92 



THE OSPREY. 



NOTE ON THE OYSTERCATCHER. 



In the check-list of the American Ornithologists 

 Union this bird is said to be of "occasional" occur- 

 rence in Greenland. I have an egg of Hicmatopus 

 osiraL'gtis from Umanak in Greenland, which I se- 

 cured in i88g in Niesky, Silesia, Germany, just after 

 it was sent there by the Moravian missionaries from 

 Greenland. It was authenticated by Mr. \Vm. Baer, 

 curate of the Museum at Niesky. When given to me 

 the egg was said to be a rarity. I thmk it worth while 

 to make public mention of it. -W. F. Henninger, 

 IVnverh, Ohio. 



A PALM WARBLER WEST OF THE ROCKIES. 



Among a number of Warblers taken late in Octo- 

 ber, i8g6, in the vicinity of Pacific Grove, Monterey 

 County, Cal., I found one not known to me as being 

 a Pacific coast bird. On handing the skin to Dr. J. G. 

 Cooper, he determined it to be Dendroica palmaniiii. 

 it being its first appearance west of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. It was shot from low branches of a dead wil- 

 low in the center of a fresh water swamp hole in the 

 pine forests, back from the ocean beach some half a 

 mile, in a low swale. On first seeing this strange 

 Warbler, it was noted walking over the wild celery 

 just making its fall leaves above the water, with a 

 stately step, and tail rising and falling as it moved. 

 I first took it to be one of the early arriving Aiit/itis, 

 having all its characters, being much smaller, more 

 like the true Warblers. It proved to be a juvenile 

 male with a soft strigated plumage, the end of the 

 tail strongly marked as genus Dendroica. I am led 

 to believe that this strange Warbler was raised near 

 by in the pine woods of Monterey County. From 

 the looks of the deep, damp dells and fresh water 

 holes seen in my rambles through these woods, I think 

 it would be just the suited locality for this species. - 

 Read before the Cooper Club by W, Otto Emerson, 

 Hny-iuirds, C 'al . 



WHAT HAS BECOME OF THE SWALLOWS? 



In the year 1890, and from that time until 1895, 

 the swallows came to the vicinity of Boone, Iowa, in 

 large numbers. In 1896 their numbers were greatly 

 reduced, and the present year there were very few 

 indeed. M\ home is half a block from the railroad 

 track along which runs a telegraph. Nearer at hand 

 are some tall cottonwood trees which were planted 

 upwards of forty years ago. From the middle of 

 .\ugust the swallows came during the day in large 

 numbers and perched upon the telegraph wires and 

 upon the dry limbs of the cottonwoods. They were 

 busy in preening their feathers, apparently refresh- 

 ing themselves after long flights. Near dark they 

 suddenly disappeared. Their southward flights are 

 in the night. I supposed at the times I observed them 

 that they were Cliff or Eave Swallows, though I could 

 not be absolutely certain. They had evidently been 

 far north or west during their breeding season, and 

 were no doubt migrating to the South. For several 

 seasons after I first observed them they continued to 

 come in very large numbers. At times there would 

 be rows of them sitting together on the telegraph 

 wire over a mile in length, while it seemed that 

 every dry limb on the cottonwoods held as many as 

 could sit upon it. My home and the immediate 

 vicinity was evidently a favorite resting place for 

 these beautiful and interesting little birds While 

 they were thus coming and going we had a regular 

 bird show. While thousands were thus hard at work 

 making their toilets, hundreds would be seen sailing 

 around in the air, evidently catching insects in their 



flight. In i8g6I intended to watch them very closely 



— note the time of the commencement of this annual 

 migration and when it ceased — but where there had 

 been thousands in the previous years there could 

 scarcely have been hundreds in i8g6. The present 

 year ( 1897 ) there were but few — scarcely a hundred 

 at any time. This would indicate one of two facts 



— either that from some cause or other they had 

 been thinned out at their nesting places, or had 

 chosen some other route for their autumnal migra- 

 tion This result was far from being a welcome 

 one, for while they continued to come and go they 

 made the neighborhood a lively one. The saddest 

 thought, however, is the probability that destruction 

 has from some cause or other overtaken them and 

 wiped out the colonies that used to send out such 

 such large migrations southward every season. And 

 so my question, ' What has become of the Swallows ? ' 

 may no doubt be answered. — Charles Aldrich, 

 Pooue, Io7i.'a 



Galitornia DeDartment. 



CALIFORNIA NOTES. 



EDITED BY DONALD A. COHEN, ALAMEDA, CAL. 



An Ornithological Chapter connected with the 

 California Academy of Sciences was organized last 

 fall. Many of the active workers of San Francisco 

 are enrolled as members 



Librarian Harbourne of the Alameda Library re- 

 cently fled to parts unknown with over $1,000 that 

 he obtained by forging warrants drawn by the library 

 trustee in favor of booksellers, publishers and others, 

 and cashing them with the city treasurer. His pro- 

 posed scheme of forming a Naturalists' Association, 

 combining various branches of Natural History, to 

 have its headquarters in the library quarters, will 

 now come to naught as far as others are concerned. 



Mr. Geo. Chamberlin is residing in Alameda, and 

 Mr. Cory Chamberlin is conducting a cyanide station 

 in the mining regions of Northern California. 



Mr. Henry W. Carriger of Sonoma failed to go to 

 the Trinity County gold diggings, the venture having 

 proved a failure. He expects to leave home soon, 

 probably for Alaska. 



We were pleased to meet Mr. W. E. Bryant soon 

 after his recent return from Southern California, 

 and to say that he states he has obtained renewed 

 health during his absence. We have heard he thinks 

 of visiting the Klondike this spring. 



Messrs. Judson and Swarth of Southern Califor- 

 nia propose leaving in February for the Klondike. 



Mr. R. H. Beck, who is collecting among the 

 Gallapagos Islands for the F. B. Webster Company, 

 will soon be home, according to report. 



It has been stated that nearly cne-fourth of the 

 gross receipts (about $28,000) of the California 

 Academy of Sciences, for the year 1897, was paid 

 out in taxes. There is some talk of amending the 

 laws whereby institutions based upon private gift 

 and devoted entirely to the public welfare be exempt 

 from taxation. 



We are grieved to state that Dr. J. G. Cooper is 

 suffering from an attack of paralysis, having been 

 stricken just before Christmas. We wish him speedy 

 recovery. 



Mr. H. R. Painton of College Park has been at- 

 tending the sessions of the State Teachers' Annual 

 Convention. 



