THE OSPREY. 



137 



vorite twig by the sweet-peas, where it remained, 

 sitting drawn up into a tiny ball with its eyes shut 

 most of the time, and uttering a little chirp now and 

 then — the first I had heard. 



While I was trying to revive the little one the 

 parent birds would dart near my face, then hovering 

 a few inches apart, would rise straight above me, 

 almost out of sight, and then dart away like arrows, 

 only to go through the same performance again. 



Late in the evening I saw a storm coming up and 

 went to see after some little chickens. My next 

 thought was for my little Kuby-throat, but the storm 

 was on. My first impulse was to rush out and get 

 it ; but as I was at home alone — no, not a coward, 

 just don't like thunder storms — I consoled myself 

 with the thought that surely it will go to shelter with 

 the old ones. 



But next morning we found it cold and stiff, hang- 

 ing head downward, firmly grasping the twig on 

 which I left it. — Mrs. C. E. Pleas, Clinton, Ark. 



already written up years ago, are small — very small. 

 I heartily commend such methods as pursued by Mr. 

 N. Hollister, of Delavan, and others, who make care- 

 ful and copious notes, file and arrange them in order 

 for reference, but do not rush into print before they 

 know what they are doing — consequently their obser- 

 vations are of value. 



Having letter heads printed "Naturalist and Taxi- 

 dermist," etc., does not make one an ornithologist 

 competent to help make ornithological history, nor a 

 "Naturalist" or "Taxidermist" either. We have, 

 unfortunately, too many "eight skins for a dollar 

 men." I wish to warn budding Wisconsin ornitholo 

 gists that good honest loork, will receive the assistance 

 it merits, but I propose to handle any premature ex- 

 plosions of ornithological knowledge without gloves 

 hereafter. — Ludwig Kumlien, Milton Colle^^c, Wis 

 cousin. May 21, i8gj. 



VALUE (?) OF ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSER- 

 VATIONS BY AMATEURS. 

 My attention has been called so often of late to 

 various "observations" by certain amateurs that are 

 so glaringly false that I deem a note of warning to 

 the compilers of Bird Migration Records, Secretaries 

 of different Ornithological Chapters, etc., not out of 

 place. 



I refer to Wisconsin as an example, having little 

 doubt that it will differ materially from other States 

 in this respect. This immediate vicinity ( Lake Kosh- 

 konong. Rock, Jefferson and Dane Counties ) for ex- 

 ample, has been observed and written about for more 

 than fifty years by competent ornithologists, yet we 

 now have mere school boys, with no knowledge of 

 ornithology, sending out observations to be printed, 

 like the following: Bay-breasted Warbler, "First 

 record for Wisconsin," (One of our common W^ar- 

 blers, and in autumn abundant). Nashville War- 

 bler, "First record for Southern Wisconsin," (A 

 regular breeder, though rare, but common in migra- 

 tions). Other Warblers reported that do not, nei'L-r did, 

 and in all probability lu-c't-r 7oill occur in Wisconsin. 

 Also notes on migration like the following ; ( I only 

 cite one or two among some dozens I know of.) Nov. 

 ig: " Cowbirds, plenty in large sized flocks." 

 (Rusty Grackle no doubt.) March 7; "First Chim- 

 ney Swallow." (White-bellied Swallow, meant, no 

 doubt.) In the first instance a month or more too 

 late and in the latter a month to six weeks too early. 

 I would respectfully suggest that compilers consult 

 resident ornithologists of repute before condensing 

 and compiling a lot of worse than useless rubbish. 

 Bird movements differ from year to year, but experi- 

 ence teaches us that observations for one or two 

 years are of little value as extremes occur every few 

 years — like extremes of wet or dry seasons, (due to 

 various causes) and the normal or average condition 

 can not be got at, except by a number of years' con- 

 tinuous observations in one region. Birds must be 

 sought in the localities they frequent — and this means 

 a good deal more than many imagine A. i,'. a notice 

 was recently printed in a leading ornithological jour- 

 nal that "Authentic records of the Yellow-breasted 

 Chat in Wisconsin were few and far between." Had 

 the author of the above known how and where to 

 look for Chats he would not have perpetrated so 

 gross an error. But this party has confounded Pigeon 

 Hawk and Sparrow Hawk, Turkey Vulture and Car- 

 rion Crow and a number of other equally serious 

 breaks. Young Ornithologists should bear in mind 

 that the chances of their "discovering" anything not 



THE PRAIRIE HORNED LARK IN MAINE. 

 In the April number of Maine Sportsincin Mr. J. C. 

 Mead records, for the first time, the occurrence of 

 Otocoris alpestris praticola this year at Bridgton, 

 Me. From skins in my possession, identified by Mr. 

 William Brewster as perfectly typical Prairie Horned 

 Larks, I am able to record their occurrence in the 

 State at an earlier date. The skins are those of a 

 male taken March 29, 1892, a male taken March 27, 

 1893, and a female taken March 22, 1894. It is evi- 

 dent that Prairie Horned Lark is and has for some 

 time been a regular migrant in the State, and it is 

 strange the bird was so long overlooked. — C. H 

 MoKKELL, Pittsfield, Somerset County, Maine. 



UNUSUAL MARKINGS OF CLIFF SWALLOW 

 EGGS. 



May 6, I secured a few sets of Cliff Swallow and 

 among them was a set of four with black lines, also 

 some black spots upon them, in addition to the usual 

 markings. In two of the specimens the black formed 

 a wreath about the larger end. 



Mr. A. M. IngersoU wrote me thus ; " None of my 

 Cliff Swallow's eggs have black markings, and I do not 

 think I ever saw any that were dotted or marked 

 with black." — J. Maurice Hatch, Escondido, Cal. 



THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



The regular meeting of the Ornithological Section 

 of the Chicago Academy of Sciences was held in the 

 offices of Mr J. G. Parker, Jr., 100 Washington 

 Street, May 12, at 8 p. m., with a good attendance 

 The paper of the evening was read by Mr. J. G. 

 Parker, entitled, "The Warblers of Illinois," illus- 

 trated lay specimens. F. M. Woodruff, Secretary. 



AN ALBINO GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE. 

 Recently took a partially Albino Green-tailed 

 Towhee. Several primaries and secondaries were 

 white with inner webs of feathers delicate canary 

 yellow. White feathers appear also in the chestnut 

 of the crown — G. F. Breninger, F/ianix, Ariz. 



Mr. W. E. Snyder, of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, will 

 accompany Mr. E. A. Mcllhenny to Point Barrow, 

 Alaska. 



Messrs. R. S. Wheeler and H. C. Ward, both of 

 Alameda, returned May 11, from an egging trip into 

 the San Joaquin Valley. The recent drought had 

 dried up the ponds where the water fowl were wont 

 to breed, so that the trip was a flat failure, or, 

 oologically expressed, " an oval failure." Mr. Ward 

 did not seem discouraged about a trip next day— his 

 wedding trip. — California Department. 



