ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 1 



Should the chick be strong and lusty more 

 difficulty is experienced in its removal. If 

 the egg be large as a Hawk's, for instance, 

 carefully cut the embryo with the scissors and 

 extract with the aid of a hook as much of con- 

 tents as you can with safety, then fill it up 

 with the potash solution, by using the glass 

 blow-pipe, squeeze the nipple, put the end of 

 the pipe in the solution and let go, when you 

 will find your pipe nearly full. It tastes better 

 this way than in your mouth. Set the egg one 

 side for a few hours when the contents will be 

 found partially or wholly dissolved and can be 

 removed with the blow-pipe. In the case of a 

 small egg a few moments is all that is neces- 

 sary to dissolve tlie contents. 



A friend of mine in Texas said that he re- 

 moved troublesome chicks by placing the egg 

 in an ant hill, though I have never tried it and 

 cannot tell from experience how it would work. 

 In tlieory it is right, providing the ants are 

 hungry, and I do not know that they are ever 

 otherwise. 



If the above directions are the means of 

 saving one set of rare eggs I shall feel amply 

 repaid. 



Charles E. Ilor/le. 



West Millbury, Mass. 



[So far as regards the use of shot in small 

 eggs, I consider Mr. Hoyle's directions very 

 dangerous, — J. P. N.] 



A Sunny Day in Winter. 



It has been snowing for the last few days, 

 and the ground is covered, to the depth of a 

 foot or more, with the beautiful. But at last 

 the Sim has come out to brighten the scene, 

 and a beautiful sight it is. Pines and hem- 

 locks bowed down with their heavy load of 

 snow, that glistens in tlie sunlight like a mass 

 of jewels. All natuie seems to be astir, and 

 as we pass out of the house for a stroll through 

 the woods and fields we are met by a small 

 company of Tree Sparrows, who are out in 

 search of crumbs, while in the appletrees 

 close by may be seen the Black-capped Chick- 

 adee and the White-bellied jSTuthatch in search 

 of insects, and on yonder tree a Downy Wood- 

 pecker is hard at work hammering away after 

 some favorite morsel. We pass througli the 

 orchard, and as we enter the adjoining field 

 we notice quite a commotion among a fiock of 

 Snowbirds and, looking about for the cause, 

 notice a Great Northern Shrike who is out 

 after his dinner, and wlio, failing to secure a 



Junco, is now in pursuit of a flock of Redpoll 

 Linnets. As we pass into the woods we are 

 accosted by a company of Jays, which in their 

 flight foi- safety startle a Barred Owl from his 

 slumbers, and set the Crows to cawing, and 

 awaken the entire woods by their weird cry of 

 "Thief! thief!" The Red Squirrel and the 

 Chipmunk, thus startled, join their voices in 

 the concert, and as we pass along we, in turn, 

 are startled by the rush and whir of a Rulfed 

 Grouse, as lie leaves for parts unknown. As 

 we watch him disappear over the top of yon 

 hemlock, our attention is called to something 

 moving about among the branches in the top 

 of the tree, and, upon closer observation, 

 prove to be a party of Crossbills and Grosbeak 

 enjoying a feast of cones in the sunshine. 

 Passing from, the woods to the road leading 

 back to the house, we startled a Goshawk 

 from his dinner, and, upon going to the spot 

 from whence he took his departure, we dis- 

 cover bits of hair, etc., which tell us he has 

 been dining upon a good fat rabbit. Passing 

 thence along the road we start a flock of 

 Bunting and Horned Larks, the first that we 

 have seen this winter. And as we again enter 

 the yard we are met by a company of the 

 omnijiresent Passer domesticus, who. having 

 driven the Tree Sparrows away, are fiiiisliii;g 

 up the crumbs. As we enter and settle down 

 in the easy cliaii, to think over all we have 

 seen and heard, we all agree that you would 

 have to go a long way to find a pleasanter 

 place to spend an hour or two than in the 

 woods on a sunny day in winter. 



8. l{. Ini/ersoll. 



A Day's Trip to Ipswich Beach. 



We had talked of a trip to Ipswich Beach* 

 for Thanksgiving Day, 1891, for the purpose 

 of adding, if possible, some specimens to ouy 

 collection; also to have a try at the Ducks. 

 Our party consisted of two, my cousin Frank 

 and myself. Tuesday evening was a busy one 

 with us. Decoys were brought out and dusted 

 off (for we had not used them before this 

 season), guns oiled up, shells loaded, etc;. 

 My business being in Boston, and we being 

 quite busy, I was obliged to go up in the 

 morning. At 1'2 o'clock I started for the 

 depot, taking the 12.:!0 train for Ipswich, 

 where I had sent my stuff in the morning. 

 As the train pulled up at Beverly, Frank got on 

 loaded down with guns and other equipments. 



