172 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 7-Nu. 22 



ORNITHOLOGTST 



OOLOGIST. 



A MONTHLY MAflAZINE DEVOTEU TO 

 THE HTTIDY OF BIRDS, THEIR NESTS AND EOGS. 



JOS. M. WADE, Ml) I TO It. 



Willi the co-operatir)!! (if able Clriiitholn^ical 

 Writers and Collectors. 



SliBsORiPTloN— $1.00 j)cr annum.. Foreirjn suhto-rrp- 



tion $].2.'i — includiiuj pontage. Sprriwrn 



Copies Ten Cents. 



JOS. M. WADE, Boston, Mass. 



Standakd i)f Value. — A corresponrlent 

 writes : " Hiive ATiierican OrnitliolopistK 

 iiiid Oologists any standard list of l)irds 

 and (ififgs that they stick tof We are 

 sorry to say they have not. Exchanginjr 

 up to this time is done decidedly at ran- 

 dom. A short time ago we tried to find 

 the valiK! of Mallard Duck's eggs. One 

 dealer aske<l ten cents, the next wanted 

 forty cents, and this is about the present 

 state of the skin and e'^ff market. For 

 some years we have urged the enterpris 

 iiig tiriii of Messrs. Sonthwick & Jencks 

 to get out a catalogue of pei'nianent prices 

 that all could acce))t as a hasis, and their 

 present catalogue is tlieir first attempt in 

 this line. To us it is a liandy book of ref- 

 erence : but they are now engaged on a 

 catfilogue in which they will attempt to 

 give a value of all skins and eggs, whether 

 they have them on hand or not. It will 

 also contain instruction to colle(^tors, etc.. 

 and will be indispensable to all. 



Duty on Knowledge. — It is a disgrace 

 in this enlightened age that our friends 

 over the border should have to pay forty 

 seven cents duty on a small work like 

 Coues' new Check List. 



This is contrary to the British princi 

 ])l(>s of free trade, and we have no doubt 

 but that the Dominion Parliament will 

 remedy this (!vil, as their attention is be- 

 ing called to it by petition. The states- 

 man is indeed blind that votes for a tax 

 on scientific knowledge. 



Contributions for the columns of the O. 

 iind O. are always in ord(U' and thankfully 

 re(*ived. But they must be accurate and 

 careful statements of f^ma fide observa- 

 tions. The day of guess-work is passed. 

 If you find a rare nest or secure a rare 

 bird, make positively sure of the identity 

 before removing it. Identify without de- 

 stroying life, if jiossible, l)ut identify all 

 rare finds : then describe them with the 

 utmost care for the O. luid O. Do it care- 

 fully, that your readers can also identify 

 them from j'our description, and you will 

 win recognition from American ornitholo- 

 gists. Study the style of the (). and O. 

 and wi-ite as near that as possible, on a 

 separate sheet of pajier, and your commu- 

 nication will sooner appear. We are glad 

 to get any news on postal cards or other- 

 wise, and if all are not replied to, it is more 

 for the want of time than appreciation. 

 We have on hand much good matter 

 mixed in with letters which remained un- 

 published for want of time. Write on a 

 separate sheet. 



Wanted to Know — Why the Ground 

 Building Owls should lay twice as many 

 eggs as those which liuild in trees ? 



AVhy the Orchard Oriole should use 

 green material to build its nest ? 



Why harmless, industrious birds were 

 created and cruel, ra])aciouK ones made to 

 prey upon them ? 



Why some birds will kee]) on laying 

 when their eggs are removed daily from 

 the nest ? 



Why some birds that feed on insects all 

 Summer, instead of migrating, feed on 

 berries in the Winter? 



Why every one interested in O. and O. 

 don't send us $1. for a subscription and in- 

 duce their friends to do likewise '? 



More about the moulting of birds? 



Just " when the swallows liomeward fiy ?" 



If all have noted the change in our ad- 

 dress from Norwich, Conn., to Box 1829, 

 Boston, Mass. ? 



