THE OOLOGIST. 



171 



tain that comaiand a view of both 

 •eastern and western slopes. But our 

 limited space would fail us ere one half 

 the beauties of this scene were told — 

 Aolumes might be written on the sub- 

 ject and jet to appreciate its loveliness 

 one must seeit for himself. The writer 

 has pitched his camp on higher moun- 

 tains, and enjoyed the grandest of 

 mountain passes, ravines and plateaus 

 in the far West, but it is always with a 

 feeling of special pleasure that he re- 

 turns to this glorious natural observ- 

 atory. 



The nest from which the eggs were 

 taken was satisfactorily located a few 

 days previous on a shelf of this clifif 

 about 90 feet from the summit, and an 

 ineffectual attempt made to reach it by 

 •scaling the side of the mountain. We 

 carried with us 250 feet of good rope 

 and some heavj' ducking to place on 

 the sharp ledge at the top of the cliff 

 and thus protect the rope from its 

 gnawing edge. The rope was snubbed 

 around the base of a 2| inch birch sap- 

 ling — the largest tree available at that 

 p(*int on the summit — and Mr. Carrier 

 was thus lowered over the cliff. The 

 day was very unfavorable for clitt'- 

 climbing. A breeze plays over the 

 summit of Mt. Tom even on the hottest 

 summer days wlien not a leaf stirs in 

 the valleys, but on the day in question 

 thi.s breeze was increased to a gale and 

 during the time the eggs were being 

 taken two fierce snow-squalls were en- 

 countered. The ledge was, however, 

 reached in due course of time, the eggs 

 secured, and Ijoth man and eggs drawn 

 to the summit. The eggs, which are 

 beauties, pre-.ent no special deviation 

 from the usual type of Duck Hawk's 

 eggs. They are now in the Smithsonian 

 Institution at Washington, D. C. 

 J. HoBAUT Egbekt, M. D., Ph. D. 



will doubtless rival the pigeon flights 

 of several years ago . 



Large numbers of geese began Hying 

 over in scattering Hocks about eleven 

 p. m. and bj- midnight there was a 

 solid mass of geese more than a mile 

 wide passing over the city. They were 

 flying very low and made so much 

 noise that all other sounds were com- 

 pletly drowned out by the steady roar 

 of their wings. They continued to fly 

 until nearly seven in the morui:ig and 

 so thick was this curtain of flying geese 

 that the approach of day was unheeded 

 and the early street cars were forced to 

 carry headlights on account of the 

 darkness Immence numbers of the 

 birds were killed and the amount of 

 feathers found in some places was 

 sufficient to make new feather beds. 



This is the greatest flight of geese 

 ever known in this reigon and what 

 should have caused it is a problem now 

 agitating a large portion of our citizens. 



O. E. CUOOKKU. 



Helena, Montana. 



Remarkable Flight of Oeese. 



A flock of Canuila Geese passed over 

 here on April 20th which in numbers 



A Trip for Loon's Eggs. 

 By About 42 i»egkke.s Nokth Lati- 



TLDK. 



I have collected eggs from many 

 species of nests and in many sections of 

 the country, but I doubt if there is a 

 class of takes among them all, which 

 equals the capture of a full set of Loon's 

 eggs. The surroundings have perhaps 

 a good deal to do with the undertaking, 

 together with the glorious spring 

 weather. I do not pretend to give a 

 just reason for this preference, but 

 merelj' say that it is so. 



Twelve eggs, in six sets, are the most 

 that I have taken in a season, while some 

 Springs I have been al>le to secure only 

 one set, and this too, only after many 

 severe disappointments aud much un- 

 eventful travel. This falling off, was 

 not the fault of the birds, as they con- 



