass,  and  run  over  by 
the     mower     before     discovered,     which 


December,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


1S5 


crushed  all  the  eggs  excepting  four.  As 
near  as  could  be  ascertained,  the  set  con- 
sisted of  fifteen  eggs.  Incubation  postive- 
ly  not  over  one  third  advanced.  Allow- 
ing tw^enty  days  to  be  the  period  of  incu- 
bation, the  chicks  would  not  have  left  the 
shells  before  October  6  at  least. 

Benjannii  Hoag. 
Stej^hentown,  New  York. 


In  Good  Greenwood. —  III. 


Like  all  hunters  wlio  have  grown  gray 
in  the  good  greenwood,  there  are  some 
little  spots  which  are  dear  to  my  heart. 
This  is  not  always  on  account  of  any  deed 
of  prowess  or  particular  streak  of  good 
luck  that  has  happened  them,  but  an  un- 
definable  something  makes  them  seem 
particularly  my  own.  There  is  Alligator 
Head  Pond,  for  instance.  I  first  came  to 
It  in  the  winter.  Tliere  had  been  a  good 
deal  of  rain,  the  pond  was  tipping  full 
away  up  among  the  bushes  on  the  bank 
and  the  water  had  the  black-red,  mysteri- 
ous deep  look  of  woodland  ponds  after  a 
rain.  Not  a  ripple  marred  the  surface. 
A  black  Vulture  on  one  dead  stub  and  a 
Kingfisher  on  another  were  all  the  signs 
of  life.  I  waited  about  an  hour  hoping 
for  some  Ducks  to  come  in,  but  I  was  dis- 
appointed and  went  back  to  camp  before 
dark.  All  night  long,  as  I  smoked  and 
dozed  over  my  fire,  the  little  pond  would 
keep  picturing  itself  to  my  mind's  eye. 

The  next  time  I  went  there  was  in  the 
spring.  There  had  been  a  long  drought, 
and  only  a  few  little  reeking  pools  were 
left  full  of  green  slime  and  young  Alliga- 
tors. The  stub  —  a  dead  cedar  —  where  I 
had  seen  the  Kingfisher  was  covered  with 
Snowy  Herons  and  I  went  home  with 
nine  of  them.  That  year  I  often  visited 
it,  with  varying  luck.  Sometimes  it  was 
the  Snowys  that  rewarded  my  patient 
watching.  Then  it  would  be  other  Herons, 
Teal,  Wood   Duck,  a  Rabbit  or   a   Coon. 


Later  in  the  season  the  great  wood  Ibis 
congregated  there  in  the  afternoon,  and  I 
spent  many  delightful  hours  watching 
their  uncouth  gambols  and  studying  posi- 
tions for  future  taxidermal  work.  The 
Gallinules  and  Rails  also  proved  excellent 
and  instructive  subjects  for  observation, 
and  so  did  a  big  old  Alligator  that  took 
his  siesta  of  a  hot  day  about  twenty  feet 
in  front  of  my  favorite  hiding  spot.  Once 
I  skulked  round  the  back  of  the  pond  and 
took  a  shot  at  a  big  Egret.  As  the  gun 
went  off  my  Alligator  rushed  for  the  water, 
knocked  me  and  my  gun  both  promiscu- 
ously in  with  him  and  got  off  scot  free.  I 
lemember  the  expression  of  his  eyes  as  he 
watched  me  afterwards  while  I  was  wip- 
ing off  the  gun  and  scouping  mud  from 
my  own  person.  He  really  seemed  to  be 
enjoying  the  joke  he  had  played  off  on  me 
and  I  was  so  mad  I  would  have  killed  him 
if  I  could  have  found  any  shot  suitable  for 
his  tough  hide. 

Another  beautiful  picture  was  furnished 
me  here  the  next  winter  on  a  deer  hunt. 
The  pond  was  still  dry  and  I  had  been 
trailing  slowly  for  about  an  hour  when  the 
two  or  three  big  jumps  that  the  buck  made 
from  a  slow  track  told  me  that  he  had 
taken  up  his  bed  not  far  away.  I  had 
been  keeping  the  dogs  in  all  the  time  and 
they  were  very  eager,  so  I  sent  them  round 
the  far  edge  of  the  pond  in  charge  of  old 
driver  Joe  and  took  my  stand  right  at  the 
head.  Soon  they  opened  —  first  Dora, 
then  Damon  and  Cora,  and  down  they 
came  with  a  rush  —  Jack,  the  bull  pup, 
close  behind,  and  a  pretty  buck  was  close 
on  me  before  I  saw  him.  I  whooped  and 
turned  him  for  a  side  shot,  but  he  was  in 
the  cover  when  the  gun  cried,  and  I  could 
not  tell  whether  I  had  touched  him  until 
the  dogs  had  him  down.  Both  his  hind 
legs  were  broken  at  the  hip  joint,  but  he 
sat  there  with  his  back  in  a  thick  bush  and 
knocked  the  beagles  about  with  all  the 
ease  in  the  world.     But  little  Jack  was  of 


1 86 


ORNITHOLOGIST 


[Vol.  1 7-N0.  iz 


different  stuff",  and  though  he  got  slatted 
about  in  the  hardest  fashion,  he  never  let 
go  the  ear  that  he  fastened  until  I  got  in 
with  my  knife  and  settled  matters  down  to 
peace  and  quietness. 

These  three  little  black  and  tan  hounds, 
with  the  bull  pup,  were  as  smart  a  pack 
as  I  ever  Jiandled.  Faster  ones  I  have 
often  had,  but  truer  or  stancher  never. 
Jack  ran  with  them  till  the  day  of  his 
death  and  was  a  famous  assistant.  His 
favorite  hold  was  the  ear,  but  failing  in 
that  he  would  stick  his  teeth  anywhere. 
1  have  seen  him  dangling  for  a  dozen  rods 
on  a  doe's  tail.  A  bull  pup  running  with 
beagles  I  think  is  something  unique  in  the 
annals  of  deer  hunting. 

This  is  enough  I  suppose  about  Alliga- 
tor Head  Pond.  I  hope  I  may  see  it  again. 
And  if,  as  many  people  believe,  our  ghosts 
love  to  visit  the  places  that  have  been  dear 
to  us  when  we  were  on  the  earth,  I  know 
that  mine  will  often  float  over  Alligator 
Head  Pond  and  listen  to  the  wind  whisper- 
ing in  its  bordering  grasses. 

Robert  Cargan 

Notes  from  Delta  Co.,  Michigan. 


Noticing  W.  C.  B.'s  article  in  October 
Ornithologist  axd  Oologist  about  the 
Sand  Hill  Cranes  in  Michigan,  I  would 
say  that  I  have  observed  1 2  of  these  birds 
in  this  and  Schoolcraft  County.  Two 
of  these  are  now  on  wires.  Evidently 
they  breed  hei'e,  as  they  have  been  with  us 
all  summer. 

The  Great  Blues  are  common  here  ;  they 
breed. 

I  have  observed  ten  or  twelve  Golden 
Eagles  here  ;  they  breed. 

On  September  30  I  saw  eight  of  these 
birds,  two  Bald  Heads  and  about  fifty 
or  sixty  Ravens  around  a  dead  deer.  I 
drove  up  and  stopped,  but  none  flew  away 
far,  merely  flying  up  on  stubs  and  trees, 
whichever  happened  to  be  handy.  It  was 
the  prettiest  bird  show  I  ever  saw.     The 


next  day  I  had  very  urgent  business  in  the 
same  direction,  only  I  had  a  three-barreled 
Charles  Daly  with  me  for  company.  My 
collection  is  three  specimens  better  for  the 
trip. 

The  Bald  Heads  breed  here.  I  peeped 
into  three  of  their  nests  this  last  season. 
One  set  of  two  was  too  far  gone ;  of  one 
other  set  of  two  eggs  one  was  saved  and 
one  broken  ;  the  third  nest  another  collec- 
tor had  shot  and  stuffed  both  birds  before 
any  eggs  were  laid. 

I  only  know  of  one  nest  of  the  Golden 
Eagle.  I  have  not  explored  that  yet,  but 
intend  to  next  season.  Did  not  learn  of 
its  whereabouts  until  too  late  this  year. 

Ravens  are  abundant  here  ;  they  breed. 

Spruce  Partridge  are  quite  common ; 
they  breed. 

Saw  a  small  flock  of  Evening  Grosbeaks 
last  February  ;  secured  one  $  and  two  5 , 
which  I  mounted. 

Pine  Grosbeaks  are  not  rare  in  winter, 
but  not  abundant. 

Am.  Crossbills  are  abundant,  reminding 
one  of  the  English  Sparrow,  as  they  sit  on 
boxes,  barrels  and  trees  around  the  lum- 
ber camps,  at  least  in  numbers  if  not  in 
song  and  color.  They  are  so  tame  that 
the  men  often  catch  them  in  their  hands 
and  they  occasionally  are  shut  in  the  camps 
and  caught  that  way. 

In  the  winter  of  1S90  there  were  plenty 
of  Redpolls.  Last  winter  I  observed  none 
whatever. 

The  Canada  Jay  is  an  occasional  visitor 
and  will  fly  down  and  eat  the  scraps  of 
fat  salt  pork  with  as  much  lelish  as  a 
Robin  would  a  nice  fresh  cherry.  When 
time  permits,  I  will  give  you  a  list  of  birds 
observed  in  this  peninsula. 

Ed.    Van    Winkle. 

Van's  Harbor,  Michigan. 


Subscribe  for  Oliver  Davie's  new  work 
on  Taxidermy.  Seventy-five  full-page 
plates.     Ornithologist  and  Oologist. 


December,  1S92.] 


AND    OOLOGIST. 


ORNITHOLOGISTrI^^OOLOGIST 

A   MONTHLY    MAGAZINE   OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY   DEVOTED   TO  THE  STUDY  OF 

BIRDS, 

THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS, 

AND  TO   THE 

INTERESTS  OF  NATURALISTS. 


Under  the  Editorial  Management  of 
FRANK  B.  WEBSTER,       .        .        .        Hyde  Park,  Mass. 
J.  PARKER  NORRIS,  .        .        .  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


PCBLISHED   AT  THE 

MUSEUM    AND    NATURALISTS'    SUPPLY    DEPOT 

OF   THE 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 

INCORPORATED, 

HYDE  PARK,  MASS. 


ing  Davie's  "Nest  and  Eggs."  We  find 
that  many  of  the  old  standby  taxidermists 
are  buying  it,  and  subscribing  to  Mr. 
Davie's  forthcoming  work. 

Louisiana  Tanager  taken  at  Ne'w 
Haven,  Conn. 


The  O.  &  O.  is  mailed  each  issue  to  every  paid  subscriber. 
If  you  fail  to  receive  it,  notify  us. 


The  compliments  of  the  season  to  you, 
one  and  all.  May  1S93  be  a  year  of  hap- 
piness and  prosperity. 

A  great  many  subscriptions  expire 
with  this  issue.  The  names  of  those 
whom  we  do  not  hear  from  before  the 
January's  Issue  is  ready  will  be  dropped 
from  the  list.  A  notice  will  be  sent  to  all 
this  month,  and  we  hope  for  a  general 
response. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  "  Hornaday's  Tax- 
idermy" was  the  event  of  1S92,  and  that 
Oliver  Davie's  will  be  of  1S93.  The 
names  of  these  two  authors  will  never  be 
lost  to  the  American  naturalists. 


Since  I  wrote  to  you  I  have  made  one 
of  the  best  captures  that  I  ever  obtained, — 
a  Louisiana  Tanager,  Jun  $ ,  on  Dec.  15. 
It  was  unmistakably  a  wild  bird,  unusu- 
ally active  and  noisy.  It  was  shot  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  city  here.  It  is  rather 
smaller  than  the  Scarlet  Tanager,  meas- 
uring as  follows  : 

Length,  6^  in.,  extent  9^  In.,  wing 
3^  in.  tail  2}^  in.,  tarsas  and  toe  and  nail 
i^  in. 

Bill  is  orange  color  below,  dark  above  ; 
leg  bluish.  Two  well  marked  bands 
across  wings,  upper  one  pale  yellow, 
lower  yellowish  white.  I  exhibited  the 
bird  to  several  friends,  while  still  in  the 
flesh,  as  positive  proof  of  Its  actual  occur- 
ence here.  This  adds  a  new  bird  to  this 
state,  and  I  think  the  only  other  New 
England  record  is  the  specimen  taken  at 
Lvnn,  Mass.,  January  20,  187S. 

W.  H.  Flint. 

New  Haven,  Conn. 

Phoebe  Nesting  in  Bank   Swallows' 
Burrows. 


Can'any  of  the  readers  inform  me  how 
young  alligators  are  fed  when  in  freedom.^ 
Last  winter  I  had  a  pair  that  were  about 
ten  months  old,  and  all  the  winter  and 
spring  I  had  to  feed  them  by  scraping  raw 
beef,  and  putting  the  scrapings  down  their 
throats  myself,  which,  of  course  is  some- 
thing the  mother  cannot  do.  A.  B. 

"  Hornaday's  Taxidermy,"  price  $2.50. 
We  have  sold  more  copies  of  this  work 
during  1S92  than  any  other  work  except- 


On  May  22  of  the  present  year,  as  my 
friend  Mr.  H.  Dinsmore  and  myself  were 
walking  along  the  bank  of  the  PIscstaquog 
river,  we  observed  a  Phoebe  fly  suddenly 
from  under  our  feet.  We  investigated  the 
matter  and  found  an  old  deserted  Bank 
Swallow  colony,  which  I  should  judge,  by 
the  condition  of  the  tunnels,  to  have  been 
vacant  for  several  years.  In  one  of  these 
holes  about  a  foot  from  the  entrance  was 
the  nest  of  the  Phoebe,  containing  two 
young,  just  hatched,  and  two  eggs. 

Ai'tJnir  31.  Farmer. 

Amoskeag,  N.H. 


ATTENTION,    COLLECTORS   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

FREDERICK    L.  SMALL,   MANAGER, 
PASADENA,   PASCO  COUNTY,   FLORIDA, 


Will  give  his  jicrsontil  attention  and  assistance  to  all.     ( iame  and  Fish  plcntiii 

Icfnis  low. 


I.ocrition  pcrt'ect  i,ir  seciiiinj;  health. 


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1. 20 


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terms.  JAMES  P.  liAl'.BlTT, 

[Q  Hodges  .\venuc,   Taunton,  Mass. 

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The  Sportsman  and   Tourist  is  a  very  pcipidar  niaga/'ine. 

For  Sale. 

ANTELOPK  Skins  in  condition  to  mount,  from 
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cimens or  unvthing  we  can  use.  Can  furnish  to 
order  fine  winter  Skins  of  ]?adger  and  Covote  for 
mounting.  \VM.  HOWLING  cV   SOX. 

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Exchange. 

FIRST-CLASS  European  (Swedish  and  Lap- 
landish)  Eggs  in  exchange  for  same  quality 
of  properlv  identified  North  American  Eggs. 
G.  ROZVCKI, 
1337  L  Street,  N.W.,  W.\siiixgtox.  D.C. 


TAXIDERMY  —  Wehster's,  vols.  10  and  11  O.  &  O. 
illustrated       .         .         .         .         . 

Batty's,  illustrated    ... 

Maynard's         .... 

Hornaday's        .... 
NEST    EGGS  —  Davies',  cloth 

Davies',  paper 


FILL    SIZES. 


LOW    TRICKS. 


BIRDS  — 
BUTTERFLIES- 


Maynard's,  cloth 
Capen's,  colored 
Coues'  Key 
Ridg\vay's  Manual 
—Maynard's  (N.A.) 
Maynard's  (New  England) 
French's  (Eastern  U.S.) 
Harris'  Insects 
Harris'  Insects,  colored    . 
Packard's 


t>2  00 
I  50 

1  25 

2  50 

I  75 
I  25 

I  75 
15  00 

7  50 
7  50 

1  50 
6  50 

2  00 

4  50 
6  50 


BEST    CyjALITY. 

Also  Taxidermist.s'  Supplies  and  Papier 
Mache  Heads. 
Send  for  Catalogue. 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 

Hyde  P.\rk,  M.ass. 


FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


Avery  choice'  lot  of  BIRDS'  EGGS.     Large 
stock  to  select  from  and  prices  low.   Christ- 
mas Bulletin  out  and  New  Year  edition  will  be 
issued  Jan.  5.     I  have  a  few  choice  sets  of  Eggs 
to  exchange  for  Minerals  or  Bird  Skins.    Address 
WALTER  F.  WEBB,  Geneva,  N.Y. 


Vol  XVII, 


JANUARY,     1892 


FEB  8 

No, 


Entered  at  Hyde  Park  Post  Office  as  Second-Class  Matter. 


CONTENTS. 

VOL.    XVI 1,    NO.    1,   JANUARY,    1892. 


A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Kentucky  Warbler J.  P.  N 1 

How  I  Prepare  Eggs Charles  E.  Hoyle ■{ 

A  Sunny  Day  in  Winter S.  J<.  Ingersoll 4 

A  Day's  Trip  to  Ipswich  Beaeh C.  E.  Brown •■ 

Ornithology  and  Meteorology Harry  (iordon  White 7 

A  Rainy  Day  in  the  Woods C.  E.  Hrown 7 

Habits  of  the  Terns Fred  L.  Small 8 

Late  Nesting  of  the  Bob-white Benjamin  Hoag                     « 

The  Frigate-bird .    Michelet 8 

Brief  Notes <) 

Correspondence I.s 

New  Publications n 


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Paul  Leverkuhn,  M.  C;  C.  M.  Z.  S.,  of  Munich. 

This  book  is  a  complete  epitome  of  the  subject  and  has  been  highly 
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DKALEE   IN 


BIRDS'   SKINS   AND  EGGS, 

BROWNSVILLE,  TEXAS, 

Will  give  special  attention  to  the  collection,  for 
scientific  purposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles, 
native  to  the  interior  and  border  of  Mexico,  and  will 
furnish  careful  data  in  regard  to  same 

Correspondence  respectfully  solicited. 

FRANK    B.   ARMSTRONG. 


WHAT 


A  DIME    WILL    DOf 


H.  H.  &  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

RALEIGH,  N.C., 

COLLECTORS. 

First-class  Bird  and  Mammal  Skins  and  Eggs.  Full 
data  in  all  cases.    Write  for  Price  List. 

Thaddeus    Surber, 

Taxidermist, 

Collector  of  Birds  and  Mammals 

WHITE  SULPHUR  SPRINGS,   W.  VA. 

Orders  for  Skins,  Xests  and  Eggs  of  the  new  sub- 
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EIGHTH     EDITION. 

REVISED    AND   ENLARGED. 

N.B.— The  Hoii.a'opathic  Annual  (Directory  and  Ref- 
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Subscription,       -       50  cents. 

Sample  copy  free.    Address 

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The  Kansas  City  Scientist, 

A  continuation  of  THE  NATURALIST,  now  in  its  fifth 
volume,  is  an  illustrated  monthly  maj^azine,  devoted  to 
Art,  Science  and  Literature.  "OHicial  organ  of  the 
Kansas  City  Academy  of  Science. 

While  of  a  necessity,  to  a  certain  extent  technical 
its  aim  is  to  present  scientific  knowledge  in  as  popular 
a  form  as  possible. 
Published  at  $i.oo  per  year.    Sample  copy  loc. 

Address : 
EDITOR  SCIENTIST,  KANSAS  CITY,  MO. 

Cabinet  of  Southern  Curiosities 

CONTAININQ   THE    FOLLOWING    SPECIMENS: 

No.l.  COQUIXA.— The  strange  shell  conglomeration 
of  which  the  uncient  Fort,  City  (rates,  and  other 
structures  in  .St.  Augu.stine  were  constructed  cen- 
turies ago. 

No. '2.  WHITE  BR.\XCH  COKAL.  —  From  the  Ba- 
hama Islands. 

No.  3.  COTTON  SEED.— A  mammoth  variety  from 
South  Carolina.    Will  grow  in  the  Northern  garden. 

No.  4.  SEA  BEANS.— Four  varieties.  These  curious 
priiductions  of  nature  grow  upon  vines  in  sandy  soil 
bordering  the  ocean  on  the  Bahama  Islands,  and  will 
mature  in  tht3  green-house  at  the  North. 

No.  .5.  BLEEDINC;^  TOOTH.— Resembling  a  tooth 
bleeding  — one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  all  the  sea 
shells. 

No.  C.  COTTON  BOLL.— Picked  from  a  Southern 
cotton-field. 

No.  7.  PECTEN  SHELL.— Much  used  for  ornamental 
and  decorative  purposes. 

No.  8.  EVE  STONE.— A  calcareous  concretion  found 
in  the  stomach  of  the  craw-fish.  It  will  remove  all 
foreign  substances  from  the  eye,  and  one  should 
always  be  kept  at  hand. 

No.  !».  'FLEXIBLE  CORAL.  —  (Oorgonia).  -A  curious 
vegetable  growth,  from  Nassau,  over  which  is  a  coral 
formation  dei>osited  by  a  marine  animal. 

No.  10.  CONFEDERATE  M(»NEY.— A  piece  of  gen- 
uine currency,  issued  by  the  State  of  North  Carolina 
during  the  Rebellion,  each  numbered  and  signed,  an 
issue  found  in  but  few  collections. 

No.  11.  ALLIGATOR'S  TOOTH.— From  a  Florida  alli- 
gator. 

No.  12.  VEGETABLE  SPONGE.— A  specimen  of  this 
curious  native  growth,  called  in  Spanish  "Estra 
Pajo,"  grows  freely  in  Florida,  Cuba  and  the  Bahamas. 

This'  entire  collection  in  strong  partitioned  box,  each 
specimen  labelled,  postpaid  for  FIFTY  CENTS. 
Adilress, 

FORT  M4RI0\  STORE,   St.  Augustine,  Fla. 

THE  ORNrfH0LOBIST&  BOTANIST. 

Devoted  to  Nature  and  Sports. 

Published  .Mmithly.  -  Price  [ler  year  .50  cents. 

CLIMBING    IRONS,  $1    PER  PAIR. 

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Address,  THE  ORNITHOLOGIST  &    BOTANIST, 

Des  Moines,  Iowa. 


Taxidermy  ^  Zoological 
(Collecting, 

A  complete  h  md-book  of  362  pages  for  the  amateur 
taxidermist,  collector,  osteologist,  museum  builder, 
sportsman  and  traveller. 

Illustrated  with  twenty-four  plates  and  eighty-five 
text  pictures. 

BY   WILLIA.M   T.    HOR>rA.DAY, 
(Foi"  ei^lit  years  Chief  Taxidermist  of   the  U. 
S.  National  Museum. ) 

RRICE  •  $2.50. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Company, 

7  Frankliu  St.,  Boston,  Miss. 


FOH    SflLtE. 

Mounted  Axiixxials 

Buffalo,  Black  Bear,  Coyote,  AVild  Cat, 

Otter,  Deer,  Possum,  Coon,  Lynx, 

Alligator,  Shark,   Leather-back 

Turtle,  Squirrel,  Fox,  Martin,  etc. 

MOUNTED    HEADS. 

Buffalo,  Elk,  Moose,  Caribou,  Deer,  Sheep,  Antelope, 
Fox,   Polar  Bear,   Etc. 

STl  FEED    BIRDS. 

Owls,  Eagles,    Hawks,    Pelicans,    Peacocks,  Trogons, 
Pheasants. 

BOOKS. 

Capen's  Oologv,  $15.00 

Coiu's'  Kev  toN.  A.  Birds,  7.50 

Ridgwav'8  Manual  ot  N.  A.  Birds,  750 

•Mavn.-irU's  Butterflies  of  N.  E.  7.00 

Mavnard's  Buttertlies  of  N.  A.   '  1.50 
Harris'  Insects,                                     Plain  4..50,  Colored  6.50 

Packard's  Common  Insects,  1.50 

Davies'  Egg-;  of  N.  A.,  Paper  L25,  Cloth  1.75 

Maynard  s  Eggs  (Colored  111.),  Cloth  2.00 

Miiynard's  Manual  of  Taxidermy,  1.25 

B.itty's  ISIaniial  of  Taxidermy,  1.50 

Munton's  Mamiill  of  Tiixidi-rmy,  .50 
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in  existence),  2..50 

Trumbull's  Names  and  Portraits  of  Game  Birds,            2. .50 

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We  are  now  manufacturing  over  one  hundred  dif- 
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our  goods  are  warranted. 

Special  offer  for  30  days. 

For  S5.00  you  may  select  eggs  from  our  list  to  the^ 

amount  of     -  -  -  -  -  $7. .50 

For  HO.OO  you  may  select  eggs  from  <uir  list  to  the  ^ 
amount  of     -  -  -  -  -  f  16." 

STUFFED  BIRDS. 
We  will  send  anv  party,  for  ?10,  one  dozen  nicely 
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Woodi)eckers.  Tanagers,  Orioles,  Sparrows,  Quail, 
Ulack  Birds,  Etc.,  Etc.  Thi-s  is  a  fine  opportunity  to 
I>egin  a  collection. 

BEST    OFFEK. 

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worth  $[0.00,  to  any  subscriber  of 
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only  $S.SO. 

Tliis  is  to  advertise  our  work. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Dompany, 

7  Frsi'ikliu  Street,   Bosiou,   IWa^s. 


Vol  XVII 


FEBRUARY,    1892. 


No.  2. 


Entered  at  Hyde  Park  Post  Office  as  Second-Class  Matter. 


CONTENTS. 

VOL.   XVII,    NO.  2,   FEBRUARY,    1892. 


Notes  from  Miclngan J.  Claire  Wood 

A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Scarlet  Tanager  .  J.P.  X.     . 

Habits  and  Nesting  of  the  Violet  green  Swallow  ..  .  Clyde  L.  Keller 

Megantic  Fish  and  Game  Club      .        .  ....  Italph  (rreenwood 

Nesting  of  Sharp-shinned  Hawk Jolui  A.  Clark 

The  Chimney  Swift W.  S.  Strode,  iM.  D. 

An  Early  Bird S.  R.  Ingersoll 

Brief  Notes 


New  Publications 


J  H.  Langille 


PRE7VTIU7VY. 

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the    next   three    months, 

So   Make  the  Following  Offer: 

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and  the  said  slips  shall  be  good  for  payment  for  any  specimens  we  handle  or 
advertise  in  the  O.  &  O.  during  1892.  VVe  believe  that  tiiis  opens  a  way 
for  many  of  our  young  collectors   to  procure  a  fine  collection. 

noaaz  trv   for   it. 

Remember  that  if  you  procure  100  subscribers  you  would  be  able  to  select 
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GrLASS    EY^ES.      A     large     shipment     will    arrive    from    Thomas    Hurst, 
4  •    -  ^.  March    1st. 

IlSrSECT    PIKS.     Three  hundred    thousand,    both    bright    and    japanned, 

now    in    custom    house.        They    will     be     taken     out     March   20th. 

Send   in    your   orders. 

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Frank  Blake   Webster  Company, 

7  Fkanklin  Street,  -  ...  -  JJoston,    Mass. 

FBANK  E.  tANGLEY,    PRI>fTER,    HyDE  PARK,  MASS. 


Frank  B.  Armstrong", 


DEALER  IN 


BIRDS'   SKINS   AND  EGaS. 

BROWNSVILLE,  TEXAS, 

Will    give  special   attention   to  the  collection,    for 
■  scieiitifie   purposes,   of    all     Birds,    Beasts,  Reptiles, 
native  to  the  interior  and  border  of  Mexico,  and  will 
furni^h  careful  data  in  regard  to  same 
Correspondence  respectfully  solicited. 

FRANK    B.   ARMSTROiNG. 


H.  H.  &  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

RALEIGH,  N.C., 

COLLECTORS. 

First-elass  Bird  and  Mammal  Skins  and  Eggs.     Full 
data  in  all  cases.    Write  for  Price  List; 

»   TANNINE.   » 

Only  $1  per  bottle. 

With  it  any  ]  er.^on  can  tan  skins  suitable  for  mats 
(i;iick,  easy  and  simple.    Try  it. 

FRANK    BLAKE    WEBSTER    CO., 
7    Franklin  S'.reet,  Boston,  Mass. 


•^M'^ite^Mi^cG^  St.  Louis,  Mo 


STAMPS,  C8i;iS,  CURIOS 
issues    Ju    tla-    stiim|)     line. 
Eorty-eiglit  page  Coin,  Stamj) 
and  f'lirio  Cat.iUigue  for  stamp.     VV.   F.  CREANYi 

827  Brannau  stroet,  San  Fr.mcisco,  Caliliuuia. 


A  1  1    t  he 

AGENTS    WAnYeD 


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for  The  AMERICAN  YOUNG  FOLKS,  a  beautiful 
Illustrated  Monthly  Magazine,  established  in  1875. 
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the  foremost  writers  of  Juvenile  Literature,  and  every 
issue  is  filled  with  good  things.  The  regular  subscrij)- 
tion  price  is -Sl.OOavear.butif  you  will  nnnirnUTQ  flllT 
and     return     it     to     us     with  UU 1  1  Ulu  UU 1 

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THE   Microscope, 

An  ilUi-trated  nionihlv  magazine  for  the  student 
of  Nature's  Little  Things.  SUBSCRIPTION 
ONLY  $1  A  YEAR.  I"  the  November  number 
was  begun  a  series  of  papers  on  Elementary  Micro- 
scopical Mounting,  to  continue  through  the  year.  These 
will  be  exceedingly  useful  to  the  young,  or  to  the  be- 
ginning microscoj)ist  with  little' or  no  experience  in 
mounting  objects  fo>'  the  instrument.  Sample  copv 
TEN  CEiVTS".    Try  it  a  year,  only  one  dollar. 

The  Microscope   Publishing'  Company, 


Tkextox, 


New  Jkksev, 


LILY  OF  THE  DESERT 

A  Great  Novelty,  grows  in  sand.    Bulbs,  $1.00  each. 

We  make  a  specialty  of  Native  American. Palm  and 
Evergreen  Treef?  and  Flower  Seeds,  Bulbs,  Ferns,  Cacti 
and  other  plants. 

ORCUTT    SEED  AND  PLANT  CO-,    San  Diego,  Cal. 

"Setid  25  ct.s.  for  seed  of  Lathyrus  splendeus. 

"the    PRIDE    OF    CALIFORNIA." 


EIGHTH     EDITION. 

REVISED   AND   ENLARGED. 

N,B. — The  HoiiKeopathic  Annual  (Direc'ory  and  Ref- 
erence Hand-book)  for  1S9J  is  now  in  the  Irinds  of  the 
printers  and  will  be  ready  for  delivery  early  in  tl>e  year. 
It  '.vill  be  the  best  edition  yet  issued,  containing  ,imong 
other  njatter  of  general  interest  to  the  prnfi-ssion,  a  com- 
l)lete  list  of  the  Homoeopathic  Phys'ciaris  <^wUh  P.O. 
address)  in  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa.  K  insas,  Kentucky, 
Michigiin,  Missouri.  Ohio,  Nebraska,  Pennsylvania, 
Tennessee  and  New  Y'ork  City.  It  will  be  pnnted  from 
new  type,  on  good  paper,  artistically  bound  in  heavy 
cover  paper,and  contain  from  sixty-four  to  one  hundred 
pages. 

As  an  advertising  medium  the  Annual  Ii^is  an  estab- 
lished reputation,  and  this  enlarged  and  greatly  improved 
edition  must  necessarily  strongly  appeal  to  all  who 
desire  to  keep  their  business  notices  before  the  profession 
as  well  as  the  general  public.  A  number  of  prominent 
manufactureis.  dealers  and  professiorial  men  have  been 
patrons  annuallv  since  the  first  appearance  of  the  jiubli- 
cation  in  iS"<4,  and  are  already  booked  for  1S92.  Scrupu- 
lous care  is  given  to  every  advertisement,  large  or  small. 
All  .ire  properly  indexed  for  ready  reference.  For  sched- 
ule of  rates  see  blank  Contract. 

H.  A.  MUMAW,  M.  D., 

Mediciil  Publisher  ahd'Bookseller. 
411  Main  St.,  -  -         Elkhart,  Ind. 

The  Taxidermist. 

A  monthly  magazine  devoted  to  Practical  Taxidermy  , 
Ornithology  and  Oology.  Monthly  organ  of  the  Wil- 
son Chapter  of  the  A.  A. 

Subscription,       -       50  cents. 

Sample  copy  free.    Address 
'     ,   THE  TAXIDERMIST,   AICRON,   OHIO. 


UNMOUNTED  PHOTOBRAPHS. 

Labrador  Duck,  young  male,  25  c. 

We  have  on  hand  a  large  assortment  taken  from 
mounted  specimens  of  animals,  heads,  birds,  etc., 
which  we  can  furnish  at  $1.20  per  dozen. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Co. 

Hyde  Park,   Mass. 


Cabinet  of  Southern  Curiosities 

CONTAINING   THE    FOLLOWING   SPECIMENS: 

No.  1.  COQUINA.— The  Strange  shell  conglomeration 
of  which  the  ancient  Fort,  City  (iates,  and  other 
structures  in  St.  Augustine  were  constructed  cen- 
turies ago. 

No.  2.  WHITE  BRANCH  CORAL. —From  the  Ba- 
hama Islands. 

No.  3.  COTTON  SEED.— A  mammoth  variety  from 
South  Carolina.    Will  grow  in  the  Northern  garden. 

No.  4.  SEA  BEANS.—  Four  varieties.  These  curious 
productions  of  nature  grow  upon  vines  in  sandy  soil 
bordering  the  ocean  on  the  liahama  Islands,  and  will 
mature  in  the  green-house  at  the  North. 

No.  5.  BLEEDING  TOOTH.— Resembling  a  tooth 
bleeding  — one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  all  the  sea 

No.  6.  COTTON  BOLL.— Picked  from  a  Southern 
cotton-field. 

No.  7.  PECTEN  SHELL.— Much  used  for  ornamental 
and  decorative  purposes. 

M*).^.    kV£  STOXlil— 4?cftlcMreo««  coDcreUqn.f^UBd 

'Ih  the  st'in)ach'bf'Tfi8*cri»\v-flsh"." '  Tt 'wTl1.,removc  aVT 
foreign  substances  from  the  eye,  and  one  should 
always  be  kept  at  hand. 

No.  9.  FLEXIBLE  CORAL.  —  (Gorgoiiia). -Acurious 
vegetable  growth,  from  Nassau,  over  which  is  a  coral 
formation  deposited  bv  a  marine  animal. 

No.  10.  CONFEDERATE  AK^NEY.— A  piece  of  gen- 
uine currency,  issued  bv  the  State  of  North  CaroMna 
during  the  Rebellion,  each  numl>ered  and  signed,  an 
issue  found  in  but  lew  collections. 

No.  11.  ALLIGATOR'S  TOOTH.— From  a  Florida  alii 
gator. 

No.  12.  VEGETABLE  SPONGE.— A  specimen  of  this 
curious  native  growth,  called  in  Spani.'^h  "Estra 
Pajo,"  grows  freely  in  Florida,  Cuba  and  the  Bahamas. 

This  entire  collection  in  strong  partitioned  box,  each 
specimen  labelled,  postpaid  for  FIFTY  CENTS. 
Address, 

FORT  MARION  STORE,  St.  Angasline,  Fla. 


THEORNITHOLOBIST&BGTANISL 

Devoted  to  Nature  and  Sports. 

Published  Monthly.  -  Price  per  year  50  cents. 

CLIMBING   IRONS,  $1    PER  PAIR. 

One  year's  subscription  given  to  each  purchaser  of  a 
pair  of  climbers.  Without  the  climbers,  25  cents  a 
vear  if  sent  in  b.efore  March  1st;  otherwise  60  cents. 

Address,  THE  ORNITHOLOGIST  &   BOTANIST. 

Des  Moines,  Iowa. 


Taxidermy  ^  Zoological 
Gollecting, 

^.M  eemfil*(«  Jka,tt<!)^ook  of  m  JIM$9  (%I|9  •oxaMm 
"taxidermist,  collector,' osteologist,    museum  builder, 
sportsman  and  traveller. 

Illustrated  with  twenty-four  plates  and  eighty-five 
text  pictures. 

BY   WILLIAM   T.    HORN  ADA  Y, 
(For.eiglit  years  Chief  Taxidermist  of   the  U. 
S.  National  Museum.) 

PRICE  •  $2. SO. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Company, 

7  Franklin  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 


FOf^    SflliE. 

Mounted  Anissaals 

Buffalo,  Black  Bear,  Rocky  Mt.  Goat,  Coyote,  Wild  Cat, 
Otter,  Deer,  Possum,  Coon,  Lynx, 

Alligator,  Shark,   Leather-back 

Turtle,  Squirrel,  Fox,  Martin,  etc. 

.  .    ,  MOIiNTfiJO   HEADS. 

Buffalo,  Elk,  M008C,  Caribou,  Deer,  Sheep,  Antelope, 
Fox,   Polar  Bear,   Etc. 

STUFFED    BIRDS. 

Owls,  Eagles,    Hawks,    Pelicans,    Peacocks,  TrogoDS, 
Pheasants. 


BOOKS. 
Capen's  Oology,  $15, 

Cones'  Key  to  N.  A.  Birds,  7, 

Hidgwav's  Mnniial  ot  N,  A    Rirds,  7 

Maynard's  Buttertlies  of  N.  E.  7, 

Mavnurd's  Butterllies  of  N.  A.  1 

Harris'  Insects,  Plain  4..50,  Colored  C 

Packard's  (juide  to  Study  of  Insects,  5 

1 


Packard's  Common  insects, 

Davles'  Egg<  of  N.  A.,  Paper  1.25,  Cloth  1, 

Maynards  Kggs  (Colored  III.).  Cloth  2 

Maynard's  M;inual  of  Taxidermy,  1. 

Hatty's  Manual  of  Taxidermy,  1 

Mjinton's -Manual  of  Taxidt-rmy,  , 
jlloru^U^X'ji  M^tu^  oi  T.^iatitjaoy  H^^  iiaect  work 

iif  existence),  2. 

Trumbull's  Names  and  Portr.aits  of  Game  Birds,  2 

SUPPLIES. 
All  Goods  that  are  rpipiired  by  Naturalists. 

Birds'  Skins,  Birds'  Eggs, 

Send    for   our    Catalogue. 

T.VXIDERMY. 

We  are  prepared  to  figure  on  any  work  required  in 
our  line.  Ou  large  orders  for  schools  we  can  give  very 
low  prices. 

PAPIER   MACHE   HEADS. 

We  are  now  manufacturing  over  one  hundred  dif- 
ferent sizes  and  styles  f)f  flat  heads,  suitable  for  mount- 
ing skins  for  mats.  Our  prices  are  below  others  and 
our  goods  are  warranted. 

Special  offer  for  30  days. 

For  $5-00  you  jnay  select  eggs  from  our  list  to  the 

amount  of     -  -      '      -  -  -  $7..')0 

For  110.00  y<m  may  select  eggs  from  our  li.->t  to  the 

amount  of     -----         $16.00 

STUFFED  BIRDS. 
We  will  send  any  party,  for  ^10,  one  dozen  nicely 
stuffed  l)irds,  worth  from  $15  to  $20;  such  as  Jays, 
VVoodpeckers.  Tanagers,  Orioles,  Sparrows,  Quail, 
Black  Birds,  Etc.,  Etc.  This  is  a  fine  opportunity  to 
begin  a  collection. 


One  Beautifully  Mounted  Pheasant, 
worth  $10.00,  to  any  subscriber  of 
the  Ornithologist  and  Oolo^ist  for 
only  S3. 50. 

This  is  to  advertise  our  work. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Company, 

7  Fni'iklin  Street,  Boston,  Mu<s. 


Vol  XVII. 


MARCH,    1893- 


Entered  at  Hyde  Park  Post  Office  as  Second-Class  Matter. 


CONTENTS. 


VOL.   XVII,   NO.   3,   MARCH,    1892. 


Geographical  Variation  in  Birds 

A  Morning  on  Spoon  River,  111. 

The  Herons  of  Alachua  County,  Florida 

A  Trip  to  Tolchester  Beach 

Bird  Notes  of  Northern  New  Jersey 


.  Harry  Gordon  White 33 

.  \V.  S.  Strode,  M.  D 34 

.  F.G.  Pearson x  36 

.  Wm.  H.  Fisher 38 

.  Henrv  Hales 38 


A  Dip  into  the  .January  O.  &  O P.  B.  Peabody 39 

The  Western  Robin  and  Varied  Thrush Wni.  L.  Kells 39 

Notes  on  Bird  Flight J.  W.  Preston 41 

Birds  of  Five  Mile  Beach  Philip  Laurent 43 

The  Appearance  of  the  Chewink  in  Lat.  37°  48'  N.  in  Winter      Thaddeus  Surber 44 

Arrivals  of  Some  Migratory  Birds  of  .Johnson  Co.,  Ind.  .    E.  M.  Kindle  44 

Old  S(iuaw  (Clangulahiemalis) Samuel  E.  Bacon,  Jr 45 

Capture  of  a  Mink Arthur  M.  Farmer 45 

Editorial 4G 

Brief  Notes 4G 

New  Publications 48 


P  R  E  7V^  I  \J  7VV. 

We  want  to  double  the  subscription  list  of  the  Ornithologist  during 
the    next   three    months, 

So   Make  the  Following  Offer: 

To  any  subscriber  who  will  send  us  a  new  subscriber  with  the  full 
subscription  rate,  Si.OO,  we  will  return  a  credit  slip  for  $0.75  in  each  case, 
and  the  said  slips  shall  be  good  for  payment  for  any  specimens  we  handle,  or 
advertise  in  the  O.  &  O.  during  1892.  We  believe  that  this  opens  a  way 
for  many  of  our  young  collectors  to  procure  a  fine  collection. 

NOiAZ    TRV    F=OR     IT. 

Remember  that  if  you  procure  100  subscribers  vou  would  be  able  to  select 
eggs,  birds  or  any  other  specimens  to  the  value  of  $75  00. 


CL-UB     RKTES. 

sportsman    and    Tourist,    40-pige    monthly, 
Ornithologist    and    Oologist,    16-page    monthly. 

Subscription    to    both.   Si. 50. 


Si. 00. 
I  00. 


Frank 

HYDE    PARK, 


Blake     Webster  Company, 


MAS' 


-*3    WANTED.    6^ 

Audubon's  Birds  of    North   America,  odd    volumes, 
Also  any  other  old  works  on  ()rnithf>logy. 
Send  list  with  price. 

F.    W.    KICKER,  Box   5083, 

CITY  HALL,  -  -  -  BOSTON,   MASS. 


THE  UINCB^LOGIST'S  EECOBD  lOOE. 

Containing  spaces  for  recftrding  450  specimens,    bv 
F.R;  Stearns.    PRICE,  35  AND  50  CENTS.  " 


For  sale  l>y 
F.     B. 


WEBSTER     COMPANY. 


Glass   Eyes,    Insect    Pins, 

A    Shipment  Just  Received. 
FRANK     BLAKE      WEBSTER     COMPANY. 


EGG    TOOLS, 

Blow  Pipes,  Egg  Drills,  Bird's  Eggs. 

Send  for  our  Catalogue. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Co., 

7  Franklin  St.,  Boston. 


II^SECT    PIJSTS, 

(Schluter's), 
Bright  and  Japanned.      Best   (^aality  Ma<le, 

To  Dealers  we  would  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
they  all  come  on  papers  and  can  eai^ily  I'e  liandled. 

FR.\^K     BL\KE     WEBSTER    CO. 


Frank  E.  Laxgley,  Prixteb,  Hyde  Park.  Mass. 


Frank  B.  Armstrong, 

DEALER  IN 

BIRDS'   SKINS   AND  EGGS, 

BROWNSVILLE,  TEXAS, 

Will  give  special  attention  to  the  collection,  for 
scientific  purposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles, 
native  to  the  interior  and  border  of  Mexico,  and  will 
furnish  careful  data  in  regard  to  same 

Correspondence  respectfully  solicited. 

FRANK    B.   ARMSTRONG. 


H.  H.  &  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

RALEIGH,  N.C., 

COLLECTORS. 

First-class  Bird  and  Mammal  Skins  and  Eggs.    Full 
data  in  all  cases.    Write  for  Price  List. 

f  T  A  N  N  I  N  E  .   » 

Only  $1  per  bottle. 

With  it  any  person  can  tan  skins  suitable  for  nints 
Ciuick,  easy  and  simple.    Try  it. 

FRANK    BLAKK    WEBSTER    CO.. 
7  .  Franklin  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


"M^iS^riff^P/iAMG^  St.  Louis,  Tv:o_. 

'      ■       Artistic  Metal  Workers.*rS>Jir'f?^!<r:? 

..r«..,.Irouai   I  \.  ,rc  (.ifficT-work.     ',',-, h,-,','.','.'.?'!,'    ' 
K»ilinsa.tTe»ilPL'  .  Nettinira.ew,     Wilt','.','.""''"    ' 
EreilMting  remfWry  KKNCES.       SS'^' Wk''' 
hipped  OTer.Twhcre.Afn'.wnntedfXw.V.'. 


STAMPS,  COINS,  CURIOS 
issues    in    the    stamp    line. 
Forty-eightpageCoin,  Stani] 
and  Curio  Oatalague  for  stamp.      VV     F.  CREANY» 


All    the 

AGENTS   WANTED 


Brannan  street,  San  Francisco,  California. 


The    Obsep\/er, 

Portland,  Conn., 

is  now  issued  in  magazine  form  on  finest  grade 
book  paper,  and  the  subscription  is  only  $1  per  year; 
single  number,  10  cents. 

The  Observer  in  two  years  has  taken  front  rank  in 
natural  history  publications.  Especial  prominence 
will  be  given  to  the 

Depirtmeat  of  Ornithology, 


under  the  management   of   .Tm 
Connecticut. 


H.   Sage,   Portland, 


LABELS. 

The  labels  supplied  by  the  Ooserver  are  acknowl- 
e  Iged  to  be  perfect  in  quality  and  the  standard  as  to 
design  and  size.    Send  for  samples. 

E.    F.    BIGELOW,    Publisher, 

PORTLAND,  -  -  .  CONN. 


WU AT  A  DIME    WILL    POf 

Every  BOY  and  GIRL  who  loves  to  read  splendid 
Stories,  Sketches  and  beautiful  Poems  should  subscribe 
for  The  AMERICAN  YOUNG  FOLKS,  a  beautiful 
Illustrated  Mcmthly  Magazine,  established  in  1875. 
Its  stories  are  the  Very  Best  that  can  be  obtained  from 
the  foremost  writers  of  Juvenile  Literature,  and  every 
issue  is  filled  with  good  tnings.  The  regular  subscrip- 
tion price  is  .Sl.OOayear.butifvou  will  prTir  fiiUTC!  nilT 
and      return     it     to     us'   w  i  t  h  uU  1  1  Qlo  UU  1 

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OILVDU  Uiiliu  will  send  you  the  magazine  Six 
Months  on  Trial.    Address, 
AMERICAN  YOUNG  FOLKS,  Manchester,  N.  H. 


THE   Microscope, 

An  ilUi*trated  monthly  magazine  for  the  student 
of  Nature's  Little  Things.  SUBSCRIPTION 
ONLY  $1  A  YEAR.  I"  the  November  number 
was  beguu  a  series  of  papers  on  Elementary  Micro- 
scopical Mounting,  to  continue  through  the  year.  These 
will  be  exceedingly  useful  to  the  young,  or  to  the  be- 
ginning microscopist  with  little' or  no  experience  in 
mounting  objects  for  the  instrument.  Sample  copv 
TEN  cents'.    Try  it  a  year,  only  one  dollar. 

The  Microscope   Publishing-  Company, 
Tkentkn,-  ...  New  Jersey. 


LILY  OF  THE  DESERT 

A  Great  Novelty,  grows  in  sand.    Bulbs,  SI. 00  each. 

We  make  a  specialty  of  Native  American  Palm  and 
Evergreen  Trees  and  Flower  Seeds,  Bulbs,  Ferns,  Cacti 
and  other  plants. 

ORCUTT    SEED  AND  PLANT  CO.,    San  Diego,  Cal. 

Send  25  cts.  for  seed  of  Lathyrus  splendeus. 

"THE    PRIDE    OF    CALIFORNIA." 


EIGHTH     EDITION. 

REVISED   AND   ENLARGED. 

N.B.— The  Hoiiuf-ipathic  Annual  (Directory  and  Ref- 
erence Hand-liook)  for  \'^i  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the 
printers  and  will  be  ready  for  delivery  early  in  the  year. 
It  will  be  the  best  edition  yet  issued,  containing  among 
other  matter  of  general  interest  to  the  profession,  a  com- 
plete list  of  the  Homceopathic  Physicians  (\vith  P.  O. 
address)  in  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Kinsas,  Kentucky, 
Michigan,  Missouii.  Ohio,  Nebraska,  Pennsylvania, 
Tennessee  .ind  New  York  City.  It  will  be  printed  from 
new  tvpe,  on  good  paper,  artistically  bound  in  heavy 
cover  paper,  and  contain  from  sixty-four  to  one  hundred 
pages. 

As  an  advertising  medium  the  Annual  has  an  estab- 
lished reputation,  and  this  enlarged  and  greatly  improved 
edition  must  necessarily  strongly  appeal  to  all  who 
desire  to  keep  their  business  notices  before  the  profession 
as  well  as  the  general  public.  A  number  of  prominent 
manufacturers,  dealers  and  professional  men  have  been 
patrons  annually  since  the  first  appearance  of  the  i)ubb- 
cation  in  18^4,  and  are  already  booked  for  1892.  Sciupu- 
lous  care  is  given  to  every  advertisement,  large  or  small. 
All  are  properly  indexed  for  ready  reference.  For  sched- 
ule of  rates  see  blank  Contract. 

H.  A.  MUMAW,  M.  D., 

Medical  Publisher  and  Bookseller. 
411  Main  St.,  -  -         Elkhart,  Inp. 

The  Taxidermist. 

A  monthly  magazine  devoted  to  Practical  Taxidermy, 
Ornithology  and  Oology.  Monthly  organ  of  the  Wil- 
son Chapter  of  the  A.  A. 

Subscription,       -       50  cents. 

Sample  copy  free.    Address 

THE  TAXIDERMIST,   AKRON,   OHIO. 


UNMOUNTED  PHOTOGRAPHS. 

Double  Lamb,  i  head,  8  legs,  lo  cents. 

We  liave  on  hand  a  large  assortment  taken  from 
mounted  specimens  of  animals,  heads,  birds,  etc 
which  we  can  furnish  at  $1.20  per  dozen. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Co. 

Hydb  Park,  Mass. 


Cabinetof  Southern  Curiosities 

CONTAINING   THE    FOLLOWING    SPECIMENS: 

No.  1.  C()QUIXA.— The  Strange  shell  conglomeration 
of  which  the  ancient  Fort,  City  Gates,  and  other 
structures  in  St.  Augustine  were  constructed  cen- 
turies ago. 

No. '.J.  WHITE  BRANCH  CORAL.  —  From  the  Ba- 
hama Islands. 

No.  3.  COTTON  SEED.— A  mammoth  variety  from 
South  Carolina.    Will  grow  in  the  Northern  garden. 

No.  4.  SEA  BEANS.—  Four  varieties.  These  curious 
productions  of  nature  grow  upon  vines  in  sandy  soil 
bordering  the  ocean  on  the  Bahama  Islands,  and  will 
mature  in  the  green-house  at  the  North. 

No.  .5.  BLEEUlN<i  TOOTH.— Resembling  a  tooth 
bleeding  —  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  all  the  sea 
shells. 

Nb.  C.  COTTON  BOLL.  — Picked  from  a  Southern 
cotton-iield. 

No.  7.  PECTEN  SHELL.— Much  used  for  ornamental 
and  decorative  purposes. 

No.  8.  EYE  STONE.— A  calcareous  concretion  found 
in  the  stomach  of  the  craw-fish.  It  will  remove  all 
foreign  substances  from  the  eye,  and  one  should 
alwavs  be  kept  at  hand. 

No.  9.  "FLEXIliLE  CORAL.  —  (Gorgonia).  -Acurious 
vegetable  growth,  from  Nassau,  over  which  is  a  coral 
formation  deposited  bv  a  marine  animal. 

No.  10.  CONFEDER.A-TE  MONEY.— A  piece  of  gen- 
uine eurrencv.  issued  bv  the  State  of  North  Carolina 
during  the  Rebellion,  each  numbered  and  signed,  an 
issue  found  in  but  few  collections. 

No.  11.  ALLKtATOR'S  TOOTH.— From  a  Florida  alli- 
gator. ,   ,  . 

No.  1-'.  VEGETABLE  SPONGE.— A  specimen  of  tins 
curious  native  growth,  called  in  Spanish  "Estra 
Pajo,"  growsltreely  in  Florida,  Cuba  and  the  Bahamas. 

This  entire  collection  in  strong  partitioned  box,  each 

spocinien  labelled,  postpaid  for  FIFTY  CENTS. 

Ad<lress,  .         „. 

FORT  MARION  STORE,  St.  Augustine,  Fla. 


THE  ORNITHOLOGIST  &  BOTANIST. 

Devoted  to  Nature  and  Sports. 

Published  Monthly.  -  Price  per  y.'ar  .',()  cents. 

CLIMBING    IRONS,  $1    PER  PAIR. 
One  vear's  subscrii>tion  given  to  each  purchaser  of  a 
pair  of  climbers.     Without  the    climbers,    2.5  cents  a 
vear  if  sent  in  before  March  1st;  otherwise  50  cents. 
■  Address,  THE  ORNITHOLOGIST  &   BOTANIST, 

Des  Moines,  Iowa. 


Taxidermy  ^^  Zoological 


Collecting, 


A  complete  hand-book  of  .3C2  pages  for  the  amateur 
taxidermist,  collector,  osteologist,  museum  builder, 
sportsman  and  traveller. 

Illustrated  with  twenty-four  plates  and  eighty-five 
text  pictures. 

BY   WILT.IAM   T.    HORN  AD  AY, 
(For  eight  years  Chief  Taxidermist  of   the  IT. 
S.  National  Museum. ) 

RRICE  •  $2.50. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Oompanv, 

7  Frauklin  St.,  Boston,  Miss. 


POH    SRLiE. 

Mounted  Animals 

Buflfalo,  Black  Bear,  Rocky  Mt.  Goat,  Coyote,  Wild  Cat, 
Otter,  Deer,  Possum,  Coon,  Lynx,  v 

Alligator,  Shark,  Leather-back 

Turtle,  .Squirrel,  Fox,  Martin,  etc. 

MOUNTED    HEADS. 

Buffalo,  Elk,  Moose,  Caribou,  Deer,  Sheep,  Antelope, 
Fox,   Polar  Bear,   Ktc. 

STUFFED    BIRDS. 

Owls,  Eagles,    Hawk;?,    Pelicans,    Peacocks,  Trogons, 
Pheasants. 

BOOKS. 
Capen's  Oology,  |l.">.On 

Com-s'  Key  to  "N.  A.  Birds,  7..50 

Ridgwa\'8  Manual  ot  N.  A.  Birds,  7.50 

.Mayiiard's  B\itterflies  of  N.  E.  7.00 

.Mavnard's  Butterflies  of  N.  A.  L.'JO 

Harris'  Insects,  Plain  4.50.  Colored  6.50 

Packard's  (Juide  to  Study  of  Insects,  .5.00 

Packard's  Common  insects,  1.50 

Davles'  Egg>;  of  N.  A.,  Paper  1.2.5,  Cloth  1.75 

Maynard  s  Eggs  (Colored  111.),  Cloth  2.00 

Maynard's  Manual  of  Taxidermy,  1.25 

Hatty's  Manual  of  Taxidermy,    "  1.50 

Mahion's  .Manual  of  Taxidt-rmy,  ,.50 

I  Ilornaday's  Manual   of  Taxidermy  (the  finest  work 

in  existence),  2.50 

TrinnhuU's  Names  and  Portraits  of  (jame  Birds,  2  50 

SJ'PPLIES. 

All  Goods  that  are  ro(juired  by  Naturalists. 

Birds'  Skins,  Birds'  Eggs. 

Send    for   our    Catalogue. 

T.WIDERMV. 

We  are  prepared  to  figure  on  any  work  required  in 
our  line.  On  large  orders  for  schools  we  can  give  very 
low  prices. 

PAPIER   MACHE   HEADS. 

We  are  now  manufacturing  over  one  hundred  dif- 
ferent sizes  and  styles  of  flat  heads,  suitable  for  m<uint- 
ing  skins  for  mats".  Our  prices  are  below  others  and 
our  goods  are  warranted. 

Special  offer  for  30  days. 

For  S5.00  you  may  select  eggs  from  <mr  list  to  the 

amount  of     -  -  -  -  -  $7.50 

For  >10.00  you  mav  select  eggs  from  our  list  to  the 

amount  of     -"  -  -  -  -  ^Ifi.OO 

STUFFED  BIRDS. 
We  will  send  any  party,  for  .flO,  one  dozen  nicely 
stuffed  birds,  worth  from  $\6  to  $20;  such  as  .Jays, 
Woodpeckers.  Tanagers,  Orioles,  Sparrows,  Quail, 
lUack  Birds,  Etc.,  Etc.  This  is  a  fine  opportunity  to 
begin  a  collection. 

BEST    OFFER. 

One  Beautifully  Mounted  Pheasant, 
worth  $10.00,  to  any  subscriber  of 
the  Ornithologist  and  Oologist  for 
only  Ss-So- 

Tliis  is  to  advertise  our  work. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Oompanv, 

7  Franklin  Street,   Bostou,   Muss. 


Vol  XVII. 


APRIL,     1892- 


Entered  at  Hyde  Park  Post  Office  as  Second-Class  Matter. 


CONTENTS. 

VOL.   XVII,   NO.   4,   APRIL,    1892. 


Classification  of  North  American  Birds 49 

A  Bear  Story Honda 51 

Birds  of  Five-mile  Beach Pliilil)  Laurent        .  .   v   •  .53 

A  Cabinet  of  Birds'  Eggs       ...                ....    A  Young  Naturalist 54 

A  Spring  Ramble Andrew  Nichols,  Jr 55 

How  to  Find  the  Nest  of  the  Bobolink R.  H.   rt'hite,  Jr 56 

Unmarked  Eggs  of  the  Red-shouldered  Hawk        .        .        .    J.  P.  N 56 

Nesting  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl H.  W.  B 57 

Late  Nesting  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl James  B.  Purdy     ......  57 

Bird  Enemies Wallace  E.  Lawrence    .               ....  58 

Our  Feathered  Enemies S.  R.  Ingersoll 58 

Unusual  Nesting Thad.  Surber 59 

59 

61 

{i'2 

.      62 


Death  of  Harry  K.  Jamison J.  P.  N.  

Remarks  Concerning  the  Texas  Wildcat  Lately  Presented  to  the  Society    S.  S.  Scoville,  M.  1). 

The  Ruddy  Duck       . VV.  E.  Clyde  Todd 

Humbug .    Entomologist  .... 

Birds  Singing  on  Their  ^ests Clyde  L.  Keller       .... 

The  Phoebe,  North  of  Washington,  1).  C,  in  Winter      .        .    Harold  B.  Stabler 

Brief  Notes 


One  Paper  Snake,  one  Cotton  Frog,  large;  one  Cot- 
ton Frog,  sni.ill,  all  in  one  box  by  mail  for  25  cents. 


V-BPt^X-      CXJIIIOUS. 


BIRDS'    EGGS.    {    o< JAPANESE. t>^ 

We  are  now  having  our  new 

RED  LETTER  LIST  PRINTED. 

Prices  on  single  eggs  wav  down. 

o<\  EGG  TOOLS.  I>o 

The  cheap  sets,  a  wood  box,  with  drill,  blower  and 
hook,  advertised  with  a  great  liurrah  by  several  deal- 
ers at  35  cents,  we  will  sell  at  35  cents  and  throw  in 
25  cents  worth  of  eggs  with  it. 

We  are  having  a  catalogue  of  specimens,  curio,  etc. 
printed.    Send  10  cents  lor  it.    It    will   contain  many 


pages. 


MINERALS. 


$1.00 

.75 
..•15 


..argc  Paper  Far.  Screen,  gold,  with  border, 

"  ••  •'        fancy  color. 

These  are  very  pretty  and  showy.    Too  large 
to  go  "by  mail. 

Frank     Blake    Webster    Co. 


Six  polished  pieces,  assorted,  sizes  same  as  used  in 
rings,  for  25  cents,  postpaid. 

Frank  Blake   Webster   Co. 


^    WANTED.    6^ 

Audubon's  Birds  of   North   America,   odd    volumes. 
Also  any  other  old  works  on  Ornithology. 
Send  list  with  price. 

F.    W.    RICKER,  Box   5083, 

CITY  HALL,  -  -  -  BOSTON,  MASS. 


THE  UINEB/iLOQIST'3  BECOBD  £00E, 

Containing  spaces  for  recording  4.50  specimens,    bv 
F.R.Stearns.    PRICE,  35  AND  50  CENTS.' 
For  sale  by 

F.     B.     WEBSTER    COMPANY. 


That    Little   Tube 

That  you   can   slip  in    your  12-fjauo:e 
gun,  for  shootiufj  small  birds. 

COSTS     •     ONLV     •     $1.50. 
Frank    Blake    Webster    Company. 


EGG    TOOLS, 

Blow  Pipes,  Egg  Drills,  Birds'  Eggs. 

Send  for  our  Catalogue. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Co., 

7  Franklin  St.,  Boston. 


Glass    Eyes,    Insect    Pins, 

A    Shipment  Just  Received. 
FRANK     BLAKE      WEBSTER      COMPANY. 


.  IISTSEOT    PII^S, 

(Schluter's), 
Bright  and  Jipanned.      Bust    (jaality  Made, 

To  Dealers  we  woulrl  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
they  all  come  on  papers  and  can  easily  be  handled. 

FRVNK     BL\KE     WEBSTER    CO- 


Frank  E.  Langley,  Pbkvter,  Hype  Pakk,  Mass. 


Frank  B.  Armstrong, 

DEALER  IN 

BIRDS'   SKIFS    AND  EGGS. 

BROWNSVILLE,   TEXAS, 

Will  give  special  attention  to  the  collection,  for 
scientific  purposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles, 
native  to  the  interior  and  border  of  Jlexico,  and  will 
furnish  careful  data  in  regard  to  same 

Correspondence  respectfully  solicited. 

FRANK    B.   ARMSTRONG. 


H.  H.  &  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

RALEIGH,  N.C., 

COLLECTORS. 

First-class  Bird  and  Mamnml  Skins  and  Eggs.    Full 
data  in  all  cases.    Write  for  Price  List. 


FOR     SALE. 

Sixteen  Kittiwake  Gulls,  3  Long-tailed  Ducks,  8  King 
Eiders,  1  Arctic  Tern,  6  Snipe,  2  Pectoral  Sandpipers, 
1  Purple  Sandpijter,  1  Black  Duck.  1  Dovekie,  2.5  Snowy 
Owls.  Part  of  these  were  taken  hy  the  late  John  C. 
Cahoon  during  his  last  trip  to  Newfoundland. 

Wish  to  dispose  of  entire  lot.    Send  in  your  bid. 

C.  C.  CAHOON,  Taunton,  Mass. 


S§i£t^St7hC£'Mi^Q^  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


Artiatlc  Metalworkers.*! . , 

'.iriu.3.  Iron  auJ  W  ire  Offict-work.  ?,',Sl|>Yi  .  .  ,  . 
Ufcikngd.  CrtstiQgrt.  Nettines,  etc.  Nt'iStll  i  I'A'i'i' 
Evcrlaating  C«meter7  FENCES.  Ri'-ni'.Vi  t'/i' 
shipped  CTery  where.  Aeen'9  wantodiX',!*".'.'/,*.'.' 
for  CttUklogue  oad  i-dtuuAU. 


STAMPS,  COINS,  CURIOS 
issues    in    the    stainj)    line. 
Forty-eight  page  Coin,  Stain) 
ami  Curio  Catalague  for  stamp.      W.   F.  GREANYi 
827.  Brannan  street,  San  Francisco.  California. 


All    the 
1  a  t  e  St 

A6ENTS   WANTED 


The    Obsei^vet^, 

Portland.  Conn., 

is  now  issued  in  magazine  form  on  finest  grade 
book  paper,  and  the  subscription  is  only  $1  per  year; 
single  number,  10  cents. 

The  Observer  in  two  years  has  taken  front  rank  in 
n.atural  history  publications.  Especial  prominence 
will  be  given  to  the 

Department  of  Ornithology, 

under  the  management  of  Jno.  H.  Sage,  Portland, 
Connecticut. 

LABELS. 

The  labels  supplied  by  the  Observer  are  acknowl- 
edged to  be  perfect  in  quality  and  the  standard  as  to 
design  anil  size.    Send  for  samples. 

E.    F.    BIGELOVV,    PublLsher, 

PORTLAND,  -  -  .  CONN. 


WHAT 


A  DIME    WILL    DOf 


Every  BOY  and  GIRL  who  loves  to  read  splendi** 
Stories,  Sketches  and  beautiful  Poems  should  subscrib^ 
for  The  AMERICAN  YOUNG  FOLKS,  a  beautifu' 
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Its  stories  are  the  Very  Best  that  can  be  obtained  from 
the  foremost  writers  of  Juvenile  Literature,  and  every 
issue  is  filled  with  good  things.  The  regular  subscrip- 
tion price  is  Sl.OOayear.butif  you  will  nfjiiiniUTC!  nil'I' 
and      return     it     to      us     withUul  IQIOUUI 

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Months  on  Trial.    Address, 
AMERICAN  YOUNG  FOLKS,  Manchester,  N.  H. 


THE    Microscope, 

An  ilUi.«trated  monthlv  magazine  for  the  student 
of  Nature's  Little  Things.  SUBSCRIPTION 
ONLY  $1  A  YEAR,  in  the  November  number 
was  begun  a  series  of  papers  on  Elementary  Micro- 
scopical Mounting,  to  continue  through  the  year.  These 
will  be  exceedingly  useful  to  the  young,  or' to  the  be- 
ginning microscojjist  with  little  or  no  experience  in 
mounting  objects  for  the  instrument.  Sample  copy 
TEN   CENTS.    Try  it  a  year,  only  one  dollar. 

The  Microscope   Publishing'  Company, 


Trextux,- 


New  Jkrsey. 


LIYY  OF  THE  DESERT 

A  Great  Novelty,  grows  in  sand.    Bulbs,  $1.00  each. 

We  make  a  specialty  of  Native  American  Palm  and 
Evergreen  Trees  and  Flower  Seeds,  Bulbs,  Ferns,  Cacti 
and  other  i)lants. 

ORCUTT    SEED  AND  PLANT  CO.,    San  Diego,  Cal. 

Send  25  cts.  for  seed  of  Lathyrus  splendeus. 

"the    pride    of    CALIFORNIA." 


EIGHTH     EDITION. 

REVISED    AND   ENLARGED. 

N.B.— The  Homceop.Tthic  Annual  (Directory  and  Ref- 
erence Hand-book)  for  iSyi  is  now  in  the  hnnds  of  the 
printers  an<l  will  be  ready  for  delivery  early  in  the  year. 
It  will  be  the  best  edition  yet  issued,  containing  among 
other  matter  of  general  interest  to  the  profession,  a  com- 
l)lete  list  of  the  Homtt-opathic  Physicians  (with  P.  O. 
address)  in  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Kentucky, 
Michigan,  Missouri.  Ohio,  Nebraska,  Pennsylvania, 
Tennessee  and  New  York  City  It  will  be  printed  from 
new  type,  on  good  paper,  artistically  bound  in  heavy 
cover  paper,  and  contain  from  sixty-four  to  one  hundred 
pages. 

As  an  advertising  medium  the  Annual  has  an  estab- 
lished reputation,  and  this  enlarged  and  greatly  improved 
edition  must  necessarily  strongly  appeal  to  all  who 
desire  to  keep  their  business  notices  before  the  profession 
as  well  as  the  general  public.  A  number  of  prominent 
manufacturejs,  dealers  and  professional  men  have  been 
patrons  annually  since  the  first  appearance  of  the  i)ubli- 
cation  in  18^4,  and  are  already  booked  for  1S92.  Scrupu- 
lous care  is  given  to  every  advertisement,  large  or  small. 
All  are  properly  indexed  for  ready  reference.  For  sched- 
ule of  rates  see  blank  Contract. 

H.  A.  MUMAW,  M.  O., 

Medical  Publisher  and  Bookseller. 
411  Main  St.,  -  -         Elkhart,  Ind. 

The  Taxidermist. 

A  monthly  magazine  devoted  to  Practical  Taxiilermy, 
Ornithology  and  Oology.  :Monihly  organ  of  the  Wil- 
son Chapter  of  the  A.  A. 

Subscription,       -        50  cents. 

Sample  copy  free.    Address 

THE  TAXIDERMIST,   AKRON,   OHIO. 


Southern    California    Bird    and 
Mammal  Skins  and  Eg^s. 

Carefully  prepared  specimens  with  full  data.     Price 
list  for  stamps. 

CHAS.     H.     MARSH, 

DuLZURA,  San  Diego  Co.,  CaLiFouNiA. 

Cabinet  of  Southern  Curiosities 

CONTAINING   THE    FOLLOWING    SPECIMENS: 

No  1.  COQUINA.— The  strange  shell  conglomeration 
of  which  the  ancient  Fort,  City  Gates,  and  other 
structures  in  St.  Augustine  were  constructed  cen- 
tjiiri6S  ciiro* 

No.  2.  WHITE  BRANCH  CORAL. —From  the  Ba- 
hama Islands.  .  .     , 

No  :i  COTTON  SEED.— A  mammoth  variety  from 
South  Carolina.     Will  grow  in  the  Northern  garden. 

No  4  SEA  BEANS.—  Four  varieties.  These  curious 
productions  of  nature  grow  upon  vines  in  sandy  soil 
bordering  the  ocean  on  the  Bahama  Islands,  and  will 
mature  in  the  green-house  at  the  North. 

No.  .5.  BLEEDINM;  TOOTH.— Resembling  a  tooth 
bleeding  — one  of  tlie  most  reuiarkable  of  all  the  sea 
shells. 

No.  C.  COTTON  BOLL.— Picked  from  a  Southern 
cotton-field. 

No.  7.  PECTEN  SHELL.— Much  used  for  ornamental 
and  decorative  purposes. 

No  8      EYE   STONE.— A  calcareous  concretion   found 

*  in  the  stomach  of  the  craw-ftsh.  It  will  remove  all 
foreign  substances  fiom  the  eye,  and  one  sh(»uld 
always  be  kept  at  hand. 

No.  9.  "FLEXIBLE  CORAL.  —  (Gorgonia).  -Acunous 
vegetable  growth,  from  Nassau,  over  which  is  a  coral 
formation  deposited  bv  a  marine  animal. 

No.  10.  CONFEDERATE  .MONEY.— A  piece  of  gen- 
uine currencv,  issued  bv  the  State  ..f  North  Carolina 
daring  the  Rebellion,  each  numbered  and  signed,  an 
issue  f<mnd  in  but  few  coll£Cti(ms. 

No.  11.     ALLIGATOR'S  TOOTH.— From  a  Honda  alli- 

No^rl'  VEGETABLE  SPONGE.— A  specimen  of  this 
curious  native  growth,  called  in  Spani-h  "Estra 
Pajo,"  grows  freely  in  Florida,  Cuba  and  the  Bahamas. 

This  entire  collection   in  strong  iiartitioned  box.  each 

specimen  labelled,  postpaid  for  FIFTY   CENT>. 

Address,  „       ..      .  ..         -rt, 

FORT  MARION  STORE,  St.  Angustine,  Fla. 


THE  0RNITH3L0BIST&  BOTANIST. 

Devoted  to  Nature  and  Sports. 

Published  Monthly.  -  Price  per  y<^ar  50  cents. 

CLIMBING    IRONS,  $1    PER  PAIR. 

One  year's  subscription  given  to  each  purchaser  of  a 
pair  of  climbers.  Without  the  climbers,  25  cents  a 
year  if  sent  in  before  March  1st;  otherwise  50  cents. 

Address,  THE  ORNITHOLOGIST  &    BOTANIST, 

Lies  Moines,  Iowa. 


Taxidermy  ^^^  Zoological 
Collecting, 

A  complete  hand-book  of  3C2  pai^es  for  the  amateur 
taxidermist,  collector,  osteologist,  museum  builder, 
sportsman  and  traveller. 

Illustrated  with  twenty-four  plates  and  eighty-five 
text  pictures. 

BY    WILIJA.M    T.    HORNADAY, 
(For  eight  years  Chief  Taxidermist  of    the  U. 
S.  National  Museum.) 

RRICE  •  $2  SO. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Companv, 

7  Frankliu  St.,  Boston,  Miss. 


POH    SflllE. 

Mounted  Axiixzials 

Buffalo,  Black  Bear,  Rocky  Mt.  Goat,  Coyote,  Wild  Cat, 
Otter,  Deer,  Possum,  fSton,  Lynx, 

Alligator,  Shark,    Leather-back 

Turtle,  Squirrel,  Fox,  Martin,  etc. 

MOUNTED  HEADS. 

Buffalo,  Elk,  Moose,  Caribou,  Deer,  Sheep,  Aiitelo)>e, 
Fox,    Polar   Bear,    Ktc. 

STUFFED    BIRDS. 

Owls,  Eagles,    Hawkf,    Pelicans,    Peacocks,  Trogons, 
Pheasants. 

BOOKS. 

Capen's  Oologv,  ^IH 

Cones'   Kev  to  \.  A.  Bird*:,  7 

Ridgwav's  Manual  ot  N.  A.  Birds,  7 

Maynard's  Butterflies  of  N.  E.  1 

Mavnard's  Butterflies  of  N.  A.  1 
Harris'  Insects,  Plain  4.50,  Colored  6 
Packarfl's  Guide  to  Studv  of  Insects, 


00 
0 
50 
00 
50 
,50 
,00 
,50 
,75 
,00 
25 
..50 
..50 

!..50 

;.5;i 
.50 


Packard's  Common  Insects,  1 

Davies'  Egg«  of  N.  A.,  Paper  1.2.5,  Cloth  1 

Maynard  s  Eggs  (Colored  111.),  Cloth  2 

Mavnard's  M;inual  of 'I'axideriny,  1, 

Battv's  Manual  of  Taxidermy,  1 

M;inton's  Manual  of  Tiixidennv, 
Hornadav's  Manual    of    Taxidermv  (the  finest  work 

in  existence),  2 

Trumbull's  N  lines   ind  Portraits  of  fJaftie  Birds 
A.  O.  U.  Check  List, 
Ridjrway  Check  List,  ••'fS 

SUPPLIKS. 

.\11  (Joixls  Milt  arc  rc(inired  by  Naturalists. 

Birds'  Skins,  Birds'   Eggs. 

Send    for   our    Catalogue. 

TAXIDERMY. 

We  are  ytrepared  to  figure  on  any  work  reipiired  in 
our  line.  On  large  orders  for  schools  we  c^aii  give  very 
low  prices. 

PAPIER   MACHE   HEADS. 

We  are  now  manufacturing  over  one  hundred  dif- 
ferent sizes  and  styles  of  flat  heads,  suitable  for  mount 
ing  skins  for  mats".  Our  prices  are  below  others  and 
our  goods  are  warrant*  d. 

Special  offer  for  30  days. 

For  .f5.00  you  may  select  eggs  from  our  list  to  the 

amount  of     ------  .$7.50 

For  110.00  you  may  select  eggs  from  our  li-t  to  the 

amount  of     -----  .ifHi.OO 

STUFFED    BIRDS. 

We  will  send  anv  party,  for  flO,  one  dozen  nicely 
stuffed  birds,  worth  from  .§15  to  $20;  su<h  as  .lays, 
Woodpeckers,  Tanagers,  Orioles,  Sparrows,  Quail, 
Black  Birds,  Etc.,  Etc.  This  is  a  fine  opi>ortunity  to 
begin  a  collection. 


BEST    OFFER. 

One  Beautifully  Mounted  Pheasant, 
worth  ^[0.00,  to  any  subscnhrr  of 
the  Ornithologist  and  0.)loj.;i-.t  for 
only  S3.50. 

Tiiis  is  to  advertise  our  work. 

Frank  Blak'3  Webster  Companv, 

7  Fni'ikliii   Street,    Boston,    .>Iu<s. 


Vol  XVI 


Entered  at  Hvde  Park  Post  Office  as  Second-Class  Matter. 


CONTENTS. 

VOL.   XVll.,   NO.   5,   MAY,    1892. 


C.  E.  Rrown 
F.  G.  Pearson  . 
J.  H.  Johnson 
C.  C.  Wood 
W.  R.  Clyde  Todd 


B.  H.  Swales 
B.  H.  Swales 
T.  G.  Pearson 
A.  B.  Ulrey 
Jos.  M.  Wade 


05 

<;« 

tf> 

"0 

71 

72 

72 

73 

74 

7r> 

.        .         .  7& 

7C 

7C 

77 

78 

7H 

71) 

80 

New  Puldications , 80 


A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Oven-bird J.  P.  X.     . 

A  Day  in  the  Wooils H.  W.  Beers 

That  Big  Gobbler Robert  Curzon 

Collecting  Around  Wenham  Lake,  North  Beverly      .  -    -   - 

The  Herons  of  Alachua  Co.,  Florida 

Bird  Notes  from  CentJal  New  Hampshire,  Winter  of  l891-'92 
Purple  Gallinule  in  Massachusetts       .       .  ... 

Nesting  of  the  Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher 

My  First  Set  of  Great  Horned  Owl's  Eggs Carl  Fritz  Henning 

American  Long-eared  Owl 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  in  Wayne  Co.,  Mich.  . 
Some  Spring  Notes  from  Guildford  Co.,  N.  C.  . 
Notes  on  the  American  Bittern  (Botaurus  Icntiginosus) 

Phoebe  lMrd  —  1'ewee 

The  World's  Columbian  Kxpo.^itiou 

A  Rustic  Concert 

Jlrief  Notes 

Correspondence 


I^ibrabor  Duck  is  sold  ;  Send  V>  cts.  for  its  photograph. 

BIRDS'     EGGS. 

REU  LETrRK  LIST  PKIJJTIill. 

Prices  on  single  eggs  wav  down. 

o<]  EGG  TOOLS.  \>o 

The  cheap  sct-s,  a  wood  bi>x,  with  drill,  blower  and 
hook,  advertised  with  a  great  hurrah  by  several  deal- 
ers at  ;«  cents,  we  will  sell  at  35  cents  and  throw  in 
25  cents  worth  of  eggs  with  it,  at  regular  list. 

We  are  having  a  catalogue  of  specimens,  curio,  etc. 
printed.    Send  10  cents  for  it.    It    will  contain  many 


<^JAPANESE.I> 

One  Paper  Snake,  one  Cotton  Frog,  large;  one  Cot- 
ton Frog,  small,  all  in  one  box  by  mail  for  2.^  cents. 


vspt^z"    cxjrtious. 


$1.00 
LOO 


Large  Paper  Far.  Sorecu,  gold,  with  border, 
"  "  ■  fancy  color, 

The.'ie  are  very  jiretty  and  showy.    Too  large 
to  go  by  mail. 

Frank     Blake    Webster    Co. 


pages. 


MINERALS. 

1  pieces,  assorted,  sizes  s; 
;nts,  postpaid. 

Frank   Blake   Webster   Co. 


Captain  N.  E.  (Jould'.«  summer  resort  for  gunners  anil 
families  now  open,  ('h;<tliani,  Mass. 


Six  polished  pieces,  assorted,  sizes  same  as  used  in 
rings,  for  25  cents,  postpaid. 


^    WANTED,    s^ 

AtKhibon's  Birds  of   North   America,  odd    volumes. 
Also  any  other  old  works  on  Ornithology. 
Send  list  with  price. 

E.    W.    RICKER,  Box   5083, 

CITY   HALL,  -  -  -  BOSTON,   MASS. 

THE  MIN  .EMIiOGlST'S  R3C0RD  BOOK. 

Containing  spaces  for  recording  450  specimens,    by 
F.R.Stearns.    PRICE,  35  AND  50  CENTS." 
For  sale  by 

F.     B.     WEBSTER     COMPANY. 


That   Little   Tube 

That  you   can   slijv  in    y(*nr  r2-<;au^e 
gnn,  for  slu>()tin<;  small  birds. 

COSTS     •     ONLY     •     $1.50. 

50  brass  shells  No.  32,   loader,  oai)per  and  wad  cutter 
com|)lete,  .'?1.50. 

Frank    Blake    Webster    Company. 


EGG    TOOLS, 

Blow  Pipes,  Egg  Drills,  Birds'  Eggs. 

Send  for  our  Catalogue. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Co., 

7  Franklin  St.,  Boston. 


Papier     Mache     Heads, 

Open  Mouths,  now  ready. 
See  our  new  list. 

FKA.NK     BLAKE      WEBSTER      COMPANY. 


II^SEOT    Pijsrs, 

(Schluter's), 
Bright  aiul  J ipiniied.      B<^.s*^^   ({aniity  Mait^t. 

To  Dealers  we  would  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
they  all  conic  on  papers  and  can  easily  be  handled. 
Cork,  Cones,  Cases,  Nets  and  Tools. 

FK\>K     BL\KE     WEBSTER    CO. 


Frank  E.  Laxolev,  Prixter»  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 


Frank  B.  Armstrong, 


DEALER   IN 


BIRDS'   SKINS   AND  EGQS, 

BROWNSVILLE,  TEXAS, 

Will  give  special  attention  to  the  coUectiJon,  for 
scientific  purposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles, 
native  to  the  interior  and  border  of  Mexico,  and  will 
furnish  careful  data  in  regard  to  same 

Correspondence  respectfully  solicited. 

FRANK    B.   ARMSTRONG. 


H.  H.  &  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

RALEIGH,  N.C., 

COLLECTORS. 

First-class  Bird  and  Mammal  Skins  and  Eggs.  Also 
Rei)tiles,  Batrachians,  Embryos,  etc.  in  alcohol.  Full 
data  in  all  cases.    Write  for  Price  List. 


The   Oologist's   Journal, 

for  the  student  of  Birds,  their  Nests  and  Eggs,  pub- 
lished by 

STACK   and   PECK, 

Naturalists  and  Taxidermists, 

Houghkeepsie,  N.   Y. 


Ti&^^Md.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Artistic  Metalworkers.*"    " 
fur  Catalogue  and  l.saiiiat«. 


IUiUd)?3,  Creaiin?-^.  Nettinira.  et- 
Everladting  Cemetery  FENCES. 
^hippcfieTe^ywhe 


STAMPS,  COINS,  CURIOS 
issues    in    the    stamp     line. 
Forty-eight i)age Coin,  Stamp 
and  Curio  Catalague  for  stam)).      W 


All    the 
1  a  t  e  St 

AGENTS    WANTED 


F.  CREANY, 

827  Brannan  street,  San  Fr.mcisco,  Calilornia. 


Captain  N.  E.  Gould's  Hotel, 

Right  on  the  ocean,  right  where  the  birds  fly;  season 
now  open.    CHATHAM,   MASS. 

The    Observep, 

Portland,  Conn., 

is  now  issued  in  magazine  form  on  finest  grade 
book  paper,  and  the  subscription  is  only  $1  per  year ; 
•Single  number,  10  cents. 

The  Observer  in  two  years  has  taken  front  rank  in 
natural  history  publications.  Especial  prominence 
will  be  given  to  the 

Department  of  Ornitholog7, 

under  the  management  of  Jno.  H.  Sage,  Portland, 
Connecticut. 

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The  labels  supplied  by  the  Ooserver  are  acknowl- 
edged to  be  perfect  in  quality  and  the  standard  as  to 
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PORTLAND,  -  -  -  CONN. 


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Every  BOY  and  GIRL  who  loves  to  read  splendid 
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The    Microscope, 

An  illustrated  monthly  magazine  for  the  student 
of  Nature's  Little  Things.  SUBSCRIPTION 
ONLY  $1  A  YEAR,  in  the  November  number 
was  begun  a  series  of  papers  on  Elementary  Micro- 
scojiical  Mounting,  to  continue  through  the  year.  These 
will  be  exceedingly  useful  to  the  young,  or  to  the  be- 
ginning niicroscopist  with  little  or  no  experience  in 
mounting  objects  for  the  instrument.  Sample  copy 
TEN  CENTS.    Try  it  a  year,  only  one  dollar. 

The  Microscope   Publishing  Company, 
Tkentox,-  -  -  -  New  Jkksey. 


LILY  OF  THE  DESERT 

A  Great  Novelty,  grows  in  sand.    Bulbs,  SI. 00  each. 

We  mal«e  a  specialty  of  Native  American  Palm  and 
Evergreen  Trees  and  Flower  Seeds,  Bulbs,  Ferns,  Cacti 
and  other  plants. 

ORCUTT    SEED  AND  PLANT  CO.,    San  Diego,  Cal. 

Send  25  cts.  for  seed  of  Lathyrus  splendeus. 

"the    pride    of    CALIFORNIA." 


EIGHTH     EDITION. 

REVISED   AND   ENLARGED. 

N.B. — The  HoiDfjBopatliic  Annual  (Diredory  and  Ref- 
erence Hand-hook)  for  iSgi  is  now  in  the  hands  of  I  he 
printers  and  will  be  ready  for  delivery  early  in  the  year. 
It  will  be  the  best  edition  yet  issued,  containing  among 
other  matter  of  general  interest  to  the  profession,  a  com- 
plete list  of  the  Homreopathic  Physicians  (with  P.  O. 
address)  in  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Kentucky, 
Michigan,  Missouri.  Ohio,  Nebraska,  Pennsylvania, 
Tennessee  and  New  York  City.  It  will  be  printed  from 
new  type,  on  good  paper,  artistically  bound  in  heavy 
cover  paper,  and  contain  from  sixty-four  to  one  hundred 
pages. 

As  an  advertising  medium  the  Annual  has  an  estab- 
lished reputation,  and  this  enlarged  and  greatly  improved 
edition  must  necessarily  strongly  appeal  to  all  who 
desire  to  keep  their  business  notices  before  the  profession 
as  well  as  the  general  public.  A  number  of  prominent 
manufacturets.  dealers  and  professional  men  have  been 
patrons  annually  since  the  first  appearance  of  the  i)ubli- 
cation  in  1SS4,  and  are  alreadv  booked  for  1S92.  Scrupu- 
lous care  is  given  to  every  advertisement,  large  or  small. 
A!l  are  properl  v  indexed  for  ready  reference.  For  sched- 
ule of  rates  see  blank  Contract. 

H.  A.  MUMAW,  M.  D., 

Medical  Publisher  and  Bookseller. 
411  Main  St.,  -  -         Elkhart,  Ind. 


The  Taxidermist. 

A  monthly  magazine  devoted  to  Practical  Taxidermy, 
Ornithology  and  Oology.  Monthly  organ  of  the  Wil- 
son Chapter  of  the  A.  A. 

Subscription,       -       50  cents. 

Sample  copy  free.    Address 

THE  TAXIDERMIST,  AKRON,  OHIO. 


Southern    California    Bird    and 
Mamma!  Skins  and  Eg^s. 

Carefully  prepared  specimens  with  full  data.     Price 
list  for  stamps. 

CHAS.     H.     MARSH, 

DuLZUKA,  San  Dikgo  Co.,  CaLiFortNiA. 


Cabinet  of  Southern  Curiosities 

CONTAINING    THE    FOLLOWING    SPECIMENS: 

Nfo  1      COQUINA.— The  straiifie  shell  conglomeration 

of  which  the   ancient  Kort,  City    Gates,  and  other 

"  structures  in  St.  Augu&tine  were  constructed  cen- 

NoM'^NvHITE  BRANCH  CORAL. -From  the  Ba- 
hama Islands.  ,  .  ^     , 

No  3  COTTON  SEED.— A  mammoth  variety  from 
South  Carolina.     Will  grow  in  the  Northern  garden. 

No  4  SEA  BEANS.— Four  varieties.  These  curious 
productions  of  nature  grow  upon  vines  in  sandy  soil 
bordering  the  ocean  on  the  Bahama  Islands,  and  will 
mature  in  the  green-house  at  the  North. 

No  5  BLEEDINU  TOOTH.- Resemhling  a  tooth 
bleeding  — one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  all  the  sea 

No.  G.  ''cotton  boll.  — Picked  from  a  Southern 
cotton-ttehl.  ,  ,  ^  , 

No.  7.  PECTEN  SHELL.— Much  used  for  ornamental 
and  decorative  purposes. 

No  8  EYE  STONE.— A  calcareous  concretion  found 
ill  the  stomach  of  the  craw-flsh.  It  will  remove  all 
foreign  substances  from  the  eye,  and  one  should 
always  be  kept  at  hand.  .   ,        .         •      „ 

No  ')  FLEXIBLE  C(MIAL.  -  (Oorgoni.a).  -A  curious 
vegetable  growth,  from  Nassau,  over  which  is  a  coral 
formation  deposited  by  a  marine  animal. 

No  10  COXFEl)EU.A.TE  .M(,NEY.-A  piece  of  gen- 
uine currency,  issueti  by  the  State  of  North  C  arohna 
during  the  Rebellion,  each  numbered  and  signed,  an 
issue  found  in  but  few  collections.  . 

No.  11.    ALLIGATOR'S  TOOTH.- From  a  Florida  alli- 

No^'2"^"  VEGETABLE  SPOVGE.— A  specimen  of  this 
curious  native  growth,  cabled  in  Spanish  ''Estra 
Paio  "  grows  f  reel  v  in  Florida,  Cuba  and  the  Bahamas. 

This  entire  collection  in  stnmg  partitioned  box.  each 

spocimen  labelled,  postpaid  for  FIFTY  CENTb. 

Address.  „       ...  <•  th 

FORT  MARION   STORR,   Sf.  Aiignsline,  Fla. 


THE  ORNITHOLOGIST  &  BOTANIST. 

Devoted  to  Nature  and  Sports. 

ONLY   $1  .00  PER  YEAR,$1  ONLY. 

CLIMBING  IRONS  ONLY  $1  PER  PAIR. 

Both  Given  for  a  $1    bill. 
ONLY     $1.     ONLV. 

Address,  THE  ORNITHOLOGIST  &   BOTANIST, 

Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Mention  the  O.  &  O. 


Taxidermy  ^^  Zoological 
Collecting, 

A  complete  hand-book  of  362  pages  for  the  amateur 
taxidermist,  collector,  osteologist,  museum  builder, 
sportsman  and  traveller. 

Illustrated  with  twenty-four  plates  and  eighty-five 
text  jiictures. 

BY   WILIJA.M   T.    HORN  AD  AY, 
(For  eijflit  years  Chief  Taxidermi.st  of   the  IT. 
S.  National  Museum.) 

RRICE  •  $2  SO. 

Frank  Bkke  Webster  Companv, 

7  Franklin  St.,  Boston,  Miss. 


POH    SflllE. 

Mounted  Axxixxxals 


Buffalo,  Bhack  Bear,  Rocky  Mt.  Goat,  Coyote,  Wild  Cat, 
Otter,  Deer,  Possum,  Coon,  Lynx, 
%  Alligator,  Shark,   Leather-back 

Turtle,  Squirrel,  Fox,  Martin,  etc 

MOUNTED    HEADS. 

Buffalo,  Elk,  Moose,  Caribou,  Deer,  Sheep,  Antelope, 
Fox,   Polar  Bear,    Etc. 


BOOKS. 

Capen's  Oologv,  |15. 

Cnucs'   Key  to  N.  A.  Birds,  7, 

Ridgwav'8  Manual  of  N.  A.  Birds,  7 

Maynard's  Riiltertiies  of  N.  E.  7. 

Mavnard's  Butterflies  of  N.  A.  1, 
Harris'  Insects,  Plain  4..'>(),  Colored  6 
Piickard's  (Juide  to  Study  of  Insects, 


1 

Paper  1.2.'>,  Cloth  I 

Cloth  2 

1 


00 
■0 

r<o 

00 

,00 

..50 
.75 
.00 
.25 
..50 

50 

.50 
35 


Packard's  Common  Insects, 

Davies'  Egg<  of  N.  A., 

Maynard's  Eggs  (Colored  III.), 

Maynard's  Manual  of  Taxidermy, 

B;itty's  .Manual  of  Taxidermy, 

Manton's  .Manual  of  Taxidermy, 

Ilornaday's  Manual   of  Taxidermy  (the  finest  work 

in  existence),  2. 

TriMnbuU's  Names  and  Portraits  of  Game  Birds,  2 

A.  O.  U.  Check  List, 
Kidgway  Check  List, 

NEW    GOODS. 

1  Large  Caribou,  fine  antlers,  in  ])iakk>  ready  to 

stuff, 
1  Medium  Caribou,  fine  antlers,  in  pi(^kle,  ready  to 

stuff, 
1   Cow  Caribou,  fine  antlers,  in  pickle  ready  to 

stuff, 
1  Spotted  Fawn,  in  pickle  ready  to  stuff, 
1  Hair  Seal,  small,  in  i>ickle  reafly  to  stuff, 
1  Live  Paracpiet,  talks,  fine  bird,  $15.00 

Live  (Jreen  Snakes,'  each,  .25 

Live  Turtles,  each,  .10 

Fancy  Stands,  new  style,  25,  35  and  ..'iO 

IN   A   MARINE   COLLECTION, 

Rose  Coral,  L'ink  Coral,  Kidney  (  or;.l.  Branch 
Coral,  H<»rse-foot  Crab,  Fiddler  Crab,  Sea 
Snail,  Codfish,  Bone  Sea  I'ri-hiii, 
Star  Fish,  Spider  Crab,  Whale's  Tooth,  ail 
sent  by  mail  for 

1  Fruit  Bat.from  India,  fine  skin, 

12  Assorted  Sea  Mosses,  neatly  mounted,  small 
size, 

12  Assorted  Sea  Mosses,  neatly  mounted,  3x4, 

A  few  Claws  of  the  (Jrizzly  Bear,  large,  each, 

"    "        "        "    "     Bengal  Tiger,  each, 

1  White  Crow  Skin, 

>  Albino  Phoebe,  $2.00;  Albino  Texas  Cardinal, 

1  Albino  Rustv  Black  Bird,  f2.00;   English  Sparrow 

1  Large  Pitta  Skin, 

I  Arrow  Point,  mounted,  for  scarf  pin, 

1  Shark  Tooth,  from  Nantucket,  scarf  pin, 

1  Fossil  Shark,  scarf  pin, 

Brazilian  Beetle  Pins. 

1  Tii^er  Eve,  scarf  pin, 

10,000  Peacock  Feathers,  per  100, 

1  set  Golden  ?:agle  Esrgs,  1  set  Acadian  Owl's, 

1  lot  of  Loggerhead  Turtle's  Eggs, 

1  Alligator  Card  Receiver,  7.50;  1  Monkey  Ci.rd 
Receiver, 

1  Monkey  Card  Receiver,  $8.00;  1  Fox  Card 
Rccci  vcr, 

Schluter's  Insect  Pins,  bright  and  black, 

A  new  lot  of  Artificial  Heads,  several  new  styles, 


jsi.OO 
3.00 

.20 

..'•)(» 

.30 

1.00 

10.00 

3.00 

,  1.00 

2.0O 

1.25 

1.25 

1.25 

1.00 

.75 

.75 


10100 
12.00 


Frank  Blake  Webster  Companv, 

7  Fijriklin   Strict,    Hoslon,    Ma^s. 


ESTABLISHED    1875. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—AND— 

OOLOGIST. 


VOL.    XVII. 


NO.    6. 


JUNE, 


1892. 


CONTENTS. 


Winter  IMrrt  Notes  from  SouHiora  Massalifusetts 

The  American  Bittern 

Nestin^r  of  the  Wood  I'ewee  in  Nova  Scotia 
Birds  of  Five-miln  IJeach  .... 

Notes  on  the  Ducks  of  Cohassct.  Mass.,  18G0-!V2 

Notes  on  the  Flicker 

A  Strange  Bird  Shot 

A  Collecting  Trip  to  Canada 

Nesting  of  the  King  Rail  Near  Philadelphia 

Nesting  of  .Iiinco  hyemalis  thurberi 

New  Publications    " 

Heuioval 

Brief  Notes 


Harry  Gordon  White 
Elmer  J.  (;ill<>tt 
Walter  D'A.  llyan 
Philip  Laurent 
C.  H.E.      . 
M.  C.  Connell 
O.  C.  Poling 
W.  P.  Hadley 
Isaac  S.  Rieft" 
Fred  VV.  Koch 


81 
87 
87 
88 
90 
91 
91 
92 
94 
94 
94 
95 
95 


$1.00  PER  ANNUM.  SINGLE    COPY,    10    CENTS. 

PUBLISHED    BY 

FRANK    BLAKE    WEBSTER   COMPANY, 
HYDE  PARK,  MASS. 

Entered  at  Hyde  Park  Post  office  as  Second  Class  Matter. 


CRYST    ALBA, 

The  best  thing  in  the  market  to  protect  Skins, 
Birds,  Garments  and  Furs  from  Moths. 

ONLV     IS      CENTS      PER      LB. 

Will  not  injure  any  fabric. 

FRANK     BLAKE     WEBSTER    CO. 

Shells  From  Japan. 

A   Consignment  just  received.      Write    for 
particulars. 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY. 


Labrabor  Duck  is  sold ;  Send  15  cts.  for  its  photograph. 

BIRDS'    EGGS. 

RED  LETTER  LIST  PRINTED. 

Prices  on  single  egRS  way  down. 

o<\  EGG  TOOLS.  \>o 

The  cheap  sets,  a  wood  box,  with  drill,  blower  and 
hook,  advertised  with  a  great  hurrah  by  several  deal- 
ers at  35  cents,  we  will  sell  at  .'ts  cents  and  throw  in 
25  cents  worth  of  eggs  with  It.  at  regular  list. 

We  are  having  a  catalogue  of  specimens,  curio,  etc. 
printed.    Send  10  cents  for  it.    It   will  contain  many 


pages. 


MINERALS. 


Six  polishf^d  pieces,  assorted,  sizes  same  as  used  in 
rings,  for  25  cents,  postpaid. 

Frank  Blake   Webster   Co. 


-«    WANTED.    9^ 

Audubon's  IMrds  of   North  America,  odd   volumes 
Also  any  other  old  works  on  Ornithology. 
Send  list  with  price. 

E.    W.    RICKER,   Box    5083, 

CITY  HALL,  -  -  -  BOSTON,  MASS. 


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BROWNSVILLE,  TEXAS, 

Will  give  special  attention  to  the  collection,  for 
scientitic  purposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles, 
native  to  the  interior  anrl  border  of  Mexico,  and  will 
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OUR      PER7VYKNENT      ESTKBL.ISH7WYENT      KT      HYDE      PRRK,     TV^PCSS. 

As  seen  from  the  Old  Colony  Railroad,  Providence  division,  at  the  Hazelwood  station,  Hyde  I'ark,  Mass..  Hyde 
Park  joins  the  city  of  Hoston  and  is  seven  miles  from  the  Moston  stations  of  the  above  naniefl  railroad,  and  the 
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ESTABLISHED    1875. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—AND— 

OOLOGIST. 

VOL.    XVII.  .,^^B^^^^_  NO.    7 


JULY, 


1892. 


CONTENTS. 


.  97 

.  99 

.  100 

.  101 

.  102 

.  102 

.  103 

.  103 

.  104 

.  104 

.  1(15 

.  lOG 

.  lOli 

.  108 

.  109 

.  109 

The  Red  Phalarope F.  B    VV.     .    " 109 

The  Labrador  Duck 110 

Brief  Notes 110 

Smelling  Power  of  the  Turkey  Buzzards E.  P.  Jenks Ill 

Exchanges  and  Wants 112 


Notes  from  Nova  Scotia H.  Austen 

Nesting  of  the  Louisiana  Water  Thrush C.  S.  Brimley 

An  Adventure M.  C.  Conwell 

Some  Spring  Arrivals  at  Pueblo  County,  Ool Willoughby  P.  Lowe     . 

Nestingof  the  Blue-headed  Vireo  in  Massachusetts        .        .  C.  W.  and  J.  H.  Bowles 

Oological  Notes  G.  L.  H 

A  Set  of  the  King  Rail C.S.  Brimley   . 

Nesting  of  the  Virginia  Rail  (Rallus  Virginianus)     .       .       .  B.  H.  Swales     . 

A  Trip  on  Utah  Lake H.  C.  Johnson 

Brief  Notes  from  Raleigh,  N.  C C.  S.  Brimley 

The  Color  Phenomena  of  the  Little  Screech  Owl        .       .        .  W.  C.  Brownell 

Notes  from  Beaufort,  N.  C H.  H.  Brimley 

A  Day  is  Texas  Woods .'  J.  H.  Tallichet 

The  Water  Ousel R.  H.  White,  Jr.     . 

Oysters  vs.  Kingfisher H.  C.  Hopkins 

LateJSTesting  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl P.  B.  Peabody 


$1.00  PER  ANNUM. 


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Frank  B.  Armstrong, 

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BIRDS'   SKINS    AND  EGGS 

BROWNSVILLE,  TEXAS, 

Will  give  special  attention  to  the  collection,  for 
scientific  purposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles, 
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furnish  careful  data  in  regard  to  same. 

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H.  H.  &  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

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A  Great  Novelty,  grows  iiT  sand.    Bulbs,  §1.00  each. 

We  make  a  sjtecialtyof  Native  American  Palm  and 
Evergreen  Trees  and  Flower  Seeds,  Bulbs,  Ferns,  Cacti 
anil  otlier  i>lants. 

ORCUTT    SEED  AND  PLANT  CO.,    San  Diego,  Cal. 

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Birds'    Skins,        Birds'     Eggs, 

GLASS  EYES,   TOOLS,   SHADES,   HEADS,   CURIOS,  MOSS, 
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ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 

VOL.  XVII.  r*-^^^^^  NO.  8. 


AUGUST, 


CONTENTS. 


Bird  Notes  at  Sea  ...... 

The  Olive-backed  Thrush      ..... 

My  Experience  with  Visitors         .         •         .         . 
Breeding  Habits  of  Junco  Hyemalis  carolinensis,  Br. 
Illinois  English  Sparrow  Law       .... 

Samuel  B.  Ladd's  Collection  of  Eggs  of  Warblers 

Big  Birds  at  the  Philadelphia  Zoo 

Western  Vesper  Sparrow 

Albino  Eggs  of  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren 

A  Large  Set  of  Eggs  of  the  Bob  White 

Birds  of  Wayne  County,  Mich.     . 

Montague  Chamberlain's  New  Work   . 

Brief  Notes,  Correspondence,  and  Clippings 


;te 


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Stewart  Edward  Whi 
W.  C.  B.    . 
Philip  Laurent 
R.  M.  Barnes     . 


"  Philadelphia  Times" 
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"3 
114 
116 
116 
117 
118 
119 
120 
121 
122 
122 
124 
125 


FRANK  B.  ARMSTRONG, 


DEALER    IN 


Birds'  Skins  and  Eggs, 

BR  O  WNS  VILLE,    TEX  A  S, 

Will  give  special  attention  to  the  collection,  for 
scientific  purposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles 
native  to  the  interior  and  border  of  Mexico,  and 
will  furnish  careful  data  in  regard  to  same. 
Correspondence  respectfully  solicited. 

FRANK  B.  ARMSTRONG. 


H.  H.  S  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

RALEIGH,  N.C. 

COLLECTORS. 

First-class  Bird  and  Mammal  Skins  and  Ejfgs. 
Also  Reptiles,  Batrachians,  Embrvos,  etc.,  fh  al- 
cohol.  Full  data  in  all  cases.  Write  for  price-list. 


The  Oologists'  Journal, 

for  the  student  of  Birds,  their  Nests 
and  Eggs,  published  bv 

STACK  AND  PECK, 

Xuturalisis  and   Taxidcrniis/.^, 
POUGHKEEP.SIK,   N.V. 


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AKT,  Indiana. 
and  Terms  loc. 


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Mounted  Specimens  for  Sale. 


adillo  —  Central  America         .         .         .         . 

ati  —  Mexico;  fine  ..... 

lope  —  Female;  not  extra  fine 

;ator  —  on  Rock,  36  inches  ;  fine     . 

ator  Card  Receiver  ..... 

ator,  standing  on  hind  legs,  with  Ostrich  Egg 

^Egg  Phosphate  Sign);  fine 

ator  —  no  Stand,  32  inches  ;  fine    . 

ator  —  no  Stand,  30  inches  ;  fine  . 

ator  —  on  Stand,  36  inches     .... 

:  Bear  —  on  Rock  ;  live  weight  650  pounds,  a 

nonster;  this  is  a  great  piece  for  a  display   . 

lo  —  2  year  old,  on  Rock  ;  work  of  Professor 

Z^ritchley  ;  a  very  fine  specimen  of  this  nearly 

;xtinct  animal  ...... 

—  large  ears,  from  California  ;  extent  of  wings 
!0  inches  ....... 

—  large  ears,  light  color,  from  California  ;  ex- 
ent  of  wings  12  inches  .... 
-hoary,  Calif;  extent  of  wings  16  inches 

—  smaller  than  above,  fiom  Calif;  each 
-common         ....... 

te  —  standing;  a  very  fine  piece     . 

te  —  standing  on  Rockwork  :  fine  exhibit 

—  on  Bark  Groundwork  ;   fine 
pedes  —  from  California ;  each 

—  Buck  on  Rock;  a  good  exhibit  piece 

—  Buck  and  Doe,  on  Sandwork  ;  a  good  piece 
or  exhibit        ....... 

—  Buck,  standing  ;  good  for  a  Christmas  scene 

—  Doe,  nearly  albino,  lying  down  on  Black 
roat  mat ;  a  beautiful  library  ornament 

-a  Cur  Hound,  standing;  this  is  a  piece  of 
rork  that  has  attracted  a  great  deal  of  atten- 
ion  ;  pronounced  the  best  .... 
-Spitz,  standing  ..... 

—  Yorshire  Terrier ;  this  little  fellow  was  val- 
ed  -vyhen  alive  at  $500,  and  is  just  the  thing 
3r  a  dealer  in  dog  supplies  for  the  showcase 
le  Weasel  —  white,  standing 
le  Weasel  —  white,  on  Stump 

—  "  Sun,"  for  wall 
-sitting  on  haunches     . 
-on  Rock  with  Grouse 
-on  Rock,  listening 
-on  Rock,  standing 
-on  hind  legs,  for  Card  Receiver 
■on  hind  legs,  for  Card  Receiver 
- "  Wood,"  on  fancy  stand  ;  very  fine 
ed  Toads  —  from  Calif;  each 
Labbit  —  very  large  and  fine 
:roo  —  large  .... 

—  from  Colorado,  on  Rock;  fine 

—  a  great  wonder,  i  head,  8  legs,  2  tails,  and 
pretty  thing,  just  suitable  for  a  side  show  . 


$4 

50 

9 

00 

15 

00 

750 

8 

00 

7 

GO 

5 

00 

4 

00 

3 

00 

500  00 


2  GO 
2  00 
I  50 
I  25 
25  GO 
30  GO 
750 

75 
70  00 

125  00 

4G  OG 


2G  GO 

Boo 


Sgg 

2  50 

300 

I  GO 

800 

10  GO 

S  GG 

10  GO 

12  00 

14  GO 

12  00 

I  GG 

750 
75  OG 
20  GG 

50  00 


I  Lizzard  —  30  inches  long;  a  curiosity  . 
I  Lizzard  —  30  inches  long;  a  curiosity  . 
I  Musk  Deer  —  about  the  size  of  a  Rabbit;  a  little 

beauty      ....... 

I  Muskrat  —  old 

I  Muskrat  —  old 

I  Muskrat  —  one  third  grown 
I  Muskrat  —  one  third  groAvn 
I  Mink  —  with  young  in   mouth,   just  as  shot;    ; 

rarity       ....... 

I  Mink  —  extra  large,  on  Fancy  Ground 

I  Mink  —  on  Bark  stand 

I  Mink  —  on  Log       .         .         .         .         . 

I  Mink  —  on  Stand    ...... 

I  Mole  —  star  nose     ...... 

I  Monkey  Card  Receiver — very  fine  ;  work  of  Prof 

Critchley  ...... 

1  Monkey  Card  Receiver  .... 

I  Monkey — Chinese  Moss,  with  staff  and  Ostrich 

Egg  (Egg  Phosphate  Sign)  ;  a  novelty 
I  Monkey  —  grotesque,  looks  like  an  old  man 
I  Monkey  —  hanging  b\- tail,  to  suspend  draperv  by 
I  Monkey  —  Marmoset      ..... 
I  Ounce  Cat  —  Texas,   a  beauty  on   Fancy   Stand 

for  window  exhibit  .... 

I  Ptter  —  on  Stump;  a  fine  piece     .         .         . 
I  Ocelot  —  S.  A.,  on  Sand  Bank;  a  very  fine  piece 

of  woi-k  for  exhibit  .... 

I  Porcupine — American  Hedgehog 
I  Puma — on  Rock;  a  show  piece    . 
I  Possom  —  a  fancj- piece  ;  fine 
I  Porcupine  Fish  —  large;  slightly  imperfect 
I  Porcupine  Fish       ...... 

I  Rat  (house) 

I  Rat  (house) 

1  Skunk  in  steel  trap ;  fine        .... 

2  Skunks  —  very  large ;  on  Fancy  Stand  for  exhibit 
2  Skunks  —  smaller,  on  FancA- Stand 

I  Squirrel  —  black  bellied  .... 

I  Squirrel,  Fox  ...... 

1  Squirrel,  Fox  ...... 

2  Squirrels,  Foxes  —  a  fancy  piece    . 

5  Squirrels  —  gray,  2  old  and  3  young;  a  fine  ex 
hibit  group      ...... 

2  Squirrels  —  gray,  a  pair  on  one  Stand  . 
2  Squirrels  —  gray,  a  pair  on  one  Stand  . 
5  Squirrels  —  gray,  on  separate  Stands;  each 
5  Squirrels  —  gray,  on  separate  Stands;  each 
I  Squirrel  —  red,  on  Stump       .... 

1  Squirrel  —  red,  on  Stand         .... 

2  Squirrels  —  flying,  on  one  Stand    . 
I  Shark  —  "Basking,"  live  w-eight  1600  lbs.,  length 

14  ft. ;  this  monster  fish  would  be  a  dime  mu- 
seum in  itself ;  there  are  dollars  in  it ;  a  mas- 
terpiece of  work      ...... 


)  Scorpions  —  each 7> 

[  Turtle —  leatherback,  live  weight  800  lbs. ;  this  is 
the  largest  species  that  is  taken,  and  would  be 

a  great  addition  to  any  museum  or  exhibition  175  00 

[  Turtle  —  snapper    .......  5  00 

[  Turtle  —  common            .  "*     .         .         .         ,         .  i  50 

[2  Tarrantulas  —  extra  large  ;  each           ...  100 

2  Trap  Door  Spiders  —  each    .....  75 

Weasel  —  standing          ......  300 


I  Wild  Cat  —  springing 'from  Rock  on  a  flock  of 

Qiiail :  a  good  show  piece 
1  Wild  Cat  —  very  large,  standing 
I  Wild  Cat  —  very  large,  standing 
I  Wild  Cat  —  large    . 
I  Wild  Cat  —  medium  size 
I  Woodchuck  —  extra  large 
I  Woodchuck  —  medium 
I  Woodchuck  —  black 


»^XJI^I^K^I>    HE^^VI>». 


Antelope  —  short  neck 
Large  Bull  Buffalo 
Large  Bull  Buffalo 
Small  Buffalo  —  very  fine 
Calf  Buffalo    . 
Common  Calf  —  red 
Caribou  —  Quebec 
Caribou  —  Nova  Scotia 
Caribou  —  Ne^\•f  oundland 
Caribou  —  Maine    . 
Caribou  —  Maine    . 
Deer  —  Maine,  long  neck 
Deer  —  Maine 


10  00 

300  00 

250  00 

250  «)0 

75  00 

10  00 

5000 

40  00 

100  00 

25  00 

20  GO 
20  GO 

Is  00 


I  Deer  —  Western,  large  horns 
I  Deer  —  Western,  medium  horns 
I  Deer  —  Western,  medium  horns 
I  Deer  —  Western,  medium  horns 
I  Dog  —  Shepherd     . 
I  Dog  — Spitz,  flat    . 

1  Elk 

1  Mountain  Sheep 
We  usually  can  furnish  — 
Moose  Heads     .... 
Fox  Heads  .... 

1  Polar  Bear  —  very  large 
I  Wild  Cat         ...         . 


$75,  $100,  and 
.    $8t 


These  are  all  mounted  on  Shields  and  the  prices  are  low. 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 

Naturalists'  Supply  Depot, 

HYDE  PARK,  MASS. 


ESTABLISHED  1875. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 

VOL.  XVil.  ^,,..-— -..--^  NO.  9, 


SEPTEMBER 


CONTENTS. 


XestiDK  of  the  Black-throated  Bhu'  Warbler  in  Bniic 
Co.,  N.  C 

A  Spring  Morning  Ramble 

Bt'ltfil  Kingflsher 

The  Uose-breasted  Grosbeak  in  Oaklaml  Couiitv.  Midi. 

Nest  111  the  Maryland  Yellow  throat       .... 

Bird  Notes  irmu  Hull,  Iowa 

Sonic  of  my  Be.st  Finds  to  .June  8,  ISiKJ  . 

A  Few  Notes  on  the  Gallinules  in  North  Carolin.i 

.\  Life  Risk  for  Eggs 

Camiiing  Out 

Bird  Notes  of  Nortneni  New  .Jersey       .... 

The  Maryland  Yellow-throat  at  Raleigh,  N.C.,  in  Winter 

Cerulean"  AVarbler       .        .        .        .     '  . 

Large  Set  of  Flicker's  ICggs 

Tiggs  of  Warblers  in  Collection  of  H.  W.  Flint    . 

Nesting  of  the  Great-crested  Flycatcher  in  Eastern  New 
land       ....." 

Owl  A(;(|uaintances  .  

Captain  Bendire's  Life  Hi.stories  of  North  American  Bii 

Brief  Notes,  Correspondence,  and  Clippings 


nibe 


Samuel  B.  Lad<l    . 
C.  E.  Brown  . 
Arthur  M.  Farmer 
Wilfied  A.  Brothcrton 
W.  L.Jvells     . 
A.I.J. 

A.  E.  Kibbe    . 
C.  S.  Brimley 
'  "New  Y'ork  Tribune 
Arthur  M.  Farmer 
Henry  Hales 
C.  S.  "Brimlev 
W.  A.  David'son     . 
M.  C.  C.  Wilde 


Kng- 


.T.  H.  Bowles 
H.  C.  Hopkins 
.T.P.N. 


1«) 
UO 
131 
131 
13-2 
133 
\Xi 
\U 
134 
136 
1.36 
137 
137 
137 
1.38 

130 
139 
141 
142 


$1  .00   PER  ANNUM.       SINGLE  COPY,    1  0  CENTS. 
PUBLISHED   BY 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 
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Entered  at  Hyde  Park  Postoffice  as  .Second-cla.ss  Matter. 


FRANK  B.  ARMSTRONG, 


DEALER    IN 


Birds'  Skins  and   Eggs, 

nnO  WNS  VILLE.    TEX  A  S. 

Will  give  special  atleiition  to  the  collection,  for 
scientific  purposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles 
native  to  the  interior  and  border  of  Mexico,  and 
will  furnish  careful  data  in  regard  to  same. 
Correspondence  respectfully  solicited. 

FRANK  B.  ARMSTRONG. 


H.  H.  &  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

R.AI.KICH,  X.C. 
COLLECTORS. 

First-class  Bird  and  Manunal  Skins  and  Fggs. 
Also  Reptiles,  llatrachians,  Enihrvos,  etc.,  in  al- 
cohol.   Full  data  in  all  cases.  Write  for  price-list. 


The  Oologists'  Journal, 

for  the  student  ot  Birds,  their  Xests 
and  Eggs,  published  b\ 

STACK  AND  PECK, 

yafnrali'sfs  and  Tuxidcrmists. 
PonCJHKKKPSlK.   N.V. 


THE  NflTIONRL  EXCHftNGE 


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ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 

VOL.  XVII.  .^^---'       ^~—  No.  10. 


OCTOBER, 


CONTENTS. 


Sunset  with  the  Night  Hawks      .... 

Frederic  L.  Small 

H.'5 

Notes  from  Dartmouth,  N.S 

H.  Austen 

146 

The  Birds'  Christmas  Dinner        .... 

Harry  Gordon  White- 

148 

In  Good  Greenwood. —  I.      . 

Robert  Cargan 

i-Ji 

The  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  in  Michiijfan 

W.  E.  Mulliken 

i<;2 

Some  Notes  of  the  Winter  of  18S9-1S90 

C.  S.  Brimley    . 

1.12 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak 

Mushkodasa 

153 

Nest  of  the  Winter  Wren 

William  L.  Kells        . 

iH 

Nesting  of  the  Hermit  Thrush 

Arthur  M.  Farmer 

I."?."? 

Sand  Hill  Cranes  in  Michigan      .... 

Dr.  W.  C.  Brownell 

i.'?6 

Brief  Notes,  Correspondence,  and  Clippings 

I. "J? 

Birds  and  Eggs  from  the  Peary  Expedition 

Witmer  Stone     . 

i.^« 

Field  Sparrow  in  Michigan           .... 

B.  H.  Swales      . 

1.59 

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PRICES   FALL   OF    1892. 


Canaries,  singers  .  .  $2.50  to  5.00  each 
Java  Sparrows  .  .  .  1.50  to  2.00  each 
Mockingbirds,  young  .  2.50  to  7.50  each 
Cardinals  ....  1.50  to  2.50  each 
English  Goldfinch  .  .  1.50  to  2.50  each 
African  Finches,  variety  .  2.00  to  5.00  pair 
Brazilian  Cardinal  .  .  3-Oo  to  4.00  each 
African  Parrots,  gray  .  iS-oo  each 
Cuban  Parrots  .  .  .  5 -00  each 
Mexican  Yellow-headed  Par- 
rot .....  12.00  to  15.00  each 
Amazon  Blue-fronted  Parrot  10.00  to  15.00  each 

ANIMALS. 

Guinea  Pigs,  common,  breeders  2.00  pair 


Guinea  Pigs,  young- 
Guinea  Pigs,  Abyssinian 
Rabbits,  white,  pink  eyes. 
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Ferrets,  ringed  for  use 
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Monkeys,  Java 
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Gray  Squirrels 
Dogs,  (Special  Qiiotation 


old 
voun 


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2.00  pair 
1.50  pair 

•75  pair 

.75  pair 

.75  pair 

6.00  pair 

3.00  pair 

5.00  each 

5.00  each 

12.00  each 

12.00  to  15.00  each 

1.50  to  2.50  each 

given). 


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ESTABLISHED  1875. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 

VOL.  XVII.  ^..^^m^^-^^  No.  11. 


NOVEMBER 


CONTENTS. 


Nest  of  the  Yellow-bellied  Flvcatilui- 

A  Few  Notes  which  I  have  Noted 

In  Good  Greenwood.  —  II.     .         .         .         .         . 

Macgilli\'ray's  Warbler  ..... 

The  Bald-headed  Eagle  in  Fulton  Count\ .  Illinois 
List  of  Warblers'  Eggs  in  the  J.  P.  N.  Collection 
Eggs  of  Warblers  in  Collection  of  Isaac  S.  Reift 
Where  the  Mississippi  Kites  Flv 
Singing  Mice  ....... 

Broad-winged  Hawk  in  Hillsboro  Countv.  X.ll. 
Notes  from  Danbur\-,  Conn.  .... 

An  Iniquitous  Duty        ...... 

Brief  Notes,  Correspondence,  and  Clippings 
Have  Mice  an  Ear  for  Music-        .  .  .  . 


William  L.  Kells 
James  B.  Purdy 
Robert  Cargan 
William  L. 'Kells 
Dr.  W.  S.  Strode 


P.  B.  Peabody    . 
Harper's  Young  People 
Arthiu-  M.  Farmer 


C.  P.  T. 


i6i 
i6i 
163 
164 

165 
166 
167 
168 

171 
172 
172 
173 
17.3 
17.'^ 


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WHAT 


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will  furnisli  careful  data  in  regard  to  same. 
Correspondence  rcspectfull^  solicited. 

FR.WK   B.   ARMS'lRONd. 

H.  H.  S  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

R.AI.KK;!!.  n.c. 
COLLECTORS. 

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PRICES   FALL    OF    1892. 


Canaries,  singer^ 
Java  Sparrows 
Mockitinhirds.  \  ounx 
Cardinals     . 
English  Goldtincli 
African  Finches,  \ariet\ 
Br.'i^ziliaii  Cardinal 
African  Parrots.  gra\ 
Cnlian  Parrots 


$2.50  to  5.(X)  each  Guinea  Pigs,  joiing  $1.50  pair 

1.50  to  J.cx)  each  Guinea  Pigs,  Abyssinian  2axj>  pair 

2.50  to  7.50  each  Rabbits,  white,  pink  Qves.  old  i.^f)  pair 

1.50  to  2.50  each  Rabbits,  white,  pink  eyes,  youiiL;-  .75  paii- 

1.50  to  2.50  each  Rabbits,  black  and  white  .7^  paii 

2.CX)  to  5.00  pair  Rabbits,  gray  and  white  .75  paii- 

3.00  to  4.00  each  Rabbits,  lop  ear.s,  old  Gak)  pair 

15. cx)  each  Rabbits,  lop  ears,  -sonng  3.{X)  pair 

5.00  each  F'errets,  ringed  for  use  :;.oo  each 

Mexican  "Sellow -headed  Par-  Monkeys,  Marmoset      '  ;;.ck)  each 

I'ot     .....     i2.cx)to  15. CO  each  Monkeys,  Java  12.00  each 

Amazon  Blue-fronted  Parrot    lo.oo  to  15.00  each  Monkevs,  Ring  tails  12.00  to  ivooeach 

ANIMALS.  ^•"'''-^"  ^^l"'""^'^,  ,,      _.         .       loO  to  2.50  each 

/-',,;„>     !)■  ,  .  •       Dogs.  (Special  (JuotatK)n  nuen). 

VTUinea  1  igs.  common.  i)reeder-.  2.00  pair  .-t-      v    1  ""v^  -.  / 

Aif  dress, 

Boston  Bird  Store,  119  Eliot  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

NATURALISTS'  SUPPLY  DEPOT. 

ARTIFICIAL    GLASS    EYES, 

LEAVES,  WIRE,  SANDS,  SHIELDS, 

TOW,  TAGS,  POTTERS'    CLAY, 

CUTTERS,         SCALPELS,         FORCEPS,  COPS, 

GLASS    SHADES,  NEEDLES,  PLYERS, 

ARSENICAL   SOAP,  PINS,  WINDING    THREAD, 

BOOKS, 

INSECT   PINS,         SHEETS   CORK,  LABELS, 

STUFFED    BIRDS, 

BIRDS'   SKINS,  BIRDS'   EGGS. 

NOVr  IS    THE    TIME   TO   SEND    IN   ORDERS   FOR   YOUR 
FALL   SUPPLIES. 


FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 

HYDE    PARK,  MASS. 


THE   SECRET   IS   OUT. 

I'roni  tlio  dav  f)f  its  disco\er\ ,  the  proccs-  h\  which  tiic  1*"R1-2NC1I  'I'AWERS  tanned  tiieir 
(jLO\'E  kid  has  remained  a  secret  amonj;-  tliemselves.  hut  at  last  I  am  pleased  to  annoimce  to 
TAXIDERMISTS.  COLLECTORS.  S1H')RTSMEN  and  others 

THAT    I    HAVE    IT. 

I  am  now  manufacturing!;  and  puttinii'  it  up  in  packages  at  one  dollar  per  package.    One  pack- 
age will  do  AT  i.K.\sT  eight  Sheep  or  twehe  to  fifteen  Fox  Skins.     There  is  XO  WC 
ever  when  this  tan  is  used.     Simpl\  apply,  and  when  dry  the  tan  will  peel  off  the  entj.        k;.., 
leaving  it  as  soft  as  a  glove.     .\.d\ertising  cosis  money,  and  it  would  take  several  pages  of  this 
paper  to  advertise  the  man\   testinK)nials  I  ha\e  from    taxidkrmists   and  others  who  have  used 

BABBITT'S    GLOVE    KID    TAN. 

Before  vou  jiurchase  a  package.  I  would  lie  pleased  to  send  to  those  who  will  enclose  a  two- 
cent  stamp  a  few  samples  of  what  this  tan  will  do.    Address  plainly,     JAMES  P.   IJAEIJITT, 

No.  lo  IIonoKs  A\K.,  T.\untox,  Mass. 
Dealer  in  everything  needed  hv  Taxidermists.  Xaturalists,  and  Collectors. 

BIRDS     AND     ANIMALS 

PRESERVED    AND    MOUNTED. 


Heads  of  Elk,  floose,  Caribou  and  Deer 

OUR    SPECIALTY. 


WE   WOULD    INFORM    OCR    MANY    FRIENDS   AND    PATRCJNS     TILVT    WE    ARE 
NOW   PREPARED   TO    .\TTEND   TO   ALL  WORK   IN   THE   LINE    OF 

TAXIDERMY    AT    OUR    MUSEUM    AT    HYDE    PARK,   MASS. 


t^TO   OUR    BOSTON    CUSTOMERS :  e^l 

We    have    arranged  with   Rya/is   Express    to    receive   orders    at 
office^  I  Of,  Arch   Street^  Boston. 


FRANK.  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 

Ha2le\\^ood  Statiori,  Hyde  ParK.  Mass. 

(Trains  lease  Park  Square  Station. ) 

JAMES  P.   BABBITT,  AGENTS    wanted    on    salary 

,_^  ,  ,  or  commission,  to  handle  the  new  Patent  Chemical  Ink  Erasing 

Tg^lQgl'IYIIg'^  Pencil.     The  quickest  and  greatest  selling  novelty  ever  pro- 

duced.    Erases  ink  thoroughly  in  two  seconds.     No  abrasion  of 
And  dealer  in  Birds'  Skins,  Eggs,  Stuffed  Birds,  and  sup-  i  Pape""-,    W"rks  like  magic      200  to  500  per  cent  profit.     One 

Agent  s  sales  amounted  to  $620  in  si.v  d.iys;   another  if  32  in  two 


plies  for  the  Naturalist  and  Taxidermist. 

Send  stamp  for  list. 

12  HODGES  .WENUE,  TAUNTON,  MASS. 


hours.     Previous  experience  not  necessary.    For  terms  and  full 
particulars,  address, 

THE  MONROE  ERASER  MFG.  CO., 

I. a  Crosse,  Wis.,  X  457. 


ESTABLISHED  1875. 


ORNITHOLOGIST 

—  AND  — 

OOLOGIST. 

VOL.  XVII.  z--^'-'''^^^'^^'^--  No.  12. 


DECEMBER 


CONTENTS. 

Legends  and  Folk  Lore  Relatin;^  to  lairds  in  \'aiious 

Countries Dan  De  Quiile 

Late  Nesting  of  the  Bob  White  ....  Benjamin  I loag 

In  Good  Greenwood.— Ill Robert  Cargan 

Notes  from  Delta  Co.,  Michigan         ....  Ed  Van  Winkle 

Louisiana  Tanager  taken  at  New  Haven,  Conn.  W.  II.  Flint 

Phoebe  Nesting  in  Bank  Swallows'  Burrows  .  Arthur  M.  Farmer 

$1.00   PER   ANNUM.       SINGLE  COPY,    10   CENTS. 


PUBLISHED   BY 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 
HYDE    PARK,   MASS. 

Entered  at  Hvde  Park  Postoffice  as  Second-class  Matter. 


17S 
184 
185 

1 86 

1S7 
1S7 


FRANK  B.  ARMSTRONG, 

])k.\li-;r  i\ 

Birds'  Skins   and   Eggs, 

BRO  WNSVIIJ.K.    TEXAS. 

W\\\  5;ive  special  attention  to  the  collection,  tor 
scientific  pvnposes,  of  all  Birds,  Beasts,  Reptiles 
native  to  the  interior  and  horder  of  Mexico,  and 
will  fiirni.sh  careful  data  in  reji;ard  to  same. 
Correspondence  respectfully  solicited. 

FRANK  15.  ARMSTRO.NCi. 


H.  H.  S  C.  S.  BRIMLEY, 

RAI.KICH.  N.C. 
~  COLLECTORS. 

First-cla.ss  Bird  and  Mammal  Skins  and  Ej^gs. 
Also  Reptiles,  Batrachians.  Emhryos,  etc..  in  al- 
lohol.    Full  data  in  all  cases.  Writefor  price-list. 

(schlctkr's), 
Briii'lit  Kiid  Japitiitii'd.  Bcsf  .'^ital/fv  Made. 

To  Dealers  we  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
they  come  on  papers  and  can  be  easily  handled. 
Cork.  Cones,  Cases.  Nets,  and  Tools. 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  CO. 


THE  NflTlONflL  EXCHANGE 


Klkhakt,  Indiana. 
l.ist  and  Icrins  loc. 


B 


USINESS    C()RKE.SPOM)K.\Cl-:     JAiiiHT     i;v     Mail. 
Address,  with  stamp,  Kox  704,  Klkliarl.  Indiana. 


GEORGE   B.   BADGER, 
Oollt^otor*. 


CAREFILLV     PREPAREI1 

BIRDS'    AND    MAMMALS'    SKINS, 

With  full  scientific  data. 
Also  Beautifully  Finished  Fur  Rtt<rs. 

Correspondence  solicited. 

SANTA  CRUZ.  CAL.       - 


yy {.^ j:^ J  A  DIME  WILL  DO! 

Every  Bt)V  and  fllRL  who  loves  to  read  splendid  Stories, 
Sketches,  and  beautiful  Poems  should  subscribe  for  THE 
AMERICAN  YOUNG  FOLKS,  a  beautiful  Illustrated 
Monthly  Magazine,  established  in  1875.  Its  stories  are  the 
VEK^  iiEST  that  can  be  obtained  from  the  foremost  writers  of- 
Juvenile  Literature,  and  every  issue  is  filled  with  good  things. 
The  regular  subscription  price  is  $1.00  a  year,  but  if  you  will 

CUT  THIS  OUT  rrw;;,,"  A  SILVER  DIME 

and  your   name   and   address,  we  will  send  ymi   the   manazine 
Si.\  Months  on  trial.     Address, 

AMERICAN  YOUNG  FOLKS, 

Manchester,  N.H. 


Lily  of  the  Desert. 

\  great  Novelty;  grows  in  sand.    Bulbs  $1.00  each. 

N\'e  make  a  specialty  of  Native  American  Palm 
and  Exergreen  Trees  and  Flower  Seeds,  Bulbs, 
Ferns.  Cacti  and  other  plants. 

ORCL'TT  SEED  AND  PLANT  CO., 
Sax  Diego,  Cal. 

Send  25  cts.  for  seed  of  Lathyrus  splendeus, 
"THE   PRIDE  OF  CALIFORNIA." 


AGENTS  WANTED 
To  introduce  the  kes  r  .selling  .\rticlk 
IN  THK  WORLD.      Liberal  commission.       Exclu- 
sive territory      .\ddress.  with  stamp, 

11.   A.    MIMAW.   M.D.. 

I^LKILVRT,    InD. 


Home  Course  of  Reading 

IN 

PHYSICAL  CULTURE. 

Send  stamp  for  particulars.      Address. 

BOX   704,   ELKHART,   IND. 


S\' 


TAMPS,  C0INS,CURIOS,r« 

■.cs   m   the   stamp    line.     AGENTS    WANTED. 

^_^  lorty-eieht   page   Loin, 

Stamp  and  Curio  Catalogue  for  stamp.     W.  F.  GREANY,  827 
Bkannax  Stkket.  San  Fuancisco.  Cai.. 


BIRDS'    EGGS. 

A  FINE  STOCK  of  Bahama  and  Southern 
Species  to  be  sold  at  once.  Also  a  fine  col- 
lection of  Birds'  Skins:  500  specimens  of  un- 
usual value  to  New  Englanders.  Contents  of 
stomachs;  tongues,  and  copious  notes  on  each 
bird.  Price,  $300  net.  My  entire  stock  of  Eggs 
must  be  sold  at  once.  October  list  now  out. 
Address     WALTER  F.  WEBB,  Geneva.  N,^'. 


SAFE,  DURABLE  FENCE;      ONLY  $80  PER  MILC. 
25o  ta  T  A  TOTI      nWNTPP  Q  saue  one-half  the  cost 
6O0  uei-tiA-W*^  -  V  YV  -in  JiXVO  gy^y^  dangerous  barbs 
ro4.     A  *wrfi*»%*«>  '"a/re  $200.00   per  g^^^^^t^ 
#48;GnX9mont/>  and  expenses  wdoll 
The  be8t  local  and  traveling  agents  wanted  every- 
where.    Write  at  once  for  circulars  and  choice  ter- 
ritory: addressA.  G.  Hulbert,  Patentee,  care  of 

^^^^Mi^^-^^st.  touii:  wio; 

1  Factory  Catalogue  with  200  engraved  deslgn.s  and 
prices,  sent  free  to  any  who  want  fancy  iron  and 
wlreworlt  or  city,  cemetery  and  farm  fences,  etc 


:bii«i>   {s^oi«e> 


PRICES   FALL    OF    1892. 


Canaries,  singers 
Ja^a  SparroA\  s 
Mockingbirds,  young 
Cardinals 
English  Goldfinch 
African  Finches,  \arietv 
Brazilian  Cardinal 
African  Pariots,  gra^ 
Cuban  Parrots     . 
Mexican  Yellow-headed  Par- 
rot     

Amazon  Blue-fronted  Parrot 


$2.50  to  5.00  each 
1.50  to  2.00  each 
2.50  to  7.50  each 
1.50  to  2.50  each 
1.50  to  2.50  each 
2.00  to  5.00  pair 
3.00  to  4.00  each 
15.00  each 
5.00  each 


12.00  to  15.00  each 
lo.cxi  to  I  5.00  each 


Guinea  Pi"s 


ANIMALS. 

common,  breeders 

Address, 


2.00  pan- 


Guinea  Pigs,  young- 
Guinea  Pigs,  Abyssinian 
Rabbits,  white,  pink  eyes,  old 
Rabbits,  white,  pink  eyes,  \oung 
Rabbits,  black  and  white 
Rabbits,  gray  and  white 
Rabbits,  lop  ears,  old 
Rabbits,  lop  ears,  young 
Ferrets,  ringed  for  use 
Monkeys,  Marmoset 
Monkeys,  Java 

Monkeys,  Ring  tails  12.00  t 

Gray  Squirrels  1.50 

Dogs,  (Special  Qj.iotation  given). 


$1.50  pair 

2.00  pail- 

1.50  pair 

.75  pair 

•75  pair 

.75  pair 

6.00  pair 

3.00  pair 

5.00  each 

5.00  each 

12.00  each 

o  15.00  each 

to  2.50  each 


JV.   IvXJI>IvXJJVX, 

Boston  Bird  Store,  119  Eliot  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

NATURALISTS'  SUPPLY  DEPOT. 

ARTIFICIAL    GLASS    EYES, 

LEAVES,  WIRE,  SANDS,  SHIELDS, 

TOW,  TAGS,  POTTERS'    CLAY, 

CUTTERS,         SCALPELS,         FORCEPS,  COPS, 

GLASS    SHADES,  NEEDLES,  PLYERS, 

ARSENICAL   SOAP,  PINS,  WINDING    THREAD, 

BOOKS, 

INSECT   PINS,         SHEETS   CORK,  LABELS,- 

STUFFED    BIRDS, 
BIRDS'   SKINS,  BIRDS'   EGGS. 


NOW   IS    THE    TIME   TO   SEND   IN   ORDERS   FOR   YOUR 
FALL   SUPPLIES. 


FRANK  BLAKE  WEBSTER  COMPANY, 

HYDE    PARK,  MASS. 


Glove  Kid  Tan 


BABBITT'S  lAGENTS   wanted    on    salary 

or  commission,  to  handle  the  new  Patent  Chemical  Ink  Erasing 
Pencil.  The  (jtiickest  anil  greatest  selling  novelty  ever  pro- 
duced. Erases  ink  thoroughly  in  two  seconds.  No  abrasion  of 
paper.  Works  like  magic.  200  to  500  per  cent,  profit.  One 
Agent's  sales  amounted  to $620  in  si.\  days;  another  $32  in  two 
l.s     lllF-:   CIIK.\PKST'   BEST   AM)   (jlK'Kl.si  hours.     Previous  e.vpericnce  not  necessarj'.     For  terms  and  full 

particulars,  .iddrcss, 

THE  MONROE  ERASER  MF(r.  CO., 
PRICE,       $1.00       NET.  l.aCrosse,  Wis.,  X457- 

i'ostaoc  25  cts.  extra.  JAMES     P.     BABBITT, 

Send  two  cents  tor  .sample  ot"  skin  tanned,  and  Til  viH<^i*mict" 

my  catalogue  of  Taxidermists".  Oologists',  Orni-  *  aXIUermiSsL, 

thologists'.    Kntomologists'   and    Botanist-,'    -up-  And  dealer  in   IJikds'  Skins,  Kgcs,  STti-Ficn  liiuns.  and  sup- 
plies, plies  for  the  Naturalist  and  Taxidermist. 
JAMES    P.    BABBITT,  .Send  stamp  for  list. 

ID  Hodges  Ave.,  Taunton,   Mass.  i.  hodges  .wenue,  tauntox,  mas>. 

BIRDS     AND     ANIMALS 

PRESERVED    AND    MOUNTED. 


Heads  of  Elk,  Moose,  Caribou  and  Deer  a  Specialty. 

WE  WOULD  INFORM  OUR  M.VXV  FRIENDS  AND  PATRONS  THAT  WK     ARK 

NOW  PREPARED  TO  ATTEND  TO  ALL  WORK  IN  TME  LINE  Ol^ 

TAXIDERMY  AT  OUR  MISEUM  AT  HYDE  PARK,  M.VSS. 


TO  OUR  BOSTON  C.  ISTf  )MERS.  —  We  have  arranged  willi  RxanMApiv-  to  rcreivc  ordc 

at  olliee.  105  Arch  Street,  Boston. 


Hazlewood  StatioPi.  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 

(Trains  leave  Park  Square  Station.) 

TANNINE. 

One  bottle  Tans  t\v)elve  Fox  SKins,  or  otl^er   Skins. 

IT   HAS   BEEN   TSED   SUCCESSFULLY  THREE   YEARS. 
READ    THIS. 

Frank  Blake  Webster  Company.  Hyde  Park,  Mass.:  Dece.mber  26,  1892. 

Gentlemen,  —  Plea.se  send  me  at  once  one  bottle  of  Tannine,  and  if  you  have  a  printed  treatise  on  its  use,  besides  the  direc- 
tions on  the  bottle,  please  send  it  along.  Have  used  one  bottle  with  splendid  results,  but  with  your  experience  I  might  do 
even  better.     Enclosed  find  one  dollar  for  same.  Respectfully  yours, 

Aluert  A.  Adt. 

READ   THESE    DIRECTIONS, 

TANNINE. -FOR  TANNING  SKINS  THAT  ARE  TO   BE  USED   FOR   MATS  OR   ROBES. 

This  Liquor  was  used  by  Prof.  Currier  many  years  in  preparing  Sheep  Skins  for  fancy  mats.  The  ease  and  quickness  with 
which  it  can  be  used  will  commend  it  to  all. 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  USE. 

Wash  the  skin  to  be  tanned,  well,  in  strong  soap  suds.  This  may  be  done  as  ttooii  as  the  skin  is  remored/roiii  the  aiii- 
iimh  Stretch  it  on  a  board,  the  flesh  side  out;  let  it  remain  till  the  water  has  drained  off  (not  too  dry).  With  a  sponge  apply 
the  Liquor  to  the  flesh  side  (only),  using  care  to  dampen  the  entire  surface  fairly  well.  It  will  act  rapidly,  and  in  a  few  hours 
the  skin  will  be  found  tanned.  With  sandpaper  or  a  scraper,  remove  the  fat  and  flesh  that  may  be  on  the  surface,  in  thin  skins 
using  care  not  to  scrape  through.  When  this  is  done  rub  the  surface  thoroughly  with  fine  sawdust  and  plaster  paris  mixed, 
and  the  finish  will  be  complete.  Any  degree  of  softness  may  be  obtained  by  breaking  the  skin  by  rubbing.  It  can  also  be 
softened  by  going  over  the  surface  with  a  cloth  saturated  with  sweet  oil  (not  excessively). 

j66B^  In  using  the  Liquor  do  not  put  on  too  much,  as  it  is  very  powerful;  merely  dampen  with  it.  It  will  not  injure  the 
hands.  PRICE   $1.00    PER    BOTTLE. 

FRANK  BLAKE  WEBTSER  CO.,  Manufacturers  Agt. 

HYDE    PARK,    MASS. 


AMNH   LIBRARY 


f«^ 


B^^« 


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'f'-t