104 



THE OOLOGIST 



these portales are spread the dining 

 tables where meals and liquors are 

 served. 



Here the Vern Cruzano of means 

 brings his family on band nights and 

 takes his meal and his drinks, while 

 newsboys, bootblacks, "vendadors" de 

 flowers, fans, curios, lemonade, and 

 what not pass in and out among the 

 guests and tables and cry their wares 

 or run errands. All are happy con- 

 tented, fat and peaceful in a land of 

 elbow room, fresh air, and ease, and 

 where the days never exceed thirteen 

 hours in length, between sun up and 

 sun down, 1 suppose — and where 

 though warm, none ever are prostrated 

 or sun struck, perhaps because the 

 people have learned to economize the 

 cool of the day by arising and break- 

 fasting at four in the morning, then 

 taking a nap at mid day. All business 

 stores, etc., close up from twelve un- 

 til two. In Mexico City, it is from one 

 to two-thirty. 



I enclose a picture of the Cathedral 

 covered with buzzards taken from 

 another tower somewhat higher at 

 about six-thirty p. m. Also some pic- 

 tures of a buzzard taken in Oaxaca. 

 He is perched on top of a cactus at 

 least twenty feet high and spreading 

 his wings towards the rising sun to 

 dry. There had been a night rain. 

 Many are seen thus drying them- 

 selves at almost any and all times. 

 This picture is dark because it was 

 taken against the sun before the sun 

 had risen. He let me walk right up 

 underneath him without flying. They 

 are all very tame. When the shutter 

 snapped however, he dropped his wings 

 to look at me, but did not fly away. I 

 have seen one buzzard with wings 

 spread standing on the ground during 

 a drizzle and apparently trying to 

 shield his mate which stood under 

 one wing. 1 doubt however if that; 

 were his pur|)03e. 



GENERAL NEWS. 



Being called some twelve miles 

 south of Lacon, Illinois, the latter 

 part of last month on business, I was 

 much surprised to find a colony es- 

 timated by parties who live in that 

 vicinity, of all the way from one hun- 

 dred to three hundred, English Ring- 

 necked Pheasants. They seemed to be 

 scattered over a territory some three 

 miles wide by five miles long, up and 

 down the Illinois river, and adjacent 

 bluffs. People there told me that 

 many young had been hatched this 

 year, one brood containing eighteen. 

 They are rigidly protected by the 

 farmers living in that vicinity, and 

 without doubt, will rapidly increase as 

 they seem to have become a fixture 

 there. I only saw one bird, a male 

 along the edge of an oats stubble 

 field. He seemed in perfect plumage 

 and not the least alarmed, though we 

 drove along within fifty yards of him. 

 —Editor. 



Wanted — News. 



Again we must appeal to our readers 

 for short newsy notes. If you have oc- 

 casion to write the editor on any sub- 

 ject, do not fail to include some short 

 bit of information that you may think 

 would be of general interest to our 

 readers, even if it should occupy but 

 two or three lines. Without doubt, all 

 of us have continually coming under 

 our notice, small matters, which are 

 yet of general interest, and we should 

 be disposed not only to help ' our- 

 selves but THE OOLOGIST and its 

 readers as well. We are sure such 

 short contributions would be much ap- 

 preciated. 



Thanks. 



One of our friends sends us two 

 |j!jsubscii])tions paid up and fails to dis- 

 liclose his or her identity. Thanks for 

 jthis kind of support anyway. 



