124 



ORMTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 14-No. 8 



er Latluop contimies to act. A ofentleman 

 who lias ineviously held a collecting permit in 

 this state, and also one in a neighboring one, 

 made ai)plication. After going through a 

 peculiar red tape ceremony which included 

 the receiving of a refusal addressed to some 

 other unfortunate, he was informed that a per- 

 mit could not he yranted because he loas not 

 studying ornithology scientifically ! We are 

 personally acquainted with the applicant and 

 consider such a decision as unworthy a state 

 officer. We think it would be better to be 

 honest and have stated that permits were (mly 

 to be granted to a, few special favorites. 



To propose to make it a punishable offence 

 to harbor the English Sparrow is ncmsense. 

 The majority of the people will do as they 

 please about it on their own premises. If 

 deemed advisable, it is all very well to ex- 

 terminate them (if you can), but no interference 

 with the public is wanted. 



The following communication comes to hand 

 just before going to press: 



Ofkick of H. M. Field, 1 

 Brownsville, Tex., .Inly 24, 1889. ) 

 Dear Sir: I deeply re};ret to aiinouiiee the death of 

 my junior partner, Mr. E. C (ircenwood, which oc- 

 curred on July 21, 1889. 



Tlie business whicli has l)een conducted by the lirm 

 will be continued by the .surviving partner, in all re- 

 spects as heretofore. Yours respectfully, 



H. M. Field. 



Emery C. Greenwood has passed away. He 

 was born in Ipswich, Mass., where he early 

 acquired a taste for the study of ornithology. 

 lie was an industrious and persistent collector, 

 and had considerable experience, not only in 

 the north, but also in Florida. As a collector 

 of water birds and waders, his equal is rarely 

 met with, as he had long given these birds 

 careful attention. At the time of his death he 

 was established in Texas as junior member of 

 the firm of Field & Greenwood, dealers in 

 specimens of Natural History. 



Brief Notes. 



It is a much debated question whether a moose, 

 wliile in the act of listening, pricks up his ears like a 

 horse, or throws them forward like a cow? Answers 

 are requested. 



Andrew Downs still has the Purple (Jallinule that 

 was taken at Halifax, Nova Scotia, April, 1889. He 

 keeps it in his aviary with his other birds. It is healthy 

 and feeds on bread and milk. Harry Piers. 



A Rattlesnake over three feet long and indulging in 

 eight rattles, died from heart failure at the Blue Hills, 



near Hyde I'ark, Mass., July '2(>. They are by no means 

 common, just enough of them to keep up a reputation. 



H. R. Taylor calls our attention to the fact that 289c 

 will not do for the proposed California Bob-white, that 

 being the number of the Cuban. Well, let's have it 289z, 

 and that will give all the other states an "intermedi- 

 ate " chance. 



Shot a Black-crowned Night Heron on July 4th, at 

 Cold Harbor, Halifax. It was in full plumage. H. 

 Austen. 



Clark P. .Streator was at Ashcroft, Briti.sh Columbia, 

 July 15. From his report he has been quite successful. 



Several of our old subscribers are anxious to obtain 

 the early volumes of the O. & O., 1 to 6. If any of our 

 readers have any to dispose of, or even odd numbers, 

 we would like to have a list of such. 



Oreat Blue Herons can be seen every morning wing- 

 ing their way to the Bay shores, from the (ireat Rook- 

 ery of Day Creek Canyon. A famous sight as I ever 

 looked upon through the camera is one grand old 

 sycamore of snowy whiteness, in which are twenty-two 

 nests. Squibs, Cal., April 9. 



Frank S. Daggett writes that there is a large colony 

 of American Herring Gulls at Isle Royal, Lake Sujierior. 

 A few more are reisorted at Apostle Island, also at Red 

 Rock, on the north shore. It was his intention of visit- 

 ing those places in June. 



Durii.g the first week in June, W. H. Lucas, at West 

 Stratford, Conn., found the nest and four eggs of the 

 Blue-winged Warbler; leaving it for two tlays to see if 

 the set was complete, all the eggs but one had disap- 

 peared. The egg measured .09 X .48. White, with large 

 brown and lilac spots. 



For many years, in Massachusetts, there has been 

 shown a commendable desire to ])rotect our birds. 

 This has been done largely with the idea that they were 

 beneficial to the husbandman, but more largely, it 

 apjiears to me, from a purely sentimental point of 

 view, as it is to-day a mooted point among ornitholo- 

 gists as to whether certain birds, now protected by 

 law, are really beneficial after all. For exaini)le, is the 

 connnon robin entitled to the absolute protection that 

 the law alfords it? Would it not be better to treat it as 

 a game bird with a close season a part of the year? In 

 my mind the whole matter requires investigation by 

 experts, for the instruction of the legislature. — [Con- 

 tributions to Science. 



[If the truth was known it would be found that there 

 are a mighty few sjjortsmen in this state that cannot 

 discuss understandingly " How Robins Taste."— Ed.] 



At latest accounts (July 26), Mr. J. C. Cahoon, who is 

 collecting in Newfoundland, had accomplished the 

 hitherto unknown feat of climbing Bird Rock, at Cape 

 St. Mary's, a perpendicular cliff of .300 feet, and 

 probably sat upon the edge, dangling his feet 

 and complacently grinning at the discomfited Chat- 

 hamers. 



Clippings. 

 A Capture. — The undersigned, in his weekly drive 

 to Brackley Point, was recently informed by Mr. Wil- 

 liam McCallum, postmaster of that settlement, that a 

 large eagle had been seen hovering around his neigh- 

 borhood almost daily. Mr. McCallum had lost a sheep, 

 the carrion had been taken to a back field, and to it the 



