The Audubon Societies 



197 



afterward these disappeared again. Fur, 

 teeth, claws, and bones were disgorged as 

 pellets, and the scales of fishes were found 

 made up in a pellet. To see if he had any 

 egg-eating habit, he was shown a hen's 

 egg and a robin's egg on the dish with his 

 food several limes. He did not notice 

 them. This was conclusive, as he saw 

 the animal food which he liked at a dis- 

 tance of forty feet, and flew quickly 

 toward us when hungry. One day, a hen's 

 egg was laid by his dish when he was not 

 hungry. After a while he seized it, as he 

 had a habit of seizing sticks, feathers, and 

 other things in his bill when not hungry, 

 and started to walk ofT. lie was surprised 

 at the unusual tone in wliicli he was told 

 to "drop it," and laid it down unbroken 

 in the dish. 



Long-wings had nc\er shown the slight- 

 est disposition to get out of the house, 

 although the door had often been left open 

 to test him, but he would fly past the door 

 and alight on his bo.x. Being in Boston on 

 business connected with continuing the 

 protection of his kind, I had just con- 

 sulted the state urnithologist, Mr. Forbush, 



about whether it would be safe for Long- 

 wings to go in the spring. Meanwhile 

 the su])i)ly of choice viands had given out, 

 and on the afternoon of February 6, a 

 strong northwest wind was perhaps mak- 

 ing him restless. The door being opened, 

 he shot llirough it, rose a dozen feet 

 towards the southwest, then turned to the 

 southeast, rising, when he seemed to be 

 sure of his direction, and sailed at great 

 speed directly southeast toward Provi- 

 dence, which the maj) shows to be exactly 

 southeast of us and our very nearest sea- 

 coast. At that rale, the man who saw 

 him fly said he would be at Providence in 

 an hour. 



The intimate acquaintance with this 

 bird from the ocean has deepened the 

 interest of all the people of the village 

 in all nature, and his life-history amid 

 mysterious deeps, and then as a recipient 

 of our attention, is an occasion for never- 

 ending wonder. — E. O. Marshall, New 

 Salem, Mass. 



[This correspondent is now taking care 

 of a Holboell's Grebe which was found 

 exhausted. — A. H. W.] 



ARK 

 I'liotographed by G. A. Bailey, Genesee, N. V. 



