80 



THE OSPREY. 



ing-ton for different islands late in January, to 

 be g-one four or live months. One party, consist- 

 ing of Messers. William Palmer and J. H. Riley, 

 will direct its energies to the exploration of 

 Cuba, and possibly the Isle of Pines. Drs. L. 

 Stejneger and Chas. W. Richmond, who make 

 up the other party, will go to Puerto Rico and 

 some of the Lesser Antilles. Collections of vari- 

 ous objects will be made, and as the members of 

 the parties are all especially interested in orni- 

 thology, and three co-editors of the Ospkev, it is 

 to be expected that the birds will not be wholly 

 neglected. We expect to give summaries of the 

 results some time next summer. 



The E(U; Collector, we are requested to an- 

 nounce, will be .soon issued as "the Quarterly 

 Official Org-an Oologi.sts' Association," with 

 John W. Daniel, jr., as editor-in-chief. 



The Makriage of Miss Florence Merriam 

 ti Mr. Vernon Bailey will doubtless be interest- 

 ing news to many readers of the Osprey and 

 admirers of Miss Merriam's works. 



The marriag'e was solemnized in Washington, 

 December, 1899. 



The Suit Against the Marsh Will insti- 

 tuted by a nephew of the deceased scientist, we 

 are pleased to learn, has been decided in favor of 

 the will. Yale University will therefore enjoy 

 the benefits of the benefaction so long^ intended 

 by the testator, althoug^h to a much less extent 

 than was expected. 



The Death oe W. W. Ccu.birn occurred at 

 his residence, Springfield, Mass., October 17, 

 1899. He had been a teacher and principal in 

 several private schools, but since his retirement 



from the principalship of the High School at 

 Manchester, N. H., he received private pupils, 

 and gave instruction in natural history. He 

 was a co-author, with Mr. Robert O. Morris, of 

 a catalogue of the wild birds of Forest Park, 

 Spring-field. He was 60 years old. 



The Death of Dr. Arthur Ewell Stark 

 is a loss to ornithology consequent on the war 

 between the Boers and British. Dr. Stark was 

 a volunteer on the Medical Staff of the British 

 Army and "sent up to Ladysmith by the last 

 train that passed the Boer Army. Standing- at 

 the door of the Royal Hotel in Ladysmith, on 

 November 18, he was struck by an exploded 

 shell, and died shortly afterwards". He was 

 especially interested in the ornithology of South 

 Africa and had just completed and made ready 

 for publication the first volume of a work on 

 the birds of that reg'ion, which was to form an 

 instalment of the "Fauna of South Africa" 

 edited by Mr. W. L. Sclater, heretofore referred 

 to in the OsPREv (for October p. — ). It is to be 

 feared that the eontinuation of the work ma)' he 

 indetinitely delayed until another hand can be 

 found to complete it. 



The Death of Dr. Elliott Coues must not 

 be left unnoticed in the first issue of the Osprey 

 pviblished since the lamentable event, but a de- 

 tailed account of the eminent ornithologist will 

 be reserved for a future occasion. Dr. Coues 

 had suffered for some time from a complication 

 of diseases, and had to undergfo two surgical 

 operations for distinct disorders within a month 

 of each other. He succumbed from exhaustion 

 the second day after the later operation, and 

 died on Christmas day; he was 57 A'ears old, 

 having been born September 9. 1842. 



Literature, 



On the Birds" Highway. By Reginald 

 Heber Howe, Jr. With Photographic Illvistra- 

 tions by the Author and a Frontispiece in Color 

 from a Painting- by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. 

 — Boston. Small, Maynard & Company'. 1899. 

 [12nio., 175 p., front.] A lovely little volume, 

 elegantly bound, containing 175 pages of inter- 

 esting- text illumed b^- many illustrations. The 

 reader on opening- the book is at once greeted 

 bj' a color reproduction of a painting- from the 

 hand of Louis Agassiz Fuertes representing 

 "Our Friends the Chicadees", in their winter 

 quarters. It is a splendid picture and arouses 

 an interest in the what's to come, which the 

 author maintains throughout its pages. 



The book is divided into 14 chapters as follows: 

 I. "Winter Birds." II. "December by Laiid 

 and Sea" — a Rhode Island sketch. HI. "On the 

 Land at Ipswich." IV. "Among- the Foothills" 

 — a trip to Shelburn, N. H. V. "Where Feb- 

 ruary- is Spi-ing" — the most interesting^ chapter 

 to Washingtonians as it speaks of the birds of 

 our best field, the Zoological Park on Rock 

 Creek. VI. "Familiar and Unfamiliar Bird 

 Songs" — a delightful chapter too well designated 



to need farther explanation. VII. "In the 

 Mount Hope Lands". VIII. "Under the Shadow 

 of Wachusett". IX. "A Meadow Chronicle" — a 

 July day with Song Sparrows, Kingbirds, Gold- 

 finches, Chippies, Orioles and the like. X. 

 "The Swallow Pond" — a bit of land, the favorite 

 spot of the author. XL "In the Land of No- 

 rumbega" — a visit to Islesborough in the Penob- 

 scot. XII. "Summer Birds". XIII. "Along 

 the Beach" — a tramp on Martha's VineN'ard, and 

 the final chapter "Late Summer in the Adiron- 

 dacks''. This is followed by an appendix con- 

 taining lists of birds from the localities treated 

 in the body of the book and a general index. 



Birds are the prominent characters of the work. 

 The author takes us on his rambles and presents 

 to us the scenes and haunts among which they 

 occur; introducing us to their traits and habits 

 in a most pleasing- manner. 



Some of the 59 illustrations are not as clear 

 and sharp cut as vre would have them, but birds 

 are difficult subjects for the camera and we con- 

 gratulate the author on the volume as a whole. 

 It is a thing of beauty and we are certain the 

 reader will find it a joy forever. 



