158 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-N0. 10 



Street, Boston, Mass. Our readers who 

 write for the list will favor us by mention- 

 ing the name of our paper. 



A flock of about one hundred small 

 hawks passed over us at Amoskeag, N.H. 

 about September 21, flying southwest. 



A. j\I. Farmer. 



In Ornithologist and Oologist of 

 September, received this day, I see the 

 announcement of Oliver Davie's new book 

 on " TaxideiMny." As it is only the second 

 time any later news has reached me, 

 would be pleased to be one of the sub- 

 scribers. Do you want the $5.00 now, 

 or when the book is out.-* Please let me 

 know at once, as such things should not 

 be missed. If it is anything like his Nests 

 and Eggs, it will be as near perfect as can 

 be had. Hoping to hear from you soon, 

 I remain, Yours truly, 



Alf Eastgate. 



We call the attention of our readers to 

 the fact that the price advances after the 

 work is published. 



We receive subscriptions now at $5.00 

 per copy. One dollar in advance, as we 

 have to place our orders in advance, and 

 the balance to be paid when the work is 

 ready for delivery. 



BIRDS AND EGGS FROM THE PEARY 

 EXPEDITION. 



At Mr. Norris' request, I send the fol- 

 lowing notes on the birds and eggs col- 

 lected on the recent Arctic expeditions 

 sent out by the Academy of Natural Sci- 

 ences of Philadelphia, under Lieut. Peary 

 and Prof. Heilprin, more extended ac- 

 counts of which will be found in the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Academy : — 



The West Greenland Expedition which 

 escorted Lieutenant Peary to McCormick's 

 Bay and returned to Philadelphia in Sep- 

 tember, 1891, procured the most extensive 

 ornithological collections, about 150 birds 

 representing 21 species, together with 



large series of eggs of a few species being 

 obtained. 



The Greenland Eider Duck, a species 

 quite distinct from the American Eider 

 and more nearly related to the form in- 

 habiting the north of Europe, was found 

 breeding in abundance at Duck Island, 

 lat. 73 deg. 57 min. N., and fine speci- 

 mens of the male and female birds, to-, 

 gether with a number of sets of their large 

 green eggs, were secured by Dr. Hughes, 

 the ornithologist of the expedition. 



Briinnich's Murre was also found to be 

 common and specimens of the birds and 

 the peculiar pear-shaped eggs, with their 

 varied markings, were collected. 



Little Auks were obtained in large 

 quantities in full breeding plumage, with 

 jet black head and neck, as well as Maudt's 

 Guillemot, Black Guillemot, the three 

 species of Jagers — Pomerine, Parasitic 

 and Long-tailed — Ivory, Kittiwake and 

 Gloucous Gulls, and Fulmar Petrels, the 

 latter exhibiting both the white and dusky 

 phases of plumage. 



A few specimens of the handsome King 

 Eider were also obtained. 



The only waders collected were the 

 Northern Phalarope, Purple Sandpiper, 

 and Ring Plover, a species closely re- 

 sembling the Semi-palmated Plover of our 

 eastern coast, and which supplaces it in 

 Europe. 



Besides the Greenland Ptarmigan, Gyr- 

 falcon and Raven, the only land birds ob- 

 served were the Snow Buntings, Lapland 

 Long Spurs and Wheatears, the former 

 being the most abundant. The specimens 

 of the Snow Buntings brought back by 

 the expedition show all stages of molt, 

 from the black-backed breeding bird with 

 its pure white head to the buff and black 

 plumaged bird that visits the United States 

 in winter, as well as the interesting gray 

 plumage of the young. Nests and eggs 

 of the Snow Buntings were also collected. 



The collections made by Lieut. Peary's 



