9(3 



ORl^ITHOLOGIST 



[Yol. 14-No. G 



it is a goner. At night a party gathers regularly on our 

 lawn and howls in derision at the songbird protection 

 laws. There are no flies on Tabby. 



We have seen some very fine drawings of birds, the 

 handiwork of A. H. Verrill, New Haven, Conn. Mr. 

 Verrill is engaged in making them, to be used in illus- 

 trating ornithology in the forthcoming edition of 

 Webster's Dictionary. It will be a valuable addition 

 to that work. Mr. Verrill displays an unusual amount 

 of talent and should carefully cultivate it. 



The O. & O., semi-annual. From the advance sheets 

 that we have just received of the July number it is evi- 

 dent that its proprietor is determined to do his best to 

 make it a success. 



Under date of May 10th, a letter from William Smith, 

 Santarem, states that he has been very ill. 



On May 19th, during a severe storm with southwest- 

 erly gales, Decatur Morgan, of New Haven, Conn., 

 captured a O Chucks-will's Widow, that had taken 

 refuge in a carpenter's shop. It lived a few days, and 

 was presented to the Peabody Museum of Yale College. 

 A. H. Verrill. 



Important ! 

 The Department of the Interior, Census oitice, Wash- 

 ington, D.C., has issued a call, asking that all members 

 of the various medical professions assist in furnish- 

 ing statistics. We regret that our limited si)ace i)re- 

 vents us printing the notice in full, but we earnestly 

 request that all who are able to assist, ajiply for phys- 

 icians' registers, now ready. It is a work that the whole 

 countrv is interested in. 



The Audubon Ornithological Club. 



The Audubon Ornithological Club was 

 formed for the pui'pose of progressing the 

 study of ornithology in the Mississippi Valley_ 



Semi-monthly meetings are held and original 

 papers are read. (Notes and copies of the 

 more interesting ones will be sent to O. & O. 

 We respectfully solicit correspondence from 

 all interested in the subject. The following 

 are the officers: President, J. M. Howard; 

 secretary, A. M. Cox; curator, Albert Ilager; 

 librarian, C. A. Jones. Any information can 

 be obtained from the secretary. 



-/. M. Iloivard. 

 284 .Marshfleld Ave., Chicago, 111. 



New Publications. 



The Preservative Method of Taxidermy. E. 

 B. Webster, Cresco, Iowa. A treatise on the 

 embalming process with full directions. 



Illustrated Catalo(/ue of Lathes and Various 

 MacJiinists^ Tools. Brown & Sharpe, Manu- 

 facturing Co., Providence, R. I. They are 

 well known as manufacturers of the finest line 

 of goods. 



Notes on the Birds of the Magdalen Islands, 

 by Dr. Louis B. Bishop, reprint from The Auk, 

 Vol. VI, No. 2. This is a list compiled from 

 notes taken by the writer and Mr. llobbins, 

 summer of 1887. 



Teachers' Outlook. May, Vol. I, No. 1. A 

 magazine devoted to general literature, science, 

 health, industrial and national attairs. Edited 

 by W. G. Todd. Published by Teachers' Pub- 

 lishing Co., Des Moines, Iowa. 



Correspondence. 



Editor O. & O.: 



While blowing a set of eggs of the Black- 

 billed Cuckoo, to-day, that were partially in- 

 cubated, I noticed the albumen or "white" 

 part of the eggs was of a grass green color, 

 and if my memory serves me rightly a set I 

 obtained and blew last year was the same. 



I would like to ask the readers of the O. & O. 

 if they have ever noticed a similar thing and 

 if they who are posted can inform me if the 

 contents of the Black-billed Cuckoo's egg is 

 always gra.ss green, whether incubated or not, 

 and can the eggs of this species always be dis- 

 tinguished by this character even though the 

 jjarent bird might not have been seen, and the 

 outwardly appearance of the eggs looks any- 

 thing but normal? For if such is the case 

 then this point should be generally known, 

 for it becomes a most important factor, at 

 least in the identification of the Black-billed 

 Cuckoo's eggs. Shelley W. Denton. 



Wellesley, Mass., June 4, 1889. 



Editor O. & 0.: 



I have a geography published in 1804. 

 Under the head of "New England" I find the 

 following: "What birds are found in New 

 England?" "A variety of hawks, crows, owls 

 of several kinds, eagles, pigeons, partridges, 

 turkeys, heath-hens, woodcocks, quails, wild 

 geese, brant, different kinds of wild ducks, 

 cranes, lapwings, martins, three kinds of 

 swallows, robins, blackbirds, bluebirds, wood- 

 peckers, snipes, mourning doves, and many 

 more kinds which fill the woods and orchards 

 with music; particularly the mocking-bird, 

 thrush, cat-bird, and the bob-of-lincoln." 



By the way, when are we going to have that 

 series of papers in the O. <fe O. on "The Bot- 

 any of Birds' Nests" ? Two and a half years 

 ago it was promised. Respectfully, 



D. D. Stone. 

 Oswego, N. Y. 



