160 



OEmTHOLOGIST 



[Yol. 13-No. 10 



selves with firms who will best serve their 

 interests, bearing in mind that there is such a 

 tliiiitj as bein<j "i)enny wise and pound foolish." 



Brief Notes. 



Mr. Chas. F. Morrison, whose valuable list of birds 

 of La I*lata is now beinji: printed, has removed to 

 FortKeogh, Mont., and all fonimnnications should be 

 sent to that place. Mr. Morrison has enlisted the 

 interest of a number of people in the sections that he 

 has visited and his prodnctions represent their unit- 

 ed ett'ort under liis guidance. He is now completing 

 a list that will soon be presented in these columns. 



Mr, Walter Brett of Niagara Falls, Ontario, on last 

 April made an extended collecting trip. Going to 

 San Diego, Cal., at that place he purchased a wagon 

 and pair of mules and with them travelled about 

 1400 miles, collecting birds. On his return trip at 

 Green River, Wyo., his satchel containing about 200 

 unidentified skins was stolen —"a sad loss." This is 

 one of the many instances that daily come to our 

 attention, showing what our naturalists are doing, 

 thQiv determination and pluck. Mr. Brett by his loss 

 was unable to give us a complete list of his collec- 

 tion. He writes that lie took every opportunity to 

 speak a good word for the O. & O. and sends us a list 

 of names for sample copies. 



The Eskimo Curlew has of late years been far from 

 plentiful on Cape Cod. There was quite a flight of 

 them and Golden Plover on the afternoon of the first 

 Sunday in September. The boys had to resort to a 

 vigorous singing of psalm tunes to keep from pop- 

 ping at them. 



Many a farmer's boy is to-day an enthusiastic nat- 

 uralist, and in pursuit of his knowledge of nature is 

 collecting birds and eggs, and will continue to do so, 

 law or no law. Let the sportsmen frame their laws 

 with equity and curb the serfs who execute them, 

 lest they find an increase of barbed wire fences and 

 notices of "No Trespass." The action of some of the 

 Connecticut farmers is an index of what may occur 

 in other localities. A law is a law and it is very thin 

 to say it will not be enforced on the boys. 



That Coues Key is a popular work is evident from 

 the fact that the cloth bound edition is nearly ex- 

 hausted. Those of our readers who have not pro- 

 cured a copy sliould avail themselves of the opportu- 

 nity at once. The third edition is otiTered in two 

 forms only — cloth bound and the flexible leather or 

 sportsmen's edition. 



"Pluma(;e," or identity smothered by art, the 

 style in which birds are worn this season — congenial 

 to the tenderest heart. 



The American Angler, a bright, New York publica- 

 tion, in its June issue strikes at the Legislative don- 

 key. That's right; stir them up. 



We are in receipt of the "Osteology of the Carolina 

 Rail," by R. W. Shufeldt, M. D. Dr. Sbufeldt is the 

 author of many contributions toNatural Science, and 



this work cannot fail to be of interest to ornithol- 

 ogists. 



And now a naturalist from Connecticut says, "The 

 laws here show us no favor, but they are so stringent 

 that they are not enforced. Our columns are open 

 to all. Let some gentleman from that state jioint out 

 a line of action for the naturalists there. 



Now that Oliver Davie's neyr egg check list is about 

 to be ofl'ered, the conundrum is, how many dealers 

 will publish themselves as soh agents, and who will 

 ofl'cr the greatest premium with it? Mr. Davie de- 

 serves the support of the Oologists of the country for 

 his persistent efl"orts to furnish them with a work 

 that is of great value and at a price that places it 

 within the reach of all- When it is actually published 

 we will oflfer it to our readers, and at the best terms. 



It is surprising how few notes of interest pertain- 

 ing to bird life appear in the press of the country. 

 Such as we notice are mainly a rehearsal of what has 

 been going the rounds for the last half century. It is 

 safe to say that if a thousand people were stopped 

 in the streets of Boston and put to test not a dozen of 

 them would be able to name correctly a score of our 

 most common birds. Would it not be an advantage 

 to devote a little of the space now occupied in a 

 minute description of tlie prize fights and other .simi- 

 lar society damning transactions, to a diffusion of 

 knowledge that would be far more fit, desirable and 

 entertaining to all. 



An Acadian Flycatcher's nest and three eggs were 

 taken in Hyde Park, Mass., during the past season, 

 by Fred W. Hill. That gentleman reports that he 

 observed a Mocking bird on several occasions in the 

 Blue Hills, Milton, during April. He is quite confi- 

 dent it remained in that locality but failed to dis- 

 cover its nest. 



Again we notice an unusual flight of amateur pub- 

 lications. We wish their proprietors, one and all, 

 unlimited success. The novelty of the enterprise 

 soon wears olt"; a limited subscription list and the 

 printer's bill haveadampeningefi"ecton theambition 

 that is demoralizing. We advise collectors to secure 

 specimens early, for such flights are not lasting. 



"Eastern ornithologists are quite jubilant over the 

 fact that our native birds are unusually common this 

 year. We fail to notice any increase in the vicinity 

 of \Vyandotte." — ^f/ass/-:: Companion. 



Nor do we see any particular increase, except in 

 the report of the Massachusetts Fish and Game Com- 

 missioners. While certain birds are noticed more 

 plentiful some years than others, on the other hand a 

 like scarcity is found. We refer to the large flight 

 of Pine Grosbeaks in this section in early spring of 

 '85, and since that time we have had iio reports of 

 them. 



"HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE." 

 W^e fake pleasure in announcing the capture, at 

 Monomoy Island, Mass., of a specimen of the Hoary 

 Bat {Atalapha cineria). Dr. Merriam, to whom the 

 specimen was sent, informs us that it is a tree-dwell- 

 ing species belonging to the Canadian Fauna. It is 

 a disputed question whether this bat was shot by 

 Webster or Whiting, and for the safety of ourselves 

 weprefer to leave it to posterity to decide to whom 

 the credit belongs. 



