140 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 7-No. 18 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



—AND— 



OOLOGIST. 



A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO 

 THE STUDY OF BIRDS, THEIR NESTS AND EGOS. 



JOS. M. WADE, EDITOR, 



With the co-operation of able Ornithological 

 Writers and Collectors. 



Subscription — $1.00 per annum. Foreign subHcHji- 



tion $1.25 — includinq pnfiUige. Specimen 



Copies Ten Cents. 



■ JOS. M. WADE, Norwich, Conn. 



EDITORIAL. 



Two Young Artists. 



Amouo; onr subscribers and contributors 

 are two yonng men, or rather boys, one on 

 the Eastern slope, and the other on the Wes- 

 tern, both troubled with the same disease 

 (hip) that has not only robbed their boy- 

 hood of its pleasures, but has prevented 

 them from acquiring- in the usual way the 

 ordinary education due to boys of their 

 age. But this has been overcome by nat- 

 ru-al talent and the careful attention of 

 fond parents. Botli are natural ornitholo- 

 gists — keen observers, and although con- 

 fined often to the house, are not behind 

 the brightest of their age. 



Both of these boys have taken to the 

 pencil and brush, and if they cannot climb 

 big trees they can paint them, and can also 

 paint birds at this present time that fifty 

 years ago would have given them a repu- 

 tation world wide. All they need now 

 is patronage to develop greater talent, 

 and this should not be wanting, for tliere 

 are plenty of our readers who can afford 

 to give these boys special orders for 

 such birds as they might select. This 

 would not only encourage them, but would 

 be a great benefit to the science in devel 

 oping talent for future book illustration. 

 If this strikes the reader as favorably as it 

 does the writer, they will addi-ess for further 

 information, Edgar A. Small, Hagerstown, 

 Maryland, or W. O. Emerson, Haywards, 

 Cal., both of whom are making valuable 

 collections of skins and eggs. 



Five Eggs. — On another page will Tie 

 found a statement by Mr. Worthington 

 that he and his friend GriflSng had taken a 

 set each of five eggs from the nest of the 

 Cat Bird, and enquiring if five is not an 

 imnsual number. In 1878, after finding 

 about fifty of their nests, we at last found 

 one containing five eggs, which are care- 

 fullj' preserved in our collection. We 

 have never since found a set of five. For 

 years we have been anxiously looking for a 

 Rollins nest containing five eggs, but \vith- 

 out success until this day, (May 22), when 

 we found the long looked for set of five 

 eggs. Three were of the usual size, and 

 two somewhat smaller — one of which was 

 fresh or not fertile, the others were well ad- 

 vanced in incubation. The number of 

 eggs laid by the Cat Bird aod Robin is 

 positively four. From old age or accident 

 a less number may be laid, and in extreme 

 cases five or even more. 



Since the above was written Snowdon 

 Howland reports a set of seven — two 

 large and five small, the latter fresh, while 

 the former were slightly incubated. This 

 is good evidence but we would like to hear 

 from others who have taken sets of five 

 or more. 



Collector's Movements. — ]\Ir. John M. 

 Howey, Canandaigua, N. Y., is to spend 

 the collecting season on the Kansas and 

 Cottonwood Rivers, about the ninety-sev- 

 enth parallel. 



Mr. M. Chamberlain of St. John. N B.. 

 and Mr. H. A. Purdie of Boston. Mass., 

 will do the collecting season in the Mada- 

 waska district, nenr the Maine, Quebec and 

 N. B. borders. May their finds be equal 

 to their zeal in the cause. 



Mr. Fred. T. Jencks of Providence. R. 

 I., and Mr. H. B. Bailey, of New York, are 

 now collecting in Dakota. ]\Ir. Jencks ex- 

 pects to remain there until July. He finds 

 the season very cold and backward, but is 

 having good success, and will have many 

 rare specimens to offer, for which refer to 

 our advertising columns. 



