80 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16^No. 5 



ask you if crows ever do develop polygamy, 

 or do you think that this is a case of abnor- 

 mal development of the ovaries of a single 

 crow ? One more question please. I took a set 

 of Red-tailed Hawk's eggs April l-Tth from a 

 nest that young were reared in last season; how 

 long before they are likely to breed again, and 

 will tliey probably breed near former nest? 



./. 11. Mail It. 

 Arlington Heights, Mass. 



EiJitor of O. it. O.: 



Enclosed find one dollar for subscription one 

 year for the OitNiTiioi.ofiisr and Oolooist. 

 If you can send me back numbers would pre- 

 fer subscription to commence with the first of 

 this year. If you answer queries kindly let 

 me know in next " O. & O." if stuffed bird.s 

 (i.ttrar.t or draw moths more than woollens or 

 other ordinary things subject to the ravages 

 of those insects'? A lady declares she "would 

 not have stuffed birds in her liouse because 

 they draw mollis," is tlic reason I desire to be 

 informed on the subject. The porcupine skin 

 you ])reserved for me in the summer worked 

 up nicely. /. E. T. 



Eastnn, Md. 



This is by no means the first time that we 

 have had this question asked and on account 

 of a similar assertion. Birds properly cured 

 by arsenical preparaticuis do not attract 

 moths. The arsenic, alum, etc., which is 

 used permeates the .skin and ipiills, and 

 render them a very unp.alatable dish for ver- 

 min. It is true a motli will occasif>nally cut 

 into them and drop a feather or so, but when 

 the skin is reached it ends. Wliile this does 

 not ruin the bird it is a reason for collectors to 

 exert a moderate care. If bird.s are not 

 cured by arsenic then they enter the list of 

 articles that are extremely liable to be de- 

 stroyed. Furs and woollen fabrics seem to be 

 the chief object of attack by what are com 

 monly known as moths. (Here we might 

 mention that some pests that attack birds do 

 so only when they are frc^h, and then confine 

 their depredation to portions where a small 

 amount of fiesh is left to dry in tlu' feet, 

 shoulders and base of mandible, and which 

 do not attack fabrics.) The anxiety of the 

 good housewife makes the bird men smile, 

 and when the moths once get settled into her 

 plush furniture her frantic and fruitless efforts 

 to dislodge them is pitiable. Now for anyone 

 to assert that they would not have a stuffed 



bird in their house on account of their 

 attracting moths, shows a prejudice that is 

 not warranted by facts. — Editok. 



New Publications. 



" y/(C Birdti of Greenland'" by Andreas T. 

 Hagerup, edited by Montague Chamberlain, 

 publislied by Little, Brown A Co., Boston, we 

 find to be a very interesting catalogue of tlie 

 avia fauna of that bleak, barren nortlihmd, 

 and to disabuse preconceived opinions that it 

 i.s largely made up of European varieties. 

 The catalogue shows that more are from the 

 .\nierican than European fauna, and that 

 about one-half of the entire list are merely 

 cliance visitors. Of 139 named 53 are chance 

 stragglers, and 24 more are so rare that they 

 migjit as well be classed as such, leaving but 

 ()1 that can be classed as regular inhabitants, 

 and of these, as might be supposed, one-half 

 at least are sea fowl. A strange fact to us is 

 the information that the Mallard (Ana.i 

 hfiftcax) "is common the wliole year round 

 but mo.si! nH»((*ro».'* in winter," jiarticularly as 

 in tlie introductory description of Ivigtut 

 (Lat. 01° 10', Lcmg 48° 10') it is stated that the 

 mean annual temperature is about O. Cent., and 

 the whole country is covered with snow and 

 the inner half of the sjord is frozen up from 

 November to M.ay. 



Tlie publication will be of gicnt interest to 

 ornithological students as Mr. Hagerup is a 

 Danish mining engineer who spent two and 

 one-half years in Southern GreenlaiHl. His 

 notes on the habits of little-known liirds 

 — several of tlie Sea Fowl, Gyrfalcon, Ptaimi- 

 g,an, IJedpoll. Snow Bunting, Wlicatear, etc. — 

 are interesting and many of tliiin are vain- 

 able. Some of liis opinions upcui <lisputed 

 points differ from those of the chief "authori- 

 ties," and some of his facts differ from those 

 stated by other ob.servers. These are stated 

 tersely, and arc supported by direct evidence 

 drawn from his own note-book. His oppor- 

 tunities have been gieater tlian tliose of any 

 otlier observer who has written on the birds 

 of Greenland. 



Wlien we mention the fact that it is pub- 

 lished by Little, Brown & Co. it will be all 

 that is necessary to commend it from a typo- 

 graphical point of view' to our readers, as the 

 excellence of the make-up of that firm's pub- 

 lications are so well known as to render any 

 comments unnecessary. Tlie jirice is fixed at 

 one dollar, postpaid. 



