62 



ORNITHOLOGJST 



[Vol. 16-No. 4 



ORNITHOLOGIST^^^OOLOGIST 



A :M..iitl:lv .Mai^aziiii 



Ml 



NATURAL HISTORY, 



ESPECIALLY DEVOTED TO THE STIUY OF 



THEIR NESTS AM> EOCiS, 



and to the 



INTERESTS OF NATURALISTS 



I'nder the Editorial Maiia";einent ol" 



FRANK B. WEHSTEK, 

 J. PARKER NURRIS, 

 FRANK A. BATES. 



Hyde Park, IMass. 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



IJoston, Mass. 



rrilLISHED AT 



FRANK B. WEBSTER'S 

 JM r .S E r JI 



AND 



N.\TURALIST.S' .SUPPLY DEPOT. 

 Hyde Park, Mass., U. S. A. 



The O. & O. is mailed each issue to every paid sub- 

 scriber. If you fail to receive it. notify us. 



Brief Notes. 



The Wild Pigeons, to wliicli we liave occas- 

 ionally ret'ened, have weathered the winter 

 successfully. Early last f;il! we made an en- 

 closure about ten feet scjiiare, slielterinij; the 

 north and east sides liy lioarding', and partly 

 roofed it; the remainder, covered liy wire 

 nettini;', was left open. In the centre we jilaced 

 two small pines, and in them tliey have l)een 

 <piite at home. In the heavy snow-storms and 

 the severe coltl weather they appeared as con- 

 tented as in the sunny days of late, sitting in 

 tlie branches in hawk-lil<e attitudes. \ l)ird 

 will suddenly dart off, circle ariuind and return, 

 pusliiiii;' one of his nei.ulibors off its percdi. 

 Then they both wilL utter a short series of 

 S(|uawks. that is anytliiuK but musical. 



When we first received them they were 

 moultini;, and resembled the half-picked birds 

 seen at the game stalls. Now they are in full 

 plumage. The necks of the males show the 

 golden-pink, which glistens in the snnliglit, 

 and as they balance themselves on the small 

 branches the beauty of their long tails sliows 

 to advantage. I never before realized liow the 

 colors blended. What a pity tliat they liave 

 left this section of the country. Their daily 

 food has been nothing but wheat grain, and 

 water. 



Their cage joins one that contains abmit 

 forty White Pigeons, and it perhaps adds to 

 their ci>ntentment, althougli they pay but little 

 attention to each otlier. 



When we completed the place for the Wliite 

 Pigeons, for want of better accommodation, we 

 dropped in a pair of domestic rabbits. Tliis 



w.as a caulker for tlie birds, although so tame 

 at the time that nearly all would feed from my 

 hand. They could not quite go Coney. Up to 

 the bo.xes the whole Hock went, as the rab- 

 bits would race about in high glee. Forty 

 white heads on outstretched necks would work 

 in the same line like the hub of a wheel. 

 Food and water were neglected, no doubt nincli 

 to the ailvantage of the strangers; but a change 

 gradually worked, and to-day the conditit)n is 

 accepted, and birds and r.abbits are in harmony. 

 A few feet away from this, however, is a little 

 fellow who licks my bands, l>arks to me, and is 

 l)layfid as a kitten (woe to the stranger who is 

 too familiar!), but who has never tempted me by 

 liis longing glances to allow liim to join tlie 

 family. I fear Keynard would not be a success 

 in tliat line. Did some one ask about our pet 

 Harry? Hem! well, that is to say, well, to be 

 honest, he is getting just a little rocky, — in- 

 creases the tail<n''s lull just a little; in fact, the 

 new corporation is seriously thinking of having 

 its charter amended to force each stock-holder 

 to take his turn at entertaining him. 1 don't 

 think bears have much aflection. It is true 

 they hug, but it's a little sarcastic. His value 

 increases as we intend to use him for a watch 

 dog a little later. 



A few days since we were called into the city 

 professionally. We have some queer cases, 

 and this one was a little hanl. Madamoiselle 

 , with her pet alligators, wishes to con- 

 sult with us. We called at street, and 



were shown to a room on tlie third Hoor. 

 There, nii.xed iiromisciumsly with stage attire, 

 finery and bric-a-brac, were alligators from 

 three to six feet in length. The season was 

 over and they had outgrown their usefulness, 

 and of course were referred to Hyde Park. As 

 each pet was " affectionately " parted with I 

 thought I detected a slight tendency to more 

 than maidenly reserve. As we passed to the 

 last, an old six-footer, I noticed tliat he was 

 muzzle<l. "Why so;'" I asked. "He's your 

 pet'?" " I should say he was; look at that 

 linger." And as the plump, round hand was 

 extended, I noticed that the .second finger 

 looked as if it had been trained to do service 

 as a cork-screw; I asked for an explanation, 

 and was informed that after a very successful 

 performance before a crowded lioiise, while 

 bowing and smiling to the audience, as they 

 were pissing in front of lier, she had carelessly 

 dropped her hand. The big 'gator, in an 

 instant, shut his jaws on it, and as he turned 

 liis head drew her out of the chair to the floor, 

 as if she had been a feather, .she fainted, ami 

 it was necessary to use a crow-bar to pry liis 

 mouth open, .'^he turned to a talile and dis- 

 played a flaming placard recording the event, 

 which drew large houses for several days after. 



A publication just out of Boston refers to the 

 tliglit of Snowy Owls, and says tliat usually the 

 boston taxidermists only have two or three 

 stragglers in a season. We assure the writer 

 that, wliile they liave liecn unusually plenty 

 this year, we have never failed to have more 

 offered to us than we liad real use for. If he 

 had said they usually have from a dozen to 

 thirtv he would have been a little nearer. 



