56 



THE OOLOGIST 



General Items. 



— I NOTICKL) ill the early part of June, 

 a nest of the Bahimore Oriole (^Icterus hal- 

 timore) in an elm tree about fifteen feet 

 from the ground. When 1 first visited it, 

 the female flew off, but there proved to be 

 nothing in it. 1 continued to visit the nest 

 once or twice a week for /b?/r ov five weeA-s, 

 and almost invariably found the female sit- 

 ting, but in an empty nest. Finally I took 

 the nest, though unsuccessful in my attempts 

 to obtain any eggs. Why the bird should 

 not have laid in so long a time, or why, if 

 not intending to lay, she should have so per- 

 .sistently tenanted the nest, is what I do not 

 understand. Jamks E. Humphrey. 



— The admonitions in various newspa- 

 pers throughout the country are adding 

 more and more to the worthlessness of the 

 Sparrow. "Feed the Sparrows" means: 

 Increase their already alarming numbers ; 

 give them the confidence not merited ; ab- 

 stract their desire for caterpillars, if it is 

 possible they ever possessed any ; make 

 them depend upon man for their food ; call 

 them about piazzas and window-sills whence 

 they will not be driven. People who take 

 into consideration the humane side of the 

 question, will be glad to know that the 

 House Sparrow is destined neither to starve 

 nor freeze, and the more it is made to de- 

 pend upon its own efforts in winter, the more 

 will its services be worth in summer. 



— Mr. Hutciiins, in an article on the 

 " Birds of Central New York," in a recent 

 number of Forest and Stream^ mentions a 

 specimen of the Raven {Corvus carnivorus) 

 as having been taken in the Oneida Valley. 

 This is only the second specimen as far as 

 we know which has been shot in central N. 

 Y., outside of the Great Woods of this 

 state ; for though it is found frequently in 

 these woods, it only aceidently happens in 

 the open country. 



— It will soon be time for the s{)ring mi- 

 grations, when observations on the occur- 

 rence of certain species within given areas 

 are most readily made. The Warblers es- 



pecially should be shadowed, and doubtful 

 visitants carefully looked for. 



Recent ^HtbUcittious 



AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



There is much of value and interest in 

 the Familiar Science, published at Spring- 

 field, Mass., relating to ornithology and 

 oology. The department devoted to gen- 

 eral natural history is a great aid to tliose 

 who should not only inculcate in them- 

 selves useful information in general, but a 

 knowledge of the feathered life about them. 

 We think the demands of the times and the 

 partiality shown the study of birds require 

 a change of the heading the '■'Naturalist" 

 to the " Ornithologist." 



Among the many costly ornithological 

 publications with which Europe and Amer- 

 ica are furnished, the series of monographs 

 upon general ornithology by eminent savans 

 of Europe, now being published, form a 

 most valuable contribution to this science. 

 The forthcoming work on the Jacamars 

 and Puff-birds of Soutli America, species 

 belonging or allied to the Kingfisher fami- 

 ly, to be superbly illustrated with colored 

 plates, will be issued in parts. 



Birds of North America. — The portion 

 of this work devoted to the water birds is 

 under way, and we are informed will be 

 ready for the press in June, when its pub- 

 lication will proceed rapidly until com- 

 pleted. Professor Agassiz has charge of 

 its publication, and under the supervision 

 of this eminent naturalist, the completion 

 of the work in about a year is assured. 



The National Museum at Washington 

 will soon publish Mr. Fred. Ober's recent 

 notes on the birds of some of the islands of 

 West Indies. In his sojourn there, Mr. 

 Ober made important observations and (!ol- 

 lected many birds, among which there were 

 several new species. 



Parts VII. and VIII. of the Birds of 

 Florida have been issued. Part IX. is 

 fbrthcomin":. 



