ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 1 



in getting two more specimens of Shore Larks, brie suggestions as to the advantage and use 



and could have got more but I liad enough. 

 I was just going back wlien I heard Frank 

 fire twice. I ran over and found that a pair 

 of Whistlers had come in to tlie decoys and 

 lie had succeeded in stopping one and wounded 

 the other, but ISTo. 2 got to feeling better and 

 started oft' before we could get to him. I then 

 took my turn at the blind and three birds 

 came sailing along out of the river. As they 

 sailed over the decoys I fired, killing one and 

 I had a bead on another, but the shell missed 

 fire. Xow if there is anything I like (?) it is 

 to have a sliell miss fire. So after easing mj^ 

 mind up a little I started out after the bird 

 that I had shot and found it to be a 9 Shel- 

 drake. 



We had just got in the stand again when a 

 pair of Whistlers came by going with the 

 wind. Frank fired and thought it was fuuny 

 he did not get them as he aimed as much as 

 six feet ahead. But I don't think that twelve 

 feet would have been any too much at the 

 rate they were going. 



We were obliged to come home on the 11 

 o'clock train from Ipswich so at about quarter 

 of ten we jjulled in our decoys and started to 

 row back to the cottage against the tide. 

 When we arrived there we found the team in 

 waiting, and the fellow kindly told us that we 

 would "have to hustle" if we wanted to 

 catch the train. We climbed in and got our 

 traps in and arrived at the depot just in 

 time to get aboard the train. , If we had been 

 a minute later we should have lost it. 



We arrived home all right and I for my part 

 never had a better time, although I have got 

 more game, and I think Frank was of the 

 same opinion. And after all taking into con- 

 sideration the time we had and the scarcity of 

 game in this section, the pleasant weather 

 and everything, I don't think we ought to 

 kick on the amount of game we got. Any- 

 way we made up our minds that if possible 

 we should make a like trip Christmas, which 

 we will give an account of in the O. & O. 

 if we have any luck, and this piece does not 

 find its way into the editor's waste basket. 



C. E. Brown. 

 Heverly, Mass. 



Ornithology and Meteorology. 



The correlation of ornithology and meteor- 

 ology has been somewhat underestimated, and 

 it is my purpose in this paper to give a few 



of keeping weather data. 



If a careful student or field w orker keeps a 

 series of temperature observations from day 

 to day, lie will learn: Firstly, that there are 

 what might be termed temperature periods, 

 or groups of days, during which the mean 

 temperature of each is relatively alike, and 

 much unlike the common temperature of either 

 the following or preceding group. Secondly, 

 he will learn that groups of high and low tem- 

 perature are very apt to alternate, a familiar 

 example being that of cold and warm waves, 

 common over most of the United States. 



Besides these temperature notes, he may 

 keep a daily or tri-daily record of the direction 

 and force or velocity of the wind. Comparison 

 will show the necessity of the same periodical 

 division which was applied to temperature, 

 viz., the secpience of winds from the several 

 cardinal points, and the alternation of windy 

 and calm periods. 



The appearance of the sky is, also, of con- 

 siderable importance. Irrespective of bird 

 lore, the observer will find a correlation of fair 

 and of stormy weather and certain winds. 



Now the reader may ask, "Of what good is 

 all this to the oruithoUigist ?"' In reply, I 

 vv'ould say, for any one, be he interested in 

 birds or otherwise, it sharpens the observatory 

 powers, and encourages inferential deduction ; 

 two valuable traits in any walk of life. 



For the bird man it does much more. For 

 instance, we will suppose that he has kept an 

 approximately correct record of the numbers 

 of the various species which he m.iy have 

 observed during his walks afield. By review- 

 ing his data he will find a tendency towards the 

 formation of alternate periods of plentifulness 

 or scarcitj', just as in his meteorological dita, 

 like and unlike conditions were grouped in 

 periods of successive days. 



It then follows in his mind to compare the 

 two kinds of data in order to detect, if pos- 

 sible, the coincidence of certain kinds of 

 weather, and certain conditions of plentiful- 

 ness among the birds. If his data has been 

 compiled in spring-time, high temperature, 

 southerly winds, and cloudy or stormy 

 weather, will be apt to coincide with periods 

 of more than ordinary abundance of birds, 

 while cold, northerly, and fair weather accom- 

 pany scarcity. 



As the season passes the marked ness of 

 these coincidences decrease until, at mid- 

 summer, it is hardly apparent. As autumn 

 comes on, the fluctuation in numbers increases 



