28 



THE OOLOGIST. 



this vireo the ' preacher ' could have 

 had no very exalted opinion of the 

 clergy. "' 



Mr. Cheney, as I have quoted above, 

 says the notes are ingeniously arrang- 

 ed and not tiresome but Torrey calls 

 them tiresome. It is natural that we 

 should disagree in an appreciation of 

 the song, but we ought not to be unde- 

 cided on such a point as sharpness, 

 "Its sharp, querulous note," says 

 Torrey; but it is not sharp. If it were it 

 might contain more of the elements 

 that go to make up the preacher's 

 style. Indeed the notes are mellow: 

 heard from a distance they seem to 

 voice the summer breeze itself, uncer- 

 tain and tremulous, but never sharp; 

 heard near by they are, I think, al- 

 most as mellow as the Rose- breasted 

 Grosbeak's. Now watch "this lively, 

 tireless singer, running rapidly after 

 insects in the tops of forest trees, 

 singing as Ue goes; " the notes are 

 uttered with scarcely any effort, seem- 

 ing to flow out and express in voice 

 the contentedness' what a bird-face 

 cannot reflect. Certainly they are not 

 sharp. 



All in all, I think it w^ould be wise 

 to consider the term " preacher " rather 

 as a poor pun than as a name given 

 with any design at appropriateness. 

 Due reverence to the ornithologists 

 who use the miserable figure, but the 

 unnaturalness of the term we need 

 not therefore ensconce. 



Evening Grosbeak in Central Iowa. 



I'.V .lAV <i. >^r(iMl'NT>. 



Christmas day, while eating dinner 

 at a neighbors. I was called to the 

 door to see a flock of curious birds 

 which were feeding on cedar berries 

 in the trees In the yard. I saw at once 

 that they were Evening Grosbeaks, 

 { Coccothraustcs vespertina) and was 

 somewhat surprised as they were the 

 first of this species I have ever seen in 



this lo(;ality, although a friend of 

 mine secured a specimen here two 

 years ago. 



There were about thirty birds in the 

 flock, and they paid no attention to 

 me but kept on eating their Christmas 

 dinner in the storm, chirping cheerily 

 the meanwhile. 



As I desired to obtain a speci- 

 men for mounting, I had a gun 

 brought me and fired into the flock 

 killing one. The rest of the flock 

 took flight, and I picked up the speci- 

 men I had shot but was much dis- 

 apointed ito find that it was too badly 

 shot to he of any value as a mounted 

 specimen. The bird shot was an adult 

 female. 



I afterward learned that this flock of 

 Grosbeaks were in the habit of coming 

 regulJh-ly to this place to feed having 

 been seen several times previously, this 

 winter. 



Book Review. 



Either the Publisher or Manaijer of the 

 Oologist ivill furnish any book at 

 the Pnblishers price. 

 ' ' Color Key to North American 

 Birds, " By F. ]M. Chapman illustra- 

 ted by Chester A, Reed. This work 

 shows 800 birds in colors from life and 

 meets a long felt want. Price, $2.50 



Publications Received. 



American (Ornithology, Vol. IV, No, 



1. 



Condor, Vol VI, No. 1. 



Journal of the Maine Ornithological 

 Society, Vol. VI, No. 1. 



Amateur Naturalist, Binghamton, 

 N. Y., Vol. I. No. 1. 



American Ornithology, Vol. IV, 

 No. 2. 



