48 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 3 



The set of Yellow Palm Warblers' eggs 

 taken by Harry Austen, and reported in the 

 O. & O. last summer, are now in the collection 

 of J. Parker Norris. 



The eggs of the White Pelican and the St. 

 Domingo Grebe are fluctuating in value just 

 now. 



Fur of the Skuxk. — The skunk has the 

 heaviest fur of any animal in the country, and 

 is consequently valuable and saleable, althougli 

 when dressed it is very small. About 80 per 

 cent of all the skins taken in the United 

 States go to Europe. C. M. Lampson has a 

 great sale in London three times a year. At 

 tliis sale there were disposed of, among other 

 skins, 175,000 coon, 700,000 muskrat, 10r),000 

 skunk, 85,000 opossum. 55,000 minU, and 7,000 

 gray fox, all of which were shipped from the 

 United States. 



THE POOU BLACK CHTCKKX. 

 Out of the baru one morning: 



Old Wliitey came strutting clown 

 No common,' inferior hen was she, 



But a Dorking- of great renown. 



And after her came ten chicken.s, 



Running with all their might; 

 Nine had their mother's complexion fair, 



But one was as black as night. 



Old Whitey looked over her shoulder 



And clucked to each little pet; 

 But suddenly, angrily, stretche(l her neck 



And flew at the small lirunette. 



All day she pecked at the chicken 



Whenever she saw it near, 

 And Dinah, the cook, at the kitchen door. 



Heard its pitiful iieeps of fear. 



" I'm bressed if that stuck-up Dorkin' 



Don't hate yer fer beln' black ! 

 But one cullud pusson can feel for another — 



We'll pay your old mudder back." 



.•^o, laughing, good-natured Dinah 



(iuick lifted the little wight. 

 And, shaking the dredging-box carefully o'er him, 



Lo ! presently black was white. 



Then away ran the floury chicken, 



I^ooking" like all the rest; 

 And silly old Whitey coTitentedly clucked 



As it nestled beneath her l)reast. 



Dinah nodded and laughed at the mother; 



" Yer fooled, honey, sure, but <len 

 When folks every day take appearance for truf , 



Why shouldn't a foolish old hen •.' 



— Sag Harbor Express. 



John Bieney, whose place of business is 

 at Rowe's Wharf, Boston, observed a mink for 

 two or three days. Finally on Feb. 10, he shot 

 it with his Flobert rifle. Boston Harbor is 

 not a common resort for fur-bearing animals 

 of this'class. 



H. D. Eastman reports from Framingham, 

 Mass. : " A Orow was found iianging liead down, 

 with wings extended, the claws firmly clasping 

 a limb some twenty-five feet from the ground, 

 requiring quite a little amount of climbing and 

 shaking to bring him down. The bird was in 

 good condition and perfect plumage. Uo you 

 take it, that this was a case of la grippe "? 



According to latest advice from N'ew Jersey 

 the European Pheasant thrives miglitily in his 

 adopted home, but he has developed the serious 



fault of bad temper. It appears that the birds 

 have multiplied rapidly, and that too many of 

 them are of the male persuasion for the public 

 good. A cock Pheasant is a spicy fighter 

 wherever found, and the Jersey bird shows an 

 inclination to slaughter his own otfspring or 

 Grouse or Quail on the slightest provocation. 

 It is difficult to imagine how any serious dam- 

 age can result, but one never knows what will 

 come of meddling in Dame Nature's liennery. 

 The men who invented the American-English 

 Sparrow and the Anglo-Australian rabbit might 

 yet feel proud of the Americanized Pheasant. 

 — Outing. 



Soak Your Pencils in Oil. — When I 

 come across anything useful, or that I think 

 sucli, I make a clipping of it. Some time 

 ago I made one cai^tioned "Soaking Pencils 

 in Oils," and since have been following tlie 

 instructions given. Every one knowshow much 

 easier it is to write with a soft pencil than a 

 hard one, and how fast the former will wear 

 away. The soaking adds to the life of the 

 pencil nearly one-half, and still more smootli- 

 ness in writing. It also adds toughnes to very 

 soft leads, especially tlie large blue pencil so 

 much in use by editors. And it does not affect 

 the finish, whatever its nature, except to deepen 

 the color, and make still more glossy and 

 smooth such as are not painted. And such a 

 simple matter. Soak in linseed oil until the 

 wood and lead are thoroughly ]>ermeated with 

 oil. A week or ten days is none too long. 

 Tliey will take oil faster if sharpened, especially 

 l)ainted pencils. If the lead is not filled from 

 want of time it will absorb from the wood. — 

 Capron. 



New Publications. 



Notes on the range and habits of the Caro- 

 lina Parakeet by Amos W. Butler from The 

 Auk, Vol. IX, No. 1, January, 1892. A very 

 interesting compilation of the facts tliat Mr. 

 Butler has obtained relative to the former 

 occurrence of these birds in Indiana and 

 other neighborng states. 



Abstract oi the proceedings of the Delaware 

 Valley Ornithological Clul) of Philadelphia, 

 1890-91. This organization was effected Feb- 

 ruary .3, 1890, by the following gentlemen: 

 William L. Bailey, George S. Morris, J. Harris 

 Reed, Samuel N. Rhoades, Witmer Stone, 

 Spencer Trotter, M.D., and Charles A. Vojlker; 

 the primary object being the study of bird 

 migration and kindred subjects, in the neigh- 

 borhood of the city. A perusal of the records 

 of the meetings held during the two years 

 shows that many interesting papers were pre- 

 sented, together with illustrations by speci- 

 mens. It is seldom that we see a report that 

 presents such a healthy interest. They should 

 be congratulated. 



