158 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 7-No. 20 



Bporting in the water, lookiBg in the dis- 

 tance very much like ducks. One Winter 

 when the river was nearly closed, I took 

 considerable pleasiu-e in watching their 

 movements. The flats, so-called, were 

 covered with thick ice, and near the chan- 

 nel the broken ice was heaped up in ridges. 

 There were some twenty or thirty gulls 

 resting on the ice, with their heads toward 

 the north wind, while some were returning 

 from the flight up stream, and others were 

 going out all the time. One thing in par- 

 ticular struck me as quite new — evevj bird 

 on its return would go to the open chan- 

 nel and take a bath, by plunging in the 

 stream with more or less of flutter and 

 flapping of \dngB, after which it would 

 gracefully take its place beside the other 

 birds on the ice for a rest. 



Besides their usual diet, Crows and Jays, 

 as well as Chicadees, are not averse now 

 and then to a stray kernel of corn. The 

 latter will steal corn from a corn-crib, if an 

 entrance can be effected through a knot 

 hole, or otherwise, returning to a particu- 

 lar spot outside to feed, and will handle 

 and peck a kernel, holding it between its 

 feet, with quite the dexterity and skill of a 

 Blue Jay. The few Crows and Jays that 

 remain around the farms during the Win- 

 ter, resort daily to the cattle yards and 

 fodder grovmds for stray morsels. One 

 year I always made it a point when 

 feeding the hens to throw a little corn 

 over the fence to a bare space of ground 

 bordered by hemlocks and spotted alders. 

 The Jays were always w.iiting in the copse 

 for me, and came out as regularly as the 

 hens for their morning meal. 



From time to time, in our walks through 

 the fields and by-ways, tacts like the fore- 

 going wdl present themselves. The nov- 

 ice should always make a note of them. 

 Some will be found qaite as important as 

 the shape, color and size of an egg. — G. 

 R. O., Norwich, Cunn.. 



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Climbers and Climbing. 



Climbing Irons.— In " Ingeraoll's Bii-d's 

 Nesting" the following passage is quoted 

 and approved : 



"Never attempt to use climbing-irons on 

 a tree that you cannot reach around ; if 

 you do, ten to one you will land on the 

 ground below before any great height is 

 gained." If this is taken as advice and fol- 

 lowed, scientific cHmbing will soon be 

 among the lost arts. But it must have 

 been written hastily and most certainly 

 from the standpoint of a novice. Now, 

 our larger New England Hawks and Owls 

 mostly breed in trees to large to " reach 

 around," and yet, contra Ingersoll, climb- 

 iug-ii-ons afford the quickest, safest, and 

 easiest way, to reach these nests. I have 

 several hundred eggs of Rap tores from 

 trees of good circumference secured by 

 the use of these handy implements, and 

 though we read as above that falls mil 

 occur "nine times out of ten," yet in the 

 voluminous records of my eggs not a sin- 

 gle fall is chronicled. It is fair to say, 

 however, that many of my sets were 

 taken by experts, who have had years of 

 experience in squirrelling and hawking, 

 and do admirable work. But with patience 

 and observation there is no reason why a 

 good degree of proficiency can not be 

 gained by any one with the average amount 

 of application. Like the beginner on 

 skates your first eftbrts will be crude 

 enough.' You will sink your spurs too 

 deep or will strike at random and ineffect- 

 uallv. When you get up about twenty 

 feet and your nerve begins to leave you, 

 you will ling the tree and lose confidence 

 in the footliolds. And here is the fatal 

 mistake. You must never hug the tree. 

 It is by no means necessary to be able to 

 " reach nrouud" the trunk. No sustaining 

 power is required of the hands ; the entire 

 weight o-f the body goes upon each ii-on 

 in succession, the hands only being used 

 to steady the body. AVhen this i>rinciple 



