ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 5 



Herald, St. .Tohn".s. Newfoundland, reaches us, 

 fioiu wliicli we clip: 



" JouN C. C.viiooN Killed. — Seventy Feet 

 TO Ills De.\th. — Tkaoic Fate of a Natu- 

 KALIST. — John C. Cahoon, from Taunton. 

 Mass, U. S., was killed on Friday evening- at 

 Curslet while in the act of "jetting a crow's 

 nest from a cliff. Two boys were with him at 

 the time. lie had a sm;dl line tied on at top 

 and went down over the clift'. When he came 

 opposite tlie nest he had great trouble to get 

 into the crevice where it was, as the cliff over 

 it was fearfully overhanging. lie got to the 

 nest and took four eggs from it, which he 

 showed to tlie boys. He then proceeded to 

 climb tlie line, making good headway until he 

 came to where the cliff was overhanging. The 

 weight of his body on the line kept it tight to 

 the cliff, so that lie could not catch tlie line. 

 Here his body was swaying about, there being 

 uotliing to put his feet against. He struggled 

 hard for twenty minutes to mount this spot, 

 but became exhausted. The line was slipping 

 through his hands. He thought to swing liim- 

 sclf into the nest but his strength failed. He 

 grasped for life at the rope, hugged it to his 

 breast and tried to get his legs around it, but 

 strength was gone and down he went, seventy 

 feet into eternity. He struck the clitf below 

 and rolled into the sea. His body was recov- 

 ered and brought to Placentia. His friends 

 have ordered his remains to be sent home." 



How dilfercnt from an extract taken from 

 same paper that we published in the August 

 O. & O. of last year. All of our readers will 

 remember it; but how many were impressed of 

 the true hazard of the feat there related, and 

 how little did we anticipate so sad a secjuel! 



.John C. Cahoon was born at Harwich, M.iss., 

 September 6, 1863, moving with his parents to 

 Taunton in 1870. " As early as we can remem- 

 ber he became interested in birds and animals, 

 guns, pistols, hunting and fishing, always 

 having young birds and animals about the 

 house for pets," write his friends. At the age 

 of littecn he began collecting and mounting 

 birds, about the same time learning the Phar- 

 macist business. For two years he continued 

 it, devoting his spare time and nlijhtu to liis 

 favorite hobby, linally giving up all for natural 

 history. 



In the spring of ISS." he devoted seven months 

 to collecting on the shores of Cape Cod, making 

 East Brewster his headquarters. In November 

 of the same year, with his only brother, C. E. 

 Cahoon, he made a trip to the Gulf Coast of 

 Florida. Arriving there they procured two 



small boats and with them explored many bays 

 and rivers. At that time the locality was not 

 as well known to collectors as to-day. " We 

 would cruise for days and weeks without 

 meeting a human being. Rolled up in our 

 lieavy blankets at night, we frequently would 

 be awakened by the screech of a panther not 

 ten feet away. Once we were caught on the 

 (inlf in a gale of wind in a sixteen-foot boat, 

 and after scudding before it for twelve hours, 

 witli the sea running mountains high, we made 

 a little pass, and made a safe run through the 

 breakers, although it looked doubtful; but it 

 meant go to the bott;om if we remained outside. 

 On several occasions we passed several days 

 without food." A whole volume might be 

 filled witli statements of what tliese two sturdy 

 young naturalists encountered. 



Tlie season of 1884 he was located t)n the 

 island of Muskcgat, and in 18S.5 he selected 

 Jlonomoy Island for his eolh-cting ground, 

 remaining there in the season of 1880. 



In 1887 he went to Mexico in the interests of 

 Mr. William Brewster, of Cambridge. Of tliis 

 trip, we well remember on several occasions 

 the anxiety cau.sed by delays in Ids mail, but 

 just as delay became serious " News from 

 John," and we wcnild once more breathe easy. 

 Of the result, the following tribute from one 

 of America's leaders in ornithological scienc^e 

 tells the story. 



Dear Sik: Your letter reaches me just as I 

 am on the point of leaving Cambridge for an 

 absence of three or four days. Accordingly I 

 can send you only a few hurried lines about 

 Mr. Cahoon, of wliose deatli I Iicnrd witli real 

 pain yesterday. 



In 1887 he spent about six montlis (January 

 to July inclusive) collecting birds for me in 

 Southern Arizona and Soiiora, Mexico. During 

 this trip he obtained- over twelve luuiihed 

 skins, among which were specimens represent- 

 ing several new species or sub-species. He 

 penetrated inl:o a remote and dangerous part of 

 the mountain region of Sonora, where he ran 

 great risks from roving bands of Apache In- 

 dians (who at that time were making one of 

 their periodical raids into MeJcico), and the 

 almost equally treacherous and murderous 

 Mexicans who inhabit the mountain valleys. 

 He displayed great energy, courage and intel- 

 ligence in planning and carrying out this 

 expedition, and his work was done faitlifully 

 and conscientiously in every jiarticular. 



After his return I saw a good deal of Inm 

 from time to time. He impressed me as being 

 much more than a good ccdlector. His powers 



