78 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 5 



saw stuffed) we advise them .to be very particu- 

 lar about ineasiiremeiitu, and we wish tbeiii lots 

 of fun in tlie undertaking. 



The first Virginia Kail of the season came 

 in to us April 18; shot at Jamaica Plain, Mass. 



A set of seven eggs of the St. Domingo 

 Grebe sold for twenty-one dollars in IJurope a 

 few days since. They passed through our 

 hands. How many of our readers have them 

 in large series in tlieir collections? 



One of our western friends writes us that he 

 gets higher prices for his heads in Colorado 

 than he can in the East. Well, why not? 

 They have gold mines there. 



We do not receive as many letters of late 

 from parties who report taking eggs in (juan- 

 tity from rookeries. In fact many of the 

 rookeries in Florida have been broken up. 

 ■ .\mong the kinds that appear to us as becom- 

 ing scarce are those of the White Pelican. 



We think that collectors who take eggs in 

 sets make a great mistake in not collecting 

 nests atsame time. Of course we would not 

 advise a series of such as Ospreys and Eagles, 

 but such as the Verdin, Cactus Wren, Orioles 

 and scores of others are of great interest. 



Ed. (iay, the bear man, came home from 

 Maine last night, and we started for his jilace 

 as soon as we heard of his arrival. We askeil 

 him " What is the news?" and he p.'inted to a 

 corner of the room and, by .Jovel there all 

 curled up were four cubs about the size of 

 rabbits. A little [loking and there was fun for 

 the million. Such a snarling, tumbling and 

 riimpusl It was enougli to make a lellow wil- 

 ling to take the chances of a nip to join the 

 frolic. ISeiug a special occasion we wure a 

 black suit. This seemed to meet with the ap- 

 ])robation of youug Bruin, and we experienced 

 .the novel sensation of having four bears climb 

 up onr legs at one tim<'. They are really very 

 interesting little fellows, and if anyone wants 

 a pair they are just the age to train. They are 

 seven weeks ohl. Mr. Gay has another paii- a 

 little over a year old. They went to xleep l.nnt 

 Noreinher and have just woke up. He says 

 that they are in tine condition, and weigh 

 about 125 pounds each. He has a bear two 

 years old that weighs about 2(l0 pounds; is 

 very gentle. This one has been taught a few 

 tricks. He reports seeing a l)uck in one of the 

 towns at which he called that was very tame: 

 it had the "freedom of the city," and would 

 eat from tlie hands of those who offered it 

 anything. 



I received a fine female Golden Eagle (Aqiiila 

 rhryiiii'tos) on the 23d inst. ; shot on the .Skunk 

 River about twelve miles from here, — l)es 

 Moines, la.. — on the wing, by a couple of men 

 who were duck hunting. Measures T ft. 2 in. 

 in extent; tail, 1.") 1-2 in. Is in line pbimage 

 and very fat. .\s it is a rare bird I thought it 

 would interest your readers. Frank W. 

 Shelilon. 



Have just received a beautiful $ Scarlet 

 Tanager. Killed at Apponaug, K. I.. Satur- 1 

 div, April 4. This breaks our reccud by con- 

 siderable. Southwick iS Critchley. ■ I 



William T. .Hornaday, we hear, has sev- 

 ered his connection with the Sinithsoni.an 

 Institution. We do not understand how that 

 institution can afford to part with the best 

 artist in his line tkat is in this country. Mr. 

 Ilornaday is a gentleman of unusual ability 

 and whatever he undertakes is sure to be a 

 success, so far as his personal efforts can 

 insure It. 



"I hear good words for the.O. & O. from 

 one or two among my friends who take it." 

 J. R. Mann. 



"March O. A. O. just received. I tell you 

 the O. & O. is going ahead and no mistake." 

 Walter Hoxie. 



We have received several letters from old 

 subscribers enclosing subscriptions from new 

 pjarties whom they have induced to fake the 

 O. iV O. In making this effort they show an 

 interest that we appreciate. iMany times a 

 very little effort in that way will secnie a sub- 

 scriber who could not be reached otherwise. 

 The writer well remembers when a party in an 

 off-hand way asked him to subscribe to the 

 O. & O. It was complied with without a 

 second thought, and now instead of one copy 

 he has several hundred, m.inlhly. 



We devoted two lionis trying to write out 

 the song of the Plucbird, the other moiniug, 

 and got stuck on how to spell the first note. 



A whale was taken into a New Jersey p(ut a 

 few days since, said to be sixteen feet long. 

 A Xew Yink taxidermist contra<'ted to sfiilf il 

 for Sil.'iO. We think if he does it in a priijier 

 manner he will find that he earned his money, 

 and will be quite ready to advance rates on 

 the ne.\t one. i 



Our ohl cat is (juite a hand at catching 

 snakes. During the summer he brings in 

 young black and strijied ones. A few days 

 since, bringing home a pbotogrniih of a piiir of 

 Koodoo horns we laid if on ii chair. " Migglcs " 

 was on the window sill and, sighting the 

 |iicture, he sprang upon it. For a miiude 

 there was an astonished cat, and then he quietly 

 withdrew. The i)icture looked like two small 

 snakes, and without doubt was mistaken for 

 them. 



Snowy Owl seen on West Con((U'd St.. Boston, 

 early Wednesday morning, A])ril l.-jth. Was 

 lively and flying from tree to tree. W. D. Grier. 



A free bed has been founded in the railroad 

 hos])it.al at .Vltoona under peculiar circum- 

 stances. Henry D. Minot.* of Boston, was 

 killed in the Pennsylvania Railroad accident at 

 New Florence on February 14, ll^ill. The father 

 of the boy brought suit to recover damages for 

 his son's death. The case was settled for 

 $4000, and Mr. Minot immediately returneil the 

 sum to President Roberts with the request that 

 it be used as a nncteus for a fund to establish 

 the free bed. .Vt a meeting of the railroad 

 Directors President Roberts was requested to 

 inform Mr. Minot of the Board's appreciation 

 of his generous action, and to assure him that 

 his wi.shes should be faithfully carried out. 

 The bed will be designated as the " Henry D. 

 Minot Mennnial Bed." "(iijiped." 



*i Author of "I.niul andlJanie Itinls of New England." 



