72 



THE OSPREY. 



THE OSPREY. 



An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted 

 Exclusively to the Interests of 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



EDITED BY 



WAIvTER ADAMS JOHNSON. 



Subscription: In the United States, Canada and Mexico, One 

 Dollar a year, in advance. 



Single copies. Ten Cents. 



Foreign Subscription : One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents. Post- 

 age paid to all countries in the Universal Postal Union. 



Advertising rates sent on request. 



Notes and News of a relevant nature, and original contributions 

 are respectfully solicited, and should be addressed to Editors 

 at office of publication. 



Copy for advertisements and all matter for publication shoidd 

 be in the publisher's hands by the fifteenth of the month pre- 

 ceding publication. 



The resident locality of contributors are given when nature of 

 article requires it. 



Entered at the Galesburg Postoffice as mail matter of the 

 second class. 



Address all business communications to 



THE OSPREY CO., 



217 Main Street, GALESBURG, ILL 



JANUARY, 1897. 



The new edition of Dr. Coues' "Key to North 

 American Birds," is expected to be published 

 under the date of 1897. The old edition is now 

 being thoroug-hly revised by the author; and, 

 thoug-h much new matter will be added, it is 

 hoped to keep the bulk of the book to about 

 that of the last edition. Now, that the classi- 

 fication and nomenclature are practicalh' 

 settled for some time to come, bj- the late 

 edition of the A. O. U. "Check List," the 

 opportune moment has arrived for a new edi- 

 tion of this work: one which has for the 

 last twenty years aided so many of us in g-ain- 

 ing- a knowledg-e of birds. In order that the 

 new edition be fresh in every particular the 

 illustrations should not be forgotten, and there- 

 fore a number of the old cuts will be retired, 

 after long and faithful service, and to replace 

 them there is now being prepared, under the 

 supervision of Dr. Coues, new drawings by Louis 

 Agassiz Fuertes: an artist, who is known to us 

 as one of the few competent portrayers of 

 of bird-life. 



The specimens collected by Prof. D. G. Elli- 

 ot's African expedition reached the Field 

 Columbian Museum, Chicago, December 24th, 

 and now the work of unpacking is well under 

 way. The numerous authenticated news- 

 paper stories show that this collection, which 

 will be a feature of the museum, was acquired 

 only through the evident dangers accompany- 

 ing such an expedition. Prof. Elliot suffered a 

 severe attact of fever, of which his face vet shows 



traces; and he believes that Prof. Akeley is the 

 only man who has strangled to death a leopard 

 in a hand-to-hand conflict. They had no seri- 

 ous trouble with the natives, but some inter- 

 esting stories of them can be told. Black and 

 White (London) of November 28th, devotes a 

 page to an interview with Prof. Elliot. 



Chief Simon Pokagon, whose article was 

 published in the December Ospkev, also has a 

 paper entitled "The Wild Pigeon of North 

 America," in the November number of The 

 Chautauquan. The "Long'-fellow" of the Indian 

 race has here written a most interesting storj^ 

 of the Wild Pigeon as he has seen it between 

 the years 1840 and 1880. 



The head-piece in this number was drawn by 

 Mr. P. Wilber Shoop of Abingdon, 111. The series 

 of illustrated popular articles appearing- in 

 recent issues of the Chicago Record hy Mr. Shoop 

 have caused favorable comment. 



Mr. Isador S. Trostler, of Omaha, Neb., 

 wishes to secure the appointment as Chief of 

 the Department of Nattxral History at the 

 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposi- 

 tion, to be held at Omaha, 1898. Friends that 

 desire to aid Mr. Trostler should send him a 

 letter at once, endorsing and recommending 

 his appointment. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, j 



BioEOGiCAU Survey, :- 



Washington, D. C. ) 



Mr. W. a. Johnson : — Dear Sir:— In 1891 the 

 State of Illinois passed a law providing a bounty 

 of two cents apiece for English Sparrows killed 

 during the months of December, January and 

 February'. The law is still in force and the 

 clerk of Knox County reports tiiat about $150 

 have been expended for this purpose up to the 

 present time — representing the destruction of 

 nearly 7,500 sparrows in the county. Has the 

 expenditure caused any noticeable decrease in 

 number of English Sparrows in your vicinity, 

 and do 3'ou know of any cases in which any 

 species besides the English Sparrow has been 

 killed for the bounty? 



RespectfulU', 



T. S. Paumek, 

 Acting Chief of Division. 



It is our opinion that this law will not be 

 effectual in decreasing- numbers of the Eng-- 

 lish Sparrow in this locality, and perhaps not 

 prevent the increase. No doubt boys kill 

 species of native Sparrows, and even birds of 

 other families, but it is a question whether in 

 sufficient numbers to be detrimental to the 

 law. 



The city clerk of Galesburg reports that many 

 English Sparrows are now being killed for 

 the State bounty. This fact brings forth some 

 denunciation of this law, for the "Sparrows" 

 still have their friends among kind-hearted 

 people; and probably some "hard-hearted" 

 scientists, v.'ho see economic reasons for their 

 decrease, have regretted the necessity of their 

 death. 



When (?) a Sparrow Commission is estab- 

 lished bj' Congress, backed bj' plenty of money, 

 the problem may be solved, — perhaps. 



