January, 1892.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



11 



blance to an ordinary jjigeon. This resemblance 

 is in no way deceptive, for it is a pigeon wliich 

 lias acquired a certain amount of fame, or 

 rather notoriety, on account of its near rela- 

 tionship to the Dodo. This kinship has not, 

 however, been admitted by recent authorities, 

 and so tlie name Didunculus has been got by 

 false pretences, although tlie alliance claimed 

 for the bird is by no means a noble one. But 

 this little pigeon is interesting for tlie ingen- 

 ious way in which it has defeated the machina- 

 tions of that enemy of the bird tribe, the cat. 

 Didunculus lives in Samoa, where there were 

 originally, of course, no cats. These were 

 introduced, and made short work with the 

 Manumea, as the natives call the bird, killing 

 not only the adult, but the chicks in the nest. 

 Owiug to its habit of nesting upon the ground 

 the bird nearly became extinct; suddenly, ho>v- 

 ever, it took to building its nest upon the tree 

 tops, where it could bring up its young ones 

 in peace, and since that time the bird has 

 asain become fairly plentiful. — London Daily 

 News. 



Mr. K. H. White, Jr., of Boston, has brought 

 in foi' our inspection a new book of record for 

 birds' skins and eggs, made for his own use. 

 The first includes all the points of measure- 

 ment: on one column at left of the page (ten 

 items); a column at other side for other 

 items of usual interest, and space for remarks 

 in centre of page, the whole bound in a book 



The egg record is equally complete. 



Mr, 



White is taking great interest in ornithology 

 at present, and bids fair to become one of the 

 shining lights in the science, if he continues 

 as he has begun. 



A Curious CANAiiv. — A childless couple 

 up town expend most of their sympathies on 

 a canary bird which is a crank on the feather 

 question. The little fellow, who is seven 

 years old, has always had ;ui aversion to his 

 natural dress, and has industriously pulled 

 out every feather he could reach. The result 

 is that he has novv a smooth, shiny skin which 

 looks like polished parchment, two or three 

 lonely tail feathers, and a trifle of plumage on 

 his head and neck. In summer he is all riglit, 

 but the cold of winter bothers him. As soon 

 iXH frost comes he is clad in a warm flannel 

 jacket, which lie admires immensely. At 

 night he lies down on a bed of cotton batting, 

 submits quietly to be covered up. and sleeps 

 there contentedly till morning. If the cold 

 bc'-omes too severe, he calls out until he is 

 taken out of the cage and put in bed with liis 

 mistress, to whom he cuddles up eagerly for 

 warmth. — New York Sun. 



One of our contemporaries, in the .lanuary 

 issue, presents a beautifully colored plate of 

 what we should call the Audubon's Warbler. 

 Owing to some peculiar phase of plumage it 

 flits under other colors. 



How Sf.rpents Move. — King Solomon ac- 

 knowledged that there were "three things 

 which are too wonderful for me — yea, four 

 which I know not," and one of tliese was 

 "tlie way of a serpent upon a rock." For 



hundreds of years after the time of Solomon 

 the snake's mode of progression remained 

 a mystery. Latter day men of science have 

 learned that his snakeship's ribs furnish him 

 with a means of progression. So, instead of 

 having a pair or two pairs of "feet," they 

 really have from one hundred and fifty to two 

 hundred pairs. Aristotle thought that ser- 

 pents had as many ribs as there are days in a 

 month, but had he examined a python he 

 would have readily detected his mistake, that 

 species having four hundred. Snakes move in 

 this way: Each vertebra suj^ports a pair of 

 ribs, which act like a pair of legs, the extrem- 

 ities being connected by a broad plate. The 

 hind part of this plate is free, and when the 

 ribs are moved forward that end is raised, so 

 that it takes hold of the surface underneath, 

 even tliough it be glass, the straightening of 

 the reptile proi)elling it forward. — Dover 

 (N. H.) Star. 



Ornithologists tell us that when feeding, the 

 stride of the ostrich is from 20 to 22 inches; 

 when walking but not feeding, 26 inches, and 

 when terrified llj^ to 14 feet, or at the rate of 

 about 25 miles an hour. — Clipping. 



But very few Snowy Owls have been reported 

 in New England this winter. The usual num- 

 ber of Barred Owls are also wanting. The 

 unusual mildness of the season we think 

 unquestionably accounts for it. 



Wood Worms Can't Stand Benzine. — 

 Wf)od worms can be destroyed in books and 

 woodwork by benzine. Books are locked up 

 in a cupboard with a saucer of benzine. The 

 insects, as well as their larvas and eggs, soon 

 die off. Furniture and carvings are similarly 

 placed in a room with a dish of benzine and 

 kept closed up for several weeks, the time 

 required for the complete destruction of the 

 insects varying according to the thickness of 

 the wood. New wood-work can be protected 

 against their entry by a coating of glue, as, 

 living on veaetable substances, tliey do not 

 toucli animal products. — New York Journal. 



Dr. Sheldon Jackson is trying to stock 

 Alaska with Siberian Reindeer. It's a pity he 

 couldn't import some of the exiles at tlie same 

 time. — Post. 



No Celebration. — Uncle Rastus: "I'se 

 afeard I ain't goin' ter hab no turkey fer mail 

 Thanksgivin' dis year." 



Hooks: " Why not Uncle Rastus? Are the 

 prices too high for you?" 



Uncle Rastus: "No, sah; but de fences is." 

 — Life. 



We read recently of a fox being caufjlit and 

 held by a barbed wire fence until some hunters 

 came up and captured the animal. His bushy 

 tail had in some way become entangled in 

 barbs and it was more certain in its giip than 

 a steel trap. Last Friday while Will M. Small 

 was out hunting he noticed something peculiar 

 fluttering from the top rail of a barbed wire 

 fence between the Highlands and North Truro. 

 On going up to investigate he discovered a 

 large owl of the "Long-eared" species, se- 



