The Oologist. 



Vol. XXII. No. 9. 



Albion, N. Y., Skptember, 1905. 



Whole No. 218 



The Oologist. 



A Monthly Publication Devoted to 



OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXT- 



DEEMY. 



FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, 



ALBION, N. Y. 



ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. 



Correspondence and items of interest to the 

 student of Birds, their Nests and Eg^s, solicited 

 from all. 



TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: 



Single subscription .00c per annuir 



Sample copies 5c each 



The above rates include payment of postage. 



Each sub.«criber is given a card good for a 

 Want, Exchange or For Sale Notice. (This card 

 is redeemable at any time within one year from 

 date thereon.) 



Subscriptions can begin with any number. 

 Back numbers of the OOLOGIST can be fur- 

 nished at reasonalile rates. Send stamp for de- 

 scriptions and prices. 



Remember that the publisher must be noti- 

 fied by letter when a subscriber wishes his pa- 

 per stopped, and all arrearages must be paid. 

 .\DVERTISlNO RATES: 



5 cents per nonpareil line each insertion. 



12 lines in every incli. Seven imlies in a col- 

 umn, and two columns to the page. 



Nothing inserted for less tlian 2."; cents. No 

 "special rates." 5 cents per line is "net," "rock 

 bot^tom." "inside," "spot cash" rate from which 

 there is no deviation and no coinmi.>sion to 

 agents. If you wish to use 5 lines or less space 

 it will cost you 25 cents; 100 lines, $5.00; 1000 

 lines, .$50. "Trade" (other than cash) adver- 

 tisements will be accepted by special arrange- 

 ment only and at rates from double to Ave times 

 cash rates. Due Bills and Cards payable in ad- 

 vertising will be honored only at legular rates 

 in force at the date of issuance of said bill or 

 card. 



Remittances should be made by Draft, Ex- 

 press or Postoffice Money Order. Registered 

 Letter or Postal Note. Unused IT. S. Postage 

 Stamps of any denomination will be accepted 

 for sums under one dollar. Make .Money Or- 

 ders and Drafts payable and address all sub- 

 scriptions and communications to 



ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager, 

 Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. 



Editorials. 



In last issue (Vol. I, No. 3) of the 

 "Warbler" appears among other good 

 things an account of the nesting of the 

 Passenger Pigeon near Minneapolis in 

 1890 by W. Otto Emerson. 



This brings authentic collecting of 

 the eggs of this species down to a much 

 later date than I have seen recorded. 



The set, like all authentic records I 

 have investigated, consisted of one egg. 



On page 59 Penn. Bulletin Div. of 

 Zoology Vol. Ill, No. 2, I notice as 

 follows: "We should hesitate to 

 recommend the destruction of skunks 

 as these animals are known to be among 

 the most valuable of our insectivorous 

 creatures and are certainly the most 

 valuable fur-bearing mammal in the 

 State." 



The editor of the Oologlst began on 

 skunks with a steel trap when he was 

 a boy of less than 14 years and he has 

 been studying skunks from various 

 points of view ever since. 



Inevitably he has arrived at a few 

 conclusions. 



Unquestionably the skunk is insecti- 

 vorous but they are also practically 

 omnivorous along the line of animal 

 matter. The greatest point I find to 

 their credit is the number of young 

 field mice (meadow voles) that they 

 tlig out of the nests and devour. If it 

 were not for one characteristic this 

 alone would turn the balance in their 

 favor. 



In the springand summerthe skunk 

 is a light feeder. They wander but 

 short distances from their home bur- 

 row and get along with a minimum of 

 effort and food. While this period 

 lasts they destroy birds' nests, mouse 

 uests, etc., including young chickens 

 if located in the near vicinity of their 

 home but they do not as a rule attract 

 much attention by their depredations 

 until along in September when cool 



