14 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 14-No. 1 



Brief Notes. 



A set of two eggs of the Canada (ioose was taken 

 about the last of April at Lexington, Mass. The geese 

 were noticed flying every morning at break of day, reg- 

 ularly, to a certain locality, which attracted attention. 

 Upon investigation the goose was discovered on a nest, 

 which was a hollow, at the foot of a large pine, about 

 four feet from the water, and about live rods from an 

 ice-house, on the land of Henry Sinionds. The finder 

 placed the eggs under a hen, but they failed to hatch. 

 The geese disappeared after the nest was disturbed. 



C. G. Soniers reports a "White Owl at North Wey- 

 mouth, Mass., about December 15. 



" The Killdeers are fljing around yet, but not quite 

 so plentiful as they were after the hard storm. You 

 could see them most anywhere. I have not seen any 

 before since I was a boy (about 35 years) ; then they used 

 to be here all summer, and were found in pairs. They 

 nested in the old mossy field."— U. S. YoiXG, Chatham, 

 Mass., December 17, 18H8. 



A Killdeer Plover shot December 25, on Charles River, 

 just out of Boston, by W. P. Coues. 



Harry Austen shot a Night Heron in young plumage ; 

 also received a Florida (iallinule that some boys killed 

 with stones, both at Halifax, N. S., about November 18. 

 He also received from a friend in Kentville, an A]l)ino 

 Woodcock. No use, Canada must be annexed. 



A $ Mallard was shot at Chatham. Mass., December 

 14, by Rufus F. Nickerson. 



A correspondent asks : " AVhere do the Gulls roost at 

 night, that come uj) the Delaware River?" 



Captain N. E. Gould, whose notes are occasionally 

 seen in the O. & O., it may be interesting to tmr readers 

 to know, has charge of the Life .Saving station at 

 Chatham. This we believe to be one of the most dan- 

 gerous localities on the coast. After any severe storm 

 we are sure to see accounts of vessels in distress, under 

 Chatham locals. Capt. Tuttle, of Monomoy Island sta- 

 tion, is in the same locality. We have kind remem- 

 brances of his acts of courtesy extended to us during 

 our visit to the island last seastm. 



Should any of our readers ever have the misfortune 

 to be shipwrecked, our best wishes would be that they 

 would fall into the hands of such men. 



We may be permitted to suggest that a Western pub- 

 lisher of a "Petite Journal" appears a trifle fresh when 

 he denounces other publishers because they run their 

 own affairs. 



We notice that others, besides our correspondents, are 

 not quite satisfied with Mr. Ballard's patronizing ])uffs. 



Recently, in the afternoon of one of our pleasant early 

 December days, a garrulous Bluejay flew into a house 

 through an open door, undoubtedly tempted to the un- 

 heard of proceeding by the sight of a mounted Short- 

 eared Owl on a stand in the centre of the ro(jm. The 

 jay made a great outcry, quickly receiving answering 

 screams from his mates outside. He flew at the owl, 

 but was wary about getting too close. The apjiearance 

 of a person in the room caused a hasty exit of the 

 highly excited bird, or it would be hard to tell what the 

 result would have been. Kalamazoo, Mich. 



We understand that Mr. George 6. Cantwell of Min- 

 neapolis, Minn., is desirous of obtaining a list of all 

 Minnesota ornithologists for the purpose of preparing 

 a list of birds of that state. We recommend him to the 

 tender mercies of our subscribers. 



What is it? At Washington, recently, John Hezelton 

 found a partridge nearly eaten, which had been caught 

 in a trap. He reset the trap and returning in a short tinie 

 found a large bird of the hawk species caught by the toes. 

 The bird was dilferent from anything he hail ever seen. 

 It had red eyes and a plumage of various color,-, red, 

 blue, green, etc., and is quite a curiosity of the feathered 

 tribe.— [Manchester (N. H.) Uni<m, December 22. 



An exchange calls upon us to give them a little light 

 upon the "Mugwump," which certain Massachusetts 

 politicians, during the last campaign, have styled an 

 "Eastern Bird." We should describe it as a bird that 

 lays addled eggs. 



We have seen many specimens of what is known as 

 Mexican featherwork, but never any that ajipeared so 

 artistic to our ornitliological eye as one that we re- 

 ceived from Cierman (J. I'edrozo. It represents a hum- 

 ming-bird, life size, hovering over a cactus in full 

 bloom. It is made by arranging the feathers one by one. 

 Mr. Pedrozo is at present located at Worcester, Mass. 



New Publications. 



M(njn(tr(V s Nests (ind Ei/i/s of Nnrlfi Aiiicri- 

 can Birds. In this work, of vvliicli we liave re- 

 ceived tlie advance, sheets, full descriptions of 

 the egfjs of North American birds are piven, 

 tof^ether with the breeding range, time of 

 nesting, number of eggs deposited, and de- 

 scription of nests. The arrangement is that 

 of the check-list of the A. O. IT. and the nom- 

 enclature is the same as far as is there given, 

 but as all species recently described are given, 

 either in the body of the work, or in an ap- 

 pendix, the present work contains more species 

 than any hitherto published. 



The work is peculiar, inasmuch as the de- 

 scriptions given are comparative, the com- 

 parisons being made either with some well 

 known species or with a figured type, of which 

 there are about eighty (>ccui)ying ten plates, 

 carefully drawn on stone by the author and 

 colored by hand. 



Mr. Maynard's well known experience in 

 oology, extending over a period of thirty years, 

 during which time he has not only collected 

 largely, but in his former capacity as a dealer 

 has had many thousands of specimens pass 

 through his bauds, is a guarantee io\ the ac- 

 curacy of the work. 



The work is advertised to appear in eight 

 parts, one or two plates to accompany each 

 part, three parts now being ready and the 

 entire work to be completed by the first of 

 May, 1889. 



Names and Portraits of Binls, by Gurdon 

 Trumbull, a recent publication of IIari)er tt 

 Brothers, is a work that is especially intended to 

 benefit the local gunner and enable s])ortsmen 

 from different sections to understandingly dis- 

 cuss the merits of their favorite groxmds. 



