26 



THE OSPREY. 



its haunts from the Red-eyed bird. It is 

 a little over five inches in length, and its 

 g-eneral colors are of an ashy-g-reenish 

 hue with whitish underneath. Its song- 

 is not loud, and its melody not so grandly 

 musical as are the lays of many other 

 species v/hose voices mingle in the great 

 orchester of nature, where it has its 

 haunts and home, but to the attentive 

 student of bird life, and the lover of avi- 

 faunian music, its song, somewhat 

 resembling that of the Purple Finch — is 

 especially sweet and appealing to the 

 finer feelings of humanity, especially 

 when it falls on the ears of one who is 

 a stranger amid the wild and romantic 

 scenery of the Pacific coast. 



Mr. Mcllwraith, in describing this spe- 

 cies, says: "This amiable little songster, 

 although less abundant than the Red- 

 eye, is probably known to a greater num- 

 ber of people, owing to the preference 

 that it shows for isolated ornamental 

 trees in parks and gardens and the shade 

 trees in cities. Its song is soft, subdued, 

 and flowing like the murmuring of a hid- 

 den brook in the leafy month of June." 



Dr. Coues, speaking of this species, 

 gives its range as "Eastern North Ame- 

 rica to the high central plains, breeding 

 throughout its range, wintering extra- 

 limital, an abundant little bird, and an 

 exquisite songster. Its voice is not 

 strong, and many birds excell it in bril- 

 liancy of execution, but not one of them 

 can rival the tenderness and softness of 

 the strains of this modest vocalist. Not 

 born "to waste its sweetness on the 

 desert air," the Warbling Vireo forsakes 

 the depths of the woodland for the park 

 and the orchard and the shady street, 

 where it glides through the foliage of the 

 tallest trees, the unseen messenger of 

 rest and peace to the busy, dusty haunts 

 of men." 



A pleasing peculiarity about this spe- 

 cies is that it warbles its pleasing melody 

 — common to both sexes — not only 

 throughout the greater part of the day, 

 in the early part of summer, while it 

 gleans its insect prey among the opening 

 buds and expanding leaves, but also 

 when composing its nest, and when the 

 female is seated on her eggs, which fact 

 being known to the oologist, will lead 

 him to the location of the nest, which 

 might otherwise be concealed, as it is 



generally middling high off the ground 

 and well hidden among the foliage. The 

 nest, formed like a small basket and sus- 

 pended from the horizontal fork of a small 

 twig, is composed of various fine vegeta- 

 ble materials, neatly felted by the bill 

 and saliva of the little weaver. The 

 eggs — three or four in the set — are of a 

 pure white hue, dotted on the large end 

 with a few dark spots. Like many other 

 little birds it is often imposed upon by 

 the Cowbird, but when it discovers this 

 intruder about, it gives notice to its 

 partner, and with great spirit and bold- 

 ness both birds will unite to drive off this 

 enemy, as well other species, even as 

 larere as the Cuckoo and the Grackle. 



The New Farallone Petrel, 



The discovery of the new Petrel by 

 Prof. Loomis is quite naturally causing 

 some uneasiness among collectors possess- 

 ing a number of Farallone collected eggs. 



Some collectors have parents with the 

 sets, but undoubtedly the majority have 

 not. As far as we have learned collec- 

 tors are taking them from their exchange 

 lists until something more definite is 

 found out. 



Prof. Loomis thinks the eggs of the 

 new Petrel are somewhat larger than 

 those of the Ashy. 



Mr. H. R. Taylor came into possession 

 of quite a number of sets through his 

 recent purchase from Mr. H. C. Johnson, 

 and he believes that he can pick out each 

 species from the mixed lot. 



It will indeed be a regretable circum- 

 stance if it be proven that these eggs can 

 not be authentically identified, unless 

 accompanied by parent, and thus the 

 many otherwise valuable specimens now 

 existing in collections be made worthless. 



An appropriation of $500,000 has been made 

 by the State of New York for the building of a 

 third wing- of the American Museum of Nat- 

 ural History. 



Mr. W. S. Cobleigh writes September 20th, 

 from his home conveniently near the Illinois 

 swamps: — 



"Jack Snipe are plentiful, and there seems 

 to be an unusual number of Wood Duck and 

 Blue-winged Teal." 



