80 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 5 



Correspondence. 



Editor of 0. & O.: 



Seeing the article by Henry Hales in the 

 O. & O. of this month, "Bird Notes of Xew 

 Jersey," in which he gives his experience with 

 regard to birds singing while on the nest, let 

 me add to this that both the Red-eyed and the 

 Wijrbling Vireo sing while on their nests, 

 especially the latter variety. 



Also let me say that I, for one, am heartily in 

 favor of the plan suggested by F. 15. W. 

 as to the general exhibit of taxidermy by 

 collectors and taxidermists at the Columbian 

 Fair, and will be glad to donate my mite to 

 such a show. As there would have to be some 

 one there to receive specimens and to have 

 charge of the arrangement of the exhibit, let 

 us hear of some plan to defray such expense. 

 Frank IJlake Webster is the man to have charge 

 as we would then know it would be done in 

 shape, as he has had a large and varied experi- 

 ence. 'S. R. Ingersoll. 



Ballston Spa, N. Y. 



[It would be impossible for F. 13. W. to 

 undertake it, but we are ready to help to bring 

 al)(»ut some practical arrangement. — Ed.] 



Editor of O. it O.: 



On February 22d there was brought to me 

 an albino Mourning Dove. The specimen was 

 in good feather and condition, being quite 

 plump and fat. The feathers arc not pure 

 white, but are a bluish white. The specimen 

 was associated with a flock of a hundred or 

 more Doves, but was exceedingly wary. I 

 skinned the specimen and stuffed it. Upon 

 dissection I found it to be a female with well 

 developed ovaries. AVhen dissecting any birds 

 of abnormal plumage I generally look for tape- 

 worms, but none were in it. I have always 

 contended that abnormal plumage was caused 

 by the tape-worm, but in this case I cannot 

 substantiate my theoiy. Are albino Mourning 

 Doves a rarity? W. F. Peacock. 



[This is the first that has come to our 

 notice. — Ed.^ 



Editor of O. & O.: 



On the Gtli of Jiily last, I took a set of four 

 eggs of the Saw-whet Owl. The eggs were 

 placed in the deserted nest of a Woodpecker, 

 in a stub about twelve feet up and within ten 

 feet of a travelled highway. 



This Avas the second set from the same nest. 

 A set had been taken a week or ten days 

 l)revious by a friend of mine. He was not 



able to give the exact date. I was unable to 

 visit the nest again, but was informed by my 

 friend that the bird soon laid a third set 

 of four, which were allowed to hatch. 



In both cases when taking the eggs, the old 

 bird had to be taken from the nest by force. 

 Both sets were perfectly fresh, and are now in 

 my collection. 



Birds are abundant here this winter, which is 

 quite the reverse of last season when but very 

 few were seen. 



Pine Grosbeaks are here in large flocks. 



Wallace Homer. 



Monson, Me. 



New Publications. 



Proceedings of the Rochester Academy of 

 Sciences. Brochure II, completing Vol. I. 

 Within the pages, which show that the pro- 

 ceedings cover a broad field and of the most 

 scientific character, our eye catches the fol- 

 lowing: "Prof. II. L. Fairchild presented to 

 the section* a letter from Mr. G. W. Hill, of 

 Fisher's Station, in reference to a number of 

 weasels attacking a man. According to Mr. 

 Hill's account, John Briggen, a tenant of his, 

 while waiting for his horse to drink at a small 

 stream, saw on the o^iposite side about twenty- 

 five to thirty little red animals of different 

 sizes. This army of weasels, as it turned out 

 to be, advanced across the stream and climbed 

 up the legs of both man and horse. 



They were only driven ofl" by considerable 

 effort on the part of the man and by the assis- 

 tance of his dog coming to the rescue. 



Mr. Hill concludes tliat these weasels were 

 probably travelling, and states that he on a 

 previous occasion saw as many as fifteen 

 together, and last summer he also killed a 

 large one that had chased and frightened a 

 little boy. 



Mr. Geo. H. Harris is also cited as having 

 been once attacked by a weasel." 



The corresponding secretary is Prof. Charles 

 Wright Dodge, llochester, N. Y. 



Vol. VI, Nos. 1 to 4, Annals of the New 

 York Academy of Sciences for 1891, contains a 

 catalogue of Paitherfurd's photographic plates 

 of the sun, moon and stars, by John K. Bees, 

 and what will interest many of our readers, — 

 2G1 pages of coleopterological notices by 

 Thomas L. Casey. Copies can be obtained 

 from Prof. D. S. Martin, No. 2-30 West 4th 

 street, New York. 



* Zoological Dept. Org., April 30, 18!)0. 



