May, 1893.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



67 



interesting facts it contains. Only Burns 

 could have crowded more facts into as few 

 words, and even he could not have made it 

 more interesting, as the following brief, ran- 

 dom extracts will illustrate : — 



" A knapsack crammed by friendship's generous 



care, 

 With cakes and cordials, drams and dainty fare." 



And writing of Bucks County, he says, — 



"For wheat, fair Qiiakers, eggs and fruit re- 

 nowned." 



I have five editions of " The Foresters." 

 There are se\'eral more that I have not 

 yet been able to find. Four editions prove 

 that it was appreciated. I think I have seven 

 different " Lives of Alexander Wilson," and 

 have not yet secured the one by Mrs. Bright- 

 wood. In conclusion, let me advise all to 

 read Alexander Wilson ; read all you can get 

 of his writings, and, like the writer, you will 

 thank God that he never studied Greek or 

 Latin. His works will live and his style re- 

 main popular with the millions when techni- 

 cal works will only be sought by technical 

 scholars and shunned by the general reader. 



The cause of all Wilson's troubles was 

 "honesty." The world used him roughly 

 for this, but he was not to blame, for he was 

 born so and could not help it. He died in 

 1813. This planet of ours has given birth 

 to millions of human beings, some of them 

 very learned, but Wilson's equal has not yet 

 made his appearance. Jos. M. Wade. 



P.S. — The above was written some nine 

 years ago. It may interest some of the 

 readers of " O. & O.," and that is the only 

 excuse for not destroying it during those nine 

 years. The writer has given but little atten- 

 tion to bird life or ornithologists. 



A very interesting article has recently 

 appeared in the " Manchester Union," Man- 

 chester, N. H., entitled "The Hawk Family," 

 illustrated by eight cuts of a superior charac- 

 ter. ^Ve would advise our readers to send 

 for a copy. 



Distribution of the Mocking-bird in 

 Illinois. 



J. E. Dickinson. No. 3. 



Has seen one specimen (about 1876 or 

 1877) in full song; but does not think it 

 occurs in a wild state. 



F. A. Gregory. No. 3. 



Has never observed it. 

 W. E. Pratt. No. 6. 



Does not mention it. 



B. T. Gault. No. 8. 



Mocking Bird. 



No record by me for this locality or north- 

 eastern Illinois. 



L. W. NicJwls. No. 10. 



Has never found it in this State. 



A. Hafnfcldt. No. 18. 



Has not met it. 



Dr. A. C. Aliirc/iison. 



A very rare summer resident. 



Have met only 3 specimens. One nest 

 found in a hedge 6 feet from ground, 50 

 yards from house ; composed of strings, 

 weeds, stalks, grass, etc. ; 4 eggs hatched, 

 but were taken by snake. Eight eggs (from 

 Alabama), average .98 x .68 ; largest 1.04 x 

 71; smallest .93X.65. The color is light 

 greenish blue, with dots and blotches of rus- 

 set; in 3 specimens the ground color is hard- 

 ly visible. The only other specimen was a 

 male in full song, shot the middle of May. 



R. M. Barnes. No. 25. 



Occurs as a very rare straggler. 



One observed in May, 1891, a male in full 

 song. 



Virginias Chase. No. 26. 



Has not met it. 



Dr. W. S. Strode. No. 33. 



Has not met it. 

 \V. E. Loiicks. No. 34. 



Has not met it himself. 



D. S. Mcixsell. No. 36. 



Rare summer visitant. 



Nests rarely ; 3 found. 



First. June 3, 1889, in hedge fence 3 feet 

 from ground ; made of small sticks, grass, 



