November, 1S92.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



1/5 



Have Mice an Ear for Music? 



Some time ago there was a hen-coop 

 on our phice very much infested with mice 

 and rats. 



One dav I happened to be in there 

 playing upon a liarmonica when all at 

 once I saw the head of a tiny mouse peer- 

 ing from an opening in the wall, as though 

 he were listening. 



Further and further he advanced, until 

 — with a whisk he was gone. I stopped 

 playing. 



Then I commenced again, and after 

 awhile on looking carefully about I beheld 

 in the wall four holes and the heads of 

 two mice at each hole. 



Slowly they came toward me and 

 crouched upon the ground, listening. 

 The music stopped and the mice were 

 gone. 



As I started the music a mouse crept 

 from the opening in front of me, and ap- 

 proached. 



He crept to my very feet and looked 

 into my eyes, all the time keeping up a 

 " Squeak ! Squeak I " 



He held this position for about five 

 minutes, then turned and ran into the wall 

 again. 



Folks laughed at me until I invited 

 three or four into the coop. There the 

 mice went through the same actions as 

 previously. Dav after day it continued the 

 same, until the little animals and I grew 

 quite friendly. 



Once a rat advanced toward me, but 

 soon turned and went back again. 



But at last the hen-coop was altered 

 and my small friends disappeared. 



The question is, did those mice like 

 music, and were they attracted by it.'' 



C. P. T. 



Wakefield, Mass. 



A Barred Owl was shot within about 

 five minutes walk of our place, December 

 I . A dangerous locality for such visitors. 



To the Ornithologists of Illinois : 



The results from the short notice I 

 placed in the October Ornithologist 

 AND OoLOGiST, for your help in some 

 work on the birds of the state, have been 

 far from satisfactory. Only a few have 

 responded so far. 



The general distribution of probably the 

 majority of the Illinois birds has been 

 sadly neglected by our most prominent 

 writers. In fact, Illinois, compared with 

 some other states, has had very little sys- 

 tematic and scientific research among her 

 birds. To partially remedy this and ad- 

 vance our knowledge of the Illinois birds, 

 Mr. A. C. Murchison, of Kewanee, 111., 

 and I have decided upon a plan, to be 

 accomplished only by the combined help 

 of all Illinois workers. 



This state has many ornithological stu- 

 dents in the field, and by bringing their 

 observations together and combining them 

 very satisfactory results could be obtained. 

 It is desired to make a thorough investi- 

 gation into the distribution, nesting, arri- 

 val and departure of the birds throughout 

 the state ; to publish the results and to 

 give due credit to each observer. There- 

 fore all Illinois ornithologists and those 

 who are able to identify our native birds 

 are invited to help and to send in their 

 names at once in order that circulars may 

 be sent. We need your aid, and unless a 

 sufficient number of stations be established, 

 the work cannot be carried on. It is in- 

 tended to commence work by the first of 

 January, 1893, and your early and prompt 

 reply will oblige. 



William E. Loiicks. 



Peoria, 111. 



One more issue will close this volume 

 of the Ornithologist and Oologist. 

 If the subscribers who intend to renew 

 will notify us at once, it will save us a 

 great deal of labor. 



We hope to hear from you all. 



