82 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 2 



On the other hand they seem to feel a fierce 

 delight in the fury of the storm, which, con- 

 vulsing the waves, bi'ings up the dead fishes 

 and mollusks. 



Sailors are very fond of playing off a joke 

 upon the gulls which are always hovering 

 about the ships. They take three or four 

 pieces of sail twine about six leet in lengtli; 

 these are tied together in the middle, and to 

 the end of eacli a small piece of blubber or fat 

 is attached tightly and then thrown into the 

 sea. A gull comes along and swallows one 

 piece; another then sees there is plenty to 

 spare and swallows the next; perhaps a third 

 bird takes possession of another, but as they 

 are all attaclied to the sail yarns, whenever 

 they try to rty away one or the other is com- 

 pelled to disgorge his share, and this is con- 

 tinued to tlie tantalizing suspense of the poor 

 gulls and the great fun of the passengers and 

 sailors. — Ocean. 



5 parts. 

 10 " 



S.5 " 



5 parts. 

 10 " 

 40 " 



50 " 



Anti-Mosqitito Powokh: 

 R Eucalvptol. 

 Talc, ' 



Corn-starch, 

 Mix. 

 This may be rendered more effective by 

 replacing fifty per cent, or more, of the starcii 

 by naphthalin. 



PROTECTIVE Ag.\inst Ixsect Bites: — 

 R Acetic ether, 

 Eucalyptol, 

 Cologne water, 

 Tincture of pvrethrum. 

 Mix. 

 Dilute with from tliree to six parts of water 

 before applying to skin. — W. Drug. 



Flight of Eagles. — A Russian letter says: 

 "A curious and unusual sight has just been 

 witnessed by the inhabitants of Bjelgorod in 

 the Soutli of Russia. A few days ago an 

 enormous riight of Eagles was seen to fiy past 

 the town and settle in nn adjacent forest. 

 The woodmen, who were in the forest at the 

 time, fled in dismay from the place. It is well 

 they did, for wiien these unwelcome visitors 

 had taken tlieir departure, it was found that 

 they had devoured ten horses, several sheep, 

 and a vast number of smaller animals. The 

 ground where tliey alighted was strewn with 

 feathers, and all the birds of the neighborhood 

 liave been so terrified that they have fiown away. 

 ()nly one of tlie Eagles was caught — a bird of 

 immense size, and belonging to a Siberian 

 species. The Eagles, which were several 

 linndreds in number fiew away in a south- 

 westerly direction. Tlie peasants who saw this 

 remarkable sight state tliat there were so manv 

 of them, that for the space of several seconds 

 their wings hid ihe sun from their sight. 



The \Yheat()n collection of tl)e birds of 

 Ohio, made by the late Dr. J. M. Wlieaton of 

 Columbus, O., has been purcha-ed from .Mrs. 

 Wheaton by the Ohio State Universitv. Tlie 

 consideration >vas $1000. This collection in- 

 cludes nearly 1000 bird's skins, mostly taken 

 in O'do, although quite a number of extra 

 limited species are contained in it. They 



have been arranged according to the A. O. U. 

 check list and placed in Harvard, insect-proof 

 display boxes. This collection is an extremely 

 valuable accession to the college, as \\ell as to 

 the state, as any future report of the birds 

 of Ohio must dra.v its information largely 

 from the state report which was compiled by 

 the late Dr. Wheaton and based upon this 

 collection. N. G. Buxton. 



Twenty Screech Owls were received in one 

 lot, Feb. (), from Illinois. 



A number of Bolien)ian Waxwings came 

 early in Februaiy from Dakota. More 

 expected. 



New Publications. 



^'Oiir lilnlK in Their Haunts''^ is not merely 

 a book about birds, but a complete treatise on 

 the birds properly belonging to eastern North 

 America; sufficiently full in resi^ect to their 

 life histories, with environment and habitat, 

 to be consecutively readable; and clear enough 

 in description to answer as a hand-book for 

 identification. 



As it is written from observations which are 

 tlie result of extensive travel, it contains no 

 small amount of information not found in any 

 other work covering the same field, especially 

 in reference to the habitats of the land birds, 

 and the habits of the water birds on the great 

 bodies of fresh water in the interior. 



It makes oology a specialty. Nothing in the 

 science of birds has been more charmingly 

 interesting to the author than the location, 

 the material and stiiu-ture of the nests; and 

 the size, form and color of the eggs. 



Readableness, that is, a philosophical and 

 lucid presentation of the facts of nature, and 

 a poetic coloring of incident in its relations to 

 season and scenery, has been a special study 

 in making the book. In other words, while 

 endeavoring to be true to nature, the pleasure 

 of the reader has been particularly consulted. 



'I'he new edition now about to be issued, 

 will be in the same style as the former, and 

 will retail at :t;2.50; but all orders. — bona fide 

 orders simply — coming in before February 15, 

 18!»2, will get the book at $1.(30, including 

 postage. The work, in 624 pages, is bound in 

 cloth, the paper and typography the very best, 

 tw(mty-five illustrations, and of convenient 

 size — small octavo. All persons not satisfied 

 with the book can return it promptly and get 

 their money back. 



J. ir. Lanr/ille. 



Kensington, Md., or Box C.'i, Smitlist)nian InstitiUion, 

 Washington, D. C. 



