f

f ^KFORTHE PEOPLE

min Ionl^tl / /. /CJj\ ILLUSTRATED BI-MOM tILY MAGA/.ISE DEIOTLD TOTHE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSEDITED BYFRANK M. CHAPMAN€)fticial C>rQ:an ot t\)c Sfudubon ^orirtirsAudubon Dki'.Intment Ediied bvMABEL OSGOOD WRIGHTrOLUML III—/ifO/TI1I

Copyright, 1901ky frank m. chapman/A e^/c//^»^A'^^^^^^

;;INDEX TO ARTICLES IN VOLUME IIIBY AUTHORSAdney, Tappan, Bird-Life in tlie Klondike, 195.American Ornitholofjists' I'nioii, Congress of,210.Audubon, J. J., Three Letters to His 'KentuckyLads,' 14.Audubon, Maria R., Introdiutory N'ote to ThreeAudubon Letters, 14.Baily, Urn. L., The Brown Creeper's Porce ofHabit, 73.Baldwin, Mrs. L. G., A Christinas Bird Census, 32 ;Mockingbird Notes, 192.Barker, Samuel H., A Christmas Bird Census, 31 ;Does the C.reen Heron Fish in Deep Water?141.Beebe, C. William, Enterprising Eagles, 35; Photographsby, 159, 162 ; A Bird of the Season, 190.Belding, Lyman, Ajiril and May Bird-Life atStockton, Calif., 67; Smnnier Birds of Stockton,Calif., 104; Birds of Stockton and Vicinitx-, 137.Bishop, L. B., Review by, 76.Bolles, Katherine, A Christmas Bird Census, 30.Britton, l-'lizabeth ("., I'arrod ( )wl in Bronx I'ark,no.Brooks, C. M., A Christinas Bird Census, 29.Bruen, I'ratik, and l-'ord, R. W., A Christmas BirdCensus, 30.Burnjughs, John, A Bewildered Phcebe, S5.I'.urtch, WrdI, The Birds of a Marsh, 129.ChapuKUi, Lrank M., I'elican Islaixt Revisited, 3 ;Editor's Note on Elliott Coues, g; February andMarch Bird-Life near New Vork City, 23 ; Suggestionsfor the Season's Study, 27, 67 ; 11 5 ;13S ;170; Suggestions for the Season's Reading, 2.Sf*)\ i"S', '.W; '7°; A Christmas Bird Census, 30; 193.Reviews by, 35, 36, 37, 75, 76, iii, 143, 176, 177;Editorials by, 3S, 7K; 113; 145; 179; 214; Tree Plant-.^pril and May Bird-Life near New N'ork'"Ki .V'iCity, (n ; A Birds' Bath, 74 ; I'hotographs by, S6,S7 ; Bird-Nesting with Burroughs, KS;June andJuly Biril-Life near New N'ork Cily,;, -I'l.Chubb, S. H., Spring Migrations of iS

'BiidsBirdsINDEX TO CONTENTSAbbott, C. C, no.Advisor>- Couiuil, 20.Akakani, 122.Akepeleiiie, 12.).Akialoa, 125.Akipoloai), 125.Alala, 158.Aniakilii, i2,vAmerican Oriiilliolot^^ists' I'liioii, 9, ir, .^y, 39, 175,179, 210, 214.Astlcy's ' Birds in I'recdom and Capli\ il\ ,' reviewed,i/l.^.Atiduhoti Coiil'ereiue, iSi, 217, 21S.Audiilioii, John J , 9, iii.Audul)i>n, J. W , 13, 14, 17.Andul)oii, Maria R, 9, lo.Audubon, N'iclor, 16Audubon Societies, Reports of (see under Secretaries,Authors' Index).Auklet, I'aroquet, 49.Auk, Razor-hilled, ("iji^ured, 152.Auk, Phe, re\ie\ved, 37, 111, 177, 213.Habcock's ' I'inl l)a\ ,' reviewed, 11 1.Kabson's ' Hirds ot Princeton,' re\ iewed, 177.Baily, VV. 1... i-'KerinudaHiijneirs M r. (hii|)i.s aiul Miss Jfiiiis ,' re\ifwed,43-Bird Hay, 182.Bird Census, 29, 106, 171.Birtl Laws, 42, 7S, 79, 113, 146, 14S, iSo.Bir

William,Indexi/irif.ni/iHawk, Broaci-wiiised, rigiired, 189 ; Cooper's, ^ij^,figured, i8q ; Duck, figured, 1S9 ;Fkawaiian, 125;Marsh, figured, 189; Pigeon, figured, 189; Red-Shouldered, figured, 189; Red-Tailed, figured,189; Rough-Legged, figured, 189; Sharp-Shinned,175. figured, 189; Sparrow, 175, figured, 1S9;Swainson's, figured, 1S9.Heron, European, figured, 162; Great Blue, 129;green. 141.Hen, Heath, 82.Herrick, Professor, 161, 179.Hine, C. D., 181.Hoffmann, Ralph, 81, 82, 179, 218.Howe and Allen's ' Birds of Massachusetts," reviewed,143.Humminghird, figured, Sg, 90, 91, 108, 141, 1S7.liwi, 122.Illinois, 26, ;,2, 65, 80, 102, 14S, 166, 17s.Jay, Canada, 192.Jordan and Kellogg's 'Animal Life,' re\ iewed, 35.Kansas, 80.Keartons' Our Bird I'riends,' reviewed, ' ;/>.Kentucky, 80, 146.Key, Cones', 37.Kittiwake, 46, figured, 152.Klondike, iqs.Lacey I-aw, 78, 79.Lark, Prairie Horned, figured, 54.LcL-ture, traveling,

IndexSpaW, A. R.. i4q.Sperry, E. Knight, 7S, 115.Stone, Witmer, no, 149.Study for Season, 27, 67, 105, 13.S.Subspecies, 38, 171).Swainson, William, 12.Swallow, no.Swallf)W, Tree, 174.'lanager. Scarlet, t»2 ; figured, 93.Tattler, Wandering, 119, 120.Tern, Black, 145.Tern, Common, 1.S4.Texas, 80.Thayer Fund, 37, .S2, 113.Thrush, Wor)d, 87, 93.Titlark, figured, 69.Torrey's Everyday BIkIs,' reviewed, ' 176.Tree-planting, S'l.Tropic Bird, 121.Turkey, Wild, nio, figured, 190, 191.Turnstones, 119, 120.riili, no.Vireo, Red-eyed, 140.Vireo, Warbling, 175.Virginia, 178, 179.Warbler, Black-throated blue, figured, 139.Warbler, Cape May, figured. 106.Warbler, Cerulean, ni.Warbler, Parula, 94." Vellovv-nimped,,i98.Waxwing, Bohemian, :9s.Whippoorwill, 107.Wilson Bulletin, reviewed, 77, 144, 17S.Winter Bird-Life, 22, 27, 29.Wisconsin, 32, 80, 149, 172.Woodcock, 82.Woodpecker, Downy, 19; hairv, figured, 19.Woodpecker, Red-bellied, 74.Wren, House, q$.Winter, 199.Wyoming, 78, 87, 113, 149.

iSirli-JLoreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OFOfficial Organ of the Audubon SocietiesBIRDSVol. Ill January—February, 1901 No. 1Pelican Island RevisitedBY FRANK M. CHAPMANWith photographs from nature by the authorHE results of observations on the inhabitants of PehcanIsland, in the Indian River, Florida, made during fourdays in March, 1898, have already been recorded ^"^ insome detail, and it is proposed to add here only certainsupplementary notes, secured April 24, 1900. Being armedw^ith a far more effective battery of cameras, I obtained, on this secondvisit, photographs of several phases of Pelican life, notably views of thebirds on the wing, which it had proved impossible to make on my previoustrip to the island.These pictures, it ma\' be of interest to explain, were taken with areflecting camera, fitted with a focal-plane shutter, similar to the cameradescribed in Hird-Lore for April, 1899. While the wing-beats of theBrown Pelican are comparatively slow, former experience showed that alens shutter was by no means rapid enough to take satisfactory picturesof the birds in flight. With the focal -plane shutter, however, sufficientlyfast exposures were made to show the wing at every stage of thestroke and with enough definition to enable one to see clearly the separationof the outer primaries.Returning to Pelican Island one month later in the year than thedate of my 1898 visit, I had expected to find few or no eggs and mostof the \oung of the year with flight feathers appearing or fully developed.There was, however, no apparent difference in the proportionatenumber of eggs or age of the young birils, and it reijuired a carefulcensus, and an analysis of it, to bring out the fact that the breedingseason was somewhat mori- advanced in 1900, anil, I regret to say. thatthe population of the island had decreased.* ' Bird Stuiiirs with a Cainer:!,' \ .il II "n i

Bird -Lorer\ ^>/BROWNPELICANSIn 1898 there were 845 nests on the island, of which 251, or 42 percent, were occupied at the time the count was made. In 1900 only 710nests had been built, of which 179, or 34 per cent, were found to containeggs or young, on April 24, as follows:23 nests with i egg each38 "

iA*i/:iinfe»BROWNPELICANSHRDUV I'KI.ICAN'S ON GROINO NESTS

6 Bird -Loreeach pair of nests, we then have a total of 796 hirds which had left the531 deserted nests. Add to this number the 148 youn.ii remaining in thenest and two adults for each of the 710 nests built during the 1900nesting season, and we have as the population of Pelican Island for thatyear, 2,364, or a decrease of 372 birds since 1898, when it was estimatedthat there were 2,736 birds on the island.Pelican Island contains about four acres of ground, of which less thanBROWN PELICAN AND NEST IN YOUNG CABBAGE PALMETTOThe same nest, with a bird seated on it, is shown in the picture on the opposite page.Note.—The head of this bird, from the eye upward, projected beyond the edge of the plate and was not.therefore, photographed. It has here been supplied by Chas. R. Knight, from sketches from life.one-quarter is occupied by the birds, most of the nests being groupedin one thickly populated area, which, it was interesting to observe, waswithout a single nest in 1898. No change in the surrounding conditionswas observed, and the reason for this desertion of one part of the islandfor another was not evident.There was, too, a marked variation in regard to the character of thenests built on the ground as compared with those on the island in 1898,

however,Pelican Island Revisited 7and I am glad of an opportunity to modify statements made in the articlepreviously mentioned, to the efifect that all ground nests were composedof grasses, while those placed in the mangroves were constructed ofsticks. There was, therefore, in 1898, a constant relation between thenature of the nest and its location, showing either consistency in theselection of a site or surprising adaptability in habit.In i8go, however, a number of ground nests were found to be madeof sticks, one e\ idently erected on another, rising to a height of nearlythree feet (see photograph on page 8).A L(iRNfcR UK PELICAN ISLAM)The iicst on the youns; cabhagr p.ilmcitn in the background, with a bird upon it. is shown in detail on opposite pateTo yield to the temptation to redescribe the wonders oi PelicanIsland would only result in a repetition of what I ha\e already written.I ma\ ,state that this second \ isit fully confirms my opinionthat Pelican Island iluring nesting time is b\ far the most fascinatingplace it has ever been m\ fortune to see in the world of binis. Hut thisestimate of its charms only serves to increase the desire that tiiis colon\of remarkable birds may be preserved. The islam! is very accessible, theFlorida law affords Pelicans no protection, and a part\' of (pnll hunters-might easily kill practically all the inhabitants of Pelican island within a

'birdsBird -Lorefew da\s. The loss would be irreparable, and, it is to be especiallynoted, would not be confined to tbe vicinity, but would affect the wholeeast coast of Florida, there being, so far as is known, no other breedingcolony of Pelicans on the Atlantic coast of the peninsula.There is doubtless no area of similar extent in the world so welladapted to the wants of certain aquatic birds as Florida; and if today itYOUNG BROWN PELICAN IN GROUND NESTBUILT OF STICKSwere inhabited by even one -tenth ofthe myriads of Herons, Egrets, Spoonbillsand other large and conspicuousw^hich animated its lakes andmarshes thirty years ago, the marvelof its wild life would be known theworld around and prove of greaterinterest to tourists than any existingattraction in the state. If Floridiansdoubt this valuation of birds whichthey have been accustomed to regardas worthless, or at so much per plume,let them observe the excitement occasionedamong the tourists on a St.John's or Ocklawaha steamer by thenow rare appearance of White Heronswithin a short distance of the boat.The birds have gone, and whathas the state received ? Proportionatelynothing. Here and there a poorhunter, or a curio dealer, has made afew dollars, but most of the killing hasbeen done by, or under tlie immediateinspiration of, northern dealers, andFlorida's loss has been their gain.There are still scattered coloniesof these birds in the less accessibleparts of Florida, and if the natives of the state ever open their eyes tothe indisputable fact that a living bird is of incalculably greater value tothem than a dead one, they may perhaps take some steps to defend theirrights, and by passing and enforcing proper laws, put an end to the devastationsof the northern plume agents, who have robbed their state ofone of its greatest charms.

ElliottCoues on AudubonEDITOR'S NOTE/^HILE the guest of the late Mrs. John Woodhouse Audubon,at Salem, N. Y., in July, 1897, Df- Coues was afforded anopportunity of seeing Audubon's manuscript journals, letters,drawings and other material, which, with exhaustless patienceand perseverance, Miss Maria R. Audubon had gathered from many sourcesto serve as the basis for the two volumes which form such a fitting tributeto the memory of her grandfather. Dr. Coues, it will be remembered,contributed certain zoological and other notes to this work, and we maymagine his pleasure as, with the combined enthusiasm of the ornithologist,bibliophile and annotator, he gave himself to the fascinating task of aminute examination of Audubon's manuscripts.Four months later, at the fifteenth Congress of the American (Ornithologists'Union, which was held in the American Museum of NaturalHistory in New York city, under the title 'Auduboniana and Other Mattersof Present Interest,' Dr. Coues spoke of the great value of thesemanuscripts, and exhibited, through the courtesy of Miss Audubon, theoriginal portfolio in which the then comparatively unknown 'American'Woodsman had carried his drawings of birds about Great Britain and thecontinent, and also the manuscript of the first volume of the 'OrnithologicalBiographies.' It was an unusually interesting occasion, and thosewho were privileged to be present are not likely to forget the keen enjoymentwith which Dr. Coues exhibited relics so intimately associated withAudubon's life and works.A stenographer chancing to be present consented to record Dr. Coues'address, of which the portion relating to Audubon is here printed. Althougha verbatim report, it conveys only a faint idea of the impression created bythe delivery of the address itself. The attractiveness of the speaker's personality,which never failed to hold the tense interest of his hearers, islost in this reproduction of his words. We believe, however, that to thosewho knew him, they will clearly recall the genial but commanding presenceof a man whose place in ornithology will never be filled. — F. M. C.DR. COUES'ADDRESS"Mr. I'rt'sitlitit , lu'lloiv Miiiihos, La/ltcs dii/l (itiit Itiititi :"We necessarily live in the present, but, as time passes on, the futuregrows more and more foreshortened and the past correspondingly- lengthensout for each one of us. Those who have reached a certain point are,however, inclined to think more of the lengthening past than the foreshortenedfuture. In other wonis, we reach a stage of the indi\idual(9)

;loBird -Lorewho, in that stage, if he can refrain from growing garrulous, may perhapsmake himself presently interesting."In the year 1826 there appeared in England an unknown man. Thisman was already turned of fifty. We may say that he had more yearsthan the popular date of his hirth would assign him to here. He was aman of striking personal appearance; he was a man of most engagingmanners; he was a man who, in the short space of five years, leapedfrom obscurity into imperishable renown."How could that be? It happened in this wise: That unknownman who appeared in Great Britain and on the continent in 1826carried abroad the efforts of a lifetime of ornithological study with himthat were placed before the public with the result that the namelessJohn James Audubon, a person, became an illustrious personage."These efforts which I have just mentioned as a lifework were hardlyto be carried in any very small compass. But the fruits of his work,which were outside of his own head, he had with him on paper."How did he present the originals of those drawings which havenever ceased from that day to this to excite our wonder and our admiration?He presented them in a certain portfolio. When he went upona reconnoissance he was in the habit of taking the portfolio underhis arm—I trust that he did not long feel poor; when he became a littlericher he probably hired a cab ; butb>- whatever means the portfolio wascarried in those days, some younger and weaker members of the ornithologicalfraternity have transported by their efforts the same into the roomthis morning, and if the secretary will be kind enough to help me for amoment I will show you the portfolio. This (exhibiting a large brownportfoho, worn and faded) is the original portfolio which John JamesAudubon carried with him through the continent and Great Britain.[Applause.]"There are a number of other portfolios and a greater variety of Audubonianain the possession of the family in Salem, New York; but uponthe kind offers of Miss Maria Audubon, descendant of the great ornithologist,I suggested this portfolio. You wiW observe that it has beenmuch worn and some of the brass corners and metal bindings are lostbut portfolios are not carried empty— not even to a meeting of the Ornithologists'Union; let us open it."Audubon's engaging manners and fine personal appearance wonhim friends everywhere among persons in high places in England andelsewhere on the continent, and while his plates of the birds of NorthAmerica were being engraved by Mr. Robert Havell, of London, andothers, the question of text to these great plates came up. We are allfamiliar with the print of the first volume; but who ever saw the manu-;script in the handwriting of John James Audubon? Audubon, besides

Elliott Coues on Audubon IIbeing great, had a certain largeness about him. He liked largeness in aphysical, mechanical sense, as he strove for greatness in a moral, intellectualsense. He almost always used folio sheets of this character.This manuscript is almost complete, and quite in its original proportions,although sheets have been given to friends, and the family insisted uponmy taking a few for myself; but, ladies and gentlemen, fellow members,^yl^^^CJ^-^i^rJ(From a group photograph of the members attending the thirteenth congress of the American Ornithologists'Union in Washington. D. C, November. i8(;5.)you have bcforr you the original manuscript of Audubon's first ornithologicalwork. [Applause.]"Here rises an interesting question, a remarkable question: Wheredid Autlubon obtain the technical parts of his work? We know thathe was slightly unsuitt-d for tin's part of his undertaking, for he was anAmerican woodsman: he needed assistance in the technicalities of his

12 Bird -Lorework, and he had many to select from. The person he did select wasprobably the best man that could be found in the world, and no otherthan William MacGillivray—a scholar, an ornithologist, an especially goodanatomist for the time, and an entertaining writer; a writer that wasgood and truthful about all. He secured the assistance of William Mac-Gillivray for the technical portions of his work."I wonder how many ornithologists then and now know that his cooperationwith Audubon was secured after the failure of certain negotiationswith a different individual. What would have been the effecthad Audubon's first attempt to supply the technicalities of his subjectbeen successful? It makes me tremble to think of it."He first applied for such assistance to an excellent ornithologistnamed William Swainson. He was a good ornithologist, there hardlybeing a better one for the time. He was one of the most accurateornithological artists; but he had a wheel in his head; he was a crankon one subject, and any one who has ever read his work knows that hethere set this wheel to spinning. He was associated with two others,composing a trinity of cranks in England at that time."If he had not succeeded with MacGillivray and had succeeded withSwainson North American ornithology would be— I do not know a wordto characterize it if it had fallen into the clutches of these cranks."How did we escape this infliction? How did it happen that Audubon'sornithological biographies, in all their technicalities, were not compiledunder their system? I will show you how it happened that theywere not, for I hold in my hand a copy I have made of Mr. Swainson'sletter of declination. He declined to accede to the negotiations then'Thepending, as you will see. The original is in possession at present of thefamily in Salem. The letter will be printed in the next number ofAuk.'*"This letter is dated the 20th of October, 1830. I do not know thatit is necessary to read all of it, but the point of my remarks is to showyou that Swainson was applied to, to do the technical part of Audubon'swork, before MacGillivray was applied to, and he declined to do so becausehis name was not to appear upon the title page."Among the contents of this portfolio I have a number of pictures,to which I will now call your special attention. Those of us who arefamiliar with the beautiful products of his pencil and those of us whoare not ornithologists may look and see one of Audubon's plates in processof construction. There is an original of Audubon's [holding up the cutoutfigure of a bird] . In examining a great quantity of the contents ofthe portfolio I found that it was a very frequent custom in preparing hisbird figures to have one of his sons prepare the background. You can* The Auk," xv, iSS, pp. i i-i ;.

Elliott Coues on Audubon 13see two plates, one by John Woodhouse and one by Victor, while Audubonwas to insert into them a cut -bird figure and then send it to theengraver to be printed. John Woodhouse Audubon attained a measureof skill in the drawing of birds. There happens to be in this portfoliotwo or three pictures by John Woodhouse Audubon, showing the degreeof skill to which he attained."Having spoken to you in some little length of the portfolio and itscontents, I am led next to remark upon the numerous biographies ofAudubon which have thus far appeared, bringing me to what might becalled the subdivision of my title of which I understand I am scheduledto speak, more of matters of present interest.''Members of the Union and their friends who were present in Cambridgelast year will recollect my laying before them a large quantity ofmanuscript of John James Audubon and a fully implied promise that thematerial was about to be utilized in the course of a year. I am happyto inform you the promise has been carried out. Miss Audubon has inpress now a biography of her illustrious grandfather more full and, I amsure, more accurate than any other heretofore appearing, with the additionof the journals of Audubon, some of which I have shown you, andthe further reprinting of the series of American Life and Manners. Thethree volumes of the three journals that are now being reprinted in fulland the proof of which I have read are the European Journal of 1826,the Labrador Journal of 1833, and the Missouri River Journal of 1843.I think the European Journal will be found most generally interesting.''From the journals I am led to speak of other Audubonian matters,prominent among which is the extraordinary growth of Audubon societiesthroughout the country, whose humane object is the preservation ofour birds. They are springing up everywhere, and I consider them oneof the most remarkable growths of the humanitarian side of ornithologythat has ever been witnessed in tiie historv of science."

''—Three Letters toAudubon's "Kentucky Lads"-^^ , __^•k*>l?^ -J.-I^T EARLY a century ai^o, in 1809 and 1812, Audubon's.^:'^?C' X^"^^S^^i'"-^^^ ^*^"^ were born; Victor in Louisville, and John''^ Henderson, Ky., and in speaking of them together^^^.s^" he often called them his "Kentucky lads." During theirboyhood days the father and sons were separated for longperiods of time by the nature of Audubon's work, which work becamethat of all three, as years went on, and the long months while father andsons were thus apart were bridged over by what, for those days, was avery frequent correspondence.Unfortunately most of these letters have been lost or destroyed; onlya few have fallen into my hands—the three given below, written whileAudubon was in Edinburgh bringing out the first number of the'Birds,' and a few others written to the "Kentucky lads" whenthey too had crossed the ocean and were making what at that time wascalled the "grand tour," though it really covered only a very moderateportion of Europe.The letters here given were penned when Victor, a youth of seventeen,was in the office of an uncle by marriage, Mr. Nicholas Berthoud,in Louisville, and John, three years younger, was with his mother on aplantation in Louisiana, near Bayou Sara. They are simple letters, butshow the companionship that existed between Audubon and his boys, andthe intense desire the former had that no talent or opportunity shouldbe neglected by those whose welfare he had at heart, and who were sodear to him. Maria R. Audubon.My dear Johnny:FIRST LETTEREdinburgh,Scotland,Saturday, October 2S, 1826.I am writing to you from the place where I wish most you couldhave been educated. It is a most beautiful city, perhaps the most so Ihave ever seen; its situation is delightful, not far from the sea, runningon two parallel hills, ornamented with highly finished monuments, andguarded by perhaps impregnable castles. The streets are all laid at rightangles in that portion of it which is called the New Town—are wellpaved and cleaned, and lighted by gas. I have been here now threedays. I came from Manchester in a public coach that carried four insidepassengers and ten outside, or rather, on the top, besides a guard and adriver, and all the luggage. I sometimes stayed inside, and sometimes

Three Letters to Audubon's "Kentucky Lads" 15rode outside to have better views of the country I traveled through;now and then I saw some fine EngHsh Pheasants that you would delightin shooting, also some curious small sheep with black heads and feet, therest white, and some of those pretty little ponies you are so fond of; Iwish I could send you one.Before I left Manchester I visited Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton, allwatering places. I drove in a carriage with Mrs. Rathbone and herdaughter; the latter purchased and sends you a beautiful little black boxof Matlock marble, or spar, and Mrs. Rathbone sends your good mammaan inkstand of the same material. I was very much interested in all theplaces I saw and wished very much that you, mamma and Victor hadbeen with me to enjoy the journey.Today I have visited the Royal Palac? of Holyrood, was in the roomsof Queen Mary of Scotland, and saw her bed, chairs and tables. 1looked at my face in the mirror that once was hers, and I was in thelittle room where the murder of Rizzio was committed. I also saw thechapel where the Queen was married to Lord Darnley. It was all verycurious and very interesting. The apartments where the present king ofFrance resided during his exile were also shown to me, and the finerooms where George the Fourth was, four years ago, when he visitedScotland.The women of the poorer class work very hard here, and carry heavyburdens, just as our squaws do in Louisiana, in a large basket behind,and a leather strap coming from it over their foreheads.I bought for your dear mamma eighteen views of different parts ofthe city that I will send when I make up another box. In a day or soI will go to Roslyn Castle, and afterwards to Melrose to see the chapeland to call on Sir Walter Scott, the great novelist, some of whose bookswe have enjoyed together.I hope you are good and obedient, and are improving in your drawing.Draw as much as you can, ami study your music also, as men oftalents are welcome all over the world. Two hours daily is little enoughfor you to give to your violin if you intend to become proficient in thehandling of that instrument, and more would be better.When you write to me tell me of all your occupations ami write mea lonii letter. Mr. Bentley, of Manchester, will write to \ou for birdskins;these you know how to prepare well, and I neeil not remind \outo do your work carefully, ami in return .Mr. Hentley will send you s

i6Bird- LoreSECOND LETTEREdinburgh, 26 George Street,,- >^ November 16, 1S26.MY DEAR Victor :I continue to be delighted with this beautiful city; it has a modestand chaste appearance, quite agreeable to the traveller's eye; but thecountry generally is a barren, poor-looking tract; the mountains are barelycovered with earth, and the shepherds the most abject beings I ever saw.None but the rich here seem to enjoy life, and the climate is very rigid.I expect to travel a great deal before long; indeed I am forced to do so,to open the gates for my work, which I hope to make superior to anythingof the kind in existence, and this can only be done by unwearyingindustry and patience. I am overcoming my bashfulness to someextent, and no longer fear to show my drawings. That all may endwell, and that I may return to beloved America with some store ofwealth and fame, is to be hoped. I shall spare no efforts to reach myends, I assure you.I expected long ere this to have had another letter from you; certainlytime is not so scarce with you. I do with four hours' sleep, and keep upa great correspondence, copy all my letters myself, even this to you, andmy journal keeps apace with all, while the descriptions of my birds arealmost ready. My boy, pray read "The Discontented Pendulum," fromDr. Franklin, or some one else (for the world is not certain about theauthorship), and see how much can be done if time is not squandered.It would give me much pleasure to receive from you some token of yourstill thinking about drawing and music, or 3^our natural talent for poetry.Talents will lay dormant in man, if by exercise he does riot cultivatethem. I have an album that contains many beautiful morceaux from veryeminent men, and, as I travel, I gather. Among people of solid understandingoutside appearances have no weight, and my looks are, even here,not sneered at. I find myself in company with persons from all parts ofthe globe, all attired differently, but it is not the coat, but either themind or the heart that commends man to man.I sent a fine collection of colored chalks to Johnny. Should you feelinclined to draw — and for your own sake jow ought to do so — requesthim to forward you an exact half. Correct measure and outline, precisetints, and a little life given, make a picture, and keep all your work forfuture comparison, no matter how indifferent it may be in your own eyes.During the publication of my work I hope to visit Spain, Italy, Holland,Germany, and of course Switzerland, where 1 have at Geneva amost powerful friend in the Baron de Sismondi, who introduced me toBaron Humboldt; my letters for Paris, too, are good.Pray inform me how all about you are, for, thousands of miles away,

Three Letters to Audubon's "Kentucky Lads" 17all details are agreeable, and were you and John to write to me for oneweek, I would thank 3'ou both. Now may God bless you and keep youwell and happy.Believe that I am and ever will be, your most affectionate father andfriend,^ ^J. J. Audubon.My dear Johnny:THIRD LETTEREdinburgh, December 22, 1826.As I read your letter it seems to me that I never felt the want of ourforests as much in my life as I do now; could I be but a moment withyou, I could return to my work here much refreshed. I hope in yourwalks you collect acorns of all sorts, and other kinds of seeds, and sendthem to Mrs. Rathbone, who is pleased to have them.I think if mamma is willing, you might use my gun if you are carefulof it, and keep it particularly clean. I am glad to know you aredrawing all you can, for your own sake and mine, and I should muchlike to see your drawing of the Dove, which your mamma says is thebest you have done. Be very careful to measure exactly, and if there isany error, begin afresh without delay; perseverance is needed in everything,and in nothing more than drawing, and I hope to see great improvementin your work on my return. Besides drawing birds, drawlimbs and branches of all kinds of trees, and flowers, and keep a list ofthe names of all the birds you see ; if you should not know the name byany chance, write a brief description. I wish you to train yourself tomake regular memoranda respecting the habits, localities, etc., of birdsand quadrupeds. It is most useful, and memory sometimes plays us false.By this time your mamma will have received the first impression fromthe beautiful seal Mrs. Rathbone gave me. The seal is beautifully cutand valuable to me on that account, as well as for the sake of the donor.Woulil that I could hear the call of the Wild Turkey as I have so oftendone, but, alas! I am too far away.I began this morning a painting in oil of fourteen Pheasants on thewing, attacked by a fo.\, that I wish to send to the Royal Academ>- inLondon next XLnrch, so will need to work hard with all i-lse that mustbe done, and the days are so short now that I can only paint from aboutnine until half-past three, and I am often interrupteil, but my writinggoes on until late in the night. Now I am going to dine with SirWilliam Jardine at liarry's Hotel.My love to clearest nianuiia, and remember nu- kiinlK to all arounii \

An Adirondack Lunch CounterBY F. A. VAN SANT, Jay, N. Y.With photographs from natiiri- hy the authorN the Adirondacks in March, 1900, the snow fell over four feetdeep, and wild birds were driven from the deep woods to^J/r^ seek for food near the habitation of man. It occurred to mepf that a lunch counter with'meals at all hours ' mightsuitthe convenience of some of the visitors to my orchard, so Ifixed a plank out in front of the house, nailed pieces of raw and cookedmeat to it, sprinkled bread crumbs and seeds around, and awaited results.The first caller was a Chickadee. He tasted the meat, seemed toenjoy it and went off for his mate. They did not seem in the leastafraid when I stood on the veranda and watched them, and after a timepaid but little attention to the noises in the house; but only one wouldeat at a time. The other one seemed to keep watch. I set my cameraand secured a picture of one alone. While focusing for the meat oneWHITE- BREASIEL)M' IHATCHESChickadee came and commenced eating in front of the camera, and asecond later its mate perched on my hand as 1 turned the focusing screw.I saw the Chickadees tear ofif pieces of meat and suet and hide themin the woodpile. This they did repeatedly, and later in the day wouldcome back and eat them if the lunch counter was empty.(18)

An Adirondack Lunch Counter 19My observation in this respect is confirmed by a lumberman, whonoticed that when eating his lunch back in the woods the Chickadeeswere very friendly and would carry off scraps of meat and hide them,coming back for more time and again.The next day another pair of Chickadees and a pair of WhitebreastedNuthatches came. The Nuthatches had a presumptuous wayand came firstof taking possession,one and then both together. TheChickadees flew back and forth inan impatient manner, but everytime they went near the meat theNuthatches would fly or hop towardthem, uttering what soundedto me like a nasal, French «o, no,no, and the Chickadees would retireto await their turn when theNuthatches were away.The news of the free lunchmust have traveled as rapidly in thebird world as gossip in a countrytown usually does, for before longa beautiful male Hairy Woodpeckermade his appearance, and cameregularly night and morning for anumber of days. Hunger madehim bold, and he would allow me1I.\1K\ \\()()1)I>ECKERto walk to within a few feet of himwhen changing plates in the camera. It was interesting to note his positionon the plank. When he was eating, his tail was braced to steady hisbody. He did not stand on his feet, except when I attracted his attentionby tapping on the window, but when eating put his feet out infront of him in a most peculiar manner. This position enabled him todraw his head far back and gave more power to the stroke of his bill,and shows that Woodpeckers are not adapted for board -walking.Of course the smaller Downy Woodpeckers were around : the\ alwaysarc in the orchard toward spring. I also iiail a Hock of RctlpoIIs comea number of times after a little bare spot of ground began to show, butalthough thc\ ate seeds 1 put on the ground, thcN would not come upon the lumh counter ami iliM not stay very long. lieautiful Pine Grosbeakscame, too, hut the\ preferred picking up the seeds they founilunder the maple trees. The .American CjoKKinches. in their Quakerwinter dresses, called, but tin- seeds on some weeds in the garden justpeeping above the snow pleased them better than a more i-iaborate lunch,and saying, "per-chic-o-ree," they would leave.

WITHJfor Ceacl)tr0 anti ^tutient^'Bird-Lore's ' Advisory Councilsome slight alterations and additions we reprint below thenames and addresses of the ornithologists forming Bird-Lore's'Advisory' Council,' which were first published in BiRD-LoREfor February, 1900.To those of our readers who are not familiar with objects of theCouncil, we may state that it was formed for the purpose of placing studentsin direct communication with an authority on the bird -life of theregion in which they live, to whom they might appeal for information andadvice in the many difficulties which beset the isolafed worker.The success of the plan during the year in which it has been in operationfully equals our expectations, and from both students and membersof the Council we have had very gratifying assurances of the happy resultsattending our efforts tobring the specialist in touch with those who appreciatethe opportunity to avail themselves ofhis wider experience.It is requested that all letters of inquiry sent to members of the Councilbe accompanied by a stamped and addressed envelope for use in replying.NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COUNCILf- IUNITED STATES AND TERRITORIESAlaska.—Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, Washington,D. C.Arizona, Northern. — Dr. E. A. Mearns, Fort Adams, Newport, R. I.Arizona, Southern.— Herbert Brown, Yuma, Ariz.California.— Charles A. Keeler, Calif. Acad. Sciences, San Francisco, Calif.Colorado. — Prof. W. W. Cooke, State Agricultural College, Fort Collins, Xol.Connecticut. — J. H. Sage, Portland, Conn.Delaware. — Witmer Stone, Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.District of Columbia.—Dr. C. W. Richmond, U. S. Nat'I Mus., Washington, D. C.Florida.— Frank M. Chapman, American Museum Natural Histor}', New York City.Florida, Western. — R. W. Williams, Jr.,Tallahassee, Fla.Georgia. — Dr. Eugene Murphy, Augusta, Ga.Idaho.— Dr. J. C. Merrill, Army Medical Museum, Washington, D. C.Illinois, Northern.— B. T. Gault, Glen Ellyn, 111.Illinois, Southern.— Robert Ridgway, U. S. National Museum, Wasiiington, D. C.Indiana.—A. W. Butler, State House, Indianapolis, Ind.Indian Territory.— Prof. W. W. Cooke, State Agricultural College, Ft. Collins, Col.lovvA.—Paul Bartsch, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.Kansas.— Prof. D. E. Lantz, Chapman, Kan.Louisiana.— Prof. George E. Beyer, Tulane University, New Orleans, La.Maine.—O. W. Knight, Bangor, Me.Maryland.— F. C. Kirkwood, Box 364, Baltimore, Md.(20)

'Bird- Lore's ' Advisory Council 21Massachusetts.—William Brewster, Cambridge, Mass.Michigan. — Prof. W. B. Barrows, Agricultural College, Mich.Minnesota.—Dr. T. S. Roberts, 1603 Fourth avenue south, Minneapolis, Minn.Missouri.—O. Widmann, Old Orchard, Mo.Montana. — Prof. J.M. EIrod, University of Montana, Missoula, Mont.Nebraska.— Prof. E. H. Barbour, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.Nevada.—Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dep't of Agr., Washington, D. C.New Hampshire.— Prof. C. M. Weed, State Agricultural College, Durham, N. H.New Jer.sey, Northern.—Frank M. Chapman, Am. Mus. Nat. History, New York City.Nfw Jersey, Southern.—Witmer Stone, Academj^ Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.New Mexico.-—Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, Washington,D. C.New York, Eastern.—Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture,Washington, D. C.New York, Northern.— Egbert Bagg, 191 Genesee street, Utica, N. Y.New York, Western.—E. H. Eaton, Canandaigua, N. Y.New York, Long Island.—^William Dutcher, 525 Manhattan ave.. New York City.North Carolina.— Prof. T. J. Pearson, Guilford College, N. C.Ohio.—Prof. Lynds Jones, OberlinCollege, Oberlin, Ohio.Oklahoma.—Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dep't of Agr., Washington, D. C.Oregon. — Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dep't of Agr., Washington, D. C.Pennsylvania, Eastern. —Witmer Stone, Acad. Nat. Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.Pennsylvania, Western. —W. Clyde Todd, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburg, Pa.Rhode Island. —J. M. Southwick, Museum Natural History, Roger Williams Park,Providence, R. I.South Carolina. — Dr. Eugene Murphy, Augusta, Ga.Texas, Northern. —J. J. Carroll, Waco, Tex.Texas, Southeastern.—H. P. Attwater, San Antonio, Tex.Texas, Western. — Dr. E. A. Mearns, Fort Adams, Newport, R. I.Utah.—Prof. Marcus E. Jones, Salt Lake City, Utah.Vermont.—Dr. F. H. Knowlton, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.Virginia. — Dr. W. C. Rives, 1723 I street, Washington, D. C.WASHiNfiTON. — Samuel F. Rathbun, Seattle, Wash.West Virginia. — Dr. W. C. Rives, 1723 I street, Washington, D. C.Wisconsin.— H. Nehrling, Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wis.Wyoming. — Dr. Mortimer Jcsurun, Douglas, Wj'o.CANAD.ABritish Columbia. — John Fannin, Provincial Museum, Victoria, B. C.Manitoba. — Ernest Seton- Thompson, 2 W. 36th street. New York Citv.New Brunswick. —Montague Cliamberlin, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.Nova Scotia. — Harry Piers, 'Stanyan,' Northwest Arm, Halifax, N. S.Ontario, Eastern. — James H. Fleming, 267 Rusholme Road, Toninto. Ont.Ontario, Western. — T. Mcllwraith, Hamilton, Ont.Quebec — E. D. Wintlc, 189 St. James street, Montreal, Can.mi; XI COE. W. Nelson, Biological Survey, Departnunt of .Agric iiltun-, Washington, D. ('.WESTINDIKSC. B. Cors', 160 Bovlston street, Boston, Mass.

;Birds and SeasonsSECOND SERIESFEBRUARY AND MARCH BIRD-LIFE NEAR BOSTONBy Ralph HoffmannEBRUARY seems to be the longest month of the year; so impatienthave we become for the first migrant, whose arrival marks_^ for ornithologists the return of spring. Each year, when the'^^^A^ February thaw sets in, and the Song Sparrow that has winterednear us in some brush heap begins his somewhat husky song,we remember that there are fortunate people who, even in eastern Massachusetts,have seen Bluebirds in February. Too often, however, themild weather is followed by heavy snows or bitter winds; it is, therefore,safer to expect no arrivals before the second week of March. Meanwhilesome one reports a hardy Bluebird here and another there, and atlast our own birds return to the warm hillside orchard. Then winter isover. Often the other birds return fully as early as the Bluebirds, andour first intimation of spring comes from a Bronze Grackle, creaking onhis native pine tree, a silent Robin, or a distant flock of Red-wings,rising and falling as they fly. In all the back country Song Sparrows' 'and Flickers act as heralds of spring. To my mind, however, there issomething incomplete in the entry of the vernal season unless a maleBluebird in full song is the herald, let whoever will be the pursuivants.No other performs the ceremony so satisfactorily. By the middle of themonth the hylas have thawed out, and then come those sunny morningswhen the Flicker's shout hardly ceases for a moment; the air is filledwith the songs of migrant Bluebirds, passing northward, with the clearwhistle of the Meadowlark, and the chorus of Red-wings on the hillsides.Migrant flocks of Song Sparrows and Snowbirds now appear; allare in high spirits and full of song. Even from the silent Creeper a sharpear may now catch an occasional wiry, high-pitched song. Unless theseason is very backward, we may now look for Rusty Crackles and FoxSparrows, but the weather influences the arrival of the early birds verydecidedly, so that in the dates given below the range between those ofearly and late seasons is much greater than in May. Sometimes greatfields of snow lie to the north, and bitter northwest winds blow for da\sagain there is unusual warmth and sunshine, and flying insects abound.In such years the hardy Phcrbe returns to the old shed or to the bridge,and the vigorous whistle of the Cowbird falls from some restless flock'flying over.' The Robins, Red-wings and Cowbirds, which we see inMarch, are almost exclusively males.(22)

,Birds and Seasons 23BIRDS OF THE SEASONPermanent residents and winter visitants (see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 183).March Migrants. — March 6-12, Bluebird; 6-15, Robin; 6-20, Redwinged Blackbird; 8-20, Bronzed Grackle; 10-20, Meadowlark; 13-31, Rusty Blackbird, Fox Sparrow;20-30, Woodcock; 25-31, Covvbird, Phoebe.Note.—Cowbirds and Phcebe occasionally delay till April.Early in the month Wild Geese are heard, and Sparrow Hawks return. A fewBlack Ducks return to their inland breeding places. Ipswich Sparrows may be foundon the coast certainly by the end of the month, perhaps earlier. From the 13th to the31st, there are evidences of a decided increase in the number of Song Sparrows, Flickers,Crows, and Juncos. My notes do not enable me to state whether there is, in March,a similar increase in the number of Golden-crowned Kinglets and Brown Creepers.There certainly is in April. Several other birds that arri\e in March in e.xceptionalyears will be included in the April list.Winter Visitants leaving Jor the North.—March 31, Northern Shrike; Pine Grosbeak(1893).FEBRUARY AND MARCH BIRD-LIFE NEAR NEW YORK CITYBy FrankM. ChapmanThe conditions prevailing in the bird world in January continue withoutchange until, in the latter half of February, a warm wave gives indicationof returning spring, So instantly do the birds respond to the firstintimation of winter's retreat that we can readily imagine their earliercoming has been prevented only by the threatening presence of Boreashimself at the gates of their winter quarters.Generally speaking, the first birds to appear were the last to go.There is also, as might be expected, a more or less close relation betweenthe northern limit of a bird's winter range and the time of itsarrival at a given place, and our earlier migrants, therefore, are birdswhich have wintered a comparatively short distance to the southward.There is no more regidarity in their coming, however, than there is inthe weather of the season itself, and the bird stiulent must watch theWeather Bureau's charts if he would e.xpect to foretell the coming ofthe birds in February and March.The three species of Blackbird and the Robin, the pioneers of thisgreat northward invasion, are birds which can exist in a snow -coveredand ice-bound country, and with them come additions to the ranks ofSong Sparrows, Purple Finches and other winter birds. liut not untilthe frost leaves the ground and ice the waters need we look for theWoodcock and W^ilson's Snipe, Kingfisher, Ducks, and (jeese.Second in importance onl\ to the ad\ent of the birds themselves isthe revival of the season of song. W^th us the Song Sparrow, not theBluebird, is spring's true heraUl. anil by March i his 'sweet, sneet , meetvery merry cheer' is heard from every favoring thicket, a heart -warmingbit of bird music. Indeed, all bird songs have a sjiecial significance or

24 Bird -Loreassociation for us at this time. The martial choruses of Red-wings andGraclcles. the fifing of the Meadowlarks, the clarion of the Wild Geese,the morning and evening Robin concerts are all thrilling to the naturelover, but first place in this band of March musicians must be accordedthe Fox Sparrow^, whose clear, ringing melody stands out in strong contrastto his bleak surroundings, like a beautiful flower blossoming in thesnow.BIRDS OF THE SEASONPermanent residents and winter visitants (see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 184.)February Mit^rants. — February 15 to March 10, Purple Grackle, Rusty Blackbird,Red-winged Blackbird, Robin.March Migrarits.—Appearing when ice leaves the bays and rivers, Loon, Ducksand Geese; March i-io (see February); 10-20, Woodcock, Phoebe, Meadowlark, Cowbird,Fox Sparrow; 20-31, Wilson's Snipe, Kingfisher, Mourning Dove, SwampSparrow, White-throated Sparrow.Winter Visitants leaving for the North.— Horned Lark, Redpoll, Snowflake, PineGrosbeak, Northern Shrike.FEBRUARY AND MARCH BIRD-LIFE NEAR PHILADELPHIABv VViTMER StoneFebruary and March bring us the first migrants from the south.About the middle of the former month we almost always have one ortwo of those spring-like days which cause nature to stir in her winterslumber. Then we are likely to see the earliest migrant Robins, Bluebirdsand, perhaps, Flickers, while little bunches of Crackles, Redwingsand Rusty Blackbirds pass overhead, pushing steadily northward.The next week the country may be wrapped in snow, and long afterwe have recorded our pioneers from the south we may be surprised by aflock of Redpolls or other visitors from the north. This alternation ofweather causes considerable irregularity in the dates of arrival of migrantsduring these months, but nearly all the species which occasionally wintereither about Philadelphia or southern New Jersey will be observed beforeApril I. We also hear the Canada Geese go honking northward alongthe river and find Wilson's Snipe on the meadows, while warm weatherat the end of March sometimes brings us Martins and Tree Swallows.One observer must not expect to see all the early birds, however, and hewho is located close to the river or on the New Jersey side will be morefortunate than his fellow observer west of the city.Winter visitants begin to leave us during March, but few of themdisappear altogether before April i, and some few Tree Sparrows remainafter that date.Many species previously silent break forth in song and some of ourWinter Sparrows give us a taste of their vocal abilities just before theyleave us, while the resident Song Sparrows produce such a volume ofmelody that many think they have just arrived.

-Birds and Seasons 25BIRDS OFTHE SEASONPermanent residents and winter visitants (see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 185.)February Mi^ranfs.—Purple Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Bluebird, Robin,Flicker.March Migrants.—March1-20, Canada Goose, Woodcock, Snipe, Phoebe, Meadowlark,Cowbird, Fox Sparrow; 20-31, Kingfisher, Mourning Dove, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,*Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow,* Martin,* Tree Swallow.FEBRUARY AND MARCH BIRD-LIFE AT OBERLIN. OHIOBv LvNDS JonesThe weather of February is only less variable than March. We havelearned to expect our most severe weather during the first ten days ofthe month, when the temperature frequently drops considerably belowzero. Snow is an almost invariable accompaniment of this week or moreof cold, but its depth is very rarely as much as a foot. During this timethe resident Hawks may be entirely absent, but they return with achange to warmer and are not again driven away. It is then that weexpect to find the Snowflake and Rough -legged Hawk. So seldom thatit is hardly fair to count, the rarer birds of prey and the Pine Grosbeakand White -winged Crossbill may be driven into the country. Either alittle after the middle or during the closing week of the month theweather becomes so much like spring that the snow almost disappearsand the first migrants arrive. These first ones are almost always reinforcementsto the small company of permanent resident species, as theSong Sparrows, Flickers and Hawks. At this first touch of spring thePrairie Horned Larks and the two small Woodpeckers and Whitebreastcti Nuthatch begin to mate.March is a winter-summer sandwich, bringing the first waves of thegreat migration. It is not until March that Crows and Meadowlarkscan be depended upon for the daily horizon. The last week in Marchis not seldom a red-letter week for the bird lover, for then the birdscome up from the south in a great host, bringing many which shouldlinger for at least ten days longer. I have recorded the VVHiite- throatedSparrow, I'"ic-Id Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, PurpleMartin, iiarn Swallow and Hroun I'iirasher iluring this week. 1 o besure, one must look in x\\v most sheltered places for these less hardybirds, but there tlu\ are, on the sunn\ hillside or in the shelterctl nookin the woods. 'l"he\' are but forerimners of their host and hardly countin the final summing up, except as such. \'et a meeting with a bird outof season is the electric shock which spurs the field stuilent on togreatereffort.'Occasional.

2t) Bird -LoreBIRDSOF THE SEASONPermanent residents and winter visitants (sec Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 186.)March M'lt^rants.—March i-io, Killdeer, Red-winged Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird,Meadowlark, Bronzed Grackle, Robin, Bluebird; 10-20, Canada Goose, MourningDove, Kingfisher, Cowbird, Fox Sparrow, Towhee, Loggerhead Shrike; 20-30.Great Blue Heron, Phoebe, V'esper Sparrow, Hermit Tiirush.FEBRUARY AND MARCH BIRD-LIFE AT GLEN ELLYN 1Bv Benjamin T. GaultNEAR CHICAGO i, ILLINOISFebruary is, as a rule, our coldest month, while March easily holdsthe distinction of being the most disagreeable period of all the year.February, therefore, brings us but few slight changes among the birds,neither detracting from or adding much to our winter list. If anything,they are less numerous then ; the Jays scarcely seem as plentiful aboutour homes, while with the Crows a marked falling ofif has actually takenplace. But, however changeable the weather of March may be, we aremore than equally reminded, before the month is half through, thatspring is joyfully on its way.Our first early arrivals, if not for February, have been the Robins andBluebirds, which, with us, make their appearance almost simultaneously,or, at the best, but a few days apart, though, in the case of the former,they are usually dark -colored males whose voices for the time being aresilent. In our fields the Meadowlarks appear to have become a permanentfixture. Tree Sparrows now are more given to song as the seasonfor their departure northward advances.The middle of March brings us the Song Sparrow and his bright littlelay, without which our still barren fields and leafless woods wouldseem decidedly dreary. The Geese, too, are now flying northward inV-shaped flocks, though others still, more battalion -like, continue to passback and forth from the cornfields to their nightly roosts on the bosomof Lake Michigan. Red -winged Blackbirds are at their old stands, someold males at least, while, from the 20th to the 25th of the month. Ducksare flying regularly.The remainder of the month witnesses new arrivals daily, good examplesbeing the Rusty and Bronzed Crackles, Juncos, Fox Sparrows.Golden -crowned Kinglets, Phcebe, Cowbird and Kildeer, each voicing itssentiments in their own peculiar way. Some of the Crows have completedtheir nests by this time in the red oaks, and here and there animpatient Blue Jay has also commenced building operations.The month goes out very spring-like. Near sheltered woodlandponds we now listen to the croaking of frogs, and should we arise earl\-enough it is possible for us, perhaps, to enjoy the rather novel experienceof listening to the first spring "booming" notes of the male Prairie

—Birds and Seasons 27Hen, a sound truly suggestive of the season, impressing us at once asodd, and still further remarkable for its penetrating powers.BIRDS OF THE SEASOxNPermanent residents and winter visitants (see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900. p. 187).A list of February and March arrivals at Glen Ellyn, Ills., observed during thepast eight years. Extreme dates are given when more than one record has been made.February Migrants. Vthrurxvy 12 to March 20, Meadowlark ; 19, American Crossbill; 19 to March 27, Bluebird.March Migrants.— March 2-31, White-rumped Shrike; 3-26, Rusty Blackbird;3-27, Killdeer; 4-25, Robin; 6-19, Canada Goose; 7, Cedar VVaxwing, Redpoll; 7-24.Song Sparrow; 8-28, Purple Finch; 10, Mallard; 12, Mourning Dove; 12-13, FoxSparrow; 12-24, Red-winged Blackbird; 17-30, Bronzed Grackle; 18, Cowbird ; 19,Brown Creeper; 19-22, Pintail; 19-29, Sharp-shinned Hawk; 20-26, Flicker; 21, HerringGull; 21-27, Phoebe; 22-28, Ruby-crowned Kinglet; 24, Hermit Thrush; 27,Purple Martin; 28, Ring-necked Duck; 28-29, Golden-crowned Kinglet; 30, GoldenPlover; 31, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S STUDYRe-z'ie^v of the Past Winter's Bird- Life.— Review the liird-life of the past winter a>shown by your own experience and Bird-Lore's Christmas census.Note comparative absenceof snow and the consequent presence, north of their usual winter range, of certainspecies; also absence of certain winter birds. Compare the Christmas bird lists with theobject of ascertaining the distribution of our winter birds. What species appear to bemost generally distributed?Birds and Seasons.—Compare the preceding outlines of the characteristics of the birdlifeof Boston, New York, etc., and lists of February and March birds, in the precedingarticles.Migration.— Wiiat theories have been advanced to account for tlie return of the iiirdsfrom warm winter quarters, where food is abundant, to often bleak surroundings, wherefood is comparatively scarce? Discuss this question (see Cooke, 'Bird Migration in theMississijipi \'alley'; Chapman, 'Bird-Life' and references therein given I. Note the relationbetween a species' winter range and its time of arrival at a given point. What isthe nortluni limit of the winter range of the first species to arrive at your locality? Is itprobable tiiat the first individuals to arrive are those representatives of the species that winteredfarthest north? Would it follow, then, that the last individuals of a species to arriveare those that wintered farthest south? Or is it possible that birds may linger on theirnorthward journey where they find an abundance of food and thus be passed by individualsfrom further south? The question as to whether our first arrivals arc our summer residentbirds or transients en route to a more northern breeding ground, has a direct bearing here.What is your opinion in regard to this point? Try and observe closely the movements ofa certain flock of birds— Robins, for instance. Does it have a regularly frequented feedingplace where you ran always find it at a certain time? A regularly freipiented roostingplace? How long after a species is first noted do vmi observe individuals of it inlocalities where it is known to breed? Robins on your lawn, nr Red-winge.l Hhu kinnUin certain isolated marshes, for instance.Note the addition to the ranks of our winter l>ir also beginning in the

TheFebruary28 Bird-Loresouth. Certain species that winter in southern Floriiia are now for the first time seen innorthern Florida, and others are crossing from Cuba.Note the difference in the times of arrival of males and females of the same species.Do the males always a-rive first ? How long after the females arrive are the sexes foundassociated ? Why should the sexes migrate alone ?Note the relation existing between the weathei and the appearance of migrants. Studythe dailv weather charts issued by the U. S. Weather Bureau at Washington and observewhether the movement of a warm wave from the soutii northward is followed by a correspondingadvance of the birds. Note the close relation between the disappearance of iceand the return of Ducks and Geese. What evidences of migration during the day arenoticed ?Song.—What species sing in February and March? What birds arrive in song ?What species sing before the coming of the female ? What birds sing in flocks ? Is theirchoral song different from their individual, solo song ?Nesting. — What species nest in February and March ? Among summer residents dothe first birds to arrive nest first ? What species are observed courting at this season ?Does the season of courtship and mating long precede the nesting season ? Compare herethe time of arrival and time of nesting of the Red-wino-ed Blackbird.?'---[SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S READING';Davis, ' 'After the Snow and 'Thoreau, 'Spring,' in 'Walden,' 'Early Spring in Massachusetts,' 'Winter';Burroughs, Wake Robin,'Return of the Birds' and Spring ' at the Capital,' in ''A March Chronicle' in 'Winter Sunshine,' 'Spring Jottings' in Riverby ' ' ; Torrey,'A Florida Sketch Book'; Flagg, ' in A Year With the Birds ' ' ; Bolles,''Land of the Lingering Snow The Benison of Spring''March in thein Days ' Afield on Staten Island ' Keeler, February ' in Berkeley ' and 'Pine Woods ' in Bird;Notes Afield ' ; Crockett,'February and ' ' 'March in A' 'Year-book of Kentucky Woods and Fields ' ; Parkhurst, ' February ' and ' March'The Birds' Calendar.''inWHILEThe Christmas Bird Censusthe exceptionally fine weather on Christmas day was asufficient inducement to take one afield, we trust that thespirit of wholesome competition aroused by BiRD- Lore's birdcensus added materially to the pleasure of those who took part in it.The results of the census are both interesting and instructive; interesting,because they are definite, comparative, and, in a sense, personal;instructive, because they give a very good idea of the distributionof winter birds on Christmas day, with some indication of the numberof individuals which may be observed in a given time. On the onehand the almost entire absence of such northern species as the Crossbillsis noticeable; on the other, the mild season and prevailing absence ofsnow evidently accounts for the presence of a number of species rarelyobserved in December.

—)—The Christmas Bird Census 29It has not been possible to publish all the notes which have beenreceived, and it has been necessary to omit the descriptive matter which,in some instances, was given. At another time we hope to suggest abird census on somewhat more exact lines, through the enumeration, notof the birds observed on a given day, but of those occupying a certainarea, when a description of the character of the ground, etc., will be ofimportance.SCOTCH LAKE, YORK COUNTY, NEW BRUNSWICKTime, 9 a. m. to 10 a. m. Clear; wind, west, lifxlit; temp., 32°.Goshawk, i; Hairy Woodpecker, i; Downy Woodpecker, i; Blue Jay, 2; PineGrosbeak, i; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 20; Chickadee, 6. Total,9 species, 36 indi\iduals.— Wm. H. Moore.TORONTO, CANADATime, 11.30 A. M. to 4.30 p. m. Clear; wind, northwest, 10 miles per hour;temp., 25°.Crow, 15; White-breasted Nutiiatch, i; Chickadee, 10; Golden-Crowned Kinglet,25. Total, 4 species, 41 individuals.— E. Fannie Jones.KEENE, N. H,Time, 10.30 A. M. to 1.30 p. m. Clear; wind, northwest, very light; temp., 32°.Crow, I ; Northern Shrike, i ; Chickadee, 16. Total, 3 species, 18 individuals.Clarence Morrison Brooks.BELMONT AND CAMBRIDGE, MASS.Time, 7.30 a. m. to 11.30 a. m. Clear; wind, northwest, very light; temp., 34°.Fresh Pond, Camhridi^c. — American Herring Gull, according to W. Deane, therewere 250 on tlie pond at 9.30 A. .\i. Flocks kept coming in all the morning until, at11.30, there were 1,375; Black-backed Gull, 2; Black Duck, 90; Mallard, i; TreeSparrow, 30; Song Sparrow, 14.Belmont. — Flicker, 7; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 10; Crow, 17; AmericanCrossbill, i; Purple Finch, 2; Junco, 10; Northern Shrike, i; \\'hlte-breasted Nuthatch,4; Golden-crowneti Kinglet, 10; Chickadee, 17. Total, 17 species, 1,593 Individuals.Ralph Hoi ixlvnn.BOSTON, MASS. (ARNOLD ARBORETUMDecember 26, 9.30 to 2.30. Clear, sno\v-s(|uall, clear; wind, southwest to northwest,light; temp., 37".Bob White, 12-15; Flicker, 6, 7; Blue Jay, 15-18: Crow, 16; American Crossi)ill,i; (ioldhnch, 18; Tree Sparrow, 5, 6; Song Sparrow, 2; Junco, 20-25; MyrtleWarbler, 7; Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthafih, 2; Chickadee, 12-15. Total,13 s()ecies, about 125 Individuals.On December 19, In these grounds, there were also Northern Shrike, i; CioldcncrowiuilKinglet, 2; Whitc-throated Sparrow, 2; Fox Sparrow, i.— Horace W.Wri(;ii r.

————soBird -LoreWINCHESTER (nEAR MYSTIC PONu) , MASS.Time, lo a. m. to i i>. m. Clear; wind, south; temp., 42°.Herring Gull, 14 or more; Flicker, i; Blue Jay, 20; Crow, 5; American Goldfinch,16; Tree Sparrow, 6-8; Song Sparrow, i; Brown Creeper, i; White-breastedNuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 5. Total, 10 species, about 70 individuals. KatherineBOLLES.BRISTOL,CONN.Time, 9.30 a. m. to 12.30 p. M. Fair; wind, southwest, very light; temp., 7.30A. M., 28°.Downy Woodpecker, i; Blue Jay, 20; Crow, 25; American Goldfinch, 9; TreeSparrow, 6; Song Sparrow, 4; Chickadee, 3. Total, 7 species, 68 individuals.December 9 and 23 five Bluebirds were seen. On December 13, Mr. B. A. Pecksaw a Towhee. Frank Bruen and R. W. Ford.NORWALK, CONN.Time, between 8 A. M. and 4.45 p. M. Clear; wind, west, light; temp., i p. vi., 60°.American Herring Gull, 8; Crow, 3; Tree Sparrow, 11; White-breasted Nuthatch,i8; Chickadee, 5. Total, 5 species, 45 individuals.Geo. P. Ells.AUBURN TO OWASCO LAKE, N. Y.Time, 8 A. M. to —. Clear, light snow at 10 A. M.; wind, south to northwest, light;temp., 40°.Horned Grebe, 5, one calls; Loon, 3, calls; Herring Gull, 3; American Golden-Eye, 11; Ruffed Grouse, 2; Crow, 26; American Goldfinch, 4; White-breasted Nuthatch,2; Chickadee, 12. Total, 9 species, 68 individuals.—Frederick J. Stupp.CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CITYTime, 10 A. m. to —. Clear; wind, southwest, light.American Herring Gull, 12; Downy Woodpecker, i; Starling, 4(singing); WhitethroatedSparrow, abundant (twice heard singing); Song Sparrow, 2; Robin, i.Charles H. Rogers.ENGLEWOOD, N. J.Time, 8.30 A. M. to 12.30 p. m. Clear; wind, southwest, light; temp., 33°.Bob-White, 3; Mourning Dove,* 7; Red-shouldered Hawk, i; Barred Owl, i;Downy Woodpecker, 5; Flicker, 3; Crow, 25; Blue Jay, 8; Goldfinch, i; Tree Sparrow,150; Field Sparrow,* 2; Junco, 37; Song Sparrow, 3; Northern Shrike, i (immature);Myrtle Warbler, 55; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 12: Bluebird 4 (one singing).Total, 18 species, 320 individuals. On December i, and again on the 20th, asingle Tufted Titmouse was seen ; these observations constituting the first winter recordsfor this species. Frank M. Chap.man.MOORESTOWN, N. J.Time, between 10.30 A. M. and 4.30 p. m. Clear in the morning; cloudy, with lightshowers, in the afternoon ; wind, west, light; temp., 36°.Red-tailed Hawk, i; Sparrow Hawk, 3 or 4; Downy Woodpecker, i; Flicker, 4 or5; Crow, several hundred; Meadowlark, 8-10; White-throated Sparrow, 3 or 4; Tree* Illustrating tlie late stay of certain species in open seasons. (See Bird Lore, December, 1900, p. iSj.)

;The Christmas Bird Census 31Sparrow, i or 2 ;Jiinco, about 12; Song Sparrow, 2; Cardinal, 4; Northern Shrike, i;Brown Creeper, 2; Tufted Titmouse, 2; Chickadee, 2; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2 or 3Bluebird, 3. Total, 17 species.—Anxa A. Mickle.NEWFIELD, N. J.Time, 9 A. M. to 12.30 p. m. Cloudy, clearing at 10 A. .M.; wind, northwest, light;Crow,temp., 35°.Bob-White, i; Downy Woodpecker (heard) ; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2 ;i;Blue Jay, 2; American Goldfinch, 5; Tree Sparrow, 25; Junco, 25; Song Sparrow, 2;Golden -crowned Kinglet (heard).— Mary R. Pascham,.NESHAMINY CREEK AND UPPER DELAWARE RIVER ABOVE PHILADELPHIATime, four hours.Sparrow Hawk, i ; Downy Woodpecker, i ; Crow, immense flocks; Fish Crow, flocks;Tree Sparrow, 25; Song Sparrow, 3; Golden-crowned Kinglet, i; Chickadee, i; Bluebird,4. — H. W. Fowler.DELAWARE RIVER MEADOWS. TINICUM TOWNSHIP, DELAWARE CO., PA.Time, one and a half hours in the morning.American Herring Gull, 2; Red-tailed Hawk, 6; Red-sliouitlered Hawk, i; Crow,100; Meadowlark, 4; American Goldfinch, 25; Junco, 6; Tree Sparrow, 50; SongSparrow, 6; Swamp Sparrow, i. Total, 10 species, 201 individuals.— Witmer Sto.\e.GERMANTOWN,Time, 11.30 a. m. to i p. m. Clear; temp., 50°.Downy Woodpecker, 2; Crow, 4; White-throated Sparrow, abundant; Junco, 7 orS; Song Sparrow, abundant; Cardinal, 2; Winter Wren, i; White-breasted Nuthatch,2; (Jolden -crowned Kinglet, 3 or 4; Robin, 2.On December 23, a number of American Crossbills were seen. — C. B. I'homi'SONiind H. JiSTiCE.WYNCOTE,Time, 8.20 a. m. to 11.30 a. m. Clear; wind, west, but very light; temp., 30°.Red-tailed Hawk, 3; Red-shouldered Hawk, i; Sparrow Hawk, 4; Hairy Woodpecker,i; Downy Woodpecker, i; Flicker, i; Crow, about 1,000; .American CJoldiinch,3; Tree Sparrow, one Hock of 25; Junco, about 100; Song Sparrow, i; NN'interWren, i. Total, 11 species, about 1,140 individuals.— Sa.mlei, H. Barker.PA.PA.Time, one-half an hour.FAIR.MOUN'T PARK, JMIILADELi'lIlAFlicker, 3; Crow, 12; Junco, 25; White-throated Sparrow, 6; Tree Sparroxv, 25;Song Sparrow, 2; Carilinal, 6; Robin, 6. Total, 8 species, 85 individuals.— Dr. J. F.Prendercast.ORERLIX, OHIO'Time, 6.30 A. M. to 10 a. m. Chtudv, occasional snowriakcs, increasing to considerablestorm at noon; wind, west bv south, light to brisk; temp., 28 .Red-shouUiered Hawk, r; S|)arrow Hawk. 1; Hairv Woodpecker, i; Down>Woodpecker, 6; Flicker, 2; Hiue Jav, U; Crow, 4; Purple Finch, 14; Junco, 3; i'reeSparrow, 40; Song Sparrow, 2; Cardinal. 1; Wliite-breasteti Nuthatch, 14; Chickadee.8. I'otal, 14 species, 103 indi\iduals.December 24, Bluebirds and Hron/ed (Jrackles sang 111 mv varil, and a Tufted'Tltmou>e was seen just out ot town. — !,\M)s Jom s.

——32 Bird -LoreGLEN ELLYN, ILLINOISTime, lo a. m. to 12 m., 1.30 to 4 v. m. Cloudy; wiiiil west, fresh; temp., 121,°M., 1712Prairie Hen, 8 (one covey); Downy Woodpecker, 2; Blue Jay, 7; Crow, 17; TreeSparrow, i; White-breasted Niithatcli, i; Cliickadee, 19. Total, 7 species, 55 individuals.—B.T. Gault.NORTH FREEDOM, SAUK CO., WIS.Time, 8.50 A. M. to 11. 10 a. m. Cloudy, some snow; wind, northwest, medium;temp., 16°.Bob-White, 15; Hairy Woodpecker, 7; Downy Woodpecker, i; Red-belliedWoodpecker, i; Blue Jay, i; American Goldfinch, 31; Tree Sparrow, 30; Junco, i;Brown Creeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee, ii; Golden -crownedKinglet, i. Total, 12 species, 105 individuals.Had tiie day been favorable, ('rows, Evening Grosbeaks, and Ruffed Grousewould have been seen in considerable numbers.Alick Wetmore.25°.LA GRANGE, MO.Time, 9 A. m. to 12 M. Cloudv, sun seen at times; wind, west, steady; temp.,Hairy Woodpecker, 5; Downy \\'oodpecker, 6; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 4;Flicker, i; Blue Jay, 14; Crow, 15; Purple Finch, 15; Tree Sparrow, i; Junco, 75;Cardinal, 9; Northern Shrike, i; Tufted Titmouse, 18; Chickadee, 30; WhitebreastedNuthatch. 7. Total, 14 species, 186 individuals. — SuSAN M. JoHNSON.BALDWIN,LA.Observed from the house during five hours. Clear; wind, west, light; temp., 9A. M., 42°.Killdeer, 2; Turkey Buzzard, 2; Blue Jay, 6; Grackle, 200; Red-winged Blackbird,500; Carolina Wren, i; Mockingbird, 3; Carolina Chickadee heard. Total, 8species, 715 individuals. Mrs. L. G. Baldwin.PUEBLO, COLO.Time, 11 a. m. to 1.30 p. .\i. Clear; wind, southeast, light; temp., 34°.Ferruginous Rough-leg, 2 ; Red-shafted Flicker, 4; Desert Horned Lark, thousands,in man}' large, scattered flocks; American Magpie, i; Woodhouse's Jay, 3; Red-wingedBlackbird, one flock of about 20; House Finch, about 50; Western Tree Sparrow, about100; Pink-sided Junco, about 75; Arctic Towhee, 2; Canon Towhee, i; NorthernShrike, i, carrying Horned Lark; Gray Titmouse, 2.— H. W. Nash.PACIFIC GROVE, xMONTEREY CO., CAL.{IVatcr birJs not huliuicd)Time, 10 a. m. to 12 M. Wind, north, light; temp., 60°.California Quail, small flock; Band-tailed pigeon, large flock, 200; Western Redtail,i; Burrowing Owl, i; California Woodpecker, 3; Lewis' Woodpecker, i; RedshaftedFlicker, 20; Dusky Poor-will, i; Anna's Hummingbird, 3 (sings); Say's Phoebe,i; Black Phcebe, 4; Coast Jay, 10 (sings); California Jay, many; American Crow, i;Western Meadowlark, i; Brewer's Blackbird, 10; Nuttall's Sparrow, 6; Golden-crowned

—An Additional December Record 33Sparrow, 5 (sings) ; Point Pinos Junco. 25; Townsend's Sparrow, 3; Spurred Towhee. i;California Shrike, i: Hutton's Vireo, 8; Audubon's Warbler. 10; Townsend's Warbler,6; Pipit, common ; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 ; Pygmy Nuthatch, 2 ; Barlow's Chickadee,10; Intermediate Wren-tit, 2 (sings); California Bush-tit, flock of 15; Ruby-crownedKinglet, 8; Dwarf Hermit Thrush. 3; Western Robin, no; Varied Thrush, 2; WesternBluebird, several. Total, 36 species, about 475 individuals. W.\lter K. Fisher.An Additional December RecordOn December 13, 1900. I noticed a Wood Pewee trying to find abreakfast among the apple trees on Glen Island. He was alone, andalthough active in his search— apparently taking insect eggs from the barklike a Chickadee— he had ver\- little to say for himself, a single short chirpbeing his only note. It was bitter cold outdoors and there is very littleshelter for the little fellow here. How he finds enough food adapted to hismode of hunting is a puzzle.— L. M. McCormick, Gleti Island, Xezc Roc/ielle. \. Y.What Bird is this .-Firld DfMfription. — Length. 5.00 in. Upper pans streakcil with black, buff and grayish; under parts white,streaked with blaek; yellow at the base of wings and tail, showing in flight. Spring ftangf— From Gulf Slatesnorthward.Note— Each number of Bird-I.dRK will rontain a photograph, from specimens inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some widely distributed, but. in the easternUnited States, at least, little-known bird, the name of which will be withheld until thesucceeding number of the magazine, it being believed that this method of arousing thestudent's curiosity will result in impressing the bird's characters on his mind far morestrongly than if its name were given with its picture.The species figured in necemlier is the Lapland I.ungspiir.

AN INCUBATING BALD EAGLEPhotographed from life by C. William BeebeNotes from the New York Zoological SocietyI. ENTERPRISING EAGLESAt the beginning of winter I placed apair of atfiiit Bald Eagles in the large Hyingcage of the New York Zoological Park, andthe}' showed their appreciation of their semifreedomby commencing housekeeping atonce. They collected a quantity of sticksand grass around a small hollow in theground near the center of the cage, andafter lining the cavity with moss, the nestwas considered finished. Both birds tookpart in its construction, antl from the continualchuckling and screaming, thoroughlyenjoyed their work. Ivagles usuallynest in trees, and these birds placed thenesting material around the roots of severalsaplings, the stems of which, protrudingthrough the sticks and moss, look not unlikethe top branches of a tall tree. Naturallythe next thing to be thouglit of waseggs, but this pair of birds had originalideas, and intended, for a time at least,merely to play at housekeeping. A goodsizedstone was brought from another partof the cage and placed in the nest, and thework of hatching began. The male andfemale Eagles sit on the nest on alternatedays, and the bird not so engaged is alwaysperchedon a log near by, on guard.The temperament of the birds has undergonea complete change. When first placedin the cage they were easily caught andseldom offered resistance. Now one cannotapproach to within twent\' feet of thenest without being attacked by one or bothEagles. When they rush forward, one oneach side, and strike with beak and upliftedfeet, it is no eas}- matter to escape unharmed,,as I found when trying to photographthem, their talons reaching the skin everytime, clothing and shoes affording little orno protection.What the outcome of this nesting attemptwill be I do not know, but I hope the birdswill soon lose faith in the stone and deposittwo or three eggs. The fact that they arefrom Florida doubtless accounts for this,early attempt at nesting. — C. WilliamBeebe, AssistantCurator of Birds.(34:

'Early'ColorMoultiiooft j^etos anti 3^et)ie\osThe Sequence of Plumages and MoultsOF the Passerine Birds of New York.By Jonathan Dvvight, Jr. Annals ofthe New York Academy of Sciences.Vol. XIII, Part I. pp. 73-345; pll. vii.Oct. 19, 1900.Although birds are doubtless betterknown than the members of any other orderof animals, the laws governing the loss andrenewal of feathers, the bird's unique character,are in this paper adequately treatedfor the first time. That we have so longexisted in comparative ignorance of themanner of molting of many of our commonestbirds is due primarily to the lackof proper material with which to studytheir plumage changes. Collectors desiredonly perfectly feathered specimens andmade no efforts to secure birds during theperiod of molt. Nor did they attempt toascertain, by an examination of the cranium,the age of the specimen preserved.Appreciating the need of proper materialto enable us to clearly understand tliisexceedingly important function in a bird'seconomy, Dr. Dwight began some twentyyears ago to form a collection of New Yorkbirds on which to base the studies whiciiare in part presented in the present paper *of over 250 pages.The work is far too extended tor us toreview it in (iit:iil ; lurtlRrniore,we iiopclater that Dr. Dwiglit will liiiiisilf favorBird-Lore's readers witli an exteiuiid iVsumt'of his studies. We append, tlierefore,only a list of the eight leading heads underwhich tlie subject has iieen treated: i.'IndoorStudy of Moult. ' 2. Process of Moult.''3.Plumages and Moults of \'oungBirds." 4.Moults." 5.'Se(|uence of Plumages aiulFacts, T.f. ('(licit- Tlicories.'6. 'Outdoor Study of Moult. " 7. I'lu-'* For adililional paprrs h\ Dr. Dwiclit iiii thr mult ofbirds, sec the following: The'of thr NorthAmerican Tclraonidir (Quails, F'artridnes, Grouse);'"The Ault,' li;oo, pp. J4~5I. >4I~''''>; 'The Moult ofthe North American Shore Birds I I.imicola-K /Af

36 Bird-Loreto as "a systematic chan

The-Key,'Book News and Reviews 37and Eggs,' 'Young: How they are Fedand Protected,' ' Feathers and Flight,' and'Calls and Song Notes,' may be read withprofit by the ornithologists of every land.Mr. Cherry Kearton's pictures add to ourappreciation of his skill and patience withthe camera, and further illustrate the advantagesof photography over any otherknown method of portraying bird-life. Itdoes not seem to us, however, that theyhave all been reproduced with full justiceto the original, and we especially deplorethe loss of accuracy in a bird's outlinewhich often accompanies the etching orcutting out of the backgrounds.—F. M. C.Laws Regul.^ting the Transport.atioxAND Sale of Ga.me. By T. S. Palmerand H. W. Olds. Bulletin No. 14.Division of Biological Survey; U. S.Department of Agriculture, Washington,Government Printing Office, 1900. 8vo,pp. 89, 5 maps, 4 diagrams.Further evidence of the benefits to thecause of bird protection which have followedmaking the Biological Survey responsiblefor the enforcement of the provisions of tlu"Lacey bill, are shown in the publication ofthis pamphlet. It has been prepared withthe especial object of informing shippers,transportation companies, and game dealersof the laws regulating the transportationand sale of game and, possessing the author!tativeness of a government document, it isfar more valualile for reference than an unofficialpublication. — F. M. C.The Ornithological Magazines' 'The Alk. — Auk enters the newcentury in much the same garb it has \vornduring twenty-six years of the old, beingmodeled on the same lines that havejirovedso successful in the past. Nearly one c|uarterof the 131 pages of the January numberare devoted to reports on bird protectionby Mr. Witiner Stone and Mr. WilliamDutcher, and afford unusually instructivereading. Much good will result from intelligentlegislation, and Mr. Dutcher showshow effectively the persecuted (Julls andTerns have lieen protected the last summeron the Atlantic coast, from Maine to Virginia,by securing the jiaid services of personsli\ing on or near their breedinggrounds. The molts and plumages ofthese birds are explained by Dr. JonathanDwight, Jr. The opening pages are filledwith obituary notices of Dr. Elliott Couesand Mr. George B. Sennett, from the pensof Mr. D. G. Elliot and Dr. J.A. Allen,respectively. One of the most remarkablethings about Dr. Coues was the wide reachof his scientific knowledge, which madehim in the truest sense of the word a greatornithologist. Some new birds from Panamaare described by Mr, Ontram Bangs andothers; from Mexico, by Mr. E. W. Nelson,in a couple of brief papers, and a local list,by Mr. James H. Flemming, on the birdsofParry Sound and Muskoka, Ontario, fillsthirteen pages. In Mr. John H. Sage'sreport of the Eighteenth Congress of theA. O. IT., we learn officially of a radicalchange in membership that will takeeffect at the next Congress. The species"Associate Member" is to be split intotwo, but which is the subspecies I am stillin doubt. Some one has facetiously dubbedone the "killers," and the other the"see-ers," and everybody ought now tobe completely satisfied at this new experimentin trinomialism. Fhe reviews of newliterature are extensive, especially one onDwight 's molts of passerine species, andone on Grinnell's birds of Alaska. ThereIs also a goodly array of general notes, coveringcaptures and records too numerous tomention. —J.D., Jr.BookNewsWe learn from Dana Estes & Co., publishersof Coues''that the revisededition of this work, the manuscript ofwhich Dr. Coues completed shortly beforehis death, will be ready sometime during thecoming spring. It will be profusely Illustrated,chiefly by Louis A. Fuertes, and willbe Issued In two volumes, at the price of 5io.The report of the .\. O. C bird prottrtloncommittee including Mr. Dunhers reporton the expenditure of theThayer futui,which occupies thirty-seven pages in theJanuarv 'Auk,' has been Issued separatelyand mav lie procured from William Dutcher,525 Manhattan Ave., New York citv. at fivecents a copv, or four dolla^^ per humlred.

:38 Bird- LoreEoreA Bi-monthly MagazineiltrtiDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL ORCAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIESEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. Ill Published February 1. 1901 No. 1SUBSCRIPTION RATESPrice in the Ignited States, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue, Newyork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,Macmillan AND Company, Ltd., London.COPYRIGHTED, 1901, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.Bird-Lore's MottoA Bird in the Bush is Worth Two in the Hand.A Question of theDayThere is a certain type of systematicorriithoiogist to whom ornithology meanscomparing specimens and solving nomenclatiiralproblems, with the sole and ultimateobject of changing the existing names ofbirds and creating new ones. He is sometimessneeringly designated by the siifficientunto-himselflayman, a 'closet naturalist.'This same supercilious critic is doubtlessindebted to the closet naturalist's text-booksfor most, if not all, of his exact knowledgeof birds' names and consequent properclassification of whatever he may havelearned of the birds themselves, but with afine combination of conceit, ignorance, andingratitude, he loses no opportunity to hurla figurative stone at the unconscious authorof his information.There is, however, another side to thissubject; in his endeavor to make plain therelationships of birds, the systematist maygo too far. Long familiarity with specimenshas so sharpened his appreciation of theirdifferences in size, form, and color, that heis led to lattach undue importance to variationswhich are barely, if at all, apparentto the untrained eye. The question is,where shall he draw the line in namingthese geographical races, or subspecies, asthey are termed? It is of course assumedthat his investigations are conducted withno undue desire for renown through theexploitation of his own name appended tothat of the birds he may describe, but thatthey are made in the interests of ornithology.'I'he question may be repeated then, howfar may we go in this division and subdivisionof geographical races and best servethe ends of the study of birds?In publishing a list of North Americanbirds which should harmonize the viewsof various authorities, the American Ornithologists'Union raised as its standardthe motto: "Zoological nomenclature is ameans, not an end, of zocUogical science."That is, before we can study birds we mustgive to them certain names in order that wemay properly label whatever we may learnconcerning them and thus render our discoveriesavailable to others.It is, or should be, therefore, the object ofthe systematist to so describe birds thatthey will be recognizable, thereby preparingthe way for further investigation. When,however, he gives names to differences soslight that even experts in his own fieldcannot with certainty apply the right nameto the right bird, it is obvious that he is notserving, but defeating the aims of science.Doubtless the 'splitter,' as this type ofsystematist is called, would deny that hishypersensitive powers of discrimination hadled him to such extremes. Let us, therefore,examine somewhat into his methods.When specimens of our birds first cameinto the hands of European naturalists,many of them were considered identicalwith certain European species; but as theyincreased in collections their characters becamemore definitely understood and beingfound to differ more or less from Old Worldforms they were given names of their own(e. g., Cerlhio familiaris Americana, Los/acur-1'irostra Americana). Though at firstthese birds, following the customs of thetimes, were ranked as species, this wasvirtually the beginning in the subspecificseparation of our birds.It was not until the Pacific railroad

Editorials 39surveys in 1850 brought considerable collectionsof birds from the western UnitedStates, that we learned that many birds ofthe more arid west were decidedly differentfrom their representatives in the more humideast. In most instances of this kind we atfirst had only two forms, an eastern and awestern, but subsequent exploration addedto the material available for study, and itwas discovered that every region possessingmarked physiographic and climaticcharacters had races peculiar to itself, andfor the first time the laws of geographic variation,or of evolution by environment, becameevident. This is one of ornitholog\''smost valuable contributions to philosophicnatural history; an epoch-making discoverythe practical application of which, in thevain attempt to definitely name the indehnite,has led us into our present difficulties.Thus it has happened that of the r,o68birds included in the 1895 edition of theA. O. U. 'Check-List,' 300 are ranked assubspecies, or, in other words, a subspeciesfor every two and a half species. But theend is not yet. Since 1895, ^^'^^ seventyso-called ' new'forms have been describedan

Mrs." y'ou cannot -.eith a scalpeJ find Ihr fxift' s .kukI,JSlor yel the wild bird's song'."ICdited by Mrs. Mabel Osgoou Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departineiushould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesNew Hampshire Mk.s. F. W. B.atchelukr, Manchester.MassachusettsMiss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Mrs. H. T. Grant, Jr., 187 Bowen street, Providence.ConnecticutMrs. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New YorkMiss Emma H. Lockwood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street. New York City.New Jersey Miss Anna Haviland, 53 Sandford ave., Plainfield, N. J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 3033 P street, Washington.Delaware MRS. Wm. S. Hilles, Delamore place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legare street, Charleston.FloridaOhioMrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.IndianaW. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMiss Mary Drummond, Wheaton.Iowa• L. E. Felt, Keokuk.WisconsinMrs. George W. Peckham, 646 Marshall street, Milwaukee.Minnesota Mrs. J. P. Elmer, 314 West Third street, St. Paul.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.TexasCaliforniaMrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.Ip^gjgcenth' at many good shops, theaters, andin the streets of New York, was not with-Madame Arnold, 7 Temple Place, Bos-ton, sends her name to be added to the"M.llHUT-s White L.St."^^^^ ^^,^,^ ^^^^ j^ encouraging,y^,^,^^ ^^^^^.^^^ ^^ exqtiisite colors andworkmanship, jeweled, gold, and steel or-By the way, is Massachusetts to have thenaments, and pompons of lace and ribbon''^^^emilliner's flag of trtice all to herself? Willlargely taken the place of any butnot some member of the Audubon Society,Ostrich feathers, with people of refinedin every large town, make a point of se-curing 'at least one name for thisTo be sure, bandeaux of separatedlist ? Itta

:The Audubon Societies 41gloves, haunts the cheaper shojis, lunchingon either beer or soda water, and in summerrides a man's wheel, chews gum, andexpectorates with seeming relish.The headgear of a fashionable audience,gathered at the first night of a new play,was another encouraging sign. Thosewho arrived without bonnets wore in theirhair a single flower, a filet of ribbon orsome flexible metal, or lace choux. I onlyrecognized half a dozen Egrets amongthem, and these were worn by women ofthe dubious age and complexion that maybe excused from the shock of abandoningtime-honored customs. During the fiveminutes" millinery show allowed, beforethe rise of the curtain causes the well-bredto unhat, absolutely no feathers were discoverable,save a few white breasts. Ostrich,and Maribou plumes ; the effect of somuch softly draped, delicately tinted gauze,mingled with gold, silver and flowers,giving greater brilliancy to the house thanhad a Bird of Paradise, a Humming-bird,or a Cockatoo been perched on every head.We may ask ourselves if the change hasany special significance. Is it a mere freakof fashion ? Is it owed to the law or tothe lady ?Let us credit it to the law anJ the lady,and hope that the two are standing withlocked hands, as they exchange New Year'sgreetings and form a twentieth century alliancein the cause of Bird Protection, asthey have so often done in other things thatelevate the race.— M. O. W.Reports ofSocietiesNEW YORK SOCIETYAmong the salient features of the recentwork accomplished by the New York AudubonSociety, especial mention sliould bemade of the satisfactory results which haveattended the issuing of the Bluebird button,and the cstablisiiment of the free associatemembership— open to those under eighteenyears of age.The trininpii ol tlif pa>t \r:ir \\:l^ ilicsuccess of the Hallock Bill, signed l)\(jovernor Roosevelt on May 2, 1900. Anearnest jiiea, signed In Mr. Chapinan niulMr. Dutcher, was sent to all adult membersof the society, to urge favorable actionon the bill upon the assemblymen andsenators at Albany. The response to thisappeal from all parts of the state provedthe advance made by the army of bird protectors,and greatly strengthened the untiringefforts of Mr. Hallock, Mr. Dutcherand Mr. Cha[)inan in securing the passageof this law.The new law, in poster form, has beensent to over 3,500 postmasters. Largelinen posters have also been circulated.At the annual meeting, held June 2 atthe American Museum of Natural Historv, itwas stated that since the former report11,719 leaflets had been distributed. Sincethat date 11,405 have been put into circulation.The total number printed by theSociety approximates 125,000. Over 100,-000 have been distributed. Since the lastreport of the New York Society appeared inBird-Lore, the following valuable leafletshave been issued'The Educational Value of Bird Study,'by Mr. Chapman; 'Consistency in FeatherWearing,' by Mrs. Wright (kindness ofConnecticut Societj); 'Save the Birds,' byMr. Dutcher (first issued by PennsylvaniaSociety); 'The Passing of the Tern,' byMr. Chapman, reprinted from Bird-Lore;'Law Posters and Leaflets,' and Letter of'Appeal,' by Messrs. Chapman and Dutcher.'I'he present membership is 2,479.Through the courtesv of the AmericanMuseum of Natural Histor)', the membersof the Audubon Society residing in theimmediate vicinity of New York city haveenjoyed the privilege of hearing the specialcourse of lectures, piven by Mr. Chapmanat the Museum, on 'Birds in Nature.'It would be unjust not to speak of thegreat help afforded by many of our localsecretaries, especially in the all-importantwork among the children.The New York Auduivin Society is constantlydeterred in its efforts by the lack offunds. To develop the educational side of\\\\- iiii>\iuuiit will re(]uire large additionalincome, and how to devise means to attainthis is the immediate task before us.Emma If. I.oi kwooh, Sfiretmy.

42 Bird -LorePENNSYLVANIA SOCIETYThe Pennsylvania Audubon Society hasbeen actively eno;aged during the past year,both in furthering the general interest inbird study and bird protection in this state,and in lending its aid to more widespreadefforts in the same direction. The fact thatour president, Mr. Witmer Stone, is alsochairman of the A. O. U. Committee onProtection of North American Kinls, hasbrought the society into close connectionwith several of the most important movementstowards bird protection that havebeen undertaken during the year.among these was the Lacey Act.ForemostFrom thestart, the Pennsylvania Society took anactive part in urging the members of Congressfrom this state to support the measure,and the fact that Pennsylvania casta largervote for the bill than any other state and notone vote against it, speaks well for our success.The society was also represented inthe effort to protect the Gulls and Terns ofthe Atlantic coast during the nesting seasonof 1900, the New Jersey colonies beingunder the care of our treasurer, Mr. Wm.L. Baily, whose very successful work isdescribed in the report in the January numberof The Auk.' Our society was also'active early in the present year in arousingopposition to the killing of Blackbirds inDelaware for millinery purposes.Circularswere distributed throughout the state whichmuch attention and resulted in theattractedabandonment of the slaughter and also inthe organization of the Delaware AudubonSociety.During the }ear our membership has increasedto over 6,000, and seven local secretarieshave been appointed, while severallocal clubs for bird study have been organized.This is one of the most importantfeatures of our society, and we cannot toostrongly urge those interested to volunteertheir services in furthering local organizationsof this sort.About 8,000 circulars of various kindswere issued during the year, including anabstract of the state bird laws printed onheavy cardboard suitable for hanging inpost offices, reading-rooms, etc.Through the kindness of one of thedirectors, the society has been enabled topurchase a small library and a set of coloredpictures of common birds, which have beencirculated among country schools to aid theteachers in conducting Bird Day exercises.On June i, the teachers of the vacationschools of Philadelphia were invited to meetthe directors of the society at the Academyof Natural Sciences and were addressed byMr. Witmer Stone on the subject of birdstudy in city schools, while the collection ofPennsylvania birds and nests in the museumwas explained to them.On January 5, 1901, the annual meetingof the society was held at the Academy ofNatural Sciences. The attendance was verylarge and the interest in the proceedings wasmarked. After the transaction of routinebusiness, Mr. Stone made an address on'Bird Protection in America During1900'; Mr. George Spencer Morris followedwith an illustrated paper on Our'Winter Birds,' and Mr. Wm. L. Bailyconcluded the program with a talk on'Bird Study With the Camera,' illustratedby lantern slides of birds and nests fromnature.The old board of directors was reelectedfor the ensuing year.JuLi.A Stockton Robins, Secretary.The Baltimore GullCaseThe confiscation of 2,600 Gulls found inthe possession of Dumont & Co., of Baltimore,has been followed by the indictmentby the grand jury of the manager of thisfirm, and the case to determine whether theyare liable to the fine of from one to fivedollars for each bird willinFebruary.probably come upProposed New Bird LawsEfforts are being, or willbe made to improvethe bird laws of Maine, Connecticut,New York, New Jersey,Pennsylvania, Virginia,North Carolina, Florida and California,and it is hoped that BiRD-LoREreaders will use their influence to makethese efforts successful.Further details may be learned, as theyare developed, from William Dutcher, 525Manhattan Ave., New York city.

I

A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OFOfficial Organ of the Audubon SocietiesBIRDSVol. Ill March— April, 1901 No. 2ITWalrus Island, a Bird Metropolis of Bering SeaBY FREDERIC A. LUCASWith phoioghai'hs from nature bv H. 13. Chuhksikrwas a sunny afternoon in July when the cutter Rush made a longdetour around the treacherous shallows off Reef Point, St. PaulIsland, and steaminij; hy Sivutch Rock, with its colony of fur sealsfanning themselves in the unwelcome sunshine, headed for Walrus Island.We knew this spot from afar off and indistinctly, for, although hut sixmiles distant from N. E. Point, such is the average summer weather ofBering Sea that most of the time it is enshrouded in a mantle of fog.Some of its inhabitants we knew very well, for the Hurgomaster Gulls{Larus f^laucescens) which dwell there make daily visits to St. Paul in searchof the offal of the seal killing-grounds, or to peck at the eyes of the ii\ingand dead pups on the fur seal rookeries, or to carry home a bit of vegetationfor a nest. The few walruses, whence the island derived its name,have disappeared, killed or driven away by the persecutions of man, andthe last one was shot in 1891. The spot was never a breeding ground,merely the summer haunt of a score or so of old male walruses thrust outof the compan\ of their fellows by younger ant! abler beasts, or preferringa peaceful bachelorhood to the cares of married life. The birds, however,remain undisturbeil, save for a few visits in early simimer from the natives,who go over to load a boat or two with eggs that form an agreeable changefrom salt and canned provisions.Half the distance between St. Paul ami Walrus Island had beencovered when a breath of cool air swept over the water, ami in .anotherminute everything had vanished and we were steaming through the fog.On we went until the patent log said that the islam! was not far distant,and accordingl\' the Ru^h was slowi-d douii, while, in addition to the carefullookout that had been coiitinualK kept, tin- k-ad was cast in order thatwe nugiit not roiiic upon the Kind in more \\a\s than one. Ami now thefog thinned out and rolled up into (Icci \ clouds, leaving ever\thing visiblefor some (lisiance ahead, but ^(•\(•allll^ no trace of Walrus Island. I he

-46 Bird- Lorerapid and erratic tide had swept us by; instead of twelve miles we hadrun an unlucky thirteen, and back we turned, into the retreating fog,which, rolling up before us, left Walrus Island not only perceptible to theeye but, as we passed to leeward a quarter of a mile away, decidedly perceptibleto our noses.Nature has considerately furnished two landing places, very excellentones, too, provided the sea be smooth and the wind in the right direction:and we came to anchor of^ the most picturesque of these, a little steepwalled cove, on one side of which it was possible to climb out upon a stonequay. The cautious Burgomaster Gulls were circling high overhead withwailing cries long before we reached land, and some of the Kitti wakes anda few of the most nervous Arries deserted their nests or eggs, as the casemight be, as we drew near; but the bulk of the bird population declinedto budge until we had landed and were close upon them. This bulk consistedof thousands of the Pacific Murre {Uria lomvia arra) , occupyingthe cliffs and angular rocks of the southern and western portion of theisland, where their many -colored eggs lay thickly scattered about. Mr.William Palmer notes that at the time of his visit in 1890 these birds weremostly on the western side, while on the east and south were the legionsof the California Murre {Uria troile californica) , butno such strikingpeculiarity of distribution was noticed by our part\', nor were the CaliforniaMurres much inevidence.It had often been a matter of wonderment how any given member of agreat bird colony could find its own particular egg among the hundredsavailable for a choice, and the behavior of returning Arries was watchedwith no little interest. If one might judge by their directness of flight asthey came whirring in from sea, the birds had a good bump of locality anda pretty clear idea of the whereabouts of their respective eggs. It hasbeen suggested that these birds do not of necessity get each its own egg,but that often an egg is chosen because it seems convenient. Such, however,did not seem to be the case with the Arries. On the contrary, thereseemed to be a very definite selective process, for a bird would alight, cockits head on one side, waddle a step or two, cast another knowing lookabout, and after a few such trials apparently find an egg that seemed satisfactoryand settle contentedly down upon it. May it not be that thewonderful variation in the color of the eggs, a variation that is most strikingwhen seen in nature, enables each bird to find its own with ease? Anothersuggestion in regard to the eggs of Murres is that the very pale eggs (amisome are absolutely devoid of markings) are the later la\ ings of birds whoseearlier eggs have been destroyed, and this suggestion seems very plausible.The Kittiwakes {Rissa hrevirostris and R. tr'idactyla pollicaris) weremostly confined to the ledges of rock about the landing place, but theBurgomasters occupied the higher central portion of the islet where the

48 Bird-Lorerock was covered by a scanty soil, forming a colony of goodly size,although by no means crowded. In view of the numbers of old birdscircling overhead, the scarcity of eggs and apparent absence of youngseemed a little remarkable; but a more careful look showed them all aboutus, squeezed among the rocks, half concealed under the scanty tufts of grassor, with tightly closed eyes, flattening themselves into some slight depressionin the soil. Not one, if memory be not treacherous, was in its nest;and some of the larger birds were a long way from home, skulking alongamong the rocks in the endeavor to put as much distance as possiblebetween themselves and the unwelcome intruders. A number of youngBurgomasters may usually be seen about the village of St. Paul, their legsVOING Bl'RGOMASTER GULLSor bills decorated with a colored bead or two, or a strip of red flannel, thesebeing nestlings brought back by the egging parties early in the season andkept for pets, not, as Herring Gulls are in parts of Newfoundland, to be usedfor food later on. They are readily domesticated antl become very tame,running about the village and along the shore in search of food, or, lateron, taking long flights with the wild Gulls. It always seems a littlesingular to see a bird leave a flock and come flying to the village, or tobe approached by a big, gray Gull with open mouth and an appealingsqueal for food. For young Gulls are always "so hungry;" possibly, attimes, they get all they wish to eat, but the few whose acquaintance Ihave made seemed blessed with "a perfectly lovely appetite."A few Tufted PuflRns {Lunda cirrhata) and Cormorants {Phalacrocorax

Walrus Island, a Bird Metropolis of Bering Sea 49urile) completed the population of Walrus Island, and as there is no soilin which to burrow, the Puffins had ensconced themselves here and therebeneath some overhanging rock, making valiant resistance with beak andclaw to any attempt to dislodge them. The Cormorants of the Pribilofappear to be a waning race; Mr. Palmer noted that they were much lessabundant than formerly, and now they are comparatively scarce on St.Paul,a few scattered birds breeding on the bluffs of Polovina. Very few nestswere to be found on Walrus Island and, although the Cormorants arriveearly in the season, one of these contained two perfectly fresh eggs.Near by was another nest with an egg and two small, naked chickswhich, later on, we saw the parent bird busily engaged in feeding.RKO-FACHl)CORMORANTS'I 111- Clioochkie {Siniorl.'yiiiljiis pi/s/////s) . abund;uiton St. Paul andswarming by millions (I refuse to remove a single cipher) on St. (icorge,was noticeably absent, owing probably to the lack of suitable breeiling places,since there are neither crevices in the rocks nor soil in which to burrow .The Paroquet Auklet {(Jyc/orbynchns psitfacu/ns) was not seen, althoughnoted by Mr. Palmer on his visit in 1890: so, as far as species go, WalrusIsland may be considered poor, although this lack is conipi-nsated for b\ thegreat abundance of individuals.The afternoon drew on, and in spite of occasional puffs of drifting fog,it was one favorable for the work of the surveyors, so that In-fore six o'clocktheir work was done, and when the whistle of the Rush blew'all aboardevcrv one was readv to depart. Fifteen minutes later the inhabitants otWalrus island were enjo\ing their accustomed solitude.

andIIOur Blue Jay NeighborsBY MRS, HARRIET CARPENTER THAYER. Minneapolis. Minn.Ilhislralrii by photoj;raph« from naluri- by Thos. S. Robertsis pcrliaps a rare pri\ ilc^c, in the midst of a lartie city, to be chosen asneighbors by a family of Hhie Jays, yet such was our ^ood fortune.Ihey came one May morning into the top of a younji ehii tree closeby our bedroom window. One had a twig in his mouth which he was endcaxorin;^to ijet into position in the site selectetl for the nest. He pulledIS HI. J.W ON NESTand tugged, now bendinfi; his body, now twitching his head, until at last hesucceeded :the news spread abroad that a pair of Hlue Ja\s were buildinga nest in our tree. For two days they worked, completing the outside;then they came at longer intervals for two days more, bringing choice bitsof finishing for the inside. Hoth birds took part in the labor of housebuilding.During these da\s three small heads were often peering at them from thewindow near b\ and shrill little voices often interrupted their work. Hut atlast, though we trembled lest we had frightened them away by our franticefifortswere heard atto keep quiet, the mother settled down on her nest and only whispersthe window.(50)

andOur Blue Jay Neighbors 51The many weary hours durinij; which the ej^gs had to be kept warmwere divided between the two birds, each reUeving the other at more or lessregular intervals. And the bird at play did not forget its imprisoned mate,but returned now and then with a choice bit of food, which was deliveredwith various little demonstrations of sympathy and affection.We watched and waited patiently, and were well rewarded; for thoughthe birds kept an eye on us they let us enjoy their daily life and attended totheir duties in full view. The nest, built so near the top of the slender tree,swayed and bent to every breeze, and as Minnesota breezes are apt to h'j-Bl.L I. JA^ OS (a \RI> A r IHK NESTcome high winds, often hung at a pt-rilous angle, keeping the mother bus\'balancing herself and settling her eggs. Almost ever\ da\ we expectedto find on the ground anv or more eggs that had been thrown out atuibroken.lilue Ja\s are \er\ numerous in .Minneapolis, anil their loud screams arealmost as familiar as the incess.int chatter of tlu- Knglish Sparrows. 'I'heyare always discussing something vigorousN , using thi-ir voices fortissimo.We were delighted therefore to hear low, sweet, little notes ami measures,and what might be called talking. TheN reserveil their best efforts evidentlyfor wooing ami e;irl\ morning corn ersations, and onl\ their intimatefriends overheard.

52 Bird - LoreThe nest, eij^htecn feet or thereabouts from the ground, was visible fromour bed; and one morning on first awakening we saw with a thrill the fatherand mother gravely bending over five wide mouths, plainly to be seen at thatdistance. The birds had all hatched out within twenty-four hours. Thenbegan the process of fillingup those mouths, always opening and stretchingto their widest extent, as if afraid of missing something. This was impossible,however, as their parents forcibly and effectually stuffed each morseldown their throats, seemingly into their very stomachs.The father, it might be, would arrive with a long worm, which he and themother then swallowed by bits, commencing at either end and working towardA BI.IK \\\ lAMII.Vthe middle, where it would break, leaving each parent w ith half the worm.Then, after a pause during which the five mouths quivered with suspense,the softened food was given up to the babies by a sort of regurgitation, andaway went the father after more. While the birds were incubating theeggs only the head anil tail were visible abo\e the rim of the nest, but afterhatching they sat or stood so much higher and puffed out their feathers tosuch an e.xtent that they appeared twice their former size. The Jays werenot at all shy, but on the contrary were very valiant and determined instanding by their home. Soon after the eggs were laid, the house -paintersbegan work opposite the nest, and many sharp pecks they received on theirears and backs.People inside the house could be endured, but people outsidewere a little too much, and the birds challenged each man to fight it out.

Our Blue Jay Neighbors 53The birds were very neat about their nest, both parents cleaning itdaily. The excrement was not simply thrown out, as one would naturallyexpect, but was carefully removed to a distance.On a platform built outside the window, a camera was placed bringingthe nest somewhat less than ten feet away. The birds, accustomed tochildren's and painters' voices, paid no attention, and a series of photographswere taken of the family life in the tree.One afternoon when the growing birds had come to fill their nest tooverflowing, a severe storm came up, turning the tree-top and nest upsidedown. As we sat together inside the house our one thought was for thebirds outside in the increasing storm. In the flashes of lightning we couldsee the mother, soaked by the rain, with head bent, her feathers spread outover her little ones, keeping her place in spite of the violent gusts of wind.Next morning one fat little bird, showing blue on his wings, was founddead on the ground, while the process of stuffing the remaining four wenton above just as usual.At last the nest was discovered empty, and by the cries and excitementon the lawn we traced the \oung birds to their perches in the trees, solicitouslyguarded by their anxious parents. They were coaxed and urged intotrying short flights, and blundered about with an aimless and uncertain motion.For several days we could distinguish them by the yellow of their beaks;but soon we lost them from sight, and ''our Blue Jays" were no longerknown amid tin- throng, though their memory will long live in our traditionsand their story be well preserved in the camera studies that were sohappily and harmlessly stolen.

SHORK-I.ARK ABOIT lO FEED ^OL'NG. PhotoKraphfd from nature by F. A. \'an SantDURINGEarly LarksBY F. A. VAN SANT. Jay. N Y.March, 1900, there was a heavy fall of snow in the northernpart of the Adi'rondacks, and by the middle of April the groundwas still covered with a feathery blanket, except on the slopesof the sand-hills facing the south, where the snows had slipped andwasted.Part way down one of these hills, on a patch of sand and dried grasssurrounded by snow, I found, on the I2th of April, the nest of a PrairieHorned Lark. It was about two inches deep, was lined with dead grassesand contained four delicatel\- speckled eggs. Three days later somethinginteresting transpired in that little brown nest. As though to commemoratethe amazing mysteries of the first great Easter morning, the littleprisoners of the shell, on Sunday, April iS- burst from their confinement.Only a short time elapsed ere their little notes of hope and ecstasy wereadded to the grand chorus of nature's hallelujahs. The parent birdstwittered the anthems of this festive day as the\ diligently searched forfood with which to feed their tiny nestlings.The next day was cloudy and Tuesday was cold, with snow s(iualls allday, but Wednesday came clear and bright, ami I spent the day in watchingthe birds and taking their pictures. 1 used a Pony Premo Sr. camera.6/'2x8/2, with rapid rectilinear lens and a 4 x S Hammer plate in a kit.I set the camera quite early in the morning, so that the birds would becomeaccustomed to it. After the sun was high enough to make a snapshot possible, I tied a long black thread to the shutter release and, keepingmy opera glasses ready for instant use, sat dow^n to await results.(54)

utSaw -whet Homes 55The parents at first were shy, flying in circles overhead and calHngin their clear voices to each other. After reconnoitering, they evidentlyarranged a plan of action. Both disappeared entirely; then I heard acall and, looking up, saw on the brow of the hill to the left, away fromthe nest, which was to the right, a bird I judged to be the male. Heran toward me, called, ran still nearer, then flew away; and as I lookedtoward the nest I saw the mother just leaving. In this way he tried toattract my attention every time the female neared the site of their precioushome. Then I watched the mother. She never flew to the nest. Iwould first see her on the hillside some distance away running around asthough she had no particular aim in life, but still she kept getting nearerand nearer to the nest. The surface of the ground was rough withstones, ridges, hollows, and drifts of snow, and taking advantage of theseshe would finally run quickly a short distance, stop and huddle down, thenrun, and in this way reach the nest. As I could only get an occasionalglimpse of her when nearing her Aoung, she time after time fed themand flew away before I could be sure she was in a position that wouldnot cast a shadow on them. I have watched Phcsbes, Robins, Waxwingsand other birds feed their young, but I never saw it done so quicklyor in such a secretive manner.They grew so fast that they crowded one another out of the nest,which was on such a slant that before they were half grown they wouldtumble out and roll a little ways down hill, and twice I had to replacethem. I intended getting a picture of the birds when they were nearlyfeathered, but cloudy weather followed by storms of rain and snow prevented.Ten days after hatching it was again clear and I went to getanother negative, but found that the nest was empty.Saw-whetHomesTHY.BY F. B. FEABODY. Hibbing, MinnesotaW ilh photographs from nature b> the authorbreeding habits of the Acadian (^wl are little known even bythose who are personally familiar with the little fellow. Hut thereare haunts of his where the patient may find lu'm tiioroughU athome. Riding across a sea of flooded prairie, along the Red River of theNorth, April 4, iSS, on the saddest of errands, I renewed acquaintancewith the Saw -whet, after an interim of main years. Hrought to a haltby a washed-out britlge, 1 hat) leii my mare over a twelve-foot drift toshelter, ami kept on along the railroad track that threailed the waste ofwaters. It was near midnight. Nearing Hallock, along the South Fork,narrowK .hcaviU, wooded with primeval tn-es, 1 heard, ilelightedly,

56 Bird- Loreupon the wind that sweet fluting unheard for many years. Astoundedat the bird's persistence, I counted the notes. Seven hundred, withouta break, I counted, and then gave it up. There were about two notesper second, with occasional bursts at half the interval. (Explanation ofthis came later.) The few irregular intervals of silence would not exceedthree seconds' duration.By noting the source of the night -song from two directions I locatedthe spot so nearly that when, on the morning of May 5, at dawn, I scouredthe place, I readily located the elm stub in which the nest was hidden.This old tree stood beside the bank of the creek, a little remote, in the midst-«^YOUNG SAW-WHETSof many large elms. Twelve feet up was the opening of the Flicker-madecavity. From this, at my very first rap, the Saw-whet's head protruded.As 1 climbed, she, having disappeared within, came out again and flew fifteenfeet away to a dead branch, where she sat long in utter silence. Thehollow was sixteen inches deep. It was well filled with bark strippings,placed there by red squirrels. Well jumbled together in this mass wereseven eggs, whose incubation varied from nothing to well -formed smallembryos, a headless meadow -mouse and many contour feathers of the PineGrosbeak; with flight -feathers and tail feathers of Juncos, Warblers andother small birds. Many of these feathers were stuck into bark crevices,and the habitance of the stub seemed to have covered a number of years.A few pellets lay at the base of the tree. This pair of birds I never foundagain.

Saw -whet Homes 57On the wings of a howling wind, across the mile-wide flood, at Pemhina,on April 13, 1 heard the fluting of another Saw-whet. I found thecavity, an open hollow, inhabited by this bird, later; but nothing more.During 1899, no signs ofthe Saw-whet were vouchsafed me.In 1900, some ten miles east of Hallock, while looking critically for thenest of a located pair of Hooded Mergansers, 1 found a kiln -dried elm stub,on a sort of island, well secluded, on the South Fork.tained a Flicker hole, some sixteen feet up.Herefrom, at a slight rap, appeared a Sawwhet.Returning, down -stream, at dusk,about a mile above this point, I suddenlyheard a Saw-whet's song. When verynear the spot whence the sound proceeded,Iheard the doubled -time note ringing out,as if the bird were in motion ; andtheninstantly saw the male bird sweep down,from a stub -top, with a long downwardand upward curve; and perch near by.The sound he made was strangely like thedistant fire -warning of a steam whistle.The female seemed away at the moment,but before I was within six feet of theFlicker hole that marked her home, shedarted by me, and into the hole. I couldnot dislodge her. The date of these twofi n d in gs was May 14.Three days later, I opened the first ofThis large stub con-these two nests. The \oung were about.\\s-\vmi:t at nest-hoi.ethree - fourths grown. They bore nodown, to speak of, but many pin -feathers. There were three of the \(nuigbirds. The mother allowed mc to take her in hand, her only protest beingthe snapping of her beak. There were but few pellets at the base of thenest-tree; while the nest-hollow contained no rubbish, but only the \oung,the putrescent body of a gravid meadow-mouse, a Loring's red -backedmouse, and the tail of a jumping mouse. On May 29, these young werein full feather. While photographing them 1 could not but note the furtivemanner of two of the \'oung birds; this amounting, at times, almostto the appearance of the feigning of ileath. The parents were not seen,and the Noung had Ic-ft the nest before June 5.On the 14th of June, I opened the second nest. The female kept thecavity persistently, returning several times while I was \ et in the tree.The nest -cavity was some twelve feet up. in the dead top of a still -livingelm. The cavit\ contained sciuirrel-nest material. mingU-d with a few

————58 Bird -Lorefeathers of small birds and of the fledgling Flickers. There were six eggs,neatly arranged in triangular form.These eggs all seemed dead ; thougli one or two may have still beenalive, (^ne was infertile. Various stages marked the incubation, which,in two eggs, amounted to perhaps one -fourth.At neither of the first two nests did I ever see the male. Nor did I, atthe third nest, after my first visit, find him at home, though making severalvisits at different times of the day.These observations leave one inperplexity as to the normal nesting-dateof the Acadian (^wl in northern Minnesota. All the dates given aboveare inconclusive. One may, perhaps, be permitted to infer that this littleOwl who has so warm a place in our affections is rather a nomad anderratic, though loving tenaciously his one-time nesting place; and that thenesting times are quite uncertain. This much, at least, is fairly sure: thatacadica loves the wooded streams, and that a Flicker hole is his greatdesideratum. Open cavities are too insecure, and smaller artificial holes toosmall. The pretty sight of a mother Saw -whet squeezing her way into agood -sized Flicker hole gives us a fair gauge of the size of this, the smallestand most attractive of American Owls.The Song SparrowBy the road in early springAlways hopefully you sing;It may rain or it may snow.Sun may shine or wind may blow,Still your dainty strain we hear"Cheer— CheerNever, never fear.May will soon be here."Darling little prophet that you areWhen at last the leaves are outAnd wild flowers all about.Songs of other birds are fraughtWith the spirit that you taught.Still you sing on sweet and clear"Hear— HearHappy, happy cheer.Singing all the year."Jocund little brother of the air.LvNN Tkvv Spracue.

THISJfor Ccacl)er0 anti ^tudentfi^Tree -Plantingis the season for tree-planting, and we cannot too stronglyurge the desirability of making our lawns, gardens, and orchardsmore attractive to birds by planting in them trees which will furnishbirds with food in summer as well as in winter.If, as a result of a widespread movement in this direction, the suppl\'of food for birds should be greatly increased, there would doubtless bea corresponding increase on the part of the birds. Practical bird-protectionmeans not only preventing the destruction of birds but creatingconditions which shall make the w^orid more habitable for them.We hope that this matter of tree-planting for the birds will be givenespecial consideration on Arbor Days when, among the trees which areset out, there should be the mulberry, wild cherry, dogwood, Parkman'sapple, mountain ash, and other trees bearing fruit of which birds are fond.In this connection we would refer our readers to Lange's 'Our NativeBirds' and to Mrs. Merriam Bailey's 'Birds of Village and Field' forfurther information in regard to this exceedingly important subject.HARDILYBirds and SeasonsTHIRD SERIESAPRIL AND MAY BIRD-LIFE NEAR BOSTONBv Ralph Hoffmanntwo observers will agree on the date of arrival of the samespecies; for man\' factors enter into the problem. In the firstplace, few people can devote their da\s to playing tiie "detectiveof nature;" on our way to our work we too often hear voices calling us tothe woods where many new arrivals wait to be recorded. In the secondplace, indivitlual birils vary greatl\ in hardiness; a certain Plurbe or Clicbecalmost always comes a day or two before the rest of the species; breetiingbirds naturally precede the migrants, whose northern homes are not \ etready for them. Unless, therefore, an observer lives very near a bird'shome, he often misses the arrival. Thus it will alwa\s happen in the caseof rare or local birds that the man who has a Martin box under his wimlowor a White-eyed \'ireo on his beat, is the best authoritv for the arrival otthat bird.Again, some places are on much more favorable migration routesthan others; where man\' birds pass, the chance for an earh one is ofcourse bi-ttcr. .At the head of Lower Mystic Lake- in Medford. 1 reeSwallows may be seen in earl\ April in hundreds — among them is often al^arn Swallow a week or ten days aheaii of liis fellows. Lastly, certain(59)

1-;6oBird-Lorebirds occur so rarely that it is impossible to sa\^ with certainty tliat the firstone seen is the first arrival. The weather has a greater influence on thedate of arrival in April than in May. The continued warm weather in1896 brought Black-throated Green Warblers to this vicinity on the 19th ofApril: two years later a cold spring kept them back till May 5, a differenceof over two weeks. Orioles, on the other hand, show surprisinglyslight variation in a long series of years. A cold northeaster coming aftermany birds have started keeps them all back, so that when warm weathersucceeds, birds come in a rush. The smallest gardens in large cities are thenvisited by almost any species. Continued cool, bright weather, on the otherhand, seems to send the birds through in small bands, so that the migrationmakes littleimpression.I have given below, as in the list for March, two dates for each bird;the bird is not to be expected before the first, and should almost alwaysbe here before or on the second. The dates should in no sense be takenas showing the time when the whole number of the species arrive, butthe time when keen and well-informed observers, much in the field,should see the first individual. The arrival of Blackpolls in force hasbeen well said to sound the death -knell to migration, yet a few Blackpolls almost always reach us in the first great Warbler wave, but areeasily overlooked. Even when we judge the migration over, and somebusy pair of Vireos bids us turn our attention to nest -building, we muststill keep our ears open for the "quee-quee" of an Alder Flycatcher or thehurried warble of a Mourning Warbler. (Mr. Walter Faxon has kindlylet me compare my dates of arrival with some of his.)BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents and winter visitants see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 183.Jrri'Z'als in April and May. — April i-io. White-bellied Swallow,* MourningDove,* Marsh Hawk.* Pied-billed Grebe;* 1-15, Kingfisher;* 2-15, Pine Warbler;3-12, Savanna Sparrow;* 4-10, Vesper Sparrow; 5-15, Myrtle Warbler, t Yellow PalmWarbler, t American Pipit, t Wilson's Snipe, t American Bittern, Great Blue Heron,Purple Finch; 5-20, Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Hermit Thrush ;t 10-20, RubycrownedKinglet, t Winter Wren, t Sharp-shinned Hawk;+ 10-25, Karn Swallow, PurpleMartin;t r2-2o, Swamp Sparrow; 13-30, Sora; 15-20, Cooper's Hawk.t Osprey,tNight Heron; 18-25, White-throated Sparrow, t Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; t 20-30,Blue-headed Vireo.t Virginia Rail; 22-29, Klack and White Warbler; 22-30, Towhee23-30, Least Flycatcher; April 25 to May i. Brown 'I'hrasher, Spotted Sandpiper, CliffSwallow, Bank Swallow; April 26 to May i, Black-throated Green Warbler; April 28to May 3, Yellow Warbler, House Wren; April 28 to May 5, Whip-poor-will; May1-8, Warbling Vireo; 1-9, Parula Warbler;*! i-io. Long-billed Marsh Wren,* Kingbird;i-ii. Redstart; 2-5, Yellow-throated Vireo; 2-9, Ovenbird ; 2-10, NashvilleWarbler; 3-8, Maryland Yellow-throat; 3-9, Baltimore Oriole; 3-10, C'atbird, Northern* Occasionally, or not infrequeiitly, earlier.t Migrant. See, however, June list (in June BiRD-LOREJ for rare breeders.X Date uncertain.

4-11,tBirds and Seasons 6iWater-Thrush, t Green Heron;Rose-breasted Grosbeak; 5-11, Bobolink, ChestnutsidedWarbler, Prairie Warbler; 7-10, Wilson's Thrush; 7-12, Wood Thrush; 7-13,Hummingbird; 7-15, Blackburnian Warbler;t 8-11, White-eyed Vireo; 8-15, NightHawk, Black-billed Cuckoo; 8-16, Scarlet Tanager, Black-throated Blue Warbler,Magnolia Warbler;t 9-12, Golden-winged Warbler, Orchard Oriole;+ 9-15, Crested Flycatcher,Lincoln's Finch, t White-crowned Sparrow, t Florida Gallinule,+ Henslow's Sparrow,+ Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat; 9-18, Olive-backed Thrush, f Yellow-billedCuckoo; 10-15, Wilson's Blackcap,! Solitary Sandpiper;t 10-17, Blackpoll Warbler;t10-20, Indigo Bunting; 13-21, Wood Pewee, Canadian Warbler;! 15-20, Bay-breastedWarbler, t-t Tennessee Warbler, t+ Cape May Warbler, tj Short-billed Marsh Wren, J SharptailedFinch, J Grasshopper Sparrow;t 15-25, Gray-cheeked and Bicknell's Thrushes;tMay 23 to June 3, Alder Flycatcher, t Mourning Warbler, t Olive-sided Flycatcher. t+Departures in April and May. — April 15-25, Fox Sparrow; 20-30, Tree Sparrow;25-30, Golden-crowned Kinglet; Red-poll, White-winged Crossbills, ShoreLarks, Snowflakes; April 20 to May i, Junco, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren; May 3,Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, American Pipit; 5-10, Hermit Thrush, Herring Gull; 6,Wilson's Snipe ;+ 9, Rusty Blackbird; 10, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow Palm Warbler;12, Blue-headed Vireo; 15, Pine Finch; 15-24, Myrtle Warbler, White-throatedSparrow; 20-23, Black-throated Blue Warbler; 20-25, Parula Warbler; 25-28, MagnoliaWarbler, Wilson's Blackcap; 28, Gray-cheeked Thrush; 30, Canadian Warbler;May 30 to June i. Northern Water Thrush; June i, Olive-backed Thrush; 2-3, BlackpollWarbler. Note.— Red Crossbills often linger well into May; stragglers, in fact, may be seen at any time.* Occasionally, or not infrequently, earlier.t Migrant. See, however, June list (in June BiRD-LoREi for rare breeders.\ Date uncertain.APRIL AND MAY BIRD-LIFE NEAR NEW YORK CITYKl I RANK .\1. CH.AF.M.WApril and May are excitinti; months for the field student. Throut^houtthe winter they have been anticipated with an eagerness and enthusiasmwhich the events that so crowd them never fail to satisfy. Time cannotpass too rapidly until the calendar marks "April i;" then we live in theassurance that each day niay bring some old friend or wi^w acquaintance.The feast of spring follows the famine of winter.From April i to about May 10, birds increase in number daily: then,as the transient visitants pass onward to more northern summer homes,they become rapidly less abundant and by June 5 we have left only theever-present permanent residents ami the birds which have come to usfrom the south to nest.As the days become warmer ami the weather more settled, so do thebirds return with greater regularity. The times of arrival of the earUmigrants may vary several weeks, from year to year, but the birds of Maycome almost on a given da\ . Ihe date of a bird's appearance depetulsprimariJN ,in most instaiucs, on the nature of its food. The length of itsjourne\ , or, in other wonis, its winter range, is also to be considered here;but since that is also, to a greater or less e.xtent, determinetl by food, wemay consider the ever- important (juestion of fooii as the most potent sitiglefactor t:()\'ernin

62 Bird -LoreThe openinL^ of ponds and bays is followed, as we have seen, by thereturn of the Ducks and Geese ; the Woodcock coines when the thawingground releases his fare of earthworms; the Sparrows appear when themelting snow uncovers the remains of the preceding season's crop of seeds.It is not, therefore, until a higher temperature brings into activity myriadforms of insect life that we may expect to find Warblers and Flycatchers.The region about New York is a favored one during the migrations.The nearness of the coast, the great highways of migration formed by theHudson River valley and Long Island Sound give to the observer exceptionalopportunities. But in no place, hereabout, can the migration be studied tobetter advantage than in Central Park, in the heart of New York city. Thepark, in effect, is an island surrounded by a sea of houses, and during themigration receives a greater number of bird visitors than any area of similarsize with which I am acquainted. As a matter of local interest, therefore,in place of general notes on the spring migration in this vicinity — whichhave already been published in the Hand -Book ' of Birds and ' 'Bird -Life '— I append records of the spring migrations of 1899 and 1900, in the Park,which have been contributed bv Mr. S. H. Chubb.SPRING MIGRATIONS OF 1899 AND IPOO IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CITYBv S.H. ChubbApril Aligrauts.— April 22, Yellow Palm Warbler, Myrtle Warbler; 24, Black andWhite Warbler, Pine Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo; 28, Yellow Warbler; 30, PanilaWarbler, Wilson's Thrush.May Migrants. —May i. Chimney Swift, Baltimore Oriole, Redstart, Ovenbird, WarblingVireo, Maryland Yellow-throat, Water-Thrush, Black-throated Green Warbler,Brown Thrasher, Catbird; 2, Little Green Heron, Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throatedVireo, Wood Thrush, Hermit Thrush; 3, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager,White-eyed Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler,Black-poll Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler; 5, Red-eyed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler;6, Prairie Warbler; 8, Olive-backed or Gray-checked Thrush; 10, Worm-eating Warbler.Black-throated Blue Warbler; 11, Hummingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat; 13, Wilson'sBlackcap, Canada Warbler; 14, Bay-breasted Warbler.I g o oApril Migrants.— April 29, Panda Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Water-Thrush.May Migrants. — May i , Least Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Warbling Vireo,Brown Thrasher; 2, Towhee, Blue-headed Vireo, Catbird; 3, Wood Thrush, PrairieWarbler; 4, Ovenbird, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Canada Warbler; 6, Kingbird, BaltimoreOriole, Purple Finch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Swamp Sparrow, Blue-winged Warbler,Magnolia Warbler, Maryland Yellow-throat, Hermit Thrush; 7, Red-eyed Vireo,Nashville Warbler, Wilson's Thrush; 8, Scarlet Tanager, Black-throated Blue Warbler.Olive-backed or Gray-checked Thrush; 9, Black-billed Cuckoo, Wood Pewee, WhiteeyedVireo, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, House Wren; 10, Eave Swallow;14, Black-poll Warbler, Wilson's Blackcap; 17, Olive-sided Flycatcher; 31,Mourning Warbler.

W'ixhI:Birds and Seasons 63.APRIL AND MAY BIRD-LIFE NEAR PHILADELPHIABv WiTMER StoneApril and May are preeminently the months of migration.March, withits frequent cold and stormy days, offers many a setback to the travelingbirds, but once past the early days of April, the tide sweeps steadily on,reaching its highest point during the first week of \lay. The great wavesof Warblers which arrive suddenly over night and fairly swarm in the treetopsare characteristic of the May migration. The first of these wavesusually reaches Philadelphia about the first of May and is followed by others,until the 20th or 25th, when the flight begins to wane, and by DecorationDay all the transients are gone save a few stragglers, mainly Black -pollsand Gray-cheeked Thrushes.The great wealth of bird -life, the swarms of minute Warblers in thetree-tops and their various songs that we have not heard for a whole \ear.are almost disheartening to the careful observer. There is not time toidentify every individual of this host, and who knows but we may havepassed by a Cerulean or Mourning Warbler, or other rarity!With the presence of all our summer and permanent residents as well aspractically all of our transients. May naturally affords opportunies for verylarge daily lists. My notes show fifty-four species observed within thenorthern limits of Philadelphia on the morning of May 13, i888- and againMay 19, 1891, but 1 was not very favorably situated. Across the river, atHaddonfield, N. J., upward of eighty species have been noted on a singleday at the height of the migration, by Mr. Samuel N. Rhoads.Beside the numerous arrivals from the south wc have not a few of ourwinter visitants with us during April,and some Juncos and White -throatedSparrows stay regularly until after May i.'^Many of our summer residents begin nesting during April and May andsome of the earliest breeders have young on the wing before the ist of June.BIRDS OF THE SEASONf^ir permanent tesitients and winter visitants see BiRD-I.ORE, Dec, 1900, p. 185..•//>;// Miirrants.— April i-io, Green Heron, Vesper Sparrow, Savanna Sparrow.Chipping Sparrow, I'ree Swallow, Purple Martin, Myrtle Warbler, Hermit Thrush:10-20, Chimney Swift, Towhee, Barn Swallow, Bank Swallow, Yellow Palm Warbler20-25, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Whip-poor-will, Rough-wing Swallow :Blue-headed Vireo, Black and White Warbler, Maryland Vellow-throat. House Wren,Brown Thrasher; 25-30, Least Flvcatcher, CliflF Swallow, Grasshopper Sparrow, RedevedVireo, Warbling Vireo, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue-winged NN'arbler.Parula Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Redstart, Ovenbird, Catbird. Wood Thrush.May Miirrants.— Mav i-io, \'cllow -billed Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Nighthawk,Kuby-tliroatcd I luiiiniiiigbird ,Pcwce, Crested FlycattluT, Green -cresteil*An unaccnunlahlc slip of the pen in the Kcbruary Bikd-LORE implie-i that our winter visitants usuallyleave about April i. As a matter of fact, all our rtfular winter visitants, except the Tree Sparrow, remain untilthe enil of the month, at least.

-64 Bird -LoreFlycatcher, Kinj2;hiicl, Hoholink, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Indigo Bunting,Rose-breasted Grosbeak, White-crowned Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Yellow-throatedVireo, White-eyed V'ireo, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, MagnoliaWarbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Hooded Warbler, BlackburnianWarbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Chat, Water Thrush, Wilson's Thrush; 10-20,Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Golden-winged Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Cape MayWarbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-poll Warbler, Wilson's Blackcap, CanadianWarbler, Mourning Warbler, Olive-backed Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush.APRIL AND MAY BIRD-LIFE NEAR OBERLIN. OHIOBVLVNDS JONKSApril weather is a very uncertain quantity, yet the first few days arefrequently pleasant and enticing to the more venturesome birds. In thelast five years the first week has four times witnessed a decided wave ofnorthward migrants which sweeps the Northern Shrike and the Roughlegged Hawk away. This mild weather is likely to be followed by a decidedlywintry week, with snow or at least freezing nights. It is not untilthe beginning of the third week that any other marked movernent occurs,when such birds as Lapland Longspur, Tree Sparrow and Horned Larkleave us. During the last ten days the spring-like weather brings thegreatest movement of the year,carrying northward Junco, Golden -crownedKinglet, Fox Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Horned Grebe, and, usually,Ruddy Duck.With the arrival of May the later migrants crowd in, even should thenights be frosty, as they sometimes are until the middle of the month. TheMay weather is rarely too inclement for the eager birds. During the firstfive days we lose Wilson's Snipe, Rusty Blackbird and Pectoral Sandpiper;then there is a lull of five days when none depart ; butduring the thirdfive days— lOth to 15th—we lose Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Myrtle Warbler,Black-and-white Warbler, Blue- headed Vireo, Winter Wren, and sometimesPalm Warbler. From the 15th to the 20th we lose AmericanCrossbill, White-throated Sparrow, Black-throated Green Warbler,Black-throated Blue Warbler, Solitary Sandpiper, Water Thrush, TennesseeWarbler, White-crowned Sparrow and American Pipit. The lastten days of the month witness the departure of practically all other migrants,including Nashville Warbler, Chestnut -sided Warbler, BlackburnianWarbler, Magnolia Warbler, Least Flycatcher and Olive -backedThrush, leaving us with only the summer resident species. Such ducksas Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Blue-winged Teal and Baldpateare likely to tarry well into May.BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents and winter visitants, see Bird Lore, Dec. 1900, p. 186.April Migrants. — AprW i-io, Pied-billed Grebe, Pectoral Sandpiper, Chipping Spar-

Birds and Seasons 65row, Field Sparrow; 10-20, Bartramlan Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Yellow-belliedSapsiicker, Chimney Swift, White-throated Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Swamp Sparrow,Myrtle Warbler, Purple Martin, Brown Thrasher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet; 20-30, Wilson'sSnipe, Solitary Sandpiper, Kingbird, Crested Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Bobolink,Baltimore Oriole, Grasshopper Sparrow, Cliff Swallow, Bank Swallow, Scarlet Tanager,Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler,Nashville Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Palm Warbler,Ovenbird, Maryland Yellow-throat, Redstart, House Wren, Catbird, Wood Thrush,Wilson's Thrush, Olive-backed Thrush.May Migrants.— May 1-5, Orchard Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting,Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow-throated Vireo, Cerulean Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler,Green-crested Flycatcher; 5-10, White-crowned Sparrow, Parula Warbler, TennesseeWarbler, Cape May Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler,Magnolia Warbler, Canadian Warbler; 10-15, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billedCuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Wood Pewee, Black-poll Warbler, MourningWarbler; 15-20, Least Sandpiper, Traill's Flycatcher.APRIL AND MAY BIRD-LIFE AT GLEN ELLYN 'NEAR CHICAGO^ ILLINOISBv Benjamin T. GaultWith the real opening of spring, which may take place here anywherebetween the 15th and 25th of April, it is clearly observable that a new orderof things is apparent on every hand, though we do not feel that the seasonis actually upon us until the hepatica and the little spring beauty have contributedtheir matchless charms to the yet incipient plant-life of our hithertoflowerless woods. Even then it is sometimes a question more undecidedthan otherwise when we carefully take into account the weather. Thebirds, too, offer us almost a parallel illustration when we stop to considerand study their ways. The largely insectivorous species, the true harbingersof spring, do not appear in anything approaching wave-like movementsuntil about the closing days of the month, or when the rejuvenating influencesof milder weather have set into active motion the various forms ofinsect -life. Several species that have passed the winter with us, or madetheir appearance during the days of February and March, now make theirexit for more northern breeding latitudes; and of rliis class we may mentionthe Tree Sparrow, Short-eared (^wl, Rough -legged Hawk. Junco andFox Sparrow; also the Rusty Crackles, which have added so largely to theanimated life of the woodlands during the earlier days of the month. Atthis period they are great ground -searchers for the several kinds of larva?snugly hidden beneath the dead and moistened leaves, and as they passhither and thither in restless flocks through the woods, prospecting as theygo,they present indeed a most interesting sight.(Jur early breeders, the Hawks and Owls, Crow, Jay ami W'hite-rumpedShrike, are covering well-advanced eggs by this time.In favorable seasons we may confidently look for the arrival of the Bobolink,Baltimore Oriole and, possibly, the Rose -breasted Grosbeak, during

66 Bird -Lorethe closing days of the month, hut the openinj^ days of May are surer hythe rule infinding them here.May is the month of bees, bird music and wild flowers, and possibly isthe gayest of all gay periods of the year. To the true nature lover it encompassesa season ofreally pronounced pleasures.Who has not for ever to be associated inhis memory the O-yes-I-am-apretty-bird -pretty -bird of the Baltimore Oriole, the apple blossoms andthe Warblers?The Flycatchers and Vireos, too, arc upon the calendar, in addition tothe smaller Thrushes and Scarlet Tanagcr, whose fiery tropical plumage,in the case of the latter, very strikingly offsets the more somber tints ofmany of our commoner birds.The bulk of our Warbler hosts and the Thrushes continue onward totheir more northern summer homes, and with us,BIRDS OF THE SEASONare simply transients.For pemiaiient residents and winter visitants, see BiRD-LoKE. Dec, 1900, p. 187.April and May Mii^rants, showing extreme dates of arrival and departure of transientvisitants, from data collected at Glen Ellyn, Illinois, during the past eight years: AprilI, Turkey Buzzard;* 1-8, Lesser Scaup Duck;* 1-22, Wilson's Snipe;* April 2 toMay 5, Loon;* April 2 to May 10, Winter Wren; April 2 to May 19, Blue-wingedTeal;* April 4, Tufted Titmouse;* April 4 to May 16, Sparrow Hawk;* April 8-27,Hooded Merganser;* April 8 to May 18, Myrtle Warbler; April 8 to May 24, PineSiskin; April 9 to May 20, White-throated Sparrow;* April 10-19, Greater Scaup Duck;April 10 to May 25, Broad-winged Hawk;* April 11 to May 10, Pectoral Sandpiper;April 14, Green-winged Teal* and American Coot;* April 14-17, Red-throated Loon;April 14 to May 25, Water Thrush;* April 15, American Pipit; April 15-26, Great BlueHeron; *April 15 to May 5, Vellow-Legs;* April 17-24, Pine Warbler ;* April 19, BuffleheadDuck; April 19 to May 21, Whip-poor-will;* April 23 to May 13, Palm Warbler;April 23 to May 30, Olive-backed Thrush;* April 24 to May 21, Red-breasted Nuthatch;*April 24 to May 25, White-crowned Sparrow; April 24 to May 29, Wilson'sThrush;* April 27 to May 21, Solitary Sandpiper;* April 27 to May 25, NashvilleWarbler;* April 28, Bald Eagle;* April 28 to May 26, Swamp Sparrow;* April 29 toJune 4, Black-throated CJreen Warbler;* April 30 to May 9, Cape May Warbler; April30 to May 21, Ruddy Duck;* April 30 to May 26, Tennessee Warbler; May 1-21,Orange-crowned Warbler; 1-23, Black-and-white Warbler;* 1-28, Alice's Thrush;2-27, Black-throated Blue Warbler; 2-30, Black-poll Warbler; 3-28, Parula Warbler;*4, LeConte's Sparrow and Least Sandpiper; 4-18, Golden-winged Warbler;* 4-25,Magnolia and Blackburnian Warblers; 5-16, Bank Swallow;* 6-21, Willow Thrush;6-26, Canadian Warbler;* 7, Kirtland's Warbler; 7-30, Wilson's Warbler; 8-23, BaybreastedWarbler; 9-18, Blue-headed V'ireo; 12, American Merganser; May 12 to June 8,Connecticut Warbler; May 13, Wood Duck* and Prothonotary Warbler;* 13-27, OlivesidedFIj'catcher; 15, American Osprey;* 18, Philadelphia Vireo;* 18-27, MourningWarbler;* 19, Harris' Sparrow, Belted Piping Plover* (?) and Forster's Tern ;* 20-25.Yellow-bellied Flycatcher; 21, Yellow-headed Blackbird;* May 24 to June 5, WhiteeyedVireo.*Latest dates of departure of winter residents and early spring migrants: March 17.* Summer resident in northern Illinois.

Birds and Seasons 67Northern Shrike (should have been included in the notes for February and March);April 7, Mallard* and Pintail Ducks;* 17, Herring Gull ; 19, Fox Sparrow and ShortearedOwl;* 23, American Roug;h- legged Hawk; 25, Tree Sparrow; May 2, PurpleFinch;* 5, Canada Goose* and Golden Plover; 7, Hermit Thrush; 8, Junco, Ruby andGolden-crowneil Kinglets; 12. Sapsucker; 15, Sharp-shinned Hawk;* 16, LaplandLongspur; 19, Brown Creeper; 24, Ring-necked Duck.*APRIL AND MAY BIRD-LIFE AT STOCKTON. CALIFORNIA+BV I.VMAN BELDINGBIRDS OF THE SEASONApril Miirrants. — A^rW i-io, female Bullock's Oriole and increase of earlier arrivals.Black-chinned Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Ash-throated Flycatcher, WesternChipping Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler,Hermit Warbler, Pileolated Warbler; April 20-30, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting,Louisiana Tanager, Cassin's Vireo, Least Vireo, Lutescent Warbler.May Mii^rants.—Western Wood Pewee, Western Flycatcher, Little Flycatcher,Hammond's Flycatcher, Wright's Flycatcher, Western Blue Grosbeak, Russet-backedThrush.Most of the following are often met with during the spring migration:Northern Phalarope,Long-billed Dowitcher, Least Sandpiper, Red-backed Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper,Greater Yellow Legs, Yellow Legs (rarely). Western Willet, Spotted Sandpiper,Long-billed Curlew, Hudsonian Curlew, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover,Snowy Plover.The following abundant winter visitants leave us about May 1 : Intermediate Sparrow,Golden-crowned Sparrow, Junco, Townsend's Sparrow, American Pipit. Most of thenorthern breeding Ducks and CJeese leave us prior to May.SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S STUDYBirds and Seasons.— Compare the preceding outlines of the characteristics of thebird -life of Boston, New York, etc., with their accompanying lists of April and Mavbirds.Miiiralion.t— I'oo much time cannot be spent in the field during the migration. Itpossible one ^iiould go out both in the early morning and late afternoon, visiting as greata variety of ground as opportunity permits. A knowledge of what birds to expect greatlyincreases the probability of seeing a species on or soon after its arrival.Weather conditions should be observed as closely as the migration itself, and the chartsissued by the Weatlier Bureau, at Washington, should be studied. The blooming ofplants, shrubs and trees and the advance of vegetation in general, together with the appearanceof various forms of insert life, calling of hylas, etc., should all be closely notedand these phenomena recorded with ;iv uuich detail as the arrival of birils.The record of each migrant shouUl ^how when it was Hrst observed, the tnimlHT seen.giving, if possible, the sex, if in song on arrival, if migrating singly, in scattered companiesor in flocks, if observed to migrate during the dav. Succeeding observations of tinsamespecies should lie entered with as much detail as the first one in order to ascertain itsincrease or decrease innumliers.*Suiniiirr resident in northern Illiniiis.tThc notes here given refer to the country within a radius of fifteen miles of Stockton. These data heini: designedwholly for popular use. it has not been deemed necessary lo employ the latest subspecific names.I See also KiHI> I.OHF. tiir I'ehruary. |c^)l.

168 Bird -LoreA form for record book, wliich has stood the test of many years' experience, is shownin part below. (See also, Merriam, Auk, I, 71; Stone, Auk, V, 194; Jones, Auk, XII,117, 231, 237; Pynchon, BiRn-LoRE, II, 21; Hand-Book of Birds, p. 21).AprilPLAN OF I'ART OF THF. FIRST PAGEI 90Date.

'Riverby,''ABirds and Seasons 69after the first column of names, that is "Date," "Start," etc. Knowing this, one may leavethe needed number of pages before entering the second column of birds' names.Such a record should begin first with a list of Permanent Residents following " Remarks"; then should come Winter Residents, and migrants may be added as they areobserved. Of course as the season advances less pages should be left. When the migrationis ended a new series of records should be begun, beginning with "Date," "Start,"etc., then entering the Permanent Residents and after them the Summer Residents.These rollbooks are easily kept and their contents form graphic records of the rise andfall of the migration, showing when a species was first observed, when it was most numerous,and, if transient, when it was last seen.If possible the approximate number of birds seen should be given, and in recordingother details noted above a simple system of abbreviations may be employed. For instance,a number enclosed in a circle implies that the birds seen were in a flock; S indicates singing;the signs, cf or ?, male or female respectively, while an asterisk refers to your journalof the same date wherein you may enter some observation at length. Whatever systemof abbreviations is adopted, howe\er, should be full}' explained in the opening pages ofyour rollbook.SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S READINGThoreau : 'Spring," in 'Walden,' 'Early Spring in Massachusetts.' Burroughs:'The Return of the Birils ' and 'Spring at the Capital' in 'Wake Robin,' 'April'in 'Birds and Poets,' 'A Spring Relish' in 'Signs and Seasons,' 'Spring Jottings' inTorrey :Bird-Lover's April,' 'A Month's Music' in 'Birds in theBush,' 'A World of Green Hills,' 'Spring Notes from Tennessee.' Flagg: 'April'in 'A Year with the Birds.' BoUes: 'Land of the Lingering Snow.' Keeler: 'Aprilin Berkeley,' 'Berkeley in May' in 'Bird Notes Afield.' Wright: 'A New EnglandMay- Day' and 'When Orchards Bloom' in 'The Friendship of Nature.' Crockett:'April' and 'May' in 'A Yearbook of Kentucky Woods and Fields.' Parkhurst:'April' and 'May' in 'The Birds' Calendar.'What bird is this .'Field Dettripiiun. — l.cnzlh, 6.2? inches. Upper parts brownish; wings and tail darker: outer tail-featherslipped with white; a whitish line over the eye; under parts whitish, with dark streaks.The s|)eries figun-d in I'"ebriiarv is the Pine I'iiich.

Jfor ^oung (Bb&tx\}tr&THE A B C OF BIRD -LOREBY ELIZABETH HOPPIN LEWISis for ^^uk, nowextinct, we aretold.is for 'Blue-jay^sobold.handsome andis for Cat-bird^ whor^ mocks everything.is for Dick-cisse/,and how he canis for Eagle, whosees far away.is for Fly- catcher,silent and gray.is for Goldfinch, agallantmanyoungis for Hawk, whowill hunt if hecan.

1The A B C of Bird -Lore 71is for Indigo bird,vou must know.is for ytnico, whocomes with the? snow.is for King /is her.hatched in a hole,is for Lark,and he sings alongrole.is for Marshwren,who warblesall day.is for Nuthatch. ''Quank,quank," hear him say?is for Oriole,1 tj'^ ^^^^ Peu-ee, thenest like aV o i c e [o f t h ehood.wood.'s for the bird that weeat, called a Oitail.

72 Bird- Loreis for Redstartand Robin andis for Sparrow^ toomany for choice.Rail.,|/-2si^^^^ Thrush^ with agloriousvoice.is the long Latinname for ais for Vireo^ voiceof high noon.Loon.'s for Warblers^ thegaybutterflies.is a Gull ; if youknow himwise.you'reis a 7^ e 1 1 w -throat, with ablack mask.'s a poor Mourner, whomakes life a task.

jBtotes from JTtelti antj ^tuDpThe Brown Creeper's Force of HabitMy office is on the fifth floor of a buildingin a thicicly built up portion of Philadelphia,and not the sort of place where onewould expect to see much in the way ofbirds. But late in the fall, while our winterbirds were still coming from the north, aBrown Creeper, exhausted or temporarilydisabled, was discovered one cold day huddledup in a bunch, lying on the windowsillagainst the sash of one of my windows.The man who discovered it supposed itto be a kind of mouse, but when I slowlyopened the window and gently placed myhand over its tiny form, its head popped upand it at once made itself known. It wasapparently too weak to make much of aflight, but the warm room infused new lifeinto the little creature, and after remainingon the window-sill a few minutes, hehopped to the end of the sill ami climbedup the varnished sash to the meeting rail,where I saw he was attracted by a fly walkingon the glass. He had forgotten hisailments, having been lured away by theappetizing dipter. As the fly kept out ofreach, I volunteered assistance, and theCreeper took the dainty morsel from myfingers as contentedly as though he understoodthe situation as well as I did. Foodwas scarce at that time of the year, and butthree or four flies could be found, all ofwhich went quickly down the red lane.Two or three hours later, the bovs puton their coats antl bit! good-night, leavingme until the last. I had actually forgottenall about tlie bird, and would have gonehome witJKnit it, had it not for the Hrst timeflown across the room and alighted on thelower end of my overcoat just as I wasabout to close the door behind uie. Hehad evidently seen his friends \anisliiiig,and had liecided at the last moment to reminiime tiiat he woulii please like to havesome more flics. Under the circumstances,I was his onlv source of supply, and thisremarkable intelligence so touched me thatby the time he had climbed up to myshoulder I placed my hand over him againand decided to make him, if possible, ahousehold pet.All the way home I guarded my pocket\vith great care, and upon arriving thereand liberating him from his close quarters,he seemed just as tame and natural as ever.Ihad not hurt him in any way, and he tooksmall pieces of earthworms and flies frommy hand without the least fear.His natural habit of always flying downwardand climbing upward in searchingfor food was most surprisingly illustrated,for just as in nature, he would fly acrossthe room and invariably alight close to thebottom of the curtain, for instance, and thenwould make his way gradually to the top,looking for something to eat among thefolds. Several times he alighted on mytrousers, just above my ankles, and climbedall the way to the top of my head, only todrop ofi^ again to the table cover or one ofthe chairs.The next morning I brought a stumpfrom the woods, and with healthy vigor hepulled away at the decayed portions andextracted the larva?, etc., that were hidingthere.One night I took him to see a friend, andwhen I let him climb up on to my neck inthe car, a man behind exclaimed, "Say,there's a bug on your back I" He was justas much at home in my friend's house aselsewiiere, ami exhii>iteti his characteristicflight, climbing up all tiie curtains, huntingfor food as usual.I kept him but three days; and partlybecause I had not the time to hunt insectfooti, and partly because I thought he wouldbe happier free again, I opened the windowand let him go. He flew iuunediatelv toa large pine on the lawn, wiiere I soonlost sight of him.— W'm. L. Baii.v, .IrJmon\I'd.(:.

74 Bird- LoreA Birds'BathBuriedTreasureThere is no better way to attract birdsabout our homes during the summer thanto supply them with water for drinking andbathing.The accompanying photograph shows abath which evidently met with the approvalof most of the birds in tlie vicinitv of myhouse in the summer antf autumn of 1900,it being patronized even by Screech Owls.It is made of bricks and cement and incross-section resembles the appended diagram:AfBoards may be used to form partitions,which should be filled with earth. Theplants introduced were sagittaria, iris, yellowpond lily, wild rice, duckweed andwater hyacinth.The pond is filled with a hose and replenishedas evaporation requires.— FrankM. Chapman, Englezvood, N . J.On Feiiruary 10, 1901, I observed arather amusing incident. IMie snow wasnearly a foot deep here on that day and theweather had been quite cold for some time.I was walking through a small piece ofwoods in search of birds, when I noticed acommotion near an embankment where thesnow had drifted to a considerable depth.On drawing near I found a large numberof Chickadees, White -breasted Nuthatchesand Downy Woodpeckers assembled, theformer most in evidence. All the birdsseemed much interested in something in thesnow, for one after another would fly down,then back into the low trees, in the meantimekeeping up a busy chattering. I wentforward to examine the object of theircuriosity and found that they had hollowedout a hole in the snow the size of a largebowl. I scraped the snow aside, but couldfind nothing unusual. My interference wasstrongly resented by the birds, who raised agreat disturbance, several of the Chickadeesalmost flying in my face in their rage. Iwas finally obliged to leave without solvingthemystery.Just one week later I visited the placeagain. It had snowed since my former\isit, but on reaching tbe spot I found amuch deeper hole and the same flock ofbirds, reenforced by several Blue Jays and apair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Thistime I made a closer examination and detectedsomething yellow at the bottom of thehole which, on being brought to light, wasfound to be a piece of butter. More scrapingrevealed more butter, and when all thesnow was cleared from the spot it was foundthat a large round hole had been made inthe earth in which had been placed aboutfifteen pounds of good sweet butter. Thestuff had evidently been placed there bythieves, but the birds had detected theplunder, and it was high living for thefeathered inhabitants of the woods. I laterfound that the pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckershad carried about half a pound toa cavity in a large tree, which they werehoarding for future use.—W. O. Doolit-Ti.E. Painesi'ille, Ohio.

l'ii)i)|(tn>ilooft jBteto0 ant) 3^et)ieta0The Bird Book. By Fannie Hardy Eck-STORM, Boston, U. S. A., D. C. Heath& Co., 1901. i2mo. Pages xii + 276.Ills. 56. Price, 60 cents.We believe that the author of this bookhas accomplished the far from easy task ofmaking a desirable addition to the literatureof popular general ornithology. Whileshe appears to be thoroughly familiar withwhat has previously been written and hasoften made use of it, her treatment of hertheme is distinctly original.In other worils,her book Is not a compilation along wellwornpaths, but an independent expressionof opinion.The book is designed for the primaryteacher, and the author's estimate of theeducational value of bird study shows in afew words such a comprehensive grasp ofits potentialities that we are tempted to(juote it. She says: ''If we adopt birdstudyas the representation of zoiilogicalscience, as we seem likely to do, it mustbe not only because it is fairly illustrativeof zoillogical principles, and because itsmaterials are abundant and easily referredto, but because it is pleasurable to beginners."Bird-study, or any otiier special science,is justified in demanding an educationalhearing if it contribute generously either toa knowledge of the principles and methodsof science in general or to the training ofthe powers of observation." (Preface.)The subject matter is somewhat unusualfor a first book of birds' and seems to usto i)e bettiT tor Noung ornithologists thanfor joung people whose interest in birdsshould be fed on simpler, more palatablefood. The first 57 pages are devoted towater birds, few of which come within therange of a child's observation, with theobject, it is said, of gi\ing tiie student"some notion of the i)rea(llli ot the subject."I';irt III, 43'pages, 011otMil (I - Lite, ' is excellent, luit, as lulmc s:ii

Bird76 Bird -Loreeffective manner the relative abimdaiice of,and season of occurrence, of the speciestreated, and is well worthy of imitation.The annotated list tells of a species 'mannerof occurrence, and the character of the groundin which it is found. The author's longexperience in the region and thorough graspof his subject makes his work authoritative.The diversity of views, however, in regardto the breeding Shrike of Western NewYork has led him into the error of includingboth the Loggerhead and White- RumpedShrikes.Doubtless the best way out of thisdifficulty is to accept Mr. Palmer's name ofmigrans for the intermediate New Yorkand New England form. The hypotheticallist would be improved by the exclusion ofthe Man-o'-War Bird, Masked Duck, CornCrake, European Woodcock, BurrowingOwl and other species whose occurrencewould be wholly accidental.These criticisms are of minor importance,and the list will at once take its place as astandard treatise on the birds of the regioncovered. — F. M. C.A Year Book of Kentucky Woods andFields. By Ingram Crockett. Illustratedby the author. Buffalo. CharlesWells Moulton, 1901. i6mo, pp. 112;4 full -page plates.The rise and fall of a Kentucky year ar^here graphically depicted in twelve prosepoems, one for each month. Fhe author isevidently a passionate nature lover — earth,air, and water and all that in them is, appealto him; but from the first bird note ofspring to the last one of autumn, it is thesongs of birds more than anything else thatecho through his pages. We welcome thisbook from the south. Would that more ofher sons were moved to tell the world of thebeauties of their native land. — F. M. C.Pacific Coast Avifauna, No. i. Birdsof the Kotzebue Sound Region,Alaska. By Joseph C^rinnell. Publishedbv the Cooper Ornithological Clubof California. Royal 8vo, pages 1-80;I map.In this paper Mr. Joseph Grinnell presentsthe most important contribution to thelifehistoriesof Alaskan birds that has appearedin recent years. A short introduction givingthe climate and character of Kotzebue Soundand its affluent streams, especially theKowak river, on which most of Mr. GrinnelPswork was done, is followed by fieldnotes,a bibliography, map and a checklistin which 150 species are recognizedfrom this region, of which seventeen firstappear in this volume.That Mr. Grinnell was able betweenJuly, 1898, and July, 1899, to record 112species from personal observation under thedifficulties attendant on field-work in Alaska,testifies to his zeal as a collector, as do hisannotations to his ability as an observer.Pine Grosbeaks and White-winged Crossbillswere found breeding the last of May,and the Alaskan Jay early the same month,all placing their nests between six andtwelve feet from the ground in small spruces.The nests of all these were composed largelyof spruce twigs; the Grosbeaks' were frailand lined with grasses, the Crossbills' closelyfelted internally with a black wool-likelichen, and the Jays a well-woven mass ofgrass, black lichens and feathers, evidentlydesigned to retain as much warmth as possiblein below-zero weather. The AmericanHawk -Owl was found nesting in anenlarged Woodpecker's hole, Short-billedGulls in trees, and Bank Swallows in groundfrozen almost to the point where the nestswere situated.The Shrike of Alaska is separated fromLanius borealis as L. b. in-victus on the basisof larger size, greater pallor and broaderwhite markings, but all the measurementsgiven, with the possible exception of thewings, may be duplicated with the NewEngland specimens.— L. B. B.The OrnithologicalMagazinesThe Condor.— Fhe opening number ofthe third volume of The Condor ' ' containsample evidence of the activity of the CooperOrnithological Club. Among the articlesof general interest are Bowles''Notesfrom Tacoma Gulches,' Silloway's 'FlatheadLake Findings,' Atkinson's 'NestingHabits of the California Shrike,' and Mc-

'TheK.Book News and Reviews 77Gregor's Dichromatism 'in the Genus Carpodacus.'Cirinnell's 'Record of AlaskanBirds ' in the collection of Stanford University,adds theWheatear (Saxicola rrnanthe)to the list of birds of the PribilofIslands.Four species or subspecies are describedas new, viz., a Leucosticte and a SavannaSparrow, from Kadiak Island, a SongSparrow from Sanak Island, Alaska, andthe form of Red -breasted Sapsucker whichoccurs in southern California.Constant differencesin closely related birds are alwaysworth recording, but the mere descriptionof supposed new species is not necessarilythe most useful form in which to present theresults of a critical comparison of specimens.Certainly in one of these cases there is anindication of superficial examination of theliterature, and the adoption of a c]uestionablemethod of fixing the type of an oldspecies. An innovation of very doubtfulvalue is the publication of the first (andwe hope last) of a series of caricatures.Such cuts are likely to be misconstrued,even though published in a friendly spirit,and are certainly out of [dace in a journalof this character.The Cooper Clui:) is to be congratulatedon its good work for bird protection andthe firm stand it has taken in behalf ofbetter legislation for non-game birds. Itsefforts will be appreciated by bird lovers inallparts of California, in case the bill whichthe club has prepared becomes a law at thepresent session of the Legislature. — T. S. P.The Osi'rev.— It is so long since wehave seen The Osprey ' 'that we are glad towelcome the first two numbers of the currentvolume, dated, respectively, September-October, 1900, and November-December,1900, which have appeared since our lastissue went to press. I-lach opens with anoriginal article by Paul Bartsch; one onthe birds found in and about the wild rice(ZiZ(iriia) marshes in the vicinity of Washington,and the other a record of the winterbirds seen on 'A Trip to the ZoologicalPark.' He brings out many points ofinterest, but personally we wish he wouldkeep nearer to the earth, and in his exuberantenthusiasm not allow his expressedthoughts to soar too far above commonplacenarrative.The learned editor continues his valuablesketch of'William Swainson and HisTimes,' and in the second number gives usa paper on ' Correspondence of and aboutAudubon with Swainson.' A continuedarticle on'Tiie Osprey, or Fishhawk ; itsCharacteristics and Habits,' which will appearin at least three numbers, is the beginningof a series of biographies of Americanbirds by Doctor Gill. There are, also, interestingpapers by Milton S. Ray, VerdiBurtch, Addie L. Booker, and PercyShufeldt, on 'Observations in CentralMonterey County;' 'A Grosbeak Colony;'Mockingbird in Western Kansas andits Environments;' and 'Notes Regardingthe Migration of Birds as Observed at theWashington Monument.'We should like to see the letter-press andillustrations brought up to a higher standard,and have it explained why, with sucha constellation of renowned editors, we areable to find a page disfigured with a do^enor more typographical errors. — A. K. F.The Wilson Bulletin, No. 33. — Inthis number Lynds Jones and W. L. Dawsonrecord their ornithological observationsmade during a two months' trip of 7,000miles through fourteen states and territories.There is much of interest in the itinerary,as well as in the twenty-seven separate listswhich are records made at certain pointsor between given places on the railroadstraversed. Watching birds from the carwindows is a fascinating pastime, and onewhich we have followed for over twenty-fiveyears. Still it lias its ilrawbacks and vexations,in that it is not justifiable to publishrecortls of unusual occurrences maile imtlersuch uncertain conditions, on account of thechance of error. From the standpoint ofgeographic distribution it is unfortunate,though prol>ably through no fault of theauthors, that the trip was not undertakenearlier, and thus enable the observations tobe more nearly an intlex to breeding speciesin the knalities visiteil. We heartily commendthis nund>er.— A . F.

!!7« Bird -Loreilirt)itoreA Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL ORGAN OF THF. AltDUBON SOCIETIESEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. Ill Published April 1, 1901 No. 2SUBSCRIPTION RATESPrice in the United States, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue. NewVork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,Macmillan and Company, Ltd., London.COPYRIGHTED, 1901, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.Bird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in the Bush is Worth Two in the Hand.'The Outlook' for December i, 1900,published a series of ten short articles onthe ten books which have most influencedthe thought and activities of the past century.The writers included James Bryce,Edward Everett Hale, Henry van Dyke,Arthur T. Hadley, Thomas WentworthHigginson and other representative men ofthe day, each of whom presented a list ofthe ten books producedduring the past onehundred years, which, in his opinion, hadbeen most potent in the advancement ofmankind.We do not propose to analyze the listsgiven or even to mention the works containedin them, but we cannot refrainfrom callingattention to the fact that the only bookgiven in each of the ten lists was Darwin's'Origin of Species.'What an unparalleled tribute, this, to thepatient, tireless, conscientious, gentle naturalist,whose labors, in spite of continuous iiiheaithand discouragements, which wouldsoon have disheartened a less courageousseeker after truth, are thus virtually declaredto be the dominant factor of the nineteenthcentury in the elevation of his race.With what satisfaction the naturalistreails the estimate of these ten eminent men,not one of whom is a biologist, of the value'to humanity of The Origin of Species'No matter how humble be one's part, howinsignificant one's achievements, what aninspiration it is to feel that one is working atthe same structure of wiiich Darwin laid sostable a foundationDuring the past few months the legislaturesof a large number of states have paidunprecedented attention to proposed lawsdesigned for the protection of non-gamebirds. The whole movement aptly illustratesThoreau's remark, " What a wedge,what a beetle, what a catapult is a man inearnest; what force can withstand him?"The man, or rather men, in this case, areWilliam Dutcher, representing the committeeon bird protection of the American Ornithologists'Union, and T. S. Palmer, ofthe Biological Survey of the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture, in charge ofthe enforcement of the Lacey law. It is dueto the energy of these gentlemen, anil the supportof Audubon and other societies, as wellas of individuals, which they have enlistedthat the model A. O. U. bird law, with butslight modifications, has been passed bythe legislatures of Maine, New Hampshire,Delaware, Wyoming and inthe District ofColumbia. The same admirable law, oramendments to existing laws, have been introducedinto the legislatures of Massachusetts,Connecticut, New Jersev, North Carolina,Michigan, California and Oregon, andare still (March 16) under consideration.The New York state law has been soamended that the " web-footed wild fowl "of the old law are now defined as " Ducks.Geese,Brant and Swan," thereby excludingGulls, Terns and Grebes from the list ofbirds which may be legally killed betweencertain dates and consequently bringingthem imder that section of the law applyingto birds which may not legally be killed orpossessed at any time. The passage of thisamendment is of far-reaching importance.Supported by section five of the Lacey law,its enforcement means that the plumage ofGulls, Terns and Grebes cannot be sold inNew Vork state, while its influence on thetrade in the feathers of these birds willdoubtless be felt throughout the country.

VL\)t 3^uDubon Societies" You cannot -with a scalpel Jimi thf pot't's soul,Nor yet the wild bird's song."Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Faiifield, Conn., to whom all communications relating; to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesNew HampshireMrs. F. W. Batchelder, Manchester.Massachusetts Miss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Mrs. H. T. Grant, Jr., 187 Bowen street. Providence.ConnecticutMrs. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New York Miss Emma H. Lockvvood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street. New York City.New Jersey Miss Anna Haviland. 53 Sandford ave., Plainfield, N. J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.District of Columbia Mrs. John Devvhurst Patten, 3033 P street, Washington.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delainore place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legare street, Charleston.FloridaOhio. Mrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.Indiana.W. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMiss Mary Drummond, Wheaton.IowaMks. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.Wisconsin.Mrs. George W. Peckham, 646 Marshall street, Milwaukee.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St. Paul.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.Tennessee...............................Mrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.TexasCaliforniaMrs. George S. Gay, Redlaiids.Notes Hut it is not enough merely to enact laws;The work of a far-seeing Connecticut t'"^y ^"^1 be enforced and doubtful pointsgentleman, Mr. E. Knight Sperry, in secur- must be settled by the courts. The birding the co6peration of farmers in allowing 'aws of the United States, usually calledtheir lands to be. without interference togame laws, are of two kinds (a) State orcultivation, banded in retreats where, in'ocal laws and {h) Federal laws,addition to protection, game birds may findState laws prescribe the kinds of birdsfood in the hungry season, has suggested "'I'^-ha^^Y or may not be killed, thework on similar li'iu^ tl,a. inav W done for time and manner in which they may benon-game aiul song birds and at the same '^ken, and the purpose for which they mayterest to all protectionists.This topic will be fuliv discussed in thetime give an adde.l held of labor and inl'^'^-apUired. Thus the Illinois game law^I^»i"'^^ S^me birds and prohibits the killing"f of'i" ^irds at any time. In providing fornext issue of HiRO-LoRK. Pame it fixes a definite season for shootingActing on a suggestion made in this de- M":'il and ducks, but forbids the killing ofpartment in December, 1899. Dr. T. S.''"^^s at any season from a sail boat, withPalmer has kindly sent Bird-I.orc the a swivel gun, or after sunset; furthermorefollowing admirable statement of the legal't declares that it shall be unlawful to capstatusof birds. -M. (). \V. "'re 'U'ail i" tlie State for sale, or to shipto other States except under license. In allSome Fundamental Principles of Bird"'e'*'- '"alters the State is supreme andLaws violations of its laws arc tried in the Stateiiv I', s. I'aimkh courts.A(ki|uatc laws necessarily form the The federal law, coimiionlv known a*fouiiilaiion of effective bird protection. the I.acev .\ci. or the .Act of Ma\ JS.

SoBird- Lore1900, deals merely witli the shipment ofbirds from one State to another and theimportation of birds from foreign countries.It is general in its provisions and (loes notmention special birds, but nevertlielesssupplements the State laws very effectually.Thus if a State prohibits the killing of anyparticular bird, the shipment of the birdout of that State is an offense under theFederal law and the shipper, carrier, andconsignee, each or all, may be prosecutedin the United States courts.Some of the principles on which theselaws are based may be stated very simpivasfollows:(a) STATE LAWS1. All wild birds are the property ofthe State, hence:2. Killing birds is a privilege, not aright.*3. State ownership of birds carries withit the right to impose restrictions, hence:4. Birds may be captured, possessed,transported, bought or sold only under suchconditions as the State prescribes.5. Land-owners have no more right tokill birds out of season than other persons,unless the law specifically grants thisprivilege.{b)FEDERAL LAW6. Birds are protected by the Federallaw only when shipped from or into a Statewhich protects them by a local law.7. Birds killed or shipped contrary tolaw in any State cannot lawfully be transportedto other States.8. Birds brought into a State becomesubject to its laws in the same manner andto the same extent as birds produced inthatState.9. Packages of birds shipped from oneState to another must be marked so as toshow the name of the shipper and the natureof the contents.10. Foreign birds can be imported into* Michigan (.\cts of iSy{, p. jiz) and Minnesota(Laws of 1897, p.4i{) declare that birds protected bylaw shall always remain the property of the State.When their killing is not prohibited, they may be usedin the manner and for the purposes authorized, butnot otherwise.the United States only under permit fromthe U. S. Department of Agriculture, andbirds declared injurious by the Secretary ofAgriculture cannot be imported into theUnited States or shi|)pe(l from one State toanother.Simple as these propositions may seem,they have been the cause of much discussion.Most of them, however, have beenpassed upon by the higher courts and areno longer open to question. The right ofthe crown to all wild game was establishedin England years ago and the State ownershipof game now clearly stated in thelaws of Colorado, Illinois, Michigan,Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin is an inheritancefrom the English common law.The Supreme Court of the United Stateshas upheld this claim as well as the rightof a State to prohibit killing game for sale(125 U. S. 465), or export (Geer v. Connecticut,161 U. S. 519)*.Possession of birds out of season waslong regarded merely as evidence of illegalkilling, but is now made an offense punishableby fine in several States. Theright of a State to make laws regardingbirds imported from other States has beenvigorously contested and has been variouslydecided by the courts, but thequestion has now been practically set atrest by the passage of the Lacey Act.Some States have hesitated to encroachupon the rights of the individual, as shownby the exception in favor of land -ownersin the section of the Delaware law relatingto insectivorous birds, and also by theprovisions in the laws of Illinois, Kansas,Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, and SouthCarolina, which permit a person to killbirds found destroying fruit on his ownpremises. On the other hand, Massachu-* Those who are interested in practical bird protectionshould read the decision of the Supreme Court inGeer v. Connecticut, which is one of the most comprehensivedecisions on game law ever written. It hasbeen reprinted in full in ' Forest and Stream,' XLVI, pp.20(;-2li, March 14, 1896, and also in 'Game Laws inBrief,' I, pp. 114-150, April, i8yg. A brief but excellentpopular review of 'Game Laws' by Chas. E.Whitehead maybe found in 'Hunting in Many Lands'(Boone and Crockett Club scries) New York, i8qs.

RaceThe Audubon Societies^etts declares that game artificially rearedshall be the exclusive property of the personraising it, but forbids the owner to sellit for food during close seasons. Illinoisexacts a fio hunting license from nonresidents,even though they lease or own agame preserve within the State, and Wyomingin the famous Horse'case,'carried up to the Supreme Court in 1896,has successfully maintained her right tocompel Indians to obey her game laws(163 U. S. 504).During the last fifty years, the sentinientin favor of bird protection has developedrapidly. Many laws have been enacted,amended, and sustained by the courts.That these laws are still imperfect is partlythe result of carelessness and partly ofstrong opposition due to ignorance or selfishness.Our game laws, unlike those ofEurope, are maintained for the good of thepeople as a whole, not for the benefit of^ly one class, and their enforcement dependsvery largely on a general appreciationof the principles upon which they arebased.Reports ofSocietiesMASSACHUSETTS SOCIETYrhe Massachusetts Audubon Society isnow five years old. There are abundantproofs that it has been an important agentin increasing an interest in the study andprotection of birds; and it is rapidly acquiringan etpiipment of permanent serviceto bird students. While there are manyfriendly critics who protest that our methodsare too generaland that we lack aggressiveforce, we are convinced that the society hasmade for itself a firm place in the affectionsof a large number of people, and is alreadva respected institution of the state.Last winter the society tnok .ictiMmeasuresto ;ii(l the passage nl the legislativebill for "making Suiuhu close seasonfor birds and game." This wintera bill was presented to repeal tliiv \er\beneficent law; again the six i(i\ madeearnest effort to defeat the measure. liusocietyhas also done exiellent dutv in inriuencitigthe legislature, iillcctin^ twoother important bills relating to bird protection.Our register now numbers 3,334 persons:of these 42 are life associates, having paid$2^; 530 are associates, paying $1 annually,and 502 are junior members, persons undersixteen years, and having paid 10 cents; theothers are life members, having paid 25cents.We have issued thirty-three different publications;many of these have been freelydistributed throughout the country; otherpublications dealing with bird protectionwe have secured by purchase or gift for distribution.Our two Audubon Calendarshave been favorably received; a third is inpreparation with original drawings by thesame artist; this will be issued in time forthe 1901 Christmas sales. We issued thesecond chart of common birds last August.The sale of the charts had not been as largeas was anticipated, probably because wehave not been able to properly advertisethem.Last winter the society arranged with Mr.Frank M. Chapman to give his lecture"Bird Studies with a Camera." His largeaudience greatly enjoyed the lecture, theproceeds of which added to our treasury.This winter the society secured Mr. RalphHoffmann for a course of six lectures; hissubjects are, Winter Birds; Early Spring;The Month of May; Nesting Time; SummerOrnithology; Birds and Man. Thelectures are well attended by an appreciati\eaudience. We expect that a ii-cturecourse will be an annual feature of thesocieties'work.February i, of this year, our travelinglecture started on its journeys. The lectureis entitled "An Invitation to Bird Ac-(|uaintance," and was written ami donatedliv Mr. Hoffmann. A lantern and fiftyslides make up the outfit.The slides wereniatie troiii negatives presented bv Messrs.Ildlxrt K. Job, Lvman I'nderwood, HerlurtW. (ileason, James II, I'liierton.Rnlxri -S. Mciirison. .AlreaiK it has \isite»l.ni is booked to visit, over fiftv schools,iliibs and societies. Lhe lecture is sentfree to anv responsible person in NLissaclui-^ett^ who guarantees its safe return and will

.82 Bird - Lorepay all expense of carriage. We areobliged to refuse, for the present, all callsfor the lecture outside of Massachusetts.Without doubt a traveling lecture should bea part of tiie eciuipiiient of every AuduiioiiSocietyA friend has agreed to give the society$50 annually, to be devoted to prizes tojunior members. This year the committeehave decided to award it in four prizes: viz:fao, #15, l^io, and $5, for the best drawingof a Bobolink in full summer plumage.It gave us pleasure last autumn to welcomethe first conference of state AudubonSocieties, which was held at the AgassizMuseum, Cambridge, the afternoon ofNovember 15. Delegates were present fromConnecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, NewHampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,District of Columbia, New York, RhodeIsland and West Virginia. Mrs. WilliamBrewster and Mrs. Frank Bolles entertainedthe delegates and officers, with prominentmembers of the A. O. U., at receptions onthe evenings of November 12 and 14. Mr.Chapman invited the societies to meet in asecond conference November 11, 1901, inNew York city.There are many problems that the AudubonSocieties have in hand that can besolved only by persistent and united effortof ail the state societies. A committee hasbeen chosen to arrange for a nationalfederation of the societies, and a full attemlanceat an annual conference by delegatesfrom all the societies would, in a few years,consolidate and strengthen the work andraise it to a powerful position throughoutthe country.Harrikt E. Richards, Sec\v.Meeting of the New York SocietyAt the annual meeting of the AudubonSociety of New York state addresses weremade by Charles R. Skinner, State Superintendentof Public Instruction, T. S. Palmer,William Dutcher, and Frank M. Chapman.Mr. Skinner's address on "The EducationalValue of Bird Study" showed athorough appreciation of the pleasure andthe mental and moral profit which maycome from an actjuaintance with the iiirdsabout us. He said "the value of any studyis the use we make of it," and after expressinghis belief that a practical educationwhich would fit us to enjoy nature aswe daily come in contact with it was ofmore importance than special or technicaltraining in certain details, added, " I believeit to be more essential to the happinessof our children to teach them to know ournative birds, flowers and trees than to tellthem stories in Latin and Greek of eventsthat happened 2,000 years ago."Dr. Palmer presented an admirable reviewof the history of bird laws in thiscountry and explained the powers of theLacey Act, particularly in its relation tostate laws. Contrasting present conditionswith those which prevailed at the openingof the nineteenth century, it was shownthat the only bird law then in force inNew York state was one protecting HeathHens, Ruffed Grouse, Bob-White andWoodcock on Long Island and in NewYork county, while now scarcely a stateor territory was without laws designed toprotect song, as well as game birds.Mr. Dutcher spoke on the subject ofpractical bird protection, and illustrated itsresults, as well as his remarks, with a seriesof views from nature made by himself onthe coast of Maine in July,1900, while visitingthe colonies of Herring Gulls whichwere under the protection of wardens employedthrough the Thayer Fund.Mr. Chapman, in proof of the work accomplishedby the Audubon Societies, comparedthe fashions of fifteen years ago,when our native song birds could be seenon almost every other hat, with their practicallycomplete absence today. He alsoattributed the present wide-spread interestin bird study largely to the efforts of theAudubon Societies.The Audubon Conference CommitteeDr. C. S. Minot, presiding officer of thefirst Audubon Conference, has appointed asa Conference Committee for the joint meetingof the Audubon Societies to be held inNew York city, in November, 1901, H. C.Humpus, F. M. Chapman, and RalphHoffmann.

LANDLORD AND TENANT(See page yo)

!&irli = loreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSOfficial Organ of theAudubon SocietiesVol. Ill May — June, 1901 No. 3IA Bewildered PhoebeBY JOHN BURROUGHSWith photographs from natureHAD a good illustration last summer of how limited the mother-witof a Phtcbe bird is when new conditions and surroundings confronther. A pair of these birds had annually built their nest in a littleniche in a ledge of rocks near my 'Slabsides,' or rather several years agothey built a nest there, and as there was no room for a second nest, eachsubsequent spring they had repaired and refurnished the old one and rearedtheir brood in it. It was in a lonely place, at the mouth of a deeprecess in the ledge, and I thought quite secure from all creeping andclimbing enemies of the birds. A thick growth of small trees formed ascreen in its front, to hide it from the eye of winged marauders, andno snake or squirrel could reach it from the rock itself.When the nest contained three or four eggs I allowed a young friendof mine to take one for his collection. This intrusion seemed to invitedisaster, for in less than a week the eggs were all gone and the birdshad deserted the place. A new stone house had been built upon therocks above me, with a piazza all around it, covered by a continuation ofthe main roof down the required distance. After much inspecting ofthis piazza the birtls concludetl to build a nest upon the plate besitle oneof the rafters. Now this plate was about thirty feet long and there wereten rafters notcheil upon it, and hence ten places exactU' alike. I'hebird selected the fourth rafter from the enil nearest the woods, anil beganher nest upon the plate besitle it. She was in a great hurry and worked'on the jump,' so to speak. She got her mortar in the ditch near mycabin. ( )iu- morning I watched her for some time. She maile a tripever\' minute carrying her load up a steep grade about one hundreilyards. The male looked on and cheered her, but did not help. Hepercheil upon a dead sunflower stalk near tin- ditch, flirted his tail, andsaid, or seemed to sav, '(jo it. Plufbe. nou are doing well; xou are

;86 Bird- Lorethe wife for me.' Every trip the mother bird made he would accompanyher a short distance and then return to his perch.As the nest -building seemed unusually prolonged, I went up onemorning to the new house to see how matters were progressing. Insteadof one nest I found five in process of construction. Some had only thefoundation laid, others were an inch or two high, and one was threefourthsfinished. I sat down to see what it all meant. Presently theeager builder came with her beak loaded and dropped down upon one ofthe nest foundations. She seemed to hesitate a moment, as if she had asuspicion that something was wrong, and then put down her material andHew quickly away. The next time she struck the nearly finished nest andPHCEBE ON NESTput down her load without hesitating. I watched her for half an hour andsoon saw how it was with her—why she scattered so. I concluded shewas misled by the sameness of the rafters—they were all alike, and whicheverone she chanced to hit in her hurry, there she deposited her mortar.She had been used to a ledge where there was but one building sitehere there were half a dozen or more, with no perceptible differencebetween them. So I hit upon a plan to concentrate her— I put blocksof wood or stones in all the nests but one and watched the result.When now she came upon these strange obstacles she would hover aboutfor a moment until she discovered the largest antl unincumbered nest,when she would alight upon it and leave her load. She then soon tookthe hint, finished the one nest, laid her second set of eggs and wentforward with the incubation. Hut the e\il fates still pursued her. One

;The Wood Thrush 87morning the nest was empty. Whether the mother bird, too, was carriedoff is not known. She was not again seen about the place.The art of the bird in the new site was at fauh in more than onerespect ; the moss that served to conceal her nest upon the gray mossyrock only emphasized it and made it conspicuous upon the new yellowtimber.A phcebe's nesting sitesThe Wood ThrushHe has a coat of cinnamon brown.The brightest on his head and crown,A very low cut vest of whiteThat shines like satin in the light,And on his breast a hundred spots,As if he wore a veil with dotsWith movement quick and full of grace,The highbred manner of his race;A very prince of birds is heWhose form it is a joy to see.And music — was there ever heardA sweeter song from any bird ?Now clarion -like, so loud and clear,Now like a whisper low and near,And now, again, with rhythmic swellsAnd tinkling harmony of bells.He seems to play accompanimentUpon some harp -like instrument.(i.ARRKir NKWKIRK

WHENBird- Nesting with BurroughsBY FRANK M. CHAPMANWith photojjraphs from nature by the authortwo men whose combined years closely approach five -scorecan go a-bird-nesting with an enthusiasm which knows nodecrease, and count mere discovery a sufficient reward for hoursof searching, the occupation is evidently worthy of investigation by everyboy who would prolong his youth.I say boy advisedly, for the bird-nesting habit is not to be acquiredin later life, and, indeed, had better never be acquired at all if its objectbe the taking of the nests and eggs. One does not search for a rareor beautiful flower to uproot and destroy it, but to admire it, and tocherish the memory of its perfections until, with returning spring, itrenews itself and our delight in its existence.Bird-nesting, then, does not mean egg-collecting. The latter holdsno antidote for age, but loses its powers as gratified desire checks speciesafter species of? the list, or increasing years bring a realization of its folly.Your true bird-nester values his good fortune too highly to rob thenest and himself at the same time. The discovery of a bird's nest isthe discovery of a bird's home with all the fascinating possibilitiesattending the study of a bird's home life. It is an event. One neverforgets the circumstances attending the finding of any but the commonestbirds' nests. The species then becomes the individual. Onemay claim an actual acquaintance in the bird world and perhaps establishpersonal relations with some feathered neighbor, whose family affairsbecome matters with which we are intimately concerned. Witness Mr.Burroughs' story of his Phoebe neighbor in the preceding pages.Furthermore, that almost universal heritage, the hunting instinct,finds a natural outlet in bird-nesting. The farmer's boy who huntshens' nests just to triumph over some particular fowl whose eggs havelong defied search, exhibits in primitive form the motive which impelsone again and again to look for the nest of a more or less commonbird whose home has been discovered many times before. And, finally,as Mr. Burroughs has said, "Bird-nesting is by no means a failure eventhough you find no birds' nests. You are sure to find other things ofinterest; plenty of them."Perhaps, after all, this is the true secret of the perennial charm ofbird-nesting. The discovery of the nest is only the crowning event ofa quest which has been filled with pleasant incidents. Certain it is thatin the outing here briefly described there were "other things of interest"besides birds' nests, and "plenty of them," too. First among them was(88j

'^^ij^^H^^^^ni^^^U^^BiM'Bird -Nesting with Burroughs 89the presiding genius ofSlabsides'; onecould not imaginefitter companion withwhom to go a-nesting; forbe the paradox especially'noted that the enjoymentsg^v ^^'Pi**'.^^MK .^^^^^ nest -hunting are doubled/— ^ ^_ _ ^^^^_ man and bird, and round_ ,,m- J'^^r ^^^^^ when you halve them.'Then there was Slabsides' itself, ideal haunt for^^^7- 'u^^^^ % ^^^ about were inviting woodedTrL-'-auJ^^H^ ^ hills, with here and there" ^ ~ ^ ^^"^ -ih^^^i^mmi^^tt^^^^ cultivated valleys between^"^'rJ^^^ ^S^ ^^^HMthem, and, not far away,fields and orchards.Through these pleasantlyvaried surroundings, on themorning of June 16, 1900,we wandered, visiting oldHUMMER .XBOL'T TO FEED VOLNGacquaintances as well assearching for new ones. Itwas not to be expected thata passing tour ofobservationand investigation shouldyield results of unusual interest or scientific value, and 1 have nothingmore important to record than the mere joy of seeing and discoveringobjects which never fail to excite a bird-lover's enthusiasm; with theadded satisfaction of beingable, in some instances, topicture far more graphicall\than could be done with penalone, the scenes from birdlifewhich are here presented.The difference betweencasual and continuous observationis elocjuently illustratedby our comparative knowledgeof the first bird we visited —the Ph(fbe of whom Mr.Burroughs writes in the precedingpages. To me she wasinteresting simply as a Phci-be ir.mmkr tKhniNc vounc

90 Bird -Lorewho had occupied a new nesting site the first season it was availableand already had become so accustomed to man that she permitted herselfto be photographed at short range; but how little 1 knew is evidenton reading Mr. Burroughs' history of her season's experiences.Doubtless he could give similarly interesting accounts of other of hisbird neighbors to whom he introduced me that day and the next, andwhose portraits I present with only passing comment.The Hummer, for instance, who, with rare consideration for theneeds of bird photography, had placed her nest in the low sweepinglimb of an apple tree (see frontispiece), was an old acquaintance of his,HUMMERIHEDINGand no detail of her domestic affairs, from the building of the nest tothe appearance of the young, had escaped him. Acquaintance, I say,rather than friend, for in spite of the fact that her nest was within afew feet of a pathway, the suspicious little creature invariably dartedfrom it whenever any one approached to within twenty feet of her.However, she returned in four or five minutes, sometimes alightingand settling in the nest as though with one movement, at othersperching on its edge when the two surprisingly short bills of her halffledgedyoung could be seen projecting slightly beyond the rim oftheir downy home. This pose preceded what Mr. Torrey has so welldescribed as the "frightful looking act" of feeding, of which the accompanyingpicture shows the attitude assumeil by the parent.

Bird- Nesting with Burroughs 91Just at this point I take occasion to introduce a picture of aHummer poised before a flower made later in the season, but whichserves very well to represent the appearance of Mr. Burroughs' birdwhile visiting his honeysuckles gathering food for her young. It will beobserved that the filmy halo, constituting the wings of the Hummer inflight, does not appear in this picture, and nevertheless it was made, ifmy focal-plane shutter scale does not prevaricate, in less than a fivehundredthpart of a second.On one occasion we observed another Hummer in the vicinity, abird that flew directly up to the one on the nest, and evidently lookedHLMMiiR liKOODlMJ VOUNUher straight in the eyes, but for so small a fragment of time that wedo not know whether it was a male or female. At an\ rate, the bin!seemed to be (juite familiar with the air-line to the nest, though, asMr. Hurroughs saiil. it is possible that Humnn-rs nia\- have an eye forHummers" nests.Fully as unapproachable was a Flicker, who, w lu-n we tappeil gentUat the base of lu-r home in an old chcrrv stuli, left the exit abovewith a precipitation clef\ing the speeil of a lens shutter. \\ hile technicallya failure, the picture of her hasty departure, nevertheless, forms aninteresting srud\- in the use of the wing in fliglit. It will In- observedthat, altliougli a third of the bird still rein.iins in the holi-. the wing

92 Bird- Loreis extended to a surprising degree antl is already in motion, as is shownby the failure of the lens to record the outer primaries while securing,with some detail, an outline of the secondaries. Indeed, the evidentlymuch higher speed with which the primaries were being moved, togetherFLICKER LEAVING NEST- HOLE-Jwith the space shown in the picture between the outermost secondaryand innermost primary, suggest the possibility of an independent movementof the distal portion of the wing. A close examination of thenegative shows that the outer primaries are spread out fan -like to suchan extent as to be in contact only at their bases. Profiting by experience,this bird subsequently left her tree before one could approach nearenough to plant a camera.The following morning was devoted to securing the picture of aScarlet Tanager, whose home had been discovered by a good type ofthe all -seeing farmer's boy. Neither conditions of location, site, or lightwere favorable, and after the camera had been fastened in the apple treewhich the birds had selected for a home, it was found necessary to builda blind of bushes beneath a neighboring tree, whence the photographercould not see his subject. From a distance, therefore, with the aid ofa glass, Mr. Burroughs kept watch and gave word when the exposurewas to be made. The results, with one exception, demonstrated thatthe photographer's point of view is not always his camera's, only one

-Bird- Nesting with Burrougiis 93of several pictures showing the bird clear of the surrounding leaves. Themale proved to be the braver of the two and, to our surprise, visitedthe nest more frequently than did his mate.To find a nest is one thing: to find one that can be photographedquite another; so I may only mention the House Wren who lived wellwithin the gable of Mr. Burroughs' study at Riverby, the Wood Thrushcomposedly incubating in her nest on a high maple branch stretchingacross the driveway at her landlord's threshold, and the Orchard Orioles,who, with rare discrimination, chose the ball of leaves at the top of arecently transplanted maple sapling.It should, unfortunately, be added that to photograph a nest is butone step in the process of securing a picture of it. The verdict of thedark-room is not always a favorable one, and there is left only the possibilityof a new trial. Of this side of bird photography perhaps the lesssaid the better. It may, however, be set down as a result of a patiencetesting experience in securing two exposures on an Indigo Bunting feedingher young that it is never advisable, at least in bird photography, tomake more than one exposure on the same plate!MALI-: .SCAKI.II l\\A(,IK AUOll lO I KKl) Mil Si

A SuddenFriendshipBY ANNIE TRUMBULL SLOSSONAuthor of ' Fishin' Jimmy,' etc.I1^ was at Orniond, in Florida, on a summcrliive day in February. Iwas at dinner in the early afternoon, when a friend came in andlaid something on the table before me. It was something soft andfluffy and blue — a tiny bird, and seemingly a dead one. It had just beenpicked up from the floor of the piazza under a window, against theglass of which it had evidently flown.It was a Blue Yellow-backed or Parula Warbler, an exquisite littlecreature. I had never seen one of this species so near, and wished toexamine it closely, so I placed the pitiful little body, with its tiny curledupclaws and half-shut, dull eyes under a glass finger-bowl near meand left it there to await my going to my room. A few minutes lateras I took the bird in my hands I thought I felt a faint throb of life. Ihastened to my room, but before I reached it the little body was quiveringand stirring perceptibly. I sat down by my window, holding thebird, and gently smoothing the soft blue feathers. Very soon the eyesbrightened, opened wide, and the little beauty raised itself upon its feetand looked up at me. It did not seem frightened, but thinking it wasstill dazed and half unconscious and would be alarmed at my presencewhen fully aroused, I put it quickly and gently down upon the sill of theclosed, sunshiny window, and left it. I always begin my friendships withwhat are called the lower creatures by letting them quite alone. It isnot a bad method to use with certain higher beings ; but this is irrelevant.It was a very warm, enervating Florida day, and I had been outall the forenoon, so I threw myself down upon the lounge with a book.But, of course, I kept an eye upon my new acquaintance, and the birdkept its eye upon everything. It tapped the window-panes w^'th its bill,surveyed the landscape without, turning its head from side to side, thenlooked about the room. From the window-sill it hopped to a tablenear by and began its investigations, examining with apparent curiosity andinterest each object, pecking softly at the books and pictures. Then itthrew back his head and looked up at the white ceiling. This was sounlike the blue depths overhead in his old life that it seemed to puzzlehim. After a long, curious look, he soared towards it, fluttered near itfor a few seconds, then flew to a cornice over the door and perchedupon it. There he stayed, like the Raven of poetry, ''just above mychamber door." For a full half hour he rested there, pluming andpreening his feathers, sometimes pecking at or tapping the wall with hisbill, often, very often, looking across at me as I lay watching him. By(94)

A Sudden Friendship 95and by a fly came by and lighted near him. He darted at it, missed it,and returned to his perch. He was hungry, and I am given to hospitaHtywhere birtls are concerned, so I looked about for proper food.Catching a fly upon the window, I laid it upon the outside of my butterflynet — always near at hand — and held it up by the long handle, verycautiously and slowly, towards the bird. When it was within his reach Iwaited, silent and breathless. You bird people know the feeling, thatsuspense, that mingling of hope and fear, when one is trying to win theshy heart of a bird. I need not have been afraid. He was not; aglance at the fly, then one at me, and he reached out his little bill andtook the food. I drew a long breath of relief. Then I repeated theprocess. Again and again I caught a fly and held it up for my littlefriend. For he was a friend, even then, though I did not know howclose a friend until later. At last, as I was standing at my windowwatching for another morsel for my guest, there was a flutter of wings,a breath of air on my cheek, and the jewel of a bird, a sapphire surely,was on my shoulder. I scarcely breathed or moved. But, again, I neednot have feared. Turning his pretty head, he looked at me with hisbright, soft eyes, then touched my cheek with his bill.He was mine; I had won him. Whatever had been his ok! world,his old friends, he had waked up into a new life, and I was a part of it;the best part of it, 1 think, for from that minute he was a friend andlover. In all my life I have never had so close a bird friend; he tookfood from my hands, he nestled against my cheek and sat upon myshoulder. At first I was very cautious, for fear of frightening him, butI soon found there was no danger. So I held him gentlv in my handand examined tlie plumage; the blue feathers with ,1 sort of whitish,misty bloom on them, the yellowish patch on the back almost hidtlenuntil I parted the outer feathers to see it, the creamy breast with justthe suggestion of a brownish banti across it, ami the white spots on tailfeathers. I am sure few, if any, lovers of birds ever had such opportunityof studying closelv the living Parula. 1 grew bolder as I saw hisboldness, and tried little t-xperimt-nts with my new frieiui. I shook himfroin my hand, pushed him gently away from me, refused him food orcaresses; but he caine back to me, pecked my hands and face, pulled atni\ hair with his licak, crept into ni\ half-shut hand and nestleil there.All that soft, warm afternoon we were together and in closest intimacy.As the sun went down across the Halifax river, but before it haddi^appc-ared from sight, the bird was sudiK-nl\- missing. For some nu'nutesI searched for liini in \ain. At last I fouiui him. There was apot of P'nglish Iw on one rnA of ni\ mantel. ( )n the earth in theflower pot uikKt the siieltiTing i\ \ lea\cs was a little ball of blue down,— ni\ visitor with his head tucked under his wing, asleep. It was bed-

96 Bird -Loretime and he had retired, goinjj; to sleep as peacefully, as trustingly asif in his own nest among the hanging moss. I could not leave himthere, for I wanted to open my window before I left the room for theevening, so I made a cosy bed -room of my wicker scrap -basket andplaced him in it. As I took him out of bed very gently he made afaint, protesting, drowsy little noise, a chirp or peep; the only sound Iever heard him utter. When I came upstairs two or three hours later,I looked in at my little friend and found him fast asleep. But at dawnhe was awake and stirring. I uncovered the basket and he at oncesprang toward me, darting upward, lighting upon my clothing and nestlingagainst my neck. He had not forgotten me. But I had forgottenthat the window was open. Before 1 remembered, the bird flew to it,lighted upon the sill and looked out through the open slats of the shutters.The air came softly in, full of the breath of flowers, and birdswere singing just outside. Had I lost him? No; he listened, looked,then turned away and flew to my shoulder. He was a very silent lover,but 1 understood him.At the breakfast table I talked about my new friend, and, of course,all wished to see him. So I brought him down stairs, and exhibitedhim in the large front hall. He stood upon my outstretched hand andlooked about him, took the flies I offered, pecked at my cheek, myfingers, but took no notice at all of the people who gathered aroundhim. He and I were alone together in this new life, and he was content.Now came the question as to what I should do with the bird. It wasscarcely a question; 1 knew what I ought to do, what I must do. I couldnot keep him. We were leaving Ormond ne.xt day, and I could not carrythisactive, restless, insect -eating warbler on my travels, caged and unhappy;but it was a little hard to let him go. I fed him till he would eat no more.I smoothed the blue feathers, looked into the soft, dark eyes and perhapssaid a few foolish good-by words he could not understand. Then Itook him out into the sunshine, among the trees and flowers and butterflies,and tossed him lightly into the air towards liberty. He flutteredthere an instant, then darted towards me and settled upon my shoulder.Again and again this was repeated. He would not leave me. I saw thatI must treat him as one sometimes treats a clinging child : I muststeal away stealthily so that he would not find me. So I took himaway from the house, up the road to a hammock where the treesgrew thickly and where there were many birds, and some Parulas likehimself. 1 placed him upon a branch among the leaves, his head turnedaway from me, then tried to steal quickly away unseen. In an instanthe was on my shoulder. Three times I tried this, with the same result.But the fourth time it was successful. As he reached out toward a fly-

A Sudden Friendship 97ing insect in the air I disappeared behind a clump of trees and, steaHngin and out quickly and quietlv among the vines and shrubs, eluded him.I am not ashamed to say that my eyes were full of tears as 1 creptalong and there was a homesick lump in my throat. 1 wonder if hemissed me. I wonder if he understood that I had to do it.INARCADIAPhotoKraphcd from nature by William Rollins

JTor %t(ic\)tv& anti ^tutiente^Birds and SeasonsFOURTH SERIESEVENJUNE AND JULY BIRD LIFE NEAR BOSTONBy Rai.hhHoffmannbefore the May migrants return, the earl}' arrivals and someof the winter residents have chosen nesting-sites in the old appleorchards, and all through May and early June a student of birdsis kept busy following up old friends or making new acquaintances. Birdsreturn to their old homes with startling regularity, and yet there is aconsiderable amount of change from year to year in the avine populationof a township. One species has had a successful year, and overflows froman old locality, so that a pair of House Wrens appear where there werenone the year before, or some calamity overtakes the Prairie Warblers,and the old corner where the male sang is silent. While many birds aregenerally distributed, others are very rare, or abundant only in a few peculiarregions. Only in extensive marshes can we expect to find theRails and the Marsh Wrens; the Purple Martin and the Cliff Swallow arefound in one village, but not in the next. We may live near the edgeof the breeding range of certain species, and find only a few pair, whileto the south or north the bird becomes common. This is the case withthe White-eyed and Solitary Vireos.By the middle of June the young begin to be hatched, and theparents' busiest time begins. In July the young appear in the fields andlanes, and by the end of the month are wandering about with theirparents, learning their first lessons in geography. Some morning late inthe month the first Solitary Sandpiper, returning from the north, remindsus that each season passes insensibly into the next.RIRDS THAT BREED IN THE VICIXITY OF BOSTONPied-billed Grebe,* Black Duck,* Wood Duck,* American Bittern, Least Bittern,*Green Heron, Black -crowned Night Heron, Virginia Rail,*Sora Rail,* Florida Gallinule,*American Woodcock,* Spotted Sandpiper, Bob-white, Ruflfed Grouse, MourningDove,* Marsh Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk,* Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk,*Red-shouldered Hawk, American Sparrow Hawk, Long-eared Owl,* Barred Owl,*Screech Owl, Cireat-horned Owl,* Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, BeltedKingfisher, Hairy Woodpecker,* Downy Woodpecker, Flicker, Whippoorwill, Night-* Rare, or very locally distributed.(98)

-Birds and Seasons 99hawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Kingbird, Crested Flycatcher,*Phoebe, Wood Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Bluejay, Crow, Bobolink, Cowbird, Red-wingedBlackbird, Meadowiark, (Orchard Oriole), Baltimore Oriole, Bronzed Grackle, PurpleFinch, American GoldHnch, Vesper Sparrow, Savanna Sparrow,* Grasshopper Sparrow,*Henslow's Sparrow,* Sharp-tailed Sparrow,* Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, SongSparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Towhee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bird, Scarlet Tanager.Purple Martin,* Cliff Swallow,* Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Bank Swallow,Cedarbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, [Solitary Vireo],(White-eyed Vireo), Black-and- White Creeper, Golden-winged Warbler, NashvilleWarbler, Parula Warbler,* Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, [BlackburnianWarbler], Black-throated Cireen Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Ovenbird,Maryland Yellow-throat, ( Yellow-breasted Chat), [Canadian Warbler], American Redstart,Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, Short-billed Marsh Wren,* Long-billedMarsh Wren,* White-breasted Nuthatch, Chickadee, Wood Thrush, Wilson's Thrush,[Hermit Thrush], Robin, Bluebird.* Rare, or very locally distributed,f IRare, commoner to the northward. ( ) Rare, commoner to the southward.JUNE AND JULY BIRD-LIFE NEAR NEW YOKK CITYBv Frank M. Ch.apm.'\nFor the students of birds in nature June in this latitude is the mostimportant month of the year. The distractions of the migration nolonger prevent us from careful, continuous study of the home life ofbirds, with its innumerable illustrations of highly developed instincts andinteresting evidences of intelligent adaptation to the demands of the hour.The nesting season may be said to begin with the spring migrationitself, when, about March i, the Great Horned Owl, and, a little later,other birds of prey go to housekeeping; the time of a bird's nestingbeing more or less closely related to the charactei of the food of itsyoung. June, however, is the true home month, ami either in building,incubating, in feeding or training their young, fully ninetv per cent ofour breeding birds are then occupied with domestic affairs. An earlylesson in forming orderly and regular habits is fountl in the establishmentof roosts, to which the young, with one or both parents, of such earlybreeding birds as Grackles ami Robins repair each night.The song season reaches its height late in May before most birdsare occupied with care, anil inspired males have little to do but giveexpression to their emotions and eloiiuentU . if unconsciously, voice thejoy of the season. It is a merry time, all too quickU endeil. as the onebroodedbirds soon drop from the choir to begin at (Mice preparationsfor the first stages of the journcx to their winter iiuiirtcrs, Mobolinks,Red-winged Blackbirds, NCcries, and ( )nhard ( )rioles and some othersbeing rareU' hearil after JuK is.Hy julv 1 the tide of the birds' \ ear begins to ebb. Then we lookfor the returning 'I'ree Swallow, a binl which does not. as a rule, nest

looBird -Lorein the immediate vicinity of New York city, but during July andAugust roosts in great numbers in our Hackensack marshes. Here, inearly July, it is joined by the Red-winged Blackbirds, and now thecareful observer may find many changes in the character of the bird -lifeof a district with which he has become familiar in June, as birds nolonger confined by the cares of the nesting season, and not as yetimpelletl to migrate, wander irregularly about the country.BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 184.Wood Duck,* Green Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, American Bittern,* LeastBittern,* Clapper Rail, King Rail,* Virginia Rail,* Woodcock, Spotted Sandpiper,Mourning Dove, Osprey, Barn Owl,* Yellow-biiied Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo,Belted Kingfisher, Nighthawk, Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird,Kingbird, Crested Flycatcher, Phoebe, Least Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher,Traill's Flycatcher,* Wood Pewee, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird,Purple Grackle, Bobolink, Meadowlark, Cowbird, (jrasshopper Sparrow, Henslow'sSparrow,* Seaside Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Field Sparrow,Vesper Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Towhee, Indigo Bunting,Scarlet Tanager, Barn Swallow, Rough-winged Swallow,* Cliff Swallow,* Bank Swallow,Tree Swallow, Purple Martin,* Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-throatedVireo, White-eyed Vireo, Black and White Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, WormeatingWarbler,* Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Prairie Warbler,* Redstart,Hooded Warbler, Ovenbird, Louisiana Water-Thrush, Maryland Yellow-throat, KentuckyWarbler,* Yellow-breasted Chat, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Short-billed MarshWren,* Long-billed Marsh Wren, Veery, Wood Thrush, Robin, Bluebird.* Rare or localJUNE AND JULY BIRD LIFENEAR PHILADELPHIABy Witmer Stom:June and July mark the summer period of rest in bird -life, so far asmigration is concerned, but a period of intense activity to the birdsthemselves. It is then that all species are on their breeding-groundsand consumed with the care of nests and young. Owing to the earlynesting of many species, however, we find tliem scattering over thecountry or beginning to flock long before others have guided theiryoung from the nest. The Goldfinch, Cedarbird and Dove may befound breeding later than any other species, the last, however, like manyother birds, raises more than one brood in a season. Occupied withfamily cares the birds become less musical and less conspicuous, andthese months seem almost commonplace after the excitement and bustleof May, were it not for the interest to be foumi in watching the nestsand studying the development of the young.About ninety species breed within ten miles of Philadelphia, but halfthat number is a fair average for one's immediate neighborhood.

whichBirds and Seasons loiWith the young on the wing, our songsters grow less and less musical,and by the middle of July most of them are silent, though the Red -eyedVireo and Indigo -bird may still be heard after the other voices have beenhushed.About July 15 we also begin to recognize visitors from near by thatdid not breed immediately about us, and our rarer breeders are increasingin number, while a tendency to flock is evident on all sides. This isthe beginning of the fall migration, and generally by July 30 we notethe first real stranger from the north — the Water-thrush.In July also we see the molt in progress: the annual shedding of theworn breeding plumage and the substitution of a fuller feathering, whichis to serve as a winter wrap. Most young birds, too, have a molt atthis time and lose the scant juvenal plumage ' 'covered them whenthey first launched forth from the nest.BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents, see Bird-Lore, December, 1900, p. 183.Night Heron, Green Heron, Least Bittern, Killdeer, King Rail, \'irginia Rail,Spotted Sandpiper, Turkey Vulture, Yeiiow-billed Cuckoo, Kingfisher, Flicker, RedheadedWoodpecker, Hummingbird, Chimney Swift, Night Hawk, Kingbird, CrestedFlycatcher, Pewee, Wood Pewee, Green-crested Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole, BaltimoreOriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Grackle, Cowbird, Indigo-bird, Towhee, ChippingSparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Barn Swallow,Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Red-eyed Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Ovenbird,Maryland Yellow-throat, Blue-winged Warbler, Black and White Warbler, KentuckyWarbler, Yellow Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Chat, Long-billed Marsh Wren,House Wren, Brown Thrasher, Catbird, Wood Thrush, Robin, Bluebird.Rare or Local Breeders. —Wood Duck, Field Plover, Osprey,* Black-billed Cuckoo,Whip-poor-will,* Least Flycatcher, Cliff Swallow, Purple Martin,* Yellow-throatedX'ireo, Warbling Vireo, Prairie Warbler,* Pine Warbler,* Louisiana Water-thrush,Redstart, Rose-breasted Grosbeak.* Plentiful in southern New Jersey.JUNE AND JULY BIRD-LIFE NEAR OBERLIN, OHIOBv LvNDS JunesDuring the whole of June there are present only the summer residentspecies, if we except an occasional stray drake Mallard. The closestscrutiny of June hinl-life has failed to bring to light any movement of specieseither northward or southward, but there may be movement of someindividuals of the latest spring arrivals northward in early June, and a slightsouthward movement among the earlier breetlers of the earliest arrivals, latein the motuh. Tluis the Hron/cd Gracklcs and Robins begin to gatherin consiilerable Hocks, to form roosts, even late in .May. The movementis no iloubt rather a preparation for migration than an actual migration.In the list of siiinnuT rc^iileiits 1 lia\c iiu'luilfd i'ii:ht species which do

I02Bird -Lorenot appear in the lists of arrivals in previous numbers, because they aretoo irreijular and too scarce to determine their dates of arrival, even approximately.July witnesses a good deal more activity of southward movement amongthe summer resident birds, but a careful search during the whole of themonth has failed to bring to light any stragglers from the north. Themolting period so drives the birds into seclusion that it is difficult tobe sure that the apparent decrease in the numbers of species is really adecrease, or that they are only in hiding. Toward the end of themonth most of the birds have wholly deserted their nesting places, andmust be looked for in other places where concealment is easy. Thelarger Hawks have already renewed their fall dress, but the hot weatherholds them in retirement. At this time they seem to be less alert thanis their habit, for many times I have stolen upon them within almostreaching distance. I have often wondered if the presence of Lake Erie,lying as a barrier to southward migrations as it does to the northward,might not account for the lack of northern breeding Warblers and shorebirds in July. Do they prefer to pass around the ends of the lake untilthe advancing season makes a more direct return necessary ?SPECIES PRESENT DURING JUNE AND JULYFor permanent residents see Bird-Lore, December, 1900, page 186.Killdeer, Red-winged Blackbird, Meadowlark, Bronzed Grackle, Robin, Bluebird,Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Cowbird, Towhee, Migrant Shrike, Great BlueHeron, Phcebe, Vesper Sparrow, Pied-billed Grebe, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow,Bartramian Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Chimney Swiff,Barn Swallow, Purple Martin, Brown Thrasher, Kingbird, Crested Flycatcher, LeastFlycatcher, Bobolink, Baltimore Oriole, Grasshopper Sparrow, Cliff Swallow, BankSwallow, Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Blue-winged Warbler,Yellow Warbler, Ovenbird, Maryland Yellow-throat, Redstart, House Wren, Catbird,Wood Thrush, Wilson's Thrush, Orchard Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, IndigoBunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow-throated Vireo, Cerulean Warbler, GreencrestedFlycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird,Wood Pewee, Traill's Flycatcher, Least Bittern, Nighthawk, Whip-poor-will,Lark Sparrow, Dickcissel, Tree Swallow.JUNE AND JULY BIRD-LIFE AT GLEN ELLYN (NEAR CHICAGOiILLINOISBv Benjamin T. GaultThe ifinal days of May have witnessed the disappearance of thetransient migrants, and, though some of our later Warblers, the Connecticutand Black -throated Green, may have extended their visit for abrief spell longer— occasionally well into June— we must regard them atthis season strictly as loiterers.On the whole, it is far safer in concluding that with the departure

Birds and Seasons 103of the Black-poll Warbler, and the silencing of his quaint pebble -likeclicking notes— one of the very best indicators, by the way— the season ofspring migration has happily drawn to a close. So, with the going outof May, the exciting period of the past few weeks has suddenly terminated,and we find ourselves face to face with a new order of things.With the birds it is the central or focusing point in many of theircareers, while to ourselves as students it should bring forth a season ofno mean importance.First, for the opportunity thus given us for determining to a degreeof certainty the number and kind of our permanent and summer-residentforms; second, for the very great interest attachable to a more thoroughknowledge of their nesting ways.June, to the majority of our birds, means the great nursery month ofthe year. A very considerable number of them, it is true, may haveanticipated it from one to several weeks' time. Again, there are othersthat will delay all nest-building operations for several weeks yet to come.In any event, however, the question of food suitable for the needs oftheir growing young, at the proper season, has much to do in explainingtheir otherwise eccentric habits, whether they are late or earlybreeders, as the case may be.June is also the month when a gradual cessation of the season of songis noticeable. The Bobolinks, (jrasshopper and Henslow's Sparrows ofour meadows and fields, the Marsh Wrens in the sloughs, or the Redeyedand Yellow -throatetl X'ireos of the deeper woods, together with theIndigo Buntings in the sproutland clearings, may continue to interest uswith their songs, some for a few weeks, others, like the Indigo, the entiresummer through; still we, nevertheless, have not failed of detecting adegree of listlessness on the part of others, for example the Robin,Baltimore Oriole, Thrasher and Scarlet Tanager.An over -taxed parental care mav suggest an explanation in the caseof some, but for the many a much better solution is offered in theapproaching season of molt. As it is, the middle of jul\- fintis our mitisummerchorus sadly decimated, both in the number of iiuliviilual performers,as well as in the quality of songs olfereil.So to study, then, our biriis to the best advantage we must visitthem in tlieir weedy lowlami haunts, the lieiiges and the wet meadows,where many iiave congregated prior to tlie formation of tiieir summerroosts.We .-ire sun- to find there the Dickcissel and tlie Hobolink— old malesof the latter in molting parti -colored dress— the Song anil the Henslow'sSparrows, and at certain times and places, the Bron/e and Red -wingedlilackhirds in mixed flocks of old and nouul;. In the lowlands, too, thelilack-crowneil Night Heron is aUo much in e\ideiu-e during wet seasons.

I04Bird-LoreScarcely has this month commenced to subside before the first indicationsof the fall migration have set in.With us the Solitary Sandpiper always takes tlie lead, followed in turnby other members of the wadins^ famil\', early thouo;h it may seem to be.BIRDS OF THE SEASONSummer resident, exclusive of permanent residence, species (for which see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 187) near Glen Ellyn, Illinois, from data collected during the pastnine years, earliest dates of arrival being given:Jan. 21, Cedarbird; Jan. 24, Meadow-lark; Jan. 25, American Robin; Feb. 19,Bluebird and Red-headed Woodpecker; March 3, Killdeer; March 8, Song Sparrow;March 12, Mourning Dove and Red-winged Blackbird; March 17, Bronzed Grackle;March 18, Cow bird ; March 20, Flicker; March 21, Phoebe; March 28, Martin; AprilI, Kingfisher; April 3, Grass Finch; April 4, Field Sparrow and White-rumpedShrike; April 5, Chipping Sparrow; April 7, Pied-billed Grebe and Chewink;April 8, Black-crowned Night Heron and Savanna Sparrow; April 10, BartramianSandpiper; April 12, Marsh Hawk; April 14, Carolina Rail; April 16, Kingbird;April 17, Brown Thrasher and Barn Swallow; April 19, American Bittern, King Railand Spotted Sandpiper; April 22, Chimney Swift and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher; April 23,Tree Swallow; April 25, Eave Swallow, Green Heron and Virginia Rail; April 26,Baltimore Oriole; April 27, Bobolink and Rose-breasted Grosbeak; April 28, Ovenbirdand Orchard Oriole; April 29, Catbird; April 30, Yellow Warbler, Wood Thrushand Scarlet Tanager; May i, Night Hawk, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Crested Flycatcher,Warbling Vireo, Indigo Bird, Chestnut-sided and Blue-winged Yellow Warblers;May 2, Yellow-throated Vireo and Maryland Yellow-throat; May 3, Dickcissel,American Redstart and House Wren; May 4, Grasshopper Sparrow; May 5, Red-eyedV^ireo; May 6, Acadian and Least Flycatchers; May 7, Black-billed Cuckoo; May 8,Short-billed Marsh Wren and Henslow's Sparrow; May 9, Wood Pewee ; May10,Yellow-breasted Chat; May 11, Cerulean Warbler; May 15, Yellow-billed Cuckoo;May 18, Traill's Flycatcher; June 5, American Woodcock; breeding records for LeastBittern, Long-billed Marsh Wren and Lark Sparrow.SUMMER BIRDS OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIABv LVMAN BEI.niNGWater Birds which probably breed within ten miles of Stockton, though extensivereclamation of tule marsh makes their presence uncertain:Western Grebe, Forster's Tern, American Black Tern, Farallone Cormorant,Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Gadwell, Wood Duck, Ruddy Duck, Fulvous Tree Duck,White-faced Glossy Ibis, American Bittern, Least Bittern, (ireat Blue Heron, AmericanEgret, Snowy Heron, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Sandhill Crane(rarely), Florida Ciallinule, American Coot, Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer.Land birds w-hich breed near Stockton, California:Valley Partridge, Mourning Dove, Turkey \'ulture. White-tailed Kite, MarshHawk, Western Red-tailed Hawk, Red-bellied Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, (Golden Eagle,American Sparrow Hawk, American Barn Owl, California Screech Owl, BurrowingOwl, Belted Kingfisher, Gairdner's Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, CalifornianWoodpecker, Lewis' Woodpecker, Red-shafted Flicker, Black-chinned Hummingbird,Anna's Hummingbird, Arkansas Kingbird, Ash -throated Flvcatcher, Black Phoebe

'Summer.'Birds''Itlid-June'MyandBirds and Seasons 105Western Wood Pewee, Western Flycatcher, Little Flycatcher, Mexican Horned Lark,Vellow-billed Magpie, California Jay, American Crow, Yellow-headed Blackbird,Bicolored Blackbird, Tricolored Blackbird, Western Meadovvlark, Bullock's Oriole,Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Arkansas Goldfinch, WesternLark Sparrow, Western Chipping Sparrow, Herman's Song Sparrow, English Sparrow,Spurred Towhee, Californian Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, WesternBlue Grosbeak,Lazuli Bunting, Western Martin, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Phainopepla,California Shrike, Warbling Vireo, Hutton's Vireoo, Least Vire, Yellow Warbler,Western Yellow-throat, Long-tailed Chat, Californian Thrasher, Vigor's Wren, Parkman'sWren, Tule Wren, Slender-billed Nuthatch, Plain Titmouse, Pallid Wren-tit,Californian Bush-tit, Western Gnatcatcher, Russet-backed Thrush, Western Bluebird.SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S STUDY[We learn with much pleasure that Dr. W. L. Ralph, who succeeded MajorBendire as Honorary Curator of the Section of Birds' Eggs in the National Museum,has undertaken the continuation of Major Bendire's great work, entitled the "LifeHistories of North American Birds." Dr. Ralph has therefore issued a list of questionsconcerning the nesting habits of birds, and as the subject is directly in line withBiru-Lore's "Birds and Season" articles we give the list in full below.]QUESTIONS RELATING TO BIRDS' AND BIRDS EGGS(i) The average number of eggs in a set or clutch? (2) The largest number ofeggs in one nest? (3) The earliest date of nesting? (4) The latest date of nesting?(5) Whether this species has one or more broods in a season? (6) The favorite siteof nest when on the ground ? (7) The location of nest when found in a tree or bush ?(8) The kind of a tree or shrub for which this species has a preference ? (9) The heightof the nest above the ground? (10) The period of incubation, if known? (11) Anyunusual nesting sites which have come under your observation ? (12) The various callnotes and songs, so far as you are able to describe them? (13) The kinds of localitiesmost frequented by this species during the breeding season? (14) Whether or not thisspecies is a constant resident? (15) The dates of arrival and departure, if migratory?(16) Whether this species is as abundant now as formerly? (17) The principal causesof increase or decrease in abundance? (18) Any change in its habits which you mayhave noted? (19) Whether the nest is built by the male, the female, or both?(20) W'lietluT the process of incubation is performed In the male, the female, or both?(21) Whether the young are cared iur by the male, the female, or both ? (^22) Compositionof nest? (23) Remarks on the general habits of this species (especially duringthe breeding season), its food, care of young, etc.SUGGESTIONSFOR THE SEASONS READINGThoreau : Burroughs: 'In the Hemlocks' and "Birds' Nests' in'"'Wake Robin"; -Nesting in 'Locusts and Wild Honey'; The Tragediesof the Nests' in 'Signs and Seasons'; 'Birds' Eggs'; 'Bird Courtship' in 'Riverbv.'Torrey:'Francohia'Conrfcssicms of a Bird-Xest Hunter' in 'A Rambler's Lease" ;'June in"in 'The Foot-path Wav.' F"lagg: 'June' and "July,' in .\ Year with'of the Air," ' .\ Bird-Lover'the Birds." Miller ;in the West,'In'Upon theNesting Time,"Tree-Tops.''LittleMerriam:BrothersSummer in a Mormon Village,''A-Birding on a Mronro." Keeler: 'Summer Hirds of the Redwoods' and 'InNesting-Tiiiu- 'inof Kintuckv Woods :uu\ I'iilds."N'otis .Miild.' Croikeit :;in.l'juK'in ' .\ \ earixuik

io6Bird-LoreWhat Bird is This ?Field Description. — Length, 5.00 in. Upper parts olive-^reen, streaked with black, rump brighter; crownblackish, ear-coverts chestnut ; a large white patch on the wing coverts; under parts yellow, streaked withblack; outer tail feathers with white patches.Note. — Each number of Bird-Lore will contain a photograph, from specimens inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some widely-distributed, but, in theeastern United States, at least, little-known bird, the name of which will be withhelduntil the succeeding number of the magazine, it being believed that this method ofarousing the student's curiosity will result in impressing the bird's characters on hismind far more strongly than if its name were given with its picture.The species figured in April is the American Pipit or Titlark.A June Bird CensusDuring June birds are more sedentary than in any other month.Domestic cares then prevent them from leaving the vicinity of their nests,and one may find the same individuals day after day. June, therefore, is thebest season in which to make a census of the bird population of a given area,and we would suggest to those of Bird-Lore's readers who are so fortunateas to be afield in June, that much time could be profitably employed inascertaining the numbers of birds living within certain limits in their neighborhood.Select an area about half a mile square containing, if possible,ground sufficiently varied in character to fairly represent the locality, andthen explore it thoroughly, making a list of the species and numbers of individualsseen. The ground should be gone over many times until theobserver is assured that practically every bird living in it has been tabulated.The lists of birds secured should be arranged after the classification of theAmerican Ornithologists' Union, and Bird-Lore will be glad to give spaceto those which seem worthy of publication.

;;;Song of the WhippoorwillBY GARRETT NEWKIRK" I am a bird misunderstood,So-called the VVliippoorvvillOne always trying to be good,With reputationill." Now I love William just the same" For people say that when I speakI am to William badThat every night I only seekTo punish that poor lad.As 1 do John or Jim ;And never think of laying blameOr wishing harm to him." And when you hear my plainti\e callWhile hours are growing late;I'm thinking not of him at allBut crying to my mate:'f^ear no ill," When darkness comes upon the sky, Keep you still,I take my searching flight. Come I will.'For moths and hcc-tles as tlu-y fly,Above the earth at night." Then wliile at intervals I restUpon a rock or railTo comfort her I think it bestM\ lo\ ing wife to liail ;'Fear no ill,(>07)Kei'p you still,Come 1will.

—J^otes from Jfteld and ^tudpTwo YoungHummingbirdsOn May 25, 1900, I found a Hummingbird'snest in a small beech, on a branchabout ten feet from the ground, and withthe aid of a step-ladder was able to keepwatch of the incubation of the eggs andgrowth of the young birds.The nest was just finished, for the firstegg appeared the next day, and by the28th both eggs were there. Two weeksfrom the day it was laid — on June 9th —the first egg hatched and the other egg theday after. The little things bore slightresemblance to most young birds, for asthey lay flat on the bottom of the nest,with necks outstretched, they were a littleless than an inch in length, dark slatecolor,with a little yellowish fuzz on thebodies, exceedingly thin necks, threecorneredheads and short yellow bills.The eyes were closed.Two days later the fuzz had grown sothat the bodies were nearly hidden by it,though the heads were still bare, and thebills were almost twice their originallength. On June 18, when the firsthatchedbird was nine days old, I notedthe following: "The young Hummingbirdsnearly fill the nest. They are muchbrowner than at first, and the fuzz doesnot seem to have grown much, if any.They have, however, quantities of tinypin-feathers like needle-points, on theheads as well as the bodies, and the billsare nearly a third of an inch in length.The eyes are still closed." Four dayslater both had their eyes open and a fewof the pin-feathers were breaking.Until nearly ready to fly the growth wasso rapid — especially of the bills — that thedifference was easily noticeable from dayto day, while two days made a decidedchange. And before they were many daysold the younger of the pair caught up insize so that the difference between them, atfirst so pronounced, was entirely lost.For several days before leaving the nestthe birds were well feathered and wellgrown, showing the head and white throatover one edge of the nest and the whitecorneredtail at the other, but up to thelast day the bills looked to me not quitefull length. They flew the first day ofJuly, having been twenty- one and twentytwodays in the nest.A week or two later began a great dealof chippering and love-making in the vicinityof the old nest, and July 21 I founda second nest, no doubt built by the samepair, in another beech almost touching thefirst tree, but in too inaccessible a positionfor close observation.At no time did I see the male neareithernest.In this neighborhood Hummingbirdsseem to build almost always in beeches,for of nine other nests found not far fromthese two, seven were in beech, the othersin oak and sweet gum. IsabellaLemmon, Englen-vood, N .J.My Robin NeighborsMcC.There are two large maple trees in frontof my home, both within ten feet of thewindows of my room. One morning inApril, 1900, two robins attracted my attentionby Hying about one of the trees.They kept flying from branch to branch,and it was evident that they were lookingfor a place to build a nest. Finally theydecided to build their nest between twobranches on a level with my window.They immediately began bringing drygrass and pieces of straw, but the thirdor fourth time that the male came withhis bill full of straw he met with anaccident. The place between the brancheswas very narrow and, as he was flying in,he hit against one of them and rumpledboth his feathers and his temper. Thisevidently made him dissatisfied with theplace and tliey both flew awa)'.(i 08)

Notes from Field and Study 109The next morning, much to my delight,they both reappeared in the other tree,and in a few minutes decided on a placewhich was much better than their firstchoice. Soon they were bringing grassand straw, as before, and by night hadthe foundation of the nest completed.A little girl, who lives in the nexthouse, furnished the birds with nestingmaterial by cutting white twine in shortpieces, and the male Robin took it almostas soon as she threw it on the ground.There was a quantity of twine and heevidently thought it a prize as lie hurriedback and forth and took it all.Soon there was a lively discussion betweenthe pair, which ended in a real fight,and then the male Robin took his departure.I cannot understand bird-talk, but itseemed to me that the female Robin didnot like the looks of that white twine, forit made the nest very conspicuous, andbeing placed in bunches, with the endshanging, gave the nest a ragged appearance.The female Robin continued the workalone, pulling out some of the twine andcovering some of it up. It was very interestingto watch her as she worked.She always worked from the inside, placingher straw or grass where she wantedit, and then pressing against it with herbreast to press it into shape.The birds began building the nest onthe 19th of A|)ril, and the female completedit on the 27th. On the 29th thethird and last egg was laid.After this the female never left the nestexcept to make a

—I lO Bird -LoreSwallow's Nest on Board BoatWliilc at Lake George, New York, intlie summer of 1900, a curiously placed nestwas brought to my notice. I had oftenheard of birds building in strange placesabout buildings; but I had never heard ofthem nesting on a steamer tliat traverseddaily so large a body of water as LakeGeorge. Upon inquiring, I found out that,since the Horicon had been in commissionthat season,large numbers of Swallows hadbeen seen hovering about the boat, especiallytoward evening after her arrival at Caldwell.A few days afterward some boys,while in bathing off the railroad wharf,discovered a nest beneath one of the guardrailsof the Horicon. Upon examination,they found it to be made of mud and tocontain three young birds, which hadrecently broken from their shells. Everyda}", for some time, on tlie arrival of tlieboat at her pier, the old birds were seenbringing food to their young, which continuedtheir trips of eighty miles daily,until they were able to fly.Captain Harris, of the Horicon, informedme that this nesting on board hisboat was not an unusual nor new occurrence.He said that usually every year,before the boat was in use, great numbersof Swallows gathered on and about hissteamer, and that he had known, previously,of other nests similarly placet!. Iwas unable to gather a full description ofthe birds, but was told that they were thekind so commonly seen about farm buildings.It may be supposed, although itwas not authoritatively stated, that theparent birds must have followed thesteamer throughout the day. When sitting,one bird of course had to be uponthe nest, and at the same time the other,without doubt, followed the boat. Afterhatching the youngsters had to be fed atshort intervals through the day, thus provingthat the old birds, with their brood,completed a course of eighty miles tlaily,either upon the wing or nest. — BurtonN. Gates, fVorcesier, Mass.[Should any of our readers learn of tliereturn of these birds, we trust tliey willreport to us.]The Barred Owl in Bronx ParkFor nearly two years tliere has lived inthe Hemlock Grove a Barred Owl, orrather a pair of them, and thougli neitherof them were often seen, yet at morningand early evening their weird hoots werefamiliar and delightful to us all.Early inFebruary, an old dead hemlock was cutdown, and the Owl's nest was discovered tobe in it, much to our regret, for it mighthave been spared. During the next snowstorman Owl was reported to have beenseen perching low down in an old tree, andafter the next storm it was found on theground too feeble to Hy. It was broughtinto the museum, and found to be verythin and sick, for while trying to feed itwith finely chopped raw meat, it was discoveredthat it had two large ulcers in itsthroat, which prevented its swallowing, andthat it was slowly starving to death. Itdiet! after ineffectual attempts at curing itby swabbing its throat with kerosene, andit seems likely that it had caught "//z^ roup"from some chicken, stolen from our neighbors'poultry yards. The symptoms werepronounced to be the same, extreme lassitudeand indifference, sitting with its headdown, running at the mouth, an inabilityto swallow. Its mate has been seen sincenear the place where their nest used to be.— Elizabeth G. Britton, AVxu YorkBotanical Garden, Bronx Park.On the seventh ofDecember, at the homeof Mrs. Edward Robins in Philadelphia,the Spencer L. Baird Ornithological Clubwas organized, its object being the studyand advancement of ornithology.The following officers were elected :President.Miss E. W. Fisher; Secretary andTreasurer, Miss M. P. Nicholson. Regularmeetings of the club are held twice a monthfrom November to April, consisting of a businessand a scientific session, each memberbeing responsible for two papers annually.During the winter the club has had thepleasure of listening to addresses from Dr.Charles C. Abbott and Mr. Witmer Stone,and hopes to hear papers in the future fromotiier prominent ornithologists.Parker Nicholson, Secretary.Mary

iSooft J^etDs; ant) 9^ebietD0The Woodpeckers. By Fanme Hardy notes on sixteen representati\e birds, withEcKSTORM. Boston and New York. cuts from the Biological Survey publications.Houghton, Mifflin & Co. i6mo, 131pages; 5 full-page colored plates byLouis Agassiz Fuertes; 21 text cuts Professor Babcock writes from an unusuallyextended experience; his sugges-by J. L. RiDGVVAV.Selecting a group of widely-distributed tions have all stood the test of repeatedand easily-identified birds, Mrs. Eckstormtrial, and no one interested in the spread ofhas treated certain of its members, not from bird study in the schools can afford to losethe conventional or biographical point of the benefit of his advice. — F. M. C.view, but as living object lessons in a studyBird Portraits. By Ernest Setonofthe relation between structure and habit. Tho.mpson. With descriptive text byThere are chapters on courtship, the care Ralph Hoffmann. Boston. Ginn Scof the young, "acquired habits," and a key Co. 1901. 4to, 20 full-page halftones,to the Woodpeckers of North America, but40 pages text.the book deals primarily with the forms Eight of these "portraits" originally appearedin Stickney & Hoffmann's Bird'and uses of the bill, tongue, feet, and tail.The facts presented bespeak tiie author's World,' anil the remaining twelve illustratedMr. Torrey's text in the Youth's'familiarity with her subjects, both in the'field and in the study, and she discusses Companion for 1900. They are welltheir significance with unusual ingenuity, worthy, however, of republication in theirlogic, and facility of expression. The present form, either because of their largerbook, therefore, possesses a far greater size, more careful printing, or the bettervalue than its title would lead us to expect.It forms not only a contribution to Seton-Thompson's distinguishing char-quality of the paper here employed.our knowledge of Woodpeckers, but is an acteristic as a bird artist is a sympathy withadmirable exposition of methods of observationand presentation in philosophic orni-therefore, is not a mere chart of form andhis subject, ami his representation of it,thology, and as such it shoiiUi be in the feathers, but a subtly expressed renderinghands of every thinking student. — F. M. C. of the bird's own personality, which makeshis pictures glow with the true sentiment ofBird Day and How to Prepare For It. bird-life.By Chari.es A.Babcock, A.M., EL.B.,Mr. Hoffmann's text adeijuatel)', and, itSuperintendent of Schools, Oil City, Pa.isSilver, Burdett & Co. Boston and Chicago.i6mo, 95 pages, 16 illustrations. principal features in the biograpliies of theneedless to say, accurately, sets forth thePrice 50 cents.species treated.— F. M. C.As the originator of so successful an ideaThe Ornithological Magazinesas Bird Day has been proven to be, theauthor of this book should command an The Auk.— The Auk for April containsseveral readable articles, among them,attentive audience. After giving a "Historyof the Movement for Bird Day,'" he "Nesting Haliits of Lecontes Sparrow," by'writes at length of the value of birds and P. B. Peabodv; "Cerulean Warbler * * *of their wanton destruction, these chapters in Maryland." i\\ F. C. Kirkwood"; .\being, in effect, reasons for the study of \isit to .Xuduiion's liirthplace," by O.birds. Methods dI stmlv :ire tluii considered,and are lollowed by programs for Waifs," bv II. W. Ilenshaw. Mr. Kirk-Widinaiin, and "Birds of Prey as Ocean"Bird Day," rrtercnces to poems on birds, wood's erfoil t>« pi>iir;i\ ilu' Cerulean W'ari)ler'ssonu; i< iiumI, but aN his "Objects and kcstilts of Bird Da\ ," aixi diacritical

-Rare—112 Bird- Loremarks are not explained, they are somewliatunintelligible. After all, birds* songs areseldom a success when reduced to printer'sink.Much space is given to technical articles,one on "The Pterylosis of Podargus, withNotes on the Pterylography of the Caprimulgi," deserving particular mention. Descriptionsof new subspecies take up anumber of pages, especially the republicationof those scattered in other journals,and here brought together with criticalnotes by Dr. J. A. Allen. It is to behoped some forms will not survive the tribunalof the A. O. U. committee, for justnow we seem to be approaching a pointwhere, having exhausted the possibilities ofseries of specimens from adjacent farms, weshall soon be driven to recognize north lightand south light races, according to therooms in which they are studied. This isno fling at careful work, but describing isa line of least resistance and attracts manywho see differences so minute that they can-•not be intelligibly expressed by words.Mr. R. H. Howe, Jr. 's, "A Study of theGenus Macrorhamphus," furnishes a refreshingexception to the multiplication ofraces that regularly follows examinations oflarge series. With 250 specimens he evolvesno new race,instead reducing the two speciesto one with scolopaceus, a subspeciesof griseus. There is room for a greatdeal more of this synthetical work, althoughit is not so much fun as "splitting."— Jonathan Dwight, Jr., M. D.The Condor, March- April,1901.—Thefirst of a series of articles on Mexican birds,by E. H. Skinner, is devoted to an accountof Giraud's Flycatcher, based on observationsmade near Tapachula, Chiapas, inextreme southern Mexico. A somewhatsimilar article by R. D. Lusk describesthe habits of the BuflF-breasted Flycatcherin Arizona. Both are welcome contributionsto the scanty literature of thesecomparatively little known Flycatchers.Chamberlin's notes on the nests of theWestern Gnatcatcher and Williams' 'Traitof the Western Robin ' (in drooping thewings while feeding) suggest interestinglilies of work for careful field observers.t)f somewhat more local interest, but nonethe less valuable, are two faunal papers,one on'and Unusual Occurrencesat Stockton, Calif.,' by W. B. Sampson,the other a list of birds of the Pima Reservation,Arizona, by G. F. Breninger.Two notes on nomenclature are importantto students of western birds. Richmondshows that the generic name of theCondor, Pseudogryplius, must give way tothe shorter but scarcely more euphoniusname, Gymnogyps, so that the CaliforniaCondor will hereafter be known as Gymnogypscaliforninnus. McGregor callsattention to an earlier name for the westernBlackheaded Grosbeak, described inthe November number of the ' Condor'another instance of careless work on thepart of an author who wa$ more anxiousto name a new subspecies than to studyitshistory.Under the head of communications Osgoodpresents arguments in favor of recognizingclosely related forms by name, andMcGregor calls attention to the desirabilityof dropping the possessive form ofbird names and of securing greater uniformityin the common names in theA. O. U. Check -List.The Cooper Club's interest in bird protectionis shown by a list of thirty nameson the Protection Committee for 1901 — alarger committee than that appointed bythe A. O. U. Fifteen members belong tothe Northern Division and fifteen to theSouthern Division, representing in all fourteencounties, or one-fourth of all those inthe state. There is ample work for sucha committee to do along educational lines,since the bill which the club supportedso energetically and which passed bothbranches of the Legislature failed to receivethe Governor's approval. Bird protectionin California needs more generalsupport, so that there may be no questionas to the enactment of a comprehensivemeasure in 1903.—T. S. P.Books Received. — Other publicationsreceived for review will be noticed in Bird-Lore for August.

whereEditorials 113A Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL CIRGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIESEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. Ill Published June 1, 1901 No. 3SUBSCRIPTION RATESPrice in the United States, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue, NewVork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,Macmillan and Company. Ltd., London.COPYRIGHTED, 1901, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.Bird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in ike Bush is Worth'' Two in the Hand.It is often remarked, with equal truthami triteness, that laws are not self-acting;and, in many instances, the same statementmight be applied to the makers oflaws. Thus, the average legislator haslittle or no interest in securing the passageof laws designed to protect non-game birds.He is, however, as a rule, not opposed tosuch legislation, and when its desirabilityhas been made known to him the facts inthe case are so clear, the argtiments so imanswerable,that he rarely fails to give abird-protective measure his support— be itsaid to his credit.The ditficiilty has been in bringing tliematter to his attention in such a mannerthat he cannot but realize its importance.Circular letters and other forms of indirectappeal are not stifHcient, but the experienceof Mr. Dutcher and Dr. Palmer during thepast winter proves conclusively that if theliird-protectionist properly pleads his causeiiefore the legislative game coniniittce hewill win the day.So these gentlemen, representing theAmerican Ornithologists' Union anil theBiological Survey of the U. S. Departmentof Agriculture, have journeyeil from Maineto Floriila to urge upon the legislators ofvarious states the necessitv of giving to theirbirds adequate legal protection. In someinstances they found a sympathetic sentimentalready established by local Audubonor Ornithological Societies, in others, theiralmost unaided efforts secured the reconsiderationof a bill which had previously beenrejected; and it speaks volumes for theirenergy, skill, and tact when we say thatwherever they have gone good laws havebeen secured. In Florida, however, thelegislature is still in session, but with everyprospect of passing the law introduced andpersonally advocated by these tirelessworkers for the cause of bird protection.In Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey,Delaware, District of Columbia, and Wyoming\ we are glad to hear anAudubon Society has just been formed)good laws have been passed ; and there isevery reason to hope that Connecticut andFlorida will be added to the list. Californialoses its place on this honor roll solelythrough the surprising act of its governor,who vetoed a bill which had passed bothbranches of the legislature.Now let us make the legal protection,which has so happily been secured, actualprotection by subscribing liberally to theThayer fund. Mr. Dutcher's success withthe small sum at his disposal last year tellsin the most satisfactory manner possiblehow much may be accomplished at a comparativelylow cost. The new laws whichhave been secured now greatly widen tinheldwhich may be profitably covered, andit is greatly to be hoped that fimds may beat once forthcoming to hire wardens whereverthey can be employed to advantage.Already twenty-five wardens have beenemployed, but the number should be largelyincreaseil if b'rd-lovers wouhl send theircontributions to William Dutcher, 525Manliattan Avenue, New \ ork citv.The publication of reports of AudubonSocieties has necessarily been postponed togive space to Mr. Van Name's importantpaper on practical bird protection. Every(IMC lisiiiL: in the country can do somethingin the direction outlined by Mr.\'an Name, even if his efforts be confineilti> iii> (nvn garilen.

'"y'ojt cannot -,ctth a scalpri Jimi Ihr port's soul,I^or yet the wild bird's sont; ."Edited by Mrs. MAiiKt. Osgood Wrigm r ( Piesiik'iit of the Audiilion Society of the Stale ofConnecticut), I'aiifield, Conn., to whom all coinimiiiicalions rclalini; to tlie work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., desijjned for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesNew HampshireMrs. F. W. Batcheldkr, Manchester.MassachusettsMiss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Mrs. H. T. Grant, Jr.. 1S7 Bowen street. Providence.ConnecticutMrs. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New YorkMiss Emma H. Lockvvood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street, New York City.New Jersey Miss Anna Haviland. 53 Sand ford ave., Plainfield, N.J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten. 3033 P street, Washinjjton.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delamore place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legare street, Charleston.Florida Mrs. I. Vanderpool. Maitland.Ohio Mrs. D Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.Indiana ^^ • ^^ • Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMiss Mary Drummond, Wheaton.lQ,^a Mrs. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.,WisconsinMrs. George W. Prckham, 646 Marshall street, Milwaukee.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Pitnam, 125 In.e;lehart street, St. Paul.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner. Ripley.Wyoming Mrs. John A. Riner, Cheyeinie.CaliforniaMrs. George S. Gav, Redlands.Song BirdReservationsWhen the progress of civilization, via thedemands of an agricultural and manufacturingpeople, encroached upon and finallyoverran the hunting grounds of the NorthAmerican Indian, tracts of land were reservedfor him where he might live partlyby his own industry and partly by bestowedrations, this method being only successfulin a degree, owing to the uneconomic natureof the individual so aided.Now that the same civilization is reducingthe woodlands and wild tracts that for ageshave been the birds" hunting grounds,should not they too be provided with suitablereservations, where the food natural tosuch places shall be sufficiently supplementedand the supply placed beyond thevicissitudes of weather, etc.? For, unlikethe roving Indian, the bird is as great anencourager of the agriculture that often de-prives it of its time-honored haunts, as thefarmer who sows the seed.Everything that is said in the followingpaper regarding the practicability of combiningfarms in great preserves for gamebirds can be even more easily accomplishedfor Song Bird Reservations, it being generallyconceded that the day has passedwhen it is enough to satisfy the demandsfor bird protection by simply ceasing tokill.Not only may owners of large estatesarrange suitable winter shelter for residentbirds and establish feeding places wheredaily rations are distributed, but small landowners may pledge themselves, combine,and by systematic arrangement convertwhole s(juares in suburban towns into thesereservations, appointing one member of theunion as "food agent" for a specified time,so that there may be no forgetting, for that"every one's business is nobody's business"(i 14)

The Audubon Societies 115is especially visible in the care and feedingof animals.It seems to me that this idea opens vastpossibilities, and I beg every one who isnow reveling with a grateful heart in thebird music of June, to aid in establishinga Song Bird Reservation this summer, beit of one acre or of one tiiousand.M. O. W.A Connecticut Game PreserveFor a number of years past tliere hasbeen maintained in the town of Hampton,in Windham county, Connecticut, a gamepreserve, which has features of imusual interest,not only for sportsmen but for allconcerned in bird protection.Obviously, a preserve which Is to be auseful agent in the work of game protection,and is intended to make up in some degreefor the shortcomings of the game laws, mustbe based upon less selfish motives than thesportsman's preserve of the ordinary kind.It must provide a refuge and suitable breedingground for the birds, and not simplyprotect them from one man in order thatanother nia\ kill them.Such preserves are more often advocatedon paper than tried in reality, for they aregenerally supposed to involve such largeoutlay for land and maintenance and tooffer so little benefit in return, that they areheld to be far beyond all possibility of attainment.The preserve whirli is here described isof interest, as it ^ll()^\^ how far wrong thisassumption is, anil how an almost idealgame preserve, on a ci^nsideraiile scale, wasestablished through the efforts of one man,Mr. K. Knight Sperry, of New Haven,witii so little difficulty and with an outlavso insignificant that there is the best of hopethat it ran and will be initiated elsewhere;and with a degree of success that was farin advance of the most sanguine of ihosiwhowatchet! the experiment.This preserve comprises iietween one andtw()s(iuare miles of farm and woodland, andincludes a small stream. The ownership oflhi> propcriN i> di>tril>uted among seven orliglil people, who have granted Mr. Sperrythe right III preser\c ihe game on their farms,on condition thathe would not shoot therehimself, and would bear the expense of postingthe land with the necessary signs forbiddinghunting, and would stock the groundswith birds. The land-owners, on their part,agreed to do no shooting on their lands andto allow no others to shoot there. As theylive on the farms they are able to enforcethis prohibition without much difficulty, andthe expense of watching the preserve is thuspractically nothing.The chief item of expense was to procureand post the signs forbidding hunting.These were stenciled upon boards one footsquare. About sixty signs were put up.The cost of these is not recorded.Though there are a considerable numberof Partridges on the preserve, the principalgame birds are Quail. Each year abouttwo dozen of these birds, costing sevenor eight dollars for the lot, iiave been liberatedon the grounds. The birds have beenobtained from one of the tiorthwesternstates, as southern birds do not endure theclimate well and either migrate or die offduring the winter.In order to be a success, a game preservemust, first of all, provide food for thebirds, or they will not be able to remaitithere. The natural resources of the landare generally sufficient to support the birdsduring the summer months, but in winterthe case is different, and if a large birdpopulation is to be supported with suchliberality that they will tiot be driven toforage elsewhere, some additional foodsupply must be provided at that season.This has been done by planting cacii yeara couple of small patches of wheat orbuckwheat, which is left to go to seed,and as the stalks of the plants projectabove the snow in winter the i>irds areable to find the food at all times and arekept in good coiuiition, even in the severestweather.There have been no other expenses worthmentioning. The total cost has been sosmall, botii for starting and keeping upthe work, that the sum necessary couldbe raised without much difficiiltv by subscriptionamong the sport>men of eventhe >malle>t t((\Mi>, il the\' could be coll-

ii6Bird - Loreviiicetl of tlu' advantage of such \vt)ik.I'lie results wliitli Mr. Sperry has attainedare no less interesting than hisnu'tliods.It is now about se\en years since theplan was put in operation, but only asmall part of this period liati elapsed beforethe effects of the experiment began tobe apparent. As would be expected, thebirds soon became very abundant on thepreserve, f>ut it is by the effect on thenumber of birds in the surrounding countrythat the practical utility of the workmust lie judged, as no shooting is allowedon the preserve itself. The best evidenceon this point is the opinion of the peopleliving in the vicinity. With them the preserveis decidedly in favor; in no case hasany land-owner withdrawn from the agreement,though it is a purely voluntary one,which can l)e broken off at any time. Onthe contrary, another person has recentlybecome a party to it, thus increasing theoriginal area. The birds have increasedto such an extent that they have spread tothe surrounding country, and now furnishgood shooting on lands where there werevery few birds when the preserve was started,and as a method of stocking a region withgame this plan has proved vastly more successfulthan the usual one of liberating birdson lands where they receive no special foodor protection, and are shot as soon as theopen season comes, if not before.It is believed that the preserve has beenfar more liberally stocked with the westernQuail than was necessary, and that even asmaller outlay would have been rewardedwith almost as nuicli success. It was, however,Mr. Sperry's purpose to give his plana thorough trial and to err on the side ofliberality rather than in the other (iirection.It is hoped that the Hampton preservewill not remain tlie only one of its kind.Though it is perfectly feasible to carryout such a plan under existing laws, it isevident that a law insuring their greaterpermanence, by making the agreement ofthe land-owners more binding when onceentered into, and providing special meansand penalties to safeguard the game, wouldencourage and help those who wish to startsimilar preserves. A bill of this kind willbe presented to the ConnecticLit Legislature,and as it will apply only to the lands ofthose who voluntarily enter into the contract,it is difiicult to see what arguments can bebrought up against its passage.In conclusion, it may lie pointed out thatgame protection by means of preserves isapplicable to birds of many more kindsthan is generally supposed. A few preservescomprising some of the marshes orbeaches along the coast, or some of theponds or swamps in inland districts, whichwould furnish safe resorts and feedinggrounds for the various water birds duringthe migrations, and during the breedingseason for such as would remain and breed,would help to preserve birds which thestate game laws have never projierly caredfor, and would induce the birds to visit regionswhich they have to a great extentdeserted on account of the constant persecutionthey suffer.One reason for the apathy and indifferencewith which most people regard the exterminationof the birds, is the widespreadbelief that it is an inevitable result of theprogress of civilization. There is no greaterfallacy. A few of our birds cannot adaptthemselves to life in a thickly settled andcultivated country, but this list is a shortone. Most of them, including most of thegame birds and water birds, could andwould, if they were given a chance, adapttheir mode of life to the changed conditionsdue to man's occupation of the country.They are disappearing through our faultand neglect and for no other reasons.There are few more promising ways ofmaking amends for our past mistakes thanby the establishment of such preserves asthe one just described. Often no greaterdifficulties would be encountered than inthe case of the Hampton preserve if someonecould be found to take the initiative.Neiv Ha'ven,WiLLARD G.Conn.Van Name.Note.— We are glad to receive the annualreports of the Audubon Societies ofKentucky and Florida, which will appearin the next issue.

IN THE HEART OF A HAWAIIAN FORESTPhotographed by H. W. Henshaw

everythingjgirli = loreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSOfficial Organ of theAudubon SocietiesVol. Ill . July — August, 1901 No. 4First Impressions of Hawaiian BirdsBY H. W. HENSHAWfirst experiences of the bird lover in the Ishind of Hawaii areTHEh'lcely to prove disappointing. The towns are enshrouded in tropicalfoliage, which offers inviting homes to birds, but the greeneryharbors no avian life, save the Mynah and the little Rice Bird, bothintroduced species. Moreover, the harbors and coast line of Hawaii are,for the most part, almost as barren of native bird -life as the towns. Thewaters flash in the glorious tropical sunlight; the tidal pools, full of gorgeouslycolored fish, reflect the tropical vegetation that overhangs them rthe sandy and rocky shores stretch invitingly away ; is presentto welcome the birds — they alone are absentYet not (juite solitary are the shores of Hawaii. Its rocky islets andcoasts have proved a magnet strong enough to draw hither as a permanentresident the Wandering Tattler, the Ulili of the natives, whose runningnote, as he flits from rock to rock, forms a fitting accompaniment to themurmur of the waves as they break against the rocky barriers. I say apermanent resident, for, although the Ulili is not known to breed onHawaii, the bird never wholly abandons its shores. The greater numberleave, presumably for Alaskan breeding grounds, in April, but many remainthe year round. The summer residents are the barren birds and suchas arc still too im.mature to breed, or too weak to essay the long oceanflight.Moreover, if the observer lingers along shore till just before dark, orhappens to be abroad at daybreak, he will see large flocks of Turnstones,accompanied b\ a few Plover, as tlun wing their way from the uplands,where alone the\' feeil. Here, in pastures or on freshly plowed land,or among the sprouting sugar-cane, the birds find an abundant feast ofworms and small insects. Hy destroying vast numbers of insects thc\- dothe planter good service, antl in turn are protected b\ him — for upon

I20Bird-Loremost plantations the Plover, as the two species are indiscriminately called,are wisely protected.I know of few facts pertaining to birds that are stranger than theyearly migrations of the Plover, the Turnstone and the Tattler to andfrom these islands. Leaving Hawaii in April by thousands and returningin August and September, in the interim they brave the passage each wayof some three thousand miles of ocean, more or less, according to thepoint of the American continent they steer for. What a wearisome flightacross the watery wastes these trips must be ! If a storm is encounteredthousands must perish, and under any circumstances no doubt many finda watery grave. Wing power has its limits, and many a brave bird hearthomeward bound is each year forever stilled in the remorseless waters asstrength fails and the never ceasing wing-beats grow fewer and feeblertill the end comes.Why do these birds insist upon such long and dangerous journeys?Their first discovery of Hawaii must have been accidental. A southwardmigration of Plover and Turnstones was, doubtless, interrupted by a storm.The birds were blown out to sea and, bravely striving against fate, thefortunate survivors discovered Hawaii many centuries before the Englishnavigator was born. But when once the "Paradise of the Pacific" wasdiscovered, why leave it ? Why brave the weary and dangerous journeyback ? The temperature varies but little in Hawaii the year round. Theuplands frequented by the birds are cool at all times of the year; apparently,too, they of^er as much food in summer as in winter. Perhaps intime the birds will come to realize the advantages of a permanent residencein Hawaii. But first they must overcome that passion — the mostpowerful that stirs the avian brain — the homing instinct, which impelsthem to leave Hawaii's hospitable shores for the far away Alaska for noother reason than that they have always done so. In the far north theyfirst saw the light, in the far north they reared last year's brood, andback to the far north they must hark at the cost of no matter whatdanger and fatigue. Like the Tattler, both the Plover and the Turnstoneleave a contingent in Hawaii, which consists, as in the case of the former,of the young and the decrepit.But three other coast inhabitants remain to be mentioned, for theBristle -thighed Curlew, or Kiowea, is so rare upon this island that Ihave never seen one.In some respects the Noddy Tern, or Noio, is the most notable andinteresting of all Hawaii's coast birds, but its distribution is very local.Long sections, in fact, of Hawaii's coast line appear to be without theseinteresting birds, perhaps because of the absence of proper cliff shelters.Upon the ledges of cliffs and upon the shelves of rocky caves the Noddiesdoze away their idle hours by day and roost at night. Here upon the

First Impressions of Hawaiian Birds 121bare rock they la^' their eggs, and from their dim recesses the baby Noddycatches its first ghmpse of the outer world through the mist of the breakersas they thunder beneath it. The Noio is extremely sociable and is alwaysfound in large colonies, which live together in the utmost harmony.In holes far up the faces of the same cliffs nests the Tropic Bird, theKoae of the natives. Only occasional glimpses of the Koae are caught,as singly or in pairs they wing their way along the cliffs or oceanwise forfood. Several pairs of this fine bird have always nested in the cliffs onthe west side of Kilauea, and from the Volcano House the birds mayoften be seen, floating idly in the air or actively chasing each other inplay over the pit.No one unfamiliar with such a solitary coast as Hawaii can realizehow greatly the charm of the seaside is enhanced by the presence of birds.It may, at least, be claimed for Hawaii that its desert shores are not theresult of man's act. In the way of sea birds Nature has been as prodigalto America as she has been niggardly to Hawaii. But the teemingshores of the mainland have been stripped of Tern and Gull, Pelican andGrebe to satisfy man's greed and woman's caprice. It is to the deepand turbulent waters offshore, to the absence of inshore shoals, and tothe general lack of suitable nesting grounds that must be attributed thegeneral absence of waders and sea birds around the island of Hawaii.But let us leave the coast and its infrequent birds and bend our stepsto the forest, where a different experience awaits us.The Hawaiian forest is a veritable jungle, and to explore its depthsone should employ a native who is skilled in the use of the heavy caneknife,by means of which a passage is cut through the tangle with surprisingrapidity. A short time since there was no other way to penetratethe forest, but now it is far easier to follow one of the numerous trailsthat pass from the infrequent road to the coff^ee clearings, far within thewoods. Many of these have been ferned, that is, have been paved withthe trunks of tree ferns halved and laid down for walks, along whichthe observer may pass swiftly and with noiseless steps. Let us supposeourselves upon such a trail at an altitude of some two thousand feet.At this height the bulk of the forest proper consists largely of the ohiatree, which attains a height of upward of 100 feet, and supports uponits stalwart trunk and ample branches a whole forest of vines, ferns andberry -bearing shrubs. For so fierce is the struggle for existence in theHawaiian forest that such plants, and even trees, as are denied a footholdon Mother Karth prc(-mpt a home upon their more fortunate brethren,and thus each tree perforce has to furnish standing room for a wholeplant colorn .In some localities at an altitude of about four thousand feet a beautifulacacia, the well-known and highly prizeil koa of the natives, largely replaces

122 Bird- Lorethe ohia, while elsewhere is found a mixture of the two trees, such mixedwoods beinti; a favorite resort of Hawaiian birds.By reason of its great abundance and luxuriant growth, the ieie isthe most prominent of the creeping vines, and its existence seems tobe indissolubly connected with the ohia, every tree being married to oneof the vines, whose loving embrace ceases only with deatli.Tree ferns, extreme examples of which attain a height of 40 feet witha girth of 4. feet at the base, are very numerous; thick clumps of bananasgrow here and there, and the tangle is still further made up by a greatnumber of small shrubs, tree lobelias and ferns which go to swell thebulk of a semi-tropical forest.Such a forest, as is here hinted at but not described, clothes theentire windward side of Hawaii save for a belt of sugar-cane fields, somethree miles wide, which extends upward from the sea, each year encroachingmore and more upon the forests above.This forest, impenetrably dense, always moist, lighted but dimly andever silent, is the chosen haunt of Hawaiian birds, and in its depthshave been developed those curious forms of avian life unlike any othersin the world. Penetrate into the ferns a few steps and then pause amoment. The ohias are in blossom, and from their far-away summits,crowned with clusters of rich crimson blossoms, come the calls and songsof birds. By means of a good glass and with the exercise of muchpatience most of them may be readily identified. The brilliant crimsonplumage of the liwi and the dull red of the Akakani, with its whitecrissum, instantly proclaim the presence of these beautiful species. Thesebirds are the honey-eaters, par excellence, of the Hawaiian woods.Their long curved bills and brush -tipped tongues are preeminently adaptedto glean nectar from flowers, and they drink from nature's crimson cupstill the liquid nectar fairly runs from their bills.The tree -tops, in the height of the ohia blossoming, are the scene ofone mad revel all day long. At such times both the liwi and theAkakani sing almost incessantly, and, as other feathered denizens of theforest join the throng, the scene is one of the most interesting and inspiringpossible to be conceived. It can be compared onl\' to our Americanwoods in the height of the spring migration, but in the number ofindividuals gathered in favored spots and in the united sound of theirtumultuous voices it far eclipses our vernal woods. There seems to bea general impression in Hawaii that the liwi and the Akakani live almostentirely on honey. This is a mistake. Nectar must contain very littlenourishment, for these birds, even when nectar is most abundant, eatgreat numbers of insects, especially a small green worm that infests theohia all the year round.In the deep forests, in tall trees, and in the undergrowth of clear-

First Impressions of Hawaiian Birds 123ings and along the roads, lives the Amakihi, a small greenish bird whichfinds its insect food among the foliage. It has a characteristic upwardtilt to the tail, somewhat like our Titlark. The Amakihi, too, is fondof nectar by way of dessert, and in many ways it is a very interestingspecies. I must pass it by with the statement that of all Hawaiianbirds the Amakihi, in habits and motions, most nearly resembles ourWood Warblers. Oddly enough, its song is a faint, simple trill, whichrecalls the song of our Pine Warbler. Go where you will in theHawaiian woods, if one of these little birds is not visible, one has butto squeak a few tiroes, when a pair appear with answering notes, fullof curiosity as to the nature of your business.The ieie vine has a spike of nutritious seeds, which form the chieffood of the Ou, the thick bill of which, developed, no doubt, chieflyfor the purpose of extracting these same seeds, together with its yellowhead and green plumage, always inspires the stranger with the idea thatthe bird belongs to the Parrot family. In fact, Latham, its first historian,called it the Parrot-billed Grosbeak! The trim, finch -like shapeof the Ou, and its beautiful plumage, are enough to inspire regard inthe breast of any bird observer, but the Ou possesses an even strongerclaim to affection, for it is the most beautiful songster of the Hawaiianforest. The song is unmistakably fringilline in character, and so muchresembles the Canary's, that it is the generally received opinion amongthe settlers that the forest is full of escaped cage -birds ;yet in purity,sweetness and power the song of the Ou far surpasses the Canary's bestefforts. Unfortunately the Ou, as a rule, is not very generous with itssong, and too often the listener has to be content with snatches ofmelody in place of the finished performance. Yet I remember on oneoccasion to have heard more than a dozen males singing in a smallpatch of woods for at least an hour, and the chorus was worth goingfar to listen to.The Ou has a soft, plaintive call, much like a Cjoldfinch 's, whichcan be imitated so closely as to always elicit a response if an Ou iswithin hearing. More than once I have called down a passing partyfrom mid -air to a perch in low trees. Often, too, when c]uietl\' restingin the forest, I have sent forth the soft call-note of the Ou at aventure, to be instantly answered, and to find myself in the midst of apart\ of these birds which, unnoticed, had been quietly feeding in thetrees overhead. While the frint of the ieie forms the chief fooil of theOu, the bird is fond, also, of several kinds of berries, especiall\- ofmamaki berries, of bananas, and even of guavas. Such a varied fareleads to the belief that xh'\> beautiful songster might be domesticated inthe warmer portions of the I'nited States. It may be doubted, however,if the bird would be wt'lcomed b\ tin- fruit-grower, as cherries,

124 Bird -Lorepeaches, and other small fruits would almost certainl\' be eaten by it,and it is a greedy feeder.Another notable dweller of the Hawaiian woods is the Omao, theonl\- Island representative of the Thrush family. In some districts theOmao is the shyest of all shy recluses, while in others it is quite familiar.1 know of no possible explanation of this extraordinary change of disposition.But shy or familiar, it is never chary of its song and often singsthe day through. My English friends speak in high terms of the Omao'ssong, and I regret that I cannot heartily subscribe to their encomiums.When really bent upon singing, the Omao perches upon the topmosttwig of a tall tree, and thence for an hour or more seems to challengethe whole bird world to a musical contest. Its song consists of a seriesof odd, disconnected syllables, now rapidly uttered, now with widelyspacedmeasures, but always defying description. In this medley thereare occasional melodious fragments which suggest bits of our BrownThrasher's song, but at best they are the merest suggestion, and thesong as a whole is not for a moment to be compared with the poorestefifort of our olive-backed fraternity. In general method and effect theOmao's song is not dissimilar to the musical efforts of our Chat (Icteria).The Omao, however, has inspired moments, and I have seen a maleleave the top of a tall tree and circle about on wing, leaving behind atrail of ecstatic song, the memory of which bids the critic pause.The ordinary call -note of the Omao is a deep and loud chuck,neither like nor very unlike the notes of the Wood Thrush. Its alarmnote, uttered when the bird hears a suspicious noise, is a sort of sworlingcall that again is a little suggestive of our Catbird's familiar note.The Omao passes its life in the trees of the deep forest, pretty wellup, and 1 have never seen an individual on the ground. I have searchedcarefully for the nest of the Omao, for the nest may have something totell of the bird's not over-clear relationship, but thus far without success.I must not forget to mention a very curious habit of the Omao.He seems to be afflicted with chronic ague. Standing upright upona bough in a thrush -like attitude and drooping his wings, he shakesthem with a tremulous motion, precisely as young birds do when beggingfor food from their parents. He is particularly prone to one of theseseizures when he sees an intruder, and at first I interpreted the ague tobe the result of nervousness or fright. But more than once I havewatched the Omao when he was wholly unaware of my presence, andhave caught him in the act of having a good shake all by himself.What the performance means, if it means anything, only the Omao knows.In sucli a forest as above described, the Oo, prince among Hawaiianbirds, used to be common, but alas! the love of feathers is not confinedsolelv to women or to civilization. The old chiefs of Hawaii had to

I idheFirst Impressions of Hawaiian Birds 125have emblems of their rank and authority, and the Hawaiian belles oftoday covet the beautiful vellow feathers of the Oo for leis for theneck. As a consequence, the Mamo is probably entirely extinct, whilethe Oo still lingers in certain restricted and inaccessible districts.The Oo is a noble bird, with brilliant black plumage and a farreachingvoice, but with no song as far as I am aware. Its activity asit glides over the branches of the tall ohias, jetting its long tail like aMagpie, is astonishing. At some seasons, at least, it is a most assiduousand persistent insect -hunter, and its loss to Hawaii is to be deplored.In this brief notice of some of the commoner Hawaiian birds, I haveomitted some notable species, such as the orange -colored Akepeleuie,smallest of all Hawaiian birds, the green Akialoa, and the yellow-belliedAkipoloau. The latter species, I may briefly remark, has attempted ina way to play the role of Woodpecker, despite the long, thin, curvedmandible. The skull is thick and broad at base, and the maxillary andneck muscles are very powerful, so as to confer great driving powerupon the short and blunt lower mandible. As a consequence, the birdcan hammer off and wrench away small excrescences from the bark andlimbs of trees so as to expose the hidden insect burrows. The delicate,curved upper mandible appears to have a double function: first, as aprobe to detect the presence of larva; and beetles in their burrows;second, as a hook to haul them out within reach of the brush -tippedtongue.In richness of tone and a certain deliberateness of utterance, the songof the Akialoa suggests that of the Yellow -throated Vireo. It is short,but rich and full, and is frequently- uttered as the bird flies from tree totree or climbs about the trunks.I must not omit all mention of the single Hawk peculiar to theIslands, especially as it is the only bird of prey, except the Short-earedOwl. The latter is so recent a settler from the mainland that it isindistinguishable from mainland specimens. In making the above statementI do not overlook the fact that specimens of the Marsh Harrierhave been taken upon the Island of Oahu, where it is probable that thespecies will in time become established and may spread thence to theother' islands. lo, the hawk, is a heavy- winged, sluggish fellow, withmuch the disposition and man\ of the habits of the Broad -winged Hawk.He shuns the heavy forest and lives on its skirts and in the clearings.He has a liking for perching upon the branches of isolated trees, wherehe sits and scans the ground beneath for mice anil small rats. Smallrodents are his natural fooel, and so heavy and awkwanl on the wing ishe that only under exci-ptional lircunistances can he catch small birds,to the presence of whirh, usu.ilK ,In- coin III JeJ .pa\s not the slightest atti-ntion.\

ADISCUSSIONA Nighthawk IncidentBY FRANK M. CHAPMANWith phntoKraphs from nature by the authorof the specific distinctness of the Whip-poor-willand Nighthawk, following an address to Connecticut agriculturists,some years ago, led to my receipt, in July, igoo, of an invitationfrom a gentleman who was present, to come and see a bird, then nestingon his farm, that he believed, combined the characters of both the[; :m. 'iLS^»>Jsar^-NIGHTHAWK AND YOUNG ONROCKWhip-poor-will and Nighthawk; in short, was the bird to which boththese names applied.Here was an opportunity to secure a much -desired photograph, and,armed with the needed apparatus, as well as specimens of both the Nighthawkand Whip-poor-will, I boarded an early train for Stevenson, Conn.,prepared to gain my point with bird as well as with man.The latter accepted the specimens as incontrovertible facts and readjustedhis views as to the status of the birds they represented, and wemay therefore at once turn our attention to the Nighthawk who waswaiting so patientK' on a bit of granite out in the hay fields. The sun(126)

A Nighthawk Incident 127was setting when we reached the flat rock on which her eggs had beenlaid and young hatched and where she had last been seen; but a fragmentof egg-shell was the only evidence that the bare-looking spot hadonce been a bird's home. The grass had lately been mowed and therewas no immediately surrounding cover in which the bird might havehidden. It is eloquent testimony of the value of her protective coloring,therefore, that we should almost have stepped on the bird, who hadmoved to a near-by flat rock, as we approached the place in which wehad expected to find her.Far more convincing, however, was her faith in her own invisibility.Even the presence of a dog did not tempt her to flight, and when theMCHIHAWK ()\FENCEcamera was erected on its tripod within three feet of her bod\', scjuattingso closely to its rock\' background, her onl\ moNcment was occasioned byher rapid breathing.I here was other cause, however, besiile the belief in her own inconspicuousnessto hold her to the rock: one httle dowin chick nestleil ather side and with instinctive obeilience was as motionless as its parent.So they sat while picture after picture was made from \arious pointsof view and ^rili md movement, until the jiarent was lightly touched, when,starting (]uickl\ , she spread her long wings and sailed out o\er the fields.Perhaps she was startleil and deserted her voting on the impulse ofsudtlen fear. I'ut in a few seconds slu- recovered hersi-lf and, circling,returned and spread lu-rself out on the grass at m\ feet. Then followeilthe evolutions common to so manv birds but wonderful in all. With

-128 Bird - Loresurprisin.Li: skill in mimicry, tiic bird fluttered painfully alon^, ever justbe\()ml my reach until it hati led me a hundred feet or more from itsyounsi. and then, the feat eviilently successful, it sailed away again, toNIGHTH.^WKFEIGNING LAMENESSperch first on a fenceand later on a limb incharacteristic,lengthwiseNighthawk attitude.How are we toaccount for the developmentin so manybirds of what is nowa common habit ?Ducks, Snipe, Grouse,Doves, some groundnesting Sparrows andWarblers, and manyother species, alsofeign lameness withthe object of drawing a supposed enemy from the vicinity of their nestor young. Are we to believe that each individual, who in this mostreasonable manner opposes strategy to force, does so intelligently? Orare we to believe that the habit has been acquired through the agencyof natural selection and is now purely instinctive? Probably neitherquestion can be answered until we know beyond question whether thismimetic or deceptive power is inherited.MGHTH.AVVK ON1. 1MB

SF:PARATEDThe Birds of a MarshBY VERDI BURTCHfrom the foot of Keuka Lake, N. Y., by a strip ofland about three hundred feet wide, and bordering on its outlet, isa marsh of about fifty acres in area. At some time in the remotepast this marsh was a forest, as is attested by the numerous stumps thatremain to this day, some of which are upwards of three feet in diameter.Ten or twelve years ago the water in the marsh was three or fourfeet deep, but, owing to a period of extended drought, it has been steadilvreceding into the outlet, carrying with it the soft mud, water-soakedsticks and various sorts of debris. This obstructed navigation to such anextent that the state built a great fence, or breakwater, between theoutlet and the marsh, making of the latter a shallow, mud -bottomedpond, the shores covered with cattails, coarse grass and weeds, a patch ofalders and willows in one corner, a fringe of trees on one side, and thestate fence, beside which are cattails and rank grass, on the outlet side.As the water recedes, exposing large areas of soft mud, which containsvarious minute mollusks, worms ami the larvae of insects, the swampbecomes the resort of various species of birds, especially the shore birds.These stop on their way south, bringing with them their families, whichwere reared in the far north, in some cases way within the arctic circle.July 28, 1899, at 6.30 1'. M., 1 sat on a stump at the edge of themuddy shore commanding a view of the whole marsh. Four Great BlueHerf)ns were stalking about amcMig the stumps. Le\eling my glass at oneof them, I saw it move its head slowly forward and downward ; then suddenlyit shot down into the water and came back with a frog ui its bill.With a gulp the frog disappeared, and the Heron resumed his slow walk.The little Green Herons were everywhere, some wading in the shallowwater or standing on stumps and others fl\ing about. Helted Kingfisherswere perched on the stumps, from which they would Hy up and poise inthe air with rapidly beating wings, then dart to and into the water, fre-(juently coming out with a small hsh, which they wouKI take to a stinnpto devour. Killdeers were running about all o\er the nuuld\ shore.Chattering in the cattails were numbers of Red -winged l^lackbirils andmany Hoiiolinks, w Inch IkuI changed their bright plumage of spring to adull bufiy olive streakeil with black and their song to a singli- note, (^ink.A few lironzed Gracklcs were walking about in the mud. Ceilar Waxwingswere perched about on the stumps, from which they arose fre-(luently, in true FKcatclu-r style, to snap up a passing insect. Song Sparr(nvswere running hither and thither amofig the tufts of grass at theedge of the nuul and occasionally mounting a stump to sing a short song.(129)

I30Bird -LoreNow and then a Goldfinch flew bj', uttering his merry per-chic-o-ree ashe flew. A Marsh Sparrow mounted a cattail and sang a low, sweetsong. Then a Pectoral Sandpiper, hotl\ pursued by a Cowbird, alightednear me, where the Cowbird left it to feed in peace. Next a Yellowlegscame flying by. The Pectoral and Yellowlegs are the advance guards ofthe flocks of shore birds that come here later in the season. A SpottedSandpiper which has been with us all summer and several Robins nowcame arountl mc, and numbers of Barn, Cliff and Bank Swallows andChimney Swifts were flying to and fro over the marsh catching theirevening's meal.August 4, I noted a Solitary and several Least and Semi-palmated Sandpipers.The last two are the smallest of our Sandpipers, and are usuallyfound together, when it is hard to tell them apart. The Semi-palmatedis slightly the larger.August 7, Yellowlegs were common and it was interesting to watchthem as they moved about with a jerkingmotion, saying cler-clerk, flying afew feet and alighting gracefully with their long and beautiful wings spreadstraight up for a second, then carefully closing them to their sides. Theywere continually on the move and saying cler and cler-clerk. Several SavannahSparrows were running about like mice at the edge of the cattails,and a Flicker flew over.August 13, the Pectorals and Leasts were common and noisy. ASparrow Hawk was circling around overhead. At 5 P. M. I was sittingon the state fence when three Virginia Rails came stealthily out of theflags, dodging about among the tufts of grass, thrusting their slender billsdeep into the soft ground in search of food. They were quite close to meand I noticed that one of them was slightly larger than the others, theplumage of the breast was streaked and the wing coverts were quite rufous.I saw them at this place several times during the following month.In the early morning of August 15 I was walking on the "fence,"when 1 came to a family of five young Cliff Swallows. They were in arow perched on the rail of the fence overlooking the outlet. I was soclose to them that I could see their little eyes glisten as they looked inquiringlyat me. King-birds were common, and I heard a Yellow-billedCuckoo.August ig, at 5.30 a. M., a Louisiana Water Thrush was running onthe mud close to the "fence." A Long-billed Marsh Wren climbed up acattail to scold me. Heard a Warbling Vireo, Catbird and Baltimore Oriole.A Brown Creeper was creeping zigzag up the trunk of a tree nearthe marsh.1 did not visit the marsh again until August 29, and noted but one newbird, a Semi-palmated Plover.My next visit was September 10, and I found the marsh nearly dry and

The Birds of a Marsh 131deserted by the birds, excepting a few Green Herons, a Kingfisher, Pectoral,Semi-pahnated Plover and about a dozen Least and Semi-palmatedSandpipers.September 13. In the bushes were Maryland Yellowthroats, whichgave an imitation of their spring song, some immature Hlackpoll Warblers,Purple Finches and a pair of Phoebes.September ig, a pair of Black Ducks flew over, and a pair of MourningDoves joined the shorebirds, Robins and Cowbirds on the mud.September 21, saw an Indigo Bunting in a bad state of molt in thecattails. A Cooper's Hawk was soaring about, then alighted on a stump.I was watching it with my glass, when suddenly a mink ran up the stumpand grabbed it. The Hawk started to fly and was pulled to the ground,but_ before I could get to them it broke loose and flew away.White - throated Sparrows made their appearance in the bushes September22.October g two lovely Pectorals stood at the edge of a small pool, andin the bushes were Blackpolled (immature) and Myrtle Warblers, Whitethroated,Song, Swamp and a few White-crowned Sparrows, a HermitThrush, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, someChickadees and Rusty Crackles. At dusk flocks of Robins, Cowbirds andRedwings gathered in the alders to roost.October 22, an American Pipit was feeding near a flock of Pectorals,and I flushed a pair of Wilson's Snipe from the edge of the weeds. Sawa Ruby -crowned Kinglet in the bushes.October 2g, a Long-tailed Duck was swimming in the shallow water,and an Osprey stood on the partly eaten body of a Horned Grebe, wherehe was bothered by a flock of Crows.November 12 was a cold, windy day, and I saw only a few Song andTree Sparrows, a couple of Killdeers and a Pectoral.During the season I had observed 61 species about this marsh and inthe years i8g6, 'gy and 'g8, 30 species which were not seen this yearmaking a total of gi species seen about this marsh.The 30 species not mentioned before were: Red-shouKlercd Hawk,Pied - billed Grebe. American Herring Cjull, Least ami Black Terns,American and Least Bitterns, Coot, Greater Yellowlegs, Red -backed Sandpiper,Marsh Hawk, Bald Eagle, Nighthawk, Tree, Chipping, Wsper andArcadian Sparrows, Nashville, Yellow. Magnolia and Black ami WiiiteWarblers, American Golden K\c- and Wood Duck, Rub\ -throated Humming-bird,Slate-colored Junco, Sora, Wood Pewee, Least FlNcatclier,Meadow -lark and Golden -crested Kinglet.

OVENBIRD AT ENTRANCE TO NEST, ABOUT TO FEED YOUNGContact print, no enlargementOVENBIRD AT ENTRANCE TO NEST, ABOUT TO FEED YOUNGPart of same subject as above, enlarged about i'2 timesAn object lesson in enlarging. Two pictures of an Ovenhird, the upper the same sizeas the negative; the lower enlarged about 3 '2 times. From nature by Frank M.Chapman, Englewood. N. J., June 8, 1900.

JTor Ceacl)er2^ anti ^tutients^Birds and SeasonsFIFTH SERIESWHILEAUGUST AND SEPTEMBER BIRD-LIFE NEAR BOSTONBy RalphHoffmannthere is undoubtedly a steady diminution in our bird -lifeduring August, it is extremely difficult to name the exact datewhen the bulk of any one species departs. Many birds are molting,and are consequently silent and retiring. The Yellow Warbler, however,sings constantly through July and early August; when, therefore, wecease to hear his song, we assume that he and his tribe have gone.Individual Yellow Warblers may be observed late in September, but theseare almost certainly migrants from farther north. In September again littlebands of Chimney Swifts may sometimes be observed nearly to the end ofthe month, but our own birds have probably left us long before. Thechief interest in August bird -study lies in studying the plumages of theyoung birds, and in learning to recognize the adult males in their autumndress. There is also a certain amount of wandering going on, which maybring to us an early northern migrant before the regular September movementbegins. Along the shore there is a regular migration in August, andthere Sandpipers, Plover and the various sea birds offer a fascinating butdifficult field for study.September comes after August, somewhat as the spring does after midwinter.No other month except May ofifers so great a variety of birds.But the birds sing little, are often much less conspicuously marked, andseem more restless than in spring, so that the study of the autumn migrantskeeps one even more alert and watchful than the more stirring morningsof May. Since the very first returning migrant in the fall is not awaitedso anxiously as in the spring, I have adopted a different system in recordingtheir arrival. I have gi\en two ilates, but the second is the time when thelast of the species leaves us for the winter, while tin- first is the approximateilate when the first may be looked for. \\ lure no second date isgiven, the species reinaiii> all winter.ItlkDS Of rilK SKASOXI''(tr pcmKiiiiiii rt>. sec liiRD- I.dki: , nci., i

appears.SeptemberSeptember13+ Bird-LoreHlackl>ircl; Septcmlier 5, Kincrhirii, Crested Flycatclier, Least Fl\(atrlier, BaltimoreOriole, Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift); September 10, lioholink, W'hippoorwill,Wilson's Thrush; September 15, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Prairie Warbler, WarblingVireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Wood Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak; September 20,Green Heron, Hummingbird, Xighthawk ; 25, Black and White Warbler,Ovenbird, Redstart ;September 30, Red-eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Pewee,Short-billed Marsh Wren, Long-billed Marsh Wren, Nashville Warbler, Black-billedCuckoo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Spotted Sandpiper.Arrivals and Departures of Mii^rants in Aiii^us/ and September. — August i-October i. Solitary Sandpiper, Blue Heron; August 20-October i, Northern WaterThrush; September i-October 15, Red-bellied Nuthatch*; September, early, CanadaWarbler, Wilson's Blackcap; September 7-October 15, Blackpoll Warbler; September13-30. Connecticut Warbler ; 15-October 5, Magnolia Warbler, ParulaWarbler; September 15-October 10, Lincoln's Finch; September 15-October i. WesternPalm Warbler; September 15-November 20, White-throated Sparrow; September 19, BrownCreeper; September 20-November 10, Myrtle Warbler J, Winter Wren; September 20-October 5, Black-throated Blue Warbler ; September 20-October 10, Olive-backedThrush, Gray-cheeked and Bicknell's Thrushes; September 20-October 15, SolitaryVireo; September 22, Golden -crowned Kinglet; September 25-October 10, Yellow-belliedSapsucker; September 25-November 5, Rusty Grackle, American Pipit ; September 28-October25, Ruby-crowned Kinglet; September 30-October 15, Yellow Palm Warbler.* Sometimes absent. t Individuals often much later. t Individuals often much earlier.AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER BIRD-LIFE NEAR NEW YORK CITYBy FrankM. ChapmanThe first week in August sees practically the conclusion of the nestingseason and of the song period. Goldfinches, Waxwings, and threebroodedSong Sparrows may still be in attendance on their young;Red -eyed Vireos and Wood Pewees will still be in voice, but theirconspicuousness at this season marks them as striking exceptions. Birdsare now molting and are difficult to find, and until the southwardmigration becomes pronounced the woods often seem deserted.Careful, skilled observers will find migrants beginning to arrive fromthe north as early as August, but it is not until about the 20th thatthe first real ' wave'Among the interesting migrants to be found,so far as records go, only at this time is the northeastern form of theLoggerhead Shrike, which nests in northern New England.For bird students near New York city the Hackensack marshes willbe found of unusual interest. Each night the Swallows return to roostin them, and, as the wild rice ripens, Soras, Bobolinks and Red-wingedBlackbirds become more numerous.In September migrants from the north grow rapidly more abundant,and the height of the fall migration is reached between the lOth and20th. About the latter date, the Junco, Brown Creeper, and someother winter visitants mav be looked for.

Robins,Birds and Seasons 135BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents see Bird-Lore Dec, 1900, p. 184.Migrants Arrii'ing from the North.— August: August 1-15, Sora, Yellow-belliedFlycatcher, Golden-winged Warbler, Canadian Warbler, Water Thrush; r5-3i, OlivesidedFlycatcher, Tennessee Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Parula Warbler, Cape MayWarbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Magnolia,Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Red-breastedNuthatch.September : September i-io, Lincoln's Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler, ConnecticutWarbler; 10-20, Blue-headed Vireo, Olive-backed Thrush, Bicknell's Thrush; 20-30,Herring Gull, Junco, White-throated Sparrow, \\'hite-crowned Sparrow, Myrtle Warbler,Yellow Palm Warbler, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,Winter Wren, Gray-cheeked Thrush.Summer Residents Leaving for the South.— September : September i-io, AcadianFlycatcher, Orchard Oriole, Rough-winged Swallow, Worm-eating Warbler, Blue-wingedWarbler; 10-20, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat; 20-30, GreenHeron, Hummingbird, Kingbird, Crested Flycatcher, Wood Pewee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak,Yellow-throated Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Hooded Warbler, Louisiana WaterThrush, Wilson's Thrush.AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER BIRD-LIFE NEAR PHILADELPHIAISv WiTMKR StoneAuf^ust and September are the great months of southward migration,corresponding to April and May of the spring movement. It is true thatnone of our summer resident species leave us entirely until the first weekin September, but migrants are passing during the greater part of bothmonths. The berry -bearing trees and bushes are great rendezvous for birdsat this season, and many species can be seen and studied if the observertakes his stand in the vicinity of a group of wiKl-clierries or clump ofpokeberries. The molt of many birds may be noted at this time, andwe can easily distinguish the 'fork-tailed'which are just beginningto lose their feathers, and the 'wedge-tails' in which the new plumage isnearly grown.Much that goes on during these months is missed by the observerbecause of the heat and other ilrawbacks of midsummer, which rentierfield work a serious matter. Then, too, the birds are silent, retiring andlistless, in marked contrast to their activity during the spring migration orthe first crisp (la\s of ()ct()bc-r.liy Septeinber i, nearl\- all birds, old ami voung, have assumed theirwinter plumage, and the tlull blended colors ami lack of man\ characteristicmarkings of the nuptial season render identifu ation more difficidt.Our first winter visitants, the VVhite-throatetl Sparrows, reach us bySeptember 20, and sometimes the Junco is to be seen before October I.HIRl^S or THE SEASO.VFur pi-niiaiKiit residents sec I'ird-LoRi;, Dec., 1900, ji. 185.Transients .hrixim^ friim \orth. — .August 1-15, (iolilcn- winged \\ arlilcr, Chestnut-

136 Bird- Loresided Warbler, Canadian Warbler, Redstart, Small-billed Water- Thrush ; August 15-31,Yellow-bellied P'lycatcher, Bobolink, Nashville Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, ParulaWarbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Back-throated Green Warbler, Magnolia Warbler,Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Veery ; Sept.1-15, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Savanna Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler, ConnecticutWarbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Blue- headed Vireo, Olive-backed Thrush,Red-bellied Nuthatch; Sept. 15-30, Herring Gull, Junco, White-throated Sparrow,Myrtle Warbler, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,Purple Finch, Winter Wren.Departure of Summer Residents. — Sept. 1-15, Acadian Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole,Baltimore Oriole, Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Purple Martin,Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Blue- winged Warbler; Sept. 15-30,Hummingbird, Whippoorwill, Kingbird, Crested Flycatcher, Wood Pewee, Yellowthroated\'ireo. Warbling \'ire(). Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow Warbler.AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER BIRD - LIFE NEAR OBERLIN, OHIOBv Lynds JonesThere is a good deal of movement among the birds during August, yetonly two species come down from the north with any regularity, and theylate in the month. However, a number of our summer resident specieswholly disappear before the month draws to a close. While there are nofrosty nights, there is likely to be some chilly weather as early as themiddle of the month. There is no lessening of the foliage, except possiblythe dying of some of the lower leaves in the thicker woods. The heat,combined with swarming mosquitoes and gnats and the deer flies, makesthe life of the ornithologist miserable. The dense foliage renders workwith the woods birds extremely difficult, especially so since the birds areinclined to be silent except during the early morning hours. Many of thebirds have not fully recovered from the annual molt, and are more thanusually retiring on that account.September brings good cause for thoughts of the sunn\' south in thatforcible suggestion of the coming winter season, frosty meadows and witheringvegetation. The month is too likely to contain many days too disagreeablefor all but the most ardent devotee of our chosen stuih . It isnot so disappointing as August, for it brings many travelers from the north,and the foliage has thinned with each touch of frost. Not a few of thebirds sing again, but the most are silent or only call.We are accustomed to think of May and June as the months whenbirds" nests are to be fount!. In this region many birds are still nesting inJuly, a few in August, and at least the Goldfinch and Mourning Doveeven into September. These and Song Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow and theCuckoos regularly nest during August. In Iowa I have many times foundfresh eggs in the Cuckoos' nests as late as September 6.

-Birds and Seasons 137BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents, see Bird-Lore, December, 1900, p. 186.Arrivals in August.—Olive-backed Thrush, Solitary Sandpiper.Departures in August.— i-io, Traill's Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole, Blue-wingedWarbler, Long-billed Marsh Wren, Wilson's Thrush; 10-20, Rose-breasted Grosbeak,Purple Martin, Rough-winged Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher; 20-31,Bartramian Sandpiper, Nighthawk, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Phoebe, Cliff Swallow.Arrivals inSeptember — i-io, Bonaparte's Gull, Sanderling, Semi-palmated Plover,Greater Yellowlegs, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Black andWhite Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated BlueWarbler, Magnolia Warbler; 10-20, Blackpoll Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, BlueheadedVireo, Winter Wren; 20-30, Black Tern, Pintail, Shoveler, Pine Siskin (rare).Myrtle Warbler, Palm Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet.Departures in September. — i-io, Kingbird, Crested Flycatcher, Bobolink, BaltimoreOriole, Migrant Shrike, Yellow-breasted Chat, Wood Thrush; 10-20, Great Blue Heron,Sanderling, Green-crested Flycatcher, Wood Pewee, Spotted Sandpiper, Red-headedWoodpecker, Grasshopper Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Warbling Vireo, Bank Swallow,Cerulean Warbler, Redstart, Ovenbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Brown Thrasher;20-30, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Barn Swallow, Maryland Yellowthroat,Indigo Bunting, Red-eyed Vireo, Catbird, House Wren, Nashville Warbler, MagnoliaWarbler, Blackpoll 'V\'^arbler.BIRDS OF STOCKTON AND VICINITYBy I.. BEl.niNGI wrote the notes in the March- April Bird -Lore with the purpose ofinteresting and instructing the school children of Stockton, relying uponmy observations of former years for necessary data, knowing, however,that there had recently been a great change in the area under considerationbut did not think the change as great as it is. The western half, orthereabout, of this area was until recently tule marsh in which water birdswere abundant all of the year, but it has been mostly drained, plowedand quite deserted b\' the water birds. In extensive explorations throughthe tule ground in May of this year I did not see a solitary Egret, andother conspicuous species which, like the Egrets, were formerly very commonappeared to be entirely absent.In the cit\ , owing to the superabundance of the English Sparrow, butfew native birds breed now. Fortunately, the Western Martin is still \erycommon anel some otiur fine songsters breed sparingly' A few Blackheaded Grosbeaks, House Finches and Bullock's Orioles manage to holdthe fort against the Sparrows which are rapiiily spreading through thesurrounding countrx . ( )ur spring migrants all arri\e on or before May lO,ami by August i the birds, excepting the Mourning I)o\e and rare indivitiualexceptions, Ikuc finished breeding and most species are in flocks.Millions of Blai kbinis ll\ v\v\\ morning from tlu-ir roosts in the tuli- marshto the grain fiidds to thi- eastwarti, at night returning to tlu-ir roosts; andthis occurs ever\ ila\ of the \ ear when these birds are not breeding.

ShortijSBird -LoreAJany Crows make the same journey by straggling flight over favoriteroutes from and to their roosts in willows in the tule ground and theYellow-billed Magpie, now becoming rare, has a similar habit of flight andpurpose.During August there is a southward movement of the summer residents,quite imperceptible, but so effectual that by September i but fewof them remain. At the same time some of our resident species are reinforcedby individuals which breed in Nevada or north of us.In the first week of September Gambel's Goose and a few otherwater birds which breed in cold climates begin to arrive, but not until the2.oth is there a marked inflow of winter sojourners. Then the IntermediateSparrow, Western Savanna Sparrow and American Pipit may beconfidently sought. Four or five days later the Golden -crowned Sparrowarrives.These birds are as constant in date of arrival and departure as any thatvisit us and being abundant are easily traced.The following sometimes arrive as early as September 20 : -earedOwl, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Audubon's Warbler ; from 25-30, Townsend's Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Mountain Song Sparrow and Junco.In the March -April Bird -Lore I intended to name the WesternSavanna Sparrow as leaving about May i instead of Townsend's Sparrow.Several confusing forms of Song Sparrows, Juncos and Horned Larksvisit us in winter.SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S STUDYNesting.—What birds are found nesting in August? Are they rearing first or subsequentbroods ? Among the birds breeding in your vicinity which species raise onebrood? Which two? Which three broods? Have you positive evidence that any speciessucceeds in rearing three broods?Song.—Note the dates when various birds are last heard to sing. What young birdsare heard singing in August ? What evidences are observed of a second song periodafter the molt is concluded ?The Molt. —The molt cannot be studied to advantage in living wild birds, but variousevidences of it may be observed at this season among young birds changing their nestlingfor the first winter plumage, and with such adult birds as the male Bobolink orScarlet Tanager when losing their bright breeding dress for a dull winter costume.Migration.—Note the first signs of migration in the flocking of birds and the returnnightly to a given roost; good examples are Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds andRobins. The roosting habits of these birds form most interesting studies. When arethe first migrants from the north observed? Which of the birds nesting in your vicinityis the first to go south, that is, to disappear? What is the northern limit of the breedingrange of these species? Do you observe any connection between their breeding range andthe date of their departure? During the first half of August some previously commonbirds will be very rare— Baltimore Orioles, for instance—but in the latter half they willagain become common. Are the late August birds newcomers from the North or oursummer resident birds, who in early August were molting? Among migrants from thenorth are the first comers young or old birds? At the time of the full moon in September,

'A'TheBirds and Seasons 139night migrating birds may be observed in large numbers with a low-power telescope;even a mariner's hand-glass will prove serviceable. The telescope should be focused onthe moon, against which birds in passing are silhoueted. (See Scott, Bull. Nuttall Orn.Club, V, 1880, p. 151; Chapman, 'The Auk,' V, 1888, p. 37.1 Why do more birdsstrike lighthouses in the fall than in the spring? ( See Allen, Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club,V, 1880, 131. On the general subject of migration, see especially, Brewster Memoir No.r, of the Nuttall Orn. Club, of Cambridge, Mass.)Thoreau :SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S READINGWeek on the Concord and Merrimac Rivers.' Torrey :Passingof the Birds' in 'The Foot-path Way.' Flagg: 'August and September' in 'A Yearwith the Birds.' Bolles: 'At the North of Bearcamp Water.' Wright: 'A Song ofSummer' and 'Rustling Wings' in 'The Friendship of Nature.' Crockett: 'August'and 'September' in 'A Yearbook of Kentucky Woods and Fields.' Ingersoll . 'Nature'sDiary.' Chapman: 'Where Swallows Roost' in 'Bird Studies with a Camera.'What Bird is This ?Field Dricripiion. — [.cnnh, 5.25 in. Upper parts olivc-Erecn. L'nder parts soiled yellowish white.Note. — Ea

!Bird RhymesBY FAITH C. LEEIOVENBIRDSee him as he struts aroundWho could be more dignified?Perhaps it is his golden crownThat lends that air of foolish pride.With olive back and spotted breast,He thinks he's cousin to the ThrushWell, I'll tell you, but don't tell him.He's hut a little warbler! Hush!IIRED - EYEDVIREOWhen overhead you hear a birdWho talks, or rather, chatters.Of all the latest woodland news.And other trivial matters.Who is so kind, so very kind,She never can say no,Anil so the nasty CowbirdDrops an egg among her rowOf neat white eggs. Behold her then.The Red -eyed V^ireo!(140)

—jBtote^ from jptelD anD ^tutipDoes the Green Heron Fish in DeepWater ?That the Green Heron is an habitualwader is well known to ail who are familiarwith it, hut that it will g(j into water beyondits depth is a fact I have not seen recorded.One day in September, 1898, Iobserved an individual of this species standingon the edge of a plank projecting somesix inches out of water. Seeing that he wason the lookout for prey, I watched himclosely, wondering why he had chosen soinconvenient a place from which to fish,when presently, as if to show that he understoodperfectly well what he was about,he suddenly and without the least hesitation,plunged into the water after a fishthat had come to the surface some three orfour feet away. Although he missed hisaim, the effort was well meant and. to judgeby appearances, not the first of the kind.Turning about in the water, he rose from itwith little difficulty and with a few Hapswas back on the plank, where, shaking outhis plumage, lie proceeded to plume himselfcarefully. Before he had completedthis operation he was unfortunately frightenedoff by the approach of some i)oys.The scene of the above incident was adeserted irmi pit, which, lying in a lowplace, has for several years been more orless deeply flooded, according to season andrains. Having become well stocked withsmall fish and frogs, and offering the additionalattractions of mud fiats, shallows andconsideralile seclusion, this old iron pit,somewhat over an acre in extent, has beena favored feeding ground for both CxreenHerons and tluir larger relatives, NightHerons. To further describe, the plankspoken of above was a remaining jiart ofthe old shaft. Tiiis, at the tinu- in (piisticiM,was well (lilt in tin- pool and surroundedon all sides by water ranging humthree to six feet deej).With these facts iiefore us, two jiointsare clear. First, there was nothing to pre-vent, but on the contrary everything to urgethis Heron to feed in the usual way; second,in plunging into the pool where he did heentered water so much beyond his depththat he could not possibly have touched bottomin a way to assist him in getting out.That this one instance of an individualGreen Heron plunging into deep waterafter food proves such to be a natural habitof the species can hardly be said. I wouldadd, however, that further study of the feedinghabits of the Green Heron, with a viewto settling this question, convinces me thata quite usual method of fishing is for it towatch from a stand a few inches above thewater and from there to jump quickly downupon its prey. Samuel H. B.arker, IVyncote.Pa.Notes on the Ruby -throated HummingbirdWe have had Ruby -throated Hummingbirdsfor many years regularly in our garden,but did not find any nest till 1898.We were then greatly gratified by findinga nest on an apple tree. The old birdswere very tame when they had young ;a photograph was taken of the femalefeeding only a yard from the camera.Next year we were surprised that they hadbuilt their nest on a low branch of a peartree, that one could reach. The nest wasseen as soon as commenced; only the foundationwas laid on a thin outer branch,which was added to every morning tillcoTnpleted.There was no appearance of iuirry, forit took two weeks to finish the nest. Thebuilding went on so slowly that I sometimesthought it would be abandoned. Isaw only the female take any part in thework. Tb.e motion of the bird whileshaping the nest w;is comical, bouncingdown and turning around (juickiy. Witatwas wanting in weight was made up inenergv. lite nest was Iniilt with vegetablewool, I think the woolly part of the seed-(•4

—142 Bird -Lorebolls of the l^iittonliall tree, being of thatcolor and texture; the sides of tlie nestwere solidly compacted. Unlike the usualstyle of nest-building, the nest and all insidewas finished before tlie outside receivedits embellishments. This was donelastly, and was the most interesting partof the building ; or, I may truly say,decorating. The little bird, with its longbill, could reach nearly all the outside ofthe nest while sitting in it ; looking overthe side she artistically covered it piece bypiece with lichens that gave the domicilethe appearance of the bark of the tree.These little pieces of lichen stick on quitetightly ; there is a network of fine spiderwebover the rough finish, and on this thelittle plates of lichen was stuck and pressedon firmly. I am inclined to think the birdused a gum from the balsam of fir tree,for while finishing thenest she frequented atree of that kind and pecked at the terminalbuds ; it may have been for insects, but Ithink for the sap that exudes from thebuds, as some other birds use it — particularlythe Baltimore Oriole. I never seethem so engaged after building time. ThefemaleHummer seemed very anxious aboutexternal appearances, as she frequentlylooked over the outside and touched up thebeautiful covering while incubating. I didnot look into the nest while the eggs werein it, but in due time two little downyheads appeared above the edge of the nest.The female bird did not cover either eggsor young as regularly as most small birdsdo. I was afraid her absence would spoilthe eggs, for she slid off when any onepassed down the path or was working inthe garden near by; yet the eggs hatcheil.I never saw the male take any part infeeding ; he was often looking on from adead twig of a near-by tree, and once I sawhim make an attempt to drive away aSparrow ; this was worth observing, asthere were many Sparrows and other smallbirds about. I took particular notice theydid not alight on the branch this nest wason, but on all other parts of the tree.There was a pear growing on the tip endof the branch, and as it grew larger itbegan to lower the nest on one side, hutthe inmates seemed equal to the occasion,for they kept their heads and bodies as faron the opposite side of tlie nest as possible.While the laills of many young birds areproportionately longer, the bills of the babyHummers are shorter than their parents'not more than half their length. Themethod of feeding is a curious instance ofnature's means to an end ;the old birdputs its bill quite down the throat of theyoung, and with a gurgling and quiveringmotion, shaking its head up and down,discharges the nourishment into the youngone's crop or stomach. This is often repeated,especially inthe early morning andevening, at an interval of seven or tenminutes. The little creatures soon fill thenest tightly ; in two weeks they appear uncomfortablyclose, when one will get on theside of the nest, and, soon after, out of it,returning at night to sleep in the nest, tillable to f\y well, after which they do notforsake the locality as many birds do, butfeed and rest near by for several weeks;they choose a dead twig of a near tree orshrub, where one rests at a time; as soonas another one comes the first moves off asif playing tag. The young remain grayerin color than the old birds, probably tillthe spring. I frequently saw them catchsmall flies on the wing in late summer andreturn to their perch, sometimes utteringa very light twitter. About the middleof September they left for more congenialclimes. This year, 1900, a pair came,perhaps the same birds, as they built on alow branch of a pear tree close to the oldsite. — Henry H.\les, Ridgenjvood , NeujJersey.Food of the Downy WoodpeckerOn August 9 and 10, 1898, I saw aDowny Woodpecker at work on a mulleinhead pecking open the seed-cases, almostevery one of which held a little yellowishwhite grub rolled up inside. I found thatseed-vessels that contained grubs werebrown, while those on the same stalk freefrom them were still green, and observedthat the Woodpecker only opened thebrown ones. —W. E. Cram, HamptonFalls. \. II.

iSoofe jBteto0 ant) 3^etoieto0My Birds in Freedom and Captivity.By the Rev. Hubert D. Astley. NewYork: E. P. Dutton & Co. London:J. M. Dent & Co. 1901. 8vo. xvi +254; 22 full-page photogravures; 17 linecuts.The author of this beautiful volumewrites from extended experience bothin thefield and in the aviary. As a keeper ofcaged birdshe insists that the captive shallbe well housed, well fed and well watered,and under these conditionshe believes that,as the bird cannot reason or "look backwardor forward in actual thought," it hastherefore neither regrets nor longings, andwith all its wants properly cared for ispresumably happy. Wild and untamablebirds, he adds, should never be caged.Many of the birds treated have been studiedboth in confinement and in nature, and itis apparent that the intimate knowledge ofabird's traits which may be derived from aclose study of captive individuals is of decidedassistance in studying the ways of thesame species in its haunts. Of special interestto American readers is the accountof the breeding of a released pair of Cardinals.The illustrations in photogravure andline are all by the author and are a verydecided addition to the text. Several indeed,particularly of the line cuts, we shouldrank among bird drawings of the firstclass.Both as author and illustrator, Mr. Astleyhas therefore paid fitting tribute to featheredfriends inwhose companionship he lias evidentlyfound life-long pleasure.— F. M. C.The Birds of Massachusetts. By Rec;i-NALD Heber Howe, Jr., and CJi.overMorrii.i. Am. en. Published by subscription.Cambridge, Mass. 1901. 8vo.154 pages.After devoting eight pages to an outlineof the faunal areas of Massachusetts, theauthors present annotated lists of (i) 362species and subspecies as entitled to recognitionas Massachusetts birds, (2) four extirpatedspecies, (3) two extinct species, (4)fifteen introduced species, (5) seventeen erroneouslyrecorded species and ^6) two hypotheticalspecies. The main list "gives thestatus of each species, then the dates ofarrival and departure of species in Massachusetts,followed by annotations taken fromalready published local lists of importance,and others supplied by trustworthy ornithologistsfrom desirable localities, especiallyalong the coast." Evidently both care andjudgment have been duly exercised in bringingtogether the informationhere presented,the authors' conservatism in excluding speciesof doubtful status as Massachusettsbirds being especially commendable, andadding greatly to the value of their work.It is unfortunate, however, that they evidentlydid not avail themselves of the guidanceof some one whose wider experiencewould have prevented them from rejectingthe only system of classification current inthis country. It was to establish and maintaina standard system of classification andnomenclature that the ornithologists of thiscountry formed the American Ornithologists'Union, and in failing to follow the classificationof the Union's Check-list, the authorsof 'The Birds of Massachusetts' have greatlyimpaired the practical value of their workand have shown an undesirable, because unwarranted,spirit of independence.— F.M.C.Mr. Chupes and Miss Jenny. The LifeStory of Two Robins. By Effie Bignei.i..New York. Baker and Taylor Co.i6mo. xi+250 pages; 8 half-tones.I'he author of this volume may claim tobe a bird- lover in the best sense of theword. Having rescued two Robins, onefrom cats, the other from caged life, sheevidently devotee! the greater part of hertime to their care. That they more thanrepaid her, no one who reads this accountof their lives, with its many surprising illustrationsof individualitv and intelligence,will doubt. The book is attractively written,and its author's evident sympathy withher subjects, and close observation of theirI143I

Crow'WilliamBachman'sone144 Bird- Lorehabits, make lier story not only an interesting,hut valuable contribution to the literatureof biographical ornithology. — F. M. C.The Ornithological MagazinesThe Osi'rey.— Since our last notice theJanuary-February and March-Apr'l numbersof The Osprey ' ' have appeared. Thefollowing list gives the titles of the papers,all of which contain much of general interest:'A Trip to the Dismal Swamp,' byPaul Bartsch;Swainson andHis Times' and 'The Osprey or Fishhawk,'by Dr. Gill; 'Photographing the Caprimulgidae,'by H. K. Job; 'Warden's (thefirst) List of the Birds of the District ofColumbia,' by William Palmer, and'Nestingof the Inca Dove in Mexico,' by JosiahH. Clark.The articles by Dr. Gill and Paul Bartschappear in both numbers, and will be completedin some subsequent issue. It isevident that the original photographs weregood, consequently we are sorry a littlemore care was not exercised in making thereproductions, for most of the illustrationsare poor.—A. K. F.The Wilson Bulletin No. 34. — Beginningwiththis number Frank L. Burns assumesresponsibility for the editorial andgeneral management of the 'Bulletin,'which is now issued from Berwyn, Pa.The subject matter consists of a number ofshort articles, general notes, editorial remarksand notices of publications received.Among the more important and interesting''articles may be mentioned the following:Rough-winged Swallows Nesting on aGovernment Tug in Port Royal Harbor,'by Walter Hoxie; Sparrow inDeKalb County, Cieorgia,' by R. W.Smith; Notes on the Mergansers,' byThe First 20th CenturyWilliam B. Haynes; ' Horizon at Oberlin, Ohio,' byLyndsJones; 'Vernacular Ornithology of Delawareand ' 'Language,' by the Editor.Under the heading of Birds of Pennsylvania,'et (iL, by B. IL Warren, M.D.,'we get an insight into the history of thesepublications ordered printedby authority ofthe Commonwealth, and consequently havea better understanding of the vague rumorswhich ha\L' drifted bcN'ond the borders ofthe state.—A. K. F.The Condor.—The May-June number'of The Condor ' presents an unusuallyinteresting series of articles and notes.Barnhartdescribes the breeding habits of theFulvous Tree Duck, Anthony contributesnotes on the Guadalupe Wren, Skinner continueshis papers onMexican birds with anaccount of Trogon caligatus, and Beck describeshis experiences in collecting eggs ofthe Golden Eagle in Santa Clara county,Cal., in an article illustrated with threeplates. The more technical papers containdescriptions of five new birds from the (Galapagos,Clipperton, and Cocos Islands byHeller and Snodgrass;and two new VelloAvthroatsfrom the coast of California by Grinnell.The Yellowthroat of the southerncoast district is described as Geothlypis trichassc'irpncala, while that from the vicinity ofSan Francisco Bay is named Geothlypistrichas siniiasa. There is the usual arrayof valuable field notes, among which shouldbe mentioned the record of a Floresi's Hummingbirdtaken at Haywards Feb. 20, 1901,by W. O. Emerson. This is the third knownspecimen of this rare h'wA and the secondone collected in California.The compilation of a State List, includingan index to the literature pertaining to Californiabirds, has been undertaken by Grinnell,who issues a call for information andespecially for notes on water birds. Ornithologiststhroughout the country will welcomesuch a work, and with the activesupport of the Cooper club there is everyreason to hope that it will prove more successfulthan previous attempts of this kind.Exceptional opportunities for systematicbird study during the summer vacation areoffered in the mountains and on the coast.Two courses are announced : by \\'. W.Price, at his camp in the Sierras near LakeTahof, June 15-Sept. 15, and the other byJoseph Cirinnell. in connection with thesummer school of the Hopkins Seaside Laboratoryat Pacific Grove on Monterey Bay,June lo-July 20. The localities selectedare iileal for work of this kind, and theinauguration of such courses deserves thehighest commendation.—T. S. P.

Editorials 145A Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL UKGAN t.There is no marked sultr\ nooiidiuperi(jd, but from morning imtil night bir(i>ran be seen and heard in numbers.lit the ea>tcrn i)ird sludcni doubtks>one of the most striking sigiits in the binllifeof this region is furnished by the l^rairic(julN and Terns.Experience has so taught us to associatethese birds with bays and sandy beaches,where alone their food is to be found, thatit is not a little surprising to look from yourtent door in the early morning and find theprairie round about dotted withFranklin'sGulls, looking more like chickens at firstsight than members of the genus Larus.Nor does one soon tire of the novelty ofseeing these same beautiful birds or activeBlack Terns hovering thick over the ploughmanin eager quest of grubs in the lengtheningfurrow. These Terns resembleSwallows in habit as much as anything.They appear to feed exclusively on insects,and it is only when high winds set theprairie grasses rolling in long billows, overwhich they glide lightly, hovering here andthere to pick an insect from a grassy crest,that one is reminded of their relationship.It was not, however, prairie birds thatbrought us to this region, but the featheredinhabitants of Shoal Lake itself with its oftenmile wide fringe of reeds and marshes.Here are to be found breeding. Grebes of atleast three species — Western, Halboell's,and Pied-billed — White - winged Scoters,Mallards, Blue-winged Teal, Shoveller's,Scaups, and other Ducks; Sora, \^irginea,and probably the Yellow Rail; Coots, orWaterhens, as they are much better called,in great abundance, ^ ellow-headed Blackbirdsbeyond calculation. Red -wingedBlackbirds and Long-billed Marsh Wrens.In the immediately surroimding prairiesare Wilson's Phalaropes and Nelson'sSharp-tailed Finches, and on little rockyislets, or reefs, as they are locally known.Common Terns, Herring CJulls, DoublecrestedCormorants and White Pelicansfind secure nesting places.But it is the life of the reeds which hoKIsthe strongest interest for the bird student atShoal Lake. In the endless reed forestsanything is possible, and from them as Iwrite (at 10 i*. M.) there issues a chorus ofweird groans, whities and calls comparableto nothing known to man and which it rei|uireslittle imagination to believe are utteredby creatures tliemselves unknown toman.Shoal lake. Manit'iha. Jul\' 3, 1901.

" Vou caniioi 7filh a scalpel find the poet' s soul,Nor yet the wild bird's song."Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesNew HampshireMrs. F. W. Batchelder, Manchester.MassachusettsMiss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Mrs. H. T. Grant, Jr., 187 Bowen street. Providence.ConnecticutMrs. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New YorkMiss Emma H. Lockwood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street, New York City.New JerseyMiss Anna Haviland, 53 Sandford ave., Plainfield, N.J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 3033 P street, Washington.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delamore place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legare street, Charleston.Florida Mrs. I. Vanderpool, Maitland.OhioMrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.IndianaW'. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMiss Mary Drummond, 20S West street, Wheaton.IowaMrs. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.Wisconsin Mrs. Reuben G. Thwaits, 260 Langdon street, Milwaukee.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St. Paul.WyomingMrs, N. R. Davis, Cheyeinie.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.CaliforniaMrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.Encouraging SignsBird protection is daily receiving freshimpetus and that of the most valtiable kind.It seems to be thoroughly understood thatfeather wearing is a custom to be condemned,and one only to be stamped outby good laws and practical education in thematter of the value of bird-life and its connectionwith general natural history, so thatwe hear less of the millinery side of thequestion, and the Audubon movement isreaching a higher plane. At the presenttime all the Atlantic states from Maine toFlorida are linked by the A. O. U. lawor its equivalent, and the experiment ofsending out traveling lecture libraries ofbirds and nature books has been so successfulin Connecticut that other states arefollowing suit.The future would be rosy, indeed, butfor one cloud on the horizon, and that isthe difficulty of enforcing these laws that areour battle flags.The proper local enforcement of birdlaws is indeed a difficult task, requiringmoral courage, tact, and a clear head; alsothe reporting of offenders should be made bya legalized official, who can act withoutthe stigma of personality that must alwaysbe felt when we complain of the lawbreaking of our neighbors. If the deputysheriffs of each county could be appointedas bird wardens, warning could be administeredand the incorrigible prosecuted in apurely impersonal manner.It has also been suggested that in orderto make the laws effective in many placesthey should be posted in Hungarian andItalian, for the latter race come to us withparticularly lax ideas about bird killing.Undoubtedly the country is thoroughlyaroused : the task now before us is to hold(146)

—The Audubon Societies 147the ground we have gained, and this canonly be done by the most conservativeand at the same time unflinching enactmentof the laws. If our new laws becomedead letters,then must the birds also die.M. O. W.The Pennsylvania Society has a plan fororganizing a series of traveling libraries tocirculate throughout the state in order toawaken a wider interest in bird and naturestudy. A list of carefully selected bookshas been prepared and the libraries will bestarted as soon as the necessary funds are athand. Having no dues, this Society is entirelydependent on voluntary contributions.Reports ofSocietiesFIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AUDUBONSOCIETY OF KENTUCKYThe Audubon Society of Kentucky regretsthat during the past year more has notbeen accomplished in the furtherance ofbird study and bird protection in the state.But it believes that good has been done inthe schools, where bird days are observed;and among the people at large where, abetter sentiment prevails with regard to theaims of the Society.In specific work the Society has provided,for use in the schools, a handsome birdchartthat exhibits in colors many of ournativesong birds.It has caused i)osters to he [iroininentlydisplayed on the principal roads, settingforth the penalty for violation of the statutesrelating to birds.It has issued the following circular letter,together with other reading matter:Dear Sir: — From observation and trustworthystatistics we learn that our wildbirds are decreasing in numiiers every year.Believing that it is only necessary to callyour attention to this in order to have yourcooperation, we appeal to you to aid theSociety in its efforts for bird protection.We iielieve tiiis may be doneFirst — By making clear the practicalvalue of birds as destroyers of insects harmfulto crops.Second — By preventing, as much as posble,the destruction of the eggs of wild birds.Third — Bv repnrliiig to tlie Society thenames of the violators of the law protectingbirds.We would particularly call your attentionto the reports of the Department of Agricultureas to the usefulness of Robins andField Larks to the farmer; and as thesebirds are often the especial marks of boysand irresponsible negroes and whites fromthe towns, we ask that you do all youreasonably can to protect them.A postal card or a letter, addressed"Audubon Society," Henderson, Ky., willreceive prompt attention.Very truly yours,Audubon Society of Kentucky.It has purchased a circulating library ofthe best bird books, including such authorsas Burroughs, Chapman, Wright, Torreyand Coues.The Society gratefully acknowledges theinterest taken in its work by the Societies ofthe Falls cities and the substantial aidrendered it in the gift of a number of" Perry " pictures.The Society would most earnestly ask thecooperation of all bird lovers, especially inthe formation of branch societies throughoutthe state.To this end it would like to hear fromall interested in birds.The Society has no membership fees, dependingentirely upon contributions forsupport, and any respectable person maybecome a member.In closing, the Society would call attentionto some fundamental principles of birdlaws.(Here follows a digest of Federal andState laws.)During the last fifty years, the sentimentin favor of bird protection has developedrapidly. Many laws have been enacted,amended and sustained by the courts. Thatthese laws are still imperfect is partly theresult of carelessness and partly of strongo|)position due to ignorance or selfishness.Our game laws, unlike those of Europe,are maintained for the good of the peopleas a whole, not for the benefit of any oneclass, and their enforcement depends verylargely on a general appreciation of thejirinciples ujion which they are based.llendirsiin, K\.In(;i

148 Bird -LoreTHE AUDUBON SOCIETY OF THE STATEOF WYOMINGPursuant to a call inihlislifil in the moriiino;and evening papers, (|uite a irowcl ofenthusiastic ladies and gentlemen assembledin the parlors of the Inter Ocean hotel,Cheyenne, April 29.Mr. Frank Bond wascalled to the chair and hrieHy stated tiieobject of the meeting and the work whichhad already been done in tlic direction ofsecuring pledges of support in the publicschools and elsewhere. It being agreedthat a society for the protection of birds andthe enforcement of the state law was desirable,the meeting decided that four officerswere necessary, viz.: A president, vicepresident,secretary and treasurer. Officersto fill these positions were duly elected asfollows: President, Frank Bond ; vicepresident,Mrs. John A. Kiner; secretary,Mrs. N. R. Davis; treasurer, Prof. J. O.Churchhill.It was ordered that all cards of promiseto protect birds, their nests and eggs, afterbeing signed should be handed to the secretary,Mrs. Davis, who will make a recortlof the name, residence and date in a bookto be kept for that purpose. These cardsare to be returned to the signer, who willalso be supplied with an Audubon buttonas soon as they arrive, or as soon thereafteraspossible.It was found that public sentiment wasoverwhelmingly with the bird-protectionmovement, and that the new AudubonSociety would soon embrace in its membershipmore than a thousand persons, in fact,two thousand members inCheyenne, alone,did not appear an extravagant figure tothose who met at the Inter Ocean hotel lastevening. Because of the showing made,the treasurer was instructed to order theprinting of a second thousand of pledgecards, the first thousand being alreadynearly exhausted. I'he question of orderinganother thousand buttons was alsofavorably discussed and tiie matter left tothe officers of the Society, who will actpromptly as soon as it becomes evident tiiebuttons willbe needed.Bird lovers, a term which will soon includeall of tile farmers and atrriculturistsof tiie country, if it does not do so already,will be gratified to learn that the AudubonSociety started out with a membership of900, the result of a few days' work only.ILLINOIS SOCIETYIn ail work the thoughts of a secretaryor treasurer are apt to play around the drydetails of statistics and figures, and so it isto be expected that in this report of thework of the Illinois Audubon Society for itsfourth year they must form a part.The exact membership of the Society isdifficult to state,for members move away ordie and the secretary does not know it.Without, therefore, claiming accuracy as totlie figures, our present membership counts870 adults and 7,904 juniors — a total of8,774. ^Ve have sent out during the yearnearly 5,000 leaflets; part being purchasedfrom other societies and part being our ownpublications.In connection with our efficient gamecommissioner, Mr. Loveday, we haveplaced "Warnings" in every one of the2,700 post offices in the state. These warningsgave an outline of the laws regardingbirds and referred for information to thegame commissioner and the secretary ofthe Audubon Society.Another joint work of the game commissionerand this Society is the practicalsuppression of the sale of living wild birdsin the Chicago bird stores. Several testcases have been brought and the decisiongiven in favor of the birds. This is a longstep in the right direction and leads us tohope that the time may come when our law,which forbids the sale and purchase of birdsalive or dead, may also be enforced as regardsthe dead birds.During this last year we have adoptedthe little paper By-the-Wayside, which isthe paper used by the Wisconsin Society in••s junior work, for the Illinois juniors also.It has recently been moved from Milwaukeeto Madison and makes its monthly visits tothe children from that place. There hasbeen a large increase in the number of meetingsheld In' Womens' Clubs, Teachers andFarmers' Institutes, etc., and a promise ofLrreater increase in the future.

The Audubon Societies 149We had greatly hoped that Bird Daywould be established by law at the sessionof the State Legislature just closed, but ithas been placed in the hands of a mostexcellent commission, with the state superintendentof schools and one of our Audubondirectors — county superintendent ofSchools of Cook county — among its members;so its prospects are bright. Someof our local branches— particularly thosein Chicago Heights, Alton, Galena, LakeForest, Streator and La Grange— are doingexcellent work, but the rinding of interestedand efHcient ofhcers for local societies isour inost difficult problem.We have increased our classes of membershipsby two, making our present membershipsfive : Sustaining-paying$25;associate, $1 ; regular, 25 cents; active, $1a year, and juniors paying no fees. Wehave also made several changes in our constitution,and have formed from our fourteendirectors six committees, thus dividingthe work and responsibility more evenly.The old nursery song of the London bellsis frequently in our minds:" When I grow richSay the bells of Shoreditch.When will that be ?Rang the bells of Stephney."Like the "great bell of Bow" we are" sure we don't know," but when the goodtime comes we have visions of a lendinglibrary and an illustrated lecture and othersuch helpful delights like those of some ofour sister Societies. Till those good timescome we must make our cents (or sense! ) dothe work of dollars and do what we can tillwe can do what we •tlouLI.\L\K^ Drimmom), Sfcrelary.DELAWARE SOCIETYThe annual meeting of the DelawareAudubon Society was held on Saturdavafternoon, May 25, in the Friends' MeetingHouse, Fourth and West streets, Wilmington.I Ik- reports nl ihe se( ittaiy and treasurerwere read. Mrs. \V . S. llilles' reportshowed a membership of 512. The Societylias been in existence thirteen months. J'helaw passed In liu- recent Legislature toproletl birds was rea

'I50Bird - Lorebeing made to spread a knowledge of tliuusefulness of birds among the farmers ofthe state. 1"he wearing of feathers forornament is almost a thing of the jiast, andunquestionably an impression has beenmade upon women, but we realize that assoon as the Parisian law- givers announcethat aigrettes and wings are againfashionable,we shall have everything to do overagain, unless we carry on educational workwith all possible earnestness in this littlebreathing space that is granted us.One of the primary objects of AudubonSocieties, all over the country, has been tosecure better legislation for the protection ofbirds. Wisconsin, following the exampleof several eastern states, has recently enacteda law which forbids the killing of our wildbirds, and makes it illegal to deal in theirplumage.This applies not only to residentbirds, but to all that visit the state duringmigration.As it was thought desirable that some oneshould speak for the work of the AudubonSocieties of the United States at the meetingof the National Federation of Women'sClubs, held in Milwaukee last June, theWisconsin Society, aided by the societies ofRhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania,Illinois,Connecticut, New Hampshire, NewYork and Ohio, secured Miss Mira LloydDock, of Harrisburg, whose earnest andmoving address on "The Quality of Mercy"will l)e long remembered by those whoheard it.On April 13, Prof. O. G. Libby, of theUniversity of Wisconsin, gave an illustratedlecture on "Our Native Birds" for theteachers and school children ofMilwaukee,riiis lecture took the place of the customaryannual meeting.The main line of work in the Society hasbeen to develop an interest in bird protectionand bird study among young people,and in this it has achieved remarkable success,having brought 13,441 enthusiasticteachers and children into its ranks. Amonthly paper, costing twenty cents a year,with a course of bird-study, is issued,prizes and honor badges are awarded forthe best reports and observations, and ourlittle wren button is furnished at a nominalprice, while the Gordon Library of birdbooks, and the collection of colored birdslitles, owned liy the Madison Branch, aresent all over the state. This work has beenrepeatedly commended by the eastern societies,and it is certainly uncommon for somuch to be accomplished with so small asunt of money as is at the disposal of theExecutiveBoard.Elizabeth G.A Good ExamplePeckh.am,Secretary.Many attempts have been made to compounda "white list" of milliners who, ifthey could not wholly dispense with birdplumage in their trimmings, owing to theinsistence of customers, would at least makeit easy for those wishing Aiuiobonnets toobtain them. This attempt has, we regretto say, met with no general response, sothat it is surprising as well as gratifying tohear that the Shepard Company, of Providence,R. I., held a successful exhibitionand sale of these hats and bonnets on the15th and 1 6th of May. The circular announcingthe exhibit, after a summary ofbird destruction for millinery purposes andthe work done for bird protection, says:"The Sheph.'\rd Company, sympathizingwith this great and beneficent work and be*lieving that most women, if conscious of theextent of this slaughter of the innocents, aswell as of the beautiful and fashionable effectsin millinery which are possible withouttheir use, has decided to hold a specialexhibition of hats and bonnets in whichnone of the articles listed ' ' contrabandthe Audubon Society shall appear."This exhibition is intended to demonstratethat hats and bonnets can be fully inkeeping with prevailing styles and willshow exceptional beauty in design and colorwithout the use of the plumage of wildbirds.'by"Carefully selected specimens of thelatest foreign and domestic styles willbe onview." We invite the inspection of the pui)lic,and especially of such women as are interested,to assist in influencing popular opinionalong humanitarian lines.

i6irti==lDreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSOfficial Organ of the;Audubon SocietiesVol. Ill September — October, 1901 No. 5IFirst Impressions of Hawaiian BirdsBY H.W. HENSHAW( Concluded from page 12^)HAVE dissected many of these Hawks, and in the stomach of onlyone have I discovered the traces of birds. This individual had by somemeans caught two Akakanis. Nearly all the specimens examined hadmice and small rats in the stomach. Large spiders, also, of an introducedspecies, are fast becoming a popular food with lo, and I havefound the stomach of several individuals crammed with these insects.Whether in former times the natives entertained a superstitious regardfor lo I do not know. It may well have been so, for today lo hasnot the slightest fear of man. He will sit upon a limb and dodgestone after stone with apparent unconcern, lazily flapping to anotherperch if the missiles come too close for comfort. As a result of hisconfiding disposition, poor lo is fast becoming rare, where formerly heused to be common. Under the mistaken impression that he meansmischief to the chickens, lo is shot whenever seen. It would beunsafe to say that lo never molests poultry, but mucli iiuiuiry amongfanners ami much observation of the habits of this Hawk justify meill stating that the damage to poultry from lo's claws is exceedinglyMuall. If it e\cT kills poultry, as doubtless it occasionally does, thedamage is compensateil a hutuired times over in the immense numbersof mice and rats destroyed. It will be greatl\ for Hawaii's interest iftln\ Hawk is carefully protected.I have purposely left to the last the bird which I consider to be themost interesting of all Hawaiian birtls, as it is the most numerous andmost widely spread. Tliis is I'lcpaio, a Flycatclu-r b\ iiirtii and lineage, aWren, Creeper anti Flycatcher In liabir ami ciliuation..Most Hawaiian birds li\r in tlu- deep forest or fn-iiuent the high trees.Tluis the hinl lover who would make their ac(iuaintance must pay a price.

154 Bird -LoreHe imist seek them out and follow them, where wayfaring is iiartl andlaborious, and not wholly unattended by danger. Not so with Elepaio.This little bird ranges from near sea- level far up on the mountain side, andeverywhere he is common. He wears no coat of many and bright colorsto make his feathers desirable in the eyes of royalty, but his sober tints ofblack, white and chestnut are so tastefully contrasted and so strikingly displayedthat among his green surroundings he presents a most charmingpicture.The first crunching step into the thicket elicits a sharp note of challenge,and presently you are aware of a little bunch of chestnut, brown andwhite feathers swaying sidewise on an upright twig like a Marsh Wren,with his tail cocked at right angles with the body—this is Elepaio. NowElepaio is very curious, and after calling out "^ elepaio''' once or twice in nouncertain tones that you may be sure of his identity, the little busybodyproceeds to investigate you and your business. The birds, for by this timethere are several gathered about you, will not hesitate to approach withintwo or three feet, and rest assured that before they leave they will be wellinformed as to your intentions. Once satisfied that you are to be trusted,they proceed to their own business as though unconscious of a strangepresence.In the art of hunting insects of all kinds, Elepaio is past master, and infollowing his craft he unites the methods of several birds. He climbs theold tree-trunks, clinging to the sides like a Wren; now he seizes a twigwith his strong claws, and for convenience of inspection hangs head downwardlike a Chickadee; now he creeps into the lichens out of sight, finallyemerging many feet beyond to sweep up a flying insect with a snap of hisbill, as if to assert his right to be called Flycatcher. As a matter of fact,Elepaio, despite his bristle-guarded bill and other flycatcher-like characters,is decidedly more of a Wren than a Flycatcher in habits, disposition andmotions.Elepaio is of friendly disposition, and is never found save in pairs orseveral together, and more often than not in company with other species.Their hunting excursions extend from the topmost branches of the highestforest trees to the low shrubbery, and occasionally even to the very ground,where I have seen them hopping about like sparrows. Nine-tenths of theirinsect food are gleaned wren -like from the branches, so little of a catcherof flies is Elepaio.Elepaio shares with Omao that curious habit of lowering the wings bythe side and tremulously shaking them as young birds are w'ont to do.Elepaio has a number of notes. A Song Sparrow-like chirp is its alarmnote, as when it hears a strange noise. In addition, it has a sharp Flycatcher-likewhit which is its call -note proper, as any one ma\' prove to hissatisfaction by imitating it.

The'First Impressions of Hawaiian Birds 155Its name, "Elepaio," is the native interpretation of what the bird itselfno doubt regards as its song. It is a loud, clear and insistent call, specialemphasis being laid upon the second syllable. Heard from the forest depthsit is pleasing, though we may call it a song only by courtesy and becausethe bird has nothing better to of^er in the way of music. Elepaio's nest isa beautiful structure of grass, mosses and lichens placed in the fork of ashrub, usually within twenty feet of the ground. It is the only Hawaiianwoodland bird, the nest and eggs of which are well known.From Wilson's Avcs Hawaiicnsis'Of n'siitaciros Si-c p;ii;i- 12 jIn the life histor\ of Hawaiian birds there is at present a great gap.Next to nothing is known of their nests, nesting habits and eggs. Thereasons are not far to seek : forests are high and so dense is theundergrowth that, however bright the sun, its ra\s penetrate but feeblyinto the deep forest recesses, which, in consequence, are but feebly lighted.Moreover, the lower levels are coKI ami ilam|i as compared with the upperheights, and hence are not at all suitable for nesting sites. P'xcept P'lepaio,probably no Hawaiian wooilland bird builds its nest low ilown save in veryexceptional cases.VVhen nests are visible, as the\ often are, tlie\ are far up in the trees

156 Bird - Loreand on the outer extremities ofthe branches, where they are inaccessible toall save creatures with wings. Moreover, a dense covering of mosses,lichens, ferns and shrubs envelops all the limbs, and in them a multitudeof nests may be hidden and no one be any the wiser. More than once Ihave seen birds whose nests are yet unknown, with nest material in bill:but, as it happens, they have each time been on their way to distant trees,and one must possess wings to follow a bird through such a tangle wherethe sight is restricted to a few square yards. It will be long, therefore, eremuch is known of the inner life of Hawaiian birds.There is one characteristic of the woodland birds of Hawaii which isso unique as to deserve brief mention. I allude to the powerful musk-like,but not unpleasant, odor which attaches to the feathers of most of them.Perhaps this odor is more marked in Ou than in any other species. It isso strong in this species that I am sure I have detected it from living birdswhen near by on low trees, although my sense of smell is anything butacute. In a freshly killed specimen this odor is simply overpowering, andis much stronger in the early morning than later in the day. At first Ithought it probable that the scent was connected with the oil with whichthe birds dress their feathers, which, in a climate so wet as this, must beused often and in unusual quantities. However, I have been able to detectonly a slight odor from this oil when freshly squeezed from the oil-gland.If this characteristic odor originated after the ancestors of the presentspecies reached the islands, and if it is in anyway beneficial to its possessors,it seems singular that it should not be shared bv all the woodland specieswhose habits are analogous. Several species are, however, wholly withoutit. It is possible, as I believe Mr. Perkins has suggested, that what atfirst seems to be of trivial significance may be found to have a deeper meaning,and that this odor may point to the ancestry and to the ancestral homeof some of the island birds. As the American Cccrebidas, according to Dr.Gadow, are the most likely group from which the Island Drepanidids arederived, it would be most interesting to discover if the plumage of any ofthe former have the same characteristic scent. In this connection it isinteresting to note that the ()o, Omao and Elepaio are believed by Dr.Gadow to have a non -American origin and not to be Drepanine. It issignificant that the feathers of these species, together with lo, do notpossess the peculiar odor which is shared, I believe, by all the IslandDrepanine forms, certainly b\- all of them resident upon the Island ofHawaii.I have alluded above to the songs of Hawaiian birds. In common witha widespread belief, I had expected to find little music in Hawaiian woods,and I was greatly surprised. Certain species of Hawaiian birds, it is true,sing rarely. Thus, though I have seen perhaps a hundred individuals ofAkialoa {Hem. ohscitrus) , I have yet to hear its song, and the same is true

arelleiniiiiiaihusTin-First Impressions of Hawaiian Birds 157of the Oreomyza mana. The songs of certain other species, as the Amiicihi{Himatione virens) ,short and feeble. Though pleasant to the ear,they cannot take high rank in the scale of bird music. There are otherspecies whose songs are both sweet and melodious, like the Ou. Thenthere are others again, like the liwi and the Akakani, which sing the yearthrough, and at certain seasons are the most persistent singers I have everheard. The latter, especially, is notable for singing when it is throughFrom Wilson's'Avcs Haw:iiunsi>'IIWII/•roceiui)feeding, and it has assembled in small colonics in the tree -tops for itsmidday siesta. At such times most species are silent. Hut the Akakanisings itself to sleep with a soft, delightful lullaby to which the gentle rustleof the tree-tops forms a fitting acconipaniiuc-iit .liui has a \arietyof notes, most of which arc >\\ eet and pleasing. Hut where binis give sofreely of their songs as do the liwi ami the Akakani, surely we ma\' delightin their S|)ontane()iisness and not be o\er-critical as to llu- i]ualit\ .in conclusion, a word ma\ be addfd .is to the future of the Hawaiian

158 Bird -Lorebirds. As is well known, several island birds are already extinct, especiallyupon Oalui, which has been extensively deforested. Upon Hawaii theNoho {Fcnnula ecdiidata) has been extinct for years, having been exterminatedby the domestic cat run wild. Had any of the windless Rails beenfortunate enough to survive the inroads of Tabby, it would only have beento meet their fate from the mono;oose, which spares no living thing itcanreach.The Namo has been exterminated for its feathers, and the ( )o mustsoon share the same fate. The native Duck {Anas wyvilliana) and theGallinule upon the Island of Hawaii are rapidly diminishing under thenever-ceasing attacks of the mongoose. The Puffin and the Petrel aresharing the same fate, and the native Goose is in danger, though likely tomaintain itself for some time to come.The above birds have become, or are becoming, extinct from knowncauses, but some species have died out for no assignable reason. TheChe-etoptila anvust'ipluma is a case in point. Though said to be rare in thetime of Peale and Pickering, both naturalists saw it, and we may be surethat for many years subsequent to the visits of these men no change whateveroccurred in the forests. Yet from their day till now the bird has neverbeen seen, and the natives do not know it even by name. The cause ofits extinction will probably ever remr.in one of Nature's own secrets.In connection with the future of Hawaiian birds, it is not to be overlookedthat upon all the islands the forest is diminishing, owing to thedevastations of cattle and the ax of the settler, and the birds living in thedeforested tracks must either die or be forced into the untouched areas,where soon a sharp struggle for existence must begin.Some species, like the Alala {Corvus tropicus), are restricted to certainareas beyond which they seem never to attempt to pass. In the case ofthe Crow, the sole reason appears to be that, having first attained a footholdin a comparatively dry district, the birds are unwilling or unable toencounter a moister climate, even though the windward forests adjointheir own and abound with suitable food.Viridonia furnishes a still more remarkable instance of restricted habitat.This, one of the rarest of Hawaiian birds, is confined to a forest area afew miles square, and is absolutely unknown outside its own little kingJom.That extensive deforestation should have a marked effect upon Hawaiianbirds, wholly unused as they are to competition of any kind, is what wemight expect ; but there remains to be recorded a still more remarkablefact indicative of the singular sensitiveness of Hawaiian birds to change.Large sections of forest land on Hawaii that have been but slightly interferedwith by man, and that are nearly as dense and impenetrable as theyever were, have been almost wholly abandoned by birds within the last tenyears. For this abandonment no reasonable explanation suggests itself.

First Impressions of Hawaiian Birds 159The natural presumption would be that the birds, disliking even thesemblance of interference, have simply moved into adjoining tracts. Suchmay be the explanation here. But bearing in mind the unaccountableextinction of some Hawaiian species and of the intense habit of localizationof nearly all surviving species, it is not wholly improbable that largenumbers of the dwellers in such tracts have succumbed to changes so slightthat hardier mainland birds would scarcely have noticed them at all, orwould have readily adjusted themselves to them.For species like the liwi and the Akakani there is much hope. Thesenectar-loving birds are accustomed to follow the flowering of the ohiasfrom tract to tract and from lower to higher levels, and so long as considerableareas of this tree remain it is probable that these beautiful andinteresting birds will survive.The Ou, too, seems to be something of a wanderer, owing, no doubt,to the wide distribution of the ieie vine and its irregular time of floweringand seeding. This fine bird also may be expected long to survive. Butthere is no such favorable outlook for the bulk of the Hawaiian birds.Developed under conditions the most unusual and peculiar, each withinits own chosen and restricted sphere, changes of any sort, and competition,however weak, are likely to find them unprepared and, in the light of theirpast history, are almost sure to prove disastrous. Like the Hawaiian race,they will probably disappear rapidly, leaving behind as tokens of their existencea few dried skins in museums and some meager pages of life histories.A I \MII.^ 01 M)i N(; SCRKKCII UW 1Natives o( Btoiix Park. \.-w ^ork City. I'hi.t..i;raiihc-,1 liy C. William Bii-ticN

WHENA Chebec's Second BroodBY RALPH HOFFMANNwe reached Alstead, on July 3, 1901, a pair of Chebecs, orLeast Flycatchers, were busy in some apple trees in front of apiazza where we spent much of the day. The pair made quietbut constant journeys through the branches, and the trips ended so oftenin one particular crotch that it did not take long to "mark down" thenest. The four young birds already showed as a bunch of gray downabove the rim. Three days later they had left the nest, and for over aweek they sat close together in one or another of the half-dozen treeswhich constituted their parents' hunting ground. The empty nest wasnow taken down and given a place in our collection. When the younghad been out two days, and were being fed constantly by the male, Isaw the female fly to the empty crotch, where the old nest had been.In a moment she repeated her visit, and when I walked to the tree, Isaw the skeleton of a new nest already completed. Two days later thenest was finished. It was interesting to note that the beginning of thenew series of instinctive acts involved in raising a second brood did notdestroy the force of the last series, for when the nest was finished thefemale returned to help the male feed the first brood.While the little Chebec was brooding on the three eggs which constitutedher second clutch, we had been experimenting with ProfessorHerrick's new method of bird study, taking Cedarbirds for our first subject.We had cut from a maple the twig on which a nest containingyoung was placed, and had fi.xed it on some upright posts about fourfeet from the ground, and very near the piazza. For ten days the progressof the young Cedarbirds, and the actions of the parents, the feedingby regurgitation, and the cleaning of the nest, had been a source ofhourly interest to a large number of observers, and we had at last thesatisfaction of standing by when all four young ones were encouraged bytheir parents into the shelter of the neighboring trees.On August 6, the three young Chebecs were about a week old;they were well covered with down and their feather tubes were begin lingto burst. I ventured, therefore, to repeat with them the experimentwhich had been so successful in the case of the Cedarbirds. As thelimbs on which the nest rested were too large to cut down, 1 splicedanother crotch to a long pole and after fixing the nest into the newcrotch, leaned the pole against the branches of the tree, so that the nestwith the young came just below the old site. In a few moments, theold bird was feeding the young in the new site. Then, by cutting offsuccessive pieces from the lower cnii of the pole, I lowered the nest to(160)

A Chebec's Second Brood i6ithe desired height. I am thus explicit because, in this case, 1 did whatProfessor Herrick did not do, i. e., alter the immediate surroundings ofthe nest, and this alteration may have affected the result. All the morningan interested group watched the little Chebec, and marveled at heractivity. For it soon became evident that the female alone was bringingup the second brood. The male may have strayed off with the firstbrood ; at any rate only one bird busied herself with these three youngones. She was not able to economize time as the Cedarbirds had done, bybringing a square meal for all at one trip ; she brought each separate insectas fast as she caught it. Often she was back again within half a minute,and in one period of fifteen minutes, she made twelve trips to the nest.When night came, I was disturbed to find that the little bird wasapparently not intending to brood the young. Even when it was quitedark, I found that they were not covered by her. Whether this wasbecause of the new crotch, I do not know. I am now convinced thatthe proper way to meet such a contingency would be to return the nestat once to the old site. This I have since done in cases where the oldbirds either could not find the new site or did not choose to come to it.That evening, however, thinking that the old bird knew what she wasabout, I left the nest in its new site. In the night a violent thunderstormcame up, and before I could get the birds into shelter one hadalready died. I kept the others warm, and the next morning fed themwith flies, learning incidentally some interesting facts about the availablestimuli for making young birds open their mouths. When the stormpassed, I replaced the nest and had the satisfaction of seeing the old birdreturn to feed the survivors. If the nest had been a mile from myhouse, as it easily might have been, I could not have reached it in timeto save any of the birds.I have been led to give the above details, partly because several ofthe circumstances connected with the rearing of this second brood areinteresting. My particular object in telling the story, however, is to warnany one who thinks of trying Professor Herrick's method against adanger, of which he, I believe, does not speak. The danger to youngbirds from violent thunderstorms must, under any circumstances, be great,but the birds should certainly have the benefit of as much shelter as possible,and the old site will, from the nature of things, be more leafy thanthe new one which we choose. I have, in another instance, naileil aVireo's nest into tlie tree again, when a storm threatened, and I suggestthat this plan should be promptly resorted to whenever the oKl birds areslow to take to the new site. Professor Herrick's warning against keepingthe old birds too long from the nest gains strength when we rememberhow often the young Chebecs were feil. A long fast probably lessenstheir power of resistance more than that of other species.

1 62 Bird - LoreThe .'ulvanta^es which Professor Herrick's method of bird study offersare obvious. It would have been ahnost impossible for a class of studentsto become as intimate with Cedarbirds as we became by any othermethod; every characteristic action, every posture, almost, is impressed onour minds. My experience with the Chebcc, however, forces me to theconviction that the method of controlling the nestinjj-site, of moving); it,in other words, for the purpose of study and of photography from theposition which the bird has selected, is one which may, in careless hands,be productive of a great amount of injury. I believe that only a trainednaturalist should use the method. Even he will probably have to buy alittle costly experience, but if he is animated by genuine love for the individualbird, he will learn to guard against the dangers from heat, rain,and desertion. It is emphatically not a method to be recommended tothe general public.An immature European Heron (Ardea cinerea) which flew aboard the steamship Glencartney about205 miles southwest of Cape Cormorin. at the southern extremity of India, and was broughtto the New York Zoological Society. Photographed by C. William Beebe

Birds and SeasonsSIXTHSERIESWITHSeasons'this issue of Bird -Lore the series of papers on 'Birds andis concluded. That it has been of assistance to fieldstudents their numerous and cordial expressions of appreciationassure us. The idea of a definite plan of study has also found favorand the editor is encouraged to follow these papers on 'Birds and Seasons'by a series of articles on the families of Passerine birds. Thechief aim of these articles, which will be fully illustrated, will be to aidthe student in identifying birds in nature, but information will be givenfor those who desire to know at least the main points of structure onwhich families are based. F. M. C.OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER BIRD LIFE NEAR BOSTONBv Ralph HorrMANXThe first of October is tlie height of the fall migration. The woodsand dry country lanes are now full of restless bands, which seem to anyone who has become familiar with the order of arrival which birds keepin spring, to be made up of strange companions. The Yellow Palmand the lilackpoll Warblers, birds which in May couKl only accidentallyoverlap, are now encountered day after day together. In the grassyswamps, Sparrows, chiefly Song and Swamp, are swarming by the hundreds.A trained eye may detect among them on some fortunate davthe more elegant form and markings of a Lincoln's Finch.About the twentieth of the month the last regular migrants arrive,the Fox Sparrow, the Tree Sparrow and the Shrike. About the sametime all but the hardiest of the summer birds, and the earlier migrantstake their departure. The Sparrows in tlic weedy fields, the \'ellowrumpsin tlie now leafless thickets, a White-throat or a few lingeringBlackbinis, how one treasures the sight of these familiar birds! Wefollow the last Bluebird as we iliil tin- first, knowing that a wearyinterval may diviile us from another sight of his warm blue. Evenin November, the warm sunshine occasionalU tempts these birds tolinger on till some se\ere storm covers the earth with the first snow, andwe come down to winti-r fare.(163)

164 Bird- LoreBIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents, see Bird-Lore for Dec, 1900, p. 183.Departures of Summer Residents in October and No-vember. — October 10, MarylandYellow-throat, Pine Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Indigo bird, House Wren;October 15, Carolina Rail, Virginia Rail; October 20, Chewink, Brown Thrasher, Catbird,Vesper Sparrow, Phoebe, Meadow Lark; October 31, Bluebird; November 5, ChippingSparrow, Field Sparrow, Savanna Sparrow, Cowbird, Bronzed Cjrackle; November10, Cedarbird ; November 15, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow; November 20, SharfishinnedHawk, Cooper's Hawk, Marsh Hawk, Kingfisher.Arrivals and Departures of Migrants in October and November. — October 1-20,White-crowned Sparrow; October i-November 5, Hermit Thrush; October 21-DecemberI, Fox Sparrow; October 21, Tree Sparrow, Northern Shrike; October-November, PineFinch, Ipswich Sparrow; November, Snow Bunting, Red Crossbills, White-wingedCrossbill,* Pine Grosbeak,* Redpoll Linnet.** Very irregular and conimnnly absent.OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER BIRD-LIFEBv Frank M. ChapmanNEAR NEW YORK CITYOctober is a month of falling leaves and departing birds. Some timeduring the month the first ''hard" frost may be expected, and doubtlessduring the entire year no other one event exercises so marked an influenceon the character of our bird-life. In a night, as it were, the seasonpasses from ripe maturity to old age, and the limp, sodden foliage of theless hardy plants is no less evident to the flower lover than is the absenceof previously abundant birds to the ornithologist. The reason is obvious.The low temperature has not only robbed most insectivorous birds oftheir food but has deprived the arboreal species of the protection of leafhungbranches.This marks the end of the Warbler migration, and for the rest ofthe season Sparrows will be the common birds, frequenting weed andstubble fields. The length of their stay is largely dependent on the characterof the weather, many species, as we have seen, lingering, underfavorable conditions, until December.October shows a further development of the second song period.Song, White-throated and Fox Sparrows, Phoebes, and Ruby-crownedKinglets may always be heard singing fairly full -voiced performancesduring the month.One may now also look for the diurnal migrations of Hawks andCrows, which, here, fly from northeast to southwest, and, a little later,the gathering of Grackles in enormous flocks, is characteristic of theseason.BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents, see Bird-Lore for Dec, 1900, p. 184.Summer Residents Leaving for the South.— October i-io, Black-crowned Night

WoodBirds and Seasons 165Heron, Vellow-biiled Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Least Flycatcher,Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Scarlet Tanager, Barn Swallow, CliffSwallow, Bank Swallow, White-eyed Vireo, Black-and-White Warbler, Redstart, Ovenbird,Wood Thrush; 10-20, Spotted Sandpiper, Whippoorwill, Nighthawk, Red-eyedVireo, Maryland Yellow-throat, Long-billed Marsh Wren, Short-billed Marsh Wren,House Wren, Brown Thrasher, Catbird; 20-31, Phoebe, Towhee, Tree Swallow;Novemlier i —, Duck, Great Blue Heron, American Bittern, Woodcock, MourningDove, Kingfisher, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Grackle, Cowbird, Vesper Sparrow,Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow.Migrants Arri'vin^ from the North. — October 1-15, Loon, Pintail, Mallard, CanadaGoose, Bronzed Grackle, Rusty Blackbird, American Pipit, Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow;15-31, Horned Lark, Pine Finch, Tree Sparrow, Snowflake, Redpoll, NorthernShrikeOCTOBER AND NOVEMBER BIRD-LIFEBv W'lTMER StoneNEAR PHILADELPHIAOctober and November cover the close of the autumnal migration andthe return of bird -life to the period of winter quiescence. In the earlydays of October we frequently see a large number of the species whichcharacterize the migratory waves of the preceding month, but these arefor the most part stragglers, and it is the more hardy species which aremost conspicuous in the crisp days of autumn, particularly the greatflocks of White -throated Sparrows, Purple Finches, Goldfinches, Blackbirdsand Robins; and their frequent call -notes and chirpings form quitea contrast to the languid silent days of late summer.By November i bird -life is reduced almost to its winter level and thefew migrants that linger with us are those which may be looked for evenin midwinter in favorable seasons.BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents, see Bird-Lori: for Dec, 1900, p. 185.Departure of Summer Residents. — October 1-15, Green Heron, Yellow-billedCuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Whippoorwill, Nighthawk, Indigobird, Rose-breastedGiosbeak, Yellow-winged Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, White-eyed Vireo, Red-evedVireo, Black-and White Warbler, Redstart, Ovenbird, Wood Thrush; October 16-31,Phoebe, Towhee, Maryland Yellow-throat, Tree Swallow, NLirsh Wren, House Wren.Thrasher, Catbird; November 1-15, Field Sparrow,* Chipping Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow,Cowbird, Kiiigtislu-r, Piir[ilf (jraikic. Red-winged Blackbird.* Usually.OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER BIRD-LIFEBv l,VNI)S lONESNEAR OBERLIN. OHIOHowever capricious and inclement September weather nia\ be, Octobermay be coimted upon to furnish a fair share of bright, warm da\s. The

i66Bird- Loremonth may open frosty for the purpose of making excuse to close likeAugust, or it may open truly summer -like and close in a flurry of snow.There are not seklom a few clays of cold rainy weather near the tenthfollowed by as fine an Indian summer as heart could desire. Whateverthe weather may he, some birds are certain to move southward during thefirst ten days, and others are as certain to leave us during the last tendays, but the exact time in either case^cannot be foretold, because theweather cannot be foretold. During this month, weather is a primefactor in the movements of the birds.November is pretty certain to bring us the first snow of any consequence.It rarely comes before the last week, or if it does come earlierthe month is pretty certain to close in brown apparel because of the rainswhich follow. We may have snow during the first week, to be sure,but if so it soon disappears, and is a forecast of a warm December. Theweather is seldom severe, the temperature rarely falling as low as 20°.Of course the birds are greatly influenced by November weather. Thesnow storm of the last week drives nearly all of the strictly migratoryspecies south and greatly reduces the numbers of many that remain duringthe winter, but it is rarely severe enough to bring us many of the morehardy northern birds which spend January with us.BIRDS OF THE SEASONFor permanent residents, see Bird-Lore for Dec, 1900, p. 186.Arri-vals in October.— 1-15, Jiinco, Purple Finch, Rusty Blackbird, Brown Creeper,Mallard; 15-30, Tree Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, American Pipit, Hermit Thrush, GreenwingedTeal, Horned Grebe, Loon.Departures in October. — i-io, Wood Duck, American Coot, American Woodcock,Phoebe, Swamp Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Palm Warbler,Catbird; 10-20, Green-winged Teal, Green Heron, Sora, Chimney Swift, Greater Yellow-legs,Yellow-legs, Cowbird, Field Sparrow, Towhee ; 20-31, Turkey Vulture,Belted Kingfisher (bulk), Bronzed Grackie (bulk), Ruiiy-crowneci Kinglet, HermitThrush, Robin (bulk),Bluebird (bulk).Arri'vals in No-vembcr. — i-io, Northern Shrike, American Scaup Duck. Bufflehead.Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck.Departures in November. — i-io, American Scaup Duck, Butflehead, \'esper Sparrow,White-throated Sparrow, Myrtle Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch; 10-20, Killdeer,Pied-billed Grebe, P'ox Sparrow, American Pipit; 20-30, Mallard, Olive-backedThrush, Junco (bulk), Rust\' Blackbird (bulk), Rudch- Duck, Song Sparrow (bulk),Mourning Dove (bulk), Meailowlark (bulk).AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER BIRD-LIFE AT GLEN ELLYN (NEAR CHICAGO 1, ILLINOIS*Rv Benjamin T. GaultThe outward manifestations of an August day, with its dry andparched fields, its cicada sounds and worm-eaten foliage — the dog-days*Owini; to the editor's absence this article was omitted from the August issue of Bird-Lore.

Birds and Seasons 167of old, recurring with each successive year — contribute h'ttle in theirway that is enthusing to one's ardor for a more or less protracted studyof the bird -life then surrounding us.It is in the main a period of disappointments. The molting season,but fairly begun the preceding July, is carried more into completion duringthis month, with the result that the first two weeks of August findmany of our birds in a sadly dilapidated condition; though it is not unusual,even then, to see the Red -eyed Vireo, in rather scant attire,caring for a brood of its own, having been debarred from this obligation,through the several weary weeks just passed, by acting in a similar capacityfor that bulky parasite the Cowbird, presenting in the meantimea most pathetic picture.The last two weeks of this month are much more musical than thefirst, which are mainly devoid of interest aside from the early arrival ofseveral of our warblers, who pass through almost unheralded at this particulartime of the year.September gives us a taste of May over again; yet, after all, it is likea cake that has been largely deprived of its frosting and sugared plums;though, on the whole, very palatable as it is wholesome.We miss, however, the sweet vocal strains, and are comforted chieflyby the sight of many birds, which, alternating with the weather, seemto come by fits and starts. The woods may fairly swarm with themfrom bramble to tree-top tomorrow and be comparatively tenantless theday following. A rapid change in climatic conditions, a fall in temperature,is usually followed shortly afterward by its attendant bird -wave.The first two weeks of September should be very busy ones for theenergetic student of birds, and clever indeed is he who can accuratelyidentify all that he sees. Many of our transient visitors come to us thenin a poorly developed, if not greatly modified, dress, and we must relylargely upon certain ineffaceable markings in onler to correctly name them.It, too, is the month of Warblers and the smaller Thrushes, which finall\gives way, as the season advances, to that of the Sparrow hosts.I5IRDS OF THE SEASONLate summer and early fall transients and winter visitants, near Gien Ellyn, Illinois,from data collected durinfj the past eight years, earliest dates of arrival being given:(For permanent winter visitant and summer resident species see Bird-I.ori:, Dt-c.1900, p. 187, and June, 1901, p. 104.)July 4, Black Tern; July 16, Solitary Sandpiper; July 28. Orange-crowned Warbler;July 29, Tennessee Warbler; July 30, \eIlow-Iegs; Aug. 3, CJreat Blue Heron;Aug. 4, Least Sandpiper; Aug. 9, Broad-winged Hawk; .Aug. 11, Olive-sided Flycatcher,Blue-iieaded Vireo and Black-and- White Warbler; Aug. 12, Pectoral Sandpiper.NLignolia and Blackburnian Warblers; Aug. 13, Bay-breasted Warbler; Aug.14, Connecticut Wariiler; .Aug. 15, Cnnadian WarbiiT; .Aug. if>. ( Jolden-winged and

:Aug.1 68 Bird -LoreWilson's Warblers, Reci-hrcastcd Nuthatch (?) and Olive-hatkcd J'lirusii ;Aug. 17,Mourning Warbler; Aug. 20, Nashville Warbler ; 21, Philadelphia Vireo; Aug.22, Black -throated CJreen Warbler; Aug. 23, Blackpoli Warbler; Aug. 25, PurpleFincli, Parula and Black-throated Blue Warblers and Water-Thrush; Aug. 26. Wilson'sWillow and Gray-cheeked Thrushes; Aug. 30, Slate-colored Junco;* Sept. 2,Swamp Sparrow; Sept. 3, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher; Sept. 4, Blue-winged Teal, Sparrow-Hawk(flatter recently added to summer resident list) and Palm Warbler; Sept. 6,Horned Grebe ( ?); Sept. 7, American Coot and Osprey; Sept. 8, Le Conte's Sparrowand Cape May Warbler; Sept. 9, Winter W^ren and Ruby-crowned Kinglet;** Sept.10, American Golden Plover; Sept. 11, Lincoln's Spanow; Sept. 12, Rusty Blackbird;**Sept. 13, White-throated Sparrow; Sept. 14, Sapsucker and Hermit Thrush; Sept. 15,Brown Creeper;** Sept. 17, Sharp-shinned and Pigeon Hawks, Grinnell's (?) WaterThrush; Sept. 18, Wilson's Snipe and Pine Siskin {?); Sept. 19, Golden-crowned Kinglet;Sept. 20, Greater Yellow-legs; Sept. 22, Fox Sparrow; Sept. 24, Black-bellied Ploverand Lapland Longspur (?) ;* Sept. 25, Mallard, Green-winged Teal and MyrtleWarbler; Sept. 30, American Pipit.Latest dates of departure, for August and September, of transient and summer-residentspecies, from data collected near (ilen Ellyn, Illinois, during the past eightyears(For migrant species during Feliruary and March, and April and May, see Februaryand April Nos. of Bird-Lore, pp. 27 and 66, respectively.)Aug. 13, Chipping Sparrow ;t Aug. 16, Yellow-breasted Chat;t Aug. 17, MourningWarbler; Aug. 19, Least Sandpiper and Cerulean Warbler; Aug. 20, Blue-grayGnatcatcher; Aug. 27, Acadian Flycatcher; Aug. 30, Green Heron; Sept. i. BarnSwallow, White-rumped Shrike, and Blue-winged Yellow Warbler; Sept. 3, YellowbelliedFlycatcher, Bank Swallow and Wilson's Thrush; Sept. 4, Baltimore Oriole;Sept. 5, Black Tern and Dickcissel ; Sept. 6, Horned Grebe (?), Great Blue Heron,Kingbird and Yellow Warbler; Sept. 7, Osprey; Sept. 8, Tree Swallow and Cape MayWarbler; Sept. 10, Cowbird and Warbling Vireo; Sept. 11, Bartramian Sandpiper;Sept. 12, Sparrow Hawk; Sept. 13, Grasshopper Sparrow; Sept. 15, Olive-sided Flycatcher(?); Sept. 16, King Rail and Eave Swallow; Sept. 17, Grinnell's (?) WaterThrush and Willow Thrush ; Sept. 18, American Woodcock, Yellow-legs and CrestedFlycatcher; Sept. 19, Traill's Flycatcher; Sept. 20, Greater Yellow-legs, Scarlet Tanagerand Yellow-throated V^ireo; Sept. 21, Wilson's Warbler; Sept. 22, Ruby-throated Hummingbird,Indigo Bird, Blackburnian, Connecticut and Canadian Warblers and WoodThrush; Sept. 23, Wood Pewee and Martin (?) ; Sept. 24, Black-bellied Plover and LeastFlycatcher; Sept. 24, Pectoral and Spotted Sandpipers; Cedarbird * * and GoldenwingedWarbler; Sept. 26, Henslow's Sparrow and Chestnut-sided Warbler; Sept. 27,Blue-winged Teal ; Rose-breasted Grosbeak; Philadelphia Vireo, Black-and-White andBlackpoli Warblers; Sept. 28, Sharp-shinned Hawk; Sept. 29, Yellow-billed Cuckooand Chimney Swift; Sept. 30, Ovenbird.*RcEular winter visitant. ** Irregular winter visitant. t Doubtless occurred later.OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER BIRD-LIFE AT GLEN ELLYN (NEAR CHICAGO), ILLINOISBv Benjamin T. GAUi.rThe opening daj's of October are perhaps easily characterized by themarked disappearance of many of our strictly insectivorous birds. A fewmav linger still, or until some time after the first fall frosts have set in,vet it is equally apparent to us then that they fail to lend much character

:Birds and Seasons 169to our bird -life, or such as the seed eaters, or Sparrows, are now doing,during these and the succeeding Indian summer dajs, so shortlj' tofollow.From a few, at first, the Tree Sparrows gradually become more numerous,and. as the bracing days of late October finally give way to thesharper nights and mornings of cooler November, it is found they arenot lacking in suitable places. Yet, as a species, they cannot be regardedas common until the wintry days of December have actually come to stay;though their exact status in this one particular does seem to vary withthe seasons.The first week in October, with us, usually hnds the Juncos andPeabodies plentiful, and associated with them is a fair sprinkling of FoxSparrows, the whole constituting a jolly lot.Our mixed hazel and blackberry, cornel and wild crab thickets are thenthe much -frequented resorts of the Sparrow kinil, and if one finds musicin the constant scratching among the rustling leaves and the almost incessantclatter of vocal sounds emanating from such surroundings he shouldnot fail to visit them at this most opportune time of the year.The Ambrosia, or ragweed, thickets, too, also afford them capitalretreats, as one is almost sure of finding there a mixed assemblage of thespecies just mentioned.There are years when the Pine Siskins first visit us in one immenseflock, with little bands from the main body scouring the country hereand there; and it is then that the heavily seed -laden tops of the ragweedofier them the greatest of attractions.A few notes pertaining to the fields and the foraging habits of theRough -legged Hawks might be as readily appended here, but, with these,we doubtless are rather convinced by this time that our seasonal cycle ofbird -life experiences has practically and happily approached its completion.datesBIRDS OF THE SEASONFor perriKiiu-iit residents, see Bird-Lore for Dec, 1900, p. 187.Late fall and earl\- winter arrivals at Cilen LIUii, siiowiiit; earliest recordedOctober 2. Nelson's and Wliite-crowned Sjiarrows; Oct. 4, Tree Sparrow;* Oct. 12,Ring-necked Duck and American Roujjh- legged Hawk;* Oct. 17, Canada Goose;**Oct. 23, Lesser Scaup Duck; Oct. 24, Northern Shrike;* Oct. 31, .American Crossbill;Nov. 6, Shoveller Duck and Redpoll Linnet;** Nov. 19, Tufted Titmouse; Dec. 11,Short-earedOwl.*fLate fall and early winter departures at Cilen I'.lKii, showing latent recorded dates,from data collected during the past eight years:October i, Black-crowned Night Heron, Farula WarhUr and Water Thrush ; Oct. 2.Nelson's Sjiarrow and NLarvland \'ellow-tliroat ;Oit. 4, .\merican C'oot. Broail-w ingeilHawk, Field Sparrow and Ba\ -breasted Warbler; Oct. ^. Reil-eved N'ireo and .\iner-* Rriiular wintiT visilam. ** Irrctular wiiilcf viiiianl. J Ooubllrs* occiirrcd cirlicr.

'Autinnn,''A;I70Bird -Loreicaii Reilstart; Oct. 6, Solitar) Sandpiper, LeCoiite's Sparrow, Pliothc, Catliird, HrownThrasher aiul Alice's Thrusli ; Oct. 7, Orange-crowned Warbler; Oct. 9, Marsh Hawk,Bobolink, Lincoln's Sparrow, Solitary V'^ireo, House Wren, Nashville (?), Tennessee andMagnolia Warblers ; Oct. 10, Long-billed Marsh Wren and Black-throated Blue Warbler;Oct. 12, Sapsucker and Black-throated Green Warbler; Oct. 14, NightiiawkOct. 16, Pigeon Hawk and Hermit Thrush; Oct. 17, Carolina Rail and Short-billetlMarsh Wren; Oct. 18, Golden Plover, American Pipit and Palm Warbler; Oct. 19,Green-winged Teal and American Bittern; Oct. 20, Savanna Sparrow; Oct. 21, MourningDove, Black-billed Cuckoo and White-crowned Sparrow; Oct. 22, Killdeer Plo\er;Oct. 24, Swamp Sparrow and Olive-backed Thrush; Oct. 25, (jrass Finch; Oct. 27,Ruby-crowned Kinglet** and Myrtle Warbler; Oct. 31, Brown Cree[)er** and RedbreastedNuthatch; Nov. i. Chew-ink; Nov. 2, Purple Finch and Song Sparrow; Nov. 4,Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup Duck and Wilson's Snipe; Nov. 6, Shoveller Duckand Red-headed Woodpecker;** Nov. 7, White-throated and Fox Sparrows and WinterWren; Nov. 13, American Crossbill; Nov. 15, Meadowlark,** Rusty Blackbird,**Bronzed Grackle and Redpoll Linnet;** Nov. 18, Bluebirtl; Nov. 19, Belted Kingfisher,Red-winged Blackbird, Tufted Titmouse and American Robin;** Nov. 26, Mallard;Nov. 29, Ring-necked Duck and Pine Siskin; Dec. 11, Golden-crowned Kinglet;**Dec. 12, Canada Goose;** Dec. 17, Flicker.**'*'*Irregular winter visitant.SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'SSTUDYMii^ration. — Note the relation between temperature and the dates of departure ofbirds for the south. What summer residents remain until November? Are the individualsof these species probably those that were with us during the summer or birdsfrom farther north? Compare the birds of November with those of March. What isthe reason for the similarity in the bird-life of the two months ? When possible, notethe age, whether immature or adult, of the migrants observed. What evidences ofmigration by day are now observed ? Do any birds regularly resort to winter roosts inyour vicinity ? When are these roosts formed ?Food.— Note the change in the food of many species at this season. What usuallyinsectivorous birds now feed upon berries ? Observe the relation between and the natureof a migrant bird's food and the date of its departure. Note especially whether anj'birds store food. Does It follow that the same indiviilual which stores food will remainto devour it later in the year ?Song.— What species sing at this season? Are the individuals heard singingbelieved to be adults or birds reared the preceding summer ? What birds have callnoteslargelv restricted to this season ? What are the probable reasons for such restriction ?SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'SREADINGThoreau : 'Autumnal Lints' in 'Excursions.' Burroughs: "AutumnTides" and 'An October Abroad" in "Winter Sunshine." Torrey :NovemberChronicle' in 'A Rambler's Lease.' Flagg: "October' and 'November' in 'A YearWith the Birds." Bolles: "At the North of Bearcamp Water.' Wright: "The Loomof Autumn' in 'The Friendship of Nature.' Crocket: 'October' and 'November' in'A Yearbook of Kentucky Woods and Fields." Ingersoll : 'Nature's Calendar.' Parkhurst:'The Birds' Calendar.'

-The June Bird Census 171What Bird Is This?Field 'Description. — Length. 5.50 in. Crown dark brown, a grayish line through its center, a burfy streak overthe eye: back streaked with black, whitish and brownish: tail-feathers pointed: throat whitish ; breas; and sidesbuffy;abdomen white.Note. — Each number of Birij-Lore will contain a photograph, from specimens inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some widely-distributed, but, in tiieeastern United States, at least, comparatively little-known bird, the name of which willbe withheld until the succeeding number of the magazine, it being believed that thismethod of arousing the student's curiosity will result in impressing the bird's characterson his mind far more strongly than if its name were given with its picture.The species figured in August is the female Black-throated Blue Warbler, a fallspecimen with the white spot at the base of the primaries not visible beyond the coverts.Few Warbler |)luiTiages are more dithcult to identify.The June Bird CensusWhile- \vc have reccivcnl a iiuinbcr of responses to the siititiestion ofa June biril census, very few of the h'sts si-nt are based upon the detailedobservation recjuired to make them of value in this connection. A mereenumeration of the species seen even when accompanied b\- the statementsof "Common," "Abundant," etc., does not aitl us in learnifiL: with comjiarative exactness the number of itidi\idual birds occup\iniz a L!;i\i'n area.

—172 Bird -LoreOnly those who have tried to make a hirtl census are aware of the time,care, and patience it of necessity requires. It is not surprising, therefore,that so few of the returns are avaihihle for publication. Ed.A JUNE BIRD CENSUS AT NORTH FREEDOM,WIS.Hi Al.RK \\K. IMOKK AM) JAMKS SKKI.KVThe country taicen consisted of corn and oat fields, sloping meadows,heavily wooded bottoms, thick bushy tracts, a wild plum orchard and amarsh. Time, June 3 to June 30:Cjieen Heron, i; Virginia Rail, i; Sora, i; Spotted Sandpiper, 5; Bob-uliite, 10;Mourning Dove, 12; Cooper's Hawk, 2; Red-sliouldered Hawk, i; Pigeon Hawk, i;American Sparrow Hawk, 5; Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 2; Belted Kingrisher, 5; DownyWoodpecker, 3; Yeliow-Bellied Woodpecker, r; Red-headed Woodpecker, 5; Flicker,8; Night-hawk, 2; Chimney Swift, 5; Ruby-throated Hummingbird, i; Kingbird, 4;Phoebe, i; Wood Pewee, 3; Least Flycatcher, i; Prairie Horned Lark, 3; Bluejay, 3;Crow, i; Bobolink, 8; Cowbird, 7; Red-winged Blackbird, 23; Meadowlark, 10; BaltimoreOriole, 3; House Sparrow, 3; American Goldfinch, 7; Vesper Sparrow, 6; ChippingSparrow, 2; Field Sparrow, i; Song Sparrow, 21; Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 4; IndigoBunting, 4; Dickcissel, 4; Scarlet Tanager, 2; Purple Martin, 2; Cliff Swallow, 3;Barn Swallow, 4; Bank Swallow, 10; Cedar Waxwing, 5; Red-eyed Vireo, 5; WarblingVireo, 5; Yellow-throated Vireo, i ;Yellow Warbler, 5; Maryland Yellowthroat, 2;American Redstart, 2; Catbird, 9; Brown Thrasher, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3;Chickadee, 7; American Robin, 12; Bluebird, 2. Total, 58 species, 268 individuals.A JUNE BIRD CENSUS AT HUNTINGTON, LONG ISLANDBy Charlotte E.LeeThe area selected is bounded on one side by an elm -shaded villagestreet, lined with cottages having lawns and gardens, back of which lieorchards and hay fields. The street ascends a hill whose opposite slopeis partly covered with a growth of cedar, locust, oak and chestnut trees,and at the foot of which lies a group of small ponds with banks heavilyshaded with willow, alder, elder, and other bushes.Bob-white, i; Yellow or Black-billed Cuckoo, i; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Flicker,3; Swift, 12-15; Ruby-throated Hummingbird, i; Kingbird, 4; Great Crested Flycatcher,2; Wood Pewee, 4; Chebec, 2; Blue Jay, 2; Crow, i; Cowbird, 3; Meadowlark,2; Orchard Oriole, 2; Baltimore Oriole, 6 adult, i young; Purple Finch, 2; EnglishSparrow, 17; (joldfinch (American), 10; Grasshopper Sparrow, 4; Chipping Sparrow,15; Field Sparrow, 5; Song Sparrow, 17; Chewink,2; Scarlet Tanager, i; PurpleMartin, 6; Cedarbird, 6; Red-eyed V^ireo, 5; Yellow-throated Vireo, i; White-eyedVireo, 2 and i young in nest ; Black and White Warbler, 4; Yellow Warbler, 6; PrairieWarbler, 3; Ovenbird, 2; Louisiana Waterthrush, 2; Maryland Yellow-throat, 5;American Redstart, 6; Catbird, 10; Brown Thrasher, 2; House Wren, 3; WoodThrush, 9; Robin, 25. Total, 42 species, about 223 individuals.

IONA Bittern at Close RangeBY A. V. KIDDER (As;ed 15)May i6, 1901, I was walking alone by the edge of a largemarsh near the Waverley Oaks, in Belmont, Mass. It was about3 o'clock on a hot sunny afternoon, and I was therefore muchsurprised to hear the pumping of a Bittern from the long grass. I hadmade it my rule always to look for a Bittern that 1 heard pumping, buthad never yet been lucky enough to see the operation. I looked carefullyover the broad expanse of marsh grass and water, and soon strucksomething that looked suspicious. From behind a small clump of deadbullrushes there protruded a brown object, that, even with the glasses,could scarcely be proved animate. All my doubt of its identity wasremoved when the top of the stick suddenly bent down, was jerked upand pulled down again, while the well-known guttural, bubbling gruntcame to my ears. The neck immediately became stiff and straight again,and the bird stood motionless for several minutes.This Bittern only pumped from three to four times running and thenstood quietly for two to three minutes before repeating his performance. Ihave never heard a Bittern pump more than eight consecutive times, norless than twice.The bird was about a hundred \ards distant, with only his neck andhead in sight. His neck was protruding straight from the grass and hishead pointed upward and outward. The process of pumping was as follows:When ready, he lowered his beak, so that it pointed about parallelto the grass. After a few preliminary nods his head jerked violentlydown and his throat swelled and puffed as if a large ball were beingbrought up from the stomach, then his head was thrown up to a perpendicular,and whipped down a trifle lower than in the first nods.These movements made up one "pump" consisting of three syllables thatsounded to me like '*glump-te-glough." The ne.xt pump is started withoutthe preparatory nods. The actions are so lightning-like that it isimpossible to say in what part of the gyrations of his head the separatenotes come. He was too far distant for me to hear the snapping of thebill heard by Mr. liolles, less than two miles from the same place. Onenote of three syllables took a little o\er one second, ami during theinterval, which was longer than in the night performance, he stood gazingsteadfastly toward the sk\ .I suppose the dipping of his bill, likethat of a bird drinking, before beginning the song, ga\ e rise to tlie \ erynatural idea tiiat water was useil in the process.173I

—jBlote^ from JTteld anti ^tudpA Talking Rose-breastedGrosbeakEarly last summer while standing on myback steps, I heard a cheerful voice say,"You're a pretty bird. Where are you?"I supposed it to be the voice of a Parrot,but wondered how any Parrot could talkloud enough to be heard at that distance,for the houses on the street back of us arequite a way off.Almost before I had done laughing, thevoice came again, clear, musical, andstrong— "You're a pretty bird. Where areyou?"For several days I endured the suspenseof waiting for time to investigate. Then Ichased him up. There he was in the topof a walnut tree, his gorgeous attire tellingme immediately that he was a RosebreastedGrosbeak.At the end of a week he varied his complimentto, "Pretty, pretty bird, where areyou ? Where are you? " With a kind ofimpatient jerk on the last "you."He and his mate stayed near us all lastsummer, and though I heard him talk ahundred times, yet he always brought afeeling of gladness and a laugh.Our friend has come back again thisspring. About May i, I heard the sameendearing compliment asbefore.Several of my friends whom I have toldabout him have asked, "Does he say thgwords plainly? Do you mean that he reallytalks?" My reply is, "He says them justas plainly as a bird ever says anything, soplainly, that even now I laugh wheneverI hear him."He is not very easily frightened andsometimes talks quite a while when I amstanding imder the tree where he is.Emii,v B. Pellet, Worcester, Mass.SwallowManceuversOn October 3, 1899, my attention wascalled to a huge flock of Tree Swallowsabout a quarter of a mile from my home.These birds are abundant here from July toOctober, but on this occasion at least 2,000— estimating from photographs and fromthe counting of the live birds — were collectedon the telegraph wires and in theadjoining fields, and not a single specimenof any other species could be found in theHock.On the wires were hundreds at a time,crowded together between three poles ; theyseemed to have lost their usual fear of man,remaining even when carriages went underthem, and not always starting up when thewires were struck by astone — a temptationto throw which the passing small boys founditimpossible to resist.Beside the road is a small brook withtwo or three exposed pools, and here was agreat oval whirl of birds, all going in thesame direction, each inpassing dipping fora drink, then rising to re-take its place inthe line. Now and then some returned tothe wires or others joined the drinkers, butthe numbers were so great that a collisionseemed unavoidable.A large part of the flock had settled in apasture some distance away, in so close agroup that they made a spot of blue on theshort grass. Crossing over to these I foundthem quietly enjoying the sunlight, and asI approached from the southwest all hadtheir backs toward me, showing to perfectionthe beautiful steel-blue of the feathers.Most of the time they were still, thoughnow and then one undertook to walk a fewinches, if, indeed, such a ridiculous hobblecould be called a walk. But forty feet wasnear enough for a person — then those nearestme rose and passing over the others,alighted in front of them, and so theymoved regularly on before me.Some of this portion of the flock were ona wire fence near at hand, a very smallproportion, though over 100 were on a singlewire between five posts, and these were sofearless that when the last one flew I wasbut two steps away.(i 74)

——)Notes From Field and Study 175Four or five times during an hour and ahalf the birds on the telegraph wires rosein a body, with those drinking at thebrook, while the flock from the pasturehurriedly crossed the intervening fields tojoin them. For a moment the very airseemed full of Swallows, then rising higher,they separated into smaller flocks, turningback and forth, meeting again, describingcurious figures as smoothly and easily as ifgoing through a long-practiced drill.Aftera few minutes, they either returned, a few ata time, to their former perches, or graduallyscattered over the fields and woods and ina little while came streaming back, a longriver of Swallows, to alight once more.As the morning advanced their numbersgradually diminished, and at 3 p. m. aboutthirty remained. For three or four daysafter that these Swallows were present ingreat numbers, continuing their drill, afterwhich I noticed no more than usual.Is.^BEi.LA McC. Lemmon, Eyigleujood , N.J.An Aerial BattleOn September 24, 1898, I witnessed amost vigorous and spirited fight betweena Sparrow Hawk and a female SharpshinnedHawk. Each seemed equally theaggressor and fought after its own peculiarmethod of hunting, the Sparrow Hawk alwaysendeavoring to rise high above theother and then dash down falcon-like onthe back of its antagonist, a manoeuverwhich the other usually forestalled b\- turningon its back and striking upwardsviciously, though once or twice I fanciedthat the Sparrow Hawk struck her prettyseverely before she was able to turn.The Sharji-shirmed Hawk attacked witha horizontal flight, sometimes with a sidemovement, but oftener straight ahead, and,to my surprise, appeared to have the advantagewhen Hying against tlie wind, inspite of its opponent's more compact iiuililand stitfer wing feathers. The two foughtback and forth over the same ground forten minutes or more, each endeavoring togain the advantage by keeping to thewinthvard, but continuallv beaten back bythe gale. The Sp;ini>\\ Hawk touglit insilence, while the other uttered sharp,petulantshrieks from time to time.—W. E.Cram, Hampton Falls, N. H.Note on the Warbling VireoAn early morning visit to Rock Island,in the Mississippi river at Moline, Illinois,for the purpose of becoming more familiarwith the Warbling Vireo — the bird, itssong. Its nest, its habits — revealed a verypretty bit of bird -ways.Seated on the ground, in a convenientplace for watching the Vireo, which wason the nest, we were soon attracted by aVIreo's song. Search for the singer failedto find it, until we noted that the bird onthe nest seemed to be singing. Then, aswe watched, over and over again the birdwas seen to lift up its head and pour outthe long, rich warble — a most delicioussight and sound.Are such ways usual amongst birds, ordid we chance to see and hear an unusualthing ? Amanda Elliott, Moline.Illinois.The Bird Rock GroupIHfe FrontispieceOne of the objects of the writer's trip toBird Rock in July, 1898, was to securematerial to be used in the representationof the interesting phase of bird -life theRock so well typifies, in the AmericanMuseum of Natural History. This objecthas now been happily accomplished throughthe skill and talents of Mr. H. C. Denslow,of the Museum's taxidermic staflf, andthe Bird Rock group is considered to beone of the most successful, as well as mostambitious attempts, to reproduce the hauntsof birds. — F. M. C.The Eighteenth Congress of the AmericanOrnithologists' Unionriu- public sessions of the A. O. l'. willbe held November 12-14 in the AmericanMuseum of Natural History, New Yorkcity. The Second Annual Audubon Conferencewill also occur at the same place(lurilii; the >ame week.

ilooft jBtetD0 ant) 3^etoietD0Everyday Birds. Elementary Studies byBradford Torrey. With 12 illustrationsin colors after Audubon and 2 fromPhotofjraphs. Boston and New York:Houghton, MifHin &c Co. 1901. lanio.106 pages. Price, $1.Mr. Torrey here writes for young peopleof two dozen or more common birds and ofsome phases of bird-life in a manner, itseems to us, well adapted to claim the\'outhful observer's attention and to makehim call for "more." At the best there issuch a vast difference between the bird inthe bush and the bird in the book thatthere is often danger too much of the lattermay rob the child of his interest in theformer, and one is thankful, therefore,when the birds find an interpreter as wellequipped as Mr. Torrey.The illustrations, reproduced by the threecolorprocess from Audubon's plates, areinteresting and, as far as we can judgewithout direct comparison with the originals,most of them seem to be surprisinglysuccessful.—F. M. C.Haddom Hall Library. Bird Watching.By Edmund Selous. London: J. M.Dent & Co. 1901. [New York: TheMacmillan Co. Price, I3.00.] 121110.xi + 347 pages; 6 full-page photogravures;numerous text cuts.The ideal student of birds In nature, or"bird watcher," as Mr. Selous terms him,must be a patient, conscientious, unprejudicedand skilled observer, with a trainingwhich will tell him what are the essentialthings to be looked for and what is thesignificance of things seen, and, most importantof all, since without it sciencegains nothing from his labors, he musthave the power to record his observationsin such a manner that they become availableto others — a contribution to the storeof human knowledge.To the ornithologist who aspires toreachthis high standard we commend Mr. Selous'volume. Its author's methods of work,mode of reasoning and rare gift of descriptionmake his book an addition to theliterature of ornithology, as well as tothat of general ecology, of unusual merit.While the range of his observations coversmany phases of bird-life, he appears —and with good reason — to have been especiallyattracted by the often remarkableactions of birds during the pairing season,and his observations on the subject of sexualselections are of peculiar value.Although Mr. Selous writes only ofBritish birds, many of the water birdstreated are found in this country ; but thematter of species is here a secondary consideration,and we call the attention ofAmerican readers to this book because webelieve its perusal will be of real assistanceto them in studying the habits of wildbirds.— F. M. C.The Birds of Springfield and Vicinity.By Robert O. Morris. Henry R. Johnson,Springfield, Mass. 1901. 8vo. 54pages. I map.This list enumerates 254 species as knownto occur within a radius of 25 miles ofSpringfield, exclusive of five species, whichhave been introduced. Only one of thelatter (the House Sparrow, it is almostneedless to say) continues to exist, EuropeanQuail, Prairie Hens, Prairie SharptailedGrouse and European Starlingshaving disappeared after their release. Ofthe latter it is said that about 100 wereliberated in the spring of 1897. "Three ofthese were alive and well early the followingspring, but since then I have not seenor heard of any of them" (p. 42) ; a rathersurprising failure in view of the successwhich has attended the introduction of thisspecies in New York city.'l"he annotations duly credit the observationsof former observers, and the list is awelcome contribution to faunal literature.It is attractively printed, and we are particularlyglad to see that it is issued as aspecial publication, and is thus accessibleto anv one desiring to secure it.— F. M. C.(176:

, and—Book News and Reviews 177The Birds of Andover. Prepared byHoward I. Ford. Published by theSchool Department. The Andover[Mass.] Press. 1900. lamo. 19 pages.This little pamphlet was prepared for theuse of the "teachers and pupils in the Andoverschools," and, the prefatory notefurther states, its "chief aim is to give informationof local value which cannot befound in other handbooks." Having soclearly in mind tiie principal office of alocal list, we are not surprised to find thatthe author has succeeded in presenting hisfacts in a definite, detailed, and still condensedmanner.The form adopted, a ruledpage with thebird's name at the left and annotations insucceeding columns and with blanks forsuljsequent records, admits of the presentationof a large amount of information in asmall space and consequently at a small cost,and we commend it, with the substance ofthe list itself, to every one having in mindthe preparation of local lists for students.F. M. C.Birds I H.ave Seen. New York: Dodd,Mead &c Co. 1901. i6mo. 169 pages.Price, 50 cts.This little book has lieen issueil withthe admirable object of encouraging themaking of notes in the field. Under theheadings of "Dates," "Where Seen,""Appearance,""Habits," "The Female,""Its Note," etc., spaces are left to befilled by the student. The book is ofconvenient size and attractive appearance,but it docs not seem to us to have beenprepared by a person who has had actualfield experience in using a note -book ofthis character. — F. M. C.Digest of G.ame L.wvs for 1901. BulletinNo. 16, U. S. Department of Agriculture.Division of Biological Survey. By T. S.Pai.mrr and H. \V. Oi.ds. Washington.Cjovernnicnt Printing Office. 1901. 8vo.150 pages. 8 plates.Tiiis"is practically a complete digest ofexisting federal, state and provincial lawsrelating to the capture, shipments and saleof game" ( preface I its publication bythe g()\ irninrnt a-- ;in ntlicial docuiin-ntgives to it an authoritativeness second onlyto the laws themselves.The game laws of the land are thus madeso readily accessible that ignorance of theirprovisions is inexcusable on the part ofeither sportsmen, game dealers, or transportationcompanies. Of the latter, especially,it may be said with truth that ' the game isnot worth the candle and once informed of'the requirements of the law they will makeno attempt to evade them. This bulletin,therefore, will be welcomed by every oneinterested in preserving our rapidly decreasinggame birds and mammals.— F. M. C.The Ornithological Magazines'The Auk.—' The Auk for July is withoutan illustration for the first time in manya day, containing, however, its usual arrayof papers, reviews and notes. There is alist of 91 summer 'Birds of the BlackHills,' by Merritt Gary, and another of 42'Winter Birds of Pea Island, N. C'by Louis B. Bishop, both being of the'familiar annotated type. Some UnpublishedLetters of Wm. MacGillivray toJohn James Audubon,' by Ruthven Deane,will be read with interest. Herbert Brownwrites on 'Bendire's Thrasher,' dealing almostwholly with statistics of nests andeggs, and several new races of birds are'described by various authors. The ResidentLand Birds of Bermuda are discussed'by Outram Bangs and Thomas S. Bradlee,who conclude that four of the seven indigenousbirds are sufficiently distinct fromtheir continental brethren to be described asnew species. Lack of specimens for comparisonof the other three species seems tohave saved Bermuda from being furnishedwith a complete new local avifauna.A score of pages is devoted to a tenthsupplement to the A. O. U. check-list witha fresh stirring about of names, the tenthsince 1886. Tiie question suggests itself.Might not more stability of nomenclature beattained by less frequent rulings of the committee? — quincjuennial reports, for instance.N'ewly described forms, like wine,ought to improve or spoil by keeping andotiur (|ui->lioiis :iri- imi >n prcvsing. I'p-to-

William'Blue-GrayTenants'The178 Bird -Loredate iiomenclatLire is not needed in editionsiilve a daily newspaper, and if 'Supplements'are to appear every few months, birdstudents will finally come to regard them,right or wrong, only as a sort of nomenclaturalyellow journalism.—J.D., Jr.The Osprev.— Three numbers (May,June, and July) of I'he Osprey recently' 'have appeared, and, as usual, contain matterof considerable interest. The illustratedpaper on the 'Osprey or Fish Hawk,'which Doctor Gill commenced in the initialnumber of the current volume, is still continued,and Paul Bartsch concludes hisarticle on 'The Dismal Swamp.' To hislist of fifty-three summer residents, we canadd the following species: Night Heron,Spotted Sandpiper, Bob-white, Dove, BaldEagle, Red - tailed and Broad - wingedHawks, Phoebe, Fish Crow, Red-wingedBlackbird, Meadowlark, Goldfinch, FieldSparrow, Barn Swallow, Brown Thrasher,Long-billed Marsh Wren, and Bluebird.Among the other original articles may be'mentioned Swainson and HisTimes' (part ix , )by Doctor Gill; 'ACanoe Trip Up the San Juan River, Mexico,'by Percy Shufeldt ; 'My Story of aSharp-shinned Hawk,' by P.M. Silloway;'Stephens' Whippoorwill,' by J.H.Riley;'Blue Grosbeak in Eastern Kansas,' byW. S. Colvin; Gnatcatcher,'and 'The Malar Stripe of Young Flickers,'by 'Wm. Palmer; of Uncle Sam,'and 'Camping on the Old Camp Grounds,'by Paul Bartsch, and Notes on ' the Birdsthe Bermudas, with Descriptions of TwoofNew Subspecies [Cardinalis cardinalissomersii and Sialia sialis bermudensis),'by A. H. Verrill. Mr. Verrill is unfortunatein losing both these subspecies, forin the case of the Bluebird he overlookedthe fact that Linnaeus based his descriptionson the Bermuda bird, and a descriptionof the Cardinal by Bangs andBradlee appeared'in 'The Auk fully twoweeks before his paper was issued.In the review of Doctor Dwight's paper'On Sequence of Plumages and Moults'there seems to have been some carelessproofreading, as 'nuptial,' both in its independentand combined forms, is uniformlymisspelled.The shorter notes are to be found underthe headings of 'Comments and Notes.'—A. K. F.Wilson Bulletin No. 35. — This numberof the Bulletin contains the followingarticles: 'On the Occurrence of TwoSouthern Birds in \'irginia,' and "SpringHorizon, near Lynchburg, Va.,' hv J.W.Daniel,Jr.;'Helm'inthoph'ila p'liius inWisconsin,' by N. Hollister; 'The Redpollin South Carolina,' by W. J. Hoxie;'Cardinal,' by T. D. Keim, and a numberof interesting shorter communicationsimder the heading of General ' Notes.'Fwo articles by Professor Lynds Jones'and the editor, on A Suggestion for'Work,' and Further Suggestions for Takinga Bird Census,' contain valuable hintswhich should assist the student in learningmore of the life histories of birds. —A. K. F.Book News.All nature-lovers will learn with pleasureof the promised early publication, byCharles Scribner's Sons, of a new work byErnest Seton-Thompson to be entitled The'Lives of the Hunted.'McClure, Phillips & Co., announce forearly publication 'Songs of Nature,' aselection by John Burroughs, of over twohundred and twenty poems relating tobirds, flowers, the seasons, and nature.Mr. Burroughs's fine judgment as a criticand knowledge as naturalist will doubtlessmake this collection one of unusual charmand value.Birds of Princeton, New Jersey,'by William Arthur Babson, a brochure ofsome eighty pages, will soon be issued bythe Princeton Bird Club, under the editorshipof W. E. D. Scott, as its first Bulletin.We take pleasure in calling especial attentionto 'Nature Study,' a journal publishedwith commendable regularity eachmonth by the Manchester (N. H.) Instituteof Arts and Sciences. Its articles are alloriginal and, what does not always follow,tiiey are both readable and valuable.

we\arietiesEditorials 179Birti'EoreA Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIESEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. Ill Published October 1, 1901 No. 5SUBSCRIPTION RATESPrice ill the United States, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue. Newyork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,Macmillan and Company, Ltd., London.COPYRIGHTED, igoi, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.Bird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in the Bush is JVorth Two in the Hand.The recent action of the Committee onClassification of the American Ornithologists'Union in rejecting as imworth)' ofrecognition by name no less than twentysubspecies of North American birds, whichhave been described during the past twoyears, is a significant comment on thefeather-splitting tendency of some presentdaysystematic ornithologists, and an eloquentillustration of the Union's services tothe science of ornithology.While the committee thus saves us froman additional burden of 'bridged difficulties,'it unfortunately cannot save systematiczoology from the stigma of this excessiveand unwarranted describing of alleged"new" subspecies, and in his retiring addressas vice-president of the Section ofZoology of the American Association forthe Advancement of Science, delivereil atDenver in August last, we find Prof. C. B.Davenport saying: "There is only oneclass of zoologists that I would wish to blotout, and that is the class whose reckless'naming of new 'species' and 'serves only to extend the work and thetables of the conscientious sjnonymvhunterl"10 the -A. (). V .must also renderthanks tor the continued admirable work ofits Committee on the Protection of NorthAmerican Birds, by whose labors in securingthe enactment of suitable bird protectivelaws and, what is of far more importance,seeing that they were enforced, the seabirdsof our Atlantic coast have enjoyed apeace during the past nesting season suchas they have not known for many years.Indeed, the Union is deserving of fargreater support from the public than it hasthus far received, and now that the probableamendment of its constitution will open itsranks to bird-lovers of all classes, it isgreatly to be hoped that its membershipmay be largely increased.The Eighteenth Congress of the Unionsoon to be held (Nov. 12-14) at the AmericanMuseum of Natural History, New Yorkcit}', will doubtless be no less interestingthan its seventeen predecessors. A number offully illustrated papers is assured, includingthe report of the Committee on the Protectionof North American Birds.Mr. Hoffmann's article on the LeastFlycatcher, in this number of Bird-Lore,contains some interesting comments on themethod of bird-study which advocates theremoval of the branch with the nest andyoung to a convenient position near a tent,from the concealment of which the studentmay readily observe, and, if he be a photographer,graphically record the life ofthe nest.To the bird-photographer who has conscientiouslyphotographed his nests in situ,often risking life and limb in his effort topicture the nest just where the bird placedit, this summary manner of settling thedifficulties so frequently imposed by siteare, at first thought, not a little shocking,while the possible dangers to the youngwhich may follow deprivation, for a time,of food, and exposure to sim, storm andearthly enemies also suggest themselves.Under the direction of such a skilled,careful aiul humane student as ProfessorHerrick, the originator of this method, haspn)\en himself to be, these dangers areminimized, but thi> fact should not leailus to overlook their importance.

VLl)c ^utiubon Societies" )'ou cannot 7vith a scalpel find tlif pod' s soul,Plor yet the wild bird's song."Edited by Mrs. Mabkl Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies sliould be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses oftheir SecretariesNew Hampshire Mrs. F. W. Batchkldkr, Manchester.Massachusetts Miss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Mrs. H. T. Grant, Jr., 187 Bowen street. Providence.ConnecticutMrs. Wim.iam Brown Glover, Fairfield.New York Miss Emma H. Lockwood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street, New York City.New Jersey , Miss Anna Haviland, 53 Sandford ave., Plainfield, N.J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 3033 P street, Washington.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delamore place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legare street, Charleston.Florida Mrs. I. Vanderpool, Maitland.Ohio Mrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.IndianaW. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMiss Mary Drummond, 208 West street, Wheaton.IowaMrs. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.Wisconsin Mrs. Reuben G. Thwaits, 260 Laiigdon street, Milwaukee.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St. Paul.WyomingMrs. N. R. Davis, Cheyenne.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.CaliforniaMrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.The New Bird Laws ^|] x\\e state legislatures have given moreThe fact that the Department of Agri- or less attention to game protection, theculture announces the publication of a length of the open season has been in manydigest of the game laws of the United cases curtailed and the majority have someStates calls attention to the radical changes form of non-export law, while in manymade in these laws during the past three states non-residents are not alloweil to huntyears. without taking out a license, for whichWe believe that the long day of promis- they must pay.cuous slaughter for any and all purposes is Of the eastern coast states Maine, Newdrawing to a close. Whether there is yet Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,time to reestablish the larger game birds Connecticut, New York, New Jersey andin their haunts remains to be proved, but Florida are practically under the uniformalready we hear in many directions of the A. O. U. law variously modified or exincreaseof song-birtis, and the pleasant paneled, the C^arolinas, Virginia and Georgiainterview of (jarret Newkirk with a Mis- being, unfortunately, gaps in the chain,souri farmer that we publish this month is Connecticut has seemingly gone moresignificant. thoroughly into the matter than any otherDuring the past year an almost similar state, and is the only one, so far, we becodehas been adopted by ('alifornia, Con- lieve, to check pot-hunting, not only bynecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, forbidding the export of game, but alsoNebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New by forbidding its sale for two years. TheJersey, Florida and Arizona Territory. law reads, "Shipments of all game out of(180)

The Audubon Societiesthe state are prohibited. The sale of thesebirds is prohibited at all times."That these laws are the outcome of apopular reaction there is no doubt anymore than that the reaction was started bythe various protective associations, both Federaland State, chief among which standthe protective committee of the A. O. U.,the League of American Sportsmen andthe State Audubon Societies. To gain anadequate idea of the number and scope ofthe various state and local societies formedfor bird and game protection, we wishevery one would read the list, p. 664-671,in the "Year Book" of the U. S. Departmentof Agriculture for 1900.Everywhere in these laws is the strengthof cooperation visible, a cooperation thatshould be also applied to the work of theAudubon Societies more especially in relationto their published material than intheir individual methods, which must necessarilybe local and specialized. — M. O. W.SECOND ANNUAL AUDUBONCONFERENCEThe Second Annual Conference of theAudubon Societies will convene at theAmerican Museum of Natural History, NewYork City, November 14, 1901, under theauspices of the Audubon Society of NewYork State, which extends to the membersof all Audubon Societies a cordial invitationto attencl the pulilic meeting of the Societieson the afternoon of the day above named.REPORT OFCONNECTICUT SOCIETYiPresentfd at thr I-nurth Annual Merting. held at Stamford,May 2S. IQOl)During the past year the Executive Comtnitteehas held nine meetings" to transactthe business of the Society.Part of our work has been the purchaseof more books for our traveling libraries, towhich we have added four ^lt^ of eie\eiibooks each. We are much encourageil liytlie reports of the educational work theselibraries are doing in the schools and villageswhere they are circulated.We have also purchased from the MassachusettsAudubon Society sets of colorediiird charts, which show tlie conunon birdsof New England. These charts we send toour local secretaries for their use in schoolsor bird classes, or to the schools themselves.We have felt much encouraged by the specialinterest which our State Board of Educationhas shown in our work through itssecretary, Mr. C. D. Hine. It now hascharge of our lecture outfits, our travelinglibraries and most of our charts, andour desire is to purchase more of thesematerials which they utilize so well, as wethink the Board of Education can extendthis branch of work better than we can.Our membership this year has been increasedby 4 sustaining members, 45 regularmembers, 46 teachers, 828 junior membersand 642 associate members, making a totalof 1,565 new members. I have had mostinteresting reports from twenty-three of ourlocal secretaries, showing what excellentwork they are doing in the towns of Norwalk,Stamford, South Woodstock, Middletown,Norwich, North Woodbury, Watertown,Cjranby, Scotland, New Canaan,Enfield, Bristol, Stratford, Bridgeport,Wethersfield, New Milford, Redding,Haddam, Madison, Willimantic, Hartford,Westport and Woodbridge.The local secretaries form bird classes, orspeak to the children in the schools andinterest them in bird protection, and, asone wrote to me, "callthe children's attentionto the birds," as often people live alltheir lives among birds and hardly see themor iiear them, because no one has "calledtheir attention" to them, and the childrencontinue thoughtlessly to stone birds androb their nests, because no one has spoken afew simple words that will touch their hearts.Another one writes: The children havehad their eyes opened at last, and they arealive to the fact that it pays to protect thebirds. In another school the children madea chart of tiicir own from sets of colored birdssent out by some insurance companv ns anadvertisement, and being their own work,this chart is particidarly enjoyable to them.One town, Madison, had six sets of ourbird charts at one time.In some towns a birdcaUiuiar is kept, giving the date of seeing thebird, its name, name of observer and place.

:l82Bird- LoreFrom Stamford we hear that many birdshave lieen kept around all winter bv teach-Ing tlie children and others to feed thebirds, placing pieces of suet and seed boxeson the trees.In Hartford our local secretary has, byher bird talks in the public schools, fascinatedthe chiklren and gained us 395 newjunior members. On Bird Day she spokein seven schools.In Westport the local secretary held birdtalks around the cages of the village store,where a Barrel Owl, two Screech Owls and aChicken Hawk, a Coon and two flying squirrelswere on exhibition and well cared for.The Bird Day program which the ExecutiveCommittee arranged this year wasprinted and sent out by the Board of Education.The Society has sent ^20 to theThayer fund for the keeping of wardens onthe shore to protect our Gulls and Terns, amuch -needed work.We feel sure that the Audubon Societies,having made themselves a power, are nowaccomplishing the desired results. But ourwork is not done, only begun. It must becontinued, or our past work will be lost ina few years. We must keep our sentinelson the watch, or the milliners will think weare sleeping and plumage come into vogueagain.This year we ask for an increased interestamong the school children. Quoting fromanother one of our workers: "The goodresulting from the work of the Societyamong children will not end merely in theprotection of our feathered friends, nor inthe pleasure their presence gives to admirersof fleeting grace and beauty and to lovers ofbird song, nor even with the practical side,the benefit to the farmer in saving his cropsfrom the devastation of insects. The effectupon the children themselves will be salutary.Who will question the trutii of thestatement that the perceptions will be quickenedby studying and enjoying this form ofoutdoor life ? The rousing of the finersensibilities of the children by teachingthem to guard the welfare of those innocent,and, in a way, defenseless creatures,formed by the same wisdom and love thatendowed us,His highest creation, with life,can but have a refining tendency upon thecharacters of those we are striving to trainto noble manhood and womanhood."Helen W. Glover, Secretary.Library Report.— A special feature ofthe Connecticut Audubon Society duringthis last year, and one to which we attachmuch importance, has been the distributionof its libraries through the ConnecticutPublic Library Committee.Beginning this work a little more than ayear ago, with about one hundred books asa nucleus, their constant circulation, andthe appreciation with which they have beenreceived, are evidences of their popularity.When it is known that the libraries aresent out to schools where the children andoften the teachers have no other opportunityof obtaining books, it will be readily understoodhow gladly they are welcomed.The children not only acquire a love forreading but they learn the names of the'green and growing" things in their woodsand gardens, to know theinteresting habitsof animals, and to care for and protect ourbirds.One teacher writes of going to the woodswith the children and sends a list of uncommonwild flowers they have found with theaid of Mrs. Dana's "How to Know theWild Flowers." Another tells of the interestwith which her scholars have listened toSeton-Thompson's "Wild Animals I HaveKnown," and to Mrs. Wright's "FourfootedAmericans," as she has read and rereadthem to her classes. One writes ofLibrary No. 7, The Olive Thorne MillerLibrary"After reading these books I noticed thatthe children grew very fond of watching thebirds and their nests. Every noon theywould take their dinners and go off into thewoods near bj' to see the birds. When theyreturned they were eager to tell the manyinteresting things they had noticed. Theyfound a number of new nests and visitedthem every day, watching anxiously for thetime when the young birds should behatched."

The Audubon Societies 183We learn by the receipts that the librariesare not so much in use during the fall andwinter as in the spring, when outdoor observationcan be carried on in connectionwith the reading, which proves that a practicaluse is made of the books.Pictures always appeal to children, and tosatisfy a demand for "more pictures," fournew libraries of eleven books each, profuselyillustrated, have been added this spring.We feel that there can be no more satisfactoryway of reaching the children thanthrough the medium of these good books,for to them not only the children, but theolder ones in the community, will owe aninfluence in their lives which canoverestimated.Gr.acehardly beR. Moody, Librarian.FLORIDA SOCIETYIt may be of interest to some of yourreaders to know that Florida, the land ofsunshine, flowers and balmy breezes, has atlast awakened to the fact that these combinedare not all that make their state soattractive and so different. They find (eventhe most unconcerned) that their rivers,lakes and woods are strangely silent, andthat some of the old-time charm and beautyhas gone. The tourist misses the picturesqueHeron, the White Crane with hiswise look of intentness, as with one legpoised he waits by some quiet sheet of waterfor his daily meal. The woods are nolonger alive with birds darting hither andthither and filling the air with their cheerfulsongs, the cheer-up, cheer-up that delightedour fancy. 'Fhe birtis whom wewere sure some years ago said Deivey,Deivey, Deivey, and even the harsh noteof the pretty Blue Jay are in some parts ofthe state things of the past. A visitor fromPorto Rico told me there were no birds thereand added, "to this you will soon come unlessyou protect your few remaining birds."So some to whom these feathered songstersare real friends, and who grieved to seethem so wantonly destroyed, met togetherand the Florida Audubon sprang into existence.Hardiv had its work begun wluii itsuffered a great loss in the death ot itsfounder, Mrs. L. F. Dommerich. But tiiosewho are still members will try and carry onthe work so wisely planned by her. At thefirst annual meeting, March 8, great interestwas shown. Bishop Whipple* is stillits honored president, and many persons ofinfluence are enlisted in our ranks, and thework is again going on. Letters from allover the state are daily received by the secretaryand new members are being added.In West Palm Beach and Daytona, veryactive interest is shown and strong measurestaken to protect bird life. Literature andleaflets arebeing distributed throughout thestate, and we trust in a few years our eyesand ears will be gladdened as of old. Sunshine,flowers and the happy song of ourthousands of native birds, and Florida isParadise indeed.Mrs. I. V.ANDERPOOL, Secretary.For Our Encouragement"Birds are ten times asnumerous as theywere five years ago," said a farmer to me.as we were driving along a country road inNorth Missouri, in July, 1901."How do )'ou account for it?" I asked."Well," he replied, "there are severalreasons. Principally, because they are letalone. The boys have stopped killingthem. There is no more demand for themfor women's hats. The farmers learned,too, that their orchards and grain cropswere suffering from insects, and they wereinformed by writers in the newspapers andmagazines that the remedy was in savingthe birds. So tiieir children were told notto disturli tlu-m nor tiieir nests." I have seen a number of articles writtenby women, in such papers as the New YorkTribune and St. Louis Globe- Democrat.l)lea(ling for the birds, and remonstratingagainst the wicked custom of wearing themon hats. Such articles are quoted andtalked about in tin- country, and have agreat influence. Another thing;— we farmersiiave made a fight against the EnglishSparrow. We will not let him stav aboutour barns or liouses. Fhe children are* While this report is on the press we learn wilh ilropregret of Bishop Whipple's death. — El>.

—.—1 84 Bird-Loreinstructed to exterminate him and his nestswherever found. My little boy, 8 years old,discovered that the English Sparrows weretrying to drive tlie Martins out of the boxeswe had placed for them. They had possessionof one box and were closing up thehole so that the Martins could not enter, butleaving it just wide enough for themselves.He climbed up and tore away their obstructionsseveral times, till they got tired andleft. We have not had any since, and theMartins stay with us."On this ride of eight miles, all the waybetween farms and orchards with trees andbushes along the roadside, I saw Kingbirds,Field Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, YellowWarblers, Goldfinches, Nuthatches, Robins,Wrens, Doves, Quail with their young.Jays, Brown Thrashers, Flickers, RedheadedWoodpeckers, hundreds upon hundredsof Meadowlarks, and others I couldnot name.The remarks of my farmer friend, corroboratedby my own observations, seemedto me to be very encouraging to all of uswho have been trying to speak a word inseason as opportunity presented, on behalfof " our feathered friends." Garrett Newkirk,Los Angeles, Cat.VisibleResultsTwenty years ago no birds were moreconspicuous along the coast of Maine thanthe Common and Wilson's Terns. Theywere to be seen wheeling, splashing,floatingabout every cove and headland, and theirsharp ki-yi-ing was heard in every direction.But during the eighties they diminishedsteadily and during the nineties theybecame scarce. Many a time of late years Ihave sailed the whole distance up the Penobscotto the head of tide-water without seeinga Tern, and during two full years that Iwas resident in Eastport, Maine, I nevereither saw or heard one. This is the moreremarkable because, for some months, onesummer, I was living within a hundredyards of a natural fishing station for them,and even had I failed to see the birds I musthave heard them had any come near.This year, however, 1 have been agreeablysurprised to find the Terns once moreon tiie coast. In each of four trips up anddown the river I have seen them in considablenuniiiers. In one flock I counted overforty birds, and it seemed good to hear theirsharp, wild cry again.Judging from their former scarcity andthis sudden reappearance, it would seemthat the efforts to protect their breedinggrounds must have met with some success,and that continued protection w-ould restorethe Terns in their old numbers.I have seen no Bonaparte's Gulls thisseason, nor any Herons, nor Loons.HerringGulls have beenpresent in about thciusual numbers and Fish Hawks in smallnumbers. The latter is a bird well worthprotecting, if merely for the interest it addsto a trip along the coast. A large bird isinteresting merely because of its size; if,like the Osprey, it is not inclined to be shy,is not too particular about its nesting places,and does no harm, it should be encouragedwhenever possible. We have but four largeland birds that can be called characteristicof the Maine coast—the Bald Eagle, theRaven, the Heron and the Fish Hawk. Allof the first three are wary birds; the Heronis so particular about its nesting sites as tobe rather necessarily a local bird, and theEagle and the Raven are so destructive tothe island sheep as to be legitimatelyhunted. But the Osprey, or Fish Hawk, isvery properly entitled to all the protectionthat may be afforded oy individuals or societies,and deserves a good word.Hardy Eckstorm, Breiver, Me.Proposed New English LawFannieThe English Humanitarian League hasprepared a bill, wliich will soon be introducedin Parliament, making it a finableoffense for any person to sell or wear anyarticle of dress to which there is attached,securely or otherwise, the plumage, >kiii,body or any part of the birds named in thebill ; the list provided particularly includesthe Aigrette, Bird of Paradise, Tern, Kittiwake.Kingfisher, Hummingbird, andImpeyan Pheasant. — Fi/r Trade Re-vieti:for August, 1901

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i6irti*toreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OFOfficial Organ of the Audubon SocietiesBIRDSVol. Ill November — December, 1901 No. 6INRecognition Marks of BirdsBY ERNEST SETON-THOMPSONIllustrated hy the Authorgeneral the markings of animals are believed to be either protectiveor directive: that is, designed either to hide the animal, or elseto distinguish it and make it conspicuous or ornamental.In the bird world we have many illustrations of both kinds of colorationin the same individual, for many species arc protectively colored whilesitting and directively while flying. Or, to put it in another way, thecolors of the upper parts show chiefly when the bird is perching, andthese are protective; the colors of the loiver parts and expanded wingsare directive, and are seen chiefly in flying. All birds with ample wingsand habits of displaying them, bear on them distinctive markings; forexample: Hawks, Owls, Plovers, Gulls, etc. All bird students will recallthe pretty way in which most of the Plovers let the world know whothey are. As soon as they alight, they stand for a moment with bothwings raised straight up to display the beautiful pattern on the winglinings; a pattern that is quite different in each kind and that is likethe national flag of the species, for it lets friend and foe alike knowwhat species is displaying it.On the other hand, birds like the Hummingbird, whose wings movetoo rapidly for observation, are without color pattern on the under side.These markings, no matter which categor\ they belong to, arc pur onthe bird first of all to be of service to its own kind. That is certain,as certain as the main truth of evolution; for, as Darwin long agostated, if it can be shown that any species has acquired an\ thing thatis of use only to some other species, then the theory of evolution b\natural selection must fall to the ground.Hut this ilocs not sa\- that an aci|uircii characteristic may not also beof use to another species. Thus the directive and recognition marks ofthe Hawks ami Owls as illustrated on iin plate are, of course, first to

i88Bird -Loreenable the birds of each species to recognize their friends, just as soldiersare uniformed so that each may know his own party. But the uniformalso enables the enemy to distinguish him, so these recognition marksenable us to distinguish the birds at an otherwise impossible distance.The directive marks of the common northern birds of prey are thoseselected for illustration. The size, shape and general color of the birds,as well as the spots, all enter into the plan. Those shown are adults;the young in many cases are different, but have nevertheless a recognizednatural uniform which usually agrees in important features with that ofits parents. Thus the white rump-spot is a constant and distinctivefeature of the Harrier in any plumage. So is the white collar of theHorned Owls. The mustaches of Peregrine and Broadwing, and thewrist -spot, i. e., the dark splotch on the bend of the wing in theButeo's and in the tufted Owls, also the breast-band on Swainson'sHawk and the body-band on the Rough -leg (see plate).Late one evening as I walked through a marsh a large hawk -likebird rose before me. In the dim light I barely made out that it was abird of prey, but as it went off I saw the white spot on the rump andthat settled it beyond question as a Marsh Hawk or Harrier.On another occasion I saw a bird in a tree. Its size and uprightpose said 'Hawk.' On coming nearer its mustache marks said eitherPeregrine or Broadwing. But when it flew, the pointed wing and swiftflight made certain that it was a Peregrine. Again a young Redtailsailed over my head in an opening of the trees. I took it for a youngGoshawk, but before I tried to 'collect' him I saw the wrist-spot that'labeled him Buteo,' and so let him go.The usefulness of the color-spots is increased by another well-knownlaw, namely, that the peculiar feature of a species is its most variablefeature. Thus the greatly developed bill of the long-billed Curlew, thebeak-horn of the Pelican, the neck of the Swan, the collar of the Loon,are much more variable than features that they have in common withothers of their group.So, also, these markings are never twice alike. They keep the samegeneral style but differ in detail with each individual, so that the birdscan recognize each other personally, just as we do our friends bypeculiarity of feature.Of course color-spots are not the only things to be considered ;pose,flight, voice, locality, probabilities and tricks of attitude all come in tohelp.A long reddish bird darted past me to alight in a tree that almostconcealed him. I thought it a Thrasher, but the deliberate pumpingof his tail (another recognition mark), taken with his size and color,told me at once that it was a Sparrowhawk.

Recognition Marks of Birds 189AA .*^'^-"^L3'B\ permiislon, from ' The Auk'DIRECTIVEMARKS OF HAWKS AND OWLSI.

ONEA Bird of the SeasonBY C. WILLIAM BEEBE. Assistant Curator ofIllustrated hy the authorBirds, New York Zoological Societyof the finest and rarest bird exhibits in the New York ZoologicalPark is in the dense thicket of trees and tangled undergrowth inwhich the flock of Wild Turkeys find a perfectly congenial home.The three hens and the pompous and iris-plumaged old gobbler are as muchat home as if in the depths of their native forests in Virginia. They aremore easily observed in winter than in summer, on account of the thickgrowth of sumach, sassafras and grape-vines which has been allowed toMALE WILD TURKEY AT THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARKgrow up in their enclosure, but any time one or more of the Turkeysmay be seen scratching among the dead leaves or roosting on some highlimb.All of the hens have nested and laideggs, but two factors have made theraising of the young birds a matter of great difficulty, up to the present.One of these is a liver disease which has killed a number, and for which notreatment has thus far been successful. Wet weather is the second enemyfrom which the newly-hatched chicks have suffered, the slightest wettingduring the first two or three weeks after hatching proving fatal.Last year a raccoon climbed into the inclosure and killed seventeenyoung chicks in a single night, but was captured later, and as a penalty suffersimprisonment for life. This year, perhaps, as a result of the knowledgeobtained from costly experience, better success has attended the efforts at( 190)

A Bird of the Season 191rearing these delicate chicks and fewer have been lost through disease.Two of the Turkey hens are not good mothers, neglecting the chicks, sothat it has been found necessary to take the eggs from these Turkeys andhatch them under hens, and when the young Turkeys have grown aslargeas their foster-mother, it is amusing to see these large, clumsy fowls rush ather when she has found a titbit, often buffeting her roughly between them.If at this age they should ever attempt to get under her wings she wouldcertainly be lifted off her feet.The marvelous way which young Quail and Partridges have of disappearingand making themselvesindistinguishable among the dead leaves hasoften been related, but 1 hardly thought it possible that these larger cousinsof the Grouse could be successful in this ruse. On June 14, of this year, aMALE WILD TURKEY AT THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARKTurkey mother brought off eight chicks from her nest of leaves near thecenter of the range, and they were allowed to remain in the enclosure a daybefore being removed to the pheasant -breeding coops away from rats andother vermin. In catching the young birds no precautions were taken, exceptto drive the hen Turkey and chicks to an opening in the undergrowthand then separate the mother from her brood. Two of the young birdswere picked up, but ten minutes' search failed to discover a trace of theremaining si,x. although it was certain that they were within a radius of fivefeet. It was necessary to allow the two captured chicks to go, and thendrive the mother to the spot, whereupon, at her low cluck, the entire si.xappeared as if b\ magic. She was then driven against a perpendicular ciiflFof rock and with the help of a third man and about five minutes' search, alleight birds were secured. This year one of the Turkeys nested a second

192 Bird - Loretime and began incubatinti; on July 7, another proof of how perfectly theenvironment of the birds is suited to their habits.When in the morninj^is, the old monarch of the flock struts back andforth on the fallen tree near the entrance of the enclosure, pompouslyswelling out his breast, and with trailing wings utters his mellow, "gobblegobble-gobble,"he makes a beautiful picture, the sun reflecting iridescenthues from each copper- and bronze-tinted feather. No ordinary barnyardThanksgiving reminder, this, but a true native of American forests, whowith wolves and panthers has been driven or exterminated from all exceptthe more inaccessible corners of the country. May his descendants increaseand live long to enjoy the security and admiration which their quarters inthe New York Zoological Park assures them.BY MRS.MockingbirdNotesLUCY GOULD BALDWINIllustrated by A. Radci.vi-kk DugmoreAPAIR of Mockingbirds passed last winter in my flower garden, atBaldwin. Louisiana. They were fed daily on the porch and becameso tame that they wouKl pick up crumbs when we were onlya few feetfrom them.Earlier than usual, as the weather was warm and pleasant, they beganpreparations for housekeeping. A low trellis with a tangle of vines waschosen as the site of their loosely constructed nest of sticks lined with hair,and on March 25 it contained four eggs. April 5 three of the eggs hadhatched, the remaining one proving unfertile, and ten days later the threeyoung birds left the nest.About ALay i we missed the female, and the male alone fed the fledglings.However, he frequently pecked them and soon drove them viciouslyout of the garden.May 5 the same nest contained five eggs, which were evidently the propertyof the birds that had already raised one brood in it, and on May 17four of the eggs hatched, the period of incubation, therefore, being abouttwelve days. On May 29, or, when 12 days old, two of the young left thenest, having been in it two days longer than the first brood. One of thefour fell a victim to some enemy in the early morning.On June 7 and 8 the female was seen occasionally, but was indifferentto her young, who were fed by the male early and late. On June 10 and iithese observations were repeated. By the i6th they required less active careand on the 19th came to pick up crumbs from the 'side-board' we hadplaced on the piazza for the old birds. June 20 the young disappeared andthe old birds were seen carrying sticks and Spanish moss ' 'into a sweet'

A Christmas Bird Census 193olive' shrub about one and a half feet from the ground, where they constructeda new nest which on the 23d contained one egg, on the 24thtwo, and on the 26th four, this completing the set.The male, who for weeks had uttered only the harsh, unmusical callcharacteristic of the species, now sang beautifully in the early morning.The fate of the last nest we unfortunately do not know, as on June 28we left for the season, but the observations already made show that at leastthree families were started by this pair of Mockingbirds in a season.Copyiighl by -•/. 'Kadclyffe Duj^mnre F'hotographed from lifeYOUNG MOCKINGBIRDSA Christmas Bird CensusThe interest aroused by BiRD- Lore's Christmas Kird Census last year(see BiRD-I.ORE for December, 1900, and February, 1901) suggests a repetitionof this modern development of the 'Side Hunt,' on December 2S,IQOI, when we hope those of our readers who have the opportunity willtake to the field and send us, the same day, the results of their observations.Such reports should be headed by a brief statement of the characterof the weather, the force and tlirection of the wind, hour of starting, witlithe temperature, and of returning. Then should follow, in the order of theA. (). U. 'Check-List,' a list of the species of birds seen, with exactly orapproximately the nuinlnr of nidiviiluals of each species recordeil.

'THEA New Device for Securing Birds' PicturesBY FRANK M. CHAPMANWith photographs from nature by the authorsuccess of Mr. George A. Shiras,of Pittsburg, in securing photographsof deer by means of an automatic apparatuswhereby the animal photographed virtually tookits own picture has suggested the employment of anot dissimilar plan in procuring photographs of birds.Though not familiar with Mr. Shiras' methodsand with no experience in his special field of work,it nevertheless seems evident that with an animalas strong as a deer no difficulty would be encounteredin so arranging a string or trip -line thatthe deer in striking it would readily spring a camerashutter. In the case of small birds, however, nosuccess was had in making what might be called a'camera trap ' until electricity was employed ; thenwith the assistance of Messrs. Rowley and Schneider, at the AmericanMuseum of National History, a design was evolved, which, in practice,seems to possess some merit.BLUEBIRD ON ELECTRIC PERCHIt was soon fount! that if the circuit was completed and the picturemade the moment the bird alighted on what may be called the ' triggerof the trap, the picture would represent a bird in motion with wings flap-(194)

A New Device for Securing Birds' Pictures 195ping or folding almost in the face of the camera, and it was thereforefound necessary to devise some means by which the exposure could bedeferred until the bird was in repose. The result is shown in the accompanyingfigures. When the bird alights upon the perch «, the checkresting on the wheel b is removed and as the wheel revolves the heavierof two weights c, sliding on rods, descends and enters d and e, thenegative and positive poles of a dry battery. The circuit is thus closedand by means of a small electro -magnet on the camera the shutter isreleased and exposure made.How the bird is to be induced to alight on the perch is a problem whicheach user of this modern development of a bird trap must solve for himself.The accompanying pictures of Bluebirds were obtained by placing theperch near their nest ; the camera was then focused on it and the wholeBLUEBIRD ON ELECTRICPERCHafifair left until, on returning, the shutter was found to have been sprung,when the exposed plate—representing, potentially, the trapped bird—wasremoved, a new one introduced and the 'trap' set for another capture.No other trial has as yet been made, but in addition to its use nearnests, the apparatus couKl doubtless be employed with success in largefields or meadows frequented by Hawks, or,carrying the comparison with atrap still further, it might be baited with meat, seeds, or fruit which wouldinduce birds to alight on the perch .and unronsciousK- K-ave their image.

:ITBird-Life in the KlondikeBY TAPPAN ADNEYAuthor of ' The Klondike Stampede,' etc.is less from the point of view of the naturalist than of the minerthat I know the birds of Klondike —we were all 'miners,' in asense, who went to Klondike in the midst of that unparalleled ex-:itement. So strenuous were the exertions required to keep body andsoul together that there was small time to think of anything which didnot supply one with food or raiment. We were somewhat like the>avage who names only conspicuous and useful birds, and throws aside:he rest as unworthy of notice. In summer many birds might escapejbservation ; in winter, in the dead silence of arctic winter, it would5eem, surely, that no stir of any kind would fail to be noticed. Yet a:rained observer, the author of one of the best books relating to thehuman affairs of that country, who used to pass my cabin on Bonanza':reek almost daily, has written : The Raven and the little Starling arethe only birds, except the game birds, that one ever sees or hears forsight long, dreary months.' 'Game birds' doubtless means Ptarmigan;'Starling,' I cannot guess. Surely a short list.In the Raven, however, he has pointed out what I should call ' thebird of the Klondike.' In winter and in summer this great Corvus iseverywhere seen and its hollow, metallic ' klonk ' is the most characteristicsound. Conspicuous its black flapping against the white snows, itsuncanny croak falling upon the ear; to the traveler along the drearywastes of the frozen Yukon, it seems so fitting a part of the somberlandscape that the impression is not readily effaced. Partaking of thecautious disposition of its relative of the cornfield, nevertheless in winterit visits the cabin yards of the miners in search of the few waste morselsof food and it follows the hunters and the roving bands of wolves, feedingon the offal of moose and reindeer which they kill. But it everremains a mystery how life is sustained during those long, dreary months.In summer they build their nests and rear their young upon the tallinaccessible cliffs which line the Upper Yukon.'Had I known my friend was about to write, virtually, there are nobirds in Klondike,' I could have taken him, almost any day in winter,to the door of my cabin and this is what he might have seen and heard.First let me describe the spotBonanza creek, coursing through a V-shaped cleft in the almostbarren hills, reaches the broad alluvial valley of the Klondike river. Thisflat is covered with tall spruce, many being a foot in diameter, andgrowing as thickly together as anywhere in the world. Among theevergreens are thickets of small white birches, nowhere whiter or more(196)

Bird-Life in the Klondiiie 197beautiful. The creek, reaching this wooded flat, winds from side to side,its bed only a few feet below the level and fringed with alders, which arehere trees rather than bushes. The trail cut through the woods for thedog teams from Dawson to the mines, strikes the creek half a mile fromthe river and thence follows the frozen creek-bed. Where trail andcreek meet stands our cabin, surrounded by evergreens and birches. Thebranches of the evergreens sag beneath the weight of snow which thereis not a breath of air to dislodge. Red squirrels have left their trailsfrom tree to tree on the snow, exactly as in a forest in Canada. As weopen the door and step out into the sharp, keen air, a soft 'took, took'is heard and a Quaker-gray body which has been hopping about thedoor-yard flies to a limb near by, and is answered by other soft sounds.Presently another gray breast is seen approaching by short flights throughthe spruces. The miner calls them'camp robbers.' We know themas Moosebirds, or Canada Jays, and recognize here in the wilds ofKlondike the same confiding, impudent fellow as in the woods of Maine.They are fairly plentiful, and in their silent travels they frequently visitthe cabins of the miners. There was one which used to peck regularlyat the single pane of glass which served for the window of a miner'scabin on Eldorado. Regularly three times a day he came, and I wastold that he never varied from his time by more than ten minutes. Itwas starvation time; pork, flour, dried apples and a few beans wereabout all the two men had who lived in that cabin, but the little fellowin gray never went away without something.Ere the 'robbers' have departed, there is a snapping sound overhead,and bits of cone come tumbling down upon the cabin roof. It is a flock ofWhite-winged Crossbills, gathering their daily provender. A little way of?is heard the familiar 'dee, dee, dee ' of the common Chickadee. A Ravenflying up creek gives voice at intervals to his ' klonk.'These were the sounds that I had always about my camp. As the daysgrew lighter flocks of Redpolls, with pink breasts and crimson caps, cameabout, feeding in the trees. During the winter I wandered much over thecountry, one time with a roving band of Indian hunters on the far reachesof Klondike, and never at any time by day was I out of sight or sound ofbirds; while as the spring sun rose higher above the southern horizon thewoods at times seemed alive with birds. Nowhere have I seen Crossbillsand Redpolls so plentiful and noisy. One Blue Grouse, the only one I sawor heard of, as well as a few Canada Grouse, I added to my scant larder.One day about the last of April, I heard a drumming near the camp, and afew days later, when the snow was thawing in patches, I saw, upon steppingoutside, standing upon a log in a bare spot under a tree a drummer (RuffedGrouse). Several days later I found another, also a drummer, on the samespot, showing that I had built my house by a favorite drumming-log. Of

1 98 Bird-Lorethe Grouse family, however, the only species really plentiful is the Ptarmigan.Upon the bald, wind-swept tops of the highest hills alone they arefound (never, as I am aware, in the sheltered valleys) in flocks of thirty ormore, feeding upon a small red berry with which the ground is covered. Inwinter their tracks, like those of chickens in a barn-yard, may be seen runninghither and thither over the snow. Their pure white color at this seasonmakes them inconspicuous objects, a fact which they seem to realize^as they often permit an approach to within a few yards.Seasons change rapidly in the far north, and at the approach of March(the pleasantest month of the year) the earth springs suddenly into life.The snow fades from the southern hillsides at the magic touch of the sun.The snow falls from the trees. Day by day the stream of water on thefrozen watercourses grows in volume, and the ground is bare in many placesin the woods. By the lOth of April, Crossbills are mated, and their sweet,melodious love songs are heard from the upper twigs of the young spruces.Every tree along the wooded bottoms seems to pour forth some sound ofgladness. The Redpolls, still in large flocks, sing as they work among thebirch buds a song that resembles that of the American Goldfinch. Snowbuntingsfrom southward are seen scurrying over the snow in the opens.By the first of May the creeks are torrents, the rivers ready to burst theirbonds of ice, and Ducks and Geese are seen on their bosom. The firstweek in May, the migration is on. In the woods now about my campwhat a medley of sound! No birdshop, no spot in Central Park at theheight of migration shows more bird -life and sound than this bit of woods ofa warm spring morning. Overhead the ubiquitous Raven. The familiar'tsill-up' of the Red - shafted Flicker resounds from afar. The cheery^cheery, cheer-up of the Robin, the murmuring tremulous note of the rareBohemian Waxwing, resembling so much our well - known Cedarbird inboth appearance and notes as to mislead the unwary; the jangling notes ofscores of handsome Rusty Grackles walking along the margins of the water.From the undergrowth the chipper of White-crowned Sparrows and Juncos;the lisping tsip of Yellow-rumped Warblers; the slender wiry notes ofan unknown Thrush—all these mingled with the melody of Crossbills andLinnets in one grand chorus!

On Hearing a Winter Wren Sing inBy LYNN TEW SPRAGUEW^interWhen wintry winils through woodlands blowAnd naked tree-tops shake and shiver;While all the paths were bound in snow.And thick ice cliains the merry river,One little feathered denizen,A plump and nut-brown winter wren.Sings of spring-time even there —"•Tsip-tvvis-ch-e-e-e cheerily-cheerily-dare '—Who could listen and despair ?Charmed with the sweetness of his strain,My heart found cheer in winter's bluster ;The leafless wood was fair again,Its ice-gems sparkled with new luster.The tiny, trembling, tinkling throatPoured forth despair's sure antidote,No leafy June hears sweeter note —' Tsip-twis-ch-e-e-e cheerily-cheerily-dare "The essence of unspoken prayer."CALGHT IN JHh AC iYcllow-bollifd Sapsuckcr iordinn nii s.ip of mnuntain oak. Phoiouraphcd froiii naliirc by Dr. Tln)>. S. Robrrts alMinnrnpoliii. Minn.. June zn. n^i"

DURINGHow to Name the BirdsSTUDIES OF THE FAMILIES OF PASSERESBY FRANK M.FIRSTCHAPMANPAPERthe past year BiRD-LoRE has published a series of articleson "Birds and Seasons"* which, with "Suggestions for the Season'sStudy" and "Suggestions for the Season's Reading," were designed totell the student what birds he might expect to find during each monthin the year and to call his attention, in due time, to the more characteristicphases of bird -life as they were developed. It is now proposedto supplement these articles with a series of papers on identification.It may well be questioned whether, in view of the numerous textbookswhich have been especially prepared to assist beginners in namingbirds, anything can be written which will further simplify the problem ofidentification, but the receipt, almost daily, of descriptions of birds whichthe observer is unable to find in any manual encourages a further attemptto lighten the labors of the student of 'birds through an opera-glass.'The Importance of a Comprehensive Grasp of the Subject.— If the studentcan only be induced to survey the ornithological field, at least superficially,before entering it he will find his way wonderfully simplified. The pathto a knowledge of birds is by no means so tortuous as those who treadit in the dark believe. Our birds are not unlimited in number — theyare all included in our text-books; no new species, in the United Statesat least, remain to be discovered, and if instead of attempting to identifya bird by aimlessly turning the pages of a book with a hope that somethinglike your rather vague mental image may be seen in the illustrations,the student will devote a few hours to memorizing the characters on whichthe families of birds are based, he will find the knowledge gained of serviceto him every time he essays to name a bird.The Families of Land -birds.— Omitting, for the present, all referenceto water-birds, few of which come within the range of the average birdstudent's glasses, we have left in North America, east of the Mississippi,the following eight orders and thirty- two families of birds:Order I. Chicken-like Birds. GALLIN^EFamily i. Grouse, Partridges, etc. Tetraonidte. 9 species.Family 2. Turkeys, etc. Phasianid

How to Name the Birds 201Order II. Pigeons. COLUMB^Family 3. Pigeons. Columbida. 8 species.Order III. Hawks and Owls. RaptoresFamily 4. American Vultures. Cathartida . 2 species.Family 5. Falcons, Hawks and Eagles. Falconidoe. 26 species.Family 6. Barn Owls. Strigida. i species.Family 7. Horned Owls, Hoot Owls, etc. Bubonida. 11 species.Order IV. Macaws, Parrots, Paroquets, etc. PsiTTACEFamily 8. Parrots and Paroquets. Psittacida. i species.Order V. Cuckoos, Kingfishers, etc. COCCYGESFamily 9. Cuckoos. Cuculida. 3 species.Family iq. Kingfishers. Alcedinidie. i species.Order VI. Woodpeckers. PiciFamily ii. Woodpeckers. PicidcP. 11 species.Order VII. Goatsuckers, Swifts, and Hummingbirds. MacrochiresFamily 12. Goatsuckers. Caprimulgida. 3 species.Family 13. Swifts. Micropodida. i species.Family 14. Hummingbirds. Trochitidce. i species.Order VIII. Perching Birds. PasseresFamily 15. Flycatchers. Tyrannida. 10 species.Family 16. Larks. Alaudida. i species.Family 17. Crows and Jays. Cor^vida. 6 species.Family 18. Starlings. Sturnida. i species.Family 19. Blackbirds, Orioles, etc. Icteridte. 10 species.Family 20. Sparrows, Finches, etc. Fring'iliidie. 44 species.Family 21. Tanagers. Tanagridce. 2 species.Family 22. Swallows. Hirundinida. 7 species.Family 23. Waxwings. Ampelida. 2 species.Family 24. Shrikes. Laniidce. 2 species.Family 25. Vjreos. Vireonidip. 8 species.Family 26. Warblers. Mniotiltidee. 39 species.Family 27. Pipits and Wagtails. Motacillidie. i species.Family 28. Wrens, Thrashers, etc. Trog/odytidtP. 9 species.Family 29. Creepers. Cert/iiid^e. i species.Family 30. Titmice and Nuthatches. Partdte. 7 species.Family 31. Kinglets and Gnatcatchers. Syluiida. 3 species.Family 32. Thrushes, Bluebirds, etc. Ttirdida. 8 species.Now, without attempting to make a key to these thirty -two families,let us eliminate those which are known to every one and those whichin practice may be recof^nized at sight.For example, no difficulty will be experienced in at once referring toits proper famil\ a Partridge, Bob-white, Turkey, Dove or Pigeon, Hawk

202 Bird- Loreor Owl, Parrot, Kiiij^fisher, Woodpecker, Nighthawk or Whippoorwill,Hummingbird or Chimney Swift. Exclusive of the Perching Birds, then,there are left only the Cuckoos. The two Cuckoos found north of Floridaare long, slender birds with long tails tipped with white, slightly curvedbills, two toes directed forward and two backward, and may be easilydistinguished from the birds of other families.MAST FI.-^CATCHERLife size. !o show liet.iils of external structureNine of the ten orders and fourteen of the thirty -two families ofland -birds are thus disposed of, leaving us only with the order, Passeresor Perching Birds, and its eighteen families.Before outlining, however, the principal characteristics of these familiesa word should be said on theNecessity of Careful, Definite Observation. — It may, perhaps, be consideredunnecessary to insist on seeing a bird before attempting to nameit, but when one receives such descriptions as "a small rather brownish

IHow to Name the Birds 203bird," or even "a little bird that said \iee, dee,'''' it is evident that, atleast, some bird students do not appreciate the need of observation! Comparisonof a man's description of a bride's costume, as ''some sort of whitestuff," with a woman's detailed analysis of its satin, tulle and lace willillustrate very well the difference between the right and wrong way ofrecording a bird's appearance..There are a few birds, it is true, that possess some striking characteristicmark by which alone they may be known, but in most instances a carefulstatement of a bird's size, shape of its bill, and its color is an essentialto its certain identification. Descriptions of this kind can be made, as arule, only by the aid of an opera- or field-glass, and only when the birdis before you. Both as a convenience and as a means of directing yourattention to the points on which information is desired, it is advisable tohave in the field description blank books in which a page may be devotedto each strange bird, somewhat as follows:LocalityDate.HauntLength (tip of hill to end of tail)Size and shape of hillLength and shape of tailForeheadCrownCheeksNapeBack,, ,RumpColor

(204)

How to Name the Birds 205unfailing means of ascertaining the identity of its subject. But as a preh'minaryto the attempt to name one of the species of passerine land -birdsof eastern North America let us, as sugj^ested above, try to learn somethingof the eighteen families they represent.ORDERFASSERESFamily i. Flycatchers. Tyrannidre. 10 species.Range. —A distinctively American family numbering nearly 400 species,which, during the summer, are distributed from Alaska and Labrador toPatagonia, one species being resident in the Galapagos. Of the tenspecies found east of the Mississippi only one, the Phoebe, occurs duringthe winter, when it ranges from the Carolinas southward.Season North of Virginia. —The Phoebe, which has just been spokenof as the only Flycatcher to winter in the eastern United States, reachesthe vicinity of New York city the latter part of March and remains untilthe latter part of October. It is followed in the spring by the LeastFlycatcher, which comes the latter part of April, and is preceded in thefall by the Wood Pewee, which remains until October i. With theexception of the Phoebe, then, Flycatchers are present in the latitude ofNew York city only from about April 26 to October i.Color. — The prevailing color of Flycatchers isolive-green or gray above,whitish or olivaceous below, the sexes usually being alike. There arenumerous marked exceptions to this style of coloration among tropicalforms, but our ten species conform to the general rule in being olive-greenor gray above, white or olivaceous, or in some instances strongly sufifusedwith yellowish below. These colors are distributed in large masses, therebeing no streaks or spots, the white terminal band on the Kingbird'stail and its concealed orange-red crest being the most striking markings.Size. — Flycatchers vary inlength from about 3 to 16 inches in the Scissortail; ourspecies fall between these extremes, the smallest, the Least Flycatcher,averaging slightly less than 5/^ inches in length; the largest,the Crested Flycatcher, averaging 9 inches in length. Though half aninch shorter, the Kingbird is probably heavier than the Crested Flycatcher.External Structure. — The most noticeable and characteristic externalfeature of Flycatchers is a broad, flat bill, hoiked at the tip, and wider thanhigh at the base, where it is more or less thickly beset with outwardprojecting bristles. The tail is square or slightly notched, the wings ratherpointed, the second to the fourth primaries being the longest; the feathersof the crown are somewhat lengthened, forming, when raised, a smallcrest; the tarsus is rounded behind as well as in front.Appearance and Habits. — Flycatchers in life sit erect, often with thecrest slightly raised, giving to them a certain look of big-headedncss which

2o6Bird -Loreis eminently characteristic. Their food of insects is captured on the wingby a sudden dart from a perch, to which they usually return. Whilewaiting for their prey the wings are often drooped, and in some speciesthe tail is frequently wagged.Son^. — By the systematist the Flycatchers are spoken of as "songlessPasseres." That is. while agreeing in structure with other perchingbirds in most respects, they differ from them in possessing a less highlydeveloped syrinx or lower larynx — the voice-making organ. Naturally,the birds with the best instrument can and do produce the sweetest,most intricate music, but it does not follow that those which are not sowell provided are silent. Song, therefore, in proportion to the developmentof the musical apparatus is as much a possession of the Flycatchersas it is of the Thrushes. They sing, but they do not sing so well astheir talented distant relatives. Indeed, the songs of Flycatchers, reflectingtheir imperfect instruments, are primitive in character.What Bird isThis?Field Description..— Length, 5.90 in. Crown streaked chestnut and black, with an ashy medium line; napegrayish; back streaked with rufous, buff, and black, wings and tail more or less rufous: under parts whitish, ashyon the breast, brownish on the sides; abdomen whitish.Note.—Each number of Bird-Lore will contain a photograph, from specimens inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some comparatively little-known bird,or little-known plumage, the name of which will be withheld until the succeedingnumber of the magazine.The species figured in October is Nelson's Sparrow.

.My BirdRestaurantONEBY EDMUND W. SINNOTT (Aged 15), Bridgewater, Mass.of the best ways to study birds in winter is to attract themaround your home. I did this very successfully last winter bytying bits of suet to the trees near our house and by scatteringcrumbs upon the ground. I put out a few pieces of meat one morning,and the next day this was discovered by a Downy Woodpecker, and soonthe news spread all over birddom that a great free lunch had come totown.One of my regular guests is the Chickadee. He is around early, andstays near by all day. He is the merriest bird I ever saw^ and is alwayssinging— rain, snow or fair weather. He seems to be content with thefew pieces that he can find on the ground, if a larger bird is at thepiece in the tree. He also delights in the little boxful of tidbits that Ihave placed among the branches of the tree. He very seldom comesalone, but generally has several of his companions with him.Another regular guest is the White -breasted Nuthatch. It is veryinteresting to watch him eat. He will stand with his head downward,bending his body far back, and delivering two or three hard blows. If hebreaks a piece of^, he will put it in a crevice of the bark where it can beproperly supported as he eats it. He has a very harsh, nasal call — quank,quank — by which he may be recognized when he arrives.Almost any time when I look from my window, I can see a DownyWoodpecker at some of the meat. There are four of them, two malesand two females. I fear that Mr. Woodpecker, in each case, is a henpeckedhusband ; for whenever he is at the meat and Mrs. Woodpeckerarrives, he always gets out of the way as fast as he can. Both Mr. andMrs. are very selfish, and will not let any of the other birds come nearwhile they are eating. They can be told apart quite easily, for Mr.Downy has a bright scarlet patch on the back of his head, while in Mrs.it is lacking.Another guest, who is not (juitc so regular in his coming, is the HrownCreeper. He is a very daint\ little bird, and tloes not stop and gorge himselfas the Woodpeckers do, but takes a delicate mouthful of suet andthen goes on, hitching up the trunk in little jerks, investigating everynook and cranny of the bark in Ills search for insects' eggs and larv.fHe is never still, even when eating some choice tiilbit he has fouinl. butis always restless.(207)

2o8Bird- LoreThese four come almost every day, but besides these I sometimes seeElrif^lish and Tree Sparrows after the crumbs upon the j^jround. Withthem sometimes come the beautiful little Juncos. with their slaty grayvests and white shirt-fronts.I have not yet induced a Hairy Woodpecker or a Flicker, who areboth cousins of the Downy, to come to my restaurant, and I do notas yet number among my guests the Bluejay or the Crow. All of theseare among our common winter birds, but I suspect that the last twowould be unwelcome at the lunch counter: they are so large and domineeringthat they would be likely to crowd out many of the smaller birds.I shall probably remain in the hotel business another season, and hopeto have other guests, like the Goldfinch in his winter coat, the RedbreastedNuthatch, Purple Finch, and others of the rarer winter birds.AWOODPECKER PATRONA Prize OfferedBird -Lore proposes to of^er a series of prizes to Young Observers offourteen years or younger, who send the best accounts of the habits of certaincommon birds. The first bird will be the crow. For the best article ofbetween 700 and 800 words on the crow we will give a copy of Seton-Thompson's 'Lives of the Hunted,' or some other book of equal value.The manuscript should be in our hands not later than January i, 1902.

^ott& from JTielD anti ^tulipTaming a NuthatchIn my daily walks through Central Park,New York city, last winter I saw two, andsometimes three White-breastedNuthatchestogether, presumably always the same individuals.They first drew my attention byflying to the ground for nuts that might bethrown to them. Later I noticed that somewherein my walk I always met them, oneor both making their presence known by thefamiliar rail best expressed in words byto the park that bird, and its mate also, forI think they share the feast, found andgreeted me. I am quite sure she enjoyedthe performance as much as I did, for she nolonger seemed in such a hurry to get away,but stayed for a moment. Then she wouldfly to some tree to deposit the nut in a creviceof the bark either to eat immediately orto conceal it, as do the squirrels, for futureuse. I suspect the Downy Woodpeckersknew the secret, for I have frequently seentwo, and sometimes three, following theNuthatches, searching the trees where thefood had been hidden. I have wished somany times I coidd know the bird at sightas quickly as she does me, for I was alwaysthe one to be called and when she saw inecoming toward her she would come to thenearest tree and run down the trunk headforemost ready to fly to my hand as soon asI held it out to her.— E. M. Mead, NenuYork City.A Ptarmigan'sNestTAMING A NUTHATCHPhotographed from natureyank-yank-yank. Finally I got the impressionthat they must know me, perhaps becauseof my invariable custom of havingfood with me to throw to the birds. I foundthat not only would they Hy to the groundfor the nut but, what was still more clever,catch it on the wing, thereby, perhaps, turninga complete somersault in the endeavor.-AttLT a week if I came near enough for thefemale to reach the nut from the trunk of thetree where she would cling, she would takeit from my hand and fly (luirkly away. Atlast she gained confidence enough to alighton ni\ hand and :iftir that \vliciic\iT I went(See Frontispiece)The photograph of the sitting WhitetailedPtarmigan shown in the frontispieceof this number of Bird-Lore was takenJune 19, 1901, just above timber line on aspur of Mt. Evans, in Clear Creek county,Colorado.The nest was discovered by accident aftersearching for one for a month at a time everyyear for nine years, although I frequentlyfound nests after the young were hatchedand many broods of young birds were seen,riiis nest was marked and then locatedthree steps and one foot from a given spot,but when I returned with my camera I tookthe three steps and looked a number of minutesfor the biril without seeing it. I wasthen on the point of stepping over it, whenthe eve ot the bird was seen. The bird madeno attempt to leave the nest but relied entirelyon her wonderfully protective colors to escapeobservation, and nine exposures were madewithout her leaving the nest. — EvAN Lewis,IJdho Sprinirs, C.nloraJo.(209)

::;2IOBird -LoreNesting ofCrossbills[sir James M. l.e Moinc. of Quchec, well known forhis works on Canadian birds, sends us the following interestingnote by a personal friend on the breeding ofCrossbills in March. — Ed.I"Quebec, 25tii March, 1901."1)k.\k Sir James: About ten days agoI happened to be with a friend in thewoods, in the vicinity of the Grand Lac,Bastonnais. In the course of one trip wehad to visit several lumber camps and weretold by choppers that they had during thewinter, in February and March, cut downmany spruce and fir trees containing nestsfull of young birds. We refused to believethe story unless we saw the 'young birds'with our own eyes."At one of the camps we found a manwho told us that he would endeavor to finda nest that he had thrown aside a fewdays before which contained three youngbirds. He was away for a short time andreturned with one of the young. It wasonly partially fledged and had been hatched.I should say, about ten days previously.The young bird was not a Pine Grosbeak,but a Crossbill, of which there were thousandsall over that section of the country.The cock birds were in their courting dress— little balls of scarlet — and singing ailday as in early June. The nests are madeof moss, about the size of a football, wallsabout two inches thick and a small hole forthe happy pair to enter their snug littlehome.Sincerely yours,"E. Joi.Y De Lotbiniere."Nineteenth Annual Congress of theAmerican Ornithologists' UnionI'he Nineteenth Annual Congress of theA. O. U. was held at the American Museumof Natural History November 11-14,1901. The attendance was large, the program,which will be found on the followingpage of Bird-Lore, was interesting, and themeeting, like all A. O. U meetings, wasthoroughl)' enjoyable.At the business meeting of ActiveMembers,held on the evening of November 11,the following officers were reelectedPresident, C. Hart Merriam ; Vice-Presidents,Charles B. Cory, C. F. Batchelder;Secretary, John H. Sage; Treasurer, WilliamDutcher. Members of the Council:Frank M. Chapman, Ruthven Deane,Jonathan Dwight, Jr., A. K. Fisher,E. W. Nelson, Thomas G. Roberts, WitmerStone.The by-laws of the Union were soamended that the class heretofore known asActive Members, the number of which isrestricted to fifty,became Fellows, and a ne\vclass of membership, known as Members,intermediate between Fellows and Associates,and restricted to seventy-five in number, wasestablished. The classes of membershipscomposing the Union are now, therefore,as follows: Fellows, who must be residentsof America, restricted to fifty in number;Honorary Fellows, usually residents of aforeign country, restricted to twenty-five innumber; Corresponding Fellows, restrictedto one hundred in number; Members, restrictedto seventy-five in number; Associates,membership unlimited in number.The following Fellows were elected :Outram Bangs, Boston, Mass.; F. E. L.Beal, Washington, D. C; L. B. Bishop,New Haven, Conn.; Joseph Grinnell, PaloAlto, Cal.; T. S. Palmer, Washington,D. C, leaving only one vacancy, therebeing now forty-nineFellows.Fifty-five Members were elected, leavingtwenty vacancies in this new class. Theirnames and addresses are as followsFrancis H.Allen, Boston, Mass.; H. P.Attwater, Houston, Texas; Mrs. FlorenceMerriam Bailey, Washington, D. C.Vernon Bailey. Washington, D. C. ; WilliamL. Baily, Philadelphia, Pa.; ChesterBarlow, Santa Clara, Cal.; Prof. GeorgeE. Beyer, New Orleans, La.; Frank Bond,Cheyenne, Wyoming; Clement S. Brimley,Raleigh, N. C. ; Herbert Brown, Yuma,Arizona; Prof. Lawrence Bruner, Lincoln.Neb.; William Alanson Bryan, Honolulu.H. Ids.; Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa.;Amos W. Butler, Indianapolis, Indiana;George K. Cherrie, Brooklyn, N. Y.;John N. Clark, Saybrook, Conn.; FrankS. Daggett, Pasadena, Cal. ; Walter Deane,Cambridge, Mass. ; Prof. Barton W. Everman,Washington, D. C; John Fannin.

Capt.Notes from Field and Study 211The Plumages of the American GoldfinchVictoria, B. C; Walter Kenrick Fisher,clature. A. Allen. (15 min.) ( 15 min.)Stanford University, Cal.; James H. Fleming,[Spitius tristis). Jonathan Dwight, Jr.Toronto, Can. ; Louis Agassiz Fiiertes, (20 min.)Ithaca, N. Y.; Manly Hardy, Brewer, Routes of Bird Migration across the GulfMaine; Ralph Hoffmann, Belmont, Mass.; of Mexico. W. W. Cooke.William Augustus Jeffries, Boston, Mass.; On Methods in Museum Bird Exhibits.Rev. Herbert K. Job, Kent, Connecticut; Frank M. Chapman. (15 min.)Lynds Jones, Oberlin, Ohio; Prof. David Ornithological Notes from Northern NewStarr Jordan, Stanford University, Cal.; Hampshire. John N. Clark. (20 min.)Sylvester D. Judd, Washington, D. C; Some Impressions of Texas Birds. LouisGeorge H. Mackay, Nantucket, Mass.; Agassiz Fuertes and H. C. Oberhoiser.John W. Mailliard, San Francisco, Cal.; (50 min.)Joseph Mailliard, San Geronimo, Cal.; The White-winged Crossbill in Captivity.Richard C. McGregor, Palo Alto, Cal.; James H. Hill. (10 min.)Gerrit Smith Miller, Jr., Washington, The American and European HerringD. C; Mrs. Olive Thome Miller, Brooklyn,Gulls. J. A. Allen. (10 min.)N. Y.; John Murdoch, Roxbury,Auduboniana. Ruthven Deane. (15 min.)Mass. ; Harry C. Oberhoiser, Washington,The Molts and Plumages of the NorthD. C; Wilfred Hudson Osgood, Washington,D. C. ; Charles J. Pennock, Ken-American Ducks (Anatidie) . JonathanDwight, Jr. (30 min.)nett Square, Pa.; Edward A. Preble,Seven New Birds from the United States.Washington, D. C; William W. Price,E. A. Mearns. (20 min.)Alta, Cal. ; Dr. William L. Ralph,A Naturalist in Yucatan. Illustrated byWashington, D. C; Samuel N. Rhoads,lantern slides. E. W. Nelson. (45 min.)Audubon, N. J.; Dr. William C. Rives,Photography in North Dakota Bird Colonies,et cetera. Illustrated by lanternWashington, D. C. ; Wirt Robinson,U. S. A., West Point, N. Y.;Jewellslides. Herbert K. Job. (45 min.)D. Sornborger, Cambridge, Mass. ; FrankA Reconnaissance in Manitoba and theStephens, San Diego, Cal.; Abbott H.Northwest. Illustrated by lantern slides.Thayer, Scarborough, N. Y.; ErnestFrank M. Chapman. (45 min.)Thompson Seton, New York city; W. E.Are Hummingbirds Cypseloid orCapriniuigoid? Hubert Lyman Clark. (5 min.)Clyde Todd, Beaver, Pa. ; Bradford Torrey,Wellesley Hills, Mass.; Charles H.List ofTownsend, Washington,Birds ofD.C.; Dr. SpencerTrotter, Swarthmore, Pa. ; Mrs. Mabel Widmann. (10 min.)Wequetonsing, Mich. OttoOsgood Wright, Fairfield, Conn. EightytheeeNotes on the Ornithological Observations ofAssociates were elected.Peter Kalm. Spencer Trotter. (15 min.)Report of the Committee of the ProtectionProgram oi the Nineteenth Congress ofof North American Birds. Witmer Stone.the American Ornithologists' Union(15 nun.)Results Obtained Under tlie Thayer Fun

—iSooH jBtetu0 ant) 3^etieto0Birds of Princeton, New Jersey and Vicinity.By William Arthur Bahson.Bull. BirtI Club Princeton University.Vol. I, No. I. Sept., 1901. 8vo. 82pao;es. Price, paper, $1 cloth, I1.25.;This list is based mainly on the author'sobservations from 1897-1900, while a studentat Princeton University, and on thenotes of W. E. D. Scott and A. H. Phillips,both well known for their ornithologicalwork about Princeton. It enumerates 230species, which are classified according to themanner of their occurrence as follows: PermanentResidents, 34; Summer Residents,70; Summer Visitants, 7 ; Winter Residents,15; Winter Visitants, 16; Regular Transients,65; Irregular, 17; Accidental Visitants,12.The annotations abound in interestingrecords, and include what is highly desirable,but too often omitted from local lists,definite migration and nesting dates. Thesemake the list of practical value to all workingornithologists in the eastern UnitedStates.The strong Carolinian element in thePrinceton avifauna is attested by the regularoccurrence of the Turkey Buzzard, Barn Owl,Acadian Flycatcher, Fish Crow, Cardinal,Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, andBlue-gray Gnatcatcher, and it is thereforesomewhat surprising to learn that otherCarolinian birds (e.g., Kentucky Warblerand Hooded Warbler) which are commonin the lower Hudson Valley as far north, atleast, as Sing Sing, are exceedingly rareand not known to breed at Princeton.Possiblylocal conditions may account for theabsence of these birds from a point wellwithin their range, and the case illustratesvery clearly the need of a large number ofobservations from even a limited area indetermining exactly the distribution of birds.The list is well printed, and the PrincetonBird Club is to be congratulated on the attractivenessand worth of this its first publication,which at once takes its place amongstandard faunal literature. — F. M. C.The Relation of Si'arrows to Agriculture.By Sylvester D. Judd. Bull.No, 15, Division of Biological Survey,V. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 98 pages,4 plates, 19 text cuts.This bulletin presents not only the knownfacts in regard to the food habits of Sparrows,but may also be taken as an admirableillustration of the most advanced methods ofresearch in economic ornithology, in whicha study of the bird's food in nature is quiteas important as the examination of itsstomach contents in the laboratory. AsDr. Judd well says: "Although the examinationof a bird's stomach shows just whatthe bird has eaten, yet if this alone be dependedupon, information is still wanting asto what has been refused or what preferencesexist, since the different elements of the foodsupply in the locality where the stomach wascollected are not taken into account. If,however, this lacking information be obtainedby means of field observation, andused in connection with stomach examination,the examiner will be able to make hisanalysis with the fullest degree of accuracy.The economic value of Sparrows lieschiefly in their destructiveness to weed seeds.Dr. Judd remarks: "In a garden, withintwo months, they will sometimes destroy 90per cent of such weeds as pigeon-grass andragweed. . . . Weed seed forms more thanhalf of their food for the entire year, andduring the colder half of the year it constitutesabout four-fifths of the food of manyspecies." This statement is supported liythe statistics of stomach examination andfield study, and our belief in the importanceof Sparrows to our agricultural interests isthus placed on sound scientific basis.F. M. C.California Water Birds. — No. V.Vicinity of Monterey in May andEarly June. By Leverett M. Loomis.Proc. Calif. Acad. Sciences, Third Series,II, No. 5, Dec. 24, 1900. Pages 349-363.Mr. Loomis here gives us his fifth paperon the migration of California water-birds.(21

'Book News and Reviews 213As before, his treatment is both objectiveand subjective, his notes on the birdsobserved being accompanied by a discussionof ' Bird Waves,' ' Pauses in Migration,''Retrograde Migration," 'Overflow fromSouthern Breeding Grounds,' 'Cause ofReturn Migration.'We have before commented on Mr.Loomis' theories in regard to the underlyingcauses of migration* and will hereonly add that as the expressions of anornithologist of wide field experience hisviews are worthy of consideration by allstudents of migration. — F. M. C.A List of the Land Birds of Santa CruzCounty, California. By Richard Mc-CiREGOR. Pacific Coast Avifauna No. 2.Cooper Ornithological Club, Santa Clara,Calif. May 15, 1901. Royal 8vo. 22pages. Price, 25 cents.This list includes ail the previously publishedinformation in regard to the mannerof occurrence of the birds of the regiontreated and as well as some additionalmaterial, and while the author trusts that itis "a fairly complete list of the land birds ofSanta Cruz county," of which 139 speciesand subspecies are included, he hopes thatit may "form a foundation for a future andmore complete exposition of the Santa Cruzavifauna." Apparently much remains to belearned of the times of migration and nestingof Santa Cruz birds, and the list, therefore,of this kind, larks that definiteness sodesirable in publications. It, however, isof evident value in determining the complexfaunal characteristics of the region, whichare well outlined in an introduction byWalter K. Fisher.— F. M. C.The OrnithologicalMagazinesThe Auk.—' An Ornithological Mystery'from the pen of Wm. Brewster, opens theOctober number. Occasionally since 1889,a bird voice, for a season, has hauntedcertain marshes of eastern Massachusettsand mocked all efforts of Mr. Brewster andMr. Faxon to run to earth the owner; —•vox et prrrterea nihil. His notes havebrought upon him the suggestive name of•Hihd-I.ork II, l(;00, 72.'Kicker,' but evidently he does not court'the publicity that other kickers ' seek.Several lists follow: A Preliminary ' List ofthe Summer Birds of Mt. Mansfield, Vermont,'by A. H. Howell; On ' a Collectionof Birds made Chiriqui,'by O. Bangs, several of them new, andList of Hawaiian Birds * * *.' Will somebodyinstance a case where a preliminaryAlist was ever followed by a final one fromthe same author, and is there no escape from'the tiresome, initial On that ' still mars somany titles? A. C. Bent describes the'Nesting Habits of the Anatidae of NorthDakota,' illustrating his paper with severalgood half-tones, and J. A. Farley presentsa study of the Alder Flycatcher in easternMassachusetts; F. J. Birtwell throws lighton The Nesting Habits ' of the EveningGrosbeak,' having discovered and photographedin New Mexico two nests of thisspecies. 'A New Classification of Birds,'based on pterylosis, is attempted by H. L.Clark. Considering how imperfect is thepresent knowledge of the pterylosis of eventhe most familiar species, the attempt issomewhat ambitious, although a step forwardin a direction now much neglected.Various notes and reviews complete thenumber. The statement by Mrs. Batesunder 'Maine Bird Notes,' that she heardMartins at night should be corroborated,for it is easy to be mistaken in the callsthat come from the overhead armies ofmigrants that move as a whole so silentlyand so swiftly to other climes. — J. D., Jr.The Condor.—'The Condor' for Septemberand October contains as usual numerousfield observations made by membersof the Cooper Ornithological Club. Barlowcontributes an interesting account ofthe Mountain (Miickadee, ami Cohen recountshis experience with Barn Owls incaptivity. Under the title of 'Summer Observationsin the Sierras,' Daggett mentionsthe more conspicuous birds obscrveil tluringa trip from Pasadena, California, by way ofFort Tejon and Visalia.to the North Forkof the Kaweah, King's River Cafion andKearsarge Pass near Mt. Brewer. Thepaper shows very clearly the great diversity

announcing214 Bird- Loreof bird life fouiui in passing from the hotplains of southern California to the alpineconditions of the High Sierra atan altitudeof 1 1, GOO feet. The nesting habits of theDesert Sparrow Hawk are described byRising, and those of the Western Vellowthroatby Leland. An annotated list of i68species of birds found at Paicines, C'alifornia,is given by J. and J. W. Mailliard,and short notes on the occurrence andhabitsof interesting species observed in variousparts of the state are published by otherThe Cooper Club now hascontributors.1 60 members— probably a larger list of activeworkers than is enrolled in any otherstate. The combined labors of so manyobservers should result in a considerableaddition to our knowledge of Californiabirds in the near future. —T. S. P.BookNewsI'he Audubon Calendar for 1902, justissued by the Massachusetts Audubon Society,a miniature cut of one page of whichis here reproduced, contains admirably coloredlife-sized figures of the Snowflake,Fox Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, WoodThrush, Meadowlark, and male and femaleThe Auoubon Callndarl

•EverydaymightBirdsHomeEditorials 215A Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL ORGAN OF THF. AIDUBON SOCIETIESEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. Ill Published December 1. 1901 No. 6SUBSCRIPTIONRATESPrice in the United States, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue, NewYork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,Macmillan and Company, Ltd., London.COPYRIGHTED, 19OI, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.Bird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in the Bush is Worth Two in the Hand.No small part of the pleasure found inthe management of Bird-Lore comesthrough the large number of letters receivedfrom the magazine's readers. Many ofthe letters are written solely to expresstheir writers' approval of Bird-Lore, andthey are very welcome. Others containrequests for information or advice, and,indicating an active interest in bird study,are equally welcome. It is always a privilegeto render assistance where it is desired.Greatly to our regret, however, themargin of time left from days fully occupiedwith professional duties is far too small toenable us to answer promptly and adequatelythe communications of our correspondents,and we, therefore, beg their kindindulgence when our replies to their queriesseem unexcusably brief. We sincerely wishit were possible to give each letter theattention it deserves.1901The past year has witnessed a continuanceof the steadily increasing interest in thestudy of birds and, as heretofore, we maymention briefly the more important publisiiedresults of the year's work relating to .Aineri-

2l6Bird -Loretraits," Pearson's 'Stories from Bird-Life,'and a new cheap colored edition of 'Bird-Life.'l^nexampled activity has been shown bythe Protection Committee of the A. O. U.and by the Audubon Societies in securingdesirable legislation for the better protectionof birds, new laws being passed, or old lawsamended, in Maine, New Hampshire,Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York,New Jersey, Delaware, District of Columbia,Florida, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Mr.Dutcher, in expending the Thayer Fund,has extended the field covered by wardensand it may be said with certainty that at notime since they were first subjected to theattack of millinery collectors, have the birdsof our coast been so well protected.Four new Audubon Societies have beenorganized, bringing the total number upto twenty-five, and the influence of thesesocieties is constantly increasing, as, throughthe use of circulating lectures, libraries andother means, they become importantfactorsin educating the people to realize the beautyand value of bird-life.In the schools bird study continues toclaim increasing attention and all along theline, therefore, where one be systematist,ecologist, economist, protectionist, or educator,there is every reason to be more than satisfiedwith the year's progress and promise.Bird-Lore for 1902The following outline of Bird-Lore'splans for the coming year is submitted asan evidence of our continued desire not onlyto interest and instruct students of birds,but to arouse in them a desire for originalinvestigation by suggesting lines of workand by keeping them in touch with the resultsof the work of others.In the death of Elliott Coues ornithologylost a leader whose place will never be filledbut the story of whose achievements willever prove a stimulus to all earnest workers.In the next number of Bird-Lore D.G. Elliot and Capt. C. A. Curtis, the firsta life-long friend, the second a messmateof Dr. Coues at Fort Whipple, Arizona,his first post in the west, will write of tlieirrecollections of Dr. Coues at the time when,as a young man of twenty-one, he enteredthe army, and their accounts will be accompaniedby a before unpublished photographof Dr. Coues taken at this period and byextracts from the journal of his western trip.The general reader will also be interestedin Richard Kearton's The English Spar-'row in England,' F. A. Lucas' 'Weaponsof Birds,' Fannie Hardy Eckstorm's ' In theMaine Woods,' and William Brewster's'Bird Voices of New England Swamps andMarshes.'The last named paper will be of practicalvalue to field students, to whom Dr. J.Dwight's 'The Molt of Birds,' ErnestSeton-Thompson's 'The Art of JournalKeeping,' and a series of papers on thefamilies of Passerine birds will appeal.Students will also be helped, it is hoped,by a series of papers on ' Bird Clubs inAmerica,' telling of their organization andmethods with the object of encouraging theformation of similar societies elsewhere.F. H. Allen will write of the Nuttall Clubin the next issue of Bird-Lore, and hisarticle will be followed by papers on the'Delaware Valley Club by S. N. Rhoads,The Princeton Club,' by W. E. D. Scott,'The Spencer F. Baird Club,' by Mrs.Julia Stockton Robins, and these by othersto be announced later.The bird photographer will find thatFrancis H. Herrick's 'The Chebec's FirstBrood contains practical suggestions on the'study of nest-life from a tent, while A. RadclyfiFeDugmore will describe his method ofbecoming intimately acquainted with wildbirds, and there will be some truly remarkablemoonlight pictures of roosting Crowsby C. D. Kellogg.In concluding this outline, we may addthat Bird-Lore is offered at least ten timesas much material as it can publish. Manydesirable contributions are rejected solelyfor lack of space, and we sincerely hope thatcircumstances over which our subscribershave control will so adjust themselves that1902 will witness a further increase in themagazine's size.

Ct)e Sutiubon ^ocietie^" Voit cannot with a scalpel find the poet' s soul,Aor yet the wild bird's song."Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesNew HampshireMrs. F. W. Batchelder, Manchester.VermontMrs. Fletcher K. Barrows, Brattleboro.MassachusettsMiss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island... Mrs. H. T. Grant, Jr., 187 Bowen street. Providence.ConnecticutMrs. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New YorkMiss Emma H. Lockwood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street. New York City.New JerseyMiss Anna Haviland, 53 Sandford ave., Plainfield, N.J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delamore Place, Wilmington.Maryland'... Miss Anne Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.District of Columbia. Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 3033 P street, Washington.VirginiaMrs. Frederick E. Tow.n, Glencarlyn.South Carolina. Miss S. A. S.mvth, Legare street, Charleston.FloridaMrs. I. Vanderpool, Maitland.Missouri.!.!...'!!...'' .AiGiST Reese, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.QYdo. Mrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.!Indiana .!...........!...!.. ^ ^^ Woolen, Indianapolis.•Illinois.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!miss Marv Drummond, 20S West street, Wheaton.Iowa.... ..!.......!.....! Mrs. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.Wisconsin.!!!..!.!!! ...!...! ...!.! Mrs. Rriben G. Thwaits, 260 Langdon street, Milwaukee.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St. Paul.Wyoming.Mrs. N. R. Davis, Cheyenne.Kentucky.Ingram Crockett, Henderson.Tennessee !!!!!!!! Mrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.California.!!!!!!!!!!!!Mrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.hind the state societies must be most de-Concerning the Conference ,., , ^ , . . j 1»uliberately forged and tested, simply theThe Audubon Conferences up to date annual conference of bodies of the importmaybe compared to peach trees, which, ance to which the Audubon Societies havethough thev may be of vigorous constitution grown cannot be scrambled over in a coupleand full of promise, do not give fruit for of hours, with the warning "lack of time"several years after their planting. staring would-be questioners in the face.The second conference, held on the morn- Two sessions, with the time systematicallying of the 14th of November, was well at- allotted, might produce the desired results,—tended, and the luncheon which followed the single session was merely an aggravation,gave the delegates an opportunity for an Dr. Palmer alluded to the educational sidehour of charming social intercourse with the of bird protection, and could an experienceleading lights of ornithology, but the main meeting on these lines have followed, itend of the meeting, the discussion of meth- would have been both interesting and inodsand the interchange of experiences, was structive. As it was, not so much wasnot attained, the single session having been learned of the workings of any one societyabsorlied in discussing the technicalities of as can be found any month in the columnsthe organization of a National or Advisory of Bird- Lore.Committee of the Audubon Societies. In this connection the editor wouiil like toNot that there was needless discussion emphasize the fact that, with proper coopcruponthis subject, for every link tending to ation, the Audubon Department of this(2«7)

:2l8Bird -Loremagazine may easily become of more valueto the work than any National Committee orAdvisory Council can hope to be, and fortwo reasons1. Questions and answers put upon paperare not forgotten as they may be in the heatof debate.2. In a country of the size of ours it iseasier to travel on paper than in person.If, during the coming year, not only thesecretaries but any member of the executivecommittees of the societies will write freelyof their needs and experiences to this department,always remembering to send theircommunications during the months of December,February, April, June, August orOctober, so that the material could he properlydigested for the next issue, great resultscan be obtained.This material need not be in the form ofset reports for actual publication, but inletters or tabulated lists of questions and adozen other ways which will tell of needsand stimulate the interchange of ideas.The Societies contributing their reports,or, in fact, any news to Bird-Lore, are inthe minority, some will not even answer ifasked a direct question by mail. If this isthe case how much lietter will an AdvisoryCommittee fare?Wake up, fellow workers; say your sayall in good time and season, keeping it wellin mind that it takes time to print an illustratedmagazine and that all material mustbe had thirty days before the publishing ofeachissue.Many of our secretaries keep in touch byprivate correspondence, but the same informationmade public reaches far and wide.Only by such intercourse as this can thegeneral trend of the Societies be gauged andthe vital topics stimulated to fruiting, so thatthe next convention may be something besidespreliminary leaves. — M. O. W.Results of the ConferenceAt the first Audubon Conference, heldin Cambridge, Mass., in November, 1900.itwas moved that a committee be appointed,to report at the next Conference, on thedesirability of some form of cooperationbetween the various Societies when, forany reason, it seemed desirable for themto join hands in promoting the cause ofbird protection. I'he report of this committeeas amended and imanimously adoptedat the second conference is as follows:REPORT OF THE AUDUBON CONFERENCECOMMITTEE1. That the several societies retain theirindividuality, that is, that they be notmerged into a national organization.2. But in view of the increased efficiencythat would always result from some formof union, which would admit of concertedaction, it is recommended that3. The several societies shall each appointone member of a committee to beknown as the National Committee of theAudubon Societies of America.4. That the members of this committeemay be empowered to represent the societieswhenever concerted action on the part ofthe societies be deemed by the Committeeexpedient.5. That an Annual Conference of theSocieties be held, and that this Committeebe authorized to arrange for the time andplace of the Conference.rules6. That this Committee draft its ownand regulations.(Signed) H. C. Bumpus,Frank M. Chapman,Ralph Hoffmann.A list of the delegates present, with thesocieties they represented, is appended:Vermont, Elizabeth B. Davenport, AnnaB. Phelps; Massachusetts, William Brewster,Harriet E. Richards, Reginald C. Robbins;Rhode Island, H. C. Bumpus, AnnieM. Grant; Connecticut, Mabel OsgoodWright, Helen W. Glover. Delia T. AudubonTyler, Katharine A. Wilcox, DoraR. Wheeler, Grace R. Moody, Mrs. WalterSmith, Willard G. Van Name; NewYork, Emma H. Lockwood, Lilian G.Cook, Olive Thorne Miller, May RileySmith, W. T. Hornaday, William Dutcher,J. A. Allen, Frank M. Chapman; NewJersey, Julia J. Noll, D. W. Miller; Pennsylvanin,Julia Stockton Robins, E. L.

:The Audubon Societies 219Tweedy, Witmer Stone, W. L. Baily;Maryland, Anne Weston Whitney; Districtof Columbia, H. C. Oberholser, T. S.Palmer; Florida, Mrs. Kingsmill Marrs,W. Wilson - Barker ;Illinois, RuthxenDeane.Mr. Frank M. Chapman was chosen aschairman, Mrs. H. T. Grant, as secretary.The details of the formation of the NationalCommittee were left in the hands of thesecretary.Reports ofNEW SOCIETIESSocietiesWe take great pleasure in calling attentionto the three new societies added to thelist in this issue.The Audubon Society of CJIencarlyn,\'irginia, was organized on June 3, 1901,with John B. Henderson, Jr., as presidentand Mrs. Frederick E. Town as secretary ;the Society of the state of Missouri wasorganized on June 14, with Wm. J.Blakelyas president and August Reese as secretary,and was duly incorporated on August 14,while the Society of the state of Vermontfollowed on September 2, with Mrs. Wm.C. Horton, of Brattleboro, as president andMrs. Fletcher K. Barrows and Miss EmmaGregg as secretaries.The Missouri Society has issued a concisepamphlet of twenty pages giving its list ofofficers, by-laws, articles of incorporationand a presentation of facts and motives, thatis well worthy of imitation by other societies,so satisfactorily does it answer thequestions asked of societies concerning theirscope andpractical workings.THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETYThe Junior I'ri/e ("ouunittee of the .MassachusettsAudubon Society set a difficulttask for the chiUiren when they offeredprizes for the itest original drawing (if aBobolink in full summer [ilumagc, "drawingsto be made from stuffed birds or life."All over the state the children were earl\on the Inokout for Bobolinks, but as thebird is ratlur locally distributed mam hadto report that tluv "had ne\er >tiii a Hoix)-link and could not find one in their meadows."Others were far distant from anymuseum possessing the coveted bird, so ofnecessity some of the would-be competitorswere debarred from the contest. Twelvedrawings were received, in some cases accompaniedby charming littleletters tellingthe story of the drawing. The committeefinally awarded the prizes as follows: Thefirst, twenty dollars, to Doris A. Hatfield, ofCanton Junction; second, fifteen dollars, toHoward M. Turner, of Cambridge; third,ten dollars, to William H. Foster, of Andover;fourth, five dollars, to Abby Christenson,ofBrookline.In the early summer the Society sent ourcopies of a "List of Massachusetts Birds,''requesting their return with the nameschecked of the birds the observer had seenduring the year. It is not time for returns,but quite an interest is reported in the lists;additional copies for use, beginning anytime, may be had of the secretary.The calendar for 1902, with six neworiginal drawings in color and descriptivetext, is for sale at the bookstores and by thesecretary. Price 50 cents.A "List of Bird Books" is ready for freetlistribution.A second traveling lecture with lanternslides is in preparation, also, a number oftraveling libraries; the latter will probablybe circulatedby the Woman's EducationalAssociation and loaned to schools andlibraries on request.The Society has recently presented to theLibrary Art Club two sets of the AudubonBird Charts and theBird Plates for circulationby the Club.The sale of the charts is very good andthe Society is growing. There are now 4, 151members, but it is still the fashion to wearfeathers, and violators of the liirii laws stilltreail the forest path.Harrikt E. Richards, Sccrelary.AUDUBON SOCIETY OF GLENCARLYN.VIRGINIAriu- .Audubon Society of Cjicncarlyii\irgiiiia. which has the honor to be thepioneer Society of the state, was organizeilJune 3, 1901, with the following officers

—220 Bird- LorePresident, Mr. John B. Henderson, Jr.,Washington, D. C; secretary, Mrs. FrederickE. Town, Glencariyn, Virginia.At a subsequent meeting the followinghonorary vice-presidents were elected:Gen. S. S. Burdett, Glencariyn, Virginia;Maj. Wm. M. King, CJlencariyn,Virginia; Mr. Paul Bartsch, Washington,D. C; Dr. T. S. Palmer, Washington,D. C.Also, an executive committee was formedconsisting of Mr. Wm. C. Pennwitt, Chairman,Dr. Wm. M. Backus, Mr. CharlesH. Lane, Miss Mary L. King, Mrs. JamesPlant and Miss E. V. Pennwitt, all ofGlencariyn, Virginia.appointedlibrarian.Miss Pennwitt wasIn addition a committee has been appointedto investigate the present status ofthe laws of V'irginia relating to the protectionof birds.The Glencariyn Society may be said tobe the outgrowth of a meeting of the WashingtonSociety, held in the village by invitationof the citizens, and is indebted to theparent Society for a number of valuable donationsto itslibrary.The new Society, it is hoped, will be athriving one, as the members are most enthusiastic,and the environment of the villagevery favorable to bird-life.One field meeting was held under theleadership of Mr. Bartsch.Juliet B.G. Town, Secretary.Florida Audubon SocietyOwing to the fact that many of the officersand members of the Executive Committee ofthe Florida Audubon Society are winterresidents of the state, meetings are not heldduring the summer months, but the secretarytakes charge of the business in correspondencewith members of the ExecutiveCommittee at the north. In Orange countythe School Committee have agreed that oncea week during the school term half-hourbird-talks shall be given in the schools,the Audubon Society giving one hundred"Hints to Bird Study," published by theMassachusetts Society as a text-book forteachers. They also have Bulletin 54, sentby Dr. Palmer, while the Superintendent ofSchools is to aid us by giving talks on birds.A bird chart of distinctly southern birdswould be of the greatest help and inspireinterest in the children. The American Ornithologists'Union sent us two hundredprinted posters of the laws of 1901 for birdprotection; many of these were posted in thevarious towns near Maitland, while somewere sent to Audubon members at WestPalm Beach. Many more will be distributedby our various officers throughout the stateearly in December, before the tide of travelbegins. A parcel was sent to the westcoast this autumn, for in spite of all warningsin September the rookery at Bird Key wasdestroyed. Two hundred posters have beensent to the Superintendents of the SouthernExpress Company, who have been instructedby President O'Brien to have themin the most conspicuous places in the expressoffices.The Society, since its organization in 1900,has been dependent for all its leaflets on theNew York Society, but I take mich pleasurein reporting that in December theFlorida Audubon Society will send outseven leaflets of its own, the manuscriptsbeing generously contributed by membersof the Society, the printing of the first editionbeing a gift from a member. We havein these a letter to members of the AudubonSociety by our beloved president, the lateRt. Rev. H. B. Whipple, Bishop ofMinnesota;a letter to the boys and girls ofthe Audubon Society, by Mrs. Whipple;Florida Birds Worth their Weight in Gold,by Mr. Kirk Munroe, our honorary vicepresident;A Sudden Friendship, by Mrs.Annie Trumbull Slosson, a vice-president;reprinted from Bird-Lore by permission ofMrs. Slosson and Mr. Chapman ; TheRights of the Man Versus the Bird, byMiss Rose E. Cleveland, also a vice-presidentof the Society; John James Audubon,by Mrs. Kingsmill Marrs, of the ExecutiveCommittee, and also from her a leafletfor little children, called Katie's Pledge.We hope by these to arouse great interestin our w'ork during the coming winter.Mrs. Kingsmii.i. M.^rrs, for ExecutiveCommittee.

iSirlitoreAN ILLUSTRATED BI-MO\THLY MAGA7ANE DFJ'OTED TOTHE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSEDITED BYFRANK M. CHAPMAN^ttitial €)rgan of tfie ;auliiibon ^otktitsAudubon Depariment Edited bvMABEL OSGOOD WRIGHTVOLUME IV—T902VWV: MACMILLAN COMPANYll.\KRISIilR{;, I'.A . AM)\l \V \(»RK tirV

Copyright, 1902By frank M. chapman

AAINDEX TO ARTICLES IN VOLUME IVBY AUTHORSAbbott, Clinton G., A Christmas Bird Cen- Eckstorm, Fannie Hardy, Concerning thesus, 27 ; Notes on the Golden- winged Bad Repute of Whiskey John, 109.Warbler, 96 Photographs by, 147. Elliot, IX G., Recollections of Elliott;Abbott, Gerard A., A Grebe Colony, 86. Coues, 3.Allen, Francis H., The Xuttall Club, 12. Enigh, Perry, A Christmas Bird Census. 27.Eustis, Richard S , List of Birds Observed,Baker, Philip, A Christmas Bird Census, 30. 151 A Christmas Bird Census, 25.;Baldwin, Mrs. L. G., A Christmas Bird Evans, W. B., A Christmas Bird Census,Census, 30. 2.8.Barnes, Fuller, A Christmas Bird Census, 26.Beebe, C. William, photograph by, 149. Fisher, A. K., Reviews by, 35, 99, 164, 202.Blatchley, Ralph, A Christmas Bird Census, Fine, Jack, A Christmas Bird Census, 2S.30. Ford, Royal M., .\ Christmas Bird Census,Brewster.William. Voices of a New England 26.Marsh, 43. Herrick, Francis H., The Chebec's FirstBridge, Mrs. L. E., List of Birds Observed, Brood, 80.151.. Hill. Elizabeth S., List of Birds Observed,Brooks, Martha W., Photograph by, 17. 151-Bruen, Frank, A Christmas Bird Census, 26. Hill. J. Irving, A Christmas Bird Census, 26.Hix, George E., A Christmas Bird Census,Cady, W. G., A Christmas Bird Census, 29. 28.Carter, John D., A Christmas Bird Census, Hunt, Mrs. C. J., A Christmas Bird Census,29. 28.Crosby, Ernest, The Veery's Note, 119. Hutchins, John, The Nesting of the Vel'ow-Crosby, M. S., A Christmas Bird Census, 27. throated Vireo, 120.Chapman, F"rank M., How to Name theBirds, 20, 62, 88, 124, 155, 189; Reviews by, Ives, Ella Gilbert. A Goldfinch Idyl, i 9-33, 34, 68, 98, 132, 133, 134, 163, 164, 200, 201 :Editorials by, 36, 70, loi, 135, 166, 204; The Johnson, S. M Christmas Bird Census.,Great Auk in Florida, 97 Flamingoes' 30.;Nests, 177 ;How to Study Birds, 194. Justice, Hilda, A Christmas Bird Censu?. 29.Cobb, Anna E.. A Christmas Bird Census^25.' Keller, K. F"., Photograph by, loS.Coues, Elliott, Extract from Journal of. 8. Kellogg, C. D., Photographs by. 2. 11.Curtis, C. A., Recolleitinns of Elliott Coues, Kemble, Edward, A Christmas Bird Census,5. 27.Knowlton, F. II., .X Talking Magpie, 97.Dean, R. II., .\ Christmas Bird Census, 30.Dii)ble, Edmund B., A Bird's Bath, 94. Lee, Charlotte E., A Christmas Bird Census.I)rummond, Mary, Sec'y, Report of, 136. 27.Dugmore, A. RadclylTe, The Increase of the Lockwood, E. H., Sec'y, Report of, 206.Chestnut-sided Warbler, 77. Lord, Wm. Rogers, The Western EveningDutcher, William. Minutes of the PMrst Grosbeak, 9Meeting of the National Committee of the Love, Lawrence F., My Bluebirils, 67.Audubon Societies of the I'nited States, Lucas. F. A., The Weai)ons of Birds, 182.104.iJwight, J. Jr., Reviews by, 69, 133, 201. Maynard, 1 1 . W,Christmas Bird Census,29.Katon, Elon Howard, A Christmas Bird McConnell. II. B. A Christmas Bird Census,Census, 26. 29.(iii)

Nighthawk.WinteringAIndexMiller, Mary Mann, The Warhliiis X'iio. aNest Sinj^er, i6i.Miller, Richard F., A (.hrisUnas Bird Census,2S.Moore, \V. H., Xestint; IIai)itsof the fhininey Swift, 162.Morison, Fred T., Prize Crow P^ssay, —Morton, H. McI , The Destructive Effects ofa Hailstcjrm I'pon Bird Life, 143.Nevvkirk, (iarrett, Tiie Wood Tlirnsh .nidthe \\'hip|)oor\vilI, 85.Story, L. B., A Christmas Bird Census, 27.Stupp, Frederick J., A Christmas Bird Census,26.Thomas, Edith M., English Starling, 61 ;The Sapsucker, 123.Tiiompson, Caroline B., A Christmas BirdCensus, 29.Thwaites. Jessie T., Sec'y, Report of, 139.Turner, Howard M., A Christmas BirdCensus, 25.Vanderpool, Mrs. I., Sec'y, Report of, 172.Palmer, F. S., Reviews by, 35, 100 (initials VanSant, Florence A., The Incredulousomitted in error), 133, 165, 202V'eery, 94; The Screech Owl's Valentine,196.I'arker, \V. P., A Christmas Bird Census, 25.Patten, Jeanie Mary, Sec'y, Report of, 74.Pellet, Emily B., A Catbird's Musical Ability, Walker, Archie, Bird Notes for April and161.Princehorn, A. I.., Photographs by. 142, t97.Putnam, Sarah L., Sec'y, Report of, 13S.Reese, August, Sec'y, Report of, 138.Robins, Julia Stockton, Sec'y, Report of, 40.Rogers, Charles H., A Christmas Bird Census,27.Rhoads, Samuel N., The Delaware X'alleyClub. 57.Rudy, Art., A Christmas Bird Census, 30.Saunders, A. A ,A Christmas Bird Census, 26.Selleck, (ieorge H, Notes, 114.Seton, Ernest Thompson, On Journal KeepiiiK.175-May, 130.Warren, E. R., Photograph by, 1S5;Whiskey John in Colorado, 1S6.Webb, Roscoe J., A Christmas BirdCensus, 30.West, Randolph, A Christmas Bird Census,28.Wetmore, Aleck. A Christmas Bird Census,30.Whitten, E. Marion, A Home in a Cellar,96Wright, Horace W , Christmas BirdCensus, 25 ;Robins and V\'axwings,198.Wright, Mabel Osgood, l'2ditori;ils by. 37, 71,103. 1 68.

HowNestINDEX TO CONTENTSAdvisory Council, The, iS, 192; figured, 193.Alaudidte, 21.Allen, F. H., figured, 12.Allen, G. M., figured, 14.Allen, J. A., 12.Alstead School, 102.American Ornithologists' L'nion, 12, 167, 192,199 ;Check- List of, 135 ;program of, 203.Ampelida;, 190.Anatidoe, 69Arizona, 200.Arkansas, 100.Atkinson, Francis, P., 12.Altwater, H. P., 165.Audubon Conference, 172.Audubon Societies, Rei^ort of NationalCommittee of, 104.Auk, Great, 97, 2^4.Auk, The, 121 ; reviewed, 69, 133, 167, 201.Bahamas, 177.Bailey, Harry B , 12.Bailey's, Mrs., ' Handbook of BirdsWestern I'nited States,' mentioned,165, 204 ; reviewed, 200.Baily, William I.., 39, 57; figured, 5

figured,figured,Birdsfigured,IndexI )urfi.c, ()w(.-ii, tijjurcd, Ilensliaw, H. W.. 12; Birds of HawaiianDutrlK-r, William, 166 ; 193.Islantls, reviewed, 201.Heron, Blue, 183.Emlen, A. C, figured, 5iS.Heron, Green, 46.Evans, J. \V., figured, 58.Heron, Night, 46.Herrick, Francis, 74.Fashions, 167.Herrick's 'Home-Life of Wild Birds,' reFellows, A. P., figured, 5S.viewed, loi.Finch, Purple, figured, 195.Hirundinidae, 89.Fish for Hats, 167.Hitchcock, C. H., 97.Fisher's 'Two Vanishing Game Birds,' reviewed,'Hodge's Nature Studv and Life,' reviewed,163.98.Flamingoes, 177 ;figured iSi ; nests of, figured,Hoffmann, Ralph, So.178, 179, iSj.Howe, R. H.,Jr., figured, 14.Flicker, 131.Hummingbird, Ruby-throated, 34.Florida, 35, 97, 171.Hutchinson, J. B., figured. 58.Flj'catcher, Scissor-tailed, 133.Flycatcher, Traill's, 34.Idaho, 200.Fox, H., figured, 58.Icteridae, 62.Fowler, H. W., figured, 58.Illinois Audubon Society, 169.'Fowler's Tales From the Birds,' reviewed, Indiana, 30.163.Ingersoll, Ernest. 12.Francis, N. A , figured, 12.Jacana, 184.Frazer, M. A., 201.Freeman, S. M., figured, 58.Jack, Whiskey, 1C9, 186.French's Hezekiah's Wives,' ' reviewed, 98. Jay, Blue, 34; figured, 23.Fringillidse, 64.Jay, Canada, no.Fuertes, L. A., illustrations by. 200.Jay, Rocky Mountain, 186.Job's 'Among the Water Fowl, reviewed,Galahazos, 100, 202.Gallinule, Florida, 42 : 51, 53.John, Whiskey, 1C9, 186 : 186, 187.Gannet, 183.Jones, Lynds, figured, 193.Githens, A M., figured, 5S.Journal Keeping, 175.Gnatcatcher, 131 ; figured, 189.Judd, S. D., 74.Goldfinch, 148; nest of, figured, 149.Goldfinch, Lawrence's, 100.Kellogg's 'Elementary Xoli)gy,' reviewed,floose. Spur-winged, wing of, figured, 1S4.34-Cirackle, Bronzed, 100, 144.Kester, A., figured, 58.Grackle, Purple, figured, 63.'Keyser's Birds of the Rockies,' reviewed.Grelie, American Eared, 86.200.Grebe, Holbccll's, 87.Kinglet, Golden-crowned, figured, 189.Grebe, Pied, 87.Kinglet, Ruby-crowned, figured, 189.Grebe, Western, 86.Grinnell's 'Check Lists of California Birds,' Labrador, 69.reviewed, 163.Laniida:, 91.Grosbeak, Evening, figured, 9, 10.Lark, Horned, figured, 21.Grosbeak, Pine, 24 ; figured, 12, 65.Leguat, FraiH'ois, 182.Grosbeak, Rose-breasted, 34, 13^; figured, Lobvianellus, 184.64.'Lord's of Oregon and Washington,'Gull, Glaucous-winged, 99.reviewed, 6.S.Gull, Herring, 69.Louisiana, 30, 172.Lower California, 201.Hail-storm, 143.Hardy, Mrs., i86.Hay, O. P., 97.Hawaii, 201.Magpie, 97.Maine, 109, 134.Maine Ornithological Society, Journalreviewed, 134.

figured,IndexManitoba, 146.Martin, Purple, figured, 8g.Maryland, 29, 203.Massachusetts, 12, 25, 4,3, 95, 151, 161, 198.McCadden, I). N., fiiiured, 58.Meadowlark, 44.Meat-bird, no.Meyers, F. G., figured, 58.Migration, 133.Millinery Trade Review, 169.Minnesota, 94. 143.Missouri, 30, 138.Mniotiltid;e, 125.Mocking Bird, 99, 133.Montana, 98, 99.Moose-Bird, no.Morris, George S., 57; figured, 58.Motacillidie, 127.Nekraska, 34.Nebraska Ornithologists' I'ninn, I'roceeilingsof, reviewed, 34.Nelson, E. \V., figured, 193.New Brunswick, 162.New Hampshire, 80, 114.New Jersey, 11, 28, 57, 81.New Mexico, 8, 100.New York, 26.Newton, Alfred, 99.N'ighthawk, 133; figuied, 114.Nomenclature, 135.Nonpareil, :66.North Carolina, 74, 134.Nuthatcli, Red-breasted, figured, 158.Nuthatch, White-breasU-d, fignrt-d. 15s.Nuttall Club, The, 12.Oberholser, ll.C.,74, 199; Sludiesnf HornedLarks by, mentioned, 204.Ohio, 29, 99, 203.Oregon, 9, 98.Oriole, Baltimore, 131.Oriole, Orchard, figured, 63.Osprey, The, reviewed, 35, 99, 164.Oven-bird, 99, 131.Owl, Elf, 100.Owl, Saw-whet, ico.Owl, Screech, 196; figured, 197.Owl, Snowy, 134.'Palmer's Bulletin 12,' mentioned, 69.Palmer, T. S., 74.Paridje, 150.Pearson, T. fiilbert, figured, 193.Pearson's 'Slorii's of Bird-I.ifi-,' rcvii'Wed,6S.Pennock, C. J., figured, 58.Pennsylvania, 28, 57, 99, 133.Phoebe, 95.Pigeons, Domestic, 182 ; figured, 108.Pipit, American, figured, 128.Plectropterus gambensis, 184.Plover, Spur-winged, Spur of, figured, 1S3.Plover, Upland, 55.Plover, VVattler, figured. 183.Prize Essay, 31.Prize Essay Contests, 128, 130.Ptarmigan, White-tailed, 185 ; figured, 185.Purdie, H. A., 12.Rail, Carolina, 48, 49; figured, 53, 56.Rail, Little Black, 54;figured, 53.Rail, \'irginia, 47; figured, 53.Rail, Yellow, figured, 54.Redpoll, 24.Red-wing Blackbird, figured, 147.Reed, J. Harris, 57;figured, 58.Rhode Island, 25.Rhoads, C. J., figured, 58.Rhoads, Samuel N..57; figured, .s.'^.Richardson, Sir John, 99.Ridgway's'Birds of Middle and NdnhAmerica,' reviewed, 33; Part II of, nientioned,204.Robin, 24, 53, 55, 99, 145, 19S ; figured, 142,144.Rodriguez, 182.Roosevelt, Theodore, 16.Sable Island, 134.Sapsucker, 123.School, Xature-Sludy, 102.Scott, W. E. 1)., 12.Screamer, 185; spur of, figured, i8|.Seiss, C. F., figured, 58.Serrill, W. J., figured, 58.Seton, Ernest Thompson, figured. 174..Seton's ' Lives of the Hunted," reviewed, 34.."^hepijard, E., figured, .^s.Shooting, Spring, 203.Shrike, Northern, 24, :43 92.Shryock, \V. A., figured, 58.Silloway's'Birds of Flathead I,ake,' reviewed,gS.Snipe, Wilson's, 45, 100,Snow Bunting, 43, 56.Solitaire. Wing of, figured, 1S2.Sornborger, J. !>., (igured, 14.Sparrow, Chipping, 99, 131.Sparrow, English, 138, 145, 162, 160.S|)arrow, Field,

figured,figured,Wildfigured,IndexSpariow, Soiii;, 44. 45, 53, 55, 56 ;65.Sparrow, Swamp, 55, 56.Sparrow. Tree, 44, 45, 192; figured, 65.Sparrow, Yellow-winged, 133.Sparrow, White-throated, figured, 65.Spellinan, H. M., figured, 14.Starling, English, 61 ;figured, 20.Sturnidte, 20.Stone, VVitmer, 39, 57 5S.:Strong, R. M., 165: tolor wurk l)y, imntioned,204.Sylviicke, 1S9.Swallow, Bank, figured, 89.Swallow, Cliff, figured, 89.Swallow, Tree, figured, 89.Swift, Chimney, 34, 162.Tanager, Scarlet, figured, SS.Tanagrida;, 88.Tatum, J. W., figured, 58.Teal, Blue-winged, 34.Thayer Fund, 39, 40, 69.Thrasher, Brown, figured, 151.Thrasher, Crissal, 100.Thrush, Gray-cheeked, figured, 191.Thrush, Hermit, figured. 191.Thrush, Olive-backed, figured, 191.Thrush, Wilson's, figured, i9r.Thrush, Wood, figured, 85, 191.Titlark, 56.Titmouse, Tufted, figured, 158.Towhee figured, 65.Troglodytida;, 155.Trotter, Spencer, 57; figured, 58.Turdidae, 190.Veery, 94, 119.Vireo, Bell's, 34.V'ireo, Blue-headed, figured, 125.Vireo, Red-eyed, figured, 99, 125.Vireo, Yellow-throated, 99, 120; figured, 125.Vireo. Warbling, 161 ;figured, 125.Vireonidse, 123.Virginia, 69, 99.\'oe1ker, Charles, 57: figured, 58.'Walter's Birds in City Parks,' reviewed,68.Warbler, Bay-breasted, 93.Warbler, Black - throated Creen, figured,126.Wart)ler, Blue- winged, 80.Warbler, Brewster's, figured. 66.Warbler, Canadian, figured, 126.Warbler, Chestnut sided, figured, 76, 78, 79,80.Warbler, ( lolden winged, 96; nest of, figured,96.Warbler, Nashville, figured, 126.Warbler, Parula, figured, 1^6.Warbler, Prothonotary, 34.Warblers, Worm-eating, figured, 126.Warbler, Yellow, 50.Warbler, Vellow-rumped, 166.Washington, D. C, 29.Water-Thrush, Louisiana, figured, 126, 130.Wa.xwing, Cedar, 198; figured, 90.'Weed's Birds' Calendar,' reviewed, 164.W'est Indies, 201.Wheelock's 'Nestlings of Forest andMarsh,' reviewed, 132.Whippoorwill, figured, 85.Whitaker, W. L., figured, 58.Widmann, Otto, 165.Wilson Bulletin, reviewetl, 164, 202.Wisconsin, 30.Wis-ka-tjon, 1 10.Woodcock, 163.'Woodcock's Birds of Oregon,' reviewed,98.Woodhouse, S. W., 60.W^oodman, W., 12.Wren, Bewick's, 131.Wren, Carolina, 131; figured, 156.Wren, Hou.se, figured, 156.Wren, Marsh, Long-billed, 44, 50. 51; figured,53.Wren, Short-billed, 51 ; figured, 53.Wright, S., figured, 58.Yellow-throat, Maryland. 50, 53;126.

|girti = ioreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OFOfficial Organ of the Audubon SocietiesBIRDSVol. IV January — February, 1902 No. 1THERecollections of Elliott CouesCoues as a Young ManBY D. G. ELLIOTyouth of most persons who, in later life, may have attained aprominent position in the career — whether scientific or not — thatmav have been selected, possesses, doubtless to many, a particularinterest, even though perhaps no personal acquaintance with the individualmay have been formed. Those who have gained a creditable reputation,whether as facile writers, or independent investigators in science, or asactors in stirring deeds of bravery, or hardships overcome, excite the admirationand serve as a stimulant to others to go and do likewise.It was probably impelled by some such thought as that just expressedthat induced the editor of BiRD-LORE to request me to give to itsreaders a brief account of my recollections of Elliott Coues as a youth,before the ability that was in him had been generally recognized ;andofnecessity I may write only of that which is faintly reminiscent, for themist of years partly hides from memory the days when Coues and thewriter were boys together, and the great majority of the letters receivedfrom him during his youth, and from which much that would haveillustrated his early methods of expression and energetic temperament,have long since been destroyed. Those who knew Coues, even in laterlife, must have been impressed by the intensity of the interest exhibitedby him when speaking upon some subject that was congenial, and whichwas a matter of daily thought. How the bright eye grew brighter andmore penetrating, the attention fixed and earnest, while the well -phrasedsentences fell from his lips with a facile flow that was admirable. Thisfaculty, that was noticeable to everyone who listened to him in his prime,was eminently characteristic of him even in his college days, and his lettersat that time were remarkable for the keenness of the reasoning exhibitedand the ingenuity of the various arguments employed. Good temper in

4 Bird -Lorediscussion was an attribute of his youthful days, and the courtesy shownin his intercourse with others in his maturer years was by no means lackingin his youth. Always high-spirited, the consciousness of overability to doseemed to be innate with him; and, both in my correspondence and conversationswith him in those early days, I more than once had the impressionthat he was feeling his way, so to speak, as if not quite certain exactlyELLIOTT COLES AT TWENTY-ONEFrom a photograph in the possession of D. G. Elliothow far he could trust himself in the line of argument he had for themoment adopted, or was himself seeking its weak points. Always acourteous debater, and equally so in his youth as in his more experiencedmanhood, he was very attractive in his student days, with his bright face,pleasant manners, and love of fun such as appealed to those of his age,but even in his college days or earlier the keen mind was as quick toseize upon a vulnerable place in an argument and turn to profit a pointthus gained as in aftertimes when his large experience and ample knowledgemade him so formidable an antagonist. And yet, the boy showed

)!Coues at His First Army Post 5no exultation over his victorv beyond a bright smile and a clap on oneshoulder, with the friendly question, "'Am I not right?" or "Is that notso?" Although Coues gained k prominent position in various branchesof natural science, and in literature as well, he was, above all, an ornithologist.From his earliest youth he loved birds, and delighted to talkabout them and argue the various questions that a discussion of themgave rise to. His mind was always dwelling upon them, and he neverlost an opportunity to speak of his favorite subject. 1 remember oncewhen, arriving in Washington during his student days and seeking himat his residence, I was directed to a certain hall where a dancing class towhich he belonged usually met and, on sending up my name, he camebounding down the stairs two steps at a time with a cheery "Hello, D. G.Glad to see you!" and almost immediately took up a certain subject onbirds that we had had a discussion about in our correspondence a shorttime before. It was the absorbing passion, always foremost in his thoughts.Personally attractive in his mature years, Coues was no less so in hisyouth, and although our mutual interest in the one common absorbingpursuit of our lives may have brought us more closely together, yet eventhose who were without the special love of nature's works to afford abreadth of sympathy with him, and who knew him in his youth, couldnot fail to recognize the traits I, on another occasion, have attributed tohim in his boyhood, of being "frank, simple, honest and confiding, with aboy's generous impulses and the glorious enthusiasm of the ornithologistmanifest in speech and action."Coues at His First Army PostBY CAPT C. A. CURTIS, U. S. A.iRetiredOn the I2th da\' of June, 1864, I reported for duty as acting quartermasterof a mixed column of infantry and cavalry, which had been orderedto rendezvous at the town of Los Pinos, New Mexico, in preparation fora march to Prescott, Arizona.This command was composed of one company of regular infantry, atroop each of California and New Mexican cavalry, and was intended toact as an escort to a supply train going to provision a new fort nearthe Arizona town above mentioned.This march was to be for fully five hundred miles through a hostileIndian region, where the Navaho and Apache ranged, and we werecautioned from departmental headquarters to hoKi ourselves in constantreadiness to repel attack.To be more explicit and show what a prize our train uouKl haveproved to a successful Indian foray. I will mention that the supply train

6 Bird -Loreconsisted of eighty waj^ons laden with commissar}', quartermaster andordnance stores, and twelve iugt^;age wagons which carried the companyand troop property, a herd of three luuuired beef cattle and eight hundredhead of sheep. To draw these ninety-two wagons, and furnish mountsfor wagon masters, herders and other train men, took five hundred andsixty mules. Add to these the one hundred and sixty-three horses ofthe cavalry and officers, and it will be seen what constant vigilance againstsurprise was required through an almost unknown region, over desertand fertile plains, through barren and forest-clad defiles, or along theCottonwood fringed banks of running streams.(^n the evening of the 15th day of June, at the mess table of theofficers of the expedition, I first saw Doctor Elliott Coues. He was atthat time still some months short of being twenty-two years old, and hadbut recently been commissioned an assistant surgeon in the army. Hewas a man of good features and figure, a little above medium height,with light brown hair and no beard or moustache, and of a complexionbronzed in his calling of field ornithologist. In his conversation throughoutthe meal we gathered that he had served as a medical cadet in the"Army of the Potomac" for some time before he was advanced to hispresent rank, and that he had hunted and collected birds in Labrador.He also remarked, with pardonable pride, that he had been sent as surgeonin charge of our column at the request of the Smithsonian Institution,that he might "shoot up the country between the Rio Grande and theRio Colorado," and that as soon as he should report he had done so hewas to be relieved and ordered to Washington. He also showed thecommanding officer and myself an order from the quartermaster-general,requiring us to furnish free transportation at all times to the collectionshe should make.Ornithology was the Doctor's special cult, but he was also preparedto make collections in other branches of natural history. For creeping,crawling and wriggling things he had brought along a five-gallon keg ofalcohol. But the reptilian branch of his researches failed utterly in theearly stage of the march, for the soldiers, in unloading and loading thewagon, had caught the scent of the preservatiye fluid, and, although italready contained a considerable number of snakes, lizards, horned toads,etc., the stuff, diluted from their canteens, did not prove objectionableto the chronic bibulants. Some of them, however, did look decidedlypale about the gills when the head of the empty keg was smashed inand the pickled contents exposed to view. They had really supposed theyhad been drinking chemically pure alcohol.From the beginning of the march on the i6th day of June until itsclose, on the 29th day of July, Doctor Coues never ceased, except for abrief interval, making excursions along the flanks of the column and

-Coues at His First Army Post 7arriving in camp with many specimens. Clad in a corduroy suit of manypockets and having numerous sacks and pouches attached to his saddle,he regularly rode out of column every morning astride of his buckskincolored mule, which he had named Jenny Lind on account of her musicalbray. Rarely did we see him again until we had been some hours in thefollowing camp, but we sometimes heard the discharge of his doublebarreledshotgun far off the line of march. He usually brought in allhis pockets and pouches filled with the trophies of his search, and whenhe sat upon the ground and proceeded to skin, stuf¥ and label his specimenshe was never without an interested group of officers and men abouthim. To any one interested to learn the art of preparing the specimenshe became an earnest and painstaking instructor. In time pretty muchevery person in the command was contributing something to the Doctor'spacking cases.VV^hen we reached the most dangerous part of our march and frequentattempts to stampede our grazing flock and herds were made by thelurking red man, the Doctor was cautioned to remain near the escort, butthe flitting of rare plumage or the utterance of a strange note wouldoften tempt him away and give us great anxiety until he returned. Inthree collisions with the Indians he showed us he was possessed of truesoldierlyspirit.At one point the danger became so great that the discharge of firearmsby any member of our party was strictly forbidden and all weretold that should a shot be heard we were all to rally in its direction.One day we rallied in hot haste to the rear, only to meet the ornithologistholding up a beautiful and rare specimen, saying: "I really could notallow this bird to escape without causing a serious loss to science.""Well," replied the commanding officer, ''1 shall deprive science ofany further collections for a week by placing you in arrest and takingpossession of your gun and ammunition."The arrest, however, did not last until next morning, when the colonel,having slept of? his vexation, delivered Doctor Coues a lecture on militaryscience, with particular reference to service in an Indian country, andtold him what he might expect if he did not remain near the escort andrefrain from firing until we were out of that region.Professionally, the Doctor was a good surgeon, and never neglectedhis duty. In Arizona for a year he continued his collecting throughout alarge portion of the territory, and, when he was relieved from duty andordered to Washington in November of i86s, he told me he should takewith him over two hundred and fifty distinct species of birds and sixhitherto unknown to science.

t8 Bird -LoreExtract from Journal of Elliott Coues' First Journey to the West*"July 8, 1864. —We read of the delightful and equable climate of NewMexico; hut we live and learn. Last night we shivered under blankets,and blew our numb fingers this morning. By ten o'clock it was hot; ateleven, hotter; twelve, it was as hot as— it could be. The cold nightsstiffen our bones, and the hot days blister our noses, crack our lips andbring our eye-balls to a stand -still. Today we have traversed a sandydesert; no water last night for our worn-out animals, and very littlegrass. The 'sand-storms' are hard to bear, for the fine particles cutlike ground glass; but want of water is hardest of all. For some time ithas been a long day's march from one spring or pool to another; andoccasionally more; and then the liquid we find is nauseating, chargedwith alkali, tepid, and so muddy that we cannot see the bottom of a tincup through it. Here at our noon -day halt there is not a tree—scarcelya bush—in sight, and the sun is doing his perpendicular best. In theSibley tent the heat is simply insupportable, and we are" lying curled uplike rabbits in the slight shade we tan find in the rain-washed crevicesof the 'Well.' Jacob's Well is an undisguised blessing, and, as such, acuriosity. It is an enormous hole in the ground, right in the midst ofa bare, flat plain; one might pass within a hundred yards and never suspectanything about it. The margin is nearly circular, and abruptlydefined; the sides very steep—almost perpendicular in most places; but apath, evidently worn by men and animals, descends spirally, windingnearly half way around before reaching the bottom. It is, in fact, agreat funnel, a hundred yards wide at the brim, and about half as deep;and at the bottom there is a puddle of green, slimy w^ater. Traditiongoes, of course, that this is a bottomless ' pit;' and as the water had notperceptibly diminished after all our party and five hundred -mules andcattle had had their fill, the story may go for what it is worth. Thewater is bad enough— warm, and probably muddy, though the mud is notvisible, owing to the rich green color of the dubious liquid. It contains,however, some suspicious looking creatures, 'four-legged fishes,' said theman who caught several with hook and line. They suck the bait likegills."It is a scene of utter desolation; our bodily discomfort begets vague* In connection with the preceding account by Captain Curtis the following extract from Coues' journalmade on the. inarch described, is of especial interest. It is reprinted from the 'American Naturalist' for June,catfish, and look something like them, barring the legs and long, fringelike'871-TThey are the Amblystoma nebulosum. a kind of hatrachian related to the salamanders and tritons of ourbrooks. The body is shining green above, with a few indistinct black spots, and silvery white below; eyes andgills black; a yellow tint about the legs. They can live a long time out of water, as their skin seems to exudea sort of perspiration that keeps them cool and moist. One that was quite dry and seemed dead, revived onbeing placed in a bucket of water.

The Western Evening Grosbeak 9fears, and a sense of oppression weighs us down. The leaden minutescreep on wearily and noiselessly, unbroken even by the hum of an insect;two or three blackbirds, hopping listlessly about as if they wished theywere somewhere else but had not energy enough to go there, are theonly signs of life that greet our faithful animals and ourselves."THEThe Western Evening GrosbeakBY WM. ROGERS LORDWith photographs from natureEvening Grosbeak is not generally well known upon the Atlanticcoast. Whether it is a more familiar bird in the Central WestI cannot say; but upon the Pacific coast, at all events in the statesof Oregon and Washington, a variety of this beautiful creature is, at least,every two years — fromFebruary toMay — veryabundant and most wonderfullytame.The western speciesis a little darker in shadethan is the eastern bird,but otherwise very muchthe same in appearanceand habit. The color is,for the most part, 'oldgold,' darker about thehead, with large whitepatches upon the wings.Of course, as the nameindicates, these birds havea large bill, showing theuse to which they put itin cracking pine - conesand other tough coveringsof the seeds which furnishthem fooil.T'iiey come into the cities and towns of the \\ illamette valley,Oregon, and arouiui Puget Sound, Washington, about i-\ ery otheryear in large numbers. Though the usual flock is not abi)\e fifty orsixty birds, it is sometimes mutli larger and sometimes considerablysmaller. TIicn' draw \cr\' ne.ir to rlu- homes and the persons of men.

—lOBird - Loreshowing little fear. So easyare these httle creatures totame that havino; been fedfrequently in several places,particularly in and about Portland,Oregon,— after a dayor two they have eaten outof the hand.Only one person,however,so far as known, has succeededin winning their confidencesufficiently to bring them toalight upon the person. Awinsome lady of Oregon City,Oregon, has,during the periodsof their last two visits,induced such familiarity thata number of them would restupon her arms, hands and lap.The three pictures in this issueof Bird-Lore indicate what was the habit of these birds in the spring of1899. In the spring of 1901 some of the same birds returned to theirfriend, their identity being established by a blind eye in one and a misshapenleg in another. Such generalfriendliness toward human beings on' "~ "'"^the part of this particular species of(bird is no doubt due to the fact thatit lives, for the most part, so farfrom human habitations, and does notknow our stone - throwing and shotgunattitude toward the angels ofbeauty and song which our birds areto the world.The Western Evening Grosbeaknests far off in the solitudes of theCoast Range and Cascade Mountainsin these Pacific states, and visits theconfines of human society for only ashort time once in two years. Onlytwo or three nests of the species haveever been found, although, within ayear, Mr. A. W. Anthony, of ornithologicalfame, and three or fourj

The Western Evening Grosbeak IIother persons, have discovered what seem to be some of the Grosbeaksummer homes in the Cascade and Coast Range Mountains.What these birds, unafraid, do in their famih'ar relations with humanbeings is at the same time a sad revelation of our wrong attitude towardbird-life in general a:id a beautiful realization, in a small way, of theprophetic words of the poet Shelley, —" No l()ii;^fi- now the winged liahitants.That in tlie woods tlieir sweet lives sing awav.Flee from tlie form of man; but gather round.And preen their sunny feathers on the hands\Vhich little cliildren stretch in friendly sportI'oward these dread less partners of their pln\ .H:ippiiie^sAnd science dawn, rhongh late, lUKjn the earth."Cofytighl hy C. />.AV/A.^V.\ CROW KoosrI'holoEraphcd by tnonnlight near Salem. N. J.. January, nyoi. by C. D. Kriliit:)!. I'lalc exposed from 4 A. M.In s A. M. The birds in the fureijround had fallen from their roosts during the night. (Sec frontispiece, and.also article on this Crow riiosi. hy Witmer Stone, in Bikd l.oRl' for Dfcember. iSiw

THEBird Clubs in AmericaI. THE NUTTALL CLUBBY FRANCIS H. ALLENNuttall Ornithological Club of Cambridge is, I believe, the oldestorganization of its kind in the country, and, therefore, in spite ofthe modesty which befits its age and experience, may very properlybe the subject of the first of a series of articles on bird clubs. Thebeginnings of this Club date back to 1871, when a few of the youngmen of Cambridge, Mass., met weekly in an informal way to comparenotes and read ornithological literature. It was not until 1873, however,that the Club was organized, taking its name from the famous ornithologistof the early nineteenth century, who lived in Cambridge for manyyears. The original membership was nine, and the majority of theseare still well known as ornithologists, though only two, Mr. Brewsterand Mr. Purdie, are now resident members of the Club. The list was asfollows : Francis P. Atkinson, Harry B. Bailey, William Brewster,Ruthven Deane, Henry W. Henshaw, Ernest Ingersoll, Henry A. Purdie,William E. D. Scott, and Dr. Walter Woodman.This little Club was destined to make itself felt in the scientific world.Its most important service to ornithology was doubtless the publicationofits'Bulletin,' an interesting account of the starting of which, as wellas of the early history of the Club itself, was given by Dr. J. A. Allen'in an early number of that journal. The Bulletin of the Nuttall OrnithologicalClub ' first made its appearance May 6, 1876. It was not withoutmuch preliminary discussion that so important a step was taken, and thequestion of issuing a journal of its own for the publication of scientificpapers and notes had been agitated two years earlier, when the Club was' 'hardly a year old. The American Sportsman had at that time been adoptedas a temporary medium, but the main question had only been postponed'till the time was ripe for such an undertaking. The Bulletin,' as everyornithologist knows, was immediately recognized as the leading ornithologicaljournal of the United States, and it won the instant support ofscientific men all over the country. Its publication was continued until1884, when it was succeeded by The Auk,' virtually the same journal,'and with the same editor. Dr. J. A. Allen.As 'The Auk' was the successor of 'The Bulletin,' so the AmericanOrnithologists' Union itself was, in a great measure, an outgrowth of theNuttall Club. On retiring from the presidency of the Union in 1890,Dr. J. A. Allen said in an historical address on the A. O. U. :. . ." The American Ornithologists' Union is the worthy offspring of theNuttall Ornithological Club of Cambridge, Mass. [The Nuttall(121

BulletinBird Clubs in America 13Club's] meetings were at first informal, but as years passed the Clubbecame a well-organized publishing society, wielding, through its quarterly'Bulletin,' a more than national influence. While its active membershipnumbered somewhat less than a score, its corresponding membershipincluded all American ornithologists of note. Through their heartycooperation the Club was able to concentrate the ornithological interestsof the whole country, its journal proving not only a strong bond ofunion, but an indispensable medium of communication." In 1883 the time seemed ripe for a more direct and intimate unionof American ornithologists, and early in the year the matter began toreceive serious thought on the part of several members of the Club,resulting in the call issued in July of that year for a congress of ornithologiststo meet in New York the following autumn. The project'met with favor, a large proportion of those invited responding to thecall, which resulted in The American Ornithologists' Union, founded inNew York, September 26, 1883.' In effect the Nuttall OrnithologicalClub was thus transformed into a national, or rather an internationalorganization, to which it magnanimously transferred its quarterly journal,and with it much of its prestige and influence."Before the launching of the Bulletin many of the younger orni-' 'thologists in other parts of the country had been elected as correspondingmembers of the Club, but professional ornithologists had beenexcluded out of modesty. Now, however, with a dignified journal onits hands to vouch for its scientific standing and to bring new responsibilities,the Club took courage to invite the leading ornithologiststo join as either resident or corresponding members, and, somewhat tothe surprise of these young men, their elders seemed very glad toidentify themselves with them. Dr. J. A. Allen, who was at that timein charge of the birds at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, atCambridge, became a resident member in April, 1876, and soon afterthe issue of the first number of the ' Bulletin ' wasmade its editor-inchief.The success of the Nuttall Club as a scientific body now seemedassured, and, though it has been less prominently before the ornithologicalworld since the A. O. U. took the'' off its hands, it stillpublishes, in its occasional Memoirs,' papers of importance which are'too long for the pages of 'The Auk.'Of late years, however— and perhaps at all times— the chief usefulnessof the Club has been for its members. Its meetings— at first helil weeklwnow coming semi-monthly— have always had a delightfully informal character,and sociability and gooil fellowship have helped along the interchangeof ornithological news and ideas. riu- early meetings were occupiedlargely with the reading of pulilished papers, and for some time the

Bird Clubs in America 15president gave out at each meeting a particular species to form a subjectof discussion at the next. Special work of one kind or another has fromtime to time been undertaken by the Club. About the last of 1887, forinstance, a continuous discussion began of the distribution of birds ineastern Massachusetts, groups of species being taken up at each meetingin systematic order. Some years later the desiderata in our knowledge ofthe life histories of New England birds were discussed systematically in along series of meetings. These plans for regular work have served goodpurposes in their day, but the genius of the Club seems to demand as arule a less formal method of expression, and at most of the meetings theprogramme consists of a paper or talk by one of the members on somesubject that has occupied his attention, followed by a general discussion ofthe subject, the evening ending with miscellaneous notes from the recentobservations of the various members.1 have spoken of the informality of the Club's meeting, but I willsay a word more on that point because I think it is a characteristic feature.There is, of course, some semblance of parliamentary procedure,but members generally feel free to talk directly to one another withoutthe fiction of addressing the chair. One result of this informality isthe frank questioning that greets the member who chances for anyreason to make a statement which seems to the others at all open toquestion. It very naturally happens occasionally that an eager youngobserver may allow his enthusiasm to get the better of his sober judgment,and at such times he must expect to be pinned down to his facts andcross-questioned shrewdly. Only the other day a member of many years'standing spoke of this habit of the Club's, and of an experience of hisown in his younger days, when a certain rash statement was met by afusillade of questions and remarks that was disconcerting, to say the least.He never forgot it, he said, and had ever since been more careful ofhis ground when addressing the Club. This wholesome custom of friendlycatechization is not infrequently spoken of as one of the Club's realservices to its members.For many years, by the courtesy of its president, Mr. William Brewster,the meetings of the club have been held in his private museum, where,amid surroundings which are ideal for ornithologists and where smoking isallowed— and encouraged— the members have come to feel very much athome. rhe accompanying flashlight picture, taken at a recent regularmeeting ami without previous announcement, shows a corner of the museum.As some of the most distinguished incmbers were not included, thepicture cannot be regarded as one of the Nuttall Club, but only as of arepresentative meeting ofit.In the examination which I have been permitted to make of the minutesof the Club, I have noted a few matters of rt-corJ which for one reason

clubable."i6Bird-Loreor another may be of interest to the readers of this article. One is recordedunder date of April i, 1876—the same evening, b^' the way, when youngHenry D. Minot, then a bov of sixteen, was elected a resident member."Mr. Brewster spoke of the nesting of /-*. \^=^Pyrgit^/'\ domestica [nowcalled Passer domesticus'\ in a box on his grounds. The nest at date wasapparently finished,but the eggs not laid."This was in the early days of the Sparrow invasion ! Twoyearslater, January 28, 1878, a memorable discussion of the "so-called EnglishSparrow question" was held, in which Messrs. J. A. Allen, Minot, Roosevelt,Ruthven Deane, Brewster, Frazar, and others took part; the evidencewas decidedly against the bird, and no advocates appeared. TheMr. Roosevelt just mentioned was the same Theodore Roosevelt who isnow President of the United States. He had become a member of theClub in the preceding November, and the records show him to have takenan active part in its meetings for some time. Other active members in theearly days were Messrs. Allen, Brewster, Deane, and Purdie.There are no special requisites for membership in the Nuttall Clubbeyond a good moral character, a genuine interest in the study of birds, areputation for accuracy, and those qualities of mind and heart which make'a man It is natural that many of the new members should berecruited from that other Cambridge institution. Harvard College, and thefreshman age forms practically the lower age limit for admission. Thereis no limit at the other end of the scale on this side of senility, but naturallymost of the new members are young men of limited experience inornithological work. On the other hand a number of the older membershave achieved distinction in the scientific world, and thus it comes aboutthat there are really two elements in the Club, though of course no hardand fast line can be drawn between them, and nothing but the best offeeling exists. The very best results come to the individual membersfrom this association of youth and enthusiasm on the one hand and age andexperience on the other, but it is easy to see that but little organized workcan be accomplished.Just how far, therefore, the Nuttall Ornithological Club can be takenas a safe and profitable guide in the formation and management of newbird clubs, it is rather difficult to say. It is obvious that the needs ofmost such new bodies must be very dififerent from those of an old clubcomposed of men of all ages and of every grade of attainment inscientific study, numbering among its Resident Members seven Fellows,one Corresponding Fellow, six Members, and many Associates of theAmerican Ornithologists' Union, and occupying a territory which hasbeen more closely examined ornithologically than any other in thiscountry. The beginnings of the Nuttall Club, too, were at a very dififerentperiod of ornithological history from the present. The earlier meet-

Bird Clubs in America 17ings occupied themselves largely with the more technical branches of thestudy. Most new clubs, I take it, will devote themselves more toobservation than to the examination of skins and will be especiallyinterested in the brand-new art of bird-photography. They will wish,too, to systematize their work much more than has been possible for theNuttall Club in recent years, and in this way they can accomplish muchnot only for their members but for the science which they are cultivating.(^ne of the first things a new club in a comparatively unworked regionshould do is to map out the fauna of its locality, and to compile migrationdata. This sort of thing can be done to much better advantage by cooperativework, of course, than by unorganized individual effort. Thenthere are countless other branches of study that may be taken up inths same systematic manner. Members should be encouraged, however,in investigation on independent lines, and some time should be madeat each meeting for general notes of interest from observations in thefield. Ornithological science has nearly as many branches as there areindividual tastes and temperaments, and it is easy to conceive of aclub of almost any size, each member of which should have his ownparticular specialty, while interested too in what every other memberis doing— making it his ambition to know something of everything inornithology, and everything of something. Perhaps such an organizationwould, after all, be the ideal bird club.AWINTER VISITORPine nroshcak. phmoeraphrd fmni life, by Martha W. Brnoks, at ritrtsham. Mjjti.. March 17. i

WlJfor Ccact)cr0 and ^tudent^'Bird-Lore's' Advisory Council1\H some slight alterations and additions we reprint below thenames and addresses of the ornithologists forming BiRD-LoRE's'Advisory Council,' which were first published in BiRD-LoREfor February, 1900.To those of our readers who are not familiar with objects of theCouncil, we may state that it was formed for the purpose of placingstudents in direct communication with an authority on the bird -life ofthe region in which they live, to whom they might appeal for informationand advice in the many difficulties which beset the isolated worker.The success of the plan during the two years which it has been inoperation fully equals our expectations, and from both students andmembers of the Council we have had very gratifying assurances of thehappy results attending our efforts to bring the specialist in touch withthose who appreciate the opportunity to avail themselves of his widerexperience.It is requested that all letters of inquiry sent to members of the Councilbe accompanied by a stamped and addressed envelope for use in replying.NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COUNCILUiNITEDSTATES AND TERRITORIESAlaska. — Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.Arizona, Northern.— Dr. E. A. Mearns, Fort Adams, Newport, R. I.Arizona, Southern.— Herbert Brown, Yuma, Ariz.California.—Charles A. Keeler, Calif. Acad. Sciences, San Francisco, Calif.Colorado. — Prof. W. W. Cooke, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.Connecticut. —J. H. Sage, Portland, Conn.Delaware.—Witmer Stone, Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.District OF Columbia.— Dr. C. W. Richmond, U. S. Nat'l Mus., Washington, D. C.Florida.—Frank M. Chapman, American Museum National History, New York City.Florida, Western.— R. W. Williams, Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.Georgia. — Dr. Eugene Murphy, Augusta, Ga.Idaho. — Dr. J. C. Merrill, Army Medical Museum, Washington, D. C.Illinois, Northern.— B. T. Gault, Glen Ellyn, 111.Illinois, Southern.—Robert Ridgvvay, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.Indiana.—A. W. Butler, State House, Indianapolis, Ind.Indian Territory.— Prof. W. W. Cooke, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington,D. C.Iowa.—Paul Bartsch, U. S. National Museum, Wasiiington. D. C.Kansas.— Prof. D. E. Lantz, Chapman, Kan.Louisiana.— Prof. George E. Beyer, Tulane University, New Orleans, La.(18)

Washington,'Bird- Lore's ' Advisory Council 19Maim:.— O.W. Knight, Bangor, Me.Maryland. F. C. Kirkwood, Box 364, Baltimore, Md.Massachusetts —William Brewster, Cambridge, Mass.Michigan. — Prof. \V. B. Barrows, Agricultural College, Mich.Minnesota.— Dr. T. S. Roberts, 1603 Fourth avenue south, Minneapolis, Minn.Missouri.—O. VVidmann, Old Orchard, Mo.Montana.— Prof. J.M. EIrod, University of Montana, Missoula, Mont.Nebraska. — Prof. E. H. Barbour, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.Nevada. — Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.New Hampshire. — Prof. C. M. Weed, State Agricultural College, Durham, N. H.New Jersey, Northern. — Frank M. Chapman, Am. Mus. Nat. History, New York City.New Jersey, Southern.— Witmer Stone, Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.New Mexico. — Dr. A K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr , D. C.New York, Eastern. — Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washingon,D. C.New York, Northern.— Egbert Bagg, 191 Genesee street, Utica, N. Y.New York, Western.— E. H. Eaton, Canandaigua, N. Y.New York, Long Island. — William Dutcher, 52^ Manhattan ave., New York City.North Carolina. — Prof. T. G. Pearson, Greensboro, N. C.Ohio.— Prof. Lynds Jones, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.Oklahoma. — Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.Oregon.— Dr. A. K. Fisher, Biological Survey, Dept. of Agr., Washington, D. C.Pennsylvania, Eastern. —Witmer Stone, Acad. Nat. Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa.Pennsylvania, Western. —W. Clyde Todd, Carnegie Musei-m, Pittsburg, Pa.Rhode Island. —J. M. Southwick, Museum Natural History, Roger Williams Park,Providence, R. LSouth Carolina.—Dr.Eugene Murphy, Augusta, Ga.Texas, Northern. — J. J. Carroll, Waco, Tex.Texas, Southeastern.—H P. Attwater, Houston, Tex.Texas, Western.— Dr. E. A. Mearns, Fort Adams, Newport, R. I.Utah. — Prof. Marcus E. Jones, Salt Lake City, Utah.Vermont.— Dr. F. H. Knowlton, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.Virginia.—Dr. W. C. Rives, 1723 I street, Washington, D. C.Washington.— Samuel F. Rathbun, Seattle, Wash.West Virginia.— Dr. W. C. Rives, 1723 I street, Washington, D. C.Wisconsin.— H. Nehrling, Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wis.Wyoming.— Dr. Mortimer Jesurun, Douglas, Wyo.CANADABritish Columbia. — John Fannin, Provincial Museum, V'ictoria, B. C.Manitoba.— Ernest Thompson Seton, 80 W. 40th street, New York City.New Brunswick. — VIontague Chamberlain, Boston, Mass.Nova Scotia.— Harry Pi^rs,'Stanyan,' Northwest Arm, Halifax, N. S.Ontario, Eastern. — James H. Fleming, 267 Rusholme Road, Toronto, Out.Ontario, Western -T. Mcllwraith, Hamilton, Ont.Quebec.— E. D. NN'intle, 189 St. Janus street, Mi)iitieal, Can.MI-.XICOI"- W. Nelson, Biological Survey, De|iartmenl of .Agricultiire, Washington, D. iWES I"C. B. Corv, i(>o Bovlston street, Boston, Mass.INI")IES

How to Name the BirdsSTUDIES OF THE FAMILIES OF PASSERESBY FRANK M. CHAPMANSECONDPAPERFamily 4. Starlings. Siiirn'ulie. i species.Range.— This family contains some species distributed throughout theeastern hemisphere, including New Zealand and most of the islands ofthe Pacific, except Australia. It is represented in America only by theStarling, which has been recorded as accidental in Greenland, and is nownaturalized and common in the region about New York city, where itwas introduced by Mr. Eugene Schieffelin (who also is responsible for theintroduction of English Sparrows into New York city, in 1864.) in 1890and 1891. The first year named, 80 birds were released in Central Park;STARLING. Family Sturnida:One-third natural si/.cin 1891, 40 birds were given their freedom in the same locality. The speciesis now common in the upper parts of New York city, and has becomeestablished from Staten Island and Bayonne, N. J., on the south toSing Sing on the north, and the west end of Long Island and Norwalk,Conn., on the east. It has been observed at New Haven, Conn., andEnglewood, N. J., and is evidently rapidly increasing in numbers andadding to its range.Season.—With us, the Starling is a permanent resident.Color. — The Starling, in common with manv members of its family, is

How to Name the Birds 21glossy black, the plumage being sprinkled with whitish clots, which arelarger and more numerous in winter.External Structure.—The Starling has a rather long, slender, flattenedbill, which, in summer, is yellow, with the outer primary about half aninch long, long pointed wings, a short square tail, and strong, stout feet.Appearance and Habits.—The Starling's long, pointed wings and shorttail give it, in the air, the appearance of a flying spear- head. The wingsmove rapidly, but before alighting it sails for some distance. On theHORNED LARK.Family Alaudid.i-Ono-third natural sizeground, its habit of walking and short tail readily identify it. In the fallStarlings gather in flocks, which, near New York city, sometimes containover 100 individuals.Song. —When in flocks Starlings utter a singular cackling, metallicchorus. They have also a long-drawn, clear, high, two-noted whistle,the second note being slightly lower than tlie first.FAMii.-i 2. Larks. .UaiuiiJtr. i species, i subspecies.Range.— V\w Larks, numbering about lOO species, are, with the exceptionof the Horned Larks (genus Otocorys), confined to tlie Old World.The Horned Larks are represented in the Old World by three or morespecies, and in this country by one species and some twelve races, orsubspecies, two of which, the true Horned Lark ami its small race, tliePrairie Horned Lark, are found east of the Mississippi. The formerbreeds in Labrador ami the Hudson Hay region, and ranges southwanl mwinter to V^irginia and Illinois; the latter breeds in the upper Mississippivallev from southern Illinois northward and eastwanl through western

22 Bird - LorePenns>lvania, central and nortliern New York, and Ontario, to westernMassachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, and appears to be yearlyextending its range eastward. In winter it ranges southward to SouthCarolina and Texas.Season.—The Horned Lark is found in the middle-eastern states as awinter visitant between October and May. The Prairie Horned Lark isresident throughout the larger part of its breeding range, but wanderssouthward between October and April.Color. — Larks are almost invariably colored dull brownish, gray, orsandy above and, with few exceptions, are whitish streaked or blotchedwithblack below.Size. —The average size of Larks is from 7 to 8 inches, few speciesbeing much smaller than these dimensions.External Structure.—An unusually long hind toe-nail is the commoncharacteristic of almost all Larks; the back of the tarsus is rounded;the outer primary is usually short or rudimentary, the bill, in our species,is rounded and rather slender, and in the genus Otocorys a pair of feathertuftsor "horns" appears on the sides of the head.Appearance and Habits. — Larks are terrestrial and consequently arewalkers, not hoppers. They inhabit open tracts of country, where, afterthe nesting season, they usually are found in flocks. The Horned Larkshave the outer tail feathers marked w^ith white, which shows when thebird takes flight— an excellent field-mark, which, however, is also possessedby the Vesper Sparrow.Song.— Great variability is exhibited in the songs of Larks, the SkyLark having vocal powers which have made it famous, while some speciesare comparatively unmusical. As a rule, however, they all agree in singingon the wing, as is customary among terrestrial species which do notmount to a perch when uttering their song.Family 3. Crows and Jays. CorviJtP. 6 species, 3 subspecies.Range.—The nearly 200 Crows and Jays known to science are foundin all parts of the world except New Zealand. They are more commonin the northern than in the southern hemisphere, and in America noCrows, and comparatively few Jays, are found south of the Isthmus ofPanama.Season. — Changing the nature of their food as circumstances require.Crows and Jays are usually resident wherever found. Our Crows andBlue Jays, however, migrate and are less common, or wanting, at thenorthern limit of their range in winter than in summer.Color.—Crows and their near allies are, as a rule, entirely or largelyblack; Jays are usually more or less brightly colored, blue being variedwith black and white, being a common type of coloration. In bothgroups the sexes are essentially alike in color.

How to Name the Birds 23External Structure. — Crows and Jays, with few exceptions, have astout, rather long blunt bill, the nostrils are covered by projecting stiff,hair-like feathers; the feet are strong, the scales on the tarsi beingclearly marked. The outer tail-feathers are usually the shortest, thisbeing especially true of the Jays.Appearance and Habits. — Our species are too well known to requireAMERICAN CROWOiu'-third iialur.il si/.cdescription. It is to be noted, however, that Crows are more terrestrialthan Jays and arc icalkers, the latter being arboreal, and, consequently,hoppers. Crows, in the winter, gather in great flocks and frequent acommon roost, while Jays at this season are usually fount! in small companies.Both our Crows and Hlue Jay migrate by day.

24 Bird - LoreSong.— While neither our Crows nor Jays may be said to sing, in thecommonly accepted sense of the word, both have marked vocal abilityand an extended vocabulary of call -notes which evidently are possessedof a definite significance."^^^^BB^tWhat Bird is This ?Field Description.— Length, 5.00 in. Crown black, with a pale central stripe; back rufous-brown, thefeathers with small black streaks and ashy margins; bend of the wing pale yellow; under parts white, moreor less washed with buff, breast and sides streaked with black; tail feathers narrow and pointed.Note. — Each number of Bird-Lore will contain a photograph, from specimens inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some comparatively little-known bird, orbird in obscure plumage, the name of which will be withheld until the succeedingnumber of the magazine, it being believed that this method of arousing the student'scuriosity will result in impressing the bird's characters on iiis mind far«more stronglythan if its name were given with the picture.The species figured in December is the Swamp Sparrow in winter plimiage.The Christmas Bird CensusThe unpleasant weather so prevalent on Christmas day doubtless prevented manyobservers from taking the field, and explains the number of notes made on December 26.Compared with the results of the census made last year the present record also shows amarked absence of such northern birds as Pine Grosbeaks, Crossbills, and Redpolls.Northern Shrikes are apparently less common this year, and several species, notably theRobin, appear to be wintering further north than usual.

The Christmas Bird Census 25BOSTON, MASS. (ARNOLD ARBORETUM)December 23, 9.15 to 3.15. Cloudy; wind, southwest, light; temp., 34^^ to 38°.Bob White, 33; Sharp-shinned Hawk, i; Downy Woodpecker, i; Flicker, 3; BlueJay, 19; Crow, 15; Goldfinch, 2; White-throated Sparrow, 2; Tree Sparrow, 14;Jiinco, 17; Song Sparrow, 8; Northern Shrike, i; Myrtle Warbler, 2; Brown Creeper,3; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5; Chickadee, 4. Total, 16 species, 130 individuals. (OnDecember 9, a female Red-winged Blackbird was seen upon the snow among tall grassesbordering a water-coutse feeding upon the seeds.) — Hor.ace W. Wright.CAMBRIDGE. ARLINGTON, AND BELMONT, MASS.December 26, 8.45 to 4.45. Clear; wind, westerly, very light; temp., 35°.Herring Gull, 450 (Fresh Pond, Cambridge, 300; still coming in at 9.30 .a. m.)Ruffed Grouse, i; Marsh Hawk, i; small Hawk (probably Sparrow Hawk), i; DownyWoodpecker, i; Flicker, 6; Blue Jay, 4-5; Crow, 18-20; Purple Finch, i; Goldfinch,3-4; Tree Sparrow, 20-25; Junco, 19; Song Sparrow, 10-12; Winter Wren, i; BrownCreeper, 3; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Chickadee, 20; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 13.Total, 17 species, 563 individuals.On December 17 one of us saw a Hermit Thrush in the Harvard Botanical Gardens,Cambridge, and on December 18, 4 Red-winged Blackbirds, 14 Meadowlarks, and iRusty Blackbird in the marshes around Fresh Pond, Cambridge.— Howard M. Turnerand Richard T. Eustis.;FRESH POND MARSHES, WREN ORCHARD, BELMONT SPRINGS, ANDARLINGTON HEIGHTS, MASS.December 26, 8.15 to 3.45.Black-back Gull, i; Herring Gull, 150; Downy Woodpecker. 2; Flicker, 6; BlueJay, 5; Crow, 19; Cowbird, or Red-winged Blackbird, 2; Purple Finch, 2; Goldfinch,74; Tree Sparrow, 58; Junco, 47; Song Sparrow, 17; Swamp Sparrow, 2; LongbilledMarsh Wren, i; Brown Creeper, 3; Clii(,^kadee, 12; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 6;Robin, 32. Total, 19 species, 441 indivitluals.— Arthur C. Comev.WORCESTER. MASS.Timt;, 10 A M. to 3 1'. M. Cloudy, drizzling rain part the time; wind, almost none,northeast; temp., 34°.Ruffed Cirouse. 3; Blue Jay, 15; Crow, 6; Goldfinch, i; Tree Sparrow, about 50;Junco, about 25; Brown Creeper, 2; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 3; t'hickadee, 17; CJoldencrownedKinglet, 5. lOtal. 10 species, about 127 individuals. — W. P. Parker.PR()\ IDI.NCE.RHODE ISLAND42°-December 26. 11 A. M. to 2 I'. M. Clear, later overcast; winil. west, light; temp..Flicker, 1; Crow, 1; Blue Jay, 4; (Joldfinch, 3; Free Sparrow, 201040; Junco, 12to 20; Song Sparrow, i; Chickadee, 4; Bluebird, 4 (one singing); Swamp Sparrow. 5;Ce lariiird. 1. Total. 11 species, about S4 indi\ iihials.— Anna E. Cobb.

——26 Bird- LoreGLOCESTER TOWNSHIP, PROVIDENCE CO., R. I.Time, 7.30 A. m. to 11 A. m. Thick, cloiulv, with sprinkle of rain al>i)ut 10.45;wind, southwest, light; temp., 33°.Ruffed Grouse, i; Hairy Woodpecker, 5; Blue Jay, 10; Crow, 5; Goldfinch, 4;Tree Sparrow, 12; Jiinco, 4; Myrtle Warbler, i; Brown Creeper, i; White-breastedNuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 10; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 3. Total, 12 species, 58individuals. (December 26, saw 4 Robins.)— J. Irving Hill.EDCiEWOOD PARK, NEW HAVEN, CONN.December 24, 2.35 P. M. to 4.45 P. M. Clear; light wind, west; temp., 43°.Flicker, i; Blue Jay, i; Tree Sparrow, 2; Song Sparrow, 8; Junco, 2; BrownCreeper, i; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 7; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2;Robin, 3. Total, 10 species, 29 individuals.—A. A. Saunders.BRISTOL, CONN.Time, 8.20 A. M. to i p. M. Dark, cloudy weather, light shower at 10 o'clock;wind, southwest, very light; temp., 33°.Downy Woodpecker, i; Blue Jay, 5; Crow, 4; Goldfinch (flock), 50; Tree Sparrow,12; Junco, 8; Song Sparrow, 3; Brown Creeper, i; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2;Chickadee, 8; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 8. Total, 11 species, 102 individuals. RovalM. Ford, Fuller Barnes and Frank Bruen.AUBURN TO OWASCO LAKE, N. Y.Time, 10 a. M. to 3 p. M. Sky obscured by heavy clouds, snow falling greater partof day and during preceding night, heavy mantle of snow covering ground and trees;wind, moderate northeasterly; temp., 32°.Horned Grebe, 3; Loon, 13; Herring Gull, ic; American Golden-eye Duck, 157;White-winged Scoter, 3; American Sparrow Hawk, i; Screech Owl, i; Downy Woodpecker,3; American Crow, 2c; Tree Sparrow, 5; Song Sparrow, i; White-breastedNuthatch, 3; Chickadee, 3. Total, 13 species, 223 individuals. Frederick J. Stupp*.VILLAGE OF CANANDAIGUA AND ALONG THE "OUTLET" TO CAN-ANDAIGUA LAKETime, 11.30 to 2 o'clock. Also a moonlight excursion to the Crow-roost three milesnorth of town. Time, 5.40 to 7.20 P. M. Clear in the evening and freezing slightly,during the day misty, a damp snow clinging to the trees, part of the time a palny snowfalling; temp., 35°.Herring Gull, 7; Black Duck, 15; Mallard, 2; American Golden-eye, 11; BobWhite (tracks^, 3; Red-tailed Hawk, i; Rough-legged Hawk, i; Sparrow Hawk, i;Short-eared Owl, i; Screech Owl, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, i; Downy Woodpecker, 3;Red-headed Woodpecker, i; American Crow, at least 3,000; Meadowlark, 1; Snowflake,20; Tree Sparrow, 95; Song Sparrow, 2; Northern Shrike, i; Brown Creeper, i; WhitebreastedNuthatch, 4; Chickadee, 5; Ring-ntcked Pheasant, 11. Total, 23 species,3,189 individuals.—Elon Howard Eaton.RHINEBECK, N. Y.Time, 9.30 a. m. to 5 p. m.; cloudy, no wind.Red-tailed Hawk, i; Crow, 20; Blue Jay, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, i; Downy Wood-

—The Christmas Bird Census 27pecker, 3; Flicker, i ; SongSparrow, 6; Junco, 25; Goldfinch, 2; White -breasted Nuthatch,3; Chickadee, 10; Bluebird, i. Total, 12 species, about 75 individuals.On December 27 I also saw here i Red-Shouldered Hawk, 11 Meadowlarks, 30 TreeSparrows, 3 Golden-Crowned Kinglets and i Robin.—M. S. Crosby.SETAUKET, LONG ISLANDTime, 9.45 a. m. to 12.10 p. M. Cloudy and threatening, witli sprinkle of rain;wind, southwest, fresh; temp., 43°.Red-shouldered Hawk, i; Flicker, i; Horned Lark, 10; Meadowlark, 12; Goldfinch,20; Chickadee, i; Robin, 16. Total, 7 species, 61 individuals (Shore-birds notincluded).— S. B. Stokv.HUNTINGTON, LONG ISLANDDecember 26, 10.30 a. m. to 12.30 P. M. Wind, southwest, light; temp., 36°.Downy Woodpecker, 3; Flicker, 2; Blue Jay, 4; American Crow, 21; AmericanGoldfinch, 5; Junco, 17; Song Sparrow, i; Myrtle Warbler, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch,i; Chickadee, 5; Robin, 2. Total, 11 species, 62 individuals. Charlotte E.Lee.NEW ROCHELLE, N. Y.Time, 8.30 A. M. to 11.45 *. M. Cloudy; wind, very light easterly breezes andslight showers; temp., 41°.Downy Woodpecker, i; Red-headed Woodpecker, i; American Crow, 26; PurpleGrackle, 6; Song Sparrow, 3; American Goldfinch, 10; Junco, 16; Tree Sparrow, 19;White-throated Sparrow, 3; Brown Creeper, i; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee,10; Bluebird, 5; Total, 13 species, 105 individuals. — Edward Kemble.NEW ROCHELLE, N. Y.rime, 9.30 A. M. to 11.30 A. .\i. Cloudy ; wind, south, light; temp., 40°.Downy Woodpecker, i ;Red-headed Woodpecker, i; Crow, 6; Starling, 3 ; Goldfinch,3; White-throated Sparrow, 7; Tree Sparrow, i; Junco, 20; Song Sparrow, 4;Swamp Sparrow, 2; Fox Sparrow, 2; Brown Creeper, 2; Bluebird, 15. Total, 14species, 69 indi\iduals. — Pkrr^' Enigh.CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CITYTime, 9.30 a. m. to 11.30 a. m. Cloudy, damp, and at times slightly rainy; wind,southeast to southwest, moderate; temp., 38°.American Herring Gull, about 1,000; Starling, 20; White-throated Sparrow, about100; Song Sparrow, 3; Golden-crowned Kinglet, about 3. Total, 5 species, about1,126 individuals. Three Bluebirds were seen on December 15, and Cardinals, Robins,Downy Woodpeckers and Brown Creepers are frequently seen.— Chari.es H. Rogers.CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CTT^'TitTie, 10.45 ^- ^'- '" ' '• ^'- I-'K'" '^''i niost of the time; wiml, southerly, light;temp., 43"..American Herring CjuII (estimated), 550; Downy Woodpecker, i; Starling, 48(one Hock, singing); White-tlironted Sparrow, at least 75; Song Sparrow. 4; FoxSparrow, 3; Cardinal, 2; lirown C ri-epi-r, 1; Robin, r. Total, 10 species, about 685individuals.— Ci.intov C}. Ahuoi r.

——28 Bird -LoreCENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CITYTime, 8.45 a. m. to 10.15 p. m. Cloudy; wind, brisii, southeast; temp., 44°.Herring Gull, 1,000; Starling, 51; White-throated Sparrow, 20; Song Sparrow, 5.Total, 4 species, about 1,076 indix iduais.— George E. Hix.PRINCETON, N. J.Time, 11 A. M. to 12.47 P. M. C'loudy, sliglit iiaze and almost no wind; slightrain at noon; temp., 39°.Flicker, i; Crow, about 400; Junco, 6; Song Sparrow, i; Cardinal, i; NorthernShrike, i; Tutted Titmouse, i; Golden-crested Kinglet, 5; Robin, i. Total, 9 species,about 417 individuals. — Jack Fine and Randolph West.LAKEWOOD, N. J.Time, II a. m. to i P. M. Clear; wind, southeast, ligiit; temp., 48°.Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 3; Crow, 5; Blue Jay, 5; Goldfinch(singing), 9; Junco, 42; Song Sparrow, i; White-throated Sparrow, 2; Brown Creeper,i; White-breasted Nuthatch, 7; Chickadee, 10; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 8; Robin, i;Bluebird (singing), 14. Total, 14 species, no individuals.December 9, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was seen. Mrs. C. J. Hunt.MOORESTOWN, N. J.Time, 7.40 a. m. to 5.50 p. m. Cloudiness, 50 per cent, at 12 M. sky uniformgray; at 2.45 P. M., showers; wind, light southwesterly; temp., 374°.Red-tailed Hawk, 2; Red-shouldered Hawk, 2; Sparrow Hawk, 3; Downy Woodpecker,10; Flicker, 3; Horned Lark, 35; Blue Jay, 8; Crow, many hundred; Meadowlark,30; Purple Grackle, 8; Purple Finch, 7; Goldfinch, 40; White-throated Sparrow(sings), 40; Tree Sparrow, 63; Junco, 81; Song Sparrow (four in song), 48; CardinaL11; Winter Wren, 7; Brown Creeper, 4; Tufted Titmouse, i; Chickadee, 9; GoldencrownedKinglet, 10; Robin, i; Bluebird, 5. Total, 24 species, 42S individuals (excludingCrows).—Wm. B. Evans.DELAWARE RIVER MEADOWS, BRIDESBURG, PHILADELPHIA, PA.Time, 8 a. m. to 9.30 a. m. Clear; wind, southwest, light; temp., 39°.American Herring Gull, 3; Marsh Hawk, 3; Sparrow Hawk, i; Crow, about 400;Field Sparrow, 3; Song Sparrow, 40. Total, 6 species, about 450 individuals.On December 14, a Hock of about 30 Snowflakes was seen, and on December 233 Red-winged Blackbirds were seen. Richard F. Miller.FRANKFORD, PHILADELPHIA, PA.Time, 12 m. to 4 p. M. Cloudy; wind, southwest, light; temp., 48°.Red-shouldered Hawk, i; Screech Owl, i ; Crow, 3; Goldfinch, 20; White-throatedSparrow, 5 ; Junco, about 200; Song Sparrow, 6; Cardinal, i ; Ciiickadee, heard. Total,9 species, about 218 individuals. —Richard F. Miller.germantown, pa.Time, 11. 15 A. .\i. to 12.45 ^- ^'- Cloudy, damp; wind, none; temp., 40°.Red-tailed Hawk, i; Downy Woodpecker, i; Flicker, 2; Crow, 5; Goldfinch, 16

Cardinal,(one singing) ;The Christmas Bird Census 292; Jiinco, 35; White-throated Sparrow, 20 (one singing) ;SongSparrow, 18; Carolina Wren, i (singing); Golden-crowneJ Kinglet, 2. Total, 11 species,103 individuals.December 15, 2 Robins were seen.— Caroline B. Thompson and Hild.'X Justice.NEAR COATESVILLE, PA., TO THREE .MILESCHESTER, PA.SOUTHWEST OF WESTTime, 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. Partly cloudy to cloudy, light rain during part of afternoon;wind, none or light west or southwest; temp., 32°.Red-tailed Hawk, 3; Sparrow Hawk, 3; Kingfisher, i; Downy Woodpecker, i;Hairy Woodpecker, i; Flicker, 2 ;Phoebe*, i; Horned Lark, 48; Crow, 75; Blue Jay,i; Meadowlark, 35; Rusty Grackle*, i; Goldfinch, i; Tree Sparrow, 30; Song Spar,row, 40; Junco, 150; Cardinal, 2; Brown Creeper, 3; Winter Wren, i; White-breastedNuthatch, 4; Chickadee, i; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5. Total, 22 species, about 414individuals.— John D. Carter.CHELTENHAM, MD.Time, 8.45 A. M. to 10 A. M. Overcast; temp., 43°.Turkey Vulture Buzzard, i; Sparrow Hawk, i; Downy Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 4;Crow, 3; Meadowlark, i ; Purple Grackle, 300 or 400 (this large flock was too far awayto be seen distinctly; I had to rely upon the sound); Goldfinch, 40; White-throatedSparrow, 2; Tree Sparrow, 40; Field Sparrow, 6; Junco, 20; Song Sparrow, 15; Cardinal,i; Tufted Titmouse, 10; Carolina Chickadee, 2; Golden-crowned Kinglet, i; Bluebird,2. Total, 18 species, about 500 individuals. —W. G. Cady.WASHINGTON, D. C, NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK AND VICINITYTime, 12 M. to 2.15 P. M. Damp, cloudy and threatening; drizzling at times; wind,southwest, light; temp., 40° to 50°.Turkey Vulture, 3; Flicker, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 6; American Crow, 40;Cardinal, 10; Song Sparrow, 15; Junco, 30; White-throated Sparrow, 35; Goldfinch,8; American Crossbill, 7; Winter Wren, 12; Carolina Wren, 10; Brown Creeper, 12;Carolina Chickadee, 15; Tufted Titmouse, 20; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 8; WhitebreastedNuthatch, 10; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 40. Total, 18 species, 294 individuals.— Henry Warner Maynard.CADIZ, OHIOTime, 2 to 4 p. M. ('loudy; wind, light, southwest; temp., 38°.Bob White, 50; Red-tailed Hawk, i; Downy Woodpecker, 7; Cardinal, 3; SongSparrow, 11; Tree Sparrow, 40; White-breasted Nuthatch, 8 ;^Chickadee, 2; TuftedTitmouse, i; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 3; Carolina Wren, 3. Total, 11 species, 129individuals.— Harry B. McConnf.i.i..(]ARRETrS\ILLE, PORTAC^E COUNTY, OHIOTime, 2 104 p. .m. C'loudy; wind, west, ligiit ; temp., 36'.Ruffed Cirouse, 6; Sparrow Hawk, i; Downy Woodpecker, 4; Red-bellied Wood-* I look special pains to be absolutely sure of the Pha-be and Rusty Blackbird. They were both seen at closerani;e Ihrouiih i;ood field glasses, and also fulfilled all the conditions in respect to voice.

——30 Bird -Lorepecker, i; Flicker, i; Blue Jay, 2; I'ree Sparrow, 50; White -breasted Nuthatch, 8;Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chickadee, 10. Total, 10 species, 85 individuals.— RoscoEJ Webb and J.H. Tinan.RUSSELLVILLE, PUTNAM COUNTY, IND.Time, 9 to 12 A. m. and 3 to 5 p. m. Cloudy; wind, southwest, light; temp., 37°.Bob White, 10; Mourning Dove, 10; Red-tailed Hawk, 3; Downy Woodpecker,6; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, i; Blue Jay, i; Crow, 15; Tree Sparrow, 15;Junco, 25; Song Sparrow, i; Cardinal, 5; Carolina Wren, i; White-breasted Nuthatch,5; Tufted Titmouse, 3; Chickadee, i. Total, 16 species, 104 individuals.Philip Baker and Ralph Blatchlev.LA CROSSE, WIS.Cloudy, with moderate temperature, ranging from 26° to 30°, and light to freshsoutherly wind.Hairy Woodpecker, i; Bohemian Waxwing, 25; Brown Creeper, 5; White-breastedNuthatch, i; Chickadee, i. Total, 5 species, 33 individuals.—R. H. Dean.NORTH FREEDOM, WIS.Time, 8.38 to 12.40. Cloudy, but about 10 o'clock the clouds cleared away; wind,southwest; temp., 32°+ to 38°-!-.Bob White, 12; Ruffed Grouse, i; Hairy Woodpecker, 3; Downy Woodpecker, 5;Blue Jay, 12; Crow, 12; Pine Grosbeak, i; Redpoll, i; Tree Sparrow, 40; BrownCreeper, 2; White-breasted Nuthatch, 11; Chickadee, 15. Total, 12 species, 115 individuals.—Alick Wetmore and Art. Rudy.LA GRANGE, MO.Time, 9 to 11.30 A. .\i. and 2 to 4 p. M. Cloudy; wind, little or none: temp., 35°.Bob White, i; Red-shouldered Hawk. 2; Pigeon Hawk (?) i; Hairy Woodpecker,4; Downy Woodpecker, 13; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 6; Blue Jay, 10; Crow, 4;Purple Finch, 2; Goldfinch, 50; Tree Sparrow, 45; Junco, 35; Cardinals, 5; NorthernShrike, i; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Tufted Titmouse, 8; Chickadee, 35. Total,17 species, 225 individuals. Susan M. Johnson.BALDWIN. LA.Time, 9.30 a. m. Clear; wind, west; temp., 70°.Killdeer, i; Turkey Buzzard, 8; Cardinal Grosbeak, 2; Red- winged Blackbird,possibly 500; Grackle, about 125; Blue Jay, 12; Crow, 18; Red-headed Woodpecker, i;Mockingbird, 3; Wren, 2; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, i; Tuftetl Titmouse, about 12.Mrs. L. G. Baldwin.

NotesJPor ^oung d^b^erter^THE PRIZEESSAY CONTESTSThe prize offered for the best account of the habits of the Crow lias been awardedto Master Fred T. Morison, of Montclair, New Jersey, whose article appears below.Among: other articles on this subject sent in competition, those by the following aredeserving of especial mention: Maurice J. Clausen, Toronto, Ont. ; Stewart MackieEmery, Morristown, N. J.; Edmund W. Sinnott, Bridgewater, Mass., and Abe Tout,York, Nebraska.The editor's object in offering prizes is to encourage original observation, and, as inwriting a general account of the habits of a given species one is apt to draw more orless unconsciously on what has previously been written, it is proposed, in the future, tomake the essays more original by having them based wholly on personal observation.'The next subject, therefore, will be on the Birds of February and March.' Thearticle should be a summary, between 700 and 800 words long, of one's observationsduring these months, and should be sent to the editor in April. The prize offered for thearticle displaying the best powers of observation and description is any bird-book orbooks to the value of two dollars.The Prize Crow^ EssayONEBY FRED T. MORISON (aged 11).year ago last February I. was suddenly taken very sick, obligingme to leave school and spend many months in the country. Thetime was spent with relatives in northwestern Pennsylvania, but ashort distance from Lake Chautauqua, N. Y. I there found an e.xcellentchance to study birds, which I did, when able, until my vacation was over.I saw birds of many kinds, but once having had a tame Crow I tookgreat interest in the wild Crows, and now try to tell you about ihem.It did not take me long to find out that the Crows were wiser than thelittle boy who was studying them.The Crow when full grown is from 1 7 to 18 inches long by 37 to 38inches in extent. His plumage is a glossy black, with violet reflections.On one occasion I saw a Crow with some white on it in a flock. TheCrow belongs to the 'Guild of Ciround Gleaners,' a walker, three toesin front, one behind. His bill of fare is quite varied, consisting ofsnakes, frogs, insects and their larva% fruit, grains, and, if very hungry,carrion. In the spring he seems fonil of following the plow to get cutwormsand other grubs, and later of pulling corn, and still later, sometimesflocks of thousands will swoop down on grain -fields, when wheatand ('(ini arc in the shock, place one of tiieir number on guani to warnthem in case of danger, and, unless driven away, leave but little threshingnecessary. Hut if the sentinel sees a sign of danger it gives one(31)«

32 Bird -Lore"AV/," at which ail the Crows rise and fly to the woods. Although theCrows do considerable damage to the farmer in various ways, they dogreat good in destroying the enemies of his crops.The Crow is as great a thief as the Blucjay in stealing birds' eggs andyoung. Though it will ravage any small bird's nest it can get at, thenest of the Robin, Wood Thrush, Catbird and Dove are the ones mostoften attacked. A curious thing about its egg -sucking is that it canpierce the egg with its bill and carry it away to some secluded spot toeatit.In "Pennsylvania its harsh Ka, Ka, Ka-a-a may be heard nearly allmonths of the year, but in the early spring it makes an effort to sing,making a noise similar to young Crows that have just left the nest.After the warm days come in April, when nesting, in contrast to theirnoisy cawings earlier in the season, they are silent and but little seen inthe open fields from then until their young are hatched. They fly low^flitting like silent, black shadows among the bare-branched trees. I havewatched them carrying the sticks for their nests in their bills; some werevery heavy but they did not seem to mind the weight, so busy and happywere they at their work, as they wound around among the trees to misleadthe observer as to their nesting place. The beech trees are mostoften selected for nesting in,— those that are scraggy and crotched withplenty of limbs to hide the nest. Although the nest is usually placedforty to sixty feet above the ground, I have seen them not more thantwelve feet. The nest, a bulky structure, composed of about a peck ofsticks, twigs, leaves and bark, is lined with horse-hair. The walls areoften about five inches thick, one foot high and eight inches across.In this brush-heap the old mother Crow quietly sits from two to threeweeks on eggs that vary considerably in size and color. The eggs, threeto six in number, are about 1)2 inches in length by I '4. inches indiameter. In color they are light greenish spotted with brown, black andpurple.When very young the Crow is anything but pretty, being mostlymouth, legs, and stubby pin feathers, but it is not long before his feathersgrow out nice, black and shiny, and he learns to fly.After the nesting season is over the Crows spend the night in largenumbers in thick forests. Such a place is called a Crow roost. As eachCrow arrives he is greeted with loud Ka-ino^s.In the autumn the Crows flock together and fly about the fields,occasionally stopping in some tall trees seemingly to discuss some subject.At last they go to the forest, put a young Crow on guard, then have alively meeting. They all talk at once until they seem to decide uponsome plan, then move on, only to repeat it. In very cold weather theCrow goes southward, but soon returns to his old haunts.

iloofe jBtetos^ ant) H^eitelDgThe Birds of North and Middle America.A Descriptive Catalogue of theHigher Groups, Genera, Species andSubspecies of Birds Known to Occur inNorth America, from the Arctic Landsto the Isthmus of Panama, the WestIndies and other Islands of the CarriheanSea, and the Galapagos Archipelago.By Robert Ridgvvay. Part I. FamilyFringillidse — The Finches. Bull. U. S.Nat. Mus., No. 50, Washington: CtovernmentPrinting Office, 1901. 8vo.Pages xxxi + 715; plls. XX.This is the first in a series which, we aretold, will, when completed, contain eightvolumes, on the preparation of which Mr.Ridgway has been long engaged. Thework treats of the classification of birds ingeneral and presents keys to the families,genera, species and subspecies of the birdsinhabiting the region covered by the title.The present volume deals with the Finches,of which 227 species and 162 sulispecies areincluded.In this, his preliminary volume, Mr.Ridgway dwells at some length on the classificationof the higher groups of birds, discussescritically the views of Gadow, Fiirbringer,Stejneger and other authorities, andgives numerous references to the literature ofthe subject. The conclusion is reached thatthe Finches represent the most highly developedbirds, and in explanation of his selectionof this, rather than the lowest family assubjects for his first volume, it is explainedthat lack of storage space in the SmithsonianInstitution renders the lower forms of birdsuna\ailable for stuily.In his treatment of the Fringillids Mr.Ridgway has been wholly ungoverned byprecedent. Hesays: "In all cases it has beenthe author's desire to express exactly the factsas they appear to him in the light of theevidence examined, without any regard whateverto preconceived itieas, eitiier of his ownor of others." His results, therefore, differwidely from those of other students of thisfamily both in regard to grouping and inthe inclusion, highly desirable to our mind,of certain genera aiming tiu' rinclu-s whichhave formerly been placed among theTanagers.In regard to the recognition of species andsubspecies, Mr. Ridgway writes: "The onlyquestion that can possibly exist in the mindof those who have this matter to deal with isthe degree of difference which should be recognizedin nomenclature, and in this respectthere is more or less excuse for difference ofopinion, according to one's abilit}' to discerndifferences and estimate the degree of theirconstancy, the extent and character of materialstudies, and the amount of time whichhas been devoted to its investigation."Mr. Ridgway, as those who are familiarwith his work well know, has the "abilityto discern differences" developed in a highdegree.Years of training have so sharpenedunusually acute perceptive powers that instudying the material on wliich the \olumeunder consideration is based, doubtless notone race worthy of recognition by name hasescaped his attention. Whether they are allworthy of such recognition is,is Mr. Ridgvvaysays, a matter of opinion, but we shouldalways remember that a name becomes proportionatelyvalueless as it becomes uncertainof application.On the other hand, in compensation, itmay be said with ecpial truth that few ornone of the forms which Mr. Ridgway hasrejected are proiiablv deserving of nonienclaturalrank.In execution this work bears evidence ofskill and thoroughness in preparation whichrenders it above criticism. Mr. Ridgwaypossesses a positive genus for analysis anddescription which, developed by prolongedexperience, places him, in oui opinion, firstamong systematic ornithologists. The synoiumyis compiled witii rare exactness andan unusual discrimination in selection andannotation whicii make it not merely a matterof names but a guide to the distributionand biography of the species.Measurementsaie given with satisfactory exactness, theiniiric -vsieni being employed, anil the workwill iu' so indispensable to students of thein

'A:34 Bird- Lorebirds of Noitli and Middle America tliat wetrust the day is not distant when its authorwill complete his monumental undertaking.— F. M. C.Proceedings ok the Nebraska Ornithologists'Union at its Second AnnualMeeting, Omaha, Jan. 12, 1901. 8vo.Pages loi, plates x.The Nebraska Ornithologists' Unionnumbers 4 honorary, 63 active, and 36associate members. The officers are:President, I. S. Trostler; vice-president,Caroline Stringer; recording secretary, E.H. Barbour; corresponding secretary, R.H. Walcott, Lincoln, Nebr. ; treasurer,Lawrence Bruner. The organization containsa number of well-known ornithologists,whose diversified interests in the studyof birds resulted in the presentation of thefollowing unusually attractive list of papersat their second annual meeting:Presidents'Address — Ornithology in Nebraska, andState Ornithological Societies, L S. Trostler;Birds in Their Relation to Agriculture,Lawrence Bruner; Injurious Traitsof the Blue Jay, E. D. Howe; Ornithologyin the Schools, Wilson Tout; Birds asObjects of Study in the Grades, Chas. Fordyce;Nest of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird(Ills.), F. H. Shoemaker; YoungRose-breasted Grosbeaks (Ills.), ElizabethVan Sant; Breeding of the ProthonotaryWarbler, and Observations on Traill'sFlycatcher, M. A. Carriker, Jr.; BreedingHabits of Bells Vireo, Merritt Gary;Notes Regarding a Chimney Swift Treetills.), I. S. Trostler; Birds That Nestin Nebraska, Lawrence Bruner; A PeculiarDisease of Bird's Feet (Ills.), E. H.Barbour; Internal Parasites of NebraskaBirds, Henry B. Ward; Changes in theBird Fauna of the Prairies, L. Sessions;Birds of Northwestern Nebraska, J. M.Bates; Collecting Trip to Sioux County,J. C. Crawford, Jr. ; Collecting Trip inCherry County, J. S. Hunter: Birds FromWestern Nebraska, A. R. Graves; MigrationRecords and Nebraska Records, R. H.Wolcott; In Memoriam: Martin LutherEaton, R. H. Wolcott; MiscellaneousNotes.— F. M. C.Lives of the Hun tkd. Containing a J'rueAccount of the Doings of Five Quadrupedsand Three Birds. By ErnestSeton-Thovipson. Charles Scribner'sSons, 1901. Pages 360. Drawings 200.Price $1.75.Three of the seven stories contained inthis book relate to birds; they are entitledStreet Troubador; Being the Adventuresof a Cock Sparrow,' 'The MotherTeal and the Overland Route,' and 'Whythe Chickadee Goes Crazy Once a Year.'The last is inserted as an example of theauthor's early work and is "true only in itsunderlying facts;" the account of the BluewingedTeal and her brood is based on personalobservation; the history of the HouseSparrow is founded on known facts in thelife-history of the species. We should, however,question here the alleged change in thebird's nest-building instincts.So far as experimentand observation go a bird inheritsits ability to construct a certain kind of nest,and this instinct is not affected by its beingreared under artificial conditions.Mr. Seton's phenomenal success hasbrought him a host of imitators, few ofwhom were ever heard of before they enteredthe field as his emulators. Between him andthem, however, there exists a wide difference.Ernest Seton is a born naturalist. Withunusuallykeen powers of observation and abroadly human sympathy with animal life,he has the scientist's longing to know.Twenty-five years before he became knownto fame he was studying and recording theways of birds and beasts. Nearly twentyyears before the publication of Wild Ani-'mals I Have Known'he was contributing toscientific journals. His popularity, therefore,rests on no slight foundation, but it isthe natural result of the development of amarked literary ability which has made itpossible for him to express in words whathe sees and feels — F. M. C.Elementary Zoology. By Vernon Keli.oc;c;,Professor of Entomology, LeiandStanford Junior University. New York.Henry Holt &c Co. 1901. lamo. PagesXV -(-492 ; numerous illustrations.In the forty-six pages devoted to birds inthis book much of interest will be found inregard to niethods of stud\-, structure and

'Camera'ThenumbersBirdsBook News and Reviews 35general habits, together with a brief reviewof the Orders of Birds.Part III of the work, "Animal Ecology,"treats of animals in relation to their environmentand may be read with profit by allstudents of birds in nature.— F. M. C.Tfie Ornithological MagazinesThe Condor.— The closing number of'the third volume of The Condor ' is devotedchietiy to articles on geographic distribution.The most important paper isBarlow's ' List of ihe Land Birds of thePlacerville-Lake Tahoe Stage Road.'Thispaper, occupying thirty-four pages andillustrated by five plates and six figures,contains notes on 130 species of summer birdsof the central Sierra Nevada. It is based onobservations made during six different tripsand is supplemented by the field notes ofW. W. Price, who has visited the sameregion regularly for the past nine years.The list proper is prefaced by a descriptionof the country, an account of the life zones,and a brief review of recent work in theregion. It is a distinct contribution to theliterature of California ornithology, and onewhich makers of local lists might well takeas amodel.Notes of a different character but alwaysof interest are those recording the occurrenceof birds in new or unusual localities.Among the more important ' records ' inthis number are Thompson's notes on thePacific Kittiwake near Pass Robles, and theSnowy Owl in Santa Cruz county; Belding'scapture of the Saw-whet Owl at LakeTahoe; Swarth's record of the MagnoliaWarbler at Los Angeles; and Emerson'snotes on the Black and White Creeper inMonterey county, Calif., and the Redstartin the John Day valley, Oregon. (Irinnellseparates the Least V'ireo of southern C'aliforniaas a distinct subspecies [f'ireo piisillusalbatus) and brieHy reviews the distributionof the Cedar Waxwing on thePacificcoast. The latter bird he considers 'a migratoryspecies breeding in the IlumidTransition zone of British Columi)i:i.Washington and Oregon, wintering in tlu-Upper and Lower Sonoran zi^nes of Southernand Lower California.'The illustrations are more numerous thanusual, among them being two striking halftonesof Gulls on the wing reproduced fromCraft.' In this connection may bementioned the announcement that the plansfor the next volum.e contemplate improvedillustrations and a new cover. It should bea matter of satisfaction to the members ofthe Cooper Club and also to readers ofCondor ' to learn that the journal isnow self-sustaining and its permanenceassured. — T. S. P.The Osprey. — The three (August, September,and October ) of The''Ospreywhich have appeared since our lastnotice contain much of interest. Dr. Gill's'continued article on William Swainson and'His Times has reached the eleventh part,but that on the Fishhawks was concluded inthe September issue. William Palmer, in'Some Birds of Kissimmee Valley, Florida,'gives quite full and interesting annotationson many of the species, and in adoptingMaynard's name of purpurea reopens thequestion of the subspecific name of theGround Dove. The paper by F. Finn, ofthe Indian Museum, beginning in the Augustand ending in the October number,gives us a very clear idea of iiow extensivelybirds are used as pets in Calcutta.''Paul Bartsch concludes his article onCamping on Old Camp CJrounds;' M. S.Ray gives a paper on About LakeA Visit to OtterTahoe;' A. J. Prill, one, 'Rock, Pacific Ocean,' and John W. Daniels,Jr., two, on the "Prairie Warbler' and'Blue Grosbeak.'We have heard, semi-oHicially, that man\improvements will enter into the comingvolume. Besides having better paper andnew ten-point type, each number will containtwenty-four full line pages, and thereproduction of illustrations will be in chargeof an experienceil plate printer, so as to insurethe best possiiile results. It is uiulersti)(t(lthat the next volume will commence anew >eriis. We tail to sec the liesirability ofi>icaking up publications into scries, for itmakes (| not at ion more coni plica ted, referencehunting more tedious antl the care of iiuli-\ idual volumes more difticull, without offeringany cnrroponding advantages.—A. K. F.

36 Bird -LoreiSirti^iloreA Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL OKC.AN UF THK AIIDVBOV SOCIETIE?-Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. IV Published February 8. 1902 No. 1SUBSCRIPTION RATESPrice in the United States, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue. NewYork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,Macmillan and Company, Ltd., London.COPYRIGHTED. 1902, BY FRANK M. CHAPMANBird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in the Bush is IVorth Two in the Hand.For the first time in its history — andBird-Lore is now entering on its fourthyear — this magazine is not issued on theday set for publication. The Editor offershis apologies for the delay which was causedby circumstances beyond his control.On the opening page of the initialvolumeof his great work on American birds, reviewedin this number of Bird-Lore, Mr.Ridgway makes what, from a broad, biologicpoint of view, we believe to be anunfortunate distinction between what lieterms " syslematic or scientific and popularornithology." He savs: "There are twoessentially different kinds of ornithology:systematic or scientific, and popular. Theformer deals withthe structure and classificationof birds, their synonymies and technicaldescriptions. The latter treats oftheir habits, songs, nesting, and other factspertaining to their life-histories." This isequivalent to a statement that only systematicornithology is scientific ornithology,while most modern biologists would, wethink, agree tiiat the systematic stiuly of agroup of animals, its classification, is onlythe first step in its study, to be followed byan even more scientific investigation of theliving creature, in which the relation offimction to structure, the economy of habits.in short, the philosophy of physical andmental growth, are to be considered.The ornithologist who does not regard ascontributions to scientific ornithology certainof the researches of Darwin, Wallace, Romanesor Lloyd Morgan, for example, is farfrom appreciating the possibilities of hischosen subject. A bird is a marvelousiyeloquent exponent of the workings of naturallaws, and to claim that the study of the livingspecimen is not as scientific and importantas the study of the dead one, is to denythat it is not as scientific and important toascertain cause as to observe effect.In publishing a series of papers on theorganization and methods of work of localbird clubs in America the Editor has inmind, primarily, the encouragement of theformation elsewhere of similar societies,which will arouse and develop an interestin the study of local bird-life. The firstpaper in the series appears in this issue ofBird-Lore and, wholly aside from its historicalvalue, it contains, we think, manysuggestions worthy the attention of alliedorganizations, chief among them being Mr.Allen's description of the informality of theNuttall's Club meetings. We have observedthat the most enjoyable part of the meetingsof natural history societies is before and afterthe meeting. With the Nuttall Club it is allbefore and after, the evening being devotedto discussion unmarred by the chilling interpositionof forms and usages better befittingdebating societies than bird clubs.From many readers of Bird-Lore wehave received, during the past two months,very highly appreciated expressions of satisfactionwith the character of this magazineand, in reply, we can only repeat that thereis " absolutely no limit to our ambition toadd to Bird-Lore's value and attracti\eness."For the present, however, ambitionis restrained by the practical question ofspace, and space by the even more practical(juestion of circulation. The situation, wethink, can be improved if our readers wouldsend on a postal addressed to Bird-Lore,Box 655, Harrisburg, Pa., names and addressesofpersons they believe would desireto see a sample copv of liiRD-LoRE.

CtjeAudubon ^ociette0" y'ou cannot with a scalpel find the poet' s soul,I^or yet the wild bird^s song."Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesNew Hampshire Mrs. F. W. Batchelder, Manchester.VermontMrs. Fletcher K. Barrows, Brattleboro.MassachusettsMiss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Mrs. H. T. Grant, Jr., 187 Bowen street, Providence.ConnecticutMrs. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New YorkMiss Emma H. Lock wood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street. New York City.New Jersey Miss Jilia Scribner, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, N. J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delainore Place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitney. 715 St. Paul street. Baltimore.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 3033 P street, Washington.Virginia Mrs. Frederick E. Town, Glencarlyn.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legare street, Charleston.Florida Mrs. I. Vanderpool, Maitland.Missouri August Reese, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Eouis.OhioMrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.IndianaIllinoisW. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.Miss Mary Drummond, 20S West street, Wheaton.IowaMrs. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.Wisconsin Mrs. Reuben G. Thwaits, 260 Langdon street, Madison.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St. Paul.WyomingMrs. N. R. Davis. Cheyenne.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.CaliforniaMrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.A Midwinter MeditationWithin the past dozen years the positionof the song liirci in the community has undergonea radical change, from being a targetfor any and every gun, a prisoner for anyonewho would cage it, empaled on skewersfor pan and hat alike, its eggs the acknowledgedperquisite of every biped who choseto collect, it is today accorded a place as acitizen of the commonwealth and laws arebeing continually enacted that, if carriedout, wouiti afford all the protection possiblein a country whose material growth is continuallyabs()rl)ing open common, woodlaiuland river front.Witii the change of sentiment has come alike ciiange in the methods of bird-study.The work of the analytic ornithologist isjuMlv ropcctcd ;i> ot

!38 Bird- Lorebark-covered retreat, or sets up a vinedrapedtent from which to observe and photographbirds, sometimes using ingeniousdevices by which the perching bird literallytakes its own picture, is the only one whoseobservations of the living bird are of seriousvalue, the patient waiter who, having locateda nest, or even suspected its location, goesquietly, sits down and waits. Do youremember what that quaint individualitywho wrote under the name of " Nessmuck "said about waiting? "There is an art littleknown and practiced, that invariably succeedsin outflanking wild animals: an artsimple in conception and execution, but requiringpatience: a species, so to speak, ofhigh art in forestry — the art of sitting on alog." Now, many bird students do notcare to sit on logs and wait; their time islimited and they wish to produce certainresults with little trouble. Instead of goingto the nest, they remove nest, young birdsand all, to a place of visual or photographicvantage, trusting to the parental love tofollow and tend the young or to hover in anagony of fear until the nest is returned;anything, in short, so that they do notintentionally kill the birds; if they die fromexposure, long fasting, etc.,— well, it's apity, but — accidents will happen, youknow.A few years ago a writer in " Recreation "expressed a doubt about the general study ofthe living bird by the masses, saying (I cannotquote literally) that "if the birds couldspeak they would say, ' Love us and leaveus alone.'" At the time it seemed rathersweeping, but a few year's experience provesit true as far as the nesting season goes.Tne intimate study of the home-lite andhabits of wild birds should be done by theindividual the same as the study of its anatomy,and not attempted by the mob.The promiscuous field bird class shouldbe for the identification of the adult birdalone, not the ferreting out of nests. I onceinadvertently drove a pair of rare watblersfrom my own woods. Through thoughtlessnessI took two bird lovers to see the nest onthe same day, which bred distrust in theparent birds, though they were perfectKaccustomedto me, and they abandoned thenearly hatched eggs.What damage can bedone to a park or grove, as a breeding haunt,if a dozen or twenty people are "personallyconducted "to examine its various nests andliterally addle the unhatched eggs by misplacedenthusiasmIt is the solitary student capable of sittingon the log, who sees the things and makesthe discoveries. Among our women studentsMrs. Olive Thome Miller was, I think, thefirst to practice this theory. There is littleof value to be learned by what a recentnature story calls "A Cook's Tour in Birdland,"the leader of which goes to any lengthto show a given amount for given pay, irrespectiveof damage to the birds, or to obtaina marketable photograph at any cost,or an exhibition in a minor degree of thesame spirit of commercialism that deprivesbirds of their plumage to supplythe millinery market.In short, as the wild slowly but surely isbecoming subject to the civilized, extremeconservatism must prevail in all branches ofnature study if we expect to still have natureto study. Also, the economic effect is thesame whether a collector robs a nest, carelessobservers cause it to be abandoned, orthe young die from an overdose of photography.A story of the study of a living bird isgoing the rounds of the papers. It concernsexperiments recently made at Antwerp regardingthe swiftness of a Swallow's flight.The bird was nesting in the gable of therailway station, and it was sent to a point14c odd miles away. On being liberated thebird flew back to its nest in one hour andeight minutes, or at the rate of 128 milesper hour. What does this teach,— can thatflight under the spur of parental anguishconsidered t)'pical?Once upon a time there was a little boy,a very bright, incjuiring lad, who, if he oftengot into mischief, probably did it because,with boys, mischief and brightness are fittedas closely together as the rintl t(j the orange.This boy joined the Audubon Society, puthis popgun away in the garret, and resolvedin future only to add spoiled eggs to hiscabinet.He listened to a lecture about the obser-be

The Audubon Societies 39vation and study of the living bird, and oneJune day set forth to "observe." He knewthe village street well and where the nestsof half a dozen birds were located, Robins,Wrens, Song Sparrows, Catbirds, YellowWarblers, Chippies, and the like. Therewere young birds in almost every nest ; ofthese he made a collection, one from each,and with the aid of a ladder forced the birdsto exchange children — result,pandemoniumand a feathered riot.The boy merely said that he wished tosee what the birds would do, and he sawthat for dire results he might almost as wellhave stolen the unhatched eggs. A moremature student would have probably writtena paper on "Race Antipathy in the NestingSeason: a Study of the Living Bird."M. O. W.Reports ofSocietiesFIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PENN-SYLVANIA AUDUBON SOCIETYDuring the past year the PennsylvaniaAudubon Society has conducted its work onpractically the same lines as heretofore, withvery encouraging success, while the resultsobtained through the efforts of the AmericanOrnithologists' Union, U. S. Department ofAgriculture, and other bodies in the interestsof bird protection in America have beenof such importance that an outline of themis here given in order that our intmhtrs maykeep in touch with this work.Througli the money subscribed to the"Thayer Fund," wardens have again beenemployed to guard the breeding Terns and(Julls from Maine to Chesapeake Bay andmillinery collectors have been effectually keptfrom disturbing them. Mr. Baily, of thePennsylvania Society, has superintended thiswork in New Jersey. In addition to this,more stringent laws have iieen passed inmany of the states in the interests of thebirds.The nature and [irovisions of the l.aceyAct having been carefully explained to theleading wholesale milliners of the easterncities, tiiey ha\ e aluinst universally ceased toileal in an\ native .Xmirican i)ir(is. Theapparent increase iii the iim' of birds duringthe present season is due largely to the sellingoff of old retail stock and to the trade inforeign birds.Investigation by officers of the PennsylvaniaAudubon Society shows that most ofthe quills and fancy tufts of feathers now solargely used in millinery are made from theplumage of foreign wild birds, notablyIndian species. The laws of this countrydo not apply to imported birds, and thistrade can only be discouraged by the refusalof members of the Audubon Societies to useany feathers for decoration except ostrichplumes and feathers obviously from domesticfowls, such as long black chickenfeathers, turkey quills, etc.The attention of our members is particularlycalled to thismatter, as so many of thealleged quills and feathers of domestic fowlsare really from wild birds. In order tostimulate the use of birdless millinery anarrangement has been made with Mr. GeorgeAllen, 1214 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia,by which he will devote one case in his storeentirelyOn January 5, 1901, the anniial meetingto "Audubon hats."of the Pennsylvania Audubon Society washeld in the lecture hall of the Academy ofNatural Sciences. Mr. Stone presided andmade the opening address, being followedby Mr. George Spencer Morris and Mr.William L. Baily, who spoke respectiveljon "Winter Birds" and "Bird Study withthe Camera." As usual the hall was crowdedand great interest was shown in the meeting.During the year the membership has increasedto 6,700, and rctjuests for circularsand information have been received frommany parts of the state not hitherto representedin the Societ)-.In all,some 8,000 circulars and pamphletshave been distributed, many of which havebeen placed in village stores, schools andreading-rooms. I'he number of local secretarieshas increased in a most encouragingmanner, and we now have representativesin sixty-seven towns, villages, etc., throughthe state.During the year a Committee on TravelingNature- Study Libraries was appointedunder the management of Miss Hilda Justice.In response to a circular issued in June,

40 Bird - Loreenough money was received to purcliase tenlibraries of ten books each mainly devotedto birds. These are now in circulationamonj^ the public schools of Pennsylvania,but more than twice the number of bookscould be used without satisfying the demand,so popular have the librariesbecome. Each library may be kept threemonths and the only expense to the schoolis the freight on the books, an average sumof about 35 cents. The object of thelibraries is to interest the children in birdsand bird -protection and to arouse a love forall nature study.The organization in Philadelphia of theSpencer F. Baird Ornithological Club by anumber of ladies, is directly due to the influenceof the Audubon Society and is anexample that can well be followed in othercities and towns to stimulate bird study.Beginning with 1902 the Society is forcedto establish a new class of membership to beknown as Sustaining Members, to which wecall particular attention. It will include atthe outset all those who have aided theSociety by contributing to its funds, or byacting as local secretaries, and to these thereports and circulars of the Society will besent as heretofore. All other members whodesire to receive the reports, notices of meetings,etc., may do so by contributing a sumof not less than one dollar to the Society.This is not an annual assessment but simplyone payment. We trust that a large numberof our members willenroll themselves in thisclass and so materially aid in the work ofthe Society. The Society is forced to thisaction by the increased cost of postage incidentto a constantly growing membership.The annual meeting of the Society washeld January 11, 1902, at 3 P. M. in theLecture Hall of the Academy of NaturalSciences, Nineteenth street below Race.On Monday evenings, January 6 to February3, at 8 P. M. a course of free lectureswill be delivered in the same hall by Mr.Witmer Stone. Conservator of the OrnithologicalSection of the Academy, on "Structureand Life Histories of some CommonBirds."To tliese you and your friends are cordiallvinvited.In closing, we would again call attentionto the fact that our work is limited strictlyby the amount of funds at our disposal, andwe hope our members will aid us as far aspossible in this manner. The purchase ofmore traveling libraries, the delivery oflectures in more remote parts of the stateand the publication of additional literatureare especially desired but can only be accomplishedby increased funds.All contributions should be sent toWilliam L. Baily, treasurer, 421 ChestnutSt.,Philadelphia, or toJulia Stockton Robins, Secretary.Mrs. Edvv. Robins,114 S. 2ist St., Philadelphia.An Addition to the W^hite ListMiss J. E. Hamand, secretary of theAudubon Society of Shaller, Iowa, sendsthe name of Mrs. Mary Smith Hayward,of Chaldron, Nebraska, for the Milliner'sWhite List : not only for many years was shethe only milliner in the United States whonever sold birds, wings or aigrettes, but shehas distributed leaflets showing the evil ofthe decorative uses of feathers among hercustomers and offered prizes in the localschools for essays upon bird protection.' 'The AukThe Thayer Fundfor January, 1902, containsMr. William Dutcher's annual report onthe ' Results of Special Protection to Gullsand Terns Obtained Through the ThayerFund.' This report fills twenty pages of'The Auk,' and is far too interesting andimportant to be adequately treated in thespace at our command. Copies may beobtained of Mr. Dutcher for four cents ifapplication is made before the limited supplyis exhausted.The expenditures of the committee forthe year were slightly more than |ii,8oo,and the surprising results achieved withthis comparatively small sum constitute aneloquent argument for the committee in itsappeal for funds to continue and extend itsoperations.Contributions may be sent to WilliamDutcher, Treasurer, 525 Manhattan avenue,New York city.

FLORIDA CAl.l.lNL l.i;. (Sec pane i I )Onc-lialf natural si/.o.

areai6irti = loreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OFOfficial Organ of the Audubon SocietiesBIRDSVol. IV March— April, 1902 No. 2TOVoices of a New England MarshBY WILLIAM BREWSTERWith illustrations from mounted specimens in the American Museum of Natural Historymost people a fresh water marsh has little to offer in the way ofbeauty or attractiveness. Indeed it is quite generally regarded as somuch waste land; unsightly from its primitive condition ; unprofitablebecause of the difficulty of harvesting its coarse and unnutritiousgrasses; even prejudicial to the comfort and health of those who dwell nearit by reason of the swarms of venomous mosquitoes and noisy frogs whichit harbors and the noxious, malarial vapors which it is popularly supposed togenerate.Such at least appears to be the consensus of opinion respecting the FreshPond marshes at Cambridge, although from the time of Nuttall and theCabots to the present day they have been to a small, but steadily increasingnumber of nature lovers and sportsmen, an inexhaustible source of interestand enjoyment. During this period they have suffered many and grievouschanges, but there yet remains an ' unimproved'sufficiently large andprimitive to attract and shelter innumerable muskrats, a few minks and, atthe proper seasons, many species of wading and water birds. Th» voicesof these and other marsh -frequenting'creatures have always had for me anabsorbing interest — due largely, no doubt, to the extreme difficulty of disentanglingand identifying them; as the editor of HiRD-LoRE encouragesme to think that they may also interest some of its readers 1 have attempted,in the present paper, to describe the sounds with which I am more or lessfamiliar, at the same time briefly sketching some of the more characteristichabits of their authors and touching still more lightly on the aspects whichtheir favorite haunts wear at the different seasons.Through the long New P'ngland winter the Fresh Pond inarslu-s areencased in glittering ice or buried deep under a inantle of wind -sculpturedsnow. Flocks of Snow Huntings occasionally circle over them; Shrikesand Hawks of several kinds perch on the isolated trees to watch for prey;

44 Bird- Lorea few Red -winged Blackbirds and Aleadowlarks come in at sunset to spendthe night; Tree Sparrows frequent the alder thickets; and the extensivebeds of cat -tail flags, bent down and matted together by the snow, affordshelter for numerous Song and Swamp Sparrows as well as for one or twoLong -billed Marsh Wrens. On mild, calm mornings the Sparrows may beheard chirping to one another from the different covers and late in Februarythe Song Sparrows sing a little in subdued, broken tones, but during mostof the period when winter holds full sway the marshes are as silent as theyaredesolate.The awakening comes in March when the deeper pools and channelsbegin to show open water and the snow and ice everywhere are rapidlywasting under the ever increasing strength of the sun's rays. The SongSparrows, Tree Sparrows, Red -winged Blackbirds and Rusty Blackbirdsthat have passed the winter further south arrive in force at this time, andat morning and evening, before the blustering northwest wind has risen andafter it has lulled for the night, they fill the marsh with their voices. TheRed-wings are scattered about, perched conspicuously on the topm.ost twigsof isolated shrubs or low trees, their sable forms sharply outlined against thelight background of water, snow or sky, each bird flashing his scarletepaulets in the sunlight for an instant, just as he swells his plumage and halfopens his wings to utter his rich, guttural o-ka-lee. The Rustics pass andrepass over the open in loose flocks, with undulating flight, or alight in theupper branches of the trees to indulge in one of their rather infrequent outburstsof tinkling medley-singing before descending to feed on the marginof some shallow pool fringed with button bushes or overhung by willows.The Song Sparrows, although less noticeable than the Blackbirds, by reasonof their soberer garb and more retiring habits, are also constantly in sight,flitting from bush to bush or perching on some exposed twig to chant theirsweet, earnest songs; but the wild, ringing, rapidly delivered notes of theTree Sparrows issue, as a rule, from the depths of the thickets where thebirds keep closely concealed. These voices, with, perhaps, the tender, plaintivewarble of some passing Bluebird or at evening, towards the close of themonth, the merry peeping of Pickering's hylas are the characteristic Marchsounds of the Fresh Pond marshes as well as of many similar places ineastern Massachusetts. How they soothe and refresh the senses after thelong silence of winter, breathing to every one of refined sensibilities the veryessence of early spring! To those who have long known and loved themthey are inexpressibly grateful and precious, touching the chords of memorymore subtly than do any other sounds, recalling past associations — albeitoften saddened ones, and filling the heart with renewed courage and hopefor the future.After the 6th or 7th of April the temperature rarely falls below thefreezing point and by the lOth or 12th of the month the marshes are usually

Voices of a New England Marsh 45free from frost,although for a week or two later they show scarce any traceof green. Indeed at this time they are even more dreary and barren lookingthan in late autumn, for the deep and varied tones of russet which theywore at that season have since bleached to a uniform faded brown, and theonce erect, graceful reeds and grasses, broken by the wind and crushedunder the weight ofthe winter's snows, cover the sodden ground and shallowsurface water with melancholy wreckage. Nevertheless the marshesare by no means unattractive at this time. It is good to breathe the soft,moist air laden with those indescribable and pleasingly suggestive odorspeculiar to the place and season; and if vegetation is somewhat backwardthere is no lack of conspicuous animal life and sound. The birds now singmore or less freely throughout the day and at morning and evening with theutmost spirit and abandon. Besides the Blackbirds and Song Sparrowsthere are numbers of Tree Sparrows up to the middle of the month (whenmost of them depart for their summer homes at the north) and SwampSparrows in abundance after the close of the first week. From this timeuntil midsummer the song of the Swamp Sparrow is one of the most frequentand characteristic of the voices of the marsh. It is a rapid, resonanttrill suggestive of that of the Chippy but much more spirited andmusical.As soon as the frost is well out of the meadows the Wilson's Snipearrive. During the daytime they remain silent and closely hidden amongthe grass, but just as twilight is falling one may hear the hoarse, raspingflight-call, scaipe, scaipe, scaipe, repeated by several birds rising in quicksuccession from different parts of the marsh. Some of them alight againafter flying a few hundred yards, but ifthe evening be calm and mild one ortwo of the males, filled with the ardor of the approaching love season, willbe likely to mount high into the air and begin flying in great circles everynow and then pitching earthward, sometimes abruptly and almost vertically,again scarce perceptibly, at each descent making a tremulous hummingsound not unlike the winnowing of a domestic Pigeon's wings but louderor at least more penetrating for it is audible, under favorable conditions, ata distance of nearly a mile. It has at all times a strangely thrilling effect onthe listener and when heard directly overhead and without previous warningof the bird's presence it is positively startling in its weird intensity. It issupposed to be produced by the air rushing through the Snipe's wings duringhis swift descent.In the springtime Snipe produce another pi-culiar sound, a low, rolh'ngkuk-kuk-kiik-kitk-kuk. evidently vocal and usually given while the hirti isstanding on the grouml although sometimes accompanying a slow, laboredand perfectly direct flight at the end of which he alights on a tree or fencepost for a few moments. This, as well as the aerial circling and plunging,may be sometimes witnessed in broad daylight when the weather is stormy,

46 Bird -Lorebut both performances are ordinarily reserved for the mornings and eveningtwihght or for nights when there is a nearly full moon.Unlike the Snipe, which pass further north to breed, the Hittern is asummer resident of our marshes. He sometimes arrives in March, but hispresence is likely to be overlooked until about the middle of April, when hebegins to make it evident to the dullest ears by his stentorian voice— louderand, perhaps, also more remarkable than that of any other wild creaturefound in eastern Massachusetts. Standing in an open part of the meadow,usually half concealed by the surrounding grasses, he first makes a successionof low clicking or gulping sounds accompanied by quick opening andshutting of the bill and then, with abrupt contortions of the head andneck unpleasantly suggestive of those of a person afflicted by nausea,belches forth in deep, guttural tones, and with tremendous emphasis, apump-er-lunk repeated from two or three to six or seven times in quicksuccession and suggesting the sound of an old-fashioned wooden pump.All three syllables may be usually heard up to a distance ofabout 400 yards,beyond which the middle one is lost and the remaining two sound like thewords pump-up or plum-pudd'n while at distances greater than half a milethe terminal syllable alone is audible, and closely resembles the sound producedby an axe stroke on the head of a wooden stake, giving the bird itsfamiliar appellation of " Stake Driver."At the height of the breeding season the Bittern indulges in this extraordinaryperformance at all hours of the day, especially when theweather is cloudy, and he may be also heard occasionally in the middle ofthe darkest nights, but his favorite times for exercising his ponderous voiceare just before sunrise and immediately after sunset. Besides the snappingor gulping and the pumping notes the Bittern also utters, usually while flying,a nasal haink and a croaking ok-ok-ok-ok.Belonging to the same family as the Bittern but differing widely fromit—as well as from each other— in voice and habits, are the Night Heronand the Green Heron. The former species was once very common in theFresh Pond marshes but is fast deserting them. A few birds remain withus through the winter but the majority arrive early in April and depart beforeNovember. As it name implies the Night Heron is inactive by daybut in the evening twilight, as well as throughout the darkest nights, wehear over the marshes the deep, hoarse quawk which it gives every halfminute or so while flying. Besides this call it makes at times a variety ofloud, raucous sounds, some of which have been compared to the cries of aperson sufifering strangulation. The Green Heron rarely appears in ourlatitude before the 20th of April. It is still a common summer resident ofthe Fresh Pond marshes and being diurnal in its habits and by no means shyit is oftener seen there than either of the other Herons just mentioned. Inaddition to the abrupt and rather startling scoiv which is its ordinary call,

-Voices of a New England Marsh 47especially when on the wing, it sometimes utters a rattling oc-oc-oc-oc-ocand more rarely a deep, hollow groan very impressive when heard, as isoften the case, in the depths of some heavily shaded swamp.About the middle of April we begin to hear in our marshes, usually inthe early morning, late afternoon or during cloudy weather, and coming\ IRi;iMA RAII,. ((Jnc-halt natural size)from some briary thicket or bed of matted reeds, a guttural cut, nit, cut tocutta-cutta repeated at brief intervals, often for hours in succession. Thisis occasionally interrupted or closely followed b\ a rapid succession of lowyet penetrating gruius not unlike thosi- of a hungry pig. The N'irginiaRail is the author of both these sounds, tin- fornu-r ajipearing to be peculiarto the male and, no ilouht, his love song. \\ Inn heard \ery near at hamlit has a peculiar vibrant cjuality and seems to issue from the ground ilirectlybeneath one's feet. The grunting notes are given by both se.xes but. with

48 Bird -Lorerare exceptions, only during the breeding season. The female whenanxious about her eggs or young also calls ki-ki-k'i and sometiines kin like aFlicker.In the more open, grassy stretches of meadow, as well as among thebeds of cat -tail flags but seldom, if ever, in thickets of bushes, we alsohear, after the middle of April, mingling with the notes of VirginiaRails and the din of countless frogs, the love song of the Carolina Rail, asweet, plaintive er-e given with a rising inflection and suggesting one of the'scatter calls ' of the Quail. Such, at least, is its general effect at distancesof from fifty to two or three hundred yards, but very near at hand itdevelopes a somewhat harsh or strident quality and sounds more like ka-e,while at the extreme limits of ear range one of the syllables is lost and theother might be easily mistaken for the peep of a Pickering's hyla. Thisnote, repeated at short, regular intervals, many times in succession, is oneof the most frequent as well as pleasing voices of the marsh in the earlymorning and just after sunset. It is also given intermittently at all hoursof the day, especially in cloudy weather, while it is often continued, practicallywithout cessation,through the entire night.Equally characteristic of this season and even more attractive in qualityis what has been termed the ' whinny'of the Carolina Rail. It consists of adozen or fifteen short whistles as sweet and clear in tone as a silver bell.The first eight or ten are uttered very rapidly in an evenly descending scale,the remaining ones more deliberately and in a uniform key. The wholeseries is often followed by a varying number of harsher, more drawling notes'given at rather wide intervals. Although it is probable that the whinny ' ismade by both sexes I have actually traced it only to the female. She uses,it, apparently, chiefly as a call to her mate, but I have also repeatedly heard,her give it just after I had left the immediate neighborhood of her nest,|seemingly as an expression of triumph or rejoicing at the discovery that her'eggs had not been molested. When especially anxious for their safety andcircling close about the human intruder she often utters a low whiningmurmur closely resembling that which the Muskrat makes while pursuinghis mate and sometimes a cut-cut-cutta not unlike the song of the VirginiaRail, but decidedly less loud and vibrant. In addition to all these notesboth sexes have a variety of short, sharp cries which they give whenstartled by any sudden noise.Although the hylas and leopard frogs may be occasionally heard beforethe close of March as well as frequently after the ist of May they areinvariably most numerous — or rather vociferous — in April. The notesof Pickering's hyla are pitched very high in the scale, but they are clearand crisp rather than shrill, and the peep, peep, pee-e-eep of six or eightindividuals, coming at evening from different parts of the marsh, is oneof the most pleasing and suggestive of all spring voices; when two or

Voices of a New England Marsh 49three hundred are calling at once, however, the din is rather overpoweringand at times also annoying, for it more or less completely drownsall other sounds.The notes of the leopard frog have been not inaptly compared to thesound of snoring. In earlv April they are heard oftenest during theSORA IDnc-lKilf natural size)warmer hours of the day, but after the middle of the month these frogssnore chiefly — as seems, indeed, appropriate — by night. When theweather is calm and the voices of huiuireds of individuals are comingfrom far and near, they fill the air with sound that never ceases for aninstant, although ever fluctuating in volume like the rote of ilistant surf.The pickerel frog is also very conunon in our nieailows. Mr. SidneyF. I)(iir()ii tells me that it begins croaking rather later in the seasonthan the leopard troLj ami that its notes resemble those of that species.

50 Bird - Lorebut are nevertheless distinguishable. 1 have never succeeded in identifyingthem, but I suspect that they are the sounds which we hear sofrequentl\ in the marshes toward the close of April and early in May, andwhich, although generally similar to those made by the leopard frog, aremore disconnected and of a sharper, harder quality, suggesting the slowgrating of some gigantic creature's teeth.Comparatively few of the people who consider themselves familiarwith our common garden toad are aware that it is the author of theshrill, prolonged, and not unpleasant trilling sounds which, mingledwith the peeping of the hylas and the "snoring" of the leopard frogs,may be heard in April in almost any marsh or shallow pool. This trillis the love song of the male and is peculiar to the mating season, whichboth sexes spend together in the water. After the eggs are laid themale, at least, continues to frequent the shores of ponds and riverswhere, through the latter part of May and most of June, it utters,chiefly by night and at short, regular intervals, an exceedingly loud anddiscordantquar-ar-r-r-r.Still another batrachian voice which may be heard about the end ofApril, once or twice in a lifetime, if one is very fortunate, is that of thespade-footed toad. This singular creature is said to live at a depth ofseveral feet under ground and to leave its subterranean retreat not oftenerthan once in every seven years and then but for a single day and night,during which its noisy amours are accomplished and the eggs laid. Ihave twice found it thus engaged, on both occasions in a hollow filledwith stagnant water near my home in Cambridge and not far from theFresh Pond marshes. Although the second and last experience happenedover thirty years ago I can still remember with perfect distinctness thetremendous din which the spade-foots made about this little pond duringan entire day and the whole of the following night. Their notes, as Irecall them, were all croaking and outrageously loud and raucous, butthey varied somewhat in pitch, although all were rather low in the scale.By the beginning of May the marshes have almost wholly lost theirbleached, watery aspect and are everywhere verdant with sprouting rushesand rapidly -growing grass. A week or two later they are perhaps moreattractive than at any other period of the year. The grass is now sixor eight inches high and the bushes and isolated trees are covered withunfolding leaves or pendulous catkins of the most delicate shades oftender green, golden yellow and pink or salmon, while scattered shadbushes, crowded with creamy white blossoms, stand out in bold reliefabout the edges of the thickets. Yellow Warblers are singing in thewillows, and the ivitchery-ivitchery-ivitcbery of the Maryland Yellowthroatcomes from every briar patch or bed of matted, last year's grass.A few Long- billed Marsh Wrens have also arrived and are performing

Voices of a New England Marsh 51their curious antics and uttering their guttural, gurgling songs amongthe cat -tail flags where, a little later, numbers of their interestingglobular nests and chocolate brown eggs may be found by any oneprovided with a good pair of wadingboots. The Short -billed Marsh Wrensno longer inhabit the Fresh Pond marshes,although they were common enoughthere twenty -five years ago, breeding inan extensive tract of rank but fine grasswhich, like the birds themselves, hassince disappeared. They sing later intothe summer than the Long-bills, andtheir notes, which are radically different,may be roughly imitated by the syllableschip, chip, shee-shee-shee, the first twogiven distinctly and emphatically, the remainingthree rapidly and in a low,somewhat hissing tone.About the middle of May, or a fewdays earlier inforward seasons, the FloridaLONG-BILLEDMARSH WREN(One-half natural size)Gallinules arrive (see frontispiece). Like the Rails they are given toskulking among the grass or flags but at morning and evening we occasionallysee them swimming across pools or ditches, their brilliant scarletbills and frontal shields flashing in the level beams of the rising or decliningsun. They are noisy birds at this season and some of their criesare second only to those of the Bittern in strength and grotesqueness.One of their commonest vocal performances is a loud and prolonged outcrySHORT-BU.LKI) MARSH WRIN(Onc-haU natural

—152 Bird -Loreend. Shorter and more frequent utterances are a low kloc-kloc or klockloc-klocand a sinj^le explosive kup very like the ejaculation of a startledfrog. Nearly all these cries are loud and discordant and most of them arecuriously hen -like.Quite as retiring by nature as the Rails and Gallinules and even lessconspicuous, by reason of its habitual silence, the Least Bittern, mostdiminutive ofour Herons, passes almost unnoticed save by the ornithologists,although it is a not uncommon summer resident of the Fresh Pondmarshes, arriving about the middle of May and departing late in August.It is one of the most feeble, listless and timid -seeming of all birds and itshabits Vare in perfect keeping with its appearance, for, excepting whenflushed from the beds of cat -tail flags where it apparently spends its entiretime, and where its frail nest is suspended a foot or more above thewater, it is seldom seen on wing even at nightfall when so manyother faint-hearted creatures move about with more or less freedom andconfidence. Nor do we often hear its voice save during a brief periodat the height of the breeding season when the male, concealed among therank vegetation of his secure retreats, utters a succession of low, cooingsounds varying somewhat in number as well as in form with differentbirds or even with the same individual at different times. The commonervariations are as follows: coo, hoo-hoo-hoo (the first and last syllablesslightly and about evenly accented), coo-coo, coo-hoo-hoo (with distinctemphasis on the last syllable only), co-co-co-co, co-co-ho-ho or co-ho-ho(all without special emphasis on any particular syllable).These notes are uttered chiefly in the early morning and late afternoon,usually at rather infrequent intervals but sometimes every four orfive seconds for many minutes at a time. When heard at a distance theyhave a soft, cuckoo -like quality; nearer the bird's voice sounds harderand more like that of the domestic Pigeon, while very close at hand itis almost disagreeably hoarse and raucous as well as hollow and somewhatvibrant in tone. Besides this cooing the Least Bittern occasionallyemits, when startled, a loud, cackling ca-ca-ca-ca.The leopard frogs may be heard occasionally, and the hylas notinfrequently, early in May, and the bull frog very commonly towards itsclose, but the batrachian voices most characteristic of this month are theharsh squawk of the garden toad, already described, and the love notesof the tree toad. During the brief period—scarce exceeding a weekwhich the male of the species last-named spends with the female in thewater (where the eggs are laid) before returning to his favorite hollowbranch in some old orchard or forest tree, he and his comrades of thesame sex fill the marshes in the late afternoon and through the nightwith the sound of their joyous contralto voices. The rather pleasing,rolling notes which they utter at this time are not essentially different

Voices of a New England Marsh 53from those which we occasionally hear in our orchards in summer,especially just before a rain, but they are now given more rapidly andat shorter intervals as well as with much greater spirit.During the last two weeks of May and the first ten days of June' theI.rni.l-; black KAII,. iCJnu-half natural si/.c)bird voices of the marshes are at their fullest and best. The Robins andSong Sparrows, it is true, arc comparatively silent at this time, but all theother species continue to sing with undiminished fervor, at least during thecooler hours, while several of them may be heard now with greater certaintyor to greater advantage than at any other season. The first signs of decadenceare usually noted about the middle of June. Hefore its close theBitterns, Rails and Gallinules become silent, and the Hobolinks nearly so,while the songs of the Marsh Wrens, Yellow Warblers, Maryland Yellowthroatsand Reil -wings steadily decline in vigor and frequency.There is a voice, evidentl\ that of a bird, and almost without (juestionbelonging to some kind of Rail, but not as yet dehnitely identified, whichhas been heard in the Fresh Pond marshes during one season onls; viz., inJune, lH(S9. It has since been noted at one or tu- iS nor later than June 2S-As I have already published'^' a lietaileil account of my experience andimpressions relating to it, as well as m\ reasons for believing that it is the* Auk. xviii. No. 4. Oct.. |i;

()Tu--li;iit.54 Bird -Lorevoice of the Little Black Rail,* it seems unnecessary to give, in this connection,anything more than the briefest description of its notes.They vary considerably in number, as well as somewhat in form andquality. The commonest forms are as follows:Kik-kik-kik,Kik-kik-k/k,Kik -ki-ki - ki ,quecah,ki-queeah.ki -qiieeabKu-kii\ kic-kic, k'l'c-kic, kic-kic, k'l-queeah.The kic-kic notes are similar to those utteredby the Virginia Rail whencalling to her young, but much louder. Although usually delivered inrather rapid succession, they are divided by distinct if short intervals intogroups of twos or threes, giving them the effect of being uttered with a;Shc-^..aS^"'^-'-"-\ 1.1. LuW KAii.'iialLiral M/eicertain degree of hesitancy. The terminal qiieeah or ki-queeah is shrill andslightly tremulous, reminding one by turns of the rolling chirrup which achipmunk makes just as he darts into his hole or of the squealing crow ofa young rooster. All the notes, although not apparently very loud when* It has been since attributed, on what appears to mc to be inconclusive evidence, to the Yellow Rail. Auk,xix, No. I, Jan.. lyoi. pp. 94. =•

Voices of a New England Marsh 55one is near the spot where they are uttered, may be heard, under favorableconditions, at a distance of fully half a mile.Another equally mysterious bird which we hear occasionally in May orJune (but by no means every season) in the Fresh Pond marshes, andwhich we have some reasons for believing may be the King Rail, utters agrunting innph, timph, umph, iimph, usually deep and guttural, but sometimesrather harsh and vibrant, and not unlike the quacking of a hoarse-voicedDuck. These notes are all on the same key and separated by rather widebut approximately regular intervals.About the beginning of July the Robins, Song Sparrows and SwampSparrows enter on a second song period which lasts for several weeks.During the latter part of this month and most of August the marshes areenlivened by the presence of great flocks of young Red-wings and Bobolinks,which assemble to feed on the seeds of the wild rice and of variousother semi-aquatic sedges or grasses, as well as by swarms of Swallows, mostof which have come down from the north. The Red-wings utter now achattering cha-cha cry, the Bobolinks a liquid, resonant pink. The lattersound is especially characteristic of this season, as is also the rapid, musicalwhistle of the Upland Plover which we occasionally hear about sunrisetowards the end of August.Early in summer the bull frogs and green frogs hold high revels inthe marshes, especially at night. Every one, of course, is familiar withthe deep, heavy bass of the bull frog, although it oftener provokesridicule than inspires the admiration which its fine sonorous qualityreally merits. The green frog utters an abrupt, incisive tiing, tiingtung-tung,the last three notes being lower in the scale than the firstand the general effect very like that produced by "strumming" slowly onthe strings of a bass viol. Both of these frogs may be heard as early asthe latter part of May and as late as September, but they are mostvociferous in June and July.Late in August or early in September the rank, fully -matured vegetationof the marshes begins to show traces of russet, but the prevailingcolor is still green of various shades blended with delicate tints oflavender and purple. The tall, graceful reeds which fringe the pools andditches are now alive with Rails and Sparrows of several species. Ihesebirds vary greatly in numbers from liay to da\ as the successive flightsarrive from the north and pass on still further southward. The Sparrowsare conspicuous enough, for they are constantly calling to one another andflying back and forth across the open spaces, but the presence of theRails is not likely to be discovered, at least during the midda>' hours,unless they are startled by some sudden sound. If they are at all numerousthe report of a gun or the splash of a stone thrown into the shallowwater among the reeds will be instantK folloueil b\ a chorus of kiks.

56 Bird - Lorekih, ii-kiks, and various other similarly abrupt, explosive cries, uttered intones of indignant protest an.l cominjj; from far and near on every side.Most of these calls are made by younj^ Carolina Rails.In September and October, and occasionally well into November, wefrequently hear, both by day and night, especially when the weather isclear and warm, the autumnal call of Pickering's hyla. It consists of aprolonged series of short, dry or crackling notes, given very deliberately andoften haltingly or at irregular intervals, rather feeble or at least notloud, yet audible at a considerable distance, and so very unlike the clear,brisk, spring peeping that no one would suspect that both sounds wereuttered by the same creature. The autumnal call, moreover, is heardmost frequently in woods or thickets, sometimes on high ground. Itoften seems to come from the branches of the trees or bushes, but ifone is patient and fortunate enough to trace the sound to its littleauthor, he is most likely to be found clinging to some leaf or grassblade only a foot or two above the ground.In October the prevailing color of the marshes changes to brownsand russets of rich and varied shades. Most of the Rails have departed,but there are still plenty of Song and Swamp Sparrows among the reedsand numbers of Savanna Sparrows in the beds of shorter grasses. Wherethe grass has been cut flocks of Titlarks alight to feed on the exposed,muddy ground, and their feeble, piping calls are heard at frequent intervals.The Rusty Blackbirds have also returned from their summer homes atthe north, but they are comparatively silent at this season. At daybreakBlack Ducks circle low over the marsh, attracting our attentionby their loud quacking or perhaps by the light, silvery whistling of theirwings — audible at a surprising distance when the air is perfectly still.Towards the close of the month, just as the level beams of the risingsun begin to light up the meadows white with the hoar frost which,during the night, has encrusted every leaf and blade of grass, we hear,faintly but distinctly, coming from high overhead, a tremulous twitter,immediately followed by a single, short, clear whistle. It is the flightcall of the Snow Bunting and the first sound of autumn, which unmistakablysuggests the near approach of winter.

Bird Clubs in AmericaII.THE DELAWARE VALLEY CLUBBY SAMUEL N.RHOADSIThas been an ever -increasing desire of the founders of the DelawareValley Ornithological Club to encourage bird study, not only in ascientific, but in a popular sense, both for young and old. It istherefore most gratifying that the editor of BiRD-LoRE offers us thisopportunity to preach the gospel of song and feathers to so large anaudience. Our sermon may well begin with the historic phase of the" D. V. O. C," as we familiarly name ourselves.One day in December, 1889, a chance remark about birds in a Philadelphiaarchitect's office caught the ear of a fellow -worker of kindredspirit sketching in the same room. This touch of nature was an allsufficientintroduction and the strangers soon were friends. This wasthe spark that, kindled in a kindly environment, and glowing into flame,has given zest and enthusiasm to the lives of so many during the pastdecade. So far as the world of bird lovers was concerned this incidentmight have resulted, as do most, in nothing more momentous than abird's-nesting jaunt or a few collecting trips; the result, shells and skins,destined to moth and rust and house-cleaning wrath in the attic den.But between J. Harris Reed* and William L. Baily such an avian firewas burning as called for more fuel, and others soon yielded themselves tothe sacred fiame. A few checkered postal cards with blank spaces andbird's names did the rest, and order began to resolve out of the ornithicchaos which had enveloped* Philadelphia since the death of John Cassin.On the evening of January 22, 1890, William L. Baily, George S.Morris, J. Harris Reed, Samuel N. Rhoads and Spencer Trotter met atthe home of Mr. Baily and decided to organize; this was done and aconstitution adopted February 3, of that year. Incidentally Mr. Reedprovided cake for the preliminary meeting, but it is significant of thevirility of the movement to note that the refreshment feature neverafter appeared in the regular club meetings and even smoking wasprohibited for a few years. At the close of the February meeting theorganization had seven members: Witmer Stone and Charles V'oelkerhaving meanwhile joined the movement. Baily was chosen presiiient andRhoads secretarv -treasurer. All the founders except V'oelker and Stonewere members of the SocietN of Friends.Baily (architect) was a nephew and namesake of the author of one ofthe first books intendeil to popularize the stutK' of "(^ur Own Biriis of theUnited States." Morris (architect) had ornit hologiial kinship with such* Rpi-il (irsi proposed orK^Ki/alion.(S7)

'Bird Clubs in America 59patrons of Audubon as Spencer and Harris. Reed (architect) hadbeen both associate and rival of Rhoads in birds -nesting escapades atboarding school in his early teens. Rhoads (farmer) was, at eight years'stepson and scholar of Morris's aunt, to whose love of nature both owemore than to any other cause the bent of mind which was later shapedby intimate association with each other and with Prof. E. D. Cope, whothen lived in Haddonfield, N. J. Trotter (student) was cousin andassociate of N. T. Lawrence, an ornithological nephew of GeorgeN. Lawrence, and had just left a scholarship at the Academy ofNatural Sciences to study medicine. Stone (the naturalist) had recentlytaken a scholarship at the Academy and was then unknown to any of us'save Trotter. His noble rage for bird lore in particular and for animaland vegetable lore in general seems to have been due to spontaneousgeneration. Voelker had emigrated to the States some years previouslyfrom Germany and was a taxidermist of talent, his father being foresteron a large German estate.All of us were young men, Morris being the youngest at 23, andTrotter oldest at 30, when the club was organized.Several of the members had previously made local observation records forthe A. O. U. committee onbird migration, and a more thorough survey ofthe vicinity of Philadelphia along this line engrossed the Club during thefirst year. An elaborate summary of this work was prepared by a committee,and Mr. Stone, as editor-in-chief, was delegated to present it to theA. O. U. Congress, soon to be held at Washington, where it was wellreceived and published in 'The Auk.' Previous papers and communicationsby the members had been published in The Auk,' -American Natur-'alist,' etc., as well as reports of Club meetings in the local newspapers; inthis way not only encouraging the members to do original and careful work,but attracting others tojoin the Club, or furnish data and specimens whichwould otherwise have been lost. Applications for membership increasing,an ' 'associate class was provided for, unlimited in number, the active'membership being restricted to ten persons, who had the sole privilege ofvoting and holding office. This number has since been raised to fifteen,because of so many associates developing rapidly into first-rate workers.Contrary to the custom of more conservative clubs, our active class is alwayskept filled by such, it being understood that resignation is in order whenany active member lapses into an ornithologically passive state. To insurethis elimination of deadvvood, the constitution has been so framed as tomake it automatic. Associates are restricted to residents in the states ofPennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, and to any person (agelimit not defined) who is proposed by an active member, as one with a tastefor bird study. Our object in these selections was primaril\ to add as muchyoung blood to the organization as possible, and to encourage these fellows

6oBird- Lorein field work with a view to making verbal reports or reading formal papersat the meetings. Possible publication of these in ' Theas an inducement to greater zeal.'Auk washeld upActives must reside within twenty-five miles of Philadelphia. Meetingsare now regularly held in the ornithological room of the Academy of NaturalSciences, at 8 P. M., on the first and third Thursdays of each month, fromOctober to May, inclusive.Visitors of the male sex may attend any of our meetings on invitation ofa member. It was at one time debated that a form of honorary lady membershipshould be instituted, but the establishment of Audubon and othersocieties about that time seemed to cover the ground so wellin this matter is ever likely to be taken.A corresponding membership was institutedthat no actionlater and has been proved ofvalue to all concerned. At present writing there are 15 actives, i honorary(Dr. Samuel W. Woodhouse), 55 associates and 29 correspondents ingoodstanding on the roll. Of these an average of twenty to twenty-five attendmeetings with great regularity. Any one versed in the ephemeral orfossilized nature of natural history societies and kindred associationsmay well inquire what are the secrets of the success of the D. V. O. C.as above indicated. In order of importance these may be listed as follows:1. An executive and philanthropic member (not necessarily an officer),whose specialty is ornithology and whose whole time is devoted to thatpursuit, combining with his business duties in this line the interests oftheClub.2. Official recognition by the Academy of Natural Sciences, whichfurnishes accommodation for private and public meetings and the Clubcollections; also the use of specimens illustrative of the exercises of themeetings.3. The Club collection of life-grouping of birds of the Delaware Valley,taken and prepared by Club members and assigned a separate space forexhibition in the Museum of the Academy.4. A membership, based primarily on continued accessions of amateursand so graded as to incite all to effort.5. A periodical Club publication of proceedings in which all transactionsworthy of record not elsewhere published are preserved.6. Stimulation to original work, among young and old, of such acharacter as will merit publication in current zoological literature.7. Publication of an annotated list of the birds of Eastern Pennsylvaniaand New Jersey, based primarily on field work prosecuted systematicallyby club members.8. A programme which announces two or more exercises speciallyprepared for each stated meeting of the club. These, as a rule, are to

—-Bird Clubs in America 6ibe short, may be interrupted by remarks or queries, and are followed byinformal discussion in which the juveniles are led to join freely.9. Field trips led by experts for the benefit of amateurs.10. Annual meetings of a more pretentious character illustrative ofthe year's work, with social and gastronomic attractions.It may be objected by would-be club promoters that the first twosecrets of our success as above given are not attainable by the averageclub. As to the first, however, it is most essential that in its establishmentsome one comi)etent person should be able and willing to sacrificea goodly part of his time to getting the club in a fairly automaticrunning condition along the lines pursued by the D. V. O. C. enumeratedabove under sections 3 to 10. As we are now constituted, theuntiring and skilful labors of our business manager, Mr. Witmer Stone,have become less arduous, and to a certain extent the machine hasacquired a sort of reproductive power that insures its perpetuity.Undoubtedly good live bird clubs can be organized along the samelines as ours and yet be removed hundreds of miles from any seat oflearning like the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Lettheir aim be to establish, wheresoever they are, nuclei for just such a seatof learning as the Academy is to-day. We cannot have too many ofthem.EnglishStarlingBY EDITH M. THOMASHere's to the stranger, so lately a ranger,Who came from far over seas; —Whatever the weather, still in high feather,At top of the windy trees!Here's to the darling,— brave English Starling,Stays the long winter through ;He would not leave us, would not bereave us,-Not he, though our own binls do!Colli weather pinches — Hovvn arc the tiiuhes,riirushes and warblers too!Here's to the darling, here's to the Starling.English Starling true!

Jpor Ceacl)er0 anti ^tutiente^How to Name the BirdsSTUDIES OF THE FAMILIESOF PASSERESBY FRANK M. CHAPMANTHIRD PAPERFamily 5. Blackbirds, Orioles, Meadowlarks, Bobolinks, Etc. Icter'idaRange. —The 150 or more species contained in this family are confinedto the western hemisphere, where they are distributed from Labradorand Alaska southward to Patagonia, including the West Indies.Nineteen species and 9 subspecies occur in North America (north ofMexico), 10 species and 5 subspecies being found east of [the Mississippi.Season. — The Oriole and Bobolink are found in the eastern UnitedStates only from late April to October; our Blackbirds and Grackleswinter from about southern New Jersey southward and are our earliestmigrants, coming in late February or early March and remaining untilNovember and occasionally later; while the Meadowlark is a permanentresident from Massachusetts southward.Color. —With the Orioles orange or yellow and black is the prevailingcolor, the chestnut of our Orchard Oriole being unusual; the characteristiccolor of the Blackbirds is indicated by their group name; the colorsof the Bobolink, of which there is only one species, and of the Meadowlark,of which there is also only one species, but eight subspecies, are wellknown.Size.—The members of this family vary in length from about 7 inchesin the small Blackbirds to 24 inches in the Cassiques or giant Orioles ofthe tropics. Our eastern species range from 7/4^ inches in the Bobolinkto 16 inches in the Boat-tailed Crackle.External Structure. — So widely do the members of this family differfrom each other in external appearance that no one general descriptioncan be applied to them. The Orioles have a rather long, sharply pointedbill; with the Grackles it is somewhat longer, less pointed and heavier;in the Blackbirds it is decidedly shorter, and with the Cowbird and Bobolinkthe bill becomes almost like that of a Sparrow. The bill of theMeadowlark resembles that of the Starling in being flattened and broaderthan high at the end. In no species are the nostrils concealed by bristles,as with the Crows and Jays, from which birds the members of this familyalso differ in having the first three primaries of equal length. The(62)

64 Bird - Loremarked characteristics of color, however, are the best aid to the fieldidentification of the Blackbirds and Orioles.Appearance and Habits. —There is as wide variation in the actions ofBlackbirds and Orioles as there is in their form and color. The Oriolesare nervous, arboreal creatures, restlessly moving from limb to limb andtree to tree; the Crackles, Cowbird, and Meadowlark are terrestrial andwalkers, the long tail, sometimes ''keeled," of the former, short tail andwhite outer tail-feathers of the latter are good field characters. TheRed-winged Blackbird and Bobolink are birds of the open, inhabitingfields or marshes. Orioles {Icterus) are sometimes found associated insmall numbers. All our other members of this family migrate and winterin close flocks and some species, notably the Crackles, breed in colonies.Song.—The Orioles,Blackbirds, and Meadowlarks are whistlers of varyingability with voices ranging from the thin, long-drawn pipe of theCowbird, or harsh, grating notes of certain tropical species, to the rich,sweet notes of the western Meadowlark. The Bobolink is a musicalgenus with a song which alike defies imitation and description.Family 6. Finches (Sparrows, Grosbeaks, Siskins, Crossbills, Buntings, Towhees, etc.)FringillidaRange.— While more numerous in the northern than in the southernhemisphere, the 550 or more species contained in this family are found inall parts of the world except the Australian region. Of this number 92species and 84 subspecies are North American.Season.— Finches are with us at all seasons. A large proportion of ourpermanent resident and winter visitant Passeres being Finches, and while anumber of species are summer residents only, their migrations are lessextended than those of insectivorous birds.Color.—While there is a wide range of color in the plumage of themembers of this family, the variations are more or less closely related to thenature of the birds' haunts. Thus the ground -inhabiting Sparrows arelargely streaked and lark-like in color, while the bush- or tree-hauntingFinches are generally brightly colored.External Structure.—The possession of a stout, short, cone-shaped billis the distinguishing characteristic of nearly all Finches, and is evidentlyrelated to their seed -eating habits. By this member alone our Finches mayalways be known from the members of other families of eastern NorthAmerican birds.Appearance and Habits.— Finches impress one as being short -necked,thick-set, chunky birds. The ground-inhabiting Sparrows, like mostground -feeding birds, are seen either flying as they rise before one, orperching motionless with head well drawn in between the shoulders. The

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66 Bird -Loretree-feeders— Crossbills, Purple Finches and others live among the brancheswhere they obtain food. All Sparrows are hoppers, a habit which shouldserve to distinguish certain of the ground -living species, from the HornedLark or Pipit, both of which are walkers.Son£^.—Though varying greatly in vocal ability, most Finches are finesingers.What Bird isThis.'Field Description.— Length. 5 in. Crown yellow; back gray; belly white, tinted with yellow; wing-barsyellow; tail feathers with white blotches.Note.— Each number of Bird-Lore will contain a pliotofjraph, from specimens inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some comparatively little-known bird, orbird in obscure plumage, the name of which will he withheld until the succeedingnumber of the magazine, it being believed that this method of arousing the student'scuriosity will result in impressing the bird's characters on his mind far more stronglythan if its name were given with the picture.The species figured in February is Henslow's Sparrow.The Young Observers' Prize ContestYoung observers who are competing for the prize announced inFebruary Bird-Lore should send their 'Notes on the Birds of'February and March to the Editor in April. A similar prize isnow oiifered, that is, books to the value of two dollars, for the best'seven or eight hundred word article on Notes on the Birds of Apriland May.'

ONEMy BluebirdsBY LAWRENCE F. LOVE, Cleveland. O. (Aged 12 years.)day in February, I put up three bird -boxes, two large ones andone small one, hoping that a Wren would take the small box.Soon I saw some Bluebirds. Of course I began to watch them tofind where they were going to nest. First they began to build in a holein an old apple tree, but the Sparrows seemed to think it belonged to themand they gathered in great numbers to drive the Bluebirds away. A kindRobin helped them to defend it, but in the end the Sparrows conquered,and my bluecoats began to look around for a new nesting place. Theytried one of the houses, but did not seem satisfied with it. Finally, oneSunday morning near the middle of April, I saw the dull-bluish femalecarrying straw to the box nearest the house. Even there the Sparrowstroubled them, but the Bluebirds drove them ofif. One day when the eggswere laid the Juncos joined with the Sparrows in an attack. It is impossibleto say which side was defeated, but the Sparrows bothered the Bluebirdsbut little afterward. On May 14 the young ones came out of thenest. There were five. Three were brownish on the back, with a littleblue on the tail. Their breasts were grayish, spotted with brown. Theother two had more blue about the head and back; 1 think these twowere males. One of these was the first to fly, and he flew to the groundbesides a porch, where a dog stood looking down on him. I put himinto the nest, but he flew out again, and got into the lower branches ofa tree. One of the others flew into another tree, and the others soonfollowed. Fhen a venturesome one flew, but was stopped by a house.After resting on a window sill for a moment, his mother coaxed him intoa tree. In the meanwhile, the rest had flown, and for a while the oldbirds were busy teaching them to fly well. Then the little ones roostedin the top of a high apple tree. The next morning the parents wereengaged in feeding them, and such appetites! The one that first flewwas the weakling, aiul did not learn to fl\ well for several days. ThenI misseii them for some days, and thought the\- hail learnetl to care forthemselves. But one afternoon I heard the familiar call, and lookingup into a tree, found them. Now they acteil like fly catchers, flyinginto the air like fly catchers, and returning to their original perch. Theywere strong in flight, and it was difficult to tell them from the old ones.They were beginning to care for t hcniseU es .md were iie\ eloping a voiicofsweetness.(67)

Generalon—Hooft jBtetos: ant) 3^etoietD0Stories of Bird Life By T. GilbertPearson. With illustrations by andunder the supervision of John L. Rid^way.Richmond. B. F. Johnson PublishingCompany, 1901 i6mo, 236pages, numerous ills.Professor Pearson has drawn on a lifelongfield of experience to furnish the materialfor this volume which, therefore,unlike many additions to popular ornithology,possesses much of interest and value.A close student and sympathetic recorder,he presents us with a series of studies ofcertain birds in the south which may beread with both pleasure and profit by beginnersas well as past-masters in the study ofbirds. It is, however, to the former that heespecially addresseshimself, and his experiencein teaching gives him a point of viewwhich many popular nature writers lack.Having told his story he calls attention tothe significance of the facts observed in aseries of what he has well named 'thoughtquestions,' which should lead the reader tomake independent observations. The bookis thus admirably adapted for school work,and we wish for it the wide circulation itdeserves.— F. M. C.A First Book Upon the Birds of Oregon.AND Washington. By WilliamRogers Lord. 1902. J. K. Gill Company,Portland, Oregon. i6mo, 304+iv pages, numerous ills.This is a revised, enlarged, and greatlyimproved edition of the first edition of thisbook which was issued in the summer of1901. Attracted by West Coast birds Mr.Lord found, on coming to this region, thatthere were no popular guides to a knowledgeof western birds and he has preparedthis book to meet in part what is evidentlya widely felt want.The combined experience of a studentand teacher of birds make the needs of botha practical matter, and Mr. Lord writesas one who addresses an audience withwhose wants he is familiar. Thus thereare chapters on How ' to Know the Birds,''How to DomesticateHow to Name the Birds,' 'and Tame Birds,' and 'ACourse of Study upon Birds for Schools andBird Students.' The latter is here of especialimportance, since the book has beenselected for supplementary reading in thepublic schools of Oregon.The publication of the first edition of thiswork brought to its author much additionalinformation "both for new knowledge andfor correction," and the present edition maybe accepted as accurate and authoritative.It should exert a very important influenceon the study of the birds of Washingtonand Oregon.— F. M. C.Wild Birds in City Parks. By HerbertEugene Walter and Alice HallWalter. Revised Edition. Chicago.1902. i6mo, 45 pages. For sale by F.C. Baker, Chicago. Academy ofSciences, Lincoln Park, Chicago.Students of the bird-life of city parks,which often offer unusual advantages for observingthe migration, will be interested inthis booklet which is based on a study ofthe spring migration of birds during the pastsix years in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and isdesigned especially for the use of bird studentsin that locality. It contains someadmirable'Hints'bird study,descriptions of 100 species of birds arrangedin the order of their average first appearance,'A Table of Arrival,' 'a Table ofOccurrence,' 'a chart showing the numberof different kinds of birds seen inLincoln Park during the height of migration,'a 'Supplementary List' of birdswhich may be reasonably looked for, and ablank for recording observations. All thisisexcellent, but we should imagine that thebook would be more helpful to students ofthe birds of Lincoln Park if the space devotedto descriptions of plumages had beengiven to fuller information concerning themanner of a bird's occurrence, than can bepresented in tables or by diagrams.F. M. C.;68i

Book News and Reviews 69The Ornithological Magazines'The Auk.—The January 'Auk has fora frontispiece a fine photogravure, taken ofa Herring Gull on its nest. A price hasbeen set upon the heads (and other parts)of these birds by milliners, so that they andtheir allies need rigid protection to savethem from extermination. How much hasbeen afforded them in their breeding coloniesthrough the Thayer fund is told inMr. Dutcher's report, which occupies manypages with this and other bird protectionwork. Mr. Stone also contributes a report.Mr. Bent continues his paper on the'Nesting Habits of the Anatida; of NorthDakota,' with some further illustrations.'Two annotated lists appear, one on SummerBirds of the Great Dismal Swamp,'by John W. Daniel, Jr., and another on'Birds of the Northeastern Coast of Labrador,'by Henry W. Bigelow. A desirableitem is omitted in the latter list; viz., theactual time spent in Labrador by theBrown-Harvard Expedition of 1900. Jas.H. Hill tells pleasantly of 'The WhitewingedCrossbill in Captivity,' captured inConnecticut. Wm. H. Kobbe writes on'The Status of Certain Supposed Species ofthe Genus Lariis,' maintaining that /-.vega is identical with L. anrentatus.There is also a brief account of the NineteenthCongress of the A. O. U.,held inNew York, and those interested in newforms of birds will hiul several described byR. Ridgway and E. A. Mearns. Thelatter also describes a hybrid between theBarn and CliflF Swallows, which makes asecond specimen of this kind on record.General Notes and Reviews are too extensiveto be entered into, altliough the recordingof no less than six C^ory's Bitterns atToronto, by J.H. Fleming and the reviewof R. Ridgway 's Birds of North and'Middle America seem of particular ' interest.The Solution of the'Ornithological'Mystery of Mr. Brewster is by no nuansconclusive. —J.D. Jr.Book NewsTiiR pronounced success of ' Country Lifeill .America ' must lie gratifying alike tolovers of the countrv as well as those whodelight in beautiful typography. The illustrationsare not only unusually artisticbut strikingly illustrative and, so far as thestraight half-tone process at present permits,they are evidently reproduced with justiceto the originals. The March number, thefifth thus far issued, is especially attractiveand seasonable. Under the head of The'Coming of Spring' a calendar of 'Work,''Recreation,' and 'Nature Study' for themonth is given. While in the main excellent,the author shows the danger of tryingto cover too wide a field by advocating as a"novel sport" the killing of Hawks! Aftervirtually admitting the economic value ofthe birds b\' saying that at this season they"congregate on the meadows where foodplentiful''(he does not add that the "food"consists of meadow mice) he proceeds togive suggestions for the best way to shootthese "feathered sharks," and this, be itfurther notetl. In the mating and breedingseason! One wonders that so obvious aslip escaped the editorial eye.In The Flight of the Osprey Alfred ' ' J.Meyer shows a number of very Interestingphotographs of Ospreys on the wing.Houghton, Mifflin & Co., willispublishshortly 'A Handbook of Birds of the WesternUnited States,' by Mrs. Florence MerriamBailey. This greatly needed book will includethe birds west of the looth meridianand contain over 500 illustrations, the principalones by Louis Agassiz f^iertes.The Bioi.ogicai. Survey of the U. S.Dept. of Agriculture has recently issued arevised edition of Its Bulletin No. 12, 'Legislationfor the Protection of Birds other thanCiame Birds,' by Dr. T. S. Palmer. Thisadmirable and useful publication not onlypresents the federal and state laws relatingto non-game birds, but treats of such alliedmatters as Birds in Captivity,' Birds used' 'for Millinery Purposes,' Bird Study in the'Schools,' Biril anil Arbor Day Laws,' etc.,and is therefore irulispensaiile to every oneactively Interested In bird protection.'OiR Bird Friends," a game of bird cards,seems unusually well designed to arouse inchildren an iiiti-lliirds.

70 Bird- LoreA Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIESEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. IV Published April 1. 1902 No. 2SUBSCRIPTION RATESPrice ill the United States, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue, NewVork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,Macmillan and Company, Ltd., London.COPYRIGHTED, 1902, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.Bird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in the Bush is H'orlh Two in the Hand.Bird-Lore has published no more helpfularticles for field students than Mr. Brewster's'Voices of a New England Marsh,'to which we gladly devote a large part ofthis number, postponing to a subsequentissue other articles announced for April.The Cat QuestionThe most important problem confrontingbird protectors to-day is the devising ofa proper means for the disposition of thesurplus cat population of this country. Bysurplus population we mean that very largeproportion of cats which do not receive thecare due a domesticated or pet animal andwhich are, therefore, practically dependenton their own efforts for food.We are not prepared at present to givethis subject the attention it deserves, but theintroduction of a bill in the Massachusettslegislature to require the licensing of catsimpels us to say a word in favor of a measurewhich we havelong thought would gofar toward solving the cat problem.In the absence of data showing the numberof cats in this country, common knowledgeof Tabby's favored place on everyhearth-stone, together withher well-knowntalent for the reproduction of her kind, permitsus to form some conception of herabundance ; and a further knowledge ofher widespread distribution in held andforest would add largely to our most conservativeestimate of her numbers. In ourown opinion there are not less than twentyfivemillion cats in the United States andthere may be double that number.How many of these cats are domesticated,in the true sense of the word, and howmany gain their living by the strength oftheir claws we cannot say, but, in any event,it should be remembered that oceans ofcream and miles of blue ribbon have notsubdued Pussy's instincts for the chase nordestroyed her skill as a hunter. A housecathas been actually known to kill fiftybirds in a season and a naturalist, thanwhom none is better qualified to judge,believes that five hundred thousand birdsare annually killed by cats in New Englandalone ! Apply these figures to the cats andthe country at large and the result is appalling.We would not, however, urge the exterminationof cats. Wholly aside from thepleasure they give tolovers of pets, cats arethe natural enemies of those other introducedevils, rats and mice. The cat is an automatic,self-setting mouse-trap and as suchshe commends herself to housekeepers whoperhaps may not be otherwise favorablyimpressed by her peculiar personality.But we do strongly advocate such a reductionof the cat population as would followthe passage of this proposed Massachusettslaw with its required annual licensingof cats, its fine imposed on cat owners whodo not comply with its provisions, andits instructions to the proper authorities tokill all non-licensed cats.Such a law should be supported not onlyby bird lovers but by cat lovers. By theformer because the restriction of the catpopulation to the well-fed Tabby of thefireside would not only greatly reduce thecat population, but would, or should, doaway with its worst element, tne cats whohunt for a living. It should be supportedby the latter because its enforcement wouldput an end to the existence of the manystarving, homeless felines of our citieswhose happiest fate is sudden death.

" You cannot 7vith a scalpel find the poet' s soul,Nor yet the wild bird's sotig."Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.After Legal Protection, What?It is recognizee! that giving the bird legalprotection against unnecessary death is thefirst step toward establishing its citizenshipin the commonwealth, and it is equallywell understood that the judicious readingand enforcement of the law is not to bemerely the work of a few years but theduty of successive generations. Moreover,if legal protection was a deed accomplished,instead of an uneven and local "

72 Bird - Loreout the varieties of trees that attracted themand the causes that have driven them away.The winter-killing of hemlock hedge, thickas a wall, the replacing of a tangle of oldspireas and weigelias by trim individualshrubs, the death, from the approach of tillage,of a crown of cedars that made a bluegreenspot above the snow in a waste pasture,the formalizing of a cat-tail and bushfringed spring to be a cement-edged duckpond—allhave their tale to tell. Theformer of the slothfuiness of man, who doesnot replace, as nature, inexorable, does, thelatter the taint of commercialism where it isso often unnecessary, the trade spirit thatinsists upon a material yield instead of thericher one of beauty.Any one can buy good fat ducks at somuch per pound in the market, but moneyalone cannot create the pool that sends outthe hylas' greeting in March and from itssheltering trees and bushes the music ofRed-wing, Marsh Wren, Water Thrush,and Veery echoes through the spring dawnsand twilights. I am very glad that I shallnot be alive when the world's water is allutilized, the marshes drained, the weeds subdued,a universal insecticide invented, allwaste-land reclaimed. What a horrible,lonely, selfish world it will be.If you replant from the bird standpoint,beside trees you must have bushes and vinesin a four to one proportion.The bird may sing in a lofty tree top anda few species nest there, but it is either closeto the ground in the ^mall tree, or impenetrablebush or hedge that is the nestingplace, the waiting room where it rests betweenexcursions for food and during rainyweather.As a part of our families are winter residentsthere should be evergreens with thelower branches left to trail on the ground, aswell as other thick underbrush for shelter.Neatness, cutting up, and relentless pruningand shaping of shrubs and trees aredoubtless very moral processes in their wayand may be sometimes necessary when insectsand blight gain mastery in a garden, just asdisinfecting fluids are in an epidemic, butthey are quite as offensive to birds as popguns.The taller deciduous trees, elms, maples,birches, etc., offer in summer the shelter ofshade and the food always to be found inthe greenery and bark covering of branches,but during family life it is in the lower fruittrees full of convenient nesting places ofknot-holeand crotch where the majority ofbirds congregate. And after a storm thebirds may always be seen flying from the lowevergreens and wild hedges."But," you say, "we cannot plant oldorchards." No, but every village shouldcherish the few that remain as public aviaries.For nowhere else can those familiarbirds, so dear to us all, be sheltered, and ifthe orchard is inclosed by a stone wall orsnake fence in whose protection a hedgeof aspens, sumachs, red cedar, hackbeiry,elder and wild roses, barberries and tallblackberries has sprung up, with all thebranches trimmed and draped by clingingvines, fox, and frost grapes, waxwork,Virginia creeper, clematis.Such a place is a birds" paradise, and inplanting to please the birds keep it in mind.Small places can easily be fenced bj' eitherarborvitae, hemlock, or privet hedges;stonewalls concealed and beautified by berrybearingbushes, and by vines that not onlyoffer shelter but food as well.Lacking wildvines, plant nursery stock; half a hundreilplants of Concord grapes may be cheaplyhad and scattered liberally about the fencesand outbuildings of every modest home.Then there is the cheerful Chinese honeysucklethat is sturdy and stout of limb. Iwould have you plant it everywhere as Ihave, until it riots and flourishes over porch,trellis, walls, bushes and in masses on theground, like the veriest weed.A clean vine is this honeysuckle, and onethat never injures the painted house wallagainst which it may be trained ; its flowers,beginning in June, give a tropic quality tothe night air, offer a feast alike to the Humming-birdsby day and the night-flyinghawk moths. The leaves of dark richgreen give shelter from heat and cold andcling on bravely until past midwinter,March even finding some still clinging tothe south porch. As for the glisteningblackberries, many a breakfast do they give

The Audubon Societies 73to the winter birds that roost in the impenetrablelattice. And as for the vine as abreeding haunt I have found in variousseasons the Robin, Catbird, Yellow Warbler,Song Sparrow, Rosebreast, Chippy,Wood Thrush, Maryland Yellow-Throat,Thrasher, Towhee, Indigo Bird and FieldSparrow nesting in my honeysuckles, some ofwhich are near the house or in the garden,while that chosen by Rosebreast andThrasher was an old resident that had appropriateda tangle of briars and pea brush.By all means plant hedges and vines, especiallyhoneysuckles. Many people dislikeevergreens of all kinds, considering thembloomy in appearance and shutters out ofair. That they are wind-breaks is certain,hence their value. What promises warmershelter from a storm of sleet and snow thanan arborvita; hedge ? What offers a betterretreat to the Grosbeak, Crossbill, PineSiskin, Brown Creeper and other winterbirds than a finely-grown group of whitespruces?Here are shelter and food at once,the sweetest of meat tucked away betweenthe scales of the spruce cones. Of a snowymorning what more cheery sight than thesesame spruces standing green and braveabove the whiteness, while the Crossbillsshell the cones with that peculiar rustlingsound and call and whisper over the breakfast?By all means plant evergreens in hedgesand groups, and do not trim them into theshape of those top-heavy trees found in theNoah's Ark of your youth imless you yourselfare willing to wear the costume the toymaker gave Shem, Ham and Japhet, tokeep them company. The (juestion ofplanting wild fruits to divert the birds'appetite from cultivated crops, as well as thematter of the various foods to lie issued asratiims in time of need, have brought outmany interesting and instructive papers,though some of them are rather nusleadingand complicated.The diHiculty about the general use ofwild fruits as a counter attraction to thegarden is that the garden varieties of aspecies come into bearing first, though in asuccession the tame may overlap the wild.A robin will hardly leave a tree ofluscious garden cherries for the less attractivethimbleberries of the wild hedge.Then, too, there are several wild fruits ofan undoubted attraction in luring birds thathave in themselves bad qualities for neighbors.The black wild cherry, Primus 'virginiana,that is found in 'oearing inSouthern New England in all sizes from abush to a sizable tree, is sure to be thegathering point for the fruit-eating flocksof midsummer and early autumn, and Iharbor a tree of this species in full view ofmy garden house. The tree was there firstand I respect its priority, and many interestingscenes of bird life have been enactedin it, but I would never advise the plantingof the species for two reasons : It is a chosenbreeding-place of the tent caterpillar, andthis scourge may be seen traveling over thecountry and spreading from orchard toorchard via the wild cherry; and, secondly,the tree branches in a withered state are inthe ranks of "plants poisonous to cattle."And if for the sake of the birds these cherriesare miscellaneously planted along bywaysand pasture fences and cattle nibblethe windbroken branches, the drying up ofmilk and often death is the result of thischerry's toxic qualities. As for bird rations,bones, suet, bread, seeds, nuts, etc., all havetheir place, but I have found a universal foodfor all seasons and for both seed- and insecteatingbirds, Spratt's dog and puppy biscuits!I say that I found it? No, thebirds found it for themselves anil three yearsago first drew my attention by the way inwhich they flocked about thekennels wherethe bits and crumbs were swept out andtrodden into the gravel. The biscuits arecompounded of meat scraps, coarse grainand beet fibre, and each bird selects whatitneetls.In spring I have seen Redstarts, Nhrtleand Chestnut-sided Warblers picking upthis kennel dust close by my window,half biscuits tied to trees attract Wood-(jeckers, Nuthatches, Chickailees anil Creepers,riie finely- powdered fragments spreadon a shed and in the crevices of some flatrocks in the old pasture are eaten freely byMeadowlarks, and only yesterday I saw aHlue Jay carrying small bits from a puppy's

74 Bird-Loredish to the shed corner wliere he first heat,and then devoured them imich as lie wouldbeech mast. M. O. W.FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AUDU-BON SOCIETY OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIAThe Audubon Society of the District ofColumbia, the eighth on the list of societiesnow represented in twenty-five stales, wasorganized in May, 1897. The society hasgrown steadily in number, interest, and incomeuntil the membership has reached 252,of whom 90 are contributing members.The objects of the society, the study andthe protection of birds, have been lived upto thoroughly. For the study of birds duringthis last year good work has been donein the schools. Before the Normal Schoolone informal talk was given by Dr. T. S.Palmer and one by Dr. Sylvester D. Judd.A class of teachers was organized in thespring and conducted by Miss Elizabeth V.Brown. Six weeks' study was given tosong birds. The society's collection of specimenswas used by this class and was alsoloaned to the Cathedral School for Girls.During the year 1901 seven meetingswere held, including the Annual Meeting,at which illustrated addresses were given byMr. Frank M. Chapman on the 'Colors ofBirds,' and by Dr. T. S. Palmer on 'RecentProgress in Bird Protection,' threemembers' meetings in March, April andDecember, and three Field meetings inMay, the last one at Glencarlyn, Virginia.This beautiful and romantic region wasexplored during the afternoon and in theevening, in the town hall, an enthusiasticmeeting was held which resulted in the organizationof the Audubon Society of Glencarlyn,the first in the state of Virginia.In May Miss Cady, of New York, gave apiano recital in aid of the society.The work in legislation has been unusuallyactive. Through the cooperation ofthe Fish and Game Association, the committeeon legislation secured the enactmentof a new bird law which protects, throughoutthe year, all wild birds except gamebirds and five injurious species. Throughthe Superintendent of Police formal noticewas served on nearly all local millinerscalling their attention to the fact that thenew law prohibits the sale of plumage ofnative birds and advising them to returnsuch stock to the wholesale houses withexplanations that its sale has become unlawfulin the District. Assistance was renderedthe Glencarlyn Society in its organizationand in framing a bill for the protectionof birds, which was introduced at theopening of the Virginia legislature in December,1901.Publications for the past year have been'Laws for the Protection of Birds and Eggsin the District of Columbia,' and a short'Sketch of the Life of John James Audubon.'The fifth Annual Meeting was held onJanuary 27, 1902. After the election ofofficers, Mr. Harry C. Oberholser spoke onthe'Pleasures and Advantages of BirdStudy.' He illustrated his remarks withnumerous views of young birds, nests andeggs and emphasized the fact that thepoetry in birds cannot be appreciated withoutfamiliarity with them and their habits.After the lecture Mr. Olds explained theobjects of the society and advantages ofmembership.The meetings outlined for the season includea public lecture in March by Dr.Francis Herrick, members' meetings inFebruary and April, followed by field excursionsin May.Jeanie Mary Patten, Secretary.Meeting of the Audubon NationalCommitteeA meeting of the National Committee ofthe Audubon Societies will be held at theAmerican Museum of Natural History, NewYork City, at 10 o'clock on the morning ofApril 4.A New Audubon SocietyProf. r. CJilbert Pearson, of the StateNormal and Industrial College, at Greensboro,North Carolina, writes that a NorthCarolina Audubon Society was formed atthat place on March 11, with a chartermembership of 140.Details of the Society'sorganization will be announced later.

.L-l AMJ H,i_,.- ill i^llLbl.NL J-SIDEI) WAKCLLRFrom nature, by A. Radclyfle Dugniorc

iSirli-toreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSOfficial Organ of the:Audubon SocietiesVol. IV May — June, 1902 No. 3The Increase of the Chestnut-sided WarblerBY A. RADCLYFFE DUGMOREWith photographs from Nature by the AuthorANY one who observes the birds of a locality for many years in succes-^^j^ sion will notice that certain birds become more abundant, andothers less so, as years go by, and that while one bird will be verycommon for several years, there will perhaps be a year when this particularspecies will be comparatively scarce. In the region about South Orange,New Jersey, particularly the part known as the 'Mountain,' the Field andSong Sparrows are usually very abundant during the breeding season, butlast year (1901) they were scarcely as common as the Blue-wingedWarblers and Maryland Yellow-throats. Brown Thrashers, also, wereless common than they have been during my stay in South Orange; whileIndigo Birds, Ovenbirds, and several other species were remarkably common.But what has been most noticeable about the bird -life of this particularlocality is the rapid and steady increase of the Chestnut -sidedWarblers. It has been interesting to watch the increasing number ofthese delightful birds. In the summer of 1897, the first year that I didany systematic bird work in this locality, these birds were so little in evidencethat I did not observe a single specimen. That they might havebeen there is, of course, more than probable, but tiiey must have beenextremely scarce, for during the breeding season 1 spent a good deal oftime in likely places and yet never even heard their song, which is quiteconspicuous whenever the bird is nesting.The following year, in a certain large clearing (about a ciuarter of amile square) that is well covered with thick umlerbrush and a youngsecond growth of chestnut and oak, I noticed one pair on Ma\ i. Fhemale bird was then in full song, and three weeks later the birds had commencedbuilding. During this same summer I saw one pair in anotherclearing that was situated within half a mile of the place in which I hail

78 Bird -Loreseen the first pair. In 1899 the larger clearing already referred to containedthree pairs, all of which nested and two of the broods were hatched,and. I believe, left their nests at the proper time, but the third nest wasdestroyed. In other clearings, within a distance of a mile or so, therewere a few Chestnut -sided Warblers, but they were by no means common.Each of the several clearings, except one, had a pair of the birdsthat I knew of, perhaps they had more; but I doubt it, as I spent theentire time from May till August in the vicinity and visited each localityseveral times every week.In 1900 the Warblers were comparatively common, every clearingCHESTNUT-SIDED WARBl.LK A N U MJLNt,containing several pairs, and last summer they were still more abundant,four pairs occupying a clearing of only a few acres, while in the largeclearing there were more than could be counted with accuracy; probablynot less than seven or eight pairs.What has influenced the rapid increase of these birds in this particularlocality is difficult to discover. Apparently there have been no greatchanges so far as vegetation is concerned: the scrub is a little more dense,and the second growth somewhat higher, but to the eye it would be difficultto find any marked changes other than these. While we are unableto account for the increase of the Chestnut-sided Warblers, we find it

The Increase of the Chestnut-Sided Warbler 79equally difficult to give any reason for the marked decrease in the numberof the Brown Thrashers and apparent decrease in the Song Sparrows duringthe breeding season. The Thrashers used to be very common, butduring the past two years they have been, as already stated, noticeablyscarce.All the Chestnut-sided Warbler's nests that I have found in this regionin question, were placed in azalea and huckleberry bushes, mostly the former,and always within three and a half feet of the ground, usually verymuch lower. The situation chosen was in most instances near a fair-sizedtree, not one being found in the more open part of the clearing. Aboutchestm; iMDHi) wAKiu.KK ri:f;i)i N(; hi;k votng o\ the aithors handthe last week in April the birds arrive and their nests are built betweenMay 20 and the middle of June. The nest, which requires from two tofour days to buiKI, is composed of light -colored plant -fiber and bark, witha lining of very fine grass and roots.Notwithstanding all that has been said about the extreme tameness of thesebirds, those that I have seen were very much less confiding than the Hluewingcdand Worm -eating Warblers. in trving to secure photographs othem with their young I met with most scanty success, in spite of theiiiaiiN hours spent in the attempts. Once the young had left the nest theold birds seemed to lose some of their shyness, and in one case I succeedednot onl\' in obtaining photographs of the parent hirtl with its young perched

8oBird- Loreon a bush, but also on ni\- hand. But at no time would the male bird comenear, and the female showed a strons^ dislike to both the camera and me.Perhaps I judge these birds too harshly; if so, it is because of the goodluck I have had with such birds as the Blue-winged Warblers. In everyinstance I have found the latter extremely tame, and with one pair in particular.Scarcely an hour after finding a nest the parent bird perched onmy hand, and several times have I had both of the old birds on my handand shoulder. After experiences of this sort one does not consider a birdtame unless it shows an utter lack of fear for both man and the camera.CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER FEEDING HER YOUNG ON THE AUTHOR'S HANDThe Chebec's First BroodWHENBY FRANCIS H. HERRICK (Author of The Home Life ' of Wild Birds')With Photographs from Nature by the Authorwe reached Tilton and Northfield, in New Hampshire, earlylast summer, the little Chebecs were nesting in the apple treesabout our house. In looking over my notes for that period I findrecords of six of their nests. The eggs and young found in five of themduring the month of June presumably represented first broods, while therecould be as little doubt that the five eggs which a single nest contained onJuly lO were a second batch.One of the nests was moved, with its branch, to a good light and positionwhere the simple home life of these little Flycatchers could be watchedand registered with ease. I was, therefore, interested in comparing myexperience, a brief account of which is soon to follow, with that of Mr.' 'Hoffmann, whose article on A Chebec's Second Brood appeared in BlRD-LoRE for October, 1901. His nest, which was first transferred from its

The Chebec's First Brood 8ioriginal support to another and afterwards moved to a greater distance,unhappily encountered a thunderstorm which killed one of the young andthreatened to destroy the whole brood. Wind and rain, as every studentof birds knows, play sad havoc with eggs and nestlings, but the destructionwrought by sudden and violent storms is well-nigh incredible. I have seena Chebec's nest which had suffered from this cause, and found two of theyoung lying dead on the ground below, although the supporting bough wasunusually firm. Mr. Hoffmann's birds evidently had not fully adopted thenew site when the storm came: and in such a case, if one is fortunate inbeing near the spot, he can do no better than follow his example and returnthe nest and branch to its original position, or to a convenient place ofshelter.Whatever means we adopt to study birds, we should try to help ratherthan hamper them in the battle for life, and we deserve little credit if wecan only saythat we have introduced no greater dangers than already exist.Let us rather aim to lessen the dangers which surround every nest of wildbirds whenever possible, and this can usually be accomplished by a simplemeans to be described later.The nest, which was watched for nearly a month and is shown in thephotographs, had slightly incubated eggs on June 9. The female wouldsometimes hold her place until \our hand was dangerously near, and thengo off quietly, or dart at your head with audible snapping of the bill, andgive her sharp, protesting chebec! chebec! The scenes at a Chebec's nestare never very exciting: their life follows a well-defined routine which possiblyseems more mechanical than it really is. Though small in stature,obscure in dress, and possessed of no song, this Flycatcher can at leastboast of clean-cut, unmistakable call-notes.Eleven days later, at 3.15 P. M.,ayoung bird had just hatched and wasstill wet, the egg-shells having been promptly removed. At least twentyfourhours elapsed before the three others appeared.This nest was taken down at 2 o'clock in the afternoon of June 29,accortiing to the plan which 1 have followed for the past three summers,and have fully described in The Home Life of Wild Birds.' The weather'which followed was the most unfavorable I have ever known at thatperiod of summer, intense heat and sultriness streaked with rain, lastingwith scarcely a break well into July. At this time the first bird to hatchwas exactly nine da\s olii. Notwithstanding the ilrawbacks and the somewhatconspicuous position of the nesting bough, which attracteil many persons,who came out of curiosity to take a look at the little birds, everythingwent as well as could be wished. The young took flight on July S-life atthe nest having lasted exactly two weeks, and for at least eleven ila\s longer,true to their custom of cultivating a small plot of ground, they remainedclose to the original site when not in the olil roof -tree itself.

82 Bird -LoreThe mother was brooding when I took a look at the displaced boughone hour and a half after its removal from the tree, and next day at aboutnoon the young were being fed on the average of once every two minutes.Inspection and cleaning went on with the utmost regularity, and the maleCHEBEC ABOUT TO BROOD. AFTER HAVING FED AND INSPECTED HER YOUNGPhotographed with full lens and in 1-25 second, but with other conditions similar to those offollowing figurebrought food while his mate brooded or stood astride the nest with halfspread,drooping wings to ward of? the heat.The tent was pitched before this nest on July i, but being engagedin studying other birds at the time, I spent but part of two days in watchingthe nesting scenes. Notwithstanding the high wind on the first day,which kept the tent flapping like the sails of a vessel at sea, and every leafand twig in motion, the mother came to the bough promptly, and servedthe first meal to her young in exactly twenty minutes from the momentthe tent was closed. Again they were fed in a very short space, and in thethirty-four minutes which followed, during which I remained continuouslyin the tent, from 9.16 to 9.50 A. M., the young were fed with small insectstwenty -two times. The incisive chehec of the male sounded incessantlyfrom a neighboring apple tree, while at this juncture the female didall the work. At each visit the young rose up in the nest, displayed theirbright orange-yellow throats, and chirped briskU', producing a kind of rollingchitter or seething chorus of sounds. The four swayed about from side to

The Chebec's First Brood 83side as one bird, until the intensity of their emotion was relieved bj^ a smalldragonfly or moth, or by any insect which these expert flycatchers chancedto spy and snap up on the wing. Inspection followed each feeding withthe usual precision, and the excreta was often taken and removed to a distancefrom the nest.When the feeding and inspection were over, if the heat were excessive,the mother would stand astride, spread her wings over the youngsters andremain in this position with crest erect and often with the mouth agapefor five or ten minutes at a time. Then of a sudden she is off; her eyeis keen, and her aim is sure; with a snap the mandibles close over thehelpless insect, and rapidly describing a graceful loop in the air, this birdis at the nest again with the prey. If you showed yourself outside thetent, both birds would flit about excitedly, erecting crests, pumping tails,turning heads from side to side and sounding their chebecs or chicks withrenewed emphasis, but would return to their accustomed duties the momentyou disappeared beneath the screen.The next day being still hotter, the young were brooded almost constantlyuntil twelve minutes past noon, before they got a morsel of food.The timidity of the male was most marked, for he rarely came to the nestwhen the tent was before it. Although the parental instincts are commonlystronger in the female, this is not always the case. In a family ofBluebirds which I studied last summer the male was not only fearless butpugnacious to a remarkable degree. Shooting from his lofty perch straightat every intruder, with loud and angry snapping of the bill, he would makethe boldest person involuntarily duck hishead.Another brood was successfully reared in a tree at the top of the hill.Incubation began about June 7, the voung were hatched by the 20th, andwere on the wing by July 5.During the past summer I have taken special precautions for the safety ofthe young, and added a number of improvements or refinements to the generalmethod, only one of which can be mentioned here. The nest, with itssupports, when removed and set up in a favorable position for study, shouldbe protected by a screen of fine wire netting three or four feet in heightand pinned to the ground with wire staples. It is better to allow a stripto hang more or less free from the top. The reader shouKI not trust tooconfidently the remark in 'The Home Life of Wild Birds' that cats andother predaceious animals look upon the displaced nest as a trap and studiouslyavoid it, for other animals get accustomed to new conditions as dothe birds, and no nest of young is ever absolutely safe. The net may betrusted to debar the cat, the most fatal and persistent of the many enemiesof nestlings in the neighborhood of towns ; it discourages the squirrelwhose pickings and stealings are far from unimportant, and tends to deterthe more suspicious Crow and Jav.

84 Bird -LoreThere is one advantage which this new method of studying birdsaffords which has not been adequately set forth— that of learning withprecision the kind of food brought to nestlings. A skilled observer canstand in his tent and note every kind of fruit and every species of insectbrought to the nest, excepting comparatively rare cases when the prey ismutilated or pulverized before it is served. Hitherto information on thishead has been very meager because of the uncertainty of watching nestingbirds at a distance. If, on the other hand, a young bird is killed in orderto examine the contents of its stomach, the possibility of continued observation,which alone can yield much information of value, is at oncedestroyed. One can, indeed, take the young from the nest and placethem in a cage suspended near the nesting bough, or cage the fledglings,and this is but another way of applying the method which uses parentalinstinct as a chain between old and young.The nest with all its surroundings is of less importance to the adultbirds than is commonly supposed, especially when the instinct to nourishand protect the young is at its height. During the past three summers Ihave studied forty nests of wild birds by the method of controlling thesite, and using the tent for a blind, while the accidents, which camemainly from inexperience, could be counted on the fingers of one hand.When we think of the thousands of eggs taken each year by the misguidedcollectors, or the hundreds of birds shot to see what they have in theirstomachs, this record seems fairly good, but it does not satisfy me. Thedeath roll which science exacts is already large enough. In our studies ofanimal behavior it is life and not death which we wish to perpetuate.FEMALE CHEBEC, OR LEAST FLYCATCHKK. SIANDINC; WITH WINGS SPREADOVER HER YOUNG TO WARD OFF THE HEATLens, Zeiss Anastigmat, Series iia, 6'^ inch, speed /8, stop ?2, time 1-5 second, distance about30 inches in full sun. Northfield. N. H. July 2, lyoi

—The Wood Thrush and the Whip-poor-willBY GARRETT NEW KIRKWhen the faintest flush of morningOvertints the distant hill,// you waken ,// you listen.You may hear thewhip-poor-will.Like an echo from the darkness,Strangely wild across the glen,Sound the notes of his finale,And the woods are still again.Soon upon the dreamy silenceThere will come a gentle trill.Like the whisper of an organ,Or the murmurOf a rill.And then a burst of music.Swelling forth upon the air.Till the melody of morningSeems to come from everywhere.A thrush, as if awakened byThe parting voice of night.Gives forth a joyous welcome toThe coming of the light.In early evening twilightAgain the wood thrush sings.Like a voice of inspirationWith the melody of strings;A song of joy ecstatic,And a vesper hymn of praise,For the glory of the summerAnd the promise of the days.(85)And uhen his song is endeil.And all the world grows still,As if but just awakened.Calls again the whip- poor- wil

LASTA Grebe ColonyBY GERARD A. ABBOTTspring, while on a collectinfi trip in North Dakota, the writerwas encamped for a month on a narrow neck of land, surroundedon three sides by a chain of lakes. This point was covered with asmall growth of timber, mostly poplars, and was an ideal spot for a camp.A strip of wild rice from fifty to one hundred and fifty yards wide borderedthe lake at this place, and it is here that one of the largest Grebe coloniesin the UeviPs Lake region is located. Fifteen hundred birds composed thiscolony, two-thirds of which were Western Grebes, and the other fivehundred consisted chiefly of American Eared Grebes, although there wasan occasional Pied Grebe among them.May 15 Western Grebes commenced laying, and June i breeding wasat its height. Their nests were huge masses of decayed vegetation, floatingamong the wild rice (which at this time was eight feet high). Threeto six, and occasionally seven and eight eggs were found in a nest.The little Eared Grebes were, breeding on the border of the WesternGrebes' colony, and so numerous were they that it was impossible to enterthe colony without brushing against some of their nests and disturbing theeggs. The Eared Grebes were about ten days later in laying, but theirperiod of incubation was evidently shorter, for young birds were hatchedequally as soon as those of the larger species.When we slowly made our way into the colony (for the canes werevery dense, and the water from two and one -half to four feet deep) thebirds splashed on all sides of us, and the sound produced, as the voices ofthe Eared Grebes mingled with those of the larger species, was almostdeafening. The piercing cries of the Eared Grebe were soon drowned bythe shrill notes of their larger relatives, who kept up this clamor all night,renewing it at daylight with increased vigor.Travelers crossing the country often hear strange sounds coming fromthe lakes a mile or more distant. Listen! it is a multitude of voices, andsounds not unlike the croaking of prairie frogs in some near-by marsh.Those are the notes of the Western Grebe, and when heard, especially atnight, produce an effect unlike any other experienced by the ornithologist.In such a colony more or less confusion always exists. When weapproached the nests of the Western Grebe the big birds would sometimesallow us almost to touch them before making any effort to leave their nest.When thus disturbed, Western Grebes usually take to the open water,where they soon become scattered in all directions.Eared Grebes were seldom seen on their nests, but when disturbedwould remain in the vicinity of their eggs, constantly swimming by us ingroups of three or four, and sometimes diving almost under our feet, so(86)

A Grebe Colony 87that we could feel them hitting our boots as they moved about under thewater.Nests of the Eared Grebe, unlike those of the Western Grebe, arevery rude affairs, scarcely large enough to hold the complement of eggs,which is usually from four to six, though seven and eight are frequentlylaid.Owing to the high seas which prevail on these small lakes, the eggsare often washed from their nests. The Eared Grebes then deposit theireggs in the nests of the Western Grebe, and this accounts for eggs of bothvarieties being found in the same nest, which is often the case.We found dead bodies of both species lying on, or near, their nests.They all bore signs of having been wounded, probably the result of anencounter arising from a dispute as to which was the rightful owner of thepremises.Emerging from the wild rice, we entered the brush and found ourselveson a narrow ridge overlooking a shallow, grassy slough. This is the homeof Holboells' Grebe and the Pied Grebe, whose breeding habits are verysimilar. These two Grebes, in marked contrast to the preceding species,are quite retiring in their habits, especially Holbcrll's Grebe, which is asolitary bird.When the young are hatched they are carried about on the backs ofthe old birds. When alarmed the old one disappears under water like aflash, coming to the surface fifty yards away, with the little fellows stillclinging on for dear life and apparently none the worse for their ducking.The Pied Grebe breeds early, laying from five to nine eggs in a smallfloating nest, composed of weeds, debris and mosses, mixed with mud.Their eggs are badly stained,usually more so than any of the other Grebes.1 never saw this bird on its nest, although we frequently disturbed thesitting birds before they had time to take the usual precaution of coveringtheir eggs. When thus disturbed Pied Grebes usually remain in thevicinity of their nest, sometimes venturing quite close to the intruder, theirbrown eyes sparkling like beads, when suddenly they give an alarming'Vluck " and disappear with a splash. The nests of Holbcpll's, or theRed-necked Grebe, are loosely constructed of grass and aquatic plants, andusually contain five to eight eggs each. These birds are very sh\ antl 1never saw them near their nests, except when the young were hatching.Ihcy do not ili\e like the other members of the famil\ , but seem to sinkbeneath the water. scarceK causing a ripple.

.Jfor Ceacljer^ anti ^tutientfi^How to Name the BirdsSTUDIES OF THE FAMILIESBY FRANK M. CHAPMANFOURTH PAPERFamily 7. Tanagers. Tana^ridie.OF PASSERESRange.— Tanagers are characteristic birds of the American tropics.Only four of the some 350 known species regularly reach the United States,and but two of these are found east of the Mississippi.Season. —Like most of our representatives of tropical families Tanagersare highly migratory; all our species winter south of the United States.The Scarlet Tanager, the only species found regularly north of Maryland,reaches the latitude of New York City about May 5 and remains untilOctober iColor.—Tanagers are remarkable for the brilliancy of their colors, towhich, in connection with their abundance, is largely due the popular butSCARLET TANAGER, Family Tanagrida;One-third natural sizeerroneous idea that the majority of tropical birds are brightly colored. As arule the male is much more conspicuously colored than the female. On acquiringhis full plumage— usually in his first spring— his color may not againvary appreciably, as with our Summer Tanager, or it may be changed after(88)

;How to Name the Birds 89breeding to one resembling that of the female, which is worn until thefollowing spring when, by molt, the brighter plumage is regained, as withour ScarletTanager.External Structure. — The typicalTanager is a Finch with a somewhatswollen bill,arched culmen, 'toothed 'upper mandible and straight, not angulated,commissure. To draw a hardand fast line between the Finches and ^Sparrows, however, is impossible. Some isystematists consider certain species sTanagers, while others regard them as §Finches, but the members of the genusPiranga may readily be known by thecharacters of the bill above mentioned.Appearance and Habits. — Tanagersare active, arboreal creatures and themales, at least, are generally conspicu- o :ous and easily observed. ^1Song. —Asa family, Tanagers can- s.•not be called musical. Many species ^have feeble and others sharp, discordantvoices. Our Scarlet Tanager takesrather high rank among his kind as ajsinger, but, in my experience, the bestsingers of the genus are the members ;of the genus Euponia in which the :osong, though weak, is very sweet and;varied.\HFa.mii.y 8. Swallows. IlirutiJiniJif.'!^Range. — Swallows are found nearl\throughout the world, New Zealandalone of the larger land areas beingwithout a representation of the group.Of the 80 -odd known species some32 inhabit the western hemisphere Iwhere they range from (Greenland fand Alaska to Patagonia, and ten of %these occur in the United States.Nine species have been recordedfrom east of the Mississippi, but two^

—goBird- Loreof these are West Indian species which have been observed but once andthat in the Tortugas at the extreme west end of the Florida Keys.Season. — Coincident with the wide distribution and insect-eating habitsSwallows are highly migratory. Only one species winters in the easternUnited States; this, the Tree Swallow, is therefore, as might be expected,the first of its family to appear in the spring, reaching the latitude of NewYork City about April 5 and remaining until the latter half of Octoberafter all other members of its family have departed.Color. — W^hile varying somewhat widely in color Swallows, as a rule,agree in having their colors distributed in solid masses, and there is anTheabsence of streaks and spots, each feather being usually of one color.steel blue or green of our Barn or Tree Swallows is characteristic of manyspecies.External Structure. — Long pointed wings, small feet, short, weak,hooked bills and wide gaps cut back nearly, if not quite to the eyes, with anotched, and sometimes deeply forked tail are the obvious external charactersof Swallows.Appearance and Habits.— Swallows are birds of the air, feeding on thewing aud doubtless covering every day more miles than some terrestrialspecies do in a season. Their power of flight is synonymous with speedand grace, but when on the ground they are correspondingly weak andawkward, the wings apparently having been developed at the expense ofthe feet.Son^. — While not considered song birds some species of Swallowsnotably our Barn Swallow— have bright and cheery call notes or twitteringsongs which are often quite as pleasing as more ambitious vocal efforts.Family 9. Waxwings. Ampelidrr.Range.—This family contains onlythe Japanese Waxwing of Japan andeastern Siberia, the Bohemian Waxwing, which inhabits the northern partsof both hemispheres, and our Cedar Waxwing, which ranges over thegreater part of North America.Season. — The Cedar Waxwing is a permanent resident from Virginianorthward, but of irregular occurrence in the northern portion of its rangeduring the winter. The Bohemian Waxwing is a very rare winter visitant.Color.—The Waxwings are rich grayish brown, and the adults are distinguishedby having sealing-wax -like tips on the secondaries and yellowbands at the end of the tail.External Structure.—With the Waxwings the wings are rather long andpointed, the bill short and rather stout; the head is crested, and the feathersof the lores are black and velvety.Appearance and Habits. — Except when nesting, Waxwings are usuallyfound in small flocks the members of which seem to be animated by one

How to Name the Birds 91mind. They perch closely together, sitting quietly, but raising and loweringthe crest interrogatively. At certain seasons, usually late summer, theyare active as Flycatchers, and may then be seen darting out into the airand su^inging back to the starting point.Son^.—Our Cedar Waxvving is practically songless. A wheezy whistle,usuall\' uttered as the birds take flight, is its principal note.Family 10. Shrikes. LaniidiP.Ranfre.— Only two of the some 200 species belonging to this family arefound in America, its remaining representatives being distributed over thegreater part of the eastern hemisphere.Season. —Our winter Shrike is the Northern or Butcher Bird whichcomes in October and remains until spring. In the summer we may lookCKDAR U AXWING. Family .imrrliJaOtu-lhird natural sizefor the Loggerhead, a bird of peculiar distribution which breeds in theSouth Atlantic States and the Mississippi X'alley and eastward through centraland northern New ^Ork to northern New England, but is found onl\as a migrant from southern New Knglaml to N'irginia.(.'o/or. — Our two Shrikes .irc nuicli alike in color, being gra\ ish above and

92 Bird - Lorewhitish below, but the Butcher Bird has the under parts generally barredwith black and the lores grayish.External Structure. —A strongly hooked, hawklike bill is the chief characteristicof the true Shrikes and is clearly related to their raptorial habits.The feet, however, are more passerine in form and evidently lack sufficientNORTHERN SHRIKE. Family LaniidaOne-third natural sizeStrength to enable the bird to hold its prey while it is being dissected.Hence the habit of impaling. See Bird-Lore H, 195, where, in describingthe actions of a captive Northern Shrike, Mrs. Webster clearlyshows that the bird requires some object on which to impale its foodbefore devouring it.Appearance and Habits. — Shrikes are solitary and never abundant, but areeasily observed because of their habit of taking a conspicuous perch. Theflight is direct and generally concluded by an abrupt upward swing as thebird takes its perch. Their prey is generally captured by a flight straightfrom the perch and is sometimes impaled on a thorn, sharp twig or barbedwire, or hung in a crotch.Song. — The Butcher Bird has a decidedly sweet, varied song of not greatvolume; the Loggerhead is an equally ambitious but less successful vocalist.

Young Observers' Prize Contest 93What Birdis This?Field Descripiion. — Lcnzlh 5-50 in. Crown streaked with black and greenish gray and with some partly concealedchestnut; back streaked black and greenish gray; white wing-bars, and white blotches on tail; below burfywhite with traces of chestnut chiefly along the sides.Note.—Each number of Bird-Lore will contain a photoj^raph, from specimens inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some comparatively little-known bird, orbird in obscure plumage, the name of which will be withheld until the succeedingnumber of the magazine, it being believed that this method of arousing the student'scuriosity will result in impressing the bird's characters on his mind far more stronglythan if its name were given with the picture.The species rigured in April is Brewster's Warbler, a supposed hybrid betweenthe Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers, of which over one hundred specimens areknown.The Young Observers' Prize ContestCircumstances prevent a report on the essays wliich have been receivedon the birds of February and March, but the prize winner will be announcedin our next issue.In the meantime we will remind those who are competing for theprize offered for the best notes on the birds of April and May that theiressays should be sent to the editor by June 15. We also now offer athird prize of a book or books to the value of two dollars for the bestseven- or ei^'ht- hundred -word article on the birds of [une and Iul\.

—;!LASTA Birds'Bathsummer I dui^ a little pond, about two feet wide, five feet longand two or three inches deep, back of our house. Into this I let thehose flow very slightly, the surplus water being carried by a littletrench which ran from the pond down into the woods where the water sankinto the earth.All along the trench and pond weeds sprang up and, bendingover, kept the place cool so that it offered a double attraction.The ne.xt day I made the pond about four times as big, and after that itwas as great an attraction to me as to the birds, and I would advise any onewho likes the birds around them to put out at least a shallow pan of waterwhich is changed four or five times a day.The elms and lindens in our neighborhood had been eaten terribly byworms, but soon after I made the pond the worms began to decrease, as theOrioles and Grosbeaks would go from the pond right into the trees and theretake their meals, making, as Mrs. Wright would say, 'very good CitizenBirds, paying their taxes every day.'Edmund B. Dibble, St. Paul, Minn.The Incredulous VeeryTwo hunters clianced one day to meetNear by a thicket woodThey paused each other there to greet,Both in a playful mood.Said one, "I had to wade a stream.Now, this you must not doubt.And when I reached the other shoreMy boots were full of trout."Whenjj! cried a Veery perched in viewTo hear if wliat they said were true. IVheifj!The other's whit was now well whet.Said he, "Let me narrate:I bought three hundred traps and setFor fur both small and great;Now, when next morning came, behold.Each trap contained a skin;And other disappointed gameStood waiting to get in."The astonished Veery whistled, Wheiv!I hardly think tliat story true. Wheiu! !!— Fi.oRF.NCE A. Van Sant.(94)

^ott& from iTielQ auD ^tudpA Home in a CellarThe Plictbe of which I am about towrite was first observed on April 12.Seven or eight days later its supposed matearrived, and it was amusing to see them asthey flew about together peering and examiningdifferent places near the house.Twoor three times I startled the pair by openinga door which leads from the kitchen to aback room or shed.In a week's time, after the arrival of themate, the building site was chosen, a smallboard projecting from a beam above a windowinside the cellar. Day after day theybrought grass, moss and mud and anoccasional feather until the structure wascomplete.We were in the haiiit of closing andlocking the cellar door as night drew near;but now that our feathered friends had constructedtiieir chjniicile in tlie cellar, we leftit open.On May 4 there was one pinkish whiteegg in the nest. The next day another waslaid, and so on until, on May 7, there werefour eggs. Then the intervention of oneday, and on May 9 there were five eggs inthe nest to be hatched. Then the femalewas confined more or less to the nest.After fourteen days there weretwD naki-dbirds; a few hours later, three; tiie nextmorning four, and later that morning, five.The parents were kept very busy bringinginsects ant! bugs to appease the hunger ofthe five little ones, which were soon clothedin a suit of feathers reseml>ling their parents',and also were fast filling their nest. Ithouglit that it was nearly time for them toHy, when a catastrophe befell tluin.One morning, fourteen days after theirbirth, I went to make my customary call,and not a young bird was to l>e seen andthe nest was torn to pieces. The poor parentsflew about crying piteously. I did notknow how to account for the accident unlesssome rat wa> the depredalor.Any other bird would not have stayed inthe vicinity after such a mishap. But thePhoebe, whose great characteristic is perseverance,did not allow such a calamity toutterly discourage her from rearing a brood.Two days were taken for mourning, andon June 10 they started with renewed vigorto build over a shelf at a short distance fromthe old site. They used what was left ofthe first nest and brought fresh material, untilin four days a new one was completedand one egg was deposited therein. ByJune 18, another set of five eggs had beenlaid, and incubation began once again.By this time the mother bird had becomeacquainted with me, and ate stunned insectswhich I had placed on the edge of the nest,while I stood near by.Another two weeks passed, and Jul}- ifound the eggs hatching. They one andall came at their respective time. The parentshad much the same duties to performas with the previous brood.Two weeks and five days elapsed, iluringwhich time the young had grown large andbecome feathered. Then came an importantepoch in their lives, the day for flying.After stretching and trying its wings, thefirst-born was ready to leave its home andwith the encouraging calls of its parentsHew fnitn the nest. It reached a clotheslinea few yards from the door, where it satl>alancing itself and jerking its queer shorttail. -Before nightfall its parents had inducedit to fly a little farther to a pear tree.Three more liirds had similar experiences.Ittook more coaxing and advising to gettiie youngest away from home. While sittingsleepily on tiie clotiies-line, a fly orsome insect chaiued to pass near iiis head.\'ery suddenly and unexpectedly he leapedinto the air. caught the insect, but was unalileto regain his alighting pl.ice ami wentfluttering to the grouiul. Luckily, no catwas near and his parents prompted him toflv into a pear tree. There he sat ciiattingvery contentedly at regaining a perch.(95)

96 Bird - LoreSo I watched this family until cooler daystold them that it was time to go southward.— E. Marion Whitten, BeJ/ord, Mass.Notes on theGolden-winged WarblerBooks tell us that the Golden-wingedWarbler is a rare bird or only locally common.I have been fortunate in lightingupon one of the chosen localities of thislittle-known bird, for it is really abundantat Rhinebeck, N. Y., where I have beenspending the past summer.On May 12 it was first seen, and soonafter the song of the male was learnetl. It^'

Notes from Field and Study 97others, develops a new song late in theseason.On the third day the bird left her nestwith the same precipitation as at the othervisits, making it entirely impossible to identifyher. I therefore hid myself in thethicket within sight of the nest. After aboutten minutes a female Golden-winged Warblercame creeping suspiciously toward methrough the branches, uttering low scoldnotes. Perceiving that I was discovered, Irose to change my hiding-place, and, as Ipassed the nest, was most grieved to findthat the young bird was dead—overcome bythe heat of the sun, for the nest was veryexposed. (I was careful not to cut away asingle leaf in photographing, and therefore,do not feel responsible for the young bird'sdeath.) The female soon deserted her badegg, and thus was cut short an acquaintancewhich I had hoped would prove most interesting.Although I never identified the bird actuallyat the nest— indeed I have never meta bird so timid — I feel justified in callingthe nest that of a Golden-winged Warbler,for the male was always close by, I saw thefemale, and there were no other birds aboutto which it could possibly have belonged.Later, I collected the nest and the badegg. The nest, which is of the usualWarbler style, was in a low bramble aboutfour inches from the ground. It is composedof grasses with a few dead leaves, thefiner material being used as a lining. —C. C}. Abbott, Neiv York City.A TalkingMagpieIt is of course well known that (|uite anumber of birds outsitle of the great groupof Parrots can be taught to speak a fewwords with more or less distinctness. Ofthe relatively short list of such species theMagpie may, perhaps, be said to stand atthe top. It is, for instance, not an uncommonsight in western towns within the rangeof the Magpie to sec caged specimens thatcan speak a few words ciiiite plainly, but Ihave never seen one that could compare, inthis respect, with one it was my fortune tool)scrve during the pa>-t summer. ThisMagpie was the property of the station agentof the D. & R. G. Railway, a Mr. Martin,at Mancos, Colorado. The bird occupieda large cage, usually kept on the stationplatform, and was especially 'talkative' attrain time, the cage then being the centerof an interested group of people. The birdwas appropriately named 'Maggie.' Theexhibition would start usually in the followingorder, each word being uttered wMthastonishing distinctness, and with perfecthuman inflection " : Pretty Maggie," " PrettyMaggie;" "Maggie's all right." Thenwould come the information: "Martin's acrank," "Martin's a crank," followed bythe emphatic statement, "Martin's drunk,""Martin's drunk!" After this burst of confidencewould come the heartiest, jolliestlaugh one could imagine. It was said to bean exact imitation of the laugh of the wifeof the agent. And, after the manner of certaintraditional Parrots, Maggie had beentaught a number of words and short phrasesnot to be found in polite literature! Altogetherit was, it seemed to me, an exhibitionof a remarkable character. — F. H.Knowlton, Washington, D. C.The Great Auk in FloridaThe ilaily press has already publishedsome notice of the astonishing discovery byProf. W. S. Blatchley, State Geologist ofIndiana, of a Great Auk's humerus in ashell mound at Ormond, on the east coastof Florida. This bone was identified byProf. O. P. Hay, of the American Museumof Natural History, after comparison withfive Great Auk humeri which were collectedby Mr. F. A. Lucas on Funk Island andsubset] ucntly presented to the AmericanMuseum by the U. S. National Museum.The newspaper accounts above rcferrcii toattracted the attention of Prof. C. H. Hitchcock,who chanced to be staying at Ormond,and after communicating witli Professor Hayto learn the exact location of the mound ProfessorH latch ley had visited, Professor Hitchcockmade further excavations and succcedcilin securing ailditional Great Auk bones.The subject will be treated at length by ProfessorH;iv in riie .Auk for ' ' Jul\ —. I'".M.C.

—iSooft J^ttos; ant) 2^ebteto0Natire STinv AND LiFE. By Cluton F.HoDCE. Ph.D. Boston, U. S. A., andLondon. Cjinn .i: Co., 1902. 121110.x\'i 514 pages, nunieroiis ills.Few men are better fitted to produce theideal hook on nature study than the editorof tliis work. A born nature-lover of widesympathies and interests, he is at the sametime a trained educator and scientist. Addto these an intense desire to lead others tothe sources in nature whence he has derivedso much pleasure and mental and moralprofit and it is evident that circumstanceshave combined for the production of a bookof unusual merit and originality.Believing that "interest in life forms precedesthat in inanimate forms," ProfessorHodge has omitted all reference togeolop,icaI,astronomical and meteorological phenomenaand thus has more space to devote to histrue subject— life.Professor Hodge would have the contactbetween nature and the nature studentintimateand personal.Domesticated animals,domesticated plants, pet animals, pet plants,possess, when our associations with themare properly developed, an inestimable influencein our mental and moral growth."The pet animal," he says, "is thus for thechild, as it was for the race, the key to thedoor into knowledge and dominion over allanimallife."Professor Hodge's methods have stoodthe test of years of trial in tlie schools ofWorcester and are therefore eminently practical.Insect, plant, and animal life, bothwild and in domestication, an treated \eryfully and in so interesting and original amanner that this book appeals not only toteachers but to every nature- lover.F. M. C.Hezekiah's Wives. By Lillie HamiltonFrench. Boston and New York. Houghton,MifHin & Co. 1902. i6m(). xi4-1 16 pages.How a Canary won the affections of aperson who had railed "against the sin ofkeeping birds in a house," is here recountedwith a degree of sympathy, close observation,and literary skill which make this little\olume readable from cover to cover,riie story of Hezekiah's life and of the variousmates which were secured for himmay weU be used to illustrate the truth ofProfessor Hodge's claims concerning theeducational and ethical value of keepingpets, and we should think that no owner ofa Canary could read this volume withoutfeeling an increased regard for her charge.— F. M. C.Annotated List of the Birds of Oregon.By A. R. Woodcock. Bull. No.68. Oregon Agricultural ExperimentStation, Corvallis, Oregon. 1902. 8vo.117 pages.While it is admitted that because of insufficientdata this list doubtless containserrors and omissions, and while from astrictly scientific point of view it might havebeen deemed desirable for its author to presentonly the results of his own studies, webelieve that so far as the advancement of apopular interest in bird study in Oregon isconcerned he has followed by far the bestcourse in presenting this list of the birds ofthe entire state. About 325 species are included,and the annotations under each onegive its manner of occurrence at severallocalities. As the first work of the kindthis will prove a most convenient workinghand list for use in subse(|uent investigation,and its author should receive the thanks ofhis fellow-workers for his labors In theirbehalf.— F. M. C.Su.m.mer Birds of Flathead Lake. By P.M. Sillowav. Prepared at the Universityof Montana Biological Station,1901. 8vo., pp. 83; pll. 16.The notes here presented are based onobservations made between June 14 andAugust 30, 1900, and In June and July, 1901.The various localities visited are described,oologicai notes on 24 species are given atsome length and are followed by a wellannotatedlist of some 126 species of birds(98)

Book News and Reviews 99observed in the Flathead Lake, Montanaregion.Those who are familiar withthe author'sstudies of bird-life know that he is a closeobserver and an excellent describer of birds'habits, and much of the matter included inthis paper forms a most acceptable contributionto our knowledge of the life-historiesof the species treated.— F. M. C.The Ornithological MagazinesThe Osprev. — Judging from the firstthree numbers, the current volume of 'TheOsprey,' with its new type, full line pages,better paper, more harmonious cover, carefullyprinted plates, and increased size, issurely a vast improvement over previousones in mechanical make-up, and a greatstride in the direction of satisfactory bookmaking.We are glad to see that DoctorGill has commenced the long-promised workon the 'General History of Birds', whichwas begun as a supplement to the Januaryissue, and which will be continued in thatform in subsequent numbers, with independentpagination from the main part of themagazine, so that on completion of the workit may be bound separately. The biographicalsketches of Sir John Richartisonand John Cassin by the editor, and ofProf.Alfred Newton by Dr. Shuffeldt, are ofspecial interest, and we trust that a goodlynumber of the earlier ornithologists willreceive due attention. D. A. Cohen givesus a good account of the California Jay andW. C. Kendall has two papers in ' RandomMaine Bird Notes,' referring mainly tothe marked decrease of various birds, andthe haliits of grouse. The following papers,together with a number of shorter notes, areof interest: William Palmer, "August Birdsof Stony Man Mountain, Virginia;' M. S.Ray, 'Rambles about My Old Home;'V. II. Knowlton, 'The Mockingbird ;itHome;' W. R. Maxon, 'Notes on some\'ellow-fhroated Vireos' Nests;' W. K.SaHFord, Birds of the Marianne Islands;'''P. M. Silloway, Notes on McCown'sI,ongs|)ur in Mont.ina;' ami B. S. Bowdi>lion the Carii) ( Jrasscpiet. ' We were a littlesurprised to see in tlie re\ iew of ProfessorMacoun's'Catalogue of Canadian Birds' astatement by the reviewer that the GlaucouswingedGull and not the Point BarrowGull, is abundant about the Pribilof Islands.In the summer of 1899 the only large Gullwe positively identified about this group ofislands, as well as in the vicinity of St.Matthew and St. Lawrence islands, was thePoint Barrow Gull.— A. K. F.Wilson Bulletin.— In Wilson Bulle-'tin ' No. 36, Lynds Jones gives an accountof'All Day with the Birds ' in Loraincounty, Ohio, where on May 9, 1901, duringthe Interval between 4 a. .vi. and 2.30p. M., he and his friend W. L. Dawsonidentified 109 species—a feat hard to surpasseven in the few most favorable localities.On one other occasion (May 8, 1899*,they recorded 112 species, which is, as far asthe reviewer knows, the largest list for anyone day. In the Passing of the Bird,' R.'W. Smith makes some pertinent remarks onthe decrease of birds in the south— a sectionwhere game laws are badly needed andwhere apathy allows even such a bird asthe Woodcock to remain unprotected duringthebreeding season.F. L. Burns has devoted much time andenergy during the past three seasons, atBerwyn, Pa., to making a careful count ofthe breeding birds occupying a certaindiversified piece of ground covering abouta s(juare mile. The results are well setforth in 'Wilson Bulletin' No. 37, underthe title of 'A Sectional Bird Census,' andeven a cursory glance shows that his selfimposedtask must have been a time-consumingone. After carefully checking upthe work of the three independent seasons, hefound that 62 species, representing 1,388individuals, inhabited the section— a littleover a pair of birds to the acre. The FieldSparrows, Red - eyed Vireos, Ovenbirds,('hipping Sparrows, Robins and Catbirdswere most abundant, and the Cooper'sHawk and English Sparrows were the onlyinjurious ones. We regret to see that inenumerating the enemies of the birds hefailed to call direct attention to the rat,which without d«iubt ilestroys as many birdsas all other animnte agencies combiiu-d.

—lOOBird- LoreWith No. 38—the beginning of a ne\v volume—LyndsJones again takes the editorshipof the Bulletin,' which with the new'cover, fresh type, and general rearrangementapproaches more closely the modern magazine.Besides a number of shorter articles,B. T. Gault gives an interesting accounton 'Food Habits of the Wilson Snipe,'and N. Hollister's Notes ' on the WinterBirds of Arkansas.' Very little has hewritten about the birds of the state andconsequenti)- reliable lists are very welcome.We cannot help thinking that the Brewer'sBlackbirds mentioned really were BronzeCrackles.—A. K. F.'TheThe Condor.—The January number ofCondor ' opens with an illustratedarticle on "A Trip to Morro Lake," byWalter K. Fisher, containing an interestingaccount of the desert region at the foot ofthe east slope of the Sierra Nevada, and ofbirds observed there during the summer of1901. Williams contributes the first instalmentof "A Study of Bird Songs," and Gilmangives an account of the habits of the"Crissal Thrasher in California." Beck'sarticle on "The Wingless Cormorant of theGalapagos," although brief, merits specialmention since it contains what purports tobe the first published ha'f-tone of the remarkableCormorant {Phalacrocorax harrisi),which has thus far been found onlyabout Narborough Island.Among the importantshort notes are Stephens' record ofthe occurrence of Lawrence's Goldfinch inNew Mexico just east of the continentaldivide; Maillard's records of two specimensthe Saw- Whet Owl (Nyctala), in Marioncounty, and Ridgway's record of the ElfOwl (Micropallas -lu/utneyi) in Kern county,Cal. Grinnell corrects a few errors inidentification whichhave crept into some ofhis publications on west coast birds — anexcellent idea which should commend itselftoothers, since mistakes in identification arelikely to be made by almost any one, andwhen once published are apt to multiplyerroneous records unless properly corrected.This number, the first of the fourthvolume, is printed on heavier paper andpresents a greatly improved appearance in itsnew cover. There is, however, still roomfor improvement in the reproduction ofillustrations and in certain typographicalfeatures. The use of the same bold-facedtype for headings and for lists of speciesgives the final page of the first paper theappearance of an advertisement, and thejuxtaposition of single and double columnmatter produces anything but a pleasingeffect.The single column may be necessaryto accommodate illustrations in the case oflonger articles, but the reason for its use for'general notes ' and not for other departmentsis not evident.Three new rules for the preparation ofmanuscript have been adopted: (i) omissionof the possessive form in commonnames of bird; {2) use of single i in specificnames formed from personal names Nuttalli,not Niittallii; (3) use of lower caseletters for common names, except in a fewcases. The first and last rules are purelymatters of taste, but the second involves amodification of Canon XL of the A. O. U.code of nomenclature, which requires theoriginal orthography of a name to be rigidlypreserved. Whatever be the advantage ofconvenience and uniformity, the fact remainsthat this change is an emendation. Thesame arguments could be used with stillgreater force for uniform spelling of suchnames as cterulea, /liemalis, pennsyl'vanica,etc., but experience has shown that confusioninstead of convenience result fromchange and that emendation for any purposein one class of cases is the enteringwedge which may lead to trouble in others.Book News' 'Everybody's Magazine has publisheda notable series of articles on water birdsby H. K. Job, illustrated by the author'sadmirable photographs from nature. It issatisfactory to learn that these articles arelater to appear in book form from the pressofDoubleday, Page & Company.'American Ornithology' is presentingcolored pictures designed to illustrate thedistinguishing color-marks of birds, in whichsurprisingly satisfactory resultsare obtainedby the use of only one or two colors.

EditorialslOIiiirti^EoreA Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFHICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIESEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. IV Published June 1, 1902 No. 3SUBSCRIPTION RATESPrice in the United Slates, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrishurg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue. NewYork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,Macmillan and Company, Ltd., London.COPYRIGHTED, 1902, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.Bird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in the Bush is IVorth Two in the Hand.We published this month an article byProf. Francis H. Herrick, whose book'The Home Life of Wild Birds, A NewMethod of the Study and Photo

I02Bird- Lorepictures of bird-life, but accurate records ofnest-life to illustrate his exact, patient,skilled observation*! of the habits of old andyoung.As for the second objection, the danfjersto which the young birds are exposedthrougli the moving of the nest, it is undoubtedlyserious. We have never triedProfessor Herrick's plan of moving the nestto a tent, but have placed an artificialbower near the nest, and know from experiencehow quickly birds desert their homesduring incubation and, even after the youngare boyn, how loth they are to return to thenest when they are alarmed by some strangeobject near it. Most young birds requirefood at frequent intervals, and when theyare deprived of it even for a comparativelyshort period, fatal results may follow. Inmoving the nest the possibility of death fromthis cause is increased, and it may becomenecessary, Professor Herrick states, "to feedthe yoimg in the nest and to suspend operationsuntil the next day." This, however,is a matter of less importance than exposureto sun and storm, which follows the takingof the nest and young from the shade.ProfessorHerrick says, "Young birds from oneto five days old cannot, as a rule, standexcessive heat.Even when fed and broodedthey will sometimes succumb, and here liesthe serious danger to be guarded against;"and adds, "it is better to leave the birds tothemselves if it promises to be excessivelyhot or windy."As for the danger from bird enemiesattendant on removing the nest from the placeof concealment and placing it in a conspicuousposition. Professor Herrick finds that" predaceous animals of all kinds seem toavoid such nests as if they were new devicesto entrap or slay them," and the only depredatorwhom he fears is "the irresponsible ormalicious small boy." That cats and thebird-killing Hawks should not take preywhich is apparently at their mercy is certainlysurprising, and we await furtherinformation on this point before acceptingIn any event, it is clear enough that theremoval of the nest to an exposed place isattended by great danger to its contents,and should be undertaken only with theutmost care by a person competent to takeatlvantage of the resulting opportunityto photograph and stud}' its life, with dueregard to the welfare of the young.That the end justifies the means, no onewho realizes the value of Professor Herrick'swork will deny, and when he tells us thatin studying, forty nests of wild birds, theaccidents, "which came mainly frominexperience,couldProfessor Herrick's experience as conclusive.be counted on the fingers ofone hand," we are bound to admit thatunder his control his method has been notonly successful but unobjectionable. But,as Mr. Hoffmann remarked, in discussingthis subject in Bird-Lore for October last,"it is emphatically not a method to berecommended to the general public."We have received a circular announcingthat the fourth session of the Alstead Schoolof Natural History will, as heretofore, beheld at Alstead Centre, N. H., during fiveweeks of the coming summer. Mr. RalphHoffmann will conduct the class in ornithology.Particulars of enrolment maybe learned of W. L. W. Field, Milton,Mass.We have also received an annoimcementof a new Nature Study School, organizedunder the auspices of the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, to be held atSharon, Mass., during the four weeks followingJuly 9. The school will be underthe direction of Dr. G. W. Field, of theInstitute of Technology, whose wide experiencein nature-stud}' teaching insuresthe success of this wholly admirable undertaking.Dr. Field will be assisted by Mr. E. A.Winslow, who acts as secretary of the school,and may be addressed at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, Prof. G. H. Barton,Mr. J. G. Jack, Mr. H. A. Kirkland, Mr.Wm. Lyman Underwood, and other wellknownteachers.Mr. Underwood's cooperation is an assurancethat the subject of animal photographywill receive particular attention, andthe opportunity for instruction in this branchof work is therefore unusual.

, ," Vou cannot with a scalpel find the poet' s soul,A'or yet the wild bird's song."Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesI^ajne A. H. Norton, Westbiook.New Hampshire Mrs. F. W. Batchelder, Manchester.Vermont Mrs. Fi.ktcmkr K. Barrows, Brattleboro.MassachusettsMiss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Miss Harriet C. Richards, 48 Lloyd a\e., Providence.ConnecticutMrs. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New YorkMiss Emma H. Lockwood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street. New York City.New Jersej- Miss Julia Scribner, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield. N. J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delamore Place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Annr Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street. Baltimore.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 2212 R street, Washington.VirKiniaMRS. FREDERICK E. Town, Clencarlyn.North CarolinaM'ss Annie Petty, Greensboro.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legare street, Charleston.Florida Mrs. I. Vanderpool, Maitland.Missouri Aiglst Reese, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.OhioMrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.IndianaW. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMiss Mary Drummond, 20S West street, Wheaton.IowaMrs. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.Wisconsin Mrs. Reuben G. Thwaits, 260 Langdon street, Madison.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St. Paul.WyomingMrs. N. R. Dayis, Cheyeiuie.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.CaliforniaMrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.WORK!°"* plans, all of \vhicli aim to plant in theAnd after that,,, ,more Workrisinjr7.sjeneration,, .a greater respect^. .for ani-,iiial lite. Unfortunately this is not enotigh.The first meeting of the National Com- I'he states and territories which havemittee of the State Aiiiltibon Societies, of either dormant societies or none and laxwhich a detailed account is elsewhere given, laws are in the majority. In these placeswas practically a two-sessioned conjiiga- the birds partially protected elsewhere aretion of the verb to work, with many varia- destroyed in the migrations or in the breedtionsnot found in orthodox grammars. ing season, as in the case of the northwest-The imperative mood, being the favorite, eriy regions, such as Alaska.was only kept within bounds by the condi- While it is to the interest of all societiestional, which insisted upon asking the most to have protection extended, it is often outwithering (itiestions regarding ways and of their power as separate bodies to pushmeans. the interest beyond state limits or for theirAs far as the educational side of binl secretaries to answer the (|uestions andprotection goes, most of the state societies supply tirafis of by-laws for those desiralrcadyformed are ampiv able to hold their ing legislative information, or hints for theown and may be trusted to watch the laws formation of new societies. Be it hereas well as to graduallv ilevelop their vari- understood that inanv ot the most active l( 103)

:104 Bird-Lorethese secretaries are women with familycares, who conduct a correspondence thatamounts to a Inisiness wholly without pay.The editors of Bird- Lore cheerfully answerall like requests so far as possible, butthere is promotive ( I would use the wordmissionary but that it covers so many indiscretions)work to be done in this widefield both by voice and pen that can onlybe accomplisiied by the undivided attentionof a discreet man who will not only makeit his business to keep informed of all localand general work, but also when possibleeither attend the meetings of game protectiveassociations, granges, horticulturalsocieties or spur some local representativeto do so, who in short must act as thesecretary of the National Committee.So far the imperative mood carried theday — then came the conditional, the paymentof this important officer ?This must be done by the joint contributionsof the state societies and their friends.If each society will pledge itself for one yearfrom July i to give a certain sum down orif more convenient in quarterly payments,this most important experiment may, at least,have a fair trial ; and its efficency can beproven in no other way.Of course many societies are themselvesstruggling and hampered for funds, but thetonic effect upon the whole cause will initself be retroactive in no small degree."There are so many calls for money," isthe constant plea of those who are approached,"and surely human needs shouldbe considered before those of animals."Certainly they should, and the protectionof what is elevating and wholesomely beautifulis one of the most crying human needsof today. What is left for humanitywhen there is no convenient retreat fromwhere indoors and city and self are fetteredtogether.In today's push and scramble humanitymust everywhere have refuge where Heartof Man may realize that however much hemay have changed, the fowls of the air andthe flowers of the field are as of old, andthat Heart of Nature still lives and is workingout the plan made him by Heart ofGod.Give ! give that we may thus work forthe dawn of a new day and banish fromthis peerless land the lowering of a nightwherein no call of migrant birds shall dropfrom above. — M. O. W.Minutes of the First Meeting of theNational Committee of the AudubonSocieties of the United StatesPursuant to a resolution passed at a conferenceof the Audubon Societies held at theAmerican Museum of Natural History, NewYork City, on November 14, 1901, Mrs. H.T. Grant, Jr., secretary of the Rhode IslandSociety, was appointed temporary secretaryand was requested to correspond with eachAudubon Society then organized or whichinight be organized prior to April, 1902,and ask them to send one delegate to ameeting of the Committee of the NationalAudubon Societies, and also to designatethe time and place when and where such ameeting could be held, the object of themeeting being for the purpose of organizinga Ways and Means Committee and discussionof the scope of the committee's field ofaction.In response to this call the first meetingof the delegates was held in New YorkCity, on Friday morning, April 4, in thesmall assembly room of the American Museumof Natural History, the use of whichhad been generously given by the museumauthorities.The meeting was called to order at 10A. M., delegates from the following statesocieties being present: Vermont, Massachusetts,Rhode Island, Connecticut, Districtof Columbia, Virginia, Iowa and NewYork.Mr. Frank M. Chapman, the chairmanof the conference held in November, 1901,temporarily presided, and welcomed thedelegates in behalf of the museum.Dr. T. S. Palmer, delegate from theDistrict of Columbia, offered the followingresolutionResoli'ed, That William Dutcher, delegatefrom New \'ork, be and he is herebymade chairman of the National Committeeof the Audubon Societies. This motionbeing duly seconded was carried.

:The Audubon Societies 105Dr. Palmer also offered the followingresolution, which, on being dulywas also unanimously carried :seconded,Resolved, That five members of theNational Committee shall constitute a

:.io6Bird - LoreStates the species of birds which protluceclthe aigrettes, and that every means possibleshould be taken to educate tlie publicregarding this evil.Dr. Palmer therefore offered the followingresolution, which, being seconded, wasunanimously carried.Resolz'ed, That, in view of the probableincrease in the use of aigrettes in the nearfuture, the several Audubon Societies berequested to call the attention of theirmembers to the conditions under whichaigrettes are obtained and sold, in orderthat there may be no misunderstanding onthe part of the trade or tlie genera! publicas to the legal status of the sale of thesefeathers.Mrs. Davenport, delegatefrom Vermont,suggested that often opportunities were lostto advance to the cause of bird protectionbecause no one formally appointed to representthe Audubon Societies was present ateducational and other large conventions orgatherings;she therefore offered the followingresolution, which, being duly seconded,was unanimously carried :Resolved, That the chairman of the NationalCommittee be empowered to appointrepresentatives of the Audubon Societies toattend educational conferences and othermeetings, at which it seems desirable topresent the objects and work of the AudubonSocieties.Dr. Palmer stated that inasmuch as theannual meeting of the American Ornithologists'Union would be held in Washington,D. C, in November, 1902, and as theefforts of the Audubon Societies for bird protectionwere along the same lines as those ofthe American Ornithologists' Union, hethought it desirable that the next meeting ofthe National Committee of the AudubonSocieties should be held at the same timeand place as the annual meeting of theAmerican Ornithologists' Union; he alsostated that he had been deputized by theAudubon Society of the District of Columbiato extend to the Audubon Societies ofthe United States a cordial and urgent invitationto hold the second meeting of theNational Committee and the annual confer-Washing-ence of the Audubon Societies inton, D. C, November, 1902.Miss H. E. Ricliards offered the followingresolutionsRcsol-veJ, That the invitation of the AudubonSociety of the District of Columbia,to hold tlic next meeting of the NationalCommittee and the conference of the AudubonSocieties in Washington, D. C, in November,1902, lie accepted, and be it furtherResolved, That each Audubon Societybe requested to select a delegate to the NationalCommittee on or before November i,and to notify the chairman of said appointmentin order that the said committee maybe organized for the ensuing year, and thatif such appointment be not made by anysociety, then the present delegate of suchsociety, if there be one, sliall hold office untila successor be appointed, and sliall beentitled to act as delegate at the secondmeeting of the National Committee.The Committee was entertained by Mrs.Wright, at the Arts Club, after which thefirst meeting of the National Committee ofthe Audubon Societies was declared adjourned.The United States Department of Agriculturehas recently issued a little pamphletthat should prove of great use to all whoare working for bird protection. It isentitled Directory of State Officials andOrganizations concerned with the Protectionof Birds and Game, 1902, being Circular7035 of the Division of Biological Survey.This directory has been revised to April iThe addresses are conveniently groupedunder four headings — State Officials, NationalOrganizations, State Organizationsand Audubon Societies, and so complete isit that no one in future need hesitate in reportingviolation of the law from lack ofknowledge of the proper persons to address.Several interesting reports are held overfor lack of space, owing to the necessities ofthe National Committee, — these being fromMissouri,Minnesota and Rhode Island.This- last nained society has secured acharming lecture and a set of colored slides,and the outfit is already well patronized.The lecture was written by Miss Annie L.Warner, of Salem, a careful bird student,and should other societies need written lecturesfor similar work they may be glad tolearn of this opportunity for obtaining them.

tV^v^^

Mxx^-toxtA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSOfficial Organ of theAudubon SocietiesVol. IV July — August, 1902 No. 4Concerning the Bad Repute of Whiskey JohnBY FANNIE HARDY ECKSTORMAuthor of 'The Bird Book,' 'The Woodpeckers;.' Etc.INthese days every bird has his apologist, hut I should rather not bethe advocate to defend Whiskey John. He is the worst thief, thegreatest scoundrel, the most consummate hypocrite abroad in feathers,with his Quaker clothes, his hoary head, his look of patriarchalsaintliness. He is a thief, a thief, a thief !A friendly bird -lover who would loyally whitewash the character ofthe arch-fiend provided he were ^ feathered biped, argues that to admitof birds having a glimmering of moral sense would make them accountablefor their actions in cherry -time, and that therefore the negativemust be sustained. The vicious circle in the proof appears at oncewhen we bring forward Whiskey Jack as a bird indubitably lacking moralsense, and inquire what vvouKl happen if all other birds were eijualiydefective in their ethical notions. The simi of all the charges againstWhiskey Jack is that he knows nothing and cares nothing about morals.Whether he does or does not know the difference between meiim andtnnm, he has a decided preference for what is not his own. He stealsfrom pure love of pilfering, and shows not the slightest compunctionsof conscience. He steals not alone to satisfy his own wants, but thoseof his brothers and sisters and wife's relations, ami his third, fourth andfifth cousins, and after that he keeps right on stealing for posterity. Hetakes not only articles for which he has a use and an appetite, but otherswhich he never saw before, doesn't know the uses of, doesn't like thetaste of, and can never learn to enjoy or use. I am willing to sharegenerously my cherries and strawberries with the birds; I am ready todivide my last meal of bread and meat with them, but I draw the lineat allowing an\ bird to cat m\ soap. Soap is soap in the Maine woods,forty miles from ;i store, .\\^i\ i'\c-n if it were someth'ng else it is debatable

110 Bird- Lorewlicthcr half a cake (of soap) is better for birds tlian no bread. But,as olil Jcil Prout\ said of the doi: tliat wanted the moon, WhiskeyJack is " eovtous."If he were a better-known bird his ill-repute would be in everybody'smouth: his isolation saves him. Hut all fur-hunters and all who travelthe ijreat spruce woods, from Atlantic to Pacific, know and revile WhiskeyJohn. He jroes by many names, of which this, beinjj only a corruptionof the Indian Wis-ka-tjon (but wouldn't one like to knowwhat that means in Indian!) is as coini^limentary as any. In Maine heIS most commonly calleil the Moose-birtl or Meat-bird; in the Adirondackshe is the Camp-robber; in books he is the Canada Ja\'. If youwould know how he looks do not ^o to the scientific books that tellyou every feather on him, but take down your Lorna Doone and turnto those patjes where that wil\' oKi scoundrel. Counsellor Doone, runninii;awa\' with Lorna's iliamond necklace, almost persuades John Riddthat he is a i2;ood man cruelly misnamed. Whiskey Jack is the birdcounterpart t)f Counsellor Doone. He looks like him, acts like him andhas the same undesirable expertness in acciuirint; property not his own.Newcomers to the woods dread bears, wolves and snakes. What theyfear will never harm them; it is the weak things of the wilderness thatare exceedinij strong. There is a certain large- win tj;ed, tiny-boilicd littlefly, so feeble and appealing); that in pity for his frailty you tenderly brushhim aside— and then learn that he is the bloody butcher who is flayinu;your neck and ears; there is this clear-eyed, mild-mannered, trustfulbird, for whose gooil behavior you would go bonds— until he eats yoursoap. These two and the mosquito are the real enemies of man in thewililerness.Suppose that you are paddling along one of the still, thicket -bordered,moose-haunted streams of northern Maine, the ''Sis,'' on Caucomgomoc,for example. There is a whistling and confabulating ashore and downscales a medium -sized gray bird, whitish beneath and with a white foreheadwhich gives him a curiously venerable and bald-headed look. Hestretches out his black legs and alights with an uncertain hover on yourcanoe-bow. "Ca - en - ca / Who are you anyway?" he inquires, lookingboliUy at you. You are new to this sort of thing and the woods are bigand lonely ; it seems like getting into a city to go where nobody caresabout Nou, and this confidence man takes you in at once. He flits ashoreand tells the others that is So-and-so, of New York. Then back he'^comes; he never stays still long anywhere. Ca-ca-ca / (jot an\ meattoday? " says he, seating himself again upon the bow. Perhaps the guidehas given you a hint, and this time you bat at him with the paddle andbill hmi begone for a thief. That hurts his feelings; he puf^s out hiswaistcoat feathers in rufHed innocence till you forget that it would take

Concerning the Bad Repute of Whiskey John nrhalf a dozen such thistle-down birds as he to weigh a pound, and hesays: "Look at me, do you imagine that a fellow as old and gray -headedand respectable as I am would steal ? '' You do look at him—a little,stout, white-headed old gentleman with a clear hazel eye, like a superannuatedclergyman who had gone into business too late in life to learnthe wa_vs of a wicked world, and you apologize profoundly— that is, ifyou are a novice in the woods; if you have already paid for your introductionto Mr. Whiskey John, you remark, " Pecksniff, get out !" andresort to the argument of the paddle.He flits away forgiving you; Whiskey Jack is never above such meanrevenges. When he comes back, as he is pretty sure to do, it is withthe nonchaletit impudence of a private detective, "If you don't mind,"says he, "I think I'll just take a look at this outfit; I'm a sort of gamewardenand have a right to overhaul your baggage." The next minuteyou hear the guide's paddle bang the middle bar of the canoe. "Thatthere blame Meat -bird a-stealin' our saddle of deer," he explains briefly.This time Whiskey John is irritated and he flies of^ talking jay -talk,a most profane language, threatening to follow you to your campingground anil bring with him every last relative that he has.He does it, too. When you put your stuf^ ashore and begin to pitchyour tent you know that you have a part of a saddle of deer, a bigtrout cleaned and split, a Partridge in the leg of one wading boot anda Wood-thick in the other, thrust there hunter-fashion to safe-guardthem from accidental loss. \ ou turn \our back for a few moments, hearnothing unusual, suspect no mischief; but when you turn again youfind the trout is a drabbled rag, rolleil in dirt, the roast of venison whichwas to be the best part of your feast, is riddled above the kidneys (whichare the favorite morsel of most meat-eating birds), and both the Duckand the Partridge have been dragged from their coiicealment and chiseleddown the breast till there is nothing left. This is lesson number one.It teaches that the Meat -bird will tlestroy an incredible amount of meatin a very brief time.You are now prepared to proceed to lesson number two, which isthat if his appetite is limitless yet nothing comes amiss to it. The tentis up: the guide is of^ to get water from tlie spring: the tire cracklesand the potatoes, boiling in their kettle, are knocking at the cover ofit: the breail is baking in the open baker and tiie nice little collops ofvenison an- King in a tin plate before the lire all ready for the pan;you lie back on your blanket and dream ilreams. Nothing happens tillthe guitle returns, and then you hear a muttered growl about leaving a"sport" to keep a camp. There is the guide, looking at an empt\ plate,and there on a bush sits a Meat-binl with a \i'r\ bloodx lircast. i"heconnection is unmistakable.

tIutc112 Bird- LoreNever miinl ;is more meat where that came from, ami a birdthat, in aildition to all his other work, has just stolen the dinner for twomen cannot be hungry. But he doesn't appear to have lost his interestin your affairs. Instead, he tip-toes around on a limb, with wings andtail half spread, whistling antl talking, and no sooner is a fresh suppl\of meat in the pan than he sweeps down in the smoke and heat andbalances a moment on the long handle of the frying-pan, calculatingthe risks of stealing from the pan. Reluctantly he gives up the projectand disappears around the corner of the tent. Presently other thingsbegin to disappear. There is a little hollow in the ground, so that thesides of the tent are not pegged down closely. Entering here, he goesto work within three feet of your elbow, being hidden by a box, and,with the tireless industry which is his only virtue, he applies himself towhate\'er is nearest. \ ou have some cherished candles, your only lightfor reading; he drags them ofif by the wicks. There was a dipper ofgrease for making pitch; that vanishes. You had pinned a rare bug toa chip; he eats it. You had saved some Duck's wings for the childrenat home; they are overhauled. The guide left his piece of pork unrolled,and it probably goes of? in company with your tobacco, which never turnsup after this visitation of Whiskey Jack. When you start to wash upfor dinner, there is the rascal eating your soap for dessert! Those whohave summered and wintered hiin say that the only article he has neverbeen seen to steal is kerosene. " Him eat moccasins, fur cap, matches,anythink," says an Indian to one observer. As for the amount that theywill devour and carry of¥, there is no likelihood of any one ever havinga patience to equal their— their " cov'tousness," as Jed puts it. Thereis in this typical account of their actions nothing exaggerated except theprobability of its happening in one day.The Canada Jay is not found everywhere even in Maine, (^ne mightcamp for years in our woods and never see a Jay, for they are the mostlocal bird that we have in the woods. Roughly speaking, the line of hisfrontier very nearly coincides with the route of the Canadian Pacific railwaywhere it crosses this state. For example, he is found on theGrand Lakes of St. Croix, but not on Dobsy and Nicatowis, four rangesof townships to the south. In that region, which seems perfectlyadapted to him, 1 have camped eight weeks; and my father, in thecourse of twenty-five years, has spent as many months; yet, with oneexception, we ha/e neither seen nor heard a Canada Jay in all thatwilderness. On collating the experiences of four good observers, I findthat they can mention but two instances of a Canadian Jay beingseen within fifteen miles of Hangor, and one of these was fullythirty years ago and the other not less than sixty years since; yet hardlymore than fiftv miles awav the\ are a common resident. Whv do thev

Nelson'stheConcerning the Bad Repute of Whiskey John 113never straggle a short day's journey ? Why is it that an omnivorousbird, inteUigent, restless, enterprising, fearless, apparently capable of adaptationsand certainly attracted by the neighborhood of man, belongingto an order of birds which is eminently civilizable, is so closely restrictedin its distribution ? There is no climatic barrier; there is no noteworthydifference in the vegetal faunas of places within and without his limits;there is no dietary restriction as in the case of some local birds. Hereis a very interesting ornithological puzzle.The nest and eggs of the Canada Jay I have never seen. A standingofifer of two dollars apiece for the eggs, though repeated several years,failed to bring in a single specimen. Woodsmen seem very ignorant oftheir breeding habits, and the only positive statement that I rememberwas the remarkable inf'jrmation volunteered by a lumberman that the" Beef -bird " nested and had young every month in the year. It is wellknown, however, that they nest in March when the snow is still verydeep in the woods. The first of June I have seen the young, fullyfeathered and larger than parents, and with the edges of their bills stillyellow. They were a very dark blackish slate, wholly unlike the adult.This plumage seems not to have been generally noticed, though it is wornsome time.On considering the evident reluctance of woodsmen to hunt up thenests of this bird, 1 have suspected that there may be some superstitionconnected with the bird similar to that which Mr. L. M. Turner recordsof the Labrador sub-species. The Indians there believe that " if a personsees the eggs in the nest, and especially if he counts them, somegreat misfortune will befall him." This is curiously substantiated in Mr.E. W . account of the Alaskan sub-species, where he notesthat the natives refused large bribes rather than take the risk of angeringthe bird by stealing its nest. The superstition applies only to the eggs,and is, I suspect, coincident with the distribution of the bird, thoughI never thought to inquire of our hunters and Indians on the subject.Indeed, unless it were chanced upon, its authenticity as a superstitionwould be doubtful, as the legend - hunter in Maine has only to state whathe wants and he gets all he pays for. The seekers of the marvelousare sure to be satisfied.How tiie native hunters always hated W^hiskey Jack! The\ neverhad a good word for him, antl a bullet was their usual greeting. Thecamper came home to find hi^ hut invailed ;deer-stalker had hiscarcasses of venison ridilled b\ their sharp bills ami unfit for market;the trapper's sable were half-ruined in the traps, and, more provokingyet, liis traps were robbed of their bait within fi\e minutes after they hadbeen set. It was hanl work to ploil all ila\ through the lonesome, snowywilderness, carrying a heavy bag of bait, and to feel that he was doing

114 Bird -Lorenothiiii^ but feed these

Nighthawk Notes 115turned away from the trunk made it look, even through a good pair of fieldglasses,like a knot, and 1 found it hard to persuade my wife that it was notone. I suppose it sat with its tail towards the tree trunk hecause it wasmore comfortable to have its head up hill than down.Soon after this we had a week of almost continuous rain, and I saw nomore birds until the weather cleared, when the Nighthawks were everywhereflying in the bright sunshine.ni(;hiha\vk waiting near nestJune 10, 1 saw one sitting. My neighbor's daughter hail found thenest two days before. As I am a teacher of inatlicmatics, I was pleasedto think that this bird had a mathematical turn of mind, for the eggs werelaid almost in the center of an ecjuilateral triangle made of small pinebranches that happened to lie across each other. There was no real nest.onl\ a slight depression from which the twigs hail been removed.am not a 'camera fiend,' but I watited pictures of the I eggs andbird. I wo of my friends are successful amateurs, and I iiuluced them tofurnish the necessary camera, patience and skill. .At first we focused at adistance of twelve or fifteen feet, then gradually worked up to five feet

ii6Bird- Lorewithout disturbing; the bird, vvliich was asleep part of the time. Then wechanged our position for a different view. To gain this a brier, whichgrew within twelve inches of the triangle, was cut away. Our nextpicture w^as to be of the eggs, so I undertook to frighten the bird offand moved my hand up gently toward it as it sat with wide-open eyesand quivering throat. It walked oi^ w^ith outspread wings when myfingers were about to touch it and sat down just outside its triangularhome. Next I went round to the opposite side and put down my handto make it spread its wings for a snap-shot. It now had three men andNlGHrHAWKSITTINGa camera within a few feet of it and did not seem daunted, but withruffled feathers, open mouth, spread wings and tail, backed hissingover the edge of the triangle.We had worked for an hour or more and had taken five timeexposuresand one snap-shot, yet we left the bird at home when we wentaway. "What a devoted mother!" you say, but it was really the father,whose habit it is to sleep on the nest after his night's outing. Meantimethe mother was flying about for insects or resting on a branchnear by. She took her place on the eggs at night and watched, I suppose,during the absence of her husband until dawn. At any rate, I haveseen her there at seven at night and at half past three in the morning,

-Nighthawk Notes 117while the males occasionally flew hy so close as to show their littlewhitethroats.I found the young at noon, June 24, and that night I saw one leavethe nest. Next day we went to get their picture, hut they were gone.At dawn next morning I made them another call, hoping to find themat home, hut they were not where I expected, and I starteil away disappointed,when the old birds showed their anxiety by flying swiftly aboutme and calling out rapidly "pick, pick, pick, pc-iik/' I returned and soonfound the little ones within a few feet of the nest. They looked like"Nor Iri(;h rKNEi). lu r asckvlittle gray and white downy chickens not oKl enough to run. and wereabout as large as a newly hatched bantam; but they proclaimed b\ theircries that they were Nighthawks, just as the young Chickadee sometimestells his name before he is old enough to leave his hollow stub. lomake sure of them there was now only one way: They must take abicNcle ride with me to the\illage photographer. Their father was waiting for tliem at half past eight when 1 took them back, asleep on tlicnest but faithful still. When they were two weeks old they visitetl thephotographer again. At this time tbc\- were five and a half inches longand spread twelve and a half inches. Iheir legs were nearly three incheslong and st) strong ami muscular that they could run nearly as fast as

ii8 Bird - Lore^-.>MGHTHAWKS TWO DAYSAbout natural sizeOI.I)young Sandpipers, but they did not try to fly and did not make a sound.This time they did not get home so early as before, but their father waswaiting when they did come. After that I could not find them again,although the anxiety of the old birds showed plainly that if they were nolonger housekeeping, they were camping out in the immediate vicinity.NIGHIHAWK r\V(J WEEKS OI.l)About one-half natural si/e

—The Veery's NoteBY ERNEST CROSBYWhen dear old Pan for good and allWas driven fromthe woods he cherished.How much he took beyond recall !How many mysteries paled and perished !The satyrs capered in his train,While dryads trod a solemn measure,Casting a backward glance in vainOn every haunt they used to treasure.And having thus from glade and glenDrawn by his pipe each sylvan wonder,Pan, ere he vanished, turned again,And broke his pipe of reeds asunder.He broke his pipe and cast awayIn heedless wrath and grief behind himThe notes that he alone could play,Then fled where we shall never find him.The breezes tossed the notes aboutAnd dropped them in ravines and hollows.Many were lost beyond a doubtIn nooks where echo never follows.Hut here and there a silent bird.Dejected witha nameless yearning.Picked up a trembling note unheardThat set his heart and throat a-burning.The Nightingale, they say, found oneBeneath a moonlit thicket lying.The Lark, while soaring near the sun,Caught his upon the wing a -flying.And so the Bobolink and ThrushFound ready-made their strains of magic.Which make us laugh with glee, or hushWith sympathy for all that's tragic.Hut one unearthly minor toneI hat told how Pan's great heart was broken,Kxiled anil homesick and aloiu-,W^th cailences of things unsiioken.

yet120 Bird - LoreThe witchery of a wild regret,\ ibrant, monotonous and wear\'With hopeless longing to forget,Fell to your lot, my woodland Veery.^ on Tanagers are gay and red,Indigo blue the Hunting near them,A yellow Warbler Hits o'crhead:Their songs and plumage both ciulear them.The Veery's coat is dull and dun ;He hides and stills his cry above youAt the least sound;modest one,More than all other birds I love you.I love you, for anew you stirThe old, inexplicable feeling.I love you as interpreterOf mysteries upon me stealing.I love you, for you give a tongueTo silence. True, you are not cheery,Rut where has any songster sungA note as weird as yours, my Veery ?The Nesting of the Yellow-throated VireoBY JOHN HUTCHINS. Litchfield. Conn.YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS have more than once blessedus by hanging their mossy choir -loft high in the fretwork whichoverarches our own lower roof, and once the VV^arbling Vireo cameand reared her brood, so that we had antiphonal choirs.These nests were usually from forty to fifty feet above the ground.We had often watched the building and brooding, both with glass andthe naked eye, and always had wished for a closer intimacy. So duringthe early days of June, 1901, as if they had divined our wish, a pair ofYellow-throats came and began their home-building just outside the second-storyhall window. Lhe foundations of the tiny house were laidon the second day of June. Foundations, I need hardly say, in this case,as in that of all pensile or hanging nests, begin at the top, the bird workingdownward and completing her purse -like hammock as the knitterdoes the toe of a stocking. We shall have occasion to notice moreabout this later on.

utThe Nesting of the Yellow-throated Vireo 121The discovery of the nest -building was made, as is so often the case,by seeing the bird gathering miterial. We were passing near the stable,when underneath its rather deep eaves a small bird was seen to be fluttering,and we thought she was caught in a strong spider's web, asbefore now I have found our Hummingbird : instead of this thebird was gathering web for her uses, and soon flew away to the frontof the house, where we lost sight of her; but on coming up cautiouslywe had the great joy of seeing her fastening the first sticky threads ofher new home to some outstretched twigs of a small low -growing elmbranch close by our window. Then my note -book came into requisition,and was so faithfully used until the fledglings left the nest that afairly accurate account may be given of what followed.1. The birds began their building on Sunday morning, June 2. Bythe following Saturday, June 8, the nest was completed, so that theytook about one round week of not hurried, but of quite incessant workto complete their home -making.2. They both worked, she of the somewhat modified yellow andgreen and he with the deeper-colored throat and more vivid livery. Itwas pretty to see and hear them about their work. There seemed tobe such a considerate and even courtl\- etiquette about it all. Onewould come with a bit of material and find the other still engaged uponthe nest. Then he or she would perch close by, often with a little subduedchirp, such as birds in their love-making know how to give, andthen, when the worker had finished his bit, with another answeringtwitter he or she would quit the field, as if saying: " Now the way isopen for you." At times there would be a halt in their comings andgoings, filled in with the deep contralto tones of their answering notes,as they fed among the branches or rested during the midda\'.3. Fhe material for the nest was almost all of spider-web. Thiswas a matter of surprise to me. The Red-eye uses such generous bitsof thin bark and pieces of paper even. And there were occasionalthread-like shreds of some coarser fiber in the \ ellow-throats' building,but by far the larger part was of the twisted films of the spider.4. I he manner in which the birds fastened this, part to part, andthen stretched the nest into shape, was a most interesting process. 1have often wondered, with the longer nest of the Haltimore Oriole,how she manages toward the bottom or lower part of her nest— whethershe could reach all the way down from the outside ami ciir\e the growingpendant into form ? 1 liave had hintings, too, in her case, of howlargely the work is done from the inside: but with these V'ireos and theirbuilding right before me it was as if I had been taken into the nestarchitccts'studio ami shown plans and specifications ami then allowedto watch the construction itself.

122 Bird-LoreThe birds built the rim of their nest stout and strong, twisting theweb about the twigs and over and over upon itself where it stretched fromtwig to twig till I wondered at their ingenuity and patience. Their littlebeaks reminded me of the needle of the sewing machine with its eye atthe pointed end. If some Elias Howe of the earlier times had onlywatched a Weaver-bird with its thread in the tip of its bill the worldwould not have waited so long for one piece of its useful mechanism.Inside and outside the little heads would reach, with the prettiest turnsand curvetings imaginable, till, as the nest grew deeper, the work wasdone more and more from the inside. Then it was gathered together atthe bottom, with side joined to side. When this part of the work firsttook place the nest seemed to be strangely lacking in depth and had anunshapely lookaltogether.But this was the. point where the full revelation came to me of howthe deepest part is shaped. I saw the bird at this stage inside the nestraise her wings against the upper rim and the twigs which held it andstrain with her wings upward and her feet downward till the nest itselfgrew so thin that I could see throught it in places. Then they beganagain, for the most part from the inside, weaving in more material tothicken and strengthen sides and bottom where these had become thin andweak through the stretching. This was done many times over untilthe proper depth and thickness were both secured. The nest after beingstretched out in this way would be like the coarse warp of a fabric ona loom, and into this the little weavers wove their silken threads.5. After this came the embellishing with the bits of lichen. Thesewere brought, and fastened on by means of little filmy threads of thespider drawn from the surface of the nest and fastened down over themoss. There was not nearly so much of the lichen used on this nestas on others which I have seen with the glass. It may be that thebirds felt a sense of protection from our presence and less need of hidingtheir home, for they became very tame and quite undisturbed whenwe stood at the open window.6. The brooding time was full of interest to us. So far as we couldjudge by the birds' actions, there were three eggs. We could not see intothe nest. After the sitting proper seemed to have begun it was in abouttwo weeks' time that we saw the first signs of life in the nest. The malebird took his part with the female in the incubating. He would bringfood to her as she sat upon the nest and, I am not quite sure, but thinkthat she did the same with him.The bird sitting would frequently sing while on the nest. This questionwas asked, through the columns of BiRD-LoRE, about the Yellowthroatby some one from a western state, and here is an answer. Isometimes thought that the deep-toned chirrup was a signal on the part of

ButThe Sapsucker 123the one keeping vigil that the time for the rehef was due. At all events,the call was frequently answered from the branches near and sometimes bythe coming of the absent mate. The Warbling Vireo also has this habit ofsinging while on the nest, as does also the Chebec, or Least Flycatcher,with its unmusical hiccough. My Yellow-throats were very faithful to theiryoung, of which there were three. The male bird fed them as attentivelyas didthe mother.7. On July 7, nearly a month from the beginning of the brooding, thefirst young bird left the nest. It seemed to take good care of itself, keepingto the trees, and the next day the other two followed it. One of thesefound its way to the lawn, and as there was danger about in the shape ofcats, I played the Good Samaritan, lifting it up to a twig of the tree. Indoing this the little creature caught its feet about my little finger. Itseemed as if I should never be able to loosen its hold. I never could havebelieved such strength of clutch possible in so tiny a subject ! then Iwas able to understand why they had been able to keep to the nest. Theelm tree which hadbeen their home stood close by the northwest corner ofthe house. Through many thunder storms which came to us in thatmonth of June I have seen that slight branch from the body of the elmwhip in the blast as if it would be torn from its setting in the great trunk.The nest would be top-down and driven every way, and yet never afledgling fell from its place. No wonder there had come a development ofclutching power !The SapsuckerBY EDITH M. THOMASA bacchant for sweets is the Sapsucker free!"The spring is here, and I'm thirsty!" quoth he:"There's good drink, and plenty, stored up in this cave;"Tis ready to broach!" quoth the Sapsucker brave.A bacchant for sweets! " 'Tis nectar I seek!"And he raps on the tree with his sharp- whetteil beak;And he drinks, in the wild March wind and the sun.The coveted drops, as they start anil run.He girdles the maple rouiul and round —'Tis heart-blood he ilrinks at each sweet wound:And his bacchanal song is the tap -tap -tap.That brings from the ilark, the clear -flowing sap.

-JTor Ceacl)ers and ^tuOent^How to Name the BirdsSTUDIES OF THE FAMILIES OF PASSERESBY FRANK M. CHAPMANKll-THPAI'KRFamily ii. \'ireos. rirenn'hiie.R.ani^e.—An exclusively American family containing some fift\- species,which are distributed from. Hudson Bay to Argentina. Twelve of thenumber, all members of the genus Vireo, reach the United States, andeight of these are found east of the Mississippi.Season.— North of the sub-tropics Vireos are migratory birds, theWhite-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos alone, of our eastern species, winteringas far north as Florida. In the Middle States they are first representedby the Blue -headed Vireo, which comes in the latter half ofApril. The rem.aining species appear in May, and the Red -eyed andBlue-headed Vireos are with us until the middle of October.Color.— Olive-green, without streaks or spots, is so characteristic acolor among Vireos that they were formerly often spoken of as " Greenlets." This color is confined to the upper surface, the under parts inmost species being white or whitish, with often a yellow tinge, or sometimesstrong, clear yellow.External Structure. —Our Vireos are small birds averaging somewhatless than six inches in length, with the bill rather slender, but c\iindrical, not tapering to a point, and distinctly hooked. The outer primaryis usually very small or 'spurious,' and in some cases is apparently absent.The base of the bill is beset with bristles, a fact which, in connectionwith its hooked tip, might lead to the confusion of Vireos and Flycatchers,but in the latter family the bill is wider than deep at the base,and in the former as deep as or deeper than wide.Appearance and Habits.—With the exception of the White -eyed andBell's Vireos, which are thicket -haunters, our Vireos are tree-inhabitants,lawn, garden, orchard and woodland rarely being without some memberof this group at the proper season. While, like the Flycatchers andWarblers, the Vireos are insect-eaters, they differ from the members ofboth these groups in their manner of securing food. The\ are notwing-feeders like the Flycatchers, nor nervous, active flutterers like theWarblers. Comparatively deliberate in actions, they hop from limb tolimb, carefully examining the bark and leaves in search of prey as theyprogress.(124)

-How to Name the Birds 125&//^.— While not .^reat musicians, the N'ireos are pleasing singers.''In the quaint and curious ditty of the White-eye — in the earnest,voluble strains of the Red-eye—inthe tender secret that the WarblingVireo confides in whispers to thepassing breeze — he is insensiblewho does not hear the echo ofthoughts he never clothes inwords." — Coles.Family 12. Warbi.f.rs. M nioiillititr. ZR(in

How to Name the Birds 127brightly colored birds, there is marked sexual and seasonal variationamong Warblers, the male being the brighter in the spring, butoften resembling his mate in the fall, when the young bird of the yearmay differ from both his parents. Thus, in making a key ' 'to ourthirty-eight eastern Warblers, the writer found it necessary to representtheir dififerent plumages by somewhat over one hundred specimens.External Structure.— As in the case of color. Warblers vary so inform that no one description can be given of the family as a whole.The slender-billed species, well represented by the members of thegenus Helminthophila and Dendro'ica, might be confused with the V^ireos,but the bill is more acute and is never distinctly hooked. The flatbilled,fly-catching species of the genera Wilson'ia and Setophaj^a might,if the bill alone is considered, be mistaken for true Flycatchers, fromwhich, however, aside from other reasons, they are to be distinguishedby their brighter colors. All Warblers have the back of the tarsus thin,not rounded, as in the Flycatchers, and the three outer primaries ofnearly equal length.Appearance and Habits.—As might be expected, striking differencesin form are accompanied by striking dififerences in habit. Even amongthe slender-billed Warblers, some haunt the bushes and some the trees,and several may be called terrestrial. The flat -billed species, as has beenremarked, are Flycatchers, not, however, of the sedate, automatic, Phcebetype, but of more erratic movement, while the majority are active flutterers—the feathered embodiment of perpetual motion.Song.—With some marked exceptions, notably in the genera Geotblypisand Seiurus, the songs of Warblers are rather weak and characterless,and bear a resemblance to one another, which renders them of littleassistance to the beginner in identifying their owners. Indeed, comparativelyfew field -students can distinguish at once the notes of certainspecies. Particularly is this true of migrants, which, present only for abrief period in the spring and songless when returning in the fall, areheard, therefore, at intervals of nearly a yearFamily 13. Pumts and Wagtails. MoiaciitiJir.Raniie. — Of the sixt\ otid species included in this famil\ . onl\ threeare American, two being North, one South American, while the remainderare distributed through the Old \\^)rlil, except in Polynesia and Australia.The only species found regularl\ east of the Mississippi is theAmerican Pipit or Titlark.Season. — The Titlark breeds in arctic and subarctic .America amisouthward in tiu- higher parts ot the Rockv iiKnmtains. It winters fromthe southern st;itcs to Cciitra! .\mcrii;i, migrating in ( )ctoher and .Xiiril.

'waggingortetering-I20Bird - LoreC.olor. — Many of the VV^agtails wear rather striking costumes of blackand white or yellow, but Pipits are rather Lark-like in color, dull brownishabove: whitish, streaketl below.Exttrniil Stntctiirc. — Like the Larks, the Wagtails and Pipits havethe hind toenails much lengthened, but the bill is more slender than thatof the Larks, tlie nostrils arenot covered by bristly tufts,and the back of the tarsus isthin, not rounded, as in front.Appearance and Habits. —The Motacillidfr are terrestrialbirds, and consequentlywalkers, a trait which is afield aid in distinguishing thePipit from certain groundhaunting Sparrows, while fromthe equally terrestrial Larks,Wagtails and Pipits are to beAMERICAN PIPIT. Family Molar, l!id(EU)ne-thir

The Prize Essay Contest 129ing Young Observers: Maurice J. Clausen, Toronto. Canada; Anna D.White, Lansdowne, Pa. ; Edward H. Nichols, Camden, N. J.; MargaretWalker, Andrews, N. C. ; W. C. Scott, Dew-ey, Ohio; Lewis Gannett,Rochester, N. Y. ; Edmund W. Sinnott, Bridgewater, Mass.; RuthDaniels, West Medway, Mass.Now it is time to send in the essays on the Birds of June and July.These may, as heretofore, contain general notes on the bird-life of thesetwo months or they may describe only the habits of a single species;but in every instance particular care should be taken to be definite andexact, giving rlates and periods. Not, for instance, writing "sometimeearly in June," or, "the young were in the nest about two weeks."We now of^er a fourth prize of a book or books to the value of twodollars to the Young Observers of fourteen years or under, for the bestseven- or eight-hundred-word article on the Birds of August and September.\What Bird isThis?Hrld l>cicriplion. — \.K-m.\\\. S/iJ in. Al).>vc i:ravi>h lir.nvii. wini;« :,n.l l;lil .l.llk.r hrl.nv uliili'li «..vh,-.lwith t!rav>>h brown ; Inwrr inandibli- Iii:hlrr ihan upper.NoTR.— Each numlier of Bird-Ldke will contain a pliotouiapii. Iroiu s|Hcimtiis inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some comparatively little-known liinl. orbird in obscure plumaj;e, the name of which will be withheld until the succeeding;number of the maj;a/ine, it beiii); believed that this methotl of arousing; the student'scuriosity will result in impressing the bird's charaiters on his nnnd far more stronglythan if its name were given with the pi

A PRIZE ESSAYBird Notes for April' and MayBY ARCHIE WALKER (ased lo years), Andrews, N. C.LOUISIANA Water-Thrush came April ist. Every spring it nestsin an old pasture by a branch back of our house.Rusty Blackbird came on the 5th of April. At first I saw justone, he was walking on the limb of an apple tree, I watched him till heflew to an oak across the road where I saw several others, one sat high upin the tree and kept watch, his song sounded like a wagon screaking.A Vireo was in our orchard on the 6th of April. It was very small, hadtwo wing-bars, and a white eye-ring, and was catching insects like aFlycatcher.Four wild Ducks were on a neighbor's pond on the 8th of April, whenthey flew I saw white on their wings.On the gth of April I saw the Brown Thrasher, next day he was singingthe sweetest I nearly ever heard ; we went under the tree and he satthere a long time singing the same as if we hadn't been near.The Black and White Creeping Warbler came on the lOth, we saw itget a worm out of a hole ina limb.On the 17th we saw a crooked long- necked bird that I think was aLittle Green Heron.The White-eyed V^ireo came on the i8th, it sings very much like theChat but is smaller and not as yellow underneath.The same day I heard Cat Bird going like a cat crying but did not getto see it for a week.The Myrtle Warbler was the first to come. Soon after others came,but were so high up in the trees we could not tell what they were.On the 18th we saw two brown birds we took to be Wood Thrushes,which we call the " Quillaree." They were feeding on the ground witha Flicker.We saw and heard several Log-cocks and heard Oven-birds in thelaurel. After awhile I saw one walking on the ground. It made methink of a Titlark, only it did not tilt its tail.We saw a large bird somebody had killed in a marshy field by a river.It looked something like the Little Green Heron, only it was muchlarger and a different color. It was an American Bittern. They call itthe Indian Hen here.On the igth of April I heard the sweetest new song in the spruce( 130)

fourFor Young Observers 131pines. VV^e saw a little bird about the size of a Chickadee hanging onthe under side of a limb. It was a Ruby -crowned Kinglet. Afterwardwe saw two in the orchard so close that we saw the red on their heads.The same day I saw a male Redstart in the plum trees, and a SummerYellow-bird and a Warbler that was new to me. It had a chestnut capand yellow under its tail, which it tilted all the time. I aftervv'ard saw itfeeding on the ground with Chipping Sparrows. It was a Palm Warbler.On the 20th we saw a flock of Purple Finches. We very much excitedover them, as they were scarce to see.On the 22d I saw a Catbird near its old nesting-place, and on the 24thsaw it carrying straw to build another nest.The Baltimore Oriole was in our orchard on the 22d.On the 23d I saw about ten or twelve Indigo-birds.April 26th I saw a large bird at our pond. I think it was an AmericanBittern. It would turn its head sideways and walk slowly out on the limb,putting one foot over the other.On the 27th I heard a Chat singing, and I would mock it and it wouldstretch its neck and said " Whoo!"On the 30th of April I saw the Cape May Warbler in the peach treeby our dining-room window. The male and female were both there, andwe think they are the tamest Warblers we ever saw. They sit still longerthan the other Warblers, and don't seem to care a bit if you look at them.On the 2d of May I saw a Baltimore Oriole carrying strings to buildits nest. It is interesting to watch it tie them to the limb to hang theirnests by.They built a nest in the same tree last year, and took the strings fromthe old nest to make their new one. I put out some strings on the fence,but they did not take them, as they did last year, but on the 4th a Redstartand a Summer \'cllow-bird came and got them.The other birds I saw in April and Ma\' that do not stay all the yearwere: Hummingbirds, Hooded Warbler, Blackburnian W^arbler, ParulaWarbler, Scarlet Tanager, Purple Martins, Solitary Sandpiper, Kingfisher,Rough-winged Swallows, Orchanl (Oriole, Whip-poor-will, Chimneyswift,Bullbats, Cuckoo, Cedar Birds, and a great many Warblers that Ididn't know. I would like very much to tell about the nests I've foundthis spring, but it would make my paper too long, so I will give a list ofthem: Catbird's nest with five eggs; Field Sparrow's nest, on the ground,with three eggs; Chickadee's nest, in a fence-post, in a hole too deep tosee eggs; Carolina Wren's nest, on front porch, in a cigar -box, five eggs;Bewick Wren's nest, in a hole in a cliimiu'\ ;Chipping Sparrows'nests, two Blue -birds" nests, three Baltimore (Violes" nests. Blue -grayGnatcatchers' nest, Chebec's nest, two Flickers' nests, and, the mostinteresting of all, an ()\en-bird's nest.

andiSooh J^eto0 anO 3^ebteto0Nksts and Eggs of Australian Birds.Including tlic Cjf()o;iaphical Distributionof the Species and Popular ObservationsThereon. By Archibald James Campbell.Melbourne. With map, 28colored plates and 131 photographicillustrations. Printed for the autiior b\-Pavvson (i Brailsford, Sheffield, England.1900. 8vo, 2 parts, xl - 1102 pages.In these two handsome volumes Mr.Campbell presents the results of his longcontinuedstudy of Australian birds, togetlierwith what has been learned by othersof their nesting habits, the whole forminga thoroughly up-to-date treatise on thesubject. Of the some 765 species of Australianbirds the eggs of ' considerably over600 are known,' as compared with the 413which had been discovered at the time Mr.'Campbell published his Manual of theNests and Eggs of Australian Birds ' in1883, an indication of the activity of Australianfield ornithologists in the past twentyyears.Several pages are often devoted to a singlespecies and the value of the text is greatlyenhanced by the addition of twenty-sevenadmirably colored plates figuring the eggsof over two hundred species, and particularlyby the presence of the one hundredand thirty-one photographs from nature,chiefly by the author, D. Le Souef, andS. W. Jackson, illustrating the nests andeggs of nearlv as many species.Experience alone fits one to realize thelabor involved in the preparation of a workof this kind, where the material is largel)' tobe gathered from nature often under circumstancesentailing iiukIihardship and exposureof life and limb, and we can imaginethe well-deserved satisfaction with whichMr. Campbell finally views the results ofhis many years of conscientious work intheir present attractive form — a monumentto his patience, perseverance, and enthusiasm.Lack of space proliibits our going intodetail, but readers of BiRD-LoRE will recallMr. Campbell's interesting article on theBower-hiids,'in a future number weshall print an illustrated paper by him onthe•Mounil-building Birds.' — F. M. C.Nesilings of Forest and Marsh. ByIrene Gkosvenor Wheelock. WithTwelve Full-page Photogravures andMan\- Illustrations in the Text from OriginalPhotographs from Nature by HarryB. Wheelock. Chicago: A. C. McCIurg& Co. 1902. i2mo, 257 pages, 12gelatine full-page prints, 57 half-tones inthe text.The author of this book is evidently akeen observer and tireless student of birdsin nature. If her sympathy with them leadsher to over-humanize her subjects, we maypardon this failing for her many interestingand novel observations which she recordswith due detail.Her studies have been made in the vicinityof Chicago, and she has evidently hadunusually good opportunities to observe certainspecies — opportunities of which shehas availed herself so effectively that herbook contains much that is novel, and it isdistinctly an important contribution to theliterature o! field ornithology.The pliotographic illustrations serve wellto illustrate the text and also the difficultiesof this side of bird study. The text cutswould appear to better advantage if theyhad been printed on coated paper.— F. M. C.Among the Water-fowl. Observation,Adventure, Photography. A PopularNarrative Account of the Water-fowl asFound in the Northern and Middle Statesand Lower Canada, East of the RockyMountains. By Herbert K. Job. Profuselyillustrated by photographs fromnature, mostly bv the author. New York:Doubleday, Page & Co. 1902. Sq.8vo. xxi 224 pages, 97 half-tones.The admirable series of articles by Mr.Job, published in ' Everybodv's Magazine 'during the past spring, is here attractivelypresented in book form..\lthough these essays practically introduceMr, Job to the public as a student ofbirds with a camera, he has had a wide132 1

ObservationsChordeilesbyBook News and Reviews 133experit-nce in tlii> metliod of research andrecorii, the sub-title of his work being fullyborne out by its contents.Though sometimes handicapped by thelack of proper apparatus, no one with experiencecan view the results of Mr. Job'scamera hunting without realizing the difficultieshe has conquered in winning success.Not only are Mr. Job's pictures interesting,but, illustrating comparativelylittle-known species, they form a distinctcontribution to our knowledge of the habitsof the birds treated; and, it should be especiallvnoted, they are effectively supplementedby the accompanying text. Mr.Job, therefore, has achieved the desirableand by no means easy end of contributingto the literature of both popular and scientificornithology.— F. M. C.C.ASSiM.x; A Bmn Annlal. Proceedingsof the l^elaware Valley OrnithologicalClub, of Philadelphia. 1901. Price,50 cents. 8vo, 60 pages, i plate.In a new, enlarged and attractive form thefifth volume of proceedings of, the Delaware\'allev Club is issued under the abovetitle.Formerly containing only an abstractof the club's work, it now adds several ofthe more important papers presented beforethe club, the present publication containingtiie following: 'John Cassin,' by WitmerStone;'on the Summer Birdsof Parts of Clinton and Potter counties,Pennsylvania,' by Francis R. Cope, Jr.;'Photographing a Nighthawk's Nest anserinus) in Eastern Pennsylvania,'Samuel Wright; ' Trespassingof the Rose-breasted Grosbeak (/amelodialuJoiiciana) in the Carolinian Fauna,' byWilliam Kvans; Nesting ' of the Mockingh'\XiU{Mimuspolyi^liittns) in Eastern Pennsvlvania,"by W. E. Roiierts and W. I-,.Haimum; 'A Sjiring Migration Rerd for1 893- 1900, ' bv Frank L. Burns;•Birds thatStruck the City Hall Tower Huring theMigrations of 1901,' iiy W. L. Baily.The Ornithological MagazinesThe March-April number of 'The Condor'presents an interesting assortment offield notes. The leading article contains adescription of the habits of the ScissortailedFlycatcher in Texas by Mrs. Bailey,and this is followed by an account of collectingeggs of the Long-billed Curlew andthe Sharp-tailed Grouse in Montana by P.M. Silloway. Daggett contributes 'WinterObservations on the Colorado Desert,'Mollie Bryan some experiences with Anna'sHummingbird, and Wueste, notes on thenesting habits of the Black-chinned Hummingbird{Trochilus alexanJri). OttoHolstein calls attention to the destructionof birds by petroleum along the railroadson the Colorado De-sert. Where enginesstand for any length of time in one place,the oil used for fuel drips down on the track,collects into little pools and soon becomesas thick as molasses. The birds evidentlymistaking the oil for water, get into thepasty mass and are caught like flies on flypaper.Systematic ornithology is representeil bythe description of another new Song Sparrowfrom the northwest coast {Mehspizacinerea pluea, Fisher) and the recognitionbv Grinnell of the Fox Sparrow fromMonterey county, California, originallydescribed many years ago. Walter Fishercontributes a critical article on the CrestedJays of the Pacific coast wiiich shows brieflybut clearly the history and relations of theforms considered worthy of recognition. Itis accompanied bv a ke\' and an outlinesket( li Miap ami is a valuable addition tothe literature of the genus Cyanoiittti. Fheauthor is to be congratulated on presentingthe results of his study in a way whichmight be adopted by others with advantage.Descriptions of west coast birds too oftenconsist of new names antl merely outlinesof characters witiiout proper indication ofthe relations which the new forms b.-;ir tt>the old.— r. S. P.TiiK .AiK.— The Julv -Auk contains alarge number of articles, anil is illustratedliv several half-tones. It opens witii an

'On'Notes'Winter134 Bird- Loreaccount of 'The Elepaio of Hawaii,' byH. W. Henshaw, two forms of this oddriycatcher being recognized. We find furtheralong several annotated lists, one by(). Widmann, on birds of Wequetonsing,Mich., one In' J. G. Wells on those ofCarriacou Island, West Indies, and one liyA. H. Clark on those of Margarita Island,Venezuela, "in the last paper a Spine-tail{Synallaxis albescens nesiotis) and an Oriole{Icterus xanthornus heUoc'tdcs) being describedas new forms.on the Specialized Use of the BastardWing,' by W. H. Fisher, is accompaniedby photogravures throwing new lighton the position in flight of this little ' packetof feathers. Instantaneous photography hasdone much towards solving the complexproblem of flight, and such contributions asMr. Fisher's are of great value. J. Dwight,Jr., discusses Plumage-Cycles and the Re-'lation Between Plumages and Moults," andintroduces a novel diagram that by thegraphic method shows this relation in anumber of species. O. P. Hay contributesthe Finding of the Bones of the GreatAuk [Plautus impennis) in Florida,' andthe southern range of an extinct species isthus extended. W. E. Saunders, who visitedinaccessible Sable Island, Nova Scotia,in May, 1901, gives us some details concerning'The Ipswich Sparrow in itsSummer Home,' especially data of six'nests secured with eggs. The UnusualAbundance of the Snowy Owl ( Nycteanyctea ) in New England and Canada'during the past winter is vouched for byR. Deane, w^ho, on the evidence of manycorrespondents, concludes that unusual incursionsof the Owls recur about once inten years.' 'The department of General Notesinterestingly filled with large and smallitems, half-tone plates of the nest andeggs of the Red -shouldered Hawk andof the Ring-billed Ciull, and of the carpenterwork of the Pileated Woodpeckerbeing inserted to illustrate some of thenotes.

-.The Audubon Societies 1353toreA Bi-monthly MagazineiStrtiDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL OKGAN OF THF. AIDIBON SOCIETIKSEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. IV Published August 1. 1902 No. 4COPYRIGHTED, 1902, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.Bird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in the Bush is IVdrth Two in the Hand.The eleventli supplement to the Clieck-List ofNorth American Birds published bythe American Ornithologists' [Inion in 1886,appears in the July ' Auk." It practicallycovers the period from April, 1901, to April,1902, and an exarr.ination of its contentsreveals, in a measure, the activity prevailingduring the past year in the technical side ofthe study of North American birds.Thus we find that the committee has endorsedsome thirty-nine and rejected twentyseven proposed changes in names; hasaccepted as additions to our fauna sometwenty-two new sub-species and two newspecies, and has refused to recognize tenproposed ' new'forms. In one year, therefore,over sixty 'additions or changes havebeen made in the Check-List and withaction on over fifty cases postponed, the laystudent may well ask whether zoologicalnomeiulature is, after all, the end and notthe means of zoological science.On the surface the prospects for stabilityin the names of our birds are indeed discouraging.Of the original 1886 CheckList, the result of several years' work of acommittee of experts, romparativcK' littleremains in its original tnrm, and eachsucceeding year shows no decrease in thenumber of proposed emendations and adiiitionswhich the Committee on Revision iscalled upon to consider. Small woniler,then, if the student to whom a name is intruth a means, condemns in disgust thewhole matter of nomenclature technicalitiesanil at the same time the disturl)ers of tlieC'heck-List.There are, however, as usual, two sidesto the matter. Changes in the Check-List,we have seen, are chiefly of two kinds, additionsand emendations. The former arecomposed of new forms including ' ' actuallynew discoveries and what may be termeddeferred discoveries, when for example, inthe light of further material, the supposeddistinctness of certain forms becomes ademonstrable fact. For the past twentyyears, it is true, as fuel for the species'maker fire has become less and less abundant,he has split what was left finer and fineruntil we seem to have now reached the limitin this direction, and there is hope that intime the fire may burn itself out from verylack ofmaterial to feed on.But will we ever cease making thoserevisions in names which, to the amateur,seem so wholly unnecessary ? The answerto this question depends on the absolutefixitv with which the A. O. U. adheres toits original Code of Nomenclature ' 'andthe consistency with which it is interpretated.This code is based on two fundamentalprinciples, priority and preoccupation.That is, begiiming with Linnsus at1758, the first specific name properly givento an animal is the one by which it shall beknown, provided this name, combined witha similar generic term, is not preoccupied,in other words has not been used before inzoology.No one can doulit the justness of theserules, but so vast and so scattered is theornithological literature of the past onehundred and fifty years that often what waslong thought to be the first name applied toa species is found to be antedated by apreviously given name, while current namesare frecjuently found to be invalid becausethe\- have been used before for some otheranimalIt happens that at present we are passingthrough a period when much attention isbeing paiti to this subject of names withcorrespondinglv numerous'discoveries ' oflong-standing errors in the nomenclature oftiur birds.But, eventually, provided the ruleslaid down are rigidly adhered to, we shalldoubtless reach the stability we have so longsought and in the meantime we may welcomeeach change as a step toward this end.

Cl)e ^utiulion ^ociette^" i'ou can>ioi 'vith a scalpel find the poet's soul,yoi- yet the wild bird's so>i,q-."Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the Slate ofConnecticut), Faiifield, Cotui., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses oftheir SecretariesMaine A. H. Norton, Westbrook.New Hampshire Mrs. F. \V. Batchelder, Manchester.Vermont Mrs. Fletcher K. Barrows, Brattleboro.Massachusetts Miss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Miss Harriet C. Richards, 48 Lloyd ave.. Providence.Connecticut Mrs. Willia.m Brown Glover, Fairfield.New York Miss E.mma H. Lockwood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street. New York City.New Jersey • Miss Julia Scribner, 510 E. Front street. Plain field, N. J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delaniore Place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitnev, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 2212 R street, Washington.Virginia Mrs. Frederick E. Town, Glencarlyn.North Carolina I- Gilbert Pearson, Greensboro.South Carolina .\1iss S. A. Smvth, Legare street, Charleston.Florida Mrs. I. Vanderpool, Maitland.Missouri .\iGrsT Reese, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.OhioMrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.IndianaW. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMiss Mary Drummond, 208 West street, Wheaton.IowaMrs. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.WisconsinMrs. Reuben G. Thwaits, 260 Langdon street, Madison.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St. Paul.WyomingMrs. N. R. Davis, Cheyenne.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.CaliforniaMrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.Reports ofIllinoisSocietiesAudubon SocietyTlie Illinois ;\iuiiihon Society, ha\ingreached the mature age of five years, feelsthat while it can liardly claim for itself thetitle of 'ancient and honorable,' it has atleast passed the period of infancy and canstand firmly upon its feet.At the date of its Hfth annual meeting,April 5, 1902, the number of members joiningduring the five years counted some 932adults and 10,024 juniors, a total of 10,956.We have sent out nearly 3,000 leafletsduring the year and have published onepamphlet, a reprint of Mr. William Praeger's'Birds in Horticulture,' a work ofconsiderable value. We have also issuednew membership cards for adults and papersto be signed by juniors. These werethe result of much thought and carefulwork, and are proving themselves most satisfactory.Our new class of members, payingan annual fee of $1 grows slowly but,surely, and has already more than justifiedtlie wisdom of the change and confirms theopinion that no society should attempt itswork without at least one class of memberspaying annual liues.We have held our usual semi-annual andannual meetings. At the former, addresseswere made by the president, Mr. RuthvenDeane, and Mrs. Sara A. Hubbard. Attlie latter, beside the usual business meeting,an address \vas given by Dr. J. Rollin'Slonakeron Birds and Their Nests,' whichwas illustrated by very beautiful slidestaken bv Dr.Slonaker.136!

The Audubon Societies 137\'ery excellent work has been done b}'Mrs. Julia Edwards in the Fourteenth Districtof the Illinois Federation of Women'sClubs, Mrs. Edwards having formed Auduboncommittees in a number of the clubs,some of which are doinji fine work. Atthe biennial meeting of the Federation inLos Angeles the Illinois birds had a spokesmanin Mrs. Wheelock, of Evanston.' 'An Outline of Bird Study for the useof teachers, etc., has been prepared by theCommittee on Bird Study, giving lists ofbooks, etc.Some of the dreams we have beendreaming during these five years are becomingrealities, and we now have twotraveling libraries ready to start on theirtravels. Among the books are bound volumesof some of the bulletins issued by theAgricultural Department at Washingtonand the delightful Arbor and Bird DayAnnuals published by the State of Wisconsin.Another dream—that of an illustratedlecture to be sent to schools, clubs, etc.,throughout the state—will also soon becomea delightful fact, and we hope to have itready for work in the autumn. A thirddream—a law incorporating Bird Day withArbor Day— is still a dream — but we trustthat, too, will materialize during the comingyear.The work of the Society has so increasedthat it has become necessary to make a separatedepartment of the junior work, andMrs. William M. Scudder, of 604 E. Divisionstreet, Chicago, has been mackchairmanof this department. .An interestingfeature of the junior work has been theresponse to an offer made in the little paper,By the Wayside,' ui a prize for thebest list of proverljs and familiar sayingsabout liirds. The result was so surprisingtUM Jii'e prizes were sent, the first going toa little Wisconsin girl of ten, who sent in alist of 320 such jiroverlis, etc. IVery excellent work is done b\ some ofour teachers and county superintendents ofschools. Among the latter, that of Mr.Orville r. Bright and Mr. A. D. Curranis worthy of special mention.Our latest vvork is the sending, in this"leafy montii of June," to all the 550wholesale and retail milliners o{ Chicago,as well as to some in our smaller towns, ashort but clear statement of the state law onthe purchase and sale of birds, with a fewwords of suggestion, appeal and warning.Inclosed with each of these statements sentto the Chicago milliners was a copy of Mr.William Dutcher's leaflet, Save the Birds.''And so the gooii work goes on. Muchhas been done; more remains undone; butwith such a noble board of directors as thisSociety is blessed with, it would be impossiblefor any secretary to feel otherwise thanfull of hope and of a ^ood courage.Marv Drlmmond, Secretary.Minnesota Audubon SocietyAt the annual meeting held .April 5.1902, John W. Taylor was elected presidentand Sarah L. Putnam, secretary, theybeing the officers of last year. The reportsshow a membership of at least 1,800, andmore interest shown throughout the statethis spring than at any time during theexistence of the Society.On April 10, the Society issued a circularstating that the Lacey Law would beenforced against all milliners and othershaving in their possession or offering forsale ' protected ' deadbirds, their skins orfeathers. The woods and parks in andaround the cities are being posted, givingnotice to boys and others not to kill orannoy birds or their nests. The superintendentsof the schools have been asked tosee that Bird Day, April 18, be observedfully and the day devoted to the stuily ofbirds by the children. Literature has beensent out through the state, but on accountof lack of funds this has been much morelimited than we could ha\e wished. Mr.F. M. Chapman delivered some \eiv interestinglectures at ditfereiit tt)\\ns, whichresulted in good to the cause.A system of outdoor classes for bird studyis being conducted by Professor I.ange anilpromises to be very helpful. We liaveeverv reason to feel gratified at the successof the work aireatly done. The want offunds cramps us exceedingly. Just how Cosecure monev is a problem not yet solved.

'138 Bird- LoreTliere are several plans now uiuier coiisiileration,some of wliicii it is hoped will besuccessful. We need ail the literaturebearing on our cause that any Society orperson can send us.S.\R.\n L. Pi'TNAM, Secretary.Audubon Society of MissouriUnder the auspices of its president, Mr.Walter J. Blakely, and secretary, Mr.August Reese, tiiis Society has been conductinga careful investigation of the truecondition of animal life in Missouri, at thesame time endeavoring to find the cause ofthe too-evident decrease. The result isissued in a four-page circular containingboth the questions put to various observersand the answers,—market and plumehunters,boys who shoot, and the nonenforcementof the law, bearing the blamein this as in other states.The following quotations, conclusions andsuggestions are pertinent and suggestive o^the conditions existing, though unacknowledgedin many other states, for even wheresatisfactory bird laws obtain their enforcementis too often regarded as fanaticism."Reports furnished us, unquestionablyreliable and accurate, almost stagger humanbelief. It proves that song and insectivorousbirds decreased 62 per cent and game birdsat the appalling rate of nearly 80 per centwithin the past fifteen 3'ears. Deer arepractically exterminated, excepting in a fewinaccessibleregions. Does any persondoubt, unless sweeping reforms are inaugurateciat once, that a few years hencewill not witness the total annihilation of ourbirds and game ?" Market and Plume-hunters. In studyingthese reports, we find it an indisputablefact that the market and plume-hunter standspreeminent and alone as the greatest factorin the destruction of our birds and game.He simply reaps nature's products, slayswhatever is of an\' commercial value to himin and out of season and does not considerthe reproduction of the different species ofany consequence and importance." Sportsmen. Numerous reports, from certaindistricts of the state where game is stillfairly numerous, denounce in forcible languagethe enormous slaughter of gameand birds by would-be sportsmen, simplyliecause the opportunities to kill presentedthemselves. A true sportsman does notpride liimself on the amount of game killed.but practices moderation and deplores wantondestruction and waste. He is a loverof nature's creations, a close observer of anever-changing landscape; the giants of theforest, the murmuring of a silvery stream,the camp meal at the mouth of some sparklingspring are closely associated with andplay an important role in his pleasures andrecreations a-fielil.' Boys lyiio Shoot. The outcry against tiiehavoc wrought by boys persecuting and killingliirds, especialK' in or nearcities, is ver\"general anci bitter. Probably no otheragency of destruction has contributed solargelv to the absence of birds so necessaryto the animation of suburban landscape.With the opening of spring, heralded bythe arrival of our feathered friends who havecome to greet us with their cheerful songsand twitter, an arm\' of boys will be foundwith bean-shooters or rifles eager to killwhatever birds may be in sight. Relentlesslyare thev persecuted, until it appears as if allbirds f-.ad \anished from the face of theearth. Thickets and meadows are searchedfor the homes of the nesting birds and eggs'collected and destroyed. Not that they arewillfully wicked or cruel, but because theyare thoughtless, and have not been properlytaught or trained." Eni^llsli S/>arro^vs. The English Sparrowshave increased remarkably. Accordingto reports, the\' are the arch enemies ofthose birds most useful to agric-ulture. Theywage an incessant war against all birds thatare inclined to make their homes with us.Various methods have been employed tocheck and diminish their numbers, but unsuccessfully.Recently, farmers in adjoiningtownships in Ohio inaugurated a side hunt,with the result that o\er three tons of Sparrowswere killed. It seems that this methoilmay be adopted elsewhere, with beneficialresults." Non-enforcement of the Game La-ivs.Great indignation is expressed at the nonenforcementof existing game laws. It isreported that they are violated openly andwith impunity, and prosecutions have beenmade only in a few cases. This has beenthe indirect cause of greatly reducing theinhabitants of our forests and fields.Furthermore, existing game laws are veryunsatisfactorv to a majority of the sportsmenand persons ha\ing the welfare of our birdsand game at heart, and they express theirciesire that the next Legislature will exercisedue diligence in enacting more comprehensiveand eflfective, yet liberal bird, andgame laws. It is a recognized fact throughoutthe country that the fundamentalprinciple of all bird- and game-protection iseffective bird anif game laws and theirenforcement.

:The Audubon Societies 139^^ Destructive Ai^encies Besides those Enumerated.We desire to call attention to thefact that other agencies, besides the destructionby human hands, also wield a largeinfluence in the decrease of birds. Deforestationreduces their number largely.Species which inhabit thickets, with theclearing of the land are deprived of shelterfor the rearing of their young and disappearas if by magic. With the draining ofmarshes and lowlands, other species ofbirds, that live in such places only, vanishforever. Cats destroy a great many birdswhich build their nests on or near theground; so do foxes, weasels and otherrodents. It will be seen that agencies overwhich we have no control in conjunctionwith those alreaiK' enumerated arc constantlyand irresistibly at work, trying to breakdown the barriers which nature has thrownarounil bird-life for their protection andreproduction. Knowing this, it is so muchmore important that more stringent measuresshould be adopted forthwith to check thoseover which we do have control.^^Conclusions. Bird life in general isbeing exterminated at an appalling rate."Edible birds especially are persistentlypersecuted."Song and insectivorous birds are killedfor food on account of scarcity of gamebirds."The extermination of all desirable birdsis certain within a short period."The very existence of the deer — themonarch of the woods onh' a few years ago,roaming in countless numbers through ourforest— is dfximed." Biril and game laws as they now existand as now enforced, are entirely inadequateto prevent the annihilation of ourbirds and game.".7 Fei-v Sui(t^es/ions. Prohibit the killing,capture, possession nr sale — dead oralive — of wild birds, except game birils anda few noxious species."Prohibit the destruction of birds' nestsor collection of eg

—140 Bird -Loreelude as members both teachers andpupils,and are strong factors in spreading aninterest in the Society's work. During theyear just concluded, the membership thereofhas increased from 13,441 to 17,858.2. Publishing in conjunction with theIllinois Audubon Society, as the organ ofboth, a small monthly eight-page magazine,'By the Wayside.' This is intended tointerest both adults aiul cliildren; the subscriptionprice is 25 cents a year. Besidesthe 'Children's Department' — which ismainly filled with letters written by cliildrenabout birds, for the best of which aprize or — honor badge is awarded eachmonth' By th^ Wayside' has during thepast year contained notes on bird-migration,book reviews, and scientific informationalong other lines of natural science. Asimilar editorial policy will hereafter bemaintained.3. The publication of Bulletin No. i,'Some Bird Problems for the Farmer,'written by Dr. O. G. Libby, of the Universityof Wisconsin.4. The acquisition of nearly two hundredlantern-slides, seventy of which are colored.These are rented for a small sum to anyschool branch or local society desiring touse them. They have thus far been usedat the following places: Milwaukee, Whitewater,Hillside, Medford, Hartford, LakeForest, Kenosha, and Prescott.5. Securing the passage by the statelegislature of 190J, of a more efficient law(Chap. 196) for the protection of wild birdsin Wisconsin.6. The formation of classes at Madison,under competent guidance, for field-work inbird-study. During the spring of 1901,nearly two hundred different persons werepresent at these meetings. During the samespring a series of four lectures along thisline, illustrated by lantern - slides andmuseum specimens, was given at the StateUniversity.7. The circulation throughout the state,of the Gordon Library of ten bird books,the nucleus for which was presented to theSo.cjety in 1899, by Mrs. George Gordon ofMilwaukee. During the past year therehave been so many calls for these books thatthe Society hopes to be able in the nearfuture to purchase two similar collections.Through the courtesy of the State Superintendentof Public Instruction, the 'Arborand Bird Day Annual ' for 1902, issued byhis department, will again carry from theAudubon Society a message of invitation toeach puMic school in the state to cooperatein this m()\enK'nt and to form a schoolbranch. The success of these branches isalmost entirely due to the intelligent assistanceof the teachers, without which it wouldbe impossible tocarry on any organized workamong the children of the commonwealth.It is hoped that the coming year willbring to us many new members, as well asincreased financial support. Contributionsof money to be spent for the general workof the Society, or in some special mannerindicated by the giver, are also muchneeded. Jessie T. Thwaites, Sec.Bird - Protection AbroadIt is pleasing to note that the governmentauthorities abroad are paying much attentionto the protection of birds. Accordingto a recent cable dispatch the Minister ofAgriculture of Belgium has instructed thatberry-bearing trees in the government forestsshall remain untrimrned until the endof winter in order to allow the birds plentyof food. Hitherto they have been trimmedin October. It is not generally known howmuchbirds contribute to the sanitary conditionof the world; in fact, it has oftenbeen said that man could not live upon theearth were it not for the birds. Besidesbeing a perennial delight to lovers of nature,the existence of bird- life is a necessity forthe health of the people. During the pastseason, on some of our outings, we havenoted more birds than for many previousyears. American people better understandat the present time the need of the preservationof birds; but there is much still to belearned. Every sportsman should assumehis share of the work in protecting ourbirds.ShootiniT ami Fishing.Note.—A report from the Florida AudubonSociety is of necessity postponed untilour next issue.

ROBIN, NEST AND YOUNGPhotographed from nature, by A. L. Priiicehorn, Glen Island, N. Y., May ii, 1902

i&irli-loreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSiLOrgan of the Audubon SocieiVol. IV September— October, 1902 No. 5The Destructive Effects of a Hail -storm UponTHROUGHthe familiar works of Giitke and others, through lighthousereports,Bird LifeBY H. McI. MORTON. M.D., Minneapolis, Minn.and through personal observation, ornithologists havebeen made conversant with the many remarkable accidents andfatalities which occur to our birds, and especially during the trying ordeal ofmigration. As an indication of one of these many possible vicissitudes inthe life of a bird, I take pleasure in acceding to the editor's request that 1write a brief report of the deadly effect upon bird life of an unusuallysevere hail -storm, accompanied by a very high wind, which occurred inMinneapolis during the summer of igoi.After an afternoon and evening of threatening weather on August 25,a section of this city was visited by one of the most alarming and destructiverain- and hail-storms in the history of our local weather bureau. Accordingto our imaginative — and I think pardonably so — newspaper reporter,'Hailstones as big as teacups, driven by a wind which gave them themomentum of a six-pound shell,"' were among the very unusual featuresof this sudden and alarmmg phenomenon. The path of the storm,which was not more than half a mile wide, passed through the centralresidence and park district of Minneapolis, and from a northwesterly toa southeasterly direction. Loring Park, the most central and attractiveof our metropolitan reserves, suffered severely, trees being uprooted,branches torn, and foot-paths converted into great gullies three to fourfeet in depth; the pebbles, sanil antl mud thus carried awav being depositedover the lower grassy areas of the park to a depth of from one to threefeet. Ailded to this was the almost entire defoliation in certain areas ofthe park, due to the hail. That such results as these must of necessityhave occurred \\ ill In- e\idcnt from this extract which 1 take from tlie localweather rejiort. 1 liese obser\ations appiv to the imnieiliate region of tlie

144- Bird -Lorepark. They read: ''It is estimated that not less than two inches of waterfell in that vicinity during the fifteen minutes, while three inches wouldnot be considered an extravagant estimate. The hailstones ranged in sizefrom one-fourth to one and one-fourth inches in diameter, and weregenerally almost spherical. A gusty wind accompanied the hail and rain,and a velocity of forty-eight miles per hour prevailed from 9:13 P. M. to9:24 P. M., with an extreme one -mile velocity of sixty miles at 9:20 P. M."There can be no doubt that the hailstones ranged larger in certain areasthan one and one-fourth inches; of that I assured myself at the time.Loring Park is a spot favored by our summer resident birds, and greatnumbers of Bluejays, Robins, Bronzed Grackles, four or five species ofWoodpeckers, and hosts of smaller birds more arboreal in habit — especiallyof the Vireo and Flycatcher families — are always to be seen here in thesummer. Strange to say, a nest in this entire area of thirty or fortyacres is a rarity; last year there was one — a Robin's; this year not onewas built in the park. It is distinctively, then, a day feeding- and playgroundfor the birds, but to few species a roosting place. It is due tothese facts that so many species so frequently seen in the park in daytimewere not to be found among the dead, mutilated and maimed birds onthe day following the storm.My interest in the bird life of this little beauty spot led me to makean early reconnaissance on the following morning. It was an unpleasantsight to behold old and familiar trees robbed of their protecting limbsand often uprooted, but, saddest of all, the park was a veritable aviangraveyard. At the very entrance I picked up a Red -eyed Vireo, whichhad been knocked from the trees by the merciless hail and drowned inthe torrents beneath. There were in evidence many others, yet the smalland dull-colored birds were difficult to find, many being washed away intothe lake near the center of the park or into the street mains, or lost inthe accumulated debris of leaves, sticks and sand. In a few steps I pickedup a score of Robins and Bluejays, and thus it was all over certain areasof the park. The Robins and Jays were of the few roosting species andsuffered proportionately, constituting most of the dead birds found. TheBronzed Grackles, so numerous in daytime, were not to be found amongthe dead, indicating that they did not roost at all in the park. Thiswas also true of many other species common in the locality. I hadfor days previous noticed a number of Black and White Creeping andYellow-rumped Warblers in the park, but found none on the ground oramong the debris; yet they could have been easily overlooked, for no doubtmany hundreds of smaller birds found death or injury in the path of thestorm, and could not be found for this reason. Many of the large birdswere on this account found simply by accident— by a head, a wing or tailprojecting from a pile of rubbish.

—The Effects of a Hail -storm Upon Bird Life 145Not the least interesting feature was the manner and cause of death.Of course hundreds of birds lost their lives by the deadly effect of thehail direct, simply being knocked from the trees — many of which wereleafless in a few minutes— and literally battered to death. This was clearlyshown by the finding of many birds on higher and sloping ground, wheredrowning would have been impossible, and on whom no injuries werediscernible. Others were knocked off their roosts into the paths belowwhich were now great torrenTs of water — and carried into the lake, orleft in the deposit of sand and mud covering the lower grassy parts ofthe park. Many of these birds which I examined had no manifest externalinjury, and 1 felt it was a clear case of drowning.But the very interesting feature to me was the birds whose bodiesshowed by deep gashes or penetrating wounds the bullet -like power ofpenetration of the hail when driven by a wind of sixty miles an hour.For instance, one bird had a penetrating wound on the right side of theback which completely entered the thorax and lacerated the thoracicviscera. I observed a number with somewhat similar injuries, and therecould be no doubt but that they were all caused by the hail. Here deathmust have been instantaneous. The saddest evidence of the storm wasfound in the great number of wounded Robins I found all about me. Onepoor Robin — a fine big fellow — had received a crack from the wingedice that shattered a portion of the bony arch over the eye and producedcomplete exophthalmos (protrusion of the eye). Death seemed nigh, andto him — as well as to many others — I gave release from their suffering.I found no wounded Jays; possibly those not killed outright had greaterstaying power than the Robins, and escaped from the inhospitable park.According to the press, "One effect of the hail was the dispatching ofEnglish Sparrows. Thousands of the little birds lay about the ground thismorning underneath where they had been roosting before stricken by theice pellets." I am convinced this statement is an exaggeration. A greatmany Sparrows were killed in all those parts of the city which lay in thepath of the storm, but by the very nature of their roosting habits, sofamiliar, they were immuned in much larger measure than other birds.Severe hail -storms over the northwestern portions of the United Statesare of common occurrence, and especially over the prairie regions of Northand South Dakota. Each summer areas of miles in extent are visited bysuch phenomena and attemled with great ilestruction to the crops andvegetation generally. As such storms are 'a hot-weather product." andoccur fre(iuently during the nesting period and soon after, I have no doubtman\' birds are lost each year in this manner.Finally, is not a subject of unusual interest suggested by the incidentsjust recited ? When we remember that millions upon millions of birdsmust die each \ear, is it not remarkable that we observe so few decrepit.

146 Bird -Loredeformed or diseased binls, and how seldom while 'in the field,' andunder usual conditions, we find the bodies, or skeletal remains, of a bird ?True, one does see such occasionally on the plains, in wooded districtsand alonii the lake shores, that have probably fallen prey to the raptorialsor small mammals, but such findings are a numerically insignificant portionof the great host of birds which meet death each year. How, then, endsall this myriad avian host ? Countless numbers, no doubt, fall prey tohungry birds and beasts — stronger links in the evolutional chain — noevidence remaining to show a bird existed. Many eggs and nestlings fallto the reptiles, as well as to Crows, Jays and their near of kin, whosefledgling proclivities are well known. The deadly lighthouse claims itsthousands of sacrifices, and the 'small boy' and the hunter add their quotato the death roll.To these, what we may call, external death factors, I am inclined tobelieve we may add flood and hail, and I believe this applies with especialforce and fitness to our prairie avifauna, so varied and so numerous in thegreat northwest country — the Dakotas, northern Minnesota and theCanadian plains still to the north. Here countless hosts of birds spendtheir summers and rear their broods. Over these districts hail -storms areof such frequency and intensity as to justify the belief that, compared tothese causes, the work of the lighthouse and the hunter must beinsignificant.T^ -sDOUBLE -CRESTED CORMORANTSPhotocraphcd from nature, by Frank M. Chapman, Shoal Lake, .Manitoba. Jul) , i(;oi

WHAT THE EGGS WERE INWM.M U \N IN THE EGGSNEST, ixKis AM) ^()^^\c; of red-wingki) hi.ac khikdrhiitiii:t;iphfd lri>ni natiirr. t>> C G. A(il>blt(•47)

:—D(^A Goldfinch IdylBY ELLA GILBERT IVESyou know of any far-away pasture where, in blueberry time,Sparrows play hide-and-seek in the bushes, and Finches are likelittle golden balls tossed on the breeze ? It was in such a fieldthat my Goldfinch found the thistle-down for her soft couchher couch,observe, for it was the dull mate in greenish olive that made the bed.I was there when the maple twig was chosen for the nest — as goodluck would have it, close by our cottage door and in plain sight from mywindow. The choice was announced by a shower of golden notes fromthe male bird, and a responsive twitter from his mate. She began buildingat once, quickly outlining the nest with grasses and bark. Her approachwas always heralded by a burst of song from her mate, who hoverednear while she deftly wove the pretty fabric and then flew away with himto the base of supply.It was August 2 when the nest began. 1 quote from my note -book:"August 3. I observed the work closely for an hour. The workingpartner made eighteen trips, the first eleven in twenty-two minutes,grass and thistle-down being brought; the last nine trips only down,more time being taken to weave it into the walls. The male warblednear by, and twice flew into the tree and cheered his industrious matewithsong."August 5. The home growing. The female tarries much longerat the nest, fashioning the lining."August 6. Both birds sing while flying to and from the nest."August 7. Nest completed. The mother-bird has a little 'songof the nest' — a very happy song. Think an egg was laid today."August II. The male Goldfinch feeds his mate on the nest. Fliesto her with a jubilant twitter, his mouth full of seeds. She eagerlytakes from him from twelve to twenty morsels. They always meet andpart with a song. Once the brooding mate grew impatient, flew tothe next tree to meet her provider, took eight or ten morsels, then flewwith him to the nest and took twelve more. A generous commissary!"August 17. Breakfast on the nest; twenty-three morsels from onemouthful. How is it possible for song to escape from that bill beforethe unloading ? Yet it never fails."Here the record comes to an untimely stop, the reporter being suddenlycalled home. But the following year nature's serial opened atthe same leaf.Toward the last of July, a steady increase in Goldfinch music anda subtle change in its meaning marked the approach of nesting time.Again I quote from my journal(148)

A Goldfinch Idvl 149"August 8. My careful search was rewarded by the discovery of aGoldfinch's nest, barely outlined, in the rock -maple near the formersite, but on the road side of the tree. That my bird friends had returnedto the old treestead I could not doubt, as they bore my scrutiny withunconcern. In six days the nest was completed. The builder flew tothe brook and drank with her mate, but rarely stayed away long enoughfor food supply; that was carried to her and received on the nest.NEST AN» EGGS OKAMERICAN GOLDFINCHFrom nature, by C. William Bt-cbc"August 18. An episode; a rival male tU-w to the home-tree withthe male Goldfinch, both singing delightfully and circling about the nest.The mate, much excited, several times flew from the nest and joined inthe discussion. Two bouts between the males ended in the discomfitureof Number two, and the return of m\ (loKlfinch with a victor's song."August 20. I'he course of true love now ran smooth, and Goldfinch,sure of his intrenclunl affection, sang less volubly. The female,delicately sensitive of ear, apparentU recognizes the voice of her mate,

150 Bird-Loreand never fails to respond. Other (joldlinciies flew by in song, callingand singing, but only one appealed to her."August 2=; was a red-letter day in Goldfinch annals; then, and cnlythen, 1 saw the male on the nest fed by his mate. The male thenshares incubation? He certainly gave it a trial, but, so far as my observationgoes, found it too confining to be repeated."August 2g. 'C^ut today,' as the newsboy cries — the female's elevationon the nest determined that. Her eagerness now overcame caution,and she flew straight to the nest instead of in round-about course. Hothparents fed the young."August .^o. In a single trip the male Goldfinch brought forty morselsto the family, his mate eager to get her 'thirds,' but as soon ashe had gone she slipped off the nest and fed the young. This methodwas pursued for three days."Sept. I. The female very active at the nest making toilets of young,reassuring them with tender syllables when a red squirrel ran up thetree with alarming sounds. I saw three open mouths. The broodingbird went for food and returned stealthily to the nest. The male cameonce, but brought nothing, and henceforth was an idle partner."Sept. 6. Young birds, having found their voices, announced mealtimewith joyous twitter. They were fed, on an average, once in fortyfiveminutes, and were now forming cleanly habits, like young Swallows,voiding excrement over the riin of the nest."Sept. 8. The old birtl no longer perching at the nest to feed heryoung, but on the branch, to lure them from their cradle. They shooktheir wings \igorously and preened their tiny feathers."Sept. lO. Young Finches ventured to the edge of the nest andpeered curiously into the unknown.."Sept. II. An empty nest."

..'. Aug..Jan.Aug.. Oct.May. May. Oct.,.!The Massachusetts Audubon Society's Bird-ListsONEof the means employed by the Massachusetts Audubon Societyto interest its members in the practical side of bird study is aninvitation to make lists of the birds noted in the state duringthe year, blanks being furnished for the purpose of properly recordingobservations. The best ten lists received by the secretary for the Society forthe last year were made by the following members: Richard S. Eustis,Cambridge, 145 species; Mrs. L. E. Bridge, West Medford, 125 species;Elizabeth S. Hill. West Groton, 116 species; Lilian Cleveland, WestMedford, iii species; Isabel B. Holbrook, Milton or Rockland, 107species; Abby W. Christensen, Brookline, 107 species; Louise Howe,Brookline, 103 species; Bertha Langmaid, Boston, 99; James See Peters,Jamaica Plain, 90; Mrs. W. H. Simonds, Bedford, 8g. The three firstmentioned lists are published herewith.Blanks for recording the species observed from July i, 1902, to July i,1903, will be furnished to members of the Society by its secretary. MissHarriet E. Richards, Boston Society of Natural History.List of Birds observed byRichard S. Eustis, Cambridge,Mass., from May19, 1901, to May 19,1902.List of Birds observedbv ElizabethS. Hill. WestGroton, Mass.,from Mar. 1, '01,to July 1, '02.List of Birds observed by Mrs.L. E. Bridge, West Medford,Mass., from Julv 1, 1901, toJuly 1, 1902.Name of SpeciesLocalityLocalityLocalityHolboell's Grebe . . .Horned Grebe ....Pied-billed Grebe .LoonParasitic Jaeger . . .KittiwakeGreat Hla< k - backed(JiillAnieiiranMarblehcail Aug. 29,Herring Gull Marblelicad July 7,Rock port .C'otnmoii Tern ....Reci-breastcii MerganserBlack DuckWood DuckLesser Scaup DuckAmerican Cj(j|tlcn-f\e.Bufflchead ....;.01ii-s(|iia\v.Dec. 31,Nahant . .Marbiehead Nov. 16,Lexington Jime 10,Ipswicli . Oct. 26,.Ipswich 30,Ipswich .12,i,Ipswich . 26,Belmont . 25,Belmont . 2,C!ambridge Oct. 31,Boston . 18,Oct. 2UWliiti-winged Scoter .Siirt ScoterNahant l'\b. 1 5,Rud.lv Duck .... Marbiehead ( )(i. 9,Canada (Joose .liclmont M:American Bittern . . .Qi (iroton July 30,Middlese.x Fells Mar. 24, '02Ipswich .Ipswich . .ProvidenceMiddlesex Fells01 Groton iMar. 22,02 Ciroton April i,0101 . . Hostoi) .Groton .Mar. 13,H (Jrutdii .April 4I|)swicli .CohassefC'ohassftMar. 12,Mar. 12, 02July 17, 01Sept. 22, 'orJan. I, 02Mar. 12, '02Sept. 19, '01Sept. 23, '01HraiJ1151)

. ... .. .. ,.. ......,152 Bird-LoreList of Birds observed byRichard S. Eustis, Cambridge,Mass., from May19, 1901, to May 19,1902.List of Birds observedbv ElizabethS. Hill, WestGroton, Mass.,from Mar. 1, '0 1to July 1, '02.List of Birds observed by Mrs.L. E. Bridge, West Medford,Mass., from July 1, 1901, toJuly 1, 1902.N.^ME OF SpeciesGreat Blue Heron . .Green Heron ....Black-crowned NightHeronVirginia Rail ...SoraAmerican Woodcock .Wilson's Snipe . .Red-backed SandpiperSemipalrnated Sandpi'rSanderling .Greater Yellow -legsSolitary Sandpiper .Bartramian SandpiperSpotted Sandpiper .Black-bellied PloverKilldeerSemipalrnated PloverBob -whiteRuffed Grouse .Mourning Dove. . .Marsh Hawk .Sharp-shinned HawkCooper's Hawk . . .Red-tailed Hawk .Red-shouldered HawkRough -legged Hawk .Bald Eagle ....Amer. Sparrow HawkAmerican Osprey . . .Long-eared Owl .Screech Owl .Great- horned Owl . .Yellow-billed Cuckoo.Black-billed Cuckoo .Belted Kingfisher .Hairy Woodpecker . .Downy Woodpecker .Yellow-bellied SapsuckerRed-headed WoodpeckerFlickerWhip-poor-will .Nighthawk . . . .Chimney Swift ....Ruby-throated Humming-birdKingbirdCrested Flycatcher . .PhoebeOlive-sided FlycatcherWood Pewee . . . .Loc3li

. ... .. ... .... ... ... ......... .IName of SpeciesAlder Flycatcher .Least Flycatcher . . .Horned LarkBlue JayAmerican Crow .BobolinkCowbirdRed-wintjed BlackbirdMeadovvlarkOrchard Oriole ....Baltimore Oriole .Rusty BlackbirdBronzed Cirackle .Pine Cjrosbeak ....Purple Finch ....RedpollAmerican Goldfinch. .Pine SiskinSnowflakeLapland Longspur .Vesper Sparrow . . .Ipswich Sparrow .Savanna Sparrow. .Grasshopper Sparrow .White-crowned Spar'wWhite-throated Spar'wTree Sparrow ....Chipping Sparrow . .Field Sparrow ...Slate-colored Junco.Song Sparrow .Swamp S[)arr()w .Fox SparrowTowheeRose-breasted (GrosbeakIndigo Bunting .Scarlet Tanager .Purple Martin ....CliHf Swallow ....Barn Swallow ....Tree Swallow ....Bank Swallow . . .Rough-winged Swal'wC'edar Waxwing ...Northern Shrike .Red-eved V'ireo . . .Warbling \'ireo . . .fellow-throated VireoBlue-headeil \'ireoWhite-eved VireoBlack and White WarblerGolden-wi'ed WarblerThe Massachusetts Audubon Society Bird - Lists 153List of Birds observed byRichard S. Eusiis, Cambridge,Mass., from May19, 1901, to May 19,1902.LocalityBelmont . .CambridgeIpswich . .CambridgeCambridgeCambridgeBelmont .CambridgeCambridgeCambridgeCambridgeCambridgeBelmont . .CambridgeCambridgeIpswich .Ipswich .Waltham .Ipswich . .Lincoln .Lincoln . .Belmont . .CambridgeLexington .CambridgeArlington .MarbieheadCambridgeCambridgeLexington ..Midd'scx K.-lliCambridgeArlington .Belmont . .Concord .CambridgeCambridgeCambridgeCambriilgeArlington .('ambridgeC'ambridgeCambridgeC'ainbridge.Arlinirton .Belmont .Belmont* ..Apr. 27, 02 (irotonList of Birds observedby ElizabetiiS. Hill, WestGroton, Mass.,from Mar. 1, '0 1,to July 1, '02.LocalityJune 22,May 19, Groton Apr. 24,Oct. 20, Seen this winterMay 21, Groton Jan. 10,May 12, Groton Jan. 10,May 20, Groton May 7,May 29, Groton Mar. 31,..May 19, Groton Mar. 13, .May 21, Groton Jan. 26,Groton May 23,May 19, Groton May 8,..Oct. 21, Groton Mar. 31,May 19, Groton Mar. 2, .Groton Mar. 17,May 31, Groton Apr. 15,.Groton Feb. 4,May 19, Groton Jan. I,Dec. 4, Groton Jan. 20,Oct. 26, Groton Mar. I,Jan. 12,May 25, Groton Apr. 17,Oct. 26,Nov. 2,May 18, 02 Groton Apr. 26,May 17, 02 Groton May 17,May 20, Groton Apr. 21,Oct. 27, Groton Jan. 30,May 19, Groton Apr. 16,May 22, Groton Mar 31,Sept. 25, Groton Mar. 18,May 19, 10 (irotoii Mar. 10,Mav 19, CJroton Apr. 19,Oct. 27. Groton Mar. 13,May 26, Ciroton May 4,May 21, Groton May 7,May 21, Groton May 17,May 23, Groton May 17,June 15, Groton Apr. 15,May 20, Groton Apr. 22,May 20, Groton Apr. 9,May 20, (irotonMay 21, Groton Apr. 25,May 22, Groton Jan. 30,Nov. 14, (iroton Jan. 29,May 21, Groton Mav 8.May 19, (iroton May 6,May 20, (irotonMay 21,May 22,. (iroton01 Groton01 . . .Mar. 3 I ,List of Birds observed bv Mrs.L. E. Bridge, West Medford,Mass., from July 1, 1901, toJuly 1, 1902.LocalityWaltham . .Medford . . .Medford . . .Medford .Concord . . .Medford . . .Ipswich . . .Ipswich . . .North AdamsMedford . . .IMedford . . .Medford . . .Medford . . .Medford . . .MedfordMedfordConcordMedford .Medford .Medford .Medford .(i rev lockMedford .Medford .Medford .Medford .Medford .Medford .Medford .Concoril .CambridgeConcord .Coni-ord .Concord .North AdaMedford .Medford .Medford .Medford .May 4, Medford .Apr. 25, Meilford .May 5, Belmont .Apr. 23, Medford .Medford .May 24, '02Apr. 27, '02May 1 1, '02July I, '02May 28, '02April 4, '02Mar. 12, '02Mar. 12, "02June 15, '02May 4,'02Mar. 13, 'c2Apr. 14, "02Mar. 3, "02Oct. 27, '01Apr. 20, '02Apr. 23,May 28,Apr. 23.Mar. 3.Apr. 20,Apr. 20,June 14.|Mar. 3.MayIMar.jMayiMayMay!MavMavMayApr.Apr.MayIJuneiOct.Mar.iMayMavMaVMayJuneApr. 27, '02May 9,'02Hp»rd

.•. . ,..•I..... May. May|MayMayMay. Groton,IMedford...154 Bird- LoreName of SpeciesBlack-throated GreenWarblerPine Warbler ....Yellow Palm WarblerPrairie Warbler .OvenbiidWater-thrush .Mourninij Warbler .Mar\land Yellow-throatYellow-breasted Chat .Wilson's Warbler . .. .Canadian Warbler .American Pipit ....American Redstart . .CatbirdBrown Thrasher .House WrenWinter Wren ....Short -billed MarshWrenLong; - billed MarshWrenBrown Creeper . . .White-breasted NuthatchRed-breasted NuthatchChickadeeGolden-crowned King-:let . . . •Ruby-crowned KingletWood Thrush ....Wilson's Thrush .Olive-backed Thrush .Hermit Thrush ....American Robin ...BluebirdList of Birds observed byRichard S. Eiistis, Canibridge,Mass., from May19. 1901, to Mav 19,1902.LocalityLexinjiton .Nashville Warliler .Northern Pariila WarblerCambri'ge*Cape May Warbler. .Yellow Warbler CambridgeBlack - throated BlueWarblerBoston .Mj-rtle Warbler . C'anibrido;eMaijnolia Warbler CambridgeChestnut-sided Warb'r Belmont . .Bay-breasted WarblerBlackpoll Warbler . CambridgeBlackburnian Warbler Arlington .BelmontArlington*SwampscottArlington .Arlington .CambridgeCambridgeMay 23May 24May 19May 14May 20May 22May 23May 20May 26May 21May 21Sept. 26May 30May 21May 20May 19Cambridge May 19Cambridge May 22Cambridge Mav 19Marblehead Oct" 7,Cambridge May 20Belmont . May 22Belmont . May 3Marblehead Oct. 9,Cambridge May 25,Cambridge Nov. 2,Arlington , 21,Marblehead Oct. 3,('ambridgeI19,Marblehead Sept. 26,Marblehead Sept. 26,Belmont . 22,Cambridgej21,Cambridge May 24,Arlington . jOct. 19,Cambridge iMay 19,Belmont . 21,1List of Birds observedbv ElizabethS. Hill, WestGroton, Mass.,from Mar. 1, '01,to July 1, '02.Date Locality Date01 Cjroton May 13,01 Groton Apr. 30,May 8,01 Groton May 30,01 Groton Apr. 30,01 Ciroton Apr. 22,01 Groton May 12,01 Groton Ma\' 20,01 Groton May 8,01 Groton May 16,01 Groton Apr. 29,01 Groton Apr. 5,01 Groton Apr. 20,01 Groton Ma\' 14,01 Groton Mav 6,01 Gro'on May 25,01 Groton May 3,01 Groton May 15,01 Groton Mav 25,01 Groton Mav 10,0101 Groton Mav 6,01 Groton Apr. 20,01 Groton June 3,01 Groton Jan. 25,01 Groton Jan. 26,01 Groton Dec. 28,01 Groton Jan. 30,01 Groton Jan. 25,01 Cjroton .Apr. 23,01 Groton Mny 15,01 Groton Ma\' 17,01 CJroton Ma\' 2101 Groton Apr. 17,01 Groton Feb. 28,01 Groton Mar. i,List of Birds observed by Mrs.L. E. Bridge, \X'est Medford,Mass., from July 1, 1901, toJuly 1, 1902.LocalityMed fori! .Medford .ijMedford .Medford .Medford .Medford .Medford .Medford .Medford .GreylockMedford .Medford .Medford . .Medford .Medford .CambridgeCireylockMedford ..iMedford .Medford .Medford .Belmont .Medford .Belmont .Concor(i .Belmont .CambridgeConcord . .MedfordMedfordMedfordMedford(\'irlisle .MedfordMedfordMedfordMedfordMedfordIpswich .,DateMay 7,May 9,May 4,Mav II,Mav 7.Mav 9..May 8,Mav 20,May 20,June 15,July 14,June 8,Apr. 27,.Mav 21,May 4,May 27,June 16.May 8,May 21,May 20,May 19,May 4,May 3,May 5,May 3,Oct. I,July 10.May 15,Oct. I.Nov. ID, '01Sept. 22, '01May 8, '02Sept. 22,Apr. 19,May 7,May 1 1May 20,Apr. 25,Jan. 8.Mar. 12, '02* Heard

;JTor Ceacl)er0 anti ^tudents^How to Name the BirdsSTUDIES OF THE FAMILIES OF PASSERESBY FRANK M. CHAPMANSIXTH PAPERFamily 14. Wrens, Thrashers, Etc. Troc;loJylic/ti'.Range. — The Wrens (subfamily TroglodytitKe) number some 150 species,all but a dozen of which are confined to the western hemisphere,where they are distributed from Patagonia to Labrador and Alaska. Fourteenspecies inhabit America north of Mexico, eight of these occurring eastof the Mississippi.The Thrashers (subfamily Miitiina:) number some 50 species and areconfined to America. Eleven species inhabit the United States, of whichonly three, the Brown Thrasher, Catbird and Mockingbird, are found eastof the Mississippi.Season.—Our Wrens, with the exception of the Carolina W^ren andBewick's Wren, are migratory. One species, the Winter Wren, comesfrom the north in the fall, reaching the latitude of New York city aboutSeptember 22 and remaining until April; the others come from the south,appearing late in April and early in May and leaving us in October.The Mockingbird is migratory only at the northern limit of its rangeour other representatives of the M'nnince, the Thrasher and Catbird, areboth migratory, coming late inApril and remaining until October.Color. — Shades of brown and gray are the characteristic colors of theWrens and Thrashers, as they are of most brush- and thicket-hauntingbirds. With the Wrens fine black markings are common; with theThrashers and Mockers solidcolors prevail.External Structure.—Although differing so markcdiv in general appearance(compare a House Wren and Brown Thrasher, for example), theWrens and Thrashers possess many points of structure in common, andwhen some of the larger tropical Wrens are examineil their resemblance tothe Thrashers is obvious. Both Wrens antl Thrashers have scaled tarsi,rounded or graduated tails, the outer feathers being, as a rule, much theshortest, and the outer ininiary is about half as long as the longest.Appearance and llahits. The nervous, excitable manner of our HouseWren and its habit of holding the tail erect or even pointing towaril itshead, is characteristic of most of the members of this group, though withthe largest Wrens thf tail is not held upright. With the Thrashers and

How to Name the Birds 157Mockers the tail is also important in gesture, the white markings on thetail of the latter being conspicuously displayed by a spreading of thefeathers.Both Wrens and Thrashers inhabit the lower growth, the formerbeing more secretive than the latter.Song.—Wrens and Thrashers are distinguished among birds for theirpowers of song. Our Mockingbird is probably unexcelled as a songster byother members of his genus, but there are numerous species of Mockingbirds,one ranging as far south as Patagonia, which sing equally well, whileability.Family 15. Creepers. Certhiidtp.Range. — Of the dozen or more species included in this family only one,the Brown Creeper, reaches the New World, the others being distributedover the larger part of the eastern hemisphere.Season.—The Brown Creeper nests from northern New Englandnorthward,and in the westernUnited States his racialrepresentatives all extendsouth along the Rockymountains to southernMexico. In the east itsome of the southern Thrashers and Wrens even e.xceed ours in musicalmigrates southward latein September and returnsabout May i, winteringfrom northern NewEngland to the GulfStates.Color. —With the exceptionof the EuropeanWall Creeper, which hasrose markings in thewings, the Creepers aredull, neutral -tinted birds,the streaked brown of ourspecies bringing it intoclose harmony in colorwith the bark of treesvvliich it frccjuents.BROUN CKEI.l'IR. Kamily CfrfAi;,/.r(Onr-lhird nalur.-|l si/.c)External Structure.—The slender, curved bill and especiall\- the stiffened,pointed tail-feathers are the most noticeable characteristics of ourCreeper, but the latter feature is not sharetl by all the members of thefamilv. some of which have soft, roundeil tail -feathers.

-158 Bird- LoreAppearance and Habits.—The Creeper's distinguishing trait is madeknown by its name. In ascending trees it uses the tail, as do the Woodpeckers,for a prop or support; and we have here, therefore, an interestinginstance of the development of similar structure, among birds distantly related,as a result of similar habit.Sonf^. — The Brown Creeper'susual note during the winter is as faint seep. To the birds inhabitI ing Maine is attributed a song ' ex-I quisitely pure and tender,' but thei song of those I heard in Mexicoi was a decidedly mediocre, squeaky'i-performance.Family i6. Titmice and Nuthatches.Pariiite.Range.— As is the case withmost northern families of birds, theParidae have representatives inboththe New and Old Worlds. TheTitmice number some 75 species,of which 19 are American, 7 ofthese being found north of Mexicoand four of them east of theMississippi.The Nuthatches number some20 species, only four of whichare American, all of these beingfound from Mexico northward andthree of them east of the Mississippi.Season. — Our Titmice andNuthatches are, as a rule, onlyslightly but regularly migratory.The Red-breasted Nuthatch, however,is an exception, coming tous more or lessirregularly from thenorth early in September and remaininguntil April or May.Color. — Gray above and whitebelow is the prevailing type of colorationin this familv; a color-

How to Name the Birds 159scheme which, while it apparently does not brins; them into harmony withtheir surroundings, conforms with Thayer's law for the coloration of animals,that is,darker above than below.External Structure. — Chickadees and Nuthatches are so different instructure that some authors place them in separate families, though they arenot so treated in the Check-List' of the American Ornithologists' Union.'The Chickadees have a short, stout bill, the nostrils being covered by bristlytufts as in the Crows and Jays: indeed, as many systematists have remarked,there are no structural characters other than size to distinguish the Chickadeesfrom the Ja\s. The tail is rather long and rounded, the outerprimary being short, and the plumage loose and fluffy.The Nuthatches agree with the Chickadees in having the outer primaryshort, but differ from them in having a short, square tail, long, slender bill,and much longer toes and toe-nailsAppearance and Habits. — The climbing habit of Nuthatches is theirdistinguishing characteristic in life, and their elongated toes and toe-nailsare doubtless of assistance to them in this connection, though the tail apparentlyhere plays no part beyond being short enough not to interfere with theirmovements in either direction. The bill is used as a pick, but its lengthapparently renders it more serviceable in reaching into cracks and crevices.With the Chickadees the stout bill is employed in excavating a nestingholeand in hammering food held b\ the strong feet.Son^. — Though possessing a varietv of notes, neither Chickadees norNuthatches can be considered songsters. The former, however, utterwhistled calls which are often possessed of much sweetness.The Migration of 'WarblersFew subjects are of more interest to field stuilcnts of birds thanthe migration of the host of Warblers which pass northward in the springand southward in the fall. Coming from their far winter homes when theweather is comparatively settled, there is a certain regularity in their mn\ementswhich makes a study of them 'unusually valuable. For both thesereasons HlRl)-L(mE proposes to devote much attention during the comingyear to the times of arrival and departurt- of Warblers in eastern NUrthAmerica, and in x\\\s uiuK-rtaking it asks the cooperation of all its readerswho have notes on the migration of Warblers. The notes should give(i) the place of observation; (2) the observer's name: {},) name ofthe species, followed by the data called for in the Biologic Survey MigrationSchedules, that is, (4.) when was it first seen? and about how manv wereseen? (5) u lu-n ilid it become common? (6) when was it last seen?(7) is it common or rare? If \ (Ui cannot repK to all these questionsanswer those vou can ami send your notes to the edtor of HiRD-l-nRK anytime during the next two months.

i6oBird- LoreThe Young Observers' ContestThe prize for the best essay on the birds of June and July goes toMaster Stewart Mackie Emery, of Morristown, N.J.com-In preparing their essays on the birds of August and September, inpetition for the prize offered in August Bird -Lore, we ask young observersto remember that those contributions showing the greatest amount oforiginal observation will stand the best chance of winning the award.What we desire is not general information on the bird -life of August andSeptember, but we want to know what you have seen in the woods, fieldsor marshes during these two months. These essays should be sent induring the first half of October.We now offer a fifth prize of a book or books to the value of twodollars to the young observer of fourteen years or under who sends us thebest seven- or eight -hundred word article on the birds of Octoberand November.What Bird is This?Field 2>«fr//)(i«n. — Length 5.75 inches. Upper parts streaked with black, brownish gray and grayish browna grayish line over the eye. under parts white streaked with black, a buff hand across the breast and on the flanks.Note.— Each number of Bird-Lore will contain a photograph, from specimens inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some comparatively little-known bird, orbird in obscure plumage, the name of which will be withheld until the succeedingnumber of the magazine, it being believed that this method of arousing the student'scuriosity will result in impressing the bird's characters on his mind far more stronglythan if its name were given with the picture.The species figured in August is the female Indigo Bunting, which in worn, breedingplumage shows almost no trace of blue and is then easily confused with certain Sparrows.

jBtote^ from Jfielti antj ^tutipA Catbird'sMusical AbilityA Catbird who chose our hack yard ashis home during the past summer hasinterested me on several occasions by hisattempts at imitation.One noon, as I came in at the baciv door,I heard a Canary singing, and wonderedwhose song it could be that I could hear soplainly. I came into the house, but curiositygot the better of me and I had to go backto investigate. There was my Canary,perched on a lawn -seat, dressed in darkdrab instead of yellow, singing as a threemonths-oldCanary would sing. Therewere no rough notes in his song, such asare usually heard when the Catbird tries toimitate; but he stopped short of the fullmelody and left rr.e with that aggravatingfeeling one has when the final measure ofany musical composition is left off on accountof an interruption.Another day, I heard what started to bemy Rose-breasted Grosbeak's familiar sentences,and I opened my eyes to see him.Just then that squawk, so familiar to thosewho are act)uainted with the Catbinl, cameout in the middle of his imitation, and Isaid, "No, you don't fool me. The Grosbeaknever puts in any such discords. Hisnotes are all harmonious and pure tone.You will have to do better than that." Hefinished just as the Grosbeak does, andthat one rough squawk was all there was totell me it was not the (irosbeak.Memorial Day, a hand - organ camealong. That was his chance. The hamlorganwas putting in its best efforts onsome rattle-te-l)ang music, which was toomuch for the poor Catbird ; he must tryanyway— do it or die. So he struck in. Afew of the notes he got right, liut more ofthem he did not. for in his haste to keep upto the time he put in almost anything tofill up the measures. He had this to comforthim anvwav, — he did not let that tormentinghand -organ conic out ahead. His(.6time was as good as the organ's, — accent,evenness of beat, rests and all. I have notseen much of him for several weeks now,but presume he has been attending themusic festival which has been in progress.— Emily B. Pellet, IVorcester, Mass.The Warbling Vireo aNest SingerThe account of the singing of a WarblingVireo from its nest, in the September-October, 1901, Bird-Lore, almost exactlydescribes a similar experience of my ownlast summer, which surprised me greatly,it seemed so unusual. It would be interestingto know whether these two incidentsare exceptions, or whether they merely showthe habit of the species.It was at New Russia, Essex county.New York. The nest was in a maple tree,bordering the road in front of the house.After sitting had begun it was noticed (onJune i) that at intervals the singing ofthe Warbling Vireo was stationary for someminutes near the nest. The nest waswatched more closely, and soon one of myclass discovered that one of the birds sangwhile brooding, and the other did not. Byadvancing with caution we could standdirectiv beneath the nest and see the littleliill open to pour forth the song. Themusic was not so continuous while thesinger was thus under inspection, for hehad to stop often to cock his head and turnhis bright e\e incjuiringly down upon thelistener below. But when undistracted bya sight of his audience he repeated thestrain with almost perfect regularity once inJive seconds.'Once, when he was timed,this was kept up for five minutes. Thisperiod was about the usual length of hissitting, and then his mate entered the treewith little scolding notes, a small formdashed through the air to a distant row oftrees, leaving a trail of song behind, andsilence fell in the maple tree.)It was natural to conclude that the singer

l62Bird- Lorewas the male and tlie silent sitter the female,wliich was iloabtless the case. — Mar^'MaNN' Mll.l.RR.Nesting Habits of the Chimney SwiftAlthough having often read of the ChimneySwift nesting in hollow trees, and theusual place being in unused chimneys,nothing has ever come to my notice, inliterature, stating that the\' nest in otherplaces.In this locality, more nests are builtinside buildings than tiiere are inside chimneys.The nests are usually glued to thegable end of tiie building—sometimes barns,sometimes old uninhabited houses arechosen—and one nest, the past summer, wasbuilt in a blacksmith shop within fifteenfeet of the forge. A number of years agoa pair nested in the upper part of a liousein which a family lived, and near to a bedin which children slept every night. Inthis case the birds entered through a brokenwindow.On only two occasions has the writerobserved the Swifts collecting their nestmaterial. They chose the dead twigsfrom the tops of trees, on one occasion awhite maple, another time from a hemlock.As the birds i\e\v slowly along, they wouldseize a twig in their bill and were generallysuccessful in breaking it away. When thetwig was not broken ofT, the bird would flybut a short distance and return and tryanother.Sometimes the egg- laying begins beforethe nest is completed. The eggs are laidusually in the morning, one being laid eachday until the set is completed, the numberbeing five.When the last egg is laid incubation begins,twenty-two days being recjuired beforethe young are hatched.Should the first set of eggs be taken, andthe birds not frightened, they will againhave eggs, in the same nest, in two weeks'time.\Vhether both birds incubate I do notknow, as the sexes are so nearly alike inplumage.About three weeks are required for theyoung to get a sufficient growth of wingfeathersto be able to fly. During this timethe\' are fed by both birds, at an\ time, dayor night.A chimney would appear tf) be a verysafe place for a pair of birds to raise abrood to be free from enemies. \'et thereis one enemy they are unable to cope with— that is rain. A heavy rain, when theyoung are about half grown, loosens theglued sticks from the sooty chimney, andyoung and nest fall to the bottom of theshaft, where the young soon perish of hunger,as the old birds do not seem to feedthem after the fall.In such cases the young are often takenby the people of the house, placed in asmall basket or box, lowered a short distanceinto the chimney from the top, wherethey are fed and cared for as if nothinghad happened.—W. H. Moore, SotchLake, N. B.Destruction of Birds by LightningIn connection with Dr. Morton's accountof the destruction of birds by a hail-storm,at Minneapolis, in August, 1901, publishedin this issue of Bird-Lore, the followingreport from t:ie'N. Y. Sun ' of the effecton Sparrows of a severe storm which occurredin New York city on the eveningof July 28, is of interest: "More than athousand Sparrows were killed by the stormat the corner of Hudson and Third streets,Hoboken. Two large shade trees in frontof the Beachwood apartment house werestruck by lig'uning shortly after the stormbegan, and a moment afterward the lawnin front of the house was a carpet of feathers.Most of the birds were killed outright,but there were several hundred that beganto hop about their dead mates andchirp."Cats andA corres[)ondentBells.recommemls the placingof bells on cats to prevent them from catchingbirds, and states that the plan has beentried with success.

talesilooft jBtetjDs; anti 3^etoteto0Two Vanishing Game Birds: TheWoodcock and the Wood Duck. ByA. K. Fisher, Ornithologist BiologicalSurvey. Vear-Book U. S. Dept. ofAgriculture, 1901, pp. 447-456.Dr. Fisher's experience as a sportsman,combined with his wide knowledge as anornithologist, permits l>im to speak withunusual authoritativeness on the question ofgame protection. This paper, therefore, asmight be expected, is one of the most practical,convincing contributions to the subjectwhich has come to our attention. Sentimentis an admirable thing in itself, but aweak weapon when turned toward thosewho observe the game laws simply becausethey might be subjected to penalty forbreaking them; and the strength of Dr.Fisher's argument lies in the hard, soundundeniable facts on which it is based. He^liows the rapid decrease of Woodcock and^^'ood Duck, and then proves, and provesconclusively, that if these birds are notgiven better and more uniform protectionthan they now receive they will becomepractically exterminated. — F. M. C.Check-List of California Birds. ByJoseph Grinnell. Pacific Coast AvifaunaNo. 3. Cooper OrnithologicalClub, Santa Clara, Calif. 8vo. 98pages, 2 maps.An annotated list of California birds haslong been one of the wants of workingornithologists which the author of the listunder consideration is well (|ualiHed to till.He enumerates 491 species and subspeciesas duly entitled to recognition as Californiabirds, and under each one gives, assynonyms, the names which havealso beenapplied to it as a C'aliforiiia bird, and its"status" or manner of occurrence. Maps,based on climatic conditions, outline the"life /ones" an. By W.Warde Fowler. Illustrated byFrances L. Filler. The MacmillanCo. 1902. i2mo. 232 pages, 8 plates.We have no American writer on birdswith whom Mr. Fowler can be compared;his methoils differ from those of our popularauthors, and make his'' a singularcombination of tact ami fancy wliich itwould be ha/arilous for a less skilful writerto atlempt to duplicate. His birds talk, butthey are a true ornithologist's bird for allthat, and each storv emphasizes the closerelation which should ami iloes exist betweenbirds and man, ami is admirablyadapted to awaken genuine synipathy withbird life. — F. M. C.(«63)

'WinteropensThe16+ Bird -LoreIhe Bird Calendar. Bv ClarenceMooRES Weed. Rand. McNally &Co. 32mo. 80 pages.The purpose for wliicli tliis booklet andsimilar ones for trees and flowers is intended,is best explained in their author'spreface: "The use of these books will

BirdsBook News and Reviews 165investigation. A Yellow-throated Vireo,which had wandered hundreds of miles outof its normal range, is recorded ' as narrowlyscrutinized in a quaking ash grove,May 12, 1895.' Although Franklin'sGrouse undoubtedly occurs on Mt. Adamsand about Cowlitz Pass, the remarks underthis caption evidently refer to the Sooty or'Blue Grouse' and not to the Fool Hen,which is a typical boreal species dwellingamong firs and spruces, and not in thelower mountain ranges of the UpperSonoran and Transition Zones.— A. K. F.The Condor.—The July-August numberof The Condor ' ' contains several interestingarticles on the nesting habits ofwestern birds, among which may be mentionedBowles''Notes on the BlackthroatedGray Warbler,' Gilman's 'Nestingof the Little Flammulated Screech Owl'on San Gorgonio Mountain in southernCalifornia, and Bailey's ' Nesting of theRuby -crowned Kinglet' near Kenai,Alaska. The Kinglet's nest was found ina dense spruce about thirty feet from theground, and is described as pyriform inshape, with the small end down, beautifullymade of moss, fur, and silky, fibrous substancescompactly woven together. OnJune 6 it contained eleven eggs slightly advancedin incubation. Two sets of eggs ofClarke's Nutcracker are recorded by Johnsonfrom Box Elder Mountain, Utah, onewithfive eggs collected on April 8, when thesnow was five feet deep under the tree,and the other taken on April 17.Under the title 'Notes on the Verdin,'Gilman calls attention to the winter nestsof Auriparus flaviceps, constructed forroosting purposes, which are built by bothsexes and differ somewhat from the breedingnests. An interesting account of twoYellow-billed Magpies raised in captivityis given by Noack, showing that the Californiabird has remarkable vocal powersand considerable ability to articulate.These characteristics woulii seem to remiermore attractive as a pet than the EuropeanitMagpie, which is often imported as a cagebird. The Southern White -headed Woodpecker{Xfnopuus i^riiTiruslrif ) is separatedfrom typical X. albolarvatus, byGrinneli, on characters which are "slight,and apparently exist only in dimensions,chiefly of the bill." In spite of the factthat " individual variation brings an overlappingof characters " and that " geographicalcontinuity of ranges possibly exists," thenew form is given the rank of a fullspecies! — T. S. P.Book NewsHoughton, Mifflin & Co., announce forearly publication a Hand-book of the Birds'of the Western United States,' by FlorenceMerriam Bailey. The book will be fullyillustrated by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, andwill, it is needless to say, satisfactorily supplythe long-existing demand for a workdevoted to western birds.We are informed that the results of Dr.R. M. Strong's long-continued studies onthe colors of feathers will be published bythe Museum of Comparative Zoology duringthe autumn.The Southern Pacific Railroad Companyhas published, in attractive form, Mr. H. P.Attwater's admirable address to Texas farmers,on'In their Relation to Agriculture."Copies of this pamphlet can doubtlessbe obtained from Mr. Attwater atTexas.Not only the personal friends ofHouston,Mr. OttoWidmann, but readers of his characteristicand tlelightful sketches of bird life, willlearn with extreme regret of his loss, by fire,of field notes covering a period of thirtyyears' observation.Circular No. 38 of the Biological Surveyof the United States Department ofAgriculture, calls the attention of sportsmen,dealers in game, and transportationcompanies to the laws relative to the shipmentof game, insectivorous binls and birdskilledfor millinery purposes.From the same source a chart is issuedgiving a synopsis of the game laws of theUnited States, and also, as Farmers' BulletinNo. 160, a summary of the provisions of thegame laws for 1902.

1 66 Bird -Loreilirti'iloreA Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL ORCAN ' in receipt of reports ofthe occurrence of rare birds or of birds farbeyond the boundaries of their normalrange, which, while sent in perfectly goodfaith, are obviously based on faulty observation,though it is difficult, in fact sometimesimpossible, to convince the observerof his error in identification. When suchobservations are not published no especialharm results from them beyond increasingthe student's liability to err again, butwhen they are recorded in print they becomepart of the literature of ornithologyand cannot be ignored, even by those whofeel assured of their incorrectness.So the question arises, What constitutesjustifiable grounds for publicly recordingthe occurrence of an exceedingly rare speciesor of a species beyond the limits of its owncountry? The professional ornithologistreplies, "the capture of a specimen;" but tothis violent method of identifying, the operaglassstudent objects, and, sentiment aside,we think rightly. It is undeniably excitingto secure a specimen of a rare species, or toadd a species to the known fauna of one'sstate; but we believe that the science ofornithology would have been more benefittedby the life of most of these "rare" birdsthan in their death. What, for instance,might now be the range of the Mockingbirdif practically every bird and nest ofthis species found by collectors north of itsusual range had not been taken ? Again,how often the gun has robbed us of mostinteresting and important facts in the lifehistory of that ornithological mystery,Brewster'sWarbler!But, in refusing to use the gun, must theopera-glass student be denied the privilegeof having his observations acceptedquestion?withoutIt depends upon many and variedcircumstances. In the first place, gun orno gun, we must take into consideration themental attitude of the enthusiastic birdstudent afield. It is in the highest degreereceptive ; he is on the lookout for rarebirds, and both eye and ear are ready andwilling to interpret favorably any sight orsound not clearly seen or heard. We knowan experienced collector of birds who wasexceedingly desirous of securing a specimenof a Nonpareil, a bird he had never seen innature. When, therefore, he first reachedthe range of this beautiful and strikinglycolored bird he was constantly alert to detectit ; andit was not long before he saw abright, fuU-plumaged male perched in plainview on the topmost twig of a low bush. Itwas in easy range; he fired, the bird fell,he rushed in and picked up a— VellowrumpedWarbler!Another collector we know of identifiedwith certainty a Blue Grosbeak some twoor three hundred miles north of its usualrange, but the report of his gun, singularlyenough, transformed it into a male Cowbird!Still another excitedly chased aDickcissel from field to field, and when itat length fell a victim to his aim he foundhe had been pursuing a male EnglishSparrow!So we might enumerate dozens of casesillustrating our liability to err in makingfield identifications, and the extreme careneeded to name accurately in natureiiirds which we have never seen alive.Consequently, we should number amongthe requirements of field identification thefollowing: ( i ) Experience in naming

3) OpportunityEditorials 167birds in nature, and familiarity, at least,with the local fauna. ( 2 ) A o;ood rteidoropera-glass.(to observethe bird closely and repeatedly withthe light at one's back.( 4 ) A detaileddescription of the plumage, appearance, actionsand notes (if any) of the bird, writtenwhile it is under obserxation.( 5 ) Examinationof a specimen of the supposedspecies to confirm one's identification. Evenwith these conditions fulfilled, our belief inthe correctness of an observer's identificationwould depend upon the possibility of theoccurrence of the species said to have beenseen. For example, the presence of anindiviJual bird at a given locality, eitheras an escape or estray, is always possible,provided the bird has sufficient power offlight to enable it to make long journeys,or could endure caged life. But when wereceive news of the observation, in largenumbers and frequently, of some specieswhich has never been seen within two orthree thousand miles of the place whenceour correspondent reports it, we feelassured that an error has been made inidentification.After all, the discovery of one new factin the life history of the most common speciesis of greater importance than the capture,with gun or glass, of a bird which,like thousands of birds before it, has lostits way and wandered to parts uninhabitedby its species.A Debt of Bird StudentsNo science in this country lias been morebenefitted by organization than that ofornithology, through the formation, in 1883,of the American ()rnitholoi,'ists' Union.Wholly apart from the Union's work ininaugurating systematic observations on themigration of birds, in supporting a journalof ornithology, and in establishing andmaintaining a committee i>n bird protectionwhich for the past eiglileeii vears has beenactively engaged in the work of bird preservation,the (hiion brought order out ofchaos in formulating a code of nomenclaturefor zo(')logists and in publishing an authoritative'Chcck-I.ist' of North .American birds.wherein, as a result of the labors of theUnion's Committee on Classification andNomenclature, the views of various ornithologistswere harmonized and for thefirsttime in many years we had one standardsystem of nomenclature and classification.Nor did the labors of this committee endwith the puiilication of the 'Check-List,'annual meetings now being held to passupon the systematic work of the precedingyear, so far as it aflFects American birds, sothat the layman is kept thoroughly abreastof the times by a committee of experts, inwhose judgment he may have completeconfidence.Amateur ornithologists in America are,therefore, far more deeply indebted to thegood offices of the Union than they realize,and they should acknowledge the assistancewhich, directlv or indirectly, they have receivedfrom it by showing sufficient interestin the welfare of the Union to lend it theirpersonal support. Every student of birdsin America shouUl be a member of theAmerican Ornithologists'Union, and thereare probably none who are not eligible ascandidates for election to its recently formedclass of Associates, which is composedwholly of amateurs. The annual dues arethree dollars, in return for which the memberreceives a copy of the Union's officialmagazine, 'The Auk,' a quarter!)', eachvolume of which contains about 400 pages,and, what is even more important, he hasthe satisfaction of knowing that he isidentified with an organization of kindredspirits, to whicii is largely due the presentwidespreail interest in liird-studv in thiscountry.The Union meets annually, and theCongress for tiie present year will be heldin the United States National Museum,at Washington, I). C, November 18-20.We liope all the readers of BtRD-LoREwho can attend thi> iweiitietli Congressof the Union \\ill do >o, liut, in anye\ent, whether or not it is possilile forihem to l>e present, we trust they will notfail to apply for Associate Membershipin liie Union to its treasurer, WilliamDutcher, at 1^25 Manhattan avenue. New

Cl)e^uDubon Societies" Y'ou cannot tvilh a scalpel find the poet's soul,yof yet the wild bird's song."Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of tlie Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc.. designed for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesMaineA. H. Norton, Westbrook.New Hampshire Mrs. F. W. Batchki^der, Manchester.Vermont Mrs. Fletcher K. Barrows, Brattleboro.Massachusetts Miss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode Island Miss Harriet C. Richards, 48 Lloyd ave.. Providence.ConnecticutMrs. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New YorkMlss Emma H. Lock wood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street. New York City.New Jersey Miss Julia Scriener, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, N.J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.Delaware Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delamore Place, Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 2212 R street, Washington.VireiniaMrs. Frederick E. Town, Glencarlyn.North CarolinaT. Gilbert Pearson, Greensboro.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legate street, Charleston.FloridaMrs. L Vanderpool, Maitland.Missouri Aigist Reese, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.OhioMrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.IndianaW. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMiss Mary Drummond, 20S West street, Wheaton.IowaMrs. L. E. Felt, Keokuk.Wisconsin Mrs. Reuben G. Thwaits, 260 Langdon street, Madison.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St Paul.WyomingMrs. N. R. Davis, Cheyenne.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.California Mrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.Back to First Principles ''^^ 'really nice' elect to do, must sooneror later be followed by hot polloi, andThe first tenet of the Audubon movement turned our attention to the educational sidewas the suppression of the use of bird of bird protection, i. e., teaching theplumage for millinery purposes. "So long masses to identify birds, to know theiras women wear any but Ostrich feathers habits and economic value, and so, logiontheir hats, so long will birds be killed cally, come to desire of their own volition toto supply them " —ranged the protest in turn give birds the complete protection that isfrom every society that joined the ranks. the end and aim of our work.After we had preached and talked this for Not to bore people and to render theseveral years, some of us began to feel that pledge suitable for the sterner sex, we saidan impression had been made once and for less and less about birds on bonnets and apali,and that it was no longer necessary to pealed more to the love of outdoor life todwell so forcibly upon this phase of the gain our ends.work; people were getting bored, and we As a direct result, laws have been passedheard on all sides that the really nice people in many states curbing and stopping thewere at least giving up the wearing of traffic in native birds and, carried by theegrets and the plumage of our native birds. Abbot Thayer fund, the cry of "Save theWe therefore flattered ourselves that what Gulls and Terns" has echoed along the en-(j68)

The Audubon Societies 169tire Atlantic coast. But the masses havebeen only stirred, as a ripple passing overthe surface of the great deep; and the millinerytrade journals of midsummer heraldanother period of feather-wearing thatpromises to equal in quantity anything wehave seen. We cannot blame the dealersso long as they keep within the letter of thelaw; we cannot blame them for desiring tohave the laws framed to suit theirpurposes.It is the demand alone that we must blame,and it is this demand that can only be subduedby international cooperation, as well asby organized home effort.Nothing can presentthe present status more graphically thansome clippings from these same tradejournals, for the more we see how we areregarded liy the opposition the more weshall realize its force.The following advertisement, unique inits way, taken from one of these journals,appears in conspicuous type ornamentedcuts of birds and fishes:Factory, Lindenhurst. I.. I.MAX HERMAN & CO.Beg to oflFer to the Trade a completeline of novelties imported andof our own make.The prospects forthe coming seasonare apparently for a general line,such as Fancy Feathers, Wings,Pompons, Palms, Paradise, Aigrettes,Ostrich Plumes, Autumn Flowers,and last, but not least, BIRDS.To our kind and feeling friendswho are prejudiced against the wearingof birds, besitles sucli as are protectedl)y law, we respectfully offer aa fine selection of FISH of differentbreeds, which are the latest Parisiancreation.byIt is really difficult to tell whether thisoffer to siijiply fish to decorate the hats ofthe sensitive is a tribute to their feelings orsubtle satire; and we greatly wonder if thefish are real stuffed fish or hollow mockeriesof gau/c.These from the mid>ummer iiuml>er ofThe .Millinerv Trade Ke\ iew " :HANDLINGLARGE LOTS"There can be no gainsaying the fact thatfancy feather effects are to take an extraordinarypart in the coming season's millinery,and, judging from the great number of casesreceived and shipped by William Konemann,his American representatives are gettinga full share of business. They carrya large stock of birds' breasts, wings, quillsand novelty effects, which are added to byeach incoming steamer. From this assortmentexcellent selections can be made bymillinery jobbers, not only now, but allthrough the season. 'Tis a good house tomake a friend of."PLUMAGE OF THE 1-EATHERV KINGDO.Vl"That high-class novelties in birds, birdplumage and fancy feather effects, consistingprincipallv of breasts, wings, quills,aigrettes, paradise and pompons, are to beprominent feature in the season millinery,goes without the saying. The edict of fashionhas gone forth, and Paris will revel inbird plumage as soon as the season opens,with increasing demand as the seasonadvances."L. Henry & Co., while importing largequantities of this class of merchandise, havea domestic plant that is [iroducti\e of morethan ordinary results in creating designsthat meet with marked favor with millinerybuyers. Their sample-room is now filledwith all the plumage of the feather tribethat is at all likely to be sought for, and itis an exhibition that will be appreciated bythe general millinery public. Their patternhats will be placed on exhiiiition,together with their more recent shipmentsfrom Paris of novelties in fancy effects, commencingMonday, July 7."The following, from the same journal, isinteresting in that the matter is logicallyhandled and the lines we italicize regardingthe use of birdpests for decorative purposesis full of import. If we could be sure thatthe use of the English Sparrow and EnglishStarling, who has come to stay,—and we fearwill prove a greater nuisance than theformer bird, — for millinery purposes wouldnot cause the innocent species of Sparrowsto suffer through mistaken identitv, the trademight easily supply the " long-felt want" ofsmallbirds:BIRDS AND niRI) IM.IMA(;E IN MILLINERY"The Illinois Audubon Societv has issueda cir

''NoI70Bird- Loreand retail, warning it against tlie buyingami selling of birds for millinery purposes.The circular lias been widely copied by thepress of the country, and no doubt willhave some influence upon the timid ones ofthe trade. The circular reads:" Genti.kmkn : The Illinois AudubonSociety for the protection of birds liesire tocall your attention to the following extractfrom the Illinois Ciame Law, which has beenin force in this state since April, 1899:" 'Sec'iion 3. Any person who shallwithin the state kill or catch or have in hisor her possession, living or dead, any wildbird, other than a game bird, EnglishSparrow, Crow, Crow Blackbird, orChicke,n Hawk, or who shall purchase,offer or expose for sale any such wild birdafter it has been killed or caught, shall, foreach offense, be subject to a fine of five dollarsfor each birti killed or caught or had inpossession, living or dead, or imprisonmentfor ten days, or both, at the discretionof the court." 'Public sentiment, as evidenced by theaction of both state and national governments,no longer warrants the use of wildbirds for millinery purposes, many statesbesides Illinois no longer permitting theirsale. Birds are an absolute necessity toman as consumers of insects and weed seeds,and as scavengers along their shores.'The Illinois Audubon Society urges youto comply with the law of the state, becauseit hopes that you will place yourself on theside of those who protect birds rather thanof those who destroy them, and also failureto comply with the law must lay those whoviolate it open to prosecution." 'In purchasing your fall stock, we hopemost earnestly that you will take these factsinto consideration.'"The above circular applies to the wildbirds of the state or those of any otherstate, sold within the state of Illinois.The law was ostensibly passed to protectgame birds, and to prevent the killingof game birds out of season. Variousamendments make the law apply to any wildbird, whether it be water fowl, song bird orinsectivorous bird. The members of theMillinery Merchants" Protective Associationare in accord with the law as it reads,and will not handle North American birdsor foreign birds of the same species, but theassociation claims that no state can legislatefor the protection of birds of foreign countriesnot of the same species as the birds ofAmerica. There are myriads of birds thatare pests in other countries, xvhieh saidcountries are f^lad to he rid of, that are notunder the ban, n.ijhich nxill be imported andivhich ivill be passed by the custom inspectors,and on i.vhich a duty zvii/ be paid.As long as the United States Government'collects the duty on such importations it ivillbe construed as a license to sell such merchandise,and it ivill be sold until the courtsdecree otherwise."The press of the whole country has amistaken idea regarding bird plumage. Itassumes that everything in the shape of afeather that is used in millinery trimming isembraced in the law from which the aboveextract is taken, and which is similar toother state laws passeii for the protection ofbirds and bird plumage. There are tons offeather plumage used in the manufacture ofwhat the trade technically termsFeathers,' much of which is theFancyplumageof game birds or plumage of barnyard fowl."Fashion has already decreed that birdplumage will obtain as an article of millineryornamentation to a great extent thiscoming fall and winter; and, notwithstandingthe efforts of the extremists of theAudubonsto prevent its sale, much of it willbe used. The Milliner^' Merchants' ProtectiveAssociation wi'l aid every laudableeffort to prevent the killing of native songbirds, but it will brook no interference w'iththe manufacture and sale of made birds orfancy feathers made from the feathers ofbarnyard fowl."Such sane and logical arguments as theseshow that it is not merely the ignorant andunreasonable that we have to combat.''The Review is full of announcementsof the coming reign of feathers, for which, Ihave said before, the law and the lady mustjoin hands to shorten. But if these twocontinue to disagree, let us invoke the lawby all means, as it is constitutionally moredependable.The manner in which the bird protectionistsare referred to in editorial squibsby these same journals is somewhat encouraging,for people seldom take the trouble toderide an object which in no wise troublesthem ;for example :" 'intimidation should be the watchwordof the millinery trade from land's end'to land's end w-hen it comes in contact withthe extremists of the Audubon societies. Itwas the Chicago branch of the Audubonconclave that rejected the proposition of thetrade to import no birds of the same speciesas the North American species, provided itthe trade, would not be interfered with indisposing of such stock that it hail on hand.The independent self-righteous spirit of the

'Standard:shouldThe Audubon Societies 171Audubon kindled a like spirit in the breastsof dealers, who have made up tlieir minds todefy the sentimentalists. The trade at largeshould pay no attention to Audubon circularsor newspaper comments, but movealong in the even tenor of its way, awaitingthe action of the civil authorities, who alonehave the right to enforce the laws of thestate, and who will do it when they see anecessity for it. Sooner or later this matterwill have to be taken to the courts, when itwill be found that w^hat Uncle Sam passesthrough the custom-house goes."It is easy to laugh at these tirades, but weare not certain enough of having the lastword to laugh—at least not now.It behooves each state society to obtain thebest possible legal advice and guidance inframing or amending its own laws at thesame time that it woos every effort to educatepublic opinion and furnish a better viewpointto the rising generation.In November the delegates of these societieswill meet at Washington for the AnnualAudubon Convention. Let them bring reportsand queries digested, pertinent andwell threshed, the kernel of the wheat only,so that we may not spend the limited time insweeping up chaff.That the convention isheld in conjunction with the annual meetingof the A. O. U . be an inspirationto the delegates, and the fact that it isreally the only chance in a twelve-monthfor the societies to meet face to face, shouldbe enough to make each act in all seriousness,for many will journey to the jointmeeting to whom attendance at the springmeeting of the Advisory Committee will i)eimpossible.A good plan would be to ha\e a (|uestionbox, placed the first day of the A. i). V.,to be opened iluring the conference and the(|ueries answered and discussed there andthen.M. O. VV.BirdProtection AbroadIn connection witii the destruction of foreignbirds, the a|)i)endeii information, (luotedfrom 'Science' inegard loan internationallaw for tiie protection of birds, is ofinterest"The Paris corresponilent of the Lomlon'states that tlie Ministers of ForeignAffairs and Agriculture, just beforethe summer recess, presented to the Chambera bill approving the international conventionfor the protection of birds useful toagriculture. The international conventionhas been signed by eleven European states.Encouraged by the constantly renewed resolutionsof the Councils General and theagricultural societies, which deplored thesystematic destruction of certain birds usefulto agriculture, the French Government, in1892, took the initiative in the matter ofinviting the European powers to send theirrepresentatives to an international commissionintrusted with the task of elaborating aconvention. That committee met in Parisin June, 1895. After long negotiations, theconvention thus framed has now obtainedthe adhesion ofFrance, Germany, Austria,Belgium, Spain, CJreece, Hungary, Luxembourg,Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland,and the principality of Monaco. All theother states are empowered by the terms ofthe agreement to adhere, if they think tit,to this convention for the protection ofbirds. The various contracting governmentsundertake to prohibit the employmentof snares, cages, nets, glue, and allother means for the capture anddestructionof birds in large numbers at a time. Inaddition to this general measure of protection,no one is to he allowed to capture orkill, between March i and September 15.any of the birds useful to agriculture, ofwhich a complete list is contained in theinternational agreement. This list of usefulbirds comprises Sparrows, Owls, commonBrown Owls, Lawny Owls, Sea Eagles,Woodpeckers, Rollers, Wasp-eaters, Pewits,Martins, Fern Owls, Nightingales,Redstarts, Robin Redbreasts, White Bustards,Larks of all kinds. Wrens, Tomtits.Swallows, Flycatchers, etc."Reports ofSocietiesREPORT OF THK FLORIDA AUDUBONSOCIETYOur seconil annual meeting occurrcii inMarch last, and since that time tliere hasiicen an increased interest in the saving ofour birds. rhroiighout the slate, and in

—172 Bird- Loreplaces far ilistant from lieachiuarters (Maitland),we have been enabled to secure goodlocal secretaries, who are now, despite theenervating influence of a southern summer,organizing bird classes and doing mostcommendable work. To some of these thesociety has furnished charts purchased fromthe Massachusetts Society; they prove to beverv attractive to the children.We have much to conteiul with in thisstate, settled by a hunting and sportingcommunity who consider killing birds legitimatesport— as their forefathers did beforethem. The extended seacoast is the homeof birds dear to the milliner, and throughoutthe state there are birds of bright plumagelargely sought for feminine adornment.Allthis makes our work more necessary andmore diflicult. To counteract this we havecirculated many pamphlets on the wearingof aigrettes; letters have been published inthe leading papers calling special attentionto the wearing of this plume, and warnings,setting forth the state laws, have been postedin every post office in the state. An"Appeal to Sportsmen," as requested by theNational Committee, has been publishedand will appear from time to time duringthe summer in the local papers. Circularletters, setting forth our views, have beenfreely sent where they would do the mostgood. As requested by the L. A. S., ourcongressmen have been asked to supportH. R. 11,536, and Intelligent work hasbeen done by members of our ExecutiveCommittee, who spare no efforts to furtherthe work of our society.Nor have tlie schools been forgotten.The Orange county school board officiallyrecognizes our work, and it will be our aimthis summer to induce others to follow theirexample. Most of the schools in the stateclose in March, but to those in Orangecounty whose terms extended to May aprize was offeredfor the best essay on birdsas studied from charts loaned by the society.Only one schoolaccepted, and to the Maitlandschool must be given much praise forthe intelligent and well-written compositionsthat were submitted to the committee.Manyexcellent drawings, also, were sent in, andto Master Rae Auld we had the pleasure ofawarding a most justly earned prize. Erethe year closes we hope to add many membersto our ranks, and by our united effortsaccomplish much (especially inthe schools)that we feel necessary for the success of ourwork. Mrs. I. Vanderpool, Secretary.A New Audubon SocietyNow that Florida has an AudubonSociety and has passed the A. O. U\ modelbird-law, there is no state in the southwhich needs the attention of bird protectionistsmore than Louisiana. We learn,therefore, with more than usual pleasurethat a Louisiana Audubon Society is aboutto be organized in New Orleans. Theattempt to secure the passage of the A. O.U. law by the legislature of Louisiana at itslast session proved a failure, but we areassured that this new society will succeed inso arousing public sentiment that at the nextmeeting of the legislature no difficulty willbe experienced in securing proper legal protectionfor the birds of Louisiana.Annual Conference of Audubon SocietiesThe annual conference of the AudubonSocieties will be held In Washington, D. C,in conjunction with the annual congress ofthe American Ornithologists' Union, to beheld November 18-20 next. The AudubonSocieties will doubtless convene immediatelyafter the adjournment of the Union, but theexact date and place of meeting can beascertained from Mrs. John D. Patten,Secretaryof the District of Columbia Society,at 2212 R street, Washington.A meeting of the National Committee ofthe Audubon Societies will also occur atthis time, and it is to be hoped that routineaffairs may be left to this committee, in orderthat the conference may be devoted to a discussionof matters of general interest in which notonly delegates, but all members of AudubonSocieties should be urged to participate.The consideration of such subjects astraveling lectures and libraries, of birdclasses, circulars, appeals through the press,and other means of bringing the variousphases of Audubon work tothe attention ofthe public can not fail to be attended withsrood results.

J"C^n^^i^^A^t^ ^^^^^w

l&irti = CoreA BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINEDEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDSOfficial Organ of the Audubon SocietiesVol. IV November— December, 1902 No. 6On Journal KeepingBY ERNEST THOMPSON SETONHEN first I went into the West, just twenty -one yearsafio, with the intention of using my eyes and learning allI could of nature in the wilds, a friend, an old naturalist,said to me: "Do not fail to keep a journal ofeverything you see and hear."I could not see just why, but I had faith enough in his opinion tobegin a journal, which I have kept ever since and hope to keep to theend. My friend did not tell me, probably did not know, what goodpurpose was to be served by the journal; but I think it came to megradually as the years went by. The older I grow the more I see andrealize the value of the daily note of the truth, the simple fact, bald,untooled and incomplete perhaps, but honestly given as it was found.I would have each observer in the natural histor\' world keep a journalon the lines already sketched in HiRD-LoRE, and enter therein dail\—not from faded memor\- a month later whatever facts he can observe,fully embellished with such diagrams, sketches, or photographs as willhelp more fully to set forth the facts. He may wonder at the timewhat good end it will serve, and one might answer that it is alwaysuseful to have a record of one's own doings; or yet more truly, thatwriting a fact makes one observe it better. But be very sure that allpast experience proves it to be a good thing— how good and how valuableone ma> not learn for years, inay never learn at all. Hut we doknow that it is alwavs good to follow the truth for its own sake; andthere is no wav that more (juitkU makes some returns than the NatureJournal. It always pa\s in the end. There never yet was a sincere,full record made of the testimony of the senses that diii not in the end'prove a priceless treasury of fact. I he .lournal of a Citi/en of Paris,'Tcpxs" I)iar\,' 'H.irmon's 'oiirnal,' 'Lewis \' Clark s journal,' are familiar

176 Bird -Loreexamples. These men wrote down the simple daily doinj^s of the time,without intent to do anythini^ but tell the truth and without any suspicionthat they were doing a great thing. These same journals are to-

Flamingoes'BYNestsFRANK M. CHAPMANVVilh photographs from nature by the authorOT very many years ago, so little did we know about thenesting habits of the Flamingo, it was commonly believedthat the incubating bird straddled the nest when hatching,letting her legs hang down on either side! The observationsof H. H. Johnston'^^ and Abel Chapman^' on theEuropean species {Phoenicopterus antiquoriim) and of SirHenry Blake + on the American species (f. ruber) proved the absurdityof this belief by showing that incubating birds folded their legs under themin the usual way, but we still know very little about the nesting habits ofthesebirds.Largely with the object of studying the Flamingo on its nesting grounds-I went to the Bahamas in April of the present year, accompanied by Mr.Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the well-known artist. At Nassau we joined Mr,J. Lewis Bonhote, of Cambridge, England. Mr. Bonhote was formerlyGovernor's secretary in the Bahamas, when he acquired a knowledge of theislands which was of the greatest value to us. He had already made areconnoissance in search of Flamingoes' nesting retreats, and, with the aidof one of the few natives who was familiar with their whereabouts, hadsucceeded in reaching a locality on Andros Island, at which the birds hadbred the previous year.It is not my purpose to recount here the various adventures which befelus while cruising about the Bahamas ina very comfortable 50-ton schooner,and I proceed at once to a description of our experiences with theFlamingo.Flamingoes are late breeders. It is not improbable that the time oftheir nesting is dependent upon the rainy season, which, in the Bahamas,begins about the middle of May. Consequently we deferred our trip tothe locality previously \ isited by Mr. Bonhote until the middle of May.Then we anchored our schooner at the mouth of a certain channel, and,loading our small boats with needed supplies, rowed for the better part of aday, pitching our tents toward evening on a low, slightly shelving shorewith a background of dense, scrubby vegetation. Exploration of the surroundingcounfrx showed that it was regularK freciuenteii b\ Flamingoes innumbers during the nesting season. W^ithin a radius of a mile no less thaneight groups of nests were discovcretl. They slunveil successive stages ofdecay, from the old nests, which had almost disappeareil before the actionof the elements, to those which were in an excellent state of preservationThe Ihii. 1881. p. \-,\. i8H{, p. v,;.tN'inrlrrnlh Crtitury. 18S7. p. SSft.(177)

O °o 2

ut,Flamingoes' Nests 179and were doubtless occupied the preceding year. Some were placed amongyoung, others among fully grown mangroves, and one colony, probablyinhabited in 1900, was situated on a sand-bar two hundred yards from thenearest vegetation. All the colonies found contained at least several hundrednests, and the one on the sand-bar, by actual count of a measured section,was composed of 2,000 mud dwellings. What an amazing sight thissettlement must have presented when occupied, with the stately males, asis their habit, standing on guard near their sitting mates!Flamingoes in small flocks containing from three or four to fiftv individualswere seen in the vicinity, but it remained for Mr. Bonhote's negro assistantto discover the spot which had been selected by the birds for a nestingsite m 1902. Climbing a small palm, an extended view was had of thesurrounding lagoons, sand-bars and bush-grown limestone: and he soon ex-claimed, "Oh, Mr. iionhotc.IWii rHOl SAM) KLAMINCO NESTSiioiiv is shii« 11 cm ihr lacing panetoo much, too much Fillymingo I'"i.css thana mile away, indeed, was a flock estimated to contain at least 700 of thesemagnificent birds, which Mr. I^onhote approached so cautiously throughthe thick growth of mangroves, that he was fairly among them before theytook wing. They had not then begun to build, but the open spaces amongthe mangroves were closely dotted with nests (see photograph), which apparentlyhad been occupied the preceding year and in some of which oldeggs were seen. Here, some days later, nests were found in the earlystages of their construction ; to our great regret, circumstances compelledus to leave before they were completed and we did not therefore seethe birds upon them. However, we learned some things regarding thenesting habits of Flamingoes which, in view of our comparative ignoranceof the ways of these birds at this season, it nia\ be worth whilerecording.In the first place, although the birils return to the same general localitvyear after year, they apparentlv use a nest only one season. 1 his seemedproven by the nicely graduateil series of groups of nests wliich \vc tound,each one of which. bci:iiining with those best preserveil, seemed about a

i8oBird- Loreyear older than the otlier, and by the fact that the birds were buildingfresh nests near numbers of others which were seemingly as good as new.The thousands of nests seen were built of mud, which the nests in processof construction showed was scooped up from about their base.In fact,it is difficult to conceive of a Flamingo carrying mud. In selecting a nestingsite, therefore, the bird is governed by the condition of the ground,which, to be serviceable, must be soft and muddy. For this reason, as Ihave suggested, the time of the breeding season may be regulated by that ofFLAMINGO NESTS AMONG MANGROVESBelieved to have been occupied in igoithe rainy season ; the heavy, tropical downpours not only moistening theearth but doubtless raising the water sufficiently, inthis exceedingly low, flatcountry, slightly to flood large areas. While the birds, therefore, mustbuild near, or, indeed, in the water, they guard against complete submergenceof their home by building it high enough to protect the egg frompossible danger. The popular conception of a Flamingo's nest makes it notmore than six or eight inches in diameter at the base, whence it tapers to atruncate, hollowed top nearly two feet in height. I saw no nest, however,over twelve inches high, and most of them were not over eight incheshigh. The average basal diameter was about thirteen inches, that of thetop about ten inches.

Flamingoes' Nests i8iIt is possible that the height of Flamingoes' nests, like that of the mudchimneys to the burrows of fiddler crabs, may depend upon the amount ofrise and fall in the neighboring waters. This is a point to be ascertained bysubsequent observation.Flamingoes are wonderful birds. Their brilliant coloring and large size,habit of perching and flying in files, and the openness of the country whichthey inhabit, all combine to make a flock of Flamingoes one of the most[emarkable sights in bird -life. Indeed, so far as my experience goes, it isthe most remarkable sight in bird -life.They are very shy and can be approached closely only when they areunaware of your presence. Attempts to use a telephoto lens in photographingbirds about two hundred yards away failed because of the force ofthe trade -winds over the mangrove flats. Even at this distance the birdsare large enough to make a strip of glowing color, in strong contrast to theblue water before, and the green mangroves behind them. This is neartheir danger line, and if one attempts to approach more closely withoutcover there is a sinuous movement along the whole line as the long, slendernecks are raised and the birds regard the cause of their alarm. Soon amurmur of goose-like honkings comes to one's ear; then the birds begin, inslow and stately fashion, to move away step by step, and if their fears are notallayed the leader will soon spring into the air and, followed b\ other membersof the flock, stretch his long neck and legs to the utmost and begin aflight which usually takes them beyond one's view. As the birds raisetheir wings displaying the brighter feathers below, the effect is superb beyonddescription, the motion showing their plumage to the best possibleadvantage.It is surprising how far, under the proper light conditicms, even a smallflock of Flamingoes may be seen. Long after one can liistinguish the individualin the waving, undulating line of birds, they show pink against thesky like a rapidl\- mo\ing wisp of clouil which finally dissolves in space.I'ARI 1)1 A IIOCK COS' I AIMNCIII I K l"^' SK\ C \ I I. A Ml N( .1 )KSHIioloKrapliril uilli j 14-iruli Inn al a ilnlaiui- iil about Hii »aid». Knlartnl 4 iliamrlrr«

amiThe Weapons of BirdsBY FREDERIC A. LUCASCurator of Comparativp Anatomy I'. S. National MiisrumIKF- rhe (iood little boy who figured in the story books ofour ^grandparents, the bird in hterature is always gentleand well-behaved; in real life neither the boy nor thebird are quite as peaceable as they might be. It maybe treasonable to say it in the columns of BiRD-LoRE,i':> g=^ n.but the fact is that even the best of birds fight now andthen, while some of them are well provided with weaponsof offense and defense. Sad to say, Pigeons, those favorite emblems ofgentleness, are among the birds that fight most systematically: for they, orat least our domesticated birds, are skilled boxers, feinting, guarding andstriking most dextrously with their wings. It might perhaps be pleadedthat the manners of the Pigeon have suffered from long association withman, but, unfortunately, one of the species that grew up in total and fortunateignorance of man was provided (pity we can not say is) with a specialweapon, a sort of natural slung-shot as it were, in the shape of a knobof bone on the wrist. The wrist of a bird, as most readers of BiRD-LoREdoubtless know, comes right at the bend of the wing, and there, or thereabouts,is the place where such a weapon would be most eiifective.(Fig. I.) The bird that wore this knob of bone was the flightless Solitaire,a big, overgrown, aberrant Pigeon related to the equally aberrantDodo, though better-looking,and confined to the island of „___^.3i^^^SVRodriguez, where years ago theFrenchmen "caught him, andcooked him, and ate him"—quite out of existence.''"^^-'• Part of th.- wim; or mr Solita.reFran(;ois Leguat, the historian of the Solitaire, to whom we are obligedto turn for all information concerning this bird, wrote that, "The Bone ofthis Wing grows greater towards the Extemit\ ,forms a little roundmass under the Feathers as big as a musket ball. They will not sufifer anyother Bird of their Species to come within two hundred Yards round ofthePlace; But what is very singular, is, the Males will never drive away theFemales, only when he perceives one he makes a noise with his Wings tocall the Female, and she drives the unwelcome Stranger away, not leavingit "till 'tis without her Bounds. The Female does the same as to theMales and he drives them away. Wc have observed this several Times andI affirm it to be true.""The Combats between them on this occasion last sometimes prettylong, because the Stranger only turns about and do's not fly directly from(182)

AndThe Weapons of Birds 183the Nest. However the others do not forsake it till they have quite drivenitout of their Limits."This same keep -of? -my -territory trait is as strong in the common Pigeonas in his extinct relation, for if one Pigeon trespasses on the breeding box ofanother he will be set upon and belabored without merc\ . while noexisting Pigeon has the bonv knob of the Solitaire,some wild species have a rudiment of sucha weapon : and if any one will part the featherson the outer edge of a Pigeon's wing, near thebend, he. or she, will find a small bare spot andmore or less trace of a little prominence coveredFig. 2. Spur of the SpurwingedF'loverwith tough skin.Most birds, indeed, are compelled to get along without any specialweapon, and some, the Swans for example, are said to give very severe blowswith the unaided wing; although one may reasonably question the statementthat even this bird can break a inan's arm with a stroke of its pinion.Nearly everyone has seen the rough -and-tumble fights of those ill-bred littlefeathered gamins, the English Sparrows, and know the vigorous manner inwhich they hammer one another with beak and wing.The writer does not know whether or not such well-armed birds asGannets or Herons quarrel among themselves; but if they do so this shouldresult in serious damage, for the beak of the Gannet is wonderfully keenedged.while a thrust from the bill of such a bird as the Blue Heron would\ r

l84Bird -Lorebirds are fouiui in the Uniretl States, and most of them, as indicated above,come from southern latitudes, one of the larj^est and finest being theChilean Plover [Belonopterus chilensis). The spur is situated just at thebase of the thumb and, like the spurs onthe legs of other birds, consists of a sheathof horn fitting closely over a core of bone(Fig. 2). Some of the spur-winged Plovershave fleshy wattles about the face, whencethe names Lobivanellus (Fig. 3), lobedplover.and Sarciophorus, flesh -bearer; andFig. 4. Forearm of theAfrican Jacanathere is a curious relation between the size of the spur and the sizeof the wattle, for when one is large the other is correspondingly welldeveloped, and when the wattle is small the spur also is small. No suchrelation as this exists between the spurs and wattles of domesticated fowls,but in their case selection has been artificial and not natural, so theinstances are not similar.The pretty little Jacanas are among the spur -winged birds, and it is apparentfrom the length and slenderness of the toes that spurs upon the legswould be of little or no use forthe birds would probably not bea success as kickers. Now thereis a group of Jacanas peculiar toAfrica which have no spurs ontheir wings, and these present acurious modification of the radius, or outer bone of the forearm (Fig. 4),so that this may serve instead. The bone is flattened and widened untilit somewhat resembles an Australian throwing -stick in miniature and projectsso far beyond the edge of the wing that it makes a very effective littleweapon with which to buffet an adversary about the ears. There seemsto be, however, one disadvantage about this arrangement; that is, theblow ought to hurt the bird by which is delivered about as much as theone by which it is received,but if birds are like unfeatheredbipeds there would be muchconsolation in knowing thatthe more one smarts the worseisFig. 5. Part uf the wing of the Spur-winged Goosethe opponent punished.-The Spur winged Goose,Plectropterus ^amhensis, shows aFig. 6. The liouhle spur of the Sc.-eamevariation in the making of a weapon by having the spur on one of the wristbones instead of on the metacarpus (Fig. 5), where it is usually placed.but this only serves to show that nature is not bound to an\ hard and fastmethod of equipment.

Wurrrri.The Weapons of Birds 185Last and largest of the spur -winged birds are the South AmericanScreamers, Chauna and Anh'ima, and these not only have the longest,strongest and sharpest spurs of all birds, but they have a second smallerspur on the lower part of the metacarpus (Fig. 6). The large spur isslightly flattened on the side next the body as well as gently curved, forminga formidable -looking weapon about an inch and a quarter long andseemingly capable of being driven quite through a man's hand by a wingstrokeof so large a bird as the Screamer. And yet, according to Mr.Hudson, this bird is preeminently a bird of peace and dwells in peace amidlarge numbers of its fellows, so perhaps its arms are, as they should be,merely a warning to would-be enemies and not a menace to its friends.Wlim. lAU.hl) I'lARMKJAN IN WIMKR IM. IMAGEl'hi>lcii:raptiril trurn iialiirr. I>y t. R .Crcslr.l Hutlr. Ci)li)r.iili

;Whiskey John in ColoradoBY EDWARD R. WARREN. CRESTED BUTTE. COLORAD

1Whiskey John in Colorado 187aspect, and will steal anything in sight the\ can possibly pack off. Oneonce carried away an "Out -o' -sight" mouse-trap with a dead mouse in it—presume he ate the mouse, but he forgot to bring back the trap. Arounda camp or cabin they will become so tame as to eat from one's hand, andWHISKEY JOHN PROSPECTINGpay regular visits to mines to feed on the refuse thrown out from the boardinghouses. It is amusing to watch one pick up a mouthful or two andswallow it, then take as much into its bill as it possibl\ can, look sidewiseat you with an expression that seems to say, "What are you going to doabout it?"' then fly away with its load. I am sure birds must hide a greatdeal of what they carry away, for they soon come back for more, and itdoes not seem as if they could possibly eat it all.A friend is living with his wife at a mine in the hcav\' timber, and thebirds are quite numerous, and several are very tame. 1 took a number ofpictures of the bird taking bread from ni\ friend's hand: ami others weretaken by setting the camera on the ground, sprinkling crumbs atthe desiredspot and inducing the bird to come there. Hut do not think for a minutethat, because the binls are so tame, it is easy to get good pictures ofthem. Vou see your bird in a tree, throw out a few crumbs as an inducementto him to come down; he hops onto another limb closer to you, thento the roof of the house, perhaps, then to the ground, cocks his head toone side and takes a look at nou, hops about and picks up a crumb or twobut is perhaps too far back for a picture; then two or three hops bring himup right close to the camera, for which he cares nothing, then off again in

—i88Bird- Loresome other direction, and at last gets just where you want him; you snapthe shutter, and when you develop the plate find, very likely, that just asyou made the exposure the bird had turned its head, though keeping thebody perfectly still. I have had numbers of exposures spoiled that way. Itis certainly very aggravating to develop a plate and find perfect, sharp detailon body, wings, tail and legs, and the head a shapeless blur. The birdsmust think their pictures are being taken for the Rogue's Gallery!The birds have several dififerent notes, most of them of a distinct Jaycharacter, but beyond me to reduce to writing. My ears are not sharpenough for that. There is also one note which sounds extremely like thecall of the Red -tailed Hawk. So strong is the resemblance that I oftenhave to look to sec which bird it is uttering the call. After all, I don'tthink we western folks have such a spite against Whiskey John as thewoodsmen of Maine and Canada seem to cherish. He is a jolly, goodnaturedsort of fellow, and, if you don't have too many small things lyingabout loose, does not do ver\' much harm.THEBird-Lore's Christmas Bird Censusinterest aroused by Bird-Lore's Christmas Hird Census in 1900and 1901, prompts us again to invite our readers to join in thismodern development of the 'Side Hunt,' on December 25, 1902.Reference to the February, 1901, or 1902 numbers of BiRD-LoRE willacquaint one with the nature of the report of the day's hunt which we desire;but to those to whom neither of these issues are available we may explainthat such reports should be headed by a brief statement of thecharacter of the weather, whether clear, cloudy, raining, etc., whether theground is bare or snow-covered, the direction and force of the wind, thetemperature at the time of starting, the hour of starting and of returning.Then should be given, in the order of the A. O. U. 'Check-List,' a listof the species seen, with exactly, or approximately, the number of individualsof each species recorded. A record should read, therefore, as follows:Yonkers, N. Y., Firne 8 a. m. to 12 .vi. ('lear; ground bare; wind west,light; temperature 38°. Herring CjuII, 71; ; etc. Total, — species, —individuals.James Gates.These records will be published in the February issue of BiRD-LoRE.and it is particularly requested that they be sent the editor (at Englewood,N. J.) not later than December 28.

theJFor Ceatl)er0 and ^tudent^How to Name the BirdsSTUDIES OF THE FAMILIES OF PASSERESBY FRANK M. CHAPMANSEVFATH PAPERFamily 17. Kinglets and Gnatcatchers. Family Sylviid

-190 Bird -Loreof most Warblers, for which they ini^ht readily be mistaken; but theirsmaller size and short outer primary, which is not more than one -third aslonji as the longest, are distinguishing characters.Appearance and Habits. ^-L\ke the Warblers, the Kinglets and Gnatcatchers are active inhabitants of the trees, and here again they might becompared with the former; but their smaller size, the Kinglets' trick ofquickly flitting the wings, and the Cjnatcatcher's long tail, which in lifeis very noticeable, will serve to separate them.Song. — Hoth the Kinglets and (jnatcatchers are unusually good singers;indeed, in view of their small size their vocal gifts are surprising. TheGnatcatcher's voice, it is true, lacks volume, but his execution is abovecriticism, while the Ruby-crowned Kinglet's remarkable, rich, loud notesplace him among songsters of the firstrank.Famm.v i8. Thrushes, Soi.iiaires, Stonech.\ts. Bi.i kbirus, Etc. P^amily TurJidie.Range. — Few ornithologists agree as to what birds shall be included inthe famil\ Turdida;. Its composition will doubtless always be a matter ofopinion; and in cases of this kind it is of far more importance to adopt someuniform plan of treatment and stick to it, than to follow every author whothinks he has discovered the true key to the classification of the group. Inother words, in the minor details of classification, the jugglings of thesystematist are apt to do more harm than good. Fortunately, we have the'Check-List' of the American Ornithologists' Union to guide us, and theTurdidjt as there defined numbers some 275 species, of which 125 are foundin the western hemisphere, 13 in North America, and 7 east of theMississippi.Season. — Most Thrushes are highly migratory. The Hermit alone, ofour smaller species, winters in eastern > orth America. The Robin andBluebird make shorter journeys, rarely crossing our southern boundaries andwintering regularly as far north as southern New England.Color. —The typical Thrush is brownish above, white, spotted withblack below. From this pattern there is wide variation, but the young ofall the species included in this family show their ancestry by being spottedin Juvenal plumage.External Structure. — In the Thrushes the tarsus is booted, or, in lesstechnical language, the covering of the so-called 'legs' is without scales;the tail-feathers are of nearly equal length, distinguishing Thrushes fromThrashers, which have rounded tails; and the outer primary is less thanone inch in length.Song.— Thrushes are preeminent as song-birds, and with the inclusion ofthe Solitaires, the family might well challenge all the remaining membersof the class Aves to a song contest without danger of defeat.

ONali\ed,The Advisory Councilformer occasion we have coininented on the happy results whichhave followed Hiru-Lork's efforts to bring the isolated student intouch with an authority on the bird -life of the rej^ion in which hethrouj^h the formation of an Advisory Council composed of prominentornithologists representing the United States, Canada, Mexico and theWest Indies. The plan has worked admirably, and we are assured that themany of our readers who have established pleasant relations with membersof the Council will be glad to know that, beginning with the present number,we propose to publish, in Bird- Lore, the portraits of the ornithologistscomposing the Council. The full list of Councilors will appear in thenext issue of Hi RD- Lore.ONEQuestions for Bird Studentsof the most effective means of acquiring information is to haveone's interest in a subject aroused by a direct question concerningit. The statement of a fact may make no impression on ourminds; whereas the same matter, presented interrogatively, will excite ourcuriosity and so prepare the way for the answer that it is more readilymemorized. It is on this principle that Bird -Lore has been publishing,during the past two years, pictures of birds without their names, and it ison this principle that it plans to present, during the coming year, questionsrelating to birds, bird men, and bird matters generally. One year fromthis month, in our issue for December, 1903, we shall have a somewhatsurprising statement to make concerning these questions, and in our issuefor that date we will give a list of the names of all Bird -Lore readerswho send us correct answers to them. The first lot of questions isappended.1. When was the American Ornithologists' Union founded, and whowas its first president ?2. How many tons of seeds has the Tree Sparrow been estimated todestroy in a single state during the period of its presence ?3. What is the greatest number of species of birds observed at, ornear, one locality in North America during a single day ?4. What bird is known to nest in only three places in North America ?5. At what height above the earth does a recent observer state thatnight-migrating birds fly?6. How long after hatching do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds leavethe nest ?( 192)

WILLIAM DITCHER. r„nK I-land r CII.BERI' PEARSON. S„rih ( „f>,]iLYNDS JONES. Oh, K W. NELSON. MixUvHIKI) l.DKKS .ADVISORY COUNC.II.oKSURbT SKRIKS

'DURINGHow to Study BirdsBY FRANK M. CHAPMANI I RSI PAPERLXTKODL'CTOR}'the past three years HiRD-LoRt lias pubhshed a series ofarticles designed to be of permanent value to teachers and studentsof birds, — articles which should not be merely of passing interestbut which should be of real assistance to our readers; articles to refer to asone would to a text -book. In 1900, it may be remembered, we presenteda number of suggestive papers on methods in teaching ornithology, whereinsuch well-known teachers as Olive Thorne Miller, Florence MerriamBailey, Lynds Jones and others explained their methods in the field, class-'room or lecture-hall. In 1901 we published a series of articles on Birdsand Seasons,' in which the bird-life of the vicinity of Boston, New Yorkcity, Philadelphia, Oberlin, Ohio; Chicago, and Stockton, Cal., was discussedmonth by month, and seasonal lists of birds, suggestions for the season'sstudy and season's reading were given. During the past year thesecontributions have been followed by seven articles on the families of perchingbirds, treating the preliminary steps in a systematic study of birds.Thus, it will be seen that in natural sequence we have considered (i) howto teach birds, (2) when to find birds, and (3) how to name birds. It is'now proposed to follow these subjects by a number of articles on How toStudy Birds." We have seen that identification, the naming of the bird, is,as might be expected, the first object of the student; and to this end wehave told him when he may expect to find certain birds and how to maketheir acquaintance. But naming birds is only the first step in theirstudy. Having learned to recognize a species, we should next begin toinquire into its habits, its life -history. A study of bird migration is usuallythe first subject in field ornithology which interests the student, once he hasacquired some familiarity with the birds themselves. Migration, from thepractical standpoint of dates, however, has been dealt with in our articlesonBirds and Seasons.' and the thereto appended suggestions for theseason's study contained numbers of hints to the student of this remarkablephenomenon. Next to the fascination of observing and recording thecomings and goings of birds, the field student is probably most attracted bvtheir habits while nesting, and it is this interesting phase of bird -life whichwe propose to study with BiRD- Lore's readers during the coming year.Mating, the selection of a nesting-site, nest-building, egg-laying, incubation,the care and habits of the young,— all these developments of thenesting season will receive our attention, with the especial object of tellingthe student what to look for and how to look at it. Hundreds of opportu-(194)

How to Study Birds 195nities to add to our knowledj^e of birds' habits during this most importantpart of their lives are lost simply because the persons to whom the opportunitiescome do not know what is known or what is unknown, what heshould try to see or the significance of things seen.The day has passed when general observations on the habits of ourbirds are likely to prove of value. Nor can the student hope to discovermuch that is new unless, after learning what we especially desireto know, he devotes himself systematically to the study of comparativelyfew birds; selecting, preferably, the most common species in his vicinity.What Bird is This ?hielJ,Deierifiion. "Lfiieth, ft. 15 in. Brownish i;ra>. Iltlitcr hrloiv, mnn- »t less slrrakcd with whitish; in life awhitish linc'over thcjcyc is more or less evident."^NoTK. -Each luirnber of Bird-Luke will contain a photof^raph, troni spccinicns inthe American Museum of Natural History, of some comparatively little-known hird, orbird in obscure plumaj,'e, the name of which will be withheld until the succeedingnumber of the maf^a/ine, it beinj; believed that this metiiod of arousinj; the student'scuriosity will result in impressinj^ the bird's characters on his mind far more stronglythan if its name were jjiven with the picture.The species fif^iired in October is Lincoln's Kinch.

my;:The Screech Owl's ValentineBY FLORENCE A. VAN SANTA Screech Owl once set out to findA comely mate of his own kind ;Through wooded haunts and shadows denseHe pressed his search with diligenceAs a rewardHe soonA featheredGolden -eyed.espiedfigure,"Good -night !lady owl," said he;"Will you accept my company?"He bowed and snapped, and hopped about,He wildly screamed, then looked devout.But no word came.His heart to cheer.From lady owl.That perched so near.The suitor thought her hearing dull.And for her felt quite sorrowful.Again by frantic eflforts heDid try to woo her from her tree"Pray, loveliest owl.The forest's pride.Descend and beMy beauteousbri(ie.""A wedding feast of mice we'll keep.When cats and gunners are asleep;We'll sail like shadows cast at noon.Each night will be a honey-moon."To this she answeredNot one breath ;But sat unmovedAnd still as death.(196)

that;For Young Observers 197Said he, "I guess that she's the kindThat people in museums fmdSome taxidermist hy his skillHas stuffed the bird, she sits so still.Ah me ! eyesOnce made to seeShould naughtBut ghostly specters be."At this she dropped her haughty headAnd cried, 'Tm neither stuffed nor deadOh ! weird and melancholy owl.Thou rival of the wolf's dread howl:Since fate so planned.I'll not declineTo be for lifeYour valentine."SCREECHOWI.I'hoioEraphrd from life bv A. I.. I'rincehoin

jBtotes from jfielD anti ^tudpWintering Robins and Cedar Waxwings.At Belmont, Massaduisetts, adjoiningCambridge, where the veneral^le WaverleyOaks are within one of the public reservations,a bewildering number of birds wasfound on January 7 and 8, 1902. ITponreaching the grounds a very unusual activityin the quiet bird-life of midwinter was atonce apparent. Many birds were flittingfrom bough to bough of the great oaks andthe shrubbery beneath. The subdued criesof Robins reached the ear, and presentlytheir coloration was seen. With them, butin closer groups, were Cedar Waxw'ings.They, too, were numerous, and upon anearer approach many were seen to be infull beauty of plumage, the black markingsabout the bill strong, the brown of theback rich in shade, the yellow on the underside of the body almost as bright as the tipsof the tail feathers, and the dots of scarletupon the wings clearly discernable. Theirpointed crests were well raised above theirheads. They showed to a full degree thatsleekness of plumage and refined air whichare characteristic of the species. And nowtheir wheezy whistles were heard. Beneaththe old oaks were privets well hung' 'with berries, and red cedars. In amongthe boughs of these were many both of theRobins and Cedarbirds, making a satisfyingmeal. Occasionally from a high branchoverhead came a Robin's 'cheerily, cheerily,cheerily.' Now a squad of Cedarbirdsmakes a rapid sweep through the airand returns to its perch in a tree-top. Nowhalf a dozen Robins descend to the edge ofa small stream, tributary to Beaver creek,and take a plunge. It is a happy company,not at all discouraged by rigors of winter.There is no suggestion that the season isgoing hard with them. Voices are cheerful,movements are quick.But what is the number of each species?At length the Waxwings seem well settledin several smaller close flocks upon neartrees and can be counted with approximateaccuracy. There are seventy-five or eighty.And now the Robins begin to pass insquads from the left to the right across anopen space to another group of trees andshrubbery beyond. It is the time to gettheir number. Successively they go in halfdozensand twenties. The movement is allone way. Seventy-five, one hundred, havebeen counted. Still they go. One hundredand twenty-three, and there the movementstops. Now snow-flakes begin to sift down,and a chilling breeze quickens from thenorth.Notwithstanding there comes to theear 'cheerily, cheerily, cheerily,' as the observerleaves the ground. By afternoon thesnow was falling fast. It seemed of interestto ascertain whether all these birds werestill at the reservation, stout-hearted andhappy. So a second trip was made fromthe city. Yes; they were all there at threeo'clock in the afternoon. Again an enumeration\vas made. The Cedarbirdsnumbered about the same as at noon. TheRobins, however, as they repeated a onedirectionflight, were reckoned up as onehundred and seventy-seven. So not allwere seen at the noon hour. Just beforefour o'clock all took wing, both Robins andWaxwings. I'hey were quickly lost toview in the fast-falling snow. Were theyseeking some well -proved thick covert forthe night? No longer could one be seenor heard.In the following forenoon, underskies still clouded and with five inches ofnewly fallen snow underfoot, a thirdtrip tothe ' Oaks ' was made, to see if these flockswere repeating the visit of the day before.Yes; the\ were there again in full numbers.The Cedarbirds seemed to be rather morenumerous and to be quite a hundred. TheRobins reckoned up, as the first time, abouta hundred and twenty-five. The privetberries were still in ample supply. Thelittle stream flowed between snowy banksand afforded the same bathing facilities,which the Robins were again utilizing. To(198)

Notes from Field and Study 199the delight of the ear and the heart againcame on the air the familiar song, 'cheerily',cheerily, cheerilv". And the subdued criesand racklings betokened much of interestedcommunication one with another. Whileenjoying this novel niiilvvinter experience ofall the Robins and VVaxwings which onecould wish for, there were also noted twoPurple Finches in rose-colored plumage,two Goldfinches, Crows, Blue Jays, aFlicker and several C'hickadees andJuncos. On the border of a meadow nearby were heard and seen a Song Sparrowand a Swamp Sparrow. The latter hadnot been found there before, but Song Sparrowsand Tree Sparrows have been frequentlyobserved previous winters. Uponthe ninth, in the forenoon, a fourth trip wasmade. The sky was clear, the sun warm,and the air soft. But under these conditions,which would seem to be alluring, noRobin or Cedarbird could be found withinthe reservation during a two-hours' sta\'.Still there were privet berries there to attractthem, although much reduced innumlier by so man\- mouths. — Hf)RACF. W .Wright, Boston Mass.The Twentieth Congress of the AmericanOrnithologists' UnionThe business meeting of the TwentiethAnnual Congress of the American Ornithologists'Union was held November 17,1902, at the residence of Dr. C. Hart Merriamin Washington, D. C. The followingFellows were in attendance:J.A. Allen, W. B. Barrows. F. E. I..Beal. William Brewster, L. B. Bishop.Frank M. Chapman. W. W. Cooke, C. B.Cory, Ruthven Deane, Wm. Dutcher. J.Dwight. Jr.. A. K. Fisher, F. A. Lucas. C.Hart Merriam. f".W. Nelson. T. S. Palmer,William Palmer, C. W. Richmond, V .S.Roberts, John \\ . Sage, Witmer Stone.The electir)n of officers resulted in thechoice of those selected in 1901, namely:President, C. Hart Merriam; vicc-|iresidents,('. B. ('ory. (-'. F. Batchelder; secretary,John H.Sage; treasurer, William Dutcher;• oimcilors, Frank M. Chapman, RuthvenPeane. J.Dwight, Jr.. A. K. Fisher. K. W.Nelson, r. S. Roberti, Witmer Stone.The following additions were made tothe membership of the Union :Honorary Fellows. Ernst Hartert, Tring.England; John A. Harvie-Brown, Stirlingshire,Scotland. Fellow, Harry C. Oberhoiser.Corresponding Fellows, A. J.Campbell. Melbourne, Australia; A. J.North, Sydney, Australia; H. von Jhering,San Paulo, Brazil. Members, AndrewAllison, Paul Bartsch. A. C. Bent, W. C.Braislin, Hubert Lyman Clark, E. A. Goldman,A. H. Howell. F. H. Knowlton. A.H. Norton. T . Gilbert Pearson, S. F. Rathbun.P. M. Silloway, C. O. Whitman.Eighty-two Associates were elected.The public sessions of the Union wereheld at the United States National MuseumNovember 18-20. A list of the papers presentedis given on page 203 of this issueof Biro- Lore. Many of these papers wereof more than usual interest and value, andprovokeii much comment and discussion.Luncheon was provided each day by theWashington members of the Union, andfrom both social and scientific points of viewthe congress was one of the most successfulever held by the Union. The attendanceexceeiled that at any previous congress.The Union adjourned on Thursday. November20. to meet in Philadelphia onNovember 16, 1903.The Death ofMr. BarlowWith extreme regret we learn of tin- deathof Mr. (Chester Barlow at Santa Clara, California,on November 6, in the twentyeighthyear of his age.Both personally and as editor of'LheCondor,' Mr. Barlow exerted an influenceof unusual importance on ornithologicalinterests in California. One of the foundersof the Cooper Club, the success of thatorganization was. in no small measure, dueto his energy and executive ability, to wliichalso may in great part be attributed thehigh standaril of the Club's official organ.Mr. Barlow's death at so early an age is.therefore, not onl\ peculiarly sad, but itdeprives the Club with which he was soprominently associated of an active, earnest,efficient worker, whose place, wr imagine, itwill be \erv difficult to fill.

;iSooU jBteta^ ant) 5^et3ieto0which have")';Handbook of Birds ok the Western food; (10) biographies, part ofUnited States. By Florence Mer- been supplied by Vernon Bailey.tion: (8) description of nest and eggs; {9) of dates.RiAM Baii.kv. Illiistrateci by LouisFor all of this, both as regards matterAcASSiz Fuertes and others. Houghton,Mifflin & Co., Boston, Mass. 1902. and manner, we have only the highest commendationi2mo. 88+487 pages+index; 36 fullpageto offer ; in short, in our opinion,plates, 2 diagrams, 601 figures in the work is the most complete text- book ofthe text. Price, $3.50 net and 19 centsregional ornithology which haspostage.published.— F. M. C.ever beenLacking space in which to give an adet]uateidea of tlie surprising amount of in-Birds 01 ihk Rockies. By Leander S.K.EYSER. With eight full-page platesformation contained in this volume, or of (four in color) by Louis Agassiz Fuertes;its sterling value as a text-book, we feelmany illustrations in the text bytempted to begin and end our review by Bruce Horsfali., and eight views oflocalities from photographs. With aurging every one interested in the birds ofcomplete check-list of Colorado birds.our western states to procure a copy of this Chicago. A. C. McClurg &c Co. 1902.' 'Handbook with the least possible delay. Square i2mo. ix+355 pages; illus. asExperience with bird students, as well as above. Price, fj, net.with birds, has given the author all needed In this handsome, beautifully illustratedtraining for her task, while the unexcelled volume, Mr. Keyser tells the story of twocollections to which she has had access have seasons (" Spring of 1899, and again infurnished the best available ecjuipment for1 901 among the birds of Colorado.the technical side of her work.Readers of lus previous works are familiarSome conception of the contents and with his love of the bird in nature and hismethod of treatment of the book may be glowing portrayal of his experiences afieldgained from the appended summary. The and in this last volume his undiminishedintroduction of 88 pages contains instructionsardor in the pursuit of some, to him, newfor collecting and preparing birds, bird and his keen delight in making itstheir nests and eggs, and recording observations;acquaintance, serve not only to give pleas-sections on 'Life Zones,' 'Migraureto his audience but well illustrate theundying enthusiasm of the genuine birdlovertion,'Economic Ornithology,' ' Bird Protection;'' local lists from Portland, Oregon,'San Francisco Bay, Santa Clara Valley and Selecting a region whose birds were forSanta Cruz Mountains, and Pasadena, California,the most part strangers to him and whereFort Sherman, Idaho, Cheyenne, altitude added much of interest in studyingWyoming, and Pinal, Pima, and GilaCountries,distribution, Mr. Keyser abandoned him-Arizona. There are also extended self to the fascinations of bird study onlists of books and papers on birds and a plains and foothills, mountain parks anddetailed explanation of how to use the peaks; and his recountal of his experiencesKeys' which follow.cannot fail to arouse the spirit of desire inThe systematic portion of the book, treatingthe minds of those who follow his pages.the birds of the United States west of The book possesses a scientific as well asthe one-hundredth meridian, comprises, literary value, many of Mr. Keyset's observations(2 ) key to thebeing of permanent worth( ) Ia key to the ordersfamilies; (3) keys to the genera; (4) though, from the scientific point of view,generic characters ; (5) keys to the species; the value of his text would have been increased(6) descriptions of plumages; (7) distribu-if he had not been quite so sparing(200)

—< atchingThe—Book News and Reviews 20 rIn the matter of illustrations the publishershave been both liberal and discriminating,securing two well -equipped artistsand reproducing their work in a thoroughlysatisfactory manner. The photographs oftypical scenes are rendered extremely instructiveby detailed captions explanatoryof their significance and naming the birdscharacteristic of the locality depicted.F. M. C.Birds of the Cape Region of LowerCalifornia. Bv Wili-iam Brewster.Bull. Mus. Comp. Z06I., XI, I, No. i,1902. 241 pages; i map.Based primarily on the held -work and collectionsof Mr. M. Abbott Frazar, who wassent by Mr. Brewster to the Cape Region,this book also includes whatever it hasseemed desirable to quote from the publicationsof previous authors, and it thereforeforms a complete exposition of our knowledgeof the bird-life of the region to whichit relates. It is prepared with the care andattention to detail which characterizes allits author's published writings ami at oncetakes its place among the standard treatiseson faunal ornithology.After defining the limits of the CoastRegion and presenting a narrative of Mr.Frazar's explorations, the 167 species and88 subspecies known from the Cape Regionare treated at length Of this number 36species and subspecies are here recordedfrom the Cape Region for the first time;while Mr. Frazar's activity in the fieldyielded 3 new species and 12 new subspecies,3 of \vhi(h, witii a new Screech Owl,are described in this important paper.F. M. C.Birds of the Hawaiian Islands. Bv H.W. Henshaw. I'hos. C). Thrum. Publisher,Honolulu, H. r. Price, $1.i2mo. 146 pages; 1 plate.Readers of Bird - Lore will recall Mr.Henshaw s interesting papers on Hawaiianbirds published in this maga/iiir in 1901.and will be glad to learn that llii> autlioihas placed in accessible form the results othis wide experience with Hawaiian birds,including, also, tlu- litttci part plits the inland fresh-wafer bird from thedweller of the salt-marshes. We will hopethat salt has been put upon the right tail in'the subsjiecies. The Nomenclatureand \alidit> of Certain North American(Jallinn- is a defen-e In V. .'W. Nelson

'Nesting202 Bird -Loreof tilt status of several Mexican species(chiefly Quail) recently discredited by Mr.(3gi!vie- Grant. Two half-tone plates seem'to sustain Mr. Nelson's views. A Descriptionof the Adult Black Merlin,' byK. H. Eckstorm, shows ingenuity, introducing,for instance, " high lights" to " demark"a crown patch otherwise concolor.'AHybrid between the Cliff and Tree Swal-'lows is described by F. M. Chapman, andC. W. Wickham writes on the'SicklebilledCurlew.' There is much of interestamong the numerous notes and reviews thattill thirty pages.—J. D., Jr.The Conoor.—The leading articles of'the September-October number of TheCondor ' are very appropriately devoted tothe life and work of Dr. James G. Cooper,the distinguished ornithologist and naturalist,who died July 19, 1902, and inwhose honor the Cooper Ornithological Clubwas named. His death marks the passingof the last of the naturalists connected withthe Pacific Railroad Surveys who laid thefoundations of our knowledge of westernbirds. The brief but sympathetic biographicalsketch by Emerson is illustratedby reproductions of a photograph of Dr.Cooper taken in 1865, and a view of hishome at Haywards. California. Dr.Cooper attained the age of seventy-twoyears, and during the forty years in whichhis researches were actively carried on,published about seventy -five papers on thenatural history of the Pacific coast. Thetitles of his ornithological writings havebeen collected by Grinnell, who contributesa complete annotated list of twenty-sixpapers, the most important of which are thereport on the birds of Washington, in thereports of the Pacific Railroad Surveys,i860, and the Ornithology of (California,''1870.The first part of an important [)aper onThe Redwood Belt of Northwestern ('alifornia,'by Walter K. Fisher, is devoted toa discussion of the faunal peculiarities ofthe region. Lists of the characteristicplants and birds are given, and the difficultiesattending a precise definition of the lifezones of this belt are clearlv shown.'Thestatus of the Arizona Goldfinch in California'is reviewed by Grinnell, who concludesthat the so-called Astra^alinus psaltriaarizonae which is found in Californiaismerely a peculiar plumage of A. fsaltria,in which the black dorsal markings areunusually extended. Two other paperswhich merit special mention are Barlow'sObservations on the Rufous-crownedSparrow,' illustrated by an excellent halftoneof the nest and eggs; and Sharp'sof the Swainson Hawk.' I'helatter article contains the curious misstatementthat the bird's food supply '' consistsiv/iolly of those four-footed pests whichevery farmer and ranchman recognizes asamong his worst enemies." As a matter offact, Swainson's Hawk is remarkable for thelarge number of grasshoppers it destroys.A specimen which I examined at Pomona,California, on August 31, 1887, containedthe heads of more than one hundred andthirty of these insects.— T. S. P.Wilson Bulletin.—' Wilson Bulletin 'No. 40 contains a number of interestingpapers, but we can not help regretting thelateness of its arrival. This tendencyamong natural history magazines to delaypublication far beyond the designated periodis a growing evil, and is one for whichthere is little excuse. The fault usuallylies with the contributors, whose belatedideas prevent the good-natured editorsfromliberating the proof at the proper time.All, however, should have sufficient prideto be willing to cooperate with the editorsin making the magazines business-like productions.The opening paper by Rew W. F. Henningeron the Birds of Scioto and Pikecounties, Ohio, is a well-prepared annotatedlist covering 216 species, classified underthe following categories: residents, 42;summer residents, 61 ;regular transients,65; irregular and rarer transients, 27; winterresidents, 10; accidental visitors, 7;extinct, 2; introduced, 2. The observationswere made chiefly at three localitiesand ran through a period from the summerof 1894 to that of 1902. Notes on the arrivaland departure are given for many of

..Book News and Reviews 20.^the species, and their relative abundance isalways stated. As both Chickadees aregiven as common residents, remarks on theirlocal distribution would have been interesting.In working out the Spring Migra-'tion of 1901 ' in Lorain county, Ohio, R. L.Baird has given a tolerably complete indexof the movements of the birds of that sectionduring their northward flight. A table isappended patterned after those publishedin Bird-Lore giving the species arrivingbetween February 15 and May 15. Thistable is divided into ten parts, each ofwhich covers from 5 to 10 days, so that itis easy to observe just what combination ofspecies arrive between certain dates. In anarticle on 'Maryland Birds,' Rev. J. HLangille shows among other things howadequate protection during spring will inducebirds to nest in increasing numbers.As soon as proper laws were enforced inBaltimore and Washington the sale of songbirdsin the game markets practicallystopped and the lives of myriads of Robinsand other birds were sparedthroughout thesurrounding country. We might point outin this connection that waterfowl when unmolestedwill return in like manner to theirformer breeding grounds. Two years agoJefferson county. New V'ork, abolished springshooting. The experiment fully demonstratedthe soundness of the movement, forthe Ducks at nesting time resorted to themarshes in such numbers that when autumncame their bountiful flight was a surprise toeveryone.— A. K. VProgram of the Twentieth Congress of theAmerican Ornithologists' UnionAt the morning and afternoon sessionsf)f the Union, held at the United StatesNational Museum, Washington, D. C,November 18-20, 1902, the following paperswere presented :Notes on the Life of Kdward Harris, withExtracts from his Journ.ils. GeorgeSpencer Morris.The Development ot tlu- Ptrrvli)>-is. HulxiiLyman ('larkThe Domestic Affair

"'Summer'Nature'BirdsHow204 Bird - LoreA Bi-monthly MagazineDevoted to the Study and Protection of BirdsOFFICIAL OKUAN OF THK Al'DUBON SOCIETIESEdited by FRANK M. CHAPMANPublished by THE MACMILLAN COMPANYVol. IV Published December 1, 1902 No. 6SUBSCRIPTIONRATESPrice ill the United States, Canada, and Mexicotwenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postagepaid.Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, atHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue, NewYork City.Price in all countries in the International PostalUnion, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar anda quarter a year, postage paid.COPYRIGHTED, 190a, BY FRANK M. CHAPMANBird-Lore's Motto:A Bird in the Bush is IVorth Two in the Hand1902Each year, in reviewing the contributionsto the literature of ornithology made duringthe preceding twelve months, it has notseemed possible that a succeeding period ofequal time would witness the productionof so many and, in the main, such excellentbooks and papers on birds. But one byone they appear, and when we reckon thesum total for 1902 we find no evidenceof a decrease in their number.In systematic ornithology the second volumeof Mr. Ridgway's great work on the'Birds of North and Middle Americatakes first place ; and under this head areto be included the third volume of Dr.Sharpe's ' Hand-List ' of the birds of theworld and Mr. Oberholser's critical studiesof the Horned Larks.A text-book which will exert a markedinfluence on the study of birds in ourwestern states is Mrs. Bailey's Handbook'of the Birds of the Western United States,'a publication of the first importance.In original research Dr. R. M. Strong'spaper on the development of pigment infeathers may be counted the year's mostvaluable contribution to subjective ornithology: merited praise it gives us pleasureto bestow. Here, also, should bementioned Dr. Dwight's continued studiesof the molt.The most startling find of the year in thefield, is undoubtedly Professor Blatchley'sdiscovery of Great Auk's bones in Florida,subsei}uently confirmed by Professor Hitchcock.In exploration, the results of Mr.Preble's trip to the Hudson Bay region addmuch to our knowledge of the bird- life ofthat little-visited land. Mr. Brewster's'Birds of the Cape Region of Lower California' is also a welcome contribution tothe faimal and biographical literature ofornithology and will long remain a standardtreatise on the birds of that region. Mr.Grinnell's 'Check-List of California Birds,'is a state list of exceptional value, and listshave also been published of the birds ofOregon and V'ermont by Woodcock andPerkins, respectively. Mr. Silloway'sBirds of Flathead Lake ' deservesmention here, and Mr. Burns''Sectional Bird Census ' is a capital pieceof field work.Of original observation presented inpopular form and none the less valuable forthat,— in fact, more valuable in that it reachesa wider audience — the camera-illustratedbooks call for first mention, because theyconvey their information through a graphicmedium more impressive and more instructivethan written descriptions of the scene orfact figured can possibly be. Mr. Job's"'Among the Water Fowl is a good book'of this class, and Mrs. Wheelock's Nestlingsof Forest and Marsh' shows howmuch may be gleaned in old fields. Possessedof both popular and scientific value,as well as beaut\- of make-up, is Mr. Keyser'sBirds of the Rockies' which takes'the reader to new scenes among birds concerningwhich there is much yet to learn.Of educational value is Professor Hodge'sStudy and Life.' with its generoussection devoted to birds, and Mr. Lord'sof Oregon and Washington,' whichhas been adopted for use in the schools ofthose states. Both educational and practicalis Neltje Blanchan's to'Attractthe Birds,' with its many hints to thosewho wouKl have birds about their homes.

Editorials 205In the movement for l)iid protection muchactivity of a practical kind has been shown.The American Ornithologists' Union,through Mr. Dutcher and Dr. Palmer, hasworked largely from the legal point of view,in enforcing existing laws and securing the•enactment of new ones; while the AudubonSocieties have continued to develop theeducational side of their work, in whicheverywhere there seems to be great interest.While, therefore, there have been noespecially remarkable developments in 1902,the year has been one of most assuringprogress.The scries of articles iin Bird Clubs inAmerica will be continued h\ the publicationof historical accounts of the Spencer F.Baird Club, by Mrs. Edward Robins, theNebraska Ornithologists' Union, by ProfessorBruner, and the Colorado OrnithologicalAssociation, by Dr. Bergtald.William Brewster, Dr. J.Dwight, Jr.,and other well-known ornithologists willwrite on American birds. Charles Keelerwill tell his impressions of some New Zealandbirds and A. J. Campbell, of Melbourne,will describe tiie remarkable nestinghabits of the mound-building birds ofAustralia, illustrating his paper with thefirst photographs of the mounds of theseBird-Lore for 1903birds to be published in this country.With its next issue Bird-Lork will enterupon its fifth volume. Five years is notusually considered an exceptionally longperiod in the life of a magazine, but webelieve that there have been only five ornithologicaljournals in this country whichhave lived to see their fifth birthday, whilethe number of those which have expired inearly youth is the despair of the bibliographer!The magazine of ornithology,therefore, which lives to see its fifth yearhas cause for congratulation, and may wellreturn thanks to those to whom itscontinuedexistence is due. We want, however, toexpress our thanks in ^ome medium morevaluable than mere words, and as an earnestof our desire to ileserve the support whichhas been so generously given us, we appendan outline of our plans for 1903.Probably no feature of Hiri)-L(jre forthe coming year will create greater interestthan the publication of the portraits of themembers of the Advisory Council. Birdmen arc sometimes almost as interesting asbirds, that iv, to other liird men familiarwith their accomplishments; and we areassured that this photographic symposiumwill have its practical bearing on the relationsbetween the members of the Councilami those who avail llifiiiselves of theirassistance.Bird-Life on the Dry Tortugas,' byDr. Joseph Thompson, U. S. N., who isresident at this stepping-stone of the birdson their journey from Florida to westernCuba, will include data on bird migrationas well as notes on the breeding habits ofthe sea-birds, which come to the islands inimmense numbers to breed. The latterportion of Dr. Thompson's paper will beillustrated by photographs made by Dr. A.M. Mayer.In view of the expected appearance ofDr. Cones' new Key ' to North AmericanBirds,' the manuscript of which was completedbefore its author's death, an articleon the first (1872) edition of this epochmakingwork by its publisher, Prof. F. W.Putnam, will be of peculiar interest. WithProfessor Putnam's paper we will reproducethe proof of the first page of the systematicportion of the ' Key," with many characteristicannotations bv Dr. Coues.Our plan to publish records of the miiirationof Warblers has been abandoned,owing to our iliscovery, since announcingthe |)roposed publication of such data, thatProfessor W. W. Cooke, of the BiologicalSurvey, has in preparation a bulletin onthis subject which will no doubt thoroughlycover the ground.We expect, however, to publish a seriesof [tapers on a stuiiy of birds during thenesting season, which wc lielieve will befound to be of practical value.

d)e Audubon Societies" }'ou cannot with a scalt>fl find thr poet s soul..\or \el the 7vild bird's song."Rdiled by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State ofConnecticut). Fairtield, Conn., to whom all communications relatiiiji: to the work of the Audubonand other Bird Protective Societies should he addressed. Reports, etc.. desijjiied for this departmentshould be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication.DIRECTORYOF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIESWith names and addresses of their SecretariesNew Hampshire Mrs. F. W. Batchelder, Manchester.Vermont Mrs. Fi.ktcher K. Barrows, Brattleboro.Massachusetts Miss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society of Natural History, Boston.Rhode IslandMartha R. Clarke, Sq Brown street, Providence.ConnecticutMRS. William Brown Glover, Fairfield.New YorkMiss Emma H. Lock wood, 243 West Seventy-fifth street. New York City.New Jersey , Miss Jllia Scribner, 510 E. Front street, Plainfield, N. J.Pennsylvania Mrs. Edward Robins. 114 South Twenty-first street, Philadelphia.Delaware.. Mrs. Wm. S. Hilles, Delamore Place. Wilmington.Maryland Miss Anne Weston Whitney, 715 St. Paul street, Baltimore.District of Columbia Mrs. John Dewhiirst Patten. 2212 R street, Washington.Vireinia Mrs. Frederick E. Town, Glencarlyn.North CarolinaP. Gilbert Pearson, Greensboro.South Carolina Miss S. A. Smyth, Legare street, Charleston.Florida Mrs. I. Vanderpool, Maitland.Missouri August Reese, 2516 North Fourteenth street, St. Louis.OklahomaMrs. Adelia Hoi.roMH, Enid.OhioMrs. D. Z. McClelland, 5265 Eastern ave., Cincinnati.IndianaW. W. Woolen, Indianapolis.IllinoisMissMarv Drummond, 20S West street, Wheaton.IowaMrs L. E. Felt, Keokuk.WisconsinMrs. Reuben G. Thwaits, 260 Laiigdon street, Madison.Minnesota Miss Sarah L. Putnam, 125 Inglehart street, St. Paul.W^yominE.Mrs. N. R. Davis, Cheyenne.KentuckyIngram Crockett, Henderson.TennesseeMrs. C. C. Conner, Ripley.California Mrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.OregonMiss Gertrude Metcalfe, 634 Williams ave., Portland.Reports of Societies The anti-plgeon shooting bill was agreat victory won h\ the Society for tlicAudubon Society of New York State „ .• c i^ \. . \• \ i 1'Hrevention 01 C riielty to Animals. In be-In reviewing the work of the past half of this bill the Audubon Society senteighteen months, since tlie last annual meet- appeals throughout the state urging itsing was held, on March 8, 1901, the New support. Appeals urging the passage ofYork Audubon Society has cause for much the Alaska bill and Forest Reserve billencouragement. We now stand to face any were also sent out. Through our localadverse conditions, supported by the strong secretaries manv signatures were obtainedarm of both state and federal law. The and forwarded to our senators at Washingbillsecuring protection to Gulls and Terns ton. The Alaska bill became a law onwas signed by Governor Odell, March 12, June 7, 1902.1901. This was due to the tmtiring efTort The Snrictv is now better equipped toof Mr. Dutcher, who in making his final develop tiu- educational features of thereport to our Executive Committee, as a work than ever before. We are much incommitteeon law, said: "All that has been debted to the thought and energy of Missattempted for the betterment of the New Eliza S. Blunt, one of our local secretaries,York law for bird protection, has been sue- who raised one hundred dollars to enableressfullv accomplished." the Society to purchase a lantern and set of(206)

to—The Audubon Societies 207neveiity-tive coloreil slides of our nativebirds. A lecture lias been compiled from'Bird-Life'accoinpany this outfit, whichit entrusted to the care of our local secretaries,who may loan it to responsible personsin adjacent towns. Cler{j;ymtn, principalsof schools and directors of farmers'granges have already been interested.The only expense to be met is the expressageto the next point of destination, as thelantern box is always sent prepaid.The Society now possesses three sets of'colored plates from Mr. Chapman's Bird-Life.' ] liese are loaned for work inclasses, upon application from our localsecretaries. Fifty colored wall charts, issuedby I he Massachusetts Audubon Society,have been distributed among thelocal secretaries. These may be loanedto schools, to clubs, to lecturers for specialoccasions, wherever they will serve toadvance the educational work.The only new leaflet issued is an especiallyvaluable one,— a list of books recommendedto the bird-student. Ihis pamphletwas compiled by Mrs. Olive ThomeMiller, and contains notes describing thecontents of each work mentioned, to guidethe purchaser. Altogether, over 17,340leaHets and law posters have been distributedsince the last report, March, 1901.len meetings of the Executive Committeehave been held, >vitli Mr. ('hapman aschairman.In November, 1901, the New ^'ork Societyhad the pleasure of welcomingdelegates from eleven other AudubonSocieties to the second Audubon Conference,held in the American Museum ofNatural History. Ihe result of this conferencewas the formation of a NationalC'ommittee of Audubon So

:208 Bird -Lorethe Columbian University at 8.15 P. M.November 19, Surgeon -General Sternberg,president of the local society, presiding.The following papers were presented :I. Introductorv Remarks, Dr. T. S. Palmer;2. Ornithology in the Schools, Mrs.Olive Thome Miller; 3. Traveling Libraries,Miss Hilda Justice ; 4. TravelingLibraries and Lectures, Mr. O. B. Zimmerman;5. Publications, Miss Harriet E.Richards; 6. Free Lectures — Free BirdCharts — Free Circulating Libraries, Mrs.Mabel Osgood Wright.During the discussion which followed thepresentation of these papers. Prof. T. GilbertPearson, secretary of the North Carolinasociety, in an eloquent address, spokeof the importance of scientific accuracy inthe reasons for bird -protection presented tothe public, but, once assured of the correctnessof their claims as to the value of birds,he urgedthe societies to repeat them with aforce and insistence which should win themthe recognition they deserved.At 10 A. M. the following day there wasa joint meeting of the Audubon societiesand the American Ornithologists' Union tolisten to the reports on bird protection ofWilliam Dutcher, chairman of the Union'scommittee on bird protection, and of Dr.T. S. Palmer, in charge of the enforcementof the Federal law for bird protection.At 8 o'clock the evening of the same da\'the meeting of delegates to the nationalcommittee of the Audubon societies washeld at the residence of Mrs. J.D. Patten,secretary of the District of Columbia society.Fifteen societies were represented , as fol lowsDelaware, Mrs. R. L. Holliday ;Districtof Columbia, Dr. T. S. Palmer; Florida,Mr. R. W. Williams, Jr.; Illinois, Mr.Ruthven Deane ; Massachusetts, Miss HarrietK. Richards; Minnesota, Dr. ThomasS. Roberts; New York, Mr. WilliamDutcher; North Carolina. Prof. T. (JiliiertPearson; Ohio, Miss A. L. Hail; Oregon,Wm. R. Lord; Pennsylvania, Mr. WitmerStone; \'ermont, Mrs. E. B. Davenport;Virginia, Mrs. J.(". Plant; Wisconsin,Mrs. Robert K. Shaw; Wyoming, Mr.Frank Bond. Delegate bv election, representingBird-Lore, Frank M. Chapman.Mr. Dutcher, who was reelected chairmanof the committee, in reporting on theactivities of the past year, stated that, inaddition to giving a large share of his timeto bird-protective work, he had personallyexpended in clerk hire the sum of $700;and, while he was willing to give one-halfhis time to the duties of chairman of thecommittee, he did not feel that he couldlonger defray the expenses incident to theirproper performance. He, therefore, askedthe societies to contribute the $700 requiredfor clerical labor during the ensuingyear.The sum of #400 was at once subscribedby several of the delegates present and.on motion, it was resolved that each delegatereport the matter to his society, andthat the action of each society be, in turn,reported to the chairman of the NationalCommittee.In view of the great importance of Mr.Dutcher's work, which reaches a field untouchedby the state societies, and which,at the same time, is of much assistance toevery society, it is earnestly to be hopedthat the sum he needs for clerical helpwill be forthcoming. Unquestionably, theamount required could not be expendedmore profitably.On motion, it was decided that duringthe coming year the National Committee'sefforts to secure the passage of bird protectivelaws be restricted to the states of \Mrginia.North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri,California, Oregon and Washington.On motion, a committee composed of thechairman, Frank M. Chapman, T. S. Palmerand Witmer Stone was appointed tomake an especial examination of the samplestock of wholesale millinery dealers beforethese dealers 'had placed their orders fortheir fall supplies, with the object of callingtheir attention to the feathers which couldnot be legally sold in this country.The question of cooperative publishing,through the National Committee, was discussed,as was also the possibility of establishingwiiii the chairman of the NationalCommittee a bureau for the exchange oflantern-sliiles, botii projects appearing tobe feasible.

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