METEOROLOGY. 753 



sliootingf of birds of prey and the destruction of plnmngc birds is depre- 

 cated. The wliolesale destruction of the English sparrow is not 

 advised, for fear that many of the noninjurious birds may be mistaken 

 for it. The payment of boimties for birds by the State is discounte- 

 nanced, for it has been learned from correspondence that a large num- 

 ber of birds condemned by numy farmers and sportsmen as injurious 

 are not guilty of the harm attributed to them. 



Of the hawks, the sparrow hawk {Falco sparverius) is accredited 

 with doing much good by destroying large numbers of field mice as 

 well as great numbers of grasshoppers and other insects. The little 

 harm the bird does in catching a few chickens during its breeding? 

 season is believed to be more than recompensed by the good that it does. 



The food of owls consists largely of small quadrupeds, and, with the 

 exception of the great horned owl and possibly also the barred owl, all 

 the owls occurring within the State (some 10 species) are worthy of 

 the fullest protection. 



The good that the warblers — some 40 of which occur in the State — 

 might do if protected instead of being killed for their plumage is shown 

 by citing the great loss from insect ravages in the United States in 

 general, and in several States in particular. For Pennsylvania, the 

 author thinks, a conservative estimate for such loss would be about 

 $5,000,000. 



Investigations concerning the contents of the stomach of the rook (Corvus 

 frugilegus), M. Hollri-nu {Vers. Shit. Pjianzniscliuiz, HaUe, 7 {1S95), pp. ,7-^6). 



Birds as protectors of orchards, E. H. Forbush {Ept. Ontario Ent. Soc. 1S95, pp. 

 53-62, figs. 5; repr. from The Museum). — Notes on the food of birds as determined by 

 examinations of stomachs and otherwise. 



A preliminary list of the birds of Wayne County, Ohio, II. C. Ohekiiolser 

 {Ohio Sta. Bui., tech.ser., vol. t, No. 4, pp. 243-354, figs. 31). — Descriptive aud critical 

 notes are given on 183 species of birds known to inhabit the region iudicated, 

 together with a hypothetical list of 82 others which are thonglit to be occasional 

 visitors. 



METEOEOLOGY. 



Arizona -weather, E. M. Boggs {Arizona Sta. Bui. 20, pp. 3&). — Sum- 

 maries of observations on temperature, i)ressure, precipitation, humidity, 

 evaporation, sunshine, and wind movement in the vicinity of Tucson and 

 at other points in the Territory' during about 4 years ending June, 1895, 

 are tabulated and discussed, the data being compared Avith similar data 

 obtained at imiwrtant cities in other parts of the United States. 



The most notable feature of the climate of Arizona is the deficiency 

 of moisture. 



"Not only is the rainfall of southern Arizona very light, but it occurs on very few- 

 days of the year. The winter montlis are csiJecially free from rainy days. . . . 



"The maximum winter temperatures of southern Arizona are very nearly the same 

 as those of the Gulf States. Those of summer are considerably higher, but the [low] 

 relative humidity shows unmistakably why the summer climate of Arizona is far less 

 trying than that of the States bordering on the Gulf of Mexico. Thus the .June tem- 

 perature of 107° at Tucson with relative humidity at only 22 i>er cent is far prefer- 

 able to that of cities with temperatures of 85 to 95^ and humidity at 65 to 83 per 

 cent. ... 



