96 



ORmTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. 6 



Editorial. 



If a law should be enai'tod making a contin- 

 ual close season on game birds throughout the 

 country, what would be the result? How 

 would the high-toned sporting gentry like it, 

 and what would be the sentiments of the foster 

 mother of the Audubon Society? A movement 

 would at once be Inaugurated that would make 

 Home liowl. And in our opinion, the law would 

 be as dormant as the feather tip act of the New 

 York legislature. 'I'o-ilay in Massachusetts, 

 our naturalists liud themselves entirely shut oft' 

 from all privileges of pursuing their field 

 work. The lines have gradually tightened, and 

 so far as they oheij the code, they are virtually 

 in the same position as they would be if the 

 birds were exterminated. In the past, we have 

 endeavored to point out to whom they should 

 feel particularly oldigated for this result, and 

 now we propose to advise those what we con- 

 sider the only action to take. 



Oppose every law lookiiii/ tn thf protection of 

 Mull and Game, providing the granting of per- 

 mits to collect are not provided for. Use your 

 political influence to sit down on those who 

 oppose your special interest. The number who 

 are interested is large enough to make their 

 rights respected, and inlluence felt, if they oidy 

 have backbone enough to fight for it. 



We have always been in favor of protecting 

 and still are, but we do not propose to see the 

 lovers and students of nature driven from the 

 field, without protest. Nor are we satisfied to 

 see them made dupes of, as they are in this 

 State. 



With the May issue, Mr. F. H. Carpenter re- 

 tired from the editorial department of the O. 

 & O. Like his predecessors, he has devoted his 

 time freely without renumeration to his favor- 

 ite science, and deserves the best wishes of 

 those who have been entertained by his ettbrts. 



Brief Notes. 



Terns are reported on our coast in usual 

 quantity this Spring. They have full permis- 

 sion to guzzle tish in peace till October. We 

 understand that they can be viewed at a dis- 

 tance through opera glasses, by a special gi-ant 

 of tSpringficld's Boss. 



tJharlie Goodale, the famous Boston taxider- 

 mist, is visiting his boyhood home in England. 



It is suggested that each member of the Au- 



dubon .Society have his nose pierced and wear 

 the badge where it will show to the best ad- 

 vantage. 



E. II. Forhush, the Worcester taxidermist, 

 has started for Alaska. 



If that professor bad bought his Ostrich Egg 

 from a regular dealer, lie would not have been 

 blown up. We hereby notify all, that we are 

 not in the mai-ket to buy eye-witness accounts 

 of the affair from (jther i)arts of the world. 



Mr. M. Chamberlain, of St. .loliii, called re- 

 cently on his way for a collecting trip in the 

 northwest. Mr. C. is an old stand-by of the 

 O. & O., and he has our best wishes for a suc- 

 cessful and pleasant trip. 



It is intimated that a would-be Audubon, not 

 a hundred miles from the Hub. on a certain 

 festive occasion, entertained bj' making a Sketch 

 of a Woodcock on a tree. While it was consid- 

 ered a little FMnj, the effect proved (lamey. 



The many friends of E. S. Bowler will be 

 pleased to know that his health has improved 

 under the genial clime of Colorado. 



There was a demand for large gulls for mil- 

 linery purposes this spring. 



We are indebted to Mr. Austen, of Halifax, 

 for a series of photographs of mounted birds. 

 They are from specimens that he has personally 

 prepared, and show a close observation of na- 

 ture. Harry is an enthusiastic naturalist, and 

 places himself on record as a success. 



We hope as soon as the collecting season is 

 over that our friends will send us notes. 



A specimen of the Yellow Rail was taken 

 on Wakefield meadows. May 1). 



Walter E. Bryant, of 0:dvlaiid, Cal., has Just 

 returned from a very successful collecting trip 

 to Lower California. 



Pennsi/lvania Fanner — "What do hawks live 

 on?" 



Advanced XaturaUst — "Moscjuitos, Sand Fleas 

 and Hats." 



Pciinsijlvnnia Farmer — "But I found feathers 

 in the stomach of one I shot?" 



Advayiced Naturalist — "Oh, that was merely 

 the lining of last year's nest." 



We recently became possessors of a specimen 

 of the Common Tern. A nail had become de- 

 tached from the toe and had located midway 

 on the outer edge of the web. The part was 

 perfectly healthy and no scar can be noticed. 



